Former Ogun State Aides Request Tinubu’s Intervention for Unpaid Severance Gratuities

Former aides to Senator Ibikunle Amosun, the previous governor of Ogun State, have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to persuade the current governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, to settle their unpaid severance gratuities.

According to TheNEWS, these aides, who served between 2015 and 2019, claim they have been denied their rightful payments since 2019.

The ex-aides lament that despite the significant revenue flowing into Ogun State under the Tinubu administration and the President’s directive for state governors to alleviate economic hardships by settling outstanding debts, Governor Abiodun has not honored his promise to pay the severance allowances. Fakorede Adesanya, Okoya Babatunde, and Musiliu Oladeinde, representatives of the former Special Assistants, expressed their frustration in a statement made available to the press in Abeokuta.

“The governor has denied us the legitimate entitlement for five years. This has caused us psychological trauma. In the course of time, the value of the gratuity has depreciated considerably. Many of our colleagues who resigned their jobs to serve Ogun State could not return to their previous positions. Many of them and their families are in financial straits, hence our appeal for President Tinubu’s intervention,” the statement read.

They further highlighted that Governor Abiodun had met with them before the 2023 elections, promising to address the severance payments. “This is an acknowledgement that we are entitled to and deserve the allowance,” the statement added, underscoring the financial and emotional distress caused by the prolonged delay.

The former aides also referenced one of their numerous letters to Governor Abiodun, dated August 5, 2021, where they praised his administration’s accomplishments, including retaining 2,000 workers employed during the final days of the Amosun administration. The letter stressed their sacrifice and dedication, noting, “Many of us resigned our jobs in order 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.”

The letter concluded with a plea to Governor Abiodun to fulfill his commitment: “As we noted in our earlier letter on the subject matter, dated 6th June, 2019, we humbly appeal to Your Excellency to kindly offset the severance in order to encourage sacrificial service to the good people of Ogun State by public office holders.”