Osun State House of Assembly, on Monday passed into law, the State Land Use Charge Bill 2016.
According to a statement by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the passage of the bill followed a motion by the Leader of the house, Honourable Timothy Owoeye for the third reading and seconded by member representing Ede South constituency, Nureni Adebisi at the plenary.
 

 
The bill, which, he said was sponsored by the executive arm of government was seeking to make provision for the consolidation of all property land based rates law, the neighbourhood improvement charge law and tenement rate law  into a new land based charge, to be called Property Land Use Charge to make provision for the levying and collection of the charges and for connected purposes.
The Assembly had on Tuesday, November 3, 2015, held a public hearing on the bill, where professional bodies and other stakeholders lauded the bill and said, it was coming at the appropriate time.
Pronouncing the passage of the bill, the Speaker, Honourable Najeem Salaam, said its passage was delayed to ensure that affordable rate that would not put unnecessary burden on the people are arrived at.
According to him, the present economic situation require that every property owner must contribute to support the government, just as he charged the executive to ensure effective sensitisation of the people to key in into the new law and see reason to pay the appropriate charges. Salaam also called on the implementers of the new law not to hide under it to put unnecessary burden on the people, urging that the law should rather be used for the benefit of the people,” he said.

Governor, state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has condemned the violent attack on a radio state, Orisun FM Ile-Ife by some students of Ife High Schools because of their disqualification in the state government’s sponsorship of the registration for the West African Examination Council (WAEC).
 

 
The students attacked the state owned radio station during their protest over alleged inability of the state government to pay their WAEC fees.
Aregbesola warned that he will no longer condone any act of indiscipline and irresponsibility on the part of the young ones, warning that the full weight of the law will be applied if such lawlessness repeats itself.
The governor said it was unthinkable that students who failed examinations and should be remorseful and face the challenges of correcting their academic poor performances could go out and vandalise government property in the name of protests.
In a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, Aregbesola said the refusal of government to register them for WASCE was because of their poor performance and that it would be irresponsible to continue to fund examination registrations of students who didn’t demonstrate readiness to pass.
Read more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/aregbesola-flays-students-over-attack-on-media/132521.html#iz2MwfA2LMXrOipQ.99

Tuns Farms Nigeria Ltd, a leading producer of broiler meat in Nigeria, has reiterated its commitment to sustain its partnership with the Osun Broilers Out-growers Production Scheme (OBOPS).
 

 
The agricultural scheme, which was initially established by the Governor Rauf Aregbesola-led administration in December 2011, aims to create jobs and boost food security.
OBOPS is operated on a tripartite basis and spurred a joint venture between the State Government, represented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, Tuns Farms Nigeria Ltd and Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN).
Speaking at an interactive session with poultry farmers, the chairman of Tuns Farms Ltd, Asiwaju Olatunde Badmus, said government’s participation in the meat programme has empowered farmers to leverage on a network of buyers, including fast-food chains and retail outlets.
According to him, “Government partnered with TUNS Farm Nigeria Limited and the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) to jump start and promote broiler production to empower poultry farmers and create jobs under the Osun Broilers Out-growers Production Scheme (OBOPS).”

THE Minister of Transport, Rotimi Chibueke Amaechi has commended the Osun State government for embarking on the construction of federal road infrastructure in the state.
Amaechi said the initiative was an indication of effective management of the meagre resources accrued to the state.
 

 
Amaechi, who spoke shortly after an inspection tour of federal roads under construction from the Gbongan axis to the Kwara boundary in Ila-Odo, lamented that the good intention of the government had been left to suffer.
The Minister, who refused to be categorical about the expected relief on the work done by the Osun government, however said detailed report about what he saw on ground would be communicated to the presidency for action.

He said the inspection would also take his team to other southwest states.
Explaining the focus of his ministry, he said serious attention would be placed on the development of the rail transportation network to enhance movement of goods and humans.
The Minister also visited the Moshood Abiola International Airport being constructed at Ido Osun, Egbedore local council of the state where he was briefed on the level of work done and the challenges facing the project.

The new Comptroller of Prisons, Osun State Command, Mr. Segun Oluwasemire yesterday paid a courtesy visit to the governor of the state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola at the state house, Osogbo.
Find photos from the visit below:

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (middle), his Deputy Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori (right), and New Comptroller of Prisons, Osun State Command, Mr. Segun Oluwasemire (left), during a Courtesy Visit to the Governor, at Government House Osogbo, on Thursday 4/2/2016.

