APC Governors tackle FG over Lack of Payment of Salaries
The All Progressives Congress’ Governors’ Forum has urged the President-elect, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, to probe those responsible for government’s inability to pay workers’ salaries while also calling on President Goodluck Jonathan and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to accept responsibility for the poor state of the country’s economy.
Imo state governor, Rochas Okorocha, through his Chief Press Secretary, Sam Onwuemedo, said: “God has begun to do something for Nigerians. The man, Buhari, who is coming in now, is a person who does not joke with discipline. When you talk about discipline, it is all-embracing. He will bring financial discipline into the system.
“By the time the man takes off, most of these things would be corrected. When the man at the helm of affairs is disciplined, invariably, other people must follow. Have you asked yourself the issue of the missing $20bn? All of a sudden, it was linked to somewhere. Nigeria is a rich country because God blessed this country. It will only take a strong leadership to get things moving.
“Buhari must set the ball rolling. Nigerians know why they voted for him. Even though he has said he will not probe anybody, but in the current situation we are, when it becomes necessary, with all these monies taken away by individuals, he should recover them for the country. If need be, he (Buhari) should put some of them on trial so that others will be very careful.
“A few Nigerians cannot be holding the entire nation to ransom. Whatever it takes to recover Nigeria’s money, it does not matter whose ox is gored; he should go ahead and do it. He must deviate from the old system for this country to move forward.”
Members of the forum also berated the Federal Government over claims that they could not pay salaries because they failed to prioritize the payment of workers’ salaries.
The special adviser on media to Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State Festus Adedayo, in a statement said: “The Federal Ministry of Finance needed to be told the equivocation in its own statement. According to it, the FG had gone to banks in the last few months to meet its salary obligations. It also acknowledged that allocations to state governments had reduced by 50 per cent. Truly, the Oyo State government, which used to collect about N4bn, has had same reduced to a little more than N2bn now.
“Before now, we were paying our workers on or before 26th of every month. How do we meet our salary obligation of about N5.3bn with such colossal reduction?”
Governor Rauf Aregbesola in his reaction said his administration had prioritised payment of workers’ salaries.
A statement by the Director, Osun State Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Semiu Okanlawon, said, “If it is a matter of priority, then Osun would not be among states that do not priotise payment of salaries of workers.”
