Inside Osun’s 2026 Coalition: How Salaam’s Salary Defence Signals Leadership Maturity.

A fresh debate has emerged on social media over the controversial modulated salary policy introduced during the administration of former Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, with governorship candidate Dr Najeem Folasayo Salaam offering a detailed defence of the policy.

    The conversation was sparked by a post from a social media user, Simeon, who suggested that Osun civil servants remain unwilling to engage with anything associated with “Baba Kabiru,” a reference to Aregbesola, describing the issue as “baggage inheritance.”

      Responding via X (formerly Twitter), Dr. Salaam challenged the narrative, insisting that leadership requires honesty and responsibility, especially when addressing difficult decisions.

     According to him, the introduction of modulated salary payments was not an act of insensitivity or hostility toward workers, but a response to harsh economic realities confronting Osun State at the time.

     “The decision by the Aregbesola administration was driven by economic realities, not malice or disregard for workers,” Salaam stated.

     He explained that Osun, like many states, was hit hard by a national economic downturn caused by a sharp fall in global oil prices, which significantly reduced federal allocations. Despite dwindling revenues, the state still faced heavy obligations, including salaries, pensions, loans, and ongoing infrastructure projects.

      Dr. Salaam noted that the government was confronted with limited options: accumulate unpaid salaries indefinitely, retrench workers, or adopt a temporary mechanism to ensure workers receive at least partial payments while keeping the state functional.

     “Modulated salary payment was adopted as a stopgap measure to prevent mass retrenchment, keep public services running, and ensure workers were not left without income,” he said.

    He stressed that the policy was never intended to be permanent, adding that efforts were made to restore full salaries and address arrears as revenues improved.

    “It was a painful but pragmatic decision taken in the interest of job preservation and fiscal survival,” Salaam added.

    The governorship candidate further argued that governance often requires leaders to make unpopular decisions to avert greater harm.

    “Sometimes decisions are not ideal, but necessary. In that context, the modulated salary policy was an attempt to work with reality, protect jobs, and stabilise Osun State during an extraordinarily challenging period,” he said.k

     Dr. Salaam concluded by calling for constructive dialogue focused on solutions rather than blame, urging stakeholders to work together to move Osun State forward.