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola presenting the State Emblem to the New Comptroller of Prisons, Osun State Command, Mr. Segun Oluwasemire during a Courtesy Visit to the Governor, at Government House Osogbo, on Thursday 4/2/2016

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola presenting the State Emblem to the New Comptroller of Prisons, Osun State Command, Mr. Segun Oluwasemire during a Courtesy Visit to the Governor, at Government House Osogbo, on Thursday 4/2/2016

Secondary School Teachers in Osun State have praised Governor Rauf Aregbesola for his love and commitment towards making the educational system in the state best in the nation.
The teachers undauntedly praised the state governor, saying his achievements in the education sector in the last five years cannot be overemphasized.
 

 
The secondary school teachers made the commendation while welcoming former Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties, Dr Surajudeen Ajibola-Basiri at Laro Middle School, and the School for the Persons with Special Needs in Osogbo, the State Capital.
Dr Basiru had in a bid to complement the effort of the State government in its quest to provide qualitative education to the students of the state donated school uniform to about 200 students of Laro Middle School, Osogbo.
He also distributed 64 school uniforms to School for persons with special needs in Osogbo where he promised to always support the school for the handicapped.
Speaking on behalf of the entire teachers of the state, one of the Principals at Laro Middle School, Mr. Siyanbola Afolabi, expressed joy over the gesture by the former commissioner, saying he has gleefully demonstrated what his Principal (Governor Aregbesola) was known for.
Afolabi who could not hide his joy over the donation, described as laudable  the achievement of the present administration in revamping education in the state. He said politics apart; Aregbesola had outperformed every other  governor  the state has had since its creation.
According to him, “Politics apart, Aregbesola is the most performing governor since the creation of this state and I have to eulogize those who worked with him among which you (Dr Basiru) were one the team who achieved all those sterling achievements within that short period of time”.
Appreciating Dr Basiru for tapping from the wisdom of Aregbesola to develop the state, the school principal said Aregbesola is an achiever who in no measure has affected the people of the state.
Afolabi said, despite the dwindling in economy, Aregbesola still deemed it fit to embrace the principle of late Obafemi Awolo’s “Education for all”.
While echoing a similar view, Mrs Adesina L.I, Assistance Head Master, School for Persons with Special Needs, Osogbo showed encomium on Dr Basiru, for his support of education in the state,stating that he has followed in the foot steps of the governor.
Mrs Adesina said no reasonable person should doubt the good intention of the present administration under the watch of Aregbesola in developing the state, adding that the state has witnessed considerable dividents of democracy in every sector and the education sector in particular.
Stating some of the laudable achievements of the Aregbesola in education sector, Mrs Adesina noted that, the daily free meal for the pupils, free school uniform, distribution of Opon Imo (tablet of knowledge), and the state-of-the-art school buildings have contributed immensely to the influx in the enrollment of the students into the public schools in Osun.
The duo urged the former commissioner to use his influence in the law profession to contribute to the development of the schools and to facilitate from the state government the dredging of borehole water and fencing of the school.

The Permanent Secretary, Osun State Ministry of Education, Mr. Lawrence Oyelade Oyeniran has disclosed that the Government of the state of Osun under the leadership of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, has registered and paid for over 11,000 students seeking to seat for this year’s West African Examination Council, WAEC, West Africa Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination.
 

