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Tag: AREGBESOLA

  • Aregbesola urges prompt tax payment culture

    Aregbesola urges prompt tax payment culture

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has urged Nigerians to imbibe the culture of paying their taxes promptly.

    The governor noted that for a developing country as Nigeria to meet up with global requirements and cope with the trend of world socioeconomic and political challenges, taxation must be taken seriously.

    He said the responsible, civilised and advanced countries remained thriving and successful because they generate their resources from taxes.

    The governor said under-developed and developing countries remained poor and backward because of their poor taxation culture.

    Aregbesola made the remarks when he addressed leaders and members of the Osogbo branch of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), who presented him with this year’s Group Dynamics Cup they won at the NSE competition.

    The governor attributed the socio-economic challenges confronting Third World countries to their collective failure to premise government and governance on the resources generated through taxes.

    He added that the emerging economic realities remain the signal to the fact that no nation can survive without huge revenue from taxation.

    Aregbesola said: “It is unfortunate that most professions in our state do not take the issue of their taxes seriously. That is why I want to appeal to the leaders of the NSE and other professionals in the state to rally round their members to correctly and appropriately assess themselves so as to pay appropriate taxes to government.

    “Before the military interregnum in Nigeria, taxation was a serious civic obligation and responsibility of every citizen. As a matter of fact, the liberty of the citizens was defined and determined by how the citizens fulfilled their tax obligations.

     

     

  • Aregbesola and rural roads

    Aregbesola and rural roads

    Nigeria being a major oil producing nation had hitherto depended on oil for a large chunk of its foreign exchange, thereby neglecting the agric sector for many years.

    During those years of neglect, a lot of rural roads that lead to farmlands which were supposed to be the major source of income for the country had been neglected, thereby leaving them in a state of disrepair, making a lot of the rural areas where we have large farmlands inaccessible.

    The nation is going through recession and it has become very obvious that the only way out of the current economic quagmire is for all and sundry to go back and embrace farming on a massive scale.

    For a nation or state to promote agriculture, rural farmers needs to be encouraged in a lot of ways and one of such ways is by making their roads good and accessible to allow them go to farms and at the same time transport their farm produce to the various markets around them.

    Osun governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and the Osun Rural Access and Mobility Project (Osun RAMP) can then be described as a match from heaven to get the state out of the current economic downturn, going by the huge impact the activities of RAMP has had on rural communities through the construction and rehabilitation of their roads.

    Osun State being an agrarian state is made up of many rural areas with vast farmland which needs accessible roads to allow the farmers in such communities to transport their farm produce to nearby markets for sale.

    It was therefore a huge respite to the people of Osun through the efforts of Governor Aregbesola when the state was chosen as one of the lucky ones to benefit from the RAMP intervention through the World Bank and the French Development Agency in the construction and rehabilitation of rural roads across the state so as to assist farmers in the transportation of their goods to the cities, thereby boosting the economy of the state through farming.

    The project in Osun is being implemented and supervised by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU), a body made up of the heads of government agencies and parastatals, chief among of which is the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. Through its activities, the project have had a wider impact on the affected communities by providing accessibility which has brought means of livelihood to the poor and at the same time boosted the economy of the state.

    The Aregbesola administration and Osun RAMP met a lot of the rural roads in a state of disrepair, but the story has changed significantly today as a lot of the roads are now wearing a new look as farmers and traders alike are now experiencing boom in their activities as they now find it much easier to get to their farms.

    Commercial activities in many of the communities have now doubled because their markets are now flooded with varieties of farm produce on every market day.

    A lot of communities which had formerly been cut off by rivers from major markets now have access to the markets because Osun RAMP have succeeded in constructing bridges that will stand the test of time for them.

    Some of the communities in Osun where river crossings or bridges have been constructed include: Elewonta in Iwo, Olomu stream in Irewole local government, Iree Polytechnic road in Boripe, Olukesi farm – Oju Eri in Boluwaduro Local Government, Ipon Stream in Odo-Otin, Odo Owere in Ede North Local Government, Gbalefe road, Modakeke in Ife East, as well as Oke-Aho stream located at Sekona in Ife North Local Government.

