The eulogy, praise and the recognition that has come the way of the Governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola from home and abroad in recent times has been described as a welcome development.
The Osun state APC on Saturday submitted that what Aregbesola has achieved in the state of the living spring, will outlive his critics submitting that those who irrationally condemn the governor may actually be intellectually challenged.
 

 
Director, Publicity, Research and Strategy, Barr. Kunle Oyatomi in a statement made available to newsmen referred to the critics and members of the opposition as politicians acting in a politically irresponsible way, feigning ignorance and denying the facts and the available demonstrable and clear evidence.
‘And the pleasant surprise, or some may say irony, is that Aregbesola is being singled out for those things he has done which the PDP and the other critics had vehemently denied and claimed it did not exist at all, it is also strange that on the one hand, the position of the opposition is that
Aregbesola has done nothing whatsoever to improve the lives of the people and on the other hand, they shamelessly threaten to either stop, demolish or suspend every project which in their reckoning is too ‘sophisticated’ for the people of Osun state. They also claimed that the state has been the “worst” for it since the Aregbesola-led APC government came into power seven years ago. However, only last Thursday, the Yoruba Professionals, home and abroad, declared Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as the ‘Best’ performing governor for the year 2017.
This should make the PDP bury its head in shame because these set of people are not simpletons like most of the Aregbesola’s critics, but rather professionals with stable minds, depth of scholarship and a comprehensive understanding of what it takes to adjudge a governor the ‘best’ among his colleagues’ the party stated.
The party further said that it was not surprised that the state PDP has been unusual silent since the Award was made public, the opposition party according to the APC, possibly realized what further damage a negative comment would do to the party’s already rotten image as liars, falsifiers of data and the people in denial of what stares them in the face.
‘Anybody who has not read the reasons the Yoruba Professionals gave for bestowing the award on Governor Rauf Aregbesola will do himself or herself a lot of good getting that done and those who had already done that may also take a second look at it. It was not a sentimental exercise the group had a goal in mind to award excellence its due, after vigorous assessment of the empirical evidence on ground.
As professionals, they acted professionally. It will be interesting to read or hear (or both) from the PDP what demonstrable evidence they will advance against the judgement of the Yoruba Professionals. One thing is sure though; the submission made by the professionals among others, will certainly lead the debate in the run-up to the governorship election in September’ Oyatomi said.

The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola has been named the Best Governor of the Year 2017.
 
In a media release, the South West Professional Forum, (SOWPROF) named Aregbesola as the most distinguished State Governor of the year 2017.
 
 

 
 
The group described Aregbesola as a leader who “created gold from stone and brought out the best in the most difficult situation,” referring to the ingenuous ways the resources of the state have been managed and how he has continued to make personal sacrifices with many of his aides in the face of lean state resources.
 
“In the year 2017, we have found a man whose energy is unlimited, a man whose vision is unimaginable and his courage in the face of adversary situations tough and cast in iron.”
 
The statement signed by SOWPROF President, Chief Olusegun Ajibulu stated that “a good leader must be thorough, decisive and intelligent. He must be able to withstand the wave and the tide. He must be able to confront difficult economic situations with uncommon creativity backed with unlimited power of imaginations. These are the exact characters Ogbeni Aregbesola has demonstrated.”
 
Ajibulu is a tax consultant based in the United States and has been leading the professional group since 2014.
 
“SOWPROF is an association of thousands of Yoruba professionals drawn from home and abroad. The group has its head office in Southern Carolina, United States. SOWPROF said it had sent its professionals to Nigeria on many occasions through out the year 2017 and was amazed at their various reports on ‘real development of human beings and investment in the future of the greater society,” saying the two represent the most striking elements of transformation and renaissance.
 
The group described Aregbesola as a ‘man of integrity, a honest icon, a revolutionary and a down-to-earth leader of the  people” saying his moral high grounds are unequalled.
 
The group said his government has made outstanding contributions to the upliftment of the State of Osun in ways that will impact on the entire South West and the country at large.
The group listed the on-going building of the biggest Cargo Airport in West Africa sub region inspite of the lean resources of the state and the strategic importance of the airport to the entire South West region, at zero cost to the Government of the State of Osun, as some of the most compelling interventions the South West have seen since the days of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo.
 
SOWPROF said the State  of Osun is building the airport at the cost of N216 Billion at Ido Osun, Ede North/ Egbedore Local Government Areas with the focal point of serving human and cargo transportation added to this is the historic tourist attraction being the first airstrip in Nigeria used during the second world war by the allied forces.
 
