He’s replac his late elder brother and predecessor, Senator Isiaka Adeleke who died on April 23, 2017.

The younger Adeleke walked into the chamber at 11:19 am, accompanied by his wife, children and some unidentified guests. He was sworn in immediately.

Clerk to the Senate, Nelson Ayewo, conducted the oath taking in the presence of President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, and other lawmakers.

The process ended at 11:22 am, after which Adeleke walked to Saraki for a handshake.

The ceremony took a dramatic turn when the Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Abiodun Olujimi (PDP/Ekiti-South) led Adeleke round the chamber to introduce him to members of the PDP caucus.

As this was ongoing, Adeleke made his now popular dance steps, which generated laughter in the chamber.

A video of the lawmaker’s peculiar dance steps in celebration of his victory at the by-election had gone viral on the Internet and social media.

Adeleke had defected from the All Progressives Congress, APC to the PDP before the poll and defeated the APC candidate and choice of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Senator Mudashiru Hussain, at the district’s by-election on Saturday.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC had issued a certificate of return to Adeleke on Tuesday.

The late Adeleke represented the district on the platform of the APC, while his younger brother succeeded him as PDP senator.

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Aregbesola, in honour of the memory of the late Senator Adeleke, asked the mammoth crowd to observe one minute of silence after which he prayed for the repose of the soul of the politician.

He said decision was deliberately made and unanimously agreed upon by the leadership of the party to restore ‎Adeleke’s dignity and integrity having suffered humiliation of his erstwhile political friends.

Aregbesola before mounting the rostrum in front of the palace, had earlier paid courtesy call on the Ogiyan of Ejigbo, Oba Omowonuola Oyeyode Oyesosin.

Aregbesola frowned at what he described as unfounded speculations ‎ov‎er the party’s choice of Husain, saying neither him nor any member of the party had done Adeleke’s family any harm.

He said the party asked Husain who was already nursing his second term ambition in 2015 to withdraw having understood the degrees of humiliation meted out to late Senator Adeleke ‎by the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

‎According to him, it is regrettable and disheartening that some people especially disgruntled politicians are still spreading poisonous rumours to gain cheap political gains over the choice of Senator Mudashir Husain as the APC flag bearer.

“It is pertinent to clear the air that, Husain was asked by the leadership of the APC in 2015 to withdraw his senate ticket for the late Senator Adeleke who we felt sober about the humiliation being meted out to him by his former party.

“We took this decision unanimously by the leaders of our party because at that time, APC was the only party that could rescue late Senator Adeleke from humiliation.

“The action was taken to restore the already lost dignity, integrity and political relevance of late Adeleke who had been humiliated ‎in PDP.

“As we all know, Adeleke had already defected to APC and the only thing the party considered as honourable to compensate him and wipe off the degrees of humiliation being given him was to give him the senate ticket.

“To me, we wonder how harm has been done to anyone on this because what the party did was the best even despite the fact that Husain felt cheated. We talked to him, begged him and he remained loyal to the party even to this present moment”, Aregbesola added.

He said, “It is important to let people know why our party resolved on Husain as its candidate because since we withdrew Senate ticket from Senator Mudashir Husain, we ha‎ve been making several efforts to give him particular political appointment but not actualised.

“While doing this, we never thought‎ of death to anyone neither we had a premonition that there would be a vacancy at the Osun West Senatorial District, but when God’s will took our Senator, then the party unanimously agreed to sponsor Husain as a means to pay him for his extreme loyalty and commitment to the party.

“So, Husain was chosen not for political interest but for his loyalty, honesty and commitment to the party. We did not do this to hurt anyone neither did we take the action to inflict pains on anyone. It is strictly party decision and nothing anyone could do about it”, Aregbesola stressed.

Aregbesola, who laced his campaign speech with songs, said the Peoples Democratic Party has lost relevance in the Nigerian political terrain, adding that the party is notorious for leaving Nigeria in a parlous economic state that Nigeria later found itself.

He said the PDP merely grandstands in Osun stating that even in the face of the most horrendous intimidation and harassment by the PDP_led Federal Government in 2014, the APC was victorious.

“Is it now that the PDP has been decapitated that they will now pose a threat to us in Osun? It is illogical,” the Governor said.

