Pay State Civil Servants Directly to Stem Diversion, Diplomat Cousels Buhari

By Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

Former Nigeria High Commissioner to Canada, has said the only way the Federal Government could stop governors from mismanaging the bailout funds being given was to devise legal way through which workers’ salaries are paid directly from Abuja.

Bejide, a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in a chat with  newsmen in Ado-Ekiti on Friday, described as worrisome the situation where more than two-third of states could not meet their financial obligations to workers.

The governorship aspirant, therefore urged President Muhammadu Buhari led administration not to sit back and allow workers to wallow in abject poverty, saying he should fashion out ways of paying workers directly from Abuja.

The PDP chieftain said as a lawyer, he was not unaware that the state was saddled with responsibility of paying the workers, something urgent must be done curb the ugly situation.

According to him, many state executives preferred to embark on capital projects which had no direct bearing to the lives of the masses.

“Almost two- third of the state are owing and the fund is meant to settle the backlog of Salaries. But, unfortunately, it is like most of the governors diverted the funds for various capital projects.”

“And which is why we still have the problems till now. Even in Ekiti State pensioners are yet to be paid as well as workers. Maybe, the Federal Government would ask for the details of outstanding salaries from states and paid directly into workers and pensioners accounts, instead given it to the governors.”

“Although, some people may want to argued that it is the duties of the governors to pay workers but now that they have failed, there is need for the Federal Government to sit down and look at the issue properly, otherwise the shall continue to experience the problem in all the states.”

On his ambition, Bejjde disclosed that he remained the aspirant to best in the party, claiming that he is the most senior and experienced PDP aspirant in Ekiti today.

“Well, as far as I am concerned,  PDP is the party to beat in Ekiti in the sense that Ekiti once experienced the leadership of APC .It is very easy for an average Ekitiman to choose between APC and PDP. “

“If you look at the governorship aspirants in APC today, many of them are from the PDP. They left because of the style of leadership of governor Fayose. And soon as they see somebody like me emerge as candidate of the PDP, I can assure you that they will all come back. Our party has noticeable presence all over the state”.