Photos showing the residents of Osogbo, the State capital of Osun, solidarising with Governor Rauf Aregbesola during the Jumat prayer at Ansar- Ud-Deen Central Mosque, Osogbo on Friday_10_07_2015
Thumbs up for the unusual Governor of Osun for the first 6 months (JAN. – June) of 2014. The Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) responsible for the distribution of revenue accruing to the nation’s purse did a mid term report of what each state in the Nigerian Federation have collected in the first six months of this year 2014 and, lo and behold, Osun is the least allocated state in Nigeria with a paltry N19.6 Billion Naira about 14% of what Akwa Ibom, an oil-rich State takes home.
The real story however is not what or who takes home, but how well have this allocations been beneficial to the citizens of each State. That is where the Poverty Reduction Index for the Federation called Nigeria comes in to the fore. The Statistician-General of the Federation/Chief Executive Officer of, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), DR. Y. Kale has revealed Osun as the the State with the Least Poverty rate in Nigeria. Aregbesola has aggressively pursued job creation for youths and increased productivity/efficacy of human resources through training and skill acquisition.
We understand the simple correlation between what Aregbesola has done and what Osun is currently lauded for even by global bodies like UNICEF, WORLD BANK and others.
We say, “Well done” for your great and unprecedented achievements in Osun with this “meagre” Federal allocation. It is a proof of economic wizardry, of high level of prudence and financial intelligence by Ogbeni Aregbesola’s administration.
The Association of Local Government of Nigeria in Osun State has said Governor Rauf Aregbesola is not financially reckless.
ALGON chairman Soji Ajayi said the government’s inability to pay salaries should not be linked to the alleged misappropriation of state resources. He said doing such was mischievous and sinful.
Ajayi, who appealed to the workers to suspend their strike, said it was unfortunate that they are passing through hard times.
The ALGON chairman praised the workers for their perseverance and understanding.
Ajayi said: “We want to appeal to the workers to suspend their strike. We sympathise with them and I must say that we feel their pains too. It is unfortunate that we’ve found ourselves in this situation. But things will soon be okay.
“The financial crisis we are witnessing in Osun is not Aregbesola’s doing; in fact it is not limited to our state alone.
Twenty-three states are also witnessing the same financial quagmire; 18 of them owe between three to eight months salaries.
“It is sinful and mischievous for anyone to say that the financial challenges in Osun are as a result of the spurious financial recklessness of the governor.
“With all sense of modesty, the accruable resources of the state have been judiciously and prudently managed by the governor.
“The resources of the state have been used for people-centred development and the massive developmental projects across the state are proportionate to the funds available to the state.
“Aregbesola is prudent and transparent. In a matter of time, Osun will come out strong and Aregbesola cleared and freed.
“We want to appeal to workers to resume work. The strike is affecting the state’s economy.”
A Civil Society Organisation, Osun Progressive Left (OPL), has warned the opposition to stop its “hate campaign” against the government.
The Convener, Wale Adebisi, said any attempt to tamper with the governor’s mandate would be resisted.
He cautioned a civil society organisation, Centre for Human Rights and Justice, allegedly sponsoring the impeachment campaign not to allow its plan cause a breach of public peace.
THE NATION
Pictures of the Governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and the North America Base of Egbe Omo Yoruba representatives, during the Delegation’s visit to the Governor in his Office, at Government Secretariat, Abere, Osogbo, on Tuesday 07/07/2015.
Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (right) presenting the
State Emblem to the President, North America Based of Egbe Omo Yoruba, Agba-Akin Bolu Omodele, during the Delegation’s visit to the Governor
in his Office, at Government Secretariat, Abere, Osogbo, on Tuesday
07/07/2015.
Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (3rd left); his Deputy,
Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori (2nd left), Speaker, State of Osun House of
Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salam (left), Secretary to the State Government,
Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (4th right), State Leader, All Progressives
Congress, Senator Bayo Salami (3rd right), President, North America
Based of Egbe Omo Yoruba, Agba-Akin Bolu Omodele (4th left), his wife,
Mrs. Taiwo Omodele (right) and his General Secretary, Dr. Duro
Akindutire (2nd right), during the Delegation’s visit to the Governor in his Office, at Government Secretariat, Abere, Osogbo, on Tuesday 07/07/2015.
Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (middle); his Deputy,
Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori (left) and President, North America Based of
Egbe Omo Yoruba, Agba-Akin Bolu Omodele (right), during the
Delegation’s visit to the Governor in his Office, at Government Secretariat, Abere, Osogbo, on Tuesday 07/07/2015.
Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (3rd right); his
Deputy, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori (3rd left), Speaker, State of Osun
House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salam (2nd left), Secretary to the
State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (right), President, North
America Based of Egbe Omo Yoruba, Agba-Akin Bolu Omodele (2nd right),
during the Delegation’s visit to the Governor in his Office, at Government Secretariat, Abere, Osogbo, on Tuesday 07/07/2015.
The lawmaker representing Ijesa South Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives, Hon Ajibola Famurewa, has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to desist from taking advantage of the delay in the payment of workers’ salaries to foment trouble in Osun State.
Famurewa said it was clear that the PDP could not be a credible and violent-free opposition, going by alleged day-to-day plan by the leaders of the party to destabilise the state, using non-payment of salaries as cover-up.
Reacting to the disruption of a peaceful rally organised by a pressure group, the Osun Progressive Left, to rally support against the call for the impeachment of Governor Rauf Aregbesola over the delay in payment of workers’ salaries in the state, Famurewa called on the leaders of the PDP in the state to “learn how to be a good opposition” that will put the government on its toes through constructive criticism and not violence.
“The PDP is going gaga and I must ask what they stand to gain by fomenting trouble in the state. It should be clear to them by now that the people of the state have rejected them and so have the court. So, they have nothing to hold on to in the state.
“I do not expect the PDP to organise a kangaroo rally against Aregbesola over the non-payment of salaries when the Federal Government has released funds for the bail-out and the workers and people of the state are still in support of Aregbesola”, he said.
LEADERSHIP
THE House of Assembly member representing Obokun State constituency in the state of Osun, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has said that community ownership, protection and maintenance of public facilities will promote and sustain development.
He spoke at the commissioning and handing over of a borehole, donated to Ibokun community by Egbe Omo Obokun of Ijesaland in Batimore/Washington, USA, saying, such gesture would automatically lead to bottom to top development, which is community driven.
According to him, to achieve this objective, the people must revert to the old African Cultural Mode of developing communities through collective effort to achieve more results.
He further stressed that the people must imbibe the culture of community spirit, community service and community development, adding, “we need to live out our cultural value of building and modernising our communities”.
“Through community spirit, service and development, people would be able to identify their needs and use collective communal efforts to achieve it and maintain those ones provided by government and or donated by individuals and NGO’s.
“While we extol the donors of this borehole, who decided not to stay in the comfort of overseas without giving back to the society, it is now evident that this is the way to go towards developing our communities, the haves must help the have not and the enthusiastic must lift the spirit of the depressed.
“We have to revert to our African cultural mode of developing our community whereby we use collective efforts, synergise our power and resources to get bigger result. This is one of the cultural virtues we have lost as a people.
“We are the ones that will create our society, because every environment is created by its people and we must use our talents and resources to translate our community to what we want it to be”, Oyintiloye emphasised.
The parliamentarian who further charged the people to take ownership of every public structure in their domain, either government-donated, community-delivered or individually donated, saying this would propelled the people to imbibe maintenance culture.
According to him, without seeing it as their own and taking ownership of such public facility, the maintenance of such structure become difficult for the people.
Recalling that the present administration in the state, under Governor Rauf Aregbesola has also constructed hundreds of boreholes within the last few years, the lawmaker regretted that many them were not being maintained due to negligence of the beneficiary communities.
He charged community leaders to spearhead the renew attention for repair and maintenance of those public facilities through collective efforts such as appointment of local ad-hoc committee for their care
Receiving the borehole on behalf of the community, Oba’bokun of Ibokun, Oba Festus Awogboro appealed to well-meaning indigenes of the town to also complement government effort to develop the town.
The Coalition of Oodua Self-Determination Group (COSEG) on Tuesday accused governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the August 9 election in Osun, Senator Iyiola Omisore of being behind the series of plots to destabilise the state.
