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  • Osun gov, Oyetola speaks on prioritising workers’ welfare, prompt payment of salaries

    The new governor of Osun State, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola has pledged to run a people friendly administration.

    He made the promise in his inaugural address on Tuesday in Osogbo after he was sworn-in.

    According to Oyetola, the welfare of workers in the state will be of utmost concern to his government, as he pledged to pay salaries promptly.

    “Ours shall be a government committed to serving the people,” Oyetola stated.

    “We will ensure workers’ salaries are paid promptly based on the financial inflow of the state. We will prioritize workers welfare and pensioners.

    “We will organize the Osun Economic Summit, with the first quarter of our year in office.”

    According to him, he will ensure creation of 30,000 jobs and improvement on the standard of living for citizens of the state.

    “It is time to create jobs for our youths; we will upgrade our vocational technical institutions to make them more vibrant with the demands of the technology-driven world. We in partnership with private sectors will establish large manufacturing industries in the major sectors of the economy to create at least 30,000 jobs.”

    He said he will ensure the achievement of the sustainable development goals for the overall development of the state.

    Oyetola assured that education will be promoted in the state in line with the principle of the Omoluabi.

    “We will promote equitable and value based developmental education, by emphasizing its competence and character as reflected in the principle and philosophy of Omoluabi,” he said.

    He commended his predecessor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for the various developmental projects implemented during his tenure and promised to sustain and improve on them.

     

  • BREAKING: Oyetola officially sworn in as Osun governor

    Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, has been officially sworn in as the 5th executive governor of Osun State.

    Oyetola will now assume the position of the governor from Rauf Aregbesola following the handing over ceremony which held in Osogbo, the state capital.

    Both men are members of Nigeria’s ruling party, APC. Both also have other things in common: they were both based in Lagos and are staunch loyalists of APC national leader, Bola Tinubu.

    Mr Aregebsola has governed Osun State for eight years. His tenure witnessed massive infrastructural development including construction of major roads and schools. His tenure, particularly his second term in office, was, however, also characterised by irregular payment of workers salaries.

    Mr Oyetola won the September Osun governorship election, narrowly defeating Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Mr Adeleke and the PDP have cried foul and are currently challenging the victory in court.

  • Osun Rerun: Aregbesola speaks on protests by PDP leaders against Oyetola’s victory

    Osun Rerun: Aregbesola speaks on protests by PDP leaders against Oyetola’s victory

    …as Ganduje presents governor-elect to Buhari
    Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, on Friday described those protesting against the result of Osun State governorship election as being mentally unstable.
    Recall that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, and the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus were among the PDP leaders that staged a protest against the outcome of the election at the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.
    Aregbesola spoke with State House correspondents on Friday after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
    The Chairman of the APC Governorship Election Campaign in Osun State and Governor of Kano State, Umaru Ganduje and Governor Aregbesola, on Friday, also formally presented the Governor-elect of the Osun Election, Gboyega Oyetola to President Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
    The governors also thanked the President for his support during the election.

  • Osun Rerun: Buhari summons Aregbesola, Oyetola

    Osun Rerun: Buhari summons Aregbesola, Oyetola

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday met behind closed doors with the outgoing Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola.
    He arrived the President’s office along with the governor-elect, Gboyega Oyetola.
    Oyetola emerged the winner of the governorship election in Osun State after rerun election that followed the September 22nd election in the state.
    The meeting with the President started around 12 noon.
    It was still in progress at the time of filing this report.
    Meanwhile, leadership of the opposition, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are currently protesting at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the rerun elections.
    They are demanding that INEC its governorship candidate, Ademola Adeleke winner of the elections.
     
     
     
    Details Later…

  • Osun Rerun: Why I supported Oyetola against Adeleke – Omisore

    Osun Rerun: Why I supported Oyetola against Adeleke – Omisore

    The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the just concluded governorship election in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has said that he opted to support the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gboyega Oyetola against that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ademola Adeleke because the leadership of the PDP in the state said they did not need his support.

    Omisore said this in Osogbo on Thursday during a meeting with members of the SDP from across the 30 local government areas of the state.

