Wife of Osun State Governor, Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola, has presented 360,000 packs of milk to pupils in public schools in the state.
She made the donation through her non-governmental organisation, Sheri Care Foundation, in Osogbo on Thursday.
The donation, she said, was in support of the school feeding programme inaugurated by her husband, Rauf.
She explained that the motive was to give back to the society and to enhance the learning capability of the pupils in public schools.
She said, “Today’s programme is the presentation of 360,000 packs of nourishing milk, specially fortified with iron and iodine,  in aid of the school feeding programme. This is in line with our tradition of supporting educational policies of the state administration.”
She said the gesture was part of the partnership between SCARF and FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc.
The  SCARF, she added,  had been involved  in other academic activities that  promoted excellence, which included an  annual debate among  secondary school pupils.
The governor’s wife, who hailed her husband’s policy on education, said enrolment had increased since  the pupils in elementary classes were offered free meals, through its O’meal programme.
Meanwhile, a statement issued on Thursday, by the Osun Movement for Peace, said it had concluded plans to host stakeholders’ symposium on education in Osogbo  in March. The forum, the group said would offer the participants the components of the Aregbesola’s education policies.
PUNCH

Governor Rauf Aregbesola has stated that he will not renege on his efforts to restore the glory of public schools in Osun state and make it the citadel of learning. “Our pioneer leaders went to public school and they did well.”
He said that work is still going on in Osun and will not stop until his administration achieve her goal of making public schools in Osun places where pupils can get the kind of education that will place them at par with the very best in the world. “This is our ultimate aim, and by the grace of God, and your support and understanding, we will realise this objective to the greater future of our children and our state,” Aregbesola told the people of Osun at the official commissioning of Baptist Central Elementary School, Ilare, Ile-Ife.
He said, “What we have brought to education in Osun, if we will not sound imodest, amounts to a revolution. Critics who will be honest should compare this new school and its facilities to what obtained when they went to school and what public schools have become of recent.
“ I am sure very few, if any private school can compare favourably with the schools we are building. Yet we are not competing with private schools.”
According to him, the role of private school is to complement and not displace government in the provision of certain essential services, stressing that our society has to do away with the notion that the government must necessarily fail in certain endeavours which must then be yielded to the private sector. Moreover, while insisting on quality education and conducive learning environment for students, the governor reiterated that pioneer leaders who went to public schools did well in its ramifications.

He noted that preparing our children for the future is a responsibility that we must fulfill, adding that leaders will never be forgiven if they fail in their responsibilities. According to him, the world around us is moving on; and at a pace that leaves no room for lack of seriousness or half-measures, especially with regard to education.
The education of our children, he warned, should not be a subject for petty squabbles or unhealthy politics about our narrow interests, adding, “if we are genuinely interested in the future of our children, we should bury our narrow concerns of today in order to assure for them a glorious tomorrow.” Upon this, he stated, “we will not be distracted from this objective even if it means stepping on toes, we are unstopable”
For the benefit of doubt, Aregbesola, however disclosed that the new school buildings are not for Muslims or for Christians, neither are they for adherents of any other religion, adding that they are for all children of Osun, regardless of their circumstances of birth.
On issue of religion, the governor said his efforts at revamping education never had a religious motive, but that he is motivated by the highest ideal of developing a complete personality who will be an asset to society as he would be for himself. “We are clearly neutral on religious observances,” he added.
Recalling his administration’s investment in education, Aregbesola said, “We have added 10,407 new teachers to the list of public school teaching staff in Osun. Thus, we now have 12,715 teachers in our primary schools and 7,848 teachers in our secondary schools. This amounts to a 54.8 per cent increase in the number of public school teachers we inherited. The same applies to non-teaching staff whose number has also increased by 564.
“As a result, the salaries and pensions of our primary and secondary school teachers now cost the government N16.8 billion and N10.3 billion respectively on an annual basis. On the free school uniforms, we expended N900 million, while the elementary school feeding programme costs N3.6 billion every year.
“On the supply of furniture to our schools, we have committed N2.5 billion so far, while we have spent N503 million on instructional materials which were not part of public school education before we assumed office. We have similarly increased school grants from N122 million to N856 million. Under our administration, WAEC fees have also shot up from N38 million to N400 million. We have also expended N1.2 billion on our pace-setting e-learning tablet, Opon-Imo.
“Along with building new schools, we are also renovating and upgrading some of the existing ones. On this we have spent N1.6 billion. On the new schools, we have committed N14.4 billion on capital projects, while our recurrent annual expenditure is N21 billion on elementary schools, and N13.43 billion on secondary schools. This amounts to per capita spending of N84,000 per elementary school pupil, and N30,000 per secondary school pupil. The total capital expenditure on all schools in the last three years outside new schools is N31.31 billion.”
VANGAURD

