How time flies! It’s just like yesterday that the ebullient governor of the state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola was sworn in as the duly-elected governor of the state in the 2007 governorship election having eventually won the protracted battle to reclaim his stolen mandate at the Court of Appeal, Ibadan late 2010.
Come November 26 it will be three years exactly that Ogbeni Aregbesola assumed responsibility as the governor of his state. Three years on the good people of Osun state have had a taste of good governance in unprecedented term. Virtually all sectors in the life of that state have witnessed transformation such that today the people are happy that they did not waste their mandate by voting Engineer Aregbesola as their governor in the last gubernatorial election. Their expectations are being met as dividends of democracy are being delivered on their doorsteps like never before.
No doubt the state of Osun has undergone a fruitful democratic sojourn in the last three years under the able leadership of Ogbeni Aregbesola. In the past three years since the responsibility of steering the ship of his state fell on him it has been a different ball game entirely as governance has moved from the pedestrian, zero result level – as obtained during the lacklustre Oyinlola era – to an unusual, creative and focused level with its accompanying profitable results for the good people of Osun. We are of the belief that any sane mind cannot but agree that correct assertions are being made here.
As we are about entering election year this paper sees it as a matter of duty to start reminding our people about their responsibilities. And their responsibilities include registering to vote, voting right and monitoring their vote. They did it in 2007 and today having got value for their vote under Ogbeni Aregbesola’s administration the onus is on them to ensure that the status quo remain. And the status quo can only remain by their support i.e they should continue to give their total support to Ogbeni Aregbesola. They have been supporting the government no doubt. The coming election will however offer them better opportunity to express their support in practical terms. That is when the governor himself will be able to know that the people really appreciate the fact that he has been working for them.
Practically the people of Osun can only express their support for Ogbeni Governor by returning him with their vote. By doing this they must have voted right. And to vote right means to continue to enjoy dividends of democracy (at least) for another four year term. It’s important this is done so as to consolidate their gains. Of course no one will like to eat his food with bitter or saltless soup. To do that will be totally unpalatable. Having tasted a working government it won’t augur well for the state to allow mediocre politicians of yesterday with blurred vision to come back on stage. In fact, that will not only be counter-productive, it will basically be disastrous for the state and its people as those who had nothing positive to showcase for the luxury of power they enjoyed for almost eight years cannot come now to sweet-tongue us about having any good plans for the state. Ask them; if truly they had good plans, why didn’t they execute it while in power? This is an obvious case.
Thus as it is obvious that these plotting-to-come-back politicians have nothing to offer so is it also obvious that the future of Osun is assured with Ogbeni Aregbesola. As a leader he has been tested and he has passed. He is therefore a tested and trusted candidate. He has not let the people down and for this he deserves to be re-elected. For the good work to continue in the state of Osun the power is in the hands of the people and we are very much optimistic that they will not misuse their voting power.
OSUN DEFENDER

The Osun State deputy governor who also doubles as the Commissioner for Education in ‘The State of Osun’ spoke to some journalists on the rationale behind the reforms in the state.

