THE Ondo State government has denied an allegation by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that it was planning to deduct money from workers’ salaries to fund the state’s Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun Corps.
The state chapter of the PDP made the allegation in a statement released by its spokesperson Kennedy Peretei on Tuesday.
Peretei noted the alleged plan shows that Ondo State governor Rotimi Aleredolu was insensitive to the welfare of workers.
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“A circular stating how much is to be deducted from all grade levels showed clearly that the governor is outright insensitive to the sufferings of workers.
“What exactly does the governor spend his huge security vote on, if he has to depend on sacrifices from workers to provide security for the state? Is it that the economic and political advisers of the governor are already at their wits’ end that they think the only thing left for them is to pounce on what is remaining of workers’ salaries?
“That this policy has not been implemented for November 2021 salary is not because the government has had a rethink but simply because of some technicalities on computations,” the statement released by the PDP said.
The party wondered if the government could no longer fund the security outfit or if the alleged plan to deduct workers’ salaries was another plot by the Akeredolu administration to plunder the state of its limited resources.
The PDP urged Akeredolu to be more frugal with the handling of the state finances to avoid impoverishing workers.
But the state government, in a swift reaction, denied the allegation, saying the government has no such plans.
The governor’s spokesperson, Richard Olatunde, described the allegation as a figment of the PDP’s imagination.
Olatunde said the party was attempting to mislead members of the public through the dissemination of falsehood and twisting of facts.
“The latest lie from the stable of the PDP is wrapped around an imaginary deduction of workers’ salaries to fund Amotekun,” he said.
“As usual, the PDP is famous for twisting facts and disseminating falsehood to mask its dark intentions of hoodwinking the innocent members of the public
“Ondo State government has no plan of deducting workers’ salaries for any purpose. Rather, the Governor Akeredolu-led Administration has continued to show commitment and prioritise workers’ welfare in the last five years.
“The allegation is imaginary. It is an embarrassing falsehood fabricated by a party whose penchant for lies is legendary.”
The government challenged the PDP to publish or bring to the public the circular that supports its claims.
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