Unpaid Salaries: Buhari okays N804.7b lifeline for states - click link to See more at

TO end the lingering and back-breaking burden of unpaid workers’ salaries in several states of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari has  approved a comprehensive relief package.

Sources said, yesterday, that President Buhari okayed a three-pronged relief package including sharing of fresh allocations, granting of soft loans and restructuring of states’ debt-servicing payments.

The packages are expected to go into effect this week as the President is said to have directed that release of the funds should be made urgently to assuage the plight of thousands of Nigerian workers in the federal and state governments.

President Muhammadu Buhari

The packages are:

About $2.1b (N413.7bn) will be shared in fresh allocation between the states and the federal government. The money is sourced from recent Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) proceeds to the federation account.

A Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)-packaged special intervention fund that will offer financing to the states, ranging from between N250bn and N300bn. This would be a soft loan that states could access to pay the backlog of salaries.

Implementing a debt relief programme proposed by the Debt Management Office, DMO, which will help states restructure their commercial loans currently put at more than N660bn, and extend the life span of such loans while reducing their debt-servicing expenditures.

Also, a total of N391 billion from the Excess Crude Account, ECA, will be shared among the three tiers of government, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, disclosed yesterday.

With the N413.7 billion LNG proceeds it means the three tiers of government will share a total of N804.7 billion.

By extending the commercial loans of the states, according to the third package, more funds would be made available to the state governments, which otherwise would have been claimed at source by the banks.

Vanguard gathered that the Federal Government has agreed to use its influence to guarantee the elongation of the loans for the benefit of the states.

Sources explained that this package, which was considered at the National Economic Council, NEC, last week, is designed specifically for workers, adding that President Buhari reviewed and approved the package in his bid to intervene and alleviate the sufferings of workers, some of whom have not been paid for over 10 months.

Contacted, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina confirmed the development, adding that the President is deeply concerned about the plight of the workers.

While inaugurating the NEC last week, President Buhari asked the council to, as a matter of priority, consider how to liquidate the unpaid salaries of workers across the country, a situation he observed has brought untold hardship to the workers.

While the N413bn LNG proceeds would be shared among the three tiers of government using the revenue allocation formula, the CBN will also make available the special intervention fund to states and then negotiate the terms with individual states.

At the NEC meeting, the relief measures were extensively discussed between the state governors and top officials of the Federal Government including the CBN governor, and the permanent secretaries from ministries of Finance and Petroleum Resources. Other agencies that were actively involved in the process include the DMO and officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, it was learned.

Currently, 12 of the 36 states of the federation are owing their workers more than N110 bn. The most affected states are Osun, Rivers, Oyo, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi, Ondo, Plateau, Benue, and Bauchi.

However, sources said the Finance Ministry and the CBN may have pegged the amount needed to settle all the outstanding public workers salaries at about N250 billion. There are also workers in the federal government’s employ whose salaries have not been paid for months and their cases would be taken care of by the new package.

FG, states to share N391bn ECA fund

On the N391 billion ECA fund, Idris, who was at the Presidential Villa alongside the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Anastasia Daniel- Nwaobia to brief President Buhari on the state of affairs in the ministry, said the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) would meet to determine sharing formula.

Idris took over from Jonah Otunla after his appointment on June 25.

Speaking to State House Correspondents, he said what the new regime met on the ground was between the $1.6 to $1.7 billion which is equivalent to N391 billion.

“It is hovering between $1.6 and $1.7 billion, and that is what we are going to distribute among all the three tiers of government — federal, states and local governments based on the approved formula.”

Speaking on the outcome of their meeting with President Buhari, he said that the President advised on prudent management of scarce resources.

“The general message is clear. Mr. President had a clear direction, and we all have to fall in line; prudent management of resources and identify more alternative ways of generating revenue which we are set to do and to manage the meagre resources we found on the ground very efficiently and effectively for the betterment of the economy,” Idris said.

Addressing journalists earlier, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance, Nwaobia also revealed that the meeting with the President was to formally brief him on the state of the nation’s finances.

She also hinted that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Budget Office of the Federation were verifying oil subsidy payments.

