As the August 9 Osun State governorship election draws closer, the top contenders are making good use of major social networking to woo voters. Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola; People’s Democratic Party candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, and the candidate of the Labour Party, Fatai Akinbade, seem to have taken the battle for the soul of the Abere Government House to Twitter and Facebook.
The major contenders have since been promoting their political rallies, speeches and events by posting photos and videos on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Their social media pages contain everything from schedules of proposed rallies to the outcomes of meetings and political events. But Apart from promoting themselves, the candidates have also been seen lambasting their rivals on these virtual platforms.
The battle on the social media space only seems to be getting fiercer as Aregbesola declared to his opponents via his Twitter page that the government house is currently not vacant. Aregbesola, who boasts a following of about 180,000 people, the highest among the three contenders’, warned his opponents against equating the politics of Osun State with Ekiti State where the incumbent, Kayode Fayemi, lost to the PDP candidate, Ayo Fayose, in a landslide victory. According to the governor, the rousing welcome he receives from the people of the state each time his campaign train stops at the various towns and villages in the state attest to the fact that he is loved by the electorate. “Osun is not Ekiti. No vacancy at the Bola Ige House, Osun State Government Secretariat, Abeere.Let us continue the good work we have started. Ipinle Osun a dara,” he wrote on Twitter.
The governor’s spokesman and Director of his office’s Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Semiu Okanlawon, has also been caught by the bug of the new media as a tool for electioneering. Okanlawon, who has begun selling the candidacy of his boss on Twitter, insisted that there is no better alternative to Aregbesola. The incumbent governor, Okanlawon argued, had always dedicated himself to people oriented-programmes, which, he said, had endeared him to the people. “Aregbesola is a leader that the people can feel and this is because the people are at the centre of his programmes. A good leader inspires his people no matter how lowly placed and Aregbesola does it with ease. What will people not do to show Aregbesola their massive support?” he asked.
But Omisore has hit back at Aregbesola, telling voters it is time to send the incumbent APC government in Osun State packing for what he calls its broken promises. Describing himself on his website, www.iyiola-omisore.org, as a high-profile public figure with a “distinguished record of achievement” within both government and the commercial sectors, Omisore contested that he had got all it takes to take the people of Osun to the Promise Land. Arguing that his plans to unseat Aregbesola in the forthcoming election would sail through, he noted that he would leverage on his long-term experience as an effective grassroots politician, a political mobiliser and a community man.
Omisore tweeted, “Development for the People: Everyone, the old, the young, women, children, men, communities, household, artisans, traders, students! I want prosperity and development that leave no one behind. That is the new agenda. That is the Osun PDP’s commitment. Let’s support this rescue mission! “Governance with the people, I believe, should be participatory, engaging and responsive. No coercion, no tension. We are together. That’s what the rescue mission offers. Osun State will change. It will be a better place to work. We all are in it, but our partnership matters.” Omisore accused Argebsola of failing to sell his achievements to the people during his so-called “mega rallies” across the state, stating that he only preoccupied himself with dancing skelewu and azonto to draw crowd to his political gatherings.
“But we must admit, they (Argesola’s team) win the day in skelewu and azonto dancing at overpriced mega rallies, speaking grammar,” he said.
Ever since Akinbade, a former Secretary to the Osun State Government, emerged the candidate of the Labour Party, he had been making concerted efforts to sell his profile to the people of the state. According to him, he has met with several socio-political groups and professional bodies to solicit for their support ahead of the election.
He stated that only people “wallowing in ignorance” will say the APC government of Aregbesola has performed well in Osun State. Soliciting for the goodwill and support of the electorate, Akinbade said he had a special relationship with the masses dating back to the days when he marketed drugs inside molue buses. He, however, warned parents against allowing their children to be used as a ready tool by politicians for electoral violence and rigging.
“We should all continue to pray for Osun and the governorship election slated for August 9. We want a violent-free transition. Election is coming up, keep your children far away from evil politicians who are promoters of violence,” Akinbade said.
NEWS NIGERIA

In spite of the widespread applause for the recently concluded Ekiti State governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday said that it is working hard to make the upcoming Osun State governorship poll better.

The Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega said no effort would be spared to make the Osun election scheduled for August 9, more qualitative in all aspects than the June 21 Ekiti State election which has been widely acclaimed as the best so far by the Commission.

Jega made this known on Tuesday, when the Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China. Gu Xiaojie, paid a courtesy visit to the Commission.

The Chairman said the present Commission had since 2010, when it came on board, been devoted to improving the electoral process in Nigeria, “to make it more participatory and ensure that it is more transparent, that elections are conducted consistent with international best standards and in accordance with our own electoral laws.”

He added: “Since 2011, we have been doing our best to keep on improving the integrity and transparency of the electoral process. We have cleaned up the Register of Voters, and we have been doing our best to address the challenge of logistics of deployment, which has been a major obstacle to our conduct of good elections.”

I am pleased to say there has been progressive improvement in the series of governorship elections that we have conducted since 2011, culminating in the Ekiti election that we conducted two weeks ago, and which has been generally acknowledged as perhaps the best election that we have conducted so far. On the 9th of August, we have another election in Osun State and we are doing everything possible to ensure that the Osun election is better than Ekiti.”

DAILY INDEPENDENT

Osun State government has approved the construction of Oke-Ila-Ayegunle-Ikoro-Asaba roads in Ifedayo and Ila local government areas of the state to bring succour to the farmers in the rural areas.

This was disclosed by the Chairman of Governor Rauf Aregbesola re-election Campaign Committee, Sunday Akere, while visiting wards in the local government canvassing for votes for the governor’s second term bid.

Among the areas the campaign train visited include Ajebamidele, Oyi-Ayegunle, Obasikin, Adion, Asa-Oye and Aba Legemo where supporters of the party and residents bearing brooms trooped out to show solidarity with the APC.

Addressing the heads of communities separately, Akere disclosed that the state government has approved the construction of the road from Oke-Ila through Ayegunle, Ikoro linking Asaba road in Ila local government.

He added that beside the road in question, another three kilometresroad had been approved for lawmakers in the State House of Assembly for their various constituencies and that of Ifedayo is scheduled to cover Ayegunle through Obasikin to Ajebamidele.

The commissioner stated that the state government understands the plight of rural dwellers, who are predominantly farmers, to get their farm produce to market centres, hence, it resolve to constructing good roads in the rural areas.

He added that good roads enhance the price value of farm produce and reduce waste because farmers could get their produce to market in good time.

Similarly, Akere disclosed that he Commissioner for Health, who is also on the entourage, is taking note of some communities in the area whose need is maternity centres and promised to provide such for them.

According to the campaign committee chairman, the rural areas are important to the governor because of his drive to develop the state economy through massive agricultural programme, saying the governor would not relent in providing more financial assistance to the farmers.

He added that the state government would not relent in providing more infrastructural facilities to make them comfortable in a bid to make them major contributor to the growth of the state economy.

He also promised that if the people vote for Aregbesola again, the governor would not relent in fulfilling his electoral promises again as he has been doing in the first term of office.

In their separate responses, the heads of the various communities acknowledged the performance of the governor in all sectors in the state, however, they requested for the extension of roads to their communities, which according to them, is the major way of impacting on their farm activities.

Ayegunle, Ajebamidele and Adion requested for the extension of mobile service to the areas to enable them communicate effectively with their relatives and customers in the cities.

The campaign train comprising of its Secretary, Mr. Bisi Bawala, Dr. Temitop Ilori, Alhaji Azeez Moshood, Dr Atolagbe Afolabi, were bewildered by the large turn-out of youth and women at Oyi-Ayegunle and Obasakin professing their loyalty and support for the governor’s re-election.

DAILY INDEPENDENT

The second term bid of the governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the August 9 governorship election, has received a boost, as findings of a survey scored him high in terms of popularity.

In the report of a survey conducted by a socio-political group, Good Governance Vanguard (GGV), Aregbesola has 82 per cent chance of winning the election, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Iyiola Omisore, has 9 per cent chance.

The Labour Party (LP) candidate, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, according to the report, has 7 per cent chance of winning, while other political parties shared 2 per cent, with an error margin of 2.5 per cent.

The report, which was signed by the Coordinator of the group, Pastor Mathew Adenrele, said that random selection approach was used to conduct the poll in all the nine federal constituencies of the state.

