₦airaland Forum

Oshiomhole accused the former minister of spending $1billion of government money for Jonathan's re-election. She has responded. Read the press statement below...
Another false, baseless allegation against Okonjo-Iweala by governor Oshiomhole
The allegation by Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State that former Minister of Finance Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala spent $1 billion out of the Excess Crude Account to fund the re-election bid of former President Jonathan is the kind of ludicrously false statement that has unfortunately become a trademark of the Governor in his public campaign of falsehood against Dr Okonjo-Iweala.

The statement is just another example of the numerical diarrhea that seems to have afflicted His Excellency in recent times in his effort to damage the reputation of the former Minister.


He has, within the last few months, asked Dr Okonjo-Iweala to explain all kinds of totally wild and unsubstantiated figures, ranging from $30 billion, $20 billion, $2.1 billion, N720 billion and now $1 billion.

To say the obvious, the accusations are totally lacking in credibility.

Governor Oshiomhole’s published comments also contain other falsehoods. For instance, he quoted Dr Okonjo-Iweala as saying that she and the Finance Commissioners of the 36 states approved the spending of $2.1 billion out of the Excess Crude Account, adding that the Commissioners had disowned the statement. This is also a complete distortion.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala never said the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) approved spending out of the ECA. Rather as the Commissioners themselves stated, the former Minister of State Finance informed them that former President Jonathan approved the expenditure to end the debilitating fuel queues across the country.


As Nigerians know, the Finance Ministry under Okonjo-Iweala regularly published details of revenue allocations from the ECA in national media. So Oshiomhole’s tortured “calculations” based on his “four figure tables” are mere political numbers conjured to achieve a political purpose. Nigerians can see through the elaborate antics.



Governor Oshiomhole’s latest statement, like earlier ones, labours to give the impression that the entire FAAC process which involves the Federal Government and the 36 states of the Federation is a personal monopoly of Dr Okonjo-Iweala.



This is, of course not true. FAAC is a long standing national platform for allocating revenues chaired by the Minister of State Finance. The governor’s insistence on pushing this clearly fictional narrative underscores his desperation.



It is instructive that Governor Oshiomhole is a key member of the committee set up by the National Economic Council to investigate the ECA spending. His continuing attacks against Dr Okonjo-Iweala seem to suggest that he has lost confidence in this platform which he deployed to make some of his initial false and baseless allegations. The Governor does not seem to appreciate that he is undermining the very credibility of the committee.



Once again, we ask: why are Oshiomhole and his cohorts so ready to sacrifice truth, precedent and decency in this political witch hunt against Dr Okonjo-Iweala?



We are confident that they will fail because truth will triumph.

Paul C Nwabuikwu
Media Adviser to Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Am an accountant. I think am stingy. No be lie

MuguliciousMUGU:
your backside is really the trouble here

xo flat like frying pan, it is too much of Lmao (laffing my ass out) that is causing it

.u bad. After reading ur comment, I go check her pic.

histemple:
If I am the interviewer, I will just clap for you and say....congratulations! We will get back to you.

yes o.

I totally agree. Well said.

All the swag with empty account

Special Adviser to President Buhari on Media and Publicity Femi Adesina in an interview with Vanguard today said Buhari will appoint Ministers into his government at the 'fullness of time'
"The appointment of Ministers is constitutional because the constitution prescribes that there must be a Minister from at least one state of the federation and President Mohammdu Buhari will do what is constitutional. So, he will constitute a cabinet. But then when he does it is his prerogative. He is the one who will determine when he needs that cabinet. But for now, he has said that he wants to lay a proper foundation for the administration and that’s why he has been working with bureaucrats; the various Permanent Secretaries. For the past two week and still going forward, the Permanent Secretaries have been briefing him on the state of their ministries and then, I am sure at the fullness of time, the Ministers will be appointed.”.
Nigerians who found the phrase funny took to twitter to mock him. See their tweets after the cut...

toluk:
The people of osun state this morning moved en mass to instigate the state legislators to immediately commence impeachment process of the incapable Governor. More updates in a few minutes.

are u there. Was told thugs attacked them. Update ASAP

tayebest:
Never! You get it wrong! He once said it publicly that his allocation is not much to pay his workers! Mind you, #opposition@work

sir, find time to check the amount Osun receives from FG in the last 4 years. The balance after loan deduction is little. That's the issue. Allocation is up to date and he is owing 6 months for some. Even though he won't b impeach, the protest will go a long way to remind him that workers salary is their life.

