Salary arrears: Judge wants Osun lawmakers to impeach Aregbesola
(Nigeria) Following the seven month arrears of salaries owed
Osun State workers, including judges in the state, Justice Oloyede Olamide
Folahanmi of the Osun State High Court has petitioned the state House of
Assembly, calling for the probe of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
He is calling on the state lawmakers to impeach Governor Aregbesola
for mismanaging the state resources, leading to workers in the state being owed
seven months salary arrears.
Justice Folahanmi, in the petition, said “” I declare that
in presenting this petition, am not in any way motivated by malice, spite, pecuniary interest or
promise thereof, nor am I propelled by a desire for higher office, since it has
always been my conviction that all good things come from above, only from
above.
“I am also not unmindful of the need to respect the dignity
of fellow citizens and to respect constituted authority (including Mr.
Governor), it is however, trite that: respect begets respect, and that dignity
is as dignity does.
“My objective is to ensure that human beings are treated
justly, and thus ensure the Reign of Peace, since peace and justice can never
be separated, they are two sides of the same coin.
“If the world is ever to experience peace therefore, all
hands must be on deck to ensure that no one is treated unjustly, and that the
propensity of certain persons to mistreat and maltreat others are at least put
in check, for as long as it is not quite possible to wipe out injustice completely,”
he added.
Full text of the petition:
This “Petition” is presented with a deep sense of
responsibility and sincerity of purpose, due to my conviction in the sanctity
of ‘Truth’ and in ‘The Rule of Law” as the bases for promoting the ideals and
the attainment of “good governance and the welfare of all persons in our
country, on the principles of, Freedom, Equality and Justice as enunciated at
the Stockholm Conference (1942), a principle which finds expression in the
preamble to our Constitution, and which I believe is a fundamental
pre-condition to the establishment and sustenance of our collective dream of an
“egalitarian society” as promised by Osun State’s anthem, as well as the bases
for harmony, “universal brotherhood and World peace.”
I declare that in presenting this petition, am not in any
way motivated by malice, spite, pecuniary
interest or promise thereof, nor am I propelled by a desire for higher office,
since it has always been my conviction that all good things come from above,
only from above.
I am also not unmindful of the need to respect the dignity
of fellow citizens and to respect constituted authority (including Mr.
Governor), it is however trite that: respect begets respect, and that dignity
is as dignity does.
My objective is to ensure that human beings are treated
justly, and thus ensure the Reign of Peace, since peace and justice can never
be separated, they are two sides of the same coin!
If the world is ever to experience peace therefore, all
hands must be on deck to ensure that no one is treated unjustly, and that the
propensity of certain persons to mistreat and maltreat others are at least put
in check, for as long as it is not quite possible to wipe out injustice
completely.
I verily believe, that the desired power, prestige and good
image for our country, that the majority yearns for can only be achieved when we
all cooperate to fight ineptitude, corruption, greed and abuse of entrusted
power in governance.
I am also convinced of the fact loving ones brethren, means
doing that which will benefit them, which includes having them corrected and/or
punished if they refuse to understand and persist in acts which are damaging to
others beside themselves. That will be rendering them genuine service. But
justice must always prevail, for love cannot be separated from justice, and the
presence and union of both remains the only guarantee for the much desired
World/Global peace!
And it is this conviction, this knowledge that has propelled
me, as one who has promised to, uphold the Constitution of this Country,
without fear or favour, affection nor illwill, having observed for some time
now, that the policies of Mr. Governor, though idealistic, are in the main
unrealistic and riddled with deceit and are being pursued for selfish end to
the detriment of the common good.
I want it to be on record that I had previously sought for,
but failed to secure an appointment with Mr. Governor, first through his aides
and then directly when fate brought us across each other’s path, a few weeks
ago, for I do not believe in chance. Although, Mr. Governor, had initially
agreed to grant me audience, after I impressed upon him the urgency of my
mission, regrettably later, he reneged on his promise, thereby making the
publication of my Petition, without first bringing it to his notice privately
unavoidable.
Mr. Governors
policies are geared and are being pursued,solely for the purpose of
enriching himself; his godfathers, immediate families and his cronies, whilst
impoverishing the generality of the people of Osun who look up to him for their
welfare.
I am propelled by the desire to see the pains of my fellow
human beings ameliorated and to possibly, help take away the reproach of our
State as “a bankrupt” and “a failed State”, as announced on Channels TV, by Mr.
Tunji Onigbinde, and the desire to join
hands with other of like minds to help salvage the sinking ship of Osun State!
It is my sincere opinion that if this stigma is not to
become permanent, if Osunis to stand any chance of recovery from the deadly
blows dealt her, by those to who have sworn to protect her and her interest,
and in to whom she had extended the hand of benevolence, thenall loving hands
must be on deck to rescue her from the clutches of her betrayer and tormentors!
I declare that in addition to the media-hype of Osun’s
parlous financial condition, I have firsthand experience which constitutes
evidence, of the unfortunate situation in which Osun currently finds herself,
shall be shown hereunder, for I am not one to act on rumour or hastily.
Even Mr. Governor has admitted publicly, the fact that Osun
is in financial quagmire and that he is clueless on how to pull her out of the
doldrums into which she has been pushed. Nor is it in dispute that the State
has been unable to discharge its financial obligations to, its Pensioners,
Civil Service, the Judicial Arm and Contractors alike.
For it is trite that: “The man dies in all who keeps silent
in the face of tyranny”. Wole Soyinka. Just as surely as the man dies in him
who keeps silent in the face of injustice perpetrated to others!
Let me begin by reminding all without fear of contradiction,
that the platform and the premise on which Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola and
his deputy, Otunba Titi Laoye Tomori came into office,was that the modest
Revenue of Osun State as it stood in the year 2006, when they began their
campaign was more than adequate and sufficient to meet her developmental
yearnings and aspirations, without recourse being made to any unnecessary
burdensome loan.
Mr. Governor warmed his way into the State’s collective
hearts by promising to take her to greater heights, to employ creativity and
innovative ideas in governance to shore up Osun’s finances, widen her revenue
base internally by attracting direct investments, to gradually wean her off her
over dependence on allocations from the Federal purse.
He made us belief, that with frugality and ingenuity in
plugging waste, he would ensure reduction in the cost of governance and thereby
free more money for the provision of social amenities and infrastructures that
will be directed at improving the standard of living of the peopleand this
without adding to the state.
He claimed to have the magic wand, the tricks up his
sleeves, and to be blessed with the Midas’ touch, of ingenuous and yet
realistic ideas for generating resources within the state and thereby achieving
for her, the set goals of self- reliance and financial independence as opposed
to erstwhile dependence on allocation from the Federation Account. This was to
be done without imposing heavier burden on the populace and thereby achieving
for the state both self-reliance and self-actualization, as the state’s revenue
as it stood then which was a little under #2Billion, in a month was sufficient
to meet all its financial obligations with enough left over to provide for and
maintain capital projects.
