The Yeyeluwa (queen) of Ife, Wuraola Ogunwusi, has called for the return of brotherly love between the Yoruba and Arewa communities which existed before the recent communal dispute in Ile-Ife.
The queen made the call when she visited the communities in Enuwa and Sabo, Ile-Ife, Osun, on Thursday to commiserate with them on the recent clash in which some persons died and properties were destroyed.
 

 
At Enuwa, Wuraola was received by the committee that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, set up to look into the crisis.
 
‘’Peace is sacrosanct and we should pursue it with all we have because violence has nothing to be gained from rather, it will destroy what has been laboured to achieve,” she said.
 
Wuraola commended the committee for the work it had done.
 
“I am impressed with what you have done so far since His Imperial Majesty set up this committee as you daily gave Kabiyesi (king) report even when he was in United Kingdom promoting African tradition and culture.
 
“Ile-Ife is the source and you have shown that to the entire world that peace is what we need,” he said.
At Sabo, the queen was received by the Arewa community led by Alhaji Malami Nasidi.
 
She said, ‘’I am here formally to commiserate with you on the incident that happened and I pray that may never happen again.
“We are all one and should live as such.
‘’You are established here and this is the only place you know as home.
‘’Please, let us forget the past and move on.
“Those who went with the sad event cannot be brought back but our prayer is that God should be with all they left behind as we cannot quench fire with fire, peace is the only way forward.
 
“I was touched by the incident and took it upon myself that I must be here personally on behalf of the palace to commiserate with you on the unfortunate incident.”
Nasidi, who responded on behalf of the Arewa community, said: “we have been here for several decades and cannot even fathom why a very minor incident escalated to this magnitude.”
 
He expressed appreciation to the queen for the visit and prayed for long life for her and Ooni Ogunwusi.
 
Meanwhile, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons has donated food items to the communities.
The National Commissioner, Hajia Sadiya Farouq, represented by the South-West Zonal Coordinator, Mrs Margaret Ukaegbu, warned against the diversion of the items.
“We are brothers and sisters, therefore we cannot afford to be divided. She appealed to the communities to forget what had happened, but to look for a way forward and allow peace to reign.
Farouq called on Nigeria to dialogue within each other and pass their grievances to appropriate quarters rather than destroy lives and properties.
” We believe in one Nigeria and we believe in peace. What are we fighting for? ‘’United we stand and divided we fall.
“Without peace, no progress and without progress, Nigeria cannot grow and with that, we cannot develop nor achieve any success,’’ she said.
The commission donated bags of rice, beans, salt and sugar as well as palm-oil and vegetable oil to the communities.

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The Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by the Osun State government to look into the March 8 mayhem in Ile-Ife has invited the public to submit memoranda that would help in its investigation.
 

 
 
The police confirmed 46 persons were killed and 96 others injured during the clash between Hausa and Yoruba. Last month, the police paraded 20 suspects, who were mainly Yoruba.
 
Criticism trailed the police’s investigation especially about the fact that all the suspects where Yoruba’s prompting the government to set up an independent panel to investigate the cause of the clash.
 
The panel called on the public to submit their memoranda on or before April 10 at Oba Okunade Sijuwade Memorial Hall in Ile-Ife. According to a statement by the Secretary, Bisi Babalola, the memoranda must be signed and contain the name, address and telephone numbers of their writers.
 
The statement said: “All memoranda shall be clearly typed and have an introduction of the subject matter, statement of facts on the subject matter, issues from statements of facts for determination, arguments in support of the issue and relief being sought.”
 
Babalola said the panel has an objective to investigate the immediate causes of the violence to prevent future occurrences.

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The Chairman, Land Use Charge (LUC) in the State of Osun, Pastor Olumide Bolorunduro has sought the cooperation of all stakeholders involved in the collection of land use charge revenue in Osun, particularly Council Managers across the Local Governments and Local Council Development Areas for efficient and easy collection of
Land Use Charge revenue in the State.

 
Pastor Bolorunduro made this appeal during the Land Use Charge interactive Stakeholders meeting houses held at the Exco Chamber of the Osun, Governor’s Office in Osogbo.
He maintained that, revenue generation is a collective responsibility of all, while concerned stakeholders must play their part to achieve the desired target in the Internally Generated Revenue drive of the government in order to improve the welfare of the citizens and the development of the State.
Pastor Bolorunduro explained that, necessary valuation on property must have been carried out before the billing, he therefore urged the citizens to pay their Land Use charge as and when due.
He stressed that, perfect arrangements for the convenient payment of Land Use Charge bills across the nooks and crannies of the State have been put in place with the involvement of Financial Institutions (Commercial and Micro-Finance banks) and through the use of Point of Sales Machine (POS).
Earlier in her opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mrs. Adebimpe Ogunlumade, who was represented by the Director, Finance and Administration, Mr. Akeem Bello, disclosed that, Internally Generated Revenue is the only alternative that can bail the Government out in meeting up with Its financial responsibilities on salary payment and infrastructural development.
Mrs Ogunlumade therefore called on the Council Managers and other stakeholders to see the need to tighten the loose ends and support the government in its revenue drive.

