Media practitioners in Nigeria have been charged to imbibe the practice that promotes peace and unity of the country in the discharge of their duty.
They were also urged to shun sensationalism, personal interest and reports that are capable of causing conflict or escalate it.
Speakers, which include the State of Osun Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Sunday Akere, Director General, Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Dr. Joseph Owah, Representative of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Mr. Mathew Alao, Vice President, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Zone G, Mr. Bamidele Atunbi and the Zonal Director South- West, Nigeria Broadcasting Commission, Mr. Ojone Ofonoku gave the charge at a workshop/capacity building on Conflict Sensitive Reporting and Good Governance in Nigeria.
At the workshop held at Royal Park International Hotel, Iloko- Ijesha, Osun State, organised by the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution in collaboration with the United Nation Development Programme, the speakers asserted that there is the need for journalists to be mindful of the interest of the country and be conflict sensitive in their reportage.
Noting that this is the only way by which peace and unity can be promoted in the country, they unanimously tasked the media practitioners to engage in reports that can promote peace and shun that which is capable of promoting conflict and discord.
The speakers who further spoke on good governance, tasked Nigerian journalists to do more of good governance advocacy in their reportage, stressing that this will assist in sensitizing government at all level to be alive to their responsibilities.
The State of Osun commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Akere who declared the workshop open, charged journalists to always promote issues that will unite the country and not that which will divide it and that they should be mindful of languages as what they write will make or mar the country.
Akere, who further charged that media practitioners should work in the interest of the nation and not that of a particular person or region, also tasked them not to assist the prophets of doom in the accomplishment of their predictions, saying such will not do the nation any good.
His words, “The media should look at things that unite the country and not that which divides it, we should sing the song of peace and not crisis. We should mind our language, what we write… as this may make or mar our corporate existence.
Please work in the interest of the nation and not that of a particular person, do not assist the prophets of doom in making their predictions come to pass”.
The IPCR boss, Dr. Owah in his opening address noted that the media in Nigeria has the capacity to create and resolve conflict, adding that it seems it has created more conflict than resolving it.
Stating that this informed the resolve of both UNDP and IPCR to organise the capacity building workshop, the UNDP boss said this will ensure a change in the way the media in the country works and promote conflict sensitive reporting.
“It is important as media practitioners to understand between publicity and cheap popularity, most times when you do not bother to look for the fact of a story, therefore you create more damage than resolving it”, Dr. Owah remarked.
In his own contribution, the UNDP representative, Mr. Alao emphasised that journalists are likely to promote conflict itself rather than minimizing it if they are not conflict sensitive in their reportage, adding that it forms the reason UNDP is committed to the training of journalists on how to do their work in order to promote peace in the country.
Alao disclosed that the UNDP will soon organised a peace summit where stakeholders will brainstorm on how to ensure that conflict is minimized in the country, adding that the agency is doing everything possible to ensure all stakeholders join in the peace process.
The NUJ Vice President Zone G, Mr. Atunbi remarked that conflict occurred on daily basis either domestically or nationally, but noted that its management has always been the major challenge.
He stated that the position of the NUJ on conflict resolution has always been fairness on the part of all and sundry, while asking if government at all level have been fair .
Talking about good governance, he said, “we must talk about development, we must take a critical look at how the wealth and resources of the country are being distributed and its fairness to the people”.
As a media practitioner, the NUJ chieftain maintained that journalists must be objective in their reportage, saying the absence of this will create conflict.
According to him, media practitioners have the social responsibility to protect the interest of the nation and must de-emphasise that which will divide the country in their reportage.
The firebrand unionist and activist who was critical about the country’s 1999 constitution, called for the abrogation of section 22, saying it hinders the workability of chapter 2, noting that it prevents media practitioners to sue their employers while occupying public positions.
Speaking in the same vein, the NBC South-West Zonal Director Mrs. Ofonoku noted that conflict is being magnified through the manner in which headlines are cast, stressing that this further escalate rather than minimize the situation.
While describing the workshop as timely, she applauded the organisers for their efforts at ensuring the promotion and advocacy of good governance in Nigeria and conflict sensitive reporting, saying they all catalyze to peace and better society.
THE NIGERIAN OBSERVER

