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Tag: Salaries

  • Court reinstates 894 redeployed health workers, orders refund of deducted salaries

    The National Industrial Court on Tuesday in Kano ordered the Kano State government to redeploy the 894 health workers it transferred to other agencies from the Hospital Management Board, and refund their salaries deducted for 27 months.

    The state government had on September 6, 2016, through the office of the Head of Service, redeployed the affected workers to other agencies and changed their salary structure from Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) to Harmonised Public Service Salary Structure (HAPSSS).

    Irked by the government’s action, the affected workers, under Nigerian Civil Service Union, Kano Hospital Management Board Chapter, on July 3, 2017, dragged the state government to Industrial Court, challenging the action.

    The plaintiffs, through their counsel, Surajo Ali, told the court that being employees of Kano State Hospital Management Board, they were entitled to continue to enjoy the CONHESS salary structure.

    He added that his clients, having been employed by the state Hospital Management Board and in pursuant to Hospital Management Board edict 1995, were not subjected to any circular or directives given by the Head of Service.

    “The Kano Hospital Management Board is a body established by law of Kano State, and saddled with the responsibility and powers to recruit, employ, train, transfer and promote its employees,” he said.

    He argued that the complainants were subject to transfer within the zonal office of the Kano State Hospital Management Board, and their transfer was within its powers, not the Head of Service.

    “Their transfer as a result of the circular issued by Head of Service, they were affected negatively to the effect of a transfer and posting out of Kano State Hospital Management Board and its zone.

    The plaintiffs, therefore, prayed the court to declare the circular as void and of no effect whatsoever to them.

    Delivering the judgment, Judge E. Isiele ordered the state government to redeploy the affected workers to their former station and refund all the salaries deducted for the 27 months.

    Speaking to journalists after the judgement, Mr Ali expressed happiness and satisfaction over the judgement.

    He also thanked the judge for granting five out of six of their prayers.

    However, In his remarks, the defence counsel, Mukhtar Daneji, faulted the judgement, saying they will file an appeal.

  • Osun gov, Oyetola speaks on prioritising workers’ welfare, prompt payment of salaries

    The new governor of Osun State, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola has pledged to run a people friendly administration.

    He made the promise in his inaugural address on Tuesday in Osogbo after he was sworn-in.

    According to Oyetola, the welfare of workers in the state will be of utmost concern to his government, as he pledged to pay salaries promptly.

    “Ours shall be a government committed to serving the people,” Oyetola stated.

    “We will ensure workers’ salaries are paid promptly based on the financial inflow of the state. We will prioritize workers welfare and pensioners.

    “We will organize the Osun Economic Summit, with the first quarter of our year in office.”

    According to him, he will ensure creation of 30,000 jobs and improvement on the standard of living for citizens of the state.

    “It is time to create jobs for our youths; we will upgrade our vocational technical institutions to make them more vibrant with the demands of the technology-driven world. We in partnership with private sectors will establish large manufacturing industries in the major sectors of the economy to create at least 30,000 jobs.”

    He said he will ensure the achievement of the sustainable development goals for the overall development of the state.

    Oyetola assured that education will be promoted in the state in line with the principle of the Omoluabi.

    “We will promote equitable and value based developmental education, by emphasizing its competence and character as reflected in the principle and philosophy of Omoluabi,” he said.

    He commended his predecessor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for the various developmental projects implemented during his tenure and promised to sustain and improve on them.

     

  • NNPC private security guards, cleaners protest non-payment of salaries

    NNPC private security guards, cleaners protest non-payment of salaries

    Private security guards and cleaners deployed to the Nigeria National Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) Depot in Maiduguri on Wednesday staged a peaceful demonstration to protest non-payment of 7-months salary arrears.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protesting workers blocked the depot’s gate to prevent staff, petrol tankers and visitors from gaining entrance.

    The security guards, who were employees of JAFI Security Limited, carried placards bearing different inscriptions, such as: “Pay us our 7-months salaries’’; “We are not slaves’’, and “Our children are out school.”

    One of the protesting guards, Iliya Miyem, lamented that their employer failed to pay their salaries despite pleas by them.

    Mr Miyem said: “We are getting half salary in the past years and the company stopped payment of our salary since April.”

