Mr Sunday Owoeye, the Osun Head of Service, said the state government would not relent in training and retraining its civil servants for improved and increased productivity.

Addressing participants at a workshop organised for workers in his office on Thursday in Osogbo, Owoeye said training programmes were aimed at sensitising workers to civil service and commitment to duty. .

He said the government of Osun, under the leadership of Gov. Rauf Aregbesola, had done good for workers by providing an enabling working environment for civil servants.

“The government is committed to the welfare of workers in the state, every efforts will be made to ensure prompt and regular payment of workers’ salary to encourage commitment to work.

“Training and retraining of public workers will continue in all departments and agencies so that we can achieve and sustain a productive civil service,’’ Owoeye said .

The head of service charged the workers to take advantage of the training and re-dedicate themselves to duty and productivity.(NAN)

The Osun Independent Electoral Commission, OSIEC, has disclosed readiness to conduct referendum on the proposed creation of new 27 local council development Areas, LCDAs, in the state.

Appearing before members of the state House of Assembly, the OSIEC chairman, Olusegun Oladitan, said the commission was ready to hold the referendum, but was only waiting for the Assembly to give its directive on the issue.

Oladitan maintained that the commission had already conducted training for its staff on how to conduct a peaceful and accurate referendum, adding that the staff had also visited the headquarters of the proposed LCDAs to ascertain their preparedness.

On the awaited local government poll, Oladitan said the commission was ready to conduct election into the council areas in the state, adding that members of the commission had also travelled to neighbouring states that had conducted council elections to get firsthand experience on how it was being done.

He stated that as soon as the Assembly gives its nod and approves date for the exercise, the commission would recruit ad-hoc staff to ensure adequate manpower and other resources are available for the poll.

Speaker of the House, Najeem Salaam, immediately directed the chairman of the commission to liaise with House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs on conduct of the referendum.

He implored the commission to ensure level playing ground was created for all the political parties that would participate in the election, saying the conduct of free and fair election by the commission was necessary for the development of the electoral process in the state.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola had on December 16, 2013, presented a bill to the House for the creation of additional 27 local council development areas from the existing 30 local government areas in the state.

NATIONAL MIRROR

The State Government of Osun, on Tuesday September 16, 2014, called on religious leaders across the state to brace up to the health challenges posed by the importation of the Ebola virus into the country in order to be averted from being spread into the state.

The State Government, through its Committee on Ebola, set up to prevent the virus from spreading into the state said religious leaders have vital roles to play towards ensuring that the dreaded disease does not rear its head in the state.

Addressing the participants who cut across the three religions consist of Muslims, Christians and Traditionalists during the sensitization, organized by the Committee, the State Commissioner of Environment and Sanitation, Professor Olubukola Oyawoye advised them to be conscious of the pandemic by observing personal hygiene at all time.

Oyawoye who acknowledged the roles religious leaders are playing in the development of any society said, they should complement the effort of the state government toward making the state an Ebola free state.

Emphasizing the efficacy of prayer, Oyawoye said people of the state should be more prayerful, just as she said promptly reporting of cases of observable symptoms to health officials was of the utmost important.

Commissioner for Health, Dr Mrs Temitope Ilori while echoing a similar view said the current epidemic, which has taken the center stage in the country and some other African countries, requires adequate and consistent sensitization.

Ilori urged religious leaders to adequately sensitize their people on the need for them to be proactive and strengthen environmental health in their immediate domain.

Ilori said, though, the state had not recorded any cases of Ebola since its outbreak in the country, the state government under leadership of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola inaugurated the committee saddled with the responsibility to work on how to prevent the spread of the disease in the state.

She urged the participants and the entire people of the state to be more proactive in terms of environmental hygiene since the disease could easily be transmitted through the body fluid of an infected person

While Talking about “Ebola Virus infection and prevention”, Dr Kayode Oguniyi, Director of Primary Health Care and Disease Control, Ministry of Health, State of Osun, said there is need for all and sundry to be up and doing in terms of environmental hygiene.

Oguniyi explained that, Ebola hemorrhagic fever was first noted in Zaire, currently, the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1976 when the original outbreak was in a village near the Ebola River after which the disease was name.

He added that, the virus was identified in person-to-person contact transmission, stressing that out of the 318 patients diagnosed with Ebola, 88 percent died, saying that, since that time there have been multiple outbreak of the virus in that country.

Oguniyi who corroborated the two commissioners, also laid emphasis on the earlier symptoms of Ebola which according to him were typically include, fever, severe headache, muscle pain, diarrhea, vomiting, abnormal pain among others.

He added that, the symptoms may appear anywhere from 2 to 21 days after exposure to Ebola virus, saying, though 8-10 days is most common.

He therefore charged people on the need for them to heed to medical advises given to them in order not to fall victim of the viral disease.

Responding to the sensitization programme, the representatives of the religious groups, Chief Folaba Fagbongbe, Rev Testimony Oriade, Chief Atanda Awofisade Abegunsola, Chief Adifase of Ife, the Naibu Imam of Osogbo among others eulogized the state government for organizing such an enlighten programme, saying Aregbesola deserves commendation over his efforts at making state inhabitable for all.

