Osun government has assured farmers in the state of its continued support in meeting the challenges of crop production to improve the economy of the state.

Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Wale Adedoyin, gave the assurance at the official flag-off ceremony for the distribution of 500,000 hybrid cocoa seedling to farmers free of charge held at the government secretariat, Abere.

He held that Osun being the third largest producer of cocoa in the country there is the need to develop the tree crops economy cannot be overemphasised.

The commissioner, who described agriculture as  a reliable form of boosting any economy and a panacea to any economic crisis stated that it has become more important to develop the agric sector because of the dwindling fortune from the federation account to states.

In an address, Coordinating Director in the Ministry of Agric, Dr. Olubukola Aluko, stated that the flag-off of the distribution is a huge testimony that the Aregbesola administration has great passion for the development of tree crops and agriculture generally in the state. He then urged the beneficiaries to utilize the gesture.

One of the beneficiaries, Chief Bola Otunla, described the gesture of Ogbeni Aregbesola in the agric sector as unprecedented, saying farmers have never had it so good in the state.

Other items distributed free of charge at the event include 6,000 improved seedlings of kolanut and bitter kola, 1,200 cocoa game as extension to farmers as well as the sale of 64,000 Teneral oil palm and 25,000 cashew seedlings at a very subsidized rate and N5,500,00 worth of agro-imputs to farmers.

In attendance were the Special Adviser to the Governor on Agric and Food Security, Mr. Festus Agunbiade, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on QUIP, Mr Dele Ogundipe, Executive Secretary, Oriade Local Government Area, Taiwo Fatiregun as well as many excited farmers.

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Download inspiring Quotes from the Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. Today’s Quote is focused on the history being made in the State. Visit the website at www.osun.gov.ng  or Twitter @stateofosun for more updates on the State of Osun and its projects.

‎In its continued quest to make life more meaningful for the citizen, create more job opportunities for youths and enhance their capacities the Government of the state of Osun‎ is establishing an Automotive Mechatronics Specialist Institute christened “Bola Ige Mechatronics Institute (BIMI) hosted by the Osun State College of Technology, Esa Oke.

In a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, the institute, when completed, will be be the first in Nigeria.

He pointed out that the institute will deal with the latest technology involved in modern vehicles which consist of combined electro-mechanical systems with fully automated controls termed “mechatronics” that reduce use of kilos of wires making way for light weight and greater efficient motor vehicles of today.

The statement also revealed that the state has concluded arrangement to send 30 indigenes of the state to Germany to master the technology.

The Communications Director added that fund for the project is an intervention soft loan provision by the National Automotive Council using part of its Auto Development Fund Loan Scheme domiciled with the Bank of Industry (BOI).

According to him, ” Osun is the first of all States and Federal Institutions to establish this World class Automotive Skill-gap Bridge in Nigeria meant for promoting skills needed for employability of our graduates, technicians and improvement for artisans in the sector.‎

“End-user training and associated maintenance support for 2-years was integrated to allow Osun workers master the repairs and routine maintenance under leadership understudy scheme.

” Following due process, advertisement was placed to attract qualified automotive, mechanical and electrical engineers and technicians who were tested/recruited and shall be going for a 2-month in-plant, end-user training at LN, Germany from 5th May – 30th June, 2014 before returning to participate in the installation and commissioning at Esa-Oke”. He stressed.

‎Okanlawon added that the local experts having trained in Germany will in turn serve as train-the-trainers to train other Nigerians at Esa-Oke .

He emphasised that the exercise is purely a practical delivery project as trainees shall be tested and certified before graduation from the centre.  ‎

‎”Our auto engineers, technicians and mechanics are getting out of job because of technological changes as the era of trial-and-error to fix auto maintenance is gone. Everything is knowledge-based and Osun is ready to empower not only the indigenes but all Nigerians willing to seek knowledge at the BIMI, Esa-Oke.

“We plan to offer through National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) & National Universities Commission (NUC) approval for upgrade of the polytechnic syllabus, a degree course on Auto Mechatronics using the facilities in future”. He pointed out in the statement.

Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, has given over 50 buses to alleviate transportation problems among school children in the state.
This was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the governor on Transportation, Prince Samson Ataiyero, at the opening of a training workshop for those recruited to drive the new buses.
According to Prince Ataiyero, the buses are in the O-Scholar buses scheme of Osun State to improve the quality of education, while also reducing the hardship faced by school children in the area of transportation.
He lauded the support of the governor given to easing the movement of the school children to and from their schools and promised that the buses would be adequately maintained and given regular servicing.

