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Tag: OSUN

  • 18,000 women get N600 million loan in Osun

    At a carnival-like ceremony, 18,000 women got yesterday a big financial push in Osun State.

    itwas all at the Freedom Park, where N600 million was shared out to them.

    Some received as much as N40,000.

    The occasion was an empowerment programme by the Governor Rauf Aregbesola administration.

    At the ceremony were the governor’s wife, Sherifat, and her counterparts from other Southwest states – Mrs. Florence Ajimobi (Oyo) and Dame Abimbola Fashola (Lagos).

    Presenting the cheques to beneficiaries, Aregbesola reiterated his administration’s commitment to eradicating poverty, adding that the programmes of any serious government must revolve around people’s welfare.

    He said his administration collaborated with the Grooming Centre in Lagos to provide the loans and fast track the attainment of the poverty alleviation goal in his government’s Six-Point agenda.

    The governor said if women were economically active but financially handicapped, they would not be able to contribute to the economy’s growth, adding that that was why the government gave them the loan.

    He said: “As a government, we have realised that development is incomplete without consideration for the human aspect. Ours is a combination of both infrastructural and human development and today’s ceremony is an attestation to this fact.

    “We are committed to making our Omoluabi state a subject of envy among the comity of states and a place worthy of living for all and sundry. We have extended the government’s presence across 30 local governments and the state’s area office and completed many capital projects, some of which are being commissioned. They are there for everyone to see.”

    Aregbesola said his administration’s collaboration with various financial organisations has put smiles on the people’s faces, adding that the government will continue to implement laudable programmes.

    Executive Director of the Grooming Loans Scheme Adesoji Tayo said the Grooming Centre is a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) founded seven years ago to provide financial services for economically active poor people.

    He said with the centre’s assistance, women could engage in small trading and micro productive activities in many parts of the country.

    Tayo said: “We operate from 259 branches with staff strength of 1,362. We have 374,145 clients. Just three weeks ago, we hit a billion naira loan disbursement weekly. The programme is not a social welfare or government hand-out; it is not political settlement.”

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Rural Development and Community Affairs Kunle Ige said: “Available data have shown that majority of our women, especially in rural communities, are economically active but are constrained financially. That is why the current administration has committed so much to poverty alleviation interventions to reduce this ugly trend and make life more meaningful for the people.”

  • Aregbesola inaugurates civil servant’s smart ID card

    Aregbesola inaugurates civil servant’s smart ID card

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola inaugurated yesterday the smart identity card and biometric automation for civil servants.

    The initiative, tagged: “I am Alive”, is the first in the country. The smart card contains the data of civil servants and will serve as credit card, debit card and identification cards.

    An interesting feature of the card is that carriers can withdraw up to 20 per cent of their salary without money in their accounts.

    The smart card is a tripartite arrangement among the Osun State government, Charms Plc and First Bank Plc.

    Aregbesola, in his speech, titled: “Identifying the Living”, said the smart card would intensify the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for administrative efficiency.

    He said the card is electronically personalised with the biometric features of its carrier.

    The governor said: “It was through the application of ICT to our tax administration and revenue collection that we increase our Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) by 100 per cent within the first few months of our administration.

    “We have since intensified efforts to make ICT an inherent part of our public administrative system. The introduction of this smart electronic identity card is another component of that o effort.

    “It will expectedly bring about many benefits to civil servants and the government. It will be given to all workers across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including Local Government Council workers.

    “The Smart ID Card is electronically personalised with the biometric features of each user. It will add immense value to the performance of workers and improve the capacity and cost of administration by the government.”

    Aregbesola said the card will eliminate financial waste and leakages and create a reliable database for salary payment.

    He said: “Leave bonuses, for example, are now tied to each worker’s birthday and paid to their accounts automatically on that day. With this Smart ID Cards, there cannot be mistaken identity in the payment of money to workers. In this system, identity is completely individualised and electronically personalised.

    “For pensioners, it removes the stress of going through multiple verifications to get their money and blocks means of cheating them. By clearly identifying the living from the dead, this system ensures that ghosts will no longer mingle with our workers or have access to our payroll in Osun. It keeps them where they belong – in the grave. It stops the dead from coming to steal money from the living. It makes certain that only retirees who are ‘ALIVE’ receive payment. This affirms the sense in the project’s title, ‘I am Alive’.”

    The governor said by June, pupils aged 1-6 years will have personalised cards containing their bio-data.

    The Group Managing Director of Charms, Mr. Ademola Aladekomo, said Osun has broken another ground in the ICT world.

    He said the smart card can be used anywhere in Nigeria and abroad, adding that it carries the fingerprints of its holder.

    The representative of First Bank’s Managing Director, Mr. Mutairu Akinfolarin said the card was a product of “hard thinking”.

    He hailed the governor for pioneering the card, adding that First Bank was proud to be part of it.

  • Osun’s ‘road’ to economic recovery

    Osun’s ‘road’ to economic recovery

    The government of the state of Osun says it is building multi channel roads, which it believes will stimulate economic prosperity. Seun Akioye looks at how the road projects have affected the common Joe.

