Improving The Lots Of Osun People Is My Motivation – Aregbesola

Staff May 26, 2014

‎The governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola over the weekend said the improvement of the lots of the people of the state was a strong motivation for his seeking office.

The governor made this disclosure while delivering his address titled “The Difference Leadership can make” at the third Babatunde Jose Lecture on Media and the society and the formal presentation of the National Infinity magazine’s “Nigerian of the Year 2013” Award to him‎ at the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding in Osogbo.

Aregbesola pointed out that leadership should offer a golden opportunity to serve the people and bring improvements to bear on their lives and existence.

He also noted that leadership is a core pillar upon which a viable and successful human society can be built, adding that from the beginning of history, leadership has been of the essence in the affairs of men.

The governor revealed that when he sought the leadership of the State of Osun as governor, he was fully aware of the implications and well-prepared to face the responsibilities.

According to him,” ‎the improvement of the lots of the people of Osun was therefore a strong motivation for my seeking office and a paramount object of the deployment of my talents. Thus, as a leader I constantly seek for ways of bringing about progress and advancement for my people in every area of their lives.

“In education, everything done under my leadership is meant to improve the standard for the benefit of our children. Building of new schools; recruitment of more teachers; provision of uniforms, distribution of Opon-Imo; provision of free food etc. are all aimed at raising the standard of public education in Osun.

“This is grounded in my belief that education is one of the greatest legacies we can give to humans. Similarly, the intention behind my administration’s agricultural policy is to transform farming in the state to big business”. The governor told audience at the lecture.

Aregbesola held that roads being constructed by his administration are meant to enhance the various levels of human transactions including trade and commerce.

He ‎thanked the National Infinity magazine for the award; and for adding voice to the motivating choruses of appreciation that have greeted his demonstration of the difference leadership can make in society.

In his lecture, entitled: Governance, Deficit and Accountability in the Era of Twitter, Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi identified four challenges confronting Journalism in Nigeria.

According to Olorunyomi, who is the Editor In Chief of PremiumTimes, these challenges are conflict of interest, invasion of privacy, confidentiality of sources and general fabrication of stories.

Olorunyomi also identified the problem confronting investigative journalism, saying it’ s expensive, dangerous and time-consuming.

“In the independence of our profession to serve as a real public watchdog for making government accountable and serving the society, there must be an independence of the pocket, which will guarantee independence of the practice.

“Journalism remains the vital force for restoration of investigative journalism in the restoration of values and general development of the society,” Olorunyomi said.

In his opening remark, the President, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr. Femi Adesina, listed truthfulness, accountability, objectivity, impartiality, fairness and limitation to harms as the core cannons of ethical journalism.

Adesina said financial independence in journalism business can only guarantee the independent practice of journalism.

“Governance, accountability and integrity go together in ethical journalism.

“Despite the availability of online media, present journalists must be wary of throwing away their integrity in investigative journalism,” Adesina advised.

Editor in Chief of National Infinity magazine Mr. Jide Ige said the publishing house’s choice of Aregbesola was informed by the noticeable transformations in Osun noting that the spare of development in the state is startling.