Ogun pays N12bn unremitted salary deductions, others

Samuel Awoyinfa, Abeokuta

The Ogun State Government has said it has commenced the disbursement of N12.5bn for the payment of arrears of six-month workers’ salary deductions and two years of gratuities to pensioners.

It also added that the balance of severance packages to former political appointees, who served during the immediate past administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel, had also been paid.

The government added that political appointees, who served during the first term of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun’s administration (2011 to 2015), had also been paid.The Secretary to the State Government, Taiwo Adeoluwa, said this on Wednesday while briefing journalists in Abeokuta.

Adeoluwa stated that the government had paid the December salaries of all categories of workers and had approved the December bonus for them.

He, however, did not disclose the percentage of the December bonus.

The SSG said government paid N5.5bn for the six months’ workers’ unremitted deductions.

Adeoluwa said the state government had paid two years gratuities, covering November 2012 to January 2014.

He added that 2,429 retirees were paid N6bn of their gratuities.

The SSG stated that the government had paid N1bn as the balance of severance allowances of government’s political appointees who served between 2007 and 2011.

Adeoluwa said the state government had to augment the money released to it by the Federal Government recently as a result of the over deductions on the Paris Club loan.

He said, “The President Muhammadu Buhari administration is determined to minimise hardship of Nigerians. The Federal Government released some funds to states and Ogun State is one of them.

“We only got N10.6bn from the Federal Government.

“What we got was far less to the total amount of N12.5bn we have paid to pensioners, on workers’ deductions and that of ex-political appointees.

“We have also paid December salaries and the bonus to workers.”

Adeoluwa noted that the state had been unfairly treated, lamenting that it got almost the least amount from the Federal Government’s on the Paris Club refund.

He said, “Ogun State is next to Lagos in terms of contribution to the Federal Government’s purse from the non-oil sector. For this, Ogun is not getting a fair deal from the Federal Government.

“If some states are getting 13 per cent derivation, why can’t Ogun State get same for the limestone deposit in the state?”