In its quest to ensure delivery of quality teaching to pupils and students in public Elementary, Middle and High Schools in the State of Osun, the present administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola has recruited nothing less than 10,470 teachers translating to 54.8% increase in the number of teachers inherited upon assumption of office in November 2010.

The state Deputy Governor and Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, stated this in her welcome address titled: The Beauty of a Nurtured Vision read at the official commissioning of the Baptist Central Elementary School, Ilare, Ile-Ife built by the present administration in the state.
According to Mrs. Laoye-Tomori, this laudable step  to transform public education in the state has brought the total number of teachers in the state’s public Elementary Schools to 12,715 while 7,848 teachers are presently working at both the Middle and High Schools which is an indication that change is inevitable and possible in life only if conceived by visionary leaders.
The Deputy Governor said promotion, training and retraining of teachers into the state public schools is at the forefront of activities of the present administration in the state with a view to delivering effective teaching and learning to pupils and students in the state’s public schools saying this giant stride has led to total transformation of publc education in the State.
Relaying how Governor Rauf Aregbesola has wholly justified confidence reposed in him by the people of the state by electing him into power in 2007, Mrs. Laoye-Tomori said the present administration has removed all financial burden from parents and introduced school feeding programme, O-Meal, to bring a level playing ground to education sector in the State.
Appealing to pupils and students to pay adequate attention to their education, the state Deputy Governor advised them that any child who desires education will be better by it but those who reject education will be disgraced in life saying education is the key to moulding a total man socially, academically and intellectually for the future.
Decribing state government’s unacceptability of unruly behaviour of pupils and students in public schools in the state, Mrs. Laoye-Tomori urged parents to join hands with teachers so as to jointly bring up their wards positively with a view to giving the state a better future adding that works have reached completion stages at thirteen Elementary, twenty Middle and thirteen High Schools across the state.
Applauding the giant stride of the state government, the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, said the edifice is an evidence of good work as executed by Governor Rauf Aregbesola and urged people of the state to continually pray for success of the administration.
In the words of some pioneer pupils of Baptist Central Elementary School in 1945, Adebisi Koyejo and Ladun Adaralegbe, commended efforts taken by the state government to transform education in the State of Osun which hey compared to that of the Late Sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo during his time as Premier of the Old Western Region.
Meanwhile, the state Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, in his speech titled: We Are Unstoppable said the desire of his administration to give better future to children of the State influenced the decision to massively invest in the education sector of the state.
Describing education as the key to human development and advancement, Governor Aregbesola said woe betide any state or nation that fails to prepare for her future through the provision of adequate and standard education for her children saying the state government has concluded plans to ensure that every High School student in the state collects  his or her Opon Imo before this year runs out.
Facilities available at the newly commissioned Baptist Central Elementary School, Ilare, Ile-Ife include twenty-five classrooms, one Head Mistress office, one Assistant Head Mistress office, two staff rooms, one examination hall, standard toilets, one dining hall, one food court, two libraries, an astro turf football pitch, an expansive playing ground, recreational facilities and security post while a qualified facility manager was engaged by the state government to ensure effective management of facilities provided in the school.
OSUNNEWS

