It is currently, highly unlikely that any gang will try to raid a bank in the state of Osun; at least for the foreseeable future. The basis of this supposition is the big blow that was dealt to a gang that attempted just a few weeks ago, to rob banks along Ekoeinde Road in Ikirun, the headquarters of Ifelodun local government area. More often than not, these heinous activities are carried out successfully often coming at the cost of human lives and properties, and in this case, it had looked like normal business until reinforcements in the form of tanks secured for the police by the state government arrived. Two of the gang were reported killed, with another four arrested having had their firepower rendered ineffective. And so in one full swoop, Osun sent a clear note to robbers. Stay off.
 

 
 
The confidence of the security operatives who stood against these robbers must be commended and their act encouraged but another side to the story that must be told is the empowerment of these security forces by the equipment secured by the state government which helped make the foiling of this incidence, a success. This is because it resonates the view that our security operatives can post better results in crime fighting if better equipped. But it is also because when these equipment, worth N1.3bn, were procured by the state government in 2014, it generated hues and cries from political opponents, and misled citizens who labelled it wasteful spending with some saying the state was not much of a security risk to warrant such. There are other things to do with money, some posited, comfortably ignoring that the major essence of any government is the security of its people.
Governor Aregbesola, being one not to cow to unhealthy criticisms, had gone on to procure the equipment that last week must have marked Osun as a red zone for prospective robbers. It is with this in mind that my mind raced to recent happenings as regards the ongoing construction of the MKO Abiola Airport in Ido-Osun in a joint venture between the state government and the federal government. The airport has continued to generate criticism from left, right, centre as a result of the nationwide financial crisis that has left Osun unable to meet recurrent expenditure demands. To many, if you cannot pay salaries, how dare you build an airport?

While the governor has gotten many sticks for another social investment, many ignore however that the project was actually hatched and its approval secured by previous governments. When Governor Aregbesola took over, it is to his credit that the plan was changed so as to make the airport a cargo maintenance hub, which will be the first of its kind in West Africa, furnished with hangars and the government reportedly has signed agreements with two hanger operators in a move to ensure that Osun becomes the destination for aircrafts seeking maintenance and repairs. Clearly, the idea for Aregbesola was maybe we can make this investment but let us make sure it will be a money-spinning one for us.
It is however understandable that in a state where doctors are on strike and workers on half salary, many turn deaf ears to such projects. But in closing our ears, are we focusing on the problem rather than the solution? It is already established that oil prices have fallen so bad and federal allocations have dropped to abysmal levels, so much so that if the state were to decide to pay all salaries as at due, the state will be left with nothing for capital spending. That is what we as a people, are demanding for labour, but if the state really spends all on salaries, it will still owe some and with the continuous reduction of oil price and revenue, more and more will be owed and at what cost? Security, industrialization, and all other aspects of the state requiring capital expenditure will be forgotten. In truth, if we go down this route, the state will run into extinction faster than we think.

What we should be asking the Osun State government right now to do, is to diversify its earnings, by investing in money-yielding ventures, not prescribing the death pill of simply spending its entire budget on recurrent needs. No government does that. We must demand that Osun, and other financially challenged states show us how they are investing to make sure that this dark cloud presently hovering over their accounts will disperse, sooner or later. In such a demand, lies the solution.
And if we look at it this way, Osun is already making inroads. What that airport will do to the revenue of the state has been conveniently ignored for so long that I think we might be missing the point. As with when the security equipment were procured for police in the state, this looks like a proactive step. The state did not wait for it to be attacked and many killed before spending on those equipment, it acted to prevent occurrences, with the future in mind. Same way, while the airport project does not appear pleasing now, it definitely holds great prospect for the future. It is projects like these that will ensure that in the next four years, we don’t find ourselves criticizing whoever takes over from Aregbesola for not being able to pay salaries also.

For one, it would have been easy for Aregbesola to ignore this important project for now and divert funds to paying more salaries, as this would mean him saving his name but the insistence of the governor to proceed with it shows a man who is ready to be hated for the next governor to be loved. As long as Osun does not go extinct from salary paying alone.
It is very tough to defend salaries not being paid and the government must find a way to ensure that their investments start paying off for salary obligations to be met but the prospect of renewed efforts to increase cocoa production (Cocoa Omoluabi), and the opening up of the state to increased investments,  and export via an airport, and the potential revenue stream from having the only aircraft maintenance facility in the West African region leaves a lot to look forward to in the state of Osun. They may not all come to fruition under Ogbeni Aregbesola but if they end up turning Osun into a mega state sooner or later, then just like those who had criticised the security expenses but turned around to praise the governor after seeing the fruits last week, maybe we will look back and commend Aregbesola for seeing what many of us are currently not seeing, or outrightly refusing to see. I have often heard that, trying times are not the times to stop trying and it is inspiring to see the government of the state of Osun act it out. May their efforts come to fruition.
Gbolahan Yusuf

Worried by the incessant protests by the  people of Osun state over the epileptic power supply,  the state government has called on the authorities of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IBEDC)  to embark on an aggressive public enlightenment campaign to address the issue of inadequate power supply.
 

