The Osun State Internal Revenue Service (OIRS) on Wednesday announced the sealing of the offices of telecommunication firm, Globacom, in the state for not effecting the payment of outstanding taxes and other levies in respect of mast/ base station and laying of fibre optics.
The state said the charges became “due and payable to the Osun State Government arising from back- Duty-Investigation-Exercise”.
 

 
This Acting Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Osun Internal Revenue Service, Dayo Oyebanji, said the action became necessary following Globacom’s non-compliance in ensuring remittance of all outstanding taxes due to the State.
“The distrain action is in line with the provision of Section 104 of the personal Income Tax Act 2004 LFN (as amended in 2011) and will not be reopened for business until all full compliance is attained,” Mr. Oyebanji said.
He said several meetings were held with the company’s representatives in the past three years to resolve the issue, but that the company failed to comply.
The latest meetings, he said, were held October 8 and November 13, 2015, adding that the company’s representatives reneged on their promise to facilitate payment.
Mr. Oyebanji said the Osun State House of Assembly also intervened in the matter by inviting Globacom to appear before its special session on December 3, 2015.

He said representatives of the company appeared before the House on that day, the promises they made to remit the outstanding tax liabilities within two weeks were yet to be kept.
Mr. Oyebanji added, “Another important issue is the failure to obtain relevant approval for laying of fibre optics in line with the State’s relevant regulation on physical and urban planning. He emphasized that in the last few months, it has been discovered that GLO has been laying cables and masts especially in Ife Axis without obtaining necessary approval and thus violating the law.
“OIRS has intensified its efforts on advocacy, publicity and enlightenment programmes on the statutory obligations of the citizenry for voluntary compliance by paying their taxes promptly as prescribed in the Nigeria constitution and the applicable tax legislations.
“In spite of its efforts, some corporate organizations and individuals still engage in several violations. As a result of this, OIRS is set to begin enforcement of tax payment, prosecution of all tax defaulters in the State of Osun to ensure that the defaulters are made to face the full scale of the law.
“Personal Income Tax Act mandates all taxable institutions to file its annual tax return for the preceding year at the expiration of 90 days from the commencement of every year of assessment, a taxable person or corporate organizations who fails to file its returns with OIRS by the stipulated date is in breach of the provisions of the law.”
He, however, thanked those who had continued to express their unalloyed support to the State through their regular tax payment. He assured members of the public that the state government remained committed to building a vibrant economy aimed at boosting commerce, industry and improving the welfare of the citizenry which he said could only be achieved through prompt tax payments.
He said the OIRS would “not hesitate to take legal action against recalcitrant individuals or corporate organizations that fail to perform their civic responsibility to the State government in the area of tax payment”.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr. Adeyinka Esho has disclosed that about Eight thousand, One hundred and fifty-seven (8,157) pupils from selected 17 pilot schools across the State are benefiting from Sweet Potatoes and porridge feeding every Wednesday.
 

 
 
Dr. Esho stated this through the Director, Primary Health Care, Dr. Kayode Ogunniyi during the sensitization meeting held in Osogbo with facility-based Health workers on Nutritional benefit of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes (OFSP).
According to Dr. Esho, the purpose of the sensitization is to promote the benefit of Orange Fleshed Sweet Potatoes among school children.
While speaking at the programme, the Project Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr. Justus Lotade Manje, said that Orange-Fleshed Sweet potatoes have long term sustainable replacement for vitamin ‘A’ supplement because of its natural beta-caroten level which contains high level of vitamins B, C, and K.
He added that vitamin ‘A’ deficiency in pregnant and lactating women can result in severe health damage for both mother and child.

In a bid to cushion the effect of the current economic downturn on the residents and government occasioned by the dwindling revenue from the federation account, Osun State government has renewed its commitment and called on the people to embrace farming as the only alternative way out.
 

