By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan.
Oyo state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun has said the state government has approved payment of two months’ salary arrears for workers in the state public and civil service.
The Commissioner who stated this while speaking at the Annual Lecture /Award of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ministry of Information Chapel the said government has not reduced the salaries of the state’s workers except those of the political appointees,
Mr Arulogun maintained that Oyo state government has been doing a lot of financial re-engineering in order to meet its obligations to the workforce and the entire citizens of the state, adding that “the government is constantly seeking ways, means and solutions to offset the outstanding workers salaries and ensure prompt payment thereafter.”
“The Senator Abiola Ajimobi administration is resolute in making life easier and meaningful for the workers and by extension the entire citizenry by meeting its obligations promptly. Also, the government is very passionate about the welfare of workers and the people of the state in general. We are not comfortable with the situation of things in the state as well and we are already putting machineries in motion to clear the outstanding salaries of the workforce”.
The Commissioner while emphasizing that “the state government paid June and July 2016 to workers in the spirit of the season and restated the government commitment’s to workers’ welfare”.
“In the spirit of the season, the Governor has approved the payment of two months salaries to facilitate the joyful celebration of the yuletide season and usher in the new year. We are genuinely concerned about the welfare of the citizens and wish to use this opportunity to restate the Oyo State Government’s commitment to improving the life’s of our people. Ours is a government with a people centric focus which places a high premium on the contributions of its workforce”.
He maintained that the payment of the two salary months arrears puts to rest the insinuation in the past by the leadership of the workers union that the government was planning to reduce states workers’ salaries and the six month arrears by 50%.
“Right now, it is obvious that the government has not reduced the salaries of the state’s workers except those of the political appointees, who were paid 50% of their May salaries as announced recently while the workers collected their full salaries. The June and July salaries are being paid in full too”.
Speaking further, Mr Arulogun pointed out
that the government would not renege on its decision to prioritize the citizens and workers’ welfare and consequently reiterated government’s commitment to the letters and spirit behind its agreement with Labour Unions stating that it has not and does not intend to renege on any of the terms in the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the payment of workers’ salaries.
