KWHA clears lawmakers’ outstanding salaries

…as organised labour shelves planned strike

The Kwara State House of Assembly last Thursday cleared the outstanding salaries of its members, National Pilot can report.

Some of the House members who spoke with the medium in confidence about the issue heaved a sigh of relief over the payment, which they said, had hitherto stalled activities in the House.

The lawmakers were seen after receiving their SMS alerts on Thursday phoning their colleagues who were not in the House after plenary to intimate them about the development.

It was gathered that the delay in the payment of the arrears had allegedly rattled some of the lawmakers whom were said to be picking up the pieces after going through what some described as a “very expensive electioneering campaign”.

Though, the reason for the unusual delay could not be ascertained as at the time of filing this report, it could not, however, be unconnected with the cash-crunch that had reportedly hit the state recently due to shortfall in accruals to the state.

Before the payment of the arrears on Thursday, most members, especially the new lawmakers, had lamented the non-payment which some described as “unusually late” since the commencement of legislative business.

Last week, the issue dominated private discussion of members as they were seen speaking in hush tones about the incident.

Since the inauguration of the House on June 9, this is the first time that salaries of the lawmakers will run into another month.

A lawmaker, who confirmed the incident, told this medium that their salaries and arrears were paid to them in full.

“Yes, we have received our July salary on Thursday in full and I must tell you, it was a soothing relief. Some of the committees' work has also been slightly delayed because of it.

“You know most of us had a very expensive campaign and we had hoped to stabilise quickly once our salary payment has commenced but the situation this time around rattled us a bit because it disrupted some of our earlier scheduled plans”, one of the lawmakers added.

Another serving lawmaker, who also preferred to speak anonymously on the issue, said “Going through election is quite expensive and when you are here, it is believed that we are making money and the financial situation in the country is terrible which has affected the state also.

“But with July salary coming a little bit late, it aggravated the concerns for some of us by initially distorting the financial template we had drawn to use.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and Joint Negotiation Council under the auspices of the Kwara Joint Labour Congress, over the weekend, shelved the planned strike in the state over unpaid salaries by the Kwara State Government.

The congress had in a letter dated August 4 and addressed to the state Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, gave him till last Friday to pay all outstanding salaries of the Kwara State public Service workers.

The letter was jointly signed by the Chairman of NLC, Comrade Yekini Kareem Agunbiade; Chairman TUC, Comrade Olumoh Kolawole Nasir and the Chairman of JNC, Kehinde M. Kolawole,

But on Saturday the leadership of the congress exclusively told National Pilot in Ilorin that the planned strike was shelved following the governor’s promise to pay all the outstanding salaries within two weeks.

The state’s NLC Chairman, Comrade Yekini Agunbiade, said: “The state government has promised to pay the two months salaries in two weeks and he pleaded with the workers to be patient and not to embark on strike.

“The two month salaries, July and August would be paid to all parastatals, SUBEB, Local Government workers, the governor said this during the meeting he held with us on Friday.

The TUC Chairman, Comrade Olumoh Kolawole, also confirmed that the ultimatum issued to the state government over unpaid salaries had been reversed.

“The state government has given us the conviction of the payment of salaries. The governor is willing to pay the salary at once and asked that he should be given some time which is specifically for two weeks to pay both July and August salaries."

Also speaking, the JNC Chairman, Comrade kehinde M. Kolawole, said“ At a meeting held on Wednesday, 5th of August 2015, the Head of Service, Hajia Zahra Omar, said the allocation on ground can't pay workers' salary except some workers would be exempted or paid in two weeks' time"

“In agreement to the exemption of some workers salaries, we agreed to wait for the next two weeks" Kolawole added.

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