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  • NLC orders service withdrawal in Osun LGAs over tension

    NLC orders service withdrawal in Osun LGAs over tension

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Osun Chapter, has instructed all members working in Local Government Areas (LGAs) to withdraw their services from Monday midnight.

    Mr Christopher Arapasopo, Osun NLC Chairman, issued the statement in response to the political tension following a Court of Appeal judgment in the state.

    He said NLC had observed the political unrest causing fear and agitation among its members working in the Local Government Areas.

    According to him, NLC remains apolitical, but it will not allow its members to work in an environment of insecurity.

    “We call on all political parties and their members to respect the rule of law. We insist on upholding the rule of law to prevent a descent into anarchy.

    “As a result, we are directing all our members in the LGAs across Osun to withdraw their services effective Monday, Feb. 17 by 12 a.m. (midnight).

    “We will not allow our members to return until their safety at work is assured, as it is their constitutional right.

    “We urge all security agencies to ensure the safety of lives and property in Osun’s Local Governments and the general public,” Arapasopo said.

    NAN reports that the Court of Appeal in Akure ruled on the matter of the removed All Progressives Congress (APC) Local Government chairmen and councillors.

    The APC interpreted the judgment as the reinstatement of the chairmen and councillors removed by the Federal High Court in Osogbo in 2022.

    However, the Osun Government and the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) stated that the judgment did not reinstate the removed officials.

    The state government and OSSIEC confirmed that a fresh local government election is scheduled for Saturday.

  • Appeal Court didn’t reinstate sacked LG chairmen, councillors – Adeleke

    Appeal Court didn’t reinstate sacked LG chairmen, councillors – Adeleke

    Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun said that contrary to the interpretation in some quarters, the Court of Appeal has not reinstated the sacked local government chairmen and councillors in the state.

    Adeleke made the clarification while addressing a news conference on Sunday in Osogbo.

    The governor explained that the Monday’s judgment of the Court of Appeal, Akure, was in a case filed by the opposition All Progressives Congress(APC) against an earlier verdict of the Federal High Court, Osogbo, over the 2022 local government election.

    He insisted that the council chairmen and councillors were sacked by the Federal High Court in Osogbo in two separate judgments.

    “Let me make it clear that the said council chairmen were sacked before I was sworn in as governor,” he disclosed.

    The, governor, however, said that the Court of Appeal judgment did not in anyway order the reinstatement of the sacked chairmen and councillors.

    “The general public is aware that there were two separate Federal High Court judgments on the local government election of 2022.

    “The first judgment was on the suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which sacked the product of the 2022 polls.

    “The second judgment was in the suit filed by the Action People Party (APP), which also sacked the chairmen and councillors produced by the said 2022 Osun Local Government polls.

    “The APC appeal against the judgment obtained by the PDP was partially successful.

    “The said judgment was struck out based on the timing of filing, having been filed before the notice of election was published.

    “It needs to be emphasised that the judgment contains no consequential order(s).

    “The APC in its amended notice of appeal, asked the Court of Appeal to reinstate the sacked chairmen and councillors, but the Court of Appeal in its wisdom said it has become an academic exercise.

    “The request for the reinstatement of the chairmen and councillors was not granted.

    “However, the appeal by the APC against the APP judgment did not succeed at the Court of Appeal, which makes the judgment still subsisting and alive.

    “The Court of Appeal dismissed the APC appeal against the judgment obtained by the APP.

    “The only legal recourse open to the APC is to appeal the APP judgment and the subsequent rulings of the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court,” the governor stated.

    He said that the Certified True Copies of both judgments had been given to the Commissioner of Police, the State Director of the Department State Security and the state Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

    The governor alleged that there was a deliberate plot by the opposition to create chaos and anarchy through the enforcement of “a non-existing court judgment on our local government.”

    Adeleke appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the matter before it leads to blood shed.

    “Let me affirm that I know Mr President to be a true democrat, a lover of rule of law, and a believer in the sanctity of the judicial process.

    “I know, as a matter of fact, that Mr President will never authorise a dictatorial violation of the constitution irrespective of who is involved.

    “It is crucial to add that Mr President will never support any action that is capable of generating bloodbath and bloodshed,” he said.

    Adeleke also alleged that some political leaders in the state had instructed the security agencies to effect a “non existent judgment” by forcefully taking over all the local government secretariats on Monday.

