Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC, in the State have disagreed over reasons local government council staff were not getting paid at the council.
The Governor had during a stakeholders meeting in the State disclosed that his administration shouldering of LG workers’ salary stalled some of his ongoing projects as the APC council officials have hijacked the fund to the tune of N300billion.
But the APC blamed the Governor for inciting senior local government workers not to release payment vouchers to blackmail the party, saying he responsible for the stalled projects not the APC reinstated council officials.
Adeleke, in a statement issued by his spokesperson Olawale Rasheed explained that the state has to shoulder the responsibility of paying local teachers, health workers, pensioners and local government workers for more than one year now
“If Osun APC lacks conscience by diverting funds meant for local workers to their personal use, I cannot do it. I cannot abandon local workers who the court sacked APC chairmen intend to punish by criminally hijacking and diverting LG funds in open violation of local government finance laws. The workers have families and their own needs. Why should a party decides to hate and punish workers for no just reason? So the state government has been footing the bills all along.
“If we had refused to financially sustain the local workforce, local health and education services would have collapsed by now, hardship at the local level would have increased. The pain would be too much to bear for our grassroots people. So we have been using money for state projects to sustain the local workforce. Close to N300 billion of state money is trapped and hijacked by the Osun APC.
APC reacts
Reacting, the APC in a statement by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi berated the Governor for embarking on cheap blackmail, saying he (Governor) was responsible for workers at the grassroots not getting paid, having instructed that payment vouchers should not be released.
“The governor’s false statement would have been laced with honour if he had disclosed to the innocent and discerning minds in the state and beyond that he is the one responsible for the non-payment of the salaries and allowances of the said primary school teachers, health workers and others by his blatant refusal to release the electronic salary vouchers of the local government staff and primary school teachers.
“The actuarial valuation registers for the pensioners, vouchers of this valuation properly audited; data showing compilation of leave bonuses; data showing compilation of co-operative investment deductions and data showing compilation of check-off dues to trade unions properly audited, despite several appeals to the governor by the reinstated local government council chairmen.
“The actuarial register contains the quantum of money due to each worker as the value of past services rendered to the government and this is what is called Bond which the reinstated council executives are ready to back up with funds and be released to the Pension Fund Administrators (PFAs) to facilitate payment of money for the retirees in the various local government council areas.
“These pensioners must know now that there are enough funds to take care of their Bond Certificates if only they could plead with the governor to allow them to be free.
“We assure the affected workers that their entitlements would be promptly settled by the reinstated local government council chairmen immediately the highly vindictive Governor Adeleke relaxes his hold on the vital documents for the payment of the salaries and allowances”, the party added