Salawu can't impeach Aregbe. But I hope one day, the house of rep will represent it's people. Aregbe's mismanagement is enough to impeach him but the only time u hear impeachment is when it has to do with politics. The pressure is needed sha. I think it's getting to a stage where governorship will no longer b attractive. The era of eating allocation is gone.

teeowl:
well... his own is a very special case then...

I dey tell you. The guy na bad example.

teeowl:
for a guy 30yrs - 37yrs is the best time... you are more matured to handle family issues...

my uncle is 50 years old. He can't handle is family issues. No be by age o.

Kenai:
Read the news.
LMAO! He's just paying a fraction of November and December salaries...
Also, Aregbesola, to the best of my knowledge, did not appoint commissioners or aides, so whose salary is he slashing exactly?

This man STILL doesn't want to leave propaganda alone, it seems.

God bless u for me.

collins011:
Bro. Please in case you forget, i wish to remind you that he has been consistent in ensuring that the civil servants of Ekiti gets their salary. Please be guided.

Besides, what is wrong for a governor in his humble nature thought it wise to stop by and exchange greetings from the people he govern. I mean what is wrong about that?

tell them o. Bad belle people

Ogbeni actually promised to pay workers before the end of this month. What is happening. Or is the state of Osun yet to do BVN?.

NgeneUkwenu:
Governor Fayose has been without commissioners for the past 8 months. What has the PDP said about it?” Nothing!

Hypocrites!

how can he appoint commissioners when the House dint allow him to settle down?

Juxtified:
Why fast only to be offered stale food?

epic. I love this.

adonismuller:
I am currently in osun state, I know what the people of osun are saying about Aregbe.


Those people in the pic are either the touts who are comfortable with the okada and 2000 bribe he gives them.

Or


The ones who are still under his spell.


Or


The naturally dumb and ignorant ones.


If you wana know what Osun people think about Aregbe,ask the educated ones in the state.



Modified:
First to comment for the first time in history.

I dedicate this to my adorable MUM who I regard as my earthly god,also to my sweet girl,who is like my breath,God bless them both!

I know its childish typing first to comment,but once in a while one needs to act like a child for the fun of it!

thank you jare. Let them cone to Osogbo and see what is happening.

I know guys with third class and they have good jobs without masters sef. Continue your PGD and any other professional courses you can do. Keep building yourself and have faith. All the best.

APC have the majority in that house. I doubt if they can impeach him even if he is guilty.

demmy0325:
Y aregbe sef... Nobody shud bash aregbe again Until afta june30...






Leave the man alone.... Evn the gov owing 11mnths dnt get bashed like this... When he doesnt care bout the development of the state anymre and keep payin the workers salaries.... GOD punish anybody that will bash him on this forum... Maybe you nid to visit osun to see hw much the state have changd..



Rubbish!..

what is this one saying.

OREMUSSANCTUS:
Opolo eyes no be open eyes

and if you new in the game nko

Resident doctors at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, on Thursday staged a fresh protest in Osogbo, Osun State capital, to register their anger over the non-payment of their salaries for the past eight months.The doctors asked Governor Rauf Aregbesola to resign from office if he failed to pay them by the end of June whichhe promised.The doctors, who were led the their President, Dr. Olalekan Ajayi, had gathered at the premises of the hospital from where they trooped out to the streets singing anti-government songs.Armed with placards, with various inscriptions like: “Even Slaves Deserve to be Fed; 230 Days of Unpaid Salaries and Ogbeni, Pay our Salaries,” the doctors caused traffic snarl at Station Road.Members of the Association of Resident Doctors had,on May 12,staged a similar protest and marched to the House of Assembly where they dropped their protest letter.Speaking in an interview with journalists at the end of the protest, ARD president said despite being owed eight months, doctors were not on strike but explained that they could not work because of the strike embarked upon by other categories of workers in the hospital.He said, “We have not been paid for the past eight months. And since then, we have been lobbying and appealing to the government to help but till date we have not been paid.“It has not only affected us as humans, it has affected our families and also our patients. We are telling the government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to do the needful.“This is economic genocide in our state. It is not compatible with life. For these eight months, we have tried to maintain peace and industrial harmony. There is no official announcement that we are on strike but we can’t work.“The hospital is down, everybody is down and there is no way we can actually work as professionals.”Ajayi stated that patients were dying because of the financial crisis which he said had brought every sector of the state down.The doctors said salary payment should be a priority for any government sensitive to the needs of the people.They called on President Muhammadu Buhari to help Osun and other states out of the financial crisis which theysaid was worse than the problem of insecurity.
Source:

http://www.punchng.com/news/doctors-call-for-aregbesolas-resignation-over-unpaid-salaries/

