LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT: A CASE STUDY OF BUEA IN CAMEROON

ABSTRACT

In recent years, cases of irregular payment of salaries and wages to workers in government ministries and parastatal have become a household issue. Hardly would any month pass with out the media report about the difficulties being faced by workers as a result of delayed payment of their remuneration in the form of salaries,wage gratuity or pensions. At one time it will be in the central government and at another it may be in different ministries and even the councils sometimes. The strategic position assumed to be occupied by the financial rewards in the relationship between the workers and their organizations aroused the curiosity of the researcher to such extent that he decided to find out the effect of delayed payment of salaries and wage on the performance of employees, using the ministry of education as case study. In carrying out the study, survey methodology was used in gathering data,after gathering and analyzing the data, it was discovered that factors such as financial impropriety, ghost workers syndrome and diversion of funds were instrumental to government decision to carryout series of  identification and screening exercise and change in the accounting system which combined to cause delays in payment of workers’ salaries and wages which in turn results in the decrease in the volume of work performed.

Based on these findings, recommendations were made on how to solve the lingering problem. They include; training the employees especially those in account and personnel department on the modern methods and technique of carrying out their assignment,computerization of the operation at least the above two departments, effort to retain the civil service glamour and a special recurrent expenditure account for the ministries.