TheNewsGuru

Tag: Salary

  • Obasanjo denies receiving N40,000 salary from NOUN, demands retraction, apology from VC

    Obasanjo denies receiving N40,000 salary from NOUN, demands retraction, apology from VC

    Former president Olusegun Obasanjo on Wednesday faulted a claim by the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) that it pays him an annual allowance for his role as a facilitator of the university.

    The former president is a lecturer/facilitator at the Abeokuta campus of the university.

    The Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Abdalla Adamu had earlier said that the former Nigerian leader was being paid N40,000 annually as an allowance for being a facilitator of the university.

    “Mr Obasanjo’s allowance is N40,000 a year and he is happy being our facilitator. He has an office in our Abeokuta Study Centre, where we attached to him two students of Christian Theology.”

    However in a swift response to the allegation, Obasanjo denied the VC’s claim, insisting he renders service to the university free of charge. Consequently, he is demanded that Adams retracts the statement and offer him an apology.

    In a statement by his media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, the former president said “the very clear quotation of the Vice-Chancellor made it necessary for him to make the clarification and to set the records straight on his engagement with the university.

    “Ordinarily, this will have been unnecessary exercise, if it has been the usual shenanigans of the media to sell their newspapers. But, the very clear quotation of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Abdalla Adam, on the headline made this clarification imperative and to set the records straight on His Excellency’s engagement with the University,” the statement said.

    “In putting the records in right perspective, His Excellency wishes to draw the attention of the Vice-Chancellor to his letter dated 12 April 2018, which was written to the University Registrar, Mr. Felix Edoka, when the Council offered him a Part-Time appointment as an Instructional/Tutorial Facilitator and Project Supervisor in the Faculty of Arts at the Abeokuta Study Centre.”

    Obasanjo recalled that, specifically in paragraph 3 of the letter, he wrote: “I will gladly undertake any of the functions mentioned in paragraph two of your letter pro bono and I hope that the functions will be flexible enough to accommodate my rather tight schedule.”

    The former president said he has not received a dime either as salaries or otherwise from the university.

    He said he stated in his letter that the appointment was received with “pleasure and duty to give back to others out of what God and NOUN have given me.”

    He said the statement by the university’s vice-chancellor was embarrassing to him, “having generated mixed reactions across the globe, hence, the need for the Vice-Chancellor to retract the statement and tender an apology.

    “The publication, which has generated mixed reactions from the general public and calls from far and near on the Elder statesman expressing concern, is, to say the least, embarrassing, uncharitable, mischievous and in bad taste, with immediate demand for a retraction and apology from the Office of the Vice-Chancellor,” the statement said.

     

  • 2019: Buhari talks tough, warns Nigerians against re-electing ‘salary owing governors’

    President Muhammadu Buhari has called on Nigerians not to re-elect governors who failed in their first terms, especially those who failed to pay civil servants salaries even after collecting bailouts from the federal government.

    Buhari, who is also seeking reelection on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), said Nigerians’ votes should go for competence.

    The president, who spoke with the Hausa service of the Voice of America (VOA), which was aired Tuesday morning, said he saw no justification in governors collecting bailout funds from the federal government and still failing to pay wages.

    He was quoted as saying, “I wonder how these governors are able to sleep knowing that they have refused to pay workers their wages.

    “These workers have families to cater for, they pay rent, pay school fees, Hospital bills and food for their families.”

    Buhari said the Nigerian Constitution gives governors the independence to spend their funds without interference and that is why some are abusing that privilege by refusing to work for the people.

    The president advised Nigerians to use their voting rights to make sure that they only vote for people who would deliver.

    On the fight against corruption being undertaken by his administration, the president said unlike before, he now uses democratic means.

    He said being democratic in fighting corruption is slow but assured that the objectives will eventually be achieved.

     

  • Increase in salary will check corruption in Nigeria Police Force – NANS

    The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) says it is optimistic that recent increase in the salaries of police personnel by the Federal Government would help check corruption in the organisation.

    NANS National Public Relations’ Officer, Mr Bestman Okereafor, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Monday that the move was in the right direction.

