Osun State House of Assembly yesterday passed the bill seeking to extend the retirement age of academic staff and non-academic staff of the state-owned tertiary institutions from 60 to 65 years.

Sequel to a motion moved by the House Leader, Timothy Owoeye, shortly after the bill passed through the committee, whole and necessary amendment were made from clauses 1 to 4.

It would be recalled that both academic and non-academic staff of the state-owned institutions have been on strike since February, demanding extension of the retirement age among other agitations.

Addressing his colleagues, the Speaker, Najeem Salam, expressed optimism that the passage of the bill would resolve the crisis between staff of the tertiary institutions and the government.

“By the passage of this bill, I think we have resolved the issue of the retirement age that has been the bone of contention in our tertiary institutions. “I believe with this exercise that we have done, the teaching and nonteaching staff would return to work.

“If there is any other agitation, I think that can be resolved when they resume work, at least, for the sake of our children who have been at home and wasted time in their academic pursuit,” he said.

He added that the parliament ensured speedy passage of the bill because the administration of Rauf Aregbesola wanted schools to reopen as soon as possible.

NATIONAL MIRROR

Osun State Security Council has debunked the wide spread rumour of Boko Haram operations in the state. Rising from its meeting, which lasted for several hours on Wednesday, the council denied any terrorist operation that could be linked to Boko Haram in any part of the state.

The state Police Commissioner, Ibrahim Maishanu, who addressed newsmen after the meeting, said: “What happened in Ile-Ife recently was a minor explosion and not a major one as reported by a section of the media.”

Other security chiefs at the briefing included the Director of State Security Services, Mr. Andrew, Commandant, Nigerian Army Engineering Construction Regiment, Ede, Brig General Gbenga Adeyemo and Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Muhammed Hussein.

Maishanu said the detachment of police that went to the spot of the explosion only found a banger and not a deadly explosive or bomb as was reported.

He said there was no threat to lives and property as Osun still remained one of the most peaceful states in the country.

He enjoined people in the state to go about their lawful activities without any hinderance.