What is it about the reforms in the education sector in Osun State?
WE  have through the O’meal programme addressed absenteeism and stunted growth noticed in the children of Osun State.
Daily, it costs about N14.9 million to feed the children . We however  do not mind as we are sowing into the future of these children. The O’meal programme has also impacted positively on our economy  as all we use are purchased within the state . We empowered people to go into farming to  produce most of these things. We spent N3.6 million naira last session . We trained women as food vendors to ensure  they ensure the height of cleanliness to avoid food poisoning. They are also allowed  to feed  their own families from  the prepared food so as to ensure quality . We also give them transport allowance. They serve as local caterers during weekends to those with socials events. We gave them interest free loans to purchase  cooking utensils and rent shops where the O’meal vendors banner are displayed. They are quite happy with it. This food is of the quality that a rich man will give his children, so they are doing well.
We have also provided free school uniforms. Most of them, came to school with tattered clothes,   Buba and sooro but the Governor decided  to change all that.
Since Adire is the major cultural clothing used by  the Yoruba, and here in the State of Osun, we are known to be the best producers of Adire. We do  it to promote our culture and ensure the kids are properly kitted to school.
Having addressed the infrastructural decadence with the provision of state  of the art schools, we  provided library and sporting facilities  for that age group , food to make them mentality fit, and also good school uniforms, we know that for our elementary, there will be no problem.
Some of the uniforms are however fading, so how do you plan to replace them? Also on the controversy that broke up with the reclassification , have you  resolved or  you are still dialoguing?
We are dialoguing, and we have been telling our people that the reform is to ensure we have a positive impact on the educational system I am happy that our people have seen the positive impact of some of the things we are doing. They know and love the programme of this government but its natural for people to resist change, especially for things that they have not seen been done before, or promises that they are used to not being kept over the years. Its natural for them to react  the way they reacted, so we have been dialoguing with them. From the antecedent of this government since it came on board, you will realise that we don’t make fake promises.
As regards the fading uniforms you observed , we have also done so and  we are changing the ones for the middle school which has faded. The first set was given out free but subsequently, we have arranged for our youths, about 10,000 from all the local governments to engage in the production of these  uniforms through the Omoluabi garment factory that we have , through a PPP arrangement set up in Abere. The arrangement is to train youths, some, who had been tailors, do not need training, but others will be trained by the private firm we are partnering with to sew the uniforms. We have also regulated the prices of the three basis uniforms, they are then sold in Red Shops created all over the state. These shops are owned by women selling them. The women have been encouraged  to form cooperatives, they collect the uniforms without paying, sell and then make returns since they may not be able to afford making deposits. The Red Shops are in the local markets.
The uniforms are fading because we gave them just one set, and then advised them to buy, but you know parents, will try to play smart, waiting for the end of the year before they purchase. But  some, whose parent have purchased a second set now have new uniforms. However because of those selling and adultrating our uniforms, what we have change it to, its impossible to adulterate it.
Without the reclassification, couldn’t your reforms still have been achieved? Could you not have retained  the primary–secondary structure and then renovate, build and provide the meals with the old structure. Also the issue of population, some of the classes have as many as 50-60,  is that not too large?
In line with the best global practises and especially from where we copied it, Nigeria was using the British system when I was in school, my children went through the American system introduced in 1982, the way it is done, which I pray we will attain here, is to put children of the same age bracket in the same classes. It has a big advantage and psychologists will say it does not augur well to group kids of different age groups together. That is why we have reclassification.
We have put kids of the same age bracket like in the elementary kids school, we have children between ages 6-9. They can relate effectively and work well together. Another reason is that in the US, where we copied it, they run what we run now and it has positively inspected on the educational programme in that country which we also want to achieve. Another thing is the mushrooming of schools which makes the very scarce resources of the state to be overstretched which has not helped the state.
For instance in the elementary schools before we came on board, each school was being given a paltry sum of  N200 before we came on the board. This government  reviewed it to N400 per child. There were 1,238 elementary and 587 secondary schools. We had more schools than many states that are bigger than us. Some of the schools had maybe 28 kids and some, 400 kids some had 28 kids and 18 teachers while others had 900  students and six teachers. There was that disparity and inconsistency in policy. The reclassification is to have graded schools.
Its also to afford children of poor people access qualitative education and state of art educational materials  which hither to they may not be influential enough to access. The schools are distributed  all over the local governments in the state. N25m has so far seen expended on the grants by the current administration as school grant per annum. Basic things are now available in the schools.
That why for the high schools, we have deployed Opon imo. For this year in the high schools, there are 44,560 kids registering for the SSCE. We have 100,038 students in all our high schools and they will all get Opon imo as it is cheaper than buying books which they may not be able to afford. We are also going to give the about 14,000 teachers I have. When we came, we had barely 5,000 teachers. These are all part of the reforms. 14,890 teachers have seen recruited since we came on board.
Another problem was that PTAs were running the administration of schools before we came on board. They had employed some teachers too but we took over all PTA teachers. We absorbed them and presently, we are recruiting teachers. There has been a major improvement. The population issue is because we are still constructing the schools, as the schools get completed, we will keep reducing the number in a class. If you had gone to the rural areas you would have seen classes having as much as 120 students with some sitting on the bare floor. We have been buying and still buying furniture.
Early childhood learning?
We as a government encourage the private schools to run the early childhood education. For us, we believe children should be nurtured by their parents until they are ready to commence elementary school. For parents who can afford or require it, we encourage them to go to the private schools, but we are not encouraging nursery or kindergarten education.
THE NATION