Osun government also admonished the IBEDC to find a lasting solution to crazy bills allegedly being circulated to its consumers in the state
Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, gave the admonition during an interface with IBEDC Authorities along with the representatives of the Security Chiefs in the state.
The meeting which was at the instance of the state Governor was borne out of the State Government’s concern over regular consumer protest of poor power supply with the attendant crazy bills, for services not enjoyed.
The Security Chiefs expressed concern over the security implications of these incessant protests by the people which they said could lead to a breakdown of law and order.
They also expressed grave concern over the increase in the activities of night marauders which regular power outage at night usually cause.
They therefore advised the authorities of IBEDC to take urgent steps aimed at improving service delivery in order to justify the monthly electricity bills.
In his explanation, the IBEDC Business Hub Technical Manager in Osogbo, Engr. Omotayo Noah, attributed the general load shedding to inadequate supply of energy from the transmission units.
While lamenting that the number of megawatts of power accessible to the state on monthly basis is a far cry from what is actually needed, Engr.  Noah, regretted that energy theft in various forms, is so rampant in the state.
Among those in attendance at the meeting was the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Mr. Tope Adejumo.

The Public Relations Officer of the Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU) Ile-Ife, Mr Abiodun Olanrewaju has debunked social media report of epidemic disease in the institution.

 
Olanrewaju who spoke to journalists at the Health Centre of OAU on Sunday, described the media report as unfounded.
He said the sickness is a malaria caused by the climate change and was not peculiar to OAU, saying “no student has been admitted.
He however urged members of the public to refute the social media report where over 150 students were said to have been admitted.
Conducting the press round the wards, Director of Health Centre, Dr Irinoye Adedayo Ishola, said there has been no outbreak of any infection.
He said “all we have is malaria endemic. The anxiety of examination coupled with poor nutrition caused the breakdown by some students”.
“Climate change is another causes because the heat is much and it affects the body”.
He said the school would have cried out if they have perceived a strange disease.

To boost its Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, Osun State government, has commenced a campaign asking residents to register their business premises.
 
 

 
In the campaign rally held at some major markets across the state, acting chairman and chief executive officer of Osun Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Dayo Oyebanji, explained that the state government set up the campaign to improve the level of voluntary compliance by the people on tax payment.
He stressed the need for people to pay for their business premises and other taxes. He added that aside generating revenue into government purse, business registration would also enable government have adequate planning data that would enhance even development of all parts of the state.
While explaining that the agency has been receiving positive responses, especially from people in the informal sector, Oyebanji maintained that defaulters would be made to face the full weight of the law.
Mr. Oyebanji also assured that the drive of the revenue agency would not amount to multiple taxation, as there are laws backing every money collected from people in the state.
Also speaking, the coordinating director, Ministry of Commerce, Industry, Cooperatives and Empowerment, Rev. Abimbola Osh, said the move would complement the development programmes embarked upon by the state government towards making life more comfortable for the people.
While enjoining shop owners, market men and women and artisans to register with the ministry, Osho assured that everyone would be billed according to the sizes of his premises.

Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam has disclosed that effort to halt the negative effects  of industrial action was the motivation for the interventions of the parliament on the wage dispute between the state doctors and government, and the complaint of lecturers of the state tertiary institutions and their governing boards respectively.

 
Speaker Salaam asserted that the concern for the sick people and students, the vulnerable segments was the driving force, and should not allowed to suffer, saying that the state parliament under his watch would step up its third party intervention to sustain the rounded peace.
He the tasked stakeholders in Nigeria and academic scholars in the nation’s universities to pick the role of third party in conflict resolution, saying that would go a long way to decongest prisons and guarantee peace in all segments and classes in the country.
Speaker Salaam, while declaring close training on conflict Studies put up by the Society for  Peace Studies and Practice in collaboration with Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan themed: Third Party Intervention in Conflict Resolution, said conflict is a by-product of social formation, and its resolution must be socially constructed too.
He then expressed the readiness of  Osun State House of Assembly under his watch to be more committed to the third party role in resolution of conflict among interest groups, between the government and labour force and other stakeholders in the state.

The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Friday described as misplaced the call made by the Nigerian Medical Association to President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the abandonment of duty posts embarked upon by some of its Osun State branch members.
 

 
 
NMA had on Thursday issued a statement appealing to President Buhari and APC to call Aregbesola to order to succumb to the doctors’ demands.
Aregbesola, in a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, said the NMA’s appeal should rather go to its members in Osun, who have abandoned their duty posts for about 11 months now.
He said that the striking doctors initially created the problem themselves by going against the accepted modulated salary regulation applying to over 40, 000 workforce of the state and so, it is normal that they should also be the ones to extricate themselves from the logjam.

