The Jonathan’s led Federal Government is now ready to copy the template of the school feeding programme of the Governor of the State of Osun; Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola tagged O’MEALS.
This is not the first time the central government will be copying the template of Aregbsola’s administration for better governance, they have replicated Aregbesola”s youth empowerment scheme tagged OYES, they called SURE-P among many others.
According to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, while presenting a performance review of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)-funded intervention programmes and projects of the Ministry between 2011 and 2013, as well as proposals for 2014 under the ministry’s proposed appropriation to the House of Representatives Committee on MDGs.
He said “To address the problem of malnutrition among children, especially those of school age, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has proposed the introduction of school feeding as a pilot scheme in Sokoto State and the Federal Capital Territory in the 2014 budget.
The Minister noted that almost one out of every six children born in Nigeria die before the age of five, adding that malnutrition is a major cause of mortality and morbidity among children under five years, as well as pregnant women.
Adesina stated that in addition to being a major cause of mortality and morbidity among children and vulnerable women, extreme poverty and hunger are also silent mental capacity killers among children, as an underfed and malnourished child finds it much harder to learn than his well-fed counterpart.
Indicating that the ministry has achieved the MDGs number one goal of reducing by 50 per cent by 2015 the number of Nigerians exposed to hunger and extreme poverty well ahead of target, the Minister listed key intervention areas of the ministry within the period under review.
He argued that agriculture is three to four times a more efficient tool for reducing hunger and extreme poverty than any other form of government intervention, as smallholder farmers account for about 75 per cent of the rural population where poverty is most acute.
Among the measures and projects the ministry undertook between 2011 and 2013 to achieve MDGs goals within the Agricultural Transformation Agenda, he said, are development of vitamin-embedded cassava varieties.
The special cassava varieties, he said, were being distributed to smallholder farmers in key cassava-growing States all over the country.
Adesina also pointed out that the ministry also embarked on development and distribution of orange-feed sweet potato varieties, including the training of 6,000 youths to multiply planting materials for farmers.
While giving a performance assessment of the Ministry’s MDGs-funded intervention projects, which he said were at a weighted average completion level of 65 per cent, the minister said N4.0 billion was proposed for MDGs projects in 2013 with N2.1 billion actually released.
He said whatever the amount the ministry will receive in the 2014 budget year, a major target of the ministry’s intervention will be to raise the number of women farmers with access to Government’s growth enhancement support (GES) from 600, 000 in 2013 to 1.5 million this year.
The House Committee on MDGs gave its endorsement of the Ministry’s MDGs programmes and projects.
The Committee also called for closer collaboration between the committee and the ministry to ensure the attainment of the key targets of MDGs by the 2015.
It would be recalled that the Governor of the State of Osun since assumption of office have been feeding the pupils of the elementary class in the public schools of the State with variety of balanced diet foods like Eggs, Meat, Cat fish and fruits to boost their well-being for efficient learning and the programme has yielded desirable results and a PDP led Federal Government is working on it now replicate the programme.
BIOREPORTS

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Recently, I made a self-appointed good governance tour of Osun State, with a view to truly intimating myself with the progress made by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s government in the last three years. My findings were heart-warming and reflective of an administrator who knows his onions. I found to my happiness, that hitherto, inaccessible roads in remote parts of the state now has Aregbesola’s magic wands played out on them.

