The Association of Local Government of Nigeria in Osun State has said Governor Rauf Aregbesola is not financially reckless.
ALGON chairman Soji Ajayi said the government’s inability to pay salaries should not be linked to the alleged misappropriation of state resources. He said doing such was mischievous and sinful.
Ajayi, who appealed to the workers to suspend their strike, said it was unfortunate that they are passing through hard times.
The ALGON chairman praised the workers for their perseverance and understanding.
Ajayi said: “We want to appeal to the workers to suspend their strike. We sympathise with them and I must say that we feel their pains too. It is unfortunate that we’ve found ourselves in this situation. But things will soon be okay.
“The financial crisis we are witnessing in Osun is not Aregbesola’s doing; in fact it is not limited to our state alone.
Twenty-three states are also witnessing the same financial quagmire; 18 of them owe between three to eight months salaries.
“It is sinful and mischievous for anyone to say that the financial challenges in Osun are as a result of the spurious financial recklessness of the governor.
“With all sense of modesty, the accruable resources of the state have been judiciously and prudently managed by the governor.
“The resources of the state have been used for people-centred development and the massive developmental projects across the state are proportionate to the funds available to the state.
“Aregbesola is prudent and transparent. In a matter of time, Osun will come out strong and Aregbesola cleared and freed.
“We want to appeal to workers to resume work. The strike is affecting the state’s economy.”
A Civil Society Organisation, Osun Progressive Left (OPL), has warned the opposition to stop its “hate campaign” against the government.
The Convener, Wale Adebisi, said any attempt to tamper with the governor’s mandate would be resisted.
He cautioned a civil society organisation, Centre for Human Rights and Justice, allegedly sponsoring the impeachment campaign not to allow its plan cause a breach of public peace.
Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has been urged not to be distracted by the antics of the opposition, which were bent on derailing his vision.
The Coalition of Oodua Self Determination praised the governor for paying part of workers’ salaries.
In a statement by the Chairman and Secretary of its coordinating council, Dayo Ogunlana and Rasaq Olokoba, the group said the governor, as a worthy Yoruba son whose achievement was unprecedented, must be encouraged to deliver more.
“We must praise Aregbesola for the recent payment of part of the salaries of workers. We have known him to be a promise keeper, sincere politician and a devout Muslim.
“His achievements speak volume. It is important to note that the state is not the only one owing workers, but detractors have singled him out for condemnation.”
The group also berated a judge, Justice Folahanmi Oloyede, for calling for the governor’s impeachment, describing such as a statement from a “confused mind”.
“The judge has shown that she is speaking for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as her call for the governor’s impeachment has shown her partisanship in this matter; we advise justice Oloyede to resign.”
A former Council member of the Osun State University (UNIOSUN)Prof Alagbe Wasiu Gbolagade, and a Deputy Vice-Chancellor-elect (Development &Administration), Prof Siyan Oyeweso, have called on Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to review the recommendations of the Prof Gregory Daramola-led Visitation Panel which investigated the crisis in UNIOSUN, alleging that the panel was not fair to them in its submissions.
The Visitation Panel recommended Gbolagade’s sack from the council and barred him from holding any position in the institution, while Oyeweso was recommended for sack. The recommendations have been approved by the government in its White Paper.
In separate letters by the duo to Aregbesola, copies of which were made available to The Nation, Oyeweso and Gbolagade feared that some of the recommendations would give a bad precedence which might have a negative effect on UNIOSUN in future.
The panel, which was set up by Aregbesola, following a lingering crisis between UNIOSUN Vice-Chancellor, Prof Bashir Okesina, and Governing Council Chairman, Prof Gabriel Adesiyan Olawoyin (SAN), also recommended that the Registrar Dr. Julius Faniran and Bursar Mr. Fatai Lasisi, who had been suspended with the vice chancellor, be sacked from the university, while the chairman of the UNIOSUN Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr Oluseye Abiona was barred from holding any position in the university in the next five years.
