The Delta State Commissioner of Finance, Sir Okenmor Fidelis Tilije, has appealed to civil servants in the state to assist government on development by making sacrifices for the greater good of the people of the state.
He said that the proposed salary cut of senior political appointees and civil servants was for the economic growth.
Tilije who disclosed this in Asaba said, the decision to cut the salaries of senior civil servants and political office holders in the State was to ensure the sustainable development of the state even in the face of Covid-19 pandemic.
He said with the advent of the coronavirus, the revenue accruing to the state from the federation account has reduced because of the reduced vibrancy in the World General economy as well as the OPEC reduction of Nigeria’s production quota from 2.3million barrels per day to 1.3million barrels per day and urged all stakeholders to make sacrifices so that other Deltans who are not employed in the Civil and Public Services can also be catered for, particularly those who have been infected with the virus.
The Finance Commissioner said, despite the huge wage bill of civil servants which is one of the highest in the country, Governor Okowa had promised that nobody would be retrenched, hence the need to look for all available means to sustain the workforce and sustain the current level of development in the state.
He called for proper understanding of State government’s good intentions, especially now that the internally generated revenue of the state has also dwindled.
Sir Tilije assured the people that the salary cut which is projected to last for about six months will give government the opportunity to reposition itself for greater challenges ahead and to allow for continuous development of the State.
He debunked the assertion in some quarters that the Delta State Government was broke, stressing that the state was not the only one facing such financial constraints as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The Finance Commissioner further reassured Deltans that Governor Okowa’s administration was poised to more than ever before impact positively on the life of every Deltan.