Ekiti state Governor Dr Kayode Fayemi has appeal to the doctors under the auspices of National Association of Government General Medical and Dental Practitioners (NAGGMDP) who are presently on strike to end the strike in the interest of our poor citizens of the state .
Fayemi while given an update on COVID-19 said “We can always collect arrears of unpaid allowances, but a life lost cannot be reversed. That is why I should like to call on the doctors to take the patriotic route like other health workers and the organised labour for an immediate end to the needless strike. I do not want to be put in a situation where I have to invoke the “no work, no pay in Ekiti.”
While commending the efforts of workers, Fayemi said “ Ekiti kete, let me use this opportunity to thank our workers, especially the medical personnel and other frontline workers for their dedication to duty. They deserve our commendation for staying the course in this very challenging time. I particularly want to commend the leadership of the Joint Associations and Unions of Ekiti State Health Care Workers which had earlier embarked on a strike for their understanding and suspension of the strike.”
“Two days ago, the leadership of the organised labour comprising Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and Joint Negotiation Council also embarked on a warning strike which they immediately called off after engaging with Government. I like to assure my comrades that Government is committed to their demands, much of which are legitimate and ought to have been met but for the apparent lack of resources to meet them.”
“I always feel sad whenever I have to sit down to listen to workers complain about outstanding pay for work already done and for which they should have been paid. For instance, I am pained in my heart that people who got promoted since about five years ago have not enjoyed the corresponding financial benefits. These are things which give me great pain and which I am absolutely committed to assuaging.”
“I want to however passionately appeal to my comrades that it is not in my character to deny people of their deserved benefits, Government is however currently incapacitated by the very debilitating state of the economy of the country and the resources of our dear State. Ekiti receipts from the Federation Account has averaged N3billion in the last six months with a monthly wage bill of N2.8bilion.”
“Apart from the fact that our monthly federally received allocation has plummeted considerably because of low crude prices and off take, our internally generated revenue has gone worse as many businesses that should pay taxes are themselves under different government supports to stay afloat. In spite of this, the major goal of governments from federal down the ladder is to do everything possible to mitigate job losses by all means. That is why governments have kept faith with paying workers even when most have remained at home for about five months now because of the pandemic.
“In fact, you would recall we were at the point of issuing letters of appointment to those who were successful during the last recruitment process when this pandemic came. I was also about signing an agreement on the implementation of the consequential adjustment for the other cadres of the civil service having hitherto effected payment of the minimum wage to the primarily affected cadres, when the pandemic struck.
“I therefore like to assure you dear comrades across cadres and congresses that I am irrevocably committed to all the agreements reached with government. As soon as we are out of this challenging time, Government will be in a position to look at all pending issues. Once again, I want to thank you deeply for the patriotic consideration in your decision to call off the strike before it took off. Let us all maintain the balance in the interest of our state.
