Parents of primary school pupils and secondary school students in Osun State have declared their support for the second term ambition of Governor Rauf Aregbesola as they unanimously endorsed him for second term in office.

The parents under the aegis of Parents /Teachers Association (PTA) declared their support for Aregbesola during the presentation of awards to some select teachers in the state.

The parents, numbering over 10,000, who converged on the playground of Government Technical College, Osogbo, said they were convinced that Aregbesola would serve the state better than he has done if given the second term chance, hence their endorsement.

The state chairman of the PTA, Dr Ademola Ekundayo who spoke on behalf of the over 200,000 parents in the state said the parents endorsed Aregbesola based on his achievements in the education sector in his first term in office.

Dr Ekundayo who, highlighted the achievements of Governor Aregbesola in the education sector, noted that his government has set a pace which would be difficult to meet by any other administration in the state.

He assured the Governor that parents in all the 30 Local Government Areas in the state would mobilize support for him in all the nooks and crannies of the state, stressing that “it will be very easy to draw support for Aregbesola as he had already campaigned with his numerous achievements.”

He called on the people of the state not to jettison the future of their children, saying that ignoring Aregbesola for any other candidate would amount to jettisoning the lives of the students and pupils in various public schools in the state.

The PTA Chairman who cited the introduction of tablets of knowledge  otherwise known as “opon Imon” for senior secondary school students in the state as a laudable achievement said the schools reclassification programme of the Aregbesola’s administration despite wide criticisms has become envy for other states in the country.

He enjoined all the parents of school children in the state to troop out en-masse on election day and cast their votes for Governor Aregbesola.

In his remarks, Aregbesola who expressed gratitude to the parents in the state said he would dedicate his second term in office to the development of the state, with special concentration on education sector.

He promised not to disappoint the people of the state, especially parents of public school children if given the opportunity to serve for a second term in office, stressing that his administration would remain committed to the course of good governance.

SUNNEWS

Professor Mojeed Alabi is a former Speaker of the State Assembly of Osun, presently a lecturer at the University of Ilorin and a leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state.

The Professor of Political Science, Adjunct Professor of Public Law, legal practitioner and policy consultant, in this interview session attended by thegazellenews.com reflects on the achievements of Governor Rauf Aregbesola in the governance of Osun and the reasons he should be re-elected. 
Excerpts:

What makes your party, APC a progressive party and different from other political parties?

If you look at the development of party system in Nigeria, you will discover that there have always been difference between those that we regard as the progressives and the others whose interest is primarily in furtherance of business interest or private selfish interest. Unfortunately, for the greater part of post-independent Nigeria, these set of people that we call progressive have not been able to come together, except, perhaps for the very short period of Ibrahim Babangida transition programme when two parties were decreed. And it was that coming together of the Social Democratic Party that actually propelled the election of Chief MKO Abiola as the Presidential candidate, but eventually, the election was annulled. The APC now represents the first major post-independent attempt among the progressive to come together to rescue the governance of the states from the people, who simply have no idea about governance in terms of using the instrumentality of state power to further the interest of the downtrodden masses.

So, the APC, in the first history of Nigeria is a major attempt and first major dominant force to have successfully threatened the party in power, the PDP. Although, we have not taken over government, but this is the first time that the party is feeling threatened by an opposition party to ensure the need for a new way of doing things. That is what the APC represents and that is what  differentiates it from others.

In Osun, will you say the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has been able to translate the ideals of progressiveness into concrete development?

One must appreciate the efforts of this government in turning around the state. The idea of governance itself is putting social infrastructural in place for people to be able to realise their individual self-development. Development is not about government distributing money to individual, because there is no way government can embark on such method and be able to satisfy everyone. In civilised society, governance is about putting in place appropriate structural, appropriate infrastructural, social, economic amenities that would enable us as individuals to realise the highest potential of our being and be able to say we can live the way a normal human being should live. That is what the present government of Osun has been able to do.

You will see network of roads through which people, who are based here and are involve in the production of things that could be useful in other states, could easily move their products to those states, while those things that are produced somewhere else and needed by the people of Osun can come easily. That is the law of comparative advantage. For example, we use to talk about Israel, Saudi Arabia as a dry land, but people who go there will tell you that they eat fresh fruit. They are not produced there, but they have the needed infrastructure to make sure they get what they want, even if those things are not produced there. And conversely, where they produce things in excess of what they need, there is also opportunity to transport it to where they are needed so that they can make added income.

