Date: 2017-02-01

The association of ex-councillors in Kwara State on Sunday said they are yet to receive any payment from the backlogs promised them in the state. According to the chairman of the forum, Kwara State chapter, Opeyemi Adeojo, members of the forum are still waiting for the payment even as he said they may only be paid one month.

Speaking with National Pilot on the issue on Sunday, Adeojo said " We are yet to get anything up till now. I spoke with the commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs on the issue and he said N45m from the N100 million released by the government will be used to pay our November Salary for us out of the over nine months we are being owed.

"The remaining N55m they said has been earmarked to pay our predecessors and that is what we don't understand. Who are our predecessors?

"We are yet to get anything from the severance and furniture allowance we are being owed we are pleading with the governor to come to our rescue because we are really suffering. The one month will not even get to most of us as banks loans have accumulated due to our inability to pay", Adeojo added.

At the height of their agitations, the councillors embark on a three day fasting and prayers to seek spiritual solution the backlogs of arrears owed them by the state government. Shortly afterwards, the Governor relapsed that sum of N100m for the payment of former political office holders who which generated differing arguments among affected politicians which set among the owned party member was meant to pay.

Recall that this medium had reported that Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed may release additional funds for the payment of backlogs of former political officer holders in the state.

Multiples sources had told National Pilot that the governor is already making enquiries on the amount needed to clear the backlogs of immediate past political appointees which accrued from their furniture and severance allowances.

It was further gathered that the governor reportedly told some of the ex-councillors at one of the meetings he recently held with them on the issue that additional funds will be released them if the state receive additional refund from its share of the London-Paris loans refund expected in February.

A government source had said "The governor is already making enquiries on the amount needed to clear the backlogs which accrued from the severance package and furniture allowances of the affected immediate past political office holders.

"Hopefully, the state is expecting additional release of the London-Paris club refund from the federal government in February and the governor has promised in one of the meetings with the affected former political office holders to release additional funds for payment of their arrears.

The Governor had reportedly met with some members of the BoT of former council chairmen at the Ilorin Gulf Course where the issue was discussed. Although the source could not confirm those that met with the governor, former chairmen of Kaiama and Asa, Alhassan Bagudu and Saka Obalana were recently elected as chairman and secretary of the BoT of the former council chairmen while former Oyun council boss, Engr Adebayo Alao was elected member.

The governor had reportedly told some of the BoT member(s) present that the N100m release for the payment of their salaries was only for the immediate past political office holders.

There had reportedly been discontent in local government councils across the state following the release of N100m for payment of arrears of political office holders.

Those affected by the development included the former 193 councillors, 16 former councils bosses including all their vice chairmen, sixteen secretary of local governments, 80 councillors and former political appointees in the state among others.