The government of Ekiti State has nullified the employment of over 2000 workers by former Governor Ayodele Fayose before leaving the office.
Commissioner for Information, Muyiwa Olumilua, explained that the decision the report of a committee set up by the state government to review irregular appointments in the public service between 2014 and 2018.
Speaking with newsmen after Wednesday’s State Executive Council meeting, Olumilua said the affected workers, who had been warned earlier against Fayose’s last-minute appointments, could apply in the next exercise.
He said the Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, had directed the Head of Service, Ayodeji Ajayi, “to collate all available vacancies in the civil service, with the overhead implications to enable the state government prepare to recruit suitable and qualified Ekiti citizens, irrespective of party affiliations.”
He added, “The 169 officers recruited in 2014 but had their appointments terminated by the Fayose administration shall be considered for re-absorption by the House of Assembly Service Commission but on a case-by-case basis.
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“The officers reinstated into the Local Government Service Commission between October 16, 2014 and October 15, 2018 are to be re-absorbed by the relevant personnel boards and migrated to biometric payroll with immediate effect.
“All 272 officers employed by the Fayose administration, who are still on manual payroll, shall be considered for absorption into the civil service but on case-by-case basis.”
But in his reaction, the state’s Chairman of the Trade Union Congress, Sola Adigun, said, “We will hold Fayemi by his words. He had said there would be no vendetta or victimisation.
“We plead for mercy on behalf of these workers. The punishment for the mistakes of the past government should not be meted on these innocent Ekiti people. We want government to look into the plight of these workers.”
Also, the former governor, Ayodele Fayose, in his reaction, berated Fayemi for exerting wickedness and political vendetta on the sacked workers. He urged victims of the action “to place their hope in God and enforce their rights to seek redress in the court of law.”
“Fayemi had only succeeded in writing his name in the history books of Ekiti as one that inflicts pains and sorrow on the people,” he added.