Osogbo – Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun says the compulsory annual leave he ordered for all the directors in the state’s public service was not meant to retrench them.
This is contained in a statement issued on Friday in Osogbo by Mr Semiu Okanlawon, the media aide to the governor.
The governor said the directive was necessary in view of the constitutional right of every worker to benefit from leave annually as enshrined in civil service rules.
Aregbesola, who described workers in the state as the live-wire of socio-economic development, said on no account had his administration contemplated reducing the workforce.
The governor said the compulsory annual leave was not meant to hurt or dehumanise any worker but to strengthen the laid down civil service rules in the bid to enhance greater productivity and effectiveness.
The decision, he said, was reached after he had been informed of the accumulated leave of some top officials in the civil service.
Aregbesola reaffirmed that in spite of the effects of the current economic recession, the state under his watch would not for any reason depopulate the workforce in the state.
“It is disheartening that some people have become perpetual rumour peddlers.
“ They never live by the truth but rather derive pleasure from spreading propaganda and falsehood.
“Our administration has never intended to sack any worker. We never aimed to retrench or reduce workforce.
“ This is what we built and we can never collapse it.
“Our directive on compulsory leave was in line with the operational framework that established civil service.
“ We only enforced it because we felt that those affected were due for leave.
“As we all know, leave is a work-relief benefit for workers and it is expected of every worker that is due for it to do so.
“In view of this, our government’s action was aimed at ensuring that those workers benefit from their accumulated leave from 2014 till date.
“We are not sacking any worker under pretence as being rumoured but rather enforcing the conventional rules and civil service principles,’’ he said.
Aregbesola warned disgruntled politicians to shun propaganda and falsehood that could bring about disaffection in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Aregbesola had directed all directors to proceed on compulsory annual leave.
The directive was contained in a circular dated Nov. 2 and signed by Mr Samuel Aina, the Permanent Secretary in the Public Service Office.
The governor said all officers occupying the position of director, either in acting or substantive capacity, who had not proceeded on annual leave since 2014 to 2016 to do so with immediate effect.
