Pursuant to the poverty eradication and the empowerment of the rural populace, the state government of Osun is willing to partner with the Microfinance banks in the state for people to have access to micro- credit loan.

With this initiative of the State Government of Osun in partnership with micro-finance banks is to strengthen Mr. governor’s gesture to the people through his heavy investment on agriculture and commerce as springboards of development in the state as demonstrated in the distribution of improved seedling and good rural roads through O-RAMP.

A release from the office of Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Ayanleye Aina enjoins all interested Micro-Finance Banks to come and partner with the State Government either as unit banks, state or national with their five years Audited Financial Statement on or before Friday 27th December, 2013 and submit the documents to the Office of the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance, Osogbo.

 OSUN NEWS

The Office of the Wife of the Governor, Alhaja Sherifat Aregbesola, in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs will hold the End of the Year Party for Children on Monday 23rd December, 2013 at the Lawn of Government House GRA, Osogbo in the morning.

A statement issued in Osogbo today by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Mrs. Oluwakemi Kolawole stated that, this very important programme is organized in realization of the importance of children development and to show that, the Government of the State of Osun is irrevocably committed to the well-being of the children of the state.

Mrs. Kolawole, therefore implored all the invited children to attend the event at the appointed time.
OSUN NEWS

Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, State of Osun, Prof. (Mrs.) Olubukola Oyawoye and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment and Sanitation, Mr. Bola Ilori have admonished indigenes of the  state to respect environmental sanitation rules and regulations, at all times.

The Commissioner and the Special Adviser gave this admonition in Osogbo at the Mental Public Awareness Lecture, organized for all Local Government Health Educators in Water and Environmental Sanitation, ‘O’ Clean Technical Committee Chairmen and other stakeholders in Environment.

While delivering her opening address at the occasion, Professor Oyawoye disclosed that, because life has no duplicate, it is necessary for all and sundry to handle environmental sanitation matters with utmost seriousness, at all times.

She added that Public Health Officers, as employees of the State Government have the duty to ensure that environmental sanitation guidelines are observed in every part of the state.

In his goodwill message at the occasion, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Environment and Sanitation, Mr. Bola Ilori, asserted that, no one can professionally talk about environmental sanitation in Nigeria today without special mention of the State of Osun.

According to him, although all the state indigenes have benefited one way or the other from Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s programmes, no past government has accorded Public Health Officers the kind of recognition which the Aregbesola’s government has accorded them today in the state.

 Mr. Ilori enjoined all the state indigenes to maximally cooperate with the government to be able to enjoy more dividends of democracy.

 OSUN NEWS

In his determination to allow development and  dividends of democracy to go round the state, Governor Rauf Aregbesola will on Monday 23rd December, 2013 distribute a large number of Air Conditioned Toyota Buses to members of  National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employer Association of Nigeria(RTEAN) (Osun Chapter).

According to a press statement from the office of the State Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Wale Bolorunduro, the seventy units of the Toyota buses are meant to empower the members of NURTW and RTEAN to support transportation business with a view to easing the movement and commercial activities of the people across the state.

Dr. Bolorunduro added that all these gestures and many giant programmes of Governor Rauf Aregbesola are made possible because of prudency and good monetary management through his financial re-engineering initiatives in the governance of the state.
The Finance Commissioner then enjoined members of the State Executive Council, Permanent Secretaries, Head of non-ministerial agencies, General Managers, party chieftains, road transport union members, and all invited guests to attend the programme promptly.
OSUN NEWS

Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, who approved payment for Tenants and Shop owners whose structures were affected by the restructuring.
The Commissioner for Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Arc. Muyiwa Ige, made this disclosure yesterday that N51m was paid to 121 farmers  as compensation on economic crops as their farms were previously sited at the Open Heavens Prayer Ground in Odo – Iju  and Ibodi Ijesha in the State of Osun.
He said the state government would not allow the affected property owners to suffer by ensuring that they receive compensation for their structures, which had given way for the construction of the road project.
Ige, however, warned landlords to maintain the approved six-metres as set back of their structures to the road, which had earlier been agreed upon.
One of the landlords, Elder Moshood Oladejo, commended the state government for the kind gesture and promised that the compensation, as well as the special packages to the tenants, would be optimally utilised.
Also speaking, Comrade Waheed Lawal reiterated the commitment of the present administration to alleviating the sufferings of the citizenry.

The 5th edition of the Nigeria Private University Games Association (NPUGA) which kicked off last week will be rounded off today at Joseph Ayo Babalola University, (JABU) sports complex, Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State with the state Governor , Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola expected to declare the weeklong tournament closed.

