By Tina George, Minna
Members of the Niger state House of Assembly have resolved to investigate the irregular payment of salaries, which they have been experiencing in the past three months, ASHENEWS reports.
Our reporter gathered that within these months, the lawmakers were overpaid while in other months, they were underpaid to balance up for the overpayment they received the previous month.
It was also learnt that the irregularities in payment of salaries were not limited to the lawmakers because some civil servants and other public officers were also experiencing that.
Findings show that some civil servants and other public office holders in the state were also affected by the development where some are either overpaid or underpaid while others have not received salaries for the past five months.
The House of Assembly member representing Bosso constituency, Madaki Malik disclosed the irregularities in the salaries while raising a matter of urgent public importance during plenary.
“In April 2021, members of Niger State House of Assembly were overpaid the monthly salaries more than double of the amount due to them.
“In the preceding month of May 2021, the members were not paid at all for that month because of the overpayment in April 2021. Again, in June 2021, the members were paid their monthly salaries following their entitled amount.
“And in the following week after the payment of June salaries, members were paid another salary a little above their entitled monthly salaries”, he said.
He expressed worry that these irregularities were deliberate attempt to frustrate effort of the government in getting the actual total amount of the monthly salaries.
Deliberating on the motion, the members called for a committee to be set up to investigate the irregular payment of salaries and fish out the culprits involved in the act.
The lawmakers also mandated the Ministry of Finance to take over the statutory responsibility of payment of salaries in other to avoid future reoccurrence of the irregularities.
The Speaker of the House, Abdullahi Wuse while setting up the nine-man ad-hoc committee to look into the issue, also said the Ministry of Finance should issue each member with treasury receipts as evidence of refunds of overpayment in the month of April 2021.
