The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola will tomorrow(Wednesday 23rd of August, 2017 )at 12noon commission the Justice Research Center which is newly established and equipped at the State of Osun High Court of Justice Complex, Ilobu road, Osogbo.

 
This was contained in a statement issued by the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, Mr. Lawrence Olawale Arojo.
According to the statement, the Research Center was provided courtesy of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in collaboration with the European Union (EU).
Arojo said the Center is an ultra modern and internet connected center of world class standard.
He noted that the research center will be of immense benefit to Judges, Magistrates, Lawyers, Court users and other stakeholders in the justice delivery sector.

Hope of the completion of Moshood Kashimawo Abiola (MKO) International Airport, located in Ido Osun brightened over the weekend as the Turkish government indicated its interest to collaborate with Osun State government on the project.

 

 
The Turkish government also expressed its readiness to partner Osun on trade, commerce and industrial revolution so as to aid the state in its effort to improve on the socio-economic wellbeing of its people.
Speaking during a courtesy visit to Governor Rauf Aregbesola at Obafemi Awolowo Osun Governor’s Lodge, in Abuja, theTurkish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Hakan Cakil disclosed that efforts had reached the climax to support the state at completing the MKO Abiola International Airport, a development which he said will open windows for better relations between Nigeria and Turkey.
He said the decision to partner the state was aimed at complementing the efforts being put together by the Aregbesola’s administration at giving the state a befitting airport, just as he commended the state for coming up with the idea of having a unique international airport, capable of being a model in Nigeria and by extension, Africa.
Cakil assured Aregbesola that the partnering company, Biray Construction Company,‎ had the full the backing of the Turkish government, expressing optimism that quality job will be delivered at the end of it all.
He therefore assured that the execution of the airport will not only foster good relationship between the Osun State and Turkey, but also provide ample business opportunities between the partnering governments.
In his remarks, the chairman, Biray Construction Company, Birol Arikan‎ assured Osun State government of quality service delivery, stressing that the company possess the capacity to deliver on its mandate when being given a partnership, which he said will to turn around ‎the airport.
According to him, ‎”We are well known to this project. This is what we do most. We have been on ground for long. We have been operating since 2002. We ha‎‎ve handled such projects across the country. So, when we begin, all efforts will be made to make MKO Abiola International Airport of international standard”.
Earlier in his speech, the facilitator of the partnership, Ambassador Nurudeen Ogunlade announced that the firm, All Works of life Development Organization, had completed all it entails, including obtaining the first tranche of funds through the EXIM Bank of Turkey to begin the construction, upon the signing of concessional agreement between Osun and Biray Construction Group.‎
While responding, Aregbesola, said his administration will muster the political will needed to complete the project, contending that  no efforts will be spared to turn around the economy of the state for the betterment of all and sundry.
He said his administration had done much to bring a facelift to the state, particularly in infrastructure development, a move which, according to him, had turned Osogbo, the state capital, into a mega city.

Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has congratulated awardees at the NUJ state information chapel press week, just as he charged journalists in the country to make professionalism their watchword in the discharge of their duties.
 