    It was not a political rally. Not yet. It was a different kind of rally, one that the supporters called ‘the peoples’ rally. At about 3:00pm on April 15, 2014, Governor Rauf Aregbesola rode into the city of Ilesa in an open roof white Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) and a convoy of about six vehicles. He was dressed in a white lace that fitted his modest frame and a blue cap, sat proudly on his head; a dark sunshade protected his eyes from the blinding rays of the sun.  Immediately, a crowd gathered and as the convoy progressed into the heart of the city, thousands of enthusiastic supporters joined in forcing it to move at a snail’s pace.

    The governor waved at the people, sometimes gave the victory sign and danced to the impromptu music of the Okada riders and other supporters, who ran alongside his motorcade. He bonded with the people who felt they could honestly lay claim to him as one of their own.

    In the last one year, Aregbesola’s administration has built 29.71 kilometres of roads round Ilesa.  The new roads are on 15 streets. It is like a ring road connecting different sections of the city, so that if one began from one end, one could end up at the same spot going round the city. That was what Aregbesola did when he rode into town to open the roads. He spent over one hour inspecting all 15 roads and ended up at the Ibala Road Community Primary School, venue of the ceremony, where several thousands of people were already waiting. Time was 4:30pm.

    Aregbesola said his overriding ambition is to regain Osun’s place as the economic hub of the Southwest, outside of Lagos and because the state is bordered by five states of the Southwest and the North central, it serves as a veritable alternative to Lagos in trade and investments. So, the governor thought of linking the state with the railway and constructing standardised access roads into the state. The road construction too would serve as internal economic stimulus for the state.

    So, almost four years into this plan, how has the state managed to achieve its objectives?

    “We just want the roads fixed”

    Government agencies said that the construction of 15 roads in Ilesa was unprecedented in the history of the state. Instructively, many of the residents shared this sentiment.  At the ceremony to mark the commissioning of the roads, about 15 traditional rulers, both within the state and outside, graced the occasion.  Speaking for the royal fathers, the Owa Obokun of Ijeshaland, Oba Adekunle Arom-olaran said, the administration of Governor Aregbesola has made the biggest developmental impacts in the state. He mentioned the constructed roads as being unprecedented and threw in a clincher. “I can even say it was during your administration that I gave birth to twins,” he told the governor.

    But, it wasn’t only the royal fathers that appreciated the benefits of the new roads in Ilesa, the people do too. Mary Oyeleye, a resident of Omo-Olupe Street, Bonnke area, just opened a new business where she sells food items.  About a year ago, this had been impossible to accomplish and the reasons are not far-fetched.

    “We have really suffered in this Olupe Street. Before the road was constructed, this whole area was flood and muds especially the Bonnke area. There was a river there and only Okada could pass through this area, when you get to Bonnke, then you have to roll up your dress and wade through the mud and river. There were houses that have been submerged in the river too. This place was a nightmare,” she said.

    The bad condition of the road also had its negative economic impact. Being a major link road to several towns including Ijebu-Ijesa, Osogbo and Akure, the road had been completely deserted by all commercial interests, shops closed down and residents began to move out of the area.

    About a year ago, work began on the road and when the construction was completed the area took on a new image. Apart from the standard construction, Omo-Olupe Street has opened for business. “We built these stores last December because the road is now passable. Also, all the commercial buses are now using this road, so it makes it busy. We are grateful to the governor for doing this; he has totally changed our lives,” Oyeleye said.

    Omo-Olupe is not the only street opened for business, the whole of Ilesa is. From one street to the other, residents spoke of years of decay and neglect but which has been reversed by the construction or rehabilitation of the roads. Omi-Eran road for instance, according to some of the engineers from Ratcon Construction company – the company responsible for the construction of the roads – was a terrible specimen of a township road.

    At the ceremony to commission the roads, the residents discussed the impacts of the new developments in the city.  They were not the only ones to marvel in wonder, the governor did too. “As we drove round the roads today with the people, I was just wondering about what God can do. I was thinking to myself that to have 29 kilometers of roads round Ilesa, this is the first time in the history of this state. I was just thanking God,” the governor said. His eyes dilating with excitement and his voice rising in a sing-song. The crowd caught the bug of his excitement and somebody raised a song loosely translated to thanking God for a new era.

    The excitement about the new roads, however, transcends Ilesa, in Osogbo, where several township and inter-city road constructions have been done and still ongoing, the physical outlook of the city has changed, probably forever.  In Osogbo, the philosophy behind the road constructions remains the same; that is, opening up economic opportunities for many of the residents of the state, from the bottom up approach.

    Mercy land area, a large residential and business settlement in Osogbo, with thousands of residents now wears a new look. It is one of the several Osogbo township roads constructed over four months ago, which linked several neighbourh-oods. In Mercy land area, which conveniently sits on a small hill, there are about 10 newly constructed roads, linking one street with another up and down the hill.