 
His submission was contrary to report of a section of the media which reported that Osun has placed an embargo on the payment of WAEC fee for the final year students of public Secondary School in the state.
Debunking the allegation while addressing the journalists in Osogbo, Mr. Oyeniran who described Osun education policy as one of the best in the world, said the state has recorded greater achievements in education sector.
He stressed that the education initiatives and policies introduced by the current government in the state has contributed meaningfully to pupils in all the public schools across the state.
Analyzing the selection procedures and criteria adopted by government in picking those students that were paid for, Mr. Oyeniran opined that the step was taken to restore seriousness among the students, saying with the new development, the students would see greater need for them to sit tight for any examination.
Mr. Oyeniran recalled the state under the Ministry of Education had initially conducted prerequisite examination called “Mock exams” for those students in S.S.3 which according to him was aimed at selecting the best to be enrolled to write WAEC free of charge.
According to him, the criteria includes compulsory pass mark in four subjects, of which Mathematics and English were mandatory for all candidates.
He stated further, “As I am talking to you now, the State Government of Osun has paid WAEC fee for 11,394 students across the state.
“The students that benefited from this scheme are those that passed the state pre-WAEC exams known as Mock examinations conducted recently.
“This action was taken because out of the nine subjects that were written by the students, each of them must at least pass four subjects before such a student could be qualified for the government scholarship.
“Any candidate who is able to pass four papers including English and Mathematics, such candidate would be fully registered by government and as a matter of fact they have been registered.
“It is those candidates who were unable to pass English and Mathematics that their parents were asked to pay to register for the WAEC examination.
Mr. Oyeniran stated that the purpose for the exams was to build the needed confidence in the students and ensure government is only spending resources on those students who are ready to learn.
The Permanent Secretary also frowned at what he described as gross indiscipline and violation of law, saying those students that were allegedly caught while destroying government property at the Ile-Ife branch of Osun State Broadcasting Corporation should be legally punished.
“The students involved were misled in their thinking and as a matter of fact, these are the students who wrote the Mock Exams but failed to pass the required four subjects or perform as expected.
“If you look at the neighboring states, many of them are no longer registering their students free of charge for WAEC.
“What the protesting students have done was nothing but a criminal offence and they should be held responsible, prosecuted and properly dealt with for the action”, Mr. Oyeniran stated.
He debunked the rumours making the round that the government motive on the Mock Exams was to serve as discriminatory measures, saying the exams was totally conducted with utmost sincerity, transparency and accountability while the students were selected on merit.
The Permanent Secretary said the current government successfully registered students free of charge in the past five years, adding that, in 2011, over 26,000 students were registered and paid for.
According to him, “in 2012, over 32,000 students were registered. In 2013, over 34,000 students were registered. In 2014, over 36,000 students were registered and last year, over 32,000 students were registered.
He said Osun government has so far expended over N2billion on the payment of West Africa Examination Council, WAEC for Secondary School Students.

The Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Thursday appealed to the Federal Government to fulfill its commitment to the MKO Abiola International Airport by making available its counterpart funds to the project.
This was even as the Minister for Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, promised that having seen the level of work at the Osun State airport, he would brief the Presidency on the request by the state for the Federal Government’s commitment on the project.
 

 
Amaechi, after the tour of Federal Government projects in Osun State, commended Aregbesola for the judicious use of meagre resources accruing to the state.
He stated he was in the state to ascertain the level of work done on federal roads and federal facilities located in the state.
The Minister hinted that the Federal Government decided to embark on inspection of its projects across the country so as to know the level of works done by states that are claiming refunds for federal projects executed by them.
Lauding Aregbesola’s government, Amaechi said: “Initially, when the economic meltdown started, I was very worried for states like Osun because of the availability of resources.
“Am I still worried?
“The answer is yes, because the economy hasn’t improved.
“But I commend him for he has been able to manage gradually to continue what he started.
“I thank God for the kind of leaders Osun has in him and his deputy for their being able to manage the little resources.”
Amaechi promised that the committee set up by the Federal Executive Council to inspect Federal Government’s projects in various states will afterwards submit its report to the Council for adequate action.
He said: “I would take back to the President what I have seen.

“I would take that to the President and the he will make a decision based on the information the Council passes on to him.
“We are inspecting federal roads.
“Some of the states have constructed federal roads and are asking for refund.
“So we are going round.
“We have a committee set up by Federal Executive Council headed by Raji Fashola, who is in charge of South South.
“I am in charge of South West.
“There are others too going round the country.”
On his part, the governor disclosed that the Federal Government made the commitment to share the cost of the airport project with the the state on a 50-50 basis when it gave the approval in 2010.
Aregbesola stated that construction of the airport predated his administration, hence the need for Federal Government to see that the project is completed in record time.
Aregbesola stated that the airport, when completed, will be one of the most lucrative in the country because of its cargo and hanger facilities, which is the first in Nigeria.
He said: “We want you to convey our message to the Federal Government on its commitment to jointly fund the airport with our state base on 50-50 sharing of the cost of the project.
“We believe that the airport has huge economic and aviation value to both the country and the state.
“In this regard, we want you to intimate the Federal Government to assist the state with its counterpart funds for the speedy completion of the project.”
In his presentation to the Minister, the Consultant Engineer to the State ‎Government on the project, Engineer Wemimo Adebajo, the airport, when completed, will rank among airports with the longest runways in Nigeria.

