It is not an hyperbole to say the present administration in Osun under the leadership of Governor Rauf Aregbesola has broken the perpetual yoke being experienced in the education sector prior to its inception.

 

 
The Aregbesola’s government took over power on November 26th, 2010 from the erstwhile Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola who ruled the state for seven-and-half year.
On assumption of office, Aregbesola summoned leading stars in the education sector, an initiative that witnessed the conveyance and presence of renowned academia led by the African Literature Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka and the host of other revered professors emeritus.
The Education Summit brought about the manifestoes and workable recommendations that helped the state to deal aggressively with the palpable rot in all the economic systems particularly the untreated grey areas in the education sector.
It is however on record that part of the recommendations given by the Summit borne out of the well-thought out conceptualized ideology that didn’t only address squarely the inefficiencies, deficiencies, insensitivity, lackadaisical and weaknesses of the ousted administrations in taking the bull by the horn to redeem the lost glory in the sector.
The first noble step taken brought about the reclassification and re-categorization of public education sector into elementary, middle and high schools, as this gesture led to the erection of mega schools across the length and breadth of the state.‎
The model schools which possessed all forms of modern facilities with un-arguable architectural design that has been the cynosure of all discerning eyes came to limelight through Osun Education Revolution Initiative and School Infrastructure Development Policy.
However, the initiator of the pace-setting ideology, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on September 1st 2016 brought the President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Alhaji Muhammadu Buhari to Osogbo, the state capital where one of the gigantic schools, Osogbo Government High School was commissioned.
Prior to this, Ejigbo Government High School, located in Ejigbo township of Osun West Senatorial District, had been commissioned by Professor Wole Soyinka to whom the school was named after.
In building these edifices and renovating the dilapidated and deplorable school buildings across the nooks and crannies of the state, one can never rule out the consciousness of equity and evenness deployed by the Aregbesola led government at ensuring that no Federal Constituency or Senatorial District fails to benefit from his innovative ideology that culminated the multitude school infrastructure developments in the state.
‎The model schools were built across the nine Federal Constituencies and three Senatorial Districts made up of Osun while other infrastructural developments particularly the widely applauded Osun Social Intervention Initiative followed suit.      ‎
Aside on the fact that the largest chunks of the state’s treasury had been concentrated to re-energize the slumbering education sector in the state, the Aregbesola’s government had in the last six years done justice to all sectors particularly education sector.
The assessment of the investment made so far to repositioning education sector in the state revealed that except Osun, no state had made such move in Nigeria as education is seen as non-negotiable priority of Aregbesola’s administration.
The statistics revealed that ‎‎eight Model Elementary schools were built and commissioned with 200 classrooms in Osun Central Senatorial District whereas 4 out of these schools were built in Osogbo Local Government, 1 in Boripe Local Government, one in Odo-Otin Local Government, 1 in Irepodun Local Government and 1 in Orolu Local Government respectively with sum of N2billion.
It is on records that ‎6 Model Elementary schools were built and commissioned with150 classrooms in Osun East Senatorial District where 1 was built in Ife Central Local Government, 2 in Ilesa East Local Government, 1 in Ilesa West Local Government, 1 in Atakunmosa West Local Government and 1 in Ife North Local Government with sum of N1.5billion.‎
Statistics has it that 8 Model Middle schools were built and commissioned with 200 classrooms in Osun Central Senatorial District as 3 of them were located in Osogbo LG, 1 in Olorunda LG, 1 in Boripe LG, 1 in Ila LG, 1 in Ifelodun LG and 1 in Irepodun LG respectively with sum of N2billion.
However, 7 Model Middle schools were built and commissioned with 175 classrooms in Osun East Senatorial District with which 1 was built in Ife Central LG, 1 in Ife East LG, 2 in Ilesa East LG, 1 in Oriade LG, 1 in Obokun LG and 1 in Ife East Area Office (Modakeke) executed with sum of N1.750billion.
‎Similarly, 7 Model High schools were built at sum of N4.9billion in Osun Central Senatorial District as Osogbo LG has 5, Ila LG has 4 and Ifelodun LG has 1 respectively.
Also in Osun East Senatorial District, 2 Model High Schools were built with which 1 is located in Ife Central LG and the other one in Ilesa East LG with sum of N1.4billion.
The Aregbesola’s administration in conjunction with UBEC also renovated 606 classrooms across 87 Model Schools in Osun Central Senatorial District while more than 605 classrooms were renovated across 90 Models Schools in Osun East Senatorial District.
Likewise, 21,048 sets furniture were supplied to the schools across the ten Local Government Areas in Osun Central Senatorial District and ‎20,900 sets furniture were equally supplied to the schools across the ten Local Government Areas of Osun East Senatorial District.
Statistics further revealed that more than 55,000 students benefited from the free tablets of knowledge popularly called “Opon Imo” in Osun Central Senatorial District while over 45,000 students enjoyed similar gestures in Osun East Senatorial District.
On personnel recruitment, training and promotion, it is on records that over 2,500 Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) cadets from Osun Central Senatorial District were deployed to different schools as teachers while about 1,150 regular teachers were recruited from same zone as 9,200 teachers were trained in 26 different training programmes and workshops.
Also, more than 6,057 teaching and non-teaching staff was promoted from Osun Central Senatorial District.
Over 1,500 OYES cadets were deployed to different schools as teachers in Osun East Senatorial District while 1,004 regular teachers were recruited from same district and 8,391 teachers were trained in 26 different training programmes and workshops.
Also, more than 5,000 teaching and non-teaching staff were promoted from Osun East Senatorial District.
The amazing part of the state’s education intervention initiatives is the uncommon School Feeding Programme popularly called “OMEAL” that has become the prototype and model locally and internationally.
This innovative ideology, life-changing and health promoting initiatives also took it impact in the duo Senatorial Districts as more than 85,000 pupils gets fed daily under Osun School Feeding Programmes through which more than 1,000 cooks were employed while close to 68,000,000 plates of meals have been served to pupils in Osun Central Senatorial District since 2012 with N4.760billion.
More than 80,000 pupils gets fed daily under school feeding programmes through which 1,000 cooks were employed since 2012 and over 64,000,000 plates of meals have been served to pupils with N4,480billion in Osun East Senatorial District.
Above all, close to 250,000 school uniforms were distributed free to students across the ten LGAs of Osun Central Senatorial District while more than 200,000 units of school uniforms have been distributed freely to students in Osun East Senatorial District so far.

