The Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa has promised to address some of the issues in the health sector of the state, saying his administration would recruit more health workers in the new year.
Aiyedatiwa, who was sworn in as the governor last Wednesday after the death of his predecessor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, also pledged to pay outstanding entitlements of the civil servants in the state.
He stated this on Tuesday while addressing the state workers at the annual prayer organised by the civil servants to mark the first official working day of the year.
He said: “We will forge ahead with the approval already given for the recruitment of health workers as a way of strengthening the health sector while filling of vacancies will be done on a regular basis as the need arises”.
Commending the public servants and the organised labour unions in the state for their cooperation and support for the government so far, the governor assured them that priority would be given to their welfare.
According to him, there will be prompt payment of salaries, promotion, regular elevation, payment of inherited salary arrears, training and retraining, and provision of working tools among other things that will engender an efficient 21st-century civil service.
Aiyedatiwa warned the civil servants against involvement in partisan politics, adding that politicians in the state should desist from acts of violence before during and after the elections.
“This is an election year; let everyone know that the peace of the state is not negotiable and the election is not a do-or-die affair,” Aiyedatiwa warned.
In his remarks, the state Head of Service (HoS), Mr. Kayode Ogundele, commended the governor for the continuous support in all areas pertaining to the welfare of the public servants in the state.
The HoS described Aiyedatiwa as a worker-friendly governor, especially in the areas of regular promotion with financial benefits, equitable distribution of palliatives to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy, payment of 35,000 wage award, presentation of SUV cars to 30 Permanent Secretaries and other welfare packages aimed at enhancing workers’ efficiency.
