Osun defender august 2, 2016 edition

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VOL. 11. NO.068

N100

Sack Of Corrupt Judges: A Welcome Development

The recommendation made recently by the National Justice Council (NJC) for the sack of two Judges; Justice Muhammed Nasiru Yunusa of the federal high

court, Lagos division and Justice Olamide Oloyede of the Osun State high court, is a most welcome and indeed commendable development.

The duo unfortu-

nately, had gone fishing in turbulent waters. It will be recalled that Justice Oloyede made an unsubstantiated allegation against the Governor of the state of Osun,

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

The fact that she could not substantiate her claims when invited by the state House of Assembly shows that the allegations were politically moti-

vated. For a Judge this is not only a contradiction in terms, but constitutes a violation of judicial code of conduct.

In the case of Justice Muhammed Yunusa,

he was fond of granting frivolous injunctions in favour of looters of the treasury with a view to pervert the course of justice. This clearly constitutes an impediment - Page 5

FG Scraps HNDs, Merges Polytechnics With Varsities

- Pg 2

Budget Padding Is A Norm In NASS - Senator Omoworare

- Pg 3

How Illegal Miners Defraud Osun – Govt - See Story On Page 2

•State of Osun governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (middle); his Deputy, Otunba (Mrs) Titi Laoye-Tomori (2nd left); the state Head of Service, Mr Sunday Owoeye (right); National Chairman, The Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE), Engr. Ugochukwu Nzurumike (2nd right); General Secretary and The Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Engr Akintayo Akintola, during a courtesy visit by The Nigerian Institution of Mechanical Engineers (NIMechE) to the governor at Abere, State of Osun, recently.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI

Rape Prosecution Process, Our Bane - Osun First lady

- Pg 2 - Pg 3

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 2, 2016

NEWS

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How Illegal Miners Defraud Osun - Govt

T

He stressed that the strictly to the rules and intensive business, HE Chairman, Osun State Task Force on Mining and Forestry, Elder Adelowo suspects were caught regulations governing however, elucidated Adebiyi, has disclosed that the state has exploring the limestone mining and exploration that the state was not in any way interested been losing millions of naira to illegal mining and feldspar, which of mineral resources. according him, are main He expressed in disturbing any and exploration. deposits in the axis. displeasure over the person’s business but Elder Adebiyi who to explore the state When asked on the way and manner at to enforce the laiddescribed Osun as a mineral resources. efforts of the state laws, by which people engaging down Elder Adebiyi, who state being blessed with at the towards the protection in illegality, saying ensuring that miners God-given natural frowned of her resources, Elder follow the due process. legal procedures are resources and other rich occurrence, which he Adebiyi maintained already in place for the He warned people solid mineral deposits, described as high class that the inauguration of people who are into against illegality, also said the state had illegal mining, however the Task Force on mining and saying the state would recorded several said the deployment of Mining and Forestry exploration. not for whatever incidents of heavy machines to the was part of the efforts The Task Force reason tolerate any act unauthorized mining, site by the suspects to ensure that people chairman, who of indiscipline and exploration and u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l l y comply and adhere attributed mining to an unlawful mining. showed the level of deforestation. losses being The Chairman of the experienced by the State Task Force on state to illegal mining.

Mining and Forestry He expressed made the disclosure satisfaction towards while taking journalists the apprehension of the round the site where suspects, saying the illegal mining and state had over the years exploration were recorded similar cases. allegedly committed at Elder Adebiyi also Olode Falola Village in said the suspects, since Ikire, Irewole Local being apprehended, Government Council were unable to justify Area of the state. why they were Narrating the exploring the resources incidence, Elder of the state.

Adebiyi said the He said: “Since the suspects were arrested arrest, the suspects had and handed over to the not been able to justify police following the the purpose of their task force’s visit to the coming to the state to site, where the illegal explore.

•Scene of an accident along Benin-Ore Expressway Road last Saturday. mining and exploration “Information at our was being perpetrated. disposal revealed that According to him: these people have “We were here at Olode breached the Falola Village in Ikire, c o n s t i t u t i o n a l Irewole Local provisions for mining exploration Government Council and Area of the state sequel because they failed to the two city HE Federal Executive Council (FEC) during its of to a tip we received that present to us any legal last meeting, has approved a comprehensive universities, while the some illegal miners document to facilitate second will approve the reform of Nigeria’s tertiary education system, have been exploring the purpose for which scrapping the award of the Higher National Diploma preparation and our solid mineral they came. consolidation of all (HND) by the nation’s polytechnics.

“Till this present resources without In effect, the award of the polytechnics, subject federal polytechnics and exploring and mining moment, these people, the HND will be limited to the ratification of the colleges of education as according to the police to only the students Universities Councils. campuses of proximate licenses The polytechnics will universities.

“Fortunately for us, investigation, were currently admitted for the According to the new now be limited to award our task force team, in unable to authenticate programmes. company of security what they came here to Also, all the of the National Diploma policy, the Ministry of programmes currently (ND), while those Justice will do the operatives, met the do. and “Though, they being run by the desirous of further preparation perpetrators on the will be submission of the two spot, working with claimed that they are polytechnics, which are education different exploratory processing their licence, not technology-based, awarded the Bachelor of bills to the National Assembly. apparatus like tractors, but as a matter of fact, and which are about 70 Technology (B. Tech) by Minister of Education, driller, generator and they are not, as no per cent, will be scrapped. the proximate university. Adamu Adamu, told To kick-start the new Under the new rule, the elevator among others miner is allowed to journalists after the without polytechnics will now policy, the nation’s two to defraud the state of explore most prominent weekly meeting of the her resources illegally. concrete evidence and become campuses of the polytechnics; Yaba council that under the “We got them permit to do so and proximate universities College of Technology reform measures, his with the Vice Chancellors arrested and we these suspects couldn’t of those universities and Kaduna Polytechnic, ministry would, however, handed them over to present any evidence to appointing provosts for will henceforth be known continue to licence that effect. the police for further as City University of private polytechnics and investigation”.

Technology, Yaba and colleges of education for award of Speaking on the City University of the qualification at ND and procedural steps for Technology, Kaduna.

National Certificate in mining and exploration, To give legal teeth to Elder Adebiyi said for these approvals, the FEC Education (NCE) levels.

She said: “There will anyone to be allowed S part of efforts to respond to mounting approved the submission to either explore or unemployment and inability of job of two executive bills to be no more award of extract the resources, seekers to get job offers in the labour the National Assembly HND. After we have exhausted the current such explorer or miner market, the Government of the State of Osun is for enactment into law.

With education being students under the must have fulfilled all set to open a job centre to address some of the the constitutional challenges. conference in Lagos, on the concurrent list, the programme, there will be Osun Job Centre, a the Lead Consultant of states may wish to no more award of HND. requirements by employment Osun Job Centre and consolidate their tertiary This means that there will obtaining the mining free services former Commissioner institutions, but if they do be no fresh admission for licence from the support HND programmes. And Federal Government, programme that will be for Human Resources not wish to follow the in addition, any federal example, their as well as operational inaugurated soon, is and Capacity-building, programmes will programme that is not expected to also Ms Mobolaji Akande, permit from the state. lack of said the creation of the continue to be regulated technical will be out of the He confirmed that address by the relevant agencies of polytechnics. About 70 the interrogation of the employability skills centre was borne out of the Federal Ministry of per cent of polytechnic among job seekers, who the need to change the suspects depicted that graduates are in the nonEducation. of job they were neither are indigenes of the perception The first bill will technical courses. It is state. seekers that there were licensed nor authorized going to be a rigorous Speaking at a news no jobs in the country. concretise the setting up

Adebiyi however, assured those who are interested in mining of required cooperation, saying efforts are in top gear to develop the non-oil sectors of the state.

