VOL. 9. NO.040 NNNNN 505 05 05 05 0THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014

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Front Page Comment Who KilledChief Bola Ige,former Attorney-

General andMinister of

Justice? IGE

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (3rd right); Senator Ajayi Borofice (2nd right); President, Market Women in Nigeria, Chief (Mrs) Tinubu Ojo (4th right);Nollywood Actor, Chief Jide Kosoko (left); Head of Market women in the State of Osun, Mrs Awawu Asindemade (2nd left); President, Pax Nigeriana, Mr Gabriel Okeyomi (right)and another dignitary during the first State of Osun unity and peace concert grand finale at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, recently. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

Osun 2014: Beware, FakePolicemen Arrive Osun

120 LP Members Decamp To APC In Osun

Omisore’s EmptyCampaign Promises

Iyiola Omisore, forlong nicknamed ‘Mr.Money missroad’

eventually launched hisgovernorship campaignon Saturday in

Osogbo, the state ofOsun capital after a peacedisturbing

prelude to the event..His campaign launchwhich was purely a gath-ering of

miscreants, thugs andhoodlums of all hues

plus some rentedcrowdswas what has been de-scribed as nothing but a cha-rade

by those who witnessedit. And to justify thisd e s c r i p t i o n O m i s o r e ’sEmpty Campaign Promises

is the fact that even manyof his rented crowds whowould

not hesitate to call aspade its name did testifymuch to this.

The launch was so de-scribed – charade – becauseit was

full of inane talks,lies, empty boastsand unrealistic

campaign promises.For a start how on earthcould any sane

person claim thatOgbeni Aregbesola hasnot done anything in

the state in spite of thevisible unprecedenteddevelopmental stridesthat have taken place un-der hisadministration?

Continue on pg5

2 OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, April 3, 2014News

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•Commissioning of a borehole by Special Adviser to State of Osun Governor on Worksand Transport, Engineer Sabitu Amudah, in memory of his father at Community Mosque,Amin’s Compound, Araromi, Iwo, under the administration of State of Osun governor,Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, last Saturday.

Osun 2014: Beware, Fake Policemen Arrive Osun

IN their desperation to get to power at all cost, membersof the opposition political parties in the State of Osunhave devised several strategies to unseat the current

All Progressives Congress-led (APC) administration inthe state.

Information at themedium’s disposal haverevealed how one of themajor governorshipaspirants of the majoropposition political partyhas been making franticefforts to get across to mostof his friends at the corridorsof power in Abuja forpossible assistance on hisdesperation to clinch the

party’s ticket and tobecome the state’shelmsman after the August9, 2014 gubernatorialelection in the state.

To this end, series ofclandestine meetings havereportedly been held atvarious locations across thestate and even outside thestate.

An impeccable sourcethat attended some of the

meetings confided in OSUNDEFENDER how it wasdecided that the time hascome for the oppositionparties in the state to startimplementing some of theirplans if they are truly seriousin their bid to unseat thecurrent administration in thestate, in view of its popularityeven among the votingmasses.

According to the source,it was unanimously agreedat one of the meetings held

at an undisclosed locationwithin the state that fakepolicemen should bearranged to arrive the stateand start series of arrest ofthe ruling-party membersand supporters, with a viewto getting them out ofcirculation ahead of thegubernatorial election in thestate.

The fake policemen, thesource further revealed,would arrive the state anymoment from now andwould start effecting the

arrest of prominent APCmembers and supporterswith fake warrants of arrestpurportedly signed by thepolice authorities in thestate.

The fake policemen, themedium gathered, havebeen assured of adequateprotection from aboveagainst their being caughtand prosecution for runningfoul of the law throughimpersonation.

Should those pencileddown for arrest resist, the

fake policemen have beenbriefed on the need toforcefully carry out thearrest, even if it involvesshooting to harm theirvictims and members of hishousehold.

In a related development,the State of Osun chapter ofthe Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP) catalogue ofproblems seems to have gotdeeper over who emerges asits flag-bearer in the fast-approaching August 9,2014gubernatorial election in thestate.

Problem was reported tohave started with theentrance of the firstExecutive Governor of thestate, Senator IsiakaAdetunji Adeleke, into theparty’s governorship race.

According to a sourcewithin the party, Adeleke’sentrance into the race hasadversely affected theparty’s political calculations,most especially members ofthe party that are believedto be loyal to Senator IyiolaOmisore’s course within theparty.

Information available tothe medium revealed thatsome of the embattledsenator’s supporters havereportedly dumped his campand are currently pitchingtheir tent with SenatorAdeleke.

The state partysecretariat was reported tohave been the venue of afree-for-all recently, whensupporters of the twogovernorship aspirantsclashed with some of theparty executive members aswitnesses.

Court Dissolves Osun Labour Party ExecutiveBy SHINA ABUBAKAR

JUSTICE Jide Falola of Osun State High Court sittingin Ikirun had on Monday declared the congress heldby the state chapter of the Labour Party (LP) as null

and void, thereby dissolving the officers elected during thecongress.

He stated this while rulingon motion filed by MrGbenga Afilaka, through hiscounsel, Barrister WilsonAtirene, before the court.

The judge averred that thepurported congress thatushered in the ExecutiveCommittee of the party doesnot hold in the face of thelaw.

According to the judge,the issue of conflict betweenor among parties must not beallowed to temper with thesanctity of the court, henceparties in a conflict, before acourt of law, must submitselves to the verdict of thecourt.

He added that the decisionof the Labour Party toconduct congress, whenthere is a suit pending beforeit is an affront to the court,saying the parties ought tohave exercised restraints tillthe court completelydispensed the matter beforeit.

The court, therefore,granted the relief sought bythe applicant that thecongress held by the partybetween February 24 and 25,2014, at the Conference Hallof WOCDIF Centre, Osogbobe set aside as invalid, voidand an affront to the dignitythe court and having nolegal effect whatsoever.

However, the court

refused to grant the secondprayer of the applicant,seeking the order of thecourt to commencecontempt proceedingagainst the defendants,saying it was not convincedthat the defendants haveflouted any order of thecourt.

Earlier in his argumentbefore the court, counsel tothe applicants, Atirene, hadtold the court the need tobring the defendants beforeit and explained theirreasons for going ahead andconducted the purportedprimaries, despite an orderof the court restraining them.

According to him, at thisparticular time in the state,politicians must be made torespect the rule of law,irrespective of their statusin the society, otherwise, thestate might be heading forchaos, as it moves closer toelection period.

He stressed the need forthe court to maintain itssanctity and forcepoliticians to respect therule of the court and seesame as sacrosanct in theirconduct towards the periodof the election in the state.

However, an attempt bythe defence counsel,Barrister Rotimi Omotoso,to hold ruling on theapplication was tackled by

Atirene, who insisted thatthe defence counsel shouldnot be granted audience, ashis memorandum ofappearance before the courtwas not properly filed.

He argued that thecounsel to the defendantsfailed to adhere to the rulesof the practice of the courtin filing his memorandum ofappearance, despite beinggiven the benefit of doingso at the last sitting of thecourt.

The court agreed withAtirene that the defencecounsel failed to enter hismemorandum of appearanceaccurately, claiming hecould only be givenrecognition based on thememorandum.

Omotosho also soughtan adjournment to enablehim effect correction on theerror noticed on hisdocument on the groundthat the Court Registrar erredin accepting the saiddocument, however, Atirenedisclosed that the error didnot emanate from theregistrar, but the chamber ofthe defence counsel,stressing that theapplication should not begranted.

The application wastherefore refused, as thecourt disclosed that thedefence counsel failedtotally to admit his defaultin the matter, putting theblame on the registrar, whois not a party in the suit andhas nothing to lose.

Meanwhile, in anothersuit brought before thecourt by Comrade Rufus

Oyatoro through hiscounsel, Mr EdmundBiriomoni, against theLabour Party and itsNational Secretary, Counselto defendants, Mr AkinOmoware, through apreliminary objectionsought to quash the motionof the plaintiff on theground that it was movedbefore its maturity.

He also questioned thelocus standi of the plaintiff/applicant on the motion, butadded that if the court wasto hear the application,which the prayer hadalready been affected by thejudgement of the court inthe earlier suit, his clientmust be given fair hearingby allowing him to respondto the affidavit of theapplicant.

According to him, theprayer sought in theapplication was an order ofthe court declaring thecongress conducted by theparty as null and void,which had been granted inanother suit before it,adding that the issue ofstatus quo ante is notsought for in their prayers.

Counsel in all the suitdisagreed on where themantle of leadership rests,pending the determinationof the substantive suitbefore the court, particularlyas no one was seeking for astatus quo ante in theirpayers.

The court then adjournedtill April 3, 2014 for ruling onthe application and April 28,2014 for hearing thesubstantive suit.

Court Didn’t Order37 Lawmakers ToVacate Seats - APC

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) had stated thatJustice Adeniyi Ademola of a High Court in Lagosdid not order the 37 members of the House of

Representatives, who defected to the APC, to vacate theirseats, because he is not competent to issue such a ruling, asthe issue of whether or not they can defect, was not beforehim.

In a statement issued inLagos on Tuesday by itsInterim National PublicitySecretary, Alhaji LaiMohammed, the partyhowever said it will appeal theruling, because JusticeAdemola’s perpetualinjunction, restraining theconcerned lawmakers fromparticipating in motions anddebates in the House isunconstitutional and defeatsthe very purpose for which themembers were elected into theHouse.

It added that JusticeAdemola’s unsolicitedcomments were clearlygregarious, unnecessary,superfluous and has nofoundation in law or fact, henceshould be ignored.

APC asked the Chief Justiceof Nigeria to act urgently tosanction Justice Ademola forengaging in mischief that couldbring the bench into disrepute.

‘’If this case had been issueda day later than Monday, wewould have said the Judge wascaught in the web of April Fool!Alas, he indeed made the rulingon Monday, hence the need forus to take it very seriously forseveral reasons.

‘’Firstly, the questionwhether the House ofRepresentatives’ membersshould vacate their seats wasnot a question before JusticeAdemola for determination.

“The only question for himto determine was whether theAPC members, with theirnumerical strength at that time,had the right to change theHouse leadership such as theMajority Leader, Chief Whipand their deputies. So JusticeAdemola had no businesscommenting on seats beingvacated.

“Secondly, it is highlyunprofessional and unethicalfor one Judge to delve into amatter that is subjudice inanother court. A Judge shouldnot make comments on mattersbeing litigated in another court.The question of seats beingvacated or otherwise is beingheard by Justice AhmedMohammed in the FederalHigh Court in Abuja who, on29 March 2014, said the issuewas still live before him and isnot ripe for Judgment,’’ theparty said

The APC recalled the alarmit raised in a statement onDecember 14 2013, that thePDP is shopping for a pliantJudge, who will be heavilyinduced to do its bidding in thecase over the defections fromthe ruling party to the APC.