    Omisore, who defected from the PDP to the SDP some months before the election, said that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar wanted to come and discuss with him before the rerun when he came to Osogbo but he (Atiku) was prevented from coming by the leadership of the PDP in the state.

    A former Nigerian Ambassador to the Philippines, Dr Yemi Farounbi, had said this while narrating why Omisore decided to work for the APC candidate in the rerun supplementary poll held on September 27.

    Farounbi said the same thing and Omisore, while addressing the party members, said he adopted everything the former envoy had said.

    He said the party opted to support the candidate of the party that was ready to implement the manifestos of the SDP because the party was for the best interest of the majority of the people.

    Omisore said, “I want to adopt all what Dr Farounbi said. We gave them (APC and PDP) our manifesto. We dwelled on payment of arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities, on local content, employment for our youths and the reorganisation of the educational system, among others.

    “We went to negotiation with a clear mind that Osun must be free and thank God our coalition has produced a new future for the state.

    “In addition to what Dr Faroumbi said, the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomole, said clearly that our discussion was devoid of any financial commitment. He said they were ready to work.”

    Speaking earlier, Farounbi had explained that the SDP leaders decided to support any political party that was ready to put the people of the state first, saying Omisore earned his respect more because he was selfless in arriving at who to support.

    He said the issue of arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities which had impoverished workers and pensioners was given priority. The reorganisation of the education sector and local content were also prominent on their agenda.

    Farounbi said, “Apart from these, we also said the state must return to 6-3-3-4. That contracts and services must be given to Osun indigenes; that infrastructural development and food security must be given priority because our people must not be hungry and they agreed.

    “The Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, was the first to come and he came from the airport to Ile-Ife with some senators and Dr Doyin Okupe. We gave him our manifesto and we waited for 24 hours but no response. We heard that they were saying that we wanted to reap where we did not sow. We heard that they said they would win without us and all that.

    “Also, former Ogun State Governor, Gbenga Daniel, who is the director general of Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organisation, called and said they were in Osogbo and they would come to see us. But they did not come.

    “But former Vice President Atiku Abubakar called and expressed his regret for not being able to come. He said he wanted to come but the leadership of the PDP in Osun State said they should not come because they didn’t need us. That we should go and do anything we liked.”

     

  • Osun rerun: APC lampoons foreign, local observers, insists Oyetola won free and fair

    The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that election observers that faulted the conduct of the Osun State governorship election won by the candidate of the party, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, are not sincere in their reports.
    The APC chairman in Osun State, Mr Gboyega Famodun, who said this at a press conference in Osogbo on Tuesday stated that Oyetola won the poll without any manipulation stressing that the victory was incontestable.
    Famodun claimed that the Peoples Democratic Party brought hoodlums from Kwara State into Osun State as well as fake observers but security agents prevented these people from interfering with the election.
    The APC chairman stated further that the opposition party and its candidate, Senator Ademola Adeleke, then concocted lies and allegedly sold the lie to the public that genuine observers and voters were turned back by security agents from accessing areas where the poll was held.
    The chairman also accused foreign and local observers of insincerity, saying they adjudged the election free and fair but later turned round to depend on the alleged lies from the PDP to fault the same election.
    He said, “We are not impressed by the volte face of some foreign and local election observers who in one breath acknowledged the peaceful and fair nature of the process, but in another, questioned the outcome just at the tail end at the collation centre, where the die is already cast, and nothing can be changed or influenced again.
    “As far as fairness goes, you cannot recommend a process and at the same time deny its conclusion”.
     
     

  • Osun 2018: I will not retrench workers, if elected, says APC candidate Oyetola

    Osun 2018: I will not retrench workers, if elected, says APC candidate Oyetola

    Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate for the Sept. 22 election in Osun, has said that he would not retrench workers, if elected.

    Oyetola , in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Osogbo, said now that the country is out of recession and states are bouncing back to economic recovery, there would be no basis for retrenchment.

    According to him, in 2015 when the state was experiencing financial crisis as a result of the national economic meltdown, the state government did not embark on retrenchment of workers.

    Oyetola, however, said that his administration would not stop any individual from opting out of service, if he so desires.

    “We can’t afford to begin staff rationalization now when things are looking up, but rather we are thinking out of the box to increase our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR),” he said.

