Samuel Ortom, the governor of Benue State, on Monday, March 12, 2018, begged President Muhammadu Buhari for a grant or soft loan to be able to clear outstanding salaries.
The governor made this appeal when the President paid a condolence visit to the state.
Ortom said, “The issue of backlog of salaries remains intractable. Part of the problem of salaries was inherited from the past government.
“In spite of your efforts with Bailout Funds and Paris Club Refunds which we appreciate, the challenge still remains due to the high wage bill in the average of N7.8 billion which we inherited.
“We request for a grant or soft loan to be able to pay the arrears even as we have taken steps to stabilize regular salary payment with effect from January this year.”
