Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State has directed local council chairmen to ensure that their expenditure does not surpass available resources.

Meanwhile, some students of tertiary institutions have lauded Ahmed's recent decision to streamline the distribution of scholarships to them.

The state government had to reimburse some of the councils recently to enable them pay arrears and salaries of their workers. Before the intervention, activities at the councils had been grounded.

Ahmed spoke with reporters in Ilorin while debunking claims in some quarters that the state was insolvent. He, however, admitted that some of the councils had exceeded their financial capabilities thus plunging themselves into financial crises.

He stated: "Kwara State is very liquid and not solvent. As a state we have the ability to service the recurrent expenditure and thus eradicate solvency of any sort. Solvency is dangerous but in Kwara state we are able to meet all our needs. We are lucky because we have been able to cut our coat not according to our size but according to our cloaks.

"We have been able to manage our affairs within our revenue profile. But the LGAs in the state have not been able to manage their resources according to their income. We had asked them to emulate the state because they do not have control over what it is released to them by the Federal Government as allocations. Again, many of them do not have the capacities to generate much money from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

"We have put a framework in place to meet their recurrent expenditure. We are not asking them to go and sack anybody but to bring all their expenditure within their revenue profile. Henceforth, no local government should owe its workers after our intervention."

The students from the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, Federal Polytechnic Offa (FEDPOFA) and Kwara State Polytechnic (KWARAPOLY) Ilorin, in separate interviews with The Guardian in Ilorin said the decision would ensure that the money got to "the right channel" but feared that it could lead to desperation and sharp practices.

Ahmed recently disclosed in a chat with reporters in Ilorin that his government had constituted a committee on scholarships for the students of higher institutions who are indigenes of the state.

The N40million yearly fund, rather than being distributed at a flat rate to all the students, would be given on merit to deserving ones.

Among other criteria listed by the governor are that the minimum requirement for university undergraduates would be Second Class Upper academic standing and Upper Credit level for those in polytechnics. Those at the Nigerian Law School would however be given preferential treatment during the payment, Ahmed added, citing their limited number and the financial requirements at that level of academic pursuit.