Oyo commits 60% Paris Club refund to salary

   The Oyo State Government has said that 60 per cent of the N7.9bn Paris Club refund which the state recently got from the Federal Government would be used to pay workers’ salaries, other wages and pension of retirees.

The state’s Commissioner for Finance and Budget, Abimbola Adekanmbi, who made this known while featuring on a radio programme monitored in Ibadan by our correspondent, explained 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.