Ondo workers will enjoy a pleasant Christmas, says the government, with the payment of their salaries. But the PDP says it is a hollow promise
By Julius Alabi, Akure
The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Ondo State Chapter has sympathized with workers in the state as they are going to celebrate bleak Christmas due to the inability of the state government to pay their salaries.
The party (PDP) in a statement issued in Akure, the state capital by its Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Perete, lamented that the workers of Ondo State’s hope of celebrating Christmas are hanging dangerously in the balance.
But in a swift reaction to the PDP statement, the State government said PDP will be shocked at the unworkability of its devious wish and desire for Ondo workers.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo said the workers in the State public service are already well acquainted with the pretentious posturing of the PDP.
He said, ” The height of pretence is this unpardonable display of amnesia on the part of a party which emplaced a government that laid off several workers with many losing their lives while it lasted, amid a huge debt profile aside a seven-month-old unpaid salary burden.
“Yes, there are challenges and our desire is to face these challenges headlong with a view to charting a more robust and holistic path to surmount same.
“We will, therefore, unlike the doomsday ilk that held sway before us, rather focus on exploring means to measure up with our avowed commitment to workers welfare than dispensing the state’s commonwealth to bribe higher powers for political stability as was the case before now.
“This Government will ensure workers in the public service enjoy a very pleasant season. The next one week will manifest Government’s seriousness in this regard.
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“Workers will smile, as further deeper positive thoughts are already firmed up to ease economic challenges imposed on all of us by the global financial straits.
“Workers in the State public service are already well acquainted with the pretentious posturing of the PDP. They know too well that there could not have been a better advertisement of hypocritical vices by their immediate past tormentors.
“This party called PDP lacks the moral status to defend its former victims the current Akeredolu-led administration is striving hard to bring out of an eight-year-old economic strangulation wrought on them by the viciousness of a flippant leadership”.
However, PDP lamented that the leadership of organised labour unions have lost steam and become ineffective in demanding the rights of workers is understandable.
“For more than one year now, workers in Ondo State receive percentage salaries. It could be as ridiculous as 30% of their monthly salary. At the last count, only June 2021 salaries have been paid in full. That means, six months salaries are still outstanding. This is in spite of the N18.2 Billion received in tranches as bailout from the Federal Government.
“The Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in separate bulletins sighted online, pleaded passionately with the State government to pay a minimum of two months salary on or before 18th December 2021, to enable the workers to celebrate Christmas. It added that their members should endure the harsh economic realities of the time.
“That the leadership of organised labour unions have lost steam and become ineffective in demanding for the rights of workers is understandable. What cannot be understood is their inelastic capacity to endure suffering in this manner.
“The sorrows and pains of workers in Ondo State are the worst in the South West. The neighbouring States with less revenue are doing projects and paying staff salaries. Workers in Ondo State have become the butt of jokes, unable to meet the challenges of everyday existence. Some who used their salaries as collateral to collect loans from banks and cooperative societies are unable to service these loans. It has never been this bad in the state.
”For a ‘Civil Servants State’, the APC Government has abridged every opening for the people to live a meaningful life. Artisans and market women all groan under the cluelessness of the incumbent administration.
“As Christmas beckons, we can only plead with Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN to wear a human face in his handling of the affairs of the state and avoid many people falling into depression as a result of government policies under his watch,” PDP added.