In that statement, the mainopposition party warnedagainst any attempt by thePDP and the Presidency toturn back the hands of theclock as far as the cleaning upof the judiciary is concerned,by inducing a servile anddisreputable Judge to do theduo’s bidding.

Quoting from thatstatement, the APC said: ‘’Werecognise the efforts of thepresent CJN to sanitise theJudiciary since she assumedthe mantle of leadership, butshe should not allow any blackleg to reverse the gains thathave been recorded on the altarof unmitigated avarice. This isbecause if that happens,Nigerians will hold theJudiciary vicariously liable forthe catastrophicconsequences that mayfollow.’’

Noting that its alarm hasnow proven to be prescient,the party wondered whetherthere was any link betweenwhat is clearly an exercise injudicial rascality and PresidentGoodluck Jonathan’s recentboast in Kwara that the PDPwould soon retrieve its ‘stolen’mandate from those whodefected from the PDP to theAPC.

‘’That presidential boastraises the following questions:What did the President knowand when did he know it? Wasthis judgement procured bythe PDP for a price, in whichcase the President’s statementamounted to a Freudian Slip?Are we to expect more of this?

‘’It is necessary to unravelthis so the PDP and thepresidency, in theirdesperation, will not paint thejudiciary with their brush offailure and crash ourdemocracy,’’ it said.

The party urged itssupporters not to panic as thejudgement was clearlyintended to cause mischief,adding however that the planby the PDP and thePresidency has fallen like apack of cards!

By OUR REPORTER

3 News OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, April 3, 2014

•(R-L) Special Adviser to State of Osun Governor on Youths, Sports and Special Needs, Comrade Biyi Odunlade;Deputy Director of Sports, Mr Adegoke Adeyemi; Ministry of Education Sports Coordinator, Alhaji Ilesanmi Olaniyiand Mr Bolade, during the State of Osun High School Marathon 2014 in Osogbo recently. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

Osun Assembly Adopts New Budget Size Of N234bnBy KAZEEM MOHAMMED

THE State of Osun House of Assembly has begun theconsideration of the report of the House Committeeon Finance and Appropriation on the upward review

of the 2014 budget estimate from its original N216 billionto N234 billion.

Chairman, HouseCommittee on Finance and

Appropriation, HonourableKamil Oyedele, had last

week presented the reportand noted that theadjustments made on thedrafts budget were doneafter proper consultationswith the Office of Budgetand Economic Planning andthe Ministry of Finance.

He explained that in the

course of the budgetdefence, the committeeobserved that the stategovernment had realised theneed to reduce over-dependence on oil moneyfrom the federation accountand improve on itsInternally Generated

Revenue (IGR).At the Committee of

whole on Monday, theassembly adopted theincrease in the budget afterdeliberation on the report ofthe Committee on Financeand Appropriation.

Meanwhile, the stateparliament also received twoletters from the Office of theGovernor dated December31, 2013, seeking theconsideration and passageinto law of two bills.

The bills were titled:“State of Osun PartnershipBill, 2013” and “State ofOsun Special OffencesCourt Bill, 2013”.

As contained in the letterread by the Speaker,Honourable Najeem Salaamduring plenary session, thegovernor stated that the

state executive councilapproved and forwarded thebills to the state legislaturefor their consideration andpassage into law.

The governor explained inthe letter that the purpose of“State of Osun SpecialOffences Court Bill, 2013”was to give room for tryingvarious environmentaloffences and other relatedoffences.

According to the secondletter, the purpose of the“State of Osun PartnershipBill, 2013” was to promoterelationship, which subsistsbetween persons carryingout businesses, with a viewto profit and also improvepurposes of the law of thestate in relation to limitedpartnership and limitedliability partnership.

LG Election: Court DismissesCase Against OSSIEC

JUSTICE F.E. Awolalu of an Osun State High Court,sitting in Osogbo has dismissed the case institutedagainst the Osun State Independent Electoral

Commission (OSSIEC) and others restraining it fromconducting local government council elections in the state.

By SHINA ABUBAKAR

The case was institutedby Honourable AkanfeAdemola and others forthemselves and on behalf ofChairmen andCouncillorship aspirants ofthe Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP) and AccordParty (AP) in the state.

The prayer sought by theplaintiffs included an orderof the court to set aside andto declare theappointments, screening,confirmation andinauguration of thechairmen and members ofOSSIEC unconstitutional,absurd and a violation ofthe rule of law.

They also wanted thecourt to declare that theconduct of a localgovernment election in thethirty local governments ofOsun and Area Office,Modakeke is not feasible.

The plaintiff also calledfor an order of perpetualinjunction restrainingOSSIEC as constituted andthe government fromconducting localgovernment elections.

However, the court foundthat the issue in the suitrelated to the pendingappeal in the SupremeCourt, APPEAL NO SC/102/2013 between Justice Titus

Adewuyi Oyeyemi (rtd) andfive others versusHonourable TimothyOwoeye and others, whichis on the dissolution ofOSSIEC and the subsequentappointment, screening,confirmation andinauguration of the chairmenand members of the OSSIECby the governor and theHouse of Assembly, in viewof the judgment of the HighCourt delivered by JusticeJide Falola in suits NO HOS/M8/2011 and HOS/M9/2011,which considered andupheld the impracticability ofconducting localgovernment elections in theState of Osun, pendingappeal at the Supreme Court.

After critical examination,the court ruled that theoriginal suit of the plaintiffsbrought under theoriginating summonproceeding was notcompetent, having regard tothe issues raised therein.

The court also disclosedthat there was no reasonablecause of action against thedefendants in the suit,saying the plaintiff werebusy bodies and interlopers,as they had no locus standito institute the suit.

Delivering her judgment,Justice Awolalu consideredthe issues raised by theplaintiff by way oforiginating summon andpreliminary objections raisedby the defendants beforefinally dismissing the case ofthe plaintiffs in its entirety.

The court thereafterdeclined jurisdiction toentertain the suit, as itamounted to asking the HighCourt to sit in judgment tointerpret the decision of theCourt of Appeal, hence, thecase as instituted by somemembers of PDP as plaintiffswas dismissed by the court.

Man Murdered In Okinni Over Land Tussle•Family Suspects Manipulation

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

A man, Paul Ajibola of Akinode Compound, Okinni, acommunity in Egbedore Local Government CouncilArea of the State of Osun, has been murdered over

a land tussle.He was reportedly killed

on Thursday on the land,located at Papanla in Okinni.

The land was reported tohave been under tusslebefore a court about 10years ago between thedeceased and one AminuOlawale and the court hadearlier fixed Thursday,March 27 for judgment.

A family sourcerecounted that the lateAjibola went to visit the landpenultimate Thursday, butwas allegedly murdered bya suspected assassin, oneKazeem Oladele.

It was gathered thatsome family members, whonoticed his disappearance,mobilised and startedsearching for him, only tofind out that he had beenkilled and buried on the sameland.

Before the familyapproached the police toreport, a source said that thesuspected perpetrator of theact, Kazeem, had gone to

Dada Estate Police Stationin Osogbo to report himself,where he was detained andsubsequently transferred tothe State CriminalInvestigation Department(SCID).

The police subsequentlyfollowed the suspect to thescene of the crime andexhumed the corpse of thelate Ajibola.

Subsequently, Aminu,who was suspected to bethe sponsor of the murder,was also arrested by thepolice and later releasedafter intervention by hisfamily members.

As at the time of filing thisreport Kazeem was reportedto still be in the custody ofthe SCID in Osogbo.

Meanwhile, the family ofthe late Ajibola has startedraising an eyebrow overAminu’s release, whomthey alleged of being thesponsor of the crime.

A family member, whopreferred anonymity,

suspected that the policeoperatives in-charge of thecase might have been bribedto sweep the matter underthe carpet, as Aminu’sfamily was said to have risento the occasion.

The source alleged thatAminu had in the pastengaged in similar acts, butthe matter was swept underthe carpet when the familyof the victim involved thencould no longer pursue thecase.

Aminu was also allegedto have paraded himself asthe Olokinni of Okinnisometimes ago, before hewas stopped by a court.

120 LP Members Decamp To APC In OsunBARELY few months to the 2014 gubernatorial

election in the State of Osun, opposition parties inthe state have witnessed another round of political

hurricane, as no fewer than 120 members and youths ofthe newly-nurturing Labour Party (LP) in Ifon-Osun,headquarters of Orolu Local Government Council Area ofthe state, defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) on Monday.

In a political rally to marktheir defection to the APC,which was held at the stateparty secretariat in Osogbo,APC chieftains, led by itsInterim Chairman, ElderAdelowo Adebiyi, statedthat there are vividindications that defectorsare very ready to workassiduously for the party’svictory in the nextgovernorship election.

While addressing thedefectors, Adelowocommended them for theircourage to defect to APCdespite the threat from theirformer leader.

He also stressed thatAPC respects youths andthat is why Governor RaufAregbesola’s programmesand policies are youth-oriented like O-YES, O-Meal, O-School and others.

He therefore urged themto abide by the rules andregulations of the party.

An APC chieftain andinterim deputy treasurer inOsun, Prince AdekunleBenson, who introduced thedefectors to the party,advised them on loyalty,while admonishing them towork tirelessly to ensure thatthe party held sway in thenext governorship electionin the state, adding that inthe progressive camp, nomember will be marginalized.

Speaking on behalf of thedefectors, Mr. Lawal Latif,who made it known that the

defectors were impressedby the unusual performanceand the quality ofu n p r e c e d e n t e d

developmental projectsexecuted in the last 42months in Osun by theA r e g b e s o l a - l e dadministration, pledged thedefectors’ support for theAPC.

According to him, theyhave come to theprogressive camp; theegalitarian party where

peace, justice and respectfor the rule of law prevail.

“We have left LabourParty; party of cheats andbetrayal, which cannot wineven a ward without talkingof the State of Osun.”

The party’s flag was laterpresented to the decampeesby the interim chairman ofthe APC in the state.

Security Tip In OsunThe government of the State of Osun

has procured special security numbersfor use by people in distress.

The numbers are:08100000481, 08100000482, 08100000483,08100000484, 08100000485, 08100000486.

All the numbers became operationalsince August 17, 2012.

Please, note and call to assist OgbeniRauf Aregbesola, the elected governorof the State Of Osun, in sustaining apeaceful and crime-free environment.

