Gov. Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State has approved the remittance of N8.4 billion to all the 34 local governments in the state for the immediate payment of May salaries to their workers as well as other contractual services.
Shema announced this in Abuja on Saturday at the inauguration of 151 housing units constructed by his administration at Kafe District of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
According to him, the approval is meant to cover the cost of payment of May salary and for the execution of projects and other services by the local government councils..
“We are committed to well-being of the people of Katsina and we have been consistent in that regard.
“ I have directed remittance of over N8.4 billion to the 34 local governments in the state for the payment of salaries for the month of May, which is my last month in office.
”Also, the sum is meant for projects and all other services for the benefit of our people in Katsina State.
“The projects we left behind are very insignificant in quantum, compare to the projects we have executed up till this moment.”
The governor enjoined the people of the state to cooperate with the incoming administration in order to enjoy more democracy dividends from the next administration.
Shema said that the state government, under his stewardship, did not borrow money from within or outside to run the affairs of the state in the last eight years.
He urged the people of the state to ignore rumours that the state was indebted and challenged the peddlers of such rumours to substantiate their claims with facts and figures.
”Ask those who say that we boorow money to tell you how much we had borrowed, from which organisation we borrowed and how we spent the moeny we have borrowed,” Shema said.
He also said that the state government over remitted its debt with the Debt Management Office by over 200 million dollars, adding that efforts were ongoing to correct the anomalies.
Source : Leadership
