TheNewsGuru

Tag: Salary

  • HoS plans salary increase, others to boost civil service

    HoS plans salary increase, others to boost civil service

    The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, on Wednesday announced plan to ensure that the nation’s civil service was efficient, productive, incorruptible and citizen-centred.

    Oyo-Ita unfolded the strategy at a sensitisation workshop on the 2017-2020 Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan organised for civil servants in the directorate level in Abuja.

    Oyo-Ita said the strategy, which has been approved by the Federal Executive Council, had eight priority areas selected based on their potential for impact in the short-term and their relevance to the ERGP implementation roles.

    She identified salary review as the first step towards enhancing civil servants’ values.

    “We need to launch a salary review of the civil service as a first step to enhance the value proposition of civil servants.

    “I am for salary review. We must increase salary. I am not saying this as a union leader but because I am aware of what workers go through,” she said.

    She said the plan would also seek to re-design three core-training modules, including Leadership Enhancement and Development Programme as a top talent programme and identify a ‘LEAD-P Presidential Cohort’ to cultivate as next generation of leaders in service.

    According to her, the plan will also launch a strategic sourcing of identified skills to bring in external talent at senior levels to drive high-level impact; institutionalise performance management by finalising the performance management system, piloting tools and introducing non-monetary recognition; drive innovation in service by establishing public service innovation unit within the OHCSF and launching an innovation challenge towards reducing cost of governance and increasing revenue generation.

    Others, she said, included the launch of an EPIC culture transformation of the civil service; accelerate roll-out of the full implementation of Integrated Personnel and Pay Roll Information System Human Resource module, and the establishment of an enterprise content management solution to digitise content.

    By 2020, Oyo-Ita said the plan was expected to have delivered outcomes that include N60n-120bn savings from cleaning HR data on IPPIS; N2.5bn annual savings from digitising content; 25,000 civil servants trained through revamped core modules; and 200 future leaders cultivated through LEAD-P, among others.

    She added, “The implementation of this strategy will not succeed without the support of the directorate level officers who are critical stakeholders in the service.

    “It is evident that stakeholders’ buy-in and ownership by the top management staff is crucial for successful delivery of the strategy.

    “You are, therefore, expected to assume the responsibility of ensuring that the medium and junior level officers are carried along in the implementation of the strategy.”

    She described online records update as a key requirement for the implementation of the HR module of IPPIS, saying it must be completed by every employee of the Federal Government to maintain their records on the IPPIS platform.

    “The future of the Nigerian civil service is in our hands. It is therefore imperative for us to work collectively towards making the service function better in order to guarantee a sustainable socio-economic development of Nigeria,” she said.

  • Police speak on short salary payment to officers in April

    The Nigeria Police said that the salary short payment for some personnel, for April was due to system error.

    The Force spokesman, ACP Jimoh Moshood, in a statement in Abuja on Friday, said that the force in conjunction with Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation,(OAGF) would resolve the problem.

    “All other issues relating to payment of salary to police personnel are being addressed.

    “The affected personnel will, according to OAGF, get the salary differential paid on or before Monday, May 7,”he said.

    He advised affected officers not to panic, adding that the Force was doing everything possible, in conjunction with OAGF, to ensure that all the identified problems in the payment were permanently resolved.

    Some personnel of the force claimed that they were short paid by the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

     

  • Twitter CEO rejects salary payments 3rd year in a row

    Twitter CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey in 2017 declined to receive his salary payments for running the micro-blogging for the third straight year.

    “As a testament to his commitment to and belief in Twitter’s long-term value creation potential, our CEO, Jack Dorsey, declined all compensation for 2017,” a proxy statement Twitter filed with the US Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) noted.

    However, Dorsey has shares which value went up 20 per cent since the beginning of 2018.

    “As of April 2, Dorsey owned 18 million shares of Twitter, currently worth $529 million. His holdings represent 2.39 per cent of all outstanding shares,” reports stated on Thursday.

    According to the Twitter filing with the US SEC, Twitter CFO, Ned Segal had a total compensation package worth $14.3 million for 2017.

    Twitter has 330 million monthly active users globally. The company is currently undergoing major overhauling steps under Dorsey to revive the company’s fortune.

    In 2016, Dorsey received personal and residential security costs totalling $68,506.

