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Tag: Osun State

  • Osun APC primary: Aspirant calls for free, fair election

    Ahead of Friday’s All Progressives Party Congress (APC) primary in Osun state, one of the gubernatorial aspirants, Dr, Ezekiel Oyebola Oyemomi,  has called on the leaders of the party to make the primary election which has been postponed twice, free and fair.

    Addressing his loyalists and Media men in his office, Oyemomi opined that there should be no imposition of a particular candidate as this could lead to disintegration of the party, adding “And if they want unity to loom large, those in the helms of affairs should allow the wishes of the people to prevail. And this is barely 24 hours to the election.”

    Read Also:Osun APC, PDP, SDP set for primaries

    Speaking further, Oyemomi, a retired federal permanent secretary said; “The growth and development of the State of Osun is paramount to me. Imposition of a particular candidate without transparency will surely have a negative impact on the party. It can even dampen or dwindle the interest of those coming behind us. Inability to be fair to all aspirants can put both the State and her citizens in a disharmony position.”

    Oyemomi who said some of his key programs are, Human Development, Women Empowerment, Good Health Care System, Youth Development, Industrialized Agriculture, amongst others, went further to say, inducing delegates with money will never produce a good and credible candidate.

    “It has been observed that some aspirants are going up and down to induce delegates with money; they should leave these people to choose the candidate they prefer. Monetisation of delegates can never lead to the best candidature.  And I am happy that many delegates are drumming it loud and clear   that they cannot buy their conscience. What the State of Osun needs now is a credible candidate, who is reliable, efficient, competent and with lots of experience and connection.

    “Experience in this game matters. And if someone without experience emerges as the party candidate as a result of inducement and imposition; it will have a negative effect on the continuity of the good work of the outgoing administration. I will continue to hammer on this”

    He said the All Progressives Party (APC) matters most, as it won’t be good for people to see the great Party as the one that worships money, induce supporters for political gains, but should see it as a party yearning for how the lives of ordinary citizens can be transformed positively beyond what it is now.

    He called on the State and National Executives to ensure transparency that could produce the best candidate and team player.

    Oyemomi reiterated his stand that Osun West Senatorial District should be given the chance to produce the next Governor.

    “It is imperative that the candidate of our great party should come from Osun West to represent equity, justice and fair play which the progressives are known for,” he concluded.

  • My chances of becoming Osun governor bright – Ogunbiyi

    Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi is a frontline governorship aspirant of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State. In an interactive session with some journalists in Lagos, Ogunbiyi spoke on his aspiration, saying his chances of succeeding Governor Rauf Aregbesola are very bright. Excerpts

    SOME people believe you are not qualified to run for the PDP ticket ahead of the Osun election because, according to them, you just joined the party. In fact, they said there is a rule banning people like you from contesting for the PDP primary?

    I am not a new comer in the PDP. When you are in business, you have your own sentiments, friends and associations. I have associated with the PDP since 2003.  And as a major stakeholder in Osun State, I actually became very active because of what I saw as injustice and bad governance. I, consciously, in 2015, joined the PDP to become active and partisan. And it is on record. You can check. As far as the state is concerned, I became more involved during the battle for supremacy that almost grounded the party. And I did everything within my reach; used my resources, contact and goodwill to bring peace into the party and, today, we have peace.

    So what was the attraction in PDP? What made it the party of choice?

    I am happy to be on the side of the majority. PDP is a party of ideology. Until our great party came to power and gave democracy a meaning, military dictators constantly intercepted Nigeria’s democracy. It was our credible party of ideology that gave democracy in the true sense of it and brought stability, economic progress and lots more to the nation. I joined PDP because of my conviction that it is a credible platform for democratic governance.

    What has been the attitude of the Osun people to your aspiration?

    This time around, Osun people are getting it right. They are supporting my ambition.  Everywhere I have visited, as if it was more than a rally, people trooped out, showed love because they want true change that will bring positive development to Osun and give hope to the hopeless.  These are what I have brought, including quality leadership, service to my people and people-centred development.

    The challenge of leadership is the same everywhere. Politics is not dirtier than business. They are both about problem solving. I have been a successful businessman for years. I am not coming into politics because I am chanced. For the past 6-8 years, I have been preparing myself for this assignment of leading Osun. I retired from the corporate world to join politics. So I am ready to give quality deliverables that people can feel and touch.