    He therefore called for government intervention to resolve the matter and address their plight.

    Other protesters, Ali Bura and Umar Ali, who corroborated Mr Miyem, said the action had exposed them to hardship and unbearable life conditions.

    Mr Ali accused the management of the company of being insensitive to their plight, alleging that the employer had on several occasions threatened to sack them whenever they demand for payment of their salaries.

    On his part, Mr Bura said he could not meet his family needs and pay school fees for his children.

    Also, Ibrahim Bashir, a cleaner, said that they were protesting payment of N7, 500 as salary by their employer, as against the N18,000 national minimum wage.

    In a swift reaction, Alkali Lamba, the Director, JAFI Security Guard, dismissed the claims as ‘misleading’, adding that the company paid its workers as at when due.

    Lamba explained that JAFI had in September took over ownership of the Kala Security Company, which previously engaged the services of the protesters.

    He disclosed that JAFI Company owed its workers only two months salaries, stressing that they should demand payment of the remaining salary arrears from their former employer.
    “We took over Kala Security in September, they have two months outstanding salaries with JAFI Company, and not eight months as erroneously claimed,’’ he said.

    Mr Lamba assured that his company is working with the NNPC management to facilitate payment of the two months’ salary arrears.

    However, the Acting Depot Manager, Nasiru Gaji, declined comments and ordered journalists to be chased away from the premises.

    “I will deal with you if you do not leave this place in one minute; I will arrest all of you.
    “Journalists have no right to take pictures here,” Mr Gaji threatened.

     

  • Minimum wage: Employees cannot dictate salaries to their employers – Ngige

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has insisted that employees cannot dictate to their employers what they ought to earn but an agreement must be reached collectively.
    A statement by the Director (Press) at the Ministry, Samuel Olowookere, said the minister said this when the new Director-General of Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, Mr. Timothy Olawale; and his predecessor, Mr. Olusegun Oshinowo, visited him.
    Ngige said, “We need to arrive at a figure which the employers can afford to pay as an employee cannot fix a figure for the employer. Rather, it must be based on mutual agreement by the tripartite partners.
    “It is not a function of moving motions or voting at the National Tripartite Negotiation Committee that the figure must be as the organised labour appears to make it look.
    “There is absolutely therefore no need to heat up the polity. The government’s proposed new minimum wage figure is clearly based on critical facts and indices incapable of causing disequilibrium in the economy.”
    The minister said it was important for the organised labour to accept a new minimum wage based on the capacity and the ability of both the government and the private sector to pay.
    He appealed to NECA to appeal to the organised labour to accede to the new minimum wage. figure mutually agreeable to all the social partners.

  • WTD: Buhari blasts governors for diverting funds meant to pay teachers' salaries

    …promises to clear and end issues of unpaid salaries
    President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigeria’s Teachers that his heart is with them over the issue of unpaid salaries, assuring that unpaid salaries would soon become an issue of the past.
    The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement in Abuja on Friday, said Buhari gave the assurance in a message to this year’s World Teachers’ Day.
    The President disclosed that he was aware that in some states and local councils of the federation, teachers were being owed salaries of several months.
    He revealed that it was specifically to mitigate the situation of unpaid teachers and pensioners that his administration doled out billions of naira as bailout funds to various states.
    “Sadly, the issue of unpaid salaries remains,’’ he lamented.
    Buhari, however, assured that the Federal Government would continue to work with the state governments to ensure that “all salary arrears are not just cleared, but that unpaid salaries become an issue of the past.’’
    The President used the opportunity of this year’s World Teachers’ Day to express his appreciation to all Nigeria’s teachers, “the usually unsung heroes of our country whose skill and commitment daily mould the minds of our country’s youth, our leaders of today and tomorrow.’’
    While highlighting some of the measures put in place by his administration to improve education and better the welfare of teachers, Buhari regretted as “grave and unfortunate” that the country’s teachers were often treated unfairly despite their essential services.
    According to him, Teachers are the most important segment of workers in the country, invaluable for the essential work they do towards building the country’s future.
    He said: “Teaching is a noble profession, wielding a strong influence by inspiring and educating our children. The values they inculcate stay with them for a lifetime.’’

