Retirees allege plot by Aregbesola to govern Osun through ADC
Over 32,000 members of Retired Public Servants Association yesterday staged a protest to urge voters to resist an ally of former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola contesting 2026 governorship seat
- ’Adeleke’s approach to payment of bonds leaves pensioners in penury’
Over 32,000 members of Retired Public Servants Association yesterday staged a protest to urge voters to resist an ally of former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola contesting 2026 governorship seat on the platform of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Najeem Salam.
They described the move as a ‘’backdoor strategy.’’
The body comprising 2011/2012 retirees and 2017 Contributory Pensioners Bond Association members, noted that Aregbesola’s administration brought untold hardship on them by failing to remit their pensions to the appropriate body.
The Chairman of the body, Comrade Omoniyi Ilesanmi, demanded full payment of bonds, half-salary and contributory pension of the streams from Governor Ademola Adeleke.
He said: “This is a call to Osun State people and all stakeholders to wake up and prevent Ogbeni Aregbesola from coming back to Osun State through his agent in the ADC, in order to prevent him from wreaking more havoc on the economy of the state, thereby spelling further doom for workers, retirees and the good people of Osun State.”
Ilesanmi recalled that during Aregbesola’s tenure, he allegedly formulated policies that were detrimental to the state and aided alleged diversion of N34billion bailout fund, N14.4billion budget support fund, relief fund of N13.6billion and N20billion Paris Club loan.
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He said ‘Opon Imo’, reclassification, abandoned projects, modulated salary and pension, illegal withdrawal of funds, among others, were still hunting Osun’s developmental strides after eight years.
He hailed the Governor Adeleke administration for prioritising the welfare of over 32,000 retirees of their stream.
Comrade Awodele Olusola of the Contributory Pensioner (2017) refuted the alleged claim by Osun Government that it had cleared the total payment of outstanding bonds of 2017-2025, and 16 half salary arrears owed under the Aregbesola administration.
He said: “Governor Adeleke picked up the payment of bonds to beneficiaries in 2023, just once, throughout that year, covering just an insignificant number of awaiting beneficiaries, very disappointedly.
“In 2024, Osun State Government made a first release of N4.9billion around April/May and another N3.3billion in November, leaving thousands of our members in penury. Throughout last year, Osun State Government only released N4billion, which as usual, did not capture a reasonable number of the unbonded, who are waiting with pains on the queues, very hopelessly?
“On half salary arrears, Osun State Government only cleared 28 half salary arrears for the unbonded, but, still having 16 months half salary arrears to clear for the bondeds, up till now.”
