…DIRECTS FLAGS TO FLY HALF MAST, OPENS CONDOLENCE REGISTERS

Osogbo 7/11/2024- osunstate.gov.ng

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has declared three days mourning for the late Chief of Army Staff of the federation, Lt General Taoreed Lagbaja.

The State government also directed that half mast flags should be flown in the state during the same period.

This was stated in the release by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, who disclosed that Condolence Registers has also been opened at the government house and Governor’s office for the condolence messages of the people of Osun.

According to the information Commissioner, the death of the late COAS is devastating, a collosal loss to humanity and the nation, and we can’t forget him.

The government is sad at this irreparable loss of one of the Glory of Osun state, and we particularly condole with the Lagbaja family of Ilobu, the Olobu of Ilobu and everyone.

The mourning period is to start today Thursday November 7, 2024 and end on Saturday 9th, while the Condolence Register is for people to pen down their memories of him, for the immortality of the late COAS, who died at age 56.

Once again, we pray God repose the soul of late Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, General Taoreed Lagbaja, and grant him Aljanna Firdaus Ameen.

E-Signed:
Oluomo Kolapo Alimi
Commissioner for Information
And Public Enlightenment

OSOGBO – 30/10/2024 -osunstate.gov.ng

Osun State Government has assured people of Osogbo Land that the dispute over the land belonging to Osogbo Technical College will be resolved in favour of the capital city even as it clarified that the dispute was inherited from the previous administration.

In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, the state government narrated that Governor Ademola Adeleke met a legal dispute over the land when he assumed office in 2022, informing the public that a consent Judgment ceding the land to land owners was on ground as at 2022.

The Commissioner narrated that the government was surprised that a school land could be returned to land owners when the school is still in existence and in need of such landed properties.

He explained that the government in its push to reclaim public land re-acquired the land, noting however that the subject is still in court which even sat on the matter yesterday.

“The government however wishes to state that only the best interest of Osogbo people must prevail in this matter. The government reassures Osogbo people that only their wishes will be supported and nothing will be done to negatively affect the communal interest of the state capital”, the Commissioner noted.

According to Oluomo Alimi, the government of Governor Ademola Adeleke is always for the interest of Osogbo in particular and Osun people in general, assuring that securing the disputed land for public good is paramount to the state leadership.

Signed:
Oluomo Kolapo Alimi,
Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment.

OSOGBO – 28/10/2024 – osunstate.gov.ng

Governor Ademola Adeleke has commended progress so far recorded in the state’s dispute with Thor’s Explorations Limited, affirming that mediation so far have confirmed the reality of most demands by the state government.

Responding after receiving preliminary report from the state team led by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Mining and Mineral Matters, Prof. Lukuman Adekilekun Jimoda, the State Governor said it is great news that Thors Limited has eventually produced a written certificate of Osun state shares in the Segilola Gold Project. The intermediation has also made Segilola, the operator of Thor Explorations to accept the responsibility of opening all its accounting records for examination on the 3.25Billion Naira tax assessment by Osun state, in line with Personal Income Tax Act section 58 (2).

“We finally have an open and direct confirmation of Osun shareholding at five percent of what Tropical Mines Limited got. I look forward to hosting the federal mediation team for the formal presentation of the share certificate to the state government, although, our demand is five (5) percent of the value of the gold asset, when it was acquired by Thor Explorations from its interest holders. We also have additional economic interest, coming from Thor’s partnership offering, when it took 88 cadastral units, out of Osun’s exploration license”.

“Our decision not to do under the table deal with Thors Explorations has paid off. From the beginning, I said I don’t want gold bars for myself or my family. I want Osun shares as asset of the state and that the taxes be paid into her treasury”.

“We know other interest holders got cash and smelter fees during the acquisition by Thor, we are also insistent on immediate payment to the state treasury of the full amount due to the state from her interest in the gold project. The financial implications of our holding must be redeemed without further delay”, the Governor was quoted as saying.

On the update on payment of tax indebtedness to the state by Thors Exploration Limited which required further documentation from the state, the Governor directed his team to submit all required data and records, insisting that “Osun has legitimate PAYE tax demands which Thors firm must fulfil.