- Management

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, April 3, 20144 News

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

Alie Stool: Court Fixes May 13 For Further Hearing

A State High Court sitting in Osogbo, the capitalof the State of Osun, has fixed May 13 forfurther hearing of Ilie Obaship tussle.

Oyeboade Ruling Houseof the ancient town haschallenged the incumbentAlie of Ilie, Oba KareemOladapo, the state

government and fiveothers, claiming that themonarch was not entitledto the throne.

While the monarch

argued that he is a memberof the Oyeboade RulingHouse, the ruling househowever is disowninghim, insisting that themonarch is fromOrisajenyo family in theancient town, which theyclaimed was not entitled tothe throne.

The case was instituted

on September 14, 2001after the installation of themonarch.

Counsel appearing forthe parties were KolawoleAbiri for the Oyeboades,Soji Oyetayo for themonarch and WaleAfolabi, the state Attorney-General for the stategovernment.

During the hearing ofthe case on Monday, thehead of Oyeboade RulingHouse, Prince RaimiAtoyebi, told the court thatit was Kuaru Ruling Housethat conceded the throneto Oyeboade RulingHouse.

He added that shortlyafter the death of theformer Alie of Ilie, ObaAdegboye, the stategovernment set up a panelof inquiry to know thecomponent parts ofOyeboade Ruling House.

Under cross-

examination by Oyetayo,Atoyebi told the court thatafter the findings, ameeting was subsequentlycalled by the OlorundaLocal Government, whereone Prince IsmailaOyediran was solelynominated by OyeboadeRuling House for the royalstool.

The State Attorney-General, who representedthe government, tenderedthe minutes of the meetingas evidence, which wasobjected to by theplaintiff’s counsel.

In his objection, Abiriargued that the documentwas issued by an interestedparty, which wasOlorunda LocalGovernment after the casehad been instituted, asagainst Section 83,subsections 3 and 5 of theEvidence Act.

He then urged the court

to reject the document.Defending the

document, Afolabidescribed the argument ofthe plaintiff’s counsel asmisconceived, as themaker of the documentwas not an interested partyin the matter.

He further argued thatthe document was madeon July 15, 2001, threemonths before the casewas instituted, hence, thedocument would not havebeen made in anticipationof the matter.

Ruling on theapplication, the presidingjudge admitted thedocument on the groundthat the maker was not aninterested party in the case.

However, sequel to theconsent of the parties, thematter was later adjournedtill May 13, 2014 forfurther hearing.

S/West APC In UK CanvassesSupport For Aregbesola, Fayemi

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

THE South West All Progressives Congress (APC)in the United Kingdom has charged the people ofOsun and Ekiti states not to allow any politician to

truncate the rapid development taking place in both states.In a communiqué issued

on behalf of the InterimChairman, Mr. KehindeOjutalayo and signed bythe Publicity Secretary ofthe party in the UK, Mr.Tunde Ajayi, after a meetingrecently, the party said thatthe only way to sustain thedevelopmental stride is tore-elect Governors RaufAregbesola of Osun andKayode Fayemi of Ekiti.

Endorsing the twogovernors for second termin office, the party statedthat both governors haveperformed brilliantly overthe last three and a halfyears.

The communiqué reads:“Without mincing words,the good people of Osunand Ekiti have enjoyed thedividends of democracy forthe last three and a halfyears.

“Since that is the case, asdifferent categories ofpeople have testified to it,why should we thenclamour for a change?

“The social welfaresupport for the elderly,educational reform, youthempowerment, agriculturaland infrastructuraldevelopment are allprogrammes that are well-planned and carried out bythe two governors.

“Most importantly, the

peace that has been enjoyedover the years by the peopleof the two states due toastute leadership style ofAregbesola and Fayemi are

all commendable,” it noted.The party then appealed

to voters to avoid sellingtheir votes to disgruntledpoliticians, who have noother interest except toenrich their pockets.

Doing so, the partystressed, could truncate therapid development takingplace in the two states.

Aregbesola Lauded Over Agricultural ReformsBy FRANCIS EZEDIUNO

THE Chairman, Osun State AgriculturalDevelopment Corporation (OSSADEC), EngineerSolagbade Atanda Oladepo, has commended the

administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola over hiscontinuous support to farmers in the state, especially bygranting them agricultural loans.

He disclosed this at thefirst meeting of the board forthe Year 2014, which washeld at the ConferenceRoom of the corporation.

He used the occasion toimplore members of theboard and the managementstaff of the corporation towork together for the overallsuccess of the agency,adding that members haveto submit their completedcode of conduct bureauforms on time.

Engineer Oladepoassured farmers that theywould soon benefit from theagricultural loans and askedfor their support andcooperation with thepresent administration.

Speaking on theoccasion, the ActingGeneral Manager, Mr.

Kayode Olanipekun, statedthat banishing hunger andpoverty, creating wealth andemployment were parts ofthe six-point integral actionplan of the presentadministration and assuredthem that disbursement ofloans would commence byMay 2014.

Olanipekun stated further

that, the State Governmentof Osun under OgbeniAregbesola had procuredagro-processing equipmentsuch as Cassava ChippingMachine, Grain ProcessingMachine, Multi-GrainThresher, Rice Reaper andYam Flour processingmachine for sale to womenand youths at 40% subsidy.

He also informed themeeting that the stategovernment had furtherapproved a 15% subsidy onagricultural implementssuch as harrow, plough,rigger and tipping trailer,which are available for saleat the corporation’sheadquarters along Iloburoad.

Cultism: Osun Govt Rehabilitates 30 Pupils

THE Government of the State of Osun hasrehabilitated 30 pupils of the Baptist HighSchool, Osogbo, who were suspended for

alleged cultism.

By ISMAEEL UTHMAN

The pupils wererehabilitated by thegovernment incollaboration with thestate chapter of theParents, TeachersAssociation (PTA)through rigorous training.

Governor RaufAregbesola has alsogranted state pardon for

the pupils, who had gonethrough several trainingsin moral and academics.

It would be recalledthat the state governmenthad in January this yearsuspended some pupils ofBaptist High School,Osogbo for allegedcultism and hooliganism.

The suspension of the

pupils came on the heel ofthe arrest made by theNigerian Peace Corps inthe state.

The pupils had beforetheir arrest staged aprotest on the schools’reclassification policy ofthe state government.

Speaking with OSUNDEFENDER onTuesday, the StateChairman of the PTA, DrAdemola Ekundayo, saidthe rehabilitated pupilshad gone throughreligious, moral and

educational trainings.Ekundayo said the

suspended pupils weretrained by renownedclerics, moralists andeducationists, adding thatthe pupils are nowqualified to return to theclassrooms.

He stated that the PTAtook over theresponsibility of the pupilswhen they weresuspended by the stategovernment andorganized trainings forthem at the statesecretariat of theassociation.

The PTA stated furtherthat the pupils have signedan undertaking to be ofgood behaviourthroughout theirstudentship, just as heinformed that their parentshad attested to their goodconduct.

Ekundayo said theparents of the suspendedpupils were responsiblefor their misconducts inthe school, disclosing thatfindings by the associationrevealed that most of thepupils had beenabandoned by theirparents.

However, the PTAchairman stated that theparents of the affectedpupils had been educatedand they had assured thegovernment of theirreadiness to take goodcare of their children.

•(L-R) The President, Unit 2; Alhaji Mustapha Olawuyi, the President, Unit 4; Alhaji Adelakun Idris and the Chairman, AGM committee, MrMurtala Agboola, during the 11th AGM NACOMYO Co-orperative Society celebration in Osogbo recently.

5 OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, April 3, 2014

Omisore’s Empty Campaign PromisesIsn’t only a dementedmind that would saythat? For Omisore tosay that OgbeniAregbesola

hasn’t done anythingin the state is the heightof falsehood, nay, de-mentia and that speaksvolume of his charac-ter as liar, an hypocriteand a politician of noshame. Today in thestate of Osun it’s onrecord that OgbeniAregbesola’s achieve-ments within just threeyears plus of his admin-istration by far surpassthat of PDP’s govern-ment of seven and ahalf years even asOgbeni is still on themarch – not relenting inhis efforts to put Osunon the

world map of devel-

opment – in spite of all themonetary challenges he isfacing. The exodus ofpeople from Omisore’sparty, PDP to OgbeniAregbesola’s party,APC, on daily basis inthe state today, is a dem-onstration of the love thepeople have for Ogbenifor having served themwell and it is also a testa-ment to the faith theyhave in him as a leaderseen to have what ittakes to take Osun togreater heights.

If Omisore's inane talkthat Ogbeni Aregbesolahas not done well in thestate is ridiculous, morelaughable is his promiseto create 300, 000 (threehundred thousand) jobswithin ten days of his ad-ministration at the rate ofN75, 000 per head. Lo

and behold! Like theYoruba would say;‘blood doesn’t ooze fromthe mouth of a liar’. Howfeasible is this in a statethat has the chunk of itsincome coming from fed-eration account andwhose allocation is hardlyenough to settle workers’salary and pension? Eventhe foetus knows that thispurely unrealistic. LetOmisore therefore tellthat to the marine. Osunpeople are too intelligentto be swayed by that un-realistic campaign prom-ise. But for Aregbesola’singenuity and prudentmanagement of the avail-able meagre resourcesaccruing to the state, itwould be impossible toachieve all this muchwithin a period of threeyears.

And we mustemphasise it here; totake Osun to where it is

now has not been atea party. It is a productof Aregbesola’s visionand his prudent man-agement of resources.

For it takes a vision-ary and prudent leaderof Aregbesola’s ilk, nota prodigal and visionlesspolitician like Omisoreto take Osun to whereit is now having beenbadly managed by badmanagers for seven anda half years. And on thisscore Osun people arewont to ask him; whatdid he do for the statewhen he was a Senator?Other than using his ill-gotten wealth to breedthugs what did he do forthe youths? In what waydid he impact positivelyon their lives?

PDP Gov Candidate: A time To Revisit History

HISTORY is rich.There is no subjectcomparable to it, if

truth must be told.Towards the 2003 generalelections, Otunba IsiakaAdeleke was the leadingaspirant in PDP and it wasobvious he was set toclinch the gubernatorialticket. He had workedvery hard and actuallydeserved victory. But thepowers that be in PDPthen, including those inAgodi Prison detention foralleged participation in theseemingly state-sponsoredassassination of UncleBola Ige; felt PrinceOlagunsoye Oyinlola wasmore befitting agubernatorial candidate,(expedience, allegedlyborne-out of voodoo, wasthe reasons adduced) forthe decision. Thrice, theprimary elections(majority of PDPmembers and indeed, thewatching generality of thepeople, described the

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primaries as stage-managed) were held,thrice, Oyinlola defeatedOtunba Adeleke, includingthe last one that was heldin Abuja. There is nothingthat is happening in PDPthat has not happenedbefore. The struggle forpower in the PDP isalways vicious, especially,when there is a script to

rig elections at all cost inplay, as it seems it is now.

