Abia State Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu has directed the setting up of a Committee to manage the N14.152B being expected from the Central Bank of Nigeria as Federal Government approved Bailout Funds for payment of outstanding salaries in Abia State.
The Committee is expected to be made up of the following:
1. Representative of the Head of Service of Abia State
2. Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Abia State Chapter
3. Chairman, Trade Union Congress, Abia State Chapter
4. Auditor-General of Abia State or his Representative
5. Accountant General of Abia State or his Representative
6. Statistician-General of Abia State
7. Special Adviser to the Governor on Economic Affairs
The Terms of Reference of the Committee will include:
1. To determine the exact amount owed Public Servants in Abia State
2. To determine the actual duration of backlogs owed workers in Abia State
3. To apply Bailout funds for its original intendment
4. To determine any other issue incidental to salary arrears in Abia State
This Committee is expected to be inaugurated by the Secretary to the Abia State Government by Monday, September 21, 2015.
It is pertinent to point out that the funds are yet to arrive the State. Information available is that the money has been released to the designated Abia State account but it is undergoing normal internal banking processes before it is credited as cash.
The Governor in keeping with his pledge that the money will be deployed solely for the original intendment of defrayment of salary backlogs has therefore taken this step to ensure that the process of disbursement of the funds is transparent.
It is also pertinent to note that the Integrated Payroll Verification System which was introduced by the Ikpeazu administration upon assumption of office has so far saved the State over N300 Million from incidences of Ghost Workers, padding of salaries and other underhand practices during computation of wages.
Note also that as is the practice in the civil service, whether money is available for payment or not, salaries are computed monthly and sent for payment. Thus, all the outstanding salaries previously computed in the past and sent in without payment which presently constitute the bulk of these backlogs will contain these anomalies and discrepancies that have been observed in recent times.
It is therefore the work of this committee to take a second look at these outstanding salary claims and pass them through the fine comb that has enabled the state save N300 Million so that all excesses and irregularities are combed out before payment is made.
The Okezie Ikpeazu administration is committed to using the bailout funds for the purpose of payment of salary backlogs. But only genuine salary backlogs owed to actual Abia State workers will be paid at the end of the exercise.
The Bailout fund is not free money. It is actually a loan with a 20-year repayment period at low interest rate so the Governor has a responsibility to ensure its judicious utilisation for the benefit of the people of Abia State.
The Governor has given a commitment that by Friday, October 30, 2015, all outstanding arrears would have been offset. This is therefore a call to all concerned to support the Governor in this noble quest to rid the system of all unscrupulous elements who collude with themselves to defraud the system.
In the event that any section of the workforce chooses to make trouble in the course of this process, chances are that they are being instigated by the elements who want to stampede the government to pay backlogs that include salaries to Ghost workers and outrageous paddings of salary claims.
The Abia State Government is resolute. The right thing will be done and will be seen to be done by all concerned
Sam Hart
SSA Public Comminication
