The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Kwara Government

  • Supreme Court sends pension case to CJ for ‘re-hearing’

    The Supreme Court on Friday listed the alleged N1.68 billion pension entitlement case involving the Kwara Government and 9,030 state accredited pensioners to the Chief Judge for re-hearing.

    The Attorney-General of Kwara and the Governor are the applicants in the appeal.

    NAN reports that Alhaji Ishola Lawal, Prince Ayobamidele Ajibola, Usman Kasimu, Joseph Kolawole, Imman Gbagba and Mrs Mariam Akande are the listed respondents.

    The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen led four other justices of the court to unanimously agree on the decision.

    Justice Ejembi Eko, had delivered the lead judgment while Justice Musa Huhammad, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun and Justice Sidi Bage served on the panel.

    “The law is settled that at interlocutory stage no court, whether trial or appellate, is allowed to delve into the substantive matter in the pending mater and decide it.

    “The court below had done that which is prohibited in our jurisprudence.

    “its decision and all the orders made touching the merits of the originating summons, being null and void, are hereby set aside.

    “The case is hereby remitted to the Chief Judge of Kwara to be heard `de novo’ by a judge of the court other than Justice E.B. Mohammed’’ Eko held.

    Justice Eko, however, ordered the parties to bear their costs.

    The respondents being the claimants had approached the Kwara High Court with an exparte motion seeking an order to bring this action in a representative capacity for themselves and on behalf of 9,024 pensioners.

    They had also asked for an order to deem the originating processes filed in representative capacity as properly filed and served.

    Justice Mohammed who presided finding that the application had merit, granted it as prayed on Oct.20, 2008.

    In view of that decision, leave was granted to the claimants, now (respondents) to bring the action against the defendants, now (appellants) in a representative capacity.

    The originating summons filed on Sept.20, 2008 in terms of the motion exparte was deemed properly filed.

    In the circumstance, on Oct. 30, 2008, the appellants, as defendants, entered a condictional appearance to the suit pursuant to Order 16 Rule 1(1) of the Kwara High Court Rules.

    The State Counsel, Mrs F.I Lawal had filed the process on behalf of the state, but the defendants, according to the apex court did nothing further to articulate their defense.

    Eko said, the claimants had through their counsel; Mr T.O.S. Gbadeyan filed a motion for judgment in terms of their claim as contained in the originating summons.

    The claimants’ action, however, prompted the appellants’ application filed on Jan.23, 2009 praying for extension of time within which to file their counter-affidavit in defense of the originating summons.

    The motion for extension of time file by the appellants was moved and granted on Jan.26, 2009.

    The appellants, as the defendants in the trial court were then given up to Feb.2, 2009 to file their counter-affidavit and Notice of preliminary objection.

    The appellants in compliance with the said order of court filed the two vital processes on Feb.2, 2009.

    Meanwhile, on Feb.19, 2009 when the court re-convened, the appellants withdrew the notice of preliminary objection file on Feb.2, 2009.

    To the dismay of the court, the appellants file yet another notice of preliminary objection on Feb. 23, 2009.

    The trial court had gone ahead to entertain and decide the preliminary objection filed on Feb.23, 2009.

    The court held that the claimants’ action was statute barred and that they lacked locus standing to bring the action in representative capacity.

    It was against this decision that the claimants on June 9, 2009 lodged their appeal to the Court of Appeal in Ilorin.

    The Court of Appeal had heard the appeal on April 19, 2010 and in its unanimous decision delivered on June 30, 2010 allowed the appeal.

    The claimants as appellants in that court had invited the appellate court to invoke Section 15 of the Court of Appeal Act and decide the originating summons on its merit.

    Dissatisfied with the judgment of the court of appeal, the appellants, who were respondents at the lower court, filed notice of appeal with six grounds to the apex court.

    They had urged the court to decide whether Order 14 Rules 2, 12 and 13 of the Kwara State High Court Civil Procedure Rules, 2005 was applicable to the facts and circumstances of this case.

    According to them, the court should decide if  the rules give the court power to order substitution or addition of parties s`suo moto’ and the respondents to amend their originating summons without formal application.

    They also asked the court to decide whether the appeal court was empowered under Section 15 of the Court of Appeal Act, 2004, to determine the merit of a case which was wrongly instituted by originating summons.

