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  • Work with us to protect mining communities, Makinde tells Oke Ogun Obas

    Work with us to protect mining communities, Makinde tells Oke Ogun Obas

    • Aseyin gets staff of office

    Oyo State Governor ‘Seyi Makinde has called on traditional rulers in Oke-Ogun to collaborate with the government in its effort to protect the mining communities.

    The governor said this yesterday during the coronation and presentation of staff of office to the 30th Aseyin of Iseyinland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Sefiu Olawale Oyebola, Adeyeri III, Ajirotutu I, held at the Iseyin District Grammar School, Iseyin.

    Governor Makinde, who stressed that the current regime in mining within the state must change so that host communities and the state can derive value from mineral resources, said: “A few weeks ago, I signed the Executive Order No 1 of 2023 and it deals with protecting the mining communities. The Kabiyesi and community leaders used to sign documents for the miners, but this has to change.

    “The Order is to protect the mining communities and ensure that the miners give to the communities and the state what is due to us. Right now, our resources are being carted away with nothing coming back to us and the Order will stop that.”

    He appreciated the people of Iseyin for their massive support during the March 18, 2023 general election, just as he commended the people of Iseyin for their support in making the College of Agriculture and Renewable Natural Resources, a campus of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, located in their domain, a reality.

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    He thereafter named the entrance road into the campus “Aseyin Road.”

    Speaking after his presentation of staff of office, Oba Oyebola expressed gratitude to Governor Makinde for his support and the presentation of the staff of office.

    He said this was a significant moment for him and the people of Iseyin, adding that he was committed to working with the governor to promote the development of the town.

    The monarch said he would work hard to live up to the expectations of the people of Iseyin, adding that he would work to promote peace and unity in the town, and to foster economic development.

    He expressed his commitment to maintain the tradition and culture of Iseyin.

    Oba Oyebola said: “I am deeply grateful to Governor Makinde for his support, and for the confidence he has shown in me by presenting me with the staff of office.

    “As Aseyin of Iseyin, I will ensure that the people of Iseyin are proud of their heritage and that they continue to uphold the values and traditions that make our town unique.”

    He thanked the people of Iseyin for their support and pledged to work for their benefit.

    The Nation reports that the new Aseyin is succeeding Oba Abdul-Ganiyu Adekunle Salawudeen, 62, who joined his ancestor on July 24, 2022 after a protracted illness.

  • Makinde presents staff of office to new Aseyin

    Makinde presents staff of office to new Aseyin

    Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde, has officially presented the staff of office to the new Aseyin, Oba Sefiu Olawale Oyebola.

    The presentation comes despite a pending court case before an Oyo State High Court, challenging the selection process for the new traditional ruler.

    The case with suit no: HOI/04/2023 is before the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Iseyin, over the contest for the stool of the ancient town.

    Handing the staff of the office to the new Aseyin, Makinde said developing Iseyin town more is his major concern, adding that the town had great potential for growth and development.

    He highlighted the importance of education and youth empowerment in the development of the town assuring that his administration is already working on several initiatives to promote education and youth empowerment in Iseyin.

    According to him, this includes the construction of new schools, the provision of scholarships for students from Iseyin, and the establishment of a vocational training centre.

    He said: “Iseyin is a town with great potential, and I am committed to working with the people of Iseyin to harness this potential for the benefit of all.

    Read Also: We’ll build new Oyo where citizens are law-abiding, says Makinde

    “Education and youth empowerment are the foundation of a prosperous future for Iseyin.

    “With the right investment in these areas, we can ensure that our young people have the skills and knowledge they need to succeed.”

    Governor Makinde also said that he would work to attract investment to Iseyin, with a focus on the agricultural sector.

    Speaking after he presented the staff of office, the new Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Sefiu Olawale Oyebola, expressed gratitude to Governor Makinde for his support and the presentation of the staff of office.

    He said this was a significant moment for him and the people of Iseyin, adding that he is committed to working with the governor to promote the development of the town.

    The monarch assures he would work hard to live up to the expectations of the people of Iseyin, adding that he would work to promote peace and unity in the town and to foster economic development.

    He also expressed his commitment to maintaining the traditions and culture of Iseyin.

    Oba Oyebola said: “I am deeply grateful to Governor Makinde for his support, and for the confidence he has shown in me by presenting me with the staff of office.

