The Nation Newspaper

Tag: OSUN

  • ‘2018: PDP needs fresh ideas to win in Osun’

    ‘2018: PDP needs fresh ideas to win in Osun’

    Dr. Ayoade Adewopo, one of the aspirants seeking to succeed Rauf Aregbesola as governor of Osun state in 2018, is a legal practitioner. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain who holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the Indiana University, Indiana, U.S.A, is from Ile-Ife. He once served as President of the Marion County Bar Association in Indiana). In this interview with Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan, he explains why he feels he is the right man to governor Osun state after Aregbesola in 2018. Excerpt.

    YOU can conveniently be described as a technocrat. What is the attraction in politics for you?

    When you appreciate the fact that you are enjoying some level of grace and certain opportunities others don’t have in a society like ours, I believe naturally, one should develop a heart of giving back to that society. My belief is that it is not anybody’s making to lack basic necessities of life. So, those who have should be able to share with others to make our society better. That’s the heart behind my aspiration.

    If politics is an avenue to create a better atmosphere and an enabling environment for people to thrive, if politics is all about the people, I mean, if politics is the call to service of the people, I don’t see anything wrong in venturing into it. Unfortunately, due to situations in our polity over time, the word politics have been reduced to a sort of evil, many people tend to have lost faith in politics and politicians.

    Osun state is my heritage, before Nigeria in a nationalistic sense. Osun state, therefore, is close to my heart. Politics to me is not a game but an engagement with the people. It’s about leading the people to success and helping them to live in a better environment and condition than before. Politics is about leadership. It is poor leadership that has given politics a derisive meaning.  I am passionate about my people, my community and their development.

    Did you ever thought you’ll one day become a politician and seek to govern your state of birth?

    I never thought I will be doing this, I mean politics. I have always served, given the background of my families, both paternal in Ile-Ife and maternal in Ede, both in Osun state. But politics was never part of my agenda. But watching the seriousness of the need for men of good intentions to come into politics and help the people of Osun state live a better life, I saw myself yielding to the call to serve my people.

    We can’t continue to fold our hands as a people. The paramount mission behind my aspiration is to make Osun the model state where poverty is eradicated through human capital development, building success stories through youth empowerment and developing aggressive agricultural programs to bring about meat and milk sufficiency leading to food abundance.

    Our people yearn for a fair and just society where everyone is accorded the same opportunities to succeed, not one that provides jobs and opportunities for a few.  These are the things encouraging me to seek to govern the state.

    And what informed your choice of PDP as the party to use in actualizing your desire?

    I am a member of the PDP. And as a loyal party man, it is natural that I will seek the ticket of my party for the actualization of my ambition. PDP is a democratic party where I hope to get a fair chance to compete with other aspirants without imposition or undue intervention. Every politics is local, I joined PDP because that is the party of the people of Osun today.

    The people of Osun state have had the opportunity of tasting what both eh PDP and the APC have to offer them. They have made their choice and I can tell you that choice is PDP. I cannot ask our people to vote for APC again since they now want the PDP back in government.  So, with PDP, I am also following the desire of our people.

    So you think PDP defeat APC in Osun come 2018?

    PDP will win the next governorship election in Osun state. The people want change once again. We asked for change some years back and we got APC. Now we are clamoring for change again. The people want the PDP to come back and they have the final decision when it comes to election. If the votes of the people are to determine who wins, then I am sure PDP will win.

    And you think with the array of political heavyweights in PDP, you can get the ticket of the party?

    I am very optimistic. This is because I am the new face of PDP in Osun state. I am the reason why many progressives are today looking up to the party to take them to the promise land. I represent the freshness in Osun PDP today. And everybody knows that at a time like this, PDP must go to the governorship election with a fresh candidate with fresh ideas.

    To win the election by defeating the ruling APC, the PDP must go into the much awaited election with fresh ideas and an untainted candidate. We require a candidate with experience and international exposure. These are what I represent. We no longer need to recycle candidates who have been waiting for their turn for so many years. They have tried for the party. They have given their best to win in the past. But their best is not enough. We need freshness to defeat Aregbesola and APC.

    I have served as special advisor and counsel to foreign government entities and several multi-national corporations on diverse transactions, including commodity hedging, mergers, acquisitions, global or cross-border joint ventures, Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPOs), global security issues, global trade ethics and compliance policies.

