17 states still owe Pensions and Salaries despite N1.8 Trillion bailout

Mon, Oct 8, 2018 | By publisher


Economy

No fewer than 17 states are still owing pensions and salaries despite the federal government N1.8 trillion bailout. The BudgIT, which disclosed this, reported that states were yet to fully offset the outstanding amount owed pensioners and civil servants despite series of bailouts aimed at offsetting the liabilities, recently conducted a survey.

The organisation said that it carried out survey “aimed at ascertaining the frequency and magnitude of challenges civil servants and pensioners are encountering.

“The survey focused on three different categories of workers in all 36 states namely: primary and secondary school teachers, state midwives and state secretariat workers. Also, attention was paid to ascertain if retirees at the state level are receiving pensions as at when due.

“From the survey carried out, we discovered that 12 states are yet to offset the amount owed secondary school teachers fully and many states are threatening workers to keep the information away from public domain. Notable among states with outstanding liabilities to secondary teachers is Osun and Kogi state. Osun State has been paying secondary school teachers above level 8 only a fraction of their salaries and entitlement for the last 30 months. “Cumulatively, Osun state is owing secondary school teachers above level 8 about 15 months salary.  Other states with outstanding liabilities to states include Abia, Benue, Bayelsa, Kwara, Imo, Ekiti, Oyo, Ondo and Zamfara. Kogi State, for instance, is owing teachers about 13 months salaries according to the response given by secondary school teachers during the survey.”

According to the BudgIt, Delta, Imo, Abia, Osun, Plateau, Bayelsa, Ekiti and 11 other states owe pensioners entitlement ranging from one month to 36 months. It reported that almost all pensioners expressed how unhappy they were, their dissatisfaction with the government and how hard it had been for them to survive despite years of hard work in the civil service.

BudgIT therefore, appealed to the states to offset outstanding liabilities to its workers and pensioners as funds in form of bailout estimated to be in the region of N1.8 trillion had been issues to states to offset all outstanding liabilities owe workers.

The BudgIT statement was signed by Ayomide Faleye, its communications lead.

– Oct. 8, 2018 @ 12:45 GMT |

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