Osun Defender - July 1st 2014, Edition

VOL. 9. NO.078 NNNNN5050505050TUESDAY, JUKY 1, 2014

www.osundefender.org THE 6TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA

Front Page Comment

- See StoryOn Page 2

Who KilledChief Bola Ige,former Attorney-

General andMinister of

Justice? IGE

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd right); his deputy, Otunba (Mrs) Titi Laoye-Tomori (left); Project Manager, Andalusian Mining Limited, PerthWestern Australia, Colin Miller (centre); Managing Director of the firm, Wayne Miller (2nd left) and Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Mineral and Natural Resources,Prince Tunde Ajilore (right), after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Australian firm for gold mining in Ilesa at Government House, Osogbo, State of Osun,last Saturday.

Osun 2014: Aregbesola’sPopularity Soars

•Survey Gives Him 80 Per Cent Winning Chance

The allegationof planning tocause violenceduring the comingguberna to r i a lelection in thestate of Osun bythe PDP gover-norship candi-date,

Omisore's figmentof imagination

former SenatorIyiola Omisoreagainst the stateGovernor, OgbeniRauf Aregbesola,

is to say the leastridiculous. Comingfrom Omisore we seethis as the most irre-sponsible

and pre-posterous alle-gation to levyagainst OgbeniAregbesola, ap e r s o n a g ewidely knownfor his pacificinclination.

Continue on pg4

2OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 1, 2014 News

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (centre); Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Mineraland Natural Resources, Prince Tunde Ajilore (left); Special Adviser on Commerce, Co-operatives and Empower-ment, Dr Yinusa Dauda (right); Project Manager, Andalusian Mining Limited, Perth Western Australia, Mr ColinMiller (2nd right) and Managing Director of the company, Mr Wayne Miller (2nd left), during the company’s visit tothe governor in the Government House, Osogbo, State of Osun, last Friday.

Osun 2014: Aregbesola’s Popularity Soars•Survey Gives Him 80 Per Cent Winning Chance

THE second term bid of the governor, State of Osun,Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the All ProgressivesCongress (APC) candidate in the August 9

governorship election, has received a boost, as findings ofa survey scored him high in terms of popularity.

In the report of a surveyconducted by a socio-political group, GoodGovernance Vanguard(GGV), Aregbesola has 82

per cent chance of winningthe election, while thePeoples Democratic Party(PDP) candidate, IyiolaOmisore, has 9 per cent

chance.The Labour Party (LP)

candidate, Alhaji FataiAkinbade, according to thereport, has 7 per cent chanceof winning, while otherpolitical parties shared 2 percent, with an error margin of2.5 per cent.

The report, which was

signed by the Coordinatorof the group, PastorMathew Adenrele, said thatrandom selection approachwas used to conduct thepoll in all the nine federalconstituencies of the state.

The respondents in thepoll, the report said, cutacross politicians, civil

servants, artisans, marketmen and women andstudents.

Respondents weredrawn from minimum of sixmajor towns andcommunities in each of thefederal constituencies ofthe state.

The report said thelargest percentage of therespondents attributed theirlove for Aregbesola to hisdevelopmental programmesand policies, while theyrejected Omisore for whatthey described as his“perceived criminalconduct” and hisunfavourable antecedentswhen he occupied politicaloffices in the past.

Some of the respondents,according to the report,identified the reformation inthe education system,ranging from constructionof new schools, distributionof tablets of knowledge(Opon Imo), increment ofgrants to schools anddistribution of free uniformsas some of the policies thathave positively affectedtheir lives and made themshow interest in thegovernor.

The report read: “In thecourse of compiling theresults of this poll, it wasestablished that theprogrammes and policies ofRauf Aregbesola’sadministration are

acceptable to the people andhave given him popularityabove other candidates.

“The largest percentageof the respondentsattributed their love forAregbesola to his policieson education, ranging fromconstruction of newschools, initiation anddistribution of Opon-Imo tostudents, distribution of freeuniforms to students, freemeal to elementary schoolpupils, cancellation of PTAfees by students andincrement of grant toschools and encouragementof teachers.

“In the area ofinfrastructural development,all the respondents attestedto the fact that Aregbesola’sadministration hasconstructed a number ofroads that no governmenthas ever done in the past.

“While some of therespondents also affirmedtheir support for Aregbesoladue to his approach to youthemployment, especially,through OYES and other jobcreation strategies, somesaid their supports wereborne out of their interest inhis social securityprogrammes like Agba-Osunwelfare programme, care forphysically-challenged andmentally-ill people,” thereport read.

The respondents,according to the survey,have made up their minds tore-elect Aregbesola, with aview to appreciating hisdevelopmental programmesand allow him complete theprojects he had started.

On the other hand, therespondents who voted infavour of Omisore andAkinbade, according to thereport, were mainlypoliticians of PDP and LPextractions, who want theirparty to be in government.

Separation Of Structures: Aregbesola Assures AffectedLandlords •To Pay N2Bn Compensation By KEHINDE AYANTUNJI

GOVERNMENT of the State of Osun on Saturday saidarrangements have been concluded to pay the sum ofN2 billion as compensation and palliatives to

landlords and tenants, whose buildings were affected by theseparation exercise during the construction of major roadsin Osogbo, the state capital.

The state governor, OgbeniRauf Aregbesola, stated this inOsogbo during a meeting withthe affected landlords andtenants at the GovernmentHouse, Oke-fia, whilepromising that the moneywould be paid up in batchesbefore the end of the year.

He said the state governmentdecided to embark on massiveroad construction in the state,so as to speed up the economicdevelopment of the state andnot because his administrationwanted to inflict sufferings onthe people.

He however, explained thatgovernment realises thesuffering that those whosebuildings and properties wereaffected by the separationmight have been going through,saying the delay in thepayment of the compensationand palliatives was as a resultof the shortfall in the federalallocation to the state.

Aregbesola explained thatdespite the paucity of funds,the current administration inthe state had spent about N812million as compensation andpalliatives to people, whoseproperties have been affectedas a result of the infrastructuraldevelopment his administrationis embarking on.

He therefore, urged thepeople to continue to have faithin his administration, as it isready to continue to work for

the development of the state.“It’s not because we want

to inflict sufferings on you thatwe are constructing good roads.We are doing it because we havesigned a pact with the peopleof Osun to develop our state.

“It is something we havesigned with the people throughthe “Green Book.”

“I know your pains and weare doing everything possibleto alleviate them. Since lastyear, we have beenexperiencing a shortfall in theallocation that is due to thestate, which has been reducedby N2 billion.

“I urge you to please exercisepatience and continue tocooperate with our governmentto develop our state. Thepalliatives and compensationswould be paid before the endof the year,” the governorpromised.

Also speaking, the StateCommissioner for Lands,Physical Planning and UrbanDevelopment, ArchitectOlumuyiwa Ige, thanked thelandlords and tenants for theircontinued cooperation,affirming that the delay in thepayment was as a result of theshortfall in the federalallocation.

He stressed that governor’sefforts in embarking on theseparation exercise was in a bidto make Osogbo, the statecapital, look like a befitting

state capital and not to makethe people suffer.

He added that the stategovernment has paidcompensation to the majorityof shop owners, whosebusinesses were affected.

“The delay in the paymentof the compensation was as aresult of shortfall in ourallocation. We have been

reaching out to the variousclaimants by allocating about1,500 plots for shops and toldthem to come and apply forshops, all in a bid to alleviatetheir sufferings,” he stated.

Alhaji Mushood Oladejoand Alhaja Sidikat Dauda, whospoke on behalf of thelandlords and tenants,appreciated GovernorAregbesola for the meeting,

saying it was a demonstrationof how sensitive the presentadministration is to the feelingsand aspirations of the people.

While appreciating thegovernor for his efforts indeveloping the state, theyappealed to him to ensure thatthe compensation andpalliatives are paid on time, soas to alleviate the sufferings ofthe affected people.

Omisore In Trouble Over Faking Okada Rider

THE photograph of the governorship candidate of thePeoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State of Osun,Senator Iyiola Omisore, sitting on a motorcycle in

what appeared a stage-managed show of being with themasses, has elicited a trending wave of mockery, ascommercial motorcyclists, popularly called Okada riders,and observers have described the photograph as a fake.

A commercial motorcyclistin Osogbo, the state capital,Kamil Olaoti, said Omisore was

never known to have identifiedwith the ordinary peoplebefore.

He said it was clear that nowthat Omisore needs votes, heis trying to fake identifyingwith the people.

“We have seen photo of hisOkada riding. That tells us thatOmisore is a fake. Fayose ofEkiti that he is trying to copyis naturally a street man.Omisore thinks the Ekiti magic

can work in Osun,” he stressed.Another Okada rider, Mr.

Oriade Ajasa, who spoke withthe medium at Ota-Efun areaof the state capital, said it wasobvious that Omisore wasdesperately looking for whatwill make him appeal to thecommon man, while wonderinghow could he appeal to thecommon man, when he has notbeen doing that before now.

A leader of the commercialmotorcyclists in Osogbo, Mr.Samson Egbetokun, said thepicture has shown Omisore tobe a confused politician.

“If he likes, let him go andeat Booli (roasted plantain) andepa ( groundnut) on the streetsof Ilesa or Ila or Osogbo, thatdoes not change the fact thathe is not seen to be committedto the welfare of the commonman.

“He is a fake and nothing butfake. He was a senator and whatdid we benefit from him. Heshould go and tell his party thatriding Okada and looking oddon it is not what we want in agovernor,” he stated.

Ramadan: Aregbesola Asks Muslims To Pray For The Nation

AS the holy month of Ramadan begins, the governor ofthe State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, hascharged Muslims all over the country to pray for peace

and security.

In a statement issued by theDirector, Bureau ofCommunications and Strategy,Office of the Governor, Mr.Semiu Okanlawon, thegovernor said Ramadan is amonth in which Muslimsredouble their spiritual effortsfor the attainment of piety.

Aregbesola tasked theMuslim Ummah to use theholy month to pray ferventlyfor peace and security in thenation and the State of Osun.

He reiterated that Islam is a

religion that promotes peaceand its adherents have nochoice but to be peaceful andpeace-loving in theirbehaviours and conducts.

The governor said: “This isa month that comes once in ayear. It is a month designed byAllah to open the door ofmercy, favour and forgivenessto His creatures.

“We should seize thisopportunity to pray for thecountry to overcome all thesocio-political upheavals and

insecurity we are been battlingwith.

“Our dear state is also goingthrough a historical politicaljourney, as the day of electiondraws near. It is our duty topray for free and fair electionon August 9 election.

“We must extend hands offellowship to both Muslimsand non-Muslims; use themonth to share, care and showlove to others.

“Above all, we must striveto be agents and promoters ofpeaceful and harmonious co-existence in our communities,as well as resolve not to revisitwhatever anti-social vices thatRamadan has prevented usfrom engaging in,” the governorsaid.

By KEHINDE AYANTUNJI

3 News OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 1, 2014

•Wife of the governor, State of Osun, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola, at Orisunmibare Market, Osogbo, last Friday.Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

Aregbesola Promises To Enhance Teachers’ WelfareBy KEHINDE AYANTUNJI

GOVERNOR of the State of Osun, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola, has stated that the purpose of hisadministration is to cater for the welfare and well-

being of the people.

