Osun State workers will be paid their march salaries despite the paltry N6.23 million federal allocation that accrued to the state for the month, an associate of the state governor, Comrade Amitolu Shittu has said.
Shittu made this known in an exclusive interview with an online newspaper, Fourthestates.com, assured that Governor Rauf Aregbesola will pay workers at the end of the month, and as such there is no cause for alarm.
He said: “This is really the time Nigerians will know and appreciate the kind of person Governor Aregbesola is, being an astute manager of resources and people.
“He (Aregbesola) is a genius and he has adequately prepared for this period. It should be noted that despite the reduction in funds accruing to the state from federal allocation, Governor Aregbesola has carried on with the business of governance embarking on massive road construction and turning public schools to world class edifice conducive for learning, among other various ongoing projects.
“Those who want to bring the Governor down at all cost have failed already because he (Aregbesola) is serving the people of the State of Osun with honesty and genuine intention to transform the state,” Shittu said.
Shittu, who is the Director General of De Raufs Volunteer Group Worldwide, an association propagating the leadership qualities of Governor Aregbesola, added that it was instructive to point out that those castigating the governor have not considered it necessary to refer to the completed projects and ongoing projects being embarked upon by the governor.
He added that the projects were geared toward development of the state and benefit of the generality of the people.
“You see, that is why some of us are resolute in our commitment to stand with Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola because there is no doubt about the fact that he love the people with great passion and he is working in the interest of the people.
“Governor Aregbesola, I repeat, is a genius and he has adequately prepared for this period,” Shittu said.
According to figures released by the Accountant General of the federation, Osun State got a gross statutory allocation of N1.677 billion for February, slightly above the allocation for Ekiti, Ebonyi, Kwara and Bayelsa states.
Osun also got N19.418 million and N726.1 million from the exchange rate gain and value added tax, resulting in a total gross amount of N2.423 billion for the month.
However, with the removal of the N70.989 million, N945.881 million and N1.400 billion in external debt, Irrevocable Standing Payment Order (ISPO), and other debts, Osun State was left with a net allocation of N6.23 million.
Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Kwara, Gombe, and Nasarawa states had a net allocation of N2.984 billion, N2.167 billion, N1.377 billion, N1.815 billion, N2.300 billion and N2.169 billion respectively.
On the high end, Akwa Ibom, Delta, Lagos and Rivers states got N8.557 billion, N6.062 billion, N6.612 billion and N5.427 billion respectively.