    Kayode Oyediran has operated his tie and dye business from Omonike crescent for five years now but according to him it was only this year that any meaningful improvement has occurred in the area. “Because the whole of Mercy land area was in a terrible shape, you find that people cannot move as freely as they want. The consequence of that is business concerns were affected. It was only those who had Okada that could work here,” he said.

    But things have changed for his business.  Because of the newly constructed roads in the neighbourhood he could easily move his raw materials into site and also his finished goods out of his business premises. “I think on the issues of road construction, I will give the governor a pass mark. This is not the only road he has done, if you go across Osogbo, there are so many inner roads like this that have been done. Osogbo has really changed,” Oyediran enthused.

    The residents of Oke-Arugbo’s 12 zones neighbourhood also believe their newly constructed roads will facilitate business development in the area and boost real estate.

    According to Chief Titus Osobu, the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atakumosa West, in Ilesa, but who owns a house in Oke-Arugbo zone 2, the development in the area has been unprecedented.  “I came here about 20-years ago but this type of development has been unprecedented. There were times we had given up, but today, we thank Governor Aregbesola for doing this road for us.

    “We never expected our road will be fixed in 10 years, this governor has really tried and we really appreciate him for that. Tell him we are grateful recipients of all that he is doing,” Titilayo Adetoun, a resident of zone 3, who followed the profession of tailoring said.

    Though the construction of roads in Oke-Arugbo still has about four zones to be completed, the revolution was already catching on in all the zones. “Zone 8, where I live is yet to be constructed, but we can drive on good roads up to this point. We are certain the government must complete all the remaining roads to have a complete development,” Mrs. Adebola Adeseye said.

    Outside the township roads in Osogbo, there are major inter–city construction being undertaken by the Aregbesola administration. One of the major road constructions embarked upon is the famous Oba Adesoji Aderemi bypass.

    The story behind this massive 17.5 kilometer road within Osogbo metropolis is as interesting as the construction itself. According to government officials, the aim of the road is to complete the Ring road round Osogbo.

    Sabitu Amuda, an engineer and Special Adviser to the Governor on Works is the man in charge of the various road constructions. The Oba Adesoji bypass is one of the projects that give him some of the most pleasure and when he talks about it, it shows.

    “It’s a roundabout that connects Iwo road and the West by-pass. It ended there before, but we now want to complete the loop, we want to finish the ring. It starts from Iwo road roundabout and goes the whole of 17.5 kilometers to link back to the roundabout at Ikirun road, so that you have a complete Ring road round Osogbo,” he said.

    Going through the length of the on-going construction is instructive about the determination of the government to bring massive development to that part of the city. A Turkish construction company, Slava-Yeditepe had the task of boring through rocks and wading through rivers to construct the new bypass. From Iwo roundabout to Channel 0, work according to government is about 40 percent completed.

    When The Nation visited the site, workers were seen engaged in the road work. Between channels 0-4, new bridges were springing up over railways and dual carriage ways took the place of deep forests. At Abere junction, a flyover would pass over it to link the road with Oke-Ijetu/Ilesa garage. According to Edwin, one of the site engineers, the flyover will have four loops and ramps to divert traffic. When completed, it will be the first flyover in Osogbo. The engineer also said the road being constructed is of the highest standards using 30cm stone base. Another source inside Slava-Yeditepe also said the roads are being constructed to last 40 years.

    Even though, many houses were demolished in many neighbour-hoods, the people continue to look ahead to the economic prosperity it will bring. They don’t have to wait for long as the road has been throwing up business and developmental opportunities.

    “I give this road two years and you will see a business district here, you just need to picture the road the whole stretch and you can imagine the endless possibilities for business development,” Edwin said.

    Alhaji Moruf Adenekan, who lives around Testing Ground area, corroborated this view: “Everywhere on this road people are buying up land. I know the land is appreciating now; people are buying up to build shopping malls and other things. If you have the money, it is a good business deal to buy land here even for resale later on.”

    The economic benefits are not lost on Oladele Akindele, who owns a business on Oke-Ijetu too. “Well, there are many houses that were demolished, I don’t know if they had been compensated because mine was not demolished, but this road will bring development to this area, that is for sure,” he said.

    Another road generating interesting permutation is the Oshogbo-Ikirun road, which began from the old garage and terminated at Ila-Odo /Kwara state border. It is being handled by a wholly indigenous construction company, Sammya Constructions. The former single carriage way has been made into a dual carriage way, completed with drainage one meter deep and wide. Construction too is almost at 40 percent completion.  Businesses that were disrupted before have reopened. One of them is Best Oyin Aluminium Company.  “During the construction, we had to cope with a lot of things, but now we are very happy because business here has improved,” says Yessuf Dada, one of the workers.

    But the progress did not come easy. From the old garage to Aiyetoro, many buildings had to give way. Despite this, however, Moruf Adeyemi, a traffic warden says his job has been made easier with the new road.

    One of the greatest beneficiaries, Elder Olalere Isaiah, a steel worker at the Kobo area said: “We have not seen this kind of governor before in Osun, this area was the home of flood, when it rained, we experienced massive flood. But with the drainage, this place is dry and our business has improved.”

