The governor of President Muhammadu Buhari\u2019s home State, Katsina, Aminu Masari, lied to the president to get more than N11 billion bailout supposedly to pay workers\u2019 salary arrears.<\/p>\n
Feigning insolvency, Katsina State applied as one of the 27 states in need of bailout from the Federal Government to pay workers owed salaries for months.<\/p>\n
In a letter to the speaker of the state\u2019s House of Assembly, titled: \u201cBailout on Outstanding Salary for Workers of the State and Local Governments\u201d with number S\/SGKT\/154\/3 dated August 26, 2015, Mr. Masari said when he took office on May 29, his government inherited two months outstanding salary of workers of the state and local government from the previous Ibrahim Shema administration.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would like to request for the Honourable House\u2019s consent for the State government to collaborate with the Central Bank of Nigeria for a Bail Out of outstanding workers\u2019 salary in the State and Local governments,\u201d Mr. Masari wrote.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr Speaker may wish to know that at the time of the take-off of this administration, the State and Local Governments in the State owed workers two months\u2019 salary to the tune of N11,086,632,741.32 broken down as follows: Katsina State: N3,646,943,099.80; 34 local government councils: N7,439,689,641.32; Total: N11,086,632,741,.32.
\n\u201cIt is in the view of the need for the State Government and Local Governments to meet their obligation in the payment of outstanding workers\u2019 salary, considering the lean resources inherited from the former administration, that it has become necessary for the State Government to apply for the bail out on behalf of the State and Local Governments.\u201d he added.
\nHowever, PREMIUM TIMES\u2019 investigation revealed that the state had no business being among the group of insolvent states in need of federal bailout to pay workers salary arrears.
\nKatsina State civil servants as well as workers in the state\u2019s 34 local governments received their full salaries and allowances up to May when Mr. Masari became governor.
\nIn fact, the governor\u2019s chief press secretary, Abdul Labaran, confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that workers were not owed and that their salaries had been completely paid up to August.
\n\u201cKatsina State government doesn\u2019t owe anybody any salary,\u201d Mr. Labaran said over the phone after a long pause.
\nHe also answered in the affirmative when asked if he meant that the state government had paid workers in the state up to August. \u201cThat is correct,\u201d he said.
\nHowever, when confronted with questions about why the government requested a bailout as contained in the letter to the state assembly from his principal, Mr. Labaran refused to answer saying he was not aware of any such letter. He also refused that the letter to be read to him.
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know the letter you\u2019re talking about. How do I know you\u2019re quoting from the letter. You could be quoting from anywhere,\u201d he said.
\nOluwabusola Olawale, a former media aide of the immediate past governor, Ibrahim Shema, seemed shocked when asked if the last administration bequeathed two months unpaid salaries to the present administration of Mr. Masari.
\n\u201cThroughout the tenure of Ibrahim Shema, workers\u2019 salaries were paid latest on the 25th of every month. As at May both the state and local government salaries were paid on the 25th. So he left office without owing any worker any salary. So this news is strange to us. We don\u2019t know what could have necessitated this letter,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cThere is definitely no justification to ask for a bailout of two months salary,\u201d he said.
\nThe N338 billion federal bailout, paid by the Central Bank of Nigeria, was authorised by President Buhari to help insolvent states that had failed to pay workers for months.
\nThe loan is repayable with an interest of nine per cent over a 20-year period.
\nBy August 31, Kwara, Zamfara and Osun States had received the bailout to clear their backlogs of salaries.
\nTwenty seven states are expected to receive the aid.
\nAmongst other conditions for the accessing the credit, the CBN requires the resolutions of the respective state executive council mandating the loan, and an approval from the House of Assembly.
\nAlso, the state must issue an Irrevocable Standing Payment Orders (ISPOs) to ensure timely repayment of the loan from the state\u2019s Federation Account allocations.
\nThe CBN said it gives approval for the fund to be released within 24 hours after a state meets all the conditions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The governor of President Muhammadu Buhari\u2019s home State, Katsina, Aminu Masari, lied to the president to get more than N11 billion bailout supposedly to pay workers\u2019 salary arrears. Feigning insolvency,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":41836,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41835","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n