Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State has urged workers in the state to extend their gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for enabling the payment of the new minimum wage, which was reflected in December salaries.
The Governor made this statement on Monday in Ado-Ekiti when jubilant civil servants flocked to his office, singing and dancing in appreciation of the new minimum wage payment. Salaries were disbursed on the same day.
Governor Oyebanji attributed the development to reforms introduced by President Tinubu, which allocated more funds to states. “Honestly, I don’t think you should thank me. We have not done anything unusual. You worked hard and got paid by government. But I thank you also for showing appreciation,” Oyebanji said.
He continued, “Thank God and after God, the only person you should thank is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I’m saying this because what you are seeing today are the outcomes of the reforms he embarked on. You know states would not have been able to pay the minimum wage if there had not been a remarkable improvement in our allocation.”
The Governor then urged Ekiti residents to continue to support President Tinubu as he said, “My Plea to you is to support the President. It can get better because N70,000 is just the minimum. We can go beyond it if our situation improves. I know that by the time all these reforms start to bear fruits, there would be a quantum increase in what comes to the states, and we can afford to add more,” he assured.
Oyebanji praised President Tinubu’s boldness in implementing reforms despite initial scepticism. “I thank President Bola Tinubu for the courage and boldness to walk a lonely path, because when he embarked on the reforms, most people didn’t believe in him. But because he is a leader that is future-thinking, he has been able to achieve more,” he said.
The Governor also appealed to workers to support the government’s efforts, urging patience and cooperation. “We should also educate others on the usefulness of these reforms to our survival as a nation,” he advised.
The civil servants, led by some Permanent Secretaries, expressed their gratitude to the Governor for fulfilling his promise to ensure equitable implementation of the new minimum wage. They specifically appreciated him for including Permanent Secretaries in the payment, ending years of exclusion.
The jubilant workers were received by the Governor, accompanied by Deputy Governor Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, Secretary to the State Government Dr Habibat Adubiaro, and other state officials.
Governor Oyebanji had previously announced that the new minimum wage would take effect from December 1. Workers began receiving salary alerts on Tuesday, fulfilling the Governor’s pledge.
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