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Who KilledChief Bola Ige,former Attorney-

General andMinister of

Justice? IGE

Osun Debt Profile:You’re A Liar- HOS, Others Tell Akinwusi

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, holding a horse presented to him by Osun Divisional Conference of Obas in Osun Central Senatorial District, during aLuncheon Get-Together with the governor to appreciate and endorse his second term in office at GMT Hotel, Osogbo, State of Osun. With him are his deputy, Otunba (Mrs) TitiLaoye-Tomori (2nd right); the Orangun of Ila, Oba Wahab Oyedotun (3rd right); the Akirun of Ikirun, Oba Rauf Adedeji (right) and other dignitaries recently.

Is Jonathan a FulaniHegemon?

Afenifere, theYoruba group thatmakes itself out as thepromoter and de-fender of Yoruba in-terests in conjunctionwith its allies in theYoruba Unity Forumand sundry “self-de-termination” groupspredicated their op-position to the APCand its allies in part totheir

assumption that theParty is an agent ofFulani hegemonyencapsulatedin the“born to rule” sloganand also in part becauseof their rejection

of complete Muslimdomination of the partyand by implication, ofNigeria itself. Thesegroups went about theirmission by decryingwhat they termed thepossibility of a

“Muslim/Muslim”Presidential ticketeven when the APChas not even begunthe process ofchoosing its candi-date. Based on thissupposed oppositionto Fulani hegemony,these groups end uprallying behind

Continue on pg5

2 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, June 21, 2014News

By SHINA ABUBAKAR

Osun Debt Profile: You’re A Liar-HOS, Others Tell AkinwusiTHE Body of Head of Service and Permanent

Secretaries, State of Osun, has categorized theimmediate-past Head of Service of the state, Mr Segun

Akinwusi, as a pathological and pathetic liar on the debtstatus of the state.

This was contained in astatement issued and signed bythe Head of Service, Mr YinkaOwoeye, after a meeting ofConference of Head of Serviceand Permanent Secretaries inthe state.

The body described asnauseating, the claim of theformer HOS on the N350 billiondebt profile of the state, sayinghe should not seek cheappolitical popularity byspreading falsehood, butshould tell the electorate whathe has in his kitty.

The body termed the debatechallenge by Akinwusi asdubious, while urging GovernorAregbesola not to grant hisrequest, as it would amount tohonouring his person.

“The subject of the currentrabble-rousing by Mr.Akinwusi is in respect of hisalleged phantom debt profile ofthe State Government of Osunfor which he has challenged thegovernor of the State to a livedebate. This challenge is notonly infra-dig and ludicrous,but also a mischievous antic togarner cheap popularity in thecurrent peaceful political spaceof the state. Mr. Akinwusishould NOT be obliged thisdubious demand because he isnot worthy of such privilegereserved for honourable men.

“For avoidance of doubt, theDebt Management Office(DMO), Abuja has statutoryresponsibility to declare thedebt portfolios of each state. At no time did the DMO,Abuja, declare the StateGovernment of Osun as owingN350 billion, as Mr. Akinwusiis parroting all around. Hecannot be more Catholic than

the Pope! “Contrary to the lies being

peddled by the former Headof Service, the StateGovernment of Osun owesonly N30 billion as loans andN11.4 billion as bonds fromthe capital market totallingN41.4 billion. Theinfrastructural facilities andsocial welfare programmes towhich these loans and bondswere committed are highlyvisible and conspicuous in allnooks and crannies of the stateto all citizens and visitorsalike.”

It also described Akinwusi’sclaim that his prudence savedthe administration a whoopingsum of N35 billion asdignifying his personality,having failed to do so in overfive years of serving theprevious administration.

The statement reads: “Mr.Akinwusi presented a patheticfallacy in asserting that hisprudence as the then Head ofService saved the sum of N35billion for the currentadministration. Nothing canbe farther from the truth! Indeed, the said previousadministration became soinsolvent that it had to takeloans from commercial banksto pay salaries and allowancesof its workforce, having takena jumbo loan of N18.3 billionto construct stadia and buildroads.

“However, through theamazing financial engineeringof the current governor, OgbeniRauf Adesoji Aregbesola, theN18.3 billion loan taken fromUnited Bank for Africa (UBA)Plc was liquidated by takinganother loan from First Bankof Nigeria (FBN) to the tuneof N25 billion at a lesserinterest rate and longer tenor,such that eventually, the stategovernment was able to keepN15 billion in its kitty.

“A sum of N10 billion eachaccruing to the state and localgovernments from the ExcessCrude Oil totalling N20 billionwas added to the N15 billion

saved from the debt re-schedulement to net a total sumof N35 billion. Besides,additional funds were raked into the state government byGovernor Aregbesola by notappointing Commissioners andBoard Chairmen/Members forat least the first nine (9) monthsin office. Furthermore,additional revenue was alsogenerated for state and localgovernments through effectiveplugging of leakages in revenuecollection mechanisms. Mr.Akinwusi now wants to re-writethe history of the StateGovernment of Osun andarrogate to himself the adulation

for these unprecedented featsachieved by the governor! Thisdisplay of undue self-aggrandizement and blatantlying is unbecoming of a man,who once headed the state’scivil service.”

It also blamed the formerHead of Service for the way hehandled the issue ofcontributory pension schemecreating problem for thepresent administration.

According to the body, “Mr.Akinwusi claimed that hisschedule of duties as formerHead of Service “has nothingto do with financial matters ofthe state”, whereas he was amember of the State ExecutiveCouncil and Fund Allocation

Committee (FAC) for abouttwo (2) years, out of about 3½years of this currentadministration. As a matter offact, before commissionerswere appointed by thegovernor, Mr. Akinwusi hadfiles for expenditures fromMinistries, extra-MinisterialDepartments and Agencies(MDAs) passed through himto Mr. Governor forapprovals.

“In addition, Mr. Akinwusipresided over thecommencement of aContributory Pension Schemein the State of Osun in such adisorganized manner that thecurrent administration has beenameliorating and tightening the

loose ends. He handled thescheme in a cavalier manner anda lackadaisical attitude with nodiligent planning ahead of itsintroduction and abandoned theentire workforce to their fate,as he departed the service. This was the person theworkers contributed part oftheir hard-earned salaries toorganize a befitting send-forthfor. Therefore, he has no moraland statutory locus standi toaccuse this administration ofmismanaging the finances of thestate. Indeed, whenrelationships are soured due toa person’s inordinate ambition,lyrics become parables. Due toblind ambition, Mr. Akinwusihas suddenly become a bull ina China shop in the State ofOsun political landscape.”

