Farmers and Fulani/Bororo herdsmen in Osun State have been charged to give peaceful coexistence and good neighbourliness a chance so that the state can move forward.
Chairman of the committee on peaceful coexistence among cattle herdsmen and farmers in the state, Mudashiru Toogun, made the call during a peace meeting between farmers and cattle herdsmen at Esa-Oke and Olupona in Obokun and Ayedire Local Government areas respectively.
He advised that farmers and cattle herdsmen are supposed to see themselves as partners in progress, stressing that they need each other to be able to succeed in their various endeavours.
Toogun argued that it is only in a peaceful environment that government can unveil the good plans that it has in place for the people of the state.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of Ayedire Local Government, Mr Olulere Amobi, sued for peace among the farmers and cattle herdsmen, while urging them to see themselves as neighbours.
Speaking, the Seriki Fulani in the State of Osun, Alhaji Oluwatoyin Sulaiman, expressed delight on the steps being taken by the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to ensure that there is peace in the state.
He assured the government of the state of continued peace among farmers and cattle herdsmen in the state as adequate steps would be taken to ensure that cattle are not used to graze cultivated farmlands indiscriminately anymore.
Other members of the committee on harmonious relationship who spoke at the meeting were Chief Adewoyin Adetoyese, Dr Nimota Raji, the Director of Livestock, Mr Johnson Ajayi, and the Director of Agric Services, Mr Kola Ajisekola, who all called for peace among farmers and cattle herdsmen.
At the end of the two sessions, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on peaceful coexistence was signed between farmers and Fulani/Bororo herdsmen at Earthly Produce Limited in Olupona.
The MoU stressed the fact that both goats, sheep, cattle and other livestock animals must no longer graze cultivated farmlands.
Others present at the meeting were agric officers, farmers, as well as Fulani/Bororo herdsmen.
DAILY INDEPENDENT

A call has gone out to the National Circumcision Association of Nigeria to put a stop to female genital mutilation/circumcision (FGM/C) in the country.
The act was described as barbaric, inhuman and violation of women and girl-child.
Osun State Commissioner for Women and Children Affaiirs, Mrs. Mofolake Adetoun Adegboyega, made the call at the inauguration of state technical working committee on elimination of female genital mutilation/circumcision.
At the programme organised by UNFPA/UNICEF in collaboration with the Ministries of Women and Children Affairs and Health, the commissioner expressed profound gratitude to the technical partners for the inclusion of the State of Osun in the project to be executed in Nigeria.
On the girl child who is the main focus of FGM/C, she reiterated that the state government has enacted a law against the practice, and that the government will continue to carry out and support programmes to fight and eradicate harmful practices in the state.
According to Mrs. Adegboyega, female genital mutilation, aside from being a serious human rights violation of women and girls, also has grave health consequences.
As such it is necessary that the practice be totally eliminated in the state, she added.
She described FGM/C as procedures involving partial or total removal of the female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs whether for cultural, religion or other non-therapeutic reasons.
Statistically, she stated that there is an existing policy for the elimination of FGM in 2002, that it has not appreciably achieved its aims and objectives, and that by UNICEF survey in 2010, the state has the highest prevalent rate of 82.8 percent in the South West.
DAILY INDEPENDENT

The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam, has warned against plot to subvert the forthcoming general elections.
He said any attempt to remove the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, could derail the nation’s democracy.
According to a statement by his media aide, Goke Butika, the body language of President Goodluck Jonathan is suggesting that he is moving toward removing Jega before the Presidential election.
Salaam stressed that Nigeria should not be dragged into needless crisis over the position of INEC chairman, saying that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should spare Prof. Jega from its campaign of calumny.
He condemned the way some politicians were waging media war against the leadership of the INEC ever since Jega has insisted on using the Permanent Voter’s card (PVC) and card reader to conduct the rescheduled polls.
He said their comments were disgusting, ridiculous and uncalled for, and at best suggesting that there was plot to subvert the elections.
He said: “We should all strive to consolidate this 16 years old democracy as a people, and no section of the people should see power as their exclusive right, but right of those who could obtain the mandate of the people through elections. Thus, it is needless to indulge more on the campaign of calumny.”
The Speaker, therefore, implored Jonathan to discard the idea of removing Jega if the card was on the clandestine table, noting that “the consequence of changing the game when the game is almost at extra time would vitiate the credibility of not only the elections, but also democratic credentials of this country.
THE NATION

THE Mainland of Lagos wore a carnival look  Saturday, when members and party officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC) marched from Ikorodu Road to Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere to demonstrate their loyalty for the party.
Tagged, One-million-man March For Buhari, the gathering attracted huge crowd estimated about two million, according to sources from the APC secretariat.
Beginning from 7:30 am, party members in branded attires and with posters of various candidates of the party, started arriving in batches at the Maryland end of their meeting point. Before 8am, the corridor was already filled with people, setting the tone for the march.
Drumming, singing, dancing and chanting party slogans, the politicians by 8:30 set out in slow march from Maryland to Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, the terminal point.
Among notable party members leading the march were the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; running mate of the APC presidential candidate, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and his wife; the APC governorship candidate in the state, Akinwunmi Ambode; Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State and members of Lagos State House of Assembly led by their Speaker, Adeyemi Ikuforiji.
Others were the senatorial candidates of the APC: Lagos East, Gbenga Ashafa; Lagos Central, Remi Tinubu; and Lagos West, Solomon Olamileka Adeola and wife of the Lagos State governor, Abimbola Fashola.
In his address, Tinubu urged supporters of the party to vote for change in the March 28 presidential election and for continuity in the governorship election scheduled for April 12.
He said the long expected change that Nigerians hoped for could have been achieved on February 14, if not for the PDP and its cronies that conspired to shift the elections.
Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola said President Jonathan has failed Nigerians and should be voted out of office come march 28.
Comparing the President to Prophet Jonah in the Bible, who God gave message of hope and deliverance to the children of Israelites, but was later cast into the raging sea, Aregbesola said the original purpose of God for Mr. President is to come and deliver the country, but since he got into power, he abandoned his divine assignment and plunged the country into hardship; it is, therefore, a must for us to cast him out of office with our votes on March 28.”
GUARDIAN

Photos of the Governor of Osun and Coordinator for the South-West, Buhari/Osinbajo Campaigns Organisation, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola being presented with a copy of the book The GMB Phenomenon by the author, Mr. Aderemi Idowu, a London-based Housing expert and former Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee of the ACN in the United Kingdom at the Office of the Governor, Osogbo, Osun last Thursday.

