01/05/2022
On this historic occasion of the 2022 International Workers’ Day, I pay worthy tribute to our hardworking, selfless, and visionary Osun workers.
Through your toil, persistence, resilience, sacrifice and unflinching commitment, you have built a great State, put it on a solid footing, thus bequeathing to the coming generation, a delightful labour of love defined by its sheer splendour and purposefulness.
Since the assumption of this administration up until now, you have laboured stridently in our collective quest to building a truly-revitalised economy that is alive to the deepest yearnings of our people and focused on creating enduring wealth in pursuit of our Development Agenda.
I am happy that, together, we have walked the talk and delivered and still delivering on our avowed development mandate, putting smiles on the faces of our people, and building the requisite blocks for sustainable prosperity.
The fact that this event, today, the last in the first term of this administration, held amidst an atmosphere of conviviality, mutual trust and understanding, is a worthy testimony to our shared vision and commitment.
I will forever be grateful to you for working with us to show the world that it is possible to make governance work and devoid of the rancour and needless suspicion between the Labour Movement and government.
I make bold to declare that so far, our administration has made the issues affecting workers utmost priority amidst the scarce resources available to government in the face of competing demands. This, we have embarked upon as a matter of deliberate policy in realisation of the fact that workers are critical to the success of any administration, being the engine room for implementation of government policies.
It is on record that we have not for once reneged on our commitment to the welfare of the entire workforce, including pensioners, since assumption of Office close to four years ago.
In furtherance of our administration’s desire to meet the yearnings and aspirations of workers in the State, I recently met with leaders of organised labour in the State in an interactive session during which a number of issues bordering on workers’ welfare were mutually agreed upon with openness and high sense of understanding of the financial predicament of the State.
In line with the dialogue with the labour leaders, our unwavering commitment to the welfare of the workers in the State, I approved the following measures with immediate effect for implementation:
i. Cash-backing of the outstanding promotions for all categories of workers;
ii.100% implementation of Consolidated Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Salary Structure (CONPCASS) for which the State has already been implementing 90%;
iii. Implementation of sixty-five (65) years retirement age for all categories of Staff in our tertiary Institutions;
iv. Commencement of the process of domestication of the 65 years retirement age/ 40 years length of service for teachers in the State;
v. Commencement of the process of reverting from the current Council Manager to Head of Local Government Administration and Head of Department to Director at the Local Government system;
The issue of backlog of half-salaries shall also be looked into gradually as soon as the State finances improve.
vi. On establishments matters, that is, conduct of outstanding promotions nominally from 2019 to date, regularisation, advancement and conversion among others.
Vii Appointment of Permanent Secretaries in due course to put an end to the use of Coordinating Directors in our Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
My dear workers, I must emphasise that to whom much is given, much is expected. We must now get all hands on deck to jerk up our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) as this is where our hope lies. Revenue from the Federation Accounts is no longer reliable at all. We must all work collectively to block all leakages.
I wish to register my sincere appreciation to the entire Labour Movement in the State for their understanding and selfless service to the course of the welfare of workers.
