Abdulfattah Ahmed, former Kwara State Governor

An umbrella union of teachers in Kwara State Colleges of Education, Committee of Unions in Tertiary Institutions, CUTI,  has described as false the claim by former Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed that he paid the salaries of all workers on the payroll of the state before he left office.

In a statement, Imam Abdulkadir, chairman of CUTI, said the former governor left at least seven months of unpaid salary amounting to N750 million to the teachers across the colleges.

But he added that the salaries has now been paid by his successor,  Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq .

The statement reads: “The attention of the Committee of Unions in Tertiary Institutions (CUTI) has been drawn to the claim by  former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed through his media aide that the immediate past administration was up to date in payment of state civil servants salary before he left office particularly the state owned Tertiary Institutions.

“To this end, the unions wish to reiterate that the claims by the former Governor through his aide Dr. Muhideen Akorede, was false and misleading. The state-owned tertiary institutions were owed seven months’ salaries to the tune of N750 million. Equally, the policy of the immediate-past administration to commercialize education in the state impacted negatively on both the staff and students of the institutions.

“It would be recalled that failure of the immediate-past administration to pay salaries of the state Colleges of Education and CAILS led to the industrial action embarked upon by the institutions  three months to the expiration of the Governor Ahmed’s administration.

“Despite the industrial disharmony between the unions and the then government, the said 7 months subventions and accreditation funds were not released to the Colleges until Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq assumed office.

“It is noteworthy to say that Governor Abdulrazaq, as at September, 2019, completed the payment of all outstanding salary arrears owed the Colleges by the immediate past administration. Similarly, Governor Abdulrazaq has presently released accreditation funds to all the state owned tertiary institutions. It is equal of note to state that His Excellency has also absorbed staffers of Demonstration schools of the Colleges who are owed 37 month salaries by the immediate past administration in the state. The general public should consider the claim by the former Governor as not only misleading but false.”