Download inspiring Quotes about the Government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. This Quote is from NGOZI OKONJO IWEALA. Visit the website at www.osun.gov.ng  or Twitter @stateofosun for more updates on the State of Osun and its projects.

Over the last couple of weeks especially after the outcome of Ekiti election, a lot has been said by different people. The most interesting part is the fact that people have now added a new infrastructure that needs to be developed called ‘stomach infrastructure’.  The satisfaction of the stomach infrastructure is what some believe helped Fayose win. Another set of people believe he was a grassroot man and connected well with the masses. In all of this none of them referred to his performance as Governor before he was impeached because truth be told there isn’t much to say about it.
Well this is not an analysis of Ekiti election but to highlight what a few people may know or not know about Osun State and the people I consider the three major contenders.

 
A lot of people have asked me why I choose to support Ogbeni Rauf and not Omisore just because he is an Ile-Ife man and my late dad also happens to be an Ile-ife prince. Well, I choose to support Ogbeni Rauf because he is an outstanding man, a man with vision, complete gentle man with a great plan to develop the state.

The other two candidates above had opportunities to lead the State in different capacities. Fatai Akinbade was SSG under Olagunsoye Oyinlola although I can excuse him because most of the time he had to take order from his boss whether he likes it or not.

Meanwhile, Omisore while he was deputy had some sort of authority because his boss was a very liberal man (Bisi Akande).  One would have expected that Omisore will develop his hometown at least but instead of focusing on development he was looking for ways to take over from his boss which led him to join PDP, an ambition he has nursed even before Chief Bisi Akande was picked by the party (AD). He was arrested for the alleged murder of Chief Bola Ige. Also, before the murder, Omisore was also alleged to have instructed his thugs to remove Chief Bola Ige’s cap in the Ooni’s palace. Omisore said this much later “Recently, Chief Bola Ige came on radio here (Osogbo – the state capital), to insult me and my family. THAT IS THE LAST TIME HE WOULD INSULT ME. He was beaten yesterday. The people of Ile-lfe beat him up and he was crying like a baby, as they removed his cap and glasses. If it had been at a political gathering, he will be dead by now….. In fact, what the people wanted to do was more than removing his glasses and cap“
As a matter of fact, Jelili Adesiyan (Current Minister for Police Affairs) was also fingered in the matter through various testimonies by people close to Omisore and Chief Ige. Honourable Odunayo Olagbaju was also killed around the same period and his assassination was linked to Chief Ige’s murder through his involvement with Jelili Adesiyan and Senator Omisore.  Senator Omisore was later arrested and kept in Agodi prison for a while but through PDP’s ‘abrakadabra’ elections, he was selected and won the Senatorial seat for Osun East while in Agodi. He was released on bail to attend the NASS swearing in, re-arrested and then finally released a month later. The case of Bola Ige’s murder remains unsolved.

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in my opinion has outperformed any other governor the state has had since its creation in 1991. With very little IGR and dwindling federal allocation, he has been able to do so much in the State. He started off in 2010 by setting a 6 point integral action plan:

• Banish Hunger –http://www.oranmiyan.org/actionplan/banish-hunger/
• Banish Poverty –http://www.oranmiyan.org/actionplan/banish-poverty/
• Banish Unemployment –http://www.oranmiyan.org/actionplan/banish-unemployment/
• Promote Functional Education –http://www.oranmiyan.org/actionplan/promote-functional-education/
• Restore Healthy Living – http://www.oranmiyan.org/actionplan/restore-healthy-living/
• Enhance Communal Peace and Progress –http://www.oranmiyan.org/actionplan/enhance-communal-peace-progress/

The broad action plan has been the guiding principle to the phenomenal development in the state.  I how wonder why anyone would want that to change so soon? Lagos tremendous development one way or another is linked to the fact that succession has nothing to do with development but with PDP it is different.  To enjoy sustainable economic growth and development in the State of Osun which Ogbeni has started, another four years is very essential. This is because for some of the candidates being governor is just to fulfill a lifelong ambition, although another opponent claim to want to block the little gaps that has been created by Ogbeni’s administration which is understandable but then I need to remind them that the gaps that their previous party created is so huge that it’s a remarkable feat to have done some much the last 3.5years. Also, the PDP candidate was a Senator for 8 years with absolutely nothing to show for it. He was Chair House Committee on Budget and Appropriation during this period, I need not tell you how our budget has been the last couple of years. People in his Senatorial district which is largely Ife-Ijesha would tell you that it was as if he did not exist throughout that period.
Finally, to the followers of  Senator Omisore who has recently decided to appear like a grassroot man, I keep wondering if they have any other reason to want to vote him in apart from the fact that they just see it as a contest against APC.
It’s more of a vendetta to them because that’s basically what they can hold on to. Their is absolutely nothing tangible to refer to from someone who has been in government and I dare say an experienced professional politician at that. Infact, Segun Akinwusi the SDP guber candidate served as Head of Service in Osun (2003 -2012) and also had an  opportunity to contribute his quota to the PDP government for about 8years but they all still couldn’t achieve what Ogbeni Rauf has achieve in just 3.5years.  So if we are to access it from a performance point of view Ogbeni has done very well, he also understands the need to connect with people that’s why his government exist solely for the welfare of the people and he has proved that beyond reasonable doubt.

