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Tag: AREGBESOLA

  • Aregbesola urges Heads of Service to be productive

    Aregbesola urges Heads of Service to be productive

    •’Regional integration is indispensable’

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola yesterday urged Heads of Service in the Southwest to reposition the civil service.

    He said they must make it competitive and attractive to the best brains.

    Aregbesola spoke at the Third Summit of Heads of Service in the Southwest. The summit, which was hosted by the Osun State government, was held at the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding in Osogbo, the state capital.

    The governor, represented by his deputy, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori, said although the Southwest has the best civil service in the country, it can be improved.

    He said: “We will not forget in a hurry the quintessential role played by the civil service, under the leadership of the legendary Chief Simeon Adebo, Mrs. Fola Ighodalo and others in the First Republic, which made the vision of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo a reality.

    “The invaluable support that these great administrators gave to the great visionary statesman made the Western Region the envy of all. This is a feat that we have to re-enact in our time.”

    On regional integration in the Southwest, Aregbesola said collaboration would facilitate rapid growth in the zone.

    He said regional integration is an important idea that the majority of political leaders in the Southwest find not only attractive, but indispensable.

    The governor said a lot of resources have been deployed towards making it a reality.

    He said: We are unyielding in our conviction that this will produce enduring economic rejuvenation in our region, just as it was during the time of our revered leader, the late Awolowo.”

     

  • Why we seek peoples’ mandate, by Aregbesola

    Why we seek peoples’ mandate, by Aregbesola

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola yesterday spoke of his motivation to seek the peoples’ mandate.

    He said he had a passion to serve.

    The governor spoke during a live broadcast to mark the second anniversary of his administration in Osogbo.

    Aregbesola said: “We are happy we have maintained this course and your investment of hope in us have not been in vain.”

    He saluted the courage of judges of the Court of Appeal in Ibadan that upheld “our appeal and kicked out the impostors who have fraudulently usurped the power of the state.”

    The governor expressed gratitude to the people for standing by “us when it was unsafe to do so, you have stuck by us since then, through thick and thin.”

    He said: “Our philosophy and principle of governance have been that the basis of political power is commitment to the welfare of the people through selflessness, integrity and sacrifice. It is therefore a great priviledge for me to have provided leadership for the greatest people on earth for the past two years.

    “I was not under any illusion that our journey would be a bed of roses, but because I have you behind me, I was confident that we would weather any storm and overcome any obstacle. I told you at my inauguration that we were resuming our journey to greatness, I am happy that we have made giant strides together.

    “When we came into office, our greatest challenge was the infrastructure of the mind. The people have to be mentally prepared for development. This is because development is about people. Infrastructure is not development; it is just a tool for human development.

    “We have real development only and if our people are developed. This is the essence of the Omoluabi concept. We have been able to mobilise our people to project a positive self image and realise the innate goodness in them and their capability for greatness.

    “This is our first major victory and breakthrough.

    The rebranding exercise is actually a win-win. If our people are positioned as Omoluabi and they act accordingly, the markets in the state will attract more patronage from all over the world because shoppers know they will not be cheated and they will get real value for their money.”

    The governor said he considered two key areas as very central – education and agriculture.”

    He said through education, the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo carried out the policy of free primary education that “our people had a 50-year development gap with the rest of Nigeria.”

    He said: “Education, therefore, is the key to leading people to greatness. There is no nation that is ever great, whether in contemporary or antiquity, that did not pass through the path of great education. That was why we quickly carried out the education summit where stakeholders critically looked at what went wrong with our education and proffered solutions to them.

    “We have reorganised the state’s school system into Elementary, Middle and High schools. We have started building modern school buildings with a capacity to accommodate 900 students at the elementary and middle school levels. The new high school building is a three-in-one which will accommodate 3000 students. Other facilities, in consonance with international academic standard, will include a standard football pitch, recreational facilities, laboratories, libraries, food court and examination hall that is big enough to sit a minimum of 1000 students.”

     

     

     

     

     

    “In our elementary schools, we have introduced school feeding programme. We are also providing free uniforms for all pupils in public schools. Our vision is to provide world class education infrastructure manned by well motivated teachers who will in turn produce global leading scholars. What we spent on primary schools alone in one year, is more than what our predecessor spent in eight years.

