Dipo Olowookere
By Dipo Olowookere
The Kwara State Government says it is not owing any special athletes 15 months salaries as claimed by protesters on Wednesday in Ilorin, the state capital.
According to the State’s Director of Sports, Mallam Tunde Kazeem, civil servants working with the Sports Council received their salaries on Tuesday, September 6.
The Director said that the council only placed some athletes on a monthly stipend because they represent the State and they do not have jobs.
According to him, the council also pays some athletes stipends after its workers are paid.
Mr Kazeem explained further that the athletes on the stipends list were impatient hence the reason for their protest on Wednesday.
On the N5 million promised the athletes by the State government for their participation in the Eko 2012 games, Mr Kazeem said that N2.5 million has been released by the government.
He, however, clarified that all their allowances and bonuses for the games in Lagos were paid to them immediately after the games, stressing that the N5 million is just a cash gift promised by the government.
