Osun State is one of the 24 states currently contending with the challenge of unpaid workers’ wages. Obviously, the state’s workers are currently on an indefinite strike action over the issue. Consequently, things are a bit more complicated for the people and government of the state. Dealing with dwindling revenue, unpaid salaries and labour unrest is certainly not what any progressive and people oriented government prays for. Forlornly, the way things currently stand, this is what the Osun State government has to contend with.
It is, however, rather excruciating that while the Osun State government is making constructive and strategic efforts to ensure that all issues relating to the unpaid salaries debacle are addressed (the government has actually begun the process of offsetting part of the unpaid salaries), there seems to be a politically motivated plot and a groundless campaign of calumny against the state government. From the reprehensible activities of some self styled ‘activists’ and emergency ‘friends’ of Osun, one is tempted to conclude that those that were rejected at the polls by the good people of Osun have suddenly seen an opportunity to hide behind the unpaid salary matter to cause confusion in the state. Like a bolt from the blue, some of them had suddenly found their hitherto silenced voices. And they are not just talking; they are actually singing like a Red-eyed Vireo bird which sings more than 20,000 songs a day.
In their hypocrisy and desperate pursuit of political vendetta, together with their co-travelers in the mischievous contrive to ridicule the State Government, these unprincipled elements have continued to shamelessly trade in blatant and unfounded lies against the state government. Their mission is simple: To distract the state government and confuse the good people of the state. But like it is with all dubious individuals who love to play to the gallery, it is not surprising that these men are attempting to bounce to reckoning on the platform of the current Osun workers’ salary issue. How irresponsible!
What is, perhaps, quite absurd is their proclivity for rumour mongering and peddling of falsehood. How on earth could any reasonable person accuse Ogbeni Aregbesola, whose major selling point is his integrity and sincerity of purpose, of fraud? It needs to be stressed that Ogbeni Aregbesola has run, perhaps, the most prudent and transparent government in the country, thus far. In order to save cost and get the much needed funds, which were subsequently committed into judicious use for common good of the state, the governor, for nearly a year, during his first term in office, did not constitute a cabinet. Through this astute imitative, the government was able to make a few savings that were used in uplifting public education, agriculture, job creation, road construction, culture and tourism, environmental sanitation and beautification, flood control, rural development among others.
What this self pseudo ‘activists’ and unfriendly ‘friends’ of Osun did not tell the public is that what is happening in Osun is not peculiar to the state alone. About 23 other states and, indeed, the federal government, are experiencing same harsh economic reality. For the record, Osun State, which received five billion naira as monthly allocation in February 2013, got a mere N466 million in April, 2015! This aptly captures the dire financial strait of the state and the country as a whole. But these peddlers of falsehood won’t tell their audience this. Since their intent is devilish and naughty, Osun must be singled out for constant persecution and needless ridicule.
Ironically, it was the sixteen years’ reign of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, that anti-people’s platform which these defective individuals represent, and in particular the six-year reign of former President Goodluck Jonathan that actually plunged our beloved nation into the present mess. It is common knowledge that Dr. Jonathan ran a truly clueless, visionless and most corrupt government in the history of the country. Under his watch, the nation’s foreign reserve was recklessly depleted. Like never before, corruption became the order of the day during Jonathan’s tenure. When the President of a country affirms on national television that ‘stealing is not corruption’, you don’t need to be a prophet to know that such a country is in trouble. The truth, however, is that our economy is actually in trouble courtesy the Jonathan and PDP years of gross misrule.
It must be stressed that prior to the dawn of this present national economic predicament, Osun State had faithfully discharged its responsibilities to its workers. For a period of not less than 30 months, there was no record of rancorous moment with its workers. Indeed, the state, despite its lean purse is one of the few states in the country that paid its workforce a 13th-month salary every December. The government has equally helped to develop the local economy. For instance, the uniforms of pupils and students in all public schools in the state are sourced and produced locally. This has brought about a perceptible boom in the local fabric and fashion industry in the state. Equally, local contractors have been given a great boost as they handle most of the State Government construction works. Artisans, especially at Osogbo, the capital, would readily attest to the fact that things have never been this rosy for them as a result of the unprecedented
patronage they currently enjoy from the State Government. The free meal programme for primary school pupils also offers local entrepreneurs sufficient opportunities to make ends meet.
It has, therefore, become imperative for Osun State workers to call off their strike, team up with the governor to find a lasting solution to the financial crisis bedeviling the state. Their cause is a justified one, and they deserve their wages, but the strike option would only worsen the parlous financial situation of the state. It is simply a counter-productive alternative. Since the State Government did not hide the facts concerning the finances of the state from them, the rational thing to do is to put faith in the already existing line of communication between them and the State Government.
It is important to stress that the workers are part and parcel of governance in the state and as such are in prime position (especially those that work in the state revenue board) to come up with viable strategies that would help shore up the state’s IGR. The state’s civil servants need to rise up in unison by encouraging every eligible resident of the state to fulfill his civic responsibilities of tax payment to the state. Until this is effectively done, the state workers could not be actually absolved of complicity from the current economic woes of the state.
—Raji is former Special Adviser, Information & Strategy, Lagos State.

Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has boasted that he presides over one of the best states in the country.
A statement on Sunday by his media aide, Semiu Okanlawon, said despite claims by the opposition, poverty was not common in Osun.
The governor was quoted to have said this at the 42nd Annual General Meeting of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, which was held in Osogbo.
According to the aide, the National Bureau of Statistics, in its report, ranked Osun State the highest in development index in 2012.
He said the same agency also ranked Osun next to Niger State in terms of poverty reduction.
“As horrifying as the pictures our opposition have been painting to you, I am sure that with your physical presence, you would have noticed that all what they are saying do not reflect in the faces of the accommodating people you see around,” Aregbesola said at the event.
“You would have also noticed that Osun is one of the best places to be in Nigeria. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, an agent of the Federal Government, Osun is the state with the highest development index in Nigeria in 2012.
“The Bureau equally said we are next to Niger State in poverty reduction index and we would have been above Niger State because the large chunk of Niger’s rating was influenced because of their boundary with Abuja and others.”
On criticism trailing the construction of an airport at Ido-Osun, the governor said, “It will not take time to develop the airport to aircraft maintenance hub in Africa. We only have just three aircraft maintenance hangers in the whole of Africa. We need not go to Europe or America to get the aircraft in Africa maintained.
“All we need to attract that business is to develop the facility that we have in Ido-Osun. We have signed an agreement with two hanger operation firms, knowing that aircraft maintenance business is a money spinning investment”.
DAILY POST

The Cocoa Association of Nigeria, Osun state chapter in its bid to match up with other cocoa growing states in Nigeria, has commenced the distribution of chemicals to boost cocoa production millions of Naira across the state.
The Association, in a release signed by its Deputy Chairman Board of Trustees and Zonal ‎Secretary Oyo/Osun zones, Dr. Bola Otunla and Hon. John Alalade, respectively directed the procurement and the distribution of chemicals to cocoa farmers.
Otunla noted that the gesture was borne out of the association’s support for the government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who has been rendering yearly support to cocoa farmers in the state.
He stressed that the Association felt that the time to reciprocate the Governor’s yearly gesture is by coming to the aid of the state by ensuring that the assistance to farmers continue unabated in the face of the financial challenges of the state.
According to him, “It gives me great pleasure to inform you that the state chapter of the Cocoa Association of Nigeria has started the distribution of fungicide and insecticide to cocoa farmers in Osun with effect from the first week of July, 2015.
The initial consignment has come and been distributed  and it will continue until the end of the rainy season in 2015.
“This is to ensure that we match up with other cocoa growing states in the South-West, especially our competitor in Ondo state”.
He urged farmers in the state to put in their best in the area of cocoa production, sayin‎g all hands must be on deck for the state to realise it’s full potentials in agriculture and specifically in the area of cocoa production in Nigeria.