Aregbesola stated this at ameeting held with theConference of Principals ofSecondary Schools and HeadTeachers of all ElementarySchools in the state.

The governor observed thatsince the inception of hisadministration, he hascontinuously put in placeprogrammes and policies thathave brought poverty to itsbarest minimum and boost the

economic base of the vastmajority.

He stated that his visionand mission for the state is toarrest the mismanagement ofhuman and financial resourcesinherited from the pastadministration.

According to the governor,people are the wealth andcapital of politicians and sothey are the targets aroundwhich government is centred.

“A responsible governmenthas people at the centre of itspolicies. We are in governmentto make sure that the welfareof the people gets better dayby day.

“Our government was ableto survive the economicimpasse brought about byinjurious reduction in thefederal allocation, following thesacrifice for not forming cabinetfor 10 months and not beingfrivolous with the excess crudeoil account. This offered us theopportunity to save about N5billion,” Aregbesola said.

Appealing to the teachers tofurther make sacrifice in theinterest of the state, the

governor announced thatdespite the not-too-encouraging revenue accruing tothe coffers of government, theadministration still managed tosponsor some principals ofsecondary schools to Tanzaniafor a workshop between 2012and 2013.

He refuted the rumours thatthe state government wouldsack workers, saying when hecame to the office in 2010, hewas pressured to sack but herefused.

The governor, who saidthere is a grand plan to stiflethe state with allocation untilafter the election, assured theteachers that his government

will pay salaries as and whendue, adding that hisadministration needs supportand understanding to ensure abetter state for all.”

Earlier in his remark, thestate Chairman of the NigerianUnion of Teachers, whodoubles as the Chairman of theNigeria Labour Congress(NLC), Comrade SakaAdesiyan, highlighted some ofthe grey areas the teachers aredesirous of government’s quickintervention.

The labour leader listedcontributory pension scheme,

special subvention for teachersin rural areas and internationalseminars and workshops, assome of the areas that requireurgent government attention.

Adesiyan noted that theinteractive session with thegovernor was an opportunityto disabuse the minds of somepeople, who are insinuatingthat the teachers do not supportAregbesola’s second term bid.

Adesiyan also commendedthe governor for payingsalaries as well as 2014 leavebonuses, despite the shortfallin federal allocation to the state.

Osun Govt Approves Construction Of Ifedayo Rural Roads

STATE Government of Osun has approved theconstruction of Oke-Ila-Ayegunle-Ikoro-Asaba roadsin Ifedayo and Ila Local Government Council Areas of

the state to bring succour to the farmers in the rural areas.

By SHINA ABUBAKAR

This was disclosed by theChairman of Governor RaufAregbesola re-electionCampaign Committee,Honourable Sunday Akere,while visiting wards in thecouncil areas canvassing forvotes for the governor’s secondterm bid.

Among the areas thecampaign train visited wereAjebamidele, Oyi-Ayegunle,Obasikin, Adion, Asa-Oye andAba Legemo, where teemingsupporters of the party andresidents bearing broomstrooped out to show solidaritywith the All ProgessivesCongress (APC).

Addressing the heads ofcommunities separately, Akeredisclosed that the stategovernment has approved theconstruction of the road fromOke-Ila through Ayegunle,Ikoro linking Asaba road in IlaLocal Government CouncilArea.

He added that besides theroad in question, another threekilometres of road has beenapproved for lawmakers in theState House of Assembly fortheir various constituencies andthat of Ifedayo is scheduled tocover Ayegunle throughObasikin to Ajebamidele.

The commissioner statedthat the current stategovernment understands theplight of rural dwellers, whoare predominantly farmers, toget their farm produce tomarket centres, hence, itsresolve to constructing good

roads in the rural areas.He added that good roads

enhance the price value of farmproduce and reduce wastebecause farmers could get theirproduce to market in good time.

Similarly, Akere disclosedthat he and the StateCommissioner for Health, Dr.(Mrs) Temitope Ilori, whowas also on the entourage,were taking note of somecommunities in the area, whoseneeds are maternity centresand promised to provide suchfor them.

According to the campaigncommittee chairman, the rural

areas are important to thegovernor because of his driveto develop the state’s economythrough massive agriculturalprogrammes, saying thegovernor would not relent inproviding more financialassistance to the farmers.

He added that the stategovernment would not relent inproviding more infrastructuralfacilities to make themcomfortable in a bid to makethem major contributors to thegrowth of the state economy.

He also promised that if thepeople vote for Aregbesolaagain, the governor would notrelent in fulfilling his electoralpromises again, as he has beendoing in the first term of office.

In their separate responses,the heads of the variouscommunities acknowledged theperformance of the governor in

all sectors in the state,however, they requested forthe extension of roads to theircommunities, which accordingto them, is the major way ofimpacting on their farmingactivities.

Ayegunle, Ajebamidele andAdion requested for theextension of mobile service tothe areas to enable themcommunicate effectively withtheir relatives and customers inthe cities.

The campaign traincomprising of its Secretary, MrBisi Bawala, Dr. (Mrs)Temitope Ilori, Alhaji AzeezMoshood, Honourable (Dr)Atolagbe Afolabi, werebewildered by the large turn-out of youths and women atOyi-Ayegunle and Obasakin,professing their loyalty andsupport for the governor’s re-election.

3 PDP Accident Victims Die After ChasingAway O’AmbulanceTHE refusal of supporters of Peoples Democratic Party

(PDP) and its governorship candidate, Iyiola Omisore,to allow the intervention of Osun Ambulance Scheme,

has resulted to the death of three PDP members, who wereinvolved an accident on Thursday.

Omisore Vows To ScrapOYES If Elected

The deceased were Kehinde,popularly called Alausa andKazeem, who were both fromInisa. The third person hailedfrom Ikirun, but his name couldnot be ascertained as at the timeof filing this report.

Motorcyclists, who werePDP supporters, numberingabout 12, were reported to beawaiting Omisore and PDPleaders to their campaign inInisa, a community in Odo-OtinLocal Government CouncilArea of the state, at the entrancepoint of the town, when an ar-ticulated vehicle veered off its

lane and crushed them.About 10 of the motorcy-

clists were seriously injured inthe process, while others es-caped the accident unhurt, buttheir motorcycles were badlydestroyed.

An eye witness told OSUNDEFENDER that Osun Ambu-lance vehicles were quick enoughto arrive the scene of the acci-dent, but the PDP supportersreportedly rejected their inter-vention and chased them away.

The witness noted that if notfor the quick departure of theAmbulance officials, they would

have been attacked, as the PDPsupporters continuously booedthem.

The PDP supporters subse-quently rushed the victims totwo separate private hospitals,where they were rejected, be-fore they were taken to SeventhDay Hospital in Inisa.

From the Seventh Day Hos-pital, they were referred toLAUTECH Teaching Hospital,Osogbo.

It was in the process of rush-ing them to LAUTECH thatthree of the victims lost theirlives.

A family member of one ofthe victims, identified asKazeem, who pleaded anonym-ity, said chasing the Ambulanceaway was a clear show of norespect for human lives.

“I wonder why politicscould be taken to that level. Thisis a clear desperation on ourpart. My brother and two oth-ers died because we didn’t wantto concede anything.

“The truth is that the ambu-lance responded on time but itwas our people that deniedthem access to the victims. Ifwe had allowed them, the Am-bulance would have taken thevictims to LAUTECH straightand probably, all of these peoplewould not have died just likethat,” the witness recounted.

Meanwhile, as at the time offiling this report, some of thevictims were still receiving treat-ment at LAUTECH TeachingHospital, while some otherwere still at Seventh Day Hos-pital in Inisa.

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the August 9 election in the State of Osun,Senator Iyiola Omisore, has planned to scrap Osun

Youths Empowerment Scheme (OYES), if elected.

Osun APC Urges MuslimsTo Pray For Sanity, Peace

The OYES was the schemeinitiated by Governor RaufAregbesola through which20,000 youths were engagedwithin his 100 days in office andanother 20,000 engaged twoyears after, bringing the totalnumber of those engaged underthe scheme to 40,000.

The scheme has been ad-judged the first of its kind in thecountry and considered to havereduced the crime rate in thestate.

However, Omisore, as partof his proposed policies ifelected, has decided to scrap thescheme, with a view to com-pletely rubbishing Aregbesola’sachievements.

According to a reliablesource, Omisore was reportedto have noted that if the schemeis sustained, Aregbesola wouldcontinue to take the glory.

This, the source said,Omisore considered dangerousfor his future political ambition.

However, because some ofthe party leaders have kickedagainst the move, they have sug-gested the reduction of the num-ber from 20,000 to between2,000 and 5,000, which wouldcomprise PDP members alone.

They further suggested that

after the number might havebeen reduced, the name of thescheme would be changed andmake it a means of compensat-ing members of the party.

As at the time of filing thisreport, the source said Omisorehas not agreed to the suggestionsof the leaders, as he was stillinsisting on total scrap of thescheme, if elected.

Meanwhile, a public analyst,Comrade Adebayo Badru, hasstated that scrapping thescheme would spell doom forthe security of the state.

“Security of lives and prop-erties does not only involve thenumber of security of person-nel or ammunitions that areavailable, it also includes engage-ment of the youths.

“If youths are not idle, I cantell you, security operativeswould have a lesser job to doand that is what the OYES hasdone.

“If somebody is now think-ing of scrapping such sensitivescheme, then we are doomed andthat is why we should votewisely, so that we will not bereturned to the period whenpeople could not sleep withtheir two eyes closed,” he said.

MUSLIMS in the State of Osun, as well as in otherstates of the federation, have been urged to use theperiod of Ramadan fast to reflect deeply and pray

earnestly for peace to prevail in the country.Besides, they should also

pray that “political sanityshould become dominant in thehearts of politicians, especiallythose in the State of Osun, whoappear desperate for politicalpower.”

This was the plea containedin a goodwill message from theOsun Chapter of the AllProgressives Congress (APC),

signed by its Director ofPublicity, Strategy andResearch, Barrister KunleOyatomi, to Muslims, as theRamadan fast starts.

“As a religion that promotespeace and brotherliness, Islamand true Moslems should be inthe vanguard of peaceful co-existence amongst the differentpeoples of our society,” theAPC said.

“At this period of greatchallenges facing Nigeria andthe political class, fasting andpraying for divine interventionis a great necessity,” the partystressed.

According to the APC, thereis a significant degree ofpolitical desperation in theState of Osun, which requiresprayers for a change of hearton the part of politicians, whowant power at all and any cost.

“Let us use this period ofRamadan, as effectively as wecan, to fast and pray for sanityand peace to reign in Osunbefore, during and after theelection of August 9th,” theAPC said wishing all Moslemsand their neighbours a sublimeperiod of reflection andspiritual communication withAllah.

4 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Omisore's figment of imagination

Apart from virtues of hard work,humility, dedication, commitment toservice

, one other quality OgbeniAregbesola possesses which en-dears him to people is his pacificnature. More often than not mes-sages of peace always come outfrom his mouth.

But he (Ogbeni) doesn't onlypreach peace, he also walk the talk.Even when his mandate was stolenby the PDP in 2007 rather than en-courage his supporters and partymembers to engage in violence hecontinued to appeal to them to toethe line of peace. As a peace lovingindividual he headed for the Courtwhere he finally got justice after threeand a half years of perseverance.And even after regaining his stolen

mandate he never avenge in spiteof all the persecutions he wentthrough in the hands of electoralbandits. He preferred to forgive histormentors.