    Others are: Faweri River in Ife South Local Government, Ogbaagba Ogudu, Odo Oroki in Obokun Local Government, Opa Bridge in Odunrin via Ipetumodu, Oyile River in Ilasetown, Oyi Adunni in Oke-Ila among others.

    The impact of RAMP intervention on rural roads in Osun cannot be overemphasised as most of the rural dwellers are now happier, going by the fact that they are now able to do what they know how to do best with much ease.

    Gone are the days when they have to trek long distance of unmotorable roads before they get to their farms, transporting their produce to the market is now much easier and the various rural markets are now much more busy than it used to be, simply because a lot of farmers can now bring their goods to the market.

    Some traders spoken to on some rural market days across the state testified to the fact that they now make good business as a result of the roads leading to their various markets now in good condition, saying that they now get a lot of patronage from people living in urban centres.

    Food and beverage vendors in the communities now make more money as more people visit the rural areas as a result of good roads; urban dwellers are now able to frequent the rural communities without the fear of bad roads damaging their vehicles.

    Lumbering activities in most of the rural communities have also increased tremendously because their trucks no longer get stuck in the mud during rainy season.

    New private schools as well as filling stations now spring up on a daily basis in most of the rural communities. This is because the roads are now motorable. The volume of cars plying the roads is now more than it used to be. Good roads, as they say, truly aid the rapid development of an area.

    Some of the roads rehabilitated and constructed by Osun RAMP include: 13.7km Agbowu-Aba Onile roads, 13.73km Ogbaagba-Eleru-Bode Osi roads, 3.1km Asa-Dagbolu-Ajagunlase road, the 12.73km Ikonifin-Sade-Ajagunlase road, 11.1km Agoro-Ikonifin road, the 4.38km Pataara-Ileko Oba farm settlement road and the 4.38km Akinyele-Aba Ayo-Isero road.

    Others are: 3.91km Eeleke-Kanko road, 10.5km Jagun Osi/Onikoko-Osi-Sooko Road, 9.3km Ara Joshua-Yinmi Oja road, 10.9km Gbengbeleku junction-Owode Amu road, 39.164km Shasha road, the 3km Ilesa-Ilo Olomo boundary, 8.8km Ilesa-Odogbo-Igbowiwi road, 6.58km Odogbo-Iwara road.

    Also touched by the intervention are roads such as the 1km Isale general township road in Ilesa, the 10.5km Isale General Hospital-Muroko-Okebode road, 10.7km Ira-Ikeji ile-Oligeri-Iragbiji road, Ira-Ibete road, Ikeji Arakeji-Aikulola road, the 10.8km Idiroko/Akinyele farm settlement, the 18.7km Mokore farm settlement road, 30km Orile Owu-Ago Owu-Ogedengbe road, 20km Alaguntan forest reserve road among others.

    And just recently, precisely in November, the government of Osun took its drive to opening Osun to the world through road infrastructure flagged off the construction of another 1kilometer access road to Olumirin Water Falls in Erin Ijesa being sponsored by the state government with the implementation carried out by Osun RAMP.

    The solution to the current economic downturn the nation as whole is facing is the opening of rural roads that leads to farm settlements and Osun RAMP is doing just that in the Osun State.

     

    • Omoyeni is of Osun State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Osogbo.
  • Aregbesola: I’ve fulfilled essence of development in governance

    Aregbesola: I’ve fulfilled essence of development in governance

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola says his administration has performed excellently.

    The governor said he had fulfilled the essence of development in governance.

    He said residents were enjoying and benefiting from his administration’s projects, policies  and programmes, adding that his administration has lived up to expectation.

    Aregbesola spoke at the Press Week lecture of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the state’s Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Osogbo, the capital.

    The governor urged the media to set an agenda for government and properly enlighten and inform the people about his administration’s development.

