Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has addressed concerns regarding salary deductions for some civil servants in the state.
During his monthly media briefing at the Government House in Umuahia on Friday night, Otti provided clarification on the issue.
The governor explained that investigations were carried out in response to complaints from civil servants about unexplained deductions in their salaries. According to Otti, the investigation revealed that the discrepancy was due to the transition from the 2018/2019 tax rate to the current tax rate for salary deductions.
“A lot of people who felt their salaries were being reduced, when we investigated those complaints, we found that what actually happened was that before now, an old tax rate was being applied,” Otti said. “The 2018/2019 tax rate was being used, and there is a 2021/2022 tax law, which of course, has come into effect.”
Otti dismissed the notion that salaries were being tampered with intentionally, questioning how such deductions could even occur. “I find it difficult to accept that somebody is pinching salaries. The money leaves the account of the state and hits the account of the beneficiary. So, at what point would somebody deduct the salaries, and if you deduct, where do you take it to?” he asked.
The governor also addressed concerns about salary disparities in some Local Government Areas, stating that these issues were also linked to the updated tax deductions. He assured that the discrepancies were not true.
Additionally, Otti announced a new policy that allows for the payment of overtime allowances to civil servants performing extra duties, but only when requested by the government. “If you were getting paid overtime and the government now says you are not supposed to work overtime unless needed, this is likely what some people are mistaking for salary deductions,” he explained.
Regarding the issue of the new minimum wage, Otti stated that the government had set up a committee to examine the matter while awaiting further clarification from the Federal Government. He noted that the recently announced N70,000 minimum wage would necessitate adjustments to all salary levels.
“The minimum wage announcement means that every other person’s salary would go up. It’s not just about the minimum wage for civil servants; every other salary would be adjusted accordingly,” Otti said. He added that the state government was already in discussions with the Nigerian Labour Congress to find a practical solution within the state’s limited resources.
Otti also mentioned that the state had prioritized the implementation of the new minimum wage and had made provisions for salary increases in the upcoming budget review.
Furthermore, the governor discussed the distribution of Abia’s share of the Federal Government’s rice palliative, stating that it was allocated to the poorest members of society and workers at the lowest levels of the civil service.
