OGUN READY FOR NEW MINIMUM WAGE NEGOTIATIONS – ABIODUN

The Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has assured that his administration would give the issue of the consequential salary adjustment for the new minimum wage very serious and positive consideration.

Governor Abiodun made this known at the official commissioning of the Permanent Secretariat of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Magbon, Abeokuta.

He said that his administration has always prioritised workers’ welfare and would continue to ensure that the State civil bureaucracy enjoys all the benefits due it.

“Our civil servants have been well attended to, since we came to office. I have listened patiently to and taken note of a number of your requests including the new minimum wage implementation,” he said, as he assured that they would be given positive consideration.

Other issues the Governor promised to “positively consider” relate to “the hurriedly recruited candidates through ASCON, the support for (the civil servants’) efforts in putting up (the) building (of the secretariat); the issue of Certificate of Occupancy; the promise that was made by the previous administration towards the infrastructure of the housing estate for senior civil servants.”

The Governor said, “Let me assure you that these and all other issues will be given very serious and positive consideration,” he said.

Governor Abiodun added: “For us as a government, we will not take our public servants for granted, because they are equal stakeholders in our “building our future together” agenda. We are committed to the welfare of our workers in terms of prompt payment of salaries, workers emoluments, human capacity development and other welfare schemes.”

He assured that his administration would also ensure that the promise made by the previous administration towards providing basic infrastructure for the 51-unit housing estate is fulfilled.

He called for the continued support of his administration from public servants, saying: “On the promise that was made by the previous administration towards the infrastructure of your housing estate, let me assure you that it will be given very serious and positive consideration. All we ask is the continued support, cooperation, dedication of all our public servants,” he said.

Abiodun, while commending the Comrade Bunmi Fajobi-led Executive of the ASCSN for a job done, said that the construction of the building “is a demonstration of the commitment of the executive of the association, particularly through self-help is no doubt a representation of the commitment and focus of the State Executive Council…to the individual development of its members and the collective growth through a systemic and robust administrative process,” he said.

In his remarks, the National President of the ASCSN, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, represented by the Vice President, Comrade Kennis Ngene, thanked the Governor for providing an enabling environment for the association to thrive in the state, adding that the commissioning of the secretariat is a legacy for the future.

Kaigama called on the State Governor to look at the implementation of the new minimum wage and its consequential adjustment, saying that the association believes the State is capable of agreeing on terms that would positively affect its workforce.

Earlier in his address, the Ogun State Chairman of the ASCSN, Comrade Bunmi Fajobi said that the association was able to complete the structure without any public fund, but through the leverage on the checkup dues and levies of members.

“I want to say here publicly to the glory of God that there is no one Naira, so far of public fund in this edifice, to the glory of God. We leveraged on checkup dues of members. We also leveraged on levies that we collected from our members,” he said.

Fajobi also added that the facility has in it a proposed banking hall for a microfinance bank and a 700-seater multipurpose hall.