Date: 2017-01-23

Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed may release additional funds for the payment of backlogs of severance package and allowances of former political officer holders in the state, National Pilot learnt last night

According to multiples sources who spoke on the issue last night, the governor is already making enquiries on the amount needed to clear backlogs of payment of immediate past political appointees which accrued from their furniture and severance allowances.

It was further gathered that the governor reportedly told some of the ex-councilors at one of the meetings he recently had with them on the issue, that additional funds will be released to them if the state receives additional fund from its share of the London-Paris loans refund expected in February.

A government source said "The governor is already making enquiries on the amount needed to clear the backlogs which accrued from the severance package and furniture allowances of the affected immediate past political office holders.

"Hopefully, the state is expecting additional release of the London-Paris club refund from the Federal Government in February and the governor has promised at one of the meetings with the affected former political office holders to release additional funds for payment of their arrears.

It was gathered that Governor Ahmed also on Sunday met with some members of the BoT of former council chairmen at the Ilorin golf course where the issue was discussed.

Although the source could not confirm those that met with the governor, former chairmen of Kaiama and Asa, Alhassan Bagudu and Saka Obalana were recently elected as the chairman and secretary of the BoT of the former council chairmen while former Oyun council boss, Engr Adebayo Alao was elected member.

The governor, it was gathered, reportedly told some of the BoT member(s) present that the N100m released for the payment of their salaries was only for the immediate past political office holders.

There had been insinuations that the fund released has generated argument among the political office holders on the stance that the money also captured the two sets that preceded the immediate former political appointees. A meeting among the leadership of the affected ex-appointees has reportedly been scheduled for Monday (today).

A similar meeting between the former councilors and ex-council bosses on the way forward were held last week, which reportedly ended in deadlock Speaking on the issue, one of the affected former councilors who confided in this medium noted that the money will only defray about two months of their salaries while they have bank loans running to the tune of half a million naira.

All efforts to get the side of the government on the matter proved abortive last night.

The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication to the governor neither confirmed nor denied National Pilot enquiries on the matter but referred the medium to the state commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Demola Banu. Banu did not answer several calls put across to him last night.

Recall that National Pilot in its last edition had reported the discontent in local government councils across the state following the release of N100m for payment of arrears of political office holders.

According to multiple sources from across the state who are conversant with the development, the release has caused serious disquiet across the local government councils.

Those affected by the development included the former 193 councillors, 16 former councils bosses including all their vice chairmen, 16 secretary of local governments, 80 councillors and former political appointees in the state among others.