TheNewsGuru

Tag: Salaries

  • Sun Trust Bank denies withholding National Assembly aides’ salaries

    The management of Sun Trust Bank on Wednesday denied reports that it withheld the salaries of legislative aides in the National Assembly salaries.

    Mr Usman Abdulqadir, Executive Director for Finance and Risk, made this known at the press briefing in Lagos.

    Abdulqadir said the bank had executed all mandates given to it with respect to making payment on behalf of its customers promptly.

    “In this vein, as banker to some of the NASS accounts, the bank has received the mandate to make payment to various beneficiaries and those payments have since been relayed, some via REMITA, to the relevant banks.

    “We advice that persons who are yet to receive payments executed by us should have first checked with his/ her bankers to trace where such payments are held.

    “We categorically restate that we do not fail to honour any obligation to our clients,” he said.

    The executive director said the bank deeply regretted report that an individual lost his life.

    “We extend our deepest condolences to his family and the entire NASS family,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that legislative aides at the National Assembly protested the nonpayment of their salaries on Tuesday in Abuja.

    The protest was due to the death of one of the legislative aides, Hassan Abiodun, over a ruptured appendicitis because he could not pay N165,000 medical bill for the recommended surgery.

    The deceased, who died on Friday, June 9, was a legislative aide attached to the Deputy Speaker, Honourable Yussuff Sulaimon Lasun.

    The aides, who all dressed in black attire, met Senate President Bukola Saraki, who is also the Chairman of the National Assembly Commission.

    Dayo Fadugba, the spokesman of the aides, accused the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr Sani Omolori, of having an ulterior motive over his preference for a new bank to pay their salaries.

    According to him, “From all indications, it is manifest that the bank does not have the capacity and infrastructure to handle the volume of transaction the Clerk has foisted on it.

    “Indeed, we are convinced that the decision is motivated by ulterior motive aimed at bolstering the financial standing of the micro finance bank masquerading as a commercial institution.”

    Abdulqadir said Sun Trust Bank Nigeria Ltd., is a commercial bank duly licensed by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

  • Ikorodu United players lament unpaid 6 months salaries

    Ikorodu United players lament unpaid 6 months salaries

    Players of Lagos-based Ikorodu United FC have complained of the club’s inability to pay their salaries for the past six months.

    The players, who expressed their disappointment, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the unpaid salaries had affected their morale and those of the staff of the club.

    They said that the dwindling fortunes of the club in their campaign in the Nigeria National League (NNL) was the result of the high indebtedness of the club to its officials and players.

    NAN reports that Ikorodu United was relegated to the lower league after their unsuccessful campaign in the 2015/2016 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

    Ikorodu United was demoted after coming last on the NPFL log with a measly seven wins, 11 draws and a huge 18 losses with just 32 points.

    However, things have continued to go from bad to worse as Ikorodu United is now battling relegation from the NNL.

    The Oga Boys currently sit second from the drop zone in the Southern Conference of NNL that has 18 teams.

    The team occupies 16th position with a paltry three wins, three draws and 10 losses with 12 points from 15 matches.

    Complaining about the team’s plight, a reliable source said that the management was to blame for its precarious position in the NNL.

    “The management has to be blamed, they are not paying and expect us to play with empty stomach. Aside that, we also have families who depend on us.

    “It is a tough time for the club as some of the sponsors have also withdrawn their sponsorships. It is highly discouraging.

    “The club need to do something fast so as not to lead the club to its extinction,’’ he said.

    A player said anonymously that he was being owed six months’ salary arrears and that had affected his morale.

    “Currently, I am not happy at all, I am indebted to many people whom I have promised to pay after our salaries are paid.

    “Till now, we have not been paid for six months, I am just managing myself.’’

    However, commenting on the players grouse, the Media Officer of the Club, Tunde Babalola, said that the management was working to improve their lot.

    “We will get better as the days go by, the club’s management is working towards the success of the club, hence, there will be improvement soon,’’ he said.

  • We’ll clear backlog of workers’ salaries from Parish club refund – Governors

    We’ll clear backlog of workers’ salaries from Parish club refund – Governors

    Nigerian governors, under the aegis of Nigeria Governors Forum, NGF, on Friday said they will off-set outstanding salaries and allowances owed their workers as soon as a second tranche of funds from the Paris Club loan refund is released.

