As part of efforts to cushion the effect of the oil subsidy removal by the Federal Government, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has shown commitment to review salaries of civil servants in the state.
The development came barely 48-hours to the commencement of the proposed nationwide strike by labor unions across the country.
Consequently, the governor has set up a committee comprising both representatives of the labor unions and the state government.
They include, the Head of Service, Permanent Secretary, Service Matters; Permanent Secretary, Establishment; Director Service Matters, Director, Establishment; Accountant General of the state, and Permanent Secretary, Finance.
On the side of the organized labour are; Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) and Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) and chairman, Association of Senior Staff.
The governor, while meeting with leadership of the unions in the state at the Executive Council Chambers on Monday gave the Committee eight weeks to come up with a workable minimum wage.
“For this administration, with all sincerity, we think it’s time to engage and ensure that we are proactive irrespective of what is happening or coming at the national level, we already prepared for it here and we can run our programme,” Makinde said.
“If you all remembered, I said there is nothing stopping Oyo state from paying more than the national minimum wage if we had the resources,if we can expand our economy to that extent and I still believe we can do it.”
“We can pay in Oyo State beyond the national minimum wage and we have to expand our economy and ensure that the relationship between the leadership of the labor unions and government remain cordial,” he added.
