Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has disclosed that the salary bill of the state workers is now N7.2 billion monthly up from N4.7 billion in May 2019.
Makinde made this disclosure at the 2023 inter-faith programme held at State Secretariat, Ibadan, on Monday.
Makinde’s update on the state salary bill was against the backdrop of the demand by the state chapter of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN) for the implementation of the Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS) in the state.
Explaining the progression, Makinde said though the wage bill, upon assumption of office was N4.7billion, the immediate past administration already increased the wage bill by N1billion when just before its expiration, it increased subvention paid to tertiary institutions from varied percentages of payments to 100 per cent.
He added that the wage bill then increased to over N6 billion with the imperative to effect consequential adjustment that came with implementing the new minimum wage.
Makinde said the wage then shot up to about N7.2 billion owing to the engagement of 5,000 teachers, health officers and the reabsorption of some workers found to have been wrongly dismissed.
He, consequently, sought the understanding of the legislative staff in implementing the CONLESS but assured that the state government will do some percentage implementation of the CONLESS scale but not 100 per cent.
Makinde said: “When I resumed office, the salary bill was about 4.7 billion. On the eve of the departure of the immediate past administration, they took subvention paid to tertiary institutions to 100 percent but didn’t wait to pay it.
“They made the pronouncement and left. That singular act added N1 billion to the wage bill of Oyo State and took it to N5.7 billion. But, God helped us and we started paying it.”
