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The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on Thursday said his joy will know no bounds if the school feeding programme is adopted throughout the country.

He listed the ripple effect of feeding pupils once a day as an investment which will promote Agriculture‎, a surest way for food security among others.

This was even as Prof. Don Bundy of the World Bank commended Aregbesola for moving with the global trend of feeding pupils, saying the programme is a near universal programme with 317 Million school children being fed worldwide.

Aregbesola while speaking at Technical meeting on Osun Elementary School feeding and health programme (O-MEALS) held at the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding in Osogbo held that a well fed and healthy child has the first requirement for life.

The governor noted that such ‎child is in the best position to acquire the education needed to face the future.

He added that the programme is part of effort to aid the decision to revive heightened interest ‎in access to education at the foundation level.

According to the governor,”school feeding programme‎ in education and indeed governance because it integrates at least four areas of governance with education, these are agriculture, health, job creation and local empowerment.

“By reviving and modernising farming we will also be solving the chronic problem of unemployment as we do know that agriculture, along with its agribusiness offshoots, has one of the biggest potential for job creation.

“Here in Osun, we have modelled our O’MEALS in consonant with these principles. The programme is being implemented with the legal framework of the Universal Basic Education Act which provides for each elementary pupils in the state schools to be provided with a meal a day at the minimum”. The governor stressed. 

 Aregbesola added that 3007 community food vendors are employed and empowered with tools and funds to make the recommended menu available to each pupils.

Prof. Bundy speaking earlier posited that ‎what the World Bank team has learnt is more than what they know about the school feeding programme, but now understand that the country is seriously looking forward to extend it to other states.

He stressed that the school programme should not be seen as a charity, but a sound investment programme which the poorest of families benefits from.

In his words, ” school feeding is not unusual, it is a near universal programme. Every school days, 317 Million are fed worldwide.

“We have heard issues about the business aspect in Osun. This will improve the health of the children, aside from health, the education aspect is more important. The provision of meal will help parents to send their children to school. Five meals in a week helps poor families”. The World Bank chief told the gathering.

The Deputy governor of Osun, Mrs. Grace Titilayo-Tomori who also doubles as the Commissioner for Education said because the elementary level forms the critical foundation upon which education at the higher level are erected.

“Elementary school pupils before we came into power going to school every morning, they are a pitiful sight‎. This is why this programme is an imperative for Aregbesola’s administration and indeed for any government serious about providing meaningful education for its little ones”. The deputy governor said.

Also speaking, the Deputy Executive Secretary of UBEC, Dr. Yakubu Gambo who stood in fro the Executive Secretary commended the governor for not allowing the initiative to die in Osun as the federal government started with 12 states.

He commended governor Aregbesola for the feeding programme saying Nigeria needs leaders like Aregbesola for the transformation of the country.

“We are proud of you and your state because it has attracted the global world‎. We need leaders like you to be able to transform our country, UBEC will do and bring back the 5 percent to supplement your efforts.

“Osun and Kano will benefit more than other state because they maintained the programme even when we’re no longer coming”. The UBEC boss stressed.

Below is the program for the Global Days of Action continuing these tireless efforts across the world to #BringBackOurGirls. The plan is intended to guide both national and international efforts. Please help circulate widely within & beyond your networks and join the local events.

Photos from the opening of 3 Day Technical Meeting on Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme (O-Meals), held at Center for Black Culture and International Understanding, Abere, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thurssday 22-05-2014

From right, Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola;
Representative of Kano State Governor, Alhaji Tajudeen Gambo;
Executive Director, Partnership for Child Development Imperial College
London, Uk, Dr (Mrs) Lesley Drake; World Bank representative, Prof Don
Bondy and Deputy Executive Secretry, Universal Basic Education
Commission, Yakubu Gambo, at the opening of 3 Day Technical Meeting on
Osun Elementary. School Feeding and Health Programme (O-Meals), held
at Center for Black Culture and International Understanding, Abere,
Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 22-05-2014

From right, Deputy Director, Nutrition Division, Fedaral Ministry of
Health, Dr. Chris Isokpunwu, representing minister of health,
Representative of Kano State Governor, Alhaji Tajudeen Gambo;
Executive Director, Partnership for Child Development Imperial College
London, Uk, Dr (Mrs) Lesley Drake; Governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni
Rauf Aregbesola ; World Bank representative, Prof Don Bondy and Deputy
Governor, State of Osun, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori and Deputy Executive
Secretry, Universal Basic Education Commission, Yakubu Gambo, at the
opening of 3 Day
Technical Meeting on Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health
Programme (O-Meals), held at Center for Black Culture and International Understanding, Abere, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 22-05-2014

From right, Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Deputy
Executive Secretry, Universal Basic Education Commission, Yakubu
Gambo; World Bank representative, Prof Don Bondy and Executive
Director, Partnership for Child Development Imperial College London,
Uk, Dr (Mrs) Lesley Drake, at the opening of 3 Day
Technical Meeting on Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health
Programme (O-Meals), held at Center for Black Culture and International Understanding, Abere, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 22-05-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola,declaring open the 3 Day
Technical Meeting on Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme (O-Meals), held at Center for Black Culture and
International Understanding, Abere, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 22-05-2014

