The Osun State government has leveled accusations against Ibadan-based lawyer, Mutalubi Ojo Adebayo, alleging that he is engaging in disruptive and intrusive activism by threatening to take legal action against the government regarding unpaid allowances owed to judicial officials by previous administrations in the state….CONTINUE READING....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶
In a statement issued by the spokesperson for the state governor, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the government asserted that Adebayo’s actions not only amount to meddling but also involve a misrepresentation and misinterpretation of the employment relationship between employees and their employer.
It should be noted that Adebayo had issued a legal action threat against the Osun State government regarding the non-payment of allowances owed by previous administrations to judicial officials in the state.
In response, the government stated: “While we do not wish to attribute the threat of legal action to the politicization of employment matters, it is important to remind the public that the lawyer explicitly stated that the unpaid allowances were incurred during the tenures of the Aregbesola and Oyetola administrations.”
“We can further inform him that the Adeleke administration inherited a substantial debt, totaling N100 billion, in salary, pension, and employment-related obligations from the two previous All Progressive Congress governments. This is in addition to the state’s debt of over N400 billion.”
“The Adeleke administration has, however, initiated the payment of these salary and pension arrears despite financial constraints and other pressing demands on state resources.”
“We also want to emphasize that Osun’s judicial workers have their unions, and it is clear that these unions are fully capable of advocating for the interests of their members.
The unions are well aware of the systemic issues inherited and the ongoing efforts by the government to comprehensively address their concerns.”
“We must, therefore, urge the lawyer to refrain from engaging in disruptive and intrusive activism. Since he is not believed to be politically aligned, he should pursue a more dignified avenue instead of intruding into labor disputes, which should be handled exclusively by the unions and their employers.”
