The Nation Newspaper

Tag: OSUN

  • Oni: I’ll transform Osun

    A governorship aspirant in Osun State on the platform of the Democratic People Party (DPP), Prince Ayodeji Oni, has pledged to make Osun State an investor’s haven, if he triumphs in this year’s governorship election.

    This was stated in the press statement signed by the aspirant. In the statement, he also enjoined the people of Osun State to embrace new breed politicians like him under a new party like the DPP, saying that he has researched on how to move the state forward economically, socially and technologically.

    Oni, who is an indigene of Ede, affirmed that he was more than ready to make Osun an Eldorado, through his wide ranging connections with chambers of commerce in Nigeria and Cote D’voire, where he has proved himself within the business community.

    He said Osun State requires the selfless service of people with good heart, adding that he has learnt a lot from the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke, under whom he served political tutelage.

    Oni said he is an aspirant with zeal, commitment and patriotism to take Osun to the next level. The DPP, he added, is different from other parties, as its hallmark is grassroots penetration with ordinary folks as their target.

    He promised to pursue an agrarian revolution, to make Osun State self-reliant and self-sufficient in food production. He added that there are enough natural resources in the state waiting to be tapped.

    In addition, he promised to establish cottage industries, to minimize the urge for white collar jobs and to stop the rural-urban drift.

    Oni, a theologian and management consultant, said his wealth of experience and fear of God will come in handy in the performance of his responsibilities if elected.

  • Osun governor’s office to spend N22bn in 2018

    Osun governor’s office to spend N22bn in 2018

    The Osun Government is to spend N22.2 billion for the running of  the office of Gov. Rauf Aregbesola in the 2018 fiscal year, Sen. Mudashiru Husain, the Commissioner for Cabinet Matters,  has said.

    Hussain disclosed this while speaking at the 2018 budget defence session at the State House of Assembly on Thursday in Osogbo.

    He said the Office of the Governor was made up of 30 bureaus and agencies, all of which were funded from the state’s  budget.

    Husain, said N13.9 billion of the amount would be spent on recurrent expenditure, while the balance of  N8.3 billion would be devoted to  capital expenditure.

    The commissioner said the proposed spending represented 0.9 percent reduction in the 2017 figure of N22.4 billion.

    He said revenue projection and capital receipts for the agencies in 2018 stood at N4.3 billion as against the 2017 figure of N18.4 billion.

    According to the commissioner, the reduction in the proposed revenue was due to restructuring of agencies of government as well as the prevailing economic hardship in the country.

    Husain  said that Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the state was below expectation, saying there was need for government agencies to be more aggressive in increasing revenue generation for government to finance its projects.

    Aregbesola had on Dec. 28, presented the 2018 budget proposal of N173 billion to the House for approval.

    Meanwhile, the Head of Service, Mr Gboyega Oyebade, has said that government  released N1 billion for the payment of gratuity to retirees in the state.

    The Head of Service, who appeared at the budget defence alongside the Commissioner for Budget, said  retirees who had  completed their documentation would be paid within a week.

    He said retirees under the Contributory Pension Scheme would also be issued bond certificates.

    In his remarks, Mr Kamil Oyedele, Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, said all revenue generating agencies must live up  to their responsibility of improving IGR in the state.

    NAN

  • NBS report: Osun, Abia, Benue paid highest petrol price in January

    NBS report: Osun, Abia, Benue paid highest petrol price in January

    The National Bureau of State (NBS) said residents of Osun, Abia and Benue states paid the highest average price for purchase of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), or petrol, in January.

    The NBS stated this in “Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) Price Watch for January 2018” posted on its website.

    The bureau noted that in Osun, petrol was sold for N228.89 per litre; in Abia, it was N227.50 per litre, while it was N223.33 per litre in Benue.

    According to the report, average price paid by consumers for petrol increased by 28.4 per cent year-on-year and ll.1 per cent month-on-month to N190.9 in January 2018 from N171.8 in December 2017.

    It noted that states with the lowest average price of petrol were Zamfara, Gombe and Kogi, adding that a litre was sold for N159.12, N157.73 and N152.83 in Zamfara, Gombe and Kogi.

    This showed that Nigerians bought the product more than the official pump price of N145 per litre.

    Also, the NBS said in its National Household Kerosene Price Watch for January, the average price per litre paid by consumers for kerosene increased by 1.70 per cent month-on-month.