    “As Aseyin of Iseyin, I will ensure that the people of Iseyin are proud of their heritage and that they continue to uphold the values and traditions that make our town unique.”

    He thanked the people of Iseyin for their support and pledged to work for their benefit.

    The Nation reports that the new Aseyin is succeeding Oba Abdul-Ganiyu Adekunle Salawudeen, 62, who joined his ancestor on July 24, 2022, after a protracted illness.

  • 2024 budget proposal: Oyo APC, Makinde exchange in verbal tackles

    2024 budget proposal: Oyo APC, Makinde exchange in verbal tackles

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state has described the 2024 budget proposal of the Governor Seyi Makinde as defective, unrealistic and fraudulent, urging the state legislators to avoid rushing into its passage into law without a thorough job as it has been the case since 2020.

    But, in a swift reaction, the Special Adviser on Media to the Oyo State governor, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, said the Oyo APC acted true to type as charlatans and purveyors of falsehood, urging members of the public to discountenance the sermon of ignorance being preached against the Makinde administration.

    The Nation reports that Governor Makinde had last week Tuesday presented a total sum of N434.2billion as the proposed budget of the state for 2024 before the State House of Assembly members and he tagged it “Budget of Economic Recovery”.

    In a statement issued on Monday and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC faulted most content of the Appropriation document “which passed for another dubious presentation aimed at hoodwinking the good people of the state by a government which has shown that it lacks innovation, policy direction and accountability over time.

    “Pundits and economic management experts have had to express worries over the future of the Pacesetter state in view of the fact that the administration of Gov. Makinde has done little or nothing to improve the economy and create wealth as being done in some other states across the country. To make it worse, an expert recently said that Gov. Makinde has reduced Oyo state to ‘Land Grabbing and Okada/Keke economy.

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    “Credence was again given to the observation of pundits last week when the governor tabled before the House of Assembly an proposed budget for the 2024 which contained nothing but opportunities to further enrich himself (Makinde) and few individuals who are very to him. In the document, N434.2billion is quoted as the total budget for the year but N260billion is the total amount of funds expected in revenue leaving over N170billion in deficit. How realistic is this?

    “A whopping sum of N21billion is budget for the Office of the Governor without any breakdown of what they intend to do with it in specific term while another N485million would go Cabinet and Security service. The ruins in public facilities, in the state, is feasible in the deplorable condition of all the monumental structures in the Agodi State Secretariat while the Government House has been reduced to eyesore now harboring all sort of strange persons.

    “Yet money has been allocated and released for the maintenance of these facilities since 2020 but there is nothing to show for it.

    “Again, the governor attempted to play a fast one on the public by quoting 20 per cent allocation to education but the pertinent question is; what happened to the previous allocations because virtually all public schools have suffered neglect while pupils carry chairs and table to classrooms from home. Parents pay learning materials such books as well as WAEC and NECO fees on their own.

    “As if that was not enough, questions are being asked as to what success Oyo has recorded in the area of agriculture, commerce, job creation and so in the last four years. We rely on the North for beans, tomato, peppers, cow, onions, rice etc when we have massive arable land and human resources.

    “Ogun and Lagos states remain manufacturing and industrial hubs but in Oyo state, investors are being chased away with multiple taxes and confiscation of their land and properties as this was the case of one Ayo Mafikuyomi whose N800million factory was seized by the state government recently in Ibadan.” Oyo APC alleged.

    When contacted by The Nation, Governor Makinde’s Media Adviser, Olanrewaju noted that the accusation of land-grabbing against Governor Makinde is not only laughable but outright baseless, as according to him, the state government has not taken any land that does not belong to the state and that all lands put to use have derived the best benefits to the state.

    The governor’s aide equally described the N434 Billion Budget of Economic Recovery presented by Governor ‘Seyi Makinde as people-oriented and well-detailed, noting that the “budget proposal captured the yearnings and aspirations of Oyo State people with regards to short, medium and long term development.”

    He added that the revenue projections in the budget were also realistic enough, noting, however, that no one expected the APC to understand or appreciate the 2024 budget that targets restoring the economic powers of the people and uplifting the state, because the APC in Oyo State is anti-people and focusless.

    He said: “One reads with amusement a statement credited to the Oyo APC in which the party embarked on a voyage of falsehood and an advertisement of ignorance about the 2024 Budget and land use under the current administration.