    Let us talk about your chances of picking the PDP ticket for the Osun election

    Of course, any of the 11 of us cleared by the PDP for the race can lead. We are all qualified people who actually can lead given our respective profiles. But my chances are bright. If you conduct an opinion poll today, based on realistic and practical profiling of all the aspirants, you would know that Ogunbiyi comes first because people are looking with discerning eyes and are concerned about who has a practical demonstration of achievements.

    Now moving beyond party primary, how confident are you that you will emerge the next governor of Osun?

    By the grace of God, I am going to be the next governor of Osun. We are going to work with everybody. I am happy with the responses I am getting. Our party is blessed. I have reached out to every aspirant. We really need to work together, harness our skills and form a formidable team. We are going to optimise every available expertise within the party to give good governance, leadership and create value to make life better for the people of the state.

    How do you see the Osun situation today?

    The biggest challenge facing Osun is not debt. Of all the states in Nigeria, Osun is highly endowed and blessed with resources. So, having good leadership who can identify, create and deploy values is crucial. Osun needs the right leadership, which I represent, and, by the grace of God, we will put everything in proper perspectives and the state will rise again and become a model for other states.

    Recall my background, I am into insurance. So, I am going to ensure that pensioners get their entitlements when due. By the special grace of God, civil servants and others’ salaries will also be paid when due. We will look at the debt profile and whatever needs to be done, will be done. I am an administrator to the core. The people of Osun will know that they have a governor.

    Can you give us an insight into the background of Akin Ogunbiyi; how he rose to become what he is today?

    I am a true born and a major stakeholder in Osun. I am not a foreigner, not Lagos based. I am a true son of Ile Ogbo. I was born in Ile Ogbo in Ayedire Local Government Area. I attended Ansarudeen Primary School (1969  1974). I went to Kuta, Ile Ogbo Modern School (1974  1975), Luther King’s College, Ile Ogbo (1975  1980) and proceeded to the University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife (1980  1986). I am a village boy to the core and I live in my community. I am not just living in the community. I built a mansion in the community. I donated boreholes, give scholarships to indigent people and organise talent hunt in my community and elsewhere to the tune of 50 million naira yearly. I even named the university I am promoting the University of Ile Ogbo. Newcastle and Oxford are small villages too but they became popular because of the universities located there. I have 2,000 hectares of farmland along Gbongan  Iwo Road that employs hundreds of indigenes. The little blessing God has blessed me with from my business exploits, I have brought it back to benefit my community.

    I built many churches and mosques. This is not something I did overnight. I have been doing it for the past fifteen years. My contributions to the community are there and I have lived in Ile Ogbo for the past ten years. More than 50 percent of what God has given me was invested in Osun. In fact, if you see me on my farm, you will not be able to distinguish between me and my workers.

  • Lecturer sends students out of class for not buying textbooks

    It was not a good morning for some students of the Faculty of Arts of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, last Monday. A lecturer taking a course titled Poetry in Yoruba Language (YOR 303) sent some 300-Level students out of the class for their failure to buy four textbooks.

    The lecturer, Dr Benard, of the Department of Linguistics and African Languages, barred defaulting students from attending her lecture because they could not afford to buy the selected textbooks of anthologies of Yoruba poetry, which cost N1,700.

    The lecturer’s action contravened a directive by the Federal Ministry of Education, barring teaching staff of public tertiary institutions from forcing students to buy textbooks and handouts.

    To punish the defaulters, Dr Benard conducted a continuous assessment test for a few students who bought the textbooks.

    The lecturer’s decision caused discontent among students, who queried the lecturer’s decision to bar them from attending the lecture.

    A student, who spoke under the anonymity condition for fear of being victimised, said: “There is need to educate Dr Benard that this is OAU, where lecturers don’t force students to buy books. Dr Benard is laying too much emphasis on those textbooks as if she authored them. The punishment is unfair to us, because we are not required to buy textbooks.”

    Another student, who pleaded for anonymity, said: “Since I have been admitted into OAU, this is the first course I would see a lecturer sending students out of the class because of textbooks. I don’t understand, because I know OAU does not force students to buy reading materials or textbooks.”

