Osun Salary : Aregbesola Basking In Oppression.

"Many of our governments, at all levels, lack imagination and zeal. We all wait for the monthly federal allocation. Every state including the Federal Government, should strive for financial autonomy and self-sufficiency." These were the words of the most infamous governor in Nigeria right now - Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State in March 2014 at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Crimes Commission's Good Governance Forum in Abuja. It did not end there as Aregbesola continued "When our administration came in, our (Osun State) internal generated revenue was a paltry ₦300 million monthly but in less than a year, we doubled it to ₦600 million and by the grace of God today, it is ₦1.6 billion. Our target is to be able to earn ₦5 billion every month on our own," he concluded.

Fast forward towards the end of that same year and Aregbesola was already owing his workers their salary and till date (More than a year). One only wonders if he was hypnotised or hallucinated while making those statements at the Abuja forum. For a better understanding of the predicament that these workers find themselves in , a little quantitative analysis on the financial status of Osun State will be crucial.

Osun state has an estimated population of 4.2 million people and government workers of about 20,000 of which about 9,129 work in Osogbo the state capital. Earlier in 2011, Semiu Okanlawon , the governor's spokesperson announced that the governor increased the minimum wage for levels 01-07 to ₦19,001, and added ₦7,429 to previous salary of levels 8-10, added ₦6,611 for 11-14 and  finally ₦5,096 for levels 15-17. This came after three weeks strike by the state workers.

According to the data from the federal government, Aregbesola pocketed a total of ₦19.6 billion in six months January 2014 -  June 2014 in addition to more than ₦40 billion naira from the excess crude oil fund disbursed on the the insistence of governors like Aregbesola. Then add these funds to the ₦1.6 billion internal generated revenue that Aregbesola himself announced that his administration generates each month. Then included the undisclosed security votes of which is more than ₦80 million that Aregbesola receives again from the federal government monthly and then you start to wonder how Aregbesola cannot pay his 20,000 workers which will be around ₦3.6 billion monthly.

There is no excuse whatsoever why salaries which are due to workers are withheld. One question, Aregbesola must answer is if he doesn't pay his aides their salaries with his claim of an empty treasury. What has happened to the quantum fund accrued to the state during the boom of oil price all these years? The payment of workers’ salaries should be the no1 priority of any responsible and disciplined government. Aregbesola has used the funds of Osun state on irrelevant elephant projects like helicopter purchase, Osun world's tallest talking drum and Osogbo airport (When Ibadan airport is less than 40 minutes’ drive from Osogbo).

Aregbesola has failed woefully and must cover his head in shame, yet he continues to give lame excuses and claims he isn't the only governor withholding workers salary. Is owing workers their salary now the norm in this country, and because every governor is indulging in that, does it now make it right?

Aregbesola must not try to divert attention to other states but rather should pay their workers for the work they have put up in his government. Aregbesola may have been made a scapegoat for whatever reason but it doesn't stop the fact they he is guilty as charged.

It is clear that they Osun State House of Assembly which should be a check on the executive have ended up becoming an appendage of the Aregbesola executive. One advice for Osun electorates "Come 2018 Vote Wisely and protects your votes." Till then we all have to condemn this new oppression of withholding workers’ salaries.