The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ondo State and the state government have disagreed over a bleak christmas celebration for the state workers owed about five months outstanding salary.

While the opposition party lamented that the worker’s hopes remained hanging, the state government assured them “of a very pleasant season.

The Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kennedy Peretei in a statement in Akure said that “December is already here, and fragrance of Christmas is in the air.

“Those who have the means have begun preparations in earnest, so as not to be caught in the web of Christmas fever and its attendant hike in the price essential commodities and other items.

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“But for the workers of Ondo State, their Christmas celebration is hanging dangerously in the hope that the Akeredolu led All Progressives Congress (APC) government will be “magnanimous” enough to pay salaries, at least one full month.

” The sorrows and pains of workers in Ondo State are the worst in the South West. Neighbouring States with less revenue are doing projects and paying staff salaries.

”Workers in Ondo State have become butt of jokes, unable to meet the challenges of everyday existence. Some who used their salaries as collateral to collect loans from banks and cooperative societies are unable to service these loans.

“For more than one year now, workers in Ondo State receive percentage salaries. It could be as ridiculous as 30% of their monthly salary.

“At the last count, only June 2021 salaries have been paid in full. That means, six months salaries are still outstanding.

“This is in spite of the N18.2 Billion received in tranches as bailout from the Federal Government.”

Peretei said that leadership of the unions have pleaded passionately with Akeredolu to pay a minimum of two months salary on or before 18th December 2021, to enable the workers to celebrate Christmas.

“As Christmas beckons, we can only plead with Rotimi Akeredolu to wear a human face in his handling of the affairs of the state and avoid many people falling into depression as a result of government policies under his watch.

Replying, the state Information and Orientation Commissioner, Donald Ojogo said that “The PDP will be shocked at the unworkability of their devious wish and desire for Ondo workers.

“The height of pretence is this unpardonable display of amnesia on the part of a party which emplaced a government that laid off several workers with many losing their lives while it lasted, amid a huge debt profile aside a seven-month-old unpaid salary burden.

“Yes, there are challenges and our desire is to face these challenges headlong with a view to charting a more robust and holistic path to surmount same.

“We will, therefore, unlike the doomsday ilk that held sway before us, rather focus on exploring means to measure up with our avowed commitment to workers welfare than dispensing the state’s commonwealth to bribe higher powers for political stability as was the case before now.

“This Government will ensure workers in the public service enjoy a very pleasant season.

” The next one week will manifest the government’s seriousness in this regard. Workers will smile, as further deeper positive thoughts are already firmed up to ease economic challenges imposed on all of us by the global financial straits.

“Workers in the State public service are already well acquainted with the pretentious posturing of the PDP. They know too well that there could not have been a better advertisement of hypocritical vices by their immediate past tormentors.”

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Ojogo added, ” this party called PDP lacks the moral status to defend its former victims the current Akeredolu-led administration is striving hard to bring out of eight-year-old economic strangulation wrought on them by the viciousness of a flippant leadership.”