We Are Among The Few States That Has Paid Salaries Up To December — Lalong

Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau State, said that Plateau State is among the two states that has paid the salaries of the state Civil Servants up to December.

Lalong said one of his topmost priority is to pay salaries, which is far better than to sponsor pilgrims to the holy land.

Lalong stated this at the “Plateau Unites In Prayer and Praise Unity Service”, organized by the Christian Association Of Nigeria (CAN), held at the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Jos recently.

He said, “I always do my best and when I do my best, I don’t expect any personal gratification; all I demand from civil servants is for them to remain loyal and do their duties to the best of their ability and to the service of Plateau State.

“When I was paying the arrears of salaries inherited from the previous administration, I said, I will pay, but be diligent in your duty and when I paid, I kept check on them to ensure that they come to work.

“Now that we are going to pay up till December, you will realise that we will be among the only two states that has paid salaries, pension and gratuity, up till December, in the whole of Nigeria and in that case, there will be no excuse for any worker to play truancy of duty”, Lalong said.

The Plateau State number one citizen has always said in different fora, that government remains committed to the regular payment of workers salaries and allowances as well as the payment of pension and other entitlements of retired civil servant as when due.

Even when the state stopped receiving bail out funds, Lalong assured that, he will not relent in the pursuit of alternative sources of raising funds to clear up the pending back logs of salaries, pension and gratuity, seeing that the remaining bail out from the federal government has been delayed.

According to him, government have already demonstrated her commitment by clearing the over seven months salary arrears of workers in the state as well as the continuous payment of pension arrears and the harmonization of over 500 pensioners captured recently, he said.