- Claim half-salary, pension, gratuity remain largely unpaid
By Adekunle Alao
Workers, under the aegis of Osun Workers Union (OWU), have expressed grave concern over what it described as the irresponsible depletion of the state’s resources through the payment of a ₦20,000 “palliative” to workers, while selected senior officers reportedly received between ₦100,000 and ₦200,000 under the same arrangement.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Organising Secretary of the Union, Comrade Gabriel Adeoye, the Union said the payment was nothing more than a desperate attempt by Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration to placate workers who have become increasingly frustrated by the government’s failure to fulfil its electoral promises to civil servants and pensioners.
According to the Union, Governor Adeleke promised during the last electioneering campaign to clear the half-salary arrears inherited from the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola within six months of assuming office. However, with barely a week to another governorship election, the government has reportedly not paid up to half of the outstanding arrears, yet continues to embark on what the Union described as noisy propaganda about its commitment to workers’ welfare.
OWU further alleged that Osun workers remain angry because the government deducted contributory pension and cooperative savings from their salaries without remitting the funds to the appropriate Pension Fund Administrators and cooperative societies.
The Union also noted that the state’s 2025 Audited Financial Statements reportedly show that although the government budgeted ₦14.5 billion for gratuity payments in 2025 and another ₦6 billion for the settlement of gratuity arrears, no payments were made under either provision. It stated that this information can be verified on page 42 of the published audited accounts for 2025.
According to the Union, these developments have had severe consequences on the health, welfare and general well-being of workers and pensioners across the state.
“It is unfortunate that while workers continue to struggle under harsh economic conditions, the governor and a privileged few, including some labour leaders, continue to live in luxury at the expense of public resources. A whooping N11 billion was spent by the governor and some few associates on travels in 2025,” the statement said.
OWU further alleged that in 2025 the Osun State Government received four refunds and special allocations from the Federal Government amounting to about ₦76 billion, including:
Distribution on Infrastructure – ₦37 billion; Distribution of ₦74 billion to states (First and Second Tranches) – ₦4 billion; NLNG Dividend Refund to States (First Instalment) – ₦25.2 billion and Price Balance of Project Gazette to States – ₦10 billion.
The Union questioned why, despite these inflows, the government allegedly failed to clear the half-salary arrears, gratuities and pension obligations.
OWU also claimed that allegations regarding the management of state finances have become subjects of investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The Union further asserted that Governor Adeleke, in a recent public address, confirmed that some officials of the state government, including the Accountant-General, had been invited by the EFCC over issues relating to the management of state resources.
The Union described the ongoing payments to workers, pensioners and residents as an election-season strategy intended to win public sympathy ahead of the governorship election.
While encouraging workers, pensioners and residents to make use of whatever money they have received because it belongs to the people, the Union urged them to remain vigilant.
“If you have received the ₦20,000, spend it on your family’s needs. Buy pepper soup, enjoy shawarma, drink Maltina or meet any pressing household expenses because it is your money.
“However, do not allow this token to distract you from the realities of the last four years. This last-minute generosity should not erase years of unfulfilled promises, unpaid entitlements and economic hardship.
“If the experience of the first term has been this disappointing, Osun people should carefully reflect on what a second term could mean for workers, pensioners and the future of the state.”