The group, Osun Movement for Peace, said it was unfortunate that a unique and rich policy that could have translated into a national strategy for bail-out of the shambolic public school sector, has suddenly assumed religious and political coloration, fueled largely by mischief and partisanship.
The group, which claims to be non-political, noted that current trend of discussion relating to the Osun School system in circles expected to churn out informed opinions continued to focus solely on the reclassification of schools and an attempt to rubbish the wider public spirit and mission of the policy.
It added that efforts were being made to play down the holistic beneficial impact of the various components of the policy such as the OUniform, OMeal and Opon Imo, which have been adjudged as revolutionary concepts in public school management approach in the country.
The group described the on-going rejuvenation of the public school sector in Osun as a strong rebranding project that has begun to impact positively on the state’s overall education management profile as well as the state’s economy in key areas like job creation, empowerment and agricultural development.
It therefore called on all well-meaning Osun indigenes to shun sentiments and support the effort to create a new public school order in the state for the future of Osun children.
The proposed symposium which is to hold in Osogbo in the first week of March, will seek to dissect the various components of the much maligned Osun policy on public school management with a view to enhancing public understanding and appreciation of its desirability.
The symposium will also serve as a platform for constructive engagement of critical stakeholders to ensure the non-derailment of the noble vision behind the policy formulation.
It would be recalled that while counting the modest gains recorded by the state’s new education policy in less than two years of its implementation, the State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, had posited that the need for the policy as a comprehensive and holistic response to a scandalous educational rot, which had threatened the socio-economic growth of the state, was non-negotiable.
“Our education policy is tailored towards making the Osun public schools system produce the complete child, to become the complete youth and grow up to become the complete citizen, empowered in learning and in character, in the best tradition of the Yoruba Omoluabi.
“That way, they would be equipped, culturally and academically, anywhere they find themselves in the world, aside from becoming patriots, to take care of their state and country that had earlier taken care of them”, he explained.
He noted that the reforms have had tremendous multi-level impacts on the Osun educational competitiveness.
According to him, “In the area of funding, the reforms have led to a radical increase in grants and subventions for the administration of public primary and secondary schools as total grant for the 1378 pubic primary schools in Osun jumped from N7.4 million a year to N424 million a year”.
“Additionally, Osun, from a 34th placing among Nigeria’s 36 states in 2010, moved to 18th position in 2011 and 8th position in 2012, in performance rankings in the West African School Certificate Examinations (WASCE).
“Pupils from the state have also chalked up improved performances in national and international competitions, according to compilations by the Osun Ministry of Education.
“In addition, the reforms have earned a partnership with UNESCO to build a regional teacher training institute in the state, and a fresh programme in the area of adult education”.
DAILY INDEPENDENT

Governor Rauf Aregbesola has stated that he will not renege on his efforts to restore the glory of public schools in State of Osun and make it the citadel of learning. “Our pioneer leaders went to public school and they did well.”
He said that work is still going on in Osun and will not stop until his administration achieve her goal of making public schools in Osun places where pupils can get the kind of education that will place them at par with the very best in the world. “This is our ultimate aim, and by the grace of God, and your support and understanding, we will realise this objective to the greater future of our children and our state,” Aregbesola told the people of Osun at the official commissioning of Baptist Central Elementary School, Ilare, Ile-Ife.

He said, “What we have brought to education in Osun, if we will not sound imodest, amounts to a revolution. Critics who will be honest should compare this new school and its facilities to what obtained when they went to school and what public schools have become of recent.
“ I am sure very few, if any private school can compare favourably with the schools we are building. Yet we are not competing with private schools.”
According to him, the role of private school is to complement and not displace government in the provision of certain essential services, stressing that our society has to do away with the notion that the government must necessarily fail in certain endeavours which must then be yielded to the private sector. Moreover, while insisting on quality education and conducive learning environment for students, the governor reiterated that pioneer leaders who went to public schools did well in its ramifications.

