* Okowa, Delta Gov


  *  Confirms Unpaid N100bn debt

    * Admits N33.5bn Parish Refund 

   * Proposes N298bn For 2018 
By Nosa Eresoyen, Asaba


 'Our liability out  of the N19trillion,  the states are owing is only  N3trillion, says the Delta State Government maintaining emphatically that what was published by Federal Government does not reflect the true position of the external debt account.

 Picking holes in the  Federal Government allegation that Delta Government   external loans’ debt was N16trillion out of the N19trillion external debt,  the State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. David Edevbie Monday in  Asaba told journalists that the Federal Government’s figures were misleading and untrue. 

 The Commissioner visibly angry with what he described as “shifting blames” adding that the state had received the sum of N33.5billion pans refund including N109billion bailout fund and released sum of N3.26billion with interest rate to the Local Government Councils in the state, while the sum of N3.5billion was spent on the payment of salaries, and others. 

 Insisting that N500million was released for the payment of pensions out of the N2billion outstanding on the alleged direction that the Paris refund be used  for the payment of salaries by various states’ government by the President, Mohammadu Buhari, the Commissioner said: “the President cannot direct how Delta State will spend her money, it is totally not true and out of place, I’m sure that was not the president’s direction” disclosing that part of the Paris refund was spent on projects and payment of salaries including the release of N2billion Local Government Councils to off-set part of its outstanding bills. 

 Mr. Edevbie explained, Delta State Government in line with its electioneering promises, spent 58% of the Paris refund in addressing issues relating to salaries, and others, adding that the state government inherited N11.5b unpaid pensions, and N3.6billion, leaving outstanding debt of N8.2billion. 

 Earlier, the State Commissioner for Economic Planning, Dr. Kingsley Emu had told journalists that the sum of N298 billion proposal for 2018 was adequate enough to take care of all that would be needed to move the state forward, and assured Deltans of hopes in providing the dividends of democracy by the Okowa led administration and blamed the financial setback of the state on the Niger-Delta crisis. 

 “I must say there are hopes of N298billion budget proposals in 2016, it is unfortunate that in the recent times, the state was facing paucity of funds as a result of  the Niger Delta crisis in the heat of 2016, we thanked God that the ugly situation is over, and the state will continue to break the air of freedom” Dr. Emu added. 

 He noted that Okowa led administration had done numerous projects that will continue to speak volumes in the provision of basic infrastructure and disclosed that the “Akabella” consultants handling the staff verification exercise had also done so much to the desire of the state which used to have over 60, 000 workforce to 45, 000. 

 He said: “we are very sure that Delta State will make it in 2018, now that recessions are over, but it will disagree with those clamouring for restructuringare several implications to our resources control” on allegation that the state political appointees earn more the state workers, the finance commissioner in a swift reaction, said: “we have 2, 203 political appointees, 45, 203 workers, with N383million payment every month for appointee, while workers the sum of N6.3billion paid every month on abandoned Okpanam road project, Dr. Emu however expressed the state government commitment towards the provision of basic infrastructures in the state, warning that the contractor handling the project would soon be brought to book no matter how highly placed, adding: Okpanam road project is almost an embarrassment to the state government, we will soon bring the contractor to book and ensure the project is completed”.