Aregbesola is working, photos showing work ongoing at the Aje International Market Egbedore LGA (Ede North/South, Egbedore Fed. Const).

A horde of liars is a dangerous crowd. Those who comprise it think little, talk volubly, lacking in logic and sense; always placing the truth on the scaffold rather than enthroning it on their conscience. They act questionably just to serve the exigencies of piper payers. A modern society where those who should know deliberately prefer lucre to liberty is not only dreary but doomed as the beautiful and brightest are mortgaged without hope of redemption.

On July 03, 2014, the age long pen man, Remi Oyeyemi, decided to stand the truth on its head by prattling on http://newswirengr.com where he observed the truth and denied its existence. Oyeyemi began his piece on the note of a successful interactive meeting which Governor Rauf Aregbesola had with Principals and Headmasters of public primary and secondary schools. Of the greatest number of well-meaning individuals and immediately gave himself away as a hired hand tasked to work the devil to heaven from its deserved place in hell.

From the remnants of his conscience and sight, Oyeyemi, in one fell swoop contradicted himself when he wrote that Aregbesola had developed the State of Osun infrastructure and contradicted this assertion with another that it drained the state financially. It was at this point that it became discernible that Oyeyemi laboured hard to justify his paymaster’s expectations to call a dog a bad name just to hang it.

It is surprising that the Oyeyemis of our world now want a political kitchen where people make omelette without breaking an egg. Typical of such group, they seek the divine blessing of multiplication without gestation. As they are wont to behave, they go to the maternity hall to look for a virgin.

Oyeyemi wrote of Aregbesola further: “he (Aregbesola) has given hope to the frustrated especially among the downtrodden. But it is a hope given with the right hand but retrieved with the left. He has made people believe that things could change for the better while at the same time make believers of people that things could be agonizingly worse. Aregbesola’s main forte is the development of infrastructure. Ironically, it is also the one of the major causes of his misfortune”.

The above is in contrast to the official figures of the Federal Office of Statistics that has credited Osun, in the last four years as the seventh largest economy in Nigeria. Oyeyemi accepted that the Osun Governor has been a blessing to this generation by achieving the unimaginable feat of transforming the State of the Virtuous from a rustic running circus to one with an advanced economy holding the prospect for an assured future.

Oyeyemi exposed his ignorance of the workings of the State of Osun and her people when he referred to Akinwumi as the Secretary to the State Government instead of Alhaji Moshood Adeoti while the jottings he received from his sponsors appeared to have been mixed up while putting the piece together as he called the immediate past Head of Service, Mr. Segun Akinwusi as Segun Akinwumi.

Yes. Governor Aregbesola had to stay his hand in appointing his cabinet for some months during which he was able to save enough to achieve the development of Osun. Oyeyemi should not allow his memory to fail him that the finances of Osun at the time of Aregbesola’s take of were comatose.  Osun was simply on life support machine. It was almost clinically dead. What with the deduction of N650 million monthly from the state revenue leaving virtually nothing to meet the core state services. The 1999 Constitution provided for the appointment of a cabinet without a time limit. The beauty of Osun today arose largely from the good governance measures like compulsory savings that gave birth to the development which Oyeyemi referred to in his piece. Oyeyemi claimed falsely that civil servants are unhappy due to what he referred to as non-payment of salaries.

We challenge Oyeyemi to point to a particular Ministry, Department or Agency of the state where workers have not been paid. He baselessly wrote further that “as for teachers, their fate is not different from that of their principals and Headmasters. They are also owed salaries of several months. They are grumbling”. Oyeyemi’s position was not surprising as it could only have come from the pen of an idle reporter whose stock in trade had been to peddle rumour and elevate fiction to the level of news.

