TheNewsGuru

Tag: aregbesola

  • Aregbesola orders Attorney General to appeal court verdict on ‘State of Osun’

    Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has directed the Attorney General of the state to file a notice of appeal against the verdict of a State High Court which invalidated the change of name carried out by his administration from ‘Osun State’ to ‘State of Osun.’

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that an Osun State High Court sitting in Ilesa last Thursday declared the change of the name of the state to the “State of Osun” as illegal, null and void.

    One of the media aides of the governor, Mrs. Bukola Aderibigbe, who said this at a press conference in Osogbo on Thursday, also stated that the state government would begin free train ride from Lagos to Osun State at Ido Terminus on Saturday, December 23 by 10:am.

    She said the government rejected the court judgment in its entirety, while stressing that the chairman of Ilesa branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr. Kanmi Ajibola, who instituted the case, did so “with the intention of crippling the finances of the state.”

    Justice Yinka Afolabi of the Osun State High Court, Ilesa, had, on Monday, held that the change of name of Osun State to State of Osun by the Aregbesola administration was illegal.

    But Aderibigbe said her principal had also directed the attorney general to not only file an appeal against the verdict, but to also file a stay of execution of the judgment.

    She said, “We have asked the Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice to file an appeal against the judgment and to file a stay of execution against the judgment.”

    The plaintiff, Ajibola, had sought for an order setting aside the “State of Osun Land Use Charge Law, 2016,” having been enacted by the legislative body that is not known to the Constitution and for the state not known to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended); saying the law is not enforceable in Osun State.

    The judge, Afolabi, said, “The executive governor of the state changed the name in 2011. The renaming of a state goes further and deeper for anyone to single-handedly do. To re-order the name of Osun State as “State of Osun” is hereby declared illegal, null and void.

    “On the oath of allegiance, I want to state that the Seventh Schedule is part of the law. It is not a mere draft or a mere oath.

    “It does not give room for any alteration. After deposing to an oath of office, you cannot turn around to do otherwise.”

  • Youths request Aregbesola to interfere into brewing Ife/Modakeke crisis

    Youths request Aregbesola to interfere into brewing Ife/Modakeke crisis

    Youth coalitions in Modakeke have called on the Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, and security agencies in the state to interfere in a fresh crisis brewing between residents of Ile Ife and Modakeke over claims of land intrusion.

     

    Some Ife youths under the aegis of the Ife Youth Vanguard and Great Ife had in a letter written to the governor, which was circulated in a newspaper, accused the Ogunsua of Modakeke, Oba Francis Adedoyin, and residents of the town of encroaching on land belonging to Ife people.

     

    According to them, this disrupts the 1999 Peace Agreement reached between the two communities to end the Ife/ Modakeke War.

     

     

     

    The groups from Ife asked Aregbesola to intervene in the matter in order to prevent the coming trouble, saying otherwise, “the 1997-2000 Modakeke/Ife imbroglio may be a child’s play.”

     

    Worried by the alleged threat of violence, two youth groups in Modakeke: Modakeke Youth Movement and the Modakeke Progressive Union separately wrote to Aregbesola asking the governor to intervene.

     

    The MYM in the letter signed by its Chairman, Femi Ojeleye and General Secretary, Seyi Oloke, described the allegations of the Ife youths as falsehood, saying neither the Modakeke monarch nor the people had violated any of the 1999 Peace Agreements.

     

    A copy of the letter, which was made available to our correspondent in Osogbo on Friday, read in part, “If Ife youths have anything against our Oba, instead of threatening violence, they should seek redress in the court.

     

    “It is important to state here that there has never been a time when Modakeke engaged in any action capable of breaching the 1999 Peace Agreement as alleged by the groups. It is our suggestion that Ife youths should come to the open and name any section of the peace deal that has been violated by Modakeke people as they claimed.

     

    “Modakeke people are peace loving and we will continue to promote peace in Ife land because the present Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II is a man of peace.

