Ekiti State Government has denied owing workers in any of the Sixteen Local Government areas their April salaries; saying that it has paid all workers in the State but some “elements” in the Councils are preventing their staff from collecting their salaries.
Briefing newsmen shortly after the State Executive Council meeting in Ado Ekiti, the State Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye said some officials of a few of the Councils were masterminds of the delay in crediting the accounts of staff.
Afuye pointed out that 12 of the 16 local governments have complied with directive to pay workers but identified an official of Nigeria Union of Local Government Employee (NULGE) in Ilejemeje to have written to a Bank manager not to credit accounts of the council staff.
“However we have to bring it to the notice of the public that in some local governments, Ijero for instance, the people who are supposed to pay the workers were locked out by some of these elements to prevent them from crediting or performing their duties of paying the wages of workers. In Ekiti East, salary documents were seized. In Ilejemeje of course the NULGE Chairman there issued a letter to the bank to stop the uploading of the salaries into the accounts of the staff,” Afuye said.
The Commissioner added that appropriate action would be taken against those involved in preventing others from collecting their pay; stressing that the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Development, Chief Dayo Fadipe has begun meeting with leadership of NULGE in the State to prevail on the situation.
Afuye announced that the State Government has also approved the contract for the extension of electricity and installation of twenty units of transformers in Ado Ekiti, the State capital as well as Government Technical Colleges in Ado and Ikole at a cost of One hundred and Thirty-Eight million, Five hundred and forty seven thousand, six hundred and thirty nine Naira, fifteen kobo (#138,547,639.15).
He said the gesture was to ensure adequate and regular power supply to boost the industrial drive of the State Government and encourage Small and Medium scale industries in the State.
The Government spokesman said the project would also ensure installation of some of the 100 transformers that the administration procured but are yet to be installed.
“Council considered and approved the contract for the extension of electricity and installation of 20 nos of transformers in the state capital and two Government Technical Colleges at the cost of N138,547,639.15. this is in a bid to clear the backlog yet to be installed after procurement and also ensure that benefitting communities enjoy regular power supply and get connected to the National grid,” he added.
Last modified: May 17, 2012