The Oyo State House of Assembly has approved Oyo N100 billion prosperity bond, describing it as an alternative approach of the present administration to finance infrastructural and developmental projects.

Giving the report of the committee on Public Accounts, Finance and Appropriation on the bond during the house’s Thursday plenary, the Committee Chairman, Hon. Akeem Mustapha noted that the bond was intended by government to finance priority projects in the State for rapid socio-economic development of the State.

The State lawmakers who had earlier organized a day seminar to gather more knowledge on bond issuance, payment and the imperative for domestic borrowing, today listed the Ibadan Dry Port/Rail Corridors, Ibadan Airport Upgrade and Expansion, Construction/Upgrade and Equipping of hospital across the three Senatorial Districts in the State, Circular Ring-road, Ibadan and the Construction of the Iseyin-Ogbomoso Road (about 50km) as five proposed developmental projects to be financed with the bond.

Mustapha said, “the bond is to be raised by the Private Company only that the Government gives support to the investors that are to be involved in the Bond issuance.

“During our workshop, there was a consensus opinion that there was nothing wrong in borrowing or bond issuance but what is important is the judicious utilization of the Bonds for the intended purpose. They are projects that have revenue potentials and capable of generating employment opportunities.

“The process towards the actualization of the proposed N100billion Bond commences November/December, 2020 as the target issuance date. Hence, all the five identified projects will be captured in the 2021 budget of the State.”

In his remarks, the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin recalled that a seminar was held to highlight the benefits and challenges of bonds as well as bring to fore the rationale behind the Oyo Prosperity bond at this time.

The Speaker noted that the Seminar made the lawmakers to be better informed on the benefits and challenges of bonds, repayment modes , interest rates , and their expected roles as Lawmakers in ensuring that funds accruable from the bond are expended on projects highlighted by the state government.

He reiterated the resolve of the ninth Oyo State House of Assembly to continue to perform its statutory function of checking the executive arm of Government, curbing executive wastage and reducing government excesses.

He said, “There are needs for Government to seek and explore alternative means of financing its projects adding that borrowing itself was not a bad idea but insisted that money borrowed must be expended on capital projects that will generate revenue for easy and prompt repayment and not on recurrent expenditures.

“The House must be fully briefed on the bond. A committee will be setup in the house with members selected across Political parties irrespective to monitor the bond. It’s not a party affairs but a state business.

“The idea is to tap into our own potential as a state, so we can create our own success stories and commercial hub.” Hon Adebo Ogundoyin said.

Former governor of Oyo State, Chief Christopher Adebayo Alao Akala has advocated for the equitable rotation of Oyo governorship seat among the senatorial districts, constituting the state, saying this would promote fairness and create a sense of belonging among all geopolitical zones.

He bemoaned the seeming domination by the political class in Ibadan, contending that out of six governors that have occupied governorship seat in Oyo, five were indigenes of Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State.

Pushing for the rotational arrangements, regarding Oyo governorship seat in his autobiography titled “Amazing Grace”, Akala said, “though rotation of the presidency or governorship seat is not captured by the consequent 1999 Nigerian constitution, it has nonetheless become a compelling feature of our political culture since then.”

According to him, “political parties and players at the national level and in many states have reflected the tenets since the advent of the nation’s nascent democracy. However, that pact seems not to have penetrated Oyo State.”

“It is agreed that merits such as robust antecedents, intrinsic personal capacity, genuine knowledge of the people and capacity to sell the vision to the people, should determine who becomes governor in the state and not whether one belongs to the majority or the minority. Nevertheless, merit cannot be the exclusive preserve of only a section of the state”, Akala remarked.

While contending that the primordial holding on to power by the Ibadan people, under whatever guise had become primitive and embarrassing, he opined that “if the Yoruba insists that the presidency should be zoned to it in 2023, it is expected that it should ensure that charity begins from its domain by rising to stop the domination of a section by another as it obtains in Oyo State.”

Akala further stated that “it is not an exaggeration to say that the Ibadan attitude to power has become segregationist and outrightly sectional. This attitude has encouraged the impression that the marginalised people of the vast geopolitical zones of Oyo, Ogbomoso, Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa who have been immensely pivotal to the outcome of governorship elections in the state can only be kingmakers and not kings themselves.”

“Ibadan and pivotal Yoruba supra-bodies such as Afenifere, Yoruba Council of Elders among others, must know that the rest of us are not comfortable with that. There is, therefore, the need for a consensus, and I think that the time is now, to ensure the equitable rotation of the state governorship among all the three senatorial districts in the state and allow other geopolitical zones other than Ibadan to be governor.”

“We may be unable to avert an impending crisis if political players in the state fail to take cognisance of the pluralistic nature of the state and continue to restrict power to only one senatorial district of the state, a situation that has created apprehension if not outrage among the people on the receiving end of this undisguised oligarchy,” Akala averred.

The Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, on Monday, said that the state was partnering with the French Government in order to broaden the state’s economy and ensure better life for its people.

Governor Makinde, who stated this while receiving a delegation of the French Government led by the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Jerome Pasquier, at the Executive Council Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Agodi, Ibadan, said that the partnership has yielded positive results for the state’s economic expansion agenda, while also broadening the state’s economic landscape.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, quoted the governor as saying that part of the positive results being recorded in the state’s economic expansion efforts was the 26.4 per cent growth in its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) in the first half of 2020, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

The statement said that the governor expressed delight at the close relationship between the state, the French Embassy and Government of France, adding that his government is open to collaborating with France on several projects in areas such as education, agriculture, security and economic expansion.

He said: “We are happy to have this close relationship with the French Embassy and the Government of France. I am quite happy with the relationship. I have a very good memory of what is going on in France right now.

“Since the last time we visited together, there have been positive changes in the economic landscape of Oyo State. For example, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Oyo State still witnessed 26.4 per cent growth in our IGR. We have also been addressing the infrastructural deficit of the state and that has been helping us to actually boost the economy.”

Governor Makinde stated that he is ready to seek help where necessary to turn around the economy of Oyo State, adding that the state is ready and open to businesses that can bring development and growth to its economy.

“Like the Ambassador mentioned, we are collaborating on several fronts and projects right now. And we want to thank you, the French Government, for your contribution to the RAAMP project. I know it is yet to take off fully but we are ready. All the necessary committees to drive it have been put in place and they are ready.

“Also, the Farmers’ Wholesale Market that we are trying to set up at Akufo, it will interest you to know that from Apete, we are fixing the road all the way to Akufo.

“Work is really going on there. We are excited because it is supposed to be the largest such market in South-West, Nigeria. So, we thank you for your support on that and we hope to still work collaboratively on it.

“Oyo State is ready for business and we have tried as much as possible to be open because we believe transparency is very key. We believe there are programmes we can tailor to fit what we need.”

He added that the state has put in serious commitments and investments into creating a secure and conducive environment for businesses to grow.

“I also want to let you know that we have made so much progress in terms of security as well, because we believe that all of the investments drive and the good things we want to do can only take place in a safe and secure environment.

“So, we are investing quite a huge amount to ensure that when people come to Ibadan and Oyo State in general, they don’t have to think twice on whether they are safe or not.”

The governor, therefore, appealed to the French Delegation to assist the state in the Occupational and Educational Programme that can boost the state’s education system.

He said: “Finally, I know that there is this occupational and education programme. We started a similar collaboration with the IITA called the STEP programme. They picked one school at Fashola. We have since expanded the programme. We now have schools picked from various geopolitical zones in the state and we will appreciate the inclusion in the similar programme of the French Government, as that can even help us expand the programme further.”

Earlier, the leader of the French delegation, Ambassador Pasquier, said that there were a lot of things that the French government could do with Oyo State, expressing the willingness of his country’s government to work with the state in agriculture, tourism, health and developing strong links that could help tertiary education in the state.

He appreciated the governor for the hospitality accorded him and his entourage through the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism since they arrived in the state, pledging that bilateral relationship between French Government and the Oyo State Government will continue.

The event was attended by top government officials, including the Deputy Governor, Engineer Rauf Olaniyan; Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun; Chief of Staff, Chief Bisi Ilaka; Head of Service, Mrs. Ololade Agboola; Commissioners; chairman of the House of Assembly Committee on Culture and Tourism, Hon. Isiaka Tunde Kazeem, and other House of Assembly members.

The lawmaker representing Oyo North Senatorial District, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari has condemned in strong terms the wantom attack on the Palace of His Royal Majesty, Oba Jimoh Oladunni Ajagungbade III, The Soun Of OgbimosoLand by certain miscreants.

Fatai Buhari in a statement made available on Social Media urged the good people of the Valiant town to remain calm and maintain peace while necessary steps are being taken to ensure that nolmacy returns.

” No right thinking sons and daughters will be happy to hear this very unfortunate incident happening in the town.

“The killing of the innocent souls by the yet to be identified overzealous security personnels is also not palatable to the ears.

‘ A meeting was ongoing on how best to put the situation at rest and these perpetrators jumped into the palace and starting damaging things in the exalted palace. Who does that and goes free?

” These evil doers have rubbed salt on the injury of our dear very peaceful town and will be brought to justice.

” What if Baba was in the sitting room when these hoodlums forced themselves into the palace ?

” Imagine schools in the north and south axis of the town are closed for today. Just too sad a situation.

” Full investigation into the whole scenario is ongoing and all guilty persons shall face the full wrath of the law”, Buhari assured.

