Date: 2015-09-22

The Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed has directed the state ministry of finance to immediately source loans from commercial banks to pay salaries and pension arrears at the 16 local government councils in the state in anticipation of the N5b bailout loan from the federal government. Governor Ahmed also directed the Ministry to pay the September salary of state civil servants latest by Wednesday pending the release federal allocation next week.

Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant in Media and Communication, Dr. Muyideen Akorede, Governor Ahmed said although neither the N5 billion bailout loan nor the September allocation has been received by the state government, he took the decision to pay the salaries and pensions through loan facilities in order to end the hardship being experienced by the affected workers and pensioners as well to enable them enjoy the forthcoming Eid-Il-Kabir festivities.

Governor Ahmed also directed revenue generating departments, agencies and tertiary institutions in the state to pay the salary arrears of their respective staff with their internally generated funds immediately. Continuing, Governor Ahmed stressed the need to identify sustainable methods of generating Internal Revenue as state and local governments cannot continue to rely on loans to pay workers salaries.

He therefore called on the people to support the state's renewed revenue drive which he identified as the only way the state can survive the national economic crises and meet its obligations to the people.