Prepare for austerity, APC tells Osun people

The All Progressives Congress has advised the people of Osun State to brace up for austerity measures which became the only way out of the economic crisis the state is facing.

The Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy of the APC in Osun State, Mr. Kunle Oyatomi, gave this advice in a statement made available to our correspondent in Osogbo on Saturday while congratulating the labour unions and state government for finally resolving the salary impasse.

The APC attributed the economic crisis in the country to the alleged misrule of Peoples Democratic Party-led Federal Government.

He said, “This will take a lot of sacrifice and belt tightening to fix. Every citizen must be prepared to experience one form‎ of austerity or the other in the mean time, if we are to expeditiously overcome the damage done by the PDP to the nation’s economy. Something has to give way for better things to happen.

“It is not ‎ the government that will bear the brunt alone, the people should be prepared to share in making sacrifices, so that we can build a future for our children.”

The ruling party blamed the PDP for the criticisms which have trailed the inability of the state to pay its workers for many months, saying the opposition party orchestrated the attacks against the government to discredit it.

He said, “Of the number of states in the country where this same crisis persisted, it was only in Osun that a satanic twist was orchestrated by the PDP to magnify the sad event. This is because desperate politicians murderously seeking power will stop at nothing to exploit people’s misfortune for their selfish political ambition.”

But the opposition party has said they would not stop criticising the alleged maladministration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration.

The Director of Media, Publicity and Strategy of the PDP in Osun State, Mr. Diran Odeyemi, when contacted by our correspondent said the criticisms against Aregbesola was more severe than in other states because the governor was the only one involved in reckless spending with impunity.

The PDP said the ruling party’s advice was a confirmation that Aregbesola was planning to retrench workers and to impose heavy taxes on the people.

He said, “Rather than prove us wrong, the APC has just corroborated our position that it has lost focus and can not bring smiles to the faces of the people but hardship.

“It is sad that a government that promised workers good welfare packages during campaign would withhold their salaries for nine months, and when given bailout by the FG, would fix it in a bank and embark on series of delay tactics to delay payment.

“APC in other South West states do not purchase helicopter for the pleasure of their governor like we have in Osun, neither do they travel to Cuba forthrightly like Aregbesola does. If Osun APC expects us to keep quiet in the face of oppression, embezzlement, fraud, maladministration and other vices, they got it wrong.”