GOVERNORS: Salary arrears will be paid soon if....

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

The Governors arrived at this decision  in Abuja at a
meeting hosted by the chairman of the
Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and
governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Abdulaziz
Yari, at his Maitama residence.

Following the statement by the Head,
Media and Public Affairs of the NGF,
Abulrazque Barkindo, the governors met in
anticipation of the release of the other half
of the Paris-London Club refund which has
been approved for payment by Vice-
President Yemi Osibanjo.

The funds are expected to hit the states
accounts within the period of a 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 predicament of Nigerian workers, the
statement said, 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.

The governors, therefore, concluded that, as a
matter of urgency, payment of workers  due as
soon as the payment of this half of the Paris
Club refunds is made.

According to a statement by Governor Yari, the
NGF chairman, he said:
“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."
Further adding that,
Out of the N522.74 billion owed N388.304
was paid to states last December.

Moreover, the governors committed to the
verification of the input of all the
consultants who claim to having worked
towards the harmonisation of the refunds
regarding what is due to which state, since
2005 when the demand for the refunds
commenced.

At the moment, there are litigations from
more than 10 consultants still agitating for
settlement for their roles in the quest to
have the refunds made to states.

In response to this, the statement said a
committee was set up under the headship of
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State
with governors of Bauchi, Mohammed
Abdullahi Abubakar, Sokoto’s Aminu
Tambuwal, Plateau’s Simon Lalong,
Bayelsa’s Seriaki Dickson, Rivers States’
Nyesom Wike and former Accountant
General of the Federation and Gombe State
governor, 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 aim, a committee made up of the
governors of Imo, Bayelsa, Abia, Ekiti, Kano,
Nasarawa and Bauchi states was constituted
to work for the “reconciliation of the forum
and the betterment of the country.”

Governor Yari said: “There is no how you
would 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  speak with
one voice.