Again, look at the education in Osun, I realise that this government has discovered that in any society, the development of individual is key to societal development. So, human resource development is also one critical area of development that I have seen in this government and that starts from the root of education. Before you can begin to build a sound mind in a sound body, you have to start from the foundation and that is why this government should be appreciated for putting in place structures, amenities and provisions that would make it attractive to children to want to stay in school. That is why every school that is being built now would have the needed furniture, the needed facilities that would make it attractive, the needed laboratory that would make students to want to grab the nitty-gritty of science for the development of the nation and well equipped library where students can bury their heads to increase their knowledge.

Apart from that, we have seen civil servants, especially the junior cadre, who are saying they have never gone on training, but under this government, several of them are going on continuous training. This is part of human development because it is only when humans are developed in terms of intellect that they or can see what is good in government and use his or her training to contribute to the development of the state. What makes people to struggle to travel abroad, in my view, Aregbesola has started doing it and that is development. 

Look at agriculture under this government and see the way government has gone into massive production of fishery and reviving the concept of farm settlements. This is one of the area where Osun can reap the benefits of comparative advantage because a lot of our people here engage in agriculture. So, when you provide the needed environment to cultivate that, then, we can have excess. The essence of taking dual carriage way from Akoda to Gbongan and from Gbongan to Ijebu-Igbo is that if we produce at the scale the government want us to produce, there is tendency that we may not be able to consume everything, and the easiest market for us is Lagos. That road is the easiest way to Lagos and since we have good way of transporting what we produce, the production will be higher and the product will not be destroyed.  That is what China is doing which is developing their economy. That is the idea I have seen in this government.

Also, look at Osun Youths Empowerment Scheme (OYES). Some critics are saying that how can you say a graduate should be sweeping on the road, and I ask, Is it not better to do something than to do nothing? An idle hand is the devil’s workshop. When you have something to do that is earning you money, is it not better? There is one aspect that some people have not seen, the OYES is not for you to just go there and graduate in two years, I have seen some youths in OYES, who have used the opportunity of the scheme to acquire other skills, through which they have become independent earners of income today. In any event, the OYES is not a full time day job, they spend between two to three hours and if you are productive as a beneficiary, you have the opportunity of using the remaining 22 hours to pursue something else. This is a programme that help youths to think on how to spend the N10,000 they are earning to making something big out of it. In fact, some of them have been employed into the civil service, some have stood on their own and some have gotten offer somewhere else.
Look at Agba Osun, some people are complaining that some elders are not getting, but they have forgotten that some elders don’t deserve it because they have children that are taking care of them.  For instance my mother is 80 years and if you give her that money, it does not make any sense, because I even give her more than that in a month. There are some of them who don’t have anybody to take care of them. Though, the government cannot give to everybody, but the fact that some people are taking it is something and I am aware that others would also be considered in the second phase. 

Therefore, it is a fact that Aregbesola has laid a good foundation for development and development must be cumulative and sustainable in the sense that when you spend your term, another person would come to build on it. But in a situation whereby a good foundation is laid and someone now comes to take us backward by so many steps, development can never be cumulative as we want it to be.

Like I said, development is not a day affair, it is cumulative and it is in that that we can begin to see the greatness of Osun. That is why the concept of “Osun Adara” is an elating one that is intended to make the people to be futuristic. That means you are continuously productive and prospective. It means that we have not reached where we are going no matter what this government has achieved and we must continue to improve and sustain that legacy until Osun becomes what we want it to become.

What will you say are the effects of those programmes and policies on the people and economy of the state?

Of course, we have seen very fundamental changes in the economy of the state. For example, through OYES, government is sinking N200 million into the economy of the state every month and the money is circulating within the state. Also, the concept of new uniform has attracted an investor into the state, through which many of our youths have also been employed. The fact that we have good road, travellers are passing through the state and they buy things on the roadside and many others. Even for those who are involved in property, there have been increase in their business, because every day, people are relocating to Osun due to the development that we now have.

