The Federal Government had in March, 2018 claimed that it had so far shared N1.9 trillion among states as support from the Paris Club refund.
Ade Alade, Abuja
State governors across party lines are presently fuming over an alleged secret payment of N16.67 billion, said to be the last tranche of Paris Club refund payment to Osun state government.
The state government was in December 2017 paid along other states by the federal government the third tranche of the refund, amounting to N6.3 billion.
Paris Club refund is a partial settlement of long-standing claims by state governments relating to over-deductions from their Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) payments for external debt service between 1995 and 2002.
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Three tranches had been released earlier to all the states, with the last released alongside the December 2017 federal allocations to enable most of the states owing months of staff salaries offset the backlog.
At least three state governors from both the ruling APC and opposition PDP who spoke to Saturday Sun on the latest payment yesterday expressed anger over the secret manner the payment was made to only Osun. They argued that the refund was made to empower the state government successfully prosecute the September 22 governorship election in which the APC candidate, Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola is facing a strong challenge from the candidates of at least three other parties; PDP, ADP and SDP.
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“All states and governors need money at this critical time to pay workers salaries and provide basic infrastructure needed by our people but instead of the federal government treating us equally, they have chosen to pay only Osun state this huge sum at the expense of the rest of us who are equally in dire need of whatever refund we have left”, one of the state governors told Saturday Sun yesterday.
Another governor who also sounded unhappy about the development said “the secret payment was all geared towards mobilizing for APC in the coming governorship election in Osun and certainly not for the state workers. Otherwise, it should have been a general and open payment to all the states.”
The third governor who also said he got wind of the payment vowed that he was going to mobilise his colleagues to pressure the federal government to release whatever is due to other states without further delay. “What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander”, he stressed.
The Federal Government had in March, 2018 claimed that it had so far shared N1.9 trillion among states as support from the Paris Club refund. Vice President Yemi Osinbajo made this known in his address at the fourth edition of the Ogun Investors’ Forum in Abeokuta.
Osinbajo said that the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration had continued to extend equal and unbiased support to states of the federation regardless of party affiliations. He said it would be difficult to point to any government that had been more supportive in the development of the ambitions of states as the present administration.
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The Vice President had recalled that no fewer than 26 of the 36 states in Nigeria could not pay the salaries of their workers when the present administration assumed power in 2015. Osinbajo explained that the federal government, however, came to their rescue by extending funds to them.
Dirty deals by this government will be exposed by the incoming government
The so-called governors, presidency, nass, pdp, apc, ohanaeze, afenifere, pandef, acf, can etc. are clubs of bandits, generation of failures, political prostitutes, complicit and collaborators of the enemy which must go down with the enemy on the sunken ship nickname Nigeria in this final conquest of the Liberation Revolutionary Warfare of the natives under the natives Disintegrated Republics which is the conquest of Sokoto which has begun. This territory natives of this generation has come to clean the ruins of this natives territory with the Sword in this final conquest which is the conquest of Sokoto which has begun. Existence securities and freedom of this territory natives of this generation in this 21st century world international order is only under the natives Disintegrated Republics- Biafra Republic of south east, Niger Delta Republic of south south, Oduduwa Republic of south west, North East Republic, North West Republic, North Central Republic which must be defended with the Sword in this final conquest which is the conquest of Sokoto which has begun. It is Revolutionary Militant Groups- RMG etc. formation which its members are the new military, police etc. under the natives Disintegrated Republics. The war front is Sokoto- the last bastion of fulani fraudulent criminal sultanate political government with its emirates and their brainwashed terrorism mercenaries nickname military, police etc. controlled by British bandits and fraudulent criminal America with their fraudulent criminal UN of 20th century world international order. Slaughter the last enemy in Sokoto. Slaughter the last fulani in Sokoto. Slaughter the last enemy’s brainwashed terrorism mercenaries nickname military, police etc. in Sokoto. Slaughter the criminal tout nickname sultan in Sokoto, burn down his palace etc. Slaughter every emir in this natives territory of Disintegrated Republics, burn down their palaces etc. Freedom of northern natives from the bondage of fulani fraudulent criminal sultanate political government with its emirates is a must with the Sword in this final conquest which is the conquest of Sokoto which has begun. Freedom of this territory natives of this generation from the bondage of the dead fraudulent political name Nigeria founded by British bandits is a must with the Sword in this final conquest which is the conquest of Sokoto which has begun. God given Victory is the natives. Only the Sword decides. God Is With Us!!!
Don’t call it corruption ooo!!!!it is likely mr integrity was not aware of the payment.or do we ask reverend san prof?the worst leadership is the one pretentiously pious yet overtly luciferous in their clandestine engagements.
Yet, no attempt was made to speak with anybody from Osun State or the FG. Yellow journalism.
What sort of an article is this? Very baseless article with zero professionalism. So people still publish Linda Ikeji type of stories as news. Not a single fact, a single named governor who is allegedly upset. Isn’t it unfortunate that our media has a prize low enough to publish rubbish like this.
Who are the governors, let’s know.