The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has criticised the reduction of the state ministries from 24 to 14 by Governor Ayodele Fayose, saying such a policy will lead to loss of jobs and loss of morale among the state’s workforce.
In a statement by the state Public Relations Officer, Taiwo Olatubosun, the party criticised the policy as “systematic disengagement, dislocation and dismantling of the civil service from a functional civil service to a task force civil service”.
“At inauguration, Governor Fayose reversed the appointments of eight permanent secretaries to their former positions, thus making those who replaced them return to their former lower positions. This is an unwarranted demoralisation of the top echelon of the civil service that is central to the faithful implementation of government’s programmes.
“The present reduction in the ministries will create chaos in the civil service top cadre as many senior officers won’t find spaces in the present arrangement while no fewer than 500 workers in the rank and file will lose their jobs.
“Instead of expanding the operations of government business to take in more of our jobless youths, Ekiti people are being thrown into the saturated labour market. This is great disservice to the people that were promised life in abundance by the governor just few months ago during campaigns.
“The governor cannot claim that the state does not have money to pay salaries and emoluments. Governor Fayemi demonstrated in the last four years that there is no need to downsize the civil service. It will be a great disservice to Ekiti people after deceiving them into pro-masses deceits, they are now being thrown out of their jobs.”
The APC also criticised the governor paying paying October salary with September federal allocation, saying it made no economic sense to skip September salaries to pay October salaries.
The party said, “We want Ekiti people to know the deceit of Governor Fayose, who has been in the media painting Fayemi black that he owed Ekiti workers two-month salaries.
“Technically speaking, Dr. Fayemi did not owe any salary. If, as alleged, his administration owed September salary and he left government on October 15 while the allocation for the same September was received by Fayose, then commonsense requires that the incumbent pays the workers September salary with September allocation, while anticipating October allocation.”