Imo harmonises salary structure for workers

• Plans payment of N650m monthly pensions to retirees

Imo State Government has ended the labour rift between it and its workers in the state, the State Governor, Rochas Okorocha has disclosed.According to him, a truce to that effect was reached recently in a meeting held between the state government officials led by him, and the officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Also, the state government had plugged the financial loopholes and leakages that made it to overstretch its purse to about N1.4 billion.Briefing reporters recently in Owerri, Okorocha, disclosed that after series of verifications were made in the last few months, the government came to the conclusion to pay N650 million monthly as pensions to retirees of the state civil service.

He disclosed that some officials who alleged took about N700 million were arrested investigation on-going. His words: “Imo State Government and Labour has finally agreed on a new salary structure. With the new salary structure, there is increase in their salaries. That is to tell you that the economy has improved.”

Speaking on the pensions, Okorocha added: “Pensions payment issue have been resolved almost 90 per cent. It used to be N1.47billion, but it is now N650 million monthly, more than 55 per cent cut off. The pensions we paid before was wrong. We were paying more than any state in the country, even now. Those who were not working were still collecting transport, leave, hazard, over time allowances. Those allowances have been removed. Now it is N650 million monthly pensions to retirees. We have started by paying them three months arrears. Even with the N650 million monthly, we are still the highest in the country. We shall go to their wards to pay them their pensions. We found fraudsters. They were arrested and their houses are being investigated. They defrauded over N700 million.”

The governor disclosed that there was an agreement with labour in which the 70- 30 per cent was based on out of 100 per cent of any suggestions and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), coming into the state, 70 per cent was used for salary of workers, while 30 per cent was utilized for development purposes by the state government.

Okorocha, disclosed that the State government had built the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), secretariat, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the NLC secretariats, Imo State University Engineering School, Onuimo, Aboh Mbaise/Ngor Opkala campus of the Imo University, Okigwe Stadiun among other completed projects by his regime would soon be commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari anytime he visits Imo state.

While noting that about 2,000 projects had been completed by his administration since 2011, Okorocha said 500 kilometre road projects are going on in the 27 Local Councils of the state.

He noted that street trading activities had been banned in the state including Douglas and other adjoining streets in the state capital, directing traders to take advantage of 12,000 shops built for them at designated areas at Egbeada, Mbaitoli Local Council, Alaba and Relief markets.