By Agboola Bayo
Ibadan
Secretary to Oyo State Government (SSG), Alhaji Olalekan Alli, yesterday said the state government had slashed the salaries and arrears of its political appointees, including Governor Abiola Ajimobi, by 50%.
Alli, who made this known while addressing a press conference in Ibadan, said the state Executive Council had also approved the dualisation of four major roads within the state at the cost of N28billion.
The SSG declared that the salary and arrears cut was part of the measures put in place by the state government to reduce the cost of governance following the continued drop in federal allocation and slow increase in the state internally generated revenue.
Alli stressed that in addition to the slashing of the salaries of the governor and other political office holders, the state government has ordered immediate reduction of all its costs by 50 per cent.
“The last Executive Council meeting approved a 50% cut in the salaries and arrears of political appointees in Oyo state to reflect the current economic situation borne out of the dwindling financial situation in the country, while all government spending will also be reduced by 50%. All these will take effect immediately,” he said.
He maintained that the state government had also blocked “all tax holes while the physical verification exercise embarked upon recently exposed so many areas where some individuals were drawing multiple salaries and some getting salaries without working for the government.”
Also speaking at the press conference, the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Mr. Wasiu Dauda, said the state Executive Council last Friday approved N28 billion for the dualisation of four different road projects; namely Saki Township road from Oke-Ogun Polytechnic to Ilesa-Baruba road, 11.0km road contracted to Adolf Engineering Development Company at a contract sum of N8.2 billion to be completed within 18months, dualisation of Idi Ape- Basorun –Akobo-Odogbo Barracks Junction (7km) including an overhead bridge across Lagos-Ibadan Expressway contracted to RCC Nigeria Limited at a sum of N7.1 billion for 18 months duration, the dualisation of Agodi Gate-Old Ife Road- Adegbayi Junction (7.3km) with limited rehabilitation of spur to Alakia-Ibadan Airport (3.3km) including an underpass bridge across Lagos-Ibadan expressway contracted to Charvet Nigeria Limited at a contract sum of N8,5 billion within 18months duration and expansion of Oke Adu- Agodi Gate- Idi Ape- Iwo Road Interchange (3.2km) given to CGC Nigeria Limited at a contract sum of N3.6billion in the duration of 12 months.