Thus isn't it the height of mischieffor anyone to come up with allega-tion of planning to cause violenceagainst a personage of this nature?Of course it is! And even if such awrong allegation would come fromanybody it shouldn't be Omisorewhose stock in trade is perpetra-tion of violence and who derives somuch joy from disturbing publicpeace. We see this as a case of thepot calling the kettle black or a situ-ation whereby the thief starts tocatch the farm owner because thefarm owner is slow in catching thethief.

In his figment of imagination orout of deliberate mischief Omisorehad alleged that "the governor had

bought 20 Armoured PersonnelCarriers (APCs) which would beused to cause violence during thecoming governorship election". Hehad alleged further that"Aregbesola has a premeditatedstrategy to release these APCsduring the election". What a spu-rious allegation?

For those who care to know orbetter still for the purpose of pub-lic enlightenment the reason for thepurchase of the said APCs is forfurther distribution to the securityoperatives to aid them in their re-sponsibility of maintaining peace inthe state. We recall here that thegovernor had earlier distributedsome APCs and about 120 patrolvans to security agencies in thestate. That was in April 2013 at aceremony where the Inspector-General of Police was representedand the governor did promise onthat occasion that more would still

come.

Thus if there are APCs in govern-ment house why the fuss about theirpresence? We believe commonsense should simply tell anyone thatthese APCs are not purchased forany other ulterior motive other thanto be given to the security personnelin fulfillment of the governor's prom-ise to further empower them to maketheir job easier.

But at Osun Defender here we arenot in the least surprised that this al-legation is coming from Omisore'scamp. Being a serial liar that he is noserious-minded person should takehim serious at all because more of-ten than not, lie, and nothing but lieare the words that come out fromhis mouth.

PDP's Destructive Mental Sickness

A F T E Rthoroughanalysis

of Senator IsiakaA d e l e k e ’ scomments on hisexperience in thehands of his formerpolitical associates,it is finallyconfirmed that thegenerality of PDPmembers acrossNigeria are criminals,ex-convicts, thugsand assassins.

Omisore, Jalo,Sogo and the rest ofPDPigs will everremain sick in thebrain untilsomething is doneto rehabilitate themmentally.

In my personal

suggestion, let allconcerned citizensof Osun assist witha contribution ofN50 each and bringin foreignpsychotherapists(experts in treatmentof mental-related

unconsciousness) torehabilitate themimmediately. Therewere cases ofm e n t a l l y - s i c kpolitical figures likeOmisore in the pastacross the worldlike, Hitler of former

East Germany andIdi Amin of Uganda.

People of this levelof infirmity are sickbut equallyinfluential, rich andcatastrophic innature. They aredangerous to the

existence ofh u m a n i t yparticularly whenthey rise to places ofhigh authority. Theyare always wicked,b l o o d t h i r s t y ,m e n t a l l yi n c o n s i s t e n t ,

OSUN DEFENDERPublisher – Moremi Publishing

House Ltd.

Managing Editor – Kola Olabisi(0803-392-7286)

Editor – Kayode Agbaje (0803-388-0205)

Lagos Editor – Kola Odepeju(08023191891)

Production Editor – Pet-Kola Taiwo Ibitowa

Senior Reporter – Sola JacobsSenior Reporter – Kazeem Mohammed

Magazine Editor – Niyi Olasinde

Reporter – Kehinde AyantunjiReporter – Francis Chukwuma

Photographer – Oluwagbemiga AdeniyiPhotographer – Olushola Aderinto

Admin. Manager – Murtala Agboola

Computer Operator – Saheed AfolabiComputer Operator – Mary AkintolaAssistant Computer Operator – Lukman Oseni

OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing HouseLimited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarantee Trust BankGTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun.All correspondence to the above mail address.ISSN: 0794-8050Telephone: 0803-392-7286, 08033880205Website: www.osundefender.com/index.phpe-mail: osundefender@yahoo.com

destructive, viciousand callous.

Good people ofOsun, it is high timefor us to unite andsave the lives ofpopular sickNigerians likeOmisore before theyruin their world. Forthe last time, wemust all unite to stopcriminals frombecoming governorsand presidents inthis nation, if we areto ever prosper andfor the peace of ourgeneration and thoseyet to come. Abo orolaaso f ’omoluabi,toba d’enu re, adodindi (A word isenough for the wise).

• A D E W A L EA D E N I Y I ,Osunjela, State ofOsun.

Continued from pg1

5555

PoliticsOSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Iwo Mega Rally: Convergence Of Unanimous EndorsementThe Iwo Mega Rally of the State of Osun All Progressives Congress came as

the fourth in the series of open campaign gatherings convened across thenine federal constituencies with the motive of garnering support for the massivere-election of the incumbent governor, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, andensuring his victory at the Gubernatorial Election holding in the state onAugust 9. The rally, held at the instance of Iwo/Ayedire/Ola-Oluwa FederalConstituency, played out as a convergence of unanimous endorsement. Thisis NIYI OLASINDE’s submission as he chronicles the highlights of eventswhich unfolded there. His reports are here dissected.

Aregbesola On The March Again

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (arrowed), acknowledging cheers from the mammoth crowd during his re-election mega rally in Iwo Federal Constituency,Iwo, State of Osun, recently.

6 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 1, 2014MAGAZINE

Iwo Mega Rally: Convergence Of Unanimous Endorsement

Contiuned from page 5

Contiuned on page 11

•

TUESDAY, the 17th of June 2014, like every other day, cameand went. But it was indeed a different day in the annals ofan ancient settlement in the State of Osun. Going by its

antecedents, the settlement under reference has long-standingreputation as to its significance to the politics of the state, rightfrom the pre-independence era of the illustrious defunct WesternRegion, through the time of the old Oyo State. All through thesefacets of the chequered history of the state, the place of Iwo axisin the political chessboard of the various formations that theState of Osun had been known with cannot be over-emphasized.This fact has been most especially true for the unwavering com-mitment and loyalty which the ancient community exuded forpolitical camps of the progressives in all the forms it has so farbeen known. It is not surprising therefore that the events aboutto be captured unfolded quite satisfactorily and with many ex-ceeding feats.

On that red-letter day, the ancient town of Iwo played host tothe fourth in the series of mega rallies of the All ProgressivesCongress (APC), the State of Osun which are packaged to heraldthe second coming into office of the incumbent governor, OgbeniRauf Adesoji Aregbesola, come August 9, 2014. This time around,organizing and hosting of the rally concerned three local govern-ment council areas situated in the Iwo Federal Constituency, andwhich is headquartered in Iwo. The three local government coun-cil areas of which the federal constituency is comprised are Iwo,Ayedire and Ola Oluwa local government council areas. Thepresent-day Iwo, Ayedire and Ola-Oluwa local councils are head-quartered at Iwo, Ile-Ogbo and Bode-Osi respectively. Added tothe important vantage and prominent position of that axis in thepolitics of Osun is the fact that the three local councils are first-generation in nature, as far as the almost twenty-three-year-oldstate is concerned. The three local government areas had been inexistence prior to the carving out of the state from the old OyoState in 1991. The foregoing is for the purpose of driving thepoint home that the council areas predated the state itself; beingfond legacies from the earlier structure with which it had beenknown.

It was therefore at the instance of constituents in these threementioned councils that the mammoth crowd converged on Iwoon that day. On account of the overwhelming crowd and that ofthe ultimate success of the programme, big thumbs-up of com-mendation goes to the local organizing committee, that is, theAregbesola Second Term Campaign Committee for the federalconstituency, ably chaired by the Secretary to the State Govern-ment (SSG) and former State Chairman of the party, AlhajiMoshood Adeoti.

In similar vein, all others who contributed to the eventualsuccess story of the programme deserve commendation. An at-tempt at making a list will surely snatch the responsibility of thewrite-up, thereby causing an awful derailment. Above all, all andsundry who made up the gathering, members of the cheeringcrowd inclusive are appreciated, since all of them, one way or theother mean one or other thing to the ruling party in the state. Theprogramme at Iwo replicated my earlier judgment that the AllProgressives Congress (APC) does usual things uniquely and ingrand style, as far as the State of Osun is concerned. In aggrega-tion, the fold of the political party all over the country has provenmy verdict right via the success recorded at the first-ever Na-tional Convention of the party held about a fortnight ago at theEagle’s Square in Abuja. At that programme also, a surging crowdconverged to attest to it that the party of progressives is not justappearing to façade the usual opposition threats, but to contendand win the seat of government at the centre – that is governmentat federal level.

The manner of emergence of elected national officers of theparty showed clearly that there still exists bright radiant hope forNigeria, not only in the aspect of internal democracy, but also

orderliness, peaceful conduct and other ingredients of lastingdemocratic culture. Of greater joy is the fact that such programmeof such great magnitude and significance came up at a time likethis; otherwise, detractors would have classified our earlier judg-ments as product of parochial, sectional assessment. Now thetruth has been affirmed by the fact that even in events of nation-wide significance, the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a for-midable force to reckon with in breaking barriers to unity andharmonious peaceful co-existence. Surely, with this particularprogressive party, there is hope for Nigeria.

Like earlier ones held in Ile-Ife, Ikire and Ila-Orangun, the IwoMega Rally showcased the best attributes that a virtuous peopleshould radiate. Central to this is the spirit of love. Love in thiscontext implies love for all that is noble, good and worthwhile.Governor Aregbesola and other speakers at those held ralliesnever minced words in showing gratitude to the people for thelove they showed, not only by attending, but also by waitingalmost in day-long expectation of the arrival of the campaigntrain and the subsequent take-off of proceedings, even by stay-ing glued till the end of speeches. As a matter of fact, it takes loveto withstand all the rigors imposed by surging crowd, weatheruncertainties and other hazards, especially, the opportunity costsof putting up attendance at the expense of other engagementsthat people could have been preoccupied with.

Another quality of the people which made those rallies a ral-lying-point is the spirit of appreciation, which is also character-istic of any truly virtuous people. Something interests me in themanner that one highly reputable monarch in the state askedfrom the gathering at any public event within his domain in re-cent time, as to if they would show sincere appreciation for thegood gestures of Governor Aregbesola. The rousing and thunder-ous chorus of affirmative response to this question each time itwas asked thrilled the heart with joy. It is not in doubt thatpeople are sincerely appreciative of all developmental efforts ofthe incumbent administration since its ascension into office. Allthat we pray for, which forms the central core of all the rallies isthat the appreciation, be translated into trooping out massivelyon Election Day to exercise that civic responsibility that is aleveler for all. That one civic responsibility requires that whichall persons who have attained the stipulated voting age do withtheir thumbs. That responsibility requires one man, one womanto thumbprint only once on the ballot paper on election date forthe candidate of their choice – Aregbesola of course – and be anactive, vigilant observer of events up till counting and recordingtime. The all-important value of this task by voters was stressedover and over again by speakers at the rally.

