The Daily Crucible | Friday, August 5, 2022
By Mariam Adekunle, Abeokuta
A group, Ogun ex - local government political office holders (2012-2015 congress), is poised to meet with the governorship candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Ladi Adebutu, today.
It was learnt that the former local government political office holders who are aggrieved over their unpaid entitlement will grant the former federal lawmaker audience on some issues.
The State Coordinator of the group is
Com. Nuberu Adesanya Olufemi.
A 10 - man Committee comprising the State Deputy Coordinator, State Secretary, three Senatorial Coordinators, State Publicity Officer, Chairman Contact & Mobilization Committee, Chairman Publicity & Enlightenment Committee, designated Woman LG Coordinator and designated Deponent, has been mandated by the group to meet with Hon. Ladi Adebutu at Park Inn, Kuto, Abeokuta today.
The Committee is expected to hear Adebutu regarding his 2023 governorship ambition and will also use the avenue to present a well documented facts on their worsening plights regarding the pending N3.5bn entitlement which the group claimed, remained unpaid by governor Dapo Abiodun - led state government of Ogun State.
Our reporter learnt that such window of interaction shall also be extended to all accessible 2023 governorship candidates in the Gateway State.
The group had in the build up to the 2019 governorship election in the state presented this same nagging issue of its unpaid entitlement to Prince Dapo Abiodun and tasked its members who worked hard enough for the success of Abiodun's election at the time after getting a word from him that he would look into the matter but nothing has been done in that direction since being in office in the last 38 months or more.
The Ex - LG Political Office Holders, reckoned and also resolved that "the responses, commitments and qualities of success of any governorship candidate, irrespective of party affiliation towards our plights would form the basis of our working relationship in 2023 general elections."
The Daily Crucible reports that Ibadan division of National Industrial Court (NIC) had on the last Valentine's Day, ordered the Ogun State Government to pay N3.5bn to the ex - local government political office holders (2012-2015 congress).
The said money was deemed the total amount deducted from their salaries under the watch of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, who was the governor of Ogun State when the alleged illegality was routinely carried out.
Amosun is now representing Ogun Central at the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly.
The political office holders, said to be over 500 had dragged the Ogun State Government, the governor and over a dozen others to the Industrial Court in May 2020, after several attempts to have an audience with governor Abiodun failed.
The affected past office holders reckoned that the action contravened the Ogun State Local Government Law 2008, adding that when they were leaving office in 2015, the money was not paid to them.
Delivering judgement on the matter on that fateful February 14, 2022, Justice Dele Peters held that deducting the salaries of the appointees via a memo was illegal, adding that "anything against statutory law is obnoxious, null and void."
The Court, therefore, proceeded to order the state government to pay the deducted salaries of the political office holders with 15% interest within 30 days to the day the judgement was delivered.
However, just while the affected persons were looking forward to when they would reap the benefits of their favourable court judgement, the governor rushed to the appellate court in Ibadan to challenge the said judgement.
Meanwhile, the State Coordinator of the group, Com. Nuberu Adesanya Olufemi has called on members to remain steadfast and put their faith in God as they sustain the struggle to claim the denied legitimate entitlement.
"I call on our members across the state to be steadfast and resolute on our agitation for the collection of entitlement as validated by National Industrial Court.
"Let us have at the back of our mind, God has been faithful to us, let us not betray Him by again putting our trust in any man, rather we should trust Him this time to use any man of His choice to address our plights," he said.
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