    “I want to place on notice the Nigerian public, and our friends in the diplomatic community and the lovers of democracy and rule of law that our people will not accept any attempt to impose illegality and anarchy on us.

    “We will not allow any takeover of the local government except through a judicial pronouncement or a democratic process.

    “We vehemently reject any ploy to deploy a non-existing court order to achieve local political power.

    “I, therefore, appeal to Mr President who is a renown democrat, to insist on the rule of law, by instructing the Inspector-General of Police, the Director-General of DSS, and the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps not to obey an illegal order.

    “The Osun State security chiefs should also be called to order,” he said.

  • Gov. Adeleke imposes curfew on Osun communities

    Gov. Adeleke imposes curfew on Osun communities

    Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has imposed a curfew on Ifon and Ilobu communities in Orolu and Irepodun Local Government Areas following a fresh outbreak of communal clash between the two communities.

    A statement on Thursday in Osogbo by Mr Kolapo Alimi, Osun Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, said that the curfew from 7:00p.m. to 7:00a.m., takes immediate effect.

    “Sequel to an outbreak of yet another communal misunderstanding between Ifon and Ilobu communities, the State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has ordered that a curfew be imposed on the two warring communities with immediate effect.

    “To forestall further escalation of the crisis, the governor has approved that a 7:00p.m. to 7:00a.m., curfew be imposed,” he said

    The commissioner added that in order to ensure a lasting peace, a contingent of security personnel, comprising the Army, Police, and Civil Defence has also been deployed to the warring communities to prevent further anarchy.

    He said that indigenes of the warring communities are advised to cooperate with the state government to resolve the issues amicably, to ensure lasting peace.

    Alimi said that a committee of stakeholders consisting of the representatives of the communities, the heads of security agencies, representatives of the State Council of Obas and other relevant bodies, will be immediately constituted to resolve the issue permanently.

    He, however, warned that anyone or group of persons found or caught doing or instigating any further violence, knowingly or unknowingly, in breach of lasting peace would be made to face the full wrath of the law.

    The commissioner said that perpetrators of violence would be apprehended and prosecuted in line with the dictates of the law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

  • Osun: ICPC begins tracking of N10bn federal constituency projects

    Osun: ICPC begins tracking of N10bn federal constituency projects

    The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has commenced the tracking of more than N10 billion constituency projects executed by federal lawmakers in Osun.

    The head of the ICPC team, Mrs Mary Oke, disclosed this on Saturday during the tracking of federal constituency projects in Osogbo, Ilobu, Kuta and Ede areas of the state.

    Oke said that the tracking was part of the commission’s mandate to promote accountability and transparency in the implementation of public projects.

    She said that the tracking would enable the commission to assess the status of various constituency and executive projects across the state.

    Oke said that this was to ensure that public resources were judiciously utilised to deliver quality infrastructure and services to the citizens.

    “We have commenced the phase seven of constituency and executive projects tracking exercise in Osun.

    “ICPC will be tracking projects valued at N10,470,872,906.60 in Osun State.

    “The tracking is to ensure that government-funded projects provide value for money and are executed according to specifications,” she said.

    Oke called on relevant stakeholders to support the commission in its tracking exercise.

    The team leader called on relevant stakeholders, including community leaders and civil society organisations, to support the exercise.

    “They can do this by providing the commission with relevant information that can assist in achieving its set objectives,” she said.

  • Stay away from South West, Osun PDP cautions Ganduje

    Stay away from South West, Osun PDP cautions Ganduje

    The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has cautioned Abdullahi Ganduje, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to exercise caution in his attempt to impress his party’s stalwarts.

    The Osun PDP also warned Ganduje to pay serious attention to the political history of the Southwest to assist him in making informed lines while making public comments about the region.

    The warning was issued through a statement signed by Sunday Bisi, the Osun PDP chairman, on Monday.

    Ganduje reportedly boasted at a political gathering in Ondo State that his party would deploy all means to capture the entire Southwest.

    PDP, while cautioning Ganduje over such reckless utterances capable of igniting citizens, which, in turn, could destabilise the country, insisted that the Osun people will decide their governor in the 2026 election.

    “For a man who could not salvage his home state for the APC owing to his disastrous regime as governor of the state to start threatening fire and brimstone in the Southwest is not only reckless but absolutely insane,” the state PDP chairman said.

    He described Ganduje’s postulation as a careless plot to plunge the Southwest into avoidable political turmoil in a country that is already on a stressed line of ethnic distrust and economic challenges.

