Workers in Ekiti State are angry with Governor Ayo Fayose over the purchase of N75 million Lexus Jeep 2018 model as a ‘parting gift’ less than 50 days to his exit from office.
They also slammed the governor for allegedly approving N43 million severance benefits for himself and his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola.
The state councils of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), said the vehicle purchase and severance package were acts of insensitivity to the plight of the workers.
The unions wondered why the governor who had refused to pay backlog of salaries would contemplate buying an exotic vehicle and paying himself severance benefits as parting gifts.
Civil servants in the state are owed between five and eight -month salary arrears while retirees are owed about nine- month arrears of pensions.
In a joint statement issued on Friday, by the state NLC Chairman, Mr. Ade Adesanmi and his TUC counterpart, Mr. Odunayo Adesoye, the workers described the ‘parting gifts’ to Fayose and Olusola as ‘selfish.’
The labour leaders said Fayose ought to have been concerned with how the backlog of arrears of workers’ salaries and retirees’ pensions could be paid.
The statement reads: “There would be industrial crisis in the state if the governor proceeded with his plans in paying himself and his deputy that huge amount and purchasing the new vehicle.
“If it is true that the state government has approved the purchase of N74million worth of vehicle as parting gift and N43 million severance package each for the governor and his deputy, we stand to condemn it in its entirety. It is an act of selfishness and insensitive to the plight of workers and pensioners in Ekiti State.”