State governors last night met behind closed doors at Old Banquet Hall of the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The meeting discussed Tuesday’s payments to the 36 states as refund of “over-deductions on Paris Club, London Club Loans and Multilateral debts on the accounts of States and Local Governments (1995-2002).”

It was the second tranche of the refunds to the states, totalling N243.8 billion.

The Ministry of Finance had said the releases were conditional upon a minimum of 75 percent being applied to the payment of workers’ salaries and pensions for states that owe salaries and pension.

The ministry had also stated that it was reviewing the impact of these releases on the level of arrears owed by the various state governments.

The meeting, which was still ongoing as of the time of filing this report, was presided over by the chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Andulaziz Yari of Zamfara State.

The governors in attendance included those of Taraba, Jigawa, Delta, Kaduna, Kwara, Edo, Kano, Sokoto, Enugu, Kogi, Ekiti, and Imo states.

Those represented by their deputies were the governors of Lagos, Ogun, Rivers, Ondo, Borno, among others.

The NGF members are also expected to attend today’s meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) headed by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo. (Daily Trust)

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