The Government of Osun State on Friday confirmed the receipt of 11.744 billion Naira as part of the refunds from the Paris Club loans deductions through the Federal Government.
A statement by the government, through the Bureau of Communication and Strategy, said that based on the received fund the Governor had approved an upward review of the existing salaries and pensions payment structure.
It said the decision was reached to further ease the financial strains foisted on the workers and pensioners as a result of the national economic challenge the country had faced in recent times.
The decision was made after what the government called exhaustive deliberations by the Revenue Apportionment Committee which comprises representatives of workers and the government, under the leadership of Comrade Hassan Sumonu, a foremost labour leader.
The reviewed payment structure stipulated that workers from Level one to seven would continue to be paid their 100% salary while workers on Level eight to ten would now be paid 75% salary.
Workers on Level 12 and above will earn 50% salary while passive workers (pensioners) on 1,000 Naira to 20,000 Naira will collect 100% pensions.
Pensioners on 20,001 Naira to 80,000 Naira will earn 75% of their pensions and those on 80,001 Naira will continue to collect 50% of pensions.
Pensioners have kicked against half salaries during one of their protests in the state
The government, said that on the basis of the newly reviewed payment structure, it would pay salaries and pensions of September, October and November as from Monday December 19.
The Government expressed appreciation for what it described as high sense of responsibility, patriotism, and love for the development of the state, as exemplified by their understanding and cooperation with the government.
It further assured the entire people of the state that laying a solid foundation for future development of the state was paramount.
“This is the reason for the ambitious and courageous development projects in education, roads infrastructure, health, security, agriculture, youths employments and other social welfare programmes of the Rauf Aregbesola administration,” the statement read.
The Osun State government also acknowledged the sacrifice of all in the course of the government navigating through the turbulent economic period, assuring residents that with their cooperation, the state would be great.
Few weeks ago, angry pensioners had besieged the premises of Osun State House of Assembly in protest of their unpaid pensions and pounced on lawmakers, beating them black and blue.
The aggrieved pensioners staged a fresh protest over the non-payment of their pension and gratuities by the state government before marching to the Assembly Complex at Abeere to vent their anger on what they termed ‘move by the legislators to prevent the Senate from probing the spending of the bailout funds received by Governor Aregbesola’.
Our correspondent in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, Bosede Sodiq, reports that some legislators had attempted to pacify the seemingly angry protesters before they became violent and attacked the members of the parliament.
