Governor Akeredolu denies asking Ondo State civil servants to forfeit salary arrears

ONDO State governor Rotimi Akeredolu has denied claims he asked civil servants to forgo the six months salary arrears his government owes them adding that his administration plans to clear the payments as soon as possible.

Over the last week, it had been reported that Governor Akeredolu had asked civil servants in the state to forfeit the salary arrears his government is owing them. Like most of Nigeria's states, Ondo State owes its workers a backlog of salary arrears based on the dwindling revenue it is getting from the federal government as a result of lower crude oil prices.

Denying he made such a call, Governor Akeredolu declared that his administration would soon offset the N34bn £106.8m) six months salaries owed the workers in the state. Segun Ajiboye, the governor's chief press secretary, described the reports as sheer falsehood, saying there was no event where the governor asked the workers to forgo two months of their salary arrears as reported.

He added that the governor appealed to the people behind the spread of the report to desist from the act. Mr Ajiboye said the report was a dangerous trend, capable of causing disaffection among the people of the state.

Governor Akeredolu added: “I want to state here that there is no truth in rumour making the rounds that the administration is asking workers in the state to forgo two months of the salary arrears owed them. The talk is nothing but a pack of lies and a mere imagination of the people behind its spread.

“I would love to reiterate my commitment to make the welfare of the workers the priority of this administration. They are goose that lay the golden eggs and I appreciate their efforts and commitment to develop Ondo State and take it to the next level.”

In addition, the governor said the revenue inflows accruing to the state must geometrically increase in order for the government to be able to deliver promptly on all projections set by the administration. He added that the internally generated revenue profile of the state has to be taken to a proportion above the recurrent expenditures of the state for meaningful development to take place.