Only Six Local Councils in Kogi State Can Pay Salaries – Ainoko

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Only six local Government Councils in Kogi State can pay between 50%-60% as monthly salaries to its workers for the month of February. Fifteen other local councils will only be able to pay 30%-40% to its workers.

Hon Sadiq Abubakar Ainoko, Kogi State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, made the disclosure after a meeting with critical stakeholders made up of DLG’s, NULGE officials to brief them on the impact of the drastic reduction accruing to the councils in the month of January, 2015.

The Commissioner lamented a drastic drop of N416million from the monthly allocation’s to councils in the state, said the global fall in oil price occasioned the drop that has affected the payment to workers in the state.

While noting that government is deeply concerned about the drop in the salary payment to council workers,  he restated government’s sincerity towards ensuring that staffers of council areas get what is due to them.

Hon Ainoko who expressed his ministry’s commitment to payment of salaries, made an example of Adavi LGA that got N58m in September 2014 under the former council chairmen but paid 40% to workers, pointed out that the same council got N48m in January 2015 and will pay 50% salaries to workers.

The Commissioner called for understanding from NULGE officials and Staff of the various councils, said the Ministry has been sincere in the intervention to reposition the local government administration since October 2014 when it took charge of the immediate payments of salaries.

The Commissioner pointed out that since his Ministry’s intervention in the payment of salaries, it has moved payment from the 30%-40% paid by erstwhile council chairmen to 50%-80%.

The Commissioner decried the over bloated staff strength of the various Councils in the state called for a collective fight by stakeholders against the personnel corruption that is affecting the smooth running of local government administration.

The Commissioner called for creativity, innovativeness and the need to look inward in generating revenue, said the days of oil windfall is over with the reality staring Nigerians in the face.

The Commissioner disclosed that soon the report of the verification exercise his ministry conducted would soon been made public, appealed for understanding on the part of the council staff, with the hope that things will improve in the future.

Earlier in their remarks, Alh Bako Abdullahi, the forum chairman of DLG, lamented the shortfall to councils however commended the intervention by the ministry which has helped in smooth running of council administration in the state.

Comrade Tom Abutu, NULGE State Chairman, wondered why the staffers at councils are made to earn percentage payments as against other workers in the State and the Federal Government.

Com Abutu urged for the immediate intervention by the Federal and State Government towards ensuring that council administration survives in Nigeria.


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