APC, PDP bicker over Ekiti workers’salaries

All Progressives Congress (APC) and
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti
State yesterday traded words over
payment of Ekiti workers’ salaries.
While the APC alleged that the Governor
Ayo Fayose-led administration had not
paid the September and December
salaries, the PDP said payments were
made a few days ago.
Some workers, who spoke with Daily Sun,
however conformed that they got their
payment alerts during the week.
Publicity Secretary of APC in the state, Mr.
Taiwo Olatunbosun, said: “It is ungodly
for a leader to enjoy all the bliss that goes
with Christmas while denying the people
he leads their entitlements at the time
members of their families look up to them
for the yearly pleasure of Christmas.”
But the Chief Press Secretary to the
Governor, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, who refuted
the allegation, said the APC as an
opposition should not be lazy in
extracting facts from the government,
saying the salaries of workers had been
paid.
Olatubosun said by December 18, last
year, all workers had received their
salaries and Christmas bonus in addition
to their leave bonus, while pensioners
were also paid. He alleged that Fayose
only grudgingly asked the banks to pay
workers half of their salary in the night of
December 24 after bitter complaints from
workers.
“It is evil for a leader to deduct N2,000
from the salary of each worker for the
purpose of buying them Christmas gifts,
only to give not up to half of the workers a
chicken smaller than a pigeon worth less
than N800. It is callous to take convention
funds for the delegates of your party
members in the guise that you are
spending it for Christmas gift, only for
you to keep more than half of that money
in your private pocket while your party
members go hungry during this festive
period,” he said.
He added that Fayose had made
avoidable suffering part of his policy to
make life unbearable for Ekiti people,
condemning the putting off of streetlights
in the state capital at night with the
attendant insecurity of life and property.
“On Christmas eve when our people were
supposed to be in celebration mood, Ekiti
frustrated workers were on queues at ATM
points waiting for the salary alerts.
Today, nightlife is gone in the state capital
because there is no streetlight again.
Armed robbers and pickpockets are back
in the state capital terrorizing residents at
night.”
“The governor promised Ekiti people rice
and chicken for Christmas but only gave
one and half ‘congos’ of rice and one
‘oromodiye’ (chicken) that cost less than
N600 and not fit for consumption,” he
said.
Adelusi said: “The APC should not be a
fool in reacting to issues.
They should not be lazy in getting to the
roots of any matter because everybody is
aware that salaries of workers have been
paid. Ayo Fayose is a sensitive and
responsive governor, who has started
distributing Christmas gifts to all
categories of people since Monday.
So, it sounds so unfathomable that a
governor that could do that would now
abandon the workers, who are critical to
this government.
“The APC must realize that no amount of
propaganda would bridge the wide gulf
that existed between it and Ekiti workers
due to highhandedness of the immediate
past government, led by Governor Kayode
Fayemi to workers.”