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Category: News

2014 JUNE 12  3

Photos showing the Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Senior Special Assistant to State of Osun Governor on Civil& Public, Comrade Waheed Lawal, Chairman 2014 June 12 Organizing Committee, Comrade Shenge Rahman and others at the 2014 June 12 Programme at Freedom park, Osogbo State of Osun on Thursday 12-06-2014.

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Senior Special Assistant to State of Osun Governor on Civil& Public, Comrade Waheed Lawal, Chairman 2014 June 12 Organizing Committee, Comrade Shenge Rahman and Coordinator for People Welfare League (PWL),Comrade Abiodun Agboola during the 2014 June 12 Programme at Freedom park, Osogbo State of Osun on Thursday 12-06-2014.

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Senior Special Assistant to
State of Osun Governor on Civil& Public, Comrade Waheed Lawal, Chairman
2014 June 12 Organizing Committee, Comrade Shenge Rahman and Coordinator
for People Welfare League (PWL),Comrade Abiodun Agboola during the 2014
June 12 Programme at Freedom park, Osogbo State of Osun on Thursday
12-06-2014.

Senior Special Assistant to State of Osun Governor on Civil& Public, Comrade Waheed Lawal, Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Special Adviser to the Governor on Commerce, Co-operative and Empowerment, Dr. Dauda Olalekan yinusa, Commissioner for Commerce, Co-operative and Empowerment, Mr. Ismaila Alagbada and Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Sunday Akere during the 2014 June 12 Programme at Freedom park, Osogbo State of Osun on Thursday 12-06-2014.

Senior Special Assistant to State of Osun Governor on Civil&
Public, Comrade Waheed Lawal, Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf
Aregbesola, Special Adviser to the Governor on Commerce, Co-operative and
Empowerment, Dr. Dauda Olalekan yinusa, Commissioner for Commerce,
Co-operative and Empowerment, Mr. Ismaila Alagbada and Commissioner for
Information and Strategy, Hon. Sunday Akere during the 2014 June 12
Programme at Freedom park, Osogbo State of Osun on Thursday 12-06-2014.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Commerce, Co-operative and Empowerment, Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Senior Special Assistant to State of Osun Governor on Civil& Public, Comrade Waheed Lawal and Chairman 2014 June 12 Organizing Committee, Comrade Shenge Rahman during the 2014 June 12 Programme at Freedom park, Osogbo State of Osun on Thursday 12-06-2014.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Commerce, Co-operative
and Empowerment, Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Senior
Special Assistant to State of Osun Governor on Civil& Public, Comrade
Waheed Lawal and Chairman 2014 June 12 Organizing Committee, Comrade Shenge
Rahman during the 2014 June 12 Programme at Freedom park, Osogbo State of Osun on Thursday 12-06-2014.

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SONY DSC

SONY DSC

College of Physicians have commended Governor Rauf Aregbesola on his programme of walk to live exercise in the state.

The physicians gave the commendation while carrying out a similar fitness exercises to commence their National Annual General and Scientific Meeting (AGSM) in Osogbo.

The fitness exercise marking the commencement of the AGSM of the physicians was attended by the state of Osun Commissioner for Health Dr. (Mrs.) Temitope Ilori and the Commissioner for Youth, Sport and Special Needs Mr. Stephen Balogun.

Dr. Ilori expressed her appreciation to the physician for complementing the healthy lifestyle exercise which the Governor has laid down in the state.

She stated that the exercise has inculcated healthy living habits into the citizens of the state.

Also speaking, the Commissioner for Youth, Sports and Special Needs, Stephen Kola-Balogun disclosed that the state has been performing the similar exercise on monthly basis in order to promote healthy living, communal peace and unity across the state.

