Tinubu Government Holds Back ₦130 Billion as Osun Teachers and Retirees Starve for a Year

Across several communities in Osun State, the past year has been marked not by routine public service but by unpaid salaries, mounting debts, and growing uncertainty. Teachers, nurses, local council staff, and retirees say they have been without pay for more than 12 months after more than ₦130 billion in federal allocations meant for local governments was frozen during a political dispute under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

The freeze dates back to March 2025, when a conflict over local government leadership followed disputed council elections. The standoff created rival claims to authority between officials aligned with the state government and opposition figures. In the middle of the dispute, federal authorities halted allocations to the state’s 30 local government areas, saying the legal status of the leadership remained unresolved.

For thousands of workers, the consequences were immediate. Monthly salaries stopped arriving. Pension payments ceased. What was expected to be a temporary political disagreement turned into a prolonged financial crisis for households that depend entirely on public sector income.

In many homes, the absence of salaries has reshaped daily life. Some workers say they now rely on loans from friends and relatives to feed their families. Others have sold personal belongings to pay rent or cover medical bills. School fees have become a major burden, with several families withdrawing their children because they can no longer afford them.

Retirees have been among the hardest hit. With no active employment and no pension payments, many say they have been left completely dependent on family members or community support. Some describe the experience as abandonment after decades of service.

The legal battle over the funds eventually reached the courts. In December 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that withholding the allocations was unconstitutional and ordered that the funds be released. Despite the ruling, the allocations have yet to be restored, leaving workers in prolonged financial uncertainty.

The Osun State Government has repeatedly called for the release of the money, warning that the freeze has crippled local government operations and worsened economic conditions in many communities.

Basic services in several areas have slowed or stopped, with local offices struggling to function without funds for salaries, maintenance, or routine administration.

For the workers themselves, the crisis is less about political disputes and more about survival. After a year without pay, many say they have accumulated debts they may not be able to repay even if salaries resume.

As the impasse continues under the Tinubu administration, thousands of public servants remain trapped between legal decisions, political disagreements, and frozen funds. For them, the crisis is not an abstract governance issue. It is a daily struggle to eat, pay rent, and keep their families afloat while waiting for salaries that have not come for an entire year.

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