The Allied Peoples’ Movement in Ogun State has described the claim by the state Governor, Dapo Abiodun, that he took N7bn from banks to pay May salaries as the “height of gross irresponsibility.”

The acting Publicity Secretary of the APM in the state, Mr Olumide Balogun, in a statement on Tuesday, said Abiodun’s words was a concoction of lies and a clear evidence of lack of preparedness for governance.

The party, ahead of 2019 elections, had provided its platform for the loyalists of the immediate-past governor, Ibikunle Amosun, to contest following their exit from the All Progressives Congress.

The party hinted that it was aware that Amosun had prepared the cash for salary payment before handing over to Abiodun on May 28, 2019.

The governor had said on Monday that he took N7bn loan from banks to pay May salaries of the workers in the state.

But the APM said, “We must note that he took oath of office in May 29, 2019, and information had it that his predecessor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, had already prepared the payment before the handover.

“It is a surprise that a governor who had barely spent three days (as of May 31when the payment was made) in office had borrowed such a huge amount to pay salaries alone.

“Would such borrowing not require the approval of the Ogun State House of Assembly? Is such a transaction in line with the Financial Regulations? Or was the transaction made based on personal relationship or on behalf of the state government?

“Indeed, enquiries suggest that the state received over N5bn from the FAAC for May, which should be more than enough to cover staff salaries, including what Senator Amosun left in the state treasury for the new government. What happened to the money within 48 hours?

“We must not forget quickly that Dapo Abiodun resumed office with a brand new 2019 G-wagon worth of N127m as his official car and changed all the governor’s fleet. This must have cost him hundreds of millions of naira of tax payers’ money.”

However, the Chief Press Secretary to Abiodun, Mr Kunle Somorin, said his boss described the statement as an attempt to cry wolf where there was none.

According to a statement signed by Somorin, people of Ogun State are wiser.

The statement read, “Which is better between a government that went the whole hog and thought out-of-the-box to ensure that workers salaries are paid as and when due in full and the government that owed them, seized their check-off-dues for several years and deny pensioners their rights?

“Ogun workers are discerning to distinguish between those who denied them their entitlements and those who go out of their ways to ensure that they are promptly paid.”

“They aren’t talking about the inflated wage bill. Amosun claims to be paying N2.5bn higher than what was borrowed to pay in full.”

“Where was Amosun keeping the over N2.5bn monthly for the 96 months he governed Ogun State?”

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