Bauchi State governor, Senator Bala Mohammed, on Thursday apologized to civil servants on the state payroll who are yet to receive their salaries.
This even as he disclosed that he has since directed the state Commissioner for Finance to ensure that all affected civil servants are paid immediately.
The governor stated this at the Government House, Bauchi while receiving the implementation committee report on Bank Verification Number in respect of the 41,448 civil servants on the state payroll.
The governor said since he assumed office, the state has always had the resources to pay salaries and allowances but it is being faced with the challenge of data.
He added that he is aware that some civil servants are yet to be paid their salaries, which he said is causing them pains.
“We cannot just do table payment or verification leaving payment of salaries for one month, but I am aware that some people have not gotten their salaries.
“These are some cases because if we have formed a committee that recommended that we have so many people, and an implementation committee that is scuttled somehow because of policy, some results and some people are living under the pain of lack of salaries.
“They may be few in number but their matter means so much to us and on behalf of the government, I apologise over this situation,” Governor Mohammed said.
While saying that he has directed the immediate payment of salary to those affected, the governor informed that a desk will be opened at the Office of the Head of Service to receive complaints where necessary.
He, therefore, called on civil servants with genuine complaints to come forward with documents and make their complaints to the government.
“Based on the recommendation of the Senator Adamu Gumba-led Committee, I have since directed the Commissioner for Finance to ensure that this category of people are paid immediately.
“We are going to open a desk in the office of the Head of Service and Finance. All those people who feel that they are innocent and are indicted are free to come forward with documents,” he said
Speaking earlier, the chairman of the implementation committee report on BVN of workers on the government payroll, Senator Adamu Ibrahim Gumba, informed that in carrying out its assignment, his committee has been able to clean the payroll of frauds.
According to him, the committee has been able to save a total sum of N225.5million for the state government through its assignment.
Gumba informed that initially the committee was supposed to verify a total of 41,448 civil servants on the payroll of the government, adding, however, that only 29,519 names were sent to the committee by the Accountant-General.
The chairman informed that out of the 29,519 names received, the committee cleared 24,767 staff and pensioners, while 5,049 staff and pensioners were given to the implementation committee to handle.