    Engineers at Sammya said, there were various impediments which necessitated an extension of the time needed to finish the job. “We had to deal with the telecommunications and power cables. We have written to them to move them and even electricity poles have to be moved, all these take time, that is why we have to request for a little extension to finish,” a source said.

    The Gbogan/Akoda/Ede expressway is another massive inter-city road network being constructed by the government. According to Amuda, the thinking behind this road is to facilitate the movement of goods into the state. “We want a situation where coming from Lagos, you can continue with the same dual carriage way into Osogbo. We already have mapped out how this will benefit commercial activities, that is why we are into all these road constructions,” he said.

    But the people begged for more. Olaleye from Omo-Olupe Street, Ilesa said the residents still need a speed breaker on the road to prevent future accidents. Dada also wants a speed breaker on the Ikirun road while Isaiah wants the government to complete the inner roads around the Kobo area.

    At the Ikirun Thursday market, sellers mingled with buyers even as they watched the tractors move into town and a part of the market disappeared to pave the way for the new road. “It’s our market but the government is trying to bring improvement to the state so we are happy even if a part of the market is going,” a representative of the market leader told The Nation.

  • ‘Our roads will last more than 15 years’

    ‘Our roads will last more than 15 years’

    Sabitu Amuda, an engineer and Special Adviser to Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Works, spoke with SEUN AKIOYE

    What is the philosophy behind the road constructions being undertaken in Osun now?

    Simply to increase the revenue generation of the state.

    How is that possible?

    It’s simple, people are saying that we are constructing roads and at the same time talking about revenue generation, the amount of money we have spent so far in the construction of the roads in the state remains. The only percentage that goes out cannot be said to be five percent.

     There are foreign companies working on the road and definitely they must be returning profits to their home country?

    Thank you, when I say five percent, I am talking about salaries only and that is for those workers who are being paid as foreigners. When it comes to the materials being used, except for a small percentage, all of them are sourced from this state. Granite  and sand are found here. The cement, whether we construct roads or not people are building houses so we have distributors everywhere, the reinforcement rods, we can say they are being rolled out in Lagos but they are bringing them here and we can still say they are sourced here.

    So when we are talking about the construction, we are using the money to buy materials to construct the roads so no matter how much it costs, the money is still entrenched here.

    How bad were the roads before this administration?

    We can say the condition was poor. That is giving it about 30 percent, even the roads that were constructed, you go back after four months they are gone. When they make budgets for road construction this year, they will make the same budget for the same number of roads in the next budget. You will not see an increase in the number of roads being constructed, it is because of the methods they employed in constructing the roads.

    A lot of roads are being constructed in Ilesa and other places, what is happening in Osogbo, the capital?

    Let me start from the major road works. There are two that can be said to be seen physically within the state capital that is Oba Adesoji Aderemi bypass which is totally within the city. It’s from the existing stretch of the West bypass which starts from Ikirun roundabout by the stadium to Iwo roundabout where we call ‘Dele Yes Sir’ area. It’s a roundabout that connects Iwo road and that West bypass. It ended there before, but we now want to complete the loop, we want to finish the ring. It starts from Iwo road roundabout and goes the whole of 17.5 kilometers to link back to the roundabout at Ikirun road, so that you have a complete Ring road round Osogbo.

    What are the features of the road?

    It’s a dual carriage way, there will be no interference with any other road, you are not waiting for another vehicle to pass, when you move from Channel 0, you get to the rail line and fly over it, when you get to Ataoja area where it crosses Gbongan road, there is going to be another flyover, so you have a full clover leave interchange similar to what we have in Ketu and Mile 2 in Lagos. Flyovers that allows you to complete the ring of a total length of 26 kilometres within the state capital.

    We have another one that is starting at the centre of Osogbo; the old garage road dual carriage way to terminate at the boundary of Kwara State. We will be taking the road to fly over two railway crossings at two locations namely Okuku and Ilesa areas. Whether the Oba Adesoji Aderemi by-pass or the Kwara boundary road, we are going to have street lights on them. We have another one, a single carriage way that will be constructed alongside the dual carriage way which will form a crescent because of the Dagbolu hub that we want to put in place.

    Just about two kilometres from the steel rolling mill, you have the Dagbolu settlement. Now, in between Dagbolu and Oba-Ile, there is the land where we will develop, an international market which we call the Dagbolu hub. It is yet to commence but we are preparing the access roads to that market. This market is going to sell the way they sell wholesale in Lagos because government is going to be responsible for hauling these products from Lagos, so the traders can sell the same price they sell in Lagos.

    There is a railway station there, so that is an advantage. We will transport agric produce from Dagbolu hub to Lagos and we are bringing finished products from Lagos down to Osogbo and government is going to bear the cost of haulage, look at that. We want to build the economy of the state, we are not just constructing roads, we have the economy at the back of our minds. We want to create a conducive environment enough for people to come back and do business here because Osogbo has been relegated.

