Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2rd right); his Kano State counterpart, Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Osun Governor, Prince Olagunsoye  Oyinlola and Members of the National Assembly representing Kano South, Sen.Kabiru Gaya, during Kwankwaso visit to Governor Aregbesola, at the Government  House Osogbo on Sunday 12-10-2014.

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2rd right); his Kano
State counterpart, Rabiu kwankwaso (2rd left); formal Osun Governor,
Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola (right) and a Member of National Assembly
representing Kano South, Sen.Kabiru Gaya, during Kwankwaso visit to
Governor Aregbesola, at the Government House Osogbo on Sunday
12-10-2014.

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2rd right); his Kano
State counterpart, Rabiu kwankwaso ( left) and a member of National
Assembly representing Kano South, Sen.Kabiru Gaya, during Kwankwaso’s
visit to Governor Aregbesola, at the Government House Osogbo on
Sunday 12-10-2014.

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2rd right); his Kano
State counterpart, Rabiu kwankwaso (left) and formal Osun Governor,
Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, during Kwankwaso’s visit to Governor
Aregbesola, at the Government House Osogbo on Sunday 12-10-2014.

A leader of the All Progressives Congress in Lagos State, Chief Ayo Akande, has asked the Federal Government to adopt the “child education” policy of the Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, in primary and secondary schools across the country. A statement on Tuesday quoted Akande as saying this in Ogba, Lagos, at the thanksgiving prayer organised to celebrate the re-election of Aregbesola.
Aregbesola of the APC won a re-election on August 9, 2014, defeating the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Iyiola Omisore, and others. Akande said the feeding of pupils in all the public schools in Osun State was a unique education policy meant not only to give the pupils a sense of belonging but to also promote learning and understanding. He said, “The child education policy is a social responsibility and commitment that provides a solid foundation for the total development of the child and growth of the nation.”
“In view of its novelty and contribution to the development of education, the Aregbesola model should be adopted by the Federal Government in all primary and post-primary schools in the country.” The party chieftain said the provision of a good learning environment was not limited to physical structures in public schools. “The mental stability of the pupils to assimilate what they are being taught by their teachers is equally important, hence the feeding policy of the Aregbesola’s administration to give the mental stability to pupils in Osun public schools should be commended and emulated,” he said.
Akande, who said a hungry man was an angry man, noted that it would be difficult for a pupil to assimilate “what the teacher teaches” if such pupil was hungry. He added that the Federal Government needed to adopt the Aregbesola education policy through a legislation that would compel the three tiers of government to implement. He said he was convinced that the child education policy of the Osun governor during his first term contributed immensely to his re-election. “It is a populist policy, which takes care of the less-privileged pupils,” the politician stressed.
OSUN DEFENDER

Osun State Government has commissioned rural electrification, water project and roads in Eleeru and Igbonla both in the Olaoluwa Local Government Council area of the state.
Performing the commissioning on behalf of Governor Rauf Aregbesola Special Adviser in the Ministry of Water Resources, Rural Development and Community Affairs, Kunle Ige, pledged the commitment of government to the well being of the people.
While assuring that the state government will continue to put in place projects that will have direct impact on the lives of the people at the grassroots, Aregbesola said the present projects were done under the second phase of the UNICEF replication programme in the state.
He said the present administration was poised to make every nook and cranny of the state economically buoyant through the provision of basic needs of the people.
He promised that more boreholes will be provided for the local government while electricity supply to the area and the road network will also be provided for in next year’s budget.
The Governor expressed appreciation to the people of the area for trooping out en masse to vote him back into office for a second term in the just concluded governorship elections in the state
He also urged them to vote for the All Progressives Congress A(PC) in the general elections come 2015.
In a remark, the Executive Secretary, Ola-Oluwa Local Government, Reuben Adegoke, urged the people of the two communities to maintain the projects, while appealing to government for more projects like schools, construction of roads and electrification projects.
In their separate remarks, Adediran Adewoye, a community leader in Eleeru  and Joseph Alagbe of Igbonla-Idiya appreciated Aregbesola for the completed projects while urging him to continue in the good strides.
DAILY INDEPENDENT