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The Nigerian Army has been commended for its unrelenting efforts in the provision of security especially in crisis-prone areas of the North-Eastern part of the country and confronting the recent crisis between herdsmen and farmers which is spreading like bush fire across the length and breadth of the country.
 

 
 
Speaking on behalf of the Governor was the Acting Executive Secretary of the Office of Transportation, Engr. Wahab Ibrahim who paid a courtesy visit to the Commander Engineer Construction Command, Ede, Brigadier General E. Eruwa.
According to him, the Nigerian Army has demonstrated a high sense of responsibility by defeating the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-Eastern part of the country.
Engr. Wahab posited that, Osun as one of the crime free states in the Federation will continue to implement the six (6) Point Integral Action Plan which would always promote communal peace and progress.
The acting Executive Secretary used the opportunity to solicit the continual support of the Nigerian Army, Ede, for the Osun Traffic Marshal which is saddled with the responsibility of enforcing the State of Osun Road Traffic Laws 2008 which is aimed at bringing sanity to the roads in the state.
The Office of Transportation boss stressed that, one of the primary assignments of the agency is to curb the menace of theft of motorcycles and vehicles which hitherto was rampant in the state.
Responding, Brig. General, E. Eruwa, Commander, Engineer Construction Command, Ede, appreciated the efforts of the State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in the area of adequate security for members of the public while promising that, his command will join hands together with Osun Traffic Marshal in order to ensure a robust
and effective security.

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Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun has called on  Nigerian universities to focus more on   science and technology development  in the country.

 

 
Aregbesola made the call while delivering a speech at  the   10th year anniversary and 6th convocation ceremony of  Osun University on Thursday in Osogbo.
The governor said  technology would have changed the world dramatically in a few years.
According to him,  Nigerian universities need to start preparing the youths toward  a digital  future for the country to remain relevant in the new world order.
“We need to begin to prepare for a future where so many amazing things will be done technologically.
“In the next 10  years, technological knowledge would have changed the world dramatically to the extent that cars will begin to drive itself without a driver.
“In 10  years time, your mobile phone will be able to tell you a lot of things about your health and so on.
“We need to be prepared for this future as a country,’’ he said.
Aregbesola also urged Nigerian universities to engage in research that would impact positively on the  society.
In his opening remark, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman  of the Governing Council of the university, Malam Yusuf Alli,  said 10  years of  the existence of the institution  was a period for  preparation, adding that  now was the time for consolidation.
Alli, who noted  that the university must be committed to science, technology and information technology, pointed out  that  the institution  would not be able to be a global participant if it relies on obsolete and outdated knowledge.
Earlier in her address, the Chancellor of the university, Dr  Folorunso Alakija, expressed delight over the transformation the university  was witnessing.
Alakija, who promised to build a state of the art  paediatric hospital for the university, called on  all stakeholders to support the institution in charting a new course with a view to attaining greater height.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof.  Labode Popoola, said the institution  had made tremendous progress in the last 10 years of its existence.
Popoola  said the university had also graduated 6,493 students.

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In December 2016, when the state government of Osun paid out the sum of N13,645,546,673.04 to clear salaries, leave bonuses and pension arrears of four (4) months, many did wonder how the Paris Club refund received a month earlier was allocated.
 

 
However, the Accountant General of the state of Osun, Mr. Akintayo Kolawole, has revealed, how the state government expended the sum of N11,744,237,793.56 received from the federal government in November 2016 as first tranche of the Paris Club Refund.
Speaking with Journalists at his office in Osogbo, Mr. Kolawole revealed that the Osun Revenue Apportionment Committee headed by Comrade Hassan Sunmonu agreed for the total Paris Club Refund to be spent on clearing workers salary arrears.
“The revenue apportionment committee agreed that the Paris refund be used in paying salaries and that the sum of N1.9bn be added by the state government to augment salary payment to local government workers,” Mr. Kolawole noted.
Speaking on how a total of N13.6bn was used in paying salary
arrears, Mr Kolawole stated that, “the sum of N8,519,437.233.43 was paid out as salaries for September, October, November and December. Similarly, the sum of N924,676,305.24 was paid out as leave bonuses for the four months, while the sum of N2,496,605,100.64 was paid in pensions for the same period.”
Explaining how the state spent above the N11.74bn received as Paris Club Refund, the accountant general noted that the sum of N1,704,828,033.73 was transferred to the ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs for the payment of salaries at that level.
When contacted, State Chairman of the Triangular Pensioners Association, Prince Rotimi Adelugba confirmed all pensioners in the state received four months of pension arrears as agreed with the state government in December 2016.
Other workers in the state commended the government for making workers’ welfare its priority.

