Date: 2017-05-10

The Kwara State House of Assembly is to critically look into the non payment of Pension and gratuities to Pensioners of Local Government in the State, with a view to addressing their grievances.

The Speaker, Dr. Ali Ahmad gave the assurance, in Ilorin while addressing the State Chapter of Association of Local Government Pensioners of Nigeria, who were in the State House of Assembly to protest what they called " Pathetic plights of Local Government and Local Government Educational Authority Pensioners in the State.

Dr. Ahmad represented by the House Leader, Hon. Hassan Oyeleke noted that the Senior Citizens had served the nation meritoriously, and should be treated fairly.

The Speaker praised them for channeling their grievances peacefully to their elected representatives and assured that the legislature would ensure that all their grievances were promptly addressed, to alleviate their suffering.

Earlier, the Spokesman of the Pensioners Alhaji Saidu Oladimeji had enumerated among other things irregular payment of monthly pension, stoppage of gratuity since November, 2008 and non implementation of 20% pension increase emanating from salary review of July 2010, to those that retired before May 2010.

They therefore advocated among other things, that Local Government Pension, be considered as first line charge as stipulated by the office of Accountant General of the Federation.

Meanwhile, the legislature has urged the State University to perfect all documents to read the new name of the institution as Abubakar Sola Saraki University.

The House made the call while passing an amendment bill on the institution to substitute the representative of the State government on the Governing Council of the University, with the Attorney General if the State.

Leading a debate on the bill, the Leader of the House, Hon. Hassan Oyeleke said the bill seeks to substitute the name of Chief of Staff with the Staff of Ministry of Justice to ensure effective running of the institution, adding that a citadel of learning as KWASU needs the involvement of a legal personnel to run its affairs.

Other members, Segilola Abdulkadir , Kamaldeen Fagbemi , Saheed Popoola and Ahmed Ibn Muhammed who spoke in support of the bill, said it was necessary to have a representative from the Ministry of Justice on the board of the institution and implored their colleagues to support the passage.

Speaking after directing the clerk to read the bill for the second time, the Speaker, Doctor Ali Ahmad who presided over Tuesday's sitting referred the bill to the House Committee on Education and Human Capital Development to slate the bill for a public hearing in one week's time to feel the pause of the people of the state on the bill.

Similarly, a bill to amend the state Hospitality and Tourism Development Board Law which was read for the first time on the floor of the house has also scale through second reading in view of its importance, to the socio- economic wellbeing of the State.

According to the members, the bill was not aimed at imposing new levies on those concerned but to see that the state is getting its due from the federal government who has been collecting the levies before now.

Adebayo Abdullahi

I.T Officer,

Office of the Speaker,

Kwara State House of Assembly,

Ilorin, Kwara State.