Babayemi, Osun PDP governorship candidate promises prompt payment of salaries, pensions

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Osun State, Prince Dotun Babayemi, has promised to pay all the outstanding half-salary arrears owed civil servants in the state if elected into office on July 16.

He also assured that not only would the backlog of pensions and gratuities be cleared, pensioners would heave a sigh of relief as they would be receiving their entitlements as and when due.

In a statement issued by his media office, and made available to newsmen in Osogbo on Tuesday, the PDP governorship candidate said that offsetting the outstanding running into over 20 months, were doable with proper financial re-engineering and discipline.

He bemoaned that Osun people do not have any reason to be poor or wallow in abject poverty, noting that God has blessed the state with men and resources which could make it one of the most buoyant states in the country.

“By the grace of God, when I’m voted into power and eventually assume office, the PDP administration under my watch, shall clear all backlog of arrears of half salaries running into over 20 months as well as pensions and gratuities being owed our retirees. This is not an empty and rhetorical political promises. We shall do it,” he assured

Babayemi said one of the surest ways of rejuvenating the state economy which has gone bad is by ensuring that the outstanding salaries of civil servants as well as pensions and gratuities of retirees are paid up so as to sustain the economy of the state.

“It’s doable and achievable with proper financial re-engineering and discipline. This can be done by plugging leakages and preventing wastage. 

“It is disheartening that workers are still being owed tons of salaries necessitated by arrangements of half-salary modules which have pauperized them while our retirees who have put in years of quality services have been left in the doldrums because they have not been receiving their pensions and related entitlements as and when due,” Babayemi added.

He implored civil servants and people of the state in general, to continue to endure.

He said: “My good people of Osun, you are inches away from this hardship. By July 16 when you vote the PDP in the state, then we will begin a new lease of life that would be for the betterment of all of us and to the admiration of the outside world.”

Meanwhile, the PDP candidate has stressed that agro-allied products and other related merchandises, would be massively engaged by his administration to shore up the state’s economy if given the mandate by the people of the state.

This, according to Babayemi, would create thousands of jobs for indigenes of the state seeking employments as well as improve the living standards of the people of the state.