Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of the state of Osun has commended the management of the University of Ilorin for adopting the state’s initiative of Opon-Imo.
 

 
The Ogbeni also commended UNILORIN for developing “a seamless strategy for a stable academic calendar” in the institution, just as the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, praised the existing love and harmony among the University staff, which he identified as the reason behind its consistent progress.
The duo made the observations last Friday (January 22, 2016) when the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. AbdulGaniyu Ambali (OON), led top officials of the University on separate visits to the Osun State Governor’s Office, Osogbo, and the Enuwa Palace, Ile-Ife, respectively.
The University’s management team, which included the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (RTI), Prof. Gabriel Olatunji; the Registrar, Mr. Emmanuel Obafemi; and the University Librarian, Dr. Joseph Omoniyi, was in Osun State to felicitate with the new Ooni on his recent appointment and installation as well as to thank the Governor for honoring the University’s invitation to its recent 40th anniversary and 31st convocation ceremonies.
Governor Aregbesola, who described the University of Ilorin as “the only public university in Nigeria that has escaped the customary breaks in academic calendar”, noted that “the University is doing very well”. He said, “When a student enters your school, the fear of not completing his/her education on time is totally eliminated”.
Pointing out that “this is Unilorin’s most important contribution to sustaining a credible academic environment in the country”, the Governor told the Vice-Chancellor, “We commend those who have developed this seamless strategy and we also commend those of you who are sustaining it”.
The Governor also commended the University’s “commitment to modernisation and knowledge tradition” with the distribution of i-Pad tablets to all its students. He said, “I am very much impressed by your adoption of the latest easy-to-carry-about and easy-to-use IT device”.
Ogbeni Aregbesola further noted, “That you have introduced and made compulsory the acquisition of this modern IT device by your students is a feat that must be seriously commended by those who genuinely want our nation to be at par with the best practices all over the world”.
The Governor also commended the University for its successful migration to STM 4, which is the latest technology in internet access, saying, “With this, the University has broken the digital divide between the developed and developing world and I am enthused by your leap in that direction.”
The Governor also expressed happiness that indigenes of Osun State constitute a substantial percentage of the staff and student population of the University.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor had congratulated the Governor on his re-election for a second term in office, saying this was a clear evidence of the people’s confidence in him.
Prof. Ambali disclosed that about 1, 400 of the newly admitted students of the institution are indigenes of Osun State. Pointing out that the state is also well represented on the University’s staff list, he said, “In fact, one of my Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Prof. Olatunji, is a proud son of Osun State.”
The Vice-Chancellor acknowledged Governor Aregbesola’s contributions to educational development, especially the “Opon Imo” (i-Pad) initiative for secondary school students in the state.
Prof. Ambali then reeled out some of the achievements of the University, which include the one-student-one-iPad initiative; the upgrade of the University’s classrooms to be IT compliant; upgrading of the internet connectivity on campus with the recent migration from STM 1 to STM 4; the operation of a paperless Senate; and a massive development of sundry plantations for teaching and research and for raising the University’s internally generated revenue (IGR) base.
Earlier at the Enuwa Palace of the Ooni of Ife, the royal father had commended the love and unity among the staff of the University of Ilorin, saying this was responsible for the stable academic calendar being enjoyed by the institution.
Oba Ogunwusi said, “I see love from Ife spreading to Ilorin and among University of Ilorin staff. You are working as a family and your oneness is the reason behind your progress” .
While thanking the Vice-Chancellor and the management team for the visit, Oba Ogunwusi promised to support the University of Ilorin in the area of the provision of hostel accomodation for the students.
The royal father said, “I am in discussion on the accommodation problem. I am deeply concerned about the need and I will work with you”.
He described Ife as a land of love, stressing that it is the love that makes descendants of the town to be playing critical role in the development of the University of Ilorin.
Oba Ogunwusi added that the Yorubas are a people blessed with rich tradition and culture. He thanked God for the wave of Unity among the Yoruba people, describing this as “a good development”.
In a show of his commitment to the provision of adequate hostel accommodation for students of the University of Ilorin, Oba Ogunwusi introduced one of his foreign friends, Mr. Laresh, an Indian and Managing Director of ML Construction Company to the Vice-Chancellor and his team. ML is a leading supplier of building materials in Nigeria.
In his own address, the Vice-Chancellor congratulated the royal father on his ascension to the throne of his forefathers, praying that God will help him to achieve all his good plans for the Kingdom.
Prof. Ambali explained that the purpose of the visit was to rejoice with the king on his recent installation, adding that it was also to show that the University of Ilorin greatly cherishes the monarch.
“We cannot talk about University of Ilorin without talking about the language we speak. We appreciate you and we want you to continue to think of Ilorin as one of your brothers in diaspora”, Prof. Ambali submitted.
Other top officials of the University on the Vice-Chancellor’s entourage included the Deputy Bursar, Mr. Munirudeen Dere; the Director of the Advancement Centre, Dr. Jeleel Ojuade; the Deputy Director of the Advancement Centre, Dr. Lateef Onireti; and the Deputy Director, Corporate Affairs, Mr. Kunle Akogun.