All will recall the strident, insistent, and persistent
callsmade to the Osun community by Governor Aregbesola and his party the Action
Congress of Nigeria, before his ascension to the seat of Governance in
Osun,only the ‘Oranmiyan’ could lift up
Osun to a pride of place within the committee of States in Nigeria. That only Oranmiyan could give Osun the
dividends of democracy without obtaining as much as a kobo from loans in
achieving the set objective.As only a government devoid of corruption could
harness the limited resources to position the state for the actualization of
its set goals and objectives as captured in Sections 13 to 24 of the
Constitution.
Governor Aregbesola was the most vociferous of voices at
denouncing Prince Oyinlola’s voice was most vociferous in judging and labeling
Prince Oyinlola’s administration as unimpressive and lack-lustre for failing to
provide all amenities within the limits of available resources at that relevant
time.
His was the most strident in disclaiming and denouncing
asfraudulent, unwarranted and unnecessary the 18 billion facility obtained by
the administration of Prince Oyinlola towards the end of the latter’s
administration. He didn’t stop at that, but proceeded to set up an investigative
panel headed by Professor Femi Odekunle to probe the #18.3 Billion loan and the
manner in which it was expended, in spite of the fact that Prince Oyinlola’s
administration had managed to pay back a sizeable proportion of the loan at
that material time.
He even went as far as to condemn the terms and conditions
by which the previous administration secured the facility and even proceeded to
buy the loan back, ostensibly in the interest of the State.(Politics certainly
does make strange bed fellows!
But experience has since shown that all these were a ploy, a
gimmick calculated to deceive the impressionable citizens of Osun!
For barely had he done this that in (a proper omo Eko
fashion) he stated to accumulate and to pile up debts both local and foreign on
strangulating terms and conditions which are now threatening to choke the State
to death, under the guise of providing her with “infrastructures”?
It is therefore not only bewildering but shocking tohear and
later discover that Osun under Aregbesola’s watch has accumulated a mind
bugling debt profile, rumoured to be in the region of four hundred (#400) to
five hundred Billion Naira(#500 Billion) or sum as loan, under the guise that
he wanted to “ raise the ‘infrastructural level’ of the state. Debt which the state
services with almost 80% of her income to the extent thatMr. Tunji Onigbinde
had to declare on air ( Channels TV10 O’ Clock news) to the hearing of the
whole world, that, “Osun is a failed state”! a statement which till date
neither Mr. Governor ( who’s direct responsibility it is to protect the
integrity of the State), nor any of his numerous and usually very voluble aides
have come out to deny this excruciatingly humiliating statement!
This to my mind has done unquantifiable damage to the
dignity and psyche of every son and daughter of Osun.
What is most painful about the whole matter is that we are
being choked to death without even seeing the so called infrastructure. Thereis
nothing on the ground in Osun to indicate or justify this huge gargantuan
quantum of loan!
It is as if all that money simply disappeared into thin air!
Won ti fi owo mugun awon ara-oke jaroso! (they have taken
advantage of the gullible interlanders).
Yoruba bo won ni “oresee were oobu, osebi ologbon a je gbe
ti e sile”! (If you don’t take advantage of the quixotic, be assured that the
wise will never allow you to take advantage of him)!
It is incomprehensible and unfathomable how things could
have gotten so fright-fully bad within such a short time.
How could the self-acclaimed Oranmiyan, the redeemer of Osun
and their saviourfrom ‘lack luster and un-inspiring administration, the shining
Star, the one reputed as possessing powers to literarily transform stones into
bread let his followers who adored, look up to, idolized and literally
worshipped, subject her to such a harrowing experience, to so much ignominy and
ridicule?
It is unimaginably baffling and stupifying!
And this in spite of the elaborate and profuse promises,
despite the grandiloquence, the braggadocio and the oratorios!
How dare he perform so woefully below expectation, and even
far below the poorly rated, hitherto unappreciated and under-valued
predecessors in office?
One must needquestion the logic for accumulating a quantum
of debt and on terms and conditions which is now holding everyone in the state
by their jugular! In whose interest were all the loans and for whose benefit?
And the test is that of a reasonable man. Was it reasonable
and expedient under the circumstances?
Whilst it may be right for Dangote to obtain loans running
into trillions, it will be downright foolish of me to follow suit, for with
what would I pay it back?
What could be the justification for this ‘act’ in view of
Mr. Governor’s earlier censure and vehement disclaimer and condemnation of a
similar act albeit on a much lesser scale byPrince Oyinlola? What is more in
view of the recent benevolence of the astronomical oil price experienced
globally, and the resultant increase in Revenue accruing to the State which saw
Osun’ income from the Federation Account and from the Excess Crude Account more
than doubling what it ever was under any and all of Governor Aregbesola”s
predecessors in office.
And empirical research and public records (courtesy budgIT,
oagf and fmf.) proves that the average monthly earnings of the State between
the years 2007 and November 2010 was(#1,960,622,514.25), whilst the average
income of the state between the years 2011 to 2014 stands at
(#3,050,074,327.25). And these figures represents Osun’s earnings from the
Federation Account alone, and does not include those of the Excess Crude
Account put at over 61.7 billion (for the period 2011-2014), SURE-P #14.4
billion (for the period 2011-2014), Internally Generated Revenue #43.6
billion(for the period 2011-2014). Figures for VAT, Ecological Funds and
Millenium Development Goals are not readily available. (I have been reliable
informed that the revenues accruing to the Local Government within the period
under review were equivalent to that accruing to the State and that both were
controlled, managed and disbursed by Mr. Governor personally.)
It is therefore baffling that; in spite of the consistent
well over #1,089,451,813 .00improvement in allocation between 2011 and mid2013,
and the admitted retirement of over 5000 officers from the States’ Civil
Service, the State could still not provide Infrastructures without recourse
being made to bonds and loans, nor has she been able to maintain her Civil
Service, Local Government Service or pay her Pensioners for periods ranging
from seven (8) to eleven (11) months now.888 And maintenance goes far beyond the payment of
salary and includes but is not limited to Running Costs, capacity building
amongst other things.
How, when it is widely acclaimed that the Internally
Generated Revenue (IGR)( figure or 2014 only is #8.3 billion), has been so
tremendously improved that it almost quadruples what it used to be due to the
expertise and ingenuity of Mr. Governor’sprofessional team of financial gurus,
the private Tax Collectors and ghost worker routers like Chams?
How did the admittedly modest but adequate resources of our
sanguine State suddenly become
inadequate, in spite of the good fortune of “astronomical increase in the price
of crude oil”, and the attendant improvement in the disbursement from the
Federation Account, and over 300% improvement in Internally Generated Revenue
experienced for the most part of his tenure, at least until the later part of
2014, coupled with the thousands of Civil Servants who voluntarily withdrew
from Service due to pension reforms,( which to a rational mind is an added
advantage, since pensions are usuallya fraction of salary), the un-necessarily
accommodating and thoughtless allocations from the Excess Crude Account ( which
governors are found of treating as additional imprest for their offices, as
opposed to common patrimony),had reason and prudence prevailed, ought to have
been preserved for the development for the coming generation or at least to
create employment for our teaming unemployed and consequently unfulfilled
youths, (which would have translated into the generation of more wealth), not
to mention, the Value Added Tax, as well as the SURE-P, SUBEB, Tertiary
Educational Trust Fund and last but not the least, the Ecological Fund.
