Unlike many other states, workers in Edo state civil service
receive their wages as at when due despite the prevailing
dwindling allocation to states from the Federation Account.
Luckily for the state, the Internally Generated Revenue under
the supervision of Chief Useni Elamah, has helped
immensely in the payment of workers’ salary in Edo state.
Initially, the tax drive embarked upon by the Governor
Adams Oshiomhole led administration was biting, but it has
paid off today with the constant salaries and visible
infrastructural development embarked upon by the state
government. However, all has not been too well with
workers at the Local Government level as some of them
have been owed salaries for close to five months. But their
situation has nothing to do with the state governor,
Comrade Adams Oshiomhole who has sacrificed his
security votes, drastically cut down government expenses
so as to ensure that Edo workers get paid every month.
The governor had vowed that as a labour leader, he would
ensure that workers under the state civil service get their
pay as at when due. It was learnt that the councils since
last year October, have not been getting their full allocation
from the Federation account. After the payment of teachers
in the 18 Local Government Areas, Saturday Vanguard
learnt that the funds are no longer enough to pay other staff
under the employ of the Local Governments. It was learnt
that the state government has on several occasions made
attempts to bail out the councils in Edo state but the
situation became difficult following the dwindling allocation
accrued to the state from the federation account.
It was not surprising therefore, when the state government
and the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria
(ALGON) took a swipe at the Edo state chairman of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Dan Orbih, who last
Monday, alleged that Governor Oshiomhole had deducted
about N200billion from the Councils since he assumed
office as governor in 2008. Orbih traced the paucity of funds
and the inability of the councils to pay salaries to alleged
deductions from the state government.
But in a swift reaction, the chairmen of the 18 Local
Government Areas in the state, held a press conference
describing Orbih’s allegation as not only senseless and
untrue, but an attempt to destroy the name of the Governor.
The state chairman of ALGON and chairman of Ikpoba LGA,
Mrs Itoha Osahon-Ogbeide said that integrity should not be
sacrificed in the name of opposition politics.
She said: “ We want make it clear that the Comrade
Governor is not in the habit of deducting Local Government
statutory allocation. He has never done it, even in my first
tenure as chairman of Ikpoba Okhai Local Government, he
did not do it so he cannot start it today. Up till date we have
paid teachers salary, we have not owed teachers one kobo.
The problem of the none payment of salaries at the Local
Government has to so with the deductions from the Federal
Government in allocations sent to Local Governments. It
started from the issue of the of crude oil, later it was crash
in the price of crude oil. It has nothing to do with the
Comrade Governor.
Yes, some workers protested recently, they did not protest
against Oshiomhole. Rather, what they were protesting for
was that we should also consider them in the payment of
salaries not only teachers. What happens is that at the time
teachers salaries are deducted from the allocation, we are
left with little or nothing to pay workers salaries. That is
why they are saying that attention should be drawn to them
by at least owing teachers for one or two months to enable
others get salaries.
“For instance, in my Local Government Ikpoba Okhai, if we
don’t pay teachers for one month we can cover the salaries
of workers for two months. So that is the problem, it has
nothing to do with the state government, though we are
used to hearing misguided comments. Orbih is displaying
lack of information and it is disappointing. He should look
for a means to help his party which is dead in Edo state to
resurrect rather than feeding people with wrong information.
Allocations are public documents so it is shameful that
chairman of a political party will be so misinformed in this
manner”.
Also reacting at the press conference, the Legal Adviser to
ALGON and chairman of Ovia North East LGA, Mrs Lucy
Omagbon, asserted that “ Orbih’s cry is that of a drowning
man, seeking to pull others down like him. He does not
know what to do and how to manage his party. To start
with, allocation to chairmen of Councils is a public
document. If you go to Ministry of Local Governments and
Chieftaincy Affairs the figures are there for everybody to
see. The problem is that we get half of what we used to get
before now. Starting from October 2014, the allocations
have been dwindling. We expected Orbih to be a statesman
that will look for solution to the problems of the country
rather than laying blames on people like Oshiomhole who
are sincerely doing their best to move the country forward.
We as ALGON members are disappointed with his
utterances.
