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ALGON exonerates Gov. Al-Makura over non-payment of LG workers salaries

The Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Nasarawa state chapter, has exonerated Gov. Umaru Al-Makura over the non-payment of local government workers' salaries. The state ALGON Chairman, Alhaji Sulieman Wambai made the clarification when he addressed newsmen in Lafia on Friday. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ALGON’s clarification followed insinuations that…
Al-Makura

Al-Makura

The Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Nasarawa state chapter, has exonerated Gov. Umaru Al-Makura over the non-payment of local government workers’ salaries.

The state ALGON Chairman, Alhaji Sulieman Wambai made the clarification when he addressed newsmen in Lafia on Friday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ALGON’s clarification followed insinuations that the state government was responsible for the debt being owed local government staff.

Wambai said the local government areas in the state had been accessing their allocations directly from the Federation Accounts since 2011.

He said the problem of salary payment stems from the over bloated staff population, following the massive employment by the previous administration in the state, coupled with the dwindling allocation from the Federation Account.

Wambai said that with the dwindling fortunes from the Federation Account, more local government ran into problem and could no longer bail out others.

He added that apart from augmenting the workers’ salaries from Excess Crude Accounts and SURE-P, ALGON had an understanding where the more buoyant local government augment for those struggling.
Wambai said that with the dwindling fortunes from the Federation Account, more local government ran into problem and could no longer bail out others.

“The situation became worse from January this year that we resorted to collecting overdraft twice to the tune of N550 million and N950 million in order to pay staff salaries.

“We decided that it would be unfair and immoral for us to continue collecting overdraft with high interest rates, to pay salaries.’’

He said that continuing in that direction meant a detriment to the providing of amenities for the poor masses at the rural areas.

“We, therefore, met with the various trade unions and agreed that we would be paying percentages of their salaries, pending when the economic situation improves.’’

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