The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has finally opened up on why he’s been running the state without any cabinet.
Addressing members of the Nigerian Guild of Editors on Friday, August 5, 2016 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Aregbesola, a former Commissioner for Works in Lagos State, confessed that it’s because he doesn’t have money to pay them!
‘I am indigent…We don’t have money…I don’t have money…’
Shedding some light on the state’s financial status, he stated that his challenge right now is even beyond that. According to him, he gets N1.2 billion from the Federation Account monthly. Meanwhile the payment of Osun workers’ salaries alone gulps N1.7 billion every month.
Unfortunately, what they realize monthly from IGR is also not much. Therefore, rather than worry about not having Commissioners for now, he’s decided to do it alone pending when things improve.
He, however, added that hopefully, between now and when he would be celebrating his second anniversary in office (second term), he may consider constituting a cabinet. But certainly not a large one.