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Tag: Salaries

  • Yobe Government explains slash in LG workers’ salaries

    Yobe Government explains slash in LG workers’ salaries

    The Yobe State government has said the decision to deduct from local government workers’ salary is a painful one which is better than sacking staff.

    This was in reaction to the outcry against deduction in salaries by staff.

    According to the State Commissioner for Information, Home Affairs and Culture, Abdullahi Bego, who addressed the press in Damaturu, the current economic woes and global economic recession also contributed to the decision of the state government.

    Bego, however, informed that the state government under Gov. Mai Mala Buni is ever willing to reverse to the status quo ante on the salary issue once the economic situation improves.

    The commissioner, while calling for the understanding of the workers, however reminded them of the commitment of the state government to prompt payment of salaries in the state.

    “As many of you are possibly aware, the Yobe State Government considers it a priority that workers’ salaries are paid promptly and timely. This is why here in Yobe State, salary payments are the first-line charge from government revenue receipts. This means that at the end of every month, the state government would first pay the salaries of workers before undertaking any – and all – other expenditures.”

    He said the recent revenue shortfall arising from the global economic downturn have begun to affect everything from the capacity of the government to provide key social services to the people to the fare you pay at the motor park.

  • NFF assures on payment of outstanding bonuses of Super Eagles, coaches’ salaries

    NFF assures on payment of outstanding bonuses of Super Eagles, coaches’ salaries

    The Nigeria Football Federation says it is working to ensure the payment of outstanding bonuses and allowances of the coaches and players of the senior men national team, Super Eagles, as well as salaries owed the coaches of the team.

    NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said in Abuja on Wedneday that the challenges and disruptions caused by the global coronavirus pandemic are still being felt by government institutions and businesses the world over, and there was no need to pretend that these are normal times.

    “The NFF deserves no joy in owing players and coaches their entitlements. The same players and coaches have been well-taken-care of and provided the necessary facilities when things were normal, and as we work assiduously towards conquering the present challenges and seeing sunlight again, we expect the players, coaches and administrative staff to show the same level of understanding that they have been showing over the past 18 months.

    Dr Sanusi’s comments were in direct reference to a statement credited to Super Eagles’ defender, Leon Balogun on Tuesday saying the NFF was owing the players bonuses and allowances. “We have never denied owing the team. Leon is a senior player that everyone respects for his quality output on the pitch and calmness and forbearance off it, but I do not know which reports he was referring to when he said the NFF was contradicting itself.

    “He also talked about playing pitches. Sincerely speaking, the past few years has seen a remarkable improvement in stadia infrastructure across the country. The team had to move round the States because the turf of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja got bad. Now, the pitch is coming back to shape thanks to the efforts of the present Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Chief Sunday Dare, who got the respected Alhaji Aliko Dangote’s company to work on it.

    “Presently, we have exciting venues in Uyo, Benin City, Asaba, Kaduna and Lagos. Without the team moving round the States, the governments of these States probably would not have devoted much effort into putting these facilities in world-standard shape. There are remarkable improvements on facilities in Ibadan, the National Stadium in Lagos and a new one in Lagos. All these will benefit the teeming youth population of Nigeria who are interested in sports.”

  • Salaries of NASS members must reflect economic realities, Court rules

    Salaries of NASS members must reflect economic realities, Court rules

    The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to fix the salaries and allowances of the 469 members of the National Assembly, to reflect the economic realities in the country.

    The court on Friday also ruled that the National Assembly Service Commission has no power to determine the remuneration and allowances of lawmakers.

    Justice Chuka Obiozor delivered the judgment via zoom today in the consolidated suits brought by two legal Practitioners, Mr. Monday Ubani and Mr. John Nwokwu, and more than 1,500 concerned Nigerians through the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), BudgIT and Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE).

    Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana led the team of human rights lawyers who secured victory in what is being described as a landmark judgment.

