Our policies have created stronger pedestal for Osun against future challenges ―Aregbesola

OSUN State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, on Wednesday said the policies of his administration in key sectors, such as education, health, economy and infrastructure have succeeded in creating a stronger pedestal for the state against the potential challenges of the future.

He maintained that with a sizable investment in these critical sectors, the task of survival and moves to achieve progress in the future would not be difficult for the state and its succeeding generations.

Aregbesola said this in Osogbo during the official presentation of awards and prizes to the winners of the state callisthenics competition held in the nine Federal Constituencies in the state.

While contending that some of his achievements in education which includes construction of model schools, free uniforms to pupils and distribution of tablets in the last seven years were aimed at building an enduring socio-economic foundation for the state, the governor said the trend of global advancement in science and technology will make years ahead more competitive and knowledge.

According to Aregbesola, “we are committed to functional and qualitative education not because the resources are available, but to secure a better future for the incoming generation that their survival would be determined by the quality of knowledge”.

“It is clear that manpower is globally becoming irrelevant, in the next 10 years, there will be a car that will not need a driver, so if anyone chooses to be a driver, he may not get a job, in the next 10 years. Robots will be planting farm seeds in large quantity so if anyone chooses to be a labourer, he or she may not get job”

“In the last 400 years, if someone said it that there would be a plane flying in the airspace, they will just be looking at the person being insane but we have drones now that can fly without the help of a pilot. In our generation, some are motor drivers and they are successful, some are a labourer and they are successful but the incoming generation will never succeed without the quality knowledge and education.”

“Our administration will not spare any efforts in promoting quality education and mould good character with the unity of purpose, collective responsibility, discipline and precision that callisthenics teaches”, Aregbesola remarked.

He noted that Osun was the first state to organise callisthenics competitions in Nigeria to create more awareness and institutionalize the programme as part of the school curricula, saying the sport never affected the normal school activities of the students.

Speaking earlier, the commissioner for Education, Mr Omotunde Kola Young recalled that the state first held the callisthenics programme in 2012 to mark the 21st anniversary of the state with the aid of the Cuban consultants to train 8, 000 students but subsequent events were organized by the local coaches who are teachers of the secondary school.

The state government presented N1,000,000 cheque to the winner in each of the 3 Senatorial Districts and N750,000 to the first runner-up while the second runner-up got N500,000. Ede/ Ejigbo Egbedore Federal constituency came first in Osun West, Ikire and Iwo federal constituencies came second and third respectively.

In Osun Central, Irepodun zone came first while Ila and Ikirun zones came second and third. In Osun East, Ilesa came first, Ijebu – Ijesa came second while Ife came a distant third.