Another attribute observed in the people of the state, whichinstills in me great pride of belonging here is the people’s raptur-ous desire for continuity. With all that we have seen and heard, alarge majority of our people is insistent on defending the changethey collectively effected, consciously and deliberately in 2007.It is so far widely demonstrated that elections in the State ofOsun shall no longer be exercises where people are coerced orover-swayed with financial or material gratifications. Desperatemoneybag politicians who are hell-bent to assume political of-fices by all means and at all costs have no business here. Theirtime has expired for good and all!

The role of security agents of sorts in maintaining peace andorderliness is indicative of the fact that they are getting up todefend the masses, which is their constitutional role in the demo-cratic society. At the Iwo Mega Rally in particular, GovernorAregbesola announced the reassurance given by the authoritiesof the armed forces that they would be protective rather thandestructive in their disposition henceforth. This undertaking, ifcarried out to the letter shall infuse soothing relief into the heartsof the people.

Lastly, the spirit of oneness and unity which prevailed amongthe people, measurable in terms of the hitch-, rancor-free con-duct is praise-worthy. It is with unanimous accord that a vote of

confidence is being passed on Aregbesola and his political plat-form, the All Progressives Congress (APC) to ride on. Surely, asGod Himself concluded in the scriptures, if the people are unitedand speak one single tongue, there is nothing they endeavour thatshall not be accomplished. May this divine will find practicalexpression in the life of our state, in the aspiration of Ogbeni andin our collective overall interest, come August 9 when we shall beapproaching the polls. God bless the State of Osun; God blessNigeria.

BUT the Iwo Mega Rally was unlike the three which camebefore it in many dimensions. In fairness, there has been no freshrally held so far without its uniqueness. However, that of Iwotends to have surpassed. This was to the extent that the firstcivilian governor of the state, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, increasedhis usual prediction of votes to be polled by the ruling party inthe state from 80 per cent to between 80 to 90 per cent! Accord-ing to him, the people of Iwo gave unanimous assurance in anunusual manner – a development that is impressive and goodindeed for democracy and good governance. He however prom-ised that the unanimity of Ede electorate would be more robust.That revelation makes things better still!

In his erudition, the Senator representing Osun Central Sena-torial District at the National Assembly, Professor Senator SolaAdeyeye was more eloquent than ever. He made the fifth andsixth lines of the first stanza of Nigeria’s National Anthem thetheme of his speech, which is: “the labour of our heroes pastshall never be in vain”. He then went ahead to checklist theheroes past against their noble deeds while alive. The heroes’honour roll began from the great Sir Herbert Macaulay, throughthe First Republic leaders like Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa-Balewa,Right Honourable Sir Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Jeremiah OyeniyiObafemi Awolowo and Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello (all of blessedmemory), to the felled Cicero of Esa-Oke, late Chief Bola Ige. Onthe shrouded mystery surrounding the assassination of Ige,Adeyeye asked many probing questions which required votersto beware of casting their votes in the direction of the yet-to-be-absolved dramatis personae fingered in the killing plot. Voting infavour of those accused persons, he concluded, shall make vainthe exertions of our illustrious heroes.

The foregoing is not all. The convergence on Iwo penultimateTuesday, as attested to by the governor himself was astonish-ingly overwhelming. The Iwo Central Stadium venue of the occa-sion was another class of its own. Except it has the mind ofkeeping date with disappointment, shame and showdown; noopposition party in the state dare choose such an auspiciousspace for the biggest of its (so-called) mega rallies. Not even thenoisy, flatulent Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that believesstrongly in financial / material enticements. The crowd at Iwowas so large and tumultuous that even the governor remarkedthat the volume of crowd outside the stadium outnumbered thatwithin! Great crowd; good people! The crowd at these rallieswere not enticed or attracted with money or other material in-ducements. There were no hired thugs, killers or odd-jobbers.

Upon the largeness of the crowd at Iwo, there were no re-ported cases of violence or other mishaps (ditto for the threeearlier-held rallies). In spite of the teeming crowd, lost itemswere still found and reported, signifying the absence of pick-pockets and pilferers at the event. This should not be surprisingin the State of the Virtuous, the various empowerment programmesembarked upon by the administration of Ogbeni has mopped upmiscreants and odd-jobbers from the streets. The handful re-maining are confined to where they are needed – the camp of theleading opposition.

Iwo axis is one of the settlements with which the State ofOsun shares ample borders with adjoining states. One of thegreatest delights ever was how passers-by and passengers toother states en route Iwo hastily deserted motor parks to enjoyOgbeni and give him his deserved respect and admiration for all

7 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 1, 2014

8 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 1, 2014 PHOTOTALKGovernor Rauf Aregbesola’s Parley/Meeting With Members Of Landlords And TenantsAffected By Separation Of Buildings As A Result Of Road Dualisation In Osogbo, AtState Government House, Last Saturday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

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•A cross section of members of landlords and tenants in Osogbo during the programme.

•(L-R) Alhaji Fatai Diekola; State of Osun Commissioner for Lands, Architect MuyiwaIge; Chairman, House Committee on Lands at State of Osun House Assembly,Honourable Johnson Ojo and Honourable Biodun Awolola.

•Governor Rauf Aregbesola (middle), acknowledging cheers from his admirers.

•(L-R) Comrade Waheed Lawal; state Commissioner for Commerce, Mr JayeobaAlagbada; Special Adviser to State of Osun Governor on Lands, Dr Ayoade Owoadeand Chief of Staff to State of Osun Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola.

9 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 1, 2014PHOTOTALK

•(L-R) State of Osun Commissioner for Health, Dr (Mrs) Temitope Ilori; Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola; Managing Director (MD)/Chief Executive Officer (CEO), OSICOL, Mr BolaOyebamiji and State of Osun NAFDAC Coordinator, Mr Kayode Fagboro.

Customers’ Forum And Official Roll-out Of 50cl New Essence Table Water By WifeOf The Governor, State Of Osun, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola, In Osogbo, Last Friday.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•(L-R) SUBEB Chairman in the State of Osun and President, Oranmiyan Worldwide,Prince Felix Awofisayo and General Manager (GM), Water Corporation in Osun, En-gineer Olugbenga Omojuyigbe at the event.

•Mrs Aregbesola (2nd left), presenting gifts to one of the OSICOL distributors, Mrs Suliat Abimbola (right); with them are Oyebamiji (1st left) and Fagboro (3rd left).

•A cross section of dignitaries at the programme.

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 1, 2014PHOTOTALK

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•Aregbesola (arrowed), acknowledging cheers from Ajegunle spare parts dealers in Osogbo.

Spare Parts Sellers In Ajegunle In Osogbo, Showed Their Support To The State OfOsun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s Second Term In Office Recently.

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (arrowed), acknowledging cheers from Ajegunle Spare Parts Dealers, during his unscheduled visit to them in Ajegunle,Osogbo, recently.

11 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 1, 2014 MAGAZINE

Iwo Mega Rally: Convergence Of Unanimous EndorsementContiuned from page 6

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they had heard and seen. It is no fiction that not less than fourof the passengers inside a bus that conveyed one of my friends toIwo on that day cancelled their earlier-planned journeys on hear-ing that Aregbesola was billed to be in town! Instead of carryingon with their trips as scheduled, they took the momentary deci-sion to stay put and identify with a man whose imprints of goodgovernance had become a reference point all over the country andwhose like they covet to saddle the mantle of leadership in theirrespective states.

It is astonishing that in spite of the fact that the stool of themonarch of Iwo had become vacant, following the demise of ObaAshiru Olatunbosun Tadese, the last Oluwo on February 19 lastyear; royal fathers, traditional rulers and community leaders stillconverged inside the auspicious palace of the ancient town tohold the forte and receive Governor Aregbesola with honour,splendor, prestige and finesse. This kind of unity and transpar-ent reverence for traditions is rare these days. We have heard ofcases where tussles among living monarchs had nearly wreckedthe ship of kingdoms and states. The prevailing love, peace andunity among these community leaders deserve commendation. Inspite of the sad reality felt at the conspicuous absence of ObaTadese, it was a joyous crowd that gathered to accord Aregbesolaa rousing welcome.

Another departure that would have cast a shadow on the eventis the recent home-call of the elder statesman, respected politi-cian and religious leader in the area, Alhaji Lateef Katayeyanjue.Instead of casting shadow on the event, the occasion turned outto be a summit for the celebration of the life of the departed icon.Speaker after speaker eulogized the good deeds of the deceased.A minute silence was observed and prayers were offered for therepose of his soul in Aljana Firdaus. There was hardly anyspeaker at the event that had nothing to say of the impactful andaccomplished life of the deceased.

The big deal in all these is that the Iwo Mega Rally brought tothe fore and amplified the hand of peace with which Aregbesolahas handled the State of Osun since his assumption of office.One of the cardinal objectives of his administration as containedin the Six-Point Integral Action Plan encapsulated in his pact ofgovernance for the people of the state is that his administrationwill: “Enhance Communal Peace and Progress”. All said and done,events at Iwo Mega Rally and other rallies are testimony enoughto it that peace and progress are the success story of theAregbesola administration in the State of Osun. Iwo people prayedthrough their massive turnout at the event that our state shallcontinue to experience greater measure of peace and progress. Weall pray along to the same effect. May God grant our hearts’desire.

It would be remembered that the event of the day was not thefirst organized one that brought the governor to the town inperson since his assumption of office. Either at party level or atthe level of government, Aregbesola or his representatives had onearlier occasions graced occasions in the town. Fresh in memoryis the Iwo episode of the audience-participation programme ofthe administration, through which the governor rubs mind withthe people in order to feel their pulses and know exactly wherethe shoe pinches. That live programme is called GbangbaDe’kun.I remember vividly that the inaugural edition of that programmetook place in Iwo. Even though the governor was for greater partof the event represented by the Deputy Governor due to someother crucial exigencies of office that took his time that day; thefact alone that the programme took debut at the town demon-strates the importance it wields in Osun politics and govern-ment. That event, though crowd-pulling in nature, could not becompared to the one the town was warming up for on that day.

Also of recent, following the crisis which erupted over theissue of wearing of hijab as part of female student uniform inpublic schools, and in trail of the submission of report of thecommission of enquiry into the root-causes of the crisis, chairedby Barrister Gbadegesin Adedeji, the Deputy Governor first vis-ited the town to hold a peace session with the people before thegovernor himself capped it with his presence and presiding at aTown Hall Meeting to settle the crisis. On both occasions therewas impressive turnout, but as both events only concerned stake-holders in religious faiths and public education, the crowd couldnot compare with the present one under reference.

THE programme at the Iwo Mega Rally that day kicked offwith an unofficial prelude, which commenced as early as day-break. Right from the twilight of dawn till dusk, the rusty ancienttown was rocked to its foundations as people moved about indroves to express joy, satisfaction and appreciation for having inplace a government they can genuinely call theirs; a governmentwhich fulfils the yearnings and aspiration of the people; a gov-ernment that listens; a government that gives what is needed inabundant doses.

The venue of the big event was the Iwo Central Stadium,where a tumultuous crowd had converged in expectation of thekick-off of events for the day. Since daybreak, people had beenmoving in droves toward the location of the venue, understand-ably, to secure a vantage position to accord a rallying welcome tothe man of the people, Ogbeni Aregbesola as soon as he put upappearance in the town for the rally.

