Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has said his government spent over N160 billion on the education sector in the last three years, saying the government did not owe workers’ salaries within the same period.
Amosun disclosed this while addressing the executive members of the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) of Educational and Associated Institutions who visited him in his Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta office yesterday.
He said about N610 million was paid as subventions to schools monthly, which he noted, summed up to about N7.5 billion annually.
His words: “When we came in 2011, we inherited a backlog of salaries and arrears owed workers and much more significant was the approval of an exponential increment of retired permanent secretaries pensions from N40,000 to N400,000 at the twilight of the previous administration,” adding that, this was a huge burden his administration had to bear.
He revealed that the 27.5 per cent peculiar allowance, which he recently approved for teachers in the state also included the non-academic staff and that payment would begin before the end of the year.
Speaking on the funding of the 10 tertiary institutions owned by the state, the governor noted that of the 36 states of the federation, Ogun was the only state with that highest number of tertiary institutions, saying, however, that notwithstanding its attendant financial implications, his administration had continued to fund them.
Amosun said 90 per cent of the money earmarked for education was used to pay salaries as only 10 per cent was expended on capital expenditures.
According to him, his passion and resolve to rejuvenate the ailing education system at the onset of his administration necessitated the initial merger plan of some tertiary institutions with the view of having few virile and qualitative tertiary institutions than weak and poorly-funded numerous ones.
He explained that the reversal of the decision to merge the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) with the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OSU), was in the overriding interest of the people.
Amosun, who appreciated the union for its solidarity, described the NASU members as “back room staff whose significant roles make the entire educational work seamless.”
He assured that his government would not take their support for granted, assuring that the state would continue to create wealth for Ogun people, expressing the optimism that no fewer that 250,000 employment opportunities would be created by March next year with present number of companies coming to the state for business.
General Secretary of NASU, Prince Peters Adeyemi, commended the governor for his morale-boosting approach to workers’ welfare, which he noted, was unprecedented.

Ogun spent N160bn on education in 3 years –Amosun