The Kwara State Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Demola Nurudeen Banu has debunked allegations leveled against the state government by the opposition party for alleged misappropriation of Local Governments funds, describing it as misleading, saying the state is transparent with LGs funding.

The Commissioner who is also the Chairman, Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC), who made this known at the end of the monthly meeting held at Ministry of Finance, Ilorin said despite reduction of N2.2b from this month's allocation, representing N1.4m and N800m for State and Local governments respectively, the state government would pay its workers on or before 25th of the month and also assist the 16 LGs to pay their workers salary this week.

"It should also be noted that the State has been contributing 10 per cent of its IGR to the Local Governments and nothing is coming from the Local Government to the state. Furthermore , there is no more contribution to the Joint Project Account because of the shortfall in allocation", he stated.

Banu confirmed that total revenue was N1.971billion in February, while the LGs expenditure excluding salary stood at N1,901 billion."If you deduct expenditure from revenue. You will discover that the LGs are left with N70milion whereas they need N849 million to pay workers salary monthly. It means that LGs need additional N779 million to pay salary for February, 2015.

Banu said that "this is what all the states and the Local Governments in the federation are experiencing since August 2013, but kwara state has been paying its workers on or before 25th of every month and will continue to assist the councils to pay workers salary and meet other financial obligations."

"We hold our meetings regularly and our report is published in the newspaper monthly. We are operating transparently; it's surprising that the opposition would come up with such an allegation. It's either they are ignorant or mischievous, "he state.

Banu condemned the opposition for spreading malicious information to blackmail the state government, saying that the opposition has refused to commend the state government for being among the four states in the federation that are not owing workers salary and pension.

He said that the LGs would require addition N579 million to be able to pay the full salary of workers in the local governments this month (March).

The Commissioner called on the opposition to appeal to the Federal Government who had failed to find a lasting solution to issue of oil theft and vandalization of pipe lines, saying that government has been attributing reduction in monthly allocation to all states including PDP –controlled states to these problems for more than three years now.

"This problem is affecting all the states. Let the opposition advice the Federal Government to be more sensitive to the plight of workers. Most states rely on statutory allocation from the Federation Account to meet their financial obligation", he stated.