Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State has set October 2015 as the deadline for the payment of all salaries and pension arrears of workers and pensioners in the state.
He has also directed the setting up of a
seven-man committee to manage the disbursement of the N14.152bn Federal
Government bailout fund for the payment of salary and pension arrears in
the state.
A statement by the Senior Special Adviser
to the Governor on Public Communications, Mr. Sam Hart, said the
Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Eme Okoro, had been mandated to
inaugurate the committee on Monday (today).
The
committee, according to the statement, is to be made up of the
representatives of the Head of Service of Abia State, Chairman of
Nigeria Labour Congress, Abia State Council; and Chairman, Trade Union
Congress, Abia State Council.
Others are the state’s auditor general or
his nominee; accountant general or his representative; the statistician
general and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Economic Affairs.
The statement said, “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 to defraud the system.”
According to the statement, the committee
is to determine the following: the exact amount owed public servants in
the state, the actual duration of backlogs owed workers in the state as
well as determine any other issue pertaining to owed salary arrears in
the state.
The committee is also to ensure strict adherence to the purpose of the bailout and avoid diversion.
The statement, however, said that the
bailout fund had yet to be accessed but assured it would likely be
accessed during the week.
It said, “It is pertinent to point out
that the bailout fund has 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 Ikpeazu administration is committed
to using the bailout fund for the purpose of payment of salary backlogs.
But only genuine salary backlogs owed 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.”
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