The Ondo State Government has urged the Federal Government to pay the $100 million owed the state, being an over-payment by the state during the Paris Club debt settlement. The state government is also demanding for the payment of N9.5 billion spent on federal roads rehabilitation to meet its obligations to workers.
The State Government through the Commissioner of Information, Mr. Kayode Akinmade, empathized the workers on the non-payment of salary and added that the government is working round the clock and doing all within its power to source money to offset the outstanding salaries.
“We appreciate that this are not the best of times for workers in the state,” Mr. Akinmade said.
“We are doing all within our power to make sure we get funds to pay workers their entitlements, but if we can get the federal government to refund the N9.5 billion we spent on road rehabilitation, that will enable us pay salaries.
“This is not peculiar to Ondo State, it is affecting 32 states in the federation, but we are doing our best to handle it.”
“Last month, we got only N931 million, we had to borrow N1.6 billion to augment the funds, before we could run some activities of government,”
Mr Akinmade also called on the workers to show understanding and call off the ongoing strike action.