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The coroner, who is a chief magistrate in the Osun State Judiciary, Olusegun Ayilara, said this in Osogbo on Tuesday during the presentation of his verdict after the inquest which lasted three weeks.

Ayilara ruled out poison as the cause of Adeleke’s death, saying there were no traces of poison in the system of the deceased according to the autopsy and toxicologist’s reports which were tendered before him.

The coroner referred to the nurse, Alfred Aderibigbe, who treated Adeleke shortly before he died, as an unqualified personnel and recommended that the Department of Public Prosecutions should duplicate the case file and press approbation charges against the nurse.

“The main man at the centre of the storm is one Alfred Aderibigbe, a supposedly nurse who testified through a Yoruba interpreter and admitted to have treated the late senator in the early hours of the day in the presence of one Dipo Faborode.

“The Level 14 officer remained comical during the time he was giving his testimonies and sometimes broke down in tears.

“I have critically gone through the evidence before me and from the totality of evidence, the speculation of the poisoning is baseless. I have not been able to trace the link of poisoning by anybody. The autopsy and toxicologist’s reports have confirmed that there were no traces of poison and heavy metal in his (deceased’s) blood; therefore, it is my prime opinion that he was not poisoned.

“The evidence of CW5, CW6 and CW8 all point scientifically to the fact that the death of the deceased was caused by gastric content which blocked his airways as a result of high level of alcohol, sedative and analgesic which caused the senses to shut down, culminating into death.

“The summary of the findings of this coroner is that the deceased did not die as a result of poison. The deceased had an administration of overdose of sedative and analgesic by an unqualified personnel, Alfred Aderibigbe, through intravenous means, which action was hastened by the presence of alcohol in the system.

“The deceased had patronised the nurse for over 20 years and had taken treatment from him without a doctor’s prescriptions. The high level of sedative and analgesic with the mode of administration caused aspiration of gastric content which blocked his airways.

“By watching the nurse, Alfred Aderibigbe, I can see that he is economical with the truth even though he admitted that he acted unethically in the statement he made to the police. Throughout his statement to the police, he never mentioned that he gave to the deceased intramuscular injection.

“He obviously showed me that he has a lot to hide as regards the dosages he gave to the deceased and the mode he gave them.

“By the witness of the specialists and by the exhibits, I hold that Alfred Aderibigbe administered overdose of diazepam 40mg, hydrocortisone 200mg, analgin 1000mg, gentamicine 1500mg, and pentasozine to the deceased intravenously coupled with excessive alcohol which caused his death.

“He died between the hour of 9.30am and 10.15am on 23 of April, 2017 between Ede and Osogbo. His death was caused by aspiration of gastric content as a result of depression of the central nervous system with gastric reflex caused by an overdose of sedative and analgesics exacerbated by alcohol administered by an unqualified personnel, Alfred Aderibigbe. The action is caused by blockage of airways, which caused the vital passage to shut down,” the coroner averred.

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The state chairman of the party, Soji Adagunodo, who said this in a statement in Osogbo on Sunday, spoke in a reaction to the report of the Nigeria Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative, NEITI which listed Osun State with a debt profile of N165.91 billion as the third most indebted state in Nigeria.

The NEITI which listed Lagos State with a debt of N605.23 billion and Delta State N331.95 said that the debt burden of Osun, Delta and Cross River States raised major concern because their borrowings were found to be more than double the total revenue accruing to them.

However, the PDP chairman, who said the NEITI did not have the total figure of the debt which Osun State was owing, added the money borrowed from some commercial banks was not part of the figure given.

The opposition party stated that the administration did not have commensurate things to show for the huge money it borrowed, saying the fund was spent on frivolities.

The PDP statement read, “The governor had rebuffed all attempts to make him come clean on the the state of indebtedness of Osun state at different fora in the past. The record of NEITI which puts the debt of Osun state at N165.91 billion is scandalous, frightening and portends danger for the fragile economy of the state.

“We have it on good authority that the figures provided by NEITI did not take into account several other loans sourced from commercial banks in the state especially in the past three years.

“We wonder why Osun which is always on the lowest rung of FAAC allocations and a weak Internally Generated Revenue will be classified on the topmost debtors list alongside Lagos, Akwa Ibom and Delta who are all some of the highest revenue earners in Nigeria.