Threat Allegation: Omisore Just Wants SympathyBy ISMAEEL UTHMAN

AN Osun State pressure group, Osun GoodGovernance Forum(OGGF), has challenged thegovernorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic

Party (PDP), Senator Iyiola Omisore, to substantiate hisclaim that his life is under threat in the state.

The OGGF said it wouldbe hypocritical for Omisore,who, he and his partymembers have been enjoyingpeaceful atmosphere thatwas restored by GovernorRauf Aregbesola, to allegethat some politicians in thestate are after his life.

A press statement signedby the Coordinator of thegroup, Mr Adebayo Abagun,on Wednesday, questionedwhy Omisore did not makethe allegation in the state, butpreferred to go to Lagos andused the media to spreadwhat it described as afrivolous claim.

According to Abagun,Omisore resorted to cheapand baseless allegation,having realized that hiscampaign towards thegovernorship election in thestate has always been hit bydearth of people, saying thatthe PDP candidate was jitteryof the people’s resolution notto patronize him with theirpresence.

Abagun added that

Omisore’s dull campaignshave been making him tosense defeat even longbefore the August 9, 2014governorship election in thestate, hence, his resolve todraw sympathy from thepeople by making spuriousallegation through theLagos media that he knewwere far away from Osun.

He alleged that Omisore’ssupporters do harasscommercial motorcyclistsand passersby on the roadwhenever the PDPcandidate was havingcampaign, saying that it isOmisore and his supportersthat needed to be cautionedon public misconduct.

The group coordinatorspecifically alleged thatOmisore’s supporters werepouring sachet waterotherwise known as ‘purewater’ on commercialmotorcyclists and passers-by during the PDP campaign

in Orolu and Irepodun LocalGovernment Council areasof the state recently.

Abagun describedOmisore and his supportersas trouble makers, sayingthat the actions exhibited byPDP supporters are capableof triggering violence, if theinnocent people beingharassed had reacted.

He called on all thesecurity agencies in the stateto caution Omisore and thePDP supporters on acts thatcould disturb the peace ofthe public and throw thestate into tension ahead ofthe forthcoming election.

‘Boko-Haram Members Are Not Muslims’By ABRAHAM JESUDOYIN

THE governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola, has reiterated that Muslims are peoplewho keep peace with all men and that Boko-Haram

sect members are not in any way showcasing the attitudeof a true Muslim.

He said this recently inOsogbo, while delivering alecture to the MuslimCommunity of Osogbo andits environs titled: ‘Bridgingthe gap between Islam andMuslims.’

While addressing theMuslim patriots, thegovernor stated that Islamis a religion of peace, which

followers are Muslims.He added that true

Muslims are identified byact of living peacefully withtheir neighbours and thatanyone that does not followthis is not a Muslim.

While making referenceto his government,Aregbesola stated that agood Muslim is expected to

co-exist with hisneighbours’ religions.

“Islam preaches love,understanding and unityand Muslims are to preachthe message of Peace in apeaceful way,” he said.

In a chat with thePermanent Secretary of theState Universal BasicEducation Board (SUBEB),Alhaji Fatai Kolawole, hestated that from thegovernor’s lecture he hadlearnt that Muslims shouldalways live in peace andpatient with theirneighbours.

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, at the burial of Alhaji Sooko Abdul-Adefioye, J.P, the Balogun Musulumi of Ifeland, in Ile-Ife. With the governor are the Muslim clerics.

Arabanbi‘sDeath Is AColossal Loss

THE death of theE x e c u t i v eSecre tar y, Ayedaade

Local Government Council,Evangelist NathanielArabanbi, has been regardedas a collosal loss to the Stateof Osun and Ayedaade LocalGovernment Council Area.

The State Commissioner forLocal Government andChieftaincy Affairs,BarristerKolapo Alimi, who wasaccompained by all the ExecutiveSecretaries of the localgovernment councils in the state,stated this when he paid acondolence visit to the family ofthe deceased in Ibadan. BarristerAlimi described EvangelistArabanbi as a great politician, whocontributed greatly to thedevelopment of the State of Osunin general and Ayedaade LocalGovernment Council Area inparticular.

He added that the departed soulwas a lover of his people. Mr BisiOdewumi,the Special Adviser tothe Governor on LocalGovernment and ChieftaincyAffairs, described Arabanbi as acourageous,committed and loyalparty man.He added that theEvangelist will be greatly missedin the political circle.

The Executive Secretary ofIsokan,Alhaji Azeez Akinleye, who spoke on behalf of all theExecutive Secretaries, thankedGod for the well-spent life ofArabanbi.

He prayed that God will upholdthe family.

Mrs Janet Arabanbi,the wife ofthe deseased, thanked theCommissioner,Special Adviser andthe Executive Secretaries foridentifying with the family intheir moment of grief.

3 News OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, June 21, 2014

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•Worker working at night on the ongoing construction of pedestrial way at Fakunle area, Osogbo under the goverorof the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as captured recently by our cameraman, JESUDOYIN ABRAHAM.

By FRANCIS EZEDIUNO

Osun To Implement Urban Renewal - AregbesolaBy SOLA JACOBS

ALL is now set for the implementation of the structureplan for the State of Osun Urban RenewalProgramme in all the nine selected cities across

the state, following the payment of the N100 millioncounterpart funding by the state government to the UnitedNations - Habitat otherwise known as UN-Habitat.

Governor of the State ofOsun, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola,stated this while receivingreport of the state’sstructure plan for the UrbanRenewal Programme of thestate government puttogether by officers of thestate Ministry of Lands,Housing and UrbanDevelopment inconjunction with their UN-HABITAT counterpart.

Represented by hisdeputy, Otunba (Mrs.)Grace Titilayo Laoye-

Tomori, Aregbesola said hisadministration is poised atcreating healthyenvironment worthy ofhuman habitation acrossthe state, with a view tomaking the state a force toreckon with across theglobe in terms of clean,healthy and hygienicenvironment.

According to thegovernor, the governmentof the State of Osun is thefirst state government in theworld to embark upon

developing nine cities atonce under the urbanrenewal programme, sayingthat his administration willstop at nothing to preservethe long-standing heritageof the state, as state with thehighest number of cities ofover 800 years in age.

Aregbesola said, onemajor step taken by hisadministration uponassumption of office was toprepare the state for theimplementation of its urbanrenewal programme, byridding the state of debristhrough dredging ofwaterways and riverchannels across the state.

