TheCable

Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti state, says civil servants are currently being owed N57billion as arrears of unpaid salaries and emoluments.

The governor spoke at a meeting with the civil servants as well as a cross-section of labour leaders at the government house, Ado Ekiti, on Tuesday.

He said his administration is trying to clear the backlogs which he said would be done in phases.

According to NAN, Fayemi claimed the trend was caused by irregular payments of salaries and pensions by the immediate past administration of Ayodele Fayose, his predecessor.

He said the arrears covered outstanding salaries, pensions, promotion arrears, leave bonuses and other emoluments from 2014 till October 2018 when he assumed office.

He said he would honour his earlier pledge to pay all the outstanding workers’ benefits.

“It is sad to reel out such a humongous figure because it can create panic for you and me,” he said.

“But let me say that we cannot pay everything in one fell swoop, but the 2019 promotion arrears will be given immediate attention while others will be defrayed by instalment.

“It becomes difficult to pay once because Ekiti gets a little above N5billion monthly, with the state getting like N3billion, while the local governments receive little above N2billion monthly. ”

The governor also said he was not part of the people that were opposed to local government autonomy, being the closest to the grassroots.

He said the local governments in the state were currently being given unfettered access to administer their own funds without interference from his government.

“I am not opposed to it. Since I came back as governor, not even one naira of the local government money was being administered by me, ” he said.

“I have allowed the councils to manage whatever comes to them.”

Fayemi also disclosed that the state was considering alternative power supply option to shore up the one being supplied from the national grid.

He said he was planning the alternative because the current supply was grossly inadequate and crippling economic activities in the state.