He noted that preparing our children for the future is a responsibility that we must fulfill, adding that leaders will never be forgiven if they fail in their responsibilities. According to him, the world around us is moving on; and at a pace that leaves no room for lack of seriousness or half-measures, especially with regard to education.
The education of our children, he warned, should not be a subject for petty squabbles or unhealthy politics about our narrow interests, adding, “if we are genuinely interested in the future of our children, we should bury our narrow concerns of today in order to assure for them a glorious tomorrow.” Upon this, he stated, “we will not be distracted from this objective even if it means stepping on toes, we are unstopable”
For the benefit of doubt, Aregbesola, however disclosed that the new school buildings are not for Muslims or for Christians, neither are they for adherents of any other religion, adding that they are for all children of Osun, regardless of their circumstances of birth.
On issue of religion, the governor said his efforts at revamping education never had a religious motive, but that he is motivated by the highest ideal of developing a complete personality who will be an asset to society as he would be for himself. “We are clearly neutral on religious observances,” he added.
Recalling his administration’s investment in education, Aregbesola said, “We have added 10,407 new teachers to the list of public school teaching staff in Osun. Thus, we now have 12,715 teachers in our primary schools and 7,848 teachers in our secondary schools. This amounts to a 54.8 per cent increase in the number of public school teachers we inherited. The same applies to non-teaching staff whose number has also increased by 564.
“As a result, the salaries and pensions of our primary and secondary school teachers now cost the government N16.8 billion and N10.3 billion respectively on an annual basis. On the free school uniforms, we expended N900 million, while the elementary school feeding programme costs N3.6 billion every year.
“On the supply of furniture to our schools, we have committed N2.5 billion so far, while we have spent N503 million on instructional materials which were not part of public school education before we assumed office. We have similarly increased school grants from N122 million to N856 million. Under our administration, WAEC fees have also shot up from N38 million to N400 million. We have also expended N1.2 billion on our pace-setting e-learning tablet, Opon-Imo.

“Along with building new schools, we are also renovating and upgrading some of the existing ones. On this we have spent N1.6 billion. On the new schools, we have committed N14.4 billion on capital projects, while our recurrent annual expenditure is N21 billion on elementary schools, and N13.43 billion on secondary schools. This amounts to per capita spending of N84,000 per elementary school pupil, and N30,000 per secondary school pupil. The total capital expenditure on all schools in the last three years outside new schools is N31.31 billion.”
VANGUARD

The Osun State Government has so far distributed 23,100 computer tablets popularly known in the state as ‘Opon Imo.’ The tablets were produced through a partnership between the state and a Chinese firm. The total number of the tablets already produced is 50, 000.
The state said further distribution of the device was being delayed to allow some modification that would personalise each device for every student in a way that would prevent theft and wrong use of the product.
The state also assured Nigerians on durable and affordable telephone handsets that would soon be produced from its technology village to meet the needs of citizens across the country.
The State Commissioner for Inter-governmental Affairs and Special Duties, Mr. Ajibola Bashir, who dropped the hint at the weekend during a media parley hosted in Lagos  by the National Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Muiz Banire, further disclosed that to produce extra 100,000 pieces of the devices, the state government had to enter into a partnership with the Chinese firm producing the device to transfer the technology to Nigeria by establishing a factory in the state’s technology village in Ilesa.
In the factory, other products such as telephone handsets, laptop computers among others would be produced and repaired by Nigerians who have been trained by the foreign firm.
According to him: “We are doing this for technological transfer because it won’t be economically reasonable to import that magnitude of devices from abroad. So, why not have the manufacturing company here. As we speak now, the company is already on ground and manufacturing and installation of the software of this product is being done in Ilesa.
“The company will solve the problem of telephone handsets rip-off on Nigerians because it would be able to meet the demands of Nigerian telephone consumers and this would be cheaper. Over 5,000 citizens of the state have been trained on the manufacturing of telecommunication devices and some of them have been sent to Ghana for further skill acquisition,” Bashir said.
He further disclosed that the administration recruited no fewer than 7,350 teachers that have been trained with a view to taking the public schools in the state to the level of highbrow private schools in the state.
He revealed that private schools in the state are even losing students to public schools due to facilities being put in place and the condusive learning environment.
“When the administration of Aregbesola berthed in the state of Osun, the first thing we had to brainstorm on is how to jump start the non-existent economy of the state because the allocation that accrues to the state from the federation account was not even enough to pay salaries of workers,” he said, adding, “at a point, one of our leaders suggested that we should establish a factory that would be producing slippers so that we can generate funds to implement all the things we had promised the people.”
THIS DAY