I had read many attacks on the personality of Ogbeni Aregbesola, policies and programmes of his administration especially since the period he and his state had been singled out by some opposition parties and their allies over the inability of half of the entire 36 States of the Federation to pay their workers salaries for varying months.
These attacks were laced with outright lies, half truths, and malice just to rubbish the  progressive,innovative and outstanding delivery of his electoral promises to Osun people as contained in his green book “MY PACT WITH THE PEOPLE OF OSUN STATE” in less than 5years. In the book, Aregbesola said, “ I give you Six-Point Integral Action Plan, to the intent that they constitute my articles of faith concerning which I want to be held accountable at any time during mystewardship”. The six-point integral action plan is ;  Banish Poverty, Hunger and Unemployment, Restore health living, Promote functional education and Enhance Communal Peace and progress.
Although, facts and performances are stunning on ground for even the blind to see the rate with which Ogbeni has delivered on the  action plan, I find it extremely difficult to keep mute when somebody mischieviously tries to falsify and distort the history of Osun experience, with which I am rigorously involved.
This rejoinder, therefore, serves two purposes. One, to refute absolute falsehood and misrepresentations contained in an article credited to one Mr Akanfe  Diamond in the THISDAY Newspaper of 8 July, 2015,  titled “Aregbesola Deserves No Pity” and two, to bring to the fore, again, especially for the benefit of people who live outside Osun, the truth of the amazing Osun Exprience.
A few quotations from Mr Akanfe Diamond  could summarise his misguided and ridiculous attacks on The Symbol of popular democracy called Ogbeni thus, “The first sign of Aregbesola recklessness was the utterly needless change of nomenclature of the state …. He spearheaded a confused ‘western region’ agenda…  He began more of his doomed projects when he set up Osun YouthEmpowerment Scheme, OYES. He ‘employed’ twenty thousand youths, and putthem on a stipend of N10,000 a month and they were deployed as roadssweepers…….. He merged schools and divided them into elementary, middle andhigh schools. He erased the culture  and history of different schools. He provided them with same set of wears, killing the school uniforms materials market at alone go.
He went ahead in his dangerous brand of “Awoism” by providing free computer tablets produced with billions of Naira awarded to his son (Kabiru), also almost killing the school market.  Then, an ambitious industrialisation agenda waslaunched. He started a notorious “airport” project and some massive roadconstruction projects. It is to his credit that he completed most modest roadprojects especially at the very rural areas. He should have left it there. It was theambitious ones that ruined him. For example, the Gbogan-Akoda-Osogbo highwayand trumpet interchange that he started, and launched with pomp, has been abandoned”
In his concluding part, Mr Akanfe Damond submitted, “workers were always being owed atleast two months’ salary arrears at every given time. They went on strike often. He always painted workers as saboteurs and as colluding with the PDP led federalgovernment to frustrate him. The state is at a standstill, and there is finally nowhere to hide for him. He knows he is in trouble. But Aregbesola deserves no pity because he goofed. He took people’s innocence for a ride. He was a spendthrift who was after making himself an emperor more than seeing to his people’s welfare”
The above position by Akanfe is so jaundised and frivolous lacking deference to truth.  Although,people are entitled to their personal views and positions, building them on truth and facts are sacrosanct and immutable. After all facts are sacred, while comments are free.
On assumption of office, armed with his well developed programme of action Ogbeni set about the implementation of a comprehensive socio- cultural- economic programme focussed on rebranding, revival and re-orientation of the people on the extant historical and customary values. These involved the adoption of the historic emblem of Western Region with little modification for currency, a flag that ennobles our race, an inspiring anthem, a motivating sobriquet( Ipinle Omoluabi) and a reassuring wish ” Osun A Dara “.
In fulfilment of his electoral promise to engage 20,000 youth within his 100days in office, out of over 250,000  people that applied, Aregbesola Administration engaged 20,000 under Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES). It is a youth empowerment programme designed to train the youth so as to make them useful to themselves and society particularly their community. They are each given stipend of N10,000 monthly while the cadets give render community and social services to the State for  the 2- year duration of the scheme.
For instance, of the first batch 20,000 cadets, 8,000 were deployed as teachers in public primary and secondary schools to fill the gap identified at the education summit held in February 2011. Of these, 6,000 were permanently recruited as teachers; 40 cadets were sponsored to Germany to acquire advance farming skills while over 1,600 were trained in modern agricultural practices under Osun Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Programme (O-REAP) Youth Academy; 5,000 of them were trained in specialist ICT skills at the newly established RLG/Adulawo Technology City in Akanfe town, Ilesa; 31 of them were trained in mechatronics in a train the trainer project in Lucas Nulle in Kerpen, Germany while thousands of them were trained and deployed to productive services such as Public Works Brigade, Green Gang, Osun Sheriff Corps, Traffic Marshalls, Osun Paramedics, Sanitation Czars and Teaching Corps. To be sure, 75% of the first set of Oyes cadets are gainfully engaged in one thing or the other now.
The N10,000 allowance to each cadet amounts to N200m monthly and N2.4 billion annually,  directly injected to the  local economy. This is separate from the cost of boots and uniforms which revived hitherto moribund shoe factories in the state and empowered Osun Tailor Unions respectively. These,among others, were what made the scheme attractive to the World Bank to use it as a template for youth empowerment in Nigeria which has earned Nigeria $300m grant from the bank as a support for the Federal Government to replicate same nationally. In Osun, any company  that wants to recruit people for employment gives priority to O-YES cadets because of their training and orientation.
Contrary to Mr Diamond’s  thought, statistics have shown that Nigeria has one of the worst education systems in the world. In response to this, Aregbesola adopted an innovative education policy that is deliberate, bold and functional based on the recommendation of the Osun Education Summit held between 7-8 February, 2011 at University of Osun Auditorium, Osogbo. It was chaired by Prof. Wole Soyinka with the theme : “Resolving the Education Crisis in Osun State : Bridging Analysis and implementation Gaps”. The summit, arrived at the following as challenges causing crisis in the education : infrastructure neglect; crowded classroom; poor funding; teachers low morale; lack of instructional materials; high fees in tertiary institutions and low bursary rate.
In consonance with the Summit recommendations, Ogbeni commenced  periodic training and retraining of teachers via Osun State University and other bodies. It reclassified schools into Elementary (Grade 1-4), Middle(Grade 5 – JSS3) and High Schools (SSS1-SSS3) in line with international best practices. ( Grade 5 simply means that Primaries 5 and 6 were moved to join the JSS for proper age, logistic/needs and funding classification for optimal, efficient and effective benefit). Primary School running grants were increased from N7.4m annually to N424m. Feeding of over 250,000 elementary school pupils nutritional meals daily (O-MEALS) which automatically increases elementary school enrolment by 62.8% and  gives empowerment to 3,007 caterers. Construction of state of the art elementary, middle and high schools and upgrade of dilapidated ones across the state. Provision of 750,000 uniforms for all public school students.
