Gov. Gaidam, who was speaking on Tuesday while commissioning the new National Headquarters of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) in Abuja, said with the present state of the economy, there is no reason for any governor to owe workers’ salary, pension and gratuity of retirees.
Specifically, the governor told his colleagues, who are owing workers’ salary and gratuity for even a month or two that there is no justification to owe their workers and retirees.
He pointed out that the governors only need to be prudent and accountable in the management of the scarce resources.
Gov. Gaidam said: “I advise all the governors in the country who are not up to date in the payment or salary, pension and gratuity arrears to make it a policy to ensure that payment of salary, pension and gratuity will be in the first line charge; before making any other expenditure when money drops from the federation account.
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“I advise them to be prudent and accountable to the management of the scarce resources they are receiving from the federation account. If you are prudent, you are organised; it helps you to properly plan on how to apply the little resources you are receiving from the federal government. And this ensures that salaries are paid as at when due. If you are prudent, you actually should be able to achieve paying workers’ salary and achieve all others things in your plan.”
On the reasons of financial paucity being given by his colleagues and the poor state of the nation’s economy, the Yobe governor said: “I said it in Kaduna and I still maintain my position; there is no reason why any governor should not pay salaries of his civil servants and pensioners. There is no justification for that.”
Gov. Gaidam, who commissioned the newly acquired edifice, said on his efforts in Yobe State: “I wish to place on record that the cumulative effects of our reform measures in the public financial management which is a product of our high standards of accountability and prudent management of scarce resources in our State, has made the Yobe State Government remain above board and keep paying salaries, overhead cost, pensions and gratuities and even service capital
projects at a period when our country faced economic difficulties.
“Despite the unfortunate security challenges experienced in our State as a result of the activities of the insurgents which has drained substantial resources of the State to support the war, we made it a deliberate policy to pay salaries and pensions as the first line charge before any expenditure.
“For this reason, while many states had a backlog of unpaid salaries, pensions and gratuities, Yobe State is one of the few States which had consistently paid salaries of staff without resort to the bailout of funds from the Federal Government.
“We have also made it a deliberate policy that all civil servants in our State start receiving payment of pensions one month after retirement.”
The President of NUP, Dr Abel Afolabi, commended the giant stride of the governor in clearing all pension arrears in Yobe State, adding that a total of N6 billion was expended by his government to defrost all pension liabilities in the state.
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