GOVERNORS TO PAY BACKLOG OF SALARIES

The 36 state governors Thursday night resolved to offset the backlog of salaries and pension arrears owed civil servants as soon as the next tranche of payment from the Paris-London Club loan refunds are made.

A statement issued yesterday on behalf of the forum by its head, media & public affairs, Abulrazque B. Barkindo, said the decision was taken in Abuja at a meeting hosted Thursday night by the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum and governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari Abubakar.

The governors met in anticipation of the release of the other half of the ParisLondon Club refundexpected within the month.

They resolved as a matter of urgency to pay workers their due as soon as this half of the refunds is paid. “We all agreed that a substantial amount from the next tranche of the ParisLondon refunds be used in the settlement of workers’ salaries and pension arrears,” Abubakar said. Out of the N522.74bn owed, N388.304 was paid to the states last December.

The governors also committed to the verification of the input of all the consultants who claimed to have worked towards the harmonization of the refunds regarding what is due to each state since 2005 when the demand for refunds began.

A committee was set up under the leadership of Governor Femi Akeredolu of Ondo State with the governors of Bauchi, Sokoto, Plateau, Bayelsa, Rivers and a former Accountant General of the Federation and Gombe State governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo, as members to work on litigations from consultants agitating for settlement for their roles in the quest to have the refunds made to states.