Osun State government has stressed the need to make people at the grassroots actively contribute to the decision making and developmental projects through Community Information Board (CIB).
The Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, who doubles as Vice Chairman, State Planning Commission (SPC), made the remarks at a two-day training workshop on the use of Community Information Board organized by the National Orientation Agency, Osun State Government in collaboration with UNICEF in Osogbo.
Adeoti, who stressed the importance of collection of data for the benefit of the communities, said it is imperative to organize the workshop to train the NOA officers, key community operators and local government officers on the implementation of Community Information Board.
He explained that the information and data collected from the Community Information Board (CIB) will be used for community development.
According to him, “it is imperative to organize this workshop in order to train the National Orientation Agency (NOA) officers, key community operators and local government officers on the implementation of community information board so as to use information for community development and to enhance communication for analytical reports and collection of data from identified data sources to the benefits of their communities.
In addition, this workshop will build the capacities of the participants for systematic monitoring, documentation and to utilise information to bring about social change at community level and to get what they need to improve their own lives through the use of community dialogue.
DAILY INDEPENDENT

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola celebrates with the disabled at the Local Government Civil Service Commission hall, Osogbo, State of Osun. Photos below

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd left) celebrates
with disables during
the declaration their Supports for his Second Term in office, at Local
Government Civil Service Commission hall, Osogbo, State of Osun. With
him are, Special Adviser to the Governor on Youths, Sports and Special
Needs, Comrade Biyi Odunlade (left); Special Adviser to Oyo State
Governor on Special People, Prince Paul Adelabu (3rd right); Chairman,
Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), Osun Chapter, Mr Onitiju Kehinde (2nd right) and others

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd left); Special
Adviser to the Governor on Youths, Sports and Special Needs, Comrade
Biyi Odunlade (left); Special Adviser to Oyo State Governor on Special
People, Prince Paul Adelabu (2nd right) and others, during the
the Celebration of Persons with Disabilities and Declaration of Support
for Aregbesola’s Second Term in office, at Local Government Civil
Service Commission hall, Osogbo, State of Osun

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd right); Special
Adviser to the Governor on Youths, Sports and Special Needs, Comrade
Biyi Odunlade (2nd left); Special Adviser to Oyo State Governor on
Special People, Prince Paul Adelabu (left) and Special Adviser to the
Governor on Home Affairs, Culture and Tourism, Mr Ladipo Soyode,
during the Celebration of Persons with Disabilities and Declaration of
Support for Aregbesola’s Second Term in office, at Local Government
Civil Service Commission hall, Osogbo, State of Osun

