The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abiola Ajimobi

  • My administration has delivered on its promises – Ajimobi

    Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State  on Monday said his administration had  delivered dividends of democracy to the people of the state in the last seven years.

    Ajimobi, in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy, Mr  Bolaji Tunji,  scored his administration high in infrastructural development, security, education, agriculture and healthcare.

    He  also said that his government had built more roads than all the previous administrations combined since the inception of the Fourth Republic.

    “Our administration dualised strategic township roads in Ibadan such as Toll Gate Interchange; Challenge; New Garage-Toll Gate Interchange and Onireke-Jericho-Aleshinloye-Dugbe-Agbarigo road.

    “This administration dualised major township roads in Oyo, Ogbomoso and Iseyin.

    “ Some ongoing road projects are Eleyele-Ologuneru-Eruwa road and dualisation of Saki township road.

    Read Also: Ajimobi’s wife distributes food items to women

    “Others are Idi-Ape-Basorun-Akobo-Odogbo Barracks Junction road, Gate-Old Ife road-Alakia and expansion of Oke Adu-Iwo road,” the governor said on the eve of this year’s Democracy Day.

    Ajimobi also stated that his administration constructed the Mokola flyover which he said was the first to be constructed by any civilian administration in the state.

    The governor said that his administration restored security in all parts of the state through the establishment of a special security outfit, provision of patrol vans, communications equipment and armoured personnel carriers for security agencies.

    Ajimobi said no fewer than 36 companies had been attracted to the state in the last seven years, generating about 4,000 direct employment for residents according to figures from the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria.

    “Our state was rated fifth most investment-friendly by the National Bureau of Statistics having attracted more than $61m (N22.4 billion) in foreign direct investment,” he said.

  • Culture is one of our Legacy Pillars – Ajimobi

    The Governor of Oyo State, Senator Abiola Ajimobi on Monday disclosed that the culture sector is one in which his administration would leave a legacy with tangible projects to ensure the revitalization of the Cultural tourism sector in the state.

    The Governor stated this at the Government House Ibadan during the cultural activities marking 2018 World Culture Day and the official launch of the state’s quarterly cultural magazine tagged Dundun produced by the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism to promote and document our culture, values and historical places among others.

    Senator Ajimobi said that Ibadan is the melting point of the Yoruba Culture, saying that the promotion and preservation of our culture and heritage is one of the Legacy pillars of his administration.

    He explained that the other legacy pillars are Education, Technology, Agriculture and Health, stressing that his administration will strive hard to ensure the revival of the cultural tourism sector of the Oyo State economy which he said can be easily modeled after the Californian economy given the inherent similarities.

    The Governor stressed that his administration has embarked on the establishment of the Ibadan Media City as a first step in the realization of this noble objective pointing out that the facilities of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State would serve as its launch pad.

    Read Also: Ajimobi swears in elected council chiefs

    Senator Ajimobi pointed out that Yoruba Culture is centered on Godliness, integrity, morality and good value system which are the Omoluabi ethos, adding “it is unfortunate that we are losing this ethos. People no longer have respect for our culture, fear of God is missing, there is disrespect for people and people no longer value integrity.

    “There should be fear of God in what we do, integrity and morality should be part of our life and this is why we must use our culture to reclaim the Omoluabi ethos. We will ensure that we leave a formidable legacy in the cultural tourism sector of the state,” he added.

    In his own remarks, the state Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun urged that culture should be used to propagate peace and unity among the different tribes in the country, saying “we should always remember our culture. A wise man once said ‘a people without culture are like a tree without root.’ And therefore, like you all know that culture is the way of life. We must always remember our way of life.

    “If you look at the insecurity that we have, if you look at all the disturbances here and there, they are also related to culture. Our understanding and appreciation of it is crucial, because culture is not just related to the way we do things, there is also religion. We have religions and our culture to shape our life.

    “The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) set May 21 aside for people all over the world to remember their culture, to celebrate their culture and to promote their culture. But more importantly for us here, it is to preserve our culture, because if you notice you will see that our culture is going into extinction.

