Former local government councillors In Kwara on Thursday protested over the non-payment of the severance allowance owed them from 2007 to 2010, totalling N2.25bn

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the aggrieved Councillors barricaded the main gate of the Government House in Ilorin while displaying placards with various inscriptions. They vowed not to stop their protest until Gov. AbdulFatah Ahmed attended to them.

The Chief of Staff to the governor, Mr Toyin Sanusi, who came out to address the protesters, was chased back.

The governor later invited the protesters for a closed door meeting which lasted three hours.

After the meeting, Hon. Sulyman Olota, the spokesman of the group, told NAN that the meeting with the governor was fruitful.

He said the governor promised to constitute an arbitration committee to look into the issue.

Olota added that the meeting was attended by a representative from each of the 16 local government areas of the state.