    I am an expert in corporate governance and anti-money laundering matters and serves as counsel to corporate and government entities on such matters. These are the experiences and international exposure I am bringing to bear on my governance of Osun state if elected. These are the selling points I believe PDP must take advantage of as we hope to remove APC from power in Osun  state.

    And to show our readiness for the job at hand, we have what we have tagged the ‘HEART” agenda as our plan for the people of Osun state if we are given the opportunity to govern the state. Our 5-point HEART agenda covers key areas like health, education, agriculture, restoration of the lost glories of the state and tourism. We strongly believe that once we tackle the problems in these five areas, Osun will bounce back on track.

    In doing all these, we will lay serious emphasis on ensuring that the welfare of our people is given adequate attention. Salaries will be paid as at when due and our debt profile will be re-examined, re-negotiated and re-structured to ensure that we have the money needed to put smile on the faces of the good people of our dear state.

    What has been the response of the people to your aspiration?

    I will say the people are excited about Ayombo campaign. That is the name on every lips in Osun today. I am not new to them. I speak their language and I feel what they feel. They are happy something new is coming to Osun state and they are ready to go with us all the way. Before now, we have been silently impacting the lives of Osun indigenes through the Johnson Adedoja Adewopo Foundation.

    This is a foundation that is currently catering to the needs of Osun State indigenes in various areas of human capital and infrastructural development. I established it years back in honor of my late father. With what we have been able to do through the foundation with personal resources, the people are convoked that if given the opportunity to govern the state, we will do more.

  • Osun, Chinese firm sign N216b MoU on industrial park

    Osun, Chinese firm sign N216b MoU on industrial park

    The Osun State government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU ) with a Chinese firm, Jiangsu Wuxi Taihu Cocoa Food Company Limited, to establish a N216 billion industrial park in the state.

    The signing ceremony was held at the Government House Banquet Hall in Osogbo, the capital.

    Governor Rauf Aregbesola said the state agreed to allocate 200 hectares for the industrial park.

    The governor said the partnership would support the state in six different investments; cocoa bean processing, chocolate and food processing, salt processing, cassava starch processing, gold mining and power plants.

    He added that Jiangsu Wuxi Taihu Cocoa Food Company Limited is investing $600 million in the park

    Aregbesola, who described the partnership as part of his administration’s efforts to raise the bar of local and foreign investment, noted that the agreement will support the state’s economic drive.

    Reading a copy of the agreement, the governor said the project takes off in January, promising that Osun State will support actualisation of the proposed industrial park.

    The agreement reads: “On November 28, 2017, Jangsu Wuxi Taihu Cocoa Food Company Limited held talks with the State Government of Osun, Nigeria, on the investment to establish an industrial park in Osun State.

    “Through full communication and negotiation, both sides reached resolutions which are summarised as follows: ‘The Osun Government of Nigeria agrees that Jiangsu Wuxi Taihu Cocoa Food Company Limited will invest to establish the industrial park in Osun State who will allocate 200 hectares of land for the industrial park.

    “The total investment by Jiangsu Wuxi Taihu Cocoa Food Company Limited on the industrial park is $600 million. The first phase of the project includes six projects: cocoa bean processing, chocolate and food processing, salt processing, cassava starch processing, gold mining and power plants.

    “The construction project of Jiangsu Wuxi Tiahu Industrial Park will strictly abide by the relevant laws and regulations of the State Government of Osun and Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “The government will provide policy guidance for the construction of Jiangsu Taihu Wuxi Industrial Park and give support of energy, infrastructure and other aspects. After the completion of the project, favourable tax terms will be given.

    “The state government will set up a working group for the construction of Jiangsu Taihu Wuxi Industrial Park, which is responsible for the docking and service with China. The two sides agreed that the project will start in 2018.”

    The General Manager of Jiangsu Wuxi Taihu Cocoa Food Company Limited, Mr. Liu Jianhui, hailed Aregbesola for tapping into opportunities to develop the state’s commercial potential.

    He said the company decided to establish the project in the state, having understudied its economic potential to grow foreign investments.

    Liu Jiangsu assured the state of fruitful partnership, to create a robust bilateral economic relation between the state and the Chinese firm.

    He said: “We are bringing a huge investment into the State of Osun to complement existing investment in cocoa processing industry and support the state economically, commercially and industrially.

    “We have very strong confidence in the fact that the partnership would in no distance time bring about dividends to both parties as the state’s potential would be appropriately utilised.”

