It was indeed the gathering of Kogi state stakeholders on the 4th of July, 2016 at glass house in the Kogi state government house, Lokoja.
The meeting became necessary to clear the air and set the
record straight as regards insinuations that are rife in the polity and also to
brief the public on the journey so far. We would recall that on the 27th
of January 2016, the government of Governor Yahaya Bello took flight , 8 month
to the silver jubilee of the state, as at then, the condition of Kogi state
economy and polity can best be described as, passed-out, used up and comatose.
Of late, the state has come under intense attack from forces within, aided and
abetted by forces without, who have been trying to cause disaffection within
ethnic lines and bring about divide and rule strategies to bare in the state.
It therefore became imperative to have this meeting to bring everything bare
before all stakeholders in Kogi state government, the Chief of Staff to the
governor, Hon David Edward Onoja reiterated in his opening remarks.
Key sectors of the government where invited to give concise
presentations on discoveries and facts to the good people of Kogi state. The
presentation session was opened by the Commissioner for Finance, Hon Idris
Asiru
MINISTRY OF FINANCE
MINISTRY OF FINANCE
The commissioner for finance gave the Federal government
allocation breakdown from inception of this administration in contrast to what
the state government and Local governments receives in the previous
administration.
Table 1
Months
|
2015
|
2016
|
Jan
|
3.49 Billion
|
2.5 Billion
|
Feb
|
3.49 Billion
|
2.5 Billion
|
March
|
3.658 Billion
|
2.2 Billion
|
April
|
2. 801 Billion
|
2.017 Billion
|
May
|
2. 620 Billion
|
1.916 Billion
|
June
|
5.4 Billion
|
1.8 Billion
|
TOTAL
|
22. 85 Billion
|
13,118 Billion
|
* State Government Allocation
The difference between these figures is 9.732 Billion and
despite the 22.85 billion, the past government still left 3 unpaid months for
the incoming government to pay.
Table 2
Months
|
2015
|
2016
|
Jan
|
3 Billion
|
2.1 Billion
|
Feb
|
2.6 Billion
|
2.0 Billion
|
March
|
2.6 Billion
|
1.8 Billion
|
April
|
2.3 Billion
|
1.6 Billion
|
May
|
2. 1Billion
|
1.5 Billion
|
June
|
2. 4Billion
|
1.5 Billion
|
TOTAL
|
15.0 Billion
|
10.5 Billion
|
** Local Government Allocation
With the above tables, it is obvious to all that the state
and local government allocations from the Federal government have been on the
decline compared to what was obtainable last year during previous
administration. This of cause has caused untold hardship for the government of
the day as payment of salaries and development of the state has become a
problem. Why is this so? THE WAGE BILL OF THE STATE
Table 3
Months
|
Allocation 2016
|
Wage Bill 2016
|
Jan
|
2.5 Billion
|
2.771 Billion
|
Feb
|
2.5 Billion
|
2.771 Billion
|
March
|
2.2 Billion
|
2.771 Billion
|
April
|
2.017 Billion
|
2.771 Billion
|
May
|
1.916 Billion
|
2.771 Billion
|
June
|
1.8 Billion
|
2.771 Billion
|
TOTAL
|
13,118 Billion
|
16, 626 Billion
|
*** 2016 Allocation vs Wage bill
With the above table, it would be seen that there is a
difference of 3.5 Billion which the state government needs to source for to be
able to pay all salaries. The Internally generated revenue (IGR) of Kogi state
revenue board has been dangling between 250 million to 300 million. Let us peg
it at 300 Million, for 6 months will accrue to 1.8 Billion. Subtract 1.8
Billion from the 3.5 Billion naira difference; the state would still be short
of a billion plus to pay it workers. WHAT THEN NEEDS TO BE DONE? The state has
decided to do the following:
1) Increase
the state’s IGI
2) Block
leakages
3) Remove
Ghost within the civil service
The major reasons why LGA’s in the state are paying percentage
to its staff is not far fetched , the problem is, the allocation coming from
the FGN cannot match the number of employees at the LGA levels. It has been
discovered for example that 40% of the LGA employees are redundant while 40 %
are ghost. How on earth can the department of Finance in a local government
area, Ajaokuta LGA to be precise have 400 workers? Lets imagine how many
workers would be in its other departments then imagine how much would be needed
to pay Ajaokuta LGA staff alone.
If all the allocation that comes into a state is gulped by
its civil servants that constitute just 10% of the 3.5 billion population of
Kogi state, how would the 90% of Kogites left feel the impact of the
government? What would be used for development?
ON SALARIES
So far so good, 55 of the 58 MDA’s (Ministry Departments and
Agencies) have been paid the first round of salaries, except Teaching Service Commission
where there are some hitches to clear. The second round of 3 months payment to
all MDA’s , except those that were paid 4 full months previouslys has
commenced.
