Retired Primary school teachers, protest over non payments of retirement benefits, While the state government responded that funds has been released for payment

 

Delta State Government has said the state has enough financial might to liquidate all outstanding debt obligations totalling 272 billion naira.

The State Commissioner for Finance, Chief Fidelis Tilije disclosed this at a news conference held at Government House  in Asaba.

Chief Tilije said 84 billion and 27 billion naira were due to contractors and pension arrears emphasizing that the state could have taken the option to discount the entire 240billion naira expected from the 13 percent derivation refunds as was done by other states.

The Commissioner who was flanked by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Olisa Ifeajika said Governor Okowa being a prudent and considerate leader chose to keep the remaining balance for the incoming administration.

He said the Okowa administration was faced by serious financial challenges at inception in 2015 which necessitated some borrowings at that time.

According to him, in 2021 the state had a budget of 378 billion which increased to 478billion in 2022, an additional increase of 100billion naira. He said government expenditures were funded by different sources and expended in making payments to several projects including recurrent expenditure affirming that 240 billion being referred to in the social media was not the totality of the funds received from the Federal government or FAAC.

For his part, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Olisa Ifeajika urged journalists to be circumspect as a lot of politically motivated stories were being thrown into the media in the rundown to the 2023 general elections.

He said that the state government under Governor Okowa being a prudent and transparent administration would continue to be accountable to the people at all times.video below