Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, will continue to pay full salaries and other workers’ benefits till the end of his tenure as the state governor, Ismail Omipidan, Oyetola’s Chief Press Secretary, has said.
Omipidan gave the assurance while reacting to the assertion by Rev. Isaac Oluyamo, the Diocesan Bishop of Ijesa North, Anglican Communion, that Oyetola would win his re-election but that salary would cease for four years.
This was contained in a statement on Monday titled, ‘Osun 2022: God cannot approbate and reprobate at same time, Oyetola’s aide replied clergyman’, and signed by Omipidan.
The media aide described the cleric assertion as one “lacking in sound logic”, adding that the claim that the second term of governors and government is always full of turbulence showed that the clergy was only expressing his personal opinion based on logic.
According to him, Governor Oyetola had in the last three years plus based the governance of Osun on creativity, innovation, probity, and sustainable development. These are rare governance instruments in Nigeria, especially those governments the clergyman based his logic on.
Omipidan further said, “As a Government, we have a solid and foolproof template for running the economy.
“Oyetola’s government is a product of God’s pronouncement and promise (Ilerioluwa). God who spoke to the Governor about the mandate cannot approbate and reprobate at the same time. God cannot give a second term and withhold the resources for running it at the same time.
God is not a liar. He has spoken and government is fulfilling its own part by responsibly putting mechanisms in place to put the economy on a sure footing.
In the unlikely event of worsening economic downturn, Osun has demonstrated enough competence to run a state in a depressed economy under Governor Oyetola.
“We have proved beyond all reasonable doubts that we have the capacity to substantially fund our overheads, including salaries and infrastructure development, from cutting costs and plugging wastages, among other windows.
“With a sustained culture of economic transformation through agriculture, mining, and tourism, we are poised to take our economic destiny in our own hands.
“While we appreciate the clergyman’s goodwill and understand his concern and fears, which are products of existential realities and experiences, we make bold to say that Governor Oyetola will continue to pay full salaries as long as he remains the Osun’s helmsman because it is a covenant between him and God. And we believe God will never forsake him,” Omipidan added.
Copyright PUNCH.
