GRADE LEVEL

          Various workshops aimed at the development of the Unified Staff (GL.07- above) by the Local Government Service Commission were attended as and when due, while those in the managerial cadres together with project officers also attended various workshops organized by Federal, State and International Agencies. The outcome of those workshops subsequently improved the lot of the Local Government in terms of efficient and qualitative services being rendered by the participants.

Also during the year, a three-day induction workshop for all the staff employed between 2004 and 2005 titled “Functional Role Vis-à-vis structural classification of the Local Governments System” was organized by the Department of Administration. The workshop took place between 13th-14th of July, 2005 at Ajayi Memorial Hall located at Abogunloko Road, Ibokun The Resources Persons employed for the workshop were the Heads of Department., Administrative Officers and the local government legal retainer.

The workshop was generally observed to be of very high quality and cost effective. Seminar bags and certificate of attendance that the attitude of the participants to work has been remarkably better as far as professional ethic of Local Government system are concerned. .

         The purchase of additional sets of computer in 2005 led to the computer training course organized for all typists in the local government. The first round of training course was between 14th February and 19th May 2005 while the 2nd stream took place between 6th June and 23rd September, 2005. This has greatly enhanced and speed and accuracy at which internal and external correspondences are being processed. It has also facilitated as far as general local government operations are concerned. The administration intends to organize similar training programme for political functionaries and top career staff in 2006.

         AGRCIULTURE -The Administration took the issue of Agriculture very serious during the period under review because of the Agrarian nature of the people of the Local Government, and the need to enhance the practice. Agricultural Mechanization was introduced by Otunba S.L. Ojo-Williams in line with the Agriculture policy of the state government farm mechanization was favourably aided by the procurement of tractors and qualified personnel in the department of agriculture and natural resources.
Some of the projects undertaken by the local government in the area of agriculture are as follows:-

(i) Livestock:-The Local Government went into large scale livestock farming in the year 2005. the old birds n the Council’s poultry at the Local Government Secretariat were sold out while new Poultry house was constructed in readiness for its being stocked with layers early in 2006. Piggery farm was equally undertaken. A piggery house was built in Otan-Ile and stocked with about five Boar (male) pigs and sixteen sows (female). In all, about forty has been realized. It is hoped that the numbers of pig in the piggery would have multiplied to about two hundred and eighty by the end of year 2006.

(ii) Forestry:-The Local Government in the year 2005 acquired fifty Hectres of land in Otan –Ile and Ilare, Seventy five hectres in Imesi-Ile and Ido-Oko for the Council’s Afforestation and Plantation programmes These hectres of land were cultivated, the Local Government plants to establish more arable crop farms and banana plantation These projects would have been in operation before the end of the year 2005 but for the Local Government and the Community donors of the land

(iii) Fishery: Prior to the year 2005, the Local Government had abandoned fish ponds at Esa-Odo and Imesi-Ile. In March, 2005, the ponds were resuscitated by the chairman Otunba Ojo-Williams while the Imesi-Ile pond was stocked with about 10,000 juveniles. The fishes which are currently, doing well will be cropped very soon.

          One of the main reasons why Obokun has been classified as rural Local Government is as a result of bad condition of most of its roads as well as poor road network. These have greatly hampered economic activities in the Local Government Area as far as transportation of farm products and other commercial activities are concerned.
          More importantly, the establishment of Osun State College of Technology at Esa-Oke, activation of Kiriji Memorial war and Tourism site at Imesi-Ile among others have put enormous pressure on the administration of Obokun Local Government in the area of construction and rehabilitation of roads.
          The present administration accepted and faced this challenge squarely by embarking on construction and rehabilitation of Roads in all nooks and crannies of the Local Government. This is aimed at improving the transportation system in the Local Government. Some of the related transportation projects embarked upon in the year between 2004\2005 are enumerated below:

Construction Ring Culverts
          The incumbent administration embarked upon and completed Ring culverts along Esa-Oke-Esa-Odo link road and Kiriji Memorial war sites in Imesi-Ile, among others.

