DMO sanctions govs using bailout to pay salary

The argument in some quarters that the bailout loans given to states by the Federal Government ought not to be used mainly to pay workers’ salaries has been put rest as the Debt Management Office (DMO) has stated that there was no better way to use the money than to satisfy the workers first before any other things.

According to the DMO, the workers play the central roles in economic development and so deserved to enjoy preferential treatment.

Read also: NLC vows to partner ICPC to monitor bailout loans

Speaking at an enlightenment workshop for the civil society organisations in Enugu, the Director-General of the DMO, Dr. Abraham Nwankwo, said since the workers are the most important factor in economic development, it was appropriate to use the money to offset their salaries.

“Who will do the production if the worker is not doing his work because he has not been paid?

“If the worker is not doing his work, who will develop the economy? Who develops the economy? The economy is developed by the worker – the economy cannot develop itself.

“It is the Nigerian worker that develops and has been developing the economy. So the Nigerian worker deserves his pay, regularly and adequately.

“So if there is emphasis on paying workers salary, that is very crucial, that is the right thing to do, because it is the worker that is developing the economy” he said.

Many people have argued that the bailout fund from the Federal Government to the states ought to be used mainly for capital projects rather than using the chunk of it to pay workers’ salaries.

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