    “So today is a day of celebration. And that is why you would see that the students have gone to school today in their traditional attires and will be engaged in cultural activities. If you go to offices, you will see that everybody is dressed in traditional outfits.

    “It is a way of remembering where we came from, the way we do our things and one of the ways you can distinguish people is the way of their culture. We have gathered people from diverse culture at the cultural center and we are having a cultural rendezvous. Everybody is going to be there, the local food, music, dance, arts and craft and everything that is related to culture will be exhibited there today. We will be showcasing the culture of Oyo State,” Arulogun added.

  • Family of murdered teenage girl seeks justice in Ibadan

    …police detain killer suspect

     

    The parents of a teenage girl , Lateefat Kofoworola Abubakar who was hit by a bullet and died few minutes later during last Saturday’s local government congress fracas in Oyo state have demanded justice.

    The 18-year-old Lateefat Kofoworola Abubakar, who was shot in the head by an official of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) last weekend.

    Reeling from the pains of the unfortunately loss, the families of the girl have petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari, Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, Attorney General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, the state Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) to assist in ensuring that justice prevails in the gruesome murder of their daughter.

    The deceased was killed by the NSCDC personnel at Idi-Oro, Dugbe area of Ibadan while on her way to get drugs at the pharmacy store.

    It was gathered that the late Kofoworola who wrote her last WAEC papers three days before her sudden death, had earlier complain of headache at about 12noon on the fateful Saturday.

    It was further gathered that a fracas had ensued between two factions of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the area, during the conduct of the May 13th local government elections in the state and NSCDC men who were supposed to control the situation started shooting sporadically from the vehicle on getting to the scene.

    Her elder sibling, Gbemisola, who address newsmen in Ibadan yesterday said what they want is justice since the NSCDC personnel lied he lost his foothold while he was coming down from their vehicle and his gun triggered off by itself “we pray to Allah to grant my sister Aljanah Firdaus. But all we seek for is justice,” Gbemisola noted.

    Gbemisola refuted the NSCDC personnel’s statement when her family visited him in police custody.
    According to her, ‘’what he (the suspect) told us is pure lie, how can a security person who have common sense said gun triggered itself while he was coming down from the vehicle.

    Read Also: Alleged torture: Motorcyclist committed suicide, says NSCDC

    In his reaction father of the victim, Kolawole Abubakar, debunked reports making the rounds that the governor has visited to commiserate with the family.

    Meanwhile, the Oyo State Police Command spokesperson, Adekunle Ajisebutu in his reply to journalists over the weekend said the suspect, an NSCDC personnel, is in police custody.

    According to Ajisebutu the Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Odude, has directed the State Investigation and Intelligence Department, Iyaganku to carry out diligent investigation into the incident.

  • Buhari has managed Nigerian economy better than predecessors- Ajimobi

    Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has stated that no other president in the country has managed the nation’s economy better than President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The governor spoke  in Ibadan on Friday evening while receiving members of the National Congress Committee of APC at the Government House.

    The committee led by Alhaji Musa Aliyu were in the state for the ward congress of the APC scheduled to hold on Saturday.

    “I read Economics and Finance, and there is no economic theory that we have not read. The most important part of all the economic theory is leadership.

    “And Nigeria is lucky to have that leadership. There is no president in Nigeria that has ever managed the economy like Buhari,” he said.

    Ajimobi, who described the APC as the greatest party in Africa, said Buhari was the most credible president that Nigeria has ever produced.

    “I was in one of Buhari’s delegation to London and when he was asked to speak he said ‘I have no money to distribute. All I have been selling is my integrity,” he said.

    The governor said that Buhari has been able to maintain that integrity till date

    “Politics is just a game that if God plays it, some people will abuse Him no matter the performance. I use to tell the president anytime I meet him not to worry people is abusing him.

