As state governments across the country cry over dwindling revenue, civil servants in Nasarawa state have been at war with the state government over unpaid salaries. MOHAMMED YANGIDA reports
Why should Governor Umaru Al-Makura be blamed for poor revenue of the state? The dwindling revenue from the federation account made it so difficult for some states to pay workers’ salaries as at when due.
Like any other state, Nasarawa state is not an exception, but one of the states that is steadily paying workers salaries, and workers in Nasarawa need to appreciate the present government for its efforts in paying salaries for the past 57 months and as at when due.
Also workers in the state need to be informed on peaceful co-existence and the need to reflect and resolve to support this administration in order to take the state to an enviable height.
Despite the dwindling federal allocation the fact remains that Governor Al-Makura has done so much for the workers in Nasarawa state, and workers should not be blamed for the present situation. There is a popular saying that: “one cannot give what he does not have”. So, blaming the governor amounts to stark ignorance on how the state got to this situation in the first place.
A school of thought holds that:”It’s a thinkers world, if you do not think well then you will stink “
The governor has already made it clear that the decision for the downwards review of workers’ salaries in the state was with a view to meeting the present economic reality but not witch-hunt or hurt anyone.
In fact, Al-Makura had made a wise decision by reviewing the salary downwards because I do not think there is any civil servant in Nasarawa state that recognises the existence of the non-working people who are the majority and who also need to have a sense of government presence in their lives.
But Al-makura is always making sure that he keeps both human needs and society together capital projects such as network of roads, urban renewal projects which comprises hospitals, schools and rural electrifications among others things.
Al-makura stressed that “era of government deploying 100 percent of its allocation only for the payment of workers’ salaries has come and gone.
”the paradox here is that the amount the state is getting is less than what the state will pay as salary to only 1 percent of the total populace, this I believe is unjustifiable, is inhuman ,unacceptable and unrealistic “ Al-makura added.
Workers should also note that to suspend capital projects in a state that is in a hurry to pay wages alone has more damaging impacts than the ratio-based arrangement, which is selfish and does not recognise the existence of the non-working class at all.
“Other people who are not beneficiaries or on government pay roll would also need to be carry along by giving them what they deserve such as access roads, schools and medical services” Almakura maintained.
Therefore, for Al-Makura to stop such intervention will amount to a huge miscalculation, for it only seeks to look after less than 1 percent of the entire population of about 3 million people who depend on the 35 percent to have a sense of the government existence.
But the unfortunate thing is that the civil servants who had been singing praises of Governor Al-makura since his ascension in August 2011 and always cherish the administration not only in the implementation of the minimum wage but even beyond the minimum wage are now complaining ,this is ingrate.
According to the government, there is no worker in Nasarawa state that has not been paid as at when due for the past 57 months and that is the minimum wage.
Now that the economic fortune of the state has gone down and government decided to review without slashing wages the workers have not reciprocated the gesture.
For the past five years they were carried away by luxury, getting three times their normal salaries, the adjustment is therefore odd to them.
It was also revealed that N1.6 billion was augmented just to settle salaries of civil servants and other allowances and overhead within January to May this year.
And within five months the state received a total of N 9.7billion from the federation account, and settled about 11.4 billion for salaries, allowances and overhead in the state.
Also in January, the state got N2.234 billion as net allocation after all deduction at source and the state paid salaries and overhead of N2.321 billion leaving with the deficit of N87.3 million.
The least allocation the state had ever received was in April when it received about N1.6 billion from the federation account and settled N2.38billion to salaries and allowances and got a deficit of N810 million to augment.
Despite the state government’s efforts towards the betterment of the civil servants and prompt payment of their salaries which is higher than their counterparts in other states that are financially buoyant than Nasarawa state, rather than appreciate the gesture the civil servants in the state just woke up one day and decided to embark on strike.
However, Al-Makura assured them that every worker in the state will be paid without violating the minimum wage policy. He added that the excess will be directed towards providing infrastructure in state.
To many in the state, Al-Makura may not have the solution to all the problems affecting the people of Nasarawa , but he has proved to be a focused governor Nasarawa state ever had in terms of performance and taking care of civil servants in the state.
However, considering the of decaying facilities and level of unemployment in the state, some believe if workers salaries are reviewed opportunities would be created for the developmental projects and the teeming jobless youths will have jobs eventually.
Therefore, as stakeholders the striking workers should have a meeting point with the state government with the goal of achieving good governance and the dividends of democracy across the state.