     

    “We do not want this matter to die like this. So, we therefore humbly call on you (governor) to bring these Ife youths to book.”

     

    The Modakeke Progressives Union in a letter signed by its National President, Mr. J.O Odegbemi and National Secretary, Alhaji O.A Akinwale, also asked the governor to bring the Ife youths, who supposedly threatened violence to book.

     

    The group also described the Ogunsua as a law-abiding monarch, who had been encouraging his people to continue to tow the path of peace.

     

    READ AGAIN:I’m not owing workers, pensioners in Osun – Aregbesola

  • In photos: Ooni goes back to school, as Aregbesola unveils mega school in Osun

    Newly built mega school, Ilesa Government High School in Osun by the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola has drawn the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi back into the school environment.

    Newly built mega school, Ilesa Government High School in Osun

    Although, the Ooni, alongside the governor, fondly called ‘Ogbeni’ by supporters were spotted in a photograph session sitting on a secondary school size student chair, however, their visit is not to receive lecture but to commission a monumental edifice built by the governor purposely to forward educational pursuits in the state.

    Amazed by the quality of the facilities in the school, Ooni who gave an unstopping praise to Aregbesola said the efforts of the governor on infrastructure is not for the present alone, but would serve as a legacy for both the governor and for the people of the state.

    He compared Aregebsola to former governor of Lagos State, Lattef Jakande whose infrastructural legacy in areas of school building and housing estates is yet to be forgotten in Lagos across Lagos.

    “Some might not appreciate this works now, years later, people in the state would pray for the governor…,” says the monarch.

    Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola: The making of the educated person”

    Speaking at the occasion, Aregbesola said in the beginning of his administration, he promised to make education a priority. He said this school in particular was notorious as a den of gangsters and juvenile cultists, and these problems in the educational sector lead to organizing an education summit presided over by Prof Wole Soyinka.

    According to him, all the interventions in education came from the report of that summit. He said;

    “One key point in the report is the environment of learning. A rundown dilapidated school structure cannot be conducive to learning”.

    The governor also appealed to parents’ to ensure they paid the N6000 a year due for the students in order to maintain the school and make t last for decades.

    He explained that it wasn’t common to have such free education anywhere in the country with state of the art infrastructures at the student’s disposal, so it was essential that the mega schools all across the state be maintained.

    The governor furthers, “Generally, the world is increasingly being defined and controlled by those who can think and bear their intellect on the matter and any situation. The possibilities, therefore, look infinite for them”.

    “In the next 10 years, knowledge would have transformed the world beyond recognition. Self-driving cars, running on battery, using zero fuel, and programmed with all the addresses will be in the market in commercial quantity”.

  • Osun Assembly confirms Aregbesola’s nominees

    The Osun House of Assembly on Monday, confirmed the four nominees of Gov. Rauf Aregbesola as members of the state Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

    The motion for the confirmation of the nominees was moved by the leader of House, Mr Timothy Owoeye after the screening of the nominees.

    Owoeye’s motion’s was seconded by the House Committee Chairman on Judiciary, Mr Dejo Bello.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Aregbesola, in a letter dated Aug. 28, urged the lawmakers to confirm the nominees to fill the vacant positions in the commission.

    The letter was read at the plenary on Sept. 11 by the Speaker, Mr Najeem Salaam.

    The governor said that members of the current commission were inaugurated on June 6, 2012, adding that their tenure had expired.

    According to Aregbesola, his letter is sequel to the expiration of the tenure of office of the members of the council.

    “By virtue of Section 199(1)(c) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 Constitution(as amended), having spent five years as members, I , as the governor of the state of Osun approved four members to serve in JSC,’’ he said.

    The confirmed members are: Nathaniel Agunbiade, Olagunju Oloruntomilola, Oyewale Olatayo and Olarotimi Mikail.

    Similarly, the Assembly confirmed the governor’s nominees for the post of Director- General of State Debit Management Office.

