By Steve Oni, Ilorin

 The llorin West local government area of Kwara state is  owing over  600 sweepers in its  employment eight months salaries.

 The unsavoury development prompted the aggrieved workers to stage a peaceful protest, demanding the immediate payment of their salary arrears.

 The Sweepers, mostly women and widows were engaged by the Council to maintain clean environment on major roads within the Council area.

 The Chairman of the Caretaker Committee for the Council, Alhaji AbdulHameed Oladipupo-Ali, who confirmed  that the  workers are  being  owed  eight months salary, however, blamed  the  inability  of the  Council  to  pay the Sweepers  on economic  recession  facing  the country, saying the Council is spending  over N3 million monthly on the weepers with each of them taking a sum of N6,000 monthly.

 He said: "Officially now the Council is owing the Sweepers eight months unpaid salaries and this is due to economic depression in Nigeria."

 Oladipupo-Ali disclosed that  the state governor, Alhaji AbdulFatah Ahmed, is  making effort to  assist the Council in off-setting the  sweepers  outstanding salaries.

 The Chairman, who described the situation of the aggrieved Sweepers as pathetic, however, appealed to  them  to exercise patience as  the issue was receiving  Council's attention.