Forty workers who were recruited into the service
of Moba Local Government Area of Ekiti State by the immediate past
administration in the state have called on the governor, Kayode Fayemi,
to intervene over alleged plan to terminate their appointments by the
current boss of the council, Bamidele Daramola.
About 15 of the workers were employed as sanitary
workers, another 15 as security guards and 10 of them were employed as
labourers. Their appointment letters dated March 13, 2010 were signed
by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Culture,
Toyin Afolabi.
The workers pleaded with the governor to prevail
on the Caretaker Chairman, Mr Daramola to effect the payment of their
salaries with effect from last year March.
The aggrieved workers who took their protest to
the governor’s office in Ado Ekiti yesterday, were led by Emmanuel
Amujo, Michael Ogundele and Felicia Ogundele.
Mr Amujo, who spoke on behalf of the
placard-carrying protesters, posited that their appointments followed
due process of the civil service law, saying the council bosses action
contradicted the governor’s position that no worker would be sacked
during his tenure.
Appointment controversy
Mr Daramola, while responding to the allegation,
said the workers were illegally employed by the ousted administration
led by Akin Alebiosu in the local government, adding that a panel had
been set up by the deputy governor, Funmi Olayinka to establish the
authenticity of their employment.
Mr Daramola insisted that their employment did
not comply with the provision of the civil service rule, since it did
not pass through the Local Government Service Commission, which he said
was the regulatory body that oversees the affairs of all councils in
the state.
Brandishing his letter of employment signed by
the Ministry of Local Government and Culture to substantiate his claim
that they were legally employed as menial workers in the council, Mr
Amujo said a sum of N63,163.96 was to be paid as annual salary to each
of them.
“Going by the approval gotten from the Ministry,
the October and November salaries were to be paid to us while the rest
will be paid as arrears in the subsequent payments before the sudden
change of government,” he added.