    He said: “The media must set an agenda for the government. It is unfortunate that the media have painfully refused to set an agenda for the government in a way that will aid development and the wellbeing of the people.

    “Development should be for all citizens and not about a few people. It is not about a section of the people but that which will positively affect all who are important, significant and germane in the society.

    “If government lives for only those in government alone, then government must have lost its value, hence the reason our government prefers to make projects that benefit majority of the people of Osun State.”

    The governor noted that the essence of government is compassion, adding that the primary role of government is to be compassionate and be concerned about the welfare and wellbeing of the people.

    He said: “The roads that government built will be used by all, including the civil servants; the drainages we are building will save the civil servants from flood; the security we are improving upon to make sure that life is lived well will equally affect the civil servants. That’s development for all of us.

    “But what the media report is that we don’t pay salary; we pay half salary. Nobody genuinely will deliberately want to make life miserable for anybody. No responsible government will go out of its way to make things difficult for its own people…”

  • Appraising Aregbesola’s performance

    Appraising Aregbesola’s performance

    Less than a year from today, Rauf Aregbesola’s tenure as governor of Osun State will come to a close. A time like this therefore presents an opportunity to review his performance in office, vis-à-vis, his administration’s Six Point Integral Action Plan.

    Though it has become fashionable for the opposition to look for partners in its dubious search for raw materials to power its odious charades, a closer assessment of the specific swill lead Nigerians to draw appropriate conclusions on the success or otherwise of Aregbesola’s government. For instance, if the governor’s desire was to move the state from a public service economy to its rightful place as an agrarian state, how has he fared in activating market-driven value chain? If his vision and mission found solace in setting Osun on a genuine path to socio-economic development, hasn’t he done well in plucking a coin out of the mouth of the fish? What was the state of our roads before Aregbesola’s inauguration and why has his desire to make Osun the food hub of the South-west been misconstrued for avenues to siphon funds out of the state by a misguided and disgruntled clique? How has he been able to provide a soft landing for the salary bug, which no doubt has also caught up with Abuja?

    Again, has Ogbeni betrayed the trust of his people or is it a case of his traducers woefully failing to purge their dirty excesses before coming to the table to seek equity? Is it an issue of the achiever, unsuspectingly shifting away from blowing his own trumpet loud enough to wake even the dead or that of the audience provably imprisoned by mute indifference? Perhaps more importantly; is it one of unreconstructable spinners notoriously trying to destroy the threads of communal togetherness woven together over a long period of time?

    With a motivation to rapidly develop the state in all ramifications as well as enhance the capacity of the people, Aregbesola’s government has in the last seven years delivered “all round” development to at least 75% improvement on what it met in 2010. While the administration has been consistent in its investment in infrastructure without undermining welfare, lives of children, youths, adults, aged and the weak have also been positively impacted in line with its Social Protection programmes. In addition to ‘Opon Imo’ (Tablet of Knowledge), this administration’s ‘O’ Series have not gone without bearing positive fruits.

    As we all know, Aregbesola’s intervention in the education sector is not limited to provision of infrastructure as government has so far been training a third of teachers in its public schools on a yearly basis. Besides, the state’s sterling performance in the West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) is better understood from the context of where we are coming from. As at 2010, the performance level of students in WASCE was 15.7%. Within the last seven years, Osun has recorded as high as 46.3%, which is quite a huge jump in the number of students with credit passes in English Language and Mathematics. The state’s position (between 1st and 3rd, since 2013) in the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) eligible students in Nigeria has rubbished the premise that WAEC rankings of states alone should be the basis for judging performance.

    That Aregbesola has succeeded to a very large extent in all the critical indices is already settled. For example, within the last seven years, Osun has ranked second on Human Capital Index and has maintained the position in four years in a roll in the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI). Besides, it is now the fifth largest economy in Nigeria with its GDP growing at 7.3% per annum. And, as we speak, Osun is the second richest and the 13th crime-free state in Nigeria.

