By Isaac Kertyo Makurdi
Benue State Government has Implored the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to as a matter of urgency release to it the sum of sixty two billion naira intervention funds, which he said other states of the federation have accessed.
Briefing Journalists shortly after the State Executive Council, SEC, meeting held at the Government House Makurdi, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Michael Inalegu explained that out of the said amount, the sum of twenty billion is to be expended for infrastructural development, while forty two billion is meant for payment of Salaries and pensions.
Mr Inalegu who lamented that states like Kogi, Nassarawa among others have accessed the said funds, Benue State has been deliberately denied access to it, the situation he said the opposition All Progressives Congress in the state used against the present Government during electioneering campaigns.
” Benue State Executive Council has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria to as a matter of urgency release the sum of forty two billion naira intervention funds to enable it clear the backlog of arrears of salaries and pensions.
The opponents went and conspired that if the money is given to the present administration, it will clear salaries and pensions and there will be nothing for them to use against this Government.”
Continuing, the Commissioner said that the state government also secured twenty billion naira infrastructural development funds which is currently being withheld. He averred that the money was to be used to complete on going projects.
In another development, Mr Inalegu hinted that the Contributory Pension Scheme which the present government introduced has yielded positive results. He maintained that a total sum of sixty billion naira has been realized for the benefit of all pensioners in the state. Ends
