June 24, (THEWILL) – Governor Samuel Ortom has attributed the delay in salary payment to Benue workers to insecurity and low posting of Internally Generated Revenue into the state treasury.
Fielding questions from newsmen at Benue Peoples House, Makurdi, on Wednesday, governor Ortom explained that many of the revenue points located at communities have been taken over by herdsmen, who displaced and killed inhabitants as local markets are deserted.
He said the some local government staff, who were illegally employed in 2011 by previous administration, were sacked by his regime and they went to court to seek redress, but have agreed for out of court settlement.
“It is in line with such an agreement that I have directed the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC), to revise the exercise to screen and confirm some genuine cases for consideration.”
According to him, Benue state government is at the moment facing financial stress with the wage bill of about N3 billion and similar one for state civil servants with other commitment amounting to N8 billon expenditure on monthly basis.
“We spend money on loan repayment, judgement debts, garnishee orders, among others. Benue state pay the highest salary package in the country behind Lagos and Rivers state governments.”
Governor Ortom decried the spate of insecurity in the country, calling on federal government not to abdicate its responsibility of securing lives and properties to state government; assuring of contentious support to security agents and other federal agencies operating in the state.
Calling on people to protect themselves against invading Fulani herdsmen, he lamented that herdsmen killed fifteen people in his local government area of Guma, last Monday and fifteen others in Okpokwu local government area of the state a couple of weeks back.
He pointed out that his administration has fulfilled its financial obligations to the Benue State University, Makurdi, who are now on three months sympathy strike as directed by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) national secretariat.
According to him, it was in recognition of his efforts to deliver good governance that some organisations have given him five awards, including that from Nigerian Bar Association; National Council of Women Society; Gboko Polytechnic; Nigeria Institution of Water Engineers and the Daily Independent award on Security Provision and Awareness.