SCREENING REPORT
The chairman o the screening committee Mr Abaji said about
24,208 forms were sent out, 22,275 returned for screening. 22,242 teachers
where also screened with 3,054 discovered to be ghost. 9720 pensioners didn’t
show up for screening. He stated that 2 list would eventually be released, the
cleared and un-cleared list with their peculiarities. He appealed to the
Governor to set up review committees to look into problems of genuine workers
who either by omission or human error were removed from the payroll with the
sole aim of verifying their claims and them re-absorbing them if their claims
were found to be genuine.
AUDIT REPORT ON SCREENING EXCERSICE
The duo of Hon Yusuf Okara Auditor General to the state and
Hon Ododo Auditor General to the LGA did justice to their presentation. The
revelations of this due are quite startling, troubling and worrisome. The state
is in total mess from the hands of ghost workers and their accomplices, their
revelations have been tagged “tip of the ice berg” meaning when the can of worm
is fully opened, people would weep for our dear state.
1) 40
unscreened forms were cleared and inputted into the screened list
2) 118
cleared forms were not captured in the cleared and uncleared list
3) In
the College of Education Ankpa
4) In
the same school, there were 201 uncleared forms were captured into the database
On Kogi State
University
5) The
terms of reference states that people employed between 2015 should not be
screened. 346 of such persons where cleared
6) 161
Adhoc staff were also cleared as pensionable staff
On Kogi State
7) 78
forms that were not to be screened where cleared.
8) 3
contract staff were cleared as permanent pensionable staff
9) KSP’s
staff strength increased by 1200 and so there is a need to do staff auditing
for the school
FROM THE GOVERNOR
The governor while giving his speech likened Kogi state to a
sick man who has a cancerous growth growing at an alarming rate and needs an
emergency surgical operation to remove such growth else the man will die! The problem of Kogi state was caused by us
Kogite. You cannot be looking at the way your state is messed up and say you
are on the fence. Its either you are for the development and progress of the
state or against it.
He stated that there are lot of rumors milling around about
him and the good people of Kogi state “ we may not be going about solving
Kogi’s problem the best way to those who have ruined kogi state, but I will not
be intimidated, cowed or pushed to concede to their demands or plans” he
stated.
ON THE LIGERING KSU STRIKE
I know this is where majority of persons are waiting to hear
from me and I would try in all honesty to be sincere in my reportage.
What are the requests of KSU ASUU in the first place?
Correct me if I am wrong
1) That
all salaries areas be paid
2) That
they should have waivers on PAYEE and rebate
The governor then asked,
1) How
much is your IGR at KSU
2) Do
I know how you spend your revenue?
3) Do
I know how you spend funds from bodies like TETFUND?
“I haven’t bothered about all these, yet on assumption of
office, this government cleared all outstanding owned by previous government
stated the Governor. He further stated that when KSU ASUU met with him, he told
them not to worry, no need to drag this issue, government will show goodwill to
the body and after clearing the previous 3 months owed by the past
administration, the Governor still went ahead to pay 4 full months to the
striking lecturers as at when the salaries owned were 5 months (while other
civil servants were receiving one month salary) and it was with a promise to
the lecturer to pay the rest as soon as more money comes in. yet the striking
lecturers wont care.
That aside, the striking lecturers are asking the state
government to grant them a waiver on their PAYEE (tax). What is a waiver? a
waiver the act of intentionally relinquishing or abandoning a known right. With
this definition it means that the tax that the lecturers are asking the
government to stop removing is the RIGTH OF GOVERNMENT as stipulated by law.
The PAYEE forms an integral part of the state government’s Internally Generated
Revenue (IGR) if the state government accept to this term, it means the IGR of
the state would further drop and in the face of the continuous dwindling
Federal Government Allocation to the state which is not even enough to pay
salaries of its civil servants tackles of developments, the state would be
thrown into further penury and cannot afford to do that at this time.
The governor stated that, eventually, the lecturers would
have nothing to loose, because their entitlements would be paid to them in due
course but the student have a lot to loose, aside loosing a semester , losing going
NYSC this year, they may be asked by the same school to pay additional fees,
landlords would collect additional money for extra stay etc and so he said in
the interest of the students and parents, haven met 80% of the striking
lecturers demands without writing any agreement, the lecturers should return
back to school and attend to their students as soon as possible. The government
has shown the lecturers goodwill, it is also good to reciprocate and shit
ground while talk can be on going.
ON THE NLC STRIKE
We held a meeting with them where I explained the need to do
a through screening to weed out ghosts within the civil service. I then asked
them, if the way I am going about the whole is not the right way, can you
please proffer a better way to go about it and get back to me. The next I saw
was STRIKE NOTICE from the NLC.
ON SCREENING
I say it again with all sense of responsibility, haven swore
with the holy Quran and the constitutional of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
no genuine worker would loose his job.
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