THE SUN

We had barely driven past Ibadan when a call came in, informing that a bomb blast  had gone off in Ile-Ife, in the state of Osun. I was advised not to proceed, as one of my stops on this trip, the APC Governorship Osun Rally, could be a target of such a bomb blast.
I remained insistent it was an explosion which could have been caused by any other reason, but not a bomb blast…couldn’t be a bomb blast. There are no bomb blasts in Southern Nigeria. Nobody could be that dumb as to expose themselves as the real Boko Haram, not over a small state like Osun. I was very wrong.
In Ekiti, 2 people had been shot dead by security agents during the APC campaign following the elections. Nobody was brought to book. In Ekiti, somebody was inducing voters with food, nobody has been asked questions. In Ekiti, APC party chieftains were abducted, disenfranchised, and their followers subdued by the Nigerian Army, no one has been queried.
All of these shadow operations carried out to blur, the mission, and provide reasons and explanations to cover up the massive rigging in that state. Now that the Ekiti formular for masking rigging has proven successful, the plan is to up the anté in Osun. Why shoot 2 people when you can bomb an entire community? Why bribe with bags of rice when you can use plates of ‘amala’? Why abduct party chieftains using the Army, when you can assassinate them with a sniper squad?!
During my previous visit to Osun state, market women in a convoy headed to the Osun Rally in Iwo were ambushed and beaten up by thugs. This time, a convoy of Okada riders was crashed into by a bus loaded with thugs also attacked the riders with sticks and cutlasses for good measure.
I’m not a member of the APC, I would have done what I should do when visited with such madness. However, for the few members I know, I advised that they take precise and decisive action against the perpetrators of this “Capture The SouthWest” agenda. You don’t capture electorate, you win people over, and they give you their votes.
Eventually, we got to the grounds of the rally at Ibokun, but I couldn’t stay. A little bird told me that a lot of the people at those rallies are not members if the community where the rallies were being held, and since I was from Lagos, and am aware of convoys of market women and Okada riders heading to the rallies, I took that information seriously.
During this trip to Osun, my plan was to meet with the people of Ibokun, and seek their disposition towards the candidates vying for Governorship of Osun state.
At a barbershop, one man argued that the incumbent, Rauf Aregbesola, had not ‘sent things’ into the community. He claimed another party had sent inducements to those willing to support them, but ‘Ogbeni’ had not. He pledged his vote was for the current Governor, but wished that the Governor sent something, or at least prevented others parties from using such gimmicks.
The barber himself said he was a supporter of Governor Rauf, and would vote him for a second term. When I questioned the barber’s absence from the rally itself, he explained that the Governor would arrive much later, and so would he.
People were concerned about pictures of themselves or their shops and homes being taken during the interviews. A woman who sold me Seven Up said she didn’t want the state to go back to thugs who made them pay protection, and other illegal fees.
Another man who claimed to be a member of the PDP, and an indigene of Gbongan town asserted that his people never voted for Aregbesola the first term, but have now been humbled by the projects the man executed and commissioned in their town. He swore this time, that his town will vote Ogbeni ‘aggressively’!
An elderly woman who spoke in Yoruba was concerned about the security of the future generation. Seeing I was a visitor  to the state, she assured that this bombing thing was not of the Osun people, and that they would “ship Bola Ige’s killer back to his masters” before he kills more.
They still talk about Bola Ige in Osun, like it was only yesterday he was murdered in cold blood. They love the man, just as they love Awolowo, and they mince no words in calling out one of the governorship aspirants whom they point out as this killer.
I questioned the kids who were at the rally during school hours. They spoke so enthusiastically about the man who gave them the “Opon-Imo”, that I knew I wouldn’t be the one to chastise them for truancy.
In the state of Osun, it’s not difficult to know that even violence is not enough to sway the votes of the people. The thing about violence though, once applied, it is hard to let go. Those political tacticians who have chosen death and destruction as a tool of their own brand of democracy, should re-calculate their formular, and realize that it would take nothing short of a Nuclear bomb to defeat the people of Osun, and since they don’t have that yet, just let the people be.
Osun is a beautiful place, with very hardworking people; they farm, they fish, they hunt, they mine. They love good food, live music, and a decent relax. Let no one import these politics they used to ruin other states.
BLOGSPOT

The new Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Olusegun Agbaje, has disclosed that total number of registered voters for the forthcoming governorship election slated for August 9 in the state is 1,405, 454.
A breakdown shows that 780, 464 have collected their permanent voter’s card of the 1, 256, 561 registered voters before the continuous voters registration during which additional 149, 885 were registered between March 12-17.
Agbaje pledged on behalf of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to fulfil its mandate of “conducting free, fair and credible governorship election that would meet aspiration of Nigerians and the international community on August 9 in the state.”
He spoke yesterday at the maiden press briefing he addressed at conference hall of the state headquarters of INEC in Osogbo, the state capital.
According to him: “After examining the level of preparedness towards conduct of the election by his predecessor, a lot has been put in place on the part of the agency to achieve success and they include distribution of permanent voter’s cards, continuous voters registration exercise, stakeholders meetings, inter and intra-state transfer of voter’s cards, courtesy visits to designated people and institutions as well as displaying list of nominated candidates for the poll among others.”
The REC assured that those who registered during the continuous registration will collect their permanent voter’s cards as soon as they are sent from INEC’s headquarters in Abuja, warning that nobody would be allowed to vote without his/her permanent voter’s cards.
He said Action Alliance (AA) changed its governorship and deputy governorship candidates from Adeyinka Adeoye and Akintobi Akintade to Babatunde Oralusi and Aqdekunle Rufai respectively during the display of list of nominated candidates by political parties on June 16.
Agbaje solicited for cooperation and support of all critical stakeholders to achieve success in the forthcoming poll, charging “party leaders to caution their followers to play politics by the rules and eschew bitterness to have peaceful atmosphere necessary for conduct of free, fair, credible and acceptable election in the state.”
He reiterated that the forthcoming governorship poll slated for Osun State is another integrity test for INEC, hence “the agency and other stakeholders cannot afford to fail.”
DAILY NEWSWATCH

THE newly deployed Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Osun State, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje, said INEC was prepared to conduct a credible poll just as he solicited for the cooperation of stakeholders in order to achieve the target.

