The Kwara State Head of Service, Mrs Susan Modupe Oluwole announced today, Monday, that the State Governor, Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, has directed that the workdays be reduced from five days to three days per week for every worker in the state.

This was disclosed in a statement signed on Monday, June 5, 2023, and made available to i-News by Murtala Atoyebi, Chief Press Secretary, Office of Head of Service, Kwara State.

The statement said it is a temporary palliative measure initiated by the governor to bring some ease to workers following the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Mrs. Oluwole directed all Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the State to immediately work out a format indicating the alternating work days for each worker under their supervision.

The Head of Service however, called on civil servants in the state not to abuse the magnanimity of the Governor, while emphasizing that the regular monitoring of Ministries, Departments and agencies of the government by her office would be intensified to ensure strict compliance.

Transport fares and the prices of indispensable products and services increased substantially across the country last week as Nigerians struggled with the fallout from the government’s decision to end payments of subsidy on petrol.

In his inaugural speech at Eagle Square, Abuja, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced that there would no longer be a petroleum subsidy as the expensive regime was no longer sustainable.

“We commend the decision of the outgoing administration in phasing out the petrol subsidy regime which has increasingly favoured the rich more than the poor. Subsidy can no longer justify its ever-increasing costs in the wake of drying resources.

“We shall, instead, re-channel the funds into better investment in public infrastructure, education, health care and jobs that will materially improve the lives of millions,” Mr Tinubu said.

Following the speech, oil marketers raised the price of fuel across the country and Labour announced a nationwide strike to begin from Wednesday to demand for immediate reversal.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has since hinted that there is a need to review basic salary structure in the country in order to cushion the effects of the already suspended subsidy on petrol.