The State of Osun House of Assembly has charged the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Technology to use modern technology in helping the state to generate more revenue through tax collection.
 

 
Chairman, House Committee on Innovation, Science and Technology, Hon. Olaolu Oyeniran gave the charge during a meeting with officials of the ministry last Tuesday at the House of Assembly complex Osogbo, State of Osun.
He assured the new Ministry of the Assembly’s adequate support to survive and succeed in discharging its responsibilities.
The lawmaker also advised the ministry to use all its power to redress anomalies in the state civil service and put everything in proper shape in the interest of the peoples’ welfare.
He said, “Use your ministry to right the wrong things, especially in the area of tax collection in the state”.
Oyeniran said the meeting was called in other to discuss the proposed 2018 budget of the State of Osun and to know how prepared the ministry is for the next year fiscal responsibilities.
According to him, “We need to call on your ministry concerning the proposed 2018 budget and to find solution to some of the likely problems to be encountered”
In their separate remarks, members of the committee urged the ministry to justify its existence in the state as an agent of coordination to others for best service delivery.
However, in his response the Commissioner of Innovation, Science and Technology, Engineer Oluremi Omowaye said there are lots of developments in Osun between 2010 to 2015 which put the state on high score board.
According to him, “government has revived infrastructure in the state by linking them together. The Government House, State Secretariat and State House of Assembly Complex have been linked with internet facilities to fast track procedures in the state”.
He also informed the House that Osun Science Innovation and Technological Research Council will be inaugurated early next year to provide technology support for the State to generate fund.
Omowaye then solicited the support of the House of Assembly to deliver all these projects in the State.
He said, “With the support of the House of Assembly, we believe the Ministry will deliver on all these projects”.
In his contribution, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Innovation, Science and Technology Mr. Muhideen Olateju described the ministry as the backbone to drive every ministry in the state, saying it is tirelessly working on making the House of Assembly an E-parliament platform to make procedure easier and better.
He noted that with the support of the Assembly, the State would move forward in Information, Communication and Technology.

Elementary, Middle and High Schools across the state will start their vacation from Monday (18th December, 2017) after a rewarding first term of the 2017/2018 academic session.
 

 
This is contained in a statement issued out by the Commissioner for Education, Mr. Kola Omotunde-Young.
In the statement, the Commissioner advised parents and guardians to take good care of their children/wards during the holidays and avoid sending them on errands that will endanger the lives of the children.
He stressed further that parents should encourage their children to have fun and engage in games, plays and activities that are intellectually stimulating and improve their psycho motor skills since these help in their growth and development as future leaders.
According to the statement, schools will resume classes on Monday (8thJanuary, 2018) without delays, hence parents should prepare their wards to be psychologically and emotionally ready for effective learning.
The Commissioner for Education wishes the students, parents, teachers and all stakeholders in education, compliments of the season and the very best for the new year 2018.

The Operations Officer of Osun Meal Programme known as O’Meal, Mr Olabode Akinjogbin, has stated that the school feeding programme is a boost to National Security.
The Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme known as O-MEALS is the one of the few surviving school feeding programmes in the country.
 

 
It was formerly known as the Home Grown School Feeding and Health Programme (HGSFP) . This has now been restructured and enhanced by the administration of the State of Osun, to reach a larger number of students (254,000) and to empower over 3000 community caterers.
In a release signed by Akinjogbin, he explained that the meal programme has ensured healthy feeding of the pupils thereby banishing hunger.
He noted that an hungry man is an angry man and the state government has eradicated hunger through the programme thereby boosting the national security of the country in general.
The Operations Officer also stated that apart from enhancing youth security and empowerment, the O’Meal programme has also reduced unemployment and has served as means of investing in the future of the pupils.
He said that the programme which started on the 6th of May, 2004 was repackaged by the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administration on April 30,2012 and adopted by the Federal Government in 2016.

