Delta civil servants angry over SDA cut

·         Assembly staffs protest SDA removal

·         House Committee chairman on Establishment meets with HOS, PASAN executives

·         Information Commissioner says SDA only suspended, not stopped

There is apparent displeasure, nay visible anger among civil servants in Delta State over the removal of Special Duty Allowance (SDA) from the pay of workers.

Since the workers received their February pay slips which confirmed earlier speculations that there is a move by the state government to tamper with the SDA, which the workers say meant so much to them, the workers have since become irritated and are on the offensive. About three weeks ago, staffs of the Delta State House of Assembly greatly outraged by the SDA deduction took to a peaceful demonstration in the assembly complex.

Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state.

But the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Patrick Ukah told Banner Media Network this morning that the SDA was only suspended and not stopped. He said it was suspended to enable government time to ascertain properly those who are genuinely entitled to such allowance, and expunge those who are receiving it but are not entitled.

The Commissioner explained, for instance, that there are staffs that have been posted from offices where approval for SDA is given to other places that are not to receive such allowance. Such staffs by virtue of their new posting are no longer entitled to such payment. He said cases abound of many staffs that are not entitled to SDA but who are being paid in error. “Government is trying to plug holes against  leakages, and expunge those people who are not entitled to SDA from the list of those who are entitled.

Rt. Hon Monday Igbuya, Speaker, DTHA

Also, workers’ annoyance over the deduction became quite noticeable in the other arms of government as they discussed the matter in hush and loud tones, sometimes with a tinge of rage, asking why Governor Ifeanyi Okowa should want to use them as fodder to seek funds to manage the battered finances of the state.

For instance, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), Delta state chapter, Mr. Egalase Afure told Banner Media Network that cutting workers SDA is not the right way to get funds to manage government affairs.

Afure explained that the SDA, which in the House of Assembly is called Legislative duty Allowance is an allowance negotiated at the federal level, and implemented among the states that have state houses of assembly. His colleague, Mr. Pere Botu, who is chairman of the DBS, Asaba chapter of Radio, Television Theatre and Art Workers Union of Nigeria (RATTAWU) said the SDA is what is helping a lot of workers that have mortgaged their salaries, taken co-operative and other loans. It is the SDA that augments for them against the mortgage deductions. “Removing the SDA now will be too hard on workers,” Botu said, adding: “I want to appeal to the state government led by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa to please take a second look at the SDA, and allow it to stay so that workers can be happy. It is only when one is happy that he or she can work very well. The SDA is kind of motivational allowance for worksers. So, government should not discard it.”

Comrade Afure of PASAN who picked hole in the removal of SDA as one of the ways the state government wants to improve the financial standing of the state said: “It is not the right thing for the state governor to start cutting civil servants’ salaries. It is wrong. We are doing a study right now. In the House of Assembly Service Commission, we have seven members as commissioners. The chairman, first member, second member, like that. There are about seven of them. We’ve done a study and we’ve seen that their take home pay a month as about four point something million naira for the seven of them. And we have 102 staffs in the Delta State House of Assembly Service Commission, and their take home pay is seven point something million naira. You check it. Seven members in the Assembly service commission and 102 staffs. Look at the difference. Seven point something million naira for 102 staffs and four point something million for seven members who are commissioners. Does it reflect that this state does not have money?”

Afure continued: “And we saw in the newspapers appointments here and there. SAs on this, SSAs on that. We are not saying that politicians should not be appointed. But the size of the executive should be cut down a little. If you are saying that there is no money, then reduce the number of SAs and SSAs. There are a lot of them that don’t have portfolios, but they have positions as SAs. Are you telling me that the governor is not paying them?

“Just like he is dealing with civil servants by cutting their allowance, is that how he is cutting down the allowances of politicians? If we know that executive is cutting down on its own expenses then we will know that there is no money,” Comrade Afure argued.  

Afure however, disclosed that PASAN executives met with the House Committee Chairman on Establishment, Hon. Erijo, and the Head of Service. He said the HOS denied any knowledge of the removal of SDA, but on being shown the pay slips, he expressed surprise and promised that it was going to be restored by March 2016. He said the HOS explained that what was being done was revalidation, to know those who are supposed to be paid and those who are not. “ Hon. Erijo, leader of the House Committee on Establishment made the HOS to promise that the arrears of the deducted SDA will be paid. So, the HOS promised that this March, it is going to be restored to staff salary. And we are waiting,” Comrade Afure said.

Meanwhile, Comrade Pere Botu called on the union leadership to look into the issue of SDA payments so as not to have a labour crisis in the state, even as Mr. Ukah, information commissioner pleaded with civil servants to be patient with government as it sifts those genuinely entitled to payment of SDA, reiterating that SDA was only suspended and not stopped.