    Dorsey, also the CEO of payments company, Square, owns 65.5 million shares in the company which currently is worth $3.1 billion.

     

  • Why I exposed N750,000 salary, N13.5m monthly running cost of Nigerian Senators – Sani

    Senator representing Kaduna Central on the floor of the senate, Shehu Sani has explained why he exposed the hidden N13.5m monthly running cost and other emoluments of Nigerian senators.

    He said he did it to burnish the image of senators.

    Recall that the Senate in response defended the pay as “nothing new”, adding that Sani only revealed what had been in existence.

    But many Nigerians and civil society groups have been angry at what they consider to be an outrageous pay.

    Speaking in an interview programme aired yesterday on an Ibadan-based radio station, Fresh FM, “Political Circuit”, Sani, who ran a civil rights group before his election into the senate in 2015, said he saw the need to break the culture of secrecy surrounding the activities of the National Assembly because it had given the parliament a bad name, despite being peopled by by successful professionals and businessmen.

    He said: “The National Assembly is made up of distinguished personalities – doctors, lawyers, engineers, academics and all who have made it in life. But because of this culture of secrecy and silence, people who found themselves in the National Assembly are criminalised and stigmatised.

    “The dome of the National Assembly is being seen to house people of questionable character and integrity. So, what I did was to rescue the honour and credibility of the parliament by removing the veil of secrecy to bring it once and for all to an end.

    “ It has been 19 years of civil administration and it has been 19 years of secrecy, of people not wanting to speak out.

    “We have reached a point where people speculate and say so many bad things about the National Assembly. You see all sorts of figures of what senators are collecting. Some say N50 million, some speculate N100 million. But whatever people say, naturally, others will believe because there is no counter information, no truth coming from the other side.

    “So, I said, ‘I know it is painful, I know that I will lose friends and colleagues within the very establishment that I serve’. But I need to speak because I was part of those who fought and struggled for the restoration of this democracy.

    “I went to jail and was in the forefront of the protest against military rule. It is not possible for me to speak against the military rule and now I cannot. And, as such, I say it is temporary pain.”

    Sani said he pointed out early that the money was huge but that the parliament did nothing about it, hence he continued to collect it along with his colleagues.

    The senator said following his revelation, he expected Nigerians to ask questions about what members of the executive, judiciary and state lawmakers were earning..

    “Now that Nigerians know what the senators are earning, it is time for them to also ask what is happening in the Presidency, the Judiciary and the other arm of government.

    “Since I have come out to speak, we should also ask people to ask the members of their houses of assembly who also collect this money to speak. I know things are not going to be easy because when I made the disclosure, there was explosion, even right in my own house.

    “I will appeal to Nigerians to now shift focus to the governors, the ministers, those in the Presidency, the SGF, the Chief of Staff to the President, and NNPC GMD, to ask them to say publicly say what they earn monthly.

    “So, I know very well that it comes with a lot of price. But in the long run, our people will not be focusing on the senators. They will now be focusing on other areas and other people who refuse to come out and speak.”

    Sani justified the lawmakers’ bid to reorder elections, saying it is aimed at preventing the usual bandwagon effect of the presidential election where the party of the elected president coasts home to victory in the states.

    The senator pointed out that the National Assembly felt that federal lawmakers needed to stand on their merit in elections to enable Nigerians elect only those they truly believe in.

     

  • Suicide: We stopped Soje’s salary because he falsified his age – Kogi Govt

    The Kogi State Government on Sunday, admitted that it owed the late Mr Edward Soje eight months of unpaid salary before he committed suicide on Oct.16.

    The state Head of Service, Mrs Deborah Ogunmola, admitted this in a statement in Lokoja.

    She said that Soje received his monthly salary up till December 2016 when it was suddenly stopped by the government.

    “His pay was stopped after proof emerged that he falsified his age records. His confession to the offence is on video to justify government stoppage of his salary, ’’Ogunmola said.

    Soje, a Director in the state Teaching Service Commission was found hanging on a tree at the back of army barracks in Lokoja.

    He was among workers being owed arrears of salaries ranging from two to 21 months by the state government.

    Ogunmola, however, explained that following engagements with the labour which spanned several months, the Kogi governor magnanimously commuted the disciplinary action due against Soje and other certain categories of offenders by granting them pardon.

