Workers at a football agency in Ondo State are gradually dying following the failure of the government to pay the salaries of workers.
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Workers in the Ondo State Football Agency (ODSFA) on Thursday narrated how unpaid 20 months salaries has led to the death of some of their colleagues.
They also said some marriages had crashed owing to the development. The workers narrated the ordeals during a protest at the gate of the governor’s office, Alagbaka, Akure.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards they carried read: “Due to unpaid salaries, workers’ marriages have broken up’’, ODSFA pay our 20 months unpaid salaries.
“Our past leaders in ODSFA have put our lives in danger due to unpaid salaries’’, Arakunrin (governor) save our soul’’, “Two workers have died due to 20 months unpaid salaries’’.
Leader of the protesters, Samuel Patani, said that monies being sent to the agency were only being used to cater for Sunshine Stars while other workers were neglected.
“We have workers lying in the hospital that needed to be operated on, but they don’t have money to pay, one of them is having enlarged prostate, we don’t want him to die.
“Our children are dropping out of school, we want government to help us and look into our situation,’’he said.
Patani noted that the last government owed the workers 14 months, while the current government is owing six months salaries. The Commissioner for Youth Development and Sports, Saka Yusuf-Ogunleye, later addressed the protesting workers.
He promised to relocate his office to the agency on Monday and look into the issues raised by the workers which he said were caused the by the past managements of the agency.
The commissioner said the present administration had begun moves to ensure that the monthly subvention of the agency was increased to address present problems.
“The governor has directed the commissioner for finance to look at it and I have met the finance commissioner today, and as soon as the finances increases, the monthly subvention for ODSFA will be increased.
“We will meet with you by Monday to find a lasting solution. We are not here to deceive you, most of the reasons you are here was part of last administration’s fault.
“Immediately they lost elections, the salaries of players were increased, creating problems for the incoming administration,’’ he said.
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