Governor Ayo Fayose embarks on indefinite strike

– Governor Ayodele Fayose has embarked on an indefinite strike

– According to the governor, the solidarity strike is expedient to show concerns with the workers, who have not received salaries in the last five months

– Fayose added that he will be expecting the workers back to their offices when they are ready to return to work

“I want to tell workers that I have placed myself on indefinite strike in solidarity with you.”
Governor Ayodele Fayose has embarked on an indefinite strike in solidarity with workers of Ekiti state.

Daily Post reports that the governor announced his decision at the weekend in a televised broadcast shown on media based in Ado Ekiti.

According to Fayose, the solidarity strike is expedient to show concerns with the workers, who have not received salaries in the last five months.

Last week, the workers, under the auspices of Nigerian Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and Joint Negotiation Council, embarked on an indefinite strike, when it became obvious that the governor would not respond positively to their pleas.

The labour leaders were particularly angered by the statement credited to Fayose, in which he said that he would sell his family to pay workers. They described the governor’s statement as ‘not only insensitive but inflammatory”.

However, in the recent broadcast Fayose declared solidarity with the workers to confirm that he shared their pains and sufferings.

“I want to tell workers that I have placed myself on indefinite strike in solidarity with you. I shared your pains, but it was rather unfortunate that a man can’t give what he doesn’t have.

“I have told you the true position of the finances of the state, of which you had played critical roles in allocation of federal allocations to relevant sectors which shows how well I had carried you along since the dwindling revenue to the state commenced.

“During my first term, I mean, 2003 to 2006, I used to pay salary of workers by 21st of every month. But the present situation is very unfortunate and we have to learn how to live with it until the country wriggle out of it and things will change for better,” he said.

The governor added that he will be expecting the workers back to their offices when they are ready to return to work.

“I shall be expecting you, because presently I am handicapped and there is nothing I can do.

“But before then, I have placed myself on indefinite strike in solidarity with your course. But I appeal that you put the interest of the state above everything, because the present position affects everybody,” he said.

Earlier this week, Fayose appealed to Ekiti workers who are on strike to call of their actions. He noted that the difficult economic situation was not peculiar to Ekiti alone as the state depends much on statutory allocations.