Some civil servants in Akwa Ibom yesterday lamented non-payment of their salaries for two months even as fuel scarcity bites harder in the state. A litre of petrol now sells for N170 in Uyo.
The workers told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Uyo that the delay in the payment of their salaries was due to the adoption of new accounting standard by the state government.
NAN recalls that the state government used International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS) to prepare the 2014 budget.
A civil servant in the Ministry of Health, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the situation had compelled him to withdraw two of his daughters from a private school to public schools.
According to him, non-payment of his two months salaries has made it impossible for him to raise the school fees.
He also said that the situation was worsened by the current increase in the price of fuel.
The Secretary, Trade Union Congress, Akwa Ibom Chapter, Mr Akamba Awa, said the union was worried about the effect of the implementation of the new accounting standard.
Awa said that government adopted the new accounting standard without giving accounting officers enough time to study the process.
He said that government had agreed that the IPSAS implementation of IPSAS would commence in March to allow payrolls officers of different ministries, departments and agencies to study it.
“But we equally queried the hurry with which the government adopted the new accounting standard without giving accounting officers enough time to study the new system and make amends.
Awa said that some ministries had started paying February salaries and that payment would go round all the ministries soon.
The Information Officer in the Head of Civil Service Office, Mr John Offiong, described the salary delay as part of the teething problems normally encountered in progressive changes.
He said government had started organising workshops for the accounting officers to get them familiar with the system Offiong confirmed that some ministries had commenced the payment of workers’ salaries. (NAN)
