The Bayelsa State Government has declared receipt of N12.8 billion as allocation from the Federation Account for the month of September, 2018.

The Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Maxwell Ebibai, disclosed this in a statement in Yenagoa on Tuesday.

According to him, the State Governor, the Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson, has directed immediate payment of September salaries to civil servants.

Ebibai said that the government’s decision to declare the allocation from Federation Account for September was in line with the transparency policy of the Restoration Government.

He stressed that the Finance Committee had commenced steps to commence payment of the salaries to workers in line with the governor’s directive.

Ebibai said that while the government was aware of an earlier directive by the Governor to pay two months salary arrears and four months of pension arrears, efforts were ongoing to ensure that the directive was carried out.

He attributed the delay in the payment of the salary arrears and pension with receipts from the Paris Club Debt refund to emergent issues of documentation between the Governor’s Forum, the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria.

He restated the commitment of the state government to the clearance of the obligation through alternative option as soon as possible even as the government awaits the resolution of the Paris Club issue.

Ebibai said: “Bayelsa State Government has received the sum of N12.8 billion from the Federation Account.

“As usual, we have decided to inform the citizens of the receipts from the Federation Account in adherence to the administration’s policy of transparency and accountability.

“Consequently, the Governor, the Honourable Henry Seriake Dickson has directed that payment of salaries for September should commence now.

“Government is equally aware of an earlier directive for the payment of two months’ salary arrears and four months pension arrears. However due to issues of documentation between governor Forum, Central Bank of Nigeria, and the Ministry of Finance, it has not been carried out.

“We are committed to clearing the obligation as soon as possible, by exploring alternate option while we await the resolution of the

Paris Club issues.”

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