Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola will receive the National Infinity magazine’s Man of the Year 2013 award next month.
He will be presented with the award during the Third Babatunde Jose Lecture on Media and The Society.
The presentation will be preceded by a lecture to be delivered by eminent journalism scholar, former Executive Editor of The News and Managing Editor of Premium Times.com, Dr. Dapo Olorunyomi, at the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding in Osogbo, the state capital.
The magazine’s Editor-In-Chief, Olajide Ige, said the editorial board singled out Aregbesola for the honour because of his “radical approach to governance”.
The magazine listed Aregbesola’s ground breaking achievements in youth employment, infrastructural development, education and agriculture as the basis for his choice.
In a notification letter to the governor that he is the Nigerian of the Year 2013, the magazine said it is proud to be “celebrating a man, who took over a state that was moribund and near comatose and turned it into a viable and fast developing state through ground breaking, innovative and progressive policies that have revolutionised the state and set it on the path of progress, economic and infrastructural development, which has gained international attention over the past three years.”
Past winners of the magazine’s Nigerian of the Year are businessman Alhaji Aliko Dangote in 2010 and House of Representatives’ Speaker Aminu Tambuwal in 2011.
The honour comes with a N100,000 prize, which will be donated to the winner’s charity organisation of choice.
THE NATION

The Osun Government on Friday said it would initiate a sensitisation campaign on the importance of acquiring technical and vocational skills.
Mr Abraham Owolabi, the Director of Schools, Osun Board for Technical and Vocational Education, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Osogbo.
According to the director, the state government had made provision for publicity and other instruments to create awareness.
“Publicity about technical and vocational education in the state is not yet adequate, we need to let our people know the relevance of vocational and technical education to development.
“So the government should sensitise the parents and let them know that technical education is not inferior to other forms of education.
“If it is encouraged in the society, parents would not discourage their children from pursuing their gifted areas of learning and skills acquisition,” Owolabi said.
Owolabi also said the entry qualification into the nine technical schools in the state was the Junior Secondary School Certificate.
The technical schools are located in Osogbo, Ife, Iwo, Ara, Inisa, Gbongan, Osu, Ijebu-Jesa and Otan-Ayegbaju.
THE PUNCH

The state of Osun is on the verge of industrialisation with a formal plan of the construction of five modern mechanic villages worth N5 Billion in the state.
Governor Rauf Aregbesola disclosed this Thursday (yesterday) in Osogbo when members of National Automobile and Technician Association of Nigeria, Osogbo and Olorunda chapter gathered to publicly declare their unflinching support for the governor’s second term ambition.
As part of the industrialisation effort of his administration, Governor Aregbesola disclosed that arrangements have been concluded to build 5 ultra modern mechanic villages in various locations across the state.
The planned mechanic villages arrangement is in collaboration with a Neitherlands company, Rebe Group and the National Automobile Council. Eleven of such is actually approved for the entire country out of which five will be established in Osun.
Aregbesola said the five ultra modern mechanic villages which can also be described as auto cities will begin operations this year and will be located in Osogbo, Ile-Ife, Ikirun, Ilesa and Iwo.
The Osun governor added that a mechatronic village will be established at the premises of the Osun State College of Technology, Esa Oke for the training of NATA members on modern ways of automobile repairs.
“The mechatronic village will cost us N1 Billion and will be manned by a team of 30 engineers who are already undergoing training on modern day automobile repair in Germany.
Governor Aregbesola marked out NATA as a strong pillar behind the economic growth of the state and “they always cooperate with government to move the state forward”.
On the open expression of support for his second term ambition, he said his “administration is spiked to continue to strive to move the state forward with the realisation of people like members of the association supporting government.
“Thus endorsement is a huge sign that members of NATA and the state at large appreciates the good governance which the state is presently enjoying”, Aregbesola said.
The occasion was ecstatic as governor Aregbesola spurred members of the association as well huge members of the public who graced the occasion at the Mandela freedom Park, Osogbo. The people chorused and danced to several songs that the governor occasionally introduced as he addressed the people. The occasion was indeed an expression of popularity and general acceptance.
OSUN DEFENDER

Photos from the Courtesy Visit by the Ijesa North Traditional Council to the Governor in Government House, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 20-03-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd right); Alademore of
Ibokun, Oba Festus Awogboro (right); Owamiran of Esa-Oke, Oba Adeyemi
Adediran (2nd left); Olomu of Ijaregbe,Oba Edward Adetimo (left) and
others, during a Courtesy Visit by the Ijesa North Traditional Council to
the Governor in Government House, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 20-03-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (3rd
right); Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs,
Barrister Kolapo Alimi (left); Alademore of Ibokun, Oba Festus Awogboro
(2nd right); Owamiran of Esa-Oke, Oba Adeyemi Adediran (3rd left); Olomu of
Ijaregbe,Oba Edward Adetimo (2nd left); Olotan of Otan-Ile, Oba Sunday
Olatokun (right) and others, during a Courtesy Visit by the Ijesa North
Traditional Council to the Governor in Government House, Osogbo, State of
Osun on Thursday 20-03-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (3rd
right); Commissioner for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs,
Barrister Kolapo Alimi (2nd left); Alademore of Ibokun, Oba Festus Awogboro
(2nd right); Owamiran of Esa-Oke, Oba Adeyemi Adediran (4th left); Olomu of
Ijaregbe,Oba Edward Adetimo (3rd left); Olotan of Otan-Ile, Oba Sunday
Olatokun (right) and others, during a Courtesy Visit by the Ijesa North
Traditional Council to the Governor in Government House, Osogbo, State of
Osun on Thursday 20-03-2014