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Youth Leaders of All Progressive Congress (APC)  in  Osun West Senatorial District have congratulated Governor Rauf Aregbesola for the successful completion and commissioning of Ilesa High School and other model schools in the state.
 

 
The youths said the unprecedented commitment of the Governor and APC leadership to education and youth development has justified the decision of the majority of the youths in the state to support Aregbesola during the electioneering process.
Osun West APC Youth Leader, Imran Adekunle in a statement made available to journalists in Ede described the new model schools as theater of dream that will in future placed Osun on a vantage position educationally.
He said Aregbesola is building a solid foundation on education which is already yielding good results with the significant improvement in the last There years of WAEC and NECO result adding that if the trend could be sustained by his successor, Osun will be rated as the best state in education”.
The statement read “ we the All progressive youths in Osun West today congratulate our amiable governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for delivering his promises despite harsh economy, today’s school commissioning has vindicated us and justified our support for governor Aregbesola as a visionary leader who cares and passionate about the future of the state”.
“ We bold to say without any contradictions that the youths are major beneficiaries of the present administration with qualitative basic education through state of heart facilities, free school meals, Technological devices, and capacity building for the teachers coupled with engagement of over 40 youths through the OYES that has now become a template for West African Nations”.
“We however restate our support for the present administration with a strong conviction that we are on right part to build a better future for the state through the youth development initiatives of the governor.”
Imran also appreciated the governor for the recent appointment of the youth leaders in the party as the secretary of the various local government community committees while assuring the governor and the party leaders that the youths will perform their duties with all sense of responsibilities.
He urged the youths to also see the appointment as an opportunity to serve the state in making life more abundant for the people.
Imran however urged the youths to conduct themselves peacefully during the coming party Local Government Election primaries and work hard to ensure the victory of the party at the council election holding on January 27, 2018.

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The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has described the situation where operators of Universities in Nigeria rely on subvention from the owners and burden students with humongous tuition fees as intellectual laziness.
 