Although,  each grade wears specific uniform, students are differentiated by schools names on their badges. Prof. Wole Soyinka captured this when he said, “The (Osun ) uniform policy will stem the tide of inequality among school children. It is a philosophy that should be adopted throughout the country”. This policy has created over 3,000 jobs for citizens at the Omoluabi Garment Factory which produces for internal and external market. Secondary school running grants were increased from N117m to N427m annually. Payment of external examination fees (WASCE, NABTEB and NECO) to students in public schools. Provision of Scholar Buses for easy transportation of students.
The Ministry of Education is strengthened to supply instructional materials and teaching aids to school via establishing zonal and local offices and creation of 3 educational districts and appointment of Tutor-General and Permanent Secretary for each of the districts from among the Principals on merit.30% reduction in tuition fees in state tertiary institutions. Increase in bursary award to all the state indigenes in tertiary institutions nationwide from N2,000 to N10,000 for all final year students; from N3,000 to N20,000 for medical and law students; and from N10,000 to N100,000 to law school students. In addition, 98 UNIOSUN medical students in Ukraine on full scholarship.
The award winning computer tablet – Opon Imo, Mr.Diamond falsely alleged was contracted to the son of the Governor, Kabiru Aregbesola is an innovative educational device with worldwide acclaim.  The e-learning tablet runs on Android 4.0 Platform with 512MB of  RAM and internal storage capacityof 32GB. It has 3 learning environments – virtual library, Virtual classroom and integrated test zone. The device contains books required in Osun for  the entire Senior Secondary School Syllabus,the last 10 years past questions of WAEC, NECO and JAMB, Yoruba Tradition.
It was designed to make learning very interesting and easy. It introduces senior secondary students to computer education on time. The tablet is solar powered. It does not need any network to operate at the city or rural areas. Again, publishers of all the textbooks embedded in it have been paid. This saves the students the burden  of carrying many text books. It saves the government a lot of money in  subsequent years to procure same set of books to a new set of students as the out-gone students would have handed over to the next having finished his/her SSS3 examination. About 50,000 of this devise have been distributed to final year senior high school students statewide.suffice to that mr Kabiru Aregbesola was not a beneficiary of either this  contract or any other contract in the state.
In the course of embedding all these into the tablet, a complication developed which threatened the entire process. This was where Kabiru came in. it was his knowledge and idea that eventually resolved the complication. Kabiru has a first degree in Informatics at the  University of Matanzas, Cuba. Aside his resolution of the crisis encountered for which he was not paid a dime, he has nothing to do with the Opon Imo contract as Mr Diamond derisively made people to believe. Instead of commendation for his selfless contribution which has earned Opon imo United Nations World Summit Award for ICT innovation for 4th best e-learning devices in the world, Kabiru is being smeared by the likes Mr Diamond to score a cheap political point.
Yes, a lot of ignorance and misinformation have pervaded  Osun Airport project. The Airport is being built  the AETSL; Aeronautical & Engineering Services Ltd., the engineering contracting arm of the Nigerian Airforce,  for high standard and cost management. It is basically an aircraft maintenance and cargo  Airport for fresh agricultural produce, but fundamentally a Hanger Airport for repairs and servicing of both rotary wing (helicopters) and fixed wing aircraft (aeroplanes). There are no standard Hanger Services in Nigeria and West Africa, which makes it a lucrative venture. Agreements have been signed with local and  international companies to build these facilities. All aircraft landing in the sub-region will therefore have do all their repairs in Osogbo. This will, of course, spur both the cargo services and build the normal passenger traffic and allied hospitality business as the crew will need adjoining services for accommodation, leisure and entertainment. The only places one could get these services for now are North, East and South Africa.
I don’t need to dwell on the massive road constructions in both rural, urban and the State’s Capital because Mr. Diamond already credited  Ogbeni for completing most of them. I also understand his fear on possibility of completion of the Gbongan-akoda-Osogbo highway and the trumpet interchange. For the avoidance of doubt, let Mr Diamond and doubters like him know that all our ongoing projects will be completed in due course.
Truly, if one considers the enormous project  Ogbeni has embarked on in the last 5 years, one could possibly conclude that the administration had money printing press when one looks at how he actualizes his O-Programmes :  O-School, O-MEAL, O-ambulance, O-REAP, O-Calisthenics, O-YES etc.
This was a Governor that met N18.38b suffocating debt in form of short term loan. Its terms and conditions made it suffocating apart from the fact that the projects for which the loan was sought were socio-economically useless and irrelevant. At that period, the  Federal Allocation to the State was N1.8b  and Internal Generated Revenue was N300m monthly. The loan was to be serviced with N615m per month which was taken from the source and the loan must be repaid in 3 years! The state, therefore, needed to borrow N1b monthly to service the loan on the one hand and honour its statutory responsibilities on the other.  He did some financial engineering to sort out the problem.
As he was struggling to come out of this suffocating financial quandary, crime and armed robbers had literally taken over the State. There were bank very vicious armed robberies almost everyday to the extent that most banks closed shops on working days for fear of armed robbers.  To combat this, OGBENI  set up a dedicated Crime Response Team, the Swift Action Squad (SAS). Initially 5 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) were procured with 20 sophisticated additional ones later; 100 Patrol Vehicles for 24-hour security cover of the state; a helicopter for security surveillance and emergency response. Although, the Jonathan PDP government refused to approve the 3 digit free toll number for coordination between people, ground patrol and helicopter, the anti-crime war was won. Osun has since become peaceful where citizens sleep with their two eyes closed.
It is instructive to note that Aregbesola, without being prompted, has been giving13th month salary to workers as bonus because of his background and love for workers since 2011. He increased their housing and car loans. He beautifies their working environment. Position of Permanent Secretaries which hitherto was based on connection with powers that be could now be attained on merit via oral and written examinations while the Head of Service is chosen democratically among the Permanent Secretaries. Again, workers had always been their salaries by 26th of every month. This tradition lasted for three uninterrupted years.
It should also be noted that vested interests govern man, group, society and nation,and all actions should and must be ultimately judged by intention. The intention and interests of most commentators on this issue are clearly malicious and adversarial if not outrightly evil, and have no single interest of commoners at heart nor genuine advise on the resolution of the crisis. Knowing so, it becomes easy to cope with those who cannot see beyond their petty noses into the roots of the crisis in half a decade long federal sleaze and corruption of all Nigerian processes economically, politically and socially from which precipice we are just  recovering.All these attacks have, furthermore, demonstrated one thing: In a Black man clime, a virtuous man is not praised alive but immortalised after his death.
Yaya Ademola is a researcher. He lives at Alekuwodo, Osogbo.