Speaking on strategy tobe adopted for theimplementation of thestructure plan, the

governor said the urbanrenewal programme willcover one kilometre radiusfrom monarch’s palacesrepresenting centre of townin each of the selected cities,while it will cover twokilometres in Osogbo, beingthe state capital.

Aregbesola thereafterappreciated the UN-HABITAT team forassisting the state withtechnical support valued atover N400 million and calledfor continued support of theworld body in theimplementation of the report,adding that the assistancewill go a long way in helpingthe state governmenttremendously in its quest toachieving its target ofcreating a healthy and

cleaning environment forthe people of the state.

In her address, Ministerfor Lands, Housing andUrban Development, Ms.Amal Pepple, representedby a Deputy Director in theministry, Mr. A. D.Olakunde, described citiesand urban centres asengines for economicdevelopment and growth,national economy drivers,contributors to grossdomestic product,investment attractors,wealth creators, socialdevelopment enhancerstogether with humanresources and technicaladvancement‚ providerswhich are repositories toknowledge anddevelopment in a welladministered state like theState of Osun.

Commending effortsmade so far by the stategovernment in her quest toreverse the ugly trendpervading the economicsector of the state, Peppleappealed to governor, toensure that allrecommendations made inthe report are carried out tothe letter.

Presenting the report tothe governor, Head of UN-HABITAT in Nigeria,Ambassador Kabir Yari,described the report as anecessary tool fore n v i r o n m e n t a ldevelopment and the stategovernment’s right step inthe right direction toreposition the economicpotentials of the state, witha view to planning for thefuture of the people of theState of Osun.

Ambassador Yari saidpeople and community

leaders in all the selectednine cities were met throughtown hall meetingsorganized by the committeein their domains to intimatethem of what informed thestate government’s decisionto embark on the urbanrenewal programme in thestate, adding that the peopleopenly embraced theprogramme, which madecommittee’s work easier, anindication that the people arefully involved in the stategovernment’s plan for theirfuture.

In his own submission,the UN-HABITAT SeniorHuman Settlements Officer,Mr. Doudou Mbye,applauded the drive behindthe state government’sdecision to embark onrenewing the state throughthe urban renewalprogramme.

He said, the structure planhas provided the stateimplementation committeewith a legal framework toimplement the programme,while he advised the stategovernment to create a database to keep matters of thisnature for future reverenceand appreciated people ofthe state for theircooperation and assistancethroughout the period theproject lasted.

Chairman of theCommittee, Professor J. B.Falade, said the structureplan was aimed atredesigning the state andmake the nine cities sit amongthe best across the globe.

Urging leadership of theState of Osun House ofAssembly to pass into law,without any further delay,the state urban renewal billto ease the implementationprocess of the structure plan,Professor Falade called onthe state government tocreate proper plans for theimplementation processbacked with right politicalwill, budgetary provisionand right mechanism,adding that the role of theprivate sector should be putinto consideration.

Earlier in his welcomeaddress, the StateCommissioner for Lands,Housing and UrbanDevelopment, ArchitectOlumuyiwa Ige, saidMemorandum ofUnderstanding for theprogramme was signed inJuly 2012, adding that theplan was designed to runfrom 2013 to 2032, a periodof twenty years.

The nine selected citiescovered under theprogramme are Ede, Ejigbo,Ikire, Ikirun, Ila-Orangun, Ile-Ife, Ilesa, Iwo and Osogbo.

Eripa APC Settles Rift With Fanfare

IT was a moment of joy, excitement and jubilation forthe People of Eripa town in Boluwaduro LocalGovernment Council Area of the State of Osun, as the

members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) stormedthe town’s Civic Centre to settle the factional crisis amongthe members of the party, who vowed to amicably andunanimously work assidiously to ensure that GovernorRauf Aregbesola emerges victorious in the August 9, 2014gubernatorial election.

The Eripa Civic Centre,where the mega meetingwas held, was filled tocapacity with APC members,who converged to expresstheir sincere appreciation tothe wisdom and astutenessexhibited by the leaders ofthe party in the communityto resolve the fall-outamong the members of theparty.

The crisis was said tohave ensued after thedefection of a PDPchieftain, simply calledOdeleye in the communityto the APC following thedeclaration of GovernorAregbesola as the winner ofthe 2007 gubernatorialelection by the Federal HighCourt sitting in Ibadan, OyoState.

It was leant that, Odeleyewho was said to have had adomineering tendencybefore he defected from thePDP, instigated the crisis ina bid to clamp down a set ofmembers of the party withinhis sphere, and to achievethis, OSUN DEFENDERgathered from a reliable

source that, he was themastermind of a motion thatsaid the usual venue of themeeting be shifted toanother place on theground that it was close tothe abode of some membersbelieved to be loyal to oneanother within the party.

OSUN DEFENDERgathered that the inability tosecure a comfortable venuein place of the usual one ledto the internal crisis withinthe party, which eventuallytore the party apart.

An impeccable sourcewithin the communityrevealed that the Odeleyelater decamped to his formerparty (PDP) having knownfully that no group betweenthe two factions was readyto dance to his tunes.

It was after Odeleye wentback to his former party thatthings started to gosmoothly within the partyand the issue of faction waseventually settled.

Addressing the party,commissioner one at OsunState BroadcastingCorporation (OSBC), Alhaji

Bayo Oyekanmi,appreciated the efforts ofthe leaders of the party andthe entire members inresolving the matteramicably.

Oyekanmi, who said itwas important for membersof the party to remainunited, appealed to theaggrieved members toforget about the past andstart working on thesuccess of APC in the forthcoming election in the ward.

While charging thepeople on the need for themto exercise their civic rightscome August 9, Oyekanmisaid it was necessary for thepeople of the community tocast their votes and stayback to defend their votes.

He appealed to everyindividual, who had reachedthe voting age in the ancienttown, to vote and defend hisor her vote, adding that theyshould not be intimidatedwhile defending their votes.

The commissioner saidhe was sure thatAregbesola would win theelection by 80 per cent inEripa, just as he urged thepeople not to sell theirvoters’ cards to fraudulentpoliticians, who want to beat the helms of affairs by allmeans.

Reverend WilliamsOyedokun, an APCchieftain in the area, alsoappreciated the courage ofmembers of the party duringthe crisis, adding that if not

because of their mindsettowards the success of theparty, majority of theaggrieved members wouldhave dumped the party foranother one.

Echoing a similar view,the chairman of the party inthe town, Alhaji AmusatOlagunju, said he was soexcited with the turn-out ofthe party members at themeeting, saying that, itshowed the level of theircommitment, just as heexpressed optimism that theAPC would defeat PDP by80 per cent in theforthcoming election.

