MAY DAY: Edo Workers Get N25, 000 as Minimum Wage …Delta workers gets nothing, praises Gov. Okowa’s SMART agenda

 

By Onitsha Shedrack

 

 

The Edo State Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole on Sunday, announced the increment of the National Minimum Wage of Edo state workers in the State Public Service from N18, 000 to N25, 000 with immediate effect, while Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, urges Delta workers to readjust to present with economic realities.

Oshiomhole during this year workers Day celebration in Benin also promised prompt payment of outstanding arrears of salary to the staff of Local Government Councils in the state; adding that plans had also been concluded to pay staff of Egor Local Government Council who are being owned 13 months arrears of salary, within the next two weeks.

The governor said even if the price of oil goes to zero per cent, Edo workers would get their salary alerts before the end of every month. Nothing that he was not elected to use his office to put hardship on any of his workers.

Earlier, the State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Mr. Orhue Marshall, appealed to government to enlist workers in the state in the National Health Insurance Scheme.

According to him, this would enable them to have access to quick and cheap medical facilities, like their colleagues in the Federal Public Service.

Meantime workers in Delta state unlike their colleagues in Delta state didn’t get any wage increase rather, the governor of the state, Dr. Okowa told them that due to the dwindling revenue from the Federation Accounts, there was the need, for workers to readjust to the present economic realities.

According to the governor Okowa; “I need to remind all of us of the need to come to terms with the reality of our situation, especially of the dwindling federal revenue allocation.”

While stating that the financial realities has called for prudent management of funds, Governor Okowa asserted, “we should appreciate the fact that our obvious falling finances notwithstanding, this administration has done much in the areas of provision of qualitative education, effective healthcare service, urban renewal and roads construction among others; it is my hope and expectation that government will continue to enjoy the goodwill of workers in the steady march towards the achievement of our sustainable development objectives.”

Chairman of the NLC in the state, Comrade David Ofoeyeno who was represented by first vice chairman of the Union, Comrade Jonathan Jemiereyigbe assured Governor Okowa of the continued support of workers in the state saying, “let me on behalf of the organised labour in the state, express our profound appreciation to you for the giant strides your government has made so far in touching the lives of Deltans through your SMART agenda.”

While the Chairman of the TUC in the state, Comrade Lawson Efenudu said, ”the administration of Governor Okowa has performed creditably well in service delivery with regard to its SMART agenda of wealth creation and provision of enabling environment for investors through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement for the social and economic development of our dear state, most importantly, regular payment of worker’s salaries in the state public service which is a headache to many states in the country.”

Meanwhile, ADVOCATE investigation reveals that worker in about 22 local government of Delta state are being owned over 7 months salaries arrears, a situation that has forced most of them to withdraw their children from school, while some have been evicted from their homes.