By Timothy Agbor/OSOGBO
Eminent Nigerians on Monday poured encomiums on the Governor of Osun State, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, as his administration officially launched the electronic learning tool; Computer Tablets otherwise called “Opon Imon”, (Tablet of Knowledge) to all senior secondary schools students in the state.
Eminent Nigerians that graced the launching held at Ilesa include: the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tanbuwal, former Vice President during the regime of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; former Governor of Lagos State, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu; his wife, Senator Remi Tinubu; Chief Adebisi Akande, National Chairman of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN); Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; his Ekiti counterpart, Dr Kayode Fayemi; National Publicity Secretary of ACN, Alhaji Lai Muhammed; Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila; Chief Ayo Opadokun; Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Adejoke Orelope Adefulure; and Mallam Nasir El-Rufai.
Others include: Senator Sola Adeyeye, Professor Wale Omole, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, former Governor of Ekiti State; Senator Jide Omoworare, Hon. Nojeem Sallam, Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly; General Alani Akinrinade retired, representatives of Kano and Niger states’ Governors.
While speaking at the launch, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Aminu Tambuwal, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and National Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Chief Adebisi Akande lauded Governor Rauf Aregebsola for the innovation and laying a solid foundation for education in the state.
Besides, Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and his Ekiti State counterpart, Dr Kayode Fayemi commended Governor Aregbesola for setting a pace for other states in the country.
Tinubu who expressed delight at the performances of Governor Aregbesola in his two and a half years administration said he was not disappointed with the laudable achievements recorded by Aregbesola and other Governors on the platform of the ACN.
He said the Governor has through the launch of “Opon Imo” given real dividends of democracy to every home in the state, as according to him every single home in the state would directly benefit from the government gesture.
Aregbesola while speaking expressed gratitude to God and the people of the state for giving him the opportunity to serve.
He said his government believes in education as the solution to mirage of problems in the country, hence its interest in the education sector.
He said that the innovation will assist in epitomizing education permanently in the state adding that the gesture will open more door to students to learn.
He noted that the computer tablets would go a long way at ameliorating the sufferings of students who have no text books and do not have access to functional library.
The Governor enjoined other states of the federation to borrow a leaf from his government in the area of education, describing the children as tomorrow leaders of the country.
150,000 of the computer tablets would be distributed to each of the senior secondary schools students in the state to prepare them well for future examinations both internal and external.
The learning tool, it was gathered, has multimedia content, 54 e-textbooks covering 17 subjects, 54 tutorials covering 17 subjects, over 40,000 practice questions and answers and six extra curricular books.
Aregbesola disclosed that the state was able to save a whopping sum of N8.4 billion ($53 million) annually for the inventory when considering the cost of procurement of text books for the pupils.