Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu on Monday has said he is not an executive governor but a top servant during his maiden official meeting with the state’s civil servants at the governor office in Alagbaka, Akure.
He also pleaded with striking health workers and doctors to end their two-week old industrial action.
The governor who said he felt the pains of the people who have not been paid for months, set up a committee which will include the accountant general of the state so as to look into the payment of workers salary.
He said, “I am not an executive governor, there is no executive governor anywhere, I am one of you, I am just a top servant
“If you don’t receive salary, as your governor, I don’t deserve to receive any salary too, if you are not being paid, no one is should be paid.
“I am aware of the agony you are going through, I can feel your sufferings, that you are still able to put up smiles as I see everybody here, even without salary in seven months, I am surprised but no doubt, a labourer deserves his wages.
“To the striking health workers, I know it must be out of your concerns for your patients, out of your concerns for the people of Ondo state not out of your concerns for your purse, I want to use this medium to appeal to our health workers, doctors, to please in the name of God, resume work and come back. We will sit down on a table and solve all the problems
“We will run an open government, and I can tell the Permanent secretaries, we will run an open government.
“I intend to move from here to have a small committee that will include the accountant general and a few others to address this issue of nonpayment of salary and find out what we can do.”
Akeredolu, however promised that in the next two years, the state would begin to exploit bitumen, adding that his administration would industrialise the state.
“In those days, cocoa was the mainstay of this county’s economy, I can assure you, the federal government is aware about this and they believe we must play a key role in the rejuvenation of the growth of cocoa and everything about cocoa,” he said.
“On or before the end of March, cocoa rejuvenation program will start from Ondo State by the Federal Government, I can assure you. Let our people be ready to go to land.”