Many more who found it more convenient tarried around thepalace of the monarch of the town; knowing full well that it wasthe practice of Aregbesola and his team to give honour to who itis due. The standard practice everywhere else they had been wasto first pay homage to the paramount traditional ruler. The caseof Iwo was not an exemption as royal fathers from the three localgovernment areas in the federal constituency had begun to arriveat the palace of the town, even in the absence of a sitting mon-arch. This event justified the calculations of those who throngedthe palace as correct, accurate and roundly in place.

At the outskirts of the town, it had already become visible byeight o’clock in the morning that the .ancient ton was about toplay host to an event which would make history for a long periodof time to come. At the Ibadan end, right from the junction throughthe Adeke area/ Baptist High School / Aipate to the centre of thetown; arrival of dignitaries could be noticed. Also from Osogboend, the arrival was more prominently noticed. From OgbaagbaaJunction through Aawe / Oyo Junction downtown; it had be-come a beehive of activities from seven o’clock in the morning.From that Oyo Junction to Odo Ori downtown, it was too vis-ible that the stage had begun to be set for an epoch-making con-vergence. Motor Parks, roadsides and other available places be-gan to host hordes of people who were either newly arriving orare residents of the town who were just setting out to find suit-able places to hibernate in wait for the commencement of the bigevent.

Similar experience of teeming crowd was recorded at otherends of the town; towards Oluponna and Gbongan in Ayedireand Ayedaade local government council areas respectively; andtowards Ikire the seat of Irewole Local Government Council Area,the traffic was thick as well. New areas within Iwo Township,like the Low Cost Estate and areas adjoining the Approved Schoolfor Boys also became crowd-pullers. It was indeed a day nor tobe forgotten in a hurry, especially for motorists, commercialmotorcycle operators (popularly called okada riders), sellers ofsnacks, fast foods and confectioneries. Also, traders who hawkkolanut, sachet water, fruits and beverages made brisk sales ow-ing to the teeming crowd which the event attracted to itself. Itwas another glorious day for the fold of progressives in the AllProgressives Congress (APC) as people showered accolades andprayers on the party for how its leadership had raised the bar ofgovernance in the State of Osun in the space of almost four yearsthat it had occupied the saddle of government.

The venue of the event, located at the precincts of the popularBowen University had been agog for several hours prior to thearrival of the man of the moment, and the eventual kick-off of theprogramme proper. At the preliminary events were a number ofNollywood artistes and music entertainers. Also, speaker afterspeaker had addressed the waiting audience, with all of themexalting the many virtues of Aregbesola’s administration and im-ploring the electorate not to consider embracing any other choicein the forthcoming elections.

Notable among the musical icons present to add colour andglamour to the occasion are Sir Shina Peters, Tonny Tetuila, WildMC, LKT and King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (K1). Numerous arethe Nollywood actors who showed appearance at the event.Those ones were on hand to provide interludes of playlets inter-mittently as the programme progressed.

There were also several political groups and associations inattendance. Among these, those that were most noticeably con-spicuous are the New Breed, Committee for Positive Change, theRaufs, Aregbesola Vanguard Group (AVG) and the Oranmiyan

Worldwide. These multifarious groups carried banners to maketheir presence known, just as they appeared in various uniformdresses particularly made for the occasion. Songs of various kindswere raised and each time a new one was raised, the crowd wasthrown into a fresh round of frenzy jubilation.

In a nutshell, the Iwo Mega Rally of the All ProgressivesCongress (APC) in the State of Osun, measured by any param-eter, recorded a huge success. The turnout was impressive, thecrowd conduct was sportsmanlike, the atmosphere was friendly,the organization was superb, the candour and mien of the hostcommunities was clement, friendly and inviting, and above all,the resolution spoke nothing less than an overwhelming unani-mous adoption of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola to proceedwith the business of governing the State of Osun for another termof four years.

With the endorsement given to the governor to carry on, thepeople also expressed strong determination to troop out en masseon August 9 to make him emerge by polling clear majority votescast; thus giving him a clean bill of health for a landslide victoryover his desperate antagonists who are hell-bent to grab powerby all means and at all costs. With little or no effort, they bragabout of an imagined victory against the will of the majority ofthe people. The ball is now in the court of the IndependentNational Electoral Commission (INEC), the law enforcementagencies, the election monitoring teams of sorts and above all, thegenerality of our people. Our watchfulness and vigilance, coupledwith courage to come out to cast votes and protect the votes suchcast will go a long way to ensure that our collective will prevails.

Latest by August 10, we shall all be beaming with radiantsmiles that we have spoken with our thumbs and that our com-mon voice had spoken loudest. By the grace of God Almighty,the wishes of our captors of old shall never again prevail over usand our state. Above all, OSUN DEFENDER Magazine lendsits voice to the caution being sounded on our people not to sell ordispose their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) for peanuts. Do-ing so is tantamount to selling one’s future, birthright, prospectand destiny; alongside those of generations yet unborn. The bestagenda for our state now is for Aregbesola to continue with all hisgood initiatives and such other ones he has in the offing. By thetime he is through with all we have seen or visualized, the State ofOsun must definitely be on course to those higher, loftier groundsdreamt by her founding fathers. We shall get there.

THE arrival time of Governor Aregbesola and his throngingentourage at the venue of the big event was 3:12 p.m. On hand toreceive him were King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (K1), a large reti-nue of party stalwarts and a large crowd of enthusiastic, broom-brandishing members, supporters, admirers and sympathizers ofthe ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The ovation was soheavy that any passer-by whose thoroughfare through Iwo coin-cided with that moment would mistake the ongoing event for aWorld Cup tournament or the visit of an international evangelistof high repute. It was mighty and ecstatic.

The man Aregbesola alighted from his usual mini-luxury van.He was enthusiastic as well; wielding his enormous broom vehe-mently in acknowledgement of cheers from the crowd. Alter-nately, he stretched out his hands into thin air in the “V” sign ofvictory. The spectacle resembled that of late Obafemi Awolowo.Having exchanged pleasantries with dignitaries on ground at theoccasion, the governor took his seat to give room for the occasionto commence.

The National Anthem and the State of Osun Anthem weresung back-to-back. Then came another footnote anthem, whichwas to later become the delight of all at the event. It runs thus:

On your mandate we shall stand!On your mandate we shall stand!On your mandate; On your mandateOn your mandate we shall stand!The anthem shares the same tune with the conventional State

of Osun Anthem, so it was with no stress or difficulty that itsstrains spread across like wildfire. Thereafter, the introductionof guests and dignitaries was done, with interlude of songs asappropriate. The intermittent music was supplied by the duo ofK1 and the DJ on duty.

The presentation of welcome address came up next. This wasperformed by the Chairman of the Aregbesola for Second TermCampaign Committee for Iwo Federal Constituency, who doublesas the Secretary to the Government of the State of Osun, Alhaji

•A cross section of traditional rulers at the Oluwo’s Palace.

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 1, 2014 MAGAZINE 12

Iwo Mega Rally: Convergence Of Unanimous Endorsement

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Moshood Olalekan Adeoti. Being the host at the event, Adeotiwelcomed all and expressed profound appreciation for their en-durance and patience from the early hours of the day till thatjuncture. He then dwelt on the benefits of the Aregbesola admin-istration and emphasized the much greater benefits to come uponhis re-election into office in the next election.

In furtherance of his speech, Adeoti recollected with specialthanks to Almighty God, similar gathering in Iwo in 2007. Hebroke into three or four songs of praise, which the crowd sangalong. He then promised full support by constituents of the area,demonstrated by the massive votes they would cast on the Elec-tion Day. Recounting the wonderful exploits of the party, Adeotimade it known that it had witnessed massive defection fromtowns and villages in the constituency in recent time. Thesedroves of defectors was said not to have spared Ogbaagbaa, thehomestead of the Gubernatorial candidate of the Labour Party(LP) in the forthcoming election, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade.

Immediately after this opening address, a one-minute silencewas observed in honour of the departed Islamic Scholar and com-munity leader of the area, who also was an arrowhead of long-standing in the democratic struggle of the progressives, AlhajiLateef Bakare Katayeyanjue. Much has already been remarkedon the life and times of this departed icon in earlier parts of thisreport.

After this eloquent presentation, speeches were aired by thesenator representing Osun West Senatorial District of which theIwo Federal Constituency is a vital part at the National Assem-bly, Senator Mudashiru Hussein; the member of the Federal Houseof Representatives from the area, Honourable Gafar Amere; andthe just-elected national officer of the party, also an indigene ofIwo, Honourable Rasheed Salinshile. In their separate speeches,the central message was that Iwo Constituency would poll votesmassively for Aregbesola in order to make his second term bid areality.

Next to speak was the senator representing the Osun CentralSenatorial District at the National Assembly, who doubles as theChairman of the state-wide re-election campaign committee forGovernor Rauf Aregbesola, Senator Professor Sola Adeyeye. Hiseloquent contribution to the rally has already been touched inearlier part of this write-up.

Next to come on stage to speak was the State of Osun ActingChairman of the party, Elder Adelowo Adebiyi. He expressed theparty’s heartfelt appreciation to the attendees; not only for heedingthe clarion call, but also for standing and enduring for long till thetime of take-off. He went ahead to urge electorate in the area tovote massively for Aregbesola and the party, so that the goodwork embarked upon so far could continue.

After that speech, there was an interlude, as young KazeemOlatunji a.k.a. Kazzy Roll was call on stage to perform. This wasthe same boy who was reported in Ila-Orangun report to haveperformed excellently well on stage. That same feat was recordedat Iwo Mega Rally.

Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke was the next speaker. Part ofhis speech has been referred to in earlier parts of this report. Hehowever observed how the opposition had been running abusiveverbal diarrhea on him, his family and parentage. He referred inparticular to remarks credited to the former speaker of the stateparliament, Honourable Adejare Bello who was quoted as brag-ging that in Ede, their birthplace, he would floor Adeleke in anyelection. Rather than engaging in verbal altercations with him,Senator Adeleke simply concluded that August 9 was close by,when men shall be separated from boys. He rounded his speechoff by enumerating the numerous achievements of OgbeniAregbesola, just as he solicited the people to vote massively forhim.

In the words of the Chairman, State of Osun Local Govern-ment Service Commission and former Chief of Staff to formerGovernor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Elder Peter Adebayo Babalola,a.k.a. Peter Action, he recounted the woes currently befalling theleading opposition at their campaign rallies which he said wereill-fated with poor attendance. He remarked that their efforts

started with the fruitless offer of kerosene for sale; and that evenwhen they resolved to give it out free, the offer was massivelyrejected by the good people of the state. He then urged the peopleto spurn their monetary offer, and not to exchange their voters’cards for any monetary enticements. He then cautioned that themoney being circulated by the leading opposition is accursed;being ritual money issuing out of a coffin.

When it was the turn of the Speaker, State of Osun House ofAssembly to speak, Honourable Najeem Salaam announced thatthere were plenty of issues to speak on and that the apt time tospeak was ripe. He then went ahead to sound a note of cautionagainst peddlars of rumours, lies and deceit. He cited the rumourmaking the rounds over alleged plan of the incumbent administra-tion to down-size the state’s civil service. He debunked thatrumour and pointed out that instead of retrenching, the adminis-tration would recruit more workers into the civil service. He alsodebunked the rumour that it was the administration’s intentionto cancel the activities of commercial motorcycle operators (i.e.okada riders) in the state; saying that it is totally false. Accordingto him, the governor had never forwarded such a bill to the Houseof Assembly for passage into law.

