Date: 2017-05-27

... Calls for Augmentation

Labour Unions under the aegis of Nigeria Labour Union (NLC) have described sharing of Joint Account Allocation Committee(JAAC) fund in kwara state as the best and full of transparency, as State Universal Education Board (SUBEB)got N900million from this month allocation.

Similarly, the Union Leaders appealed to the state government to continue to assist the 16 Local Government Areas through augmentation to enable them to pay salary as the allocation from federation account is not sufficient.

The Union Leaders stated this at weekend while speaking at the state monthly Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) meeting held at the Ministry of Finance Conference Hall,Ilorin.

The state Chairman ,Nigeria Union of Teachers(NUT),Comrade Musa Abubakar appealed to the state government not to renege in it efforts to assist the 16 LGs in order for them to meet their financial obligations.

Abubakar called on the government as a matter of urgency to look into the plight of the local governments staff, appealing to the government to augment this month allocation to enable the LGs to pay salary of workers and pensions. "We have seen the allocation and how it was distributed transparently and with all openness ,"he stated

Also speaking,the Deputy President,NULGE,Comrade Oloruntade Ibikunle commended the state government for spirit of transparency. He commended the workers for their perseverance ,saying that the problem would soon become things of the past.

He appealed to workers to co-operate with the state government for peace and unity to reign, blaming the lack of funds in the states and LGs on persistent shortfall from the federation account. " We are convinced by what we have seen on ground. We appeal to workers and kwarans to believe that state government is transparent with distribution of JAAC fund", he stated.

The ALGON Chairman who is also TIC Chairman of Ilorin South LG,Alhaja Funmilayo Salau declared that total amount distributable among the 16 LGs after deductions in line with law guiding JAAC stood at N256,731,298.56, while Exchange Gain Difference stood at N140, 584,572.13.

She explained that statutory allocation for month of May stood at N977,261,249.70 as against N1,071, 999,329.90 received ved in April representing 8.84 decreased ;10 per cent IGR from state governmentN33,126,851.92 as against N52,180,749.39 in April ; VAT of N454,927,866.76 as against N425, 294, 976.45 in the previous month .

She revealed that the sum of N280, 045, 355 was deducted at source as repayment for the N4.820billion loan facility the councils obtained in 2015 to pay salaries.

The Chairman explained that the fund was appropriated in line with law guiding the local government account which included;Teachers salary N900,000,000;LG and LGEA pension 100,552,505.95 among others.

She declared that the LGs could not meet their financial commitments due to persistent shortfall from the federation account.