    “I told him that people abused Prophet Muhammed and Jesus Christ, who are godsend not to talk of us ordinary human beings. That is why God has created the world a binary one,” he said.

    Ajimobi promised that the congress committee would not be influenced, assuring them of their support.

    Earlier, Aliyu said the committee was in Ibadan on a national assignment of the party, which he said the committee would do satisfactorily.

    He said that the party was known for internal democracy, adding such was the cardinal principle preached by Buhari, the leader of the party.

    “We intend to work closely with the local chapters in achieving the desired success, so that the party will come out strongly,” he said.

    The committee had Hon Usman Ibrahim, Hon Mohammed Ibrahim, Hadjia Halima Jabiru and Mrs Fola Olasehinde.

    Also in attendance were Chief Akin Oke, Oyo State APC Chairman and some House of Representative members from Oyo State.

    NAN

  • LG Polls: No court can stop us – Ajimobi

     

    Party holds mega rally ahead of ward congress

     

    Following the controversy trailing the court ruling on the forthcoming May 12 local council election in the state, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State on Friday said that no court has the power to stop the conduct of the polls scheduled to hold across the 33 local government areas, 35 local council development areas and more than 600 wards in the state.

    He made the clarification on the heels of news making the round across the state that a Federal High Court, sitting in Ibadan, had on Wednesday delivered a ruling, stopping the conduct of the poll, when the court did not.

    Addressing thousands of the members of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) during a sensitization mega rally which held at the State Party Secretariat in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, Governor Ajimobi explained that the ruling delivered by the court presided over by Justice J.O. Abdulmalik did not stop the council poll, but only restrained the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) from conducting elections into newly created wards by the commission in Ibarapa East Local Government Area, following issues arising from ward delimitation.

    According to a Congress timetable from the National office of the party, ward congress is slated for today (Saturday) across the country.

    But the governor insisted that the council poll would be held in all the LGAs, LCDAs and wards, including the wards in Ibarapa East Local Government, saying the constitution has made it clear that no court has power over an election.

    He said, “There is this speculation spreading across the state that the council poll will not hold as a result of the court judgment. The court has not stopped us from conducting the election, except in some newly created wards.

    “But we are telling the court that it is in the constitution that no court has power over an election. We are telling you that the wards mentioned and those that were not mentioned, we are going to conduct election there.

    “We are in touch with the aggrieved members of the party that had gone to court. I want to assure you that the election will hold across the state, even in the disputed wards.”

    It would be recalled that Justice J.O Abdulmalik of a Federal High Court, sitting in Ibadan, had granted an interlocutory injunction restraining OYSIEC from conducting election into the new wards created by the commission in Ibarapa East.

    The ruling was delivered in a litigation instituted by five elders from Eruwa in Ibarapa East Local Government Area in a case with number FHC/IB/ES/47/2018 against the Independent National Electoral Commission, OYSIEC, Oyo State Governor and the Attorney-General of the state.

    The applicants had prayed the court for an order on interlocutory injunction restraining the defendants, their servants, agents or privies from using, relying on or employing the use of any electoral areas or wards and polling stations for the purpose of any elections in Oyo State, including local government elections, other than the electoral areas or wards and polling stations created by the INEC, pending the determination of the substantive action.

    They also prayed the court to declare as illegal, null and void, the creation of the electoral areas or wards by OYSIEC in Ibarapa East council area of the state. The court has, however, adjourned the substantive suit to May 28, 2018, for hearing.

    Speaking on the ward congress, Ajimobi appealed to members of APC to ensure the success of the ward congress, warning that his administration does not tolerate hooliganism and that anybody that foment trouble will be handed over to the police.

    The governor, who passionately appealed to the party’s members to go back to their local government areas and wards with a view to reconciling with their people, however,  charged the loyalists of the party to defend themselves peradventure some people want to attack them during the congress, saying: “If they slap you once, slap them back six times.”

    He also appeals to the members to show understanding with their existing executive members who might be willing to continue in office but that if a peaceful agreement cannot be reached, “go to the field. It is not automatic to be a member of the executive.”