    Enrolment rate for the state’s children in primary school hovers between 70% and 80% – about the highest in the country – while its performance ratings in NECO have also been in the units. In broiler production, Osun is now second only to Oyo State. It also came ninth in the recently-concluded National Youth Games, a feat that has for a long while eluded the state.

    Lest we forget, Aregbesola’s civil servants-friendly disposition could also be seen in his commitment of more than N200 billion to salaries and pension allowances, compared to less than N60bn spent on infrastructure. It is also worth mentioning that, under its O’MEAL programme, government has so far committed more than N10 billion to providing over-200 million plates of highly nutritious meals to students in its elementary schools across the state.

    Pre-2011, Osun could not boast of a recreation spot anywhere in the state. Now, Nelson Mandela Freedom Park in Osogbo has added flavour to more than 80 tourist centres scattered all over the nooks and crannies of the state for fun-seekers to make merry. And, with more than 200 hotels, some of which can compete favourably in the comity of hospitality business, the state’s revenue base is assured of a huge boost. The cargo airport project and the signing of a N216 billion investment in Industrial Park with a Chinese firm, Jiangsu Wuxi Taihu Cocoa Food Company Limited, also point to a ”fresh deal” for transforming the state’s ”industrial base.”  

    The governor deserves commendation for leading a new understanding in parliamentary local government administration in Nigeria. When fully operational in the first quarter of 2018, facts are that it will, among other advantages, help in expanding the potentials for accountability, transparency and societal capacity building.

    Well, this is where Aregbesola’s accusers deserve some tutorials on the politics and the complexities of capital city centres. As an illustration, though Obafemi Awolowo hailed from Ikenne, he chose Ibadan as capital of the then Western Nigeria to concentrate the greater part of his development efforts. Gawain Bell who served as governor of the old Northern Region between 1957 and 1962 was a South African while Ahmadu Bello, his premier, was from Rabbah in Sokoto. But that never deprived Kaduna its privilege as the administrative capital of the Northern Region. Ditto for Enugu under Michael Okpara whose source was Umuegwu in the present-day Abia State.

     

    • Komolafe writes in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State.
  • Osun 2018: Who succeeds Aregbesola?

    Osun 2018: Who succeeds Aregbesola?

    No fewer than 14 aspirants on the platforms of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are struggling to succeed Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola whose tenure expires next year. Correspondent ADESOJI ADENIYI writes on the succession battle.

    THE All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are warming up for next year’s governorship election in Osun State. Many aspirants for the exalted seat have signified their intentions on the platform of the two parties. Though very few of them are bold enough to set up structures in support of their ambitions they have really commenced underground moves in support of the actualisation of their dreams.

    Aspirants itching to succeed Governor Rauf Aregbesola include his Chief of Staff; Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, the Secretary to the State Government (SSG); Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, the state Commissioner for Finance;

    Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly; Hon. Najeem Salam, the lawmaker, representing Ejigbo/Iwo/Ola-Oluwa federal constituency in the House of Representatives; Hon. Mojeed Alabi, the deputy speaker in the House of Representatives; Hon. Lasun Yusuf, representing the Orolu/Irepodun/Osogbo/Oroluunda Federal Constituency.

    Others are the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice; Dr. Ajibola Basiru, a Lagos-based legal practioner; Dr. Rasheed Adegoke, and the chairman of the Osun State Local Government Commission; Mr. Peter Babalola. The aspirants are presently pursuing their ambitions on the platform of the APC.

    Those that want to actualise their dreams under the Peoples Democritic Party include the former  Secretary to the Government; Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, former deputy governor in the state; Senator Iyiola Omisore, former chairman of Irewole Local Government; Chief Lere Oyewumi, former Speaker; the state House of Assembly, Hon. Adejare Bello, and son to late Senator Simeon Oduoye; a retired Inspecror-General of Police; Barr. Kayode Oduoye.

