ASCSN Threatens Strike Over Alleged Bailout Mismanagement

Owing to what it has termed the mismanagement of bailout funds given to state governments to pay outstanding workers’ salaries, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has threatened to embark on industrial action. Speaking at the National Delegates Conference of the ASCSN, the National President of the association, Bobboi Kaigama, said that findings showed that states which benefitted from the funds had grossly mismanaged it. According to him, some of the states owing workers salaries did not utilise up to half of the funds to pay salaries. Kaigama expressed disappointment over the nonchalant attitude of governors despite owing workers for over eight months. He said, “While praising the few states that are paying as and when due, the failed states are hereby put on notice that workers’ patience have been overstretched and total showdown with the affected governors in the next coming weeks cannot be ruled out. “In some cases, workers are owed up to nine months salaries and our governors are moving freely as if nothing is happening. We have never had it so bad. The question is how did we get this far? We make bold to say that a lot of mismanagement of resources is the major cause of the inability of many of the states to pay salaries to workers. “Many of our governors are guilty of massive looting of the treasury thereby heaping miseries in their wake. There is no excuse that can be given to justify owing salaries to the tune of eight to nine months. This is nothing but sheer wickedness to pillage the treasury and leave workers going home for months without salary.” Commenting on the outstanding allowances owed workers in the various Ministries Departments and Agencies, Kaigama noted that the amount provided for in the 2016 budget was not enough to settle the debt estimated to be about N200bn. According to him, he was disappointed to find out that that the salaries and allowances owed FG workers were not covered in the bailout. He called on the government to address the issue urgently and pay all outstanding entitlements in order to maintain the peace being enjoyed in the public sector. Kaigama said, “We had thought that the share of the Federal Government from the bailout would be used to settle all the owed salaries and allowances in the MDAs at the federal level. “Current happenings have however proved us wrong as more than a year since the government came on board, all owed allowances at the federal level are yet to be settled. “With the current state of affairs in the country where sufferings have been lifted to a frightening level, now is the time to settle the owed arrears to calm all frayed nerves and restore at least for now normalcy into the system.” Source: The Punch