    Members of the State Executive Council (Exco) at the ceremony include Deputy Governor Mrs Grace Titilayo Laoye Tomori, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Moshood Olalekan Adeoti, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Ajibola Bashiru.

    Others are: Commissioner for Commerce, Industries and Cooperatives, Mr. Ismaila Jayeoba Alagbada and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Forestry, Natural and Mineral Resources, Mr. Stephen Babatunde Ajilore.

    The Chinese delegation included the General Manager of Jiangsu Wuxi Taihu Cocoa Food Company Limited, Mr. Liu Jianhui, Assistant General Manager, Shanghai Golden Monkey Group, Mr. Zhang Hua and representative of Nigeria Skyrun Cocoa Industrial Products Limited, Ms. Xu Feng.

  • Baba Sala not dead, says son

    Baba Sala not dead, says son

    Popular actor, Moses Olaiya, popularly known as “ Baba Sala ’’ is alive, his son confirmed on Wednesday.

    Mr Boisala Adejumo, one of Olaiya’s sons debunked the raging rumour that “Baba Sala’’ died on Tuesday – saying that the veteran actor was alive.

    Adejumo said that although his father was frail as could be expected of anyone of his age, “he is hale and hearty.

    Baba Sala is alive so, please save your condolences. My father is over 80 years old and is frail, due to illnesses associated with old age but he is alive.

    “My father is peacefully enjoying his life in Ijesa and he does not have stroke either.”

    Adejumo advised the public to always desist from quickly reacting to information emanating from the social media, noting that information on the social media could be misleading.

    He advised bloggers to always carry thorough investigations and seek clarifications from relevant authorities before posting information on social media.

    “Most bloggers or online reporters are not seasoned journalists. They just post things to attract inflow of traffic to their sites,” Adejumo said.

     Baba Sala  also rumoured to have died some months ago was  born on May 18, 1936. He is hailed from Ijesha, Osun.

    He is an ace actor and a musician, dramatist and a comedian. He could be described as one of the fathers if not even the grand-father of the modern Nigerian comedians.

    He always sings in a spectacular way in all his movies due to his passion for music.

    Baba Sala started his career as a musician of ‘High life’ in  1964 under a brand name of a band known as ‘Federal Rhythm Dandies’.

    The band tutored and guided King of Juju music, Prince Sunday Adeniyi Adegeye, popularly known as King Sunny Ade (KSA) where he used to play the ‘Lead Guitar’ role.

    NAN

  • Osun empowers 350,000 with N15b loan

    Osun empowers 350,000 with N15b loan

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has said his administration gave over N15 billion loans to 350,000 residents, especially women, in the last seven years.

    Aregbesola spoke yesterday in a state-wide broadcast in Osogbo, the state capital, on his seventh anniversary in office.

    The governor said his administration had also engaged over 40,000 youths in public works through the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES).

    He said: “Most of them eventually got soft-landing in teaching, agriculture, information and communication technology (ICT), among others.

    “For this reason, crimes have drastically reduced in the state.”

    On education, Aregbesola said his administration had built 20 elementary schools, 22 middle schools and 11 high schools.

    He said: “In addition, we rehabilitated existing schools and created a decent environment for learning.

    “We have, for more than five years, been feeding 262,000 elementary school pupils with nutritious meals. We also gave free uniforms to all pupils in public schools.”

    On agriculture, Aregbesola said his administration had provided assistance to farmers, sent peasant farmers on training abroad and laid the foundation for agriculture to boom.

    He recalled that in the last seven years, his administration had built over 1,500 kilometres of roads across the state.

    The governor said his administration also provided security and succour to the elderly through health care as well as put them on a monthly stipend.

    Aregbesola said: “We took care of the destitute and the mentally challenged by giving them medical care, rehabilitated them and resettled or reunited them with their families.

    “We have come and seen the challenges and conquered poverty, ignorance, disease and fear of the known and unknown these seven years.

    “In the remaining one year, I will be committed to the service of the people: to accelerate the pace of development and increase our efforts at ushering in prosperity in the state.”

    Aregbesola also said his administration will give the state a worthy successor who will continue with the good job his government started in the ‘State of the Virtuous’.

    The governor, who hailed the people for their support, assured them that they would not be left helpless and vulnerable to political wolves on the prowl.

    He noted that for his administration to be leaving behind a good and enviable legacy in education, physical infrastructure and all aspects of human development, it behoves on such administration to give the people a worthy successor.