 
 

The Governor observed this at the formal opening of the access road to the University of Osun (UNIOSUN), at the entrance to the university in Osogbo.
‎He held that Nigerian universities should adopt world best practices where schools‎ raise funds through endowments, grants and donations from the larger society, which is the primary beneficiary of university education.
‎The Chancellor of UNIOSUN, Chief Mrs Folorunso Alakija was said to have assisted the university with the sum N250 million, which was the exact amount they needed to complete the road project.
‎Aregbesola averred that university funding anywhere in the world is capital intensive and requires helps from philanthropist like Mrs Alakija to boost education system.
He commended Mrs Alakija’s gesture, ‎ saying it is a refreshing perspective on funding for education, particularly the university, which requires a huge financial outlay.
Aregbesola said: “Universities require a large amount for capital projects and not less sum for recurrent expenditure.
“In our intellectually lazy (or idea challenged) environment, the line of least resistance has largely been followed – which is to rely on subvention from the owners and burden the students with humongous tuition fees.
“But the best practices, as we see from other climes, are to raise funds through endowments, grants and donations from the larger society, which is the primary beneficiary of university education anyway.
“Universities also generate revenues through patents, royalties and other intellectual property materials.
“This is why there is a huge gap between per capita spending on students by the Euro-American universities, compared to our own.”
The governor commended UNIOSUN for being on this same path of operating within the framework of intentional standard of running a tertiary institution.
He stated that the university has been self-subsisting for some time now as government has stopped giving any subvention to it.
He added that universities all over the country must wake up to the economic realities of the present time and be creative in sourcing funds to ‎run their institutions.
He also called on other people of good will to emulate the good gesture of Mrs Alakija by contributing to the growth and development of education in the state and country at large.
He equally tasked alumni of the educational institutions in Osun who have education background, to ‎support students of elementary and middle schools in the state as their own contributions to education development.
He continued: “The university has been responsible for generating its own revenue, even when we asked it to review tuition fees downward.
“In light of dwindling revenue and rising cost, universities must be creative in sourcing for funds. The burden of funding education should be spread in the society.
“There are thousands of people who will gladly give money, build roads, donate buildings, endow chairs in the name of a cause, a relation etc. and do many more for education.
In light of this, I must add that contribution is not limited to giving money.
“There are many alumni of our primary and secondary schools who have education background; they should support our students in basic education.
“All they need to do is to volunteer to teach in any of our elementary and middle schools for one hour in a day in English, Mathematics and the Sciences. We need them as volunteers.
“I am therefore commending Dr Alakija for her kind gesture in helping the university to construct this road and for her other interventions in the institution.
“She has etched her name in history and a grateful state, government and people will not forget her good deeds.‎”
In her remarks, the donor, Mrs Alakija, attributed the gesture towards the construction of the university’s access road to her immeasurable passion for education.
She lamented on deplorable state of the nation’s education system, saying it is lamentable and disheartening that no Nigerian University made the list of the first 1000 universities in the world.
According to her: “The education system in Nigeria presently needs urgent assistance and unless there is a major overhaul, the future of the next generation of Nigerians will be bleak.
“As we all know, education is very important for sustaining and developing people. With it, people acquire wisdom and knowledge. They build confidence and develop the ability to fend for themselves from what they have learnt.
“It is also both an instrument of stability and of change; stability in the sense that good traditions are documented, taught, imbibed and practiced; change because it prepares and equips people to meet new challenges. In the same vein, education is a tool for inculcating moral values in the citizens.
“‎The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Sustainable Development Agenda has identified 17 Global goals, which every nation of the world must strive to accomplish by 2030.
“The 4th goal which is quality education, requires that inclusive and equitable quality education which promote lifelong learning opportunities be made available to all.
“Education is a vision my family and I do not take lightly. This is evidenced by the support we continue to give to students through our Rose of Sharon Foundation where almost 1,500 students benefit from our scholarship program up to university level and the same spirit of which also drove the completion of this project.
While calling on all to support education in the country, Alakija said the attainment of qualitative education will require all of us to pull resources together to make the difference the system so desperately needs.
‎In his welcome address, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Labode Popoola, applauded the philanthropic gestures of the donor, Dr. (Mrs) Folorunso Alakija, describing her as a seasoned philanthropist.
Professor Popoola recalled the steps taken by the management of the institution at constructing an access road to the university’s main campus, saying that the vision led the management of the institution to extend hands of help to the Chancellor.
‎According to him: “One of my first major activities on assumption of duties was a meeting to renegotiate the contract for the construction of this road. I bless the day, 22 March, 2017 when I led my Management Team to our Chancellor, Dr. (Mrs) Folorunso Alakija, in her Lagos Office as part of the preparation towards the 6th Convocation of our University.
“In my briefing, I lamented the state of the access road to our university and the challenge to raise the sum of N250 million to complete the road project
“But three days after the visit, we received the alert of the sum of two hundred and fifty million naira from the school chancellor and for this reason, the chancellor deserves our accolade.
“She is always there for us, her unparalleled benevolence for the completion of this road project is highly commendable. Her unending passion to positively impact humanity is an inspiration for us as an institution.
‎
The Chairman Governing Council of the University and Pro-Chancellor, Mallam Yusuf Ali, also commended the donor, Mrs Alakija, for being passionate about the plights of the institution.
He disclosed that the institution only paid N100 million out of N350 million‎ spent for the construction of the access road.
Mallam Ali however called on well-meaning Nigerians to see the need for supporting education by imbibing the philanthropic life style that could help to advance quality, qualitative and sound education in the country.
“Government alone cannot bear the cost of financing education. Those who run institutions of higher learning should put on their thinking cap and be creative in sourcing for funds to develop these institutions.
“Also, an individual, whom God has materially endowed has shown by the example of our Chancellor, Dr. Folorunso Alakija, could make a lot of difference.
Where the managers of our resources act honestly, transparently and without corruption, men and women of goodwill who are endowed will be more readily disposed to help fund our educational system.‎”

