- Want FG to pay debts owed to states
- Congratulate Saraki, Dogara, seek cooperation
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Governors of the 36 states of the federation rose from a meeting in
Abuja, resolving to meet President Muhammadu Buhari on the financial
crisis crippling the affairs of the states.
Also, the governors congratulated the newly elected Senate President,
Dr. Bukola Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Yakubu Dogara, pledging to cooperate with the 8th session of the
National Assembly.
According to the chairman of the Governors Forum, Abdulazeez Yari, who
was also confirmed at the meeting, the governors viewed the financial
crisis facing the states as a national issue as there are federal
government agencies that are owing salaries for upward of seven to eight
months.
The new chairman of the Governors Forum said, “We decided not to talk
of the bailout directly, though the problem we observe is not only a
state matter. It is a national matter. Some of the federal agencies are
being owed for seven months and above. The federal government cannot do
it alone because of the dwindling of the economy.
“So, instead of requesting for the bailout, because we have to make
sure that the federal government has liquidity, but where will the
federal government find the liquidity? It is sending a very wrong signal
that the states are asking for bailout and we all know that the economy
of the country is in a very bad shape.
“So, instead of sending a bad signal and aware of the implications, we
are asking the federal government to pay the states for the federal
government jobs that have been executed by the states. The federal
government is owing some states up to N10 billion for federal jobs
executed. So, we would be asking the federal government to settle the
backlog owed to the states. The federal government is owing some states
N10 billion, N20 billion, N30 billion and Lagos state N50 billion. So,
if we can get back some of this money, we can settle some of the backlog
of wages and salaries.
“It is on this that the governors would be meeting the President very soon.” Governor Yari said.
Sources: Newsnow
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