The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State has called out Governor Dapo Abiodun over his failure to remit 10 months workers’ cooperative deductions.
But Gov Abiodun said the inability to do so is because he had to clear the backlog of unpaid salary deductions he met on assumption of office, stressing that COVID-19 pandemic also brought about a drop in revenue.
The PDP, in a statement by its Ogun State Publicity Secretary, Akinloye Bankole, on Wednesday, said it was a huge concern “to note the blatant refusal to remit the Cooperative Deductions of up to ten months to Ogun workforce by the government of Prince Dapo Abiodun.”
Bankole said, “the PDP frowns at such cruelty from a government which is expected by all standards, to understand that cooperative deduction is a personal contributory strategy put in place by Ogun workers to enhance their economic fortunes while in active service.”
According to him, the contributory scheme remains their entitlements, because it is deducted directly from their monthly salaries.
“As if that is not enough, our party also notes with utmost disgust, that Prince Dapo Abiodun-led government is equally owing Primary and Secondary school teachers about six years leave bonuses. Ogun state Pension Scheme is also not remitted to the various Insurance companies for almost six years, yet being deducted from workers’ salaries monthly directly from the source. This includes the ones he inherited from his predecessor,” the PDP alleged.
Bankole added further that, “Like PDP has always reiterated, it is now crystal clear to the public, with the above inadequacies, that the ruling government lacks the slightest capacity to keep any of its electoral promises and therefore, can not be trusted again.”
While making demands, the PDP asked for the immediate remittance of all outstanding deductions to appropriate quarters for immediate payment to the workers.
Again, the party demanded that “no teacher in Ogun State deserves to be treated with indignity, stressing that the government should pay their bonuses and relieve them of unnecessary pressure.
When contacted the Gov Abiodun-led government for reactions but speaking with the correspondent on phone, the Special Adviser to Governor Abiodun, Hon. Remmy Hazzan, took offence when asked to react to the allegations from the PDP.
Hazzan accused the reporter of ‘mischief’, alleging that the question was asked with a ‘biased mind’.
But despite threatening actions if it publishes untruths he explained that “10 months deductions is not wrong, yes! And the truth of the matter was that we inherited a backlog. The people who mentioned that we are owing should have also mentioned that the backlog that we met, we paid. Were it not for this drop in revenue allocation that came by way of this COVID-19 pandemic, which affected the entire global economy, we would have long gone far, even in the implementation of the new minimum wage. We’re one of the few states which came up with an arrangement that was devoid of any industrial dispute.
“What the PDP has said is not wrong, but they should have also added that there was something that we met on ground which we have done a lot to pull it from where it used to be to where it is today.
“The issue of remittance of pension deductions is something that we met that we are also trying to correct and it comes with legislation; so many other things are involved. And when the right things are done, of course, the remittance will be made. Deductions will not just come and money will not get remitted the way they are supposed to.
“For the teachers who are being owed, you said six years. This administration is barely 14 months old. Your guess is as good as mine, but it doesn’t mean it’s going to be like that. We will do the needful to correct it. Thank you,” Remmy Hazzan stated.
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