Adeyeye Decries Stoppage Of 800 Ekiti LG Workers', Political Office Holders Salary

Afenifere Chieftain and People's Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Prince Dayo Adeyeye has decried the stoppage of the September salary of 792 local council workers, and over 70 political office holders in the State and alleged plans to stop the October salary of many others.

He said it was wrong for the State government to stop the council workers' and political office holders salary without following the due process stipulated by the civil service rules.

Director General of Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM), Hon Bisi Kolawole, who said this in a statement issued in Ado-Ekiti today, added that; "concluding that the local government workers erred and going ahead to punish them by depriving them of their salary without giving them fair hearing is to say the least, autocratic."

September salary of the affected 792 workers was not paid because they were allegedly not on found on their duty posts when the task force set up by the government to authenticate the actual number of staff at council areas arrived at their respective council areas.

Also, salaries of over 70 political appointees in the State were allegedly stopped for reasons bordering on alleged disloyalty to the State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi.

However, Adeyeye said; "even if the affected council workers were absent from their duty posts as alleged, what the government ought to have done was to make them defend the alleged absenteeism before a panel set up by the State Local Government Service Commission (LGSC).

"It is the LGSC panel that should have recommended appropriate sanctions for the affected workers, after they must have been allowed the freedom to defend themselves.

"But what we are seeing in Ekiti is a situation where workers salaries are withheld and political office holders are not paid because they are suspected to be sympathetic to an opposition within the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

"Funny enough, among the about 80 workers affected by the non payment of September salary in Ado Local government were Confidential Secretaries to the Council Chairman, Director of Administration, Treasurer and Director of Finance. These Confidential Secretaries are the ones who open the offices of their respective offices in the morning.

"We therefore call on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on Governor Fayemi to stop his draconian regime in Ekiti State by paying the council workers and political appointees, whose salaries he stopped so that they can be able to feed their families."