By Alltimepost.com
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State said last Thursday that the state government was not responsible for the failure of local government authorities to pay their workers.
Oshiomhole, who made the remark, while receiving the National leadership of the National Union of Local Government Workers ( ULGE), led by its National President, Khaleel Ibrahim, explained that “he meets the monthly wage obligation to the state workers.”
He said that Local Government workers must be paid by their respective Local Governments and not by the state government.
“I want to say it clearly that Edo State Government does not have the responsibility of paying the salaries of Local governments. I am not, and I will not collect taxes from people to pay Local Government workers.
“I don’t know what they do in other states, but in Edo State, we respect the full autonomy of Local Governments and this autonomy goes with responsibility. I challenge your union leaders to show any evidence to the contrary.
“Under the previous administration, the revenue of Local Governments was being spent on their behalf by the state government.
“They even bought second-hand tractors at an inflated price and distributed to Local Governments and deducted the money from Local Government funds that is what the PDP was doing. The union in Edo State did not raise a voice.
“Just last week, the traditional rulers in Esanland said the best the then government did for them was to give them a loan of five hundred thousand to buy cars at that time and they deducted the money from Local Governments, the Union leaders did not raise a voice.”
According to him, since his assumption of office as Governor he has let Local Governments manage their resources from Federal allocations as against the practice of his predecessors in office.
“So I challenge your union to prove anything to the contrary. I have not done any procurement for Local Governments; I have not done employment for Local Government, I have sat down to make any transfers for Local Governments, I have not in any way interfered in the funds of Local Governments. Therefore, if Local Governments cannot manage their money they only have themselves to blame.”
He referred to a communique in which he was accused of saying “Edo State workers are being paid,” and maintained his stance, saying “Edo State Government workers are paid; Local Government workers are not Edo State Government workers, they are Local Government Workers.”
“Once I don’t touch your money, you cannot hold me responsible for your woes. You are there as Union leaders you see your money being diverted. So you have a responsibility to watch and ensure that the money of Local Governments is managed judiciously for the benefit of Local Governments,” Oshiomhole asserted.
On the salaries of Egor Local Government, he said “due to the incompetence of the Local Government workers themselves, the treasurer, the Head of Personnel, etcetera, they did not make their claim when others were making their own.”
According to him, the federal Government approved for those whose names were on the list, adding however, that the good news is that he had intervened. “I have made a case; I have shown that the Local Government was omitted due to their own fault.”
He disclosed that the Federal Government has approved same, having seen that they were actually omitted. “I believe we have secured the money for Egor Local Government, and once it is released, it will be paid to the workers of Egor. But there is no other bailout for Local Governments to the best of my knowledge,” he said.
Earlier, the National President of NULGE, Khaleel Ibrahim said they were in the state because of their members in Edo State.
“The national leadership is sincerely not very happy and we find it very difficult to remain in Abuja while our members do not get their salaries some up to 18 months.
“We could not stay back because we feel that we are part of this government and being part of this government we equally find it very shameful to leave the situation of Edo while we are battling other issues in other states.
“So we decided that we must come to join the state leadership who are already on ground protesting non-payment of salaries. Our members are angry, our members are hungry and you know a hungry man is an angry man.
“The truth of the matter is that we are here to support the unpaid, hungry local government workers of Edo state and we know that something is going to be done about it.”
It would be recalled that last week in Edo state capital, Benin City, aggrieved Local Government employees, owed backlog of salaries took to the street protesting non-payment.