    Aregbesola said: “In the remaining one year, I will be committed the more to serving you, to accelerate the pace of development and increase our efforts at ushering in prosperity to the government and people.?

    “We will leave a good and enviable legacy in education, physical infrastructure and all aspects of human development.

    “We will also do our best to bequeath a worthy legacy successor who will continue the works we have started in the best tradition of progressive leadership. We will not leave you exposed, helpless and vulnerable before the wolves.”

    Also, Afenifere chieftain, Senator Ayo Fasanmi, has applauded Aregbesola for implementing programmes that have transformed the state and impacted positively on the lives of the people.

    In a statement yesterday to commemorate the seventh anniversary of Aregbesola’s administration, Fasanmi said: “Your seven years in office is a living testimony for the forthcoming generation to see and appreciate. Your passion for the common man is fantastic.”

    According to him, tough times do not last but tough people, like Aregbesola, do.

    Fasanmi also congratulated deputy governor, Mrs Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, for her loyalty to the governor.

     

  • Osun empowers 350,000 people with N15bn loan

    Osun empowers 350,000 people with N15bn loan

    Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun, on Monday, said his administration had given more than N15 billion loans to 350, 000 people in the state, especially women, in the last seven years.

    Aregbesola made this disclosure in a state-wide broadcast in Osogbo to mark his seventh anniversary  in office.

    The governor said his administration had also engaged more than 40,000 youths in public works through the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme ( OYES ).

    “Most of them eventually got soft-landing in teaching, agriculture, information and communication technology among other others.

    “For this reason, the incidents of crimes have drastically reduced in the state”.

    In the area of education, Aregbesola said his administration had constructed 20 elementary schools,  22 middle schools and 11 high schools.

    “In addition, we rehabilitated existing schools and created a decent environment for learning.

    “We have, for more than five years, been feeding 262,000 elementary school pupils with nutritious meals. We also gave free uniforms to all pupils in public schools”.

    On agriculture,  the governor said his administration had provided assistance to farmers, sent peasant farmers on training abroad and laid the foundation for agriculture to boom.

    He  also said that in the last seven years, his administration had constructed more than 1,500 kilometres of roads in the nooks and crannies of the state.

    The governor said his administration also  given protection and succour to the elders, by giving them access to health care as well as put them on a monthly allowance.

    “We took care of the destitute and the mentally challenged by giving them medical care, rehabilitated them and resettled or reunited them with their families.

    “We have come and seen the challenges and conquered poverty, ignorance, disease and fear of the known and unknown these seven years”.

    “In the remaining one year, I will be committed to the service of the people; to accelerate the pace of development and increase our efforts at ushering in prosperity in the state,” he added.

    NAN

  • Osun APC: Aregbesola is phenomenon

    Osun APC: Aregbesola is phenomenon

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has described Governor Rauf Aregbesola as a phenomenon worth celebrating.

    In a congratulatory message marking the governor’s seventh year anniversary in office, the party, through its Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Kunle Oyatomi, congratulated Osun State residents for the governor’s “exceptional achievements” in transforming the state.

    It said: “Years before Aregbesola came, Osun was in turmoil. There was economic depression, insecurity was the order of the day and result-oriented governance was virtually absent. And all of that changed dramatically from 2010.

    “Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola emerged on the Osun scene like a storm and became the pivot on which unprecedented transformation began to manifest. So compelling was the change that Osun occupied the centre stage as a pace-setter in effective governance in Nigeria.

    “And so seminal was the experience that there was not a single family in the state whose life was not touched significantly by the Aregbesola-led government.

    “Thousands of youths were taken away from the streets and given jobs under the O’YES programme; thousands more children were attracted back to school as parents took advantage of the reformation Ogbeni effected in education.

    “As the revolutionary transformation in education progressed, marvellous state-of-the-art schools that outclassed private ones emerged and the surge began into government schools as enrolment in them rose exponentially.

  • Osun to celebrate Cocoa Festival

    The Osun State government, in collaboration with the Eti-Oni community in Atakumosa East Local Government Area, is set to celebrate this year’s Cocoa Festival.

    The Oloni of Eti-oni, Oba Dokun Thompson, who addressed reporters yesterday in Osogbo, the state capital, said the Cocoa Festival is an initiative of Eti-Oni Development Group to celebrate the cultural heritage of Eti-Oni.

