N3.9b Paris Club Refund For Salaries Was Released After Fayemi Visited Buhari

Ekiti State Government on Thursday received N3.9 billion from the
Federal Government as the last tranche of its Paris Club refund.

As
directed by the President, N3.3billion was also deducted and paid as
outstanding 2016-2018 counterpart fund for Universal Basic Education
Commission (UBEC) being owed by the state.

Consequently, the
State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has directed that the N3.9billion
refund be applied to pay one month of outstanding arrears to state and
local government workers, teachers and pensioners, in line with his
promise to Ekiti workers and people.

This will be done with an augmentation from internal savings.

According
to a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Yinka
Oyebode, the Paris Club refund was received following President
Mohammadu Buhari’s intervention in the matter, after Governor Fayemi’s
last week visit to the President.

Governor Fayemi expressed
appreciation to the President for the timely intervention, having
assured workers in the state that his administration would explore all
avenues to clear the five to eight months salary arrears owed workers in
the state by the immediate past administration, within a reasonable
period.

Dr Fayemi, had while fielding questions during the
monthly “Meet Your Governor” programme on television and radio last week
re-assured workers that he was yet to receive the Paris Club refund,
adding that he would make it public once the state received the payment.

The
immediate past administration of Mr Ayodele Fayose had received a total
N18.34 billion Paris Club refund in three tranches between December
2016 and December 2017, in addition to bailout funds, budget support
funds and excess crude support, all totalling about N55 billion, but
failed to utilise it on salary being owed workers and retirees.

The
first tranche of the Paris Club refund totalling N8.87 billion was
received in December 2016. The state also got N4.77 billion in July 2017
and another N4.7billion in December 2017.

Governor Fayemi has
however assured workers in the state that his administration will not
owe them salaries, adding that he would clear outstanding salaries for
all categories of workers within one year.