Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has lauded the Rural Access and Mobility Project, an agency of the Federal Government, for its efforts at extending development to rural communities in the country.
The governor said this in Osogbo on Friday at a workshop for all states involved in the RAMP.
He said constructing roads in the rural communities would lead to agricultural development and curb the rural-urban migration, adding that the living standard of the rural dwellers would also be enhanced.
“Against this background, the RAMP intervention is a positive contribution towards helping state governments in the country to accelerate the pace of economic growth and development,” the governor said.
Aregbesola described the RAMP as a helpful initiative designed to bring development to rural areas in the country.
According to him, rather than concentrating developmental projects in the urban centres, rural areas in the country should also be developed to make lives better for their inhabitants.
The governor added that many Nigerians would wish to retire to their villages if the basic amenities to support them were in place, noting that there was a need to do more to develop the rural communities.
Aregbesola stated that state governing authorities were closer to their people than the Federal Government and were better positioned to reach and provide for the development needs of the people within their areas.
He said, “In a federal system like ours, the state governments occupy a crucial nodal point for the success of the country’s national development objectives.
“Indeed, it can be averred with all sense of responsibility that, while it may be sensible for the general development guidelines and direction to be charted at the federal level, it is at the level of states that the most impactful execution of development plans take place.
“It is crucial for the states to get the necessary support in their drive to facilitate the realisation of the country’s development needs.”
 
PUNCH NEWSPAPER

The spirit of Late Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Chief Ajibola Ige came alive on Monday as the governor of the state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola inaugurated the Bola Ige Mechatronic Institute by sending forth for training in Germany 31 graduates to learn the art of new automobile maintenance technology.

This was just as the former governor of old Western Region, General Adeyinka Adebayo ‎pointed out that Chief Bola Ige was a practical man who worked for the growth of Yorubaland and Nigeria as a country.

Aregbesola at the send forth ceremony at the Government House banquet hall held that the Mechatronic Institute is another subtle way to improve the economy of Osun and that of the country.

The governor stressed that the institute when completed will be the first in Nigeria, saying that the institute will deal with the latest technology involved in modern vehicles.‎
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According to him, ” Osun is the first of all States and Federal Institutions to establish this World class Automotive Skill-gap Bridge in Nigeria meant for promoting skills needed for employability of our graduates, technicians and improvement for artisans in the sector.‎

“The German World-renowned Auto Didactic Equipment Manufacturers, Messrs LUCAS NULLE, Kerpen, Germany was awarded the equipment supply contract with the Letter of credit opened by the First Bank Plc through BOI. 

“To build the this Institute we got 1 billion Naira soft loan by Bank of Industry, we commended automotive ‎council and the first bank who helped us to access it. Before you come back from Germany, your centre will be ready, please learn very well because you will come back to train our local mechanics”. The governor said.

Aregbesola emphasised that the exercise is purely a practical delivery project as trainees shall be tested and certified before graduation from the centre.  ‎

“The capacity to maintain the automobile that we have in Nigeria is so low, our auto engineers, technicians and mechanics are getting out of job because of technological changes as the era of trial-and-error to fix auto maintenance is gone; everything is knowledge-based and Osun is, ready to empower not only the indigenes but all Nigerians willing to seek knowledge at the BIMI, Esa-Oke. 
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On why the institute was named after chief Bola Ige, aregbesola noted it was so because Ige represented the best that technology, a man who never get tired of seeking knowledge.

‎The governor of the old western region. General Adebayo commended Aregbesola for the positive change he has brought to Osun, adding that Aregbesola is practical as Bola ige was.

In Adebayo’s Words, “you are a practical man like Bola Ige, I can not forget Ige until I die, because he worked for Yorubaland and Nigeria. I am happy for being here, Bola Ige was my commissioner for one year 8 months, Ige was a workaholic, instead of me making him the Attorney general, I made him my commissioner for Agriculture.

“Bola Ige was the foundation that the Southwestern states of the federation is enjoying in Agriculture”. Adebayo stressed.

‎Speaking earlier, the Special Adviser Federal/liaison Matters,  Hon. Idia Babalola at the send forth noted that the institute will deal with the latest technology involved modern vehicles which consist of combined electro-mechanical systems with fully automated controls termed “mechatronics” that reduce use of kilos of wires making way for light weight and greater efficient motor vehicles of today. ‎

Babalola added that fund for the project is an inter-ventionary soft loan provision by the National Automotive Council using part of its Auto Development Fund Loan Scheme domiciled with Bank of Industry (BOI).

The special adviser averred that Osun is ready to empower not only its indigenes but all Nigerians willing to seek knowledge at the Bola Ige Mechatonics Institute, Esa-oke.

“We plan to offer through National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) & National Universities Commission (NUC) approval for upgrade of the polytechnic syllabus, a degree course on Auto Mechatronics using the facilities in future”. Babalola told the gathering.‎

Also speaking at the send forth of trainees, Managing Director Osun State Investment company Limited Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, held that following due process, advertisement was placed to attract qualified automotive, mechanical and electrical engineers and technicians who were tested/recruited.