SOWPROF said Aregbesola’s investment in the industrial park will transform the rural backwater South West in unimaginable ways.
Ajibulu said  “It is heart-warming that the Chinese firm Jiangsu Wuxi Taihu in partnership with the people and government of Osun will have several industries including the Cocoa Food Company Limited worth $600 million adding that the first phase of the project includes industries, the cocoa bean processing, chocolate and food processing, salt processing, cassava starch processing, gold mining and power plants.
 
The group said the construction of several world class primary and secondary schools, the school feeding project and the construction of over 800 kilometers of roads some of which traverse neighboring Kwara and Ekiti states remain indelible footprints that fall into the class of legendary projects.

Governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has bemoaned the evils of war and its subsequent consequences.
Launching the Emblem commemorating the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day at the Government house in Osogbo on Monday, Aregbesola expressed that War, no matter how justifiable, is bad business anywhere.
 

 
“I soberly and thoughtfully welcome you all to this important National event, the launching of the emblem in remembrance of our soldiers that died and were wounded in war and to honour and support the veterans that are alive.
“These are soldiers who gave their lives in wars beginning from the First World War, Second World War, the Nigerian Civil War and the various armed engagements to defend Nigeria’s territorial integrity and keep our people safe.
“This is to commemorate also the Nigerian Civil War that was fought to keep Nigeria one. In all these wars, many lives have been lost, many more wounded and unquantifiable property destroyed. Many of the wounded regrettably lost limbs, while others suffered permanent incapacitation requiring hospice and dependency for the rest of their lives. There are others alive that carried scars from the horrors of war, on their minds that may never heal. We pray that God almighty will comfort them and heal their souls.
“War, no matter how justifiable, is bad business anywhere. This is why we must all work towards avoiding one, at all cost. When a soldier is killed, a dream dies. A woman becomes a widow, some children lost a father and some parents lost a promising son.”
Aregbesola thereby urged the people to embrace peace, be law abiding instead of resorting to war.
“We must all remember the factors that led to the wars that claimed such noble lives. A common factor being mindless pursuit of one’s interest, not caring how it affects others and what will be the consequences. Another being the penchant to incite others to hatred and violence. Others include the false sense of racial, religious or ethnic superiority and the tendency to look down upon and oppress those that are different from us religiously, ethnically, socially, economically, politically and ideologically.
“The best way to honour the memory of the dead is to prevent wars, in order that their sacrifice will not be in vain.
We must find a way to make the veterans to be productive. It is regrettable that our society has only engaged them in security and mostly driving duties.
“The veterans should also demonstrate good citizenship by being law abiding in the society. Too often they tend to settle dispute with force, side stepping the rule of law, in a way that suggests that they do not subscribe to the rules of the larger society.

SPEECH BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF OSUN, OGBENI RAUF AREGBSOLA, AT THE 2018 LAUNCH OF THE EMBLEM COMMEMORATING ARMED FORCES REMEMBRANCE DAY, AT THE LAWN OF THE GOVERNMENT HOUSE, OKE FIA, OSOGBO, ON MONDAY JANUARY 8, 2018
 

 
 
Protocols,
I soberly and thoughtfully welcome you all to this important national event, the launching of the emblem in remembrance of our soldiers that died and were wounded in war and to honour and support the veterans that are alive.
These are soldiers who gave their lives in wars beginning from the First World War, Second World War, the Nigerian Civil War and the various armed engagements to defend Nigeria’s territorial integrity and keep our people safe. These included the various insurgencies in parts of the country, the latest being destructive militancy in the Niger Delta, the attacks on lives and property in our various communities and Boko Haram insurgency in the North East of Nigeria.
It is interesting that Nigeria celebrates her fallen heroes on January 15 of every year, as against the practice in the commonwealth countries that celebrate this unique event on November 11. This is to commemorate also the Nigerian Civil War that was fought to keep Nigeria one.
In all these wars, many lives have been lost, many more wounded and unquantifiable property destroyed. Many of the wounded regrettably lost limbs, while others suffered permanent incapacitation requiring hospice and dependency for the rest of their lives.
There are others alive that carried scars from the horrors of war, on their minds that may never heal. We pray that God almighty will comfort them and heal their souls.
The bodies of many of the soldiers were never recovered and therefore never received befitting burial. They only live in the memories of their loved ones and the record of a grateful nation who will never forget their heroism and the supreme sacrifice they paid for our peace and security.
War, no matter how justifiable, is bad business anywhere. This is why we must all work towards avoiding one, at all cost. When a soldier is killed, a dream dies. A woman becomes a widow, some children lost a father and some parents lost a promising son.
For all the soldiers that died, an army of dependants emerged who must be taken care of by the society. That is why we are here today – first, to honour the memory of the fallen heroes and then to take care of their dependants and not less important, to honour and also take care of those soldiers who are still alive.
We must all remember the factors that led to the wars that claimed such noble lives. A common factor being mindless pursuit of one’s interest, not caring how it affects others and what will be the consequences. Another being the penchant to incite others to hatred and violence.
Others include the false sense of racial, religious or ethnic superiority and the tendency to look down upon and oppress those that are different from us religiously, ethnically, socially, economically, politically and ideologically. We must not forget also the social and economic inequalities in the society that concentrates 90 per cent of societal wealth on less than five per cent of the privileged few. This has bred an army of hungry and angry youths that have become easy recruits for militancy and societal destabilisation.
The most pronounced cause of war is military rule – the tendency for soldiers to abort civic democratic rule and plunge the nation to chaos, only to find out that they themselves are not better than the civilians they overthrew. Decapitation can never be the cure to headache.
The best way to honour the memory of the dead is to prevent wars, in order that their sacrifice will not be in vain.
We must find a way to make the veterans to be productive. It is regrettable that our society has only engaged them in security and mostly driving duties. Many of them have acquired skills in the professions that would have been more beneficial to the society more than these two.
The veterans have a lot to contribute to the development of the society and should be engaged maximally to be very productive. The veterans should also demonstrate good citizenship by being law abiding in the society. Too often they tend to settle dispute with force, side stepping the rule of law, in a way that suggests that they do not subscribe to the rules of the larger society.
This emblem we are launching is one way to support the families of the dead, care for the wounded and the veterans. I wholeheartedly support it and recommend it to all members of the society, starting from members of the State Executive Council.
I thank you all once again for being here and for keeping alive the memory of our heroes, dead and alive.
I thank you for your attention.
Osun a dara!

