By Lateef OsiteluBy Lateef Ositelu

S TN AU TG EO

AI N

REI G

...REBUILDING THE GATEWAY THROUGH GOOD GOVERNANCEAPRIL 2012VOL 5 NO. 4

he manifestation of a responsi-ble leadership in Ogun State Tcame to bear on Friday April

20, 2012 at the Arcade Ground, Governor's Office, Abeokuta as another landmark was recorded when the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administration took bold steps towards making the State safe and secured as the first batch of six sophisticated Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC), 125 Security Vans and other equipment purchased by the State Government for the use of security agencies in the State was unveiled during the flag-off of the Ogun State Security Initiatives.

Speaking at the official handing-over of the security equipment to security agencies in the State, Gover-nor Amosun did not mince words by saying that his administration's mission to rebuild Ogun State would be rigorously pursued through its five-cardinal programmes, adding that no responsible government would fold its arms and watch hoodlums take over the State.

Giving reasons for the procure-ment of the equipment, Governor Amosun said: “we cannot fold our

arms and watch as our people are continually being harassed by armed robbers and gangs of hoodlums who carry out their dare-devil operations in broad daylight not only in homes, but even in places that were thought to be well-secured”.

Reiterating the importance of security in the developmental efforts

By Ayokunle Ewuoso & Gbemisola OgoloBy Ayokunle Ewuoso & Gbemisola Ogolo

of his administration, Governor Amosun said N3 billion had been expended on security without touching a kobo of the security trust fund. He said recent operation of the men of the underworld had shown that robbers have a reckless knack for using technology to achieve their criminal objective and as a govern-

ment, it behooves it not only to be able to match them, but surpass the technological prowess and intelli-gence behind criminality as invest-ment can only thrive in a safe environment.

While assuring that government

Contd. On Page 6

fear of breach of security by unscrupulous elements as they were on full alert to protect lives and properties.

W h e n t h e O g u n S t a t e Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun arrived the venue, the whole arena was agog with jubilation and after all necessary official protocol, he presented the staff of Of f i c e and i n s t r umen t o f appointment to the new Olu of Ilaro

Yewa Gets Paramount Ruler

Amosun Embarks On Tour Of LGAshe people of Yewaland expressed their profound joy to TGod Almighty and the state

Government as they danced around with joy for having a new Monarch since the demise of Oba (Dr.) Samuel Adeniran Adekanmbi Tella, the Agbenuaran III about five years ago. The Gateway International Stadium, llaro, venue of the Installation of the new Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, HRM Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugben le , Asade Agunloye IV was filled to capacity with dignitaries from all walks of lives who came to witness the coronation ceremony.

The main bowl of the Stadium was made lively with lots of organized cultural parade and dance pieces, citation of rich cultural cognomen of Yewaland.

When we talk about security at the coronation, one cannot but commend the brilliant performance of all security personnel at that occasion; the heavily armed Police Men, State Security Service, Civil Defence Corps as well as intelligence input of some Para- military personnel that manned every nook and cranny of the town reassured the people of adequate security allay

By Deborah OdulateBy Deborah Odulate

Contd. On Page 6

Contd. On Page 6

Govt. Launches Security Equipment To Combat Crime

Cross section of Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) on display during the launching of APCs, Security Vans and other equipment at the Arcade Ground, Governor’s Office, Abeokuta. INSET: Governor Amosun test driving one of the APCs

Governor Ibikunle Amosun presenting the Staff of Office to the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland, HRM Oba Kehinde Olugbenle during his Coronation ceremony at Ilaro.

s part of the activities marking one year of his administration, Governor A

Ibikunle Amosun has embarked on tours of 20 Local Governments in the State.

At Ogun Waterside and Ijebu

East Local Governments, he assured the citizens that no part or portion of the State would be ceded to its neighbour under whatever guise. He pointed out that rather than ceding, it will take necessary steps to ensure sustainable development of its border towns to avoid losing them to neighbouring States. The Governor reiterated the commitment of his government to good governance, adding that it was ready to embark on the construc-tion over 22 roads across the State including the Ijebu-Mushin-Ikija-Owu-Ijebu road and the dualisation of Ijebu-Ode-Ilese-Ijebu- Mushin-Itele road within the next one year. He noted that government will tap from the abundant resources in the area such as bitumen to turn around the economy of the State and that the agricultural sector would be rejuvenated for industrial-

ization of the State, just as health care delivery system, electricity, water supply qualitative education and infrastructure would be given priority attention for the benefit of the people.

Senator Amosun promised that Iwopin, a community in the area will be turned around to regain its lost glory, while investors would be encouraged to establish factories and industries for sustainable develop-ment in the State.

In his welcome address, the Transition Committee Chairman of Ogun Waterside Local Government Area, Hon. Toyin Ayebusiwa said that his administration had successfully executed lofty projects like provision of boreholes in all the 10 wards and funds to fight polio and other child killer-diseases.

On her part, his counterpart in Ijebu-East Local Government, Mrs. Iyabo Bakre thanked the State

By Wole SokunbiBy Wole Sokunbi

OGSG Pays N5b As Gratuities - Pg 10

OGUN UPDATE | April 20122 | ACROSS THE STATE

Across The State

he joy of some prospective allotees of the media village Twho had earlier paid but

were not given houses knew no bound as the keys to their respective houses were handed over to them.

The lucky allottees had earlier made payment to the immediate past administration in the State but were not given allocation.

Speaking at the key-handing over ceremony, the State Gover-nor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun represented by his Housing Commissioner, Mr. Daniel Adejobi said government decided to release money for the comple-tion of the houses as a demon-stration of its belief that gover-nance was a continuum.

The Governor disclosed that

By Adeyinka Musa-Richard

2

State, Mrs. Olufunke Daniel and others assaulted him.

The Commission took the decision following the failure of

Truth Commission Takes Step To Affirm Its Neutrality

he Ogun State Tr uth Commission has invited the TState Police Commissioner

and the Director of the State Security Service to commence investigations into a criminal allegation that it is biased.

Dr. Yemi Oke, counsel to a former Commissioner for Youths and Sports in the State, Mr. Bukola Olopade who was a respondent in one of the petitions before the Commission had last Monday informed that his client and two others had filed a suit bordering on fundamental human rights at the State High Court

The plaintiffs according to him, were seeking that the Commission should be restrained from further adjudication in any petition concerning them following their allegation that members helped a petitioner, one Yahya Mohammed to write his petition and that the petition was submitted after the expected deadline.

Yahya Muhammed had in his p e t i t i o n “ O G T C / 5 2 / 1 2 complained of assault causing grievous wounds on him by Mr. Olopade and his gang.

The suit filed at the High Court has 12 respondents including the State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the Chairman and other members of the Truth Commission and five others.

Speaking on the matter, the Commission's Chairman, Justice Pius Aderemi (rtd) disclosed that the Commission decided to invite the two law enforcement agencies to investigate the allegation to ascertain the veracity of the claim in the interest of justice and fairplay.

Meanwhile, the Commission has adjourned further hearing in a petition filed by some members of the sixth legislature of the State House of Assembly against Hon. Soyemi Coker and seven others at the instance of the counsel to the petitioner, Mr. Abraham Adeoye to

th17 of May, 2012 to enable him file his response.

In another development, the Commission has reserved its recommendation in a petition filed by one Rasheed Odusanya, the Personal Assistant to a one time C h a i r m a n o f I j e b u L o c a l Government, alleging that the wife of the former Governor of the

By Waheed Adesina

Allottees Of Media Village Receive Keysfunds had equally been released to complete other estates across the three senatorial districts in the State, assuring that necessary basic infrastructures would be provided in such estates before allottees move in.

Senator Amosun disclosed that lands were still available to build more housing units in the estate, promising other units that

the counsels to the two parties to file their final written addresses within the given period.

n furtherance of its resolve to provide efficent and affordable healthcare for the I

citizens of the State, the Ogun State Government has promised to give necessary legal backing that would transform the State Action Committee against AIDS, OGSACA to an Agency.

The State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun gave this assurance in Abeokuta while receiving the team of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS, led by the Director General of the Agency, Prof John Idoko.

The Governor disclosed that necessary machinery would be set in motion to ensure that the enabling bill is sent to the State House of Assembly for legisla-tion.

While commending the Agency for fighting the disease through its various intervention processes, the Governor advised NACA to do more in the area of preventing the spread of HIV, rather than curbing it noting that prevention is better than cure.

Governor Amosun declared that the rising prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the State was unacceptable and pledged his administration's resolve to provide quality and affordable health care delivery to the citizenry.

Speaking earlier, the Director General National Agency for the Control of AIDS Prof. John Idoko, disclosed that about 70,000 children born in Nigeria yearly are HIV positive at birth and adduced the high incidence to non adherence to campaign on the prevention of mother to child initiatives.

While commending the State Government for strengthening OGSACA to effectively combat and prevent the spread of H I V / A I D S, P r o f . I d o ko appealed to Governor Amosun to expedite actions on the process of transforming OGSACA into a

OGSACA To Attain Agency Status - AmosunBy Tajudeen Sokunbi

had been paid for would also be completed and handed over to their owners.

While charging occupants to ensure the cleanliness of their environment at all times to bring about a healthy living, the Gover-nor maintained that low income earners would also benefit from the plans to build more housing estates.

One of the allotees, Mr. Akerele Kolajo appreciated the effort of the present administra-tion for not abandoning the project which had their dreams of being home owners a reality.

Meanwhile, the Management

of Dangote Cement has stated its willingness to partner the State in providing affordable houses for the citizenry.

The Managing Director of the Company's Lagos office, Mr. Akin Adesokan who disclosed this during a courtesy visit to the State Ministry of Housing, added that the company was ready to support the vision of the Senator Ibikunle led administration in the area of provision of adequate shelter and infrastructure through the supply of cement at a reduced price.

Mr. Adesokan also assured of prompt service delivery to all project sites of the State Govern-ment and called for more patronage of made in Nigeria goods to boost development.

Responding, the State Com-missioner for Housing, Mr. Daniel Adejobi pledged that government would take advantage of the offer, noting that cement which consti-tuted about 65% of materials used in building has no substitute.

full fledged agency to enable the state benefit immensely from the World Bank $5m dollars credit facility.

He urged the State govern-ment to redouble efforts on the

control of the disease as well as improve funding for sustainability, pointing out that this would guard against any vacuum that may be created when donor agencies and developmental partners stop their funding of the programme.

woman suspected to be c o l l e c t i n g r e v e n u e illegally from members A

of the public on behalf of Ogun State Government has been caught.

The suspect, one Mrs. Helen Taiwo a.k.a Helen Obi was caught by some good-spirited individuals and was taken to the Ojodu Abiodun Divisional Police Station.

Speaking on the development in Abeokuta, the Senior Special Assistant to the State Governor on other Taxes, Mr. Kunle Akinlade said illegal issuance of g o v e r n m e n t r e c e i p t s b y fraudulent people was one of the causes of economic hardship in the State.

Mr. Akinlade who was at the State Police Headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta where the woman was being detained,

Woman Nabbed For Issuing Fake OGSG Revenue Receipts

By Tolu Kowo expressed surprise that inspite of several warnings, some people still went ahead to print such sensitive documents.

He said government would do all within its power to curb such criminal acts which was adversely affecting revenue drive, vowing that others like Mrs. Helen Taiwo would soon be flushed out of the State.

He said ”this is unacceptable for us as a government. We won't allow lawlessness, but since some have flouted the order, when we start checking the records, we won't hesitate to bring any culprits to book.”

Speaking on the development, the Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi disclosed that the Command was carrying out investigations to ascertain the source of the fake document.

This according to him would go a long way in fishing out those behind the illegal act.

nformation Officers in Ogun State have been urged to embrace the “Ogun Standard”, one of the I

outcomes of the just concluded two-day Investors' Forum put together by the State Government..

This advice came from the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Barrister Yusuph Olaniyonu at his weekly meeting with the Information Officers held at the newly refurbished Governor's Office Press Centre, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Barr. Olaniyonu defined the “Ogun Standard” as a high degree of quality service and performance, touch of class and uniqueness for which the Gateway State had been known since its creation.

He stated that these accounted for the leadership position which the State had been occupying over the years in the country, adding that Ogun indigenes have continued to distin-guish themselves over the years in all areas of human endeavours.

The Commissioner emphasized the Amosun-led administration's commitment to upholding the standard of Ogun State and improv-ing without compromise. He said this was the secret behind the well applauded Investors' Forum, the high quality standard projects and services being provided by the administration.

He therefore advised Press Officers to reflect the Ogun Standard in service delivery and other facets of their everyday activities, as this would enhance their ability in information management.

In their respective responses to the charge, Information Officers assured the Commissioner of their readiness to key into the new thinking of government.

Embrace The “Ogun Standard”, Olaniyonu Charges Inf. Officers

By Femi Onasanya

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka addressing the gathering at the launching of the 2nd HIV/AIDS Programme Development Project II in Abeokuta

ACROSS THE STATE | 3 OGUN UPDATE | April 2012

Across The State

he present administration in Ogun State has reiterated Tthat it will stop at nothing to

ensure that the State's Internally Generated Revenue is improved upon in order to have enough funds to execute its programmes and make it less dependent on monthly allocation from the Federal purse

The State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun made this position of government known in Abeokuta while receiving the Board of Directors of Keystone bank led by its Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Oti Ikomi during a courtesy call on him.

Senator Amosun said at present the State's Internally Generated Revenue is N2 billion, adding government's plan was to increase this to N5billion within the next three years so that the State would be self-sufficient to meet its needs.

He assured that his government would continue to take steps to provide enabling environment for business to thrive and solicited support of players in the private sector in the execution of its 5-

We'll Work To Improve On Our IGR - Amosuncardinal programmes as govern-ment alone cannot provide the needs of the people.

On the proposed implemen-tation of “cashless Ogun”, Governor Amosun said it was a welcome development as it would help the State to block leakages in

the system. Thanking the Board of the visiting bank for its proposed involvement in the State's health, education and housing sectors, Senator Amosun advised that it should also invest in the agricultural sector to enhance industrialization of the State.

By Wole Sokunbi Earlier in his address, the MD/CEO of Keystone Bank, Mr. Oti Ikomi had promised that his bank would continue to complement and contribute to efforts of the government to rebuild the State.

Mr. Ikomi disclosed the

bank's plan to provide a N100 million facility to improve the health status of the people, N1 billion counterpart funding for education, another N1billion loan for the State's housing project as w e l l a s e m p o w e r m e n t programmes for civil servants.

Community Comprehensive High School, Ogbo, Ofada Community High School, Ofada, Pakoto High School in Ifo, Remo Secondary School, Sagamu, Makun High School, Sagamu and Egba Comprehensive High school, Abeokuta

Others are Remo Divisional High School, Sagamu, Male Comprehensive High school, Sagamu, Ibogun Comprehensive High School, Egbeda Ifo, I f e d a p o C o m m u n i t y Comprehensive High School, Owiwi Community Primary School Obada and Ifo High School, Ifo among others.

invoke appropriate sanctions and prosecute perpetrators of such illegal act, irrespective of the caliber of persons involved.

Barr. Odubela explained that as a practical demonstration of government's resolve in this direction, all illegal structures erected on such plots of land would be demolished.

According to him, a total of 21 cases of such schools had been reported to his office. The affected schools include Aiyepe Comprehensive High School, Aiyepe, Agbele Community High S c h o o l , S a g a m u , O g b o

ough times await land speculators who are in the Thabit of encroaching on

lands meant for development of public schools in Ogun State, the State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Barrister Segun Odubela has warned.

Barrister Odubela who issued the warning in Abeokuta added that Government would not fold its h a n d s a n d w a t c h s o m e unscrupulous elements put its free qualitative education policy in jeopardy.

He said that as a step to address the shamefu l ac t , government was prepared to

Deputy Governor and Chairman, Ogun State Boundary Committee, Prince Segun Adesegun (right) presenting a document to his Ondo State counterpart, Alhaji Alli Olanusi while DG, National Boundary Commission, Dr. Mohammed Ahmed (behind right) looks on during an Inter-State boundary meeting held in Ondo State

gun and Ondo State Governments have resolved to amicably O

settle their common boundary dispute for peaceful co-existence of the people of both States.

Speaking at the inter state boundary meeting between the two States at Owena Motels, Akure , the Deputy Governor and Chairman, Ogun State Boundary Commit tee , Pr ince Segun Adesegun said Ogun state has 149km boundary line with Ondo state which was divided into three sectors.

A c c o r d i n g t o P r i n c e Adesegun, the sectors which was d iv ided in l ine w i th the investigation carried out by

B r o m a g e i n 1 9 4 8 a r e Ajebandele/Aiyesan,Aiyesan/Ayede/Ayi la/and Eba Is land /Irokun/Obimilehin.

The Deputy Governor said Ogun Waterside and Ijebu North East Local Government Areas of Ogun State are part of the old Ijebu Province which had close social and economic engagement with the people of Ondo province from immemorial, adding that Ogun State was not new to boundary issues as it shares boundaries with four States and also have an international boundary.

He thanked the Ondo State

government for its commitment towards peaceful settlement of boundary dispute and assured that Ogun State would co-operate to find a lasting solution to the problem for the benefit of the people of both states.

Also speaking the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Alhaji Alli Olanusi, noted that though his State Government has received series of protest letters from communities bordering Ogun State, it would continue to prevail on its people to live in peace with their neighbours.

In his remarks, the Director General, National Boundary Commission, Dr. Mohammed Ahmad, said the Commission was read to embark on demarcation of the disputed areas, saying that the exercise would be successful since the two states share things in common.

In a communiqué signed by the two Deputy Governors and read by the Director General, the

two states agreed among others that the entire stretch of Ogun and Ondo inter-state boundary be t r a c e d a n d p r o v i s i o n a l l y demarcated by the joint Field Team constituted on December 14, 2006.

It disclosed that field work would commence on May 14, 2012 and last for three months while the two states, the affected Local Governments as well as the traditional institutions in both states should carry out adequate enlightenment programmes in the affected border communities to ensure co-operation.

The communities also called on the two states and the affected Local Government Areas to ensure that their people maintain peaceful co-existence and status quo pending the final resolution of the disputes.

It added that the report of the field work which would be submitted to the National Boundary Commission would be discussed at a joint meeting to be convened by the commission.