The Osun Civil Societies Coalition (OCSC) has described as political and insincere the planned rally of the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun state scheduled to hold at the National Assembly tomorrow.
 
 
 
 

 
OCSC, in a press statement by its Assistant Publicity Secretary, Comrade Abiodun Ibrahim on Monday said that the proposed rally was being sponsored by opposition party to destabilize the state.
Ibrahim accused a sitting judge of the Osun state High Court, Justice Oloyede Folahanmi of mobilizing members of the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun state for the protest.
According to Ibrahim: “The Chairman of the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun state, Mr Adeniyi Sulaimon, Director Media and Publicity of the group, Mr Seun Adeoye, Mr Olukanni Yemi Oyedeji and other members of the group were brought by Justice Olamide Folahanmi Oloyede as witnesses at the National Judicial Council (NJC) headquarters in Abuja on Monday for her defence against the petition written to the NJC by the Osun Civil Societies Coalition (OCSC) on her petition against Aregbesola.
“We are confused on the intention of both the judge and the witnesses at the NJC. Could it be that the judge mobilized them to Abuja for the protest or they were sponsored by the Peoples Democratic Party, Osun state to show support for Justice Folahanmi Oloyede on her case?
“We wonder how a mission to serve as witness to a case turned to political protest against the governor. We want members of the public to reason on the action of the judge and the members of the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun state.”
Ibrahim maintained that the purported financial crisis of the state on which the rally is to be held, is gradually fading out with the payment of workers’ salaries and commencement of infrastructural projects.
Ibgrahim said that the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, on Monday commended Governor Rauf Aregbesola for the disbursement of the bailout used to offset the backlog of the salary debt.
He stated that there was no justification for the rally, if not to speed off campaign of calumny against the government as being dictated by the opposition party.

…Adewoye urged parents whose children fall within the age bracket to avail their kids the opportunity of the immunisation
The government of the state of Osun, in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO), will flag-off the ‘Integrated Campaign Against Measles’ in the state on Thursday. The State Health Promotion Officer, Mr Adewole Adewoye, said on Monday in Osogbo at a stakeholders meeting that the campaign would hold between Jan. 28 and Feb.1.

Against the background of opposition’s criticisms of the MKO Abiola International Airport, Ido Osun in Osun, the Consultant Engineer to the state ‎government on the project, Wemimo Adebajo, has revealed that the airport when completed will rank among airports with the longest runways in Nigeria.
 

 
Mr. Adebajo, during an inspection tour of facilities at the airport with journalists stated that the present site of the MKO Abiola International Airport was the first place where aviation activities took place in West Africa.
The consultant, speaking on the percentage of work done at the airport, noted that government, having spent N2.7 billion out of the revised total cost of N11billion for the project, work could be said to have reached 25 per cent.
He added that the West African Frontier Force was lifted from the Ido-Osun aerodrome, the present site of the MKO international Airport project during World War II, hence the conscious effort by the state to make it the best in Nigeria if not in Africa.
He told journalists that the tour of the facilities became germane to allow journalists be adequately informed about the magnitude of the work done in order to situate the criticisms of the opposition in their proper context.
According to the consultant, the runway of the airport waiting to be laid with 500 mm asphalt is 3.5 kilometre in length, 12.3 metres excavation and re-filling with laterite. He added that both sides of the runway are equipped ab initio with water pipes which will be the first of its kind in Nigeria.
He explained that with such a feature, the airport will have been equipped with facilities that will make emergency fire fighting readily available near the runway in case of any emergency landing or fire outbreaks.