    He, however, urged the federal government to look at the possibility of insurance cover for police personnel against accidents and sudden death especially those in special units and formations that work on the field day and night.
    According to him, no benefit is too much to be given to these gallant officers especially those who carry out their duties with sincerity and dedication.

    “NANS wishes to specially commend the federal government especially President Muhammadu Buhari over the decision to upwardly review the monthly salaries of police personnel.
    “NANS considers this as a progressive step.
    “We have no doubt that the increase in wage will further enhance commitment and dedication in the force.
    “NANS is also optimistic that the move will greatly reduce corruption and bribery in the organisation in-line with Buhari’s anti-corruption campaign,’’ he said.

  • I didn’t receive salary for eight years as governor — Aregbesola

    The outgoing governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola has said that he did not earn salaries throughout the eight years of his administration.

    Aregbesola disclosed this during an interactive programme tagged ‘Ogbeni Till Day Break’ on Saturday in Osogbo.

    The governor said since it was the state that was feeding him,fueling his cars and provided him with accommodation, there was no need for him to be paid.

    Aregbesola also said that he did not have bank accounts where money was kept in any part of the world.

    He said,”I have not collected salaries since I became the governor of the state.

    “The state feeds me, fuel my car and provided me accommodation. With all these, I don’t need money.

    “I have no money and bank account anywhere .

    ” I have no house except the one I built before I became the governor.

    “Anyone can go out there to investigate if I have bank accounts.”

    Aregbesola who will handing over to the governor-elect, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola on Nov. 27 said he would vacate the government house by Monday, Nov. 19.

    He said that the decision to leave the government house earlier was to give his successor enough time to do necessary renovations.

    When asked what his regrets were as a governor in the last eight years, he said he had no regrets.

    He said, ”If you give me another four years to rule again, I will still do what I did before and I will not do anything differently.”

    On his next political plans after office, Aregbesola said he was going to rest for awhile from politics.

    “l had been in politics since my secondary school days. I have had been an absentee husband for many years because of politics but for now, I want to be with my wife,” Aregbesola said.

    On his achievements, the governor said he was happy that his social investment programmes supported and transformed the lives of the people in the state.

    He also said that the infrastructure development his administration embarked upon would continue to be a reference point in the state, adding that all the roads he built would last for the next 50 years.

    Aregbesola, however described his successor as a silent achiever and a goal-getter expected to build on his legacies.

    He said “Oyetola is not radical like me but he is a silent achiever.

    “He contributed immensely to the success of my administration and I know he will do well in office.”

  • Kogi govt commences payment of 4 months’ salary to workers

    Kogi State Government on Tuesday commenced table payment of all its workers in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as part of efforts to clean the payroll of ghost workers.

    The Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Folashade Ayoade, who made this known in Lokoja, said that the exercise would involve payment of between three to four months salary to workers over a period of two weeks.

    She said that the table payment would hold in nine centres for workers in Lokoja, while it would hold in designated centres in all senatorial districts for out-station workers.

    Ayoade added that the table payment would hold simultaneously.

    According to her, only workers that were cleared during the last screening exercise will participate in the table payment.

    The monthly wage bill of workers in the state currently stands at N2.6 billion in spite of a prolonged screening exercise under which many workers lost their jobs.

    Ayoade said that lecturers and other categories of workers in state-owned tertiary institutions would stay back in their campuses to participate in the table payment exercise.

    She, however, said that workers would have to come with their original letter of appointment, the last effective letter of promotion, and staff identity card, before they could be issued their cheques for three to four months salary.

    In its reaction, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) commended the state government for embarking on the table payment of salary to its members.

    Mr Onu Edoka, the state NLC Chairman told newsmen that the exercise was a welcome development.

    Edoka charged the committee that would handle the payment to be transparent, effective and accountable in handling the exercise.

    “The table payment is part of moves aimed at sanitising the payroll of the state and we are fully in support of it.

    “We believe that this exercise will finally put to rest all the discrepancies associated with the salary payment system in the state, ‘’ the NLC boss said.

    He called on the Federal Government to release the balance of the N30 billion bail -out fund to the state government to enable it defray outstanding salaries and allowances of workers.

    Edoka, however, urged the state government to abide by the agreement it reached with the organised labour that 70 per cent of the last tranche of Paris Club refund to the state would be used to offset workers’ salary.

