Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Abdul-Razak Nuhu Zaki refuted the allegation that his ministry masterminded the suspension of Education Secretaries of the 20 local government areas of the state and their treasurers.
Hon. Abdulrazak Nuhu Zaki stated this during a press briefing at the Bauchi NUJ Secretariat on Wednesday.
The Bauchi State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress had alleged that the state Ministry for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs ordered the suspension of the Education Secretaries of the 20 local governments of the state in order to pave way for shortchanging local government workers and pensioners of their entitlements.
Hon. Zaki said the Bauchi State NLC Chairman “was not fair to me because whatever action was done, I cannot do it by myself.”
“I did not suspend anybody. “It was the state government that suspended those who deserves to bde suspended,” the commissioner said.
The Commissioner maintained that the Education Secretaries and their treasurers were suspended to pave way for proper investigation into the infusion of “fake staffs into the payroll.”
“The investigations are still ongoing. “When you suspended somebody, you cannot take him back without completing the investigation process, which is still ongoing”, Zaki added.
“But it is unfortunate that the Chairman of the Bauchi State NLC came openly and leveled that allegation against my humble self.
“I am working behalf of the government. There was no power vested on me to suspend anybody just like that. And, even if there is suspension, it is the decision of the higher authority (the governor) not me. I did not sign any document to suspend anybody,” Hon. Zaki said.
Hon. Zaki explained that the suspension notice served to the affected officers was signed by the Secretary to the State Government.
Commenting on non-payment of salaries to some local government staffs, the Commissioner said ” we have paid all salaries. “There was no single month that the ministry did not pay all the staffs from the 20 local governments and staff of the ministry.”
The Commissioner however, argued that he approved salary voucher of every month and forwarded it to the state treasury office to make the payment.
Ho. Zaki divulged that about 876 retired local government staffs of the state are still on the salary payroll.
