The salary imbroglio affecting workers in Bauchi State is far from over, as WikkiTimes learnt that the Bauchi State Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs has usurped the powers of the State’s Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB which is statutorily obligated to employ and pay teachers at Junior Secondary Schools their monthly emoluments.
The State House of Assembly Committee on Public Petition and Human Rights has accused the ministry for failing to remit to SUBEB the salaries of 5,000 re-engaged teachers to the tune of one billion naira.
Hon Bakoji Aliyu Bobbo, Chairman of the Committee in a report submitted to members on the controversial sacking and re-engagement of about 5,000 teachers on Wednesday said the ministry for local government affairs has in contravention to laws of the state withheld salaries of teachers in the State.
Hon Bakoji said the Committee had received a petition on the disengagement and re-engagement of teachers and non-settlement of their 8-15 months salaries.
The Chairman, during plenary of the House which was presided over by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon Abubakar Sulaiman, said the committee uncovered that “the outstanding salary of the re-engaged teachers is more than 1 billion naira and the salaries of the 5,000 NTI/DLS have not been paid.”
Hon Bakoji said that his committee unearthed that Bauchi State Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs failed to remit to SUBEB the salaries of the concerned teachers who were re-engaged between June and September, 2013.
“The teachers are owing 20-35 months salaries as some of the teachers were re-engaged in June, 2013 while others in September, 2013,” the Chairman said.
The Chairman noted that since there was pardon between “the disengagement and re-engagement of the teachers,” Bauchi State Government must pay their full salaries.
He recommended that the state government should set a high-profile committee to ascertain the actual number of the affected teachers.
He called on the house to direct the state government to ensure urgent payment of all outstanding salaries of the affected teachers after revalidation.
Similarly, the Chairman, Bauchi State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Comrade Danjuma Saleh, in an exclusive interview with WikkiTimes had lamented that the Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs assumed payment of teachers which was a natural chore of SUBEB.
Saleh said the action has consistently affected the welfare of teachers in Bauchi State, as most of them are still being owed salaries.
Reacting on the allegations, Hon. Abdulrazak Nuhu Zaki, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs refuted the allegations, saying that he is not aware that his ministry is in possession of any teacher’s salary.
Hon Zaki said, “these allegations are baseless and pure blackmail, because salaries of teachers are sent to the treasury.
“We pay everybody, whether genuine teachers or fake. We just make a payment. We are not aware of how DYNATEC Solution screened teachers before they receive their monthly salaries.”
The Commissioner insisted that his ministry lacks the power to withhold the salary of teachers or any other staff of the ministry saying “even if teachers’ salaries are withheld, it is not from my ministry.”
He said the ministry for local government and chieftaincy affairs does not pay teachers, “we only play a supervisory role, and sends monies to their respective bodies in lump sum, as requested by those MDAs”, he insisted.
