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Tag: paris refund

  • Ekiti gets N3.9bn Paris Club refund for salary arrears — Fayemi  

    Ekiti State Government says it has received N3.9 billion from the Federal Government as the last tranche of its Paris Club refund.

    Gov. Kayode Fayemi made the disclosure on Thursday in Ado Ekiti through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Yinka Oyebode.

    He said that as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari, 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 governor directed the Paris Club refund be applied to pay one month salary out of the outstanding arrears to state and local government workers, teachers and pensioners.

    This, he said, was in line with his promise to Ekiti workers and people to clear part of the owed arrears as soon as the Paris Club Refund was paid.

    According to him, the state received the Paris Club Refund, following President Buhari’s intervention in the matter, after his last week’s visit to the President.

    He expressed appreciation to the President for the timely intervention, and assured workers that his administration would clear the five to eight month salary arrears owed workers by the immediate past administration, within a reasonable period.

    ”The immediate past administration of Mr Ayodele Fayose received a total of N18.34 billion Paris Club refund in three tranches between December 2016 and December 2017

    ” This is 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,” he said.

    He assured workers in the state that his administration would not owe salaries, adding that he would clear the outstanding salaries for all categories of workers within one year

     

  • Fayose squandered N18b Paris Refund to Ekiti, says Fayemi

    Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has accused immediate past Governor Ayodele Fayose of squandering the N18 billion Paris Club refund the state got from the Federal Government.

    Fayemi expressed dissatisfaction with how the former governor, who owed between four months’ salary and eight months’ pension arrears, could not pay the backlog of workers’ benefits with such a huge amount of money but diverted it for other uses.

    The governor said he had not reneged on his avowed commitment to offset the outstanding salary and pension before marking his first year in office.

    Fayemi spoke on Sunday evening in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, on this month’s edition of live simulcast, tagged: Meet Your Governor.

    Addressing the rumour that he had collected N11.5 billion Paris Club refund barely two months after assuming office, Fayemi said: “Let those making the allegation come with verifiable proofs to substantiate their claim.

    “I have not collected any money in lieu of road intervention or Paris Club refund. Governor Fayose had the opportunity of paying the bulk of the backlog of salaries and pensions.

    “He collected N18 billion out of the N21.5 billion due to Ekiti in the fund. So, what is left for Ekiti is just N3.5 billion, which can’t pay a month’s salary, if we add the overhead costs of subvented institutions.

    “As we speak, we are doing a lot of cleansing and that has reduced the monthly pay to workers to N2.1 billion. Those who were not properly employed have been left out until they provide evidence. The medical workers who were employed on consequential ground have been reabsorbed.

    “I decided to delay appointment of politicians into government for me to be able to pay our workers. With this, Ekiti can now know who is

    the real and honest friend of the masses.

    “I don’t want to do media trial for anyone; so, I have hired the services of a renowned audit firm to look into our finances and the forensic state’s accounts will be published during our 100 days in office in January, 2019.”

    Reacting to Fayemi’s claim, the media aide to the former governor, Lere Olayinka, urged the governor to use the over N30 billion his government allegedly got from the Federal Government on road repairs, arrears of Budget Support and Paris Club refund to pay the workers.

    Olayinka said: “It was on the basis of the N2.1 billion arrears of Budget Support and N14.1 billion Paris Club refund already approved for payment in June that Fayose promised to clear the salary arrears.

    “But due to his bitter politics, Fayemi blocked the payment and more than one month after receiving the payment, he is still following his usual path of deceit instead of paying the workers.”

    He challenged Fayemi to publicise the records of disbursement of the Paris Club Refund the state got from the Federal Government.

    According to him, there were conditions laid down by the Federal Government before the fund was released and states were made to make reports of utilisation of first tranche of the refund before the second tranche was released.

    Olayinka added: “Besides, the fund was meant for both the state and local governments and it is on record that Ekiti fell into the hardship of inability to pay salaries regularly as a result of the debt incurred during Fayemi’s first tenure and the loans restructuring done at the instance of the Federal Government and the Federal Economic Council (FEC).

    “If Fayemi had not plunged Ekiti into unnecessary debt, over N1 billion would not have been deducted monthly from the state’s Federal allocation.”

  • Paris refund: Firm returns governor’s N500m to EFCC

    Paris refund: Firm returns governor’s N500m to EFCC

    Agency seeks temporary forfeiture of $3m, N500m 

    A mortgage firm has returned to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) the N500 million said to be part of the Paris Club refund kept with it by a governor.

    The EFCC is probing the London-Paris Club refund following allegations that some governors are misapplying the cash.

