Ajimobi To Pay Workers’ Salaries, Pensions With 60% Of Paris Club Refund

The Oyo state Government has promised to pay workers’ salaries, retirees’ pensions and other wages  from the N7.9bn Paris Club refund the Federal Government recently shared with states.

On a radio programme featuring the state’s Commissioner for Finance and Budget, Abimbola Adekanmbi, it was revealed that about 80 per cent of the state’s debt profile of N115bn was made up of salaries, gratuities, pensions and wages owed workers and pensioners.

He said the amount also included gratuities and pensions owed by the state before the administration of Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

“It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari told state governments to use at least 50 per cent of the refund for workers’ salaries and allowances. We are doing more than the 50 per cent in Oyo State. When we collected the first tranche of N7.2bn, we used 60 per cent of it to pay workers’ salaries.

“We have paid two months’ salaries three times consecutively and the governor has not relented in his efforts to clear all the outstanding wages. It amazes me when people throw figures in the air without proper explanation or understanding. It is very disappointing when people who claim to be knowledgeable bandy figures about in a bid to cause mischief,” the commissioner said.