State governors in the country have been asked to exhibit a high level of responsibility as the Federal Government releases the third tranche of the Paris Club refunds totalling N244 billion.
The Nigeria Intervention Movement (NIM), made the call on Tuesday in a statement made available to The NEXT EDITION.
The group in a statement signed by its Publicity Bureau Head, Naseer Kura, said it is gratifying that the funds are coming on the heels of a festive period.
“NIM, therefore, urges State Governments to seize the opportunity of this latest release to settle the outstanding emoluments of their workers and pensioners,” the group said.
“Aside from giving these workers and pensioners a better lease of life and livelihoods, these payments would have the multiplier effect of a better life for the common man and businesses in our clime.
“We hold this position conscious of the fact that ours is a federation structured on transparency, accountability and good governance.
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“We are equally, dismayed at the discordant tunes emanating from some governors to the effect that the release is not meant to settle outstanding emoluments but to settle only December salaries.
“This is worrisome and provocative since the governors and their political appointees receive all their emoluments as and when due. There is, therefore, no moral justification to owe the poor workers and suffering pensioners.
“A labourer deserves his wages. There is no better time to settle the outstanding emoluments and pensions of our toiling workers than this festive period.
“Paying those outstanding salaries and pensions, at this time, would also go a long way in reflating the battered local economy of our country.”
The group noted that the Paris Club refunds were released alongside the allocations from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC).
It, therefore, called on all relevant stakeholders to monitor the judicious disbursement of the funds for transparency, accountability and justice.
The Paris Club refund is a partial settlement of long-standing claims by state governments relating to over-deductions from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) for external debt service arising between 1995 and 2002.
The Federal Government had earlier released two tranches of the funds to the state governors with a mandate to settle outstanding salaries and pensions of workers.
However, the following are what each of the 36 states of the Federation has received from as refunds:
STATE/AMOUNT
1 Abia 5,715,765,871.48
2 ADAMAWA 6,114,300,352.68
3 AKWA-IBOM 10,000,000,000.00
4 ANAMBRA 6,121,656,702.34
5 BAUCHI 6,877,776,561.25
6 BAYELSA 10,000,000,000.00
7 BENUE 6,854,671,749.25
8 BORNO 7,340,934,865.32
9 CROSS RIVER 6,075,343,946.93
10 DELTA 10,000,000,000.00
11 EBONYI 4,508,083,379.98
12 EDO 6,091,126,592.24
13 EKITI 4,772,836,647.08
14 ENUGU 5,361,789,409.66
15 GOMBE 4,472,877,698.19
16 IMO 7,000,805,182.97
17 JIGAWA 7,107,666,706.76
18 KADUNA 7,721,729,227.55
19 KANO 10,000,000,000.00
20 KATSINA 8,202,130,909.85
21 KEBBI 5,977,499,491.45
22 KOGI 6,027,727,595.80
23 KWARA 5,120,644,326.57
24 LAGOS 8,371,938,133.11
25 NASARAWA 4,551,049,171.12
26 NIGER 7,210,793,154.95
27 OGUN 5,739,374,694.46
28 ONDO 7,003,648,314.28
29 OSUN 6,314,106,340.62
30 OYO 7,901,609,864.25
31 PLATEAU 5,644,079,055.41
32 RIVERS 10,000,000,000.00
33 SOKOTO 6,441,128,546.76
34 TARABA 5,612,014,491.52
35 YOBE 5,413,103,116.59
36 ZAMFARA 5,442,385,594.49
37 FCT 684,867,500.04
TOTAL: 243, 795, 465, 195, 20
