The Governor of Osun , Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on Monday appeared before a High Court in the State in defence of a case filed against him over his refusal to constitute State executive council.
 

 
Since taking over as the state governor in November 2014 Aregbesola has not appointed his commissioners.
He is said to be running the state affairs as a sole administrator.

Barrister Kanmi Ajibola, who dragged him before the court, insisted that Aregbesola was not only a sole administrator but was ruling the state despotically in a way not envisaged by the constitution of Nigeria.
Aregbesola, in a counter affidavit deposed to by Barrister Ibikunle Iyanda from the Chambers of Adewale Afolabi filed in opposition to the originating summons of the plaintiff, said that the governor had been discharging his duties in line with the constitution in the last two years effectively.
He said that there were permanent secretaries and heads of the parastatals manning various ministries in the state.

Iyanda explained further that he was briefed by the governor’s Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff, Gbenga Akanno that the “the defendant is still within the time frame to appoint commissioners to form his cabinet.”
Iyanda said the governor had not erred in law because the 1999 constitution “does not state the time frame for the appointment of commissioners.”
While arguing that Aregbesola will constitute his executive council before the expiration of his tenure next year, the layer stated further that at no time did the governor after his swearing-in in 2014 said he would not choose members of the state executive council.
Aregbesola prayed the court to quash the case, saying the plaintiff did not show any interest, right or obligation in the matters he was complaining of in his suit.

But the plaintiff, Ajibola noted that as a legal practitioner, political and human rights activist and one of the people who fought for the enthronement of democracy, he had the responsibility of upholding, promoting, fostering and observing the rule of law.
According to him, the governor has turned “democratic governance” in Osun state to “administratorship” and that the governor has “applied the operation of the constitution with disdain in contravention of his oath of office.”
“Since 27th day of November 2014 to date, the governor of Osun State has been determining the general direction of the policies without the advice of the state executive council contrary to the constitution”, he said.
Backing his arguments with several constitutional provisions, Ajebola stated that he has the locus standi to challenge the governor since “it is a constitutional matter” and that the court has jurisdiction to hear and determine the suit.”

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The Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Monday said those clamoring for autonomy of the local government in the country should remember that it remains an aberration that negates the principle of federalism.
 

 
Aregbesola said the 16 years of intensive internecine war among the different groups within the Yoruba enclave was a resistance against one group lording it over the other and a direct efforts at instituting and preserving federalism.
He insisted that local governments are under absolute control and ambience of states, and that the only organ of the state empowered by the constitution to make laws for them is the state House of Assembly.
Governor Aregbesola made these statements while declaring open the 2017 NULGE Week at the Public Lecture organized by the Osun State Chapter of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), held at the Aurora Conference Centre, Osogbo.
This war, according to the Governor, was instructive to the extent Yoruba people wanted autonomy which federalism guarantees such that one group would not lord it over the other in administrative system.
The governor averred that the current campaign for autonomy of local government is capable of destroying federalism and by extension the country at large.
The Governor described the belief gaining grounds that local governments should be independent of state governments as totally strange and anti-federalism.
He noted that there are only two tiers of government in a federal system of government, namely the federal government and the government at the federating level.
Aregbesola stressed that it is awkward for Nigeria to be the only federation in the world where there is only one police system, noting that it is strange for the federal government and the constitution not to allow for police in the federating units of the country.
The governor held that the problems with local government administration in the country can be corrected within the laws of the states.
According to him, “Nigeria is not just a republic, but a Federal Republic. A federal state is where every distinction of nationality is recognised, respected and honoured. None of the units of the federation is therefore superior to the other. Every of the units are empowered by law to administer themselves under the general guideline of the constitution.
“Few things are awkward about federalism in Nigeria. Nigeria’s federation is strange to the extent that only one police force maintains law and order. In other federations, there will be a Federal Police force and other federating unit police. Nigerian nationality and people must seek to correct this abnormality.
“Another anomaly that people, because of their frustration to some aspect of administration, are equally making mistake on and need correction is that a federation has two tiers of government. There cannot be three tiers in a federation. The moment you have three tiers, you no longer have a federation.”
Aregbesola emphasised that the problem with the administration of local government can be corrected within the limits of the laws of the state in a federation.
He noted that it is not by assaulting the fundamental principle of federalism that the challenges and weakness being faced by the administration of local governments can be corrected.
In his speech, the President of Nigerian Union of Local Government Employee, Osun Chapter, Comrade Deji Adeyeye, commended Governor Rauf Aregbesola for prioritising workers welfare in the state.
Adeyeye state that gone are the days that workers in the state were paid once in every three months or sometime once in four months.
He acknowledged that the current recession is not peculiar to Osun but almost all the states of the federation.
The NULGE boss stated that labour unions in the state are holding the Governor to his words over backlog of salaries of workers above Grade Level 8, who are being owed between 20 and 25 percent  of their salaries.
According to him,  “Once upon a time, workers in the state were paid once in three months or once in four months but our own governor ensured that we moved out of this terrible situation.
“Grade Levels 1 to 7 have always been receiving full salary while Grade Level 8 and above were placed on constant half salary.
“Not too long after, Grade Levels 8 to and 10 were paid 75 percent of their salaries while staff on Grade Levels 12 and above maintain a consistent half salary.
“It is noteworthy that each time we meet with the governor over the backlog of salaries of staff on Grade Levels 8 and above,  we have always receive a positive response.
“Aregbesola has given is words on several occasion that as soon as fund is available the backlog would be cleared.”
National President of the NULGE, Comrade Ibrahim Khaleel, said reports of Governor Aregbesola available to him indicate that the Governor is a workers-friendly governor just as he commended the governor for his commitment to the good governance.

