The state’s Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, in a statement disclosed that majority of the victims were children.

“Government has swiftly mobilised a rapid response team following the incident.

“Victims of the incident have been swiftly transported to various hospitals within the Ibadan metropolis for medical attention,” he said.

The commissioner however said government was awaiting a detailed report from the Police Command in the state to know the total number of victims involved in the unfortunate incident.

He went on to state that government was not involved in any of the planning.

“Neither was the state Ministry of Health requested to provide any logistics to support the private funfair,” Oyelade said.

He stated further that government would do all in its power to stand by victims of the incident “through this trying period.”

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The commissioner urged parents who had become apprehensive about their children’s whereabouts to check some medical facilities in Ibadan where victims of the stampede were taken to.

“The medical centres are Patnas Hospital, Basorun; Western Hospital, Basorun; Ring Road State Hospital; Molly Specialist Hospital; and University College Hospital (UCH).”

He added that while the state government extended its deepest sympathies to the families affected by the tragedy, it also urged members of the public to remain calm and cooperative.

“We are in the process of gathering relevant pieces of information and necessary support is being arranged for the victims,” Oyelade said.

Source: NAN

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The state’s Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Professor Musibau Babatunde, gave this assurance on Tuesday while giving a breakdown and analysis of the proposed 2025 budget of N678,086,767,332.18 tagged “Budget of Economic Stabilisation,” at a media parley held at the Conference Room of the Ministry of Finance.

Babatunde said that the highlights of the budget were testament to the fiscal transparency and accountability of the Governor ‘Seyi Makinde-led administration.

He added that the analysis was necessary to make adequate projections so that the state would not have an under-performed or over-performed budget.

According to the commissioner, the state government is going to implement a budget that will bring multiplier effects into the economy and also bring substantial returns to the economy, culminating into improved welfare for residents of the state.

The commissioner further stated that the government used the bottom-top approach, which ensured inclusiveness, to prepare the budget, as relevant stakeholders across the seven geopolitical zones were consulted and the interests of the people fully captured.

He said: “What are the expectations that the people of Oyo State should have on the 2025 Budget, when approved? Improvement of their welfare, more infrastructure, increased support for business owners, farmers and all segments of the society.

“We are looking at the fact that the people of Oyo State should expect an improvement in their welfare in the year 2025, because we don’t just want to implement a budget that will not bring about multiplier effects into the economy. We want to have a budget that will bring about substantial returns to the economy of Oyo State, which will have direct linkage into the welfare of our people.

“Already, at the office of SOCU, under the office of Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, we have been able to get the nod of the National Social Register to deepen and update our social register. It is ongoing as I speak to you.

“We can have a good leverage on the register so that by the time we are having our intervention to the people; it is those that really need the relief materials and packages that will get access to it. So, we have taken up a holistic framework in respect of the 2025 budget estimates.

“I was at the BCOS recently where somebody asked a question on whether the SMEs loans enjoyed by some people in the state under SAfER would continue. I mentioned that the second phase is coming up in 2025. We realised the fact that more people actually wanted access to that loan. We have taken into consideration the number of people that we can support in 2025 such that somebody roasting plantain on the road will have access to the loan.

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“We have tried to streamline what the requirements will be such that they are not cumbersome. The person selling pepper too will have access to it. When they have enough liquidity, their productivity will increase and then they can have high turn-over that can be used to maintain their welfare in the particular process.

“In the infrastructure sector, look at the ongoing rehabilitation of inner roads in Ibadan. Ease of movement and reduction in the number of man-hours spent on transportation on intra and inter-town roads in the state are being addressed and more of them will come, as the rehabilitations will be extended to other zones. These things have implications on the ease of doing business in Oyo State.

“In the wisdom of Governor Makinde, having realised the fact that he wants adequacy in terms of project completion, he established the Oyo State Project Monitoring and Performance Agency. Through this agency, we can monitor projects, check out the quality of those projects and the timely completion of those projects.

“We also have the Monitoring and Evaluation Department in the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning. People have been able to see how exactly we have been having our M and E in our budget implementation.”

Speaking on the key components of the 2025 budget proposal, Babatunde stated that as part of measures to improve the welfare of residents and stabilise them economically amid the growing hardship in the country, the state government would implement the second phase of the Sustainable Action for Economic Recovery, SAfER, an initiative introduced by Governor Makinde to cushion the effects of economic hardship on Oyo State residents.

He assured that the government would not increase the taxes but go after tax defaulters and also bring more people into the tax net with a view to improving revenue generation.

He added that measures had also been put in place to monitor, control and enforce spending limits to ensure a sound budgetary system that would include aggregate fiscal discipline, efficiency and effective implementation of the budget.

Present at the budget analysis were the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade; Commissioner for Establishment and Training, Segun Olayiwola; Executive Assistant to the Governor on Budget, Alhaji Gafar Bello; Special Adviser, Budget and Economic Planning, Simeon Oyeleke; and Senior Special Assistant on Economic Planning, Mr Kehinde Ogunsanya.

