By; MOHAMMED KAWU, Bauchi
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi has said that the 20 local government councils in the state are now financially autonomous, having independently started paying their staff salaries the preceding month of November.
The Governor said, “Already we have empowered the spirit of autonomy for the Local Government Councils, we are giving them all their resources and they have started paying their staff salaries as from last month”.
He was speaking weekend while receiving a delegation of the state chapter of Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN) during Xmas Reception at the Government House, stating, “And to our appreciation, we discovered that nobody in the local governments was excluded in the last salaries payment”.
“We have paid salaries and we have been paying salaries. People are simply creating exclusion with the nominal roll in order to cause disaffection between us. May be out of the thousands of workers we are paying, some people will deliberated be excluded, but government is paying 100% money required for salaries”.
He explained that government is doing its best to make sure such exclusion where some people are getting removed deliberately from the payroll would be a thing of the past, added “We have established a portal at the ministry of finance under Head of Service. Anybody whose salary is not paid should go there and he/she will be paid immediately”.
“Pertaining to gratuities, we inherited over N28 billion arrears, we cannot play miracle. We are paying you as we get some little money that are in excess of the salaries, so far we have paid so much and by the time we get more excess, definitely we will pay our workers who have exited”, he positioned.
He further stated that government is trying to make sure the the payroll has integrity to be driven by nominal roll, and robust with accurate data, stressing “We must get correct number of workers.
Governor Bala said however that, “But as Muslims and Christians we must fear God, some people are collecting double salaries, others are collecting allowances that are not their own”.
“You can see that we get N7 billion from the federation account, and at the end of the day, we end up in paying salaries, and yet some people say they were not getting salary. I know as a civil servant, I have obligation to pay salaries, and that’s why I’m paying”.
“We are making sure we are raising out IGR and that’s why we are doing all these projects. You can see a brand new Government House here, we are doing for you, it is not for me. So the issue is that we must leave legacies and landmarks, and we work hard to make you proud”.
Bala added, “So, therefore, I must perform, I must build roads, schools, hospitals and maternities, and you can see the number we have built all over so that you can enjoy or improve the quality of your life”.
The leader of the delegation who is also the state chairman of Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Abraham expressed gratitude to the governor for the achievements he has so far recoded in less than three years in the state.
Rev. Abraham also commended the governor for what he has been doing to the Christians community in the state, and assured that they would reciprocate the gesture, stressing that Christians have already embarked on prayers for the success of his administration.
In his remarks, Chairman Bauchi State Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Reverend Abraham expressed gratitude to Governor Bala for what he is doing to Christian community in the state.
Reverend Abraham in particular, appreciated the governor for supporting Christians with Christmas gift, describing it as a good gesture., and assured of reciprocation to the governor.
The CAN chairman also assured the governor that the association in collaboration with churches has embarked on massive prayers for the success of the present administration in the state.