By Elijah Udofia

Ogun, Ondo Set To Resolve Boundary Dispute

Ogun Warns Against Encroachment Into Public Schools' LandsBy Temitayo Taylor

he Task Force set up by the Ogun State Parks and TGarages Development

Board (PAGADEB) to checkmate the activities of illegal motor parks and garage operators in the State has commenced its opera-tions within Abeokuta metropolis.

Leading the taskforce, the General Manager of the Board, Alhaji Ayo Ogunsolu said the move became imperative to bring sanity and development to transportation system in the State in accordance with the mission to rebuild the State.

The Genera l Manager reiterated government's readiness to rehabilitate and give befitting outlook to all motor parks and garages in the State and directed all transporters operating illegal motor parks in the state to wind up.

Addressing the motorists at Brewery, Adatan, Moore junction Asero and Itoku, Alhaji Ogunsolu warned heavy sanctions await those who fail to comply with this directive.

Speaking in the same vein with leaders of the National

Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) at Ita-Osin Motor Park, the PAGADEB boss warned against aiding and abetting those who operate illegal motor parks, stressing that there will not be any sacred cow.

Responding on behalf of the unions, Chief James Oshimuyiwa pledged the readiness of members to support government's initiative to ensure sanity at the parks and appealed that the rehabilitation of parks and garages across the State should be addressed urgently.

Task Force On Illegal Motor Parks Commences Operation

By Momodu Kazzim

Alhaji Ayo OgunsoluGM, Parks & Garages Devpt. Board

OGUN UPDATE | April 20124 | EDITORIAL

Editorial

t the inauguration of S e n a t o r I b i k u n l e

thAAmosun on 29 May, 2011, he made it public that he is on a Mission to Re-build Ogun State. H e therefore enunciated a five-cardinal programme for the develop-ment of the State.

Not surprising, the drive of the present administration since inception has been geared towards restoring the old glory of the Gateway State. Senator Amosun in his keynote address at the inaugural Inves-tors' Forum held on March 26th and 27th in Abeokuta where the State hosted investors from across the world, top govern-ment functionaries and others to x-ray the opportunities that abound in the State introduced the slogan “The Ogun Stan-dard”.

Governor Amosun said that the State was set to define new s t a n d a r d s a n d s e t n e w benchmarks which relate to quality of service and perfor-mance, touch of class and uniqueness in doing things and setting pace for others to follow.

Obviously, Nigeria's history is not complete without men-

ment functionaries, including five state Governors converged on Abeokuta, the State Capital to be part of the good story now being written to Ogun State. The icing on the cake was the donation of six Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), 125 patrol vans and other security gadgets to secu-rity agencies by the Ogun State Government. It was historic. The acting Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Dahiru Abubakar who was present at the occasion to witness the official handing over of the gadgets affirmed that it was unprecedented in the country. Besides, the APCs was of the latest technology from USA. Seven other APCs are set to be given to the Police and the Governor said the target is to have 30 of the special APCs to

patrol the State in coming years. The provision of text-

Ogun Rekindles Its Leading Standard

W O R D S O N M A R B L E

“This is the first time in the history of this State and the country that this kind of

donation has taken place. I have done police job in every length and breadth of this country and have served in the six geo-

political zones in this country, so I can say there is no State in this country that has

donated what you have donated in a single form today.”

- Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar Acting Inspector General of Police

at the launch of the APCs, security vans and equipment in the State

This is not my DestinationSuccess indeed is a journey

It is never a bus-stopSuccess is in itself a pilgrimage

Its stop-point isn't easily determined

The short-sighted may see it as worthy of resting place

Some may see it as an abode of comfortSuccess in itself makes one feel so complacent

With the mind of 'I have done enough'

To the far-sighted in the real senseYour getting to shouldn't be your going to

Today's applauds should not be seen as the ultimate

It should be received with care to avoid distraction

Whatever your achievements nowIt should be seen as a tip of the ice-berg

Because you still have muchYet to deliver to your generation

- Femi Onasanya

P O E M

tioning Ogun and its indigenes whose pioneering roles in ever y sector o f human endeavours cannot be ignored. The State had since inception on February 3, 1976 been iden-tified with standard which has distinguished it from others. Governor Amosun is usually proud to reel-off the achieve-ments of our forebears in Ogun State and how they made Nigeria work.

Without doubt, the activi-ties of the Amosun-led admin-istration have been with a touch of class. For instance, the administration demon-strated the ideal road network the State should have with the Ibara-Sokori-Totoro road, which is a six lane road with median walkway, solid drain-age, and overhead streetlights and pedestrian bridges. Also in the area of Civil Service, Ogun State civil servants have been known to be trail blazers, go getters and highly productive. The recently held Investors Forum tagged “Ogun State: Open for Business”, cannot be forgotten in a hurry in the history of the State and Nige-ria. Investors from around the globe as well as top govern-

VOL 5 NO. 4 APRIL 2012

PUBLISHERYusuph Olaniyonu

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORAbdul-Fatai Opebiyi

GENERAL MANAGERAyo Oluyemi

EDITORKayode Bello

PRODUCTION CREWMosun Feyisetan

Lateef OsiteluGbemisola OgoloRotimi Oduniyi

Sakirudeen BashiruFemi OnasanyaTayo DosunmuOlatunde TijaniDorcas JohnsonLawon Solanke

CORRESPONDENTSInformation Officers

PHOTOGRAPHERSTunji OnabanjoTunde OdunewuBolaji OgundejiTope AbiodunTosin Dipeolu

OIaseni Kassim

OGUN STATE MINISTRY OF

INFORMATION AND STRATEGY,

OKE-MOSAN, ABEOKUTA

C A R T O O N

OpinionOPINION | 5OGUN UPDATE | April 2012

odern economic theory indicates that Governments' Mbest efforts are usually

limited to creating the right atmosphere for development to happen and teaming up with the development planners from every sector.

And for two days, world class entrepreneurs, captains of industries, stockbrokers and other financial experts as well as top government functionaries converged on Abeokuta ,the capital of Ogun State to chart a way forward for the socio-economic development of the State through an investment forum.

With the theme “Ogun: Open for Business” the forum, organized by the State Government indeed reinforced the popular appellation of Ogun as the “Gateway State” and this was brought to the fore in terms of its strategic location, abundant human and natural resources as well as a harbinger of commerce in Nigeria and indeed the West African Sub region.

With a well conceptualized vision for the economic regeneration and social renewal of the State, the present administration believes that the ownership and management of the State's development process should aim at achieving sustainable economic development by stimulating private sector participation in the development process.

Consequently, the vision is premised on State priorities and development plans which centre on a 5-point agenda, including provision of Qualitative and Affordable Education, Quality Health Care Delivery, Increased Agricultural Production and Sustainable Rural Development, Provision of Affordable Housing and Development of Infrastructure and Industrialization.

The forum focused on generating massive employment opportunities through virtually every initiative as a way of retaining wealth in the State.

The need to leverage the development of the State on harnessing i ts vast ag r icul tura l resources jumpstarted discussions at the well attended event.

The forum also provided the opportunity to re-appraise the challenges facing the Nation in the agricultural sector as well as the efforts of the State Government in this regard.

According to statistics, Nigeria has a land area of 98.3million hectares. 74million hectares out of this are good for farming; but less than half is being explored. The population involved in f a r m i n g i s ( 6 0 % - 7 0 % ) w h i l e agriculture's contribution to GDP is just 41.5%. However, there is threat of hunger and poverty; 70% of the population live on less than N100 (US $0.7) per day.

Whi le smal lholder far mers constitute 80% of all farm holdings; their production system is inefficient; there is regular shortfall in national domestic production. Food import is thus a common feature.

The fundamental issues on food security hinged on post harvest losses be tween ( 20%-40%) , because harvesting, processing / storage techniques are inefficient

Ogun Investors Forum: A Retrospective Look At Agricultural Development

Speaking on the occasion, Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina emphasized the need to diversify from the oil sector to agriculture, pointing out that “people must see agriculture as a development project for the benefit of all”.

He lamented the lack of processing of agricultural products such as cocoa, rice, palm oil and cassava which he noted had robbed the country of several billions in foreign exchange earnings, pointing out that attention should be focused on processing plants. The Minister said government would continue to promote the production of high fructose cassava syrup, adding that Ogun State would benefit from one of the eight large scale Industrial Plant for high scale cassava producing States. He said the cocoa plantations in the State would be rejuvenated, subsidy provided for oil palm farmers while Apoje farms would be revived.

Coming on the heels of this submission was that of Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola who expressed concern over the negligence of the sector. “There is a major calamity if agriculture is pushed to the backg round , particularly food production. We must dignify farming or we might go into extinction”, he warned.

This view was also shared by the Kaduna State Governor, Mr. Patrick Yakowa who said “we must be able to take agriculture and mining as a way out of oil and gas for our economy to grow” He recalled that a lot of people

went into cassava farming during the Olusegun Obasanjo era but “after producing large volume of the product, there was no outlet to process whereas we must continue to identify markets for all these crops”

Ogun State Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Ayo Olubori spoke on the State's 5-point action plan to transform the agricultural sector which he hinged on strong political will, fertile agricultural land, large productive workforce, strong institutional linkages and proximity to Lagos, saying “Agriculture is our strength”

With an agricultural policy geared towards driving the State's economy, about 2,526 farmers were beneficiaries of the N1bi l l ion Commercia l Agricultural Credit Scheme packaged by the State Government. Also, 1million hybrid disease resistant cocoa seedl ings are being raised by government to be sold at highly subsidised rate to cocoa farmers, in addition to massive rehabilitation works had commenced at state-owned fish farms at Odeda, Ilaro and Ikenne with over N4m spent on the purchase of fishing inputs alone.

This aside, the feedmill at Kotopo with a capacity of 2 tonnes per hour has been rehabilitated to boost investment in feedmill business, while the Cassava Multiplication Projects also received a boost with the commissioning of a Cassava Processing Factory in Ewekoro LGA in conjunction with British American Tobacco Nigeria (BATN). Under the FADAMA 111 programme, counterpart funds for 2009/2010 and 2011 totalling N60.74 million had been

paid. This has facilitated the disbursement of the sum of N207.88 million to various communities which also increases significantly farm productivity and income of farmers.

It is pertinent to state that all these initiatives among others received p r o m i n e n t a t t e n t i o n a n d commendations at the forum.

The Special Adviser to the President on Food Security, Professor Ade Adelaja said “with the various i n i t i a t i v e s o f t h e p r e s e n t administration in Ogun on agriculture, genuine investors should start thinking on how to join hands in the rebuilding process”.

To underscore the importance of agriculture in the development process and the need to fund the sector, the Group Managing Director, Wema Bank Plc, Mrs. Funke Osibodu noted that heads of various financial institutions were fully on ground to shed more light on their roles to the sector.

According to her, “we are currently working on a special project to support the financing of high yielding seeds, we have signed agreement with other banks with Union Bank providing the largest fund”

She said a number of seed producers have been financed in Ogun State, saying Government should identify the beneficiaries and monitor the progress. To back up the State's vision on agriculture, Mrs. Osibodu also disclosed that three rice processing mills would soon be established in the State, urging the government to assist with the provision of infrastructure.

Also contributing, the Managing Director, Bank of Industry, Ms. Evelyn Oputu commended the State government for accessing the N1 billion Commercial Agricultural Credit Scheme (CACS) to promote business enterprises in the State. Oputu said such intervention fund would give

fillip to agricultural development.The Nigeria Export and Import

Bank speaking through its Technical Adviser to the Managing Director, Mr. Hope Nyangwu assured that any investment on agriculture would be given “utmost priority”

His words: “Ogun can be assisted in the area of agriculture and solid mineral development. 70% of the revenue from the non oil sector comes from agriculture and 11% from solid minerals, NEXIM is willing to in ter vene in the ag r icu l tura l , manufacturing and service sector”

To demonstrate his commitment to the development of the sector, the State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun announced a discount of 80 per cent on the cost of land for investment in agriculture in any part of the State. He also slashed the amount payable on land projects such as manufacturing, estates and schools by 40 per cent to 75 per cent.

T h e G o v e r n o r s a i d h i s administration recognised the role of land as a key factor of production and decided to support its various policy initiatives with easy access to land

He stressed that the State would focus on agriculture, an area it claimed to have a comparative advantage and hoped to seize the opportunity of its closeness to Lagos to boost its investment profile

Senator Amosun sa id the reduction in the cost of acquiring land was one of the measures to facilitate investment in the State, but insisted that the beneficiaries must be ready to begin immediate development/construction, giving December this year for the close of the opportunity.

He said: “These conditions essentially require that development occurs within 180 days (six months) of the issuance of the Final Letter of Allocation.“I must add that these discounts remain valid until December 2012; we do not want land speculators in Ogun State. We want partners, genuine long term investors. We believe that these incentives will enable us to rapidly demonstrate the exciting investment opportunities in our State.”

The Governor vowed to rekindle the glowing era of agriculture of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo era in the then Western Region, saying “ Our forebears used agriculture to drive the economy, we will rekindle that, for us we must get it right, we will go into processing. We want to go back to the basics and there is a standard we want to benchmark”.

To underscore the gains of the forum, the Chief Executive Officer of Nes t l e Nig e r i a P l c , Mat thew Woolborough during a courtesy call on the Governor indicated his company's readiness to utilize the abundance of local cassava for starch production as a replacement for imported maize starch.

There is no gain saying that with the array of local and international investors at the forum, coupled with their meaningful contributions and expression of interest in this key sector of the economy and other areas, Ogun State in the words of South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Kingsley Mamabolo “has a very bright future”.

By Kehinde Onasanya

Ogun UPDATE calls for publishable OPIN-ION ARTICLES from the public. Such news

should be addressed to The Editor, Ogun UPDATE or sent by mail to

oguninfo@yahoo.com or oguninfo@gmail.com

Ogun UPDATE calls for publishable OPIN-ION ARTICLES from the public. Such news

should be addressed to The Editor, Ogun UPDATE or sent by mail to

oguninfo@yahoo.com or oguninfo@gmail.com

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina making his presentation at the Ogun State Investors Forum

Govt. Launches Security Equipment...Contd. from Page 1

would soon take delivery of the remaining batch of the APC, the Governor called on private individuals and organisations to support the Government in its drive in the development of the State by contribut-ing to the State's Security Trust Fund.

The Governor noted that with the launch of the security equipment, the police/military task force code named “Operation Mesa” and the “Quick Response Squad” of the Ogun State Police Command can now effectively take-off. He emphasised that he was fully aware that security threats in the neighbouring states often have effects on Ogun State, especially in the border communities. He therefore noted with passion that his administration has zero tolerance for crime and criminality. Consequently, government was collaborating with all neighbouring States to ensure effective patrol of the highways and border communities.

With security steps put in place to check nefarious acts, it is believed that crime wave in Ogun State will drasti-cally reduce. The incident of bank robbery, car snatching, burglary and other violent crime will no doubt be considerably curbed.

Governor Amosun expressed his appreciation to President Goodluck Jonathan for his tremendous assistance

during the process of procuring necessary security clearance for the government to take delivery of the APC, disclosing that the President during the process graciously approved the duty waiver for Ogun State government.

Giving credence to the efforts of the State government, the Acting Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Dahiru Abubakar, who could not hide his joy at the presenta-tion of the security equipment to security agencies in the State, enthused that, “this is the first time in the history of this State and the country that this kind of donation has taken place. I have done police job in every length and breadth of this country and have served in the six geo-political zones in this country, so I can say there is no State in this country that has donated what you have donated in a single form today”.

He assured intending Investors who might be willing to invest in the State to do so as the security of their lives and property is guaranteed. “When there is security economic and infrastructural development is guaranteed and that is what you have done for Ogun State and Nigeria which is equally the vision of Mr.

6 | NEWS

President and we shall achieve it,” he added.

The Paramount Rulers in the State, Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egba Land, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, Awujale and

Paramount Ruler of Ijebu Land, Oba Sikiru Adetona and the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewa Land, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, were of the opinion that the purchase of the security equipment was a right step in

the right direction. They commended the govern-

ment for taking the initiative noting that no responsible government would toy with the issue of security because business can only thrive where there is peace and security.

Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, Commissioner for Information and Strategy in an interview disclosed that the Government actually ordered for 13 APCs but had to fly in six in order to meet the urgent need, “two is presently at the seaport while we'll take the delivery of the remaining five soon”, he disclosed.

Present at the event were top Federal and State Government functionaries, including Senator Sefiu Adegbenga Kaka representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Senator Gbenga Obadara, represent-ing Ogun Central Senatorial District, paramount rulers and royal fathers, the State Executive Council mem-bers and chief executives of financial institutions among others.

OGUN UPDATE | April 2012

CHANGE OF NAME

I, formerly known as Miss Soneye Omolara Abosede now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. O D U S O L U O M O L A R A ABOSEDE COMFORT. All former documents remain valid. Ministry of Education and general public should please take note.

I, formerly known as Miss Ogunsusi Olusola Christianah now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. O G U N D U S I O L U S O L A CHRISTIANAH. All former documents remain valid. Ogun SUBEB and general public should please take note.

and Paramount ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Olugbenle, Asade Agunloye IV.

In his address, Governor Amosun urged the new monarch to regard his appointment as a call to service to his people and the State. While calling on Kabiyesi to use royal position to unify the good people of Ilaro and Yewa in particular saying this would help create conducive atmosphere devoid of rancour and acrimony that would quicken development of the area.

Governor said “Kabiyesi, by your appointment, you have become the president of the Yewa Tradition Council and a rotational Chairman of the Ogun State council of Obas. You are expected to bring your wealth of experience to bear on these two Councils towards the sustenance of peace and development of Yewaland and Ogun state in general”, the

Yewa Gets Paramount Ruler

The newly procured Security Vans to beef up security in the State

Contd. from Page 1 Governor submitted. W h i l e r e i t e r a t i n g t h e

d e t e r m i n a t i o n o f h i s administration to continue the implementation of its five cardinal programmes such as; provision of Affordable Qualitative Education , Efficient Health Care Delivery, I n c r e a s e d A g r i c u l t u r a l Production/ Industrialization, Affordable Housing / Urban Renewal, Rural and Infrastructural Development/ Employment Generation to the people across the State, he promised that the dualisation of Ilaro-Papalanto road as well as Ilara, lmeko/ Afon, Oja Odan to Ipokia, among others would soon commence, noting that t h o u g h t h e y a r e Fe d e r a l government roads, they are very crucial to the socio-economic development of the Yewa people and must rehabilitated.

