Osun state Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has said that local governments are absolutely under the control and ambience of the states, and that the only organ of the state empowered by the constitution to make laws for them is the state parliament.
The Governor equally stated that Nigeria’s diversity is beautiful if limited to cultural diversity and the beauty therein.



Aregbesola stated these both at the courtesy visit and c‎onferement of Igbo titles, Nwane di namba Ndigbo of State of Osun and Ezinne Ndigbo of State of Osun on him and the First Lady respectively by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo, State of Osun Chapter in Partnership with the Association of Ndi Ezeigbo N’uzo Ije (Diaspora) and the South East Council of Traditional Rulers at the 2016 Igbo Cultural Festival Tagged: Ode N’Igbo 2016 at‎ Nelson Mandela Freedom Park in Osogbo.
The Governor described the belief ‎gaining grounds that local governments in Nigeria should be independent of state governments as totally strange and anti-federalism.
He noted that there are only two tiers of government in a federal system of government, namely the Federal government and the government at the federating level.
Aregbesola stressed that it is awkward for Nigeria to be the only Federation in the world where there is only one police system, noting that it is strange for the federal government and the constitution not to allow for police in the federating units of the country.
The Governor held that the problems with local government administration in the country can be corrected within the laws of the states in Nigeria.
According to him, “Nigeria is not just a Republic, but a Federal Republic. A federal state is where every distinction of nationality is recognised, respected and honoured. None of the units of the Federation is therefore superior to the other. Every of the units are empowered by law to administer themselves under the general guideline of the constitution.
“Few things are awkward about federalism in Nigeria, Nigeria is the only Federating Nation in the world where there is only one Police system. Nigeria’s federation is strange to the extent that only one police force maintains law and order.”
“In other federations, there will be a Federal Police force and other federating unit police. Nigerian nationality and people must seek to correct this abnormality.”
“Another abnormally that people, because of their frustration to some aspect of administration, are equally making mistake on and need correction is that a federation has two tiers of government. There cannot be three tiers in a federation. The moment you have three tiers, you no longer have a federation.”
Aregbesola emphasized that the problem with the administration of Local Government in Nigeria can be corrected within the limits of the laws of the state in a federation.
He noted that it is not by assaulting the fundamental principle of federalism that the challenges and weakness being faced by the administration of local governments can be corrected.
The Governor enjoined the Igbo community to join in the debate of whether the nation wants federalism or unitary system of government.
He stated that Nigeria, like every other nation with different ethnicity, is blessed for the diversity which he described as beautiful, calling on all and sundry to see each other first as a Nigerian.
He said, “We can be who we are without rancour and doing away with what can bring rancour. We should recognise our differences and avoid hurting one another.”
“What will clearly eliminate the hate, the sharp clarity is having good government that will work hard to expand opportunities such that it is not your ethnicity that will determine your benefit, but your citizenship and your commitment to your work,” Aregbesola stated.
High Chief John Emeka who led the traditional Igbo title holders in the South-West region, commended Governor Aregbesola for his leadership style, stating that they have been monitoring the progress of the state before they decided to bestow on him the Igbo title.
Emeka described Aregbesola as a good manager of human and capital resources particularly at this recession period and the recurring revenue fall in the State and Nigeria as a nation.
He said, “it is not by accident that we are honouring Mr. Governor and the wife with the c‎onferement of Nwannedinamba Ndigbo of State of Osun and Ezinne Ndigbo of State of Osun respectively by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
“I want to use this occasion to call on all and sundry in the state to support the Governor by paying all levies and taxes in his effort to transform Osun to a state where we will all be proud of within the South-West and Nigeria as a whole

The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Mr. Najeem Salam, has said the parliament will conduct an independent investigation to unravel what caused the death of the female corps member, Miss. Ifedolapo Oladepo, who died last week at the National Youth Service Corps Orientation Camp in Kano State.
 
 

 
The speaker said this in a statement in Osogbo on Saturday by his media aide, Mr. Goke Butika.
The lawmaker, who is representing Ejigbo Constituency at the House of Assembly said there would be consequences should investigation reveal that officials at the camp were negligent in attending to the deceased when she took ill.
He said, ” The parliament will wait for the outcome of the investigation of the NYSC headquarters, and will conduct our own investigation with a view to getting to the root of the matter.
“There would be consequences for the death of the Osun State born first class graduate of Transport management from Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, should investigation reveal negligence of the NYSC officials.
“I sent my condolence on behalf of the Osun parliament to the Oladepos over the death of young Dolapo who died at Kano NYSC orientation camp, and I want to assure the family that our parliament would certainly pick a bone with the NYSC on the matter until it is resolved in favour of justice for the deceased and her family.”