     

  • Ekiti salary crisis: NLC, TUC impose 10-year ban on two Labour leaders

    …Unions remain dissolved,’ says banned officials

    Crisis rocking the Labour movement in Ekiti State deepened on Monday as the state councils of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress (TUC) imposed a ten-year ban on immediate past chairmen, Mr. Ayodeji Aluko and Mr. Kolawole Olaiya, from trade unionism.

    The ten-year ban was imposed on the duo for leading a protest and shutdown of the State Secretariat last Thursday in protest against the arrears of salaries owed workers by the state government.

    Acting on the auspices of Ekiti Workers Rescue Team, Aluko, Olaiya and other labour leaders declared an indefinite strike and passed a resolution dissolving NLC and TUC executives led by Mr. Ade Adesanmi and Mr. Odunayo Adesoye respectively.

    Rising from an emergency congress held at Labour House, Ado-Ekiti on Monday and attended by affiliate unions, the union leaders insisted that Aluko and Olaiya lacked powers to declare strike and dissolve excos of the unions having finished their terms.

    Addressing reporters at the end of the congress, NLC Chairman, Adesanmi, urged security agencies to call Aluko and Olaiya to order accusing the duo of working as agents of destabilization.

    Adesanmi said: “The illegal activities of the aforementioned ex-labour leaders acting under the guise of Ekiti Workers Rescue Team came to a climax on Thursday, August 23 when they gathered thugs and molested workers who were carrying out their legitimate and lawful duties.

    “There is need to ask them whose interest were they protecting, because they didn’t act when workers were owed over eight month salaries. They have never engaged the government to pay pensioners but they only woke up after the July 14 governorship election.

    “Sometimes ago, an administrative panel was set up by the outgoing government of Governor Ayodele Fayose against Comrade Aluko and found him guilty of participating in electioneering in 2015, which was against public service rule. It was the same unions that intervened and ensured that he was pardoned.

    “It is no more news that Comrade Aluko was promoted to the position of Director of Administration at the local government ahead of his seniors and the government looked at this and reverted him to the rightful position. It was clear that this ex-labour leader is aggrieved. But must he hide under non-payment of salary to get at the government?

    “How could labour leaders gathered thugs and pronounced the entire labour structure dissolved. Were they State Executive Council of the labour unions? The two of them are not members of SEC, where now did they derive such powers.

    “With their actions of recent, it is clear that they were only clearing coast for political appointments from the incoming government and not fighting the interest of workers.

    “Following these, they are declared persona non grata in labour circle and they are banned from labour activities for a period of ten years”, he said.

    Reacting to the ban, Aluko maintained that Adesanmi and Adesoye have been proscribed from acting in their positions by workers, having failed to fight for the rights of those that voted them into their respective offices.

    Aluko said Adesoye’s tenure as TUC chairman had lapsed in July, saying he lacked the locus standi to preside over a meeting where any member will be suspended or barred.

    He said: “Can any labour leaders who has been described a persona non grata by the entire workforce preside over a meeting and suspend any member?

    “Two, is the fact that the two labour leaders (Adesanmi and Adesoye) have lost their values. They are enjoying the support of the government, so they can decide to take illegal actions pending the time another government will ascend the throne.

    “But let me say this, workers will send them out of the secretariats by the time this government leaves. TUC Chairman had served out his term, while that of NLC will end in February.

    “I want to assure Adesanmi that he will be the first NLC chairman that won’t complete his term in Ekiti. What he is doing is anti-labour and he shall pay dearly for it.”

  • Lagos denies plans to place religious leaders on salary

    The Lagos State Government on Tuesday debunked viral report on the social media suggesting that it was planning to commence paying salary to religious leaders in the State, saying the claim was totally untrue and misleading.

    Commissioner for Home Affairs, Mr. Abdulateef Abdulhakeem who made the clarification while speaking on a television programme monitored in Lagos, said there was no iota of truth in the said report, and urged members of the public to disregard it in its entirety.

    He said: “The clear position is that the Lagos State Government is not intending to employ Imams and Pastors. There is no such plan and there is no willingness on our part to delve into a private realm.

