Date: 2016-11-03

Outgoing councillors in Kwara State yesterday marched on major streets of Ilorin, the state capital, to protest their unpaid severance and furniture allowances.

They took their grievance to the House of Assembly.

The councillors, who met with Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed in Ilorin on Monday, rejected the alleged reduction of their allowance to 50 per cent of their basic salary. Chairman of the forum Opeyemi Adeojo, who addressed reporters, said their tenure would expire on November 10, and that each councillor is entitled to about N1.2 million as severance allowance.

His words: "We earlier said the issue is a family matter and that our governor has a listening ear. We met with the governor but discovered that some people had met with him and tried to mislead him because the governor claimed there's no severance allowance for us

"He also said our furniture allowance is 50 per cent of our basic salary as against the 300 per cent which was confirmed by RMAFC. That's what we are against. "The governor had promised to settle us but with another team giving him the wrong information, things will not augur well.

"That's why we are talking and we want our governor to hear us; our severance and furniture allowances are statutory. They are both 300 per cent of our basic salary per annum as approved by RMAFC."

But Ahmed's media aide Muideen Akorede said the governor had assured the councillors that once the economic situation in the country improves and the government receives expected revenue inflows, the local government councils would pay the councillors.

"Governor Ahmed has stressed that current financial challenges in the councils cannot support the bulk payment of all outstanding payments. He emphasised that payments can at best be in instalments, once the revenue situation permits.

"He is concerned about the salary arrears owed council workers and the political office holders, which he described as an unfortunate situation. But he hopes that the situation will soon be remedied," Akorede said.