    CAMPUSLIFE gathered that Dr Benard, from the outset, promised to punish students who failed to buy the four textbooks.

    The fate of defaulting students could not be ascertained as at the time of filing in this report. There was no indication the lecturer would conduct a make-up test for the affected students.

     

  • ‘I will set Osun State on the path of greatness’

    Babatunde Adedotun Taiwo is an All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirant for this year’s governorship election in Osun State. In this interview, he tells Daniel Adeleye his intention to rewrite the history of the state and his expectations in the primaries of APC in the state, amongst others. Excerpts

    WHY are you aspiring to become the next governor of Osun State?

    It’s about time Osun State moves to the next level. I am one of the ardent believers that Osun State is not where it was at its creation but I know that it is yet to reach the desired destination. I believe Osun has potentials and I am confident I have what it takes to move the state to the desired place in history. My desire is borne out of the fact that I believe things can be done differently and people would be better for it. People deserve better and I believe I have what it takes to rewrite the fortunes of Osun State. I believe I have both intellectual capacity and international exposure to put my people in the advantageous position they deserve. My coming out at this time to aspire for the number one seat of the state is not borne out of personal aggrandizement, it is as a result of genuine concerns for the betterment of the people of Osun.

    How far have you gone in the race; would you say you are well known in the state to the extent of going to the level of aspiring to become the governor?

    I am not just joining politics; I’ve been in politics for a long time since the days of Alliance for Democracy (AD) and I was deeply involved in the politics of that period. Ever since then I’ve always been in politics all along. I have to tell you, of all the aspirants that we have in APC vying for governorship of Osun State as at now, am the first person that signified interest to contest. We’ve been doing the underground work for over two years now. So, talking of popularity, I have never held any political office in the state or in Nigeria as a whole. But as of today, the strength of my political movement in Osun State is massive. Majority of other aspirants are either ex-political appointees or even present political office holders. So even if they are not popular, their offices are popular. It’s not really the aspirants that are popular; it’s their offices that earn them the so-called popularity. So, talking about popularity and how far we have gone in the race, we have really done well. We are a force to be reckoned with in this forthcoming election.

    What would you do to tackle the economic stagnation of the state?

    In the words of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, good governance is not a Rocket Science. Good governance is achieved when people in power take deliberate and calculated steps to replace hardship with ease. Economic hardship can be replaced with economic freedom under which every citizen is catered for. Imbalance can be replaced with fairness, unemployment with decent, self-worth and well-paying jobs, making the opportunities available. Good governance is a result of taking the small ever-neglected steps that affect the lives of individuals without losing the sight of their future. So, I have prepared to do things differently by taking hard decisions that previous administrations were unable to take. My administration will look beyond monthly federal allocation and set the state on the path of greatness. I will work assiduously to renegotiate the debts profile of the state, while we build our infrastructures and also use the sustainable ones as source of revenue in the foreseeable future. The coast is large, the coast is clear and we can do all these together with the support of the people of Osun.

    Considering the plight of the workers who were owed several months of half salaries arrears, how do you want to resolve this menace?

    It has become a national embarrassment that payment of workers’ salaries has become issues in some states in Nigeria for the past few years. Every worker deserves to be paid; it’s godly to get it done without troubles. The over-dependence of states on federal allocation has to be stopped. And this can be achieved by putting in place alternatives to revenue generation. A process works and becomes sustainable if the right plans are put in place. Osun State is not poor if we set our priorities right and look beyond the usual monthly allocation from Abuja. By improving on all we have, like agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure and by also reducing the cost of governance and eliminate wastes, Osun can afford to pay its workers.

    Within the first year of my administration, the rhetoric of tagging Osun State a ‘civil service state’ would be changed. Our drive to industrialise the state will change that in no time.

    What are your plans for the unfinished projects of the incumbent governor?

    Every project that has direct impact on the betterment of Osun State will be completed. My administration will make continuity in governance robust and I will personally send bills to the State House of Assembly to make sure that abandoned projects in the state become a thing of the past. The incumbent governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has laid a solid foundation for development in the state; my administration will build on it. That is continuity that has helped major economies in the world irrespective of changes in governance.

