Paris Club fund: How I spent N10bn – Okowa

By Amaechi Okwara Asaba

Chief Press Secretary to Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta state, Mr. Charles Ehiedu Aniagwu, yesterday disclosed how the state government spent the N10bn it received from the federal government as part of the Paris Club excess loan deduction refunds. Aniagwu said out of the N10 billion, local governments were given N2.1 billion as their statutory share, while about N5 billion was set aside to settle certain issues relating to certain aspect of salary arrears, co-operative deductions and pensions.

According to him, the sum of N2 billion plus was earmarked for priority projects that require urgent attention and payment of contractors. He noted that the Okowa led administration was committed to the prudent, transparent and accountable management of the state’s resources just as he is committed to taking decisions that will be in the best interest of the people. He said: “Governor Okowa has vowed to remain prudent, transparent and accountable to the people because he realises that the ultimate political power rests on the people who overwhelmingly voted him into offi ce.

He has assured that Deltans will get value for all the money that accrue to the state at all times.” While answering questions bothering on the payment of local government workers’ salaries, Aniagwu said the local governments were a separate tier of government, adding that the state government was not responsible for the payment of their salaries. “Even though we assisted them in the past, we couldn’t continue in the present economic circumstance as we have our own challenges because a man cannot give what he doesn’t have.” Justifying the setting aside of about N3 billion for infrastructure and payment of contractors, Aniagwu stressed that government exists for everybody and not just for the payment of salaries of workers which are less than two per cent of the population of the state.

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