By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo, Ayodele Popoola,
Eze Godfrey & Adeyanju Kehinde

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Christians in Ondo State will today join other faithful across the globe to celebrate Easter Monday, a day Christians throng Galilee to meet the resurrected Jesus Christ.

The Easter celebrations; Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Monday all commemorate the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave by the Christian faithful.

In the mood of the celebration, the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Victor Amoko and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Comrade Clement Fatuase, have applauded the state Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, for making Easter celebration sweet and enjoyable for workers in the state.

The labour leaders particularly explained that the early payment of March salary and wage award by the Governor had gone a long way to stabilise the entire society.

Recalled that Governor Aiyedatiwa had on Wednesday March 28, paid the state civil servants their March salary. The Governor equally paid N35,000 wage award to the civil servants.

This development has been applauded by labour leaders in the state and civil servants alike, who said Governor Aiyedatiwa made the Easter celebration pleasurable and easy for them, despite the economic challenges bedeviling the country.

The usual rush and fervor associated with the festive period was also recorded in the markets as scores of shoppers took their time to get the necessary and essential things for the Easter celebration.

Some traders who spoke with The Hope said they also benefitted from the prompt payment of salary to workers as reflected in huge sales, saying the civil servants are spending the money to buy different things.

Speaking on the development, NLC chairman, Comrade Amoko and his TUC counterpart, Comrade Fatuase, described the Governor as workers friendly.

 According to the labour leaders, the state workers have continued to benefit from good governance under Governor Aiyedatiwa.

Amoko said, “you know we have a Governor that is workers friendly and very proactive to our issues. We are proud of him. The payment had gone a long way to stabilise the entire society”.

Also, Fatuase noted that, “This is our expectation, and also dividend of good governance under Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa”.

But the reverse was the case in some States where civil servants celebrated Easter without salary or wage award.

In Osogbo, the Osun State capital, our correspondent gathered that workers did not receive March salary and wage award from the state government.

Mr Mayowa Adebayo a civil servant who spoke to our correspondent said everywhere in the state was silent, not because the people would not have loved to celebrate but due to lack of money, and poverty in the land.

His words: “Can you imagine that many state governments did not pay salary to their workers and you can see what is going on in the market. Nobody has money to buy what to eat, and prices are astronomically increasing to the level that people cannot afford the necessities of life.

” Today, christians are celebrating Easter  Monday but it looks as if nothing is going on because there is no money to celebrate it, it is unfortunate. We have been praying God to sustain and see us through in this present situation we are in now”.

Also, a trader in Osogbo, Mary Akinola, hinted that she recorded low sales during the festive season due to complaints of lack of money by customers.

 “Things are costly and many workers who suppose to have gotten their salary for March were not paid. This showed this present government is not responsive to the plight of the citizens they pledged to cater for and protect,” she lamented.