Auditor General’s Office Staff Cry Out Over downward Review of salaries  

By Missang AKPET

Staff of the office of the state auditor general and that of auditor general for local government in Cross River state have cried out over government’s order for a downward review of their salaries.

It could be recalled that in 2021, the world bank awarded Cross River State a $20.4 Million grant through the State’s Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability Programme (SFTAS) for carrying out a robust and transparent accounting and auditing system in the state.

The auditing system include preparation and publication of a timely and transparent account of the State, passing and publishing of the State Budget, transparency in the process of Internally Generated Revenue generation, passing and publishing of the State Budget as well as enacting an audit law in the state.

But the present admiration seem prepared to renege on agreements with the World Bank by engaging in massive downward review of their statutory monthly pay.

Checks by THE BEAGLE NEWS showed that the review does not go down well with the staff after they were rewarded with well-deserved financial entitlements for their labour in boosting the states’ financial profiles.

Lamenting some of them who don’t want their names in print, said it is a betrayal of trust on the part of government by reneging on agreements with the World Bank.

A staff, who identified himself as Abang Abang, said: “The grant awarded by SIFTAS to the State is a testament of the steadfastness of the office of the Auditor-General in producing and presenting an up-to-date credible and transparent financial document as part of its commitment to sustaining a veritable level that would place the State on a sound financial footing while ensuring that Cross River State attains credible financial profiles in order to stand great chances of benefitting from foreign incentives through well-orchestrated strategies crucial in global confidence building.

“Following this, the Apex bank rewarded the state for leading the way in transparency in governance and openness in financial dealings with the Auditor General of the State and his Local Government counterpart including their staff getting a pay rise in order not to be compromised.

“We note also that due Process was followed through the House of Assembly to meet these conditions and a Special Salary Structure (AUDSS) was approved by the then Governor Ben Ayade in February 2022. These agreements demonstrate the World Bank’s belief in a robust Audit system as a catalyst for financial probity and economic growth.

“The new remuneration as a result of this agreement elated the staff of both tiers and brought about enthusiasm and renewed determination amongst the staff to do more not knowing that it was meant to be short-lived as their hopes were smashed when they got their March 2024 Salary and discovered that their salary has been greatly reviewed.

“But the sudden slash in the financial entitlements of the Auditor-General and members of staff is causing disquiet within their ranks blaming the newly inaugurated Audit Service commission as being responsible for their predicament.”

Another staff, Josef said: “We are angry that Managements are not doing enough to reverse the review which is taking a toll on their well-being and that of their families lamenting that it has thrown them off-balance as some of them are on loan facilities and can barely cope with what is left of their take-home pay.

"This is clearly an effort to weaken independence of the audit institutions and this might attract severe consequences to the state in a long run. The downward review which took immediate effect without recourse to laid down procedures.

“We suspect that the mudslinging from comments made by the triumvirate of the former Chairman, Cross River State Civil Service Commission Mr. Uko Inaku, the former Head of the Civil Service Mr. Ogban Akwaji and Former Accountant-General of The State Mr. Joseph Adie in an interview granted at one of the radio stations in Calabar in March, 2024 and the backlash from an interview granted by the immediate past Auditor-General of the State, Comrade John Odey where the later accused the trio of being responsible for the continuous rise in the State Pay-roll and its attendant financial implications for the government may have caused the downward review.

“Part of the issue brought to fore was the sumptuous financial allowances enjoyed by both Auditors and their members of staff where the trio believed that former Auditor-General (Odey) arm- twisted the then Governor, Sen. Professor Ben Ayade to sign special packages for the Auditors-Generals and members of staff without recourse to other sections of the State Service,” he stated.