Clear salary arrears before Christmas, Buhari tells govs

Clear salary arrears before
Christmas, Buhari tells govs
President Muhammadu Buhari
… orders payment of fresh Paris Club
refund to states
• Only wicked govs ’ll shun Buhari ’s plea –
NLC
Olalekan Adetayo , Adelani Adepegba ,
Etim Ekpima and Jesusegun Alagbe
President Muhammadu Buhari, on
Monday directed the Minister of
Finance , Mrs . Kemi Adeosun ; the
Minister of Budget and National
Planning, Udo Udoma ; and the Central
Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele , to
work with state governors to ensure the
payment of outstanding Paris Club
refund before the end of the year.
The President was said to have urged the
governors to utilise the money to clear
salary arrears they owed their workers
before Christmas .
The governors had earlier received 50
per cent of the refund, leaving a balance
of 50 per cent which Buhari directed its
payment on Monday .
The President was said to have given the
directive at a meeting he had with state
governors at the Presidential Villa ,
Abuja.
According to information posted on one
of the Presidency’ s Twitter handles –
@ NGRPresident – the meeting featured
discussions on the nation’ s economy ,
workers’ welfare, as well as federal- state
relations, among others.
“ President @ MBuhari has directed the
Ministers of @ FinMinNigeria and Budget
& National Planning and Governor
@ cenbank to commence negotiations
with the Governors ’ Forum to enable
payment of outstanding Paris & London
Club refunds before the end of the year ,”
the information read .
The Imo State Governor, Rochas
Okorocha, and the Kaduna State
Governor, Nasir el- Rufai, confirmed the
development to State House
correspondents at the end of the
meeting.
Okorocha said the President, at the
meeting, expressed the need to ensure
that every Nigerian, especially workers,
had a beautiful Christmas .
He stated , “ We are looking at getting the
balance of Paris Club refund.
“ We also made a request for Mr.
President’s approval that the balance
should form part of our 2018 budgets
because we can ’t do anything until we
are sure that the money is coming.
“ The issue of workers took the centre
stage and Mr. President expressed
concern about those who depend on
their salaries to feed their families and
pay their house rents and he had the
assurance from the governors that we
will meet up our obligations .
“ Also, it was emphasised that states and
Federal Government must work together
to get Nigeria out of its present economic
predicament. ”
When asked specifically if all state
governors owing salaries would clear the
arrears before Christmas , Okorocha said ,
“ Yes ; with the Paris Club refund coming,
every worker should enjoy their
Christmas . ”
He added that the governors also seized
the opportunity of the meeting to review
their relationship with the President,
adding that they found out that they
were in harmony .
“ There is no difference between us and
the President. Everybody seems to be
happy working together . But
particularly , we commended the
President for getting Nigeria out of
recession within such a short time ,” he
added.
El - Rufai also confirmed that Buhari
approved the payment of the balance of
50 per cent refund before Christmas to
cater for workers .
He, however, said he did not know the
amount of the refund , stressing that only
the Ministry of Finance could provide
the figure .
“ There is another 50 per cent that needs
to be paid when the figures are
reconciled . The reconciliation is going to
be concluded before the end of the year .
“ The Chief of Staff to the President will
ensure that the committee working on
the reconciliation conclude the work
before the end of the year .
“ So, what the governors are requesting
from the President is a directive, ‘go
ahead to include the next 50 per cent in
your 2018 budget ,’ and that is going to
be looked at .
“ Every state will get its own share of the
Paris Club refund. Every state has a
specific amount that was deducted. That
amount may be enough t