By Linda Eroke

Osun State Government Monday explained that the state revenue portfolio was the underlying factor in its inability to implement the N18,000 minimum wage for workers in the state.

The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) had last week directed workers in the state to embark on strike following the inability of the labour leaders and the state government to reach an agreement on the modalities for the implementation of the minimum wage.

But speaking at an interactive session with newsmen in Lagos, the state Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, explained that the state would require about N1.844 billion, which was equivalent to the monthly allocation from the federation account to fully implement the N18,000 minimum wage for over 45,000 workforce in the state.

The implication, he noted, was that the state would be using its entire resources to pay only 45,000 workers out of a total population of 3.8 million.

Okanlawon said the state governor had earlier explained the current financial position of the state to the labour leaders and sought their understanding on the 100 per cent implementation of the minimum wage to workers on grade Levels 01 to 07, while it applies the new salary to other levels from 08 to 17 on pro-rata basis in ascending order of magnitude.

He noted that the state government had proposed the sum of N1.218 billion monthly wage to workers pending when the state’s finances improved, but, however, added that the amount was rejected by the labour leaders, who insisted on full implementation of the minimum wage across board.

“What the state government is proposing to pay workers is N1.218 billion but the workers are insisting on full implementation which will gulp a total of N1.844 million which is equivalent to the monthly allocation to the state. As you are aware, Osun State was one of the lowest in terms of revenue from federation account. And with N300 million from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), the state has only a total of N2.1 billion total monthly revenue. The argument is that we cannot use the entire resources to pay salaries to only 45,000 workers in a population of 3.8 million.

Government does not exist for workers alone as those outside the workforce should also have a taste of government in terms of educàtion, healthcare, security etc. We are asking for time to implement fully the minimum wage across board.

“Part of the constraint is that before the present administration came on board, the Oyinlola administration had proccured N8.3 billion loan out of which the state was supposed  to be paying N615 million monthly to the bank it borrowed money from. But our saving grace is that the bank has agreed to refinance the loan otherwise the state would have been crippled. The previous administration was borrowing money to pay salaries to workers every month so the workers believe the state has money. These are the issues that the governor want workers to understand,” he said.

He further pointed out that government is in a tight position to increase tax because of the strong believe that, “tax can only be increased when there is an enabling environment for businesses to flourish.”

He, therefore, appealed to workers to give government breathing space to carry on with its developmental plans that would benefit the entire state adding that the labour leaders have the duty to properly explain this state’s financial position to their members in order to ensure progress in the state.

C. Thisday

By Tunde Sanni

Twenty-six registered political parties in Oyo State, under the umbrella of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has filed a suit at the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division, to stop further disbursement of funds to the 33 council areas in the state, pending the emergence of democratically elected chairmen in all the council areas.

The CNPP, which is asking the court to grant its plea that the federal government, through the Federal Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Committee (RMFAC), should stop the allocation,  is coming on the heels of the inauguration  Monday of 25 of the 33 local government transition committee chairmen, amidst tight security by Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

The CNPP through its counsel had argued that the idea of caretaker committee ran contrary to section 7(1) of the amended 1999 constitution which only provided for democratically elected Local government chairmen.

According to CNPP, it was the responsibility of the State Independent Electoral Commission to conduct council election in order to have democratically elected government at the local government areas.

The affidavit deposed that, “With the little experience the Executive Governor has acquired during his short stay in office, it is expected that he should have learnt the wisdom of wide consultation prior to taking decision that affects the populace of Oyo state.

“In view of the above, in order to stop this unconstitutional act of the Executive Governor of Oyo State, the CNPP in Oyo State, consisting 26 political parties, have filed a motion at the state High Court to stall this illegality, should in case, members of the state House of Assembly could not muster the courage to defend the provision of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as stated in section 7(1).”

However, Ajimobi, while swearing in the council chairmen, declared that the council chairmen would not be eligible to stand for election into the same office at the expiration of their three months tenure.

All the gates leading to the secretariat which houses the Governor’s office were firmly locked against well wishers, while journalists and other persons entering the precinct of the secretariat were thoroughly screened.

THISDAY gathered that the tight security at the gate might not be unconnected with last week’s protests against the list of nominees for the cabinet and councils. It was speculated that the protesters might come yesterday to disrupt the ceremony, hence the  tight  security.

Ajimobi told the chairmen not to see their oath of office as mere routine, stating that, by swearing on oath with the Holy Books, they had reached an understanding before God and man that they would not be corrupt nor violate their office during their tenure.

The governor called on the council chiefs to join hands with the state government in its resolve to bring about restoration, transformation and to reposition the state.

“The period of transition is not the time to quickly take what you can take, don’t allow your personal interest to override the collective interest of the people you are being called to serve. If you do well, you will be given opportunity in another area,” he said.

By Chiemelie Ezeobi

Policemen attached to Ifako Police Division in Lagos State have arrested a yet to be identified suspect who allegedly abducted eight politicians.

According to reports, the politicians said to be members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) were discovered in the suspect’s car in an unconscious state. The policemen swiftly freed them.

THISDAY gathered that the suspect had purportedly drugged the politicians and was taking them to an unknown destination when he was nabbed.

Sources said the kidnapper’s vehicle, a Nissan Quest car knocked down a commercial motorcyclist around the Gbagada area while trying to escape.

The source continued: "When he refused to stop and help the victim, other commercial motorcyclists gave him a chase. When intercepted, the mob discovered that the other occupants of the vehicle were deep asleep in spite of the whole noise.

"Policemen from Ifako Division were alerted. They eventually arrested the driver and rushed the victims to the Gbagada General Hospital before they were transferred to the Ikeja General Hospital."

When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Samuel Jinadu said it was not a case of ritual.

However, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects were on their way to a meeting with the chairman of Bariga Local Government in Ibafo, Ogun State, before they were kidnapped and drugged.

By Burningpot Sources

The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the state governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, to account for a total of N46 billion which accrued to his government between December 2010 and June 2011.

The PDP said it was not yet levelling any allegation against Aregbesola, but was interested, like every citizen of Osun State, in knowing where the money was or how it was spent.

A statement issued by the state PDP chairman, Chief Sunday Ojo-Williams, on Tuesday, said the people of the state were interested in the explanation that would come from Aregbesola “on how the money was spent, or where it is being kept since he had not embark on any physical project since he was sworn in in November, 2010, because there had been no executive council to approve projects as demanded by law.”

The PDP said the N46 billion figure consisted of N20.1 billion statutory allocations for the seven months, N870 million ($5.798 million) special excess crude allocation in January, as well as the N25 billion loan Aregbesola took from FirstBank, two months into his administration in January.

The statutory allocations to Osun State, according to Ojo-Williams, from December 2010 to June 2011 respectively, were N2,550,462,347; N3,083,309,390.18; N2,288,210,136.03; N1,964,733,255.84; N4,616,516,161.47; N2,592,344,114.96 and N2,734,939,635.84.

All the figures, the PDP said, were open for verification by interested persons, as they were regularly published in newspapers by the Federal Ministry of Finance.

The PDP chairman added that the figure of N46 billion which Aregbesola was being asked to explain did not include internally generated revenue and other special allocations such as the ecology funds, which the party said “is a topic for another day.”

C. Tribune