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Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has been applauded for his use of Sukuk Bond by the Managing Director, United Insurance, Sudan,Dr. Tarig Khalil, Professor Ziyaad Mahomed of IFISA, Mounir Aliya from Saudi Arabia and Dr Umar Abdul Mutallab who expressed their satisfaction at the African International Conference on Islamic Finance, in Abuja.

 

 
At the event, Dr. Umar Abdul Mutallab who described Aregbesola as fairless, transparent and prudent in financial resources said
“Aregbesola embraced SUKUK when many States and Countries lack the deep understanding of what SUKUK really stands for and utilise the opportunity judiciously. State of Osun under the administration of Rauf Aregbesola has become a reference points to states and Countries ín West Africa which the Federal Government of Nigeria has just key into recently with One hundred billion naira SUKUK bond”.
Meanwhile, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who was represented by the Commissioner of Finance, explained that the decision to have a combination of both the conventional and faith -based bond in its Bond Issuance programme in 2013 was borne out of the desire to ensure easy marketability of the bond and also to further exhibit the current administration’s transparency and accountability in her various financial transactions.

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The Ogbeni  Rauf Aregbesola led administration hit the ground running and started on a firm footing after a tortuous, long day’s journey into office. The gains of his preparation have borne fruit. Not least a widely acclaimed and initiated social intervention thrust which is directed at attacking the roots of poverty. Like any sensible manager, with just about a year of his administration left, he must do careful, succession planning.

 

 
A succession planning must include handing over a revamped administrative mechanism to a successor in the spirit of the continuity of the programmes he initiated which has made a positive impact. This thoughtful process has commenced with this week’s appointment of Dr Festus Olowogboyega Oyebade as the Head of Service in the State of Osun. A key appointment is what is becoming a process of transition; it has been very well received.
The multi-dimensional Dr Oyebade certainly fits the bill of the modern technocrat and public servant.  Dr Oyebade is well read. He graduated with BSc. Education at Obafemi Awolowo University of Ile-Ife with specialisation in Geography. He later obtained higher degrees of Masters in Educational Management and Peace and Conflict Studies as well as a Doctorate (PhD) in Educational Management, all from the University of Ibadan. He also bagged LLB and LLM degrees in Law from Obafemi Awolowo University and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 2005. The conventional wisdom within and outside of the state is in convergence, that he will put in a memorable tenure in office.
Characteristically, the  governor did not just put the right person for the job, he has worked out a clear road map to follow. In line with the principles of modern management, Ogbeni Aregbesola has correctly pointed out that the era of partitioning of departments in civil service is gone and should be replaced with organic network and fluid movement from one office to the other, from one department to the other, from one ministry to the other.
This is a reflection of the complexity of, as well as the need for dexterity in navigating the course of modern governance. The bureaucracy in the state has to be more flexible and nimble footed because the machinery of the government now has to be retooled to cope with a more diversified and complex economic structure. The appointment of Dr Oyebade and the brief he has been mandated to carry out is a reflection of this.
The summation of the raison d’être for the new appointment and what is envisioned for the future is very succinctly  spelt out by the Ogbeni Governor – “Nevertheless, the ultimate goal is to be productive, the objectives of governance must be realised and the government must generate the resources needed to run it.” The imperative for a scamless transition of a re-invigorated Osun state to a new administration has begun. Having as it were refreshed the bureaucracy, it is now imperative that a rancour free process is put in place to produce a worthy successor to continue and consolidate the progressive thrust in Osun State.