He pointed out that though the runway has not been completed, but in case of an emergency, the runway at its present state can be used by any pilot to land an aircraft at the MKO International Airport.
“Still more to be done, I believe the airport is good for the state. The main delay right now is a question of funding and the state is seeking ways on how to make it available.
“We are approaching the federal government for 50 per cent of cost of building the airport which is Federal Government policy, right now. What the contractor is doing is site maintenance so as to ensure that when work resumes there won’t be any case of deterioration of the huge work that had already been done here,” the Airport Consultant stressed.
Mr. Adebajo also added that the Control Tower nearing completion is at the third floor of four sitting on a foundation of an excavated ground of nine metres.
He said, “A lot of work has been done, and as we go round, you will see the control tower which we have built and it is almost completed. You will see the terminal building built to the foundation, the airport fire station has reached the stage of roofing.
“The runway is going to take about 60 per cent of the cost of any airport project. A lot of work has been done on the runway, there are about 8 streams in the path of the runway. It therefore became necessary to excavate and build box covets so that the water in the stream will flow unhindered under the runway.”
He explained that the essence of the facility tour of the airport with journalists was to allow people know what the state is doing at the airport and not just respond to allegations.
“I think the State government is trying to make sure that the press, the people of the state and Nigeria as a whole are briefed on what they have actually been doing. If it was just to respond to some political allegations, you will be talking to a politician, not a technocrat like myself.
“I have actually read in the newspaper that the contract has been inflated to 15.5billion Naira which is not true, I have just told you it is 11billion Naira and if you compare this with every others in Nigeria, you will realise that the cost of this one is cheap”.
The Consultant Engineer confirmed to journalists that the airport project predated the Rauf Aregbesola administration stating that the project had since 2010 been reviewed to over N7.5 billion even before the coming of the Aregbesola administration.
In an earlier statement issued by the state government, the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Semiu Okanlawon, had debunked insinuation of contract inflation, saying considering exchange rate factors, and the fact that the scope of the project was reviewed to make the airport more sophisticated than earlier projected, allegation of inflation was mischievous and misplaced.

The state of Osun  House of Assembly, under the leadership of its Speaker, Hon. Najeem Salaam, has expressed its condolences to the people and government of Oyo state over the demise of the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Samuel Odulana.
 

 
In a statement by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the Assembly said though, the monarch was ripe in age, his contribution to Yoruba Nation, impact and positive influence in the country will be greatly missed.
The Assembly acknowledged that the late monarch left indelible marks in various positions he occupied in public service during his heyday, hence the virtuosity he brought to bear during his reign.
The parliament described the late traditional ruler as honest, decent and forthright, stressing that the late Oba Odulana spent his life serving humanity.
“Though aged, it is very unfortunate that the Olubadan died at this period that his elderly wisdom are required to achieve the change mantra of government at the federal and state levels.
“It is on record that Oba Odulana lived the largest part of his life to serve humanity in general and fought the course of his subjects at the levels where he had served, either as a public servant or as a traditional ruler,” the statement read.

Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has admonished members of the general public especially the religious leaders to live by example and dedicate their lives to service God and humanity.
 

 
Governor Aregbesola who described patience, love and hope as indispensable attributes of man said their is the for all to embrace peace and extend love to one another in whatever situation.
Governor Aregbesola made the statement while addressing leadership and members of the Apostolic Church in Osogbo at the occasion marking the foundation of the proposed building of the new church auditorium.
Aregbesola called on the people to remain faithful in God and develop a strong heart of total commitment and dedication to the will of God and the transformation of their societies.
He attributed the relocation of the church to its present site as blessing in disguise, adding that the moving to the new area would give the leadership and members of the church the ample opportunity to build an ultra-modern and beffiting house of worship.
Aregbesola reiterated that his administration deemed it fit to separate some buildings around Olaiya-Itaolokan road in order to have a wider dual carriage road that will facilitate smooth vehicular movement.
Governor Aregbesola also commended the church for accepting the policy of the state government and as well dedicating the incident to the will of God.
He therefore prayed God to bestow on the church the wisdom and knowledge to see through the completion of the church.
In his sermon, the National President, The Apostolic Church of Nigeria, Pastor Gabriel Olutola urged christians to give on to God whatever they have on earth.
Pastor Olutola who described earth as a transient entity said whoever wishes eternal life must give out his substance to support the work of God.
Pastor Olutola however supported his point by making biblical reference to Exodus 25, verses 1-9, said life is going to an end and there is the need for all souls to seek the face of God and contribute their wealth to His cause.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Osogbo Area Superintendent of the Apostolic Church, Pastor Paul Funsho Usman disclosed that the ongoing auditorium with a gallery if completed will house more than one thousand five hundred worshipers at a time.
He assured the members of the church that sooner than expected, the new auditorium will be completed.
It would be recalled that the former area headquarters of the church at Olaiya junction, Osogbo was proposed for separation by the Government of the State of Osun last year for the construction of new Olaiya-Ita-Olokan road.
Sequel to this, the State Government under the leadership of Governor Aregbesola compensated the leadership and members of the church with the whooping sum of N87.9million last year.