From my native Ede through Iperindo, Ifetedo, Ejigbo, Orile-Owu, Ikire-Ile, Ife- Odan, Ikotun in Egbedore LGA, Ajagunlase, Ikirun up to Otan-Ayegbaju, Ife Ondaye, Ifewara, and some parts of Ijesaland, the story is the same. The 10km-stretch of road rehabilitation embarked upon by the 30 local government areas in the State have impacted positively on the lives of the people.
The indigenes of these areas are united in one thing; that good roads are beneficial to all, be you the rich or poor. Good roads do not discriminate on who uses them, they say. The ordinary folks in Osun are at peace with Aregbesola’s modest achievements, since they exist through their legitimate petty businesses. They don’t dream tall like the city dwellers.
Of particular importance, is the Oba Adesoji Aderemi Road now under construction. That particular road will go down in the history of Osun State as a master-piece of infrastructure. A feel of the one-kilometre part of the road which has been stone-based and aesthetically asphalted, will convince the worst of Aregbesola’s critics that this governor knows the rudiment of what it takes to put a road that will stand the test of time in place. Twenty-first century technology is being deployed in the construction of this particular road in memory of the first African Governor of the old Western Region.
Work is going on at a feverish pitch on the road, which has now reached an advanced stage, as it has been opened up to the Testing Ground area of Osogbo. Aregbesola has broken a jinx, because those in the saddle of affairs between 1999 and 2011, considered what Aregbesola achieved with this road impossible.
This is not to lose sight of transformation, the Osogbo township roads are witnessing. But some people keep on complaining, that is it “road alone we go chop”. That is their own understanding of governance. Government does not go about “spraying” naira on the streets for people to pick. You have to work for it. All over the world, people don’t want change, until they have actually experienced it. A reformer has enemies in those who profiteer by the old order.
Yes, contractors may not be Osun indigenes, but majority of the artisans and other labour-hands been used by them are indigenes of Osun. Laterite, granite, planks, and cement are purchased from Osun markets, with such money realized by the owners, ploughed back to Osun economy. All over Nigeria, Julius Berger is at work. It uses Nigerians and not Germans for various aspects of its construction business. Why the hue and cry over who is doing what in Osun, if we are getting good return for our money.
What has so far become of the various sites demolished in Osogbo? Going round the various sites and buildings affected, there seems to be abandonment of the locations, with new structures springing up in disguise by entrepreneurs. Why was the hurry in demolishing the structures affected, when government was not prepared to make a good use of the locations?
The various stadia projects initiated by former Governor Oyinlola should be re-visited and made to come to fruition. Sport is part of our economic development if well harnessed and promoted. Also in the course of my self-appointed good governance tour of the state, it is evident that Aregbesola is yet to let Ilesa township have a feel of “ONA BABA ONA”. In its real sense of it, it’s food for thought.
I chuckle when I hear some people complaining that Aregbesola has ‘mopped up’ naira from circulation in Osun. We should not forget that Osun is part of the federation called Nigeria, which is currently experiencing drastic shortfall in her receipt of federation account, owing to one factor or the other in the upstream sector of the oil economy. Almost all the states are now crying of reduction in their shares of allocation from the federation account. Or is it a sin for a governor to block loopholes and areas of wastage, which in the past had made some public officers loom larger than life as they feed fat on our collective purse?
Even at that, Governor Aregbesola keeps trudging on, using the little resources available to him judiciously, to make Osun looks truly what it should be. But our fore-fathers have a wise saying – “if a hunter kills a fat grass-cutter, his detractors will say of him, what a small rat he has killed”, (i.e, Ota eni ki pa odu oya!).
Nigeria’s economy is facing hard time, and this informs why all the states and local government areas should improve on their internally generated revenue, because if the black gold wells- i.e. crude oil dry up today, what becomes of us as a nation? Entrepreneurship should be in-built in all of us, so as to make a decent living without depending on government patronages.
We are yet to see action on the efforts to revamp Osun cocoa industry, Ede three years on. Sir Adewale Adeeyo, the Chairman board of Directors of the company should speak out. If the Chinese lease of the company is not forthcoming, is there a PLAN B to take the industry out of woods?
Indeed, anything is possible if we have faith, the will and the heart. I know we all have the will to play our parts in this campaign for accelerated development in Osun State. I know we have faith in the present regime and we have the hearts to face the challenges ahead.
*Lawal wrote in from Ede, Osun State.
NATIONAL MIRROR