    The bureau stated that the price per litre paid by consumers decreased by-33.42 per cent year-on-year to N288.85 in January from N284.03 in last December.

    It added that states with the highest average price per litre of kerosene were Gombe (N332.37), Edo (N326.39) and Benue (N325.64).

    Besides, states with the lowest average price per litre of kerosene were Zamfara (N237.50), Kaduna (N241.23) and Kebbi (N242.98).

    Similarly, average price per gallon paid by consumers for the product decreased by -2.30 per cent month-on-month and by -28.56 per cent year-on-year to N1,024.83 in January 2018 from N1,048.97 in December 2017.

    It stated that states with the highest average price per gallon of kerosene were Kebbi (N1,253.33), Borno (N1,188.46) and Ekiti (N1,180.00).

    It also stated that states with the lowest average price per gallon of kerosene were Benue, which sold the product as N855.00 per gallon, Delta for N875.00 and Abuja for N875.30 per gallon.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Battle for Osun’s soul has begun, says APC

    Battle for Osun’s soul has begun, says APC

    The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has alerted its members, supporters and other residents to the epic battle for the soul and future of the state.

    In a statement yesterday in Osogbo, the state capital, by its Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Kunle Oyatomi, the party said: “The critical first stage of that struggle has been concluded with a comprehensive victory for the APC in the last local government election and the swearing-in of the councillors last week.

    “That is a positive sign but not without a battle for the ultimate victory, come September 2018. The prime adversary of the APC and the people of Osun, who are massed up in the opposition, led by the notoriously unstable Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), are also preparing for a battle royale to upturn whatever progress has been made in the state since 2010.

    “They will attempt a violent performance, worse than that of 2014; they will come with the vengeance of hungry, angry and wounded lions to destroy and devour, but they will be contained.”

    The APC warned that “what is involved in the governorship election this September is life-threatening for the soul and the future of Osun”.

    APC added: “The people will be called upon to determine whether the state should continue with the progress made so far under the leadership of the APC government, or the vultures who mismanaged the state between 2003 and 2010 should again be handed a blank cheque to return the state to the era of the locust under a reckless PDP government.

    “The choices are stark: if you vote APC, you will be voting for continuity, but if you vote for the gang of PDP opposition, you would have signed the death warrant of Osun because that party had said openly that it will destroy everything done by the APC under Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s leadership.

    “In practical terms, this PDP’s resolve means bringing a calamitous evil on Osun State, unknown to the state since its creation some 28 years ago. That is the kind of disaster that will be impossible to recover from in decades.

    “The prospects are gory, which makes failure to keep the APC momentum of progress going forward not an option at all.

    “And this is telling everybody, who cares about the future of their children and grandchildren, to brace up for the fight of a lifetime in September.

    “All councillors that have just been sworn in at the local governments should provide leadership and impress it on people of their localities that wisdom demands that, at this point in time in the state of Osun; PDP is not an alternative to APC, and that if the state must continue to develop, then the only viable choice is APC.”

  • ‘Osun not owing teachers 28 months arrears’

    ‘Osun not owing teachers 28 months arrears’

    The Statistician-General, State of Osun, Professor Wasiu Gbolagade has debunked media reports making the rounds that the state is owing teachers 28 months salary arrears.

    Prof. Gbolagade in a media release observed that the claim that the state was owing her teachers 28 months half salaries was inaccurate and totally at variance with the situation of things in the state.

    According to him, the bulk of the teachers in the state falls within a salary category that get their full monthly salary and allowances. ‘’the accurate data in the State Bureau of Statistics shows that the Government of State of Osun is not owing salaries of any worker or teachers in the grade level 1 to 7 which falls into 40% of the total population of teachers in the State.’’

    He stated further that only ten percent of teachers in the state falls under the salary modulation system whereby they are paid 75 percent of their monthly emoluments. ‘’workers and teachers on level 8-10 which falls into 10% of the total population of teachers collects 75% of their salaries every month which means government is owning them 25% of their salaries. The categories that falls into level 12-17 are the ones getting half of their emoluments.’’ he noted.

    Professor Gbolagade noted that to demonstrate its commitment to the welfare of workers in the state, the Aregbesola administration, in spite of paucity of funds, paid workers across all grade levels full salary in the month of December 2017.

