Kwara promises prompt payment of salaries

The Kwara State Government has promised to ensure prompt payment of workers’ salaries and diligent execution of its developmental projects in spite of the shortfall from the Federation Account.
The Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Ademola Banu, made the promise in Ilorin on Friday while speaking with newsmen.
Banu, who is also the Chairman of the Kwara Joint Account Allocation Committee, spoke at the end of the monthly meeting of the committee.
The amount distributable for the month of February in the state stood at N755.3 million.
Banu said that there has been consistent shortfall in the monthly allocations since August 2013, adding that this was not peculiar to the state.
The commissioner said that the state government would not be discouraged by the dwindling decline in the monthly allocation from the federation account.
He said the state would, however, continue to concentrate on both human and capital development in order to make life meaningful for Kwarans.
The commissioner said the statutory allocation to the state for February was N1.8 billion, with teachers’ salaries alone gulping N1.1billion.
Banu added that the Teachers Special Allowance stood at N96.4million, with Local Government and Local Government Education Authority pension taking N290.2million.
He said the allocation of funds to the state and local government tiers was in accordance with Section 4, sub-section 2 of the State Joint Local Government Account Law (Cap 80) as amended by Law 15 of 2001.