Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the governor of Ondo State on Tuesday, November 13, 2018, lambasted civil servants in the state for being ungrateful and selfish in their demands for payment of backlog of salaries despite all his administration had done for workers in terms of welfare.
Reacting to a threat by workers for an indefinite strike over unpaid salaries despite receiving Paris Club refund, Akeredolu said his administration had done its best in terms of payment of salaries and welfare of workers.
The organized labour including State Chairmen of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC, and Joint Negotiating Council, JNC, Tayo Ogunleye, Soladoye Ekundayo and Abel Oloniyo had given the government 24 hours within which to pay their salaries from the N20 billion Paris club refund.
The workers had in a letter, gave the governor up till 12 noon on Tuesday November 13, 2018, to pay salaries arrears of workers or face indefinite strike.
They, however, accused Akeredolu of not consulting labour unions as agreed on the release of Paris club refund to the state by the federal government. But the governor, who spoke during presentation of cheques to owners of property whose houses were affected by dualisation programme in Akure, Ikare-Akoko and Owo said the salary arrears were not owed by his administration.
Akeredolu said: “Since I came into office I have paid four salary arrears yet our people are both ungrateful and selfish. Since we came into office we are not owing even a month’s salary.
Not one single month. Somebody was in office, you’re not paid your salary and leave allowances, we have paid and even promoted you and people still think we have done nothing.
“l can tell you that I agree that we have done nothing. I know it that that is how life is; people are both selfish and ungrateful. In terms of the welfare of workers in this state, we have done our best. No state has done better than us because we believe a worker deserves his pay.”
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