So much has been said on salaries owed to the State and Federal workers but nobody is remembering that the Local Government workers being owed more than 20 months salaries, leave bonuses and many other allowances. Local government workers, for example in Kogi State, have been impoverished since 2011 to date but their stories have never been heard or discussed as a matter of national interest and its associated implications. Some states and federal agencies are being owed some months before and after the general elections, of which the worse case is that of Osun State owing up to seven months. But those of the local governments is for years.
Now authorities, civil societies, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the general public are crying so much like babies. Others have even gone to the international court to drive their needs home. They are sure aware of the situation in the LGs but they have paid no attention to it as if the workers in the LGs are slaves that don’t deserve to feed well, as if the LG workers are foreigners, lesser beings, second class citizens. As if they are not going to the same market with the state and federal workers. As if it’s a crime to work in the LG. As if we don’t deserve any share from Nigeria’s wealth. Many have died of hunger. Many have died because they couldn’t afford N500 for drugs. Many LG workers and their children have dropped out of school because of denied payments.
The worst is that local government workers union are part of this wicked act. They don’t care whether members get full pay, percentages or no pay at all. Some of them occupy management positions in LGs where they are being adequately taken care of. Some are naturally weak and powerless either because they were brought in as union leaders by the management of the LGs or they were by nature weak. In my own opinion, there’s no workers union at the LG level. The workers union, popularly known as the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees is unimaginably corrupt and weak to be reckoned with as a union.
Another deadliest constraint facing the LG salaries are the state governments who are operating the LGs as an offshoot, appendage, department, area office, etc of the state. The state government through the Ministry for Local Government Affairs, stipulates what LGs take home as Federal Allocation, what is paid as salaries to workers, while the ministry parts with huge amounts from the LGs allocation. A visit to any Ministry for LG affairs will reveal the luxury they are into. Monies going in and out. Every state worker wishes to be posted there. Recently, a friend was congratulated by friends, including members of staff of the ministry, for being posted there, stating that this friend is lucky.
State governments use LGs funds as bonus fund they can use to finance their personal projects. They are very much aware of the hunger at the grass root but they are careless because it doesn’t affect them.
Our prayer is that relevant bodies, including the Federal Government, should take LG workers salaries as a serious matter as it affects the well-being of the downtrodden. They should investigate on how the allocations to LGs since 2011 have been spent. They should help LGs to recover deducted funds by the state, while making efforts to liberate LGs from state control. They should intervene in the payment of several years salary arrears owed to the LG workers or at least begin payment of workers salaries in full from the current month onward. All outstanding promotions and increments should be implemented, including full minimum wages.
They should abolish State Local Government Service Commission, Ministry for Local Government Affairs and all other state own MDAs that are being funded with LG funds. They should help to advocate for all things that will make workers at LGs have sense of belonging as part of Nigerian citizens and not as being treated as second class citizens. LG workers should stand up and take their destiny into their hands. They should take to the street and protest the suffering being meted upon them by non payment of their salaries. Unless they do this, nobody will care about them. Let it be part of the ongoing bail out discourse of salary trouble in Nigeria. Do something to save a soul. Though they know, but they keep quiet.
This is my opinion; no attack, no abuse, it’s just an advice so that the worst is not seen.
. Usman Tahir sent this to The Eagle Online via Facebook.
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