    Last September, the ruling APC officially lifted ban on participation by aspirants for 2018 governorship election. But with this development no significant political activities designed for the 2018 polls have been noticed. The incumbency remains a big factor in determining who clinches the ticket as virtually all aspirants, particularly those on the platform of the APC are closely reading the lips and body language of the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola. They patiently look on to him to make his choice and thereafter pull his weight and all the resources of the state as well as his political structure behind his “annoited candidate.” But the situation is different in the opposition campaign as the aspirants have started campaign work. The major obastacle for PDP aspirants is the fallout of the court judgement that sacked the Ali Modu Sheriff national exco in favour of Ahmed Markafi, which has created a factionalisation of the party in the state. To a large extent, aspirants find it very difficult to draw support from the two divides.

    While the two major parties – the APC and the pDP contend with different challenges, it is very clear that a party that manages its affairs well will get the favour of the electorate. Before now, the APC have been enmeshed in the struggle between members advocating for choice of an “home-based” candidate instead of the “Lagos/foreign” candidate. The clamour has already been established with many believing in the advocacy. The party has been very silent on the issue and some members also consider the matter to be a non issue. For example, the Director of Publicity and Strategy for the party in the state, Barr. Kunle Oyatomi, asked what defines someone as Lagos/Foreign politician and another a home-based. He said: “As long as you are a citizen of the state and you meet other constitutional requirements you are qualified to run for the election. What should be important is how capable and prepared for the job are the aspirants so that the state would not suffer a retrogression as a result of bad governance. The incumbent governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, no doubt has laid a foundation for continued and future development which need a consolidation by the right choice of candidate to succeed him and further increase the fortunes of the state.”

    On zoning, it is not very clear the stands of the two political parties, the APC and the PDP on the matter. But the popular belief is that zoning as a matter of convention should be recorgnised. For APC, the clamour among the members is for the governorship seat be zoned to the Osun West senatorial districts which comprises. Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore, Ejigbo, Ayedade, Irewole, Isokan, Iwo, Ayedire and Ola-Oluwa council areas, because the zone only ruled for barely two years when late Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke was first civilian governor from 1992 to 1993. the since creation of the state since 1991. But Osun Central and Osun East, out of 26 years since the state was created in 1991, ruled for 11 and 8 years respectively. Both from Central,  Chief Adebisi Akande was in the saddle from 1999 to 2003 and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola from 2003 to 2010 until he was sacked by the Court of Appeal in Ibadan  and installed the incumbent governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, who has been on the seat from 2010 and will remain there, all things being equal, till 2018 when his second term tenure expires.

    Many other APC members are of the opinion that the good works of Aregbesola must be sustained, therefore, believe that search for credible candidate that can do the job must not be limited to a particular zone if the future of the state will not be jeopardized.  A source within the party, who preferred anonymity, said those “shouting home-based are supporters who are ready to compromise the state development on the altar of selfish gains. They are the ones, who want to appropriate the state resources and they believe selling the idea of an home-based candidate will help them achieve their aims.”

    It is rather different for those that believe that the Lagos/foreign politicians are favoured by the Aregbesola administration and well positioned to take over the  power. They insisted that they may be indigenes of the state but they argued that they don’t know or understand the yearnings of the people. The PDP also shared opinion that the APC-led government by Aregbesola lacked understanding of the state. Many policies of the APC government are not people-friendly, according to a chieftain of the PDP, Prince Diran Odeyemi.

     

  • Osun APC: Aregbesola is phenomenon

    Osun APC: Aregbesola is phenomenon

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has described Governor Rauf Aregbesola as a phenomenon worth celebrating.

    In a congratulatory message marking the governor’s seventh year anniversary in office, the party, through its Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Kunle Oyatomi, congratulated Osun State residents for the governor’s “exceptional achievements” in transforming the state.

    It said: “Years before Aregbesola came, Osun was in turmoil. There was economic depression, insecurity was the order of the day and result-oriented governance was virtually absent. And all of that changed dramatically from 2010.

