The Nation Newspaper

Tag: AREGBESOLA

  • Aregbesola fights poverty with O’Meal

    Aregbesola fights poverty with O’Meal

    There were grim statistics for Nigeria from the recently released “State of School Feeding Worldwide Report”, compiled by the World Food Programme (WFP).

    The report, launched at the United Nations headquarters in New York, indicated that only one out of five school children get a healthy school meal in developing countries. The report also presented a gloomy picture of Nigeria’s school feeding programme highlighting that less than 500,000 school children get a decent meal in school. In that report, Nigeria and Cameroon shared the ignoble position of coming last.

    In 2004, Nigeria began a pilot project of Home Grown School Feeding and Health Programme (HGSFHP) which was part of the Universal Basic Education Programme. It was designed to feed pupils in elementary public schools. But out of the 13 states that participated in the programme, only one state remained committed to the continued implementation and improvement of the project: The state is Osun.

    The state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has been developing a simple theory with his re-organised school feeding programme in the state. For him, providing nutritious and healthy meals in schools has a direct link to mental development and the eradication of poverty.

    Therefore when in April 2012, he decided to review the school feeding programme with a bigger and better menu, he targeted not just the children but also the farmers in the state. The Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme (O’Meals), which was the result of the new thinking in the state has since surpassed most of its main objectives.

    One of the cardinal points of O’Meals is to increase enrollment and retention of school children in state primary schools. Within four weeks of the commencement of the programme however, school enrollment has jumped about 25 per cent in government primary schools. By June 30, 2012, enrollment increased from 155,318,000 to 194,253 from primaries 1-3.

    Basking in the euphoria of this success, the state government promptly widened the scope and included primary 4 in the scheme. The state now feeds a total of 252,793,000 students daily at the annual cost of N3billion. From the report of the WFP, Osun State accounts for more than half of the total number of children getting healthy and nutritious school meals in Nigeria.

    The operation officer of O’meal, Mrs. Bunmi Ayoola, said the programme has achieved and surpassed its objectives of increasing school enrollment in the state. She said the government also ensures that the food is prepared in a healthy and neat environment.

    “Balanced diet helps in developing the brain’s capacity as well as cognitive response index of each child and it plays a major role in ensuring that children assimilate learning instructions fast and well,’’ she said.

    Fighting poverty and increasing enterprise

    But increased enrollment was not the only intention of the Osun State government; reduction of poverty and boosting small and medium scale enterprise were also key points in the school feeding programme. According to the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, the rebirth of the school feeding programme has had a positive impact on farmers.

    “As part of six points integral action plan of the state government to banish hunger, create employment and education for all; the school feeding programme has increased the enrollment of the pupils by 25 per cent within the two weeks of re-introduction, allowed farmers to engage in massive food production and encouraged learning in primary schools. Let me tell you that 80 per cent of food production by the farmers in the State will be used for feeding of our kids in the programme”.

    The deputy governor revealed that over 900 cocoyam farmers have been empowered by the government.

    “In order to ensure that the programme is sustained, we have encouraged our farmers to go into massive production of fish and chicken with which to feed the pupils. We have also directed our farmers to go into massive production of plantain, banana and very soon we are thinking on the possibility of going into massive production of rice and establish rice mills across the state to encourage our farmers,” she said.

    More than 3,000 women in the state have also been empowered to serve as the food vendors. The vendors are well kitted with modern cooking utensils and bowls at the cost of N152 million to the state government. One of the vendors, Mrs. Esther Ogundipe said the programme has empowered her family. “Aregbesola has added value to my life; I am no more a housewife,’’ she said.

    Today, according to the state government, 15,000 whole chickens are sourced weekly from local poultry farmers; 254,000 eggs sourced weekly; 35 heads of cattle purchased weekly from local cattle farmers and 400 tonnes of catfish purchased weekly from local fish farmers.

    Even though some have criticised the enormous cost of the programme, the WFP said even in developed country, the amount spent by government on school meals is a worthy investment for the future.

    “This will help raise healthy adults for the future, it is a worthy investment by any government,” the world body said.

    At mid-day on any school day, the bell rang; food vendors immaculately dressed began to make preparations for the feeding of their wards. All across the state, the same process is repeated at every primary school. Meals like Yam Porridge, bread soaked in a steaming red stew with chicken to garnish, beans porridge and vegetables, all complemented with fruits were handed over to 250,000 children. In Osun schools, time for break means time for “Ounje Aregbe.”

     

  • Aregbesola advocates care of environment

    Aregbesola advocates care of environment

    •Osun buys 2.5m seedlings for tree planting

     

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has urged youths to embrace his administration’s environmental policies.

