Activists Want Aregbesola to Publish how N11.7billion Paris Club Funds Was Spent

A group under aegis of Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation
of Osun State (CSCEOS) has requested from the State governor, Mr. Rauf
Aregbesola to publish how the State government under his watch spent
the sum of N11.744bilion out of N84billion Paris Club funds accrued to
the State by the Federal Government in the last quarter of 2016 for
the clearance of workers’ salaries and pension arrears in the State,
saying that the State government was economical with the truth on the
spending of the special funds and challenged the government to come
out from its shell to disclose the actual amount of the monthly
payment of salaries and pensions in the State.

The civil group also insisted that the State government just spent
only N4.5billion of the N11.7 billion received from the Federal
Government on the payment of modulated salaries and pensions of
workers’ and retirees alike with the balance of three(3) months leave
bonus to the affected workers in the state recently, which the payment
of modulated salaries and pensions of four months did not justify the
directive of the President Muhammadu Buhari to the State government
that the States like Osun, should use the share of Paris Club funds
to clear the backlog of salaries and pensions, noting that the State
government still owing workers and retirees in the State between 8 to
10 months arrears of salaries and pensions respectively.

This was contained in a signed New Year message by the CSCEOS’
Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman to the good people of Osun
State at home and abroad, which a copy was made available to newsmen
on Sunday, maintained that the State had come to a stage of telling
the truth to the power that be in the State, stressing that there
would not be future without yesterday.

It further demanded from the Mr. Aregbesola to disclose to the people
of the State on how the State government spent the Ecological funds,
Budget Support funds, Local Government funds, N3.5billion Bailout
funds balance and State Allocations accrued to the State from the
Federation Account from August 2016 till December 2016 and as well the
Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) for the period under review and why
the present administration in the State still owing the workers and
retirees alike to the tune of 8 to 10 months arrears of salaries and
pensions with gratuities respectively.

The group therefore appealed to the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other related
offences Commission (ICPC) to beam searchlight on the financial
mismanagement of the Public funds by Aregbesola’s government, urging
the anti-graft agencies to investigate the role being played by the
Lagos State based Firm, Charms Financial Consultancy Firm in looting
the State treasury.

According to the group’s New Year message, while thanking the good
people of the State for being law abiding citizens, even at the face
of economic and security challenges provocation orchestrated by the
present administration in the State, it enjoyed the citizens to go
about their lawful businesses and constructive criticisms of criminal
mismanagement of the State resources by Mr. Aregbesola.

It then prayed to Almighty God to let the 2017 be the prosperous year
for the citizenries and also be the year to take Osun people out of
slavery farm of the present invaders and impostors.