Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq says his administration has paid another 15 per cent of one month of the huge salary arrears of SUBEB teachers, pensioners and local government workers it inherited in 2019 from the past administration.

This is contained in a statement issued in Ilorin on Tuesday by Oba Azeez, the spokesman for the ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs.

The decision to gradually offset the payment of pre-2019 SUBEB and LGAs’ N11 billion arrears was agreed upon by the local government authorities at the request of union leaders at the allocation committee meeting on August 29.

The payment of the 15 per cent of the arrears came after the allocation committee approved funding for 100 per cent of August salary, while the balance goes into offsetting the loans earlier obtained from the government to pay 100 per cent salary for all categories of workers in the previous months of 2022 when federal allocation/revenue dropped drastically.

According to the statement, Mr AbdulRazaq’s administration paid 15 per cent (N308 million) of the arrears in January 2020 and another 20 per cent (N359 million) in December 2021, when allocation improved.

The statement added that the allocations, monthly salary payments and other statutory obligations at the local government level (including SUBEB) continue to gulp between 85 and 100 per cent of revenues of the councils, especially after the implementation of the minimum wage.

“The government assures concerned workers and the unions of its commitment to pay them this deserving entitlement. However, the only alternative to phased payment of these humongous arrears is a new borrowing, which would further plunge the state into more debt,” said the statement. “The government sincerely commends the workers and their unions for their exemplary patriotism, patience and understanding.”

(NAN)