    “We have made conscious decision to ensure that our students become ICT compliant, both for learning and self-development. Towards this end, we will soon begin to distribute the computer tablets (Opon-Imo) for the SS 1-3 students in public secondary schools. The tablet is preloaded with 17 subjects offered by students in the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) and National Examination Council (NECO). It also contains six extra-curricular subjects, including Sexuality Education, Entrepreneurship, Yoruba Proverbs, Civic Education, Yoruba History and the Yoruba Traditional Religion. This we are happy to announce is a first-of-its-kind project in public sector education in this part of the world.”

    The governor disclosed that his government is planning to employ 3,230 teachers in the primary school sector and fill vacancies that will be left by retiring teachers this December.

    On agriculture, he refered to his achievements which he said had led to a revolution in the sector.

    He said: “Under the Osun Rural Enterprises and Agricultural Programme (O’REAP), we have organised our famers into functional cooperatives and we are distributing thousands of hectares of already prepared lands along with farming inputs to boost food crop production. But we have not stopped there, because our approach to agricultural revolution is an integrated, multi-level system that encompasses other areas which include animal husbandry under the O’Beef Chain Development Project, poultry farming under the Broiler Production Scheme (O’BOPS), fish farming, and bee-farming.

    “In pursuit of the implementation of the O’Beef, we are dedicating and developing hundreds of hectares of land into feedlot, grazing reserves, cattle markets, breeding centres, and fattening hubs. We have taken a big step in this direction by inaugurating a 78.8-hectare Cattle Ranch at Oloba, which will be equipped with a feedlot infrastructure to accommodate 1,500 cattle. Already, we had successfully fattened rams at this ranch and also in partnership with the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and the OFFER Centre, Oluponna, for the last Ileya festival.

    “Two bigger-capacity ranches will follow in due course at Ede and Ejigbo, which will cover 400 and 1,000 hectares respectively. We have already acquired land in these areas for this purpose. We will also be establishing modern abattoirs where all butchers can come to slaughter their animals for a fee. We will start with Osogbo, Iwo and Ilesa.

     

     

     

     

     

  • I’m committed to the people, says Aregbesola

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has reiterated his administration’s commitment to provide purposeful and visionary leadership.

    In a statement marking the administration’s second anniversary, Aregbesola said the government’s initiatives have brought hope to the people.

    He said the government has achieved great feats in education, agriculture, infrastructure, urban renewal and environmental sanitation, health care delivery, security, tourism and job creation.

    Aregbesola said there is a wide gap between his administration and the immediate-past government.

    He said: “Our determination to change the face of education is paying off noticeably as illustrated by the emerging infrastructure in schools, the development of the new school curriculum, the substantially increased funding of schools and innovative projects, such as tablets of knowledge, school uniforms and school feeding programmes, among others.

    “On agriculture, the people have come to embrace our strategic transformation towards massive food production, with loans to farmers, assistance towards the formation of more productive cooperative societies and the introduction of the scientific approach to animal and crop production.

    “The acquisition of land for agricultural purposes and training of young farmers in the use of modern methods to make farming more attractive and lucrative have all shown that the current administration has changed the game towards wealth creation.

    “The State Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) has not only taken thousands of our youths off the streets, it has compelled the administration to look more inwards towards ensuring that those who exit the scheme after two years do not return home unemployed.

    “Apart from those who have been absorbed into the state’s civil service and teaching, many other schemes have been established to cater for those who wish to be self-employed in fish farming, bee farming, red-brick making, animal production, vocational trainings, such as the OYESTECH scheme and other new areas with promises of huge returns on investment in no distant future.”

    On roads, Aregbesola said: “We are opening up roads to enhance trade and consequently economic prosperity. The ongoing projects on intra-city roads across the state are meant to make life more meaningful for our people.

    “The ambitious Gbongan-Orile-Owu to Ijebu Igbo Road in Ogun State; the Osogbo-Ikirun-towards the Kwara State boundary road projects and other major roads projects are there for everybody to see with the advanced stages of works.

    “Our administration is poised to continue a drive for massive transformation in all sectors.”

