Paris Club refunds: Bayelsa dissociates from NGF on N53.6 bn consultancy fee

The Bayelsa government has dissociated itself from purported hiring of consultants for the first tranche of the Paris club refunds by the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).

Ned Nwoko has dragged the NGF to court over N53.6 bn fees part of which was allegedly paid to consultants who did not render any consultancy service.

In a statement issued on Saturday in Yenagoa by Mr Maxwell Ebibai, Bayelsa Commissioner for Finance, the state government said it had no hand in the hiring of any consultant on the Paris Club refunds.

The statement is coming on the heels of reports that a revenue consultant had taken the 36 state governments to court over claims that it was retained to handle the refund while its fees was paid to an unknown consultant.

“The Government did not and has never engaged the services of a Revenue Consultant, in respect of the Paris- Club over-deductions or refunds, neither has it paid any funds to any consultant. 

“The policy thrust of the Restoration Government is  to ensure accountability, transparency and high ethical standards in the conduct of Government business.

“The good people of Bayelsa State are assured that this Government will do all within its powers and resources to ensure that, no unscrupulous consultant takes undue advantage of the Government,” Ebibai stated.

Bayelsa was yet to receive the second tranche of the Paris Club refunds disbursed in March 2017 but the state received N14.5 bn in the first tranche received in December 2016.

Minister of Finance Mrs Kemi Adeosun had said that states must meet the condition that a monitoring and evaluation of the deployment of the first tranche by the state governments before accessing the second tranche.

The condition was to ensure that the refunds were judiciously utilized, particularly for payment of salaries.