The State Programme Officer of Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme (O’MEAL), Mrs Olubunmi Ayoola has warned bakers, baking bread for pupils in Public Elementary Primary Schools in the state of Osun to be up and doing and by baking to specifications.
 

 
Mrs Ayoola dropped this hint when she met with Executive Members of Master Bakers in her office.
She said that, bread must be baked according to government specification and delivered on time to avoid disappointment to schools.
She explained that, the government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has taken Elementary School Feeding to a level that is internationally accepted and that all efforts should be made to sustain the programme.
Earlier, the Secretary, Master Bakers, State of Osun, Mr. Muritala Adeeyo had commended Governor Rauf Aregbesola for including them in the success of O’MEAL which has made the state of Osun a reference point to all states.  He therefore promised that, his members will adjust to government specification by delivering promptly.
Present at the meeting were Zonal Education Planning Officers.

As part of efforts to boost the internally generated revenue in Osun, the state government and the Cattle Butchers Association in the state have both agreed on seven hundred naira as the  new levy to be paid on each cattle slaughtered in the state.
 

 
This was the outcome of a meeting between the butchers and representatives of the state government held at the government secretariat in Abere.
It was also agreed at the meeting that henceforth, the establishment of a new slaughter slab will attract the payment of 50,000 Naira while the registration of each member of the butchers association will attract the sum of 2,500naira and subsequent payment for renewal will attract 1,000 Naira annually.
Speaking during the meeting, former Commissioner for Agric and Food Security in the state, Mr Wale Adedoyin stated that the levies became necessary in a bid to boost the IGR of the state and at the same time provide the necessary facilities at the slaughter slabs across the state.
The consultant to the governor on agric and food security stressed that the administration of Ogbeni Aregbesola does not intend to cause hardship or pains to the butchers through the introduction of the new levies, but to make life better for all and sundry in the state even in the face of the current economic challenges facing the country.
In their separate remarks, the Patron of the state butchers association ,Alhaji Tiamiyu Alamu as well the chairman, Alhaji Sulaiman Adebimpe thanked the government of the state for always carrying them along in decisions that affect the association, saying that members of his association will strive to comply with the new laid down rules.
In his remark, the Coodinating Director in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Youth Engagement, Dr Bukola Aluko assured the butchers that government will continue to provide facilities and support that will make their job easier.

The Governor of the state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has charged the new Olowena of Owena, Oba Bisiriyu Ayelabola Oladoyinbo 1, the Olowena of Owena-Ijesa in Oriade South Local Council Development Area to mobilise his subjects for the development of the town and ensure that peace reigns supreme in his domain.

 
The Governor, who spoke through the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti said this at the installation of the new monarch held at the Community Grammar School, Owena.
According to the Governor, it is the responsibility of the new monarch and all others present to continue to display exemplary leadership through honesty and transparency in all their dealings with their subjects.
The Governor promised the people of Owena that the International Market promised by the Government to be located in Owena would be fulfilled in no distance future.
The Council Manager of Oriade South Local Council Development Area, Mr. Gboyega Ajibade appealed to the people of the town to co-operate with the Council Authority by paying their taxes and rates to ensure rapid development of the newly created Council Area.
The Olowena of Owena-Ijesa, Oba Bisiriyu Ayelabola Oladoyinbo 1, thanked the government of the state of Osun and promised the people of the town a purposeful leadership.

AS part of efforts to respond to mounting unemployment and inability of job seekers to get job offers in the labour market, the Osun State government is set to open a job centre to address some of the challenges.
 

 
Osun Job Centre, a free employment support services programme that will be inaugurated soon, is expected to also to address lack of employability skills among job seekers, who are indigenes of the state.
Speaking at a news conference in Lagos, the Lead Consultant of Osun Job Centre and former Commissioner for Human Resources and Capacity-building, Ms Mobolaji Akande, said the creation of the centre was born out of the need to change the perception of job seekers that there were no jobs in the country.