    The suit was filed on the heels of reports that members of the National Assembly receive running costs and allowances not determined by RMAFC and that such allowances are illegal because they are far above what the RMAFC prescribed.

    In 2018, one of the senators, Senator Shehu Sani had disclosed in an interview that “each senator receives N13.5 million monthly as running cost in addition to over N750,000.00 monthly consolidated salary and allowances”.

    Another online publication further revealed that each senator is entitled to the sum of N200m as a constituency project allowance.

    The National Assembly filed a Defence denying ever collecting such an amount but failed to disclose to the court how much they collect.

    The NASS Commission in their defense also denied paying such an amount to the members. They also challenged the locus standi of the plaintiffs to institute the action against them.

    But Justice Obiozor overruled these objections and held that in line with the constitution, the RMAFC should do a downward review of the salaries, remuneration, or allowances of the lawmakers to reflect the economic realities in the country.

    The court also recommended that since the lawmakers have denied receiving jumbo pays, the EFCC should look at their books and prosecute them if it is found that they under collect such an amount of money.

    The National Assembly comprises 469 members – with 109 in the Senate and 360 in the House of Representatives. These public officers form a very tiny percentage of about 200 million Nigerians.

  • APC clears air on alleged plans by FG to slash workers’ salaries

    APC clears air on alleged plans by FG to slash workers’ salaries

    The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday in Abuja, said the Federal Government has no plans to slash salaries of civil servants as alleged by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, National Secretary, APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), debunked the allegation in a statement.

    Recall that the PDP, in a statement by its spokesman, had alleged that it got intelligence report that the Federal Government is planning to slash salaries of workers because of economy reasons.

    Akpanudoedehe said “The PDP is up to its comical tales on what it terms intelligence at its disposal to slash the salaries of workers in the country, clearly only the PDP believes its tales.

    “We are proud of our credentials as a truly progressive and people-centred political party.”

    He stressed that rather than thinking of slashing workers’ salaries as alleged by the PDP, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government is committed to the welfare of Nigerian workers.

    He added that the administration had been tested and proven in this regard, saying that it would continue to match words with actions in line with the APC electoral promises.

    He noted that the administration had put in place several social investment programmes targeted at citizens living on the margin.

    These, he said, include the implementation of the improved minimum wage and the Economic Sustainability Plan to the mass housing programme which thousands of Nigerians are already benefitting from, among others.

  • This is tantamount to ‘mass suicide’; Labour reacts to plans by FG to slash salaries

    This is tantamount to ‘mass suicide’; Labour reacts to plans by FG to slash salaries

    The Organised Labour has condemned and rejected the plan by the Federal Government to slash the salaries of workers in the country.

    The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Waba, who said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, noted that the plan was tantamount to a “mass suicide” wish, for Nigerian workers.

    Waba said that NLC was shocked at a statement credited to the Minister of Finance, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, on the plan to reduce the high cost of governance by cutting down on the workers’ salaries.

    ”The minister also allegedly directed the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), to immediately review the salaries of civil servants as well as the number of federal agencies in the country.

    ”It is most unthinkable that the government would be contemplating to unilaterally slash the salaries of Nigerian workers at this time,” he said.

    Wabba added that, “the question to ask is which salary is the government planning to slash? It certainly cannot be the meager national minimum wage of N30, 000, which right now cannot even buy a bag of rice”.

    He expressed the belief that the proposed slash in salaries was certainly not targeted at the minimum wage and consequential adjustment in salaries that some state governors were still dragging their feet to pay.

    According to him, it is in public knowledge that the multiple devaluations of the Naira in a short time, and the prevailing high inflation rate in Nigeria, has knocked out the salaries earned by Nigerian workers across the board.

    ”Nigerian workers are only surviving by hair’s breadth. Indeed, Nigerian workers are miracles strutting on two legs.

    ”It is, therefore, extremely horrendous for a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to pronounce salary slash for Nigerian workers currently.

