Salary Crisis: Buhari Set To Intervene
There are indications that President Muhammadu Buhari, will bailout states currently owing backlog of workers salaries in order to help cushion the effects of the non-payment on the Nigerian economy.
This disclosure was made by Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state, who was speaking in Makurdi, the state capital, during a meeting with students and other union leaders from the Benue State University, (BSU).
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The governor revealed that his predecessor, Gabriel Suswam, left behind a debt burden of over N90 billion for his administration.
According to Vanguard, Benue is reportedly among the distressed states in the country. Others include Osun, Enugu, Kaduna, Plateau and Imo. Most of the states and their local governments are allegedly owing between four to six months salaries of workers.
Ortom said: “the list of the debt (left behind by Suswam) include N50 billion incurred from ongoing contracts, N18 billion on certificated contracts, N12 billion on salary arrears and about N10 billion for bonds and bank facilities and loans.”
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He stated that his government had concluded arrangements to borrow funds to pay one month salary across board and to also ensure both the executive and legislative arms of government resume their duties.
He told the BSU students that he was determined to address their problems and to persuade striking tertiary institution workers to call off their four months old strike.
Earlier, President of the BSU Students’ Union Government, Bobby Taver-shima, told the governor that students of the university had been at home for four months.
In a similar vein, a representative of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Gideon Obande, appealed to Ortom to clear arrears of bursary owed students in the state.
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Recently, Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, disclosed that some of the appointees of the ex-president, Goodluck Jonathan, have started returning some of the stolen funds they carted away while serving in the government.
Source: Legit.ng
