“It is sinful and mischievous for anyone to say that the financial challenge of Osun is as a result of the financial recklessness on the part of the governor. With all modesty, the accruable resources of the state have been judiciously and prudently managed by the governor.”

This was the verdict of the Osun State chapter of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria as it intervened in the orchestrated protests against Governor Rauf Aregbesola over the salaries owed the government workers in the state.

ALGON indeed absolved Aregbesola of any financial recklessness and mismanagement of the state resources, describing the governor as prudent and transparent.

Chairman, Osun ALGON, Soji Ajayi, in a statement on Wednesday, said that the inability of the state government to pay its workers’ salaries was not as a result of financial misappropriation on the part of the governor.

Ajayi, therefore, appealed to civil servants in the state to suspend the ongoing strike in the state.

The ALGON chairman commended the workers for their perseverance and understanding in the face of the financial crisis rocking the state.

“We want to appeal to the workers both at the state and local government levels to please suspend their strike. We sympathise with them and I must say that we feel their pains too. It is unfortunate that we all find ourselves in this situation. But things will soon be okay.

“The financial crisis we are witnessing in Osun is not the doing of Aregbesola. In fact, it is not limited to our state alone. Twenty-three states in Nigeria are also witnessing the same financial challenge while 18 states owe between three to eight months’ salaries.

The ALGON chairman hoped that the financial crisis rocking the state would soon be over, adding that Osun State and Aregbesola would come out stronger of the current challenge.

“We want to appeal to the workers of the state to please resume work. The strike is badly affecting other areas where the state government could generate income to augment the little federal allocation to the state for the payment of the salaries,” he said.