Twenty one states of the federation are to benefit from the N489bn refund approved by the Senate for states that used their resources to execute federal projects in their areas.
The Senator representing Anambra Central senatorial district, Chief Victor Umeh, while briefing reporters in Awka yesterday, said the Senate decided to approve some of the outstanding claims and liabilities of states based on their claims.
According to Umeh, Lagos State topped the beneficiaries of the refund with N114.6 billion, while Akwa-Ibom State came second with N78.7 billion.
Zamfara State, according to him, would get N60. 02 billion from the refund, Ogun State – N59.2 billion and Anambra State N37. 9 billion, among other states.
Umeh, who is a member of the Senate ad hoc committee on promissory note programme and bond issuance that approved the refund, said the approval became possible following the rescinding of earlier Senate resolution on the committee’s interim report of 7th June, 2018.
He said: “The approval of the refund followed a motion by Senator Francis Alimikhena representing Edo North that the Senate should settle inherited local debts and contractual obligations on refund to state governments for projects executed on behalf of the federal government.
“Anambra State deputy governor, Dr. Nkem Okeke and I led the Anambra delegation to the refund defence. I devoted my time to it because Governor Willie Obiano is doing well and needs as much assistance as possible to continue his good work in the state.”
The senator appealed to the federal government to release the money without much delay to enable the states put the fund to use.
