Kaduna State Government has disclosed that 93.55% of its N4.49bn total March 2021 wage bill, was paid to the state civil servants and that 31,064 of them earned salaries amounting to N3.13bn, while 337 political appointees got N259m.
The government also said that payment for pensions and KDSG contributions to the salaries of primary healthcare workers added another N1.1bn to the wage bill, adding that these bills do not include the wages of local government employees.
A statement issued by Special Adviser to Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Media and Communication, Mr Muyiwa Adekeye on Monday, revealed that the facts to debunk claims that the salaries of political appointees gulp a large chunk of the personnel cost of the state.
‘’ The state government’s total wage bill in March 2021 was N4.498bn. That month, the direct salary bill was N3.39bn, as the 31,064 state civil servants earned N3.13bn, while the 337 political appointees were paid N259.17 million.
‘’ Other components of the monthly wage bill were: payments of N478.8m to pensioners on defined benefits, N253.72m as the state government’s 40% contribution to the salaries of primary healthcare workers, N197.4m as 8% pension contribution and N173.3m for the 5% retirement benefit bond,’’ Adekeye added.
The statement also rejected the suggestion that the state government should use part of its Internally Generated Revenue(IGR) and all FAAC revenues to maintain its machinery and pay its less than 100,000 workers.
The Special Adviser recalled that Kaduna State Government announced its intention to right-size its workforce in April, as part of efforts to manage its fiscal challenges, adding that the exercise would affect political appointees and civil servants.
‘’In April 2021, the KDSG also released details of its FAAC receipts and personnel costs in the six months leading to March 2021. These figures showed that personnel costs account for between 84.97% and 96.63% of the state’s FAAC revenues.
‘’In November 2020, KDSG had only N162.9m left after paying salaries. That month, Kaduna State got N4.83bn from FAAC and paid N4.66bn as wages. In March 2021, the state had only N321m left after settling personnel costs.
The statement further said that Kaduna state got N4.819bn from FAAC and paid out N4.498bn, representing 93% of the money received.
‘’The balance cannot cover the funding requirements for standing orders, security and other costs essential to running the government, and the total does not include the wages of local government staff,’’ Adekeye added.
According to him, Kaduna state which was the first government to begin paying the minimum wage in September 2019, will continue to honour this commitment.
Adekeye reminded that ‘’KDSG has also increased the pension under the defined benefits scheme to the minimum wage of N30,000 for every pensioner in the State.”