The group said it is ironic that Omisore whose party, the PDP brought Nigeria to her economic woes after 16 years of misrule is now championing protests against the Governor of Osun,whom the group credited with outstanding successes in the state.
In its statement signed by the President, Ifedayo Ogunlana ad Secretary, Rasak Olokooba, COSEG warned Omisore, the PDP and other who might be involved in all the plans to set the state on fire to watch out for the long arms of the law.
“We as a Yoruba organisation cannot watch as some people who have been part of the systematic decimation of our race and economic woes of Nigeria again openly thwart the efforts to rebuild this country.
“What is happening in Osun is clear case of treason and the earlier the whole world sees this the better. The Governor of Osun was elected by the same people who rejected Omisore. What he failed to get through the ballot on August 9 2014 and through the tribunal, the Appeal Tribunal and the Supreme Court, he cannot think of having it through these illegitimate and criminal avenues. Enough is enough,” the group stated.
COSEG said it needed to inform the public of the treacherous pact between Omisore and a judge of the State of Osun High Court to instigate mayhem in the state.It added, “It is now clear that the whole salary issue has been seen as means the Aregbesola opponents think they can use to bring his government down. The entire allegations by the Judge is a grand design and it is all a repeat of the same baseless accusations that the PDP had bandied around since the Omisore’s misadventure to contest the election.
“It is instructive that just as Justice Faolahanmi Oloyede submitted her petition, the PDP had been very active to give bite to the petition. We are all not deceived by the grand design to destabilise the administration.
“We call on Osun people to continuously stand by their Governor who Omisore could not change during last election process of the law but trying hard to use instigated violence to achieve.”
The group also saluted the Osun workers for what it called the understanding shown by them adding that it was instructive that the NLC dissociated itself from the protests.
NEW MAIL
Osun State Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with insurance companies and brokers in the state on third party insurance for vehicle registration and renewal.
The agreement was designed to ensure that vehicle owners comply with relevant laws in respect of the insurance of their vehicles and curb rampant fake insurance certificates in the state.
The agreement was also to ensure that vehicle owners have confidence in dealing with insurance companies and to forster unique pattern of the operation of the insurance companies and brokers across the state.
Performing the signing of the agreement on behalf of the state government, the Acting Chairman of Osun State Internal Revenue Board, Mr. Dayo Oyebanji, said that the agreement e-insurance would ensure that vehicles owners do not patronize touts and unexisting insurance companies and brokers.
According to him, it will also assist in detecting easily stolen vehicles through insurance security code and widening the tentacle of revenue automation of the state.
While substantiating the rationale for the agreement, Oyebanji said it would create an ascertainable legal basis for the conduct of relationships between the parties that is, the Insurance Companies and the insured persons in the course of the establishment and the operation of e-insurance.
He said: “The essence of the ‘Third Party Insurance for Vehicle Registration and Renewal is to make vehicle owners to be confident in dealing with insurance companies and brokers in the state and confirm the validity of their third party insurance certificates through electronic means.
“It would also enable the various insurance companies and brokers to come together to have a unique pattern of operation that people of Osun would repose their confidence in and at the same time avail the people of Osun the opportunity to insure their vehicle assets.”
According to him, the affected insurance companies and brokers include Lasaco Assurance; Law Union and Rock Insurance Plc; Leadway Assurance Company; Zenith General Insurance; NEM Insurance Plc; Mutual Benefits Assurance; Niger Insurance; Staco Insurance; Cornerstone Insurance and Great Nigeria Insurance Plc.
Others are LAAM Insurance Brokers Limited; Royal Chamber Insurance Brokers; Kind Insurance Brokers; Subtle Insurance Brokers Limited; Patmodit Insurance Brokers Limited; Mofes Insurance Brokers limited and First Adequate Benefit Brokers Limited.
Speaking on behalf of the insurance companies and brokers, the representatives of the Lead Insurance Company Mr. Kayode Okeremi, said the e-insurance will assist in detecting any stolen vehicle through insurance security code and ensure that vehicle owners comply with relevant laws.
WORLD STAGE
Bank loans to be rescheduled
Deduction of allocations stops
CASH-STRAPPED states got a breather yesterday. President Muhammadu Buhari approved the release of N713.7billion intervention funds for them to pay workers’ salaries.
The bailout is part of a three-pronged relief package that will end the workers’ plight.
