Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the state of Osun on Wednesday received about 20 investors from the United States of America (USA) looking for investment opportunities and partnership in Osogbo, the state capital.
Aregbesola, who maintained that the government is committed to providing huge human and material resources to enable a business friendly environment, noted that the move is aimed at improving the socioeconomic value of the state.
The visitors took advantage of the ongoing Osun Trade, Investment and Culture Conference to make their intentions known to the governor.
The governor had visited the USA earlier in the year to deliberate on ways of creating an opportunity for the government to market its investment opportunities.
The major areas of the investment include culture and tourism, agriculture, solid mineral and information technology.
At the end of this conference, the foreign investors are expected to hold business meetings with local industrialists and also sign pacts with the state government, all in an effort to improve the economy of the state.
CHANNELSTV

Gbongan-Odeyinka-Orile-Owu-Ajegunle

“Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they be not altered for the better designedly.” – Francis Bacon

This simply means that if we don’t choose to change things for the better, they will naturally tend to get worse. Thus a stitch in time will save 9 and that is the summary of the vision that we see at work in the State of Osun and do take this moment to applaud the NEW DAWN.
Every investment in the physical and social infrastructure is an advance for sustainable development. This is why serious governments at every stage of economic history find the money to put into infrastructural development.The key here is the deferment of immediate gratification which is essential. For this reason it is very commendable that the state of Osun with its paltry allocation from the centre can invest so much in infrastructure particularly roads.
The multiplier effect entailed in Aregbesola’s road building program is clear. For example, there is not much sense in trying to modernize the food production chain without a concomitant increase in infrastructural upgrade. Without roads in good shape agricultural development will continue to stagnate, even regress. Good roads will facilitate an increase for example in production. Instinctively no farmer is going to increase production without insurance of timely produce evacuation among many other reasons and benefits.
Osun of course is now a massive road construction site. With a proven engineer who was once an acclaimed infrastructure czar in Lagos state at the helm of affairs this is not too surprising. What is nevertheless welcome is the sheer determination, the gusto with which this is being done? The current investment in the roads network will also facilitate and also increase the interest shown by both local and foreign investors. Like the farm sector, the investor needs a good road network. This will of course help with his own input and output. Raw materials for example have to be moved in from the rail line by road. Subsequently the finished product becomes more competitive in pricing due to the availability of a good network of roads.
The government’s grit and focus in the area of road development is worthy of commendation. More than any other factor it is preparing Osun for the next decisive phase. This is that of real, sustainable development takes off. Like every other purposeful movement, this is not about the election but about advancing the infrastructure of the state to help the prospects of another generation.
A lot has been said by the People, the Press, the Critics and even the Government about the urban renewal exercise ongoing in the State of Osun;  day by day we become more convinced that the people will appreciate this investment better when the ruins become a beautiful story…a worthy scenery. The Osun of our dreams.
OSUN A DARA!
 

Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, has been rated the best university in Nigeria and the eighth in Africa in the latest webometric ranking.
This was contained in the university’s news bulletin issued on Tuesday, quoting the new Webometric rating by Cybermetric Lab of Spain, a world-renowned research council.
The publication stated that the council rated OAU higher on the ladder from number 14 to eight in Africa.
It also confirmed the university’s academic excellence and intellectual supremacy, saying this was the first time that a Nigerian university would be so ranked consecutively.
“This is a development that academic analysts and managements of universities in Africa have hailed as a monumental leap for educational advancement in Nigeria,” it stated.
Reacting, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Bamitale Omole, attributed the giant strides recorded by his administration to unparalleled research output, administrative acumen as well as the technical competence of the staff .
Omole added that only a focused leadership, the hallmark of his management team , could produce such a feat.
He commended the dedication to duty of all stakeholders in making sure that the ideas of the founding fathers of the university became a reality.
The vice-chancellor urged the Federal Government not to relent in its efforts to improve on the funding of education.
Omole said adequate funding would ensure that “the increased penchant for travelling abroad to undergo academic programmes that could be taught better by our lecturers here in Nigeria would be a thing of the past.’’
TRIBUNE

It is an unarguable fact that governance is all about service delivery to the masses whose thrust serves as the horse upon which those at the helm of affairs ride. The imperative nature of governance further plays out in a democratic system where emphasis is laid on “governance of the people, by the people and for the people”; this implies that for governance devoid of corruptibility to thrive, the masses who are determinants of who rule them must have a proper knowledge of their representatives and what is expected of them. Do you know who represents your constituency? Do you know what they do? Do you have any ideas for them? Is there something you prefer they rather focus on in your community? Then this is a piece you need to read to the very end because we know how to get you to them.
When the need for a new website came to us, we knew one thing: it had to be different from the pack; it had to make an impact. There was a need to solve a problem, to bridge a gap and to improve on anything that was on ground; and in achieving this, the feature through which everyone could reach out to their individual constituency representative became A-MUST-INCLUDE; and we are glad and proud that we DID IT!
Many times we have the right idea and need to know who can implement them and also make them really happen; this tool avails you that immediate opportunity. There is usually a need to applaud an initiative we just saw in our little community corner because we are so impressed by the speed of work and we want the Local Government representatives to know this and encourage them to do more, this tool has also made this very possible for everyone. The need to be carried along on the happenings in the State of Osun or in a Local Government Area of interest has birthed the call for accountability; and to this we present to you, the men and women who are accountable for our votes and ask you to reach  them, to know them and to applaud them.
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Executive Governor of the State of Osun has always been a forerunner and a great advocate for Good Governance and Accountability and this is totally applaudable. Another first by any website in Nigeria will continue to bring the Government of the State of Osun closer and closer to the people who put us there.
Visit the website today – www.osun.gov.ng and KNOW YOUR REPRESENTATIVES. It is time to STAND UP AND BE COUNTED for offering a hand and being part of the great future we are building today for the State of Osun. Reach out to know more and to let your opinion be known. This feature is found on the Homepage of the website and each representative is just an email or phone call away from you. Use the tool with every form of maturity and relevance. You eing a part of our initiatives means a lot to us.
Thank you.