    “The party falsely accused Governor Makinde of land-grabbing and also went ahead to discredit the 2024 Budget Proposal presented to the House of Assembly by the Governor. This shows only one thing, the Oyo APC’s wounds from the last elections are yet to heal.

    “However, it needs to be made clear that the 2024 Budget Proposal is a product of rigorous planning and it captures the yearnings and aspirations of Oyo State people.

    “The Budget is realistic with regards to the revenue projections, recurrent and capital expenditure outlooks.

    “The governor clearly highlighted the focus of the Government to drive the Budget with revenue projections including federal allocation, VAT, capital receipts and an increased IGR of N72 Billion at the rate of N6 Billion monthly.

    “In his Budget speech, he also expressed how his administration took the IGR from around N1.8 Billion in 2019 to over N4 Billion in October 2023 and also clearly itemized how the government will arrive at the projected IGR without necessarily increasing taxes.

    “But in a funny twist, the Oyo APC accused the Makinde administration of not creating wealth, leaving one to wonder how a Government that brought about the massive increase in IGR and got Oyo State among the first six states with the highest IGRs could be so accused.

    “In its trademark falsehood-mongering, the Oyo APC cited faceless experts to justify its accusations against the Governor, but one can only wonder if the party, indeed, is on the ground in the state, as the views of the teeming people of Oyo State are far different from the ones held by the Oyo APC.

    “The reality in Oyo state is that the people are happy with their Governor and the massive laudations that have continued to follow the 2024 Budget proposal is a testament to this fact.

    “The people know their governor and love him, having seen the positive results of his initiatives and the same people rejected the APC and would continue to reject it because they know the party does not mean well for the masses.”

  • Makinde to commission radio, office complex at Ibadan Polytechnic convocation

    Makinde to commission radio, office complex at Ibadan Polytechnic convocation

    As part of activities for the 35th, 36th, 37th, and 38th combined convocation programme of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Governor Seyi Makinde will on December 15 commission a radio station owned by the institution which has secured operating licence from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

    The Governor, who is the visitor to the institution, will also commission the 72-room office complex built from internally generated revenue of the institution named after him.

    Speaking at a briefing on activities for the convocation ceremony, the Chairman of the Convocation Planning Committee, Dr. Mojeed Lawal, said the convocation would witness award of Diplomas, Certificates and Prizes to the 2018/2019, 2019/2020, 2020/2021, 2022/2023 graduands.

    He said: “”On Wednesday, 13th December, 2023 the Graduation Lecture will hold at the North Campus Assembly Hall of the institution. The lecture, titled: Leadership Evolution: Empowering Change Agents for a Transformative Future” will be delivered by Amb. Major General (Rtd) Ashimiyu Adebayo Olaniyi at 2pm.

    Read Also: Makinde lead campaign against gender based violence walk in Ibadan

    “On the 14th of December, 2023, as part of the activities lined up, a group of alumni of the Institution, specifically 90/93 set have volunteered to plant trees across the length and breadth of the Institution. This will further enhance the beautification of the institution.”

    “This current effort is a plausible addition to what alumni of the Institution both individuals and groups have been contributing to support academic and social development of the Institution. The Institution had received donations ranging from building offices, classrooms, equipment, books, scholarships among others.”

  • Makinde lead campaign against gender based violence walk in Ibadan

    Makinde lead campaign against gender based violence walk in Ibadan

    The Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde on Monday, December 11, led campaign against sexual and Genda Based Violence (GBV) walk in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.

    The walk, which started inside Agodi Government House also have in attendance wife of the governor, Mrs Tamunominini Makinde, representative of Commissioner of Police, the Comissioner for Special Duty, Alhaja Faosat Sanni, Commissioner for Youth and Sport, Wasilat Adegoke, and Commissioner for Women Affairs, Toyin Balogun among others.

    Those in the walk carried placard with various inscriptions such as “Every Voice Counts”, “Zero Tolerance to Genda Based Violence”, and “Oyo State Say no to Genda Based Violence” among others.

    The governor in his remark said the campaign was to draw attention of the public to vulnerable groups in the state, and to demonstrate that genda based violence will not be tolerate in the state.

    He noted that people think because of prevalence of poverty, they can not do what is right to protect vulnerables in the society.