    He said this would prevent further degeneration of the environment.

    Aregbesola spoke yesterday after receiving the Environment Gold Award of the Institute of Environment and Ecology, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.

    He said his green policy is aimed at regenerating the environment, adding that his administration has bought 2.5 million seedlings of various tree species under the Igi Iye (tree for life) initiative.

    Aregbesola said: “The environment should not be seen as ours alone, but that which belongs to many unborn generations.”

    He said the environment should not be trampled upon, but should be regarded as a precious resource of nature put in our care.

    Thanking the institute for the award, the governor said it would spur him on to strengthen awareness on the importance of protecting the environment.

    Osun State Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation Prof. Olubukola Oyawoye said tree planting is a necessity for a good environment.

    OAU’s Vice Chancellor Prof. Bamitale Omole, who was represented by his deputy, Prof. Ayobami Salami, said the people should take responsibility for the growth or otherwise of the environment.

    He praised the governor for the “remarkable feats” recorded by his administration, which he said have improved the state.

    At the event were Deputy Governor Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori; Acting State Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Elder Adebiyi Adelowo; the Head of Service, Mr. Sunday Owoeye; members of the State Executive Council (SEC), market women and students.

     

  • Aregbesola: Warming up for 2014

    Aregbesola: Warming up for 2014

    Many indigenes and groups have endorsed Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola for a second term, owing to his performance in office in the last three years. On the live television programme, ‘Ogbeni Till Daybreak’, last Friday, the governor reviewed his achievements and hinted about his intention to seek re-nomination. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU reports.

     

    Six years ago, the people of Osun State voted for change. But the votes did not count for three years. From the ballot box, the liberation struggle shifted to the court room. The legal fireworks that ensued underscored the determination of the progressive politicians to halt the plot by the conservative bloc to drag the State of Living Springs to doom. Indisputably, it was the temple of justice that saved the state from electoral terrorism and retrogression.

    Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Governor Aregbesola inherited a state almost in ruin. The period between 2003 and 2010 was remarkable for pain and fear. Oyinlola Administration was full of tension. It was an administration swimming in the pool of legitimacy crisis. Peace has deserted the state. Instead of borrowing a lead from the Aregbesola and his party manifestos, and working assiduously to the progress of the three senatorial districts, the key functionaries were only targeting the ACN family for liquidation. Some of them were hounded into detention. Some lost their lives. The symbol of the struggle was declared wanted. It was falsely alleged that he threw bombs at Osogbo, the capital. At the yearly ‘Oroki Day’, he escaped death harrowingly when state agents pounced on his vehicle and supporters.

    However, when his mandate was restored, reality dawned on Aregbesola that the struggle had just started. The euphoria that greeted that change of baton withered immediately in the face of the mounting challenges. The critical sectors were on their knees. Osun, which has the largest number of towns in the country, is one of the poorest states. But that misery had been compounded by the opulence of the interlopers. To clear the Augean table was non-negotiable. For the modern-day Oranmiyan, governance could not be a tea party.

    The governor had to live by example. His Spartan lifestyle became an advantage. His first step was to embarked on value engineering. One of the critical elements was the strategic reduction of the cost of governance. It smacked of self-sacrifice and denial to shun contentiousness, which the public office may inadvertently permit. Deliberately, he delayed the setting up of the cabinet of talents and other political appointments. After six months, the state had N30 billion in its coffers. Aregbesola also blocked the financial loopholes. Corruption became a punishable offence. The inflation of contract cost became a thing of the past. Since the governor only came to serve and not to pillage the treasury, it was evident that only decent people who shared his vision could cope with his style and move at his pace.

    Many doubted him when he promised to create 20,000 jobs in his first hundred days. Few believed him when he said that it was time to fight the infrastructure battle. Also, his intervention in the education and health sectors has rekindled the memory of Ige and Akande era. His ethical and moral crusades have sensitised the people to the value of virtue (Omoluabi). Many believe that the fruits would be savoured beyond his tenure. Not only has Osun become a huge construction site, the prudent management of scare resources have assisted in the erection of lasting legacies in the state in the last three years.

    These achievements have been lauded by many indigenes and groups who are now agitating for continuity beyond 2014. Statesmen, professionals, traditional rulers and other observers have submitted that there has been a clean break from the sordid past. But these feats have also be dismissed by the detractors, opponents, and critics, particularly in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as a camouflage and window dressing. Returning the salvo, the governor, who hinted about his intention to extend his service beyond next year, challenged them to a duel. “We enjoy the confidence of our people and we will defeat our opponents. We represent our people and there is no cause for fear”, he said.

