Umahi denies plan to sack workers, reduce salaries

Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi

Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, has dismissed a speculation that he will downsize the workforce of the state and reduce the workers’ salaries.

Umahi stated this in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Emma Anya, on Monday.

The statement said Umahi made the clarification after a recent National Economic Council meeting in Abuja.

Umahi was quoted as saying, “On Thursday, I   was at the National Economic Council meeting in Abuja and this issue of payment of salaries, especially those of local government workers, came up. I said to the Governor of the Central Bank, Mr. Godwin Emefiele, what I do I do?

“A governor from the North said he had reduced the workforce of his state, and another from the South-West said the same. But the CBN governor said there were two things we could do. He advised that we either reduce our workers’ salaries or we downsize the workforce. But I said, here in Ebonyi, we are not going to downsize and we are not going to reduce the salaries of workers.”

The governor said that paucity of funds was hindering the   payment of the local government workers in the state.

He, however, said   he would direct that the July salaries of the workers be paid alongside those of June.

“I will be directing the Deputy Governor, Kelechi Igwe, who is heading the verification of workers, to ensure that the July salaries are also added,” he said.

Umahi also explained that the proposed teachers’ summit would make the education sector a model for the nation.

He said he would not change his earlier promise to hand over the management of some schools to missionaries. The governor directed the Commissioner for Education, Prof. John Eke, to ensure the speedy completion of all arrangements leading to the handover before the next academic session.