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Tag: Osun State

  • OAU authorities will resolve tax debt soonest — VC

    The Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof Eyitope Ogunnbodede, has assured the university community that the issue of tax debt will be resolved with the state government without delay.

    Ogunnbodede said this in a statement he signed on Friday in Ile-Ife, Osun, adding that the vexed issue would not be allowed to damage the harmonious relationship between the university and the Government of Osun State.

    “Members of the university and other stakeholders no doubt are embarrassed by the event of Wednesday, 2nd May, 2018, when the Osun State Government sealed off the main Gate of the University and the University Secretariat due to an alleged tax default by the University.

    ” It has become necessary to react to the claims of the state government and misinformation/total falsehoods making the rounds in the community in the aftermath of that unfortunate incident.

    “In particular, the university authorities note the claim that the university was owing N1.84 billion of tax and has refused to negotiate with the government as false, malicious and total misrepresentation of the truth on this matter.”

    The vice-chancellor debunked the claims made by the state Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

    He said that the past tax liability, which represented the sum the IRS claimed that the university under-deducted from staff salaries for the period 2015 and 2016 for Pay As You Earn (PAYE), had been a subject of negotiations between the university and the IRS.

    He further said that the university administration “vehemently” disputed the figure of N1.844 billion submitted by the IRS and insisted that if there had been under-deduction at all, only the sum of N287 million was the amount by which PAYE was under-deducted from staff salaries.

    He said that the matter had been referred to the Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, following a letter personally signed by the Governor to the President of the Federation.

    “Both the Osun State Government tax authorities and the university officers had attended the PICA session where the matter was resolved.”

    According to him, the Accountant General of the Federation, after examining the claim of the Osun IRS and that of the university, by a letter reference number INV/0089/844/II dated Jan. 19, 2018, concluded that university’s outstanding tax liabilities was N384 million only, being the under-deducted PAYE from staff salaries.

    “Parties agreed to this conclusion, and the recommendation that this sum could be paid in monthly instalment of N5 million.

    “It is, therefore, with total shock that the university community woke up on Wednesday, 2nd May, 2018 to find the university main gate as well the university secretariat sealed up by the Osun State Government.”

    Ogunbodede urged members of the public to note that the past tax liabilities of 2015 and 2016 in dispute was never deducted from staff salaries as being erroneously claimed.

    He further explained that the university had never failed at any point in time to remit PAYE deducted from staff salaries to the tax authorities.

    He added that it was a case of under-deduction and not of non-remittance of tax.

    According to him, the anomaly has since been corrected and the university employees have been paying correct tax rates since January 2017.

    NAN

  • OAU shut for owing N1.8 billion tax

    Following the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum issued by the Osun State Internal Revenue Service to private organizations and public establishments to pay up their tax arrears, the revenue agency has shut down the Obafemi Awolowo University OAU, Ile-Ife for owing N1.8 billion tax.

    Led by a top official of the agency, Mr. Oladipo Babatunde, the university was shut by official of the Revenue Task Force around 7:00 on Wednesday morning.

    It was gathered that the Senate Building, the Administrative Block and the Bursary were part of the facilities the agency sealed off before proceeding to the university main gate to put it under lock and key.

    Other tax defaulting establishments including a construction company, Sammiya Construction Company and a money lending company, LAPO Agric located along Gbongon/Ibadan Road, Osogbo apart from apart from the OAU were sealed off by the officials of the agency.

    Speaking on the closure, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Tax Matters and Revenue Generation, Barr. Gbenga Akano, disclosed  that OAU owed the state government about N1.8 billion, saying the state government had no choice than to seal the university after its management refused to meet up with the governement deadline for payment.

    According to him, the money owed by the institution is outstanding unremitted PAYE withholding taxes and developments levy which he said had become due and payable since year 2015 and 2016.

    He said: “It is callous and act of wickedness for any organization to refuse to pay taxes. We are all know that the state is suffering from financial malaria because of the meager in the Federal allocation orchestrated by the current economic recession.

    “The Federal allocation is not sufficient not only to run government but also to meet the financial obligations of the State. We had earlier issued all the affected establishments seven-day ultimatum which was even given a wide media coverage and we expect every responsible organisations to come to us for dialogue.

    “But as at this morning, OAU management refuse to approach us for any dialogue, they did not responded, while some of other affected companies have responded.