    The rally was attended by party chieftains, members from across the 33 local governments, lawmakers, members of the state executive councils and all relevant stakeholders.

  • Speaker buried amidst tributes, tears

    The remains of Mr Michael Adeyemo, the late Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly has been buried at his Lanlate home in Ibarapa East Local Government area of the state amidst tributes and tears.

    Reports have it that the interment on Thursday followed a funeral service held for Adeyemo (47), who died on April 27.

    Our reporter reports that it was a glorious home call for Adeyemo as residents thronged the streets in their hundreds to receive the remains of the late speaker who they described as a worthy representative.

    There was, however, a gloomy atmosphere amidst tears and bitter exclamations in the air on arrival at Lanlate.

    The remains had left Ibadan for Lanlate on Thursday morning after a special session and lying-in-state ceremony held in his honour by the State House of Assembly.

    Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state had at the special session in Ibadan lamented the death of Adeyemo, describing the deceased as a confidant and patriotic partner in progress.

    Ajimobi said that the late speaker contributed immensely to the success of the current administration in the state.

    Mr Edward Ubosi, the Speaker, Enugu State House of Assembly, also described the late Adeyemo as not just a speaker but also a speaking speaker.

    Ubosi, who spoke on behalf of Nigerian Conference of Speakers, noted several contributions of late Adeyemo to the conference and Nigeria.

    Earlier, Messrs Olusegun Ajanaku and Gbenga Oyekola, who spoke on behalf of the lawmakers, could not hold back tears while reading their tributes to the deceased, describing the death of Adeyemo as unfortunate and premature.

    They said Adeyemo died at a time his full potential had not been fully tapped.

    Rev. Stephen Adekunle, President, Ibadan Baptist Conference at the funeral service gave a sermon entitled ‘When your life becomes history’.

    Adekunle stressed the need for the living to always prepare to leave” an impactful history”, in view of the inevitability of death.

    Among those who attended the funeral service are the deceased’s wife, Oyeronke, Ajimobi and his wife, former Gov. Adebayo Alao-Akala, Chief Moses Adeyemo, the Deputy Governor of the state and wife.

    Others were members of State Executive Council, members of National Assembly, members of the State Assembly, prominent political leaders and associates as well as Ibarapa people.

    Speakers of Akwa-Ibom, Lagos, Ebonyi, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara, Ondo, Ogun, Delta, Osun and Ekiti states represented the delegation of Nigeria Conference of Speakers at the lying-in-state for the deceased.

    NAN

  • Speaker’s death: Ajimobi declares 3-day mourning

    he was my bridge builder, will be sorely missed, says Ajimobi

    The Oyo State Government has formally announced the passing away of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Michael Adesina Olusegun Adeyemo, who died early Friday morning after a sudden illness.

    Adeyemo was aged 47.

    The governor also declared a three-day mourning period, with effect from Monday, April 30 – Wednesday, May 2, 2018.

    The directive as declared by the State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, further directed that flags be flown at half-mast during the period.

    The governor, who was on official assignment outside the state as at the time of the death of the speaker had to rush down to Ibadan when the news was broken to him, and headed straight to the Anatomy Department of the University of Ibadan where the late Speaker’s remains were kept.

    During the visit to the morgue, Ajimobi had a lengthy discussion with the pathologists to ascertain the likely cause of the death and whether it could have been prevented, after which he spoke with the family members and the large number of sympathizers on ground.

    Born into the Adeyemo family of Alaarun Compound in Lanlate, Ibarapa East Local Government Area of the State, he was the first child of the family.

    He attended the IMG (Ibadan Municipal Government), Oke Ado, Ibadan for his primary education and was at Celestial Church High School, also in Oke Ado, for his secondary education.

    A brilliant man, Rt. Hon. Adeyemo bagged two University degrees, first at the University of Port Harcourt in Educational Management, graduating in Second Class Upper and at the prestigious University of Ibadan, where he studied Law and graduated in 2004. He practised at the Olujinmi & Akeredolu Law Firm.

