Why We Owed N57bn Benefits To Workers, pensioners – Ekiti Govt.

The Ekiti State Government, has attributed its failure to defray the N57 billion salaries, gratuities and pensions arrears of workers and retirees as promised in 2018 to the current harsh economic realities within the country.

The Commissioner for Information, Akin Omole, spoke on Friday at a news conference heralding the 4th anniversary and valedictory ceremonies of the Kayode Fayemi administration and inauguration of Hon. Biodun Oyebanji, with the theme: “Finishing well”.

Omole added that the current government had rehabilitated 14 general and state hospitals and had also initiated operation one primary healthcare per- ward, in line with the design of National healthcare policy.

He said the parlous states of the federal roads in Ekiti was due to increased traffic from adjoining states, especially upsurge of haulage businesses and cross border trucks, which he said piled pressures on some of the highways to cave in.

“As at 2018 when Governor Kayode Fayemi came on board, he said that he had the intention of paying all these arrears. But budget support fund , Paris club, excess crude and other funds we were getting from the FG stopped and we were only collecting monthly allocation. That wat what actually stopped us from fulfilling this promise.

“We were still able to pay a part of it. We paid two out of the salary arrears. If our predecessor, who collected all these funds could not pay, then we should ask questions.

“It is not our intention not to pay all these arrears. But we are glad that we have a government that is coming after us. If there are areas where we have not fulfilled our promises, the next government will start from there”, Omole said.