 
Governor Rauf Aregbesola recently noted at a gathering that the situation with the drop in oil prices and the sharp reduction in the federation accounts from N1.2 trillion in 2012 to N369 billion in November allocations shared in December 2015 has reduced the running of government to little or nothing hence, the need to look inward in increasing IGR.
Apart from measures government is taking to revive the state’s economy, Governor Aregbesola further promised the readiness of his administration to render assistance to young graduates and people having interest in agriculture.
Recently, the state government signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) for the establishment of a demonstration farm at Ago Owu Farm settlement in the state for best farming practices.
The state government, in the agreement, would make available 20,439 hectares of land at the farm settlement for the development of agriculture and production of massive food as alternative to reliance on the oil sector.
The demonstration farm centre is also for the purpose of conducting research and training young farmers in the state in modern, commercial and profitable farming. Under the agreement, the IITA will also carry out cassava, plantain and other crop multiplications.
Besides, the state late last year signed $50million Agriculture Investment with a United States of America (USA) firm for the provision of modern agricultural technological services, aimed at giving fresh impetus to its agricultural sector revolution drive in the state.
The MoU covered the development and infrastructural upgrade of breeding, fattening and processing of beef cattle ranches and the establishment of agricultural equipment leasing and hire centres to be managed by JIL farm Limited.
The government has also promised to reinvigorate the bee keeping business in the state to keep the youth especially young graduates as well as women busy and get them out of the problem of seeking none existing white collar jobs.
Speaking on the determination and commitment of the state government to boost agriculture, the National Coordinator of Federation of Bee Keeping Association of Nigeria (Southwest), Mr Femi Komolafe said that the state government is doing everything possible to reinvigorate agriculture as one of the strategies needed to transform the state.
Komolafe, an expert in bee keeping and one of the aides to Governor Aregbesola stated that aside from massive food production and generation of revenue from cash crops; the state is focusing on bee keeping.
He stressed that the state government has created a honey processing centre at Oyan, in Odo-Otin local government area of the state to standardise processing of honey to meet international specifications now that the world has discovered that African honey is the best organic honey from nectars of flowers.
According to him, “the world is looking for African honey this time around because they have discovered that it is the best because we are producing organic honey. It is honey that does not strive with sugar or any other thing. It is natural substance that was gotten from nectar of the flowers of the plants. So it is more nutritious than any other honey from other parts of the world.”
While stressing on the importance of honey, Komolafe noted that bee keeping business is generally acceptable worldwide unlike some agricultural produce such as piggery which is not embraced globally.
His word: “honey has been recommended as complete food that contains protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and the rest adding that there are lots of benefits from honey which makes it a veritable business.”
He emphasised that the state has made huge investments in processing of honey and other beehive products and intends to encourage the bee farmers in the state to process their honey in a modern way that would be able to match the international standard and make it exportable.”
“The Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has also stepped up campaign on the processing of honey because it was discovered that most people that have been producing honey in the past are doing it in a crude manner that makes it not exportable.”
“For the processing of honey to be actualised in the state, we have designed a programme of mobilising more people into the honey business, encouraging them to produce more so as to meet the supply of honey and supply other bee products.”
“Arrangements have been put in place to organise seminar even for the existing bee keepers within the state of Osun and at the same time to encourage more people who are fresh to come into the business. Bee keeping is not a business that is difficult to learn. It is so easy to learn and manage, once you know the rudiments of handling the bee and managing apiary, the sky is the limit for anybody that goes into the business.”
“Apart from organising seminars, encouraging more people into the sector, we try to make sure that in each local government, the bee farmers organise themselves into cooperative bodies either having individual or joint farms in order to have access to funds from the Bank of Agriculture (BOA) and Bank of Industry (BOI).”
Komolafe explained that the state government has opened up windows of opportunities to all interested bee farmers in the state with the processing factory created at Oyan in Odo-Otin local government area of the state to mop up all the products and process them for export.
He declared that Beekeeping is a business that does not require more money to start unlike poultry and other agricultural business.
According to him, “Bees require no feeding; what they require is the house, where to house or hive the bees. We are so fortunate in this part of the world that we have vegetation and flowers that bees always exploit (the nectars). The nectar from flowers is what the bees always gather to make the honey.”
Unlike in the temperate region where they need to feed their bees, we don’t have that problem in this part of the country because we have enough vegetation that can give flowers at different period. It is from the nectars that the bees acquire what is needed to form their honey and other bee products.”
Also, Governor Aregbesola recently hinted of his plan to establish a Commodity Board that will ensure that Osun ranks among the best cocoa producers in Nigeria within the next two years.
Meeting with produce merchants in the state recently, Aregbesola stated that with the new cocoa development initiatives in the state, fresh revenues will be available to the state thus making the economy of the state prosperous in 2016.
The governor noted that the state will soon bounce back‎ with the identification of 60 million Cocoa trees presently in the state, adding that government henceforth will criminalise any action of farmers and merchants that runs afoul of government laws on cocoa.
He pointed out that government will soon be registering all farmers in the state for easy implementation of government policies on agriculture thus giving adequate room for monitoring and giving the necessary support for farmers.
According to him, “To show the people of the state that we are ready to face agriculture squarely in Osun, I am establishing a Commodity Board that will be supervised directly from the office of the governor.”
“Our bags of cocoa in Osun will be branded; government will be able to ensure that the quality of cocoa coming out of the state meets international quality standards. When there was free money coming from oil, no government was looking at what cocoa could bring to the economy; we are back to the days where cocoa will be the main stay of our economy in Osun.”
Aregbesola hinted that produce tribunals will be set up across the state and that a special colour will be given to vehicles transporting cocoa within the state.
The governor reminded produce merchants of the immense wealth that cocoa alone brought to the Western Region and the good use to which the revenues were put by the then governments.
Meanwhile, the managing director of Osun Investment Company, Alhaji Bola Oyebamiji disclosed recently that the company alone has cultivated no fewer than 1,500 hectares of cocoa at Ibokun in Obokun local government area and Iwo in Iwo local government area of the state all in an attempt to boost the economy of Osun State.
The old Western Region under the administration of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo made landmark achievements in the region without oil but relying on agricultural produce. Aregbesola is ready to follow suit.

