Bayelsa: Tertiary Institutions Get Boost As Govt Increases Salary Grant

By Ayodele Oni

State owned tertiary institutions in  Bayelsa state got a reprieve as Government  approved an increment in the salary grant for them to assuage their financial burden.

The Technical Adviser to the Governor on Treasury, Accounts and Revenue, Mr Timipre Seipulo disclosed this on Friday at the monthly transparency briefing for the months of May and June, 2022 in Yenagoa.

The Senator Douye Diri-led administration had been releasing over N854 million monthly as subvention to tertiary institutions in the state since inception of the administration.

Mr Seipulo explained that with the implementation of the increment in no distant time, the grant would be higher than what the institutions were currently receiving.

“You are all aware that state government has graciously approved some increase to tertiary institutions. By the time that is being implemented, most likely within a short period, the grant will be higher than what they are getting.”

Presenting the income and expenditure report for the month of May, 2022, Mr Seipulo said total gross inflow from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) stood at N22.86 billion.

The amount was made up of statutory allocation of N2.57 billion, derivation N17.82 billion, Value Added Tax N2.28 billion, non oil revenue N124.6 million among other items.

Mr Seipulo also announced N1.62 billion as FAAC deductions comprising refund of budget support N154.9 million, restructured refund of overpayment N128.7 million, commercial agricultural credit scheme N199.08 million, excess crude account loan facility N126.6 million among other components leaving a balance of N21.23 billion.

He said internally generated revenue for April was N1.68 billion bringing the total receipts after FAAC deductions to N22.9 billion.

On outflows, the governor’s aide noted that it gulped N10.3 billion which include, bank loan repayment N3.52 billion, salary grant to tertiary institutions N854.3 million, civil servants salary N4.23 billion, while that of political appointees stood at N468 million among others leaving a balance of N12.6 billion.

According to him, the state government spent about N11 billion for capital expenditure while recurent payment came up to N2.9 billion, totalling N14.07 billion.

Mr Seipulo, who disclosed that the state recorded a shortfall of N1.4 billion after total payments, it had a balance brought forward from April of N3.85 billion, which made up for the deficit and closing balance of N2.43 billion.

For the month of June, he said total gross inflow stood at N19.19 billion made up of statutory allocation of N2.19 billion, derivation N14.07 billion, Value Added Tax N1.97 billion among others.

Mr Seipulo also announced N1.6 billion as total FAAC deductions consisting refund of budget support N154.9 million, restructured overpayment of 13 percent derivation N128.3 million, excess crude account loan facility N126.6 million, salary bailout N16.2 million among other items leaving a net receipt of N17.5 from FAAC.

He said the state generated N1.9 billion as internally generated revenue for May leaving a balance of N18.68 billion after FAAC deductions.

The governor’s aide further stated that total outflows gulped N8.16 billion made up of bank loan repayment N1.72 billion, salary related items of N6.144 leaving a balance of N10.5 billion before capital and reccurent expenditure.

According to Mr Seipulo, state government spent N2.5 billion for recurrent payments while capital expenditure came up to N6.9 billion totalling N9.4 billion leaving a balance of N1.8 billion.

He explained that the balance brought forward from May was N2.4 billion leaving a balance carried forward in June of N3.5 billion.

Also speaking the Commissioner for Finance, Mr Maxwell Ebibai assured that workers salary would remain a major priority of government as evidenced in the prompt payment of salaries.