A new dawn in the history of Ile Ife occasioned by the recent appointment of 40 years old Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja 11, as the Ooni of Ife, has continued to resonate with the Ooni set to declare Ife as a tourism zone in furtherance of his promise to foster peace and unity and bring economic prosperity to his people by opening up Ife to the world through tourism. Significantly, it a boost for the promotion of arts and culture.
 

 
The Ooni who is a business czar and owner of Inagbe Resort, one of the few privately run resorts located across Lagos waters, has from the first day of assumption of office not hidden his resolve to elevate the historical and abundant cultural wealth of his people and town by opening it to the world through massive investment in tourism related projects, which are aimed at transforming Ife from a mere tourism attraction to a mega tourism destination.
To this end, the Kabiyesi, his newly appointed chief tourism adviser and consultant, Otunba Wanle Akinboboye, who is the Founder of La Campagne and Motherland Beckons, disclosed that Oba Ojaja 11 is set to declare Ife a tourism zone on February 26 and to kick start the development of the zone into a tourism destination of world class standard has concluded plans to build a N7.6 billion Ife Grand Resort.
Also in line with his resolve to foster peace and unity amongst his people, a major ingredient for sustainable tourism development, and put to rest the ghost of the over 200 years old conflict between Ife – Modakeke, the Ooni over the week brushed aside all protocols and barriers to attend the Modakeke Day celebration even as he announced the employment of 20, 000 widows from the over 40, 000 widows recorded in the last Ife – Modakeke crisis to work in the tourism zone project with a promise to absolve the remaining 20, 000 widows alongside the teeming population of unemployed as the project gathers traction.
The Ooni’s attendance at the Modakeke Day celebration has been hailed by many people as a deft move by the Kabiyesi to finally bury the Ife – Modakeke intermittent conflict that has lingered for over 200 years as this has never been done by any Ooni in the past 200 years, as attending Akoraiye Day Modakeke, is a way of not only healing the wounds of the past but also clearing the negative past and replacing it with a prosperous future through tourism.
As part of the grand design to secure life and property in Ife, the Kabiyesi has approved the construction of a watch tower with standby rapid response squad that is fully equipped and which response time to any distress call should not be more than 10 minutes and this time frame hopefully would be cut to five minutes in the days ahead.
Speaking on these new initiatives by the Ooni, Akinboboye, who has also announced the Kabiyesi as the grand patron of Motherland Beckons, said it is a grand design by the Ooni to redesign the tourism map and agenda of Ife by drawing the attention of Africans, the Diaspora and the entire globe to it in a way that has never been done in the history of the former Ife Kingdom, which is not only regarded as the Source of Yoruba but the cradle of South west civilisation.
According to him, ‘‘the glory of Ife is finally coming to light. Ife is now the new destination in Africa as the sleeping giant of tourism in Africa wakes up to a new reality,’’ insisting that henceforth the whole world would come to Ife on religious, cultural, economic, educational, and archaeological tourism among others, as the new Ooni constructs a new agenda for the kingdom of Ile Ife.
Akinboboye revealed that the declaration ceremony and the kick off for motherland beckons has been fixed for February 27 with the president of Black Lawyers in England and Wales, Peter Herbert, billed to deliver the key note address while the chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) America, among a host of other dignitaries are expected at the event.
This development from the palace, he said is in partnership with La Campagne with Motherland Beckons serving as a multi – purpose vehicle for bringing to fruition the agenda of the Ooni.

Governor of the state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola hosted Dr. Edwin Madunagu and his wife when they came calling on a courtesy visit to the Government House, Osogbo, yesterday.
Here are photos from the meeting with the governor.
 

 
 
 

The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has reassured the citizens of the state of his government’s commitment to position the state towards socio-economic and political advancement and prosperity.
 

