Governor of Osun state, Senator Ademola Adeleke has paid six months of inherited half salary debt from the past administration of the All Progressives Congress.
Spokesperson to the Governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed disclosed this on Friday while reacting to a post by Reno Omokri via his verified X account.
TheHintsNews reports that Omkri while reacting to a post by publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu had claimed that there were reports of half salaries the state government was owing workers and other incidents of hardship on the state workers, despite a 45 percent increase in federal allocation to the state.
However, Rasheed maintained that Omkri’s claim was laced with inaccuracies.
He said: “I read your post on Aree Dele Momodu and his writings on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State. Your piece is however laced with inaccuracies especially with respect to the state of staff salary and pension in Osun state.
“A little research would have assisted you to know the true state of pensions and half salaries that were inherited by Governor Adeleke. For your information, the Government of Governor Adeleke inherited about N56 billion in pension debt and almost N30 billion in half salary debt from the previous APC state government.
“From November 2022 till today, Governor Adeleke embarked on systematic payment of the inherited half salary debt with six months already paid.”
Rasheed added that for the pension debt Adeleke has paid about N12.5 billion in the past one and half year compared to N11.7 billion paid under the 12 years of APC government in the state.
He emphasised that aside gradual payment of the inherited pension and half salary debt, Adeleke has ensured regular and consistent payment of monthly salary and allowances of the state workers since he assumed office.
The Governor’s Spokesperson noted that Adeleke’s records on workers’ welfare excited public service unions that they gave him an award for the most Humane Governor in Osun history in December 2023.
He said the first item on Adeleke’s Five Point Agenda is Workers’ Welfare.
Rasheed noted: “Where you got your concoction of workers being owed salaries under Governor Adeleke is therefore puzzling. As much as I don’t want to accuse you of peddling fake news, I believe you failed to properly plan your response to Aree Momodu, hence your allusion to a non-existing wage crisis in Osun state.
“You owe the public and even your followers the responsibility to post truths, not baseless accusations against a performing Governor.
“And if I may comment on why many media friends write so much about Osun, it is simply because they see with fact checks the rapid progress Osun is making under Governor Adeleke.
“The administration enjoys so much support from the media not because of the heavy purse but rather due to professional media coverage which clearly reflects the tireless efforts of the dancing performing Governor to take Osun to new heights.”