A former consultant to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Dr. Amiel Fagbulu, has described the new education policy introduced by Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State as a good step in the right direction.
Fagbulu, in an interview with journalists in Ilesa, urged the governor to forge ahead with the policy of school reclassification, saying it was in the interest of the people of the state.
The ex-inspector of education in the defunct Western Region explained that the policy would enable government to expend its limited resources on fewer schools, which would bring about optimal results in the state’s education system.
He said, “The school reclassification is very good. It did not start today, it started in 1961 when few number of students were attending schools scattered all over.
“It is not right for the Christian Association of Nigeria to prevent boys or girls from being merged in any public school. The schools no longer belong to them since they have been taken over by the government. They cannot claim ownership of those schools any longer.
“The schools were taken over because their managements refused to pay teachers and teachers’ promotion was not based on merit, despite the fact that government was giving them grants to run those schools. They were compensated when government took over the schools.
“On the argument of single sex schools, it is even better for boys and girls to learn together because it promotes healthy rivalry among both sexes.
“Again, the pupils do not live in a single sex community, do they? So, what are we talking about?”
Fagbulu, who served as an adviser to the Asabia Commission, which recommended the schools’ takeover in 1975, advised Christians who were preventing hijab-wearing pupils from being merged with Christian missionary schools to have a rethink, adding that the development could precipitate crisis.
Also, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, has reportedly urged Aregbesola to continue with the implementation of his administration’s policy of reclassification of schools.
According to a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy Osun State, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, Ooni at, a public assessment forum held in Ile Ife, commended Aregbesola’s commitment to development and asked him to continue with the new education policy.
The Ooni, who was represented by the Obalufe of Iremoland, Chief Folorunsho Omishakin, was quoted in the statement as saying, “Your programme, too, will succeed like that of Obafemi Awolowo. When Awolowo started the reform, people antagonised him. They said the programme would not succeed.”
PUNCH

 ILESA, October 2013 – Taiwo Adedeji launched a startup company 4 months ago. She had no more than N3,000 capital given her by the State of Osun (www.osun.gov.ng ) and Generation Enterprise (www.generationenterprise.org) partnership.
In that short time, she has put that little money to hard work and generated more than 100 times the amount, even gaining a profit up to ten times the capital. In business-speak, her return-on-investment (ROI) in the 16 weeks is a remarkable 960%.
Now, having proven her mettle as an entrepreneur, she will be pitching for equity investment at OYES-GEN Pitch for Investment Day on 21 October 2013. Taiwo’s pitch will be directed at local investors and Generation Enterprise, the business incubator that helped her launch her startup.
Saudat Raheem also launched her startup company 4 months ago. She as well received her N3,000 seed capital. She has generated more than 20 times the amount, and gained a profit more than three times the capital. Her return-on-investment (ROI) in the 16 weeks is 365%. Having proven that she is a worthy entrepreneur able to triple whatever is given to her, she also will be pitching for larger equity investments.
On 21 October 2013, at the OYES-GEN Pitch for Investment Day, a Dragons Den meets The Apprentice pitch event, Taiwo, Saudat and 58 others will pitch for equity investments in their startup companies.
This pitch event, is a major milestone, within an innovative entrepreneurship development programme being piloted by the State Government of Osun in partnership with groundbreaking youth driven NGO, Generation Enterprise. The programme provides a platform for Osun youths to launch startup companies and pitch for investments to scale their companies.
The State of Osun through the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) partnered with Generation Enterprise, a US-Nigeria NGO to discover high-potential youth entrepreneurs who will launch high-growth businesses to create jobs for themselves and for other youths in the community.
Generation Enterprise business labs, prototype and test business models that start by addressing Bottom of the Pyramid problems but can grow to become made-in-Nigeria franchises employing 10, and then 50, otherwise unemployed local residents.
Ten and fifty employees are the thresholds determined by SMEDAN (the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria) separating micro enterprises from small enterprises, and small enterprises from medium enterprises.
Already, the 60 young people have launched 17 startup companies after testing various business solutions to problems in the Ilesa community. For example, given the poor access to high quality bags at inexpensive prices in Ilesa, Reality Bags has been producing top-quality school bags and fashion bags for the community at affordable prices. Using basic manual sewing machines, the startup company has been able to produce about 350 units per month. Now, Reality Bags is pitching for equity investments that will help it increase production capacity to 3000 units per month to meet demand in Ilesa and surrounding communities.
