For recognising and appreciating the workforce in the State of Osun and christening a major road in the state capital, Osogbo, ‘Workers Drive’, the state chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has commended the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for a job well done.
 
 
 
 
This commendation was made by the state NLC chairman, Comrade Jacob Adekomi during an interview with OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday.
While revealing that it was a job well done, Adekomi revealed that in the annals of the state, no government had deemed it fit to honour workers in the state in such  way.
He maintained that despite the paucity of funds, Aregbesola would be remembered as a governor who took the welfare of workers into consideration.
He called on the governor to fulfill his promise of paying the backlog of workers’ salaries adding that no worker has been retrenched since the inception of the administration in November 27th, 2010.
According to him, Aregbesola has set a precedent that his predecessor must aim to beat, observing that the state capital had worn a new look and can be compared to any other city in the country.
On the issue of the new minimum wage being advocated by the federal government, Adekomi hinted that there is need to review the nation’s revenue formula in a bid for states to be able to pay their workers promptly.
He also maintained that the state governments too must have the will to pay their workers, adding that ‘where there is a will, there will be a way’.
On the intervention programmes of the Rauf Aregbesola administration, the NLC helmsman disclosed that it has helped to get the youth off the street and the society was better for it.
He observed that jobless youths were being empowered and armed financially and economically.
While responding to the issue of a successor to this administration, he remarked that what the state’s workers wanted was a governor that would take workers welfare into consideration.
“We want a governor that will develop Osun and treat workers well. We have contributed to the development of the state, so we expect somebody that is ready to rule and satisfy workers’ welfare”, he added.

Commissioner for Special Duties in Osun, Hon. Mudashiru Toogun has hinted that the state would soon commence enumeration of cattles to identify strayed cows and their owners for necessary actions.
Toogun, who doubled as the Chairman of Committee on Peaceful Co-existence between Fulani /Bororo and Farmers in Osun disclosed this during a media chat with journalists in Osogbo.
He explained that the process of enumeration would be done by tagging cows with distinct number that suggests traceable owners.
According to him, this is in furtherance of an adopted conflict resolution mechanism in the state to ensure farmers / herders’ peaceful co-existence.
Toogun noted that the state government under Governor Rauf Aregbesola has been able to maintain relative peace amongst farmers and herdsmen with conscious integration of the Fulani settlers into the society by making provision for necessary and basic needs of the herders.
“In the course of looking for ways in which the relative peace would be enjoyed between farmers and herdsmen could be sustained, we discovered important needs of the herders, and we were able to address them.
“The government had sunk over 13 boreholes in various Fulani communities and befitting schools for their children for qualitative education.
“In addition to that, we are embarking on enumeration of cattles in the state for the purpose of linking strayed cows with their owners, to enable us make amicable settlement on issues of invasion of farms”, he said.
The Commissioner however said that there was no plan to enact anti-grazing law in  the state, adding that the adopted traditional way of settling disputes between farmers and herdsmen have been effective and potent.
He added that such law could be counter-productive with the present atmosphere across the state.
On State Police, Toogun stressed that state policing remains lasting solution to the menace of incessant clashes between herdsmen and farmers across the country.
“ In a situation where arrested herdsmen were set free by the police, citing “orders” from the above for such an action is dangerous and capable of frustrating any move to sustain peaceful co-existence.
“I believe Nigeria needs police institution that understands its terrain of operation better and in accordance with the norms of its environment.
“For me, State Police is the way to go if we are really serious about resolving this National challenge before it gets out of control”.

The state government of Osun has expressed its readiness to partner a broadcasting platform of Vid-Vision Media Nigeria, the Gem TV Africa for the 2018 Commonwealth Africa.
 

 
According to the Commissioner for Information and Strategy in the state, Mr Adelani Baderinwa, the state government is ready to explore every available opportunity to hobnob with international community and attract foreign investors to the state.
Baderinwa spoke while receiving the Chief Executive Officer of the Vid-Vision Media Nigeria, Ms. Oladayo Fashola in his office, on Tuesday.
More than 300 global and African thought leaders, eminent personalities and emerging leaders from Africa and other parts of the commonwealth, and friends of Africa are expected to converge at the 5th annual commonwealth Africa summit in London, United Kingdom, between March 12 and 14, 2018.
The event will spark new thinking on how to achieve shared prosperity and common good for Africans and how Africa’s growing youth population can transform the continent.
Expected speakers at the event include former Ghanaian President, H.E John D Mahama; the United Nation Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J Mohammed, who is a former Nigerian Minister for Environment; Chief Mrs. Folorunso Alakija, the Chancellor, Osun state University, among others.
Baderinwa maintained that such event would afford the state the opportunity of telling its success story and encouraging African countries to emulate Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s social security programme like Osun Youths Empowerment Scheme (OYES), O’ MEAL and the delivery of good governance in general.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Wednesday inspected the on-going development of All Saint Elementary School and another Anglican School (John McKay Grammar School) in Osogbo, capital of the State of Osun.
He was received by the Bishop, Osun Anglican Communion, Revd. John Popoola and the Dean of the Cathedral of All Saints, Balogun-Agoro, Osogbo, Ven D.O.Fakolujo among others.
The Governor during the visit exchanged pleasantries with some students of the school.
 
