Osun Govt Denies Owing LG Workers, Says ₦230bn Allocation Still Withheld
The Osun State Government has dismissed claims that local government workers are being owed salaries. It said salary payments have continued without disruption across the councils.
The government explained that the problem is not salary payment but the continued withholding of statutory allocations meant for local governments.
In a statement issued in Osogbo on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, described reports of unpaid salaries as misleading.
He said the narrative does not reflect the true financial situation of the councils.
“There has been no interruption in the payment of core salaries to local government workers. Salaries are being paid fully and as at when due,” Alimi stated.
He confirmed that about ₦230 billion meant for local governments has been withheld for close to one year. According to him, despite this challenge, the state government has continued to fund salary payments from its own resources.
“Despite the hijacking of local government allocations for almost a year, funds now totaling approximately ₦230 billion, the Osun State Government under Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke has sustained salary payments through the state’s resources. This intervention has ensured financial stability for workers and shielded families from avoidable hardship,” he said.
The commissioner clarified that while salaries are being paid, some allowances and additional benefits have been affected. He explained that these entitlements depend directly on local government allocations.
He said the withheld funds were originally meant for grassroots development, council operations, and staff welfare at the local level.
“The continued hijacking of the ₦230billion allocation has directly impacted the payment of certain allowances and supplementary entitlements ordinarily funded from those statutory allocations,” Alimi said.
“These obligations are structurally tied to funds accruing to the local government system and cannot be fully accommodated in the absence of those resources.”
Alimi insisted that workers have not been abandoned despite the financial strain on the state. He said the government’s intervention was meant to prevent salary delays and protect families from economic hardship.
“While allowances and other supplementary payments have been affected by the withheld funds, salaries remain consistent and uninterrupted. Clear distinctions must be maintained to ensure public understanding is guided by facts,” he added.
The Osun State Government urged the public to ignore reports suggesting that workers are not being paid at all. It maintained that workers’ welfare remains a priority of the administration of Ademola Adeleke.
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