The Oyo State government says the labour union leaders in the state have directed members to return to work after several weeks of strike.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr Olalekan Ali, made the announcement on Wednesday during an interactive session with journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, southwest Nigeria.
He spoke after a Memorandum of Understanding had been signed by the state Government and the labour union to call off the strike which began on June 6 in the state.
Mr Ali disclosed that the state government has agreed to disburse the sum of 3.4 billion Naira, representing 100% of its June allocation which is 2.1 billion Naira and the total sum of 1.39 billion Naira of the Budget Support Fund received from the Federal Government as an intervention loan for the payment of January salary, while the February salary is expected to be paid in the next two weeks.
He said the agreement would enhance the Internally Generated Revenue, stressing that the revenue collection agency has been restructured to emerge as an efficient and target driven body.
The SSG further hinted that the government had received required apologies and undertaken from Principals of the affected secondary schools and the All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools, regarding the participation of some schools in the violent protest of June 6, 2016.
The Oyo State Deputy Governor, Moses Alake-Adeyemo, on his part assured the citizens of the state that necessary mechanism would be put in place with the collaboration of the Nigeria Labour Congress and affiliate unions.
He explained that this is to avoid a recurrence of labour dispute that led to the seven – week strike that has paralised public education and other critical sectors in the state.
Mr Alake-Adeyemo noted that the 14-man committee that brokered peace between the state government and labour would not be dissolved until a permanent solution is found to the issue of delay in salary payment.
He added that the union in the state has also given its assurance to work with the Governor Abiola Ajimobi-led administration, to further expand the revenue set for the state government.