In the spirit of Jimmy Cliff’s song, I WANT TO KNOW,
EVERYBODY WANTS TO KNOW!
How did situations degenerate so badly within such a
relatively short time that pensioners and civil servants, eminent citizens of
this noble State, (the seat of power of Oduduwa the progenitor of the Yoruba
nation and of his illustrious sons Oranmiyan, Orangun, Owa , of Oonirisa the
Arole Odua as well as of the amazon,valiant Moremi Ajasoro) who have served and
are serving their mother land meritoriously have now become destitute and
refugees in their own state?
How did it happen that under Governor Aregbesola’s watch,
despite his prowess and highly intimidating curriculum vitae!
How under the eagle eye of the States’ House of Assembly,
(the body that is statutorily infused with the powers and obligation to ensure
the peace, order and good governance of the State or any part thereof pursuant
to Section 4 subsection(6&7)of the Constitution) who by virtue of Sections
128 and 129 is her Constitutional watch dog?
And under the very noses of the Rights activist, who this
time are looking in the other direction and pretending not to hear that over
200 pensioners have died in Osun between January and June this year alone, in
consequence of their cruel and inhuman treatment by Mr. Governor.
And without as much as a murmur from the Nigerian Media,( as
a matter of fact with their active connivance and collusion) the ‘fourth estate
of the realm’, who have been Constitutionally charged with the responsibility
of “upholding the fundamental objectives contained in the Constitution, and upholding
the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people as
enshrined in Section 22 of the Constitution.
Where are the Tribunes, the defenders of the rights of the
common man?
How many more needs to die before we hear “bring back our
money?”
Or is human right activity reserved exclusively for
occasions and events that has expectations of pecuniary benefits only?
Or is it still a question of Disraeli’s, “damn your
principles, stick to your party?” where then is the much touted “change”?
I am of the view that, ones’ value, ones’ conviction ought
to take precedence over party politics, especially, where the lives and dignity
of human beings are concerned.
Oh our beloved State, the battle for whose soul was
aggressively and voraciously, fought, to the Highest Court in the land?
Oh, how are the mighty fallen!
Tell it not in Gath,
proclaim it not on the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice,
lest daughters of the uncircumcised
rejoice, that Osun the proud abode and place of succour
of the Stately and majestic Oduduwa, has been tagged a failed State and she cannot refute it!
She is unable to
fight back, and must hang her head In
shame like a bulrush, like an ostrich!
She has been, plundered and ridiculed, her civil service is
comatose, and her pensioners gradually dying off, as a result of inability and
or deliberate and wanton refusal to pay them their dues, her roads are in a
deplorable state and unmotorable, a schools are shut, her hospitals have become
ghost towns, her promised cargo Airport remains a heap of sand, Gbongan bridge
remains a stump, the east/west part of the Ring Road a football field!
How on earth can she refute the fact that she has been
humiliated and brought to her knees with the numerous abandoned projects
littering her environment, and the incessant and ceaseless text messages flying
everywhere, at home and abroad from her Pensioners and Civil servant alike,
from friends, family and sometimes even enemies seeking succour from penury and
starvation?
Res ipsa loquitor! Does the fact not speak for itself?
That she has been betrayed, ravished and ravaged by her
trusted and sworn defender, by her knight in the shining armour, by her
champion defender, the self-acclaimed Oranmiyan and his accomplices!
How in spite of our recent good fortune did we come to a
state of penury and impending starvation and ‘debt strangulation’ if indeed our
Governor and his crew of Executives which he assembled without any impute from
us had filled the positions they vied for, held themselves out eminently
qualified for, and if they had played by the rules, been faithful to their oath
of office and had dealt with and administered our mutual funds for which they
were but trustees, judiciously and in accordance with the Financial Regulations
and shear common sense?
These are the questions lisping on the mouth of everyone in
Osun young or old, indigenes as well as settlers, literate and illiterate,
religious or irreligious, regardless of political leanings and affiliations,
whilst those who are not courageous enough to voice it out for one whatever
reason, nevertheless cogitate over it in their minds quietly.
For a good house holder is one; who like ‘Joseph’ knows how
to provide for those of his household in every season. One who in plenty plans
and save up for the time of want!
For as the Yoruba’s would state it, igba o to lo bi orere (
life is made of ups and downs, one should therefore learn to save for rainy
days).
How then did we come to this parlous state?
Why are the progressives not asking Mr. Governor’s howour
State which, to use Mr. Governor’s own
words “is blessed with an abundance of human and natural resources and with
lush vegetation”, and a UNESCO recognized tourist haven became “a failed State”
within the spate of less than five years in his very ‘dexterous’ hand?
Our beloved Osun, named after the goddess of purity, our
jewel of inestimable value, our the pristine State of the Living spring, the
land of Yoruba civilization and Oduduwa
and fearful warlords like Ogedengbe, has now become the butt of jokes and
ridicule, an object of poverty and pity in the hand of the ‘blue eyed boy’ of
the ‘Progressives’!
We are tired of rumours and conjecture and we want hard
facts!
This mystery has to be unraveled and cleared up now!
And daunting as the task of unmasking the cause of our
perilous situation is, it is not altogether impossible, but it demands
sincerity of purpose, courage and a huge dose of patriotism over self-interest.
As a matter of fact, ‘enlightened self-interest’ makes it
doubly imperative that; this ‘august body’, rise to the defence of the State’s
honour, otherwise, her onward hurtling and ‘progressive retrogression’ into
anarchy which is being masqueraded as democracy, will soon sound her death
knell and those of her dependants!
The unraveling of the mystery behind the alleged failure of
governance in Osun has therefore become an imperative for the State Assembly
members who arethe Constitutional watch dog and as the constitutional
Instruments charged with the responsibility of applying checks and of balancing
the activities of the two other Arms; of Government.
And it is fortunate
that information technology as made the job of your goodselves much easier.
“Seek and ye shall find, ask and it shall be given onto Ye’
for there is “ nothing hidden, that shall not be revealed.”
Fun idi eyi nko, eni toba mo nkan fi pamo, ko ranti, eni to
moowa, (which translated simply means, he that is skilled at hiding things
should remember, he that is adept at finding things).
A cursory perusal of the information placed by the Federal
Ministry of Finance; the Agency saddled with the responsibility of collecting
and distributing from the pool all revenues and monies received by the
Federation ( not being revenues or other moneys payable under the Constitution
or any Act of the National Assembly into any other public fund of the
Federation established for a specific purpose)
in line with Section 80 of the Constitution, reveals that from its
inception in November,2010 up until December, 2014,(2015 figures are yet to be
published on the site), Aregbesola”s administration has received from the
Federation account revenues substantially above the sum of #164.4 Billion added
to this, is the sum of #43.6 representing the State’s IGR,during the period
under review, with an equivalent sum accruing to the Local Government and also
under the control of Mr. Governor by virtue of the Joint State and Local
Government Account, added to which is the
#61.441.711451.32 declared to have been allotted to the Osun States
between 2011 and 2014 as contained in the publication sponsored in the Guardian
Newspaper of Monday, May 25, 2015 at the instance of the Federal Ministry of
Finance, in response to the demands by the Governors Forum that the then
Minister of Finance and the Coordinator of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
render account for her management of the Excess Crude Account within the stated
period, would then mean that Mr. Governor had received well over#269,485,705,758
on behalf of the state and an equivalent sum on behalf of the Local Governments
within the period under review.
