Re-Osun: Why Launch ‘Opon Imo’ In Lagos?

“The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about” – Wayne Dyer

I decide to react to the write- up of one Aluko–Olokun on the above subject as captured by “The Punch” of Thursday, May 16, 2013 contained at page 24 simply because of the inspirational wise saying of Wayne Dyer on the purport of displaying ignorance on issues.

State of Osun Student Displaying Opon-Imo in Class. (Inset is Ayo Aluko-Olokun)

Ayo Aluko–Olokun gave an embellish account of the monumental achievement of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, governor, State of Osun on the unique introduction of computer learning tablets tagged “OPON IMO” to secondary school pupils. He missed the point, when he gave fallacious graphic account of how Osun government saved N8.2bn for the state, which could have been spent on purchase of books on an annual basis and that the project “OPON IMO” was launched in Lagos.

To put it in proper perspective, Mae West said that “Two much of a good thing can be wonderful” and that represents the true description of the government of Ogbeni Aregbesola in the State of Osun.
Firstly, a mention must be made to the fact that the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is an unusual government. Most of the developments are outstanding, while a few of the acts have no precedent at all, either locally or globally, in terms of best practice, scale or sheer audacity – Computer Learning Tablets (OPON IMO) has no precedent in Nigeria, OYES is a unique job creation innovative idea of Ogbeni Aregbesola in the whole world, a scheme that the World Bank has commended, even some advanced economies are looking into the model, because that would be the first time a government would tie up social welfare scheme with community service.

What is more of a government that demystified the office of the governor up to the level that he gives room for full and total participatory governance at all levels, and in the process, correct the notion of “His Excellency” associated conventionally to the occupier of executive positions. In the face of public criticism on some of the national issues that borders on the knowledge of the constitution, the governor has this to say; “We didn’t intend to attract attention. We simply want to deepen the knowledge of federalism, understanding of the Nigerian Constitution”.

Obviously, Mr Ayo Aluko–Olokun’s article dwelt on some issues, which shows clearly his level of ignorance about the ongoing monumental developments in the State of Osun. Wiston Churchill succinctly put it that “The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is”

Therefore, in an attempt not to join issues with Ayo Aluko–Olokun in his fallacious article, I will rather dwell on some of the monumental achievements of Ogbeni Aregbesola administration for public judgment. Ralph Waldo Emerson said: “The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in common”.
As a government, Ogbeni Aregbesola administration has achieved greatly in the following areas:

EDUCATION
- Osun raised primary school basic funding grants from N7.4m to over N424m a year
- Osun feeds over 180,000 elementary schools kids, nutritious lunch meals daily through our ground-breaking school meal programme, OMEAL.
- Osun raised secondary school basic funding grants from N117m to N427m per year
- Osun implemented a minimum of 30% tuition fees reduction for tertiary institutions.
- Osun raised tertiary institutions’ subvention to cushion tuition fee reduction.
- Osun raised indigene bursary award from N3000 to N100,000 limits.
- Osun is sponsoring 98 UNIOSUN medical students to Ukraine.
- Osun is kitting Osun Public School Students with 750,000 uniforms
- Osun is building 50, 31 and 9 Model Elementary, Middle and High Schools respectively
- Osun is providing 150,000 e-learning tablets for senior secondary schools.

GOOD GOVERNANCE – FINANCE
- Osun Development Bond achieved A and A – ratings, Agusto & Co and Global Credit rating (GCR) respectively.
- Osun has achieved the Bb+ and BBB ratings, by Agusto & Co and GCR respectively.
- Osun recovered N800m worth, hidden investments for the state.
- Osun saved N900m in negotiating a concessionary debt waiver for the state.
- Osun introduced Automated Revenue Collection, to block leakages and eliminate fraud.
- Osun increased State IGR from N300m to N700m per month.
- Osun sets up the Omoluabi Conservation Fund with a N4.2B reserve.
Osun sets up the Osun Debt Management Office.
Osun has pioneered a revolutionary mechanism for financing capital projects.

SECURITY
- Osun sets up a dedicated Crime Response Team, The Swift Action Squad, SAS, ROBOT.
- Osun innovatively equipped SAS, with 5 APCs 25 Patrol Vans.
- Osun had built 2 state-of- the-art mega police stations.
- Osun built a state-of-the-art, multi-force, security control centre.
- Osun is procuring additional 100 vehicles to boost SAS.
- Osun is building 7 state-of-the-art, Mega Police Stations.
- Osun is developing a statewide distress management system, to allow a maximum response time of 40 minutes.
- Osun is developing a community policing network to boost security.
- Osun is provisioning chopper for security surveillance.

COMMERCE
- Osun has supported cultivation of 10,698 acres of farmlands.
- Osun has provided N500m worth of support to cooperative groups to stimulate production.
- Osun runs a free and innovative rail service between Lagos and Osogbo, to aid human and produce transportation
- Osun has modernized the Osogbo Railway Station.
- Osun is building at Aje, a multipurpose mall, with 3183 shops.
- Osun is building at Ayegbaju, an Ultra-modern Market with over 1000 shops, office spaces, key lamps, cinema and trailer parks.
- Osun is building a PPP-driven Lagos Osun, Logistics System to facilitate delivery of Osun Produce to Lagos, at Osun Price and delivery of Lagos Products to Osun.

