Date: 2017-09-12

Members of Ex-councillors Forum of 2013-2016 set, who are members of the All Progressives Congress, on Monday, protested in front of the Kwara State Government House in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, over unpaid allowances.

The protesters carried placards of different inscriptions, including 'we are hungry - 2013-2016 councillors'; and 'pay our outstanding salaries - furniture allowance, 300 per cent, annual basic salaries, severance package.'

One of the protesters, Mr. Ogundele Olabisi, who spoke to journalists, said they were unhappy that about 70 per cent of their entitlements had not been paid.

"Though we agree that there was a shortfall in allocation, but even with this shortfall, they paid themselves. They (government officials) did not owe themselves. They are taking their entitlements in full. They promised to pay us all our entitlements within three months, but since we left, they still owe us," he stated.

But the Kwara State Government said while the plight of the protesting ex-councillors was unfortunate, especially during these difficult times, it was not responsible for the said arrears.

The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Alhaji Mahmud Ajeigbe, in a statement, also said the councillors served the local government system, which he noted was a separate tier of government.

Ajeigbe added, "Although the state government recognises their right to peaceful protests, the protesters are advised to channel their demands to the individual local government councils that owe them.

"The governor Abdulfatah Ahmed's administration stands ready to support the councils to pay these and other arrears as demonstrated by the recent release of N2bn to local government councils, including N100m towards offsetting the arrears owed political office holders, out of the recent Paris Club Refund as well as the ongoing efforts to shore up their internally generated revenue."