Edo Govt. moves to clear salary arrears in LGs
The Edo Government on Wednesday said it had put modalities in place to clear the salary arrears owed by the immediate past Local Government administrations in the state.
Mr. Ebomhiana Musa, the Chief Press Secretary to the Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu, disclosed this in a statement in Benin.
Musa said seven out of the 18 local governments owed their workers salary arrears ranging from six to nine months.
He gave the names of the seven indebted local governments as Oredo, Egor, Orhionmwon, Uhunmwonde, Esan West, Esan North East and Etsako West.
He said the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, Mr. Jimoh Ijegbai, the council Chairmen and the deputy governor had met over the clearance of the salary backlog.
Musa gave the salary backlog profiles of the councils as Egor (9 months amounting to N400 million), Uhunmwonde (7 months amounting to N172 million) and Orhionmwon (6 months amounting to N301 million).
Others are Esan West (6 months amounting to N280 million), Esan North East (7 months amounting to N36 million) and Etsako West (6 months amounting to N233 million).
The chief press secretary, however, said the level of Oredo local government’s indebtedness could not be ascertained at the meeting due to the absence of the chairman.
He quoted the deputy governor as warning against the use of the dedicated Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for salaries, adding that it was strictly for projects that would bring developments to the grassroots.