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The Nigerian Army has been commended for its unrelenting efforts in the provision of security especially in crisis-prone areas of the North-Eastern part of the country and confronting the recent crisis between herdsmen and farmers which is spreading like bush fire across the length and breadth of the country.
 

 
 
Speaking on behalf of the Governor was the Acting Executive Secretary of the Office of Transportation, Engr. Wahab Ibrahim who paid a courtesy visit to the Commander Engineer Construction Command, Ede, Brigadier General E. Eruwa.
According to him, the Nigerian Army has demonstrated a high sense of responsibility by defeating the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-Eastern part of the country.
Engr. Wahab posited that, Osun as one of the crime free states in the Federation will continue to implement the six (6) Point Integral Action Plan which would always promote communal peace and progress.
The acting Executive Secretary used the opportunity to solicit the continual support of the Nigerian Army, Ede, for the Osun Traffic Marshal which is saddled with the responsibility of enforcing the State of Osun Road Traffic Laws 2008 which is aimed at bringing sanity to the roads in the state.
The Office of Transportation boss stressed that, one of the primary assignments of the agency is to curb the menace of theft of motorcycles and vehicles which hitherto was rampant in the state.
Responding, Brig. General, E. Eruwa, Commander, Engineer Construction Command, Ede, appreciated the efforts of the State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in the area of adequate security for members of the public while promising that, his command will join hands together with Osun Traffic Marshal in order to ensure a robust
and effective security.

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The Yeyeluwa (queen) of Ife, Wuraola Ogunwusi, has called for the return of brotherly love between the Yoruba and Arewa communities which existed before the recent communal dispute in Ile-Ife.
The queen made the call when she visited the communities in Enuwa and Sabo, Ile-Ife, Osun, on Thursday to commiserate with them on the recent clash in which some persons died and properties were destroyed.
 

 
At Enuwa, Wuraola was received by the committee that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, set up to look into the crisis.
 
‘’Peace is sacrosanct and we should pursue it with all we have because violence has nothing to be gained from rather, it will destroy what has been laboured to achieve,” she said.
 
Wuraola commended the committee for the work it had done.
 
“I am impressed with what you have done so far since His Imperial Majesty set up this committee as you daily gave Kabiyesi (king) report even when he was in United Kingdom promoting African tradition and culture.
 
“Ile-Ife is the source and you have shown that to the entire world that peace is what we need,” he said.
At Sabo, the queen was received by the Arewa community led by Alhaji Malami Nasidi.
 
She said, ‘’I am here formally to commiserate with you on the incident that happened and I pray that may never happen again.
“We are all one and should live as such.
‘’You are established here and this is the only place you know as home.
‘’Please, let us forget the past and move on.
“Those who went with the sad event cannot be brought back but our prayer is that God should be with all they left behind as we cannot quench fire with fire, peace is the only way forward.
 
