Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has challenged labour leaders in the state to produce evidence that the state government received the last tranche of the Paris Club loan refund paid by the Federal Government.
According to the governor, it beholds the labour leaders to provide proof of receipt of the said loan as his government is all about transparency and accountability.
Akeredolu who spoke during the commemoration of the World Food Day in Akure, the state capital, stated that his administration was not owing workers as his priority is all about workers’ welfare.
“We are not owing any worker since I assume office, I have been paying their salaries as an when due, even the eight months owned by the last administration I have paid part of it.
“We will also pay their leave bonus. Everybody will get his or he leave bonus before the end of this week.
“It has been rumoured that I have fixed the Paris Club refund, it is not true, no governor can fix that money, we have not received that money.
“I challenge anybody to tell the world the bank in which we have fixed the money.
“We need to take care of other people in the State because we are working for all the people of the State and there is need to develop the State in terms of roads and other infrastructural development.
“We cannot expend all the money accrued to the State to pay salaries of workers. We cannot do more than our capacity because we have other things to attend to,” he stated.
Few days ago, the workers and pensioners in the state had shut down the governor office over the allegation that the Paris Club Loan Refund had been paid to the state government.
During the protest the labour leaders also alleged that the state government was trying to divert the loan refund which according to them, it has been fixed in a commercial bank in the state.
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