…..No, You’re only jealous of my Feat —Aiyedatiwa replies
The Peoples Democratic Party Governorship Campaign Organisation in Ondo State has described as a Greek gift, the newly approved minimum wage for state workers announced by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State last Saturday.
A statement by the Special Adviser Media/Publicity of Peoples Democratic Party Campaign Organisation, Ayo Fadaka on Sunday in reaction to the increment in salary announced by Governor Aiyedatiwa, PDP cautioned civil servants in the state that the increment of salary a couple of days to the gubernatorial election is an attempt by Governor Aiyedatiwa, the candidate of All Progressives Congress(APC), to hoodwink them to vote for him in the November 16, 2024 gubernatorial poll.
At the flag-off of his campaign in Ondo town on Saturday, Governor Aiyedatiwa had said: “Despite the fact that the Federal Government approved N70, 000 as the new minimum wage, Ondo will go a step further by paying N73, 000 to its workers.”
But PDP in the statement entitled: “Beware of Aiyedatiwa’s Greek Gift,” informed the people to assess Governor Aiyedatiwa’s performance since he assumed office last year, saying he has nothing to show for the allocations he has so far collected.
The statement reads inter alia: “We notice with amusement Governor Aiyedatiwa’s decision to raise the minimum wage in Ondo State from the Federal Government approved ₦70,000 to a paltry ₦73,000, this is obviously a hollow pretense that is calculated to present him as a workers-friendly Governor, an assumption which falls flat on his face when due cognisance is taken of his failure to do this increment many months back. The fact that is just doing this now is a mere pretence.
“In a brazen display of desperation, this marginal wage increment serves as a flimsy attempt to curry favour with the electorate, masking his administration’s colossal failures across every critical sector, it is a move that reeks of calculated deceit, aimed not at alleviating the suffering of the people, but at securing their votes through shallow tokenism.
“A leader who genuinely cares about the welfare of his people would have long since addressed the root causes of Ondo State’s challenges -poverty, unemployment, and the decay of essential services.
“His administration has been defined by neglect, indifference, and a stark lack of empathy for the plight of the common man, rather than champion sustainable development and meaningful progress, he has opted to dangle this meagre wage increase as a political carrot, a last-ditch effort to manipulate and hoodwinked the electorate in pursuit of his selfish political survival.
“What makes Aiyedatiwa’s actions particularly wicked is the timing of this so-called wage hike, after months of inertia and complete disregard for the struggles of the workers who keep the state functioning, this insulting small increase is now paraded as an act of benevolence, the reality, however, is as clear as day: this cynical strategy is designed not to improve the lives of the hardworking people of Ondo State, but to salvage the political ambitions of a governor who has failed them at every turn.
“While Aiyedatiwa attempts to use this meagre raise as political bait, the grim truth remains unchanged. The state’s healthcare system is in disarray, educational institutions are crumbling, and infrastructure is in a state of collapse, his administration has failed to invest in the future of Ondo State, preferring instead to offer empty promises and engage in grandstanding, all while the people he is supposed to serve continue to bear the brunt of his failures.
“A truly compassionate and visionary leader would have embraced a comprehensive approach, implementing meaningful wage reforms as part of a broader strategy to uplift the living standards of the people. But Aiyedatiwa’s wickedness is evident in his blatant disregard for the real issues confronting Ondo State, his selfishness shines through in his refusal to tackle the systemic problems his administration has created, choosing instead to insult the intelligence of the electorate with a meagre ₦3,000 increment, an afterthought that does nothing to alleviate the struggles of the people.
“The people of Ondo State deserve a leader who prioritizes their welfare over personal gain, one who enacts policies driven by genuine concern, not political expediency. Governor Aiyedatiwa has proven himself to be anything but that. This ill-timed wage increase is yet another act of deceit from a governor whose leadership has been marked by irresponsibility and a relentless pursuit of self-interest his actions are a stark reminder of his callous and self-serving approach to governance, leaving the people of Ondo State to demand the better leadership they rightfully deserve.
“It is disrespectful to announce the new minimum wage of dignified and decorous Ondo State workers on the podium of the electioneering campaign, thereby politicizing the welfare and well-being of the State Civil Service to gain undue political mileage in the forthcoming gubernatorial election slated for November 16.
