*Says school feeding programme has great impact

The State of Osun has bagged another recognition on account of its highly celebrated school feeding program for schools children, tagged OMEAL.

This time around, it was the turn of an Abuja-based international non governmental organization, Voice of African Women for for Human Dignity which showered encomia on Governor Rauf Aregbesola over the highly successful programme.

Osun feeds over 250 elementary school pupils every school days with nutritious meals a programme that also has impacts on agriculture and other value chains.

 Other programms of the Aregbesola administration that also attracted the attention of the organisation include the special welfare programme for the elderly and vulnerable, Agba Osun, as well as that for widows in the state.

Speaking on behalf of the body in Abuja, Barrister Julie Doule who represented the President,  Hajia Amina Idris, disclosed that the board of the organization also found Governor Aregbesola worthy of the emulation for his commitment to child education as well as incentives for the disabled in the society.

 They further commended Ogbeni Aregbesola for his resolve to use his programmes to better the lives of the downtrodden through poverty alleviation.

She said, “this Award of Excellence  is in recognition of your immense contributions to the survival of human dignity.  The free meal Program for school children in Osun State which has become a benchmark on how to increase child education and the incentive programs for the disables,  widows and the aged are laudable programs that are worthy of commendations. ” Hajia Amina Idris said the non governmental organization concluded that the humility of Aregbesola,  his compassionate disposition in the conduct of both private and public as well as efforts towards building a society where human dignity is held paramount must not go unnoticed.

“Your resolve to remove a vast majority of people living below poverty line in the midst of plenty in the country and integrate them into wealth through sustainable creation of various avenues are worthy of commendations,” the Voice of African Women for Human Dignity boss noted.

 In his remarks, Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who said he decided to go into politics with sole aim of empowering the populace, bemoaned policies that are anti-people and pro-elite.

He said foremost responsibilities of any responsible administration is to use the commonwealth to bring about just, fair and peaceful society noting that economic challenges remain the cause of insurgency in the North-East of Nigeria.

 “I commend and urge you to support all initiatives directed at empowering the people as well as efforts of governments at mobilizing and motivating for genuine development of the society” Gov Aregbesola stated.

According to the Governor, any contribution no matter how small to the society will remove some class of people from being poor, thereby improving the society, and contribute to human civilization.

“It is not going to be easy offering yourselves for this task of removing people from shackles of poverty. Be prepared to further face  several challenges including spiritual. However, your determination will help in improving the society, reduction in the number of poor people, effects of poverty will be eliminated thereby contributing your quota to human civilization,” the governor stated

The All Progressives Congress in Osun State has urged the opposition parties to desist from telling lies about the Osun State Government.
The party, in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Kunle Oyatomi, on Wednesday, said lies against Aregbesola would not stop him from performing his duties.
The APC also enjoined the media to always seek the truth and propagate facts so that the public would not be misled.
The party was reacting to an article written by   Prof. Niyi Akinnaso which was published on Tuesday, July 21, 2015, entitled, ‘Aregbesola and Osun: From billions to millions.”
The party described the publication as the most factual piece on the financial crisis rocking Osun State.
The statement read, ‘Facts in the article showed that the economic crisis in Osun was as a result of a reckless, profligate style of the Peoples Democratic Party government in Abuja that collapsed the country’s economy.
“The writer observed that it was a masterpiece of socio-economic wisdom that Aregbesola could still reach the level of development he achieved before the crash in spite of the fact that every kobo earned by the state was used for recurrent expenditure from 2012 to 2014, incurring a deficit of N2bn in the process.”

