Buhari chides States over unpaid salaries

President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in Abuja expressed concern on the growing complaints and agitations by workers in states over unpaid salaries and allowances, in spite of interventions by the Federal Government

The interventions from the Federal Government come in various forms, including those of Paris Club refunds paid to States claimed to be over deductions for external debt service between 1995 and 2002.

This is just as Governor AbdulAzeez Yari of Zamfara State and Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, is asking for reconciliation of government account to enable them get more money under the Paris Club Refund.

Recall that Federal Government had in May this year released details of the second tranche of Paris Club refund to States totalling N243.795 billion.

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The Governors who were at the Presidential Villa for a scheduled meeting with the President, Tuesday, however pleaded for more funds to be injected into their states, ahead of the 2018 budgets.

“The reconciliation was done since 2016, we are hoping that both Debt Management Office DMO, ministry of finance, Accountant General of the Federation AGF and our consultants conclude this reconciliation by November so that we can factor the numbers in our 2018 budget so that we can use it for projects and other recurrent spending according to the specification given by our respective House of Assemblies and that’s why we are here.”

The President had during the meeting, expressed his displeasures when some Governors led by the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Abdul’Aziz Abubakar Yari, at the State House.

President Buhari while lamenting the plight of workers in the states, directed the Governors on the need for urgent attention as many could barely survive.

“How can anyone go to bed and sleep soundly when workers have not been paid their salaries for months.

“I actually wonder how the workers feed their families, pay their rents and even pay school fees for their children,’’ he said.

The President reminded the governors that two out of the three-pronged focus of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to secure the country and fight corruption had received some commendable reviews by the people, noting that the challenge in payment of salaries in states had taken a toll on the people.

“God has been merciful in hearing the prayers of his servants so the rainy season has been good, you can ask the Kebbi State governor on this, and our enormous food importation bill has gone down.’’

President Buhari said the Federal Government and state executives would need to work closer together to ameliorate the situation of workers across the country.

The President said he had instructed all government agencies to comply with the Treasury Single Account (TSA) in order to ensure more transparency and prudence in accounting for the revenues of the government and the sharing of entitlements with states.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum said the various interventions by the Federal Government, which include the bailouts, were judiciously utilized by the states, stressing that the governors inherited backlog of unpaid salaries and huge debts portfolios on assumption of office.

“We are concerned with the situation in our states, and we are trying our best to manage the resources,’’ he said.

Yari noted that the bailout funds and part of the fall-out from the London-Paris Club that had been received by the states, were properly expended to alleviate the plight of workers, but more had to be done.

The NGF chairman commended the efforts of the President in improving the economy, assuring that the states would continue working with the Federal Government to improve the livelihood of workers and all Nigerians.

Governors of Ondo, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kwara, Akwa Ibom and the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State were part of the visit to the President.

According to Yari while speaking with State House Correspondents, said they were at the Villa, on behalf of the 36 states governors adding that “this is a result of the collective decision to see the President after the National Economic Council meeting last month.

“Our mission here is simple, we are here to thank Mr President for his concern about the state economy and situation by giving us several support ranging from bail out, restructuring our debt, London- Paris club exit payment.

“We also told him that we think that it was because of the decisions that we got out of recession.

“Know that the 200 million citizens residing in Nigeria are residing in respective states. These support are going down to them, when you are taking the indices from the grassroots.

“Mr President you remember that in 2016, we presented to you the numbers of London and Paris exit funds which we agreed, and he directed we be paid 50% and 50% open reconciliation.

“We are going to work with the numbers when he returns from his trip, we are going to follow up this meeting with him so that we can conclude on what is going to be done next,” he said.