17th February, 2016
Osun State Butchers Association has said that it is ready to partner with the state government in its drive to increase the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state by ensuring prompt payment of their taxes and levies.
The association, during a courtesy call on the governor in his office in Osogbo commended Governor Rauf Aregbesola for living up to the expectation by improving the standard of living of the citizens in the state.
The Chairman of the association, Alhaji Sulaiman Adebimpe lauded Aregbesola for taking the state to greater height of economic prosperity in the face of the present economic challenges confronting the nation.
He described the governor as a lover of the masses, saying the impact of the current government has been directly felt by people of the state and members of the association in particular.
Adebimpe who acknowledged the numerous landmark achievements of government, said the association was fully ready to support the government in its bid to place the state on the front burner of the economic sustainability.
According to him, Governor Aregbesola’s landmark achievement has shown to us that truly is a man of transformation and development as these were manifested in all his policies and programmes.
“We are here to commend our Governor on his giant strides in the state even at this time of economic hardship, he has never deviated from the right course.
“Our meeting with Mr. Governor was also aimed to deliberate on how to move the state forward by extending our collective support towards the government’s efforts for general development.
“Though, we are all aware of the current economic situation in the country and its effect on our state, but irrespective of this, our Governor has remained resilient in his resolve not only to reposition our state but to place Osun to the front burner of economic sustainability.
“It is on these giant strides and track records that made us to identify with Mr. Governor at this period of economic challenges.
“Based on this, we shall do all we could to ensure that the state move forward as we are ready to contribute our quota by performing our civic responsibilities and as well support all the government’s policies to make our state the best place to be in Nigeria, Africa and the entire world”, Alhaji Adebimpe stressed.
He appealed to the state government to assist the Association in building a befitting ultra-modern Slaughters’ Slab across the state so as to enhance and boost the activities of all butchers in the state.
In his remark, Governor Rauf Aregbesola assured that his government would satisfactorily do all it could to ensure total turn around in the Associations, just as he plans to give the Associations a new look in the state.
The governor called on the members of the association to register with government all the existing cows in the state, saying government will constitute task force to ascertain the total compliance.
He stated that government has made necessary arrangements to engage veterinary doctors that would be treating all the registered cattle in the state.
The governor charged members of the associations on the need to support his government with prompt tax payment, adding that the greatest way to complement government’s efforts is through regular tax payment.
He tasked members of the Associations on the need to remain supportive to his administration and that government had concluded plan to improve IGR in order to meet the numerous needs of the state and her people.
“We are ready to assist you. Though we cannot give you money but we will ensure that you benefit from the Osun State Micro Finance Agency. We will make sure that they lend you money to boost your business. All what you need do is to comply with the required procedures on how to refund whatever is being given to you.
“Though we don’t have money to give you individually, but as a group, we will make provision for you through loan to build an ultra-modern Central Slab as well as utility vehicles to improve your business.
“We will constitute a Task Force Team that would be going round the state to enforce regular payment of development levies, most especially on our boundaries to ensure that whoever goes out to buy cows are charged accordingly.
“To achieve our aims on these lofty moves, we will ensure that our cows are properly treated, just as we have expedite plans to engage the services of veterinary doctors”.Aregbesola disclosed.
Aregbesola however charged the Associations to brainstorm and deliberate extensively on the effective development levies and other legal charges to be paid to government’s coffers every month.
He therefore enjoined members of the Associations to comply with government’s policies on the need to improve the state, as he equally assured them of government’s support and collaboration to boost their business activities.