Osun government denies paying half salaries to workers

The government, in a statement signed by Adelani Baderinwa, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, said that they are not owing workers.

Baderinwa also said “For the purpose of emphasis, explanation and clarification, workers in the state of Osun are paid based on modulated salary structure agreed upon by the government and the labour unions in the state.

“We have been saying it loud and clear and we will not be tired of saying it until the mischief makers succumb to fact and reality; it is only a section of workers on grade level 13 and above that receives painfully 50 per cent of their salaries based on agreement between the government and the labour unions.

“Outside that category of workers on grade level 13 and above, no other receives half of his or her salaries and the workers in this category are just about 20 per cent of the state’s workforce.

“Workers on levels 8-12 receive 75 percent of their salaries while officers on levels 7 and below receive their full pay.

“All workers in the state have received their salaries up to October this year. As we pay active workers, so we pay pensioners.

“The only outstanding payment to pensioners is the gratuity and this is due to workers who choose not to participate in the Contributory Pension Scheme and therefore left service in 2011/2012.

“We recall that workers on levels 8 and above received the July and August arrears when the government paid in July this after receiving the second tranche of the Paris Club Loan Refund.”

The commissioner also blamed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the economic hardship in the state.

He said “We wish to state that the modulated salary was arrived upon as the best option the government could take in the interest of the workers due to the PDP induced economic recession that crippled the state finances.

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“We consider at as a deliberate attempt to malign the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola for a national newspaper which has the clear fact about the salary structure of the state at hand to accuse the state government of Osun of paying half salary.”

Christmas package

Recently, President Muhammadu Buhari directed state governmentsto ensure payment of outstanding workers' salaries in their various states, to enable workers celebrate Christmas.

This was revealed to State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with the President in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday, November 27, 2017, by the Governor of Imo state, Rochas Okorocha.