OSUN NEWS

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OBOPS – 1

Photos from the Annual Seminar for Osun Broiler Out-Growers’ Production Scheme (OBOPS) and presentation of cheque to the Association by the governor at Royal Spring Holiday Inn, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 12-06-2014

From right, Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; his Deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori; Chairman of the Occasion, Chief Audu Ogbeh and Chairman TUNS Group, Asiwaju Tunde Badmus, during an Annual Seminar for Osun Broiler Out-Growers’ Production Scheme (OBOPS) and presentation of cheque to the Association by the governor at Royal Spring Holiday Inn, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 12-06-2014

From right, Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; his Deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori; Chairman of the Occasion, Chief Audu Ogbeh and Chairman
TUNS Group, Asiwaju Tunde Badmus, during an Annual Seminar for Osun Broiler Out-Growers’ Production Scheme (OBOPS) and presentation of cheque to the Association by the governor at Royal Spring Holiday Inn, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 12-06-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (right) Presenting a Cheque to Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Osun Chapter, Chief Oluyemi Olukiran, during an Annual Seminar for Osun Broiler Out-Growers’ Production Scheme (OBOPS) and presentation of cheque to the association by the Governor at Royal Spring Holiday Inn, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 12-06-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (right) Presenting a Cheque
to Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Osun Chapter, Chief
Oluyemi Olukiran, during an Annual Seminar for Osun Broiler Out-Growers’
Production Scheme (OBOPS) and presentation of cheque to the
association by the Governor at Royal Spring Holiday Inn, Osogbo, State
of Osun on Thursday 12-06-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (3rd right) Presenting a Cheque to Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Osun Chapter, Chief Oluyemi Olukiran (left); Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori (2nd right); Chairman TUNS Group, Asiwaju Tunde Badmus (2nd left); Special Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Festus Agunbiade (right) and Access Bank Representatives, Mr Ayodeji Obelawo (3rd left), during an Annual Seminar for Osun Broiler Out-Growers’ Production Scheme (OBOPS) and presentation of cheque to the association by the governor at Royal Spring Holiday Inn, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 12-06-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (3rd right) Presenting a
Cheque to Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Osun Chapter, Chief Oluyemi Olukiran (left); Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori (2nd right); Chairman TUNS Group, Asiwaju Tunde Badmus (2nd left); Special
Adviser to the Governor on Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Festus
Agunbiade (right) and Access Bank Representatives, Mr Ayodeji Obelawo (3rd
left), during an Annual Seminar for Osun Broiler Out-Growers’ Production
Scheme (OBOPS) and presentation of cheque to the association by the
governor at Royal Spring Holiday Inn, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 12-06-2014

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June 12: Osun Declares Today Public Holiday

The gesture is to commemorate the June 12, 1993, presidential election.

The Osun State Government on Wednesday declared Thursday a work-free day for residents of the state.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Sunday Akere, made this public in a press statement.

According to the statement, the gesture is to commemorate the June 12, 1993, presidential election.

The election, won by the late Moshood Abiola, popularly known as MKO, was annulled by the Ibrahim Babangida military dictatorship.

Mr. Abiola was later imprisoned by the Sani Abacha junta. He died in prison in 1998.

(NAN)

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Osun's Social Protection Policies Deserve Nigeria's Emulation -UNICEF

United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) country representative in Nigeria, Ms Jean Goll, has observed that the social protection policy programmes of Governor Rauf Aregbesola should be emulated by other states of the federation.

The UNICEF representative, who spoke today during a courtesy call on Aregbesola, described the school feeding programme and Agba Osun welfare scheme as policies that, aside adding value to the lives of pupils and elderly ones, as a lasting legacies the administration would bequeath to the state.

Describing education as foundation for development, Ms Goll said she was impressed by correct infrastructure met in the newly constructed schools she visited.

According to the UNICEF country representative, the school feeding in addition to serving as encouragement and catalyst for pupils to stay in schools and learn are very rich in nutritional values.

“Having gone round the schools, UNICEF is encouraged by the tremendous progress the state has made since the administration came on board.

“The interview granted to us by some of the recipient of the Agba Osun welfare scheme has demonstrated goodwill as well as political will of the government to live lasting legacy in mind of the people.

“UNICEF is ready to partner with government at different levels of interaction on what strategies to be employed to ensure that 2014 to 2017 UNICEF activities in the state are successful,”

Responding, Aregbesola said if people are the principal factor in development, the six-point integral action of the government are therefore focused to impact on the life of the populace.

The governor said the social protection policy of his administration are his reason for seeking the mandate of the people for the second.

According to him, government remains popular, unpopular reasonable or unreasonable depending on how governance affects the people.

“You cannot find a better, willing and ready partner in the administration of Osun.

“We need you with every passion; we need you to partner with us because this administration see the people in the image of God,” Aregbesola said.