Others were the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Budget and Planning, Directors, representative of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria, DAWN, Commission and representatives of civil society organisations.

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Oyo State government has set up an emergency situation hub to collate and coordinate information about management of victims of Tuesday’s explosion in the state capital.

No fewer than three persons were reported to have died and 77 others injured when the explosion occurred at Bodija area of Ibadan.

Its impact was said to have been felt as far away as 15km from the scene of the explosion.

Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, stated on Wednesday in Ibadan that the deputy governor, Mr Bayo Lawal, was appointed to head the situation hub.

He urged victims of the explosion to submit verifiable evidences of their losses and seek clarifications on the nature of government’s intervention.

Oyelade added that temporary accommodation had been organised by the government for those displaced by the explosion.

He stated also that the state government would finance the hospital bills of those injured.

The commissioner confirmed that many victims had started registering at the hub and were being guided by emergency and disaster experts.

“As security agencies continue investigations, the state government is narrowing down on the possible cause of the explosion.

“As a result of new evidences, government is interrogating certain leads that suggest storage of explosives by illegal miners residing in the Bodija area of the state capital where the explosion occurred,’’ Oyelade stated.

He confirmed that the explosion affected some structures at the government secretariat.

Twelve of the victims had been taken to Redeemer’s Health Centre in Ibadan. Six of them were treated and discharged.

Four others were still receiving treatment as at the time of this report.

Two others who were in critical condition were transferred to the University College Hospital, Ibadan for further treatment.

The explosion destroyed at least 10 cars and left about 30 houses at different stages of destruction.

Source: NAN

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In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, the Aseyin coronation will be on December 14, 2023 while that of Soun will be on December 19, 2023.

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The state government has set up a coronation committee headed by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi, including the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr Segun Olayiwola; the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatunbosun; the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, and the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Security, Retired Commissioner of Police, Sunday Odukoya, as members of the committee.

The committee has been holding meetings with coronation committees from the two palaces over the past few weeks and had undertaken inspections of the venues for the events.

“All is now set for the big events”, the government representatives said.

“The state government hereby seizes this opportunity to enjoin members of the public to show full support for the success of the events.”

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Declaring open the sensitisation exercise in Ibadan, the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, harped on the need for a proper registration of motorcycles, tricycles.

The meeting had in attendance leaders of motorcycle and tricycle riders across various zones of the state, including Park Management System, PMS, Motorcycle Transport Union of Nigeria, MTUN, Amalgamated Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners, Repairs and Riders Association of Nigeria, ACOMORAN among others.

He added that the exercise would help in the documentation of riders in the state, saying the meeting became necessary following a recent state security council meeting.

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The commissioner called for a sustained cooperation between motorcycle and tricycle riders and the state government for a mutually beneficial relationship to improve the security of the state and its economy.

According to the consultant in charge of the registration exercise, Mrs. Bukola Omosanya, the documentation exercise would promote public safety and restore integrity to registered motorcycle riders in the state.

Relevant stakeholders in the transportation sector charged the government to continue to sustain the friendly environment for their businesses to thrive.

The meeting was attended by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Civic Orientation, Dr. Taiwo Ladipo, and Directors from the ministries of information and public works and transport.

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Specifically, the workers are demanding palliatives, upward review of pension allowances, and payment of salary deduction among others.

Also on the list of their demands are payment of leave bonuses, payment of gratuities to retirees who have stagnated since the year 2021 and release of promotion letters for the years 2021 and 2022.

The protesters come under the aegis  of the Nigeria Labour Congress; Trade Union Congress; Nigeria Union of Pensioners; Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees, and others.

In a swift response, however, the government of the state, has urged the protesters to protesters to embrace dialogue.

The government urged the Nigeria Labour Congress to discuss the issue of salary deductions exhaustively, before embarking on any form of protest.

In a statement issued by the Commissioner of Information and Orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, the Oyo State government said only three months and not six months deductions were owed workers.

The statement added that every state in the federation owed workers salary deductions and the three months owed by Oyo State was the least.

According to the commissioner, the NLC had shown over the years that they were in support of the present administration because of good governance, but asked them to reflect on the disposition of government to workers’ welfare.

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He said: “While the July salaries have been paid in Oyo State, not less than 20 states including Ondo, Plateau, Benue and Bayelsa are owing several months of salaries in arrears, while several more including neighbouring states are owing months of deduction arrears.

“The Oyo State government started the implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage three years ago, yet up till now many states are still struggling to pay the old wage.

“While it is the Right and Entitlement of our workers to access their wages, especially at this tough time, government implores them to reflect on the sincerity of purpose of this administration.

“The statement said despite the challenges of paying wages, over 2,000 civil servants have been promoted, while almost 1,000 others have been converted to regular service.

“For the records, Oyo State pays N7.3bn monthly as salaries, yet collects N5bn as Federal Allocation.

“Because of this, all the N2.8bn raked in as Internally Generated Revenue IGR are ploughed back literally to service salaries.”

Oyelade added that government deserved a pat on the back, if in spite of this tight rope government still embarked on such magnitude of infrastructural projects, that even the NLC had applauded.

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