By OLA AJAYI
IBADAN—ABOUT 231 loyalists of the immediate past Governor of Oyo State, Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala have accused Governor Abiola Ajimobi of withholding their two months’ salaries.

The supporters of the ex-governor including chairmen of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and members of the caretaker committee chairmen in the 33 local government areas claimed the withholding of their entitlements was borne out of the political intolerance.

It will be recalled that Governor Ajimobi had through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications; Dr. Festus Adedayo, said the immediate past administration disobeyed a court order restraining the ex-governor from paying his aides and himself severance allowance.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Mr. Omilabu Ghandhi noted they resorted to seeking the help of the people because individual and collective efforts to make the government pay them were unsuccessful.

Alhaji Gandhi who served as the Chairman of Ibadan North Local Government, said while all other workers in the councils had been paid their May and June salaries, the salaries of all the political functionaries were yet to be paid.

According to him, “Our people have made several attempts including visiting the local government headquarters for the payment of these salaries, unfortunately, the career officers always expressed their readiness to pay us, but said they were handicapped by the standing instructions left by the state governor that we must not be paid. It is rather painful and odd the way we play our politics in Oyo State. Rather than doing the right thing and being just and fair to all, we play crude and wicked politics in this state. It is unfortunate.”

“Or why would Ajimobi, a politician like us, deliberately want to punish us and deprive us the fruit of our labour , all because we are not in the same party with him.

“To me, I think the world has moved beyond all this. This is why we are begging and seeking the intervention of all and particularly the Alfas and Imams, our brothers and sisters in Islam to help us beg him to pay our salaries and stop inflicting pains on those he has sworn to protect and provide succor for in times of need. Even, if he sees our being in PDP as a sin, he should please in the spirit of the season of Ramadan and Night of Majesty forgive us and pay our salaries without further delay.”