By Oye Chukwujekwu,
Asaba
Delta State Commissioner of Local Government Affairs, Sir Bright Edejewhro, has applauded the state government for inventing biometrics exercise for the state civil servants.
The exercises, according to him, reduced the salary/wage bill of the state civil servants and eradicated absenteeism from service.
He spoke during a courtesy call by the Indigenous Correspondent Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Asaba.
He said that the state government had no hand in the payment of the local government salaries, though it could augment when it is convenient for the state.
He pointed out that allocations for the state and local government were from federal account.
He also disclosed that since the 2015 oil prize fall, federal government is not finding it easy to cope, stressing that the country is in recession.
He said that local government salary structure was still the highest, stressing that it was now difficult to pay allowances.
He disclosed that DISEC has put in place all necessary machineries to prepare election in few months, adding that the staff strength in the 21 local governments in Delta State is over-blown.
According to him, with Biometrics excersise, screening had reduced absenteeism from work, over stepping was also addressed and the right salary structure was established, true figure of payments of primary school teachers and staff of local governments.