The respondents in the poll, the report said, cut across politicians, civil servants, artisans, market men and women and students.

Respondents were drawn from minimum of six major towns and communities in each of the federal constituencies of the state.

The report said the largest percentage of the respondents attributed their love for Aregbesola to his developmental programmes and policies, while they rejected Omisore for what they described as his “perceived criminal conduct” and his unfavourable antecedents when he occupied political offices in the past.

Some of the respondents, according to the report, identified the reformation in the education system, ranging from construction of new schools, distribution of tablets of knowledge (Opon Imo), increment of grants to schools and distribution of free uniforms as some of the policies that have positively affected their lives and made them show interest in the governor.

The report read: “In the course of compiling the results of this poll, it was established that the programmes and policies of Rauf Aregbesola’s administration are acceptable to the people and have given him popularity above other candidates.

“The largest percentage of the respondents attributed their love for Aregbesola to his policies on education, ranging from construction of new schools, initiation and distribution of Opon-Imo to students, distribution of free uniforms to students, free meal to elementary school pupils, cancellation of PTA fees by students and increment of grant to schools and encouragement of teachers.

“In the area of infrastructural development, all the respondents attested to the fact that Aregbesola’s administration has constructed a number of roads that no government has ever done in the past.

“While some of the respondents also affirmed their support for Aregbesola due to his approach to youth employment, especially, through OYES and other job creation strategies, some said their supports were borne out of their interest in his social security programmes like Agba-Osun welfare programme, care for physically-challenged and mentally-ill people,” the report read.

The respondents, according to the survey, have made up their minds to re-elect Aregbesola, with a view to appreciating his developmental programmes and allow him complete the projects he had started.

On the other hand, the respondents who voted in favour of Omisore and Akinbade, according to the report, were mainly politicians of PDP and LP extractions, who want their party to be in government.

BIOREPORTS

Since her creation, the Governor of the state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola’s passion to develop the state of the living spring is legendary and unequal.

His impressive performance as the Commissioner for works, during the era of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the governor of Lagos state was no doubt the elixir he needed to turn a state like Osun around and make it the envy among other states of the federation. More importantly was the avalanche of ideas and information at his disposal to make Osun great long before he assumed power.

Indeed, with the physical development across the nooks and crannies of the state, Osun State can be said to be fortunate to have someone that is fully prepared to transform the state and take it to a greater height as it manifests in the implementation of the six-point integral action plan of Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Osun State in the past three years.

Of particular note is that, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola came into office with the determination to banish poverty, hunger and unemployment; restore a healthy living, promote functional education, and enhance communal peace and progress.
According to him, his commitment and determination is to make life worthy of living for the people of the State hence his introduction of programmes that touch the lives of every individual in the State.

Therefore, the unacceptable state of education in the State when the Aregbesola’s administration came into the saddle of governance informed the call for an education summit, attended by great educationists and intellectuals of all persuasions.

Professor Wole Soyinka made out time to personally attend the summit and made recommendation on which basis a complete overhaul of the education system of the state was done.
The most important conclusion of the summit was the restructuring of the system into three basic categories, Elementary, Middle and High schools. Primary 1–4 is the elementary school; 5–9 is the middle school, while grade 10–12 is the high school.

But for the effect of the change the new policy brought, it led to misunderstandings, and some have tried to mischaracterize the reforms as having a religious undertone.  Whereas, the major features of the new education reform that attracted criticism are: the introduction of a single school uniform to each of the three categories of schools throughout the state, the merger of single sex schools with mixed sex schools, the merger of Christian schools with Muslin schools and vice versa, the total wipe out of some schools, the use of hijab in “Christian schools” and perceived change in the names of schools.

Critics of these reforms particularly argued that the introduction of single uniform to schools is capable of causing indiscipline as it will be difficult for schools to identify their students. Old students of phased out schools were afraid of what might be their lot in case there is need for them to come to their Alma Mata for documentation or even the agony of having their history wiped out.

Also advocates of single sex schools felt that the sanity in the schools might be eroded apart from the loss of identity while some religious leaders argued that their schools should be made to retain their norms as stipulated in their religion, hence the resistance that no female Muslin should be allowed to wear hijab in Christian schools.