    Businessmen think if they come to Osogbo, where is the market for their products? But if we could have all these roads in place, like we are linking Gbongan to Osogbo with another dual carriage way so that the dual carriage way from Lagos will continue like that to Osun.

    What about townships roads?

    We have many single carriage ways in Osogbo, Ede, Ilesa, Iwo, Ife and a number of other local government roads, not directly financed by the state but enhanced because the government is supporting them with loans from the banks. The roads are on the average six kilometres all over the 30 local government areas including the area office. The actual number of local government roads built to the same standard is 228 kilometres. We want the local government roads to be the same standard, so that in the next 15 years, we will not come back to it.

    We will not do any major work on the roads in the next 15 years, I am assuring you. If you look at the terrain where these roads traversed you can imagine what must have gone into building the roads. You can see the road lane markings too, they are modern.

    How about maintenance, what are the things you are putting in place for constant maintenance?

    As we build, we are also grooming an agency to constantly monitor the roads. That is the Osun Road Maintenance Agency (ORMA). They have the responsibility to monitor and maintain the roads all over the states.

    You said you empowered local contractors when there are many foreign companies

    Let me tell you, Ratcon has its headquarters at Ibadan, but Slava- Yeditepe has its main operation here in the state, if you can go to their camp you will see the facilities they have. Sammya is fully Nigerian; any white person there is an employee. But whether Ratcon or Slava, in terms of staff their foreign input is less than 20 percent. Majority of the workers are sourced locally. Not all sector within these companies is foreign, many of our people are in charge.

    In total, how much has the government spent on these projects?

    For now, we are spending in the range of N80 billion. There is one in the bracket of N29 billion; one in the bracket of N18b, there is one of N15 billion and N17.5 billion etc. The local governments’ road is costing us about N21 billion, it is 228 kilometres single carriage way. Add that together we have about N110 billion.

    What are the immediate economic reactions to these projects?

    All petty traders along these roads can in retrospect admit that profit has improved because people can easily access their businesses and they can have quick turnovers. The roads we are constructing have opened up their businesses. Same for grocery sellers and other small scale businesses. The population of Osogbo is also increasing. Hotels are also springing up showing that the standard of living has improved in this city. That is the effect of what the government is doing, it is not a normal growth, it is anchored on the level of infrastructure government is putting in place.

    Now, sell Osun State to me when all these are completed, what do you see?

    I want to see the Ring road; I want to look at the most busy road in Washington or Broad Street in Lagos. The transformation that will happen to the properties along this road will be unprecedented. If you have a plot there, you will be thinking of having multi-storey building there. By the time we have the airport, picture it yourself, the good road networks in the state, the market hub in Dagbolu, a busy modern town, Osun is going to be great.

  • INEC distributes permanent voter cards in Ekiti, Osun

    Over one million (1, 108,495) Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) were distributed this week by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the people who registered in 2011 in Ekiti and Osun states.

    A statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to INEC chairman, Mr Kayode Idowu, on Thursday in Abuja said the distributed cards were from 1,913,825 cards printed for the two states.

    It said the commission had also conducted Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) for those who had just turned 18 years in the two states

    According to the statement, the distribution is in preparation for the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun scheduled to hold in June 21 and Aug. 9 respectively.

    It said “the cards were distributed at the polling unit level, namely at the existing 2,195 polling units in Ekiti and the 3, 010 polling units in Osun.

    “The CVR was conducted at the Registration Area Centre (Ward) level of which Ekiti has 177 and Osun, 332,’’ it said.

    It added that in Ekiti, the Continuous Voter Registration was conducted in 29 existing polling units with less than 100 registered voters.

    “While in Osun, it was conducted in 59 existing polling units where there were no data of registrants from the 2011 exercise, and seven other polling units that had less than 100 registered voters.’’

  • Osun gets committee on polls

    Founding fathers of Osun State are set form of a broad-based task force committee on the forth-coming governorship election.

    A statement by the Chairman of Osun Founding Fathers Movement, Amb Diran Fagbongbe said the committee will serve as a link among all the political parties, ensure peace prevails before, during and after the election.

    According to him, the committee will also ensure that the best candidate emerge as the next governor .

    “The committee will include all the surviving founding fathers of state, along with all the surviving traditional rulers who joined forces ro ensure the creation of the state on August 27, 1991, some newly installed Obas and chairmen and other top political chieftains. Also some powerful spiritualist and clerics of traditional, christian and muslims, faiths will also be invited to join them” Fagbongbe explained.

  • Tinubu warns against rigging in Ekiti, Osun

    Tinubu warns against rigging in Ekiti, Osun

    The setting was purely academic – the convocation of a university. But, the gathering was a mixture of intellectual giants and frontline politicians – an opportunity for a few words on the state of the nation.

    After berating what he called the sit-tight attitude of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-controlled Federal Government, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, warned Nigerians that the government was planning to rig the 2015 elections.

    It was all at the 11th (special) convocation of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, yesterday. Tinubu was conferred with a honorary degree and invested as the institution’s fourth chancellor, following the footsteps of the late businessman and leading politician MKO Abiola, the late eminent Jurist Justice Kayode Esho and elder statesman, Chris Ogunbanjo.

