Kwara State Government said it was investigating the non-payment of salaries and emoluments of Oba of Jebba, Oba Abdulkadir Adebara, in Moro Local Government Area of the state for 21 years.

The state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Bata, disclosed this on Monday.

Successive governments in the state have since 2003 refused to pay the salaries of the 103-year-old monarch, who had spent over 21 years on the throne.

The governments flouted the judgment of a state High Court ordering the upgrade and payment of the monarch’s salaries.

Bata told reporters in Ilorin, on the sidelines of a ministerial briefing on the achievements of the state governor, Mallam AbdulRaman AbdulRazaq, in his one year in office in his second term.

He explained while answering questions at the briefing, that the issue of nonpayment of the salary of the monarch was a long-standing one.

Bata said, “The issue of payment to salaried Oba of Jebba is a long-standing problem that this administration inherited. Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is well aware of the problem. This ministry is also aware.

“A lot of report has been written to us and I want to assure that the governor has directed to investigate the issue to know the problem so that a lasting solution to the issue is found. By the grace of God we are on top of it and we will find a lasting solution to it.”

Bata stressed that the government had made available a quantum of funds to pay some ungraded chiefs in the state, adding that no fewer than 500 chiefs in both Kwara Central and Kwara North Senatorial zones were identified and paid their emoluments in the last month.

He said that about 150 chiefs were identified in Kaiama Emirate while equal numbers were identified in the three Emirates in Edu local government as well as one Emirate in Patigi local government.

He said that many classrooms were built by the local government administration in the 16 local government areas of the state. (The PUNCH)

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