Aregbesola denies payment of N50 million each to political office holders as severance allowance

Governor of Osun State, Mr Raud Aregbesola has denied a statement

credited to the factional chairman of retirees in the stste, Mr

Omoniyi Ilesanmi that the state Government paid N50 million to each of

the political office holders that served between November 2010 and

November 2014 as severance allowance.
Aregbasola spoke through his Media Advicer, Mr Sola Fasure on Thursday

and described the stamen made by Ilesanmi on behalf of the Forum of

2011/2012 Pensioners as untrue and misleading.
According to him, “This allegation is preposterous, malicious and

false in its entirety. It is absolutely unreasonable and ludicrous for

anyone to suggest that a state government will give each political

office holder a N50 million severance allowance at this period when

every available kobo is being mopped to pay salaries and pensions,

provide infrastructure and social services and run a modest

government. It is even totally reckless and irresponsible for any

newspaper to have published such bunkum. It is a new low for

journalism.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the severance allowance of political

office holders has been set in accordance with the State of Osun

Public/Political Office Holders and Revised Remuneration Package Law

2007, section 4 (1) and (2) schedule (B) which recommends 300 per cent

of basic salary as severance allowance. This recommendation was also

taken on advisement from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and

Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) which recommends 300 per cent of basic

salaries.
“However, the State of Osun law referenced above has a proviso of

beneficiaries having successfully completed a full term or on pro rata

basis, after a minimum of two year period of tenure.

“With this arrangement, only the governor and his deputy are entitled

to N6.6 million and N6.3 million respectively. However, the governor

returned his cheque to the treasury, having waved his right to earn

salary since he assumed office. Two principal officers qualified for

N4 million each, 15 political office holders received N3 million each,

and while 18 others received N2.8 million each. This was over a year

ago.
“Governor Aregbesola demonstrated sensitivity to the financial

situation in the state when he did not constitute a cabinet for more

than two years. When he eventually did, he put ALL political office

holders on half salary.
“How then could he have paid N50 million to each to political office

holders as severance allowance?
“Mr Ilesanmi and his ilk have embarked on a campaign of calumny

against the government, hiding under the plight of pensioners, telling

barefaced and egregious lies, making outrageous claim and inciting the

people against the government.
“He moves around with a motley crowd and they parade themselves as

representing the whole company of dignified and respectable retirees

in the state.
“He has constituted himself into an insidious political opposition,

riding on the sentiment of the sympathy and respect the larger society

has for retirees and senior citizens.
“Mr Ilesanmi and his group openly campaigned for the opposition party

candidate in the 2014 governorship election in the state, hiding under

the cloak of retirees. He used the same platform to openly campaign

for the candidate of the same opposition party in the last senatorial

election in the state, curiously only in the cities where election

held.
“This is an abuse of privilege and he should desist from this less

than honourable path. As a private citizen, he is at liberty to join

any political party and exercise his freedom of association and

political participation as he deems fit. He should however not drag

the respectable, decent and cultured Omoluabi retirees into his filthy

political waters.
If he has any evidence that the State Government paid any sum beyond

what is quoted above, he should bring it up for the benefit of the

public.
“It is most regrettable that a national newspaper would willingly lend

its platform to be used for propagating falsehood and deception. The

hallmark of journalism is investigation. There would be a thousand and

one claims as there are claimants, each with his or her own motive and

sinister agenda.
“It is the professional duty of a newspaper (that clearly impinges on

its integrity) to investigate a claim and establish its truth before

publishing, if it wants to serve the cause of truth and justice. It is

a cardinal principle in journalism that while comments are free, facts

are sacred. A newspaper that publishes a false claim assaults the

sensibilities of its readers, betrays public trust and is an enemy of

the open society.
“The media are therefore enjoined to first investigate and verify any

claim made by any group or individual before publishing in order not

to drag its integrity in the mud.
“The media and members of the public can always approach the Bureau of

Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor; Ministry of

Information and especially the Ministry of Finance and Office of the

Accountant General for clarification and relevant information on any

(financial) matter,” said Fasure