Why I Am Owing 13 Months' Salary - Okorocha

Okorocha Governor Rochas Okorocha of
Imo has attributed the poor state of the
nation’s economy for the non-payment
salary arrears being owed government
workers in some states of the federation.
Okorocha said this while briefing newsmen
on the outcome of a meeting of All
Progressives Congress (APC) governors
and governors-elect on Tuesday in Abuja.
The governor said that just like the states,
the Federal Government was also finding it
difficult to pay the salaries of its workers.
It would be recalled that Okorocha pledged
to pay the 13 months salary arrears owed
primary school teachers in the state during
this year’s Workers Day.
“We must say that the economy is bad,
let’s face the fact. Most governors are not
able to pay salaries and there is no magic
any governor can do to pay salary under
the present situation.
“We intend to take that up with the
President-elect to inform him of the
challenges before him, to prepare his mind
to know that there is a lot of challenges that
the states are facing in terms of payment of
salaries, including Federal Government.
“Here, you have an incoming president
coming to meet almost an empty treasury,
which tells you the challenges we have
ahead of us.”
According to him, the APC governors and
governors-elect have decided to meet to
also review the just concluded 2015 general
elections. This, he said, would enable the
party and its elected officers to strategise on
the best possible approach to tackle the
country’s challenges.
“Basically, what we did was to review the
just concluded election and we have
congratulated each other and it’s on record
that today, APPC has 22 governors-elect,
while we are looking forward to getting
more by the time we finish with the court
processes.
“So this is the first introductory meeting to
know one another and to discuss all that
took place in the last election, the challenges,
the merits and demerits.”
Okorocha said that some of their colleagues
had embarked on holiday and medical
checks to enable them regain their strength
after the tedious electioneering campaigns.
He said that the presence of Senator Bukola
Saraki at their meeting was not in any way
connected to who emerged the Senate
President or the Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
“Senator Bukola visited during our meeting,
but we did not discuss the issue of who
becomes the Senate President, or who
becomes Speaker of the House of
Representatives.
“Our mission is to familiarise ourselves and
look at the state of our economy and see
how we can meet the president-elect and
make some suggestions on what he can do
to move Nigeria forward.”
The meeting was attended by Governor
Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, his Nasarawa
counterpart, Tanko Al-Makura, Kaduna
Gov.-elect, Malam Nasir El-Rufai and the
Speaker of the House of Representatives
who is the Sokoto State Gov.-elect, Aminu
Tambuwal.
Also present at the meeting were Gov. Rauf
Aregbesola of Osun, former Ekiti governor,
Kayode Fayemi, Deputy Governor of Kano
State, Abdullahi Ganduje and APC national
chairman, John Oyegun. – NAN reports.