Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has assured that the State government will continue to find ways of helping the 16 local government councils in the State solve the salary and pension crisis currently facing them.
The governor gave the assurance as the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) on Monday disbursed the N4b loan facility facilitated by the State government for the councils to clear part of the salary and pension arrears owed their staff.
Alhaji Ahmed 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, according to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Media and Communications, Dr. Muideen Akorede.
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.
Furthermore, Governor Ahmed said 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.
The State Chairman of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Joshua Omokanye had earlier disclosed that the 16 local councils will share the sum of N1.150billion while the State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB) will get N2.150bilion out of the N4b loan facility.
He further added that the sum of N400million has been earmarked to pay LG pensioners, N100milion allocated towards paying the arrears of ex-council officials while the sum of N200milion was to offset allowances owned former political office holders at the LG level.