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Citizen Observers under the ‘Thumb It Right’ campaign of Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth & Advancement (YIAGA), Youth Alliance on Constitution & Electoral Reform (YACORE) and Partners for Electoral Reform (PER) are observing the ongoing distribution of the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) in Ekiti and Osun states with the support of the Democratic Governance for Development Program of the United Nations Development Program. The distribution exercise commenced today Friday 7th March 2014 in Ekiti and Osun states respectively. We make the following observations based on our assessment of the exercise on the first day.
General conduct of the distribution of the exercise
Based on our observations, it is our respectful view that the distribution exercise commenced on an impressive note on the first day. In several places visited by our observers, the distribution exercise started early. Some locations recorded commencement of the exercise as early as 7:10am. It is visible from the proceedings of the day that the Independent National Electoral Commission is making efforts to improve on its ability and capacity to manage elections. Ensuring the valid voter register was displayed in all polling units for claims and objections is highly commendable. However, the process was still fraught with some challenges and inconsistencies ranging from poor logistics, insufficient distribution officers, non-conformity with permanent voter card distribution guidelines etc.
Insufficient personnel for the distribution exercise
Contrary to the guidelines released and published by INEC, there was shortage of distribution officers in most polling units observed. We authoritatively note that only one NYSC member was deployed to most polling units covered by our observers. Field reports clearly reveal that security agents like the Police, political party agents and individuals were drafted in most polling units to assist the NYSC members in distributing the PVCs. In some wards, there was total absence of security agents while in others one security agent was noticed alternating between two to three polling units. We are also concerned that security agents deployed to secure the polling units in several instances engaged in responsibilities outside their purview; distribution of PVCs, aiding citizens to check their names on the display list and re-echoing of names called by corps members.
We therefore emphatically submit that one corps member acting as a distribution officer cannot manage the distribution of the PVCs. We also note that Supervisory Distribution Officers (SDOs) were insufficient as most distribution officers undertook their tasks without any form of supervision. We call on INEC to comply with the PVC distribution guidelines that clearly provides that two distribution officers shall be deployed to a polling unit for the exercise. The security agents manning the polling units should be cautioned against usurping the duties of the distribution officers.
Non serialization of PVCs in alphabetical order
We observe that the permanent voter cards were not arranged in alphabetical order as stated in the INEC guidelines. This however raised tension and chaos resulting to long debates and disagreement between prospective voters and distribution officers. Based on the guidelines, the Electoral Officer of each local government is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring the cards are arranged in alphabetical order. Unfortunately, this did not happen as distribution officers informed our observers that the cards were not arranged alphabetically at the point of issuance and deployment. We call INEC to hold the electoral officers accountable and compel them to respect the guidelines and discharge their duties.
We note also that the inconsistencies in compliance with the guidelines are indicative that the Distribution Officers were not properly trained for the exercise. We observe that issuing guidelines on a continuous basis without due compliance has become the norm in our electoral process. This is counter-productive and it undermines the credibility of INEC and our electoral process.
Logistics for Distribution Officers and Supervisors
We are concerned with the poor logistics arrangement for the welfare needs of the distribution officers and INEC officials, most especially the hardworking and patriotic NYSC members. INEC should immediately provide befitting logistics (accommodation, transportation, refreshment and security) for its officials to forestall possibility of compromise, poor handling and mismanagement of the distribution process.
Non distribution of PVCs
We can confirm that there was no distribution of the PVCs in Ward 4, Polling Unit 7 LEA Primary school, Gbobamu/Ilolu in Irepodun LGA of Osun state. We call on INEC to properly investigate this incident and take appropriate measures to ensure that eligible voters are not disenfranchised.
Based on figures at the end of the distribution exercise on day one, the voters turn out was above average. Majority of the polling units registered good turnout of voters who came out to retrieve their PVCs. We call on political parties to caution their members and agents to desist from making attempts to disrupt the distribution process. We also call on INEC to provide reliable hotlines for reporting incidents at the local government level for the purposes of providing prompt institutional responses to challenges arising from the exercise.
Signed
Samson Itodo
Head, Research, Policy & Advocacy
YIAGA
Ezenwa Nwagwu
Chair, Partners for Electoral Reform
Bukhari Mohammed Bello Jega
Deputy National Coordinator, YACORE
Mayowa Adeniran
South-West Zonal Coordinator, YACORE
Damilola Ade
Observers Supervisor
SAHARAREPORTERS

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The Osun Ministry of Education on Thursday in Osogbo ordered the immediate closure of four allegedly unregistered private schools, the News Agency of Nigeria has reported.
The Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mr. Lawrence Oyeniran, ordered the closure to check the growth of mushroom and unregistered schools.
According to the report, the affected schools include, Cornerstone Model College, Ota-Efun and Riverside International School, Oke Onitea.
Others are Treasure Group of Schools and Greater Love Nursery and Primary School, Oke Onitea, all in Osogbo.
“The inspection teams observed that some of the illegal schools have been established long before  2009 without any evidence to show that they were registered.
“Others have been operating in environments not conducive to learning and those that can endanger the lives of students and pupils,” the permanent secretary said.
Oyeniran condemned the owners of illegal schools who made no consultation with the ministry but decided to exploit members of the public.
He, therefore, warned that the ministry would continue to clamp down on all private schools that failed to register as well as fulfill their civic responsibilities.
According to him, the affected schools shall remain closed under the supervision of Olorunda Local Inspector of Education, pending their clearance by the ministry.
All efforts made by NAN to speak with the owners of the affected schools failed, as none of them could be contacted for comments.
PUNCH

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The Independent National Electoral Commission in Osun State on Friday commenced the distribution of the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) to the people across all the 30 local governments including the Ife Area Office, in the state.

