Tag: OSUN

The Osun State House of Assembly has passed the law creating additional  31 local council development authorities, three area councils and two administrative units.

At the plenary presided over by the Speaker, Najeem Salam, the 26-member Assembly said the creation of local governments, area councils and administrative units was necessary to bring government closer to the grassroots.

He said the creation of the councils and administrative units was for administrative conveniences, not to hyper- bloat the overbloated civil and political regimes, which have become an albatross to the state’s limited resources.

Salam urged Governor Rauf Aregbesola to prioritise the assent of the law and set up committees that would work out the modalities.

Osogbo, Ejigbo and Odo-Otin local governments were given two more councils each; some other local governments were split with one council each.

The Chairman, Committee on Local Government, Wasiu Adebayo, who justified the council creation, said: “Osogbo, being the state capital city, is bigger and demands to be further split.

“Also, Ejigbo has not been split since 1956, despite its size and Odo-Otin considered to be the biggest council since 1972 also got two more councils.”

The Osun State government has appealed to workers to be patient as the crisis associated-with non-payment of salaries would soon be resolved.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday called its members to begin an indefinite strike to protest the non-payment of their salaries for six months.

The state NLC Chairman, Jacob Adekomi, accused the government of non-payment of their contributory pension schemes, allowances, other entitlements and deduction of their union dues.

He vowed not to call off  the strike, until the government meet their demands.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola, in a statement, through his media aide, Semiu Okanlawon, said what was at the heart of all theissues being raised by workers is insufficient funds.

He said: “And regardless of the terrible revenue crisis that has led us to this state, we must bear in mind the very prudent manner the Aregbesola administration has managed the affairs of Osun.

“Therefore, workers can be certain that once the revenue complications are solved, all these issues will vanish.

“And as a responsible government, we would still appeal to workers to show understanding, bearing in mind that at times when even other states had started experiencing delays, Osun State had ensured it used all it had not to make workers feel the pang of a national revenue crisis.”

Civil servants in Osun State have warned the  government not to be lenient with two labour leaders Akinyemi Olatunji and Francis Adetunji– over an allegation of fraudulently obtaining N373 million bank loan on behalf of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria.

It was gathered that the aggrieved civil servants, who have not received their salaries in the last six months, are adamant that Adetunji and Olatunji must be punished.

The two union officers, in a letter by the Permanent Secretary in the Civil Service Commission, Kelani O. Adesina, dated April 30,  were suspended for allegedly falsifying documents purportedly signed by the former Accountant-General, Mr. G.A Babatunde, to write a letter to a new generation bank on behalf of the  government for “awareness and consent letter” for the loan which was received on behalf of  ASCSN.

The two labour leaders also allegedly forged the signatures of the Directors of Finance and Account and Director of Administration and Establishment of the State Universal Basic Education , Messrs K. Oni and P.O. Awokojo.

They also ‘forged’ signatures of the Director of Finance and Account and Director of Administration and Establishment R.M. Ajayi and J.O. Abolade in the  Ministry of Education, purportedly for letters of consent and irrevocable domiciliation of account.

It was learnt that the workers became angry when  the National President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade B. B. Kogoma and the union’s Secretary General,   Musa Lawal, allegedly  visited Governor Rauf Aregbesola last Wednesday to plead with the government to lift the suspension placed on the two officials.

The alleged plea, it was gathered, angered workers, who were preparing for a showdown with the  government.

A source, who pleaded for anonymity, said the government would face a stiff resistance from workers if it gives a soft landing to the two officers.

 He said the development would send a wrong signal to the public about the government’s position on corruption.

 “Records have shown that a  substantial amount of this loan was shared among the two labour leaders and their cronies.

“We have just given the  government a 14-day ultimatum to pay our outstanding salaries.

“The reaction that will follow if the governor fails to pay us our outstanding salaries will be child’s play more so if he recalls the two men without carrying out proper investigation.

“The Head of Service,  Sunday Olayinka Owoeye, must ensure that the integrity and the good image of the civil service is  protected in his time.

“So, we are waiting for the outcome of the administrative Panel of Enquiry set up by the Head of Service,”the source said.