    The qualitative education in the state, which Ogbeni Aregbesola has started, would be the priority of my administration. We will pick it from where he stops and we will not let anything to steal the beauty of our new schools, instead, we will improve on them. Osun State has already acquired dedicated and committed civil service to get things done the right way. Yes, they need to be motivated and that will come through the restructuring I mentioned earlier.

    You are one of the 28 aspirants seeking the mandate of the people of Osun State to be the next governor; what is your expectation on this Saturday’s APC primaries in the state?

    Justice, fairness and equity, I have confident in the leadership of the party; they know the best way to resolve problems that may create any form of enmity among contestants and their followers before, during and after the primaries. If option A4, like what we witnessed in Ekiti after the first primary, is adopted here in Osun, I will be happy with it. What I appreciate and desire is justice, fairness and equity.

  • Uncertainty over PDP’s guber ticket

    Ahead of the September 22 governorship election in the state, the Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is making efforts to choose for itself a credible and popular gubernatorial flag bearer. Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan, reports the cloud of uncertainty that currently pervades the ongoing struggle for the ticket of the opposition party in the state.

    AT the last count, more than 20 persons showed interest in becoming the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the September 22 governorship election in Osun State. Despite its current status as an opposition party in the state, chieftains of the PDP, as well as some pundits, believe the party stands a chance of winning the election provided it picks the “right candidate” among its array of contestants.

    Determined to do its best at arriving at the best choice as its flag-bearer, the PDP in Osun State, guided by the Screening Committee constituted for the purpose by the national secretariat of the party, cleared 11 aspirants. The Nation gathered that of the initial crowd of about 20 aspirants, only the said 11 fulfilled all requirements needed to appear before the screening committee.

    “Some of those aspirants jumping all over the place before now, like I told you before, were not serious contenders. Among them were some people hoping to be handed the party’s ticket by some undemocratic arrangements. Those are the ones you see leaving PDP for other parties even before the primary election was conducted. They have since realised it is no longer business as usual.

    “There were also those who had no plan of going all the way. They are the pretenders who entered the race merely to garner some cheap political visibility. We knew them all along and the party was conscious of their antics. One or two of them were even fronting for some other aspirants. With the seriousness being shown by the new leaderships of the party, both at the state and at the national levels, they have all come to realise we are not joking about the next election,” a PDP chieftain told The Nation in Osogbo, the state capital.

    As the date of the primary election draws nearer, the state chairman of the PDP, Hon. Soji Adagunodo, is leaving nobody in doubt of the preparedness of the party to give all the cleared aspirants a level playing ground. He assured all aspirants of a free and fair primary election. “We will ensure all the aspirants get equal treatment, and it will be unfair for anybody to say the party already has a preferred candidate.”

    The Nation also learnt that an agreement was recently reached between the state leadership of the party and all the aspirants to the effect that the entire process, as well as the delegates that will midwife the emergence of the party’s candidate, will be open to all the contenders and their camps.

    The contenders

    Following last Wednesday’s clearance of aspirants contesting to be the party’s flag bearer, the PDP in Osun State is now ready to pick one of those who emerged as serious contenders as its flag-bearer. Chairman of the Screening Committee, Austin Opara, at the presentation of Screening Certificates to the aspirants at Wadata Plaza, in Abuja, said the successful aspirants include Sen. Akanbi Abdulrasheed, Dr. Ayoade Adewepo, Dr. Oyewumi Olalere, Mr. Nathaniel Oke, Sen. Ogunwale Felix and Alhaji Fatai Akinbade. Others are Dr. Ezekiel Adeniji, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, Rafiu Bello, Sen. Ademola Adeleke and Prof. Adeolu Durotoye. Opara commended the aspirants and urged them to work as a team for PDP’s success in the election.

    The aspirants, while assuring of their readiness to cooperate with the party to ensure a hitch-free primary election, commended the Screening Committee for a wonderful work. Adewopo, while commending the leaderships of the party at state and national levels, said the people of the state are looking up to PDP to provide the much needed credible alternative for them to vote for at the September election. He said PDP will win the next election once it is able to give the people of the state the candidate they are yearning for. “We all know who can win the election for us. What we need to cooperate and do the right thing,” he said.