The government of Osun State and a private tourism investor, Chief Mrs. Margaret Bolanle Fabiyi are to partner on the development of a world-class tourism resort in Ikirun.
The project, which is being fine-tuned, will cost billions of Naira and when completed, serve as one-stop centre for leisure, hospitality, entertainment, shopping, conference business and tours.
The resort, presumably second to none in Nigeria, will also have agricultural component to grow agric tourism and residential houses in addition to creating room for service providers, hospital, school, jetty, helipad and filling station among other facilities.
Speaking with travel writers in Lagos, Mrs. Fabiyi, popularly called, Webisco, said a project of this magnitude would certainly address the problem of unemployment as it would create jobs and generate revenue for the state in the face of stifling economic condition caused by the fall of crude oil price at the world market.
She disclosed that efforts were being made to complete the land acquisition and documentation, adding that the state government should do the needful by showing above average commitment financially and otherwise to birth the resort.
“We have acquired a 25 sq km land in Ikirun, Osun State for the development of a one-stop tourism resort second to none in Nigeria yet. The land was facilitated by H.R.H the Akirun of Ikirun, Oba Rauf Olawale.
The resort, when developed, will have parks, hospital, school, residential buildings, jetty, filling station, business outlets, conference centre etc.
We are working out the modalities and would make an appropriate comment on its update when we have sorted out the grey arrears.”
Mrs. Fabiyi, who is an active member of most tourism and travel organizations in Nigeria, including Federation of Tourism Associations of Nigeria (FTAN) is a leading member and country liaising officer for Africa Travel Association (ATA) with headquarters in New York, U.S.A.
“As we continue to invest our individual efforts in promoting and marketing tourism in our country we hope that very soon, we will begin to reap the dividends. A trip by President Barack Obama, for instance, would drive heavy traffic to this country. Although we will not bank on that, given that his tenure is running fast, we are committed to continuously promoting our country as the home of hospitality in West Africa. She informed that as part of her effort to open up the country to influx of tourists that a team of travel writers from the United States is expected in the country for the second familiarization tour being packed by her in collaboration with the federal government to promote tourism in Nigeria.
“For the FAM Trip, we would get in touch with the facilitators so that we would not be taken unawares when ministers, yet to be appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari, assume duty. She hoped to use WIFWETN her NGO, to do the needful by liaising with the authorities to ensure that the trip is done to the glory of God and the benefit of every Nigerian.
Commenting on the security challenges in the country, she remarked that there is no country in the world without security challenges. She however, pledged to ensure that the guests are protected during their visit and exposed only to our tourism wealth, to supply them with limitless information of our potentials, because there is the need to move from tourism potential to prosperity now that oil price has become something else.
Dwelling on the familiarisation trip Mr. Fabiyi declared: “because of my background, experience and commitment, I see our stabilizing democratic governance as good omen to sustain this zeal by organizing yet another Fam Trip, this time, travel writers in the US, about 10 of them plan to come to Nigeria as soon as we are ready. They will spend 12 days in all. The move is in partnership with VALinc PR, to compliment what Nigeria tourism writers have been doing and to create a window and a sustainable gateway for the world to see and appreciate our potentials. So the trip is a deliberate effort to expose top media outlets to travel, vacation and cultural opportunities here and to create a rich itinerary and present to the Americans a balanced package of our endowments. They would like to experience firsthand the old traditional Nigeria, visit local producers of food, art, fashion, culinary, nightlife, entertainment, tourist sites, beaches and historical monuments. The trip, all other things being equal, will be reciprocated by us, and would also involve a US road show, meetings with appropriate media and business leaders in target areas such as Harlem, and Brooklyn in New York, Atlanta Georgia, Washington DC, Chicago, Illinois etc.
“Those expected to come include Fathom Away, Travel and Leisure, Conde Nast Traveller, GQ, Time, New York Daily News, The Chicago Tribune and Cuisine Noir. As much as we would benefit immensely from this trip, the cost implication is great and so WIFTWEN cannot carry this burden alone and would seek the sponsorship and partnership of the Federal and State governments to execute this project in the coming months.
“As we wait for President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint his ministers, we hope that our minister will have the industry at heart and create more than the enabling environment for tourism to thrive in Nigeria. Our endorsement will be updated and necessary contacts made with governments of Lagos, Osun, FCT, Kogi, Edo, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa and Cross River to create a soft landing for this project.
“Miss Elizabeth Scott is here to find out and assess our preparations for the FAM Trip. She flew in from the US on Tuesday and has had some local dishes apart from other useful experiences and contacts. Her trip is to demonstrate the commitment of the Americans to the project and advised on how best to package a success.”

BEING THE PRESS TEXT DELIVERED BY OSUN PROGRESSIVE LEFT ON THE STATE OF OSUN.

INTRODUCTION

We of the Osun Progressive Left today organized this parley with the media both print and electronic In order to update the whole world with the politics of do-or-die with extreme bitterness and violence by which the opposition party represented by peoples Democratic Party and their thugs are terrorizing the state.

The basis of our support a popular organizations are cleared, this is based on the pro-peoples, best practice and world acclaimed achievements of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is in doubt as it touches everybody and every part of the state. This media briefing is a show of support and solidarity for a government constituted by the popular mandate of the people through victory in an election upheld as free and fair in all the tribunals up to the Supreme Court.

We actually sympathized with the worker’s who are being owed salaries. We appeal with great concern over this national calamity which is not peculiar to the State of Osun alone but about 24 other states, in fact all states in Nigeria today either owns the salary of states, local government or pensioners, with the exception of lagos. One begins to wonder why Osun state and Mr. Governor are single out for vilifications.