This information is readily available on the website of the
Federal Ministry of Finance (budgIT, oagf and fmf) and predates Mr. Governor’s
administration without any contradiction, amendments or disclaimer from the
State Governments for several years now, as such there is a rebuttable
presumption that they are factual and represents the true position until Mr.
Governor presents forensic evidence to debunk the Federal Ministry of Finance”
claims.
Therefore, Mr. Governor is deemed to have received on behalf
of the State, and Local Governments, revenues well in excess of #538 Billion
within the period under reference, therefore, the figures being currently being
touted by Mr. Governor are cooked, manipulated, fallacious and fraudulent. They
are undeniable evidence of corruption!
But in spite of all this huge earnings, and for no
justifiable reasons, at least not justifiable before rationally thinking minds,
coupled with the accumulation of foreign and local debts, Mr. Governor could
still not provide the much touted infrastructures and to make matters worse, he
couldn’t even discharge the simplest and least complicated of functions in
governance, which is to maintain the civil service, pay Pensions, run Public
Schools and Hospitals, and the maintenance of existing ‘Trunk B’ Roads.
Instead of fulfilling his promise of attracting direct
investments into the state, all he did was to keep whining “Jonathan is owing
me, Jonathan is stealing my oil”in order to divert attention from the fact that
he was failing in all his promises and duties to the State, while all the time
perpetrating fraud on the gullible and naĂŻve ara-oke in Osun.
One could well imagine the effect, the transformation, had
all that money been judiciously expended.Osun would most definitely not
degenerated to this parlous condition, and the gratitude of the community
towards Mr. Governor would have known no bounds!
The excuse now being given by Governor Rauf Aregbesola as
published in the Punch Newspaperof Monday, the 8th of June, 2015, are nothing
but an after-thought and shows a lack of sensitivity for the agony of the
impoverished Civil Servants and pensioners alike, a lack of remorse for the
many souls who have been hurriedly pushed into the beyond unprepared and a
deliberate refusal to comprehend the enormity of his wanton mismanagement of
the economy of the State.
The speech gives an unequivocal evidence, of his unrepentant
attempt to continue deceiving the Osun State Community and Nigerians, at large,
that all is well, whereas, and in actual fact, the State is regressing very
quickly into a state of coma!
The explanation that his administration ran up so much debt
because they wanted “to raise the level of Infrastructure in the State” can
neither avail nor justify them, not in view of the unavailability of the said
Infrastructures. Besides, the provision of infrastructures cannot be a
justification for inflicting so much pain on the very persons for whom the
infrastructures are meant.
The fact that Lagos State is owing hundreds of billions does
not justify modest Osun following suit. And if she does, it will be evidence of
her lack of good judgment and financial recklessness!
It has been argued that Osun’s debt profile is nowhere near
the proportion being rumored. But that is begging the issue, for I make bold to
say that it is not the quantum of loan that is the issue,rather, it is its
effect on the State’s economy, and consequently on the security and welfare of
its residents.
If those who are entrusted with machinery of governance
accumulate debts under whatever guise, to a level whereby the welfare of the
people being governed is threatened, they must be deemed to have acted in breach
of their social contract with the people and in violation of their oath of
office “to direct governmental policies for the security and welfare of the
people” they have voluntarily undertaken to govern.
For what is security, but welfare?
Nothing creates a worse sense of insecurity in the human
psyche, other than not knowing where one’s next meal will be coming from.
Especially when one has not been lazy or indolent, and nothing debases a man
more than inability to care for his family, and nothing can be more degrading
or more humiliating than to be treated as a refugee in ones homeland because
ones communal economy has been decimated by incompetence!
And I declare with earnestness and a deep sense of humility
and responsibility that “welfare is security!”
Mr. Governor’s argument that salaries can only be paid from
statutory allocations is also faulty, we demand that he substantiate his claim
by giving the section of the law that so provides. In any event, all funds, all
allocations and all expenditures are expected to be backed by legislation, and
are statutory, otherwise, they are illegal!
Consequently, the admitted inability of Mr. Governor’s and
his deputy to pay pensions, salaries and allowances for periods ranging from
eight (8) to eleven (11) months now, as a consequence of their own decision to
accumulate debts beyond the capacity of the States Internally generated
revenue, whilst the very ‘role actors’ Mr. Governor and his deputy continue to
enjoy their security allowances in hundreds of millions, is a violation of
their oaths of office, that they will direct governmental policies for the
security and welfare of the people”.
Their action in this
respect is as illegal as it is immoral and unconscionable!
It is palpable evidence of their inability to discharge the
functions of their office.
There is therefore no legal or moral basis for their
continued stay in office.
Neglecting the welfare of members of the community under the
guise of wanting to provide infrastructures, runs contrary to the teachings of
Christthe Son of God, Jesus of Nazareth or Anabi Yisa if you please that “the
Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath”. The provision of
infrastructures at the expense of human life’s and the dignity of the human
persons’ is therefore repugnant to natural justice, equity, and good conscience
and must be denounced as abominable!
It runs contrary to the teaching of Prophet Mohammed, may
the peace of Allah be upon him!
It contradicts Principle 1 of the Stockholm Conference (
United Nations Conference on the Human Development) which States the conviction
that:
“Man has the fundamental right to freedom, equality and
adequate conditions of life, in an environment of a quality that permits a life
of dignity and well-being…” how can persons who are owed between seven and
eleven months salaries live life’s of dignity and well-being?
Development must be human centred and not the other way
round. Governor Aregbesola’ ‘supposed development” at the expense of human
beings therefore also contradicts Principle One of the United Nations
conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro (the RIO
Declaration) that: human beings are at the center of concerns for sustainable
development, they are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with
nature.”
And most importantly, it runs contrary to the Constitutional
provisions contained in Section 17(1) which stipulates that: The States’ social order shall be founded on
the ideals of Freedom, Equality and Justice.
(2) (b)In furtherance
of the social order-
The sanctity of human person shall be recognized and the
dignity of the human person maintained and enhanced;
(c)Governmental actions shall be humane;
(d) Exploitation of human or natural resources in any form
other than for good of the community, shall be prevented; and
(e) The independence, impartiality and integrity of courts
of law, and easy accessibility thereto shall be secured and maintained.
16 (1) (a) to (d) of the Constitution.
And in achieving these ideals, the State shall direct its
policy towards ensuring: the promotion of planned and balanced economic
development;
That the material resources of the nation or State as In
this instance, are harnessed to serve the common good; that the states’
economic system is not operated in such a manner as to permit the concentration
of wealth or means of production and exchange in the hands of few individuals
or of groups; and that suitable and adequate shelter, suitable and adequate
food, reasonable national minimum living wage, old age care and pensions,
unemployment, sick benefits and welfare of the disabled are provided for all
citizens.
