By Dayo Johnson
Civil servants in Ondo State, have protested against Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s refusal to pay their 2017 leave allowances.

The protest took place at this year’s Workers’ Day celebration held at Arcade Ground in Akure, the state capital.

Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu

They expressed their displeasure over the governor’s submission that he would only pay the leave allowances whenever the state is buoyant.

Governor Akeredolu drew the ire of the workers while delivering his speech.

It was a mild drama as the workers shouted: ‘we no go gree’ at the governor for disappointing them on the payment of the leave bonus.

The governor replied them by saying “don’t gree, me also will not gree. Don’t gree we would not gree we will not pay with our blood except we have money.

‘We too will not gree unless we have money. So if you will not gree, we too will not pay.”

Earlier, state chairman of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Ekundayo Soladoye  said : “The leave allowance is a right of workers and not a privilege or bonus from their employers. It is a right on which workers reserve the right to declare a trade dispute or not.”

In his response, the governor said he had “no money to pay now. It will only be paid when government has the money to pay so that it would not be as if I did not tell you.”

While the workers continued with their protest, the governor continued reading his speech.