The Government of Adamawa State has
stated that contrary to public belief, the
recent bailout funds given to states by
the Federal Government from the dividends paid
by the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas, NLNG, was
not meant for the payment of salaries and
allowances owed civil servants.
The Chief of Staff to Governor Mohammed
Jibrilla, Abdulrahman Jimeta, said this in a Radio
Gotel Programme monitored in Yola on August
12. He said the state received N3.8 billion as its
share of what he called “largesse” from the
NLNG dividends and after consultations decided
to allocate the funds to areas the government
considered more expedient.
The position of the state contradicts the reasons
given by governors of the 36 states of the
federation who after various meetings with
President Muhammadu Buhari requested for the
bailout saying without it, states could not offset
the back log of salaries owed civil servants.
“I have explained on several occasions because
we run an open government, that the money we
received from the Federal Government is N3.9
Billion: N2.1 Billion for the state government,
while local governments got N1.8 Billion.
“This money is from the LNLG, it’s a bonus
because it was not part of the budget or normal
allocation for Adamawa state. It’s a simply a
largesse that was shared to all the states,” Mr.
Abba said.
The official said he was aware that before the
money was shared, President Muhammadu
Buhari had asked the governors to let the money
first go to the federation account, after which it
would be shared to all tiers of government based
on the formula used in the Federation Account
Allocation Committee.
“What President Buhari had wanted was for the
money to be taken to the federation account to
be shared the normal way funds are shared at
the end of each month.
“The governors, however, insisted that they all
had serious problems in their states. The
problem in Plateau is different from that of
Adamawa, also the problem of Lagos is different
from that of Kano for instance. “It was, therefore,
on that basis that the money was shared.
“The federal government never told any state
what to do with its own share. Money was just
given for states to go and solve their problems,”
he said.
Giving reasons why no amount was allocated for
the payment of salaries and allowances owed
civil servants – in some cases up to six months
– in Adamawa, Mr. Abba said the state has a
population of about 3.6 million people and that
civil servants are not the only ones who have a
right to such funds.
“Of course, it is the right of civil servants to ask
for their allowances and salaries, but if we had
taken that money to pay civil servants, they
would be happy.
“But, contractors being owed by the state
government would be angry because they have
rendered all sorts of services such as supplies
and constructions. The wish of those classes of
people is that government use the windfall to
pay them.
“There are politicians who were in office during
the administrations of governors Nyako, Boni
Haruna and Fintiri, who are yet to be paid their
severance allowances, including furniture,
housing and transportation. Their wish is that
the government uses this money to pay them
part of their owed allowances.
“Therefore, paying civil servants alone does not
mean the problems of Adamawa State have been
solved, rather, only civil servants would be
happy, though they are the most important
segment because they are the ones who work,
but, everyone else also have a right on the
government of Adamawa state,” he said.
How we disbursed the money
Mr. Abba said after receiving the money, the
state government realized that there was the
need for Governor Bindow to show the citizens of
the state through the media what he has been
able to achieve in his first 100 days in office.
He also said Mr. Bindow met an empty treasury
to the extent that the state government did not
have money to pay for a full tank of petrol for
any of its vehicles.
“So, if we had taken that money to pay civil
servants, it would be a good thing, but we would
have spent 100 days in office without
constructing a road, renovating a hospital or
school, or anything to show the media because I
know that you people would come and try to
pass judgment. At times, you even go as far as
naming best governors.
“We then decided that the allocation to the 21
local governments should be utilized in such a
way that it would affect all the people of the
local governments.
“The first thing we did was something that
would help the average poor especially in this
month of August, and that is to purchase
fertilizers; 90 per cent of our people are farmers
and a bag of fertilizer costs N8000 now.
“It is a tradition that the government buys
fertilizers each year from the state and local
governments joint account. We therefore, decided
to take N 1billion naira from the windfall to buy
fertilizers.
“The Ministry of Agriculture informed us that
Adamawa State requires about 25000 metric
tonnes of fertilizer. The total cost of the
Fertilizers is actually N3.5 Billion. The N1 billion
is the take off fund required for the supply,” he
said.
The official also said the state uses some of its
funds to address its security challenges.
Adamawa is one of the three states most
affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.
Mr. Abba said Adamawa spends N45 to N50
million each month on its security outfit,
“operation Tsaro,” which is run by the military.
In the interview, he also admitted that the state
government spent N200 million on clerics,
traditional rulers and others, to pray for security.
“Don’t forget that we also have ‘yan baka’,
vigilante, traditional rulers, ward heads, pastors
and imams who were all mobilized so that we
would continue to have peace. We also do go to
clerics for prayers, just as individuals approach
clerics for prayers, government also do the same.
“People go to their Imams and pastors for
Prayers, the government do the same thing. So,
because of the importance of security, we
devoted N200 million into it,” he said.
Mr. Abba added that the state government has
realized that women in the state die from child
birth due to lack of basic items.
He said the government decided to order for
12,000 pieces what he called ‘maternity safety
kits’
He said a contractor was mobilized to produce
12,000 bags from Dubai or China which would be
stocked with items such as cotton wool,
disinfectant, baby oil, towel, baby wear, birth
injection, blade, soap and others.
He said the maternity kit would be distributed to
all the 21 local government areas in the state.
He added that N100 million belonging to the 21
local governments was allocated for special
projects in Yola, the state capital, as according
to him, “the capital belongs to all the local
governments”.
As for the N2.1 billion belonging to the state
government, Mr. Abba said the government
mobilized some construction companies such as
Triacta, Recon and Tec to carry out the
construction of some major roads in the state
capital.
He mentioned over 17 road projects which were
awarded to these companies at a total cost of
over N10 billion.
“All these projects cost over N10 billion and we
don’t have any other money apart from the N2.5
billion. What we did is to give them some token
amount as take off,” he said.
Mr. Abba said the Yola International Hotel, which
has been abandoned for nine years, also received
attention from the APC administration.
He said the contractor handling the project was
invited and a fresh agreement was signed with
him to complete the project in four months at
the cost of N1.2 billion.
He said N500 million was given to the contractor
out of the windfall.
“We gave him so much money because the
remaining part of the job requires that he travels
outside the country to purchase items such
Chandeliers, Kitchen utensils, doors and
windows, as well as the lifter,” he said.
Bullet proof cars for governor
Another expense undertaken by the Adamawa
state government from the bailout funds is the
purchase of two bullet-proof vehicles for
Governor Mohammed Jibrilla at the cost of N95
million.
“We were not selfish at all. Since our coming
into office, we bought only two vehicles, which
are bullet proof cars for the use of the governor.
In fact, we collected the vehicles on loan until we
now received this windfall which enables us to
pay for them.
“They are brand new vehicles and did not even
cost up to a N100 million. We had to buy the
vehicles for the governor because the ones
bought by Bala Ngillari broke down while the
governor was on his way to Mubi. They were
also not bullet proof and were bought at over
N200 million.
“Before we paid the N95 million cost of the two
vehicles, we took them to the Police in Abuja to
be tested with guns.
“If we were selfish, the SSG deserves three
vehicles, Chief of Staff also deserves three, the
deputy governor and his wives deserves vehicles,
the governor’s wife deserves vehicles, so also all
our lawmakers including the Speaker and other
Principal officers.
“But, we did not, we begged the lawmakers to be
patient and give us time and allow us to first
work for the masses who voted for us. The
masses needed to be convinced that we have
the intention of coming to their aid,” Mr. Abba
said.
The Chief of Staff, however, thanked civil
servants in the state for their “understanding”
even as he said the APC enjoys the support of
workers in Adamawa.
“As for workers, all we can do is to thank them.
We had a good understanding, and I am sure
most of them voted for APC that is why we even
appointed the chairman of NLC in the state into
our transition committee. We did that to enable
the civil servants have an idea of what we are
doing.
“We honestly, do not expect the civil servants to
be angry over this decision to expend this
windfall the way we did. Adamawa had been
trying in the area of payment of salaries; Plateau
owes 8 months, Benue 10, but down here, it’s
not all the civil servants that are being owed.
“Don’t also forget that May salaries should have
been paid before May 29th when we came on
board. Civil servants were not paid before we
assumed office and there was no money in the
treasury to pay them.
“We had to collect a loan of N1.4 billion from
Zenith bank to pay the civil servants their
salaries. If we had wanted to let them continue
to suffer, we would have insisted that they
should have been paid by the immediate past
administration of Bala Ngillari and since he
refused to pay, Bindow would have drawn the
line and begin payment of salaries as from the
month of June.
“We know government is a continues process,
but we also know that Governor Nyako stood his
ground and refused to pay two months salaries
and went away with it until Fintiri came, took
pity on the civil servants and paid them,” he
said.

