Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha, yesterday suspended the state
Accountant General, Stella Udogwu, for allegedly not paying October to
November salaries to workers in the state. Okorocha was quoted to have
sodirected by his Chief Press Secretary Sam Onwuemeodo, at the 40th Year
Anniversary of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE,
at the Hero’s Square in Owerri.
Okorocha did not stop at that, he called for the arrest of the bank
managers of the banks where the money meant for salaries was said to
have been lodged. He ordered that the interests so far generated by the
money be recovered.
According to the statement, “The governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha
has suspended the Accountant-General of the State, Mrs. Stella Udogwu
and ordered the arrest of the Branch-Managers the banks over the
non-payment of the November Salaries of the Local Government Workers in
the State. The suspension of the Accountant-General is with immediate
effect.
“The governor had before now directed that the October and November
Salaries of Workers in the State workforce should be paid at the same
time in October. And the governor had believed that the directive was
carried out accordingly.
“Only to be told by the Leadership of the Nigeria Union of Local
Government Employees, NULGE, when he attended the event to mark the 40th
Year Anniversary of the Union at the Hero’s Square Owerri on November
30, 2018, that the Workers have not been paid the November Salary.
“The governor who was shocked to hear that announced the immediate
suspension of the Accountant-General and ordered for the arrest of the
Branch-Managers of Banks said to be where the money for the salaries of
the Local Government employees for the months of October and November
were lodged.
“The governor therefore ordered that the November and December Salaries
should now be paid on December 3, 2018, since December 1st and 2nd are
not working days, and equally announced N10,000 each for the workers as
their Christmas bonus and N2.5m as car allowance for each of the Local
Government Directors of Administration and General Services. Okorocha
among other things said that, “From today hence forth, there won’t be
any need for any Local Government Worker to try to convert to the
Ministry to be able to get to level 17 or become a Permanent Secretary.”
He added: “Today, I have officially lifted the embargo on Local
Government Staff getting to level 17. Hence forth, Staff of the Local
Government Civil Commission will be promoted to level 17 when they are
due for it” I had released the salaries of every Worker in Imo State
since the second week of October and so if Local Government Workers are
been owed, then somebody must take responsibility of it and will be
dealt with according to law.
“This is a criminal act aimed at disgracing this government. What they
do is that, they take the money and put in the bank and collect the
interest.
“An acting Accountant-General will be appointed with immediate effect
and the Secretary to the State Government should direct anybody next to
her to act immediately. Your salary must be released and your December
Salary shall be paid immediately.
“All the interests from the salary kept in the bank must be collected
and shared to the Local Government Workers who are the owners of the
money. I order for the immediate arrest of the Branch-Managers of the
banks(Names withheld) with immediate effect.
“N2.5million has been approved for each of the Directors of
Administration and General Services as vehicle allowance. They could use
it to buy their vehicles themselves or the ministry can coordinate it
for them.
“The treasurers will only be given the same when the government finishes
the investigation and discover that they are not guilty of the salary
fraud.”