Osun State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Tourism and Culture, Mr. Sikiru Adetona Ayedun has attributed the alarming rate of corruption in the country to the insensitivity of Nigerians towards their culture and language.
Ayedun said this while fielding questions from journalists in Osogbo during the News Point programme organised by the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel. He noted that before the emergence of Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration in the state, tourism and culture had not been given a deserving attention, unlike now that the administration had given due attention to tourism and culture which has been yielding positive results.
He further stressed that thousands of tourists had been visiting the state since 2010 when this administration came on board.
Ayedun highlighted some of the achievements of his ministry to include creation of pavilion and provision of car park at Osun Osogbo Grove; development of tourist sites across the state; erection of stair-case and provision of cultural artifact at Olumirin Water Fall, Erin-Ijesa; cultural design of Oduduwa and Oranmiyan staff at Ile-Ife; provision of fire equipment for the state fire service; unprecedented early hajj lifting and welfare package for hajj pilgrims among others.
The commissioner, while commenting on the recent Anambra gubernatorial election, equally used the medium to advise the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to rise up to its responsibility of conducting a free, fair and credible election in the country.
NIGERIAN PILOT

The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is planning to establish a yam flour factory in Ife-Odan in Ejigbo Local Government to ensure that food is sufficiently available in the state at affordable prices.

The  Acting General Manager of Osun State Agriculture Development Corporation(OSSADEC),Mr. Kayode Olanipekun stated this today at a meeting with relevant stakeholders held at the conference room of the corporation.

Mr. Olanipekun disclosed that the present administration has spent a lot of money on agriculture programme in order to make life easier for farmers, adding that the government wants to put an end to farmers ‘difficulties by ensuring that their labour is not in vain.

 He also encouraged yam farmers who need assistance of government to submit their requests at OSSADEC latest on Monday in order to ensure that all farms are fully mechanized for land, clearing, ploughing, harrowing and ridging.

 The OSSADEC boss therefore appealed to the farmer that benefited from the interest-free loan to pay back on time in order to appreciate government effort in providing agriculture support services.

OSUNNEWS

The administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola`s populist ideals will soon attract the presence of russian investors in the state of osun.

An indication to this effect came to the limelight when a group of russian trained nigerian professionals under the aegis of soyunik( which in russian language means love and oneness) visited the Aragberi of Iragberi, Oba (Dr) Folorunso Makanju in his palace in Iragberi, Egbedore Local Govt Area.
Led by the interim chiarman, A.P.C Lagos State ,Otunba Henry Ajomale, the group of Nigerian Professionals who were all trained in Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States(C.I.S) told the monarch how Russians are affably impressed with the ideology and progressive postures of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
Consequently, otunba ajomale confirmed to the royal father and his chiefs that very soon, investors of russian origin will visit the state of osun with a view of working out modalities of partnership in the area of trade and investment with the state of osun.
While congratulating the people of Iragberi and the state of Osun in general for having an internationally trained ear, nose and throat surgeon as a royal father in Iragberi, the Ajomale led team expressed conviction that industries will soon spring up in Iragberi and the state in general.
He hinged his state of conviction on the fact that Oba Makanju has had cause to travel all over the world, a development which will transform into a meaningful advantage for the state.
Responding, Oba (Dr.) Folorunso Makanju, who until his coronation as an Oba ,was based and running a mighty hospital in lagos alongside other executives and members of the “Soyunik” thanked and appreciated the visitors while pledging his readiness with the support of God and the good people of the state of Osun under the leadership of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to turn Iragberi into a mini london using his wealth of experience as a surgeon who has seen it all in all sectors of the economy.
The royal father added that with what he met on ground under Governor Aregbesola`s administration before and after becoming an Oba, osun is now the threshold of monumental strides far ahead of other states in Nigeria.
OSUN DEFENDER

Governor’s visit to Commiserate with the families of kidnapped founder and CEO Yinka Oba foam, Mrs Olayinka Obaleye at Ilesa, the State of Osun on Friday 22-11-2013

The Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) has given its blessings for the planned bid by the State of Osun, FSDH Funding SPV (special purpose vehicle) Plc, The lacasera Company Plc and NAHCo to list various debt instruments worth N21.78 billion on its main board.
The Quotations Committee of the NSE’s management, at its meeting of November 7, 2013, according to a report pasted on the bourse’s website at the weekend, approve the bid by the State of Osun to list its N11.4 billion Ijara sukuk Trust.
Approval and listing of the company’s offer of the Ijara Sukuk Tranche II under the administration’s N60 billion debt issuance programme is due in 2020, and has as stockbrokers- Capital Assets Limited, APT Securities & Funds, Capital Express Securities, and FBN Securities, among others. Issuing houses include: Chapel Hill Advisory Partners, Greenwich Trust, Fidelity Securities, FBN Capital and FCMB Capital Market.
FSDC Funding SPV received approval for an offer for subscription of N5.53 billion 14.25 per cent fixed rate Senior Unsecured Bond issues (Series I), due n 2016, under the N100 billion bond issuance programme. While WSTC Financial Services Limited and FSDH Securities are stockbrokers to the issue, FBN Capital is the issuing house, just like Stanbic IBTC Capital and UBA Capital.
The La Casera Company also got approval of its offer for subscription of N3 billion 15.75 per cent Senior Unsecured Fixed Rate Amortisation Bonds (Series 1) due in 2018, under a N15 billion debt issuance programme. Stanbic IBTC Stockbrokers and Kakawa Asset Management are stockbrokers, and Stanbic IBTC Capital is issuing house.
NAHCo, on the other hand got approval to offer N1.75 billion 15.25per cent Fixed Rate Unsecured Bonds Series 2, Due 2020 under the N5 billion debt issuance programme for subscription.
DAILY INDEPENDENT

 

Osun State has experienced dramatic alterations in several spheres of infrastructural and human capital development in the last three years since the advent of the Rauf Aregbesola administration.Three years ago when Aregbesola was inaugurated, he pledged that he would offer the people of Osun a friendly government, a government totally committed to unlocking the latent potentials of Osun people.The education sector is perhaps one of the most noticeable and talked about sectors that have received the imprint of the Aregbesola administration.
It flowed from the education summit spearheaded by renowned Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka and other stakeholders in the education sector, which was convened by the current administration shortly after assuming the mantle of leadership of the state on 27th November 2010.Prior to the inception of the present administration in OsunState or the State of Osun as the Aregbesola has restyled the state, no one would ever have imagined the changes.Public education had been so badly managed that only pupils whose parents could not afford the financial implications of a private school were left in the public schools. The students, especially those in primary schools were roughly dressed and mal-nourished. School buildings were in dilapidated state, students’ performance both at the internal/external examinations were abysmally poor.One of the steps taken by the current administration in sharpening the sector is the provision of two pairs of unified school uniforms to each of 750,000 pupils in all the public primary and secondary schools across the state to boost the morale of the students and further promote unity among the public schools in the state.
The provision of the uniforms free of charge reportedly gulped a whopping N800million aside from N1.8billion being injected for the running of basic education.No fewer than 3,000 tailors were contracted by the government to sew the new uniforms made of Adire batik. The material was chosen to empower the artisans and Adire makers in the state and as well make the state a reference point for its creativity to others.The administration is also injecting a whopping sum of N30billion to give a new lease to the structures and classrooms under which pupils studied going by the recommendations of the summit.Under the arrangements, the state government is constructing 170 new model schools across the state to replace the dilapidated buildings with state of the art facilities expected to enhance and stimulate the teaching and learning environment.To further stimulate the interest of students to learning, the government said it is reducing the burden of having to go to school by replacing books with computer tablets invented for that purpose.
The device designed in form of an iPad called “Opon Imo,” has a software containing the entire senior school syllabus, including Yoruba traditions, past questions of the West African Examination Council (WAEC), National Examination Council (NECO) and Joint Administration and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for 10 years in the software design for the system.The government’s achievements in the education sector have, however, been trailed with controversy, notably in the reclassification scheme of the schools. That scheme has been especially criticized by the opposition in the state and the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN which has flayed it as a scheme directed against Christians.The administration has also made landmarks in security to the extent that OsunState is today one of the most peaceful states in the country.
Apart from the regular police manning the state, government set up dedicated crime response teams nicknamed Swift Action Squad (SAS), who are now visible in strategic areas in the state as well as identified troubled sports.Not done yet, additional 100 patrol vans were also to be provided for the SAS and seven more police state to be built.  Currently, a state –wide distress management system, which would allow security agency to respond within 40 minutes, is being developed so as to guarantee effective and efficient crime, detection, crime prevention and crime control.In addition to this, a community policing network is also evolving to boost security network across the country. Because security must be all-rounder, government recently purchased a helicopter for SAS for area surveillance of the state.  Aregbesola’s government intends to make the state crime-free.
The administration has also made strategic improvements in the health sector and embarked a social security system tagged Agba Osun (Osun Elders), under which the government selected about 1, 600 most vulnerable people across the state and placed them on monthly stipend of N10, 000 for their upkeep.The youths have also been boosted with an empowerment scheme dubbed Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme otherwise called OYES.
VANGUARD

