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Nigerian govt faults BudgIT’s report on Edo, demands apology

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The Federal Government on Friday asked the civic-tech organisation, BudgIT, to apologise to the Edo State government for listing the state as one of the 12 owing workers’ salaries in the country.

BudgIT had in a report released on Friday claimed that several states in Nigeria have breached the contractual employee agreement by owing at least one month salary.

In its 2022 Nigerian Sub-National Salary Survey report, the organisation stated that Abia, Ebonyi, Edo, and Taraba are owing their workers six months’ wages.

However, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Iserhienrhien Efe, in a letter addressed to BudgIT on Friday, refuted the claim.

He said the Edo State government has been paying workers’ salaries regularly since Governor Godwin Obaseki assumed office in 2016.

READ ALSO: BudgIT frowns at omission of NDDC allocation in proposed 2022 budget

He asked BudgIT to retract the misleading report within 48hours.

The letter read: “Since he (Governor Obaseki) assumed office on the 12th of November 2016 till date, salaries and allowances of state’s workers have been paid consistently on or before the 25th day of every month.

“Deducible from your publication, therefore, is that: You had the least opportunity to conduct a thorough search before your said publication.

“Even in the little effort you made, you had exhibited no regard for the sensibility of states who are pro-people and are doing as much as they can to improve the welfare of workers.

“In this circumstance, therefore, we demand a retraction within 48 hours of the receipt of this letter, the said publication particularly as it affects Edo State and a public apology published in the same Cable Index online series in addition to one other national newspaper.”

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