    He however commended security agencies for their fight against GBV, saying the menace won’t stop if security agencies are not up and doing.

    Read Also: N3.4b debt: Appeal Court orders Makinde to pay ex-LG chiefs

    Earlier while addressing the gathering, the wife of the governor said the walk was to sensitised the public against sexual and Genda Based Violence, saying there is need to unite and prevent violence against women in the state.

    She stated that the walk was not only to raise awareness, but also to consolidate steps already taken by the state government towards ending genda based violence in the society.

    She maintained that the walk would serve as a reminder that fight against Gender-Based Violence (GBV) requires not only people’s attention but a call to action for the society to unite against the issue of violence that has affected many life’s.

  • N3.4b debt: Appeal Court orders Makinde to pay ex-LG chiefs

    N3.4b debt: Appeal Court orders Makinde to pay ex-LG chiefs

    • Slams N50m fine against Oyo gov, others

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed the April 27 decision of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ordering the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, to pay the outstanding balance of N3,374,889,425.60 (N3.4b) from the N4,874,889,425.60 (N4.9b) debt, arising from a May 7, 2021 judgment of the Supreme Court.

    The N4,874,889,425.60 debt arose from the judgment of the Supreme Court given  against Makinde, the state’s Attorney General, Accountant General and four others in an appeal by chairmen and councillors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but sacked on May 29,  2019 by Makinde, upon assuming office.

    In a unanimous judgment yesterday, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal deplored Makinde’s conduct, which it described as disrespectful of the nation’s judicial system.

    The appellate court, upheld that arguments by the lawyer to the ex-council chiefs, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), resolved the two issues identified for determination against the appellants and  dismissed the appeal filed by Makinde and six others for lacking in merit.

    The court awarded N50million cost against Makinde and the other appellants, to be paid to the ex-council chiefs led by Bashorun Mojeed Bosun Ajuwon.

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    The judgment was on the appeal marked: CA/595/2023 filed by Makinde, the Oyo State’s Attorney General, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Accountant General of Oyo State, Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, the House of Assembly and Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC).

    In the lead judgment, Justice Danlami Senchi, held that as against the contention by the appellants, there was no dispute in relation to the amount that constituted the judgment debt.

    The judge referred to a letter written on December 13, 2021 by the Attorney General of Oyo State, where the state put the salaries and allowances due to the ex-council chiefs at N4,874,889,425.60 and pledged to pay everything within six months.

    He said the court could not allow Oyo State Government and its officials to approbate and reprobate, blow hot and cold at the same time by claiming the amount constituting the debt was not ascertained despite the letter by the AG and the fact that the appellants took steps to settle the debt by making part payment.

    Justice Senchi also faulted the appellants’ contention that the ex-council chiefs failed to first obtain the consent of the Oyo State Attorney General before initiating a garnishee proceeding to seize the state’s funds to settle the judgment debt.

    The judge said asking the ex-council chiefs to first seek and obtain the consent of the Oyo AG, (he is one of the judgment debtors) amounts to  making him to be a judge in his own case, which requirement is unfair to the judgment creditors.

    The ex-council chiefs were in order to have initiated the garnishee proceeding, because there was a judgment debt to be paid by the appellants by virtue of the judgment of the Supreme Court.

    The Supreme Court had, in its May 7, 2021 judgment, declared the ex-council chiefs, who sued through 11 representatives, led by Bashorun Majeed Ajuwon, as unlawful and ordered the Oyo State Government to compute and pay them their entitled salaries and allowances within three months of the judgment.

    Rather than comply with the judgment, the Oyo State Government paid only N1.5b, prompting the judgment creditors (the ex-council chiefs) to initiate a garnishee proceeding against Makinde and others before the High Court of the FCT.

    In the April 27 ruling, Justice A. O. Ebong of the High Court of the FCT issued a garnishee order absolute, directing Makinde and others to pay the balance of the judgment debt on installment basis, beginning with N1,374,889,425.60 to be paid immediately.

    Justice Ebong ordered them to subsequently pay the remaining N2b at N500m quarterly, with the first installment payable on July 31, 2023, a decision Makinde and others challenged at the Court of Appeal.

    It is the April 27 ruling by Justice Ebong that the Court of Appeal affirmed in the judgment delivered on Friday.

