By Matthew Ajai-Kume
Governor Samuel Ortom has said, 8000 staff of the 23 local government areas in Benue State awaiting their promotion would soon be promoted to the next ranks.
The Benue State Governor disclosed this Tuesday in an address when the National Leadership of National Union Of the Local Government Employees (NULGE) presented Award of Honour to him as the ‘Life Patron of Union” at the New Banquet Hall, Benue People’s House Makurdi.
Governor Samuel Ortom said, the inclusion of NULGE and other labour unions into the Benue State Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) demonstrated his administration’s openness and transparency in the financial matters that concern the state, while he stressed that, with this openness and sincerity, the state has been enjoying peace and harmony with the organised labour in the state.
“I have accepted the honour award of ‘Life Patron of NULGE” and this award will ginger me to do better, if I was walking, I will now run and if I was running, I will now fly,” he assured.
Governor Ortom commended NULGE for the support he received even when he was the Chairman of Guma Local Goveenment Area and now that he is the governor of the state, adding that, he is still looking forward to the Federal Government to release the remaining part of the N42 billion balance of bailout fund, to enable him clear salary arears, pension arrears and gratuities of the workers and the retirees.
According to the hovernor, with the establishment of the Benue State Pension Commission, very soon, the issues of pensions and gratuities will be a thing of the past.
Governor Ortom thanked the leadership of the union for finding him worthy for the honour and reaffirmed his commitment to the welfare of civil servants in the state.
Earlier, in an address, the National President, NULGE, Alhaji Ahmed Labbo said some governors in the country treat local governments as appendages of government houses and feed fat on LG statutory allocations, however, Governor Ortom was able to implement full administrative, political and financial autonomy to the LGs in the state.
“This speaks to your recognition of the fact that local government autonomy remains the catalyst for grassroot development, socio-political advancement and economic emancipation of the people,” he explained.
Alhaji Labbo said: “Sir, history also stands you out as the first governor in Nigeria to appoint NULGE as a permanent member of Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC).”
He commended Governor Ortom for his disposition to the cause of NULGE which led to the industrial peace and harmony currently going on between the union and Benue State Government whereas, in so many other states, the relationship is not cordial.
The national president also acknowledged the efforts of the governor to address the plight of its members, whose appointments were wrongfully terminated in 2011 and appealed to him to defray the backlog of arrears of salaries, promotion, pensions and gratuities owed its members.
Alhaji Labbo applauded the Governor for helping some of their members politically and otherwise, such as Sugh Abanyi, Richard Gbande and Bem Melladu and several others.