Many people do nothave correctunderstanding of manydemocratic concepts,hence they go on tomisinterpret certain things.Choosing a party’scandidate is a prerogativeof the political party. Itdepends on what they, the

party members believed inand agreed to. There is noadvanced democracywhere primary election orwhat many refers to as thelegitimisation of impunityby a few influentialpersons within the partyhierarchy is seen as sinequa non! The Americanexample which is todaythe most popular has been

wrongly, like many otherdemocratic tendencies,copied and even debased!The quality of those thatwill contest the Americanprimary is alwayspreceded by seriousscreening. In addition, thepopularity and acceptanceof a candidate would havebeen obvious, mostly bythe start of the intra-party

campaigns. Besides, liketheir general elections, theprimary election will befree, fair and credible, andwill be seen to be so. It isnot the manipulativesituation that hascharacterised theNigerian conservativesituation. Mostly, theycome in the manner of themore you look, the less yousee...abracadabra! The2014 Ekiti PDP primaryelection is still incontention. The result hasalways been less thangood and enthusiasticrepresentation. In theprogressive family, thequality of representationmatters. While provision ismade for primary electionwhere it becomesabsolutely necessary,consensus is promoted tobe able to produce qualityrepresentatives.

•ISMAIL ABIODUN,Osogbo, State of Osun.

All these and more arethe questions begging foranswers.As a NigerianOmisore has the consti-tutional right to

contest for the gover-norship seat of his stateand any other

elective office except ifpronounced unfit by thecourt of law. But much aswe agree with this posi-tion, we feel it’s

absolutely illogical forhim to continue to use histongue

to rubbishAregbesola’s achieve-ments in the state. If he

believes in himself andhis ability to lead the statelet

him engage in issuebased campaign and con-structive debates.

R u b b i s h i n gAregbesola’s glo-bally acknowledgedachievements

cannot, and it willnot help him in theleast. The Osun

electorate cannotbe swayed by emptypromises. Thepeople

have tasted goodgovernance underAregbesola and theyare

not ready to wastetheir vote by votingfor a candidate who

will only come todraw the hands ofclock of develop-ment backward.

Continued from pg1

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, April 3, 20146 INTERVIEW

PDP Has To March On Blood To Win Osun Guber – AregbesolaOgbeni Rauf Aregbesola has always been in the news since becoming governor of

Osun State. Most times, the policies of his administration have come under heavycriticism by some stakeholders and opposition parties. But, Aregbesola insists thatno governor has impacted so much on the people as he has done. In this interview,he speaks on governance in the State of the Virtuous (Ipinle Omoluabi), August 9governorship election, perceived Islamisation of the state and many other issues.

What is the centrepiece of yourgovernment?

I tell people that I am yet to see a governoreither before or now, I don’t know oftomorrow, who has made the people thecentre of governance, as much as we are doing.I’m not saying this because I want to soundfulfilled. I am saying this because I wantpeople to know the distinction betweenpeople-oriented government and a governmentas usual. You see, the usual governmentpanders to strict expectations and rules; roadsmust be built, whether it has economic orsocial significance, it does not matter.Government must build roads and we arebuilding roads. We are not against constructionof roads and edifices; we are only saying thatif the people are serviced in a way that theirpotential would be fully developed, at theappropriate time, those things, in terms ofinfrastructure, would just naturally come.

When you came into office three yearsago, what did you meet on ground?

On the assumption of office, we saw theinhuman condition of our youths who in theirthousands are unemployed. As a matter offact, when we advertised for our youthempowerment scheme of engaging youths incommunity, social and public works, wereceived applications in excess of 250,000 for20,000 volunteers. We advertised what the jobis all about; community works such as clearingof gutters, clearing waste, cleaning roads, andso on. We equally stated those who wewanted to engage; school certificate anddiploma holders, and graduates. That wouldtell you the proportion of our youths thatsimply have nothing to do. That was a graphicexhibition of the seriousness of the issue ofunemployment in our land. We recruited the20,000 without any sentiment. Hardly wasthere any household without a representativein that scheme.

The second phase of it is on. In all, we aretouching the lives of 40,000 people in a waythat we are happy and they are happy too.That scheme has positively affected our statethat our state today is the most peaceful inNigeria. Most of what we hear in other statesrarely happen in our state. National Bureau ofStatistics rated our state as the state with theleast unemployment in Nigeria. On the indexof NBS, we rate three per centunemployment. On social and human capacityindex, we are the best. On the povertyreduction index, we came second. Theyclaimed we are next to Niger State. When theycombined all the parameters for assessinghuman development index, we came firstbecause the state that came first in povertyreduction index was eighth in unemploymentindex. By the time you do a summary of thevarious social and economic indices forassessing states, we are just simply the best.

After that, we went to education. By thetime we assumed office, we found out thateducation was not just there. We showedconcern and my presentation at the educationsummit was that the summit participantsmust look at the possibilities of closingschools for two years for us to effectively dosomething about the structure, the capacity ofthe teachers and others. But my view was notpopular in the summit. The summit concludedwith some action plans. Heading that summiton education was Prof. Wole Soyinka. So, thereforms we are implementing on education,was the directive on the summit which weconvened less than two months into office.

So, for anybody to now impugn that our

reform, which is a direct offshoot of thatsummit on education, in which we had thebest brains both within and outside, is to usvery strange. Those who participated in thesummit had no religious bias; they simply toldus that if we are serious about what we toldthem we wanted to do, follow this course. Theprocess given by them is that we must rebuildour schools, we must feed pupils at the lowestlevel of education very well to sufficientlyattract and retain them in school; we mustlook at how to indigenise the uniform theywear, train and re-train the teachers as well asencourage them. They told us how that couldbe done by setting aside a school for primaryeducation and others. These recommendations,we adopted and started aggressiveimplementation. Today in Osun, we feed closeto 300,000 pupils in the whole primaries 1-4.No state in Nigeria has ever attempted thatscale of engagement of students. We have beendoing it for over a year now at an annual costof N3.6 billion. We are proud to say thatwhoever likes should come and see what theyfeed these pupils with.

I challenge any government in Nigeria tocome and say they have done close to this,even for one day. We have been doing thissince April 2012. It is unprecedented.

We are the first government in the historyof Nigeria that would give 750,000 pupils inpublic schools uniform. The uniforms are inthree categories. There is a set of uniform for

the elementary schools, uniform for the middleschool and for the high school as well. Werestructured basic education into elementary,middle and high school.

Again, we are providing all the students,150,000 of them in high school, with anelectronic education device in which you haveall textbooks for learning, practise questions,compiled 10 years of WAEC and JAMB pastquestions, and tutorials for all lessons in highschool. We give them this bit to ensure thatnobody lacks anything that is required forsuccessful completion of high school. Nomatter your background or who your parentsare, you have access to the best learning toolsin the state. So, we tell the students and theparents that whoever fails, either internal orexternal examinations, has nobody to blamebut themselves. That is what Tablet ofKnowledge (Opon Imo) is all about. We didnot plagiarise any material; we are payingroyalties.

We pay per copy of the set we use. It’s likeN26 per book. When you look at cost perbook that we pay to the various contributors,you will see that it is incomparable to the hardcopies. Government is to reduce the burden ofcare on citizens. What we have achieved withthis is to provide a core need at the cheapestprice to everybody. It is cheap to government,it’s free to our citizens.

We also avoid the mystery of flooding bycontinuously dredging, clearing the waterways

and this paid off when in 2012 the entirenation experienced terrible flooding, Osun wasthe only state that was never adverselyaffected. So, channelisation and dredging ofour waterways continually totally eliminatedthe pain and stress of flooding some states inNigeria experienced.

We take care of the elderly. We selectedover 1,000 of them and we ensure we givethem N10,000 monthly. It was not based onany sentiment. We also do home-basedmedical care for the elderly state-wide. I onlywant to paint to you our human-angleapproach to governance. There is no class ofpeople that we do not touch. Ouradministration is the first that can say that nohousehold in Osun exist without an impactfrom our administration.

We support farmers to increaseproductivity. Our school feeding havepositively impacted the agriculture sector. Wehave a 25 per cent increase in enrolment.Today, Osun has the highest primary schoolenrolment in Nigeria, according to NBS data.

Several criticisms have trailed the stateeducation sector, especially the perceivedIslamisation which has affected youradministration negatively?

Let me talk about two things that havegained some currency in the media. The first isthat our school reform is an Islamisationagenda. When they say so, I just laugh. Thepoorest of the poor are those who send theirwards to public schools, not only in Osun butall over Nigeria. People with very limitedresources, considered public schools as theonly alternative. So, with therecommendations of the summit, came theneed to critically examine all aspects of it. Inour examination, we discovered that there arestudents without teachers, whereas there areteachers without students in others. What wasleft to us was to restructure in such a waythat we will have students as well as adequateor near-adequate number of teachers.

Two, we change the structure of educationfrom the popular 6-3-3-4 to 4-5-3. This doesnot change the curriculum but the age bracketin each level of education. Before ourintervention, we have six years of primaryschool. In our new structure, we haveelementary for pupils between 6 and 9, middleschool for between 9 and 14 and high schoolfor students between 15 and 17. For us tonow have this, we must relocate pupils. Forthe elementary schools, you mustn’t movebeyond 500 metres to where your parentseither live or work, depending on the choice ofyour mother. For the middle, it may be onekilometre or two. For the high level, there isno limit where the distance of your school canbe because that is the adventurous age.

We never thought of any sentiment in all ofthis. But even at that, we are not unmindful ofsentiments. In the re-classification andconsolidation, we never moved pupils fromChristian named schools to Muslim namedschools. I never said Christian schools orMuslim schools. Since 1975, except for statesthat have done something about reversal, thelaw is still extant that there is no exclusivelypublic Christian or Muslim school. All thepublic schools before 1975 were partiallyowned but after 1975, they were absolutelyowned by the public, which is government. It,therefore, surprised us when people say wemoved Muslims pupils to Christian schools.That was never done. We ensured that

Continued on page 7

•AREGBESOLA

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, April 3, 2014 7INTERVIEW

My Critics Are Not Honourable – Aregbesolastudents were moved from Christian

named schools to Christian namedschools.

