The Ogbeni  Rauf Aregbesola led administration hit the ground running and started on a firm footing after a tortuous, long day’s journey into office. The gains of his preparation have borne fruit. Not least a widely acclaimed and initiated social intervention thrust which is directed at attacking the roots of poverty. Like any sensible manager, with just about a year of his administration left, he must do careful, succession planning.

 

 
A succession planning must include handing over a revamped administrative mechanism to a successor in the spirit of the continuity of the programmes he initiated which has made a positive impact. This thoughtful process has commenced with this week’s appointment of Dr Festus Olowogboyega Oyebade as the Head of Service in the State of Osun. A key appointment is what is becoming a process of transition; it has been very well received.
The multi-dimensional Dr Oyebade certainly fits the bill of the modern technocrat and public servant.  Dr Oyebade is well read. He graduated with BSc. Education at Obafemi Awolowo University of Ile-Ife with specialisation in Geography. He later obtained higher degrees of Masters in Educational Management and Peace and Conflict Studies as well as a Doctorate (PhD) in Educational Management, all from the University of Ibadan. He also bagged LLB and LLM degrees in Law from Obafemi Awolowo University and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2005. The conventional wisdom within and outside of the state is in convergence, that he will put in a memorable tenure in office.
Characteristically, the  governor did not just put the right person for the job, he has worked out a clear road map to follow. In line with the principles of modern management, Ogbeni Aregbesola has correctly pointed out that the era of partitioning of departments in civil service is gone and should be replaced with organic network and fluid movement from one office to the other, from one department to the other, from one ministry to the other.
This is a reflection of the complexity of, as well as the need for dexterity in navigating the course of modern governance. The bureaucracy in the state has to be more flexible and nimble footed because the machinery of the government now has to be retooled to cope with a more diversified and complex economic structure. The appointment of Dr Oyebade and the brief he has been mandated to carry out is a reflection of this.
The summation of the raison d’être for the new appointment and what is envisioned for the future is very succinctly  spelt out by the Ogbeni Governor – “Nevertheless, the ultimate goal is to be productive, the objectives of governance must be realised and the government must generate the resources needed to run it.” The imperative for a scamless transition of a re-invigorated Osun state to a new administration has begun. Having as it were refreshed the bureaucracy, it is now imperative that a rancour free process is put in place to produce a worthy successor to continue and consolidate the progressive thrust in Osun State.

The Federal Operation Coordinating Unit (FOCU) of the Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO) has for the umpteenth time commended Osun State Operation Coordinating Unit (SOCU) for not relenting in keeping the success story flag of YESSO flying always.

 

 
 
FOCU stated this through Mr. Alaefule Uche at the Step-down Training of Local Government officials on Community Based Targeting (CBT) and Single Register of the Poor and Vulnerable Households organised by Osun YESSO which took place at the Western Sun International Hotel, Ede.
 
Mr. Uche who represented the National Coordinator of YESSO in Abuja maintained that Osun has consistently been a force to be reckoned with among all the YESSO participating states in the country which he said is evident in the numerous success stories recorded which he opined has seen Osun YESSO emerge the first and the best in virtually all the components and operations of YESSO.
 
In his address at the event, the SOCU Coordinator, Osun YESSO, Mr. Olufemi Ifaturoti attributed the success story of Osun YESSO to the innumerable supports received from the State Government of Osun under the leadership of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who he affirmed has proved beyond any reasonable doubt to be the leading light in Social Protection among his counterparts in the country.
 
He said this was evident in his numerous social safety net programmes and initiatives such as O’YES, AGBA OSUN, O’MEAL, O’AMBULANCE, O’REAP and many others which he asserted are second to none. Mr Ifaturoti who also doubles as the Director General, Bureau of Social Services, Office of the Governor of Osun urged the participants to make the best use of the step-down training having been privileged to contribute their quota.
 
In his remarks at the programme, the Chairman, Osun House of Assembly Committee on Industries, Commerce, Cooperatives and Empowerment, Hon. Babatunde Olatunji opined that YESSO’s unassailable 100 percent full proof targeting of beneficiaries’ strategy deserves to be replicated in all spheres as a result of the unparalleled credibility of the process.
 
Olatunji who informed the gathering that his constituency was among the early beneficiaries of the laudable World Bank assisted support operation, commended the ingenuity of the Olufemi Ifaturoti led Osun YESSO for its continued success story.

The State of Osun House of Assembly has pledged its support for the State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) in the forthcoming Local Government Election in the state. The Chairman, House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Wasseu Adebayo stated this during an interactive session with the commission at the State Assembly Complex, Osogbo.

 

 
Saying that the commission was invited to know how prepared it was for the forthcoming Local Government election in the state, he hinted that, “we are satisfied with the OSIEC preparation on ground and the government will make sure the needed fund is made available for the commission to conduct a free and fair election in Osun”.
 
However, in his reaction, the OSIEC Chairman, Otunba Segun Oladitan said the commission is now set to conduct the election. According to him, “we are happy to say that OSIEC have gone far in our preparation for the election in accordance with directive of the House of Assembly”
 
“OSIEC is to conduct election for all political parties and we have met with them and all security agencies in the state for their supports during the election”, he added. The OSIEC boss confirmed that his commission has what it takes to conduct the election with an understanding of the Assembly. He said that election would be held in 378 wards, that is 334 old wards and 44 newly carved out from the newly created Local Council Development Area.
 
He confirmed that almost 36 political parties have been registered for the election. According to him, “we have demarcated the old and new wards in the state and I believe in God that election will go smoothly in Osun with the support of all stakeholders involved.

The Government of the State of Osun will soon begin the massive sensitization on the adverse effects of emission of dangerous gases into the atmosphere.
 

 
This was stated in Osogbo today by the State Commission for Environment and Sanitation, Mr Idowu  Korede, who  was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr Temitope Oladele at a stakeholders meeting on the emission control scheme in the state.

The Commissioner said that the sensitization programme would be carried out by the State Government  to create awareness on the harmful effects of dangerous gases emitted into the air and ways of controlling them
He added that the exercise has nothing to do with enforcement of fine hence people of the state should cooperate .and should not be afraid.

The meeting ,which had in attendance representatives of the Nigeria Police, Federal Road Safety Corps(FRSC),Vehicle Inspection Office( VIO), National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), RTEAN and ACCOMORAN, discussed the modalities for the sensitization method which has its principal targets as motorists, motor cyclists, tricycle riders as well as operators of big commercial ventures that use generators.

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) on Monday commended the Osun government for the prompt payment of the 2017 West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fee of its public secondary school students.
 

 
The body gave the commendation at the 2017 WAEC Committee Meeting held with the Osun Commissioner for Education, Mr Kola Omotunde-Young, in Osogbo.
An official of the examination body, Dr Olusanya Dacosta, said Osun was among the few states not owing WAEC.
 
Dacosta, who also commended the state government for not giving room for examination malpractice, however, urged teachers to always strive to cover the school curriculum before students sit for any external examination.
Earlier in his remarks, Omotunde-Young thanked the examination body for recognising the positive input of the state administration in the education sector.
He enjoined the examination body to carry out a review of its questions to encourage critical and creative thinking, synthesis, analysis, comprehension and functional application of knowledge