The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has called on the state Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to order the immediate payment of the salaries and pensions arrears of workers and pensioners and other allowances that are causes of the warning strike embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress in the state.
The Chairman of the PDP in the state, Mr. Soji Adagunodo, made the call in a statement in Osogbo on Wednesday.
Adagunodo said, “The withholding of workers and pensioners’ financial entitlements for a period of 34 months is callous and unwarranted.
“The state government has no justification for the brazen oppression of workers who toil day and night to sustain the running of public institutions.
“To make matters worse, Ogbeni Aregbesola continues to make senior citizens who are pensioners object of ridicule in the society by refusing to pay their meagre pensions and gratuities.
“Rather than attend to the germane issues raised by the labour unions while the ultimatum lasted, Ogbeni Aregbesola was busy with desperate political campaigns to install his surrogate as the next governor.
“We condemn this gross insensitivity and call on the governor to immediately address the demands of the union in order to save millions of innocent citizens from the consequences of a prolonged strike.”
But the governor, in his reaction to the PDP’s call, claimed that the alleged looting if treasury by the past administration of the PDP was part of the reasons for the salary problem in the state.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Adelani Baderinwa, who spoke on behalf of the governor said the administration had been addressing the issues raised by the striking workers.
Baderinwa said the PDP should leave the labour matter and face the problems rocking the party.
He said that the state government would address the issues raised by the workers, saying the administration and the workers had been having good relationships since Aregbesola came into office.
Baderinwa described the PDP Chairman as idle and advised him to face the challenges of his party.
He said, “He is idle and that is why the PDP chairman is saying that. There is no government that has done one over ten of what Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has done for the workers.
“Except the PDP is the one that set up some workers against the government. They should face the forgery issue facing them and leave the labour matter alone.”
