A group, Yewa Youth Pacesetters has lampooned the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over its criticism of the cash sum of N10,000 announced as monetary palliative for civil servants and pensioners in the state by Governor Dapo Abiodun, to cushion the effects of subsidy removal.
The Ogun State Government in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Tokunbo Talabi, had announced the approval of Governor Abiodun of the sum for a period of three months.
Other palliatives as announced included approval of Hazard Allowance for all Health and Medical Personnel in the State; approval of Peculiar Allowance for Public Servants in the State; immediate release of Letters of Promotion in respect of 2021 and 2022; payment of March and April, 2023 Leave Bonuses for Public Servants in the State; immediate cash-backing for the quarterly payment of gratuities to pensioners; commencement of food palliatives to the vulnerable among others.
But the opposition party in the state through its Publicity Secretary, Akinloye Bankole, said that the sum earmarked as cash palliative was ridiculous and insulting to the civil servants in the state.
He also described the conversion workers staff buses and other state owned buses from PMS-enabled to CNG-enabled to reduce transport cost for the workers as “elitist”.
Reacting to the Ogun PDP’S outburst, YYP, in a statement by its president, Dapo Fashola, on Friday, said the criticism was not only inept but asinine.
According to Fashola, the governor, apart from the immediate cash allowance of N10,000 to ameliorate the transport cost for the public servants and the senior citizens, other robust measures were announced to give succour to the people of the state and ensure the well-being of the public servants, wondering how a party who contested to govern the state could condemn palliatives meant to ease the hardship of subsidy removal on the people.
He noted that with the party’s criticism of good intentions by Abiodun-led administration towards the public servants, it has clearly shown that PDP government in Ogun would have been anti-civil servants administration, if given the mandate by the people.
The group pointed out that the opposition party, having realized that defeat was staring at its face at the election petition tribunal, has now embarked on childish criticism of the ruling party.
While urging Governor Abiodun not to be distracted by the antics of the PDP and continue to reel out dividends of democracy and espouse good governance in the state, YPP, lauded the governor for working assiduously to ensure the minimal effects of subsidy removal on the residents of Ogun.
The group, however, called on the people of the state to continue to give support to the incumbent administration in its quest to build a prosperous and industrialized state for the benefit of the people.