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Civil servants under the aegis of the Osun Workers Union (OWU) have registered their displeasure over the state government's delay in approving their new minimum wage, despite the surge in revenue accrued to the state in 21 months, amounting to N383 billion.
The Union, in a Statement signed by their Organising Secretary, Comrade Gabriel Adeoye, said almost all serious states in Nigeria had announced the new pay for their workers.
He said, "Lagos has approved N85,000 as the new minimum wage, effective August. Ebonyi followed suit in October with N75,000, with Grade Level 2 workers receiving the full amount and those from Grade Level 3 and above getting an N40,000 increment. Kogi approved N72,500, waiving taxes for workers for a year. Kaduna also approved N72,000, providing 100 free CNG buses to ease workers' plight. Rivers, Enugu, Niger, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Ogun, Kebbi states have all approved new minimum wage ranging from N75,000 to N85,000. They have all taken steps to alleviate the economic hardship faced by civil servants."
Adeoye added that only Osun and few states had been dragging their feet.
"It's concerning that some labour leaders, meant to advocate for workers, have become government megaphones. A particular labour leader, part of the Labour/Osun State Government negotiation committee on the new minimum wage, was on October 21 reportedly boasted that the committee's report would be ready within two weeks. That deadline passed on November 4, but no report was submitted. Rather he began to make another case for the government, appealing that workers should exercise more patience."
OWU posited that while labour unionists in the country were resolute on giving a new lease of life to workers and pensioners, many of their counterparts in Osun state were hobnobbing with the government, deodorizing the profligacy of politicians.
"Here in Osun, labour leaders do not see anything wrong in the state governor spending N38 billion for his personal comforts and of few hangers-on."
Adeoye explained that the N11 billion appropriated for vehicle procurement by the state government for over-fed politicians was wasteful and insensitive, when fraction of the fund could have been deployed to provide free or subsidized buses for workers and retirees as it had been the policy of many states since removal of fuel subsidy last year.
The Osun Workers Union also criticized the state government for weaponizing the payment of half-salary to score cheap political points.
Adeoye emphasized that civil servants in the state faced dire working conditions, and paying half-salary, which is not even up to N10 billion in two years despite humongous increase in federal allocation, should not be an excuse for the government to shirk its responsibilities.
He cited examples of governors who cleared salary and pension arrears without making a fuss.
"Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State paid a lump sum to clear 9 months of salary arrears owed by his predecessor in the first two years of his administration. Governor AbdulRasak of Kwara also paid N11 billion to clear salary arrears owed by his predecessor. Similarly, Governor Zulum of Borno devoted over N10 billion to clear pension arrears inherited by his government less than two years in office. These payments were done at once, not quarterly or occasionally as is the case of Osun.
"These governors demonstrated leadership by addressing the financial obligations without using them as a political tool to criticize their predecessors or push workers to eternal servitude."
Comrade Adeoye slammed the government for its recent press release, which claimed that high inflation justified the excessive allocation to Governor Adeleke's office. He called the justification an "insult" to the sensibility of Osun citizens.
The workers equally faulted the comparison between N9 billion said to have been allocated to former Governor Oyetola in 2019 and 2020, and the N38 billion spent by current Governor Adeleke in just 21 months, arguing that the comparison was unfair and did not provide a clear understanding of the financial situation.
"N9 billion in two years means an average of N4.5 billion was spent in a year. The current government inadvertently confirmed the prudence of the Oyetola government."
Adeoye argued that the simplistic explanation offered by the Commissioner was unacceptable, given the government's reluctance to approve a deserving national minimum wage for workers.
"The government's statement, provided by Commissioner for Information, Barr. Kolapo Alimi, was a poor and ludicrous attempt to deflect criticism. With inflation affecting everyone in the state, going by the government's narrative, it is questionable why the state is yet to approve the new minimum wage for the workers to improve their livelihood.
"The government's logic is flawed. If inflation has negatively impacted the allocation to the governor's office, then it should also acknowledge the impact on workers' salaries. On the strength of that argument, the Oyetola administration's allocations had more value and impact than the current administration.
"On Employees' Benefits, for instance, the Oyetola administration paid N28.4 billion in 2022, while Adeleke's government paid N30 billion. On Medical Allowance too, Oyetola administration paid N523 million in 2022, while the allocation was reduced to N485 million in 2023 under Adeleke. Same with Pension: Oyetola administration paid N5.54 billion in 2022, while Adeleke paid N5.53 billion last year. Convert these allocations to dollar, as Mr Kolapo Alimi disingenuously did in his recent statement, it will be safe to conclude that life was better for Osun workers under Oyetola. "
The workers again raised concerns about the revised 2024 budget, which boosts the governor's office allocation while slashing workers' allocation from N82.3 billion to N64.9 billion.
According to them, this development was an indication that the state government might not implement the new minimum wage this year.
Written by Adekunle Alao
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