The much awaited Western Nigeria Regional Youth Summit hosted by the State of Osun is taking place today (Tuesday) at the WOCDIF center in Osogbo, the State capital.
 

 
The summit is hosted by The State Government of Osun on the grounds of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission.
The State Commissioner for Regional Integration, Hon. Bola Ilori while addressing journalists, had explained that the purpose of the Summit was to bring youths across the Western Region together to generate ideas that would take the region to greater heights.
“The summit is to provide platform for the youths of western region, to come together and plan the future of the region. The script will be written by them on how this region will be by 20 years and that is why we call it “West 2040”. So it is to involve the youths in the planning of how the region will be by year 2040.
“We want to build the culture of adding to the society, we want our youths to become productive and to generate ideas. We encourage our youths to come loaded with ideas because there be will official endorsement for their ideas at the Summit.”
Dignitaries at the Summit include The Vice President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo who will open it, a Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Nobel Laureate , Prof. Wole Soyinka, Gen. Alani Akinrinade, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II among others.

HOMERUN WITH HONOUR AND DIGNITY
 
My good people of Osun,
I am most pleased and grateful to God for the New Year. Irrespective of our condition at this moment, given our endowments and God’s natural blessings around us, we have the hope that a happy and fulfilling year is ahead of us. For when we have life, we have hope.
 

