BY OLA AJAYI
SIX days to the end of this administration, civil servants in Oyo State, have threatened to down tools and commence an indefinite strike from mid-day today, if the out-going Governor Adebayo Alao Akala fails to pay the N18,000 minimum wage.

The umbrella bodies for the workers; Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and its Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, counterpart, vowed to continue the indefinite strike until their demand was met.

Speaking through their leaders, weekend, the state Chairman, TUC, Comrade Bayo Ajayi said Governor Alao-Akala should ensure the payment of the salary before leaving office.

He urged the out-going governor to honour the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, that had been signed on the payment of the new wage.

Governor Akala responding through the Secretary to the State Government, Chief Olayiwola Olakojo complained that some officials of the state Board of Internal Revenue had been creating brick wall against the payment.

The workers said, “If governor Akala will pay all political appointees their severance allowance, including himself,  there should be no reason why he should not pay us our May salary with the new minimum wage as contained in the MOU he signed with our leaders. If he failed to pay us this new wage, we will make sure he and his people were put to shame before they leave on May 29.

Governor Akala , during his second term campaign had pledged to pay the N18,000 minimum wage to the state workers immediately after the election.

Comrade Ajayi said the workers were not happy that political appointees were paid their severance allowances just last week remaining the civil servants.