Lokpobiri said this while reacting to the demands of a group named Association of Bayelsa Professional (ABP) challenging him to substantiate the recent claims he made against the government.

In a statement made available to by his media aide, George Oji, the minister insisted that the Governor Seriake Dickson must come clean on Bayelsa state debts.

“Happily, the governor has publicly admitted and committed to paying workers’ outstanding salaries from the N24.16 billion the state just received from the Paris Club debt refund,” the statement said.

“The minister is however worried and concerned that it will take the receipt of the Paris debt refund before the governor can meet the state’s statutory financial obligations to its workers.

“It surprises the minister also why the governor cannot defray the entire workers’ salaries from the debt refund, promising to pay only two out of the three months outstanding salaries to the workers and four months out of the seven months outstanding to the pensioners in the state.

“For a state that has one of the least number of workers in its pay roll in the country and ranks amongst the highest recipients from the federation account, the minister is surprised that Bayelsa state falls within the hall of shame of the states that are unable to meet their financial obligations to its workers."

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The minister wondered why it has become difficult for Bayelsa, with the least number of workers, to meets its wage obligations.

“This figures, which is still contained in the website of the Debt Management Office (DMO) shows that in 2012, the states domestic debt stood at N22billion, foreign $28 million, in 2013, it was N70 billion (domestic) and $29 million (foreign), in 2014, the amount was N92 billion (domestic) and $35 million (foreign) and in 2015, it was N103 billion (domestic) and $38 million (foreign).

“Similarly, in 2016 the domestic debt was N140 billion and $39 million (foreign) while in 2017, it was N129 billion (domestic) and $48 million (foreign),” the minister clarified.