The Nigerian governor’s forum on Friday said that state governors will offset the salaries and allowances owed workers in their various states when the second batch of the Paris fund owed to them by the federal government is released.
It will be recalled that the federal government had already paid te first batch of the refund totaling N388bn, payment of which the governors have been accused of mismanaging for personal gains, an accusation they deny.
The governor’s position was contained in a statement issued on behalf of the governors by Abdrazque Bakindo, the spokesman for governors forum.
The statement read, “The 36 governors last night resolved to offset the backlog of salaries and pension arrears owed civil servants in the country as soon as the next tranche of payment from the Paris-London Club loan refunds are made.”
“This decision was arrived at in Abuja at a meeting hosted on Thursday night by the chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and Governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar at his Maitama residence.
“The governors met in anticipation of the release of the other half of the Paris-London Club refund which has been gratuitously approved for payment by the Vice-President Professor Yemi Osibanjo. The funds are expected to hit the state’s accounts within the month.
“The governors who are not oblivious of the hue and cry over the non-payment of the backlog of salaries and pension arrears and the precarious predicament of the Nigerian worker deliberated on the matter and concluded that in order 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.
“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.
“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,” the statement added.
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