Over 1000 persons out of about 10,000 staff in the Imo State local government system are presently weeping and gnashing their teeth as a result of the hunger, lack and deprivation they have been subjected to following the non- payment of their salaries by the Imo state government.
Some of them who spoke to Nigeria Watchdog newspaper on the condition of anonymity, said their already pitiable plight was worsened when the current chairman of Imo State Local Government Service Commission Dr Nick Obinatu assumed office and immediately took over the preparation of payroll and payment of salary alongside Terrence Onyejiaku who is incharge of the Imo Data Center, contrary to what was obtainable in the past.
According to them, “prior to this time, Chairmen of local government councils, their Treasurers and Accountants were in charge of the preparation of payrolls and the payment of staff salaries. But regrettably, the payroll and salaries of staff of the various local government councils are now prepared by the Director General of the Imo State Data Center, one Terrence who, aside from not having accounting knowledge, has no business whatsoever with the Imo State civil service. He is now the person responsible for the payment of salaries in the state.
The disturbing aspect of it is that there is no data to ascertain who has been paid and who has not been paid. Though they have continuously claimed that the omissions that culminated in the non-payment of salaries is a mistake, we all know that it is a deliberate ploy to shortchange some people and divert their salaries”.
“We thought that Obinatu’s emergence as Chairman of the Local Government Commission would be a blessing because we expect that he will ensure that the right things are done in line with civil service rules and guidelines. But the reverse is presently the case. We therefore suggest that they stay off the issue of payroll and payment of salary completely and allow those who are trained and statutorily empowered to do that to take over the responsibility as it was done in the past.
Besides, it is wrong for salaries of staff in the 27 local government councils to be computed by one isolated office, considering the number of staff in the 27 local government councils in this state.
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