The Osun State Government has denied claims that local government workers are experiencing salary disruptions, saying core wages are being paid despite ongoing financial challenges linked to disputed allocations.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, said reports suggesting that salaries had stopped due to the alleged hijacking of local government funds were inaccurate.
“There has been no interruption in the payment of core salaries to local government workers. Salaries are being paid fully and as and when due,” he said.
The commissioner said the administration of Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke had continued to pay workers using state resources, despite what he described as the withholding of local government allocations amounting to about ₦230bn.
According to Mr Alimi, the intervention was aimed at maintaining financial stability for workers and preventing hardship for families dependent on the payments.
However, he acknowledged that the situation had affected certain allowances and supplementary benefits normally funded through statutory local government allocations.
“The continued hijacking of the ₦230bn allocation has directly impacted the payment of certain allowances and supplementary entitlements ordinarily funded from those statutory allocations,” he said.
He explained that these funds were intended to support grassroots administration, development projects, operational responsibilities and additional worker benefits at the local government level.
Without access to the allocations, he said, the financial structure supporting allowances and related payments had been constrained.
Mr Alimi emphasised that while allowances had been affected, core salaries remained unaffected, urging the public to distinguish between the two.
“The welfare of workers remains a priority, as demonstrated by the state government’s decision to sustain salary payments despite substantial financial challenges,” he added.
The dispute over local government allocations has drawn attention to the financial relationship between state and local administrations in Osun State, highlighting concerns about funding for grassroots governance in Nigeria.
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