Ekiti Council Workers To Get Arrears Of Minimum Wage This Month

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi; acknowledging cheers from workers, after an interactive session with Local Government Employees, in Gboyin LG Secretariat,

Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has assured local government workers in the state that the arrears of the minimum wage of N19,300 which the State currently pays its workforce will be cleared this month.

Speaking during an interactive session with council workers in Gbonyin, Oye, Ikole, Emure and Ekiti East Local Government Councils on Wednesday, and their colleagues in Ekiti West, Efon and Ijero Ekiti Local Government areas on Thursday, the Governor stated that machinery has been set in motion to commence the clearance of the arrears owed the workers since the State Government began the implementation of the new wage regime.

The arrears were owed the workers because of the delay in the commencement of the payment of the wage to council workers because of their delay in embracing the biometric data capture, the system which the State adopts in payment of salaries to its workers.

The Governor explained that the delay in the payment of the arrears was not unconnected to paucity of funds which States are confronted with and assured that a committee has been set up to look into how much the government owes the council workers from promotion arrears and  new wage arrears as well as the way to clear them.

Fayemi disclosed that government has decided to clear the debt in batches even as he stated that his administration regularly pays workers their salaries as and when due.

The Governor who stated that the interface was held to show that the council workers are not second class citizens since the State main workforce have had an interactive session with him assured that more money would be put into the local government loans board so that more workers can enjoy the scheme.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Chief Ranti Adebisi disclosed that over 3000 council workers have just been promoted while a review of the sack of some workers by the previous administration after the Captain consultancy’s
audit is ongoing to re-absorb some of the workers who were found to have been unjustifiably dismissed from service.

He added that the council workers who were redeployed to the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) are having better working conditions with many of them who were on grade levels 4 and 5 upgraded to level 7 as a result of the professional certificate in Education which they hold.

The workers who opened up to Fayemi on issues bothering their minds hailed the Governor for acceding to their demands, saying that he has proved himself as a listening leader.