The highlight of the event was the demonstration of hand washing led by the commissioner of environment, and her co commissioner from the ministry of health, which was later demonstrated by one of the participants.

BIOREPORT

Osun State House of Assembly has passed the bill for the establishment of Special Offences Courts in the state.

Leader of the House, Timothy Owoeye, who disclosed this while reading the policy thrust of the bill which seeks to create special court that will hear matters bordering on environmental offences, pointed out the purpose was to ensure speedy administration of justice.

He said when passed into law and special offences court is created, it would bridge the gap created by regular courts.

He argued that the establishment would reduce the burden of work on regular courts, urging speedy passage of the bill into law.

The Deputy Speaker, Akintunde Adegboye, Mr. Kamardeen Akanbi, representing Ede North, Kamil Oyedele representing Orolu/ Irepodun, Folorunsho Bamisayemi, representing Ife South among others, supported quick consideration and passage of the bill.

They concurred that the bill could not have come at a better time, insisting that the bill would reduce crime rate in the state.

NATIONAL MIRROR

The former Osun State Police Commissioner, Ibrahim Maishanu, now Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) on Tuesday commended Governor Rauf Aregbesola for making him to succeed while in charge of the state command.

Maishanu commended the Governor Aregbesola for providing security equipment with which he was able to do his job well.

He gave the commendation while handing over to his successor.

The new Osun State Police Commissioner, Mr. Abubakar Marafa, has assumed duty in the state.

He took over from the former Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Maishanu, who was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG).

While handing over the mantle of leadership of the command to Marafa, Maishanu expressed happiness that he was leaving the state police command better than he met it.

He particularly commended the Governor Aregbesola for providing logistics including several Armoured Cars with which the command was able to operate and fight crime rate to the barest minimum level.

He noted that though there were several challenges faced by the command under him especially the just concluded August 9 Governorship Election in the state, crisis which emanated as a result of lynching the suspected kidnappers and few others, Maishanu expressed satisfaction that the command under him was able to bring the situation under the control and maintain law and order in the state.

Maishanu said he was leaving the state happy, adding that he enjoyed officers and men of the command that worked with him.

He said they contributed to his success in the course of his official duty in the state.

He also commended other security agencies in the state for their co-operation and assistance to the command.

Brigadier General Adeyemi, the Commandant of Army Regiment in Ede who spoke on behalf of other security agencies in the state described Maishanu as unassuming, brilliant and gentle officer that always carry other security agencies along in security matters in the state.

DAILY INDEPENDENT

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola with the Chairman United Democratic Party (UDP) Osun State Chapter, Prince Adesoji Adeleke and the Chairman National Conscience Party (NCP) State of Osun Chapter, during a solidarity visit to the Governor at the Government House last saturday

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (middle); Chairman United Democratic Party (UDP) Osun State Chapter, Prince Adesoji Adeleke (left) and Chairman National Conscience Party (NCP) State of Osun Chapter, Alhaji Waheed Lawal (right) , during a solidarity visit to the Governor at the Government House last saturday

From left- Chairman United Democratic Party (UDP) Osun State Chapter, Prince Adesoji Adeleke; Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Chairman National Conscience Party (NCP) State of Osun Chapter, Alhaji Waheed Lawal (right) and others, during a solidarity visit to the Governor at the Government House last saturday

From left- Chairman United People’s Party Osun State Chapter, Dr. Idowu Omidiji; Chairman United Democratic Party (UDP) Osun State Chapter, Prince Adesoji Adeleke, Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Chairman Mega Progressive People’s Party(MPPP) Osun State Chapter, Chief Adetoro Babatunde, Chairman New Nigeria People’s Party(NNPP) Osun State Chapter, Prince Adegoke Adefore and African People’s Alliance(APA), Alhaji Azeez Agboola, during a solidarity visit to the Governor at the Government House last saturday

As part of efforts by the government of the State of Osun to further prevent the scorge of the Ebola virus disease, a two-day sensitization workshop put together by the State Ministry of Health in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, was used to train 21 Medical Doctors who will in-turn train other medical personnel across the State on how to prevent Ebola virus.
While opening the workshop, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mrs Temitope Ilori, charged all health workers that all hands must be on deck to kick out Ebola virus from Nigeria.
She stressed further that the knowledge acquired during the training should be properly practised in their various Health Facility.
In a lecture, Dr. John Oladejo, who represented the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control [an agency under the Federal Ministry of Health] stated that they are here in Osun to train Health Workers on how to prevent and deal with Ebola Virus.
He then implored all health workers to always check their temperature while go in or out of the hospital in order to know the level of their temperature.
Dr. Oladejo further said that, World Health Organization representative, Dr Riu Miguel Vaz, assured the nation that by November this year, the first batch of Ebola Virus vaccine will be available.
As part of the training, one of the team, Dr. Olarewaju Badimu, practicalized how to put on Personal Protective Equipment [PPE] kits while treating suspected Ebola patients.
Speaking earlier, the Director of Primary Health Care and Disease Control in the State, Dr. Kayode Ogunniyi, appealed to all and sundry to develop the habit of frequent hand washing and avoid handshaking, hugging each other, also abstain from eating bush meat.
DAILY TIMES

The Deputy Governor of Osun State, Mrs Titi-Laoye Tomori, has assured that every community would benefit from the ongoing educational development projects in the state.

