Expdonaloaded News; Osun bailout crisis: We won’t divert funds –Aregbesola

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State yesterday assured residents that the N34.988 billion received from the Federal Government would not be diverted.A statement by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, said the first batch of payment of salaries this week would be effected through allocations received for July, based on the conclusion of the workers’ verification exercise which the labour union called for to determine the actual number of the state workforce.
The clarification, the statement added, became necessary given ongoing insinuations that the funds would be diverted to other purposes.
“We are using this opportunity to assure the entire workers in the state that all arrears of salary and pensions will be paid from the bailout funds to fulfil the purpose for which they were received. And this is why the government has ensured that the verification exercise is concluded and the actual figure of workers is determined for the purpose of payment,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, workers and members of the academic staff unions of Polytechnics and Colleges of Education in the state, protested non-payment of their salaries and allowances at the State House of Assembly.
The protesters, under the aegis of Council of Academic Staff Unions of Osun State-owned Tertiary Institutions (CASUOSTI) trooped in large numbers to the Assembly complex to present a letter to the legislators, seeking their intervention in the non-payment of their salary arrears by the  governor.