source: http://saharareporters.com/2015/08/24/adamawa-justifies-using-fg’s-bailout-bulletproof-vehicles-clerics-not-workers-salary

cc: lalasticalala

Buhari is Working !
Long Live Nigeria

Nawaoh

Good God!

R

Good God! This is why there has to be a restructuring different from this current system. Did the government not have a budget before awarding contracts and the likes? And he sits there to call money from NLNG funds a mere largese with which state governments were asked to go and solve their problems. Then he doesn't pay arrears of salaries!
What is he doing to generate funds within his state?

These questions apply to all state governments. This monthly spoon feeding as well as bailouts will not work. They only enrich governors and their cronies! It is time for regions to work and develop themselves.

Imagine the reasoning! They don't expect civil servants to be angry and thank them for their understanding? That they did civil servants a huge favour by paying May salaries and could have drawn d line to start paying from June? How? Are the people employed by the government or the Governor? This is so sick! And they get away with this mindset cos nobody can ask them questions, the ones enlightened enough to see these problems are beneficiaries and d masses are deliberately boxed in so they don't even know any better!
See them confidently explaining how they use government funds to consult Imams/religious clerics. This is such a shame and all because they know every month money must come.

Adamawa one chance Government.

U see dem? After dem go say APC people good

Eeeeeeehhhhhhhhhnnnnnnnnnn!

Aregberascal still maintains and uses a chopper inspite of the state's dire situation

Oshiomole has a helicopter parked in Edo Govt house and has to cough out thousands of dollars to fund his ashewoe wife's shopping spree.

These are d calibre of pple we voluntarily vote into office

smh

Wow. Is this real or fiction? I don't blame people calling this place Zoo really.

zoo

Change!!!!!

Lai Mohamed will not see this one!

Buhari will no see this one!

Oshimole will not see this one!

Na GEJ name matter they go hala from morning till midnight. APC All progressive craze people!

This is just a story to justify the looting of the money. What are they going to do with fertilizer when farmers have already started harvesting their crops? What is the state government's business with renovating a hotel and is not the same Abdurrahman Abba that was telling us how the contractor, an in-law to Atiku Abubakar, cheated Adamawa state government? The government of Gov is already a candidate for the prize of the most government in the history of the state.

It is a pity the people of this state turned down the service of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. A tested and trusted hand like El rufa'i. I respect their choice and I hope it pays them. If it does not,; they should learn to live with it.