Oyeyemi and his co-travellers could not be bothered that development of 10 kilometre road per Local Government required huge capital outlay that only financial discipline and frugality could achieve such feat.

Through frugal expenditure, compulsory savings, and leak-proof financial management, Governor Aregbesola was able to make provision of N1billion Naira to settle outstanding claims of pensioners pending when the crisis arising from the Federal level would be sorted out. The windy writer was so tardy and reckless in his unfounded, wild and wishful claims that he gave himself up cheaply as a hatchet writer commissioned to hunt down the soar away popularity of a successful and well-decorated Governor whose mandate is about to be renewed.

For the information of Remi Oyeyemi and his sponsors, people of the State of Osun are not ungrateful to Governor Rauf Aregbesola. Our people know their friends apart from their traducers. They know those who oppressed them for 90 gruesome months and are not ready to be rail-roaded into subjugation and deprivation anymore.

If all that Remi Oyeyemi could say about the geriatric safety net “Agba-Osun” through which thousands of economically distressed and highly vulnerable senior citizens receive N10,000.00 monthly is wry commentary, then we wish him the same condition at his old age.

Osun, according to the Inspector-General of Police, Alhaji Mohammed D. Abubakar is one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria. This peace which we enjoy has no value to Oyeyemi and his ilks. He derisively mocked our people’s desire for sanity, security and all the good things of life.

Osun’s school reclassification programme is the best that our people need to reverse the decline in the sector. Teachers are partnering with the administration to see it succeed but Oyeyemi is parroting those who led our state to the rot of the past and are determined to return us to their jaundiced position.

This hatchet writer even tried to play members of our party against their own government. We wonder when Oyeyemi was hired as the spokesman of APC members to take their complaints to their own Governor who they are standing by on August 9, 2014. Oyeyemi is gravely but delibrately wrong in his assertion that members of APC who have been trooping out in their thousands are not with their Governor. The people will decide and their votes must count whatever the shenanigan being planned by Oyeyemi’s sponsors.

In his reprehensible claims, the writer falsely asserted that Muslim Schools were merged with Christian schools. There was nowhere Muslim Schools were merged with Christian schools. Oyeyemi is as false as a vow made in wine and our people cannot be swayed by his lies. Oyeyemi elevated falsehood to the highest level when he claimed preposterously that the school uniform was provided by the Wife of the Governor. That is a Godless lie told by the damned and lost. What does he have to say to the Osun tailors who chose, designed and approved the uniforms for the Elementary, Middle and Higher Schools? The religious tension he alluded to in his piece exists only in his tipsy imagination and hallucinations. Osun people, whether Christians, Muslims or traditional worshippers are living together peacefully, harmoniously without malice.

We used to know Oyeyemi as a journalist. He has been around for some time but the piece he has put out belies his credentials. With this piece, there is no single reason to believe his professionalism. He has laid no claim to one and his place is already defined. His treatise of lies has fallen like a pack of cards before his very eyes and he sure must face the judgment of Truth. Once a reporter has formed the habit of turning liquor bars to his newsroom where he writes his stories, his gatekeepers know it is time to give him the gate. A failed professional is the enemy of all things good, bright, noble t and worthy. They form part of the acidic horde; the enemies of sanity and good governance.

When those who are supposed to stand up and be counted on the side of the truth offer themselves as tools in the hands of marauders and plunderers of the people’s patrimony, then we know that there is a job to do and the Omoluabi ethos must come into force while the banner of egalitarianism hoisted in the era of Freedom for all; life more abundant must remain hoisted aloft without flagging.

We have no doubt that Osun people can see through what Oyeyemi refused to see and they know what he does not know. Those who hired Oyeyemi to destroy the good works of Governor Aregbesola will not breast the tape on August 9, 2014.

Gbenga Fayemiwo

Maximisation of social welfare of the society forms the essence of any government throughout the world, and the metric of performance of an administration is usually calibrated along the lines of security of lives and properties, and provision of social goods.

The desire of any government in maximixing the welfare of its people is reflected in the manner of policies and programs it pursues. These are in turn a reflection of its annual budgets, which sets the tones of any administration in any given year. 

Ideally, government determines its expenditure pattern from its fiscal policies. The desire of any government is to ensure it generates enough revenue to sustain its planned expenditure. As applicable to individuals and private organizations, where government is unable to generate enough revenue however, the excess spending needs to be financed through leveraging. 