“This in effect shows that Mr. Aregbesola has run the economy of the state aground by deliberate acts of wastages, frivolities and lack of transparency in the management of its resources but has rather created a huge financial burden for generations yet unborn.”

The party stated that the House of Assembly which ought to check the alleged excesses of the governor had become a lapdog and an ineffective organ of government.

Adagunodo called on founding fathers of the state to avail themselves of the report of the NEITI to know the center of economic damage the current administration had done to the state.

However, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the state, Gboyega Famoodun, said the PDP spoke just to be heard and not because their statement made any sense.

He said, “Even the blind can see that this administration is working. There is nowhere in the state that this government has not touched. But we have to concentrate on the state capital in order to attract investors and to boost the economy.

“Apart from the International Breweries Plc and the newly renovated Cocoa Processing Industry in Ede, there is no company that employs more than 100 workers. This is what the governor is trying to correct.

“The PDP chairman should open wide his eyes to see the good works of the administration. But I pity him because he must be saying something to remain in the news because the PDP is fast going into extinction.”

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The party leaders said it amounted to treachery for anyone who had been part of the APC government in Osun to say anything evil about the Governor or his government; knowing how Aregbesola had, with very maegre resources, transformed the state beyond expectations.

The APC loyalists in the Senatorial District also commended the leadership style of Governor Aregbesola in the last six years of his administration.

The commendations were made by the party’s supporters during the District’s monthly meeting, held in Iwo, Iwo Local Government Area of the state.

A chieftain of the party in the District and Chairman Local Government Service Commission, Elder Peter Babalola, lauded Governor Aregbesola for always being fair and just to the people of the state and party members in particular.

Babalola eulogized Aregbesola’s determination in building a state that would be a model of socio-economic and political development not only in the South-western Nigeria but in the whole country.

The party chieftain said Governor Aregbesola has successfully used his office to bring drastic change in the lives of the citizenry most importantly the party’s loyalists.

Elder Babalola said the state helmsman has sincerely used the political will at his disposal to restructure the party by ensuring that every member of the APC in the state benefits in one way or the other.

Reaffirming the assertion, the APC chieftain said the exemplary leadership style of Governor Aregbesola, coupled with his ardent commitment to good governance had impacted positively on the lives of the people of the state.

He frowned at a statement credited to some members of the party in the state accusing Aregbesola of bias in the state said on no account does Governor Aregbesola exhibits attitude or action calculated to promote injustice between and among the members of the party.

He added, “it is crystal clear that Governor Aregbesola has been just and fair to all members of this party in the state.

“He has demonstrated high sense of commitment to internal democracy as this is manifested in his fairness to all and sundry.

“But it is unfortunate that some members who have benefited tremendously in this government still deemed it fit to castigate the personality of Mr. Governor for no just cause.

“Without any iota of equivocation, those portraying this government in bad light are the biggest beneficiaries of this administration and as a matter of fact, they are the most ungrateful.

“But on our part, we would not relent in telling people the truth about this, as we are equally determined to continue to be grateful to Governor Aregbesola for being truthful, loyal and fair to the principles and practices of our party.

“So for these reasons we would continue to pass vote of confidence on Mr. Governor for as long as he (Aregbesola) makes us proud through his giant strides.

Corroborating the statement, the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti decried what he described as anti-party comments credited to some members of the party.

He described some members of the party who are allegedly criticising the administration of Governor Aregbesola as political triators.

According to him, “no genuine member of our party having benefited from the present government would throw tantrums at Mr. Governor or any member of his administration”.

“Those that are perpetrating evils against this government are neither pseudo in disguise or treacherous members of the party because they all benefited largely in this government”, he added.

Adeoti, said Governor Aregbesola is God-sent to the people of the state, hence calls for the need to support him by all in taking the state to greater heights.

While calling for decorum as the state awaits Governor Aregbesola’s declaration of the new caretaker committees across the Local Government Councils in the state, Alhaji Adeoti assured citizens of continued dividends of democracy.

“I can assure you all that Governor Aregbesola is working seriously to bring succour and smiles to the faces of the residents of this state.

“As he (Aregbesola) is putting efforts together to redeem our state and position our economy on the path of greatness and prosperity, I reassure all members of our great party an improved well being,” Adeoti affirmed.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Osun West Senatorial District of the APC, Hon. Yinusa Amobi, reaffirmed the readiness of the District to produce the next Governor in the state.

