By
David Titiloye
A question that keeps popping up in my mind in the light of the numerous hardship brought upon Nigerians by the APC administration at all levels is “What can make a leader hate his people so much to not be moved by their sufferings enough to show compassion?”
For everytime we think we have experienced the peak of callousness by the APC administration, they come up with something else that shows that the worst is yet to be seen.
In Kwara state under Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, the mantra of our people has become “Shege delayed is not shege denied”, we wake up daily anticipating the next shege from the state governor and his cohorts at the presidency.
The recent “shege” the Cold-blooded dictator of Kwara state, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is showing us today is his reluctance to pay the outstanding salaries of Local Government staff and SUBEB Teachers despite receiving a total amount of money estimated to be #13 billion naira refund within just 3 months from the Federal Government which was paid in two tranches.
It is a mystery how the governor refused to make a full single month payment from the salary arrears of both Local Government staff and their counterpart in SUBEB which their wage bill is slightly above 2 billion naira despite receiving slightly above 13billion naira so far from the Federal Government. Do we even have to call out Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq before he does what is expected of him?
We must recall that this money was as a result of the over-deduction of SURE-P funds by the Federal Government spanning across Dr Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Mallam Abdulfatai Ahmed administrations (2009-2015).
It is further suspicious that it took the help of whistle-blowers to alert the public that Gov. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq had received the first tranche of #7 billion naira about 2 months ago before the state government embarrassingly admitted to receiving the money which according to them was paid as #3.5 billion naira for local government and #3.7 billion for state government. Some have argued that they were saving it for elections with hope that no one would find out.
As if that was not enough, about 2 weeks ago, it took the help of whistle-blowers again to alert the public that the second tranche had been paid with the state government failing to fully give a transparent account of the total refund that was received for both the local and state workers, until yesterday when they disclosed that #2.5 billion naira was received on behalf of local government Council without disclosing how much State Government received as hers. However, reports have it that the amount received is estimated to be about #6 billion naira totalling a sum of #13 billion for first and second tranches yet the government of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has not deemed it fit to make a full month payment of the arrears for both Local Government staff and SUBEB teachers.
What could possibly describe such cruel behavior by a leader if not hatred and lack of compassion for his people? Kwarans must begin to ask if Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq became governor solely to punish us for the crimes of not voting for him in the past until he got lucky in 2019.
I must also ask the NUT chairman in Kwara state, Comr. Oyewo B.A if he is the head of an organized union or an appointee of the state government because he seems to have forgotten what he is representing. Why exactly is he celebrating the proposed payment of 44% arrears forgetting that when the state government said they paid 48% last month, about 40% of SUBEB staff were underpaid while some did not receive anything.
As an organized labour leader, what efforts did he make to ensure that necessary corrections were made or can he present any statement he issued to address the anomaly and how those concerned SUBEB Teachers were paid back their legal entitlement?
The Teachers he is accountable to deserve to know why he is celebrating the proposed payment of 44% without demanding to know why the money can’t be paid in full. Has he signed any undertaken to loan the state governor the money belonging to SUBEB and Local government workers for his campaign? After all, this 2.5bn will pay a full month arrears including what is accrued to pensioners and traditional rulers yet remain some balance because old salary structure will be used to pay it. No wonder, his behavior is giving credence to the rumours that he is using his office to curry favour from the state governor with hope of being compensated after he retires soon.
The cold-blooded dictator must be reminded that the refund is an entitlement of both the local government sfaff and SUBEB teachers hence, he should rightfully pay them back rather than sit on it or disbursing it like an Emperor doing his subjects a favor.