    “What exists in Lagos State is that there is a symbiotic relationship between the Lagos State Government and faith-based organizations and it is a mutually beneficial relationship which has contributed to the growth and development of the State,” Abdulhakeem said.

    In the said report, Abdulhakeem was quoted as saying that the State Government would soon place religious leaders on the State salary structure to encourage them to use their Pulpit and the Minbar to re-orientate citizenry to shun corruption and immorality.

    Clarifying his statement, the Commissioner said: “I must have been misunderstood or misquoted. We were at a forum where we were trying to encourage religious leaders to be advocates against corruption because religious leaders have millions of adherents and they enjoy the allegiance of millions of followers and we expect them to use the Pulpit and the Minbar to advocate for good governance and selflessness so that they can influence their members positively.

    “In Lagos State, one of the remarkable successes of the present administration is that we have cutting-edge approaches to relating with religious leaders and that is why Lagos remains the most peaceful and most religious crisis-free State in the federation inspite of our cosmopolitan nature.”

    Already, the Commissioner said a structured approach had been put in place to relate with religious leaders in the State through the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) which consists of people nominated by the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Muslim Community across the 57 Local Councils in the State.

    According to him, “We have them at the State level; they meet regularly in the Home Affairs and instead of leaving them as dysfunctional silos, we ensure that there is an integrated approach.

    “They meet regularly to interact on religious issues and the Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode has even further decentralized that whereby over 700 of them were appointed based on their nominations and they are volunteers who are not paid anything. They come together to nip religious crisis at the bud,” he said.

    He added that the general approach of the State Government to religion was that of rule of law, good governance, constitutional democracy and more than anything, the observance and preservation of the fundamental human rights of Lagosians to freely practice their religion.

    “Section 38 of the Constitution is very clear and explicit that every person is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion including the freedom to change your religion and the freedom to either alone or in community with others practice, manifest and propagate your religion. Clearly, that is unequivocally telling you that religion is a private affair as far as the Lagos State Government is concerned,” Abdulhakeem said.

    Responding to a question on why the State Government was yet to implement a Court of Appeal judgment on the use of Hijab by school girls, Abdulhakeem said being a government which firmly believes in rule of law, the State Government was awaiting the pronouncement of the Supreme Court on the matter which, he said, was already before the apex court.

    On taxes, the Commissioner said though religious institutions were exempted according to the State laws, but any religious body which engages in commercial activities was liable to pay tax.

    “Religious institutions are not taxable under the Lagos laws but where religious institutions engage in business transactions like schools and so on, then such are liable to pay taxes but as far as the institution is concerned, it is exempted from paying tax.

    “Also, those who convert their buildings into Mosque to avoid paying taxes, we have made it abundantly clear that you are not allowed to convert residential premises into religious centres. So, people should just respect God the way the Lagos State Government has respected God and do not come under that arena to avoid payment of taxes,” he said.

    Besides, the Commissioner said the State Government had already embarked on massive enlightenment and re-orientation against noise pollution by religious leaders, but any resident who is affected by such should however report either through the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) or the Ministry of Home Affairs for action.

     

  • Respite for workers as FAAC releases N668bn to FG, states, LGs to pay salaries

    The Federation Accounts and Allocation Committee (FAAC) reached a compromise to release N668.898 billion to the three tiers of government for the month of May, pending the resolution of issues raised by the state governors over remittances from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    The Federal Ministry of Finance on Friday, that, the move was to cushion the hardship being experienced by civil servants in many states of the country, who have been unable to receive their June salary.

    The ministry’s director of information, Hassan Dodo, who signed the statement said, “efforts are being intensified to address the unsatisfactory remittances.”

    Recall that the 36 state governors had accused revenue generating agencies, especially the NNPC, of withholding some monies that ought to go into the federation account for sharing.

    The N668.898billion released on Friday afternoon, according to Dodo, “is made up of statutory distributable sum of N575.475 billion and N 93.423 billion from the Value Added Tax (VAT).”

    The Federal Government received N282.223 billion of the total; State Governments – N181.167 billion; and Local Government Councils – N136.490 billion.

    The Oil Producing States got N53.071 billion as 13 per cent derivation while N15.947 billion was paid to the revenue generating agencies as costs of collections.