Other important dignitaries expected at the event includes Vice Chancellors from different Universities from the country, representatives of the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie; JABU Chancellor, Pastor Dr. Ademola Wemimo Odunaiya; Pro-Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council of the university, Prof. A.M.A. Imevbore; Vice Chairman, Pastor C.S. Fasuyi among others.
Twenty five Universities across the federation featured in 75 events in ten different games such as tennis, athletics, chess, scrabble, volleyball, basketball, badminton, tabletennis, swimming and football.
Among the institutions that featured in the championship are Adeleke University, Ede; Bowen University, Iwo; Fountain University, Oshogbo; Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu; Lead City University, Ibadan and Caleb University, Ikorodu. Others are Redeemer’s University, Mowe; The Bells University of Science and Technology, Otta; Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin; Samuel Adegboyega University, Ogwa and Benson Idahosa University, Benin City.
Other Universities that took part in the tournament are Babcock University, Ilishan- Remo, Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Crescent University, Abeokuta; Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin; Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo; American University of Nigeria, Yola; Godfrey Okoye University, Enugu and Wesley University of Science and Technology, Ondo just as Achievers University, Owo; Western Delta University, Oghara; Kwararafa University, Taraba; Veritas University, Abuja, Birmingham University, Keffi and the host Joseph Ayo Babalola University also took part in the championship.
NATIONAL MIRROR

The Executive Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has been commended for his initiative over creation of 27 additional Local Governments in the state.
The spokesperson of the Lagos State House of Assembly and Chairman, House Committee on Information, Strategy, Security and Publicity representing Epe Constituency II, Hon Segun Olulade made this commendation during a chat with the newsmen in Lagos.
Olulade said the creation of additional LGs in the State of Osun is a welcomed development and is due. According to him, more Local Governments will bring developments to grassroots and people will be able to feel presence of government more especially in the remote rural communities where government finds it difficult to reach people due to the size of most Local Governments in the state.
“I commend the Government for taking such initiative; I also congratulate the people of the State who are the larger beneficiary of the good things coming along with the initiative. I have no doubt that having commenced due process by the Governor towards final ratification of the bill, the Lawmakers in the State House of Assembly will give speedy passage of the bill creating those new
Local Governments’, he said.
“I seize this opportunity to commend the community leaders, CDAs, CDS, market women, the youth and especially the traditional rulers for the roles played and contributions made towards ensuring that the Governor’s initiatives on taking governance to people living in the most remote parts of the state through additional Local Government creation is being realised. Surely, history will never forget all the people of the State for these laudable achievements.
Olulade stressed that Lagos has set a good example over additional Local Government creation occasioned by necessity, and as such, State like Osun is doing the needful by embarking on such project that will better the lives of the people. The Lawmaker said development is about people, and that is the essence of having democracy in place.
“Considering the developments going on presently in the State in all sectors such as education, health, infrastructure, roads, agriculture and many more,I have no doubt that the people of Osun will see this move by the Governor as act of good governance they deserve, and as such cooperate with the Governor in concluding all processes required for successful creation of the LGs”, he said.
Osun State currently has 30 Local Governments which is expected to rise to 57 with the additional 27 presently being created.
NAIJA HOTTEST GIST

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Water Resources, Rural Development and Community Affairs, Mr. Adekunle Ige, has said that the Ministry, which is well known as a service provider, has devised many means of generating revenue to augment source of Internally Generated Revenue of the State of Osun.

Mr. Ige dropped this hint during the meeting of the Board which was the last meeting for the year 2013. He spoke further on the Ministry’s Micro-Credit Scheme which involves giving grants to 18,000 women, focus on 600 trainees per Local Government Area of the State, Micro-Finance organization donating 400 million Naira, while the State Government donated 200 million Naira to make 600million Naira to be disbursed. Mr. Ige then promised the Board Members that the disbursement shall take effect as soon as the awareness programme comes to an end.

In his response, the Board Chairman of the Rural Development and Community Affairs, Alhaji Taofik Makinde, commended the Special Adviser, on all the meaningful projects being embarked upon. He stated further, that the beneficiaries of the Community Development Association is non-political and that the beauty of the programme is it’s continuous concept, and once the funds are repaid promptly, there’s going to be  availability of more funds which attracts little interest, for these traders.

Alhaji Makinde who thanked Mr. Ige for his openness and accommodating spirit, also requested that, the Board Members should be made relevant in the implementation of year 2014 Budget.  He then pledged the support of his colleagues for the realization of the objectives of the Ministry.
OSUN NEWS

The Governor, State of Osun, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, has approved the payment of N58.1m to  581 tenants and shop occupants in the State. He also assured the 157 landlords whose structures were affected by the ongoing road dualisation from Mosalasi-Gaji-Onisekere in Ayetoro, Osogbo Road axis, of the payment of their compensation, which is worth N750 million.
The Commissioner for Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Muyiwa Ige, made this disclosure during a visit by the affected Landlords and Tenants Association to the ministry.
He said the state government would not allow the affected property owners to suffer by ensuring that they receive compensation for their structures, which had given way for the construction of the road project.
Ige, however, warned landlords to maintain the approved six-metres as set back of their structures to the road, which had earlier been agreed upon.
One of the landlords, Elder Moshood Oladejo, commended the state government for the kind gesture and promised that the compensation, as well as the special packages to the tenants, would be optimally utilised.
Also speaking, Comrade Waheed Lawal reiterated the commitment of the present administration to alleviating the sufferings of the citizenry.
Adapted from the NIGERIAN TRIBUNE