CITIZEN JOURNALISM

174 Members of the Southeast Sulawesi Covid-19 Task Force Work Without Honor

By Fadly Aksar

PARTNERSHIP, KENDARI – A total of 174 members of the Southeast Sulawesi (Sultra) Covid-19 Handling Task Force worked without honorarium for three months from September 2021 to December last year. In fact, the Covid-19 pandemic is not over yet. As a result, they work using private money.

As of January 2022, the fate of 174 members of the Covid-19 Task Force is unclear. The reason is, their salaries are not paid because they work without a decree (SK). The Southeast Sulawesi Governor's Decree itself has expired since September 2021.

One member of the Covid-19 Task Force, who did not want to be named, admitted that the Southeast Sulawesi Governor's decree (SK) expired in September 2021. Since then, they have worked using personal funds.

"For example, print letter, making daily Covid-19 reports using personal funds. "Use wifi from your cellphone because the internet network at the post has been cut off," he said, in Kendari City, on Thursday (6/1/2022).

Activities at the Southeast Sulawesi Covid-19 Task Force Command Post which is on Jl Jenderal Ahmad Yani, Pondambea Village, Kadia District, Kendari City are also quiet. "There were 174 of us, but less than 10 people came to the post. When I arrived, I was also confused about what I was going to do," he said.

Three printing machines at the post were also damaged because they were rarely used. Due to there being no budget, officers were forced to spend personal money to repair the machine. “So, we are working only because of a humanitarian call, to your country lah that's the language. "There's no money for food," he explained.

Strike and Seal Command Post

This situation is not the only time. They once sealed the post, Thursday (7/10/2021), afternoon because employee salaries had not been paid for 6 months or since April 13 2021.

One employee who did not want to be named admitted that the sealing was the employee's own initiative. So far, they have received an honorarium ranging from IDR 150 thousand to IDR 250 thousand per day per person. However, they have not received this honorarium for the last 6 months.

"We are tired of promises. In fact, we have completed all the disbursement requirements. So what is the reason it hasn't been disbursed?" he said, when met at the Southeast Sulawesi Covid-19 Task Force Command Post. Those who have not received honorariums include health workers, Satpol PP, secretariat guards, logistics and other fields.

"There are those who work from morning to morning, 24 hours. There are also those who go home at dawn. We still continue to work but the leadership doesn't care about our rights," he added.

They also decided to go on strike and not provide services related to Covid-19 issues at the post until Monday (11/10/2021). Not only that, the office of the Regional Disaster Management Agency or BPBD Sultra was also sealed by students, Wednesday (13/10/2021).

They have staged several protests. However, they have not received an explanation. In fact, the Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency or BPBD ignored their complaints. "We are in the same group as the Head of BPBD. There are all the high-ranking officials there, only the governor is not there. But, we just read about our (protest)," he stressed.

Chair of the Southeast Sulawesi Covid-19 Task Force, Nur Endang Abbas, regretted the sealing carried out by the country's civil servants. "That's additional work. They should have consulted first with me, the head of the Covid-19 task force," said Nur Endang Abbas at that time.

Endang, who is also the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Secretary, also admitted that he did not know the cause of the sealing. At that time, he had been in Papua for two weeks watching the Southeast Sulawesi contingent compete in XX PON. "We'll sort it out later. It's not that there's no money, it's just a matter of administration," he said.

He will also summon the Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency or BPBD Sultra Muhammad Yusuf to resolve the problem. "Their honors only last until September 2021. But I can't guess either. We'll wait Crosscheck in its implementation (BPBD). I will communicate," he said.

After the sealing and strike action, the Covid-19 Task Force's honorarium was finally paid in two batches in October 2021. However, after that, they again did not receive the honorarium.

When 174 members of the Southeast Sulawesi Covid-19 Task Force were working without honorariums, the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police were investigating allegations of corruption in the honorarium of Covid-19 Task Force employees by involving the Financial and Development Supervisory Agency or BPKP and the local Inspectorate.

The Central Covid-19 Task Force then intervened by asking the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police to investigate this case. A total of 11 people have been examined, including the head of the Southeast Sulawesi BPBD, Muhammad Yusuf, the treasurer, 3 technical implementation committee members (PPTK), 2 people from restaurants, and 4 members of the Southeast Sulawesi Covid-19 Task Force.

Investigators are also still working to collect evidence to shed light on this case. Head of Public Information Sub-Sector or Head of Sub-Division of Public Information for the Southeast Sulawesi Regional Police, AKBP Dolfi Kumaseh, said that investigators are currently planning to conduct an internal case.

"If it is deemed sufficient, then it will be analyzed, whether this will be processed further, if possible, perhaps we will submit a BPKP audit," said Dolfi Kumaseh, at the end of 2021.