In his acceptance speech, HRM Oba Kehinde Gbadewole

Olugbenle, the Olu of Ilaro and Paramount Ruler of Yewaland thanked God for counting him worthy and making him a king. He was particularly grateful to Governor Ibikunle Amosun for standing by the truth and justice in the selection process. He promised to dedicate the rest of his live to the service of Yewaland and mankind.” I am ready to pay the price to achieve our collective desire for progress, unity and development of Yewaland and Ogun State which is sacrosanct and non negotiable.” He called on all the sons and daughters of Yewa land to

monthly to clear the backlog and I can assure you that in no distant time, this would be liquidated,” he remarked.

It can be recalled that the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led Administration from the outset pledged a monthly payment of the gratuity and pension of the retiring workers as they exit the Service from May, 2011.

Odunlami noted that as far as the Contributing Pension Scheme is c o n c e r n e d , t h e r e i s n o insurmountable challenge, stating that the scheme has started maturing from 1st of January 2012, as the retirement benefit for pensioners is secured.

He assured that pension has never fallen in arrears; as the salaries of workers are paid monthly, so is pension.

Speaking further, Rev. Canon O d u n l a m i e x p l a i n e d t h a t government has a lso been cons is tent in remit t ing a l l employees' deduction as well as employers' contributions which has been paid up to February 2012.

Accord ing to h im, the

Retirement Benefits Redemption Account which the State has been maintaining with the State branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria since May last year is still being funded with 5% monthly total wage bill till date.

bout 592 retirees and 11,287 pensioners of State C i v i l S e r v i c e h a v e A

benefitted from the payment of about N5b gratuities within the last 10 months by the present Administration.

The Permanent Secretary in the Bureau of State Pensions, Revd. Cannon Isaac Odunlami who made this known during an interview with Ogun UPDATE, added that the gesture was a fulfillment of Governor Amosun's pledge not to owe any retiring officers.

He noted that the government inherited a sizeable amount of unpaid gratuity and pension which had piled up since October 2008, pointing out that substantial amount was being released monthly to offset the backlog.

“In view of the premium value placed on the welfare of the senior citizens, the backlog of arrears of gratuity of those who retired in year 2009 to December 2010 is being offset in phases. To this end, a substantial amount is released

OGSG Pays N5b As GratuitiesBy Gbonjubola Alao

Governor for providing financial assistance to the Local Government.

Meanwhile, the train of the tour moved to Ikenne and Sagamu Local Governments where Mr. Governor expressed its administration's readiness to commence the dualisation of Irolu-Ilishan -Ago-Iwoye as well as the Siun-Ajura-Ogere road soon.

He also promised that the State government will embark on the total rehabilitation of Sagamu Odogunyan-Lafarge road that terminates at the State boundary in Ikorodu to make living more bearable for the people.

The Governor affirmed that the dualisation project would be completed within a year, adding that construction and expansion of roads were meant to open up the State for economic and industrial growth.

Senator Amosun also disclosed that regardless of the huge debt

inherited, his government had almost offset the arrears of allowances and that the State government had been able to improve its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) with which it now pay over N6b monthly for workers' salaries both at the State and Local governments.

In their respective addresses, The Chairmen of Ikenne and Sagamu Loca l Government Councils, Hon. Sunday Adeniji and Hon. Gafar Felix stated that they had embarked on various develop-mental projects to further spread the dividends of democracy at the grassroots and urged their people to continue complimenting efforts towards developing the State.

th The tour which ends on the 10 of May 2012, is aimed at familiariz-ing the Governor with the people of the State in its quest to rebuild the State.

come together to rebuild the land, promising to lead the movement for the set objective.

Kabiyesi said “as a father, in respect of where any of my sons and daughters come from, you are all the same to me as l promise to give everyone and community a level playing ground to express their potentials for the growth and development of Yewaland. I stand for unity and my office is a symbol of that unity and I implore us all to use this first coronation of the Paramount Ruler of Yewaland to unite and rebuild our land”.

Amosun Embarks On Tour Of LGAsContd. from Page 1

2

like clerks, they move from clerks to become accountants, may be cashiers etc.

They have been there for about 20years before you came in and the purpose was to confound you so that you begin to give more respect. So if you happen to have a Head of the Mission who also look at you as that young rascal, then you are in trouble. Anyway, it was more or less something that exposed you, you have no choice but to take it and resolve it. Every place has a kind of policy, so as you move on, you will face various passions and other challenges.

For a family raising children, you have to be very mindful and note how your service affects them. You have to make contact with them in Nigeria. It will get to a time when you will have to take a decision on what you will do with their cases. You can't be dragging them from one place to another. That is the greatest challenge because it takes a lot of resources from you and the government will only be responsi-ble for kids though primary school, thereafter you are on your own. You pay their school fees for whatever best you want them to be to advance them to the next stage. That was the major challenge and I began to discover that I had lesser resources to be used and despite the perception from the general public that you are living in wealth. You live strictly on your income throughout the Service.

How do you intend to replicate your past successes using the vast array of experiences garnered as a diplomat for the progress of the State? The State is my State, our State and I mean to make my own contribution. I will say at this point in time that Ogun State is very fortunate to have the administration that is here now and for me to be invited by the Governor to join the winning team. All of us know that this administration is one that is very focused and is also very clear in its mission and works towards attaining its goal. So I consider my service in this administration as a privilege and

someone who is working with some-body who gets the best out of you and somebody who is working with that much energy has to be able to do so.

In the little time you have spent as Chief of Staff, how many successes have you recorded?

I am not the one to say that. It is for my principal, those who work with me or my other colleagues to say. I mean, I am not the one to be quantifying or telling you the difference. What I know is that we are working. We keep our words. We live by the standard we set for ourselves and if we make a promise, we want to meet up with that promise and as I said, I am challenged everyday by that mission to deliver our promises, nothing has happened to think otherwise.

Your advice to the people of Ogun State?My advice to Ogun State people is

to believe in this administration and to give their support because this administration means well to every Ogun citizen, of course their support is essential in achieving the mission as conceived.

What are your immediate impressions upon being offered your present post?

One of my happiest moments was the day I became a public servant and so because I have retired in service. I retired after 35years in service which coincided with my reaching the age of 60 and then finding that somebody out there still think you can be useful. This is why I said this is one of my happiest moments.

Life after retirement, how has it been?It was very much okay, very much

okay. Actually I have retired. I spent part of my life in Abuja and then relocated to Lagos to get close to my family to start the building of our school. It's a nursery and primary school. In the last one year or so, we've been involved with erecting structures and do a lot of things in the school. I have been physically and emotionally engaged. One thing I couldn't do which was why I left Abuja was for you to carry briefcase around pretending to be a business man.

experience that have had in my career will definitely be at the disposal of whatever Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun is doing to take the State to the next level.

How do you see your role as Chief of Staff in this present dispensation?

Like in every circumstance in life, you will need wisdom and guidance everyday when any appointment comes with its own challenges and of course if you happen to have that privilege of being called upon to serve. I suppose it is the reason why one has gone through life living through various experiences and exposure, you never know which will prepare you for other challenges. I think one should feel honoured that one has such consideration and what it means is that you are going to challenge yourself to put in your best to do your best and to add value to the cause and it is not because something is not working that you are being called upon, they want you to also make your own contribu-tion to an already successful story. It is a privilege and honour to get that kind of opportunity when you add your name to a winning team. I consider this administration, a winning team and like I said earlier on, when you are challenged, you also contribute your very best.

How do you feel working directly with the Governor?I think the Governor is somebody that you admire and I am saying this sincerely. I admire his energy and I admire his attention to duties. I admire his governance and the energy he puts into work and I have seen somebody who enjoys the working and that we can only borrow a leaf from that. I mean if your principal works hard, who are you to say you are going to give anything lesser? I mean in any place you find yourself, you need to have something stimulating you and if you are lucky you happen to have a principal who does that, I think you are lucky because then you know you have to be on your toes and you have to give him your best. I am lucky in finding

About 37 years ago, you became a graduate of Psychology and you began your career as Third Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. What challenges did you encounter through that process?

I graduated actually in 1975 and retired from Federal Service after spending 35 years. To your question, after graduating, I joined the Ministry in those days, I don't know whether you had that kind of experience but in those days the Federal Civil Service Commis-sion goes round the campuses to interview prospective candidates for the public service.

The same thing happened to me when they came around in 1974. I was interviewed and for me then, coming into the public service was either the foreign services or nothing else, options were so many then. As God would have it or it may be because that was where I was destined to spend my full career and services at which I succeeded.

Of course you would not know this until after you must have gone for your youth corps and come back. You either make enquiry through friends or you visit the Commission itself and if you are lucky, you will receive a letter, informing you about the outcome of the interview you have had.

In my own case, I came back hoping to go to the private sector, until a friend of mine, who attended the interview with me told me he had been accepted into the foreign service and I was definitely sure nothing would stop my acceptance. That was how I went to the Commission and behold a letter was waiting for me there. That changed my mind, having completed my youth Corps between 1975 and 1976.

As we have in the nomenclature of rdthe Service, I became the 3 Secretary

and I had just spent 3 months or thereabout and by November, we were already on our way out and this time for the Public Service, we called it attach-ment. We were attached to a Mission so that you gain first time experience.

What was your experience like?I, along with some other colleagues

were posted to Turkey, others were posted to various embassies. At this time, I had spent like two years which afforded me the privilege of working under Ambassador Omochene, one of our reputable Ambassadors at that time. I had spent two years in Turkey as you know, a fresh graduate from university relating with Government at such level. It was indeed a great thing relating with your host Governor and representatives of other countries that were represented in your host country. Its purpose in the Service was to give new employees direct instance to work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as an attaché because as you go, you are under the tutelage of the Head of a Mission and the Ambassador you have been posted to serve under and guide your methods as well as show you the roles.

Is your attachment experience the only prerequisite to be called Foreign Service Officer?

Well, with what you have acquired from the level of exposure and of course what it takes to be a Foreign Service Officer which include having to work away from your family and leaving behind what you were used to and working totally in different environment.

It is the first exposure as regards to the cultural shock. You know having the different environment to mix with different types of people with different perspectives on political and social issues. It was a very exciting experience then because as at then, I was a bachelor and I had all the energy to socialize.

After the attachment period of two years, we were returned home and I had the privilege to work in the Protocol Department as well as Consular, Legal and Welfare Department in the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

I was a Counsellor with the Embassy of Nigeria, Bonn, Germany between 1983 and 1984 and also served as Counsellor in the Foreign Affairs Ministry between 1985 and 1988. I became Minister, High Commission of Nigeria, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago between 1988 and 1992.

I was later posted to the Embassy of Nigeria, Stockholm, Sweden for a year and High Commission of Nigeria, Lusaka, Zambia between 1998 and 2003, both as a Minister. I was the Coordinator at the Secretariat of the Abuja Common-wealth for Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) between 2003 and 2004.

While in Service, I rose to the post of Director where I held many posts before retiring on a Special Grade on the cadre. My last mission was to Nigeria High Commission in Singapore. Presently, to the Glory of God, I'm the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, FCA.

What challenges did you encounter going through that process?

Challenges and breakthroughs of course you want to talk of personal challenges, official challenges and challenges of culture as mentioned earlier in particular when you get married and begin raising children. I think the purpose of exposing you early to work and the experience carried out in the mission is to develop you. Let me give you my first challenge, may be on a lighter mood.

For the first time as a bachelor, very raw from the university and based on the National Youth Service, you have all the energy and you don't want to be restricted. The stress is not different from what many people go through. And being fresh in Service, you find yourself having to work with those who have been in that Service for many y ears and perhaps at different cadres. You know you have to work with them and you are coming in as a graduate and you meet on ground those that have actually grown in service. They started maybe

PersonalityPERSONALITY | 7OGUN UPDATE | April 2012

We Live by the Standard We Set for Ourselves - CoShe Ambassador in the Governor's Office, TAmbassador Emmanue l Ademola

Ogunnaike, mni, is the newly appointed Chief of Staff to the Governor. Ogun Update had a chat with him where he reminiscence about his Service as a Diplomat which he assured would have a positive impact on his present post. Below are some excerpts:

Ambassador Emmanuel Ademola Ogunnaike, Chief of Staff to Governor Amosun responding to questions from Ogun Update duo of Gbemisola Ogolo and Sakirudeen Bashiru in his office. PIX: Kassim Olaseni

News From LGAshe quick intervention of the Ogun State TG o v e r n m e n t i n

resolving the lingering dispute that has snowballed into serious communal quarrelling between Owa of Okun- Owa, Oba Gabr i e l Ak inyemi Abiodun and Olowu-Iji of

Odolowu, Okun- Owa, Oba Olusegun Mukaila Abojo in Odogbolu Local Government area over the boundary of the two communities and who among the duo remain over head Prescribed Authority was check mated through A 3 Man Panel of inquiry put in

Amosun Sets Up Panel To Resolve Crisis in Odogbolu place by Governor Ibikunle Amosun through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to look into the remote and immediate factor that ignited such com-munal dispute in the state.

While inaugurating the Panel on behalf of the State G o v e r n m e n t , B a s o r u n Muyiwa Oladipo, the Commis-sioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, told members of the Panel of inquiry headed by Mr. Kola Peter Fagbohun, Director of Administration and Supplies in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, the Secre ta r y, Mr. Oludare Ogunjobi, a Principal Admin-istrative Officer in the Service and Mr. Oluwaseun Okunaiya the Legal adviser to the Panel in the Ministry of Justice that the matter before them require

their total commitment and thorough service in order to achieve the set objective.

He pointed out that the crisis had been dragging on for sometimes even before the advent of the present administration. He said the present administration of Governor Ibikunle Amosun has resolved to rise up to the challenges of tackling and resolving chieftaincy crisis that may pose serious threat to the peaceful co-existence of the people of the State, especially threat to their lives and property.

He charged members of the panel not to be biased in the discharge of their duties. They are to examine in its entire ramification, the claims and counter claims of the two Obas claiming to be pre-scribed authority. They

should also examine the t rad i t iona l re l a t ionsh ip between the contesting Obas, as well as examine the respec-tive boundaries of Okun-Owa and Odolowu and recommend in the light of the findings if the two claimants are properly entitled to be appointed as prescribed authority. They are to recommend appropriate measures to prevent any such dispute in the future and submit their reports to State Government through the office of the Hon Commis-sioner within two weeks.The Chairman of the Panel, Mr. Kola Peter Fagbohun in his remarks lauded the state Government's timely inter-vention at resolving the crisis, promising that the panel would be thorough and just in its assignment in a bid to find a lasting solution to the crisis.

8 | NEWS FROM LGAs

Stories by Lateef Ositelu

deda Local Govern-ment Council has put on a new look with the O

reconstruction of the Commu-nity roundabout located at the rustic town of Odeda commu-nity. Today, one of the symbols of the Community, the round-about with status of the hunter, has been transformed into a tourist attraction.

According to the Transition Committee Chairman, Arc. Wole Adebayo the beautification of the roundabout was just one of many laudable projects his administra-tion embarked upon.

He noted that the deplorable

roads at Alagbagba among others that are very crucial to socio-economic development of the area had been upgraded in order to make life more meaningful to the people at grassroots. He said the abattoir at Gbonagun was now wearing a new look as a conducive slaughter centre. He emphasized further that his administration embarked on the reconstruction of the abattoir in other to prevent the outbreak of disease and also make where animals are slaughtered hygienic.

Some of the indigenes of the Community contacted by Ogun Update expressed joy, saying since the creation of the Local Government not much out-standing project had taken place unlike what they are now experi-encing. Alhaji Ali Adewale appreciated the present adminis-tration for spreading develop-ment to the grassroots hoping that more of the dividends of democracy would come their way. Mrs. Aina Kamoru pointed out that her community at Alagbagba was now looking good saying she appreciated the ingenuity of the Transition Committee in grading rural roads to make them more motorable.

Council BeginsRehabilitation Of Roads

OGUN UPDATE | April 2012

s parts of measures to improve the socio-economic development A

of the rural areas, the Transition Committee, Sagamu Local Government Counci l has embarked on electrification of some rural communities in Sagamu and its environs.

The Chairman Transition Committee, Sagamu Local Government Mr. Femi Kafaru disclosed this during a media chat in his office.

H e s a i d t h e r u r a l

electrification project would promote the well-being of rural dwellers as well as reduce rural/urban migration.

He added that the project was necessary at this point in t ime to ease mechanized farming, improve processing of ag ricultural products and increase food production.

Mr. Kafaru said, laying of electric cable was on-going in Ajebo, Igbepa, Oke-Ate as well as Oriwu Estate adding that similar project would soon be extended to other rural Communities in the council areas.

he Yewa North Local G o v e r n m e n t h a s Tcommenced the routine

immunization exercise across t h e c o u n c i l a r e a . T h e immunization exercise was projected to extend to the outskirt in order to further reach the people at the grassroots.

Hon. Kunle Elegbede, the C h a i r m a n T r a n s i t i o n Committee Yewa North Local Government while addressing t h e p e o p l e a t t h e

Yewa North Commences Immunization c o m m e n c e m e n t o f t h e immunization exercise at that the Secretariat said the exercise was meant to secure the lives of their babies against killer diseases in the communities.

He urged the nursing mothers across the Council Area to come out en mass with their babies and cooperate with the Hea l th Of f i c e r s to immunize their babies in order to have successful outing.

He said the Council would s o o n c o m m e n c e d t h e

Newly completed Odeda roundabout

Arc. Wole AdebayoChairman, Transition Committee, Odeda LG

r e h a b i l i t a t i o n o f s o m e dilapidated and bat infested Health Clinics in order to accommodate more people to enjoy the healthcare delivery in the Council.

Elegbede further explained that, plan was on top gear to procure project vehicle for supervisory job and other PHC activities saying that, Health Officials have increased their level of inspection in order to reduce disease and maintain good hygiene among people.

