Coordinating Director of the Teachers Establishment and Pension Office in the State of Osun, Mr. Adeolu Oyebayo, has commended the efforts of Governor of the State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for taking the bold step of addressing shortage of teachers in public schools by deploying qualified teachers from the civil service into the teaching profession.

Oyebayo gave the commendation on Wednesday February 10, 2014, during a screening exercise for civil servants in the state with relevant teaching qualification that were deployed from the Civil Service to the State Teaching Service.
According to him, the government had realized an increase in the number of students in public schools across the state. hence the need to recruit more qualified teachers.
He further stressed that with this development, more qualified personnel will be available in the schools and this will ultimately enhance the performance of students.

Wale Afolabi is the immediate past Justice Commissioner and Attorney-General in Osun State, in a no holds barred  interview with ADEOLU ADEYEMO of the New Telegraph newspaper, commended Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on the massive infrastructural development in the the state of Osun despite its dwindling resources.
In fact, he noted that the only thing people are blaming Ogbeni Aregbesola for is that, he put so many projects on ground which he cannot even pay for now.  
“So many contracts have been completed that people see.”
“About 200 kilometers of roads that we did for Local Government have almost been completed, nobody complained.”
Read excerpt from the interview below. Enjoy!
You were in Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s cabinet, what is your assessment of his administration so far?
Ogbeni is a fantastic phenomenon in Osun state. I am happy to answer such question. I have been in government before now and I know the way it is. When Ogbeni came on board, he came with vision and passion. The only thing people are blaming him for is that he put so many projects on ground which he cannot even pay for now.
Don’t forget that but for the drop in the allocation, when he awards contract, he doesn’t pay immediately. He spreads payment for 36 months. For the fact that there was 40 per cent drop in allocation, look at the oil problem that we have now, as a matter of fact, they don’t even know that last month it was about 24million that was given to Osun state because by the time they took our deductions and loan, there was nothing to pay salary and the installment payment of some of the contract. Don’t forget that so many contracts have been completed that people see.

About 200 kilometers of roads that we did for Local Government have almost been completed, nobody complained. Like I said, it is only when people see something that is negative that they cry about it. Schools are being commissioned on daily basis.
These are projects that he started and he is commissioning them. Just recently, they commissioned Anthony Udofia Elementary School and he is commissioning so many high schools too. So, it is only when people see something that is negative that they complain about.
By and large, he said he will complete these projects and I am praying that he will complete all the projects. By the time he finishes all those projects, you will see another Akande in our land. You know Bisi Akande did his best for this state. He laid a solid foundation for the state. If you look at Aregbesola, he is working along the path. I am sure with the support of the people, he will succeed.
What is in a tax that the state government has been appealing to residents to comply with?
Yes, tax payment is a legal issue. There are so many people on the street that are not paying tax. There are so many people doing business that are not paying tax. What Aregbesola is saying is that, we are going to pursue it vigorously now.
It is not only him, look at the Federal Government, they said they are going to pursue tax payment vigorously too. By the time the oil money was coming very well, we all slept off. Now that we know that the oil money is not something we can depend upon, that is why government is now looking at tax payment.
So, it is not a new thing that he is talking about. If this man has been working very well before the fall in oil price, of course he will do well. I have confidence in him. He is a man that will do well. Therefore, I want to appeal to the people to pay their tax.

Many may not have heard the story of Olajumoke Orisaguna, a native of Ire in Osun State, who now is a big model in Lagos.
Osun Defender learnt Jumoke who is a trained hair stylist, relocated to Lagos to join the bread-hawking business when she was ‘mistakenly’ discovered by celebrity photographer, TY Bello.

Jumoke began hawking bread when she got to Lagos; and that was what she was doing on the day she walked into a shoot of TY Bello, popular photographer and musician. Bello did not take note of Jumoke that moment – not until she was editing the image of the client who took her to that location.
Realised the hawker’s potentials, Bello launched a manhunt for her. Both of them later met and below is what she wrote of the newfound model who made it to the cover of the latest edition of THISDAY Style:
Aso kan na ni mo wo kiri Lana ‘.. Jumoke, the ‘model’ the Internet had been searching for, speaks almost no English.
She explained how she had worn the exact outfit in our photograph the day before and someone showed her her own photograph on his phone from Facebook. A mallam led her to my studio that morning.
She narrated her journey to Lagos…A hair stylist from Ire in Osun state but not making enough profit… between her and her husband, a sliding door installer in same village, to care for their two young children.
At the invitation of a distant relative who knew someone operating a bakery, she relocated Lagos with her 14-month-old daughter to give bread hawking a try, leaving her husband and the older five-year-old behind.
As I listened to her, I wandered if the beauty I had seen on my screen as I edited my image was a fluke ..well until she smiled . I realized that I was wrong. I had in fact underestimated the beauty of this 27-year-old woman. As always, it was her eyes and of course her perfectly chiseled features that jumped out at you when she chuckled. This lady belonged in front of my camera.
After a conversation with her husband telling him the story of our meeting, I decided I was going to photograph her that very afternoon. Within an hour, Bimpe Onakoya, one of Nigeria’s leading makeup artists, and Zubby, one of my favourite hairstylists, were at my studio to work magic.

