Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau state has clarified that the N5 billion palliative given to each state of the federation was not a gift, saying ‘it is not a free launch’ part of it is a loan that must be repaid by each state.
The governor said that the money is not a ‘free launch’, saying that a portion of the amount constitutes a loan that every state is obligated to repay.
The governor, who made this known at a parley with the elders in the state, explained that the N5 billion was given in principle to provide succour to the poorest of the poor and to mitigate the hardship in the country.
He said that the state has so far received the sum of N2 billion of the total amount, adding that the N5 billion palliatives have a 52 percent drive component while the remaining 48 percent is a loan component that must be repaid.
Governor Mutfwang said: “The federal government allocated N5 billion in palliatives to each state of the federation; the money was in principle given to every state for the purpose of giving palliatives to the poorest of the poor. We have so far received N2 billion; the N5 billion has a 52 percent drive component, while 48 percent is a loan component that must be repaid.
“So it is not a free launch; we were allocated 3,000 bags of rice for the whole state. We were mandated to use N1 billion of the N5 billion to buy rice locally. The intention of the federal government is that the N1 billion should not be given to one contractor; we must share it around so that money can circulate in the local economy.
“And I like to pledge and give you my pledge of honour that not a single kobo of this N5 billion will be misused. Already, we have shared the rice with various local governments, and this will be further distributed.
Mutfwang assured that the state government will try its best to further supplement the federal government’s efforts in this regard, adding that a committee has been set up to bring up all the possible palliative measures to cover a wide spectrum of society.
He added that the government will further look into the issue of bursaries for students and fertilizer for farmers at a subsidised rate, adding that the state government will take these and other measures responsibly.
On salary, he commended the civil servants for their understanding, adding that apart from the payment of two months, which informed why they called off their strike, the government has sourced for additional funds to supplement the salaries of civil servants until July.
The governor, however, declared: ” The outstanding salaries will be paid; the government has sourced funds to pay up to July, so don’t hang me if it is delayed; it might be due to bureaucracy by the civil servants.
He, therefore, hailed the elders for their advice and support in restoring peace to the state and promised that he would always liaise with them whenever the need arose.