GOVERNOR Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State Tuesday reiterated the commitment of his administration to provide the enabling environment to enhance rapid economic development of the state.
He gave the assurance while declaring open a one-week trade, investment and culture conference at the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU), Osogbo, the sate capital.
The one-week conference attracted potential investors from the United States, the African and Caribbean Business Council (ACBC) of Philadelphia, the Christian Evangelical Economic Development, Inc. (CEED) of Pittsburgh, the WURA Arts Services & Productions, LLC (WURA) of New York City and others from Nigeria.
Addressing participants at the event, Aregbesola said the state government placed top priority on culture and tourism, agriculture, information technology, and solid minerals to drive the investment portfolio.
GUARDIAN

The innovative e-learning devise, Opon Imo (tablet of knowledge) of the Government of the State of Osun has been nominated for the Nigerian Telecom Awards 2013.
The Tablet of Knowledge was nominated under the category of African Most Innovative Product of the Year.
The award comes up on September 20 at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Onikan, Lagos.
Other categories of the awards includes African Telecom of the Year; African Telecom Personality of the Year; West Africa Mobile Operator of the Year; Computer Brand of the Year among others.
Besides, in the category of ICT State of the Year, Osun also got nominated alongside Ekiti and Bauchi States.
The Opon Imo tablet, which was launched on Monday 13th May, provides three major content categories: e-library, virtual classroom and an integrated test zone.
The e-library contains 63 e-books covering 17 academic subjects for examinations conducted by WAEC, NECO and JAMB as well as non-academic subjects such as History of The Yoruba, Sexuality Education, Civic Education, Ifa on ethics and morals, enterprise education as well as hints and tips on passing SSCE.
In the integrated test zone of the device, there are more than 40,000 JAMB and WAEC practice questions and answers dating back to about 10 years and mock tests in more than 51 subject areas, which approximates to 1,220 chapters, with roughly 29,000 questions referencing about 825 images.
Other sections of the e-learning device are an average of 16 chapters per subject and 823 chapters in all, with about 900 minutes or 15 hours of audio voice-overs.
The tablet was distributed free of charge to students of public schools in the Senior Secondary I and II categories in the state.
Opon Imo has been commended as one of the a veritable tools of advancing and promoting easy learning and democratising education system not only in the state but across the country and beyond wherever it is embraced.
The Guardian

Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday said the state will provide food for the South-West states and capture a sizable chunk of the N3 billion daily food market in Lagos State.
The governor said with more than 60 tourism sites in the state, his government is poised to provide food for the South-West states. Governor Aregbesola said this while delivering his address at a Trade, Investment and Culture Conference at the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding in Osogbo.
He said in his two and a half years in office, his administration has done its best to promote the tradition and culture of the Yoruba.
“Our goal therefore is to provide food for the South-West and capture a sizable chunk of the N3 billion daily food market in Lagos. By a stroke of fortune, our natural endowment also includes solid minerals, especially gold. “In our development drive, we have focused mainly on four key areas.
These are culture and tourism, agriculture, information technology and solid minerals. We assure you that the South-West states will rely on us for their needs very soon.
“Osun is indisputably the custodian of the cultural heritage of the Yoruba people, who are mainly domiciled in and originated from the South-West of the country.
“Ile-Ife, which is in this state and just about 30 minutes drive from this podium, is the cradle of Yoruba culture and civilization,” the governor told investors and others in the gathering.
He also added that Osun occupies a central place in Nigeria’s cultural tourism map, stressing that besides Ife, there are numerous other centres of cultural and tourism significance across the state.
“We have gold deposits in commercial quantity in many parts of the state that are waiting to be fully exploited. It is our goal to develop this in partnership with willing and capable partners,” the governor said.
He added that his administration will ensure that the interactive platform will be a continuous one to demonstrate the seriousness of its commitment to the path it has chosen.
NATIONAL MIRROR

Following the interactive public feedback session titled ‘Gbangba D’ekun’ by the Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, there have been reactions from people of the state.
The programme which witnessed hundreds of people across Iwo local government had students, teachers, artisans, traders and civil servants in attendance.
Mr. Abdulateef Olaitan Arewa, a civil servant said, “the programme is another beautiful idea to meet the real “grassroot” people in the State” adding that it is devoid of partisan politics; he also noted that “I will prefer if this kind of interesting programme can be on weekends so as to carry the elites along to further sensitize those who speak ill of the administration of Ogbeni Aregbesola.”
Alabi Caleb Olatunji Aregbe in his opinion described the present State Government as the most vibrant and administratively clairvoyant Governor in the whole of the nation. “I stand to be corrected, the facts are there for everyone to see”, he added.
Similarly, a health official in the state, Mr. Taoheed Ademola OmoOmi said the initiative by the government to meet those at the grass root is a clear indication as to why the people of the state adore the governor. “For a Governor that makes himself available to his people at anytime, truly Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is the man of the people”, he added.
Well done Ogbeni!

Government of the State of Osun has declared today (Tuesday August 20, 2013) as a public holiday in celebration of world traditional religion Isese Day.
This was contained in a press statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Sunday Akere.
According to the commissioner, Governor Rauf Aregbesola declared the public holiday in the spirit of equality among the various religious groups in the state.
Isese day, among the traditional believers, is the celebration of the peak of festivity in Yorubaland tagged Odun Nla, hence were given the right to celebrate with members of their family.
(culled from OSUN DEFENDER)