Section 16 (2) (a) to
(d) of the Constitution.
For the purpose of
promoting national integration, it shall be the duty of the State to provide
adequate facilities for and to encourage free mobility of people, goods and services
throughout the Federation.
Section 23, Our “National Ethics” shall be founded on
Discipline, Integrity, Dignity of Labour, Social Justice” Religious Tolerance,
Self Interest and Patriotism. And that it shall be the duty of every citizen to
among other things, “help to enhance the power, prestige and good name of
Nigeria (and by necessary implication, her component States), defend Nigeria
and render such national service as may be required;… make positive and useful
contribution to the advancement, progress and wellbeing of the community
wherein he resides…” section 24 (b) & (d).
For the Rule of Law without Justice is nothing but a sounding
brass, hollow, empty, hypocritical, mere shenanigan and a sloganeering
propaganda, calculated to deceive and totally lacking in substance, a farce!
But Instead of pursuing the noble ideals enshrined in our
Constitution, the ideals of social order, and “ensure a just world economic
order” and “universal brotherhood” Mr. Governor and his deputy are assiduously
actively working against it, as exemplified by the cruel, and harsh debasement
of pensioners and civil servants in deliberately and maliciously withholding
their salaries for months on end, in an attempt to brow beat, subjugate to take
away their God given free will, and
reduce them to mindless robots, with herd mentality, devoid of the ability to
take any decision for themselves and unable to assert or actualize themselves!
They have thereby also acted against the Laws of Nature that
is ordained for the sustainable development of the human race and for Universal
brotherhood!
That is the basis and motive for my call for a forensic and
conscionable investigation of the deliberate, and therefore criminal
mismanagement of the economy of our dear State, in a wanton, indifferent and
unpatriotic manner, and for their cruel and inhuman treatment of our civil
servants and pensioners alike, which has occasioned untoward hardship to; and
is thereby undermining their dignity of human person, on a scale and on a level
and proportion that amounts to depraved cruelty with malice aforethought.
And the grounds for my demand for the removal of the duo of
Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola and his deputy, Otunba Titi Laoye Tomori for
displaying an unimaginablyalarming level of incompetence in governance and for
exhibiting the inability/ incapacity/ ineptitude in the discharge of the
functions of their offices, and for insensitivity to the plight of the people
they have undertaken to serve, altogether amounting to“grossly misconduct” on
their parts and to“grave breaches” and “grievous violation” the our
Constitution, pursuant to and consequent upon the provisions of sections 188
and 189 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as
amended).
Mr. Governor and his deputy have acted in defiance of
Section 206 that:
“There shall be for each State of the Federation a Civil
Service.”
Therefore, maintaining a Civil Service for the State is not
a luxury but is mandatory, a Constitutional obligation which Mr. Governor voluntarily took on when
he took his oath of office, and the Civil Service is as important if not more
so than the Office of a Governor and Mr. Governor cannot simply wish it away at
his displeasure.
None payment of salaries and running costs to the Civil
Servants equates none maintenance. And running a Government without the Civil
Service is unconstitutional, illegal, a breach of Mr. Governor’s oath of office
and as such amounts to Gross Misconduct.
None payment of salaries is an affront to the provision of
Section 17 (2) has cited above.
Just as it is an
affront to Section 34 which provides that:
(a) no person shall be subjected to torture or to inhuman or
degrading treatment;
(b) No person shall be held in slavery or servitude and
(c) No person shall be required to perform forced or
compulsory labour.
The right topensions is also a Constitutional right as
provided for under section 210 subsections (1) to (4) of the Constitution which
stipulates that:
Subject to subsection (2) of the provisions of this section,
the right of a person in the public service of a State to receive pension or
gratuity shall be regulated by law.
(2) any benefit to which a person is entitled in accordance
with or under such law as is referred to in subsection (1) of this section
shall not be withheld or altered to his disadvantage except to such an extent
as is permissible under law, including the Code of Conduct.
(3) Pensions shall be reviewed every five years or together
with any state Civil Service Salary reviews whichever is earlier.
(4) Pensions in respect of service of a State shall not be
taxed.
The payment of Pensions is further strengthened by paragraph
(2) (d) of Section 16 of the Constitution, which provides
that;
“suitable and
adequate shelter, suitable and adequate food, reasonable national minimum
living wage, old age care and pensions, unemployment, sick benefits and welfare
of the disabled are provided for all citizens.
Consequently, the withholding or none payment of salaries
and pensions for periods ranging from six to eleven months by Mr. Governor and
his Deputy, it is inhuman treatment, unjust, unfair, repugnant to equity and
good conscience cannot be justified under any excuse, (for even in war
Government still give rations and Osun State is not known to be fighting any
War) it amounts to a gross violation of the Constitution and a breach of their
oaths of Office and as such, they are liable to removal pursuant to Sections
188 and 189 of the Constitution.
Nor can the excuse being offered that the wage bill of Osun
rose from#1.4 billion (One Billion Four hundred thousand Naira) in
November,2010 to become #4Billion (Four Billion Naira by 2015), for they are in
office and paid to ensure that that does not happened.
If on Mr. Governor’s own admission, Prince Oyinlola handed
over to him a wage bill of #1.4 Billion which it is presumed includes the
salaries of Political Office holders at the relevant time, and the incubent
within a period of less than five (5) years, he allows the wage bill to
escalate to the tune of #4 Billion without at the same ensuring the generation
of commensurate revenue, then he is simply giving evidence of his incompetence
and inability to discharge the functions of the office and should either resign
or be removed.
I do not see how the Civil servants or the Pensioners can be
held responsible for that?
Had Mr. Governor increased salaries by a hundred percent,
simple arithmetic shows that the wage bill would still not have gone beyond Two
Billion Eight hundred Thousand Naira (#1.4Billion multiplied by 2 = #2.8
Billion only), and not #4 Billion as is being claimed by Mr. Governor, and he
most definitely did not increase salaries by 100% not even by 5% across the
board.
Therefore the guilt for the excessive wage bill must be
place squarely at the doorstep of Mr. Governors, maladministration and over
generosity with other people’s money. Only Mr. Governor deserves to take the
blame for being profligate with our money, entrusted to him to be administered
and distributed as best as possible to serve a common good and not for pursuing
selfish expansionist and hegemonistic ideas.
And I hereby urge your honours to compel Mr. Governor to
disclose to the good people of Osun the actual and authentic number of Civil
servants in the State prior to and post November 26, 2010 and their emoluments
as opposed to the figures used for his political shenanigans. Just as we demand
to know the number and wage bill of the Political Office holders as at the 25th
day of November, 2010.
We are also demand the number of Civil servants and
Political office holders directly recruited by Mr. Governor himself, to join
‘the bloated’ work force of Osun and their emoluments to and post November, 26,
2010.
As this would apart from showing that Mr. Governor’s refusal
to pay salaries and Pensions, is due to deep rooted resentment of civil
servants and not just because of paucity of funds, (because Mr. Governor is
fixated on the notion that the Civil servants and pensioners in the State did
not contribute to his electoral victory,) the authentic figures will also show
the monumental fraud being perpetrated on the State and will reveal the fact
that Mr. Governor himself and no one else should be held responsible for any
bloating that might have occurred in the States’ Civil Service.
