EMINENT Cross Riverians have called on the state governor, Professor Ben Ayade, to make good use of the Paris Club refunds recently disbursed to state governments by the federal government.
The federal government had issued conditions to states on how the money should be used. In fact, it specifically said the funds should be used strictly for the pay of backlog of salaries, gratuity and pensions.
Amidst fears of possible diversion and misappropriation of the funds, some Cross Riverians have called on the governor to use it for the desired purpose.
A former Head of Service in the Old Cross River, Chief Wilfred Inah, in an exclusive chat with the Nigerian Tribune in Calabar, urged the governor to use the funds strictly for the payment of salaries, pension and gratuity.
Chief Inah said, ‘’ The governor should not in any way divert the funds to other things, the funds should be directed to settling of government indebtedness to people who retired as far back as 2012, they have not been paid their gratuity.
‘’Some of these people are anxious to have their money because that is the kind of money they were waiting for to start up something. They are sitting here in Calabar because they have not been paid. Anybody who has a soul and conscience the first thing to do with that money is to settle the arrears of pension and gratuity and whatever is left government should be kind enough to tell the citizenry how that money is going to be applied, that will promote transparency. If they do that they are doing themselves a favour. Come and openly and tell people how the money is been used.’’
A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Odey Ochicha also called on the governor to be prudent in the management of the funds, adding that he should adhere strictly to the guidelines handed down by the federal government on the application of the funds.
Ochicha said, ‘’ the governor should be prudent in the application of the funds. They were given guidelines by the federal government on how the money should be used and I think it should be followed. It should be used for human and capital development, infrastructural development, good roads and welfare of the people’’
A Calabar-based legal practitioner and Commissioner in the State law reform commission, Ogar Ndoma Egodo said the funds is not meant for capital projects, adding that any governor who misappropriates the fund should be arrested.
‘’There were conditions attached to the fund, Buhari when he was releasing the money said it was for payment of pension, salaries and gratuity. It is not capital project money, the President gave a directive on how the funds should be applied and I think that directive should be followed by governors.
‘’Pensioners are being owed arrears of pension and all of that. There are states that owe arrears of salaries. They should clear arrears of pension so that pensioners will stop dying. Any governor that does not apply the funds according to the directive is a violation and should be arrested’’
But another legal practitioner, Eyo Nsa Ekpo hold a contrary view.
He said the federal government has no right to give state governments conditions on the application of the Paris Club refunds.
He said since Nigeria is operating a federal system of government, the federal government has no constitutional powers to influence or dictate to state governments how funds accrued to them should be used.
‘’If the money belongs to the state then the federal government has no right to tell the state how to use the money. We are operating a federation and in a federation there are clear cut ways of operations and influence between the federal and state governments and state.
‘’I do not think that the FG has the powers to tell the state government how to apply their funds. It does not have. We are not in a military dictatorship where powers are submerged.
“If the funds are diverted into individual pockets of course the security agencies are there to do their work. But the federal government cannot direct the state on how to apply funds that are constitutionally within the purview of the state government. The state government has a budget and funds cannot be applied without an appropriation law’’