The Benue State Government seems to be on a mission to cut down on its expenditure. This is so as the state government revealed that it has saved up to N1.2bn from the monthly wage bill allocated to the state.
Mr Michael Oglegba, the Commissioner for Finance and Budget Planning, disclosed this to the media in Benue State Nigeria.
According to Oglegba, the allocation released to the state during the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was not realistic. This is because the federal allocation was between N6.5 billion and N7 billion.
He added that the figures allocated by the former administration show that the monthly federal allocation couldn’t meet the expenditure compared to this present administration.
“When we came in we set up a team to review the state’s wage bill, and fortunately, I was in charge of that team.
“So, what we did was to start from the wage bill of the state civil service; from there, we went to the State Universal Basic Education Board, the Teaching Service Board, and the local government councils, and the wage bill has come down drastically.
“If the immediate past administration said the wage bill was N7billion and the income was around N6.5billion to N7billion, what that meant was that before the money came in it was already spent.
“It meant that they were unable to meet the liabilities of the state, such as the monthly recurrent expenditures; there was zero money available for capital projects. That is the implication,” he said.
“If you hear Alia quote N1.2billion, it means the real position of the wage bill as at the moment of talking. This is because this audit is ongoing.
“We are not done yet. So, why I can’t give you a specific number now is because it is an ongoing process, month by month the wage bill drops.”
The commissioner said the government had paid five months of workers’ salaries in the first four months of the administration.
“Now salaries are paid consistently on every 25th day of the month, even before federal allocation drops”, he said.
YOU MAY ALSO READ ON PRUDENCE JOURNAL
Peter Obi’s Impact on Nigeria’s 2023 Election: Paving the Way for Multi-Party Democracy
Nigeria’s Knowledge Drain: Exodus of Healthcare Professionals Hurting the Nation
REVIEW: Jagun Jagun – A Nigerian action drama showcasing the Yoruba culture
Uganda’s Ongoing Struggle for Democracy and Human Rights
Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses – A Blend of Style and Functionality
How South Africa’s Faith Leaders are Working Together to Solve the Nation’s Crises
Crisis Unfolds as Palestinian Hamas Launches Major Attack on Israel
Nigeria at 63: A Nation on The Edge of a Costly Strike and Independence Celebration