A socio-political Group, the Orisun lgbomina, has condemned the protracted strike action embarked upon by workers of the four state owned tertiary institutions and 16 local government councils in Kwara State since last year. The President of the Group, Chief Gbenga Awoyale, made the condemnation in a statement he signed in llorin yesterday.

The statement noted that the over two months strike by workers in Colleges of Education in llorin, Lafiagi, Oro and College of Arabic and lslamic legal studies, llorin over non-payment of eight months' salary arrears had crippled educational development of the state. The group urged the government to find a lasting solution to the worker's grievances.

He also expressed the group disappointment on the strike action embarked on by primary and junior secondary schools teachers in the state on Monday over non- payment of three months arrears of salary. He noted that the primary schools teachers who are the custodians of children foundation education deserve better treatment.

The statement urged the government and the state House of assembly to investigate the activities of the state Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) with a view of solving epileptic salary payment of primary schools teachers in the state.

In a swift reaction, the Senior Special Assistant to Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed on media and Communication, Dr Muideen Akorede attributed non- payment of salary of workers in tertiary institutions to drop in monthly allocation.

He said the allocation dropped from N2.7billion to N1.7 which made it impossible to give subventions to affected institutions. Akorede said the government would not borrow money to settle salaries arrears which he said is not sustainable.

Akorede described financial crisis in the state as a national problem and solicited the assistance of the people of the state towards improving its internally generated revenue.