Oshiomhole;I will not pay Edo LG workers – Governor says

Oshiomhole said the local governments have autonomy, and it will not be right to pay their staff with tax payers money.

Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said he will not pay the salaries of the local government staff in Edo state.

Oshiomhole said the local governments have autonomy, and it will not be right to pay their staff with tax payers money.

The Edo Governor said this while meeting with members of theNigerian Union of Local Government Employee (NULGE),who were protesting the non-payment of their salaries.

He said the local government workers’ union have the responsibility to monitor the income their administrators generate.

Oshiomhole also said  “I want to say it clearly that the Edo State Government does not have the responsibility of paying the salaries of local governments. I am not and I will not collect taxes from people to pay local governments’ workers. I don’t know what they do in other states.

“But in Edo State, we respect the full autonomy of local governments and this autonomy goes with responsibility. I challenge your union leaders to show any evidence to the contrary. Under the previous administration, the revenue of local governments was being spent on their behalf by the state government.

“They even bought second-hand tractors at an inflated price and distributed to local governments and deducted the money from local government funds; that was what the PDP was doing. The union in Edo State did not raise a voice.

“Just last week, the traditional rulers in Esanland said the best the then government did for them was to give them a loan of N500,000 to buy cars at that time and they deducted the money from local governments’ funds; the union leaders did not raise a voice.”

The Edo Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu criticised Adams Oshiomhole  over non-payment of workers' salaries.