Excerpts from an interview with the State Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Wale Bolorunduro, as he spoke on the benefits of the Sukuk bond and the economic implications of the school merger and re-classification of schools into elementary, middle, and high schools. 

Sukuk is a financing option like a bond, it is a means of raising long term funds under fixed returns in which interest is not allowed, rather it allows investors to participate with the sponsor in raising funds. Apart from the name, it is not different from the conventional bond.
Since it is not different from conventional bond, why Sukuk?
Sukuk has a structure which allows government to give part of its assets to the special purpose vehicle required to raise funds, the vehicle is also owned by government, provide and build schools in which the schools are given back to government, because of the additional comfort that government is providing. The price is cheaper; the price is now the return that will be paid back to investors. The investors feel comfortable in the sense that it is not like the conventional bond; the purpose is known with certainty because of the special purpose vehicle.
The special purpose vehicle is a public company with article and memorandum of association. Also, because the object of the company is known, investors are sure that their money will not be diverted to something else. This makes government to be more transparent and in the final analysis it enables sponsors to achieve cheaper rate. Osun under Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was able to get N11.4 billion at the return of 14.75 percent at the time rate at the money market was at 25 percent and even interbank rate, which is the rate at which banks lend money to one another, was about 25, 30 and even went up to 40 percent for some days at that period and we were able to attract investors at 14.7 percent return. It was that structure that enables us to attract that investment at that fixed rate; so, if interest rate goes up to 30 or 40 percent in the future, we are not affected. But I want to make it clear that apart from Sukuk which is the name or nomenclature, we are not under any religious jurisprudence or covenant but the structure open spaces for additional investors who will not want their funds go to vanity objectives.
Majority of the investors and asset managers companies that invested are headed by Christians. The bond is regulated only by capital market authorities, which are Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigeria Stock Exchange. If by tomorrow we find a Christianity financing nomenclature whose structure will allow us to raise cheaper funds within our borrowing limit, we will take it, for us, we know what we want to achieve, we know the kind of structure that suits us, we know our needs, we want to be transparent and that is what we are doing with the bond.
Not quite long ago the state raised N30bilion bond from the capital market and now N10billion Sukuk, tell us what you intend doing with this funds or what you have done with it.
Let me tell you, when Mr. Governor took over the mantle of leadership, he came up with a programme codified as six integral action plans. What we did in the finance ministry was to elevate the plan to 50 feet above the ground. The plan is meant to banish hunger, reduce unemployment, banish poverty, promote healthy living, restore peace and harmony, and fix the education sector. We came up with medium term expenditure framework; all the capital expenditure and critical/mandatory expenditure over the next seven years had to be considered.
The next to be considered was the fiscal strategy, we looked at revenue and expenditures of government over a seven (7) year period. The central point is the Internally Generated Revenue, and we had to benchmark the IGR penetration ratio. Osun, under the previous PDP administration, was below national average and South West zonal average. The strategy of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was to move quickly above national average; so it was moved from 300m monthly to 600 million within the first year without introducing new taxes, and at that level it was above national average and close to regional average. Then, it was taken to one billion and now it is over one billion.