     

  • Aregbesola urges judges to be courageous

    Aregbesola urges judges to be courageous

    •Swears in Acting CJ

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola yesterday described judges as representatives of God and urged them to ensure justice in their pronouncements.

    He spoke in Osogbo, the state capital while swearing in Justice Gloria Oladoke as the state’s Acting Chief Judge.

    In his speech, entitled: “Justice is a universal purpose”, Aregbesola said: “Injustice is the major cause of conflict in human societies. A situation where 90 per cent of societal resources are concentrated in the hands of one per cent of the people is gross injustice that can only breed class antagonism between the rich and the poor. The rich risk violent revolts from the poor.”

    The governor said the oppression of the poor is unacceptable.

    He warned that persistent denial of the people could portend danger for the nation.

    Aregbesola said: “Oppression of the weak, forcible appropriation and expropriation by the strong, obscene consumption pattern and vulgar display of wealth by the rich, as well as the abuse of power by the powerful would only elicit proportionate response from the weak and powerless.

    “The resultant effect of this is an unending struggle in which the poor have nothing to lose and the rich have everything to lose.

    “One basic reason good governance has eluded Nigeria is rigging, otherwise referred to as electoral injustice. Too often, election results do not reflect the true choice of the people.

    “The declared winners are often imposed on the people with impunity. Even when people protest this injustice, the response they get is the rolling out of the tanks and crushing patrol on the streets.”

    The governor said his utmost desire is to “enthrone justice in the land and ensure that every citizen obtains justice in every area of life”.

    He said: “I am a beneficiary of justice. God-fearing Justices of the Court of Appeal in Ibadan restored my mandate and kicked out the impostors, who had held the state by the jugular and subjected our people to all manner of oppressive and barbaric treatment.

    “Since that day, you will agree that peace has returned to our land. The fear of being arrested, falsely accused and clamped in illegal detention has vanished. Our people now sleep with their eyes closed. We give thanks to the Almighty for this great justice.

    “What we are doing today is symbolic of the quest for justice. An oath is a sacred thing. It is an affirmation of oneness with the universe in the pursuit of the universal purpose.

    “When a judge takes the Oath of Office, he or she is pledging never to deviate from the universal objective of providing justice for all, irrespective of class and estate.

    “Such judges have vowed that they would accept any retribution that comes with the subversion of this purpose. This is not a light matter. It carries the highest sense of responsibility.

    “I urge our sister and every judge in the state Judiciary, from the Customary Court to the High Court, to uphold justice, which is the end of the law and work towards the realisation of the universal purpose.

    “The saying that the Judiciary is the last hope of the common man is still sacrosanct. Let us say with Lord Denning that no man should leave the court doubting whether the cause of justice has been served.

    “It is popularly said that ‘fear not the law but the judge’. This is because the law is what the judge says it is. Bring, therefore, to your work uncommon wisdom, unusual insight, deep scholarship, lion-like courage and divine grace. This is what will expose you to the world and recommend you for higher service.”

  • Why regional integration is crucial, by Aregbesola

    Why regional integration is crucial, by Aregbesola

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola yesterday said regional integration is necessary to facilitate socio-economic development in all parts of the country.

    He spoke in Osogbo, the state capital, at the opening of a two-day workshop on regional integration in the Southwest.

    Aregbesola said: “We are convinced that regional integration is a viable path for us to tread to achieve the much desired development that has so far proved elusive.

    “We believe that it is not for nothing that regional integration as a viable road to development has acquired global popularity. As a people and region, we have a history of success in this regard to hold on to, a record of past achievements to guide us and strengthen our conviction about the practicability of integration.”

    The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties, Mr. Bashir Ajibola, said the idea of regional integration was informed due to “the failure of the Federal Government to impact positively on the lives of the masses”.

    He said the bulk of the nation’s resources are being controlled by the Federal Government, hence the need for states to come together to develop their regions.

    Aregbesola said: “If there is anything that can be described as an attempt at disintegration, it is the unthoughtful creation of states that we have embarked upon in the country over the years. In view of this, our idea will amount to re-integrating the country, for which we should be given kudos.”