The Director General, office of the Economic Development and Partnership, Office of the Governor, Dr. Charles Akinola, stated that UNICEF partnership with the state at this level will further encourage the administration in his avowed commitment in impacting the life of the people most especially the youths and the aged.

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School feeding experiment: Osun leads, others follow

School feeding experiment: Osun leads, others follow

EXCERPTS:  International Case Study: Delivering School Food In Nigeria by Grace Laoye‐Tomori, Commissioner for Education

Thank you very much. It is indeed a big pleasure and privilege for me to stand here to address the British audience. First of all what you are looking at here is very different from what we are looking at back in Nigeria.

You’re fighting obesity, we are fighting malnutrition. So it’s a very different perspective.

Happily for us, when we introduced the new school food system, we also found out that it has impacted positively on the economy of our State, because all the food we provide for these pupils are produced locally.

We empowered about 1,000 women and youths who were given soft loans that are without interest, to go into massive production of poultry, animal husbandry and beef, because weekly we feed the pupils with 15,000 chicken, over 300,000 eggs, that is about 10,000 crates, 35 herds of cattle and all these are provided locally.

We also provide tons of fish, oily fresh fish for the pupils on a weekly basis.

For us in the State of Osun, feeding our children has increased the school enrolment; it has addressed the micronutrients deficiency as we give them a balanced diet that comprises of vegetables, fruits, carbohydrates and protein mainly. Now we have pupils that are more attentive in class, and we have a lot of them that would have lost out on their education.

Download and read full paper here…School_Food_Plan_June 2

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Provision for the aged

Diagram of Osogbo 21 roads/inner ring road network

Since the inception of the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as the Governor of Osun State on Saturday, November 27, 2010, after lengthy rounds of litigation to reclaim his stolen mandate, the governor has left no one in doubt about his intention to develop the state as quickly as possible.

Even in the face of lean resources, Aregbesola’s passion to transform Osun into a state where government worked for the people remained unwavering. The results can be seen in the far-reaching impact of government activity and investments in key sectors of the economy today.
The shape of things to come were made clears as far back as 2005, with the establishment of the Oranmiyan Foundation, a political platform, by Governor Aregbesola and the launch of the Green Book that contained the planned programmes of the then Lagos State Commissioner for Works.
Oroki Housing Estate Road, Osogbo
The book outlined his planned policies and programmes and as the April 14, 2007 governorship poll moved closer, many residents of state had become so familiar with the sixpoint integral action plan of Aregbesola.
The Six-point Integral Action Plan as expounds in the Green Book that the governor himself had described as the document of trust and symbol of contract with the people of Osun State are : Banish hunger, banish poverty, banish unemployment, promote healthy living, promote functional education, promote communal, peace and progress. These six points are defined as integral because the delivery of the development vision, according to the governor requires a combined implementation of each of these points.
With barely six months to the end of the first four year tenure of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the impact of government is being felt in every part of the state with basic infrastructural amenities being put in proper shape.
Garment factory

