As part of measures to ameliorate the impact of the fuel removal on the residents of Ekiti State, Governor Biodun Oyebanji has approved of the payment of N5,000 as a conditional cash transfer to 10,000 households in the state.
The intervention was part of several others designed to directly impact poorest and most vulnerable residents and will take effect from August till December 2023, with emphasis on our aged people.
Addressing a news conference in Ado Ekiti, the chairman of the three-man committee set up by the governor to propose urgent interventions to soften the effects, commissioner for finance, Mr Akintunde Oyebode said the committee met with various stakeholders, including organized labour, to discuss the possible interventions.
Akintunde said the inclusion of 10,000 persons in the Ulera Wa health insurance programme and food distribution programme that will commence this month were also in the approved Ekiti State’s Subsidy Relief Programme .
The commissioner who addressed newsmen alongside the state chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Kolapo Olatunde and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Comrade Sola Adigun said input will be distributed to farmers as well as financial support to small businesses and our informal sector.
As a result of the committee’s engagement with organized labour, he added that the governor approved the immediate implementation of the following measures: “Payment of one year’s leave bonus for state and local government workers.
“Payment of one month’s pension arrears for state and local government pensioners and implementation of consequential adjustment for workers on GL 14 to GL 17 for state and local government workers.’’
Responding, Olatunde and Adigun commended the state governor for taking the action, saying it was the best of the negotiation we have ever had in recent times.