As OYES is a revolving scheme for participating volunteers, they are expected to exit the programme after two years. As part of the government’s plan to set them on the path of economic freedom, a robust exit strategy was designed to arm the volunteers with new skills, entrepreneurship and proper mentoring programme to prepare them for gainful exit from the scheme.
These exit strategies are to facilitate a healthy transition into the state and national economies and at the same time allow another batch of 20,000 unemployed youths to experience the benefits of serving as Volunteers in the scheme.
These Strategies include the following:

1. Deployment as Teachers to Public schools.
2. Deployment to Agricultural Initiatives (O’REAP).
3. Absorption into the State’s Civil Service.
4. Deployment to applicable ICT opportunities via OYESTECH.
5. Sponsoring of some volunteers abroad for specialized training.

The OYES till-date remains the most progressive and pragmatic response to arresting the high level of youth unemployment in the State. It is a novel conception and radical approach aimed at tackling restiveness and idleness among the youth by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s administration.
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Commissioner for Finance, State of Osun,  Dr. Wale Bolorunduro has stressed that the state is economically stable and strong in spite of the massive construction works going on in all parts of the state. Bolorunduro in an interview stated that contrary to insinuation in some quarters that the state was insolvent, the economy of the state was in the increase.
He  noted  that the opposition leaders in the state particularly from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) as political jobbers who in spite of the massive transformation of the state in the past three years, see nothing good about the present administration in the state.
According to him, “don’t mind their claim that the state had gone bankrupt. You can also see that there is massive construction works going on everywhere, so if the state, is insolvent, would there be that kind of level of development in virtually all parts of the state? He said “Today I can say that the state is not insolvent. The question of insolvency should not even arise at all. They are just jabbering and we would not be distracted by their negative comments,” he added.
While speaking on non commissioning  of projects since governor Aregbesola came to power in  the state he  contended that commissioning of projects was meant for lazy leaders adding that the level of works done and the developments carried during his tenure would speak for him.
The Commissioner also recalled that, in all the advanced countries of the world, leaders are not seen rolling out drums to commission projects saying commissioning of projects was another waste of public funds.
He remarked that “Our administration did not believe in commissioning of projects. We believe it is the people’s projects, so why must you commission it. In all the advanced countries of the world, we don’t see leaders commissioning projects all over the way we do it in this country.”
He expressed  happiness  with the level of works done by the contractors handling various projects in the state stressing that “they are working according to the specification and I am sure that all projects would be completed on scheduled”.
THISDAY

Government of Osun has reiterated its readiness to develop all tourist centers across the state.The state Commissioner for Home Affairs, Tourism and Culture, Alhaji Sikiru Ayedun stated this yesterday during the News Point programme organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Correspondents’ Chapel, in Osogbo the state capital.
Ayedun stated that the decision has informed the Aregbesola led administration to set aside the sum of  N5 billion for the uplift of tourist centers in the state.
The Commissioner who commended the Governor for his passion for tradition and culture said it has gone a long way towards the uplift of the state.
Ayedun who lauded the state government for the timely support and cooperation to the just concluded Hajj operation in the state declared that this year’s Hajj operation in the state has been the best ever saying it was due to the Governor’s support.
He however enjoined people of the state to continue to support Aregbesola’s led administration to succeed.

NIGERIANPILOT