Osun Government Demand Apology From Pensioners Over Claims On Paris Club Refund

By Olabode Abolaji

The Osun State Government has berated the Forum of 2011/12 Retirees in the state civil service over claims that it had collected the just released second tranche of the Paris Club Loan Refund by the federal government to states in the federation a month ago.

The government also demanded that the pensioners come out to the public to apologize over what it described as inflammatory and misinforming statements made to the public that the money had been in government coffers but was being planned on to be diverted for the last Senatorial By-election in Osun West and other “White Elephant government projects.”

A statement by Semiu Okanlawon, the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor said claims by the retirees who protested the non-payment of their pension arrears and gratuities on Wednesday morning in Osogbo were unsubstantial as the government only received the N6.314billion accrued to it from the Central Bank of Nigeria on Monday.

The Osun State Government said in its commitment to promote transparency, it announced the development on Tuesday after most states of the country got the money.

It described the action of the pensioners as ill-timed, embarrassing, confusing and capable of heating up the polity urging the concerned people to apologize immediately.

The statement reads “The attention of the Government of Osun has been drawn to another in the series of protests by a group of pensioners who have filed out again today Wednesday July 19, 2017 for reasons best known to them.

“It is interesting to note that about a month ago, this same set of pensioners accused Governor Rauf Aregbesola of collecting and diverting the second tranche of Paris loan refund, which they claimed had been released to Osun State by the federal government.”

“As they have come out today, they have a duty to actually apologise not only to Aregbesola’s government, but also to the good people of Osun State for misinforming, confusing and creating tension in the state through their false claim that the governor had received the second tranche of Paris loan refund about a month ago.”

“Like we have said, Osun State government, with it’s commitment to transparency  under the leadership of Governor Rauf Aregbesola made the announcement yesterday (Tuesday) to confirm the receipt of N6.314billion as the second tranche of Paris loan refund from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).”

Okanlawon continued “The money was paid into the account of the state government on Monday and we duly made the announcement yesterday, informing the public that Osun has got the second tranche of Paris loan refund.

In line with our government’s promise to utilise the resources of this state in the best interest of our people, we hereby restate our commitment to this promise as we begin shortly transparent deployment on our commitments to the concerned stakeholders.”