“We have been asked to buy textbooks so as to prepare for the coming Senior WAEC but most of us have not been able to do that because of unavailability of money. Many of us cannot afford the textbooks and have been wondering how to pass the fast approaching exams.”
These were the words of Adeleke Busayo, a final year student of Adventist Government High School in Ede, Osun State as she received her “Opon Imo” tablet of knowledge provided for her free by the State Government of Osun under Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
 

 
In a similar vein, the Head Girl of the school, Oluwatuye Mary buttressed what Busayo said.
She stated that most of the students have not been able to afford the needed textbooks for their coming exams, adding that that State Government has lifted an overweighting burden through the Opon Imo project.
“I feel so excited, we have been patiently waiting for the Opon Imo since the first day our principal told us about it. I am so happy to get the Opon Imo finally because we have been told to buy textbooks but not all could afford them. Now that the Opon Imo is here, embedded with several textbooks and past questions, the burden of having to buy textbooks has been lifted.
“We are immensely grateful to the Government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, we really appreciate this privilege and we promise to use it judiciously. Aregbesola has fulfilled his promise with the people of Osun on Education Improvement and we promise to study well and make him proud.” Mary added.
The Opon Imo, tablet of knowledge is an initiative which started in 2013.This initiative, the first of its kind anywhere in the world, covers 17 Core Subjects with over 5 Extra Curricula Subjects for Senior Secondary 1, 2 & 3 levels.
The Tablet contains over 56 textbooks , 900 minutes of virtual classoom lessons and 1000s of Practice Questions for WAEC and JAMB.
In addition to aiding preparation for School Leaving Examinations, the introduction of the tool is expected to aid adoption of information communication technology (ICT) skills among students in the State.
Back in 2013 when the Governor Rauf Aregbesola-led Government of Osun launched Opon Imo, many were skeptical about its sustainability and its effectiveness in combating the low rate of student performance, especially for secondary school students writing final year West Africa Senior School Certificate but four years down the line, the Opon Imo has proven its worth.
Apart from aiding students in their exams and guaranteeing their success if properly used, the Opon Imo has also relieved parents the burden of having to buy textbooks especially in this current economic situation.
As usual, the State government has begun the distribution of e-learning computer tablets for the 2017/2018 academic session to students in the final year in the state public schools.
The distribution of the tablets began in an informal ceremony at Osogbo Government High School, Osogbo, as the students and teachers were excited to receive the device again.
While it lasted, 30,000 units of the tablets will be given to final year students who will be writing the SSCE, NECO and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) examinations and their teachers, across the state.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony at Osogbo Government High School, the Principal of the school, Mrs Folorunsho Ladapo, described Opon-Imo as an unusual education tool in the state.
Also the Administrator of Adventist Government High School, Mrs Uche Agbaso, said the distribution of the Opon Imo is an extra mile on the part of the Governor to enhance better performance of the students.
In her remarks too, the vice principal administration, Mrs A A Oyewole, lauded Governor Aregbesola for the initiative and urged the students to make positive use of the tablets.

Speaking on the nitty gritty of the programme, the project manager, Opon Imo, Mr Bambo Bashorun explained that, “The government is doing its best to distribute to students a technological device, it is a marriage of technology and creativity, we are tying to make all our children have access to technology, as you can see, this device is being distributed to all SS3 students, the purpose is to help them in passing their exams and it has all their subjects textbooks, it has past questions and answers, it’s a fantastic digital learning tool, it’s a study note, so to say.
“Our Government deemed it fit to give our children the best and we have started again this year, we are going round the 120 schools we have in the state now.”
About the controversy surrounding the Opon Imo, Bambo explained that, “As you know Opon Imo has won an award internationally, we won an award four years ago. As far as controversy is concerned, we are unmoved, we are not shaking. It is audible to the deaf and visible to the blind that Opon Imo has come to stay. It is a fantastic project and we have not ceased in distributing it four years running now.