By Sola Olubodun

Sagamu LG Initiates Rural Electrification Projects

NEWS FROM LGAs | 9OGUN UPDATE | April 2012

SIA’s LGAs Tour in PixOgun Waterside LG

Imeko/Afon LG Yewa North LG

Ijebu East LG Ikenne LG

Sagamu LG

SIA commissioning a block of classrooms SIA exchanging pleasantries with royal fathers

A pupil in a warm handshake with the GovernorGovernor Amosun amidst jubilant crowd Cross section of the audience

SIA and his deputy inspecting a Mass Transit Boat

SIA being welcomed by a little girl Governor Amosun commissioning a block of classrooms L-R Chairman, Gov. Amosun & wife and the Speaker, OGHA

Gov. Amosun commissioning an Electrification Project Prof. Anthony Asiwaju exchanging pleasantries with SIA Array of empowerment items distributed to indigenes of the LG

Across The StateOGUN UPDATE | April 201210 | ACROSS THE STATE

s a practical demonstration of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun l e d - a d m i n i s t r a t i o n ' s A

commitment to make computer literacy available, the State ICT Centre has awarded scholarship on computer training to 300 residents of the State.

The recipients were among participants at a one-day seminar organised by the Gateway ICT in Abeokuta.

Speaking on the gesture, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Information, Commu-nication and Technology (ICT), Mr. Bunmi Adebayo said the step was

taken to encourage computer literacy among the people of the State

He disclosed that a similar gesture would soon be extended to students of public primary and secondary schools in the State and that a “Broad Band” for networking data would also be established for the benefit of the people of the State.

Mr. Adebayo commended Governor Amosun for supporting the institution and admonished youths in the State to be ICT compliant in order to be active participants in the global village that the entire world has now become.

“Before you can be relevant and important in the society particularly in this century and beyond, one must be computer literate and have a deep knowledge about ICT and com-puter”. Adebayo remarked.

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on ICT also reiterated Government's plans to encourage the people to be ICT compliant and develop their skills, explaining that the State government had already concluded arrangements to establish a multi-million naira computer assembly plan in Abeokuta, the first of its kind in the country.

Speaking in the same vein, the General Manager, Gateway ICT, Mrs. Irene Ayorinde restated Governor Amosun's passion for computer education and urged the beneficiaries to reciprocate the gesture by pursuing the programme diligently so as to be useful to themselves and the society at large.

Recipients of the scholarship have the opportunity of being trained and exposed to 10 different computer programmes, including Web develop-ment, Autocard and Oracle, among others.

By Yinka Kujore

Stop Collection Of Illegal Fees, Commissioner Warns

rincipals of public schools in Ogun who still collect illegal fees from parents and students P

should stop the act immediately or be sanctioned, the State Commissioner for Educat ion , Sc ience and Technology, Barrister Segun Odubela has warned.

Barrister Odubela who gave this warning in his office explained that information reaching the Ministry indicated that some secondary schools principals still collect illegal fees from students, adding that anyone caught would be severely dealt with and may be dismissed from service.

“It has come to our notice that some principals are still collecting illegal fees to the extent that allegations were also made that some students are being prevented from writing the on-going second term unified examinations until certain

amount is paid despite several warnings from the Ministry.”

Speaking further, Barrister Odubela said “Principals are warned to desist from this illegal act as anyone caught will be severely dealt with and may lead to dismissal from service”

He explained that the State remained committed to providing free and affordable qualitative education, recalling that recently, government paid the second term grants to schools across the State for their day-to-day administration.

The Commissioner urged parents and guardians whose wards or children are being prevented from writing the on-going examination for not paying certain amount to lodge complaints by calling or send text messages to any of the following phone numbers--0 8 0 5 6 6 9 9 3 0 3 , 0 8 0 5 6 6 9 9 3 5 3 , 08039788343, 08034092008 and 08033937067

He assured that necessary action would be taken by the Ministry immediately.

By Temitayo Taylor

Ogun Offers 300 Scholarships For Computer TrainingBy Demola Orunbo

ndividuals to be appointed Justices of the Peace (JP) must have a clear understanding of the I

law in view of the important roles they play in the dispensation of justice and peaceful co-existence in the society.

The Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary, Ogun State Ministry of Justice, Mr. Fuyi Osunfisan made the submission in Abeokuta at a workshop titled “Reforming the Justice of the Peace system in Ogun State” organised by the Committee on the Administration of Justice for Justices of the peace in the State.

Mr. Osunfisan stated that the title of Justice of the Peace was being conferred on deserving individuals in recognition of the significant roles they play in the administration of justice in the society.

“It was established primarily to handle a large mass of the minor cases which would otherwise have unduly congested the higher courts and resulted in very slow dispensation of justice.” He remarked

According to him, law could only be available instrument of social control if the right set of people are put in place for its maintenance.

He emphasized that the primary duty of the JPs was to maintain law and order as well as reduce corrup-tion and nepotism, saying they are also expected to be fair and just in their dealings with those who appear before them and not to use their positions to amass wealth or oppress the poor.

Speaking at the workshop, the State Chief Judge, Justice Olapade implored the Justices of the Peace to have a clear understanding of what the society expected of them as enshrined in the statutes, rules, regulations and policies.

Solicitor-General Counsels On Appointment Of JPs

Secondary School Teachers during an ICT Training Workshop at the South West Resource Centre, Abeokuta

Cross section of Justice of the Peace at the workshop

total of 53 communities in the Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State will soon be A

connected to the national grid as the State flagged-off a rural electrification project in the area.

Speaking at the ceremony, the State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun represented by his Works and Infra-s t r uc tu re Commiss ione r , Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite said the develop-ment will transform the living condition in the area and expose people to varied opportunities.

Governor Amosun disclosed that the project was in fulfilment of his electioneering campaign promises and a giant step towards implementing the rural development component of his 5 cardinal programmes.

He recalled that recently, the State government organised a workshop where professionals were trained on how to determine energy requirement and consumption of the people to enable Government provide accurate and adequate energy need of each community for general socio- economic

he Ogun State Commissioner for Community Develop-Tment and Cooperatives,

Chief Samuel Aiyedogbon has appealed to members of Community

Comm. Devt. Commissioner Charges CDAsBy Oyindamola Bankole Development Associations to make

contributions to government's industrialization drive.

Chief Aiyedogbon who made the appeal during a chat with newsmen in his office at Oke-Mosan

development.Governor Amosun thanked the

World Bank for its collaborative support and for making the State one of the first three to benefit from the rural electrifica-tion programme.

Speaking earlier, the representative of the General Manager, Project Management Unit of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria, Engr. Ciroma Joseph explained that the project was capable of transforming socio-economic activities of the area as it will encourage the springing up of medium and small scale businesses.

He said about 2,500 energy meters will be installed in all the 53 communities alongside four boreholes to be strategi-cally located in the communities adding that contractors were expected to deliver within the next four months.

According to him, the transformers to be used for the project are smaller, would be mounted on poles and each would be connected to about 10 houses to prevent overloading.

Engr. Ciroma also described the State Government as a responsible Corporate customer which pays its electricity bills promptly.

Abeokuta noted that the just concluded investors' forum would bring steady development that could create job opportunities for the youth and attract social amenities to the various communities in the State.

According to him, the Ministry has been engaging in peace building and conflict resolution among would-be investors and the commu-nities, saying this would create a peaceful co-existence between members of the host communities and would - be investors.

Chief Aiyedogbon added that his ministry has also helped in promoting peace and tranquility between Dangote Cement and its host Community; urging Community Development Associations to complement government's effort in achieving continued development in the State.

He explained that the State Government realised the importance and potentials of CDAs, promising that government would further support them through financial assistance and capacity building.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Yemi Olanrewaju stated that the just concluded Investor's forum would be an eye opener for members of the communities to position themselves for the development that would take place in their various communities, taking into consideration the enormous resources that abound in the State.

By Gbemisola Ogolo

Ogun Flags Off Electrification Project For 53 Rural Communities

ACROSS THE STATE| 11OGUN UPDATE | April 2012

Ogun To Benefit From Canadian Health Programme

By Ismail Oladipo

he Ogun State Government has concluded arrangements Tto procure equipment worth

over N1.2bn in its drive to repos i t ion the Ogun Sta te Television (OGTV) into a model among its peers.

T h e C o m m i s s i o n e r f o r Information and Strategy, Alhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu made this disclosure during a courtesy visit by the newly inaugurated members of the Board of the television station led by its Chairman, Engr. Yomi Ademefun.

He disclosed that the State Government had already set machineries in motion to procure state-of-the-art equipment for the television station, which he described as a ‘pioneer in electronic broadcasting’ as it has over the years produced many seasoned and notable broadcasters that are making waves in the industry.

He noted that Government had increased the monthly subvention being given to the station to over N14 million and urged the board to ensure improvement in its Internally Generated Revenue drive by spreading tentacles to the industrial sector for more customers.

“The vision of the present government is to return OGTV to the era of being the best among peers and a training ground for others in the profession. Most of the big players in the electronic broadcasting industry today have one way or the other passed through this great television station”, Olaniyonu stated.

The Commissioner also charged the television station to transmit more people-oriented programmes to keep viewers abreast of government policies and programmes, adding that it must operate a free market place of ideas policy by giving equal opportunities to all citizens who wish to transact business with it.

He also enjoined the Board to ensure it makes a positive difference in running the affairs of the station by adding value to the State Government's drive of rebuilding the State.

Earlier in his remarks, Engr. Ademefun chronic led the development of the station since its creation by the Olabisi Onabanjo administration.

He added that power generation and upgrading from analogue to digital form of broadcasting remained the major

N1.2b Equipment For OGTVBy Qudus Kafidipe

Ogun, A Potential Industrial Leader Of Africa - Dangoteh e P r e s i d e n t / C h i e f Executive Officer, Dangote TG r o u p, A l h a j i A l i k o

Dangote has asserted that Ogun State has all it takes to be a leading industrial giant in the African continent if her abundant natural resources are fully tapped.

Alhaji Dangote made this observation in Abeokuta while speaking at the 2-day Ogun State Investor's Forum tagged “Ogun State Open for Business”.

The business mogul advised the State Government not to jettison the Olokola Free Trade Zone Project as it has the potentials of

making the State the first among i ts equals throughout the continent.

“Ogun State has what it takes to become the giant of Africa because it has a joint Free Trade Zone with Ondo, called Olokola where the government can facilitate the building of the biggest port in Africa. Truly by having Olokola port, Ogun will have more business than all other ports put together”, he remarked.

Alhaji Dangote pointed out that by having the port within the confines of the State, it would become bigger than any other State within Africa because of its

proximity to Lagos, noting that the Lagos port was already congested

H e a d v i s ed t h e S t a t e Government to as a matter of urgency consider raising funds to commence the linking of the Eastern Gas Pipeline with the West which according to him would assist the State in setting up a petro -chemical industry and facilitate uninterrupted power supply to its industrial parks.

In his remarks, Chairman, Lafarge WAPCO Plc, Chief Olusegun Osunkeye advised government to be consistent in its policies so as to attract more investors to the State.

He pointed out that more effort should be made to ensure security of lives and property in order to create an enabling environment which would attract genuine investors into the State.

Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru disclosed that already, the present administration in the State has

removed all bottlenecks and bureaucracy that could frustrate would-be investors.

He assured that genuine investors willing to set up businesses in the State have no cause to be apprehensive as the Senator Amosun-led Government remains committed to providing an enabling environment for business to thrive.

By Kunle Ewuoso

challenges hindering optimal performance of the station, a condition which the State Government had assured will soon become a thing of the past.

embers of the Christian Pilgrims Welfare Board in MOgun State have been

grouped into four committees to sensitise Christians on the reasons and advantages of embarking on Holy Pilgrimage.

The Chairman of the Board, Bishop Oludotun Ogunseye stated this at a meeting held with the Chairman, House Committee on Religious Matters, Hon. Edunjobi Babatunde at the State House of Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan.

Briefing the Committee Chairman on the activities of the Board since its inauguration, Bishop Ogunseye intimated that about 2,000 Pilgrims are being targeted to be airlifted for the 2012 Holy Pilgrimage to Israel, Rome and Greece.

Bishop Ogunseye pointed out that the Board was collaborating with the

Nat ional Chris t ian Pi lg r ims Commission (NCPC) to embark on a pre-visit to Israel, Rome and Greece to arrange for tour guides, accommodation, feeding and other ground handling arrangements so as to facilitate a hitch-free pilgrimage, adding that plans are underway to hold workshops for staffers and o the r s t akeho lde r s on the importance of holy pilgrimage.

The Board Chairman also appealed to the State Government to sponsor interested Christian citizens to this year's holy pilgrimage noting that such gesture would be another avenue to further spread the dividends of democracy.

Responding, Hon. Edunjobi expressed confidence in the new Board. He urged it not to relent but do everything necessary to have a hitch-free pilgrimage and pledged his committee's assistance in whatever capacity.

Xtian Pilgrims Board Prepares For Holy Pilgrimage

By Mosunmola Feyisetan

he Wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Olufunso TAmosun has described the

human eye as a very important organ of the body which must be taken care of regularly, assuring that the State Government would continue to ensure quality health-care delivery services to the people.

Speaking at the General Hospital, Ijaiye in Abeokuta while monitor ing free surger ies performed on about 50 people who had earlier lost their sight to cataract and glaucoma, Mrs. Amosun explained that the exercise was part of her free eye camp initiatives being done in collaboration with Tulsi Chanrai Foundation and the Enpee Group.

According to the first lady, the programme was initiated to help restore sight of the less privileged people, adding that over 4,000 people were screened across the state's 20 local govern-ments out of which 500 were diagnosed with various ailments.

Mrs. Amosun Underscores Importance Of Regular Care Of The Eye

“For the first phase of this programme, over 500 people were diagnosed with various eye ailments. Out of this group, we have given eye-glasses to about 200 people, about 150 had received free drugs, while 100 people were slated to undergo cataract/glaucoma surgeries. Currently, about 50 beneficiaries have undergone the surgeries successfully and they are receiving post-surgery assessments”, she disclosed.

She expressed her happiness over the success of the surgery operations, pointing out that the

By Kemi Sodeinde

development will make it possible for the beneficiaries to see for themselves the new Ogun State under the Amosun administration.

Mrs. Amosun noted that the State Government would always give priority attention to the welfare of its citizenry especially the down trodden in the society, commending Tulsi Chanral Foundation and the Enpee group for partnering with her office to restore people's sight.

Speaking in an interview, one of the beneficiaries, Chief Amos Sobiye lauded the effort of Mrs. Amosun and her partners for the initiative which has restored their eyesight.

gun State has been listed as one of the 15 States to benefit from the 21 O

Million Canadian Dollar capacity building and equipment support to a c h i e v e t h e M i l l e n n i u m Development Goals.

T h e U n i t e d N a t i o n s International Children's Education Fund (UNICEF) representative, Dr. Esther Obinyan disclosed this in Abeokuta when she led other r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f o t h e r international donor agencies on a courtesy call on the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka.

Dr. Obinyan affirmed that Ogun State was chosen as one of the beneficiaries because of the commitment and responsiveness of the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administrat ion towards providing qualitative health care services to the people.

She explained that the team made up of representatives of

WHO, UNFPA and the World Bank will meet with technocrats to work out modalities on how to partner with Ogun State in the project to improve capacity and enhance maternal and child health issues.

She listed other States to benefit from the programme to include, Lagos, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kaduna, Bornu, Adamawa, Cross River, Akwa-ibom and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Re s p o n d i n g , t h e S t a t e Commissioner for Health Dr. Soyinka said the State was ready to partner with all stakeholders in the h e a l t h s e c t o r p a r t i c u l a r l y international donor agencies in order to provide qualitative health care services to the people.

Dr. Soyinka assured that the State would continue to give necessary attention to health matters, so that the decision of the donor agencies to pick Ogun among others for the capacity building exercise could be justified. Mrs. Olufunso Amosun

Wife of Ogun State Governor

Gov. Amosun and Alhaji Aliko Dangote in a chat during the just-concluded Ogun Investors Forum

OGUN UPDATE | April 201212 | PHOTO PANORAMA

Wife of the Governor, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun crowning the new Miss Ogun, Dolapo Onipede of Tai Solarin University of Education during the 2012 Beauty Pageant held in Abeokuta

Commissioner for Housing, Mr. Daniel Adejobi handing over keys to one of the new houses at the Media Village, Ajebo to an allottee, Chief Emmanuel Famuyiwa

Mrs. Olufunso Amosun, wife of the Governor addressing participants at a 3-week Skill Acquisition Training Programme for Unemployed Graduates held at the Valley View Auditorium, Oke-Igbein, Abeokuta

Ogun State Commissioner for Police, I. Okoye in a chat with the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Wemimo Ogunde SAN during a courtesy visit to his office in Abeokuta

Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Political Matters, Prince Adeniyi Adesanya presenting cheque for Youth Political Empowerment to ACN party member from Sagamu Local Government.

TRACE Corps Commander, Ayodele Sangofadeji in a warm handshake with the Lion District Governor, Prof. Ayoade Adesokan during the commissioning of a borehole donated to TRACE in its Sango Ota Office

Commissioner for Information & Strategy, Barr. Yusuph Olaniyonu receiving a donation of office equipment from the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Information Chapel, Mr. Ayokunle Ewuoso in the Governor’s Office Press Centre during the meeting of Information Officers

Barr. Taiwo Adeoluwa, SSG presenting gift to Brigadier General Thompson Oliomogbe, Commandant, Nigeria Army School of Logistics at a cocktail party organised for the visiting instructors and students at the Governor’s Office, Abeokuta

Catching SIA In ActionSIA-IN-ACTION | 13OGUN UPDATE | April 2012

Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar (4th left) assisted by Governor Ibikunle Amosun (2nd left), Speaker, OGHA, Rt. Hon. Suraj Adekunbi (3rd left), royal fathers and service chiefs to cut the tape to launch the new Patrol Vans, Armoured Personel Carriers (APC) and Communication Gadgets procured by the State Govt.

Members of the Ogun State Children Parliament in a group photograph with Governor Ibikunle Amosun and top members of his Cabinet during a courtesy visit to the Governor’s Office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun celebrating with children during the Easter Party organised by the Wife of the Governor for them at the Governor’s Office, Abeokuta

L-R: Governor Ibikunle Amosun, Engr. Tony Ojesina and HRM Oba Aremu Adedotun Gbadebo, Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland at the Egba Economic Summit held at the Centenary Hall, Ake Abeokuta

Senator Ibikunle Amosun welcoming a delegation of the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) led by the Director-General, Prof. John Idoko (4th left) to his office during a courtesy call

L-R: Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, former Prime Minister of Ireland & Keynote Speaker, Bertie Ahern, Governor Ibikunle Amosun and his wife and former Ogun State Governor, Aremo Olusegun Osoba during the Investors; Forum held in Abeokuta

Governor Ibikunle Amosun presenting gifts to Managing Director, Nestle Nigeria Plc, Mr. Martin Woolnough and his Corporate Communications & Public Affairs Manager, Dr. Samuel Adenekan during a courtesy call on the Governor in his Office.

