The Governor of the state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has re-named Osogbo Freedom Pack after the world Legend, Nelson Mandela.
 
Mandela who was the South Africa’s first black president died peacefully in company of his family at home in Johannesburg, Jacob Zuma announces on Thursday.
 
According to Aregbesola, Nelson Mandela, the towering figure of Africa’s struggle for freedom and an hero to millions around the world, has died at the age of 95. “His Struggles and journey from prisoner to a president embodied the promise that African Peoples – and developing countries – can change for the better.”
 
Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola spoke last night on the passage of Nelson Mandela, saying he doubted if another like him would come this way soon.
 
He said: “There goes the conscience of the world. He lived without prejudice. I doubt if there could be anyone like him in the nearest foreseeable future.
 
“We celebrate his life and dogged struggle, even in death.
 
“On behalf of the State Government of Osun and all those who are committed to the deepening of democracy, I send my condolences.”
adapted from OSUN DEFENDER

Assistant Inspector General of Police Zone 11,  Mr David Omojola and State Commissioner of  Police, Mrs Dorothy Gimba, during a Courtesy visit by the AIG to the Governor at Government house Osogbo, on Friday 6/12/2013

From left* – Deputy Governor State of Osun, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori;
Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Assistant Inspector General of
Police Zone 11, Mr David Omojola and State Commissioner of Police,
Mrs Dorothy Gimba, during a Courtesy visit by the AIG to the Governor at Government house Osogbo, on Friday 6/12/2013

*From left* – Deputy Governor State of Osun, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori;
Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Assistant Inspector General of
Police Zone 11, Mr David Omojola and State Commissioner of Police,
Mrs Dorothy Gimba, during a Courtesy visit by the AIG to the Governor at the Government house Osogbo, on Friday 6/12/2013

From left* – Deputy Governor State of Osun, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori;
Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Assistant Inspector General of
Police Zone 11, Mr David Omojola during a Courtesy visit by the AIG to the Governor at Government house Osogbo, on Friday 6/12/2013

Osun state commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Wale Bolorunduro has said that the present administration in the state has created opportunities for existing investors who are looking for high yields, by creating arrays of instruments and arrays of bonds in the state.
The commissioner, who made this known in an interview in Osogbo, also pointed out that the state government has succeeded in securing funds for infrastructural development of Osun at fixed returns.
According to him, “for the first time we are issuing a bond that is going to be asset backed. Asset backed in the sense that you will see that your funds will go into the creation of assets and not intangibles.
So, what it enables the investors to do is to diversify their portfolios, and in diversifying their portfolios they succeed in getting higher yield for their investment.”
“We have also succeeded in securing funds for infrastructural development of Osun at fixed returns. When we did this Sukuk bond, there was no way we could do it at 14.75 percent returns because banks were lending to one another at 25 or 30 percent.
During the period we were in the market raising this fund, interbank lending rates went as high as 40 percent so how can you get investors to invest at 14.75 percent? “
“Fixed returns and you know when you do fixed returns over time; the cost to the beneficiary comes down. There was no way we could raise that money without going the ways of Sukuk.
And so I am not surprised that not only are we beginning to have interest what we have done is that we have pioneered that instrument and have contributed to the infrastructural development of Nigeria.”
“We have done that and we are following our national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; who pioneered conventional bonds; the states going to the capital market to raise fund for infrastructural development.
NATIONAL MIRROR

The paramount ruler of Ijesha land, Dr. Gabriel Aromolaran, yesterday lauded the three years administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola in the state, describing it as uncommon in the history of governance in country.

The monarch disclosed this at a public forum tagged; “Gbangba Dekun,” the sixth of its kind at Ilesha Grammar School, Ilesha.
He said what Aregbesola’s government has accomplished in three years will take another government 10 years to achieve.
Oba Aromolaran noted that in the last three years, the state has witnessed all round development as never before in its history.
He listed education, employment opportunities, food security, health, the innovative ‘Opon Imo’ (Tablet of Knowledge), training and retraining of health personnel and teachers and youth development as some of the outstanding programmes of the government.
His words: “Governor Rauf Aregbesola has given an outstanding performance in the last three years. What he has done in three years is an achievement of 10 years for some other governments.
“His coming is divine. No one can defeat whom God has supported. But for prayers, the governor would not have retrieved his mandate. We are still praying fervently for his second term.”
The monarch, however, called on the governor to intensify efforts on security in the state, so that the peace being enjoyed by the people can be sustained.
He also charged the people of the state to support the governor in his second term bid.
Reacting, Aregbesola said Osun has witnessed huge development owing to the harmonious relationship between the executive and legislature in the state as well as the support and cooperation of the people of the state.
NATIONAL MIRROR

The Managing Director, Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Mr. Adebayo Jimoh, says an Osun-Odu’a Farmers Academy has been established to teach the youth good agricultural practices in order to boost food security.
Jimoh said this on Thursday at the graduation of 410 trainees of the academy, which is located in Ede, Osun State.
According to him, the academy will stimulate youth interest in agriculture to ensure that there are replacements for the ageing farmers.
He said it was worrisome that ageing farmers were the only set of people left on the farms to produce food for the teeming population of Nigeria.
But he said that with the academy, which the company established in 2009 and now being operated in collaboration with the Osun State Government, there would be opportunities for the youth to learn modern agricultural practices, which would boost food production.
He said, “You will agree with me that the 21st Century agriculture is being challenged to produce and deliver high quality, nutritious, affordable food to a growing population while sharing limited land and other resources with all other human needs and activities.
“The Nigerian farmers across the country are also getting old (with an average of 60 years of age) hence the need for the training of young skilled farmers to continue in this vital profession, providing food security and caring for our agricultural lands and their surrounding ecosystems.
“Odu’a Investment is happy to partner with the state to provide the highest level of qualitative and modern training for new and emerging commercial farmers in viable food commodities with a view to sustaining food security in Nigeria.”
Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State said that his administration’s involvement of youths in agricultural enterprises was a way of tackling the menace of youth unemployment.
Aregbesola explained that the programme was borne out of the administration’s commitment to equip the youth and enhance their capacity to earn decent and virtuous living.
He said, “What we are witnessing today is the culmination of our administration’s resolve to equip our youths with requisite skills that will enable them to contribute adequately to agricultural production, even as they legitimately earn a decent living.
“The practical training in modern farming techniques would have broadened the horizons of the participants and added depth to their managerial abilities as well as strengthened them to creatively address societal challenges through agricultural endeavours.”
PUNCH

Ilesa Students thronged after Governor Aregbesola in appreciation of his good governance in Osun, bringing traffic to a stand still along roads linking Ilesa Grammar School, venue of the interactive forum tagged: Gbangbadekun on Thursday 05-12-2013

Motorists have been advised to cultivate the habit of complying with traffic rules without waiting for law enforcement agents to apprehend them.
Chairman, State of Osun Technical Committee on Federal Road Safety Commission set up by Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Prof. Joseph Fawole gave the advice during a road show embarked upon by the Committee.
While disclosing that the dominant offences for which most of the offenders were apprehended and booked were, failure to use the seat belt and overloading. Professor Fawole lamented that some motorists were caught with right hand drive vehicles which had been banned since 1973.
He then promised that the committee will not relent in its public enlightenment endeavours, until a sound road culture is cultivated as in development societies.
OSUN NEWS