The Governor disclosed that his administration had exhausted all avenues to solve the problems through dialogues and negotiations.
He stated that all moves to resolve the problem amicably were turned down by the doctors, who incidentally were being paid their monthly salaries without working up until September 2015.
The Governor noted that the NMA appeal is better directed to its Osun State Chapter members rather than President Buhari or the APC.
According to the Governor, it amounts to pure hypocrisy on the part of the doctors to demand what is outside the capacity of government, judging from the present economic realities.
“The appeal to President Buhari and APC is, to all intents and purposes, misplaced, misdirected and improper in that respect.
“One would have expected the NMA to properly address the situation by forwarding its appeal to the respected quarters it should go – the Osun striking doctors.
“Since the beginning of the strike nine months ago, government has opened its door for consultations, dialogues and meetings to resolve the matter but all these were frustrated by the doctor, who were still drawing their salaries despite having abandoned their duty,” the statement said.

The government stated that the NMA should remind their colleagues the need to uphold the Hippocratic oaths they swore to, which in essence is to protect live and not endanger it.
Whenever the striking doctors tow the path of dignity, sincerity and understanding like other workers in the state, the statement noted, the government is ready to cooperate with them.

The Osun State Police Command may have written to the judiciary in the state seeking legal advice on which bank should get the N7, 486, 300 recovered from robbers who attacked three banks in Ikirun should be returned to.
 

 
Sources told our correspondent on Friday that the police was seeking advice from the judiciary to avoid any mistake in handling the return of the stolen money.
The armed robbers attacked FirstBank, Skye Bank and Union Bank in Ikirun, the capital of Ifelodun Local Government Area of Osun State on February 12 and carted away an undisclosed amount of money but the police barricaded the roads and engaged the robbers in a gun duel.

Four members of the armed gang were killed while money, guns and ammunitions as well as explosive devices were recovered from them.
A FirstBank official told SUNDAY PUNCH that the money recovered had the wrappers and stamp of FirstBank which he said was enough evidence that the money was stolen from the First Bank branch that was attacked.
However, he said the police would not return the money until they received a legal advice from the judiciary.
The source said, “Our team of officials led by the Chief Security Officer of the bank in the South-West led other officials of the bank to the police headquarters and they were told that the money might be shared to the three banks.
“They said the three banks suffered losses and the money should be shared to the three banks but our belief is that since the money has our wrappers, it should be returned to us and not shared among the affected banks. One of the officials told me that the police had written to seek advice from the judiciary on whether to return the money to the bank from where it was stolen or to the three affected banks.”
The source said the money was recovered from one of the robbers who was killed at the premises of the First Bank.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Osun State, Mrs. Folasade Odoro, when contacted said she would find out when the money would be returned which will be made public.
Two police officers and two bank officials lost their lives during the attacks while some bank customers were wounded during the attack.
SOURCE : PUNCH NEWSPAPER

No fewer than 71 ghost workers have been discovered by the Osun State government during the last staff auditing exercise carried out to screen civil servants in the state.
 

 
 
The ghost workers were discovered among agencies of government and secondary schools in the state.
This disclosure was made in a statement in Osogbo on Friday by the Permanent Secretary, Local Government Service Commission and the chairman of Personnel and Job Audit Committee on MDAs and Secondary Schools, Mr Dayo Olaluwoye.
He said: “out of the 71 ghost workers, 39 were deceased while 32 were supposed living individuals that collect salaries without coming to the office.”
Commenting on the development, the Head of Service, Mr Yinka Owoeye commended the committee for the discovery and described their job as outstanding.
He said “you have redeemed the image of the civil service by doing a thorough job while discharging the duty assigned to you. The use of civil servants for the screening exercise had saved the government lots of money compared to the use of consultants. I want to assure you that screening of workers is an ongoing process and those that had issues with their certificates should endeavour to clear themselves.”

A team of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency led by Assistant State Commandant Operation, Dzer Julius, paid a courtesy visit to the Osun State House of Assembly. The team also proposed a bill that will enable Drug Education in public schools to the House.
 

The team in their presentation explained the reason why Drug Education should be encouraged in public schools in the state. They said if pupils were enlighten about the adverse effects of hard drug at a tender age, it will greater reduce their tendency to use hard drugs; thereby  reducing the supply because when  there is nobody to take the drugs, nobody will sell them.
The House under the the leadership of the speaker, Rt. Hon Najeem Salaam, charged the NDLEA to be more intense in its work as the abuse of drug in the society is worrisome. He stated that apart from hard drugs, there are some controlled drugs that are also being abused. The house frowned at the rate at which hard drugs are being used in public places and charged the agency to rise up to it responsibilities. He also promised that the house will do everything in its capacity to assist the agency in her pursuits to eradicate the abuse of drugs in our society. The speaker said the present administration under Rauf Aregbesola has provided the agency with two hillux utility vans for effective operation.