    While Mr President continues to battle the depressed state of the nation’s economy, Mr Ganduje should be careful not to compound the situation by attempting barefaced election rigging, especially in the Southwest, as doing so will be nothing but stepping on a very dangerous cobra’s tail.

    “If Mallam Ganduje failed as he did to cause war in Kano, where the APC was discarded for his harrowing reign in the state, he should be ready to face and accept similar verdicts in other states where the APC have failed the electorate.

    “For us in Osun, we are used to such unstatemanly utterances, which resulted in a more disastrous outing for Ganduje’s party in the 2022 governorship election after his predecessor in office openly mandated APC thugs to invade and rig the election in Osun.

    “This, Mr Ganduje must remember, irked the highly intelligent people of the state by voting aggressively against the then APC candidate, Gboyega Oyetola. The same fate, we want to assure, awaits APC in Osun State,” the statement concluded.

  • Adeleke wins 2024 Best Civil Service-Loving Governor in Nigeria award

    Adeleke wins 2024 Best Civil Service-Loving Governor in Nigeria award

    Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has bagged an award of excellence as the 2024 Best Civil Service Loving Governor in Nigeria.

    In a statement on Friday by Kolapo Alimi, Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment said the award was presented to the governor by the President of the Nigeria Civil Service Union, NCSU, who also doubles as the Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Southwest Zone, Oluwole Adeleye.

    Receiving the award, Governor Adeleke appreciated Osun State workers for cooperating with his administration.

    He disclosed that he has been able to deliver much of his electoral promises within a short period through the grace of God and their support.

    Represented by the deputy governor, Kola Adewusi, Adeleke appealed to workers to continue to support him, and he equally thanked the workforce in the state for supporting the present government.

    Presenting the award to Governor Adeleke, Adeleye said the award is in recognition of the governor’s outstanding performance in the state and his positive disposition towards workers generally.

    While congratulating the governor, Adeleye also acknowledged his consistency and style of governance.

    “This has positively impacted the human capital, socio-economic and infrastructural developments of Osun State.

    “The Union will continue to sustain its pivotal role in advocacy for good governance and agitations for better welfare for workers generally,” he said.

    Buttressing factors that earned Governor Adeleke the award, the labour leader listed prompt payment of salaries and payment of palliatives to workers to cushion the negative effects of economic hardship, as well as promotion, conversion and advancement of workers.

     

     

     

  • Adeleke approves work-from-home policy for Osun workers

    Adeleke approves work-from-home policy for Osun workers

    Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun has approved a work-from-home policy for civil servants in the state.

    Adeleke, in a circular by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Tuesday in Osogbo, said the policy was in pursuance of his commitment to the well-being of workers,

    The circular also said the approval was a response to the present economic situation in the country.

    According to the circular, the governor also announced the extension of payment of palliatives for public servants for the next two months.

    The circular also said that Grade Level (GL) 01 to 10 would go to work three times a week, while GL 12 to 17 would be at work four times a week.

    “By this circular, therefore, and until another directive is given, the working day schedules for public servants in the state have been approved as follows:

    “Public Servants on GL.01 to GL.10; three days a week, GL 12 to GL.17; four days a week.

    “This arrangements exclude those on essential duties such as medical personnel, security officers, political office holders and accounting Officers.

    “It is also important to note that arrangement as to which days each public servant in the above categories will be at work, shall be arranged by the accounting officers in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government.

    “The governor has also graciously approved the continuation of payment of the agreed palliatives to public servants in the state for the next two months pending the commencement of the new minimum wage.

    “All accounting officers of Ministries, Departments and Agencies of governments, including Local Governments, are further directed to comply”, it said.

  • Why Osun debt service rate is high – Govt

    Why Osun debt service rate is high – Govt

    The Osun government says the devaluation of the Naira is responsible for the state’s high debt service payment.

    Mr Kolapo Alimi, the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, in a statement on Wednesday in Osogbo, said that the clarification became necessary due to the report by the National Bureau of Statistics(NBS) listing Osun as number ten among states with high debt service payments.

    Alimi said that the apparent rise in the monthly loan repayment on the state’s foreign loan was not as a result of any new borrowing but a consequence of the nation’s weak currency following the devaluation of the Naira.

    The commissioner noted that the repayment on foreign loans was usually done based on the prevailing exchange rate of the local currency, that is Naira to the United States dollar.

