Rivers, Delta, Akwa Ibom get highest payment The Federal Government has paid the sum of N516.38 billion to states as refunds on over-deductions for external debt service.  If the governors make good their promises to pay the backlog of workers’ salaries, then there would be an unprecedented economic relief throughout the country in the days ahead.  The governors had at their meeting in Abuja, last weekend, promised to pay the backlog of workers’ salaries from the second tranche of the refund.  Rivers State topped the list with N34.925 billion, followed by Delta and Akwa Ibom with N27.606 billion and N25.981 billion, respectively. Gombe received the least refund of N8. 945 billion.  The Federal Ministry of Finance, in a statement by its Director of Information, Mr. Salisu Na’Inna, in Abuja, yesterday, said the payment was in line with the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari on November 21, 2016, in partial settlement of long-standing claims by state...