 The peoples democratic party (PDP) shamelessly exploiting a salary crises precipitated by the six year national economic mismanagement of the PDP government headed by Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

We are seriously warning that the government of the state of osun is a government constituted by popular mandate and we will be in support and solidarity to defend it through popular struggle.

The only way democracy understands for change of government is victory in free and fair elections. The opposition should desist from gangsteristics effort to come into government through the back door. They are advice to embrace electoral choice by building up for the next election in 2018 when they can test their popularity

We reject its totally the so called educational summit that the PDP are putting up in the state as this type of educational submit was held in 2011 by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administration. The summit chaired by an erudite world acclaimed Professor Wole Soyinka had a compendium which is now being adopted by the federal government in Nigeria.

However, we have to mention some of the landmark achievement of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. They are stated as follows.

Ø      Infrastructural development within every sector-road, schools, health, airport well thought out as a hanger and aircraft destination, one of its kinds in West Africa, e.t.c. and urban renewals.

Ø      Social welfare in providing for the indigent elderly, the physically challenged, e.t.c

Ø      Youth empowerment, one of a kind, with best practice entrepreneurial training and exit strategy as emergency employment, empowerment and social benefit content.

Ø      Value reorientation and rebranding in the omoluabi ethos to reclaim our humanity, reclaim dignity of labour, sacrifice and commitment to the collective good: Heading to calisthenics, teaching school pupils the cooperative spirit, harmony and synergy.

Ø      And all other innovative, award winning best practices for which the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is famous to the chagrin of malicious and envious neo-liberal, anti-poor constituencies, but for which he has earned the support of all well-meaning people of goodwill worldwide today.

With all these aforementioned achievement it is an incontrovertible fact that the governor should be absolutely absorb of any financial misappropriation or recklessness.

In the meantime, the roots of the temporary, diversionary salary arrears crises are clear, but are being conveniently ignored by electoral losers and the doomed opposition, and their lackeys;viz:

1. Jonathan, and PDP 6 years of “corruption is not stealing” of incredible 400,000 barrels of crude oil theft per day out of 2,600,000 barrels, making a 15percent loss, in fact, but miraculously resulting to a 40percent loss of revenue, from mid 2013 onwards.
2. Above directly resulting in oil price crash, and further fall in oil revenue.
3. Unprecedented looting of the public commonwealth.

Conclusion, we are appealing to the security agencies in the state to rise up to the occasion as the PDP hoodlums have invaded the state in their usual manners. We also called on the state commissioner of police to call to order Mr Niyi Owolade , Mr Yinka Odumakin, Mr Bamidele Adeniyi a.k.a Zangaruwa, Mr Alimi Sulaiman, Mr Funsho Babarinde.

These characters are hell bent on setting this state on fire and unleash violence on the innocent citizen for no just cause.

   Finally we remain and stand resolute in support and solidarity as stated earlier and our position to support good governance in the state of Osun remain unshakeable.

Long live Nigeria, Long live state of Osun.

Aluta continua Victoria Accerta.

Photo shows an Infographic of the social and physical infrastructure programs of the state of Osun.

Please read, and share with family and friends. Let’s educate the world on the true state of our State.

Thank you.

The planned summit on education in Osun state by a group of opposition politicians, Osun Stakeholders, may have suffered a setback as one of the conveners has pulled out of the proposed gathering.
PREMIUM TIMES learnt that one of the conveners, who addressed journalists in Osogbo Friday, to announce the summit, Muyiwa Oladijemi, has told a few people, including some of the organisers, that he was no longer comfortable participating in the event.
He reportedly said he was suspicious of the real motives of other organisers of the summit.
Mr. Oladimeji, a former governorship aspirant and chieftain of the PDP; a former Afenifere spokesperson, Yinka Odumakin; and Niyi Owolade, governorship candidate of Accord Party in the last election, who also served as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, are the three key conveners of the planned summit.
However, when our correspondent called Mr. Oladimeji on Wednesday for his comment on the preparedness of his group for the summit, he directed all inquiries at Messrs Odumakin and Owolade.
“You can call Odumakin and Owolade, they are the ones who have information about the summit,” he said.
Probed further on the level of his involvement, Mr. Oladimeji simply said, “I have answered your question, I have asked you to call Odumakin or Owolade.”
Mr. Owolade’s non-committal response, those close to him said, might not be unconnected with the widespread condemnation the proposed summit, slated for Thursday, has drawn.
The All Progressives Congress in the state described the summit as a smokescreen to orchestrate crisis and then blame it on the government of the APC in the state.
The APC alleged that all those organising the summit were a pack of Peoples Democratic Party’s politicians and other allied political opponents of the government.
It accused the group of merely using the summit to cover its selfish political activities.
The two other conveners, Messrs Odumakin and Owolade, could not be reached for comments Wednesday night.
PREMIUM TIMES

