Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji on Monday told workers in the state to thank President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for enabling the state to pay the new minimum wage to its workforce.
The Governor stated this when hundreds of civil servants stormed his office in Ado-Ekiti , dancing and singing in appreciation of payment of the new minimum wage as reflected in their December salary, which was paid same day.
Governor Oyebanji said the minimum wage was made possible because of President Tinubu’s reforms which ceded more funds to the states.
He said but for the President’s reforms which gave more money to states, a number of state governments would not have been able to pay the minimum wage.
Governor Oyebanji also hinted on the possibility of increasing the minimum wage once the state gets more resources.
“Honestly, I don’t think you should thank me. We have not done anything unusual. You worked hard and got paid by the government. But I thank you also for showing appreciation. Thank God and after God, the only person you should thank is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I I’m saying this because what you are seeing today are the outcomes of the reforms he embarked on.
“You know states would not have been able to pay the minimum wage if there had not been a remarkable improvement in our allocation. When he embarked on the reforms, he did so having in mind that it may be painful initially, but at the end of the day, it will be in the interest of all of us.
“My Plea to you is to support the President. It can get better because N70,000 is just the minimum, we can go beyond it if our situation improves and I know that by the time all these reforms start to bear fruits, there would be a quantum increase in what comes to the states and we can come to you and say yes, we can afford to add more.
“I thank President Bola Tinubu for the courage and boldness to walk a lonely path, because when he embarked on the reforms, most people didn’t believe in him, but because he is a leader that is future thinking he has been able to achieve more.
“My advice to workers is that we should remain steadfast, be patient and cooperate with the Government. We should also educate others on the usefulness of these reforms to our survival as a nation.
Earlier, the workers who were led to the Governor’s office by some Permanent Secretaries, thanked the Governor for fulfilling his promise to ensure they got a good deal in the minimum wage payment.
Specifically, the Permanent Secretaries among them thanked the governor for including them in the new wage, thereby ending several years of exclusion in the minimum wage arrangement.
The development, according to them, had confirmed Governor Oyebanji’s promise to ensure that every category of workers benefit from the new minimum wage.
The Governor, who just came out from the state executive council meeting, was accompanied by Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, Secretary to the State Government, Dr Habibat Adubiaro and some state commissioners to receive the jubilant workers.
It is recalled that Governor Oyebanji had last month announced that the new minimum wage would become effective in the state by December 1. Workers in the state started receiving bank alerts for the December salaries on Tuesday.