Further withdrawals from the Paris Club refund by the states
government has been stalled as a consultant has dragged the 36
state governors and the Federal Government to court.
A highly placed source at the Presidency, told NAN on Friday
night that the consultant in question is suing the state governors
for reneging on the payment of the five per cent consultancy fees
due to him for services rendered in relation to the sharing of the
fund.
According to the source, state governors may not be able to pay
their workers from the Paris Club refund before Christmas as they
had originally planned.
The source said that the case has been filed at the Federal High
Court Abuja.
The source said before this new court case, efforts were in top
gear to release the balance of the Paris Club refunds to states to
pay workers salaries all over the country before Christmas.
“The payment of the Paris Club refunds is at the final stages.
It will be paid to enable the workers enjoy the Christmas and New
Year festive seasons,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC)
meeting scheduled for Friday was put off till Saturday because
stakeholders had not received the component statement from
NNPC.
One of the state Commissioners for Finance, who pleaded
anonymity, told NAN that for the second time, the NNPC was late in
remitting funds into the Federation Account.
“NNPC is the major cause of all these things. It has not brought
in money just like last month.
“Last month, the state governors insisted that the NNPC must
bring in money before it later brought out N30 billion from Excess
Crude Account (ECA) before the last FAAC could hold.
”Again this month, the CBN and Revenue Mobilization Allocation
and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) said they have not received component
statement from NNPC.
”’This indicates that NNPC had not paid money into the
Federation Account. Without that money we have to wait till
tomorrow for FAAC meeting to hold.
“If the component statement is sent from NNPC, it will take
about six hours before the stakeholders can go through it” the
commissioner said.
President Muhammadu Buhari last month urged all state governors
to utilise the balance of 50 per cent Paris Club refund to settle
unpaid salaries owed workers before Christmas.
To remove any hitches, he directed the CBN, Ministry of Finance,
and the Budget Office of the Federation to work out how the
outstanding fund would be paid before 2017 ends.
The payment began in December 2016 with the release of about
N522.74 billion to all 36 states in the first tranche of the Paris
Club refund.
The federal government later in July 2017, released N243.8
billion as second tranche.
The funds were released following protests by states against
over deductions for external debt service between 1995 and 2002.
(NAN)
Further withdrawals from the Paris Club refund by the states
government has been stalled as a consultant has dragged the 36
state governors and the Federal Government to court.
A highly placed source at the Presidency, told NAN on Friday
night that the consultant in question is suing the state governors
for reneging on the payment of the five per cent consultancy fees
due to him for services rendered in relation to the sharing of the
fund.
According to the source, state governors may not be able to pay
their workers from the Paris Club refund before Christmas as they
had originally planned.
The source said that the case has been filed at the Federal High
Court Abuja.
The source said before this new court case, efforts were in top
gear to release the balance of the Paris Club refunds to states to
pay workers salaries all over the country before Christmas.
“The payment of the Paris Club refunds is at the final stages.
It will be paid to enable the workers enjoy the Christmas and New
Year festive seasons,” the source said.
Meanwhile, the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC)
meeting scheduled for Friday was put off till Saturday because
stakeholders had not received the component statement from
NNPC.
One of the state Commissioners for Finance, who pleaded
anonymity, told NAN that for the second time, the NNPC was late in
remitting funds into the Federation Account.
“NNPC is the major cause of all these things. It has not brought
in money just like last month.
“Last month, the state governors insisted that the NNPC must
bring in money before it later brought out N30 billion from Excess
Crude Account (ECA) before the last FAAC could hold.
”Again this month, the CBN and Revenue Mobilization Allocation
and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) said they have not received component
statement from NNPC.
”’This indicates that NNPC had not paid money into the
Federation Account. Without that money we have to wait till
tomorrow for FAAC meeting to hold.
“If the component statement is sent from NNPC, it will take
about six hours before the stakeholders can go through it” the
commissioner said.
President Muhammadu Buhari last month urged all state governors
to utilise the balance of 50 per cent Paris Club refund to settle
unpaid salaries owed workers before Christmas.
To remove any hitches, he directed the CBN, Ministry of Finance,
and the Budget Office of the Federation to work out how the
outstanding fund would be paid before 2017 ends.
The payment began in December 2016 with the release of about
N522.74 billion to all 36 states in the first tranche of the Paris
Club refund.
The federal government later in July 2017, released N243.8
billion as second tranche.
The funds were released following protests by states against
over deductions for external debt service between 1995 and 2002.
(NAN)
Read more https://nairalaw.com/paris-club-refund-consultant-sues-36-state-governors-fg-over-payment/