GOVERNOR HYACINTH ALIA'S PROMPTNESS ON ISSUES OF SALARY PAYMENT AND THE EMPTINESS OF BENUE OPPOSITION

Payment of salaries in Nigeria, no matter how people look at it to be simple,has become one of the things most of our political leaders in governance find difficult to do. Most Nigerian leaders have either by commission or omission fail woefully in the area of payment of salaries that, even if the money is there, they will keep on failing,as to many prefer primitive acquisition to paying of workers and employers salaries and wages. 

I have read several fictional leads from Benue opposition regarding the payment of salaries by the new government led by Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Alia. Though not fascinated with their fictional tales which are not realistic, in their unguided imaginations,they feel,they will mislead the public to cast aspersions on the fledgling administration of the Reverend Gentlemen or even try to make people feel like there is no difference from the abysmal Ortom era!! 

It is rather,laughable that the opposition will try to pick holes on mere grounds that arbitrary implementation of promotions was stopped from teachers' pay. For critical minds like myself, I asked in rhetorics, "Did Ortom even pay the implementations to the teachers in his last 18 months as governor"??

As one among the crusaders against former Governor Ortom's misrule and retrogressive governance in Benue State,which birthed a new dawn for the Benue people through the election of Governor Hyacinth Alia in the last general elections, I feel it is right to comment or take a stand.  

To make a retrospect on the years of the locust, it is worthy to note that Samuel Ortom left Benue civil servants in perpetual anguish, poverty, misery and squalor, with average salary arrears of 18 months, inclusive of promotion allowances, leave bonuses, training, and absolutely,with no staff motivation and job satisfaction. That was the standpoint from which the new administration started. 

Information emanating from credible sources within civil sector reveals that in 2017 alone, the Ortom administration left a backlog of over N17 billion in arrears for teachers' salaries!! Not to talk of several other billions of Naira in arrears for stagnated years. 

The New government started with a commitment to commence payments of salaries promptly and as when due, with Governor Hyacinth Alia making a categorical statement that payment of salaries for every month will commence from the 25th of the month,making it the start of civil servants payday in Benue State. 

So far, in his two months on the saddle, Rev. FR. Dr. Hyacinth Alia has maintained the payday, which has marked a landslide departure from the dark civil service era of “ORTOMISM”, a coinage for Benue civil servants agonies. For instance,it is reliably gathered that Governor Hyacinth Alia has payed the Teaching Service Board (TSB) for May, June, and July salaries. 

Furthermore,in his first month, Governor Alia paid two months of salaries, May and June 2023 to State Government workers across board,viz; secondary school and tertiary institutions in the state, local government workers, and primary school teachers. The May and June salaries were paid on a Sunday, using the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) which hitherto used to be the former “Oga's Okro” otherwise known as “atuu” in Tiv language. 

Furthermore, Benue State which in the past 8 years was reckoned to be the hub of suffering and non payment of salaries (aka Ortomism) has already commenced payment of July salaries under Governor Alia. Findings show that,on Tuesday, 25th July 2023, Benue civil servants from state ministries started getting their payments. 

As a crusader of socio-economic justice, I am optimistic that no Benue citizen will prefer a return to the dark days of uncertainty The sponsored noise on the social media space by opposition elements who are already hungry and doing so to please their disgraced emperor of salary crises in order to get crumbs is the last breath from an already dead horse.  

Though no system is perfect,we are optimistic and remain supportive to the genuine inspiration and foresight of Governor Hyacinth Alia to put Benue State on a new and transformative pedestal of hope,pride,success and dignity to all the good people of Benue State. Above all, Governor Alia has not collected/ borrowed any loan nor given any bailout but he is paying salaries of civil servants. 

Thank you all and God bless. 

This message is from Amande M. Solomon