Osun State House of Assembly yesterday passed the 2015 appropriation bill of twenty billion naira into law at its plenary following a motion moved by the chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Honourable Kamil Oyedele.
Earlier, the House had asked it’s committee on supply to make necessary amendments to the bill in connection with the report of the committee over the review and adjustment of the estimate.
The budget estimate of N197,082,191,560, christened, “Budget of Renewed Hope,” was presented to the House on December 23, 2014 by the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
In the course of the review of the budget estimate, the assembly adjusted it upward to N201,740,360,700 to cater for the omission of the salaries of middle school teachers to the tune of N4,428,591,350.
The recurrent expenditure in the new budget is N90,614,061,690 while the capital expenditure stands at N111,126,299,010.
The passed budget is expected to be forwarded to the governor for his assent.
Speaking on the upward adjustment of the budget, Oyedele said the increase was necessary because when the estimate was being drafted by the state’s Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), the salaries of the middle school teachers were omitted.
He said it was in the process of scrutinising the estimate that the discovery was made, saying the effectiveness and vigilance of the House led to the discovery.
The speaker, Honourable Najeem Salaam, charged ministries and agencies of government to ensure effective implementation of the budget for the benefit of the people of the state.
He said the House deliberately sped up action on the budget due to its commitment to the development of the state, saying the it will not treat with kid glove, whoever treats the budget with levity.
Commending members for their commitment in handling issues relating to the development of the state, he charged them not to relent.