    To the APC National Leader, it is evident that the PDP-controlled Federal Government is planning to rig, going by its attitude. “You can only discern their intention from their attitude; they are not bothered about the employment and unemployment situation in our country. This is because they plan to rig the election,” TInubu told the huge gathering at the institution’s convocation arena.

    He added, however, that the leadership of the progressive movement and their followers would not allow such to happen. His words: “They are busy looking for ways to manipulate the polls in Ekiti. I am not ashamed to tell them that this time it is going to be rig and roast. If you mess up in Osun too, you would see our reaction; it is going to be the same way — rig and roast.” “For every action, there must be a reaction.”

    “Nobody will serve you freedom a la carte. You must demand it. We won’t allow any mutilated election result in Ekiti and Osun. We will drive them out. It won’t be a court matter this time.”

    Lamenting the worsening security in the country caused by incessant attacks by members of the Boko Haram sect, Tinubu said of the Federal Government: “Enough of excuses and lies. They lie to us. They cannot even account for the number of children that were either killed or abducted. They carry on as if they are not accountable to us. While parents were mourning the loss and disappearance of their children and victims of the Nyanya attack, President Goodluck Jonathan was dancing in Kano. We are not serious.

    “For us in the APC, we wish the government the best. As a party, we have no pact with the Boko Haram and they have no pact with us. Our competition is basically on election. We seek your votes, not your lives. We seek your understanding, not your failure. We wish the government complete success. We wish patriotism prevails over partisanship. We are ready to provide our services where needed, provided they will stay away from blackmail.”

    According to Tinubu, if voting during last year’s Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) election was anything to go by, “then coming elections would be ones where numbers and maths are (going to be) immaterial.”

    He added that the pattern of abuse and malpractice had already been set in Anambra State, where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to match its words with action during last year’s governorship election. The APC is challenging the validity of the election at the tribunal.

    He said without electoral reform, the coming elections would be “ones where those the people reject will be proclaimed as the people’s choice”. This development, TInubu added, would place the nation in dire straits.

    The only way to avoid this, Tinubu noted, is to introduce sweeping electoral reforms. He said: “Foremost, we need a fully bio-metric voters’ verification and validation of registration system (our current system encourages multiple voting) and verifiable one-man-one-vote. As such, it is a veritable invitation card to massive fraud and malpractice.”

    The former governor, who was conferred with a doctor of science (honoris causa) at the special convocation, lamented that the most troubling aspect of the state of the nation is that of lack of inspirational leadership. He said Nigerians have lost faith “that this government is capable of solving the problems affecting them”.

    Tinubu blamed the ruling party for this, saying “most of its politicians are not interested in progress”. For instance, he described the recent rebasing of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures as false and misleading, saying they have raised more doubts about the objectives of those in charge of the economy. He said from a modest $305 billion, Nigeria’s GDP ballooned to $488 billion. Nigeria thereby magically leapt over South Africa to become the largest economy in Africa.

    The APC chieftain said South Africa’s economy is industrialised and that the country manufactures automobiles, such as BMW, which it exports to Europe, while Nigeria cannot produce ordinary brake pad, he said.

    Tinubu, who was described as a champion of democracy, promised a new era for LAUTECH, saying he is very fond of the institution, just like his late mother, Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji. “For many years, this institution was one of the top, if not the number one, institution of its type,” he noted.

    Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Gbadegesin, justified the choice of Asiwaju for the position. He said the former governor has demonstrated beyond doubt that he is a good manager of resources and proved to be a distinguished leader.

    He said: “Senator Tinubu is now the fourth chancellor. It is a privilege to have such a great leader as our chancellor. Thank you governors Ajimobi and Aregbesola for giving us the best candidate as our chancellor. This will help LAUTECH to become one of the best in Africa.”

    Tinubu later moved to the palace of the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Oyewunmi Ajagungbade.

    While addressing the monarch, he described the Soun as a progressive minded person. “This is our palace. We need your guidance and prayer. You are in the fore front of industralisation. In the nation of our immense resources,we cannot produce mere tools. We must change this government.”

    Oba Ajagungbade urged Tinubu to lift LAUTECH to greater height, using his wealth of experience and influence.

    The event was attended by APC chieftains from across the country, including National Leader Muhammadu Buhari, Interim Chairman Bisi Akande, Interim National Publicity Secretary Lai Mohammed, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and presidential flag bearer of the defunct ACN, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.

    Others are Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, who came with his wife Sherifat, host Governor Abiola Ajimobi and his wife Florence, as well as senators and other top party officials. They were Senators Gbenga Ashafa, Olorunimbe Mamora, Femi Ojudu and Sola Adeyeye.

    Also there were House of Representatives Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila, frontline scholar Prof. Adebayo Williams, Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker Adeyemi Ikuforiji and former Lagos Commissioner for Information Mr. Dele Alake.