Goodness Insecticides, another consumer brand has been tackling the malaria problem. Malaria kills nearly 1million Africans each year. The problem is especially severe for pregnant women and children under five. Those who cannot afford treatment or have limited access to healthcare are most vulnerable. Goodness Insecticide has been producing sweet-smelling but effective insecticides to combat mosquitoes and the malaria parasite. The company will also be pitching for equity investments to increase output from 400 units a month to 6000.
Delight Company is fighting the PHCN-induced darkness that continues to loom in Nigeria by providing alternative lighting solutions to students, homes and traders. After acquiring d.light products, solar-powered lanterns that can also charge a variety of phones, Delight has helped students study longer, keep homes free of kerosene soot and increase sales by traders who can also stay open longer into the night. Delight will be pitching for equity investments to acquire larger stock of d.light products.
The State of Osun continues to engage its youth in innovative and large-scale enterprise. A visionary government, Osun through this pilot programme, is helping its youth see problems around them as business opportunities, supporting the launch of those businesses and providing a unique platform for the youth to pitch for and receive funding for their startup companies. As the youth grow their companies, they not only increase income for themselves and their families, but also create jobs for other youths and a resultant income increase for their entire community.
The multiplicative effects of this model are mind-boggling. This pilot programme targeted only 60 youth who are set to create more than 300 jobs. At that rate, with 20,000 youth put through the program, Osun could easily create 100,000 jobs, thereby tackling the unemployment problem as well as creating wealth for residents.
By democratizing access to pragmatic business education, using the Generation Enterprise model and providing a platform for additional investments, Osun could well be on it’s way to banishing unemployment.
About Generation Enterprise:
 
Generation Enterprise (“GEN”) employs an innovative knowledge transfer model to integrate vulnerable and so-called “unemployable” young people into their communities as entrepreneurs, employers, and leaders, jumpstarting local economies in the urban developing world.
Since 2010, Generation Enterprise’s global team has been operating small business incubators in Lagos & Osun, Nigeria and New Delhi, India. The organization aims to co-create and launch differentiated micro-businesses in developing markets. It was launched as a US – Nigeria collaboration by Harvard, Wharton, and Stanford business students, McKinsey consultants, and young Nigerian leaders.
For more information, Please write to: public.relations@osun.gov.ng, bunmi@generationenterprise.org

The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Thursday told Christian leaders that his administration would relentlessly explain the essence of his administration’s reforms policies and programmes on education until all the dissenting voices sea reasons why the rot in education must be halted.
He also said his administration’s policies are not tailored towards suiting any particular group, noting that fairness is at the centre of all the programmes.
Aregbesola, who spoke before the umbrella body of Christians, the Christian Association of Nigeria at the swearing in ceremony of the newly constituted executive of the association in Osogbo, the state capital, urged Christian leaders both within and outside the state not to put religion to negative use.
In his speech, titled: Empowered for Service, Aregbesola, who was represented by his Deputy, Otunba Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, stated that Osun has enjoyed peace since the inception of his administration due to the demonstrated equity among people of all faiths; people-focused programmes that take care of the interest of all regardless of their religious beliefs.
Aregbesola told the Christian leaders, “Let me restate it here again that our government will never be found guilty of privileging any group above another. The state belongs to all of us. The mandate I was given applies to all people, all gender and all faiths. I am fully determined to defend this with all that it pleases the good Lord to give me. Government’s programmes will fail where they are meant mainly for a group, rather than for all the people. We will never compromise on our resolve to make Osun a thriving hub of socio-economic development. This is possible when all groups work harmoniously together.”
Speaking on the on-going reform of education in the state, Governor Aregbesola said the criticism against the reforms were understandable noting major reforms that would halt the rot in the education sector would generate apprehensions.
He said further, “In recent times, there have been vibrant exchanges between us over the reforms we are carrying out in schools. Let me assure you that these reforms are without malicious intentions.
“I am quite aware that revolutionary changes of this nature will surely bring some discomfort. The first generation of educated citizens of this country was produced by Christian missions, mostly. You will agree with me however that the state of our schools when our administration came on board on November 27, 2010 was not what you could be proud of anymore. On this, our purpose and goal (to provide education for the total man in spirit, soul and body) are coterminous.
“We only have differences on the path to take. We can easily maximise our areas of agreement and work closely on our differences in an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding.
“Let us avoid name calling, confrontation and making false and unfounded accusations that are capable dividing our people, creating tension and heating up the polity.”
Speaking with journalists shortly after the event, the Commissioner for Finance in the state, Dr. Wale Bolorunduro, said Christians have no reasons to be apprehensive over Sukuk, which he said is a normal bond like any other bond around the world.
“The only difference is that the interest rate on Sukuk makes it the most development-friendly financial instrument in any part of the world now.
