Bello’s Early Baptism of Fire

From left, the Kogi State Chairman of NLC, Comrade Onu  Edoka in a handshake with Governor Bello, after a meeting at Government  House, Lokoja

Less than fifteen days in office, the Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello is already confronted with reality, as he faces a showdown with workers over unpaid salaries. Yekini Jimoh reports

Governments at all levels consider payment of salaries as a matter of responsibility and ensure its regularity to its workers. The precarious economic challenges resulting from the decline in the international price of crude oil and its negative impact on the state's allocation across the country from the federation account appears to be threatening this non-debatable responsibility of government and across the board.

And due largely to the inability of the immediate past administration in Kogi State to pay workers’ salaries and other benefits, workers in the state were forced to embark on an indefinite strike spread over a month and some days before it was called off by the labour leadership in the state last Wednesday after a meeting with the new governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello.

Today, the workforce in the state is about 30,000 with a total wage bill of about N3.2billion. Until April/May last year, when the allocation came down to about N2.8/2.6 billion, the state workers, who are said to be the highest paid in the region, had always had it good.

On assumption of office, former governor Idris Wada inherited a number of personnel related problems, among which were unpaid salaries to teachers, arrears of salaries to local government workers, cases of ghost workers and unqualified persons using fake certificates to gain employment or earn outrageous salaries etc.

Several screening exercises were carried out to correct the over-bloated wage bill. Even at that, in 2012, the former governor inherited the increased relativity and minimum wage to workers of the state. And in spite of the huge bill, Wada did not look back. Instead, he ensured prompt payment of salaries without having to lay off anyone.

The challenges of a huge personnel cost, dwindling monthly allocation and uninspiring IGR, still didn't deter the Wada administration from carrying out infrastructure development across the state.
Out of the N40 billion earned by the state from the federation account in 2015, and N4 billion from internally generated revenue, bringing the state total inflow to N44.7billion, the state expenditure in the year amounted to N46.8billion, thus leaving the government with a deficit of over N2 billion.

A look at the break down of the analysis of expenditures for 2015 stands as follows: Salaries – N22.5 billion; pension and gratuity – N4.2 billion, while monthly imprest to MDAs stood at N1.8 billion. The state's overhead and capital expenditure was N11.5 billion and N7 billion respectively.

Kogi State was among the first states to apply for the federal government's bailout. However, despite the CBN's approval of a N50.9 billion loan to enable the state pay its workers, N5.9 billion at the state level and N45billion for the 21 local government councils, the state's share was withheld for no reason other than what was deemed political consideration.

Although the state didn't access the bailout funds, which would have helped to clear the two months arrears at that time, the former governor had managed the state's resources in such a way to guarantee a fair deal for all, as the state is better placed in salary payment, when compared to states favoured with the bailout funds.

In his prudent management of the lean resources accruing to the state and concern for the welfare of workers, the former governor resorted to taking overdrafts from the banks to augment federal allocation. But in view of some recent political developments, that is no longer feasible. The banks stopped their facilities following the PDP's defeat in the last election by APC.

Then at a meeting with executives of organised labour in the state following their almost two weeks strike over non-payment of salaries, the former governor took time to explain in details the state of the state's finances, an explanation that took the Labour leadership by surprise. They lamented their action and blamed it on misinformation. While it was expected that as organised labour, the interest and welfare of workers should be uppermost, the Kogi scenario was one that was believed to call for a rethink.

Thus, workers in the state, last Wednesday suspended the indefinite strike embarked upon since December 23 of last year. This came after a meeting with Governor Bello and the leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Kogi State chapter at the Glass House, Lokoja. The Governor, at the meeting, pleaded with labour to suspend the strike as he was ready to pay one month salary out of the four months owed by the immediate past administration.

Bello had disclosed that he was already making an arrangement to pay the remaining three months salaries and pleaded that workers should bear with his administration.

But barely 24 hours after the strike was called off, the leadership of NLC last Thursday addressed the press over a circular issued by the state government on the issue of salary payment.

In that Circular, the state government said all workers in the state must embark on screening exercise with their Bank Verification Number, statement of account in the last two years, letter of first appointment, letter of confirmation, staff identity card and their last promotion.

According to state government, the policy on data collection in Kogi State Civil Service was primarily aimed at weeding out ghost workers to make it convenient for government to pay genuine and bonafide civil servants. The process was also expected to help government build a database of its workforce for effective planning.

The circular further added that the governor decided to relax the condition stipulated in the earlier announcement, as civil servants would not be required to provide the documents.

"The governor has responded to the pulse of the workers by requesting them to only complete the forms without attachment of credentials to qualify for immediate payment. Government expects the workers to comply without further delay," the statement added.
In a swift reaction, the state Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Onu Edoka said the state workers will not participate in the screening exercise ordered by the state government before paying their one month salary.

Addressing newsmen, he stressed that workers have suffered for long and as such, a screening exercise should be suspended for now. According to him, when the union met the governor for peaceful resolution before the strike was suspended, the governor never mentioned any screening exercise before the union.

He opined that the later directive by the governor calling for screening exercise to be conducted before payment was not part of the agreement reached by both sides to suspend the strike. He therefore called on the state government to rescind its directive between now and next week Wednesday, else they would embark on an indefinite strike until government meets their demands.

For those who know the Kogi workers very well that was no empty threat and as the days count, it is expected that Governor Bello would review the situation and address it in the best way possible, otherwise, a strike of the workers might not be a good way to start, coupled with its unresolved political challenges.

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