Osun State Government has paid workers’ salaries, leave bonuses and pensions with the N16.6 billion Paris Club refund released to the state by the Federal Government.
The Commissioner for Finance, Mr Bola Oyebamiji, who said this at a press conference in Osogbo on Thursday added that the state government added N3 billion generated from other sources to make it a total of N19.8 billion which was used to pay the August salaries, four months salary arrears, pensions and leave bonuses to the workers.
The commissioner said it was not the first time that the Governor Rauf Aregbesola administration would commit such a huge amount received from the Federal Government to salaries and pensions.
According to him: “The latest Paris Club refund released to the state by the Federal Government is N16.623,296,402.82 while Mr Governor has approved the disbursement of N19,801,328,271.22 to clear four months of salary arrears, pension arrears and leave bonus with adequate provision for full salaries.
For the second month, we have now paid full salaries to all our workers. It is my hope and prayers that this will be sustained, and we will never have cause to modulate workers’ salaries in Osun again.
Therefore, on behalf of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, I will like to commend and thank all the workers in Osun for their sacrifice, resilience and unflinching support to the government and dedication to duty, even in the midst of daunting challenges. I have no doubt that workers, in their demonstrable good nature and Omoluabi spirit, will reciprocate this good gesture from the government.”
Making further clarification in an interview with Premium Times, the state Commissioner of Information, Mr Adelani Baderinwa, said that the full salary payment started with the July payment.
Osun state had started ‘modulated’ salary payment in June 2015 when the state faced an economic crisis; and this year’s June salary payment marked the third anniversary of half salary payments in the state.
Before then, only workers below level 7 received full salary payment. Workers between level 8 and 12 had been receiving 75 per cent of their salaries while the state’s staff on grade level 13 and above had been receiving 50 per cent of their salaries in line with the structure.
However, Adelani assured that the end has come for modulated salary structure.
His words: “Government had never deliberately gone out of its way to pay modulated salary. It was because of financial resources available to government. It is the last thing the governor wished. If you noticed, there have been an increment in the cost of crude oil which is affecting the income of the state.”
Asked if the payment was inspired by the September 22 governorship election, he said: “We have that agreement that when government gets extra payment we will pay full salary.”
He did not say when the workers will receive the cuts made to their salaries over the years.
Punch/Premium Times