Borrowing by government is actually not a crime, as long as the proceeds of such inflow are judiciously utilized for societal development in form of infrastructure transformation and mandatory social welfare. While long term loan can be secured by government for infrastructure development, occasional challenges arise where the recurrent expenditure of government cannot be met immediately from its recurrent revenue, particularly due to delay in time of receiving such revenue. In this case, government needs some financing strategies to keep pace with its obligations to the governed. One of such strategies that has global recognition, particularly in advanced economies is “Ways and means” advances. This strategic way of stabilizing government machineries first became popular in India around 1930. This financing initiative was first institutionalized by the Reserve Bank of India (India Central Bank). Under this scheme, the Reserve Bank of India extends short term advances to the country’s state governments that maintain accounts with the bank. These short term advances are used to bridge any gaps that might arise for short time between the expenditure and receipts of state governments. They are meant to provide a cushion to the states to carry on their essential activities despite mismatches on fiscal transactions and to avoid disruptions to the normal and necessary financial operation of states. 

Given the unprecedented delay on receipt of allocation from the Federation account in the recent time, and the excessive interest rate on commercial loans, agitation for way and means advances from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) may not be out of place.  This is necessary to minimize the severe impact of delayed allocation from Federation account on government and the citizens. A situation where government cannot pay salary of her workers promptly as a result of the habitual delay in Federation allocation is detrimental.

For us in Osun, our strategy actually mirrors “Way and means”, though within the financial institutions’ domain. 

Of course, we are all aware that states’ allocations from the Federation account are made in arrears, the usual delay in receipt of these allocations, which in most times can be up to one or two months implies that mandatory expenditure of the state such as security, salaries and overheads of the government would be outstanding until receipt of allocations. Given our desire for good governance, and borne out of our strategic initiatives, our administration has been meeting its numerous obligations by resulting to different creative ways such as savings and application of “ways and means” particularly to finance salary payments at least twenty five (25) days before receipt of allocations. It should not be forgotten that as part of the current government’s resolutions to ensure that workers are well motivated to ensure robust productivity, prior to the end of 2013, the state ensured payment of workers’ salaries on 25th of every month. 

Contrary to what obtained under the last administration in the state where huge excess crude oil revenue collected from the Federation account (up to over N40billion) was frittered, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola denied himself and saved the excess crude funds for the state and encouraged the local governments to also save theirs. The total savings built up to about N30billion. The Governor consequently created Omoluabi Conservation Fund to take care of future generation, infrastructure needs and shortfall in revenue. It was this saving edge that was used to create a Deposit draw back facility that was used to finance the salary payments promptly on 26th of every month for three (3) years, despite the delay of one or two months before receipt of federation revenue. This edge allows the state to swap the interest rate and minimize the cost to three (3) percent per annum. This creative structure actually mirrors Ways and means advance of Reserve Bank of India. Incidentally, part of the referenced savings has been applied on the state’s various infrastructure roll out, without compromising the statutory responsibilities of the state.

In our opinion, the unabated delay in monthly revenue sharing from the Federation account is capable of grounding the workings of government, particularly State and local governments and create an unfavourable impression about states governments sustainability. 

We therefore wish to make case for this ingenious ways of bridging the monthly delay on revenue allocation from the Federation account. This call cannot be more timelier given the recent assumption of office by the new Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

Only few states in the country can boast of robust internally generated revenue and adequacy of same to take care of their critical expenditure before receipt of their monthly allocations. It is therefore our hope that other states’ governments across the country will lend their voices to this pragmatic financing strategy.  The benefits remain bridging the unending delay in receipt of revenue from federation account at minimal cost, while maximizing social welfare.

BUSINESS DAY

Government of the state of Osun is establishing an Automotive Mechatronics Specialist Institute christened “Bola Ige Mechatronics Institute (BIMI) hosted by the Osun State College of Technology, Esa Oke. This is part of its continued quest to make life more meaningful for the citizen, create more job opportunities for youths and enhance their capacities.

In a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, the institute, when completed, will be be the first in Nigeria. He pointed out that the institute will deal with the latest technology involved in modern vehicles which consist of combined electro-mechanical systems with fully automated controls termed “mechatronics” that reduce use of kilos of wires making way for light weight and greater efficient motor vehicles of today.

The statement also revealed that the state has concluded arrangement to send 30 indigenes of the state to Germany to master the technology. The Communications director added that fund for the project is an intervention soft loan provision by the National Automotive Council using part of its Auto Development Fund Loan Scheme domiciled with the Bank of Industry (BOI).

