I congratulate Nigerians on the 53rd anniversary of our nation’s independence. But as we celebrate, we must also take time to reflect on the state of the nation. The Nigerian project is a bold experiment in nation-building. It is an experiment that has proved to be a challenging undertaking. But, for me, building Nigeria is an experiment that is well worth the attempt.
At independence, on this day in 1960, Nigeria was a country full of high hopes, and good prospects, with its diverse peoples filled with aspirations. But somewhere along the line, we got it fundamentally wrong, with the consequences that, today, 53 years on, we are still struggling to get the basics right. The country is faced with tough difficulties and mortal dangers on multiple fronts. Our efforts at nation-building are being affronted by manifold crises of under-development – bad governance; poor planning; industrial collapse; decay of basic infrastructure; socio-economic backwardness; political instability; insecurity; widespread poverty; social, ethnic and religious tension; high incidence of crime and criminality; and terrorism among many other woes.
These are undeniably serious setbacks to our development march; but they do not amount to any permanent incapacity for us not to move forward. Indeed, setbacks are necessary but temporary impediments along the path to progress. Therefore, I am at one with American entrepreneur, Les Brown, who counselled that: ‘Anytime you suffer a setback or disappointment. Put your head down and plow ahead’. Hence, I remain convinced that the Nigerian project is a viable one. And I am optimistic that we may yet get it right as a country; and convert our much vaunted great potentials into actual benefits for our people. All we need is sound leadership and good governance.
Indeed, our story on the independence path has not been doom and gloom only; it is also strewn with bright patches and shades of greatness. We have had sporting glories, a Nobel Prize in literature, representation in the top universities in the world and a Nigerian got in the Forbes 100 top list. For the most part, we groan so much at the cup being three quarter empty that we forgot it’s also one quarter full.
As someone in leadership position, I set my sight firmly on the promises the future holds and the opportunities that our great country can offer. My aspirations are for Nigeria to be able to overcome its development challenges, and to become one of the top 10 economies in the world in the shortest time possible. But we need to work towards achieving these goals. As a matter of urgency, we must shift our economic paradigm from sole dependence on oil towards productive diversification. Agriculture is a viable alternative here. We must develop our agriculture towards achieving food security. We must give primacy to food production as a strategic national imperative, for it is a sure basis for sustainable economic development.
Indeed, pursuing food security as a strategic value goes beyond merely feeding the people. Food security is a core pillar of national security. No nation can have genuine national security without food security. Therefore, if we make food security the driving force of our agricultural development, the accompanying spin-offs it will generate can only add greater value to our overall economic development efforts.
My conviction about agriculture as a viable solution to our unemployment problem lay in the fact that, an agricultural economy that is grounded in food production cannot fail. People can give up luxury items if occasion demands it. But for as long as we remain human, we will eat; food is a biological necessity! Luxury item are a matter of choice. People for instance can very easily forgo chocolate; but it would be hard to imagine them forgoing staple food like rice or potato. Food security is an essential condition for national security.
Related to this is the need to gainfully and meaningfully engage our youths by creating jobs and employment opportunities. Our present chronic youth unemployment situation is a potential source of social explosion. There is profound wisdom in productively engaging our youths. Young people are some of society’s greatest assets; but they can also be a major source of its problem. In Nigeria, youths constitute the bulk of our productive population, and that bulk is overwhelmingly unemployed! In other words, we have a potentially advantageous youth bulge in our population, which could also be turned into a bug by prolonged lack of employment.
Young people are energetic, talented, innovative, aspirational, and daring. These are good qualities for economic enterprise. We only need to be creative to harness them for the rapid socio-economic transformation of our country. Again, agriculture presents enormous possibilities in this regard. Our huge population offers immense opportunities as a market, and for massive job creation, that can absorb our teeming unemployed youths, and help in eradicating poverty.
Another area of great promise is information and communications technology. ICT also offers enormous possibilities for creating jobs and for meaningfully engaging our youths. After all, ICT is a field that is not only a product of innovation, it is driven by human creativity. Innovation and creativity are an area of strength for young people. They will have their imagination taxed and their minds energised. It can help focus the vibrant energies of our youths on positive development. In addition, it is a fertile area of almost infinite possibilities where the only limitation is the human imagination. Again, all we need do is to get our acts together; think and organise so that we can make the most of the opportunities available to us.
Essential to modern life and any economic endeavour is power, but this is an area in which the nation has been badly struggling. The circa 4,000mw the nation produces is a huge joke. This, when the economy is in full throttle, cannot even serve the Ikeja business district. Admittedly there have been great efforts at addressing the problem but they have amounted to little. This is the time to discard the old approach and tackle the problem of power squarely. We must be jolted by the realisation that without sufficient electric power, all other efforts will come to nought.
I am not trying to make light of the formidable challenges involved in making a success of the Nigerian project; my point is that the difficulties are not an excuse for failure. In fact, they are a compelling reason for us to try to overcome them. I am an unflinching believer in the assertion of George Bernard Shaw that ‘[t]he only real failure in life is the failure to try’. It is in our utmost interest not to fail to try. Success is only born of trying, and I am in no doubt at all that if we genuinely keep trying, we shall surely overcome.
October 1st of every year offers us the opportunity to review the journey of nationhood and to come to the awareness that just as we have the prospect of greatness, so also are we faced with the grim possibility of tipping over the brink; the probability of outcomes now depends on the choices that we make. It is my fervent hope and prayer, however, that we will always make the right choices and realise our greatest potential.
Once again, I congratulate us all and wish us happy independence celebrations

Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, on Saturday, said the need to complete capital projects embarked on by his administration informed his interest for a second term in office.
He contended that “ It was imperative to ensure that there was no break in the infrastructural turnaround and massive transformation of the state through roads construction and other  developmental programmes”.
Aregbesola made this known at Ijebu-jesa, Oriade Local Government Area of the State, during the 12th edition of “Osun Walk-To-Live programme.
Addressing a mammoth crowd that trooped out to participate in the trekking exercise from Ilesa to Ijebu-jesa, he asserted that “We crave for the support and your outing to excel in the next year election. All those that want to cause crisis in state, God would not allow them, so that we can complete all the initiated projects”.
While praying for peace and God’s favour during the 2014 governorship poll, Aregbesola said “God should contain the activities of desperate politicians planning to disrupt the election through violence”.
Said he, “Today’s walk to live is not a political campaign. Healthy living is crucial to human existence. This is how we can raise the awareness of our people to the importance of healthy living. Major cause of diseases is lack of exercise. Let us take cleanliness very serious. Our environment and residences should be clean to sustain a healthy society”, he said.
TRIBUNE

 
The Governor of the State of Osun,Rauf Aregbesola, has called on the people of the state to be more vigilant and promptly report vandalisation of public utilities to security agencies whenever they suspect such dastardly act.
Aregbesola said this will help protect government property wherever they are situated..
Aregbesola made this call at Oriade local government area of the state at this month’s  edition of Osun Walk To Liven where he also called on the people of the state to cultivate the habit of general cleanliness.
This month’s edition was carnival-like as usual, accompanied with drumming and singing by the participants from all works of life from within local government area.
To ensure that the  exercise was peaceful as ever before, security agencies ranging from, police, civil defence, the army, road safety corpse among others were on hand to provide the needed security.
Beginning from Ilo-Ijesa, the six-kilometre road work took the mammoth crowd led by Governor Rauf Aregbesola through the area to Ijebu-Jesa and ended at Obande Grammar school, in the same town.
Addressing a mammoth crowd, Aregbesola, who noted that the event was not a political campaign, said the purpose was to constantly remind the people that they must take utmost care of their health so as to live long.
“The activities of vandals has no doubt affected the economy of the nation and well as destroyed social amenities.
“These are people who are hell bent on destroying the nation with their illegal activities.
“We must act as our own protectors. So we must be vigilant and protect these amenities.
“Besides, as usual, this government is also concerned about the health of our people and we must always educate ourselves on the essence of regular physical fitness exercise is best form of protecting oneself against diseases
“Not only that, regular exercise helps keep the body fit and make us live a healthy life in a clean environment,” Aregbesola said.
He also reiterated his government commitment to ensuring and promoting healthy living among the people of the state, saying, those who are taking part in the exercise will always have good experience to share in terms of body fitness.
A former Senator from Lagos state, Olorunibe Mamora, who took part in the exercise described the Walk to Live as one  which all and sundry must engage in to help themselves live long.
While recognising the turn out of the people of the areas, Senator Olorunibe Mamora said that it is a reassurance that the people are in support of the government of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

Osun River goddess worshipers and their African hair styles at the just concluded Osun Osogbo festival.
FOR MORE PICTURES VISITS SAHARA REPORTERS

