AbdulRazaq okays N350m for colleges of education, FADAMA

By Kehinde Akinpelu Ilorin

Following the industrial action embarked upon by colleges of education in Kwara state, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has approved the immediate release of N250million to pay at least two months of the outstanding salary of the protesting workers.

AbdulRazaq also assured the schools of subsequent prompt payment of their salary along with the gradual offsetting of the arrears inherited from the previous administration under which the schools embarked on strike.

The affected colleges are Kwara state College of Education, Oro, Kwara state College of Education, Ilorin, Kwara state College of Education (Technical) Lafiagi, Kwara state College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies, Ilorin, Kwara state College of Nursing and Midwifery, Ilorin and Kwara state College of Nursing, Oke Ode.

“The total amount the governor released for salary payment is N250, 774, 328.34. This covers salary for the months of May and June,” Rafiu Ajakaye, spokesman for the governor said in a statement on Friday.

He stated that concerned about the status of the schools, the governor also approved an additional N25million for the College of Education (Technical), Lafiagi for immediate re-accreditation and N24.8million for the College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies for reaccreditation.

Ajakaye said this along with similar steps over the last month represents a bold step by the governor to match words with action on his commitment to education, workers’ welfare and the socio-economic growth of the state

“It is the intention of this administration to stabilise Kwara for growth. Greater things are coming, but the governor is working round the clock to first restore normalcy across all sectors,” he said.

The colleges of education had long embarked on strike to protest the non-payment of their salaries and other administrative issues leading to the shutting down of the schools

The statement said the governor has also approved the immediate payment of N49, 786, 667 as counterpart funds for the FADAMA project.

The sum includes an outstanding of N13, 914, 667.00 third national FADAMA development project additional financing for 2018 and N35, 872, 000 already due as 2019 counterpart fund for the same project.

An initiative of the World Bank, FADAMA is a project that seeks to empower local farmers with funds to boost their production of staple foods like rice, cassava and sorghum in irrigable land areas.

The project is financed through a counterpart funding arrangement between the World Bank and the participating states, including Kwara which has so far benefitted up to $4, 685,500 since it keyed into the programme.