Olagunju said they wouldwork assiduously to ensurethe emergence of GovernorAregbesola in the August 9,gubernatorial poll.

In his own reaction, PrinceOjo Isaac, who corroborated

Olagunju’s statement,asserted that the existingcordiality among themembers of the party wouldreally rattle the PDP.

Isaac further explainedthat with the step beingtaking by the party leadersto resolve the factionalrancour, this had sent asignal to PDP members inthe town that they would benowhere to be found in theAugust 9, gubernatorialelection.

He therefore, appealed tothe leaders of the party tofind a lasting solution to theissue of venue which hadbeen the bone ofcontention so as to be ableto discredit those whothought that the mattercould not be settledamicably.

Osun 2014: INEC Displays List OfGovernorship Candidates

THE Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) in Osun has announced that it has displayedthe list of candidates participating in the August 9,

2014 gubernatorial election in the state.The announcement was

contained in a statementissued by Mrs. Nike Tadese,the Chief Public AffairsOfficer of the electoral bodyin Osogbo, the state capital.

The statement quotedTadese as saying that thepublic display of the list wasin compliance with Section

31, sub-sections 3, 4 and 5of the Electoral Act 2010 asamended.

She said the list was nowon display at the state officeof INEC and all the 30 localgovernment council officesof the commission.

The list containspersonal particulars of all

candidates contesting theAugust 9, 2014gubernatorial election in theState of Osun.

“By this act, members ofthe public by law, have theopportunity to scrutinise thedocuments submitted by thecandidates as pasted byINEC.

Any person who has anyclaim to question informationgiven by these candidatesshould approach the courtof law,” the statementstressed.

OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, June 21, 20144 News

•A man displaying ‘AREGBESOLA FOR SECOND TERM’, in Iwo mega rally for Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s re-election in office, last Tuesday. Photo: JESUDOYIN ABRAHAM.

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ETHICAL ISSUES?

APC Vows To Resist Rigging In EkitiBy KEHINDE AYANTUNJI

THE ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in EkitiState has accused Nigeria’s ruling PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) of plotting to rig today’s

governorship election in the state.The incumbent governor,

Kayode Fayemi, is the APCcandidate and one of hismajor challengers is AyoFayose, the candidate of thePDP.

The new NationalChairman of the APC, JohnOyegun, made theallegation of rigging in hisspeech on Wednesday

during the inauguration ofthe new national executivesof the party

Oyegun said: “My firstmessage today is toPresident GoodluckJonathan regarding a seriesof occurrences that point tothe fact that the PDP is benton rigging the elections andwriting the results of the

Saturday elections in Ekitieven before the polls open.

“Less than 72 hours to thegovernorship elections inEkiti, there are ominoussigns that the PDP ledFederal Government is benton influencing the outcomeof the elections comeSaturday, June 21st.

“Our party would acceptthe outcome of the electionin Ekiti unless theauthorities provideconvincing explanations tothe series of questionabledevelopments in recenttimes.

“In the last several days,many developments haveoccurred that have exposedthe covert and criminaleffort to subvert the rightsof the citizens of Ekiti andthe country’s electoral law.”

Oyegun mentioned someof the incidents, whichinclude, the arrest of about11 persons, who wereallegedly thumb-printingprinted ballot papers, bysecurity operatives at abuilding owned by Mr.Fayose’s campaignmanager; and the gun attackon Mr. Fayemi and APC

supporters by the policeleading to the death of oneof them.

The party chairman alsoaccused a serving ministerof being involved in thesinister plot to rig theelection.

He added: “On Tuesday,June 17th, 2014, two loadedaircrafts landed at theAkure Airport withundisclosed contents. Thepresence of the Minister ofState, Defence, MusliuObanikoro, who was onground to ensure the safedelivery of the cargoessuggests official collusionand knowledge.

“The contents wereimmediately loaded into abullion van under thewatchful eyes of theMinister of State, Defence,Obanikoro. These series ofdevelopments and eventsare undeniable pointers to adesperate plot to rig theelections at all cost.

“We warn Mr. President,that election rigging in a

particular of the country inthe past has always hadserious consequences forthe government in powerand the country as a whole,as it happened in the first,second and third Republics.The APC will not fold itsarms and watch the electoralprocess being brazenlysubverted.

“Our party will notaccept any result from Ekitithat does not flow from atransparent election. We arenot asking for any favour,we only demand a free andfair election.”

The party also called onthe international communityto be vigilant on theelections.

“For our friends in theinternational community,there is no better time tospeak up against thesetendencies and ominoussigns. They need no furtherpointers to know that somepeople are desperate,” hesaid.

O A U C a m p u s S h u tBy KEHINDE AYANTUNJI

THE Obafemi Awolowo University campus in Ile-Ife hasbeen shut and students ordered to vacate schoolpremises.

The management took thedecision to shut down theschool following three days ofcontinuous protest by thestudents over increment inschool fees.

The students have beenprotesting since Monday todemand the reversal of theschool fees increased by themanagement.

It was learnt that severalmembers of staff of theuniversity administrativeoffice, called the SenateBuilding, were still held insidethe building as at 5:50pm, asstudents barricaded it todemand an audience with theVice-Chancellor, ProfessorBamitale Omole and ensure areversal of the fee hike.

It was however not clearwhether the VC was inside asat the time the studentsstormed the building.

Earlier this month, the

students had protested theincrement and barricaded Ife-Ibadan Expressway and alsoappealed to the Ooni of Ife,Oba Okunade Sijuwade, tointervene in ensuring thereversal.

Omole also in justifying thenew fee said: “The chargesbeing paid by the OAUstudents were not only thelowest in the entire Nigerianuniversity system but also themost ridiculous in the entiretertiary educational system inAfrica,” he said at a pressconference.

OAU Students’ Union hashowever, vowed not to relenton the protest to reverse thetuition fees which theydescribed as “wicked andextraordinarily exorbitant”.

The union at a congress onMonday resolved to renew thesuspended protest to presshome their demands.

Arisekola’s Death Unfortunate - Aregbesola

THE governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola, has joined notable Nigerians in mourningthe passing away of the businessman and Islamic

leader, Alhaji Adulazeez Arisekola Alao.Arisekola was said to have

passed on on Wednesday at aLondon hospital.

In a statement by the Directorof Bureau of Communicationsand Strategy, Office of theGovernor, Mr. SemiuOkanlawon, Arisekola’s deathwas described as unfortunate.

Aregbesola said the death ofthe Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland only reinforced the essenceof mankind’s existence, whichis to lead a good live and renderservice to humanity before thenecessary end (death) comes.