    Oyetola, who is the Chief of Staff to Gov. Aregbesola, said efforts would be stepped up to reduce the state’s dependence on federal allocation as a means of funding government, if given the opportunity to serve.

    He said that his government would specifically block leakages in tax collection and administration processes, while working harder to improve on the IGR.

    The APC flag bearer expressed confidence that his many years experience in the private and public sectors, would assist him in moving the state forward.

    “I have operated as a top-flier in the nation’s very fierce and competitive private sector for over 30 years, building a vast network of contacts locally and internationally.

    “This will come in handy towards our next phase of socio-economic development of the state,”Oyetola said.

    NAN

  • Osun APC primary: Oyetola accepts party nomination, says ‘war lies ahead’

    Osun APC primary: Oyetola accepts party nomination, says ‘war lies ahead’

    The winner of the Osun All Progressives Congress governorship primary, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, said he has accepted to be party’s flag bearer for the September 22 election.

    Recall that Oyetola who is Chief of Staff to incumbent governor, Rauf Aregbesola polled 127,017 votes as against his closest rival and Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Yusuf Lasun who scored 21,000. Speaker of the Osun House of Assembly Nojeem Salaam came third in the direct primary which held on Friday.

    While reading his acceptance to newsmen on Friday night, shortly after he was declared winner of the primary, the Chief of Staff said that he was humbled by the victory.

    Oyetola, also doubles as cousin to the national leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu called on his co-contestants to join him in the task of winning the governorship election.

    He thanked all the party’s member for ensuring his victory, adding that his emergence as the party’s flag bearer was made possible by them.

    He also thanked Gov. Aregbesola, saying he would work assiduously to ensure continuity and consolidation of his efforts.

    Read full speech below:

    ACCEPTANCE SPEECH OF GBOYEGA OYETOLA ON HIS EMERGENCE AS THE GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE OF THE APC IN THE SEPTEMBER 22ND ELECTION

    Protocols,

    Today, you the esteemed members of our party, the All Progressives Congress in the State of Osun made history.

    Your state was chosen as the ground for the litmus test of participatory democracy applied through the Direct primaries for elections. You did not fail or faulter.

    In your large numbers you trooped out to exercise your civic rights as enshrined in the APC constitution nay Nigeria. Osun demonstrated what was possible today by voting peacefully and exercising their democratic rights. The success of the direct primaries in Osun has placed our party, the APC on a path of democratic rejuvenation and a rebirth of membership faith in the party. So let me begin by thanking all the card carrying members of the APC in the state of Osun who voted and contributed to making the exercise a success. How can I forget the excitement I saw on the faces of thousands who queued up with their cards to vote.

    From Iwo to Ede, from Ede to Ejigbo. From Osogbo to ijebu jesha, from Ada to Iragbiji, the story is the same – proud APC members happy to exercise their rights. I am humbled by the fact that I have emerged the winner of the contest. It was made possible by you the party members and your votes.

    With deep humility and a sense of duty I accept your verdict that I should carry forward the torch of our party in the next elections. I assure you that your choice will not be wasted. You have settled for a man steady in his ways, firm in his convictions about the purpose of government, which is to promote the welfare of the people, protect their rights and provide good governance.

    Let me recognize all that came on this journey with me. They ran a keen contest and in the spirit of our party shunned violence. I salute them and stretch out my hands of fellowship and brotherhood to each and every co-contestant for this ticket. The victory is for all of us and as we continue our party’s bid to win the election and keep on the good works of moving our State up the global development level, I invite all my co-contestants to join me in the task of winning the election of September 22 and running a people oriented government.

    We have only won the battle. The war lies ahead of us. Our opponents from other parties increase their arsenal to fight with us. But we are ready. We are tested. Like the broom sweeping away the rot, we are set and ready. The 60 days plus ahead will not be easy but i am confident in our ability to protect what we have.

    To our quintessential governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, how can I begin to extol and thank you. Working with you has been like constantly jugging and through you serving the people has had a different meaning. I can assure you that all you have laboured to achieve for the goodness and well being of the people will not be in vain. We shall work assiduously to ensure continuity and consolidation of your efforts.

