Fayemi gives reasons for not paying salary arrears, emoluments

The Ekiti State Government has said that the huge debt it inherited from the previous administration inhibited it from paying emoluments and salary arrears owed workers within one year.

State Commissioner for Information and Value Orientation, Muyiwa Olumilua, made this known in Ado Ekiti on Saturday at a news conference to announce activities to mark the first anniversary of the Governor Kayode Fayemi-led administration in the state.

According to Olumilua, the former governor Ayodele Fayose-led administration left a huge debt of N57 billion as arrears of unpaid salaries and other benefits.

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He said that other debts also left by the last administration totaled N156 billion.

Olumilua reiterated the commitment of the present administration to defray the N57 billion owed by the last administration, being the accumulation of outstanding salaries of workers, pension, gratuities and other emoluments.

“We actually thought things were not as bad as we later found them to be, and it will be unfair on the part of government to focus the little resources within its reach on payment of salaries alone.

“We have tried all we could to fulfill part of the promise, as you can see Governor Fayemi has ensured regular payments of salaries since we came into the office one year ago on October 16, 2018.

“Recall that before the advent of this administration, workers were owed salaries for reasons known to them, and all they were getting were small bags of rice and between N200 and N500 under the stomach infrastructure scheme.

“We have been able to change the narratives,” he said.

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