Abia State governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, has set next month (October 2015) as the deadline for the payment of all salaries and pension arrears of workers and pensioners in the state.
The governor has also directed the setting up of a seven-man committee to manage the disbursement of the N14.152bn Federal Government bailout fund for the payment of salary and pension arrears in the state.
A statement by the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Communications, Mr. Sam Hart, stated the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Eme Okoro, had been mandated to inaugurate the committee on Monday (today).
As stated by the statement, the committee is to be made up of the representatives of the Head of Service of Abia State, Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, Abia State Council; and Chairman, Trade Union Congress, Abia State Council.
Others are the state’s auditor general or his nominee; accountant general or his representative; the statistician general and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Economic Affairs.
The statement said, “The governor has given a commitment that by Friday, October 30, 2015, all outstanding arrears would have been offset. This is, therefore, a call to all concerned to support the governor in this noble quest to rid the system of all unscrupulous elements who collude to defraud the system.”
As stated by the statement, the committee is to determine the following: the exact amount owed public servants in the state, the actual duration of backlogs owed workers in the state as well as determine any other issue pertaining to owed salary arrears in the state.
The committee is also to ensure strict adherence to the purpose of the bailout and avoid diversion.
The statement, however, stated that the bailout fund had yet to be accessed but assured it would likely be accessed during the week.
It said, “It is pertinent to point out that the bailout fund has yet to arrive the state. Information available is that the money has been released to the designated Abia State account but it is undergoing normal internal banking processes before it is credited as cash.
“The Ikpeazu administration is committed to using the bailout fund for the purpose of payment of salary backlogs. But only genuine salary backlogs owed Abia State workers will be paid at the end of the exercise.
“The bailout fund is not free money. It is actually a loan with a 20-year repayment period at low interest rate so the governor has a responsibility to ensure its judicious utilisation for the benefit of the people of Abia State.”