Subsidy Removal: Gov Obaseki Reduces Working Days From 5 To 3 In Edo

Edo State Government under the leadership of Governor Godwin Obaseki has reduced till further notice days workers both in the civil and public sectors should resume works in a week.

Governor Godwin Obaseki in a statement personally signed on Tuesday said workers in both civil and public sectors in the state will henceforth resume works or their offices three days in a week as part of the government measures to cushion the effect of the decision of the President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remove fuel subsidy forever.

According to Governor Godwin Obaseki, he observed that since the President announced the forever removal of the fuel subsidy, the policy has eaten deep into the wages of workers in the state, adding, prices of goods and overall cost of living have increased.

In quote, Governor Godwin Obaseki said: “In the wake of fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government, fuel prices have increased astronomically leading to rise in prices of goods and services and overall cost of living.

“The Edo State Government shares the pains of our people and wants to assure everyone that we are standing with them in these very challenging times.

“We want to reassure our people that we will do all within our powers as a subnational government to reduce the pains and ameliorate the sufferings our people are currently facing due to the current realities.

“As a proactive government, we have since taken the step to increase the minimum wage paid to workers in Edo State from the approved ₦30,000 to ₦40,000, the highest in the country today.

“We want to assure you that we will continue to pay this amount, while we hope to increase it even further, if more allocation accrues to our State from the Federal Government in view of the expected savings occasioned by the removal of the fuel subsidy.

“We know the hardship that has been caused by this policy which has radically increased the cost of transportation, eating deep into the wages of workers in the State. Therefore, the Edo State Government is hereby reducing the number of work days that civil and public servants will have to commute to their workplaces from five days a week to three days a week till further notice. Workers will now work from home two days every week.

“Similarly, for teachers and parents, their commuting to school will be reduced as government is working on deepening the EdoBEST@Home initiative to create more virtual classrooms, thereby reducing the cost of commuting on parents, teachers and pupils. The Edo SUBEB will provide details on this initiative in the coming days.

“To lower the rising cost of energy on our people, we will continue to work with the electricity companies in the State to improve power supply to homes and businesses.

“Similarly, fibre optic connections are being made available to help our people work remotely, thereby reducing their cost of transportation.

“While government intensifies these efforts to alleviate the burden of the fuel price increase on the people during this very challenging period, we want to call on everyone to remain calm and go about their daily businesses lawfully”.

It would be recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had announced on May 29, 2023, during his inauguration as Nigeria President that the era of fuel subsidy in the country is gone.

Since 1999, OsazuwaAkonedo reports that Bola Ahmed Tinubu maybe the first full-time politician for many years to become Nigeria President.

Olusegun Obasanjo who led the country again as civilian President between 1999 and 2007, a full-time military officers for many years seemingly betrayed all the politicians, former military allies and picked a full-time University lecturer, late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as a successor.

After the death of President Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan became Nigeria President and subsequently contested for Presidential election for his own tenure and became the President of Nigeria between 2011 and 2015. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, once full-time education inspector, lecturer was picked as Deputy Governor in Bayelsa State in 1999 and became Governor on December 9, 2005 after the impeachment and removal from office the then Governor of the state, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha by the Bayelsa State Assembly after he was being charged with money laundering in the United Kingdom.

Alliance between Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Muhammadu Buhari, once a full-time military officer who was active in the crisis among military officers in 60s, that subsequently led to the Nigeria civil war ousted President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan from power via ballots. Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Muhammadu Buhari during the 2015 general elections kicked against Goodluck Ebele Jonathan plans to remove fuel subsidy. The duo and their supporters organised mass rally and protest, condemning the removal of fuel subsidy.

Shortly after the once full-time military officer, Muhammadu Buhari became Nigeria President in 2015, he saw reason with Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and decided to remove the fuel subsidy. But he couldn’t. He only made provision for the fuel subsidy till the end of June, 2023. Leaving his successor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu with no option to continue the fuel subsidy by thus without budget provision for the oil subsidy.

It is believed that Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a full-time politician most have had political enemies who may sabotage his economic policies just as Muhammadu Buhari who was once a full-time military officer had enemies in which his eight years rule in Nigeria witnessed the worst form of insecurity.