“Yes, its name sounds Islamic but it is being regulated under the same capital market culture in Nigeria. Above all, the proceeds from Sukuk will finance massive capital projects that people of all faiths will benefit from.”
Aregbesola said he needed the prayers of all Christians just as those of people of other faiths for his administration to come up with more legacy projects that will in no time make Osun the pride of the Black race.

 
I read this piece on the back page of Punch of today 17^th Oct 2013 by Abimbola Adelakun and commend the writer’s informed views on many of the issues.
I however have serious disagreement with the writer on some issues below.
The writer wrote “My preliminary assessment of the re-classification remedy masquerading as a revamp of the education sector is that it is meretricious, and does not demonstrate genuine commitment to resolving the problems of education …. Why do governors go for artificial restructuring while they neglect the real issues of funding, curriculum content development, continuous teacher retraining among others? “
The question is a valid question when asked generally. However in the spirit of responsible intellectual discuss, I would have expected the writer to have made an effort to find out (through any sources) what  Aregbesola’s government may have done/or failed to do on these specific issues raised and then comment agreeing, disagreeing, or advising in relation to them.
Otherwise how do you expect a thinking government to respond without restructuring to optimise resources, between for example a school with 15 teachers and 120  students population and another with 30 teachers and 600 students, both with dilapidated structures which are in such sorry state that even animals will complain being there.
It is widely reported that Aregbesola’s government increased running cost of schools – given to Principals to maintain schools – which he met at between N200 to N600 per month depending on the size of the school (Two hundred to six hundred Naira) to N400 per pupil per term implying a movement from N600 Naira per term to N40,000 (forty thousand) per term for a school with hundred pupils. It has also been reported that more than 2000 teachers have been retrained in collaboration with Osun State University in a continuous process of teacher re-training while substantial work has been done in terms of curriculum and provision of instructional materials including books, learning aids and Opon Imo, the internationally acclaimed Tablet of Knowledge.
Same government has been commended by UNICEF and several international agencies and won awards for providing nutritionally rich free meals to pupils in primary 1-4, provision of free school uniforms to about 750,000 students in public schools, increase in examination and running grants to schools and reduction in school fees in state-owned tertiary institutions.
Going by the National Education Policy there is no secondary school as we used to know it in the 70s and 80s. Now what we have is the 9- years  Universal Basic Education – which enjoys financial support from the Federal Government – and 3 years Senior Secondary School which is entirely state funded. The 9-years is further divided in Lagos and some states which have attempted to implement it properly as 6 years primary, 3 years Junior Secondary and 3 years Senior Secondary. The Junior and Senior Secondary Schools are run as distinct schools with different structures and administrative heads.
Aregbesola’s government’s reclassification has not done anything to affect this 9-years, 3-years structure and it is not the basis of any of the current complaints from CAN or any of the religious organisations.
The current complaints are fall – outs of the infrastructure upgrade and the need to maximise physical, human and financial resources.
Has the writer checked the state of any of such schools before and the replacement structures constructed by Aregbesola’s government which necessitated the restructuring and reclassification before using words like meretricious or madcap to describe such efforts? (Please see attached file,  Salvation Army School before and after.jpg and  http://osun.gov.ng/education/oschools/model-middle-school/ )
Must we in the name of demonstrating writing skill use such a word that if incorrect in usage portrays the user as not only unfair and discouraging of genuine efforts at nation building, but also as indecent?
Osun Baptist Conference has a mixed-sex secondary school in Osogbo founded in year 2000 – Zion Baptist  High School (in the premises of a school formerly called Newton memorial ) but are against mixing boys and girls in government -owned school which name was retained as Baptist school.
Same Baptist changed Baptist Boys High School in Iwo to Baptist High School to put girls there several years ago and it is still a mixed –sex school till today after government take over.  So in Iwo the complaint is different from Osogbo, it is Hijab and not mixing of sexes.
It is because we run a deceptive and lawless society that any group of people can claim ownership of whatever kind, on schools taken over 38 years ago through the instrumentality of the law which they have not challenged in court.
They have for all intent and purposes not contributed to further development of the schools and do not pay teachers or any of the workers in the schools. They have gone ahead to found and run new schools with permissions from government.
In other places where people have respect for rules and laws and respect for the rights of other citizens, they will be prosecuted and fined for disrupting the peace. They will be held in very low esteem by the populace as liars and people working against the interest of the common man. But here religious leaders buy private jets without any other means of income beyond exploitation of the gullible and the society idolises them.
