I’ll pay Osun workers salaries in 12 months – Oyetola

Gubernatorial candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun state, Gboyega Oyetola, has assured civil servants in the state that he will fully pay all the outstanding salaries within 12 months if elected the next governor of the state.
He also expressed confidence that his chances of winning September 22 election is very bright despite the exit of one of the prominent members of the party and the immediate past Secretary to the state government, Moshood Adeoti.
Oyetola, who stated this at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja yesterday while fielding questions from newsmen after his “Thank you visit” to leadership of the party, promised that he will certainly win the election.
“First of all, many states were challenged by the lack of fund over the years. But there is this misconception on the issue of salaries about Osun state. We paid salary from level one to seven and we do not owe anybody. We paid 75% for people in level 8 to 10 and the only category of people we owe is actually from level 12 to 17, likewise pension.
“So, when you talk about Osun owing salary, people tend to forget that it is not across board. Salary is fully paid from one to seven. Up till date, eight to ten we pay 75%. It is only a portion of 12 to 17 that is being paid 50 per cent.
“Yes, it is a challenge we all recognize, but we believe that will not persist for too long. My attitude and the method I want to adopt is not to entirely rely on the allocation that comes from the federal government but to look at the means to seriously develop the IGR, not necessarily by increasing tax but by ensuring efficiency in terms of collection and by bringing people who have been evading tax to come into the bracket. You can still get more by doing all of that without necessarily increasing tax.
“So, we are committed to paying whatever that is outstanding and we are looking forward to be able to pay full salaries subsequently. And, in any case, why do we want to be in government if we cannot think outside of box? We must be very creative, that is the essence of being in government anyway. I believe in another one year, you would have seen that things would have changed for better.”
While responding to the resignation of the SSG, he said: “Well, SSG is my brother actually, I would have loved he remains in the party, but as a matter of choice, he decides to leave the party. There is nothing anybody can do about that.
“But as for the fact that it might affect my fortune, I don’t think so. One, if you look at the result of that election, I had 127,000 votes. These are mainly members of our party. We are going to have opportunities of other voters,” he said.