Former head of state and national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari, on Monday, declared that the recently concluded governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states have served as eye openers for Nigerians, as the nation moves closer to 2015 general elections.
Buhari made the disclosure during a courtesy visit to Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Osogbo over his presidential ambition.
He noted that his visit to the state is to specially invite the governor to his formal declaration to contest for the Presidency come 2015.
Buhari described the re-election of Aregbesola as the triumph of people’s will and a victory for democracy.
“Your Excellency, part of why we are here is to congratulate you over your credible re-election and personal leadership qualities.”
According to him, “Ekiti and Osun gave us the latest interpretation of what is ahead of us in 2015 and all Nigerians must be totally aware that it is not going to be very easy in the next five months.
“For the next five months, we are on the road again and we are here to ask for your understanding and support.
Nigerians want change and they have to prepare and be ready to do exactly what Osun people have done, that’s the only way out.”
In a similar vein, the Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, another presidential aspirant of the APC, had earlier on Sunday night paid a courtesy visit to Aregbesola in Osogbo.
The Kano State governor used the occasion of the visit to Osun to meet with the Hausa community in the state.?
Aregbesola, in his separate responses, thanked the retired Army General and Kano State governor, who visited the state separately, urging Nigerians to be vigilant in 2015.
“Nigerians should be vigilant in 2015 just like they did in Osun during the August 9 election when 73, 000 security men deployed to the state could not scare them away from exercising their franchise.
On the team of Buhari were former speaker, House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Bello Masari, former governor of Bayelsa State, Timipre Sylva and former Minister of Information, Tony Momoh, among others.
DAILY INDEPENDENT

The Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola , 1st Vice President of Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors & Valuers(NIESV) and others during the Investiture on Ogbeni as the Institute’s Patron, at the Government House, Osogbo on Saturday 11-10-2014

The Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (left) ,1st Vice
President of Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors & Valuers(NIESV),
Mr Ajayi Patunola (right) and State Chairman of the Institute, Dr Seyi
Adegoke, during the Investiture on Ogbeni as the Institute’s Patron,
at the Government House, Osogbo on Saturday 11-10-2014

The Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (left) ,1st Vice
President of Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors & Valuers(NIESV),
Mr Ajayi Patunola (right) and State Chairman of the Institute, Dr Seyi
Adegoke, during the Investiture on Ogbeni as the Institute’s Patron,
at the Government House, Osogbo on Saturday 11-10-2014

The Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (middle);
Presenting gift to the 1st Vice President of Nigerian Institute of
Estate Surveyors & Valuers (NIESV), Mr Ajayi Patunola and Deputy
Governor, Mrs Titi-Laoye-Tomori, during the Investiture of Governor
Aregbesola as Patron of the Imstitute, at the Government House, Osogbo on Saturday 11-10-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (4thleft) Deputy
Governor, Mrs Titi-Laoye Tomori (3rd left); 1st Vice President of
Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors & Valuers,(NIESV), Mr Ajayi
Patunola (3rd right); his wife, Olayinka (2nd right), Secretary to
the State Government of Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (left), Osun State
Chairman of Nigerian Institute of Estate Surveyors & Valuers (NIESV;
Dr Seyi Adegoke (right), Mr Rowland Abonta (2rd left) and Others.
during the Investiture of Governor Aregbesola as Patron of the
Institute, at the Government House, Osogbo on Saturday 11-10-2014

Public Schools in Osun State will today resume fully for the first term of 2013/2014 academic session. Only the private schools resumed for the new session last week.
It was gathered that Ebola prevention measures have been put place in the state, following series of seminars organized for teachers, head teachers, non-teaching staff as well as parents including private school owners.
It would be recalled that private schools in the state have already resumed for the new first term session.
“This will mark the beginning of 2014/2015 academic session’’, the statement said.

Osun Stat governor, Rauf Aregbesola, on Thursday, declared that the only way Nigeria can explore its socio-economic potentials as a tool  to engender steady development is for the electorate to vote against the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan next year.
Though, Jonathan had not formally declared his intention to seek another term in office, Aregbesola contended that it was imperative for all eligible voters to reject, through the ballot attempt by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to sustain its hold on the presidency during next year’s general elections.

