‘No money for salaries, pensions in 2017’ - FG tells Nigerians

Minister of budget national and planning, Udoma Udoma has said that the the federal government lacks funds for the payment of salaries and pensions in 2017.

Udoma stated this on Thursday, April 6, 2017, when he appeared before the House of Representatives alongside finance minister, Kemi Adeosun.

Udoma said half of the projected revenue in the 2017 budget would be used for salaries and pensions adding that the federal government would source the money through other means.

His words: “In the 2017 budget, about half of our total projected revenues are for salaries and pensions but the resources are not there.

"While most of these categories are up to date, there have been issues with reconciliation of the numbers. The president is extremely concerned about this.

“He observed the hearings that you had before a high has directed that we must get to the bottom of this as quickly as possible and that committee headed by the minister of finance should meet with all the relevant agencies and reconcile numbers,” he added.

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Fielding questions from lawmakers, the finance minister lamented the situation where most states cannot pay pension and gratuities.

“The issue of pensions isn't a money issue, it's a people issue,” Adeosun said. “This is not a federal government problem. There is also a problem in the states as most struggle with pension and gratuities.

"The law says that the pension can't be consolidated before the holder of an RSA can access retirement fund. They cannot access funds until government accrued pension rights and if appropriation is less than what is accrued, then we have a problem.

"The big issue is under appropriation. I'm not sure it can be sorted out in one year, but it must be addressed,” she added.

Meanwhile, TheEmir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has said that President Muhammadu Buhari 's Economic Recovery & Growth Plan (ERGP 2017 - 2020)cannot work if the federal government 'continues to borrow unsustainably.'