The “Green Book” is the manifesto of the current administration of the State of Osun. It contains the plans and programs of the administration as defined before assuming office. These are categorized into the relevant sectors of the Osun economy.
The Green Book is the reference resource that the current leadership follows. It provides a peek into the development direction envisioned by Ogbeni Aregbesola and his team. The piece was produced in English and the Yoruba local language for the benefit of the Osun community.
  My Pact With the People of Osun State (English Version).pdf (135.6 KiB, 506 hits)
  My Pact With the People of Osun State (Yoruba Version).pdf (109.4 KiB, 275 hits)

Tourists from different parts of the world who are partaking in the first cocoa festival in Africa on Thursday converged on the Eti-Oni, the ancient town in Osun State that pioneered the production of cocoa in Nigeria over 120 years ago.
The maiden edition of the cocoa festival which began on Sunday November 27 would come to a climax with a grand finale on Saturday, December 3rd. The cocoa festival is the first of its kind in Africa and it was set up to motivate cocoa farmers to step up their production.
 

 
 
The event was designed to train the cocoa farmers and sensitize the on the modern technology in cocoa farming so that they would be producing high quality cocoa and make maximum profit.

 
To achieve this objective, a Farmer Field School was organised at Eti-Oni in which experts from Osun State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security were taken to the cocoa farms to train the cocoa farmers on the best way to cultivate, harvest and market their cocoa.
The State Governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola said his administration was committed to ensure welfare of farmer by providing social amenities in the rural areas across the state, saying that the cocoa festival would
assist in charting a new course for cocoa production.
Aregbesola who was represented by the Director General of the Office of Economic Development, (OEDP), Dr Charles Akiinola commended the traditional ruler of Eti-Oni, the Oloni of Eti-Oni, Oba Dokun Thompson for initiating the cocoa festival.
The governor said the festival has provided a veritable platform to bring stakeholders in the cocoa business together to share ideas on cocoa production and other aspects of agribusiness as a way out of the
current economic recession.
Aregbesola urged other traditional rulers in the state to take a leaf out of Oloni of Eti-Oni by coming up with initiatives that would promote the agriculture potentials in their domains.
In a chat with our correspondent, Oba Dokun Thompson said the cocoa festival became necessary to remind people of the gigantic benefits of cocoa in the South-West in the past, encourage the cocoa farmer not to
relent and also inspire children to pick interest in cocoa.
The monarch said the festival attracted tourists from different parts of the world because of the historical background of the Eti-Oni as the pioneer of cocoa production in Nigeria.
Oba Thompson added that because of the significant roles played by his forefather, Gureje in the Kiriji/Ekiti Parapo war which terminated between Igbajo and Imesi-Ile in Osun State, the cocoa festival would
also be used to mark the 130 years of the signing of the treaty that brought war to an end.
He also lauded Governor Aregbesola for the construction of the tarred Igangan/Eti-Oni road which terminated at Olopon. The monarch also commended Governor Aregbesola for grading the remaining 9.8km kilometres to the centre of Eti-Oni for easy access into the community during and after the festival.
Oba Dokun Thompson also disclosed that during the grand finale of the weeklong festival, tagged ‘Gureje Day’, Governor Aregbesola would formally present the Premium Artisan Eti-Oni Chocolate Brand to the public and also launch the Eti-Oni Model Smart Town which is to be developed in line with the United Nation 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

In a bid to boost the revenue base of the government, Osun State Board of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has absorbed 100 of its revenue marshals into the service of the state.
The revenue board; had secured the approval of Governor Rauf Aregbesola in absorbing the revenue marshals into the service of the state government.