The statement read in part:“His death is sad, shocking andunfortunate. He lived a goodlife; a life full of positiveexamples.

“Alhaji Arisekola Alao was a

notable figure, successfulbusinessman, a consistentphilanthropist and communityleader.

“As Aare Musulumi ofYorubaland, he demonstratedhis love for peace as a religiousleader and led a God-fearing life.

“On behalf of my family, thepeople and the State of Osun, Iconvey our heart-feltcondolence to the immediate andextended families of the latebusiness doyen, the governor ofOyo State, Senator AbiolaAjimobi, the entire MuslimUmmah and the people of thestate.

“May the soul of thedeceased be admitted into AljanaFirdaus.”

Also, The Nigeria Union of

Journalists (NUJ), Zone -B, has stated that the death of theDeputy President General ofthe Nigeria Supreme Council forIslamic Affairs, Aare Abdul-Azeez Arisekola Alao, is a greatloss to the entire country.

In a statement in Akure, bythe Vice President, Zone B, DeleAtunbi, the union maintains thatthe late Aare Musulumi ofYorubaland was a kind-heartedNigerian, who used his affluencefor the good of those whocrossed his path.

As a religious leader, AareArisekola Alao contributedimmensely to the religioustolerance that pervades theSouth West geopolitical zone ofthe country.

The NUJ Zone B said theAare Musulumi of Yorubalandwill be remembered for hisphilanthropic gestures to boththe old and the young,especially the less-privileged inthe society.

While commiserating withmembers of the deceased family,government and the good peopleof Oyo State, as well as theentire Muslim community inthe country, the union prays forthe repose of his soul.

The union asks Allah togrant the family members thefortitude to bear the irreparableloss.

Adeleke, Omisore, Adesiyan To Appear Before OsunCommission Of Enquiry By ISMAEEL UTHMAN

THE first executive governor of the State of Osun, SenatorIsiaka Adeleke, Minister of Police Affairs, Alhaji JeliliAdesiyan and governorship candidate of the Peoples

Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Senator Iyiola Omisore,are to appear before the Commission of Enquiry onDisturbance of Public Peace set up by the state government.

Investigation revealed thatAdeleke had petitioned thecommission, complaining ofalleged attack and humiliation hesuffered from Adesiyan,Omisore and one Sogo Agboolaat a meeting of PDP elders a dayto the governorship primarieselection of the party in Osogbo.

The commission, whichbegan its public sitting onWednesday at the State HighCourt, Osogbo, had eight casesso far, out of which Adeleke hasthree separate petitions againstOmisore, Adesiyan andAgboola, an aide to the PDPgovernorship candidate.

When the matter was calledfor hearing, none of the fourparties appeared before thecommission.

Adeleke’s complaints wereregistered with CIDPP/06/2014,CIDPP/07/2014 and CIDPP/08/2014. They were numbers 6, 7and 8 on the list of the petitionsbefore the commission onWednesday.

Though, the content of theAdeleke’s petition was notdisclosed at the sitting, butsources said Adelekecomplained of threat to life andassault, allegedly meted out onhim by the respondents.

It was not clear, as at the timeof filing this report, whether theparties have been served withhearing notice to notify them ofthe commencement of thecases, as there was no evidenceto show for that.

Earlier in his opening

remarks, the chairman of thecommission, Justice MoshoodAdeigbe, had declared that thecommission was not set up topersecute or witch-huntanybody.

According to Adeigbe, thecommission was set up with theaim of entertaining and hear thecomplaints of the people againsteither the government orindividual and make appropriaterecommendation that wouldsettle the matter politely.

He said the commission wasbasically to promotereconciliation, peace andharmonious relationship amongthe people of the state, addingthat the commission was not toadjudge who is right and who iswrong on matters before it.

The jurist maintained that thecommission was not a court oflaw that adjudicates on cases,but one that would just makerecommendations to thegovernment on how to addressand settle the matter broughtbefore it.

Justice Adeigbe enjoinedmembers of the public to tabletheir grievances before thecommission through an affidavitand a memorandum or letter,assuring that nobody wouldpersecute them for stating theircomplaints.

Osun To Construct Modern Abattoirs

THE State of Osun Commissioner for Agriculture andFood Security, Honourable Wale Adedoyin, hasdisclosed that the government will construct six

modern abattoirs in different parts of the state.

Adedoyin said theabattoirs, whenconstructed, would adhereto strict safety rules andensure that the meat beingsold to the public is of highquality.

According to him, thestate government had alsodecided to rehabilitate theexisting meat productionfacilities in the state to meetup with the requiredstandard.

Adedoyin revealed thatthe rehabilitation projecthad begun in Osogbo andIwo Local GovernmentCouncil Area of the state, incollaboration with a privatefirm.

“Ogbeni RaufAregbesola has laid thefoundation, while theconstruction is expected tobe completed in 15 months,”he added.

The commissioner said

the state government wouldcreate employmentopportunities for graduatesand other qualifiedprofessionals through theproject.

He pointed out that someveterinary officers havebeen employed by the stategovernment, as part ofefforts to ensure the successof the project.

He also maintained thatthe state government wascommitted to boosting theeconomy of the state, as wellas ensuring hygienic meatproduction for the public.

5OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, June 21, 2014 News

Is Jonathan a Fulani Hegemon?

“southerner” in the person ofGoodluck Jonathan, the current presi-dent of Nigeria. For them, being a footsoldier to a Goodluck Jonathan is pref-erable to promoting what they perceiveas Fulani hegemony.

Goodluck Jonathan’s foot soldiershave not failed to regale us with the no-tion that the North, more specifically, theFulani are the enemies of Yorubalandwho must be politically neutralized notonly for the health of the homeland butalso of Nigeria in general. Events in thelast few weeks have shown how com-pletely wrong they are, in spite of beingtold over and over again that it is strate-gically wrong and tactless to make aManichean division between the“North” and the “South”, especiallywhen it is obvious that each and everyNationality in Nigeria is working for theexpression of its own political space.

In the last few weeks, Yorubaland hasexperienced the attack on an electedGovernor by a policeman who claimedhe would not recognize the Governorbecause he is answerable to some other“higher power” in Nigeria; we have wit-nessed a serving Commissioner of EkitiState being charged with “terrorism” bythe same police authority that refusedto recognize the Constitutionally electedGovernor of the State; we have wit-nessed the president, GoodluckJonathan confiscating private propertyfor his own political purpose; we are wit-nessing Goodluck Jonathan lock downEkiti State and threaten residents sim-ply because of his fear of his party los-ing the Governorship election in theState; we have witnessed GoodluckJonathan harass and intimidate APCleaders going about their lawful and le-gitimate political duties; we have wit-nessed Goodluck Jonathan violate theright of free speech and movement all inan attempt at silencing the opposition,both as members of the APC and asYoruba leaders.

