At every swearing-in of
Local Government Areas Caretaker Committee Chairmen in Rivers State, the Executive Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has been consistent in his avowed commitment to ensure that staff at the third tier of governance were paid their salaries regularly and has urged the chairmen to keep faith with this policy thrust.
But unfortunately the governor’s directive which ought to be viewed as a ‘law’ and an executive injunction which should be given impetus and priority by the administrators and management of the grass-root administration, has more often than not, been treated with disdain and levity by some chairmen.
At least the chairmen and members of Care-taker Committees whose appointments amidst several political jobbers, were prerogative of the Executive governor,  should have reciprocated the kind gestures and resisted the temptation of alleged financial  misconduct  to the flagrant disobedience to executive orders.
The action of non- payment of salaries may not be premised on paucity of funds as the case may be in some Local Government Areas, but sheer greed, callousness, self-centeredness and avarice.
If not, how could a person explain the situation where principal officers, Caretaker members and Chairmen of Local Government Councils take home reasonable salaries and fabulous imprest ( which is supposed to be office running cost, but is taken as personal income), as well as security vote, yet would still add the salaries of some staff to theirs.
I am at a loss when such officers have the temerity and effrontery to deny other staff their salaries, and still retire horne to sleep without a prick of conscience while the deprived workers wallow in emotional trauma on how to survive.
How for Christ’s sake would a principal officer who fears God,, has regard and respect for value system and driven by sound moral principles ever think of misappropriating allocation meant for the payment of staff salaries.
No doubt, such is unheard of  in climes where integrity is savoured and where a good name is adjudged better than riches and better than to be desired than rubies.  Ours is a system where flagrant impunity thrives.  And it thrives because of the personal conviction by the perpetrators that they can escape justice because of the cartel and organised nature of this crime.
Some analysts of this sordid development believe that those who carry out such heinous practices have those they pay homage to having garnered such filthy lucre at the end of every month, which is tantamount to “blood money”.
Reports from the grave vine associating Degema Local Government Council with such untoward development, is to say the least, pathetic and a perfidy.
It was reported that no month passes without some staff of that Local Government Council not being denied their monthly salary or made to pass through stress before they could get their salary every month.
What then could have informed such unhealthy trend? Some accused the bank staff responsible for uploading of staff salary accounts of negligence of duty and inefficiency resulting in skipping of some names or a deliberate attempt to manipulate the system to their advantage.
Others blame some staff of Accounts Department and management of a deliberate and conscious effort to enrich themselves by the dubious underhand methods they employ monthly.
These happening only underscores the concept of man’s inhumanity to man and lend credibility to the pervading inordinate quest of man to get rich by hook or by crook.
Manpower, in every purpose-driven and profit-oriented establishment, is seen as the most valuable asset or factor of production. This is because the manpower is the engine room through which the policies, goals and programmes are implemented.
Employers who understand the importance of manpower in the valued chain of production have left no stone unturned in making their staff happy. Workers can make or mar an organisation, stifle or facilitate the attainment of corporate goals.
It is in this view that some organisations invest in their workers through training and retraining, regular and prompt payment of salaries, allowances and other packages, to enhance their production capacity and boost their profit profile.
At a time when governments are looking inwards to scale up revenue status following the fall of allocation from the federation, it is worrisome that a few mischievous elements in the civil/public service are bent on creating leakages and smokescreen for siphoning public funds.
This is why the recent call by some aggrieved workers of Degema Local Government Council for a probe in the financial transactions of the council from February to May 2016J by relevant authorities to unearth the mystery surrounding the disappearance of the Council’s February allocation and the consequent non-payment of February Salaries as well as inconclusive payment of salaries is apt and in tandem with spirit of transparency and accountability which the Wike-Ied administration harps on and exemplified since inception.
It is not gainsaying the fact that regular and prompt payment of salaries of workers is the primary obligation of every employer, including governments at all levels. A situation where workers have to wait for months for their salaries to be paid and despite the undue delay, some still have to go through avoidable stress to get their salaries is to say the least, a misnomer that portends counter-productivity. This ugly trend should be nipped in the bud.
The Local Government Service Commission and Ministry of Local Government should as a matter of policy prevail on Chairmen and managements of Local Government Area Councils to give priority to staff salaries and not the payment of irmprests, allowances and security votes.
Most Local Government Councils owing salaries have the financial capacity to pay their workers if they did not major on the minor and treated salaries as second fiddle. This they do,  because it is crystal clear that the principal officers benefit more money from the pecuniary privileges than their salaries, so they will happily sacrifice their salaries for these privileges. But what about the fate of majority of staff who rely on salaries only?
The state government should be proactive and decisive in enforcing the governor’s directive to Council Chairmen to prioritise payment of workers’ salaries.
“A stitch in time”, they say, “saves nine”

Igbiki Benibo