A pro-democracy group in Kwara, the Kwara Sustainable Development Advocacy Forum (KWASDAF) has challenged the Kwara State Government to publish details of backlogs owed to each LGA, and what is paid, to promote transparency and build trust, as workers continue to contest that they are still being owed and not all that is owed to them has been cleared.

While Kwara is a large community, there is hardly secrecy in anything that has to do with workers’ welfare, as the State is to a great extent, a Civil Servants State. It is also a known culture of Kwaran workers to commend the State Government even on an individual basis if treated well. Therefore, other than the Unions and Bodies that represent workers, the grumbles below contravene the position of the leadership of Union bodies and the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).

According to Musa Idris Buko, Coordinator, KWASDAF; “There is a need for more explanation on the alleged clearance of backlogs, and if the Kwara State Government wants LG workers to forfeit the remaining payment, we urge the government to plead honourably and appeal to the workers, rather than this blackmail, massive and all-out propaganda on the clearing of backlogs.

“We are demanding that the Kwara State Government publish what is owed and what is paid in respective LGAs, ceiling payments when there are variations in what is being owed is an attempt to defraud people who have suffered, given rare understanding and support to the Government, despite increased FAAC Allocations that rose to #7.27B for State and #5.04B in the most recent FAAC disbursements to Kwara. For a government that rode to power on the back of civil servants, it is wrong to make a very crude attempt to rob them of what is due to them.

“The amount announced by the State Government is not only untrue based on an independent enquiry but also insufficient to clear the backlogs, except some are written in the book. It is evil to make an attempt to watercolour the reality of workers in the State and represent them in a bad light to citizens of the State. It is equally unfair, terrible and a heist of goodwill.

“Likewise, Media Handles/Agents of the State Government have been circulating that Kwara is one of the few States paying wage awards. While acknowledging that it is true, it is also an established fact that Kwara and Ogun States and perhaps one other pay the least of all other 13 States paying the Wage Award. Amidst present reality, ₦10,000 paid by the Kwara State Government is nothing to write home about. Unfortunately, Gov. Abdulrahman laid the poor foundation, pending the determination of a new minimum wage.

Therefore, a government that truly cares about the people would have reviewed and adjusted accordingly before being called out by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during one of his public functions recently. The agreement with labour unions was ₦35,000, which has not been honoured by many States, with Kwara’s #10,000 being amongst the least in Nigeria. Unfortunately, the leadership of Organised Labour Unions in Kwara are rather united in standing against the workers of the State.”

“It is worthy of note that KWASDAF categorically affirms that various statements being bandied by pro-government media outlets claiming payments of #11B of Salary Arrears for LGA and SUBEB Workers are in contrast to reality. Those statements were attributed to one NULGE Secretary, Forum of Kwara LG Treasurers and Directors of Personnel Management (DPMs) which appears to be mere cosmetics and misleading, not in line with the LGA workers’ reality.”