I de here. I don't cheat

Mightymanna:
lazy yoruba people.they are not the only people that are not paid yet they make the loudest noise because of laziness and over dependent on ND oil money

why must it get to this level?. Why is your life like this?. What do you stand to gain?. Why is your life miserable?. Why must you bring ethnicity to everything?. How do we develop as a country when we have people like you?. The tumor in your brain can't be explained.

This is what am looking for. All the best.

That job is not for u. You will definitely get a job soon. Just believe. Grade is not a thing u can lie of. If 2.1 is on your CV and 2.2 on your results. You won't get any job with that. Be proud of your 2.2, e no easy.

Unpaid salaries: Fresh protest rocks Osogbo.
By Femi Makinde,
Human rights activists, some workers and the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties staged a protest on Friday to express their displeasure over the unpaid salaries of workers in Osogbo.The protesters marched from Igbona area to Olaiya Junction where they addressed journalists.The protest at the junction caused a traffic snarl but the presence of policemen at the scene was able to ensure orderliness.Armed with placards with various inscriptions such as: Payworkers and pensioners their entitlements; Aregbesola, bring back our money, the protesters said they had to use June 12 Day to rally support for the workers who they described as oppressed.The Chairman, Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice,Mr. Sulaiman Alimi, said in an interview with journalists, that Govern0r Rauf Aregbesola had failed the people of the state.He said that blaming the past government for the financial crisis in the state was an act of irresponsibility on the part of the current administration.He called on the governor to resign, saying he should no longer continue in office since he could not find solution tothe problem which he claimed was created by the governor.He said, ” I want to say it emphatically that Governor Rauf Aregbesola has failed the people of Osun State because hecreated this by mismanaging the allocation which accrued to the state. This is why he has not been able to pay workers for seven to eight months.” I am using this medium to advise Aregbesola, to resign honourably from office before he will be sent out of Osun State back to Lagos where he and his allies came from. Aregbesola has failed in running the affairs of the state and the people can no longer bear the untold hardship any longer.”In a related development, the Osun Civil Societies Coalitionwhich is an umbrella body of pressure groups in the state has called on the Osun State Government to devise meansof paying the salaries of worker in the state civil service in the spirit of June 12 celebration.The coalition which expressed its sympathy at the workers’ despondent condition over the nonpayment of their six-month salaries stated that it would be cruel and ungodly to celebrate June 12 when the masses are hungry in the state.The Publicity Secretary of the coalition, Mr. Ismaeel Uthman, said this in a statement made available to our correspondent in Osogbo on Friday.He stated that hunger and poor health ravaging the state workers were undeniable as a result of the nonpayment of their salaries.Uthman said, ” We sympathize with the workers in Osun state over their unpaid salaries; we acknowledged how difficult life has been for them because some of the members of the coalition are in the state civil service. We know life has not been easy at all.“We dedicate this year June 12 to the Osun workers; to specially call on Governor Rauf Aregbesola to timely find solution to the nonpayment of the workers’ salaries. A hungry man is an angry man and there is no appeal for someone that is hungry. Aregbesola should act fast before hunger leads to death.”The governor had earlier denied the allegation of insensitivity and financial recklessness being leveled against him over the salary issue.He said, ” This administration remains very sensitive to the welfare of Osun workers. The financial situation of that has made it unable for the state government to pay workers’ salary is disheartening and painful.“However, no one can establish a single instance of recklessness on the part of this government.“Those who want to accuse Aregbesola of not thinking enough on how to generate more funds should also ask how his government was able to raise IGR from N300m to N1.5bn in a spate of four years.“One major thing common to most of the commentators asking Aregbesola to resign is that they are not ready to place what is happening side-by-side the state of Osun before the Aregbesola administration and where Osun is today in terms of the physical infrastructure.”
Source: Punch

