…starts new minimum wage payment this month
BY GBENGA ARIYIBI
ADO-EKITI—As part of efforts to perfect the merger of junior and senior secondary schools in Ekiti state the government has conducted tests for not fewer than 500 school principals that will man the institutions.

Governor Kayode Fayemi disclosed this Wednesday night while featuring on his monthly media chat “Meet Your Governor”, aired on the major radio and television stations.

His words: “I am not aware of any Civil Service Rule that says that you can’t subject them to regular exams. Roughly 500 principals took this exam two days ago as part of efforts to streamline the merger. “We are not apologetic about public servants, teachers and students earning their promotion through examination. The current Head of Service took an exam before becoming Head of Service, Permanent Secretaries, Directors and Assistant Directors are taking exams now and such exams are not targeted at manipulating the system.”

“Such exams are not targeted at any dismissal but I want to stress that we are really in a mess. There are also incentives that government is putting in place to motivate the teachers. I have not seen any Civil Service rule that says we should nor subject them to exams; there is no longer automatic promotion, you must pass an exam in order to move to the next level.”

Starts new minimum wage payment this month

GOVERNOR Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State yesterday said the implementation of the N18.000 minimum wage would commence this month and a 14 -man committee had been constituted to work out modalities for implementation.

Declaring open a two-day Public Service Forum, the governor said the committee comprised 7 -member each from government and labour sides.

He said, “May I state categorically here today that the state government is committed to the payment of the N18,000 minimum wage to the workers.

I am confident that all those involved in negotiations on both sides would soon conclude their works preparatory to the full implementation. It is not correct for anyone to insinuate that the state government is foot-dragging on this. I have said it over time at different for a that Nigerian workers deserve better conditions of service as evident in living wages, right tools and environment to bring out the best in them.”

This is more so because they are the geese that lay the golden eggs; they deserve a commensurate pay for their labour.”

Earlier, the Head of Service, Mr. Olubunmi Famosaya, said labour leaders and he had met on

modalities for the payment of the new wage.

According to him, the 14- member committee was set up to facilitate the payment of the new wage and urged workers to shun “unnecessary industrial actions” as government was ready to listen to their requests.