Reality Bites in Ebonyi State

Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State assumed office on the strength of his many promises. But he seems to be having a difficult time fulfilling some of the promises given the economic reality in the state, writes Benjamin Nworie (ThisDayLive).

The issue of payment of workers’ salary in Ebonyi State is one of the plagues that had visited the state government under the present administration of Dave Umahi. The issue has remained a major clog to the smooth sail of Umahi’s administration, though it was part of his campaign promises that he would improve the welfare of the workers. The promise, observers believe, was to assuage the pains of workers over their demand for the implementation of the 18,000 naira “controversial” minimum wage during the immediate past administration of Chief Martin Elechi.

Now, the agitation has shifted from the minimum wage demand to the continuous implementation of the recent 50 per cent increase done by the past administration in the state.  As a result of the perceived “frosty” relationship between Umahi and his predecessor, the latter at the twilight of his administration, approved 50 per cent increase in the wage since Umahi had promised to pay 100 per cent when he assumes office.

Though Umahi promised to pay 100 per cent, the economic realities on the ground, they say, have forced the governor to have a review to enable him respond to other pressing needs of the people like health, education, security, infrastructure and others. The imperative is enormous. In Ebonyi State, every sector is a priority and needs urgent intervention. Worse still, this is coming at a time the present administration is lamenting huge debt profile, uncompleted projects and abandoned project as well as mass recruitments by the past administration.

Even as the war rages between the organised Labour and state government, Umahi has not denied his promises, rather, he has been appealing to the workers to observe the prevailing circumstances in the state and be patient while government struggles to improve on the economy of the state. Despite the slight improvement being recorded in the state now, the only boiling issue has remained the salary, which has become the cut-off mark to access Umahi’s performance as a litmus test of his determination to take the state to a greater height.

Concerning the chart, there has been disagreement over it, which has however delayed salaries but because of his commitment to his promises, the governor has struggled to pay the June salary in compliance with the 50 per cent rate but vowed never to repeat same until the allocation improves. If the 50 per cent salary structure is implemented as being demanded by the workers, statistics revealed that Ebonyi with its meager allocation would only exist to pay salaries, if at all; the allocation would be enough to pay the salaries.

In the heat of the disagreement, the governor maintained that his commitment to uplifting the welfare of the workers must be accomplished, even if it entails implementing his 100 per cent rate promise but that the workers should take note of the realities at the moment, and allow his administration to stabilise and improve the economic fortunes of the state. His logic is that the new demand of workers negates the principles and agitation for implementation of minimum wage, as beneficiaries of the 50 per cent chart are workers from grade level 9 to 16.

Umahi’s grouse with the increment was not far-fetched. It was gathered that the increment was deliberate by the past administration to incite the workers against Umahi’s administration, especially at the period when there was a drop in the oil price, which had also affected the federal allocations.

In his inaugural address, Umahi emphasised that the salaries and welfare of the civil servants and public office holders must be dynamic so that no section of their obligations was allowed to suffer in favour of the other. This, he said would be achieved by agreeing with the civil servants, public servants and their stakeholders to know what percentage of their total earnings on monthly basis should be for salaries/welfare, what percentage for running of government and what percentage for infrastructure development.

Thus, on July 21, stakeholders of Ebonyi State gathered at the popular Dr. Akanu Ibiam International Conference Center in Abakaliki, the state capital to deliberate on topical issues affecting the state. Top on the agenda was the issue of Workers’ Salaries. The meeting had in attendance, a former governor and senator representing Ebonyi North zone, Dr. Sam Egwu; members of the National Assembly, stakeholders, religious bodies, traditional rulers, student leaders, senior civil servants, and Labour leaders in the state.

At the meeting, the governor admitted that during his campaigns, he promised to pay full minimum wage to all civil servants in the state and that the promise was still sacrosanct and must be fulfilled. However, he noted that at the moment, the economic realities in the state may not encourage the full implementation, more so as he met empty treasury and huge debts.

In his view, the salary increment by his predecessor was politically motivated. In his analysis, the implication of the demand by LGA workers is that if their demand is admitted, the state government needs to borrow an average of five hundred Million naira (N500m) every month to pay workers’ salaries. For the workers at the state level, the implication of paying the new salary demanded by labour is such that government will be left with between only N35m to N241m per month to run the government and provide the needed dividends to the people.

The governor stressed that the new salary demand may trigger offensive workers’ wage increase demand in the South-east and the entire country. The argument, the governor pointed out, was that if Ebonyi State that receives the lowest revenue from the federation account should pay this salary as now demanded by Ebonyi workers, then, other states that receive much higher than the state should pay more than Ebonyi in the South-east and even in the entire country.

In spite of the plea and explanations given at the meeting, the state chairman of NLC, Comrade Ikechukwu Nwafor faulted the salary chart of LGA and state workers and this gave rise to the setting up of a Special Salary Reconciliation Committee headed by Egwu to review the position of government and that of Labour and as well fish out the ghost workers and block all the financial leakages in the state. The committee recommended that the June salary being owed workers should be paid as the case in March but the increment be considered as bonus. Then the Local government workers represented by the state NUP and NULGE agreed to step down on the payment of salaries and the issue of salary increment until the whole rot in the Local government system is cleaned.