Why states can hardly pay salaries, execute projects, by Jigawa gov

Jigawa State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar, yesterday, lamented why many states in the country were unable to pay salaries of civil servants, as well as execute people-oriented projects.

He identified limited revenue allocations accruing to many states from the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) as reason.

The governor, who spoke in Katsina during the inauguration of a multi-billion naira 185 new housing units constructed by the Governor Aminu Masari-led administration, however, commended Masari’s effort at executing several projects across the state in the last eight years despite the financial status of most states in the country.

He said: “Looking at the buildings and what my leader has achieved this day across the state, I begin to wonder if he was getting support from somewhere that I don’t know.

“Maybe the President (Muhammadu Buhari) being from Katsina enabled you to get the needed support or assistance to achieve such feat.

“But the projects that I have been following are so much and so many, and we have to thank you for using the state’s resources judiciously.

“Sir, congratulations. You have done well. You have served well. May Allah continue to bless you and to continue to support and help you

Speaking, Masari said the state government, under his watch, had constructed 2,000 housing units for civil servants across the state.

He said the new houses comprised 120 units of three-bedroom flats and 65 units of two-bedroom flats built to reflect the culture and tradition of the North.

He said the houses would be sold to interested workers at a subsidised rate of N9 million for each of the two-bedroom flats, and N11 million for each of the three-bedroom flats.

“We are making the project an owner-occupier. Experience has shown that when an owner is attached to a project, such project would be better looked after and better maintained.

“We shall sell each three-bedroom flat, which is supposed to cost N13 million, at N11 million to each buyer and each two-bedroom flat, which is supposed to cost N10.9 million, at N9 million to each buyer.”

Meanwhile, the General Manager of Katsina State Housing Authority, Awaalu Masar, said the housing units were constructed at the cost of N2.86 billion, including infrastructural facilities like road networks, water, wiring and electrification installations.