Apart from that, as the roads are being constructed, bricklayers, labourers, people who are selling sand and gravel among others are getting job to do. It is when they get money from working that they also think of paying taxes and doing things for themselves. The issue is that, each individual has seen improvement on his or her living.

There have been several rumours, ranging from the fact that Osun owed N350 billion; that Opon Imo project was awarded to governor’s cronies. Do you see this as merely political talk?

On the debt, it is just a distraction and the government has been vindicated when a Federal Government agency, Debt Management Office, said Osun is not owing such debt. It is just political and those who are spreading such rumour have been disappointed and they should stop lying.

On the other hand, I am not in the position to talk about who a contract is awarded and who is benefiting from it, but my own is that I have seen what I want to see. I don’t know who is doing the Opon Imo, but the issue is that I have seen a product, an initiative that is useful for our children. I saw polytechnic students who are saying they feel like going back to secondary school to take the advantage of Opon Imo. I see these lies and rumours as just political gimmick to deceive the people and those that are spreading such falsehood should stop playing on the intelligence of Osun people. For me it does not matter who constructs the road as long as it is solid enough to last for so many years. It does not matter who is in charge of building the market as long as we have functional Ayegbaju International Market where our people have the opportunity of buying and selling. The question is: are we getting value for our money or not? There are so many opposition members who are gaining from this government, the opportunity which we didn’t have when they were there. Somebody was telling me that about 60 per cent of OYES cadets are either PDP members or their relatives and even in the just-recruited civil servants, they are many.

So, all those unfounded rumours that somebody did this and that are coming from people of little minds. People of great minds want to see what are the results of what the government is doing.

Do you think what Aregbesola has done enough to earn him second term in office?

In a normal and civilised society, he needs not campaign at all. In a normal society, not even many candidates would ever want to contest against him, because the issue would be, let us see where this man will end his tenure having started on a good note. I must not be oblivious of the fact that there are other factors we use in this part of the world to choose who governs us, perhaps, because of the level of underdevelopment. As a government, you have a choice of using public fund for the development of the people or you use it for the aggrandizement of the leadership. Aregbesola has not used the resources for the aggrandizement of the leaders and that is why you don’t see business as usual in Osun APC. Leaders of our party are the one that suffered for what the government has been able to do today and as for me, I am proud to be part of that sacrifice. What is important is not what is coming into my pocket, rather what I am able to see in terms of development.

Thus, for me, I don’t see anything that will stop the man Aregbesola from winning the election. Of course, there are other things that people are insinuating, like bringing soldiers, police, using photocromic voting equipment, rigging, violence and all that, but I think we have risen beyond that level. Our people in Osun are civilised and the kind of calamity that befell the people of Ekiti would not befall us in Osun by the grace of God. Come August 9, the people of Osun will show to the world that we can see the difference between a person, who want to make a positive impact on us and someone who want to milk us.

The issue in this election is development versus ‘chop-make-I-chop. And I know that the people of Osun are much more sophisticated to be able to see and read between the lines and know where their interest lies. I also know that their interest lies in continuation of our development, because I don’t want to imagine Aregbesola losing that election. Does it mean all these roads will stop? Does it mean OYES will stop? Does it mean school feeding of children will stop? Does it mean the construction of new schools will stop? The implication of his loss will be too catastrophic for the entire state and we may not get back on line for many years to come. So, I don’t pray for it and I believe that the people of Osun are not praying for that too. We are working hard to make sure that this dividends of democracy, which are pleasant to all of us, will continue for quite some time.

GAZELLENEWS

Ahead of the August 9, 2014 governorship election in Osun State, womenfolk have been admonished to assist in the propagation of the sustenance of the current peace in the state by preaching it in their household, preaching it in their communities, preaching it in churches and mosques, as well in market and across the state.

The rally was attended by all political office holders in the state, women party chieftains, female lawmakers, civil society groups, professionals, market women among others.This was the main thrust of the one-day rally on women in politics held at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo organized by the office of the Wife of the Governor, Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola in collaboration with the State Ministry of Women and Children Affairs.

Lectures on how to achieve the needed peace before, during and after the election was also delivered by Mrs. M O Oluyamo who taught them what needed to be done to achieve the desired results.