    I thank Gov. Abdul Azeez Yari who lead the team from the APC headquarters to conduct the primaries. Under your watch the people of Osun and our great party witnessed the opening of a new chapter and the needed filip for a rebound of participatory democracy.

    Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, thank you for standing by the people of Osun. You have strengthened the Omoluabi bond that we share.

    Thank you and God bless!

    Gboyega Oyetola
    APC Governorship Candidate
    State of Osun,
    20th July, 2018.

  • Osun 2018: Aregbesola’s Chief of Staff, Oyetola wins APC governorship ticket

    Alhaji Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola has been declared winner of the Osun All Progressives Congress governorship primary, ahead of the 22 September election in the state.

    In the direct primary which held on Friday, the incumbent Chief of Staff polled 127,017 votes as against his closest rival and Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives, Yusuf Lasun who scored 21,000. Speaker of the Osun House of Assembly Nojeem Salaam came third.

    Oyetola, who is a cousin to the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has been Governor Aregbesola’s chief of staff since 2010.

    Announcing the results at about 10:45 pm on Friday at the party’s secretariat in Osogbo Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege said Oyetola, scored 127,017 votes.

    Omo-Agege, who represented Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara, the Chairman of the Election committee, said that Mr Lasun Yussuff, Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives came second with 21,975 votes.

    ” Having won the majority votes, I declared Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola as the official flag bearer for the Sept. 22 governorship election”, Omo-Agege said.

    He commended all other aspirants for displaying maturity during the exercise.

    Omo-Agege who described the election as a family contest, said there was no victor and no vanquished.

    The direct primary was conducted in 332 wards across the state.

    Meanwhile, some aspirants have expressed their dissatisfaction at the process, with some insisting to challenge it in court.

    One of the aspirants, who participated in the primary, Mr. Kunle Adegoke, described the exercise as a charade, saying it was skewed to favour the winner.

    Adegoke said, “What we experienced in Osun today is not a primary in any way. It was a charade and it was in contravention of basic tenets of democracy.

    “I will not dump the party because of the issues. I will remain in the party and correct this anomaly by challenging the process in court.”

    He lamented that the party conducted the primary without a verifiable membership database despite using the direct primary method instead of a delegate system.

    He also alleged that hoodlums were used to harass and coerce members of the party to vote for Oyetola and that those that resisted were beaten by the thugs.

    Among the 17 aspirants who contested for the party’s ticket, several withdrew at the last minute. They were Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, who is the Secretary to State Government, Sen. Babajide Omoworare, representing Osun East at the Senate and Mr Peter Babalola, Chairman of State Civil Service Commission.

  • Osun 2018: Tinubu pressures Aregbesola to anoint own cousin, Oyetola as APC flag bearer

    …as party chieftains disagree with choice of national leader

    There is commotion under the tent of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, as interests of the party leaders continue to clash over who represents it in the forthcoming governorship election scheduled to hold in the state on September 22.

    Most visible among the several candidates put forward by chieftains in Osun State is that of the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who reportedly pressures the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola to anoint Gboyega Oyetola, [Tinubu’s cousin] as APC’s flag bearer for the Osun governorship election.

    To win the APC guber ticket, Oyetola, who is the current Chief of Staff to Governor Aregbesola will be slugging it out with other contenders like; Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, the state Commissioner for Finance;Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly; Hon. Najeem Salam, the lawmaker, representing Ejigbo/Iwo/Ola-Oluwa federal constituency in the House of Representatives; Hon. Mojeed Alabi, the deputy speaker in the House of Representatives; Hon. Lasun Yusuf, representing the Orolu/Irepodun/Osogbo/Oroluunda Federal Constituency.

    Others are the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice; Dr. Ajibola Basiru, a Lagos-based legal practitioner; Rasheed Adegoke,Founder of Tiwa n Tiwa L’Osun, a socio-political group

    According to a close source who spoke anonymously to TheNewsGurung.com, the alleged plot by Tinubu to influence the outcome of Osun APC’s primaries in favour of Oyetola has put the party excos at loggerheads.