The objective of the fiscal strategy is to optimize resources and maximize revenue. This means Osun will be re-engineering its revenue, which is what the state has been doing and it includes automation of revenue, etc. The state is now focusing on tax audit and tax audit is to recoup taxes owed years back. Also, Ogbeni Aregbesola’s administration has blocked leakages in areas of salary payment expenses, pension and gratuities. His reform programmes has attracted the World Bank, which is helping the state under state and local government governance reform and I believe this will lead to supports in the near future. Now, the funds realized from Sukuk will be used to build specifically state of the art schools with bigger classroom capacities and state of the art infrastructures, laboratories, etc.
The state under Governor Rauf Aregbesola plans to spend N36 billion over the medium term to develop the education sector. N5 billion has already been committed by government while the N11.4 billion realized through Sukuk will also be used for the same purpose, which means the state has N16 billion presently. We are building 100 elementary schools, 50 middle schools and 20 High schools in different locations over the next two to three years.
The state chapter of Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN) has kicked against the education reform and alleged that Governor Rauf Aregbesola wants to Islamise the state, what is your reaction to this?
Governor Aregbesola has no plan to Islamise the state; what he is doing is to uplift the quality of education in the state, which before now was near a total collapse, especially with poor performances of students in both internal and external examinations. The present reform is the outcome of the education summit of February 2011 under the Chairmanship of Professor Wole Soyinka. In the past, classrooms were crowded, funding of education was poor, and there was lack of instructional materials and high school fees in tertiary institutions. These are what the reform is trying to correct.
The schools are divided into elementary level which comprises pupils from ages 6 to 9, which corresponds to primary one to four. The middle level, from primary 5 to JSS 3, of ages 10 to 14, classified as grades 5-9, and the high school level age range will be 15 and 17 years, corresponding to senior secondary school to be known as grades 10-12 and this has not contradicted the universal basic education, which stipulates 9 years under basic education. So, in realigning the high schools, it is a situation whereby rather than having 200 students in one school and having 300 in another school, the state will put them in the bigger school that has much bigger space. The population of the students in public schools in the State follows UNESCO standard. Government will provide school buses where there are needed for them.
In reclassifying the schools, the ministry of education was mindful of religious differences and avoided classifying muslim public schools with Christian public schools despite the fact that they are both funded with public funds. There is no need for Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to raise alarm.
Then the peculiarity of the state now, according to demographic distribution, released by the National Population Commission (NPC), shows that between the ages of 0 and 17 years, Osun has more boys than girls, so having single sex schools limits capacity and it is constrained by demographic reality.
What is the economic implication of the merger and reclassification of public schools?
The essence of the re-classification and merger is to optimize resources and take advantage of economy of scale rather than having two (2) schools within the same block. You can have them together and consolidate your resources. These are some of the things the new education reform addressed, especially the needs and fiscal strategy, rather than spend N2 million in one place and another N2 million in another within the same block as running cost. N3 million can be spent in one place and achieve quality purpose in one location within the same sphere. The elementary school remains a school within the neighbourhood.
DAILY INDEPENDENT

