Osun social intervention programmes impressive, worthy of emulation – NIPSS

The leadership of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) has applauded the tremendous achievements of the Administration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State in the last two and half years.

NIPSS described the social protection programmes of the Administration as impressive and worthy of emulation, calling on the electorate to secure a better future for the State and themselves by returning the Governor for another term.

The members of NIPSS spoke during the get-together dinner party organised by the State Government in honour of the delegation of the participants of Senior Executive Course 43 of the Institute.

Members of NIPSS delegation were in the State for a one-week ‘local tour’ as part of the course requirements to understudy the challenges of policy formulation and implementation in the State and the country at large.

Addressing the gathering, the leader of the delegation, Dr. Nasirdeen Usman, said the Administration of Governor Oyetola has made a clear difference in the implementation of its policies and programmes.

Usman who described the successful implementation of many of the Administration’s policies as laudable and worthy of emulation, said it was worthy of note that the State had developed an economic roadmap codenamed ‘Osun Development Plan’ to take the State to the next level.

According to him, the 10 years Osun Socioeconomic Development Agenda painstakenly designed to maintain and sustain the tempo of development would further help the Administration to stimulate the State’s economy and sustain Oyetola’s imprints across the sectors.

He acknowledged the atmosphere of peace, stability and security reigning in the State, which he described as a veritable tool for development.

Usman, who noted that the visit to the State by members of the delegation had helped to expose them to many positive things, said, “Indeed, we have a lot of golden things to report as regards policy formulation and implementation.”

“We have seen, we have read, we have learnt. What we learned, I can assure you, will not only have a golden place in our reports, it will also be the subject of recommendation for other States. I am not a politician. I attempted once, I did not succeed. I learnt that Osun will be holding governorship election next year. It is ours to advise, having done the analysis with the strategic options. I would have asked them to save INEC the resources and return your Excellency for a second term.

“Everywhere we went in the course of this visit, the song was the same. You have motivated the civil servants in the State to give their best. We have asked and asked where the money is coming from that your Administration has been using to do great things despite the financial difficulties.

“I can assure you, Sir, members of this study group have taken copious note, they have made critical observations and they have interacted freely with the officials and they will get back to make a good report of this exercise at the plenary in line with the tradition of NIPSS,” he added.

In his remarks, Governor Oyetola said nothing would be left untouched in the contents of the newly- launched Osun Youth Policy Document.

Oyetola who described the Document as a veritable tool for addressing all the challenges confronting the youths in the State, noted that the Document came into being after series of deliberations and recommendations by relevant agencies and stakeholders.

He noted that his Administration came about the formulation of the Policy as part of efforts to take the youth to their rightful positions, getting them more involved in the scheme of things and making them more relevant in view of the prevalent youth restiveness occasioned by societal anomalies.

Oyetola assured tthem that his Administration would do everything to ensure that all its policies across the sectors are fully implemented for the betterment of the State and her people.

“In line with the theme of your course this year, we launched Osun Youth Policy Document, which will serve as the framework for engaging the youth so that they cannot just be abandoned in the society.

“Our policy has four pillars aimed at taking care of our youths and this includes youth engagement, youth education, youth empowerment and youth entrepreneurship and we are conscious of the need to ensure full implementation.

“Youths are the leaders of tomorrow. They have become very agitated and have channeled their energies to unproductive things whenever there is an issue; and if we truly want to have peace as part of necessity, then we must take good care of our youths. That is why we thought of formulating a policy that would take care of the youths,” he added.