…Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
Osun State produced excellent results education-wise, between 2010 -2018, as 70 per cent of students had credits in Mathematics and 53% had credit in English. Within the same period, 3, 685 classrooms were built from the scratch in the state, as 11 world-class model High Schools were erected amidst other achievements.
The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, decried the retrogression of education in Osun Thursday, September 22, at the conferment of lifetime achievement award by the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), supported by the G21 Osun Network, which held at the Minister’s conference room in Abuja.
“That Osun is where it is today educationally, is a major pain to those of us who came here to demonstrate capacity in human development particularly,”
“if there’s any pain I carry it’s the fact that the vision was arrested; the vision to raise the State of Osun as a model of commitment to human emancipation and development is badly arrested, but I pray that with time we shall recover it,”
Speaking further, the minister noted that each administration reflects class-interest, as his administration, during his tenure as Governor of Osun considered the lowly and struggling citizens of the state.
“We were concerned about the value of education in the schools and not the name. According to a report by NBS, NICS of 2017, Osun was rated first in human satisfaction and happiness”
“In security, no state, probably apart from Lagos, can compare with Osun State on the highest level of security then. No criminal attempted to come to the state, and those who attempted were eliminated, so others avoided us like plague,” The Minister declared.
Listing other achievements, Aregbesola said “Osun State was the first to have considered having a commissioner for special needs in the entire federation. Also, there was an ambulance service available round the clock to help accident victims and women in labour who needed urgent attention,”
Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, lauded the Minister for his dedication and zeal which he said is evident in the transformation recorded in the Ministry of Interior so far, earning the Minister several accolades and recognition. He described Ogbeni Aregbesola as a “humanist, highly driven, examplary and visionary leader”.
“The vigour with which Ogbeni Aregbesola pursued his work is unprecedented, thereby leading to the automation of the activities of Ministry of Interior, among other innovations”, he said.
The President, National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria, (NAPTAN), who was represented by his deputy, Chief Adeolu Oyebanji presented the Lifetime Achievement award to Aregbesola in appreciation for his ‘extraodinary service dedication and outstanding contributions to the State of Osun’.
In his response, the Honourable Minister appreciated NAPTAN for recognising his contributions towards the development of Osun educational system, amidst several other feats achieved during his administration.
The event was attended by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaib Belgore; Commissioner, Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board, (CDCFIB), Gen E. Bassey (rtd), Comptroller General, Nigerian Correctional Service, NCS, Haliru Nababa, Secretary to CDCFIB, Hajia Aisha Rufai, Hon Bola Ilori, Former Commissioner of Osun State on Federal matters, Idiat Babalola, amongst others.
