The Osun State branch of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called upon Governor Ademola Adeleke to issue an apology to the pensioners in the state for failing to fulfill his campaign commitment. According to the Osun APC, Adeleke had pledged to clear the outstanding contributory pensions within six months of taking office.

In a statement delivered by Tajudeen Lawal, the State chairman of the party, in Osogbo on Thursday, it was asserted that the Adeleke-led government had not kept its word and had instead displayed dishonesty in its efforts to deliver on campaign promises.

Lawal expressed that the recent approval for a payment of N2.1 billion from the CPS bond for retirees demonstrates the lack of genuine intent within the Adeleke administration. This move marked the second instance of such action in approximately nine months during the tenure of the PDP administration in the state.

He further stated that if Governor Adeleke truly had transparent intentions, he should provide a clear breakdown of the allocation figures for primary school teachers, civil servants, retired employees in various organizations, and secondary school teachers who have retired.

Lawal accused the Adeleke-led government of concealing something, emphasizing that the administration's payment calculation of N500 million over nine months for the Contributory Pension Scheme totals N4.5 billion. Taking into account local governments as well, the total amount due to the Adeleke administration would be no less than N9 billion.

He pointed out that even if Adeleke consistently pays N500 million over his four-year tenure, the total sum would only reach N12 billion, which is far from sufficient to cover the outstanding liabilities at both the state and local government levels.

Comparatively, Lawal highlighted the achievements of the previous governor, Oyetola, who successfully paid the Contributory Pension Scheme for various groups from 2016 to April 2018 and fully settled all retirees on the CPS with bonds ranging from N100,000 to N2 million by December 2020.

Lawal questioned why Adeleke was hesitant to publicly disclose the names of beneficiaries receiving the questionable pension bonds, a practice that was followed during the tenure of his predecessor. He also raised concerns about the allocation of funds by Adeleke's administration for dubious contracts instead of prioritizing the release of substantial funds to support struggling retirees and stimulate the state's economy, as initially promised within six months of his campaign.

Earlier, the Osun State Government had confirmed through a statement by the state Head of Service, Samuel Aina, that the Adeleke administration had authorized the issuance of bond certificates valued at N2.1 billion to settle accrued right benefits for another group of retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme at both state and local government levels.