Banish hunger, banish poverty, banish unemployment

In tandem with the first three items on the six point integral action plan, the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, within 100 days in office employed 20,000 youths under a programme called Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme, OYES, setting the record as the first government in the history of the country to absorb such number of unemployed youths at a time.
The youths, who were subjected to training in specific areas of needs, upon completion of their induction exercise were immediately deployed to relevant sectors such as traffic management, health, sanitation, works and security. The youths, who had their uniforms sown by the designers selected from the state, were placed on the monthly stipend on N10,000 and the first batch of cadets captured under the programme had already completed their assignment and another set recruited.
The youth empowerment programme, which was recommended by World Bank as a model to the Federal Government and also being adopted by some state governments across the country, has successfully created a new category to spenders through whom an additional N200m is being injected into the economy of the state monthly.
ORLG Assembly plant
Apart from OYES scheme, the administration of Aregbesola has also empowered other categories of people in the state by engaging them through mutually beneficial ventures. The present administration has also entered the history books as the only government till date that will employ the highest number of civil servants despite executing several capital intensive projects.
The vacuum created by the mass retirement from the service of Osun State Government in 2012 occasioned by the introduction of contributory pension scheme, which left the state work force badly depleted, were quickly plugged with the recruitment of workers into the civil service.
Similarly, the Aregbesola administration also recruited qualified teachers, who were made to pass through various stages of screening, with priority attention to the core subjects like English and Mathematics, among others to improve the quality of instruction being provided in public schools across the state.
The government also created jobs through programme such as the reinvigorated school feeding programme tagged “OMeal, through which about 250,000 pupils in public schools are being fed once in a day. The cooks that prepare the food are another group of new spenders created by Osun State Government.
Another programme created to take care of unemployed persons and the vulnerable is Agba Osun initiative through which the aged in the state are given a monthly stipend of N5,000.
Provision of free drugs by Governor Rauf Aregbesola
Promotion of healthy living
In its bid to promote healthy living among the people of Osun State, Aregbesola, himself a fitness buff, declared an emergency in the area of sanitation on assumption of office in 2010 and with the collaboration of health officers attached to all the local government areas in the state began a more careful supervision of cleaning of streets, business premises and residential buildings by health workers while ad hoc staff were recruited and the filth that had taken over major streets of the capital under the previous administration, quickly disappeared.
Provision for the aged
At the expiration of the emergency programme, another scheme designed to sustain the gains achieved tagged O’Clean Plus was introduced. Under this program, over 100 refuse vans were bought and towns with in the state were assigned to different private refuse disposal companies, who turn up once in a week to remove refuse while people pay for the services they render.
Also, this administration is proactive in the aspect of flood prevention led to the dredging of over 123 kilometres of streams, rivers and canals throughout the state. It was a preventive action taken by the government after repeated warnings of severe flooding nationwide by meteorological agencies.
Osun has been one of the flood free states during the turbulent massive rainfall and change in weather conditions in the last few years. Flood prevention has been a constant activity embarked upon by the state even before the red signal of the weather agencies. Several lives and valuable properties have been saved through this proactive step.
O’ Clean Vehicles
Presently, nine general hospitals spread across the nine Federal Constituencies in the state are being simultaneously renovated at the whooping sum of N2bn. The renovation works which are at different stages of completion include upgrade of medical equipment and facilities.
Also, the state Ministry of Health, as part of measures to ensure healthy living among people of the state, has been organising free surgeries for people, who could not afford it in each of the nine biggest cities in the state where surgeries were performed free on people suffering from hernia. Similarly, the ministry has also organised free eye surgeries for people in Osogbo, the state capital and also provided, if situation demands, post-operation services for their patients.
 
Students displaying Opon Imo

Promotion of functional education

It is on record that the present administration has initiated some of the most ambitious programmes and policies to revamp the education sector.
Through its reclassification programme, Aregbesola’s administration re-arranged public primary and secondary schools in the state into elementary, middle and high schools and merged already existing schools to form new mega schools with modern facilities.
O’Scholar bus of Public schools in the state of Osun
In the new policy, elementary level comprises of pupils from ages six to nine years, which corresponds to primary one to four pupils under the existing system. The middle level is from primary four to JSS 3 of ages 10 to 14, now classified as grades 5-9, and the high school level age range are between 15 and 17 years, corresponding to Senior Secondary School III, to be known as grades 10- 12.
Provision of free uniforms to students
The committee for the implementation of O’ School headed by Chief Layi Oyeduntan, during the foundation laying ceremony of the first mega school that was built under the programme in Ejigbo, said 100 elementary schools, 50 middle schools and 20 high schools would be built across the state.
Less than two years after, the committee has succeeded in completing nearly all the proposed schools and those already completed are presently being occupied by students. The schools, designed to reflect the basic global standard for modern schools, have all the necessary facilities that makes academic activities conducive.
Arial view of Ilare Elementary school, Ile-Ife
The Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme now known as O-Meals is one of the few surviving school meal programmes in the country. It was formerly known as the Home Grown School Feeding and Health Programme. This has now been restructured and enhanced by the present administration to reach a larger number of students (254,000) and to empower over 3,000 community caterers. The revamped programme has helped increase school enrolment by a minimum of 25 per cent.
A U D Elementary School Isale Agbara Osogbo
The Osun State Government is also providing 150,000 e-learning tablets, known as Opon Imo, for Senior Secondary School student. This initiative, the first of its kind anywhere in the world, covers 17 core subjects with over five extra curricula subjects for Senior Secondary 1, 2 and 3 levels. The tablets contain over 56 textbooks , 900 minutes of virtual classroom lessons and thousands of Practice Play ground of Ilare Elementary school, Ile-Ife Questions for WAEC and JAMB. In addition to aiding preparation for School Leaving Examinations, the introduction of the tool is expected to aid adoption of information communication technology (ICT) skills among students in the State.
Oyes Fish Farm at Ila

