The State Government of Osun has said that it was not surprised that the state is again declared the lowest in ‘Incidence of Poverty’ in Nigeria by the United Nations Development Programme.
 

 
The Computation of Human Development Indices for the UNDP Nigeria Human Development Report (2016) which was released by National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) recently rated Osun the lowest state in the ‘Incidence of Poverty’.
According to the report, Osun has 17.5 per cent incidence of poverty.
A statement made available to newsmen in Osogbo by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Adelani Baderinwa said the government was not surprised with the UNDP and NBS’s report and described it as a compliment on Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration.
Baderinwa maintained that the projects, programmes and policies put in place by Aregbesola have no doubt developed the economy of the state, improve the wellbeing of the people and guarantee security of life and properties.
“We have done everything humanly possible to reduce poverty, create wealth and put smiles on the faces of our people”, Baderinwa said.
It would be recalled that the NBS had in 2013 rated Osun the second lowest state in poverty Index in 2013, one of the five states with lowest unemployment rate by NBS, and the second richest state in Nigeria by the United Nations’ Multi-Dimensional Poverty Index in 2017.
NBS stated in the report: “The Incidence of Poverty which is the percentage of Nigerians who are poor is 53.7 percent and the disaggregation by state shows that it is more prevalent (89.9 percent) in Sokoto state, followed by Jigawa state with 86.1 per cent, Rivers and Ebonyi state share 58.9 per cent each, while the lowest state is Osun state with 17.5 per cent”.
Baderinwa said: “The report is a welcome development; it actually reflects the social and economic development in the state. The confirmed Aregbesola’s ingenuity, vision and ceaseless efforts in transforming the state, improve wellbeing of the people and creation of wealth.
“Programmes like Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) which has usefully engaged 60,000 youths, Osun Free School Feeding progamme named ‘O MEAL’ which employs over 3334 women who prepare meals for the school children, and series of empowerment programmes have reduced poverty in the state.”
He added: “Osun was in deep financial quagmire in 2016 but was able to sustain her social protection programmes like O’ MEAL, OYES, building of schools, provision of soft loans and empowerment programmes for traders, provision of free ambulance services and treatment to accident victims and other programme.
“Over 38, 000 traders, business owners and small scale business owners have been empowered between 2014 and 2018. The social protection programmes of the Aregbesola’s administration are second to none in Nigeria. This is why Osun has lowest poverty rate in Nigeria.”

The agency in charge of Community and Social Development Project (CSDP) in the State of Osun, yesterday held its innovative quarterly performance review with the Council Managers and Desk Officers in the 68 Local Councils in the state.
 

