Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has pledged to constitute a committee, which is expected to proffer solutions to the seven months salaries owed workers.
Akeredolu made the pledge when he met with workers at the Governor’s Park in Akure.
“I can feel your suffering,” the governor told the workers, and assured them that the matter would be promptly addressed by the committee.
Akerdolu said workers’ welfare would be given priority by his administration and appealed to striking health workers to exercise patience, return to work and come to the table for dialogue, to solve the problem on ground.
“I know you have reasons for your strike; it must be out of your concern for your patients, out of your concern for the people of the state and not out of your concern for your pockets,’’ Akeredolu said.
The governor, however, said the state cannot afford to have its health workers on strike, as they remain major stakeholders in the civil service.
He urged the workers to cooperate with the new administration and support it to succeed in all its endeavours, promising to be receptive to their suggestions and ideas.
“Our administration will grow a civil service that will be the envy of all by training and re-training of workers that will later enhance our productivity,” the governor said.
Akeredolu said his administration would revive dead industries such as Cocoa Processing Industry, Idanre and the Rubber Plantation in Araromi, Odigbo, within the next two years.
Head of Service, Mr. Toyin Akinkuotu, promised the governor that the entire workforce are ready to support him in his assignment.
“Civil servants play an important role in governance; they are critical to government and success of government will be determined by their roles,” he said.
Akinkuotu appealed to the governor to promptly look into the issue of their outstanding salaries.
According to him, things have not been easy for the workers in the state, in the last seven months.
Akeredolu, of the All Progressives Congress, was sworn in as governor, on Friday, February 24, 2017, succeeding Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, of the Peoples Democratic Party.