The Oyo State Government says it has been funding allowances and welfare entitlements for medical and dental officers since December 27, 2023, dismissing allegations of neglect by the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli.

The government maintained that it was addressing the concerns of the affected medical professionals through ongoing engagements with their unions, insisting that industrial disagreements should not be turned into political controversies.

Special Adviser on Media to Governor Seyi Makinde, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju, stated this on Friday while responding to Alli’s criticism of the administration’s handling of disputes involving medical and dental officers and lecturers at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH).

Olanrewaju accused the APC candidate of attempting to exploit legitimate labour concerns for partisan political advantage.

He said the state government had provided financial backing for the implementation of various allowances and welfare provisions for medical personnel since December 2023.

According to him, the administration has also constituted committees and opened discussions with the affected unions to find mutually acceptable solutions that would protect the interests of workers, students and residents.

Among the entitlements funded by the government, he listed the skipping allowance, Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), alongside other responsibility-related allowances.

The government said its engagement with the unions remained ongoing, expressing its commitment to resolving the disagreements through established channels rather than allowing the disputes to disrupt essential public services.