Agbaje said “so far, a lot had been put in place on the part of the commission towards the success in the August 9, 2014 governorship election in the state.”

He stated that the forthcoming election in Osun state remains a litmus test for the electoral body adding that “we appreciate this is another integrity test for INEC and everything desirable is being done by the chairman and the commission to ensure that we meet the aspirations of Osun state people in particular and Nigerians as well as the International community in general.”

While he advised party leaders to caution their followers to eschew politics with bitterness, he said this will go a long way in creating a peaceful environment needed for the conduct of a free, fair, credible and acceptable governorship election in the state.

Agbaje also urged the media, political parties and their candidates, traditional and religious institutions, the civil society groups, National Orientation Agency NOA to partner with the commission to ensure conduct of free and fair poll.

VANGUARD

Download inspiring Quotes from the people of the State of Osun about the Government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. This Quote is from Oba Festus Adegboro, the Elademure of  Ibokun. Visit the website at www.osun.gov.ng  or Twitter @stateofosun for more updates on the State of Osun and its projects.

 
 

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola receiving an Award as the Most Innovative Governor Supporting Education in Nigeria from Initiator, Dream up; Speak up & Stand up Project/International Ambassador on Child Education Development. Photos below:

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (right) receiving an Award
as the Most Innovative Governor Supporting Education in Nigeria from
Initiator, Dream up; Speak up & Stand up Project/International
Ambassador on Child Education Development, Miss Zuriel Oduwole
(middle) and her Mother, Mrs Patricia Oduwole, at Government House
Banquet Hall, Osogbo, State of Osun on Wednesday 02-07-2014

From left, Deputy Governor State of Osun, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori; Governor
Rauf Aregbesola and Initiator, Dream up; Speak up & Stand up
Project/International Ambassador on Child Education Development, Miss
Zuriel Oduwole, during a Presentation of Award to Aregbesola as the
Most Innovative Governor Supporting Education in Nigeria, at
Government House Banquet Hall, Osogbo, State of Osun on Wednesday 02-07-2014

Deputy Governor State of Osun, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori (right) receiving an
Award as the Most Dynamic Commissioner for Education in Nigeria from
Regional Manager, Heritage Bank, Lawrence Okate (left) and Initiator, Dream
up; Speak up & Stand up Project/International Ambassador on Child
Education Development, Miss Zuriel Oduwole (middle), at Government
House Banquet Hall, Osogbo, State of Osun on Wednesday 02-07-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola signing a Football to make
Case for Girls Education after receiving an Award as the Most Innovative
Governor Supporting Education in Nigeria at Government House Banquet Hall,
Osogbo, State of Osun. With him is, Initiator, Dream up; Speak up & Stand
up Project/International Ambassador on Child Education Development,
Miss Zuriel Oduwole on Wednesday 02-07-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (3rd right); his Deputy, Mrs
Titi Laoye-Tomori (4th left); Initiator, Dream up; Speak up & Stand up
Project/International Ambassador on Child Education Development, Miss
Zuriel Oduwole (5th left); her Parents, Mrs Patricia (2nd left); Mr
Ademola (left); Head of Service, Mr Olayinka Owoeye (3rd left);
Special Adviser to the Governor on Tertiary Institutions, Alhaja
Mulikat Bello (right) and others, during a Presentation of Award to Aregbesola as
the Most Innovative Governor Supporting Education in Nigeria, at Government House Banquet Hall, Osogbo, State of Osun on Wednesday 02-07-2014

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State was today (Wednesday) bestowed the award of The Most Innovative Governor Supporting Education in Nigeria. This was conferred on him in Osogbo by Zuriel Oduwole, the ten year-old Nigerian girl who has made history as the youngest person ever to be interviewed in Forbes and was quoted as one of the 100 most influential Africans.

Speaking on what informed the confirment of the award on Governor Aregbesola, Zuriel said, “It is difficult for a child to learn without the right learning aid. Good learning aids have been made possible for students in this part of the world. It is in recognition of this that on behalf of the ‘Dream Up, Speak Up, Stand Up’ Project that I present the award of the most Innovative Governor in Nigeria supporting Education to Governor Rauf Aregbesola.”

