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By Dayo Johnson

Akure—GOVERNOR Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo state, yesterday, said that he feels the state workers’ pains over  the seven months salaries owed them by the immediate past administration.

Consequently, he has promised to set up a committee which will include the State Accountant General to urgently find a lasting solution to it.

Akeredolu spoke during his first day in office in Akure  where a prayer meeting was organised to welcome him as the sixth governor of the state.

While appealing for patience on the part of the workers, he said that his administration would put back smiles on their faces soon.

Governor Rotimi Akeredolu

Governor Akeredolu used the opportunity to plead with the striking health workers across the state promising to look into their grievances after they might have called off their one-week strike over non payment of their salaries.

He said; “Let us be patient with this government, I beg all of you let us work together, and we shall move forward.

“We have bitumen but nothing is going on there but before two years in office, we shall start exporting it.

“Before long, Federal Government shall commence cocoa rejuvenation and the program shall commence in this state

“Be critical about our government but be constructive in your criticisms because we shall run an open government.

Earlier, the Head of Service Toyin Akinkuotu on behalf of the workers pledged to co-operate with the new administration.

Akinkuotu prayed that God will use him to put smiles back on the faces of workers in the state who are currently owed salaries.

 Gov denies plan to dissolve councils through court

Meantime, the  dust raised by the purported plan by the governor to dissolve the 18 council areas in the state was put to rest yesterday as he disowned the suit filed at the Court of Appeal.

Akeredolu expressed embarrassment over reports that he was moving to dissolve local government administrations in the state.

His counsel, Charlse Titiloye, told the Appeal Court sitting in Akure, the state capital that his client was embarrassed by the reported plan to dissolve the council.

Titiloye said the governor was not aware of both the order of the High Court restraining him from dissolving the councils or of the appeal purportedly filed by him.

The counsel who is of the state’s Ministry of Justice was complemented by Banjo Ayenakin, a private legal practitioner and they noted that the state’s Solicitor-General was in court, to demonstrate how concerned the governor was over the suit.

The solicitor-General  confirm his presence, while the 18 council chairmen and councillors were represented by Mr. Olusola Oke.

The government’s legal team then pleaded for adjournment to enable their client study the matter.

The presiding judge, Justice Uzo Ndukwe thereafter adjourned the suit to June 7, for hearing.