By Ibraheem Solaudeen.
The People’s Voice, TPV, a non-governmental group, has urged Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State to exercise the powers conferred on him by the constitution to order that part of the tax refund be used to offset the salary arrears of local government workers and SUBEB teachers in the state.
The group gave the charge in an open letter signed by its Assistant Publicity Secretary, Comrade Olaitan Abdulraheem.
Recall that Governor Abdulrazaq, had through a statement credited to his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, maintained that the state government will not take on the responsibility of offsetting the salary arrears of local government workers/SUBEB teachers.
Here’s the full text of TPV’s open letter to Governor Abdulrazaq:
Your Excellency Sir,
OPEN LETTER TO THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF KWARA STATE ON THE PAYMENT OF SALARY ARREARS OF SUBEB TEACHERS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.
Following the recent statements credited to Mr Rafiu Ajakaye, your Chief Press Secretary on the issue surrounding the payment of salary arrears of Local Government employees and SUBEB teachers, we, The People’s Voice wish to submit our resolutions as follows:
1. That, the subject matter should be of great concern to your Excellency going by the fact that this (unaddressed) issue form part of the obstacles that worked against the re-emergence of the past administration. It is note worthy that your party campaign promises that were made on various radio stations dwelled on the assurance of payment of all the outstanding salaries immediately your administration is sworn in and the issue of N18,000 amputated salary will be addressed as soon as possible.
2. That, the Kwara State Government under your leadership may wish to exercise the powers conferred on you by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to order that part of the tax refund should be used to pay the salary arrears of both SUBEB teachers and Local Government employees. In other words, the group is of the opinion that the inherited fund should be channelled to pay part of outstanding salaries owed by the immediate past government in the state.
3. That, the refund money in question is outside the 2019 signed budget, therefore, the state government is at liberty to graciously and judiciously use it in carrying out people’s oriented projects, and by the assessment carried out by this group, we found out that, the payment of the salary arrears of the category of workers mentioned above as paramount.
4. Our research also reveals that, both the Local Government employees and SUBEB teachers including their respective pensioners will cost Kwara State Government roughly N2.1 billion to pay a month salary, therefore the available funds can cater for two and half payments or better still pay 2 months. While we suggest that the remaining N1.2 billion should be set aside for other infrastructural and developmental projects in the state.
5. Your Excellency Sir, it is important to point out here that poverty is multi-dimensional across the country which Kwara State also has its space on the log. The poor civil servants are not only living in a situation of material deprivation, but also low salaries and income to obtain basic necessities of life. Any government who is denying her civil servants their rightful benefits using financial jurisdiction as her defence is an attempt of projecting itself as an anti-people govenment.
6. And again, the improvement in the Federal Government monthly allocation in addition to the increase in the internal generated revenue (IGR) of the state is enough reason for your Excellency to direct your leadership mercy upon the helpless civil servants who see you as their ‘Messiah’.
7. We wish to emphatically re-register our stance that your non-compliance with the court verdict and other relevant regulatory provisions that has to do with the state government taking full charge of the running of Junior Secondary School Education in Kwara State away from Local Government Councils cannot guarantee academic excellence if it is allowed to continue. For this reason, we call for immediate compliance on the part of the state government which your Excellency is the leading actor.
8. For the honest and impartial observers of governance, leaving the financial commitment of Junior Secondary Schools in the hands of an helpless tier of government like Local Government Area Councils is simply puting part of our Basic education in comatose. And if the state government under your leadership continues to play the hide and seek game with the issue of Junior Secondary School Education funding in the state, it will spell doom for the future of our young ones cum future generation.
9. In all of these, and in many other ways, your Excellency should focus your leadership energy on building good foundation through policy reforms that aim at poverty alleviation and more commitment to social compassion and infrastructural development in the state. Therefore, your Excellency should optimally tackle the payment of salary arrears, staff promotion and full implementation of N18,000 minimum wage head-on (as promised in your campaign manifesto).
10. Thank you, your Excellency.
Signed:
Comrade Olaitan Abdulraheem, Assistant Publicity Secretary, The People’s Voice (TPV).