    Aregbesola rendered the account of stewardship at the weekend during the quarterly live television programme, ‘Ogbeni Till Daybreak’, at the Osun Centre for Arts and Culture, Osogbo. The event was between 10 pm and 5.50 am. He was accompanied by his deputy, Otunba Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, who doubles as the Education Commissioner. The Secretary to Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, Chief of Staff Gboyega Oyetola, Senator Babajide Omoworare from Ife/Ijesa District, state legislators, special advisers, traditional rulers, and party chieftains witnessed the programme.

    It was a joint review of the ACN government by the governor and the people. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. As Aregbesola got kudos for the jobs well done, the unfinished business of his administration was also laid bare. To analysts, he cannot afford to rest on his oars. Various callers brought into the governor’s attention the problems of their towns and villages. The response to questions on the activities of the administration was not a one-man show. Judging by the specific nature of the enquiry, the governor would ask the commissioner, permanent secretary, director or head of parastatal to make clarification.

    The Commissioner for Information, Hon. Sunday Akere, who welcomed the people to the event, said that the essence of the programmes was to give opportunities to the indigenes to participate in governance. The unusual governor is administering the State of Osun in an unusual manner”, he said. He called on the people not to relent in supporting the administration to achieve more progress. The governor promised to sustain the platform, which has offered unlimited opportunities for interaction and exchange of ideas between the government and people.

    Aregbesola reflected on the epic revolution in the education sector through the introduction of the ‘Opon Imo’. He explained that the goal was to ensure the democratisation of education. The governor also said that the move would guarantee access to digital technology. “Never again will anybody be denied access to total learning”, he said, stressing that education, which should be total, qualitative and functional, should be the birthright of the youths.

    The brain behind the tablet of knowledge is Kabiru, son of the governor. The governor had initially concealed this, until the ACN National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, heaped praises on him for donating his talent and service during its inauguration. Since then, critics have alleged that he got the contract from his father. However, the younger Aregbesola only donated his skill and knowledge of informatics free of charge. The governor explained with pride and fondness that, his son, who opted for informatics instead of medicine in a university in Cuba, has added value to his administration. “He is not the contractor”, he emphasised. It was another eye opener. Experts in the hall noted that it is now instructive that children should be allowed to pursue courses of study based on interest and competence, and not on parental wish or pressure.

    Apart from the allegation of personalisation of power, which the governor vehemently denied, the PDP has also accused him of incurring heavy debt. He dismissed the critics as economic illiterates. “The issue is not about debt, but what we are doing with the loans”, he said. Aregbesola explained that when the soft-term loans were used for long term projects without any bearing on the social welfare, gap existed between expectation and reality. That debilitating effects, he pointed out, have been corrected by seeking for facilities to re-finance them, stop the project and embark on progressives programmes for development. The timeframe is then, used to process access to the capital market, he added. delving into statistics, the governor said that the state receives N3.6 billion monthly from the Federation Account, although periodically, money comes from the excess crude. Workers’ salaries would gulp N2.6 billion. Thus, if the debt profile is assessed against the financial status of the state, there is no cause for alarm because, as the governor put it, it is within the limit of N30 billion.

    To underscore the administration’s commitment to proper financial management, the governor said that the state has paid the May salary for workers without receiving the April allocation. To those who thought that Aregbesola has not done well by refusing to distribute state money to party chieftains, he said that his camp of progressives are keen on service to the people, and not the appropriation of the resources for development. “To that extent, they are carried along. They (PDP) believes in appropriating. That is not the essence of government”, he stressed.

    In Osun State, the federal roads have become the governor’s burden. The people have been complaining to Aregbesola, who is within reach, instead of the distant Federal Government. The governor said that he could not ignore the demand for the reconstruction of the roads. Whether the Federal Government refunds the money for the construction or not, he said that his administration would not look back.

    However, Aregbesola clarified that the proposed MKO Abiola Airport, which is located between Ido-Osun and Ede, is being done by the state government. He quickly added that “it must be approved by the Federal Government”. The governor also clarified that the Federal Government’s approval does not affect its ownership. The contract, which is handled by Aerological Engineering Limited, is expected to gulp N4,5 billion. The project is also expected to be completed in February, next year. The governor said that the project will generate employment opportunities.

    Recently, it was reported in the social media that the governor slapped his deputy, Mrs. Laoye Tomori. He expressed sadness over the fabrication, saying that “I and my loyal deputy have never quarreled before”. The governor said that, even at domestic level, he has never beaten his children, a duty he has allowed her wife, Sherifat, to perform. Besides, Aregbesola said that it would have been discourteous of him to descend so low to beat a woman and somebody who is older than him. “My deputy is a woman. She is older than me. How can I beat an elderly person”, he queried?

