As part of the commitment to ensure effective healthcare delivery system, the Caretaker Management Committee of Osogbo West Local Council Development Area (LCDA), has commissioned a new Primary Health Center at Ori-oke Oloruntosin Area and equipped it with drugs and other medical equipment. This is just as the administration, led by Alhaja Temilade Olokungboye distributed baby materials to pregnant women and nursing mothers in the council area.

 
Presenting the drugs to the medical centre during the commissioning, the council boss said, part of the mandate of her administration was to ensure that the people of the council live a healthy life through the effective primary healthcare system. She said that the caretaker management team was determined to complement the efforts of the Governor Rauf Aregbesola administration in the healthcare system and other sectors of governance, saying it is only when people feel the impact of the administration that the purpose of governance could be justified.
 
She added that the primary health centre has been well equipped with various equipment to make the health centre suitable and comfortable for the residents and the workers. Why urging the people to ensure effective maintenance of the health centre, she said that the proper use of the centre would automatically attract more development to the community.
 
The council boss also urged the people to perform their civic responsibilities through payment of their taxes and other dues. Some of the medical consumables purchased by the council management were Sphygmomanometer, Adult weighing scale, Hospital beds, Delivery couch, Infusion drip stand, Clinical thermometer, Examination couch, Circumcision set, Cord scissors, Bed sheets, Sterilizer, Kidney dish, and Baby lot among others.
 
In another event, Olokungboye, while distributing baby materials and drugs to pregnant women drawn from various communities of the council at Odi-Olowo Primary Health Center in Osogbo, said, findings have shown that the economic situation has made it difficult for some of the pregnant women to meet up with the demand of pregnancy.
 
Olokungboye stressed that the distribution was aimed at alleviating the expenses of pregnant women, urging the beneficiaries to ensure that they take care of their health and their babies by hygienically taking care of themselves and their environment. Some of the materials distributed at the health centre were baby pampers, sanitary pads, blood tonic which are part of the necessities nursing mothers and pregnant women need for their healthy living.

It is not a hyperbole to say the Governor Rauf Aregbesola-led administration in Osun has broken the perpetual yoke being experienced in the education sector prior to its inception. This report traces the steps that the administration has taken so far in the sector. Rauf Aregbesola-led administration in the State of Osun took over power on November 26, 2010, from the erstwhile Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola who ruled the state for the seven-and-half year. On the assumption of office, the administration summoned leading stars in the education sector, an initiative that witnessed the conveyance and presence of renowned academics, led by the African Literature Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka and the host of other revered professors emeritus.

 
The Education Summit brought about the manifestoes and workable recommendations that helped the state to deal aggressively with the palpable rot in all the economic systems, particularly the untreated grey areas in the education sector. It is however on record that part of the recommendations given by the Summit was borne out of the well-thought-out conceptualised ideology that did not only address squarely the inefficiencies, deficiencies, insensitivity, lackadaisical and weaknesses of the ousted administrations in taking the bull by the horn to redeem the lost glory in the sector.
 
The first step taken, brought about the reclassification and re-categorization of public education sector into elementary, middle and high schools, as this gesture led to the erection of mega schools across the length and breadth of the state. The model schools which possessed all forms of modern facilities with a unarguably architectural design that has been the cynosure of all discerning eyes came to limelight through Osun Education Revolution Initiative and School Infrastructure Development Policy.
 
However, the initiator of the pacesetting ideology, Ogbeni Aregbesola on September 1st 2016 brought the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari to Osogbo, the state capital where one of the gigantic schools, Osogbo Government High School was commissioned. Prior to this, Ejigbo Government High School, located in Ejigbo township of Osun West Senatorial District, had been commissioned by Professor Wole Soyinka to whom the school was named after.
 
In building these edifices and renovating the dilapidated and deplorable school buildings across the nooks and crannies of the state, one can never rule out the consciousness of equity and evenness deployed by the Aregbesola-led government at ensuring that no Federal Constituency or Senatorial District is left out from his innovative ideology that culminated into the multitude of school infrastructure developments in the state. The model schools were built across the nine Federal Constituencies and three Senatorial Districts made up of Osun, while other infrastructural developments particularly, the widely applauded Osun Social Intervention Initiative followed suit.
 