It will show that it
is Mr. Governors, indiscriminate penchant for pacifying his political
associates and cronies with juicy appointments and employments at the expense
of Osun, is to be held responsible for the bloated wage bill. and that any
attempt to blame the civil servants for this is simply passing the bulk, and is
not related to or connected with any appreciable improvement in the wage bill
or standard of living of the Civil servants.
After all, Mr. Governor himself admits the fact that over
5000 civil servants had retired since he took over the reins of affairs, and
joined the Pensions wage bill. Though am at a loss to see why that should be a
problem for him, since pensions are always only a fraction of the pensioners
salary whilst in office.
Methinks it should have been just a question of taking what
is left over from the salary and adding it to the pension’s bill. I bet he will
still have surplus funds from what ought to have been paid as salary.
Nor can he blame it on the institution of the “biggest
welfare programme” in the Country, since his predecessor in office, equally ran
a welfare scheme al be it on a more modest scale, provided Free Basic
Education, and fed primary school pupils, kept the Schools opened, maintained
Hospitals, built a Multi Campus University, built and maintained roads, and did
managed to pay salaries and pensions!That particular scheme was known as
welfare scheme was known as ‘Oyin Corp’ if my memory has not failed me.
Mr. Governor is hereby called upon to give the actual number
of the ‘O’Yes Corp and total their bill. Contrary to the initial given figure
of 20,000 (twenty thousand) am sure that not more than a handful of them
remains in the scheme due to the slave wages that they are being paid and the
fact that even the meager allowance is never paid as at when due but in a
staccato manner, whenever their services are required to help win election!
May I also reiterate my earlier admonition to Mr. Governor
that paying a Nigerian citizen any wage less than a reasonable minimum living
wage as stated in Section 16 (2) is not merely unkind but is also a breach of
the directive contained in that paragraph of the Section that:
the State shall
direct its policy towards ensuring, suitable and adequate shelter, suitable and
adequate food, reasonable national minimum living wage, old age care and
pensions, unemployment, sick benefits and welfare of the disabled are provided
for all citizens.
Paying any Nigerian citizen below the national minimum wage
which in any case is not a living wage (for how many persons can indeed live on
#18,000) in today’s Nigeria) is really nothing to be proud of, and we should
therefore stop celebrating mediocrity!
Nor can Mr. Governor blame anyone for his moribund ‘O’
Uniform Scheme, which was roundly criticized by all the citizens but which Mr.
Governor insisted on, due to an agenda which he is yet to disclose but which is
clear to every person of an average intelligence.
I for one have never seen the sense in giving primary school
pupils free meals especially when Government cannot afford teacher’s pay,
teacher’s development or simple chalks not to mention Instructional materials.
What then should be the role of parents, just to contribute to the population
without taking any responsibility? It is palpable evidence of inertia in
thinking.This kind of policy breeds indolence and parental indiscipline, it
will not augur well for the society, it is another example of poor judgment
just as was the ‘O’ Uniform and the Opon Imo. A waste of our scarce and modest
resources!
Nor can his decision to build a Cargo airport in Ido Osun be
considered justified, not in the light of the fact that even the one sited in
Ibadan, Oyo State a much bigger economy and commercial; is currently
underutilized, and unviable. And more especially since both capitals are not
distant from one another and in view of their historical antecedents.
As we speak, the proposed Cargo Airport remains a heap
‘fenced laterite’, and only crows land in it, in spite of the huge sums
expended on it, money which could have more sensibly applied towards dualizing
the Gbongan/Ibadan road and or the Osogbo/Ikirun/Ila-odo Kwara Boundry Road.
That would most certainly have made life easier for residents of Osun State and
would have eased transportation of goods as well as services.
Unfortunately, even Mr. Governor‘s admittedly lofty promise
of building befitting good network of roads to connect the State as well as connecting
the States with other State capitals have remained pipe dreams.
Only on bill-boards and on the internet have the roads been
attractively but deceptively made available to residents and travellers. The
expansion of the Gbongan/Osogbo Road which was commenced two years into the
life of this administration remains in an unfinished and deplorable State.Ditto
the Ikirun/ Ila-Odo Kwara boundary road.
The bridges on its Gbongan end, as well as its Osogbo end
remains stumps.
The said roads though not wide were at least motorable and
were being well maintained under Chief Bisi Akande and Prince Oyinlola’s
administrations.
Travelling on either of the said roads have now become a
harrowing experience and a journey to Ibadan which used to be done under an
hour now takes a minimum of an hour forty-five minutes.
The much celebrated east/west Ring Road is also abandoned
and if care is not taken, the gulley erosion appearing on its surface will soon
become an ecological problem.
Yoruba bo won ni, Orisa bo ba le gbemi, jowo fimi sile boo
se bami (ye god, if ye are unable to solve my problems, you should at least not
make it worse)!
Our hospitals have been closed for months, due to none
payments of salaries of doctors and medical personnel in the States’ employment,
despite the provisions of Section 17(3) (c) that: the health, safety and
welfare of all persons in employment are to be safeguarded and not endangered
or abuse. Regrettably, in Osun, instead of Obama-care, we now have ‘O’ Death!
Yet Mr. Governor uses our resources to take himself and his
family members abroad in search of the best medi-care nearly on a monthly
basis, and expends our scarce resources on installation/impeachment of
Governors in other States.To sponsor electioneering campaigns, finance his party’s,
congresses etc.
I urge this Assembly to call upon Mr. Governor to disclose
his health care bill and those of his deputy and their family members.
I declare without fear of any serious contradiction that Mr.
Governors, act of literally ruling the State from Saudi Arabia, Cuba and Lagos
is disloyal, neglectful and un-patriotic and is the direct cause of most of
Osun’s problem.
To begin with, Mr. Governor, did not grow up in Osun, and as
such could not really know or understand its people and their challenges as
well as their hope and aspirations. And the general expectation was that,
having ascended to the much coveted office, Mr. Governor will settle down
quickly and apply himself to the duties and obligations which he voluntarily
took upon himself, for there was no compulsion!
To our greatest
misfortune however, Mr. Governor chose to spend his time globetrotting, and was
ruling and has continued to rule the State and Its People at a distance like an
emperor, like an army of occupation.
Little wonder then, that most of his ideas were like
buildings, carefully constructed in a far of place, but to be installed for use
in a different land, where the land is uneven and cannot be brought in harmony
with the constructed buildings. Though admittedly idealistic, they almost
invariable proved unrealistic and unfeasible, when put into practice in Osun,
though they would most likely have worked in Lagos. But Osun is not
Lagos,a facts which he would long since
have discovered for himself if he had only bothered to stay in the State long
enough and that, the aspiration of the average Lagosians is not the aspiration
of a typical Osun man.
He has by his failure or willful refusal to understand the
aspiration of Osun and her people exhibited a lack of concern for those he
fought to rule over, and a lack of allegiance to Osun. His attitude shows a
lack of concern for her and her people, hence his indifference to her fallen
status.
