An advocacy group, Kwara Must Change, has claimed that many civil servants in the state are committing suicide or have become depressed over months of unpaid salaries. The group made the claim in a statement issued on Thursday.
According to the group, state government should be blamed for the death of Mr. Biodun Bashir, a staff of Universal Basic Education (UBE) in Oyun Local Government Area of Kwara State, who committed suicide on 28 October.
The deceased was said to have hanged himself after enduring severe financial pressures arising from being owed salaries for many months on the trot.
Kwara Must Change disclosed that Mr. Bashir AKA Legal, like other civil servants in the state, was enduring severe hardship arising from the failure of the state government to pay workers’ salaries for many months.
The state government, however, continues to claim that it is not owing. This is said to be a cause of widespread depression among civil servants in the state, as it suggests that the government does not intend to pay what they owe workers.
“It is important to add that while the death of Mr. Bashir as a result of the wicked act of Kwara State Government has filtered to the public, there are many cases unheard in.
We are left to wonder how many workers have died of hunger, ill health and other causes without public attention,” said the group.
It described Mr. Bashir’s death as a new low for the state government, which pays its most senior workers (level 15) less than N90, 000.
“Kwara Must Change sympathizes with all workers in Kwara State and prays that God comes to their rescue. We also remind them that the situation in Kwara is as a result of our bad leadership choices.
We urge all workers to persevere and not lose hope. We can make a better choice in the next election for our own good,” the group said.
It also called on the state government to take responsibility for all its workers, including those at the local government level.