Aside the fact that the largest chunk of the state’s treasury had been concentrated on re-energizing the slumbering education sector in the state, the Aregbesola’s government had in the last six years done justice to all sectors particularly education sector. The assessment of the investment made so far to repositioning education sector in the state revealed that except Osun, no state had made such move in Nigeria as education is seen as a non-negotiable priority of Aregbesola’s administration.
 
The available statistics revealed that eight Model Elementary schools were built and commissioned with 200 classrooms in Osun Central Senatorial District, whereas four out of these schools were built in Osogbo Local Government, one in Boripe Local Government, one in Odo-Otin Local Government, one in Irepodun Local Government and one in Orolu Local Government respectively with sum of N2billion.
 
It is on records that six Model Elementary schools were built and commissioned with 150 classrooms in Osun East Senatorial District where one was built in Ife Central Local Government, two in Ilesa East Local Government, one in Ilesa West Local Government, one in Atakunmosa West Local Government and one in Ife North Local Government with sum of N1.5billion.
 
Record also shows that six Model Elementary schools had so far been built and commissioned with 150 classrooms in Osun West Senatorial District, where two was built Iwo Local Government, one in Ayedaade Local Government, one in Ayedire Local Government and two in Ede South Local Government at the cost of N1.5 billion. Statistics has it that eight Model Middle schools were built and commissioned with 200 classrooms in Osun Central Senatorial District as three of them were located in Osogbo LG, one in Olorunda, one in Boripe, one in Ila, one in Ifelodun and one in Irepodun respectively with sum of N2billion.
 
Also, seven Model Middle schools were built and commissioned with 175 classrooms in Osun East Senatorial District with which one was built in Ife Central, one in Ife East, two in Ilesa East, one in Oriade, one in Obokun and one in Ife East Area Office (Modakeke), executed with sum of N1.8 billion. In Osun West, also built and commissioned within the same period are seven Model Middle schools with 175 classrooms, with one in Irewole, one in Ejigbo, two in Iwo, and two in Ayedaade at the cost of N1.8 billion.
 
Similarly, seven Model High schools were built at the sum of N4.9billion in Osun Central Senatorial District as Osogbo Local Government has five, Ila has one and Ifelodun has one respectively. Also in Osun East Senatorial District, two Model High Schools were built with which one is located in Ife Central and the other one in Ilesa East with the sum of N1.4billion. In Osun West, there are four Model High Schools built with one each in Ejigbo, Ede South, Iwo and Irewole local governments at the whopping cost of N2.8 billion.
 
The Aregbesola’s administration in conjunction with UBEC also renovated 606 classrooms across 87 Model Schools in Osun Central Senatorial District while more than 605 classrooms were renovated across 90 Models Schools in Osun East Senatorial District, just as more than 600 classrooms across 100 models schools were renovated in Osun West, Likewise, 21,048 sets furniture were supplied to the schools across the ten Local Government Areas in Osun Central Senatorial District and ý20,900 sets furniture was equally supplied to the schools across the ten Local Government Areas of Osun East Senatorial District, while 2,094 sets of furniture were supplied to schools across the local governments, local council development areas and area offices in Osun West.
 
Statistics further revealed that more than 55,000 students benefited from the free tablets of knowledge popularly called “Opon Imo” in Osun Central Senatorial District while over 45,000 students enjoyed similar gestures in Osun East Senatorial District, just as more than 50,000 students have benefited in Osun West.
 
On personnel recruitment, training and promotion, it is on records that over 2,500 Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) cadets from Osun Central Senatorial District were deployed to different schools as teachers while about 1,150 regular teachers were recruited from same zone as 9,200 teachers were trained in 26 different training programmes and workshops. Also, more than 6,057 teaching and non-teaching staff was promoted from Osun Central Senatorial District.
 
Over 1,500 OYES cadets were deployed to different schools as teachers in Osun East Senatorial District, while 1,004 regular teachers were recruited from same district and 8,391 teachers were trained in 26 different training programmes and workshops. Also, more than 5,000 teaching and non-teaching staff were promoted from Osun East Senatorial District.
 