  • N3.4b debt: Appeal Court orders Makinde to pay ex-council chiefs

    N3.4b debt: Appeal Court orders Makinde to pay ex-council chiefs

    The Court of Appeal in Abuja has affirmed the April 27 decision of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ordering the Oyo state governor, Seyi Makinde to paid the outstanding balance of N3,374,889,425.60 (N3.4b) from the N4,874,889,425.60 (N4.9b) debt, arising from a May 7, 2021 judgment of the Supreme Court.

    The N4,874,889,425.60 debt arose from the judgment of the Supreme Court given against Makinde, the state’s Attorney General, Accountant General and four others in an appeal by Chairmen and Councillors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but sacked on May 29,  2019 by Makinde, upon assuming office.

    In a unanimous judgment on Friday, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal deplored Makinde’s conduct, which it described as disrespectful of the nation’s judicial system.

    The appellate court, upheld that arguments by the lawyer to the ex-council chiefs, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), resolved the two issues, identified for determination, against the appellants and  dismissed the appeal filed by Makinde and six others for lacking in merit.

    The court awarded N50million cost against Makinde and the other appellants, to be paid to the ex-council chiefs led by Bashorun Mojeed Bosun Ajuwon.

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    The judgment was on the appeal marked: CA/595/2023 filed by Makinde, the Oyo State’s Attorney General, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Accountant General of Oyo State, Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, the House of Assembly and Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC).

    In the lead judgment, Justice Danlami Senchi held that, as against the contention by the appellants, there was no dispute in relation to the amount that constituted the judgment debt.

    The judge referred to a letter written on December 13, 2021 by the Attorney General of Oyo State, where the state put the salaries and allowances due to the ex-council chiefs at N4,874,889,425.60 and pledged to pay everything within six months.

    He said the court could not allow Oyo State Government and its officials to approbate and reprobate, blow hot and cold at the same time by claiming the amount constituting the debt was not ascertained despite the letter by the AG and the fact that the appellants took steps to settle the debt by making part payment.

    Justice Senchi also faulted the appellants’ contention that the ex-council chiefs failed to first obtain the consent of the Oyo State Attorney General before initiating a garnishee proceeding to seize the state’s funds to settle the judgment debt.

    The judge said asking the ex-council chiefs to first seek and obtain the consent of the Oyo AG, he is one of the judgment debtors, amounts to  making him to be a judge in his own case, which requirement is unfair to the judgment creditors.

    The ex-council chiefs were in order to have initiated the garnishee proceeding, because there was a judgment debt to be paid by the appellants by virtue of the judgment of the Supreme Court.

    The Supreme Court had, in its May 7, 2021 judgment, declared the ex-council chiefs, who sued through 11 representatives, led by Bashorun Majeed Ajuwon, as unlawful and ordered the Oyo State Government to compute and pay them their entitled salaries and allowances within three months of the judgment.

    Rather than comply with the judgment, the Oyo State Government paid only N1.5b, prompting the judgment creditors (the ex-council chiefs) to initiate a garnishee proceeding against Makinde and others before the High Court of the FCT.

    In the April 27 ruling, Justice A. O. Ebong of the High Court of the FCT issued a garnishee order absolute, directing Makinde and others to pay the balance of the judgment debt on instalment basis, begining with N1,374,889,425.60 to be paid immediately.

    Justice Ebong ordered them to subsequently pay the remaining N2b at N500m quarterly, with the first instalment payable on July 31, 2023, a decision Makinde and others challenged at the Court of Appeal.

    It is the April 27 ruling by Justice Ebong that the Court of Appeal affirmed in the judgment delivered on Friday.

  • Oyo govt awards GRA to firm

    Oyo govt awards GRA to firm

    Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has approved the award of Yekinni Adeojo Government Reservation  Area (GRA) to Messrs. Allianz West Africa (Nigeria) Ltd, under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme.

    According to the mandate letter, the firm would develop the infrastructural facilities at the 50-hectare Yekinni Adeojo GRA, Oluyole, Ibadan, using private funds. It will also manage the GRA, on behalf of future residents and Oyo State Government for about 25 years.

    The Director General of Oyo State Investment and Public-Private Partnership Agency (OYSIPPA), Tilewa Folami, handing over the mandate letter of grant to the Managing Director/CEO of Allianz-West Africa Offshore Ltd, Adeyinka Owodunni, an engineer; said: “This award is premised on the successful performance and timely completion of Engr. Lere Adigun GRA (Basorun, Ibadan) by Allianz West Africa.