The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has on Tuesday said that the education of Osun children should not be a subject for petty squabbles and that his administration’s  efforts at revamping education never had a religious motive.
The governor at the formal commissioning of Baptist Central Elementary School, Ilare, Ile-Ife, held at the school premises noted that‎ government on the new schools, has committed N14.4 billion on capital projects, while recurrent annual expenditure is N21 billion on elementary schools.
Aregbesola added that N13.43 billion has been spent on secondary schools, which amounts to per capita spending of N84,000 per elementary school pupil, and N30,000 per secondary school pupil, stressing that ‎total capital expenditure on all schools in the last three years outside new schools is N31.31 billion.
He pointed out that works and‎ spendings are still going on and will not stop until the administration achieves its goal of making public schools in Osun where pupils can get the kind of education that will place them at par with the very best in the world is achieved.
According to the governor, “‎ what we have brought to education in Osun, if we will not sound immodest, amounts to a revolution. Critics who will be honest should compare this new school and its facilities to what obtained when they went to school and what public schools have become of recent.
‎”Let me repeat for the umpteen time that our efforts at revamping education never had a religious motive. We are motivated by the highest ideal of developing a complete personality who will be an asset to society as he would be for himself.
“This is a total man that understands life as an endeavour to add value to society through application of self for the benefit of all. We are clearly neutral on religious observances. It is this neutrality that is the root of the absurd stigmatisation”. The governor told the gathering.
‎Aregbesola stated that if politicians are genuinely interested in the future of Osun children, they will bury their narrow concerns of today in order to assure children a glorious tomorrow. ‎He noted that progress and advancement are the desires of every human society, and that these are brought about by persistently confronting and providing solutions to societal problems.
The governor stressed that government should serve as an arbitrator in society, always in pursuit of public interest, which is larger and necessary for the good and happiness of all, adding that‎ government must not discriminate with regard to its beneficiaries, and must not favour any group or individual.
In his words, “‎by design and purpose, the new school buildings are not for Muslims or for Christians, neither are they for adherents of any other religion. They are for all children of Osun, regardless of their circumstances of birth.
“This I expect should be the basis upon which government should be engaged and encouraged.
The education of our children should not be a subject for petty squabbles or unhealthy politics about our narrow interests”. Aregbesola told people at the gathering. ‎The governor while recounting his administrations significant achievements added 10,407 new teachers have been added to public school teaching staff in Osun. He revealed that the state now has 12,715 teachers in primary schools and 7,848 teachers in  high schools, which amounts to a 54.8 per cent increase in the number of public school teachers it inherited.
Aregbesola added that the number of non-teaching staff has also increased by 564, stressing that with the increment, salaries and pensions of primary and secondary school teachers now cost government N16.8 billion and N10.3 billion respectively on an annual basis.
On the free school uniforms, the governor said he has expended N900 million, while the elementary school feeding programme costs N3.6 billion every year.
“On the supply of furniture to our schools, we have committed N2.5 billion so far, while we have spent N503 million on instructional materials which were not part of public school education before we assumed office. We have similarly increased school grants from N122 million to N856 million.
“Under our administration, WAEC fees have also shot up from N38 million to N400 million. We have also expended N1.2 billion on our pace-setting e-learning tablet, Opon-Imo”. The governor pointed out.
The Deputy Governor, Mrs Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, who also doubles as the Commissioner for Education, said the new school is a testimony of the sincerity of the Aregbesola’s administration towards the school reform. She described the commissioned elementary school as an architectural masterpiece, which is designed not only to attract the pupils but also to provide a level playing ground for them‎ irrespective of their background.
“Education reform of this government is a complete package to provide ‎a level playing field for all pupils of school-going age in the state. We also introduced school meal system called O’Meal to provide balance diet to enhance physical and mental strength and development of the pupils. The school is an architectural masterpiece designed to accommodate‎ 1000 pupils. The classrooms are well-ventilated. This will allow for more space as opposed to the old crowded classroom system. And this will ultimately promote conducive learning,” Laoye-Tomori said.
In his remark, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade, commended Aregbesola for what he described as wonder of a school. The monarch said he was well-pleased with what he saw, saying the governor has performed excellently in the last three and half years of his administration.
“I saw the new school and I was well-pleased with what I saw. The people of the town and state will also confirm that the school is one of the best they have seen in this country. All I want to say is to enjoin the people to continue to support the government so that it can do more,” the Ooni said.
It was a bright day for the pupils of the schools and their parents who marvelled at the size and beauty of the new school premises.
Representatives of the labour unions in the state led by Comrade Adetunji said the massive school is one of the reasons the workers took a decision long time ago to back the Aregbesola administration.

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Osun State branch, has hailed Governor Rauf Aregbesola for tightening security in the state.
Branch Controller Mr. Macduff Okorode Effetabore said businesses thrive in a secure environment.
Effetabore spoke at the weekend at the 2013 Dinner/Awards night for efficient banks at the Leisure Spring Hotel in Osogbo.
He said: “There is a causal relationship between business and the environment. Conducive environment allows businesses to thrive. With the peace in the state, the required ennoblement for businesses to flourish has been given a boost. At this juncture, join me to appreciate the Chief Security Officer of the state, Governor Aregbesola.
“Since he assumed office, he has created enabling environment for every citizen to go about his /her lawful business. Equally, appreciation goes to security agents –the Military, Police, State Security Service (SSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and others who have contributed to the peace enjoyed in the state.”
On the cashless policy, Effetabore said the implementation of the third phase would begin on July 1, adding that the CBN would hold sensitisation workshops in Osun State from February 25 to 27.
THE NATION