Governors Resolve To Pay Backlog Of Salaries

Widespread agitations over unpaid wages have forced the 36 State Governors to resolve that it is urgent that they to settle backlog of salaries and pension arrears owed civil servants in the country with the next tranche payment from the Paris-London Club loan refunds.

The Governors took the decision at a meeting hosted by the Chairman, Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar at his Maitama Residence in Abuja on Thursday night.

Arising from a meeting in anticipation of the remaining half of the Paris-London Club refund already approved for payment by Acting President, Professor Yemi Osibanjo, the governors expect the funds to hit the states’ accounts within the month.

A statement by Abulrazque Barkindo, Head, Media and Public Affairs, Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) Secretariat said the governors, who are not oblivious of the hue and cry over the non-payment of the backlog of salaries and pension arrears as well as the precarious predicament of the Nigerian worker deliberated on the matter, agreed that to set the country on the path of growth, something immediate must be done to ameliorate workers’ plight by offsetting the backlog of their pay and emoluments.

The statement said the governors therefore resolved as a matter of urgency, to pay workers their dues as soon as the next half of the Paris Club refunds is made. “We all agreed that a substantial amount from the next tranche of the Paris-London refunds be used in the settlement of workers salary and pension arrears,” the NGF Chairman, Yari Abubakar disclosed.

Out of the N522.74bn owed by the Federal Government, N388.304 was paid to states last December.

Similarly, the governors said they are committed to the verification of the input of all the consultants, who claim to have worked towards harmonizing the refunds regarding what is due to each state, since 2005 when the demand for the refunds commenced.

At the moment, there are litigations from more than 10 different consultants still agitating for settlement over their roles in the quest to have the refunds made to states. In this regard, a committee was set up under the headship of Governor Femi Akeredolu of Ondo state with the governors of Bauchi, Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar, Sokoto’s Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Plateau’s Simon Lalong, Bayelsa’s Seriaki Dickson, Rivers’ Nyesom Wike and Gombe’s and former Accountant General of the Federation, Ibrahim Dankwambo as members.

This committee is expected to finally provide a solution to the demands by consultants on the Paris-London Club refunds to states.

The forum also resolved to work harmoniously in a manner that would transcend all political affiliations so that all governors would speak with one voice on issues of national importance. To achieve this, a committee, comprising the Governors of Imo, Bayelsa, Abia, Ekiti, Kano, Nasarawa and Bauchi, was constituted to work on the “reconciliation of the forum and the betterment of the country.”

“There is no how you’d mention any political development in Nigeria without mentioning governors. Governors are a bloc and a key component of this democracy. Therefore, we have set up a seven-man committee to look into the development surrounding the unity of the forum and the development of the country. The idea is for governors to be speaking with one voice,” Governor Yari said.