Resumption to schools for the new term by students and teachers in Osun State witnessed some form of uproars from a section of missionaries in the state, who accused government of illegally taking over their schools; disrupting the order with which they were being run, and that as a result also affecting negatively the future of their students.
It took days before normalcy could return to some of these schools especially in Osogbo, Ilesa, Iwo,Ile- Ife, among major towns in the state.
The Baptist Convention in particular, had cried foul, saying the government’s decision to turn single- sex schools to mixed-sex, especially in Iwo, and the Baptist Girls High School, Osogbo, now Osogbo Baptist High School, could neither be in the interest of the school nor that of the church.
Their grouses, apart from the takeover and merger, had also included the reclassification of school system in the state, which unlike the usual primary and secondary school classifications, now has elementary, middle and high school classification systems.
The classification, according to the state government, was not an after-thought, but part of the recommendations of a three-day education summit of stakeholders and experts in the global education system under the chairmanship of the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, who gathered in the state in 2011 to rebuild the state’s hitherto collapsing education sector.
According to the state’s Deputy Governor and Supervising Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori, the classification took into cognitisants the ages and mental response capacities of the pupils, which she claimed led to the three groups of ages six-nine, 10-14 and 15-17 for the elementary, middle and high school category, respectively.
With the new categorisation, Mrs. Laoye-Tomori noted that not only the academic needs of the pupils had been taken into considerations but also their extra-curricular activities, including the infrastructural facilities in those schools.
She noted that the experts’ research activities had revealed that pupils in the ages between six and nine behave similarly and respond to lessons the same way and so could be better handled in the same environment and by the same categories of teachers, who she said deserve special form of on-the-job trainings.
As regards the alleged abrupt merger of schools, the deputy governor explained that Osun State, with just a little above three million people had too many mush room schools with dilapidated infrastructure and unevenly distributed teachers.
She said the situation was worse in the rural areas where less than six teachers attend to more than 300 pupils while in some communities, there were more than 18 teachers attending to less than 60 pupils. She decried the overcrowded classrooms and dearth of teaching and learning facilities leading to more students sitting on bare floors to receive lessons.
To address the inequalities and the decay in the infrastructure, the deputy governor explained that the state was not buoyant enough to keep “too many substandard school structures” scattered all over the state, and therefore, developed the more expansive state-of-the-art model structures that could accommodate more students and provide enabling environment for adequate teaching and learning.
However, contrary to the outcry that followed the merger, investigations revealed that from Iwo to Osogbo, Ilesa, Ejigbo, Ede to Ife, among others, both students and teachers, who savour the beauties of the new and improved teaching and learning environment, took a swipe at the old conditions of learning and praised the new administration for what they described as a right step in the education sector for the state.
At the Christ African Church Middle School, Gbodofon, Osogbo, James Adedayo said the experience in his new school could not be compared to where he was studying before, saying the new set of furniture, the provided marker boards, among other basic amenities including toilets, water, have made learning at the  middle school easier than before.
Similarly, at the Baptist High School, where government had recently renovated the dilapidated structures and provided basic needs such as water, the students who are now males and females were seen receiving the new set of furniture of plastic chair and lockers as they beam with smiles.
The atmosphere in Ejigbo was not different as students relived their experiences of the new atmosphere where investigations revealed that the state’s policies of free school uniforms, books and the distribution of “Opon Imo,” otherwise known as tablet of knowledge had erased the hitherto sense of inferiority complex, inequalities and oppression among students and thereby enhanced friendship.
Some of the teachers who spoke to National Mirror including Mrs. Modupe Daniel at the Christ African Church Middle School, Osogbo and Mrs. Fasilat Ajiboye of Saint Michael Elementary School, also in Osogbo, commended the state government for making teaching a worthwhile experience for them.
While the students of the recently inaugurated Salvation Army Middle School, Alekuwodo, Osogbo could not hide their check about the serenity, beauty and facilities at the remodelled school, the experience at some of the elementary schools visited where pupils were served free meals, revealed the readiness and eagerness of pupils to learn.
According to Mrs. Ajiboye, who teaches Grade II pupils, no single day passes without new students approaching the school for enrolment. She added that classes were usually filled to the brim whenever free eggs are being served with rice, and this was corroborated by one of the caterers, Mrs. Eyinade Adebisi, who added that as one of the 3,007 caterers employed by the state, the experience has been more than awesome.
When she was asked about some of the challenges raised by critics of the new school systems such as distance and the fear of sustainability, among others, the deputy governor explained that all the issues raised had been addressed by the government including relevant legislations by the legislative arm of the government which would make their reverse a near impossible step to take.
She also added that the issue of distance was already taken care of as the new high schools would have hostel facilities with free school buses distributed around the states to run the routes.
“One thing we must understand is that this administration does not just dabble into any project except it has been properly fathomed with adequate researches and findings done and the merits and demerits appraised.
So, like all our projects, the education sector has witnessed a big turnaround with a large chunk of our income being invested in it because the governor knows very well that no state can grow beyond the capacity of its schools.” Continued, Laoye-Tomori said, “This administration has employed more than 14,000 teachers since assumption and more would still be employed.
The governor has vowed not to stop until students of Osun State can compete favourably with their counterparts in the developed countries. But the beauty of government’s efforts so far is that we are already seeing the results with enrolment increasing by the day.”
Corroborating the deputy governor, Chairman, Osun School Infrastructure Development Committee, Otunba Lai Oyeduntan, explained that each of the elementary schools would accommodate about 900 pupils and are being located in the neighbourhoods to address the fear of distance.
He said a total of 37 model structures were already being built across the nine federal constituencies in the state and would be delivered latest this December, after which the next phase would commence.
He said the methods of building the infrastructure, which he noted included the use of the traditional sands and blocks for the high school, the composite brick method for the middle schools and dry construction method involving light framed metals for the elementary schools, have taken into cognisance the end users and their needs. He therefore called on all the people of the state to support and cooperate with the Aregbesola’s administration so as to jointly move Osun State to the next level.
NATIONAL MIRROR

