PDP made us not to pay salaries- Aregbesola

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Governor of Osun Sate, has ascribed the irregular payment of workers’ salaries by his administration and other states in Nigeria to “economic downturn induced by the brazen corruption, wanton theft of crude oil and mismanagement of the country’s resources by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led Federal Government”.

Aregbesola, who was playing host to Federal Government Advocacy Team on the Digital Switch Over, over the weekend explained that he was not happy with the payment of modulated salary in the state, in which some cadres of the workers get 50 per cent and 75 per cent of their monthly earnings.

According to the governor “no reasonable person or government would be happy for being incapacitated to perform his/its required responsibility”.

“We are not happy paying modulated salary to our workers in the civil service and political appointees, we are compelled by the financial reality; we are constrained.

“Contrary to the lies you are being fed, it is not all our workers that receive half salary. Workers on level 1-7, being the most vulnerable and the largest chunk of the workforce are being paid full salary. Workers on level 8-11 showed understanding with the government to accept 75% of their salary.

“It is only workers on grade level 12 upward that receive 50% of their salary. The workers have shown maturity, support and understanding. We acknowledge and appreciate the sacrifice and support of the workers.”

“Before our government, Osogbo roads were very narrow and since there was no development, there was no heavy traffic and the roads accommodated the users. However, there was influx of people to the state since our administration came on board. There was heavy traffic on the Osogbo roads and they could not accommodate the traffic anymore.

“We started construction of new roads and rehabilitation of some existing ones to ease traffic. As a visionary government, we know that by the time our economic plan begins to grow, the Osogbo roads would become busier, so we come up with the construction of Osogbo East Bypass road.

“The Osogbo east bypass road has four big bridges. Anybody that does not have business in Osogbo will take the road to their various destinations. This will reduce traffic on Osogbo township roads. We constructed the road for economic purposes. People that are narrow in thinking do not know that.

“We know that things are hard and the state is passing through financial difficulty. But we are undeterred by the challenges. Our credo is to see that our people explore their freedom for economic prosperity.

“Our joy is in the fact that we will leave a legacy that will transform into economic prosperity for the people and the state. Like the credo of our mentor, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, we want freedom for all, life more abundant,” Aregbesola said.