Nwaobia however dismissed insinuations that there was  massive looting going on in the ministries due to the absence of ministers, stressing that their absence cannot stall progress in the business of governance.

She said: “The state of Nigerian finances is okay. Our finances are okay, though we are still going through challenges of revenue stream to government and this you know obviously is from the oil shock, the price of oil that has dropped. It has significantly reduced the revenue stream to government but we are working on other ways to see how we can shore up the revenue, so that we will be able to meet our expenditure.

“We did not say that we will not pay subsidy. As the former minister said, there is a liability on subsidy which is being verified by the CBN and Budget Office of the Federation. The issue had to do with the forex differentials which they were claiming and this committee is looking into it, and as soon as it is resolved we will be able to say the verified amount also.”

The bailout package elicited commendations from some eminent Nigerians, who, however, urged our leaders to be prudent in the management of the scarce resources. Those who spoke on the issue included legal icon, Professor Itse Sagay (SAN); former presidential candidate, Professor Pat Utomi and Labour Party scribe, Kayode Ajulo.

It’s a welcome development—Sagay

Professor Sagay,described the bail out as a welcome development, saying: “Since they are owing salaries and all states have a share in the excess crude oil account and because they are in a desperate situation, I think it is a welcome decision.”

The legal icon, however, dismissed the notion that the bailout is a sign of weakness on the part of the President.

“People believe in extremism but to be strong does not mean that you have to be extreme. It does not mean that you have to lack any feelings for people. He (Buhari) must be thinking of thousands of workers, who have not been paid for six months.”

It is imperative for Nigeria’s survival — Utomi

On his part, Professor Pat Utomi said the bailout for states is imperative for the economic survival of the country. His words:

“It is important to recognize that without such bailout, the economy will be in danger as there will be no spending going on while those offering services will be unable to offer anything. The bailout is very important for the economy.”

Besides, he said “this development should now make government impose conditionality that will stop mismanagement and unnecessary spendings”.

Priority needs to be set right—Ajulo, LP scribe

On its part, the Labour Party, which accused the state governors of allegedly mismanaging resources meant to run the states, advised that the bailout funds must be judiciously spent.

LP National Secretary, Dr Kayode Ajulo,  said: “Priority needs to be set right on the granting and usage of the bail out. It is unfortunate that governors, most of whom operate flamboyantly and mismanaged their states’ resources are  begging for bailout. Salaries have to be paid, therefore the bailout must come with a condition that the money must be used to offset the unpaid salaries.”

The LP scribe noted that “I say this knowing the antics of some of our governors as we should not be surprised that some of them may commit the money to another white elephant project or buy private jets which is the latest vogue among them.  Greek was given conditions when she asked for bail out from the European Union and I see nothing wrong in setting a condition for the bail out as there must be an end to the prevalence of financial indiscipline  among our state executive.”

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APC Crisis: Oyegun’s exit isn’t a solution — Sen Alimikhena -

Senator Francis Alimikhena, APC, Edo North is the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate and a retired military officer. In this interview with Vanguard, Senator Alimikhena, who is in his first term in the Senate and the only APC senator from the South-South, speaks on topical issues affecting the Senate and his party.  Excerpts:

What should one expect from you as the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate?

I am going to do the best I can for Edo North and Nigeria in general. As deputy chief whip, I will make sure that I make my office very attractive and robust and do what is right for all manner of people.

What are the issues stoking the crisis in your party?

Well, it is a leadership issue and at the same time, it is a family affair. You know in every family, there must be issue and it is good to resolve the issues among the family. It all goes down to misunderstanding. As I can say by my own perception,  misunderstanding and wrong direction are the causes of the wrangling.

There are calls from some quarters that the National chairman of your party, Chief John Odigie Oyegun should resign or be removed. What is your take on this?

I do not believe that he should resign because any decision taken rightly or wrongly is a collective responsibility. If they feel that Oyegun has not done well, it is not only Oyegun that should go, all the National Working Committee, NWC of the APC should go. But I don’t think he should go, it is just a matter of consensus.

When mistakes occur then they can be rectified because if you say one mistake occured here and you say the people that made that mistake should go, what of other people that will come? If they make similar mistakes, will they have to go? I don’t think that it is fair on him for anybody to clamour that they should go because of what has happened.

