The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has chastised Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu over an alleged plot to deduct money from employees’ paychecks to finance the state’s security network, known colloquially as Amotekun Corps.

It was observed that the proposal was not unrelated to the governor’s recognition from some quarters for his efforts in combating the herdsmen threat in the state through the security outfit.

This was stated in a statement issued yesterday in Akure by the state PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kennedy Peretei, who bemoaned that despite being the sole oil-producing state in the area, Ondo State workers were the most impoverished and traumatized in the region.

“A circular stating how much is to be deducted from all grade levels showed clearly that the governor is outright insensitive to the sufferings of workers.

“Is it that the government is unable to sustain the funding of the Amotekun security outfit or it is another ploy to syphon the limited resources in the state?

“What exactly does the governor spend his huge security vote on, if he has to depend on sacrifices from workers to provide security for the state? Is it that the economic and political advisers of the governor are already at their wits’ end that they think the only thing left for them is to pounce on what is remaining of workers’ salaries?

“That this policy has not been implemented for November 2021 salary is not because the government has had a rethink but simply because of some technicalities on computations.

“We urge Akeredolu to be more frugal with the handling of the finances of Ondo State, so as not to impoverish the workers,” the statement stated.

Meanwhile, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Richard Olatunde, has refuted the allegations, saying that it is PDP’s latest attempt to sell blatant lies and sponsor spurious allegations to the people, especially as regards the welfare of workers.

He said: “The latest lie from the stable of the PDP is wrapped around an imaginary deduction of workers’ salaries to fund Amotekun. As usual, the PDP is famous for twisting facts and disseminating falsehood to mask its dark intentions of hoodwinking the innocent members of the public.

“Ondo State government has no plan of deducting workers’ salaries for any purpose. Rather, the Governor Akeredolu-led Administration has continued to show commitment and prioritise workers’ welfare in the last five years.

“The allegation is imaginary. It is an embarrassing falsehood fabricated by a party whose penchant for lies is legendary.

“We challenge the PDP to publish or make public any circular on their imaginary deductions as claimed,” he said.