Let me give you an example. In Iwo, wechose Baptist High School as theconsolidation centre for Iwo area. Wetherefore moved pupils because it isnamed Baptist but not owned by Baptistand that name is retained. We movedpupils from United Methodist Highschool and St. Mary’s Catholic School tomake-up the required number of studentsof 3,000 in Baptist High School. Butbecause of the report against our reform,the fact that 19 female students fromUnited Methodist High School were Hijabwearers, which the school had hithertoallowed; Six female students from St.Mary Catholic School had been allowedto wear Hijab, long before ourconsolidation came. We moved all of themto Baptist High School. There are,therefore, 25 female students among 3000students in Baptist High School wearingHijab as they were wearing in theirprevious schools. That was what asection of the parents in Baptist HighSchool resisted that their school was aChristian school, that nobody must wearHijab.

Anybody can still go to inquire aboutwhat I have said because the story is stillfresh. Is there anywhere in Nigeria wherestudents are admitted to public schoolson religious basis? The answer is no!Segregation on religion is never allowedin any school in Nigeria, public or private.If admission into school is not faith-based, where would I now get exclusiveMuslims that I will take to exclusiveChristians? There was nothing like thatbut it was taken as the truth. Let us askourselves, who is at risk, the minority orthe majority? There are 25 studentswearing Hijab in a school with 3000students not wearing, who is at risk? Thisissue happened only in one school. ForBaptist High School, Ede, the problem isthat its name must not be changed fromBaptist High School to Baptist MiddleSchool. Baptist Girls High School,Osogbo, its own grouse with us is that itshould remain a Girls High School, whenthe reality on ground does not support asingle-sex school. Let us assume thatthere are 10 schools that have hitches inour re-classification programme out of2000 schools. How could that constitute athreat to that reform? There are actuallyfive and they all belong to onedenomination of Christianity, Baptist.Whatever you read about it, just knowthat those who write about it have theirreasons for such campaigns against us.We see it as a campaign of calumny andwe leave them to their conscience.

Why haven’t you considered returningschools back to missionaries?

Have you considered or studied whythe schools were taken over from themissionaries in the first place? Theschools were taken over because severalyears before the complete take-over,government was actually running theschools especially in Western Nigeria. Iattended a Catholic primary school andgovernment was responsible for theteachers, the grants for running theschools, additional infrastructure for theschools and it is still owned by Catholics.It was the year I was leaving school thatgovernment finally announced the take-over. The missionaries protested that theymust be compensated; government agreedbut let us do a balance of how much wehave spent over-time for teachers,infrastructure and other investment. Thatwas how they bowed out.

In my broadcast to the state early thisyear, I said as we are progressing with thenew school structure, spaces will becreated and there will be no question ofreturning schools or not. It is not as if Iam against return of schools, but it is thepractical impossibility of it now. Until Ihave alternatives for the pupils, declaringthat I am returning schools to the originalowners would simply meanirresponsibility.

So, there is no Islamisation agenda?Not at all! In the composition of my

cabinet, over two-thirds of members of my

cabinet are Christians. I chose themmyself. More than three-quarter ofpermanent secretaries are Christians. Allthe judges in Osun, over 90 per cent areChristians, I didn’t appoint those ones.Sixteen out of 26 House of Assemblymembers are Christians. So, where wouldanyone sustain this argument ofIslamisation? I struggled to be a devoutMuslim. The charge is more because ofmy appearance and being than any reality.Rather than come out to say why welabelled you as an Islamist is because ofhow you appear; you wear beard, you puton this cap and others. They know theycan’t say that because it is uncivilised,they now tell lies.

Would you really say that theseallegations emanate out of mischief?

You’ve hit the nail on the head.Mischief, biased and reckless affiliation toa tendency used to judge every issue. Nogovernment in Nigeria has ever done whatI initiated in religious balancing in OsunState. The day I was sworn in, I decreedthat all major religions in Osun must haveequal official treatment. In officialfunctions in Osun, traditionalists,Christians and Muslims pray together.From that alone, there should not be anybasis for religious affiliation allegationagainst me. Muslims were enraged on thatdecision. Christians fired the first salvo onme that I was encouraging traditionalreligion, that I am taking the society back.I told them the oath I took to be fair on all.Till today, no other government hasjoined me on this. When I recognised theMuslim New Year, that further fuelled theallegation of fundamentalism. The MuslimNew Year has always been part and parcelof Islamic celebration long beforeChristianity and the modern trends. Tocasual observers, it never matter.

Are you nursing any fear about theAugust 9 governorship election,especially when the opposition said whatbrought you into the office was a judicialcoup? And may be all these baggagewould affect your electoral chances.

There is no baggage at all. I alwayswant the critical minds to visit Osun andassess the impact of administrations onthe people. I am confident because I havethe support of a majority of our people formy re-election. Why? We have servedthem with the way they have never beenserved in their history. If election is aboutrecompense to the administration, I toldyou that there is no household that wehave not impacted positively in this state.

Let me tell you this, a man met me in aMosque and struggled to let the Imam ofthat Mosque to engage me. He said hecame to thank me that his son, an NCEholder, had been at home for 10 yearswithout any form of employment. He saidthe day that boy came to give himsomething as his own share of the firstsalary he received as an O’YES cadet, heasked him, where he got the money. Theboy said the new governor gave himemployment as an O’YES cadet and thatwas his own share of the first salary. Hesaid he had assumed that he will serve theboy till he died, but we changed that.

See, we are affecting lives. When youenter Osun from anywhere, you will seechanges in the environment. No tension,no harassment, people now sleep well. Foranybody to aim at disrupting that system,that person must be super-powerful. Itcannot be those who have had theopportunities for 90 months but failed todo anything for our people. As we speak,we are working on minimum of 210kilometeres of roads in all the localgovernments; 7 km in each of the localgovernments. We have done close to 500km of roads and doing landmark roadworks.

I tell people that the only way thePeoples Democratic Party (PDP) can winis to kill a lot of people. They have tomarch on the blood of the people todisplace us. Again, God is a God ofjustice; not injustice. You cannot rewardgood with bad and vice versa. We startedcampaigning for this election since theday we were sworn in. I do community

work with our people every month,through physical exercise -Work to Live.You see how popular this initiative isamong our people; it’s a momentouscarnival. I also engage them on a quarterlybasis on Ogbeni Till Daybreak, close toten hours of critical engagement. Lately,we have introduced another one called‘Gbangba Dekun’, where we are in eachfederal constituency to take questions,comments and opinions from people. Ifyou add our people- oriented approach togovernance, God be with us, I am lookingat how they will do it. Jimmy Cliff had alyrics, ‘The harder they come, the harderthey fall’

What is the financial state of Osunagainst the insinuation that the state isin huge debt?

During the campaign in 2007, I wrote itthat we are going to run governmentunusual. I have increased the revenuebase of Osun from N300 million to N1.6billion. I have been very prudent in theway I handle all the small-small surplusesI had that I still use it to augmentwhatever inadequacies I have. I had thebest experience of governance particularlylearning from the person I believe is thebest public fund manager in Nigeria,Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. The combination ofmy background and the experience Igarnered from him, made it possible for meto manage the resources of the state insuch a way that before we can be said tobe insolvent, the entire nation must bedown.

The debt we have is within the capacityof the state to cope. That is why we neverappeared in any of the reports of thosementioned as insolvent by concernedinstitutions. I want to assure that we areoperating within the limits of the law ofNigeria. We are not insolvent, we are notindebted. We run projects that are un-burdensome. Our projects are done onflexible financing scheme and its payingoff. We have not exceeded the threshold.The financial institution cannot bemanipulated. We must be commended fortaking Osun from its financial rot to evenstart having financial relationship withinstitutions. We are in the capital market.Our first appearance at the market forbond fetched us by far what we sought.Our second attempt, we wereoversubscribed. These people criticisingmy government are bad in governance,bad in their relationships. They are nothonourable!

What is your take on the Rivers Statecrisis and 2015 election timetablereleased by the Independent NationalElectoral Commission (INEC)?

On the Rivers crisis, the best answer isto use Obasanjo’s word paradoxically, Idey cry o. Why I may not laugh is that thesituation is gory.

On the timetable, when you are in thesituation we found ourselves in Nigeria,the less you say about something, thebetter for you. Well, my concern is for usto have credible, free, fair and transparentelection. The best thing would have beento have all the elections in one day. Butwhichever way it is, what is very germaneis the need to give democracy full,genuine, and unadulterated expression inNigeria. If we can give democracy genuineexpression in Nigeria, there won’t be anyproblem. But because we know that undera free and fair process, some peoplecannot even smell public office, the bestis to complete the process in a single day.Nigerians have demonstrated theresilience and capacity that handling fiveballots cannot be a problem. They knowwhat they want to do with the ballots. Ifyou want it to be easy, provide differentboxes for the offices. This will eliminate allcollateral effects. What I am concernedwith is the fairness and transparency ofthe process.

Look at Ghana here; they were able todo a fairly free election. Nigeria has nobusiness not to replicate the same. That iswhy some of us are waiting for biometric.Let it be impossible for anyone who didn’tregister to vote. The day we can eliminateproxy voting, ensuring that the votes thatare cast are counted and announced, thatis the end of all shenanigans in allelections. We believe we will get there andwe will struggle to get there.

Continued from page 7

•AREGBESOLA

8 OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, April 3, 2014PHOTOTALK

The Newly-renovated State Of Osun House Of Assembly, Under The AdministrationOf The Governor Of The State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. Photo: JESUDOYIN ABRAHAM

•The newly-built Chapel within the House of Assembly Complex.

•

•A side view of the hallowed chamber of the House and the gallery.

9OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, April 3, 2014 PHOTOTALKThe Newly-renovated State Of Osun House Of Assembly, Under The AdministrationOf The Governor Of The State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. Photo: JESUDOYIN ABRAHAM

•The hallowed chamber of the House of Assembly.

•Side view of the Gallery.

•The newly-built Mosque within the House of Assembly Complex.

10 OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, April 3, 2014PHOTOTALK

•Governor Aregbesola (3rd right); Pastor Olutola (2nd left), Pastor James Soude (left), Osogbo Area Superintendent, Pastor Paul Usman(2nd right) and Oke Igboji AreaSuperintendent, Ilesa, Pastor Ogundele Isaac(right) during the courtesy visit to the governor.

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola(middle); National President, the Apostolic Church Nigeria/Territorial Chairman, Pastor Gabriel Olutola (left) andPastor James Soude, during the courtesy visit to the governor at Government House, Osogbo, few days ago.

