The 36 governors under the umbrella of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, (NGF), yesterday denied reports in some media that President Muhammadu Buhari has given them marching order to pay workers their salary arrears before Christmas.
There was a discordant tune between the Chairman of All Progressives Congress Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha and Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State on whether President Buhari ordered that salary arrears should be paid before Christmas.
While Okorocha had said the order from the President was to clear the salaries with the expected payment of 50 percent Paris Club balance, El-Rufai said the Paris Club refund was not enough to clear salary arrears especially for states that were owing as there was no additional money to be given to such states apart from their fair share of the refund.
But the NGF in a statement signed by Abulrazque Barkindo, Head, Media and Public Affairs, said, “No mention of all workers arrears, was ever made by President Muhammadu Buhari.” The statement quoted the President as saying, “For Nigerians without sources other than their salary, I am concerned that workers should be able to pay rent, school fees, buy drugs and take care of their families. I am so much concerned that people should have something to eat for Christmas.”
It explained that “The Governors had appealed to the President to once again authorise the Finance Ministry and the other officials to hasten the payment of the remainder of the Paris and London Club loan refunds as they had factored the monies into their 2018 budgets.
“President Muhammadu Buhari’s instruction that the money be paid before Christmas however draws its background from the series of delays in the previous disbursements to the states by the Finance Ministry, which by commission or omission had exacerbated and indeed increased the number of months that workers are owed salaries.
“For example, the first bailout that President Buhari approved was not paid until October, four months after the president had given approval for the money to be paid.
It was the same practice with the first tranche of the Paris-London Club repayment, which was approved in mid 2016 but took until December 2016 to hit the states’ accounts.
“It is imperative to add that the Paris–London funds were legitimate funds of the states and not loans as several sources had thought. “Barring any such happenstances, however, governors, who are equally very worried about their workers’ plights, are ready to wipe away workers tears by paying their emoluments before Christmas.”
The governors pledged to work assiduously towards ensuring that they make workers happy by paying their emoluments before the commencement of the Yuletide season.
They hinged their pledge on the instruction by President Buhari that governors should be paid what was due to their states to ensure that workers spend Christmas with money in their pockets and a smile on their faces.
According to the statement, “This presidential directive was issued at a meeting between the governors and the president which held at the Aso Rock Villa, last Monday.