If we must call a spade its name, CAN, Baptist,  Muslims  and any other so called religious organisations claiming ownership on the schools, are being economical with the truth and except society rises up irrespective of our faiths against the indefensible, the self emancipation desired to make positive changes in our lives will continue to be illusory.
Governments in the South West have been bound to free education , not necessarily willingly but because Awo succeeded in making a positive difference in this region with it. We are yet to see any of the so called mission schools – Christian, Muslim or whatever – being free or even affordable to the widow, whose mite is collected everyday to build and run the schools in the name of God, while proceeds are used to pay salaries of missionaries.
I also disagree with the writers comments on Hijab in public Schools. We are a multi-religious and not a secular state as many people tend to proclaim. See section 38, Subsection 1-4 of the Nigeria constitution. Subsection 2 says and I quote :
“No person attending any place of education shall be required to receive religious instruction or take part in or attend any religious ceremony or observance if such instruction ceremony or observance relates to a religion other than his own, or religion not approved by his parent or guardian.”
The implication of this is that no child must be discriminated against by virtue of religious beliefs. If a child has grown up from childhood with the head covered or in any way that is not offensive to society at large, going to school should not impose on the child a contrary way of dressing in the name of uniforms. This writer knows at least a Nigerian girl attending Christian secondary school in the UK without restrictions whatsoever on wearing of Hijab not to talk of those in public schools. No school uniform should restrict one’s rights to practise his/her faith.
It is also condemnable in Yoruba land to discriminate against anyone because of religion. Yoruba have been the most tolerant of nations with everyone free to practise his/her faith under the same roof and within same family without hindrance. Agents of foreign domination should be condemned unequivocally for fanning intolerance amongst our people.
Finally a fair appraisal of Aregbesola’s actions in relation to religion which the writer unthinkingly labelled as ‘‘pandering’’  and ‘’madness without methodology’’ will show clearly that he is simply being fair and just to all, whatever their religious beliefs – upholding the Constitution of the Federal Republic – without denying his own right as a citizen to hold and practise his personal religious tendency.  It is simple enough for discerning people to understand without resulting to demeaning vocabulary.
If Aregbesola is guilty, it will be in his failure to get his information handlers to do the needful, by educating the generality of people about his actions in simple language they can understand, so they do not get deceived by the posturing of those whose stock in trade is exploitation of the gullible masses for personal aggrandisement.

Kola Omotunde-Young is an IT and Human Development practitioner resident in Oke Fia, Osogbo.
 

It the time amiable Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, Nigeria’s one-time Health Minister, died in 2003, he had become a leading world figure crusading for the upgrade of the health system to cater for the poor. He proposed “an all embracing system to provide health-care in an integrated way, rather than through vertical disease-specific programmes.”
He pursued this religiously and finally broke his philosophy into what later became known as Primary Health Care (PHC).
Ransome-Kuti has since been known as the father of primary health care approach to the health problems of the nation.
What is the kernel of PHC? It is simply that the solution to the mother-child (or community) health problems lies in the communities from which the people come, and not elsewhere.
He proved this with an experimental family health clinic to assess the effectiveness of nurses in the direct delivery of preventive and curative services to mothers and children. It was this project that provided the impetus for the establishment of the landmark Institute of Child Health and Primary Care of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos and an academic programme as part of pre-service medical training.
Professor Ransome-Kuti, health minister from 1985-1992, is now regarded as the best health minister Nigeria has ever had!
And 10 years after his death, there is a nostalgic yearning for his ideals, following the serious slide in the conditions of the health sector notably in the rural areas. We would not have experienced the grave setbacks we have witnessed under successive governments in Nigeria if we had leaned on the submissions of this great son of Africa.
But there is hope because in the State of Osun, the government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has adopted precisely these principles: he is resorting to the policy of providing clean and good water for the rural folk (and of course to all the citizens) as a holistic health revamp strategy.
For as the administration is proving, there is a linkage between the availability of water for all, and general economic and social development across all sectors.
The state of Osun government is very much on course in its strategy to ensure that every resident in the state enjoys access to potable water supply for there is a clear synergy entailed in this objective. To use just one example, it would be frankly rather self- defeating to pour in money into the health sector without access- to- water – for- all at the heart of a holistic health revamp strategy. For as the late Professor Ransome Kuti emphasized continuously throughout his distinguished career, the momentum must start at the area of primary health care. Now, since most of the diseases here are water-borne, the availability of water resources is vital.
This across the board synergy is why the Aregbesola administration has staked so much resource on the provision of clean water for all. We are not scoring political points but just stating the obvious in pointing out that the present government in the state of Osun is starting out from a very low base. When the government came into office, six major water works and 45 micro water works were operating below capacity in the state. The major water works which were designed for a combined capacity of 226,000 litres of water per day were producing only 23.7 percent litres per day, while the Micro water works with combined capacity of 13,400 per day, were producing only 18.6 per cent of their capacity. This situation is drastically changing.