National President, The Apostolic Church Of Nigeria, Paid A Courtesy Visit ToThe State Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, At Government House,Osogbo, Few Days Ago.

11 OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, April 3, 2014FEATURE

Who Is Afraid Of Peace In OsunMY very good friend, Mrs.Bukola

Olatundun Oyebamji, a bankerwith one of the new generation

banks in Ilesa, State of Osun, in ourchance meet, once confidently assertedthat she, likewise her colleagues, wereliving perpetually in fear of dare devilarmed robbers, who had several timesseized the banking street of the ancienttown without resistance, to the extentthat her mother had once suggestedthat should quit the banking job to live.

As a matter of fact, Bukky, as Ifondly call her, related a very terriblescenario which she claimed happenedaround 2009, where she escaped deathjust by the skin of her teeth. It was saidthat she was eating during the break onanother desk when there was a loudbang; she ignored it because the soundhad become normal thing. She eventhought it was happening in anotherbank, but on returning to her desk forduty, everywhere was riddled withbullets, her chair was condemned withbullets.

The journalist in me then pushed mycuriosity to know what obtainedimmediately a new administrationheaded by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola tookover in 2010. I deliberately asked thequestion, because I knew she wasapolitical or should I say, a hater ofpolitics and politicians, but she exudedconfidence in her response that thearmed robbers dare not try nonsenseagain with the new securityarrangement in place.

I kept quiet because I know I mustnot push her to the political discourse,for she would unleash her caustictongue on the politicians and themisconduct of the few, but she lookedat me and stressed: “I give kudos toAregbesola on his security initiative andfor creating a secured environment forinvestment drive.”

Honestly speaking, politics is worthparticipating if the goal is to servehumanity, but some of the politicians,who are jostling for positions lack theknowledge of political philosophy,rather how to make quick money istheir reason for joining politics, and itappears easy for the unscrupulous onesto join politics in this part of theuniverse, because the misfits know thatour people are bedeviled with manychallenges that have reduced the size ofour memory, but widened their sensesof suspicion.

However, I am compelled to speakthe truth to the sentiment expressed bymy friend on the social media,Honourable Ropo Oyewole, theimmediate-past brilliant DeputySpeaker, Osun State House ofAssembly, and a political soul mate of aPDP governorship aspirant, Mr. IyiolaOmisore, who thought that thepurchase of new Armoured PersonnelCarriers (APC) for security purposewas needless, on the argument that thefund used to buy them could have beenused to pay pensioners. As a result, Ishall quickly appreciate the situation ofthe recent past in two states.

Let me be sentimental about theStates of Osun and Ekiti beforeGovernors Rauf Aregbesola and KayodeFayemi took over. Let’s start fromEkiti. In line with the political joker ofthe former President OlusegunObasanjo to secure the South West axisof the country dominated by theopposition Alliance for Democracy(AD), one political greenhorn, AyoFayose emerged from the blues to

become the governor. I learnt he‘won’ his election on the back ofbaited charity, by distributing water tothe people free. ‘WATER FORVOTE’ in the land of Professors?Politics then was an eyesore. Nowonder, a politician chose to up theante by selling kerosene at subsidisedrate in Osogbo.

And when the guy with no pedigreeand finesse took the mantle ofleadership, he turned out to be a bullyand power drunk, that was when Ekiti,the land of men and women of letterswas being ruled by a cowboy. Andwhen the people with finesse anddepth woke up rudely from theirslumber, Fayose on the platform of thePDP had turned violent full cycle:people of substance like BimboDaramola were hurriedly dispatchedto their shallowed graves, oppositionpoliticians became endangeredspecies.

There was a time the oppositionwas holding a rally in an Ado EkitiStreet corner, and he came to thenotice of Fayose, the governor, thenhe elected to pass through the place tohis office, and when the securityreport was made available to him totake another route, he asked his ChiefSecurity Officer who the State Chiefsecurity officer was. Of course, heknew the answer, and when the manpointed at him, he said he would takethe route. He took the route, and trulyblood flowed. That was the lot of Ekitiunder Fayose.

As it was in Ekiti, so it was in Osun,but because Osun then was under thegrip of a retired General, who made itclear that he did not eat “akara” to becommissioned an Army General, ametaphorical statement which meantthat he was not afraid of war as asoldier, the case of the state wasspecial.

Truly, the soldier in Prince

Olagunsoye manifested, and accordingto what he told me while on a courtesy visit tohis office as an executive member of NigeriaUnion of Journalists (NUJ), the three Ws

‘wine’, ‘womem’, and ‘war’ manifested in hisregime to the extent that I could have safelyhinted that those were his programme ofaction.

Between 2004 to 2010, armed bandits wereon top of the situation in Osun, politicalprisoners, who were thrown to jail ontrumped-up charges were countless, andpolitical thugs became lords of manor, landspeculators, and kings of the jungle. Even,each time election was approaching,opposition politicians dare not campaign,unless there was preparation for blood flow.

At that material time, life was cheap andbrutish, economy of the state was parlous.Aside from the N18.3 billion loan taken forconstruction of six stadia to be completed at30 percent, there was no developmentalproject anywhere, but very few political officeholders, who reared thugs for the prosecutionof future elections had money to throwaround. Oh, someone needed to see howOsun’s graphical presentation was depictedlike war zone.

However, the story changed whenAregbesola took over in 2010, as security wasrestored, peace returned, and financial andcorporate institutions that had relocated to theother states began to return to Osun, andeducation, economy, employment, and protestof the aggrieved became issues. Mr. IyiolaOmisore, a governorship aspirant was alsooffered Nelson Mandela Freedom Parkconstructed by Aregbesola to attack hisgovernment under the guide of declaration ofintent. Beauty of democracy in action!

The by and large of my story is that thepeace and security ensured by Aregbesola inOsun cannot be quantified in Naira and Kobo,but it is an achievement that could not besurmounted by the PDP government at thecentre. So, let no Ropo Oyewole insult ourcollective sensibility on the purchase of newArmored Personnel Carrier by the stategovernment to secure our lives.

•Butika is the Press Secretary to theSpeaker of the State of Osun House ofAssembly.

By GOKE BUTIKA

•AREGBESOLA

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, April 3, 201412 FEATURE

Remembering Obafemi AwolowoEARLIER during the month,

admirers of the late sage and grandseigneur of Nigerian politics-Chief

Obafemi Awolowo, converged at hisIkenne hometown to mark his post-humous birthday.

Chief Awolowo’s enormouscontributions to the struggle for Nigeria’sindependence certainly cannot be over-emphasized, while his political sagacityhas become part of Nigerian history. Awomight have not have made it to VinceLambard’s “ No 1 “ in politics. But thatmay not because he lacked what it takesto be the No 1. Agreed that his diplomacywas not the most adroit and that his fiscalpolicy as Federal Commissioner forFinance could have destroyed hisacceptance among the Igbos, but manypeople think Awolowo had all it takes tosteer a country, that has been so buffetedwith bad leadership, to the path ofprogress.

Of course, Chief Awolowo’s criticshave never failed to reiterate what theyrefer to as his stubbornness andunwillingness to compromise a qualitywhich in Nigerian politics, would accountto a serious shortcoming. But ChiefAwolowo seemed to be making a pointthat rather compromise certain principles,which are held as sacred and indeedsacrosanct, one night as well be preparedto lose the No 1 position.

Awolowo’s political ideology was ahybrid of humanism and socialism, whichsome of his abiding followers have cometo characterize as Awoism. His ability tolead his stock derived from a certainmystique- a complex system of austerelifestyle and awesome charisma.According to Profesor Richard Joseph, aFord Foundation political researcher andProfessor of Government at DartmouthCollege, United States: “ the greatestmonument that Nigerians can erect toAwo’s memory is the building of aharmonious and socially just nation, forwhich he laboured without respite,despite the many disappointments thatwould have crushed most human beings.Awolowo was an enigmatic figure whosepolitical, economic and social contributionto the development of Nigeria speaksvolumes. He, too admittedly wrotevolumes.

When in 1983, Obafemi Awolowo wascampaigning for the presidential chair onthe platform of the Unity Party of Nigeria(UPN), and pointed to his achievementsfor education in the former WesternRegion during his tenure as the Premier,even his adversaries did not bother toshoot down his claims. What he did foreducation was so permanent andirreversible that the retort that Awo got in1983 from the other political parties,especially the National Party of Nigeria(NPN), was; “why should a man continueto pride himself over only oneachievement for so many years” ?

The truth is that Awolowo is notentitled to immortality only for hisdevotion to education. No less importantis his contribution to the development offederalism. It is just that politicalcampaigns are like diplomacy . As adiplomat said: “ if you don’t have thefacts, quote the law, if you don’t have thelaw on your side, resort to facts, if youdon’t have either the facts or the law onyour side , then simply shout”. WhatAwolowo ‘s political opponents weretrying to do was to “ shout” for hiscontributions in education were manifestand beyond dispute. Infact, his pursuit offree education, had , over the yearsapproached the point of zealotry.

Awo, like Francis Bacon, believed that,with education, any nation would kill theblight of ignorance, disease , superstition,fear and poverty. But he did also realisethat people are not equally-endowedfinancially, that there are grossinequalities in wealth distribution and that

except education is free, a large army ofchildren may be compelled to paradearound in ignorance and illiteracy,quarantined from the possibilities ofdeveloping their talents and fulfillingthemselves.

Awo’s second reason for advocatingfree education was that education, ifavailable to all, would enhance theformation of a democratic society with anenlightened citizenry forming the pillars ofsuch a society. The reward would be adeterrent to oligarchy, dictatorship andinjustice.

Thirdly, Awo believed that education isan inalienable and fundamental right ofevery citizen, to be granted as such andnot to be regarded as a privilege. To him,it is the duty of the state to educate itscitizens to the limit of their ability and thedebt of gratitude that the citizen owes thestate is full service and complete loyalty.

Awolowo’s deep reading andmeditation on history could have led himto the inescapable conclusion that theappointed hour would surely come.Examples abound in history of gifted menwho have been shunted aside by theircontemporaries only to be recalled inmoments of acute crisis. Churchill, afterallwas regarded as a maverick an eccentrichustler by his contemporaries until theeve of the Second World War. AndCharles de Gaulle was widely seen as partcharlatan and part madman before hisappointed hour as France’s deliverercame. Every era, out of its internal needsand necessity, must produce its ownheroes and heroine. Awolowo was anauthentic hero.

