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Tag: Oyo

  • Oyo discovers 50 schools without pupils

    Oyo discovers 50 schools without pupils

    •10,000 redundant teachers

    Fifty schools in Oyo State are without pupils, the government said yesterday. Also discovered were 10,000 redundant primary school teachers.

    Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology Prof. Adeniyi Olowofela said this after the State Executive Council meeting.

    The commissioner said the discovery was made at  the verification by government.

    Olowofela added that the government would move teachers with additional qualification among the 10,000 redundant primary school teachers to junior secondary classes.

    He said there was no going back on the government’s decision to stop automatic promotion in schools.

    Speaking further, Olowofela said subvention to tertiary institutions had been reduced to 25 per cent, urging heads of institutions to fashion out avenues of generating revenue.

    In another development, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters Bimbo Kolade said the N6.8 billion pension scam inherited from the previous administration had hindered payment of pension and gratuity.

    Kolade said N880 million was paid to primary school pensioners and local government retirees.

    He said N6.2 billion was released for June, July and August salaries of primary school teachers.

    The commissioner said the attorney-general and commissioner for Justice was instructed to liaise with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission  (EFCC) to access the N400 million it recovered.

  • Oyo: no automatic promotion in schools

    Oyo State has said it will not renege on its decision to stop automatic promotions in public secondary schools.

    It stressed that its decision to reform the education sector will be pursued rigorously until it yields positive results.

    Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism Toye Arulogun said this at the weekend while featuring on Saturday Special, a weekend magazine programme of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS).

    Arulogun said it was unacceptable for Oyo State to occupy the rung of the ladder positions in the National Examinations Council (NECO) and Senior School Certificate examinations (SSCE), when it should be setting the pace.

    He said the state was known for many firsts and its education sector should be the benchmark for others.

    The government spokesman said the reforms in the education sector were inevitable and that no amount of protests would deter the state from changing its stand on the “no automatic promotion policy  in public secondary schools”.

  • Today is holiday for Oyo teachers

    OYO State has declared today work-free for teachers to mark the World Teachers Day.

    A statement by the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Toye Arulogun, quoted his Education, Science and Technology counterpart, Prof. Joseph Olowofela, as conveying government’s congratulatory message to teachers.

    Olowofela urged teachers not to relent in their professional calling to reposition education in the country.

    He implored them to collaborate with the government on its education reform efforts.

    “The World Teachers Day, October 5, is a day set aside annually to commemorate the signing of an all-important document of ‘ILO/UNESCO recommendation concerning the pivotal status of teachers, adopted by the Ministers of Education of Nations under the United Nations Organisation (UNO) on October 5, 1966.

  • Oyo to celebrate Aso Oke

    The Oyo State Government has rolled out plans to celebrate the locally fabricated textile popularly called “AsoOfi” from the Iseyin area of the State, as the highpoint of the 2016 edition of the World Tourism Day celebration on the 27th of September 2016.

    With the theme: “Tourism for all- promoting Universal Accessibility: special focus on Asoofi”, the celebration will come up between September 25th -27th, 2016.

    Speaking during a press conference held at the film theatre of the Ministry, the State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism Mr. ToyeArulogun noted that the State Government was collaborating with the Iseyin Weavers and Marketers Association to showcase the Southwest ceremonial fabric as a fashion tourism, youth empowerment and entrepreneurial engagement that would stimulate the growth and development of the cultural tourism potentials of the state.

    Arulogun said: “This year’s edition of the World Tourism Day which will be celebrated between the 25th and 27th of September at the old NYSC camp, Iseyin. It will be a platform to reawaken the indigenous textile sector of the Oyo State economy with a view to adding value to the production and marketing process.”

    The government spokesman pointed out that the three-day event would feature a road show around Iseyin town, weaving competitions, musical concerts, cultural displays, fashion parade, colloquium and exhibition amongst others.

    “Governor AbiolaAjimobi is committed to turning around the fortunes of Oyo State in a holistic manner such that every facet of life and every sector will experience development in the state. Top on the list of that Agenda is the transformation of the beautiful landscapes, historical sites, and cultural heritage of the people”, he stressed.

    Mr. Arulogun also called on genuine corporate and individual investors to partner with the state, for the preservation of the state’s cultural heritage, historical sites, artifacts and monuments thereby adding value and boosting the cultural tourism potentials in the state.

  • Oyo community relishes lawmaker’s gesture

    Residents of Egbeda Local Government Area of Oyo State received sufficient democracy dividends when the lawmaker representing them at the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Samson Olasunkanmi Oguntade, decided to give back to them from the little he has gotten from the state government and for giving him their mandate in last year’s general elections.

