- Says appointments no longer political patronage
The Ebonyi State Governor, Chief David Umahi, has ordered the immediate suspension of payment of salaries to over 50 Senior Technical Assistants and Technical Assistants over their failure to live up to the expectations of the terms of their appointment.
Umahi issued the order while addressing workers in the state ministries of Agriculture, Lands and Survey, Environment, Power and Water Resources at the Exco Chambers of the Government House, Abakaliki, the state capital.
He directed that the next month’s salaries of the affected appointees should not be paid, adding that only those who were posted to the field and always seen to be working, would get paid.
The governor also lambasted resident engineers and some contractors for their failure to deliver quality and standard projects to the state. He expressed dismay that the TAs and STAs, who he appointed in order to involve them in governance, had misconstrued his gesture as mere political patronage.
Umahi said, “I have asked that all salaries of TAs and STAs be stopped. We have to sit down and agree that this thing is not patronage; it is to involve our people in governance and allow them to do things with their hands, so that they can earn salaries. It is better than employment; that’s what we are doing because they earn more than employment, but they are taking it as political patronage.
“They do not go to work, they do not attend functions and they don’t care, but every month they receive salaries, overheads and allowances. It has come to a stop, no more, again!
We are going to size-up the TAs and STAs into different ministries and other assignments. And every month, your head of department / ministry will write that you came to work and this is what you achieved and submit it to Finance, before you will be paid”.
The governor added further, “By 15th of next month, salaries of the Ministry of Agriculture will not be released. Only the deputy governor will give me the list of those who have been posted to the field and it is only those people posted to the field and are working, that will paid salaries; because I still wonder why you stay in the office as if agricultural works are done in office and we pay you jumbo salaries only to sit in the office.”
Umahi, who was visibly angry over the poor quality of concrete used by some contractors in construction works, further announced his plans to subject all concrete works done to integrity test. He insisted that without integrity test technique, nothing else would guarantee quality jobs in the state.
