Edo State House of Assembly on Monday cut short its recess to pass a resolution granting the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole’s request to access N366, 467,597,77 million bailout fund from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
BusinessDay reports that the bailout fund is for the payment of seven months out of the 16 months salary arrears for the striking Egor Local Government workers.
The resolution was sequel to a letter of request to the House by the state governor, Adams Oshiomhole.
The House had on May 18, went on five weeks break and to resume June 27, 2016. They however conveyed an emergence meeting to pass the resolution to grant the governor’s bailout fund request and the confirmation of the appointment of commissioner nominee.
Oshiomhole noted that Egor LGC was inadvertently omitted in the list of local governments that benefitted from the bailout funds the state had accessed few months ago.
“May I respectfully convey my compliments to Madam Speaker and Honourable members of the House and request for a resolution of the Edo State House of Assembly for the Edo State Government to negotiate and conclude necessary arrangements for the CBN to access the bailout fund of the sum of N366, 467, 597, 77 million only, being the amount due to Egor Local Government Council of Edo State as salaries arrears.
“Madam Speaker, Egor council was inadvertently omitted in the grand total for all the local government councils of Edo State totally N12, 407, 873,944, 60 billion, being the outstanding salaries arrears of Edo State,” the request read in part.
In his submission, the majority leader of the House, Foly Ogedengbe said the governor’s request was to cure the defect of the state government inability to access bailout fund for the Egor LGC.
“We are all familiar with the untold hardship that workers in Egor LGC had faced over more than one year without receiving anything like salary. I want to urge my colleagues to support this application because without this resolution this money cannot be accessed from the CBN,” Ogedengbe said.
He urged the House to approve the government request to enable it access the bailout fund.
The lawmaker representing Egor constituency, Crosby Eribo lamented what he described as “injustice” to the people of the constituency.
“Madam Speaker and my Honourable colleagues, you know what it means to live and worked for 16 months without salaries? We go through hell. Madam Speaker and my Honourable colleagues, I feel there has not been justice to Egor LGC. It is coming after 16 months. What is seven months salary going to do to the people of Egor? It is as if nothing has been done,” he said.
Elizabeth Aitivie, speaker of the House, who commended the state government for the bailout, noted that the resolution would empower the governor to access the fund from the CBN.
The House also confirmed the nomination of Kerry Emokpaire as commissioner in the state executive council.