    According to the source: “Aregbesola and some of his trusted aides including the likes of Biyi Odunlade for Ife Zone, Gbenga Ogunkanmi for Ayedire and Rasak Salinsile for Iwo Zone, Kolapo Alimi and Bashiru Ajibola for Osogbo/Irepodun, and Victor Fatoki have been alleged to be the brains working relentlessly to realise the Tinubu’s task .”

    Fatoki, it would be recalled, is the Personal Assistant to the State Chairman of the party, Prince Gboyega Famoodun, was given three council areas to work on, while Idowu Korede, the State Commissioner for Sanitation, has been given the task of dealing with list of members from Ijesa axis of the state.

    The source further hinted that to achieve this objective prominent members of the party have been invited in recent times on several occasions to Osogbo, the state capital, with juicy offers including appointments as Senior Special Advisers to the Governor among others.

    According to the source, at one of the meetings, attendees were handed lists of exco members in their respective areas to work on.

    Specific orders were said to have been dished out to remove names of deceased members, as well as those that had crossed to other political parties.

    Those invited to meetings were specifically instructed to ensure that names of members that are favourably disposed to a particular governorship aspirant be instantly removed.

    “The next stage, it was further scooped, is to place all the approved exco members on special salaries and other allowances to ensure the emergence of the governor’s anointed candidate during the forthcoming party governorship primaries,” the source added.

    Party leaders in the state have also expressed concern that the likely anointed candidate, Oyetola if victorious at the polls will serve as a compliant governor who will easily help in covering Aregbesola’s track during his eight year reign as governor.

    However, when TheNewsGuru.com contacted one of the top aides of Aregbesola, who demanded to speak on grounds of anonymity, he said he was unaware of such undercover plans to anoint Oyetola, saying the governor is rather focusing on completing some of the key projects he promised the people of Osun State.

     

    Contentions

     

    As the governorship election approaches, there are several contentious issues that may play out on who finally picks the governorship ticket of the party. While some have wished these away as trivial, others are lobbying and pushing hard to establish some of these issues and it appears they are beginning to gain grounds.

     

    Some of these are;

    ‘Home based’ or ‘Lagos/Foreign based politician’

    Before now, the APC have been enmeshed in the struggle between members advocating for choice of an “home-based” candidate instead of the “Lagos/foreign” candidate.

    Recall that the incumbent governor was an established politician in Lagos State who served under the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration as Commissioner for Works and Special Duties.

    Having spent two terms as governor and given all the support he enjoys, some factions within the ruling party in the state believe that Governor Aregbesola should naturally transmit power to a popular and dependable ‘home based ’politician.

    The clamour has already been established with many believing in the advocacy. However, the party has been very silent on the issue and some members also consider the matter to be a non issue.

    For example, the Director of Publicity and Strategy for the party in the state, Barr. Kunle Oyatomi, in an interview with a national daily [Not TheNewsGur.com] defines someone as ‘Lagos/Foreign politician’ and another a home-based.

    In his words: “As long as you are a citizen of the state and you meet other constitutional requirements you are qualified to run for the election. What should be important is how capable and prepared for the job are the aspirants so that the state would not suffer a retrogression as a result of bad governance. The incumbent governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, no doubt has laid a foundation for continued and future development which need a consolidation by the right choice of candidate to succeed him and further increase the fortunes of the state.”

    Zoning

    The clamour among the members is for the governorship seat to be zoned to the Osun West senatorial districts which comprises; Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore, Ejigbo, Ayedade, Irewole, Isokan, Iwo, Ayedire and Ola-Oluwa council areas, because the zone only ruled for barely two years when late Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke was first civilian governor from 1992 to 1993 since creation of the state since 1991.

    However, the Osun Central and Osun East senatorial districts has ruled for 11 and 8 years respectively out of 26 years since the state was created. Both from Central, Chief Adebisi Akande was in the saddle from 1999 to 2003 and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola from 2003 to 2010 until he was sacked by the Court of Appeal in Ibadan and installed the incumbent governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, who has been on the seat from 2010; and will remain there, all things being equal, till his second term tenure expires later in the year.

    Many other APC members who believe in continuity are insisting that the search for a credible candidate that can do the job must not be limited to a particular zone if the future of the state will not be jeopardized.