Ondo, Edo Celebrate Workers, Promise More Friendly Programmes

By Ayodele Oni

Governors have been counting incentives and efforts being out in place by their administration to better the lots of the workers, just as May Day is being celebrated with funfair.

Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, hailed the resilience of workers in the state and saluted their dedication to service.

The Governor in his message to the workers, congratulated them on the occasion of the 2023 Workers’ Day Celebration.

Governor Akeredolu said the dedication of the civil servants have engendered optimum service delivery to the good people of the state.

The Governor thanked the leadership of organized labour in the state for the show of understanding and courage during the challenging times.

“We understand the place of workers and their contributions to the socio-economic and political development of our state. This is part of the many reasons why workers’ welfare has remained top priority of our administration.

“We have also continued to develop and build infrastructure to make life more meaningful and better for our teeming workers and other residents of the state.

“We are glad that our administration surmounted the challenges imposed by dwindling resources which resulted in our inability to pay full salaries as and when due early last year.

“Today, we have paid workers’ salaries up to date. Even the seven months salary arrears owed by the previous administration have almost been virtually cleared by our administration.

“We intend to sustain the current trend in payment of salaries as and when due as our aim is to finish our tenure without owing salary. We trust in Almighty God to help us achieve this. Indeed, since we assumed office over six years ago, promotion of workers across all cadres have been done regularly with financial benefits.

“We are also bringing new lease of life into the civil service. We recognize the importance of innovation and ideas. Our administration, through the Performance and Project Implementation Monitoring Unit (PPIMU) has commenced innovation challenge for Civil servants to help unlock their potentials and harvest their ideas for optimum service delivery. The second edition of the innovation challenge holds this year.

“We shall leave no stone unturned in our avowed commitment to reposition our civil service. Our efforts to depoliticise the civil service has yielded impressive results. We shall continue to give undivided attention to the issues and welfare of all workers in the state.” He said.

The Governor thanked the workers for their support and prayers for his administration, adding that their commitment to work has contributed largely to the success of his administration.

Governor Akeredolu urged the workers to rededicate themselves to the service of the state and join hands with his administration to deliver on the “REDEEMED” agenda of his second term in office.

I’m his message, Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki said that the state government has implemented institutional reforms to sustain the gains made in improving workers’ welfare.

He said that some of the reforms include new legislation, capacity enhancement programmes and policy changes that impact on building a strong and virile workforce.

According to him: “We have drastically improved the remuneration and benefit system for workers by making Edo the sub-national with the best salary scheme in Nigeria. We are investing in the health and well-being of our workers.

“We have commenced an affordable health insurance scheme that has ensured improved access to quality health care for all workers. We are also implementing a contributory pension scheme that will guarantee regular pension payments for our retired workers.

“Our commitment to workers’ welfare extends beyond just remuneration and benefits. We are investing towards ensuring that our workers have a positive and fulfilling work experience.

“Our goal is to transform the traditionally mundane and unexciting public sector work environment into an engaging and enjoyable one.

“We are committed to improving the quality of work life for our workers by implementing initiatives that promote employee engagement, job satisfaction, and a sense of purpose in their work.

“I sincerely thank all of our workers who continue to contribute their time, talent, and energy to the betterment of our State. While I encourage all of us not to relent in our efforts towards building a progressive and prosperous Edo State, I reassure you that, as a government, we will continue to provide the resources and infrastructure necessary to help you succeed, ensuring that every worker is treated with dignity and respect, and every citizen has access to opportunities for personal and collective growth.”