...Lest their sweats dry up

Few days ago, I recalled a pidgin song we sang at the Sunday School years back. It goes thus: "Me I no go suffer, I no go beg for bread. God of miracle na my Papa o......" This song must have crossed a few minds last Sunday when a popular church, Living Faith Church aka Winners Chapel was giving food aids to civil servants in Osun State on Sunday.

The food stuffs sent to the state by the Presiding Bishop of the church, Pastor David Oyedepo were meant to assist workers cope with the hardship caused by non-payment of salaries.That, one could say was the miracle they needed in order not to storm the street to beg.

The essence of one being in paid employment is to be self reliant and financially independent, but unfortunately most Nigerians engaged in the public sector are yet to get that fulfilment at work. Their take home pay cannot get them anywhere. Their situation has been made worse by unpaid salaries arrears. It is no longer news that most states in the federation are unable to pay workers' salaries. Some states are owing salary arrears of up to six months. The attendant harsh realities of this development has had grievous effect on the workers and their families immediate and extended); it has meted untold hardship on the affected civil servants.

To make end meets, many of the affected workers have resorted to selling off their properties.

The story was told recently of a civil servant in Osun State who because he was owed salary of many months and consequently could not meet his obligations at the homefront attempted to take his life out of frustration. Afterall it is a popular religious belief that a man who does not provide for his family is worse than an infidel. Many have been found wanting in the role as breadwinners as they can no longer put food on the table. The precarious situation has led to untimely deaths of yet to be ascertained number of civil servants and pensioners alike.

The multiplier effect of this development is felt by business owners owing to low patronage particularly in federating units considered as 'civil servant states'. Ordinarily delay in payment of civil servants salaries has far reaching implication on the economic life of such states not to talk of when they are owed back log of unpaid wages. The wheels of most states have been grounded with the industrial action by civil servants. In affected states where workers are not on strike, they are not putting in their best leading to poor public service delivery. It is an acknowledged fact that civil service is the engine room of any state.

Therefore, it came as a cheering news when the Federal Government promised a comprehensive relief package to salvage the lingering crisis of unpaid workers salaries across most states.

President Muhammadu Buhari had approved multiple intervention packages (bailout) totalling N1.2 trillion to help bankrupt states pay workers owed for several months.

The Federal Ministry of Finance and Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN) have pegged the amount needed to settle all the outstanding public workers' pay at about N250 billion. Included in the intervention package is a soft loan of between N250 billion and N300 billion for states to access to defray backlog of salaries.

Although some people have criticised the bailout saying that it is a way of encouraging profligacy by the present administration, but it is believed that it is the best response to the lingering crisis of unpaid workers' salaries in the public sector as it were. It would go a long way in ameliorating the sufferings of affected workers across the country.

The opponents of the bailout are of the view that the financial recklessness of state governors have gotten us to where we are today. Even the Forum of Finance Commissioners had lampooned state governors owing workers' salaries, saying that no governor had any excuse for owing their workers. Nonetheless the issue of bailout should not be politicised especially at this time when desperate and urgent measures are needed to be taken to resolve the quagmire in the public sector as a result of accumulated unpaid salaries.

Many states are insolvent because of misplaced priorities. Government in such states embarked on projects they have no financial capacity to carry and as such go a borrowing. And like the saying "he who goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing," the aftermath of such action is what the states are confronted with presently.

The civil servants are at the receiving end; bearing the brunt of their governors' actions.

Many states are heavily indebted that except for divine intervention it would take years to regain their financial balance. The total dependence of states on Federal Allocation is the reason for their inability to pay salaries. It is known fact that the lion share of the allocation is required for payment of workers' salaries, pensions and allowances of political office holders, leaving little for developmental projects. Therefore loans and bonds are taken to make-up for financial inadequacies in governance.

It is unfortunate that the internal revenue drive and generation mechanism of most states are very weak thus making them to rely solely on federal allocation or grant.

Aside the bailout, respective state government should come up with innovations on how to enhance their Internally Generated Revenue as well as initiate measures to minimise wastages and check profligacy in government.

It is a welcome development that a few governors like Dr. Chris Ikpeazu of Abia State , Mallam Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna and Ekiti's Ayo Fayose have decided to slash their salaries and luxury allowances by certain percentages until the backlog of salaries and allowances of workers in the state cleared. I think other governors should follow suit since public service is about making sacrifices in the interest of the masses.

Taxation is, however, one of the ways state governments can shore up IGR, therefore there is the need for states to ensure efficient tax system.

While commending President Buhari for the intervention in the form of bailouts to states, it shouldn't stop at that. The Federal Government must ensure that the funds are not diverted from the purpose for which it has been approved by state governments. State governors must be mandated to give proper account of how the bailout funds were utilised in their respective states.

As noted by some economic analysts, the bailout as handed out by the federal government is a short term measure towards economic recovery, the long term strategy in setting the path for an economic revival is to bailout the manufacturing sector of the economy. This sector if made vibrant would absorb a good number of our teeming unemployed youth and thus reduce the burden on the public sector. The Buhari administration must ensure its economic recovery programmes impact on cross section of Nigerians.

It is disheartening to say the least that workers are now looking up to charitable organisations and individuals for handouts. This does not depict our government as a responsive one.

All said, the joy of a labourer is in his wages. But, the joy of Nigerian workers have been dampened for long due to unpaid salaries. Government need to prioritise welfare of workers. Their wages should not be counted as privilege but as due that has to be paid. A worker deserves his wages. So, the sweat of the labourer should not be allowed to dry before his wage is paid.

#standpoint