Politics

The Man Who Paid Salaries When Others Couldn’t: Why Osun Needs AMBO Again

Published by admin on November 3rd, 2025.

The Man Who Paid Salaries When Others Couldn’t: Why Osun Needs AMBO Again

Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji

Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO) became Osun finance commissioner during the periods of austerity. First as the Commissioner in the tail end of the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola government and during the administration of HE Adegboyega Oyetola.

During the two periods, the monthly wage bill and recurrent expenditure far outweighed the federal allocation. For example, while the federal allocation averaged two billion naira monthly, the wage bill/recurrent expenditure was in the region of N6 billion and N7 billion. Yet no salary or pension was owed. Massive infrastructures were installed. In just few months of his commissionership, the pejorative half-salary regime was stopped and full salary era came to be. ( Note that the half-salary started in June 2015 and he was appointed in May 2017, so the half-salary didn’t start under him).

For the period he was Commissioner, salary and pension were paid promptly. Yearly budgets were religiously implemented. Osun became one of the 5 states to fully implement the N30k national minimum wage in November 2020, even during the two-thronged social upheavals of COVID-19 and EndSARS. Such a man is who Osun needs at this period of abundance. The increased revenue of Osun is brazenly and recklessly frittered away. A transparent leader with cognate private and public service experiences is needed to make the resources of the state work for the mass of the people. AMBO ticks the boxes. Osun people should look his way in 2026