  • Aregbesola to Osun workers: be tax agents

    Aregbesola to Osun workers: be tax agents

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has said that with the right revenue drive and a culture of tax payment among the people, the state, with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of about 2.44 trillion, has no reason to be poor.?

    Addressing permanent secretaries, directors, general managers and executive secretaries of government agencies and corporations in Osogbo, the state capital, the governor urged the civil service to help the government promote the culture of tax payment among the residents.?

    He decried the state’s poor economy, despite its huge GDP, saying it is more than that of some African countries.

    Aregbesola urged Osun State residents to change their attitude towards tax payment.

    He said: “If a territory or space like Osun can produce goods and services estimated at N2.44 trillion, then we have no reason to be poor. But it’s a pity that we can’t hide our faces from the fact that we are poor, and this is because our revenue generation is so poor.

    “Some African countries, which have presidents, don’t have that much of GDP as Osun. It’s saddening that we still find ourselves in this economic mess because our attitude to tax payment is poor and we are directly at fault for it.

    “I want to tell you that if we continue like this, then we are encouraging poverty. You public servants should begin to worry that it is only you who pay tax. It should interest you, as public servants, to ensure that every taxable adult in Osun pays his or her tax.

    “If we don’t quickly do something about our revenue generation, the dream of a better Osun that will be the cynosure of all eyes might painfully be a mirage. I came to Osun to become governor because I am from this state. I want it to develop. I want you too to begin to have the mindset that Osun must develop through you…”

  • Why Osun adopted parliamentary system, by Aregbesola

    Why Osun adopted parliamentary system, by Aregbesola

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has explained why his administration adopted the parliamentary system of government for local government administration.

    Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony for councillors representing the wards in the local governments, local council development areas (LCDAs), area councils and administrative offices, on Tuesday evening, the governor said the adoption of the system was in fulfilment of the people’s wish to deepen democracy.

    He said the parliamentary system would also entrench genuine democratic practice at the grassroots.

    Aregbesola said he was sensitive to the overwhelming wish of the people, as stated in the report of the Gbadegesin Adedeji-led committee on political reforms, that the parliamentary system of government be adopted.

    The governor noted that by adopting the parliamentary system, the state had complied with the wish of the people.

    According to him, the experience in the First Republic attests to the fact that the parliamentary system deepens democracy and offers far greater political representation and effective governance than any other system.

    Aregbesola argued that the decision to adopt the parliamentary system of government was also in fulfilment of Section 7 (1) of the Nigerian Constitution, which stipulates that “the system of local government by democratically elected local government councils is under this Constitution guaranteed and, accordingly, the government of every state shall, subject to Section 8 of this Constitution, ensure their existence under a law which provides for the establishment, structure, composition, finance and functions of such councils”.

    The governor said his administration’s action to adopt the new system was not against the constitution or contrary to the tenets of democracy but to galvanise good governance and effective representation.

    He said the parliamentary system was more democratic, compared to the executive, in that the latter tends towards dictatorship, arbitrariness and absolutism, since power is concentrated in one man’s hand with little or no check.

    Aregbesola said: “Our decision is not against the constitution, as quoted earlier. Nowhere did it mention executive or parliamentary – only that it must be democratic – and parliamentary system is as democratic as you can ever get.

    “You will recall that in 2012, the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria asked for a memorandum on the review of the 1999 Constitution. A 15-man committee was set up in Osun under the chairmanship of Gbadegesin Adedeji to aggregate the opinions and views from the state.

    “The committee held public sittings for three weeks during which members of the public, institutions, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and others made submissions.

    “In the end, it was the overwhelming wish of the people, as stated in the committee’s report, that parliamentary system of government be adopted at all levels of government. What we have done, therefore, is to defer to the wish of the people in their clamour for parliamentary system of government.

    “To appreciate this gesture, in a parliamentary system, the executive emerges from and is formed in the parliament, making the members of Parliament to be members of the executive as well and the leadership of the executive to be first among equals, primus inter pares.

    “In a parliamentary system, decisions are taken collectively and must be agreed upon by the majority in the House while members of the executive, who are also parliamentarians, can and are daily called to answer questions on any executive action taken.

    “Because the executive members are appointed from parliament, a lot of cost is saved, compared to when fresh ‘persons have to be appointed as ministers, commissioners, chairmen of councils, etc’.