“I was touched by the incident and took it upon myself that I must be here personally on behalf of the palace to commiserate with you on the unfortunate incident.”
Nasidi, who responded on behalf of the Arewa community, said: “we have been here for several decades and cannot even fathom why a very minor incident escalated to this magnitude.”
 
He expressed appreciation to the queen for the visit and prayed for long life for her and Ooni Ogunwusi.
 
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons has donated food items to the communities.
The National Commissioner, Hajia Sadiya Farouq, represented by the South-West Zonal Coordinator, Mrs Margaret Ukaegbu, warned against the diversion of the items.
“We are brothers and sisters, therefore we cannot afford to be divided. She appealed to the communities to forget what had happened, but to look for a way forward and allow peace to reign.
Farouq called on Nigeria to dialogue within each other and pass their grievances to appropriate quarters rather than destroy lives and properties.
” We believe in one Nigeria and we believe in peace. What are we fighting for? ‘’United we stand and divided we fall.
“Without peace, no progress and without progress, Nigeria cannot grow and with that, we cannot develop nor achieve any success,’’ she said.
The commission donated bags of rice, beans, salt and sugar as well as palm-oil and vegetable oil to the communities.

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The Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the Osun State government to look into the March 8 mayhem in Ile-Ife has invited the public to submit memoranda that would help in its investigation.
 

 
 
The police confirmed 46 persons were killed and 96 others injured during the clash between Hausa and Yoruba. Last month, the police paraded 20 suspects, who were mainly Yoruba.
 
Criticism trailed the police’s investigation especially about the fact that all the suspects where Yoruba’s prompting the government to set up an independent panel to investigate the cause of the clash.
 
The panel called on the public to submit their memoranda on or before April 10 at Oba Okunade Sijuwade Memorial Hall in Ile-Ife. According to a statement by the Secretary, Bisi Babalola, the memoranda must be signed and contain the name, address and telephone numbers of their writers.
 
The statement said: “All memoranda shall be clearly typed and have an introduction of the subject matter, statement of facts on the subject matter, issues from statements of facts for determination, arguments in support of the issue and relief being sought.”
 
Babalola said the panel has an objective to investigate the immediate causes of the violence to prevent future occurrences.

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The Chairman, Land Use Charge (LUC) in the State of Osun, Pastor Olumide Bolorunduro has sought the cooperation of all stakeholders involved in the collection of land use charge revenue in Osun, particularly Council Managers across the Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas for efficient and easy collection of
Land Use Charge revenue in the State.

 
Pastor Bolorunduro made this appeal during the Land Use Charge interactive Stakeholders meeting houses held at the Exco Chamber of the Osun, Governor’s Office in Osogbo.
He maintained that, revenue generation is a collective responsibility of all, while concerned stakeholders must play their part to achieve the desired target in the Internally Generated Revenue drive of the government in order to improve the welfare of the citizens and the development of the State.
Pastor Bolorunduro explained that, necessary valuation on property must have been carried out before the billing, he therefore urged the citizens to pay their Land Use charge as and when due.
He stressed that, perfect arrangements for the convenient payment of Land Use Charge bills across the nooks and crannies of the State have been put in place with the involvement of Financial Institutions (Commercial and Micro-Finance banks) and through the use of Point of Sales Machine (POS).
Earlier in her opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Adebimpe Ogunlumade, who was represented by the Director, Finance and Administration, Mr. Akeem Bello, disclosed that, Internally Generated Revenue is the only alternative that can bail the Government out in meeting up with Its financial responsibilities on salary payment and infrastructural development.
Mrs Ogunlumade therefore called on the Council Managers and other stakeholders to see the need to tighten the loose ends and support the government in its revenue drive.

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The Nigerian Army has been commended for its unrelenting efforts in the provision of security especially in crisis-prone areas of the North-Eastern part of the country and confronting the recent crisis between herdsmen and farmers which is spreading like bush fire across the length and breadth of the country.
 

