The Kwara State Governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has assured civil servants in the state that he will not witch-hunt anyone for his or her political convictions.
He gave the assurance on Thursday in Ilorin, the state capital, during his maiden meeting with civil servants in the state.
“We would not label anyone. We will carry everybody along and promote a culture of transparency and independence.
“We want Kwara to regain its rightful place, particularly in the North where it used to be the number one in terms of education and so on,” Abdulrazaq said.
The Governor promised to ensure prompt payment of salaries, and also to pay the minimum wage after due consultations with the civil servants and proper assessment of the financial situation of the state.
“We will pay May salary almost immediately. We want to get to a place where there are no backlog of salary and pensions.
“We’ll discuss the minimum wage. The intention is to pay, but we need to sit down and resolve a few issues.
“There has been so much plundering of the state resources, but we will rise above all that.
“We’ll ride on your back to get things done while your welfare is taken care of,” he said.
The governor declared that his government would strive to plug loopholes and reduce overhead costs through prudent management of resources.
He also promised to address the infrastructural deficit in the state and create wealth through private enterprise.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was attended by top party leaders led by APC chairman, Mr Bashir Bolarinwa; Head of the Civil Service, Mrs Susan Oluwole; permanent secretaries, directors, and other senior civil servants in the state.