Aide Replies Shittu: You Are Insincere, Mischief Over Alleged Salary Backlogs

Mr. Rasaq Olubodun, the former Personal Assistant to the Communication Minister, Barrister Adebayo Shittu has reacted to the minister’s claim that he is mischief and insincere over the non-payment of his 23 months salary arrears totalling N10 million.

It would be recalled that the minister while featuring on a radio programme in Ibadan last Saturday, said the aide’s salary was N42,000 and not N420,000 as claimed.

But, according to Olubodun, the minister is not being smark mischief and insincerity but misrepresentation of fact.

He described the scenario as snark off weakedness, inhuman, unGodliness and heartlessness.

“Initially, I have decided not join issues with the minister in the media out of respect for some important and influential people and respect for the exalted office of the Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“However, since the minister has decided to dance in the market square by making that statement, probably for image laundering and damage control, I have no choice than to join issues with him on the media at least for the purpose of clarification and putting the record straight before the people of Oyo State which we people represent and Nigerians in general,” he said.

The former aide raised six issues for determination without controversy. These include whether the minister did not pay his salary and allowances from November 2015 to October 2017 or not.

Others were whether his salary and allowances were not appropriated along with that of the minister by the National Assembly for onward payment to him as Personal Assistant and where is the minister keeping the money for the period and among others?

Olubodun added that these were the questions the minister would have to answer before a successful “image laundering” and “damage control could be achieved in this “salary scandal”.

He advised the minister to stop embarrassing the people of Oyo State who are very intelligent and politically sophisticated.

He warned that no amount of media statement and postage on social media would solve the problem of the “salary scandal”.

Olubodun continued: “He can only escalate it and make it to be more relevant in public domain and discussion.”

Olubodun has worked with Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi when he was in the Senate as Personal Assistant and Special Adviser during his first term in office for four years.