Awolowo commanded such a fanaticfollowership among the beneficiaries ofhis free education programme. During theSecond Republic, there was “Awo FreeEducation Beneficiaries” a socialmovement group. It can be said withoutfear of contradiction, that no leader inNigeria has ever had such an army ofenlightened followers and disciples asObafemi Awolowo, followers and discipleswhose commitment very often approachedthe threshold of fanaticism.

Even though Awo has passed away,Awoism remains. In the University ofCalabar in the Cross River State, Awoismis being taught under “African PoliticalThought” of the Political ScienceProgramme. Naturally, Awo wasinfluenced by several philosophers. Someof them were Plato, Hegel, Gandhi, Marx,Nehru, but he did not swallow theirphilosophies hook, line and sinker. Forexample, while Awo shared Karl Marx’sconcern for society and even thought ofsocialism as the ultimate goal of hispolitical crusade, Awo rejected Marx’sbloody and revolutionary approach to theenactment of socialism. Awo, unlike Marx,believed in democratic ideals which wouldbe the opposite of Hegel’s totalitarianstate. But what probably fascinated Awoabout Hegelian dialectics must have beensuch moral principles as perfection andgoodness. And Awo had a Spartanlifestyle to show for it.

Awo believed that the ultimate goal ofpolitics is the attainment of power. Andpower, he defined, in strictly interpersonalterms. He also believed in a strongleadership, which may have arisen from acontiguous belief that the leader knowsbetter than the followers, that thefollowers are, like the Roman mob, fickle.

Awo was a deeply religious person aswell as a mystic. He believed in God andin the efficacy of dreams. Almost everyyear, he travelled abroad for what hecalled “spiritual stocktaking” and whenthe old man predicted his death 65 daysbefore it happened, it was easy for thereligious to posit that he may have hadsome sort of spiritual communion withGod.

It is likely, judging from his studiousattention to scholarship, that Awobelieved, like Aristotle, that someone mustbe a philosopher before becoming a King.If he becomes a King first, he must striveto become a philosopher later, for thecombination of philosophy and kingshipis perfect for the direction of men’s affairs.Awo was a philosopher, not a King. If hewas a King at all, he was merely the Kingof philosophy, not a philosopher-king inthe Aristotelian mould. In his more than 40years in the vineyard of Nigerian politics,Awolowo had become something of aphenomenon, a veritable conquistadorand indeed an enigma. His politics had theface of stoical commitment to humanwelfare, his style controversial while hismanagement talent was widely rated astremendous. His admirers and flockfollowed him with incredible fidelity, hisbeneficiaries often defended him astutelywhile his critics rose to the task withremarkable single-mindedness. Awo wongreatness through his vision, hiscreativity, his economic acumen and hismanagerial abilities. His entrepreneurialability is still universally acknowledgedby friends and foes alike. He setstandards in efficiency, honesty, integrityand dedication in public affairs and hiscontemporaries were compelled tostruggle to attain that standard. To thatend, he was a great influence and anaccelerator of Nigeria’s overalldevelopment. By his death, he became atitan of history.

The greatest bequest of Chief ObafemiAwolowo to Nigeria is his commitment todemocracy and democratic ideals.Democracy and democratic ideals forChief Awolowo entailed twodistinguishable features - one is the actualsubstance; the other is the protocol ofpolitical conduct. For Awolowo,democracy as a form of government mustbe conceived not only in political termsbut also in social and economicdenominations.

Always for the masses, he possessed apersonal charisma that made him the idolof his teeming true believers. Even thosewho did not belong to his party or sharehis political views could not fail torecognise in him a colossus, a prolificphilosopher with a compelling force oflogic, a truly cultured, self made man witha personal charm and magnetism. As Awohimself told one of his admirers inFebruary, 1987 he had about onethousand files of papers which were beingsought by foreign universities.

If Awo were here, he will fightsectarianism in any part of the country. IfAwo were here, he will disallow ethnicbloodletting and violent tribalorganisations. If Awo were here, he willtest in the courts, the constitutionality orotherwise of institutionalizing anyreligious way of life that publiclycontradicts the law of evidence. If Awowere here, he will challenge vacillation byany person, group or government, wheresuch vacillation encourages socialimpropriety or political malfeasance. IfAwo were here, he will get party leaders totake clear positions on security of life andproperty in Nigeria. The nation surelymisses Awolowo.

Awo is an idea. An idea never dies, helives for ever.

•Prof. Asaju writes from FederalUniversity of Technology, Akure (FUTA)

By PROF. A.S. ASAJU

13 OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, April 3, 2014

Job Vacancies In Nigeria

You can subscribe to Job Vacancies in Nigeria, Jobs in Nigeria via your e-mail: www.recentnigerianjobs.com

Jobs at APM Terminals for a Learning and Development Business PartnerAt APM Terminals, we are a team of over 20,000 employees spread across more than 60 countries united by a passionto provide our expertise in port operations and container management services.By providing the expertise and port infrastructure essential to world trade, we actively support the advancement of thesocieties around us, enabling local economies to unlock their potential and build an even stronger global community.Working with a team of talented professionals you will get a chance to experience different cultures and make friendsall over the world. You’ll find a culturally diverse, stimulating environment at any of our offices, terminals or depots.When you join APM Terminals, the world is your workplace.The following vacancy existsJob Title: Learning and Development Business PartnerKey Responsibilities•Facilitate values sessions for new employees and refreshers for existing employees.•Assess participants after training delivery, and issue certificates to successful participants.•Recommend and present training solutions and interventions that meet business objectives and maximize benefits tobusiness and employees.•Maintain detailed training database, with electronic records of all courses completed by Staff, with attendance, grades,final report, and so forth.•Provide weekly and monthly reports on trainings conducted and results to the Assistant Manager, L & D.•Continually evaluate the effectiveness of training by developing and implementing post-instruction evaluation suchas focus group sessions and classroom observations.•Conduct needs analysis which articulate the current state and end state, and gap to which the intervention is targeted.•Plan and prepare APMT Fundamentals instructor-led training with standard lesson materials.•Ensure the quality and consistency of course content throughout a course life cycle.•Deliver APMT Fundamentals instructor-led training courses and other soft skills courses depending on businessneeds.•Partner and consult with IT/HR/Fin/Commercial departments on L & D related matters to ensure that their trainingneeds are met in line with identified gaps.•Register all upcoming training courses with ITF for approval two weeks before commencement of training.•Any other assigned duties.Who we are looking for•University Degree in Communications, Social Sciences, or related field.•Requires at least two years of experience working in a similar role, preferably in ports and terminal operation.•Requires some previous experience that demonstrates an ability to train others and give instructions.•Should possess Communication, Presentation and People skills.•Requires the ability to communicate both in English & Pidgin English.•Must be computer literate in Microsoft Office Tools.How to Applyhttps://jobsearch.maersk.com——————————————————————————Intercountry Centre for Oral Health (ICOH) for Africa recruitment in NigeriaThe Intercountry Centre for Oral Health (ICOH) for Africa with the thrust of Oral Health Development for Nigeria andthe Collaborating African Countries in the area of demonstration, training and research programmes hereby invitesapplications from suitably qualified candidates for the following position below:Job Position: Statistician IILocation: JosRequirementCandidate must possess a B.Sc degree in Statistics, Medical Statistics, Demography or Mathematics from a recognizedUniversity, with at least 1 year post qualification cognate experience.Verifiable experience with various computerized statistical packages relevant for health-related researches is a mandatoryrequirement. An M.Sc degree in Statistics or one in view would be an added advantage.SalaryCONHESS 8/1 - N1,113,650.04 per annum.Job Position: Administrative Officer IILocation: JosRequirementCandidate must possess a degree in any of the discipline of Social Sciences or its equivalent from a recognized institutionand NYSC discharge or exemption certificate with at least two (2) years cognate experience.Computer literacy (Word/Excel/Access) is a mandatory requirement.SalaryCONHESS 8/1 - N1,113,650.04 per annum.Job Position: Asst. Executive Officer (ACCTS.)Location: JosRequirementCandidate must possess an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Business Administration from a recognized institution.Additional certificates of Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administration, RSA Stage I in Accounts TechniciansScheme of Institute of Accounting of Nigeria.SalaryCONHESS 5/1 - N389,518.80 per annum.Job Position: Dental TherapistLocation: JosRequirementCandidate must possess a Higher National Diploma in Dental Hygiene from a recognized institution and registeredwith the Dental Therapist Registration Board of Nigeria (DTRBN).At least One (1) year post-experience is required.Computer Literacy (Word/Excel/PowerPoint) is a mandatory requirementSalaryCONHESS 8/1 - N1,113,650.04 per annum.Job Position: Senior Medical Record TechnicianLocation: JosRequirementCandidate must possess a Higher National Diploma in Medical Record Technician from a recognized institution,registrable with Association of Medical Record Technical Board, plus at least Six (6) years post qualification experience.Computer literacy (Word/Excel/Power Point/Access) is a mandatory requirement and a verifiable experience with apractice with a dental practice or hospital software is an added advantage.SalaryCONHESS 8/1 - N1,113,650.04 per annum.Job Position: Librarian IILocation: JosRequirementCandidate must possess a degree in Library Science from a recognized University, plus ‘Part one’ of the AssociateMembership of the Library Association and at least two (2) years post qualification experience.Computer literacy (Word/Excel/Access) and a verifiable experience with a liberary software is mandatory requirement.SalaryCONHESS 8/1 - N1,113,650.04 per annum.Job Position: Senior Dental Officer PrioritiesLocation: JosRequirementCandidate must possess (i) a EDS with a least a Part I of the FMCDS or FWACS and at least eight (8) years post-qualification experience in dental practice, OR (ii) a BDS with at least fifteen (15) years post-qualification. Computerliteracy, (Word/Excel/Power Point/Access) is a mandatory requirement. Verifiable experience with a practice softwareand evidence of professional development in dentistry and clinic management would be an added advantage.SalaryCONMESS4/1 - N2,204,228.04 per annum.Job Position: Senior Store OfficerLocation: JosRequirementCandidate must possess an (HND) Higher National Diploma in Business Studies from a recognized institution withat least three (3) years post qualification experience with the Membership of Institute of Purchasing and Supply.Computer literacy. (Word/Excel/Power Point/Access) is a mandatory requirement.Verifiable experience with a stored related computer software programme is an added advantage.SalaryCONHESS 8/1 - N1,113,650.04 per annum.Job Position: Junior Dental OfficerLocation: JosRequirementCandidate must possess a BDS degree registrable with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, plus at least two (2)years post qualification experience in dental practice.Computer literacy. (Word/Excel/Power Point/Access) is a mandatory requirement.A verifiable experience with a practice software and evidence of professional development in dentistry and clinicmanagement would be an added advantage.SalaryCONHESS 2/1 - N1,562,586.24 per annum.