The Chairman of Teacher’s Establishment and Pension Office (TEPO) in the State of Osun, Mr. Tope Ogunleye has advised the newly deployed teachers from the Civil Service to discharge their duties effectively to ensure qualitative teaching that will enhance good performance among the students.
 

 
Mr. Ogunleye gave this advice today at Baptist High School, Osogbo while declaring open a screening exercise organised by the Teacher’s Establishment and Pension’s Office (TEPO) for the newly deployed teachers.
He stressed further that, they should put in their best to ensure that they become role models for the students.
In the same vein, Commissioner 1 in charge of Teachers Establishment and Pension Office, Alhaji W.A. Falowo appreciated the State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for taking such a bold step to address the problem of shortage of qualified teachers in Public Schools, stressing that the beneficiaries should see it as an opportunity to perform in their field of study.
Those present at the screening exercise included the Co-ordinating Director of the Teacher’s Establishment and Pension Office, Mr. Adeolu Oyebode, the Tutor-General Ife East, Mr. Kola Buhari, Alhaja Siyanbade for Osun West, Dr. Sola Obisesan, Osun Central and the Director of Administration in the Establishment, Mrs Aina.

Despite the challenges facing the state as occasioned by the dwindling revenue from the Federal Government, Osun State Governor, Ogbeni  Rauf Aregbesola has insisted that he will fulfill all the promises he made during the electioneering campaign.
 

 
Developments going on in the state reveals Aregbesola’s commitment to complete all the projects embarked upon by his administration.
Though mixed reactions have trailed many projects embarked upon by the administration, but many are optimistic that he would complete the projects before the end of his tenure.
It would be recalled that Aregbesola on many occasions in response to insinuations that he cannot finish the projects maintained that he would finish all the projects no matter the economic challenges.
Check in Osogbo, Osun State Capital by Osun Defender on Tuesday February 16, 2016 show that the Governor is seriously committed to the completion of the ongoing projects in the state.
When Osun Defender visited the popular Orita-Olaiya junction, efforts were afoot to complete Ola-Iya/Odi-Olowo road.
It would be recalled that the governor was reported to have paid compensation to house owners along the roads and all the affected houses on the road have been separated and works are seriously taking off.
One of the workers at the site who said he was not authorized to speak assured that the road would be completed within the given period of time.
While expressing his feeling about the ongoing road project, a customer attendant at Princess Paint adjacent Correspondents’ Chapel’s office, Odi-Olowo area Mr Seun Abayomi said the road aid boosting economy around the place when completed.
Abayomi who commended the state governor for his unprecedented achievements in Osun said the state capital now wore a new look due to the massive roads construction and other aesthetic projects across the length and breadth of the town.
He noted that before the inception of the present administration hardly would one refer to Osogbo as a state capital.
He therefore urged the state governor not to relent in his effort at transforming the state to the greater height.