    Sammya owed the state government about N5 millions, just as LAPO Agric owed N7 million. We have appealed to all the establishments and individuals owing the state government to pay but many of them refused to do so.”

    In a swift reaction, the authorities of the  Obafemi Awolowo University,  said the matter would soon be resolved.

    In a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Mr. Abiodun Olanrewaju, the university  said that the debt was inherited from the past administrations of the institution.

    The statement read: “I must add this that the present university administration since 2017 has been paying consistently but the backlog of debt inherited from the past administrations is niw causing this little problem. Everything will be resolved by the grace of God. The school management is assuring the public that it will soon be resolved.”

  • Osun seals OAU’s Administrative Block over N1.8bn tax debt

    The Osun State Internal Revenue Service  on Wednesday  sealed the Administrative Bock of  Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, over a N1.8 billion  tax debt.

    The newsmen reports that the officials of the service, who came with policemen and NSCDC personnel, put the gates of the block under lock and key after obtaining a court order.

    The Public Relations Officer of the university, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, told newsmen that the state government and the university had an agreement which the institution was complying with.

    Read Also: Electricity employees seek protection in Osun

    Olarewaju said that the university, being a federal institution, was committed to paying up the tax debt owed the state.

    The spokesman, who  appealed to the state government to give the university a respite, however, said  fresh students  just beginning their week of orientation were not affected as only the Administrative Block was sealed and not their departments.

    According to Olarewaju, the management of OAU is law abiding and will ensure prompt payment of its tax debt.

    NAN

  • INEC insists on transmitting Ekiti, Osun election results electronically 

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Monday insisted that it would transmit the results of this year’s Ekiti and Osun State governorship elections electronically.

    According to its commissioner Muhammed Mustafa Lecky, one of the innovations that the commission is adopting for the 2019 elections is the electronic transmission of results and it has “come to the conclusion that this will be done come Ekiti and Osun elections.”

    He made this disclosure at the roundtable of The Electoral Institute (TEI) in Abuja. The theme of discussion was “Anambra Governorship Election: A Post-Mortem and Lessons for Ekiti and Osun States Governorship Polls.”

    The chairman of the Institute, Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, had asked the commissioner to give an update on the electronic transmission of results.

    Lecky noted that INEC has discussed with the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) and all the telecom companies that have assured it of the feasibility of transmitting the results electronically.

    His words: “we have begun discussions with the Nigerian Communication Commission, and we have also discussed with MTN, Etisalat and all other telecommunication companies in Nigeria. We have been having meetings with them.”

    Lecky said from the last week Tuesday meeting, the telecom companies assured the commission in the successful electronic transmission of the results.

    The commission, he said, has taken steps to ensure the functionality of the card reader, stressing that “the aperture where you do the scanning of the finger has been enlarged.”

    He said that the smart card reader has been enhanced to function better in the two states elections, and measures are underway for the commission to improve on them in the 2019 elections.

    The chairman revealed that there are steps to “document the Voter Identification Number the Permanent Voters Cards to trace the phone numbers of the owners in order to send them text messages informing them where their PVCs are.”

    He however insisted that despite the effort, it remains the responsibility of the owners to collect them.

    He added that the commission is trying to make copies of the PVCs so that our registration area officers and other staff at the local government level and see how they can identify the owners for collection.

    The commission, according to him, is doing its best to ensure that the PVCs are collected, stressing that “the onus is still on the owners to collect his or her PVCs.”

    A discussant from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof. Stella Okunna, advised the INEC to avoid late arrival of election materials and prevent electoral officers from being induced.

    She charged the commission to ensure that its equipment would work and compel the operators of the ICT to function ethically during the Ekiti and Osun state governorship election.

    She recalled that voting buying took place under the nose of the police, INEC officers and others authorities unmolested during the last Anambra  State governorship election.

    She urged the government to deploy the army to arrest the situation if the police allow vote buying.

    Read Also: Osun Guber Poll: INEC releases timetable

  • ANRP, New Party mobilize Youths in Osun State ahead of 2019.

    The Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), a new grassroots political party recently approved by INEC to salvage Nigeria from its present crisis by empowering Youths participation in politics to drive quality leadership in the Country.

    The party envisages a political process that throws up a new set of leaders by developing and renewing the minds, skills and capabilities of people towards positive solutions to the various socio-economic and political problems in the Country.