    At the ceremony attended by National Leader of Accord Party and former governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, Accord Party National Secretary, Mr. Nureni Adisa, Oyo State chairman of Accord Party, Bashir Lawal, members of Oyo State House of Assembly, among who were the Minority Leader, Hon Gunju Ojo, Chief Whip, Hon Kehinde Ayinla Oloya, Hon Muideen Olagunju, representing Oyo East/ West, Hon Ademola Ige, Hon Adebiyi Omikunle and Hon Adebiyi Adesina.

    Oguntade, accompanied by his wife, said the empowerment was meant to appreciate his people on whose mandate he was in the Oyo State House of Assembly.

    He expressed appreciation to former governor of Oyo State, Senator Ladoja and all stakeholders in Accord Party, especially from Egbeda State Constituency and all residents of Egbeda Local Government Area.

    He urged all politicians to be honest in all their dealings. He said the gesture was in fulfilment of his campaign promises, adding that he decided to give back to his constituents for their support.

    He said he had reached out to various communities in Egbeda and decided to reach out to his constituents. He added that 10 constituents from each ward will also benefit financially from the gesture.

    Materials distributed included insecticide sprayers, grinding machines, power generating sets, sewing machines and hair dressing implements.

    National Secretary of Accord Party, Mr Adisa, expressed happiness to witness the empowerment programme and also thanked Hon Oguntade for the gesture he extended to his people, despite that the state government was hugely indebted to the lawmakers.

    Hon. Peter Oyetunji, a member of Oyo State House of Assembly, said despite not belonging to the same party, Hon Oguntade has remained steadfast in what he believed in and has never wavered in his membership of the Accord Party.

    He added that in the House, all lawmakers are one without regard to party affiliations.

    Senator Lanleyin congratulated Oguntade on his commitment to reach out to his constituents, despite the economic situation in the country, adding that voting for the Accord Party was not a misplaced action. He also said the gesture was just the beginning of greater things from Hon. Oguntade.

    Chairman of the state Accord Party, Bashir Lawal, said Governor Abiola Ajimobi, is deceiving the people with his decision to conduct local government polls.

    Senator Ladoja praised state lawmakers for their unity of purpose in the House, without regard to party affiliation and despite the economic recession.

    He berated the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for its failure in delivering democracy dividends to the people, not only in the state, but also nationally, adding that the state government has failed in its promise to conduct local government election.

    He said the 2011 election result in Egbeda was better than that of last year, saying the reason was anti-party actions of some members.

    He praised Hon Oguntade for his empowerment gesture, despite the economic quagmire state lawmakers have found themselves under the Ajimobi administration. He also congratulated beneficiaries of the empowerment programme.

    He praised all lawmakers elected on the platform of the Accord Party for not disappointing the party.

    He took a swipe at the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), praying that God showed its leadership the light to come to be part of the Accord family, noting that there is no solution in sight for the crisis bedevilling the PDP.

  • Oyo deputy governor sues for peace

    Oyo deputy governor sues for peace

    OYO State Deputy Governor Michael Adeyemo has appealed to one of the aggrieved Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC)governorship aspirants, Chief Olusola Oke and others to embrace peace.

    He urged them to work together for the victory of the party in the November 26 governorship election.

    Adeyemo spoke yesterday while addressing reporters in Ibadan.

    His words: “I heard in the national dailies today that Oke complained that the delegates’ list was manipulated. But the person that came second, Dr. Segun Abraham agreed that the election was free, fair and credible.

    “Human beings complain sometimes when they are not the one that was choosing. He should just accept his faith and allow God’s wish to hold. That is the person God has ordained to win. Rotimi Akeredolu contested in 2012 and lost. But he accepted his faith and re-contested again.

    “Akeredolu is a man of the people and I am hopeful that he is going to win the governorship election. Akeredolu is a viable candidate, if not his people would not have voted for him in a free, fair and credible election that was held over the weekend among 22 aspirants.

    “We are all one family and only one candidate is expected to emerge from the primary,” he said.

    Adeyemo urged other aspirants and APC members to work together for the party’s victory in the governorship election.

     

     

  • 10 die in auto crash in Oyo

    Ten persons were crushed to death on Sunday along the Ibadan-Oyo expressway in an accident involving an18-seater white Toyota Hiase bus ‎with registration number LSD 191 XA.

    Nine people were also injured when‎ the bus overtook another bus.

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) spokesperson, Oluwaseun Onijala, who confirmed the accident, said it occurred around 5:20pm.

    He said injured victims have been taken to two hospitals for treatment,while the corpses of the dead have been deposited at Adeoyo Hospital Morgue, Ibadan.