    The governor, in a letter dated July 23, urged the state lawmakers to confirm the nominee in person of Babatunde Adejumo who has been in an acting capacity.

    The motion for the confirmation of the nominee was also moved by Owoeye and seconded by Mr Kamil Oyedele, the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation.

    In his remarks, the speaker urged the nominees to give their best for the development of the state and to re-position the state judiciary to an enviable position.

    The speaker also called on Adejumo to work toward the economic development of the state.

     

    NAN

  • Osinbajo, Sultan, Aregbesola, Ambode others to grace Ooni’s birthday lecture

    Osinbajo, Sultan, Aregbesola, Ambode others to grace Ooni’s birthday lecture

    Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo is expected in Ile-Ife on Tuesday 17th October 2017 as the Special Guest of Honour at a leadership symposium in honour of the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II who will be marking his 43rd birthday with Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar and Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the State of Osun as the Host Governor.

    According to a press statement on Saturday by Director of Media, Ooni’s Palace, Comrade Moses Olafare who spoke on behalf of the planning committee, the Ooni Annual International Leadership Symposium is designed to hold annually in commemoration of the Ooni’s birthday with view to providing the youths and other beneficiaries of his numerous empowerment schemes to showcase their success stories.

    “Baba Ooni believes very strongly that celebration of the birthdays of people in leadership authorities must always be in recognition of their impactfulness. That’s why he decided this event as platform for success stories especially by the beneficiaries of his various categories of empowerment programs most whom are youths”.

    “Kabiyesi has designed this symposium to be annually held where great leaders who have made impacts in the society will motivationally be interacting with the people who look up to them”

    “Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Governor Ambode, Mr Femi Falana, Sultan of Sokoto, Ethiopian Ambassador to Nigeria, the Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, the gentleman from South Africa, Mr Sipho Mseleku of Shakhumnotho Group and other great leaders expected at this maiden edition are role models the youths always look up to,” Moses Olafare said.

    The lead speaker for the lecture is legal luminary and human rights activist, Chief Femi Falana while Governor Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos, the Ethiopian Ambassador to Nigeria, Amb.(Mrs)Samia Zekaria Gutu and Mr Sipho Mseleku from South Africa are guest speakers. The Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Professor Eyitope Ogunmodede is a Co-Host.

    It will be recalled that Ooni Ogunwusi had two years ago dedicated his reign to the African youths during his coronation as the 51st Ooni of Ife. He has since embarked on and executed various projects that are of immense impacts on the masses and youths in particular.

    Comrade Olafare in the statement also confirmed the arrival of ex-Super Eagle players like Peter Rufai, Ike Sorounmu, Garba Lawal, Mutiu Adepoju, Taribo West, Ifeanyi Udese, Waheed Akanni, Gbenga Okunnowo, Oladimeji Lawal and others at Ile-Ife received on behalf of the Arole Oodua by the national team’s former coach who is a prominent indigene of Ifeland and Balogun of Modakeke, Highchief Festus Onigbinde for the novelty match to be played 3pm on Saturday at the sport complex of Obafemi Awolowo University organized by House of Oduduwa Foundation in honour of the African foremost monarch who is the Spiritual leader of the Yoruba race worldwide.

    This year’s edition of Ooni Annual Leadership Symposium is themed “TAKING NIGERIAN AND AFRICA TO GREATER HEIGHTS, The place of the youth.

  • Aregbesola speaks at IIIT 4th Int’l. Conference, tells Nigerians to be conscious of national economy

    Osun State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola has charged Nigerians to be conscious of the status of the national economy as concerned citizens.

    The governor gave the charged at the 4th international conference of the International Institute of Islamic Thought held at the Amina Nnamadi Sambo Multipurpose Hall, Fountain University, Osogbo, Osun State, on Saturday.

    He said Nigeria economy must not depend on oil revenue alone and emphasised the need to diversify and redirect the economy of the nation to aide growth and development.

