Date: 2016-01-26

The Kwara State House of Assembly has approved the request of the State Government to access a loan of N1.5billion naira from Sterling Bank PLC for the 16 Local Government Councils in the State to augment the payment of October 2015 salary arrears of councils workers and pensioners.

The House equally gave a nod to the State Government to access another loan facility of N1.2billion also from Sterling Bank Plc to fund procurement of official vehicles for the State Political and Public office holders to enhance their performance.

These approvals followed requests from the State Governor Alhaji AbdulFatah Ahmed in seperate letters addressed to the Speaker Dr. Ali Ahmad dated 11th and 13th January 2016 respectively and read at the floor of the House by the Deputy Speaker Elder Mathew Okedare.

Leading other Members in the debate, the Leader of the House, Alhaji Hassan Oyeleke explained that the approval for the loan facilities became imperative in view of the dwindling revenue allocation from the Federation Account adding that payment of salaries to workers was sacrosanct to make workers perform optimally.

Alhaji Oyeleke equally explained that provision of official vehicles was equally necessary to enhance the performance of the political and public office holders in the State.

Other members who contributed to the debate expressed confidence that the loan facility if judiciously used would help to address the on going industrial dispute by teachers at the basic school level.

However, Members representing Ojomu/Balogun Constituency Mr. Saheed Popoola and member representing Kaiama, Kemanji, Wajibe Constituency Alhaji Ahmed Ibn Mohammed urged the State Government to look in ward by blocking all loop holes and evolve ways of intensifying efforts at improving the Internally Generated Revenue of the State to address the State's over dependence on Federation Account.