CSC commends Osun’s security, national integration models

The staff and students of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State have received and considered the report of its Syndicate 8 of Senior Course 35, which visited Osun State from January 27 to February 1, 2013 with a loud applause for Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s strides in pursuing programmes and policies that are enhancing national security and integration.
At the presentation ceremony titled: “National Integration as a Prerequisite for National Security – Osun State as an example”, Aregbesola stated that the government under his watch had been an all inclusive, apolitical, non sentimental and result-oriented administration aimed at enhancing and achieving the goals of regional integration and balanced development of the South West region of Nigeria.
The event, which took place inside the Danjuma Hall of the Command and Staff College, Jaji, Kaduna State on Tuesday evening, was witnessed by a delegation from Osun State.
The delegation was made up of the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Sunday Akere; and the Special Advisers to the governor on Security and Federal Matters, Amos Adekunle and Hon. Idiat Babalola.
The event featured the presentation of the report by Syndicate 8 alongside a 15-minute video documentary on the achievements of Aregbesola.
The report considered the activities of Aregbesola on health care, youth empowerment, tourism, education and agriculture and suggested ways of further improving on the existing facilities to make them more beneficial to a greater number of people.
Aregbesola was specifically commended for accommodating non-indigenes of Osun State in the execution of his administration’s programmes and policies, a development the team described as steps capable of strengthening national integration and unity.
While commending Aregbesola for embarking on massive road and other infrastructural development projects, the Team noted that most federal roads in Osun State have not been rehabilitated in the last decade and advised that the Federal Government of Nigeria should be encouraged to complement the efforts of the state in building and uplifting the federal roads in the state.
After the presentation of the report by Squadron Leader J. M. Nalazai, a panel of discussants, including Major S. M. Ahmed for the Army and Lieutenant Commander O. B. Ayoade for the Navy, looked at the various aspects of the Team’s findings and the recommendations made in the reports.
This was followed by questions from students on both sides of the aisle bothering on the veracity of the claims made in the reports.
Lieutenant Colonel M. I. Dodi specifically asked the team to clarify its presentation on the issue of security between Ife and Modakeke people, which the team replied to the satisfaction of the gathering.
After this, Coordinating Directors, Chief Instructors, Directors and the representative of the Commandant, Brigadier-General Caster Oyebade, took turn to address issues in the report and suggested amendments, which the group must take into consideration in the production of their final reports.
Making his contribution on behalf of Aregbesola, Akere told the top military officers that the administration had, apart from extending hands of fellowship to all interest groups, including the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, been promoting regional integration than any other state in Nigeria.
Akere disclosed that the appointment of Babalola, a former member of the state House of Assembly and a member of the PDP, as a Special Adviser to the governor on Federal Matters could best be described as an all-inclusive and participatory administration.
His words: “In the cabinet of the state executive council, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Sanitation and Environmental matters, Hon. Bola Ilori, is an indigene of Ondo State while the Hon. Ladipo Soyode, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Home Affairs, Culture and Tourism, hails from Ogun State, which demonstrates promotion of Regional Integration.”
Akere declared further that Aregbesola had recently procured a helicopter for aerial surveillance to combat crime and strengthen security in the state in addition to the establishment of the Swift Action Squad last year.
The commissioner also informed that in line with these strategies, a bill to make kidnapping a punishable offence in the state is currently receiving the attention of the state parliament.
Speaking on the giant strides being made in the education sector, Akere explained that Osun State was the only state that provides free lunch for pupils in primaries one to four all over the state through the O’meal programme, which he noted, had enhanced the enrollment status of the elementary school.
He also announced that N300 million had been expended by the administration on the procurement of drugs while the free ambulance services are now available for health care delivery system across the state to enhance the free health services of the Aregbesola administration.
Oyebode commended Aregbesola for being receptive to criticism.
Oyebode urged other states to emulate the passionate efforts of Aregbesola in the development of their states.