 
The General Manager of Osun-CSDP, Mrs Funmi Abokede said the innovative quarterly performance review was aimed at assessing the activities of CSDP in all the 68 Local Councils in the state so as to be able to evaluate the performances of CSDP and enhance improvement.
During the review meeting, the Council Managers presented the reports on major activities and events of CSDP in their respective local councils and also gave their scorecards.
The Council Manager of Atakumosa East Local Government, Titi Olajuyigbe said the council completed various CSDP projects including the extension of electrification and installation of a transformer at Idaado so as to ensure stable electricity for the people in the area.
Olajuyigbe said “We also provided a Health Centre for the residents of Itaapa so that people there would be able to get primary healthcare. We constructed civic centres at Ijemba and Ise-Ijesa so that people would have befitting place to hold events, particularly town meetings. We gave them a borehole at Ipole”.
Speaking in the same vein, the Council Manager of Olorunda Local Government in Osogbo, Alhaji Rasaq Olasunkanmi Azeez also highlighted the achievements of CSDP in his council.
According to him, “Through the CSDP, we have constructed mini bridges across the council area. We also provided electricity for the residents of Oluwatedo community at Malam Tope area. We provided transformer resident of Aratumi community. We provided borehole for residents of Ifesowapo Zone 3 at Kelebe. We also provided a transformer for residents of Iyanoso Ajayi Community at Ayekale area”.
Olajuyigbe and Azeez commended the Chairmen of Atakumosa East and Olorunda local councils, Honourable Femi Kujenmbola and Honourable Femi Anisulowo for ensuring the completion of the projects.
All the Council Managers from the 30 Local Governments, 32 Local Community Development Areas, the four Area Councils and the two Administrative Offices also gave their scorecards while the CSDP state officials also make presentation at the innovative quarterly performance review.
The General Manager of Osun-CSDP, Mrs Aderomke Oluwafunmilayo Abokede commended the Council Managers and Desk Officers for their dedication to their duties and commitment to ensure success of CSDP projects.
Abokede however lamented that despite the existence of Local Government, the social conditions in Nigeria are still poor even with the rich endowment of natural and human resources.
She frowned that Local Government social services provision still remains inadequate and often inappropriate because of the ‘Top Down, Supply Driven’ approach which was the practice in most local councils.
She noted that the ‘Top Down, Supply Driven’ approach has not been able to meet the actual needs of the communities and that this led to the poor track records of public service delivery.
She explained innovative quarterly performance review of Osun CSDP organised to improve the capacity of the Council Managers and Desk Officers on Community Driven Development (CDD) which is Bottom Up and Demand Driven.
Abokede said the CDD approach ensures that poor communities benefit from and participate in development efforts. She noted that CDD is an important approach focusing on appropriate development interventions and at the same time reaching very large numbers of poor people.
She said the innovative quarterly performance review is also a constructive engagement that serves as a platform for social accountability through which the Council Managers give report of their Local Councils’ Performance on the use of CDD approach and how they have used public resources to deliver services and improve welfare of the people in the communities across the state.
According to her, “It is expected that the feedback from this performance review will be used by the Local Councils to improve support for CDD projects, promote accountability in governance and better public service delivery.”
“CDD is responsive to local demands, inclusive and more cost effective compared to the Top Down, Supply Driven approach. It is imperative to have understanding of characteristics of CDD projects”, Abokede said.

The Osun Government says that discipline has increased in schools across the state within the past eight years.
 

Commissioner for Education, Mr. Wasiu Omotunde-Young, made this known on Thursday during a press conference.
“There is no rational observer that will not realise that discipline has increased in our schools in the last 8 years,” he said.
According to him, the Rauf Aregbesola’s administration has recorded achievement in the educational sector of the state.
The commissioner explained that the performance of secondary school students in the 2018 West Africa Examination Council, WAEC has improved.
On infrastructure, Omotunde-Young stated that the government has provided toilet facilities to pupils across the state.
“Our school is to train students to be able to think and become a problem solver. No single government has touched education in the last eight years especially in terms of capacity, human development, and physical infrastructure, like this government.
“The schools that were built before Aregbesola did not have toilet.We are confident that things will continue to improve,” he added.

Osun High School Students recorded a 70% success rate for Mathematics in the just concluded 2018 WAEC School Leaving examination.
 

