ICPC indictment of Aregbesola on bailout funds; we are vindicated – PDP

 The Osun state chapter of the People’s Democratic Party,PDP, said it had been vindicated by ICPC recent report which categorically indicted the state Governor Mr Rauf Aregbesola for allegedly squandering the N34.9 billion Federal Government Bailout Funds.
 
This was contained In a statement signed by the Party’s state Director of Media and Strategy Prince Diran Odeyemi. According to Prince Odeyemi “ICPC had confirmed that Osun state governor got bail out cash from the federal government for the settlement of arrears of workers’ salaries and emoluments but diverted the funds for other purposes, thereby defeating the purpose of the government’s effort to provide succour for the workers.” “When we cried out that our governor had fixed the bailout, they called us liars, when we alerted that part of the fund was later used to pay a powerful contractor now in Buhari’s government, they denied it, what will the government say now that an independent government agency (ICPC) has confirmed and corroborated out claims, indeed, we have been vindicated” PDP said further that a comprehensive analysis carried out by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission, ICPC, in conjunction with the Nigeria Labour Congress, had revealed that Osun is among the state that deliberately lied that they were owing their workers huge debts when the reverse was the case but still did not pay their workers when the money was released to them by the FG. Allegedly quoting ICPC, PDP said “Osun State received N34.988.990.000.00 as bailout fund and disbursed N18.677.224.582.20, leaving a balance of N16.311,765.418 billion as at November. 2015” The party therefore called on the Commission to wade into the government’s recent propaganda towards verifying allegations that Osun State public servants had been paid salaries up to Jan 2016. “We are aware that Osun state workers have not been receiving full salaries since July 2015 and even at that, the state government is owing them four months salary” The party however commended the state NLC for debunking Aregbesola’s claim that he is not owing them while urging the workers to remain steadfast and united in their demand for the wages of their labour.