Godwin Obaseki of Edo state received 82 billion naira bonus from the federal government on the 21st November 2016.
This money was part of the $4 billion dollars returned by the Paris Club to Nigeria, which Obasanjo and Ngozi curiously overpaid.
The thirty-six states of the Federation collectively received over $4bn being the over-deductions on Paris and London Club loans on the accounts of state and local governments from February 1990 to March 2002.
Details from both the CBN and Federal Ministry of Finance headquarters showed that Edo State got 82billion naira, CBN confirmed.
Nasarawa State received over N68bn, Plateau and Benue got N75bn and N91bn respectively.
Meanwhile, the states of Osun and Kogi got N84bn and N80bn respectively.
The monies were credited into the respective accounts of all the 36 states of Federation on Monday 21st November, 2016.
Regrettably, all the 36 states governors, both PDP and APC, don’t want the general public, especially civil society organizations (CSOs), to know about these monies, hence the secrecy of the payment.
However, approving the disbursement of this sum of over $4b to all the 36 states in naira, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the States Governors to use the monies to settle the civil servants salaries and welfares.
Urhokpota Reporters hopes that with this money, governor of Edo state, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, will pay civil servants and local government workers and pensioners their salaries and entitlements in full both at to ameliorate the suffering of the people as directed by the federal government.
A civil society group in Benin city, Centre for Patriotic Leadership Initiative (CPLI) has called on the EFCC and ICPC to monitor the spending of these huge $4b disbursed to the 36 states governors especially that of Edo State.
Speaking with Urhokpota Reporters from Germany, Secretary General of the CPLI, Saintmoses Eromosele taked governments in the 36 states, especially Edo state, to be prudent in managing this bonus funds that has come into their states, advising them not to convert the funds into political bonanza.
“Government must be transparent and prudent in relation to public funds. This fund, if truly available to the state, should be used not to settle election expenses or thrown at frivolous projects but should be used to cushion the effects of this government-made economic recession that has totally dehumanized Nigerians. Workers should as a matter of priority be paid all their entitlements and the rest should be plunged into stimulating the economy. Anything otherwise, we are
prepared to risk everything to resist this further corruption and mismanagement of public funds.” Eromosele said.
Edo people are however waiting to see what Obaseki plans to do with the 82 billion naira bonus he received from the Federal government on the 21st of November.
