The Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf
Aregbesola, has said a former Head
of Service in the state, Mr. Segun
Akinwusi, demonstrated his
ignorance of public finance by
blaming him (the governor) for the
state’s inability to pay workers
their monthly salaries.
The governor, through his media
aide, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, issued
a statement to react to Akinwusi’s
claim that Aregbesola’s financial
recklessness was responsible for
the inability of the state to pay its
workforce for over six months.
The statement read, “Akinwusi, as
usual, demonstrated once again
that he lacks basic knowledge of
public finance despite serving at
the topmost level of his career
before retirement.
“Where does the former Head of
Service place the verdict by the
Debt Management Office under the
PDP-led Federal Government which
stated last year that Osun’s debt
did not exceed what the state
could cope with?
“It is not unexpected for the likes of
Mr. Akinwusi to want to score cheap
popularity and political points with
issues of delayed salaries. But his
reasons for the delay are wide off
the mark for any intelligent
rationalisation.
“As Head of Service who had the
grace of enjoying Aregbesola’s
large heart till his retirement age,
has he forgotten that right-thinking
people would demand from him
what was his contribution to issues
(relating to) such loans and bonds
before he exited the service?”
The media aide said that the
governor had run a very prudent
administration, raising Osun from a
prostrate financial state when he
came in to one with an enviable
economic status.
He added that the feat in the area
of “financial engineering enabled
his government to record the
tremendous, life-changing
achievements which Osun people
can point to today.
“That the national revenue crisis
has forced Osun to join states with
delayed salaries does not
obliterate the facts of his
achievements in virtually all the
sectors of the state’s life.”
Meanwhile, the Osun State
Association of Medical and Dental
Officers has said that the
association has not reached any
agreement with Aregbesola over
their unpaid salaries.
The association said this in a
statement signed in Osogbo on
Wednesday by its Chairman and
Secretary, Dr. Isiaka Adekunle and
Dr. Oloyede Subair respectively.
The leaders of the association said
they did not deny holding several
meetings with the state
government adding that the
meetings centered only on the
welfare of their members.
The statement partly read, “The
statement by the government
spokesman in reaction to NMA’s
appeal to the state to re-evaluate
its priorities in the disbursement of
resources was not only divisive but
also false.
“We had no pact with the state over
the unpaid salaries. The breakdown
of our unpaid salaries is as follows;
60 per cent November, December,
January, February, March, April and
now May salaries.
“There is no hidden place for the
state government over the issue of
non-payment of salaries of workers.
We are calling on Mr. Rauf
Aregbesola-led government to
show more commitment to
payment of all the seven months
arrears of salaries to its workers
and pensioners.”
However, Okanlawon denied
issuing any divisive statement
while reacting to the doctors’
statement.
He said, “The last time we spoke on
OSAMDO, all we said was that the
state government and OSAMDO,
which represents NMA members,
have been having fruitful
discussions. It is also good to make
useful references to information
already in circulation.
“A simple reference to the
statement issued when the NMA
wrote its open letter to the
governor would have clarified such
a misinformation.”
He said that the governor would
continue to make workers’ welfare
his priority, adding that the end of
the problem was near.
by ROTMANLUV 2023-07-08, 17:34