    The Federal Government agreed to the refund to enable the governors pay workers’ salaries and pensions.

    Besides, the EFCC has gone to a Federal High Court in Abuja to seek the forfeiture of $3million said to be held for another governor by three persons and two companies.

    The agency has placed a no debit order on the three accounts traced to the five suspects, including a member of the House of Representatives, who has gone underground to avoid arrest.

    Investigation by our correspondent revealed that officials of the mortgage firm also made a statement confirming that the governor owns the N500million.

    A top source, who spoke in confidence with our correspondent, said: “When EFCC detectives traced the governor’s loot of N500million from the London-Paris Club refund to the account of the mortgage company, the firm wasted no time in disclosing the source.

    “The mortgage firm has surrendered the cash to us; we have it in our custody.  And on Monday (yesterday), we filed an application before the court for an interim forfeiture of the N500million in order to legalise its custody.

    “The purported owner of the cash has a two-week deadline to come forward to claim it or have it forfeited permanently to the Federal Government.”

    Responding to a question, the source said all those connected with the cash, including some consultancy firms had been named in court.

    The identities of the governor, the companies involved and his proxies, the source added, would be unveiled when the matter comes up in court.

    The governor, he said, has long standing mortgage collaboration with the firm where the N500million was wired.

    On the $3million linked to another governor, the EFCC provided the list of those involved including the names of the two companies, three persons, and the three accounts used.

    Two of the three persons are siblings, including a member of the House of Representatives whose whereabouts was unknown at press time last night.

    The lawmaker was, in the EFCC profile, described as a former commissioner.

    Another source added: “Again, we have asked the court to grant our prayer for the Interim Forfeiture of the $3million. We also attached the list of three banks, three accounts, two companies and three other suspects.

    “As I am talking to you, the EFCC has placed a No Debit Order on the three accounts associated with the $3million which was diverted from the London-Paris Club to build a 100-room hotel for another serving governor. One of the accounts is in a bank noted for domiciliary account business. The two others have been named in some suspicious transactions during the immediate past administration.”

    Detectives, the source said,  suspected that the $3million was part-payment for the construction of the hotel.

    On the extent of investigation of the cash, he said: “One of those questioned over the $3million has actually refunded $500,000.

    “The EFCC team really did a wonderful job in tracking the cash. In fact, a notable project firm, which has had partnership with the governor in the past, was implicated in the $3million deal.

    “We have sought for the seizure of the $3million and the N500million in line with Sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC (Establishment Act) 2004 and Section 13(1) of the Federal High Court Act, 2004.

    The Presidency has so far released about N1. 266.44trillion to the 36 states in the past one year including N713.70billion special intervention funds to states.

    Following protest by states against over deductions for external debt service between 1995 and 2002, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the release of N516.38billion (first tranche) to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as refunds pending reconciliation of records.

    Each state was entitled to a cap of N14.5 billion being 25% of the amounts claimed.

    Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun said the payment of the claims would enable states to offset outstanding salaries and pension which had been “causing considerable hardship.”

    The governors sought for the loan refunds to states and local governments at a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on May 24, last year.

    But the alleged deduction of about N19billion and $86million, meant for payment of consultants and legal advisers, by some governors is under investigation by EFCC.

    Following controversy over the refunds in some states, the Federal Ministry of Finance, through its Director of Information, Salisu Dambatta, had penultimate Friday released the details of the N516.38billion to Nigerians.

    The top earners are Rivers, N34.92b;  Delta, N27.6b; Akwa Ibom, N25.98b; Bayelsa, N24.89b; Kano, N21.7b; Lagos, N16.74b; Katsina, N16.4b; Kaduna, N15.44b;  Borno, N14.68b;  Jigawa, N14.2b; Imo, N14.01b;  Niger, N14.42b;  Bauchi, N13.75b;  Sokoto, N12.88b and Osun, N12.62b.

    Others are Cross River N12.15b;  Anambra, N12.24b;  Edo, N12.18b;  Kebbi, N11.95b;  Kogi, N11.05b; Abia, N11.43b;  Ogun, N11.47b;  Plateau, N11.28b;  Yobe, N10.82b; Zamfara, N10.88b;  Ebonyi, N9.01b;  Ekiti, N9.54b;  Enugu, N10.7b;  Gombe, N8.95b;  Nasarawa, N9.1b;  Oyo, N13.31b;  Kwara, N10.24b; Adamawa, N10.25b; Benue, N13.7b; , Ondo, N14.01b;  Taraba, N9.32b; and  FCT, N1.36b.

     

  • Governor: Rivers didn’t get N34b Paris refund

    Governor: Rivers didn’t get N34b Paris refund

    Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has declared that the Federal Government did not disburse N34billion to Rivers State as Paris Fund refund.