The two parties to the crisis rocking Ipetumodu and Ashipa communities in Ife North Local Government Area of Osun State have presented their positions to the commission of inquiry set up the state government to look into the matter, ADESOJI ADENIYI reports.
There is a semblance of peace in Ipetumodi and Ashipa, the two communities in Ife North Local Government Area of Osun State that literally went to war recently over their common boundary.
But beneath the relative peace is the hardening of positions by the two warring parties as both communities have stuck to their guns on the issues that brought about the violent clashes in the area last month during which no fewer than 20 people were severely injured and properties destroyed on both sides.
The peace was restored at the instance of the Osun State government which has set up a six-member judicial commission of inquiry to look into the crisis and proffer lasting solutions. The commission is headed by Justice Jide Falola of the State High Court.
The commission, The Nation gathered had received memoranda from interested parties to the dispute, especially leaders of the two warring communities stating the position of their people.
It was gathered that the Ipetumodus in their memorandum are demanding among other things that the Ashipa people should stop their aggression against their community.
Speaking with The Nation on condition of anonymity, a leader of Ipetumodu disclosed that the Supreme Court’s judgment of 1984 on their disputed boundary was in favour of Ipetumodu.
As a result, he said, the Ipetumodus are demanding that the boundary between their community and the Ashipa community should remain the Okooko River and must not be extended as the people of Ashipa are demanding.
He said it was an insult for the people of Ashipa to want to claim the land that belongs to the Ipetumodus. In his words: “The land which the people of Ashipa are fighting over belongs to Pa Ayoola of Ajae Compound in Ipetumodu. The family took the Adeniyi Odofin family of Ashipa to court and was favoured by the Supreme Court judgment of 1984. The case was not between the people of Ipetumodu and people of Ashipa but between two families in the two communities. The case started from the Customary Court and ended in favour of the Ipetumodu indigene at the Supreme Court. So, what are the people of Ashipa looking for on the land if not trouble?”
Speaking on the clash of the market day in the two separate markets in the two communities, the Ipetumodu leader said his people would neither agree to a shift in their own market day nor a shift in its location. He insisted that the new market at Ipetumodu must remain because the community consulted the Ifa oracle before arriving at the name, the date of trading and location of the market.
He said there should not be any reason for anyone to start crying over the coincidence of the day of trading at the newly created Akinola market in Ipetumodu with that of Ashipa market.
According to him, the Apetumodu together with his chiefs made spiritual consultations before the market was established where it is now and the time for trading in the market. “Today we are in a competitive world and no one should complain that our market day is the same with theirs. Is that a crime, requiring violence? Not far from us there are many markets sharing the same day for trading and there is no problem. For instance, market day at Obada market in Ipetumodu coincides with that of Edun-Abon and Owode markets. Olufi Market day coincides with Moro market Day, likewise Sekona Market Day coinciding with Akinlalu market Day. Also, Ode-Omu Market Day coincides with that of Ashipa Market. The Akinlalu and Moro markets’ Day too coincides.
He said hitherto the people of Ipetumodu and Ashipa were friendly and trading together in same market until the Ashipa (people) started being hostile to the Ipetumodus after the latter had helped developed and gave life to their (Ashipa) market. According to him, when the Ipetumodus could not cope with the hostility they decided after consulting the Ifa oracle to establish their own market on Akinola land within Ipetumodu and named it Akinola market.
Ashipa’s position now
Speaking on their demand before the commission of inquiry, a leader of the Ashipa community Ojediran Olaleke said his people want the Ipetumodus to vacate the disputed land which he claim to be a Ashipa territory while the boundary between the two communities should also be extended beyond the Okooko River. He said the Ipetumodus should stop invading Ashipa land and allow peace to reign in the area.
According to him, the Ashipas are peace-loving people and therefore maintained that their demands are realistic.
On the clash of market day, he said the Ipetumodus deliberately chose the market day of their new market to coincide with that of Ashipa Market in order to ‘kill’ the Ashipa Market. He therefore demanded that the Ipetumodu market day should be changed.
He also alleged that the people of Ipetumodu are kidnapping Ashipa people and demanded that this must stop for peace to reign in the area. He insisted that the people of Ipetumodu must listen to the paramount ruler of the area, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, and ensure there is peace.
At the commission of inquiry
The two warring parties last week appeared before the commission of inquiry where their representatives continued to trade accusations.
Counsel to the Ashipa community, Mr. Funminiyi Adeyemi, asked the commission to recommend the removal of the Akinola Market from Ashipa territory identifying the location and the market day as the cause of the crisis. He said the removal of the market could provide a solution to the crisis between the two communities.
Appealing to the state government through the panel  to render assistance to the victims of the crisis, he submitted that those linked to the crisis and  already apprehended by law enforcement agents should be prosecuted to serve as deterrent to other would be troublemakers.
But counsel to Ipetumodu community, Chief Afolabi Adedeji, in his submission faulted Ashipa’s demands for removal of the Akinola market. Adedeji asserted that the power to shift the market was beyond the discretion of the panel. Also, Ipetumodu Progressives Union in a letter written to the commission urged the panel to see the request of Ashipa people for the removal the market as unacceptable.
The chairman of the commission, Justice Oyejide Falola in his short ruling, said that the commission will look into the matter and make its recommendation to the government without favour. He however, gave an order that the Akinola market, which he said the commission has identified as the source of clash of economic interest between the two neigbours, be stopped from operating on same date with the Asipa market.
Falola blamed the Ife North Local Government for not asserting its authority on the establishment of the market. “The crisis might have been averted if the council authority had done its job effectively by making sure Ipetumodu community did not erect a market on government land unless with due approval of the government,” the judge submitted. He  said the commission may recommend sanction against the council to serve as deterrent.?
Call for memoranda
At a press conference preceding the public hearing, Justice Falola had called on stakeholders, including communities, academics, traditional rulers and chiefs to come with their memoranda to the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding in Osogbo, Osun State capital, venue of the sitting of the commission. According to him, the commission had received memoranda from the two communities adding that the members of the commission had also visited the two communities on a fact finding mission.
The chairman, who noted that the commission will carry out the job without any fear or favour, adding that it also received memoranda from other communities such as Osogbo Ede, Edunabon, Yakoyo and Moro; Songbe and Ede; Origbo communities; Ikirun and Oke-Ila; Gbongan and Osunjela among others where pocket of crisis exist.
He said: “The memoranda submitted so far are not limited to Ashipa/Ipetumodu communities, but from different parts of state of Osun where communal crisis over land are brewing. This is in line with one of our mandates which is to develop a template to be used to tame the monster of communal crisis across the state. But we are assuring that the commission would not apply its full weight of power on the affected communities but we have decided to employ persuasion and dialogue to the raging crisis, so, we are pleading with the two communities to cooperate with the commission.”
THE NATION

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Osun State, Adekunle Ogunmola, has disclosed that the commission has attained 85 per cent preparation for the conduct of the general elections.
Fielding questions from newsmen at an interactive programme anchored by the Osun State chapter of Association of Veteran Journalists, he said the postponement of the poll has afforded many people chance to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC).
He explained that the postponement has also guaranteed the safety of ad hoc staff already recruited by the commission, adding that the security operatives would have prepared adequately for the safety of the entire nation.
Ogunmola, who said the postponement has afforded many voters opportunity to collect their PVCs, remarked that over 70 per cent have now collected their PVCs against 67 per cent collection before the postponement.
The REC also said 3.5 million people have now collected their PVCs in Lagos, as against 2.2 million collections before the shift.
DAILY INDEPENDENT

Photos of the Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola acknowledging cheers from the people during an Inspection Tour to the A.U.D Elementary School, Inisha, at the weekend

From right- Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; General
Manager, TERA AND PICO Construction Limited, Engineer Shehu
Abdul-Kadir and Former Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Alhaji Abdullahi Binuyo during an
Inspection Tour to the A.U.D Elementary School, Inisha, at the weekend

From right- Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; General
Manager, TERA AND PICO Construction Limited, Engineer Shehu
Abdul-Kadir and Former Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Alhaji Abdullahi Binuyo during an
Inspection Tour to the A.U.D Elementary School, Inisha, at the weekend

From right- Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; General
Manager, TERA AND PICO Construction Limited, Engineer Shehu
Abdul-Kadir and Mr. Abimbola Daniyan during an Inspection Tour to the
A.U.D Elementary School, Inisha, at the weekend

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola acknowledging cheers
from the people during an Inspection Tour to the A.U.D Elementary
School, Inisha, at the weekend

The Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Adekunle Ogunmola, has charged politicians to eschew violence and conduct themselves in peaceful manners to make next month’s general elections successful. Speaking at the 7th edition of “The Front-liners”, an enlightenment programme organised by veteran journalists in Osun State, Ogunmola urged the two major political parties in the country to give peace a chance.
The REC noted that the postponement of the elections will further guarantee the safety of over 700 ad-hoc staff to the used by the commission as it is an opportunity for the security operatives to be better prepared in securing the nation. He added that the shift will facilitate the participation of more eligible voters as more people are now collecting their Permanent Voter’s cards.
THE NATION

Uncertainty hung over the proposed industrial action by workers in Osun State at the weekend, as both the Trade Union Congress, TUC, and Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, dissociated themselves from the strike.

Going by the declaration of Comrade Akinyemi Olatunji, leader of Osun State chapter of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, civil servants in Osun State were to down tools by Thursday this week.
Akinyemi had informed workers at the state’s secretariat, Abeere, during a protest to sensitise workers about the proposed strike last Thursday that labour leaders in the state had resolved to call workers out for industrial action over unpaid salaries running into five months, and handed down one week ultimatum for government to pay up or face workers’ wrath.
But, speaking with newsmen over the weekend, chairman of TUC in the state, Comrade Oladele Adetunji, threatened that other unions would sanction the leadership of Senior Civil Servants, who declared the industrial action.
He explained that Akinyemi lacked the power to single-handedly declare strike without the knowledge of leaders of other unions.
According to him, labour movement in the state comprises of NLC, TUC, and Joint Negotiation Council, JNC.
The three groups, he added, have been meeting with Governor Rauf Aregbesola, regarding the welfare of workers in the state.
He added that the protest amounted to “gross misconduct.” How could you say you are representing the interest of the union and start ringing bell around the state’s secretariat?
“About 43 leaders of the union were in attendance at the meeting held with the governor on October 2014. Only the Association of Senior Civil Servants has been boycotting the union’s meeting, and it is personal.”
Dismissing claims that workers are being owed five months salaries, Adetunji averred that only workers on grade level 12 and above are yet to receive December salaries, adding that local government workers and primary school teachers have all been paid December salaries, inclusive of deductions and leave bonuses.
He warned workers against following “illegal strike directive” by Akinyemi, saying “we have never directed anybody to go on strike. Any worker that chooses to go on illegal strike does so at his or her own interest.”

