World Bank On Aregbesola’s Performance By Inwalomhe Donald

The State of Osun is part of the beneficiaries of the N43,416,000,000.00 (USD120.6 million) performance-based grants disbursed by the Federal Government to 24 eligible states. Osun, like other 23 states won the grant on the basis of results achieved in 2018 under the performance-based grant component of the World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme-for-Results.

Other beneficiary states are Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Sokoto, Taraba and Yobe States.

“The total sum of $120.6 million (N43, 416,000,000.00) has thus far been disbursed to the qualified 24 states, based on their performance”, reported the Nigerian Tribune newspaper on Wednesday.

This is another scientific global acknowledgment of the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s performance as governor of the state between November 2010 and November 2018. The SFTAS is a programme wholly-financed with a $750 million loan from the International Development Association (IDA), a member of the World Bank Group.

The disbursement followed the participation of the eligible states in the recent Annual Performance Assessment (APA) carried out by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF) as the Independent Verification Agent (IVA) in collaboration with a third-party firm, JK Consulting Limited and the SFTAS Programme Coordination Unit (PCU). In 2018, which was the first year of the programme, only 24 states met the criteria as others failed to publish their annual budgets and audited financial statements online within the time frame stipulated by the SFTAS Programme Operation Manual (POM).

While haters are still confounded with yesterday’s successes, another achievement has been announced! Osun benefits from FG PERFORMANCE BASED grants from the World Bank due to Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administration performance in 2018.

State of Osun wins big in 2018 performance-based grant component of the World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme-for-Results. Osun is among the top states that received Federal Government disbursed N43,416,000,000.00 (USD120.6 million) as performance-based grants to 24 eligible states on the basis of results achieved in 2018.

Kaduna has emerged the highest beneficiary as Federal Government disbursed N43,416,000,000.00 (USD120.6 million) as performance-based grants to 24 eligible states on the basis of results achieved in 2018 under the performance-based grant component of the World Bank-Assisted States Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) Programme-for-Results.

It is a programme wholly-financed with a $750 million loan from the International Development Association (IDA), a member of the World Bank Group.

Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed who disclosed this recently through a statement signed by ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Mr Hassan Dodo explained that the disbursement followed the participation of the eligible states in the recent Annual Performance Assessment (APA) carried out by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF) as the Independent Verification Agent (IVA) in collaboration with a third-party firm, JK Consulting Limited and the SFTAS Programme Coordination Unit (PCU).

She noted that in 2018, which was the first year of the programme, only 24 states met the criteria as others failed to publish their annual budgets and audited financial statements online within the time frame stipulated by the SFTAS Programme Operation Manual (POM).

The beneficiary states are Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Delta, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Niger, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Sokoto, Taraba and Yobe States.

The 12 that missed out on the 2018 grants are Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Bayelsa, Borno, Cross River, Ebonyi, Imo, Lagos, Nasarawa, Plateau, Rivers and Zamfara states, the statement stated while adding that they can participate in 2019, 2020 and 2021 respective performance years by meeting the EC and DLIs in the said years.

“The total sum of $120.6 million (N43,416,000,000.00) has thus far been disbursed to the qualified 24 states based on their performance.”

The World Bank in 2018 commended the Osun State Government led by Aregbesola over the execution of projects of Osun Rural Access & Mobility Project which are World Bank and French Development Agency assisted Projects. It became effective on 22nd November 2013 after several years of preparation. The beneficiaries are the rural poor who derive livelihood from farming.

The World Bank Task Team Leader explained that the officials were on due diligence mission to inspect the ongoing projects of Osun Rural Access & Mobility Project which are World Bank and French Development Agency.

He expressed satisfaction with the quality of work done in the state as there was value for money and commitment to transparency and accountability, adding that the World Bank was pleased to partner with Osun State Government.

There are several verdicts that are not from social media but from reputable international organizations. The World Bank, UNDP, UNICEF and Africa Development Bank gave their verdicts of the 8 years of Aregbesola’s administration in Osun State. The African Development Bank (AfDB) hailed the Rauf Aregbesola administration in Osun State for economically developing the state through the implementation of its people-oriented policies and programmes.

