Following a massive peaceful protest today by the Oyo State civil servants, the Oyo State Government has rallied the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), to discuss the issue of salary deductions exhaustively, before embarking on any form of protest.
It was gathered that state workers, Troup out in thousands and besieged the entrance of the state secretariat protesting over non-payment of salary deductions arrears and subsequent payment of full salary by the ‘Seyi Makinde administration.
The workers are demanding payment of salary deductions arrears and subsequent payment of full salary, palliatives for workers, upward review of pensions, payment of leave bonuses from 2021, payment of gratuities to retired civil servants that have been stagnated since 2021, release of promotion letters for the promoted staff and lifting of the embargo on promotion for 2021 and 2022.
In a swift reaction, the state government, in a statement signed by the Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, called the leaders of the state labour unions to consider a dialogue with the state government before proceeding with their protest.
The statement added that every state in the federation owes workers salary deductions and the three months owed by Oyo State is the least.
According to the Commissioner, the NLC had shown over the years that they are in support of the present administration because of good governance but asked them to reflect on the disposition of government to workers’ welfare.
While the July salaries have been paid in Oyo State, not less than 20 states including Ondo, Plateau, Benue, and Bayelsa are owing several months of salaries in arrears, while several more including neighboring states are owing months of deduction arrears.
The Oyo State Government started the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage three years ago, yet up till now many states are still struggling to pay the old wage.
While it is the right and entitlement of workers to access their wages, especially at this tough time, the government implored them to reflect on the sincerity of the purpose of the Seyi Makinde administration.
The statement said despite the challenges of paying wages, over 2,000 civil servants have been promoted, while almost 1,000 others have been converted to regular service.
For the records, Oyo State pays N7.3bn monthly as salaries, yet collects N5bn as Federal Allocation.
Because of this, all the N2.8bn raked in as Internally Generated Revenue IGR are ploughed back literally to service salaries.
Prince Oyelade said government deserves a pat on the back, if despite this tightrope, it still embarks on such a magnitude of infrastructural projects, that even the NLC has applauded numerously.
Eminent pundits, including the current Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki have predicted that no state will be able to pay salaries by the end of June this year because of the worsening shape of the economy but Oyo State, due to the deft husbanding of the state resources by Governor Seyi Makinde, has defied the doomsday prediction.
“This is why the State Government is confident that the NLC will come to the negotiating table and together with the Government chart a realistic path in balancing the welfare of the workers to which the government is committed and the unpleasant economic indices that stare all of us in the face”, the statement read.
Meanwhile, the Oyo State Government urged workers to resume at their duty posts and continue the good work they are known for.
