I’m not owing LG workers ―Okowa insists

Worried by reports that he’s owing primary school teachers and local government workers their salary arrears, Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has insisted that he was not owing them a dime.

He reiterated the denial on Wednesday at the state’s ongoing Town Hall Meeting held in Uvwie Local Government Area.

The governor, however, advised the local government administrators to evolve alternative solutions to resolving the backlog of salaries owed them.

“I have not, as governor of Delta or Delta government, owed local government workers or primary school teachers,” he retorted.

Okowa said the state government was not responsible for the payment of local government employees and so could not be held responsible for the non-payment.

“The only thing that connects us is the money accruing from the federal allocation and what is meant for the state is disbursed to state while the one for local government is disbursed to them.

“What we do as state government is to add 10 per cent of our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to their money through what we called JAC Committee.

“The committee included the chairmen of Nigeria Union of Teachers and Nigeria Union Local Government Employees.

“So the state government is not the one owing the local government and primary school teachers, the money coming from JAC to them is no longer enough because of economic recession.

“A combined salary of both local governments workers and primary schools teachers in the state is between N3.4 and N3.5 billion monthly, but the money from JAC monthly now is between N2.4 and N2.6,” he argued.

While sympathising with the aggrieved workers, Okowa said he could only offer advice as governor, but the way out should be decided by the local government administrators themselves.

The governor said that his administration had engaged 50 physically-challenged persons on the state’s skill acquisition training program.

He added that another batch of 50 persons would be enrolled in a short while.

On the issue of cultism, Okowa tasked parents to inculcate on their wards good moral values so as not to become nuisance to the society.

He also urged the people to imbibe the culture of good hygiene by way of keeping the environment clean.

The meeting, which was held at the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI) Conference hall, had in attendance, the deputy governor Kingsley Otuaro, Commissioner for Information James Augoye, Secretary to the State Government, Ovie Agas.

Others included former Attoney-General of Delta, Victor Otomewo, traditional rulers in Uvwie and artisans, among others.

The town hall reports meeting avails the governor the opportunity to meet with the grassroots people and brainstorm on issues confronting the people.