The Edo State Government has reduced the working period in the state to three days weekly towards managing the crisis over the removal of petrol subsidy by President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which has caused remarkable hardship in the country. The Edo State government has become the second to introduce three working days in a week after Kwara State government, which had earlier announced the reduction of weekly working days from five to three as adjustment to the removal of subsidy from petrol.
The state government is also working out a template to reduce the number of days for school attendance by teachers and students, encouraging study from home, without disrupting the school system.
Meanwhile, civil and public servants in Edo State would be working from home for the two days they will not be in office till further notice.
The state government promised to sustain the payment of enhanced N40,000 minimum wage to workers, adding that the state would pay more when more funds are available.
The Edo State Government in a statement on Tuesday, declared: “as a proactive government, we have since taken the step to increase the minimum wage paid to workers in Edo State from the approved N30,000 to N40,000, the highest in the country today.
“We want to assure you that we will continue to pay this amount, while we hope to increase it even further if more allocation accrues to our State from the Federal Government in view of the expected savings occasioned by the removal of the fuel subsidy.
“We know the hardship that has been caused by this policy which has radically increased the cost of transportation, eating deep into the wages of workers in the State. “Therefore, the Edo State Government is, hereby, reducing the number of work days that civil and public servants will have to commute to their workplaces from five days a week to three days a week till further notice. Workers will now work from home two days a week.
“Similarly, for teachers and parents, their commuting to school will be reduced as the government is working on deepening the EdoBEST@Home initiative to create more virtual classrooms, thereby, reducing the cost of commuting on parents, teachers, and pupils. The Edo SUBEB will provide details on this initiative in the coming days.”
The statement added: “to lower the rising cost of energy on our people, we will continue to work with the electricity companies in the State to improve power supply to homes and businesses.
“Similarly, fibre optic connections are being made available to help our people work remotely, thereby, reducing their cost of transportation.
“While government intensifies these efforts to alleviate the burden of the fuel price increase on the people during this very challenging period, we want to call on everyone to remain calm and go about their daily businesses lawfully.”