The Kwara State Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed, has approved the release of N892 million to the state-owned tertiary institutions.

The fund, according to the governor, was released to enable the institutions clear backlog of salary arrears owed their staff.

Ceoafrica gathered that the decision followed the release of N1 billion by the state government to the sixteen local government councils in the state to augment their allocation for the payment of November 2016 salaries and pensions.

In a statement released on Wednesday in Ilorin, the State Commissioner for Finance, Demola Banu, disclosed that the approved fund is part of the N5 billion received by the state government from the federal government as its share of the London and Paris Club loan refunds.

Mr Banu added that the funds will be disbursed to the institutions in monthly instalments, stressing that the money is in addition to the current monthly subvention received by the colleges.

He also expressed optimism that with the release of the funds, the affected institutions will be able to clear all the backlog of arrears owed their workers, adding that the colleges will also be able to ensure regular payment of their current salaries.

The finance commissioner however stated that the state government is working hard with the management of the colleges to find a lasting solution to the salary crisis affecting the schools.

“The beneficiary institutions include the Kwara State Colleges of Education in Oro, Ilorin and Lafiagi; College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies (CAILS), Ilorin and the Kwara State School of Nursing, Oke-Ode,” the statement said.