No Salary, Pension Arrears In Kwara…We’re Not Planning To Introduce New Taxes-Finance Commissioner
Active and retired public sector workers in Kwara State are being paid their salary and pension as and when due precisely before 25th of every month while there has been nothing like salary or pension arrears in the state, the Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Hauwa Nuru, has submitted.
The Finance Commissioner, who said this during the third quarter edition of the Quarterly Inter-Ministerial Press Briefing held in Ilorin on Tuesday, clarified and asserted that no active or retired public sector worker in the state is owed salary or pension.
The Quarterly Inter-Ministerial Press Briefing which was attended by journalists including Team@orientactualmags.com serves as a platform for those who are in charge of ministries and the MDAs to provide updates on their activities,
Dr. Hauwa Nuru explained that anyone who has not gotten his or her salary or pension has either not enrolled in the mandatory Kwara State Residents Registration Agency (KWSRRA) database or found to have submitted invalid details.
She added that a verification exercise was carried out by the Abdulrazaq administration with a view to removing discrepancies, eliminating ‘ghost workers’ and ensuring accurate and timely remuneration while the ‘inherited’ N3.3 billion owed retired local government workers in the state had since gotten ‘cleared’ by the current administration in the state.
The Finance Commissioner however acknowledged the existence of outstanding gratuities which, she noted, were inherited from previous administrations and had gotten piled up before the Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq administration came into being in 2019.
While outstanding gratuities for the retired local government workers inherited in 2019 was over N19 billion, the Abdulrazaq administration, she noted, has already committed N12 billion to the payment of the outstanding gratuities which were last paid in 2009.
She also disclosed the N2.5 billion has already been earmarked for the payment of gratuities to those who retired between 2011 and 2013.
For those who are at the state level, the Abdulrazaq administration had according to her made over N8 billion available for the payment of outstanding gratuities while the sum of N5.6 billion has also been set aside for the payment of a part of the inherited gratuities.
The Finance Commissioner also submitted that there are no plans to introduce new taxes noting that the implementation of the new tax laws by the Federal Government will only streamline existing taxes while also getting its collection modalities improved.
Commissioner for Transportation, Hon. Lafia Aliyu Kora Sabi said the Ministry of Transportation has effectively taken necessary measures to improve road safety and performance in the state.
He added that policy and strategies have also been put in place to reduce road accidents in the state while also ensuring unity and harmonious relationship between NURTW and other transport unions.
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‘Reforming and sanitizing the transport sector has seen critical engagements with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), and other unions, fostering harmonious coexistence and promoting orderliness. As a responsive government that prioritizes peace as a tool for social peace and prosperity, we have unified the Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN) for improved coordination. Private motor parks were recertified for environmental compliance and public safety while unauthorized motor parks/garages were cleared via Task Force activities and sensitization awareness.
Strategic engagement and infrastructure development: involved dialogue with private sector stakeholders on modern traffic/security lighting for enhanced surveillance and reduction of accidents. Speed breakers were installed at strategic locations for reduction of accidents and safety enhancement’ he said.
The commissioner added that as part of the safety and security measures colour codes were introduced for transport operators for proper identification.
Also speaking, Commissioner for Solid Minerals Development, Hon Abosede Olaitan Buraimoh said measures have been taken to effectively profile and vet investors who engage in mining activities in towns and villages in the state through the traditional rulers of the respective communities to prevent influx of criminal elements into the state and ensure compliance with existing mining laws.
Kwara State, she noted, is one of the leading solid mineral-producing states in Nigeria and the state government is according to her doing the needful to ensure that the state and communities benefit maximally.
The commissioner also disclosed that the state has completed the registration of five Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and working towards obtaining mining licenses for them in order to enhance investment opportunities and increase the state’s internally generated revenue.
“Our focus is to ensure responsible mining while maximizing economic benefits for the state by equipping traditional rulers to screen investors and enforcing safe practices, we are protecting both the communities and the environment’ she added.
Executive Chairman , Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (KWSUBEB), who is also the Dean of SUBEB Chairmen in Nigeria, Professor Sheu Raheem Adaramaja, commended the Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq administration for being the first to pay counterpart fund to UBEC for a calendar year in the same year in the history of the state.
The N3.3 billion counterpart fund for the year 2025, he noted, has been paid by the state government while the governor has also approved promotion of staff of the agency.
He also listed recent achievements of the Abdulrazaq administration in respect of creating enabling learning environment for basic school students in the state to include construction of 60 blocks of classrooms with offices, renovation of 113 classrooms, provision of 21,665 furniture , construction of 16 VIP toilets, and construction of 16 boreholes-Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08035023079, 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