    Participants at the workshop were drawn from the six states of the Southwest and included political office holders.

  • Aregbesola and the NEPAD award

    Last week’s NEPAD award to the Governor of the State of Osun, Engineer Rauf Aregbesola cannot be described as a shot in the dark. It is another feather-in-the-cap signifying a long range of achievements. This award, amongst several others, is in recognition of an established policy thrust.

    Aregbesola’s policy thrusts reflect a mindset rooted in progressive politics. The most commonplace interpretation of this position is that it is an attempt to use the levers of the machinery of government to effect positive social change. There has of course been a well entrenched debate induced over the last 20 or so years about the efficacy of the machinery of government, its appropriate size, cost effectiveness and so forth.

    Such an examination is vital. However, what cannot be contested is the vital importance of the machinery of government in an underdeveloped polity. The key factor here is the underdevelopment of both economic and social capital. Indeed in many respects, there is in reality a paucity of capital. Aregbesola clearly understands this. In actual fact, the six point integral plan of action which constituted his election platform recognized this vital link.

    In his electoral platform, Aregbesola obviously saw that there is an intrinsic link involved in using the levers of the machinery of government and the need to accelerate development as well as building- up social capital. This is vital to achieve the United Nation’s rather minimalist Minimum Development Goals (MDG’s).

    This policy thrust and the emphasis on social capital accounts for a constant stream of awards and recognitions as well as high profile diplomatic and multilateral institutions’ visitations to the ‘bourgeoning’ state. The positive spin-off here is that the peculiar policy thrust of Aregbesola’s administration has also, in addition to awards, also attracted a constant stream of grants and aids. The bestowing of an award on him by NEPAD therefore is just another indication that continuous acknowledgement continues to come in for the policy thrust and emphasis on social capital.

    This is of course very much in line with the thinking of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD). NEPAD was adopted at the 37th session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government in July 2001 in Lusaka, Zambia. NEPAD aims to provide an overarching vision and policy framework for accelerating economic co-operation and integration among African countries.

    The UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) developed a “Compact for Africa’s Recovery” based on both these plans and on resolutions on Africa adopted by the United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000, and submitted a merged document to the Conference of African Ministers of Finance and Ministers of Development and Planning in Algiers, May 2001.

    If we must be expansive, “a compact for Africa’s Recovery” is now been turned into a compact for Osun State at the micro level. In this way, MDG’s and NEPAD’s objective are not just used as mere vacuous shibboleths and buzz words, the governor is in reality, walking the talk.

    The result is that there is actually a hand-in-glove type synergy between government spending in Osun State, the development of social capital and overall economic and social development. A few examples should suffice to illustrate. Recently a leading senator, Senator Uche Chukwumerije (PDP Abia) lauded the educational programme of the Aregbesola administration. This is significant. For Senator Chukwumerije comes from across the political divide.

    What is more significant than even the distinguished Senator’s intellectual honesty is the policy thrust. The heavy UNESCO pleasing investments in education especially at the primary level will be decisive in the development of the state’s economic base in the years ahead. The innovative introduction of the Opon Imo, knowledge tablet will in the years ahead help to increase test scores. The introduction of the knowledge tablet shows that the state is ready to use information technology aids to, as it were, up the ante.

    The linking of budget expenditure to facilitate the compact is also revealed in Aregbesola’s job creation schemes. Hitherto Nigeria as a whole has suffered from the socially dangerous trajectory of a ‘growth’ which is unaccompanied with the creation of employment. In view of the country’s demographic composition this is a positively dangerous development. In fact, the country is delicately poised because of this on a demographic time-bomb! This is why the State of Osun’s proposition as it were, is innovative. What has happened in Osun in reality has been a fundamental re-direction of the budget to facilitate job-creation.

    We are aware for example that the allocation of the budget has been re-directed towards the modernization of agriculture in the state. With an ageing workforce and outdated operating systems, this is a very important thing to do. What is even more crucial is that the modernization scheme has led to the creation of more youth employment through government- facilitated involvement in agriculture. This is a German type re-allocation of skills and redirection of employment pattern. What is being done here is that the rural economy is being re-invigorated with the infusion of fresh hands. The fresh hands who are better educated and physically fitter will be able to better absorb the new operating systems vital to a resuscitation of the rural economy.

