Ayo Bamidele
Ondo state government has accused the labour union in the state of deliberately misleading the public on the recent release of Paris Club refund to the state.
In a statement in Akure, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties, Dr Doyin Odebowale said money accrued to the state from the Paris Club refund was N6.38 Billion and not N7.03Billion as being peddled by the labour union.
According to him, facts on the refund and how government wanted to utilize it had been laid bare before representatives of labour unions during series of meetings with them.
”It is height of irresponsibility therefore to tell lies on a fact released without any prompting. Keen watchers of this administration, since inception should see through these lies,” the statement added.
The statement pointed out that since the inception of the present administration, government has been able to pay a month out of seven months salary owed by the immediate past administration and has not owed salaries since.
It emphasised that while some states allocated 50 percent of the refund to capital projects, Ondo state has agreed to allocate 75 percent of the total sum to pay pensioners in full, offset part of the gratuities owed retirees, release subventions to institutions and parastatals and pay 80 percent of last September salary while the remaining 25 percent was for capital projects.
The statement further emphasised that selfless union leaders owe their members a duty to always speak the truth and to act in their best interest at all times.