The Osun State Government has warned its Ministries, Departments and Agencies as well as the local government councils against non-compliance with the budget implementation guidelines approved for them.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Bade Adeshina, gave the warning in Osogbo on Wednesday.
To show the administration’s seriousness with compliance with budgetary provisions, Adeshina said that the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning would soon inaugurate a monitoring team to ensure strict compliance with the budget implementation guidelines.
The special adviser said, “Governor Rauf Aregbesola has given his assent to the budget bill passed by the state House of Assembly and based on this, all ministries, departments and agencies of government, local government councils and tertiary institutions are advised to strictly follow and comply with the budget implementation guidelines as approved for them.
“In as much as the budget is the guide for all the MDAs to deliver the dividends of democracy and for equal distribution of wealth for the masses, those in charge should follow the approved budget to the letter so as to meet the demand of all towns and villages, and the generality of the citizenry.”
The special adviser hailed Aregbesola for what he described as the prompt attention given to the 2014 budget, saying it was accented to quickly immediately the lawmakers passed the bill.
PUNCH

Photos of the Governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola;  his wife, Sherifat  and others, during the

57th Birthday celebration of Governor Aregbesola,  at the Government house, Abere, Osogbo

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; his wife, Sherifat;
Mr Kabiru Aregbesola (right); Qudir Aregbesola (5th right),Sakirat
Aregbesola (4th left),Rauf Aregbesola (Junior) (left); Olateju Ishola (2nd left); Jumoke Oladeji (3rd left); Bode Oladeji (2nd right)
and others, during the
57th Birthday celebration of Governor Aregbesola, at Government house Osogbo

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; his Wife, Sherifat; Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori (5th left), Special Advisers Youth, Sport and Special Need, Comrade Biyi Odunlade (3rd left),
Member House of Representatives in Irewole, Ayedaade, Isokan, Federal
Constituency, Hon. Ayo Amidiran (5th left), Prof. Siyan Oyeweso (left), Commissioner Regional Integration and Special Duties, Mr. Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru (4th right)
Vice Chancellor, Osun State University, Osogbo, Professor Adekunle Bashir
Okesina (right) and others, during the 57th Birthday celebration of Governor Aregbesola, at Government house Osogbo

The World Bank and the French Development Agency have offered $243 million in grants for construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of rural feeder roads in four Nigerian states.
National Co-ordinator of Rural Access sans Mobility Project (RAMP), Ubandoma Ularamu, disclosed this at a three-day workshop on message development, review, testing and harmonisation on RAMP Communications, holding in Osogbo, Osun State.
Ularamu listed the four participating states under the agreement as: Adamawa, Enugu, Niger and Osun, which are expected to pay 3 per cent of the total project costs under as counterpart funding.
Under the scheme, he said 500 kilometres of rural roads would be constructed in each of the participating states.
The RAMP, an agency under Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, is saddled with responsibility of constructing, rehabilitating and maintenance of rural feeder roads to enable farmers evacuate their farm produce and enhance time to market.
The National Co-ordinator assured that work would soon begin on the selected rural roads in the states, noting that the process of hiring contractors and consultants to execute the projects is already on.
He pointed out that the construction of rural roads would greatly complement the efforts of the present administration to transform agricultural sector and ensure food security in the country under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA).
Ularamu equally recalled that under RAMP 1, the construction of rural roads in Cross River and Kaduna States recorded huge success which also was sponsored by the World Bank and African Development Bank.
Consequently, he urged the participating States in the RAMP 11 project to pay their counterpart funding for immediate take-off of the projects in the States.
Also speaking, the Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, commended the management of RAMP for its initiative to providing road infrastructure to rural communities.
Aregbesola noted that the RAMP project is a positive contribution towards helping state governments in Nigeria to accelerate the pace of economic growth and development.
According to Aregbesola who was represented by Moshood Adeoti, Secretary to the Osun State Government, “any development efforts can hardly be meaningful without positively touching the rural areas in significant ways.”
ALL AFRICA

Photos showing reactions of the people of the State of Osun at the Flag-Off campaign  for the Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola ‘s re-election into office, at Government Technical College, Ile-Ife, State of Osun, yesterday,  Tuesday 27-05-2014

The Federal Government has been advised to do the needful not only to ensure that the Chibok abducted girls are released, but also to ensure that there is maximum security in all the nooks and crannies of the country.

Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, gave the advice while receiving members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers in the state led by the State Chairman, Saka Adesiyan, who thronged the governor’s office on a  bring ‘‘back our girls’’ solidarity rally as directed by the National President of the union.

On behalf of the state helmsman, the State Head of Service, Mr. Olayinka Owoeye, asserted that it is the primary responsibility of government to provide security for all and sundry, explaining that if they shirk this sacred responsibility, pressure is needed to make them do the expedient.

While appreciating the state governor for putting necessary machinery in place for absolute security in the State of Osun, Mr. Olayinka Owoeye said that it is only in an atmosphere of peace that there can be progress.

He then thanked the Nigeria Union of Teachers for the courage demonstrated in joining the rest of the world to solicit the release of the abducted Chibok girls.

In the address of the National President of NUT, Alogba Michael Olukoya, presented by the state Chairman of the union, Saka Adesian, the Federal Government was called upon to demonstrate enough social responsibility by guaranteeing security of lives and property in the land.

The president of NUT re-iterated the need to declare a state of emergency in the education sector, explaining that the first emergency need of Nigeria education system is to guarantee conducive and peaceful learning environment.

Olukoya also demanded that the Federal, as well as Borno and Yobe states government should pay adequate compensation to a total of 173 teachers who, according to him, lost their lives to various attacks by the insurgents.

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