By
Shekara Anthony
Local Government Service Commission in Adamawa State says it will no longer tolerate absenteeism at places of work among local government staff.
The Executive Chairman of the commission, Dr. Piton Power, gave the warning during meetings with local government staff in Song, Gombi and Hong local government areas of the state.
The Executive Chairman, Adamawa State Local Government Service Commission, Dr. Piton Power said he has noticed with dismay that a lot of local government staff do not go to work to justify their salary and promotions, warning that it is not going to be business as usual as the commission will henceforth pay unscheduled visits to local government secretariats to ascertain the number of staff that are always at their duty posts.
Dr. P.P Power said the essence of the local government tour was to meet and discuss with the staff with the aim of identifying problems and challenges that are peculiar to local government workers and to speedily address them, stressing that the commission will always prioritize the welfare of local government workers.
“All staff of local government should make sure that they report at their duty posts. I am calling on all staff to be dedicated to their duties to reciprocate what the present government is doing for us especially Right Honourable Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the Executive governor of Adamawa state, because there is nothing that he has not done for us. You are witnesses to what the staff are saying, they are saying they owe him a lot and they will pay him”
The Executive chairman explained that the commission has commenced promotion processes of staff from grade level six to ten and subsequently the commission will also kick start the promotion of staff from grade level ten to seventeen, adding that some staff were last promoted in 2014 promising that all back log of promotions will be cleared and all monetary entitlements will be paid as well.
He commended governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri for his friendly disposition towards local government workers which according to him has improved their general wellbeing and urged them to reciprocate the kind gesture.
The Permanent Secretary Adamawa State local government service commission, Alhaji Alhassan Muaz Tahir enjoined all local government staff to cooperate with the commission so as to address critical challenges confronting them on daily basis.
Comrade Yohanna Nemamda, Comrade Abubakar Mohammed and comrade Gabriel Hemman, ALGON Chairmen for Hong, Gombi and Song local government areas all appealed to the Adamawa State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to commence the implementation of salary promotion increment as well as other areas of concern as they affect local government workers.
Complaints raised by some of the staff who spoke during the meetings borders on poor and inconsistent implementation of minimum wage, no yearly increment of salary as stipulated by law, lack of leave grant as enjoyed by workers under the state government among others.