- Senator Samuel Anyanwu raises point of order during plenary on the Paris Club Refunds and other bailout funds given to state governors by President Buhari
- The lawmaker queries the legality of the funds given to governors by the president
- Some governors from the south-west region say the bailout funds given to them by Buhari is not enough to offset salaries
The Senate on Thursday, October 19 resoled to probe how the Paris Club Refunds and other bailout funds to state governors by President Muhammadu Buhari were approved.
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The Senate’s decision followed a point of order raised by Senator Samuel Anyanwu during plenary, who afterwards, sought the leave of the Senate to move a motion on the matter during the next legislative day.
He queried the legality of the funds given to governors by Buhari, the News Agency of Nigeria reports (NAN).
The president of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki, sought and got the leave of his colleagues and approved that the proper motion be brought by Anyanwu, to the floor on another legislative day.
The federal government had released the breakdown of payments to the 36 states as refund of “over-deductions on Paris Club, London Club Loans and Multilateral debts on the accounts of States and Local Governments (1995-2002).”
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The latest payment was the second tranche of the refunds to the states with a total of N243.8 billion released to the 36 states and Federal Capital Territory.
Buhari, while releasing the N243.80 billion as second tranche of Paris Club refund to states, urged the governors to use a major part of the funds to offset salaries, pensions and other allowances of workers.
Meanwhile, some of the states in the South-West region are groaning despite the recently released Paris Club fund by the federal government.
The states in their complaint said the fund released in the latest tranche is not enough for them to offset debts owed.
While the Ekiti state government confirmed that it received N4.7 billion in the second tranche of funds released, it however said that the monthly wage bill for states and local government workers is at N2.6 billion and N2.4 billion respectively.
Speaking on the matter, Lere Olayinka, the special assistant to the governor of Ekiti state said the refund o f N4.7 billion is N3 billion short of the state's expectation.
Olayinka said the state's wage bill which is a total of N5 billion. Same goes for Ondo state government which received N7 billion.
Jerrry Okorodudu speaks on how he survives without being paid salary by the government on NAIJ.com TV
Source: Naij.com
ROSY CREST
Thursday, 19 October 2017