[dropcap]P[/dropcap]RESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the ministers of finance and budget & national planning and the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to commence payment of outstanding Paris & London Club refunds to states. This was part of a resolve from a meeting held between the president and the Nigeria Governors Forum at the State House in Abuja, yesterday.
The governors said President Buhari instructed that 50 percent of the Paris Club refund be paid to states before the end of the year. The governors have also given assurances that workers salaries at the state level will be paid in time for the yuletide, subject to the receipt of the Paris Club refund.
Speaking with State House reporters after the meeting, Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, said it was a brief meeting between the governors and the president.
“The discussion centred on… basically, it is the end of the year and the president has expressed the need to make ensure that every Nigerian, especially workers have a beautiful Christmas and the issue of outstanding Paris club was
discussed and that was taken care of, to ensure that workers in various states and everywhere in the country
get to celebrate Christmas.
“We also used the opportunity to review our working relationship with the president from the states and we
found out that we are in harmony. There is no difference between us and the president. Everybody seems
to be happy working together. But particularly, we commended the president for getting Nigeria out of
recession within such a short time.
We commended him and everybody left quite happy. “We are looking at getting the balance of the Paris Club refund.
We also made a request for Mr. President’s approval that the balance should form part of our 2018 budget, because we can’t include it until we are sure that the money is coming. That was also sorted out. ‘‘So, as it is now, the issue of
workers took the centre stage and Mr. President was concerned about those who depend on their salaries to feed their families and pay their house rent and he had the assurance from the governors that we will meet those obligations.
It was emphasised that states and the federal government must work together to get Nigeria out of its present economic predicament and make it a better society for all of us.’’ In an answer to a question, the governor said “with the Paris Club coming, every worker should enjoy his/her Christmas. I made it clear.’’ When asked how governors can pay workers December salary and yet include the balance in the 2018 budget, the Kaduna State Governor,
Nasir el-Rufai, answered: “the Paris club figures need to be reconciled. While the reconciliation process is going on, the president approved that 50 per cent of the original amount be paid to the states. The payment started from last year. We still have the balance of the first 50 per cent. This is what the president said should be paid to state governments to meet their obligations before Christmas because he is concerned that many families depend solely on
their salaries for the festive period.
That has been decided. The balance of the first 50 per cent is what we are expecting before Christmas. The president has approved that and said it must be paid.