He therefore, charged men of Nigeria Police to display utmost loyalty and competence in the course of their investigation, assuring the state of adequate security of lives and properties.

FG Scraps HNDs, Merges Polytechnics With Varsities T

Aregbesola To Open Job Centre For Osun Indigenes

A

implementation programme.”

A ministerial committee to ensure the smooth implementation of all that is required for the take-off of the reform initiatives is to begin work immediately.

Adamu stressed: “The HND certificate will remain a legal tender in Nigeria and holders of such certificate will continue to be recognised as the equivalent of first degree holders without discriminatory remunerations and limit to progression in the work place.

The NCE certificate will be retained as the minimum teaching qualification at the basic level of education. Any higher qualifications by these private or stateowned polytechnics will be only affiliation with a university. So, HND is no longer in existence, but existing HND will be respected and considered legal tender.”

PUBLIC NOTICE This is to inform members of the public that A B I O D U N OLAOSEBIKAN, is the same person as OMOLE ABIODUN GABRIEL, who now wishes to be known and addressed as OMOLE ABIODUN GABRIEL. All former documents remain valid.

UBA Bank and general public should take note.

NEWS

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OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Osun Lawmaker Charges Youths To Take Up Security Role In Society T manpower for curtailment or engagement, because they are the most mobile; just as they are the most insidious threat to security anywhere in the world.

“Therefore, youths must also form themselves into cluster associations, in order to work with security agents, through surveillance and other supportive roles.

“To ensure a well-secured polity, youths must detach themselves from the identities of ethnicity, religion and gender, which are often sold by the ruling class to cause unamendable divisions.

“Young people must also join the anti-corruption crusade of the

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED HE State of Osun House of Assembly mem ber representing Obokun Constituency, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has charged youths to take up the responsibility of protecting the society by being vigilant, ensure moral balance and political consciousness.

The lawmaker gave environment.

Oyintiloye, who the charge at the inauguration of a private se- identified moral compromise during seleccurity outfit in Ibokun on Saturday, saying, tion or elections of the youths are the most leaders as very dangerphysically and psycho- ous, noted that leaders logically placed to pro- who buy them off may tect the society by dis- emerge, and consequently become threat charging these roles.

According to him, to peace of the society.

He said: “Youths are many young people take things for granted, the most active stratum of the society; they are including strange objects and persons, as the most critical stakewell as happening in holders in security their environments, agenda globally, either noting that this was in terms of providing why some avoidable security breaches take place.

He noted that young

By SHINAABUBAKAR people must uphold the moral security of the HE Senator representing Osun East society with a view to Senatorial District, Babajide Omoworare, guaranteeing a secured has joined the list of past and present place, saying that part lawmakers to admit that budgets are padded. of their role is the saHe stated further National Assembly cred responsibility they have, to determine that it is a fact that Budget Research Office people who emerge as federal lawmakers do should be created as a political or community tinker with budgets to solution to stop this their selfish malaise. leaders, which would suit The senator made the ensure security and interests.

According to remarks during an transparency in their Omoworare, a

Federal Government, because, they bear the brunt of a looted treasury, as we see today,” he said.

Oyintiloye, who commended the adminis-

tration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola for realizing early enough, the connection between the youths and security, said the administration had quickly responded

by launching various schemes, targeted at exploring the potentials of youth engagement and job creation, youth entrepreneurship and education.

•A cross section of relations and other sympathisers at the final burial rites for the late Nigerian Super Eagles Coach, Stephen Keshi, at his home town, Ilha, Delta State.

Budget Padding Is A Norm In NASS - Senator Omoworare T interview he had with journalists in Ile-Ife last week on the sideline of the activities marking the one year remembrance of the late Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade.

He stressed further that before budgets get to the legislators, it had already been padded, and it’s further padded by the legislators for

selfish gains.

Omoworare said: “I know former President (Olusegun) Obasanjo said something in the past on this; he has been vindicated and I have also been vindicated. I was on Rhythm FM in Abuja awhile back and I said budgets come to us padded by bureaucrats or other people I don’t

Osun Warns School Heads Against Aiding Exam Malpractices Among Pupils

T Rape Prosecution Process, Our Bane - Osun First lady T HE Government of the State of Osun has warned school principals and teachers against aiding and abetting examination malpractices among their pupils.

Festus Olajide, the Permanent Secretary,

By SOLA JACOBS HE wife of the Governor of the State of Osun and the initiator of Sheri Care Foundation, Mrs Serifat Aregbesola, has decried the nation’s judicial system as the bane for the effective prosecution of the rape offenders and as well not adequately protect the right of the victims.

Mrs Aregbesola stated protection of the victims this recently in her of rape and in some cases, address during a one-day where offenders are and sensitization programme identified on ‘War against rape prosecuted, it takes a long time for the prosecution, incidences and other sexual assaults” held in which prolonged the Osogbo, the state capital. trauma suffered by the She decried the victim.

Supporting the claims continual increase in the rape cases in the state and made by the governor’s the nation, as the major wife, Honourable Leke problem confronting the Ogunsola, Chairman, women and girls alike, as House Committee on the aged women and Health and Women said the people living with Issues, disabilities are not spared prosecution process had always made an escape by the perpetrators.

On judicial process, the route for the perpetrators wife of the governor and makes the matter affirmed that the judicial difficult to establish at the system has not law court.

During the lecture at the adequately risen to the

State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, gave the warning against the backdrop of the

ongoing Unified and Promotion Examination for Grade II (SS2) students in the state.

Olajide said: “It has

sensitization programme, Mr Abiodun Oyeleye, Director of the New Initiative for Social Development, revealed that rape and assault cases are endemic and it calls for the cooperation of all and sundry to tackle the menace.

Sensitising females to protective and attitudinal measures against sexual assaults, Dr Bade Olowogboyega educated the participants on essential tips to establish rape case against the perpetrators and the need not to keep mute by the victims.

Some stakeholders pointed the lacuna in incest cases, which has become rampant and the need on the criminal code to take care of the lapses.

They also advocated the need for police post and comprehensive

health centres in rural communities, as rape instances are on the increase, while the victims cannot report the incidences to the law enforcement agents, neither do they have access to acceptable health care facility, which can aid the prosecution of their matter at the various court of law.

The stakeholders, at the one-day sensitisation programme, called on the government and members of the public to come together to fight the menace, as rape and assault cases claimed much lives in recent time.

Attendants at the programme included various women groups, non-governmental organizations, students from various schools in the state, local g o v e r n m e n t administrators, law enforcement agencies and politicians.

come to the notice of the government that some school principals are pressurising e x a m i n a t i o n supervisors to compromise the ongoing promotion examination for their pupils.

“It is expected that school principals, as leaders of honour, should not engage in such disgraceful act.

“Any principal caught in such acts shall be dealt with in-line with the existing laws guiding the conduct of examinations and in line with the Public Service Rules.

“To curb the malpractice, local inspectors of education and supervisors were equally made to sign undertaking that they should be held responsible for any form of examination malpractices in their areas.”

Olajide stressed that the new measures were aimed at ensuring that students’ performance in examinations reflected their true abilities.

know.

