Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara state has assured civil servants that the State government will continue to find ways to assist 16 Local Government Councils in the State to solve the salary and pension crisis currently facing them.
The governor gave the assurance at Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) meeting held on Monday where N4 billion loan facility was disbursed to the Local Councils. The loan was facilitated by the State government for the councils to clear part of the salary and pension arrears owed their staff.
In a statement by his Muideen Akorede, Senior Special Assistant on media and communications, the governor said the intervention was driven by the pain being experienced by the workers and pensioners due to the unfortunate crisis and the need to help the local government councils access the facility.
Governor Ahmed expressed optimism that in the coming months, the government would be able to facilitate other interventions to help the councils clear a larger proportion of their existing arrears and eventually clear all the arrears.
He added that, with the local governments taking over their revenue collection, the councils would be able to generate the internal revenue needed to gradually offset part of their arrears and more importantly implement low hanging infrastructure.
Joshua Omokanye, the State Chairman of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, had earlier disclosed that the 16 Local Councils will share the sum of N1.150 billion while the State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB) will get N2.150 bilion out of the N4 billion loan facility.
He further said that the sum of N400 million has been earmarked to pay LG pensioners, N100 milion allocated towards paying the arrears of ex-council officials while the sum of N200 milion was to offset allowances owed former political office holders at the LG level.
SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin
