Aiyedatiwa Celebrates Ondo Workers, Highlights Welfare Achievements on Labour Day
By Exponent News Akure, 1st May Day 2025
Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has praised the unwavering dedication and contributions of workers in the state, describing them as the backbone of societal progress during the 2025 Workers’ Day celebration held at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Arcade, Akure.
Addressing a crowd of enthusiastic civil servants, union leaders, and dignitaries, Governor Aiyedatiwa noted that the collaboration between his administration and the state’s workforce has yielded visible gains over the past year. He emphasized that Labour Day goes beyond recognition of work done, but honors the people whose dedication sustains the engine of governance, development, and public service.
“Our modest achievements since assuming office would not have been possible without your commitment and resilience,” he said, commending workers across sectors for their contribution to the state’s progress despite economic headwinds.
The governor recounted several strides taken by his administration to prioritize workers’ welfare. These include the approval and implementation of a N73,000 minimum wage—surpassing the federal benchmark—and a N30,000 monthly pension award for retirees. He added that promotion exercises are up to date, with the 2025 process already underway, and gratuity arrears dating back to 2011 being steadily cleared.
Aiyedatiwa also highlighted massive recruitment across critical sectors: 1,100 primary and 1,050 secondary school teachers, medical professionals, legal and administrative officers have been employed to bridge manpower gaps. The state’s contributory health scheme has been expanded to cover more beneficiaries, including workers in the informal sector.
Other initiatives include free WAEC and NABTEB registration for public school students, ongoing bursary and scholarship disbursements for indigenes in tertiary institutions, and full implementation of the federal salary scale for medical officers in the State Teaching Hospital.
“We have shown commitment to insulating the bureaucracy from political interference and remain unwavering in protecting the welfare of our workers,” the governor assured.
As part of his message to mark the occasion, Aiyedatiwa urged workers to maintain high standards of service delivery and integrity. He called on them to remain diligent, patriotic, and innovative in revenue generation while curbing waste and inefficiency.
“Your perseverance, resilience and compassion are the true foundation of all growth and success. You are the pride of our past, the strength of our present, and the hope of our future,” the governor declared.
The event concluded with enthusiastic chants of solidarity from the crowd, as Governor Aiyedatiwa reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to building an inclusive and dignified workforce.
