Former Governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shehu Shema has attempted to put paid to insinuations by the state government that he left a deficit of two months salaries before leaving office in May.

Shema, according to his media team, paid, as at when due, from when he was sworn-in between 2007 to May 2015, salaries of the state workforce, the last being May 25,2015 even as he chastised the state government for misinforming the state house of assembly speaker and the people of the state.

According to the release, the media team claimed the state Governor, Alhaji Aminu Masari, in a signed letter with reference number: S/SGKT/154/T/3 dated August 26,2015 addressed to the Speaker, Katsina House of Assembly, Alhaji Aliyu Sabiu, requested the house’ consent to collaborate with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN for a bail out on two months salaries his administration inherited from the Shema government.

Shema said all salaries of both the state and the local governments were fully paid till the last month of his government’s departure. The letter signed by Masari read thus:

“BAILOUT ON OUTSTANDING SALARY FOR WORKERS OF THE STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. I would like to request for the Honorable house’s consent for the state government to collaborate with the Central Bank of Nigeria for a bailout on outstanding workers salaries in the state and local governments. Mr Speaker may wish to know that at the time of the take off of this administration, the state and the local government in the state owed workers two months salary to the tune of N11, 086,632,741.32 broken down as follows. Katsina State Government: N3,646, 539,099.80. Local government Councils:N7,439, 689,641.32, making N11 086,632,741.32. Considering the lean resources inherited from the former administration, it has become necessary for the state government to seek bailout on behalf the state and local government”.

According to Shema, “We did not only pay all salaries but owed no debt, either to individuals or companies before we left office. The records are there. This, certainly cannot be the gift envisaged for the 100 days in office.

“This, obviously is a lie from the pit of hell. The Speaker is obviously being misinformed. No sane government will approve payment twice, not now that the country is going through some financial challenges. The Governor obviously knows more than we do, and that is why he should tell and disclose what he wants to do with the money, certainly not for salaries we have already paid”.

Shema therefore called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to investigate the scenario with a view to bringing all the culprits involved to book.