ORGANISERS of the Town and Gown gig have promised to make the event a lasting experience in the minds of sports men and women, supporters and fun seekers who will attend Obafemi Awolowo University for the NUGA Games.
Several artistes have been penciled to perform at the concert. They include Alhaji Kollington Ayinla, Queen Salawa Abeni, Edris Abdulkarim, Lord of Ajasa, Igi Nla, Kanja, Faycol, King Wadada, and Omoluabi and others.
“Our major preoccupation now is the task of working on the long list of artistes that have shown interest. Aside from that, we are also working assiduously to ensure that no interest is left un-catered for. It is sure that Gbenga Adeyinka the 1st, an honorary NUGA medalist, will lead the anchor team. Hafiz Oyetoro (Saka), OAU NUGA ambassador and other MCs will also grace the show,” the event’s spokesman, Bayo Bankole, aka Boy Alinco, said.
Town & Gown Gigs is the sandwich premium musical show that will serve as a buffer, providing social atmosphere around the 2013 NUGA Games. The event will hold at the open arena of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, State of Osun. It will parade state-of-the-art technical equipment such as hydraulic twin-mobile stage, array of creative lighting, pyro effects with ground supports to hoist colours, including LED screens to flank the stage to cushion the serenity and rhythmic echoes from 120,000 watts of sound.
Bankole said, “and to cap it all, a range of food and assorted drinks created by corporate sponsors will wet the appetite of fun seekers. This is an opportunity for brands to cash-in on this memorable event.”
THE GUARDIAN

The State of Osun recorded 20 per cent oversubscription on its Sukuk bond, despite the recent “bearishness” of the money market, driven by high interbank rates and liquidity challenges.
The money and capital market trends were sequel to the policies of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), due to the increase in cash reserve requirements on government deposits targeted at achieving foreign exchange stability.
The associated liquidity challenge was worsened by the need for the bidders to mop up funds and pay for the power assets acquired under the privatization exercise.
According to the state’s Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Wale Bolorunduro “raising fund under this condition is like drinking water from fire-hose, the changes in the market are too rapid, but Osun can do it.”
The Osun sukuk bond was approved by the Securities Exchange Commission in line with the approval, the state has commenced the process of book-building and request for investors to submit their subscriptions on the N10 billion bond.
The state will however access only N11.4 billion, which has been ring-fenced to build the “state of art” schools.
The new elementary schools have capacity for 900 students per school, the middle schools for 1,000 students per school; while the high schools have capacity for 3,000 students per school. The high school is a mini-campus with three schools in one mini-campus.
“With these schools, the state is ramping up its educational renaissance programmes to return the state to the fore-front of academic excellence. The brand-new schools will create stimulating environments conducive for learning and complement other school programmes such as feeding programme for elementary schools, Opon Imo (Tablet computers) for high schools, free uniforms for all students and its reclassification programme to optimize and re-align its resources.
The oversubscription of the sukuk bond is a positive confirmation of the trust and confidence, the market placed on Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who has brought prudence, purpose and performance to government”, Bolorunduro said.
THE GUARDIAN

The Government of the State of Osun has scored another feat in its march towards redeeming the image of education as the state has placed 2nd position in the Junior Secondary School category of a mathematics competition organised as part of year 2013 Annual Conference of the Mathematical Association of Nigeria.
According to a press statement signed by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Mr. Lawrence Oyeniran, the competition which was competed among all secondary schools in Nigeria took place in Asaba from the 1st – 6th September, 2013.
The Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in the midst of change and mergers has continuously enjoined all stakeholders in the education industry to co-operate fully with the government in its march towards the total repositioning of education in the state. He has reiterated that the school re-classification exercise and reform currently going on in the state is aimed at putting education on solid pedestal and secure the future of the children.
“In this kind of scheme, it is not unexpected that there would be apprehensions knowing well that change is the most difficult thing for people to adjust to. The people know and long for good educational standards and would wish it for their children. However, the hard reality is that these positive changes must involve some alterations in our current depressing system to bring about the new generation of well-educated, trained citizens that will take our state to higher heights. It is in the light of these that we are resolute in going ahead with the best policy for the future of our children,”
The Governor confirmed that the re-classification exercise aims at offering education that will produce sound and all-round minds in the present generation of children in the state. He reminded the people of the state that the education summit organized in 2011 shortly after his administration came into being had inputs from all stakeholders, who, he said all agreed that drastic measures must be taken to stem the tide of the rot that had made less than 3 percent of the state’s pupils matriculable.
“This is the Omoluabi essence. Everything we have done in the school reform is for the building of this man.”
We have seen the results and this is another opportunity to put our faith in the good will of the Government of the State and allow the results speak again, Success all the way!
Osun a tun bo maa dara!

