Date: 2016-09-01

The 16 local governments in Kwara are to receive an augmentation of N180.5 from the Joint Allocation Accounts Committee (JAAC) to enable them to meet salary and pension obligations for the month of August.

Alhaji Demola Banu, the Commissioner for Finance, disclosed this after the JAAC meeting on Wednesday in Ilorin. He said local government pensioners got N59.4 million in addition to the N109.2 million that was appropriated.

He added that the local government workers would share the remaining N121,154, 384 in addition to the N343,204, 644 that was released to them. Banu said the augmentation became necessary as the August allocation was far lesser than what was required for the councils to meet their salary and pension obligations.

Giving further breakdown of the allocation distribution for August, the Commissioner said the gross statutory allocation for the councils stood at N1, 014, 706, 902.57, exchange gain difference of N400,092,205.09 and VAT of 352, 876, and 481.73.

According to him, the sum of N273, 114, 949.65 was deducted at source as repayment for the LGs previous salary related borrowings from banks. He said after the deductions, the net statutory allocation for the LGs stood at N1, 494, 560, 639.74. He disclosed that the sum of N1, 040, 600, 000 was appropriated for Basic Education Teachers' salaries.

Banu explained that in addition, 10 per cent of the state's Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for August, representing N59.4million, was added to the teachers' salaries, making a total of N1.1billion. Banu said the sum of N343, 204, 644.63 was appropriated for LG employees' salaries, while N109, 255, 995.11 was released for LG pensioners' arrears.

Other deductions, according to the commissioner, are 1 per cent training fund, which stands at N500,000 and 0.5 per cent JAAC budget, representing N1million. The commissioner decried the drop in August allocation to the LGs, noting that it was far lower than the amount required by the councils to meet their monthly salary and pension obligations.

He, however, expressed optimism that subsequent allocations could improve as the Niger Delta Avengers had promised to stop attacks on oil facilities. Meanwhile, the Senior Special Assistant to the State Governor on Media and Communications, Dr Muyideen Akorede, said the government remained committed to assisting the councils in meeting their salary obligations in the face of scarce resources.

He said the government was worried about the workers' plight, assuring them that the government's commitment to assist LGs remained firm. He, however, said that such assistance could only be rendered within the limit of the law and resources at the disposal of the state Government.NAN