Kwara Governor Denies Sacking Workers

Kwara Governor Denies Sacking Workers

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Kwara State Govermor, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Thursday clarified that his new administration has not sacked any civil servant in the state.

The clarification, according to THISDAY’s investigation, became necessary in view of the speculation in the state over non-payment of May salary to some workers in the state.

According to a statement issued by the governor and signed by his deputy Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Agboola Olarewaju, “The category of workers that were not paid for the month of May were those who were employed only two or three weeks ago but had their employment letters backdated to November 2018 by the immediate past government”.

The statement stated that most of the workers had never been captured on the government’s payroll before, adding that they couldn’t have been paid May salary.

It added that those appointments were called ‘sunset’ appointments made by governor/administration on the eve of departure, and that instead of summary sack, what the government resolved to do was to look at their qualifications and ascertain that they were qualified to be employed as.

The statement reads: “In Ogun, Bauchi and some other states, ‘sunset’ employees were sacked with immediate effect. That former Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, did not deem it fit to employ them until a few weeks to leaving office. That some were employed last week and backdated to November 2018, last year.

‘That in 2003, former Governor Bukola Saraki sacked all of the late Governor Mohammed Lawal’s sunset appointments and also demoted some civil servants.

“That a dubious interview process was conducted in which only cronies of the last administration were employed over and above those that excelled with flying colours”.

“That, finally, we state again that these sunset workers have not been sacked; their employment status will be looked into and salaries reinstated for those above board”.

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