    Aregbesola said that he would not be distracted by the enemies of the state and the people. He promised to focus on the developmental activities that have earned him the respect of the indigenes. One of them is the robust agricultural programmes, which has revolutionalised the sector. From these farms, government has been buying free eggs and meat for the pupils under the ‘O-Meal’ scheme. Mrs. Laoye-Tomori said the government is feeding 300,000 pupils daily, adding that this has led to increased enrolment. “The foods are from the state. 15,000 fowls are killed daily. They are from poultries in the state. We used 5,000 kilograms of fish to feed the children, in addition with 8,400 crates of egg weekly”, she said.

    On the controversy over the ownership of the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding, Osogbo, which board is being chaired by Prof. Wole Soyinka, the governor cleared the air. He said that the centre belongs to the state, and not the former governor. The case is in the court.

    A caller from Owena complained that erosion was threatening the border town. His claim was not affirmed. The Special Adviser on Environment, Comrade Bola Ilori, explained that people being threatened by erosion are violators of the law who built their houses on the canals and swampy areas. He urged the people to be environment-friendly. Government, he said, will not condone such violation.

    On the local government allocation, Aregbesola said that his administration has not oppressed the local governments by starving them of funds. “We have allocation committee and the Head of Personnel Management are members. We look at the allocation to the state and local government and decide. We devote the money to capital projects, especially the roads in the local governments”, he added. The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Oluwadamilare, also explained that the activities of the committee are transparent.

    Aregbesola maintained that he has served the state loyally. He said that his party will retain power in the next year election. To him, the PDP has been bragging in this season of electioneering. He said they would be judged by the electorate in 2015. He predicted success for the proposed party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). “Victory everywhere”, he said, when asked about the prospects of the APC and his expectation. “The strength of the ACN is the Southwest, CPC the Northwest and ANPP the Northeast. We will come together and there will be victory”, he added.

     

     

     

  • Aregbesola fights poverty with O’Meal

    Aregbesola fights poverty with O’Meal

    There were grim statistics for Nigeria from the recently released “State of School Feeding Worldwide Report”, compiled by the World Food Programme (WFP).

    The report, launched at the United Nations headquarters in New York, indicated that only one out of five school children get a healthy school meal in developing countries. The report also presented a gloomy picture of Nigeria’s school feeding programme highlighting that less than 500,000 school children get a decent meal in school. In that report, Nigeria and Cameroon shared the ignoble position of coming last.

    In 2004, Nigeria began a pilot project of Home Grown School Feeding and Health Programme (HGSFHP) which was part of the Universal Basic Education Programme. It was designed to feed pupils in elementary public schools. But out of the 13 states that participated in the programme, only one state remained committed to the continued implementation and improvement of the project: The state is Osun.

    The state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has been developing a simple theory with his re-organised school feeding programme in the state. For him, providing nutritious and healthy meals in schools has a direct link to mental development and the eradication of poverty.

    Therefore when in April 2012, he decided to review the school feeding programme with a bigger and better menu, he targeted not just the children but also the farmers in the state. The Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme (O’Meals), which was the result of the new thinking in the state has since surpassed most of its main objectives.

    One of the cardinal points of O’Meals is to increase enrollment and retention of school children in state primary schools. Within four weeks of the commencement of the programme however, school enrollment has jumped about 25 per cent in government primary schools. By June 30, 2012, enrollment increased from 155,318,000 to 194,253 from primaries 1-3.

    Basking in the euphoria of this success, the state government promptly widened the scope and included primary 4 in the scheme. The state now feeds a total of 252,793,000 students daily at the annual cost of N3billion. From the report of the WFP, Osun State accounts for more than half of the total number of children getting healthy and nutritious school meals in Nigeria.

    The operation officer of O’meal, Mrs. Bunmi Ayoola, said the programme has achieved and surpassed its objectives of increasing school enrollment in the state. She said the government also ensures that the food is prepared in a healthy and neat environment.

    “Balanced diet helps in developing the brain’s capacity as well as cognitive response index of each child and it plays a major role in ensuring that children assimilate learning instructions fast and well,’’ she said.

    Fighting poverty and increasing enterprise

    But increased enrollment was not the only intention of the Osun State government; reduction of poverty and boosting small and medium scale enterprise were also key points in the school feeding programme. According to the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, the rebirth of the school feeding programme has had a positive impact on farmers.

    “As part of six points integral action plan of the state government to banish hunger, create employment and education for all; the school feeding programme has increased the enrollment of the pupils by 25 per cent within the two weeks of re-introduction, allowed farmers to engage in massive food production and encouraged learning in primary schools. Let me tell you that 80 per cent of food production by the farmers in the State will be used for feeding of our kids in the programme”.