On the level of work done at the airport, Adebajo noted that the government, having spent N2.7 billion out of the revised total cost of N11 billion for the project, work could be said to have reached 25 per cent stage.
According to the Consultant, the runway of the airport waiting to be laid with 500 mm asphalt is 3.5 kilometres in length, 12.3 meters excavation and re-filling with laterite.
He added that both sides of the runway are equipped from the foundation with water pipes, which will be the first of its kind in Nigeria.
Adebajo stated that with such a feature, the airport would have been equipped with facilities that will make emergency fire fighting readily available near the runway in case of any emergency landing or fire outbreaks.
He said: “I believe the airport is good for the state.
“The main delay right now is a question of funding and the state is seeking ways on how to make it available.
“When completed, the airport will have the longest runway in the country, width of 70cm and and 3.5km in length.
“The runway is going to take about 60 per cent of the cost of any airport project.
“A lot of work has been done on the runway and there are about eight streams in the path of the runway.
“It therefore became necessary to excavate and build box covets so that the water in the streams will flow unhindered under the runway.
“Besides, the airport will have other facilities built to world standards when completed.”

Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam has deplored the unruly attitude displayed by students of St. Johns High school Ile- Ife after failing to make the privileged list of free WAEC examination list proposed by the state government.
 

 
Speaker Salaam in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Goke Butikakuro asserted that the magnitude of violence displayed by the pupils has shown that the school management and the security agents were complacent, a situation that put the lives of staff and properties of vandalized radio station located in Ile Ife in great danger.
Speaker Salaam stressed that the school management ought to have laid a moral template for the pupils on the consequence of failing the mock examination used to sift the unserious ones, and the wrath of law awaiting
the deviants among them, while the security agents around the affected radio station ought to have called for reinforcement if overwhelmed; noting that paying for WAEC of indigent students was a privilege not a right,
because, the examination body does not belong to the state.
He then called on the Commissioner of Police to smoke out the students involved and their instigators, for the law to take its course, noting that such miscreants who visited violence on radio station are not supposed to be in conventional schools, but juvenile homes, saying that the state parliament would soon deliberate on what would be the fate of the school management concerned.
Speaker Salaam further said that the parliament has now been compelled to come up with a legislation that would recommend severe punishment for violent attitude in public schools.

The Government of Osun on Friday described as shameful Thursday’s violent conducts of some students of High Schools in Ife, Iwo and Ikire over their failure to qualify for state government’s sponsorship of the registration for the West African Examination Council WAEC fees.
The government said it was unthinkable that students who failed examinations and should be remorseful, face the challenges of correcting their academic poor performances could go out and vandalise government property in the name of protests.
‎

 
 
In a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, government said the refusal of government to register them for West African School Certificate Examination (WASCE) was because of their performance saying it would be irresponsible to continue to fund examination registrations of students who didn’t demonstrate readiness to pass.
 
“The Government of Osun, in the unmistakeable resolve and determination to bring the best out of the students, has said it ‎will henceforth register only final year students for external examination after the conduct of the in-house mock examination.
“Students who fail to demonstrate their potential success at the final examination by scoring credits in at least four subjects will not be paid for by the government. Any parent who wants to gamble can register their children.”
 
‎The statement added that it is a verifiable fact that Osun under Aregbesola has turned around the education sector with the provision of a conducive environment, building of the state- of-the- art schools and the investment in training and retraining of teacher‎s.
‎
The statement noted that against this backdrop, government expected ‎significant improvement in the average performance of its registered students in both WASCE and National Examination Council (NECO).
 
The statement said, “It is this decision of government that some disgruntled few among the students ‎went to the streets to protest against in Ile-Ife and Iwo.
‎
“Whereas government decision was first and foremost informed on ‎the need to seek better performance of the students. Besides, the economic realities no longer permits wastage of resources.
 
“Thus government wanted only those who will excel after its investment on them and not those who will fritter away the meagre resources‎ by performing abysmally in the examination.”
‎
‎The statement noted that when the Aregbesola administration took over in November 2010, the performance of students in May/June WASCE result for that year was 15.68%.
 
It added that the average performance for the three years (2011-2013) of Aregbesola administration was 21.32%, representing an improvement of 36% compared with the result of 2010.
 
Government stressed that, compared with the average performance (13.26%) of the three years that preceded Aregbesola, the percentage improvement in performance of the Aregbesola years is a whopping 61%.
‎
‎The statement described this as a significant achievement considering the challenges the state had to contend with, especially with regard to low morale among teachers, students’ indiscipline and parents that were largely lacking in discharging their parental responsibilities.
 
Government warned that it will no longer condone any act of indiscipline and irresponsibility on the part of the young ones, warning that full weight of the law will be applied if such lawless repeats itself.