“Since we came on board, we have not received any excess
crude except the one that came in April last year and that
was a far cry from what we used to get. Some people call it
augmentation, some call it excess crude and I don’t think
any council got up to N30million or even N25million. As for
the 10 per cent IGR, the councils have been collaborating
with the state government in so many ways to utilize the
money. We have red roof schools in the entire 18 LGAs, bore
holes due to the efforts of the state government and we are
happy to collaborate with the state government to achieve
this success” she said.
On his part, the public Relations Officer of ALGON, Morrison
Ogurobo-Ovia (Ovia South West), pointed out that “It is so
sad that Orbih is not abreast of events happening in the
country. For example in Ovia South West, we got
N43million last month and our total wage bill is N56million,
if you add imprest and overhead, it is about N62.3million.
So how do you intend to pay with such amount of money?
What comes from the Federal allocation is so disappointing
and there is nothing we can do about it. Are you aware that
two months ago, some Local Governments had to go and
borrow money to pay teacher’s salary? In this situation
what do you expect Councils to do? In fact, Governor
Adams Oshiomhole should be appreciated because he is the
only governor who does not interfere with the Local
Government allocations and he has been paying salaries.
I want to say it emphatically that Oshiomhole does not
touch our allocation, he gives us free hand to run the
Councils. We are aware that in other states, when
allocations come the governors will call the chairmen and
ask them what is their wage bill, he gives them workers
salaries and use the rest the way he wants. But here that is
the last thing Oshiomhole will do and we appreciate him for
that”.
Also contributing, Jimoh Ijegbai Owan East chairman, said
“We are shocked with the figures being brandished by Orbih
that Oshiomhole took from Councils. In fact, if you add the
entire allocation that comes to the Councils in two years, it
is not up to N200billion so why will somebody say that just
to rubbish the Comrade Governor? The condition we are
facing today is as a result of the mismanagement of the
economy of the country by the PDP, his party. We are all
students of the past in this state, between 1999-2008 in Edo
state, that was the tradition of Orbih’s party the PDP,
deducting allocations from the councils. Now we have a
governor who does not interfere with our allocation, he
started opening his mouth”.
The state government in a statement signed by the Special
Adviser to the Governor on Media, Prince Kaseem Afegbua,
said rather than criticize the Local Government
administrations, “Orbih ought to cover his face in shame at
the outright plundering of the economy by the last PDP-led
Government at the Federal level to the extent that even the
Federal Government could not pay salaries of workers. The
Government’s statement reads: “For some time now, we
have resolved to ignore Dan Orbih and his PDP co-
travellers not because of his obstinacy but for his deliberate
attempt to distract government in the discharge of its
statutory responsibilities to the people. By now, we thought
Dan Orbih would have grown up to understand the nuances
and dynamics of governance particularly in a state like Edo
that was completely crippled by the shenanigans of the PDP
demagogues, but his persistent ignorance makes a
refresher course a compelling need. While we are of the
opinion that constructive criticism is an integral part of the
democratic order and governance process, doing so with so
much ignorance and feeble knowledge creates more
problem of misinformation for the larger society.
“Let it be placed on record that Comrade Adams Aliyu
Oshiomhole, the Governor of Edo State does not tamper with
Local Government Funds in whatsoever manner. He has
continued to encourage the Local Government to apply due
diligence in the accounting process of their administration.
As a result of financial impropriety, he had cause to
suspend a Chairman of Owan West Local Government Area
and was later removed from office when the allegations of
financial recklessness were established by the Panel of
Enquiry against the said Chairman.
“The Local Government as a third tier of government has its
own statutory functions expressly spelt out in the Fourth
Schedule of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria [as amended]. Part of those functions include but
not limited to payment of Primary School teachers, payment
of Traditional Rulers salaries, payment of pensioners in the
Local Government, maintenance of vocational centers and
adult education amongst others. It is expected that the
Local Government will run with the full compliments of a
government at the Local level.
“Even if the entire allocations accruing to the 18 Local
Governments from the Federation Account are computed in
the last five years, they cannot add up to the bogus sum of
N200 billion as claimed by Dan Orbih and his ilk. But
typical of Dan Orbih, already used to cheap propaganda, if
he does not mention such humongous sum, such vacuous
story would not soothe the sheer hollowness of his
thoughts. In fact, Local Government allocations do not go
into the State Government Account, it goes into the joint
account of all the 18 Local Governments.
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