LG SALARY: Okowa dissociates Govt. from backlogs
...Says Paris club refund may cover only 3 months
...Says Paris club refund may cover only 3 months
By Elo Edremoda
Governor of Delta state, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has dissociated his government from salary arrears owed local government workers and primary school teachers.
The governor also stated that the owed council employees may get only three months of the expected tranche of the Paris Club Refund.
He disclosed this yesterday at a town hall meeting held at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Conference Centre, Effurun, Uvwie council area.
It will be noted that council workers and primary school teachers across the state have been owed varying months in salaries, ranging between 3 and 13 months.
Urging local governments to figure out how to pay off the backlogs of salaries, he explained that the money that usually comes from the federal government is not as much as it used to because of the prevalent economic recession.
Okowa, while responding to questions asked said, "the local governments have to think of a way to handle it. I am not, as governor, owing the salaries of local government workers.
"For the Paris Club Refund, the money that will come in may not be able to take care of more than three months salaries. We are praying that it comes.
"The money that comes from the federal government is no longer enough because there is recession. The salary for that level (local government workers) was increased during the oil boom.
"The money that used to come was about 3.4 to 3.5 billion, but what comes in now is about 2.3 billion. Plus the 10% of IGR to their salaries adds up to about 2.9 billion. Then deductions for pensioners and traditional rulers, all these cause shortages."
Governor of Delta state, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has dissociated his government from salary arrears owed local government workers and primary school teachers.
The governor also stated that the owed council employees may get only three months of the expected tranche of the Paris Club Refund.
He disclosed this yesterday at a town hall meeting held at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Conference Centre, Effurun, Uvwie council area.
It will be noted that council workers and primary school teachers across the state have been owed varying months in salaries, ranging between 3 and 13 months.
Urging local governments to figure out how to pay off the backlogs of salaries, he explained that the money that usually comes from the federal government is not as much as it used to because of the prevalent economic recession.
Okowa, while responding to questions asked said, "the local governments have to think of a way to handle it. I am not, as governor, owing the salaries of local government workers.
"For the Paris Club Refund, the money that will come in may not be able to take care of more than three months salaries. We are praying that it comes.
"The money that comes from the federal government is no longer enough because there is recession. The salary for that level (local government workers) was increased during the oil boom.
"The money that used to come was about 3.4 to 3.5 billion, but what comes in now is about 2.3 billion. Plus the 10% of IGR to their salaries adds up to about 2.9 billion. Then deductions for pensioners and traditional rulers, all these cause shortages."
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