Governor Aregbesola said the occasion was more to celebrate the achievement of Zuriel as a way of stimulating Osun children and Nigerian children at large to have high dreams for them to serve. And through serving recognition would come.

Directing his address to some public school students in attendance, Governor Aregbesola noted that the intention of Zuriel was to promote the interest of the less privileged children across the world. He added that despite her young age of 11, she has made tremendous impact on African children.

“What that implies is that age is not a barrier to making other people’s lives better,” he said.

Governor Aregbesola described the circumstance around the award as a manifestation of the remarkable efforts of his administration in the development of education since he came on board.

“It was not a state in Tanzania that won award for Tanzania but the country itself. It was not a state in Mauritius that won award for the country but the country itself. It was a state called Osun that has won two International Award on the development and promotion of education for Nigeria,” he explained.

“Indeed Osun won two of the four International Awards in education for the continent. That means that something good is happening in this part of the world and this goof thing must continue.”

The award winner explained further that the award ceremony underscores the fact that Africa is making serious positive efforts to change the lot of the people for the better, with Nigeria being in the vanguard of the developments.

“It is even more gratifying for us in Osun that our state is helping to put Nigeria in that lead position”, he stressed.

“For this to happen, it was deemed necessary for us to have free education at the primary and secondary levels; to rebuild the decrepit physical infrastructure; and to urgently tackle the problems affecting the teaching staff, among other things.”

Zuriel was accompanied by her parents, and three siblings. Members of her Project Team were also in attendance.

Zuriel Oduwole is the epitome of what parents want their children to be. At age 10 in 2013, she became the youngest person in the world to be interviewed by the world renowned Forbes magazine. She has interviewed more than 13 Presidents and Prime Ministers. She was named by New Africa last December as one of Africa’s 100 Most influential people of 2013, and is the head of the Dream Up, Speak Up, Stand up project, to inspire Girls in Africa to stay in school.

Zuriel has been featured in many newspapers, magazines and TV programs in Africa, Europe and the USA, including the BBC.

She arrived from Brazil and Ethiopia last week, where she is taking 2 footballs across 3 continents to 6 countries where they are being signed, to make the case for Girls Education. An award winning documentary maker, she hopes to make a documentary about the balls traveling, to bring additional aware to children’s education.

OSUN DEFENDER

GOVERNOR Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has called for religious tolerance by people in the state, saying there should be mutual respect and tolerance by various religious adherents.

He said the people should be able to relate with one another freely despite their religious differences, adding that doing so would promote peace and harmony, which he said are cardinal for development.

Addressing a rally held at Ibokun, Ijesha North Federal constituency ahead of the governorship election slated for August 9 in the state, the governor urged Christians, Muslims and traditional religious worshippers to see themselves as one in the onerous task of moving the state forward.

He said the people should shun antics by some politicians to use religion to cause disaffection, adding that those who employ religious sentiment to canvass for votes during the governorship poll do not mean well for the society.

He noted that the Yoruba share history of religious interrelationship from time immemorial among themselves, pointing out that under no circumstance should the people be deceived by politicians hiding under religious clout to cause division and hatred in the state.

He said his administration had respect for all religious adherents, stressing that this informed the decision by government to precede public functions with prayers in three prominent religions.

Governor Aregbesola while addressing the large crowd that thronged the L. A. Middle School, Ibokun, venue of the rally, in Ijesha dialect advised them not to allow opposition parties in the state to create disharmony among them   as the election approaches.

The governor, who said his administration had commenced the payment of June salary despite the shortage in Federal Government allocation to the state, noted that he would not relent in his resolve to enhance people’s welfare.

He expressed confidence that come August 9, the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state would emerge victorious and continue the developmental projects his administration had initiated.

He, however, advised the electorate to vote APC no matter the threat by the opposition, whom he alleged have nothing tangible to offer.

GUARDIAN

Download inspiring Quotes from the people of the State of Osun about the Government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. Visit the website at www.osun.gov.ng  or Twitter @stateofosun for more updates on the State of Osun and its projects.