What is your agenda for the Senator Bukola Saraki led 8th Senate?

Well, I don’t have to set agenda for him because he is an agenda person. He can set good agenda that he believes can be good for the country. You should bear in mind that he was once a governor and he did well in Kwara State and this is his second term in the Senate. He should be able to know the agenda that is good for the country.

For instance, today he has set up two committees. There is the legislative committee which has not been done before in the Senate. And he also set up a finance committee to look at the finances of the Senate in a way to prune it down so that a lot of people talking about what goes to the Senate should be able to know. Information matters.

If they come up with a blueprint, then Nigerians will know what comes to the National Assembly and it is in the right direction that he has set up those two committees.

What do you expect from your colleagues and secondly, what is your take on the controversy concerning the huge allowance for lawmakers?

First and foremost, my colleagues and I expect that we should work in peace and harmony. It is when there is peace that there will be development. I don’t expect anybody to have any ulterior motive whereby you come to the Senate to fight. The Senate is not a place to fight, it is a place to make laws for the good of the country.

Wardrobe allowance

Like all these talk about  jumbo pay and the rest, I have not seen the jumbo pay. For instance they were talking about wardrobe allowance of about N6 million or thereabout. But we were told the wardrobe allowance is N42,000 and N42,000 cannot be a jumbo pay.

I have not seen the jumbo pay. Whether the jumbo pay will come tomorrow, it is only when I see it that I can comment on it.

Meanwhile what they read on the floor of the Senate to us is what I have just told you now. They said wardrobe allowance which the papers published as N6 million for every Senator is N42,000 and I don’t think that N42,000 is a thing that somebody should make noise about.

And if you calculate all these as you were told, the take home pay of a Senator is about 900thousand a month, so I don’t see the jumbo pay there. Maybe probably they calculated what you take in a year or added the furniture allowance which you receive once in four years.

And the 42thousand wardrobe allowance that they are talking about is paid once in a year.

So I have not seen any jumbo pay, maybe  the jumbo pay will come, I don’t know.

It is based on this thing that the Senate President set up a committee on finance to look at all the loopholes.

This Senate is not going to be an extravagant Senate and you should also bear in mind that this is change. The slogan of APC is change, change for the good and not change for the bad. The change from the wrong way of doing things to change to good things so that Nigerians will benefit. I don’t think the 8th Senate is insensitive to the yearnings of Nigeria 

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latest swags for teenage girls 2014\2015

It easy for some girs to go out for shopping,but getting the right combination is always a problem for some girls, this are some outfit and ways to combine them to give you a perfect match without abusing color

i guess this will go a long way in helping some of our teenage girls in Nigeria whose work is to abuse color

WHAT TO WEAR TO WORK – TURN ON YOUR CORPORATE SWAG

For some of us that have to always keep up the professional look at work. I know sometimes it gets boring and tiring and sometimes you just get feed up of deciding what to wear (especially during the rush hour). I wrote down some of the things you might want to remember when deciding what to wear next time and of course I have some collections of amazing pictures to inspire you.Rule 1 : Color is everything. Make sure all your colors complement each other. Primary colors should match secondary colors perfectly. Also the color you decide to wear should depend on the day of the week and the general mood at your work environment

Rule 2: Fitting is king. Avoid too loose or tight clothes. You don’t want to be regarded as being loose na. Get patterned pieces. Dress smartly and confident.

Rule 3: Do not neglect your shoe. Now this is one of the most important rule of them all(lol you guys know am a shoe fetish). On a more serious noted, do not neglect the shoe. Wear highs Mon – Thur. Stand tall!!!

Hope you guys enjoy some of the styles we put together and feel inspired!!

Williams breaks

Laser guided-depth and angles measured with protractor accuracy from both players.

This really is vintage stuff.

Break point Williams, Azarenka into the net, the pass attempt is a whisker wide.

Take two. Another break point for Williams, Azarenka presses forward again and this time she reels in the break as Azarenka fails to get a dipping backhand up off her toes.