    “Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola emerged on the Osun scene like a storm and became the pivot on which unprecedented transformation began to manifest. So compelling was the change that Osun occupied the centre stage as a pace-setter in effective governance in Nigeria.

    “And so seminal was the experience that there was not a single family in the state whose life was not touched significantly by the Aregbesola-led government.

    “Thousands of youths were taken away from the streets and given jobs under the O’YES programme; thousands more children were attracted back to school as parents took advantage of the reformation Ogbeni effected in education.

    “As the revolutionary transformation in education progressed, marvellous state-of-the-art schools that outclassed private ones emerged and the surge began into government schools as enrolment in them rose exponentially.

  • Expect dividends of democracy till end of my tenure – Aregbesola

    Expect dividends of democracy till end of my tenure – Aregbesola

    Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday assured the  people of the state of continued delivery of dividends of democracy till his last days in office. Speaking at the grand finale of Calisthenics competition to commemorate the 7th year anniversary of his administration at Osogbo Township Stadium, Aregbesola disclosed that 28,000 students have so far been trained for the Calisthenics display.

    According to him,  the exercise has improved the health, agility and mentality of the students. He said: “We introduced this programme in 2012 and we have so far trained 28,000 students. We are inculcating the spirit of unity, team work, hardworking in the lives of the students through Calisthenics. We are preparing them for a world beyond here.”

    The governor, who praised parents for their support for the programme, said the parents willingly bought the costumes for the students this year. He explained that the prizes given to the participants were to develop sporting facilities in their various schools. Osun Central senatorial district won the firs prize of N2 million while Osun West came second with a prize of N1 million.

    Read Also: Osun empowers 350,000 people with N15bn loan

     

     

  • Aregbesola and his seven seasons

    Aregbesola and his seven seasons

    THE approach and techniques heralding the birth of Oranmiyan in the state of Osun is phenomenon, Oranmiyan was the unstoppable progressive ideology and movement adopted by Engr. Rauf Aregbesola to launch his aspiration into the hearts and heads of great Osun people. Incontrovertibly, in less than six months, his political mantra, “Oranmiyan”  became a household name, little wonder why he had a passion – driven campaign to deliver his manifesto to the door steps of all the electorates, he was overwhelmingly accepted and translated into several thousands of votes at the April 14th 2007 gubernatorial election, alas he was rigged out at the point of votes collation.

    For upward of fourth two months, he was in and out of courts for a prolonged electoral contest legally challenging the broad day robbery and illegality which upturned and negate the wishes of his people on the mandate, he scaled many hurdles and fought injustice to a standstill, at the end the truth prevailed as the judicial pronouncement of the appeal court sitting in Ibadan on November 25th, 2010 erupted into a wild jubilation in the nooks and crannies of the thirty local governments of Osun, this unprecedented acceptance of the peoples‘ governor was pedestal upon which the mission of hope was birthed and laid. More assuring, looking back inwards at the last seven years of the Aregbesola administration, against all odds and widespread unfounded speculations, he is championing the restoration and repositioning agenda with strong determination and it is right to conclude that he has performed creditably well, in all facets of governance even to the admiration of his critics, it is indeed an eventful seven years of great accomplishments.

    Remarkably, his desires to transform the entire landscape of the state makes him an outstanding achiever, this can be measured qualitatively and quantitatively in the huge financial commitment he penciled towards bridging the infrastructure gap through consistent development of all the towns and cities within the state, the landmarks are evidently seen everywhere, in the over 70 newly built ultramodel schools, in the over 1,000kms standard roads, several flyovers, the legacy projects which shall outlive the era of the initiator, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. Loathe or like him, the wonder boy of Osun has made a significant yet indelible mark on the sands of time. Just like every human endeavor that always culminate in grand success, the golden achievements was not a bed of roses, it was not a donation or gift, it was earned, strategically worked and planned towards, amidst mountain of sacrifices to ensure smiles and laughter emanates from the faces of the citizens, likened to the proverbial coinage of the cat with nine lives.

