Over 26 states get bail-out funds to offset salary arrears (See List)

• Kwara, Osun, Zamfara commence payment of salary arrears, 24 other states to follow
Obinna Chima

In line with the federal government’s resolve to reflate economic activities in the country, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) will this week continue the disbursement of its special intervention fund totalling N338 billion to 27 states in the country.



Already, the funds to Kwara, Zamfara and Osun States were disbursed last week and they have commenced the payment of salary arrears to workers in their respective states, THISDAY learnt yesterday.


A source at the central bank confirmed that more states would get their monies this week.
From the breakdown of funds made available to the first three states to which monies were disbursed last week, Kwara State got a total of N4.320 billion from the special intervention fund, Osun got N34.988 billion, while Zamfara was given N10.020 billion.


The loans repayable at an interest rate of nine per cent over a 20-year period, also showed that Abia State is expected to get N14.152 billion, while Adamawa State will receive N2.378 billion; Bauchi – N8.60 billion; Bayelsa – N1.285 billion; Benue – N28.013 billion; Borno – N7.680 billion; and Cross River – N7.856 billion.


In addition, Delta has got the central bank’s approval to receive N10.036 billion; Ebonyi – N4.063 billion; Edo – N3.167 billion; Ekiti – N9.604 billion; Enugu – 4.207 billion; Gombe – N16.459 billion; Imo – N26.806 billion; Katsina – N3.304 billion; Kebbi – N0.690 billion and Kogi – N50.842 billion.


Nasarawa is also expected to get N8.317 billion, while Niger will receive a total of N4.306 billion; Ogun – N20.00 billion; Ondo – N14.686 billion; Oyo – N26.606 billion; Plateau – N5.357 billion and Sokoto will get N10.093 billion.


The source, a senior central bank official, stressed that with the disbursement of the N338 billion to the 27 states that applied for the special intervention fund, economic growth would be stimulated through the payment of outstanding salaries to workers who have been owed for months.


He explained: “Once salaries are paid, we expect consumption to increase nationwide and this will go a long way in stimulating economic activities.


“After disbursing to Kwara, Osun and Zamfara, more states which applied will get their funds this week, and we have ensured that we kept the interest rate low at 9 per cent and loans repayable over a 20-year period.”


As part of the federal government’s resolve to end the lingering crisis of unpaid workers’ salaries in the country, especially in several states of the federation, President Muhammadu Buhari had approved a comprehensive relief package designed to salvage the situation.


Part of the relief package was the CBN's special intervention fund to be offered to states, which would be in the form of soft loans available to states to access solely for the purpose of paying the backlog of salaries.


The approval of the special intervention fund was sequel to the decision by the National Economic Council (NEC) at its meeting of June 29, 2015, that had requested that the CBN, in collaboration with other stakeholders, should appraise and consider ways of liquidating outstanding workers’ salaries owed by state and local governments.


The conditions for accessing the facility included resolutions of the respective state executive councils (SECs) authorising the borrowings and state Houses of Assembly consenting to the loans, as well as issuance of Irrevocable Standing Payment Orders (ISPOs) to ensure timely repayment at source from the states’ Federation Account allocations.