    The party believes that the secret of change is to focus all our energies not on fighting the OLD but building the NEW set of leaders who have the requisite skills and qualities to investigate and understand the real problems of Nigeria and providing solutions devoid of sentiments.

    The Party held a remarkable State Congress for its Osun State Chapter at the Party Secretariat situated beside Badamus filling Station, Obelawo, Oshogbo, Osun State on the 7th April, 2018 where State Executives were elected into key offices.

    Engr. Fawumi, the newly elected Chairman for the state said in his acceptance speech that “he is sure that the Congress is not for merrymaking or social events rather its due to a strong desire to see a shift in governance approach in Osun State. Based on this understandable desire, we are from today starting to put structures in place that will enable ANRP to get to the grassroots in Osun State.”

    We intend to get to every home in all wards and local government in this state talking one on one to every citizen or resident about ANRP plans, manifesto, goals and objectives and we are prepared to implement them in the state once we get the mandate of the people to govern the state.

    We will orientate the developmental direction to ensure the economic, social and infrastructural benefit goes to majority whom unfortunately are getting the least abundance God has blessed this state with.

    We have both short-term and long-term objectives to get to where we desired.

    We shall run an open and transparent State Chapter of ANRP and provide detail account status periodically, raise funds to finance party programs and be accountable/accessible to all members without partial or special favour to none. “Equal treatment to all is guaranteed”.

    The difference here is that we are not just seeking power for merry making but we promise to be responsible with the mandate/power for the benefit of Osun State Residents. Focus will be on qualitative Education, industrial development in Agriculture, Information Technology, Health, Power Supply, Finance and processing of Agriculture products for export.

    Higher priorities will be for ANRP to govern Osun State in such a way that the party and an ANRP Governor will strive to generate the income to run the State without waiting for external support, provide jobs for teeming population and enabling environment for enterprise to blossom.

    This will involve radical change from current approach used in running the affairs of the state.

    The Spokesman of Osun ANRP – Ayo Adelu, addressed the Press where he further expressed the intention of the party to bring positive change to Osun State by creative innovations and skills development to the people of Osun State.

    He said the party is not an antagonising party but a viable solution provider platform to people of Osun State.

    The party will always conduct investigations on societal problems and provide solutions on governance because the development of Osun State should be a priority to all stakeholders.

    We must not focus all of our energy on wrestling power, we are not power hungry. We believe that our programs will endear us to the good people of the state.

    The welfarism of our people is first, it’s an obligation we are resolute to take care of. We shall put people of Osun State first in every dealings.

  • Group in prayer session for Osun guber aspirant

    A socio-cultural group in   Osun State has offered prayers for the emergence of a competent and determined candidate to succeed the incumbent governor of the state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, so as to continue his laudable projects scattered across the state.

    The group concluded that Engineer Oriolowo is fit for the exalted office, thus another prayer session was rendered to ensure he emerges the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The prayer session was held by the leadership and members of the Osun People’s Alliance (OPA) yesterday morning at Igboya in Ile Ife as part of the sensitization of the citizenry on the need for a sound person to take over from Aregbesola and especially the choice of  Oriolowo in parts of the Ife Ijesha Senatorial District.

    Briefing a few selected news men at the end of the special prayer, the Publicity Secretary of the OPA, Oloye Olalekan Abegunde, disclosed that the idea was out of the concern of his group for a progressive element as the next governor of the state and from interaction so far , the pendulum is still favourable to Oriolowo, thus the need to seek God in the task ahead.

    He said: “ His is a continuation of a series of interaction and sensitization of the people of Osun State on the need for another progressive governor to succeed Aregbesola. We are in the Ife Ijesha Senatorial District now, and we ‘ve covered parts  comprising Ife North, Central and South and East. We have decided to take the prayer to Olodumare by seeking his guidance for a sincere and pragmatic candidate to succeed the outgoing governor.

    “We are praying that the most popular among them,  Oriolowo, who currently enjoys massive support from the rural areas will emerge victorious at the primary of the ruling party. So far so good, we are still continuing the sensitization in other parts of the Ife Ijesha District   and we will ensure that we conclude in Osun West before the primary election of the APC.”

