Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara has directed all local governments in the state to pay the July salaries of their workers without further delay.
This is contained in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba, in Ilorin on Thursday.
The directive followed threats by the council workers to proceed on strike by Friday, Aug.3.
Ahmed said that there was no justification for further delay of the payment of local government workers’ salaries since all necessary procedures had been concluded.
He also directed local governments, which had not paid the June salaries to do so immediately.
The governor said that it was grossly unfair for any local government not to pay the June salaries at the end of July
Meanwhile, the state has disbursed N268.6 million to 3740 artisans and small-business owners under its Micro-Credit Intervention Scheme for Small and Medium-Scale Enterprises.
Dr Femi Akorede, the Senior Special Assistant to Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed on Media and Communication, disclosed this in a statement he issued on Wednesday in Ilorin.
He said the amount, the first tranche of the N500m intervention launched by the governor in April, was disbursed to 3,740 cooperatives, comprising multipurpose societies, farmer associations, FADAMA associations, transporters and artisans.
He said the N268.6 million was disbursed through the 10 microfinance banks shortlisted for the exercise by the government during the launching of the Micro Credit Intervention Scheme.
Akorede, who commended the beneficiaries for keeping to the repayment schedule, said that another set of cooperatives would be empowered soon under the scheme.
The governor’s aide also announced plans to implement the next stage of the scheme aimed at providing micro credit to entrepreneurs across the state.
He said the government was determined to enhance the capacity of small and medium-scale enterprises to empower the people and stimulate economic development under its Shared Prosperity programme.
Akorede also announced plans to accelerate commercial farming in the state with a N750m intervention scheme for farmer cooperatives.
“Already, government has started verifying the farmer groups as a prelude to disbursing the funds to qualified farmers,’’ he said.
The governor inaugurated the N500 million scheme in April with a pledge to boost the capacity small and medium-scale enterprises . (NAN)