 
Ogbeni Aregbesola stated this while delivering a key note adress at the awards and family day ceremony of the on going press week of the NUJ state information chapel held at the SUBEB conference hall.
Awardees at the programme include: the Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba Adedokun Abolarin Aroyinkeye 1, Special Adviser to the Governor on Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Olubisi Odewumi and Alhaji Ridwan Haussain popularly known as Yah Sallam.
Recipients of professional awards are: Mrs Toyin Adeoye who was awarded the best Information officer of the year, Mrs Martha Adebiyi, Studio Engineer of the year and Mr Sunday Omonijo was was awarded the best photographer  of the year.
Other professional awards include the visual editor of the year, Mr Olalekan Rasaq and Mr Francis Odejobi who was given the award of Graphic artist of the year.
Ogbeni Aregbesola who was represented at the occasion by the Commissioner for Information and strategy, Mr. Adelani  Baderinwa stressed that journalists must begin to portray themselves as the watchdog of the society which they are.
Speaking further at the programme which had the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdulrasheed Olabomi as the father of day, Aregbesola said his government will continue to create an enabling environment for journalists to work and practice their profession adding that a conducive environment is highly important for the job of a journalist.
Ogbeni Aregbesola ,who commended the efforts of state information officers on their efforts at propagating the activities of the present administration ,called on journalists in the country to help shape the country on the right path of development.
The state helmsman stressed that the efforts of journalists in national development can not be overemphasised .
In his remark, the Chairman ,House Committee on Information and Strategy, Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye ,who was in company of Hon. Lekan Olatunji, while promising journalists in the state of total support of the House of Assembly, urged media practitioners to portray  the society in good light.
He said as the chairman of the House Committee on Information and Strategy , he owes it a duty to journalists in the state to always protect their interests, saying that the present administration in the state views journalists in high esteem.
Director General of the OSBC, Mr Wale Idowu ,while congratulating members of the state information chapel ,told the recipients of professional awards to rededicate themselves to their duties and professional calling.
He urged them to show commitment to their duties as a means of showing appreciation on being singled out for honour.
In his address, the state NUJ chairman, Comrade Abiodun Olalere, expressed gratitude to the governor if Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for always showing support  to journalists in the state.
While congratulating recipients of individual awards, Comrade Olalere urged them to see the awards as that of the Nigerian Union of Journalists  hence the need to always portray themselves as good ambassadors to the union.
He used the occasion to call on journalists in the state to take the opportunity of the on going biometric registration to get registered for them to continue to remain as journalists in the state.
Special guest of honour at the occasion, Mr Benedict Alabi encouraged journalists to be more proactive on the job, while urging them to endeavour to portray the country positively to the outside world.
He noted that Nigerian journalists have a role to play in the unity and progress of the nation, stressing that Nigerians can only tell their good story themselves.
Coordinating Director in the Ministry of Information and strategy, Mrs Femi Webster Esho ,while congratulating the awardees ,urged them to keep up the good job.
Highlights of the occasion was a special recognition award to the three departments in the chapel which include; Press  and Public Relations, Social Mobilisation and strategy as well as the Grassroots and Public Enlightment
Activities of the press week will be rounded up  today  with a Jumat service at the Abere central mosque after which members of the chapel will be hosted to a reception by the Permanent Secretary SUBEB, Mr Fatai Kolawole.

Governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has called on the Federal Government to assist state governments in the country to raise bonds to pay the the gratuities of state pensioners who voluntarily retired from the service to avoid contributory pension scheme.
 

 
 
Aregbesola also explained that the state government is incapacitated to pay pensioners in the state gratuity which is about N5bn stressing that the state government was not insensitive to their plight.
Aregbesola made the call while playing host to the Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, Mrs Sharon Ikiazor who paid him a courtesy visit at the state secretariat on Monday.
 
He explained that the mass retirement of workers from the state civil service at the end of 2012 because they did not want to join the Contributory Pension Scheme placed a gratuity burden of about N5bn on the state.
 
Aregbesola noted that the state has been struggling and managing to pay salaries and pension because of the continuous decline of the nation’s economy as a result of the instability in the crude oil market.
 
The governor said: “It’s a pity we have found ourselves in the situation we are. Because many of them (pensioners) chose to leave the service at the end of 2012 because they did not want to join the contributory pension scheme, the state has a gratuity burden of about N5bn.
 
“As at the time they were leaving, the state was already struggling to pay salaries as a result of the sharp drop in the revenue accruable to the federal government.
“It started with a drop of about N600 million and it later jumped toN1bn. If we could not meet up with their gratuity in 2012, how could we do it in 2013 or 2014 when it was getting tougher? Or is it going to be now when there is still a lot of instability in the crude oil market?
 
Aregbesola said the call for the FG’s intervention in the payment of gratuity for the state pensioners through provision of bonds became imperative because state governments in the country are under serious financial burdens.
 