Leaders in the nation have been called upon to always fulfil their electoral promises when voted in power.
This was the kernel of the sermon of the Chief Imam of Osogbo Sheikh Mustapha Ajisafe at a special Juma’at prayer marking 22 years of the creation of the State of Osun.
Sheikh Ajisafe said the period of time a leader spends in office is immaterial rather what is relevant are his achievements in such office.
The cleric,who is also the President of the League of Imams and Alfas in South-West, Edo and Delta States, averred that Aregbesola stands out among leaders, who promise and their promises will come to pass.
He said Aregbesola had promised during his election campaign that he would turn around the fortune of the state and develop ti like never before.
This promise, Ajisafe said, is gradually coming to pass with the developmental achievement of Aregbesola’s administration.
“The cause of some of the nation’s problems is lack of trus in the leaders by their people.
“Our leaders, when they seek office, would make promises upon promises. But when they get to office they won’t fulfil the promises.
“In the case of Aregbesola, however, he is a man of his words. He promised that if elected, he would develop the state and it around for the better.
“Today, he his fulfilling the promises. People of this state can testify to the developmental programmes, policies and physical development going on across the state.
“The amount of time a leader spends in office is irrelevant. What is important is his achievement while in office and how he uses his office to affect the lives of the people positively,” Ajisafe said.
In his response, the Governor of the state, Rauf Aregbesola, commended the people of the state for their unflinching support of his administration.
He tasked them to be law abiding, peace-loving and to continue to support government for the success of its people-oriented policies and programmes.
Meanwhile, traditional rulers of the Ijesha South Traditional Council also commended the Governor for what they called the sterling performance.

Remarks By The Governor Of The State Of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, At The Formal Commissioning Of Omoluabi Garment Factory, Held At The Factory Premises Along Gbongan-Ibadan Road, Abere, On Monday August 26, 2013
Protocols,

I want to begin by thanking the Almighty God for His mercy and blessing on our state, and for giving us the capability to think, plan, act and to accomplish much for our people within a short time.The purpose of our gathering here today marks another great step forward for us as a people in the State of Osun. It is another landmark event in our long record of achievements in the short period that we have been in office. We are here gathered to formally commission the Omoluabi Garment Factory situated close to us at the seat of government.
The establishment of this factory became necessary as part of our overall effort to transform our state. Before we came into government, we had conceived of an overall blueprint for the transformation of the state. This development plan was designed to touch the most critical areas of our economy and society. As encapsulated in the Six-Point Integral Action Plan, one of the central foci of our transformation programme is to promote functional education in the state.
Consequently, on assumption of office we immediately organised an education summit that came up with a master plan for the overhauling of our public school system in Osun.
The education transformation plan has different components which include, among others, O’Schools, O’MEALS, O’Uniform, O’Calisthenics and the E-learning project. As part of the reorganisation of the education system, it was decided that all the pupils in the public school system should have the same school uniform. This decision was made with the aim of giving them a common identity and purpose, as well as a sense of unity and pride, which had been lost in the decay that set in public schools in Osun before our coming.
Because all the different programmes in our development plan are integrated with one another, we designed the school uniform with the full participation of all the key stakeholders in education so that it would be consistent with our policy of promoting religious and communal harmony in the state. Likewise the O’Uniform was also conceived to dovetail into other development goals of our administration, such as banishing poverty, hunger and unemployment.
Thus, the uniform was designed by our people, with a choice of batik that is produced in the state. We have since supplied 750,000 of this uniform to all our public school pupils free-of-charge. Through this alone, we have provided job opportunities for our market women who supplied the materials for the uniform and about 3,000 tailors who sewed them. But that is not the end of the story.
With the knowledge that the school uniforms will only last for a while and, hence, will require continuous replacement, we have decided to maximise the economic opportunities that this would offer for the benefit of our people. This Omoluabi Garment Factory that we are commissioning today is a product of the policy to reap the economic benefits of the production of the school uniform. This factory will henceforth produce the school uniform here; it will employ our people here; it will buy its inputs from here, and the batik it will produce will be sewn by our tailors here. All of these, among other gains, will have numerous spin-offs that will redound to the advantage of the people of the State of Osun. The uniform material will be sold and sewn at control prices so as to make it affordable for our people. You are not only assured of quality, you will get it at god prices.
And as you all know, this is just one of the factories that have been brought into existence through our education revitalisation project. Another factory will, in a short time, in Ilesa, begin the production of the e-learning tablet, Opon-Imo, and other electronic gadgets.
This garment factory is one testimony of our investment drive and our commitment to attracting investors to our state. We have the market and the human and material resources. As a government, we are most willing to provide the enabling environment in infrastructure and security needed for thriving economic activities.
I want to charge the managers of this factory to be innovative and be uncompromisingly committed to quality. This might appear to be a small beginning, but what I am seeing is the onset of a giant clothing industry that will take the nation and West Africa by storm in the foreseeable future.
We will remain resolutely focused on the implementation of our policies, with the assurance that our people will be the better for it.
I thank you all for granting me audience.
Osun a dara!
OSUN DEFENDER