Justice Olamide Folahanmi Oleyede, a serving judge of Osun State will this morning appear before the investigative panel constituted to probe the petition she wrote accusing Governor Rauf Aregbesola and her deputy, Mrs. Titilaoye Tomori of impropriety.
Following her petition, the state House of Assembly had constituted a seven-man panel to look into the allegations and submit its findings within two weeks.
Consequently, the panel summoned the petitioner to appear before it today at the House of Assembly complex.
The panel in a letter signed by its chairman who doubles as the Deputy Speaker, Akintunde Adegboye asked Justice Oloyede to appear before the panel with her evidential proofs to substantiate the allegations raised in her petitions.
According to a statement signed by the chief press secretary to the speaker, Mr. Goke Butika, the letter reads in part, “You are to appear before the panel constituted by the speaker, Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam saddled with the responsibility to investigate the allegations raised in your petition, and you are enjoined to appear with your evidences to substantiate the allegations”.
The panel chairman also disclosed that no form of fanfare, pro or anti protesters would be tolerated within the premises of state parliament, asserting that no trouble makers would be allowed to disrupt the peace of the state.
The speaker during the inauguration of the panel had stated that the sittings of the panel would not be conducted in the open but assured that the outcome would be subjected to debate in the House.
LEADERSHIP

The Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has extended his condolences to the family former Vice Chancellor of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Prof Akinola Muritala Salau who died at the age of 67.
A statement by the Director of the Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, quoted the governor as expressing the death of the former National Commissioner with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as shocking and sudden.
Aregbesola, who prayed for the repose of Prof Muritala Salau soul, extended his “profound condolence to the immediate family, the government and the entire people of Oyo State.
The governor urged the family to take with equanimity the loss of Prof Salau to death. He said death is an inevitable end for every living being.
Aregbesola said, “One clear lesson is the transience of life itself; it’s not about Prof. Salau, but about the fact that death is a certainty that must come to every living being.
The governor noted that Prof. Salau’s death was not only a loss to his immediate family, but also to the people of Oyo state and the Country at large, who he served as INEC Commissioner.
“It is my fervent prayer that Allah will grant him Aljanah Firdaus and give the people of Oyo State the fortitude to bear the loss. We also pray Allah to comfort his family and give them courage and hope.”

Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has said the proposed airport at Ido-Osun in Egbedore Local Government Area of the state will be developed into an aircraft maintenance hub.
A statement issued in Osogbo on Sunday by Semiu Okanlawon, the Press Secretary to the governor, said Mr. Aregbesola spoke at a meeting with the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria during its 42nd Annual General Meeting.
The statement quoted the governor as saying that the state government had signed an agreement with two hanger operators, “knowing that aircraft maintenance business is a money spinning investment.
“It will not take time to develop the airport to aircraft maintenance hub in Africa; we only have just three aircraft maintenance hangers in the whole of Africa.”
“We need not go to Europe or America to get the aircraft in Africa maintained; all we need to attract that business is to develop the facility that we have in Ido-Osun.
“We have signed an agreement with two hanger operators knowing that aircraft maintenance business is a money spinning investment,” it quoted him as saying.
The governor said his administration would continue to remain focused and not be distracted in its commitment to turn around the fortune of the state, where workers are owed salaries for several months.
(NAN)

Officials of the World Bank have expressed satisfaction with the construction of 224.62 kilometres of rural roads in Osun State by the Rural Access and Mobility Project.
The ORAMP, which is a six-year World Bank and French Development Agency assisted project in collaboration with the Osun State Government, is seeking to improve transport conditions and bringing sustained access to the rural dwellers, who derive their livelihood from farming.
The Task Team Leader of the World Bank, Mohammed Essakali, and other members of the team, who inspected the road projects scattered all over Osun State on Friday, expressed satisfaction with the implementation unit in the state.

Essakali, who spoke to journalists after the project inspection, said Osun State was the “first to get the project running.”
He said, “We are very happy with the implementation of the projects. Osun State was at the forefront in getting the project running. We are also very happy with the physical projects. We are very satisfied with the performance of the implementation unit of the state, especially the quality implementation unit.
“We are very happy for the support that the project and the unit received from the governor. We are very satisfied with the performance of the government and the implementation unit.
“We want to provide access to the population that does not have access to rural roads. In Nigeria, we estimate about 40 per cent to 50 per cent of people living in rural areas do not have access to rural roads. That is a very large number.”
The ORAMP Coordinator in the state, Mr. Adelere Oriolowo, said the project had started having positive impacts on the people living in rural areas in the state.
Oriolowo maintained that the project’s objective, which is to provide access to the rural areas, was about to be achieved, as the implementation level had reached 48 per cent in terms of road construction.
The implementation of the ORAMP, according to him, is taking place in Iwo, Ife I, Ife II and Ilesa regions.
He explained that the roads would be made motor-able to ease transportation problems facing the rural dwellers.
The roads, which are devoid of asphalt laying, will be maintained by residents along the communities at the road corridors.
Oriolowo said each person would be given a kilometre to maintain and each of them would be paid N20,000 per month. By this, he stated that the youth would be productively engaged and the roads would boost food production in the state.
He added that $60m was expected to be spent on the projects out of which the World Bank would provide 66.7 per cent and the French Development Agency would give the balance.
PUNCH

The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has reiterated that his administration will remain focused and not distracted in its commitment to turn around the fortune of the state for good among states in Nigeria in spite of the calculated efforts of his government’s adversaries.

The governor stated this at a parley with the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) on their 42 Annual General Meeting in Osun which held at the Government House in Osogbo, the state capital.‎
He noted that at this critical stage of the economy of Nigeria, all hands must be on deck to ensure that the problem of the ailing economy  is solved rather than making a governor the symbol of salary default.

It was a gathering of Nigeria’s best advertising minds which had come for the parley with the Governor as part of the programme rounding off the two day AGM.
Aregbesola while speaking on the state of the nation, noted that it is unfortunate that the country is finding ‎herself in the present position of the economy, adding that the situation must be seen by all as a national problem and not that of Osun.
He pointed out that he will not be distracted in the provision of conscious social welfare programmes for the people of the state, saying  under his administration, Osun is the state with the highest development index in the country according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
Aregbesola also added that Osun is next to Niger state in the area of poverty reduction index of the statistic made available to Nigerians by the National Bureau of Statistics, Abuja in 2012.
He said, “As horrifying as the picture our opposition have been painting to you of our people, I am sure that with your physical presence, you would have noticed that all what they are saying do not  reflect in the faces of the accommodating people you see around.
“You will have also noticed that Osun is one of the best places to be in Nigeria. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, an agent of the Federal Government, Osun is the state with highest development index in Nigeria in 2012.
“The Bureau equally said we are next to Niger in poverty reduction index and we would have been above Niger state because the large chunk of Niger’s rating was influenced because of their boundary with Abuja and others.
“Conscious social welfare programmes that our administration has put in place such as our Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) that has impacted on 40,000 youths is so profound that World bank is ready to partner with any state in the country on our model.
“We have also embarked on feeding our school children through OMEAL programme. The programme has increased school enrollment, it has also employed 3,009 women who cater for the feeding of the kids”.
Aregbesola described people who condemned the Airport project embarked upon by the state as ill-informed, saying on the strength of the historical relevance of the project alone, it should have earned his administration kudos.

