Osun dep gov, other appointees are being owed salaries, says Aregbesola

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State yesterday disclosed that the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Grace T. Laoye-Tomori, and other political appointees are being owed salaries in the state.

He made the disclosure on his official twitter handle @raufaregbesola.

Aregebsola’s clarification followed enquiries on #MeetOgbeni, a platform for open engagement between the state government and individuals.

He wrote: “It is true that we are not paying a section of the workforce. This section includes my deputy and other political appointees.

“The reason is to reduce inequality in the way of human life.”

The governor described himself as a leftist, who supports social equality, and a “committed advocate for the reduction, if not elimination, of the unequal sharing of scare resources.”

He criticised the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan for alleged mismanagement of Nigeria’s resources.

According to him: “Its anti-people policies sought to enrich a microscopic few at the expense of a larger proportion of the people.”

Aregebsola said although the state has the most committed civil service in the country, it is sensitive to the plight of workers, hence it has not downsized its workforce.

He stressed that the state government “took the most human approach, which is to share our resources accordingly.”

He disclosed that salary payment was based on a sharing pattern according to grade levels.
The governor explained that workers on Grade levels 1-7 are paid full salaries; grade levels 8-10 receive 75 per cent, while grade levels 12-17 earn half of what is due to them.”
However, the governor’s comments have attracted various reactions.
Some have described his claims as false and hypocritical. One Mr. AdesiyanAdedolapo@Dspeaker001 said: “Osun State became poorer” under Aregbesola’s watch.

But, Mr. Adeleke Olusola @Adeleke37188080 said the governor has done, and is still doing a good job using “the state’s meager resources to improve the lives of the common men.”