Delta govt. is not owing council workers – Gov. Okowa
Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, has advised local government administrators to seek alternative solution to offset the backlog of salaries and arrears owed local government workers. Okowa gave the advice on Wednesday at a Town Hall Meeting held in Uvwie Local Government Area. He said that the government did not owe local government workers or […]
Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta, has advised local government administrators to seek alternative solution to offset the backlog of salaries and arrears owed local government workers.
Okowa gave the advice on Wednesday at a Town Hall Meeting held in Uvwie Local Government Area.
He said that the government did not owe local government workers or primary schools teachers.
He added that the government was not responsible for the payment of the salaries of local government employees.
Okowa said: “the only thing that connects us is the money accruing from federal allocation; what is meant for the state is disbursed to state while the one for local governments is disbursed to them.
“What we do as state government is to add 10 per cent of our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to the allocation of local government councils through what we called JAC Committee.
“The committee included the chairmen of Nigeria Union of Teachers and Nigeria Union Local Government Employees.
“So the state government is not the one owing local government and primary schools teachers; the money coming from JAC to them is no longer enough because of the economic recession.
“The combined salaries of local governments workers and primary schools teachers in the state is between N3.4 billion and N3.5 billion monthly while the money from JAC monthly is currently between N2.4 billion and N2.6 billion.”
While sympathising with the aggrieved workers, Okowa said he could only offer advice as governor, adding that the way out should be decided by local government administrators.
The governor said that his administration had engaged 50 physically challenged persons on the state’s skill acquisition training programme.
He said that another batch of 50 persons would soon be enrolled.
On cultism, Okowa tasked parents to inculcate on their wards good moral values in order for them not to constitute nuisance to the society.
He urged the people to imbibe the culture of good hygiene by keeping their environment clean. (NAN)