All categories of Civil Servants in the state have been charged to continue to demonstrate the spirit of hardwork, commitment and dedication by giving maximum support to the present administration in
all ramifications while still in service.
 

 
The Executive Secretary, Office of Transportation, Engr. Oluwagbemiga Anifowose, stated this during the send-off programme organised in honour of the outgoing State Licensing Officer (SLO), Mr. Lawrence Ajigbotoso, who clocked 35years in active service.
According to him, the SLO who had just retired from service in the state is dutiful, loyal and a coordinated officer who recorded monumental achievements in the area of generating revenue to the purse of the state government.
He posited that the outgoing officer is a wonderful person who always showed good qualities of leadership while in the employ of the state government.
Responding, the retiring State Licensing Officer, Mr. Lawrence Ajigbotoso, who started his civil service career in the old Oyo State as a Revenue Officer in 1981, thanked the government for given him the opportunity to contribute his quota to the development of the state in the area of revenue generation.
He, therefore, implored his colleagues who are still in service to continue with the spirit of hardworking and loyalty by rededicating themselves to the service of the state so that the government can achieve its set objective of transforming the lives of the people for the better.
Prayers and words of exhortation were later rendered by other dignitaries present on the occasion.

As controversies rage over the proposed disposal of national assets to combat the economic recession, the Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, has told President Muhammadu Buhari to sell off  idle national assets to service the functional ones to save the country from  undue embarrassment.

Aregbesola said the country has only two options to wriggle out of the economic recession, which are to either sell off  any idle national asset or borrow from the international capital market, stating that nothing would profit the country to hold onto assets that have no economic viability .

However, his counterpart in Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has sharply opposed the proposition, saying it amount to placing Nigeria on auction if national assets that ought to be its heritage and

pride are disposed off, adding that Nigeria should  desist from acting like a prodigal son.

The duo expressed the divergent views during the weekend at the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Ekiti State where Aregbesola had delivered a keynote address tagged : ‘Imperative of Unity’.

Aregbesola harped on  the need to gear up  aggressive efforts to developing the  agriculture, concerted efforts to end oil pipeline vandalism and regional integration towards meaningful development to bail the country out of the economic doldrums.

He said: “We should revive agriculture, especially food production.

Agriculture gives us raw materials for industries and aids in no small measure economic development.

“If we can improve on our productivity in food production through agriculture, we will eliminate hunger in our land.  I want to urge all Nigerians on a concerted effort to end the on-going vandalism of oil pipelines as the militants’ activities have reduced the nation’s daily  productivity level to between 700,000 to 1 million per barrel.

“ The current vandalism of oil pipeline by the Niger Delta militants is robbing the nation of oil production of 700,000 to 1 million barrel on daily basis. This amounts to a huge loss of oil revenue to the country and has further led to the current recession in the country. An urgent concerted effort is therefore needed to stop the vandalism so that the country could get out of the recession.”

The governor of Osun State praised Ekiti people as men of integrity and courage, urging them to continue to unite in integrity and courage and support their governor for the development of the country.

“I congratulate  you all Ekiti people on the 20th anniversary of the creation of your state, my state, our state.  You fought the Ekiti Parapo war which is an indication of unity of purpose. There is strength in unity.

It is high time the Yoruba nation and indeed the South-West united in terms of integrating our development strategies in education, commerce, economy, agriculture,  tourism among others. There is no reason we should not unite for the best.”

In vehement opposition to the proposition, Fayose said: “I’m totally opposed to the sale of the national asset, as selling the national asset is like selling Nigeria at give -away price. Selling our national assets simply amounts to auctioning Nigeria.

“If we sell the asset because the country is in recession, what would be left of Nigeria? What would we call our own?. Selling of assets is like bringing the country more backward.

If we sell the assets to finance this year’s budget what would we sell next year?.

“The federal government  should look beyond its party and assemble economists, financial experts that would assist the president in his drive to bring the nation out of the present economic quagmire. “

Urging the federal government to also uphold the principles of justice and equity, which he said are germane to building democracy, Fayose said: “Justice is very important and without it, democracy is already endangered. If people are now beginning to contest against INEC and security agencies for manipulations of elections, then democracy is endangered.

It is political parties that are supposed to contest elections not people contesting against inadequacies of the electoral umpire. A virile opposition is a veritable ingredient of democracy,” he said

Fayose said he decided to chose Aregbesola rather than any PDP member as speaker for the occasion, because of the  dire need for the nation to remove the veil of politics and work together as a team to rescue the nation from its current economic woes.

“I want to caution that theory doesn’t amount to reality. Nigeria requires practical steps to surmount our challenges.  If you examine critically the current trend in the country, Nigerians have begUn to ask why don’t we go back to the time when a dollar was N200 and not N500/.

