Date: 2017-01-01

A former governorship candidate of the Labour Party in the 2015 general elections in Kwara State, Dr Mike Omotosho, has expressed growing concern over the lingering salary crisis affecting some categories of workforce in the state.

Dr Omotosho said there was no justification that those who have been performing their legitimate duties should not get their take home at the end of the month, especially local government staff, some parastatals and some state owned tertiary institutions

In a New Year message released from his media desk and made available to Journalists in Ilorin, Omotosho also warned against diversion of N5billion the state government claimed it received from the Federal Government as its own share of the London-Paris Club refund, saying the money should be primarily used to defray backlog of salaries and allowances of workers currently facing what he called excruciating pains.

The ex-LP governorship flag-bearer dismissed the claim by the state government that a large percent of the financial bail out would be used for infrastructure, describing it as a ploy to divert the fund and widen the nest of some members of the political class.

He said it was unheard of and uncalled for that what should have been ordinarily settled had resulted to needless debate and pointed out that the era of taking hapless Kwarans for granted had long gone in the political history of the state.

The ex- LP governorship flag bearer applauded the people of the state for their patience and perseverance in the face of challenges facing them due to the current recession, but said the money made available to the state through London-Paris Club refund should be used to clear backlog of salaries of workers who are currently enmeshed in squalors.

Omotosho challenged religious and political leaders to prevail on the state government to jettison it's unpopular and insensitive policies that could impoverish the citizenries who have continued to endure the hardships they have been subjected to as a result of non-payment of salaries and other entitlements.

"As stakeholders in the project Kwara, we are constrained to share in the excruciating pains majority of kwarans, especially workers in the local governments and some state owned tertiary institutions are going through due to unpaid salaries. We have on good authority that in some instances, workers of local governments and tertiary institutions are being owed as much as 7 and 14 months salaries. This is highly insensitive. Something needs to be done quickly.

"While the affected workers are still reeling from the hardships, the London-Paris club refund came. It is apt and timely. One would have thought that the money would be solely devoted to payment of backlog of salaries owed a number of workers in the state. However, for the state government to be prevaricating and giving excuses that high percentage of N5billion would be used for infrastructure while only a pittance is meant for payment of one month salary is insensitive and unexpected.

"At this point in time, we implore religious leaders, political leaders, elders and wise men to prevail and call government to order. It is obvious now that Kwarans are wiser today than yesterday, they can no longer be taken for a ride and cheated. The era of politics of deceit and deception has long gone. It is proper we advice that the state government should not hide under infrastructure projects to deny hapless workers of their legitimate earnings. It is also imperative that the money should not be diverted. It needed to be emphasized that such unpopular practice will not be tolerated.

"In the spirit of the season that calls for sober reflection and the need to extend the good gestures to the less privileged, the state government should reverse this infamy decision and listen to wise counsel from the populace so that Kwarans can celebrate this festive period happily and in bounty", the statement partly reads.

Dr Omotosho expressed the hope that year 2017 will bring about positive change and wished Kwarans prosperous new year.