By 
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has restated his commitment to the welfare of the workers in the state.
AbdulRazaq made this commitment while meeting with the state civil servants on Thursday at the banquet hall in Ilorin, the state capital, in commemorating the 2022 Civil Service Week.
Stated that civil servants are the life wire of public service, recalling how his administration had restored running costs to the civil service after many years, effected promotion with cash-backing, purchased dozens of operational vehicles, and implemented and sustained the payment of the minimum wage.
“Since our assumption of office, we have prioritised payment of salaries, pension and gratuity because we know how important they are. When that is not done, it creates a lot of distractions. But we want you to remain focused on what you do. For us, we can say it is most paramount for us to pay your wages and prioritise your training and welfare,” he said.
“There is a rumour about sacking civil servants after elections and all that, it is quite laughable. The first question you will ask is how much do we save by sacking workers? You don’t save anything because even if you sack a worker you have to compensate him or her one way or the other. You have to pay the pension and gratuity, so at the end of the day you are not saving anything. Besides, how much are we even paying them that we want to sack them?,” the Governor queried.
He commended the workers for their continued support for the government.
In her remarks, Head of Service in the state Mrs Susan Modupe Oluwole, made known that the interactive session formed a part of her office’s mandate to set aside a period for workers to rub minds on issues affecting their interests.
She commended the government for its emphasis on workers’ welfare, including the regular payment of their wages, promotion, as well as the pensions and gratuities for the retirees.
Oluwole tasked the workforce to reciprocate the kind gesture of the government by doubling their efforts towards assisting the administration to further succeed in policy implementation.
The programme was organised by the office of the State Head of Service headed by Mrs Susan Modupe Oluwole, and attended by the Deputy Governor Kayode Alabi; cabinet members; Kwara NLC chief Comrade Issa Ore; TUC chairman Comrade Tunde Joseph; Chairman Joint Negotiating Council Comrade Saliu Suleiman; among others.
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