By Adeyinka Adeniran
As Oyo state prepares to begin the implementation of the new salary structure, the government has said the wage bill of the state workers will increase from N6.4 billion to N11.9 billion monthly from January 2025.
The Nation reports that, Governor Seyi Makinde had earlier approved N80,000 minimum wage and its consequential adjustments for all cadre of workers.
The Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade gave the hint in a statement at the end of his meeting with the Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Kayode Martin’s in his office.
Oyelade maintained that Governor Makinde was determined to cater for the welfare of workers while not compromising the welfare of the generality of the people and the critical sectors.
Responding, the Oyo State NLC Chairman said that the N80,000 minimum wage and its consequential adjustments is more favourable to workers across all grade levels when compared with other States including the federal government.
He said Governor Makinde, whom he referred to as “Workers’ Governor,” has been consistent in his love for workers.
Oyo was the first State to implement the old N30,000 minimum wage and also started negotiating a new minimum wage with labour leaders even before the Federal Government approved the N70,000 minimum wage.
According to the labour leader, while the Federal Government added ₦40,000 across board for its workers as consequential adjustments and Ogun State added ₦42,000 across board on its consequential adjustments to the new minimum wage, Oyo which has the largest number of workers in the Southwest and just concluded the process of recruiting 23,000 more workers to the State workforce, has done more for its workers.
He said “The present Oyo State table sees the movement of workers on Grade levels 1 to 6 from ₦30,000 to ₦80,000, translating to a ₦50,000 increment on the salary scale.
“Level 7 and above now enjoy increments of ₦70,000, ₦80,000, ₦90,000 and even over ₦180,000 being added to workers salaries on the consequential adjustment table.
“The graphic implication of this for instance, is that Government worker on Grade Level 17 earning ₦170,000 per month will now earn ₦360,000. No State in Nigeria has done this.”
Further into the discussion, the Commissioner said that with the monthly increment of 86% in salaries and wages for Oyo workers from ₦6.4 billion to ₦11.9 billion, the state government is now committed to the payment of over ₦143 billion on salaries and wages annually.
Prince Oyelade said Governor Makinde is giving more to workers in the state beyond expectation and what any other administration has ever done.
He said Governor Makinde proactively announced a four year promotion of workers in order to avert the promotion crisis that had been on the ground before he came into office in 2019.
Rounding off the visit, the NLC Chairman, Comrade Kayode Martins said the motivation civil and public servants receive in the prompt payment of salaries on the 25th of every month is unquantifiable in boosting the morale of workers and the State economy.
Comrade Martins said that the cordial relationship between Governor Seyi Makinde and the Labour Unions was evident in the last industrial action embarked upon by the national body of the labour unions on the 2nd of December, 2024, where Oyo state was exempted due to the cordial relationship being enjoyed in the state.
