SHAME ON STATE GOVERNORS WHO OWES WORKERS SALARIES

BY REUBEN AYODELE

Impunity now rain in the land by state governors who deny workers on their payroll their basic salaries and arrears. The rights and entitlements of so many workers in states of the federation is been trampled upon, by state governors. who now deliberately withhold the monthly payment of their workers’ salaries, hinging their argument on dwindling revenue allocation from the federation account. Even most of these governors who have failed in providing basic infrastructures to the people they govern now hide under dwindling revenue allocation not to pay civil servants and pensioners their gratuity

The reward for work is salary and wages .But why will a civil servant labour for a state every day of the month without been paid? Despite the peanut that is been paid as salaries, in so many state of the federation couple with the degrading environment that workers work. No amount of excuses lay down by these governors  can justify the reasons they owe workers their salaries .State governors who fall into these categories are:Benue state,Kogi state,Osun state,Platea state,Oyo state,Bauchi state,Kaduna state,Imo state,Ekiti state and Edo state just to mention a few. Nonpayment of workers’ salaries, arrears and pensioners gratuities is tantamount to robbery, theft and economic crime against the already improvised workforce of the state.

Most of these state governors are unable to pay civil servant salaries and pensioners gratuities because of mismanagement and waste of state fund. Have these governors reduce the fleet of exotic cars in their convoys?, have they reduce the numbers of times they fly with aids in and out of Abuja on weekly basis?, have these governors stop payment of monthly settlement to their political godfathers?, have these governors reduce the numbers of parties they  attend?, have these governors reduce the numbers of honorary doctorate degrees and chieftaincy titles they buy with state money?, have these governors reduce the numbers of special assistants and unnecessary aids in their domain?, have these governor stop their wives and girlfriends from spending state fund on cosmetic surgeries?, have the numbers of exotic wines and alcohols reduce in their bars?. If the answers to these set of questions is no, why should the ordinary workers in the state be made to bear the burden of these mismanagement and waste by our state governors.

Payment of workers’ salaries should not be seen as a favor, but a right. In some states workers are been owe salaries of 2months to 6months of salaries and arrears. Shame on governors who owes salaries yet spend lavishly on birthday ceremonies, donations and wedding ceremonies, during the past national elections these governors have money to give to electorate to vote for them and mobilize resources to sway voters to vote candidates on their political party. What moral justifications do these governors have to even govern the citizen they do not pay their entitlements?.

The Nigeria labour congress (NLC ).The union body of  Nigerian workers should come to the aid of states were salaries, arrears and gratuities of  pensioners are owes .Pressure should be mounted on these governors, because it seem from all indications merely going on strike do not solve the problems of state governors workers relationship. Modalities should be put in place to tackle this malaise of neglect workers are subjected to in the different state of the federation.    

The solution to these economic crisis in states is that state governments should look inward into been self-sufficient to generate funds. Internally generated revenue (IGR). The Lagos state and Kano state model should be adopted. Citizens should be encouraged to pay tax; this type of approach can be implemented in every state. The federalism we practice were states government goes to Abuja monthly to collect allocation is making states lazy and unproductive .State must look inward to be self-sustainable, until these is done urgently by various state government, especially states which have new governors at the helms of affairs, so that the state government will not collapse as a result of huge debt incurred by previous administrations which they can no longer service. The huge billions of naira these state owe cannot make growth and development to take place in the states, because of the heavy financial burden it carries.

Now that the echoes of good air and change as come to Nigeria, the clarion call is now on ssPresident Muhammadu  Buhari to strengthen the anti-graft institutions the ICPC and EFCC to be more effective in the aspect of investigation and recovery of loots by most of these  governors who have diverted  the resources of their various states into personal accounts. There should be no hiding place for looters of our collective wealth. This stolen money should be put back into state coffer so citizen will enjoy basic infrastructures