The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has rejected the reason given by Senator Ademola Adeleke, the state governor, as the cause of the delay in paying March salaries of government workers in the state.
In a statement released by the State Government through the spokesperson for the governor, Olawale Rasheed, it stated that the delay in the payment of March salary is as a result of the ongoing computation of promotion arrears of civil servants promoted without pay in the last four years.
Disagreeing with this, Osun APC acting Chairman, Mr Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement released on Saturday noted that the reason given by the government are flimsy and untenable excuses.
The statement read,
“How many of such salaries have Adeleke paid that his government has ceased breathing midway like a proverbial smoke? A gentleman’s bond is his words.
“It would be recalled that Adeleke promised heaven and earth during the governorship campaign that he would never exceed the 26th of the month before he pays the workers.”
“The reality on the ground now is that Adeleke has blown on frivolities all the funds that he inherited from his predecessor and those that accrued to his government to the extent that he cannot pay the salaries of the workers again as and when due”.
Reacting to this, Osun PDP acting chairman, Dr Adekunle Akindele, described APC in the state as financially illiterate.
He said,
“Workers across the sector are appreciative of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s innovative and shrewd handling of the state’s finance which addresses the basic needs of the people and attends to the critical infrastructural needs of the state.
“After failing for four years to pay the promotion arrears, contributory pensions and the half salary of workers in Osun State, the APC is shamed by the sterling records of Adeleke’s administration which include clearing all the messy legacy of the previous government.
“This explains its unfounded vituperations and false alarm on Osun finance.”