He pointed out that 76 people applied after which 31 candidates were selected based on merit as conducted by the state committee.

His Royal Majesty, the Owamiran of Esa-Oke, Oba Adeyemi Adediran commended the governor for honouring Late Bola Ige by siting the institute in Esa-Oke, saying the town will be more honoured by changing the the name of the college to the name of Bola Ige.

He charged the trainees to take the advantage of going to Germany to bring glory to the state and not to do that which will tarnish the image of the state and the country.

“This is an opportunity which you have to make use of and for the governor I thank you for bringing this to us in Esa-Oke. I want to tell you that Esa-oke is blessed, and to you parents, I thank you, but you must be prayerful as your children is going to Germany, this is an opportunity given to them is what some people in their life ‎time never got”. 

Download inspiring Quotes from the Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. Today’s Quote is focused why we must join hands and re-elect Aregbesola as Governor.  Visit the website at www.osun.gov.ng  or Twitter @stateofosun for more updates on the State of Osun and its projects.

The British Government plans to review the present school food standard in the schools and  introduce universal free meals from September 2014.
To this end , Egg heads  , Educationists. Food technologists and Nutritionists are  brain storming in London on the implementation of the scheme .
Among the topics  for discussion are :
1) Improving school food standard
2) Children’s  Nutrition & Public Health Priority
3) Implementing  Universal  Free School Meals
4) Food Education  and the challenges of introducing cooking into the school curriculum
The State Government of Osun, has been invited to share the School  Feeding Experience  and it’s impact on the pupils and  the State with participants at the Seminar will examine issues around:
-What the British Government  will be doing to ensure all schools have access to the facilities, equipment and expertise needed to implement the scheme .
-The potentials for expanding the school feeding system to include more pupils, the challenges  and opportunities for  expanding the scheme and making it universal.
-What lessons can be learnt from schools already involved in free school meals pilot schemes and what best practice has been established on issues such as access to funding .
-With food poverty labelled as a “public health emergency ” ,what should Government and Local Authorities be doing to ensure that  children have access to nutritional food outside of the times that they are eligible  for free school meals.
-How can Government integrate food education in the school curriculum , so that all children will have the opportunity to participate  in cooking lessons  and the positive impact of the lessons on the pupils and their parents will be critically examined.
Mrs Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori , the Deputy Governor and Hon Commissioner for Education  and Alhaja Latifat Giwa , Senior Special Assistant on Education are representing the State Government of Osun at this strategic and impacting Seminar  starting today, Monday , 2nd June, in London.
More details on the outcome to come soon…
 

The failure of successive administrations in Nigeria to bring up the nation’s children socially and educationally has been described as the reason behind high spate of terrorist activities presently rocking the country in form of Boko Haram insurgency. There is the claim that uneducated and badly educated children grow up to develop hatred for society, thus becoming easy recruits for terrorists.

Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, said this recently while declaring open a three-day workshop on Technical Meeting on Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme (O-MEALS) at the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding, Osogbo, the state capital.

Aregbesola said the state’s school feeding programme is packaged to meet the world standard and in conformity with statues of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), saying the security challenges presently facing the country could be nipped in the bud if all concerned in the development of children could carry out their duties with a sense of responsibility.

Describing O-Meals as a revolution in governance, the governor said his administration made it a priority to deworm elementary school children across the state to guard against losing nutrients the children gain from taking meals served them to worms, adding that constant supply and security of food would be sustained if school feeding programme is embraced by all.

According to the state governor, the nation’s education sector would be positively positioned, more jobs would be created, the agriculture sector would be improved while qualitative health programme would be made available to the citizenry with the nation’s future secured through O-Meals implementation.He thereafter appreciated efforts of those who had, at one time or the other, partnered with the state government to make the programme a success with a special commendation to local government council areas in the state who had provided no less than 60 per cent of the total expenditure on O-Meals to the state government put at over N3 billion annually.

Aregbesola also used the occasion to call on other partners to come to the aid of the state government so as to sustain the programme for many years to come and extend it to middle and high school students in public schools across the state.

In her welcome address, Osun’s deputy governor and Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, called on the Federal Government to encourage state governments across the country to get involved in school feeding programmes by increasing allocation to school feeding programmes considering its huge costs.

According to her, O-Meals has positively impacted on the economy of the state of Osun through employment generation for youths in general and unemployed graduates in particular as a large number of them have been assisted financially to embark on food and animal production.

Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, represented by Dr. Chris Isokonu of the Federal Ministry of Health, commended efforts of Aregbesola for taking up the challenge of feeding school children in the state, not minding the financial challenges confronting the Osun at this critical time.

