By SCM Correspondent l August 10,2026
OSOGBO — Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has reiterated his administration’s commitment to worker welfare, asserting that his government has successfully restored dignity and financial stability to the state’s public workforce through systemic reforms and the clearance of long-standing debt backlogs.
Speaking on the administration’s progress in public service management, Governor Adeleke stated that worker welfare remains a foundational pillar of governance rather than an afterthought or a tool for political leverage.
“Our administration’s commitment to the welfare of our dedicated and hardworking workers is not just a promise; we have backed it with visible action. We have restored dignity to the labour force in Osun,” the Governor declared.
Fulfilling Promises Through Structural Reforms
Addressing the historical context of civil service management in the state, Governor Adeleke emphasized a shift away from political rhetoric toward concrete results.
He highlighted that meeting statutory financial obligations to active and retired civil servants is a basic governance responsibility rather than an extraordinary milestone.
“We do not consider the payment of salaries a political achievement, but a responsibility and the rightful reward for the labour of our active and retired workers,” Adeleke remarked. “We have cleared inherited backlogs of salaries, pensioners’ gratuities, and promotion arrears, while ensuring regular training and capacity development for our workforce.”
The administration’s labour policy focuses on three key areas:
Liquidation of Inherited Debt: Systematic clearance of outstanding salary arrears left by previous administrations.
Pension and Gratuity Settlement: Regular disbursement of funds to settle long-overdue gratuities for retired state and local government workers.
Capacity Building: Implementation of continuous professional development programs and modernizing promotion structures to boost public sector productivity.
“Instead of offering empty promises like those in the past, we have delivered tangible results that workers can see, feel, and experience,” Governor Adeleke added. “We promised to restore dignity to labour, and we have kept that promise.”
Background: Osun’s Civil Service Journey
The current policy direction represents a noticeable shift from the financial challenges that marked Osun State’s public sector over the past decade.
Following the drop in national crude oil revenues between 2014 and 2018, Osun State faced severe liquidity constraints.
The state government at the time introduced a controversial “half-salary” regime (modulated salary structure) for senior civil servants and retirees to manage fiscal pressure. While intended as a temporary measure, the policy accumulated billions of Naira in unpaid salary and pension backlogs, leading to prolonged friction between the state government and organized labor unions, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Upon assuming office in November 2022, Governor Adeleke prioritized the resolution of these labour disputes. The state government structured a phased repayment plan to settle the arrears alongside routine monthly wage payments. In addition to debt settlement, the administration integrated local health insurance schemes for state retirees and streamlined civil service promotions to boost morale across ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).
By institutionalizing timely wage payments and resolving backlogs, the Osun State Government aims to strengthen industrial peace, stimulate the local economy through increased household spending power, and enhance public service delivery across the state.
