The state government also stated that it has concluded plans to employ over 1,000 health workers to fill the gap created by the workers who had left the service.
The state Head of Service, Kayode Ogundele, revealed this while speaking with journalists on the activities lined up for the 2023 Public Service Week themed, ‘Bureaucratic impact on investment promotion in Ondo State’.
Ogundele noted that the issue of ‘japa’ syndrome was currently a common phenomenon in Nigeria but state has been ensuring that it was not affected negatively.
He said, “The state government has promoted 12,372 state civil servants in various ministries, departments and agencies of government including the local governments.
“Over 1,000 health professionals will be recruited this month by the Ondo State Government. The advertisement will go out this week because by November this year, we want to bring them in.”
Ogundele however warned the workers against leaving the government service without properly tendering their resignation letter, saying “We don’t want a situation where some workers would travel abroad and still be on the government’s payroll. They should please be kind enough to tender their resignation letter properly. Anybody caught in this act would be dismissed summarily because you have flouted the terms of appointment.
The HoS also emphasised that the current administration of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu had been performing well in the area of the welfare of state workers, stressing that the administration had taken the workers’ welfare as a top priority.
“Given the current economic realities on fuel subsidy removal, I can assure you that Ondo State is one of the leading states to begin implementation of far-reaching measures to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal on workers. At present, some buses in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies are being deployed to serve as free shuttle buses to public servants.
“Additional Compressed National Gas buses will be purchased to convey public servants to and from work at no cost to them till December 31st, 2023. Besides the provision of free shuttle buses, the government has immediately paid the 2020 leave bonus to the workers as a relief. It should be noted that the government has earlier paid leave bonuses for 2021, 2022, and 2023.”
“On the issue of 35,000 wage award for workers by the Federal Government, we have agreed that is going to be one of the things we want to do as a way forward for workers in Ondo State. What we did in Ondo State is more robust and that’s why we rolled out the buses for workers. ”
The HoS also confirmed that the government had cleared the backlog of salary arrears of the state workers.