CASES of malaria infection have been reduced drastically to less than 200,000 in Osun State, contrary to the alarming 750,000 and 500,000 cases recorded in 2011 and 2012 respectively, through efforts of the  Rauf  Aregbesola’s environmental sanitation drive.
This fact was disclosed on Thursday in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, by the Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Professor Olubukola Oyawoye, while delivering a monthly guest lecture at the Correspondents’ Chapel of Oyo State Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Oyawoye, who disclosed that flood posed a huge challenge for the government of Aregbesola at inception, wherein some kids, cows were drowned with other valuable materials destroyed, however asserted that “as a result of cleanliness advocacy of governor Aregbesola, flood became a thing of the past and cholera has disappeared, with war against indiscriminate dumping of waste sustaining our success story.”

Accompanied by Mr Oyelade Adebayo (Director, Regeneration and Utilization) and Mr Dapo Abolarin (Director of Forestry), the Commissioner noted that owing to the luke warm attitude of the past administration, there were incidences of “flooding which resulted in loss of lives; indiscriminate dumping of refuse along water courses and roads, resulting in dirty environment and consequently outbreak of epidemic; indiscriminate felling of trees within and outside forest reserves without replacement.”
To stem the tide, she said, “Governor Aregbesola declared a three-month emergency on sanitation. Though it inconvenienced people initially, the end result was encouraging.
“In a day, we removed 36 lorry loads of waste from a public dump site and we later dredged hundreds of waterways to avoid flooding and spread of epidemic diseases. Two hundred and forty(240) boreholes were sunk at the cost of $2.5m; public toilets were constructed across the state; we converted wastes to biogas, as well as planting ‘Igi-Iye’ to facilitate clean and healthy environment for our people to live in,” Oyawoye said.
On the incidence of malaria and its devastating effect on the people at the outset of Aregbesola’s administration, the international expert in Microbiology recalled that “In 2011, there was 750,000 reported cases of malaria in our hospitals; by 2012, it came down to 500,000, while in 2013, it was less than 250,000, thanks to the rate of cleanliness in the state,” she said.
While looking forward to victory for her boss in the forthcoming election, Oyawoye boasted that the administration had succeeded in “banishing poverty, banishing hunger, banishing unemployment, restoring healthy living, functional education, as well as communal peace and progress.”
TRIBUNE

About N25 million has been paid to 11 claimants /beneficiaries whose properties were affected by the expansion of road along Gbongan-Akoda Expressway, covering the Abdulkareem Adebisi Akande Trumpet Bridge axis.

The Commissioner for Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Miyuwa Ige, disclosed this while distributing cheques to the beneficiaries.

He said that the government decided to embark on what he called ‘‘Progressive Compensation’’ by which the claimants shall be selected in batches, so as not to keep them waiting endlessly.

While assuring that another batch of claimants shall be paid in due course, Ige eulogised the openness of the administration of Rauf Aregbesola in handling the affairs of the state.

In his appreciation, and on behalf of other beneficiaries, Chief Adewuyi Adetunji, eulogised the openness of the Aregbesola administration for keeping to its promise of alleviating their loss and sacrifice in the process of contributing to the development of their town and Osun in general.

Present at the event were the Special Adviser to the Governor on Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Ayodele Owoade, Head Special Projects Office (Office of the Governor), Abiodun Isola as well as officials of Ministries of Lands, Works, Justice, Finance among others.

Osun State House of Assembly has said that it will give speedy approval to the Local Government Creation Bill after it reconvenes from its three-week recess.

At its sitting on Tuesday, the Assembly adjourned till June 16 to proceed on a recess.

The Deputy Speaker, Akintunde Adegboye, who presided over the sitting, said that the assembly is awaiting the report of the referendum of the local government creation exercise from the State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC).

He said the report was expected to be presented to the house before the end of the recess, “so that the house would approve the bill before August 9 governorship election”.

“You recall that we have promised to approve the local government creation bill before the election and after the recess, it will be part of the work that we will do by giving it speedy approval.

“Also, part of the bill we are expected to consider as soon as we reconvene is the bill for the establishment of Education District in the three senatorial districts of the state”, he added.

Noting that the lawmakers are entitled to a six-week recess to rest, Adegboye said that throughout the 2013, they did not go on any recess.

The deputy speaker however stressed that the recess would give them the opportunity to fraternise with their constituents and strategise for state governorship election billed for August 9.

“During this recess, we will have opportunity to sit with our constituents, enlighten them the more on what the present administration has done and the need to ensure the re-election of the administration”, he added.

Download inspiring Quotes from the Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. Today’s Quote is focused on importance of Food Security 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.

Like his counterpart in Ekiti State, Ogbeni Engineer Rauf Aregbesola fought a hard won battle to reclaim his mandate, as the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party Olagunsoye Oyinlola was declared winner in the 2007 elections. This decision was contested at the Election petitions tribunal, up to the appeal court which declared him winner on the 26th of November 2010.