Professor Olasupo Ladipo, a former dean of agriculture, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife, in the State of Osun is also a former Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Gombe State. In a recent interview with some journalists, he speaks on the state of the nation, merger of schools in Osun State, among other issues.
When asked as an educationist and a technocrat who has seen everything, how he will describe the ongoing merger of schools by the present administration in Osun State, he had this to say:
“When we talk of merger, what exactly are we merging? In making education functional, you need a lot of tools and equipment which may be very expensive. But if you can have a centre, where all the teaching equipment are assembled and you bring the children to learn at that place, if you call that merging, it is. When I was in secondary school, there were only 17 secondary schools in the entire South-West and many of them were actually founded in 1950’s.
Proliferation really does not help anybody. I mean we can have, if we are that rich, secondary schools in every compound. But is it economically efficient? Can we even afford to have it scattered all over the place?
The educational system went bad because we had too many schools and were unable to equip them adequately. Education is expensive and requires equipment. Modern education requires expenses on all the modern amenities. If we do not merge, we will not be able to afford to give sound education to our children, who are the future of this nation.”
Please click here to read the full interview.

The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has reiterated that the school re-classification exercise and reform currently going on in the state is aimed at putting education on solid pedestal and secure the future of the children.
To this end, the Governor urged all and sundry to join hands with the government and not to allow themselves to be used as agents to slow down the speedy recovery of the education sector that is currently being witnessed in the state.
In a statement signed by the Director of Bureau of Communications and Strategy in the Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, Aregbesola stated this to stem the tide of unnecessary fear being nurtured through unfounded rumours some disgruntled elements are peddling around the state over the re-classification exercise.
The Governor said that his administration took the decision so as to return the state’s education fortune, which was at its lowest ebb when he assumed office in 2010, to its proper status.
The statement said that a few parents whom the administration perceived not to be fully informed on the beauty of the scheme, had put up some resistance in one school in Iwo and the state capital, Osogbo.
It however explained that good reasoning prevailed upon further explanations to the apprehensive parents who have however calmed down and allowed peace to reign in the few schools.
“In this kind of scheme, it is not unexpected that there would be apprehensions knowing well that change is the most difficult thing for people to adjust to. Our people eulogise and long for good education standards across the world and would wish it for their children. However, the hard reality is that these positive changes must involve some alterations in our current depressing system to bring about the new generation of well-educated, trained citizens that will take our state to higher heights. It is in the light of these that we are resolute in going ahead with the best policy for the future of our children,” the statement added.
Aregbesola averred that the re-classification exercise aims at offering a complete education system that will produce a sound and an all-round mind in the present generation of children in the state.
The state also quoted the governor as saying that all interests – pupils/students, parents and teachers – were adequately considered without any sentiment before arriving at the decision to embark on the ongoing policies. The Governor reminded the people of the state that the education summit organized in 2011 shortly after his administration came into being had inputs from all stakeholders, who, he said all agreed that drastic measures must be taken to stem the tide of the rot that had made less than 3 percent of the state’s pupils matric-able.
Aregbesola said: “The overall aim of the reforms we are carrying out is to develop the new man intellectually, socially and morally.
“This new man is placed in the centre of society who views his own development as part of and for the development of society.
“This is a non-parasitic and non-oppressive man views his existence in light of the growth of others; he views whatever he acquired to be subsumed in the overall interest of other. He is a man in himself and a man for society.
“This is the Omoluabi essence. Everything we have done in the school reform is for the building of this man.”
The Governor added that his administration is not unaware of little inconveniences the reforms could bring about to parents and the pupils. He noted that such inconveniences are just a passing phase, which will pale into insignificance if compared to the huge benefits of the new system, both in the short and in the long terms.
The statement read further: “As part of the reform, we decided to reorganise the school system into Elementary, Middle and High school categories.
“The Elementary level will comprise pupils from ages six to nine years, which corresponds to primary one to four pupils under the existing system.
“The Middle level will stretch across primary four to Junior Secondary School Three, within the age bracket of 10 to 14 years, now classified as Grades 5-9. At the High School level, the age range will be between 15 and 17 years, corresponding to Senior Secondary School III, to be known as Grades 10-12.”
Aregbesola allays fears in all quarters that no single group, organisation, individual, religious or social body’s interest would suffer as a result of the ongoing re-classification and reform.
He urged people of the state to discountenance and dismiss any untrue and baseless insinuation some anti-progress elements may be spreading across the state.
 

