Benue: Ortom delcares ‘state of emergency’ on salary payment

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, Friday declared what he tagged as ‘state of emergency’ on salary payment.

Governor Ortom made the announcement at a meeting with labour leaders at the New Banquet Hall of the Benue Peoples House in Makurdi.

He also set up a committee to work out details of its implementation.

The committee has the Deputy Governor, Engr. Benson Abounu as chairman and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr Matthew Uyina, as Secretary.

Other members are Commissioners of Finance, Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, their colleagues in the Ministries of Health and Information as well as Advisers on Labour, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Development Cooperation, Rural Development and Cooperatives.

Labour leaders on the committee are Comrade Godwin Anya, State Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Terungwa Igbe, President, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Comrade Philip Ter Nongu, State Chairman, Joint Councils one, two and three, and Comrade Ordue Tartenger, Trade Union Congress chairman.

Governor Ortom stated that the implications of the declaration included prioritization of salary payment as well as the exploration of every means of obtaining funds to clear arrears including borrowing.

He said the committee’s terms of reference would include pruning of the State wage bill, fishing out ghost workers and perpetrators of fraud with regard to the issue.

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