By Steve Oni, Ilorin
* Speaks on minimum wage
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has told civil servants in the state that he would not witch-hunt anyone for their political beliefs.
“We would not label anyone. We will carry everybody along and will promote a culture of transparency and independence. We want Kwara to regain its rightful place particularly in the North where it used to be the number one in terms of education and so on,” AbdulRazaq said Thursday evening at his first meeting with the civil servants a day after he assumed office.
The Governor promised to ensure prompt payment of salaries, adding that Kwara would also pay the minimum wage after due consultations with the civil servants and proper assessment of the financial situation of the state.
“We’ll pay (May) salary almost immediately. We want to get a place where there are no backlog of salary and pensions,” he said.
“We’ll discuss the minimum wage. The intention is to pay but we need to sit down and resolve a few issues. There has been so much plundering of the state resources but we will rise above all that. We’ll ride on your back to get things done while your welfare is taken care of.”
The governor spoke extensively on his agenda for the state such as plugging loopholes, reducing overhead costs through prudent management of resources, addressing the infrastructure deficits in the state and creating wealth through private enterprise.
The meeting was attended by top party leaders led by APC chairman Bashir Bolarinwa; head of the civil service, Mrs Sudan Modupe Oluwole; permanent secretaries; directors; and other senior civil servants in the state.
AbdulRazaq had earlier held a meeting with Kwara leaders of thought during which he called on them to support his administration to rebuild Kwara from the scratch.
Attendees at the forum included former leaders of the state, technocrats, top politicians, professional bodies, trade unions, religious groups, and women and youth groups.
AbdulRazaq said report of the Transition Committee, which is still being studied, revealed so much decadence and abuse of public trust so much that all hands must be on deck to pull Kwara out of the woods.
AbdulRazaq promised to be as inclusive and equitable as possible in the running of the state, especially in his appointments and spread of government projects.
He said his administration would always consult with the people, especially leaders of thought from all backgrounds, through open fora with a view to putting the government in constant check.
The leaders took turns to draw the governor’s attention to issues the administration must address to move the state forward.
Logun, chairman of the Transition Committee, called on Kwarans to support the new administration to tackle the challenges ahead.
While the representatives of the labour unions called for prompt payment of salaries and pension arrears, those of the Nigerian Medical Association and women groups called for urgent attention on the deteriorating health sector where they said there has been breakdown of infrastructure and paucity of doctors.
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