President Muhammadu Buhari has instructed that the balance of the first 50 per cent part of the Paris Club refund should be paid to the states of the federation.
President Buhari gave the directive on Monday during a meeting with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
The governors were led to the meeting which held at the Presidential Villa by the NGF Chairman and Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, who brief State House correspondents after the closed-door meeting, also confirmed the President’s directive.
He explained that the directive was meant for the completion of the first part of the Paris Club refund, saying the payment was delayed as a result of unreconciled figures.
“The Paris Club refund numbers need to be reconciled but while the reconciliation process was going on, the President approved that 50 per cent of the provisional amount be paid to the states, and the payment stated from last year.
“We still have the balance of the first 50 per cent unpaid. This is what the President said must be paid in time for the state governments to meet their obligations before Christmas,” El-Rufai said.
On his part, Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, said the meeting centred on the welfare of the civil servants which he said led to the President’s directive.
He added that the governors also agreed that workers’ salaries at the state level would be paid in time for the yuletide subject to the receipt of the Paris Club refund.
“The discussion centred on basically the end of the year and the President himself had expressed the need to make sure that every Nigerian, especially the workers have a beautiful Christmas.
“The issues of the outstanding of Paris Club refund was discussed and that was taken care of to make sure that workers in the various states and everywhere in the country get to celebrate the Christmas,” Okorocha said.
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