2nd June, 2011
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has started holding marathon meetings with heads of parastatals in Oyo State so as to know the true position of the state. He accused the immediate past administration led by Adebayo Alao-Akala of denying him necessary information concerning the state.
Ajimobi had earlier said that knowing the exact situation of things in the state will guide his administration in its determination to ensure good governance for the people.
Since Tuesday when he officially resumed at the secretariat, he has been meeting with top government officials in all the ministries and parastatals.
In one of such meetings, Ajimobi agreed to pay the new minimum wage approved by his predecessor, stressing that he would not joke with the welfare of civil servants.
In a press statement signed by the Head of Service, Tajudeen Aremu, Ajimobi appealed to the workers to bear with him as the government is working on the modalities for the payment of the new salaries.
According to the statement, the decision to pay the new minimum wage was agreed to at an emergency meeting the governor held with the head of service, permanent secretaries in the Ministry of Finance and other top government officials.
However, the workers have expressed displeasure over the delay in the payment of the new salaries.
Workers were seen today at the secretariat blaming the new government for not paying the new in May.
Nonetheless, the new minimum wage approved by Akala has been alleged to be excessively taxed.
Meanwhile, Ajimobi has refused to use the governor’s office for government business as he shuttles from one ministry to anther. The governor carried out government business on Tuesday in the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs while he used the Presidential lodge at the government house yesterday.
Sources close to the governor revealed that the governor would not use the governor’s office until spiritual cleansing of the office was concluded.
A source queried, “How do you except the governor to move to the governor’s office just like that. You want to endanger his life. Do you know what the former governor has done in the office? The governor needs to take his time so the place will be cleansed. Besides, there is a need to refurbish the office by way of changing the furniture and other things that need to be changed.â€
—Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan