The Ogun State government has approved a six-month extension for the N10,000 transport allowance granted to the state’s civil servants, as announced by the state governor, Dapo Abiodun, on Wednesday.
During a meeting in Abeokuta with the state’s permanent secretaries, Mr Abiodun explained that the extension would enable state workers to continue coping with the effects of the subsidy removal.
The allowance was intended to help cushion the impact of the fuel subsidy removal by the federal government.
This allowance, which was one of the various interventions adopted by the state government in response to the deregulation policy in July, was initially scheduled to end in September.
The governor described the allowance as a part of the temporary immediate-term interventions.
“It was designed to give the government time to develop appropriate medium and long-term intervention plans for all categories of people in the state.
“In addition to the N10,000, which also covers pensioners, the state government has approved a hazard allowance for health and medical personnel.
“Furthermore, letters of promotion for 2021 and 2022 have been immediately released, and public servants will receive payment for their March and April 2023 leave bonuses. Pensioners will also receive immediate cash backing for the quarterly payment of gratuities,” he explained.
Mr Abiodun mentioned that the palliatives distributed across the state have received applause both within the country and beyond.
“While there have been a few instances of fifth columnists mischievously criticising the government’s efforts, the majority have appreciated our actions.”
He also discussed his administration’s plans to leave behind legacy projects at the end of his tenure.
“We will soon establish a special committee to rehabilitate public schools, and this committee will be funded through a trust fund,” Mr Abiodun announced.
He added that efforts are underway to improve mobility in the state by identifying and rehabilitating critical roads throughout the state.
(NAN)