  • ‘Osun has kept Lassa fever at bay through massive surveillance’

    Massive surveillance, intensive enlightenment campaign and rapid response initiatives, among other proactive measures, have been advanced as the reasons why  Osun State has remained Lassa fever- free.

    According to the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Rafiu Isamotu, these  simple measures are how the state has protected its residents from the bane of Lassa Fever.

    The commissioner, who described the achievements of Governor Rauf Aregbesola in the last seven years within the health sector as unprecedented, said such initiatives as the School Feeding Programme, Save One Million Lives Initiative, Mama Kit, Distribution of Safety Mosquito Nets, Empowerment of Surveillance of Officers, among others, have helped in no small measure.

    Dr Isamotu spoke in Lagos at an interactive session with journalists.

    According to him, the governor’s commitment to the school feeding project is uncommon and deserving of commendation from Nigerians, saying in spite of the dwindling resources, the governor has insisted the programme must be accorded priority.

    He said: “Osun has been fortunate enough to keep at bay the challenge of Lassa fever. But then, we have had our own share of it. The mandate from the governor is that we must be preventive and not just curative. So, we have our surveillance officers all over the state, so that if there is any suspected case of any disease, they notify us within 24 hours. We have the state epidemiologist who is always at alert coordinating the surveillance officers. And of course, we have our effective Director in charge of Public Health who is working assiduously to keep things right.

    “For instance, when we had a case of someone who died of the disease, we traced the patient to Ore, in Ondo State where he was being attended to before finding his way to Ile-Ife where he attended Seventh Day Adventist Hospital on January 29, and was referred to OAU Teaching Hospital on January 30 and died same day. Of course, the sample taken confirmed Lassa fever and we ensured that we traced all the 34 cases that had contact with him at the two hospitals. So everyone is fine.”

    The commissioner also appealed to the residents of the state to continue to pray for the Aregbesola-led administration, saying he has pledged that till his last day in office, he will ensure that his campaign promises are fulfilled.

    He further said: “What I always ask people is that how many states still run the school feeding project till date? Even some states that started it less than two years ago have dropped it because it is money-consuming. But because we have seen the result in terms of school enrollment increase, retention in schools and because it addressed the issue of stunted growth among the school-aged pupils, the governor has insisted we must run it.

    “Also, look at the massive infrastructural work in the state capital and other places, we need to understand that this administration has done well to deserve commendation from Nigerians. Most of the facilities put in place today may not be appreciated until many years to come.”

    ‘’Even without any outbreak, we have our usual health talks on television, radios and to encourage people to live a healthy lifestyle and keep things that could attract the kind of rats that could attract lassa fever, it is the bush rats with multiple breast, known as emo among the Yoruba’’.

    On  how prepared  the state is to address emergency cases,  he said:   “we have our isolation centres already prepared for emergencies and within our hospitals, we have designated some wards as isolation centres before they are transferred to the main isolation centre. We also have the PPE, the P­rofessional Protective Equipment, and the governor  has also just released the funds for the purchase of more PPE aside those supplied by the Federal Government’’.

  • Osun Assembly attends to bill supporting women farmers

    A bill supporting women farmers in Osun State is receiving the attention of the state House of Assembly.

    The bill sponsored by Women Advocate Research And Documentation Centre (WARDC) is to make a separate budget for women farmers in the state.

    The Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, Hon. Ibrahim Gbadebo, who made the disclosure while addressing women delegation, including members of the WARDC, the Women Consultium of Nigeria and the women farmers in Osun State, who paid a visit to  the legislative chamber to know the stage of the bill.

    According to Gbadebo, it was necessary to support women because of their social and economic roles in the society.

    Giving the assurance that debate on the bill would soon commence, the lawmaker commended the WARDC, the United States Agency for International Development. (USAID) and Strengthening Advocacy and Civil Engagement (SACE) for their intervention on issues affecting women, whom he described as vulnerable but active.

    The bill being supported by the United States Agency for International Development. (USAID) and Strengthening Advocacy and civil Engagement. (SACE) said to have reached the committee stage and would soon be debated upon by the state lawmakers.

    In her response, the WARDC Programme Officer, Miss. Lola Fademi, who repsesented the Founding Director,  Dr. Abiola Akinyode-Afolabi, said if the government policy on diversification of the economy would succeed women as a group must not be ignored.