 
Governor Aregbesola said the central point of his administration’s agenda is to steer the affairs of the state in a right direction that will continuously bring genuine succor and dividends of democracy to the good people of the state, saying he is determined to place the state to a prosperous economic vantage that has never known in history.

 
Aregbesola made the statement while addressing people at a conference organized in honour of a veteran activist, Professor Biodun Jeyifo at Conference Centre, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, State of Osun.

 
Governor Aregbesola who flayed at the way and manner at which one of a section of the press reported his statement where he was quoted to have said he wanted to apply the civil service rule against some of the state health workers, admonished journalists to always verify and scrutinize any information before it being reported.

 
Aregbesola also frowned at the industrial action embarked upon by a section of the state health workers, saying their action has caused unnecessary damages and irreparable loss to the sector.

 
He said “It is unfortunate that a section of media portrayed Osun as a failed state and that we were unable to pay salaries but I challenged whoever sponsors that come out with fact be are the only state at the best of time that implemented 13 month salary across the length and breath of civil service.

 
“I know it is not possible for someone like me On the issue of doctors strike, how will a sodmasse preside over a state and critical element like doctors would be on strike and he will not solve.

 
“In the first instance not all doctors in the state are on strike. It is only a section of about 200 doctors that resident in Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital and some doctors at the state hospital that refused to work.

 
” All the doctors at our primary healthcare centre at the local level are fully operational and other health workers in all our health facilities both primary and secondary are working.

 
“All the consultants in our secondary health facilities are on duty.

 
“Before it became practically impossible for us to meet our salaries obligations to our workers, we invited the workers to tell them that in sixty days time the state might not be able to pay salaries and we later to be paying in accordance with whatever we receives as we have been doing.

 
“So, since July 2013 our allocation has been short by N2billion. But since then the state has been coping based on our initiative to raise the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) until last year when the shortfall started to be on a free fall which later snowballed into the present economic situation.

 
He call called on the striking health practitioners to jettison their differences with government in the interest of the state as well as the people.

 
Governor Aregbesola who further lamented over the continued dwindling revenues to the state said the time has come for everybody to be more innovative, productive and creative.

 
According to him, unless we see the need to work harder and remain productive individually and collectively by  contributing our quota through tax payment for the development of our state, there is no other option to avert this economic menace.

 
He said Nigerians must equally embrace, resuscitate and explore the potentials embedded in the long-abandoned agriculture, solid mineral resources and industrialization.

 
Aregbesola added, “the solution to this abnormal economy is for us to be concerned and interested in production. We must be creative, innovative and as well ready to work and work.

 
“The era of free crude oil has gone and there is no sign of it coming back again, while the season of free money from the Federation Accounts has also gone.

 
“Agricultural production is the best solution to this economic insurgency and I implore all the intellectuals to join others to ensure that the nation is rescued from this menace.

 
“We must refocus our attention to enhancing the productivity of Nigerian people in a way that we no longer depend on a commodity that has already faded out.

 
“To avoid being remained in a huge economic mess which the reality of the current economic situation has posed on us, we must as urgently as possible genuinely diversify our economy in consonance with the present economic reality for the greater socio-political and economic development of our state.

“All hands must be on deck to develop our state at this period of economic hardship.
 

Governor of the state of  Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has inaugurated Community Based School Management Committees, tasking the members to ensure that the schools under their superintendence function effectively.
 

 
 
The use of such committees, Aregbesola said, was one of the best strategies to providing sustainable and functional education at the community level.
The governor stated this during the inauguration of the 14, 000-member Community Based School Management Committee in Osogbo. The committee members are to work in elementary, middle and high schools in the state.
The governor, while hailing the approach, noted that it was a convenient global practice of managing schools.

According to him, those imbued with the right sense of ownership are in the best position to drive an organisation or possess it for it to be successful.
The governor added, “Education is critical to every society because it is an area where any society cannot afford to fail. It is through education that every society renews itself by socialising its new members into its past, present and the future. It is through education that the intellect is cultivated, character is built and an individual becomes adjusted to society.”
The Deputy Governor, Mrs. Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, also noted that education was the pivot of development.
She, therefore, urged the committee members to contribute positively to the success of the schools.
The Permanent Secretary of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Mr. Fatai Kolawole, said the essence was to rejuvenate elementary, middle and high schools in the state.