    In a statement issued by the forum’s spokesperson, Abulrazque Barkindo, the governors said, “The 36 governors last night resolved to offset the backlog of salaries and pension arrears owed civil servants in the country as soon as the next tranche of payment from the Paris-London Club loan refunds are made

    “This decision was arrived at in Abuja at a meeting hosted on Thursday night by the chairman of the NGF and governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar at his Maitama residence.

    “The governors met in anticipation of the release of the other half of the Paris-London Club refund which has been gratuitously approved for payment by the Vice-President Professor Yemi Osibanjo. The funds are expected to hit the states accounts within the month.

    “The governors who are not oblivious of the hue and cry over the non-payment of the backlog of salaries and pension arrears and the precarious predicament of the Nigerian worker deliberated on the matter and concluded that in order to set the country on the path of growth, something immediate must be done to ameliorate workers plight by offsetting the backlog of their pay and emoluments.

    “We all agreed that a substantial amount from the next tranche of the Paris-London refunds be used in the settlement of workers salary and pension arrears.”

    The first tranche of the Paris Club refund was released for payment of salaries but some of the governors still did not pay salaries to their workers.

  • 95% of Kogi workers have received salary, says Bello

    The Kogi government said it has completed payment of salary to 95 per cent of of its workers that were cleared in the just concluded staff screening and verification.

    The state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, made the assertion on Monday in Lokoja in a statement issued to mark this year’s democracy day celebration.

    “ I can confirm that people are still getting payment alerts as we do our best to meet the May 31 timeline which we set for ourselves to complete all payments,” the governor said.

    Bello said that government was deploying integrated staff and payroll automation solutions to consolidate the gains from the screening in line with the ongoing civil service and pension reforms.

    With the conclusion of the exercise, he assured workers and pensioners of prompt payment of salary and pensions.

    According to Bello, the government has been able to tame the widespread insecurity of lives and property which it inherited.

    ”Today, the incidence of kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes has dropped to almost zero,” the governor said in the statement personally signed by him.

    He said that the state internally generated revenue had increased from between N350m and N400m per month to over N1 billion per month .

    The governor said that more than 1000 appointments had been made in the Ministries of Environment, Justice and the Revenue Board in the past 15 months while advert had been placed for massive recruitment into the health sector.

    Bello said plans were nearing completion for the construction of 239 blocks of two Classrooms, one in each of the 239 wards in the state under the GYB Model Primary School Initiative.

    He also announced that students in tertiary institutions will henceforth receive N10,000 as bursary as against former N3,500.

    He thanked the people for their support for his administration since assumption of office 15 months ago, saying that government will continue to cater for their welfare through provision of more democracy dividends.

    Bello also advised those in opposition to embrace peace and join hands with him to work for the progress and development of the state.

  • Kogi Govt not owing workers’ salaries, says Governor’s aide

    Mr Gbenga Olorunpomi, the Senior Special Assistant on Electronic Media to Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi, has said that the State Government was not owing salaries of civil servants.

    Olorunpomi told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja that the government had paid the salaries of all workers cleared by the recently concluded civil servants verification exercise.

    “This government came to power at the time civil servants were on strike; the issue that led to the strike was that of the salaries owed to the workers for many months.

    “At that time, all schools in the state were shut down; the government of Gov. Yahaya Bello then decided that the only way to tackle this was to do total civil service verification.

    “In the process, we found out that the state had plenty issues; about 83,000 personnel were withdrawing salaries from the state and this is a state that is barely 25 years old.

    “So there was need to do an audit to find out how we got to the situation where there were more senior than junior level civil servants; it was lopsided,” he said.

    According to the aide, the issues necessitated the civil service reform which is part of the five cardinal programmes of the government.

    The others, he said, are security, education, job creation and agriculture.

    Olorunpomi said the exercise had been completed and the state now has a civil service that the government can manage.

    “All persons that were cleared by whatever committee that was set up at the time were paid.

    “We got our bailout fund to do this, we used the resources that came in from FAC allocation and we have been paying salaries since then.

