NAN-H-51
Salaries
By AbdulFatai Beki
Ilorin, July 20, 2017 (NAN) The Kwara House of Assembly on Thursday urged Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed to urgently convene a stakeholders meeting on how to allocate the Paris Club refund recently released to the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Kwara received N5.1 billion from the Paris Club refund recently released to the 36 states and the FCT.
The assembly at plenary advised the state government to channel the fund into the payment of salaries of local government workers and teachers in the state.
The house made the call in its resolution after adopting a motion urging the state government to assist the 16 local councils to pay their outstanding salaries.
The motion was moved by the House Leader, Hassan Oyekeke.
Speaking under matters of urgent public importance, Oyeleke (APC–Essa Sawo Igboidun), stressed the need for the assembly’s intervention to ensure that the fund was used on unpaid wages.
Hassan said the N1billion released by the state government to the 16 local governments for unpaid salaries was grossly inadequate.
The House, in its resolutions read by Speaker, Ali Ahmad , urged the governor to urgently convene a stakeholders meeting on allocation of the fund.
It noted that while the refund belonged to the state, a substantial part should be utilised for the settlement of unpaid salaries of local government workers and teachers.
The assembly also constituted a five-man ad-hoc committee to monitor the sharing of the fund, with the House Leader, Hassan Oyeleke, as the Chairman.
Other members of the committee are Victoria Afolayan (APC-Oke-Ero), Ahmed Ibn-Mohammed (APC-Banni Adena), Kamal Fagbemi (APC-OkeOgun) and Rasheed Taiwo (APC-Owode Onire).
The assembly also called on labour leaders in the state to cooperate with the ad-hoc committee to monitor the exercise.
Also during Thursday’s plenary, the House rejected the passage of Kwara State Manufacturing Processes Levy Bill.
The executive bill sent to the house by the governor was rejected during deliberations on its report before third reading
The House noted that passage of the bill would amount to double taxation for the stakeholders affected.
Two other executive bills sent to the House by the governor were passed.
They were the Kwara State Revenue Administration Amendment Bill and Kwara State Revenue Court Amendment Bill.
The speaker directed the Clerk of the House, Alhaji Mohammed Katsina, to provide clean copies of the passed bills for the governor’s assent. (NAN)
BEKI/KOLE/OJO
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(Edited by Remi Koleoso/Mufutau Ojo)