EXCLUSIVE: Gov. Okowa’s Plans To Rope In Council Chairmen In Covering Up Division Of Paris Club Refund Failed

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……Chairmen Refuse Signing Covering Up Documents

HardReporters has exclusively gathered that, Delta state governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Okowa’s plans to rope in chairmen of the 25 local government councils in the alleged fraudulent expedition of the Paris Club Refund released to states by the President Mohammadu Buhari led administration has failed.

Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, who had issued conditions for release of the second batch of the Paris Club Refund to the states however disclosed that during the first release of the funds, an agreement was reached with the state governments that 50 per cent of any amount received would be earmarked for the payment of salaries and pensions.

Narrating the details of governor Okowa’s meeting with the council chairmen to HardReporters political editor, a local government council chairman, who pleaded that his name should not be mentioned, disclosed that governor’s efforts to rope them into the division of the Paris Club Refund failed.

“Some weeks back, the governor, invited all the twenty-five local government areas chairmen to his office for a meeting. To our greatest surprise, the governor asked us to sign for him that he gave us money from the Paris Club Refund which we the council chairmen used to pay five months salaries arearers from the 8-13 months we are owing council workers.

“Having known what the implication will be if we sign for him, everyone got infuriated and refused to sign any paper for him. In fact, my colleague from Ethiope East council, almost ate the governor raw. You know Mrs. Faith Majemite, she doesn’t take nonsense and immediately, she gave it to the governor that non of us will sign anything for him concerning how the Paris Club Refund was expended. Because he managed to released to us only one month salaries.” the chairman disclosed.

Another council chairman from Delta North senatorial district of the state, who was privileged to be in the meeting, accused governor Okowa of diverting the Paris Club Refund to private pockets saying the purpose the money was released was not met. “The governor is trying by all means to cover up the diversion of the Paris Club Refund.”

Speaking to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, a staff of the state local government service commission, disclosed that governor Okowa has plugged the local government staff as well as the primary school teachers in the state into a sorrowful life of borrowing, stressing that the Paris Club Refund would have been a big relief to the workers but was not judiciously utilised by the governor.

“Some of our council Chairmen told us about the meeting and how the governor planned to have them sign that they got money from the Paris Club Refund which they used in offsetting five months salaries owed council workers. But, the council chairmen vehemently refused to sign anything as we were told. They said the whole thing was nothing but fraudulent and corruption and they can never be part of it.” our source said.

The Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Delta state chapter, has drawn a battle line with governor Okowa over the failure to pay the backlog of salaries been owed the council workers for the past 8-13 months.

NULGE, in a statement released by the State Secretary, Mr. Peter Ene, and made available to our correspondent, said its members can no “Longer die in silence, endure the excruciating, suffocation and agonies being experienced by members resulting to their sudden death due to hunger and frustration.”

The union therefore slammed a 21-day ultimatum on governor Okowa to as pay up the 8-13 months salary arrears owed the council workers or face industrial action.

“We reject the payment of primary school teachers’ salaries at the expense of the local government workers, governor Okowa should reinstate the N600 million augmentation for payment of primary school teachers’ salaries as it was done by former administrations in the state. Local government councils are tired of the whole things

“NULGE executive council resolved that the State Government should revert to the old order of uniform payment of both local government employees and primary schools teachers with the resources available. We also resolved that the state government should reinstate augmentation for payment of primary school teachers’ salaries because local government council cannot bear the burden alone.

“We will be left with no option than to invoke the instrument of industrial action. And we will declare a trade dispute after our 21-day ultimatum to the state government which started from Friday 5th May, 2017 within which all arrears of salaries ranging from 8-13 months should be paid or be ready to face industrial action. We shall organize mass protest rallies in the three senatorial districts within the 21-day ultimatum and the mother of all rallies shall hold in Asaba with our National President, civil society groups and Human Right activists will attend.” the statement added.

Speaking to our correspondent, a staff of Warri South local government area of the state who pleaded for anonymity, said “God made it abundantly clear that, a workman is worthy of his wages (salary), but in Delta state it is not so. Governor Okowa who has started saving for his reelection to the detriment of local government workers has not only inflicted hunger on workers but as well committed a crime against humanity.

“Local government workers are human like their counterparts in other ministries in the state. Governor Okowa’s failure to pay local government workers salary ranging between 8-13 months had led to increase in school dropouts as parents could no longer afford school fees as well as untimely death to the unlucky ones that can not afford hospital bills.

“In spite of this dwindling economy, Governor Okowa is the only governor with the highest number of political appointees, sometimes one wondered how genuinely his smart agenda is?, when our resources are only used in paying political appointees with nothing left for workers salaries, infrastructure etc. Paying workers salaries is one of the statutory functions and responsibility of a sitting governor and Governor Okowa has failed to do so, it therefore means that he doesn’t care about the welfare of the people he govern and unfit to govern delta state.” the council worker said.

It would be recalled that sometime in April, 2017, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, Chief Press Secretary to the governor Ifeanyi Okowa asserted that the Federal Government has no right and moral justification to ask states how they used their Paris Club Refund.

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