Oyo lawmakers to take 30% cut in salary, allowances as support of fight against Coronavirus

By Patrick Okohue

As part of their contribution to the fight against the ravaging coronavirus pandemic, members of the Oyo State House of Assembly have agreed to a 30 per cent cut in their monthly salary.

The slash in the allocation according to report will take effect from April. The agreement was reached when the state governor, Seyi Makinde, met with the lawmakers at the Government House, at the weekend in Ibadan, the state capital.

The slash, according to the lawmakers, is to assist the state government in its bid to pay salaries of workers as coronavirus bites harder on the global economy. The 30 per cent deduction includes both the lawmakers’ salaries and other monthly allowances that they are entitled to.

The lawmakers who said that they are concerned about the economic effect of the pandemic noted that they decided to take the step in order to ensure that the regular payment of civil servants’ salaries is not affected, irrespective of the economic situation in the state.

The governor, Mr Makinde it was learnt explained at the meeting,  that the pandemic had resulted in about 60 per cent drop in the federal allocation and it is taking a toll on the state’s economy.

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In a statement on Monday, the Chairman, Oyo State House of Assembly Committee on Information and Media, Kazeem Olayanju, said the lawmakers agreed to the slash in the interest of the smooth running of the state.

“Our income has been slashed by 30 per cent as our support towards COVID-19. The governor brought the idea and we agreed that effective this month, there should be the 30 per cent deduction.

“We were made to understand that the pandemic had greatly affected the economy of the country and the state as well, as that the Federal Government has reduced allocation by 60 per cent. This situation could have affected regular payment of salary of Oyo State civil servants, but the governor maintained that irrespective of the economic situation of Oyo State, the salary of civil servants must not be affected. Hence, we agreed that political office holders should make sacrifices,” he stated.