The AfDB scored the state high on its social investment programmes.It described the programmes as most laudable, impactful and commendable in the democratic history of Nigeria.

The leadership of the AfDB, led by its Country Director, Mr Ebrima Faal, gave the commendation during a visit to Governor Aregbesola at Government House in Osogbo, the state capital.

Faal lauded the state’s Six-ýPoint Integral Action Plan, which he said was in line with the organisation’s objectives. AFDB rated the social investment was done through initiatives such as Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (O’YES), Osun School Feeding and Health Programme (O’MEAL), Osun Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Programme (O’REAP) and Osun Ambulance services.

According to Aregbesola, his government has performed creditably well in delivery on its electioneering campaign promises to the people of the state.

Former Governor Aregbesola of Osun State has shown creativity, flexibility in human-centric vision of the future of work that recognizes people’s knowledge, talents, creativity and skills as key drivers of a prosperous and inclusive economy.

The Governor has set aside not less than 26% of Osun budget for education and 16% for health according to United Nations mandate. The budget to GDP has not be less than 5%. Aregbesola has operated an investment budget in the past 8 years in Osun.

Aregbesola believes in investing in human capital which is necessary but not sufficient for sustainable development. Aregbesola has strengthened the two pillars of human capital — education and health — which turn populations into the skilled workforces needed to make them the greatest assets for their countries, these efforts mean little without a conducive policy framework for people to reach their full potential.

Aregbesola has at different fora highlighted the importance of investing in education and health with special focus on power structures.
UNICEF had led top government officials drawn from 17 states in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria to Osun for a four-day learning tour of its various social investment programmes and building human capital.

Consequently, Osun developmental programmes have also impacted on the socio-economic profile of the state as reported by reputable institutions. In 2015, The Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) rated Osun 2nd Highest in Human Development Index among the 36 states in the Country.

Policies by the government of the State of Osun to revamp the economy and banish poverty in line with its six point integral action plan is yielding fruits with the latest report of the United Nations Development Programme UNDP with verifiable facts from the National Bureau of Statistics NBS placing Osun as the state with lowest poverty rate.

Poverty levels fell considerably more slowly in Osun State and other parts of the world. Extreme poverty is now mainly concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa. In absolute terms, the highest number of people living in poverty is found in Nigeria and India.

The Computation of Human Development Indices for the UNDP Nigeria Human Development Report (2016) which was released by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently rated Osun the lowest state in the ‘Incidence of Poverty showed that a better government like Governor Aregbesola of Osun State can eradicate poverty’.

Stressing that policies and strategies to eradicate poverty were required as an ethical, social, political and economic imperative of humankind, the observer for the Holy See told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) this afternoon that the eradication of poverty must now become an essential chapter of all economic theory.

A representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said that despite the considerable social progress in the world’s poor countries, more people were living in absolute poverty today than in any other time in history.

Eradicating extreme poverty in Osun was a realistic goal that could be achieved in the early twenty-first century, but it would require determined efforts at the national level and by the international community.

Economic growth alone was not enough to eliminate poverty; changes in income and asset distribution were needed to allow poor people to contribute to and benefit from economic progress.

History will remember Rauf Aregbesola for indeed four major developments in Nigeria, school feeding programme, sukuk bond for national development, first governor to embrace 4th industrial revolution and Nigerian chocolate.

Aregbesola has encouraged the issuance of sukuk in Nigeria because we needed to diversify the instrument in the bond market. Aregbesola worked hard to introduce sukuk fund for education in Nigeria. Osun took the initiative and helped in introducing it to Nigeria.

The greatest lesson is that when former Governor Aregbesola adopted Sukuk, an Islamic bond to help the state execute educational projects, his critics were calling for his head. Many said it was part of his ploy to islamize Osun.

Inwalomhe Donald writes via inwalomhe.donald@yahoo.com