“I commend the federal mediation team for acting to enforce compliance with local tax and environmental laws. We are opposed to companies operating with impunity by neglecting observance of state laws. We are only asking Thors to comply with state laws as much as the federal laws. There are other asset classes in Nigeria that are registered with corporate affairs Commission. MTN and Airtel are telecom asset classes and they are registered in Nigeria, let Segilola Gold Project be registered in Nigeria.

“We will submit our environmental inspection report. We will show the world that even a billion dollar cannot achieve the remediation and rehabilitation of our damaged environment. It is actually worrisome that an internationally quoted mining company will neglect and attempt to evade the care for the environment it violated”, the Governor lamented.

Earlier, Prof. Jimoda had submitted a report of the mediation meeting between Thors’s management and the state government under the supervision of the intervention team set up by the Federal Minister of Mines Development, Mr Dele Alake.

He told the Governor that the meeting achieved significant milestones for Osun state especially on the issue of shareholding , payment of monetary implications, continuous discussion on the exact tax indebtedness as well as consensus on the need for environmental remediation.

The adviser however said the meeting did not address the many court cases over the disputes. A follow up meeting by disputing parties is to be held in Osun state in due course.

Signed:
Mallam Olawale Rasheed,
Spokesperson to the State Governor.

OSOGBO- 21/10/2024 – Osunstate.gov.ng

The attention of the Osun State Government has been drawn to a trending news about reported renovation of female hostel wing of the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Ede in Osun State by Dr. Michael Oyerinde, the Special Adviser to the Osun State Governor on Primary Health Care.

We wish to clarify that the said renovation was a private endeavour of the special adviser. It was not a government project and the state has no hand in its conception, financing and implementation.

The Special Adviser has been advised to revisit the project to address any concern and the public is therefore advised to ignore any linkage of the project to the state government.

Signed:
Oluomo Kolapo Alimi,
Honourable Commissioner for Information

OSOGBO – 20/01/2024- osunstate.gov.ng

Secretary to the State Government and former Chairman of ALGON in Osun state, Hon Teslim Igbalaye has denied a statement credited to an Ondo born civil society activist, Ayo Ologun in which he  claimed Council Chairmen who served under former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola went away with their official vehicles.

Responding on behalf of former Council bosses which also include the current Chief of Staff to the state Governor, Hon Kazeem Akinleye, the Secretary to the State Government described the assertion as “a lie from the pit of hell”, declaring that no council Chief took away any official car.

He corrected the civil society activist by noting that the official vehicles for which the then council bosses pay part payment were taken from them immediately the court ruled against former Governor Oyinlola.

Wondering why Ologun decided to assert what he knew nothing about , Igbalaye stated further that similar treatment was meted out to the wives of former council bosses whose official cars were also taken away.

He narrated that under Aregbesola, caretaker council bosses of the ACN were allowed to take the official vehicles away after serving five years in office, a privilege not accorded the Oyinlola appointees.

“I affirm here that none of the local government  chairmen and their wives took away their official cars during Oyinlola’s administration. We were eased out of the government through the Supreme Court Judgment.

“The official cars bought by local government chairmen during the Oyinlola regime were given as take home to all ACN caretaker  local government chairmen that took over from us under Aregbesola administration.

“The only car that I took home as an official car was the one bought by ALGON as ALGON State chairman. This has been the practice from National Headquarters in Abuja by paying  the necessary fees which I did with my receipt intact.

“And I was not the only beneficiary of the practice. During Chief Bisi Akande’s administration, the ALGON chairman, Dotun Adebiyi (of blessed memory) went away with his own ALGON official car as ALGON Chairman then”, the SSG asserted.

While cautioning commentators against spreading fake news, the SSG reaffirmed the decision of the state government to enforce the recommendation of the Committee on Recovery of Government Assets.

“ No fake news will stop recovery of vehicles and other assets belonging to the state. The Taskforce will soon commence operation. My advice to those who took away government vehicles is to return it as quickly as possible’, the SSG concluded in the statement.

Kehinde Adeoye,

Media Assistant to the Secretary to the Osun state Government.