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Tag: Paris Club

  • Governors deny diversion of Paris Club refund

    Governors deny diversion of Paris Club refund

    The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) at the weekend denied allegations that state governors diverted and embezzled part of the first tranche of the Paris-London Clubs refunds.

    While the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been investigating the allegations, President Muhammadu Buhari last Thursday approved the release of the second tranche of the Paris-London Club refunds to state government.

    According to a press release by the Head of Media and Public Affairs of the NGF, Abdulrazaque Bello-Barkindo, the allegations were false.

    In the press release titled ‘The NGF and Paris-London Clubs Loan
    Refund: Putting the records straight’, he said: “The Nigeria Governors’
    Forum read with utter disgust reports making the rounds in the print,
    electronic and social media that monies accruing to states from the Paris and London Clubs refunds have found their way into private pockets.

    “Apart from stating that these reports are unfounded and are only a figment of the imagination of the writers, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum wishes to also categorically state that nothing illegal has been committed in the entire process leading to the final disbursement to states of the first tranche Paris-London Clubs repayment of the excess deductions from states’ coffers and the refund of their loans.

    “Following the barrage of innuendoes, untruths and outright falsehoods that have pervaded the media, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum deems it imperative to shed light on the transactions that followed and put the records straight.

    “The Paris London Clubs loan refund has been on the cards since 2005. Successive state governors had tried to get reimbursement for the excess deductions from their states in the past but did not succeed. The failure resulted from a number of reasons, varying from one state to the other. It is therefore to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum’s credit that this set of governors was able to persuade President Muhammadu Buhari to authorize the release of the funds for disbursement to deserving states.

    “President Buhari’s desire to reflate the economy at a time when states
    were insolvent and unable to pay salaries was why he acceded to the request by the current group of governors that the money be released to the states.
    It is true that there were conditions attached to the disbursements but
    these arose from the collective and voluntary resolution of the governors and not any draconian order from any quarters.”

    This, he said, showed that the governors are responsible, sensitive and
    compassionate enough to understand the plight of Nigerians that they govern and are working in the interest of their people.

    He insisted that due process was diligently followed in approving the
    repayment.

    “And each and every approving authority, including the Federal Ministry ofFinance, the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the Central Bank of Nigeria and the office of the Auditor General of the Federation as well as the National Assembly were duly informed from the beginning to the end of all the transactions.

    “Nothing illegal was done and no monies was paid into the personal account of any Governor, legislator or top officials at any of the levels and arms of government in the country.”he said

    He also noted that President Muhammadu Buhari would not have approved the payment of the second tranche of the refund to the states, if the Federal Government had found anything corrupt, illegal and unpatriotic about the utilization of the first tranche of the Paris-London Clubs Fund.

    He added “Note also most importantly at this juncture, that every decision that was taken in respect of all the transactions was with the full consent
    and blessing of the 36 governors.

    “We therefore find the insinuation in the media that monies went into the
    private accounts of seven unidentified governors as not only preposterous
    but mischievous.

    “This is more so because none of the reports was able to identify a single
    governor, not to talk of seven. The Economic and Financial Crimes
    Commission (EFCC) itself had issued a release exculpating all the
    governors, saying it was investigating the matter further.

    “But instead of allowing the EFCC to conclude its investigations, a
    particular section of the media resorted to this unsavory falsehood which
    puts the media and its practitioners in bad light.” he stated

  • Paris Club: Committee begins verification of LG workers in Adamawa

    The Adamawa State Committee for the payment of outstanding salary liabilities from Paris Club Refund on Tuesday commenced screening of yet to be paid Local Government workers.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 6,000 workers comprising local government staff, teachers and primary healthcare workers were affected.

    The committee attributed the initial delay to some hitches including non-capturing of names on the payroll.

    Chairman of the committee, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abba-Jimeta, said in Yola that workers affected were from central zone which comprised Yola North, Yola South, Girei and Fufore local government.

    Abba-Jimeta who urged affected workers to cooperate with the committee for a smooth exercise, assured that the state government was committed to ensure that no genuine worker was left out.