    Aregbesola commended the organizers of the conference for focusing on the issues of sustainability of Islamic university at a time when most institutions are struggling to survive.

    The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar who was represented by the Executive Secretary of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), Professor Daud Naibi also lauded IIIT for promoting scholarship among Muslims.

    The Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Professor Ishaq Oloyede delivered a keynote address at the conference. Professor Fathi Malkawi from Jordan and Dr Rihab Abdulrahaman Alsherif from Al-jazeerah University, Sudan were among foreign scholars at the conference.

  • LAUTECH: Pay our N2.1bn salary arrears before inviting us for negotiation, ASUU tells Aregbesola, Ajimobi

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, chapter has warned the management of the institution not to invite it for negotiations until the Oyo and Osun state governments pay their N2.1 billion salary arrears.

    This was revealed on Tuesday by the Chairman of the union, Dr. Biodun Olaniran in an interview with The Punch.

    The ASUU chairman explained that the two owner states promised to pay three months’ salaries each but none of the states had paid over N1bn each to the coffers of the institution.

    Olaniran put the wage bill of LAUTECH at N350m per month, saying each of the two states agreed to pay three months but he stated that the university management told the union that the money had yet to be paid to them.

    He said the union was open to negotiation but the two states had not shown commitment, saying lecturers and other workers were being owed a year salary each.

    The ASUU chairman said, “The university management invited us to a meeting on September 18th and we honoured the invitation. The management wanted to start discussing with us and we asked if the owner states had credited the university’s account but they said no.

    “We told them there was no point going ahead with the negotiation because there was no commitment yet from the states. We told the management to inform us the moment the university’s account is credited and we would then negotiate with them. Without paying the money to the university, we won’t negotiate.

    “We are open to negotiation but the two state governments are not ready to show any commitment. They have not paid a dime to the university and they owe us 12 months’ salaries. That is one whole year, from September 2016 to September 2017.”

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the institution has been enmeshed in several strike actions which has kept it under lock and key for over a year.

     

  • ‘Attack on Osun commissioner in Ondo barbaric’ says Aregbesola

    The Osun State government yesterday said the attack on its Commissioner for Regional Integration, Bola Ilori, in Akure, the Ondo State capital, at the All Progressives Congress (APC) restructuring summit is barbaric, reprehensible and an assault on the sovereignty of the state.

    Ilori was part of the delegation that presented Osun State’s position at the forum last Thursday.

    A statement by Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s Media Adviser, Sola Fasure, said hoodlums’ attack on Ilori was said to be political motivated and sponsored by a top-ranking Ondo State Executive Council (Exco) member.

    The statement noted that the attack was indirectly meted out to Osun State, which Ilori represented at the programme.

    It said: “The statement credited to Yemi Olowolabi that ‘what happened is sad but it is avoidable. It is apparent the Osun delegates came prepared with thugs, charms, ammunition and cudgels to an event, which was supposed to be an all-APC event’ was highly undiplomatic and not expected from a commissioner of that status.

    “This state of affairs was far from the truth as Olowolabi made people to believe. The Osun delegate simply went armed with their intellect to marshal the position of the state.

    “Why would a delegate ?go with dangerous objects to a conference on restructuring when Ondo and Osun are not at war or in confrontation over any issue?

    “Ilori represented the government and people of Osun State. Therefore, he deserved to be accorded the courtesy and respect due to the state. He deserved to be protected by the Government of Ondo as well as security agencies at the venue of the conference.

    “All these safety measures were not in place. Rather, Ilori was exposed? to attack by some top government official, who reportedly had an axe to grind with him over election matters in the state.

    “The attack on Ilori is barbaric and reprehensible, to say the least. It is no doubt an attack on the people and Government of Osun, which Ilori represented at the meeting. We condemn this affront on the people and Government of Osun, which the attack on our delegate signposted.”

