Rabiu Omaku
The recent revelation of the quantum of money owned staff of the thirteen Local Government Council’s of Nasarawa state would shock you,The top secret was revealed by a top government functionary in the state who pleaded anonymity.
During the discussion,he revealed that gratuity of retirees gulped N42 bn while arreas of their salaries emanating from percentage payment of salaries was N20bn.
From the statistics he gave majority of pensioners in Nasarawa state especially those in the Local Government system died of heart attack and other related ailments due to the non-payment of their pension and gratuity.
He expressed concerned over the static wage bill of Local Government workers even with the daily retirement of civil servants due to age or years of service.
He suggested that the state Governor,Engr.Abdullahi Sule’s intention to carryout forensic audit of staff of the Local Government became necessary due to the chunk amount of money going down the drain by top ranking gullible workers.
He condemned the engagement of external auditors outside the state to conduct screening exercise as money to the tune of N20,000,000m was spend on external auditors.
Saying the office of the Auditor General of the state can perform such exercise at a minimal cost ,He said using internal auditors within the state would serve the state from involving in wast venture.
Also Ahmad while speaking stated that Nasarawa state would as from 2022 will loose vast of it civil servants due to retirement.
He said since the creation of Nasarawa state in October 1996,there was only massive recruitment once with the workers from Plateau state that return back to Nasarawa after creation.
Ahmad said something must be done to serve the state civil service before the massive retirement of workers starting from year 2022.
On the issue of the implementation of the new minimum wage,he advice the state Governor to maintained the salary table and focused on massive employment of active youth into key position.
He said the massive recruitment of youth would reduce youth restiveness like banditry,armed,kidnapping and other social vices that are inimical to the survival of the state.
The Chairman of Lafia Local Government,Hon.Aminu Maifata when asked about the arrangement to conduct forensic audit of the thirteen Local Government,The Chairman who doubles as the Chairman Association of All Local Government of Nigeria stated that the auditing of Local Government staff was timely
He appreciate the executive Governor,Abdullahi Sule for the prompt action to end ghost workers in the Local Government system.
He expressed displeasure on the over blunt system,according to Maifata,
“Auditing of staff of Local Government is an excellent decision to carryout audit of third tier of Government reason been that it will reposition staff level and determine the real number of staff,adding that it will sanity”
He blamed Director of Perssonel Management of the various Local Government of the illegal and massive employment of workers.
Aminu Maifata said 80 percent of such Local Government staff are in Lafia,his Local Government.
The Chairman when asked about authenticity of the autonomy of Local Council’s in Nasarawa state,Maifata confirmed that Local Government in Nasarawa state are fully autonomy via the holistic effort of Governor Abdullahi Sule.
On the grapevine making round by some Local Government Chairmen lamenting on over deduction of money to augment pension aside the statutory fifteen percent remitted to the pension bureau,He explained that no Local Government Chairman was foist to augment pension apart from the fifteen percent deduction from all the thirteen Council’s.
ALGON Chairman appealed to retirees and civil servants at the Local Government level to remain calm and resolute,attributing percentage salary and pension due to paucity of funds emanating from deduction from the Federal Allocation Account Committee.
“We have swing into action to tackle these by contributing money from each Local Government,hoping that disbursement would commence in earnest” .
