The APC Governorship candidate, Senator Monday Okpebholo has pledged to settle all outstanding payments within his first 100 days in office if elected governor.
The senator, made this announcement through a statement issued by Prince Kassim Afegbua, Director of Media for the APC Campaign Council.
He expressed concern over the plight of local government employees in the state’s 18 local government areas (LGAs), with workers owed salaries ranging from one to 13 months.
Despite improvements in local government allocations, indications are that many employees have yet to receive their full entitlements, with some LGAs still unable to execute capital projects.
According to Okpebholo, Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration has been withholding funds allocated to local governments, compelling chairmen to visit Sterling Bank in Benin to sign for allocations that never reach their accounts.
“It is not only an act of wickedness for Governor Obaseki to sit on Local Government Allocations, but also unconscionable that funds and allocations that are due to Local Governments are being withheld,” Okpebholo stated.
The breakdown of the salaries owed to local government workers, as released by the APC Campaign Council, is as follows:
Orhionmwon LGA: 13 months
Egor LGA: 5 months
Ovia East (Iguobazuwa) LGA: 6 months
Oredo LGA: 2 months
Ovia West (Okada) LGA: 3 months
Uhumwonde LGA: 2 months
Ikpoba Okha LGA: 1 month
Esan West LGA: 6 months
Igueben LGA: 4 months
Esan Central LGA: Unspecified
Esan North East LGA: 2 months
Esan South East LGA: 2 months
Etsako West LGA: 6 months
Akoko-Edo LGA: 2 months
Owan East LGA: 5 months
Owan West LGA: 6 months
Etsako East LGA: 2 months
Etsako Central LGA: 6 months.
The total outstanding salaries and deductions amount to N4.5 billion.
The Senator then assured all Edo local government employees that, if elected, his administration would not only clear the arrears but also ensure timely payment of salaries moving forward. He also promised to release the full allocations due to local governments, enabling them to undertake capital projects and foster development in rural areas.
“A vote for Senator Okpebholo is a vote for progress, development, and robust collaboration between the state government and the local governments,” Afegbua added in the statement.
