By Ernest Nwokolo, Abeokuta

The special assistants to former Ogun State governor Ibikunle Amosun, who served his administration between 2015 and 2019, have implored Governor Dapo Abiodun to pay their severance allowance arrears.

In a letter dated August 5, addressed to Prince Abiodun by the ex-aides- Soyombo Opeyemi, Olusola Balogun, Lanre Adeagbo and Gbenga Adekanmbi- on behalf of their colleagues, they informed the governor that many of them resigned from their paid jobs to serve the state.

The former aides, who hailed Governor Abiodun for his achievements in the last two years, urged him to pay the severance package to encourage sacrificial service to the citizens by public office holders.

The letter said: “We wish to place on record our appreciation of your giant strides since May 29, 2019. In particular, we note the construction of the all-important Abeokuta-Sagamu Interchange road, among other massive construction projects going on across the state.

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“No one can ignore the fact that you not only retained the 2,000 workers employed by the previous administration, but you also went ahead to pay them nine-month salaries, which surpassed the expectations of the citizens. The rare gesture confirms your human kindness.

“We, the undersigned, representatives of special assistants to the governor who served Ogun State between 2015 and 2019 appeal to Your Excellency to pay our severance allowances. Many of us resigned our jobs to serve our state.

“As the current helmsman, you would have taken cognisance of our plight during the four years of our faithful and selfless service. As we noted in our earlier letter on the subject matter, dated June 6, 2019, we humbly appeal to Your Excellency to kindly offset the severance allowances, to encourage sacrificial service to the good people of Ogun State by public office holders.

“Once more, we pray for divine health and God’s guidance, as we wish you a successful tenure. Finally, we wish to commiserate with Your Excellency on the passage unto glory of our beloved father, Dr. Emmanuel Adesanya Abiodun. We take solace in the fact that Papa was an accomplished teacher and his footprints endure on the sands of time. May God grant his soul eternal rest.”

Reacting, the Special Adviser to Governor Abiodun on Public Communications, Remmy Hazzan, said those who served meritoriously during the past administration would be paid.

The special adviser said the situation was not helped by the fact that the last administration engaged in selective payment of aides when it was winding down, “wondering why these ones were left unattended to if the administration they served considered their service of value addition not just to that government, but also to Ogun State.”

Hazzan said: “I think one major challenge we have really was that the last administration did selective payment for some of those who served and just as many of us were wondering why that kind of selective payment was done, the issue of severance package has not even been attended to by us as a government, especially because of paucity of fund.

“However, those who were yet to be paid by the last administration, who meritoriously served, will be paid once we’re able to get the funds that we require. They have served, they will be paid.”

“However, this question should be asked, why was selective payment done by the last administration if indeed they considered their service of value addition, not just to that government, but also to Ogun State? Why was that particular selective payment done? That severance package is a liability we have captured in our exposure and definitely we will pay.”