He regretted that many who comment and condemn his government over the airport merely look at the surface without looking at the abundant opportunities that lay ahead for the state.
He said, “To those who condemn our initiative of the airport, I want to tell them that the history of aviation in this part of the world started from Ido-Osun. And the construction of the airport did not even start with our administration but the one before us. With this and the historical issue, it behoves on us to continue with what the previous administration started.
“It will not take time to develop the airport to aircraft maintenance hub in Africa. We only have just three aircraft maintenance hangers in the whole of Africa. We need not go to Europe or America to get the aircraft in Africa maintained.
“All we need to attract that business is to develop the facility that we have in Ido-Osun. We have signed an agreement with two hanger operation knowing that aircraft maintenance business is a money spinning investment”. He stressed.
Speaking earlier, the President of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria, Mr. Kelechi Nwosu, commended Governor Aregbesola for patronising only qualified advertising agencies in promoting the initiatives of the state.
He noted that Osun is a nice place to be with the accommodating people of the state and a lot of tourism sites to visit.
He noted that the choice of Osun as the venue for the 42 Annual General Meeting was informed by the peace enjoyed in the state and that many of the association’s icons are from the State of Osun.
Nwosu added that the Association will continue to provide support as branding experts and communication specialists to expand and deepen peace in Osun.
‎He said, “We thank your Excellency for your kind support to our association and members by patronising only qualified advertising agencies.
“We also will continue to provide support as branding experts to your state to expand the peace and prosperity your state has been enjoying.”

Chairman of the AGM, Organising Committee, Mr. Tunji Olugboji, in his remarks, applaud the state’s heavy investments in the critical sectors such as security, education, health and youths engagement.

He said with these, the Osun environment remains attractive to those who would change the fortune of its people.

 