    “Pardoned members staff were processed for reinstatement and payment in batches. Mr Soje was in the September 2017 batch and he was aware of this fact.

    “The Kogi State Teaching Service Commission, where he worked has forwarded a template for payment to government and Mr Soje was aware that he was listed to receive six months back pay.

    According to her, this leaves only 2 months (August and September) outstanding.

    Ogunmola, who also hailed from Ogori, the same town with the deceased, said government was saddened in no small measure by the alleged action of Soje.

    She described Soje as a level 16 officer and a director in the Kogi State Civil Service.

    She, however, deplored media reports attributing Soje’s alleged decision to commit suicide to non-payment of salary.

    “Edward Soje was not just my staff, he was also married to my sister-in-law. His death is shocking, both as one related to him in some way and one responsible for him in an official capacity.

    “I met with him earlier last week and we discussed his situation, including the progress made in resolving his employment issues.

    “There was no hint of this horrible decision in his demeanour.He did he appear to me as one who was depressed, let alone contemplating suicide. I am, therefore, understandably shocked by all of this.

    “Government condoles with his family, especially his wife and three children. While we will not intrude into their grief over their sad loss, we will stand with them.”

     

  • LAUTECH: Pay us our 12 months salary arrears, Striking doctors beg Ajimobi

    LAUTECH: Pay us our 12 months salary arrears, Striking doctors beg Ajimobi

    Striking doctors of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, have appealed to the State Government to pay them their 12 months salary.

    The made the call in a statement signed by the branch President and General Secretary of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Drs Sebastine Oiwoh and Ayobami Alabi, and made available to newsmen in Ibadan on Saturday.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the doctors had 75 days ago embarked on industrial action over their unpaid salaries and poor working condition.

    The ARD said that their members had indefinite withdrawal of services, saying the management, board and the state government were fully aware of the industrial crisis.

    It said that their members were being paid twenty-eight per cent salary since January 2016 with twelve months salary being owed.

    “Our action is as a result of poor working conditions, persistent payment of percentage salary and poor funding of residency training.

    “Also among the problem is dearth of manpower, incomplete infrastructural development and neglect of the hospital to mention a few,” the statement read in part.

    The ARD said that government had embraced repeated obviation to the solution of the problem through relentless media propaganda of leakages, intended audit and restructuring in the last 14 months.

    According to the ARD, “In the last 14 months government has embarked on propaganda of intended audit and restructuring with no visible result but reckless abandon of the lives of our members to unlimited hardships.”

    It said that their members have never and would never support any act to pilfer, launder or to decimate the finances and resources of the hospital through illegal acts of corruption.

    The ARD said the hospital was replete with evidence of their relentless resolve to transparency, equity and due diligence.

    “We feel that for personal reasons the State Commissioner for Health, who is the acting board chairman, is playing politics with the welfare of our members.

    “And the lives of the citizens of Oyo state by his repeated excuses with no result after a year.

    “What needs to be done can be done immediately without the litany of excuses aimed at scoring personal points,” it said.

    It said that the same excuse given in March 2016 which saw them suspended their initial action and same on Aug. 29 during a visit of their national president with no visible solution.

    The ARD said the board chairman is meant to oversee and approve expenditure in the hospital, likewise ensure smooth running of the hospital by the Chief Medical Director.

    It said that the board and management should be held responsible for the claims of leakages.

    “We encourage the Oyo state government and Commissioner for Health to make haste at finding solutions to the problems.

    “We will also advise that the litany of excuses without solution for over a year should stop in the interest of the people whose lives are jeopardised through these dilly-dallying,” it said.

    The doctors said they would continue to call on all stakeholders, including traditional rulers, politicians and religious leaders, to prevail on the government to find solutions to the problems.

    It said that they would continue to do that in the interest of all, particularly at this time when epidemics was prevalent.

     

  • Labour crisis: Politicians are playing with destiny of people of Kogi – Bello

    Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi state, says some politicians are playing with the destiny of the people of his state.

    On Wednesday, some workers in the state appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to send food supplies and other relief materials to them.

    The workers said they had not received salaries between 11 and 21 months.

    But reacting through Kingsley Fanwo, his spokesman, Bello said demands of labour do not warrant the “desperate posture” to paint government as inhumane and irresponsible.

    “The tyranny of labour’s blackmail and campaign of calumny against government has clearly shown there are some underbelly factors surrounding the industrial disagreement between it and government in the state,” he said.

