Governor, State of  Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has called for a ban on the export of primary farm produce as part of strategies to ensure food sufficiency in the country.
 

 
Aregbesola made the call in Osogbo on Sunday in a statement he issued by his media aide, Semiu Okanlawon
The governor opined that the ban would enhance the value chains of the nation’s agricultural investments.
He also urged government to fashion out measures that would make agriculture to be attractive to a new generation of young Nigerians.
He noted that this would be viable option towards economic diversification, adding that Nigeria had yet to show serious efforts towards making farming a viable venture.
“We should stop exporting primary produce and start adding value. The value of a kilogram of exported cocoa beans increases 5,000% by the time it comes back as chocolate,” the governor said.
Aregbesola said the nation’s agriculture must be directed towards producing what the country needs and not what it could only export.

“The orientation of our agriculture towards producing raw materials, especially cash crops, for the industries in Europe and the Americas must be reversed.
Agriculture is needed primarily for food production; only well fed people can drive economic development.
Good nutrition is the primary basis of good health which drives productivity and energy,” he said.

Governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola,  has argued that the prefix “Your Excellency” attached to the names of state governors in Nigeria is illegal.
 

 
He gave three reasons at the ongoing Guild of Editors Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
First, he argued that it is only God who should receive the tag, “excellency”.
Second, he said that there is nowhere it is written in the Nigerian Constitution that a governor should be called his excellency.

Third, Aregbesola argued that a student cannot be scored excellent before but after an examination. That is why after an examination, “you are rated excellent, very good, good, fair, pass, fail”.
“Every governor is writing an examination and until he finishes, he cannot be rated.”
He asked rhetorically: “Is it not enough to be called a governor with power of life and death? What do you want to make of a governor by calling him excellency? God? Or do you want to make the governor mad? Call me just Ogbeni (simple Mr)”.

The Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Thursday ordered the authorities of the state College of Education, Ilesa to henceforth put a stop to organising combined graduation ceremonies in the school.
 

 
Aregbesola ordered that all outstanding graduation programmes of the institution must be done before the end of 2017.
He said the remaining programmes must be concluded in two batches before December 2017.
 
The governor gave the charge while speaking at the combined 24th graduation ceremony of four sets of 6,600 graduating students at the auditorium of the College in Ilesa.
 
He appealed to the students of the college not to disrupt the academic programmes of the institution so as to meet up with the set target.
He said: “Combined graduation ceremony must not happen in this school again.
“This graduation ceremony I believe is for the sets of 2007 to 2011.
“It is too much and not good enough.
 
“The graduation ceremonies of the set of graduands between 2012 to 2016, which will be the 25th graduation ceremony must be done in two batches before December 2017.
 
“I implore the students of this great institution not to disrupt the academic programmes of this school so as to meet up with the set target.”
 
Speaking on the various interventions of government in the education sector, Aregbesola said it was occasioned by the education summit chaired by Prof. Wole Soyinka, which gave some recommendations that government is implementing to improve academic performance in the state.
 
He said the summit also brought about the O-MEALS programme, which has been a huge success, hence making the Federal Government to adopt the programme.
 
He explained that the O-MEALS programme has created employment opportunities for different individuals in the state as well as boosting Agricultural sector in the state.
 
The Governor also used the occasion to shed light on the restructuring of the state’s tertiary institutions.
 
Aregbesola said it is not meant to scrap any school or retrench workers but to make the schools more relevant through the offering of vocational trainings and provision of remedial courses for young school leavers.
 
While congratulating the new graduates, the Governor said graduating from an institution is an accomplishment which prepares them for later life accomplishments.
 
He urged those who will be going directly into teaching to see it as an opportunity to give back to the society through teaching morals as well as trying to improve the academic qualities of the younger generation.
He said: “We are determined to improve the standard of education in our state.
 
“That is why we are spending so much in building state-of-the-art education facilities across the state.
 
“That is why we are spending so much feeding our pupils in elementary schools through the O-MEALS programme, which has attracted interests from all over the world to the extent that the Federal Government has adopted it.
 
“Our vision to restructure our state institutions is not to scrap any school or retrench workers, but we want to make the schools more attractive to the world.
 
“We want them to be able to offer remedial courses to young school leavers and provide vocational training to people in the society.”
 
In his graduation address, the Provost of the institution, Dr. Kadri Adegoke, explained that the ceremony is being used to reward excellence and hard work through the award of prizes to graduating students who have performed outstandingly well.
 
Adegoke said the programme is also used to honour two eminent Nigerians because it is believed that it will help in stimulating the spirit and culture of hard work, enterprise and excellence in the graduating students.
 
The provost used the occasion to express gratitude to the administration of Aregbesola for assisting the institution in giving capacity development to its staff, saying the college has never had it so good.
 
According to the provost: “This graduation ceremony is a combination of four sets of between 2007 to 2011, making a total of 6,600 graduands.
 
“We are using this ceremony to award excellence and hard work by awarding prizes to graduands who have performed outstandingly well.
 