Goodluck Jonathan has, again andagain, shown his utmost contempt for theYoruba Nation, from creating this networkof political criminals in the land found inhis own faction of the PDP, Afenifere, La-bor Party and sundry organizations to ac-tually declaring war on the land in the formof current militarization of electoral con-test we are witnessing all in a bid to havetotal control of the land; he has shownthat the Yoruba Nation is just a pawn inhis own game of survival.

The last time we checked, GoodluckJonathan is Ijaw-Igbo, and obviously NOTFulani and what he has done and is doingis not healthy for the Homeland. This isthe person Afenifere and its allies are pro-moting as being defender of “southern”interest against the Fulani. With friendslike Goodluck Jonathan, who needs en-emies?

It is a matter of historical record thatthe Yoruba had been Muslims long beforethe arrival of the Dan Fodio Jihadists,which is why Yorubaland has no issueswith Islam or Muslims in their midst. Whenthese groups now raise unnecessaryalarms about Muslims, they are not onlytelling us that we, as a people, are inca-pable of mediating our religious prefer-ences, which would be a-historical but ac-tually telling us that they alone have a su-perior appreciation of religious mattersmore than even the society they claim torepresent.

Besides, the main anchors of GoodluckJonathan’s attempt at subjugating theHomeland are Yoruba Muslims. MusiliuObanikoro, the Minister of State for De-fense and Jelili Adesiyan, the Police Af-fairs Minister, are Muslims. They are al-ready waging a war of terror on Yorubalandby virtue of the offices they occupy andyet these groups will turn around and de-cry a “Muslim/Muslim” ticket? What thisshows is that they are comfortable withMuslims who will do their bidding to sub-jugate the Homeland. Otherwise howwould a Musiliu Obanikoro, a supposedMinister, who was unable to stand up toan insulting command from a Ministry

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he was supposedly supervisingwhen he was pointedly told to shut upand sit down now turn around and runriot with “his” soldiers? He could notmuster enough courage embedded inhis office to stand down his junior butwould deploy all arsenal in his posses-sion to harass and harangue unarmedcitizens? And these Afenifere groupieswould see no evil, hear no evil whileall of these are going on?

By acquiescing to these forms of in-timidation, Afenifere and its alliedgroups have lost any credibility as pro-moters and defenders of Yoruba inter-est and from now on, they should betreated as traitors to the Homeland andconsigned to the garbage heap of his-tory.

Jonathan is using these elements asprops for his tottering regime. Totter-ing because his presidential ambitionwould have to be thrown overboardbecause his expected

source of support in the Interna-tional community has dried up. Therewill be no soft landing for him as waspointedly shown him by the rejectionof his petroleum minister as OPEC’sSecretary-General nominee. It wasobvious that with Shell’s influence ininternational oil politics as well aswithin the Nigerian government itself,such a nomination would have been ashoo-in if all is well with the Jonathancamp.

His attempt to precipitate a militaryputsch of his own making has also hitthe rocks, again largely due to lack ofsupport from the international commu-nity whose opinion of the military isnothing to write home about; and thatis putting it mildly. The only optionleft for him is to prepare a soft landingfor himself by ensuring the neutral-ization of the progressive forces in thecountry, which is why he appears tobe “stumbling” from one crisis to an-other and only in States controlled bythe APC.

It is also becoming increasinglylikely that the North would not favor aprogressive Northern candidate as itsPresidential choice and Jonathan be-ing out of the way, with Yorubalandpolitically emasculated, the coast willbe clear for the North, especially itsconservative wing, to take control ofthe political processes of the two ma-jor parties and what these Yorubaenablers of Jonathan would have usbelieve they are fighting against wouldhave become a fait accompli, withJonathan’s active connivance, whoseultimate aim is now to placate thesame North he and his foot soldiersare railing against with the end resultof producing an extremely conserva-tive political atmosphere, whileYorubaland would have been madeprostrate for easy picking by the sameconservative forces .

Thus, Afenifere and its groupies areactually working for the enthronementof conservative elements in power inNigeria, protestations to “restructur-ing” notwithstanding—even at that,they would go into Jonathan’s NationalConference only on the basis of “trust-ing Jonathan to restructure” which isnow turning out to be a hoax as evi-denced by the various decisions beingmade.

But we do not have to fall into thispit, which is why, “ooduapathfinder”once again, calls for the Homeland toensure a complete and overwhelmingdefeat of these agents of reaction andconservatism going about in Afenifere/PDP/LP colors on Saturday, June 212014.

They have come with their guns andwe have our votes and our land to de-fend. As they came with their guns,so shall they go.

Continued from pg1

OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, June 21, 20146 FEATURE

Kosovo: A Precedent For Crimea?

HAPPENING in Moscow has beenseriously hectic in the past weeks or so.We have had Russia expelled from the

G8 Group for ’annexing Crimea’ with the nextsummit penciled down to be held in June thisyear in Brussels, Belgium, instead of Sochi inRussia. The latest piece of black humour goingaround in Russia is that the crisis in Ukraine isstarting to resemble the saga with the missingMalaysian Boeing 777 (MH370) and theabduction of Chibox Secondary School Girls inBorno State, Nigeria.

Historically, Sevastopol the largest city inthe Crimean peninsula was established byRussian Empress, Catherine II, as a port for theRussian black sea fleet and by extension, theentire Crimean peninsula.

At the end of 2013, Western Ukrainians,dissatisfied with President Viktor Yanukovych,gathered at Kiev’s Maidan and overthrew thehated authority of the Eastern Ukrainians.Crimea took advantage of these circumstances,because since such unconstitutional take-overcould happen in Kiev, why not have it happenin Crimea too?

Thus, on March 16, 2014, the Crimeanreferendum took place without any fighting orclashes, which Kiev and Washington were hopingto use to discredit the process. 83% of thepopulation cast their vote and 96.7% of them-Russians, Ukrainians and even some Tatars-voted for secession from Ukraine and annexationto Russia. 135 representatives of about 23countries observed the vote and 240 observersrepresented the Crimean civic society andpolitical parties.

According to the constitution, it is illegal, butaccording to the constitution too, the currentgovernment in Kiev is as well unconstitutional.In reality, however, everyone accepted it, eventhe United States President. So what makes theCrimeans worse than them? The Crimeanreferendum too, in reality, won’t have less powerthan the present government in Kiev.