“However, here is a man who has promised to pay the leave bonus for Ondo State workers for the past two months but to no avail. Some people might argue that a leave bonus is not the exclusive right of Civil Servants, but integrity matters in everything we do in this life. As a governor, if you know you won’t do something, don’t promise it!
“The teeming Civil Servants in Ondo State see this latest promise about a new minimum wage increment as another Greek gift to hoodwink unsuspecting members of Ondo State civil service into voting for him.
“The timing is ill-conceived, and nobody is going to take him seriously because he has deceived the civil service once, and they won’t allow him to deceive them one more time – Once bitten, twice shy!”.
PDP’S ANGER AGAINST AIYEDATIWA ON MINIMUM WAGE: ONDO WORKERS SHOULD NOTE THEIR ENEMY
By: Sunday Olugbenga Abire
Ondo city, a significant town and the second largest town in Ondo state received multitude of visitors as Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa flagged off his campaign on the 12th of October, 2024.
Aiyedatiwa, being moved by the milk of human kindness, shocked Ondo workers with the announcement of seventy-three thousand naira as minimum wage when the Federal Government has agreed to pay seventy thousand naira. That could only come from a man who truly loves and genuinely sacrifices for his people.
Leadership is about equitable redistribution of whatever nature has dismally distributed. It comes with a special ability to foresee the unseen. It is what Amartya Sen, the 1998 Nobel laureate in economics called ‘capability’ or ‘functionings’ when he was developing his capabilities approach.
Flowing from Sen’s argument, economic growth cannot be sensibly treated as an end in itself. Development has to be more concerned with enhancing the lives we lead and the freedoms we enjoy. In other words, a book means nothing to an illiterate no matter how novel. What a person has or the feelings commodities provide are less important. What matter is what a person is, or can be, and does or can do.
In tandem with Sen’s argument around functioning, Aiyedatiwa has justifiably used his position to the ultimate benefit of Ondo workers. This shouldn’t make anyone sick or restless unless such person is an enemy of the people of Ondo state. No sane party should ordinarily begrudge a good thing like this especially when Ondo state is making history to have been the only state with the highest minimum wage so far. Just as the devil hates the light, the PDP is venting their frustration as the party came heavily against the idea. What does the PDP want? A Governor who wouldn’t show care to the people he swore to serve? A Governor who will impoverish the people? God forbid!
I agree that politics and sound education are necessary fillips to the advancement of humanity especially in a democracy. Obviously, the PDP with a deflated house lacks thinkers. The party cannot even differentiate right from wrong. How can a party which cannot save its own house from avoidable ruin proffer solution on any public issue? That’s sacrilegious. What has the PDP touched that didn’t die? Is it not shamefully scary that only the PDP kicked against the minimum wage that will improve the standard of living of the workers of Ondo state?
Plato, the great philosopher, had seen the plights of the PDP long ago when he opined:
“Hence, I was forced to say in praise of the correct philosophy that it affords a vantage point from which we can discern in all cases what is just for communities and for individuals, and that accordingly the human race will not see better days until either the stock of those who genuinely follow philosophy acquire political authority or else the class who have political control be led by some dispensation of providence to become real philosophers”.
Governor Aiyedatiwa is a careful talker. As a matter of fact, he has even been accused of being ‘slow’ in making decision because of his thoughtfulness. Aiyedatiwa will never say a thing he does not mean. He didn’t announce 73,000 as minimum wage to score political point. To think that PDP doesn’t know that there are apolitical procedures to implementing the minimum wage is a big shame.
The workers of Ondo state have made up their minds to support the party as well as the Governor that treats them well with regular payment of salaries and other benefits. The people have noted the PDP’s anger the moment Governor Aiyedatiwa announced a robust minimum wage that is not yet obtainable in any state in Nigeria. May Ondo State workers who the PDP wishes to suffocate continue to be Lucky under the leadership of Governor Aiyedatiwa beyond 2025.
Ondo state workers are asking the PDP to heal itself already as they have started calculating their pay. It’s a year of increase for the workers of Ondo State. No controversy. Prosperity is here to stay with Governor Aiyedatiwa in the saddle.
…..Sunday Olugbenga Abire is Special Assistant on New Media to the Governor of Ondo State.
