Agriculture

We will continue to improve on people’s comfort – Gov. Adeleke

By Web News 565

By Funmi Ojo

The Osun State Executive Council has  reviewed key government policies and issued new directives to ministries, departments, and agencies, MDAs. 

The meeting, presided over by Governor Ademola Adeleke lasted late into the night, provided a sector-by-sector appraisal of government activities and reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to delivering democratic dividends despite prevailing challenges.

Addressing cabinet members, Governor Adeleke expressed satisfaction with the widespread endorsements and commendations his government has received from different groups across the state.

He described the positive ratings as a validation of his administration’s performance, while charging his team not to relent.

“Despite the challenges facing us, we are fulfilling our obligations especially in critical areas of governance,” the Governor said.

On infrastructure, the Governor noted that the Ministry of Works is making steady progress on major road and flyover projects across the state.

He specifically mentioned the Ilesa dualisation, the Ile-Ife flyover, the Oke Fia/Lameco flyovers, and the Iwo dualisation, stressing that timelines for delivery must be met.

In the power sector, Governor Adeleke directed the Commissioner for Energy to immediately develop an implementation plan for the newly passed State Electricity Market law, with support from the National Electricity Regulatory Commission.

He tasked the Ministry of Science and Innovation with fast-tracking the rollout of the State ICT Policy and the State Tech Innovation Policy, instructing the ministry to design a roadmap for the application of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain, while commending the Imole Wi-Fi initiative recently unveiled in parts of the state.

On agriculture, the Governor Adeleke ordered the immediate revival and expansion of the Statewide Youth Agropreneurship Project, urging the Ministry of Agriculture to commence full implementation across all local government areas.

The meeting concluded with the adoption of the Governor’s as council resolutions while a high-powered committee was set up to address manpower shortages in the health and education sectors.

The council approved the elevation of several minor chiefs, in a key traditional decision, Prince Adeleke Saheed Adeyemi was confirmed as the new Olokusa of Okusa in Egbedore Local Government.

Environment

Evacuation : Oyo Govt Reiterates Commitment To Make Life Better For Destitute, Beggars, Others

By Web News 709

Oyo State Government says its plan is to rehabilitate all destitute, beggars and mentally ill persons evacuated from streets and give them better life.

The State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, Alhaja Kafilat Olayiwola, stated this on Friday, in Ibadan, during the evacuation exercise.

According to Olayiwola, Oyo State Government is determined to rid the streets of destitute, beggars and mentally challenged persons to rehabilitation centre.

“The exercise is to ensure that the lives of the evacuees and that of the general public are safe and secured.

“Their presence in the society poses danger, as some of them could be agents for criminals.

“So we are going to profiling them, engage some of them in skill acquisition programmes aiming at enhancing the individual’s capacity to enable them build a better life.

“Those with mental health challenges will be moved to psychiatric section at the Adeoyo State Hospital, Ibadan, for medical attention.

The Commissioner said government had took a tough stance on the increasing number of destitute and beggars swarming around major areas, such as Mokola, Iwo road, new Gbagi market and Ojoo in the state capital.

She said the evacuation exercise would be a continuous one and that the well-being of all the evacuees would be adequately catered for.

Corroborating the views of the Commissioner, Mr Ademola Aderinto, the Special Adviser to the Governor, on Environment, noted that destitute, beggars and mentally ill persons were constituting environmental hazards on the streets and at strategic locations in the state.

Aderinto said the state government through the Ministry of Environment, in partnership with the Women Affairs and Social Inclusion ministry was intensifying efforts to address the menace.

He assured that all the evacuees would be adequately taking care and treated at the rehabilitation centre, thereafter engage them in what would add value to their life.

A cross section of Ibadan residents have commended the state government for evacuating the destitute and beggars.

Mrs Arinola Adedeji, a trader at Iwo road urged government to make the evacuation a routine exercise, so as to discourage the beggars from the acts.

Adedeji also appealed government not to allow those evacuees escape from the rehabilitation centre.

Another trader at Mokola roundabout, Mr Jude Oraka, said that government should make the rehabilitation centre condusive habitation for the evacuees so that they would not hesitate to leave the centre.

Nafiu Busari

Environment

Gov. Oyetola Reiterates Commitment To Prioritize Rural Development

By Web News 724

Osun State Governor, Mr Gboyega Oyetola, has said that his administration would continue to give priority to the development of the rural communities for social and economic reasons.

Mr Oyetola, who noted that the rural dwellers had equal rights to basic amenities as people in the urban areas, said his administration was committed to sustainable economic development at the grassroots to discourage rural-urban migration.