“When budgets get to us, they also get padded and I said the solution is to put in place National Assembly Budget Research Office (NABRO), which is equivalent to the congressional budget office. It will be the one to clean up the budget.

“We may have a parliament that has not gotten experts in the area of budget making as it were, but we can have a body of bureaucrats, whose activities are made public. And it won’t cost us more money because it exists already as a department in the National Assembly but they should be responsible to all Nigerians.

“It should have the power to sue or to be sued and be a legal entity on its own. I know either repeated projects or projects that did not exist should be removed and there cannot be Obafemi Awolowo University in Osogbo and another OAU in Ogbomoso.

When you see such in the budget, it should be removed and that is the work of NABRO. We have said this several times, that politicians may be tempted to tinker with the budget.

“I have spent over five years in the National Assembly and I know that there are things in the budgets that should not be there.

“That is why some of us are upset and that’s why they removed me as Chairman of Rules and Business Committee and that is not a problem.”

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 2, 2016

4

Sack Of Corrupt Judges: A Welcome Development

towards the success of the anti-corruption war. The country today is mired in a very difficult economic crisis.

This is the result of decades of braven corruption and planlessness.

A vigorous fight back must be made in order to redress destruction done to the economy and rebalance it. The Judiciary is key to this.

The Judiciary in a democracy is of course an independent arm of government. It is also however, a part of the economy and strategic to its economic well being and development.

A good way of looking at the central role of the Judiciary is to look at the astonishing economic success of Singapore.

The country's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, himself a lawyer saw the judiciary as a partner in development while respecting its independence. This is understandable. For to break out of the debilitating logjam of development there must be a functional, highly respected Judiciary. The courts must be speedy, independent and operate within the parameters of international best practices. This is because no sensible investor will make a seri-

ous investment in a country with a defective, corrupted or technically inefficient Judiciary. Therefore the strength of the Judiciary is a critical factor when a potential investor is making the risk analysis which is a prelude to making an investment decision.

The veritable success of Singapore in showcasing its courts as a reason to invest in the country is a key factor in the country's outstanding economic success story.

Nigeria in its quest for sustainable economic development must follow suit. We therefore thank the NJC for mak-

ing it clear that the days of licentiousness and corruption is over. The potential investor will be very relieved and indeed happy and reassured to hear this.

Change has come to Nigeria and the old, bad ways of doing things are yielding to better ways of doing things within international best practices. Those who do not have the emotional comportment as well as the moral integrity to cope just have to go. After all there are other options other than being a Judge.

Time was when the Judiciary in Nigeria was ranked amongst the

Open Letter To Senate President Saraki

I

am a patriotic Nigerian, a father, writer, politician, constitutional defender and a youth of integrity.

I’m writing this because I’ve never been more disappointed with the Senate you lead.

I was your fervent supporter, I believed you would be the force for change the youth and the poor desperately need in our country. Like many others, I supported your success with prayer.

You may wonder what qualifies me to make any kind of political comment.

As everyone knows, I’m just a young politician, but it’s also no secret I am a penman, and politician who always want to criticise “crass materialism” and the decay of morals. It’s true, I like to spend, and I’m not an angel, but unlike politicians I’m not spending taxpayers’ money.

My real point is that, as a socialite and a youth of integrity, I meet many

people, including politicians. They like your leadership, Mr President, they have passion for leadership.

If a country is to be corruption-free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.

Democracy must be built through open

societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions. When there is no sharing of power, no rule of law, no accountability, there is abuse, corruption, subjugation and

indignation.

Mr Senate President Sir, Corruption is the enemy of development; we must fight corruption in Nigeria. It must be got rid of. Both the government and the people at large must come together to achieve this national objective.

We’ve seen over time that countries that have the best economic growth are those that have good governance, and good governance comes from

freedom of communication. It comes from ending corruption. It comes from a populace that can go online and say, this politician is corrupt, this administrator, or this public official is corrupt.

I weep for the liberty of my country, the Federal

best in the world. The standards then were very high and universally acknowledged. So much so, that Judges from Nigeria sat on the bench of other countries. Justice Udo Udoma for example, was at one time Chief Justice of Uganda and Justice Akinola Aguda was Chief Justice of the Gambia.

We must for our own sake go back to this glorious era. Frankly, giving our present predicament there is no alternative. We welcome the new direction. It is the way to go.

Republic of Nigeria, when I see at this early day of its successful experiment that corruption has been imputed to TSA, and the rights of the people have been bartered for promises of office.

Mr President Sir, great leadership does not mean running away from reality. Sometimes the hard truths might just demoralize the company, but at other times, sharing difficulties can inspire people to take action that will make the situation better.

No one who achieves success does so without the help of others. The wise and confident acknowledge this help with gratitude. Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we don’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learnt a little, at least, we don’t get sick, and if we get sick, at least, we don’t die; so, let us all be thankful.

•TIJJANI BAMBALE (ANAMA), Abuja.

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5

ADVERT

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 2, 2016

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MAGAZINE

6

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Milestones OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Reinventing Education:

Landmarks Of Excellence The laudable achievements recorded by the Government Unusual of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in the State of Osun over the space of six years are many and diverse. Today, the giant strides are still counting. NIYI OLASINDE devotes this fresh series to revisiting and updating the strides with the sole intent of fulfilling the mandate of giving proper documentation to the milestone achievements of the administration; even in the face of paucity of funds that is currently plaguing virtually all states in the Nigerian federation.

•Professor Wole Soyinka High School, Ejigbo, State of Osun.

57

MAGAZINE

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 2, 2016

•New Look of Ola-Iya area, under the administration of State of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

Landmarks Of Excellence I

T is no longer news that one of the major areas of concern to government, policy makers and concerned stakeholders in the State of Osun and the entire South-West geopolitical zone of Nigeria today is the rot, decay and systemic collapse in the field of education and concerns on how to regain lost grounds in the sub-sector. In past editions, of which earlier parts of this series are inclusive, OSUN DEFENDER Magazine has brainstormed dutifully on the rate, level, depth and intensity of the collapse witnessed in the sub-sector and the predisposing factors that brought about the devastating deterioration. Unfortunately, the more we accord time and volumes of work to the ugly trend, the graver and larger the problems and concerns seem to loom!

One of the indices of ascertaining the stark realities of the mess into which education has been plunged in the South-West is the results of candidates from the zone in recent editions of the West African Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). The results of the 2015 May / June edition of the examinations in particular speak volumes of the danger that is already staring us in the face and the defiance of consistent mass failure to the gigantic policy policies of governments, plus the huge committance in monetary terms that had gone along with it.

In the State of Osun as an example, being a sub-set of the larger SouthWestern zone, we have in times past weighed the impressive policies,

programmes and activities rolled out at awful costs, most especially since the coming on board of the administration of OgbeniRaufAdesojiAregbesola on November 27, 2010. We have weighed all along the impact of the free, functional and qualitative education packages rolled out by the administration. We have measured the quality expenditure devoted to each of these activities, policies and programmes. We have considered the debut of the first-ever State of Osun Education Summit, held in 2011; we have considered the entire “O” programmes, especially as they affect turning around the tide positively for education. Particularly, we have considered such lifetouching “O” programmes as O UNIFORM, O MEALS, O SCHOOLS and all the rest. We have devoted quality time and space in writing to extolling the virtues in the schools reclassification bids, the schools’ rebranding policy, as well as the overhaul in the schools environment.

