A fresh dispute has erupted between Ademola Adeleke and the All Progressives Congress in Osun State over the non payment of salaries to local government workers.
Governor Adeleke had earlier alleged during a stakeholders meeting that funds meant for local councils were hijacked by APC aligned officials, forcing the state government to shoulder the responsibility of paying workers. He claimed that this development stalled several ongoing state projects, with about N300 billion reportedly tied up.
According to a statement by his spokesperson Olawale Rasheed, the administration has been paying salaries of teachers, health workers, pensioners and other local government staff for over a year to prevent a breakdown of essential services. The governor argued that abandoning the workers would have led to severe hardship at the grassroots level.
He accused APC officials of diverting local government funds, insisting that his government could not engage in such practices and had to intervene to sustain the workforce and maintain ility in health and education sectors.
However, the APC strongly rejected the allegations, blaming the governor for the crisis. In a counter statement issued by its Director of Media and Information Kola Olabisi, the party accused Adeleke of deliberately withholding payment processes.
The APC claimed that the governor instructed senior local government officials not to release electronic salary vouchers, thereby preventing the payment of wages and allowances. The party also stated that necessary financial records and pension documentation were ready but could not be processed due to the governor’s actions.
The opposition further assured affected workers that their entitlements would be settled once the alleged restrictions are lifted, urging the governor to allow due administrative processes.
The ongoing disagreement highlights deep political tensions in Osun State, with workers caught in the middle as both sides trade blame over the salary impasse.
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