The Government of Osun State on Friday February 19, 2016  cleared air on a speculation making the rounds in the state as it declared that no doctors have been relieved of their duties.

 
The Chairman, Special Committee on Health, , made the declaration  at a press conference held at the Ministry of Health Abere, Osogbo.
Afolayan who noted that were the government of Osun to follow the rules guiding the Civil Service, all the striking doctors would have been considered sacked for abandoning their duties for more than six months as stipulated in the civil service law.
Afolayan further explained that  the striking doctor have not been sacked because no letter of sack was issued to any of them but they ( striking doctors) were  deemed to have resigned their appointments because of their refusal to work for more than six months.
The Chairman noted that  the doctors started their strike on April 2, 2015.
Afolayan said, ” Doctors are parts of the civil service and by the civil service rule you cannot abandon your duty post for six months  without reason and not face the consequences. If you do so, it is deemed that you have resigned your appointment. This rule has taken effect.”
He said the state could not afford to pay the doctors’ salaries in full because of the financial  crisis facing the state and the nation.
According to him,  out of about 40,000 workforce in the state civil service, doctors working with the Osun State Hospitals Management Board  were less than 100 and they all agreed with the state government to be receiving part payment of their salary pending an improvement in the state’s finances.
He described the demands of the doctors as impossible, saying there would be anarchy in the state if the government decided to pay full salaries to doctors and continue to pay other civil servants modulated salaries.
He said the state government did not sack any of the doctors but the doctors  had decided to discontinue rendering their services by abandoning their duties for over six months.
He therefore enjoined the striking doctors in the state to give due respect to the  oath of office by prioritizing the  interest of their patients , saying government understands their plight and the current economic challenges will soon be a thing of past in the state.

The importance of sports as a means of income generation and a way of engaging the youth has been stressed.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health,Dr.Akinyinka Esho while declaring open the Idowu Elemeso Football Competition for Youth of Ayedaade LGA Gbongan observed that, apart from income generation, participation of Youth in various sporting activities is a strong antidote to Youth restiveness.

 
He therefore advised the Youth to take active part in Sporting activities and should avoid hooliganism in sports in order not to jeopardise its objectives.
In his opening address, the sponsor of the competition, Dr. T. G. Idowu said that, he started the competition as a way of engaging the Youth in meaningful Sporting activities and empowering them to discover their talents
Dr. Idowu advised the participants to see one another as healthy competitors and not as rivals or enemies.
The Soccer competition which opened on the 17th of February, will end on Wednesday 9th March, 2016.
In the opening match which was played at Saint Patrick’s High School playing ground Gbongan, United F.C. Iwo road beat Oke-Ola F.C. by a lone goal.
A total of 13 teams are taking part in the competition.

…Accuses them of collecting 6 months salary without working 
The Government of Osun on Friday described the demand of the state striking doctors as impossible in the face of the present economic reality of the country.
Government, at a press conference addressed by the Chairman, Osun Special Committee on Health, Dr. Simeon Afolayan, stated that in the face of the current economic realities, it remains unbelievable that doctors would insist that they would not be bound by the modulated payment regime agreed to by over 39,000 other workers of the state.
Afolayan, a former Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health and the Hospital Management Board, held that the decision of the state to live within it’s means in the light of the shortfall in revenue to the state was taken by all stakeholders including all the representatives of labour unions and government.
He added that the doctors were dully represented on the committee that sits on all the revenues coming to the state and decide what goes into payment of salary and the running cost of government.
According to him, it was a tough choice, which the entire workforce of about 40, 000 workforce agreed to, saying such decision cannot be abrogated by a group whose members are less than 100.
“There is no way we could back down on this, because, in the first instance, other professionals had accepted the agreement reached with labour.
 
