Despite COVID-19, Slim Federal Allocation in 2020, Oyetola Implemented N30k Minimum Wage, Installed Massive Infrastructure

• (See 2020 Osun Federal Allocation Breakdown)

• Adeleke with N150bn Allocation Has Nothing to Show...

By  Adedeji Adebayo

The current public outcry in Osun over the arrogance and insistence of Governor Ademola Adeleke not to account for the over N150bn federal allocation accrued to his government is a testament to the reality that the era of public office holders bullying citizens to silence when issues of public concerns are raised is gone forever. Citizens are now taking their leaders and representatives to task over public fund in their care.

The more Governor Adeleke runs from public scrutiny, the more his mediocre government is daily confronted with screaming figures from the Federal Ministry of Finance, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and the National Bureau of Statistics. 

According to the data published by the above named federal institutions, both the State Government and the 30 Local Governments in the state received whooping N70.8bn and N79.8bn respectively as their own shares of the revenue from the federal accounts ( FAAC) between November 2022 and November 2023.

The record indicates that in fact since May 2023 when no-subsidy policy went full-blown in the country, the allocation due to the state has increased substantially, as much as 100% of what used to come to the state during the era of ex-Governor Adegboyega Oyetola. 

In 2020 when Oyetola held sway, the state government earned N30.7bn while the 30 local governments therein received N45bn, to make a total of N76bn for the year. This is a far cry to over N100bn this current government has earned in the post-subsidy era alone.

In spite the increased federal allocation, the government of Adeleke has been a fantastic failure, with no profound thing to show for the big earning. 

In Osun, there has been no food palliative, no transportation support from the government, as we have them in other states where leaders with fear of God are superintending affairs. 

But while citizens are groaning under this biting economic condition, Governor Adeleke continues to wet his luxury appetite with state resources. In 2023, he budgeted a staggering N16bn for his food, entertainment and luxury lifestyle. He has again contemptuously voted N15bn for his office in the 2024 budget. To balance the equation and silence the political scums in the state assembly, he devoted N1.2bn commonwealth to purchase Fortuner Toyota cars for few unproductive state legislators. This was at a time the state government rabidly was cutting down on its financial support to schools.

 In 2023, the state government, in a move that defies common-sense and good judgement, reduced its subventions to Osun State College of Technology Esa-oke, UNIOSUN, Ministry of Education, Osun State Secondary Education, Board for Technical and Vocational Education and other key sectors like health and rural development. This witheld financial support threw authorities of the affected tertiary institutions into cul de sac with no better option than to increase their school fees to the detriment of the students and their financially encumbered parents.

In this period of general economic discomfort, Governor Adeleke has shown no capacity to address the austerity. This low quality political leadership gives an impression that statecraft is a rocket science. Meanwhile, it is not. 

At another critical period in the history of the state, when COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the land, disrupted economic activities and stalled government's sources of revenue, there was a Governor Oyetola who rose to the occasion. In February 2020, for instance, the federal allocation received by the state government was measly N1.7bn. In fact in the 12 calendar months, the state government got a three-billion naira allocation only twice. The allocation to the 30 LGAs was equally poor. One remembers with fondness that the monthly allocation to same Ife East Local Government, which today consistently earns over N300m, was beggarly N142m and N148m for November 2020 and December 2020 respectively. Same for a local government like Ifedayo whose allocation for November 2023 was over N200m: in November 2020, it was a miserable N91m.

Notwithstanding the big dip in the federal allocation, Oyetola made a lasting impact in fiscal governance of the state. He genuinely prioritized the welfare of the people. For about 6 months during COVID-19, government offices were under lock and key yet no worker was denied his or her full emolument. At the heat of the pandemic also, he fully implemented the N30,000 Minimum Wage just as he cash-backed the workers promotion carried out before his tenure.

Here is how the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC), Comrade Jacob Adekomi, described Oyetola during the 2021 Workers' Day celebration: "Though the economy of the world and indeed that of Osun state is in critical state, yet the father in you had given the workers in the state the new minimum wage since November, 2020 while some other states who are economically solvent/buoyant than Osun state have not implemented the minimum wage and some who had earlier approved are now reverting to the old minimum wage of eighteen thousand naira.

"It is also to the credit of this  peaceful administration that some staff members of the Osun State owned tertiary institutions earlier relieved of their jobs by the immediate past administration were reinstated, while some members of staff of Osun State University Teaching Hospital were equally upgraded.

"The restoration of Annual Salary Increment is a project that has put smile on the faces of workers in the State just as your administration equally gave financial implication to one of the multiple promotions earlier enjoyed...."

In the same Y2020, no fewer than 15 quality and durable roads were completed. Among them were those of Osogbo township, Yakoyo-Asipa-Ife/Ibadan Expressway, Ereja roundabout -Isaare-Oke Oye-Irojo-Ilesa/Akure Expressway and Modakeke township. The 17.5km Osogbo-Kelebe-Iragbiji and other ambitious projects were qually under construction.

Today, we now have in the seat of power in Abere a Nebuchadnezzar who relishes while people die of hunger; we now have a Pharaoh who hardens his heart to the suffering of the masses; we now have an Emperor 

Jean-Bédel Bokassa and Mobutu Sese Seko who wears a toga of arrogance everywhere, believing that citizens' demand for public accountability is a disrespect to his office. We now have a governor who is running helter skelter because citizens are asking him to account for N13.5bn FG palliative and NG-CARES funds and 15,200 bags of 50kg rice entrusted in his care by President Tinubu.

_Net Allocation Received by the Osun State Government in 2020 ( Oyetola's Era)_ 

Jan. 2020 - N2,189,670,467. 11k

Feb. 2020 - N1,728,441,107.91k

March 2020 - N2,223,745,035.19k

April 2020 - N2,226,103,045.33k

May 2020 - N2,236,001,786.47k

June 2020 - N3,010,521,424.74k

July 2020 - N3,140,649,700.16k

Aug. 2020 - N3,241,129,092,81k

Sept 2020 - N2,958,185,688.75k

Oct. 2020 - N2,553,303,584.76k

Nov. 2020 - N2,594,210,809.59k

Dec. 2020 - N2,693,448,839.38k

Total *N30,795,410,582.20k* (N30.7bn).

 _Net Allocation Received by the 30LGAs in Osun in 2020 ( Oyetola's Era)_ 

Jan. 2020 - N3,857,932,829.82k

Feb. 2020 - N3,457,313,473.97k

March 2020 - N3,929,495,105.98k

April 2020 - N3,719,943,549,.92k

May 2020 - N3,362,632,491.31k

June 2020 - N4,095,063,232.56k

July 2020 - N4,214,370,737.10k

Aug. 2020 -N4,127,163,999.81k

Sept 2020 - N3,860,383,158.21k

Oct. 2020 - N3,471,783,470.89k

Nov. 2020 - N3,486,715,414.91k

Dec. 2020 - N3,644,847,781.26k

Total *N45,227,645,251.74k* ( N45.2bn)

Grand Total *N76,023,055,833.94* ( N76bn) received by the state government and 30LGAs in Osun State in 2020.