In his letter dated June 25, Oyeweso faulted the five allegations levelled against him by the panel.
They include being over ambitious; his insistence that the Governing Council had been dissolved without seeking proper clarification; his overbearing influence on the vice chancellor, not allowing his academic achievements to positively impact the university, and holding a clandestine meeting in the vice-chanellor’s lodge with other principal officers of the university.
Oyeweso faulted the panel for not inviting him formally or stating allegations against him prior to his appearance, which could have afforded him ample time to prepare for his defence. He said he only received an SMS from the secretary to the panel asking him to appear.
Oyeweso also said the panel’s claim of him influencing the vice chancellor should not be used against him.
According to him, as an adult and the CEO of the university, the sacked vice-chancellor should be answerable for any error committed in his capacity, rather than Oyeweso being a scapegoat.
Oyeweso said: “The theory of vicarious liability does not hold in this case. If Prof. Okesina is alleged to have committed “irredeemable mistakes” and if the case is proved or established against him, it is Prof A.B. Okesina that should be held squarely responsible and not a third party. In civil justice administration, it is impossible and illegal to hold the son responsible for the sin of the father.”
Regarding the claim of holding clandestine meeting against the Governing Council, Oyeweso faulted the panel for not punishing some professors and heads of departments, who were also in attendance.
With a good number of awards, research, conferences, publications, and appointments including a former Council members and pioneer Provost, College of Humanities and Culture of UNIOSUN, Oyeweso said those are enough to puncture the panel’s claim that he did not allow his academic experience to impact positively in the university.
On his part, Gbolagade, disagreed with the panel’s recommendation that he should not hold any position in UNIOSUN for the next five years. Gbolagade recalled, how, in the heat of the crisis, he sent an SMS to Aregbesola, intimating him of the need to set up a Visitation Panel to resolve the issues. He said the university would not have enough professors for administrative functions if he is barred.
He said: “For your information sir, we have about 13 permanent professors in the whole university that are on ground. Out of these, two have got Council approval for their Sabbatical leave.
One will be going on leave of absence to Centre for Black Culture very soon. There will now be 10 professors left; out of these, three most senior professors have been indicted not to hold any post in the university. It remains seven professors to occupy all the administrative positions in the university. How will these not affect the seamless running of the system Sir? Our university is young and fast growing and I appeal to you to kindly temper justice with mercy.”
Like Oyeweso, Gholagade also attended the purported secret meeting but claimed there was no negative agenda attached to it. Prior to the crisis, Gbolagade said UNIOSUN management usually held meetings within or outside the university premises, especially during emergencies. He cited a meeting by management and some top principals held outside UNIOSUN premises ostensible to resolve the crisis by the Non-Academic Staff Union.
Gbolagade also said the IGR proceed that the panel recommended that he, as well as the sacked Bursar and Registrar should refund, is not actually IGR but a honorarium for participating in pre-degree programmes, a decision he said, was also approved by the Council. He said the Council which accused some of them of collecting honorarium is also guilty of same allegations, as well as sitting allowances which Council members collect on quarterly basis.
He enjoined Aregbesola to direct that names of all that collected honorariums be published.
Gbolagade described the panel’s big stick on ASUU-UNIOSUN chairman Dr Oluseye Abiona as a clear case of witch-hunting. He wondered why the panel singled out Abiona for punishment among other ASUU leaders.
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Canada, Prince Adewale Akanbi, has warned the people of Osun State against blaming Governor Rauf Aregbesola for the current financial situation of the state. He urged the people of the state to open up their minds and take away vital lessons from the delay in the payment of workers’ salaries.
Speaking with reporters in Osogbo, Prince Akanbi said it was regrettable that reasons for the salary delay could not be properly situated and understood by the people so as to prevent its re-occurrence. According to him, it is true that there was a sharp drop in the price of crude oil at the international market but prior to the state governorship and presidential elections, millions of dollars were allegedly given spent on the re-election bid of forearm President Goodluck Jonathan.
