Osun Council Tusstle: Stop Inflicting Pains On Others, Release Vouchers For Immediate Payment of Workers' Salaries, Pensions, Others, Osun ALGON Tells Senior Staff, HLA, NULGE

The Forum of the Council Chairmen in Osun State, under the umbrella of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), has directed Senior local government workers particularly directors and Head of Local Government Administration, HLA and leadership of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, NULGE, Osun State Chapter, to release, as a matter of urgency, the vouchers and schedules of payment of salaries, pensions, impress, emoluments and other entitlements due to all categories of active and retired workers of the local governments and teachers of primary schools for immediate payments. 

Osun ALGON directs  Senior local government workers to stop inflicting unnecessary pains on the armless workers due to their failure to avail them the vouchers to expressly approve and make the payments. 

The council Chairmen cleared the air on the insinuations around the delayed payment of salaries, pensions and entitlements of the council workforce and teachers- assuring immediate approval, release and payments as soon as the Vouchers and other schedules are made available.  

Recall that earlier in January 2026 upon their resumption from their almost a year strike, the Chairmen across the 30 local governments made similar request but was tactically ignored on the ground that they have been directed from Local Government Service Commission, Osogbo, not to relate with  Chairmen. 

The Osun Local Government Chairmen, in a statement, signed and made available to newsmen by Osun ALGON Chairman, Hon. Samuel Idowu Abiodun, expressed displeasure over the reculcitrant attitude of the senior council workers to release the vouchers for approval and payment. 

Hon. Abiodun said all the workers' entitlements would have been paid since their formal resumption if not for deliberate refusal to provide them the payment vouchers and necessary data under their control. 

"It is unfortunate that up till today the senior council workers are yet to avail us voucher to which the payment of salaries, pensions, departmental and individual's impress as well as other entitlements due to council workers could be made. As responsible chairmen, we have been requesting for payment vouchers and schedules from council senior workers in order to effect the immediate approval and release of their entitlements since they resumed work.

"I want to clear the air that none of the local government Chairman under my leadership refuses to pay workers instead we have been making serious effort and striving so hard to get the vouchers from senior staff who by the virtue of their status in service relate with, and take directives directly from NULGE in particular and state government in general to frustrate the payment. I wonder if they have forgotten that they can only sign for the Council Chairmen and take directives only from the Chairmen and not from any other authority. This is in line with their work schedules and carrier regulations. 

"Without sounding immodest, i can say it categorically that the state government, NULGE leadership and senior council workers chose to inflict unnecessary and avoidable pains on many workers that is why they have failed to avail us documents. We have been asking them (senior council workers) to give us vouchers for salaries, pensions, impress (both individual running cost and departmental impress) and other entitlements but they blatantly refused to release it without giving any reason.

"What we observed so far is the fact that, council workers, particularly the senior ones, have been holding clandestine meetings with their colleagues in NULGE where they do take directives including their refusal to oblige us vouchers for the payment of salaries, pensions and other entitlements. So, it is crystal clear that the motive behind their resumption is to frustrate our efforts and collective resolve to regular payment of workforce and the need to hit the ground running and effect good governance at the grassroots. 

"As for us, we are ready to approve and order immediate payment of salaries of all the categories of council workers including Primary School Teachers, Health workers, local government pensioners among others whose salaries, pensions, impress, emoluments and entitlements are to be paid by the Councils if the Voucher is given today. 

"While we appeal to them to provide necessary information, we want to say it categorically that we are disturbed by their antics but we will continue to provide quality leadership and ensure transformative developments across the nooks and crannies of the state within the available information at our disposal.  Despite similar odds, we have successfully paid salaries and entitlements of our royal fathers - the traditional rulers across Osun State without discrimination. 

"But we bring this to the fore and to public knowledge so as to let the whole world knows that the council Chairmen are not in anyway responsible for the delayed payment instead the senior council workers and NULGE leadership should be held responsible", Abiodun stated.