Bayo Titilola-Sodo, Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, has scored his principal high, saying that no government has surpassed the Makinde-led administration in terms of infrastructural development within the space of three years in the state.
Titilola-Sodo also stated that”Anyone saying that prompt payment of salary, pension and gratuities are not achievements is either irresponsibly ignorant or satanically mischievous,” stressing that “Anyone who does what Napoleon was unable to do is greater than Napoleon.”
The former state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress spoke on Wednesday while featuring on the monthly personality platform of the elite South West Group of Online Publishers held at the Development Support Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan.
He noted that Oyo State Civil Service was a reflection of the society, explaining that the “state government is paying them as at when due. To whom much is given, much is expected. The request the government has always been making from the workers is to be diligent in their duties, honest and loyal to the government and people of Oyo State.”
On the working relationship with Governor Makinde, he said that the assessment should be based on individual basis, “depending on the perception of the person working with him. But to me, I have found him a pleasant person to work with. All what I know is that anyone that wants to engage him must be fully prepared.”
Dwelling on when the state government may review workers’ salary in view of the current economic situation in the land, he said, “The minimum wage in Oyo State was negotiated in February 2020. Respective councils were directed to embark on negotiation in December 2021 which was concluded within two months. The minimum wage payment took effect in January and February salary was paid in line with the new minimum wage. So, arrears of the minimum wage were paid in March.
“The minimum wage in Oyo State is N30,500. Engr. Seyi Makinde has been paying. He has been keeping to his promise by paying workers’ salary on or before 25th day of every month. The minimum wage negotiation was the first of its kind in Oyo State. It was a negotiation that was devoid of rancor, violence, protest and strike. The governor doesn’t wait for federal allocation before paying the workers. Although, the salary has not been reviewed upward, we have continued to meet our responsibilities as and when due. Paying workers’ entitlement is not limited to the active workers; the senior citizens are not left behind. This present government has committed over N13.5billion to payment of gratuities across board in the state.”
On the state of tertiary institutions in Oyo, Titilola-Sodo said that the government took laudable steps. “The tertiary institutions have the right to make their demands but they should be reasonable in making their demands. No domestic issue with LAUTECH until the national Academic Staff Union of Universities declared a strike. The institution joined the strike but we have other state universities that didn’t join.
“We are appealing to them to resume because the institution is just coming out of crisis ridden period. When Oyo State took over the institution, there was an agreement to pay N8billion to Osun State as settlement which the state government has been paying. This is an open secret to which many of the staff of the institution are aware. So, if we now say something is happening nationally, should we now jeopardize the interest of the institution, students and the environment where it is located?
“When this government came on board, we inherited arrears of LAUTECH staff salary that was not less than eight months and we have paid everything. As for other institutions in the state, we also negotiated their new minimum wage and they got what even public service did not get. The minimum in that sector was 95per cent of the table that came from Abuja while some got as higher as 98per cent.
“After Lagos State, we pay the best wages in Oyo state. It is only our public service workers that are mainly shortchanged. This is not deliberate; it is something that can be corrected. Our health workers earn better than other health workers in the South-West except Lagos State. In addition, we have paid all the arrears in the institutions except Lanlate because they have a special issue. We have not refused to settle.”
On the involvement of consultants in the financial management of higher institutions and the state, he said, “Workers generally don’t like consultants because there are regulations guarding the operations of the finances of the government. We are in a situation where the government continue to discover and observe lapses in some areas particularly in the collection of revenues. Government makes use of consultants for efficient collection of revenues and to also employ TSA for adequate monitoring.
“The government thinks there is a need to control its expenditure because the resources are not limitless. The resources are limited and we have a lot of commitments. We know that the easiest way to reflate the economy of Oyo State is through prompt payment of salary. Anyone saying prompt payment of salary, pension and gratuities are not achievements is either irresponsibly ignorant or satanically mischievous. Anyone who does what Napoleon was unable to do is greater than Napoleon.”
Conceding to the fact that some critical departments in some ministries and parastatals were under-staffed, he stated that “It all depends on the resources available to the state. Over N11billion is being paid as emoluments every month to workers and retirees in the state. I make bold to say that no government has done what Makinde-led administration has done in terms of infrastructures within the space of three years in Oyo state.
“To make sure that LAUTECH students resume, we are still talking. There is no time we have entirely shut the door for interaction. We have been appealing to them to return to school. We are not condemning their activities neither are they condemning ours. They should be sympathetic and considerate.”
Scoring Makinde high on performance, Titilola-Sodo said, “If one good term deserves another, I am confident that we shall not loose a single vote of the workers of Oyo State. We have tasted two sides of a coin and we know the side we would want to continue.
Oyo State service is an aging service. The wish of Engr. Seyi Makinde is to open more opportunities for the people to reach the peak of their careers; that was what informed the creation of 20 new Permanent Secretary positions. We have about 100,000 workers in Oyo State.”
On the recent face off between the parliamentary staff of the Oyo State House of Assembly and the Speaker regarding the non-implementation of the Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure, he said that “No matter what you do, excellence is work in progress. It should have been implemented, but everything is subjected to availability of resources. It is good for them to demand for its implementation, but the question is that, how many states have implemented it? Is it all federal laws that are immediately domesticated across states?
“That is not to say that anything that is germane to the workers of Oyo State would be treated with levity. It is the same honourable Speaker that presided over a meeting where an agreement was reached that the matter would be resolved. A date has been fixed and I can tell you that the outcome is going to be for the satisfaction of the two parties.”
Labour union leaders who came for the programme in company with Titilola-Sodo are Ogundiran Emmanuel, Kayode Martins, Olanipekun Olalekan, Olusegun Abatan, Adebayo Aribatise and Ayo Adeogun.
