By Jamiu Ganiyu
At a time Osun is recovering from the crises of half salary that engulfed the state for more than three years, the federal government has shown the readiness to recover the N17.5 billion given to the state as budget support facility during the early years of President Muhamadu Buhari administration when most states of the federation were financially insolvent.
The readiness of the federal government to recover the fund was conveyed on Thursday by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the National Economic Council (NEC) chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
Following the Minister’s presentation of an update to the Council on the budget support facility and with 35 states benefiting from the facility, she said that each state to pay back the equivalent of N17.5 billion.
The Minister of Finance briefed NEC on the progress of the facilitate detailing how the Federal Government has made a total of over N614 billion available to 35 States being N17.5bn each.
“Council agreed to constitute a team from the Nigerian Governors Forum to meet with the CBN and Ministry of Finance to finalise modalities for commencement of payment,’’ she said.
The minister further revealed that she updated the Council on the activities of the Ad-Hoc Committee on Excess Crude Account and other special accounts of the federation.
She said the Committee requested for extension of time to finalise and present its report during next meeting of the Council.