Construction of Line Drainage
In order to extend the life span of roads that were constructed and those that were already existing before the inception of the administration, a total of 3,920 metres of line drainages were construed across towns and villages in the Local Government. This has greatly reduced the damages done to the roads by erosion.
Rehabilitation of Roads
          The present administration also embarked on the rehabilitation of the following roads;
i.        The on-going Honey-Comb Road Tarring project at Imesi-Ile and Ibokun by the joint efforts of the State and the Local Governments
ii.       Spot patching of Abogunloko road at Ibokun
iii.      Rehabilitation of Imota-Ajedan-Iloro road  at Imesi-Ile
v.       Grading & lateriting of roads in all parts of the Local Government
vi.      Rehabilitation of Ibokun – Ilahun road.
vii.     opening up and maintenance of earth roads in all part of the Local Government.

         The present administration’s desire to improve the social status of the people of Obokun Local Government in terms of provision of Social amenities has led to the construction of the following projects;
i. Construction of a blocks of 3 –classrooms each in 9 wards of the Local Government in order to replace the dilapidated ones.
ii. Construction of office complex for the new Dawn Television at Ibokun
iii. Renovation of ten (10) Maternity Centre
iv. Construction of health post at Ita-Osun
v. Construction of maternity centers at Iregun
vi Construction of staff canteen within the secretariat complex
vii Erection of concrete boundary demarcation at Ibala-Ilesa Road
viii Renovation of Maternity Centre and other health facilities across the Local Government
ix. Construction of additional 10 blocks of 3-classrooms each under the Chairman’s ECO project.

         Even though mention has been of the Local Government efforts at turning around the fortunes of Education in Obokun , it is gratifying to note that the effects of 57 classrooms (119 blocks of 3 classrooms each) constructed during the year had been felt in all the schools in the Local Government Area. Teaching Aids, Desk and Benches as well as writing materials distributed to school have aided learning tremendously.

Our belief that primary education which is the foundation must be very strong and enduring has been to tremendous positive effects. Apart from the above, the Local Government gave an amount of #1`,000.00 out of Bursary to each of the studies of Obokun Local Government origin in institutions of Higher Learning while students pursuing specialized courses like Law, Medicine etc were given Thirty thousand (N 30,000.00) naira each. Even as efforts were on in this direction, the Local Government never waivered to render good hands in the area of all forms of formal and non-formal education, curricular and extra curricular activities since “ all work without play makes jack a dull boy

         IThe administration of Hon. S.L. Ojo Williams recognizes the importance of good health for the people of the Local Government area. Throughout 2005, the Local Government was providing drugs and dressings to all its health institutions to give needed support for the state government free health care services.
Besides, the Director of Primary Health Care Services paid regular visits to the centre, while the Local Government Ambulance provided support on Referral cases. Needed Manpower were recruited while the personnel were given regular training to make them more functional. Apart from the curative aspect of the Primary Health Care Services, the Local Government Health Education unit mounted intensive campaign on Health Education.
The food Vendors were trained and certificates were awarded to graduands. The Local Government sponsored a number of HIV/AIDS education campaign while House-to-Home awareness on all aspects of preventive Health Services especially on Oncho Cerciasis and Tuberculosis and Leprosy and Immunization against deadly diseases were carried out on a number of rounds. The success recorded during the period was evident in the reduced incident of the disease in the Local Government in the Local Government Area.

         Because the local government could not disburse the 2004 community Development grant during the year, the grant –in-aid of the community development self help projects in various parts of the local government was distributed during the first quarter to 2005.With this incentive, other communities rose up to execute self-help projects and their efforts paid off as the 2005 grants which amounted to Two Million Naira was distribution for completion of deserving projects in December2005. it is therefore gratifying to state that the rate at which self-help projects were executed during the year was remarkably high. Funds distribution were appreciable and our people were well motivated to contribute more to the project. Also another two Million grant was distributed in year 2006 and 2007 respectively.

         The Local Government established a Youth and Women Empowerment Scheme Where about 330 able bodies women and Youths were engaged in functional jobs And stipends which range between N3,000 and 5,000 paid to them monthly.
The affected Youth and Women are not only saved the pains of antisocial activities, they have been empowered to take advantage of the Vocational Training which the project provides to make themselves functional and relevant in the society.

It is our hope and prayer that we should sustain the policy for many years to come. The Local Government in the year 2005 procured and distributed Eleven (11) Nos of Deep Freezer for free to deserving Women to boost their economic activities and further empower them.

Also 40 grinding machine were distribution freely between 2006 and 2007 to the market women in all the 10 wards in OBLG. The chairperson, Women Development Unit Chief (MRS) Omotayo Ojo-Williams handled the project. Other projects executed by the wife of the chairman included children parties, distribution of gifts to indigent people, the disable and women vocation.