NATIONAL MIRROR

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun has threatened to institute a libel suit against the Director of Publicity for President Jonathan’s Reelection campaign- Mr Femi Fani-Kayode; over the video clip purportedly shown on Channels Television on Thursday the 19 of February, 2015.

 Mr Fani Kayode  has claimed that August 9 governorship election was rigged in favor of Gov.  Rauf Aregbesola, the APC gubernatorial aspirant.

 The party also called on the President and National Assembly to constitute an independent Judicial Commission of Inquiry to look into the allegations levied by Fani Kayode, over the Osun election, that many has tagged as free and fair.

The state Chairman of the party, Prince Gboyega Famodun, during a press conference at the party secretariat  in Osogbo today, said the party has written the Directorate of State Security and the Nigerian Police, to investigate the matter the said allegations.

The party also alleged that the video clip was acted by the PDP to cover up the Ekiti audio tape in which Governor Ayodele Fayose and Musiliu Obanikoro (Minister Nominee) were indicted.

Famodun said “Nigerians should note that the PDP badly acted this drama to cover up for their rape on democracy at Ekiti. We have seen through their evil machination to cover up their misdeeds in the Ekiti Governorship election.  The audio tape of which we expect the President or National Assembly to have ordered an investigation by now anyway.”
“Our party, the APC is constituted  with decent party members, who are committed democrats that will never involve in electoral offenses. The PDP should stop seeing us as criminals like them. We are not like them”
“More astounding is the fact that our party APC and PDP jointly conducted inspection into all materials used in the election and no discrepancy was found. Also, if the PDP are sure of their facts, why didn’t they tender this fabricated tape at the tribunal?”
“We are therefore demanding for an independent judicial commission of inquiry into the entire process leading to the Osun Election,” the party stated.
It added that the panel should be given the power to extract evidence from anybody through invitation and that nobody must refuse to appear before it.

The party however threatened that failure by the President and National Assembly to act on this within two weeks would compel it to call on Governor Rauf Aregbesola to take up the task of setting up the panel without delay.
“We also challenge the Directorate of State Security and the Nigeria Police to explain to Nigerians why they have failed, refused and or neglected to investigate and take necessary actions on the petition by our party on previous fake concoction of PDP since November, 2014,” the party stated.

 Proffering a response to whether there  is similarity between audio tape of Ekiti and purported Osun video, the immediate past Commissioner of  Special  duties  and  Regional Integration,  Barrister Jibola Basiru  reacted, saying there were clear  differences  between the two clips.

 Basiru further  explained  that , the deference between the audio clip of Ekiti  and that of Osun  was that, Ekiti  audio clip proved the  participants were known political actors, and that they were  in  clandestine meeting; while the purported  Osun clip was a drama being acted by PDP members, concluding the  video was just being concocted.

 According to Basiru, “when  Ekiti audio tape was revealed the presidency said it would not investigate the allegation therein, but we the APC in Osun, we are going to investigate  who acted the video and we are calling on security agencies to   carry out their investigation  concerning the video clip in order  to show that we don’t have anything to hide, but that it  is only PDP and the Presidency that has something to hide”.

 He added that “Fani-kayode should have been arrested to state where he got the concocted video clip  if we were in saner climes.

 The immediate past Commissioner continued, saying he wondered why the video clip couldn’t help the PDP before the election petition tribunal, where they were not able to show any iota of irregularities in the election.

