Kaduna State Government on Monday justified its decision to lay off some of its workers, citing high wage bill and shrinking revenues.
This was disclosed in a statement titled, ‘Why Kaduna is right-sizing its public service,’ issued by the Special Adviser to the State Governor on Media and Communication, Mr Muyiwa Adekeye.
TGNews gathered that some of the local governments’ workers had received their disengagement letters.
Buttressing its decision, the state government said FAAC had since last year indicated that “(the Federation Account Allocations Committee) since the middle of 2020, like most other sub-nationals, can barely pay salaries and overheads.’’
It added that ‘’In November 2020, the KDSG had only N162.9m left after paying salaries. That month, Kaduna State got N4.83bn from FAAC and paid N4.66bn as wages.’’
‘’In the last six months, personnel costs have accounted for between 84.97% and 96.63% of FAAC transfers received by the Kaduna State Government. In March 2021, Kaduna State had only N321m left after settling personnel costs. That month, the state got N4.819bn from FAAC and paid out N4.498bn, representing 93% of the money received.
‘’This does not include standing orders for overheads, funding security operations, running costs of schools and hospitals, and other overhead costs that the state has to bear for the machinery of government to run, for which the state government taps into the internally generated revenue earnings,” he added.
It, however, contested that desire to pay more is a sentiment that must bow to the limits prescribed by the ability to pay.
‘’Therefore, the state government has no choice but to shed some weight and reduce the size of the public service. It is a painful but necessary step to take, for the sake of the majority of the people of this state.”
Meanwhile, the state chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress said it would mobilise workers for prayers which will enable the governor to change its plans.
The state secretary of the NLC, Christiana Bawa, said April 14, 20 and 29 scheduled for the prayers.
