‘No Bailout Fund For Rivers, Govt Not Owing Workers’ Salary’
Rivers state was excluded from the bailout fund released by President Muhammadu Buhari. Governor Nyeson Wike disclosed this to journalists during projects inspection to mark his 100 days in office recently.
Findings revealed that the exclusion, however is not affecting the payment of civil servants salaries as the State government has paid the three-month backlog salaries to the state workers. The workers have also received their salaries till date.
Although the difficulties, pains, and hardship witnessed previously have lessened but that has not ameliorated the enormous economic challenges confronting states across the country including Rivers.
The country is still battling with challenges of dwindling economy and paucity of fund. Some respondents have expressed the views that life becomes easier when there is money in the pocket.
A worker with the State Ministry of Information, John Edeh said, “life has improved slightly for workers in Rivers State because they now receive regular salaries, they are not owing us anymore. We receive bank alert before month end”.
“The economy of the state is returning to normalcy and the people are happy. The last salary alert we received was for August and we are waiting for September alert “he added.
However, John spoke from the angle of having little cash with him but that does not mean that the cost of food stuffs, livestock among others have reduced in Rivers State. A market survey revealed that prices of livestock like ram, goat, sheep, fowl have kept appreciating.
Also, cost of food stuff like gari, rice, onions, yam still remains on the high side.
Governor Wike said: “it is on record that we have cleared the six months pensioners arrears, three months of salary arrears owed civil servants, cleared backlog salaries of several agencies and departments. In all these with the projects you are seeing today, Rivers State did not get bailout funds from the federal government”.
“It is important to let you know the facts, before people start saying a different thing.”
Wike explained that the government is being prudent with little available resources to deliver capital projects, pay salaries, provide security, housing, education, sports development and others.
The Governor added,” 100 days in office is very significant to any serious government so we concentrated on capital projects, salaries, staff welfare, security, housing, education, sports development and job creation, among others.
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1 Comments
While the civil servants have been paid, it should be made known to them that the era of collecting monthly payments for doing nothing should be gone. Let each civil servant in Rivers state and indeed Nigeria ask himself or herself, ” What services am I rendering to the society, or what value am I adding to the economy for the payments that I am receiving???” This is because, when we receive payment for no work done in the system, inflation is being created. This is a fact of socio-economics. Most Nigerian civil servants are paid for doing nothing.
We will review and take appropriate action.