Aside these, such other policies and programmes of the incumbent administration which deserve our commendation include the emergence of Opon Imo (Tablet of Knowledge) and the free enrolment of final year high school students in the public schools for the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASCE). This latter effort, though a legacy which the RaufAregbesola administration met on ground; the administration has formidably built on it, to the extent that records released in one of our most recent editions portrayed the upward trend in the figure of

beneficiaries from the programme.

Of recent, hardly has any single sector or sub-sector come under severe criticisms within the federation called Nigeria as does the education sector. On most occasions, critics underrate as spurious and exaggerated the estimations by governments at the state level that certain huge amounts of money have been expended on the sector. We need to put the facts straight that the fact that performances of final year students dwindle should not and cannot remove the fact that some governments have labored valiantly to revive lost glories in the area of education.

S shall still be shown in the edition of the week today, the administration of OgbeniAregbesola in the State of Osun has towered prominently in providing worthwhile alternative to good infrastructure and servicerelated necessities hitherto considered to be exclusive preserves of private schools and educational institutions. We shall see more of these as our edition for the week unfolds. For now, let us raise the real issues that have made education to call for urgent intervention in our state and the entire South-West geopolitical zone of the country.

Education has become a trouble spot in our parts in recent times. The South-West, needless to say, covers Lagos, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ogun and Ekiti states. Out of these six states, apart from Lagos State, which statistics has shown to be ranking sixth in the entire federation, the rest have been finding the results of their candidates, especially those from

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public schools in lack-lustre cadre. If the observations made above are true, then something must have gone wrong somewhere to reverse the long-known traditions, under which the South-West pert of Nigeria was envy to all other parts and second to none in scholarship, academic and education exertions. As a matter of fact, all through the era during which military rule lasted in Nigeria, the focus was how to bridge the wide educational gap between the South and the North in Nigeria; with the South in context being majorly the South-West, which legacies in advancement in the area of education dated to the days of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo as Premier of the defunct Western Region in the early / late 1950s.

The sad news today resides in the fact that the profile of the presentday South-Western states are not at all attractive, given the recentlyreleased statistics of rankings of performances of their students in last year’s (2015) WASSCE. According to the specifics of that statistics, out of the thirty-six (36) states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, State of Osun placed twenty- nineth (29th); Oyyo twentysixth (26th); Ogun nineteenth (19th); and Ondo thirteenth (13th). Ekiti placed eleventh (11th) with eight thousand, nine-hundred and fiftyfour (8, 954) of twenty-one thousand, three-hundred and thirty-three (21, 333) candidates passing. From Osun, only eight thousand, eight-hundred and one (8, 801) of forty-eight thousand, eight-hundred and eighteen (48, 818) candidates passed •Continued on page 10

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PHOTOTALK

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 2, 2016

The Old And The New Face Of Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Araromi Middle School, Under The Administration Of State Of Osun Governors, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, As Captured By Our Cameraman, GBENGA ADENIYI, Last Saturday.

•New look of C.A.C Araromi Middle School, Osogbo.

•Old look of C.A.C Araromi Middle School, Osogbo

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 2, 2016 59 PHOTOTALK President Muhammadu Buhari Received Gavi And The Global Fund Team At The State House In Abuja Last Friday.

•President Muhammadu Buhari (right); Gavi Chief Executive Officer, Dr Seth Berkley (2nd right); The Global Fund Executive Director, Dr Mark Dybul; European Union Minister Counsellor Head of Cooperation, Mr Brain O’ Neill; British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Simon Shercliff and Chief Financial Officer Global Affairs, Mr Arun Thangaraj during the visit.

•President Buhari (middle) in a group photograph with Gavi and The Global Fund Team.

President Muhammadu Buahri Received The Council Of Abuja Imams At The State House In Abuja.

•President Muhammadu Buhari (right) and some of the visiting Imams.

•President Buhari (middle) in a group photograph with members of the Council of Imams after the meeting.

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Landmarks Of Excellence

•An ongoing road rehabilitation work along Ikirun road, Osogbo.

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with five credits and above. In Oyo, sixteen thousand, five-hundred and eighty-eight (15, 588), representing 21.03 per cent, out of seventyeight thousand, eight-hundred and ninety-six (78, 896) candidates passed. Ogun recorded twentyfive thousand and six (25, 006) passes, out of seventy-five thousand, nine-hundred and ninetyfour (75, 994) candidates, or a success rate of 32.89 per cent.

Analysts and observers in the trend, growth and development of education have observed that what made the South-West cynosure of all eyes, is its antecedents in education, which made it a pace-setter. While, as observed earlier, most observers point accusing fingers at state governments and their chief executives for the declined state of things, OSUN DEFENDER Magazine wishes do differ slightly, especially considering what the experience has been in the State of Osun under the able leadership of OgbeniAregbesola. Most of the critics argue that since 1999, successive state governments, their chief executives and their umbrella political parties have got their priorities mixed up and abandoned education for inanities. Like it has been observed in earlier paragraphs of this edition, the standard most widely used as basis for comparison of grounds covered in the area of education in the South-West has been the passion and zeal for excellence wielded by the Premier of the defunct Western Region, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and his colleagues who pioneered free education in 1956 and sustained it in the Second Republic.

For now, the exploits of the RaufAregbesola in the area of education shall be trumpeted a lot more. Next edition shall carry more of the analysis begun on the rot and decay witnessed in the sector nationwide. The Education aspect of the administration of OgbeniRaufAdesojiAregbesola deserves much of critical focus; since it proved all along that Education sub-sector is one of the principal specialties of the administration. To this end, OSUN DEFENDER Magazine has devoted much space and time to its detailed spotlight in series of our editions in the past years. It is not as if we are giving up of this effort; but we intend not to overbeat it. So, we shall make mention of some of the giant strides recorded in the subsector as basis for desires and expectations for the entire second tenure; then we shall justify the

incumbent administration’s effort as that which pupils, parents, teachers and perhaps some other stakeholders have least appreciated!.

As a sub-sector of the Social Services Sector of our economy, the importance of education to the socio-economic and industrial development of any nation cannot be overemphasized. It is against this background that the administration of OgbeniAregbesola has remained resolute on the promotion of functional education in the state.

The governor continually recounted how a timely discovery was made by his team that the educational infrastructures in our schools were in worrisome state upon their assumption of office in late 2010. In order to rightly and accurately assess the level of decay in our educational system, the Government of the State quickly held a two-day education summit with the theme: “Resolving the Education Crisis in Osun State: Bridging Analysis and Implementation Gaps” at the Osun StateUniversity (UNIOSUN) in February 2011. The summit was to become one of the most prominent and decisive giant strides taken by the Aregbesola administration. To put the record straight, it came as the first ever in the annals of education summits in the state! By that singular action, the incumbent administration demonstrated its unwavering resolve to tackle head-on the spate of neglect and rot that had bedeviled the education industry in the state. Also by it, the Government Unusual took the bull by the horns to restructure and reconstruct amenities and infrastructure in the education sector of the state; in order to restore quality and promote functional education at all levels in the state.

PART from the Free Education Programme at the Primary and Secondary levels, the Aregbesola administration in the state has made remarkable achievements in the educational sub-sector. An instance of this is the rebranding, repackaging and transformation brought to bear on the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme; an old programme of the Yar’Adua / Oyinlola years; which has been resuscitated and rechristened Osun Elementary School Free Feeding and Health Programme (O’ Meal). With the reorganization and resuscitation of the programme, all the pupils in primaries one to four in public schools in the State of Osun are now covered under the free feeding programme which offers them wide assortments of highly nutritious

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meals during the school hours. Even meals that are not served in routine menu in conventional practice, like quality chocolate, milk, eggs and chicken are on the list of regular menu of the feeding programme.

