A socio-political pressure group, Delta Youths Assembly (DYA), comprising all the youths in the state have called on the state governor, Mr. Ifeanyi Okowa to as a matter of urgency and importance use part of the N10 billion Paris Club Refund recently received to offset the backlog of workers salaries rather than channeling it to frivolous things that have no impact on the state.
Reacting to the recently released N10 billion Paris Club Refund received by the state and the sufferings of workers especially the local government workers and primary teachers who are been owed over 13 months salaries, Mr. Kelly Gilor, National President of DYA noted that inspite of the N21.54bn Delta state received from the federal allocations in the first quarter of 2017, the state government is still owing workers.
“Delta state in the recently disbursed Paris Club refund received N10 billion, the State also received N14,500,000,000 in 2016 and have so far received a total of 27,606,963,362.46 from the Paris Club refund between 2016 and 2017. Also in federal allocations, the Okowa-led administration have received the third largest share behind Rivers and Bayelsa States, with all these funds including internally generated revenue, Delta State is still behind most states with visible deficit in infrastructural development.” Gillor said.
In a press statement signed by Mr. Ezekiel Enejeta, National Publicity Secretary of DYA, and obtained by HardReporters lamented the inability of Okowa-led state government in offsetting over fifteen months salary arearers owed local government employees in the state and therefore enjoined Governor Okowa to use the Paris Club refund to offset salary arearers of workers in the state have lost patience in the midst of hardship and high cost of goods and services in the country.
