Ex-Governor Peter Obi and Payment of Salaries

For eight years as governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi paid salaries of civil servants as and when due. For him, it was not a big deal. I was impressed when he recently came out to lambast our squandering governors who have turned civil servants to beggars with huge unpaid salaries. With prudence and rational prioritisation, every state can comfortably pay salaries and engage in other developmental activities, so says Obi. He added: “There is no state in Nigerian incapable of meeting its financial obligations to workers. Those in government spend a lot of money on things that are not necessary, while running out of money for projects that would enrich the people. If any governor finds it difficult to pay salaries, let him consult me and I will freely and willingly divulge the secrets to him.” As governor, Obi did not keep guest houses, charter planes, travel with more people than necessary, fly Business Class, use bulletproof vehicles, among others, thereby saving billions to offset close to the N40 billion arrears in pension and gratuity and others for developmental projects.

How I wish our decadent state governors will learn to behave like Obi. It is a shame to see governors who have failed to pay salaries for months collecting billions of Naira as security vote, maintaining huge aides, travelling abroad with a gigantic entourage as Rochas Okorocha of Imo State does, executing white elephants and flying around in private jets. The masses of the people must rise up against these governors from hell.