Ondo state Government at the weekend gave insight into how it has been able to meet its obligations to the people and how it ensured regular payment of salaries of workers despite dwindling allocation from the Federal Government.
Explaining the state’s earnings and expenditure, especially as it affects payment of salaries, the state Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade said “what the state earns monthly is a far cry from what it expends on salaries and pensions.
Akinmade said, “for the month of April for instance, the state total earnings, including allocation from the federation account and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) was N3.2Billion, while salaries and subvention paid for the same month was N4Billion.”
He added that the state government had to look inward to provide the N800 Million difference.
The Commissioner also hinted that for the same month, allocation for Local Government was N1.9billion, while the wage for the council workers was N2.6billion.
Maintaining that what accrues to the state and local governments on monthly basis is low to what is expended on wages, Akinmade added that government also urgument this on perpetual basis as according to him there has never been a time when the state’s allocation was sufficient enough to pay salaries.
Akinmade stressed that the clarification became necessary because of those who are being mischievous and bandied all kind of figures as government’s allocation from the federal government.
According to him”What each state gets as allocation from the federal government is not hidden. It’s not a secret thing. These figures are in the public domain, so it’s pure mischief for anybody or group of people to continually play politics with such a sensitive issue,” he stated.
The Commissioner said it is on record that Ondo state pays the highest minimum wage of N22,500 to civil servants in the country, adding that despite that, the state has been able to maintain regular payment of salaries and provided dividends of democracy for other residents of th estate who are not government workers.
He stressed that, “the government’s mega school, free school shuttle buses, mother and child hospitals , Urban renewal programmes across the state, the cocoa revolution that has just won for the state an international award with other Agricultural projects, road constructions among other initiatives of the government continue to make the state a model for others in the country and the continent.”
Akinmade said government would continue to discharge its responsibilities to the people even in the face of dwindling revenue, stressing that “Governor Mimiko’s bond with the people is to work for them, and he will continue to do that not minding the sacrifice.”
