THE Kwara State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday urged the state government to use the bailout fund provided by the federal government to clear backlog of salaries being owed workers in the state.Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Yekin Agunbiade, said it was clear that the federal government came up with the bailout package to enable state governments pay workers who are being owed backlog of salaries.

President Muhammadu Buhari approved a N700 billion relief package for payment of workers’ salaries in states of the federation.Speaking with our correspondent in Ilorin, the NLC boss expressed delight with the bailout package and appealed to the state government to utilize the money for the purpose it was meant.

Our correspondent reports that the state government only last week paid May salary to workers in the civil service and teachers underthe Teaching Service Commission while primary school teachers under the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) are being owed May and June salaries.

Workers in parastatals like the state Broadcasting Corporation (Radio Kwara), Printing and Publishing Corporation (Publishers of the Herald), as well as Colleges of Education are also being owed May and June salary due to the non-payment of subvention that would enable them augment their internal earnings to pay salary.Also affected are the local governments’ workers and pensioners; some of whom are being owed as much as four months’ salaries.The NLC boss appealed to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to clear the backlog of salaries, adding that no category of workers should be exempted.