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    He said: “The GRA has become a highly sought after residential enclave for the upper middle class in Ibadan.”

    Owodunni said Yekinni Adeojo GRA (YAGRA) would be a residential development designed as part of a masterplan community to activate a satellite city on the South East quadrant of the Ibadan Circular Road (ICR), where it intersected the newly completed Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    He said: “This estate is positioned to allow its residents have easy access to multiple cities (Lagos, Ife, Ijebu, etc) through the Ibadan circular road butterfly interchanges on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.”

    “Yekinni Adeojo GRA will have about 300 fully serviced plots for residential/commercial/recreational services. At full capacity, it will be an estate for about 600 to 800 families.”

  • Makinde, Mbah, Obaseki, Aliyu present Appropriation Bills to Assemblies

    Makinde, Mbah, Obaseki, Aliyu present Appropriation Bills to Assemblies

    • Oyo proposes N434b; Enugu, N521b; Edo, N325.3b; Sokoto, N270.1b 2024 budgets

    Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Godwin Obaseki (Edo), and Ahmed Aliyu (Sokoto) yesterday presented the 2024 Appropriation Bills to the Houses of Assembly for perusal and passage into law.

    Makinde presented N434,221,765,938.79 budget proposal which comprises a Capital Expenditure of N222,337,320,199.85 and a Recurrent Expenditure of N211,884,445,728.95.

    The governor said next year’s budget proposal, christened: Budget of Economic Recovery, offers a chance for his administration to show its responsiveness to the current economic realities in the country.

    He said the Capital Expenditure is 2.4 per cent higher than the Recurrent Expenditure.

    Makinde explained that the budget proposal envisaged an increased Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N72 billion with an average of N6 billion monthly.

    A breakdown of the proposals showed that Education got the highest share of N90,664,994,252 (20.88 per cent), followed by Infrastructure, which got N74,316,325,706 (17.11 per cent); Health, with N40,998,197,758.30 (9.44 per cent); and Agriculture, with N15,848,707,310.80 (3.65 per cent).

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    In Enugu State, Governor Mbah presented a budget proposal of N521,561,386,000 to the House of Assembly yesterday in Enugu.

    The proposed budget, tagged: Budget of Disruptive Economic Growth, comprises a Recurrent Expenditure of N107,272,660,000, representing 20 per cent; and a Capital Expenditure of N414,334,120,000, representing 80 per cent of the total budget.

    Education got the lion’s share of N134.5 billion, representing 33 per cent of the total budget proposal.

    Mbah said through the revised budget, his administration had been able to make some appreciable progress in fulfilling its promises to Ndi Enugu in the last few months.

    He estimated that the total recurrent revenues in 2024 will amount to ¦ 383,789,000,000.00, as against the approved revised provision for 2023 of ¦ 143,571,592,917.

    Giving a breakdown of the projected revenues for 2024, Mbah said the state would generate N252,789,000,000 through Internally Generated Revenue (IGR); N60,000,000,000 through Statutory Revenue; N16,000,000,000 through Excess Crude and others; while N44,000,000,000 and N11,000,000,000 would be earned through Value Added Tax (VAT) and Opening Balance.

    In Edo State, Governor Obaseki presented a proposed budget of N325.3 billion, called: Home Run, Finishing Strong, to the 24-member House of Assembly in Benin, the state capital.

    The governor said the 2024 Appropriation Bill contains N178 billion for Capital Expenditure, and N146 billion for Recurrent Expenditure. He put the total projected revenue for 2024 at N303 billion. This consists of N55 billion for Statutory Allocation, Value Added Tax (VAT) of N38 billion, Capital Receipts of N40 billion, Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N72 billion, and N10 billion from Grants, among others.

    Obaseki stressed that the focus areas for the 2024 fiscal year would include growth and employment enablers, such as trailer and transit parks, ICT infrastructure, Benin port projects, which would gulp N85 billion; Road and Transport Infrastructure, N62 billion; Health, N33 billion; Education, N32 billion; and Buildings, Physical Planning and Development Control, N21 billion.

    Other areas include Social Welfare/Benefits, N16 billion; Environment, N5 billion; Electricity, N7 billion; Agriculture, N6 billion; and Youth, Social Development and Gender, N6 billion.

