Members of the All Progressives Congress, who are also Ex-councillors Forum of 2013-2016 set on Monday protested in front of the Kwara State Government House in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, over unpaid allowances.
The protesters carried placards of different inscriptions, including ‘we are hungry – 2013-2016 councillors’; and ‘pay our outstanding salaries – furniture allowance, 300 per cent, annual basic salaries, severance package.’
One of the protesters, Mr. Ogundele Olabisi, who spoke to journalists, said they were unhappy that about 70 per cent of their entitlements had not been paid.
The Commissioner for Information and Communications, Alhaji Mahmud Ajeigbe, in a statement, also said the councillors served the local government system, which he noted was a separate tier of government.
Ajeigbe added, “Although the state government recognises their right to peaceful protests, the protesters are advised to channel their demands to the individual local government councils that owe them.
“The governor Abdulfatah Ahmed’s administration stands ready to support the councils to pay these and other arrears as demonstrated by the recent release of N2bn to local government councils, including N100m towards offsetting the arrears owed political office holders, out of the recent Paris Club Refund as well as the ongoing efforts to shore up their internally generated revenue.”
Source: ( Punch Newspaper )