Civil servants in Kogi may have resolved to support the second term ambition of Yahaya Bello as the governor has cleared outstanding salary arrears in the state.
A cross section of workers who spoke with Blueprint reporter in Lokoja, Tuesday, expressed joy over the timely “salary rainfall” in the state as workers receive all the five months salaries owed by the state government.
It would be recalled that Governor Bello had assured the royal fathers and stakeholders in the state that his administration would clear the arrears before July ending.
Speaking with our correspondent in Lokoja, Tuesday, a civil servant in the Bureau of Information Service, Monisola Ayelabowo said the governor has written his name in gold by keeping to his promise.
She said the problem of salary arrears started during the tenure of former Governor Idris Wada, stressing that, with this positive development, workers in the state were positive that Governor Bello would the support of the people.
“We have been battling with this problem since the last administration. We were owed a few months salaries which the present administration inherited. We are happy that the state government has been able to utilise the bailout judiciously to clear all the arrears.
“It is now that I know that the governor is preparing for a second term in office. We have seen all he has done in the areas of security, roads and agriculture. But without our salaries, it would have been difficult for us to support him. But with what he has done now, he has recovered the confidence and trust of the civil servants in his government.”
Another civil servant, who introduced himself as Sanni, said he works with the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. He said the arrears had made life miserable for the civil servants, noting that the clearance of the arrears has rekindled hope in the Yahaya Bello administration.
“It was not easy for us but now we can smile again. Now we know we have a Governor that can keep to his promise. I will support him as long as our salaries are paid regularly”, he said.
A labour leader in the state who spoke to our reporter under anonymity said the governor had regained the hearts of the Kogi workers by paying the arrears.
“If you look at his administration, he has done very well in the other areas such as education, healthcare, security, agriculture and infrastructure. The only problem has been the issue of salaries.
“We were carried along in the processes leading to the release of the bailout and he kept assuring us that as soon as he gets it, he will pay the salary arrears.
“When he got the bailout, he invited us to brief us and also listen to our recommendations. We are happy that he has cleared the arrears now and we shall be looking forward to having salaries on regular basis”.
When contacted, the state Commissioner of Finance, Asiwaju Idris Ashiru said the decision to stick to agreement of paying the salary arrears was paramount to the governor. He said the move was more welfarist than political.
“The governor was the main driver that ensured we were able to get the bailout. And he directed that it must be applied to clear arrears of salaries.
“The decision was in line with the commitment of the Yahaya Bello administration to ensure the welfare of the workers. It was not due to political exigencies. We also thank Mr President, the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria for the roles in ensuring that was achieved.”
