http://www.punchng.com/news/govs-should-be-blamed-for-unpaid-salaries-okonjo-iweala/



The Federal Government on Wednesday absolved itself of blame in the inability of some state governments to pay their workers’ salaries.

It said the governors of such states should be blamed for the development in their states because they were told through the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee to make the issue of wage a priority.

The Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said this in a statement by her Special Adviser on Communications, Paul Nwabuikwu.

The statement was necessitated by the All Progressives Congress governors’ claim that the negative manner the outgoing Goodluck Jonathan administration was running the economy had made it difficult for them to pay salaries regularly.

But Okonjo-Iweala said that despite the 50 per cent drop in gross federally collectible revenue, the Federal Government had made the issue of workers’ salaries a top priority in order to ensure that the “people do not feel the negative impact of the revenue drop on the economy.”

For instance, the minister said that contrary to the “misinformation being put forward by certain governors to the effect that federal workers are being owed, staff salaries at the Federal level are up-to-date.”

She said in the five paragraph statement that the states, being one of the three tiers of government that receive monthly allocations from the Federation Account, should be blamed for their predicament.

The statement read, “This is to clarify the misinformation put forward by certain governors to the effect that Federal workers are being owed salaries.

“This is incorrect. Staff salaries at the Federal level are up-to-date; workers have received their April salaries.

“Regarding difficulties in salary payments, certain governors are trying to blame the Federal Government for their predicament. This is wrong. They had been told through the FAAC to prioritise salaries but they chose not to do so, hence the backlog that some states are experiencing.

“The 50 per cent drop in revenues simply means that salaries should be prioritised. The Federal Government should not be blamed for avoidable mistakes made at the state level.”

The APC governors had during a meeting with the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, in Abuja on Tuesday, expressed frustrations about their inability to pay workers’ salaries.

They therefore appealed to Buhari to consider a bailout plan for all the 36 state governments after his inauguration on May 29.

They said, “One of the issues that became of concern to all of us is the state of the Nigerian economy which is really in a bad shape.

“We have come to notify the incoming president of the challenges ahead of him. As it stands today, most states of the federation have not been able to pay salaries and even the Federal Government has not paid April salaries and that is very worrisome, by May and June, that (salaries) will be in cumulative of three months.

“We wonder with the huge expectation of Nigerians and people who have voted us into power, we are hoping that the president-elect will do everything humanly possible to bring about a bailout not only for the states but the Federal Government, at least for people to get their salaries and turn around the economy.”

The Nigeria Labour Congress had on April 28, insisted that state governors must pay outstanding salaries before the May 29 handover date.

The factional Deputy President of the NLC, Peters Adeyemi, said at the ninth National Delegates conference of the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria in Abuja, that workers had commenced the campaign to prevail on the governors to pay outstanding salaries before May 29.

The National Administrative Council of the NLC had on March 19, 2015 set up a committee to compel state governments to pay over eight months salary arrears owed workers.

The congress had on December 31, 2014 said that 11 states owed workers salaries.

Adeyemi said that workers should not be made to bear the brunt of the mismanagement of the as they were not part of those who looted the treasury.


Cc Lalatisclala

konji sorry okonjo


y should GEJ be blamed wen some agents of change like Amaechi, okorocha and Arigbesola has sworn to mk d lifes of their ppl miserable



come to rivers Amaechi don use dept scatter pensioniers brain for 6months now all because of their sick president and campaign for APC that he won't get d least portfolio


okorocha is owing for 13months..get mind build mosque for imo govt house

only God knows how much Arigbesola is owing

Everyone knows this.

The problem facing these governors is that due to the drop in government revenues, they will continue to owe salaries till oil rises back to 100 dollars a barrel, which is not happening anytime soon.

Well said ma

Yes..

We're not minding Aregbekolo that lies to Osun people that Fed govt is withholding or slashing their allocations. E go soon clear for their eyes when Buhari enters and Aregbekolo is still owing them..

Very true Mrs Iweala. How I wish the governors get to work with just IGR and not Federal allocation, maybe when they start paying their secretaries from the handbags of their wives the picture will be clearer.

Of course, the governors are responsible. But what do you expect when the Oga at the highest top is doing Jamboree with FG revenue?

Aregbeshola, Ajimobi, Jonah Jang, Gabriel Suswam, Rochas Okorocha, TA Orji and other chronic debtors, shay una dey hear o?

Sweetguy25:
Everyone know this.

Not everyone oh.. Osun people don't know this..

Madam fluffy cheeks, when is your next NOI-polls results gonna be published?? We would like to see how rosy and sturdy our economy is.

This is a single story, the govs have their own genuine reasons too.

These APC governors are just making excuse for their impending failure. Fortunately, GEJ will not be there to receive the blame when the people react through the ballot.

They are best served putting on their thinking caps!

Point

Useless woman, you and your master have plunged the Nigerian economy into ruin by that unchecked looting of our collective wealth now you are laying the blame on others. I hope you go to prison

lol

Some of these governors are indeed irresponsible. They were all aware of the reduction in revenue coming into the federation account due to falling oil prices, why didn't they prioritise salaries like the FG adviced They were busy executing contracts.
Honestly the fallen price of oil and the severe cash crunch currently affecting oil expecting countries like Nigeria has just exposed the gross ANOMALY of the feeding bottle system of economic development in Nigeria. This economic structure is so outdated and does not gaurantee any long lasting economic development. Centralism and dependence on federation account brews nothing but mediocrity, laziness and unproductivity.
Instead of having a system that will require states to develop their own resources based on their comparative advantage and generate their own internal revenue, we are here operating an economy of dependenc at the centre. This economic structure is totaly inefficient and unsustaninable. It has to stop.

Until we practice REAL FEDERALISM were states will be sorely responsible for their own economic development, this circle of mediocrity and laziness will continue.
Every state must be allowed to control and develop their own resources and economies for longlasting economic development.

I wonder why the truth is avoided in modern day Nigeria. Do you doubt me? See how empty of the usual jingoists this thread is? So governors have the capability to pay but we hear excuses on TV, Radio, Papers and social media?

Una never Chi Chum Chin!!!!!!