Local government workers in Ekiti State are to resume work on Monday following the resolution of the differences that led to the two-month strike embarked upon by workers and the decision of the State Government to immediately effect payment of the minimum wage and the Consolidated Salary for Health Workers (CONHESS) which were their major demands.
Addressing a press conference in Ado Ekiti, the State Commissioner for Labour, Productivity and Human Capital Development, Mr. Wole Adewumi, said the decision of the State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi to resolve all issues connected with the implementation of the new minimum wage of N19,320 and the biometric data capture is immediate.
Consequent upon this, the Commissioner said, the local government workers are to resume work on Monday to revalidate their bank account details for immediate payment of the minimum wage. Health workers are also to enjoy the CONHESS package.
While speaking on the various verification exercises carried out by Government, Adewumi said the first physical verification exercise reported that there are 19,258 personnel in the 16 local government areas while subsequent biometric data capture revealed that there are 19,212 staff.
He added that a further check of the 19,212 staff revealed that only 17,889 staff are on the nominal roll while 1,323 staff collecting a total N63,149,083.98 on a monthly basis are not on the nominal roll.
Adewumi stated further that for efficiency at the third tier of government, the state government has also decided to redeploy 1,756 workers who have National Certificate of Education (NCE) and other education-related qualifications to the State Universal Basic Education Board and the Teaching Service Commission.
This will relieve the councils of a monthly financial implication of N53,526,778.32, he said.
The Commissioner also disclosed that a total of 4,669 Primary Health Care workers will also be redeployed to the newly created Primary Health Care Development Agency, while the non- core health workers redeployed to the Agency will enjoy the new minimum wage as is practised at the State level.
Adewumi, who was joined at the briefing by the Commissioners for Finance, Mr Dapo Kolawole, Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Hon Funminiyi Afuye and the Chairman, Local Government Service Commission, Chief Aderemi Ajayi, revealed that the verification exercise will hold simultaneously in the 16 local government councils from Monday.
Last modified: November 3, 2012