The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has called on all able bodied Nigerians to take to farming on full or part time basis as alternative to the over-dependence on oil for the quick recovery of the ailing economy of the country.‎
 

 
The Governor stated this while‎ addressing people at the 2016 flag-off of cashew planting season and roll out of cashew expansion programme of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and rural development at Ogudu Village, Ife-East Local Government Area of the state.
This was even as the Minister for Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh said the ministry will embark on plantation of 2 million cashew every year for 4 years and that the stage is set to ensure massive plantation of cocoa, plantain and banana across the nation.‎
Aregbesola stressed that the only way for Nigerians to contribute meaningfully to national economic development was for able men and women to go back to farms.
He called on other leaders in all tiers of government in Nigeria to stop relying on the failed oils sector and seek for means to sustain their economy.
The Governor noted that there could be no better time than now for all hands to be on deck to ensure that the economy of the country from oil to Agriculture.‎
According to him, “I am particularly happy and enthralled at the efforts being made to promote the cultivation of cashew, noted for not just being a food crop but a cash crop as well.
“This is well timed at this season when it has become imperative to diversify our economy from its oil orientation to others more sustainable areas like agriculture”. ‎
He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for living up to the expectations of Nigerians through his achievements in the last few months, saying the uniqueness of his good governance had been felt in all aspects of the economy especially in agriculture.
Governor who described cashew as a money-making and health-promoting crop, said the state is ready to partner with any investor to boost the agricultural sector.
 
He said the state is blessed with fertile hectares of land, adding that his government would not hesitate to tap the numerous potentials in agriculture in sustaining its economy.‎
The Governor commended Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi for complementing his efforts to revamp agriculture in the state.
He therefore implored other traditional rulers to emulate the good gestures of Oba Ogunwusi in rendering social services to the society.
“The only way for us to contribute meaningfully to national economic development was for our able men and women to go back to farms.
“Quick recovery of our economy remains the duty of all and as a matter of fact, nothing is coming from oil anymore. And for this reason, we must all embrace agriculture to deliver our country from this financial mess.
“We must henceforth stop relying on the failed oil sector and seek for ways to sustain the economy through the promotion of the non-oil sectors.
“It is a glaring fact that the current economic challenges befell the country was a product of 16 years misrule and bad governance of past administrations in the country.
“Our state is blessed with fertile hectares of land good for farming, hence, triggers our ambition to tap the numerous potentials in agriculture to enhance the general well being of the citizens”, Aregbesola stated.
Earlier, Minister of Agriculture, Chief Innocent Audu Ogbeh who described the flag-off ceremony as the beginning of agricultural revolution in the country, said stage has already been set to ensure massive plantation of cocoa, plantain and banana across the nation.
Chief Ogbeh disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Agriculture was ready to embark on full plantation of 2million cashew every year for the next four years.
The minister stressed that the purpose of quick intervention in agriculture by the Federal Government was to ensure that the nation regain her lost glory as the food basket of Africa, saying all hands must be on deck to revitalize the sector for the betterment of all.
He lamented over the sliding state of the nation’s economy, assuring that the current government was fully ready to maximize the embedded potentials in the non-oil sectors.
Chief Ogbeh attributed the financial crisis ravaging the country especially the states of the federation to what he referred to as over-reliance on the mono-economic policy of the country, reiterating that the current government led by President Muhammadu Buhari would not rest on his oars to reposition the nation’s economy.
He said part of the objectives of the present government in agriculture was to ensure that every Nigerian has access to quality agricultural production and other farm produce without hiccup irrespective of distance or region.
Chief Ogbeh maintained that since agriculture is the largest employer of labour, his ministry would deploy necessary mechanism that would facilitate mass employment for Nigerian youths so as to reduce the scourge of unemployment in the country.
According to him “This historic occasion marks another milestone in our concerted efforts at resuscitating, repositioning and restructuring agricultural sector in the country.
“It also signifies the beginning of agricultural revolution in the country as we are seriously bent to ensure massive plantation of cashew, cocoa, plantain, banana and other agricultural farm produce across the nation.
“Our prompt intervention in agriculture was premised on need to swiftly rescue the nation from being collapsed due to her over-dependent on crude oil.
“Our government had identified agriculture as a key economic sector capable of turning around the general well being of Nigerians.
“We are fully ready to embark on full plantation of 2million cashew every year for the next four years in order to maximize the embedded potentials in the non-oil sectors.
“It is regrettable that we found ourselves in this economic mess due to misapplication of priority and mismanagement of our commonwealth, but nevertheless, no stone would be left unturned by the current government to ensure that the country regain her lost glory in all sectors.
“Though the over-reliance on the mono-economic system is also a contributory factor to this financial impasse but I can assure every citizen that the present government of President Muhammadu Buhari would not rest on his oars at repositioning the nation’s economy by ensuring adequate production of foods for local consumption as well as for export.
“Our ministry had already identified agriculture as the largest employer of labour, hence signaled us to deploy necessary mechanism to boost agriculture by engaging youths in the process so as to reduce the scourge of unemployment in the country”, he added.
Chief Ogbeh who described Governor Aregbesola as a visionary leader per excellence, said his landmark achievements since assumption of office remained memorable legacy in the political annals of the state.
He disclaimed the allegation that the financial challenges facing some states was the cause of their governors, saying the cash crunch tormenting the states was a product of national economic imbroglio.
Chief Ogbeh however called on all and sundry especially the youths to demonstrate interest in agriculture as part of their contributory efforts to national economic development and nation building.
In his remarks, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi disclosed that 2,000 hectares of land had been acquired and cultivated for cashew plantation, adding that as soon as the people are showing interest in farming, more land would be released for that purpose.
Oba Ogunwusi expressed delight on the commencement of this year 2016 Flag-off of Cashew Planting season in Ife, saying with that, Ife had proven its stand as the ancestral home of yoruba nation.
The royal father further noted that the flag-off ceremony in the state was a clear testimony to undaunting efforts of the present administration in the state towards the resuscitation of agriculture sector.
Oba Ogunwusi who decried on the precipitous slide in the oil sector, said the time has come for government at all levels to shift attention to agriculture in stimulating and reviving the nation’s economy.
The revered monarch stressed that the massive plantation of cashew in the state was in no doubt the beginning of a new dawn in the agricultural revolution in the country, adding that with such giant stride being recorded, the state has set a formidable goal to rescue the nation.
Oba Ogunwusi who described agriculture as the only eternal and everlasting bailout to Nigeria’s economy, said the time has come for every Nigerian especially the youths to go back to farms.
 