    Wike challenged the Federal Government to publish the account where it paid N34billion in respect of the Paris Fund Refund due to Rivers State.

    Speaking during the First Session of the 8th Synod Thanksgiving Service of the Anglican  Province of Niger Delta, Wike said: “As I speak to you, no N34billion has been paid to Rivers State. I challenge the Federal Government to show Nigerians the account they paid the N34billion “.

    He said the Federal Government released N14billion as Paris Fund refund to Rivers State.  According to him, after protests that the state had been short-changed, the Federal Government released another N3billion to the state, totalling N17billion.

    The governor explained that the state government judiciously deployed the N17billion and monitored the  use of the Local Government funds for the  payment  of outstanding salaries.

    Wike accused the Federal Government of deliberately short-changing Rivers , Akwa Ibom and Delta states by ignoring the approved payment plan.

    He said: “I read on the pages of newspapers that Rivers State received the highest amount of the refund of the Paris Club to  the tune of N34billion.  I want to say categorically, that is not correct.

    “The President approved that every state and Local Government should receive 50 percent. They came to say that they cannot pay 50 percent, but they can pay 25percent. Now, the 25 per cent of the 50 per cent, they paid Rivers State Government and Local Government Areas, N14billion.  They short paid Rivers State , they short paid Akwa Ibom and they short paid Delta States , which are PDP states.“

    The governor added: “We are the only three states that were short-changed. They paid all other states completely.  So we started fighting. We raised alarm and they said we still have N3billion.

    “For the remaining of the 25 percent , they called a meeting.  They now said, we cannot pay you that 25per cent fully. We will pay you part of the 25 per cent now, pay part in September, pay part in December.  If they pay part now, part in September  and pay part in December; then it will mean that they have paid Rivers State Government, N34billion. If they say that , we are entitled to N34billion, okay. Being entitled and paying the money are two different things”.

  • We did nothing wrong on Paris Club refund- Governors Forum

    We did nothing wrong on Paris Club refund- Governors Forum

    The Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) has dismissed reports of illegal dealings regarding the release of the first batch of the Paris Club refund to state governments.

    It however confirmed that it hired consultants to facilitate the disbursement of her funds to the various state governments.

    In a statement signed by the Head of Media, Abulrazque B. Barkindo, the forum said it was not within its purview to determine how the consultants spend the money.

    The Forum said that the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari to the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria to release the second batch of the money was a confirmation of the confidence the President has on the governors.

    The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to publications in the media which are believed to have emanated from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) about a purported report the anti-graft agency submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari, on March 10, 2016.

    “The report is said to have indicted the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and imputed illegal dealings in the disbursement of the Paris Club refund payment to states of the federation as handled by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF).

    “While the NGF will not want to repeatedly join issues with the EFCC on the disbursement of the first tranche of the Paris Club refund, particularly after its officials have been interrogated by the anti-corruption agency and we provided all necessary and required details and documents regarding disbursement to states, including harmonizing the number of consultants and payment made to them, we are constrained to once again state the following for the benefit of members of the public:

    “It is true that Melrose General Services Limited was one of the consultants that was duly engaged and documented to facilitate the disbursement of the Paris Club Refund. The consultant was also paid an amount commensurate to the services it provided, among other numerous consultants that were involved in the process.

    “It is not in the NGF’s purview to determine how Melrose or other consultants disburse or utilize the consultancy fee paid to them. The NGF should therefore not be dragged into how its suppliers, lawyers, contractors and consultants spend their legitimate incomes and revenues.

    “It may interest the public to know that the NGF is still being inundated with claims from many other consultants from all over the country who had earlier been engaged and promised commission by the respective states.

    “The NGF maintains its earlier position that it has done nothing illegal as far as the disbursement of the Paris Club Refund to states and the consultants are concerned. The Forum has all necessary approvals to act in the manner it did. Therefore, the misinformation in the media about the disbursement and insinuations being made concerning some Governors that are being mentioned is outright mischief.

    “We will like to state that the approval for the release of the second tranche of the Paris Club refund by President Muhammadu Buhari is indicative of his Confidence in the NGF for the manner it handled the disbursement of the first tranche of the fund.

    “The NGF would like to once again place it on record that it played an altruistic and patriotic role in ensuring that it aided, as directed, approved and authorized by the Presidency, Federal Ministry of Finance, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Debt Management Office (DMO) and all other necessary agencies of government, the disbursement of the funds to entities and individuals lawfully entitled to it. All approvals, authorization, terms of engagements and disbursement were properly documented and are verifiable by anyone, including the general public.”