Agriculture

A number of incentives have been given by the present administration to boost agricultural production in the state.
O ram farm at Oloba Iwo
These include support to 220 farmer groups under the Osun Broiler Outgrower Scheme (OBOPS), 28 cooperative groups have been empowered to plant 17 hectres of maize, 500 acres vegetable cluster, while 2,000 farmers have also been supported to plant 1.3 million plantain suckers for refined plantain production. In all, a total of 10,698 acres of farmland have been cultivated with the support of the Government of the State of Osun.
Also, 1,830 rural farmers in 61 focal communities have been equipped with farm inputs under the UNICEF replication initiative programme of the Ministry of Water Resources, Rural and Community Development.
Considerable attention is being paid to rural and community development under the UNICEF Community Development Replication Initiative Programme of the Ministry of Water Resources.
Similarly, a total of 122 boreholes have been sunk in the focal communities. The UNICEF Replication Programme is a three year rolling scheme focusing on two communities per local government for development interventions.
O YES

Security

The Osun State Government, apart from providing about 125 patrol vehicles to security agencies such as the Army, Police, FRSC, NDLEA and the Civil Defence, also bought five armoured personnel carrier, the first in the history of the state to fight incessant robbery attacks. It is also noteworthy that the helicopter acquired was for area surveillance and ‘’quick emergency response’’ in the state. Since this noble initiative, crime, especially bank robberies has reduced significantly to the barest minimum.
Ayegbaju Market under construction

