The Nation Newspaper

Tag: OSUN

  • Osun Completes Redistribution of Opon Imo For New Academic Year

    Osun Completes Redistribution of Opon Imo For New Academic Year

    •We had no money to buy textbooks before Opon Imo – Students

    We have been asked to buy textbooks so as to prepare for the coming Senior WAEC but most of us have not been able to do that because of unavailability of money. Many of us cannot afford the textbooks and have been wondering how to pass the fast approaching exams.”

    These were the words of Adeleke Busayo, a final year student of Adventist Government High School in Ede, Osun State as she receives her “Opon Imo” tablet of knowledge.

    In a similar vein, the Head Girl of the school, Oluwatuye Mary buttressed what Busayo said. She stated that most of the students have not been able to afford the needed textbooks for their coming exams, adding that the State Government under the leadership of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, has lifted an over-weighting burden through the Opon Imo project.

    “I feel so excited, we have been patiently waiting for the Opon Imo since the first day our principal told us about it. I am so happy to get the Opon Imo finally because we have been told to buy textbooks but not all could afford them. Now that the Opon Imo is here, embedded with several textbooks and past questions, the burden of having to buy textbooks has been lifted.

    “We are immensely grateful to the Government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, we really appreciate this privilege and we promise to use it judiciously. Aregbesola has fulfilled his promise with the people of Osun on Education Improvement and we promise to study well and make him proud.” Mary added.

    The Opon Imo, tablet of knowledge is an initiative which started in 2013.This initiative, the first of its kind anywhere in the world, covers 17 Core Subjects with over 5 Extra Curricula Subjects for Senior Secondary 1, 2 & 3 levels. The Tablet contains over 56 textbooks , 900 minutes of virtual classoom lessons and 1000s of Practice Questions for WAEC and JAMB.

    In addition to aiding preparation for School Leaving Examinations, the introduction of the tool is expected to aid adoption of information communication technology (ICT) skills among students in the State.

    Back in 2013 when the Governor Rauf Aregbesola-led Government of launched Opon Imo, many were skeptical about its sustainability and its effectiveness in combating the low rate of student performance, especially for secondary school students writing final year West Africa Senior School Certificate but four years down the line, the Opon Imo has proven its worth.

    Apart from aiding students in their exams and guaranteeing their success if properly used, the Opon Imo has also relieved parents the burden of having to buy textbooks especially in this current economy situation.

    As usual, the State government has begun the redistribution of e-learning computer tablets for the 2017/2018 academic session to students in the final year in the state public schools.

    The redistribution of the tablets began in an informal ceremony at Osogbo Government High School, Osogbo, as the students and teachers were excited to receive the device again.

    Speaking during the flag-off ceremony at Osogbo Government High School, the Principal of the school, Mrs Folorunsho Ladapo, described Opon-Imo as an unusual education infrastructure in the state.

    Also the Administrator of Adventist Government High School, Mrs Uche Agbaso, said the distribution of the Opon Imo is an extra mile on the part of the Governor to enhance better performance of the students.

    In her remarks too, the vice principal administration, Mrs A A Oyewole, lauded Aregbesola for the initiative and urged the students to make positive use of the tablets.

    Speaking on the nitty gritty of the programme, the Commissioner for Education, Mr. Kola Young explained that, “The government is doing its best to distribute to students a technological device, it is a marriage of technology and creativity, we are tying to make all our children have access to technology, as you can see, this device is being distributed to all SS3 students, the purpose is to help them in passing their exams and it has all their subjects textbooks, it has past questions and answers, it’s a fantastic digital learning tool, it’s a study note, so to say.

    “Our Government deem it fit to give our children the best and we have started again this year, we are going round the 120 schools we have in the state now.”

    About the controversy surrounding the Opon Imo, Young explained that, “As you know Opon Imo has won an award internationally, we won an award four years ago. As far as controversy is concerned, we are unmoved, we are not shaking. It is audible to the deaf and visible to the blind that Opon Imo has come  to stay. It is a fantastic project and we have not ceased in distributing it four years running now. The teachers are there, the principals are there, the students are there, the parents are there and they will give you wonderful testimonies as to what this government has done through Opon Imo so criticism with objective, we will take it but without objective, we will struck it out.”

     

     

  • Osun receives N6.3b Paris Club refund

    Osun receives N6.3b Paris Club refund

    Osun State Government yesterday announced the receipt of N6.3 billion from the Federal Government, being the third tranche of the Paris Club refund.

    Commissioner for Finance Bola Oyebanji stated this in Osogbo.

    According to Oyebamiji, the state’s “Apportionment Committee”, headed by former national President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Hassan Sumonu, would sit over the refund to decide on how it will be disbursed.

    The commissioner said the committee would act quickly to put the fund at the disposal of the people of the state.

    Commissioner for Information and Strategy Adelani Baderinwa said the availability of the fund at this time was the Lord’s doing.

    Baderinwa said: “God has always been making things possible when it seems there was not going to be any way.

    “God has eased off financial problem which seems intractable by his miracle of the arrival of the Paris Club refund,” he said.

    Baderinwa said civil servants and the general people of the state would be financially relieved when the money was disbursed for the benefit of all.

    Baderinwa said he was sure that a new dawn of abundance and happiness would soon come to Osun.

  • Historical places to visit this christmas

    Historical places to visit this christmas

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  • Ekiti, Osun gov elections: INEC to ensure full participation of PWDs

    Towards ensuring that future elections in Nigeria are wholly inclusive, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun preparation at ensuring that the over 25 million Nigerians with disabilities are catered to in the electoral process.

    INEC, during a capacity building workshop for its Persons Living with Disabilities (PWDs) Desk Officers, in Lokoja, Kogi State, on Friday, explained that the latter will be equipped to communicate in acceptable manners with Persons (Nigerians) With Disabilities.

    INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Outreach and Partnership Committee, Dr Adekule Ogunmola, expressed optimism that the implementers of its programmes on PWDs at all levels will come up with creative and useful ideas that will help deepen the participation of the latter community of Nigerians.

     

  • Osun House orders Bola Ige son’s arrest

    Osun House orders Bola Ige son’s arrest

    Osun State House of Assembly yesterday issued a warrant for the arrest of former Commissioner for Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr Muyiwa Ige.

    He is to explain what happened in a land matter on Ilobu Road in Osogbo, the detail of which is not yet clear.

    Muyiwa, son of respected Ssecond Republic governor of old Oyo State, the late Chief Bola Ige, said he did not receive any invitation.

    Majority Leader Timothy Owoeye signed the warrant of arrest, it was learnt.

    The ex-commissioner said last night: “Nobody  invited me. I don’t even know what it is about. How far is Lagos from Osogbo? I was in Osogbo till 7.00pm yesterday (Tuesday).

    Read Also: Man in court for alleged fraud

  • Man docked over attempt to bathe someone with acid

    Man docked over attempt to bathe someone with acid

    An accused, Oluwaseyi Ogunjinmi, was on Monday docked at an Ile-Ife Magistrates’ Court in Osun for attempting to bathe someone with a substance suspected to be acid and causing a breach of public peace.

    Ogunjinmi, 30, is facing a two-count charge of threat to life and breach of public peace, to which he pleaded not guilty.

    The magistrate, Mrs Risikat Olayemi, granted the accused bail in the sum of N50, 000 with one surety in like sum.

    Olayemi ordered that the surety, who must swear to an affidavit of means, should be a civil servant on Grade Level 05, and whose place of work should be within the court’s jurisdiction.

    Read also: Man docked for stealing Cocoyam in Ekiti

    She added that the surety must attach his letter of appointment, his last promotion letter as well as present his or her valid official identity card to the affidavit as part of the bail conditions.

    The magistrate adjourned the case until December 18, for hearing.

    Earlier, the prosecutor, ASP Matthew Imepreve, had told the court that the accused committed the offences on Dec. 5, 2017 at about 2:00 p.m., at No. 7, Ijio St., off Moore, Ile-Ife.

    Imepreve said that the accused threatened to bathe one Mrs Sola Awoyeye with acid and in the process, conducted himself in a manner that breached public peace.

    He said the offences contravened Sections 86 and 249 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Osun, 2002

    NAN

  • Leadership Award: APC, Assembly, others greet Osun lawmaker

    The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has congratulated the lawmaker representing Obokun State Constituency in the House of Assembly, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, for winning the Most Outstanding House of Assembly Member in Nigeria Award.

    The awards ceremony was held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on December 2.

    The award acknowledged Oyintiloye’s contributions to law-making for good governance and community development.

    A congratulatory message in Osogbo, the state capital, by Osun State APC’s Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Kunle Oyatomi, said: “First, this award stands Osun high in the country’s quality legislation category and, secondly, raises hope for youth participation in the legislative arm of government.

    “For a young first-timer legislator to win that award speaks to the dedication and diligence of Oyintiloye. It sets a remarkable example for youths, who may be interested in the legislative process of the future.

    “The party celebrates your achievement and feels proud that despite your being new in the House of Assembly, you have set a record within two years of participation to clinch the Most Outstanding House of Assembly Member in Nigeria Award. This is a sign of better things to come. The party urges you and other members of the Osun State House of Assembly to keep the Omoluabi flag flying.”

     

  • Petrol scarcity: Normalcy reigns in South-West states – Survey

    Petrol scarcity: Normalcy reigns in South-West states – Survey

    Motorists in some parts of the South West, including Oyo State, Osun and Ogun are going about their businesses unhindered with the availability of petrol and normal operations at filling stations, contrary to acute shortage of the product in many parts of the country.

    A survey showed that the pump price remained stable as many filling stations in Ibadan still sell the product between N141 and N145 per litre.

    In the metropolis, there were no long queues, panic buying nor artificial scarcity as motorists still got the commodity and moved round conducting their various businesses.

    Mr Kabir Adeoye, an Estate Valuer, told correspondant that there was no fuel scarcity in the metropolis, adding that he just purchased fuel at N142 in one of the filling stations without queue.

    A cross section of motorists said the normalcy might be connected to the rehabilitation and re-inauguration of the NNPC depot in Ibadan to a functional state.

    In Lagos State, normalcy returned to some filling stations as motorists were seen buying petrol with ease.

    From Ajah to Lekki axis, the filling stations visited include Mobil in Oluniyi Olumide in Lekki Sandfill, Forte Oil and Petrolcam in Lekki, Oando and World oil stations in Jakande.

    They were dispensing petrol at the official price of N145 per litre.

    Mr Tayo Adeleke, the Station Manager, Petrocam filling station, Lekki, said it had opening stock of 60,000 litres and another 60,000 litres of petrol had just been added.

    Adeleke said queue had disappeared in Lekki because of constant supply from depot.

    There was no queue in most of the stations visited in Apapa, which housed most of the private tank farms in Lagos.

    Some petroleum attendants were waving to motorists to buy from their station.

    Situation remained the same at Mushin as motorists were buying the commodity with ease.

    Mr Kazeem Iyiola, a commercial driver, said motorists were surprised on Tuesday when most of the filling stations were out of stock.

    Similar situations were observed across Osun, particularly in Osogbo, where the product sold without queues.

    NAN reports that fuel stations across the capital were selling PMS with ease.

    Stations visited include NNPC at Ring Road, City View Oil and Gas at Oroki estate, NIPCO at Lameco Roundabout and Mobil at Oke-fia.

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Abeokuta Field Office, Ogun, however allayed the fear of motorists and residents that the normalcy enjoyed in the state might be infiltrated by scarcity from other states.

    The Operations Controller, Mrs Muinat Bello-Zagi, said staff had begun monitoring and surveillance operation on filling stations in and around the state.

    A NAN check reveals that most filling stations were selling fuel with no queue in sight.

    However, some motorists expressed concern over alleged report stating that there would be increase in the price of fuel.

    But in Ondo State, the queues have started surfacing in spite of assurances by the NNPC of enough fuel in storage.

    Nan reports that many filling stations in Akure were not dispensing fuel while few selling were doing so above ‎the official pump price.

    Mr Adewole Emmanuel, Acting Operations Manager, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Ondo State, said there was a severe penalty for any station caught hoarding the commodity.

    He said the scarcity and long queues were noticed on Monday, and the DPR enforcement team was immediately mobilised to address the situation.

    Emmanuel alleged that some dealers were deliberately hoarding fuel to create artificial scarcity.

    ‎He, however, warned that strict sanctions would be applied on any erring marketer caught flouting the laid down rules.

