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.

In a bid to make its students more productive and self-dependent in their chosen fields of study, the management of the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree has commenced Vocational and Technical Education Programmes in the institution.
 

 
In a statement made available to newsmen by the institution’s spokesperson, Mr. Tope Abiola, the Rector of the school, Dr. Olusola Agboola. pledged to do his best to make his students good ambassadors of the institution anywhere they find themselves.
The statement said: “The commencement of the programme was part of the institution’s drive to complement the efforts of the government of the State of Osun in its bid to improve the Vocational and Entrepreneurship Skills of the people in the State”

The State of Osun Internal Revenue Service (OIRS) on Wednesday, 17^th February, 2016, sealed up Globacom Limited in the State of Osun for not effecting the payment of outstanding, TAXES AND OTHER LEVIES  in respect of mast/ base station and laying of fibre optics, which had become due and payable to Osun State Government arising from back- Duty-Investigation-Exercise.
 

 
This was made known by the Acting Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Osun Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Dayo Oyebanji today after the exercise. He said, the action aims at giving a bite to the company’s non-compliance to ensure remittance of all the outstanding 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.
He further explained that several meetings had been held with their representatives in the last three years in order to resolve the outstandings, however, all proved abortive. He made reference to the latest meetings held with the company on the 8^th of October and 13^th of Novembe, 2015 but the company representatives always renege on their promise.
Mr. Oyebanji said, the Osun State House of Assembly also intervened in the matter by inviting Globacom to appear before the special session on 3^rd of December, 2015. Though the company representatives appeared before the House on that day, but all the promises to remit the outstanding tax liabilities within two weeks is yet to be effected up till now.
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.
He stressed further that, 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.
He also explained that, 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 have continued to express their unalloyed support to the State of Osun through their regular tax payment. He assured members of the public that Osun State Government is committed to building a vibrant economy aimed at boosting commerce, industry and improving the welfare of the citizenry which can only be achieved through prompt tax payment of all the concerns, he added.
In his conclusion, he re-iterated that OIRS will 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 Government of the State of Osun on Tuesday described as mere blackmail the protests by the striking doctors saying that the government has made more than enough concessions for them to have shifted their positions and reason with the government.
 

 
The Government called on well-meaning Nigerians to objectively examine 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.
The statement by the Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Office of the Governor, which was endorsed by its Director, Semiu Okanlawon, said the doctors are demanding the impossible just as it said that the state under Governor Rauf Aregbesola had offered the best condition of service to all its workers including the doctors before the current financial challenges facing the entire country.
Government said 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.
The statement said that it is an open secret that Nigeria is faced with critical financial challenges which have made many obligations impossible.
It said this was why 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.
It added, “The only way labour can do without the distrust of government is by setting up a committee with the labour constituting half of the composition and government half and a neutral person jointly accepted by us to be the head of the committee to be reviewing all the revenues and using the reality of the revenue to appropriate or apportion allocation to strategic and key areas of government, which is wages and running the government. We agreed and we are running government absolutely on that basis.
“That agreement came in August and in September; the doctors said they were not in any way bound by that agreement.
“There was no way we could back down because, in the first instance, other professionals had accepted the agreement reached with labour.”
The statement said the doctors have remained recalcitrant despite all entreaties by leading lights of the medical profession, adding “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 200 people are dissatisfied.”
The statement accused the doctors of abandoning their work since September 28, adding that “but we paid them for that month.”
It went further, “By December, we told them they should resume work and they have remained adamant that they want to earn what we cannot afford. In the first instance, except in communist country, you cannot force anybody to work, you can’t drag workers to work under democracy. It is either you want to work or you don’t want to work. But if you cannot take what we are offering and what other workers including Doctors in Local government areas, including consultants at the state level are taking, we cannot afford it.”
The statement said there is no doubt that all aspects of life are affected in Nigeria by the crushing economic hardship.
While admitting that doctors render essential services to the society, the statement reminded Nigerians that there is no single professional in the health sector that is not essential.
It said just as the Government is committed to the welfare of doctors, it must also be committed to the welfare of other professionals in the medical line such as Pharmacists, Nurses, Radiologists, cleaners and others.
Listing its several pro-workers policies, the statement reminded all that the government ensured payment of salaries on or before 26th of every month regardless of the arrival of federal allocation.
“This state never received salary at the end of the month ever since inception. And why? Allocation always comes minimally 14 days after the month, Osun traditionally will wait till the allocation comes before salary can be paid as we are doing now. Today is 16th and January allocation has not come, and it may not come until the end of the month, before now and for 4 years, Aregbesola ensured that salaries were paid on or before every 25th of the month. Not that allocation came every 25th of every month, by my our special arrangement, we ensured that we guaranteed payment before the end of the month for 4 years. Today, it becomes useless and irrelevant and not commendable because we are challenged, not by our own fault, but by the vagaries of the economy in the world, not even in Nigeria,” the statement added.
It listed other areas such as reform in the way leave allowances were paid; increase in vehicle loans by 400 percent and the end-of-the-year allowance which were paid to workers.
It added, “We began with 10 percent to 25 percent to 50 percent and the fourth year to 100 percent. Unfortunately, but for the economic situation. We couldn’t go further. All of these is to show how workers-friendly we are.”