Encomium
‘We didn’t deny owing them’
Osun governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has reacted to workers’ grievances in the state over non-payment of their six months accumulated salaries, pledging to resolve the issue soon.
Speaking with ENCOMIUM Weekly a couple of days back, via his Director of Bureau De Publicity, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, the astute politician denied the tale that the money meant for the payment of the salary has been diverted for personal agenda.
He therefore urged the public and the good people of the House of the Living Spring to discard any baseless rumour capable of inciting workers against the present administration in the state.
He, however, admitted owing workers’ salary which have accumulated for some months, while he also appealed to the affected workers to exercise patience as their issue will be attended to accordingly once the revenue complications are solved.
“We are aware that we’re still owing workers and that can’t be deliberate. Governor Aregbesola knows the value of workers in the state. So, he can’t afford to joke with their salary. We’re going through a lot of things in the state at the moment. But very soon, we would attend to their issue.”
Asked to comment on the recent protest by the workers which almost shut down the state, he said, “There is no crime in staging any protest. This is democracy, people have the right to protest to push forward their legitimate demand. But as I said, we didn’t deny owing them and we will surely pay as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile, there are indications that the aggrieved workers may embark on indefinite strike starting from Tuesday, May 26, 2015, on the directive of the chairman of the state chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Comrade Jacobs Adekomi, if no positive signal is received from the governor regarding his pledge to address the problem soon.
– TADE ASIFAT