The guest speaker, Oluyamo, called on government at all levels to make sure that women are giving more recognition in the governance.

She observed that women are known for peace and harmonious co-existence. Where you see women doing the contrary, engaging in violent acts, then it must be like a Yoruba adage that “eniyan lo kesinloro, esinoni  ka ninu rara”, meaning it is the people that thought the horse how to be wicked, that horse is not known to be as such.

While noting that the important role of women in the peace process cannot be overemphasized, she said that “if there is any time the great contribution of women to the peace of our society is needed, it is now that the election is near.

According to her, “it is high time we forget about the sentiment of gender and make good use of the intelligent and positive contributions of women for a peaceable co-existence within the society.

The guest lecturer maintained that women suffer disproportionately when peace is lost either in the home or in the society. It therefore behoves on women to stop whatever activity they involve in that disrupt peace.

“The causes of breach of peace and insecurity in our land had been at one time or the other blamed on the failure on the part of women to bring up their children properly. While some people may view this as an unfair judgment, it may not be too far from the truth because several women hardly have time for their children in today’s competitive world. This is not limited to the educated working class, even petty traders, business women and politicians are more preoccupied with other things than the care of their children and wards. Such children are susceptible and vulnerable.

She explained that women are naturally not criminals, but driven to unscrupulous behaviour by many factors and likely to demonstrate remorse. They are also perceived as less dangerous and more amenable to rehabilitation, unlike men.

She further stressed that the role of women cannot be taken lightly in nation building adding that women are patient (though we have some who are impatient) they know what to say and how to act to maintain and sustain peace either in the home or society.

Mrs. Oluyamo noted that family responsibilities and child bearing are major hindrances for women participation in politics but advised that women must venture into active politics to balance male domination of the sector.

As women, we must go into politics and be the salt not by seducing men or destabilising fellow women’s homes or wandering aimlessly around men. As women in politics, let us demand for our rightful positions when we hold political meetings, let us ask and receive answer to pertinent questions from the male aspirants.

“My appeal is that women must be strategically sensitized and prepared not only for electioneering purposes but also for their full and quality participation in all political processes in Nigeria. This is even more urgent as get closer to August 9 governorship election in Osun and the 2015 general elections”, she said.

In her welcome address, the State Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Mrs. Mofolake Adetoun Adegboyega  saluted the dutifulness and vibrancy of women in the state, saying “if we as women allow peace to reign together we will work assiduously to build a better society where people learn to love, tolerate one another live in harmony and foster development.

She appealed to all to rise up and take up their rightful position in political process and governance adding that this should be done in unity and peace.

While speaking, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, expressed optimism in women, stressing that his administration has been recognising their role since inception.

He said his harmonious relation with women has given him courage, promising that more slot will be given to women if elected.

Recounting his support for women in the last three and half years, Aregbesola said that the prayer of widow is enough to make him emerge in the coming election.

In her key note address, the wife of the Governor who is also the convener admonished women to unite for peace and ensure that the transformation agenda of the current administration does not suffer.

Mrs. Aregbesola noted that the only way to ensure that the on- going transformation continued unabated is to ensure that Governor Rauf Aregbesola emerged victorious in the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

She called for re-election of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

She enjoined women in the state to always champion the crusade for peace by warning their children to shun act of thuggery and violence in the coming election.

Mrs. Sherifat, who appreciated the support of women for her husband, however appealed to women to support her husband by voting for him in the coming election.

She also called on women to participate more in politics saying that it was a better way of widening the frontiers of development in the society.

According to her, “the goal of encouraging our women to take active roles in politics is to widen the frontiers of development in our society. Development around the world has shown that women have very crucial role to play in any nation that desires to witness sustainable development.

“I therefore enjoin our women to rise up and fire the needed political passion to be able to mobilise more women for a common front in politics. This will balance the political arena and create opportunities for more women to be in the forefront of political process and development.

“The people of our dear state will soon step out on August 9th 2014 to cast their ballot for further development of our great state. I enjoy you all to make peace and harmony the key driving factors throughout the political process. You should step out to cast your ballot in a peaceful and orderly manner. After the balloting, you should also maintain peace while you wait for your votes to be counted right in front of you.