On the wagging tongue of the former Head of Service in thestate, Mr. Segun Akinwusi, he falsified the debt profile beingspread around by the former functionary of government; cau-tioning the people that governorship seat is not meant for busy-bodies and slight, petty men; but for the virtuous, the uprightand the intellectually alert.

The Deputy Governor of the State of Osun was the next tospeak. Otunba Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori called on the peopleto troop out massively to cast their votes on the d-day. Shetasked the women folk to go all out to summon their counter-parts in purdah so as not to be disenfranchised. She spoke indetails on the laudable achievements of the administration beforetaking her seat.

Finally, it was the turn of the governor to speak. His speech atthe occasion was direct, pungent and straight-to-the-point. Itwas intermittently laced with musical interlude from him andK1. He praised the people of Iwo Federal Constituency. He alsoeulogized the departed father, Alhaji Katayeyanjue. He then wentahead to evaluate his works so far, just as he promised to domore. He announced that the military authorities had promisedthat they would not come out on Election Day to terrorize orbrutalize but strictly to maintain law and order.

Aregbesola then promised a four-lane newly-constructedOsogbo / Iwo / Ibadan Expressway. He promised the people ofprovision of good potable water. He then rolled out his achieve-ments so far in all sectors. These include the achievements in theEducation, Health, Agriculture, Employment and Human Resourcesectors, as well as those in other sectors.

On the forthcoming election, he cautioned the electorate againstintimidation; charging them to vote, stand by to protect theirvotes and vigilantly be their own watchdog by observing as wellas using their camera phones to record all that transpires at theirrespective polling booths. Finally, he cautioned the people againstviolence at the polls.

In its entirety, the Iwo Mega Rally was a huge success, wellattended and one that produced one of the most unanimous reso-lutions. The people willingly showed their readiness not to allowtheir choice to be subverted. The rally stands in memory as onethat opened a new positive phase in the series of rallies held inthis election season.

Among dignitaries who graced the occasion are former gover-nor of the state, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, Wife of the Governor,Alhaja Sherifat Abidemi Aregbesola and the Deputy Governor ofthe state, Otunba (Mrs.) Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori. Othersinclude the rank and file of the All Progressives Congress (APC)in the State of Osun led by the Acting Chairman, Elder AdelowoAdebiyi and Acting Secretary, Prince Gboyega Famodun. Amongthe members of the State Executive Council in attendance are theSecretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood OlalekanAdeoti, who doubled as the Chief Host at the event, Chief ofStaff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, Commissionerfor Information and Strategy, Honourable Sunday Akere and a

host of others.Also in attendance are federal and state legislators, executive

secretaries of local government council areas, political bigwigs,traders, artisans, representatives of trade and professional asso-ciations and groups and others. Nollywood actors and musicianswere not left out as usual. The chief entertainer at the occasionwas King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (K1).

AT this juncture, OSUN DEFENDER Magazine shall drawexcerpts from the pact given to the people of the state uponrolling out of the Oranmiyan campaign team of Ogbeni RaufAregbesola eight years ago; for the purposes of reference andsetting the records straight:

My mission and ambition are to restore to the people, a stateof peace, opportunity, for progress and room for the pursuit ofprosperity in our time under a people friendly government.

I give you Six-Point Integral Action Plan, to the intent thatthey constitute my actions of faith concerning which I want to beheld accountable at any time during my stewardship.

SIX POINT INTEGRAL ACTION PLAN· Banish Poverty· Banish Hunger· Banish Unemployment (Create Work/Wealth)· Restore Healthy Living· Promote Functional Education· Enhance Communal Peace and ProgressBANISH POVERTYCOMMERCEVision: To make Osogbo the second hub in international

trade in goods and commodities in the Southwest.Osun people’s natural affinity for commerce has been damp-

ened over the years by unfriendly and unfocused economic poli-cies of government thereby popularizing poverty among a people,who are naturally hardworking, industrious and adventurous.

Our purposeful government of ACN shall revitalize commerceand restore wealth back to the land through:

· Market friendly policies that will revive the custom-ary commercial activities in Osogbo and other towns in Osun.

· Promotion and support of activities focused on wealthpromotion for our people.

· Transformation of Osogbo into an Internationalmarket where goods will be procured at prices comparable toany other part of West Africa.

FINANCE& ECONOMIC PLANNINGI shall increase the internally generated revenue of the state

and also improve in mileage on every kobo accruing to the stateby:

· Ensuring real time online access to actual position ofthe state finances to prevent misuse and other forms of abuse byreceiving agencies.

· Reducing leakages in the tax collection and administra-tion process.

· Running a transparent and accountable government.· Ensuring prudent management of the state’s resources.· Ensuring that the funds of the state are used for devel-

opmental purposes.· Create viable Public/Private sector partnerships to jump

start the economy.· Our overall goal is to reduce dependence on federal

allocation as a means of funding the government.BANISH HUNGERFOOD& AGRICULTUREVision: Our government shall banish hunger in Osun and

enhance wealth through massive increase in food productionand agriculture.

Every farmer shall sell his products and be prosperous. Thelabour of the farmer shall no longer be in vain because we shallprovide assistance and support to farmers in finding and exploit-ing profitable market for their goods.

We do not presently grow enough food in Osun to feed usround the year and this should concern a government that caresfor its people.

•Governor Rauf Aregbesola (arrowed), acknowledging cheers from the mammoth crowd during his re-election campaign at Iwo Federal Constituency, Iwo, State of Osun,recently.

13 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 1, 2014MAGAZINE

Iwo Mega Rally: Convergence Of Unanimous Endorsement

Continue from page 12

•

Our government shall support farmers to attain increase in food production, better storageand delivery. We shall provide assistance to farmers in exploiting profitable markets andmarket opportunities for their products.

To maximize the benefit of resultant massive increase in food production, we shall im-prove:

· Access roads and general transportation to even the most remote areas of thestate.

· Storage process and capacity.

· Processing of agricultural produce.

· Rural electricity and water supply.

CASH CROPS

· Encourage production of cash crops which can enhance farmer’s income andprovide basis for an effective agro-industrial society in the state of Osun.

· Specified to vigorously develop extensive farming in palm trees to create afully integrated oil palm processing industry.

· To target and capture minimum of 10% of the multibillion naira- per day foodmarket of the neighbouring states.

· Support cooperative efforts by farmers

· Be a catalyst to the development and promotion of micro, small and mediumenterprises that will exploit available raw materials.

· Set up price support scheme for farmers through commodity exchange board.

BANISH UNEMPLOYMENT (CREATE WORK& WEALTH)

No job loss, more jobs.

Osun people are peaceful, dignified and hardworking people who desire and deservegainful employment for their children and themselves. Rather than policies that will createemployment and wealth for the people, the policies of the PDP government in place serve toenrich few at the expense of majority of our people.

As part of our GOVERNMENT UNUSUAL programme, I Rauf Adesoji Aregbesolamake a pact with you good people of the State of Osun, in the presence and by the grace ofGod Almighty that our government shall create immediate employment for 20,000 peoplewithin our 100 days in office.

5,000 of these places shall be reserved for those who were retrenched and are still willingand able to work.

As a people-friendly government, our policies shall help to:

· Create economic environment that ensures availability of jobs for all Osunindigenes.

· Establish one LIFE ACADEMY in each of the three Senatorial constituenciesfor the building of life- long skills in out of schools, youngsters as well as adults seekingalternative competencies.

· Promote labour exchange centres to facilitate employment of graduates fromour Life Academies.

CIVIL SERVICE REFORMS

There is the need for a civil service reform that will not lead to any loss of jobs as I RaufAregbesola do not believe in laying people off in the name of reforms.

Our reform will make the work environment more conductive, stimulating and develop-ment oriented.

Bonuses, incentives and regular awards shall be instituted to promote a culture of excel-lence in the civil service along with the prompt payment of salaries, allowances, leave bo-nuses and year-end performance bonuses.

Promotions and comprehensive salary reviews and increases shall be regular.

Internal and external training, work exchange programmes and overseas training shall beactively reinstituted for comprehensive human development in the civil service.

New Tutor General/Permanent Secretary Cadre shall be created for Teachers in neweducation districts for better school administration.

We shall institute Home Ownership Scheme for public servants and also support andencourage their backyard food production business ventures.

We shall do a comprehensive review of civil service names and conventions as part of ourefforts to create a people- friendly civil service.

Appropriate nomenclature will enhance accountability and promote public access to theservices of the ministry. A citizen with a complaint of blockage of drainage will find a Ministryof Roads and Drainages easier to identify with than Ministry of Works, a Ministry of HumanResources and Development will more appropriately communicate its services than a Min-istry of Establishment.

TOURISM

Vision: Tourist’s cradle in Africa

The State of Osun is the cradle of Yoruba people and our rich culture. The opportunitiesfor wealth creation in Osun state through tourism have been underexploited. We shall:

· Develop State of Osun tourism potentials to its fullest to promote employmentand wealth among people of the State of Osun.

· Encourage development of Yoruba museum and world heritage centre at Ile-Ife.

· Encourage programmes that nurture and promote arts and talent.

· Enhance the image of traditional rulers and institutions.

· Mobilize our traditional rulers to showcase the state’s tourism potentials toYorubas in the diaspora (e.g. Brazil, Cuba and West Indies).

ROADS

Vision: Roads to and in all towns and villages in Osun. Road construction and maintenanceshall be used to generate employment for the indigenes of the State of Osun.

· Community based road maintenance units will be established to ensure timelyrepairs and deduce overall maintenance costs.

· Development and regular maintenance of urban and rural roads to get toppriority.

· Access roads to evacuate agricultural produce shall be constantly improvedand expanded.

· Create partnerships with the private sector on road development and provisionof infrastructure.

TRANSPORTATION

We shall produce a transport master plan to provide direction for development of thesector.

The safety of the lives of the indigenes of the State of Osun is of great concern to us. Weshall:

· Reduce to the barest minimum, road traffic accident within 6 months on allroads starting with Federal roads.

· Create a motorized division of the Osun troopers to patrol roads to preventaccidents on the highways and organize rescue and recovery operations.

INNOVATION

Europe, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and now China have made life for their people perma-nently comfortable through innovation, research and development, thrift and hardwork.

We Africans especially the people of the State of Osun are thrifty (a ki se oni nakuna) andhardworking (ati agbe at onise owo lo ka imele si aida nile Yoruba) but we have been backwardin looking forward.

We have not been innovative enough, we have not invested enough in research and wehave not developed the fruits of innovation and research. In other words we remain backward,poor, unscientific and losers (eni igbehin) among the family of nations.

It is a matter of concern that our leaders do not car or worry enough about these issues.

I care and I’m deeply concerned. As your Governor I will do everything possible to:

· Create awareness and dissatisfaction among all in the State of Osun about ourposition among the world’s people and the need to move up the ladder of human ascent anddevelopment away from permanent and persistent poverty.

· Ensure that ideas with original creativity are tapped for the enrichment of all.

· Give real importance to education with skills development so that we can makewhat we need and become more competitive in the world as a people by creating more skillsdevelopment centres in the State of Osun.