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday told Justice Adeyinka Faaji of the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division, that one of the accused persons in the N8bn mutilated currency fraud, Oni Dolapo, actually confessed to committing the offence during investigation.Lead counsel for EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), also told the court how Dolapo allegedly conspired to defraud the Central Bank of Nigeria of the sum of N1.3bn under the pretext that the sum in mutilated notes, brought from Wema Bank, was meant to be destroyed.The counsel said Dolapo, in his confessional statement to the commission, admitted that the amount was packed in 173 boxes from the CBN vault.The prosecution counsel said the accused person used the proceeds of his fraudulent acts to purchase choice property in Ibadan and other places.Some of the property, according to the Jacobs, include fourplots of lands at Eleyele, Ibadan valued at N3m; three acres of land at Ona-Ara, Ibadan, and two acres of land at Ido Local Government, Ibadan, which he acquired in 2012.The EFCC also alleged that another accused person, Olunike Esther Afolabi, also confessed to have made N30mform the deal.Jacob added that Afolabi owned petrol filling stations, tankers, borehole drilling machine, a Kia Cerrato car and a house at No 15, Akuru, Oluyole extension in Ibadan.EFCC said Afolabi also confessed that she owned an old house around Faleke, Challenge area of Ibadan, which she bought from its original owner at N7m.The sum of N4m, according to the commission, was used to renovate the building in 2012 and that Afolabi had the sum of N10m in a bank account.Counsel for Ademola Adewale, O.E Ige and D.G. Olufokunbi,prayed the court to grant him bail because his sin was not as huge as others.Olalekan Ojo, who is counsel for Olaniran Muniru and Kayode Philips, also prayed that the court to grant his clients bail because they did not abscond when they were granted administrative bail at the inception of investigationby EFCC.Jacobs, however, opposed the bail applications for the accused persons.EFCC argued that since the accused persons had admitted their crimes during investigation, the court should grant accelerated hearing instead of wasting time on bail applications.Justice Faaji fixed June 19 for ruling on the bail applications.
Source: punchng

