Aregbesola presents 2018 budget Thursday

Regardless of the ongoing industrial action by workers in Osun, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, is expected to present the budget for the 2018 fiscal year to the state House of Assembly for scrutiny and approval in line with Section 121 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

This was contained in a press statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Adelani Baderinwa.

According to the statement, “the presentation of the 2018 budget proposal by Aregbesola is peculiar being the last by his administration in a glorious two terms adventure in the government of Osun with a legacy that may be difficult to surpass soon and will definitely outlive Ogbeni Aregbesola himself”.

It reads in part: “The budget is expected to capture the essence of governance and billed to be the crowning glory of the last previous years of Aregbesola’s administration which is already a success with a legacy of good governance.

The budget comes with the ability to set progress march of clear socio-economic agenda for a worthy successor for the good of the people and the state”.

“Ogbeni Aregbesola is thus personally inviting all the elites, leading lights in the socio-economic life of the state, bankers, economists Non-Governmental Organizations, religious leaders, traditional rulers, leaders of artisans and all stakeholders to the Budget proposal presentation”.

All Executive Secretaries in all the Local Governments and Development Area and Council Areas (LCDAs) are expected to attend as a matter of duty and mobilize their constituents to Osun House of Assembly to the event.

Financial experts, political functionaries and other stakeholders in the state of Osun are invited to grace the occasion which takes place by 10:00 am tomorrow”.

However, when contacted if the current strike action would not affect the budget presentation, the media adviser to Aregbesola, Mr Sola Fasure said “the industrial action would not affect the budget presentation.

There are two things. Negotiation is still on between workers and the government and anything can happen. The idea of the strike is that you withdraw your service and not to sabotage the government”.

“The strike is just to keep people away from work and not go around and stopping other people in the pursuit of their lawful duties.

I would expect workers to respect the wish of the people and government also demand this from them. If indeed the members of the workers comply, you don’t néed to go to their office and start chasing people.

They (labour leaders) went to the secretariat today (Wednesday) and they were chasing people and eventually they got tired and left”, he explained.