Ekiti State government has threatened to invoke the no-work-no-pay rule on workers who embark on strike without adhering to due process and the dictates of Nigerian labour law and other relevant acts of the Nigerian Constitution before taking such action.
Governor Ayodele Fayose said although he held the state workers in high esteem, government would no longer tolerate acts of indolence and unnecessary strikes that could further worsen the financial position of the state. According to him, the state would henceforth divert the salary of any group of workers who embark on strike to pay those showing concern and understanding about the parlous economic situation of the state.
The governor, who spoke during a statewide television programme at the weekend, urged primary school teachers, who have just returned to work after a two-day warning strike over non-payment of their outstanding September 2014 salary and 2015 leave bonus, to show understanding. According to him, the strike they embarked on last week could have been resolved without any crisis “if we had dialogued,” adding that “every worker in the state knows how much Ekiti takes after FAAC in Abuja, because I lay it bare on the table.”
The governor who said the award of contracts for the construction of Oja Oba and the Flyover in Ado Ekiti followed due process, clarified that none of his financial dealings had been shrouded in secrecy since he assumed office. He denied awarding the contracts and that of the proposed Ekiti Airport project to relatives, business associates and financiers of his election campaign. Speaking during the flag off of the Oja Oba Market, the governor expressed readiness for probe by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, if his manner of contract awards and financial dealings had fallen short of due process.
He said the market, which would replace the old one which was demolished in November last year would be a replica of the Tejuoso market in Lagos, adding that it would be ready in 18 months. The governor promised that all the market men and women who had suffered as due to the demolition would have cause to rejoice on completion of the project.