In the symbolic domain, the Crimea crisisundoubtedly epitomizes the struggle betweenRussia and the West as represented by the UnitedStates. “Essentially”, the re-attachment of theCrimea (…) is a result of 20-old years of Russia– United States of America relationships’’ arguesVladimir Pozner, a world-renowned analyst ofthe cold war mentality.

The under-current paradigm for theinterpretation of the events in Ukraine is that ofRussians and Ukrainians being essentially thesame people, sharing the same cultural identityand the same world view rooted in the Soviet-era nation-building, cultural affinity to thebrotherly nation of Ukraine is seen as part ofRussia’s own national identity, with Ukrainianhistory perceived as a microcosm of Russian’sown.

The idea of Ukrainian identity being separatedfrom the Russian one cannot be conceived of inRussia unless Russia changes its own conceptionof self-identity formed in the second half of the19th century and preserved under the Marx-Leninist ideology.

In justifying Putin’s ‘’firm fist” politics, thepopular discourse appeals to the need to standup to two decades of United States’ perceivedindiscriminate meddling in the global status quo,including instigating political instability in theneighbouring Ukrainian (as did in Iraq, Libyaand Afghanistan inter-alia], pushing for the eastworld expansion of NATO and encroaching onRussia geopolitical interests. “They have cometo believe in their exclusivity and exceptionalism,that they can decide the destinies of the world,that only they can ever be right. But there is alimit to everything” stated Putin in his recentaddress to the state Duma. The monopoly onthe moral truth implies that inaction would notonly be a display of political weakness but afundamentally immoral thing. To borrowVladimir Putin’s terminology, “abandoning”Crimea at this “historical turning point” wouldequal a “betrayal.” Just like the United Statesdoes not need a “permission slip” to defend thesecurity of its people world wide, Russia doesnot need international support to do what’s“morally right”

“Is it fair for the government in Washingtonto expect unconditional obedience from Russianagainst its own national interests “queried SegeiKhrushchev. The United States domino theoryholds that if the U.S let go of just one countryfrom their orbit of influence, then the wholeworld would instantly fall apart.

To show the level of hypocrisy by the Westover the Crimean Crisis, Vacy Vlazna arguesthat the West hits Russia with sanctions forannexing Crimea, but it has yet to punish Israelfor war crimes in Palestine. She argued furtherthat “the velocity with which the United States

and European Union imposed economicsanctions on Russia for its annexation of Crimeais equal to the mass hypocrisy on Israel’screeping annexation of Palestinian land throughcolonial settlement expansion. The ongoingexpansion is seen as a war crime “falling into theprovision of Article 8 of international criminalcourt statutes”

International law forbids intervention in theaffairs of other states. Intervention in this sensemeans dictatorial intervention. Under the Leagueof Nations, Italy, with the acquiescence of thebig powers intervened in and annexed Abyssinia(Ethiopia), both of them members of the League.But for its intervention in Finland, USSR wasexpelled from the League, whereas Italy’spunishment was ineffective.

Though Article 2(7) of the United Nationscharter forbids intervention in the domesticaffairs of state without prejudice to theenforcement action under the authority of theSecurity Council. Regardless of this provision,the United Nations has witnessed manyinterventions by the “Big powers”. Thus, theU.S intervened in Jordan in 1958, in Guatemalain 1965, in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos in 1961-1972, and Grenada in 1983 and of recent, in Iraqand Afghanistan in the beginning of the 21st

century. Britain intervened in Egypt incollaboration with France in 1956, in Jordan in1958 and in Anguilla in 1968.

Crimea is by far not the first entity and willdefinitely not be the last- to achieve independencein this way—in the past, the United States-broke off the British Empire, while Kosovo in2008 left the borders of Serbia (formerlyYugoslavia). It is in this manner that manyachieved their sovereignty and politicalindependence, whether Abkhazia, Algeria,Nagorno-Karabakh, East Timor, South Ossetia,Czechoslovakia (which later split into the CzechRepublic and Slovakia) and may be soon Scotland(due to hold its own independence referendum]and get its own political independence andsovereignty from the United Kingdom.

The Peculiar Mess We AreH.F Lyte (1793-1847) was a rare man of God

who committed his life and resources to thecause of the needy, the neglected, and theforgotten members of the society. His life was agospel in charity. He devoted most of his usefullife to the care of the lepers. Lepers at that timewere cast out of the society and forced to live ina colony, where they would die in the open field.Alas! While in the cause of serving humanity, hewas afflicted with leprosy. As soon as the diseasemanifested in him, people forgot all his charityworks and reminded him that he had to go to thewilderness to join the other lepers, not as a manof charity this time around, but an in-mate in thewilderness of the rejected. While he was beingdriven out of the city with tears rolling down hischeeks, he composed and settled for thefollowing songs:

•Abide with me: fast falls the eventide:The darkness deepens, Lord, with me abide!When other helpers fail and comforts flee,Help of the helpless, o abide with me…-Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;

Earth’s joys grow dim; its glories pass way;Change and decay in all around I see: o thouWho changest not; abide with me.•I need thy presence every passing hourWhat but thy grace can foil the tempter’s

power?Who like thyself my guild and stay can be?Through cloud and sunshine, o abide with me•Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;Shine through the gloom, and point me to the

skies;Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain

shadows flee,In life, in death, o Lord abides with me!The song is apt and good enough for the

downtrodden people particularly to singcontinually, and if possible the entire citizenryof Nigeria.

Adelabu Adegoke of Ibadan was a politicalmaverick in grassroots politics of the 1960s. Hewas grounded in law, and native intelligence. Hewould have become the first Premier of theWestern Region in 1958. Eventually, he becamea Regional Minister. Alas! Adelabu was accusedof embezzling public fund, having bought a newcar, which was adjudged by his opponents toworth more than his purse could bear. Ratherthan Adelabu giving account of his stewardshipto prove otherwise the allegation, he drove tothe popular Dugbe Market in Ibadan. Right therein the market, he flung open the doors of the carand said: “This is the car I bought for all of youwith your money. Enter it and drive round toenjoy your money.” The undiscerning peopledid and prayed for better prosperity forAdelabu.

After some of the people had enjoyed aride, Adelabu decided to address the crowd. Hesummarized the accusations against him as‘’peculiar mess’’. The crowds were carried awayon the tide of the seeming ‘’big vocabulary’’ of‘’peculiar mess’’ of Adelabu’s oration, ignorantlychanged it to ‘’penkelemesi’’, since that time,people have been referring to him as AdelabuPenkelemesi.