    The deputy governor revealed that over 900 cocoyam farmers have been empowered by the government.

    “In order to ensure that the programme is sustained, we have encouraged our farmers to go into massive production of fish and chicken with which to feed the pupils. We have also directed our farmers to go into massive production of plantain, banana and very soon we are thinking on the possibility of going into massive production of rice and establish rice mills across the state to encourage our farmers,” she said.

    More than 3,000 women in the state have also been empowered to serve as the food vendors. The vendors are well kitted with modern cooking utensils and bowls at the cost of N152 million to the state government. One of the vendors, Mrs. Esther Ogundipe said the programme has empowered her family. “Aregbesola has added value to my life; I am no more a housewife,’’ she said.

    Today, according to the state government, 15,000 whole chickens are sourced weekly from local poultry farmers; 254,000 eggs sourced weekly; 35 heads of cattle purchased weekly from local cattle farmers and 400 tonnes of catfish purchased weekly from local fish farmers.

    Even though some have criticised the enormous cost of the programme, the WFP said even in developed country, the amount spent by government on school meals is a worthy investment for the future.

  • Aregbesola fights poverty with O’Meal

    Aregbesola fights poverty with O’Meal

    There were grim statistics for Nigeria from the recently released “State of School Feeding Worldwide Report”, compiled by the World Food Programme (WFP).

    The report, launched at the United Nations headquarters in New York, indicated that only one out of five school children get a healthy school meal in developing countries. The report also presented a gloomy picture of Nigeria’s school feeding programme highlighting that less than 500,000 school children get a decent meal in school. In that report, Nigeria and Cameroon shared the ignoble position of coming last.

    In 2004, Nigeria began a pilot project of Home Grown School Feeding and Health Programme (HGSFHP) which was part of the Universal Basic Education Programme. It was designed to feed pupils in elementary public schools. But out of the 13 states that participated in the programme, only one state remained committed to the continued implementation and improvement of the project: The state is Osun.

    The state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has been developing a simple theory with his re-organised school feeding programme in the state. For him, providing nutritious and healthy meals in schools has a direct link to mental development and the eradication of poverty.

    Therefore when in April 2012, he decided to review the school feeding programme with a bigger and better menu, he targeted not just the children but also the farmers in the state. The Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme (O’Meals), which was the result of the new thinking in the state has since surpassed most of its main objectives.

    One of the cardinal points of O’Meals is to increase enrollment and retention of school children in state primary schools. Within four weeks of the commencement of the programme however, school enrollment has jumped about 25 per cent in government primary schools. By June 30, 2012, enrollment increased from 155,318,000 to 194,253 from primaries 1-3.

    Basking in the euphoria of this success, the state government promptly widened the scope and included primary 4 in the scheme. The state now feeds a total of 252,793,000 students daily at the annual cost of N3billion. From the report of the WFP, Osun State accounts for more than half of the total number of children getting healthy and nutritious school meals in Nigeria.

    The operation officer of O’meal, Mrs. Bunmi Ayoola, said the programme has achieved and surpassed its objectives of increasing school enrollment in the state. She said the government also ensures that the food is prepared in a healthy and neat environment.

    “Balanced diet helps in developing the brain’s capacity as well as cognitive response index of each child and it plays a major role in ensuring that children assimilate learning instructions fast and well,’’ she said.

    Fighting poverty and increasing enterprise

    But increased enrollment was not the only intention of the Osun State government; reduction of poverty and boosting small and medium scale enterprise were also key points in the school feeding programme. According to the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, the rebirth of the school feeding programme has had a positive impact on farmers.

    “As part of six points integral action plan of the state government to banish hunger, create employment and education for all; the school feeding programme has increased the enrollment of the pupils by 25 per cent within the two weeks of re-introduction, allowed farmers to engage in massive food production and encouraged learning in primary schools. Let me tell you that 80 per cent of food production by the farmers in the State will be used for feeding of our kids in the programme”.

    The deputy governor revealed that over 900 cocoyam farmers have been empowered by the government.

    “In order to ensure that the programme is sustained, we have encouraged our farmers to go into massive production of fish and chicken with which to feed the pupils. We have also directed our farmers to go into massive production of plantain, banana and very soon we are thinking on the possibility of going into massive production of rice and establish rice mills across the state to encourage our farmers,” she said.

    More than 3,000 women in the state have also been empowered to serve as the food vendors. The vendors are well kitted with modern cooking utensils and bowls at the cost of N152 million to the state government. One of the vendors, Mrs. Esther Ogundipe said the programme has empowered her family. “Aregbesola has added value to my life; I am no more a housewife,’’ she said.