“The teachers are there, the principals are there, the students are there, the parents are there and they will give you wonderful testimonies as to what this government has done through Opon Imo so criticism with objective, we will take it but without objective, we will struck it out.”

Government of the State of Osun has acknowledged that the grace of God coupled with solidarity and support of all public servants in the State as key to the successes recorded so far by the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
 

 

The State Head of Service, Dr. Olowogboyega Oyebade made the statement in his office while addressing the press on the end of the year programme for public servants in the State.
He explained that the programme was approved by Mr. Governor in appreciation of the unparalled support, understanding and monumental sacrifices of the entire workforce in the State.
While disclosing that from October 2017 till date, fifty-one (51) workers had received weekly and monthly awards of excellence in various establishments, Dr. Oyebade explained that it is from the pool of weekly and monthly award winners that the best three will emerge to receive handsome rewards from Mr. Governor during the forthcoming end of the year programme.
He further disclosed that the Governor had approved the erection of notice boards close to the gate of Government Secretariat, Abere where pictures of outstanding awardees would be displayed.
He then charged all public servants in the State to redouble their efforts in the area of internally generated revenue, advancing that the safest anchor to hold the ship of the State in these days of
global economic meltdown is the revenue generated within the state.
Dr. Oyebade posited that if the State could have one million active tax payers of #250 per day, it would be able to generate five billion naira per month to take care of its needs instead of relying on revenue from the federation account.
Details of the programme released by the State Head of Service which include inter-ministerial sports competition, indicate that there will be delivery of a public lecture by Dr. Adegoroye at the centre for Black Culture and International Understanding on 21st December, 2017
while the State awards and gala night is scheduled for 28th December at Public Service Recreation Centre, Abere.
Meanwhile, a Jumat service was held today at the Public Service Central Mosque, Abere, where the State Head of Service led an array of public servants to solicit prayers for the successful completion of Governor Aregbesola’s tenure in office, as well as peace and prosperity for the entire workforce.
In his sermon at the service, the Chief Imam of the mosque, Alhaji Najimdeen Uzamot, who observed that there had been remarkable changes since the advent of Dr. Oyebade as the State Head of Service, advised both the government and the workforce to be alive to their responsibilities, warning that one day both the leaders and the led will render account of their stewardship before their maker.

The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has described the death of Sheik Salahudeen Olayiwola, as a huge loss to the state and the entire Muslim Ummah (communities in the country and beyond).
 

 
 
In a statement by his Medial Adviser, Mr. Sola Fasure, Aregbesola said Sheik Salahudeen, a devout Muslim, erudite scholar and fervent believer, was one of the leading lights of Islam in the state and in Nigeria.
The Governor stated that during his life, Sheik Salahudeen, who was also the Chairman, Osun Muslim community, was a shining light in many fields of the Islamic religion, saying the deceased was for many years a great teacher and preacher propagating the religion.
“The deceased was an illustrious citizen of this country and Osun State. He was always ready to offer sincere advice to successive governments on peaceful co-existence and religious harmony in the state and the country.
“He is an erudite scholar and notable Islamic leader of conscience, who would not shy away from telling the truth, no matter whose horse is gored.
“His impact as a leading religious leader transcended the boundary of Islam as he was always involved and contributed positively to the activities of the National Inter-religious Council at the highest level in the country.
“A peace-maker, who led a fulfilled life worthy of emulation, this great scholar and religious frontrunner’s death is no doubt a huge loss to the Islamic community, the State of Osun and Nigeria as a whole.
“Certainly, the Osun Muslim Community and the Muslim Ummah will not forget his contributions to and the propagation of Islam in the state.
“On behalf of myself and the people of Osun, I offer our condolences to the entire family of Sheik Salahudeen Olayiwola, the people of Ede, the entire Islamic Ummah in the State of Osun and the country as a whole.
“We pray that Almighty Allah grant him Aljannah Firdaus,” Aregbesola said.