Osun Suspends Workers’ Overtime Allowance

The Osun State government has suspended the payment of 25 percent to 35 percent overtime allowance workers of some government agencies.
This is to ensure regular payment of salaries, according to the Head of Service, Olayinka Owoeye.
Owoeye said the “I AM ALIVE” verification for pensioners will now take place bi- monthly to check leakages.
Owoeye was quoted as saying that “in line with the Universal Basic Education policy of the Federal Government, the local governments shall assume responsibility for payment of salaries and allowances of teachers in the middle schools, with effect from October consequent upon which the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) shall only be responsible for the provision of schools infrastructure.”
Speaking through the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Human Resources and Capacity Building, Sunday Olajide, the HoS, however, clarified that “only teachers deployed to remote towns and villages would enjoy any form of extra allowance”.
He added that the government would open talks with the leadership of medical unions to negotiate a new salary regime as “the one in use is no more in consonant with present day financial reality in the state”.
Owoeye announced that his office would begin to collate names of officers in the core civil service and local government service with certificates in agriculture, medical sciences and education for immediate redeployment to relevant agencies.
He added that promotion of officers in the public service will now be based on performance and productivity.
The HoS said: “To improve the quality of education, the government has approved the establishment of the Teachers Establishment Office, which would be responsible for the appointment, promotion, discipline and administration of salaries and allowances of elementary and middle school teachers with district offices across the state.
Owoeye clarified that the Teachers Establishments and Pensions Office (TEPO) has been re-designed as Education Officers Establishments Office with the management of teachers pensions returned to the State Bureau of Public Service Pensions.
According to him: “To complement the efforts of the recently concluded screening and verification, the Offices of the Auditors-General for the state and Local Governments have been mandated to verify the payrolls of the workforce two weeks before salary computation monthly.
“The conduct of the ‘I AM ALIVE’ exercise for pensioners will now take place bi-monthly to check pension leakages.
“Governor Rauf Aregbesola has also directed that some measures aimed at coping with the current challenges of acute shortage of public fund be implemented immediately.”
THE NATION