Paris Club: Ekiti got N4.7bn refund, Fayose tells workers

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State met with workers on Monday and announced to them that the state got the sum of N4.7billion as a refund from the last tranche of the Paris Club cash.

Governor Fayose also claimed during the interface with the state’s civil servants, held at the government house pavilion in Ado Ekiti, that contrary to reports, his administration had not committed the state to any debt.

Fayose while addressing the workers said: “I have received N4.76billion Paris Club refund. It will be shared between the state and local governments next week. Salary will come, leave bonus will come, Christmas bonus will come, everything will come. Civil servants must get their Christmas bonus latest Thursday.”

Speaking in the reports that he had committed the state to another debt, he said: “with a debt burden that would be repaid for the next 20 years left by the Kayode Fayemi administration, it would amount to punishing the state and her people if more debts are incurred.”

According to the governor, “we cannot further inflict more burden on the hapless people of the state. We have been prudent in the management of our scarce resources,” contending that the report that he had further plunged the state into debt was “unfounded rumour peddled by opposition politicians.”

He told the workers that “their party is in control at the federal level and they have access to the Ministry of Finance, Accountant General of the Federation, the Debt Management Office among others. Let them make whatever they have public. Nigerians are no fools.”

On the disbursement of the Paris Club refund, Fayose said labour leaders in the state would meet with government officials to determine how it would be spent.

On the controversy trailing the withdrawal of$1 billion from the Excess Crude Account, Fayose said he would challenge the decision in court.

He noted that any tier of government opposing the action by the Federal Government “should be given its money to spend the way it likes.”

Responding on behalf of the workers, the Head of Service, Dr Gbenga Faseluka, said the governor had given priority to the welfare of workers in spite of the economic challenges facing the state.