“As mothers let us preach peace in our household, peace in our communities, peace in our churches and mosques, peace to those in the market and peace throughout the state.

She however commended her husband for working tirelessly to improve the lot of women in the state. He has demonstrated commendable love for the women through the appointments made into government and various pro-women policies and programmes being implemented.

She also commended the tremendous support being given to government policies and programmes by our women. Let us ensure that this level of support continues to the greater good of our state.

DAILY INDEPENDENT

Honourable Gbadamosi Okunlola Lawal was a member of the old Oyo State House of Assembly between 1979 to 1983. He was elected under the platform of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). Hon. Lawal has been a progressive since 1952. He had a stint as the chairman Ikirun District Council between 1959 to 1961. Since early fifties, the octogenarian politician has remained in the progressive fold. In this interview with him in Ikirun, he spoke about the progressive, his party; the Aregbesola administration and the forth-coming election in the state among other issues, here are excerpts.

Sir, you are known as a progressive in the politics of Osun, what differentiate the progressives from the conservatives and how can you relate that to your All Progressive Congress in Osun?

To start with, I have been in politics since 1954, I contested as a Councilor in 1954 and I won that election. Since then I have been in the progressive, I can never be in a party that is conservative in nature, personally, I like to serve my people rather go about collecting money for my own gain, I also hate a situation where people intimidate others, when I compare both side it became obvious that I should be a progressive. The APC for example in Osun is truly a progressive party, since Aregbesola got back his mandate, he has been doing a lot of things that we have not witness in this state, if it is for him to get money he wouldn’t have come to Osun at all, all what the governor is doing are pointers to the fact that he is a progressive. Within his 100 days in office, he employed 20,000 youths under Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES), that means a lot, because we have never witness such governor in the state, this scheme cost government 200 million naira in a month, after that is the O-meals programme where primary school pupils are being fed every day, there are some pupils before now who attend school without taking any meal from their house, but now, pupils are eager to go to school because of the free meal, it has also increased enrollment because most of these pupils live with their grandparents who can hardly take care of them, but government is doing that. As if that was not enough, through the feeding programme, government also employed over 3000 caterers who cook for these pupils, some of the caterers through the job feed their families, then O-REAP for farmers, O-SCHOOLS, where government is building new schools and renovating schools, some that has been built during the Awolowo era, even the standard of the structures that Aregbesola is putting in place now, some of the so called university that we have cannot boost to have what we have in Osun. The people in the state love this government and I am sure that if election is free and fair, we must get about 85% of the vote, even in this Local Government, we are working towards 95% now, because we feel the pulse of the people, that is why we can say all these.

People are saying much about what this government has borrowed, some say Osun’s debt is 350 billion Naira, what is your take on this?

I am sorry to use this language, they are mad, how can a government borrow over 350 billion Naira? I don’t think banks can give a state up to that amount, does their banking regulations allow for that? How can a government borrow 350 billion, when Olagunsoye Oyinlola borrowed 18 billion during the last period of his administration, people raised questions that what is he going to do with the money at a time when his administration was ending, was it not when Aregbesola came that he re-negotiated the conditions of the loan?. Let us now assumed that he borrowed money, we can all see what he is doing with the money, because in the olden days people were agitating for the non payments of tax and that was not general, but if people see what they are doing with the money, nobody will agitate. Like I mentioned if the state is saying to everybody that it has borrowed 35billion, we can all see what he has done with the money, there is development in Osun. The noise is the hand work of opposition, because they have nothing to offer and they have to discredit him, you listen to their campaign, do they have any manifesto?

There is another one which says that in every APC government, the shoe always pinches the civil servants and the teachers unlike that of PDP government which has cash liquidity in town?

During the days of PDP, there are many ghost workers unknown to the governor, which is the work of the civil servants; they have as many ghost workers as possible. When awarding contracts, they bargain with contractors to inflate contract sum, if they have grievances now, I want to belief that is normal because the leakages have been closed, that is why they are angry with the government. This has nothing of interest to the masses, the masses don’t benefit from the leakages, it is only few civil servants that enjoy from this, because it benefits their pockets alone after their salary. About teachers, during the PDP government, they introduced lesson for the student after school hours where they collect money from the students doing nothing is it what they failed to teach the student during the school hours that they will now teach them when they can no longer assimilate?. This is not in the interest of the students but for the interest of their pockets, because they levy them, but now the present government has stop that and made education totally free. How will they not be angry, because their pockets have been offended, and I want you to know that civil servants have no politics but their pocket is their politics?