The Chairman, Osun State Task Force on Mining and Forestry, Elder Adelowo Adebiyi, has disclosed that the state has been losing millions of naira to illegal mining and exploration.
 

 
Elder Adebiyi who described Osun as a state being blessed with God-given natural resources and other rich solid mineral deposits, also said the state had recorded several incidents of unauthorized mining, exploration and deforestation.
The Chairman of the State Task Force on Mining and Forestry made the disclosure while touring journalists round the site where illegal mining and exploration were allegedly committed at Olode Falola village in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area of the state.
Narating the incidence, Elder Adebiyi said, the suspects were arrested and handed over to the police following the Task Force visit to the site where the illegal mining and exploration is being perpetrated.
According to him, “We were here at Olode Falola village in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area of the state sequel to a tip we received that some illegal miners have been exploring our solid mineral resources without exploring and mining licenses
“Fortunately for us, our task force team in company of security operatives met the perpetrators on the spot working with different exploratory apparatus like tractors, driller, generator, elevator among others to defraud the state of her resources illegally.

“We got them arrested and we handed them over to the police for further investigation.
Speaking on the procedural steps for mining and exploration, Elder Adebiyi said for anyone to be allowed to either explore or extract the resources such explorer or miner must have fulfilled all the constitutional requirements by obtaining the mining license from the federal government as well as operational permit from the state.
He confirmed that the interrogation with the suspects depicted that they were neither licensed nor authorized to explore the state mineral resources.
Elder Adebiyi who frowned at the occurrence which he described as high class illegal mining, however said the deploration of heavy machines to the site by the suspects unconstitutionally showed the level of losses being experienced by the state to illegal mining.
He expressed satisfaction towards the apprehension of the suspects, saying the state had over the years recorded similar cases.
Elder Adebiyi also said the suspects since being apprehended were unable to justify why they were exploring the resources of the sate.

He said “since the arrest, the suspects had not been able to justify the purpose of their coming to the state to explore.
“Information at our disposal revealed that these people have breached the constitutional provisions for mining and exploration because they failed to present to us any legal document to facilitate the purpose to which they came for.
“Till this present moment these people according to the police investigation were unable to authenticate what they came here to do.
“Though they claimed that they are processing their license but as a matter of fact they are not because no miner is allowed to explore without concrete evidence and permit to do so and these suspects couldn’t present any evidence to that effect.
He said the suspects were caught exploring the lime stones and feldspar which according him are main deposits in the axis.
When asked on the efforts of the state towards the protection of her resources, Elder Adebiyi said the inauguration of the Task Force on mining and forestry was part of the effort to ensure that people comply and adhere strictly to the rules and regulations necessitate mining and exploration of mineral resources.
He expressed displeasure over the way and manner at which people engaging in illegality, saying legal procedures are already in place for the people who are into mining and exploration.
The Task Force Chairman who attributed mining to an intensive business however elucidated that state was not in any way interested to disturb any person’s business but to enforce the laid down laws by ensuring that miners follow the due process.
He warned people against illegality, saying the state would not for whatever reason tolerate any act of indiscipline and unlawful mining.
Adebiyi assured those who are interested in mining the required cooperation, saying efforts are in top gear to develop the non-oil sectors of the state.
Elder Adebiyi therefore charged men of Nigeria Police Force to display utmost loyalty and competence in the course of their investigation, assuring the state of adequate security of lives and properties.
Meanwhile, efforts to speak to the state Police Public Relations Officer on the development were unsuccessful, as various calls and text messages sent across his phone were either switched off or not responding.

The Osun State Government on Friday warned school principals and teachers against aiding and abetting examination malpractice among their students.