 
The newly recruited revenue marshals were selected across the 30 Local Government Councils of the state including the Area office, Modakeke based on their performance in revenue generation in the last year.
It would be recalled that they were recruited as revenue marshals to assist the board in generating revenue for the state for its growth and developmental projects.
Addressing the newly recruited revenue staff at a three day intensive training programme held in Osogbo, yesterday, the Board’s Director of Finance and Strategy, Mr. Oluyemi Oni, said the essence of the training was to give the newly employed tax marshals basic knowledge of revenue generation and tax assessment of the people.
The training he added will brace them up in principles of taxation that will aid them to diligently discharge their duties.
He explained that those recruited were absorbed into grade levels 06 and 08 base on their educational qualifications adding that many of them were NCE, OND, HND, B.SCS and Masters Degree holders.
According to him, “now that 100 trainees have been absorbed into the Board, they would soon be integrated into the state civil service, as another batch of the staff would be recruited from the remaining revenue marshals.
“As part of efforts to improve on the state IGR, the board had to secure the approval of the government to absorb 100 officers into the board as staffs so as to assist the state in its quest to improve on its revenue generation”.
Oni implored the beneficiaries to see the appointment as a call to service by living up to their responsibilities in making the state to realize its objectives on robust revenue generation.
Earlier, Chairman, Osun Board Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Dayo Oyebamiji commended the state government for empowering the youth through jobs creation.
Oyebamiji said Osun has always been atop among its peers in wealth creation and employment generation as the developmental policies of the state had impacted positively in the lives of the citizenry.
He therefore called on the newly recruited tax officers to live to state’s expectations by championing the laid down tax principles and guidelines aimed at improving the status of the state IGR.
He also admonished the residents of the state to cooperate with the newly recruited revenue staff in accomplishing their duties for the growth and development of the state.
The Head of training, Osun Board Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Lawrence Oladapo, called on the trainees to distinguish themselves by making the Board proud as revenue collectors.
Oladapo who sued for transparency and honesty, called on the beneficiaries to be diligent to duties as being dictated by the concept of taxation.

The Government of Osun has described as a blatant lie that a sum of N82bn has been credited into its account by the Federal Government.
The Government, through the Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, said there was nothing like an N82bn paid to Osun out of an imaginary “$4bn being over-deductions on Paris and London Club Loans on the accounts of State and Local Governments from February 1990 to March 2002”.
 

 
The statement by the Bureau, signed by its Director, Semiu Okanlawon said, “It sounds warped that such information would emanate from an interloper to Nigerians. Should Nigeria receive such funds and such huge amounts are to be credited to respective states, simple logic dictates that the Ministry of  Finance, the Ministry of Information or the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation would be duly involved and communicate such a development to Nigerians through the appropriate quarters.
“It is curious that since the misinformation was released and credited to a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Dino Melaye, who was reported to have manufactured the misinformation has not come out to deny making the statement.
“Much more curious also is the direct reference to the Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who was singled out and asked to pay his state workers from the non-existent N82bn.
“We consider this as a direct incitement of the people of Osun and especially the workers who have shown great understanding due to the transparency the governor has brought into his handling of the affairs of the state.”
The statement advised persons in positions of responsibility to be mindful of information emanating from them to avoid throwing the country into unnecessary turmoil .

The Governor of the state of Osu, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has approved the promotion of six monarchs to part ii status.
 
 

 
The information is contained in the letters of promotion signed by the Director of Chieftaincy, Mr Femi Ogundun issued to the affected monarchs.
The newly promoted monarchs are the Alabere of Abere, Oba Kareem Sanusi, Olu of Owode – Ede, Oba Azeeze Nureni Oyedepo. The two are from Ede Traditional Council.
Others are Alawo of Ilawo , Oba Abdul Azeeze Faronbi Oyewole ll from Ejigbo Traditional Council while Olota of Ilota, Oba Adetunji Ipadeola Akano, Olokesaji of Okesaji, Oba Alade Sabitu Akinade and Awuje of Awuje, Oba Oladosu Ajagbe Akinlawon are from Iwo Traditional Council.
The Governor congratulated them and urged them to work for peace in their domains.

The Osun State House of Assembly has affirmed that the Senate has no constitutional power to question how Governor Rauf Aregbesola spent the bailout given to the state government by the Federal Government.
The state lawmakers made the declaration in a statement made available to newsmen by the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Mr. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, after the plenary of the assembly.
The lawmakers said this following a matter of urgent public importance raised by Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Mr. Kamil Oyedele, on the propriety of the Senate’s plan to probe the bailout.

Oyedele said by the provision of Section 128 of the Constitution, the state assembly was the arm of government empowered to carry out such probe, saying, the senate was only attempting to usurp the power of the state parliament.
The speaker, Mr. Najeem Salam, said the state lawmakers were not at war with the Senate but stated that the two must work in accordance with the provisions of the law.