What is your reaction as a resident politician in Osun that most of the people in Aregbesola cabinet are from Lagos?

No, they are not Lagosians, the person sitting next to you is an appointee and he is from Ikirun and so many of them, they may be living in Lagos, the Attorney-general is from Ikirun and we all know them. Assuming we don’t even know them at home, does that mean we should allow them to die in foreign land? We want to bring them home. I believe there is no point in that, they are all from Osun state, and they may be living in Lagos. What of Aregbesola himself, but people prefer his government to every other government they have seen in the state and that of people who have been living in the state, whereas he was in Lagos before, that should not be an excuse at all.

As the August 9 gubernatorial election approaches, what is your expectation?

We are going to win the election; the other candidates will lose their deposit because in those days if you want to contest election, you have to pay some certain deposit, if you score a certain percentage, you will get your money back, but if you score below that, you will lose your deposit. Sincerely speaking, after they lose that election, they will also lose their various deposits.

What gives you this confidence, there are insinuations that the state will be militarized and coming from the background of the Ekiti election where we have heavy military presence and that of other security agents, don’t you think people will be intimidated?

We have no fears as that is concerned, our people will be educated, we have been telling them should it be soldiers or police, they have only come to protect them and not to harass them and the party is doing much on that before the election. There is no compound in this state where you will not get a graduate, we will use them to educate people that soldiers are meant to protect them and we also advise every security officers that will be drafted to Osun to play according to the rules of the game.

What is your general assessment of Aregbesola’s administration, will you say it has affected positively on the masses?

I have said that before, is it the children that he is giving free meals to that you want me to talk about, go to town and listen to the songs on their lips, “daddy, mummy, uncle and sisters you must vote for Aregbesola” nobody taught them. We have no fear about the election, as far as we are concerned it is going to be victory all the way, because our people are not ingrate. The positive transformation of Osun by Aregbesola will translate to massive votes by our people, come August 9, victory is certain. Osun cannot be left in the hands of people who are going to set it back, the consequences will be so great that the children coming behind will suffer for it, and they will not forgive us, Aregbesola has brought genuine development and he deserve to continue his purpose driven government.

Photos showing the people’s reaction towards Governor Rauf Aregbesola at his Re-election Campaign in Ijesa South Federal Constituency on Tuesday 15-07-2014