The Governor made the remarks during an engagement programme organised by the State’s Civic Engagement Programme in Isinmi Olootu village of Ifedayo Local Government.

Represented by his Special Adviser on Civic Engagement, Mr Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, the Governor said his administration had been engaging all social strata and stakeholders in all rural communities to clearly find a way of improving amenities available to them and also to improve their living standards.

He explained that it was such consciousness that influenced the rehabilitation of one health centre per ward, with particular focus on those in rural areas, while schools in such environments and other amenities would be given a facelift. 

In a remark, the Baale of Oyi Elemogun, Chief Adeyinka Adesina commended the governor for his commitment to the development of the state in the area of education, health, infrastructure, Agriculture, mining among others.

Chief Adesina said that the visit was the first time a Governor’s representative would embark on “one on one” engagement in the area asking for their various need, since the creation of Osun, as a border town to Kwara state far away from the state capital.

The Community leader who noted that rural areas suffered neglect in government programmes, appealed to the Governor to provide them with more rural roads, electricity,  borehole and other social amenities. 

Also speaking, the Chairmen of Local councils in the area, Messrs Azeez Olarewaju, Funnmilayo Olaseinde, Kunle Ayantoye eulogized the governor for his commitment to human development and capacity building by empowering nothing less than 18,000 youths through various schemes, as well as execution of several social intervention programs for the socially vulnerable. 

Adenitan Akinola

Security

Oyo Government Reiterates Its Commitment To Security

By Web News 667

Oyo State Governor Engineer Seyi Makinde says his administration will continue to support security agencies operating in the state to deliver on their mandates.
He stated this at the Government House, Agodi, Ibadan, while receiving State Directors of the Department of State Services in the South West States, who were in the state to hold the South West Zonal Conference of Directors of State Services.
While emphasising that security is key to the successful implementation of government policies,governor Makinde praised the  team, led by its  Chairman, Sheikh Mohammed Waziri, for helping to tackle insecurity in all the nooks and crannies of the country.

“I am also happy that from your interaction, you have been able to come up with the fact that drug abuse and children in primary school becoming cultists is common. Yes, we can go after them just like you have suggested. We can win the war with brute force but can we win peace with the same force? For us, we think striking at the heart of what is causing all of these is Germaine. And if you trace it, it is economical. So, it is difficult to bring people to live peacefully together.
“When you have a situation where the resources are limited and we are all scrambling for it and we are not baking enough cake to go round, then there will always be serious issues where people will look for where they can gain a little bit of an advantage over the other people. So, I will ask that in your recommendations and course of action, let us also look at how we can win the peace. 
“And on this issue, I give you the assurance that when we have the South West Governors meeting, I will bring it up so that we can have a common regional approach to dealing with the challenges.

“For us as an administration, we know that the essence of power and all of these things that we are surrounded with is to ensure that people are able to live their dreams and go about their daily businesses in a safe and secure atmosphere.

The governor also charged the DSS to ensure it emphasizes issues that would unite Nigeria, adding that the country has never been this divided.

In a remark, Chairman of the South West Zonal Conference of State Directors of State Service, Sheik Mohammed Waziri, said  that the DSS understands the importance of security in a polity, adding that without security there would not be development.

He said:  “ We are concerned just like Your Excellency is also concerned about the increasing threat to local and national security in terms of kidnappings, cultism and famers/herders clashes. 
“We are also concerned that this is also a period that all hands must be on deck to ensure that we resolve some of those issues and, as an intelligence-based organisation, it is our responsibility to identify the threats, share the concerns, and identify the criminals and miscreants within both governed and ungoverned space.

Iyabo Adebisi

Politics

Osun Assembly Reiterates Commitment To Invest More In Education Sector

By Web News 644

The Osun State House of Assembly has assured that the Assembly would continue to support the development of the Education sector in the state.

Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Mr Adebayo Olodo gave the assurance during the budget defence by Tertiary Institutions in the state.

Mr. Olodo said through effective and people-oriented legislation, the education sector, especially Tertiary education would be enhanced.

Presenting the budget of Osun State College of Technology, Esa-oke, the Rector, Professor Samson Adegoke called on individuals to collaborate with the state government in enhancing the education sector through the donation of infrastructures to the school.

The college presented 2.7 billion nairas as total Revenue and 3.7 billion nairas as a total expenditure.

Also, The Provost, Osun State College of Education, Ilesha, Professor Kazeem Kolawole presented 1.16 billion nairas as total Revenue and 1.93 billion nairas as total expenditure identifying low enrollment of students as one of the factors affecting the school IGR.

Funmi Adekoya