A day after commissioning the gigantic Adventist Government High School Ede, Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on Tuesday commissioned yet another school, A.U.D Government Elementary School in the state capital, Osogbo.
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‎The Governor, dressed in a similar uniform to that of the elementary school pupils stressed that the commissioning of schools and other infrastructures across the state are in fulfilment of his government’s promise to provide functional basic education for the pupils in the state.
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The A.U.D ‎Government Elementary Schoo in Sabo Osogbol‎ is ‎22 full classrooms, each capable of accommodating 50 pupils. It has a multipurpose function hall, a sick bay, computer room, a principal’s office and the secretary’s office.
‎There is a recreation centre, including a small playing field. The conveniences include six blocks of toilets for pupils and staff, each having three squat pans and WC, making a total of 24. The seventh block is designated for staff with four cubicles of WC. The principal’s office also has a private toilet.‎‎
Aregbesola at the commissioning after asking for a minute silence for the repose of the soul of late Cuban former President, Fidel Casto commended him for making sure that almost all citizen of Cuba can read and write, saying Fidel Castro’s welfarist programme shall live after him.‎
Aregbesola stated that elementary school is the basis of the basic education, hence, any child with a good elementary school foundation will have no problem making progress educationally.

He noted that A.U.D school is one of the 100 elementary schools his administration is building, out of which 20 are already completed.
The Governor added that government is also building 50 middle schools from which it has completed 22.
He held that his administration has also carried out renovations on 40 other schools which give a total of 1,694 standard classrooms in the existing elementary, middle and high schools, providing accommodation for nearly 90,000 pupils.
Aregbesola said, “We have provided for them more than 100,000 desks and chairs, toilets and boreholes and made schools decent places to be. We have provided 50,000 eLearning tablets (Opon Imo) for grade 12 final year high school pupils in the state.
“This has benefitted three sets already while the fourth set, i.e. the current final year set are receiving the tablet as we speak. In addition to building schools, we have recruited more than 12,000 teachers to boost manpower in the school system. We are also motivating the teachers.
“We have put in place a policy that makes teachers in elementary and middle schools to rise to grade level 16. We have, in addition, appointed three Tutors General, equivalent of Permanent Secretary, in the three senatorial districts in the state.
“We have established the Osun Education Quality Assurance and Morality Enforcement Agency to assure education quality and enforce morality in our schools.
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“Our overall vision is to develop the new man intellectually, socially and morally. This new man is placed in the centre of society who views his own development as part of and for the development of society”. The Governor told the gathering.
Speaking earlier, Chairman, State Universal Basic Education, SUBEB, Prince Felix Awofisayo commended Governor Aregbesola for prudently managing the scarce resources of the state especially on schools restructuring.
Deputy Governor Mrs Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori who described the new school as one of the series of the state-of-the-arts schools currently being constructed across the state, said efforts have also been put in place to sustain the new education policies and programmes for the betterment of all.
“Aregbesola’s government is committed to changing the face of education, transform eduction sector and as well turn it to a model in Osun, Nigeria, Africa and the entire world.
“Our administration is working assiduously to meet both present and future needs of our children in education sector. That is why we are building edifices as schools that can last for years across the state.
“Our modern education policies and school reclassification policies are second to none because our model schools are well equipped with state-of-the-arts facilities that are incomparable not only in Nigeria or Africa but in the world.
“Our government has put in place a strong and workable financial mechanism and re-engineering policy to stimulate the economy even in the face of the current excruciating economic realities.
Also, the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimon Olanipekun commended the civil servants in the state for being patient with the state government in the face of the current economic realities.
The monarch assured the state workforce of the state commitment to their welfares, saying the state is working round the clocks to bring the much needed succour.
Oba Olanipekun who described the newly commissioned schools across the state by the present government of Governor Aregbesola as unprecedented, said with the emergence of the new schools, Osun has become a model among its peers in the country and beyond.
He appealed to the citizens of the state to further maintain patience with the government as the effects of the current economic situation cut across all levels of government.
In their separate remarks, the Chairman Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Amuda Wakil; A.U.D School Headmaster, Mrs. Emily Olubunmi Olaniyi and Chairman Association of Primary Schools Headmasters of Nigeria, AOPSHON, Alhaji Oladapo Sadiat, lauded the state government for being the pacesetter in the education sector in Nigeria.
The trio also extolled Governor Aregbesola’s passion and love for education, saying his immense achievements have been felt across the nooks and crannies of the state.
They debunked the rumours making the rounds that the state government has introduced school fees to pupils of public schools, saying at no time has the state taken such a decision.
The trio said what the state introduced was maintenance fees purposely ordered to maintain the facilities installed in all the newly built schools across the state.