Prior to this, he had survived several assassination attempts while campaigning for office and his main financier was killed and several supporters either killed, maimed, or de-humanised. All these rather than deter him, spurred him on to greater heights.

Upon assumption of office, the governor unveiled a six-point integral action plan. This encompassed the following:

1. Banish hunger
2. Banish poverty
3. Banish poverty
4. Promote healthy living
5. Banish unemployment
6. Promote communal peace and progress

This has formed the fulcrum upon which the initiatives and functions of the administration rotate. Each of the action plans listed above has received and is still receiving attention. In a bid to banish hunger, farmers across the state have received support worth over N1.5 billion naira and a number of incentives have also been put in place to boost agricultural production. These include support to 220 farmer groups under the Osun Broiler outgrower scheme (OBOPS) while 28 Cooperative groups have been equipped to plant 17km of maize and a 500 acre vegetable cluster. 61 local communities have been identified and 1830 rural farmers in these communities have been equipped with farm inputs under the UNICEF Replication Initiative Programme of the Ministry of Water Resources, Rural and Community Development.

Although this initiative effectively captures part of the second and third integral Action Plans, additional efforts have been made to enhance and promote the ideals they stand for. To this end, 70 buses have been provided for transporters to boost transportation.

A physical inspection and assessment of the education sector conducted within one month of this administration found that teachers were underpaid and not motivated, classrooms were crowded, children were undernourished, instruction and learning materials, where found were of poor quality, learning materials were unavailable, and the academic curriculum was found to be grossly inadequate. An education summit was convened, chaired by renowned Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka and this team came up with some recommendations for reformation with the theme, “complete child, complete youth, complete citizen”. These recommendations include:

1. O’meals- this is an elementary school feeding and health program where 3,000 food vendors/ cooks were trained and are currently employed to serve midday balanced diet meals to pupils of classes 1 to 4 in all primary schools in the state.
2. O Schools- This scheme aims to build proper physical structures to replace dilapidated buildings. This is done within the framework of the school reclassification system and there are ongoing plans to build100 elementary, 50 middle, and 26 high model schools.
3. Opon Imo (e-learning tablets)- The government is providing 150,000 of these for Senior Secondary Schools. This tablet contains over 56 textbooks and covers 17 core subjects and over 5 extra-curricular subjects.
4. O’calisthenics- under the Osun State Calisthenics programme, the state government has trained a total of 8000 school students with the aim of combining extra-curricular activities with academic pursuits, thus building their minds and their bodies.
5. The government has also put in place various initiatives for youth to pursue vocational and Entrepreneurial Education especially outside the formal school template.

Furthermore, Osun State has put in place a school reclassification programme which though not different from the national 6-3-3-4 system ensures that the minimum certificate any school leaver will have will be the Basic Education Certificate Examinination (BECE), an equivalent of the Junior School Certificate Examination (JSCE) rather than the primary school certificate. These efforts have yielded fruits as the state which was ranked 34th out of 36 states in the performance rankings of WAEC in 2010, is now placed 8th. Seventeen year old Folafoluwa Oginni, a product of the state’s public Education System emerged the overall best pupil in the May/ June 2010 WASSCE, scoring A1 in all subjects and is a holder of the Board’s National Distinction/ Merit Award.

Infrastructural renewal is also at an all time high in Osun State. Within 24 months, 513km of high quality roads were constructed. Local Governments were also directed to embark upon the construction of high quality 10km roads within their locales. This is made possible through prudent management of resources, and a concerted plan which has seen Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) rise from N300m to N1.5.bn per month.

In other areas 125 patrol vans, 5 armoured personnel carriers and one helicopter have been provided to boost security, primary school basic funding grant has increased from N7.4m to N424m per year, and 123km of arteries, waterways and canals have been dredged to prevent flooding.

In line with his desire to carry along every citizen, the Bureau of Social Services (BOSS) was set up and is in charge of ensuring that the people of the State receive maximum social benefits from all the policies and programs of the state government. Essentially, it monitors and evaluates projects, and is also charged with assessing the performance of state commissioners and heads of MDA’s in the implementation of the 6 point integral Action Plan. The citizens are also a part of this monitoring as BOSS encourages individuals to report any perceived abnormalities in the way projects and programs are carried out.

The man behind all of this is a former activist and was a commissioner for works and infrastructure in Lagos State while running for office of governor in Osun. It is a known fact that the Governor of Lagos State, Raji Fashola stands head and shoulders over his contemporaries in this current dispensation, as far as developmental efforts are concerned. One can therefore be forgiven for insinuating that Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola studied at the feet of the master and is determined to replicate if not excel in his own state,the many skills learnt in his past endeavours. Little wonder former governor in the state between 1999-2003, Chief Adebisi Akande describes, the ongoing infrastructural developments in the state as a “miracle.” A main concern however has been how the state is funding these developmental projects and whether the tempo can be maintained.

In appreciation for these efforts, the congresses of the party nominated him for a second term in office and at the primary election, 269, 631 members out of 355, 390 members of the party registered in 332 wards across the state gave him their mandate to contest for a second term in office. One only hopes that when/if he gets there, he will consolidate on his past efforts and make Osun State, one its citizens will be truly proud of.