He said it would be a great mistake for the District to miss the next governorship ticket, adding that no stone would be left unturned to ensure seamless installation of a candidate as governor from the District comes 2018.

Senator Isiaka Adeleke who is representing Osun West Senatorial District and a Member representing Iwo Federal Constituency, Hon. Gafar Amere, reaffirmed the decision of the District to support Aregbesola in all his steps.

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This was as the Accountant General of the State said that the Labour leaders said that the pensioners were not at all captured in the bailout fund but the governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in his magnanimity, decided that the pensioners, having served the state diligently, must be included in the disbursement of the bailout.

Representatives of First Bank of Nigeria (FBN), Wema Bank and Zenith Bank disclosed this at the floor of the Osun State House of Assembly during a presentation on how the concessionary loan was disbursed.
This declaration arose as a result of the fact that Osun State House of Assembly had directed some government officials and organisations to appear before it for the probe of the N34.9billion bailout fund given to the state by the Federal Government.

Among those invited were the Accountant-General, Permanent Secretaries Ministry of Finance, Office of Budget Planning and Ministry of Local Government, Director-General of Debt Management Office, as well as Wema Bank, Zenith Bank and First Bank.

Also invited were Chairmen, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Joint Negotiation Council (JNC), Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), traders, as well as representative of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) and Civil Society Organisations (CSO).
The three banks involved told the Osun legislators in session that the bailout was disbursed according to the CBN guidelines and it was duly and diligently disbursed for the purpose it was meant for, which includes payment of arrears of salaries, allowances and the pensions of workers of the state.

In their presentation, the banks said: “We ensured that due diligence was followed. We can confirm that we followed the CBN guidelines in the way and manner the bailout loan was disbursed.
“The loan was used for the purpose it was meant, that is payment of salary arrears, allowances and pensions.

“Also, the figures shown in a slide by the Accountant General and permanent secretary, Local Government affairs, were correct so also are the balance figures in the banks.”

The Accountant General, A. A Kolawole, in his presentation said the bailout fund was judiciously administered by the government without any underhand dealings.

According to him, the amount requested, which covered salary arrears, allowances and pensions, was N64, 327, 492, 947.01.

He stated that the state was however given, N25, 887, 975, 810.26, an amount, which did not include the pension arrears and said the pensioners were thus not captured in the bailout fund released for state, saying it was the governor, who mandated that the pension should be included in the disbursement.

“On July 15, 2015 we requested for, N64.3 billion to take care of all salary arrears, allowances and pension. But we were given N25, 887, 975, 810.26.

“No fund was released for pension and gratuity despite the fact that we included it in our letter to the CBN. And we explained this to the pensioners repeatedly but they did not believe us.

“If you look at the letter we wrote for N64bn, it covered every category of staff. They (pensioners) won’t have been paid but for the magnanimity of the governor, who said we must include them because they had served the state diligently.

“It will also interest you to note that what I presented here on the floor of the House is the same document I sent to the ICPC and the EFCC.

“ICPC called me to a meeting where I gave them all the documents containing the transactions. When ICPC did not return, I believe it was satisfied with the information. But EFCC did not invite me.”

The Permanent Secretary, Local Government Affairs, Muftau Oluwadare, in his presentation on the amount of bailout given to the local government disclosed that N23, 887, 975, 810.26 was requested from the CBN but N9, 117, 070, 000 was given to them.

According to him, it was this and that of the state that totaled N34bn released to both state and local government.

He said the fund was also used as it was directed by the CBN to pay salary of local government workers, primary school teachers and pension arrears.

In his remark, the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon Najeem Salam, commended the finance team of the governor for the clear presentation and the Banks for their due diligence in the disbursement process.

Salam said it was not true the insinuations that the House was gingered to investigate the bailout fund based on the letter written by the Senate to investigate how the bailout fund was spent.

He cited a letter dated 12 November 2015 with reference No: LM94/vol4/277 in which the House requested the Accountant General to come forward and update the House on the Sukuk Bond, bailout fund and multilateral loans of the state.

“We have been monitoring the activities of the executive on how the bailout and other loans are being spent. If the Senate wants to come for its oversight function, we will not say they shouldn’t come. But proper procedure must be followed. It has to come through relevant state authority, which is the state legislative arm.