    Meanwhile, The Nation gathered that some of the aspirants whose names did not make the final list of screened aspirants are offering explanations to their supporters on why they are out of the guber race so early. One of such, a former federal lawmaker, who sources claimed did not obtain nomination form to be part of the screening process, have told his supporters that he decided to opt out of the race for personal reasons.

    ‘Don’t know’ in the lead

    But with the primaries for the PDP governorship ticket weeks away, checks by The Nation revealed that majority of party chieftains and members are uncertain over where the pendulum will swing. This, according to many party sources, is an unusual development that should be commended in the history of the party in Osun State. Not a few attributed the uncertainty to the level playing field provided all aspirants by the Adagunodo-led committee.

    “In the past, we would all know who will win the ticket even when we felt the person is not the best we have in PDP. One person will always win the ticket only to go on and lose the general election as usual. That is no longer the case and this is a development many party men and women are happy about. We now know our vote will count at the primary election and we are all eager to exercise our right to choose,” a source said.

    The Nation also gathered that the aspirants and their supporters are working frantically round the clock as they transverse the length and breadth of the state, speaking to party leaders and would-be delegates, about their gubernatorial ambitions. According to checks by The Nation, not less than seven of the aspirants met party leaders and selected party members at different locations across the state this week alone.

    “Nobody can confidently say this is the person who will win the ticket. We will, for the first time in the history of Osun PDP, have to wait till the very end of the primary election before we even have an idea of who our candidate will be. While you may call it uncertainty for now, it is a good development for us as a party that is serious about winning the next election and taking over the administration of the state,” our source said.

    However, there are fears in some quarters that money may still play a big role in determining who would ultimately get the ticket given the unusual openness of the race at this crucial time with no party leader or group exercising firm control over the possible fate of the aspirants. The late entrance of some aspirants perceived to be money bags, or backed by some big spenders, into the race, heightened this fear in recent weeks.

    While party leaders and chieftains insist all the aspirants are good enough to represent the PDP as the candidate, some pundits say the race is actually a contest that may be limited to about four of the screened contestants. Many observers of the politics of these state and the recent struggles of the opposition party to reposition itself and return to its winning ways after eight years out of political power, say some aspirants are better positioned to clinch the ticket than the others.

    “Delegates at the primary election will be thinking about many things when they go to cast their votes. But many of them will be thinking about the roles played by each of these aspirants during the fierce struggle to free PDP in Osun State from the strangulating hold of a few people. We know those who joined us to end the dictatorship that kept our party on its kneel for so many years.

    “We also know those who sat on the fence and watched on as if they are not part of the party. While some fought with us and suffered many humiliations as we suffered, many others stood aloof and watched as the battle raged back and forth. They were later to shift to our side after the battle was won. There are even some of them who fought against us back then. Today, they are with us and they want the party ticket. The delegates will decide their fates,” a party leader from Osogbo said.

  • AfDB promises support for Aregbesola’s administration to complete projects

    The African Development Bank (AfDB) has promised to  support Osun State government complete some of the projects of the Rauf Aregbesola administration.

    Top officials of the AfDB at a meeting with Governor Aregbesola at the Government House in Osogbo, the state capital mentioned the MKO Abiola International Airport among the projects.

    The AfDB team led by its Country Director Mr. Ebrima Faal, said he and his entourage were in the state on a one-day exploratory mission to support the state’s developmental agenda.

    Faals, whose team later inspected facilities at the Technical College in Osogbo and the waterworks in Ede, said the visit had given the AfDB the opportunity to see the developmental efforts of the current administration in the state and to determine the subsequent steps to be taken to support the State.

    At the Osogbo Technical College, the AfDB delegation was taking round various departments and workshops where modern equipment for carpentry, shoemaking and other machines were on display.

    Read Also: Aregbesola to Buhari: de-annul June 12 presidential election

    Technical engineers at the Ede Waterworks conducted the AfDB team round the facilities, including the water dam and the water treatment equipment.