    With a passion to serve his people burning in him, he made his foray into politics in 2007 and had been a member of the state assembly from 2011 till his death.

    He was quite active in the affairs of state and had presided over the plenary session of the House of Assembly on Tuesday, April 24, 2018 before its adjournment till May 3.

    Popularly called AMA by friends and associates, the late Speaker who represented the Ibarapa East State Constituency in the State House of Assembly, was sworn in as Speaker of the State House of Assembly on June 12, 2015

    Prior to his position as Speaker, he was Deputy Chief Whip of the House, member of Fund Allocation, Works and Transport, Agriculture, Trade and Investment, Appropriation and Public Finance committees of the 7th House of Assembly.

    The late Speaker was the Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Conference of Speakers and also the Chairman of the Constitution Review Committee, among Speakers of the States’ Houses of Assembly.

    He was a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the International Bar Association. He also served in the executive committee of the Ibadan branch of the NBA as an Auditor and Assistant Secretary.

    Governor Ajimobi described the death as a tragic loss for him and the people of the state.

    “I received the news of the untimely passage of my brother, friend and dependable political ally, with grief and utter shock, this morning (Friday).

    “He was a fine gentleman and bridge builder, who was committed to the development and progress of the state. His death has left a gaping void that will be difficult to fill,” he said.

    The governor expressed sadness that death had again taken away one of the brightest, dutiful and committed political leaders in the state, who had used his sagacity in piloting the affairs of the Assembly without rancour.

    As the leader of the legislative arm of government, with members from different political parties, the governor said that Adeyemo ensured that the relationship with the Executive was very robust.

    The governor said, “He was an energetic young man that was always prepared to sacrifice his time, expertise and resources to ensure that the relationship between the Executive and Legislature did not break down at any time, no matter how thorny the issue might be. He was my bridge builder.

    “Political leaders from Ibarapa zone deferred to him because of his candour, gentleness, respect and his amiable disposition to all, young and old. He was a rallying point for the Assembly leaders, who held him in high esteem because of his unassuming nature.

    “My thoughts and prayers are with his family, honorable members of the House of Assembly, his political associates, friends and loved ones. This is a loss too sudden and tragic for me to bear. My prayer is that his very gentle soul should continue to rest in peace. I will sorely miss him.”

  • Adewole, others advocate lifestyle change to reduce cancer scourge

    …FG working towards reducing cost of treatment

    Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole; Radiotherapy and Cancer Specialists, Prof. Abayomi Durosinmi-Etti; Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and others have advised against carefree habit and lifestyle that promote risk factors to cancer diseases.

    They gave the advice in separate addresses at the launch of the Oyo State five-year cancer control strategic plan, spanning five years (January 2018 to December 2022), in Ibadan, on Tuesday.

    Wife of the state governor and founder of Access to Basic Medical Care Foundation, Chief Florence Ajimobi, who was the initiator of the project, as well as the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Azeez Adedutan, said that the strategic plan was aimed at reducing cancer-related incidence and mortality.

    In their goodwill messages, Wife of Niger State Governor, Dr. Amina Bello; Chief Medical Director, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Prof. Temitope Alonge; and representative of wife of Kwara State governor, Mr. Lanre Bello, harped on early detection and preventive measures to reduce the cancer scourge.

    The minister lauded the state government and ABC Foundation for setting the pace for other states in the country with the cancer control strategic plan, an initiative he said Oyo State pioneered in the country.

    Adewole, who rued what he called the low level of information and awareness on the debilitating effect of the disease across the country, said that the Federal Government was working hard to cause a significant reduction in the cost of cancer treatment.

    Although he put the cost at conservatively $2,000 (N734,000) currently in the country, he said it was still a far cry to the $10,000 (N3.7m) it cost to treat cancer in neighboring Ghana.