“We are not fighting with the Senate. We are not saying that the Senate can’t perform it’s oversight function but things have to be properly done,” Salam said.

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The youths numbering 20 were received by officials of the Osun Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Youth Engagement at the Muritala International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos.

The youths who were sponsored to Germany by the state government gave the assurance on their arrival to Osogbo the state capital after their two months trip abroad.

It would be recalled that the state government had previously in 2013 sponsored 20 youths to Germany on the need to acquire knowledge on modern agricultural practices with greater impacts in various aspects of agriculture in the state since the team arrived.

This initiative was part of the state’s resolve to banish hunger; enhance wealth through massive increase in food production and agriculture and as well providing assistance and support to farmers in finding and exploiting profitable agricultural practices.

However, in their separate remarks, the leader of the youths, Adebayo Waheed Adekunle, who described the initiative as timely necessity and wise intervention, said the team was ready to bring about the development needed in agriculture.

Adekunle said every member of the team was also ready to translate the experiences they gathered in the course of the training to effect greater agricultural production.

The captain of the team who described agriculture as the only feasible and workable alternative to crude oil, said the time has come for all and sundry to rise to the occasion and invest hugely in agriculture.

He called for better orientation capable of creating worthy environment for agriculture to thrive, saying “there is a need to transit from primitive farming method to modern way of practising agriculture.

Adekunle who identified contemporary knowledge as the key to successful agricultural practices, said the time has come for every farmer to invest in knowledge-based agriculture.

He said agricultural practice has gone beyond physical manual method, hence called for the need to transit to scientific system which according to him has the capacity to bring the desired result.

According to him, “this trip is an eye opener to modern agricultural methods as we were trained in different aspects of agriculture vis-a-vis technological implications in farming.

“We have been exposed to secrets in agriculture as per how one can improve geometrically on his yields, inputs and outputs easily and professionally.

“I am saying this because we have made to know that agriculture has gone beyond traditional manual method but rather highly advanced system which only required knowledge not unwarranted stress.

“Knowledge rules the world and as such, we are ready to put things in right perspective to turn around agriculture in the state by ensuring that what we learnt brings positive impacts in the lives of the teeming youths and other farmers.

He called on the youth to see the need to go back to agriculture instead of relying on white cola jobs that are not existed.

Adekunle who expressed hope in the better improvement of the nation’s economy said “with agriculture, Nigeria can be great again”.

On their part, Bajepade Wahab and Akinbote Adenike, commended the state government for putting up such educative and knowledge-based ideology capable of taking the state to greater heights.

The duo who expressed confidence to maximize the knowledge acquired to advance agricultural system in the state, however called on the youth to show much interest in agriculture.

They also called on other states in the country to follow suit of Osun agricultural’s policies which they described as “vision driven and people oriented.

Earlier, the immediate past Senior Special Assistant to governor Aregbesola on Quick Impact Intervention Programme, Dele Ogundipe described the initiative as productive, saying the impact of the project has been felt over the years.

Ogundipe who recalled how the state governor, Rauf Aregbesola led a team of state officials to Germany to discuss areas of possible agricultural partnerships with farmers in the country, attributed the current development in agricultural sector in Osun to the efforts by the state government.

He said, “Since then, 40 of our youths have been properly and subsequently trained since the commencement of this project with the first batch of 20 indigenes of this state taken to Germany for training in 2013 after they were initially trained in German language.

“Likewise, the second batch made up of 20 youth also went to Germany this year and we thank God they are back fully trained and ready to boost the government’s efforts on agribusiness.

Ogundipe said a proposal is already before the governor on how best the newly trained hands could be engaged to ensure maximum utilization of their knowledge.

“Our youth that went to Germany in 2013 are doing greatly well in piggery today as new breeds were made available for them by the state government.

“In fact, they are making it in their areas of specialization as the state has become the major supplier of pigs to neighboring states through government’s impactful agricultural interventions”, he added.

Commenting on the expected ripple effects of the training, Ogundipe stated that the major significance of the initiative was that the trained youth had become trainers which he regarded as veritable tools for knowledge acquisition for whoever shows interest in farming as government would continue to provide the necessity to develop, promote and advance agriculture in the state.

The Director of Agricultural Services Department in the Osun Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Youth Engagement, Dauda Ajisekola, who coordinated the youth to Germany described their conduct as noble.