    “Whatever noise we are hearing now is either by those who are yet to be cleared or those who have benefited from the system of inefficiency in the past.

    “Anyone who has been certified cleared has been paid salary.

    “To prove our point, we published the names and amounts paid to all workers, ministries, departments and agencies in the state’s website, www.kogistate.gov.ng.

    “The website will show you all the amount of monies paid to workers as salaries, pension and other entitlements since the inception of this government in January 2016 to date.

    “As I speak with you now, Kogi state is moving ahead to a better future,” he said.

  • OGBC workers begin strike over unpaid salaries

    OGBC workers begin strike over unpaid salaries

    Workers in Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC) in Abeokuta on Wednesday started an indefinite strike over unpaid four months’ salaries.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the workers arrived at the station around 5..00 a.m and locked the studio and offices to prevent the 
general manager and top management staff from having access to their offices.

    The workers, who were led by Mr Abiodun Ogundipe, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Mr Ayo Aina, Chairman, Radio, Television and Theatre Arts Workers (RATTAWU), had issued a three-day warning to the management to pay the salaries.

    Ogundipe told NAN that there was no going back on the strike until their demands were met.

    He said that the state Head of Service, Mr Abayomi Sobande, had visited the workers and appealed to them, promising that something would be done.

    “Sobande said we should allow for skeletal services pending the time they would get back to us before the close of work.

    “We are not going back on the strike. The strike has not been suspended, we will continue until our demands are met, “he said.

    NAN reports that the workers, had during a press conference on Friday, threatened an indefinite strike from Wednesday over non-payment of outstanding salaries.

    The workers said that inspite of issuing three different notices to the management, nothing was done to pay the outstanding salaries.

    Apart from the arrears of salaries, the workers are also claiming that some pension deductions from 2012 till date totalling about N50 million had not been remitted.

    The workers said deductions to the National Housing Fund of over N2 million were not remitted.

    The workers, however, commended Gov. Ibikunle Amosun for increasing the monthly subvention to the station from N3.5 million to N10 million.

    Some armed police officers were seen at the entrance of the station.

     

     

     

    NAN

  • May Day: Stop paying early salaries, it lead to debts – Workers beg Ayade

    May Day: Stop paying early salaries, it lead to debts – Workers beg Ayade

    Workers in Cross River State have beg Governor Ben Ayade to stop paying them early salaries as it make them indebted before the end of the month.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the workers got their May salary on April 30, on the eve of May Day, few days after April salary was paid, even while others in some states are being owed many months’ salaries.

    Speaking on May Day celebration on Monday, State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), John Ushie, said: “We have advised the governor not to be paying salaries like this but he insisted.

    “May be it is his own way of showing that he cares for the people. He feels he should make the life of the people better and he has expressed this by paying a month salary in advance

    “We believe that salaries should be paid for work done but since he has gone ahead to pay, we can only advise workers to be prudent.

    “He did the same thing last year, but we did not expect he will do the same thing again because he just finished paying April salaries. That is the situation on ground.”

    Nigeria Union of Teachers Chairman, Eyo-Nsa Itam, said: “I think it is a tradition. We did not expect it yesterday. We expected it today. But you know because of the economic strain, there may be suffering, if people are not careful.

    “It means people would work for two months without receiving salaries, because the governor just paid salaries last week. Within one week, he has paid two months salaries. So, it is a good development, but the impact would be hectic.

    “To me, the salary should have been paid religiously as it had been paid on or before 25th of every month so that people can plan. The more money you see, the more your expenditure would be.

    “Assuming you are earning N100,000 and you are paid for two months, which is N200,000 within one week, you find out that you will finish spending that money and the next month, you will be living on debt.

    “This issue of paying two salaries, within one week is what we are talking about because it would definitely affect people.”

     

  • We don’t have funds to pay salaries, pensions – FG

    The Federal Government on Thursday said the present economic recession has made it impossible for it to generate the needed funds to pay salaries and pensions of workers in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies under its jurisdiction.

    This was revealed by the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udoma, while fielding questions from members of the House of Representatives.

