The Chairman, Local Government Service Commission in Osun State, Dr. Peter Adebayo Babalola on Sunday posited that the state Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola has performed excellently within the 7 years of his administration in the state and charged the media to report the successes of his government.
Babalola said this in Ikire while playing a host to the members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists who honoured him with a visit as part of activities marking the 2017 Press Week of the chapel.
He maintained that no government since the creation of the state has done half of what Governor Aregbesola did in the last seven years. He frowned that the achievements of the governor were not well reported and appealed to journalists to be fair and just by giving adequate coverage to landmark achievements of the current administration in the state.
He said the Aregbesola led administration has brought unprecedented development to the state particularly on infrastructure development in all the nooks and crannies of the state.
According to him, “since the creation of Osun state, no government has been very passionate about the people’s welfare as experienced in the Aregbesola’s government. We have never had a huge development like what the present government led by Governor Rauf Aregbesola brought to Osun.”
“What Osun is witnessing today in terms of transformation and development is an attestation to the fact that Governor Aregbesola really meant well for the people of the state. The present government has really worked and I can justify this anywhere in the world because I have been part of the government even before the creation of the state.
“I have worked with successive administrations, I have worked with both military and civilian administrations, but going by every justification and measure, no government has done what Aregbesola did. The All Progressives Congress led administration in the state has not only stimulated our economy but set a standard for good governance.”
“As we all know, Osogbo which is the state capital was like a Local Government Headquarters. Osogbo was a glorified LG headquarters before Aregbesola came. This government has transformed Osogbo and it now looks like a state capital. Before this government, no overhead bridges here which you can easily see now.”
Speaking on salaries and pensions issues in the state, Dr Babalola hailed Governor Rauf Aregbesola for being sensitive and committed to workers’ welfare.
Babalola said Osun remains the only state in the southwest region where workers’ welfare was prioritized above other government’s engagements.
In his words, “I don’t know why some people failed to live by reality. It is on records that Osun under the leadership of Governor Aregbesola has been very sensitive to workers’ welfare.”
“Osun is one of the very few states where workers are being paid regularly in accordance with the agreed terms. Osun is one of the few states in Nigeria where pensioners receive their pensions regularly also in accordance with the agreed modulated structure.”
“We all know what is happening all over the nation particularly on the inability of many states to pay workers’ salaries. In spite of the economic challenges in the country in which Osun is no exception, the present administration has never failed in its constitutional responsibilities to meeting the aspirations and yearnings of the people particularly the workers as their welfare has always been at front burner.”
“Today, both active and inactive workers in the state receive their payments every month without hiccup in accordance with the agreed terms. If we can have a personality like the former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress in person of Comrade Hassan Sunmonu chairing a salary payment committee, one should be rest assured that the workers’ welfare is guaranteed”
“Every worker on levels 1-7 receives his full pay while every worker on levels 8-10 receives 75 percent of his salary and workers on levels 12 and above receive 50 percent of their salary every month. So, it erroneous, misconception and false impression for anyone to say Osun is not paying workers and pensioners”, he added.
Charging media practitioners on the need to champion the core ethics of their profession, Dr Babalola implored journalists to always priorities truth and fairness in their reportorial. He advocated for media support for the present administration in the state particularly on the achievements recorded in the last seven years.
The Chairman of the Osun NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel, Prince Hameed Oyegbade thanked Dr. Babalola for identifying with the newsmen on the occasion of the press week celebration.
Earlier in his sermon during the thanksgiving service at the Apostolic Church Nigeria District Headquarters, Ikire which preceded the visit to Babalola’s residence, the Area Superintendent, the Apostolic Church, Gbongan, Osun State, Apostle Johnson Akanni, charged people to imbibe the spirit of love.
Apostle Akanni described love as the pillar of existence, saying that if not for love, the earth would not have come into existence and that ethers would be nothing called man. The cleric said God created man and gave him the domineering power over other creatures because of the ultimate love He has for man.
According to him, “If not for love, God will not make man to have dominion over other creatures. If not for love, animals are even enough to destroy man but because of the authority on to which God given on to man, thus He made animals, demons, Jins among others to be subservient and servitude to man.
“If not because of love, Jesus wouldn’t have surrendered Himself for the sake of man’s safety. Jesus became sacrificial lamb because of His love for mankind. So, love is the pillar that holds existence as world was created because of the love that God has for mankind. So, it behooves on every soul to love one another.
“We need to serve God in truth and faith. We must love ourselves. One is not a true believer until he or she loves others as he or she loves himself or herself. We must love one another. The commandment of God is for us to love others as He loves us. He said the reasons for the celebration of the birth of Christ is to show on to beings the purpose of His birth, the circumstances attached to his life and the supreme love he had for mankind.
“The celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ (Chrsmas), is to rejoice in Him the love Jesus had for mankind that made Him to lay His life for the salvation of humanity”, he stressed.
Corroborating the message, Apostle David Sunday Oloke admonished humanity on the need to champion the will of God and always see Lord as their saviour in whatever they do.
Apostle Oloke whose message was based on seven virtues namely; true belief in God, true spirit of asking all from God, true giving on to God, obedience to God, fear of God, humbleness to God and mankind as well as living the life of Holiness, said it is high time for every soul to return to God so as to receive His goodness.
He called on the people to rekindle their beliefs and faiths in God as it is only the righteousness and true believers that will gain the eternal rest in Paradise.
Apostle Oloke hinged his homily on relevant biblical references of Exodus 33; John 11 Verse 40, Luke Chapter 5 Verses 1-9 and Isaiah 49 V 1-15, noting that salvation could only come to man that prioritizes the seven values that define faithful living.
He added, “For any soul to receive the goodness of God and as well secure eternal rest hereafter, he or she must champion the virtues aforementioned.
“We must live a life of true believers, we must have a strong belief that nothing can be received except from God, we must fear God, we must be humble on to Him and live life of holiness so as to be a complete believer and receive goodness from Him.
“Our Lord is a graceful God, giving on to God so as to receive from God. Every soul is expected to make sacrifice(s) on to Him to receive worthy goodness from Him too. Our Lord is a Lord of goodness. We must obey God and do things according to His dictates.
“This could be seen and authenticate in Luke Chapter 5 Verses 1-9, telling us that Solomon received goodness from God simply because of his obedience on to Him. So, it is indeed that through obedience, we can receive the goodness of God.
“So also, when we fear God we will definitely receive goodness from God just as sense of humbleness always bring goodness from God and humanity”, he added.
