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NEW YEAR MESSAGE FROM 'TOSIN JEGEDE

Congratulations, you made it!!!!!!

If you are reading this, it means you've crossed over to take over in the year 2016.

Every new year present to us the opportunity for reappraisal, an opportunity to leverage on where we are coming from to determine where we should be in the New Year. No wonder it is a common practice for man to make resolutions or set goes on days like today, the beginning of another 365 days.

I'm deeply concerned about the state of affairs in my home State, Ekiti State. I spent a good part of the year 2015 ruminating on the way out of the predicaments that our people daily contend with; a situation where governance is being provided on pulse and at the instance of a mind that is at best described as unstable.

I can only pray and wish that the good people of Ekiti prosper all through the year 2016 even as I'm deeply concerned about their wellfare considering the introduction of various taxes and levels beginning from today the 1st of January. Another source of worry for me is that public servants were promised not to expect salaries regularly this year by the Governor, a man whose only campaign promise was to "take care of them". Imagine how a petty trader on the street of Ado Ekiti will survive the introduction of a minimum of N40, 000 level despite government owing his or her major customers several months salaries and prices of goods and services are on the increase due to increase and introduction of taxes and levels?

A state whose economy is largely dependent on government workers salaries should look beyond increase or introduction of taxes, even as the need to increase revenues can't be over emphasized in these days of near zero allocation from the Federation Account. I will rather advise that in the short term, Ekiti government should concentrate on reducing evasion of existing taxes to the barest minimum, ensure that existing tax net captures every eligible taxpayer and also block leakage / wastage in government. This can be achieved by reducing human intervention in our tax collection processes, increase public enlightenment on the need to pay taxes and ensure transparency on the part of government in the utilization of taxes for public good. Following this double edged 3 steps process holistically, government revenue is guaranteed to increase by a minimum of 200 percent even without increasing existing taxes or the introduction of new ones. However, a government whose major tool of governance is the propagation of blatant lies may never secure the needed trust of its citizen; a necessary ingredient for the success of this process.

In the year 2015, precisely in June, I concluded that the present administration in Ekiti may not possess the quality needed to move Ekiti forward in the right and generally accepted direction. To this end, in October 2015 I receded the decision to quit partisan politicking and joined the All Progressives Congress, APC in Ilogbo ward of Ekiti State. You will recall that sometimes in April 2014, I did announced my withdrawal from partisan politicking, limiting my political involvement to individual aspiration support and public comments on political issues.

Knowing what I know about the affairs of Ekiti State today, having the passion that I have for Ekiti, it is a SIN to seat on the fence and watch the only state we can truly call ours sing under the weight of ignorance being exhibited by these modern day "Robbers" pretending to be "Robin hoods".

Expect to see more of my practical involvement in the politics of Ekiti in the year 2016.

My drive this year in Politics will be driven largely by my resolve to get involved in ensuring that a government willing to lead other states in the present drive of the Federal Government to reduce our country's reliance on oil, diversify our economy and promote job creation is legitimately install in our dear state Ekiti in the nearest future. The Journey of a thousand miles start with the first right step taken in the right direction.

The challenges facing our dear state are many, especially so with the choice we made during the last governorship election, but our determination to revolutionize Ekiti is strong and unshaken. We are determined not to be deterred by the enormity of the challenges ahead but trusting in the capacity of God to deliver through us the Ekiti that we will all be proud to call ours in no distant future.

Join us in the Year 2016 as we plan towards the reality of a "Rainbow like" state, a State whose elegance can't be ignored by the world.

We may not look like we can, but we are anointed for exploit. We are on a mission delivered in a vision that is being midwife by passion.

Happy and Prosperous New Year.

'TOSIN JEGEDE

Nice write up thumb up.
but who is Tosin Jegede please?