IWO DAY 2024: GOVERNOR ADELEKE ROLLS OUT DEVELOPMENT AGENDA FOR IWO
CONVOCATION SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF OSUN STATE AND VISITOR TO OSUN STATE COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY, ESA-OKE, AT THE 8TH COMBINED CONVOCATION ON THURSDAY 12TH DECEMBER 2024.
TEXT OF A SPEECH DELIVERED BY HIS EXCELLENCY, GOVERNOR ADEMOLA ADELEKE AT THE COMMISSIONING OF THE REHABILITATED COOPERATIVE COLLEGE, ODEOMU TODAY DECEMBER 11, 2024
Protocols
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to this historic occasion. I also extend my warm greetings to the eminent personalities, stakeholders, and representatives of the host communities of Oba Hills National Park.
- I acknowledge and appreciate all the individuals who have contributed immensely to the success of this initiative. I particularly thank those who served in various transition committees over the years. Your efforts have brought us to this milestone.
- Oba Hills Forest Reserve, now to be known as Oba Hills National Park, spans about 4,225 hectares across Iwo, Ejigbo, and Ola-Oluwa Local Government Areas. This forest reserve hosts varieties of ecological value. The site is also home to five unique hills which provide habitats for diverse plants and animals.
- We regret to note that some of these species are endangered due to activities such as logging, hunting, and other human factors. It was for this reason that the Osun State Government engaged the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) in April 2013 to conduct a comprehensive survey of the reserve. The findings revealed a high degree of degradation, which calls for urgent intervention.
- In response, Osun State reached out to the National Park Service to propose the reserve’s upgrade to National Park status. In 2021, this request was granted. Today, we witnessed the realization of that effort.
I wish to express my profound gratitude to the Conservator-General and the entire National Park Service for their total commitment to facilitate this handover process.
- As we transfer the management of Oba Hills Forest Reserve to the National Park Service, I must stress that Osun State remains deeply interested in the operations of the park. Today’s event aligns with our broader climate change agenda, as we recognize the critical role of ecosystem in reducing global warming and ensuring sustainable development.
I also urge the National Park Service to prioritise the recruitment of qualified indigenes of Osun State as officers and men to operate the park. Local content is a state policy here in Osun state. The policy strengthens benefits for local communities and facilitates local ownership. We seek enforcement of that policy in the operations of the park.
- On this note, I officially hand over the Oba Hills Forest Reserve to the Honourable Minister of Environment for its transformation into a National Park, under the stewardship of the National Park Service.
- Thank you all for being part of this significant moment in Osun State’s history.
God bless Osun State!
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun state today launched the Imole Agropreneur Project, targeting 31, 000 hectares of land for cultivation across the 30 local governments and the area council.
OSOGBO – 09/12/3024 – osunstate.gov.n
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun state, Nigeria has congratulated the newly elected president of Ghana, John Mahama, describing him as “a true democrat and a genuine friend of Nigeria”
Governor Adeleke in a statement on Monday said since his path crossed that of the new Ghanaian leader, “we have been sharing deep thoughts about the true essence of democracy and the imperative of respect for people’s will as the bedrock of virile democratic state.
“All through his days in the opposition, he adopted the best of democratic model with unbending faith in the capacity of voters to decide and the necessity of the system to accept the voters’ will as expressed without any equivocation. His faith in the electorate amidst hard work of electioneering campaigns paid off with a resounding victory at the polls.
“I further commend the ruling party for conceding defeat without attempting any electoral hijack. This was a demonstration of electoral maturity worthy of emulation by actors within the Nigerian space.
“I rejoice with my dear brother as our dreams come true by the grace of God and the people. As he prepares to return to the State House, I have no doubt that he will take Ghana to greater heights.
“I call for a closer, more robust relationship between Nigeria and Ghana. Both countries must deepen cooperation under mutual respect and opportunities. Our brotherly relationship should extend to the subnational level for the benefits of citizens and residents of our dear nations”, Governor Adeleke was quoted as saying.
Signed:
Mallam Olawale Rasheed,
Spokesperson to the State Governor.
OSOGBO -20/10/2024 – osunstate.gov.ng
Osun State Government has again debunked fake news being peddled by the opposition alleging that Governor Ademola Adeleke is collecting security votes, asserting once again that the Governor is not, has and will not collect security votes in line with his avowed declaration on assumption of office.
The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi made the clarification in a statement on Sunday, explaining that the opposition is spreading falsehood because it has no hole to pick in the superlative performance of the state governor.
According to the Commissioner, the opposition is either ignorant or mischievous by deliberately misinterpreting state spending to support security operations and services by security agencies such as the police, Department of State Services among others.
“The state government statutorily supports security agencies when they conduct security operations on a regular basis such as quelling communal violence, joint security operations in troubled spots as well as deployment during mass demonstrations.
“Such expenditures are formally accounted for in line with the due approval process. The state support in such situations are referred to as expenditure for security services as different from the concept of security vote which does not pass through formal due approval process.
“The opposition needs to be educated that there are differences between security votes and security services. Security votes are widely known as slush funds expended at the discretion of the Chief Executive without passing through formal accountability and due processes.
“In Osun state, Governor Adeleke is not, has not and will not take such security votes. Mr Governor is however committed to supporting the security agencies with their logistics needs under security services expenditure which are fully applied for and processed through the office of Special Adviser to the Governor on Security matters.
The present administration in Osun State therefore wishes to state, emphatically that, Governor Adeleke approves funds to address security issues only when occasion demands for such and there are always record to justify such expenditure as opposed to being latched on as a free money to be expended at will by any sitting Governor as was the tradition with the past administration.
It must be stated that in his almost two years old administration, Mr Governor’s probity and accountability is remarkably unbeatable in the history of Osun State and by extension, in the Nigerian federation.
While the present administration wishes to state for the umpteenth time, that it is not averse to being criticized constructively when the need arises by the right and unbiased free minded members of the public, it is however, incongruent for a person or group of persons to throw cautions to the wind in going about it as exemplified by some opposition operatives.
E Signed
Oluomo Kolapo Alimi
Honourable commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment.