Gov. Ayo Fayose of Ekiti on Tuesday approved payment of three years promotion arrears to 37, 000 workers in the state’s civil service.
Fayose, who announced this at the Workers’ Day Celebration held at the Oluyemi Kayode Stadium in Ado Ekiti, said the announcement covered workers who had been due for promotion in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Fayose also gave an assurance that he would pay all outstanding salary arrears before the end of his tenure on Oct. 16.
The governor, who was attending his last Workers’ Day celebration, urged civil servants to reciprocate the gesture by being more dedicated to their duties.
He also appealed to them to support the aspiration of his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka, to succeed him in office so that “the good work would continue.”
Earlier, the state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ade Adesanmi, had drawn the attention of the governor to the plight of the workers in the state due to unpaid salary arrears.
He said payment of gratuity and pension had also assumed worrisome dimension, adding that most workers who retired from 2013 were yet to be paid.
“The welfare of workers in Ekiti is begging for urgent action. I need not tell you that that workers are hungry, it is clearly written on their faces and this is negatively affecting our productivity as well as our tempo of responsibilities at home.
“The development has also affected our children and other dependants like our aged parents,” he said.