“These trained youths have been well-equipped and I do hope that they will put in the desired multiplier effect this programme intended to give to the state”, he stressed.

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It said the PDP lacks the capacity to comprehend the administration’s strategies to make education quality in Osun catch up and surpass what any elite school in Nigeria offers.

The government, through the Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Office of the Governor said the allegation from the PDP was no more than a case of sour grape arising from its shattered expectation that President Muhammad Buhari would not honour the state with his presence to commission the school.

It said the Rauf Aregbesola administration has a comprehensive strategy towards changing the face of education and bringing it to the same level of what any elite schools in Nigeria can offer.

The Bureau’s statement, signed by its Director, Semiu Okanlawon, asked Nigerians to demand from the PDP which insights it has into the workings of the Osun government’s various strategies to turn around the fortune of education in the state.

The Bureau noted that PDP’s claim could only be its own imagination arising from its anti-people orientation that whatever is good, modern, spectacular and qualitative is an exclusive preserve of its own class of elite.

The Bureau’s statement said, “We are not like them. This is a case of sour grape on the part of the PPD that wants to disparage the great achievements of the governor.

“Aregbesola’s mission in education is to democratize it and bring it to the poor who could possibly never have been opportune to be educated along children of the affluent in Nigeria.”

The Bureau said so far, no fewer than 50 of its school projects are already open for use, demanding which one has been changed to high fee paying school.

“As at today, Osun has completed no fewer than 50 of such mega schools across the state that have already been put to use by Osun pupils without the PDP’s imaginary “high fees”.

“Which one of the schools such as Anthony Udofia Government Elementary School, Salvation Army Government Middle School, Adventist Government High School, Ede, Ansar-ul-Deen Elementary School, Isale Osun, Osogbo or any other school has become a “high fee paying” school since their commissioning?” the Bureau demanded.

It said that the Aregbesola administration’s refusal to be slowed down in its development agenda has remained a source of headache to the opposition, adding that none of the claims of the party against Aregbesola has been found to be reliable or true since the PDP embarked on its mission to destroy Osun.

“But we cannot be bogged down by the emptiness of PDP’s ideas and the hollowness of the party’s arguments. They said it openly that Buhari would not honour Osun people with his visit. President came and he was enthusiastically welcome by all the people of Osun.

“He was pleasantly surprised by the landmark and enviable achievements of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in the educational sector through his numerous interventionist initiatives,” the Bureau said.

Stating that those who seek to diminish Aregbesola’s achievements are only a self-immolation mission, the Bureau said PDP’s inability to comprehend the Aregbesola program of changing the fortune of education in the state could only help to sink the party into its abyss of extinction.

“It is gratifying that Nigerians know the PDP for what it is: a lying party and a dying party,” it added.

The Bureau said since the commissioning of the Osogbo Government High School on Thursday, there have been calls from far and near by parents who are under intense pressure from their children who desire to be enrolled in Osun schools. Nothing could be more of a confirmation that Osun has set a laudable example on how Nigerian children should be educated.

Concluding its statement, the Bureau said, “The PDP is a disillusioned party and when a party is disillusioned, it hallucinates and the outcome of PDP’s hallucination is this baseless criticism of Aregbesola’s historical and landmark achievements.

“The party is a rejected party that can never come back to life again in Nigeria. Its soul, to use the words of its former leader, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has left it long ago,” Okanlawon remarked.

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A statement by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Office of the Governor, Semiu Okanlawon stated that the President will during the visit, commission the newly built 3,000 students capacity Osogbo Government High School, Osogbo.

According to the statement, President Buhari’s visit to Osun will be a testimony to the landmark achievements in the almost six years of Governor Rauf Aregbesola as well as the good working relationship between Osun and the Federal Government.

“From our own corner of this great country, we are poised to set examples on how to solve many of the national social economic and political complications confronting us.

“The magnificent Osogbo Government High School President Muhammadu Buhari will be commissioning on Thursday is illustrative of the magnitude of our ideas and interventions in the education sector. We remain unrelenting as we continue our assault on delayed infrastructure in our education sector and all other sectors.

“We urge the good people of the state to maintain the peace that the state is noted for during and after the President’s visit. We ask them to give a rousing welcome to our amiable President.‎

‎“We call on our people particularly the people of Osogbo and it’s environs, to come out in their great numbers and give our President a befitting welcome during his visit to our state.‎

“Mr. President’s visit is historic because it marks the first official Presidential visit to the state since we assumed office as the Governor of this great state,” the statement expressed.