HEALTH
- Osun has sustained the free health service to all, irrespective of age or gender.
- Osun has carried out 6 medical and surgical missions to provide free treatment and surgeries to thousands of citizens.
- Osun has provided N300m worth of drugs to state hospitals and primary health centres.
- Osun had set up the Osun State Action Committee on Control of HIV/AIDS, OSACCA.
- Osun has sponsored our health workers to local and international training events.
- Osun has built 74 new primary health centres.
- Osun is empowering 400 youths as paramedics to join the Osun Ambulance Service Authority.
- Our plan to rehabilitate our 9 state hospitals and 12 comprehensive health centres is at advanced stage.

ENVIROMENT
- Osun pro-actively dredged 123km of waterways, to keep Osun flood-free for two years in an era of national flooding disaster.
- Osun has increased our waste management capacity, with 62 waste disposal trucks.
- Osun has commenced the 185km highway beautification of Osun/Oyo Boundary (Asejire) to Osun – Ondo Boundary (Owena).
- Osun is beautifying and branding strategic spots across the state.
- Osun is incorporating the public private partnership model into waste management
- Osun is running a 1km radius urban renewal programme for each of our 9 major towns.
- Osun is innovating a waste evacuation programme – O’Clean Plus

RURAL DEVELOPMENT
- Osun opened-up over 100km of rural roads across multiple rural communities.
- Osun has executed rural electrification projects for 38 communities.
Osun facilitated priority projects for 61 communities across the state.
- Osun worked with UNICEF to provide farm inputs to 1,830 rural farmers in 61 local communities.
- Osun trained 183 community resource persons on key household practices.
- Osun provided 122 hand-pumps for 61 communities across the state.
- Osun is facilitating another round of priority projects for 61 communities.
- Osun is providing skill acquisition training and grants for another round of 610 women
- Osun is facilitating another round of farm inputs supply to 1380 rural farmers.
- Osun is running a massive repair of hand pumps across the state.

ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE
- Osun rehabilitated Ede Water Works, to increase production from 17% to 30% capacity.
- Osun is upgrading 61 township roads, covering over 128km.
- Osun is upgrading 20 inter-city roads, covering over 294km.
- Osun is reconstructing a 74km super highway to connect Osun to Lagos
- Osun is reconstructing a 47km super highway to connect Osun to Kwara.
- Osun plan to reach 100% capacity for Ede water works by the end of 2013.
- Osun is implementing a 10km roads construction in all the 30 Local Government and one area council
- Osun in partnership with Railway Corporation, so as to turn Osun into hub of commerce in agricultural commodities.

AGRICULTURE
- Osun committed over N1b to support farmers’ cooperatives.
- Osun cleared over 1,765 hectares of land to support farmers.
- Osun has built, in Oyan town, the largest commercial apiary in Sub-Saharan Africa for refined Honey production.
- Osun supported 28 cooperative groups to plant 17KM stretch of maize.
- Osun supported 2000 farmers, to plant 1.3 million plantain suckers for refined plantain flour production.
- Osun financed over 220 farmers groups to run the Osun Broiler out-grower scheme, OBOPS.
- Osun is supporting cooperative groups to cultivate a 400 acre Yam farm cluster, for Elubo production.
- Osun is supporting cooperative farmers in Kuta-Ikoyi, to cultivate a 500-acre vegetable farm cluster.
- Osun is building a 10,000 capacity cattle ranch, at Oloba, Iwo.
- Osun is partnering with the private sector to setup N300m grain mop-up fund.
- Osun is building a PPP driven Farmers’ input supply scheme.

EMPOWERMENT
- Osun has sustained for 20 months, arguably the biggest and most innovative grassroots youth empowerment scheme our land has ever witnessed, The Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme, OYES.
- OYES engages 20,000 youth volunteers to provide community services in exchange for a N10,000 monthly stipend.
- OYES adds an extra N200m every month to Osun economy.
- Osun provide 10,000 monthly support to over 1600 most vulnerable elders, through the Agba Osun Scheme.
- Osun has trained 5000 youths in specialist ICT skills through the OYESTECH Scheme.
- Through the school uniform programmer, Osun has empowered over 3000 Tailors in the state.
- Through our school meal programme for elementary schools, Osun has empowered over 3000 caterers.
- Osun has empowered over 600 youths in our agriculture enterprise academy, OREAP.
- Osun is sponsoring 50 youths to Germany to acquire advanced farming skills
- Osun is partnering with the private sector to build, computer plant in Ilesha.
- Osun is engaging around 6000 youths as teachers in public schools.

These achievements listed above are not exhaustive, but I have to be conscious of the space it may occupy. Assuming without conceding that Aluko-Olokun was correct of his calculation in his article under reference that Osun would have been saving N4 billion instead of N8.6 billion, so why did he maliciously failed to appreciate the ingenuity and endowed wisdom, which God has given the governor of the State of Osun in helping the people of Osun to save N4 billion. However, the “OPON IMO” project could not have been launched in Lagos and it was indeed not launch in Lagos and has not been launched officially in Osun bearing in mind that Ogbeni Aregbesola, the Governor of Osun is a conscious grassroots politician. All I expect from Ayo Aluko-Olokun is to follow the wise saying of Voltaire, when he said: “Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well”.

•Adeoye is a Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Osun on Legal Matters

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