SUN DEFENDER Magazine wishes to pause here and reflect briefly in passing the extent of international acceptance and recognition which the State of Osun; through the O’ Meal programme has garnered unto itself. On January 22, 2014, the Governor of the state and grand designer cum prime mover behind all the innovation packages currently ongoing in the state, OgbeniRaufAregbesola was in the European nation of the United Kingdom on the invitation of the higher legislative chambers of that Queen’s country, the House of Lords, to enlighten, brief and teach the parliamentarians on the nitty-gritty and workings of the O’ Meal programme, which has turned it into a bundle of wonders in the state.

It is no longer news the vibrant and groundshaking standing ovation the governor was accorded at the event. Through that feat, OgbeniAregbesola has done us proud as a people as the first ever governor in Nigeria; even in Black Africa to be so esteemed and honoured to be summoned to lend knowledge to the White World, usually looked upon for originating innovations in virtually all areas of human endeavour, education inclusive. This feat came to the shame, confounding and stupefaction of detractors who see nothing good in virtually all the good gestures of the Aregbesola administration, especially in the Education subsector. More wonders are still expected to unfold for the present and during the years ahead; in spite of the currently prevailing paucity of funds.

In addition, the poor condition of infrastructure in public schools in the state is already being radically reversed. Towards this end, the first phase of the construction of New Model 100 Elementary Schools, 50 Middle and 20 High Schools is in top gear. The fiscal year 2012 witnessed massive reconstruction and rehabilitation of the dilapidated school buildings inherited by the administration of the day from its inept preceding administration. This, the governor noted, is in consonance with the team’s determination to raise the standard of education in our dear state.

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Landmarks Of Excellence Continued from page 10

It is in a bid to arrest the spate of perennial acute shortage of teachers in our schools and concomitantly ensuring effective teaching and learning activities in schools that the incumbent administration has embarked on massive recruitment and selection processes for qualified, quality, competent and experienced teachers for engagement at our Primary and Secondary levels.

This step, apart from being a necessity to compensate for the ravaging neglect of the past; became necessary to take adequate and abundant care of the exploding enrolment figures in schools, following the introduction of a true, functional and qualitative education at those levels.

Specifically, various selection exercises have so far been conducted by the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the State PostPrimary Teaching Service Establishment and Pensions Commission (TEPPO), involving various numbers of candidates successfully absorbed into the teaching service of the state. Following the large number of retirees in the state’s teaching service at the end of the 2012 fiscal year; arrangements were put in place in year 2013 to get a huge number of teachers employed in replacement for the retired ones. This plan saw the light of day as the year witnessed massive recruitment and selection of teachers at those levels of education. With proper inauguration of appropriate boards in particular, provision of required number and quality of teaching personnel has begun to receive greater attention in the past year. In this direction, greater attention has been received during successive years.

In addition to these numbers of teachers engaged, selection has also been made for competent and qualified teachers among the volunteer cadets of the popular Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) and those hitherto employed by the Parents-Teachers’ Association (PTA). According to plan, the process of recruitment of teachers, which had been on, and was billed for completion within the first quarter of 2012, is intended to be a continuous process.

What this implies is that even during the New Year, another batch of massive recruitment and

selection of teachers is expected to be carried out for existing and continuously-opening vacancies in the elementary and secondary rungs of the education ladder.

Also in the area of education, the governor noted that it was in his administration’s bid to ameliorating the suffering of parents, guardians and students that reduction was effected in the exorbitant fees being charged by the authorities of the Osun State University (UNIOSUN). A similar gesture was extended to all other tertiary institutions owned by the state. These include the Osun State Polytechnic (OSPOLY), Iree; the Osun State College of Technology (OSCOTECH), EsaOke; the Osun State College of Education (OSCOED), Ilesa; and the Osun State College of Education (OSCOED), Ila-Orangun.

HE Government of the State, the governor declared, had abrogated all forms of charges in our public schools. To achieve effectiveness in teaching and learning, the examination and running grants being released quarterly by the government to the public secondary schools in the state have been increased by over 300 per cent. It was promised that the Aregbesola administration shall continue to give the deserved attention to the welfare of teachers in 2012. This promise was redeemed all through the subsequent years and during the year 2-014; and this has continued through the years till date, judging by the level of recognition being currently accorded to teachers and the teaching profession.

It is placed on record how in the year 2012 teachers in the high echelon in the state were elevated to the exalted status of Permanent Secretary, with the designation of Tutors General.

Facts on ground have also revealed that within the short period of the incumbent administration of RaufAregbesola in office, the State Library Board had received the full attention of government, particularly in the provision of conducive working environment; a situation which has positively impacted on its services to the reading public. The governor constantly promises that the State Library Board would continue to receive quality support from the State Government of Osun in 2012 and years ahead.

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•Some of the Armoured Personnel Carriers acquired by Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration.

OgbeniAregbesola also promises his administration’s resolve to revive the State Scholarship Board. This promise has been redeemed in the year 2012, and shall be consolidated in years ahead. Under the auspices of the scholarship board, assistance is given to deserving, outstanding but indigent (financially challenged) students of the state’s origin to obtain higher education at home and abroad. Since the governor has already rolled out the State of Osun Schools’ Calisthenics Programme, alongside the inauguration of EwaIpinleOsun, he has since been forthcoming in the fulfillment of his promise to give revival to the old boys’ and girls’ associations and voluntary clubs in all primary and secondary schools for leadership training and team spirit building.

In year 2013, it was in full realization of the vibrant role and the auspicious place of Education sub-sector of the Social Services Sector to the socioeconomic life and political emancipation of the State of Osun and the liberation of the people that the incumbent administration accorded to it a total allocation of N13.7 Billion or 18.8 per cent of its total capital budget; though that initial budgetary provision later on got reviewed upwardly, following the consideration of the State of Osun House of Assembly.

URING the past years of the administration, there have been tremendous achievements recorded for the Education sub-sector in the state. Apart from the State of Osun Schools Uniform Scheme (O’ Uniform) other strings of successes have followed.

Chiefest of them all; which is among the fundamental firsts which the administration has recorded so far is the introduction of the computer-like devise into the teaching-learning programme at the Senior Secondary level of education in the state. The programme called Tablet of Knowledge (Opon Imo) has brought lots of improvements in to the learning processes at that stage as well eased the process of getting the state’s candidates for external examinations adequately prepared for success. Lots have already been written on the nitty-gritty of the

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•An ongoing drainage at the Oba Adesoji Aderemi overhead bridge, along Gbongan-Ibadan Road, NECO Office Area, Osogbo.

Continued from page 11

Landmarks Of Excellence Tablet of Knowledge (Opon Imo) our earlier editions. A detailed elucidation shall soon be made on it under appropriate segments of this edition. The launch however eventually saw the light of day in the month of May 2013.

Also during the month of May, precisely on Monday the 27th May2013, the annual globallyheld Children’s Day celebrations took a different turn in the State of Osun. This was as at the instance of the Government Unusual of OgbeniRaufAregbesola the first-ever O’odua World Children’s Day Celebration was organized and held. The event, a unifying force for all offspring of legendary Oduduwa in Nigeria and in the Diaspora, turned out to be a convergence of all children, adult and traditional (royal) fathers of Yoruba extraction spread across the globe.