BEING A BRIEF SUBMITTED BY THE ASIWAJU GRASSROOTS FOUNDATION; AGF, STATE OF OSUN CHAPTER TO THE PETITION PROBE PANEL SET UP BY THE HONOURABLE SPEAKER, STATE OF OSUN HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY TO PROBE A PETITION AGAINST GOVERNOR RAUF AREGBESOLA BY JUSTICE FOLAHANMI OLOYEDE OF THE STATE OF OSUN JUDICIARY.
The State of Osun Chapter of the Asiwaju Grassroots Foundation, AGF commended the Speaker of the State of Osun House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Najeem Folasayo Salam for setting up a committee/panel to look into the petition brought forward by Justice Folahanmi Oloyede of the State of Osun Judiciary against our amiable Governor Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola calling on the impeachment of the Governor on his inability to pay workers’ salaries up to date.
Sir, it would be recalled that in our previous letter to the Honourable Speaker, dated 24/06/2015 regarding the petition in question, we had described Hon. Justice Folahanmi Oloyede as an eminent personality whose views must be respected in the state, hence we are commending Mr. Speaker for setting up this panel to look into the petition of the eminent Judge.
Mr. Chairman Sir, it should be noted that we are not holding brief for Mr. Governor; Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola here, but as stakeholders in the project Osun, we deemed it fit to come up with this piece to support and aid the good work of your Honourable panel and we hope that at the end of the day, this brief will help the panel and our aim be achieved.
Firstly Mr. Chairman, in our opinion, we believe that Justice Folahanmi Oloyede; a serving Judge in the State of Judiciary lacks the moral right to put up any write up not to talk of a petition against the government or anybody in the government wherein she is also a serving member because she wrote a petition against the head of a government in which she is also senior serving member, based on this, her petition should be out rightly thrown out on moral ground.
Secondly sir, Governor Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola; against whom the petition was written is the No. 1 citizen of the State of Osun and also the head of the Executive arm of government. The supreme law of the land emphasises on the rule of law as regards separation of powers among the three arms of government in the country and various states as applicable, hence it is wrong for Hon. Justice Folahanmi Oloyede of the State Judiciary; another separate arm of government to come up with a petition against another official in another separate arm of government (Executive) because she is expected as a judge, to adjudicate on cases brought to her arm of government (Judiciary). Sir, based on the rule of law that guarantees the separation of powers among the three arms of government, hence the petition of Justice Folahanmi Oloyede should be out rightly thrown out.
Thirdly sir, if any other person or group of persons bring this case against Governor Aregbesola to the court of law presided over by Justice Folahanmi Oloyede, it is obvious that justice will be denied because this petition by her has shown that she is already biased against the Governor and his government for that matter, hence her petition against the governor should be thrown out because a judge should be seen as righteous enough to truthfully adjudicate on any case brought before him.
Fourthly Mr Chairman sir, it would be recalled and noted that Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola came on board as the Governor of the State of Osun with high sense of good intentions and that reflected marvellously during his first term in office when he executed very many unique and laudable projects that give our State accolades from wide World like the Osun Youth Empowerments Scheme; OYES, which employed over 40,000 youths in the state and has become a template for implementation for other States, the federal government and indeed International agencies like World Bank.
Based on this, Mr. Chairman, the National Bureau of Statistics and United Nation agency at different times recently rated the State of Osun as the state with lowest level of unemployment and poverty in the country as a result of all the initiatives and policies that Ogbeni Aregbesola introduced into governance in the State.
Also Tablets of Knowledge is another unique innovation of Mr. Governor which got the State of Osun varieties of international awards and also UNESCO has copied the template for implementation in sub Saharan Africa.
Among other things Mr. Chairman, you will recall that O’meal programme that guarantee at least a balanced diet meal a day for all the primaries 1 – 4 school pupils in the State was described as a well thought initiative by the British parliament.
Many link road networks were qualitatively built throughout the nooks and crannies of the local governments across the State of Osun; many others are still under construction.
Model Schools of World standard were built and currently being built by Aregbesola administration.
All of the projects and programmes are being implemented with the meagre resources that are accruable to the state and available loans obtained within the limit of the State in favourable terms, hence it is baseless for Justice Folahanmi Oloyede to accuse Ogbeni Aregbesola for financial recklessness, and hence her petition should be out rightly thrown out.
Fifthly Mr. Chairman sir, you will also recall that during the same period stated, workers’ salaries, pensions and other emoluments were being paid as at when due including car loans, 13^th Month Salaries and other fringed benefits among others to the work force in the State of Osun. How can Justice Folahanmi Oloyede at this point in time accused Ogbeni Aregbesola of inability to pay workers’ salaries due to financial recklessness, the petition should be thrown out.
Sixthly sir, things began to go the other way when financial meltdown hit the country through the mismanagement of the national economy by Jonathan’s led PDP government and it is worthy of note Mr. Chairman, that it was our governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola that firstly raised the alarm notifying the nation about the impeding financial crisis that would hit us as a nation and also he raised an alarm sequentially over the rate at which oil theft were being carried out, where 400,000 barrels of crude are being stolen on daily basis but everybody, especially Jonathan’s administration turned deaf ear and now we are all in this financial mess.
All of these plus the political vendetta exhibited by Jonathan and the PDP towards Governor Aregbesola because of his popularity among Osun people prior to the August 9^th, 2014 gubernatorial election accounted for drastic reduction and cut in the allocation that was accrued to the State of Osun from federation account till date.
So it is wrong for Justice Folahanmi Oloyede to have attributed the inability of Aregbesola’s led administration to pay salaries of the State work force till date to financial recklessness with all of the factors mentioned above among others in place, hence her petition should be thrown out.
Seventhly sir, the inability of State Government to pay workers’ salaries in the last one year is not peculiar to the State of Osun alone, over 14 other states including some super rich oil producing states also owe workers’ salaries like Benue State, Bayelsa State, Rivers State, Kogi State, Ondo State, Ekiti State, Delta State, Ebonyi State, among others and some of these states like ours, are just trying to offset the backlog of salaries bit by bit.
Mr. Chairman, it is worthy of note that the workers in Ondo, Kogi and Ebonyi States started indefinite strike today in their various states due to unpaid workers salaries, whereas, workers in the State of Osun are back to work now because they have secured a favourable mode of payment of their remaining salaries after few months had been settled. And nobody is calling for the head of the governors of these states. So why will Governor Aregbesola’s case be different? Sir, claiming that it is due to financial recklessness is unacceptable but rather financial mismanagement by Jonathan’s led government, hence Justice Folahanmi Oloyede’s petition should be thrown out.
Distinguished Chairman & members of this honourable palnel sir, you may wish to refer to articles put together by well meaning Nigerians in National Dailies to get more information on why Governor Rauf Aregbesola should not be crucified for the clog put on our wheel of progress by Jonathan’s government which was voted out in less than 60 days ago. Sir pls refers to the back page of Thisday Newspaper of July 4^th 2015 for a piece put together by Chief Dele Momodu of the Ovation International Magazine and titled “The Travails of Governor Aregbesola” another article published online by John Dada titled “Putting Osun’s Situation in a Broader Perspective” and another one among many others that was published in the edition of The Nation Newspaper of Thursday, 16^th July, 2015 & continued in the Monday 20^{th July}, 2015 edition.
SIR, In the broad interest of the generality of Osun people who had never had it so good when it comes to better governance and if putting a stop to this is what Justice Oloyede’s petition is seeking, then Mr. Chairman sir, in the interest of us all; the people of the State of Osun, the petition should be thrown out in entirety.
Mr. Chairman, Honourable Members of the Committee; we are just using this medium like other well – meaning Osun community to restate our firm commitment and believe in the leadership of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as the Governor of the State of Osun to continue giving us dividends of democracy in the next four years.
 
Best Regards
 
SIGNED
 
Adeboye Adebayo:     State of Osun Coordinator              ………………………………………
Adekunle Oloyede:     for the State Secretary                       ……………………………………….
Aresa Kehinde:             for Local Government Coordinators …………………………………..
Raji Ropo Rasheed:    Director of Mobilisation                   …………………………….