    Records hardly lie, Aregbesola has suffered more political attacks, an orchestrated design by political wanderers and neophytes as a governor in the present political dispensation than anyone else, evidence abound in the print and online media as he is the most criticized among his colleague governors and a thorn in the flesh of the opposition party , his August 9th 2014 reelection conquest to run a second term in office remains the heaviest militarized election in the history of Nigeria, the presence of over 70,000 armed officers of Nigerian army, DSS, police formation, NSCDC etc underscore this illustration, he walked the rope, dare the operations of tyranny and earned him a place in history as the first governor in Osun political history to successfully start and complete a second term tenure. He is the child of destiny, a feat for iconic sons of Osun where he stands shoulder high as a political icon of today and generations yet unborn.

    Unfortunately in the state of Osun, the supposedly opposition party, the PDP has constituted the act of blackmail and cheap propaganda to malign the person of Mr. Governor and discredit the monumental achievements of his administration persistently, all in a bid to bankroll themselves fraudulently back into the seat of power without any clear cut vision to administer the state better, this same PDP that mismanaged and squandered the fortunes of Osun during the time of abundance without any meaningful project recorded against her name, will simply the state back into regression if it finds her way back to power in this season of National drought. In clear context and perspective, it was discovered that ordinarily, without any single deduction from the monthly federal allocation, the gross allocation of Osun will still not be sufficient enough to meet the full salaries and wages obligation  in the face of the economic downturn. This lay to rest that the idea of modulated salary and wage for about 35% of the state workers structure is not a face – covering mechanism from mismanaged Osun resources by the Aregbesola administration. Interestingly, recent statistics shows that the total amount Osun government has expended on infrastructure and other people – oriented welfare programme is still far less than the amount in comparative terms on what has been allocated and spent on servicing salary, wages and other emoluments for the civil service in the last seven years. This depicts without any form of bias or contradiction that the welfare of the workforce is undoubtedly a priority on the scale of preference. The governor has continually demonstrated his gratitude for the matured understanding and unalloyed loyalty by the rank and file of the Osun staff team, when it is of public knowledge that he approved freely the payment of 13th monthly salary when the economic ride was smooth without been prompted.

    The monumental and transformational legacies of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola have become a tool and template for modern day governance, making a political cycle and hero out of his style of administration. Another feat worth commending is the 33% affirmative action for women in politics which have been demonstrated and initiated in Osun as 33% of the candidates in the forthcoming parliamentary system of local government election are women, totally over 100 women, this is simply unprecedented .

    The borrowing capacity of Osun was not overstretched, and it is even a norm and has become an acceptable practice for developed nations across the globe to engage in capital financing through serviceable loans. The world leading economy, USA survives on a designed credit system and remains the most indebted to the tune of $20trilliion, an amount which cannot be converted into our local currency, in retrospect, instead of the everyday bashing from the economic blackmailers, Aregbesola should be commended for the financial re-engineering mechanism he introduced to keep Osun economy on her toes in the face of recession. More surprisingly, the certain percentage of the debt profile incurred by the government was used in offsetting salaries; the N34billion bail – out fund and about N25billiion sought in overdraft for salaries payment . As at today, the figures of the debt is dropping drastically and placing the economy of Osun at a vantage position for a revolutionized prosperity with already provided infrastructure across the state.

    The Chief Adebisi Akande government is noted for the completion of the government secretariat, Abere and more gratifying to the heart is that the Aregbesola years of selfless service to Osun will always be remembered for the unquantifiable monuments invested in infrastructure, more assuredly, ogbeni has promised to complete all his ongoing projects and just like the cat with nine lives, as the dust keeps settling and cloud gathering together again, the unfolding completion of all the projects are being unveiled, commissioned and put in place for public use in spite of the paucity of funds. The story of the cat with nine lives is dramatic, fell from the skyscrapers, survived the earthquakes, refused  to be drowned in the flood, escaped from the blood sucking preys, amidst all these challenges the cat will come out of turbulence unscratched, landing on his feet, standing tall, fit and unruffled: the symbol of good governance in Osun has suffered and survived several political turmoil in the last seven 7 years as the Governor of Osun yet he is still loved and appreciated  by his people for his unprecedented stewardship in public service which is the hallmark of his peaceful reign.