 
 
He said, “I am very elated that the commencement of this year 2016 Flag-off of Cashew Planting season starts in Ife and with this significant move, we have proven our stand as the ancestral home of yoruba nation
“Unequivocally, this flag-off ceremony in the state was a clear testimony vindicating our Governor on his untiring efforts towards the resuscitation of agriculture sector.
“It is a well-known fact that our economy had been seriously challenged due to incessant drop in prices of crude oil at the international market, meanwhile, the time has come for government at all levels to shift attention to agriculture in stimulating and reviving the nation’s economy.
“We must all see agriculture as the only realistic alternative to crude oil at this critical period as government at various levels are working assiduously to enhance economic prosperity.
“We are starting with 2,000 hectares of land for the cultivation of cashew and as soon as our people begin to show interest, more land would be released for cultivation.

The Osun State House of Assembly has congratulated Governor Rauf Aregbesola on his 59th birthday.
A statement by the Chairman, Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, said Aregbesola’s stewardship has touched the people’s lives despite the economic downturn.
 
 

 
 
Describing the governor as an amazing leader, the Assembly said with a governor who cares about the people’s welfare, there are better days ahead.
It also pointed out that the governor is a dogged, committed, diligent and forthright man, who would fight hard to ensure the development of his state and the country at large, regardless of the challenges coming his way.
“On your 59th birthday, we in the Osun House of Assembly salute you a reputable leader for the milestones you have attained in the development of our dear state.

“The feats you have achieved are exceptional and unusual even in the face of dwindling resources confronting our state.
“You refused to be discouraged due to the economic downturn, but decided to move on to ensure the development of our state without looking back. That is the quality we respect as a parliament,” the Assembly said.
The Assembly has begun a six-week recess. The recess began on May 23 and ends on July 4, but the House would reconvene on July 11.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged Aregbesola “to soldier on with courage, even at this difficult juncture when his political integrity is under mindless attack”.
The party said “no matter how difficult the political, social and economic situation under his watch may be at the moment, all indications are that Ogbeni will emerge triumphant”.
In a statement by its spokesman, Kunle Oyatomi, the party said:  “Despite the uncharitable criticisms by opponents and detractors, the APC government under Aregbesola’s leadership, has managed to survive an economic collapse that was virtually driven by external factors.
“The collapse was caused by the devastating crash of crude oil price in the international market; the vandalism that characterised PDP’s management of the country’s economy in the last 16 years of civilian rule and the mind-bugging  corruption and virtual looting of the national treasury that prevailed during the PDP rule.
“If these factors had not intervened to negatively impact the development projects initiated by the governor, Osun would have been a model for most other states.
“But despite this, the state is still managing to execute critical infrastructural projects, which are eloquent testimony to Aregbesola’s superior financial management approach.
“When this storm finally clears, he will be vindicated and his detractors will bow in shame.”

The Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has congratulated St. James’ Elementary School for coming third at the recently concluded Channels Kids football competition.
 

 
 
A statement by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Semiu Okanlawon, quoted the governor as saying that the pupils have demonstrated true Omoluabi ethos of the state, part of which are handwork, dedication and cooperation.
 
The Governor commended the first runners-up of the Kids Cup for their achievement at the competition, adding that the feat must be extended to their academic pursuits.‎
 
Aregbesola stated: “I congratulate the representatives of the state at the Channels National Kids Cup tournament for making the third position in the competition. We salute their diligence and industry.
 
“Throughout the tournament, these youngsters demonstrated the ethics of decency, forbearance, healthy competition and dedication which resulted in their ultimate triumph as the bronze medalists. They are true OMOLUABI from the state of OMOLUABI.
 
“We are very proud of them, their managers, all facilitators of this victory, their parents and friends. ‎With this accomplishment, they must not rest on their oars both in sports and academics. This certainly is the beginning of great achievements for them and the children of Osun.”

Governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola during the course of the week took an unscheduled tour of the state capital to see for himself the extent of work done on the different ongoing projects in the stat.
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who led a high delegation team of state government officials on the visit, expressed satisfaction at the level of work done at the various points visited.
Some of the works inspected during the tour include the Osogbo Government high School, the Ata-Oja School of Science and the Oba Adesoji Aderemi East Bypass Bridge.

 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 

 

Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has restated his commitment towards providing qualitative education for the school children in the state.
 

 
He said this at Osogbo city stadium during the celebration of children day on Friday.
Aregbesola who was represented by his deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori noted that his government has valued education of children since inception, promising that he would strive further to ensure that Osun state provide the best education for children in the country.
He noted that the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari has adopted his school feeding programme, maintaining that the initiative has been one of the best in the country.
Aregbesola who lamented continuous hostage of Chibok Girls by the deadly Boko Haram, assured that the present government is committed and sincere in the rescue of the girls.
He commended the soldiers for their gallant fight against Boko Haram, appealing to Nigerians to pray for Buhari’s government.
In her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Osun state Ministry of Women, Children and Social Affairs, Mrs Omolara Ajayi, appealed to parents and guardians to brace up and exercise a collaborative effort in the training of their children.
She condemned the violence against children saying “the inhuman and barbaric tradition of Female Genital Mutilation and the current trend of violence through child trafficking, child forced marriages, sex exploitation, abduction, can no longer be condoned.

Chairman of the Special Committee on Fire Safety in the state, Hon Mudasiru Oguntola Toogun has tasked owners of all categories of establishments in the state to take advantage of opportunities provided by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to improve their businesses.
 

 
Hon Toogun gave this charge while on monitoring tour to industries and multinational companies in Osogbo and Ilesa.
He said Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is concerned with the welfare of all citizens and their property in the state hence the setting up of the committee.
Hon Toogun therefore charged all industries and multinational companies in the state to be fire safety compliant. He also emphasised payment of taxes as it is meant for development
.
In their separate responses,Director Don Plaza, Mr Ike Donald Obiora, Managing Director, Micro Credit Agency, Mr Dayo Babaranti , Director of Olaiya Nigeria Enterprise, Alhaji Rauf Olaiya and Director of De Bukateria, Hon Wale Adedoyin thanked the State Governor for his commitment at developing the state despite the paucity of fund.
They therefore promised to comply with fire safety regulations and regular payment of their taxes and other levies to the state.
Present were Secretary to the committee, Mr Toba Aluko and men of the Fire Service led by the Deputy Director, Mrs Moni Lawal.

The Osun State government yesterday said invitations to fake petitioners and paid agents of destabilization will put an end to frivolous petitions in Nigeria.
 

 
 
Citing Friday’s invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun, CSCEO, over its petition alleging diversion of funds belonging to local councils in the state by Governor Rauf Aregbesola, the Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Office of the Governor in a statement signed by its Director, Semiu Okanlawon, said the self-appointed civil society group is a group that had been making bogus claims against Governor Aregbesola and his government without producing evidence to substantiate any of the allegations.
 
For instance, this was the group that accused Governor Aregbesola of embezzling the N34.988 billion bailout loan obtained last year as part of the Federal Government’s intervention to assist states meet their salary obligations.
 
The same group had accused Governor Aregbesola of borrowing over N750 billion, which, according to it, has not impacted on the socio-economic lives of the people of Osun.
 
The government had also been accused of planning a mass sack of civil servants in the state, especially in the wake of the challenges to meet salary obligations by the state.
 
“It is instructive that none of these allegations and others from this same group has been proved to be true,” the Bureau stated.
The Bureau described the CSCEO as dubious two-man contraption put together and masquerading as a pro-people organization.
 
“We must remind Nigerians lest they take this group serious at all that Mr. Sulaiman Adeniyi who claims to be the leader of the group and Seun Adeoye, have been no more than two hired hands of the Peoples Democratic Party in Osun and its allied opposition elements.
Describing the step taken by the EFCC as a welcome development, the Bureau stated, “This is a welcome development as perhaps this will put an end to frivolous activities of the likes of hired groups like this and their cohorts in the trade of making allegations that they cannot substantiate. “The Osun example in local government funds administration is a study in transparency and accountability.
Perhaps, it is only in Osun that the governor introduced Heads of Local Government Administrations, HLAs, to the monthly allocation meetings. The HLAs have full knowledge of how much is received and other allied information. A governor with a plan to divert council funds would not bring such a novel addition to the way funds are administered.
 
The statement also urged the petitioners to check out Osun’s record of payment of council salaries and pensions and compare those with what obtains in many other states of the federation.

Osun State House of Assembly has ordered the stoppage of work on the ongoing construction of filling stations that have not complied with the required rules and guidelines.
 

 
 
A statement by the chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye said, the Assembly gave the order during a meeting with officials of the state Ministry of Environment, Land, Physical Planning and Urban Development and directors of Town Planning in all the local government areas of the state.
Speaking at the meeting, the House Committee chairman, Land, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Nurein Adebisi said the level of indiscriminate citing of filling stations across the state was worrisome.

The Osun Government has directed illegal private school owners in the state to register with the state ministry of education or would be shut.
 
 

 
 
 
Festus Olajide, the Permanent Secretary, Osun Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, gave the directive while meeting with members of National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) and Association of Muslim Islamic Schools (AMIS) in Osogbo.
 
Olajide said private school owners operating without approval should register with the ministry before the commencement of a special general inspection to private schools by the ministry.
He said he would not compromise the required standards and quality in teaching, learning and infrastructure in private schools in the state.
 
“The only means by which students can perform excellently and have confident during examinations without relying on malpractices is through good qualitative education provided by qualified education personnel and standard facilities, good quality lesson delivery in private schools,” he said.
Olajide said the ownership and operation of private schools in the state were strictly regulated since they dealt with moulding and building of human capital for the state, Nigeria and the world.
Olajide said the cordial relationship between private school owners and the state government could further be strengthened if they could identify “miracle centers” where examination malpractices strive.
He, however, commended the private school owners for their contributions in the areas of employment and revenue generation to the state.
Olajide urged them to redouble their efforts on the payment of rates and taxes to the government coffers.
Ayo Oluwafemi, the Osun WAEC Branch Comptroller, expressed worries over the spate of examination malpractices in Nigeria with particular reference to some private schools.
He appealed to private school owners to operate with the fear of God and concern about the future of their students, rather than urgent financial gains.

The Osun House of Assembly has assured civil servants in the state that the 2016 budget would ensure full payment of their salaries.
 

 
 
The Speaker of the House, Rt.Hon  Najeem Salaam, gave the assurance in Osogbo during an interactive session on the appropriation bill.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that civil servants on Grade Level 8 and above had been receiving half of their salaries since last year.
Salaam, however, said the capturing of the full payment of workers’ salaries in the budget was an indication that the government was working hard to ensure that civil servants were adequately paid.
He urged civil servants to work hard and play their roles, especially in generating revenue with a view to making the budget achieve its goals.
“It is important for civil servants to work hard; let us all block leakages so that we can have enough fund to carry out our obligations, including payment of full salaries of workers,’’ he said.
Earlier, Mr Kamil Oyedele, the House Committee Chairman on Finance and Appropriation, had said the budget was moderate, simple and realistic.
Oyedele said the budget focused on initiatives that would boost the resources of the state.
NAN reports that Gov. Rauf Aregbesola had on Dec. 10, 2015, presented a budget proposal of N150 billion to the assembly.
But Aregbesola in a letter to the assembly and read at plenary on April 11 sought for the downward review of the budget to N137.9 billion due to the poor economic situation.