President Muhammadu Buhari is set to meet with the governors of the 36 states of the federation on Tuesday to discuss modalities for the bailout from the poor finances of the states and payment of debts owed them for the execution of federal projects in their respective states.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on Saturday assured Nigerians that the nation's four refineries will resume operations in July.

A Presidency source that confided in THISDAY, said that the President has agreed to meet all the states governors at the Presidential Villa Abuja. The meeting is sequel to the last Tuesday's meeting of the governors where the issue of the precarious financial situation in the states were discussed.

The poor finances of the state has led to the backlog of salary to civil servants and threat of an impending labour unrest in the affected states. Some of the states with backlog of salaries include Osun, Rivers, Oyo, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi, Ondo, Plateau, Benue, and Bauchi.

The salary arrears vary from state to state. While some states owe three months, there were others that owe their civil servants up to seven months.

Sources said the governors are asking that where it is not possible to grant the affected states the bailout being sought, the federal government should not hesitate to effect a quick payment of debts owed to the states on account of federal government projects executed by the states.

The chairman of the Governors Forum, Abdulazeez Yari said that instead of sending a bad signal by asking for bailout and because the governors are aware of the implications, "we are asking the federal government to pay the states for the federal government jobs that have been executed by the states. The federal government is owing some states up to N10 billion for federal jobs executed.

So, we would be asking the federal government to settle the back log owed to the states. The federal government is owing some states N10 billion, N20 Billion, N30 billion and Lagos State N50 Billion. So, if we can get back some of these money, we can be able to settle some of the backlog of wages and salaries."

Speaking on the resumption of production facilities are at the nation's refineries, spokesperson for NNPC, Ohi Alegbe, explained that the on-going phased maintenance of the refineries was nearing completion and that the facilities would soon commence production.

"I think by July, the four refineries should begin to work," Alegbe was quoted by AFP as saying. He said the two refineries in Port Harcourt are scheduled to begin to receive crude this week while those in Warri and Port Harcourt would follow shortly after.

Throwing light into the on-going turnaround maintenance of the refineries, which began in November 2014, the corporation's image maker disclosed that the exercise was being handled by NNPC's in-house engineers, adding: "We had to resort to in-house engineers after the original builders of the refineries, who were called in to do the job, kept coming up with outrageous bills," he said.

He said parts of the problems with the Port Harcourt refineries had to do with lack of electricity to power the facility. "We have now installed a mini power plant to solve that problem," the NNPC spokesperson said.

The corporation however said the return of the refineries will not put an end to fuel importation in the country.

Alegbe said even when the four refineries operate at full capacity; they would only be able to cumulatively refine 19 million litres of petrol per day. Nigeria, he said, consumes 40 million litres of petrol per day.

"As you can see, that leaves us with a balance of 21 million litres per day, and we will still have to rely on importation to make up for that deficit," Alegbe said.