 
 
Speaking on behalf of the Governor was the Acting Executive Secretary of the Office of Transportation, Engr. Wahab Ibrahim who paid a courtesy visit to the Commander Engineer Construction Command, Ede, Brigadier General E. Eruwa.
According to him, the Nigerian Army has demonstrated a high sense of responsibility by defeating the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-Eastern part of the country.
Engr. Wahab posited that, Osun as one of the crime free states in the Federation will continue to implement the six (6) Point Integral Action Plan which would always promote communal peace and progress.
The acting Executive Secretary used the opportunity to solicit the continual support of the Nigerian Army, Ede, for the Osun Traffic Marshal which is saddled with the responsibility of enforcing the State of Osun Road Traffic Laws 2008 which is aimed at bringing sanity to the roads in the state.
The Office of Transportation boss stressed that, one of the primary assignments of the agency is to curb the menace of theft of motorcycles and vehicles which hitherto was rampant in the state.
Responding, Brig. General, E. Eruwa, Commander, Engineer Construction Command, Ede, appreciated the efforts of the State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in the area of adequate security for members of the public while promising that, his command will join hands together with Osun Traffic Marshal in order to ensure a robust
and effective security.

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Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun has called on  Nigerian universities to focus more on   science and technology development  in the country.

 

 
Aregbesola made the call while delivering a speech at  the   10th year anniversary and 6th convocation ceremony of  Osun University on Thursday in Osogbo.
The governor said  technology would have changed the world dramatically in a few years.
According to him,  Nigerian universities need to start preparing the youths toward  a digital  future for the country to remain relevant in the new world order.
“We need to begin to prepare for a future where so many amazing things will be done technologically.
“In the next 10  years, technological knowledge would have changed the world dramatically to the extent that cars will begin to drive itself without a driver.
“In 10  years time, your mobile phone will be able to tell you a lot of things about your health and so on.
“We need to be prepared for this future as a country,’’ he said.
Aregbesola also urged Nigerian universities to engage in research that would impact positively on the  society.
In his opening remark, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman  of the Governing Council of the university, Malam Yusuf Alli,  said 10  years of  the existence of the institution  was a period for  preparation, adding that  now was the time for consolidation.
Alli, who noted  that the university must be committed to science, technology and information technology, pointed out  that  the institution  would not be able to be a global participant if it relies on obsolete and outdated knowledge.
Earlier in her address, the Chancellor of the university, Dr  Folorunso Alakija, expressed delight over the transformation the university  was witnessing.
Alakija, who promised to build a state of the art  paediatric hospital for the university, called on  all stakeholders to support the institution in charting a new course with a view to attaining greater height.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof.  Labode Popoola, said the institution  had made tremendous progress in the last 10 years of its existence.
Popoola  said the university had also graduated 6,493 students.

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In December 2016, when the state government of Osun paid out the sum of N13,645,546,673.04 to clear salaries, leave bonuses and pension arrears of four (4) months, many did wonder how the Paris Club refund received a month earlier was allocated.
 

 
However, the Accountant General of the state of Osun, Mr. Akintayo Kolawole, has revealed, how the state government expended the sum of N11,744,237,793.56 received from the federal government in November 2016 as first tranche of the Paris Club Refund.
Speaking with Journalists at his office in Osogbo, Mr. Kolawole revealed that the Osun Revenue Apportionment Committee headed by Comrade Hassan Sunmonu agreed for the total Paris Club Refund to be spent on clearing workers salary arrears.
“The revenue apportionment committee agreed that the Paris refund be used in paying salaries and that the sum of N1.9bn be added by the state government to augment salary payment to local government workers,” Mr. Kolawole noted.
Speaking on how a total of N13.6bn was used in paying salary
arrears, Mr Kolawole stated that, “the sum of N8,519,437.233.43 was paid out as salaries for September, October, November and December. Similarly, the sum of N924,676,305.24 was paid out as leave bonuses for the four months, while the sum of N2,496,605,100.64 was paid in pensions for the same period.”
Explaining how the state spent above the N11.74bn received as Paris Club Refund, the accountant general noted that the sum of N1,704,828,033.73 was transferred to the ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs for the payment of salaries at that level.
When contacted, State Chairman of the Triangular Pensioners Association, Prince Rotimi Adelugba confirmed all pensioners in the state received four months of pension arrears as agreed with the state government in December 2016.
Other workers in the state commended the government for making workers’ welfare its priority.

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