  • Aregbesola pleads as Osun doctors issue 21-day ultimatum over unpaid salaries

    Apparently disturbed by the 21-day ultimatum issued by Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Osun State chapter, the state government led by Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Monday appealed to the medical body over non-payment of salary arrears owed its members in the state.

    The Aregbesola-led government made the appeal on Monday immediately the medical doctors in the state resolved to go on a full scale strike if the governor fails to meet their demands within 21 days.

    The position of the association was made known to journalists during a press conference which held at the NMA secretariat in Osogbo on Monday.

    According to the Chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), Osun State, Dr. Tokunbo Olajumoke, the resolution was reached at the Emergency General Meeting of the body, that all the doctors in the state would join the strike at the expiration of the ultimatum.

    The NMA Chairman read a statement jointly signed by him and the Secretary of the association, Dr Olalekan Ajayi in which the body enumerated its demands.

    The association complained over lack of drugs and consumables in our health facilities and lack of basic amenities and equipments in the hospitals in the state as well as the non-payment of salaries of doctors and urged the state government to address the issues without further delay.

    According to him, “following over two years of appeals, engagements and discussions with the state government on the decadence in the health sector in Osun state, the association hereby gives a twenty one(21) day ultimatum from today August 28 to September 17, 2017.”

    “At the expiration of the ultimatum, the association will be left with no other choice than to immediately withdraw our services in the state.”

    NMA called on traditional rulers, members of the National Assembly and the Osun State House of Assembly and other stakeholders to prevail on the State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola to do the needful so as to save the health sector in the state from further collapse.

    According to the NMA chairman, “the demeaning level of care being melted upon medical practitioners by the state government is best described as a vicious cycle of poor remuneration with consequent unsatisfactory career, flight of already scarce medical practitioners and then a subsequent pseudo-employment that does not last for a reasonable time.”

    “Expectedly, in view of the neglect in the sector, there has been an untoward effect on the good people of the state as evidenced by the increasing mortality and morbidity indices of the state.”

    “Despite accessing various funds, including the monthly allocations, ecological funds, project repayment funds (largely undisclosed), 11.74billion naira and 6.314 billion naira as her own share of the first and second tranche of the Paris club refund respectively, the state government has continued to pay our members varying percentages of their emoluments, in the range of less than 30% in the last 24 months as against what is stipulated by the wages and salaries commission of our dear Nation.”

    “The state government, despite agreement to the contrary has also continued to withhold between 4 and 6 months salaries of our members during the period of industrial action embarked upon by some of our affiliates when the state government unilaterally slashed their salaries without any form of discussion.”

    “The state government has also continued the issuance of payslips not in tandem with the salary received in the last two years. This has led to inability of members to fulfil their obligations to cooperatives and banks with regrettable implications on individuals.”

    “Osun state is the only state that has continued to pay her doctors ‘fractionated’ salaries, deduct full taxes while paying ‘fractionated’ salaries with issuance of non complimentary payslip.”

    “Despite these harsh and unfavourable conditions, the state doctors have continued to render health care services to the good people of Osun state.”

    Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of the governor, the Osun Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Adelani Baderinwa in a press statement said frantic efforts were already on to resolve all the issues raised by the doctors in their demands.

    According to the statement, “Osun State government has been notified on the 21-day ultimatum given to it by doctors in the state under the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA).

    “The government wishes to state that we will address the issues raised by the doctors and plead with them to understand the plight of the state government.

    It is on record that doctors in Osun are perhaps the highest paid in the South-West states after Lagos and did everything to ensure the standard was maintained for as long as the finances of government were in good shape.”

    This illustrates that the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is very sensitive to health matters and would always treat the health workers very well, if not specially. Issues bothering on full payment of their salary should not degenerate to the level of downsizing because it has been demonstrated that other workers of the state who were being paid modulated salary would sure get their arrears when the state finances improve.”

  • In photos: Governor Aregbesola prostrates before Ooni of Ife

    Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola prostrated before His Imperial Majesty, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, who paid a condolence visit to the governor over his mother’s death.