The State government of Osun has cleared the air on theBrumoured new intervention funds said to have been released toBthe state by the federal government as the state government has come out again to fault the claim.
A section of retirees in Osun who were believed to be sponsored by the opposition party had on Tuesday and Wednesday staged a protest and matched round some major streets in Osogbo the state capital and carried placards with different inscriptions alleging that the state had received another tranche of Paris club refund and refused to settle pension arrears.
The retirees who were led by one Mr Yemi Lawal took the protest to the main gate of the state Secretariat, Abere on Wednesday in order to meet the governor.
The retirees had claimed that about 6.3 billion naira had been received by the state government out of about 243 billion naira they alledged that has been released to all the 36 states by the federal government.
Mr Lawal who spoke on behalf of the retirees alledged that the state government had perfected plans to divert the funds by using it to settle the severance package for the immediate past state lawmakers, to pay for the wardrobe allowance and to buy official vehicles for the state new members of the state house of Assembly at the expense of their welfare.
Addressing the protesting retirees at the main gate of the state Secretariat, the state Deputy Governor, Mr Benedict Alabi who faulted the claims and described it as mere rumours and falsehood.
Mr Alabi who went to meet the retirees with the supervisor for information and strategy Mr Adelani Baderinwa said the government had never received any such fund.
He said Osun state is not operating in an isolation and if such intervention funds would be released at all by the federal government to states, it would not be disbursed in secret and more so that Governor Gboyega Oyetola is running a transparent administration as Omoluabi per excellent.
The Osun Deputy Governor however challenged the protesting pensioners to bring evidence if there is any to back there claims.
He said the present administration has never failed in its statutory obligation to both active workers and the senior citizens by continuing to pay full month salaries and pension up till date.
He also announced that the Governor Gboyega Oyetola’s administration has approved the 100% increase in the amount being released monthly to settle arrears of gratuity from 40 million to 80 million naira as well as on the issuance of bond certificates to the retirees under the contributory pension scheme.
On the claims by the retirees, Osun Deputy Governor assured that the matter would be tabled before Governor Gboyega Oyetola for more clarifications just as he asked the group to send representatives to meet with the state government by next week for dialogue.
