Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Niger Assembly okays N1.8billion overdraft for council salaries

By John Ogiji Minna
06 July 2015   |   3:36 am
NIGER State House of Assembly has granted approval for the state government to obtain N1.85 billion overdraft facility from bank to pay salaries of local government workers in the state. The Assembly gave the approval in a brief session after the letter from the state Governor Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello was read at the floor…
Bello, Niger state governor

Bello, Niger state governor

NIGER State House of Assembly has granted approval for the state government to obtain N1.85 billion overdraft facility from bank to pay salaries of local government workers in the state.

The Assembly gave the approval in a brief session after the letter from the state Governor Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello was read at the floor of the house by Speaker Marafa Ahmed.

The Governor in the letter dated 29/6/2015 to the house, requesting for it approval, had explained that the over draft facility would make up for the shortfall in the salary for the 25 local governments 2015 budget.

It gathered that the overdraft facility, which has 12 months tenure, was taken to avert looming industrial dispute at the local governments. Already primary school teachers have threatened to embark of strike action if their salary is not paid before Monday, July 6, 2015 (today).

It was learnt that local governments have not paid their workers for the month of June and that it had become necessary for the quick intervention of the state government to alleviate the sufferings of the people in the rural areas.

The Speaker, while thanking his colleagues for the prompt response to the governor’s request, directing the Clerk of the Assembly to convey the approval to the Governor.

He restated the determination of the lawmakers to give necessary support to the state governor in delivering of dividends of democracy to the people.

He appealed to the people to be patient with government especially in this period of financial challenges and shortfall in revenue from the federation account.

0 Comments