 
 
 

 
“Doctors were eager to join the general strike called by NLC even though they claim they are not affiliated to NLC but they refused to resume work when the strike was called off. When it is convenient for doctors, they harken to the voice of labour unions only to claim decisions taken by the same union is not bidding on them.
“The doctors have remained recalcitrant despite all entreaties by leading lights of the medical profession.
“They refused the popular agreement, what should government do? How can we reverse a decision accented to and agreed with by over 39,000 workers because about 100 people are dissatisfied.”
He said because of the seeming emergency situation the abandonment of work has created by the doctors, the state would not fold its arms and watch the health sector suffer any hitch as a result of the abandonment.
He said the government is deploying doctors from the Ministry of Health, Bowen University, the police, army and others to mitigate what could have been the effect of the works abandonment.
Afolayan called on well-meaning Nigerians to look at the issues involved in the demands of the doctors and see whether they are in tune with the realities of the current worsening global and national economic situation and how it affects Osun.
He pointed out that doctors have embarked on different actions bordering on abandonment of their duty post for about 11 months out of which government had even paid them for six month without working.
He added that by civil service regulation, workers who absent themselves from work beyond certain limit are deemed to have resigned their appointments, adding that the rule has taken effect and those doctors, who still want to render services have been given fresh opportunity by government.
He continued, “The government cannot be seen to be promoting and encouraging lawlessness by a group or individuals. This is a recipe for anarchy.
“That the doctors have abandoned their duty post for about 11 months and the state’s healthcare delivery system is still functioning  calls to question their relevance.
“The government commends the civil servants and other workers in the state for their loyalty, sacrifice understanding and commitment to the service of the people of the state in this special time and deplores the selfishness and blackmail antics of the doctors.
“In the face of the current economic realities, it remains unbelievable  that doctors would insist that they would not be bound by the payment regime agreed to by over 39,000 other workers in the state which was arrived at after a rigorous deliberation on the finances of the state within the context of the national economic realities.
“It is an open secret that Nigeria is faced with critical financial challenges which have made many obligations impossible. The state came up with a very transparent formulae for apportioning of its available resources adding that this was agreed to by all categories of workers in the state.”
While assuring the people of the state of the determination of the government not to allow the works abandonment affect the health sector, Dr. Afolayan said already applications from interested applicants who have signified intention to work under the Osun government are being processed.

Osun state House of Assembly, under the leadership of Rt. Honourable Najeem Salam has said that intelligent gathering on the part of security agencies will go along way to ensure safety of life and property in the country.

This was contained in a statement realease by the Chairman House Committee on information and Strategy, Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye when the house played host to the Osun Commandant of the Nigeria Civil Defense and Security Corps.

 

 
 
The speaker who expressed satisfaction on the state of security in the state commended the men of the civil service and other security agencies for their commitment to duty, and urged them to be more diligent in the discharge of their responsibilities.
“Though the nation’s economy is passing through hard times, the command should sacrifice for the time being”, he added.
He attributed success recorded in the area of security in the state to foresight on the part of the government through investment in Armoured Personnel Careers and other equipment thus creating a conducive atmosphere in the state.
Honourable Salam however called on the residents of the state to cooperate with the command in providing result oriented services to the people.
In a submission the State of Osun Commandant of the Civil Defense and Security Corps has eulogized the state government for providing an enabling environment for the command to operate since its inception in the state.
According to the Commandant, Local Government Authorities, Traditional Authorities and individuals have been extending hand of comradeship to the corps as different authorities have been donating offices and land for the command to excel in its duties.
He acknowledged the success of the state government in implementing security strategy, which was responsible for the success the police achieved during the Friday Ikirun robbery in the state.
The Commandant reiterated the command commitment to serving the people with integrity and unalloyed loyalty, saying the support the command enjoyed from the various stakeholders are enough to spur them into greater heights.
Comparing Osun state with other states of the federation, he described the state has a trailblazer in terms of providing adequate environment for security operatives to succeed.
He also charged the citizenry to always work with security agencies when they noticed abnormal behavior in their communities, as well as from strangers that might have come to their areas.