    ”This call for salary slash by Mrs Zainab Ahmed is tantamount to a “mass suicide” wish, for Nigerian workers,” he said.

    While opposing the move, he demand an immediate retraction and apology by the Minister of Finance.

    The NLC president, however, said that if there was any salary that needed serious slashing, “it is the humongous remuneration and allowances pocketed by political office holders in Nigeria, who do extraordinarily little but collect so much.

    ”Workers generate surplus value and revenue for the government.

    ”We do not constitute any unnecessary cost or burden to governance. It is also important to make the point that salaries are products of contracts governed by laws. They cannot be unilaterally adjusted.”

    He said that many countries of the world were increasing the salaries of their workforce and extending social security coverage for their citizens.

    According to him, many are providing all forms of palliatives to help their people through the terrible socio-economic dislocations occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Waba said that it would be completely strange for the Nigerian government to be thinking of a salary slash.

    “This move is not only at great odds with global best responses to the COVID-19 pandemic but also in violation of relevant ILO Conventions and Declarations on Wages and Decent Work.

    “We urge the government as a social partner to quickly respond to the demands by Labour for an upward review of salaries of all Nigerian workers.

    “Nigerian workers have shown sufficient understanding with the government through the tough patches of the pandemic.

    “Now, Nigerian workers demand reciprocity of our understanding. Nigerian workers demand an increase in their remunerations and allowances,” he said.

  • Bauchi stops salaries of 715 suspected ghost workers

    Bauchi stops salaries of 715 suspected ghost workers

    The Secretary to Bauchi State Government, Alhaji Mohammed Baba, says government has temporarily stopped the salaries of 715 suspected ghost workers.

    Baba said this while addressing newsmen on the outcome of Wednesday’s meeting of the State Executive Council at the Government House in Bauchi.

    “We have their lists and the reason for stopping every salary has been clearly provided.

    “What the government wants to do is to ask the commissioners in charge of the different ministries as well as departments and agencies to take their own list and go back to those people, sit down and interview them.

    “It’s fine if it is something that can be sorted out but if it cannot, then, that automatically is the kind of thing we are saying about ghost workers in the system.

    ”Definitely, government cannot continue to pay people that do not deserve to be paid,” Baba said.

    He said that government discovered that the system used for salary payment in the state had been compromised.

    According to him, the purpose of the briefing is to tell you the progress the government is making in addressing the salary challenges in the state.

    ”The intention of the committee set up about four weeks ago is to have a payroll, where the state is not shortchanged.

    “Since we came, there has been the hue and cry that there are many ghost workers in the state payroll, the intention is to address that issue squarely.

    “There is a collusion between the beneficiaries and staff members to the extent that the software we are using has been opened to a lot of manipulations, therefore, we cannot rely on it,” Baba said.

    Also, Mr Abdulrasak Zaki, the Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs, said it was discovered that the names of a lot of retired local government personnel were still appearing on the payroll.

    Zaki described the development as “totally unacceptable”, saying, ”we are doing everything possible to see that we remove them out of the payroll.”

    The Commissioner for Justice, Yakubu Kirfi, said the identity of workers allegedly involved in salary fraud in the state would be revealed at the end of the ongoing police investigation.

  • BREAKING: Kano Govt slashes salaries by 50%

    BREAKING: Kano Govt slashes salaries by 50%

    The Kano State Government has slashed the salaries of political office holders in the State by 50 per cent for the month of March.

    According to a statement by Malam Muhammad Garba, Commissioner, Information, Kano State, the salary cut was due to dwindling resources.

    Garba, who disclosed this on Tuesday, said the action was due to shortfall in the revenue accruing to the State from the federation account.

    He said the decision affected the Governor, Deputy Governor and all public office holders in the State that included all Commissioners, Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants, among others.

    Garba said that at the local government level, the salary slash affected the chairmen, vice-chairmen, elected councilors, supervisory councilors, advisers and secretaries of local governments.

