Osun Workers Commends Oyetola On Full Payment Of Salaries

Workers in Osun state has commended the state governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola for his consistency in the full payment of their salaries since he assumed office.

Also,the chairman, Local Government Service Commission, Elder George Adedeji described governor Oyetola as a seasoned administrator per excellence and charged the state workers especially those at the local governments to cooperate with him in making the state more forward marching.

He however congratulated the retired council managers at their retirement programme in Oshogbo and lauded them for their contribution to the development of the state during the service year.

In his speech, the chairman of Council managers in the state, Comrade Yinka Odewale,remarked thay, “One of the major shortcomings of Nigerian society, particularly the Civil Service, and most especially the Local Government Service, is the outstanding ability to ignore *little* *but* *significant* *things* ,

” If you will permit my oxymoron. One of such things is the convenience with which we allow our colleagues to leave the service uncelebrated.A send-off is a symbolic show of love, recognition and respect; a farewell party that does not necessarily have to be elaborate. I had a stint that was less than three years in the British Civil Service.”

“But in spite of the shortness of my stay there, a memorable send-off was organised in my honour. Guess what my gifts were – an electric iron and a congratulatory card, containing names and signatures of everyone in the department where I served. Immaterial  as those gift items were, I still cherish and keep them till today.

That we are today honouring eleven of us who have retired from the service of Local Government, after varying lengths of meritorious service, is therefore a great relief to all of us Council Managers.We have, for a very long time, carried the idea of today’s  event more like a pregnancy; painfully like one without an expected day of delivery (EDD).

On the regular payment of workers salary, one of the senior workers in the local governments of the state, Mr. Yinka Odewale, gave kudos to

Governor Oyetola for sustaining the full payment of salary to all categories of workers and that of pensioners in the state.

 He however disclosed that,workers in the state were excited when the present adminstration migrated from payment of modulated salary to payment of full salary and maintained that,the regular full payment of salary has not only been sustained by Governor Oyetola  but it has become consistently timely.

“Government has a whole lot of roles to play and many responsibilities to discharge to different interest group in the society. Salary payment is however the most contentious issues among workers as a major interest group, understandably so too. Salary is what workers generally consider as the proverbial bile that government should never attempt to consume, unless there is nothing left for government to eat.

“We realize government is doing it because of her determination to do it. and not because the state has suddenly attained sufficient financial comfort to easily carry on with it. We see everyday how political appointees of Mr Governor operate without the full compliment of what they need to work with, or sometimes with close to nothing. 

” We know it has not been easy for government. At least majority of us do. We realize government is doing it because of her determination to do it, and not because of financial comfort.”

He however submitted that,”One man who has contributed to the making  of this event, indirectly through, is the Executive Governor of our dear state, Mr.Adegboyega Oyetola. This he has done by sustaining the payment of full salary to all categories of workers, including pensioners.

“I need not add  that the regular full payment of salary has made it a lot easier for members of the forum to make personal contributions towards the funding of the forum’s activities.
Government has a whole lot of roles to play; and many responsibilities to discharge to different interest groups in the society.”

” Salary payment is however the most contentious issue among workers as a major interest group, understandably so too. Salary is what workers generally consider as the proverbial bile that government should never attempt to consume, unless there is nothing left for government to eat. ”

“Our joy and excitement when government migrated from payment of modulated salary to payment of full salary can therefore be better imagined. At the time of migration, different people viewed the action differently. Some said it was a political deceit.”

“Others said it was not sustainable as it was a ruse, specifically designed to cajole workers. A good number of workers themselves embraced it with some apprehension. But here we are! It has not only been sustained, it has become consistently timely ” he submitted.