As most states of the Federation grapple with payment of salaries for their workers, the 36 state governors have called on the Federal Government to reimburse to them monies spent on Federal Government projects in their respective states.
To this end, the 36 state governors will meet with President Muhammadu Buhari next week, to seek lasting solutions to the economic challenges confronting the nation.
These are some of the resolutions reached at the second meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum in Abuja yesterday.
Abdullazeez Yari, NGF chairman, who is also governor of Zamfara State , posited that Nigeria’s economy is in “bad shape”, adding that the matter was extensively discussed by the state chief executives. Yari said some states were being owed between N10billion and N20billion and that for Lagos, the sum was over N50billion. This, he submitted, accounts for the inability of some states to pay workers salaries.
According to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), 18 out of the 36 states of the federation are technically bankrupt. The states owing workers, according to the labour union include: Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Ekiti, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers and Zamfara.
Analysts say the fact that some of the states concerned have mortgaged their Federation Account allocations to contractors by signing irrevocable payment orders with various banks does not help matters. This, they say, explains why payment to contractors and other debt instruments are deducted at source, and have become first line charge on their lean resources, just as internally generated revenues of the states are not enough to meet their obligations.
Speaking after the meeting, Yari said: “We all know that the economy of the country is in bad shape. So, what we suggested is that as several state governors have executed various projects for the Federal Government, let us look for the Federal Government to settle that backlog for us, so that we can move forward.”
President Buhari had reportedly refused the request of APC governors for the Federal Government’s bail out to enable states pay their workers salaries.
Governors of Taraba, Anambra, Ondo, Bauchi, Enugu, Katsina, Sokoto, Akwa Ibom, Kwara, Kano, Lagos, Osun, Imo Benue, Edo and Kogi attended the meeting.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE
