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.

The five-man panel of inquiry set up by State Government of Osun to look into the crisis that ensued between Hausas and Yorubas on March 8, 2017 in Ile-Ife, visited the scene of the event and promised to be neutral.
 

 
The Chairman of the Commission, Justice Moshood Adeigbe, assured that all parties would be given fair-hearing.
He said the commission was out to ensure that, the real perpetrators of the dastardly act were brought to book to ensure that all warring factions were appeased.
The commission thereafter visited Sabo, the scene of the crisis, for an on-the-spot assessment of the buildings destroyed during the crisis.
He urged the Hausas to come forward with affidavit from victims and eye-witnesses.
The Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, pledged his support and that of his Chiefs to the success of the investigation admonished them to be unbiased in their enquiry.

Rather than have rundown schools with decrepit facilities and unkempt pupils that may be predisposed towards hooliganism, indiscipline, truancy, among others, the Osun State Government seeks to have its high schools upgraded with state-of-art facilities occupied by well-behaved students, as exemplified during the commencement of academic activities at its new high schools. Funmi Ogundare reports
 

 
Moved by the need to create centres of excellence with best practices in high school education, designed to attract the best brains from their catchment areas, draw intakes from public middle schools, where excellence will be the watchword, the Rauf Aregbesola administration in Osun State decided to take the bull by the horn with an ambitious project of 100 elementary, 50 middle and 20 high schools.
Out of the 20 high schools, four of them: Wole Soyinka Government High School, Ejigbo; Osogbo Government High School; and Adventist Government High School, Ede were inaugurated between November 23, 2015 and November 28, 2016, while Ataoja Government High School, Osogbo was inaugurated last week.

It was funfair of some sorts at the opening ceremony and commencement of learning at the schools as Aregbesola remarked that, “these four schools are part of the 20 brand new state-of-the-art high schools our administration has undertaken to build. Out of these, 11 have been completed while the four we are celebrating today have been totally completed and are now being made available for the use of the public. We give God the glory!
In a paper, ‘We have seen the Future’, Aregbesola said the ideas of the schools were muted not just as another nondescript learning centres, but as centres of excellence, adding that the state is celebrating active learning, while describing the celebration as a day of victory.
“The children we are producing are being prepared to be highly skilled individuals that would be relevant in this brave new world and better future of tomorrow, hope of the people. It is the future we are celebrating now.
“The overall consequence of what is happening in the society now is that low skills and menial jobs will be eliminated, meaning that only highly skilled individuals will be relevant in this brave new world. This is the future we are preparing our children for.
Any society without this vision is going to be backward and dependent when this future arrives. We are celebrating today because we can see the future and we are confident we are on the right path.”
Aregbesola expressed hope that by next year, 11,000 high quality, well-educated pupils would have graduated from its high schools, adding, “in the next 50 years, their number would have crossed the half million threshold. They will take the world by storm in excellence in education, science and technology, the professions, entrepreneurship, the priesthood, sports, arts and entertainment and every field of human endeavour.”
The governor, who promised to provide solar-powered energy to the schools before the end of his tenure in November next year, appealed to parents to be good role models to their children at home by letting them realise the importance of education; prepare them for school at the right time; help them dress properly; and prevent them from truancy.
He said teachers should also assume fully their role in the making of a completely educated person in learning and character. “A teacher should deem himself or herself (and will be so adjudged by society) to have failed if his or her ward should fail examinations and be found wanting in character. Teachers especially should show interest in the physical appearance of their pupils. It is very disheartening to see pupils in tattered, dirty, un-ironed and ill-fitting uniforms. Grooming is an important aspect of education. Teachers should be proud of the physical looks of their pupils. As a government, we have played our own part very well and we will do more if the need should arise. It is now left for parents and teachers to do their own part.”
He recalled when he was in school, saying that “the way a student must look was of serious importance to us. It distinguished us remarkably from those who did not go to school or were in school. We were stylish in the way we walked, the way we combed our hair and the way our uniform and other dressings fit our body.
This affected our mannerism, phonetics, what we read, what we ate and the way we ate. This is the grooming, the informal education that makes a complete educated person. I want to see this return to our schools. Those that are not ready to play this role have demonstrated that they have no place with us.”
On infrastructural development, the governor said the state has redefined the architecture and environment of quality education, adding, “the schools we have built are state-of-the-art and will compete with any school from any part of the world. Any of our high school is a three-in-one school with the capacity to accommodate 3,000 students. Each school has four principals with three superintending over 1,000 pupils each, and an overall senior principal.
“It is standard that each school has 72 classrooms of 49 square-meters, each capable of sitting 49 students. Each has six offices for study groups. It is also equipped with six laboratories, 48 toilets for pupils and another eight for teachers, one science library, one arts library, facility manager’s office, a bookshop and a sickbay.”
Other facilities he said are the senior principal’s office, three principals’ offices, a bursar’s office, three general staff offices, a record store and security shed/reception, which have been fully furnished, as well as borehole and power transformer.
“Each school complex also has 1,000 square-meters of floor space multi-purpose function hall capable of siting 1,000 students for external examinations. The hall has storage for equipment, utility storage, a stage, office space, documents storage, four female toilets and four male toilets.
“For sporting activities, it has an Olympic-sized football field, seven lane sprinting tracks for 100 meters and 400 meters events and an outdoor basketball court that doubles as tennis court. The complex has ample parking space for more than 75 cars,” Aregbesola said.
He expressed delight about the environment of learning, saying that it is as important as the subject of learning.
“The architecture of the school environment, in neatness, orderliness, organisation, harmony with nature and sheer beauty is an integral part of the character formation essence of education. Where the schools are run down with decrepit facilities, the pupils tend to be dirty themselves and are predisposed towards hooliganism, indiscipline, truancy and unruly behaviour. In contrast, neat, beautiful schools, with well painted buildings, well-manicured lawns and sparkling facilities always have neat and well behaved pupils.
“It is the principle of man being the product of his environment. We see this play out when we transfer badly behaved pupils to new beautiful school environment, they start behaving well. This is why we embarked on the ambitious project.”
He said the state has established the Osun Education Quality Assurance and Morality Enforcement Agency to assure education quality and enforce morality in its schools; as well as invested a large amount of money, energy and other resources in education.
“It is not because we have these in surplus. It is because of the value we place on education being fully persuaded on how it will shape the future.”
The Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori said the provision of functional education is one of the six integral action plans of Aregbesola’s manifesto, presented to the electorates during his electioneering campaign, adding that the state-of-the-art schools with modern facilities that now adorn the state are purpose-built, and predetermined.
“The motive of government is to make the new high schools centres of excellence in Nigeria that will produce students that are excellent in academics and well-grounded in ‘Omoluabi’ ethos. We envisioned our students being able to compete excellently well with their counterparts anywhere in the world.
“It is against this backdrop that the diverse interventions of government become understandable and reasonable to the ordinary citizen. It becomes obvious therefore that the building of new state-of-the-art schools and the rehabilitation of existing ones is just one step towards the goal,” Laoye-Tomori said.
The Principal of the school, Dr. Taiwo Adeagbo, who thanked the Aregbesola administration for its efforts, said the facelift would enable the school to compete favourably in the country.
While pledging the teachers’ commitment to teaching and maintaining the facilities, she said, “we will always be grateful to you. It will remain green in our memory.”
The head boy and head girl of the school, Master Afolabi Israel and Miss Victoria Egunranti, appealed to the governor to continue to stand firm in his commitment towards enhancing teaching and learning in schools, while commending his efforts.
“He is a trail blazer and a governor with an indomitable spirit, he is the Awolowo of our time and in terms of security, he has been able to secure the school. If anyone had said it was impossible to have this structure, now, the impossible has been made possible.”
The PTA Chairman, Femi Ogunsanya, who stated that government cannot do it alone, appealed to the administration to help in reducing the rate of thuggery in the school.

Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has said that civilized people should avoid destructive actions and promotion of conflicts.
 
Aregbesola speaking at the inauguration of a six-man commission of inquiry into the civil disturbances in Ile-Ife recently also said that war is bad and must be avoided by all means.

 
He went further to say ‘we must always first explore and exhaust all options for peace and seriously consider the cost of conflict before promoting it’ and that he was determined to get to the root of the matter and mete out appropriate sanctions on the instigators and perpetrators of the Ile-Ife mayhem as well as prevent such occurrences in the future.
 
Aregbesola questioned ‘that the Yoruba and Hausa people had been on different political camps for decades without recourse to bloody conflicts, how come now are we witnessing this isolated mayhem in Sabo when the mainstream Yoruba and Hausa people share the same political platform?’
 
Read the full speech by the Governor of the state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, at the inauguration of a six-man commission of inquiry into the civil disturbances in Ile-Ife.
 
Protocols,
JUSTICE FOR ALL AND NEVER AGAIN IN THE LAND OF THE VIRTUOUS (IPINLE OMOLUABI)
 
I welcome you all to the inauguration of the six-man Commission of Enquiry on the Disturbance of Public Peace at Ile-Ife on March 8, 2017. As you will all recall, the peace and serenity of Sabo, a section of this ancient city, was shattered when violence erupted among some hoodlums, leading regrettably to loss of lives and destruction of property.
 
May the souls of the departed find eternal repose and may the peace of the Almighty God reign supreme in Osun and in our nation. Amen.
 
The State Government of Osun, the then Acting President and law enforcement agencies immediately stepped into the matter. Normalcy and peace were immediately restored to the affected area. The police have arrested some suspects. Some were immediately released when sufficient ground for their continued retention could not be established.
 
The police and other law enforcement agencies have assured all of even handedness and that the rule of law will be strictly adhered to and prevail. We owe them support and the need for patience until the final outcome, since investigation into the matter continues. In light of
 
In light of ongoing investigation, therefore, we do not want to pre-empt the outcome by making statements prejudicial to the efforts of the law enforcement agencies.
 
However, we have no doubt that this is not an inter-ethnic, inter religious or inter regional conflict by any stretch of the imagination.
 
It was just an ugly development, a breach of public peace, masterminded by hoodlums and criminals resulting to loss of lives and property.
 
While not denying the political and economic roots of conflicts in our land, every infraction of the law is primarily a law and order matter. Even while we seek political solutions to a problem, the first line of approach is law enforcement.
 
This is why even our armed forces, armed and ready to be deployed in war, are technically instruments for enforcing laws, protecting our territorial integrity and promoting our foreign policies.
 
We should all therefore disabuse our minds of ethnic bias by denying the narrative of inter-ethnic conflict between the Yoruba and Hausa community in Ile Ife, because it was not. It is the duty of government to guarantee the welfare and security of all people in its area of jurisdiction.This we shall do to the best of our ability and with all the resources at our disposal, without fear or favour.
 
Some people, for reasons best known to them, might decide to fan the embers of discord, division, even separation and incite one group against another, with a false narrative of Yoruba-Hausa conflict and call to arms. They are wrong and have to be unhinged in their bid to promote needless strive and protracted inter-ethnic crisis.
 
On 23 September, 2016 we held the 123rd anniversary of the 1893 Kiriji War Armistice, at which the warring parties in the 16 long years of destructive Yoruba civil war, decided to sheath their swords and embrace peace for the peace, unity, progress and prosperity of the Yoruba nation. On that fateful day, the warring parties, principally the Ijesa and Ekiti confederate army and the Ibadan army, signed a peace treaty. It was in the words of the partisans, that ‘the Kiriji war ended all wars in Yorubaland’.
 
For 16 long years, the Yoruba nation was consuming itself and thankfully the armistice came, giving us the opportunity for peace, healing and progress.
 
One critical lesson learnt from the war was that it was destructive and retrogressive and we should avoid any situation that will put our nation and people in harm’s way.
 
Civilized people should avoid destructive actions and promotion of conflicts. War is bad and must be avoided by all means. We must always first explore and exhaust all options for peace and seriously consider the cost of conflict before promoting it.
 
The consequences of war in Libya, Syria, Yemen and South Sudan are sufficiently frightening enough to check any thought of war by any one.
 
Secondly, Yoruba people are OMOLUABI; very loving, fair-minded, justice seeking, hospitable and accommodating to a fault. This is why other people flock to us. Likewise, the Hausa community in Ile-Ife and other parts of the state.
 
It might interest us to know that many of these non-Yoruba people are fourth and fifth generation settlers whose forebears have been with us for more than a century and have little or no connection to their nativity. Many of them bear Yoruba names and have intermarried with our people. While there are occasional quarrels within the Yoruba and between Yoruba and other nationalities, violence and destruction of this magnitude were rare and puzzling and should call for deep reflections and soul searching among us all.
 
Whereas Yoruba and Hausa people had been on different political camps for decades without recourse to bloody conflicts, how come we are witnessing this isolated mayhem in Sabo when the mainstream Yoruba and Hausa people share the same political platform?
 
We are therefore determined to get to the root of the matter, mete out appropriate sanctions on the instigators and perpetrators of the mayhem and prevent such occurrences in the future. I am therefore inaugurating this commission of inquiry into the civil disturbances in Ile Ife on March 8, 2017, with this objective in mind.
 
Justice M.A. Adeigbe has kindly accepted to serve as its chairman. Other members are Mrs. Bose Dawodu DCP (rtd), Barrister Ismail Ajibade, the State Commissioner of Police and the State Director of DSS. Mr. Bisi Babalola will be the secretary of the commission. The commission’s term of reference will include:
 
1. Cause inquiry to be made for the purpose of public welfare into the acts of disturbance of public peace that occurred in the State, at Ile-Ife on 8th March, 2017;
 
2. Investigate and determine the remote and immediate causes of the said disturbance of public peace at Ile-Ife on 8th March, 2017;
 
3. Investigate and determine the identity of the perpetrators of the incidence and the extent of involvement by individuals or group of individuals;
 
4. Investigate and determine the extent of any damage or injury suffered by any individual or group of individuals as a result of the disturbance of public peace at Ile-Ife on 8th March, 2017;
 
5. Recommend appropriate administrative, civil or criminal action to be taken against persons found to be involved in the acts of disturbance to public peace at Ile-Ife on 8th March, 2017;
 
6. Make appropriate recommendations and or suggestions to the State Government towards the prevention of future occurrence;
 
7. Recommend appropriate monetary sum as compensation(s) for damages or injuries that may have been suffered by any individual or group of individuals in respect of matters received by it.
 
You have four weeks to carry out this assignment.The report that small arms and light weapons were deployed freely during the crisis was disturbing and frightening.
 
It has implication for security of lives and property and the potential for more conflicts beyond the immediate theatre of war, if not nipped in the bud. I want you to look into this.
 
The sources and the current location of these arms and their custodians should be investigated and determined. They should all be recovered.
 
There are also reports that cultists who have no regard for human lives were recruited into the mayhem for a fee. This is most disheartening. Please investigate this and unearth the roles they play and let the law be applied without fear or favour.
 
I charge this commission to be courageous and fearless. Undertake this assignment with all seriousness and the fear of God. You should pursue the truth and not fear where it will lead to. We want justice for all, like Martin Luther King Jr, once said,‘Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream’, to the victims and the perpetrators alike, as I wish you success on this crucial assignment.
 
I thank you all for your kind attention.
Osun a dara!

The Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Ooni Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II has warned against alleged politicization of the tribal clash between Yoruba and Hausa indigenes in the ancient city.
 

He spoke during a condolence visit by leaders of Pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, to him and victims of the crisis in the palace on Wednesday.
 
During the visit, the Yoruba leaders met with Yoruba and Hausa leaders and also distributed relief materials to victims. The Ooni appealed to the Yorubas to understand that violent reactions will worsen the crisis.
 
He explained that persevering and admitting any alleged wrongdoing against Yorubas doesn’t translate to being weak.
 
He also urged youths in the ancient city to use their strength for productive activities rather than violence. He said, “The unity of this nation is very important and we must all defend it.
 
We must all ensure peaceful co-existence. Painfully, the misfortune has happened but we just have to allow peace to reign. We cannot settle violence with violence. We all should persevere and realise that people of different tribes live in other parts of the country. It is patience that we need to get this case resolved.
 
“I have communicated with necessary authorities in the police force over the matter. There is a unique co-existence among people of different tribes and religions here and we must maintain that model.
 
“We only know the beginning of a war, nobody knows the end. I plead with Afenifere and other groups to let peace reign so that the crisis will not degenerate.”
 
He lamented that youths were mostly affected in the crisis, adding that yoruba elders should play reconcilatory roles. He added, “Youths should not allow this issue be turned to a political one. They should be careful and not allow this issue to be politicised.
 
We should remember that most of these politicians don’t come to Sabo to render assistance until the misfortune that happened.” Speaking earlier, one of the leaders of the group, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, accused the police of being biased. He explained that it was wrong to arrest majority of Ile-Ife indigenes.
He said, “We are not happy with the crisis. The reason for the clash is still surprising because for over forty years that Yoruba and Hausa have been co-habiting, there have not been any record of violence between the two tribes.
“Even during Ife/Modakeke crisis, nobody attacked the Hausas in Ife. The Police are to be blamed for this crisis.
 
They caused the crisis. They arrested only Yoruba people after the crisis. It points to the fact that the arrest was pre-planned. The Police appear to be against the Yoruba and the Inspector General of Police has said he doesn’t have any apology.
 
“What Afenifere is saying again is that the arrest is one-sided. Some of the people that died in the clash are Yoruba and their houses torched. Nonetheless, we are here to sympathise with both the Yoruba and Hausa residents of Ife.”
 
 
Among the delegation to Ooni’s palace are the former secretary to the federal government Chief Olu Falae, Spokesperson of the organization, Yinka Odumakin and foremost Ife son, Chief Iyiola Omisore among other notable members of Afenifere.

The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Tuesday described former Governor of Lagos State and a national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as one rare breed of a pathfinder. Aregbesola, saluting Tinubu on the occasion of his 65th birthday (which comes up today Wednesday) said history has already recorded the former Governor as having found ways where there were none and created opportunities for humanity where many did not see any.
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola along with other prominent Nigerians graced the occasion of the 9th Bola Ahmed Tinubu Colloquium held at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos.
See pictures below 
 

 

 
 

 
 

 

 

 
 

The peace and serenity of Sabo, a section of this ancient city of Ile Ife was shattered when violence erupted among some hoodlums, leading regrettably to loss of lives and destruction of property. May the souls of the departed find eternal repose and may the peace of the Almighty God reign supreme in Osun and in our nation.
 

 
The State Government of Osun, the then Acting President and law enforcement agencies immediately stepped into the matter. Normalcy and peace were immediately restored to the affected area. The police have arrested some suspects. Some were immediately released when sufficient ground for their continued retention could not be established. The police and other law enforcement agencies have assured all of even-handedness and that the rule of law will be strictly adhered to and prevail. We owe them support and the need for patience until the final outcome, since investigation into the matter continues.
In light of ongoing investigation, therefore, we do not want to pre-empt the outcome by making statements prejudicial to the efforts of the law enforcement agencies. However, we have no doubt that this is not an inter-ethnic, inter religious or inter regional conflict by any stretch of the imagination. It was just an ugly development, a breach of public peace, masterminded by hoodlums and criminals resulting to loss of lives and property.

While not denying the political and economic roots of conflicts in our land, every infraction of the law is primarily a law and order matter. Even while we seek political solutions to a problem, the first line of approach is law enforcement. This is why even our armed forces, armed and ready to be deployed in war, are technically instruments for enforcing laws, protecting our territorial integrity and promoting our foreign policies.
We should all therefore disabuse our minds of ethnic bias by denying the narrative of inter-ethnic conflict between the Yoruba and Hausa community in Ile Ife, because it was not. It is the duty of government to guarantee the welfare and security of all people in its area of jurisdiction. This we shall do to the best of our ability and with all the resources at our disposal, without fear or favour.
Some people, for reasons best known to them, might decide to fan the embers of discord, division, even separation and incite one group against another, with a false narrative of Yoruba-Hausa conflict and call to arms. They are wrong and have to be unhinged in their bid to promote needless strive and protracted inter-ethnic crisis.
On September 23, 2016 we held the 123rd anniversary of the 1893 Kiriji War Armistice, at which the warring parties in the 16 long years of destructive Yoruba civil war, decided to sheathe their swords and embrace peace for the peace, unity, progress and prosperity of the Yoruba nation. On that fateful day, the warring parties, principally the Ijesa and Ekiti confederate army and the Ibadan army, signed a peace treaty. It was in the words of the partisans, that ‘the Kiriji war ended all wars in Yorubaland’.
For 16 long years, the Yoruba nation was consuming itself and thankfully the armistice came, giving us the opportunity for peace, healing and progress. One critical lesson learnt from the war was that it was destructive and retrogressive and we should avoid any situation that will put our nation and people in harm’s way.
Civilized people should avoid destructive actions and promotion of conflicts. War is bad and must be avoided by all means.  We must always first explore and exhaust all options for peace and seriously consider the cost of conflict before promoting it. The consequences of war in Libya, Syria, Yemen and South Sudan are sufficiently frightening enough to check any thought of war by any one.
Secondly, Yoruba people are OMOLUABI; very loving, fair-minded, justice seeking, hospitable and accommodating to a fault. This is why other people flock to us. Likewise, the Hausa community in Ile-Ife and other parts of the state.
It might interest us to know that many of these non-Yoruba people are fourth and fifth generation settlers whose forebears have been with us for more than a century and have little or no connection to their nativity. Many of them bear Yoruba names and have intermarried with our people. While there are occasional quarrels within the Yoruba and between Yoruba and other nationalities, violence and destruction of this magnitude were rare and puzzling and should call for deep reflections and soul searching among us all.
Whereas Yoruba and Hausa people had been on different political camps for decades without recourse to bloody conflicts, how come we are witnessing this isolated mayhem in Sabo when the mainstream Yoruba and Hausa people share the same political platform?
We are therefore determined to get to the root of the matter, mete out appropriate sanctions on the instigators and perpetrators of the mayhem and prevent such occurrences in the future
The report that small arms and light weapons were deployed freely during the crisis was disturbing and frightening. It has implication for security of lives and property and the potential for more conflicts beyond the immediate theatre of war, if not nipped in the bud. I want you to look into this. The sources and the current location of these arms and their custodians should be investigated and determined. They should all be recovered.
There are also reports that cultists who have no regard for human lives were recruited into the mayhem for a fee. This is most disheartening.
We want justice for all, like Martin Luther King Jr, once said, ‘Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream’, to the victims and the perpetrators alike.
•Excerpted from the speech delivered by Governor Rauf Aregbesola  at the inauguration of a six-man commission of inquiry into the civil disturbances in Ile-Ife

State of Osun House of Assembly under the leadership of Rt.Honourable Najeem Salam has felicitated with the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the Celebration of his 65th birthday.

In a statement signed by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Honourable Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the Assembly described Tinubu as a quintessential, larger than life politician, with passion for democratic ideals and commitment to national development.
It noted that the former governor of Lagos state is a man of many parts, a bridge builder, philanthropist, master strategist and patriot who in many ways has raised the standard of civilization and human dignity. Osun Assembly maintained that Nigeria owes Tinubu a huge gratitude for his determination, consistency, doggedness, vision and fearless disposition in the strengthening and enthronement of good governance in the country.
The parliament noted that Tinubu, who is acknowledged by friends and foe, far and near, as a rounded politician, pathfinder, investor, generous and people person, said, through his extra ordinarily large heart and unusual magnanimity of character, he had raised countless men from miry clay, produced several remarkable politicians and business leaders.

The statement pointed that Tinubu warm disposition, visionary leadership and cares for the oppressed and the under-privileged had endeared him to all and sundry. The Assembly then advised him to remain focus in the days and years ahead at ensuring that democracy which he bravely fought for is not left to drift or suffer any form of setback. While wishing him many more years in radiant health, State of Osun Assembly added that his many legacies and contributions to nation building, party politics and wealth creation are eloquent testimonies of his great personality as a distinguished Nigerian and pan Africanist.

One of the reasons the conservative party won the UK elections in 2010 was their relentless attack against the then Labour Government on the issue of national debt. They labeled Labour party ‘reckless’ for plunging the country into more DEBT. They said the only language Labour understands is “Borrowing, borrowing and more borrowing”. The conservative manifesto also read: “Failing to control our debt would be more than an economic failing, it would be a moral failing – leaving our children and grandchildren with debts that they could never hope to repay.” People bought it and they voted Labour out.
 

 
The Conservative Party came to power in 2010. By 2013, they had borrowed ‘more’ in 3 years than Labour did in 13 years. In 2016, it was reported, the conservative party had created more DEBT than every Labour government in history i.e created more debt in 6 years than Labour did in 23 years. Isn’t that incredible!
My point is, no state or nation can pursue any meaningful programmes or projects without borrowing, regardless of their IGR or how stable their economy is. Politicians or parties that say otherwise are simply not telling the truth, just like the UK conservative party. And anyone with knowledge of governance wouldn’t believe it a bit.
States like Osun, with huge infrastructural deficit, poorly skilled working population and decayed educational system, lack the most basic of elements that attract investors. That is a fact. No investor will bring their money to a state with dilapidated infrastructures, a poor skilled working population. And that is what Osun was before Aregbesola. Some do say states should look inward. Of course, they must do so. But they can only go so far in improving on their IGR if they don’t invest in infrastructures and develop human capacity. Boosting economic growth and building IGR that knows no bounds requires investment in critical sectors complemented with progressive policies; this will ultimately create an enabling environment for businesses. No two ways about it.
According to Awolowo, three things must be worked on by any government to boost its economy: Infrastructure, Education and Health. On Health, he further said, it is safer and economical if a government pays more attention to preventive medicine which consists of measures taken for disease prevention, as opposed to disease treatment. Since Aregbesola came to power, all his policies and programmes have revolved around these three key elements.
Since he came to power in 2010, Aregbesola has built more roads than all democratically elected governors of the state combined. It earned him an epithet from the populace, ‘Ona baba ona’. Road constructions/improvements decrease transportation costs, improve access to markets, foster economic integration and provide a number of other wider economic benefits. This is why roads construction/improvements are frequently proposed as a strategy for economic growth, integration and local economic development. His government has constructed over 1000km high class urban and rural roads.
Osun is not the first state to initiate a school feeding programme in Nigeria. It has been done by some other states, but they failed. When Aregbesola started Osun free school feeding programme, many people said it will also fail just like those before it. They said it was a white elephant. The programme is now over 4 years old, and it is still going strong. The state has now become a model to all states of the federation in the area of the school feeding programme. Niger state recently sent a delegation to Osun to understudy the programme- not to mention the FG delegation. The programme was also well applauded by the international community. The Governor was invited by Imperial College London, where he was the keynote speaker, he spoke on the success of the state’s school meal programme. The programme feeds over 250,000 children every school day. It provides direct employment to over 3,000 women, with indirect employment of over 7,000 and purchases food from over 1000 local farmers.

School enrollment has increased by 62% since the inception of the programme. What the state is doing on education is as clear as daylight; and it is not just structures like some do say. The impact reflects in the performance of students from the State. The WAEC success rate in Osun was 6.86% in 2007, it is now 46.3%. Of course it can be better, but there has been a giant leap in the performance. The State of Osun is now among the top 3 states with highest university admission in the federation. All these do not happen by sheer coincidence.
Before Aregbesola came to power in 2010, the IGR was about N300 million monthly; now it swings between N1 billion and N1.2 billion. The highest was N1.5 billion but dropped due to the current economic situation. The few programmes I highlighted and many others require funding to put in place. Relying on IGR and FAAC alone cannot just do it. Osun used to be a civil servant state. What that means is, the government only pay salaries to civil servants, 99% of the populace benefits close to nothing and all these left the state completely stagnant. Since Aregbesola came on board, the resources of the state is being evenly spread. I doubt if there is any household in Osun that has not been positively touched one way or the other.
The Nigeria Extractive Transparency Initiative, NEITI recently reported that Osun debt stands at N165.91. To put this in perspective, the state has put a burden of N5.56Kobo on every citizen (4 million) of the state. Osun feeds every pupil in the public school with N70 every school day. This and other achievements of Aregbesola since 2010 that has catapulted the state from completely nowhere to be ranked top of the lowest unemployment rate in Nigeria today; Second after Lagos with the least poverty rate in the whole federation and one of the state with lowest crime rate.

I sincerely believe the debt profile of the state is nothing, compared to what has been achieved in the state. We can moan and moan about debt or size of it, it won’t stop any government that aspires to positively transform the state to the benefit of the people in borrowing to facilitate its agenda.
Naturally, politicians and political parties will prey on the ignorance (on the part of some citizens) but the truth is when they get there, they will do the same or even worse. The other thing that can also happen is, not to borrow and allow the state to remain stagnant just like some governors are doing. Governors are elected to move their respective states towards prosperity and not just to pay salaries or do nothing, just like some are also doing. It is no coincidence that the least indebted states like Zamfara, Yobe, Plateau are also the states with the highest level of unemployment and highest poverty rate in Nigeria. I will rather have a Governor who will borrow to invest in critical sectors of the state and the citizens, move the state positively from what it used to be than the one who will borrow to loot or only pay civil servant salaries and stagnate it.

The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Tuesday described former Governor of Lagos State and a national leader of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as one rare breed of a pathfinder.
 

 
Aregbesola, saluting Tinubu on the occasion of his 65th birthday (which comes up today Wednesday) said history has already recorded the former Governor as having found ways where there were none and created opportunities for humanity where many did not see any.
The Osun Governor’s message signed by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, recognized Tinubu’s immense contributions to the political and economic growth of Nigeria and indeed Africa.
It said that Lagos began to emerge as a truly habitable state after what he described as “Tinubu’s mega-development vision” adding that the success story of Lagos has rubbed off on South-West, Nigeria and indeed, the whole of Africa.
Aregbesola said Tinubu’s capacity for talent hunt and leadership recruitment are unparalleled adding that his unique ability to spot the best hands for crucial assignments have elevated him to that pedestal of rare leader of men.
“Today, we are celebrating a giant pathfinder; one whose contributions to Nigeria’s political and economic growth have provided development scholars serious models for academic studies.
This is one Nigerian politician whose politics is known to have impacted heavily on humanity. From Lagos where God used him for the emergence of a new state, to Nigeria as a whole and indeed, the continent of Africa where his influence continues to be felt, Tinubu manifests in our lives in all ramifications,” the statement said
The Governor prayed for longer life for Tinubu just as he expressed the wish that his visions of a greater Nigeria and indeed, the Black race would continue to blossom.