Without mincing words, Civil servants in Ondo state, have been unfortunate so far, under the trial and error administration of Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa. To say the least, the regime has left the workers very miserable and helpless.
Since the coming of the governor, it’s being one failed promise or the other, especially, as it relates to the Civil servants’ welfare. Uncannily pretentious, the governor has the unenviable record of a governor, with the most unfulfilled promises, not only to the citizens at large, but also to fellow politicians and workers in particular.
Unlucky workers of the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic in Owo, would need more than a lecture session, to unbundle their harrowing experiences since the governor emerged in office, regarding tale of failed promises to alleviate their sufferings, as it affects payment of owed and current emoluments. As we speak, a serious campaign has begun among the Polytechnic workers, against the re-election bid of the government they have labeled misfit. The Rufus Giwa experience is just one among many.
Just when one would have thought that the governor would be transparent a little in dealing with the workers, at least ,for the sake of the fact that he is seeking reelection, he has instead, come up with another, yet very ridiculous promise of a N73,000 minimum wage for the workers.
That this promise is coming, barely weeks to the November 16 gubernatorial election,is enough suspicion, that the governor may only be toying with the emotion of the workers.
How more ridiculous could a N3,000 salary increase be in an economy where the currency has been so devalued and now near worthless than an outdated news paper.
Why the promise becomes more suspicious, is the fact of a coded Intel, which has exposed the insincerity of the governor to even pay the Federal government approved N73,000, not to even mention the additional invaluable N3,000, which will naturally drop to N1,000 for some workers if applied at all.
While unsuspecting workers were still deliberating on the details of the N73,000 announcement, the governor betrayed himself, when in a secret meeting with some of his allies, he was only short of telling the sitting, that the announcement was a mere gimmick.
He told the meeting, that the idea of the N 3, 000 addition, was to add a ridiculous figure to the salary, fashioned after the Kogi state pattern.
Unknown to the majority of the workers, the governor is not even ready to pay the official minimum wage of N70,000, as the governor has deliberately ignored every process that will make the payment possible before the election.
It has however been known to a few of the workers, that the governor only intends to keep the workers’ hope alive, until after the election,when he will make his true intentions known.
For instance, before the minimum wage of N70,000 could be implemented, there must be a Committe whose members would be drawn from among the workers,to work and agree with the government on the modalities and implementation of the minimum wage.
I regret to announce to the expectant civil servants, that the workers body submitted list of nominee members of the implementation committee three weeks ago to the government, but the list is still laying idle on a table in Alagbaka. Nothing practical, is being done,to ensure worker enjoy new payment regime anytime soon.
As things stand, the workers will not only be denied payment of a ridiculous N3,000 increase on their pay, there is equally nothing on ground, to suggest that the Federal government approved N70,O00 minimum wage will be implemented while Ondo workers leave bonus is still pending till date .
How more unlucky could a state be.
