The Oyo State Government has cautioned the federal government against sweeping generalizations on governance in states, stating that the state is taking care of its workforce more than any other state in the federation.
Specifically, through the Commissioner for Information, Mr. Dotun Oyelade, the state government asserted that it promptly pays salaries, pensions, and gratuities, adheres to the wage award, and provides soft loans and inputs for farmers.
The government’s response comes in light of the statement made by the Minister of Information and Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who criticized governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for defaulting in the payment of workers’ salaries, pension arrears, and gratuities, alleging that farmers were not being cared for in their respective states.
According to Oyelade, the minister spoke without taking cognizance of the realities in a PDP state like Oyo. Oyelade highlighted that the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) have affirmed the commitment of the Makinde government to workers and pensioners’ welfare. The government has implemented the “federal government-induced wage award” since September 2023.
The commissioner also pointed to the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery (SAfER) initiative introduced after subsidy removal.
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He mentioned that approximately one billion naira had been expended on soft loans to over 3,000 farmers, in addition to the distribution of farm inputs across the state.
He also referenced strategic interventions in agro-allied road networks linking the zones of the state and investments in agribusiness.
Consequently, he called on the Minister of Information and Orientation to rephrase and refrain from making such generalizations.