Date: 2017-10-25

The Kwara State government has clarified that the N500 deducted from the September 2017 salaries of workers and pensions of retired workers in the State is payment for a new multi-purpose identification (ID) card and was with the knowledge of workers and pensioners.

The State Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Demola Banu, who made the clarification in a statement on Tuesday, said the actual cost of the card is N1, 200 but was subsidized by the consortium handling the workers' biometric verification exercise.

Banu explained that the multi-purpose ID card contains features including Kwara Resident Identification Number (KRIN), is payment enabled and can be used as an automated teller machine (ATM) card.

He added that the card would also form the basis of entitlement to the State-wide Health Insurance Scheme when it becomes operational.

The Commissioner said that the deduction was done with the knowledge of the State chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Pensioners Union of Nigeria, who were expected to inform their members.

Providing further clarification on the matter, the State Head of Service, Mrs. Susan Oluwole emphasized that officials of the labour unions were at the meeting where the decision to deduct N500 for the ID card was made.