The Government of the State of Osun has been commended for living up to expectation and as well improving the standard of living of the citizens in the state.
The current government was also lauded for its commitment and dedication towards the welfare and general well-being of the masses since inception.
 
 

 
The commendation was given by the leadership and members of the Osun State Cow Dealers Association and Osun State Butchers Association, during an interactive session with Governor Aregbesola in his office, at Government Secretariat, Abere, Osogbo.
Speaking, the Chairman, Osun State Butchers Association, Alhaji Sulaiman Adebimpe commended Governor Aregbesola for taking the state to greater heights of economic prosperity even in the face of the present challenges confronting the state.
Alhaji Adebimpe who described Governor Aregbesola as a lover of the masses, said the impact of the current government has been directly felt by the people of the state and members of the association  in particular.
Adebimpe also saluted the present government for transforming the state and as well making life more abundant, meaningful and worthwhile for the citizenry.
Alhaji Adebimpe who acknowledged the present government on its numerous unprecedented landmark achievements, said the association was fully ready to support the government in its bid to place the state on the front burner of the economic sustainability.
According to him, Governor Aregbesola’s landmark achievement has shown to us that truly, he is a man of transformation and development as these were manifested in all his policies and programmes.
“We are here to commend our Governor on his giant strides in the state even at this time of economic hardship, he has never deviated from the right course.
“Our meeting with Mr. Governor was also aimed to deliberate on how to move the state forward by extending our collective support towards the government’s efforts for general development.
“We have observed that the landmark achievements of Governor Aregbesola remain legacies that can never be forgotten in the political history of Osun State as most of his projects being executed so far were aimed to better the lives of the people by meeting  their present and future needs.
“Though, we are all aware of the current economic situation in the country and its effect on our state, but irrespective of this, our Governor has remained resilient in his resolve not only to reposition our state but to place Osun to the front burner of economic sustainability.
“It is on these giant strides and track records that made us to identify with Mr. Governor at this period of economic challenges.
“Based on this, we shall do all we could to ensure that the state move forward as we are ready to contribute our quota by performing our civic responsibilities and as well support all the government’s policies to make our state the best place to be in Nigeria, Africa and the entire world”, Alhaji Adebimpe stressed.
Alhaji Adebimpe who lamented the numerous challenges facing members of the Associations, urged Governor Aregbesola to rescue his members from all forms of undue tribulations.
He attributed some of the challenges to what he described as low sales and the inability of the Association to build state-of-the-art slab, which according to him would go a long way to improve the volume of sales and as well given the real identity to the Association.
He therefore implored the State Government to assist the Association in building a befitting ultra-modern Slaughters’ Slab across the state so as to enhance and boost the activities of all butchers in the state.
In his remark, Governor Rauf Aregbesola described both Associations as sacrosanct, saying the time has come to establish a meaningful and beneficial relationship with the Associations.
Governor Aregbesola assured his government would satisfactorily do all it could to ensure total turn around in the Associations, just as he plans to give the Association a new look in the society.
He charged members of the Association on the need to support his government with prompt tax payment, adding that the greatest way to complement government’s efforts is through regular tax payment.
Governor Aregbesola who tasked members of the Associations on the need to remain supportive to his administration, disclosed that plans had been concluded to improve the status of the state’s Internally Generated Revenue, IGR in order to meet the numerous needs of the state and her people.
He therefore charged the Associations to brainstorm and deliberate extensively on the effective development levies and other legal charges to be paid to government’s coffers every month.
Governor Aregbesola however told the Associations that his government has made available, a Task Force Agencies which has been saddled with the responsibility of fishing out the tax invaders or whoever frustrates government’s efforts on the new development.
He therefore enjoined members of the Associations to comply with government’s policies on the need to improve the state, as he equally assured them of government’s support and collaboration to boost their business activities.