Governors of cash-crunched states have resolved to demand from President Muhammadu Buhari, the refund of money spent on executing Federal Government projects in their respective states.
This decision was taken on Wednesday at the meeting of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) in Abuja. According to the governors, seeking repayment was the only option before them since the Federal Government was also not liquid.
Their Chairman, who is also the Governor of Zamafara State, Abdullazez Yari, read the communiqué after the meeting. Yari said the governors had agreed to meet with Buhari next week over the issue.
He said, “We all know that the economy of the country is in a bad shape. So, what we suggested and agreed on was that a number of state governors have executed various projects for the Federal Government.
“So, instead of looking for that (bailout), let us ask the Federal Government to settle that backlog owed us so that we can move forward.
“In nearly all the states, you may have N10bn or N20bn owed. Like in Lagos, more than N50bn was spent on federal projects that has yet to be settled.
“So, if we can get that done, then most of the issues can be resolved in earnest. So, we are seeing the President next week.”
He added, “As we are (in) bad (debt), the Federal Government is also on the same lane because some of the agencies and parastatals have not paid the salaries of their members of staff for six months.
So it is not only the states that are owing some of their employees.
“It is the problem of the entire nation. We are going to work in synergy with the Federal Government to overcome the challenge. We will meet with the President next week so that we can get a lasting solution to this problem.”
Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State who also spoke after the meeting said, there is “need to stop the fleecing, stop the stealing, and get those who had stolen to return the money.
“We are surprised that the excess crude fund has dropped to $2.5 billion. How did this happen? No nation makes enough money to feed the greed of its people.
“The issue is not about payment of salary. In Edo State, we are paying. But the issues is not that because even the Bible said the labourer deserves his wage.
Nothing justifies the situation in which we find ourselves now. “A situation where what accrues to the states is less than what is required to pay workers, I think there are a couple of issues. Governors are prepared to assist plug all loop holes.
You don’t need to witch hunt anybody, just plug the loopholes. “The crises we face now, concerning public sector; if we don’t pay contractors, the day they lay off their workers, we have a greater problem.
“We shall speak with Mr. President because he also inheriting huge debt stock and there is no money to do anything.
“So, he also needs our advice. I guess these are issues we need to discuss objectively and see how we get out of it so that never again shall we get to this problem.”
Governors at the meeting were Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), who has been elected as Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), Umar Ganduje (Kano), Aminu Masari (Katsina), and Ifeanyi Ugwanyi (Enugu). Others were Willie Obiano (Anambra), Mohammed Abubakr (Bauchi), Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom) and Idris Wada (Kogi).