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Photos showing the Governor and many others at the collection of their Permanent Voters’ cards at Ward 8, Ilesa East Local Government, Ilesa, State of Osun on Friday 07-03-2014

From left, Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf
Aregbesola; his wife, Sherifat; Chairman, Resident Electoral
Commissioner, Ambassador Rufus Akeju and others, during the collection
of their Permanent Voter cards at Ward 8, Ilesa East Local Government,
Ilesa, State of Osun on Friday 07-03-2014

From left, Deputy Governor State of Osun, Mrs Titi
Laoye-Tomori; wife of the Governor, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola; Governor,
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Chairman, Resident Electoral Commissioner,
Ambassador Rufus Akeju and others, during the collection of their
Permanent Voter cards at Ward 8, Ilesa East Local Government, Ilesa,
State of Osun on Friday 07-03-2014

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My good people of Osun,
Good day to you.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in its duty of conducting a free, fair, transparent and credible election, has reeled out the time-table and is kick-starting the process with the verification of voters’ register and distribution of the Permanent Voters Card (PVC). This will take place between Friday March 7 and Sunday March 9.
PVC is a smart card based Voters Identification Card that looks like an ATM card. It is an electronic card that contains vital information about the holder: his or her photograph, biodata and thumbprint. It will be given to only those that registered to vote at the 2011 elections and possess a Temporary Voters Card (TVC). Even if you have lost your Temporary Voters Card, you will still be able to collect the new permanent card.
This card is very important. Please get your own; without it you will not be able to vote in the August 9 governorship election and next year’s general elections.
This card is not transferable, meaning you cannot impersonate someone else; it cannot be counterfeited; you cannot have more than one copy; and you cannot manipulate it in any form. This is a warning to anyone designing any plan to manipulate the card, impersonate someone else or use it illegally in any form, that he or she will be caught and risks going to jail.
From 8.00am on Friday, you will peacefully proceed to your polling unit in your ward and present yourselves to INEC officials for verification after which you will collect your Permanent Voters Card.
If your name is not on the register, remain calm, do not panic. There is no cause for alarm. Adequate provisions have been made to address your case and to ensure you collect your own card.
Be vigilant but conduct yourselves peacefully and in an orderly manner, like an Omoluabi, which you are, in the three days that the exercise will last. Do not give room for the use of force and coercion by law enforcement agents.
My good people, we have provided jobs, built schools, constructed good roads and other infrastructure towards your material empowerment and we will continue to do more. But the right to vote and choose your leader is the highest level of empowerment any government can ever provide for its people. As John Locke put it, no man has the right to govern another without his consent. Political empowerment therefore is a God-given right that must not be taken lightly or toyed with.
Historically, governance has taken different forms, from monarchical absolutism to fascism, military autocracy and despotism, but now this trust is expressed in a one-man-one-vote multi-party democracy.
Registering to vote is a sacred responsibility for the people. You must therefore take it seriously by ensuring total participation in all the processes. This is why this exercise is very important.
However, because elections empower the people, there will be resistance from those who want to keep the people in slavery and bondage. They are agents of destabilisation and confusion who would rather wish that elections do not take place or at best are manipulated and the people prevented from exercising their God-given right to choose their own leader. They will want to short-circuit the process and pre-determine the end result from the beginning by keeping as many people as possible away from the voters’ register. We want to warn such people that the law enforcement agencies will be alive to their responsibility and take all necessary actions to make the exercise hitch-free and a resounding success.
You must therefore be resolute in your stand for democracy, to register for election, to vote and to make your vote count. Do not be intimidated. Do not be scared; and do not be despondent.
I am also calling on all the political parties to ensure that they are adequately represented at the venues to guide their members through the process and how to conduct themselves appropriately.
To enable you have ample time for the exercise, I have declared Friday March 7 a work-free day. I enjoin you all to verify your name on the register, collect your card and put yourselves in a good position to vote on August 9 and afterwards.
I am also identifying with our Christian faithfuls who have commenced the Lenten Season, a period of fasting for 40 days. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer through prayer, penance, repentance from sins, almsgiving, atonement and self-denial. It is a period, more than ever, to get closer to God. Since it precedes Easter, it is a period for believers to come to greater awareness of the purpose of the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ and the redemption he purchased. The essence of this is love – towards God and fellow man – and to make us better persons in our daily conduct.
I wish you a fruitful and successful Lent and may your prayers and worship be acceptable unto God.
Osun a dara!
 

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