At the event of the day, representatives and contingents present included those from about ten states in the federation of Nigeria, those from the neighbouriing old Dahomey Kingdom (now Republic of Benin), and those from other parts of the universe, with the inclusion of the United States of America (USA), the Americas and the Caribbean. It was really a colourful and eventful programme. The states within the federation include the host state, the State of Osun. Others are Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti States. We also had in attendance other states like Kwara, Kogi, Edo and Delta states. Apart from an impressive turnout from almost all royal fathers from the host state at the event, royal fathers from other places outside the State of Osun include the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III; the Aseyin of Iseyin; and the Eleruwa of Eruwa. Royal fathers from the Republic of Benin include the Olupopo of Popo; Onisabe of Sabe and Oniketu of Ketu among others.

Through the auspices presented by the programme, youths from those different states mentioned above and those from other parts were able to interact and cooperate with love and share commonalities. As it turned out, and as Governor Aregbesola himself pointed out at the programme, the event of May 27, held at the main bowl of the

Osogbo Township Stadium (under construction at the time) marked the largest-ever held congregation of black nationalities anywhere in the world. The greatest achievement of the event was bringing together after a long period of conflict two prominent and frontline Yoruba royal fathers, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba LamidiOlayiwolaAdeyemi III; and the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba OkunadeSijuade, Olubuse II (now deceased).

URING the month of July, same year, the third in the series of quiz competitions annually held in commemoration of the birthday of the internationally reputed literary icon and Nobel Laureate in Literature, Professor OluwoleAkinwande Soyinka was held, with the State Government of Osun taking the position of a leading light. Last year’s episode, marking the academic giant’s 79 th birthday had the involvement of seventy-nine youths for the finals which were held in the Government House of the State of Osun in Osogbo, the state capital. The aim of the programme transcended merely celebrating the excellence radiated by Soyinka, but raising future stars among our youths; who would project our image in the future; even after we might have been long-gone! This feat has already been repeated this year at the occasion of the 80th birthday anniversary celebration of the academic giant.

Time and again during the outgone years, we brought to the fore the numerous achievements of the incumbent administration in the state in the aspect of development of schools infrastructure in the state. This is talking in terms of the activities of the State of Osun Schools Infrastructure Development Project (O’ SCHOOLS). In September 2013, the first in the numerous ultramodern schools building projects of the O’ SCHOOLS project was officially commissioned and delivered for use. The Salvation Army Middle School, Alekuwodo, Osogbo, the state capital is a 900-seater state-of-the-art complex, which put to rest the insinuations of detractors that all of the school building projects of the administration

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were destined to be abandoned in the midstream.

The school is one out of the fourteen in its category that are being put in place by the RaufAregbesola administration in the State of Osun. The school building has since been put to use; while other school, building projects initiated by the administration are almost completed / at various stages of completion and almost ready for official commissioning / delivery.

The year 2014 have started and ended pretty well indeed! From the start of the year, the hope had been high that more and more in the line-up of public schools being erected in the state shall be officially commissioned and delivered. This hope has not been betrayed during the first quarter of the year. During the month of February, the first in the list of completed elementary schools in the state was officially commissioned and delivered for use. The Baptist Central Elementary School, Ilare, Ile-Ife, which official commissioning was held on Tuesday February 18 witnessed massive turnout of residents of Ile-Ife, members of the political class and the entire people of the State of Osun – all of who were full of joy and prayers for the governor, OgbeniRaufAregbesola and his team. The elementary school is one of the thirteen (13) units of its sort being put in place in the state.

The governor and other members of the State Executive Council present at the occasion of official commissioning appeared in the uniform of elementary schools in the state; another initiative of the administration.

In his address at the occasion, Governor Aregbesola said: “The ongoing monumental transformation of education in the State of Osun is unstoppable. Nobody can stop us.

“Even if we have to step on toes, we shall continue to build a solid future for generations yet unborn. The school is not for Muslims, Christians or traditionalists but rather for the people of the State of Osun.

The education of our children must be taken seriously

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and we must not play pranks with it under any guise to secure the future of our state and society at large” In renewing his affirmation for the turnaround of the education sub-sector of the state, Aregbesola stated that the vision of his administration was to build an educational system that would produce great men and women in the society. In addition to the afore-mentioned data of thirteen (13) elementary school and fourteen (14) middle school building projects, there are still twelve units of high school building projects ongoing in the state. The governor however promised the delivery and official commissioning of all the projects before the end of his administration’s tenure of office.

In his graphical analysis conducted at the occasion, Governor Aregbesola made it known that his administration was spending on annual basis a whooping sum of N27.1 Billion on teachers’ salaries and pension, while the Opon Imo project had so far gulped N1.2 Billion. He put the capital expenditure so far on education at N31. 1 Billion.

N her earlier speech at the occasion, the Deputy Governor of the State of Osun, who doubles as the Commissioner for Education, Otunba (Mrs.) Grace TitilayoLaoye-Tomori revealed that the school has tent-five (25) classrooms, with capacity to accommodate one-thousand (1,000) pupils with other modern facilities like two (2) staff common rooms, one (1) office each for the headmaster and assistant headmaster, and a dining room. Others are modern sports field, and other features that make the school able to compete favourably with private schools anywhere in the contemporary Nigeria. She further had the following to say: “The school symbolizes possibilities and that change is inevitable. Despite the fact that some people are mischievous about the project, the government is right on top of the situation and we shall continue to work towards better future for our children” Later on, the third in the series of quiz competitions annually held in commemoration of the birthday of the internationally reputed literary

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icon and Nobel Laurel in Literature, Professor OluwoleAkinwande Soyinka was held, with the State Government of Osun taking the position of a leading light. The year 2013 episode, marking the academic giant’s 79th birthday had the involvement of seventy-nine youths for the finals which were held in the Government House of the State of Osun in Osogbo, the state capital. The aim of the programme transcends merely celebrating the excellence radiated by Soyinka, but raising future stars among our youths; who would project our image in the future; even after we might have been long-gone!

HE terrains of public education in the years preceding the advent of the RaufAregbesola administration was far from being attractive or alluring. This is true as all indications pointed to a situation of rot, decay, abandonment and devastation in the sub-sector; so much so that parents and guardians were repelled with fear and disgust from committing their wards to the care and tutelage that that category of schools dispensed. Needless to say, the only category of parents and guardians who were left to the mercy of those schools were those who due to certain limitations imposed by economy or other factors, had no alternative than sending their wards there as a last resort. In other words the segment of the populace who gave patronage to those schools in those dark days comprised those who looked up to God and prayed ceaselessly for deliverance and rescue to come their way some day.

In our series last year and in years before, OSUN DEFENDER Magazine has devoted lengthy writing to the spate of rot and decay which the sub-sector witnessed during the period under reference. We therefore would not have to subject our numerous readers to the boredom, drudgery and monotony of having to recast the ugly events of those years. We also have, time and time again given details of the poor score sheets of candidates of the state who were produced through the ugly system in public examinations. In honest terms, the performances were not only persistently poor but also abysmally woeful and disheartening. In terms of enrolment

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figures, the statistics had dwindled drastically.

In terms of schools’ physical structures, materials, equipment and textbooks, the scoring was simply nothing to write home about. The quantity and quality of teaching and non-teaching personnel in those schools had been another point of concern. In most cases, the teachers were not just there. Where they were present in some numbers, it was not usually in the right quality. Recruitment and selection exercises for teachers in those days were fraught with fraud and irregularities, hence, the teachers (so called) were mostly engaged in an attempt to pacify political hangers-on, cronies and boot-lickers.

