As the Christmas celebration has begun in the state, the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has warned the state workers to celebrate the festivals in moderation, the Punch reports.
He also told the workers that his administration would ensure that they enjoy the festive period, in terms of welfare, amid backlog of unpaid salaries in the state.
At the last count, only July 2021 salaries have been paid in full. That means, six months salaries are still outstanding.
Starnews Nigeria reports that the governor warned the workers against overspending at the Year 2021 State Carols and Lessons, held at the International Culture and Event Centre Akure, the state capital on Tuesday evening.
According to the governor, there was a need for the celebration of Christmas and New Year to reflect the mood and realities of the moment.
He said, “Without pronouncing it, we all know that we are in austere times. Let us limit our expenses to our purse. We must not go borrowing to celebrate the season. Let us restrain any urge to do more than our capacity. This is a piece of advice that we must heed.
“Without mincing words, the last 58 months of our administration have witnessed tremendous improvement in the security of lives and property and a significant drop in the incidents of crime in our Sunshine State. As a responsive and responsible government, we will continue to do more in collaboration with relevant security agencies to always protect residents of Ondo State from harm.”
He also warned them and other people of the state to always be mindful of the new wave of the deadly Covid-19 pandemic as they celebrate Christmas.
“As you are all aware, we are currently experiencing the third wave of the pandemic. We must all make concerted efforts to stem the rate of infection as a state. The use of facemasks, physical distancing, regular hand washing and use of sanitiser remain indispensable measures to curbing and curtailing the spread.
“We must all take the COVID-19 vaccine as a further step towards protection against the virus. The vaccines are still available in our various Primary Health Care Centres and hospitals across the State. Even though we are not under lockdown, we must behave as if we are. Let us limit our outings to only those that are necessary. Exchange of visits should be minimised.
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