The Kwara State Council of Chiefs has called for synergy between the state government and the leadership of the labour unions in a bid to further facilitate more growth into the state
It also urged the state government to ensure that the welfare of its workers at all levels remain paramount as soon as the financial status of the state and local governments improves in the light of any sacrifice.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the close of an emergency meeting signed by the Emir of Ilorin and Permanent Chairman of the Council, Alhaji Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari.
The meeting which was held at the Emir’s Palace, Ilorin and attended by members of the traditional council, representatives of all local government as well as the leadership of the labour unions was aimed at deliberating on the protracted funding challenges facing the state thereby affecting workers’ salaries.
According to the communiqué, “Emanating from our deliberations, and given the need to forestall any impeding strike actions that may occur and in view of the fact that the masses are terribly affected by the paucity of fund to pay workers resulting in pain and misery by the workers’ families and the masses as a whole, it is therefore pertinent to appraise the entire gamut of the issue with a view to contributing to what may become succour to the problems.
“The council notes that the inability of both the State and Local Governments to presently provide adequate funds for the payment of salaries and allowances and meet other commitments of governance, at rates commensurate with past provisions, had arisen due to the drastic fall in the Statutory Allocation from the Federation Account.”
The council according to the document also observed that the ever of Internally Generated Revenue by both the state and local governments has not been adequate to bridge the funding gap noting that the newly established Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KW-IRS) will assist in curbing leakages and enhance revenue base of the state.
The communiqué further reads in part: “the council observed the workers are entitled to their salaries because it is a right and not privilege because this is their hard earned income.
“We sympathised with the plight of the state government in not having enough money for their projects and to satisfy the needs of the people bu t appealed to the Kwara State Government and the 16 Local Government Chairmen to continue to explore all avenues for stabilizing the situation.
“After an exhaustive discussion with the leadership of the labour unions, they have agreed to convince their members to call-off the strike immediately and further resolce that we should work on the governments to ensure that subsequent salaries are regularly paid as and when due.
“That the one month salary arrears must be paid before the commencement of the bio-metrics exercise and to also urge the government to review the number of emoluments of political office holders at both state state and local government levels as their status cannot be compared to those of the civil servants.
“The state government is also urged to urgently set up a committee to address the issue of ghost workers and pensioners at the local government areas of the state.”
The traditional rulers therefore appealed to Kwarans for their continued understanding in these trying times stressing that, “Since the government can only meets its obligations, to the citizenry and in particular, the workers and their respective unions, with what it gets from the federation accounts and its internal revenue sources. “