He wondered why the people of the state never bothered to query where the funds were sourced, saying no doubt, it was money meant for the states from the federal account. “Since that time, the state share of the statutory allocation has consistently dropped from N4.6 billion to between N1.4 billion and N400 million monthly,” he said.
However, Akanbi sympa-thised with the people of the state, particularly the civil servants, who are directly affected by the situation. He enjoined the people to support the Aregbesola administra-tion in the effort to industrialise the state and move it away from the status of a ‘civil servant’ economy.
Akabi appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to pay about N30 billion owed Osun State being fund for the federal projects done by the Rauf Aregbesola administration. He said if Osun State government could recover the money at this critical time, it would solve financial challenges facing it.
Akanbi blamed the Federal Government under Goodluck Jonathan for playing politics with the lives of the peoples of Osun State when he paid N22 billion of Federal projects executed by former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to the incumbent Governor Ayo Fayose but denied Osun State same treatment.
“From the information at my disposal, no fewer than twenty three states are unable to pay workers’ salaries for many months but I think Osun was more affected being a state still with very small internally generated revenue needed at a critical time like this to compliment the dwindling federal allocation.
“May be someone like me would be able to analyse and put the situation in the right perspective because I live in a developed economy like Canada, where things are done normally. I will advise the people, though it may be difficult, to be dispassionate about this problem and see clearly in order to save themselves from possible future crisis.” He also charged the opposition to stop politicising the issue that affects people’s welfare and survival.
The Osun State House of Assembly has asked Governor Rauf Aregbesola to respond to the petition by Justice Oloyede Folahanmi, in which she demanded his impeachment for failure to pay workers’ salaries.
The petition reads: “Consequently, the admitted inability of Mr. Governor and his deputy to pay pensions, salaries and allowances for periods ranging from eight to 11 months now as a consequence of their own decision to accumulate debts beyond the capacity of the state’s internally generated revenue, whilst the very ‘actors’, Mr. Governor and his deputy, continue to enjoy their security allowances in hundreds of millions, is a violation of their oaths of office.”
In a letter attached to the petition by the Assembly to the governor, the 26-member parliament demanded a reply.
The Speaker said: “The onus of proof lies on the petitioner, who is ready to defend her allegations. Governor Aregbesola’s response would also be awaited for the sake of fair hearing.”
The Speaker said the legislature had resolved to give Justice Oloyede’s petition a critical attention because she is a serving judge, more so that she holds a prime position in the judiciary, an independent arm of government.
Salaam, who appealed to the opposition and critics of the government to always channel their grievances peacefully, however, condemned the way some people were blackmailing the state over the delayed salaries.
Former Chairman of Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State Adetunji Obawole has said adoption of effective strategy and formulation of enduring policies has assisted the Osun State government to turn around its economic fortune.
Obawole said Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administrative style has placed the state on the global map.
He added that the Aregbesola administration had repositioned education through the adoption of school reclassification and construction of mega schools, among others.
The former lawmaker maintained that the government had equally opened the state for economic activities through road construction and urban renewal to attract investors.
The former council chairman said the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the just concluded election was a strong indication that Nigerians were yearning for positive change.
SIR: The delay in payment of salaries in Osun is regrettable and it pains me to no end to see families suffer. I have lived with these people, worked with them and interacted with them. These are dedicated workers, excellent human beings, rare breed that can hardly be bettered anywhere in the world. I am happy that a word of assurance has come from the governor that by month end workers are going to smile again.
We however need to correct an impression that has gained ground and has largely informed the comments of well-meaning people as opposed to the rabid partisans of PDP and Aregbesola haters who though appears to be concerned about the workers but are indeed praying secretly that the governor would not find the money to pay them. The wrong impression is that Governor Rauf Aregbesola has been engaged in too many projects and that is why he could not pay salaries. This is false.
The barebones is that there is not enough revenue to pay salaries. In 2010 when Aregbesola came in, the total monthly salaries and other emoluments are N1.4 billion out of which pension was N200 million. Today, salaries take N3.6 billion while pension has risen to N530 million.
For those who don’t know, wage bill rises automatically every six months when workers are promoted to the next level. So by the end of this year, Osun would have surpassed the N4 billion mark in wages and this figure will keep growing ad infinitum.
On the other hand, revenues accruable to Osun from the federation account was an average of N4 billion in 2011 up till July 2013 when it fell to N2.6 billion and has been going down until it dropped to N466 million in April 2015.
Indeed, the net statutory allocation to Osun in January was N1.25 billion, February N1.12 billion, March N624 million and April N466 million. If we add other accruals like VAT, SURE-P, excess crude, exchange rate differential etc., January rises to N1.99 billion, February N2.05 billion, March N1.61 billion and April N1.39 billion.
Some would then ask: how about deductions for loans taken? Good question. About N700 million is deducted for loan repayment every month. Add this to any of the figure and do the maths and see if it still pays salaries and other emoluments of N3.6 billion every month. The highest figure of N2.05 billion in February will add up to N2.75b and will still be a far cry from the N3.6 billion required to pay salaries and other emoluments.
This regrettably is assuming that all the government would do would just be to pay salaries.
From the above analysis, what Nigeria is going through is a financial disaster and we should see it as that. Definitely, it calls for new thinking and a new paradigm in public finance. We must however understand this for what it is: a financial disaster ravaging the land.
Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has appealed to workers to be calm, saying the salaries will be paid before June 30. He said his government was not immune to their pains.
He spoke when the Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria, Jonathan Richardson, visited him at the Government House in Osogbo.
Aregbesola said: “I want to appeal to workers to be calm as their period of hardship caused by the delay in the payment of salaries will be solved very soon. We are with them in their pains, we are not immune to any of their pains.
“I have not received any salary ever since I became governor. I urge workers to take heart, in no distant time, at least, before the end of this month, we will all put this terrible experience behind us.”
The governor said the state is eager to partner with Australia for the benefit that will come to the state and the country.
He noted that apart from gold and other resources, the state has a large deposit of gemstones.
Aregbesola added that the mining licence that the state gave to an Australian company was small compared to the mineral deposit that the state is blessed with.
He said: “We have a lot of potentials in mining, agriculture and technology. As important as mining and agriculture are, acquisition of knowledge is quite important to development.
“We look forward to the contribution of countries like yours. Whether we like it or not, a society without skilled people will soon fizzle out. We are eager to partner with Australia for the benefits that will both come to us. We are struggling hard to develop our state on every facet.”
The high commissioner said his country is ready to offer necessary assistance to develop the economy.
Richardson commended the people for the peaceful transition, saying the negative view of Nigeria to foreigners is due to lack of information.
He stressed that Australia is ready to partner with Osun because of the state potentials in tourism, agriculture, mining, among other areas.
“We think we have a lot to offer in mining, agriculture, tourism. We are happy to inform your government on how we can help in some of the areas.”
Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has said the state will return to the golden era.
He said his administration was working to diversify the economy to make it self-suuficient.
A statement from the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Semiu Okanlawon, said: “From the outset, the Aregbesola administration had set out to ensure that it diversified the economy in such a way that proceeds from economic activities and taxes would drive the economy and not reliance on federal allocations.
“The attempt to wean the state off Federal Allocation was behind the haste with which the Aregbesola administration embarked on key economic programmes.”
The statement added: “The government’s approach to agriculture, industrialisation , tourism and massive infrastructure provision was driven by the clear possibility that the sole reliance on the Federal Government for survival would one day throw the country into an economic quagmire of immense proportion.
Okanlawon said: “The dream has not gone awry and it is a clear vision that Osun must be on its feet, self-reliant and be a reference point in Nigeria.
“The race to ensure development during Aregbesola’s first term informed the fear of what is happening now.
“Aregbesola wanted a self-reliant Osun. That Osun, almost two decades after its creation, could not boast of tax-paying companies speaks volume about the magnitude of the work that awaited the Aregbesola administration.
“But the governor did not shy away from this task. During his first term, his government caused investors to bring up companies, such as the Omoluabi Garment Factory, Osogbo and Adulawo/RLG Technology Company in Ilesa.
“Just last month, a leading telecommunications firm, Airtel, came to partner with the Adulawo/RLG company.
“These are aside the various agro-allied companies, which have benefited from the administration’s growth schemes.
“The government also begun aggressive drive for the development of the solid mineral sector with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with an Australian mining firm, Andalusian Mining Industry.
“It was in the same vein that the idea of an airport for aircraft maintenance was conceived.”
“To accept that our state must continue to survive on the meagre inflow through what goes to the civil servants alone is to accept that we would continue to depend on external forces for our survival.
“We must work hard to give our people many choices. If you want to work in the civil service, it must be the choice that our people make on their own volition and not that there are no other choices, regardless of their education, qualifications and expertise.”
The statement cited the instance of Lagos which today can pay its workers timely and still continue its development works.
“People must not forget that Lagos, in 1999 when former Governor Bola Tinubu took over, was generating a paltry sum.
“It was the ingenious interventions and immediate provisions of infrastructure that lured investors in to create various opportunities for the people and made tax administration much easier for what is now today’s Lagos. This feat can be repeated in Osun and other parts of Nigeria.”
The statement added the governor has come clean on the state‘s finances to ensure that nothing is hidden and to assure the people that despite the precarious situation, he is determined to restore the state to the era where his government paid salaries on the 25th of every month.
“Before June 30, workers would be paid their salaries, Okanlawon said.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has called on Governor Rauf Aregbesola to resign.
“He should allow people with goodwill to run the government because under his watch, the state is on ‘life support’.”
Speaking with reporters at the PDP secretariat in Osogbo yesterday, Omisore said for Aregbesola to have admitted that the issue of Osun was beyond his capacity, “I expect him to have communicated to the House of Assembly and honourably vacate the seat of governor”.
He said: “Osun is now a failed state because of financial recklessness of the governor. I really appreciate the fact that he confessed that the present state of Osun affairs is beyond him and he should immediately throw in the towel.
“Nearly all commercial banks in Osun are being owed one form of loan or the other. The matter has reached the stage that the committee of bankers in the state at their meeting resolved that no bank should borrow this government any more. They are also waiting for remittances into the state’s coffers.
“The situation calls for sober reflections and we will also look at ways we are going to help our people in a manner that will not ridicule them.”
In a swift reaction, Governor Aregbesola said that “Toju akata balewo, enu adie ko laotigbo meaning “The diseased eye of a fox is not a sing-song for the squawking hen.
In a statement by his media aide, Semiu Okanlawon, Aregbsola said: “Given the tendency that Omisore represents, even if Osun were to come under the most incompetent of public administrators, he would still not be the alternative that Osun people want to live with.
“An Omisore governorship is better imagined than experienced. Is it in his obvious lack of knowledge of what public administration and selfless service to the people is or that he represents a party that is actually responsible for Nigeria’s present predicament through its 16 years of misrule?
“We are not surprised that the unpaid salary has made Omisore to find his voice after his fruitless search for a non-existent mandate. We do not expect anything better from a man who at the best of times, still fabricated lies against the Aregbesola administration all in his desperation to get the acceptance of the Osun people.”
The governor said his administration was not reckless, maintaining that the records and evidence abound to establish the fact.
According to him, “The National Bureau of Statistics, the Debt Management Office of the Presidency, and other agencies that operated under the PDP, could not find anything against me (Aregbesola) other than statistics that confirm how the Osun economy has been improved.
“We recognise the hardship unpaid salaries can bring and we are appealing to our people for understanding and assuring them this will soon come to an end. But that is not to say that the likes of Omisore have any ideas that are capable of helping our people.”
