Benue to adopt table payment for workers

FOLLOWING the state of emergency declared by Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom on salary payment, the state government may consider a ‘modify table payment’ of workers’ salary to be able to ascertain the state work force.

The state deputy governor, Engineer Benson Abounu dropped the hint on Thursday after a meeting with committee on state of emergency.

Governor Ortom had set up a  committee on emergency  to help devising means of getting out of  the non-payment of salaries as at when due among other things.

Abounu who is the committee chairman said that the committee may consider a ‘modify table payment’ for all workers in the state.

This he said would help in identify ghost workers and stop salary padding which he said was common in the state civil service.

“The committee is looking for ways to ensure regular payment of workers every month and will treat arrears as arrears, that is why the committee is looking outside the box but one major step government may likely adopt is the modify table payment which will help to ascertain the staff strength of the state.’

“Am saying this because every decision taken in this committee will have to be presented to government for consideration and if accepted becomes policy of government.

“The modify table payment will be cashless, every worker will present himself along with his appointment letter and last letter of promotion  in the presence of his head of department, director and permanent secretary who will be there to identify such worker.”

“As soon as worker is cleared, he would be given a warrant and proceed to bank to get paid, this is what we call modify and cashless table payment”.

“Through this, government will be able to stop salary padding rampart in the state civil service, detect ghost workers and we are hoping that a lot of money will be saved through this system”.

Abounu further explained that the state civil service is riddled with unwholesome systems making few people to stash away huge sum of money, Abounu said that appropriate sanction would be meted out of workers found guilty at the end of the exercise.