    The further asked that apex court to decide whether there was sufficient evidence for the court of appeal to have granted the reliefs claimed by the respondents (Claimants) on a proper interpretation of Section 210 of the Constitution.

    They further asked the court to decide if the court of appeal did comply with Section 10 of the Kwara State Pension and Gratuities Law of 1994 as amended while making it decision on the case.

     

  •  Kwara denies owing workers, pensioners

     Kwara denies owing workers, pensioners

    The Kwara Government on Wednesday denied owing salaries and pension arrears.

    The Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Demola Banu, made the denial in a statement issued in Ilorin while reacting to a media report.

    Banu stressed that the government was up-to-date with payment of salaries and pensions to workers and retirees.

    The commissioner, however, said that payment of local government workers was being delayed due to decline in allocations to local councils from the federation account.

    Banu said that the challenge was a reflection of the current national economic downturn which had limited the capacity of governments at all levels to meet salary obligations.

    He said that the state government had on different occasions assisted the local councils by augmenting their allocation to enhance their capacity to pay salaries.

    The commissioner said that the government would use its share of the second tranche of the Paris Club refund, to assist the councils to clear their salary and pension arrears.

    Banu recalled that the state government had released N3.4 billion to the local councils as their share of the first tranche of the Paris Club refund.

     

  • Kwara International Vocational Centre gets equipment

    The Kwara Government has taken delivery of equipment and training tools purchased for the various workshops at the International Vocational Training and Entrepreneurship College (IVTEC), Ajase-Ipo, in Irepodun Local Government Area.

    Alhaji Musa Yeketi, Kwara Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, while speaking during the inspection of the equipment on Wednesday Ajase-Ipo, said the machines and training tools are for the five departments of the College.

    He listed the Departments to include Automotive, Masonry and Carpentry, Electrical and Electronics, Welding, as well as Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning.

    Yeketi noted that 95 per cent of the equipment have been delivered to the institution and that the remaining ones will be delivered in few days time.

    He added that with the arrival of equipment, the Centre is ready to take off.

    The Chairman of IVTEC Board, Prof. Abiodun Adimula, while fielding questions from journalists said he was satisfied with the quality of equipment purchased for the institution.

    He expressed confidence that academic activities will commence at IVTEC in September.

    Adimula stated that in the next few years, the College is expected to produce highly skilled middle-level manpower and commended the State government for its huge investment in the College.

    According to him, the vocational center will help reduce crime rate in the State as the government has provided opportunity for youths to develop themselves and acquire market relevant skills that will make them productive.

    He also disclosed that the College management was working toward creating synergy with tertiary institutions in Kwara such as the University of Ilorin, Kwara State University, Kwara Polytechnic and technical schools within the State

    Adimula said that IVTEC will also be a good training ground for students of tertiary institutions to undergo their SIWES programme and acquire relevant skills.

    He noted that most universities in the country cannot boast of the facilities available at IVTEC.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recall that Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed in March approved the release of N143 million for the procurement of modern vocational equipment for IVTEC in preparation for the commencement of the centre.

  • Kwara govt. gives breakdown of March allocation

    The Kwara Government says its Federation Account allocation in March stood at N2.232 billion, a drop by N278 million from February allocation of N2.510 billion.

    The state Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Demola Banu, made this known in a statement on Wednesday in Ilorin.

    The government said the March allocation for the 16 local government councils was N1.658 billion, a drop by N179 million from the February allocation of N1.837 billion.

    The commissioner gave a breakdown of the allocation as follows: Statutory allocation of N1.027 billion, Value Added Tax (VAT) of N650 million, Exchange Gain Difference of N222 million and Excess Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) of N332 million.

    Banu also gave the breakdown of the allocation of the 16 local government councils in the state as Statutory allocation of N923 million, Value Added Tax (VAT) of N368 million, Exchange Gain Difference of N147million and Excess Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) of N219 million.

    The commissioner said that the councils required N2.080 billion to meet their monthly salary and pension obligations, but he did not state  the ways and means the councils would make up for the shortfall.

    According to him, N579 million is needed monthly to pay salaries of local government employees and N1.144 billion to pay the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) staff.

    About N355 million will go for payment of pensioners every month.

    The commissioner said the state government was spending nearly N2.4 monthly to pay workers’ salaries, retirees’ pensions and meeting its overhead costs.

