‘Ahmed suspended LG bosses to reverse unauthorised recruitments’

By Umar Bayo Abdulwahab
Ilorin

Kwara state Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, has given the eight suspended council chairmen a week to reverse the unauthorised recruitment or face further sanctions.
The remaining eight sitting chairmen also had the same deadline to reverse the appointments if they were involved or be referred to the House of Assembly for stiffer sanctions.
He issued the ultimatum yesterday during a meeting with principal officers of the State House of Assembly, local government chairmen and Labour leaders in Ilorin.

Ahmed in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Dr. Muhideen Akorede, said the savings from the reversed appointments should be used to pay the outstanding salaries of existing workers.
Ahmed said his administration had no interest in sacking any workers except those who were illegally engaged.
He absolved the state government from interference with local government funds which he said were shared between SUBEB and the 16 local government councils in line with the law.

According to him, the October allocation of the local governments were withheld by banks in view of the N4.6 billion loan obtained for the payment of their staff salaries in September in anticipation of the N5 billion bailout from the federal government which is yet to be released.
Ahmed stressed his determination to plug all loopholes in state and local government finances, starting with the 2016 budget and the forthcoming biometric and electronic verification of staff.