Osun to begin payment of salaries

Osun State Government has agreed to commence payment of three  months salaries for its workers as well as payment of deductions made from their salaries.

The State Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress, after reaching an agreement on Wednesday,  signed a fresh Memorandum of Understanding  which doused  the tension already generated by the alleged diversion  of the N34.988bn the state received from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, Head of Service, Sunday Owoeye, Solicitor General/ PS Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Abiola Adewemimo, PS Local Government, Mufutau Oluwadare, PS, Finance, Leye Aina, PS, Human Resources, Sunday Olajide and Accountant General, Tayo Kolawole signed on behalf of the government.

The Chairman, Joint Negotiation Council, Bayo Adejumo; Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Jacob Adekomi, Nigeria Union of Pensioners, Olatunde Ogunniyi, Labour representatives, Gbenga Oyebode, Richard Oyegbami, Mrs. Toyin Idowu, Alade Amudah and Kunle Ogundepo signed on behalf of Labour.

According to the copy of the MoU made available to our correspondent, the state government will also pay the balance of half payment made to the workers for January and February, while local government workers and primary school teachers  will be paid the balance of March and April, 2015 salaries as well as full payment of May and June.

The document also stated that state pensioners would be paid the balance of December 2014 as well as full payment of January, February and March 2015 pensions. Also, local government pensioners and primary school pensioners will be paid their pensions up to June 2015.

The MoU read, “That bailout loan will be disbursed to cover the payment of outstanding salaries for the months of January to June, 2015, as well as deductions from salaries of September and December 2014 and the balance of 2013 and 2014 leave allowances for the state workers.

“That in order to ensure sustainability of payment of salaries in the State of Osun, the first disbursement from the bailout loan should cover the payment of the outstanding September and December 2014 deductions, the balance of January and February Salaries and the full payment of March, April and May 2015 salaries  for state government workers.

“That Workers in the employment of Local Governments be paid their first installment out of the bailout loan to cover the payment of balance of March and April 2015 salaries as well as the full payment of May and June 2015 salaries.

“That state pensioners  will be paid the balance of December 2014 as well as January,February, March and April 2015 pensions, while their counterparts in the local government and primary schools will  be paid up to June 2015.”

(Punch)