     

  • Kwara earmarks N450m for KWASU postgraduate campus project

    Kwara earmarks N450m for KWASU postgraduate campus project

    The Kwara Government has earmarked N450 million for the construction of the postgraduate campus project of the State University, Malete.

    The Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Science and Technology, Hajiya Aminat Ahmed, made this known at the official groundbreaking of the project in Ilorin on Tuesday.

    Ahmed said the project, which was awarded to Unicontinental Engineering International Company Limited, was expected to be delivered within four months.

    She said that the construction of the campus was a confirmation of the present administration’s commitment toward encouraging scholarship and wider enrolment to those seeking opportunities to educate themselves.

    “Therefore, when this campus is completed, Kwara State University will be without doubt a fulcrum of knowledge, building human competences and fostering determination and competition among people through the instrumentality of modern technology,” she said.

    Gov. Abdulfatah Ahmed, in his address, said that the project was borne out of his administration’s flair for human capital development.

    “As you are aware, my administration has always prioritised human capital development, especially functional education, as an indispensable ingredient of sustainable development.

    “This emphasis is based in recognition that the growth of any society is directly influenced by the quality of human capital resources available to it.

    “It is in acknowledgement of this that my administration is committed to developing education at the foundation, secondary and tertiary levels,” he said.

    The governor said that the establishment of the Post Graduate School was to keep to the resolve to produce quality, skilled and entrepreneurially inclined scholars needed to spearhead a new crop of intellectually sound future leaders.

    According to him, the state university, when conceived about eight years ago is designed to be a Multi-Campus University.

    He said: “In keeping with this mandate, we took the bold decision of executing this project through Public Private Partnership by sourcing development partners.

    “The partnership approach is not only expedient under the current financial challenges confronting our state, but it also ensures our partners have a stronger buy-in into the project.

    “The Partnership approach connects with our innovative approach to project funding through the Kwara State Infrastructure Development Fund.”

    The Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Abdulrasheed Na’Allah, said that the official groundbreaking for the campus had demonstrated the state government’s confidence in the university.

    Na’Allah said that the project would further make the institution a centre for academic learning and research.

    He assured the government that it would not regret the exceptional belief and the investment it had on the university.

    Mr. Alex Swan, the Managing Director of the Unicontinental Engineering International Company Limited, said that the company would carry out the project to make the university a world-class standard in term of structure.

    Swan pledged that the project would be done to the specifications and delivered within the time frame.

     

  • Kwara explains delay of February pension payment

    The Kwara Government on Thursday said late receipt of elements of federal allocation was responsible for the delay in payment of pension in February.

    The state Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Ademola Banu, gave the reason in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin.

    He explained that FAAC elements such as statutory allocation, Value Added Tax (VAT) and exchange gain difference had, however, been received.

    Banu said the state government still awaited the receipt of excess Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT), which stood at N332.05 million.

    He, however, disclosed that the pensioners and staff of ministries, departments and agencies had started receiving their payment on Wednesday.

    The commissioner further noted that due to the financial arrangements of the Federal Government, elements of monthly allocations were received at separate intervals.

    According to him, the installment receipt is sometimes responsible for the delay in payment of salaries, pensions, overhead and subventions to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the state.

    He commended the retirees and affected workers for their patience and assured that the government would always strive to ensure prompt payment of monthly entitlements.

     

  • Kwara closes 10 private schools built with wooden slabs

    The Kwara Government on Friday said it had closed down 10 private schools built with wooden slabs and operating without due authorisation from the state government.

    Hajia Zainab Bello, the Director, Quality Assurance Bureau (QAB) of the Kwara Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin that the schools were unsuitable for child learning.

    Bello said that these schools were closed down due to poor infrastructure and unconducive learning environment.
    She said that the pupils could not assimilate well in an untidy environment.

    The director assured of the state’s government commitment to ensure quality education, stressing that government would continue to close illegal private schools.

    “These schools are built with wood slabs and the surrounding could not be said to be suitable for human beings, talk-less of little children.
    “The children are packed and sandwiched in the untidy classrooms demarcated with slabs.

    “There is no way any child can receive sound education in uncompleted buildings, that is why the Quality Assurance Bureau team are fishing out illegal private schools in the state”, Bello said.

    She expressed disappointment at the disobedience shown by some proprietors who went ahead with the schools in spite of several warnings from the state government.

    Bello warned school proprietors that the state government had zero tolerance for unauthorised private schools and that those found would be dealt with to serve as deterrent to others.

