Leadership / Nigeria: The Nigerian Civil Service Union has threatened to liaise with its umbrella union, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to call out workers to protest the diversion of bailout funds meant for payment of workers’ salaries in 16 states.
This is coming as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday described the diversion of the bailout funds as unacceptable, saying it was a serious act of corruption that must be probed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had in September 2015, promised to monitor the spending of the N338 billion bailout given to states by the federal government to cushion the effects of the economic crisis in the country that saw many states owing workers’ salaries for several months.
Sequel to this, the commission on Friday, released a report in which it was alleged that bailout funds were diverted in some states.
The report showed that out of the N26,806 430,000 received by Imo state, the state government transferred N2 billion into the government house’s account, N2 billion into the state project account, another N2billion into a micro finance bank and a management fee of N21, 017, 810 paid into an unspecified account. The report also alleged that in Benue State, the sum of N37,760,000 was double paid to the office of the deputy governor and no explanation has been given to justify the payment.
According to the report showed that Benue state received N12,503,439,787,48 and disbursed N10,852,536,702,96; including the double payment of N37,760,000 to the office of the deputy governor, without explanations, while Sokoto State received N10, 093,370,000 and was yet to use it as at October, 2015. The report also showed that Zamfara State received N10,020,952, 964,51 and claimed not to owe salary and used the money for other projects.
Speaking on phone with LEADERSHIP Sunday yesterday, NCSU president, Mohammed Kiri, called for investigation of those states where it was found that the bailout funds were diverted.
According to him, “we will hold a national protest while we call on the ICPC to immediately begin investigating those governors.”
General Secretary of NLC, Dr Peter Ozo-Eson, told LEADERSHIP Sunday in an interview that the labour movement had at the initial stage entered an agreement with the ICPC to monitor how the bailout funds would be disbursed, adding that the ICPC report had confirmed the fears that necessitated the monitoring.
“From the onset, we were very definite that the states needed to use the funds for payment of salaries and pension which was the reason for the bailout. The states that have diverted the bailout need to be sanctioned. President Buhari must stand firm and call these states to order because this is also corruption,” Ozo-Eson said.
Recall that the ICPC boss, Ekpo Nta, had earlier disclosed that the commission was investigating a state governor for alleged diversion of the bailout funds.
“One state, where bailout funds were moved to three different accounts, is being investigated and we will soon publish the outcome of our investigations,” he said at that time.
