Emmanuel Addeh in Yenagoa
Again, the Bayelsa State government has declared N1.1billion Naira as its internally generated revenue for the month of December 2017. This is one of the few times the state’s IGR has exceeded the N1 billion mark.
The government also announced that it posted the sum of N7.8billion as balance of funds available as at the end of January, this year.
Making the disclosure at the monthly Transparency Media briefing for January this year in Yenagoa, the Deputy Governor, Rear Admiral Gboribiogha John Jonah (Retd) explained that, out of the N13 billion Paris/London Club Refund, the state government received in December last year, it spent about N5.5billion to pay one and half Months salary arrears owed workers.
According to him, the government expended N3.7bn as full payment of February, 2016 salaries while N1.9bn was used to defray the pending half month salaries of civil servants for August of the same year.
The Deputy Governor announced a gross FAAC inflow of N14.3billion for January, 2018, comprising statutory allocation of N2.9billion, 13% derivation N9.6 billion, Forex utilisation N898 million and VAT of N730million among others.
He said total FAAC deductions gulped N1.6billion, consisting of restructured commercial bank loan of 741 million, bond deductions N421million, refunds of overpayments N128million and Excess Crude Account Facility of N126million, brought net inflow to N12.6billion.
The deputy governor however, noted that, other receipts such as December IGR of N1.1billion, other sources N500 million and refunds from Local Government Councils over bailout 16million naira beefed up total funds available for spending to N14.3billion.
According to him, total outflow for January stood at N12billion comprising bank loans of N2billion, civil servants’ salaries N2.9billion, political appointees N297million and salary arrears of N5.5billion for February and August, 2016.
Responding to a question on the reduction of the amount usually paid as civil servants monthly salaries, he explained that, it was due to the separation of N630million government doled out to its tertiary institutions, as grant.
“One of the decisions government has taken following the public service reforms committee report, is that tertiary institutions should stand on their own. They will only get grants from government.
“We are no longer adding that amount to our salary bill. That’s why you see the salary figure going down from 3.8billion to N2.9billion”, he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Daniel Iworiso-Markson described the transparency law enacted by the Restoration Government, as one of the best things that have happened to the state.
Iworiso-Markson, who attributed the impressive transformation in the state to Governor Seriake Dickson’s transparency and prudent management of scarce resources, urged successive administrations to obey the law for the benefit of the people.
