Date: 2017-12-19

Local government workers in the state may soon heave a sigh of relief over the prolonged salary crisis rocking the third tier of government as the present administration has reportedly began a systematic arrangement to offset the backlog.

To this end, affected workers in the state, it was gathered, have been scheduled to get two months salaries as part of efforts to gradually resolve the salary impasse.

Others that were also said to have been listed to benefit the payment included the pensioners and State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) workers.

A top source who spoke on the issue on strict anonymity, last night, said payment of the salaries will commence today (Monday).

This development is coming just as the state government confirmed the receipt of its share from the last tranche of the Paris Club Loan Refund. It was however not clear, last night the actual amount accrued to the state from the refund with unconfirmed reports putting the figure at over N7 billion. Speaking further on the issue, the source said, "The state government is working on modalities to offset the backlog on a gradual process. "As from Monday, the local government workers, pensioners and SUBEB staff will begin to receive alert for two months salaries. "This is part of the gradual process to ensure that all the outstanding salaries of the workers are paid. The government has received the last tranche of the Paris Club Loan Refund which has been rolled into the 2018 budget for human and infrastructural developments," he added.

Recall that Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed released the sum of NI billion to local government councils in the state after it received the second tranche of the Paris Club Refund few months ago.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Communication, Dr Muideen Akorede confirmed during a Radio Programme that the state had received the money adding that it has been incorporated into the 2018 budget.

President Muhammadu Buhari last month shortly before concluding plans to further release the money met with the state governors over the workers' plight and directed that they should be paid before Christmas.

Following the directive, the Federal Ministry of Finance held FAAC meeting last week before the traditional period of 20-25 of every month.

The Kwara State Government subsequently released the details of its December allocation after its Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) meeting where the Commissioner for Finance, Demola Banu said the state got over N3.3billion as its share of the federal allocation for the month of December 2017, one of its highest in the recent time.

He said the 16 LGs got a total of N2. 3 billion as allocation for the month of December as against the over N2 billion received last month.