The workers in Kwara State have agreed that the government could embark on verification of staff in order to find a lasting solution to lingering salary arrears.
The agreement on verification of staff is to fish out ghost workers while the government is expected to urgently find means to pay the salary arrears before the commencement of the verification exercise.
The pact was reached on Monday during an interactive session held in Ilorin between Kwara State and the civil servants which include the teachers and local government staff.
The Commissioner for Education, Musa Yeketi, had pleaded with the workers to feel free to air their views and suggestions on how to move the state forward, assuring them that nobody would be punished for airing his mind or agitations.
Some of the teachers and local government staff lamented the hardship they have been going through due to lack of salary arrears.
The Commissioner for Finance, Demola Baanu, then gave a hint of the economic situation of the state which he said was not peculiar to Kwara State alone.
He urged the workers to be patient as the government was making effort to cushion the effect of salary arrears by embarking on headcount, increasing the internally generated revenue and exploring other options to ensure the availability of funds.
One of the teachers, Abdulkareem Babatunde, highlighted other arrears for government to get money to offset their salary arrears. These include slashing the salary, emoluments and financial benefits of political office holders including the security votes of the Governor.