    Commenting on the two weeks exercise, the state chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers, Rodney Nathan, and his counterpart of Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN), Jeremiah Ngwakwar, lauded the exercise.

    “I have about 1,500 of my members (teachers) that are affected which we hope would be screened in good time,” Nathan said.

  • We’re waiting for EFCC over Paris Club probe – Governors’ Forum

    We’re waiting for EFCC over Paris Club probe – Governors’ Forum

    The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) on Wednesday night said that governors are ready to take on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which is investigating possible diversion of the refund made to states from the excess charges of Paris Club.

    Chairman of the NGF and Zamfara state governor, Abdulaziz Yari, spoke with State House correspondents at the end of the Forum’s meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    He said that governors would be waiting to see what the anti-graft agency would come up with.

    It was reported last week that the NGF may have used fictitious consultants to divert some of the money from Paris Club which had attracted the attention of the EFCC.

    Worried by the development, the Presidency had ordered a full scale investigation into the disbursement of the funds.

    Insisting that the governors were ready for the EFCC probe, he expressed governors’ support for the present administration’s war against corruption, noting that they would wait for the outcome of the EFCC’s investigation.

    He said: “We discussed the issue of Paris Club and London Club. We observed that EFCC said it is doing investigations. Yeah, we support the federal government for fighting corruption.

    “We are waiting for the EFCC to come up with what they say is the investigation and come up with the result.”

    The Presidency had ordered the investigation because it was angry that what it had meant to be a good gesture had been compromised by selfish interests.

    Top Presidency source had disclosed that the federal government was worried that its efforts to ensure the settlement of pension and salaries owed to workers in the states was being sabotaged by likely diversion of the funds earmarked for the purpose.

    It therefore expressed its determination to get to the bottom of the matter and consequently ordered relevant agencies to carry out a full scale probe to unravel any abuse the fund might have been subjected to.

    Some of the reports also showed that the governors were spoiling for war with the acting Chairman of the EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, over the decision of the EFCC to investigate alleged diversion of the money.

    The reports suggested that the EFCC may have questioned the Director General of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Asishana Okauru, over the use of the possible diversion of funds by state governors as it was believed that the governors may have paid the money to phoney companies.

    The reports also fingered the Senate President, Bukola Saraki over the abuse of the funds.

    But the governors were said to be fighting back over what they claimed was the unnecessary harassment of members and officials of the NGF.

    The EFCC itself has denied that it indicted the 36 state governors and Senate President, Bukola Saraki for allegedly pocketing large slices of the Paris loan refund.

    A media report on an online medium had alleged that the governors’ forum championed a five percent deduction of the funds paid to the states whereby some governors got about N400 million while Saraki got N2.5billion.

    In the report, the EFCC was said to have been informed by Okauru that he transferred money to individual governors, through the NGF, though he failed to write an official statement to this effect.

    Apparently reacting to the report, EFCC in a statement on its twitter handle, @officialEFCC, said that though investigation was ongoing on the reimbursement paid to state governments for excess Paris club deduction, it was yet to indict any governor or Senate President so far.

    The EFCC said the investigation remained at a preliminary stage, chiding insinuations of attempting to cover up for some of the officials of the commission.

    The commission said that it would brief the public of the results of its investigation as at when due.

    The statement read, “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC has been drawn to a report captioned, Nigerian State Governors, Senate President Saraki Pocketed Billions of Naira from Paris Loan Refund, which appeared in the online news portal, Sahara Reporters on Sunday February 12, 2017.”

    “The report among others claimed that the Commission has indicted all the governors of the 36 states of the Federation and the Senate President, Bukola Saraki in the ongoing investigation of the reimbursement paid to state governments by the Federal Government for excessive deduction charged to them on account of the Paris Club and other international loans.”

    “The Commission wishes to state unequivocally, that no state governor or Senate President has been indicted so far by the investigation which is still.”

     

  • Oyo receives N7.2b Paris Club refund

    Oyo receives N7.2b Paris Club refund

    The Oyo State government has received N7.2billion of the Paris Club refund.

