The State Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has expressed his grief over the inability of the state government to pay full salary to the workers in the civil service and political appointees.
Aregbesola said he was unhappy on the payment of modulated salary to the workers, just as he explained that not all the civil servants in the state are affected by the modulated salary.
He stated this at the weekend while addressing a team of Federal Government on the Digital Switch Over who was on advocacy visit to the state, led to his office by the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Adelani Baderinwa.
According to the governor, economic downturn induced by the brazen corruption, wanton theft of crude oil and mismanagement of the country’s resources by the PDP Democratic Party (PDP) led Federal Government forced the state to what it is witnessing today.
Aregbesola said no reasonable person or government would be happy not being incapacitated to perform his/its required responsibility.
The governor said: “We are not happy paying modulated salary to our workers in the civil service and political appointees, we are compelled by the financial reality; we are constrained.
“Contrary to the lies you are being fed, it is not all our workers that receive half salary. Workers on level 1-7, being the most vulnerable and the largest chunk of the workforce are being paid full salary. Workers on level 8-11 showed understanding with the government to accept 75% of their salary.
“It is only workers on grade level 12 upward that receive 50% of their salary. The workers have shown maturity, support and understanding. We acknowledge and appreciate the sacrifice and support of the workers.”
Aregbesola said the financial burden on the government was incurred to provide massive infrastructure to transform the state and develop it economically, noting that Osogbo desired infrastructure development to have a look of a state capital.
He said: “Before our government, Osogbo roads were very narrow and since there was no development, there was no heavy traffic and the roads accommodated the users. However, there was influx of people to the state since our administration came on board. There was heavy traffic on the Osogbo roads and they could not accommodate the traffic anymore.
“We started construction of new roads and rehabilitation of some existing ones to ease traffic. As a visionary government, we know that by the time our economic plan begins to grow, the Osogbo roads would become busier, so we come up with the construction of Osogbo East Bypass road.
“The Osogbo east bypass road has four big bridges. Anybody that does not have business in Osogbo will take the road to their various destinations. This will reduce traffic on Osogbo township roads. We constructed the road for economic purposes. People that are narrow in thinking do not know that.
“We know that things are hard and the state is passing through financial difficulty. But we are undeterred by the challenges. Our credo is to see that our people explore their freedom for economic prosperity.
“Our joy is in the fact that we will leave a legacy that will transform into economic prosperity for the people and the state. Like the credo of our mentor, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, we want freedom for all, life more abundant.”
In his address, Baderiwa, the commissioner for Information and Strategy, said he was in support of the Digital Switch Over, saying that it will provide for young and talented men and women and as well throw challenges to the lazy and unproductive workers in the media industry.