Known locally as O’Meals, the Osun State Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme, is viewed as a means to combat hunger, increase primary school enrolment and to encourage local and state-wide economic growth. Described as a win-win-win programme for children, smallholder farmers and small businesses operated by women and youths the programme provides hot nutritionally balanced school meals to over 252,000 children every school day. At the same time it provides employment and income to thousands of local caterers, farmers and traders.
Relaunched in April 2012 by the Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s Osun State Government, O’Meals has grown to become globally acknowledged as a leading example of an effective Home Grown School Feeding (HGSF) programme providing hot, fresh and nutritious meals, using ingredients procured from local smallholder farmers.
Since the programme’s inception, the Partnership for Child Development (PCD), based at Imperial College London, has been providing technical support to the Osun State Government to develop a sustainable government-led school feeding programme.
O’Meals in Action School enrolment and attendance:  Within four weeks of the O’Meals launch, school enrolment increase by approximately 25% . According to the Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics July 2013 edition, Osun has the highest primary school enrolment rates in Nigeria- a feat largely attributable to O’Meals.
Creating jobs
O’Meals promotes and boosts income generation opportunities, particularly for women. To date, the programme has economically empowered over 3,000  previously unemployed women by hiring them as food vendors, to serve nutritious meals to pupils during the school term.
Scaling up fish-farming
The Osun State Government in collaboration with Osun-based Feg-Agro Farms Limited, and the Association of Aquaculture Farmers and Agro- Processors of Nigeria, invested N253 Million to implement the Osun Fisheries Outgrowers Production Scheme  (OFOPS). This scheme helps to improve the livelihood of 2000  fish out-growers for mass fish production in the state. Each week these fish out growers produce approximately 5  metric tonnes of fish for the O-Meals. In tandem with this, 100 factory workers are involved in the fish processing. In the first three months of the project OFOPS generated a profit of N2.5 million  ($15,330).
Investing in Osun’s Poultry Industry
The Osun broilers Out-growers Production Scheme (OBOPS) initiative seeks to boost the state’s chicken production to enable it to supply the 15,000 chickens and 252,000 eggs required every week by the O’Meals programme. Similar to the fisheries model, the OBPOS programme contracts out the growing of chickens to a network of over 2,000  smallholder farmers by supplying them with of 3.1 million  day old chicks, leading to the production of 4.4 million  kg of broiler meat valued at N1.7 million  for O’Meals. This scheme has earned a profit of N 185 million ($ 1,129,770) from December 2011 to date.
Key Facts
Number of children enrolled in primary school (elementary class 1-4): 252,793
Programme coverage: 100%
Days school meals are provided: 200 (100%)
Cost per day of O’Meals: N12.6 Million ($77,381)
Cost per child per day: N50 ($0.31)
Annual total expenditure on O’Meals: ($159,558,149)
Funding
Expenditure of the O-MEALS Programme is being shared by the State Government and all constituting Local Government Councils. The State contributes 40% whilst Local Government Councils contribute 60%.
READ THE FULL REPORT HERE …Omeals Snap Shot July 2014
 

Thousands of women stormed the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, Osun State Thursday last week when Governor Rauf Aregbesola launched a special empowerment scheme for women who are heads of their households. ADETUTU AUDU reports that a cheque of N375m was given out to the jubilant women.
The jubilant crowd mostly of women that converged on the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, capital of Osun State Thursday last week was an appreciative one. And the women had every cause to be as they showed their appreciation through singing, dancing and prayers for the Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola. Their joy and appreciation were not out of place. That day the Aregbesola administration was giving out N375 million in aid of women who head their respective households in the state.
Apart from giving the women stipend monthly, they will also be trained in vocations common to their area after which at the end of the 12th month, they will each be given a seed money to start small scale business.
The only condition attached to the beneficiary households was that they should make use of government infrastructure – meaning pregnant women in such households should make use of government health facilities while their children attend government schools.
Also, at the event, new ultra-modern hand-held ultrasound diagnostic scanners (touch screen) and mirror-3d (colour) Doppler ultrasound diagnostic scanners were launched.
Speaking at the event, Governor Aregbesola restated the commitment of his administration to making life better for the generality of the people of the state. “With all sense of modesty, I want to say that there is no household in Osun State that our administration has not touched positively,” he said.
According the governor, the programme being launched was the pilot programme assuring that it will spread to other local government areas in the state.
“You have not seen anything yet. We want to ensure that poverty is reduced to the barest minimum in this state. That is why our programme is anchored on the development of our people,” he assured.
Speaking on the scanners, the governor stated that they were procured to ensure reduction in maternal mortality and reduce incidence of stroke among the populace.
“The first scanner will scan pregnant women and detect the position of the unborn baby for any necessary medical action if there is need, while the second scanner detects early stroke symptoms in people for early medication,” Aregbesola explained.
The governor was emphatic on the fact that: “pregnant women and others that will make use of these facilities will not pay any money – it is free”.
The programme climaxed with the handing over of a  N375 million cheque to the heads of the benefitting households and the commissioning of the ultra-modern, ultrasound scanners.
The Senior Special Assistant to Governor Aregbesola on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Honourable Abdullah Adeyanju Binuyo, under whose office the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme was executed, described it as a win, win situation for the people.
“From whichever way you look at it, the people are the winners. They are not only the direct beneficiaries but also all the positive multiplier effects of the programme come back as plus for the people,” the SSA said.
He explained further: “we give out N5,000 monthly to the head of each benefitting household who is a woman. That is the cash aspect. Residents of the benefitting households must make use of government facilities that is the condition. The transfer aspect is that the money given out will be spent in the state; that is ploughing back the money into the state economy thereby contributing to its development. At the end of the 12th month, each head of the benefitting household will get N100,000 to start a small scale businesses of their own. Remember that the pregnant women are treated free at government hospitals while the children enjoy not only free education but they also get free school uniform and are fed free. So the people are the ultimate winners of this programme”.
Explaining further, the state Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Mrs. Mofolake Adegboyega, stated that the benefitting households were not picked at random. “They were selected through a thorough research by the consultant we employed to do so and the woman is a Professor from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife. It took her six months of crisscrossing the nooks and crannies of this state to arrive at the list of beneficiaries,” she explained.
According to her, the pilot scheme involved five local government areas in the state with 100 from each local government. A total of 2,250 households will benefit from this programme,” she said.
NATION

