As part of activities marking the seventh anniversary of the Governor Olusegun Mimiko-led government and 40th anniversary of the creation of Ondo State, over N256million was at the weekend disbursed to 659 workers, to commence the 2016 loan scheme.

The scheme is expected to gulp a whooping N600million and will be in three phases.

 Over N4.2billion car loans have been disbursed to 7,120 workers in the state within the seven years administration of the Mimiko-led government.

In his address at the presentation of cheques to the beneficiaries at the Accountant-General’s office, the state Commissioner for Finance, Chief Yele Ogundipe, reiterated the readiness of the current administration to provide additional car loans for more workers before the year runs out.

He reiterated the commitment of the government to improve the welfare of the workforce.

Registering his joy at the development, the commissioner said “I am glad to inform you that a total number of 659 officers from the core civil service and the teaching service will benefit from this batch in which a total sum of N256,660,000.00 will be disbursed.

“Other batches will follow suit in the course of the year as this administration will make available additional fund for more beneficiaries.”

Ogundipe stressed that the state’s car loan scheme is in place to show government’s commitment to the welfare of its workforce, adding that building their capacities has been in the forefront of the administration’s agenda.

The commissioner also revealed that the state government has paid the 2015 leave bonus to all its workers as against insinuations in some quarters that it has not been paid.

Speaking earlier, the state Accountant-General, Elder Frederick Ajibokun, gave the breakdown of car loans disbursed to workers within the seven years of the Mimiko-led-administration as: “N2,096,135,000 to core civil servants, N1,957,394,000 to secondary school teachers and N171,188,000 to parastatals.”