Governors of the federation’s recent boycott of the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting has taken a toll on the timely payment of their workers’ salaries and other key financial obligations of the states.
The governors had on Wednesday, February 19, 2024, boycotted the meeting due to a dispute between states and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Ltd over unpaid N1.7 trillion remittances.
The money has been pending since the federal government removed the petrol subsidy.
When LEADERSHIP Sunday contacted the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation on the matter on Thursday, an official said it had been resolved and a communique would be issued.
Later on Thursday, the federal government, states and local government areas announced the sharing of N1.703tn in federation account revenue for January 2025.
This was contained in a press release by the director (Press and Public Relations) in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Bawa Mokwa.
But investigation by LEADERSHIP Sunday showed that most of the state governments, which used to pay their workers’ salaries between 23rd and 25th of every month, were yet to do so as on Friday, the last day of February 2025.
Some state governments’ officials, who spoke with our correspondents, attributed the delay in the payment of the workers’ salaries to the governors’ boycott of FAAC.
In Kebbi State, some officials said there was no news of the payment of February salary, a day to the end of the month, describing it as unusual.
One of the sources said, “This is unusual for the civil servants in the state not to have received their February salary up to 27th.”
However, officials at the Ministry of Finance said they were busy day and night preparing vouchers for the possible payment of the workers’ salaries.
The situation is not different in Sokoto State.
As at the time of filing this report, civil servants, who usually get paid before the 25th of every month, were yet to receive their pay, which was attributed to the postponement of the FAAC meeting.
Activities at the state’s twin-secretariat, Usman Farouk and Five Star respectively, were at the lowest ebb as workers were seen in groups, discussing how to embark on Ramadan fasting without salaries with the prevailing cost of foodstuffs in the market.
In Kaduna State, officials equally lamented the situation. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said it is only through federal allocations that the state could pay monthly salaries and meet other recurrent expenditures.
One of the officials with Kaduna North local government area said, “Without FAAC, many states and local governments may find it difficult to meet their financial obligations. Maybe some states like Lagos can still pay salaries without FAAC but for other states, I don’t think they can pay salaries.”
Another official in the state Ministry of Finance who did not want his name mentioned said, “The issue of salary payment depends on FAAC. Without FAAC, both the states and local government areas cannot function. How much do states and local governments generate as IGR?”
In Niger State, the workers usually receive their salaries on or before the 25th of every month, but as at the time of filing this report yesterday, neither civil servants nor political appointees were paid.
It was learnt that even the third-party deductions from workers’ salaries from last month were yet to be remitted to the statutory beneficiaries as the government claimed it was awaiting certain components from the federation account.
Some civil servants who spoke on the condition of anonymity, explained that it was the first time since the current administration came into office that the salaries of a previous month would enter the new month.
Attempt to get the comments of the commissioner for finance, Lawal Adamu Maikano, were unfruitful as he neither picked not returned the calls to his mobile phone.
In Ondo State, the workers have experienced delay in the payment of the salaries by the state government. Sources said the delay was due to late release of the federal allocation.
Although, while some workers informed our correspondent that they had just received their February salary alert at about 3pm on Friday, others said they were still waiting.
A top official said, “The delay in the disbursement of federal allocation has nothing to do with the state. We have enough on ground to cater for our workers.”
The commissioner for information in Ekiti State, Chief Taiwo Olatunbosun, expressed confidence that issues relating to the last week’s boycott of FAAC meeting by state governors would be resolved.
Olatunbosun who said he was not really aware of the development promised to get in touch with the commissioner for finance for an update.
He, however, didn’t comment on whether the February salaries and operations would not be delayed by the development.
Indications however emerged that the civil servants were yet to be paid their February salaries they usually receive by 22nd or 23rd of every month.
LEADERSHIP Sunday inquiries indicated that Abia State government is “very likely to pay February salaries and fund its operations pending the arrival of the allocation.”
“Having fixed salary payment on or before the 28th of every month, Governor Alex Otti will consider failure as a clog in the wheel of progress of the state,” a source in the Ministry of Finance said.
Arguing that Otti may raise the funds internally without external borrowing, he said it would be an opportunity for him “to prove his prudence acumen as an ex-banker.”
Interestingly, the Bayelsa State has commenced the payment of civil servants’ salaries for the month of February. This was confirmed by the state secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade John Angese. The former Bayelsa NUJ chairman said workers in the state started receiving their salaries since Monday, February 24, 2025.
In Cross River State, the chief press secretary to the governor, Mr. Nsa Gill, said the Governor Bassey Otu and his counterparts met with officials of FAAC on February 24 and resolved the dispute.
He said that salaries of workers would be paid, stressing that what happened last week between governors and FAAC was a normal disagreement which had been settled.
The Gombe State government was silent on the delay in the payment of February salaries and operations due to the boycott of the FAAC meeting by governors.
Despite repeated attempts to get a comment from the state commissioner for finance and economic development, Mohammed Magaji, through WhatsApp and text messages sent since Tuesday, he did not respond to any of them.
