“An ex-gratia payment is considered voluntary because the party making the payment is not obligated to compensate the individual(s).” – investopedia.com.
About two weeks ago, one of the leading on-line media carried a story regarding monthly payments, totalling N13,000, made by Delta State to teachers. The story was so startling, because of the slant of the story, that it took even somebody, like me, with over 30 years in the private sector, dealing with salaries, wages and all the aspects of employees’ compensations, to realise that the writer was referring to ex-gratia payments and not the entitlements – basic salary, housing allowance, medical allowance, transport allowance, leave allowance, outstation allowance, overtime and shift allowance and the employer’s contribution to the pension fund. All these are mandatory amounts owed by the employer – whether a private or public sector organisation.
Ex-gratia awards, including year-end or Christmas bonus, performance allowance, compassionate allowance, acting allowance, etc, however, are voluntary payments which employees cannot legitimately demand to be paid or threaten action eg strike, if not paid. There might not be enough space to elaborate on an example in 1983, when workers in a brewery situated at Abeokuta, went on strike to back up a “non-negotiable demand” for Christmas bonus – a blunder which eventually resulted in closure of the brewery permanently. Most of them never got paid and very few decent job after that.
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WATCH DOGS AND OTHERS
It was after a more careful reading, after a concerned Deltan called to draw my attention to what he called “a scandal, imagine Delta State paying teachers N13,000 per month” that I realised that an unnecessary controversy over emoluments was about to be added to the burden of the state government. As usual, it is important to stress the fact that I have never met the governor. He will be extremely surprised that someone unknown to him would rise to his defence. The reason is obvious – at least to me. Media practitioners, especially those of us fortunate to write our views and shape public opinion, should be able to make the distinction between watchdogs, which bark and bite unlawful intruders, and others, which bite indiscriminately. It is our sacred duty to expose wrong-doing anywhere and everywhere. It is also our moral duty to avoid tarnishing reputations of those on whose functions we comment. To me, a social critic is not one who either deliberately or inadvertently casts aspersions where none is deserved as in the case under discussion.
As I patiently explained to the caller, after making inquiries, the N13,000 is ex-gratia award to the teachers designed to demonstrate in concrete terms the top priority the state government places on education – in pursuit of its human capital development agenda. Not all public servants in the state receive the money. Furthermore, no teacher in Delta state earns the minimum N30,000. They are well above that, and the state does not owe workers arrears of unpaid salaries – unlike about 25 states. That, to me, is highly commendable. In fact, when we realise that two Northern states pay their primary school teachers 9000 to N12,000 total per month, it is then we realise how noble the gesture, paying N13,000 ex-gratia, is. To be quite candid, I am not aware of any other state doing this right now.
Granted, somebody can argue that the state can or should do more. But that is at best an opinion, which in journalism is far less important than fact. In fact, anybody making that point will have to point to any other state doing better than that at the moment.
MOST DIFFICULT TIME IN OUR HISTORY.
Nigeria faces the most difficult time since I can remember. The FG and State governments are mostly broke. Yet, the financial challenges they face are the most daunting ever. Granted, we are in this situation because of the leadership provided by the political class as a group. They had a lot of help from us – the followers. We frequently encouraged the corruption we condemn; or are too docile to resist wrong-doing. No President or Governor can steal public funds alone. They always have willing accomplices who are ever ready to shield them.
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Despite all that said, we must also realise that not everything done by government can be wrong. Quite often, they are in possession of more facts than we are, and can only act within the limits imposed by available funds.
Now, more than ever, governments in Nigeria can generally not pay the amounts we demand from them. That is why, irrespective of who is governor, virtually all the governors are united about the Minimum Wage. Obviously, any governor paying anything extra should be applauded and encouraged.
We need to be very careful not to increase the tentative tension one can feel in the country by crying wolf where there is none. There are enough real dangers created by the political class which could lead us to Kenya – if care is not taken. Ours will be worse and might get out of control on account of needless negative commentary.
We shall see what will happen when the decision on the Minimum Wage is made. Delta State will most probably be among the few states which will pay without hesitation and there is a reason for saying this.
OBSERVATIONS ON TRIPS MADE SINCE LAST YEAR
Despite my health challenges, moving more slowly, using a walking stick for assistance, I have touched 13 states since May 29 last year. Invariably, I move around, meet people and, without disclosing my identity, provoke conversations about the state governments. In addition, there is a network of friends and informants everywhere in Nigeria to provide information about their states.
Because I work and live mostly in Lagos, obtaining information is easy. I have made three trips to Delta State since this group of leaders took control. In each of the destinations, the reports received about the government had been highly favourable. In fact, only four governors are regarded as good performers – Abia, Adamawa, Lagos, and Delta. I have personally seen some of the projects inherited, undertaken and completed since then. Unfortunately, it is not possible for me to describe all of them on account of space constraint. But, I am satisfied that given the loads of uncompleted projects inherited, Governor Oborevwori has done a good job managing one of the most ethnically diverse and difficult states in Nigeria today. That was why it became imperative to set the record straight. With the pervasive anger in Nigeria directed at our leaders, the easiest thing to do to obtain applause is to carpet one of them – whether the criticism is deserved or not. A sage in Greece, the birth place of democracy, had advised those of us privileged to shape public opinion in these words:
“We must therefore not shrink from accusing our friends or praising our enemies, nor need we be afraid of praising or blaming the same people at different times since it is impossible that men who are engaged in public affairs should always be in the right, and unlikely they should always be in the wrong. We must therefore detach ourselves from the actors in our story; and apply to them only such statements and judgements as their conduct deserves.” – Polybius, c200-118 BC.
I think Governor Oborevwori has done a great job so far.
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