    “This government has shown transparency and accountability by publishing our accounts and what has been paid to the individual worker in the state. No worker has come out to disclaim our facts.

    “Facts at the disposal of government show that some desperate politicians are playing politics with the destiny of the people of Kogi state, who need the services for which these striking workers are paid. When we chose to confront the failed system of the past, we had no doubt of the attendant contention with the entrenched forces of retrogression who benefited from the blind corruption of the past.

    “We have started a process of recovering our looted commonwealth from past leaders. A white paper implementation committee was constituted to recover the loot. But Labour was used to strikes. We shall remain focused in ensuring that we recover every kobo stolen from the coffers of this great state.”

    “We promised a reformed, robust, disciplined, digital and accountable civil service that will oil our New Direction Agenda. This administration is poised to pursue it to a logical conclusion to the benefit of the populace,” he added.

    “We are not ignorant of the fact that some disgruntled elements are uncomfortable with the digitalization of the civil service operations which will curb truancy and corruption. As a responsible government, we have never denied owing workers a few months salary. We have paid half of July and we are in the process of paying the balance as well as the August salary.

    “The need for labour to embrace dialogue stems from the paucity of resources across the nation. It is not peculiar to our state. We are ready to dialogue with labour when they return to work and we hope they will do that in the interest of the good people of Kogi state.

    “We will be decisive if they remain adamant and continue to go violent on workers who do not believe in their agitation.”

  • Strikes: FG commences payment of salary, promotion arrears of civil servants

    Strikes: FG commences payment of salary, promotion arrears of civil servants

    Sequel to the enormous strikes that has enveloped some vital sectors of the economy, the Federal Government is set to commence the payment of salary arrears, promotion arrears and other entitlement of civil servants in the country on or before Wednesday, September 20, 2017.

    This was part of the four point agreement reached between the government and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria to avert the proposed strike action by the union.

    However, while the government says that union has agreed to temporarily suspend the strike till Wednesday, President of the union, Bobboi Kaigama said the union was only being proactive, pointing out that if they fail to commence payment on Wednesday, the strike action will begin.

    A communique signed at the end of the meeting by the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Labour, Bolaji Adebiyi and National President of the Association, Bobboi Kaigama said a seven man committee is to be set up to monitor the implementation of the agreement.

    The communique reads: “Following the seven day ultimatum dated 8th September, 2017 issued by the Association of Senior Civil Servant of Nigeria on the issue of non-payment of salary arrears and other entitlements of public servants especially promotion arrears failing which the Association, propose to embark on an industrial action effective from Monday, 18th September, 2017, the Minister of Labour and Employment convened a conciliatory meeting on Tuesday 12th September 2017.

    “Present at this meeting were all the 40 Chapter Chairmen of ASCSN branches and their Secretariat led by the President of ASCSN/TUC-Bobboi Bala Kaigama after an extensive deliberation on the issue of Public Servants unpaid promotion arrears and other entitlements.

    “At the end of the meeting, it was greed that Government will do all that is needed to ensure the commencement of payment of promotion arrears on or before Wednesday 20th September, 2017.

    “It was also agreed that the 30 Ministries, Department & Agencies (MDAs) that the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) reported that have been cleared whose payment bill amounts to 1.165billion naira should start to receive credit of payment by Wednesday 20th September, 2017.

    “The OAGF should provide the list of the 30 MDAs that have been cleared to the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment and the Association by Wednesday, 13th September, 2017.

    “A seven man Committee to be chaired by the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment composed of 3 members from the Association and 3 from Government side to midwife, fine tune and monitor the implementation of these decisions.”

    Addressing the union before the commencement of the meeting, Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige restated the unflinching commitment of the Buhari administration to the welfare of workers.

    He said: “the arrears in question accumulated for up to a decade but the President very much concerned about the welfare of the citizens resolved to settle the backlog, knowing that government is also a continuum. This is a government that has the interest of workers at heart, the very reason we stoically refused to retrench any civil servant despite dwindling resources we met and worsened by the recession”.

  • We owe LG workers nine-month salary, not 16 – Bayelsa govt

    Bayelsa Government said on Thursday in Yenagoa that it was not owning council workers 16 months’ salary arrears as claimed by the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees.