Gov. Ibikunle Amosun (2nd left) making a contribution during the 6th Lagos State Economic Summit held at Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island while (R-L) Dr. Olusegun Aganga, Minister for Trade & Investment, Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and Mr. Bill Richardson, former Governor of New Mexico listen

Arc. Femi Majekodunmi, first son of Late Dr. Nicholas Majekodunmi in a chat with Governor Ibikunle Amosun and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo during the Burial Service of his father at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Abeokuta.

OGUN UPDATE | April 201214 | SOCIAL

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Ogun UPDATE publishes FREE, social news from Public Servants. Such news must be accompanied with two

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Mr. Osituyo Oladapo of the Office of Head of Service & wife (4th & 3rd right) in a group photograph with his Father-in-law, Olu of Shakura Kingdom, Oba Adesoye Adesanya and other family members during 2012 Owarodo Day Celebration in Sagamu

Mrs. Yemisi Odunsi (middle) joined by her husband, Mr. Temitayo Odunsi (2nd right) of the Ministry of Budget &Planning and children to cut her 50th Birthday Cake

Wuraola Ogunmefun (middle) joined by her mum, Kafilat of the Ministry of Budget &Planning (2nd right) and well-wishers to cut her 2nd Birthday Cake recently

Moralayo Fadairo (3rd right) and Mariam Kazeem (2nd left) of the Ministry of Information & Strategy joined by the Commissioner, Barr. Yusuph Olaniyonu (3rd left), Directors of Information, Mrs. Olubunmi Odumusi and Mr. Ayo Oluyemi (2nd & 1st right) and SSA Media, Mrs. Ronke Raji in a group photograph to cut their Birthday Cake

Snr. Apostle Kolawole Oladimeji (middle) joined by wife (on his immediate right), daughter, Mrs. Adeyinka Musa-Richards (middle-behind) of the Ministry of Information and Strategy and some staffers of the Ministry to cut his 70th Birthday Cake held in Lagos

Pastor Oluseye Olalokiki, Director of Finance & Accounts, Ministry of Community Development & Cooperatives flanked by his Commissioner, Chief Samuel Aiyedogbon (right) and Perm. Sec., Mrs. Yemi Olanrewaju (left) to cut his 52nd Birthday Cake.

Ayomide Omotolani Olorunmatemi, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Gbenga

Olorunmatemi of the Bureau of Transportation cuts her 1st Year Birthday

Cake

Commissioner for Budget & Planning, Mrs. Oluwande Muoyo (2nd left) presenting a gift to Mrs. Adetunji, one of the retirees (2nd right) with her family members during the send-off ceremony organised in their honour.

FeatureFEATURE | 15OGUN UPDATE | April 2012

arch 26 and 27, 2012 will surely go down in the annals of MOgun State as the dawn of a

new era. It was the day the entire world literally converged on Ogun State for a two-day Investors’ Forum with the theme OGUN STATE: OPEN FOR BUSI-NESS. The event was put together by Governor Amosun and his team of technocrats to re-chart the economic course of the Gateway State on a strong progressive path. At its inception on May 29, 2011, the present administration made known its intention to completely rebuild the State when the arrow-head, Senator Amosun sounded it loud and clear that the mission to ensure a complete re-birth of the State was not just a fluke, but a desire fired by passion and relentless commitment. Moreso, one of the important parameters of its five Cardinal Programmes is increased Agricultural Production and Industrialis-ation.

A build-up to the event was the unveiling in February of the logo for the forum and the assurance by Senator Amosun that the event will not only be memorable but also live up to the expectation of stakeholders.

The event no doubt met the expectations of the government as well as the participants, particularly the target audience - the investors. The venue of the event which was filled to capacity with stakeholders and investors featured the former Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland, Mr. Bertie Ahern who was the keynote speaker, the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani and a representative of the Senate President, David Mark, Senator Ganiyu Solomon.

Four State Governors, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa (Kaduna), Babatunde Raji Fashola (Lagos), Ogbeni Rauf

Amosun Opens Investment Gate in Ogun

Aregbesola (Osun) and Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) who were joined by foremost economist and politician, Professor Pat Utomi of the Pan African University, members of the Diplomatic Corps, leaders of financial institutions, investment brokers, and development partners, among others.

Prominent indigenes of the State that graced the occasion included former Governor of the State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, Senators Gbenga Obadara (Ogun Central), Gbenga Kaka, (Ogun East), Akin Odunsi (Ogun West), the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Suraj Adekunbi and members, President and members of the State Chambers of Commerce and Industries and organized private sector operators.

The Economic Adviser to Governor Amosun, Mr. Rotimi Adewunmi told participants that it was meant to communicate the investment opportunities in Ogun State to the outside world and re-affirm the commitment of the State to work with the private sector. He x-rayed the economic potentials of the State, while urging the investors to tap into what he called the golden opportunities.

The event thereafter broke into sessions with discussants and speakers delivering papers on key areas of investment opportunities in the State. Discussants made up of experts in different areas spoke on issues relating to agriculture/agro allied business, infrastructure, roads, housing, energy and transport, logistics/ distribution/ retail trade, manufacturing and funding opportunities/ financing.

The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the major speaker in the area of agriculture, observed that Nigeria with a population of over 165 million

which was expected to grow to 470 million by 2050 with 84 million hectare of arable land is an un-tapped agricul-tural power house waiting to explode. While lamenting that Nigeria imports over 1.3 trillion of wheat, rice, sugar and fish every year despite her vast agricul-tural potential, the Minister added that with the on-going rice transformation plan, Nigeria will be self sufficient in rice production in four years and thus make it the largest producer of locally produced rice in Africa. He also said there are new investments to make Nigeria the largest producer of cassava in the world.

Given the vast investment opportunities in the agricultural sector in the State, the Minister informed the gathering that out of the 100 integrated large rice processing mills to be established nationwide, three large processing rice mills to be run by the private sector are to be established in the State for the processing of Ofada Rice, which is fast becoming a trade mark across the world. He disclosed that part of the cocoa transformation action plan of the Federal Government in Ogun State is to pursue graded cocoa production expansion from 40,000 MT to 48,000 MT in 2012, expand area under cocoa from 90,980 ha (2012) to 111,000 ha (2015), 80,000 ha for field mainte-nance (2012), the establishment of new plantation: to expand from 3,800 ha (2012) to 11,000 ha (2015), 232,750 new hybrid cocoa pods for distribution in 2012, Fertilizer distribution: 1,500 MT, while targeting over 15,000 farmers in Ogun State.

The State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Mr. Bimbo Ashiru, said part of the measures put in place to make the State investor-friendly are the creation of Trade and Investment Department, the establishment of a One-Stop shop for prospective investors and the launching of the State Security Trust Fund. He said these steps were aimed at reducing bureaucratic bottlenecks for investors, quick approval of necessary permits/ licences and right documentation, enforcement of property rights/Rule of law and safer and enabling environment.

The incentives and strategies in place to attract genuine manufacturers also include the provision of institutional

support and relevant infrastructure, re-engineering effort towards improved steady electricity supply, open door policy of the government and the provision of suitable land in designated urban and rural areas. I n a similar vein, the State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure, Architect Lekan Adegbite stated that the government was investing heavily on road infrastructure as a way of stimulating private sector investment. He listed some of the investment opportunities in this sector to include Modern Bus and Taxi Scheme, Modern Bus Terminal, Light Rail, Passenger and Goods Ferry, Intelligent Transportation System and Traffic Signaling, Parking System Management, Tow Operations, Electronic Registration and permitting, Traffic and Transportation Infrastruc-ture among others. He also listed the Modern Asphalt Plant, the setting up of Fire & Safety Training Centre, installation of Weigh Bridges and the setting up of a Vehicle Inspection Centre.

Distinguished participants and key speakers at the forum included the President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Industry, Ms. Evelyn Oputu, Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, Mrs. Sola David-Borha, foremost industrialist and Chairman, Lafarge Cement, Chief Segun Osunkeye and Chief Executive Officer of GTB, Mr. Segun Agbaje.

The former Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland, Mr. Bertie Ahern in his keynote address observed that Ogun State has high potential for a glorious future if it sticks to the path already charted by the Amosun administration, describing the event as a show of seriousness of the people and government to really transform the economy of the state.

Dangote contended that Ogun State has what it takes to be the Giant of Africa if her investment potentials are fully harnessed. He said the Olokola Free Trade Zone can become the biggest port in Africa, thereby giving the State the latitude to have more business patronage than any port in the whole of

Africa. He however advised the State Government to take special interest in the completion of the pipeline project which links Eastern Gas Pipeline to the West.

Speaking on the potential in the cement industry, Dangote informed that by 2014, Ogun State will be the producer of 90 percent of cement in Africa, concluding that Ogun State is a good place to do business. Professor Wole Soyinka, in his presentation, commended the initiative of the State Government on education, describing it as an investment in human capital which was highly productive.

Govenor Fashola, while describing the forum as a brilliant idea which will foster competition, urged the govern-ment to allow the forum transform into a full- blown economic summit as was the case in Lagos State. This, he believed, will enable the State maximally reap its benefits.

The icing on the cake for prospec-tive investors in the state was the generous rebates on land allocation for industrial, religious and community purposes announced by the Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun in his keynote address. According to Governor Amosun, prospective applicants for land will enjoy discounts such as 80 percent for land for agricul-tural production, 60 percent for manufacturing business, 60 percent for commercial business and 75 percent for community organization and religious purposes. Beneficiaries are expected to start development 180 days after final letter of allocation was awarded to them.

According to the Governor, Ogun State was poised to be a barometer for investment and industrialization of Nigeria, as the administration set a benchmark that will be known as Ogun State standard in all sectors of the economy.

With this bold and courageous move by the government to transform the economic landscape of the State coupled with the positive responses from the diverse stakeholders that attended the forum, it is expected that Ogun State and the people will soon begin to savour its benefits.

• Waheed Ogunjobi is Ogun Radio Correspondent, Office of the Governor.

Determined to fast-track the economic growth of Ogun State as part of its broad-based Rebuilding Mission, the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led adminis-tration between March 26 and 27 convened an Inves-tors' Forum to focus attention of the world on the economic potentials inherent in the State and also expose it totally to the global community for meaning-ful partnership. In this analysis, WAHEED OGUNJOBI captures the mood at the event as well as x-rays the investment prospects and the expected gains.

Determined to fast-track the economic growth of Ogun State as part of its broad-based Rebuilding Mission, the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led adminis-tration between March 26 and 27 convened an Inves-tors' Forum to focus attention of the world on the economic potentials inherent in the State and also expose it totally to the global community for meaning-ful partnership. In this analysis,

captures the mood at the event as well as x-rays the investment prospects and the expected gains.

WAHEED OGUNJOBI

Prof. Wole Soyinka making a speech at the recently concluded Ogun State Investors Forum during one of the sessions

Cross section of participants at the event

16 | NEWS OGUN UPDATE | April 2012

Ogun Reaffirms Commitment To Affordable, Free EducationBy Temitope Taylor

Ogun Begins Preparations For 2012 HajjBy Kafidipe Qudus

OGSIEC Chairman Solicits For Peaceful ElectionBy Tosin Koletowo

Make Your Services Affordable, HoS Urges EngineersBy Lara Osindele

SSA to Governor on Health, Dr. Ajibola Amosu (2nd left), Dir. Pharmacy HMB, Mr. Gregory Fafiolu and others at a one day workshop for Pharmacists in Abeokuta

Be Alive To Your Responsibilities, CDA Leaders Urged

By Niyi Akinbobola

IHECM Held 5th Waleemotul Qur'an CeremonyBy Sakirudeen Bashiru

Students of Islamic Centre, Ibara Housing Estate Community Mosque reciting from the Holy Qur’an during the 5th Graduation Ceremony held recently in Abeokuta.

ACROSS THE STATE | 17OGUN UPDATE | April 2012

Across The State

By Kemi Faleti

gun State Governor, S e n a t o r I b i k u n l e Amosun has ordered O

immediate repairs of roofs of school buildings blown off by windstorm which ravaged some parts of Abeokuta, the State capital few days ago.

The State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technol-ogy, Barrister Segun Odubela made this known during a fact-finding assessment visit to some of the affected schools.

Barrister Odubela, accompa-nied on the visit by his Special

Amosun Orders Immediate Repair Of Damaged SchoolsDuties counterpart, Prince Lanre Tejuoso, stated that the incident had caused a lot of damage in the affected schools. He assured that the State Government would do everything possible to address the sufferings of pupils and teachers of the schools.

“The incident was very unfortunate, but there was nothing anybody could do to stop it. However, the State govern-ment would not fold its hands and watch both the pupils and the teachers suffer unnecessarily. It is for this reason that Governor Ibikunle Amosun has ordered immediate repair of all structures

that were affected by the wind-storm”, Odubela pointed out He added that rehabilitation of schools in the State would be a continuous process, saying that the present administration in the State would not renege on its electoral promise of providing

By Victoria Thompson

free and qualitative education to the populace.

Also speaking, Pr ince Tejuoso assured that quality rehabilitation work would be done on all affected structures and completed before the beginning of next term

Among the schools visited were Bode Ijaye Primary School, Ijaye, Baptist Primary School, Ijemo-Agbadu, Itesi Methodist Primary Schools 1 and 2 as well as Emmanuel Anglican church primary school, Itoko.

Forestry Ministry Takes Steps To Curtail Global Warming

gun State Governor, S e n a t o r I b i k u n l e Amosun has counseled O

parents to indicate sound religious teachings into their children and wards in order to prepare them

adequately for the tasks and challenges of nation building. Senator Amosun gave this advice while receiving in audience members o f the Nat iona l E x e c u t i v e s o f a m u s l i m organisation, NASFAT led by its President, Alhaji Sheriff Yusuff.

According to the Governor, the myriads of social vices which pervade the socio-economic and political spheres of the Nigerian nation would become a thing of the past if sound moral and religious teachings are given to youths who are future leaders.

Senator Amosun commended the society for establishing a university to enlighten and educate Muslims and the general public, which according to him will help to reduce class difference and violence in the society.

He noted that NASFAT was known for preaching togetherness, unity, peace, abhor of violence and blood shedding.

While urging the society to keep up the good work of enlightening the populace on the i m p o r t a n c e o f p e a c e f u l coexistence, Governor Amosun pledged the readiness of his government to partner and support the society and others that are willing to compliment its rebuilding mission.

Speaking earlier, the society's National President, Alhaji Yusuff urged Government at the centre to find immediate and lasting solutions to the security challenges the country was facing, disclosing that the society was organizing a symposium on international security in Abuja next month to preach that Islam was a religion of peace and not of violence.

He stated that the society was established 17 years ago to create a platform for knowledgeable Muslims to come together for general education, spiritual guidance and communal welfare of members and the community at large.

O l a d i p o O d e y e m i , t h e Commissioner confirmed that about 1.5 million tree seedlings that were allotted under the Federal Government's national aforrestation programme will be utilized under the programme.

He stated that serious desertification and deforestation coupled with the green house effect resulting from gas emission, domestic and industrial

etermined to stem the tide of global climate Dchange in Ogun State,

Government is putting finishing touches to plans to embark on mass plantation of trees across the State under a programme tagged “Green revolution.”

The State Commissioner for Forestry, Hon. Falilu Sabitu made this known while speaking at a stakeholders forum on the efforts of the Ministry to reduce the effect of global warming.Represented by the Director of Silviculture in the Ministry, Mr.

...Underscores Importance Of Religious TeachingsBy Wole Sokunbi

another senior aide to the Governor, Hon. Oladele Osifade emphasised the need for would-be house owners to always seek and obtain government approved building plans, stressing that the Senator Amosun led- administra-tion was committed to ensuring due process in the development of new town and communities in the State.

In a reaction to some people's claim that the Nigeria Railway Corporation actually

allocated the spaces they were occupying to them, the Director of Development Control in the Board, TPL Jones Ademolu said “the fact that the lands were given out by government, private organization or individual does not mean you can build without approval, plan approval is neces-sary and structures that are not up to 30 metres or 10 feet away from railway lane contravene sections 32 and 33 of decree 20 on Urban and Regional Planning of 2003”.

tate Government has said that it derives no pleasure in Sdemolishing buildings of

residents; however, it will not fold its arms and watch some unscrupu-lous elements take laws into their hands by contravening its guidelines on town planning.

The Senior Special Assistant to the State Governor on Urban and Regional Planning Board, Hon. 'Dipe Adegoke handed the note of warning when he visited railway line at Lanfewa, Olomore, Ayetoro, Ibara Housing Estate to assess and curb the spate of illegal structures being put up by the people.

Hon. Adegoke submitted that it was important for those interested in erecting structures to contact relevant government agencies such as the Urban and Regional Planning Board and the Bureau of Lands to verify the status of lands and obtain necessary documents before they commence putting up their structures.

According to him, this step will prevent the loss that could result from demolition and reduce the rate of collapsed buildings which has been on the increase in recent times.

The senior aide of the Gover-nor added that before illegal structures are demolished, the Bureau usually serve a contraven-tion notice on the owner, this would be followed by a reminder notice and if the illegal owner fails to take action, a 7 day notice of demolition would be served after which the demolition would be effected.

While warning that Govern-ment will not shirk its responsibility in ensuring orderliness in the planning of its cities, he urged prospective home owners to be wary and desist from erecting structures along water ways, under high tension cables, on pipelines and beside rail-way lines.

Speaking in the same vein,

Govt. Warns Against Contravention Of Town Planning Guidelines

he Ogun State Govern-ment will henceforth Tengage the services of

security operatives to ensure that necessary haulage tolls are paid and curb the activities of fake toll collectors.

The State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Otunba Bimbo Ashiru disclosed this in his office at a meeting held with toll collectors from across the State.

Otunba Ashiru who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mrs. Kosi Efuwape noted that the State Government can no longer rely on the paltry Federal allocation, but has to use all legal

Ogun To Engage Security Operatives For Toll Collection

pollution had contributed in no small measures to complicating the present climate change that characterized the global weather.