    In Sokoto State, the House of Assembly yesterday passed for second reading the proposed 2024 Appropriation Bill of N270.1 billion.

    The request for this progression came from the Assembly Leader, Alhaji Bello Idris (APC, Gwadabawa North), after a thorough debate on the budget presented by Governor Ahmed Aliyu.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the governor presented the proposed 2024 budget to the state legislature last Friday.

    Aliyu said the proposed budget, tagged: Budget of Hope and Resilience for Infrastructural Development, consists of Personnel Costs of N46.9 billion; Overhead of N50.9 billion; and Capital Expenditure of N172.2 billion.

    The governor said Education got the largest allocation of N42.9 billion, followed by Health’s N31.2 billion; Works and Transport, N18.8 billion; and Agriculture, N10.3 billion.

  • Makinde: Gaining the people’s trust

    Makinde: Gaining the people’s trust

    By Remi Ladigbolu

    SIR: For a governor who has consistently shunned populism for pragmatism, it must have cost Governor Seyi Makinde so much hard work to score so highly on the card of overwhelming majority of Oyo State indigenes as shown in his indisputable victory in this year’s governorship election.  

    For once, the electorate in Oyo State left no one in doubt about their choice. Makinde’s electoral victory was a clear reward for his impactful and laudable achievements, and also an open endorsement of his government by an appreciative citizenry. 

    And his performance appears to be living up to the mark. In the latest edition of his bimonthly online newsletter, through which he keeps the citizens abreast of his activities, published on November 16, the governor spoke about a very important and instructive event deriving from his government’s 2019 demolition of the Organisation of Tadhamunul Muslimeen Central Mosque, (popularly called Adogba Central Mosque and considered an Islamic monument), in Iwo Road, Ibadan, in order to pave the way for the construction of a Mega Bus Terminal. 

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    At a meeting with the worshippers on October 18, 2019, which was called to intimate them of the government’s decision, Makinde pledged to reconstruct the mosque in another suitable location at his personal expense. And true to his promise, on November 16, the newly reconstructed mosque was inaugurated by the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Mohammed Sa’ad Abubakar, assisted by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero and the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta States, Alhaji Dawud Makanjuola Akinola. 

    Speaking during the inauguration of the edifice, the governor took a trip down memory lane: “I went to the mosque and I worshipped with the Muslim Ummah. I told them that the mosque and the church around it will be demolished, because we have already put forward a roadmap for accelerated development, which means we had to focus on the development of our infrastructure. I understood the fact that there was trust deficit between the government and the people. So, before we even said anything, some people were already making insinuations…” 

    Without a doubt, this gesture by the governor will potentially reduce the long-established mutual mistrust between the government and the people. Not only was the mosque completed on time, it now boasts better structures and facilities.  

    In the area of infrastructure development, the governor has not been less open. In his November 16 newsletter, he spoke about his visit to Cairo, Egypt, on November 14, where he attended the Intra-Africa Trade Fair (IATF) 2023. He further revealed that his participation in the fair made it possible for his government to secure part of a N500 billion subnational loan facility. 

    Makinde disclosed that the loan facility would make it possible for the state government to continue with the construction of 110km economically strategic Rashidi Ladoja Circular Road and the Ibadan Airport runway expansion projects. These two landmark projects, in addition to the Independent Power Plants and the Dry Port being developed within the precinct of Moniya train station, are poised to create an industrial revolution in Oyo State, especially in the agro-allied sector, and re-establish Ibadan as the economic hub of the Southwest. 

    The state government is also delivering on its promise to develop a new business district around the rail corridor in Moniya with the take-off of the ‘Ilu Tuntun’ (New Town) project, while it’s much touted agro-industrial transformation has been signposted by the already bustling Fasola Agribusiness Industrial Hub in Oyo town, with others being developed in Eruwa and Ogbomoso. This is in addition to an array of completed projects and scores of others ongoing in all parts of the state. 

    Having done so much so far to gain the people’s trust, it behoves him to not allow himself to get carried away by the noise of sycophants. He should continue to subject his government’s decisions to the highest level of institutional scrutiny and guidance. No matter how well-meaning his intentions are, he should, as a matter duty, subordinate them to the regulation of systems and structures. And at whatever cost, he must remain open and accountable in the management of public resources.

    • Remi Ladigbolu, Lagos.