The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has condemned last
week's alleged payment of N20 billion by Governor Rauf Aregbesola from the
N35billion bailout funds he got, to a road contractor (Slava
Yediteppe) when members of the state's workforce are being owed 9 months outstanding
salary.
The
party in a statement issued by Prince Diran Odeyemi, it's Director
Media and Strategy, accused Governor Aregbesola of misplacing his
priority by paying the company handling the Osogbo Ring Road project
when civil servants in the state are wallowing in abject poverty due to
unpaid salaries.
"We
have it on good authority that the payment was effected last week
Thursday and we have noticed that the contractor has returned to site
with men and equipment within 24 hours as requested by the
governor", the party stated.
The
party said the N35billion bailout is lodged in two banks- WEMA and
Zenith- adding that while the funds in one of the banks remained fixed
as earlier alleged by the PDP, the part lodged in the other bank has
been recalled to pay this company with very strong links to a figure in the presidency.
"Much
as we believe the road project is ideal, we wonder why an inflated road
contract awarded at N1 billion per kilometre has suddenly become the
priority of Governor Aregbesola at this particular period of nine months
unpaid salary if not because of some under current deals to siphon funds
and shortchange the people of Osun State.
This
perhaps is the reason why the governor said he would only pay half of
March salary for workers at a meeting he held with them last week, " the
PDP said.
The
party therefore called on President Mohammadu Buhari to wade into the
looming crisis in the state if governor Aregbesola continues to deny
Osun workers of their right to salary having received the bail out fund
from the Central Bank three weeks ago even without meeting the condition set for him
to submit the resolution of the State Executive Council because he does
not have an exco ten months into his second term.
"This
hardship is too much for the people of Osun and we are therefore
appealing to traditional rulers and religious bodies in the state to
wade in before it escalates and become unbearable because a hungry
person is unarguably an angry man," the PDP said.
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