    The re-vitalisation of the rural economy is vital; for this lies at the heart of any “compact for recovery”. This the NEPAD people must have taken into cognizance in giving Aregbesola the ward. Along with the revitalization of the rural economy, there are vital initiatives to rebuild or to reconstruct the infrastructural base in order to establish the enabling environment to attract investment generating employment.

    The key proposition in Aregbesola’s initiative is the re-direction of the budget in order to create the enabling environment for self-sustaining job-creation-led real long term economic development. This fits well into NEPAD’s four primary objectives which are: to eradicate poverty, promote sustainable growth and development, integrate Africa in the world economy, and accelerate the empowerment of women. It is based on underlying principles of a commitment to good governance, democracy, human rights and conflict resolution; and the recognition that maintenance of these standards is fundamental to the creation of an environment conducive to investment and long-term economic growth. NEPAD seeks to attract increased investment, capital flows and funding, providing an African-owned framework for development as the foundation for partnership at regional and international levels.

    It cannot therefore come as a surprise that NEPAD has given Aregbesola this award. He has aligned with their objective. For the Osun helmsman fits into a positively refreshing emerging pattern. The new wave is to use the allocation of resources available to the government in a creative way to build the physical infrastructure which is then turned into a key facilitator of social development.

    The new wave represented by people like Aregbesola typifies a clear decisive break from an unedifying past. What is however crucial is sustainability of the effort. For this the institutional framework and justiceable mechanism must be put in place to protect and sustain these gains.Undoubtedly, Osun’s emerging model under Governor Aregbesola is at once a veritable portrait for emulation and approximation by governments in this part of the world.

     

  • Nigeria’s future is in your hands, Aregbesola tells youths

    Nigeria’s future is in your hands, Aregbesola tells youths

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has said the country’s future lies in the hands of youths.

    Aregbesola spoke on Monday in Osogbo, the state capital, while receiving the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) youth leaders from the 36 states of the federation.

    The youths, led by the ACN National Youth Leader, Mr. Miriki Ebikibina, were in the state for the party’s Third Annual National Conference.

    Aregbesola urged youths to be the vanguard of democracy and good governance.

    He said youths are the future of the country and they must be agents of change.

    The governor urged the youth leaders to reflect on the fortune and future of the country with a view to offering good leadership.

    He said youths cannot afford to resign to fate in the face of bad governance as the present and past depend very much on them.

    Aregbesola said: “We look up to you as the fighting arm of the party. You are the most vibrant, dynamic, dependable and resilient of any political party.

    “The present and the future depend on you. How you understand your roles in the party goes a long way in shaping the future of our party and the country.

    “This is with a view to promoting the cause of democracy and wrestling power from those misgoverning us, so as to guarantee effective and good leadership, as well as freedom for all.”

    The youths and some government officials accompanied the governor on the inspection of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) station in Osogbo and the Model Middle School in Alekuwodo.

    Aregbesola hailed the level of work done at both sites.

    He said the administration is living up to its promise to improve the state.

    The governor said: “We will build 50 of these model middle schools, 100 elementary schools and 20 high schools across the state. These schools, when completed, will be such that can stand the test of time. Our students will have the opportunity of having qualitative education in a conducive environment.”

    At the railway station, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Transport, Mr. Oladepo Amuda, said: “This government is trying to use railway for the movement of raw materials from Osogbo to Lagos and finished products from Lagos to Osogbo. A cement company partnering the state has agreed to be bringing in cement at factory price to Osogbo from its plant.”

    Commissioner for Land and Urban Planning Muyiwa Ige said: “The train station will be an epic centre where people can come to relax and recreate. The plaza will complement the on-going beautification of the state. The park to be built at the station is fashioned after Kings Park in the United Kingdom.”

    Deputy Governor Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori; Secretary to the State Government Moshood Adeoti; the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola; Acting ACN State Chairman Adelowo Adebiyi; ACN Gboyega Famodun and members of the State Executive Council were on the governor’s entourage.