Leader of the Celestial Church of Christ Worldwide, Reverend Paul Maforikan on Wednesday showered spiritual blessings on the Governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola just as he declared that the church will organise revivals across the state to pray against violence ahead August 9 Governorship Election.
The spiritual leader, during a visit to the Governor at Government house in Osogbo also commended the Governor’s giant strides on education, infrastructural development and steady peace in the state.
He prayed for Aregbesola’s easy ride to the  government house for the second term and  declared that the church will organise revivals across the state to pray against violence and bloodshed in the state while urging the governor not to relent in his efforts to transform the state.
In a remark, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment and  Sanitation ,Hon Bola Ilori appreciated the church leader for the visit, prayer and recognition of bold steps taking so far by the Governor noting that for the spiritual head of celestial church of  Christ to visit and pray for the governor, it is an attestation that God is truly in support of the second term bid of the Governor.
He added that religious tolerance is the culture of the present administration in the state saying only a tiny population in the state are trying to stigmatise the state with religious controversy.
The Special Adviser stressed that the present administration has always been transparent in things concerning religion emphasising that religious misunderstanding must not be allowed to derail the steady progress which the state is now enjoying.
He urged the religious leaders to extend the gospel of love, peace, honesty and progress in the state to sustain the current pace of development.
OSUN NEWS

Education is not only instilling knowledge, but awakening the enormous creative potential that lies within each one of us, enabling us develop to our fullest potential and better contribute to the societies in which we live.” — Dr. Frederico Major, former Director-General of UNESCO.
This set the tone for the education summit organised by the Osun Movement for Peace. Tagged: Osun Education Policy: Issues, Challenges and Imperatives, and held in Osogbo, the state capital, the summit, which had educationists and leaders from all walks of life in attendance, was to solicit support for the sustenance of the state education policy as the catalyst for socio-political and economic transformation of the state in the near future.
In her keynote address, the  Deputy Governor, who also doubles as the Commissioner for Education, Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, said  the policy is to produce students who can compete effectively and perform excellently in any global or local setting.
“Osun education policy seeks to empower the youths to be roundly relevant in meeting the challenges of their immediate environment and the society at large. We inherited a moribund education sector from the immediate past government as public school buildings were dilapidated, instructional materials, teaching consumables, materials and resources that could aid learning were non-existent.
“From statistics, only three  per cent of products of our public school system used to move on to the next phase of their anticipated education plan. But within three years of our administration, records show that 43 per cent of our students now qualify to matriculate in any university.
“Presently, the state government has committed N14.41bn to the O’School project and has built 13 elementary, 14 middle, and 12 high schools, which translates to 1,724 classrooms. Also, N1.6bn is being expended on renovations of schools that we will not rebuild outrightly.
“Likewise, we have spent N2.5bn for the purchase of 150,000 befitting furniture for 300,000 students so that pupils and students will not be crowded into a small room without adequate sitting arrangement, which is necessary for conducive learning.”
In his presentation, Chairman, Osun Schools Infrastructure Development Committee, Chief Lai Oyeduntan, decried the attempt by ‘mischievous political jobbers’ to malign the policy and derail the execution of its noble ideals which are meant for the reorientation, empowerment and fortification of Osun children.
Lead speaker at the event, Prof. Ayo Olukotun of the Lead City University, Ibadan, enjoined Nigerians to cultivate a fresh attitude of objectivity and pursuit of public good whenever public policies are analysed and criticised.
He advised media practitioners to resolve to maintain reasonable professional detachment from politicians who can compromise positive ideals in the quest for political offices if the integrity of the media as credible watchdogs is to be sustained.
VANGUARD

The Deputy Governor State of Osun, Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori on Wednesday reiterated that the state is poised to achieve a total overhaul of its education sector in line with global best practices.
The Deputy Governor who also doubles as the Commissioner for Education told audience at the 20th Nigerian Economic Summit in Abuja that the complete overhaul embarked upon was central to the vision of the current administration for a modern Osun. She towards the realization of a new face of education, a total of 1,724 classrooms has been completed in the 39 ultra-modern schools in the state.
The Transcorp Hilton venue of the summit with the Theme “Transforming Education through Partnership for Global Competition,” which kicked off on Tuesday, had in attendance notable stakeholders in the education sector, like the Minister for Education, Mr. Nyesom Wike, the former Minister for Education, Dr. Obiagele Ezekwesili, the Vice President of Nigeria, Arc. Namadi Sambo among others.
Mrs. Laoye-Tomori revealed that aside building structures, government has added 10,407 new teachers to the list of public school teaching staff in Osun.
The deputy governor added that apart from recruitment of qualified teachers, government has designed training programmes both local and foreign for public schools teachers.
According to her, “We now have 12,715 teachers in our primary schools and 7,848 teachers in our secondary schools. This amounts to a 54.8 per cent increase in the number of public school teachers we inherited. The same applies to non-teaching staff whose number has also increased by 564.
“What we have brought to education in Osun, if we will not sound immodest, amounts to a revolution. The public schools that we have now in Osun in terms of structure and the quality of teachers can compete favourably with what is obtainable in developed countries”. Laoye-Tomori told the summit.
The Economic summit group had invited the state to be part of its 20th summit to share the experience of its innovative e-learning device called “Opon Imo” with people across the country.
Earlier at the summit on Tuesday, the Head of the Tablet of Knowledge team, Mr. Bambo Bashorun, took the audience on a journey of how Opon Imo was conceived and transformed into reality as well as its impact on the state’s education sector in the last one year of its deployment.
Government of Osun pioneered the e-learning, which was adjudged one of the first across the world. The tablet is a device to expose its students to information technology as it is being done in the developed countries of the world, where education has gone digital.
Since its debut in 2013, Opon Imo has won awards both at national and international levels as one of inventions of the 21st century contributed to humanity by the State of Osun.