As part of efforts to banish poverty, unemployment and hunger in Osun State, the state government has said that it spent N2 billion in the last three years on dredging.
The Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Mrs Olubukola Oyawoye who disclosed this to newsmen in Osogbo recently said that the dredging was part of the six-point Integral Action plan of Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration.
She said “The aim of the plan is to banish poverty, unemployment and hunger from the state, as well as retore healthy living, enhance communal peace and promote functional education.”
Oyawoye recalled how at the inception of Aregbesola’s administration in 2010, the government introduced measures to curtail flooding in all flood-prone areas, adding that as at 2012, the dredging covered 123 kilometer in more than 100 communities.
She said that the dredging has paved way for better environment, and has enabled people to carry on their businesses without hindrance, stressing that businesses would have been hindered if there was flooding.
According to her, what the government had spent in three years cannot equal what can be lost to flood disaster in one year.
In Osogbo alone, no fewer than 15 rivers, streams and canals which include Okooko Ogbaagba, Akepe, Odigun, Arungbo and Nlekuwodo are being dredged and de-silted on a continuous basis.
THE TIDE
All over the world, organisations in both private and public sectors draw budget to attain specific goals and objectives. While budgeting in the private sector is market driven, and profit oriented, the contrary is the case in the public sector. The public sector is resource constrained as it is funded mostly by taxation.
Hence government at various levels often ensure that budget is well prepared in advance in order to render service to the people particularly in a democratic dispensation where citizens expect so much from elected leaders.
“Budget” as the name implies, “is a plan, quantified in monetary terms, prepared and approved prior to a defined period of time, usually showing planned income to be generated and/or expenditure to be incurred during that period and the capital to be employed to attain a given objective.”
In Osun State, which is a forward looking brand, the art of budget making has been taken to greater heights. Osun State under the leadership of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has not only touched lives, but with the execution and implementation of its six point agenda, it has also turned the economy of the state around.
The Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) under the Aregbesola regime increased by 100 percent. Yet this was achieved without necessarily foisting a higher tax regime on the people.
According to Dr. Wale Bolorunduro, Commissioner for Finance, who spoke at a workshop held for civil servants in the state, “The approach we adopted was to plug loopholes and stop the losses incurred through manual collection and manual processing.
VANGUARD
The Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam has charged the contractors handling the 10 kilometre road projects in Egbedore and Ejigbo local government areas of the state to work harder and complete the projects on schedule or face the wrath of the law.
Salaam, who was represented by the Deputy Leader of the House, Afolabi Atolagbe, stated this while on a special monitoring team set up by the House, toured the on-going road projects in Egbedore and Ejigbo local government areas.
He said the state government will not hesitate to revoke the contract of any unserious construction firm, in order not to jeopardise government’s good intention of taking dividends of democracy to the rural dwellers.
The Speaker, however, expressed delight that some of the contractor in the constituency have been able to deliver on schedule, while some of those that are yet to complete their jobs are forging ahead despite certain constraints.
Speaking during the visit, the Executive Secretary of Egbedore Local Government, Engr. Ibrahim Akande thanked the Speaker and the entire members of the 5th Assembly for deeming it necessary to be monitoring the projects from time to time, saying it is a practical demonstration of effective supervision, which he described as a strong strategy of facilitating qualitative jobs.
He used the occasion to urge the contractors to emulate the West Midland Construction Limited, who according to him, was able to achieve 100 percent completion of Oyelade free way in Ara on schedule, even in the face of certain constraints faced by the contractor.
DAILY NEWSWATCH
Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (3rd left); his Special Adviser on Federal Matters, Honourable Idiat Babalola; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Research, Planning and Policy Implementation, Prince Olusegun Bada (left); Personal Assistant to State of Osun Governor on Political matters, Alhaji Bisi Oyoosun (right); Engineer Abdulkareem Ojutikun (2nd left) and Mr.S.J Samuel, during the unveiling of late Chief Awolowo’s statue at Osun Lodge, Abuja weekend.
Osun Head of Service,Mr Olayinka Owoeye will on Monday morning (16th December,2013) declare open a 3-day orientation workshop for the newly recruited 337 officers in the state civil service.
Venue is Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding,Abere.
A release from the office of the Head of Service explains that the workshop will explore topics which include Basic Communication Techniques in the Public Service,Civil Service Rules and Regulations as well as Principles of Human Relations.
The release then enjoined all Heads of Government Agencies to release the affected officers to attend the workshop dutifully.
Nigerians from all works of life have been advised to engage themselves in regular exercise and other sporting activities so as to be develop completely.
Deputy Governor of the state of Osun, Mrs. Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, gave this advice while laying the foundation stone of the Sports Complex at the Achievers’ University, Owo, Ondo State.
In her speech titled: Towards The Development of a Complete Man, Mrs. Laoye-Tomori said education system that neglects human development through their kinetic body and regular physical exercise has moved away from attaining its expected level.