Advising parents to always feed their children with food rich in energy to secure their future, the Minister appealed to Aregbesola to extend the O-Meal programme to pre-school children in Osun with a view to improving on the feeding of children under the age of five across the state.

Representing the executive secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Dr. Dipo Sulaimon, the deputy executive secretary of the commission, Dr. Yakubu Gambo, pledged to ensure that the position of the law establishing UBE in 2004 stating that five per cent of the nation’s revenue should be allocated to school feeding is carried out to the letter to assist state governments to feed their children in schools.

He thereafter promised that Osun and Kano states will benefit more than other states in the federation for sustaining the programme all these years even without UBEC assistance.

On her part, the executive director of the Partnership for Child Development (PCD), Dr. Lesley Drake, said this was the time to revitalise school feeding programme in Nigeria.

Describing school feeding programme as a social safety net, encourage local production and ensure that kids stay in school, Drake charged participants to build on what is on the ground and fashion out ways of improvement.

She said PCD is ready to give technical assistance to every willing state in the country that is ready to introduce school feeding programme in their states.

World Bank representative at the programme, Dr. Don Bundy, said school feeding programme should not be seen as a charity but a huge and sound investment targeted at improving lives and living condition of children from the poorest homes across the world.

He said countries across the globe feed their school children with an annual average of N75 million, adding that health, education, aid and trade across the world will be improved upon if school feeding programme is embraced and well positioned.

daily independent

A federal High Court sitting in Osogbo has ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct separate election into Orolu and Irepodun State Constituencies in the State House of Assembly in 2015 general election.

Both Orolu and Irepodun local government areas of the state are currently represented by a lawmaker in the state House of Assembly making 26 lawmakers in the assembly.

Going by the court order, 27 lawmakers would now have representatives in the State House of Assembly come 2015.

According to the judgement delivered by Justice Babs Kwewumi, the Osun State House of Assembly as currently constituted, having 26 members is illegal as a result of act of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) suppression of the 27th constituency created in 1996 and restored in 2004.

He ruled that the INEC does not need the approval of the National Assembly before conducting election in the suppressed Orolu State Constituency, affirming that having been lawfully delineated and created by the combined effect of Sections 91 and 112 of the 1999 Constitution, Orolu Local Government had in suit number FHC/OS/CS/10/2013 urged the court to declare the State House of Assembly as currently constituted unconstitutional by virtue of Sections 91 and 112 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 due to the act of INEC that suppress the constituency created since 1996.

It also sought the relief of the court to order the electoral commission to conduct election in Orolu State Constituency to increase the number of members in the House of Assembly to 27 in compliance with the said section of the constitution.

The Judge in his judgement relied on a letter attached to the plaintiff originating summons dated June 2, 2004 written by former INEC Chairman, Sir Abel Guobadia, informing the clerk of the National Assembly that the commission erred in suppressing Orolu Local Government State Constituency.

It further disclosed that the Orolu State Constituency was legally delineated and created since 1996 and restored the suppressed constituency.

The court further relied on two similar judgements earlier delivered by a Federal High Court, Ibadan involving the state Attorney General and INEC and a judgement of a Court of Appeal involving Oju Local Government and INEC.

Daily Independent

Osun government has assured farmers in the state of its continued support in meeting the challenges of crop production to improve the economy of the state.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Wale Adedoyin, gave the assurance at the official flag-off ceremony for the distribution of 500,000 hybrid cocoa seedling to farmers free of charge held at the government secretariat, Abere.

He held that Osun being the third largest producer of cocoa in the country there is the need to develop the tree crops economy cannot be overemphasised.

The commissioner, who described agriculture as  a reliable form of boosting any economy and a panacea to any economic crisis stated that it has become more important to develop the agric sector because of the dwindling fortune from the federation account to states.

In an address, Coordinating Director in the Ministry of Agric, Dr. Olubukola Aluko, stated that the flag-off of the distribution is a huge testimony that the Aregbesola administration has great passion for the development of tree crops and agriculture generally in the state. He then urged the beneficiaries to utilize the gesture.

One of the beneficiaries, Chief Bola Otunla, described the gesture of Ogbeni Aregbesola in the agric sector as unprecedented, saying farmers have never had it so good in the state.

Other items distributed free of charge at the event include 6,000 improved seedlings of kolanut and bitter kola, 1,200 cocoa game as extension to farmers as well as the sale of 64,000 Teneral oil palm and 25,000 cashew seedlings at a very subsidized rate and N5,500,00 worth of agro-imputs to farmers.

In attendance were the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agric and Food Security, Mr. Festus Agunbiade, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on QUIP, Mr Dele Ogundipe, Executive Secretary, Oriade Local Government Area, Taiwo Fatiregun as well as many excited farmers.

DAILY INDEPENDENT

Download inspiring Quotes from the Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. Today’s Quote is focused on the history being made in the State. Visit the website at www.osun.gov.ng  or Twitter @stateofosun for more updates on the State of Osun and its projects.