And this runs
contrary to the provisions of Section 15 (4) of the Constitution, to the effect
that: The State shall foster a feeling of belonging and of involvement among
the various peoples of the Federation (State) to the end that loyalty to the
nation shall override sectional loyalty.
I cannot restrain myself from saying serves us right!
A people who entrust their collective destiny into the hands
of talkers and boasters will sooner or later come to poverty and just as surely
will a people who always look to foreign ideas, foreign customs and traditions
to their local and homegrown problems will go into extinction!
I for one have not
heard Mr. Governor passionately and vigorously denouncing or disputing this
ignominious statement! And as we all know in our culture, silence is often
taken to mean consent. And what makes it even more ominous is the fact that the
dissemination of the information came through Mr. Governor’s own image
launderers!
What is more annoying
is the fact that more money went into publicizing all this thoughtless schemes,
or should I have said ‘O’ Scams, and into erecting Mr. Governor’s
self-idolizing and self-worshipping bill boards, aimed at brain washing the
populace, than were actually expended on the schemes themselves.
And we hereby demand to know the figure expended by Mr.
Governor on behalf of the State, on advertisement and publicity of his ‘O
scams’.
Mr. Governor has also willfully refused and failed to
conduct or allow elections to be conducted in the Third Tier of Government
which is the Local Government because it suits him, and affords him the
opportunity to expend and waste Local Government fund without let or
hindrance? And all these acts were done
in perverse disregard for the fact that Osun is a democracy and under
Constitutional Rule? However, this has not stopped him for voting money
annually under this head. He has continued to act in defiance of Section (7)
subsection (1) that:
“The system of local government by democratically elected
Local Government Councils is under this Constitution guaranteed, and
accordingly, the Government of every State shall subject to section 8 of this
Constitution, ensure their existence under a law which provides for the
establishment, structures composition, finance and functions of Such Councils.”
Section 8 deals with
the process of establishing and delineating new Local Government Councils.
Rather than guaranteed the existence of the existing Local
Government Councils as mandated by the above quoted Section Mr. Governor has
decimated debased the Local Government Councils to mere Local Government Areas
and all in order to allow him freely plunder and pillage the local Government
funds without any let or hindrance. Without transparency and accountability!
Mr. Governor is reputed to have asserted in his speech
allegedly delivered on the floor of this assembly that” he has not
“unnecessarily exposed the State”?
Ehen hen! What more unnecessary, denigrating and opprobrious
exposure are we to expect? When it is a globally known fact that Pensioners are
dying in their droves as a result of hunger and inability to procure medical
care, when Civil Servants have turned to beggars and refugees in their own
Country, that they are now living of the generosity and good will of the
Christian Association of Nigeria and of their brethren in friendlier climes?
When Osun State workers have now become the butt of jokes,
ridicule throughout Nigeria?
“Not unnecessarily exposed” when Osun State has been listed
amongst the eighteen (18) bankrupt States in Nigeria, when her Courts have been
shut and her residents and patrons denied access to Justice for more than Six
months in consequence of Mr. Governor refusal to grant her Financial autonomy
and to allow her maintain her impartiality and dignity of office, But of all
the numerous sins of Ogbeni Aregbesola, his most grievous yet is his refusal to
obey the order of Justice Adeniyi Ademola that States Judiciaries be granted
‘financial autonomy’ in compliance with the provisions of Section 162 (9) of
the Constitution, that:
“Any amount standing
to the credit of the judiciary in the Federation shall be paid directly to the
National Judicial Council for disbursement to the heads of courts established
for the Federation and the States under Section 6 of this Constitution”.
His deliberate
stifling of the Judiciary of funds, coupled his refusal to pay the meager
‘Running Cost’ or and to pay Judges and Magistrates their Housing and Medical
allowance or to give them serviceable official vehicles which has resulted in
the closure of the States Courts in the last six (6) months amounts to the
greatest betrayal and treachery of the ideals of democracy and consequently of
the Rule of Law of which he is one of the greatest beneficiaries.
This deliberate strangulation of the Judiciary, the third
Arm of Government and the bastion of Democracy and strong hold and defender of
The Rule of Law remains the most grievous is a violation of the voluntary
obligation undertaken by Mr. Governor to secure and maintain “the independence,
impartiality and integrity of courts of law and easy accessibility thereto”
pursuant to Section 17 (1) (e).
Mr. Governor’s treats his security allowance as a first line
charge whereas there is no law that makes it so, yet neglects to satisfy the
very ones that are declared as first line charges. What an anomaly!
It is done in wanton disregard, for the declaration contained
in Section 84:
(1) There shall be paid to the holders of the offices
mentioned in this section such remunerations, salaries and allowances as may be
prescribed by the National Assembly, but not exceeding the amount as shall have
been determined by the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
(2) The remuneration, salaries and allowances payable to the
holders of the offices so mentioned shall be a charge upon the Consolidated
Revenue Fund of the Federation.
(3) The remuneration and salaries payable to the holders of
the said offices and their conditions of service, other than allowances, shall
not be altered to their disadvantage after their appointment.
The offices aforesaid are the offices of president, Vice
president, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, president of the Court of
Appeal, Justice of the Court of Appeal, Chief Judge of the Federal High Court,
Judge of the Federal High Court, Chief Judge and Judge of the High Court of the
Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Chief Judge of a State, Judges of the High
Court of a State, Grand Kadi AND Kadis of the Sharia Court of Appeal of the
Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, President and judge of the Customary Court of
Appeal of a State, …”
Yet Mr. Governor persists in refusing to dischargethe
State’s obligation to release funds voted for provisions of capital projects in
the Judiciary,and to expend the funds without consideration for the needs of
the Judiciary as the third Arm of Government!
Itis an undisputed proof of Mr. Governors disdain for
democratic ideals, fromone of beneficiaries of the Rule of Law? Terribly
shocking!
Well did prophet Isaiah say: “let favour be shown to the
wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness, and in the land of the righteous will
he do wickedness.”
Or does Mr. Governor needs reminding that: that the Judicial
powers of a State are vested in the States” Courts by virtue of Section 6(2) of
the 1999 Constitution (As amended), and
that the Social objectives of the State as spelt out by the said Constitution is founded on the Ideals of
Freedom, Equality and Justice. Section 17 (1) (e) (e) of the
Constitutionthat:“the independence, impartiality and integrity of courts of law
and easy accessibility thereto”
His contemptuous treatment of the Judicial Arm of Government,
is unpardonably condemnable, and an attempt to truncate our nascent democracy
or to ridicule it as a farce!
It is his gravest misconduct yet!
Had ex-President Goodluck Jonathan been so disdainful of
judicial orders and the Rule of Law, would Ogbeni Aregbesola ever have been
Governor?
Had the gates of the Election Petition Tribunals been shut
against him, as he has now barred it against the ordinary citizen questing for
justice, would he have the good fortune of being Mr. Governor today?
What about the hundreds of lawyers who are being prevented
from earning their livelihood and daily bread, is Mr. Governor even considering
the effect on their families and dependants?
This is obnoxious conduct, it is indeed is high treachery!
