Loading ...A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Hon Bamidele
Faparusi, has advised governor Ayodele Fayose to stop treating Ekiti
workers like slaves in the payment of salaries.
Faparusi said it sounded so unfathomable and authoritarian for the
local government workers through their President, Nigerian Union of
Local Government Employees, Ekiti chapter , Com. Bunmi Ajimoko, to
have prostrated and rolled on the ground before the governor
consented to pay their 2015 Leave Bonus and deductions .
In a statement in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday, Faparusi declared that
Fayose as a self-acclaimed Prophet must know that a labourer is due
for his pay and such should be redeemed as and when due as commanded
by the scripture.
Faparusi bemoaned that for Fayose to have allegedly subjected the
workers to trauma after receiving bumper allocations and bailout
before paying them signposted an establishment of a totalitarian
government in Ekiti under a democratic setting.
The governorship aspirant said Ekiti received a sum of N5.2 billion
from the federation account last month and got another N4.7 billion
from the FG’s bailout , which ordinarily could pay a total of three
month salaries and leave bonuses for 2015 and 2016 to all workers.
He argued that after consultation with the labour leaders, including
Chairmen of Nigeria Labour Congress, Com de Adesanmi and his
counterpart in Trade Union Congress, Com. Odunayo Adesoye , the
governor agreed to pay only one month salary to State workers and
2015 leave bonus , which he had redeemed.
Faparusi added that the governor also paid the local government
workers their 2015 deductions and 2015 leave bonus without any salary
paid, in spite of the spirited and concerted efforts made by Ajimoko,
including rolling on the floor at Osuntokun Villa, governor’s lodge in
Ado Ekiti in the presence of all labour leaders.
“Under Dr Kayode Fayemi, several appointments were made. Former
Governor Fayemi appointed about 45-member cabinet and several
Special Assistants and Senior Special Assistants and added to the
State civil service the wage bill was N2.5 billion monthly.
“But now, Governor Fayose, hiding under economic recession pruned
down the appointments to about 30-member cabinet and with few
special assistants reportedly less than 20 and he was still claiming
a monthly wage bill of N2.5 billion while the LG is N1.4 billion
even when available records at the Accountant General’s office
confirmed that the authentic State’s wage bill was N1.7 billion when
that of LG is N1.1 billion .
“Even at N2.5b wage bill, the staggering N9.9 billion received by
both local and state government can pay three months salaries for both
State and local government’s civil servants and the 2015 leave bonus
across board.
“So, Governor Fayose should stop treating the workers like slaves. He
should know that the State runs a full-fledged monolithic economy
resting primarily on civil service architecture and whatever affected
that arm will permeate to all sectors like Ekiti people are currently
groaning under hardship under the reign of terror as typified by
Governor Fayose”.
On the incendiary comment allegedly credited to Fayose that President
Muhammadu Buhari had been placed on life support in a London hospital
since June 7, 2017, when his sickness allegedly relapsed, Faparusi
said such caustic comment is capable of pitting the country against
each other along ethnic lines.
Faparusi contended that Governor Fayose, as a leader of the PDP was
supposed to play opposition role, but added that such should be done
with dignity and candour and not for personal gains as being allegedly
done in this wise.
“Governor Fayose was expected to play opposition role, no doubt about
that but the party structure could have played the role he has been
playing better if he has respect for constituted authorities.
“Governor Fayose is a man that loathed development of institution and
party structure with passion. Rather than fortifying the PDP to be
able to play opposition role, he decided to hijack their roles and
subsumed them to the extent that the state PDP under Barrister Gboyega
Oguntuase and Jackson Adebayo as Publicity Secretary was a shadow of
itself.
“I want to plead with Nigerians to ignore Fayose’s ranting and
perceive him as being grossly infantile and callow to be a governor
under an ideal society except in a degenerated society like Nigeria”,
he concluded.
