The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has said his administration had bequeathed a worthy legacy of sound leaning and character to Osun pupils in all strata of education in the state.
He attributed the monumental achievements which his administration has recorded in the education sector as a direct indication of his administration’s commitment to revamp, revive, transform and change the face of education in the state.
Governor Aregbesola made the statement while addressing the people during the 2018 Osun State-Wide School Calisthenics Competition Grand Finale, organized by the Department of Social and Grassroots Mobilization and Guidance, Office of the Governor.
He said his administration has rebranded and placed Osun on the path of healthy, growing, economic development and prosperity as reflected in the successes of his policies and programmes.
Aregbesola, who said the state under his watch has not only popularized calisthenics as a critical extra-curriculum engagement, held that the exercise has come to stay not only within the pupils in public schools but also among the pupils in private schools.
He said: “As a government, we are happy today to have introduced this beautiful exercise to Osun and bequeathed it as a worthy legacy of our administration.
“It was Chief Bola Ige who introduced callisthenics to Nigeria in the Second Republic, but regrettably, it died with the end of civilian rule in 1983.
“We however, reintroduced callisthenics to Nigeria in 2011 when we engaged two Cubans, Francis Rodriguez and Raiza Guerra, who trained the first set.
“This set performed in 2012 during the ceremonies of Osun at 21st anniversary. Calisthenics was also in display during Oodua World Children’s Day the following year. By this time, our own people have been trained by the Cubans and have taken over the role of trainers.
“Then again, we showcased the beauty of callisthenics during the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the creation of Osun in 2016. Also, at the third anniversary of the second term of our administration last year, callisthenics featured, as it was beamed live from this stadium to the whole world.
“The children themselves were also treated to calisthenics display during this year’s Children’s Day at this same stadium.
“Callisthenics began with public schools around Osogbo, it has since been taken to all the nooks and crannies of the state and now extended to private schools, many of whom, I am told, have excelled in the sport.”
Aregbesola added said he could confidently say that callisthenics had come to stay in the State of Osun, saying he had no doubt that it is one of the lofty programmes that would be continued by the coming administration, with the prospect of spreading it to other states of the federation.
He noted that calisthenics incorporates the three domains of education, the cognitive, psychomotor and the affective while also developing the athlete in knowledge, skill, vigour and agility.
According to the Governor, calisthenics also encourages the teaching of morals and impacting of attitudes whose absence in citizens constitute one of Nigeria’s biggest challenges today.
He continued: “One unique value of callisthenics is that it teaches teamwork. It reinforces the notion that it takes the cooperation and effectiveness of every member of a team in performing his or her role for the team to be successful.
“Our overall vision is to develop the new man intellectually, socially and morally. This new man is placed in the centre of society who views his own development as part of and for the development of society.
“Our philosophy of education is not just to award certificate. Educational certificates should be given after the graduates have been found worthy in learning and character.
“We have built the character aspect of learning around the Yoruba Omoluabi ideal. Omoluabi is the ideal conception of the total man viewed as the very epitome of hard work, honesty, integrity, chivalry, dignity, grace, knowledge-seeking, spirituality, generosity, public spiritedness and resilience in the face of adversity”, he said.
In his welcome address, the Commissioner for Education, Mr Wasiu Kolawole Omotunde-Young, commended the administration of Governor Aregbesola for bringing back to life and for sustaining the already dead calisthenics exercise.
Omotunde-Young, who was represented by the Director, Department of Social and Grassroots Mobilization and Guidance, Comrade Bayo Ojo, noted that Osun remains the only state in Nigeria particular in the southwest region, where all government policies are people-centred and masses-oriented.
He lauded the Aregbesola’s policies and programmes on education which he said had impacted greatly in transforming the lives of the young ones, securing and guaranteeing a better future for them.
The Commissioner said the state had made tremendous achievements through her life-changing, life-supporting, life-sustaining policies and programmes not only in education but across sectors.
While describing calisthenics as a vehicle of unity, cooperation, discipline, organization, precision, beauty and orderliness, the Osun Education Commissioner said the Aregbesola’s administration has recorded indelible legacy in the education sector.
According to him, “Calisthenics are exercise consisting of a variety of rhythmic movements within different formations and compositions.