    He said that the FG would have loved to establish more cancer treatment centres across the country, in spite of the prohibitive cost, but was being hampered by competing demands of other life-threatening diseases such as heart diseases, hypertension, kidney failure, cirrhosis, among others.

    The minister said, “This is the first time in the history of cancer in Nigeria that a state will make a strategic plan on it. We now know that 40 per cent of cancer can be prevented if we change our habits and lifestyle, while 40 per cent can be cured if detected early.

    “In nearby Ghana, it cost $10,000 to treat cancer while it cost $2,000 to treat the same disease in Nigeria. But, even at that amount, it is still expensive for our people. We are working hard to make the treatment affordable.

    “It is also advisable to localize this cancer plan, as this will be strategic to its success. Involvement of the local government administrations and other health platforms like the Primary Health Care should be integrated into the programme.”

    In his keynote, Durosinmi-Etti, who was the pioneer chief medical director of the National Hospital, Abuja, identified smoking, excessive alcohol intake, albinos’ exposure to sun and excessive body weight as some of the habits and lifestyles that promote cancer.

    He said, “We need to pay attention to the spread of cancer in Nigeria in order to bring it to a near zero level. From research, we discovered that breast and cervical cancer account for 50 per cent of female mortality.

    “Apart from Gombe, Ibadan is the only state in Nigeria with facilities to treat cancer and this call for absolute readiness to campaign for prevention rather than treatment. 33 per cent cure is sure with prevention and early detection.

    “But, if people will just be careful about their habits and lifestyles, such as smoking, excessive drinking, exposure to paint and asbestos chemicals, excessive weight and obesity, as well as exposure to the sun in the case of albinos, there will be a significant reduction in cancer incidence.”

    Launching the strategic plan, the governor said that the initiative was birthed with the collaborative efforts of the state government and the private sector.

    Ajimobi stated that effective healthcare system could not be sustained by government alone, but with the support of the private sector, adding that mortality rate attributed to cancer had been alarming and must be nipped in the bud.

    The governor said, “May I reiterate the fact that effective healthcare service delivery the world over is a joint venture between government and the private sector. It is evident that health cannot be sustained by government’s efforts alone.

    “As a responsive government, we have taken a preemptive review of the structure of the healthcare system with the requisite intent of meeting the health needs of our people. An extensive restructuring of the sector, which involves the three tiers of service provision across the state, is currently on-going.

    “Permit me to use this opportunity to commend the efforts of my wife, who I unequivocally describe as a philanthropist par excellence. She is a woman with the milk of kindness and concern for the welfare and wellbeing of others. I thank her for this initiative and others before this.”

    In her welcome address, the wife of the governor said that the plight of cancer patients informed her decision to play a major role in bringing smiles back to their faces, adding that the plan would harp on prevention of the disease rather than cure.

    Mrs. Ajimobi hinted that the strategic plan was targeting 500,000 people for screening annually, with 165 centers to be created across the state, while soliciting a special cancer fund to assist cancer patients in the State.

    She said, “A significant proportion of the citizenry are not aware of cancer, neither are the majority equipped with much-needed information to protect themselves and their loved ones from it, leading to late presentation.

    “The strategic plan is targeted at five identified priority areas and will be implemented in two phases over the next five years. Its implementation will also be supervised and coordinated by a steering committee comprising of relevant stakeholders.

    “Over the next three months, 1,320 nurses across the 33 Local Government Areas of the state will be trained on cancer screening and 165 screening centers (5 in each LGA), capable of screening 500 thousand people annually, will be established.

    “Although this plan has been designed to be sustainable, there is a need to establish a Cancer Fund to support cancer patients in the state. I am also aware that the State Health Insurance Agency is almost done with plans to incorporate cancer care into all its products and packages.”

  • Technology cannot take teachers’ place

    With technological advancements in Artificial intelligence, mixed reality, quantum computing, 3D printing and others disrupting what is work and learning globally, Microsoft Vice President, Worldwide Education, Anthony Salcito, has called for changes in mindsets that would allow educators prepare learners for jobs of the future.