However, government has argued for its actions and made remedies where necessary. For example, the fear of loss of names of the schools is no longer there as government has ensured that the schools maintained their names with little modifications, hence we have Salvation Army Primary School, Alekuwodo Oshogbo changed to Salvation Army Middle School, Alekuwodo, Oshogbo, Baptist Primary School, Ilare, Ile-Ife is now Baptist Elementary Primary School, Ilare, Ile-Ife.
On the issue of single uniform for the three classes of schools, government wants parents to enjoy cheap procurement of school uniforms and further assisted by distributing school uniforms free to all students across the state.

To solve the issue of identity, government has disclosed the plan to produce badges for each school and smart cards for each student of public schools in the state for easy documentation and identification as it is being practiced in some countries like Brazil, Malaysia Ghana, Benin Republic etc.
The most pronounced problem that greeted the reform is the allegation of trying to Islamize the State by government by encouraging the use of hijab in Christian schools.

Meanwhile government has consistently debunked the allegation insisting that hijab was never part of the uniform distributed to students more so that the matter is already in court for adjudication.
Besides, Government has been emphatic on the fact that all public schools belong to government and that it is out of its magnanimity that whatever is left of any religion in schools are allowed.

Recently, at the commissioning of school buildings at the Baptist Elementary Primary School, Ilare, Ile-Ife on 18th February, 2014, Governor Aregbesola charged the people of the state to support the new education policy of his administration, which he said was for the good of both the children and the parents.

Aregbesola in his speech at the commissioning ceremony which had the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade and other dignitaries in attendance said the new policy of the state government on education has no religious sentiment.
He warned the critics of his administration and the education policy in particular to exercise patience till the policy begins to produce good results, which he said would be beneficial to all and sundry in the state.

He stated that the hallmark of the new education policy in the state was the enhancement of better welfare for both the teachers and students of all public schools in the state. He also said that the government was being motivated by the ideal of development of young individuals in the state; hence the huge amount of money committed into the education sector.

Aregbesola who has consistently insisted that the philosophy of his education policy is the development of a new man intellectually, socially and morally maintained that the educational reform policy of his administration would achieve the desired objective in due course.

According to him, Government has the plan to build 20 new high schools, 50 middle schools and 100 elementary schools. Each of these schools will be equipped to state-of–the-art standards, especially with digital learning aids, electronic boards, functional and contemporary laboratory equipment, sports facilities, clean water and large power generators.

True to his words, the elementary school commissioned by the Governor at Ile-Ife apart from being unique in outlook, has facilities known to be peculiar to private schools such as recreation, sports, laboratory and library facilities all duly equipped.

The only way to provide these facilities at affordable costs is to make the maximum use of the available resources at the disposal of government, hence the need to merge small, poorly equipped schools, into larger schools where all the facilities can be provided to large numbers of students using economies of scale to maximum advantage.
It need to be emphasized here that Osun State Government has committed the larger part of its financial resource to education with the free launch provided to class 1-4 on a daily basis that costs N 3.6billion annually, provision of free uniform to students across the state with N900Million, the N1.2 Billion spent on the provision of tablet of knowledge, N14.8 billion expended on construction of school buildings under its O’ School programme.
Besides, government has recruited no fewer than 10,407 teachers to public schools
Won’t you rather allow the good works in the education sector continue? Asks Remi Odewale

•Odewale writes from Ifetedo, Ife-South Local Government

•Culled from CHAMPION Newspaper

Wife of Osun State Gover­nor and Initiator of Sheri Care Foundation, Alhaja Sherifat Aregbesola has called on women and children in the state to support the re-election of her husband.
Mrs. Aregbe­sola urged parents to give maximum support to Aregbesola in his desire to rule the state for a second term. She said this while hosting Miss Zainab Ola­wale, a 12 year old student of Government Unity School, Osogbo, who emerged the winner of Spelling Bee competition at the Government House, Osogbo.
She assured that her husband would continue with the laudable programmes of his government which she said cut across all strata of the economy in his second term in office, just as she disclosed that the present administration in the state would identify tal­ented students in all the public primary and secondary schools in the state, with a view to promoting their talents to the outside world.