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Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his Oyo counterpart, Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi, acknowledging cheers from the mammoth crowd, during a campaign rally for Aregbesola’s Re-election at Unity School, Ejigbo, State of Osun on Monday 21-07-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his Oyo counterpart, Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi (On Top of Bus), acknowledging cheers from the mammoth crowd, during a campaign rally for Aregbesola’s Re-election at Unity School, Ejigbo, State of Osun on Monday 21-07-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his Oyo counterpart, Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi (On Top of Bus), acknowledging cheers from the mammoth crowd, during a campaign rally for Aregbesola’s Re-election at Unity School, Ejigbo, State of Osun on Monday 21-07-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his Oyo counterpart, Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi (On Top of Bus), acknowledging cheers from the mammoth crowd, during a campaign rally for Aregbesola’s Re-election at Unity School, Ejigbo, State of Osun on Monday 21-07-2014

From Top left, First Civilian Governor of Osun, Senator Isiaka Adeleke;
Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; his Oyo State
counterpart, Governor Abiola Ajimobi and others addressing the crowd during Aregbesola’s Re-election
Campaign at Unity School, Ejigbo, State of Osun on Monday 21-07-2014

From Top left, First Civilian Governor of Osun, Senator Isiaka Adeleke;
Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; his Oyo State
counterpart, Governor Abiola Ajimobi and others addressing the crowd during Aregbesola’s Re-election
Campaign at Unity School, Ejigbo, State of Osun on Monday 21-07-2014

From right, Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; his State of
Osun Counterpart, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; first Civilian Governor of
Osun, Senator Isiaka Adeleke; Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori
and others, during Aregbesola’s Re-election Campaign at Unity School,
Ejigbo, State of Osun on Monday 21-07-2014

Osun State Governor, Governor Rauf Aregbesola has said he is overwhelmed by the achievements of his administration in the last three and a half years, promising that he will do more to further transform the state.
The governor stated this  at the weekend while relocating over 1,300 traders and shop owners along the MDS Road, Osogbo to a permanent site.
The governor said he had equally earmarked a sum of N2billion as compensation to traders and shop owners in the area.
He also handed over the parcel of land allocated to the traders and shop owners whose structures were affected by the road expansion.
Aregbesola said since the inception of his administration, numerous developmental projects had been completed, and thus had transformed the state beyond his expectation.
He noted that he was aware of the fact that the means of livelihood of the displaced traders under the umbrella of MDS Shop Owners Association had been affected by the demolition exercise, saying there was no gain without pain.
While making reference to those that were affected by the renovation of the railway area, now the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, the governor said: “Most of them were not happy when we asked them to vacate the area but now, they are praising the state government for engineering the new look of the area.”
The governor said all the beautiful countries and cities of the world were not created by God said they were developed by the government of the countries and cities.
He, therefore, thanked the traders for their patience and cooperation with his government since they were displaced.
Earlier in his welcome address, the state Commissioner for Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Muyiwa Ige, said: “Everything that we see as being good and pleasant globally had at one time or the other passed through some processes with certain prices paid at each stage.”
Ige then appreciated the traders for their cooperation and understanding, saying that the parcel of land being handed over to them falls within the government commercial/industrial layout and covers approximately 20.919 hectares.
He said the new MDS Market situated beside the Aje International Market, still under construction by the state government, had already a borehole and electricity, adding that police post, health centre, fire station, filling station, banking mall among other facilities would be built on the market which would enhance immediate growth and economic empowerment of the traders.
THISDAY