The Aregbesola administration, in the circumstance, had its work cut -out. Government has had to redress the balance from two fronts: putting in place facilities that will bridge the gap between demand and actual production, as well as putting in place the institutional mechanism that will ensure the sustainability of the facilities that will fulfil this objective.
In order to ensure sustainability and continuity, the government is ensuring that personnel are well- equipped and trained for the maintenance of the facilities upon completion, while counterpart staff would be attached to each of the projects. Every avenue will be considered in moving things forward. Opportunities available will include twinning arrangement with experienced international water utility organizations, as well as to explore the possibility of Private Public Partnerships.
Sustainability is of course vital which is why a pricing and payments system is strategic to the water access- for- all strategy. In view of the level of investments made by government, the authorities expect distinguished and responsible citizens to partner with government in paying modest water rates to sustain robust water initiatives: If the standard of the re-reinvigorated water policy is to be maintained, everyone of us, the governed and the government, must be willing and ready to play their parts very well. As a first measure, the state government is embarking on Consumers’ enumeration, after which a ‘’willingness to pay study ‘’ will be conducted. Even as the rehabilitation of this water works is progressing, government is supplying water through tankers to homes to ameliorate the pains of the citizens. The cost is minimal and bearable and the mode of payment to the banks simplified.
We can see from the observations made above, that the Aregbesola administration is actually walking – the – talk. Noteworthy is the fact that the N 417m contract for the emergency work on Ede Water Works was awarded at the inaugural executive Council meeting, held at the executive council chamber of the Governor’s Office, just a few hours after the new commissioners were sworn in.
At the 2014 election in Osun State, the citizens should identify candidates who in turn identify with them through their people-based policies to vote for. Their votes should not be wasted on those who would seek to impoverish them.
Aregbesola is following in the footsteps of the man who struggled tirelessly to improve life in the rural community through a policy that entailed direct health care delivery on the platform of drinking water which would prevent fatal communicable diseases.
THE NATION

A mega rally has taken place In Ekiti State to celebrate the 3rd anniversary of the administration of the state governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
Amidst fanfare, the rally which was held in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital had in attendance youths, women representatives, student representatives, market leaders and several leaders of the All Progressives Congress including the Edo State governor Adams Oshiomole and governor of the state of Osun, Rauf Aregbesola.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Oshiomhole thanked the Ekiti people for their support for the celebrant and asked them to continue to support the administration.
In his own remarks, Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola emphasized the need to support the governor for a second term in office eulogizing his hardwork and dedication as deserving of continuity for the good of the state.
In his response, Governor Kayode Fayemi thanked God and the people of the state for their support and promised to do more in the years ahead.
CHANNELS TV

Nigeria and some African countries are for the first time embracing large-scale Islamic finance as countries seek to tap cash-rich Middle Eastern investors to finance their large infrastructure programmes, reports FT.
The market for sukuk, or Islamic bonds, received a boost this month after Nigeria became the first major economy in sub-Saharan Africa to use the $100 billion a year Islamic market, followed days later by Senegal.
Africa is home to roughly 400 million Muslims – about a quarter of the world’s total – but until now only Gambia and Sudan have issued any sukuk, and they were for tiny sums on a short-term basis.
Analysts said the Nigerian sharia-compliant bond issued by Osun State, while relatively small at $62 million, signalled the start of a trend.
“Increasingly, it seems that sovereign sukuk issues from Africa might now be on the radar,” said Christian Esters, at credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s.
Senegal said it had plans for a $200 million sukuk in 2014 with the support of the Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank. Amadou Ba, finance minister, said the offering was the “beginning of an ambitious programme which could lead to the financing of innovative infrastructure and energy projects through sukuk”.
The use of Islamic finance on the continent could grow further as several north and sub-Saharan African countries – including Morocco, Tunisia, South Africa and Kenya – are laying the legal groundwork to be able to issue sukuk. The central banks of Nigeria and Mauritius are also shareholders in the Malaysia-based International Islamic Liquidity Management Corp, which has started to issue sukuk to help Islamic banks manage their finances.
Bankers and lawyers caution that the industry is in its infancy and it will take several years before Islamic finance takes off across the continent. Clement Fondufe, partner at law firm Latham & Watkins, said that compared with Asia and the Middle East, “Islamic finance is at the early stages of development” in Africa.
BUSINESS DAY