In line with the tradition of paying 13th month salary, Governor ‘Seyi Makinde, has approved the payment of 13th month salary to Oyo State workers for the seventh year running.
This was as the governor approved the outstanding salaries and minimum wage arrears promised to the staff of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Ogbomoso.
The governor stated this on Monday, while inaugurating the Governing Board of the Teaching Hospital at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, assuring that he would resolve the issue of LAUTECH lecturers embarking on strike soon.
Governor Makinde equally tasked the newly inaugurated Governing Board to revamp the Oyo Annex of the Teaching Hospital within 12 months, promising that the state government would give necessary support to the board to make the facility operational.
He said: “You have been selected or nominated on the basis of merit. The Chairman of the Governing Board, Professor Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka is an accomplished individual. He has been everywhere and a lot of people, associations and organisations are looking for him. So thank you, Prof, for agreeing to serve your state.
“Prof has developed a roadmap, and he has asked me when can we sit down and agree on this so that he can start implementation.
“Also, I have been trying to see Prof. Ayodeji Omole, Chairman of LAUTECH Governing Council, for a while now because I have been reading about the lecturers either going on strike or not going on strike. I haven’t really taken a deeper dive into what is going on in there. So, I hope in the next one or two days we will be able to see what is going on.
“When I came to LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, I made a promise about the issues around the minimum wage arrears, and all of that. And a lot of your people have been asking ‘what’s the situation because we haven’t received the alert?’ Let me explain. I made that pronouncement and I expected it to be implemented, but they came back and said, ‘Well, we have to follow due process.’ I am happy to report that just this morning, I signed the salary file for the December salary and the 13th month salary. All those arrears were included.
“So they should rest assured. I can also announce here that just like we did last year, and just like we have been doing since 2019, there will be 13th month salaries as well.”
Speaking further, the governor tasked the new Governing Board to hit the ground running, saying: “One request that I have before this Board is that the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital Complex, Oyo, must be totally revamped. It should be operational within 12 months.
“So, by this time next year, we will not be going back and forth. I thought it was included in the French grant, but they came back and said no. I said okay, even if it was not included, we will take it on as a state. It is a special project for 12 months. And I will be available to provide and give any kind of support that you may require.”
Speaking on behalf of the Governing Board, the Chairman, Professor Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve and assured of the board’s readiness to complement government efforts with policies that would transform the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital to a world-class facility.
He said: “I want to express my deepest gratitude to the governor and I want to assure him and the state government that we have a Board that is going to be transparent and open to make sure we leave a legacy with this project bestowed on us.
“We are going to do our duty with a lot of energy and passion. We have developed a strong strategic plan for the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital over the next several years. The Board is going to have a thorough discussion on priorities.
“We want to ensure that we have a thorough face-lift of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital. We also want to bring LAUTECH Teaching Hospital up to the 21st century standard as a legacy for this governor.
“So, we are going to be establishing the Electronic Medical Record to ensure that what applies globally is going to be the same thing that applies in LAUTECH.”
The newly inaugurated Governing Board is headed by Prof. Banji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, with Mr Aderemi Adeniyi Adediji as Secretary. Other members are Mr Olatunde Gabriel Oyelade, Dr Bello Adebayo Taiwo, Mrs Isola Agnes Bolanle, Dr Akintunde Kehinde Ayinde, Prof. Olawale Adebayo Olakulehin, Prof. Adenike Olugbenga-Bello and Dr. Oluwajoba Olayinka.
The event was attended by the Deputy Governor, Barr. Bayo Lawal; wife of a former Governor of Oyo State, Ayaba Mutiat Ladoja; former deputy governor, Engr Hamid Gbadamosi; former Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu; Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Iyabo Yerima; Chairman, House Committee on Health, Hon. Saminu Gbadamosi; Secretary to the State Government, Prof Olanike Adeyemo; Chief of Staff, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi; Head of Service, Mrs Olubunmi Oni mni; and Deputy Chief of Staff, Hon Kazeem Adeniyi.
Also in attendance were Special Adviser on Intervention, Mrs Aderonke Adedayo; Co-Chairman, Oyo State Elders’ Council, Elder Wole Oyelese; Pro Chancellor and Chairman, LAUTECH, Prof. Ayodeji Omole; Vice Chancellor LAUTECH, Prof Rasaq Rom Kalilu; Chairman of Local Government Chairmen in Oyo State, Hon Sikiru Oyedele Sanda; Prof Temitope Alonge and Labour Union leaders, among others.