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The Governor of the State of Osun has charged graduating students from the university to rise above carrying ‘bland certificates’ and put their competencies to work in creating solutions to global problems.
 

 
This, the Governor said can only be possible when every member of the university community begins to ask relevant questions and conduct research that solve problems.
The governor said this as part of his inspiring speech at the 10th year anniversary and 6th convocation of the institution.
Ogbeni Aregbesola acknowledged the strides the school had made in a decade, and appreciated all stakeholders including the past Governor Oyinlola, the chancellor, Mrs Folorunso Alakija and the vice chancellor, Prof. Labode Popoola; but he stressed the need for the school to punctuate the deserved merry-making with deep reflections.
He drew a comparison with the first university in Nigeria, then University College, Ibadan, which after its 10th year had produced two students the likes of Wole Soyinka, a Nobel Prize winner, Chinua Achebe, a Nobel Prize multiple nominee and other titans like Augustus Adebayo, Michael Omolayole, Chief Bola Ige and others who took the academia, politics, and the business world by storm.

Lamenting the vices that have plagued tertiary institutions in the nation, Aregbesola called on the school community to be relevant to the world outside its walls.
“I am therefore tempted to wonder and ask if, for instance, the university’s College of Education has any direct relationship or impact on any of the elementary, middle or high schools anywhere in the state or around its campus. What is the impact of the College of Agriculture on farming and food security in Osun? Is this university engaged in researches on the extant existential challenges faced by humanity, beginning from this state? Beyond graduating students, is there a way the immediate community of the university has benefitted from its researches?…
” The university should provide leadership in innovation and productivity. Earth-shaking changes are on the verge of breaking loose on our world and this should not catch us unawares. In the next 10 years, knowledge would have transformed the world beyond recognition. Self-driving cars, running on battery, using zero fuel, and programmed with all the addresses will be in the market in commercial quantity.

“The mobile phone will act as medical scanner that will, more than the doctor, accurately diagnose illnesses and diseases and prescribe medication, reducing the need for hospital visits.
Robots are being developed to take over works in the farms, eliminating the need for manual labour and fuel guzzling heavy machinery. These robots will do all the physical works and more: weeding, planting, watering, carrying our security surveillance on farm and crops, deterring pests and thieves, carrying out soil test, adding soil additives, harvesting, processing, storing and transporting. The farmer just programmes and supervises.
Robots will also take over the manual labour in the construction industry.
With hydroponic technology, fruits and vegetables planted on artificial soil in trays that grow and mature in days have been developed for astronauts and are now being made available for the larger farming community. It means, every home can provide its own fruits and vegetables, and in matter of days.

“Solar technology will become simplified and cheaper. This will make electricity abundantly available, also eliminating the use of generators and internal combustion engines. More worrisome from this is that oil will attract little or no value by then.
The overall consequence of all these is that low skill and menial jobs will be eliminated, meaning only highly skilled individuals would be relevant in this brave new world. This is the future that any student today should be prepared for, not just having a bland certificate but clueless about life, survival and competitiveness in a digital and ICT driven world. Any society without this vision is going to be backward and dependent when this future arrives. It now behoves on our universities to tailor their researches and prepare their students for this new world.”, he said.

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The late Nathaniel Abimbola has been described as a humble and seasoned journalist who took his job with all seriousness.
 

 
This is contained in a press statement issued and signed by the Chairman, Special Committee on Fire Safety Matters, Hon. Oguntola Mudashiru Toogun.
The statement stated that, though death is inevitable and a must for everybody. The demise of Nathaniel Abimbola occurred at a time when he was still useful to the State, the State Council of NUJ, OSBC and most importantly his immediate family.
The statement therefore prayed that God Almighty to give the State Council of NUJ, OSBC conglomerate, and the immediate family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

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The government of the state of Osun as denied that any fresh crisis started in Ile Ife on Friday.
Several news outlets had Friday evening claimed 9 people were injured in a skirmish that broke out in ancient town of Ile-Ife.
 

 
Speaking to newsmen yesterday evening in Osogbo, Mr. Tope Adejumo, Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s Senior Special Assistant on Security, stated that there is no fresh crisis in Ile Ife as everyone is going about their normal businesses.
He warmed those publishing false news in the hope of wiping up ethnic sentiment to desist forthwith.
Mr. Adejumo however noted that some youth in the Asipa and Ipetumodu area of Ife North Local Government had earlier Friday afternoon engaged each other in a free fall over some boundary dispute. He noted that it was not an inter-ethnic clash and neither was it crisis, the Security aide describe it as a case of ‘breach of public peace’ and the dispute is being.

He noted that normalcy has since returned to both towns and law enforcement agencies deployed to the area to maintain peace and other.

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