 

The RLG Adulawo Technology City in Ilesa, State of Osun will in April train about 5,000 Youths of the state in the 2nd phase of OYESTECH I.C.T training.
The training facilitated in conjunction with the State Government and Omoluabi Holdings which is for free would cut across all the nine federal constituencies in the state.
The ICT training is expected to cover areas like Digital TV Assemblage and Repairs, Phone Assemblage and Repairs, Computer Assemblage and Repairs which is an entrepreneurship empowerment initiative.
The move according to the organizers is to also empower the Youth of the State of Osun to be self-reliant through applied ICT and entrepreneurial skills development.
Registration for the programme holds between March 1 and 16 on www.rlgadulawo.com.ng while the training commences on April 2.

Every year, Nigerian airlines spend billions of naira to service aircraft in the fleets outside the country because we do not have functional Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities. Governor Aregbesola has called for the establishment of MRO facilities over the years which have fallen on deaf ears, and the country has continued to lose hard currency because her airlines do so abroad. One of the major challenges confronting the aviation sector in Nigeria is the lack of facility to carry out maintenance checks on aircraft.
 
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New Osun Airport MRO facilities will save Nigeria billions of naira annually, which is one of the lessons that the strategic mega project taught Nigeria. When the first phase of MKO Abiola International Airport, Ido Osun, Osun State, is completed, the facility will save the country foreign exchange of billions of naira per annum. As aircraft manufacturers move towards composite materials and avionics become more sophisticated, the Osun Airport hangar maintenance facility will need to respond to the new requirements. The aircraft maintenance facility will resemble an industrial facility which will require remediation of toxic effluents, air pollution permits, safety standards for working in hazardous areas and a high tech facility with laboratories and clean rooms.
The Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility at Osun Airport is nearing its completion. On request of the state government, the federal government pledged support for the project, and the facility will become a national hangar. However, a nice and large hangar does not necessarily mean that the technical knowledge and man power will be available to run the facility and provide high-quality maintenance services. Who will become responsible for operating the facility and provide maintenance services? Will domestic and foreign airlines be interested in using the facility?
In order to better serve several airlines in Nigeria, Osun Airport Aircraft Maintenance Repair and Overhaul facility is in good location. All facilities provide light airframe maintenance for both narrow body and wide body aircraft. Osun Airport facility is our home base, and covers nearly 2.7 million square feet (about 250,000 square metres or the size of 47 football fields). It was specifically designed to provide a smooth flow of work and material. Airframe maintenance work is performed in one area, aircraft engine maintenance work in another, and component maintenance in yet another. Meanwhile, all three are tied together by an efficient, reliable multi-vehicle transportation system capable of delivering material and parts quickly.

Osun Technical Operation hangar features state-of-the-art design, and is devoted to specific responsibilities for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of your fleet.
It has been revealed that West and Central African carriers expend at least $1bn on maintenance of their aircraft annually outside the region. This is as airlines in the country spend at least $1.8m regularly in carrying out C-Checks on their aircraft outside the country. The federal government has also said that it would formulate policies that would make Nigerian airlines to remain in business rather than allow them to close shop.
Engr. Isaac Balami, the immediate past president of National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), has disclosed that all the airlines in the West and Central Africa expend $1bn in maintenance of their aircraft.  “Airlines in this region expend $1bn on the maintenance of their aircraft annually, but with this now, such maintenance can now be carried out within the region and this will reduce capital flight out of Nigeria and the sub-region.”
Leasing of maintenance and repair space can be costly. Osun Airport will build its reputation on the availability of space and excellent service to aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul companies. Osun Airport will provide multiple types of space availability and facilities to accommodate the needs of airport operation. With a smoother start-up and transition process, tools, equipment and materials to the airport with greater ease and less complication, Osun airport will deliver.
After waiting for more than 20 years, the people of Osun are now set to witness the launch of the country’s best airport hangar facility. With an initial capacity of three million passengers a year, the mega airport is among the largest airports in Africa. Over time, its capacity is expected to rise to 10 million passengers a year, making it one of the highest-capacity airports on the content.
The new multimillion dollar airport is seating on a 4,500-hectare piece of land in a less crowded area with no heavy traffic jam like in the overcrowded capital. It also has a larger terminal and runways with a capacity to host more people and flights.

Boosting the economy in Osun
With a new airport that can accommodate more passengers and flights, the economy of Osun is expected to expand. The government of Senegal also hopes that the airport will help to diversify the country’s economy, which has for a long time relied on Abuja. The airport will serve as the centrepiece of the “Airport City” and the team is already planning to develop commercial installations such as hotels, malls, and other business facilities around the facility. At least 1,000 local retailers will be allowed to operate duty-free shops on the site, which will have a direct impact on the local economy.
Since the liquidation of Nigeria Airways by the federal government in 2004, which had functional Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities that could occupy at least two Boeing aircraft at a time, airlines in the country have resorted to taking out their aircraft outside the country for required checks. Unfortunately, a country like Nigeria with its pedigree as ‘Giant of Africa’ does not have an aircraft MRO facility.
Osun airport will be the first in Nigeria to provide a functional Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities in the 21st century.
 

• Donald writes from Benin City inwalomhe.donald@yahoo.com