Twenty four, out of the 26 lawmakers of the former Ondo State House of Assembly between 2011 and 2015, have decried the non-payment of their severance allowances since leaving office in 2015.
The two others, Messers Sam Adesina (former Speaker) and David Akinkuolire had died while awaiting the package.
They alleged that Governor Olusegun Mimiko recently approved a sum of N3.6b to pay the entitlements of other political appointees and ‘maliciously’ excluded the former lawmakers from benefitting.
Three of the ex-legislators from each of the Senatorial Districts, Dare Emiola (Ondo North), Kunle Olujuyigbe (Ondo Central) and Gbenga Edema (Ondo South), who spoke in Akure, on behalf of their colleagues, pointed out that the Revenue Allocation and Fiscal Mobilisation Commis-sion(RAFMAC) Act stipulated that public officers both Elected and Appointive that had served two years and above are qualified to be paid immediately after leaving office.
They said the same practice has been in existence in Ondo and other states,stressing that it happened recently in Ekiti and Ogun state where Governors Ayo Fayose and Ibikunle Amosun paid their former political appointees without excluding the lawmakers.
According to the former Deputy Speaker, who was also the Chairman, Welfare Committee of the Seventh Assembly, Dare Emiola, “we have been pursuing this fund immediately we left office on June 1, 2015; we have been making frantic efforts and pleadings to Governor Olusegun Mimiko without success”.
