How can one go to bed, sleep when workers are not paid salaries? President Buhari asks Governors

*Wonders how workers feed their families without salaries

President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday in Abuja 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

Receiving a group of governors led by the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Abdul’Aziz Abubakar Yari, at the State House, President Buhari said the plight of workers in the states need 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 (APC) to secure the country and fight corruption had received some commendable reviews by the people, noting that the challenge in payment of salaries in states had taken a toll on the people.

“God has been merciful in hearing the prayers of his servants so the rainy season has been good, you can ask the Kebbi State governor on this, and our enormous food importation bill has gone down.’’

President Buhari said the Federal Government and state executives would need to work closer together to ameliorate the situation of workers across the country.

The President said he had instructed all government agencies to comply with the Treasury Single Account (TSA) in order to ensure more transparency and prudence in accounting for the revenues of the government and the sharing of entitlements with states.

In his remark, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum said the various interventions by the Federal Government, which include the bailouts, were judiciously utilized by the states, stressing that the governors inherited backlog of unpaid salaries and huge debts portfolios on assumption of office.

“We are concerned with the situation in our states, and we are trying our best to manage the resources,’’ he said.

Yari noted that the bailout funds, and part of the fallout from the London-Paris Club that had been received by the states, were properly expended to alleviate the plight of workers, but more had to be done.

The NGF chairman commended the efforts of the President in improving the economy, assuring that the states would continue working with the Federal Government to improve the livelihood of workers and all Nigerians.

Governors of Ondo, Bauchi, Jigawa, Kwara, Akwa Ibom and the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State were part of the visit to the President.

Some states of Nigeria are still owing their workers salaries with Ekiti State particularly still owing as many as eight months.

Ondo State, since the beginning of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s administration, has paid salaries as at when due, although the backlog of salaries indebtedness left behind by former Governor Olusegun Mimiko was said by a source in Akure, to be receiving attention of the governor.

The Federal Government under President Buhari had on May 4 this year released details of the second tranche of Paris Club refund to States totalling N243.795bn.

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.

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.