The newly completed Obokun-Emeru Road, One of the new access roads constructed by the government of the State of Osun as captured on Tuesday 05-11-2013

 

Ralph Simon  met Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, Nigeria who recently triumphed over 421 in the e-Learning & Science category other innovations for the 2013 Awards vetted by the grand jury of global eminent experts.
Ralph Simon is acknowledged as one of the founders of the modern mobile entertainment industry. Over the last 15 years, he has been a prominent global mobile trailblazer and innovator, helping grow the mobile entertainment and content industry, and playing a central role in its impact and presence worldwide.
 
Governor Aregbesola launched a set of 150,000 units of specially adapted computers aimed at enhancing learning in schools, particularly at the secondary level.  The initiative was introduced to a gathering of civil servants, traditional rulers, and politicians. Known as ‘Opon-imo’, Yoruba for tablet of knowledge, the device is a handheld tool fitted with an e-library, a virtual classroom, and an integrated test zone.
Similar to Mobilium’s Smart Health platform, the Opon-imo platform, is a tool for new and ‘eagerly’ ready-to-adopt mobile users in Africa providing free and all access opportunities in health and education.
MOBILIUM 

By the time it is completed and delivered in May next year, the MKO International Airport, Ido Osun, in Osun will emerge as the airport with the longest runway in the country.
With 3.5 kilometres runway, the airport under construction beats the Murtala Mohammed International Airport and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja with three kilometre and Abuja 2.8 kilometre and 2.8 respectively.
This was the promise made by the project engineers on site on Monday when Governor Rauf Aregbesola paid an unscheduled visit to the site of the project in Ido Osun.
Aregbesola, who was conducted round the airport by the Project Supervisor of the company handling the project, Aeronautical Engineering and Technical Services, Eng. Abubakar Abuyaro, inspected the runway for aircraft which is under construction and other facilities at the airport.
Speaking during the inspection, Abuyaro said that largest part of the work on the airport is on the runway, which progress has been slowed by the heavy rain witnessed so far in the year.
According to Abuyaro, that majority of the excavation work that needed to be done could not be carried out during the rainy season in order to ensure a quality job.
“Fifty percent of the earthwork on the runway, which is the most important part of the job, has been achieved. Rainy season is gradually going to an end.
“As soon as rainfall subsides, work will definitely go at a high speed in the airport, which after completion, is going to be one of the best airports in the country,” Abuyari said.
The engineer explained that a solid base is needed for the 3.5 kilometres runway, which he said will be the longest in the country.
He disclosed that all the hydraulic structures, which form the drainages and culverts for the runway, are being constructed now in other to speed up the job.
He stated further that the form work for the precast drainages are already on ground and casting work is going on everyday so as to speed up job when the rain stops.
Engr. Abuyaro noted that when completed, the airport will be one of the best and one with the longest runway in the country, saying that the length of the runway of an airport determines the aircraft the airport can accommodate.
He said that the MKO International Airport is being built to accommodate the Boeing 737 aircraft series.
He assured government that the airport, which will also accommodate cargo air crafts, will be completed and delivered by May 2014.
Reacting, Governor Aregbesola commended the company for its diligence to work.
In an effort to ensure that contractors handling various projects in the state carry out quality jobs and complete the projects at the stipulated time, the Governor had earlier inspected the East By-pass Road where the Governor inspected one of the major bridges still under construction.
The project being handled by a Turkish company, Slava Yeditepe, is to complete the circle of rings around the state capital and ensure no traffic bottlenecks are created as the state capital witnesses rapid developments.
GAZELLE NEWS