Tomori said this on Tuesday, that the state government would take construction of ultra modern schools to the council areas.

“Gov. Aregbesola said that he would stop at nothing to transform the state and bring smiles to the faces of the people, with provision of socio-economic infrastructure,’’ Tomori said.

Tomori, who is also the Commissioner for Education, said the government had completed an appreciable number of primary and secondary school projects in Osogbo and other major towns.

The deputy governor said some of them would soon be completed, while the next phase would reach out to other parts of the state to facilitate development and quality education.

She said the Aregbesola administration was committed to personnel development in the education sector and would not relent in training and retraining of teachers and non-teaching workers.

“This administration will definitely dish out dividends of democracy to our people who have shown to the world that they appreciate what we are doing by voting massively for the re-election of Gov. Rauf Aregbesola.

“We shall not relent in making our people happy as a caring government, this administration cannot afford to fail them, we will not fail tham,’’ Tomori said.

She advised the people to continue to give their support to the administration and assist the government by fulfilling their own share of responsibility for societal development.

(NAN)

OSUN State House of Assembly has passed a bill to make compulsory the teaching of Yoruba language, Culture and Tradition, Civic Education, as well as Physical and Health Education in public and private schools in the state.
The bill was passed after a motion moved by the Deputy Leader, Mr. Afolabi Atolagbe and seconded by member representing Egbedore constituency, Mr. Abiodun Awolola.

Reading the Policy thrust of the bill “Osun State Education Amendment bill 2014,” the Deputy Leader, Mr. Afolabi Atolagbe explained that the bill seeks to promote the use of Yoruba language, culture and tradition among students.

In their separate submissions, members of the House unanimously support the passage of the bill, saying that it will help to prevent the language from going into extinction.

They maintained that the Physical and Health Education introduced, as part of the bill will enable the students to be physically fit.

In his remarks, the Speaker, Mr. Najeem Salaam said the bill was not to discriminate against any religious practice but to promote, Culture, Tradition and Yoruba language.

Mr. Salaam also pointed out that the Assembly will set aside a day of its plenary where Yoruba language will be used for its proceedings as a way of promoting the language.

Section 18 subsection 2 of the bill stated that any person being the proprietor of a public or private schools, who fails to comply with the directive shall be liable to a fine of N10, 000.
THE GUARDIAN

The Government of the State of Osun has on Monday September 15, 2014 tasked citizens of the State to register for their Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) in order to create a tax friendly environment in the state.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who was represented by Mr Aina Leye, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, stressed on the important of the citizen to have the TIN and its significance with benefits attached.

At the public presentation on the important of Taxpayer Identification Number TIN, organized by the Osun Joint Tax Board, in collaboration with Federal Inland Revenue Service, (FIRS) held at Leisure Spring Hotel, Osogbo, the governor said, Tax friendly environment was vital for socio-economic and infrastructural development of the state.

Aregbesola while emphasizing the need for every individual to procure his/her own TIN said would help to ensure proper and accurate taxpayer database, which would boast the Internal Generated Revenue (IGR).

He said there was the need for civil servants and bonifide citizens of the state to support the projects towards the actualization of the intended purpose.

According to Aregbesola‘’ Every Osun born citizen is qualified to have their taxpayer identification number, which would serve a lot of benefits and significance in their daily dealings.

While commending the people of the state for deemed it fit to always pays their, Aregbesola said majority of physical projects being carried out across the state were done with the aid of tax as the federal allocation has reduced.

He therefore urged the people of the state to always support his government, just as he promised more dividend of democracy.

Mr Dayo Oyebanji, the Chairman of Osun Internal Revenue Service said taxpayer identification number was significant to ensure a taxpayer database profile.

Oyebanmji said tax was the only way a bonafide citizen of Osun can be represented in the government.

He said, tax payment can be traced to the holy bible in Genensis 2: 13, 18 and in the holy quran 2: 31-33.

According to him,’’ TIN was the first of its kind in the South west and Osun happened to be the first to be staged and urged all Osun citizens to registered in order to enjoined the enormous benefits attached.’’

A Representative from Joint Tax Board, Abuja, Barrister Yemi Aladesewe, who delivered a day public sensitization lecture on the Tax Identification Number (TIN), said the lecture would provide legal frame work for the operation of the tax identification number.

Aladesewe said that any tax payers who go against the legal frame work would be liable to pay administrative fees of N250, 000.00.

According to him,’’ TIN project was introduced to harmonized the tax database nationwide and also help the tier of government to plan for revenue government

BIOREPORT