Facts have emerged indicating that Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, the Governorship Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State did not leave office as Chairman of Mangu Local Government Area in July 2015 with 10 months unpaid salary burden, contrary to a wild-goose-chase allegation being peddled by Governor Simon Lalong.
Mutfwang, who was elected into office as Local Government Chairman on February, 25 and sword-in on March 3, 2014, was adjudged by workers as the most worker-friendly Council Chairman who created a conducive working atmosphere for workers to carry out their constitutional responsibilities.
Governor Lalong had told the APC campaign trail in Pankshin that Barr. Mutfwang left office with unpaid salaries for 13 months while in Wase Local Government Area where the party flagged off its campaign, he alleged that he has documents showing that Mutfwang left office with 10 months of unpaid salaries.
But checks at the Local Government Service Commission revealed that in 2015, Local Government workers in Mangu received their January 2015 salaries on 29 January; received their February salaries on 27 March, and received their March salaries on 6 June when Barr. Caleb Mutfwang was still serving his tenure, while April and May 2015 salaries were paid on the 16 and 25 July, a few days after the tenure of Local Government Chairmen in the state was terminated illegally by Governor Lalong on 6 July 2015.
It was learned that the Local Government Service Commission was entrusted vigorously with the responsibility of preparing and paying workers salaries during the period under review, and not local government chairmen as alleged by Lalong
Investigations also revealed that the delay in the prompt payment of salaries at that period was as a result of the biometric screening exercise which was introduced by Plateau State Government to fish out ghost workers, in a move to sanitize the public service.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of NULGE, Mangu Local Government Area between 2010 and 2016, Comrade Bitson Alexander who spoke to our reporter on phone admitted that there was delay in payment of salaries due to biometric screening exercise and described as untrue the rumour making the rounds that Caleb Mutfwang left office with 10 Months unpaid salaries.
He said, “To the best of my memory, I collected my salary in January, 2015 and got that of February in the same Month. It was around March that we started experiencing delay in payment of salaries but the last salary I collected when Mutfwang was in office was March salary which was paid in early June 2015 while that of April and May were paid in July, few days after they were removed from office.
“To my knowledge, the salary that I did not collect was about two months before his tenure was terminated in July and the delay was probably due to the biometric exercise. I want to say that salary issues was handled by Local Government Service Commission through a centralized payment system, therefore the local government chairmen were not responsible for the delay in the payment of salaries.” He stated.
When his counterparts, Comrade Daniel Bitrus from the Medical and Health Union, who served in Mangu between 2015 and 2020, was contacted, he said he can’t remember that Barr. Caleb Mutfwang left 10 months salary arrears as being alleged on social media.
“I know that we used to have issues with payment of salary which is still there up till now. There are occasions that if you want to pay salary for this month, it has to stretch into the following month for about two weeks.
“Therefore, if somebody said Mutfwang left 10 months unpaid salaries, I don’t think he is realistic. I remember that Mutfwang too inherited one month unpaid salary of health workers and it was cleared during his time. He is somebody we know who is sincere and straight forward; we enjoyed harmonious working relationship with him as Chairman.” He stated.
Yet another union leader who served together with Barr. Mutfwang in office was comrade Isaac Dapul, Chairman Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT). He explained that he was elected in 2014 when Caleb Mutfwang was serving as Local Government Chairman and did not encounter any challenge on salary payment.
“Honestly, the issue that Barr. Caleb Mutfwang did not pay salaries for 10 months is not true. When I came in and met Mutfwang on seat, no strike was done and no protest was carried out during his tenure on account of lack of payment of salaries. The delay in salaries payment are things that are inherited from successive governments but it is not true that Mutfwang did not pay teachers or staff salaries for 10 months.” He stated.
It was observed that Local Government staff in Mangu LGA gave Barr. Mutfwang a rousing welcome during PDP town hall engagement with the people, where civil servants in the state were promised better working conditions and prompt payment of salaries.
Mutfwang described Lalong’s eight years in office as years of political turmoil for Plateau citizens with no dividends of democracy to campaign with ahead of the 2023 elections; saying Lalong is still wobbling with no project to his credit except selling deceit and deception.
