By Ikhili Ebalu, Benin City.
The Edo state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, has called on the state government and Heads of Local Government Administration of the eighteen Local Government Councils in Edo state to, as a matter of urgency, commence the payment of various months salary arrears and other deductable owed Council workers in the state.
This is the position of Edo State chapter of NULGE as expressed by its state President, Comrade Lazarus Imokhai Adorolo, while Fielding questions from news men in Benin City.
Comrade Adorolo said local government workers are downcast in Edo State as a result of the non-payment of salaries outstanding salaries arrears and other deductions from our salaries which also run into millions of Naira. “According to our compilations and findings, the eighteen Local Government Councils are owing worker the sum of four billion, two hundred and ninety-five million, eight hundred and twenty-eight thousand, six hundred and fourty-three naira, fifty-three kobo(4,295,828,643.53).
Meanwhile, our expectations was that as the allocation improves, there ought to be corresponding improvement in the payment of outstanding salary arrears and outstanding deductions,despite the increase in allocation. Instead, some have managed to pay one and half others have only paid half while some have only paid Percentage of one month. A situation that is worrisome. If we cannot help ourselves who will help us.
Similarly, “the Councils are also owing NULGE as deductable arrears to the tune of well over 89Million Naira, even as those of NHF, COOPERATIVE, NACHP, NANNM etc also are in. Millions of Naira”.
The NULGE President Edo State chapter, disclosed that “with the proceed from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) shared for the month of October,2021, there is no reason for the Councils’ supposed inability to commence offsetting these arrears except other wise that is unknown to us”
“We know that in recent time, the allocation to Councils is improving while their expenditure has dropped as there are no political office holders presently whose bills would have eaten deep into the revenue, so why are they not paying now? Is there something that someone is not telling us as a union? We expect constant interaction so that we can all be on the same page before the continuous harmony elude us as the union leadership is under serious pressure to take the bull by the horn Comrade Lazarus Imokhai Adorolo queried.