     

  • Aregbesola, Okiro disagree over state police

    Aregbesola, Okiro disagree over state police

    •Falana, Oyebode decry lopsided federalism

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola and former Police Inspector-General Mike Okiro yesterday disagreed over the necessity for state police as an essential element of true federalism.

    Aregbesola, who called for devolution of powers, decried the lack of control over the police by the state chief security officers. Okiro, who canvassed devolution of police control to the Deputy Inspectors-General, said state police would be abused by governors.

    However, Lagos lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), Prof. Akin Oyebode and Mr. Opeyemi Agbaje said that true federalism would remain an illusion in the absence of state police.

    The Osun State governor and Okiro spoke at a debate on the policing system held in Lagos. The theme of the discussion organised by MC Connect, a public relations firm, is: “State police: To be or not to be”.

    Other speakers at the event, which was held at the Agip Recital Hall, Muson Centre, Onikan were Dr. Tam George and Chairman of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch, Mr. Onyekachi Ubani and a social commentator Mr. Opeyemi Agbaje.

    Aregbesola, who was represented by his Commissioner for Physical Planning, Muyiwa Ige, described state police as a lingering issue that had troubled Nigeria’s federalism. He said the federal police had been repeatedly used for election rigging, repression of opposition and quelling legitimate protests.

    He claimed that, if law making, agriculture, education and health are enshrined in the Concurrent List, governors who receive security votes monthly should have control over the police.

    Dismissing the fear of likely abuse of state police by governors as baseless, Aregbesola pointed out that the federal police is also susceptible to abuse.

    The governor canvassed community policing, stressing that it is unhelpful to draft people from several kilometres away to police a given environment.

    He said: “It is wrong for commissioners of police to decline the directives of governors and invade his territory with mobile policemen. In the United States, there is the Federal Bureau of Information (FBI), but there are state, local government and even police on the campuses. State police is good for federalism”.

    But Okiro, who retired in 2009, disagreed with the governor, emphasising that it is premature to establish state police because governors would abuse the security agency.

    He also said that states lack adequate resources to fund state police because they depend on federal allocations for survival. Okiro also said that community police would throw up indigenes in the police who would be used to oppress non-indigenes.

    Okiro favoured the decentralisation of police, but suggested that police powers should be devolved to the DIGs.

    The former Inspector-General said: “Some lingering constitutional issues should be settled first before creating state police. Governors are fighting for absolute control of police to coerce opponents to dance to their will. If we don’t have effective federal police, we cannot have effective state police.

    “Desperation for power, when it is not moderated, creates insecurity. Governors who wake up one morning, suspend council chairmen and councillors and appoint their stooges will do worse things, if there is state police.”

    Dr. George, who supported Okiro’s view, said governors were clamouring for autonomy from the centre which they are reluctant to give to the local governments.

    Falana, however, objected to the former Inspector-General’s position, stressing that decentralisation of the police is a key element of federalism.

    Dismissing the fear of likely abuse of state police, he added: “It is an indolent approach. They argue that we are mature to use private jets and jeeps, but we are not mature for state police. All those who are opposed to a decentralised police are heavily guarded by the police. But the mases are left without security. When you get to State Houses, you think you are in police barracks. 419 kingpins even have police escorts and riders.

    “Their argument is diversionary. We should end controlled and regulated federalism. We must address the fear of those who believe that governors will use state police to intimidate and oppress their opponents. The fear of ethnicity is also unfounded. When they loot our money, they don’t talk about ethnicity. But when it is state police, they say it will subvert nationhood.”

    Falana called for the democratisation of police control, adding that no President or governor should appoint the Inspector-General and commissioners of police. He said the task should be handled by an expanded body that is representative of the people.

    Prof. Oyebode observed that the current police structure mirrored the defective federalism which had foisted a crisis of nation-building on Nigeria.

    He said: “You call governors chief security officers, but they cannot exercise power over police. He has to plead with the IG for help. Militarism and federalism are hot bed fellows. It appears some people are feeding fat on the present structure.”

    Ubani supported state police, saying that strong institutions with clearly defined powers and limits would check its excesses.

    He said the fear about state police funding is unfounded, pointing out that governors are currently supplying equipment to the distressed police.

