Globaltimes A philosopher once said power should be sought and used as an instrument for service. Whenever or wherever power is sought for personal aggrandizement, the power, it is said, degenerates to tyranny. These profound words can better describe the situation in Osun State, where the newly inaugurated governor, Ademola Adeleke, has left no one in doubt that his hustling for power over the years is for self-glorification and to settle political scores. Nothing more.
Since his inauguration, media has been awash with many vicious broadcasts sanctioned by his administration. One is his decision, through Executive Order, to freeze the accounts of the state government then turn around to accuse the hardworking civil servants of sabotage and playing politics with payment schedule for the month of November. Another is the malicious story about looting of government property by men of the last government. I will attempt to address these two issues in this piece.
It is on record that on November 28, 2022, Senator Adeleke announced the immediate freezing of all government accounts in banks and other financial institutions, the action which has stalled payment of salary and pension of workers.
However, on December 1, barely three days later, after good spirited citizens have waded in and condemned the ill-conceived decision, the dancing senator swallowed his words. But rather than apologising for his farcical and juvenile directive, Adeleke chose to name the civil servants as fall guys for his mistake.
In a press statement issued by his spokesperson, he was said to have frowned at the delay in the payment of November salary and ordered the submission of salary schedule to relevant office within 24 hours failure which would earn the “saboteurs” sanctions. Nevertheless, five days after, Osun State workers and pensioners are yet to be paid.
Why is the government giving flimsy excuses for non-payment of salary? How true is the rumour that the new administration has diverted the large chunk of the N14billion left behind by the Oyetola-led government—the rumour that the state is broke and November salary can’t be paid until later in the month when the state receives the next federal allocation from Abuja
