Aregbesola Reassures Osun Workers Of Job Security, Welfare

Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has described as tissue of lies the allegation by the former Head of Service, Elder Segun Akinwusi, that the state government is indebted to the tune of N300 billion and that government is intending to retrench workers in the state.
A statement by the Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor, quoted Governor Aregbesola as describing as dishonourable for the former HOS whom he retained despite heavy pressure on him to remove him at the onset of his administration, to turn around and become an agent of wicked, naked lies.
Akinwusi was the Head of Service inherited by the Aregbesola administration, who was retained as against usual practice of new administrations retaining such officials.
The statement quoted the governor as speaking during the launch of State of Osun civil servant smart identity card and biometric automation tagged ‘I am Alive.’
Among others, Akinwusi is believed to be manufacturing bogus figures as debts incurred by the state claiming that his former position offered him opportunity to know.
The governor said there was nothing wrong with the former HOS’s ambition, noting however that decorum and sincerity must be considered while seeking the electorate’s support.
Aregbesola, while debunking the lies, said with all the policies initiated by his administration to uplift the standard of living of civil servants in the state, there is no doubt that his government is one of the most compassionate and workers-friendly.
He disclosed that despite drastic reduction in the allocation accruing to the state from the federation account, his government has kept the entire work force in the state and paid their salaries as and when due.
He described the rumoured impending retrenchment as mere figment of the imaginations of Akinwusi and his ilk, affirming that government is not even contemplating sacking any worker.
“Our administration is the most passionate and workers-friendly in the country. All we have done and are still doing is to better the condition of workers.
“Despite the dwindling allocation by almost 40 per cent since January 2013, this government still kept it’s entire work force.
“So, I don’t know where you workers got the news that I will retrench some of you. This is just mere lies being told by our adversaries so that you can hate us.
“I am saying it categorically clear that this government has no intention to retrench workers. Rather, this government is committed to welfare and progress of all of you.
“I will only implore you not to listen to those who are pressurising you to hate us because they can’t do better than what we are doing,” Aregbesola said.”
The governor described the activities of Akinwusi as laughable and dishonest in fabricating lies of such proportion not only about a performing administration but also to cause confusion in the state.
On the alleged N300 billion debt profile of Osun, the governor lamented that those who ought to know and educate others are now the ones demonstrating crass ignorance about the affairs of the state.
He argued that a state with such amount of debt would need to pay N3 billion monthly being 10 percent to service such debt, saying Osun does not even collect up to this amount from federal allocation every month any more.
He said Adewusi, whom he resisted all entreaties to remove as the HOS when he came to power, was just being mischievous spreading such falsehood.
“I am disappointed. This is somebody that reached the highest pedestal of his career and he is now behaving like an illiterate. Does he know the import of what he says?
“If a state owes N300 billion, ten percent of that amount is N3 billion, which is to be paid monthly to service the debt. If Osun is paying N3billion as debt servicing every month, where does Adewusi think we will get the money to do all the massive capital projects we are doing?
“Where does he think we will get the money to pay workers’ salaries? With all the pressure mounted on me to remove him as HOS when I assumed office, out of compassion and my friendly posture, I retained him to complete his years in the service before he retired.
“It is therefore absurd and an act of insincerity and dishonesty for Adewusi to be spreading such unsubstantiated news about, saying Osun burrowed N300 billion.
This is far from the truth. We will leave him to his conscience if he has one. But then, calculated lies like his cannot and will not detract us from the good work we are doing in the state,” Aregbesola said