    Udoma noted that half of the projected revenue in the 2017 budget is for salaries and pensions, but that funds to pay are not available.

    Udoma disclosed that the Federal Government was making efforts towards resolving the issues relating to the welfare of workers and retirees.

    Noting that a committee has been set up to address the issues, Udoma said the government would have to look for ways for creating funds to pay pension arrears.

    Udoma said, “I ask for your understanding. In the 2017 budget, about half of our total projected revenues are for salaries and pensions but the resources are not there.

    “Most of these categories are up to date, however there have been issues with reconciliation of the numbers.

    “The president is extremely concerned about this. He has directed us to get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible and a committee headed by the minister of finance should meet with all the relevant agencies and reconcile numbers.”

  • Bayelsa Primary school teachers threaten strike over unpaid salaries

    By Murphy Aigbe – Yenagoa

    Teachers from public primary schools in Bayelsa have again threatened to revisit their suspended strike action and paralyse the primary school system if their demands which include payment of the backlog of salaries are not met.

    The teachers under the auspices of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) therfore called on Governor Seriake Dickson to save public primary education from imminent collapse.

    The teachers urged Dickson to prevail on local government councils to pay backlog of full month salaries owed primary school teachers in the state.

    Their call was contained in a seven-point communique signed by John Toinpre Kala-Ama, state NUT chairman, Johnson Hector, principal secretary and Akanyo Timi, publicity secretary, following an emergency meeting of the state wing of the union at Teachers House, Yenagoa.

    They said the state government should assume its constitutional collaborative responsibility of augmenting the funding and management of the primary school system through the Universal Basic Education Programme.

    The teachers also appealed to the state and local governments to quickly address the issues of payment of imprest to headmasters and equitable distribution of instructional materials for functional academic work.

    Other problems, they stated, include acute shortage of teachers, non-implementation of promotions and annual increment for primary school teachers, among others.

    They demanded that the NUT be also represented at the state education committee as directed by the government.

  • Christmas bliss as Buhari approves N71.8b for workers’ salaries

    Christmas bliss as Buhari approves N71.8b for workers’ salaries

    Federal Government workers across the federation can now smile to the banks for a festive yuletide as President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday approved additional N71.8 billion to augment shortfall in the 2016 budgetary allocation for payment of delayed workers’ salaries
    This will enable the government pay thousands of workers who are owed November and December salaries.

    According to a report by Daily Trust, the amount is part of the N213 billion virement assented to by Buhari on Thursday.
    The Minister of Finance Kemi Adeosun had explained inability of some government agencies to pay November salaries saying the shortfall is to be augmented through the virement.

    She told State House reporters after cabinet meeting on Wednesday that “What we did in the virement we sent to the National Assembly, which the National Assembly approved, was that we listed all the agencies that had problems with their salaries and applied to National Assembly.

    We had to go back to the National Assembly to ask for an increase in the budgetary allocation of those agencies.”

    The president sent the virement proposal of N180.8 billion to the National Assembly on October 26, 2016, requesting the approval for the N166.6billion for special intervention (recurrent) and N14.2 billion for special intervention (Capital Supplementation).

    Several government agencies could not pay November salaries including the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC). Adeosun said “All the agencies have an allocated IPPIS which is the salary platform. If for example an agency has a N12bn salary for the year, we insist they continue to pay until that N12bn is exhausted.

    “Instead of taking N1bn a month, such agencies were taking N1.2bn or N1.3bn. So, by the time it got to October, many agencies had exhausted their allocations.

    The approved virement provides N71.8billion for settlement of the Public Service Wage Adjustment (PSWA). Other provisions are: Contingency N1.2billion; margin for increase in cost (MIC) N2billion; cadet feeding (Police Academy, Kano) N932million and Amnesty Programme N35billion.

    There is also internal operation of the Armed forces N5.2billion, Operation Lafiya Dole N13.9 billion, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) N19.7billion, Foreign Missions N14.6billion and augmentation of meal subsidy/ direct teaching and laboratory cost N900million.

    For statutory transfer, N1.2bilion was approved for the Public Complaints Commission.

    In the area of capital, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) will get N12.7billion and Presidential Initiative for the North East (PINE) is to receive N1.5billion.