    Today, according to the state government, 15,000 whole chickens are sourced weekly from local poultry farmers; 254,000 eggs sourced weekly; 35 heads of cattle purchased weekly from local cattle farmers and 400 tonnes of catfish purchased weekly from local fish farmers.

    Even though some have criticised the enormous cost of the programme, the WFP said even in developed country, the amount spent by government on school meals is a worthy investment for the future.

    “This will help raise healthy adults for the future, it is a worthy investment by any government,” the world body said.

    At mid-day on any school day, the bell rang; food vendors immaculately dressed began to make preparations for the feeding of their wards. All across the state, the same process is repeated at every primary school. Meals like Yam Porridge, bread soaked in a steaming red stew with chicken to garnish, beans porridge and vegetables, all complemented with fruits were handed over to 250,000 children. In Osun schools, time for break means time for “Ounje Aregbe.”

     

  • Re: Aregbesola, Omisore, and Omoworare

    Re: Aregbesola, Omisore, and Omoworare

    The attention of the Iyiola Omisore Campaign Organisation has been drawn to an article titled “Aregbesola, Omisore and I” authored by Babajide Omoworare, and published in your newspaper’s edition of Sunday, June 16, 2013 on page 26. Omoworare was described in the publication as the “Senator representing Osun East”, – a claim which is still in litigation as we shall presently show. The said publication was replete with half-truths and blatant falsehood. While we could have ignored the piece as an amateurish regurgitation, we found it compelling to set the records straight, especially as facts of history were distorted and misrepresented.

    The issues touched by Omoworare fall into three main categories; namely, the record of the performance in office of his boss, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as governor of Osun State for the past three years; the politics of betrayal in the Alliance for Democracy; and the 2011 elections in Osun State. In each of the three categories, Omoworare was, at his best, economical with the truth.

    We start with the last general elections in the state. It is on record that prior to the 2011 elections in Osun, 38 stakeholders went to court seeking an order to stop the election on the ground that the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ambassador Rufus Oluwatoyin Akeju, was a biased umpire, having served, in Lagos, as special adviser to Senator Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State and National Leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria, one of the parties contesting in the elections.

    The said Ambassador Akeju had also been confirmed as a card-carrying member of the ACN. The court granted the order, restraining INEC from recognising Akeju as REC and restraining the same Akeju from conducting or supervising the conduct of the elections. The INEC, however, ignored the court order and allowed the said Akeju to preside over the elections in Osun State. For record purposes, the suit number is FHC/OS/CS/26/2011 while the ruling was delivered on March 28th, 2011. Interested parties should please check up the court records. Permit us to say that this is a court of competent jurisdiction.

    The outcome of the elections presided over by the said Akeju was a massively rigged polls throwing up Omoworare and his likes. As law-abiding citizens, the plaintiffs in the original case then went to court seeking to invalidate the election held against a subsisting court order. The court was about determining the suit when the ACN rushed to delay the hearing of the substantive suit. The appeal by the ACN is still pending in the Court of Appeal. It is also on record that INEC later approached the Court of Appeal to appeal the original court ruling restraining it, first, from recognising Akeju as REC Osun State, and, second, from allowing the said Akeju to supervise the conduct of the Osun polls. The case appeal number is CA/AK/46/2011 with INEC and Akeju as the appellants and the PDP as the respondent.

    Why Omoworare denies the existence of these court cases over his so-called victory is not far to decipher. The presence of these cases cannot but give him jitters. Omoworare behaves like the ostrich, pretending that the court cases do not exist. But even that will not wish them away! It is bare-faced misinformation and deception that Omoworare failed to make reference to the fact that the election on which he stands to describe himself as the “Senator representing Osun East” is still in litigation. We would have expected him to have been distinguished enough to admit the above facts as he did on his scampering away from a fresh contest after the 2007 election petition ruling. The election that he claimed to have won was illegally conducted and the court is handling the case appropriately. It would have amounted to endorsing an illegality were Iyiola Omisore to file a petition against an election the court had ruled should not hold.

    Omoworare‘s supposition that all previous elections, except that of 1999, were rigged is a self-serving, indicting accusation. The 2003 elections where Chief Bisi Akande was voted out were adjudged one of the best elections in the state. In Osun east senatorial district, Iyiola Omisore won despite being unjustly imprisoned during the period. The groundswell of sympathy guaranteed his victory even when he could not campaign round the district because of his incarceration. Omoworare must note that if democracy is to take firm roots in Nigeria, it is deceitful to see only elections won by us as free and fair while those won by our opponents are bad-mouthed even when clear evidence shows that such elections were free and fair. Everyone knew why Chief Akande lost in 2003. Akande himself knew why he lost. Before that election, knowledgeable AD leaders in Osun had seen the ominous signs and had sounded the alarm. But like the proverbial hunter’s dog destined to get lost in the forest, Chief Akande spurned all good counsel and continued with his policies – and the people paid him back in his own coins by massively voting him out of office. That is the correct analysis of what happened in Osun State in 2003 and only a jaundiced writer like Omoworare would pretend not to know that.