Unpaid Wages: Brutalizing The Poor In Osun State By Remi Oyeyemi“The man dies in him who keeps silent in the face of tyranny.” - Wole Soyinkaby Remi OyeyemiJun 05, 2015211257I am beginning to be embarrassed by what is going on in my home State of Osun. I am beginning to feel ashamed that this is happening to the common and the poor in the State of the Living Spring. I am beginning to feel compunctious and distressed by the sheer heartlessness that is presently persisting in the state. It is like the State of Osun is being managed by bloodless beings that have no ability to feel and understand the ramifications of owing seven months salaries to workers of varying grades and the pensioners in thestate.Rauf AregbesolaI am also being embarrassed as a journalist. Why has it been difficult for this to be headlines in the mainstream media in Nigeria? The primary purpose of government is to cater and guarantee the welfare and security of the governed.The concomitant responsibility of the media is to ensure that the government does not renege in these responsibilities.I understand that everything is now political in Nigeria and in the Southwest especially where speaking the truth has become a serious challenge. But we have to draw the line where the welfare, security and the survival of a big chunk of our people is concerned. This does not mean that a single life lost would notbe tragic, but what is concerned here is not a single life, it is the lives of hundreds of thousands if not millions of our people that are involved. It is emotionally harrowing for any father that cannot put food on the table for his family. It is psychologically traumatizingfor a mother to watch her children go hungry when she has not been a loafer.It is already an eyesore how someone could be presiding over a government that has refused to pay its workers for seven months and still counting! It is tantamount to wickedness and cruelty ofthe highest order for Osun State government under Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola to owe workers wages for seven months when he has been receiving the state’s federal allocation up to date excluding the month of May 2015, which is at least a matter of public record.It would be recalled that before the OsunState Governorship Election of August 9, 2014, Governor Aregbesola owed about three months of wages to the civil servants, teachers and the pensioners. Itwas not until the defeat of his colleague, Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State in June thatyear that he hurriedly found the money to pay the arrears to alleviate the threat of losing re-election. This is despite the fact that Aregbesola has been collecting the State Allocation up until June of that year. What this scenario suggests is that Aregbesola had the money to pay but did not want to pay? Why this was the case is very difficult to fathom. Is the same situation now repeating itself on a larger scale? Is this a deliberate policy orwhat? Does Aregbesola realize he is punishing the entire people of the State? What kind of priority does he have for him to allow the people of the State to go hungry for seven months?It is not an acceptable excuse that the allocation has dwindled. There is no excuse that would suffice under the sun for letting the workers, the pensioners, the teachers – people who struggle everyday to survive- to go hungry because they are denied the fruits of their sweat. If Aregbesola does not have a milk of human kindness flowing in his vein, then it is possible that he does not know the enormity of the damages he is foisting on the state. If he does have some milk of human kindness in him, then he ought to know that seven harrowing months without wages constitute economic, social and security threats to the state and its peoples.Yet, here is a man who lays claim to a degree of activism with some bent to socialism from his days in Ibadan Polytechnic. What kind of ideology is this? What kind of “radicalism” is this? And what kind of management is this? Any idea that ridicules the place of man in the economic chain is not worth its salt. Even red hot capitalism knows that without man, capitalism would be doomed. So, what excuses would a “socialist” like Aregbesola have for povertizing the poor people of Osun State?The Chairman, Finance Commissioners Forum, Mr. Timothy Odah, expressed concern over the low revenue generated for the month of April. He had said “the country is facing serious financial and economic crisis.” He also pointed out that “The Excess Crude Account is depleted already, and you are aware thatwe had earlier resolved that there shouldbe a stop on the use of ECA to augment what the three tiers of government sharemonthly. So, the ECA is currently depleted and it has gone beyond the level that we can get anything reasonable from it.” But he also criticized states owing salaries, saying the governors of those states should have made the payment of salaries their top priority after collecting their monthly statutory allocation.So, one is asking now, what is really going on with the allocations that have been received on behalf of the State? What is Aregbesola doing with the “little”and “reduced” allocations he has been given on behalf of the State of Osun? Where are the monies going? What are the current priorities of Aregbesola? Whatever such priorities are, could there be greater priorities than the welfare of the people? What are the more importanturgent needs in the state than the welfare and the survival of the people, many of whom are poor?It is amazing that social critics like Femi Falana are keeping quiet while this atrocity is going on. Where is Professor Wole Soyinka who is a good friend of theOsun State government? Is he keeping quiet in the face of this tyranny? Where are the Civil Society groups who constantly shout in the press? Are their targets selective? Are they also on the payroll of politicians too? Where are the conscientious people in our society? Where are the national and state leaders of the APC on this matter? Where are theremnants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party in the State? Is everybody already bought to the point that we are so unfeeling, wicked and inconsiderate? Does this mean that we are ready to sacrifice the welfare of our people for political correctness?What is going on in our media houses? What has become of journalism for the ideal society that we all seek? Is every journalist bought over? Why is the Medianot shouting itself hoarse on this issue? Yes, I know that Osun State is not the only one owing salaries in Nigeria. I know there are other states owing varying number of months of salaries across the country. But seven months is a long time for an average man to do without any income.It is All Progressive Congress (APC) that is magnifying the dangers of corruption in our society and rightly so. It is the platform that they used to convince Nigerians to vote for the party at the national level. If you don’t pay a man for seven months, won’t such a man look for how to survive and preserve his own family by resulting to corrupt practices? Is this the way APC is planning to fight corruption? By turning everyone into a potential thief? What is “Progressive” about forcing the people to go on undeserved hunger strike?The state is dying gradually. Families arebeing dislocated. Unemployment is no longer the injurious mantra to sing about. Lack of wages is the new vogue. The security of the state is under seriousthreat. The economy of the state is at a standstill. There is no purchasing power for the greatest number of our people. Businesses are panting because of lack of patronage. Market women are wallowing in stagnancy occasioned by this circumstance. Transporters are tottering from the pangs of absentee passengers. Artisans are reeling in redundancy. Teachers are no longer teaching. Children are becoming certified vagabonds. The workers are on strike, there is not even any show of empathy through negotiation and discussion. The State of Osun is in comatose. This cannot continue to go on.This is tyranny on the part of Governor Aregbesola. This is really mean and inconsiderate. It is high time for Aregbesola to redeem himself. It is time to save the poor from agonies and psychological pulverizing. It is time for him to come down from the horse and feel the pains of the poor people of Osun. He should stop spending whatever money accruing to the state onany other thing until further notice. The only priority that is worth pursuing right now is the payment of wages to civil servants, teachers and entitlements to pensioners until things get better. There is urgent need to put an end to this charade and shenanigans.“In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility – I welcome it.”- John F. Kennedy, in his Inaugural Address January 20, 1961