Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has reiterated his commitment towards ensuring that the state civil service becomes the envy of others in the comity of states of the Federation with reforms aimed at improving their efficiency, capacity and capability to drive the activities of government.
Governor Oyebanji who made this assertion at the 2024 Public Service Forum and Award ceremony organized as part of the programmes marking the second anniversary of his administration on Monday at the State Secretariat complex in Ado Ekiti, commended labour centers in the state for showing understanding with government which has brought remarkable conducive working relationship between government and labour in the state.
While affirming that strike and conflicts should always be the last option, Governor Oyebanji promised to strengthen the Civil Service to respond to the needs of all citizens to enable it continue to render quality services adding that in the following years, training and retraining of workers will become a regular feature of the public service.
He noted further that his government will lead a number of reform initiatives, which include the development and adoption of specific service goals that will make civil servants alive to their responsibilities.
On national minimum wage, Governor Oyebanji reassured workers that they will smile at the end of the day because he believes in the rule of law and since the minimum wage was a function of the law already passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the President, he added that it has become mandatory for him to abide by it because he swore to uphold the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Governor however affirmed that the implementation was having little delay because of the need to ensure that all segments of the public service including pensioners benefit at the same time.
“Let me start by appreciating Ekiti state workers for your support for the past two years, I am extremely grateful to all of you for your understanding, for your patience and for your trust in us. Be rest assured that I will not take this support for granted, I appreciate everything you have done, what you are doing and what you will do, without your support, we would not have recorded any achievement. Government can come up with policies and ideas but if you are not there to implement them faithfully, nothing worthwhile can be achieved.
“I know that some of you are fighting with bare knuckles, we’ve not been able to provide you with enough working tools, but despite that, you have kept faith with us and have delivered all the assignment we have given you. And that is why I support the Head of Service in attempt to ensure that we continue to reward performance. I will continue to scale it up on yearly basis because you deserve the best and the best we will give you.
“I just want to plead with you to trust your labour leaders, they are fighting for you, but because we have been transparent and we are always discussing together, so we don’t have to fight before we do what we need to do. If they are not calling for strike, it is not because they are weak, its because they recognize that at the end of the day, we still negotiate and that is why I do a lot of things for workers without even waiting for them.
“I discussed with Head of Service to know the main focus of the administration for the civil service, I told her that the service must be ready for reforms, this require a lot of training and retraining, and I will give her very strong support to ensure that we have a service that is fit for the 21st century, so as from next year, get ready for a lot of training innovations in the service.
Earlier, the Head of Service, Dr Folakemi Olomojobi thanked the Governor for his unrivalled support for the state civil service especially in the areas of prompt payment of salaries, payment of deductions, approval for payment of car and housing loans to workers.
Dr Olomojobi also commended Governor Oyebanji for not owing arrears of salaries and promotions as well as providing a well conducive environment for workers in the state which had invariably assisted in boosting their outputs.
In their separate goodwill messages, chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Kolapo Olatunde; Chairman, Trade Union Congress, Comrade Sola Adigun and Chairman Joint Negotiating Council, Comrade Femi Ajoloko noted that labour in the state has been able to overcome pressure from public servants through the welfare programme of the Governor as they also commended the Governor for rewarding hardworking and deserving civil servants in the state.
Also at the event were the Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, Speaker, Ekiti state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye, Secretary to the State Government, Dr Habibat Adubiaro, members of executive council, labour leaders and civil servants among others.