Against the backdrop of rumours of impending salary
deductions, the Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, has denied
any directive suggesting that salaries of workers be deducted.
The
governor who made the clarifications during the opening ceremony for the 13th
Niger State Trade Fair on Wednesday said claims of civil servants’ salary
deductions are part of deliberate fraudulent actions and sabotage of his
government by some individuals he did not name.
While
vowing to punish whoever is involved in the act of depriving workers of their
hard earned benefits, Bello said his government would have zero-tolerance for
corruption as salaries of civil servants which were paid on Monday had
shortfalls of N10, 000 and N20, 000 in some cases.
Governor
Bello pointed out that, “Workers’ salaries have been reduced by N10, 000 and
N20, 000 in some cases. This is an unfortunate situation which sounds and
appears to me like a deliberate fraudulent action.” he said.
Expressing
doubts over the speculations that the random deductions in salary of workers in
the state may be as a result of system failure, Bello set up a panel to look
into the issue and report to him by next week Tuesday.
He
said: “It could be system failure which has reduced workers salaries. Be that
as it may, I have directed the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) to set
up a panel with immediate effect to investigate what actually happened and
report back to be by Tuesday”.
According
to him, “I do hope and pray it is a system mistake, but if it is someone’s
effort to deprive the workers of their salaries, whoever is involved will be
severely punished.
“I
have resolved to move Niger state forward and change the ways of the past.”
Governor
Sani Bello however warned government workers who were desperate to make extra
money to do so in a legitimate way, reminding them that “it is a crime to
shortchange civil servants due to the desperate desire to make more money at
all cost.”
Daily Independent
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