INCE the coming on board of the RaufAregbesola administration however, a wave of change, unprecedented and unimaginable – confounding to distracters - has rippled the public education sub-sector of the state. In all ramifications, the sub-sector has been virtually overhauled. Apart from the free, functional and qualitative education package wielded by the administration of OgbeniRaufAdesojiAregbesola in the State of the Virtuous, other components of good service delivery, which could make learning much easier, attractive, effective and efficient have been put in place. Among the multiple “O” programmes initiated by the Government Unusual, the education industry has taken a substantial number. We can easily talk of the O’ Uniform programme under the auspices of which the administration distributed school uniforms and badges free of charge to all students in public schools in accordance with their levels; whether elementary, middle or high school. Not only this, the O’ Meal programme ensures free feeding of pupils in primary school classes one to four on daily basis with nutritious and highly enriched food varieties so as to enhance their intellectual development and prepare them adequately for future challenges. The O’ Calisthenics is a programme in physical cum affective and psychomotor domains. Through it, the government of the day has exposed the students,

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•Frontage of Ataoja High School, Osogbo.

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Landmarks Of Excellence OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 2, 2016

•Ongoing construction of Osogbo Government High School, Osogbo.

drawn mostly from the middle school rung of the educational ladder to more productive engagements of their time, talents and latent potentials.

The O’ SCHOOLS intervention initiative is an area that is almost of exceeding importance of all. This is so as no meaningful and impactful teaching-learning process can take place in poor physical environment.

The State of Osun Schools Infrastructure Development Committee, known for short as O’ SCHOOLS is out to effect the demolition of all existing dangerously dilapidating structures in all our public schools and replacing such with modern, befitting and more durable ones that can favourably compare with the demands of the Twenty-First Century. We have discussed issues relating to this to detail in some of our earlier editions in this series. We only need to add in passing that “infrastructure” in the context of O’ SCHOOLS mean a wide variety of components which include: a.

School buildings as designed and approved; b.

External works as designed and approved; c.

Landscaping as designed and approved; d.

Furniture for students and staff; e.

Library, laboratory and workshop equipments; f.

Sporting facilities; and

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Any other facility, structure and equipment that may be considered necessary for effective teaching and learning in the schools.

Also, by the plan of the O’ SCHOOLS Committee, we realize that the government intended at the initial stage to build and deliver: · 100 elementary schools (2,100 classrooms); · 50 (62?) middle schools; and · 20 high schools In view of limitations imposed by the economic realities on ground, the first phase of the programme could however accommodate the minimum delivery of: · 50 elementary schools; · 33 middle schools; and · Between 10 and 20 high schools As at the end of 2013, the statistics of these schools which were almost ready for official commissioning and use was put at about fifteen (15) elementary schools; thirteen (13) middle schools; and ten (10) high schools. The figures are still counting, as the programme is continuous through the life of the administration. Latter part of last year and early this year marked the official commissioning of the first fruits of the O’ SCHOOLS project and their delivery to their respective intended end-users. The last academic session ended on a glorious note with more and more of the completed schools

construction projects being commissioned and put to use, to the glory of God and for the benefit of mankind.

IRST in this regard was the official commissioning of the Salvation Army Middle School, located at the OkeFia / Alekuwodo area of Osogbo, the capital of the State of Osun. That was done in September 2013. Second was the commissioning in February of 2014 of Baptist Central Elementary School, Ilare, Ile-Ife. During the month of March, another ultramodern school building project in the category of elementary school, the A.U.D. Government Elementary School, Isale-Agbara, Isale-Osun, Osogbo was officially commissioned.

More recently, more and more of these projects have been commissioned in Ikirun, Ila, Iwo, Ikire and other parts of the state. It is an event that is certain that the ongoing fourth year anniversary of the administration and the celebrations of the re-inauguration of Ogbeni shall witness the official commissioning of more of these projects. The list is still counting! This rate of completion has put wagging tongues into silence.

We have observed through the lifetime of the incumbent administration how our public schools have flourished prolifically with massive employment of trained, qualified, competent and highly experienced teaching personnel. We

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have also witnessed how the administration has made the teachers in public schools highly motivated by attending promptly to all their needs, not only in terms of salaries and fringe benefits, but also other needs bordering on entry and terminal points as well as elevation of high echelon personnel in the teaching profession to the exalted status of Permanent Secretary. Hence we now have three Tutors-General; one for each Senatorial District of the state.

Central to the free education programme of the administration of the day is the free book distribution exercise embarked upon. By this, the sufferings of the masses have been alleviated a great deal through free distribution of exercise. The climax of this is the introduction of the Tablet of Knowledge, known as Opon Imo. This device is one of the most laudable efforts of the Aregbesola administration in the Education Sub-sector. The Schools Reclassification Programme and Schools Discipline Initiative are other effort made to revive the sector from the horrible state it was in at the takeover time of the administration. We shall now swing forward to give concise consideration to Opon Imo and all that it entails.

When the newly-inaugurated administration of OgbeniRaufAregbesola came out with the idea of holding the first-ever State of Osun Education Summit in •continued on page 15

FOR THE RECORDS

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OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 2, 2016

Landmarks Of Excellence •continued from page 14

February 2011, detractors wagged their tongues in outright condemnation of the programme which they considered as sheer waste of time and resources. Today, the summit has justified itself; as it has translated to meaningful lifeimpacting transformation in the Education Sub-sector of the state; most especially the public schools, to which the government remains proprietor and financier.

We know for sure that quite a number of interesting packages has begun to be rolled out as aftermath of the summit, which was chaired by none less a personality like the academic giant and famous Nobel Laurel, Professor Wole Soyinka.

Notable among such educational rebranding efforts of the administration which are wielding potent reforms in the education industry of the state owing to their purposeful and faithful implementation are the O’ Uniform, O’ SCHOOLS, O’ Meal and O’ Calisthenics; and such others as we have discussed above. The particular ground-shaking and epoch-making entrant into the scene is the Tablet of Knowledge, known popularly as Opon Imo. TheOpon Imo initiative has come, like its earlier-introduced counterparts to demystify school learning and make public school learning more attractive; thereby restoring its old-lost glory, honour, sanctity and rectitude. By virtue of the line-up of these intervention efforts, it is no longer a dreadful event to send a child to public schools. On top of these attractive packages; education in our public schools is free, qualitative and

functional. What this latter point implies is that a good proportion of parents who had been made victims of coughing out enormous hardearned resources in order to get their wards educated in private schools; or rather who could scarcely afford that costly facility for their wards are now afforded the rare privilege of good education free of charge, courtesy of the quintessential leader of our time, OgbeniAregbesola.

HROUGH the introduction of Opon Imo, the burden of spending enormously on textbooks either by parents or government has been relieved. We remember with nostalgia the old good eras of free education as introduced and successfully operated in the defunct Western Region by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the premier of the Region. The same feat was replicated during the Second Republic with late Chief Bola Ige at the helm of affairs as Governor of the old Oyo State. We also remember the good efforts of Chief BisiAkande in his days as Governor of the present-day State of Osun.