T h e C o m m i s s i o n e r informed that tree planting was a succour in the present condition, stating that “trees on their own have the ability to absorb green house effects”.

“Scientifically speaking, one tree its his lifetime has the

capacity of absorbing one tonne of carbon dioxide if it is not felled”' he observed.

He explained that under the programme the Ministry would give free seedlings to schools, churches and mosques, adding that requests from other stakeholders would be given equal attention, if such requests meet laid down requirements.

By Gbenga Moronfolu

means to stimulate revenue generation to meet its obligation to the people.

He lamented that activities of illegal toll collectors was having negative effects on the Internally Generated Revenue drive of the State government, pointing out that the internal enforcement unit of the Ministry would continue to intensify its monitoring activities at the toll points.

Otunba Ashiru charged all government- approved toll agents to brace up and meet targets set for them, warning that any agent who fail to live up to

expectation by the end of April would be disengaged.

Otunba Bimbo Ashiru Commissioner for Commerce and Industry

Hon. Falilu SabituCommissioner for Forestry

By Kayode Oduyebo

OGUN UPDATE | April 2012

Cassava Processing PlantOne of the 100 renovated blocks of classrooms at Soyindo Community High School, Sagamu

Newly constructed Onikolobo-OGBC-Ibara GRA Road

Bulk of textbooks distributed free to public primary and secondary schools in the StateRenovated Block of Classrooms at Lisabi Grammar School, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta

Wheel of18 | WHEEL OF ACHIEVEMENTS

u r E d u c a t i o n a l System in the State (Ogun) is in crisis. It O

appears that our Public Schools were deliberately destroyed so as to justify government's a b d i c a t i o n o f i t s responsibilities to educate the citizens feigning inability to shoulder the attendant financial requirements as the basis. My belief is that education is a social service which in the end serves the public good. Nowhere in the world is education treated as purely a profit-making venture.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo, of blessed memory, will turn in his grave if he hears that due to inability to pay school fees many pupils and students are dropping out of school in the State of his birth, or that as a result of ill-conceived policies

many of them are excluded from going to schools of their choice”.

The above statement which was contained in the inaugural speech of His Excellency, Senator Ibikunle

thAmosun on the 29 May 2011 portrays the parlous state of the educational sector which is number one in the 5-point agenda of the Amosun administrat ion and the determination of the present administration to turn things around.

In the year 2012 budget presented to the State House of Assembly, education sector received the largest chunk with a whooping N41.48 billion earmarked for the execution of both capital and recurrent expenditure. The amount represents 22 percent of the entire budget.

Marching words with

action, government had, apart from declaring education free a t b o t h P r i m a r y a n d Secondary schools level, reduced by 60% fees paid by students in the State-owned tertiary Institutions.

Towards this end, all fees paid by students in all state-o w n e d s c h o o l s w e r e abolished. Government has also been paying the final e x a m i n a t i o n f e e s f o r Secondary and Primary schools leavers in the state, including the inherited debt owed by the immediate past administration.

The administration also e m b a r k e d o n t h e construction, rehabilitation and expansion of physical facilities in all public schools

with a target to achieve a ratio of 30 students per class in pr imar y and secondar y s ch o o l s . A t o t a l o f N 2 4 8 , 5 0 8 , 4 0 9 . 0 0 w a s expended on this. The exercise has now made learning process easier with students receiving lectures under a more conducive environment.

The distribution of 6.3 million copies of free exercise books and Instructional materials such as; Biros, Pencils, File Jackets and Mathematical sets, including 143.034 free text books which were distributed to students in Junior Secondary Schools were all geared towards restoring the lost glory of education in the State and

fulfillment of Governor Amosun campaign promises.

Apart from this, the State Government believes that education is a fundamental human right, a means to improve the quality of life of the people and an essential part of social and human development. It is also the bedrock of progress across all fields of human endeavours.

It believes that every child in the state now has the opportunity to get the best of education that could make him/her compete effectively with their colleagues around the world.

A s t h e p r e s e n t administration is developing students mentally, it would, as

Governor Amosun distributing free exercise books, textbooks and instructional materials to students

Reviving A Comatose By Kayode Oduyebo & Temitayo TaylorBy Kayode Oduyebo & Temitayo Taylor

OGUN UPDATE | April 2012

AchievementsWHEEL OF ACHIEVEMENTS | 19

well provide other necessary facilities, including science laboratory equipment and conducive environment.

The provision of 120,857 copies of free text books for Secondary school Students in all the 20 Local Government Areas of the State now put what government has expended in the provision of text books, exercise books and other instructional materials at about N4 billion.

It should also be noted that the state government at inception released the sum of N271,648,750 for the payment of 2010 and 2011 May/June WASSCE Examinations for students in Public Schools and N5.922,500 for National Bus ines s and Techn ica l Education Board Examination ( N A B T E B ) M a y / J u n e Examination. Approval has also been given for the payment o f y e a r 2 0 1 2 W A S C

examinations.The measure has so far

enable prospective final year students in both Secondary and Technical Colleges write their examinations with results released on schedule.

F o r s m o o t h administration of Secondary Schools in the state prompt release of running cost has c o n t i n u e d t o g a i n government attention. For I n s t a n c e , a s u m o f N58,270,748.00 was released as running cost for the half term 2010/2011, first term 2 0 1 1 / 2 0 1 2 t o p u b l i c secondary schools and the sum of N41,012,468.00 for 2 n d t e r m 2 0 1 1 / 2 0 1 2 academic session. This was in addition to payment of grants to all Government Science and Technical Colleges in the State.

Government has also succeeded in the underwriting of terminal examination and

education data base porter fees, including the production of identity Cards free of charge to students of public secondary schools.

In its avowed commitment towards ensuring sanity in all tertiary institutions which were hitherto characterized by low morale among the workers, lack of facilities, and inability to meet current and capital financial commitments and above-all proliferation of such tertiary institutions, visitation and fact-finding panels were constituted to recommend ways of regaining the lost glory of these schools with a view to improving their standard and for their graduate to stand shoulder high among their colleagues anywhere in the world.

For effective management and proper funding, the committee recommended the merger of the former Institute o f I n f o r m a t i o n a n d

Communication Technology (ICT) at Igbesa, Itori, Saapade and Ijebu-Igbo into one.

The ICT polytechnics are now known as Institute of Technology with Igbesa as its main campus, while those at Itori, Saapade and Ijebu-Igbo are now campuses of Igbesa.

I n l i n e w i t h i t s determination to ensure standard and qualitative education and make the former Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) Ijagun maintain its specialized status, proper funding and supervision, the University was made an Institute of Education under Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye.

H u m a n c a p a c i t y development was also given adequate attention under the present administration; the Ministr y of Educat ion, Science and Technology, in conjunction with National Teachers Institute (NTI), Kaduna t ra ined 10 ,000 Primary School teachers, while

workshops and symposia were organized for top education officers and management staff of the Ministry.

In addition to this, the Inspectorate division of the Ministry has also been re-invigorated for effective monitoring of teachers in all Public Secondary Schools in the state, while 45 Education Officers were employed under t h e S t a t e E m p l oy m e n t Generation Scheme.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in collaboration with Paradigm Initiative, an ICT consultant, organized a two-day workshop on knowledge and skills in the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for some selected teachers while some students were also trained on how to access the electronic version of Family Life HIV and AIDS Education (FLHE), thereby encouraging the students to engage and access information on Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) issues without interference from adults.

ICT Training for Secondary School TeachersA renovated Block of Classrooms in Ode Remo High School, Ode Remo

A renovated Block of Classrooms in Area Community Grammar School, Olokuta, Abeokuta

A renovated Block of Classrooms in Ijebu Southern District Grammar School, Ala

A Block of Classrooms renovated in Community High School, Igbala Sango, Ogun State

Educational System

20 | LEGISLATURE OGUN UPDATE | April 2012

From the Legislature

he two new nominees into the Ogun State Independent TElectora l Commiss ion

(OGSIEC) have been advised to discharge their duties with fairness and impartiality. The Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly Rt. Hon. Suraj Ishola Adekunbi gave the advice when the Committee of the whole House was screening the two nominees.

He advised them to do their best to be fair to all the registered political parties, saying all eyes would be on them.

Speaking after the screening, the nominees, Messrs Oyediran Aina and Kolawole Odesanya pledged that they would not succumb to pressure, blackmail, intimidation or inducement from any group or individual.

Assembly Confirms New OGSIEC MembersThey said they would be fair

to all the political parties, adding that integrity and impartiality would be their watchword.

Later at an emergency plenary, the appointment of the two nominees was confirmed following the adoption of the r e p o r t o f t h e s c r e e n i n g committee. Moving the motion for adoption of the report, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Peter Banjo, supported by Hon. Babatunde Edunjobi, stated that the committee was satisfied that they were suitable for the position. The Majority Leader, Hon. Israel Olutobi Jolaoso moved the motion for the confirmation of their appointment and was seconded by Hon. John Obafemi.

The members unanimously

With Kayode Bello

Speaker Empowers the Aged, Widows

anagement of the Ogun State Water Corporation Mhas been challenged to

intensify efforts in its revenue generation drive in order to justify governments' huge investments on regular water supply.

The Chairman, House of Assembly Committee on Energy, Water Resources and Rural Devel-opment, Hon. Olusegun Elemide gave the advice at a meeting of the Committee with the Management teams of the Ministry of Special Duties and Water Corporation.

Hon. Elemide noted that government was investing huge resources on water supply, stressing that more efforts should be made to ensure that some returns get into the coffers of government, and that workers of the Corporation should also be motivated and encouraged in order to enable them put in their best.

The lawmaker contended that

Water Corp. Advised To Generate More Funds

confirmed the appointment. M e a n w h i l e , G ove r n o r

Ibikunle Amosun has requested for another three months tenure extension for the 20 Local G o v e r n m e n t T r a n s i t i o n Committees in the State.

The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Suraj Ishola Adekunbi made this known while reading a letter written by

the Governor to the House requesting for the tenure extension.

The Governor also requested the Assembly to pass a bill to establish the Ogun State Technical and Vocational Education Board which has gone through first reading on the floor of the House.

In his remarks under personal exp l ana t ions, Hon . Ta iwo

Olakunle Oluomo, (Ifo I State Const i tuency) d irected a l l Transition Committee Chairmen to submit their record of achievements so far to justify their appointment.

He noted that members of the public had been asking questions about the activities of the Transition Committees.

The New OGSIEC Members taking their oath of office during their swearing-in at the Governor’s Office, Abeokuta

he people of Yewa North I State Constituency in TOgun State have cause to

be joyous and grateful to God for giving them a representative who is determined to provide them with a purposeful and responsive legislation in the person of Rt. Hon. Pr ince Sura j Ishola Adekunbi, MNSE. The source of

their joy and gratitude was the empowerment programme put together by the Speaker for widows, the aged, traders, artisans, farmers as well as students were beneficiaries. They were presented with sewing machines, dryers, cash, farm implements, grinding machines, professional cameras, deep freezers, electric clippers,

tool boxes among others, while secondary school students were given scholarship awards under the Prince Adekunbi Suraj (PAS) Foundation.

Speaking at the colourful ceremony witnessed by the State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, members of the Assem-bly of the State Executive Council, traditional rulers and a mammoth crowd, the Speaker said he would spare no effort in emancipating the people from the manacles of penury and squalor through various s u s t a i n a b l e e m p owe r m e n t initiatives.

“We will leave no one in doubt of our empathy and genuine intention to better the lot of our people by allowing our actions and impacts speak for us rather than making vain hypocritical utter-ances”, the Speaker declared.

Rt. Hon. Adekunbi, lauded Senator Ibikunle Amosun for e xe c u t i n g p e o p l e - o r i e n t e d programmes as embedded in his administration's five cardinal programmes, saying the people of Yewa North I State Constituency would continue to give him their full support and co-operation.

He paid glowing tribute to his fellow legislators for their wonder-ful co-operation, support and understanding in giving qualitative legislation to the people of the State.

motivation of the workers would increase the revenue profile of the Corporation and as well boost water supply through increased workers productivity.

In his remarks, another lawmaker, Hon. Olusola Sonuga representing Ikenne State Constit-uency called for wider and adequate distribution of water to all parts of the State to prevent diseases.

On his part, Hon. Dotun Fasanya, representing Abeokuta South I, State Constituency urged the Corporation to work out a template that could guarantee regular water supply like it used to be in the past.

Responding, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Special Duties, Engr. Lanre Bisiriyu expressed confidence that with the approval of a power plant for Arakanga Water Scheme, water supply to Abeokuta and its environs would be more regular.

Rt. Hon. Suraj Adekunbi, Speaker, OGHA in a chat with Hon. Jimoh Ojugbele, Chairman, House of Assembly Commission during a visit to the House

By Sakirudeen Bashiru

he Ogun State House of Assembly Service Com-Tmission (HASC) is soon to

evolve a scheme that will guide the

said this when he led other members of the Commission on a visit to the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Suraj Adekunbi and other members of the House in Abeokuta, assured them of the cooperation, support and collaboration of his team with the lawmakers in their task of making laws for the benefit of the people.

Ojugbele, a former member of the National Assembly said he would personally bring his wealth of experience to bear on the operations of the Commis-sion and expressed joy and confidence in the quality of men and women that the Commission was blessed with.

“We are gradually coming to terms with the challenges confronting a new commission like ours”, he said.

conduct and service of employ-ees of the state House of Assembly.

Chairman of the Commis-sion, Hon. Jimoh Ojugbele, who

Commission Plans Code of Conduct for Ogun Assembly StaffCommissioner II in the

Commission, Mrs. Olufemi Ilori-Oduntan in her remark, said the Commiss ion wou ld work tirelessly to change the situation on ground in conformity with modern trend.

Responding, the Speaker remarked that the leadership and members of the House were determined to give their best in making laws that could engender socio-economic and political advancement of the State under the present political dispensation.

A member of the House, Mr. Remmy Hazzan, representing Odogbolu State Constituency disclosed that the Commission is the first to be inaugurated following the 2003 enactment of the law establishing it as an independent body to look into welfare and activities of both the staffers and lawmakers.

OGUN UPDATE | April 2012 ACROSS THE STATE | 21

By Taoheed Lawal

s part of measures to reposition the Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation A

(OGBC) for better performance

OGBC To Have Another FM Channeland restore its enviable status as the nation's model station, the State Government has set machineries in motion to increase its transmission channels to three.

The station which currently transmits on AM and FM channels is expected to have an additional FM channel which will transmit its entire programmes in Yoruba

By Qudus Kafidipe language.The State Commissioner for

Information and Strategy, Alh. Yusuph Olaniyonu disclosed this during a courtesy call on him by the newly inaugurated Board members of the station led by its Chairman, Chief Jare Dada.

Alhaji Olaniyonu noted that much more was needed to be done to re-equip the radio station with state-of-the-art equipment for it to compete favorably among its peers nationwide. He added that the choice of Board members and Management who are notable professionals in broadcasting would ensure government's effort towards overhauling the station was successful.

He maintained that as one of the defining institutions in the history of the State, the ingenuity of Management and staff had kept the station afloat, stating that the Senator Ibikunle Amosun-led administration would at all times

give the station necessary logistic support.

“The present Government has increased the monthly subvention for the station from N3.5m to N8m naira as part of measures to rejuvenate the station and efforts have also been intensified for improved outreach to the grassroots as it remains a vital tool for mobilization”, he stated

The Commissioner enjoined members of the new board to continuously endeavour to come up w i th n ew a d v i c e a n d innovations towards bringing the radio station back to its place of pride, adding that all moribund out-stations would be revitalized.

Responding, Chief Dada who was a pioneer staff of the station said a lot of decay had occurred due to the total neglect by successive administrations in the State, adding that returning the station to its days of glory remained a task which the Board which must tackle headlong.

“Fish Farms To Provide Support For Loan Beneficiaries”

ish farms in the three Senatorial Districts of the S t a t e u n d e r g o i n g F

rehabilitation would provide support for the beneficiaries of the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme (CACS) loan.

This will be done through the production of fish fingerlings and establishment of fish farm inputs outlet for easy access by fish farmers across the State.

The State Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr. Ayo Olubori disclosed during an inspection of the rehabilitation work on one of the fish farms at Ilaro in Ogun West Senatorial district.

The project, according to him, was also expected to increase fish production which would reduce the wide gap between the demand for and supply of fish, thereby

has settled all the backlog of debts owe d t h e Powe r H o l d i n g Corporation of Nigeria (PHCN) by the immediate past administration.

She submitted that with this development, the challenges of irregular water supply would soon be a thing of the past.

On his part, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Water Resources, Engineer Kunle Otun stated that he had visited 56 out of the 71 water schemes in the State as part of measures to find lasting solutions to the problems of water shortage.

gun State Government has given approval for the establishment of a new O

mini power plant for the use of Arakanga Water scheme to enhance its operations and ensure regular water supply to residents of the State.

The State Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Lanre Tejuoso who made this disclosure while addressing members of the House of Assembly, added that the step was part of government's effort to address shortage of water supply.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Engineer Olanrewaju Bisiriyu, Dr. Tejuoso explained that irregular power supply to the Arakanga water scheme which was expected to feed the Ibara water booster station was responsible for the water shor tage recent ly experienced in Abeokuta.

Speaking in the same vein, the acting General Manager of the State Water Corporation, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Agboola disclosed that the State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun

OGSG Takes Bolds Step To Address Water Shortage

he Chairman, Ogun State Teaching Service Commission TMs Olubukunola Onabanjo has

reiterated the State government's continued commitment to teachers welfare and provision of an atmosphere that is condusive for teaching and learning in all its public secondary schools across the State.

Ms. Onabanjo made this position of government known in Abeokuta at the launch of a book titled “Master Key to Excellent Secondary School Administra-tion with 100% Examination Success” published by the Commission.

She noted that in this regard, government had already awarded the contract for the construction of model classrooms and office apartments for teachers across the 20 Local Govern-ments adding that contractors had moved to site to commence work.

While thanking Governor Amosun for his love and untiring efforts to provide an affordable and qualitative free

Chief Jare Dada, Chairman, Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation Board (standing left) making a comment during a courtesy call oAlhaji Yusuph Olaniyonu, Commissioner for Information & Strategy in his office. With them is the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Abdul-Fatai Opebiyi (5th right) and Directors in the Ministry.

