Kwara Revenue Workers Lament Poor Welfare, Stagnant Salaries

Staff of the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KWIRS) have lamented poor welfare conditions, stagnant salaries and rising living costs, accusing the state government of failing to reward their contributions to revenue generation.

 

The workers, under the KWIRS chapter of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), said their sacrifices and professionalism had helped improve the state’s revenue performance, but their personal welfare had not received corresponding attention.

 

In a circular signed by the chapter’s secretary, Adam Ibrahim, the workers questioned the disparity between their role in generating revenue for the state and the financial difficulties many of them face.

 

“We block leakages. We are posted to hospitals and other MDAs to secure government revenue. We work under pressure day and night, but we continue to struggle to meet basic needs due to poor salaries,” they lamented.

 

The association said many staff members now exhaust their salaries before the end of the month because of loan deductions from fintech platforms and other financial institutions, forcing them to borrow money to meet their basic needs.

 

It also expressed concern that personnel costs had remained unchanged for years despite increases in other areas of government expenditure.

 

The workers cited a salary negotiation agreement dated October 11, 2022, which reportedly stated that the adjustment would be implemented “as soon as it can be accommodated in the budget.”

 

According to the association, nearly four years after the agreement, the adjustment has yet to be implemented, with no clear indication of when it would take effect.

 

The workers said the cost of school fees, house rent, transportation and food had risen significantly, while their salaries remained unchanged.

 

“We smile outside, but the majority of us are bleeding inside. We cannot continue to generate wealth for the state while we wallow in abject poverty,” they declared.

 

The association urged its members to remain united and resolute in their demand for improved welfare, maintaining that better working conditions would require collective action.

 

It also called on members to remain calm, vigilant and prayerful as a 14-day period that began on October 15, 2026, counted down, although the circular did not specify what action would follow its expiration.

 

Some KWIRS workers, who spoke separately, also criticised the state government for spending billions of naira on the construction of a new Revenue House without adequately addressing staff welfare.

 

“What is the essence of a big and beautiful workplace inhabited by poor and suffering workers?” one of the employees asked.

 

The grievances add to growing labour concerns under the administration of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, with unions across the judiciary, health and education sectors also raising concerns over unresolved welfare demands.

 

Meanwhile, doctors employed by the state government have been on a 14-day warning strike since the previous week, disrupting medical services at state-owned hospitals and raising concerns about access to healthcare for patients across Kwara State.