    The Governors of Lagos, Ekiti and Ogun were represented by their spouses – Dame Abimbola Fashola (Lagos), Erelu Bisi Fayemi (Ekiti) and Mrs. Olufunke Amosun (Ogun).

    The ceremony was also graced by royal fathers from Oyo and Osun states, which jointly own the institution. The Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Oyewunmi Ajagungbade, was there.

  • The making of new Osun

    The making of new Osun

    After nearly four years of the Rauf Aregbesola administration, things are beginning to look up in Osun State and the people are happy. OGOCHUKWU IKEJE reports on what the government has done to give the state a new lease of life.

    The story of reinventing Osun State may well have started from poor and unflattering circumstances. Back in 2003, four years before he ran for governor of the state and seven before he was declared winner and sworn in, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola travelled round several communities in the state. What he saw did not lift his spirits. Old people, in most cases women in their late 60s and mid 70s, were surrounded by malnourished children.

    This was a grim picture. Who were these kids? Most probably grandchildren left behind by their mothers in search of jobs and survival elsewhere.

    It was at this point that the vision of a new Osun began to take shape. Something needed to be done to lift the people from the depths of poverty and despair. It would be a comprehensive approach. New jobs would be created, but more than that, the people needed to rediscover themselves and their worth. They also needed to be happy citizens of Osun once again. Collapsed infrastructure would be revived, nonexistent ones put in place. The uninspiring school system needed a new lease of life and parents must be encouraged to begin to send their children to school. The school infrastructure, nothing to write home about at that time, must be upgraded to make it as inspiring to both teachers and pupils as possible.

    There was a plan for developing local technology, a clear vision for boosting the state economy and getting Osun citizens to give their best to the state and be happy working for the collective.

    Aregbesola is said to have got to work, mobilising partners who would help work out a development plan for the state. One striking thing that came out of that plan was the Osun Green Book, which rallied the people to the awareness of their liberty and freedom to determine their own affairs.

    Four years on, the picture of the new Osun has appeared and the people seem to like what they see. Considerable order has become part of the state. You can tell from the landscaping of the road as soon as you cross into the state end of the border, and also from the trees planted on both sides of the road.

    “The landscaping makes for more pleasurable driving,” said Mr Adelowo Adewumi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Regional Planning and Special Duties.

    That same pleasure and ease informed the policy of at least 10km of roads in each of the state’s 30 local government areas, in addition to one Area Office, added the permanent secretary. The road plan has helped to open up the rural areas, making it easier for farmers not just to access their farms but also to transport their produce to any market in the state. Residents of rustic, Ori-Oke prayer mountain community of Ikoyi also benefitted from the policy.

    The focus on education is perhaps even more striking. In several towns, eye-catching schools with modern learning tools have replaced the dilapidated and off-putting facilities that used to exist in those places. Elementary schools enjoy this attention as much as do the middle and high schools. And Governor Aregbe-sola and his team are quick to point out that the postcard-perfect schools are not model facilities. They are the standard Osun schools, they say, adding that in time every school in the state will not only be a beauty to behold but will offer state-of-the-art learning and teaching aids.

    “We went to Osun purposefully,” Aregbesola likes to say, adding, “The state was on the journey to perdition if the trend wasn’t stopped.”

    That slide has been halted not only in schools where enrolment is perhaps the highest in the country, but also on the streets of towns and cities as well as villages in the state. Like every other state, unemployment was a big concern. Jobless young people fled the state in droves in search of jobs in such places as Lagos State. Those who stayed behind could only swallow hard and grind their teeth; in some cases, they were a problem to everybody.

    The OYES, a youth jobs scheme, has considerably thinned down the mass of the unemployed in the state, helping to curb crime in tow. Tens of thousands of youths have been trained in skills and put to work, either directly employed by the state government or privately engaged. So many young people in the state across both sexes have been trained to control traffic or keep the streets tidy. Some women drive heavy-duty refuse trucks and are happy doing so. Some have been trained to make durable burnt bricks, some to raise fish, a good number to make garments.

    The Omoluabi Garments Factory puts the fabric-making plan in great relief. There, hands and minds are at work on an array of sewing machines. The movement of workers from one point to another is constant.

    Mr Oyedeji Abayomi, branch manager of the facility, said 3,500 garments are produced everyday at the factory. This is impressive.

    Every month, the state makes N200m, Aregbesola said. His administration’s revenue policy should take the credit for that, especially the plan to source 60 per cent of every project locally, and to give 80 per cent of the work to locals. This prevents capital flight and boosts the local economy. Three different uniforms are used in Osun public schools. All the uniforms are sewn by Osun residents. This creates jobs for the locals and helps to retain revenue in the state.

    You also find this approach at work at the Ayegbaju International Market, a sprawling facility boasting a bank, hospital, hotel, police and fire stations, and warehouses, among others, including a second-hand clothing section.

    “2,500 people work at the market every day,” Dr Wale Bolorunduro, Commissioner of Finance, Economic Planning and Budget said as work at the market was rounded off preparatory to its inauguration.