    According to Oba Adedokun, this year’s celebration, tagged: The Royal Origins and Traditions of Cocoa for Sustainability, will mark 121 years of continued production of cocoa at Eti-Oni.

    Oba Thompson expressed gratitude to Osun and Federal governments for rejuvenating the economy through agriculture.

    The monarch noted that creating a renaissance in the cocoa industry and building bridges between production and consumption would aid sustainable development and improve the Tourism sector in the state.

    He said stakeholders should support the government in adding value to agriculture, renewable energy and making the sector an excellent social service delivery to boost cocoa production and it compete in the international markets.

    Oba Adedokun said: “There is a rapid increase in agriculture development. Stakeholders are needed to support the government in the areas of value addition to agriculture, renewable energy, which would help to create an excellent social service delivery.”

    According to him, such synergy would create opportunities in education, retail and hospitality businesses as well as technology development to grasp what is offered in today’s digital world.

    The monarch said the week-long programme would begin on November 26 with a harvest service at All Saints Anglican Church at Eti-Oni.

    He said a parade in music, dance, poetry and drama, among others, will hold on December 2.

    The Chairman of Osun Produce Board (OPB), Dr. Yemi Adegoke, stressed the need to revitalise cocoa production to boost the economy of the country and create wealth.

    Adegoke said cocoa had been the major cash crop for = developing the country and boosting the economy, even before the inception of crude oil in the 1970s.

    He said Eti-Oni was the first place in Nigeria where cocoa was first cultivated.

     

     

  • Osun APC hails state’s growth

    Osun APC hails state’s growth

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has hailed the economic and human growth of Rauf Aregbesola’s administration in the last seven years.

    Describing Aregbesola as unstoppable, the party advised Osun residents to show determination in sustaining the tempo of growth.

    In a statement yesterday by its spokesperson, Kunle Oyatomi, the party said Osun had come a long way in engineering change from a “poverty-stricken and backward community to a significantly developing society of hard-working and progressive-minded people”.

    The party advised the people to improve their lives, adding that as “citizens of this state, we must not allow those who are backward-looking and selfish, especially political vultures, negatively disposed to progress, to mislead them into being careless about keeping pace with the developments and progress thus far achieved in Osun”.

    The APC, which called for vigilance, noted that “to understand the magnitude of what has happened in Osun under the leadership of Aregbesola, the people have to take a serious look at what this state was some eight years ago, to appreciate what it is now.

  • Osun charges youth on empowerment

    In line with its strategy to boost the economy of the state and eliminate poverty, the Government of Osun has once again called on able-bodied youths in the state to engage in productive activities, rather than be idle. This directive was contained in a brief issued at the end of the Council of State meeting on Wednesday.

    The government said it has put in place several empowerment programmes in agriculture such as food cropping, chicken rearing and piggery, among others, for anyone to latch on to and be gainfully employed. The State Government lamented that despite its efforts to create numerous platforms for productive engagement, these opportunities are yet to be fully taken advantage of by the youths, some of whom have remained dependent on their parents while others have resorted to begging.

    “Many of these opportunities are underutilised. Council therefore urged young people, especially the unemployed, to be engaged in any of these. No able bodied person in the state should have any reason to be unemployed or engage in begging,” the statement said.

    In a similar vein, the Council frowned at a report, which observed the poor and unhygienic look of pupils in the state’s public schools.

     

  • Osun school’s farm gets federal aid

    The Federal Ministry of Agriculture has assisted the Osun State College of Education at Ila-Orangun to cultivate 50 hectares of cassava farm.

    Chairman of the school’s Governor Council Niyi Akande spoke at a meeting with the chairmen of Ila and Ipa Central local government areas.

    He said the Federal Ministry of Agriculture supported the institution to enhance the economic diversification agenda of the Federal Government – from oil to agriculture.

    The chairman noted that apart from diversification of the national economy, the Federal Government intended to use the school’s farm as a pivotal project for the academic researches of other institutions and agricultural farms in the Southwest.

    According to him, the ministry assisted the college after its officials’ thorough assessment of the facilities on the ground at the school farm.

    Akande said the second phase of the agric project, which he said include planting of maize, additional cassava, vegetables and fruits of about additional 100 hectares, would start during next year’s raining season.

    He added that the college had begun a large scale poultry farm and fish production to boost the school’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and make its agric students acquire a practical experience about their courses.