Gov Rauf Aregbesola….Can now smile
There is jubilation on the streets of Osun State, following the governor, Rauf Aregbesola’s his payment of August salary of workers, and the clearance of the arrears owed them
The government also paid pensioners.
OSun is largely a civil service town and non payment of salaries, is a strangulation of the people.
With latest gesture, a lot of civil servants were jubilant with many seen heading straight to the Automatic Teller Machines or banks.
The Osun Commissioner for Finance, Bola Oyebamiji, said the workers were paid from the N19.8 billion set aside by government.
Workers were paid September, October, November and December 2015 salary arrears, 2016 leave bonus and full August 2018 salaries.
Banks and commercial centres around Ogo-Oluwa, Igbonna, Orisumbare amongst others witnessed massive patronage as many pensioners and workers were seen withdrawing money after the state government had made good its promise.
Market women and artisans were full of praises to the Aregbesola led administration for putting smiles on the faces of workers and pensioners by paying their entitlements.
A senior civil servant, Madam Modupe Faturoti said Aregbesola has shown that he is well interested in the welfare of workers in the state by paying workers entitlement.
She held that workers and pensioners are so happy regardless of what others are saying concerning the timing of the payment, stating that it’s better late than never.
A report from the NAN quoted one of the civil servants as saying: “As far as I am concerned, everybody is happy that salaries have been paid, some say it is because of election. But election or no election, what I am bothered about is that my money has been paid.
“What we all should be concerned about is that the issue of half salary had been put to rest, Aregbesola has shown his sincerity because the bailout money he received was 16billion and he is paying 19.8 billion to us”.
Mr. Femi Ademola, a level 09 officer in the state civil service expressed happiness over payment of the workers’ salaries.
Ademola said that the payment of arrears as well as pensions for the retired civil servants is a welcome development, though some of them are not beneficiaries.
“What is happening is a welcome development.The joyous mood has translated into colleagues painting the market red with the collection of part of their arrears”, he emphasised.
The finance commissioner, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, stated that the latest Paris Club refund released to the state by Federal Government was N16.6 billion.
He added that governor Aregbesola approved the disbursement of. N19.8 billion to clear four months of salary arrears, pension arrears and leave bonus with adequate provision for full salaries going-forward.
Similar euphoria is being expressed in the markets across the state as traders expressed surprise over the rate in which they sell their wares.
A market woman, Alhaja Wosila Adeagbo, a rice seller at the Oluode Market in Osogbo noted that there has been pressure on her and other traders as many customers came to buy food items.
Another trader, Alhaja Sikiratu Ibrahim, said workers who had owed her had started coming to pay their debts, thanking Aregbesola for the prompt payment.