    It said 60 per cent of the fund was added to its federal allocation to pay August and September salaries.

    Commissioner for Information Toye Arulogun, at a briefing yesterday, said the fund was released due to Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s doggedness, determination and tenacity.

    “The governor’s efforts have yielded fruitful results. We all remember that Oyo State was initially excluded from the benefitting states. The Federal Government claimed that the previous administration collected the state’s share.

    “He was not at peace with the development and swung into action to ensure that the state was included.

    “The governor mandated the Ministry of Finance to reconcile accounts with the Federal Ministry of Finance.

    “The results of the reconciliation and the governor’s spirited efforts led to the payment of N7.2billion to Oyo State.

    “We have used 60 per cent of the funds to pay salaries as promised by the governor during the interfaith service on January 3.”

  • APC slams Fayose for alleged ‘diversion’ of Paris Club refund

    APC slams Fayose for alleged ‘diversion’ of Paris Club refund

    •Accuses labour leaders of conspiracy

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has criticised Governor Ayo Fayose for the alleged diversion of N8.8 billion Paris Club refund released by the Federal Government to states to offset salaries and retirees’ allowances.

    The party accused Organised Labour of conspiring with the governor in the alleged mismanagement of the funds.

    The APC, in a statement yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, slammed the labour leaders for alleged complicity.

    The opposition described Fayose as “callous” for his alleged refusal to use the  funds to pay salaries, pensions and severance allowances like his counterparts in other states.

    The APC said Ekiti labour leaders were hobnobbing with the governor in an “unholy alliance to protect the governor for their personal benefits”.

    The party spokesperson declared that “nobody was fooled by Fayose’s payment of one month salary of eight months he is owing”.

    Olatunbosun said:  “The governor’s claim that the  wage bill had doubled without promotion of workers and fresh recruitment is unacceptable.

    “It is more worrisome that whenever labour leaders chose to talk on the welfare of Ekiti workers, they always defend the governor who has pauperised the workers.

    “Fayose has fixed N5.3 billion of this money in Skye Bank so that he can benefit from the interest. The balance of N3.5 billion is in the JAC Account.

    “Fayose only spent the state’s monthly allocation, which has accumulated for many months, to pay one month  salary while giving the impression that he paid the salary from the new bailout he collected.”

    The party said the “latest callous conduct” was a confirmation of its view that Fayose had never been sincere and transparent in his financial dealings.

    “We call on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to pay more attention to Ekiti State finances and ensure that Fayose uses the new bailout to pay salaries.”

    However, the State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the APC of feeding the public with lies.

    Its Publicity Secretary, Jackson Adebayo, in a statement, said the allegations against Fayose “have further confirmed that the APC is peopled by confused and ignorant minds who will fail any economic question”.

    “We implored labour unions to ignore the party because raising issues with it is just like dancing with mad men in the market.”

    PDP said the attack on the labour unions was because the unions have refused to kowtow to the APC which it accused of habouring plans to destabilise the state, adding that the opposition was frustrated by the defeat it suffered in the 2014 election.

  • Nasarawa receives refund from Paris club

    Nasarawa receives refund from Paris club

    Gov. Umaru Al-Makura of Nasarawa State on Wednesday acknowledged that the state had received the sum of N8.4bn as the refund from the over-deduction from the Paris Club loan.

    Al-Makura acknowledged this while receiving the report of the Tripartite Committee involving the State Government, organised labour and the Federal Ministry of Labour and productivity in Lafia on Wednesday.
    The committee was inaugurated on Sept. 1, to resolve the lingering crisis between the government and organised labour in the state over issues of salary and other entitlements.
    He explained that the N5.4 billion of the money was for the state while local government areas got N3 billion.
    According to Al-Makura, 50 per cent of the refund would be dedicated to the payment of staff salaries as directed by the Federal Government.
    The governor said that in accordance with the directive, N2.7billion would be used to augment salaries and pension of workers and pensioners owing to the dwindling allocation.
    He expressed hope that the financial situation of the country and of the state improved in the coming year.
    Al-Makura, therefore, urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the present administration as better days lie ahead.