    On Omisore’s relationship with Chief Akande, Omoworare should have been tutored properly. The Alliance for Democracy was formed in Omisore‘s hotel room in Abuja under the watchful eyes of the late Chief Bola Ige. Omoworare was a young man still trying to find his feet at that time. Omisore bankrolled not just the party but also the election of Akande as governor of Osun State. Facts are sacred. Contrary to accusations that Omisore disregarded and harassed the former governor, it is rather the other way round as Omisore was hounded and tossed around in the desperate bid of the cabal that had formed around Akande to betray the gentleman’s agreement of one term only agreed to within the party caucus prior to the 1999 elections.

    That was the prelude to the campaign of calumny, ostracisation, and orchestrated impeachment of Senator Omisore as deputy governor of the state on flimsy grounds. Senator Omisore was betrayed by others he had helped. It was not the other way round. Their plan was to politically bury Omisore despite all he did for them but God is ever on the side of the righteous. Omoworare was not part of the caucus and so cannot claim first-hand knowledge of what transpired. We must also note that during the days of the United Nigeria Congress Party [UNCP] when Senator Omisore was already a key player in the politics of Nigeria, Omoworare was still a student.

    Let it be known to Omoworare and others of his ilk that Omisore as Chairman, Senate Appropriations Committee for four years transparently supervised the appropriation of almost N49 trillion to the applause and commendation of the public. His tenure as chairman of that strategic committee was a golden age of appropriation processes in the country. As a professional engineer, he has undertaken many top-flight engineering projects. Thus, Omisore is not the ordinary, business-as-usual politician but a tested and experienced professional that has the wherewithal to take Osun to a new level of collective prosperity.

    As we close, a word of advice is necessary for Omoworare: Facts of history cannot be whimsically distorted. Omisore was pivotal to making Chief Bisi Akande, current National Chairman of ACN, governor of Osun State. The injustice done to Omisore was monumental. Let all those who aspire to the position of leadership toe the path of truth because truth exalts; falsehood is a reproach. Omisore holds no personal grudges against anyone; not even against Akande, Omoworare or Gov. Aregbesola.

     

    •Oriola, is Media Adviser, Iyiola Omisore Campaign Organisation.

     

  • Aregbesola not high handed, say Osun LG chairmen

    The 30 councils’ executive secretaries in Osun State have absolved GovernorRaufAregbesola of alleged high handedness by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

    The council bosses at a press conference inOsogbo, the state capital, during the weekend, said it was erroneous for any individual or group to accuse Aregbesola of meddling in the administration of their councils.

    The chairman, Osun State chapter of ALGON, Prince AdekunleAyantoye, said that Aregbesola administration has accorded due respect to all tiers of government, including the judiciary.

    He stressed that the approach is made manifest in the several initiatives by the state government that border on the socio-economic development of the state.

  • Aregbesola fights poverty with O’Meal

    Aregbesola fights poverty with O’Meal

    There were grim statistics for Nigeria from the recently released “State of School Feeding Worldwide Report”, compiled by the World Food Programme (WFP).

    The report, launched at the United Nations headquarters in New York, indicated that only one out of five school children get a healthy school meal in developing countries. The report also presented a gloomy picture of Nigeria’s school feeding programme highlighting that less than 500,000 school children get a decent meal in school. In that report, Nigeria and Cameroon shared the ignoble position of coming last.

    In 2004, Nigeria began a pilot project of Home Grown School Feeding and Health Programme (HGSFHP) which was part of the Universal Basic Education Programme. It was designed to feed pupils in elementary public schools. But out of the 13 states that participated in the programme, only one state remained committed to the continued implementation and improvement of the project: The state is Osun.

    aregbeThe state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has been developing a simple theory with his re-organised school feeding programme in the state. For him, providing nutritious and healthy meals in schools has a direct link to mental development and the eradication of poverty.

    Therefore when in April 2012, he decided to review the school feeding programme with a bigger and better menu, he targeted not just the children but also the farmers in the state. The Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme (O’Meals), which was the result of the new thinking in the state has since surpassed most of its main objectives.

    One of the cardinal points of O’Meals is to increase enrollment and retention of school children in state primary schools. Within four weeks of the commencement of the programme however, school enrollment has jumped about 25 per cent in government primary schools. By June 30, 2012, enrollment increased from 155,318,000 to 194,253 from primaries 1-3.

