Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has disclosed that his administration has disbursed over N1.8 billion as car and housing loans to civil servants, local government staff and teachers in the last four years as appreciation for their commitment and as a demonstration of government’s committment to their welfare.
The Governor also revealed that his administration, within the period has paid a total sum of N2.9 billion as gratuity to retired civil servants and local government staff.
Speaking on Sunday during this year’s May Day Rally held at the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion, Ado Ekiti, the State capital, the Governor assured that his administration is working out modalities for the payment of one month salary arrears ( owed by previous government) this month to commemorate the workers’ Day.
Dr. Fayemi said: “that is why we we cannot afford to go back to the dark era of non-payment of salaries, allowances and pensions. We are already out of the dark tunnel and we should resist every trick to take us backward as a state.”
Speaking on the June 18 governorship election, the Governor urged workers to “consider where we are coming from, where we are now and where we are going as a people and as a state” urging them to join hands with his administration to build on the successes recorded on laudable programmes and policies.
Dr. Fayemi added: “In whatever we do, we should place the best interest of Ekiti State far and above other considerations. Things can only, and should only get better. Therefore, let us jointly make the right choice, not only for ourselves but for our future generations.”
The Governor disclosed that N309 million, N339.2 million, were disbursed as housing loans to civil servants, local government staff respectively while N571.3 million and N41.3 million were disbursed as car and housing loans to civil servants and local government staff respectively making a total of N1.2 billion.
On what teachers benefited from the loan scheme, the Governor explained that while N287.3 million was disbursed as car loans to teachers, N299.8 million was disbursed to teachers as housing loans making a total of N587.1 million.
Giving a breakdown of gratuity paid since 2018, Dr. Fayemi revealed that over N2 billion has been disbursed to workers who retired from the civil service while N843.1 million was disbursed to retirees from the local government service totalling N2.9 billion paid as gratuity
He said further: “We did all these because we deliberately placed the welfare and wellbeing of our workforce, the engine that drives our 5-pillar agenda, in the front burner despite our limited resources.
“You will recall that at the inception of this administration, most offices were congested and not conducive for work. As a responsible and responsive government that values workers’ welfare, we swing into action immediately by embarking on renovation of buildings and completion of the abandoned secretariat buildings.
“We have also provided office furniture and equipment across the MDAs. The state government also extended water supply to the State Secretariat.
“As a gender-sensitive government, we put in place a Public Service that is fit for the 21st Century,safe and gender-friendly for male and female workers to utilize their potentials for effective service delivery. I approved the first female Head of Service and the administration approved paternity leave for male officers and six months of.maternity leave for nursing mothers in Public Service.”