    Speaking at the opening of the two-day BETT Middle East and Africa Leadership conference and exhibition held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre ( ADNEC ), Abu Dhabi Monday, Salcito said kindergartners who would graduate by 2030 needed a different kind of education from what is presently on offer.

    Based on a research by Microsoft and McKinsey on “Preparing the Class of 2030”, the technology expert said their education needed to be more personalised and teach more soft and emotional skills.

    In doing this, Salcito said technology becomes an enabler that would, rather than take teachers’ place, strengthen them to learn more about their students and as a result give them education tailored to their needs.

    He said teachers needed to realise that technology could not take their place but could make them more productive in preparing their learners to excel in a world where the skill sets needed were presently unknown.

    He said such education should infuse passion in the learners.

    “The reality of why Artificial Intelligence is often feared is because of the displacement of jobs. In many ways it is going to create potential to improve existing jobs – potential to help students get better by providing teachers with tools to assist their jobs,” he said.

    In his speech, the Minister of Education at the United Arab Emirates, H.E. Hussain Ibrahim So, said his country was preparing hard to equip its citizens with the right kind of skills by evolving policies and establishing schools where innovative learning takes place.

    “UAE is the first to have a specialist for the fourth industrial revolution to create policies and laws. We need high quality education to enable our children for the future.

    “We were very proactive in the UAE and launched smart learning in 125 schools. We are planning to launch in 700 schools,” he said.

    In an interview with The Nation, the Story Adviser to Gov Abiola Ajimobi, on education, Dr BC Akin-Alabi said the Oyo State was ready to embrace the transformation technology brings.

    She said the government was partnering with Microsoft to make basic and advanced digital literacy curriculum available in all schools, public or private, at all levels.

  • Oyo Govt. expresses commitment to security of NYSC members

    The Oyo State Government on Monday expressed its commitment to ensuring adequate welfare and security of members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) deployed to the state.

    Abiola Ajimobi, represented by his deputy, Chief Moses Adeyemo, said this at the swearing-in ceremony of the 2018 batch “A” corps members deployed to the state, at the NYSC Orientation Camp, Iseyin.

    He assured the corps members of the warm reception awaiting them in their places of primary assignments.

    Read Also: http://staging.thenationonlineng.net/2411-graduates-undergo-nysc-osun/

    “I assure you that you will enjoy the warmth and hospitality of the entire people of the state throughout the period of your one-year national service,” he said.

    The governor noted that NYSC remained the unifying chord that held the country together.

    He said that the scheme provided youths, who prior to its establishment, were strangers to the diverse culture of other parts of Nigeria.

    Ajimobi remarked that the orientation programme was designed to inculcate discipline in youths and instill in them a tradition of hard work, integrity and patriotism to Nigeria wherever they were posted.

    “To curb the alarming rate of unemployment, you are enjoined to acquire more knowledge through personal development skill acquisition and entrepreneurship development training during the period of orientation course,” he said.

    Earlier, the state NYSC’s Coordinator, Mrs Ifeoma Anidobi, said  2,412 corps members were registered, comprising 1143 males and 1269 females.

    Anidobi urged the corps members to contribute their quota to the unity, integration and advancement of Oyo state in particular and Nigeria at large.

    She advised them to make optimal use of the opportunity provided by NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme.

    The coordinator remarked that the posting policy of corps members to places of primary assignment was tailored towards meeting the felt needs of the state, particularly in agriculture, education, health and rural infrastructure.

    “Several activities have been lined up to make the course an exciting one; so take every camp activity seriously, from early morning meditation to lectures, drills and social events.

    “You will also have opportunity to showcase your talents during the inter-platoon dance, drama, sporting and skills competitions,” she said.

    Anidobi, however, appreciated the Oyo state government and the people of the state for their unflinching support to the NYSC scheme always.

    The 2,412 corps members were sworn in by Justice Eni Esan, who represented the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Muktar Abimbola.

    NAN