During the entire period under reference, tuition, textbooks and notebooks were entirely free! The free education scheme afforded many school children especially those from humble socio-economic background the opportunity of access to quality, functional education. By the standards of those periods, school children were provided with textbooks and notebooks free of charge. But the standards of the current time place the demand on government to find another device which can present volumes of books of different sizes

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in a very light, easy-to-access gadget, which an average learner can carry about with much ease and which can provide learning anywhere and anytime without the burden of carrying bulky bags around.

Another advantage of the Opon Imo is that it saves the government the perennial burden of procuring sets of books. According to Governor Aregbesola while responding to critics that his administration is deemphasizing the use of books, he enumerated the economic benefits of providing easier alternative as consisting in saving enormous costs for the state which can be expended on other viable life- changing programmes and projects. The governor said that over a period of ten years, the devise would save government a whooping sum of about N50.25 billion; were the state to engage in the physical purchase of hard copies of textbooks for the 17 subjects taught in our public schools, hard copies of 51 audio tutorials, hard copies of JAMB and WAEC past questions and answers and the rest.

Aside these, the Opon Imo device can be solar-powered. It also has the capacity to record audio lessons, thus saving students the trouble of copying notes. It also spares them more time to learn.

Another benefit confirmed for the device is that it facilitates the incumbent administration’s free education programme through its cost-saving nature. We would all agree that a truly qualitative and functional free education programme is usually a crowd-puller. The populist nature of such programme therefore would require its provider to find means of making learning easier, fast and all-reaching within a

limited space of time. OSUN DEFENDER Magazine is of the assurance that the Aregbesola administration has done this sufficiently well.

The governor has continuously emphasized the bold resolve and determination of his administration to focus thrust on the making of the total student – so the preparation of conducive learning environment, which consists in the construction of befitting classrooms and equipping such with good furniture, shall win the priority attention of his government. He has never reneged on his promise that his administration will not waver or get derailed from the pursuance of these lofty courses of action.

Further on the issue if textbooks, Aregbesola reasoned that since textbooks are made from wood which is obtained from forests cultivated on wide expanses of land; the introduction of a devise like Opon Imo, which reduces the dependence on books, will help in the conservation of our forest resources, hence reducing risks associated with environmental degradation.

It has been a reasonable argument from the point of view of OgbeniAregbesola that since a student must have been exposed to textbooks from kindergarten, offering him something different at his high school age would do him much benefit. In other words, he should be offered with the kind of learning that brings him in conformity with his colleagues and counterparts in the present world order through exposure to digitalbased instruction that makes him ICT-compliant.

•To be Continued.

•Governor Rauf Aregbesola, addressing the farmers during the meeting with them on promotion of agricultural productivity and involvement of youths in farming, at ErinmoIjesa, Oriade Local Government Council Area, recently.

www.osundefender.org TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 2016 ATURDAY 30th July, 2016 would remain evergreen in the consciousness of the Commander-inChief of the “back side” secretariat of the Adagunodo faction of the PDP in the State of Osun. A day, when a supposed chairman and members were thoroughly disgraced, lampooned and embarrassed by a person seeking to become the National Chairman of their party.

Prior to Saturday, notice was circulated by the Sunday Faforijiled faction of the PDP that Chief Raymond Dokpesi, one of the aspirants to the office of the National Chairman of the PDP, will be meeting with the members of the PDP in the state, in furtherance of his efforts to enlist their support for his aspirations. The notice was circulated on the social media by those who are loyal to the “Ogo Oluwa secretariat” tendencies in the party. The notice was a clear indication that such visit will be the exclusive preserves of the beneficiary of the aborted Port Harcourt Convention.

The Soji Adagunodo-led faction of the PDP rather than pretend not to notice the preparation towards the visit, also made elaborate preparation for the visiting chairmanship aspirant, by erecting canopies and making chairs available for the event. Their social media warriors gladly showed the world that the visit was entirely their own faction and no other. I must confess, I enjoyed the exchange of brickbats that occurred while both parties were seeking to protect their zones.

However, while the two parties were busy planning on how to outshine one another, the Faforiji faction, in an act reminiscent of the Port Harcourt tag for excos abracadabra, had through their overlords, told Dokpesi in clear terms that they would not approve of any other place than Ogo- Oluwa’ secretariat of the party. True to the arrangement, the chairmanship aspirant not only agreed with the arrangement, he made sure that such agreement was given a seal of finality.

Chief Raymond Dokpesi said in clear terms that anybody who was not at Ogo-Oluwa secretariat was not an authentic member of the PDP. According to him, he would not seek support from

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By IBRAHIM LAWAL

Adagunodo And His Many Dirty ‘Slaps’

accorded with a delegate status, the not-so-popular Faforiji faction was accredited and given such recognition. They had to come back home with their tail in between their legs.

Another heavy slap landed on the Adagunodo and his members when they went on an unsolicited pilgrimage to the Ooni’s palace, with a view to appealing to the revered monarch to wade into the arrest and detention of the Apesin of Ife, Otunba Iyiola Omisore. The Ooni’s reply to their request was a clear testimony of the fact that it was an unthinking decision to embark on such embarrassing and unholy pilgrimage to his palace. As if that was not enough, the humiliation that Adagunodo suffered in the hands of the Faforiji faction of the party could be better imagined. They were called all sorts of names and advised to critically weigh their actions before embarking on such. They were pointedly referred to as unthinking rabble rousers.

MAZINGLY, the Adagunodo faction parades big names in Osun PDP politics, that if care is not taking, one might be tempted to conclude that Faforiji is just on a frolic of his own. However, despite these arrays of men and women, who pretend to be associating with Adagunodo, it has been one misstep or the other. Is it that the group that Adagunodo represents is just more in number, rather than it tactics? Could it be said that the Faforiji faction is more of a power broker than the Adagunodo? Or those who pretend to be loyal to adagunodo are just paying lipservice to the tendency he represents?. Questions and questions without any tangible answers is the bane of Osun PDP, as it is at the national level.

The Osun melodrama will continue for a long time, as the Adagunodo faction is currently fiddling with an option of inviting a two -time failed governorship candidate of the Lagos PDP to cover for the big slap given to them by Dokpesi.

How well they handle this move will further define their relevance in the scheme of things.

We can only wish them well in their mission to self-perdition.

Meanwhile, let the harvest of slaps continue on both sides, it is payback time.

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•ADAGUNODO

any other place in Osun, as doing otherwise would be akin to promoting party indiscipline and factionalisation, which he would not condone, if he emerged as the National Chairman of the party.

WO things are discernible from Dokpesi’s “fatwa’.

First is that the only authentic PDP in Osun, is the Faforiji-led faction and any other persons or group however highly placed, which belonged to the other side, are bunch of indisciplined and fake party men and women. Second, is the fact that Adagunodo’s faction only embarked on premature

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ejaculation, if they ever thought that they would see him in their midst.

The latest direct slap in the face of Adagunodo and his members by aspirant Raymond Dokpesi did not come to many as a surprise, as the pundits are quick to point out that it has been a tale of one embarrassment or the other since his assumption at the Biket side of Osogbo PDP secretariat. The first baptism of fire came the way of Adagunodo, when himself and his party executives became a mere onlookers at the aborted convention of the party in Port Harcourt. Instead of being

OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank GTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. All

correspondence to the Managing Editor, KOLA OLABISI, Telephone: 08033927286 (kolaolabisi@yahoo.com); Editor, KAYODE AGBAJE, Telephone: 0803-388-0205, E-mail: osundefender@yahoo.com, kayodeagbaje@yahoo.com. ISSN: 0794-8050.Website: www.osundefender.org.