Osun State government has disbursed N500 million as soft loan for farmers to boost mass production of food across the state.
The Coordinator, Osun State Rural Enterprise Agricultural Programme (O-REAP), Dr. Charles Akinola, disclosed this to newsmen in Osogbo after meeting with stakeholders, including the State Agricultural Development Corporation (OSSADEP), and Rural Access and Mobility Programme (RAMP).
Akinola further disclosed that the state government has, through OSSADEP assisted the famers in clearing over 1,000 acres of farmland in preparation of mass production of food in the state, adding that the land clearing spans through Mokore Farm Settlement; Iwo-Patara Farm Settlement; Ago-Owu Farm Settlement; Ifon-Osun Farm Settlement; Ila Farm Settlement; Esa-Oke Farm Settlement as well as other private farms located in the state.
He stated that the state government has graded over 122km of access rural roads and repaired river bridges to ease mobility of farm inputs and products to and from all farmlands across the state.
The graded rural roads, according to him, include Ago-Owu to Orile-Owu (30km), Iwo-Patara-Akinleye-Idi-Iroko Road (23km); Mokore Road (18.7km); Shasha Rover to Orile-Owu-Womonle (61km); Okinni-Igbokiti (23km); Alaguntan (18.3km) and Esa-Oke.
He explained that electricity had been restored in all the existing farm settlements in the state as well as potable water to make younger famers to stay in farm for massive production of food in the state.
Akinola, who is also the Director General, Office of Economic Development and Partnerships (OEDP), disclosed that the state through its partnership with International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) is planning to promote massive production of cocoa and cassava across the state as well as effective fertilizer distribution and other farm inputs including quality seeds though private sector participation.
“The partnership will make the state to be the food basket of the southwest and meet its overall goal of 10 per cent supply of food products to Lagos market,” he said.
“We are also planning to invest in vegetable and soya beans massively through quality seeds to take food from the state to other region of the country.
“We want to open our doors to interested persons and bodies through partnership with private sector and approach fertilizer distribution and quality seeds multiplication with more vigour for maximum results,” he said.
DAILY INDPEPENDENCE

Pictures of the Governor Sate of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Oyo Sate Governor Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Deputy Governor Niger state ,Hon. Ahmed Musa Ibeto, Borno state Governor, Alhaji  Musa Shettima Kashim and others, during the All Progressive Congress [APC], Joint Leadership Meeting at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre Abuja on Tuesday 17/02/2015.

From left- Governor Sate of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Oyo Sate
Governor Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Deputy governor Niger state ,Hon.
Ahmed Musa Ibeto, Borno state Governor, Alhaji Musa Shettima Kashim
and others, during the All Progressive Congress [APC], Joint
Leadership Meeting at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre Abuja on Tuesday
17/02/2015.

From left- Governor Sate of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Oyo Sate
Governor Senator Abiola Ajimobi and Deputy governor Niger state Hon.
Ahmed Musa Ibeto, during the All Progressive Congress [APC], Joint
Leadership Meeting at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre Abuja on Tuesday
17/02/2015.

Governor Sate of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola[middle], Oyo Sate
Governor Senator Abiola Ajimobi[right] and Ogun State Governor,
Senator Ibikunle Amosun [left], during the All Progressive Congress
[APC], Joint Leadership Meeting at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre Abuja on
Tuesday 17/02/2015.

From left- Governor Sate of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Oyo Sate
Governor Senator Abiola Ajimobi, Deputy governor Niger state ,Hon.
Ahmed Musa Ibeto, Borno state Governor, Alhaji Musa Shettima Kashim,
Senator Abu Ibraheem, Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomole and
other during the All Progressive Congress [APC], Joint Leadership
Meeting at Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre Abuja on Tuesday 17/02/2015.

The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has called on Christians and other Nigerians to use the Lenten period to pray to God for peace and the unity of Nigeria as the March and April elections inch in.

The governor in a message by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, appealed to Christians to use the occasion to supplicate to God for the peaceful conduct of the forthcoming elections.

Aregbesola held that all hands must be on deck to ensure that the 40 days of the lenten period must be used by brethren to pray for the country to have credible, fair and violence-free elections.

He admonished faithful to imbibe the lesson of the Lent, a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline.

The governor advised Christians to  set aside time to reflect on Jesus Christ, his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, resurrection and above all his love for humanity.

‎According to him, “What our nation needs at this time is love, sacrifice and forgiveness, we must all pray and join hands with our security agencies so that God can in His mercies on the occasion of Lent help the country conquer insurgency that is ravaging part of the country.

“I will also like to use this opportunity to charge our Christian clerics to educate their congregations on the need for peace and the unity of the nation.

“We must always pray to God for His will to be done on the nation, we must use the time of this Lent to pray for the coming elections to be free, fair and devoid of violence.

“As citizens, we owe our country a duty to be loyal. The stark reality is that we have no other place to go and so we should pray for continued existence of the nation.

“This season of spirituality is also good for our Christian brothers and sisters to preach and practically demonstrate love for other faiths so as to promote religious harmony wherever we live”. The governor stressed.