ISSUES SURROUNDING PAYMENT OF WAGES IN ABIA STATE.

By Onyenso Abraham Adims
#AbiaOnline
Recently, there has been this online chicanery lunched from some quarters either to wipe up sentiment or indurate some gullible members of the public with fairy tale analysis of the position of the salary issues in Abia State. Some fired their missiles from the blues, probably because of what their cronies who may have presupposed this or that had told them. Some are civil servants who would throw anything at the public to gain sympathy at the expense of the same vulnerable public. But it is good to nail this issue.
For the records, the present Abia State government on assumption of office in April, 2015 was greeted with some challenges including; to offset backlog of workers’ wages. As at then, the debt was way high above N39b. The government as a continuum, therefore had to shoulder the challenges in governance, debts not excluded.
Also, the Abia State monthly wage bill was above N3.2b, but the shortfall on the price of crude oil in the international market affected  the benchmark and projections of nations whose national grid was near total dependent on the black gold such as Nigeria’s. This culminated in the reduction in the federal allocation to States as Abia was receiving a little less than N2b monthly.
While it became belt tightening  period for Abia State, the State had to deplore every necessary arsenal to block leakages in the State coffers. Findings into the State civil service revealed certain sharp practices which had plunge Abia into such over blotted wage bill of over N3b which does not even reflect on the output.
As many States continued to send the SOS messages, the government at the center mapped out certain amount as bailout funds for States, for the payment of salaries and pension. Abia requested for N39b to enable them offset the backlog of wages but in the good wisdom of the federal government,  Abia was granted the sum of N14.1b.
The State went back and constituted a committee made of mainly, the beneficiaries of these fund. The committee was made up of heads of the labour and trade unions in the State who sat and decided on who-gets-what and how without the government interference and equally disbursed these funds for payment of these wages. It was such a transparent exercise that the Independent Corrupt Practices Commissioner (ICPC) gave Abia a thumb up for being the most transparent State in the disbursement of this fund to the intended beneficiaries.
Howbeit, there has been growing concerns by many who kept asking why the backlog of workers salaries were not cleared off with the bailout fund. The truth is that, it would have amounted to the greatest miracle of the century to use N14.1b to offset a bill of about N39b.
There are two major types of such loans given to States; simple digit interest and free interest loans such as the bailout fund. Unlike the popular thought, about the bailout fund as a free money given to States to share, there is always a deduction as to reimburse the funds from the monthly rentals of the principal sum. Assuming that the principal sum was N1,000,000 and the agreed monthly rental is N20,000, it will then take Abia 50 months to finish ‘repaying back’ this money inasmuch as there is no commission of turnover (COT).
So, if Abia State monthly receipt was supposed to be N100,000 and the rental is N20,000, Abia will then receive N80,000. Remember that at this time, Abia was already receiving about less than half of what it used to get. Another typical example of what played out is what is known as overdraft. At some point, Osun State was handed over a total sum of N6.million Naira as a particular month’s federal allocation due to overstretched borrowing.
But why should Abia have such mind blogging wage bill? A cursory look into what is known as ghost worker in Abia as it presents indifferent forms. Can of worms were opened; some who are above the civil service age kept falsifying their ages to remain in the labour market while some earn salaries above their status or position in service. Some have got their names in different MDAs. Some has fixed inexistent names into the Abia State workforce. Some are in far away Lagos and Abuja running business while salaries are still paid into their accounts.
Some used their names to replace that of their late relationships and has been working with the persons’ files. Some connived to steal dead pensioners gratuity in cases where members of the family do not show up or frustrate some who are not resilient enough to press home their demand and in some cases even frustrate some pensioners. And all these are being shielded by their colleagues and subordinates who prepared the payroll as well receive their share of the spoils.
Government therefore called for head count which some who are far away in places like Lagos cried wolf perhaps because of the stress it would cause them. During the head count, lot of progress were made as many numbers who never showed up were delisted from the workforce and a huge sum was saved in that regard. Government devised another means, the biometric data capturing to check the excesses in the system which sacked lots of the ghost in the civil service.
The activities of these men has in no small means threaten the hope of the youths on getting job; making them see their prestigious certificates as a mere mirage, more or less, tantalizing. They have destroyed the lives of many Abians as well denied government the needed funds to put social amenities and infrastructure in place for the good of the greater population. As at today, these above strategies have yielded enormous fruits as the wage bill has been cut down to about N2.2b.
Hurray, the government of Abia though hoped for a bigger share of the Paris club refund was given the some of  N10.6b (billion Naira) with a directive from the federal government that 50% be used to pay workers salaries. Therefore the Abia State government mapped out N5.3b (billion Naira). With the wage bill standing at N2.2b currently, the refund will be able to offset two months (and half) salary and pension arrears.
The government, having known the intent of these men who would stop at nothing to ensure they continue to feed their over blown lifestyles, who, equally have continually perpetrated these crimes within the system at various levels decided to pay workers salaries with ‘crossed cheques’ which can only accept a name at a time. A test run of this in some school teachers has left many cheques returned already.
The fight is not yet over rather it has just begun and shall continue until every check is put in place and upgraded from time to time.  This government will stop at nothing to get rid of these cankerworms in our society.
However, issues of parastatals which are mostly revenue generating units of the State are expected to generate funds and pay their workers while the government offers subvention to them where and when necessary. Let us give you the names of some of these parastatals.
1. Abia State University, Uturu.
2. Abia State Teaching Hospital, Aba
3. Abia line Network
4. Health management board
Etc.
You may be wondering why Abia State University has been able to update their workers salary payment while Abia line network which makes much on daily basis cannot pay their less than 300 workers’ salaries. That will tell you the different between leadership and financial recklessness. While the leadership of one makes money and pay, the leadership of the other makes money and pockets.
There are many stories to tell but for the want of time, we shall hold it for the later but let us bear in mind that these rots in the system must be stamped out and the time is now before it cripples our State.
It is the burning desire of the Abia State Governor Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu and that of his finance commissioner Mr. Obinna Oriaku to set off these bills if they have the wherewithal. But with your support, the days ahead are brighter. We have started seeing the blue linings in the sky already.
Let us give this government the support to give us the highly sought after dividends of democracy.
Ndewonu!