THE Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello, on Sunday reassured the state civil servants and the entire public that government has not cut workers’ salaries.
The current salary regime, he said, was informed by circumstances beyond the control of government, adding that steps taken were in the interest of the state, the civil service and the entire Nigerlites.
Bello disclosed this in Minna while reacting to the allegation that state government had reduced its workers’ salaries, said no such action has been taken by his administration.
“We are faced with a critical situation. Our monthly receipt from the Federation Allocation has been on a constant decline. The drastic fall in global price for crude oil and the continued heinous activities of the Niger Delta Avengers on our oil installations are affecting our resources.
“These are challenges beyond our control. These are issues we cannot influence. But we must continue to forge ahead. And this we must do by ensuring that none of the sectors is left to suffer.
“We have no intention to cut salaries. We have no intention to make anybody suffer. It is just that this is a period of sacrifice. It is a phase in our national life. We shall surely overcome this challenge,” he said.
The governor pointed out that the 70/30 per cent ratio being used as receipt from the Federation Allocation was to ensure that the workers’ salaries and infrastructural development were not left to suffer in the face of dwindling resources of the state.
He lamented that despite subjecting the government decision and action to wide consultations with the Organised Labour and other stakeholders, including traditional rulers, religious leaders and civil societies, some mischief makers had misconstrued the government’s good intention.
Governor Bello noted that despite the state’s lean allocation, the government was able to pay 70 per cent of the salary to all workers last month across the board (June). He reaffirmed that their welfare would continue to attract the attention of the administration.
He also said that the government was intensifying efforts at improving its internally generated revenue by looking inward to other sustainable sources of revenues, especially by reducing the cost of governance, blocking leakages and eliminating wastages in government activities.
The governor also disclosed that frantic efforts were on to retrieve state stolen funds, saying that no stone would be left unturned to recover every dime of the state that was illegally taken.
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