    “This system saves campaign cost and reduces the impetus for corruption in that a candidate only need to campaign in his or her constituency, unlike in the executive system where a presidential candidate must tour the whole country and a governorship candidate must tour the whole state while a chairmanship candidate must tour the entire local council.”

     

     

     

  • FG to construct 300km rural roads in Osun

    FG to construct 300km rural roads in Osun

    The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and the World Bank are to construct 300 kilometres of rural roads in Osun under the Rural Access and Mobility Project ( RAMP ).

    Adelere Oriolowo, the Project Coordinator for RAMP-2 in Osun, disclosed this to newsmen shortly after a pre-bidding meeting held in Osogbo with interested contractors for the RAMP project.

    Oriolowo explained that, the State Project Implementation Unit ( SPIU ), had already invited bids from eligible and reputable contractors for the expression of interest on the project.

    Read also: Osun monarch counsels youths on mentorship

    He said the project would be jointly financed by the World Bank and French Development Agency ( AFD ) in line with World Bank Procurement Regulations.

    Oriolowo pointed out that the past RAMP projects had impacted positively on the lives of rural dwellers in the state.

    The project coordinator explained that the RAMP-2 project would include: site clearance, earthworks; provision of lateritic sub-base course; chemical stabilization; 35mm asphaltic concrete, among others.

    He lauded the administration of Gov. Rauf Aregbesola for its prompt payment of lead funds and other commitments which made donor agencies to show interest.

    He said the rural road projects were recently approved for four participating states, which include: Adamawa, Enugu, Niger and Osun.

    The RAMP-2 project coordinator stressed that contractor that scaled the bidding process must work to specifications.

    NAN

  • ‘Recognition for Osun linked to Aregbesola’s performance’

    ‘Recognition for Osun linked to Aregbesola’s performance’

    The Osun State All Progressives Congress (APC) has attributed the recognition the state has been getting locally and internationally to the sterling performance of the Rauf Aregbesola administration and the good leadership of the ruling party.

    The party urged the residents to join APC in showing gratitude to God.

    In a statement yesterday in Osogbo, the state capital, by its spokesperson Kunle Oyatomi, APC said Aregbesola and his team had placed Osun on the map as a pace setter among the progressive communities in Nigeria.

    It said: “Osun is progressing, despite the uninformed, malicious and demonic attacks and condemnation of any and everything Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola-led APC government has done and continues to do (since 2010) to develop and distinguish the state from others.

    “As unbridled people within the opposition intensify their campaign to demonise and scandalise the governor and the APC government, so has God continued to vindicate us and attracted help from outside and within the country in appreciation of our work.”

    APC said the latest of such recognition and appreciation of the development taking place in Osun was the event in the state capital, Osogbo, last week.

    At an empowerment programme in the capital city, the Director General of the Industrial Training Fund, Sir Joseph Ari, acknowledged that Governor Rauf Aregbesola had raised the bar of governance through numerous social intervention programmes that had impacted positively on the lives of the citizenry.

    Ari described Osun State as a “trail blazer” in the empowerment of youths in Nigeria.

    The Industrial Training Fund (ITF) had collaborated with the Federal Government to train Osun youths in various skills under the National Industrial Skills Development Programme (NISDP).

    Osun had been deliberately and intentionally chosen for the programme, after Abuja, according to Sir Ari, primarily because of what he called “the high sense of commitment attached to youth empowerment by Governor Aregbesola”.

  • NULGE chairman killed in Osun fire

    The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) in Ayedaade Local Government Area of Osun State, Tajudeen Alabi, was burnt to death yesterday in an early morning fire at Ikire.

    Alabi was reportedly trapped in the fire, which consumed property worth millions in three shops on Odeyinka Road, headquarters of Irewole council.

    An eyewitness, identified simply as Yinka, said the fire started around 1 am, blaming the incident on power surge.

    He said: “We were asleep when the IBEDC restored power around 1 am yesterday. We heard people screaming and shouting for help, but the locked shops and the deceased’s house hindered us from getting close to the scene.

    “Initially, we thought it was something else until we saw smoke. We tried to force the door open, and the boys in the area assisted to stop the fire, but it was too late. We could not do much.”

    Also, a former Executive Secretary, Oduwole Basiru Iyanda, described the late NULGE chairman as nice, loving and jovial.