According to reports from The Sun, she said the present administration in the state was determined to give adequate educational training to all the children in the state, regardless of political or religious affiliation of their parents. Mrs. Aregbesola said efforts are on to identify brilliant but indigent students in all the public schools in the state with a view to assisting them fulfill their destinies in life.
The First Lady also noted that the efforts of the state government on the new educa­tion policies have started yielding good results with the outstanding performances of the students at both local and international competitions. She reminded that the students in the state have been trained on how to tackle chal­lenges as they arise, hence their excellent performances at various competitions.
 
 

Photos of the Christian Association Of Nigerian and the Governor at an Interaction meeting on the Governor’s Second Term Ambition in the 2014 Gubernatorial Election, at CAN Secretariat, Owode-Ede, State of Osun on Monday 30-06-2014

From left, Deputy Governor State of Osun Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori;
Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Chairman, Christian Association
of Nigeria (CAN), Osun Chapter, Reverend Elijah Ogundiya, during an
Interaction with the Governor on his Second Term Ambition in the 2014
Gubernatorial Election, at CAN Secretariat, Owode-Ede, State of Osun
on Monday 30-06-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, addressing Executives
of Osun Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), during an Interaction
on his Second Term Ambition in the 2014 Gubernatorial Election, at CAN
Secretariat, Owode-Ede, State of Osun. Insert is, Chairman, Christian
Association of Nigeria (CAN), Osun Chapter, Reverend Elijah Ogundiya
reading through the Governor’s Manifestos titled: My Pact with the
People of Osun, on Monday 30-06-2014

From right, Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Osun
Chapter, Reverend Elijah Ogundiya; Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf
Aregbesola; his Deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori and Chairman, All
Progressives Congress (APC), Osun Chapter, Elder Adelowo Adebiyi,
during an Interaction with the Governor on his Second Term Ambition in
the 2014 Gubernatorial Election, at CAN Secretariat, Owode-Ede, State of Osun on Monday 30-06-2014

AHEAD the August 9 governorship election, the electorate have been urged to choose the next governor of the state based on proven record of performance and credibility.

A member representing Orolu State Constituency at the Osun State House of Assembly, Mr. Kamil Oyedele, stated this at the inaugural re-election campaign rally organised for Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Orolu local council of the state.

Oyedele noted that some of the candidates seeking to be elected by the people had participated in one administration or the other before, saying the people should use their performance and integrity as yardstick to choose the next governor of the state.

He observed that testimonies by the people were suggestive that Governor Aregbesola had recorded some notable achievements in the past three and a half years in the saddle, adding that the only way to make him do more was for the people to re-elect him for a second term.

He said this will enable the governor continue with his developmental projects across the state.

The lawmaker however appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a free, fair and credible election in Osun State.

He urged INEC to remain an impartial umpire during the poll, saying this would rekindle the confidence of the electorate in the commission’s ability to midwife democratic process.

Also speaking, the APC chairman in the council area, Alhaji Ibrahim Ganiyu, warned that the party would not allow rigging during the election and charged INEC to ensure that all stakeholders play the game according to the rule.

Ganiyu, while appealing to INEC to make adequate preparation for a hitch-free poll, implored security operatives to ensure adequate protection for people during and after the poll.

GUARDIAN

As the holy month of Ramadan begins, the Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has charged Muslims all over the country to pray for peace and security.

In a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, the Governor said Ramadan is a month in which Muslims redouble their spiritual efforts for the attainment of piety.

Aregbesola tasked the Muslim ummah to use the holy month to pray fervently for peace and security in the nation and the State of Osun.

He reiterated that Islam is a religion that promotes peace and it’s adherents have no choice but to peaceful and peace-loving in their behaviours and conducts.

The statement said in part: “this is a month that comes once in a year. It is a month designed by Allah to open the door of mercy, favour and forgiveness to His creatures.

“We should seize this opportunity to pray for the country to overcome all the socio-political upheaval and insecurity it has been battling with.

“Our dear state is also going through a historical political journey as the day of election draws near. It is our duty to pray for free and fair election on August 9 election.

“We must extend hands of fellowship to both Muslims and non-Muslims; use the month to share, care and show love to others.

“Above all, we must strive to be agents and promoters of peaceful and harmonious co-existence in our communities as well as resolve not to revisit whatever anti-social vices that Ramadan has prevented us from engaging in.”