To avert the situation in the neighbouring Osun State, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State yesterday called on the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi to review the salaries, allowances and cost of running government downward with immediate effect.

To mitigate the suffering of the people of Oyo State and avoid an embarrassing economic situation, the party described it as proactive and immediate measures which the governor, who was re-elected for another term on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) last April must take.

The state PDP chairman, Olayinka Taiwo gave the advice in Ibadan as a matter of urgency, the governor should address the economic situation in the state, which had led to the government owing workers’ salaries in the last four months and the general lull in economic activities in the state.

Taiwo also reminded the governor on the advice earlier given by the PDP that he should declare his assets, noting that Unpaid Salaries: Oyo PDP Wants Cost of Governance Reduced

after taking office for another term, the governor should not have delayed in making his assets public.

"We wonder why Governor Ajimobi, who declared his assets in his first term in office, which should be easy to update, has remained silent till date on the issue"?

The PDP further called on Governor Ajimobi to emulate other forward-looking governors who had slashed the salaries and allowances of public officials, just as it called on him to intensify efforts to increase the Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR)of the state in the nearest future, noting that the PDP could not fold its arms and watch the APC to plunge the state into an economic crisis of Osun State’s magnitude.

“We, as a party, do not want Oyo State’s situation to get to the point where we will urge well-meaning Nigerians to donate food to workers in the state.

"While the government has explained why workers in the state have not been paid for months, the PDP feels that the APC-led government in the state needs to change its strategy and avoid the business-as-usual approach, which led the state to the current economic abyss.

“The governor must move immediately to review salaries, allowances and even his security vote as well as the cost of running government, because the approach he employed in the last four years, which has brought the state to its kneels today, can no longer work” ,Taiwo said.

The Oyo PDP chairman said the government led by Ajimobi in the last four years must have learnt lessons from building a kilometre of road for N1bn and building a flyover for about N3bn when there was abundance of wealth, only for the state to face stingy hardship months after, when there was a slight reduction in income.

"We call on Governor Ajimobi to match his words and corporate experience with actions by being forward-looking and planning strategically for the future so as to avoid a repeat of the present situation", Taiwo said further.