According to Aregbesola, the bonds which will be paid back by the state government with ease will go a long way in relieving the states of financial burden, ensure prompt payment to pensioners and as well boosting the nation’s economy as money will be in circulation.
 
The governor disclosed that a lot of states across the federation who have joined the Contributory Pension Scheme are finding it difficult to offset the huge gratuity of pensioners accumulated as a result of the mass exodus from the service because they did not want to join the new pension regime.
 
He said:”Because many of the workers did not want to join the contributory pension scheme, a lot of them exited the service at the same time, thereby making state governments to have huge gratuity responsibilities upon them.
 
“I believe the Federal government can assist the state governments in raising bonds which will be paid back with ease. With the bonds, the state governments can pay the gratuities of these pensioners, thereby injecting money into the economy and boost the economy in return.
 
“I believe we must do all we can to ease the sufferings of the people and this is a good avenue to inject money into the system. I urge the Federal government to assist in easing the burden of the states concerning this issue because I believe they have the capacity to do it”.
 
Speaking earlier, the Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate, Mrs Sharon Ikiazor stated that the directorate is in the state for the continuous pension verification exercise of federal pensioners. “We are here to carry out the usual verification exercise of federal pensioners and we are satisfied with the hospitality we have received”, she said.
 

The Government of Osun has declared August 21 work free day to commemorate ‘Isese Day’ the annual festival of adherents of traditional religion in the state.
 

 
A statement issued by Adelani Baderinwa, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, said that government declared the holiday to enable adherents of traditional religion celebrate their festival.
The statement was made available to journalists on Friday in Osogbo.
It quoted the commissioner as saying that Isese Day, also known as Traditional Worshipers Day, is the climax of festivities among adherents of traditional religion.
He urged adherents of traditional religion to celebrate the day in peace and avoid acts capable of breaching the peace.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the state government declared ‘Isese Day’ work free day in 2014.
The day is always fixed on Monday that precedes Friday of the grand finale of the annual UNESCO Osun-Osogbo Festival.

In a bid to boost food security, the Osun State government, in partnership with the World Bank has trained over 300 youths across the state on the FADAMA III programme.
Tagged FADAMA III AF Graduate Unemployed Youth and Women Support (FADAMA GUYS), the programme was designed to educate the youths on both theory and practical procedures in getting the best from various agricultural enterprises. The programme also focused on building the participants’ knowledge and capacity in managing their farming businesses if supported by the government.
 

 
The training programme afforded the participants drawn all council areas of state the opportunity to get first-hand training from experts in the agriculture sector. The participants were taught the rudiments of soil, fish farming, crop production, animal husbandry and other practical trainings as well as research experiments.
The programme, which held from July 17 to 28, also provided the participants a platform to write examination and business plans to be sent to the national headquarters of the World Bank in Nigeria to ensure they benefitted from the agency’s $200 million grant facilitated by the Osun State government.

According to him, only 200 out of the 300 that participated in the programme will be shortlisted to benefit from the $200 million World Bank grant to begin their own businesses based on what they had learnt during the two-week capacity building programme.
Dr. Adediji urged the FADAMA GUYS to be proactive, resilient and put in good use the knowledge they had gained from the experts in order to make an impact in the society and be of benefit to themselves and their immediate families.
He, however, praised Governor Rauf Aregbesola for sustaining the programme, warning participants against sharp practices when utilising the funds to be given them as support grants.
The Programme Manager and Managing Director of Osun State Agricultural Development Corporation (OSSADEP), Alhaji Mukaila Omisore, who noted that the benefits of boosting national food security could not be understated, said  a nation that is not capable to feeding its citizens is a failed entity. He, therefore, said Governor Aregbesola is in a right direction for creating a vibrant agricultural sector in Osun State.
In his speech, the Dean, Faculty of Agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Prof A.A. Amusan, expressed his appreciation to the Federal Government for supporting unemployed graduates and for providing opportunities for them to create jobs and guarantee food security for the nation. He also urged participants to carefully optimise the gains of their training.

Prof. Duro Oyedele and Prof. Akeem Tijani were among the training facilitators at the programme.