Condemnation is mounting over a proposed bill that would raise the salaries of political office holders in Osun State by more than 100 percent. The Osun State Public/Political Office Holders Revised Remuneration Package Amendment No. 2 Bill of 2024 has passed through the state assembly and now awaits the signature of Governor Ademola Adeleke to become law.
The bill, which sailed through its third reading on May 20 under the leadership of Speaker Adewale Egbedun, seeks to substantially increase compensation for appointed political officials.
According to a draft obtained by THE WHISTLER, the salaries of part-time board chairmen would increase from N110,000 to N287,000, while part-time board members and rent tribunal appointees would see their pay jump from N68,750 to N210,000 and N82,500 to N210,000, respectively.
The proposed pay raises have drawn criticism from civil society groups, who argue the measure is tone-deaf and illogical amid the state’s economic woes.
During a monthly address on Monday, Professor Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, Executive Director of The Osun Masterminds (TOM) coalition, lambasted the bill as “grossly insensitive” to ordinary citizens struggling with a harsh economy.
He said, “In this same State where government could not make clear-cut palliative plans to cushion the biting effects of the harsh economy, the State Assembly is proposing an increase to the already-bogus salaries of political office holders where
civil servants are currently finding it really hard to survive. This is irresponsible and unacceptable.”
He cautioned that passing such ‘obnoxious’ bills flagrantly disrespects the mood of the average Osun dweller.
Oyedokun-Alli said at a time we all should be condemning the needlessly large population of political appointments already made by the Governor, the Assembly wants to further increase the pressure on our scarce resources.
“We call on Governor Adeleke to decline assent to this obnoxious bill. He must say no to this bill in the interest of the people and deploy whatever resources the State has, to the welfare of workers, whose salaries have already become seriously inadequate, and the common man on the streets, who is currently struggling to survive,” Oyedokun-Alli added.
Outrage Over Proposed 100% Pay Hike For Osun Political Office Holders is first published on The Whistler Newspaper