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At the colouful event, former administrators of the state were full of praises for the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as they gathered with other dignitaries to mark the epochal event.

Col. Theophilus Bamigboye, and Navy Capt. Anthony Udofia, who spoke on behalf of previous administrators of the state commended Aregbesola for what they described as unprecedented developments witnessed under the Aregbesola administration.

This was just as Aregbesola said “worthy legacies” of previous leaders should be sustained while saluting the late Governor of the old Oyo State, Chief Bola Ige for introducing the idea of calisthenics during his time as Governor.

The two former administrators who spoke said they were pleased with the level of transformations and developments that have taken place in the state since they left as military governors.

They stated that there was little or nothing to show for the state when it was first created, adding that today, the state has grown in leaps and bounds and can rank favourably with other states of the federation.

“In 1991 when the state was created, there was little or nothing to show that a state actually existed.

“Today, we are very proud to see this state the way it is. When we first came, there was a ramshackle school in the heart of Osogbo. We tried our best to change the situation in our own way.

“Then the action man (Aregbesola) came and change the terrain significantly. He said he was interested in education, he changed everything.

“Osun is working. We are proud of the Governor, Ogbeni Aregbesola for the wonderful work he is doing. This state will continue to progress. We want you to keep the flag flying.

“We were very impressed with the colourful calisthenics event the children displayed. This is wonderful, marvellous and fantastic. We say well done on behalf of all past executive governors of the state,” Bambgboye said

Earlier in his address, Governor Aregbesola while congratulating all on the 25th Anniversary of the creation of the state, noted that the Osun School Calisthenics is not a frivolous brainwave that will be swept away by the tide of time.

The Governor emphasised that the programme is well-conceived as part of the overall redesign and reorganisation of the education system in Osun.

He held that, his administration views physical education with all seriousness, regarding formal education as incomplete without its physical development component.

Aregbesola emphasised that the calisthenics programme is not only an out-of-school sports activity but a lifestyle-change project for building a new generation of students who are physically fit, mentally sound and socially well-adjusted.

The Governor also stressed that the programme is supported by practices in other lands and climes, adding that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) regards physical education programmes as part of its crucial brief.

According to him, “The importance of physical education in the development of healthy and wholesome human personality has been realised as far back as ancient Greece where, for instance, the human body was regarded as a temple that provided a sacred abode for the human mind and soul.

“The Greeks of old therefore believed that gymnastics and Calisthenics were necessary to keep this temple-abode healthy and functional. This tradition eventually gave birth to organised sporting activities”. The Governor stated.

He reminded all that Late Chief Bola Ige, as governor of the old Oyo State, introduced calisthenics in the Second Republic to the delight of all, stating that it was regrettable that it was discontinued as a result of military incursion into government.

Aregbesola held that reintroducing the programme in Osun is just continuing with the worthy legacy of a great colossus.

The Calisthenics display to celebrate the silver Jubilee of the creation of the state involved 4,000 pupils between the ages of 9 and 14, drawn from 17 Middle Schools in Osogbo and Olorunda Local Governments.

Aregbesola stated that, “We began this programme in 2012 with the assistance of Cuban duo, Francis Rodriguez and Raiza Guerra, who trained the first set that performed during the 21st anniversary of the creation of Osun, four years ago. They also trained the trainers as well.

“We are happy that our people trained by the Cubans are the ones coaching the next generation and are responsible for today’s feat.

“In 2012, a total of 8,000 athletes drawn from 24 schools and 60 coaches were trained in the nine federal constituencies in the state. The calisthenics programme has been well received in our schools and communities by the students, teachers and parents”.

Other dignitaries at the anniversary included former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Vice Marshal Oluseyi Petirin (rtd); former Deputy Governor, Sooko Adeleke Adewoyin; wife of Ogun State, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun; Deputy Governor of Ogun, Mrs. Yetunde Onanuga.

Other are former Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Professor Wale Omole; Lagos APC leader, Cardinal James Odunmbaku; Senators Jide Omoworare (Osun West senatorial district) and Prof. Sola Adeyeye (Osun Central); Senators Olu Alabi and Mudathir Hussain.

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