- Safiu Kehinde
The Organised Labour Union in Osun state has debunked the vote buying allegation melted against the state governor, Ademola Adeleke, by the All Progressives Congress, APC, over his distribution of N10,000 palliatives to workers and pensioners in the state.
The union clarified that the palliatives disbursed to the workers and pensioners by Adeleke was solicited by them.
They made this known during a protest against the pre-election violence and killings on Monday at the Osun State Secretariat.
Addressing newsmen at the protest ground, the organised labour’s chairman, Christopher Arapasopo, said that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, were misled into freezing the state government’s account while narrating how they had requested for palliatives from Adeleke.
Arapasopo disclosed that it was the union who wrote to the state government, demanding palliatives.
According to him, they initially proposed N20,000 before Adeleke reduced it to N10,000 following agreement with the union.
‘On the issue of EFCC, we discovered that they were not properly briefed. But we are out here today to let the whole world knows what really happened.
‘In April 8 of this year, the organised labour wrote the current state government to request for palliatives for workers. Today, we are coming here with evidence.
‘We wrote a letter to state government to give workers and pensioners palliatives. This would help to cushion the effect of the economic struggle in Nigeria.
‘To our own surprise, the opposition under Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, wrote a press release, saying the current government wanted to bribe the workers and pensioners of Osun state.
‘They tagged it as vote buying. But we are here to shed light on it that Osun State Organised Labour are the ones that requested for palliatives for all workers and pensioners in Osun state.
‘We demanded for N20,000 but we had a meeting with the governor, and he promised to pay N10,000 flat for all workers and pensioners in Osun State.’ He said.
The Osun Organised Labour’s chairman charged the APC to desist from cooking false narratives and follow due process in their contest for the governorship seat.
‘It is not a crime to have a governor who is worker friendly. It is not a crime to have a governor who believes workers and pensioners should enjoy their lives.
‘We are happy to have him. It should not be a crime. Even if you want to come to power, why not follow due process.
‘It should not be a tale of you trying to come behind the door. We are here to say that workers and pensioners and the good people of Osun state should be allowed to cast their votes.’ He said.
Meanwhile, Arapasopo said the workers had alongside the pensioners also staged the protest to express their displeasure over the political development in the state as they decried the activities of suspected political thugs.
‘Everyone here is Osun Organised Labour, workers, and pensioners. We are here to register our displeasure on the happenings in Osun.
‘It is not far from the truth that talks have been going round, shooting here and there, and the police who are supposed to do their job are out there doing nothing.
‘Thugs in Osun State are moving freely even to the point that a competent court issued a warrant of arrest on some thugs shooting round in Osun state.
‘The police are claiming ignorance, as we speak, to do the right thing.
‘As far as Osun state is concerned, we are major stakeholders. Out here, you see workers and pensioners here to register our displeasure.’ He said.
The workers demanded visa ban on any politician culpable of corruption in the coming election.
They also demanded the Independent National Electoral Commission’s impartiality at the poll.