Paris Club refund: Adamawa to pay arrears of workers’ salaries

The Adamawa State Government said on Monday that it would begin payment of workers’ salary arrears, courtesy of the Paris Club refund, as from Wednesday.
Alhaji Abdulrahman Abba-Jimeta, the Chairman of the committee set up by the State Government for the payment of outstanding salaries and liabilities, made this disclosure in Yola while briefing newsmen.
Abba-Jimeta disclosed that the State Government had received N4.8 billion out of the expected N12.8 billion from the Federal Government.
He said that based on the available funds, the salary arrears of teachers, primary health care workers, Local Government staff and political office holders at the council areas would be paid.
Abba-Jimeta said: “Local Government staff would get two months arrears, teachers and health workers will get three while Local Government political office holders will get one.”
He explained that the total bill stood at N4.7 billion, adding that pensioners would be considered when next the state received the expected balance of the Paris club refund.
The committee chairman said that the screening of workers was still on and urged workers, who had yet to be screened to be patient as all genuine workers would be captured for payment.
He said: “We have noted some anomalies in the process but genuine workers need not fear, as the screening is on and every qualified worker will be captured.”
Also speaking, the Adamawa State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Dauda Maina, who is also a member of the committee, lauded government’s commitment to pay workers’ salary arrears and urged workers to reciprocate the gesture.
Maina said: “The process is transparent and I want to laud government for such measure, which would go a long way in stabilising government/labour relations.”