Bruce ridiculing Nigerian workers, says Osun govt

The Osun state government has accused Ben Bruce of playing politics with the plight of Nigerian workers, wondering why he singled out Osun for intervention among all  the states owing salaries.

Bruce had promised to donate his wardrobe allowance as the representative of the Bayelsa east senatorial district to civil servants in the state and widows of his constituency.

“I, Ben Murray Bruce, will not sit down idly, while my fellow citizens die because salaries have not been paid. As a first step, I am immediately donating my wardrobe allowance to unpaid workers in Osun state and widows in my constituency,” he wrote on Twitter.

But in a swift reaction, Semiu Okanlawon, media aide of Rauf Aregbesola, governor of the state, said rather than embark on “self serving philanthropy,” the legislator could prevail on his colleagues to slash their allowances for the benefit of the country.

“My attention has been drawn to a tweet by a member of upper chamber of the national assembly Senator Ben Murray Bruce of the Peoples Democratic Party from Bayelsa saying he will not reject the alleged hefty pay for members of the national assembly but collect it and donate to Osun workers,” the statement read.

“It is saddening and tragic that Mr. Murray Bruce whom many had accorded a lot of respect is too early in the day joining the fray of politicisation and trivialising the salary issue affecting more than half of the states of the federation in this ridiculous manner.

“While Nigerians are in hot debate over the alleged jumbo pay and the mood of the country Murray Bruce seems to have turned the plight of Nigerian workers to a thing of an entertainment.

“Of all the states in the federation who are battling to pay salaries as a result of the precarious economic situation his party the PDP threw Nigeria into why is it that it is Osun he wants to take his pay to? This is certainly playing to the gallery and nothing but a mockery in the faces of Nigerian workers and not only of Osun extraction. It is not only wicked but ungodly to play politics with the suffering of the people.

“If the senator’s conscience tells him his pay is too high especially in the face of the prevailing economic predicament of Nigeria, the most honourable thing to do is to lead a protest for reduction and not a self serving philanthropy only in the direction of Osun workers.”