Kwara workers celebrate Sallah amidst grumble over unpaid salaries

The Eid-el-fitr celebration in Kwara State was held peacefully across the nooks and crannies of the state.

In Ilorin, the state capital, worshippers converged on the Central praying ground to offer the two-rakat obligatory prayers signaling the end of the Ramadan fast.

The Central praying ground was densely populated as worshippers trooped to the mosque even amidst agitation over unpaid salaries of some categories of workers.

The government only during the week paid salaries of workers in the core civil service while those in parastatals and local governments are owed about five months’ salaries.

The local government workers under the aegis of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) had declared total strike on Wednesday following unpaid salaries. The strike has not been called off.

Many of the civil servants however celebrated Sallah without April, May and June remunerations. Though, the situation varies across the state.

While salaries of civil servants in Ministries are up-to-date, their counterparts in some local governments are being owed to the tune of three, four and five months. Those in parastatals like state broadcasting corporation (Radio Kwara), state printing and publishing corporation (The Herald), among others are being owed May and June salaries.

It was learnt that some local government workers who are being owed four months salaries were paid half salary on Thursday.

There was tension at the praying ground as worshippers murmured intermittently in frustration and anger over unpaid salary arrears.

However, there was no one to vent their grievances at as Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed was absent at the mosque ditto many other notable political leaders in the state. Ahmed is said to be away in Saudi Arabia where he’s performing lesser Hajj.

Those at the mosque were a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Kawu Baraje, Vice-Chancellors of University of Ilorin and Kwara State University, Professors Abdulganiyu Ambali and Abdulrasheed Na’Allah, General Secretary of the Nigeria Textile Workers, Comrade Issa Aremu, while Ahmed was represented by his Chief of Staff.

The two-rakat prayers led by the Chief Imam of Ilorin, Mohammed Bashir had also in attendance the Emir of Ilorin, Ibrahim Zulu Gambari who resplendently arrived the mosque in a horse cart.

In his lecture after the prayers, the Chief Imam admonished Muslims to allow the lessons of Ramadan permeate their lives even after the fast.

The Emir called on the people to show love to one another and allow peace to reign in their domains.

The Kwara State Governmen had in a statement on Thursday said despite the drop in federal allocation to the state for almost a year, the government has consistently paid the salaries of its workers due to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed’s financial ingenuity. The only exception, it said, were some of its revenue generating agencies which are in the process of clearing salary arrears.

The state government also clarified claims  that it had received a bail out from the federal government to pay salary arrears, stressing that it had only received its statutory share of NLNG dividend which should have been paid to the state but was delayed.

The statement added that Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed had earlier this week approved the payment of salaries and pensions to enable workers and pensioners celebrate the Eid Fitr festival although payment was not due until the end of the month.

Continuing, the state government said it was determined to work within available resources to ensure that Kwara State workers are paid promptly while also ensuring the smooth running of government as whole.