And I urge the
Conference of Chief Judges and Judges in the Federation to rise up and assert
their Independence and defend the integrity of the Courts and of the Rule of
law! And In defense of our nascent democracy!
I congratulate the National Assembly for having the courage
to assert their Independence, from the Executive, but I urge them to take it
further and ensure that their legislations and actions are always motivated by
the desire to ensure good governance and therefore peace for the Nation
Nigeria.
For Justice and Peace cannot be separated, for they are one.
But there shall be no peace for the wicked sayeth the Lord!
I never thought the day will come when I will give thanks
for the fact that my father Chief Bode Alaaka is translated into the great
beyond, what would he have thought, how would he have managed?
Mr. Governor rode into office as a “knight in a shining armour”,
purportedly in order to rescue Osun from Oyinlola”s debt overhang, how very
altruistic, or so we thought. But alas! He is leaving us much worse of, very
much so! Hypocrisy, shear Hypocrisy!
At least with Prince, Oyinlola we knew how much we were
owing and the terms of conditions for repayment, not so this abracadabra, the
more you look, the less you see!
It should not be difficult then for Ogbeni to tell us how
much debt Prince Oyinlola left behind in the State and its terms and
conditions, and also to give proof of how much Debt he has since incurred on
behalf of the State and the terms and conditions of repayment?
He should furnish evidence of the amount being deducted at
source and the amount being deducted as a second level charge on Osun’s
account?
He should tell us the quantum of our foreign loan vis a vis
our local indebtedness?
How and with what, were these loans and bonds expended?
And he should also not forget to declare his assets.
Meanwhile Mr. Governor is one of the most vociferous
speakers against corruption in the country whereas his own corruption stinks to
high even, he is therefore guilty of an attempt to deceive God and man, of
hypocrisy and surely it is written, a hypocrite is worse than an evil doer!
In his own case, he is both a hypocrite and an evil doer!.
I will have Mr. Governor know that lying against a sitting
or a former President is corruption and therefore gross misconduct.
Mr. Governor is guilty of unjustified assassination of the
character of a sitting President and of moral murder.
As a matter of fact any form of lies is corruption and is a
direct contravention of the Almighty commands that:
“ thou shall not bear false witness against thine neighbour”
It is only when he has given precise and verified answers to
the above questions that we will determine whether or not he has exposed the
state unnecessarily, unjustifiably, indefensibly and consequently criminally
and in total disregard for his oath of office or otherwise.
More perceptive persons had best take the comment of Mr.
Governor that “ he has not unduly exposed the State” as a potent,that the worst
is yet to come.”( the Lord forbid) if care is not taken.
Therefore, decisive steps must be taken, and taken now, if
we are to halt the quick slide of our beloved State, into a state of anarchy,
while Mr. Governor continues to sun himself in vain self-glorification.
And it is for this reason that I am calling on this
Assembly, on your honours, to show that it has not been completely emasculated,
to stand up for justice, to act now and make history, before our beloved State
becomes a desolate ruin.
I thank the Almighty that my earthly father is not around to
witness this humiliation of the Judiciary.
Since Mr. Governor and his deputy have consistently shown
that they have noregard forour Constitution and our democracy, it has become
imperative and pertinent to remind Mr. Governor and his deputy that:
“Sovereignty belongs to the People.”
My humble but sincere opinion is that Osun in spite of the
challenges facing her today is not beyond salvage, it is possible to redeem her
image and restore her dignity by employing Constitutional means, to redress the
wrong done her and claim damages from those who seek to destroy her right to
good governance by plundering her treasury and abandoning her to penury. But to
achieve this mission, this august body must need wake up to assert itself and
discharge its Constitutional obligations to the people of the State who repose
trust in it.
And it is to this end and for this reason that I and am sure
other well -meaning and concerned members of the Osun community are hereby
calling on honourable members of the States’ House of Assembly to pick up the
gauntlet and redeem themselves by givingeffect to the provisions ofSections 128
and 129 of the Constitution, empowering them to investigate and bring to
justice, all those who have corruptly enriched themselves at the expense of
Osun, and of her inhabitants.
The Section provides: Subject to the provisions of this
Constitution, a House of Assembly Shall have power by resolution published in
its official Gazzette of the Government of the State to direct or cause to be
directed an inquiry or
investigation into-
(a) Any matter or thing with respect to which it has power
to make laws; and
(b) The conduct of affairs of any person, authority,
Ministry or Government department charged, or intended to be charged, with the
duty of or responsibility for-
(i) Executing or administering laws enacted by that House of
Assembly. And
(ii) Disbursing or administering moneys appropriated or to
be appropriated by such House…
Section 2 (2) (b) to expose corruption, inefficiency or
waste in the execution or administration of laws within its legislative competence and in the disbursement
or administration of funds appropriated
by it.”
Failing which the good people of Osun will be have no
choice, other than to exercise the Sovereign power vested in them,in Section 14
(2): and to pass a vote of no confidence
in this Assembly and to commence the process of ‘the Recall’ of her members as
provided for in Section 69 of the Constitution which provides:
A member of the House of Assembly may be recalled as such a
member if –
(a) There is presented to the Chairman of the Independent
Nation Electoral Commission, a petition in that behalf signed by more than
one-half of the persons registered to vote in that member’s constituency
alleging their loss of confidence in that member, and
(b) The petition is thereafter, in a referendum conducted by
the Independent National Electoral Commission within ninety days of the date of
the receipt of the petition, approved by a simple majority of the votes of the
persons registered to vote in that member’s constituency.
I charge all sons and daughters as well as residents of Osun
not to be timid, and to vehemently refute and denounce, any hint, slur
insinuation that Osun is a failed State! And to declare emphatically, that it
is Governor, Aregbesola’s and his array of greedy and incompetent
Commissioners, Consultants and their idiosyncratic policies springing from
intellectual sophistry and an overtlysagacious intellect,that has failed Osun.
And it will be a frivolous excuse to lament that there is a
“corrupt Babylon somewhere pulling the strings, after all, Yoruba bo won ni, ta
aba ran yan ni ise eru gan, a fi tomo je!
( if you are sent on an errands that requires your misbehaving, it is
your responsibility to stylishly refuse). Beni won ma nba yan wa ise ni, won ki
nba yan se,( you can only be assisted in getting a job, you will have to do the
job yourself).
I for one would not accept the epithet of failure being
employed for Osun, for she is only challenged and will bounce back. What she is
experiencing is merely a setback, there is ample possibility and opportunity
that she will bounce back.Her resilience together with the help of her equally
resilient abounding human and natural resources, will see her through her
present travails. Osun State’s case is far from hopeless and we shall not
despair. The damage is not irreparable, but all hands must be on deck if she is
to have a speedy and lasting recovery.
For as Edmund Burke
is reputed to have said, “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is
that good men should do nothing” and the converse is just as trite that “when
bad men combine, the good (or slightly better) must associate; else they will
fall, one by one an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.”
Am therefore calling on all eminent citizens of Osun to
unite against oppression and remove the yoke of spiritual wickedness in High
places, and free us from this demonstration of craziness being masqueraded as
democracy.
Comments
Post a Comment