Arc. Olumuyiwa Ige is currently the Commissioner for Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development in the State of Osun. The native of Esa Oke in Obokun LGA in the State of Osun was born into the illustrious family of Late Chief Bola Ige, SAN and Hon. Justice (Mrs.) Atinuke Ige, JCA, OFR on the 28^th of January 1967.
He attended Maryhill Convent School in Agodi, Ibadan amongst a few other schools in Nigeria and abroad before he received his Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch Honors) and Master of Architecture (M. Arch) Degrees from Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT), Chicago, USA.
The adept architect is a member of numerous professional organizations, amongst them are: International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP); International Union of Architects (UIA); African Union of Architects (AUA); Organization of Nigeria Building Professional (ONBP) Chicago – USA Chapter; Architects Registration Council of Ghana (ARCOG); Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) – Oyo State Branch; Architects Registration Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA).
He was formerly Project Manager/Corporate Architect – Metropolitan Rail (Metra) Chicago Illinois USA, and Director – LBA (GH) Ltd., Accra Ghana. His special projects includes: Multi-Modal Transportation Facility for FCT Abuja; Master Plan for the Faculty of Education Campus, Special Education Department, University of Ibadan; Master Plan for UCH second Acquisition Ibadan; Master Plan for Ijesa North Anglican Diocese Acquisition and Member, Transformation Think-Tank (TTT); Gov. Ajimobi Administration (Oyo State).
His outstanding performances has earned him several honours and laurels within and outside Nigeria; some of the notable Awards are McDonald’s Corporation USA-Development Team Award (Low Cost Concept), Metropolitan Rail (Metra) – Exceptional Performance Award (3 years consecutively) and Nigerian Institute of Architects (Presidential Award).
Arc. Ige is happily married to Mrs. Oyindamola Adeyoola Ige, a successful legal practitioner and academician. The marriage is blessed with three sons.
For more on our executive council members, please visit www.osun.gov.ng
 

The governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has once again proven that the state remains the first among other states in the Nigerian federation in the empowerment of youths.
This was stated recently by the State Commissioner for Youths, Sports and Special Needs, Barrister Stephen Kola-Balogun, at the opening of a two-day briefing of stakeholders on the formation of Omoluabi Boys/Girls and Youth Clubs in the state.
According to him, till date, no state within the Federal Republic of Nigeria has established Boys/Girls and Youth Clubs, as this will be the first of its kind.
He noted the aim of the governor in creating the clubs is to re-orientate and re-direct the youths on the essence of moral etiquettes in the preparation of youths for future leadership.
In order to achieve this laudable programme, the commissioner said the governor has approved the formation of an inter-ministerial committee and the Omoluabi Clubs Delivery Sub-committee, which are saddled with the responsibilities of formulating the policies of the clubs.
Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youths Empowerment Mr. Gbenga Odulaja, who was the lead speaker at the briefing, traced the origin of the country’s backwardness and the erosion of moral values in the society.
He therefore, praised the governor on the establishment of Omoluabi Youth Clubs, which will inculcate in the youths, values such as honesty, courage, methodology, innovation and law-abiding.
In her contribution, one of the stakeholders, Dr. (Mrs.) Durosimi, the Dean of Students’ Affairs, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, prayed that credible activities, such as vocational skills, be inculcated in the designing of the curriculum for the clubs, when fully started.
She also observed that credible role models should be part of the mentors of the clubs, when they start operation.
Also in his contribution, another participant, Dr. Bolaji Odutola, the Dean of Students’ Affairs, UNIOSUN prayed that the clubs should de-emphasize politics, so as not to endanger the objectives of the governor in establishing them.
The briefing, which was held at the NYSC Permanent Orientation Camp, Ede, drew stakeholders from ministries, government agencies local government councils as well as secondary and tertiary institutions in the state.