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The Federal Operation Coordinating Unit (FOCU) of the Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO) has for the umpteenth time commended Osun State Operation Coordinating Unit (SOCU) for not relenting in keeping the success story flag of YESSO flying always.

 

 
 
FOCU stated this through Mr. Alaefule Uche at the Step-down Training of Local Government officials on Community Based Targeting (CBT) and Single Register of the Poor and Vulnerable Households organised by Osun YESSO which took place at the Western Sun International Hotel, Ede.
 
Mr. Uche who represented the National Coordinator of YESSO in Abuja maintained that Osun has consistently been a force to be reckoned with among all the YESSO participating states in the country which he said is evident in the numerous success stories recorded which he opined has seen Osun YESSO emerge the first and the best in virtually all the components and operations of YESSO.
 
In his address at the event, the SOCU Coordinator, Osun YESSO, Mr. Olufemi Ifaturoti attributed the success story of Osun YESSO to the innumerable supports received from the State Government of Osun under the leadership of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who he affirmed has proved beyond any reasonable doubt to be the leading light in Social Protection among his counterparts in the country.
 
He said this was evident in his numerous social safety net programmes and initiatives such as O’YES, AGBA OSUN, O’MEAL, O’AMBULANCE, O’REAP and many others which he asserted are second to none. Mr Ifaturoti who also doubles as the Director General, Bureau of Social Services, Office of the Governor of Osun urged the participants to make the best use of the step-down training having been privileged to contribute their quota.
 
In his remarks at the programme, the Chairman, Osun House of Assembly Committee on Industries, Commerce, Cooperatives and Empowerment, Hon. Babatunde Olatunji opined that YESSO’s unassailable 100 percent full proof targeting of beneficiaries’ strategy deserves to be replicated in all spheres as a result of the unparalleled credibility of the process.
 
Olatunji who informed the gathering that his constituency was among the early beneficiaries of the laudable World Bank assisted support operation, commended the ingenuity of the Olufemi Ifaturoti led Osun YESSO for its continued success story.

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The State of Osun House of Assembly has pledged its support for the State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) in the forthcoming Local Government Election in the state. The Chairman, House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Wasseu Adebayo stated this during an interactive session with the commission at the State Assembly Complex, Osogbo.

 

 
Saying that the commission was invited to know how prepared it was for the forthcoming Local Government election in the state, he hinted that, “we are satisfied with the OSIEC preparation on ground and the government will make sure the needed fund is made available for the commission to conduct a free and fair election in Osun”.
 
However, in his reaction, the OSIEC Chairman, Otunba Segun Oladitan said the commission is now set to conduct the election. According to him, “we are happy to say that OSIEC have gone far in our preparation for the election in accordance with directive of the House of Assembly”
 
“OSIEC is to conduct election for all political parties and we have met with them and all security agencies in the state for their supports during the election”, he added. The OSIEC boss confirmed that his commission has what it takes to conduct the election with an understanding of the Assembly. He said that election would be held in 378 wards, that is 334 old wards and 44 newly carved out from the newly created Local Council Development Area.
 
He confirmed that almost 36 political parties have been registered for the election. According to him, “we have demarcated the old and new wards in the state and I believe in God that election will go smoothly in Osun with the support of all stakeholders involved.

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