TVC E. The Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has warned the government workers in the state that they should be ready to lose their salaries if they embark on strike without following due process.
He gave the warning yesterday Saturday the 13th 2016 while appearing on his monthly media chart, Meet Your Governor.
The Governor’s stance came as a result of the two-day warning industrial action by the primary school teachers last week to protest non-payment of salaries of September 2014 as well as their 2014 leave bonus.He also said going forward, salaries of stricking workers would be given to the serious ones who are ready to show concerns and understanding with the economic condition of the state.
Fayose said: ”Since I came back, Ekiti is financially challenged. I have not hidden the financial position of the state from workers,particularly the teachers, because they are the set of people I have shown so much love for.
“I celebrate them on annual basis. Even during my first term, people called me Teachers’ Governor due to my love for them.
“But the strike they embarked on recently could have been resolved without any crisis if we had dialogued.
“They said respect beget respect. Every worker in the state knew how much Ekiti takes after FAAC in Abuja because I used to lay it bare on the table.
“We should also know that the people who are not salary earners must be taken care of. We can’t be paying salary and neglect other people from having access to facilities like good roads, good water supply and this market I just flagged.
“So, I enjoin the workers to show some level of understanding that we have to balance the two, I mean paying salary as the money comes and also help the masses as well.
“There is nowhere in the world where the entire budgetary provision will be centre around recurrent expenditure.”
On the recent visit to his Osun State counterpart, Rauf Aregbesola, Fayose said: “Governor Aregbesola is my very good friend. It is only in Nigeria where two friends in different political parties won’t be free to greet each other.
“My visit to governor Aregbesola is in Yoruba’s interest.
“We have to forget about our political differences and build Yoruba into a huge political force in Nigeria.”
Fayose also denied allegations of awarding contracts for the construction of Erekesan Market, Airport and flyover to his children, family members and cronies.