In the package are N413.7billion special intervention funds and the balance of about N250billion to N300billion, which is a soft loan to states.
Also, N413.7b( $2.1b) is sourced from the recent LNG proceeds and the remaining N300b is a Central Bank-packaged special intervention fund.
The Debt Management Office(DMO) is expected to assist states to restructure over N660billion commercial loans.
With the development, President Buhari has stopped deductions from monthly allocations to states at source.
Instead, the Federal Government will “use its influence to guarantee the elongation of the loans for the benefit of the states”.
The beneficiaries of the relief package include workers in Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDAs) who have remained unpaid for many months.
According to sources, the President took the decision to boost the purchasing power of Nigerians, especially average and low-income earners, and to reflate the economy.
The sources said: “In his resolve to put an end to the lingering crisis of unpaid workers’ salaries in the country especially in many states, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a comprehensive relief package designed to save the situation.
“Specifically,the President has okayed a three-pronged relief package that will end the workers’ plight.
These are:
•The sharing of about $2.1b (N413.7bn) in fresh allocation between the states and the Federal Government. The money is sourced from recent LNG proceeds to the federation account, and its release okayed by the President;
•A Central Bank-packaged special intervention fund that will offer financing to the states, ranging from between N250b to N300b. This would be a soft loan available to states to access for the purposes of paying backlog of salaries; and
•A debt relief programme proposed by the Debt Management Office (DMO), which will help states restructure their commercial loans currently put at over N660B, and extend the life span of such loans while reducing their debt-servicing expenditures.
The sources said the bailout will take immediate effect from this week to ensure stability in all the states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The sources said: “While the over $2b, which is sourced from LNG proceeds to the federation account would be shared among the states, using the revenue allocation formula, the CBN will also make available the special intervention fund to states and then negotiate the terms with individual states.
“The packages that have now been approved by President Buhari is expected to go into effect this week as the President is said to have directed that release of the funds should be made as soon as possible to assuage the plight of thousands of Nigerian workers in the federal and state governments.”
The sources said with the rescheduling of states’s debts, their allocations will no longer be deducted at source by commercial banks.
The sources added: “This third option, by extending the commercial loans of the states, would therefore make available more funds to the state governments which otherwise would have been removed at source by the banks.
“The Federal Government will use its influence to guarantee the elongation of the loans for the benefit of the states.”
Government sources explained at the weekend that this package, which was considered at the National Economic Council( NEC )last week, had been designed specifically for workers.
“Furthermore, President Buhari has now reviewed and approved the package in his bid to intervene and alleviate the suffering of workers some of whom have not been paid for over ten months,” the sources said.
The bailout will be extended to workers in Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
“There are also workers in the Federal Government’s employ whose salaries have been unpaid for months. This package is expected to address those cases also,” one of the sources added.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, confirmed that indeed a special package was on the way for workers.
He added that the president is deeply concerned about the plight of the workers who have been unpaid for many months.
During the inauguration of NEC last week, President Buhari asked the Council, which is a constitutional advisory body to him, to, as a matter of priority consider how to “liquidate the unpaid salaries of workers across the country, a situation he observed has brought untold hardship to the workers.”
“At the NEC meeting, the relief measures were extensively discussed between the state governors and top officials of the Federal Government, including the CBN Governor, and the permanent secretaries from Ministries of Finance and Petroleum Resources. Other agencies that were actively involved in the process include the DMO and officials from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation.”
Media reports last month indicated that about 12 of the 36 states of the federation owed their workers about N110b
They are: Rivers, Oyo, Ekiti, Kwara, Kogi, Ondo, Osun, Plateau, Benue and Bauchi states.
However, informed sources said the Finance Ministry and the CBN may have pegged the amount needed to settle all the outstanding public workers salaries at about N250billion.
It was, however, gathered that President Buhari advised governors at the NEC session to be prudent in managing state resources.
A governor said: “The President has done his best to assist us to take off properly. The ball is in our court to abide by his counsel to be prudent.
“Some of the measures we are looking at include appreciable reduction of security votes, stoppage of chartered flights and pegging the high cost of maintaining Government House to a low benchmark.
“With our experience in the last one month, we do not need a soothsayer to teach us to cut our coat according to our size.”