The Benue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised Governor Hyacinth Alia over his directive threatening to withhold the salaries of local government workers who fail to meet a prescribed attendance threshold.
The party described the directive as “draconian” and “anti-worker”, arguing that it undermines the financial and administrative autonomy of the 23 local government councils, reports Daily Independent.
In a statement issued in Makurdi yesterday, PDP Publicity Secretary, Bright Antyo, said a governor who genuinely believes in local government autonomy could not simultaneously act as supervisor, inspector, disciplinarian and paymaster of council employees.
Antyo said the directive, issued through the Local Government Service Commission, required the 23 councils to maintain attendance registers and threatened salary sanctions for workers who failed to meet the stipulated threshold.
He said: “This directive is not only draconian and anti-worker, but also a direct affront to the spirit and letter of the landmark Supreme Court judgment of July 2024 which affirmed the financial and administrative autonomy of Local Governments in Nigeria.”
The PDP spokesman questioned why the state government would continue issuing directives on the administration of council workers if the local governments were truly autonomous.
“Autonomy means independence. Local Governments should be free to take decisions concerning their administration, personnel management and internal operations without interference from the State Government,” he said.
Antyo alleged that the Alia administration’s actions contradicted its public claims of supporting local government autonomy, accusing it of retaining control over the affairs of the 23 councils.
He said the state government’s involvement in staff attendance, discipline and payroll management undermined the constitutional status of the councils and reduced elected local government officials to “mere spectators” in the administration of their councils.
The PDP spokesman also alleged that local governments under the Alia administration lacked the practical and financial freedom to independently award contracts and manage their resources.
He questioned the rationale behind threatening workers with salary stoppage when outstanding salary arrears remained unresolved.
“It is particularly ironic that an administration which, since 2023, has paid only one month of local government salary arrears now seeks to threaten workers with salary stoppages,” Antyo said.
He added that the Alia administration lacked the moral standing to wield the “big stick” against workers while thousands were still awaiting payment of outstanding entitlements.
“Before threatening workers, Governor Alia should explain why the arrears of local government employees remain largely unresolved over three years into his administration, unlike other states which inherited worse wage situations but have since cleared the backlogs,” he said.
The PDP called on Governor Alia to immediately withdraw the directive and allow the local government councils to exercise the powers and responsibilities constitutionally vested in them.