    “I wish to make it clear that we will apply sanctions to any station caught hoarding fuel,” he warned.

    It is also the same situation in Ilorin, where scarcity of the product is biting hard in the metropolis and other towns in Kwara.

    It was observed on Friday that many filling stations were closed, while only few were selling the product to desperate motorists and others.

    Motorists, who spoke to correspondent around Tanke area of Ilorin, lamented that the scarcity had unleashed panic buying of the product.

    Most of the stations in Tanke such as FABB, NNPPC, SANRAB and Bekind were closed; only Junuwad station was operating with the attendant long queue.

    A taxi driver, Mallam Ibrahim Oseni, said he had been on the queue for over two hours and had yet to purchase the product.

    NAN

  • Osun begins distribution of Opon-Imo in public schools

    Osun begins distribution of Opon-Imo in public schools

    The Osun State government has begun the distribution of e-learning computer tablets for the 2017/2018 academic session to final year pupils in the state’s public schools.

    The distribution of the tablets started at an informal ceremony at Osogbo Government High School in Osogbo, the state capital.

    The pupils and teachers were excited to receive the device again.

    Thirty thousand units of the tablets will be given to final year pupils ahead of writing their Senior Secondary School Examinations (SSCE), the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) examinations.

    Their teachers across the state will also get the device.

    The device, nicknamed Opon Imo (Tablet of Knowledge), was introduced by the Rauf Aregbesola administration in 2013 as a first-of-its-kind standalone e-learning tablet to aid learning among secondary school pupils in the state.

    The beneficiaries have been final year pupils across the state.

    Since its introduction in 2013, it has served four sets of final year pupils in Osun public schools.

    Out of the intended 150,000 tablets, 50,000 were produced and distributed every session to final year pupils and their teachers.

    At the inaugural ceremony at Osogbo Government High School in Osogbo, the school’s head teacher, Mrs Folorunsho Olubisi Ladapo, described Opon-Imo as an unusual education infrastructure.

    She noted that since its invention, the device had brought about significant improvement in teaching and learning in the public schools.

    The head teacher said its introduction in the last four years had redefined the education system as well set a new standard and direction for purposeful education in Osun State.

    Mrs Ladapo said: “To us as teachers and mothers, the introduction of Opon-Imo has not only revolutionised the Education sector but has also eased teaching and learning, particularly for outgoing pupils.

    “This device, as we all know, has been assessed and adjudged to be a very useful education tool and has serious impact in boosting mental capacity of pupils who may not necessarily require printed materials.

    “As an electronic device, we have seen the level of improvement which the innovation has brought on the results of our students in both internal and external examinations.

    “We have equally experienced the great impact that this technological initiative has on the reading culture among the students.”

    Lauding Aregbesola’s education revolution in the state, the head teacher said the state government was doing the best in the Education sector.

     

  • Derin-Ologbenla is Osun Man of the Year

    An Ile-Ife, Osun State prince and philanthropist, Charles Adewale Derin-Ologbenla, has won the maiden Osun State Man of the Year.

    He defeated 20 nominees for the award.

    Prince Derin-Ologbenla polled the highest votes to defeat the three runners-up in the online selection.

    The award presentation, which will hold in Osogbo, the capital, on December 10, is expected to attract eminent personalities.

    Many people hailed Derin-Ologbenla for his developmental initiative in Osun State, his empowerment drive and his philanthropic disposition.

    In a statement at the weekend, organisers of the award Hero Magazine Group said the prince won because of hard work, positive initiative, tenacity and the philosophy of giving back to the society.

    Project Coordinator of Her Group Dr. Akinbiola Sunday said: “The Man of the Year Award is to publicly celebrate and honour the outstanding career achievements of illustrious sons and daughters, whose performances made significant contribution in the private and public sectors.

    “This award also seeks to attract annually the political and business leaders, academics and professionals from all disciplines, both famous and uncelebrated.”

    Some past winners in a similar award in the Ondo State edition are: Ajayi Borroffice, the senator representing Ondo North; Justice Babatunde Adejumo, President of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN); Emeritus Prof David Ijalaye, Prince Rotimi Ibidapo, the Aare Atunluse of Owo kingdom, among others.