    The director mentioned the affected schools to include New Creation Nursery and Primary School, Adabata, Habitat Nursery and Primary School, Al- Salam Nursery and Primary School, Allahu Samad Arabic School as well as Almalik Nursery and Primary School.

    “Others schools affected are Great Success Nursery and Primary School, Isale Aluko, Aduni Success Islamic and Arabic International Model Center Ajikobi.

    Bello also listed others as Ridwanulkahi Nursery and Primary School, Isale Aluko, Alubarka Nursery and Primary School, Ajikobi and Almubashirina Nursery and Primary School, Ajikobi.

  • ‘Why Kwara opted for FG’s N5b bailout’

    ‘Why Kwara opted for FG’s N5b bailout’

    The Kwara State government has given reasons for its plan to access N5billion from the Central Bank  as part of Federal Government’s bailout.

    It said the N5billion loan is the cheapest and most efficient means of paying accumulated salary arrears and allowances owed to primary school teachers and other local government employees.

    The loan also covers pensions and gratuities owed to retired local government workers.

    A statement issued by the Special Assistant to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed on Media and Communications, Dr. Muideen Akorede, said the N5billion loan, when received, will bring relief to local councils, their staff and retirees as federal allocations are currently inadequate to meet salary, pension and gratuity obligations at state and local government levels.

    A breakdown of the liability shows  that in July, the total salary arrears for local government workers was N2, 012, 999, 522.40, while that of primary school teachers stood at N2, 143, 414, 338.55.

    Total local government pension arrears was pegged at N523, 160, 259.38, while arrears for LG’s statutory contribution to Kwara State University (KWASU) was N70, 464, 259.89 and outstanding payments for sundry services was put at N267, 806, 538.40.

    Providing further clarification, the state government said it is clear from the figures that the N3.6billion combined June and July allocation to the 16 local government councils was inadequate to meet current and outstanding salary and pension arrears not to talk of developmental projects.

    The  government therefore expressed confidence that the loan will clear all outstanding arrears and provide the local government councils with affordable repayments so that they will continue to meet future salary, pension and project obligations.

     

     

  • Passionate plea to Kwara Government

    SIR: One of the hallmarks of genuine leadership is the willingness/ability to keep to its words. It is this and many other features that distinguish a sincere government from the pool of dishonest administrations. It is in this light that we are compelled to express our deep disappointment towards the attitude of our dear Kwara State government over its failure to redeem its pledge to the 2012/2013 Law School set. More saddening and disturbing are reports about the government’s readiness to give scholarship to the 2013/2014 Law School set while abandoning the 2012/2013 set that has been pending for over a year ago.

    It is instructive to state at this point that a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of the State in a publication sometime last year assured the 2012/2013 set of the government’s readiness to pay all eligible students once the 2014 budget is signed into law. The budget had since been signed into law and extinguished, and in fact we are now in another fiscal year, and up to this moment, the 2012/2013 set have not been paid, and so we ask: What is actually happening?

    It is not fair to jettison the 2012/2013 set while graciously according eminence to the 2013/2014 set. We are all Kwara State indigenes and we deserve to be treated on the same platform of equity. As we have maintained in our previous correspondence to the State government, the law school fee has constituted a barrier to the dreams of many would-be-lawyers in the State. Many of us underwent very harrowing and excruciating experience in our effort to conclude the Law school programme. Some sold their belongings others had to resort to loans from financial institutions in the hope that the government, in its usual practice, would provide some palliative measures to augment the little they gathered. This unfortunate development has become an albatross in the neck of many Law students as they continue to wallow under the burden of indebtedness.

    The government had promised to give scholarship to successful students from Law school among the 2012/2013 set and since most of those students have emerged successful from Law School and duly called to the Nigerian Bar, a contract has been created between the government and the successful Law students.

    Flowing from the above, we humbly submit that the decision of the government to introduce the policy of providing scholarships to law students has in no small measure assisted many indigent law students to achieve their dreams of becoming legal practitioners. However, we therefore urge our amiable Governor Abdul-fatah Ahmed to please pay the pending money to the 2012/2013 Law School set that hail from the state. We would appreciate this.

    • Alatise Taofeeq Esq., Bakare Idris Esq., Iyanda Ismail Esq. and Lawal Raflaw Esq. (alatise.taofeeq@yahoo.com)