Xtian Welfare Board Takes Campaign To Ifo, Ewekoro LGs

reducing its importation and providing a cheap protein source for the populace.

“I have expressed my displeasure at the money spent annually on the importation of frozen fish into the country. Nigeria has the capacity to produce fish to meet the demands of her citizens as well as for exportation. I strongly believe that if all States give more a t t e n t i o n t o a q u a c u l t u r e , importation of frozen fish into the country will be a thing of past”, Olubori remarked

Engr. Olubori who disclosed that the projects upon completion was expected to produce 29 tonnes of table size fish such as clarias, tilapia and heterotis and 500,000 clarias fish seeds annually, added that the rehabilitation work was going on simultaneously in Government Fish Farms at Ikenne and Odeda in Ogun East and Central Senatoria l Distr icts respectively.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Ayodele Koleade explained that the f a r m s w e r e t o s e r v e a s demonstration farms and training centres for intending fish farmers in the State.

H e i d e n t i f i e d o t h e r interventions of government through the rehabilitation exercise to include the rehabilitation of reservoirs and ponds to allow for all-year fish culturing, establishment of brood stock bank, purchase and installation of fish feed pelleting machines and modern smoking kilns.

In his contribution, the Director of Fisheries in the Ministry, Mr. Kunle Ajayi expressed the hope that the resuscitation of the farm will further encourage private sector participation in fish farming

democracy.Responding, Mr. Ekun thanked

the Chairman and members for their v i s i t and assured tha t h i s government would look into their request.

he Chairman of the Ogun State Christian Pilgrims TWelfare Board, Bishop

O l u d o t u n O g u n s e y e h a s underscored the need for Christians to embark on holy pilgrimage as it is essential for their spiritual growth and rebirth.

Bishop Ogunseye made the call during his visit to Ifo and Ewekoro Local Government Council Areas in continuation of the Board's sensitization tour to the 20 Local Governments in the State.

He noted that the Board was set to ensure a hitch- free 2012 holy pilgrimage and implored the chairmen to join hands with it to create massive awareness about the holy pilgrimage to Jerusalem in Israel.

He enjoined the Chairman, Transition Committee of Ifo Local Government, Mr. Adebayo Ekun to sponsor indigenes of the council area to this year holy pilgrimage, saying it was a veritable means of spreading the dividends of

Teachers Assured Of Continued Welfare Package

By Seun Alalade

By Isaac Oseni

By Deborah Odulate

Dr. Lanre TejuosoCommissioner for Special Duties

He lamented that out of the 56 schemes visited, only three were found to be working perfectly, noting that funds budgeted for water supply in the past must have been diverted.

Earlier in his remarks, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Suraj Adekunbi Ishola stated that the House summoned the officials to give explanations over the recent water shortage experienced in the State.

He urged them to ensure that water supply to all parts of the State was regular for the benefit of the masses.

education in the State which is recording a huge success, the Commission's boss enjoined staffers to do their utmost best for the Commission to record more successes.

Reviewing the book, Prof. Olatunji Odedeyi described it as a reference material that is lucidly presented to proffer lasting solutions to various challenges facing the education sector, particularly at the secondary level.

He advised stakeholders to read and digest the content of the book in order to aid genuine love a paradigm shift in the handling of secondary education and maximize the inherent values in the present day secondary school curriculum to raise the bar of Higher Education Potentials (HEP) in the State.

In his address, the author and retiring Principal-General, Egba zone, Chief Dola Jibowo dedicated the book to the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo for laying a solid foundation for academic excellence.

he public Service is guided in its operations by Rules (formerly known as General TOrders (G.O.), Regulations or Financial

Instructions (F.l.) and Circulars. In Ogun State, the Civil Service Regulations is the governing document.

At the management level of the Civil Service, there has been the urge to entrench professionalism and provide rules and regulations that will make for efficiency and relevance in the Service. This dates back to the colonial times and has taken place through reviews of job descriptions, grading and remuneration often initiated by successive governments.

In the history of Nigeria, the major review exercises started with the Hunt Commission in 1934. There was the Gorsuch Commission in 1951 which delved into the structure and remuneration of the Public Service with specific reference to the changes arising from the changes in the Nigerian Constitution. There was one in 1966 which was later followed by the well known Public Service Review Commission (otherwise known as Udoji Report) of 1974, the ripple effect of which is still being felt today though others have since taken place. There was the Phillips Reports of 1985 and the Presidential Task Force (Koshoni report) on the Report in 1988.

As hinted above, the Udoji Commission Report is believed to have been the most comprehensive of the exercises. While most others were mainly concerned with salaries and wages, the Udoji Commission in addition, dealt with other areas such as organization and structure of the Civil Service, new Management techniques (e.g. MBO-- Management By Objectives and new budgeting processes) and attitudinal change. Government however laid more emphasis on the salary review whiIe either implementing partially, other aspects of the report or neglecting them completely.

In 1994 came the Ayida Panel Report which we know nowadays as the Civil Service Reforms. At the time it came up, the Civil Service was believed to have been politicized. rudderless and very weak. The Service then was characterized by: (a) heavy politicalization especially at the top (b) scant regard for accountability (c) virtual breakdown of discipline (d) frustration and very low morale of Civil

Servants as a result of very low wages, lack of working tools and job insecurity

(e) proliferation of parastatals resulting in conflict of roles, duplication of functions and waste of material and human resources (e.g. before 1985 the number of Federal parastatals was 153 and has risen to 252 by 1992.)

(f) bloating of the Service through the imposition of uniform structures of ministries

(g) little or no regard for the Regulations, Rules and procedures resulting in general loss of direction and arbitrary decisions

(h) continuous decrease in the level of effectiveness and efficiency in the Public Service.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION With the Public Service at its low ebb as

described above, there was the need for a drastic change if it was not to go into oblivion. With the changes proposed through the various reforms, there was the need for periodic review of the actions of all the players. The idea of performance evaluation/appraisal has been widely studied by scholars. Though the potentials have been largely untapped, its efficacy in improving individual and organizational performance is well acclaimed.

Performance Evaluation can be defined as a constructive process to acknowledge the performance of a non-probationary career employee. It also refers to a regular or periodic assessment by a superior or group of assessors of how an individual or corporate body has carried out a set of activities or a task within the period under review. Peter Drucker (1977) describes job measurement as one of the major duties of a manager.

Performance Evaluation is a constructive process to acknowledge the performance of a non-probationary career employee. An employee's evaluation shall be sufficiently specific to inform and guide the employee in the performance of his duties. Performance evaluation is not in and of itself a disciplinary procedure.

Performance appraisal is the term used for a variety of techniques by which superiors, peers, subordinates and the individual employees themselves rate, rank, or describe the employee's work effectiveness. Performance Appraisal is also known by other names such as Employee Appraisal. Employee Evaluation. Employee's Performance Rating Progress Evaluation Performance Review and Merit Rating.

Killer ( 1977) defined performance appraisal as planned evaluation of an employee's job performance. The definition emphasized the formalized nature of the process. Employers at all levels. Management and non-management alike are appraised continuously.

OBJECTIVES OF PERFORMANCE EVALUATION

There appears to be no universal agreement on the precise objective of performance evaluation because specific appraisal goals differ from one

organization to the other. One thing that is certain is that the overriding purpose of any performance evaluation system is to improve the overall effectiveness of the organization. However, the main reasons for conducting employees appraisals are as follows: (a) To evaluate an employee's worth to the

organization (b) To provide the basis for salary increase,

promotion, demotion and transfer. (c) To point out any employee's specific needs

for additional education, training and development which will lead to his improved performance and the overall organizational performance.

(d) To help in making employee's career decision (e) To present an excellent opportunity for both

parties, the employee's supervisor and the employee's themselves, to express their opinion on job performance.

(f) To be able to tell employees how well they are performing. A good performance evaluation system provides evaluation system provides employees with the desired feedback and help guide their improvement growth and development.

(g) To help validate employee selection techniques through dayto-day and periodic monitoring which helps to ensure that each worker is fit for the job.

(h) To acknowledge high performance and motivate high performers.

(i) To enable workers know their superiors' view of their performance.

(j) To provide appraisal report which will serve as the basis for job re-designing.

Once the work has been performed, this is then periodically evaluated, based on the prevailing established standards. Thus, Performance appraisal has taken place. The employee evaluation discussion serves to establish the job requirement in the worker's mind. This is appraisal interview. This has also embedded the principle of “Fair Hearing” as provided in Section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999. Performance Evaluation is a dynamic and on-going process and the discussion of the result helps in re-establishing job performance standard.

MERIT OF THE APER If promptly and effectively implemented,

the APER is a well designed systematic approach to appropriately-selected objectives and provides benefits that contribute to more effective job performance with the result that you have improved staff development, more effective s e n i o r / s u b o r d i n a t e s / m a n a g e m e n t accountability and better motivated staff. Other benefits include update on job description and other management information and more effective use of training and development resources.

The report also defines attitudinal performances which refer to essential behavioural characteristics expected of workers. In this area, it is stated that a performance that is accompanied by undesirable behaviour and attitudes cannot be considered as satisfactory performance, for instance, a superior who achieves creditable performance. The reason is that his achievement will be transitory as human beings react to bad supervision in the long run. In the same vein, a subordinate's actual output may compare favourably with his target but if he frequently breaks down under stress or is a perpetual late comer or frequently absents himself from work or had poor relations with the public (who invariably are his master and are always right) or other staff, he cannot be regarded as having performed creditably.

Therefore, a creditable performance has to consider many indices and not isolated cases. The APER with its target setting open reporting system emphasizes concrete and measurable performance system with appropriate rewards and sanctions based on a suitable rating. As a result of the recommended targets set for all public servants, actual performance could be assessed and will be measurable. This will remove subjectivity from the assessment of performance.

A very significant advantage of the APER is that it affords the reportee the opportunity of reading the assessment on him while also affording him the opportunity of defending himself if need be in Part IV of the form.

CRITICISMS OF THE APER After the Udoji report, emphasis was

greater on performance rather than on seniority. However the assessment of performance as a criterion for promotion was subjected to several behavioural and personality traits as well as deficiencies on the part of the reporting officers with the consequence that actual performance could hardly be ascertained or verified. It is believed that many of the performance evaluation methods lack objectivity. Reasons adduced include: (a) To emphasize objectivity, employee evaluation must reflect job related factors more than personal characteristics (b)Many assessors may have biased feelings against certain employees while others may display partiality towards a member either for tribal, ethnic, religion, sex or age group. (c) Many managers have been accused of "high handedness" with their employees. In this case, the assessor virtually takes undue advantage of the appraisal to victimize his "'enemies". This prejudicial approach to appraisal usually arouses hostility, tension, suspicion and loss of faith in the evaluation process (d)The common practice of using standardized forms throughout the Service ignores the fact that there are various job requirements and job characteristics that cannot be adequately catered for by the same appraisal format. (e) There is misconception that managers and others charged with the conduct of performance evaluation have already mastered the skills required in the process. This can be misleading as many evaluators have been found to lack skill, training, experience and ability to handle performance appraisal procedures and techniques effectively. (f) Experience has shown that many employees have not been provided with the necessary wherewithal, the enabling resources in form of materials; tools, equipment, money, labour etc for effective job performance. There can thus be no realistic appraisal of such works. (g) Most workers complete their APER forms only when promotions are about to take place or even during the promotion process. As a result, forms are completed in arrears and in a hurry.

Other pitfalls identified in Performance Evaluation include: i. The isolated Incident: A rating should not be based on a few isolated performance incidents. When this is done, the rating is unfairly influenced by non-typical instances of favourable or unfavourable circumstances. ii. The "Halo" Effect: occurs when one factor

influences rating on all factors. Examples:

an employee's work is of good quality therefore, other ratings (such as those on promptness of work quantity) are higher than normal. Another employee is frequently absent, with the result that the ratings on other factors are usually low.

iii. The "Cluster" Tendency: The tendency to consider everyone in the group as above average, average, or below average. Some raters are considered “tough" because they normally cluster their subordinates at a low level. Others are too lenient. "Clustering" overall rating usually indicates that the rater has not sufficiently discriminated between high and low levels of performance.

iv. Rating the job and not the Individual: Individuals in higher rated jobs are often considered superior performers to those in lower-rated jobs. This normally means that confusion exists between the performance appraisal and how the job has been evaluated.

v. Length of Service Bias: There is a tendency to allow the period of an individual's employment to influence the rating. Normally, performance level should be higher as an individual gains training and experience, but this is not always the case.

vi. Personality Conflicts: Avoid judgments made purely on basis of personality traits effective and efficient employees do not necessarily agree with everything a supervisor believes in or states. Apart from issues directly related to the APER, other factors that work against the APER include:

vii. In recent times, reportees have been able to unduly influence their reports to the extent that almost every staff is graded "A".

WAY FORWARD Suggestions have been put forward on how to assist in the performance evaluation. These include:A. Consider the entire appraisal period. Try to

enumerate high and low points in performance, then assign a rating that typifies the individual's normal performance. Do not attempt to assign a rating to a performance indicator and then create justification to support it. Be able to explain the reason for each rating.

B. Rate each indicator independently. When e va l u a t i n g m o r e t h a n o n e p e r s o n simultaneously, it may be helpful to rate all employee's performances on one indicator rather than one employee's performance on all factors. Use the summary evaluation to give substance to individual factors.

C. In a group of people in similar jobs, performance is likely to be spread over most performance categories. Review your own records as a rater. Check the tendency to be "too tough" or “too lenient” in your appraisal.

D. Consider how an individual is performing in relation to what is expected. Rate the person's performance, not importance of job.

E. Recognize that some people may never get top ratings, regardless of length of service. Watch closely the performance of newcomers and be ready to recognize superior performance if it is achieved.

To top it all, it is incumbent upon each employee, regardless of level or category, to perform in an exemplary manner reflecting those principles upon which the organization was founded. Used constructively, Performance Evaluation Report can prove to be a valuable tool regarding individual career advancement, and result to increase in productivity throughout all areas of the Public Service.

CONCLUSION From the foregoing, the shortcomings of the

APER forms which are essentially man-made appear to outweigh the pros in the system. Again, one is yet to see an officer whose appointment has been solely determined by the gradings in the APER form.

The options available if we are to discontinue the application of the APER form are either to abolish its use entirely or revert to the confidential reporting system which has been found to be very subjective. That will be a retrogressive step as it will mean a reversal to the era of victimization and “bad belle”. In the absence of the APER form or any other form of reporting system, some school of thought will want to believe that there are adequate rules and regulations to deal with any errant officer. One also wonder what has happened to the forms completed years back though with computerization the junkyard may become a thing of the past.

As highlighted earlier, the APER is not meant to be a tool for victimization or punishment. Performance evaluation is a necessary and beneficial process, which provides annual feedback to staff members about job effectiveness and career guidance. The performance review is intended to be a fair and balanced assessment of an employee's performance. The pitfalls highlighted above are essentially man made and can be surpassed if all hands are on deck for a successful implementation of the APER system. I believe we need a system that will constantly keep us on our toes and the best available option right now is the APER form. Until a better method is found to assess performance, the APER form will continue to be very relevant in the Public Service.

Being a paper delivered at an In-House Training of the Civil Service by Mrs. Modupe Adekunle, Head of Service

been fashioned after the thinking of the colonial masters. Apart from being too judgemental, the true reports were not being rendered. Favouritism was the order of the day while the career of some officers was ruined. The form concentrated on assessing. general conduct and personality traits or job holders rather than actual performance on the job.

The APER form currently in use came into operation in 1999 at the Federal level and was adopted for use in Ogun State in 2001. The objectives of the APER are: (a) Assessment of past performance of employee (b) setting or revising performance targets and

standards (c) Identifying and assessing performance

training and development needs (d) Identifying and assessing future potentials and

promotabiIity (e) Providing an incentive for higher productivity (f) Linking salary realistically with performance (g) Identifying factors restricting employees'

progress and cases of inefficient services. (h) provision of concrete feedback to employers

on what management expects of them (i) Inducing counseling whereby the employers

apart from assessing the value of human resources, try to help individuals to fulfill themselves in their work.

Performance appraisal usually involves:(a) traits-oriented approach: the assessment of

personal qualities such as appearance, Ieadership skills, cooperativeness, honesty dependability, punctuality and so on; and

(b) result-oriented approach: the assessment of the result or outcomes achieved by the job holder in the performance of his assigned

jobs/duties. Examples can he derived from figures of wastage rate, complaints received and cost of production.

THE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION PROCESS

Identification of the broad based goals of performance evaluation established the starting point for the performance evaluation process.

Setting the objectives of performance evaluation is the first stage. Job description is used as the standard organization with which to measure performance. The employee must be informed of what is expected of him. That is, job expectation. Other objectives of the interview will include recognizing areas of strength and opportunities, increase subordinate ' s mot ivat ion and commitment and improve manager/subordinate relationship.

Both parties must agree and care must be taken to ensure that targets set are not too high to be achieved or too low because the employee must find challenge and a sense of fulfillment on the job.

The supervisor and the worker must both review the major duties contained in the job description to ensure clarity of work the employee has performed, hence, examination of work performed. Praise should be given where deserved whi le cr i t i c i sms should be caut ious ly communicated. There must be periodic meetings between the superior and the subordinates to discuss how the targets are being met. T h i s is where the supportive role of the superior is important because any constraint identified by the subordinate must be dealt with by the superior officer. There are no sessions for criticisms or the apportionment of blame or defensive postures.

By Modupe AdekunleBy Modupe Adekunle

Relevance Of Annual Performance Evaluation Report Form In The Public Service

Mrs. Modupe AdekunleHead of Service, Ogun State

(k) To provide the employee with the data that could be used for staff deployment to serve in higher capacity

(l) To improve communication line between the superiors and their subordinates in work environment. As a rule, the lower one is all the management

structure the more the employees that will be reporting to the person. Therefore, a middle level manager will probably have a good number of employees to evaluate.

Employees should receive regular indication from their superiors on how they are doing. That is to say, there should be no surprise at annual review time. The performance evaluation should be a summary of what the superior and the employee have been talking about all the year long.

ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION FORM

There are probably a dozen methods of evaluating employee performance especially in the private sector. However, in the Public Service we use the APER form as a way of appraising and keeping the workforce on its toes.