Buhari ended by wishing His Royal Majesty, Oba Jimoh Oladunni Ajagungbade III, The Soun Of OgbomosoLand, more years of very sound health in peaceful reign.

The Oyo state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has decried the spate of uncharitable and reckless statements emanating from the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the exalted of the Executive Governor of Oyo state.

The ruling party in a statement signed by its state publicity secretary, Engr Akeem Olatunji, and made available to newsmen on Monday noted that such unbridled penchant for public attention was unhealthy for the already redefined politics without bitterness being championed by Governor Seyi Makinde.

The state PDP described the APC as a political party with sheer disrespect for the office they once held for eight wasteful years stressing that all that concerns APC in Oyo state was to be in power and not to protect the sanctity of the office through which such power is derived.

The ruling party however warned the APC to be cautious of reckless statements and deliberate move to blackmail and malign the person of Governor Seyi Makinde for always been there for his people and performing his legitimate responsibilities as a highly respected and loyal party man, stressing that the opposition should not mistake Makinde’s simplicity and benevolence for weakness.

The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to a statement by Oyo state chapter of the APC over the weekend where the opposition party used some very provocative, extremely disrespectful, and uncharitable words for the person of the Executive Governor of the state, Engr Seyi Makinde, with the sole aim of maligning our governor and bringing his name to disrepute.

“The Oyo APC through its Publicity secretary, AbdulAzeez Olatunde, yet again, threw caution to the wind in the name of politics by calling the governor ‘senseless’, wouldn’t it have been polite and respectful in the spirit of playing opposition to apply decorum in their choices of words especially when addressing the governor?

“We are not unaware of their source of unrestrained effrontery and guts being party in control at the center, to disrespect, disparage, malign, and bring the hard earned reputation of governor Makinde to disrepute in the eyes of the unsuspecting members of the public.

“The Ondo state election where governor Makinde had gone to perform his duties as the Chairman of PDP campaign committee alongside his other counterparts to rally support for the PDP candidate also had no fewer than 15 APC governors present in the sunshine state to garner support for their candidate.

“For the benefit of doubt those APC governors present include Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, his Katsina State counterpart, Aminu Masari; Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State; Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, his Kebbi State counterpart, Atiku Bagudu; and Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola.

“Others present were Governor Sani Bello of Niger State; Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni; Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman of Kwara State; Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State; Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Gombe State Governor Muhammad Yahaya; and Simon Lalong of Plateau State.

“It is also a public knowledge that even while the governor was in Ondo performing his legitimate party duty, good governance in the state has continued uninterruptedly.

“We are seriously baffled by Oyo state APC unbridled penchant for public attention among other opposition parties in the state, by saying that ‘Makinde won his 2019 governorship election fraudulently, APC has just shown its lowest level of disrespect for not only the apex court, the Supreme Court of Nigeria for upholding Makinde’s election victory, but also disrespecting both the election Tribunal and Appeal courts for validating peoples choice during the said 2019 guber election.

“We know for a fact that Oyo state APC is a specialist and particularly known for using sheer falsehood, smear campaign, blackmail, and unthinkable approach to politics but we as a political party wish to specifically warn them to desist forthwith and play their opposition role with decorum, restraint, and respect for the exalted office they once branded as ‘Constituted authority’ in all their approaches because even under the right to freedom of expression, we are all answerable for what we say.

“We urge Oyo residents and the good people of the state to continue to ignore the desperation of APC in the state, because we know that they have no respect for the choice, will, and collective sensibility of the people who freely and overwhelmingly gave Governor Makinde their mandate as their governor.”

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has appealed to the #EndSARS protesters to trust and believe the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari on the disbandment of SARS.

The governor made the appeal after his arrival from Ondo State where he was Chairman of the All Progressives Congress governorship campaign team.

The governor also appealed to the #EndSARS protesters to be peaceful.

He described the dissolution of SARS by the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, as a victory for Nigerian youths.

He said the protests showed that people have the right to express their views, adding that “the government meant business about the disbandment of SARS. We should not doubt the government’s sincerity.

“The beauty of democracy is that people have the right to protest, to air their views, to speak out when things are not going right and I have identified with them.

”This is real democracy being played out. They have the right as our youths, as our citizens to correct and say we do not want this.

”Let me commend all of our youths that have come out in Lagos. I have been monitoring on a daily basis and it has been very peaceful. That is what we want, you can actually make your point in a peaceful and orderly manner.”

Also, the Minister of Police Affairs in a tweet said the Buhari-led government was committed to disbanding SARS.

He tweeted, “I urge Nigerians to see the disbandment of SARS, as government’s commitment to deepening relationship between Nigerians and the police, for better service delivery. Let’s continue to work together to secure our communities.”