    The AfDB delegation was accompanied by the Senior Technical Adviser to Osun State Governor on Development Partners and International Relations, Dr. Michael Olugbile and members of the State Executive Council, including, the Commissioner for Economic Planning and Budget, Dr. Dauda Olalekan Yinusa, and Commissioner for Commerce, Industries and Cooperatives, Hon. Ismail Adekunle Jayeoba-Alagbada.

    Dr. Olugbile, who acknowledged the ongoing support of AfDB for the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) project in the state, said the visit of the AfDB delegation was to attract more donor assistance to the State in order to support the developmental agenda of the Rauf Aregbesola administration.

    He said the visit would also lay a solid foundation for incoming administration.

    According to him, the AfDB would support Osun state government on the upgrading and completion of the nine Technical Colleges in the state.

    He added that the AfDB would also support Osun on Urban water schemes and to complete the Osun airport christened MKO Abiola Airport.

    Responding, Aregbesola, who showcased his administration’s numerous achievements to the team, appealed to the AfDB to fast track the process of its intervention in the state.

    The governor said: “I am in a hurry to achieve many things. Please, I cannot be patient to see this happening. Please let us move fast to achieve this because my tenure will soon end as governor of this state.

  • Osun governorship aspirant promises to industrialize the state

    An Osun State governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress in Engr. Ayoade Afolabi Lawal, to industrialize the state if elected into office.

    Addressing his teeming supporters at his declaration to run for the office of the governor at the party secretariat along Gbongan road, Lawal promised to continue from where the Rauf Aregbesola administration had stopped.

    He also pledged to priotize youth empowerment and provide necessary support for the vulnerable, including women, children and the aged.

    Lawal, a chemical engineer and business mogul,  commended Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for laying a solid foundation for the incoming administration to build upon.

    According to him, Osun State has experienced significant  infrastructural development in the last eight years, saying  Aregbesola’s administration  must be commended for rapid infrastructure development in education,  health and road .

    He said: “But for all-round sustainable development, industrial development should take precedence henceforth. This is the way to complement what has been achieved and to deepen the recent gains of democratic governance.

    Read Also: Osun aspirant to match Ambode’s performance

    “My administration shall create value chain industrialization that will be all inclusive and no son and daughter of Osun will be left out in the scheme. As we are promoting small and medium scale busineses across the nooks and crannies of the state, our government will also work hard toward attracting foreign investors into the state.

    “I want use this medium to commend our amiable Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, for his unprecedented development in the state within the state of seven and half years and I promise to build on his legacies if I emerge victorious in the coming election.

    “I will make sure I develop  the state  through agriculture, creation of industries in each of the local government areas of the state, Agriculture, Education, industrialisation,  free and quality Health care delivery,  security of life and properties, employment opportunity, increasing youths capability through sporting activities and improvement of tourist centres across the state.”

    Lawal also promised to empower the youths and generate mass employment through improvement on the standard of living of the residents of the state.

    He promised to liberate the people of the state from the shackles of poverty by providing standard education that will expose them especially the youths to inherent opportunities in the state.

    He assured to create more jobs through tourism by showcasing the inherent beauty of various tourist attraction in the state.

    Lawal, therefore, called on all members of the party to give him their support and ensure that he succeed Ogbeni Aregbesola to continue the good work he has done.

    Speaking, the State Chairman of the party, Gboyega Famodun, described the governorship hopeful as a courageous  and competent engineer.

    He assured that Lawal as a young man would  potray the youth in a good light if elected as governor of the state.

    Famodun promised all the aspirants a level playing ground, as well as a primary devoid of malpractice. END

  • Lawmaker pledges grassroots development in Osun

    The lawmaker representing Obokun State Constituency, of Osun State, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye has said he is committed to grassroots development through sporting activities. He also stated that the youth should be encouraged to realise their innate potential.

    He spoke at Osogbo, the Osun State capital after a football competition he instituted as part of activities lined up for the 61st birthday of Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola. He owns and sponsors Hon. Bosun Oyintiloye Football Club of Obokun Local Government Area.

    One of the birthday activities was a football tournament between Oyintiloye’s team and that of Hon. Nurudeen Football Club of Ilesa-West Local Government Area the football team owned and sponsored by the lawmaker representing Obokun State Constituency which Oyintiloye’s team won by 3goals to 1 at the final stage of the competition.

