The Enugu State Government has approved the payment of arrears of salaries to 731 former staff of some parastatals in the state, who were absorbed into the state’s civil service.

The State Government also gave approval for the regularisation of 42 casual staff of the Enugu State University Teaching Hospital (ESUT), Parklane, Enugu, as permanent staff of the establishment.

The above approvals were part of the decisions taken at the meeting of the State Executive Council (EXCO) held at the Government House, Enugu.

Addressing newsmen after the council’s meeting, the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Ogbuagu Anikwe, disclosed that a total of 731 workers, who are former staff of Enugu State Agricultural Development Programme (ENADEP), Sports Council and the Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS), will benefit in the arrears’ payment.

The commissioner explained that “sometime in 2016, it was brought to the attention of government that there were some staff of parastatals who were absorbed into the mainstream of civil service, but were not properly captured, with the result that they now have arrears of

salaries that were not paid and these parastatals include Enugu State Agricultural Development Programme (ENADEP), Sports Council and the ESBS totaling seven hundred and thirty-one workers.”

Mr. Anikwe further explained that a committee was set up in 2016 to tackle the issue, adding that most of the affected workers failed to show up for verification, which he said, necessitated another committee in 2017 that submitted the report, which the council

considered and approved.

He disclosed that more than 10% of the affected staff have not been verified “and the council was of the opinion that a lot more work needed to be done, so that we can capture everybody and pay everybody at once”.

Informing newsmen that the total amount needed to liquidate the arrears was N284,96 million, the commissioner said: “Now what the council decided is that commitment to pay them, but for the meantime, just to help them cushion the effects of what they may be suffering at this moment, that 10% of what is owed would be paid while all efforts are made within a reasonable time to verify all the others and pay them so there is a commitment by the government to pay this sum of N284.96 million.”

On the 42 casual staff of the ESUT Teaching Hospital, Parklane, Mr. Anikwe noted that “it was agreed by council unanimously that the 42 casual staff should be employed now on a permanent basis”, adding that “their employment should be regularised from the date of their

appointment. So what it meant is that there is a financial liability of N1, 127, 680 million per month or N13.5 million per annum and it was approved by council”

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