    The statutory revenue of N575.475 billion received for the month of May 2018 was lower than the N613.057 billion received for April 2018 by a total of N37.582 billion. From the total statutory revenue of N575.475 billion, the Federal Government was given N268.770 billion; the States – N136.324 billion; Local Government Areas – N105.100 billion; the Oil Producing States – N53.071 billion, and the revenue generating agencies received N12.210 billion as costs of collections.

    For the month of May 2018, the total revenue of N93.423 billion from the Value Added Tax (VAT) was N5.458 billion higher than the N87.965 billion distributed in April 2018.

    From the total of N93.423 billion, the Federal Government received N13.453 billion; the States received N44.843 billion; the Local Government Councils received N31.390 billion, while N3.737 billion was received by the revenue collecting agencies.

    Before the funds were released, state governors had directed their finance commissioners not to shift ground, unless the NNPC was prepared to remit fully, what is expected of it, into the federation account.

    As a first measure to stop future shortchanging of the federation account, the state governments had resolved to “strengthen the processes” of making revenue generating agencies transmit accurate amounts to the federation account.

    For three consecutive FAAC meetings, the remittances to the federation account by the NNPC had generated controversy, with the issue coming to a head, when NNPC remitted N127 billion into the account, instead of the expected N147 billion from royalties and Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT).

    The impasse forced Finance Minister, Kemi Adeosun, to seek President Buhari’s intervention in the matter.

  • Panic as robbers snatch N9m LG workers’ salary in Kebbi

    Gwandu Local Government Area of Kebbi says suspected robbers have stolen over N9m meant for the payment of April salary of workers of its Departments of Health and Agriculture.

    The chairman of the council, Shehu Bagudu, told newsmen in Gwandu on Thursday that the incident happened on May 24.

    “The incident happened when the cashier of the area, Bashir Gwandu, collected the money from the bank and went to his house.

    “As he was about to open the gate of his house and unknown to him, the thieves had been trailing him from the bank.

    As he was opening the gate to enter his house, the suspects who had laid ambush for him, attacked him, snatched his car with the money inside and drove away.

    “The car was later discovered in Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State,” he said.

    The council chairman also dispelled the rumour that he was shielding the cashier, who is his son-in-law

    Bagudu said he could not stop the Police from doing their proper investigation.

    “I have not slept ever since this incident happened.

    “The boy is my son-in-law ever since before I became the chairman of the council, and he is known to be trustworthy in the council.

    “We wrote to the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs on the incident, but we are still waiting for their response.

    “At the same time, the Criminal Investigation Department of the State Police Command is on top of the situation, doing proper investigation,” he said.

    He added that the council had held a series of meetings with the affected workers, saying “the cashier’s family is planning to pay part of the stolen money before the arraignment of their brother in court on June 4.”

    The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Mustapha Suleiman, who confirmed the incident, said the cashier had been undergoing proper investigation by the CID since the incident.

    “The cashier has just been granted bail after the necessary investigation and he was given bail on the surety of a former Sole Administrator in the council,” he said.

  • Edo Govt. moves to clear LGs salary arrears

    The Edo Government on Wednesday said it had put modalities in place to clear the salary arrears owed by the immediate past Local Government administrations in the state.

    Mr Ebomhiana Musa, the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu, disclosed this in a statement in Benin.

    Musa said seven out of the 18 local governments owed their workers salary arrears ranging from six to nine months.

    He gave the names of the seven indebted local governments as Oredo, Egor, Orhionmwon, Uhunmwonde, Esan West, Esan North East and Etsako West.

    He said the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Mr Jimoh Ijegbai, the council Chairmen and the deputy governor had met over the clearance of the salary backlog.

    Musa gave the salary backlog profiles of the councils as Egor (9 months amounting to N400 million), Uhunmwonde (7 months amounting to N172 million) and Orhionmwon (6 months amounting to N301 million).

    Others are Esan West (6 months amounting to N280 million), Esan North East (7 months amounting to N36 million) and Etsako West (6 months amounting to N233 million).

    The chief press secretary, however, said the level of Oredo local government’s indebtedness could not be ascertained at the meeting due to the absence of the chairman.

    He quoted the deputy governor as warning against use of the dedicated Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for salaries, adding that it was strictly for projects that would bring developments to the grassroots.