    Ubani added :” Under former Military President Ibrahim Babangida, they said private radio and television were dangerous. They said it would lead to strife and deepen tribal sentiment. Today, we have freedom to tune to stations of our choice. They say governors cannot fund the police. But they buy vehicles, office equipment and helicopters for them in Lagos and Rivers. Governors can fund police. They should stop stealing money and there will be money to run the system.”

    Agbaje, who also supported state police, said that would herald effective and efficient policing system.

    He lamented that 12 northern governors were opposing state police after enacting Sharia law and created Hisba, which is a de-facto police to enforce the Islamic law.

    Agbaje added: “ Police is similar to NEPA and NITEL. Why saddling a single agency with the task of policing Nigeria? Police is an unwanted monopoly. If Nigeria could liberalise NEPA and NITEL, we should not continue with the dysfunctional system of a single, federal police. It is a constitutional aberration. Even in unitary Britain, their police is decentralised.

    “Federal Government makes laws and have police to enforce them. The states and local governments make laws, but lack powers of enforcement. Laws that cannot be enforced is a worthless proclamation.”

     

  • Aregbesola signs 10 bills into law

    Aregbesola signs 10 bills into law

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has signed 10 bills passed by the House of Assembly into law.

    The Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties, Basiru Ajibola, spoke in Osogbo, the state capital, when he addressed the Assembly on his ministry’s implementation of this year’s budget.

    He listed the bills as: a Law for the Establishment of the Osun State Agency for the Control of AIDS (SACA) and other Matters 2012; Local Government Administration (Amendment) Law 2012; a Law to Repeal the Public Procurement Law 2012.

    Others are: State of Osun Bonds, Notes and other Securities Issuance Law 2012; State of Osun Legitimacy (Repeal) Law 2012; State of Osun Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (Amendment) Law 2012; State of Osun Security Trust fund Law 2012; State of Osun Debt Management Office (Establishment) Law 2012; State of Osun Fiscal Responsibility Law 2012; and State of Osun (Omoluabi) Conservation Fund Law 2012.

    The commissioner said the establishment of family courts and the Citizens Mediation Panel would serve as government’s alternative to conflict resolution among the residents.

    Ajibola said some other bills have been passed by the State Executive Council (Exco) but were awaiting the governor’s signature and letter to the Assembly.

    He added that some others were being processed.

     

  • Sports Festival: Aregbesola rewards Osun athletes

    Sports Festival: Aregbesola rewards Osun athletes

    There is always a reward for good work and sterling performance, and that was what was demonstrated by the State Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, when he approved cash rewards for Team Osun athletes that clinched Gold, Silver and Bronze medals at last years’ National Sports Festival held in Port Harcourt tagged Rivers 2011.

    Acting General Manager of the State of Osun Sports Council, Akin Adio, while briefing journalists at his office of the preparation of Team Osun athletes ahead of today’s elimination qualifiers that will kick off in Ado Ekiti, he noted that: “We have prepared very well unlike before, the athletes were in camp for two weeks before now, and I can assure sports-loving Osun indigenes that we have prepared adequately and I know that by the special grace of God we are going to smile home.”

    “I want to use this medium to thank the State of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who has always been our pillar, who has always been assisting us, for the first time he released a substantial amount of money for us to prepare our athletes to ensure that we qualify for all ball games. He has been a lover of sports and recently he approved money for those that did us proud at Port Harcourt, Gold medal N300, 000, Silver medal N200, 000 and Bronze medal N100, 000 not only that those who won medals at the South West Special Sports were also rewarded by his Excellency.”

    No fewer than 123 Osun athletes arrived in Ado-Ekiti yesterday for the qualifiers of all ball games of the upcoming National Sports Festival.

    However, Aregbesola last week inaugurated an ad-hoc Sports Development Committee headed by FIFA and CAF instructor Festus Adegboyega Onigbinde and the committee is expected to submit their recommendations in three months and Adio, who is the committee scribe, believes that by the time the committee submits its report, the State of Osun will be a Mecca of sports.

    Adio, a former Osun Football Association secretary and the longest serving state association scribe, is optimistic that with the support given to sports by Aregbesola in the State of Osun, the state will rank among the best ten states in the federation at Eko 2012.