Osun state government, yesterday announced the expulsion of five public schools’ students fingered as perpetrators of the crises that ravaged two neighbouring schools in Osogbo.
The schools, Osogbo High School, and Government Technical College, both located few meters away from each other, along Osogbo/ Iwo road, in Osogbo, had in February, engaged each other in deadly clashes, forcing the government to close the schools.
The government, according to a release signed by the permanent secretary, Osun state Ministry of Education, Mr. Lawrence Oyeniran, and made available to newsmen in Osogbo, arrived at the decision after a careful consideration of the cases that involved the two schools.
It also claimed that it considered the final year students of schools, who are scheduled to sit for the year 2015, May/June, West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, and year 2015 NABTEB, respectively.
It added, that it took cognisance of the need to enforce discipline among the students and maintain peace in the schools, before arriving at the decision to expel the students.
The statement further stated that, parents of returning students and the students themselves are to sign undertakings as stipulated by the government and should mandatorily attend a meeting with the management of both Schools on Monday, 9th March, 2015 by 11:00a.m

The State of Osun House of Assembly has urged the owners of private schools operating in the state to improve the standard of teaching in line with the state government policies on education.
The Speaker, Honourable Najeem Salaam, made the call in Osogbo on Monday, when the Assembly received delegates of the state chapter of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS).
The Speaker noted that some private schools dropped the standard with which they operate after few years of operation.
He advised the proprietors to ensure clean and conducive environment for learning, stressing that teachers must be well-coordinated in dressing and morally, as the pupils learn from them.
According to him, the private schools owners have been assisting the government in providing jobs for the people, saying, the association needs encouragement from government to be able to do more.
“It is not everybody that the government can provide jobs for, but you are assisting government to put food on the table of some of those not captured by government.
“You must ensure that the environment of your schools are neat and ensure that the structure you use to house your pupils meet the required standard.
“The business of teaching must be done with keen interest, so that the required result could be gotten. That is the notion you must encourage your teachers to have.
“Unlike in the past, the policies of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administration in the area of education have increased the enrolment into public schools. This is not meant to debar your progress, but because it is an assignment we must do.”
While calling for the continued support of the association for the state government, he assured that the House would look into issues on multiple taxation, fees charged for external examinations and other fees that affect the association.
Earlier, the President of NAPPS, Prince Wale Oyeniyi, appealed to the state parliament for reduction of taxes and other fees being paid by private schools owners.
OSUN DEFENDER

Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has urged the military and other security agencies in the country not to allow themselves to be used to intimidate voters before, during and after the general elections.
The governor made the call during a courtesy visit to him by the General Officer Commanding II Mechanised Division, Ibadan, Major General Sanusi Muazu, in Osogbo on Monday.
Aregbesola noted that the traditional role of the military was to protect the territorial integrity of the country and ensure an atmosphere where democracy must thrive.
The governor added that military and other security institutions must ensure that they were not used to harass civilians during the elections as it was done in Osun State during the last August 9 governorship election.
‎He said: “It is a great misnomer and misuse of the military and tax payers’ resources for military and other security agents to be deployed during elections as instruments to harass and intimidate the citizens’ freedom and liberty, and bully them for partisan and selfish interest of gaining electoral advantage.
“During the last governorship election here, security agencies were unprofessionally utilised to harass, intimidate and oppress the people whose taxes were used to pay their salaries.
“Our victory is due to the steadfastness and resolute determination of our people to assert and defend their rights. Some security agents in connivance with the opposition did all they could in a most desperate manner to steal the people’s mandate.
“Security agents wore the same identical hand band to carry out their acts but the popular wish of the people prevailed.”
Governor Aregbesola urged Major General Muazu and other security personnel not to tolerate any instruction or order that would compromise their professionalism during the forthcoming general elections. Speaking earlier, Muazu assured the governor that military would not intimidate or harass the electorate during the March and April elections.
SUNNEWS ONLINE

Osun State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday described Pastor Enoch Adeboye as a detribalised Nigerian, who champions truth and peace in the country.

The governor disclosed this in a statement signed by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Semiu Okanlawon, on the occasion of the 73rd birthday of the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God.
Aregbesola said the clergy has lived a truly inspiring life dedicated to service in the vineyard of the Lord worthy of emulation by all, especially as the country approaches the next general elections and at all times.
The statement reads: “We want to use this occasion of Pa Adeboye’s 73rd birthday to remind Nigerians that he symbolises peace and truth and that he has lived a truly inspiring life of dedicated service in the vineyard of the Lord.
“As the country is about entering another period of elections, we need him and other God-fearing men in our country to seek the face of the Lord for the success of the forthcoming elections and also offer spiritual support to the nation’s leadership at all levels.”
While enjoining Nigerians to pray for long life for the clergy so that he would continue to wax stronger in the vineyard of the Lord, the governor also prayed to the Almighty God to grant Adeboye long life and the grace to continue to do that which will benefit Nigeria and the world at large