By Nudoiba Ojen
Ondo State Government said on Thursday that workers in the state have been paid up to date.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Prince Ebenezar Adeniyan, said, “The government of Ondo State is not owing salary arrears to workers. The January 2024 salary was paid to workers, on time.
“Ondo State Government has not only paid workers’ salary up to date, it has also been paying wage award of N35,000 monthly to all categories of workers and N10,000 wage award to retirees as part of its measures to mitigate the effects of fuel subsidy removal”.
The CPS spoke in a statement in Akure in reaction to an interview granted by a presidential aide where he said Ondo State was owing workers six months’ salary.
Adeniyan, who said it was disturbing that the presidential aide, who is from Ondo State, could not reach out to any state government official to get the facts and figures he needed for such interview, said however, that the aide had since admitted his mistake and apologized.
He stated that despite the apology, “it is imperative to make this clarification for members of the public who may have been misled by those false claims”.
“The false claim was the situation of the state when the administration of Oluwarotimi Akeredolu took charge in 2017, meeting seven months arrears of unpaid salaries. That administration paid six out of the seven months.
“Within one month in office, Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa paid the outstanding one month (January 2017). Not only that, the governor also paid N1.2b arrears as part of gratuity owed retirees.
“Members of the public should therefore note that the government of Ondo State is not owing workers and Governor Aiyedatiwa shows commitment to the welfare of workers and retirees in the state,” Adeniyan said.