Works and infrastructure

The government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has unbelievably raised the bar of governance in terms of roads and infrastructural amenities development generally. The present administration has constructed close to one thousand kilometres of roads of both intra-city and intercity status, expending over N10bn on projects
The governor recently commissioned over 21 kilometres Ilesa township roads, while other newly roads in other cities in the state, it was learnt will soon be commissioned.
Osogbo, the capital of Osun state has enjoyed the privilege of having lion’s share of the township roads constructed. Recently, the state governor commissioned 21 newly constructed township roads within the state capital stretching 26.31 kilometres.
The selected roads under the first phase constructed and rehabilitated in the last 3 ½ years targets constructing roads with a life span of between 15-20 years. It features drainage construction fortified with iron and concrete thickness of between 60mm-70mm, a departure from using blocks which cannot stand the test of time. The drainages have been constructed to ensure smooth flow of water and also help in controlling erosion activities from washing away the layers of the roads. Aside from fortified concrete drainages, the roads have various layers such as laterite, stonebase and asphaltic overlay of 50mm. The asphaltic thicknesses of the roads are the same all since it is plied by all grades of vehicles.
A unique feature of Ogbeni Aregbesola’s road construction efforts is compliance with the state capital road master plan. The master plan consists of several roads connecting the inner Ring Road and the Outer Ring Road. No administration before now had paid special attention to radically connecting these roads together. The Osogbo Inner Ring Road as constructed by this administration takes off from Off Osogbo-Gbongan Road and routes from Gbodofon-Jaleyemi- Gbemu Junction Road-Isale Aro (1.79km). It leaps over the Oja-Oba Road to connect Gbemu Junction-Oluode Market-Elelede Junction-Abaku Road-Boorepo (1.47km) bursting out and connecting the on-going dualisation of Osogbo-Ikirun-Ila Odo-Kwara State Boundary Road.
The other stretch leaps over the Osogbo-Ikirun-Ila Odo Kwara State Boundary Road and picks off from Church Street-Bisi Bankole/Anaye Market Street- Alaafia Street-Oke Onitea Road- Anaye Market Junction-Oke Onitea Road (2.08km) to connect the existing West By Pass. This forms a semi circle inside Osogbo.
The next stretch is from GRA Road-Adesina Crescent-Ilobu Road (1.35km) and connecting the Osogbo-Ilobu Road. It picks off from Off Osogbo-Ilobu Road from Lameco Junction and routes Oroki Lane( dualised and connects West By Pass at Jerry Paul Filling Station)- Tinumola/ Wonderful Road( opposite Capital Hotel (2.06km). It intersects the Iwo Road/Oke fia Road and takes off from Capital Hotel-Alekunwodo- Coca Cola(2.33km) and burst out on the Osogbo-Gbongan Road to complete the Inner Ring Road formation in the Osogbo Road Master Plan.
Other road constructed/ rehabilitated which interconnects other roads includes Station Road- Fagbewesa-Odi OlowoJunction- Ebenezer Hotel (0.61km). Oja Oba-Osun Groove Gate with Road extension (1.02km), Balogun Biiro/ Oke Baale Road( 0.85km), John Mackay-Gbeja Road-Oke Baale with Constain (0.96), Kola Balogun Road Junction-Fiwasaye Olohunosebi Rd( 0.87km). One important stretch of constructed road is the Heritage Hotel Road-Dupe Aina-Odetoyinbo Rd(3.28km) which connects the on going dualisation of the 18km East-West By Pass Road at the Fountain University End. The second axis which connects the East-West Bye Pass (Outer Ring Road) is the Osunbukola/Mercy Land-Ajani Street-Prime Petrol Station (0.98km) to connect the Ofatedo- Ido Osun Road and connect it at the Ebunoluwa School Area
A careful study of the constructed and rehabilitated roads will reveal an interconnectedness of these roads with one another showing a deliberate, conscious, strategic and skilful road infrastructure upgrade of the State Capital. As stated earlier, the roads with asphaltic thickness of 50mm will no doubt last between 15-20 years thus giving the state value for money.
Also in Osogbo, a massive N4.5bin Eastern bye pass named after late Premier of Western region, Oba Adesoji Aderemi, is about 40 per cent completed.
Work is also ongoing on the Gbongan/Akoda dualisation but the flagship of several roads projects being undertaking by Aregbesola’s administration remains Osogbo/Ila-Odo Kwara Boundary road. The 45 kilometre road passes through three local government areas and cost the state close to N20bn.
Another road project worthy of mention is Gbongan/Orile-Owu/ Araromi/ Ogun State boundary road. This particular road provides an alternative route to Lagos State and many commuters from the state and those coming from the North have already started using it, even when construction work is still going on.
The present administration is also pursuing an ambitious programme aimed at creating markets for goods manufactured within the state and those coming from other states. In the last two years, Aregbesola’s administration has initiated construction of three different markets within the state capital.
Ayegbaju, Aje and Dagbolu regional markets all located within the state capital are simultaneously being constructed by government using public private partnership model. The state Commissioner for Commerce, Mr. Ismaila Alagbada, while speaking to newsmen recently said the first set of shops at Ayegbaju market will be ready for use by June this year.
The dream of having an airport in the state is gradually being brought to fruition with the massive investment of Aregbesola administration on the MKO Abiola Cargo Airport, Ido-Osun.
Slava Yeditepe, an Aeronautical Engineering and Technical Services, the company handling the project, through its supervisor in charge, Abubakar Abuyaro while speaking with newsmen recently, said the airport will have the longest runway in the country by the time it is completed.
Apparently, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The Aregbesola administration, which has established itself as an effective manager of men and material resources looks forward to another term where it is set to deliver even more of the dividends of democracy promises the people on inception.
Indeed the people of Osun appear keen on ensuring the continuity is the watchword at the elections scheduled for August.
This is evident in the massive turnout of supporters on the governor’s campaign trail as he moves across the state to restate his commitment to the complete transformation of the State of Osun.
Aregbesola’s message and vision is clear. With prudent management of resources, innovative ideas and emplacement of policies that will attract both local and foreign investors into the state, Osun will be the model state that other needs to follow. As such there will be no need to change a winning team.
NATIONAL MIRROR

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UNICE201

Photos of the Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Country Representative, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Ms Jean Gough and Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori, during UNICEF’s Presentation and Courtesy Visit on the Governor in his Office, Osogbo, State of Osun on Wednesday 11-06-2014

From right, Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Country Representative, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Ms Jean Gough and Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori, during UNICEF's Presentation and Courtesy Visit on the Governor in his Office, Osogbo, State of Osun on Wednesday 11-06-2014

