HARRY Uduh, the head of Service, HOS, Anambra State, has described the 2019 budget estimate as presented by Governor Willie Obiano as comprehensive, just as it captured essential ingredients for workers welfare.

Speaking with newsmen in his office on contemporary issues in the state, Uduh said the budget was articulated to accommodate all sectors of the economy with emphasis on youth empowerment and economic sustainability.

“The budget is for welfare of the Anambra people, especially the youths. For the workers, the governor made provisions for promotions, possible recruitments and anticipated salary increments.

“Provisions have been made for all these in the current estimate. It is quite a comprehensive budget and we are waiting with optimism for the new year to be ushered in so we see what we can get,’’ Uduh said.

Commenting on 2017 delays in promotion exercise, he said the process had begun as administrative procedure was in progress to that effect.

“The circular will soon come out for it to commence; various commissions and boards have been notified and they are doing preliminary work on it.

“The guideline will come through the state’s Civil Service Commission, the process is on now,’’ he said.

He regretted non observance of this year’s Civil/Public Servants Day, saying that it was a necessary sacrifice needed to support government drive to reduce cost of governance by 25 percent.

“In our own little way, we felt if that is the sacrifice we have to make to ensure that the government is running well, then it is a small sacrifice.

“So we had to skip it this year with the expectation that next year will be a bumper one,’’ Uduh added.

The HOS, dismissed agitations for Youth Corps members to be included in the governor’s rice largesse, saying the state was not in the habit of including them.

He said that Corps members deployed to the state were too many to be captured in the rice distribution exercise, stressing that their population would be too much to be handled by the government.

“Their population is so much and they come in batches, so if you consider that the workforce alone plus pensioners, it is close to 50,000.

“You can imagine the quantum of rice that is being moved around this time,’’ he said.

Uduh, however, said the state placed high premium on their welfare while in the state as it recorded the best in terms of prompt payment of allowances.

While wishing workers a happy festive season, he urged them to celebrate the season with moderation and avoid reckless spending that could plunge them into harsh economic challenges in January.

BE

– Dec. 12, 2018 @ 18:20 GMT |