Ekiti striking workers sell personal belongings to survive

FG Plans Another Bailout For States

The excruciating hardship occasioned by non-payment of five months salaries and allowances is forcing civil servants and teachers in Ekiti State to sell their personal belongings to survive.

This is just as the federal government may have scripted another brand of bailout for states, as the economic crisis that worsened states’ ability to pay salaries and execute their respective budgets becomes gloomier with crude oil production short-ins.

Specifically, a conditional budget support facility, which would provide financial relief to state governments, is currently nearing completion by the federal government, but it would be subject to meeting a 22-point reform agenda called the Fiscal Sustainability Plan (FSP).

Some of the workers who had been on strike since May 25, this year to force the Ayo Fayose-led state government to pay them were seen at the popular Fayose Market disposing their phones to raise money for survival.

Although most of them declined to speak on the matter, a few told The Guardian that they had to resort to selling their phones and jewellery to raise money if only to feed for few weeks.

One Mrs. Tayo Adejumobi, who was seen negotiating the price of her used mobile handset at the market, said: “I am a civil servant, we have not been paid since January and I have children to cater for.

“My husband is also a teacher. Both of us have not received salary since January. By this month end, government will owe us six months.

“I had sold my jewellery in February to raise money to pay the school fees of our daughter at Osun State University, Ikire campus. I have no choice now than to sell this phone.

“I bought it last year at N35,000, but I have been begging these boys to buy it at N10,000. They insisted on buying it at N7,000.

“I may not have choice than to remove my SIM card and sell it, because I can’t go home without money. My family is hungry. I will put my SIM in my husband handset, which uses two SIMs.”

She said what made her hope seemed hopeless was the “lackadaisical” attitude of the governor at resolving the crisis.

“How would a governor tell the whole world that he is also on strike? This is an expensive joke, because he is playing with our emotions. And it is not fair,” she noted.

Mrs. Adejumobi also revealed that many civil servants have sold their cars and many looking for buyers in order to survive the hardship.

She said: “Go to Similoluwa and Adebayo area, all the cars you see at the road side put up for sales are owned by civil servants and teachers. It is that bad.”

Another civil servant, who simply identified himself as Adejare, said he had just sold the furniture in his house to some Hausas at Sabo in Atikankan area of Ado Ekiti to raise some money to buy foodstuff.

“I sold my furniture in April and the foodstuff I bought with the proceed is almost finished. I don’t know where to go now with four children and a wife.

“Please, help us beg the governor to do something about our plight. If he is ready to pay us two months, I am sure our labour leaders will call off the strike.

“This is Ekiti State, where there is no factory to go for casual work to survive.”

But the Special Adviser to the Governor on Stomach Infrastructure, Sunday Anifowose, said the workers should not blackmail the governor over the hardship they are going through, because the situation is not peculiar to the state.

He told The Guardian: “Though I am not competent to speak for the government, but this is a national issue, not peculiar to Ekiti State and workers should not blackmail the government.”

Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has said the FSP represents an important programme of reforms that would develop best practice financial management across all tiers of government and improve transparency and accountability.

“We are determined to attain financial discipline across government and implementing the FSP at state level will ensure alignment.”