    NULGE had in a statement issued on Monday listed Bayelsa and Kogi as states with the highest level of indebtedness to council workers.

    Its National President, Mr Ibrahim Khaleel, alleged that Bayelsa owed between 10 and 16 months while Kogi owed between seven and 15 months to lead the list of 23 states owing salaries.

    Dr Agatha Goma, Bayelsa Commissioner of Local Government Administration, in a statement described NULGE’s claims as false and misleading.

    Goma said that the indebtedness to council workers in Bayelsa stood at nine and half months.

    “The claim is not true. The local government councils in the state owe nine and half months salary with the exception of Ogbia Local Government Council, whose debt is 10 and half months in salary arrears.

    “This regrettable situation is not deliberate as no responsible government will intentionally deny its workforce their legitimate rights to salary as at when due.

    “The failure of local government councils to meet their financial obligations arose principally because of the unexpected economic recession.

    “The recession has greatly affected the economic fortune of the country as well as the monthly allocation to the local government coffers and indeed all tiers of government,” Goma said.

    The commissioner said that the government was in a dilemma of whether to `right-size’ the workforce or continue to manage the situation until there was an improvement.

    “As a responsible government that is conscious of its social responsibility, rather than throwing people into the employment market, the state government will continue to seek workable avenue to ameliorate the delicate situation.

    “The local government component of the Paris Club loan refund also came handy in effort at assisting the councils to meet their obligation.

    “The state government has also provided financial support to help out the councils pay the arrears of salary,” Goma said.

    She said that the government remained committed to ensuring that the outstanding salaries were offset, adding that various memoranda have been signed with relevant unions on payment of all pending arrears.

  • Edi-el-Fitr: Succour as FG makes early payment of June salary

    Edi-el-Fitr: Succour as FG makes early payment of June salary

    Civil servants across the nation have applauded the Federal Government for early payment of June salary as Muslim faithful prepare for Eid-El-Fitr celebration.

    The elated workers who spoke with newsmen on Saturday in Abuja said the salary came as a surprise to them and also described it as “big relief.’’

    Some of the workers, who are Muslims, contended that the recession in the country had made the fasting period “more difficult’’ as many of them do not have what to eat in the morning before the commencement of fasting.

    Mr Saleh Adamu, a father of three said it was not easy for him and his family during the period of fasting.

    He said that the early payment of salary was a surprise to him, adding that it would enable him and his family have a good meal during the Sallah celebration.

    “Even though I will not be able to travel, we can now cook good food after the long days of fasting with little to eat at the end of each day.

    “I thank the Federal Government for paying salary at this period of celebration,” he said.

    Another parent, Mrs Joy Godwin, said that though the Sallah festival was for Muslim faithful, the early payment of salary would enable non-Muslims, enjoy the Sallah break.

    “Yesterday, I was just thinking about how to cope during the Sallah break because I did not have money on me.

    “I was very excited when I switched on my cell phone this morning and saw salary alert.

    “We thank the Federal Government for the early payment of the salary and I hope it will continue like this, even when Christians are celebrating.

    “However, even with the early payment of salary, the costs of foodstuffs in the market have increased compared to what it was the previous month.

    “Food sellers have taken advantage of the celebration to increase the prices of foodstuffs and make things difficult for the people,” Godwin said.

    A market survey conducted in some markets in the FCT showed that the prices of food items, vegetables and fruits, had gone up when compared to what they were before the fasting period.

    At the popular Friday Gosa Market along Airport Road, the prices of food items ranging from tomatoes, pepper, cabbage, carrot and livestock had skyrocketed.

    For instance, the price of a basket of tomatoes which sold for between N1, 800 and N2, 200, had increased to between N2,800 and N3000, while the price of a basket of pepper had increased fromN1,200 to N1,800.

    Mr Zakari Yusuf, who sells tomatoes in Gosa Market, attributed the high cost to the Sallah festival and the rainy season.

    He said that the prices of some commodities would come down after the celebration as foodstuffs sellers were fond of increasing prices of food items during celebrations.

    Malam Isa Yakubu, a livestock dealer, said that the cost of livestock such as chicken and turkey had also increased.

    He attributed the high cost to increase in demand.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the Federal Government on Thursday declared Monday and Tuesday (June 26 and 27) next week public holidays to mark the 2017 Eid-El-Fitr celebrations.