"Blame state governors for nonpayment of salaries” – Okonjo-Iweala

Even though there is a shortfall in the monthly revenue which has been coming into the coffers of the government, the minister of finance has insisted that Nigerians should blame the state governments for their inability to pay the salaries of workers.

Most Nigerians states have been struggling to pay wages since monthly allocations declined drastically as a result of the drop in oil prices.

Okonjo-Iweala however said that governors were advised through the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee to make the issue of wage a priority.

In a statement by the minister’s Special Adviser on Communications, Paul Nwabuikwu, the minister responded to claims by APC governors that the negative manner the outgoing Goodluck Jonathan administration was running the economy had made it difficult for them to pay salaries regularly.

Okonjo-Iweala said that despite the 50 per cent drop in gross federally collectible revenue, the Federal Government had made the issue of workers’ salaries a top priority in order to ensure that the “people do not feel the negative impact of the revenue drop on the economy.”

For instance, the minister said that contrary to the “misinformation being put forward by certain governors to the effect that federal workers are being owed, staff salaries at the Federal level are up-to-date.”

 “This is to clarify the misinformation put forward by certain governors to the effect that Federal workers are being owed salaries.

“This is incorrect. Staff salaries at the Federal level are up-to-date; workers have received their April salaries.

“Regarding difficulties in salary payments, certain governors are trying to blame the Federal Government for their predicament. This is wrong. They had been told through the FAAC to prioritise salaries but they chose not to do so, hence the backlog that some states are experiencing.

“The 50 per cent drop in revenues simply means that salaries should be prioritised. The Federal Government should not be blamed for avoidable mistakes made at the state level.”