    The football competition, which was keenly contested by football clubs representing all the local government areas of Ijesha land was sponsored by the Chairmen of the concerned local government areas and powered by notable individuals in the area.

    The tension-soaked match between the teams of Hon. Bosun Oyintiloye Football Club of Obokun Local Government Area and Hon. Nurudeen Football Club of Ilesa-West Local Government Area ended 3-1 in favour of the Oyintiloye boys.

    Governor Aregbesola described the tournament as exciting, entertaining and impressive.

    Presenting the trophy and medals to Oyintiloye FC, and other participants, Governor Aregbesola who was flanked by Hon. Oyintiloye and his team praised the sponsors for their commitment to youth development.

    Governor Aregbesola, who commended the participating teams for their commitment to the promotion of sports said Oyintiloye FC and its counterpart Hon. Nurudeen Football Club that contested in the final, exhibited the required commitment to victory, adding that they have shown promise for greater laurels in the future.

    He encouraged Hon Oyintiloye and others not to relent in their efforts to encourage the youth to realise their innate potential.

    The team of Hon. Nurudeen took the lead in the earlier part of first half of the game before Shakiru Adekunle equalised before the end of proceedings of the first half.

    In the second half, the Oyintiloye FC scored two more goals to win to win the trophy.

    Reacting, Hon. Oyintiloye explained that his side had demonstrated that through hard work and team spirit, success was attainable in any endeavour.

    He said he sponsored the tournament as a demonstration of his commitment to community development through sporting activities, stressing that he is inspired by the feat of his side to continue in activities that will lead to skill and talent development, especially at the grassroots.

    One of the organisers of the competition, Hon. Babatunde Ayeni Football Foundation said the participants were brilliant youths who deserved to be encouraged.

  • Police in Osun launch manhunt for kidnappers of Methodist priest, 2 others

    The Osun Police Command says  it has  deployed officers to rescue a Methodist priest and two other persons  abducted on the  Iwo – Ibadan Road on Sunday by suspected bandits.

    Mr Mufutau Ayinde, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, made the disclosure in Osogbo on Monday while speaking  with news men.

    He stated that the priest and two others were kidnapped at about 7:10 p.m. on Sunday, stressing that the matter was reported to the Police Division in Iwo.

    Ayinde, who  said officers were immediately mobilised to the scene of the incident, added  that they had been working to rescue the victims.

    He, however, said the kidnappers had not contacted anybody or made any ransom demands from the families of the abducted persons.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some gun men were reported to have abducted  Very Rev. Kayode Akande, and two other leaders of the church  on Sunday  while returning to Osogbo from Ile-Ogbo.

    Confirming the incident, the Bishop of  Methodist Church, Osogbo Diocese, Most Rev. Amos Ogunrinde,  said the priest and the two church members were returning from a Men’s Fellowship held at Ile-Ogbo.

    Ogunrinde said the priest and other members were in a convoy of two private cars when they encountered the bandits on the road.

    He said the bandits, according to reports,  had asked the victims for money but they  could not meet their demand as they were coming from a fellowship. (NAN)

  • Ooni: education key to national growth

    The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has said education remained the paramount requirement for the nation to achieve all-inclusive development. The monarch spoke during the N2.5 billion endowment fund raising organised by management of Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU) in Osun State.

    Ooni said the future of Nigeria remained in the glory of its youths, stressing that governments at all level must make efforts to facilitate the access to quality education for all young people.

    The king called on wealthy Nigerians to contribute to provision of quality education across levels, saying the endowment would go a long way in fast-tracking the nation’s development.

    The Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Sola Fajana, said provision of quality education required a tripartite partnership to develop infrastructure and sustain the existing ones. According to the VC, JABU is set to move to next phase of development in bringing modern infrastructure and quality training through for the endowment.

    Chairman, JABU Endowment Committee and Chief Executive Officer of Mutual Benefit Assurance Plc, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, explained why the school embarked on the N2.5 billion endowment fund, noting that it was to help the school keep its promise of providing efficient and effective service and knowledge delivery.

    He said: “With the rise in number of private and public universities in the country, particularly in the Southwest, competition to deliver efficiently has become fierce and JABU needs to keep to its promise to be the model for other school in terms of quality and efficiency.”