     

    • Engr Omowaiye writes from Ilesa

     

  • Aregbesola makes case for women

    Aregbesola makes case for women

    Osun State, governor,  Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola,  has said that love and care for women is the best way to nurture the society and build a good nation, adding that any man that does not love women has problems.

    The governor said this while inaugurating the transformers provided for some residents of the state by the Osun Agency for Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) to make life better for them and motivate women who use electricity for their petty business.

    Seven communities in Ife North Local Government Area of  the state including Yakooyo, Isale Ola, Asipa, Akinlalu, Kumegun, Akorede and Amule got new transformers to ensure provision of electricity and boost economic activities  in the communities.

    The transformers were provided to the community through the Assisted Rural Electrification Project (AREP) anchored by the Osun Agency for Community and Social Development Project (CSDP).

    While inaugurating the transformers for the use of the people of the communities, the governor assured the people of the state that his administration remained committed to the welfare and wellbeing of the people of the state.

     

    Aregbesola urged the people of the communities to make good use of the transformers and protect it jealously to serve them. He said the life of the people in the communities would be better with the new transformers.

    The General Manager of Osun CSDP, Mrs. Aderonke Funmi Abokede, said the project was financed by the government with 10 percent contribution by the people of the communities.

    Aderonke noted that the project cost about N50million  and commended the governor for ensuring that the residents of the communities are liberated from darkness. She also lauded the local government and the people of the area for their cooperation which made the project possible.

  • Nigerians must earn income from productivity, says Aregbesola

    Nigerians must earn income from productivity, says Aregbesola

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has said living on unearned income from rent instead of earning it from productivity is a major challenge facing Nigeria’s economic development.

    The governor spoke yesterday in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, at Lead City University’s 10th convocation lecture, titled: Evolution of Private University Education and Issues Miscellany in Governance of the Federation.

    He urged the Federal Government to create 50 million jobs to make Nigeria an economic power in the next two decades.

    Aregbesola said: “I will like to posit that we should get 50 million of our compatriots to be working, that is, engaged in productive activities that will bring them at least N25,000 a month. From this, N1.25 trillion will be generated every month from real productive engagement into the economy.

    “These jobs can be created and paid for by ways and means in diverse areas of the economy, such as agriculture and food production, clothing and footwear, housing, environment, roads, bridges, airports, railways, water resources development, among others, that will provide basic needs for the people and cut imports by 90 per cent, reducing foreign goods to critical machinery and raw materials we do not have at home. This will catapult Nigeria into a superpower within two decades.”

    The governor traced the history of private university to the establishment of Igbinedion University at Okada in Edo State, Babcock University at Ilisan-Remo in Ogun State and Madonna University at Okija in Anambra State in 1999.

    He recalled that at that time, applications to the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) for the University Matriculation Examination (UME) peaked at over 750,000, with maximum admission at just 50,000 students.

    Aregbesola noted that the admission of few students into universities disoriented over 700,000 qualified secondary school leavers.

    The governor decried a situation where only few children could afford the fees of private universities.

    He said: “No civil servant can, from his or her legitimate earnings, afford these schools and their fees for their children. This has created a problem on its own. Recently, some students could not pay their fees in a university because they invested in Ponzi schemes that went flat and they lost their money.

    “One of the challenges of the society which the universities must solve is how to see university education as a compulsory social service, which must be provided to the largest number of people at little cost.

    “The next question, of course, is what happens to the students after they leave school. It has become fashionable to proudly claim to have attended a private university, for those who could not travel abroad. Whereas the job market presently is saturated.

    “The challenges of the time are different now. During the colonial period, high-level manpower was needed to fill vacancies in the public service and the trading outposts of the metropolitan multinationals.