— Says Akeredolu paid 87 months’ salaries in 82 months

By Dayo Johnson Akure

Richard Olatunde, former Chief Press Secretary to late Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has faulted Gani Mohammed, Special Adviser to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on Special Duties and Strategy, over comments on pensioner welfare he described as “deliberate” misrepresentation.

In a statement, Olatunde accused Mohammed of trying to smear Akeredolu’s legacy despite having served in the same administration.

Olatunde said Mohammed was “deploying blackmail as a tool for political survival.”

Mohammed had claimed in a post that pensioners in the state waited 10 years despite federal bailout releases and anti-graft monitoring, adding that Aiyedatiwa had restored pensioners’ dignity.

Olatunde countered that as of 2021, the Akeredolu administration had already disbursed N6 billion to clear gratuity arrears inherited from the previous government.

He also cited N3.1 billion paid in August 2020 for outstanding allowances for state workers, including hazard bonuses for medical staff.

” In December 2023, Akeredolu flagged off payment of N1 billion as gratuities to teachers and local government workers who retired in 2011.

The former spokesperson, dismissed claims that the Akeredolu administration mismanaged federal bailouts, stating that salary and gratuity arrears were cleared using Paris Club refunds and bailouts from former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

“Gani painted a picture of neglect of senior citizens in the state by the Akeredolu government.

“He also insinuated that the administration didn’t judiciously utilise the tranches of bailouts released by the federal government under the late President Muhammadu Buhari.

“While we are familiar with this relevance-seeking tactic of Ajowa and his penchant for blackmail as a tool for political survival, we will not fold our hands and allow the legacies of the late Governor Akeredolu to be smeared by hustlers and professional political hailers.”

Olatunde noted that Akeredolu inherited seven months of salary arrears and gratuity backlogs from the Mimiko-led government.

The administration, he said, “offset six of the seven months and approved payment of the outstanding one month in November 2023.

“It is therefore uncharitable for Gani Muhammad to subtly deploy blackmail against the late Akeredolu administration on the issue of payment of gratuities for retired workers.

He added that “there is digital evidence” of Mohammed previously posting and lauding Akeredolu for prompt payment of gratuities.

“The late Akeredolu spent 82 months as governor but paid 87 months’ salaries within the time.

“For Gani to feign ignorance of these payments because he now serves in another administration and seeks relevance through blackmail is unfortunate,” he said.

Olatunde also faulted Mohammed’s role in issuing public statements, saying: “But for the lack of coordination in the Aiyedatiwa administration, Gani has no business issuing statements or publishing write-ups on matters that are beyond his intellectual capacity.”

According to him “No matter what he says today, the late Akeredolu made Gani one of the most sought-after tailors in the state by awarding him the contract for sewing nose masks during the COVID-19 period in 2020, a job he handled poorly.”