From right, Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Country
Representative, United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund
(UNICEF), Ms Jean Gough and Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori,
during UNICEF’s Presentation and Courtesy Visit on the Governor in his
Office, Osogbo, State of Osun on Wednesday 11-06-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd right); his Deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori (2nd left); Country Representative, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Ms Jean Gough (centre); Social Policy Specialist, UNICEF Abuja, Maryam Abdu (left); Social Policy Specialist, UNICEF Lagos Field Office, Mohammad Okorie (right) and others, during UNICEF's Presentation and Courtesy Visit on the Governor in his Office, Osogbo, State of Osun on Wednesday 11-06-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd right); his
Deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori (2nd left); Country Representative,
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Ms
Jean Gough (centre); Social Policy Specialist, UNICEF Abuja, Maryam
Abdu (left); Social Policy Specialist, UNICEF Lagos Field Office,
Mohammad Okorie (right) and others, during UNICEF’s Presentation and
Courtesy Visit on the Governor in his Office, Osogbo, State of Osun on
Wednesday 11-06-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (3rd right); his Deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori (3rd left); Country Representative, United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Ms Jean Gough (centre); Chief, Social Policy UNICEF, Enrique Delamonica (right); Director General, Office of Economic Development and Partnership, Dr Charles Akinola (left); Social Policy Specialist, UNICEF Abuja, Maryam Abdu (2nd left); Social Policy Specialist, UNICEF Lagos Field Office, Mohammad Okorie (2nd right) and others, during UNICEF's Presentation and Courtesy Visit on the Governor in his Office, Osogbo, State of Osun on Wednesday 11-06-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (3rd right); his
Deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori (3rd left); Country Representative,
United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Ms
Jean Gough (centre); Chief, Social Policy UNICEF, Enrique Delamonica
(right); Director General, Office of Economic Development and
Partnership, Dr Charles Akinola (left); Social Policy Specialist,
UNICEF Abuja, Maryam Abdu (2nd left); Social Policy Specialist, UNICEF
Lagos Field Office, Mohammad Okorie (2nd right) and others, during
UNICEF’s Presentation and Courtesy Visit on the Governor in his
Office, Osogbo, State of Osun on Wednesday 11-06-2014

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OPINION: Economic Wizardry In Osun State

I write to commend Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State for the astute manner he has handled the finances of the state. I read in the papers on Monday how the share of Osun from the Federation Account for the month of April 2014 has dwindled to N2.6 billion. It was the least collected by any state for that month. It used to be in excess of N4 billion in the past, until July last year when unchecked oil thefts brought a shortfall of 40 per cent to federally collectible revenues and the consequent spread of this misfortune to the 36 states.

Interestingly, the state has a wage bill of N3.6 billion, from the account I gleamed from the state’s Commissioner of Finance, Dr Wale Bolorunduro. This huge wage bill is a potential crisis gen­erator which has put many states at log­gerheads with their workers on account of non-payment of salaries and pensions, slashing of salaries by up to 50 per cent and threat of reduction of the workforce. Many states owe their workers up to four months salaries, while the Federal Gov­ernment owes workers in some agencies up to three months.

Aregbesola has been able to beat this menace first, by saving all the state’s ex­cess crude accruals for the raining day and secondly, raising the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR). The IGR he met was a paltry N300 million. When in 2011 he introduced electronic payment system for all government revenues, the figure doubled the next month to N600 million. Today, it has risen to N1.6 bil­lion with huge potentials to rise to N5 billion if well tapped. When this is done, he needs not rely on the unstable federal allocations anymore.

He has thus been able to build roads, new schools, create jobs and make gov­ernment more impactful on the people. He is also said to be frugal and has stopped the partyings and other money guzzling frivolities of the past which was the bane of the state’s development by past administrations. All the free load­ers of the past (including politicians and religious leaders) are now complaining that he no longer patronises them.

They alleged that he has been busy spreading the commonwealth to the people, in­stead of squandering it on the elite and a coterie of palace hangers on. Many of them have secretly waged war against him and are the ones accusing him of harbouring an Islamising agenda. With­out doubt, how he has been able turn the fortune of the state around is a testament of astute and visionary leadership com­mitted to development and welfare of the people.I hope his mandate will be renewed and he will win the coming governorship election in the state.

*Oluyemo writes from Ilesa, Osun State.

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Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola  acknowledged cheers from the Mammoth Crowd, during his Re-election Campaign in Ila/Ifedayo/Boluwaduro Federal Constituency at Ila Orangun on Tuesday. It was a great success, all thanks to you!

 
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