 
The last year was challenging but we can say that it was better than the two years before it, just as we believe that this New Year will be better than the old one. In that last year, 2017, the IITA agriculture training and research centre was launched in Ago Owu, in a major push for farming and food security in our state. We also commissioned three of our state-of-the-art schools. These are Saint Augustine Elementary School, Ipetumodu, CAC Middle School, Araromi, Osogbo and Ilesa Government High School, Ilesa.
In the past year, we celebrated the graduation and return to the country of the medical students of Uniosun, who went to study in Ukraine.
We also established and commissioned Justice Research Centre at the Osogbo High Court. This will aid legal research and promote the cause of justice.
In 2017, our state was spared the scourge of monkey pox and Lassa fever, even as it ravaged many states, including some of our neighbours. We thank God for His protection over us and especially our dutiful and hard working public health and medical workers and officials of the Ministry of Health that acted proactively and with dispatch at the appropriate time.
Also in the out-gone year, work resumed on the Moshood Abiola International Airport. This airport, when completed, would serve as cargo airport, maintenance hub and a major boost to tourism in the state, among others.
Also, in the same year, we successfully held callisthenics competition among secondary school pupils in Osun. This is another innovation from our state that helps children to develop physical and mental coordination, team spirit and character building.
In 2017, we signed a memorandum of understanding with investors on the establishment of N216 billion industrial park in Osun. This is a landmark economic development event that will give Osun an industrial breakthrough, when it takes off.
We also, within the same year, lunched a micro, small and medium enterprises empowerment scheme that will benefit 50,000 people in the state.
Before the year ran out, we broke a three decade plus jinx by turning the sod on the 60 million litre daily water supply scheme to Ilesa. We were able to secure N48.7 billion facility from Islamic Development Bank for this landmark project.
It was also a year of harvest of deaths as my mother, step mother, close friends and political associates like Lateef Raji, Prof Abdulrauf Mustapha, Senator Isiaka Adeleke and Moses Hustode all went to the great beyond. Death came calling and snatched my Egbon and confidant, Sir Olu Abiola, Mrs Omowumi Akande, who was the wife of our leader in Osun, Chief Bisi Akande, Olori Bola Akinyemi and regrettably Mrs Oluwakemi Kolawole, who was Permanent Secretary, Bureau of General Services, Office of the Governor. Death took also Sheikh Salaudeen Olayiwola, the chairman Osun Muslims Community. May God grant them all comfort in their new station.
For the past seven years, we have laboured to bring people centred progressive governance to Osun. This has been visible in youth, vulnerable senior citizens and women empowerment, agriculture development, industrialisation, infrastructure development, education, job creation, human development, water resources development, urban renewal and so on.
All these have transformed Osun and projected it positively beyond what we met. Osun has now become the reference point in prudent management of resources and responsible governance.
On Thursday last week, I presented to the State House of Assembly the budget for the administration of this state for next year. That budget is the culmination of all our effort and will represent the crowning glory of our achievements. I fully intend to implement it to the last kobo.
For it to work however, there must be a clear departure from the past of dependency on allocation from the federation account. It is imperative that we generate our own revenue. This requires that we all work hard. The collective wealth of the state is the aggregate of what everyone contributes and we can only be economically and financially safe when everyone produces more than he or she consumes.
All of us should pay our taxes, rates, levies, fees, fines and other financial obligations to the state. From our population, if one million of us productively engaged can contribute N250 for 20 days in a month, we will be able to raise N5 billion. This will enable us comfortably pay our workers and pensioners full salaries, run the government, provide infrastructure and carry out social protection services for all the people.
All the things we desire like good roads, functional education, recreational facilities, security of life and property and a conducive environment for the pursuit of happiness and so on can best be provided by the government. No individual or private organisation can provide them to the satisfaction of all the people.
This is why we all need to support the government by fulfilling our financial obligations to it in order for it to be able to carry out all its projects satisfactorily too.
Yes, there could be irresponsible government who would rather serve themselves than serve the people but we must still support the state as the symbol of our collective aspiration. To prevent irresponsible administration, we need productivity, vigilance and patriotism.
What we are going through now is the consequence of the bad choices we made in the past and except we change course by doing the right thing, by being productive and financially support the government, vigilantly monitor its activities, there is no magic wand anywhere and the situation might get worse.
We therefore count on you to get the maximum support from you till the very end, for us to be able to give you our maximum best.
Indeed, we have served maximally and given our best because you have supported us. Please keep supporting us.
In the New Year, political desperado hell bent on precipitating crisis and mayhem will want to egg some misguided individuals into conducting themselves unseemly and disturb the peace and serenity of the state. We support the democratic expression of grievances through peaceful protests and other legitimate means.  Nevertheless, all form of social agitation, be it economic, political or social, must not be done to the detriment of others. We have the mandate and strong intention to protect the right of others to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness and go about their lawful duties without molestation, let or hindrance.
This is the last New Year message our administration will pass to you as our tenure will end on November 26. Therefore, I will like to say from the bottom of my heart that it has been a great privilege to serve the good people of Osun. I cherish your love, fierce patriotism, courage and forthrightness. You are a great people.
This is an election year in which our tenure will end and a successor must emerge. It is my solemn promise that we will not leave in a vacuum. In consultation with our leaders and the member of our great party, we will careful select and present to you a successor that belongs to our political tradition of progressive people oriented leadership, a person of integrity, who shares our aspirations and will take governance to the next level from where we stopped. I want you therefore to conduct yourselves with the same dignity and courage of Omoluabi – a people whose conscience and soul cannot be bought, that cannot be intimidated with guns and dogs and who stand firm behind the progressive rock of political leadership.
I must commend and thank you all most sincerely from my heart for your kind support, for the sacrifice, understanding and the willingness to do and support what is right, and not what is convenient, in the past seven years.
I must in particular thank all the workers in the state who have laboured with us for the successful implementation of our programmes and are therefore part and parcel of our success story, especially those who have had to endure 75 per cent and 50 per cent salary regime since July 2015.
I thank most immensely the women and their groups, market women and men, traders, artisans, workers, retirees, students, transporters, commercial motorcyclists, employers of labour, organised private sector, the business community, financial institutions, non-governmental organisations, community based organisations, youth organisations, security agencies, the media, political parties, opposition members, traditional rulers, community leaders and religious organisations and their leaders.
It is my earnest prayer that the New Year will be peaceful, successful and usher in fresh opportunities, goodness, prosperity and abundance to all and sundry.
I wish you a happy and blessed new year, 2018
Osun a dara!