ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) have clashed over the non-payment of local government workers, with both sides trading accusations over alleged diversion and withholding of funds.
The disagreement follows claims by the governor during a stakeholders’ meeting that his administration’s intervention in paying local government workers’ salaries had stalled key state projects, accusing APC-linked council officials of hijacking funds amounting to N300 billion.
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke defended the state government’s decision to shoulder the financial burden of paying local teachers, health workers, pensioners, and council staff for over a year.
“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.
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“The workers have families and their own needs. Why should a party decide 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,” he said.
However, the APC in the state dismissed the governor’s claims, accusing him of blackmail and insisting that he is responsible for the non-payment of workers’ salaries.
In a counter-statement by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, the party alleged that Adeleke deliberately instructed senior local government officials not to release payment vouchers.
“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.
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“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 stated.
The escalating war of words underscores deepening political tension in Osun State, with both sides holding firm to their positions as workers continue to face uncertainty over salary payments.