· In these centres we shall teach Men and Women to think with their hands,

sharpen our already proven entrepreneurial skills and stop Nigeria from importing:

TOOTH PICK (IGI OPARUN FUN ITAYIN) FROM CHINA, ORANGE JUICE(OROMBO) FROM KOREA, SHOES (BATA) FROM SPAIN/ ITALY, FAN BELT/ CAR TYRES(RUBBER) FROM JAPAN AND FRANCE.

When I know that these can be easily manufactured here.

I shall turn the State of Osun into a creative agro-industrial zone God willing.

INDUSTRIALISATION

Key to banishing unemployment permanently anywhere is promoting conducive atmo-sphere for manufacturing and production. Our Government shall:

· Develop integrated industrial estates for mini, micro and large manufacturingenterprises in the three senatorial zones of the State of Osun.

· Provide the estates with infrastructural facilities that reduce the cost of settingup industries (roads, electricity, water and telecommunications).

· Provide incentives targeted at attracting manufacturers/ investors.

· Develop skilled personnel through our Life Academies, Universities and col-leges to service specialized industrial and manufacturing needs.

RESTORE HEALTHY LIVING

Vision: To work to save our people from all avoidable deaths due to accidents, emergen-cies, poverty and inadequate health facilities.

To achieve this for all and particularly our children and senior citizens, we shall:

· Provide effective and available healthcare for all.

· Provide efficient accident and emergency ambulance service.

· Provide primary health clinics within 10 kilometre radius of every Osun town,with special attention to the needs of children, women and the elderly.

· Provide functional General hospitals within 20 kilometre radius of human habi-tation.

· Provide referral hospitals within 30 kilometre radius of human settlement.

· Establish free blood pressure checks in conjunction with private organizationsat every local government office.

· Undertake special programmes for the upgrading, retraining and working com-forts of all health personnel.

· Encourage and nurture alternative medical therapy.

· Free treatment for malaria to children below age 18 and senior citizens (60+).

ENVIRONMENT

Vision: To embrace current scientific methods in controlling the generation of waste andthe conversion of waste to wealth.

The state of the environment, especially waste generation, management and the embar-rassing filth in our communities demand special attention. The CAN government shall:

· Encourage all houses in the State of Osun to have a modern and affordable toiletfacility through a special scheme.

· Provide private sector driven waste management and beautification schemesto rid our communities of filth which threaten public health.

· Beautification of town centres as a starting point of general urban renewal.

· Work with the private sector to establish appropriate waste-to-wealth projectsunder a composite waste management policy.

WATER

Vision: Water for all in the state of the living spring.

It is a painful regret that most cities in Osun do not have potable water running at any timeand Osun is the state of the

•Enthusiastic crowd at the Iwo mega rally.

Continued on page 15

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 1, 2014 14

Ekiti Election Process Badly Skewed In Favour Of PDP - APC

IT is no longer news that the governorship election in Ekiti State has been wonand lost, and that our candidate, Governor Kayode Fayemi, has shown raresportsmanship by conceding defeat and congratulating the winner, Mr. Ayodele

Fayose.

We are very proud of Governor Fayemi for his conduct and comportment before,during and after the election, and we hail him as a true democrat in the true spirit of theAPC’s belief that election is never a do-or-die affair, and that Nigerians must always befree to elect those to govern them. After all, it is said that the just powers of governmentsare derived from the consent of the governed.

Gentlemen, election is a process, and whatever happens on the voting day is only anintegral part of that process. What happens before, during and after the voting daycompletes the process.

If, therefore, we view the just-concluded election in Ekiti as a process, then we canconfidently say that while the events of the voting day itself may have led many tobelieve that the election was free and fair, the same cannot be said of the events before,during and after the election.

We therefore believe that we owe it a duty to the continuous improvement of ourelectoral system and indeed the sustainability of our democracy to X-ray this electionwithin the context that we have outlined above and draw the necessary lessons

Incidents before election day

We believe that the events leading to the D-Day in Ekiti negate the principles of afree, fair and credible election. From the militarisation of the election to the police attackon our supporters, arrest and detention of our leaders across the state and the use ofhuge funds to induce voters, the federal authorities skewed everything in favour of thePDP.

Militarisation of the process:

With thousands of armed troops, police, state security and civil defence personneldeployed to Ekiti, the state was simply under a total lock-down. While we believe thatthe police and the civil defence corps indeed have a role to play in providing thenecessary security for the election, we do not see why soldiers, who were armed to theteeth, need to be deployed to a non-belligerent situation like an election, especially at atime that their services are more needed elsewhere to turn around a slow motion warthat is daily claiming the lives of our compatriots. The questions to ask are: Whoordered the deployments of the troops and for what purpose? Who gave the orders tostop Governor Rotimi Amaechi from reaching Ado-Ekiti, as the Army Captain, whostopped and threatened to shoot him, said he was acting under ‘’Orders From Above’’?

It is worth mentioning that the physical prevention of Governor Amaechi from joininghis colleagues at the final campaign rally of Governor Fayemi in Ekiti was a directfunction of the unnecessary deployment of troops to Ekiti for the election. This eventwill go down as the biggest affront to democracy in our country in recent times.

Also worth mentioning is the flagrant abuse of national institutions that led to thecountry’s aviation authorities shutting down airports in Akure and elsewhere on thesame day that our party had its last campaign rally in Ado-Ekiti. This act of impunitywas targeted solely at the opposition, and it runs against global standards. Lest weforget, on the same day, the helicopter ferrying Governor Adams Oshiomhole fromBenin Airport to Akure en route Ekiti for that final rally, was prevented from taking-off.Airports are never shut without the issuance of a NOTAM -Notice to Airmen. Again,who gave the orders for the closure of the airports?

While still on this, it was widely reported that two aircrafts made a total of threeflights to Akure Airport ferrying what was suspected to be raw cash for use in the Ekitielection. This was neither denied nor investigated, just like no one investigated thepolice attack on our peaceful supporters during a peaceful procession in Ado-Ekiti onJune 8th that led to the death of one person; the tear-gassing of Governor Fayemi, whenhe intervened to save the situation; the interception of over 200 boxes of electoralmaterials by security agents in Ekiti and the busting, three days to the election, of a pro-Fayose and PDP gang in a resort owned by Fayose’s Campaign Manager, while theywere thumb-printing ballot papers ahead of Saturday’s election. The 22 young men,who were arrested, were also caught preparing INEC form EC8.

Incidents during Election Day

On the eve of the election and on election day, without any reason, securitypersonnel arrested APC leaders and supporters across Ekiti, ferrying them far awayfrom where they could vote or monitor the conduct of the election. This is an attestationto the fact that the security operatives were in the state more for a sinister motive thanjust to provide security for the election.

In fact, the compromise by the security operatives became more obvious when a so-called Special Task Force, comprising of Military, Police, SSS and NDLEA officers weresummoned to a meeting on Friday afternoon, a day before the election, near the Tantaliserfast food eatery in Ado-Ekiti.

In the presence of AIG Baka Nasarawa, Mrs Florence Ikhanone (National Director ofSSS) and Brigadier-General Momoh, who was the head of the military to the election,Mr Ayo Fayose’s Chief Security Officer, Kayode Adeoye, and Chris Uba addressed thecuriously-named Special Task Force, which included 67 SSS operatives, 30 soldiers, 30NDLEA operatives and 70 mobile policemen.

Adeoye and Uba reminded the officers of the Special Task Force of their duty toPresident Goodluck Jonathan, who was identified as their benefactor, and how theofficers must ensure that their benefactor wins the election.

This was the same team that went round the state from Friday evening and throughoutthe duration of the election, picking leaders of the APC from across the state in specially-designated black buses with Presidency plate numbers.

The case of the Campaign Manager of Governor Fayemi, Mr. Bimbo Daramola, wasparticularly traumatic and saddening. His fiancée and aged father were harassed byarmed soldiers, who invaded his country home in the middle of the night, with gunsbeing pointed at them, as if they were common criminals. The Campaign Managerhimself, an honourable member of the House of Representatives, was hounded to anunknown place by soldiers; all this because of an election!

Also on the receiving end of the brutality by security agents were accreditedjournalists, some of whom were ‘’deported’’, so to say, to neighbouring Kwara State bypaid agents of state, who turned themselves to enforcers for the ruling-PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP).

The MOPOL Commander, who led the operation to ‘’deport’’ journalists from Ekiti,was the same fellow who led policemen to attack harmless APC supporters, who wereholding a peaceful procession in Ado-Ekiti. This obviously poorly-trained andunprofessional police officer, who was on a mission in Ekiti, acted with such impunitybecause he once served as the ADC to Goodluck Jonathan, when he was a deputygovernor in Bayelsa State, and felt he was not accountable to anyone.

Incidents during and after Election Day

While our leaders and supporters were being hounded and arrested across Ekitiduring and after the voting, some PDP ministers and PDP stalwarts were moving aroundfreely, with armed escort, even with a restriction on movement in place. What businessdid these ministers and their cohorts have in Ekiti during the election? What was theirrole in the election?

These are questions begging for answers.

Conclusion

At a press conference addressed by our Chairman on June 20th, we warned that ourdemocracy was in clear and present danger from anti-democratic forces, who are benton winning elections, especially in the South-West, at all cost. Today, we restate thatwarning and call for a reversal of the incidents that made sure a level playing groundwas not provided for all the candidates at the just-concluded election in Ekiti.

While voting on Election Day may not have been characterized by the usualbrigandage and violence, we submit that the entire process was everything but freeand fair. If an integral part of the process was badly tainted as we have clearly and fullydemonstrated above, then the entire process cannot but be tainted. Voting in Ekiti mayhave been free of the usual violence or manipulation at the collation centres, but theentire electoral process in the state was neither free, fair nor credible.

Therefore, in order to prevent a recurrence of what happened in Ekiti, especially themilitarization of the process, the harassment and intimidation of citizens, especiallythose in opposition, our party has decided to challenge in court the role of the militaryin policing elections. We will also encourage our leaders and supporters, who werearrested, harassed and intimidated to seek the enforcement of their constitutionally-guaranteed fundamental rights that were recklessly abridged by the security agencies,especially soldiers.

In this regard, we commend the good people of Nigeria, who have spoken outopenly against these bare-faced acts of hooliganism by the very agents of state paidby taxpayers to prevent such acts.

Our decision to act is not only to ensure that these irresponsible and unconstitutionalacts are not repeated in subsequent elections, especially in Osun in August and nextyear’s general elections, but also because we have always said that evil thrives whengood men do nothing!

ALHAJI LAI MOHAMMED

National Publicity Secretary

All Progressives Congress (APC)

Abuja, June 26, 2014

Communique issued at the end of the inaugural meeting of the National Working Committee(NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja on Thursday, June 26th 2014

CHANGE...

FOR THE RECORDS

15OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Iwo Mega Rally: Convergence Of Unanimous EndorsementMAGAZINE

living spring!!!

Our Government will do everything possible to bring potable water to allparts of the State of Osun and correct this anomaly.

All abandoned water schemes shall be reactivated and speedily completed.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Our ACN Government shall:

· Help Osun indigenes realize their dreams of house ownership or re-habilitation of failing structures through deliberate programmes that improve theirincome earning capacity.

· Support mortgage schemes that make house ownership pocketfriendly.

· Actively support research and development on the use of local mate-rials to force down building costs.