To stem this trend, Aregbesola charged all  Nigerians to vote against the PDP-led Jonathan government at the federal level, come February, 2015 presidential election, just as he expressed optimism that such was capable of providing needed alternative to move the country to a greater height.
While lamenting that poverty, insecurity, growing unemployment rate and epileptic power problem were retarding the economic growth of the country, the governor pointed out the constitutional power to liberate the nations rests on the citizenry through election of capable leaders, with pedigree to bring about positive change.
TRIBUNE

Mr Lawrence Oyeniran, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education in Osun, said the government had provided infra-red thermometers for public schools in the state.
Oyeniran, who spoke in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo on Tuesday, said the move was “a proactive one as schools resume on Wednesday’’.
The non-contact infra-red thermometers are enough to go round the 1,593 public schools in the state and teachers have received basic training in handling basic health issues.
The procurement of infra-red thermometers and training of teachers are conditions fulfilled by the state government in preparation for school resumption tomorrow against Ebola.
We are not taking any chance bearing in mind that some of our children could have visited West African countries….
We have trained our teachers to note that a high temperature in a student does not automatically indicate that the student is infected with Ebola but need for prompt medical attention.
“This much the government has done, it is the duty of the schools’ heads to uphold healthy lifestyle and ensure hand-washing as a matter of duty,’’ Oyeniran explained.
“Head teachers in all public schools in the state have been advised to carefully manage the information acquired through the use of infra-red thermometers to avoid unnecessary apprehension.’’
DAILY INDEPENDENT

A call has been made to the National Circumcision Association of Nigeria to put a stop to female genital mutilation/circumcision FGM/C in Osun State and Nigeria as a whole.

The act was described as barbaric and human rights violation of women and girl-child.

The Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Mrs. Mofolake Adetoun Adegboyega disclosed this in Osogbo during her speech at the inauguration of the State Technical Working Committee on Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation / Circumcision FGM/C.

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 in the project to be executed in Nigeria.

As regard the girl-child, who is the main focus of FGM/C, she reiterated that the State government has enacted a law against Female Genital Mutilation/ Circumcision, and that the government will continue to carry out and support programmes to fight and eradicate harmful practice in the state completely.

According to Adegboyega, Female genital mutilation, aside from being a serious human rights violation of women and girls, also has grave health consequences, and as such it is necessary that the practice be totally eliminated in the state.

She described female genital mutilation or female circumcision 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% in South-West.

Adegboyega revealed that the practice is common in Africa, Nigeria inclusive due to traditional/cultural belief that if a female child is not circumcised she will be promiscuous.

NIGERIAN PILOT

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy in the State of Osun, Mr Sunday Akere, has reiterated the commitment of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, as he has never earned any salary since his assumption of office in the last 47 months as the Chief Executive of the state.
He disclosed this while speaking with the executive members of the state branch of Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), who paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
He said Governor Aregbesola is committed to serving the people and turn the state into an Eldorado the founding fathers wanted it to be at conception.
Akere disclosed that Ogbeni Aregbesola sacrificed his personal comfort to serving his state without considering the largesse he could have enjoyed as Commissioner for Works in Lagos State, hence, he decided to direct his commitment to improving the lots of the people of the state.
Speaking further, he said Mr Governor has been using his personal vehicles as official cars since he assumed office, describing his gesture as a sacrifice to be emulated by all. He said the governor is more committed to ensuring that his administration provides an enabling environment for all and sundry to thrive in the state, hence, his commitment to providing adequate security in all the nooks and crannies of the state.
According to him, the government of the state is aware of the contribution of different groups to the economy of the state and what government can do collectively for all the groups is provide an enabling environment for each one and its members to thrive in their daily legal activities.
“Governor Aregbesola is committed to sustaining peaceful co-existence among the teeming populace in the state and would stop at nothing to ensure that our people sleep with their two eyes closed,” he said.
He disclosed that the current administration in the state is aware of the support of the various groups in the state during the August 9, 2014 governorship election and would not disregard anyone, particularly as the complaints and recommendation of each group are well-noted for appropriate action.
He pledged to give more support to the group, as they are honouring him as their Grand Patron and State Ambassador, saying it was a call to serve the people more.
Earlier in the group’s address, its Governor General in the state, Comrade Ayelola Ponle, told the commissioner that the group was also honouring the governor of the state, Ogbeni Aregbesola with the award of Pillar of Music in the state for his giant strides during his first term in office.
According to him, the governor has inspired many groups and individuals, including PMAN, which according to him, was reformed in line with the governor’s programme for the state.
OSUN DEFENDER