- He wondered how they expect workers to feed and take care of their families
- The president charged governors to take payment of salaries serious
President Muhammadu Buhari expressed concern on the growing complaints and agitations by workers in states over unpaid salaries and allowances in spite of interventions by the federal government.
NAN reports that the president made his feelings known on Tuesday, October 17, when he received a group of governors led by the chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Abdul’Aziz Yari, at the State House, Abuja.
The federal government had on May 4, released details of the second tranche of Paris Club refund to states totalling N243.795 billion.A breakdown of the payment showed that Abia got N5.72bn; Adamawa, N6.11bn; Akwa Ibom, N10bn; Anambra, N6.12bn; Bauchi, N6.88bn; Bayelsa, N10bn; Benue, N6.85bn; and Borno N7.34bn.
Cross River got N6.08bn, Delta, N10bn; Ebonyi, N4.51bn; Edo, N6.09 billion; Ekiti, N4.77bn; Enugu, N5.36bn; Gombe, N4.47bn; Imo, N7bn; Jigawa, N7.11bn; and Kaduna, N7.72bn.
Kano got N10bn, Katsina, N8.2bn; Kebbi, N5.98bn; Kogi, N6.03bn; Kwara, N5.12bn; Lagos, N8.37bn; Nasarawa, N4.55bn; Niger, N7.2bn; and Ogun, N5.7bn.The others were Ondo, N7bn; Osun, N6.3bn; Oyo, N7.9bn; Plateau, N5.64bn; Rivers, N10bn; Sokoto, N6.44bn; Taraba, N5.61bn; Yobe, N5.41bn; Zamfara, N5.44bn; and the Federal Capital Territory, N684m.
The refund is in respect of over-deductions on Paris Club, London Club Loans and Multilateral debts between 1995 and 2002.
However, President Buhari said the plight of workers in the states needed urgent attention as many could barely survive.
“How can anyone go to bed and sleep soundly when workers have not been paid their salaries for months.
“I actually wonder how the workers feed their families, pay their rents and even pay school fees for their children," he said.
The president told the governors that two out of the three-pronged focus of the ruling All Progressives Congress to secure the country and fight corruption had received some commendable reviews by the people.