    Basking in the euphoria of this success, the state government promptly widened the scope and included primary 4 in the scheme. The state now feeds a total of 252,793,000 students daily at the annual cost of N3billion. From the report of the WFP, Osun State accounts for more than half of the total number of children getting healthy and nutritious school meals in Nigeria.

    The operation officer of O’meal, Mrs. Bunmi Ayoola, said the programme has achieved and surpassed its objectives of increasing school enrollment in the state. She said the government also ensures that the food is prepared in a healthy and neat environment.

    “Balanced diet helps in developing the brain’s capacity as well as cognitive response index of each child and it plays a major role in ensuring that children assimilate learning instructions fast and well,’’ she said.

    Fighting poverty and increasing enterprise

    But increased enrollment was not the only intention of the Osun State government; reduction of poverty and boosting small and medium scale enterprise were also key points in the school feeding programme. According to the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, the rebirth of the school feeding programme has had a positive impact on farmers.

    “As part of six points integral action plan of the state government to banish hunger, create employment and education for all; the school feeding programme has increased the enrollment of the pupils by 25 per cent within the two weeks of re-introduction, allowed farmers to engage in massive food production and encouraged learning in primary schools. Let me tell you that 80 per cent of food production by the farmers in the State will be used for feeding of our kids in the programme”.

    The deputy governor revealed that over 900 cocoyam farmers have been empowered by the government.

    “In order to ensure that the programme is sustained, we have encouraged our farmers to go into massive production of fish and chicken with which to feed the pupils. We have also directed our farmers to go into massive production of plantain, banana and very soon we are thinking on the possibility of going into massive production of rice and establish rice mills across the state to encourage our farmers,” she said.

    More than 3,000 women in the state have also been empowered to serve as the food vendors. The vendors are well kitted with modern cooking utensils and bowls at the cost of N152 million to the state government. One of the vendors, Mrs. Esther Ogundipe said the programme has empowered her family. “Aregbesola has added value to my life; I am no more a housewife,’’ she said.

    Today, according to the state government, 15,000 whole chickens are sourced weekly from local poultry farmers; 254,000 eggs sourced weekly; 35 heads of cattle purchased weekly from local cattle farmers and 400 tonnes of catfish purchased weekly from local fish farmers.

    Even though some have criticised the enormous cost of the programme, the WFP said even in developed country, the amount spent by government on school meals is a worthy investment for the future.

     

    “This will help raise healthy adults for the future, it is a worthy investment by any government,” the world body said.

    At mid-day on any school day, the bell rang; food vendors immaculately dressed began to make preparations for the feeding of their wards. All across the state, the same process is repeated at every primary school. Meals like Yam Porridge, bread soaked in a steaming red stew with chicken to garnish, beans porridge and vegetables, all complemented with fruits were handed over to 250,000 children. In Osun schools, time for break means time for “Ounje Aregbe.”

     

  • NGO backs Aregbesola for second term

    A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) in Osun State, the People’s Welfare League (PWL), has said Governor Rauf Aregbesola deserves a second term.

    It said the Aregbesola administration has recorded “monumental achievements” in less than three years.

    In a statement, the NGO’s National Coordinator, Abiodun Agboola, said the administration’s policies and programmes have improved the standard of living.

    Agboola said: “We praise Aregbesola for creating a secure environment for residents to move about without fear of molestation as was witnessed in the past before his advent.

    “We also appreciate the massive road projects going on across the state. We have no doubt that with the standard and specification of the government, the roads will stand the test of time and compete favourably with what obtains in any civilised world.”

  • ‘Aregbesola deserves second term’

    The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Odo-Otin Local Government Area of Osun State has said Governor Rauf Aregbesola deserves a second term in office.

    The party said the governor has not disappointed the people.

    Its chairman, Mr. Jimoh Asa, at a meeting, said a second term would allow the governor do a lot more for the state.

    He said having touched virtually all sectors of the economy in less than three years, Aregbesola needs more time to build on his achievements.

    Asa said: “He has constructed new buildings in our public schools. There is a revolution going on in agriculture, with increased food supply and the employment of 40,000 youths under the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES). He has dualised the Osogbo Old Garage-Kwara State boundary road, which incidentally passes through our council. These are, no doubt, monumental achievements.”

    He said despite the presence of many chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Odo-Otin Local Government Area, the ACN was entrenched at the grassroots.

    The Chairman of Odo-Otin Traditional Council of Obas, the Olokuku of Okuku, Oba Oyebode Oluronke, said the governor deserved a second term in view of his brilliant performance in less than three years.