  • Why I didn’t receive salaries for eight years as Osun Governor – Aregbesola

    Why I didn’t receive salaries for eight years as Osun Governor – Aregbesola

    The Minister of Interior and immediate past governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has denied reports that he secretly received his accumulated 96-month salary while leaving office as governor in 2019.

    The minister was reacting to reports accusing him of receiving the accumulated salaries in secret.

    A statement from minister’s media aide, Sola Fasure, described the report as a fiction written by elements bent on casting “aspersion on the integrity of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola “.

    According to the statement, the author of the report “falsely claims that the Minister of Interior and immediate past governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, towards the end of his tenure, secretly received the backlog of his full salary for the entire period he was governor, contrary to his asserting that he never did.

    “The report is entirely a piece of fiction, a good exemplar of fake news and disreputable journalism.”

    The media aide said: “Let me state categorically again that Ogbeni Aregbesola did not receive any salary in the entire duration of his eight-year stint as governor in Osun.

    “His reason being that the state government provided accommodation, security, transportation, food and other conveniences for him and would not need to pay for these from his pocket.

    “He also explained that all his children are grown up and have graduated and he would not need to pay school fees again. He therefore donated his salaries to the state government.

    “The author of the report claims to have got the information from some anonymous government officials. He provides no evidence.

    “The report fails the basic journalistic ethical requirement that only truth and verifiable fact should be reported as news. Reading through it, one is not in doubt that the evil intention behind the piece was to smear and cast aspersion on the integrity of Ogbeni Aregbesola.”

  • Lawmakers demand better salaries for doctors, others

    Lawmakers demand better salaries for doctors, others

    The House of Representatives, on Tuesday, condemned the mass exodus of workers in the health sector, calling on the Federal Government to discourage the migration of health workers to other countries.

     

    The House specifically urged the Ministry of Labour, Employment, and Productivity to “review the salary, allowances, and welfare of Nigerian medical practitioners.”

     

    The House also called on the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity to “consider expanding the size of the medical practitioner in the country to create employment for the unemployed ones and develop a functional strategy that will attract diaspora medical personnel to work at various teaching hospitals.”

     

    Also, the lawmakers instructed the ministry to ensure employment of Nigerian medical practitioners, while mandating the House Committee on Health Care Services to “call other relevant stakeholders for an interactive session in other to proffer a lasting solution to brain drain of medical personnel from Nigeria.”

     

    These are the prayers of a motion moved by a member, Ganiyu Johnson, titled ‘Need to Address the Increasing Rate of Brain Drain of Medical Personnel from Nigeria,’ which was unanimously adopted by the House.

     

    Moving the motion, Johnson said, “The House notes that Nigeria has one of the leading stocks of human resources for health in Africa but has failed to meet the health attention of its over 200 million people as a result of brain drain.

     

    “The House also notes that the Nigeria Medical Association, in 2016, gave the statistics of about 5,000 medical workers leaving the country annually to developed countries, making Nigeria the highest source of foreign-born medical practitioners abroad.

     

    “The House is aware from studies that Nigeria has over 90,000 qualified medical doctors practising abroad and, in fact, an average of 50 doctors who had their primary medical education in Nigeria are said to be registering for practice every week in the United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada and the oil-rich countries.

     

    “The House is also aware that Saudi Arabia’s health ministry visits Nigeria every year to conduct screening for intending medical practitioner, both in Abuja and Lagos, to take them to their country for employment, and Nigerian doctors are struggling for visa at the British High Commission to travel to their country after they have even passed their compulsory Professional Linguistic Assessment Board exams at the British Council.”

     

    Johnson itemized some factors responsible for the development to include inadequate infrastructure, poor human resources planning, management practices and structures, unsatisfactory working conditions characterised by heavy workloads and other factors such as lack of professional autonomy, poor supervision and support, long working hours, unsafe workplaces, inadequate career structures, poor working conditions and poor compensation packages.

