By Steve Oni, Ilorin
The administration of Governor AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State has spent close to N20 billion on payment of pension and gratuities in the last two years.
The Governor’s Special Adviser on Strategy, Alhaji Sa’adu Salahu disclosed this on Sunday during an award programme organised by ‘Friends of AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq’ in Ilorin, the state capital.
Salahu told the gathering that the state government had expended about N16 billion on payment of pensions and over N3 billion on the payment of gratuities to retirees at both the state and local government levels.
He added that this is in addition to the regular payment of full salaries to all categories of workers in the state and local government councils; a marked departure from the past when workers received salaries in percentages.
Amidst loud ovation of “Rahman for second term”, the Special Adviser said that the payment of counterpart fund to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has earned the state the whopping sum of N14 billion to fix infrastructure at the basic education level across the state.
He also disclosed that the state government has engaged fresh 4,701 teachers while fresh recruitment exercises were ongoing at the state’s Civil Service and Kwara Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS).
Salahu added: “Twenty one thousands (21,000) traders have benefitted under the state government’s social investment programme while N10bn has been raised to support farmers in the state including farm inputs, while another 13,000 youths have also benefitted from information technology (IT ) programme to make them self- reliant.”
He posited that AbdulRazaq administration’s commitment and investment in security has made Kwara one of the most secured states in the country.
Earlier, the Director General of ‘Friends of AbdulRahaman AbdulRazaq’ Kwara Central Senatorial District, Mallam Taiwo AbdulMaliq said the programme was organised to specifically recognise those that were supporting the state government to achieve its goals.
“Governor AbdulRazaq has achieved a lot, this is why we endorsed him for second term in office. He’s an outstanding performer. He spreads his projects across the three senatorial districts. Kwara has never had it so good,” AbdulMaliq stated.
Represented by a University Don, Dr Ghali Alaaya, Governor AbdulRazaq was one of the awardees at the event.
Ends
Leave a Reply