The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Southwest has berated the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi over the suspension of chairmen of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in the 16 Council Areas in Ekiti State over the council workers protest on the governor’s refusal to pay the N19,000 minimum wage promised them late last year.
The party, which called on well-meaning indigenes of Ekiti State to call the governor to order said; “Fayemi is behaving like an emperor, and the rate he is going with his tyrannical government is dangerous for the progress of Ekiti.”
PDP Zonal Publicity Secretary, Hon. Kayode Babade said in a statement issued today that it was the height of tyranny for Fayemi to have suspended the NULGE leaders just because they protested against the government’s denial of their rights.
The statement read; “Two weeks ago, local council workers in Ekiti State protested non-payment of the N19,000 minimum wage announced by the governor late last year, rejecting the N13,000 being paid instead of the N19,000 that Fayemi said he was paying the workers.
“Instead of aceeding to the workers demand, Fayemi transferred the chairmen of NULGE in the 16 local councils and later suspended them.
“As at today, all the local council NULGE chairmen are under suspension.
“Funny enough, Special Adviser to Fayemi on Labour Matters, Comrade Joseph Arogundade, who was the immediate past Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Ekiti State has not utter a single word.
“Nigerians, especially well-meaning indigenes of Ekiti State must therefore prevail on Fayemi and his Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) party to stop treating workers like slaves.”
The PDP said it was hypocritical that the ACN and its functionaries like Fayemi preach true federalism but run local councils as parastatals of the Governor’s Office.
Babade queried; “It is either they are sacking doctors in Lagos, teachers in Oyo or suspending NULGE leaders and harassing teachers in Ekiti. Yet, these bunch of hypocrites go about preaching democracy and rule of law, which they don’t practice.
“If Fayemi had allowed Local Councils in the state to function as it was when PDP was controlling the state, would there have been any reason for the workers to protest over failure to pay minimum wage that is already being paid by most states in the country?”