Job Position: Principal Internal AuditorLocation: JosRequirementCandidate must possess a degree or its equivalent (HND) from a recognized institution, plus Ten (10) years postqualification cognate experience.Computer literacy. (Word/Excel/Power Point/Accent) is a mandatory requirement.A verifiable experience with computerized accounting programme and Professional certificate from ICAN or ANAN isalso requiredSalaryCONHESS 10/1 - N1,562,586.24 per annum.Job Position: Programme Analyst Grade ILocation: JosRequirementCandidate must possess a degree in Computer Science or Statistics from a recognized institution.Candidate must have a verifiable evidence of experience in software programme development programme networkingskills (A+, ORACEL, CISCO).

SalaryCONHESS 8/1 - N1,113,650.04 per annum.How to ApplyInterested and qualified candidates should forward three (3) copies of their application along with photocopies ofcredentials and detailed curriculum vitae highlighting the following:a.) Full nameb.) Place and date of birthc.) Home addressd.) Contact addresse.) Nationalityf.) Marital Statusg.) Number and ages of children (if any)h.) Institute ones attended with datesi.) Academic qualifications obtained with datesj.) Working experience.k.) Present employment, indicating present status and salaryl.) Extra curricular activitiesm.) Referees (3) to:

The Director,Intercountry Centre for Oral Health for Africa ICOH,No 3 CBN Road,P.M.B 2067,Jos.Note: Candidates are requested to inform their referees to send confidential reports on them directly to the above statedaddress. Only shortlisted candidates shall be invited for interview.Application Deadline 12th May, 2014.——————————————————————————Back Office Assistant Vacancy at La Fayette Microfinance BankLa Fayette Microfinance Bank recently received the Approval-in-Principle from the Central Bank of Nigeria to carry outmicrofinance services in Oyo State. La Fayette MFB will be headquartered in Ibadan, the State’s capital. The Companywill be incorporated in June 2012 and is expected to startoperations in December 2012. La Fayette’s lead shareholder will be Advans S.A. with an equity investment of $3.1million (501.0 million naira). IFC and KfW are each investing $1.1 million (174.5 million naira), while FMO is investing$940,000 (150.0 million naira).If you are interested in joining us, we invite youJob Title: Back Office AssistantJob DescriptionLocation: Ibadan, OyoJob Reference: ADV/BOA/MAR/14Job Description:To provide Orbit technical support to Branches of La Fayette MFBTo provide support in writing and updating operational procedures.Together with team members; to be in charge of the management and the respect of operational procedures of Advans LaFayette.To support in supervising the management of errors and corrections in the databases.To be an active member the Head Office Operations Department.Essential RequirementsDegree, Higher National Diploma (preferably in Sciences, Engineering)Good relationship and communication skills, strong team spiritPractical knowledge of operations in a banking sectorVery good Excel SkillsReal motivation to work and grow in a challenging environmentADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE / SKILLS REQUIREDKnowledge of microfinance bank sectorWriting skillsKnowledge of local languages especially YorubaHow to Applyhttp://recruit.lafayettemfb.com/cats/careers/index.Application Deadline: 04.04.2014 —————————————————————Jobs at APM Terminals for a Learning and Development Business PartnerAt APM Terminals, we are a team of over 20,000 employees spread across more than 60 countries united by a passion toprovide our expertise in port operations and container management services.By providing the expertise and port infrastructure essential to world trade, we actively support the advancement of thesocieties around us, enabling local economies to unlock their potential and build an even stronger global community.Working with a team of talented professionals you will get a chance to experience different cultures and make friends allover the world. You’ll find a culturally diverse, stimulating environment at any of our offices, terminals or depots. Whenyou join APM Terminals, the world is your workplace.The following vacancy existsJob Title: Learning and Development Business PartnerKey Responsibilities•Facilitate values sessions for new employees and refreshers for existing employees.•Assess participants after training delivery, and issue certificates to successful participants.•Recommend and present training solutions and interventions that meet business objectives and maximize benefits tobusiness and employees.•Maintain detailed training database, with electronic records of all courses completed by Staff, with attendance, grades,final report, and so forth.•Provide weekly and monthly reports on trainings conducted and results to the Assistant Manager, L & D.•Continually evaluate the effectiveness of training by developing and implementing post-instruction evaluation suchas focus group sessions and classroom observations.•Conduct needs analysis which articulate the current state and end state, and gap to which the intervention is targeted.•Plan and prepare APMT Fundamentals instructor-led training with standard lesson materials.•Ensure the quality and consistency of course content throughout a course life cycle.•Deliver APMT Fundamentals instructor-led training courses and other soft skills courses depending on businessneeds.•Partner and consult with IT/HR/Fin/Commercial departments on L & D related matters to ensure that their trainingneeds are met in line with identified gaps.•Register all upcoming training courses with ITF for approval two weeks before commencement of training.•Any other assigned duties.Who we are looking for•University Degree in Communications, Social Sciences, or related field.•Requires at least two years of experience working in a similar role, preferably in ports and terminal operation.•Requires some previous experience that demonstrates an ability to train others and give instructions.•Should possess Communication, Presentation and People skills.•Requires the ability to communicate both in English & Pidgin English.•Must be computer literate in Microsoft Office Tools.

How to Applyhttps://jobsearch.maersk.com/sap/bc/webdynpro/sap/—————————————————————Fosad Consulting Job Openings for Drivers in NigeriaOur clients are in the financial services, insurance, oil and gas, FMCG and construction. They require drivers to transportand deliver transport services to coworkers and customers by applying knowledge of commercial driving regulationsand roads in the area. The driver will be responsible for driving assigned vehicle to and from designated locations,maintaining record of duty status according to state and federal regulations, and performing pre-trip and post tripinspections.We will require the following services:POOL DRIVERSTRUCK DRIVERSPRIVATE DRIVERSSTAFF BUS DRIVERSJOB DESCRIPTIONInspect truck for defects and safe operating condition before, during and after trips and submit a written report on thecondition of the truck at the end of each trip or tour of duty.Drive vehicle to and from designated destinations of up to 11 hours with and maximum of 14 hours total as dot rulesallow.Promptly report any delays due to breakdowns, weather or traffic conditions or other emergencies.Maintain records required for compliance with state and federal regulations including driver’s record of duty status,Mileage records, and other records required by law.Perform all duties in accordance with company policies and procedures, and comply with all federal, state and localregulations for the safe operations of a commercial motor vehicle.Apply knowledge of commercial driving and skills in maneuvering vehicle at varying speeds in difficult situations,such as heavy traffic, inclement weather.Drivers must be able to lift and carry up to seventy-five pounds.Reporting all accidents and incidents involving drivers or company equipment.Report highway safety hazards noted in route. QUALIFICATIONSMinimum of senior school certificate.Must possess a valid commercial class A or B driver’s license (Optional: with tankers and hazmat endorsements).Musthave working knowledge of vehicle safety and control systems.Must have knowledge of dot regulations governing safe driving, hours of service, inspection and maintenance.Must satisfactorily pass a drug test.Must satisfactorily pass an alcohol test (if applicable)Must have previous commercial driving experience, or have graduated from an accredited commercial driving school.Must have the ability to read and write English language. Perform simple mathematical calculations. Must have mentalability to handle receipts; read maps, road signs, maintain record of duty status, etc.How to ApplyApplicants can send CVs to recruitmentteam@fosadconsulting.com with the subject as Driver Recruitment and locationin the body of the mail.——————————————————————————

14 OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, April 3, 2014IN RETROSPECT

A Memorable Quote From A PDPAspirant In The State Of Osun

“Recently, Chief Bola Ige cameon radio here (Osogbo the state

capital), to insult me and myfamily. THAT IS THE LAST

TIME HE WOULDINSULT ME. He was

beaten yesterday. The people ofIle-Ife beat him up and he wascrying like a baby, as they re-

moved his cap and glasses. If ithad been at a

political gathering, he will bedead by now..... In fact, what thepeople wanted to do was morethan removing his glasses and

cap....” -IYIOLA OMISORE.

•Culled from Vanguard Newspaper.

15 OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, April 3, 2014

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014

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

OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank GTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. Allcorrespondence 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.

A r e g b e s o l aLauded OverAgric Reforms

The Chairman,Osun State Agri-cultural Develop-ment Corporation( O S S A D E C ) ,Engr. SolagbadeAtanda Oladepo,has commended

the administration of OgbeniRauf Aregbesola over his con-tinuous support to farmers in thestate especially by granting themagricultural loan.

He disclosed this at the firstmeeting of the board for the year2014, which held at the Confer-ence Room of the Corporation.

He used the occasion to imploremembers of the board and themanagement staff of the corpo-ration to work together for theoverall success of the agency add-ing that, members have to submittheir completed code of conductbureau forms on time.

Engr. Oladepo assured farmersthat, they will soon benefit fromthe agricultural loan and askedfor their support and cooperationwith the present administration.

Speaking at the occasion, theActing General Manager, Mr.Kayode Olanipekun said that,banishing hunger and poverty,

Mr. Olanipekun stated fur-ther that, the State Governmentof Osun under Ogbeni RaufAregbesola had procured agro-processing equipment such asCassava Chipping Machine,Grain Processing Machine,Multi-Grain Thresher, RiceReaper and Yam Flour pro-cessing machine for sale towomen and youths at 40% sub-sidy.

He also informed the meet-ing that, the State Governmenthad further approved a 15%subsidy on agricultural imple-ments such as Harrow, Plough,Rigger and Tipping Trailerwhich are available for sale atthe Cooperation headquartersalong Ilobu road.

When the wicked are inp o w e r ;people,animals,vegetationand even the land groanin excruciating pain. To-day in the land of Osun,even the goats know thatAregbesola has 'ban-ished hunger', there is'communal peace andprogress', our childrenare well-fed& occupiedin beautiful schoolsstudying their OponIMO not throwing stonesat the goats out of bore-dom,

BACK-UP CARTOON: GOATS AGAINST PDP by Folake Adegboyega

our Youths are gain-fully employed not de-vising means of 'kidnap-ping ' the goats.Ourwomen have surplus tokeep their goats happy.The goats sayTUFIAKWA! OLORUNMAJE O, KO NI BAJEFUN WA!!! AFFLIC-TION SHALL NOTRISE A SECONDTIME! Amin.

OSUN A DARA

Integral Action Planof the present admin-istration and assuredthem that, disburse-ment of loan willcommence by May2014.

creating wealth and employment arepart of the Six-Point

Ogbeni Rauf AregbesolaOsun Adara o