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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has approved the payment of N25, 000 for workers and N15,000 for pensioners as wage award in the state.
Makinde, who was accompanied by labour leaders in the state, including Comrade Kayode Martins of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Bosun Olabiyi of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Comrade Olaonipekun Oluwaseun of the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC Public Sector), disclosed this while addressing workers at the entrance of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Ibadan.
Recall that the governor had about four weeks ago inaugurated an 11-member ad-hoc inter-ministerial committee on the harmonisation of the demands of labour unions in the state.
He charged the members of the committee to be open-minded and to come up with homegrown solutions on issues bordering on workers’ welfare in the state.
Makinde also tasked the committee, headed by the secretary to the state government (SSG), Prof Olanike Adeyemo, to come up with a report on the modalities for the implementation of workers’ demands.
While addressing the workers and retirees, Makinde noted that the payment would start from October and will be sustained for the next six months, adding that was an additional N2.2 billion wage bill on the state.
He noted that it would further stretch the state government’s capacity, but it was a situation that must be addressed, which was why his government made the wage award announcement, reassuring that workers would start getting payment alerts before the week runs out.
“We all understand that it is a challenging period for us as a nation and as a state. You have to look at your pocket to see what we can do; so for every pensioner in the state, we will give them fifteen thousand naira monthly for the next six months and I guarantee it is starting from October, but they’re asking we start by September and I told them I don’t know if we have enough money.
“And for workers, we’re doing N25,000 to cushion the effects of this economic challenges that we’re all going through.” Makinde said.
The workers had stormed the Governor’s Office as part of the decision taken a congress earlier on Monday, to ensure the issue was finally laid to rest.
Government functionaries present at the event include Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour Matters, Comrade Adebayo Titilola-Sodo, Executive Assistant to the Governor, Reverend Idowu Ogedengbe among others.