This was revealed in a detailed FACTSHEET on Osun WAEC results over the last 13 years based on WAEC data; effectively 7 out of very 10 Osun students in the 2018 WAEC examination had A1 – C6 grades for Mathematics.
In a press briefing on Wednesday in Osogbo, the State of Osun Commissioner for Education, Mr Kola Omotunde-Young said in a total number of 36, 107 candidates that sat for May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 2018 in the State of Osun, 70.7%, 75.2%, 53.56% and 70% of the total number of candidates passed General Mathematics, Further Mathematics, English Language and Financial Accounting with at least credit passes respectively disaggregating the pass rate using subject basis.
Young said “Out of the total number of candidates, 19,496 candidates corresponding to 54.01% of the total number of candidates had at least 5 credit passes (including Mathematics and English Language). This is the best performance the State of Osun has attained within the last 13-year period.”
“The factsheet also presented a 13 year analysis of WAEC results in the state, from 2006 to 2018. The analysis shows a steady improvement in average pass rates of 10.95% in 2006 to 54.01% in the just concluded 2018 WAEC results. The last result being the best showing for the state in the last 13 Years.”
Omotunde-Young posited that before the advent of the current administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the best performance recorded in the period analyzed was 15.6% in the year 2010 but within the first term of the current administration between 2011-2014 , an average student performance of 20.82% and best result of 22.24% in the year 2014 was recorded.
The Commissioner for Education explained further that “the state recorded even better performance in the second term of 2014-2018 wherein the average pass rate was 40.89% and best performance was 54.01% in the year 2018. These results as derived from WAEC data, empirically proves the impact of the almost 8 year focus of the current administration on basic education as the foundation for repositioning the state for a better and more productive future.
He urged the conference to duel on fact based analysis that is provable and defensible, demanding that anyone who feel doubtful should reach the WAEC office to demand same data for analysis.
The Commissioner condemned the dubious efforts of the opposition to manipulate the performance of the state in WAEC with the very callous aim of undermining the unprecedented investment the current administration made in Education.
Mr Young also used the opportunity to debunk the claim the administration only focused on the infrastructure side of education reform. He clarified that, through its State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) alone, the State trained 29,695 teachers over 8 years, being an unprecedented feat in the state and arguably in the south west region. The report also provided a breakdown of year on year training from 2011 to 2018.
He revealed that the State sought out the best to deliver its training programs, working with reputable organizations like the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) , National Teachers Institute , Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU , Osun State University UNIOSUN among others.
The State Government through the commissioner stated that “the report was produced based on WAEC data and it incorporates raw data as supplied by WAEC for transparency. The Commissioner averred the data used can be independently verified from WAEC. The report will be shared with the media, non-governmental organizations and interested parties. It will also be publicly available on the State’s Website.”
“While recognizing that more can be achieved in advancing basic education reform , the State is proud of the bold achievements recorded in the last 8 years and feels grateful to have the improving WAEC results to show for it.
He concluded that the reform efforts in Teacher Training, School Reclassification , School Feeding , Tablet of Knowledge (Opon Imo) for High School Students to prepare for WAEC Exams, School Infrastructure Revamp among others are bearing fruits.
“Osun has set its course right in the area of education and is becoming a shining example in the area of public educational reform for the Nation and beyond”.

A Magistrate Court sitting in Osogbo, State of Osun presided by Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara, has remanded a 35-year-old man, Adeagbo Wasiu in prison over alleged intent to indulge in vote buying.
 

 
Police prosecutor, Felix Okafor, told the court that the accused was arrested with the sum of N116,000 during the September 22nd governorship election at Kolabalogun area in Osogbo.
Okafor who alleged that the accused person with others now at large, had the intent of influencing INEC and other officials at the poll, stated that they also conducted themselves in a disorderly manner.
He added that the offences contravened sections 124(4), 124(5), 130(a) of the Electoral Act, 2010 and section 517 of the Criminal Code Cap 34, volume II, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
The accused in his plea, however pleaded not guilty of the charges.
In his ruling, Magistrate Ayilara ordered that the accused be remanded in Ilesa prison custody and adjourned the case till November 21, 2018.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun has again called for preservation of Yoruba history and culture.
Aregbesola made the call at the presentation of historical towns and events book to mark the 27th anniversary of the creation of Osun.
 

 
The programme was organised by Department of Social, Grassroots Mobilisation and Guidance, office of the governor.
Represented by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Adelani Baderinwa, the governor said his administration was not only committed to providing infrastructure and socio-economic development in the state but also dedicated to promotion of Yoruba value and culture.
He said the manifestation of such was the documentation of history of ancient towns and cities in the state.
Aregbesola said that the historical book was a compendium of historical and geographical facts as well as cultural and administrative narratives, both of ancient and contemporary times.
He said the book examines documented history of some major towns like, Ila-Orangun, Erin-Ijesha, Ile-Ife, Iwo, Ilesha, Osogbo, Ikirun, Ejigbo, Ede, Ikire, Orile-Owu, Okuku, Irabiji and Ijebu-Jesa.
“The interesting stories of these towns and cities might have become familiar to us, but the novelty of these stories is most apparent to someone hearing them for the first time.”
“The entire story of mankind has come to us from individual voices from the past.
“Because there was no documentation, our history have been distorted, or even erased, and the younger generations have been detached from their history.
“ And people detached from their history will be completely alienated”, the governor said.