     

    He added, “The exodus of medical practitioners in Nigeria has in particular contributed to acute shortages of specialised and experienced health professionals in the country and if not curbed, it will be tough for Nigeria to tackle poverty because health is actually the wealth.”

  • You can’t claim varsity autonomy and still receive salaries from us, FG tells ASUU

    You can’t claim varsity autonomy and still receive salaries from us, FG tells ASUU

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) cannot claim to be autonomous when lecturers are paid by the government, Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said on Wednesday.

    He said autonomy can only work when a university generates its resources to pay workers and meet its obligation.

    Ngige spoke while defending his ministry’s budget before the Senate Committee on Labour and Employment.

    Striking lecturers have refused to call off their seven-month strike because of disagreement with the government over the Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPIS).

    ASUU claimed that enrolling on the platform would erode the autonomy of the university system.

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) yesterday issued a 14-day ultimatum to parties to resolve the lingering strike or face nationwide protests.

    Ngige, according to a statement by his media aide, Emmanuel Nzomiwu, told the lawmakers that the Federal Government was addressing the strike holistically to ensure that other unions in the university system were carried along.

    Besides, the minister said the Federal Government has met most of the union’s demands.

    “Out of the eight demands of ASUU, the government has solved five. We have made N50 billion available; N20 billion for the revitalisation of the universities and N30 billion for Earned Academic Allowances (EAA).

    “The union agreed and went back to their members, only to return and say that the money for EAA should be for ASUU members alone, excluding other unions, namely, SSANU, NASU and NAAT,” Ngige said.

    He explained that the Federal Government cannot ignore the other unions as such could be counter-productive to the smooth running of the university system.

    “We cannot ignore the other unions whose services are indispensable for the full functioning of the university. If we ignore them, even if ASUU calls off the strike, the other unions will down tools-close the lecture rooms, the libraries, the laboratories- and, even the university gate,” the minister said.

    On the contentious issue of IPPIS, the minister said the University Transparency and Accountability Solutions (UTAS), which ASUU brought as an alternative has been sent to the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) for assessment.

    Ngige, however, faulted the claim by ASUU that IPPIS would erode university autonomy.

    “They said that university autonomy is being eroded. Autonomy cannot work when the government is paying the lecturers. It can work only when the governing council generates its resources to pay workers.

    “IPPIS has blocked all leakages and exposed those who are not paying taxes, as well as those who underpay.

    “So, we are meeting again with ASUU soon, so that they can also hear that other unions in the university have developed their payment system against UTAS. Do you now realise why we are tackling this problem holistically?,” the minister asked the lawmakers.

    Addressing the concerns of the senators on the worrying unemployment situation in the country Ngige called for a systemic re-evaluation of the educational system with an emphasis on technical education.

    He stressed the need to manage our resources and make concerted efforts to create jobs through multi-lateral and multifaceted approaches, including agriculture.

    NANS resolved to organise a nationwide mass protest to press home its demand for the immediate reopening of all universities.

    This is part of resolutions reached in a communiqué issued yesterday in Enugu after NANS Students’ Leaders Emergency Virtual Meeting held on Nov. 9.

    The communiqué said the continued strike was an organised crime against students’ career and educational pursuits.

    The statement reads in part: “The government has failed to prioritise education, hence the failure to deploy necessary fund for a complete overhauling of the education sector and total revitalization of university education in Nigeria.

    “The association noted that governments had not earmarked meaningful budgetary allocation to the sector in line with the recommendation of UNESCO 26 per cent educational budgetary allocation.

    “NANS has affirmed the perpetual and continued industrial actions by ASUU as the only tool to press home her demands as an organised crime against students’ career and educational pursuits.

    “Consequently, NANS with no hesitation declares 14 days ultimatum for both ASUU and FG to resolve their impasse for our campuses to re-open or risk mass protest tagged #EndASUUStrike Nationwide – with economic shut down as the major target.”