NEWS
How I Manage Osun Palliatives, Resources – Gov Adeleke
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke has shed light on his management of state resources including palliative measures initiated by his administration and those supported by the Federal Government.
Spokesperson to Gov Adeleke, Olawale Rasheed urged commentators to always avail themselves of publicly available facts about government’s programs so as not to be perceived as serving opposition interest.
He maintained that the administration had deliberately filled the public space with its plans and intentions across the sectors. The Governor has embraced openness and transparency. Our commentators should avail themselves of critical facts and figures instead of twisting and falsifying publicly verifiable details about state governance.
On palliative distribution in Osun State, we urge the civil society to always engage in thorough field review before taking positions especially as most of the questions raised could have been answered either through desk research or direct freedom of information requests to the relevant government agencies.
According to him, rice distribution was handled by a non-governmental committee chaired by Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and populated by representatives of various non-governmental groups.
The inauguration of the committee and its activities were widely covered by the media, he noted.
As for the N2 Billion palliative expenditure, ‘we urge the group to officially contact the government if it has legal fulfillment to do so within the framework of the Freedom of Information Act especially as the group has shown mischief and refusal to accept details severally released by the government on the administration of palliative measures in the state.’
He added that ‘Ongoing in Osun are multiple government programmes which have at its core palliative interventions such as the wage awards for pensioners and workers that is going to run for six months, sustenance of payment of half salary and pension debt inherited from previous government, the three billion naira plus cooperative loans for artisans and small businesses, the soft medical programs like free medical surgeries for pensioners, expansion of free grants to the poor of the poor in Osun state, and expected delivery of new buses to widen transport access, and affordability.
‘In the interest of educated discourse, it may interest the group to note that Osun is spending far above the said two billion naira which is a loan to states and which the Federal Government has even asked the state governments to start refunding.’
According to him, it was also false to assert that the Gov Adeleke added N2 billion to the N100 billion infrastructure fund as the state has spent far above the N2 billion in service of the needs and aspirations of her people in this hard time.
As a responsible government, the state project account has not in any way stopped the state government from implementing many laudable palliative programs listed above.
As to what Osun is doing with allocations to the state, we hasten to remind the group that there is an elected government in place with a mandate to govern and deliver on good governance within statutory structures and platforms and with appropriation laws to which all are bound, he stated.
The spokesperson pointed out that how government funds are being disposed of and expended are governed by laws and the group can reach the public account committee of the House of Assembly for the annual public account report or take hold of the 2024 budgetary act to read how state funds are allocated across sectors and projects.
Without ascribing bias, we further educate the group to at least read of the state Governor’s plan on food security which he has presented at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and for which he has impaneled a committee chaired by the Commissioner for Agriculture.
To whoever may be ignorant of publicly available reports on state plans on food security, the agenda covers farm security, strategies for expansion of food production, unclogging farm transportation logistics, easing food access at affordable prices, and hosting a back-to-farm event with government incentives.
On the issue of court closure, the facts are out as the implementation of the tripartite agreement for the resolution of the dispute depends on the Chief Judge calling a meeting of the State Judicial Service Commission especially as the Governor has ordered the implementation of areas that affected the executive arm in the agreement, he asserted.
He opined that why the group is blaming the Governor for failure to summon a meeting of the Judicial Service Commission beats all imagination.
The Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Hon Justice Oyewole Adeyeye has passed on.
The news of his passing was leaked by a reliable source under the condition of anonymity.
The sad incident, according to the source, happened in Ado Ekiti in the early hours of Tuesday.
His death is being traced to a sickness which came upon him following the injury he sustained when a section of the Ekiti State High Court Complex, Ado Ekiti wall collapsed in July 12, 2023.
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The late Justice Adeyeye was at the office when the building collapse happened and sustained injuries.
While the state and his family were yet to issue statements on his demise, the Ekiti State Chapter of the Association of International Female Lawyers (FIDA) has sent condolences to the family.
The condolences message read: “With deep sorrow in our hearts and in total submission to the will of God, FIDA Ekiti consoles with the family of the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Hon Justice Oyewole Adeyeye on his call to glory.
“May He find rest with his maker.
“I pray that God grants the family, the Judiciary and the people of Ekiti State, the grace to bear this irreparable loss.
Adieu great one.”
Justice Adeyeye was born 1960 in Araromi Ugbesi in Ekiti East Local Government of Ekiti State and was called to bar in 1986.
He started his career as a State Counsel in the civil service of the then Ondo State before joining the Ekiti State Judiciary Service Commission shortly after the state was created in 1996.
He was promoted to the position of a judge in the state’s high court in 2002 and has served at different occasions in the election petition tribunal.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed all charges against 76 individuals accused of participating in the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests.
The ruling came after the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi, moved to discontinue the case under orders from President Bola Tinubu.
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Justice Obiora Egwuatu, presiding over the matter, struck out the charges after hearing a motion from the AGF’s representative, Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) Mohammed Abubakar.
Citing Section 174 of the 1999 Constitution, the AGF formally took over the case from the Inspector General of Police, then requested to drop all charges against the defendants, many of whom are minors.
The judge granted the AGF’s application without objection from defense counsel, ordering the immediate release of the accused, who were not present in court.
This decision follows a directive issued on Monday by President Tinubu, instructing the AGF to withdraw charges against the protesters.
More to follow……….
The Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN) has raised concerns over alleged monopolistic practices by Dangote Refinery, following a public dispute about fuel pricing in the downstream petroleum sector.
Recall that the refinery, Africa’s largest, recently disclosed its petrol pricing at N990 per litre in trucks and N960 per litre into ships, a move it justifies as being in line with international rates.
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PETROAN, however, sees this as an attempt to suppress competitors and dominate the Nigerian market.
The rift began when Dangote Refinery claimed that complaints from marketers regarding its pricing were fueled by intentions to import cheaper, potentially substandard products.
In response, PETROAN strongly rejected these allegations, suggesting that Dangote’s claims are tactics designed to maintain a monopoly in the sector.
Joseph Obele, PETROAN’s spokesperson, stated that the association remains committed to importing high-quality products at more competitive rates to ensure affordability for Nigerian consumers.
According to PETROAN, competition in the market is essential for achieving fair pricing, and any attempt to stifle it would be detrimental to consumers.
They argue that Dangote Refinery’s pricing should reflect production costs and fair margins rather than international benchmarks, especially given concessions granted by the government for the refinery’s establishment.
PETROAN also announced its plans to partner with foreign refineries and financial backers to import premium-quality petroleum products at prices below current rates.
The association aims to enter the market by December 2024, pending necessary regulatory approvals.
“The allegations that PETROAN will import substandard products are unfounded and aimed at creating an unfair playing field,” the statement read.
PETROAN warned that similar claims in the past had led to significant price hikes when competitors were pushed out, emphasizing that the entry of new players into the market would lead to more competitive pricing and ultimately benefit Nigerian consumers.
PETROAN expressed appreciation for President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to revitalizing Nigeria’s state-owned refineries and urged the government to consider privatizing the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries once rehabilitation is complete.
The association believes a transparent privatization process will help strengthen Nigeria’s downstream sector and counter monopolistic tendencies.
To address the ongoing pricing challenges in the sector, PETROAN called on the government to convene a comprehensive meeting of industry stakeholders, including major associations like IPMAN, DAPPMAN, MEMAN, NUPENG, and PENGASSAN.
PETROAN believes that collaboration among these groups will be instrumental in establishing a sustainable and competitive pricing framework for petroleum products in Nigeria.
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