    Also, a leader of one of the women groups in the state, Chief Mrs. Janet Olaleye, appealed to the Osun State lawmakers to quickly debate the bill and pass it into law “because of the inherent benefits in it for everyone.”

  • Missing Osun student not with us – Police

    Missing Osun student not with us – Police

    The Lagos State Police Command on Wednesday denied allegations that a missing Osun State University Student, Yemi Olaniyan was last heard from while he was at Ojodu Division.

    A viral social media message had alleged that Olaniyan, a final year Accounting student, went to the police division on the night of Tuesday, February 28.

    He was said to have been a first timer in Lagos and had come to submit some documents for his Industrial Training (IT) at one of the offices of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN).

    Olaniyan, according to the report, finished late and went to Ojodu Police Station, explained his predicaments and told the cops on duty he wanted to spend the night there, so that he could travel back early the following day.

    “The policemen attended to him and requested for his name, his ID card and some other documents to make him identifiable, which he presented.

    Read Also: Osun guber: Group makes case for credible successor

    “He afterwards called one of his colleagues in school, to inform him that he would be staying overnight at the police station at Ojodu. Nigerians, that was the last time we heard from Olaniyan Yemi,” the report stated.

    Continuing, the writer said they went to Ojodu Berger police station two days later and the policemen denied they saw Olaniyan.

    Reacting to the report, spokesman for the Police Command, Chike Oti, a Superintendent (SP) advised relatives of the victims to go and report the case at the nearest station for investigation.

    Oti said: “The Lagos State Police Command hereby states categorically that Olaniyan Yemi was never a guest at Ojodu Police Station as alleged. There is no record to show that he was at any police station in Lagos either as a visitor or a detainee. Besides, no police station in Lagos operates as a guest house. It is not allowed.

    “Going forward, the command wishes to advise the concerned family to report a case of missing person to the police so that the matter can be thoroughly investigated. For instance the detectives would want to know which of the ICAN offices in Lagos the missing person went for the submission of his document because there is no ICAN office close to Ojodu Police Station.

    “Secondly, it was stated in the write up that the missing student is a first time visitor to Lagos. The detectives would like to know if arrangement was made for him to contact anybody on arrival. Please hurry up and report this matter to the police because time is of essence.”

     

  • Aregbesola warns youth against fraudulent activities

    Aregbesola warns youth against fraudulent activities

    Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun has warned Nigerian youths against quick money syndrome mentality, leading them to engage in fraudulent activities.

    Aregbesola gave the warning on Saturday at the 2018 South-West Conference of the Junior Chamber International (JCI).

    The governor said the youths must champion the virtues of hard work, integrity, honesty, pursuit of knowledge and the quest for innovation and path finding.

    Represented by the Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr Mudashiru Toogun, Aregbesola said that Nigerian youths were the hope of better future for the country.

    He said that for Nigeria to actualize her set objectives, the youths must refrain from acts capable of rubbing the corporate integrity and reputation of the country‎ in the mud.

    According to the governor, for Nigeria to reclaimed its glorious position of providing genuine and outstanding leadership among the comity of nations, her youths must ‎rise to the present challenges and take their historic position to lead the black race.

    He said that youths must wake up from their slumber and hold firmly to their future by being productive and hardworking.

    “The trend in other parts of the world is that young people are increasingly setting the pace.

    “People like Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, the online retain corporation, Mark Zukerberg, who invented Facebook, Jerry Yang, who created Yahoo,

    ” David Cameron, immediate past Prime Minister of Britain and several others who, as young men in their 20s and 30s, have taken direction of the world in business and politics.

    “In our land, we have Anthony Enahoro, who was elected into the Federal House of Representatives in his early 20s, Adeyemi Lawson, who at 24 became the chairman of Lagos Island Local Government, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, who as young men, became political colossus.

    “Regrettably, too many of our youths have been wasted and are also poised to self-destruct.

    “The youths are the hope of our race and they must take their historic position,” he said.

    The governor, however, said that his administration had secured a better future for the people of the state through the provision of quality and functional education.

    Earlier, the National‎ President of JCI, Mr Adeniyi Balogun, urged the youths to continue to use their strength to make the difference towards national development and growth.

    In his remarks, the Executive Vice President of JCI (Southwest), Mr Abiola Olorunnisola, said the conference was put together to awaken Nigerian youths to their responsibilities for national growth and development.

    NAN