Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta has charged the state Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure that workers were promoted on time to avoid piling up promotion arrears.
Oborevwori gave the directive on Monday when the Judges of the State Judiciary, led by the Chief Judge, Justice Theresa Diai visited him at the Government House, Asaba.
He lamented the burden of the promotion arrears inherited by his administration, adding that if the MDAs were prompt at promoting the workers, their benefits and entitlements would have been effected and paid them.
He said that his administration had approved over N600 million monthly at N10,000 per worker to be paid as palliative for three months in the first instance to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal on workers.
He said: “On the issue of promotion arrears, I don’t want to hear it again because if workers are promoted as and when due, the issue of promotion arrears will not arise.
“But when you delay and you take about two years and accumulate this money for us to pay, it is not easy for the government.
“When we came in, we heard about the salary arrears which was not caused by this government.
“When people are due for promotion and you don’t promote them at that time, you are causing problem for the government.
“When I asked for the salary arrears, I was told it was N5.5 billion and I said I will pay it in four tranches and we have paid two tranches.
“We will conclude the payment in November. I have promised and I have made the money available.”Sheble.”She said that the State Judiciary comprised 37 High Court judges, 15 Revenue Court judges, 103 magistrates and seven Customary Court of Appeal judges among others.
She further disclosed that eight judges were on assignment for election petitions, while thanking the governor for approving overseas training for 15 judges.
The Chief Judge said that automation of revenue collection in all courts in the state had been effected and operational.
She, however, called for the establishment of two more juvenile centres in the state, adding that the only one in the state was established in Sapele in 1951.
Diai said that to speed up trial for criminal charges, all High Courts have been directed to hear criminal cases instead of a select few.
She pledged the cooperation of the judiciary to make the Gov. Oborevwori’s led administration a success.
