'Don't blame FG for owed salaries' - Minister tells State Governors

dimeji akinloye

May 7, 2015 2:06 AM

The Federal Government said it had told the states, through the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, to prioritize salaries.

The Federal Ministry of Finance has said non-payment of workers' salaries at the state level is not the Federal Government's responsibility.

The Ministry said this in a statement signed by Paul Nwabuikwu, spokesman for the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Wednesday, May 6, in Abuja.

The statement said, "regarding difficulties in salary payment, certain governors are trying to blame the federal government for their predicaments.

"This is wrong. They have been told through the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee to prioritize salaries, they chose not to do so, hence the backlog that some states are experiencing."

It added that the 50 per cent drop in revenues simply means that salaries should be prioritized.

According to the statement, the federal government should not be blamed for avoidable mistakes made at state level.

It said Federal workers are not owed salaries contrary to some reports.

"This is incorrect. Staff salaries at the federal level are up to date; workers have received their April salaries", it added.

dimeji akinloye