Applauding the decision of the Senate and Management of the institution for the building of the sports complex, state of Osun Deputy Governor urged them to put the sports complex to use saying foundation determines social relevance of any structure but its proper usage determines its importance.
She however said the importance placed on human development propelled governor of the state of Osun, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, to introduce the monthly Walk to Live in the state.
In his remark, Pro-Chancellor of the Achievers’ University, Senator Bode Olajumoke, said any institution of learning without complementing sporting facilities is not complete in its quest of building a complete person.
Also speaking, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), urged governments at all levels to invest more on sports most especially at the school level so as to develop Nigerian youths to an appreciable level.
OSUN DEFENDER
Subject: LETTER OF APPRECIATION
Mr. Governor,
We herein use this opportunity to personally thank you for sending us to Germany for a 3-month agricultural training programme.
We sincerely appreciate this kind gesture of yours and must note that this is indeed the first time an African head of government would invest so much in the human capacity development of youths in the area of agriculture and that it would never be an understatement each time you are addressed as the “first among your equals”.
During our 3-month sojourn in Germany, we learnt quite a lot of innovative and useful things in the field of modern agriculture which we believe if given a chance to replicate would greatly assist your Government in its passionate drive to banish hunger, eradicate poverty and banish unemployment.
We assure you that with our newly acquired knowledge and skills being put into practice we can:
1. Drastically reduce the percentage which an average Osun citizen spends on food to approximately 5% and;
2. also help in massively increasing the Internally Generated Revenue of the State of Osun.
3. These and many more are we ready to do in order to uplift and develop the state to the level that you passionately and compassionately wish to take her and its citizens to through agriculture.
We seek to achieve all these and many more through ”a platform of an independent, innovative and enterprising agricultural agency”.
We would like to seek your assistance” in terms of some upkeep money starting from this month of December while we patiently wait on your graciousness to grant us this productive platform”.
Once again, we want to appreciate you for this opportunity you have given us and also assure you that we will always be at your disposal to help develop the agricultural sector of the State of Osun.
Thank you in anticipation of your favourable response.
Best,
SIGNED:
Your German trained Osun youths
(Batch A)
1. BELLO A. T.
2. ALADESANMI A. Y.
3. FADARE T.
4. ADEWOLE A.
5. KEHINDE T.J.
6. ADEJUWON A.J.
7. AKILAPA O. E.
8. OLUWAFEMI B. O.
9. JIMOH W. A.
10. ADEGOKE N. A.
11. AKINGBADE M. O.
12. WILLIAMS I. V.
13. OLUFESO M. O.
14. IDOWU S. O.
15. MAKINDE I. O.
16. BABATUNDE O. T.
17. OMOBOYEJE O. O.
18. MAKANJU M. O.
19. ADETUNJI K. A.
20. OJO O.
OSUN DEFENDER
Photos from the 6th edition of an interactive programme tagged, “Gban-gba Dekun” in Ijesha South Federal Constituency consisting of Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Atakumosa East and Atakumosa West Local Governments at Ilesa High School, Ilesa, State of Osun last week
The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has assured the 157 Landlords whose structures were affected by the on-going road dualisation from Mosalasi=Gaji to Onisekere in Ayetoro, Osogbo road axis, of the payment of their compensation which is worth N750million.
The Commissioner for Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Arc. Muyiwa Ige made this disclosure during a visit by the affected Landlords and Tenants Association to the Minsitry.
Arc. Ige however, warned the Landlords to maintain the approved 6-metres as set back of their structures to the road which had earlier been agreed upon.
One of the Landlords, Elder Moshood Abayomi Oladejo, commended the Government of the State of Osun for the kind gesture and promised that the compensation as well as the special packages to the tenants will be optimally utilized.
Also speaking, Comrade Waheed Lawal, reiterated the commitment of the present administration to alleviating the sufferings of the citizenry.
OSUN DEFENDER
In fulfillment of one of the Six Points Integral action plan of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s administration, the Government of the State through the Ministry of Youths, Sports and Special Needs will organize a Two-Week Skill Acquisition for 100 nominated youths in the 30 Local Government Areas and Ife East Area Council of the State.
In a statement by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Akinyinka Esho, the Skill Acquisition Programme will be organised in collaboration with Ojenco Continuing Education and Training Institute, Ada. The statement affirmed that, the programme is part of the efforts of Ogbeni Aregbesola’s administration to create jobs for the youths and in the process banish hunger and poverty among the citizenry of the state.
The training which commences tomorrow Wednesday 11th December will end on Monday 23rd, December 2013. Training exercise is from 9am to 4pm each week day that the programme covers. The Permanent Secretary, Dr. Akinyinka Esho therefore enjoined all the participants to be punctual and utilize the best opportunity that the programme will offer.
Highlight of the training will be the distribution of trade materials to each of the participants on Monday 23rd, December, 2013 at the same venue.
OSUN DEFENDER