    “It is also important to put on record that Osun state was plunged into high local and foreign indebtedness in the 12 years of the last administration in the state.

    “As the repayment is done in line with prevailing rate, there is an increase in the Naira value of monthly loan repayment on foreign loans portfolio of all the states of the federation.

    “The inevitable increase, therefore, is not only peculiar to Osun, rather, it is applicable to all the states and the Federal Government.

    “The public is assured that the state financial management is responsible and sustainable without any new indebtedness,” he said.

  • Court remands Osun traditional ruler for alleged illegal gold mining

    Court remands Osun traditional ruler for alleged illegal gold mining

    Court remands Osun traditional ruler for alleged illegal gold miningby the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), directed them to be remanded pending the perfection of their bail conditions

    Oba Osunmakinde were arraigned alongside Sheu Mustapha, Sabiru Hashim, Danbaba Ibrahim and Ade Olap Global Resources Limited.

    The defendants, who were alleged to have committed the offence in Lege Community, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, were preferred with two counts.

    NAN reports that Oba Osunmakinde is the Obawore of Ifetuntun in Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun.

    The AGF accused the five defendants of conspiring with others at large on Aug. 25 to engage in the illegal mining of gold at the Ogunlepo mining site in Lege community, Odigbo local government area of Ondo State.

    The alleged offence is said to be contrary to Section 3 (6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act 2004 and punishable under Section 1(8) of the same Act.

    The monarch and co-defendants were also alleged to have undertaken gold mining on Aug. 25 without lawful authority contrary to Section 1(8) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act and punishable under the same Act.

    All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    Counsel to the AGF, Toluwalope Ojo, then asked for a trial date.

    Although lawyer Ojo did not object to the bail of the accused persons, he, however, requested the court to compel them to deposit their international passports with the court.

    Lawyer to the defendants, Vincent Ododo, who moved consolidated bail applications for his clients, prayed the judge to admit them to bail on various grounds.

    Part of the grounds he cited was that the 1st defendant was a well-known traditional ruler and that the charges against them did not carry capital punishment while also assuring that the defendants would not fail to appear in court for trial.

    Justice Nwite, in a short ruling, admitted them to bail in the sum of N20 million each with one surety in the like sum.

    The judge ordered that the sureties must be resident in Abuja with ownership of landed property and must produce a three-year tax clearance certificate.

    He also ordered that the defendants must deposit their international passports along with three copies of each of their recent passport photographs with the deputy chief registrar of the court.

    The Judge ordered that they be taken to the correctional facility pending their bail perfection.

    The matter was adjourned until Sept. 26 for trial

  • We’re on path to generate electricity in Osun – Adeleke

    We’re on path to generate electricity in Osun – Adeleke

    Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun says the state is working towards generating its own electricity and will also distribute it to neighbouring states when achieved.

    Adeleke said this on Thursday in Ilesa, at the inauguration of the construction of the Obokun 33KV feeder line, a project expected to enhance electricity supply in the state.

    The governor said that the state had a robust plan to transform its energy and electricity market through appropriate policy and legislation.

    Adeleke said that the state had a draft electricity bill and policy which would expand power generation and distribution.

    “As a government committed to the welfare of the people, it is our focus to bring economic light to the people of the state.

    “The policy and the bill when finally passed and signed into law will change the face of Osun electricity space.

    “Being so blessed with many rivers and solar assets, we will generate our electricity.

    “We will issue licences to those capable of generating electricity and we will regulate our power distributor, the Ibadan disco.

    “We are acting fast in the energy space because power supply is an engine room of economic growth.

    “Regular power supply boosts economic activities and our vision is that Osun state will be self-sufficient in power supply and also export to neighboring states,” he said.

    Adeleke, who noted that the feeder had been abandoned for 11 years, said that people of the affected areas suffered untold hardship, blackout and economic loss during the period.

    “From today, that era of darkness has come to an end. Light has come and darkness has vanished,”he said.

    In his remarks, Mr Festus Adeyemo, Commissioner for Energy, Osun, said that the contract for the repair of the feeder line was first awarded on January 25, 2013 with 30 per cent funding released to the contractor.

    Adeyemi, however, said the project was later abandoned due to lack of interest by successive administrations.

    The commissioner said that when completed, the feeder line would supply electricity to some communities in four local governments of Ilesa West, Obokun, Boluwaduro and Atakumosa West.