While most states in the country have utilised the second tranche of the Paris Club refund they received, Anambra and Borno areamong the nine states which are yet to do so,according to a survey by NAN.The other states are Gombe, Ebonyi, Enugu, Bauchi, Cross River and Imo.The federal government had advised state governments to use between 50 and 75 per cent of their shares of the refund to clear the arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities they owed.In July, the government released the second tranche worth N243. 795 billion to the 36 states in July, having earlier released N388.30 billion in December 2016.The funds were released following protests by the states against over-deductions from their allocations for external debt services between 1995 and 2002.The survey by NAN revealed that some of theworkers and pensioners were owed salaries and pensions for periods ranging between two to 11 months.However, in most states where the arrears ofsalaries, pensions and gratuities have been paid, some civil servants and retirees, especially those in the council areas, are still being owed.Jigawa, Yobe and Adamawa in the north-east; Kwara in the north-central; all states in the south-south except Cross River; Abia in the south-east; and all states in the south-west have paid off all its arrears.In Jigawa, Suleiman Kiyawa, executive secretary, Jigawa state and local governmentcontributory pension scheme, said the state government had cleared the arrears.Kiyawa said the state government paid aboutN461.4 million as terminal benefits to 339 retirees in the state.Abubakar Musa, a retired civil servant in the state, said each time a civil servant retired, he/she collected the entitlements without delay.In Yobe, Baba Malam-Wali, secretary to the state government (SSG), said the state had been paying salaries of workers as and at when due and would continue to do so.However, payment of the entitlements of the council workers in the state had been delayed due to an internal conflict among members of the state local government retiree screening committee.Kachallah Goni, the state chairman of NigeriaUnion of Pensioners (NUP), commended the state government for the prompt payment and urged it to intervene in the matter to pave way for hitch-free settlement of the arrears.On its part, the Borno government said it approved N6 billion for the clearing of the outstanding retired workers’ gratuities and pensions in the state.However, the concerned workers and retireesare yet to receive the payments.In Gombe, Haruna Kamara, chairman, NigeriaLabour Congress (NLC), said the state government had not settled the arrears of gratuities of some retired civil servants.He said that government did not inform the NLC in the state about the release of the second tranche, but that the organised labour only read of it on the internet.“The truth of the matter is that nobody from the government of Gombe state consulted usabout the fund and how they are going to useit,” he said.Muhamadu Bindow, Adamawa state governor, acknowledged receipt of N6.11 billion as the state’s share of the refund.“So far, we have settled six months inherited outstanding workers’ salaries,” Bindow said.“It remains only one month salary arrears which I have directed the commissioner of finance to pay.”However, some primary school teachers, primary healthcare workers and pensioners complained of non-payment of their outstanding salaries and pensions.But some primary healthcare workers, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said they were owed three months salaries.“As I am talking with you, we have not received even the July salary let alone the three months arrears. We are suffering,” one of them was quoted as saying.Below is a breakdown of what each state got:Paris Club refund to states (billion naira)

Akwa Ibom......10
Rivers...........10
Bayelsa.........10
Delta..............10
Kano...............10
Lagos.......8.37
Katsina.......8.20
Oyo............7.90
Kaduna.......7.72
Borno..........7.34
Niger............7.21
Jigawa..........7.10
Imo...............7
Ondo...............7
Bauchi...........6.87
Benue...........6.85
Sokoto............6.44
Osun........... 6.31
Anambra........6.21
Adamawa.........6.11
Edo..........6.09
Cross River.........6.07
Kogi...........6.02
Kebbi...........5.97
Plateau...........5.64
Taraba.............5.61
Zamfara.............5.44
Yobe.............5.41
Ogun............5.37
Enugu..........5.36
Kwara........5.12
Ekiti...........4.77
Nasarawa.........4.55
Ebonyi...........4.50
Gombe..........4.47
FCT ........0.68

https://www.thecable.ng/anambra-borno-nine-states-owing-workers-paris-club-refund(Quote) (Report)1 Li

Press Statement

Anambra does not Owe Salaries, Pensions & Gratuities

The attention of the Government of Anambra State has been drawn to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) which listed Anambra as one of the states owing arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities. The inclusion of Anambra State on that list is incorrect, misleading. 

For the avoidance of doubt, Anambra State is not owing workers’ salaries, pensions and gratuities. On the contrary, since the inception of the Obiano administration, Anambra has been more alive to its obligation to workers including retirees and pensioners.

It is on record for instance, that in year 2015, when the nation's economy was sliding into recession, Anambra was the only state in the federation that increased the salaries of its workers. It is also a known fact that since the inception of the Governor Willie Obiano administration in Anambra State, workers' salaries have never waited one day longer than the scheduled 25th day of every month when every employee of the government receives their salary alert.

Indeed, it is imperative to mention that right from inception, the Obianoadministration has been particularly attentive to the plight of workers. 

It must be recalled that four months after assuming office, Governor Obiano paid the arrears of pension and gratuity amounting to N940m owed Local Government pensioners in the state. He followed this up with the clearance of the N1.9bn arrears of salaries owed Water Corporation and ANSEPA staff by the past administration for 8 years. 

Similarly, the retirees of National Light, the state’s newspaper publishing housewhose pensions had been in arrears since the state was created 26 years ago were paid last week. 

Continuing this tradition of humane treatment of the workers, Governor Obiano has promised to increase the salaries of Anambra workers next year once the AnambraState House of Assembly approves the 2018 Budget.

In appreciation of all the friendly gestures of the Obiano administration towards workers, members of the organized Labour in the state have unanimously endorsedthe governor’s second term bid. They did that during the activities marking this year’s celebration of the Workers’ Day. In endorsing Governor Obiano’s second term bid, the workers recalled that even in the midst of recession, the governor had never failed in his promise to ensure a prompt payment of salaries and had thereby earned the nickname “the Alert Governor.” 

To finally crown his endorsement and underscore his overwhelming acceptance by all the workers, they honoured him with the award of “The Best Labour Friendly Governor of Anambra State” which automatically placed him ahead of all his predecessors in labour relations. 

This is the truthful and factual account of the cordial relationship between the Government of Anambra State under His Excellency, Governor Willie Obiano and the workers of Anambra State. We hope that we have set the records straight with this narrative. 

Thank you

 

Signed

Ogbuefi Tony Nnachetta

Hon Commissioner for Information & Communication Strategy