…States got N700b Bailout and Can’t Offset N689b Workers’ Salaries
Kemi Adeosun, Minister of Finance, Godwin Emefiele, Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as well as Bright Nwakwo, Director General of Debt Management Office (DMO) are expected to appear on Thursday before the Adhoc Committee invetigating the N700 billion bail out fund given to state governments by the preset administration.
The high level stakeholders’ meeting is sequel to the resolution passed by the House after the consideration of the motion sponsored by Sunday Karimi (PDP-Kogi).
The Adhoc Committee was mandated to investigate the “terms and conditions for the disbursement and utilization of he bailout funds, the level of compliance and ascertain have necessity for further disbursement as been mooted by the Federal Government.”
In his lead debate, Karimi who expressed concern over the inability of the 27 state governments to pay N689 billion workers’ salaries despite the release of N700b bailout as at July 2015.
He specifically decried the failure of Kogi State Government to pay salaries despite receiving the sum of N20 billion.
While alleging that larger chunk of the fund was diverted to private accounts, the Kogi lawmaker bemoaned the plight of Nigerian workers in the affected States including Abia, Benue, Ekiti, Kwara, Osun, Delta, Niger, Ogun, Nasarawa and Plateau States, have continued to wallow in hunger, poverty and lack.
He however noted that states like Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bauchi, Borno and Cross Rivers were up-to-date with their salary obligations.
According to him, “there has been criticisms and counter-criticism on the usefulness of bail out funds as critics opined that the genuine intention of he Federal government is being frustrated by the State governments since the bailout fund is not being utilized for the desired purpose by the beneficiary States.”
Credit: BusinessDay