For some time now, I have observed in silence but with watchful care various road expansionist schemes embarked upon by the Aregbesola administration; not only in Osogbo, the state capital, but also in all the nooks and crannies of the State of Osun.
In Osogbo in particular, the expansion work included removal of illegal structures, kiosks and other movable structures and separation of structures that obstruct road expansion works. Others include relocation of some markets, sawmills and other oddly-located places; broadening of gutters, canals and waterways; and provision of parks, gardens and road extension cum beautification; to include creation of walkways, bus stop sheds and spaces and the provision of street lighting.
The good effects of these good, noble works are not slow in coming. The good work has resulted in accelerated development of interior, remote and outskirts parts of the city. The spread and presence of virtually all sorts of traders is now visible in all parts of the city; such that we need to spend or worry less to gain access to any article we need to buy within our neighbourhood.
This development has also facilitated the rapid development of shopping complexes, some of which had been long abandoned due to unattractive prospect of rentage or occupation. In addition, new ones are springing up by the day.
We also have a better state capital metropolis; which has now begun to compete favourably with its contemporaries not only in Nigeria; but also in other parts of the world. Modern organized market places are now in place. Our roads are now better than ever; erosion paths and water channels/canals are well defined. Our schools and health institutions are in a better condition, and above all, there is peace and tranquility in the land.
I do pray that God should enable Governor Aregbesola to achieve greater feats for our state and her entire populace. God bless us all.
•Waheed Shittu, Ile-Ife Road, Edun-Abon, Ife-North LGA, State of Osun.
OSUN DEFENDER

The Special Adviser to the Governor of the State of Osun on Commerce, Co-operatives and Investment, Dr Olalekan Yinusa, disclosed that over one billion naira has been committed to resuscitating the Cocoa Industry in Ede.
He disclosed this while responding to the request of the Timi of Edeland, Oba Adesola Lawal, on the need to revamp the moribund company at the Ede Federal Constituency Edition of Gbangba D’ekun in Ede.
According to him, the abandoned industry would soon commence operation with state-of-the-art equipment available in any part of the world.
He explained how the Aregbesola administration saved the state from being cheated by the investors invited to partner with the state by the previous administration in the state.
Yiusa said initially, the industry was valued at N153 million by the investor, hence, conceded only 15 per cent of the total value of the industry to the state.
However, upon assumption of office, government set up a committee with the representatives of the investors as members and the industry was revalued by the same investors to the sum of N478 million.
He added that the Company’s Board of Directors is headed by an Ede indigene to guarantee employment opportunities for the teeming residents of the town.
According to him, the governor has given approval for the investors to commence work on the company, assuring the monarch that the plant would commence operation soon.
BIOREPORTS

Despite criticism it generated especially from Christians in Osun State, some states of the federation have begun consultations with Osun on how to raise investment bond for infrastructural development of their respective states.
Osun Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Wale Bolorunduro who disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Osogbo, said that some states in the country have approached Osun on how to raise bond from Sukuk (Islamic bond) and conditions attached.
It would be recalled that British Government recently raised about 300million Euro from Sukuk shortly after Osun State was completing the N11.4billion bond of the same fund for infrastructural development of the state.
Bolorunduro, enunciating the economic importance of the Sukuk bond to the people of the state, said the investment is the cheapest and fund solution into the future of the state.
According to him, “the Sukuk is a fund solution of the future because it has attracted fresh investors to the state and at the same time creates opportunities for the existing investors who are looking for high yield to diversify their investment.”
He explained that with Sukuk, Osun has set the path for the infrastructural development and that there was no single Islamic jurisprudence attached to it as erroneously claimed from some quarters.
The commissioner further noted that there was no bilateral agreement required and there was no basis for Christians to feel sad about it. “It was done in accordance with investment and security act of secular country called Nigeria and to make everybody comfortable,” he said, adding: “Sukuk bond has attracted fresh investors, people who naturally would not have invested in the capital market and they are sure that their money will not go into vanity such as hotels, night clubs and so on but commercial infrastructure and trading.
“To be transparent; the fund was not put into the budget because you have to see what it was used for.”
DAILY INDEPENDENT