JAAC augments Kwara LGs’ federal allocations with N200m
Kwara State Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC) has augmented the allocation of local councils with N200 million, giving each local government N12.5 million in addition to the federal allocation for the month of May, meant to pay salaries.
Speaking with journalists after the Committee meeting in Ilorin, Ademola Banu, commissioner for finance, said the fund was to increase the capacity of the local government councils to pay salaries of their workers.
According to Banu, the N200 million augmentations came from the savings accrued to the 16 local government councils from Federal Government’s recent restructuring of loans.
Banu emphasised that the 16 LGAs still pay N170 million monthly to banks for previous salary-related borrowing, saying the statutory allocation to them for the month of May stood at N794, 854, 933.26 as against N856, 869, 905.52 received in April; VAT of N344, 139, 224.32; Exchange Difference of N8, 911, 768.03 and a 10 percent IGR from State government which stood at N73, 316, 385.65, as against N62, 389, 491.24 they got in April.
The commissioner said N1.2 billion was required monthly for SUBEB staff salary as opposed to N462, 051, 119.75 appropriated for teachers’ salary, adding that N397, 188, 394.30 was required for local government pensioners’ arrears as opposed to N152, 934, 451.95 released for the purpose.
On the issue of LG employees, he said N302, 110, 867.16 out of the monthly wage of N784, 616, 734.15 was released due to significant reduction in federal allocation to local government councils in the state.
The JAAC chairman, who urged the LGA chairmen to ensure that the funds were judiciously used for salary payment, assured that the state government would continue to make efforts to ensure salaries were paid promptly.
Also speaking, Musa Abubakar, chairman of the Kwara State chapter of Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), commended the state government for inviting labour unions to witness the JAAC meeting, saying the process was transparent.
Abubakar, who decried the persistent drop in federal allocation, added that the present situation was precarious and challenging for workers in the state.
He, however, urged the state and local governments to redouble their efforts in ensuring that the lingering salary crisis was resolved on time.
In his submission, Abdullateef Okandeji, the state ALGON chairman, said the additional N12.5 million given to each of the 16 LGAs came as a form of relief to them and assured that the funds would be used for the purpose it was meant.