According to him, “Osun is the first of all states and Federal institutions to establish this world class Automotive Skill-gap Bridge in Nigeria meant for promoting skills needed for employability of our graduates, technicians and improvement for artisans in the sector.

Okanlawon added that the local experts having trained in Germany will in turn serve as train-the-trainers to train other Nigerians at Esa-Oke . He emphasized that the exercise is purely a practical delivery project as trainees shall be tested and certified before graduation from the centre.

Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Olusegun Agbaje has revealed that 780, 464 electorate who have received their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) would vote in the August 9 governorship election in the state saying that only voters with PVCs would be allowed to vote.

Agbaje who disclosed this on Thursday, 3rd July, 2014 during a press conference in Osogbo said the 780, 464 voters qualified for voting because they have received their PVCs out of the 1,256,569) electorate who registered in the state.

The Residential Electoral Commissioner maintained that only voters with Permanent Voters’ Cards will vote saying “it’s important to stress at this juncture that only the PVCs would be used to vote during the 9th August, 2014 Governorship election; simply put, “No PVC, No Voting.”

He pointed out that 780,464 PVCs were distributed by the commission in the state out of 1,256,569 PVCs received as at 27th June, 2014 stressing that the eligible voters, 780,464, represented 62.11 percent of total PVCs received.

According to the new REC, “as we speak, 780, 464 Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) have been distributed out of 1,265,569 PVCs received in the state.

“Also, a total of 149, 885 eligible voters were registered during the Continious Voters’ Registration (CVR) exercise between 12th and 17th March, 2014″.

He said during the Voters Registration proper, 1, 256, 569.

Agbaje who resumed office on 1st July following the compulsory leave that former REC, Ambassador Rufus Akeju was said to have embarked on arrangements for the distribution of the PVCs of those who registered during CVR exercise which would be distributed to the owners as soon as they were received by the state office.

GAZELLE

Download inspiring Quotes about the Government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. This Quote is from Wole Soyinka. Visit the website at www.osun.gov.ng  or Twitter @stateofosun for more updates on the State of Osun and its projects.

 

Photos of Nollywood Comic Actor, Mr Hafiz Oyetoro also known as Saka during his Visit to the School at Alekuwodo, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 03-07-2014

Nollywood Comic Actor, Mr Hafiz Oyetoro also known as Saka (right, with face cap) on the Assembly Ground with Students of Salvation Army Middle School, during his Visit to the School at Alekuwodo, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 03-07-2014

Nollywood Comic Actor, Mr Hafiz Oyetoro also known as Saka (arrowed) asking Questions from Students of Salvation Army Middle School, during his Visit to the School at Alekuwodo, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 03-07-2014

Nollywood Comic Actor, Mr Hafiz Oyetoro also known as Saka (right) asking Questions from Students of Salvation Army Middle School, during his Visit to the School at Alekuwodo, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 03-07-2014

From right, Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; his Deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori and Nollywood Comic Actor, Mr Hafiz Oyetoro also known as Saka, during his Courtesy Visit to the Governor in Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 03-07-2014

From left, Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Mr Semiu Okanlawon; Chief Executive Officer, Dudu Productions, Mr Tunde Alabi-hundeyin and Nollywood Comic Actor, Mr Hafiz Oyetoro also known as Saka, during a Courtesy Visit to the Governor in Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 03-07-2014

Nollywood Comic Actor, Mr Hafiz Oyetoro, also known as Saka, has joined the multitude of actors, musicians and celebrities who are lending their support and brand image to the Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola’s Re-election Campaign bid. The well-loved actor was spotted today at the Salvation Army Middle School at Alekuwodo, Osogbo, dressed as one of the students. He even spent some time in class, making the students laugh and motivating them to succeed.

Saka joins Kunle Afolayan, Fadeyi Oloro, Toyin Adegbola (Ashewo To Re Mecca), Saheed Balogun, Shina Peters, 9ice, LKT, Weird MC, Tony Tetuila, Artquake, KWAM 1, Osupa Saheed etc. who are some of the popular faces that have identified with multiple award-winning governor in his quest to lead Osun state another four years.

Only yesterday, the governor was awarded “The Most Innovative Governor” Supporting Education in Nigeria. This was conferred on him in Osogbo by Zuriel Oduwole, the eleven year-old Nigerian girl who has made history as the youngest person ever to be interviewed in Forbes and was quoted as one of the 100 most influential Africans.

OSUN DEFENDER