    Bolorunduro is happy that the market project, which is directly under his ministry, has kept to plan, and that the Aregbesola administration is delivering on its promises.

    Just as happy is Mr Ajibola Basiru, Commissioner of Regional Integration and Special Duties, whose alma mater, one of the state’s primary schools, was given a new life in Aregbesola’s education plan. Basiru believes that the governor has done what he said he will do, and that Osun people are happy with him.

    The state is touted as Nigeria’s seventh largest economy. In a few years, quality hotels are springing up in Osogbo, the capital. But one firm that is helping in growing the state economy is Rlg, a telecoms firm in Ilesha, specialising in repair and assembly of GSM phones and tablets. The firm, whose headquarters is in Ghana is in partnership with OYES, and has provided jobs to scores of Osun citizens.

    Four years on, a new Osun is visible. Grandmas in the rural settings may heave a sigh of relief.

  • Osun, Oyo, Ondo on list of Abuja blast victims

    Osun, Oyo, Ondo on list of Abuja blast victims

    After the initial shock, officials have settled down to find out the identities of the victims of the Nyanya suicide bombing in which no fewer than 75 people died and 164 injured.

    Imo, Katsina and Benue indigenes top the list of the injured.

    The police released yesterday security advisory to Nigerians for the Easter holiday.

    According to the figures released by the National Emergency Agency (NEMA), 126 are in nine hospitals.

     The clinics  are Nyanya General Hospital(11); Asokoro District (26); Maitama District Hospital (22); PAN-RAF Hospital(nine); National Hospital (31); Mararaba General Hospital (eight); Customs Hospital (14); Abuja Clinic, Karu (four); and Garki Hospital (one).

    The victims are from 26 of the 36 states.

    The states of 48 victims were unknown as at press time. Imo, Katsina and Benue top the list of the injured ones.

    The highlights are as follows: 48 (no states); Imo (eight); Katsina (eight); Benue (eight); Edo (six); Kaduna (six); Enugu (five); Kogi (five); Sokoto(five); Cross River (one); Ebonyi (three); Plateau (two); Kebbi (one); Kwara (two); Adamawa (one); Kano (two); Osun (one); Oyo (two); Delta(two); Nasarawa (two); Ondo (one); Abia (two); FCT (one); Rivers (one) Akwa Ibom (two); Anambra (one) and Jigawa(one).

    The police advisory urges Nigerians to be vigilant at motor parks, shopping malls and recreational centres.

    The police specifically cautioned those who will worship in mosques and churches to take precautionary measures.

    A statement by police spokesman Frank Mba, said: “Against the backdrop of recent security challenges in the country and the general preparation for the forthcoming Easter celebrations, the Nigeria Police High Command has urged worshippers both at Jumat and church services to take adequate measures to reduce the number of vehicles around these hallowed worship centres so as to make the tasks of keeping surveillance on the area easier.

    “ The police apex authority also advises that abandoned and disused vehicles should not be parked within or close to places of worship and residential areas. It further highlights the need for vehicles parked overnight in those premises to be properly vetted and identified.

    “While emphasising that empty containers and other forms of receptacles (including dustbins) not in use should be properly disposed or stored far away from the reach of unauthorised persons, the Police High Command highlights the need for flower pots and flower edges around residential buildings, offices and worship centres to be kept clear and regularly checked for foreign or suspicious objects.

    “The Police High Command also enjoins worshippers to make conscious effort to know fellow members of their congregation, as this will make it easier to know who is a stranger in their midst. It reiterates the need for worshippers to be security alert and report all suspicious characters and observations to the Police.

    “The worship centres are enjoined to discourage hawking and clustering/loitering around the worship centres after service. Worshippers are equally advised to refrain from entering the worship centres with hand bags, brief-cases and other related items.

    “The Force equally advises operators of motor parks, shopping malls and recreational centres to work very closely with the police and other security agencies as they strive to strengthen general security in their respective facilities.

    “While assuring the public of his administration’s readiness and commitment towards ensuring a safe and secure environment, the Inspector-General Police, MD Abubakar also wishes Nigerians a very peaceful and happy Easter celebrations.”

  • Call minister to order, Osun Speaker urges

    Osun State House of Assembly Speaker Najeem Salaam has urged the National Assembly to call the Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan, to order.

    Salaam alleged that Adesiyan perpetrated illegalities during the voter registration, adding that the minister “was on a mission to destroy the peace in the state”.

    In a statement by his media aide, Mr. Goke Butika, Salaam said: “Public office is meant for public service and public good, not brigandage and brutalisation of defenseless citizens. Adesiyan’s misconduct suggests a hidden agenda that cannot be divorced from violence for rigging. It is imperative for the National Assembly to call the power drunk minister to order.”

    He condemned the alleged assault on the first democratically elected governor of the state, Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke, by the minister, describing it as “a bad signal for the August 9 governorship poll”.

    The Speaker said he got reports of how Adesiyan allegedly moved from one constituency to the other, using policemen and thugs to scare away registered voters from some polling booths in Ila, Ipetu-Ijesa, Ife, Ayedaade and Ifedayo.