GOVERNOR Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State Tuesday reiterated the commitment of his administration to provide the enabling environment to enhance rapid economic development of the state.
He gave the assurance while declaring open a one-week trade, investment and culture conference at the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU), Osogbo, the sate capital.
The one-week conference attracted potential investors from the United States, the African and Caribbean Business Council (ACBC) of Philadelphia, the Christian Evangelical Economic Development, Inc. (CEED) of Pittsburgh, the WURA Arts Services & Productions, LLC (WURA) of New York City and others from Nigeria.
Addressing participants at the event, Aregbesola said the state government placed top priority on culture and tourism, agriculture, information technology, and solid minerals to drive the investment portfolio.
GUARDIAN

The innovative e-learning devise, Opon Imo (tablet of knowledge) of the Government of the State of Osun has been nominated for the Nigerian Telecom Awards 2013.
The Tablet of Knowledge was nominated under the category of African Most Innovative Product of the Year.
The award comes up on September 20 at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Onikan, Lagos.
Other categories of the awards includes African Telecom of the Year; African Telecom Personality of the Year; West Africa Mobile Operator of the Year; Computer Brand of the Year among others.
Besides, in the category of ICT State of the Year, Osun also got nominated alongside Ekiti and Bauchi States.
The Opon Imo tablet, which was launched on Monday 13th May, provides three major content categories: e-library, virtual classroom and an integrated test zone.
The e-library contains 63 e-books covering 17 academic subjects for examinations conducted by WAEC, NECO and JAMB as well as non-academic subjects such as History of The Yoruba, Sexuality Education, Civic Education, Ifa on ethics and morals, enterprise education as well as hints and tips on passing SSCE.
In the integrated test zone of the device, there are more than 40,000 JAMB and WAEC practice questions and answers dating back to about 10 years and mock tests in more than 51 subject areas, which approximates to 1,220 chapters, with roughly 29,000 questions referencing about 825 images.
Other sections of the e-learning device are an average of 16 chapters per subject and 823 chapters in all, with about 900 minutes or 15 hours of audio voice-overs.
The tablet was distributed free of charge to students of public schools in the Senior Secondary I and II categories in the state.
Opon Imo has been commended as one of the a veritable tools of advancing and promoting easy learning and democratising education system not only in the state but across the country and beyond wherever it is embraced.
The Guardian

Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday said the state will provide food for the South-West states and capture a sizable chunk of the N3 billion daily food market in Lagos State.
The governor said with more than 60 tourism sites in the state, his government is poised to provide food for the South-West states. Governor Aregbesola said this while delivering his address at a Trade, Investment and Culture Conference at the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding in Osogbo.
He said in his two and a half years in office, his administration has done its best to promote the tradition and culture of the Yoruba.
“Our goal therefore is to provide food for the South-West and capture a sizable chunk of the N3 billion daily food market in Lagos. By a stroke of fortune, our natural endowment also includes solid minerals, especially gold. “In our development drive, we have focused mainly on four key areas.
These are culture and tourism, agriculture, information technology and solid minerals. We assure you that the South-West states will rely on us for their needs very soon.
“Osun is indisputably the custodian of the cultural heritage of the Yoruba people, who are mainly domiciled in and originated from the South-West of the country.
“Ile-Ife, which is in this state and just about 30 minutes drive from this podium, is the cradle of Yoruba culture and civilization,” the governor told investors and others in the gathering.
He also added that Osun occupies a central place in Nigeria’s cultural tourism map, stressing that besides Ife, there are numerous other centres of cultural and tourism significance across the state.
“We have gold deposits in commercial quantity in many parts of the state that are waiting to be fully exploited. It is our goal to develop this in partnership with willing and capable partners,” the governor said.
He added that his administration will ensure that the interactive platform will be a continuous one to demonstrate the seriousness of its commitment to the path it has chosen.
NATIONAL MIRROR

Following the interactive public feedback session titled ‘Gbangba D’ekun’ by the Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, there have been reactions from people of the state.
The programme which witnessed hundreds of people across Iwo local government had students, teachers, artisans, traders and civil servants in attendance.
Mr. Abdulateef Olaitan Arewa, a civil servant said, “the programme is another beautiful idea to meet the real “grassroot” people in the State” adding that it is devoid of partisan politics; he also noted that “I will prefer if this kind of interesting programme can be on weekends so as to carry the elites along to further sensitize those who speak ill of the administration of Ogbeni Aregbesola.”
Alabi Caleb Olatunji Aregbe in his opinion described the present State Government as the most vibrant and administratively clairvoyant Governor in the whole of the nation. “I stand to be corrected, the facts are there for everyone to see”, he added.
Similarly, a health official in the state, Mr. Taoheed Ademola OmoOmi said the initiative by the government to meet those at the grass root is a clear indication as to why the people of the state adore the governor. “For a Governor that makes himself available to his people at anytime, truly Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is the man of the people”, he added.
Well done Ogbeni!

