NIPSS Commends Aregbesola's Focused Leadership

Staff May 5, 2014

The Nigerian Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Jos, at the weekend commended the Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, for his focused leadership and the positive transformation of the state.
Speaking on behalf of NIPSS, Air Commodore Ademola Onitiju at a Dinner organised by the state government, for members of Course 36 Batch 5 NIPSS who are on the tour of the country, noted that Aregbesola’s style of leadership should be copied by other states.
‎Onituju pointed out that Aregbesola’s administrations’ programmes is one of the best in the country in the area of youth empowerment.
He stated that this empowerment is enhancing productivity in the state and reducing the level of insecurity.
According to the Air commodore, “In our tour of Osun, we found focused leadership. The state Anthem is more than promotion of the “Omoluabi” concept‎. The introduction of a unique selection of the leadership of the civil service in the state is a thing that should be copied by other state.
“We also noted the aggressive effort by the governor in opening up Osun through road networks. What actually amuses us most was when we followed the governor for the commissioning of roads in Osogbo and people were coming out in their thousands to appreciate the governor, that showed that he is loved by his people.
“We also found out the bold effort of the administration on the Airport project and the improvement and the beatification of the Railway ‎station in Osogbo,” Onitiju told audience at the dinner.
He also commended the feeding programme of the government, saying a nourishing food once a day round the week is capable of developing the pupils mentally and physically and prepare them for later years’ challenges.
“Your school feeding programme which has attracted more children of school age to enroll themselves back to school has positively impacted on the educational development of the state with high nutritional value for the building of the young minds into robust adulthood.
“The state’s school re-classification policy which is in tandem with the UNESCO educational standard – though criticised by those who didn’t take time to study the policy – is a model for Nigeria educational development.
“We only hope that Governor Rauf Aregbesola stays focused and committed towards the actualisation of all his policies and programmes for the good people of Osun,” Onitiju said.
In his response, Governor Aregbesola commended the vision of the founders of NIPSS and acknowledged the guiding philosophy of the institute, which is hinged on course participants going round the country to have total knowledge of what the nation looks like.
He however lamented that the country has not seized the opportunity of its diversity to build a strong and virile nation.
“We have not used our diversity to the best advantage. Our diversity should be a major advantage for us because most great nations of the world converted their diversity to strength and greatness.
“Our own diversity too should form the basis for our growth, strength and development rather than for it to retard our progress,” Aregbesola said.
He urged NIPSS management to also extend its knowledge of the country in all spheres of governance with the state as it does to the Federal Government.
He admonished NIPSS to use the opportunity of tour around the country to assess the performance of any government it visits so that such state would have the opportunity of getting feedback and make amends where necessary.
Aregbesola added that his government is striving to provide what its people need to set the state apart from others, saying with the way the state is being upgraded in terms of infrastructure, the state will be a reference point in the next ten years.