     

  • Panic as polytechnic lecturer slumps, dies over non-payment of salaries

    The Kogi State Polytechnic community was thrown into mourning on Monday after one of its lecturers, Mr Yakubu Nataala, slumped and died at his residence in Lokoja, Kogi State.

    It was gathered that the residents of the area speculated that the late Nataala might have died due to his frustration over the non-payment of his salaries.

    According to a report by The Punch, that the lecturer received his salary last in July 2017.

    Sources further revealed that his inability to meet up with his financial needs had been a source of concern to him.

    However, the Public Relations Officer of the institution, Luke Tijan, debunked residents’ speculations.

    The institution’s spokesman said the lecturer, who was earlier operated upon for ruptured appendicitis, died from complication arising from the operation.

    Tijani, however, confirmed that the deceased was among lecturers that had not received salaries for many months.

    “Yesterday (Sunday), we lost one of our lecturers in the polytechnic. He was earlier operated upon for appendicitis. He was among some of the lecturers that had not been paid salaries due to the screening,” he said.

     

  • Why we can’t pay players’ salaries, allowances – Ifeanyi Ubah FC

    Why we can’t pay players’ salaries, allowances – Ifeanyi Ubah FC

    FC IfeanyiUbah president,Ifeanyi Ubah, has admitted that the Nnewi Premier League club are owing their players.

    Ubah said this during an interactive session with some youths in Awka on Tuesday.

    He said indebtedness to players was common with most clubs in the country because of the inability of the League Management Company to pay the clubs their entitlements.

    The businessman said the players were right to demand their pay but decried social media attacks on him.

    Ubah told said: “The players can agitate because it is their due, they deserve their pay, but the LMC has been owing all football clubs in Nigeria for two years now, they have not paid a dime.

    “They have been collecting rights from television, radio, adverts but they have not paid anything to us.

    “Governments use their clubs for politics but we are using our own to keep our youths gainfully busy.

    “My players are all being taken care of irrespective of the fact that they are being owed like most clubs owe their players too.”

    The Anambra Warriors financier described football business in Nigeria as “expensive”.

    He said, “Football is expensive to run; out of the 20 clubs in the Premier League, 17 belong to state governments, only three are owned by individuals.

    “I deserve commendation, staying in the Premier League is not a mean feat.”

    He added, “In two years we won the FA Cup, we played the South-East and South-South competition last year and won.”

     

  • Minimum wage: We are not elected to pay salaries alone – governors

    Minimum wage: We are not elected to pay salaries alone – governors

    The Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, has reacted to the call for the implementation of minimum wage.

    NGF said they were not voted into power to pay salaries alone.

    The chairman of the NGF and Zamfara state governor, Abdulaziz Yari, said they were voted to also provide good roads, electricity, education and other necessary amenities.

    The governor said this was part of the discussion the Forum had at a meeting on Wednesday night.

    He noted that governors cannot perform any magic as funds were needed “for these things”.

    The NGF Chairman lamented that states governments have been limited to only paying of salaries while other sectors such as health, electricity, education, among others, are not getting enough attention.

    He said, “We have a committee of six which represented us in discussions in the committee headed by labour minister.

    “The committee is yet to give us the final report. When they give us the final report, for which they have our mandate to present our position, and the position most likely is to look at the record of up to 14 years.

    “For instance, in global practice, in your income, how much are you spending as salary? So that we can start from there. They have given us interim report, that at the federal government level, over 82 percent is being spent on overhead which cannot move the country forward in terms of infrastructure development and development that we need now.

    “So, on our own part, we are saying we are going to look at how our income are trained from our final account from 14 years ago so that we can come up and stay in the middle.

    “I don’t think you people voted us for only to pay salaries. You are looking for good roads, electricity, education and others. So, we can’t do magic. It’s only when we have the funds do all those things.”

  • Pay workers’ salaries before attempting to establish state police – TI tells debtor governors

    The Transparency International (TI) has advised states owing its workforce to clear the backlog befire attempting establishment of the proposed state police.

    The Head of TI Nigeria, Musa Rafsanjani, who stated this on Sunday, said as good as the objectives of state police were, state governments must first be able to pay workers’ salaries, provide health care, manage primary and secondary education as well as other basics of human life, before the police institution could be committed to them.

