Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Governor of Ondo state has said his administration would continue to promote industrial peace and operate an open and transparent governance, with the welfare of workers as a major priority of his administration.
Aiyedatiwa, who stated this on Wednesday while addressing workers during the celebration of the 2024 Worker’s Day at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Arcade, Akure, emphasized the importance of the event amidst preparations for the upcoming gubernatorial election in the state.
Reflecting on the state’s record of industrial peace, the governor said the modest achievements of his administration could not have been possible without the commitment and dedication of workers.
Aiyedatiwa said; “in demonstration of our commitment to the welfare of workers in the state, our administration is giving priority attention to the following, among others; regular payment of salaries and pensions, steady payment of gratuity and payment of backlog of salaries. This has brought relief to both serving and retired officers; regular promotion of workers with financial backing is being prioritised. This is to keep motivating our workers for quality service delivery.
“The promotion exercise for the current year is ongoing and I have given the Head of Service the go ahead to commence next year’s promotion exercise before the close of the year to enable eligible workers get their 2025 promotion letter at the beginning of year 2025. This approach will make it possible for retiring officers to get their terminal promotion early enough to process their terminal benefits as appropriate.
“Full implementation of the workers’ Contributory Health Insurance Scheme, ORANGHIS. The Scheme has provided access to quality and affordable healthcare services for all workers in the State. Our administration is also considering the inclusion of pensioners in the Scheme as doing so will provide them access to affordable necessary healthcare in their retirement years.
“Monthly commitment of N200million for steady payment of inherited arrears of gratuities in addition to the special provision of over N1.2Billion to clear arrears of gratuities up to 2014. Efforts are also underway to settle arrears of year 2015 gratuities in one fell swoop in the course of the current year. Of course, I consider this and the monthly steady payment of outstanding gratuities more meaningful than the unsustainable interim arrangement of N10,000 Wage Award to each pensioners.
“The steady recruitment into the State Public Service has been given priority attention as our administration has given new approval for the recruitment of the following categories of officers and the processes have commenced: Over 1,000 personnel in the health sector; and 2,000 personnel in the education sector; the upward review and payment of hazard allowance to health workers in the State and review of salaries and entry point of medical doctors are being implemented.
“Implementation of tutors’ elongation of service from 35 to 40-year length of service and from 60 to 65 years of age respectively, has been approved to shore-up the dwindling staff strength in our public schools. Iwant to assure our workers and the generality of our people that Nigerian economy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR is on the way to recovery. With the ongoing economic reforms coupled with the tenacity of Nigerians, let us be optimistic that things would fully turn around for the better, very soon.”
In his address, the NLC chairperson in Ondo state, Victor Amoko, who advised workers in the state to shun partisan politics and focus on their duties at work, however, urged them to cast their votes to the candidates of their choice on the day of the election.
Amoko, therefore, implored all political players to shun politics of bitterness and focus on how to bring development to the state.
“We also call on the state government and security apparatus of the state to devise means to measure up to the heartless herdsmen and flush them out of our forests to allow farmers returns to their farmlands,” he said.
While Clement Fatuase, the TUC chairperson appreciated the governor for the ongoing mass recruitment in the state.