“This occasion is also being used to honour eminent Nigerians in the presence of the graduands because we want it to serve as stimulant to the students and make them to be hardworking and become great enterpreneurs in future.
 
“I thank the Ogbeni Aregbesola administration for assisting the school in capacity building of the members of staff of this school, our college have never had it so good under any administration in this state.
 
“Almost all our academic staff members and some non-teaching staff members were sponsored on international conferences in the U.S. and the U.K in the last four years.
 
Delivering an acceptance speech on behalf of himself and a retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Bola Babalakin, a legal luminary, Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, who was presented honourary awards alongside Babalakin, stated that education is one of the cardinal objectives of the All Progressives Congress government.
 
Awomolo described Aregbesola as a visionary governor who is pursuing his objective of taking Osun State to a great height in terms of academic performance, noting that education as a sector should not be handled with kids glove by any government.

Local Government staff in the State of Osun have been charged to intensify actions to generate fund internally in a bid to improve the economic growth of the state.
 

 
The Chairman, Local Government Service Commission, Elder Peter Babalola gave the charge while speaking with pressmen in his office.
Elder Babalola stressed the need for officers to block all forms of leakages in their local government areas, saying the dividends of democracy can spread evenly and enjoyed by all only when government has enough resources.
He however called on members of the public to join hands together to put an end to illegal minning activities in the state who sabotage the efforts of the state government by stealing the common wealth meant for the generality of the population.
Elder Babalola enjoined all to report the nefarious activities of the unlicensed miners operating in the state to law enforcement agencies so that they would face the full wrath of the law.

The State Programme Officer of Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme (O’MEAL), Mrs Olubunmi Ayoola has warned bakers, baking bread for pupils in Public Elementary Primary Schools in the state of Osun to be up and doing and by baking to specifications.
 

 
Mrs Ayoola dropped this hint when she met with Executive Members of Master Bakers in her office.
She said that, bread must be baked according to government specification and delivered on time to avoid disappointment to schools.
She explained that, the government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has taken Elementary School Feeding to a level that is internationally accepted and that all efforts should be made to sustain the programme.
Earlier, the Secretary, Master Bakers, State of Osun, Mr. Muritala Adeeyo had commended Governor Rauf Aregbesola for including them in the success of O’MEAL which has made the state of Osun a reference point to all states.  He therefore promised that, his members will adjust to government specification by delivering promptly.
Present at the meeting were Zonal Education Planning Officers.

As part of efforts to boost the internally generated revenue in Osun, the state government and the Cattle Butchers Association in the state have both agreed on seven hundred naira as the  new levy to be paid on each cattle slaughtered in the state.
 

 
This was the outcome of a meeting between the butchers and representatives of the state government held at the government secretariat in Abere.
It was also agreed at the meeting that henceforth, the establishment of a new slaughter slab will attract the payment of 50,000 Naira while the registration of each member of the butchers association will attract the sum of 2,500naira and subsequent payment for renewal will attract 1,000 Naira annually.
Speaking during the meeting, former Commissioner for Agric and Food Security in the state, Mr Wale Adedoyin stated that the levies became necessary in a bid to boost the IGR of the state and at the same time provide the necessary facilities at the slaughter slabs across the state.
The consultant to the governor on agric and food security stressed that the administration of Ogbeni Aregbesola does not intend to cause hardship or pains to the butchers through the introduction of the new levies, but to make life better for all and sundry in the state even in the face of the current economic challenges facing the country.
In their separate remarks, the Patron of the state butchers association ,Alhaji Tiamiyu Alamu as well the chairman, Alhaji Sulaiman Adebimpe thanked the government of the state for always carrying them along in decisions that affect the association, saying that members of his association will strive to comply with the new laid down rules.
In his remark, the Coodinating Director in the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Youth Engagement, Dr Bukola Aluko assured the butchers that government will continue to provide facilities and support that will make their job easier.

The Governor of the state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has charged the new Olowena of Owena, Oba Bisiriyu Ayelabola Oladoyinbo 1, the Olowena of Owena-Ijesa in Oriade South Local Council Development Area to mobilise his subjects for the development of the town and ensure that peace reigns supreme in his domain.

 
The Governor, who spoke through the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti said this at the installation of the new monarch held at the Community Grammar School, Owena.
According to the Governor, it is the responsibility of the new monarch and all others present to continue to display exemplary leadership through honesty and transparency in all their dealings with their subjects.
The Governor promised the people of Owena that the International Market promised by the Government to be located in Owena would be fulfilled in no distance future.
The Council Manager of Oriade South Local Council Development Area, Mr. Gboyega Ajibade appealed to the people of the town to co-operate with the Council Authority by paying their taxes and rates to ensure rapid development of the newly created Council Area.
The Olowena of Owena-Ijesa, Oba Bisiriyu Ayelabola Oladoyinbo 1, thanked the government of the state of Osun and promised the people of the town a purposeful leadership.