    The Senate and the House of Representatives had last week Tuesday expressed their readiness to amend the constitution to make the state police legal in order to contain persistent killings in the country, declaring the country’s security system as a failed architecture.

    The House of Representatives had thereafter passed a resolution backing the establishment of the state police.

    The Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, had received a bill seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to accommodate state police.

    The Kwara, Abia, Osun, Ondo and Ogun state Houses of Assembly had also backed the National Assembly’s decision to initiate moves aimed at the creation of the state police, which was to stem the escalating killings in the country.

    But the TI Head, Rafsanjani, said on Sunday in an interview with our correspondent, that many state governments were presently unable to finance the state police, as they were still owing workers’ salaries and failing in primary education and health care.

    He added, “Secondly, in view of the actions of the state governments, most governors can personalise the state police and use them as an instrument to oppress perceived opponents. So, we have to be very circumspect while putting the state police in our constitution. The state police should be some idea in our long-term, which will manifest when we are more mature in our political process. But presently, I am not sure the states are ready to take on the responsibility of the state police. I rather advocate that the way to improve security should be a proper financing of the police.”

     

  • Exposed! Nigerian senators get N13.5m every month, apart from salaries

    Shehu Sani, senator representing Kaduna central senatorial district, has revealed he and his colleagues receive N13.5 million monthly as running cost.

    In an interview with TheNews, Mr. Sani said that the running cost does not include a N700,000 monthly consolidated salary and allowances which they also receive.

    Sani said the running cost was in addition to over N700,000 monthly consolidated salary and allowances of each senator.

    “I think what we can say is that the running cost of a senator is N13.5 million every month,” he reportedly said.

    He was quoted as saying there is no specific instruction on what the fund should be used for but emphasised that lawmakers must provide receipts to back up their expenses from the running costs.

    “What I am saying is that that money (N13.5 million per month) must be receipted for what you do with it. But what you are given to go and spend without any accountability is N750,000.00,” he said.

    “The constituency project itself is given on a zonal basis and almost every senator will go with a constituency fund of about N200 million, but it is not the cash that is given to you.

    “You will be told that you have N200 million with an agency of government for which you will now submit projects equivalent to that amount. And it is that agency of government that will go and do those projects for you.

    “Now, the corruption comes when the projects are not done and the money is taken. But right now, it is difficult to do that because NGOs and transparency groups have come into it. They track every allocation made to you and where they are being used.

    “So, it’s becoming difficult for what used to happen in the past to happen now. But I can tell you that I would love a situation where we do away with running costs, constituency projects and leave senators and members of house of reps with salaries.

    “And also, the public should be informed that nobody should come to any senator’s house asking for any kobo. That also would be helpful.”

    The lawmaker said he was against the idea of legislators carrying out constituency but said constituents might not know the relevance of lawmakers if they do not construct projects in their constituencies.

    “There are issues that we need to understand. First, I don’t believe that members of the national or even state assemblies should be involved in carrying out what is called constituency projects,” he said.

    “When people are elected into the national assembly, they should just be involved in lawmaking, raising motions, bills and also performing oversight functions. But we live in a society where people cannot differentiate between the legislators and the executive.

    “When the people come to you, they want you to build roads, dig boreholes, build hospitals, schools, give money, pay school fees for them. Now, if we have a society in which people will stop asking legislators to do those things, then there is no need (for the allowances) But funny enough, if you are very active in the national assembly in making laws and you don’t embark on projects in your constituency, you cannot in any way be appreciated by the people you are there to serve because the electorates in United States are different from the electorates in the United States and Africa.

    “We live in an underdeveloped society with a lot of poverty, misery and wants. What people want is for you to address those basic fundamental issues that affect their lives.

    “If we can be done with that, it would be okay. Now, you are talking of bogus salaries and bogus allowances – there are three steps you need to consider – the first has to do with the fact when you represent the people, expectations arose from your immediate and the larger constituencies.

    “But I agree with you that the salaries and allowances of lawmakers should not be discreet, but what is discreet about it when you can write to Resource and Fiscal Mobilization Commission to get everything about what a senator earns?

    “The only money you are not expected to account for is your salary and the salary of a senator is about N750, 000.00 per month. The other one, the running cost of office must be accounted for. You must provide a receipt for every expense you make.”