Oyo Slashes Lawmakers, Political Appointees’ Pay
Following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on its economy, Oyo State has slashed the salaries of its political appointees by 50 percent
Equally affected are the state lawmakers whose pay have also been cut by 30 per cent in measures to free some funds and keep the state afloat in preparation for the aftermath of the pandemic which is expected to hit the nation hard.
Governor, Seyi Makinde disclosing this Friday while addressing top labour leaders in the state at a low-key event to commemorate the 2020 International Workers’ Day however assured workers in the state of his commitment to the payment of salaries on the 25th of every month.
“When I was taking over the affairs of government on May 29, 2019, I never envisaged that our first Worker’s Day celebration would happen without the usual pomp,” said Makinde.
“…The next couple of months are going to be difficult ones, but we are working hard to mitigate the shocks to our economy. Already, we have secured the cooperation of the legislature to take a 30 per cent cut to their monthly allocations, while senior government appointees take 50 per cent pay cuts. This is because we feel that the economic safety of the workforce must be prioritised.
“We must on this day, appreciate the efforts of those who have taken pay cuts so that others may be catered for. I am happy that under this administration, the wellbeing of the common man takes precedence. I give you my word; we will continue to put in the work needed to ensure that you are never paid with ‘bear with us at the end of any month.
“We salute the workers who have had to sacrifice their earnings at this time, those whose businesses have been affected by the partial lockdown in Oyo State. Private schools cannot operate at this time. Event planners are also badly hit; you can’t run your operations when there are no gatherings.”
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) after Wednesday’s approval of $3.4 billion support for the Nigerian government to combat the effect the pandemic which, together with the plunge in the international prices of oil has dislocated the economy, noted that the situation of the country is uncertain and gloomy as it also predicted a dip of $26 billion in the nation’s oil revenue which accounts for 90 per cent of the country’s revenue.
In their separate remarks at the event, the trio of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP)warned employers against using the covid-19 pandemic as excuse for the stoppage and reduction of workers’ salaries.
Comments are closed.