Salary Crisis: APC Governors Seek Bailout For States; Demand “Total Overhaul” Of Nigerian Economy

Governor Rochas Okorocha is the chair of the Progressives Governors’ Forum

All Progressives Congress (APC) governors last night made a strong case for a bailout for cash-strapped states to enable them pay outstanding workers’ salaries.

No fewer than 16 governors met at the Imo State Liaison Office in Abuja for over five hours under the auspices of the Progressives Governors’ Forum.

The Nation report continues:

Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha is the chair of the Forum.

The governors in May requested the then President-elect Muhammadu Buhari to consider some financial assistance to the states because of their dwindling allocations caused by falling oil prices.

Okorocha told reporters last night that the governors were worried about the state of the economy.

He said: “We the governors of the progressive party met today to review the state of the economy. We also met to review the issues as they affect our great party.

“We are concerned and worried by the dwindling revenue of the states which today has affected negatively the lives of our people.

“It has become so serious and urgent actions must be taken for a bail out for the states.

“Things are not getting better; we sat down to review what steps could be taken. We are calling for overhaul of the system to block all the leakages in our economy.

“We have realized that what we are going through today is as a result of the poor management of our economy in the recent time.

“The APC government met a near empty treasury. This has become very worrisome, not just for us, but for the entire nation.

“We have some natural challenges in the country because of the drop in oil price and the issue of oil theft.

“There are other issues like the crude swap. We have the gas revenues which have never reflected before. We have the mismanagement of oil subsidy. A few years ago, we paid about N200 million. Today, it is about N1.4 trillion. We are worried”.

He said further the forum decided to intervene in the crisis starring the party in the face as a result of the election of the leadership of the National Assembly.

He said: “We also have congratulated the leadership of the National Assembly. That is the leaders of the National Assembly. We are aware that the process attracted a lot of disagreements here and there. We, the governors of the party have resolved to embark on a peace process to make sure that we return as members of one family we have always been.

“We have also discussed how to strengthen our party.

“This is the party that brought change and that change must stand. We will make the party meet the desires of our great members.

“We are assuring Nigerians that we will remain focused and address some of the issues”.

Meanwhile PREMIUM TIMES reports Governors of states controlled by the All Progressives Congress, APC, have called for the total “overhaul” of the Nigerian economy in order to save the states of the federation from imminent collapse.

The governors made the call at the end of their meeting, which held on Tuesday at the Imo state governors lodge, Asokoro Abuja.

Addressing journalists at the end of the meeting which lasted for over five hours, chairman of the APC governors Forum, Rochas Olorocha of Imo state, said the governors are concerned and worried with the dwindling revenue of the states which has impacted negatively on the lives of the people.

“The matter has become so serious that urgent action must be taken for a bailout for the states,” he said.

Mr. Okorocha also said the governors reviewed the state of the economy and were therefore urging that “urgent steps should be taken and we are calling for a total overhaul of the system to block all the leakages in the nation’s economy”.

The Imo state governor said they have realized that what the states are going through is as a result of the poor management of Nigeria’s economy in recent times.

“The APC government has come to meet a near empty treasury and it has become very worrisome,” he said.

Mr. Okorocha, did not however, give specific details of how the economy should be overhauled.

The chairman of the APC governors’ forum also added that the meeting discussed the recent election of new leaders for the national Assembly and extended the forum’s congratulations to the newly elected president of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

He however noted that the governors were aware that the election generated tension within the party, adding, “so we have resolved to embark on a process of reconciliation to make sure that we have come back as members of the same family like we have always been”. 
Some of the governors present at the meeting apart from Okorocha include Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos) Tanko Al Makura (Nasarawa), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina),  Abdullahi Umar Ganduje ( Kano), and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo).