Delta Govt Owns Workers , Pensioner N9.236

Delta state government has said that over N9.236 billion is been owned its workers and the pensioners as a result of shot fall in the revenue accruing to the state from the Federal allocation account.

The state commissioner for Finance, Mr David
Edevbie who revealed this Monday in Asaba at the just concluded ministerial briefing said that the labour union and co-operative are inclusive in the debt,

Adding that it has been difficult to meet their full payment despite the devised means of ensuring that they are paid promptly.

The finance commissioner noted that the decline in crude oil price, vandalization of oil pipeline and flow station in the state by the militants was also responsible for non payment of their money as at when due, noting that over N2.4 billion was been deducted from the state FAAC allocation in September 2016.

He regretted that the state that was once flowering in milk and honey and placed second position in mineral revenue receipts has dropped to fourth position after Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Bayelsa, states respectively.

Mr Edevbie further explained that the state domestic debt as at the end of September this year was N237.80 billion, saying that is one of the highest in the federation.

According to him, debt owned to local contractors alone was in excess of N100 billion while others relate to borrowing from commercial banks, the second Delta state bond, bail out assistance from the federal government, pensions and gratuity arrears.

The commissioner also informed that the aggregate revenue between May 2015 and September this year was N192.50 billion compared to the budgeted N280.71 billion

He explained that the recurrent expenditure was fully in line with the budget, but the overall decline in total revenue has adversely affected spending on capital projects

The commissioner said the state is willing to extend credit facility of N708 million through Universal Investment Development Company (UIDC) to 2,283 government employees to enhance their welfare, relaunch trade finance schemes worth N25 million for market women in Asaba, Agbor and Warri and the provision N587 million mortgage via Delta Mortgage Finance Limited to support mass urban housing schemes across the state.

On the wage bill of the state, the commissioner said the sum of N5.5 billion was the monthly wage bill with about 50,000 workers in the state.

“Why is taken the government so much time to unfound the ghost workers in state is to ensure that everybody is being capture for the ongoing verification exercise but for Delta state is chasing ghost and you are aware that you can catch nor see a ghost” he stressed.