“ In all countries of the world, when a new  government comes into place, they bring together all views, opinions and parties irrespective of their political party, to sit down and direct the affairs of the nation because the government is coming afresh and needs a lot of things to learn and gather before they can fully take control and build on the existing achievement,” he added. 

Osun State House of Assembly has urged Nigerians to re-dedicate themselves to the cause of nation building.
In a statement by Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the Assembly said: “The nation, more than ever needed to be truthful to herself in the conduct of governance and political leadership to be able to fulfil the vision of the founding fathers.
 

 
“Unless we are brutally truthful, open and sincere, unless we probe our thoughts and our ways, it would be tough to break out of the limitations and circle of under development. ”
The lawmakers said the challenges faced by the nation were not only at the economic front and that it required that the nation should encourage home-made products.
“Essential components of patriotism to re-build the nation are for Nigerians to dream Nigeria, live, buy and eat Nigerian products.”

The statement added: “Loyalty and love for nation must be rebuilt, we must inspire hope in the youths and citizenry at large and necessary sacrifice must be made.
“As a people, we must endure the needful though decisions that will re-direct the economy and actions that will steer the country out of the wood” the Assembly submitted
“Appropriate investment must be made in the economy, through infrastructural development, annexed other sources of income.”

The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, has approved the release of a sum of N797 million as take-off grant to the newly created Local Council Developments Areas, Area Councils, Administrative Offices in the state.
 

 
The funds approved by the Governor also included the Stabilisation Funds to the existing Local Government Areas of the state.
A statement by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, gave the breakdown of the funds released to each of the administrative units as follows:
*N15 million to each of the 31LCDAs;
*N9 million to each of the 3 Area Councils;
*N5 million to each of the 2 Administrative Offices
* N10million to each of the 30 LGs
According to the release, the Governor urged the leadership at each of these strata of local government administration in the state to ensure the realisation of the main objectives of the creation of the various administrative units the most paramount of which is the rapid development of the state.
He reminded the leadership to be conscious of the main targets which include pursuit of revenue generation, markets development, control and supervision, environmental sanitation, primary health care delivery and elementary education superintendence.

The Justice Now Foundation, JNF, a civil society organization based in Osogbo, has criticized  an editorial in a national daily, stating that Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola lavished billions on bullet proof cars for his personal use.
 

 
The group, which said it was not taken aback by the story, stated that the motive behind it is to portray the Aregbesola administration   in bad light. “We read the story with the above headline, `Re- Recession: Governors lavish billions of Naira on bulletproof cars for selves, wives’ on Saturday, September 24, with utter disbelief”, it said.
 
“Not that we were taken aback by the underlying motive to whip up negative sentiments against the government, portray it in bad light as wasteful and inconsiderate especially in the face of growing economic hardship, we are particularly miffed by the utter lack of depth displayed in the publication.
 
“It is particularly sickening and a show of editorial mishmash for a paper to list some of the vehicles personally owned and already in use by a governor far before he became a governor as instances of lavishing “billions on bulletproof cars.”

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Economic Planning, Budget and Development, Mr. Segun Olorunsogo has enjoined all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the State Government of Osun, as well as Tertiary Institutions in the state to submit their 2017 Draft Budget Estimates to the Computer Unit of the Ministry, Finance
Building on or before Friday, 7th October 2016.
 

 
This is contained in a press release from the Office ofPermanent Secretary, which stated that the 2017 budget formulation will be considered by both the Pre- Treasury and Treasury Board meetings as against the existing Bilateral Meetings.
He however added that the Pre- Treasury Board meeting will hold to consider the nitty-gritty of individual Agency’s budget. He therefore urged all political (where applicable) and career heads to be actively involved in the budget preparation exercise in order to achieve the desired result.
Meanwhile, Mr. Segun Olorunsogo has emphasized the fact that budget preparation and formulation is a serious exercise which should be accorded deserved seriousness and attention. Hence, agencies of government advised to adhere strictly to the deadline of 7th October, 2016 for the submission of their year 2017 Draft Estimates.

The Government Of the State of Osun has called on Youths and Farmers that have interest in Dry Season Farming  tagged “AKURO AREGBE’ to register their names with Quick Impact Intervention  office (QIIP), located within the Ministry Of Agriculture, Food Security and Youth Engagement, Abere or FADAMA Office at Iwo for Government to give them all necessary support .
 

 
This was disclosed in a press release signed by the Coordinating Director, Ministry of Food Security and Youth Engagement, Dr. Bukola Aluko
According to the release, the registration exercise is part of the effort of the Government to ensure abundant food production and to guard against hunger caused by shortage of food during dry season.
The release therefore enjoined all youths and farmers that have interest to participate in the Dry Season Farming to appear for registration at the two designated offices for registration, commencing from Tuesday, 4th October, 2016.

Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has identified the successful prosecution of the ongoing change agenda as the mark of Nigeria’s true independence.