Over 2,000 Osun Youth Employment Scheme (O’YES) cadets from Osun West were deployed to different schools as teachers, while about 1, 076 regular teachers were recruited.  About 900 teachers were trained in not less than 26 different training programmes and workshops organized with State resources. Also, more than 6,000 teaching and non-teaching staffers were promoted from the zone. The amazing part of the state’s education intervention initiatives is the uncommon School Feeding Programme popularly called “OMEAL” that has become the prototype and model locally and internationally.
 
This innovative ideology, life-changing and health promoting initiatives also took it impact in the Senatorial Districts, as more than 85,000 pupils gets fed daily under Osun School Feeding Programmes through which more than 1,000 cooks were employed while close to 68,000,000 plates of meals have been served to pupils in Osun Central Senatorial District since 2012 with N4.760billion. More than 80,000 pupils gets fed daily under school feeding programmes through which 1,000 cooks were employed since 2012 and over 64,000,000 plates of meals have been served to pupils with N4,480billion in Osun East Senatorial District.
 
In the Osun West, more than 84,000 pupils get fed daily under the O’MEAL school feeding programme through which over 1,000 cooks were employed and about 68,000 plates of delicious meals have been served since 2012 across 500 schools at the cost of N4.8 billion.  Above all, close to 250,000 school uniforms were distributed free to students across the ten LGAs of Osun Central Senatorial District while more than 200,000 units of school uniforms have been distributed free to students in Osun East Senatorial District, just as about 300,000 school uniforms were distributed free to students across the 10 LGAs that constitute the Osun West Senatorial District so far.
 

The Integrated Payroll System introduced by the Governor Rauf Aregbesola led administration in the State of Osun has improved financial management in the state and helped to block leakages which were hitherto the order of the day before the current government took over in 2010.
Aside the fact that the system combines all segments of the workforce including pensioners in the same payroll, the move has also made financial transactions easier with workers and retirees remuneration easy to disburse and paid.
With partnership from Chams to manage effectively the procedure, the process carried out with the use of Information Communication Technology, ICT has further deepened and checked all forms of financial impropriety associated with the payment of salaries, pensions and gratuities as experienced in the past.
Some civil servants who handle the payroll of respective government MDAs like Mrs Obalade Oluwatoyin of the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Mrs Ajayi of the Ministry of Finance, Mr Adeyemi Yinka of the Osun State College of Education Ilesa as well as Mr Ayodele Akinjobi of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo while speaking to newsmen over the weekend affirmed that the new system has in no small measure contributed to making the payment of salaries efficient.
According to the four respondents, the Integrated Payroll System has in a great way improved their knowledge of ICT in the realm of payroll management and as well placed the state in the comity of states with the prevalence of adequate, responsive and effective model of salary payment in the country.
Moses Olorunsola who is a Payroll Officer with the State Government of Osun said apart from convenience, the process has eliminated the multiple verification exercise for pensioners, curbed delay in the payment process with onward transfer to CHAMS, the consultancy firm for correction and onward payment.
Adesanmi Adeleke who works for CHAMS said the initiative was put in place to eradicate the challenges that have ridden the public service payroll system for a long time and deploy a biometric driven payroll system for the state.
He said before December 2017, about 150 payroll officers as well as salary officers in every government agency will be trained to be more enlightened about the process and conform to international best practices without prior assistance of the contracting agencies.
Adeleke stated that the payroll skill empowerment and acquisition programme organized by CHAMS will go a long way in driving the state Salary Automation Programme.
The Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Finance, Mrs Adebimpe Ogunlumade said the Staff Audit Biometric System in use in the State of Osun is among the first of its kind in the country with a great efficiency in Salary Payment.
She held that aside bringing the needed innovation, the Integrated Payroll System has blocked leakages, curbed wastage, absolved inefficiency and restored sanity coupled with financial prudency on the part of the State Government of Osun.

Governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has charged Communication Officers of donor-funded projects and support operation in the State to be more effective in keeping the citizenry abreast of developmental strides in the State.
During an interactive session with the Image makers facilitated by the Senior Technical Adviser to the Governor of Osun on Development Partners and International Relations, Dr. Michael Olugbile, the Governor said adequate reportage of their activities through the print, electronic and the new media was necessary to keep citizens abreast of the monumental strides his administration has achieved through the projects and support operation in the state.
Ogbeni Aregbesola ,who assured the media practitioners of his unalloyed support, enjoined them not to rest on their oars in giving the activities of their beats the deserving maximum publicity in the interest of their productivity and the present administration under his leadership that has not left any stone unturned in ensuring that poverty becomes a thing of the past through his several social safety net initiatives and programmes, which he opined are not only second to none but have also repeatedly earned his administration plethora of accolades nationally and internationally from the World Bank, UNICEF, etc.
In their separate responses at the program Oluwamayowa Fagbohungbe of Osun YESSO, Femi Anwo of FADAMA, Gbenga Oni of SLOGOR, Adedoja Adedokun of Osun RAMP, Olusola Adepoju of Osun RUWESA and Mrs. Aduke Obelawo of Osun CSDP assured Governor Aregbesola of improved services.

Dr. Olowogboyega Oyebade, the State Head of Service for Education has disclosed that a volunteer teaching Scheme aimed at galvanizing well-meaning individuals to spare their time in teaching High School students in the State of Osun is in the pipeline.
While addressing principals and teachers of A.D.S High School, Ejigbo and Baptist Middle/ High School, Ara, Dr. Olowogboyega Oyebade explained that the scheme, which would be driven by the Quality Assurance Agency, will need volunteer teachers in English Language, Mathematics, Core Sciences, including Further Mathematics and Agricultural Science.
He therefore charged all principals of schools to identify and seek the assurance of well meaning qualified individuals within their communities to help in lifting the standard of education.
He also advised all examiners of WAEC AND NECO among the teachers to share their marking guides with young teachers to assist them in teaching in line with requisite examiners’ requirements.
The volunteer teachers on the mission to Ejigbo and Ara in Egbedore Local Government area of the State include the State ANCOPPS President, Mr. Dahunsi Osundina who taught Biology, Mr. Leye Aina, the
Human Resources and Capacity Building Permanent Secretary, who took Geography and the Tutor- General for Osun East Education District, Mr. Adelani Aderinola who taught Physics.
Others in the entourage of the Head of Service include the Tutor- General, Osun West Education District, Mrs Grace Ajiboye, who taught English Language, The Coordinating Director, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mrs Femi Webster- Esho, a Director in the Governor’s Office, Mr. Bayo Ojo and the Director, Senior Management Services in the Public Service office, Mr. Akintola were also in the team

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mrs Adebimpe Ogunlumade has charged workers in the Ministry to make important sanitation of the environment as a clean environment promotes healthy living.
Mrs Ogunlumade made this charge while supervising the weekly environmental sanitation in the Ministry.
She said it is imperative on all staff to observe the sanitation as government declared every Thursday between the hours of eight and ten for the purpose, saying cleanliness is next to godliness as government Secretariat is meant to be neat and kept tidy always.
Mrs Ogunlumade also urged staff to ensure that they cultivate the act of making their environment clean both at home and in their respective homes.
She therefore appreciated the staff for their enthusiasm and massive turn out for the weekly environmental sanitation.
Highlights of the activities were cutting the grass, sweeping and picking the litters in the premises of Finance Building.

The Head of Service, Dr. Olowogboyega Oyebade’s initiative to ensure that all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government are clean has made him constitute an environmental sanitation committee headed by the Permanent Secretary, Local Government Service Commission, Mr. Dayo Laluwoye and three other members namely Mr. Kayode Adegoke, Mr. Kelani Adesina and Mr. Adeolu Oyebayo to achieve this laudable objective.
At the first week, the Ministry of Environment was adjudged the neatest Ministry with the Local Government Service Commission and Osun State Water Corporation coming second and third respectively.
A trophy and a cash donation of #10,000 was given to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Sanitation, Dr. Temitope
Oladele to ginger all other (MDA’s) to participate attentively in the weekly environmental sanitation and ensure a neat and healthy
environment.
The ceremony took place Thursday, 26th October, 2017 at the Conference Room of the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
The Accountant-General of the State, Mr. Akintayo Kolawole made the presentation to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Sanitation, Dr. Temitope Oladele on behalf of the Head of Service, Dr. Olowogboyega Oyebade.
The HOS charged all heads of Agencies to ensure strict compliance with the cleaning of the environment, adding that cash gifts and
presentation of a trophy will be done weekly after the exercise.
He said cleanliness is next to godliness and a healthy man is a wealthy man.
HOS expressed the hope that the exercise will promote healthy rivalry among MDA’s.