Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State has approved the disbursement of car loans for teachers in the primary schools across the state.
Akeredolu who made this disclosure while addressing the state workers on the celebration of workers’ day also promised to pay the outstanding one month of the seven months unpaid salaries of workers inherited by his administration.
Akeredolu said the car loan for primary school teachers would commence soon, just as he disclosed to the governor that a sum of N50 million had been set aside by the administration for the loan.
He promised that no matter what happened, he would pay the remaining unpaid salary even if it would take him to borrow to ensure that workers’ salaries are paid.
He commended the workers for their understanding and support and assured them that his administration will pay the outstanding one-month arrears which are the remaining of the inherited seven months arrears from the previous administration.
He stressed that the arrears will be paid before the end of his first tenure in the office.
Akeredolu, however, called on workers in the state to continue to show a high sense of industry and become creative in carrying out their duties.
“The times are hard and there is a dire need for us all to start thinking anew on how to diversify our economy from the oil dependence into agriculture, entrepreneurship and industrialisation in order to boost our Internally Generated Revenue.
“We can no longer do things in the usual way as the entire world is experiencing a paradigm shift in the approach to work.
“Digitalisation of the work process, artificial intelligence, critical thinking, continuity planning and personal safety and health are now paramount at the workplace all over the globe.
“I, therefore, advise workers to begin to brace up and build up skills along with these parts so as to remain relevant in the face of evolving realities.
He said his administration has appointed 41 Permanent Secretaries in the state since the inception of his administration which was based on merit and seniority in the civil service.
Akeredolu also disclosed that his administration has promoted deserving workers while the 2020 promotion exercise has already commenced before the break out of COVID 19 pandemic.
He said the training and retraining of workers have commenced, adding that building well-trained workers will promote efficiency and productivity.
According to the governor, officers in some critical areas of the workforce, like doctors and nurses have been recruited for an improved health care delivery service in the state.
“It was my poise for career fulfilment by Civil Servants that made me appoint 14 Permanent Secretaries in 2017 and another 27 in 2019 in spite of the fact that some of them had few months to spend in the service.
“At the same time, Tutors-General and General Managers were appointed in the Public Service to encourage and reward hard-working Public Servants.
“In the same vein, workers in the State that are eligible for promotion have never been denied. Between the year 2017 and 2019, a total number of 9,759 Civil Servants has been promoted apart from those promoted in other Services like HMB, TESCOM, Judiciary and House of Assembly.
“I must commend the Head of Service for the early commencement of the year 2020 promotion exercise, shortly before the Covid-19 interruption. I assure you all that as soon as normalcy returns to our operations, the promotion exercise shall continue.
“Through you, the labour leaders, I want to thank all our health workers. They are doing a great job. I want to thank God that the third case, a medical officer, has been discharged.”
Earlier, the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Sunday Adeleye thanked the Governor for acceding to their requesting for tenure elongation for the Head of Service, Dare Aragbaiye.
He said: “For the first time, I want to state here publicly that the service elongation of the Head of Service, Mr Dare Aragbaiye was not the make of the governor of Ondo State but the wish of the workers of the state
“We appreciate the Government of Ondo state of what it has been doing since inception in 2017. All workers have gotten their 2019 promotion letter. 2020 promotion exercise has commenced.”
