Adebayo Adenrele
The Chief Medical Director of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti (EKSUTH), Professor Kayode Olabanji has insisted that the hospital management was not owing any worker, saying the controversy largely stemmed from the implementation of the new tax law and the adjustment of workers’ salaries.
Recall that health workers under the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) in the Hospital earlier raised alarm over alleged outstanding financial obligations owed workers at the institution such as 72-month arrears, COVID-19 allowances, special levies, cooperative deductions and union deductions.
Addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti, Professor Olabanji explained that the management had implemented the new salary structure in line with the government-approved circular, which, according to him, was vetted by the unions, adding that the corresponding arrears released to the hospital had also been paid to the workers.
His words: “We have implemented that salary according to the circular given to us, vetted by the unions. So, we have implemented the new salary. We have paid the arrears, one month, according to what we were given.
“For the doctors, there is another award for those who are in training. For those who are in training, we have also paid that. Everything the government gave to us, we have disposed of to the workers.
“The Board of Internal Revenue wrote to us in January that we must implement the new tax law. We had to go to the Internal Revenue. We went to hold meetings with the representatives of these unions; we were there.
“There have been some deductions. But then they have been settled. They have been paid. As we are saying, if our allocation is not enough to pay this man’s salary, where are we going to have some huge money to clear arrears at once?
“So, they are being paid; they are being settled. But the immediate cause of this problem is that the tax is not favourable nd that is what they are contesting. That is all the problem.
“Everybody knew the tax they were not paying correctly before. The Board of Internal Revenue told us that if employers refuse to deduct the correct amount, there will be lawsuits and litigation.
“So, we are agents of government, and we have to follow what the tax law says. That is all”.
