Buhari’s bailout fund cannot clear salaries, pension arrears in Benue – Ortom

…accuses NLC of blackmail

…Says we inherited N69 billion salaries, Pension arrears

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s bail out fund to states (especially in Benue) cannot clear the backlog of salaries and pension arrears the new governors inherited from past governments in their various states.

Ortom noted that specifically, he inherited arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuity of about N69 billion from past administrations.

TheNewsGuru.com reports that the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress had earlier listed Benue State Government as the worst in salary and pension payment. The congress however told workers in the state to take their destinies in their hands by embarking on strike to get their entitlements from the state government.

Ortom who spoke at a book launch in Abuja on Tuesday however berated the leadership of NLC for inciting workers in the state to go on strike.

He also challenge the leaders of Labour to drag his government to the anti-corruption agencies in the country if they feel that he was not fair to Benue workers in the appropriation of the federal government bailout fund to drag his government to the anti-corruption agencies.

He insisted that the leadership of Labour should do a comparative analysis of remuneration of Benue workers with other states, insisting that he is paying higher than any other state in the country.

Governor Ortom said his government was open to dialogue, urging anybody with superior programs to tackle the issue to bring it on the dialogue table.

“I believe that the discussion is still ongoing. We will still talk even though I feel that we should not be discussing our problems in the media. I have told them to bring the issues on the table because government is ready to put all the figures on the table to anyone to see.

“It is part of our transparency and accountability. One thing I can assure you is that we have formed a process of working towards it. It is not enough for the leadership of the labour union to incite the workers to go on strike at the National level and Benue state.

“For me, it is not the best way of unionism and taking care of workers. Benue State has a peculiar problem. We inherited a debt arrears of N69 billion of pension, gratuity and salaries.

“Now, the intervention from the federal government called Paris Club or bailout as they call it even though it is a loan all together could not clear the N69 billion debt arrears. So, the challenge is still there and everybody knows about it.

“The figures are on the table for everyone to see. For us, Benue is one of the States in the country paying the highest salary as at today I am talking to you. I challenge you to compare your note.

“In other states where Permanent Secretaries are collecting N230, 000, we are paying N500, 000 because that is what we inherited. We believe in dialogue and discussion and if you have superior programs that can make things better for Benue people bring them on the table for discussion.

“It is not just enough to go and incite people to go on strike to prove that that government is not paying. They should ask what has been the history. I challenge them to do analysis of what has been on ground.

“The good thing is that none of the anti-corruption agency can indict us for misappropriation of bailout fund because we have been very transparent. That is where we are now,” he said.