Government of the State of Osun has declared today (Tuesday August 20, 2013) as a public holiday in celebration of world traditional religion Isese Day.
This was contained in a press statement signed by the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Sunday Akere.
According to the commissioner, Governor Rauf Aregbesola declared the public holiday in the spirit of equality among the various religious groups in the state.
Isese day, among the traditional believers, is the celebration of the peak of festivity in Yorubaland tagged Odun Nla, hence were given the right to celebrate with members of their family.
(culled from OSUN DEFENDER)

OSUN State government has concluded arrangements to immortalise late German cultural icon, Mrs. Susanne Wenger and others who have contributed significantly to the development of arts and culture in the state.

The state government said it will put in place a hall of fame to immortalise both living and dead cultural icons for their various contributions to cultural development in the state.
Chairman, Osun State Tourism Board, Mr. Abimbola Daniyan at a press conference in Osogbo yesterday also explained why the state government has committed huge sum of money to tourism development in the state.
Special Adviser to Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Culture and Tourism, Mr. Oladipo Soyode stated that artistes who are traceable to the state would be included in the state’s hall of fame.
He said though Susanne Wenger who died about four years ago has not had any monument named after her, the state government has always been celebrating her during the annual Osun Osogbo festival.
GUARDIAN

Committee Head of Service-1   From right      Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Head of Service,Niger State, Mr. Ibraheem Yakubu and his Kano State counterpart, Alhaji Umar Jalo, during the visit of Committee of the Review of earlier Reports on the Scheme of States Civil Service; Federal; Local Government;Judicial Employee and 1999 Constitution to the Governor in his office, Osogbo, State of Osun on Monday 19-08-2013

Committe Head of Service-2  Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Head of Service, Adamawa State, Alhaji Musa Kaibo and Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori, during the visit of Committee of the Review of earlier Reports on the Scheme of States Civil Service; Federal; Local Government; Judicial Employee and 1999 Constitution to the Governor in his office, Osogbo, State of Osun on Monday 19-08-2013

Committee Head of Service-3    Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Head of Service State of Osun, Mr Sunday Owoeye and Mr Francis Bajowa, representing Federation Head of Service, during the visit of Committee of the Review of earlier Reports on the Scheme of States Civil Service; Federal; Local Government; Judicial Employee and 1999 Constitution to the Governor in his office, Osogbo, State of Osun on Monday 19-08-2013

Committee Head of Service-4  Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Abuja Head of Service, Mr Rotimi Anifowose; Mr David Olagbenro, from office of the Head of Service and Imo State Head of Service, Mrs Agustina Opara, during the visit of Committee of the Review of earlier Reports on the Scheme of States Civil Service; Federal; Local Government; Judicial Employee and 1999 Constitution to the Governor in his office, Osogbo, State of Osun on Monday 19-08-2013

Osun State Government has announced plans to offer soft loans to artisans and traders to enable them succeed in their vocation as this empowers them to contribute their quota to the state economy.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola who disclosed this during the formal inauguration of the state chapter of the Federation of Informal Workers’ Organisation of Nigeria (FIWON), in Osogbo said that if artisans and traders who form informal workers are assisted by government to succeed, the economy would be more stable and the entire country would be better for it.
The governor regretted that in spite of the importance of the artisans and traders to the economy of a state and country at large, many governments, especially at the center still do not recognise their role in the development of the economy.
He said: “The success informal workers make in your businesses will determine the level of development in our economy. Because government don’t pay attention to your role in the economy, that is why our economy has not developed more than this and that is why there is poverty everywhere.”
“Our government is saying that we can’t do it all once, but gradually, we will continue to introduce programmes that will take off poverty among our people.”

All the staff of the Ministry of Information and Strategy have been commended for their untiring efforts in ensuring that the Ministry is always kept clean through the weekly environmental exercise. The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Engr. Segun Aduroja gave this commendation while monitoring the weekly environmental exercise carried out by the staff of the Ministry. Engr. Aduroja said since cleanliness is next to Godliness, one does not need anybody to prompt him or her before making sure that, one lives in a healthy environment.
The Permanent Secretary who specifically commended the manner in which the staff responded to the cutting of weeds in all the surroundings urged them not to be deterred but should rather strive to maintain the tempo. He said the present government has since inception inculcated in the inhabitants of the state the culture of living in a good and clean environment.
The onus therefore, is on the people to imbibe the habit. He stressed further that several millions of naira had been spent to clear canals, waterways and drainages in every part of the state, all in an effort to enable the people live happily without entertaining the fear of flooding which many states have experienced recently.
(Culled from- http://www.onewsportal.com)