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Delta state spends N382 million monthly on salaries of political appointees

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-Delta state discloses it has a total of 2, 203 political appointees which costs the government N382 million naira monthly to maintain.

-The government also maintains civil servants in the state are more than political aides in the state.

Delta State Government on Tuesday said the state Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, has 2,203 political assistants who receive a combined N382 million as salary monthly.

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The information was disclosed by the state’s commissioner for finance, Olorogun David Edevbie, in an attempt to counter an accusation that political appointees were more than civil servants in the state.

Speaking at a press briefing for the break-down of the 2018 budget proposal which was recently sent to the state House of Assembly by the governor, Edevbie said the state government has 2, 203 political appointees with the sum of N382 million as salary while the state expends N4.5 billion as salary for its 45, 000 civil servants on a monthly basis.

According to him, “I find it funny when some persons would say political appointees are more than civil servants in the state. We are running an open-door policy; the state has 2, 203 political appointees and 45, 000 civil servants, the number of public servants are not included.”

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On debts been owed by the state government, Edevbie said: “About N100 billion are owed contractors. Although no one is happy about the situation, Okowa has approved that contractors, especially those whose money are not much, should be paid.”

In his comment about contractors whose jobs were terminated because of their incompetence, Edevbie disclosed the government will always insist on doing things the right way.

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“we are aware that it is not enough to determine a contract and re-award same to a more competent contractor; such contractor deserves to be prosecuted and blacklisted, but you know in Nigeria, people will always intervene when such happens; we must give the governor’s administration credit for insisting that the right thing should be done.”

“If you are not competent as a contractor, the contract will be given to a more competent one and you know it takes a lot for decisions for such to be taken, this is my own personal opinion.”