APC govs help Aregbesola to pay salaries

The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party on Friday alleged that the governments of Rivers, Lagos and other states under the control of the All Progressives Congress had helped the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola, to pay workers’ salaries.

Osun PDP, in a statement by its chairman, Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa, said the APC governors’ action enabled Aregbesola’s government, “which apparently lacks respect for the welfare of workers,” to pay workers part of their July salaries.

“We wonder for how long the APC governors will continue to bail out Aregbesola and his government, which has mortgaged the state through needless debts and loans despite having no tangible achievement to show for the excessive borrowing in the last three years and eight months,” the statement read in part.

The PDP warned civil servants in the state not to be deceived by Aregbesola’s “eleventh hour payment of salary through subventions from APC states,” saying it was unsustainable and was at best targeted at hoodwinking the workforce to vote for the APC. 

“We doubt if a government that failed to contribute to the statutory pension of its hardworking workforce and still used the workers’ contribution as collateral for needless borrowing can be trusted as it faces rejection from the people ahead of a governorship election,” the PDP added.

In his reaction, Aregbesola’s media aide, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, said the allegation was a figment of the PDP’s imagination.

He said the PDP was angry that the state government had survived all onslaughts against it, that were aimed at crippling it financially.

Okalanwon said, “The PDP and its allies had orchestrated what they believed to be a financial emasculation and financial asphyxiation of the government of Aregbesola in the build up to the election, hoping that denying Osun what is rightfully its, will cripple the state government and make Osun people to turn against Aregbesola and the APC.

“But to their chagrin, they have found out that this state has survived all onslaughts. We must give credit to the financial wizardry and foresightedness of Rauf Aregbesola and his entire team.

“Long before now, without even anticipating the shenanigans of PDP-led Federal Government, Osun under Aregbesola, despite its meagre resources, had put in place a financial mechanism that would guarantee survival and stability under whatever hardship that might be brought upon our state either by man or nature.

“That is why the PDP should know that the APC is different from it. And that is why the people will ensure the continuity of the Rauf Aregbesola administration. All allegations of any contribution is just a figment of their imagination.”