    “The cause of the crash was wrongful overtaking and loss of control by the driver of the Toyota bus. He was travelling from Ibadan to Oyo; it was in that process that the driver rammed the bus into an oncoming truck, travelling to Ibadan,” Onijala stated.

  • Ajimobi to restore Oyo’s agric glory

    Ajimobi to restore Oyo’s agric glory

    Governor Abiola Ajimobi has promised to restore Oyo State’s glory as the leader in agricultural production.

    Ajimobi spoke at the first convocation of the Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora, and the presentation of fellowship awards to him, former President  Olusegun Obasanjo and Chief Executive of Bovas Petroleum Mrs. Victoria Samson and others.

    According to him, the government will  re-engineer agriculture to restore the state’s glory in the sector.

    Represented by Education,  Science and Technology Commissioner Prof. Adeniyi Olowofela, the governor said: “You would recall that in the 60s, Oyo State under the old Western Region was known for its leading role in agriculture which was then the mainstay of the nation’s economy.

    ”And in the view of the economic challenges facing the country, occasioned by the fall in the oil prices of crude oil in the world market, and several years of neglect of agriculture, the current reality as of today is that the economy could be revived through agriculture and technological advancement.”

    Ajimobi maintained that emphasis had shifted from white collar jobs  to self employment, adding that students must note that the quest for education was no longer geared towards white collar jobs but the current reality that education should make its recipients self reliant, productive, and gainfully employed after graduation.

    The Provost, Prof. Gbemiga Adewale, said the graduands had been found worthy in learning and character, saying the products were not trained to be job seekers but to be self-reliant to contribute to the nation’s economic development.

  • Oyo moves to exploit culture, tourism for IGR drive

    Oyo moves to exploit culture, tourism for IGR drive

    Oyo State is designing a roadmap towards exploiting its rich culture and tourism to boost Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

    Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism Toye Arulogun said this in an interview with The Nation yesterday.

    Arulogun based the roadmap on what he termed: “Identify, Package, Promotion and Partnership (IPPP)”.

    He said the government, through the ministry, is working towards sustaining the growth recorded so far in the tourism sector by introducing other new initiatives to draw global attention to its tourism potentials.

    “We will be using entertainment to drive hospitality and tourism. You can see the philosophy behind the IPPP. It is a tourism initiative to drive tourism using entertainment.

    “Culture and tourism have the potential of improving the revenue base of the state and will also rebrand the image of the state. Identify the tourism sites, we will package them to make them attractive to partners, we will then promote them and partner with investors.  We are at the identification and packaging level now and we are yet to promote or partner with anyone.

    “Oyo State is a pacesetter state. Ibadan is known for eating ‘Amala’; we are thinking of Amala festival soon and that is food tourism. We have to repackage our festivals in these days of spiritualism so that it will not look like a ritual to make it attractive to the young people. We will also work on music, which is universal and it is the language of the youths. We have to harness stage plays and develop our local film industry. Also, we will turn the site, where the Military Governor of Old Western Region, Gen. Adekunle Fajuyi, was killed into a tourist centre,” he said

    He added that the ministry would first embark on orientation and re-orientation so that the people will understand why government take certain actions.

    Arulogun said: “What is best for our people is what I believe government is doing and they will never initiate any policy that will bring hardship to them. A lot of people misunderstand the intention of the government. But this time around, we shall make available more information about government activities to them. I want to build an everlasting legacy that will move the state forward.”

  • Oyo to immortalise Fajuyi at Lalupon

    Oyo to immortalise Fajuyi at Lalupon

    oyo State yesterday showed its seriousness to fulfil the pledge to immortalise the first Military  Governor of the Western Region, late Colonel Francis Adekunle Fajuyi.

    The pledge was made at the just concluded 50th Adekunle Fajuyi Memorial Lecture and 90th Post-humus birthday organised by various groups in Ibadan.

    It promised to facilitate the construction of a monument and park in his honour at the very spot, where he was killed in Lalupon.

    Representatives of the government, led by the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun in the company of the traditional rulers of Lalupon, yesterday visited the site, where the late former military governor and the late former Head of State Major General Aguiy iIronsi were assassinated during the bloody coup of July 1966.

    Arulogunsaid the gesture became imperative, considering the gallantry and selfless service the former military administrator displayed in the face of death.

    He stressed that paying the supreme price was a mean feat and rarity.

    He noted that although a previous administration had immortalised the late Fajuyi by naming a road after him, the opportunity presented by the availability of the spot where he and his supreme commander were killed 50 years after, “is not just a divine but golden one that the present administration will not allow to slip by”.

    The government said it has, therefore, taken the responsibility upon itself to further honour the patriot to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death.