The New Experience Newspapers Online News Indepth, Analysis and More
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has declared his readiness to tackle poor remuneration in the state’s civil service, stressing that poor wages packages could be counterproductive to the anti-corruption fight.
Governor Makinde, who made the assertion, while addressing the newly sworn-in commissioners in the state, restated his commitment towards finding a lasting solution to poor remuneration in the state’s civil service.
He disclosed that under his administration, it would not be business as usual, as he would do everything possible to ensure that workers were not exposed to the temptations of corruption.
“We do have challenges and I can give you an example of the kind of issues that we are faced with. When I was on the podium being sworn-in, I announced that I was donating my salary to the pension board.
“I actually thought my salary was going to be like N3 or N4 million monthly, but when I came in, I discovered that my salary is only N650, 000 monthly, which is less than $2,000. And then, I have a budget of over $500 million.
“How can somebody earning $24,000 a year preside over a $500 million budget? The temptation is just too high.
“When I was growing up, anytime I saw permanent secretaries and top civil servants, all around with their entourage, jeeps, Land cruisers, I thought they were making it big because I was driving a Peugeot or Toyota Camry.
“But when I came in, I discovered that the salary of permanent secretaries is under N500, 000 monthly in an environment where you have contractors coming with big temptations.
“The good news, however, is that we will find a solution to this. It’s going to business unusual in Oyo State,” he said.
He charged all the new commissioners in the state to key into his vision and manifesto of accelerated development of the state, adding that his administration would conduct business in an unusual manner that would change the narrative of governance in the state.