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has appealed to professionals and educators to purposefully promote and disseminate truthful and enlightening information.
The party advised the media to always seek truth and propagate facts that would not mislead the public.
The party’s Director of Publicity, Kunle Oyatomi, was reacting to an article by Prof Niyi Akinnaso.
Oyatomi said: “The publication is perhaps the most graphic, truthful, factual, educative and enlightening piece that has been done by any commentator, critique, reporter or investigative journalist on the financial crisis in Osun.
“It is a model of dispassionate and carefully investigated story told by a person who fully understands what truthful and factual information is all about – to educate an ignorant or misinformed public.
“It is regrettable that in the Nigerian market place of ideas, so much falsehood about Osun has been propagated and assimilated by the gullible and impressionable consumers that the facts contained in Prof. Akinnaso’s piece will be a bitter pill for them to swallow.
“‘Facts garnered from the article are that the economic crisis in Osun was as a result of a reckless, profligate and kleptomanic Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government in Abuja that collapsed the country’s economy.
“That in reality, it was a masterpiece of socio-economic engineering that Aregbesola could still undertake the level of development he achieved before the crash, despite the fact that every kobo earned by the state was used for recurrent expenditure from 2012 to 2014, incurring a deficit of N2 billion.
“The level of ignorance about the Osun situation is so widespread that it becomes a sad commentary on the status of education in the country vis-a-vis the quality of information available.
“People are as educated as the quality of information available for their consumption.  Those who are in that business have a huge responsibility to educate our people correctly.”
The party, therefore, advised that any unbiased person or believer in truth who wants to know the facts about the Osun situation should read Prof Akinnaso’s article.
“No fake summit of unenlightened stakeholders can match the details in that piece”, the party said.
THE NATION

Osun State government workers have been advised to disregard rumours being peddled by mischief makers that the government has decided to be paying half salary to its workforce.
Speaking with newsmen yesterday in Osogbo, the immediate past commissioner for information and strategy, Mr Sunday Akere, said at no time was such a decision taken.
Akere said that in the process of negotiating the call-off of the six weeks industrial action embarked upon by the workers, agreement was reached that the government would make efforts to clear the backlog of salary arrears as soon as the relief package announced by the federal government was received by the state.
He said, “The relief package for the benefit of the doubting Thomases is in three phases, the first being the $2.1billion paid as tax by NLNG and Shell which was shared among the three tiers of government. The second is the N300billion being made available by the CBN for states that are owing their workers to access as loan, while the third is the rescheduling of the debt owed by states by the Debt Management Office so that repayment of the debts will become easier and spread to longer years.
“While the share of Osun State from the NLNG money was N2.2billion, the CBN grant is yet to be received while the DMO rescheduling is for future allocation to the state.
“On receipt of the N2.2billion NLNG lifeline, the governor instructed that the sum of N100million be added to ensure that payment is done to all categories of workers irrespective of their take home pay.”
LEADERSHIP

The Civil Societies Coalition for Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEO) has kicked against plan by the State Assembly Committee set up to look into the petition of Justice Oloyede Folahanmi against Governor Rauf Aregbesola and his deputy, Mrs. Titilayo Grace Tomori, to sit behind closed door.
The group insisted that the Speaker, Hon. Najeem Salam should stand by his earlier statement that the investigation would be conducted openly, saying refusal to do this is a betrayal of the people’s trust.
Besides, the group in a statement signed by its chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Sulaiman, rejected the 7-man panel comprising only members of All Progressives Congress (APC) in an assembly with two opposition members from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to CSCEO, the step taken by the leadership of the state assembly showed that it lacked the integrity and the will power to dispassionately and justly investigate the allegations of financial impropriety of Aregbesola.
While demanding that the governor’s response to the petition be made public, the coalition said all indications have shown that the committee had written its report before commencing sitting.
“To even found out that the House Minority Leader, Hon. Dejo Makinde holds Masters Degree in Law, which put him in vantage position for such assignment but was not considered has revealed that the Assembly leadership’s had clandestine arrangement unknown to many.
“Going by what we gathered, the committee has planned to give Aregbesola a clean bill and that was why the Speaker did not allow any member of the opposition to be part of this dirty deal: Adenyi said
GUARDIAN NEWS