By VICTOR ADEOTI

The Osun State Government says it has no plan to demote any of its workers or payment of half salary.

This is contained in a statement by Malam Olawale Rasheed, the spokesperson for Gov. Ademola Adeleke, on Saturday in Osogbo.

The statement said it was an outright falsehood and wicked fabrication, the fake news about demotion of workers and alleged plan of payment of half salaries to the state workers.

It said the administration of Gov. Adeleke had no plan to demote any of the state workers and would not introduce payment of half salary.

“We affirm that the Osun State Government under Gov. Ademola Adeleke, has not and will not demote any worker. There is also no plan to introduce half salary.

“We declare that the content of the said story and all the references to a supposed worker are mere fabrications to undermine the very strong bond between Adeleke and Osun workers, both in the formal and the informal sector.

“The bond of partnership between this administration and the workers was further cemented at the May 1 Workers Day celebration, where labour leaders praised the extraordinary commitment of Gov. Adeleke to workers’ welfare,” it stated.

The statement said the May Day event saw confirmation by all stakeholders that Gov. Adeleke was the first governor in the state to have workers’ welfare as the first item on his agenda.

“The May Day event also saw confirmation by all stakeholders that Gov. Adeleke was the first governor in Osun state to have workers’ welfare as the first item on his governance agenda.

“Members of the public and the labour movement also acknowledged that the present administration has been clearing the mess and the evil fallouts of years of maladministration by the APC in Osun state.

“Part of that acclaimed step is the template adopted to clear years of half salaries and pensions owed Osun workers.

“It is, therefore, a failed hatchet job by the opposition party to allege that a solution provider, a workers’ governor and a performing leader of peoples’ government is planning any anti-labour agenda

“Governor Adeleke has since been working round the clock to restore public confidence in government, to bridge the infrastructural gap, to clear backlogs of salaries owed to workers, to rebuild the public service, to sanitise public finance, and to digitalise Osun economy.

“We, therefore, urge members of the public to ignore the fake news about demotion of workers and re-introduction of half salaries.

“Gov. Adeleke is an apostle of good governance and grassroots development who upholds workers’ rights and aspirations of Osun people,” the statement said. (NAN)