A coalition of civil society organisations, The Osun Masterminds, TOM, has described the delay in the implementation of the new national minimum wage as killing the work mentality of civil servants in the state.
Speaking at the October edition of the state-of-the-State address in Osogbo on Thursday, the group’s Executive Director, Professor Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli berated Governor Adeleke Adeleke over for delaying implementation of the new national minimum wage.
Professor Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli (middle) addressing journalists flanked by other leaders of the group
He said not paying the new wage this month (October) has betrayed the trust workers have in him, saying the new wage is no longer enough to cater for the needs of the civil servants.
His words, “The administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke that prioritizes itself as pro masses by now should have come up with something on the minimum wage. It’s quite appalling that the Osun state government has not come out clearly to say if it is paying. Even paying tomorrow is already late. Even the 70,000 we are talking about now have fled.
“We will even welcome it if they pay more than N70,000 because the economy is biting hard. It’s not too much, because if you look at the virtual allocation to the state since His Excellency came on board, it is possible to pay. I don’t know what excuse they want to give now but we are calling on the Osun State government to start paying from the month of October.
“It is a sad commentary on our national life that Governors with convoys of about 25 to 30 vehicles fuelled with taxpayers’ money only to be scared by the implementation of minimum wage betray logic. We have also pointed out that His Excellency Adeleke employed too many special advisers, and many of them don’t even have offices. The Governor should stop the delay tactics and start payment from October”.
Meanwhile, the State Government had in a statement disclosed that the minimum wage negotiation committee led by the Chief of Staff, Kazeem Akinleye is still sorting out issues regarding consequential adjustment of the minimum wage.
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