 
Festus Olajide, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, gave the warning against the backdrop of the ongoing Unified and Promotion Examination for Grade II (SS2) students in the state.
Olajide said: “It has come to the notice of the government that some school principals are pressurising examination supervisors to compromise the ongoing promotion examination for their students.
“It is expected that school principals as leaders of honour should not engage in such disgraceful act.
“Any principal caught in such acts shall be dealt with in line with the existing laws guiding the conduct of examinations and in line with the Public Service Rules.
“To curb malpractice, local inspectors of education and supervisors were equally made to sign undertaking that they should be held responsible for any form of examination malpractices in their area.”
Olajide said the new measures were aimed at ensuring that students’ performance in exams reflected their abilities.

An NGO, Girl-child Right Awareness Initiative in Africa, has commended the wife of the governor of Osun, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola, for her recent advocacy against female genital mutilation (FGM) in the state.
 

 
 
Its Managing Director, Mrs Olayinka Ajibola–Ojomo, gave the commendation on Thursday in Osogbo.
Ajibola-Ojomo said that the advocacy would awake the consciousness of parents in the state.
It would also serve as an eye-opener for them to see the danger embedded in cutting part of the genital composition of young girls, she said.
She said that Aregbesola’s intervention was apt following the recent statement issued by the UNICEF on the state’s status regarding the issue.
Ajiboala-Ojomo said that the world had declared Osun as the first state among the three states of the federation with a worrisome prevalence of female genital mutilation that required urgent attention.
According to her, the act of mutilation is being done in ignorance, with the misconception of guiding against abnormal libido, which could stimulate a female to be wayward and promiscuous.
She maintained that such misconception should be eroded in the minds of the people through constant and comprehensive advocacy like the one Aregbesola started in Osun.
“We commend Mrs Aregbesola for the bold step taking so far to nip the menace of female genital mutilation in the bud, and protect the girl-child from dangerous traditional practices that are inimical to the healthy growth of a child.
“The intervention of the first lady was timely and laudable, considering the level of that practice in Osun, with the prevalence level of 74 per cent according to UNICEF.
“She has shown to us by this action that she is a passionate mother and caring leader, the attribute we are expecting wives of other state executives to display,” Ajibola-Ojomo said.
She also appealed to traditional rulers to complement the efforts of the government and other non-state actors in their quest to end female genital mutilation in the country.

Wife of the Governor of Osun State, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola has vowed to commence community-to-community campaign to stop the practice of female circumcision or Female Genital Mutilation, FGM, in the state, using her development foundation, the Sheri Care Foundation, SCARF.
 

 
Mrs Aregbesola, who addressed newsmen in Osogbo over the high prevalence of the practice of FGM by communities across the state pointed out that it was no longer possible to keep mute on the unhealthy practice  given the research data that places the state at the top of the National Prevalence ladder Speaking as the President of SCARF, Mrs Aregbesola said: “Our desire to mobilize an all-round support for the stoppage of FGM in our state is underscored by the unwholesome findings that in our national data, the South West Zone comes on top
 
. “According to the National Demographic Health Survey 2013, Nigeria has the third highest absolute number of women and girls (19.9 million) who have undergone FGM/C worldwide. The data reveals that 27% of women aged between 15-49 has been circumcised. 82% of women in Nigeria undergo circumcision before age five.
 
“The result of this survey put States with the highest prevalence as Osun (77%), Ebonyi (74%), Ekiti (72%), Imo (68%), Oyo (66%) and Lagos (34.5%),” adding, “It is more worrisome from the above that our state stays on top of the National prevalence data. This calls for concern and the need to mobilize all stakeholders to help stop this practice.”
 
The Stop-FGM campaign commenced by SCARF is being supported by the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA). Both organizations had in November last year triggered a multi-state advocacy campaign in Osogbo banking on the influential reach of the wives of the governors of the six most endemic states in Nigeria.
 
The goal of the SCARF/UNFPA collaboration is to rid Nigeria of the practice of FGM, which findings have shown to be quite injurious to the health of girls and women who are victims. According to Mrs Aregbesola, the campaign in Osun State would seek to boost the awareness of the dangers among the various communities.