Greece debt crisis: 'No concrete plan' before summit

The eurozone group says that Greece has submitted "no concrete proposals" for a new bailout, at a key meeting of finance ministers in Brussels.

The eurozone had urged Greece to submit fresh plans after its people rejected a new draft bailout in a referendum.

Eurogroup head Jeroen Dijsselbloem said Greece planned to make an immediate bid for cash from a eurozone bailout fund and then set out steps for a deal.

This would not come before Tuesday evening's eurozone leaders' summit.

Separately, Greek PM Alexis Tsipras is set to address the European Parliament on Wednesday, a Greek government source said.

Greece debt crisis: Latest updates

The Greek side gave a presentation at the finance ministers' meeting on Tuesday. However, there was no new written plan.

Mr Dijsselbloem said the new Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos would "first of all now send us, quite quickly, a new letter requesting for European Stability Mechanism (ESM) support and following that he will present proposals from the Greek side on what the substance would look like on which we could reach an agreement".

The ESM fund was set up in 2012 to help eurozone members in financial difficulties.

However, Mr Dijsselbloem said any new ESM aid programme would only come after the eurozone had made its decisions on the state of the financial situation in Greece.

The lack of a new written plan was criticised by some in the eurozone.

Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos told a Spanish reporter: "There was no proposal. We only talked about general things. And we don't have time to waste."

Malta's PM Joseph Muscat tweeted that this "doesn't help this evening's eurozone leaders' meeting".

Reflecting the level of difficulty at the meeting, another eurozone official said: "If they really plan to present something formal tomorrow, they may not find anyone to read it." 

View from Germany:, sabi-talk blog

A picture of Angela Merkel wearing an old Prussian military helmet dominates the front cover of Bild. "Today," the headline reads "we need the Iron Chancellor!" referring to Otto von Bismarck, who first held the post.

For weeks the tabloid has been leading the charge against Greece. Like many here, it has had enough. "No more billions for Greece," it urged on Tuesday.

The chancellor is under huge domestic pressure not to cave in to Greek demands for debt relief. Her deputy, Sigmar Gabriel, has said that to do so would destroy the eurozone.

And on Tuesday the CSU (her party's Bavarian ally) went further: general secretary Andreas Scheuer wants Berlin to reject further negotiations, let alone a third bailout package. The Bavarian finance minister, Markus Soeder, has said he simply wants Greece out of the eurozone.

And these are the MPs who will have to vote before negotiations over any proposed new deal can even start. Mrs Merkel says she wants to keep the eurozone together; she's got a battle on her hands at home first.

Where do eurozone countries stand?

Banks closed

Mr Tsipras has been reported to want Greece's vast €323bn ($356bn; £228bn) debt to be cut by up to 30%, with a 20-year grace period.

He will meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande before eurozone leaders meet at a summit in Brussels on Tuesday evening, a Greek government official said.

French PM Manuel Valls said earlier that France would do all it could to keep Greece in the eurozone and that "the basis for a deal exists".

However, Germany has warned against any unconditional write-off of Greece's debt, amid fears it would destroy the single currency.

Greece's teetering banks, which have been shut for over a week, are to remain closed until at least Wednesday

The European Central Bank (ECB) is maintaining its pressure on the banks, refusing to increase emergency lending and ordering them to provide more security for existing emergency loans.

Capital controls have been imposed, with people unable to withdraw more than €60 a day from cash machines.

The European Commission - one of the "troika" of creditors along with the IMF and the ECB - wants Athens to raise taxes and slash welfare spending to meet its debt obligations.

Greece's Syriza-led left-wing government, which was elected in January on an anti-austerity platform, said creditors had tried to use fear to put pressure on Greeks.

What are the scenarios for Greece?

what happens next?

Eurozone decision down to politics

Mr Tsipras met Greek political party leaders on Monday to agree demands to reach a "socially fair and economically viable deal". According to Greek media, the demands include:

• Securing liquidity for Greece's financial system
• Credible reforms with reduced recessionary impacts
• Strong programme for growth
• Restructuring of Greek debt - that could mean writing some off and rescheduling repayments

Greece debt crisis: Creditors press for new proposals

Eurozone finance ministers say they expect to hear new proposals from Greece after the country voted to reject the terms of an international bailout.

Jeroen Dijsselbloem, head of the Eurogroup of finance ministers, said "difficult measures and reforms are inevitable" for Greece to recover.

The finance ministers are to hold emergency talks on Tuesday.

Earlier, Greece's outspoken Finance Minister, Yanis Varoufakis, resigned.

He said that eurozone finance ministers, with whom he had repeatedly clashed, had wanted him removed.

Meanwhile, the European Central Bank (ECB) is to discuss whether to raise its emergency cash support for Greek banks, which are running out of funds and on the verge of collapse.

Global financial markets have fallen over fears that Greece is heading for an exit from the euro.

In his statement, Mr Dijsselbloem said the result of the referendum was "very regrettable for the future of Greece".

"For recovery of the Greek economy, difficult measures and reforms are inevitable. We will now wait for the initiatives of the Greek authorities," he said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said there was currently "no basis" for talks on a new bailout package and the ball was in Greece's court.

"It is up to Greece to make something of this. We are waiting to see which proposals the Greek government makes to its European partners," he said.

Mrs Merkel is to meet French President Francois Hollande in Paris on Monday.

Varoufakis departure: Twitter reacts

Robert Peston: 48 hours to keep Greece in euro

Gavin Hewitt: Greece votes 'no' and gambles future

'No' prompts mixed feelings in Greek press

At a news conference in Brussels, the European Commission vice-president for the euro, Valdis Dombrovskis, said the Greek government needed to be "responsible and honest" with its people about the potential consequences of the decisions it was facing.

"The 'no' result, unfortunately, widens the gap between Greece and other eurozone countries," he said.

"There is no easy way out of this crisis. Too much time and too many opportunities have been lost."

But he said the stability of the eurozone was not in question, adding: "We have everything we need to manage the situation."

German viewpoint, by BBC Berlin correspondent Jenny Hill

Among the German tourists taking photographs outside the Reichstag in Berlin I met Peter.

The Greeks, he told me, "aren't willing to pay back their debts and I'm not very happy about it. I want Greece to think of the whole of Europe and not just themselves".

It's a commonly held view here. Greece may push for a debt cut or restructuring - especially after the IMF said that is exactly what the country needs - but it simply won't wash in Berlin. Greece must successfully institute reform first, said the German vice-chancellor today. To offer debt relief now, said Sigmar Gabriel, would destroy the eurozone.

Greece's Economy Minister, Georgios Stathakis, told the BBC the ECB had to keep Greek banks alive for seven to 10 days so that negotiations could take place.

But even if the ECB continued to freeze the Emergency Liquidity Assistance (ELA) at €89bn (£63bn; $98bn), the current cash withdrawal and transfer restrictions on banks of €60 per day could stay in place until Friday without any of them collapsing, he said.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said he was willing to go back to the negotiating table on Monday, noting that an International Monetary Fund (IMF) assessment published this week confirmed that restructuring Greece's debt of more than €300bn was necessary.

However, German Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel warned that any unconditional debt write-off or "haircut" would destroy the single currency.

What are the scenarios for Greece?

What happens next?

"I really hope that the Greek government - if it wants to enter negotiations again - will accept that the other 18 member states of the euro can't just go along with an unconditional haircut," said Mr Gabriel, who is also Germany's economy minister.

"How could we then refuse it to other member states? And what would it mean for the eurozone if we'd do it? It would blow the eurozone apart, for sure."

Mr Varoufakis said it was felt his departure would be helpful in finding a solution to the country's debt crisis.

He said he had been "made aware of a certain preference by some eurogroup participants, and assorted 'partners', for my... 'absence' from its meetings".

Greece had been locked in negotiations with its creditors for months when the Greek government unexpectedly called a referendum on the terms it was being offered.

Greece's last bailout expired on Tuesday and Greece missed a €1.6bn payment to the IMF.

The European Commission - one of the "troika" of creditors along with the IMF and the ECB - wanted Athens to raise taxes and slash welfare spending to meet its debt obligations.

Greece's Syriza-led government, which was elected in January on an anti-austerity platform, said creditors had tried to use fear to put pressure on Greeks.