From Saka Bolaji, Minna
The Niger State government released N4.45 billion as salary bailout to 12 of the 25 local government areas of the state in 2016, insisting that no council is being owed by the state government.
Commissioner for Local Government, Community Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Haliru Zakari Jikantoro, disclosed this to newsmen on Thursday after the weekly state executive council meeting.
Apparently reacting to rumours making grounds that some local government councils are defaulting in workers salary and that of the primary school teachers due to non-release of funds to the council by the state government.
Jikantoro said: “It is true that there were four months accrued salaries to 12 local government councils workers and the education department but Governor Abubakar Sani Bello had instructed the Ministry of Finance to pay the money and the money have been released and paid to the affected councils.
“In July N748,000 was released as bail out to the affect councils, in August N778,000 was paid while a whooping sum of N2,190,000 was released as bail out in November and another N587,000,000 went to the councils in December 2016 for salary payment.
“The sum of N146 million was equally paid for the allowances of ex-councillors in all the 25 councils of the state.”
The Commissioner said the state government at no time held on to the local government fund and wondered why it could be accused of being responsible for the predicament of the grassroots workers whose salary is being withheld.
The Commissioner further said that, “Mr. Governor has equally directed the release of January 2017 salary to the council and this morning (Thursday) the money is being disbursed to all the local government”.
He said that the 12 affected councils include Agaie, Bida, Bosso, Gbako, Katcha, Lapai, Lavun, Chachanga, Mokwa, Paikoro, Shiroro and Suleja local government councils adding that the bailout was part of the money gotten from the Paris Club.
The Commissioner noted that the state government was disturbed by the development and at its yesterday council meeting directed the Ministry of Local Government to set up a Commission of Enquiry to ascertain how and when the funds were released and to unearth how the funds were utilised.
This he said was with a view to bring to book any erring council because the state government is not with holding local government money.
Leave a Reply