Osun says pensioners lied about severance payment by Aregbesola

Osun State government has debunked statement by a faction of Aassociations of Retired Civil Servants that it paid N50m in severance allowance to each political office holder who served between November 2010 and November 2014. Governor Rauf Aregbasola’s media adviser Sola Fasure in a statement said the allegation was preposterous, malicious and false in its […]

Osun State government has debunked statement by a faction of Aassociations of Retired Civil Servants that it paid N50m in severance allowance to each political office holder who served between November 2010 and November 2014.

Governor Rauf Aregbasola’s media adviser Sola Fasure in a statement said the allegation was preposterous, malicious and false in its entirety and urged people of the state to disregard it.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the severance allowance of political office holders has been set in accordance with the State of Osun Public/Political Office Holders and Revised Remuneration Package Law 2007, section 4 (1) and (2) schedule (B) which recommends 300 per cent of basic salary as severance allowance.

This recommendation was also taken on advisement from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) which recommends 300 per cent of basic salaries.

Osun has a proviso that allows entitles the governor to N6.6 million and N6.3 million to the deputy.

“However, the governor returned his cheque to the treasury, having waved his right to earn salary since he assumed office. Two principal officers qualified for N4 million each, 15 political office holders received N3 million each, and while 18 others received N2.8 million each. This was over a year ago.

“Governor Aregbesola demonstrated sensitivity to the financial situation in the state when he did not constitute a cabinet for more than two years. When he eventually did, he put all political office holders on half salary. How then could he have paid N50 million to each to political office holders as severance allowance?”

“Mr Ilesanmi and his ilk have embarked on a campaign of calumny against the government, hiding under the plight of pensioners, telling barefaced and egregious lies, making outrageous claim and inciting the people against the government.”