Osun Govt Denounces Allegations by Faceless ‘Workers Union’, Affirms Commitment to Worker Welfare
By Richard Akintade, Osogbo
The Osun State Government has dismissed a recent statement credited to a faceless and non existing group under the aegis of Osun Workers Union on the alleged delay in the payment of wage award to some categories of civil servants as a rant of political jobbers, saying those behind the lies are the same characters that treated the welfare of workers with disgust in the past.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi and made available to our Correspondent in Osogbo the Osun State capital on Friday, the Osun State Government said the approach of disguising as workers to play cheap politics is insulting to the understanding and hard-working workforce in the state, considering the horrible experience they suffered in the hands of those feigning concerns over their welfare.
Oluomo Alimi who observed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state is being hunted by the conscience of its past failures, particularly in terms of the welfare of workers and pensioners, noted that contrary to the wrong impression it tried to paint in the minds of the innocent members of the public, Governor Ademola Adeleke has shown sincere commitment to the welfare of workers and pensioners, more than any administration since the creation of Osun state in 1991.
Part of Alimi’s statement on the spurious allegations of the baseless and faceless Osun Workers Union, acting the script of opposition party in the state, reads thus:
“While we agree with the role of the opposition in holding the government accountable, we however, take exception to the deceptive approach of the APC on the welfare of workers in the state.
“Contrary to the lies inherent in the statement conveyed through a non-existing workers group, we must inform the public that the wage award of some categories of workers have already been paid for days now.
“Delays for those remaining are as a result of network issues with banks and public holidays, and efforts are already underway to get the issues sorted out.
“It is unfortunate that this is what the APC sees as what to play politics with when it is on record that it did not only default in special emoluments, which the wage award represents, but basic entitlements of not just workers but pensioners.
“We believe that Osun people can still recall the agonizing pains that workers and pensioners went through under the APC led government in getting their benefits. At a point, Osun became a poor reference in the whole country as workers and pensioners were reduced to begging for gifts and donations from individuals and bodies to survive.
“The most recent experience of the APC inhuman treatment of workers and pensioners was the failure of Mr Gboyega Oyetola, the former governor, to implement the financial implications of promotion he gave to workers– and that lasted over three years. It was the same Governor Adeleke that intervened by cash-backing this worker’s benefit.
“Between when Governor Adeleke took office and now, he has paid five-months out of the 30 months half salaries owed by the APC administration. Governor Adeleke has also expended billions of naira on bonds for pensioners on the contributory pension and settled benefits of pensioners on the old scheme, among others.
“It is also worth noting that, Governor Adeleke enrolled the entire retirees in the state on a healthcare coverage, popularly known as Osun Health Insurance Scheme (OHIS) to make sure that pensioners no longer have to worry about the burden of managing their health. Osun, consequently, became the first state in Nigeria to give such coverage to pensioners.
“All of these go to show a strong commitment to the welfare of workers and pensioners, and Governor Adeleke is not departing from this path.
“To lend credence to this and others, Pensioners in the State unanimously conferred an award of Excellence on Mr Governor as a way of showing their gratitude and appreciation. In the same vein, the entire body of workers under the umbrella of Nigeria Labour Congres, NLC, conferred an award of Excellence on Mr. Governor as the Most Worker Friendly Governor in Osun State.
“Instead of the APC becoming restless, taking every issue about Governor Adeleke administration as a ground for its cheap and unproductive politics of pull him down at all cost syndrome running in their veins, we enjoin the party, not to always throw caution to the winds out of envy and hatred for the success stories of Ademola Adeleke led government, but be magnanimous enough in acknowledging and apologizing to the people of Osun for the unimaginable damages it caused the state during its 4 years inglorious reign.
“If the APC actually cares about the welfare of workers, why did it leave a humongous N76bn pension and wage-related debt? Why did it fail to pay the promotion benefits of workers for years until Governor Adeleke came on board to commence payment to that effect?”
Oluomo Alimi enjoined the public to stop giving any attention to the Osun APC, with its penchant for telling and concocting lies including disguising as a non-existing workers group, saying that “If there is still any honour left among the ruinous elements, there is no way those who made workers and pensioners go through hell, which led to the death of some, to concoct lies about a government that is prioritizing the welfare of workers and pensioners, which it fumbled greatly while in charge.”