BY Victor Ahuma-young

Among other actions by the outgoing governors of Ogun and Oyo states after the April 26 election, the reported employment, promotions and appointments by Governor Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State and his Oyo State counterpart, Adebayo Alao-Akala, ahead of May 29 hand-over, have potentials of throwing incoming administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun and his Oyo State counterpart, Senator Abiola Isiaka Ajimobi, into a serious industrial unrest in the early days of their administrations.

Ajimobi

As if looking ahead, last week, the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in Ogun state, raised alarm and faulted recent appointments done by the outgoing Daniel administration, which it claimed, did not only add 2000 more workers into the state civil service, but also, made arbitrary promotion of seventeen school principals to grade level 17 after April 26, without following the laid down establishment rules which does not permit the elevation of the cadre of staff beyond level 16.

ACN though, said it was not against the promotion of the principals, but wanted the government to follow the laid down procedure for such exercise and warned beneficiaries of the appointments of the Daniel government in this transition period to be wary of such activities as they may have to suffer the consequences in future.

Amosun

However, Ogun government speaking through the Information Commissioner, Mr. Sina Kawonise, in a statement, claimed the ACN was crying wolf where there was none, saying “the allegation that we have employed 2000 workers in the last few days is false in its entirety. Indeed only about 5 per cent of the figure being bandied by the party was employed to fill existing vacancies which is a routine procedure in the public service.”

The issue is not as simple as the outgoing government of Gbenga Daniel would want the public to believe. The number of those employed is not the problem, even as the explanation given is also not convincing. The government did not tell the public whether the vacancies just opened up during this transition period and also, whether such vacancies could not wait for the incoming government to fill. If the said appointment openings came up after the April 26 election and needed to be filled immediately, did the appointments follow laid down civil service rule? If the appointments did not follow due process, what will be the fate of the appointees after May 29?

Those affected are advised not to rejoice yet. What happens should the incoming government, as warned by the party, decide to not only dispense of the new appointments, but also, ask those alleged to have been promoted arbitrarily to return to status quo?

It will be recalled that a similarly scenario allegedly happened duringthe administration of former Governor Olusegun Oni of Ekiti state when about 40 workers were employed by the Moba Local Government Area.

On May 5, the workers did not only protest against alleged non- payment of their salaries since March last year, but also pleaded with the incumbent governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to prevail on the local government caretaker chairman, Mr. Bamidele Daramola, to stop the alleged plan to sack them.

The aggrieved council workers pleaded with Fayemi to prevail on Daramola to pay their salaries with effect from March, last year. Speaking at the Governor’s Office in Ado Ekiti, the aggrieved workers claimed the council boss deliberately refused to pay their salaries despite the approval of their employment by the Ministry of Local Government and Culture.

Mr. Amujo Emmanuel, who spoke on behalf of the workers, said that their appointments followed due process of the Civil Service law.

“We were to be paid last year October after the approval only for the government of former Governor Oni to be sacked by the Appeal Court in Ilorin. But despite this, we met the new council boss who promised to look into our matter, but up till now, he has not done anything.”

But the council boss said the workers were illegally employed by his predecessor, Mr Akin Alebiosu. Daramola said a panel had been set up by the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Funmi Olayinka, to establish the authenticity of their employments. The council chairman insisted that the workers’ employments did not comply with the provision of the Civil Service rule.

Outgoing governor Daniel had also on May 4, appointed Engr. Bamidele Bolujoko, as the Acting General Manager of Gateway Television with effect from 29th May 2011, the last day of his administration and the day the present General Manager, Mr. Segun Olaleye, would retire.

Bobby trap in Oyo

The appointment of Mr. Tajudeen Olasunkanmi Aremu as the new Head of Service, HOS, for the state civil service and the approval of the payment of N18.000 new minimum wage by outgoing governor of Oyo state, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala, less than two weeks to the end of his tenure, is seen as booby trap for the incoming government of Senator Abiola Ajimobi.

While the appointment of the HOS could be excused, the approval for the payment of N18.000 new minimum wage with effect from May1, when even the Federal government is yet to implement the wage increase, in addition to the strong opposition from the governor-elect, may not pass sincerity examination.

That the hasty approval for the implementation of the new minimum wage was altruistically motivated is hard to believe judging from the fact that the same government has not lifted the suspension of the implementation of Contributory Pension Scheme, CPS, in Oyo State Public Service, suspended in March barely two months after commencement. CPS which is a fall-out of the Pension Reform Act, PRA, 2004 and approved by the Federal Executive Council, FEC, in 2007 for states and local governments, allows for 7.5% monthly contribution from individual worker while government also contributes similar percentage towards the worker’s retirement benefit.

There is not doubt that the incoming government would have no choice, but implement the N18.000 new minimum wage anyway, but why rushing to approve what the outgoing government knows it may pay only this Month after which, the government will elapse? The big question is, what will happen after the workers may have received the wage increase for the month of May after which, the new government decides to suspend its implementation to a later date?

It will be recalled that in 2007, Governor Akala refusal to pay the N9.400 approved by his predecessor, Senator Rashidi Ladoja and reverted to the old wage of N6, 500.

This development was rejected by the workers and the dispute threw the state into months of industrial unrest. The government got so frustrated that it announced the sack of the entire public workers and placed advertisement in the dailies for their replacement.