They had both followed the story online and were more than happy to put in their very best for her. Olajumoke … with curly extensions out revealed a short natural Afro that beautifully hugged her face.
Bimpe Onakoya also had decided to keep the make up minimal… She stepped in front of my camera and I almost couldn’t recognize her. She moved differently too. Jumoke looked straight into my lens emoting like she had done this all her life …. I knew we had found a star.
 
Source: Osun Defender
Photo credit: TY Bello

Osun State House of Assembly, on Monday passed into law, the State Land Use Charge Bill 2016.
According to a statement by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the passage of the bill followed a motion by the Leader of the house, Honourable Timothy Owoeye for the third reading and seconded by member representing Ede South constituency, Nureni Adebisi at the plenary.
 

 
The bill, which, he said was sponsored by the executive arm of government was seeking to make provision for the consolidation of all property land based rates law, the neighbourhood improvement charge law and tenement rate law  into a new land based charge, to be called Property Land Use Charge to make provision for the levying and collection of the charges and for connected purposes.
The Assembly had on Tuesday, November 3, 2015, held a public hearing on the bill, where professional bodies and other stakeholders lauded the bill and said, it was coming at the appropriate time.
Pronouncing the passage of the bill, the Speaker, Honourable Najeem Salaam, said its passage was delayed to ensure that affordable rate that would not put unnecessary burden on the people are arrived at.
According to him, the present economic situation require that every property owner must contribute to support the government, just as he charged the executive to ensure effective sensitisation of the people to key in into the new law and see reason to pay the appropriate charges. Salaam also called on the implementers of the new law not to hide under it to put unnecessary burden on the people, urging that the law should rather be used for the benefit of the people,” he said.

Governor, state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has condemned the violent attack on a radio state, Orisun FM Ile-Ife by some students of Ife High Schools because of their disqualification in the state government’s sponsorship of the registration for the West African Examination Council (WAEC).
 

 
The students attacked the state owned radio station during their protest over alleged inability of the state government to pay their WAEC fees.
Aregbesola warned that he will no longer condone any act of indiscipline and irresponsibility on the part of the young ones, warning that the full weight of the law will be applied if such lawlessness repeats itself.
The governor said it was unthinkable that students who failed examinations and should be remorseful and face the challenges of correcting their academic poor performances could go out and vandalise government property in the name of protests.
In a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, Aregbesola said the refusal of government to register them for WASCE was because of their poor performance and that it would be irresponsible to continue to fund examination registrations of students who didn’t demonstrate readiness to pass.
Read more at http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/general/aregbesola-flays-students-over-attack-on-media/132521.html#iz2MwfA2LMXrOipQ.99

Tuns Farms Nigeria Ltd, a leading producer of broiler meat in Nigeria, has reiterated its commitment to sustain its partnership with the Osun Broilers Out-growers Production Scheme (OBOPS).
 

 
The agricultural scheme, which was initially established by the Governor Rauf Aregbesola-led administration in December 2011, aims to create jobs and boost food security.
OBOPS is operated on a tripartite basis and spurred a joint venture between the State Government, represented by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, Tuns Farms Nigeria Ltd and Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN).
Speaking at an interactive session with poultry farmers, the chairman of Tuns Farms Ltd, Asiwaju Olatunde Badmus, said government’s participation in the meat programme has empowered farmers to leverage on a network of buyers, including fast-food chains and retail outlets.
According to him, “Government partnered with TUNS Farm Nigeria Limited and the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) to jump start and promote broiler production to empower poultry farmers and create jobs under the Osun Broilers Out-growers Production Scheme (OBOPS).”

THE Minister of Transport, Rotimi Chibueke Amaechi has commended the Osun State government for embarking on the construction of federal road infrastructure in the state.
Amaechi said the initiative was an indication of effective management of the meagre resources accrued to the state.
 

 
Amaechi, who spoke shortly after an inspection tour of federal roads under construction from the Gbongan axis to the Kwara boundary in Ila-Odo, lamented that the good intention of the government had been left to suffer.
The Minister, who refused to be categorical about the expected relief on the work done by the Osun government, however said detailed report about what he saw on ground would be communicated to the presidency for action.

He said the inspection would also take his team to other southwest states.
Explaining the focus of his ministry, he said serious attention would be placed on the development of the rail transportation network to enhance movement of goods and humans.
The Minister also visited the Moshood Abiola International Airport being constructed at Ido Osun, Egbedore local council of the state where he was briefed on the level of work done and the challenges facing the project.

The new Comptroller of Prisons, Osun State Command, Mr. Segun Oluwasemire yesterday paid a courtesy visit to the governor of the state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola at the state house, Osogbo.
Find photos from the visit below:

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (middle), his Deputy Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori (right), and New Comptroller of Prisons, Osun State Command, Mr. Segun Oluwasemire (left), during a Courtesy Visit to the Governor, at Government House Osogbo, on Thursday 4/2/2016.

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola presenting the State Emblem to the New Comptroller of Prisons, Osun State Command, Mr. Segun Oluwasemire during a Courtesy Visit to the Governor, at Government House Osogbo, on Thursday 4/2/2016

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola presenting the State Emblem to the New Comptroller of Prisons, Osun State Command, Mr. Segun Oluwasemire during a Courtesy Visit to the Governor, at Government House Osogbo, on Thursday 4/2/2016