Abiodun Onafuye/Ijebu-Ode
Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State has declared that his administration is not owing the staff of Tai Solarin College of Education a dime, saying the arrears being demanded was accumulated by the Otunba Gbenga Daniel administration.
Amosun said his government has been paying all salaries as at when due, since he came into office in May 2011.
Three Unions in the College began a strike action Tuesday to press for the payment of 48 month arrears.
The governor in response to their agitation during his visit to Ijebu-Ode, however promised to look into their plight and warned that standing by the road side is not a good way to press home their demands.
According to the governor, “when I was coming today, I saw all the placards where it was written that Amosun pay us this, Amosun pay us that. I will ask them to invite you so that we will fine-tune
everything. Let me say this, we are responsible to the people, when we came in and as we speak now, since May 2011, we do not owe the people of either TASCE or any other person. Before we resumed office, salaries were owed, not only TASCE that was owed. Since I have been governor, I have spent about N2.4billion to TASCE alone.
“I don’t want to talk about about people before us, you people should find out, if they do not owe. If you are rallying round to say that you have been owed, that we should pay and the only way you want to say this is by standing by the road, it will not help us. I can’t come here and lie that all the money that is being owed, that we will pay, we will begin to pay them gradually. I cannot pay my own salary and be paying the backlogs owed by someone else.
“I was even being told that something was signed in 2009. Like I said, there is no opportunity to respond, and that is not the intention. Everybody has been calling me and I told them, we are not owing them, if they said they have issue with the last month salary, we would find out and I have been told that they are paying with three different banks, we have resolved it and their money has been paid and it is with them. .. There is no way we would finish paying what somebody left immediately, No, it will collapse the government, and that is the problem we are having now,” Amosun
added.
Among the dignitaries at the event was the Awujale and Paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba (Dr.)Sikiru Kayode Adetona, Ogbagba II who led 30 monarchs to the gathering. Religious leaders, artisans, students, transport unions, Chief Bisi Rodipe, Asiwaju Olajide Awosedo and physically challenged people also trooped out to give the governor a rousing welcome to Ijebu Ode, the headquarters of Ijebuland and political headquarters of Ogun East Senatorial District of the State.
Highlight of the tour was the visit to the model school in the local government which is located at Oke Ako, on Ijebu Ode-Epe Road.