Prior to the use of the APER, there was the open Reporting System (ORS) which was later discovered to have some flaws. The Confidential Reporting System (CRS) preceeded the Open Reporting System and was abandoned due to the fact that the officer on whom the report was being rendered (reported) only saw the form when he completed his own portion of it and was never aware of what the reporter wrote about him, the reporter only became aware or his assessment when it was adverse. The CRS was considered as being too obsolete by the Udoji Panel and “as believed to have

OGUN UPDATE | April 201222 | FOR THE RECORD

Ending The Death Trap Saga: “The Workplace Stress” [1]

tress in the workplace is a costly, fast-spreading disease, while its physical Seffects are often made clear the economic

consequences are also alarming. Work place stress can cost an organization so much in absenteeism, lower productivity, high staff turnover, workers' compensation, medical bills and other stress-related expenses. In light of this, Stress management is fast becoming many businesses' most important challenge in recent time.

Robert Oysterman (1999), Professor of Psychology at FDU's Teaneck-Hackensack Campus postulated that: “No one reaches peak performance without being stressed. The natural pattern of human behavior is to experience a stress-causing event of situation, react to it with increased tension and then return to a normal, relaxed state. The problem occurs when stress is so overwhelming or constant that this pattern is broken.”

Stress is normal often unavoidable.” Some of us are prone to stress due to the nature of our job and the kind of personality we are. TRACING THE ROOTS OF STRESS

Oysterman (1999) found out that the level of occupational stress is determined by three dimensions life situations, work and self. He posited that sources of stress vary tremendously, for factory workers; stress often is related directly to the work situation, such as dealing with dangerous heavy equipment or working in an uncomfortable environment. In contrast, office workers are more likely to experience stress related to interpersonal relationships on the job i.e. People pressure such as unclear supervision, tension among team members and fear or aversion of conflict can cause stress. Occupational stress is not related only to what goes on at work; conflicts between the demands of the workplace and of home life are increasingly common.

Internationally, it has been observed that there is less stress in developing countries than in developed countries. This may be due to increased consumerism and the growing influence of advertisers who try to convince the consuming public that a want is a need.

The sense of values also is different in many of the developing countries. In developed nations, there often is an emphasis on what is possessed or how much money is earned. In many developing countries the value of family and nation is much stronger. This strong value system provides support for people in those cultures and may enable them to deal with greater amounts of stress.

Joel Harmon (2008) said the greatest reported cause of stress is workload.

“Employee work more today than they did 25 year ago, although staff are getting downsized but the work remains, so workloads are getting upsized.”

Changes in office procedures, technology in automation and with the information age, things move at a faster pace than ever before, some professionals are especially prone to stress resulting from changing technology. For example, Airline Pilots fly more complicated planes, carrying more people under more pressing time demands and with much more airport traffic than ever before.THE HEAVY PRICE

The physical effects of excessive stress have long been recognized from heart attacks and strokes to ulcers and other gastrointestinal disorders. Continual stress also takes a toll on the body's immune system, causing frequent colds and other illnesses.

Psychologically, stress can lead to depression, anxiety and even panic attacks. Specifically, the stress produced by aggression in the workplace has been associated with physical and psychological distress, resulting in decreased productivity, commitment and loyalty (Harmon, 2004). Also, victims of our witnesses to violence in the workplace may suffer from a range of trauma-related illness, including post-traumatic stress disorder.

Sixty per cent of lost workdays each year can be attributed to stress. In addition, an estimated 75 to 90 per cent of visits to health care providers are due to stress-related conditions, costing employers in increased healthcare costs.

Stress also have a direct effect on the way

Stress could be defined to be mental, emotional, or physical strain caused e.g. by anxiety or overwork. It may cause such symptoms as high blood pressure or depression, while stress management is a means of dealing with stress; physical and psychological techniques designed to enable people to cope with strain and anxiety.

people handle their jobs. Employees under stress can make more mistakes, have trouble concentrating, get disorganized, and become angry or stop caring about their work.

FIRST RECOGNIZE STRESS! SYMPTOMS

Warning signs of excessive stress at work are as noticed when staff feel overwhelmed; they lose confidence and become irritable or withdrawn, making them less productive and effective and their work less rewarding. Warning signs of work stress when unattended to can lead to complicated problems. Beyond interfering with job performance and satisfaction, chronic stress can lead to physical and emotional problems.

S I G N S A N D S Y M P TO M S O F EXCESSIVE WORKPLACE STRESS

Feeling anxious, irritable or depressed, apathy, loss of interest in work, fatigue, trouble concentrating, Muscle tension or

headaches, Stomach problems, loss of sex drive, engaging in alcoholism.COMMON CAUSES OF EXCESSIVE WORKPLACE STRESS

Fear of layoffs, increased demands for overtime due to staff cutbacks, pressure to perform to meet rising expectations but with no increase in job satisfaction, pressure to work at optimum level.

STRATEGIES/APPROACHES TO BE USED IN DEALING WITH STRESS

In this difficult economy, you may find it harder than ever to cope with challenges on the job. Both the stress we take with us when we go to work and the stress that awaits us on the job are on the rise and employers, managers and workers all feel the added pressure. While some stress is a normal part of life, excessive stress interferes with staff's productivity and reduces one's physical and emotional health. So it's important to find ways to keep it under control. Fortunately, there is a lot that can be done to manage and reduce stress at work. This is grouped under two categories: what the employee should do and what the employer/manager should also do.

EMPLOYEE'S CAN DEAL WITH

y name is Babatunde, a third child from a family of six, Mthree boys and three girls.

Our parents reside in Lagos and we are Christians, well-nurtured in the deeper way of the Lord. Our parents gave us sound and meaningful education because they believe that education is the only thing they can offer that will sustain and count us among the best in the society.

I am presently in one of the leading Universities in the Country, studying Mass-Communication, I am 20 years old.

It all started when I was in 400 Level while preparing for my second semester examination. I lost my dad to a protracted illness which took away lots of money from the family and this also affected my siblings' education because they had to stop schooling and at the end of the day, dad eventually died and left us with nothing.

After the incident, things has been going very rough and tough in the family (when I say rough, truly it was rough) and this made my father's family turn their back against us, since then, life has been rough.

I went back to school after the burial, which is the beginning of another session and as you know we have to pay for the new session. On getting to school, there was no enough money on me, no provision or food stuffs, even to pay for my house rent was a big problem.

One day, I was on my way to a friend's house when I met some guys, they approached me and I heard one of them said, 'Guy we are warning you on this campus, you better do what we want by joining our group or we get rid of you” (They were cultists). I stopped and pretended as if I didn't hear what they were saying. The next thing was a big slap on my face and before I could say a word, they started beating me to a pulp. I was left on the floor wounded. I managed to stand and returned home.

After some weeks and much threat, I made up my mind, picked my things and went back home. On getting home, I explained the whole incident to my mother as that was not the first neither the second occurrence of such threat. My mother and siblings started crying because we were confused and don't know what to do.

I'm so scared of going back to that school because I don't want to join any secret cult and the threat is just too much for me. Now, do I leave the school when I'm already in my final years and I

don't even have money to process admiss ion into another h igher institution?

Please advise me.--------

Readers, send your advice on Babatunde's case to or text 07069493826.

Re: How I Wish I Didn’t StartOn behalf of Folake, I am using this

medium to extend our gratitude and appreciation to all those who sent in their words of encouragement and advice to her. Thank you very much and God bless. Below are some of the messages received:

ANONYMOUS - Hi, Folake that was your first experience in life. The fact is we (men and women) are deceivers when it comes to love affair. You were a victim of the other side and so what? It's not the end of life. It happens vice-versa. Pick the remnant of your life together and move forward. Age is no barrier in love. Be determined to be successful in your next relationship. With prayer, you will laugh last.

ANONYMOUS - Heart strings, my advice for Folake is to take heart, a broken relationship is better than marriage. I want her to know that God doesn't forget anybody but He has a plan for everybody's life, just hold onto your faith and pray for something far better than him. I belief God will surprise you and give you a partner that will make you happy.

BUNMI - Folake I read about your life story, you don't need to die because of one man. Felix will surely suffer for it, he is not your husband, just be closer to God. Broken courtship is better than marriage, be prayerful God will surely provide you your own husband. It is well with you in Jesus name.

AKINOLA - Greetings Omobola, I read your column in Ogun Update. Folake should forget the past and start on a clean note. ANONYMOUS - Hi Fola, 4get about age or no age, marriage is more than that. If truly he's your man he will not have done that, pray and fast to seek for God's favor in choosing your Mr. Right.

ANONYMOUS - U don't need to take the issue serious as such, what of if something bad happen after you fainted, the guy will go ahead to marry the other lady. Just compose yourself, God will provide your own. That it men for you, take it easy and be prayerful.

ANONYMOUS - My advice to you is that since you love Felix, why not try and get pregnant for him before Ronke. Good day.

oguninfo@yahoo.com

ANONYMOUS

BUNMI

AKINOLA

ANONYMOUS

ANONYMOUS

ANONYMOUS

WORK STRESS THROUGH THE FOLLOWING:Reduce job stress by taking care of yourself: - When stress on the job is interfering with your ability to work, care for yourself, or manage your personal life. It's time to take action. Start by paying attention to your physical and emotional health. When your own needs are taken care of, you're stronger and more durable to stress. The better you feel, the better equipped you will be to manage work stress without becoming overwhelmed.Taking care of oneself does not require a total lifestyle overhaul. Even small things can lift your mood, increase your energy and make you feel like you are back in the driver's seat. Take things one step at a time and as you make more positive lifestyle choices, you will soon notice a visible difference in your stress level both at home and at work.Getting enough sleep: - Stress and worry can cause insomnia. But lack of sleep also leaves you vulnerable to stress. When you are sleep-deprived, your ability to handle stress is compromised. When you are well-

rested, it is much easier to keep your emotions balanced, a key factor in coping with job and workplace stress. Get enough exercises: - Aerobic exerc ise perspiring is an effective anti-anxiety treatment lifting mood, increasing energ y, sharpening focus and relaxing mind and body. For maximum stress relief, try to get at least 30 minutes of “hear t pounding” activity on most days and activity can be broken up into two or three short segments.Get a balanced diet: -

Eating small but frequent meals throughout the day maintains an even level of blood sugar in your body. Low blood sugar makes you feel anxious and irritable. On the other hand, eating too much can make you sluggish.Drink little of alcohol and nicotine (if you must): - Alcohol temporarily reduces anxiety and worry, but too much can cause anxiety as soon as it wears off. Drinking to relieve job stress can also start you on a path to alcohol abuse and dependence. Similarly, smoking when you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed may seem calming, but nicotine is a powerful stimulant leading to higher, not lower levels of anxiety.Prioritize and organize to reduce job stress: - When job and workplace stress surrounds you, you cannot ignore it, but rather there are simple steps you can take to regain control over you and the situation. Your growing sense of self- control will also be perceived by others as the strength it is, leading to better relationships at work. Here are some suggestions for reducing job stress by prioritizing and organizing your responsibilities.

- to be continued in next edition -

By Osituyo Oladapo Which Way Out?

RIDDLES

1. The person who buys it doesn't need itThe person who makes it doesn't want itThe person who uses it doesn't know it

2. What is greater than God. More evil than the devilThe poor have it. The rich don'tAnd if you eat it you'll die?

3. No legs have I to danceNo lungs have I to breatheNo life have I to live or dieAnd yet I do all threeWhat am I?

4. What jumps when it walks and sits when it stands?

LeisureANSWER: 1. Coffin 2. Nothing 3. Fire 4. Kangaroo

With OmobolaWith Omobola

LEISURE | 23OGUN UPDATE | March 2012

CROSS WORD PUZZLEKeywords of Government

Agencies/Ministries

AgricultureJustice

InformationStrategyHousing

EnvironmentSpecial Duties

ForestryCommerceIndustries

Budget PlanningWorks

InfrastructureWomen Affairs

ChieftaincyTourism

EducationSports

CommunityFinanceHealth

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U D O E I N F R A S T R U C T U R E U U

D N W O R K S T B G N A M T G D U B B O

E I U J S P E C I A L D U T I E S U B H

OGUN UPDATE | March 2012

Sports

T SN AU TG EO

AI N

REI G

he UEFA Champions League was formerly known as the TEuropean Cup. The competi-

tion got underway in 1956 with many

Who Lifts 2012 Champions League Trophy?

European Countries represented. Although it was not as popular as it is now. Its introduction brought a lot of interest from many European Clubs

GATEWAY FC SIGNS 9 NEW PLAYERSGateway United Football Club of

Ogun State have signed nine new players to bolster their campaign in this year's national division one league.

Club's Media Officer, Biodun Alabi says two of the mid-season recruits are from 3SC of Ibadan.

They are returnee Seun Afolabi and Akeem Adebisi.

The rest are Osuota Daniel from Crown FC of Ogbomoso, Olakunle Oluwole and Wahab Aruna from Ajiroba Ooni of Ife, while Abiola Moshood, Yusuff Ibrahim, Disu Raheem and Christian Ibeh are unattached.

All the players according to Alabi have been registered.

Gateway FC who are pushing for promotion to the elite Premier League will play their next league match against Ajiroba Ooni of Ife this weekend in Ado-Ekiti.

MUAMBA DISCHARGEDBolton midfielder, Fabrice

Muamba has been discharged from

BITS & PIECEShospital less than a month after suffering a heart attack during a match.

The 24-year old former U-21 England International has undergone a remarkable recovery since his collapse during Bolton's FA Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur last month when his heart stopped for more than an hour.

After his release, Muamba thanked all for their support. He will continue his rehabilitation at home.

INTERNATIONAL CRICKETPakistan says they are ready for

international cricket to return to their country after a three year absence.

Bangladesh confirmed that they would tour for a short limited overs-series at the end of this month, the first time a full member of the ICC has toured Pakistan since March 2009 when terrorists attacked the Sri-Lankan bus in Lahore.

The reams will play two matches, an ODI and a T20, both at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore and the Pakistan Cricket Board's Interna-tional Operations Director, Intikhab Alam said it was a welcome return

BLACK STARS GETS NEW COACHThe Black Stars of Ghana now

have a new coach. He is Kwesi Appiah, a former assistant to Goran Stevanovic.

Appiah was unveiled after reaching an agreement with the executive committee of the Ghana Football Association in Accra where

his terms of contract were negoti-ated.

It is being rumoured that the ex-Black Stars Captain has agreed a two-year deal on a 15,000 euro monthly salary which is half the amount paid to his former boss.

Ghana settled for Appiah after three weeks of headhunting process.

His first assignment will be against Lesotho on the 3rd of June in a 2012 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

OGUN BEGINS CAMPING Ogun State athletes for the 18th

National Sports Festival, Eko 2012 will begin intensive and close-camping in June.

The State Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr. Olugbenga Otenuga “Bob Gee” stated this during a meeting of Team Ogun - a committee charged with the responsibility of preparing the athletes for the festival.

Mr. Otenuga said the decision of moving the athletes into close-camping was taken not only to prepare but expose the athletes to other national competitions so that they can do the State proud at the festival.

The Commissioner who said Ogun State is determined to confirm its leading position in Nigeria sports thanked the State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun for his continued support to sports development and promotion in the state adding that the Governor has confirmed that he is really a lover of sports and youths.

Published by: Ogun State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta. Tel: 08106505683Letters and Contributions: The Editor, P.M.B. 2034, Abeokuta or E-mail: oguninfo@yahoo.com, oguninfo@gmail.com Editor: Kayode Bello

Stories by Rotimi Oduniyi

SAMUEL ETO'OFour time African Football of

the year, Samuel Eto'o says his move to the Russia side, Anzhi Makachkala was not because of money but to show African youths that big dreams pay-off in life.

He said he was already rich while heading to Russia but took the decision as part of his adventure in that part of the world and to show that an African player can also be the highest paid player in the world.

Eto currently earns 20 million pound per annum.

He however said he will end his career with Real Mallorca in Spain where it all began.

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Eto’oEto’o

Chelsea’s Fernando Torres dribbles Barcelona’s Keeper, Valdes to slot home the goal that sends his club into the Champions League Final

Chelsea Or Bayern Munich?Chelsea Or Bayern Munich?especially those from Western Europe who are seen as the power base of European football.

But over the years, the UEFA

Champions League has grown bigger attracting global attention through the modernization of television and huge promotional and marketing appeals.

No wonder many European Clubs see the competition as one in which they must take part in yearly to shore-up their financial base.

Its awareness and acceptability has grown so wide that it is now competing favourably with FIFA World Cup final.

While the mundial holds every four years, the annual organization of the Champions League has forced very rich and serious clubs to sign the best available players into their fold, all in anticipation of not only winning their domestic titles but going far or winning the League.

It will not be far from the truth to say that many European Clubs hardly field players from their home country as emphasis are given to players who are expensively-packaged from all over the globe.

Aside from this, supporters of different European club sides see the winning of the Champions League as key and so they encour-

age the management of their various clubs to go for the best players in the world to be able to realize their ambition.

It will therefore not be out of place to say that the UEFA Champi-ons League has become a global market place where only the best display their wares.

This season 's edition without doubt has attracted global attention especially with the qualification of many top clubs to its crucial stages.

Take a bow, Barcelona of Spain, AC Milan of Italy ,Arsenal of England, Real Madrid of Spain, Inter-Milan of Italy, Chelsea, Manchester United both of England ,Porto of Portugal, Apoel Nicosia of Cyprus, Olympique Lyon and Olympique Marseille of France.

These teams brought so much panache, skills, tactical and technical prowess to this year's edition that it was hard to predict which of them will emerge champions.

Their course was not helped by public sports analysts, technocrats and fens who were urging them to go all the way thereby forcing them to do some extra things in their determina-tion to win the glamorous competi-tion.

If it was based on skill and teamwork, former champions, Barcelona towers above all teams that competed at the semi-final stage.

The stage is now set for the final of this year's edition billed for

thSaturday, 19 of May. What will make this year's edition unique is that one of the finalists, Bayern Munich will be competing on their home ground at Allianz Arena.

It should be pointed out that it was not their own making as Allianz Arena have been chosen as venue for the final match before the com-mencement of the competition last year.

So, Chelsea have a big fight in their hands, during the final match, as they will not be playing against Bayern players but a large home support for the German side.

But as the German will be counting on their supporters to propel them to victory; who says Chelsea cannot beat them in front of their fans as they did to Barcelona players at the Nou Camp.

The question is: which team wins this year's UEFA Champions League?