Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate for the Osun State 2022 Governorship Election, Omooba Dotun Babayemi, has promised to pay all the outstanding half-salary arrears owed civil servants in the state when elected into office as governor of the state as from July 16, this year
Besides, Babayemi equally assured that not only would backlog of pensions and gratuities be cleared, pensioners would heave a sigh of relief as they would be receiving their entitlements as and when due.
The All Progressive Congress (APC) administration in the state at some point, introduced a strange payment mode which brought about half-salary and non-regular settlement of retirees’ entitlements.
However speaking to this effect in a release issued on Tuesday by his media office, the PDP governorship candidate assured that offsetting the outstandings running into over 20 months, were doable with proper financial re-engineering and discipline.
He bemoaned that Osun and its people do not have any reason to be poor or wallow in abject poverty, noting that God has blessed the state with men and resources which could make it one of the most buoyant states in the country.
“By the grace of God,when I’m voted into power and eventually assume office, the PDP administration under my watch, shall clear all backlog of arrears of half salaries running into about 28 months as well as pensions and gratuities being owed our retirees.This is not an empty and rhetorical political promises,we shall do it” he assured
According to him, one of the surest ways of rejuvenating the state economy which has gone bad,is by ensuring that the outstanding salaries of civil servants as well as pensions and gratuities of retirees are paid up so as to buoy up the economy of the state.
“It’s doable and achievable with proper financial re-engineering and discipline. This will lead to plugging leakages and preventing wastage. This,I promise,we shall achieve with strong will and determination” the gubernatorial candidate further assured
“It’s disheartening that workers are still being owed tons of salaries necessitated by arrangements of half-salary modules which have pauperized them while our retirees who have put in years of quality services have been left in the doldrums because they have not been receiving their pensions and related entitlements as and when due” Babayemi decried.
He implored civil servants and people of the state in general, to continue to endure, emphasizing; “My good people of Osun, you are inches away from this hardship.By July 16 when you vote the PDP in the state,then we will begin a new lease of life that would be for the betterment of all of us and to the admiration of the outside world”
Meanwhile, the gubernatorial candidate has stressed that agro-allied products and others related products, would be massively engaged by his administration to shore up the state’s economy if given the mandate by the people of the state.
This, the Gbongan-born politician added, would create thousands of jobs for indigenes of the state seeking employments and as well improve the living standards of the people of the state.