ELECTRICITY

Electricity for all shall be the creed of ACN Government in Osun. We shall:

· Ensure that electric energy is available in the state for domestic, com-mercial and industrial activities.

· We shall endeavour to provide electricity to all villages, hamlets andfarm settlements in the state.

· Private sector-led power agencies shall be encouraged to set up en-ergy stations in the state.

SECURITY

Security of lives and properties are of paramount importance to us. Our Gov-ernment shall:

· Have special programmes for the police and neighbourhood securityoutfits.

· Provide special allowance to all security agents deployed to OsunState and enhance their operational facilities for efficiency.

· Respond to the operational needs of security agents through provi-sion of mobility, communication gadgets, protective gears and conducive work-ing environment.

FIRE SERVICES

We shall improve capacity of fire services to respond to emergencies.

PHYSICAL WELL-BEING

Our Government will promote physical exercises as a deliberate policy whichwill form a crucial aspect of our healthy-living programme. This is in keeping withthe adage that a sound mind only resides in a sound body.

PROMOTE FUNCTIONAL EDUCATION

Vision: Eradicate the frustration of youths caused by education that doesnot lead to employment.

To achieve this, the government of AC under Rauf Aregbesola shall:

· Provide free education at all levels in Osun State. Focus on func-tional education. Education that makes one useful to himself and society.

· Improve incentives to teachers and work with the NUT to restore thedignity of the teaching profession.

· Restructure administration of school management and create Tutors-General (Permanent Secretary Cadre) from among Head Teachers in three Educa-tional Districts which we will establish.\

· Fix all collapsed educational infrastructures in all the schools.

· Support with modern teaching aids and well-stocked libraries.

· Ensure cooperation with parents and teachers to improve disciplineand morality.

· Introduce non-partisan community-based governing boards for allschools.

· Reduce number of students per classroom immediately.

· Introduce home development plans for teachers who wish to buildhouses in their home towns, through access to special mortgage packages.

· Promote mass adult literacy and numeracy programmes.

· Promote and support Special programmes that give special attentionto education of girls and women.

· Establish institutions that impart life-long skills for all, in and outof formal schooling.

ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND UNIVERSITY

· I am committed to ensuring that an Osun State University takes off ona sound footing and becomes a first-class institution with linkages to renowneduniversities in the developed world.

· I will make every tertiary institution in Osun State an independentdegree-awarding one.

· Encourage use of services of retired, but not tired dons and adminis-trators, from reputable institutions.

ENHANCE COMMUNAL PEACE AND PROGRESS

Vision: To restore the bond of trust between the Governor and the governed.

Over time, people have disconnected from government because those in au-thority have not shown enough concern about their welfare or actively engagedthem in formulating policies that affect them.

Our Government shall restore partnership between government and people

through:

SAGES COUNCILS (EGBE AGBA)

Our state is blessed with a large pool of elderly folks who are invariably welleducated, have enjoyed successful careers, travelled widely in the world, but arecurrently reduced to irrelevance in the society.

Our Government will support the formation of non partisan community basedsages councils, capable of providing guidance in management, moral and ethicaldevelopment in our society.

Our Government will seek elderly guidance and advice as inputs to our policyformation and implementation.

Government will support the senior citizens and help in their management ofsocio-economic problems peculiar to the group (pension, health and education).

YOUTHS COUNCIL (EGBE ODO)

People age 30 and below constitute the majority of our population but unfor-tunately are often frustrated and unfulfilled as a consequence of intolerable socialand economic policies.

Our ACN Government shall support the creation of non partisan communitybased youth councils to provide a platform for them to articulate and work outsolutions to various problems confronting them.

Our Government will encourage cross fertilization of ideas between the Sagesand Youth Councils through which public policies would be influenced.

Government will promote sporting activities and creation of physical facili-ties for sporting and related activities.

We shall reinstate the abandoned ‘boys’ and girls’ clubs’ and name themOmoluabi Boys’ and Girls’ club to perform the roles similar to boys’ and girls’scouts, boys brigade and more.

JUSTICE SECTOR REFORMS

An attribute of good governance is to promote justice, equity and fair playamongst citizens of the state.

Government of ACN will e3nsure speedy access ti justice try all individualsin Osun State, by reforming the courts system and procedural rules, introducingalternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms and fee legal services.

To complement these, ACN government shall improve welfare packages of Ju-dicial Officers and upgrade courts with modern IT and communications facilities.

COMMUNICATION

Our Government will restructure OSBC to:

Ensure its professional are motivated and continuously trained for compe-tency

Provide digital equipment and infrastructure upgrade to conform to interna-tional best practices in broadcasting.

Exploit its tourism promotional capacity and capability.

Continued from page 13

•Governor Aregbesola (arrowed); his wife, Sherifat; the deputy governor, Otunba (Mrs) Titi Laoye-Tomori; Senator Isiaka Adeleke; Speaker, Osun House of Assembly, HonourableNajeem Salam and other dignitaries, during Aregbesola’s re-election Campaign at Iwo Federal Constituency, Iwo, State of Osun, recently.

TUESDAY, JULY 1, 2014

www.osundefender.org THE 6TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA

By ADE OLUGBOTEMI

A slip into the pit by acompatriot is a lessonfor others to take

heed, so that multiplecalamities will not betide. Itmay not be apparent now, butthe victory alluded to thePeoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Ekiti State is a majorsetback to democraticevolution in the country. Thearrogance that was fastwaning among the political gladiators inthe ruling-PDP suddenly rebounds to theextent that it is now consideredfashionable. This may portend a greatdanger for our democracy that hasalready been battered, unless it isstemmed right on time before thedamage becomes irreparable.

Our political umpire that has beenbrand-coded INEC (IndependentNational Electoral Commission) mayhave her officers; including CommanderAttahiru Jega, basking in self-adulation,the fault they did not see, or feignedignorance of may become a time bomb,which detonation may consume even theinnocent that have nothing to do withthe grand conspiracy that is now driftingthe country towards the precipice ofpolitical oblivion. We need to also actfast so that what betided Ekiti State andher people will be averted in the Stateof Osun. Also, as we are preparing forthe 2015 general elections, possiblemachinery must be put in motion toensure that an entity called Nigeria isnot reduced to historical relics.

The first question we need to askourselves is what percentage ofregistered voters actually voted in thejust-concluded Ekiti State gubernatorialelection? Secondly, why was it that theproportion of disenchanted onlookersoutnumbered the jubilant ones?Incontrovertible answers to these twoquestions will definitely remove the fogthat is beclouding our political horizonat the moment. My findings need to findspace for themselves here so thatNigerians and the people of Osun inparticular may know that the time is nowto act against what may constituteserious debacle to all attempts at selfemancipation and discretionaldetermination so far.

The distribution of kerosene byopposition PDP in the State of Osun afew months ago was greeted withwidespread condemnation, not onlybecause of the traffic gridlock thatinnocent road users experiencedthroughout the period the exercise lastedalong Gbongan road in Osogbo, but alsobecause kerosene scarcity wasartificially brought on innocentNigerians. A sizeable proportion of taxpayers’ money goes into kerosenesubsidy but the benefits of keroseneutility go to a few opportunisticNigerians, who believe that they mustcontinue to oppress the majority throughinstruments of governance that areaccessed through fraudulent means andare applied indecorously.

The same instruments were used in

Ekiti so that so many potential voterswere disenfranchised through whatpeople call money-for-voter’s cardusage. People believed to be loyal to theruling-All Progressives Congress (APC)in Ekiti State were made to part withtheir voters’ cards for a token so that itbecame impossible for them to vote atpolls. The implication of this was thatmajority of people, who voted were PDPmembers and sympathizers, whosevoters’ cards were not withdrawn, eventhough they also got their own part ofthe largesse. That is why a polling unitthat has four hundred registered voterscould have had only seventy nine peoplethat actually voted. At the end of theexercise, less than five hundredthousand people actually voted in Ekitigubernatorial election.

Heavy presence of armed securitypersonnel all over Ekiti State prior to andduring the election also played some

tricks on the voters, especially the olderones, who had the consternation thatthey might harm them. They deliberatelystayed indoors, believing that it wasbetter to do so than to go out to voteand meet their untimely death. This islikely to happen in the State of Osunelection, unless people make up theirminds to resist being disenfranchised byany pranks or ploys from the FederalGovernment.

It was alleged that a high-tech fraudwas masterminded by PDP inconnivance with INEC, wherebythumbprints got obliterated after a periodof time, whereas the box in front of PDPlogo would carry predesignedthumbprint, as if PDP was the party ofchoice. This was said to have beenresponsible for the single vote recordedfor All Progressives Congress in formerGovernor Segun Oni’s polling booth,where he went to vote alongside twelve

of his supporters. The securitypersonnel were also alleged tohave danced to the tune dictatedby the party at the centre. Theveracity of these claims will beunravelled by the court of law.

The same methods are beingallegedly contemplated in theState of Osun. In reality, many

people have already been made to partways with their voters’ cards throughpittance, with the promise that they willbe handsomely rewarded on, and afterthe Election Day. Some of these peoplehave been recruited into a brandedVanguard that now has staple foodstuffsshared in their rendezvous on regularbasis. As a matter of fact, many voters’cards were confiscated from a PDPStalwart in Boripe Local GovernmentCouncil Area of the State of Osun muchearlier, but we have not heard theconclusion of the matter till date.

I do not believe that Osun people willcondescend so low that the future willbe mortgaged in their own eyes. Theyouths in particular must realize thatthere is a remarkable differencebetween someone just making promisesand someone who has already matchedhis words with action in the area of youthrecruitment and empowerment. PDPcandidate in the fast-approachinggubernatorial election in Osun was atwo-term Senator of the FederalRepublic, but he could not boast ofempowering the youths of the miniaturecalled his senatorial district. How thencan we entrust the future of our teemingyouths in the whole of Osun into hiscare?

Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola promisedthe youth employment andempowerment; today they have beenempowered and many of them are ingovernment employ as civil servants. Ifhe now offers himself for second termin office; so that the good works he isdoing can continue, we all have noreason to say NO to this request. Weonly need to take four years (assuminghe has even completed this term) out ofthe twenty three years of the existenceof Osun as a state and make unbiasedcomparison of the two. Your conclusionis as good as mine on this matter, if onlya rational juxtaposition and comparisonis made.

Circumspection must gain currencybefore Lovers of progress and peacesettle down on what to do come August9, 2014. The people of Ekiti State mustreceive their fate under a PDP governorthat was voted in by stark minority ofpeople for four years after the tenureof Governor Kayode Fayemi; unless thetribunal rules otherwise. No minoritygovernment has ever performed tosatisfy the majority because it is alwaysimprinted in their sub-consciousness thatthey need not satisfy the majority thatnever voted them in. Osun people musttherefore avoid any pitfall that may likelydraw us backward by criticallyconsidering the credentials of the twomajor contenders before voting decisionis finally made.OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank GTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. All correspondence

to the Managing Editor, KOLA OLABISI, Telephone: 08033927286 (kolaolabisi@yahoo.com); Editor, KAYODE AGBAJE, Telephone: 0803-388-0205, E-mail: osundefender@yahoo.com,kayodeagbaje@yahoo.com. ISSN: 0794-8050.Website: www.osundefender.org.

Ekiti Election: A PresageFor Osun People

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