Like the Adelabu of the old, our country is ina ‘’peculiar mess’’. The people of Nigeria are noless in a peculiar mess foisted on them by theadministration of the PDP-led FederalGovernment.

Just like penkelemesi of old flung the doorsof his car open for people to board, rather thananswer the charges of massive corruption leveledagainst him, Mr. President has remainedineptitude and lackadaisical in addressing hismuch politicized rhetoric transformation agendaof his administration since inception on May2010 till date.

I am convinced that Mr. President does notknow that government is all about people andtheir ultimate welfare. If GEJ and his politicalacolytes want to know more about that, theyshould read along with me!

Various theories were advanced to supportwhy we have government and why the stateshould exist. Appadorai is an authority in thatarea. In his thesis on the origin of the state, heidentifies the following theories: The socialcontract theory, the divine Right theory, and theforce theory inter alia. Under the social contract

theory, he believes that the state is a humancreation, the result of the contract. ThomasHobbes, John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseaupopularized the theory. Hobbes wrote his thesiscalled: ‘The Leviathan’, Locke wrote ‘TheTreatises of Government’ and Rousseau wrote‘Contract Social’. Gregory (V11) popularizedthe theory of force in (1080) and Hume’s Essaytitled ‘Of the origin of Government’. The theoryepitomizes military conquest (PDP philosophy)as the basis of securing political power.

Herbert Spencer is of the view that the stateis nothing but a natural institution for preventingone man from infringing on the right of another;it is a joint-stock protection company for mutualassurance. Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Millsee the purpose of the state as providing thegreatest happiness of the greatest number ofpeople. Some other theorists see the purpose ofthe state as the only bastion of liberty. Libertyis seen by them in terms of individual libertyand national liberty. Liberty is the opposite ofover-government. ‘’Freedom is not the absenceof all restraints but rather the substitution ofrational ones for irrational’’. To this end, civilliberty includes the right to life, the right to work,personal safety and freedom, the right toreputation, religious freedom, the right toeducation, freedom of speech, public meetingand publication, family rights etc.

Political liberty involves the right to vote,the right to stand as a candidate for election,periodic elections, equal eligibility forgovernment office, the right to criticize thegovernment. The safeguards of liberty aremaintenance of law, the independence of thejudiciary, the practice of democracy, a healthydevelopment of local self-governing institution,a declaration of fundamental rights that includeequality of sexes in civic rights, the secrecy ofcorrespondence, secret elections, free education,property, freedom of contracts, right againstexploitation to mention a few.

The lack of tact, non-proactive measure, andwisdom by the Jonathan-led government inattending to the national burning issues leavesmuch to be desired. Worse still, the presentgovernment under Jonathan appears to lack thesharp focus for fighting corruption that hasperpetually stood between Nigeria and progress.How many corrupt politicians have beenarrested, prosecuted, and sent to jail by the twoanti-corruption agencies, the Economic andFinancial Crimes Commission (EFCC) andIndependent Corrupt Practices and other relatedOffences Commission (ICPC)? The current levelof corruption in government circles could makesomeone to weep in deep sorrow. Theuncertainty and doubts about the character ofthe present government, if anything, has beenmind boggling and raising questions. Has Mr.President not fully woken up to the reality thathe is the number one citizen of the country? Ishe really in charge of the presidential powers orleaving things hanging and tentative? Who arethe forces exploiting the enormous powers ofthe presidency, as the president appears to beshying away from asserting his authority in thereal sense of it? Why should Mr. President mademen of yesteryears with a track record of deceitand treachery as ministers and advisers, only tohijack power and wished our yearnings andaspirations away? Or what about PresidentGoodluck Jonathan, who was a former universityteacher and yet, our education sector is in a‘’peculiar mess’’? Or what about the self-professed largest economy in Africa that is notin tandem with infrastrucural development,massive employment creation, improvingstandard of living of the average citizen interalia?

In the gallery of Nigerian politricksters,Labaran Maku, the nation’s information ministerunder Jonathan-led Federal Government, is likelyto fall somewhere between Anthony Anenih, Mr.Fix-it, an Obasanjo’s factotum-in-chief, and theloquacious Tom Ikimi, who lent his brand ofodiousness to the cause of General Sani Abacha,another mad quester after power.

Rather than for our President to payurgent attention to the myriad of securitychallenges confronting the nation, he chose tomove from one geo-political zone to another,all in the name of attending unity rallies, wherepolitically-irrelevant politicians cum politicaljobbers and sycophants are all welcomed asdefectors inter-alia which has no benefit forour dear country, Nigeria in any way. This is apeculiar mess or Jonathan Penkelemesi’’ of ourtime. How ignorant and naïve we were? Weentrusted our fate to Mr. President after hewas nominated as PDP candidate and hiseventual (s)election as the Executive Presidentof Nigeria and went to sleep, thinking wewanted to give democracy a chance. But thisturned to be a political mistake on our part.Our own Penkelemesi is here…

By STEVEN ADEYEMI

“The lack of tact, non-proactive measure, andwisdom by the Jonathan-led government inattending to the national burning issues leaves muchto be desired. Worse still, the present governmentunder Jonathan appears to lack the sharp focusfor fighting corruption that has perpetually stoodbetween Nigeria and progress. How many corruptpoliticians have been arrested, prosecuted, and sentto jail by the two anti-corruption agencies, theEconomic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices andother related Offences Commission (ICPC)? Thecurrent level of corruption in government circlescould make someone to weep in deep sorrow. Theuncertainty and doubts about the character of thepresent government, if anything, has been mindboggling and raising questions. Has Mr. Presidentnot fully woken up to the reality that he is thenumber one citizen of the country?”

OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, June 21, 2014 7

•

More Pix On All Progressives Congress (APC) 2014 Governorship Mega Rally At IwoStadium, Iwo, State Of Osun, Last Tuesday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI, SHOLA ADERINTO AND

JESUDOYIN ABRAHAM.

•Some of the Aregbesola supporters on top of a trailer trying to catch a glimpse of Aregbesola.

•A cross section of pupils at Awo hailing Governor Rauf Aregbesola.•

•Governor Aregbesola (on top of a car) acknowledging cheers from his supporters.

8 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, June 21, 2014PHOTOTALK

•(L-R) Deputy Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Honourable Akintunde Adegboyeand Senator Bayo Salami on the occasion.

Osogbo Progressive Union’s (OPU) Endorsement Of Governor Rauf Aregbesola ForSecond Term In Office At Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, Last Monday.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•(L-R) Honourable Lasun Yusuf; Barrister Ajibola Bashiru and Chief of Staff to State of Osun Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola at the event.

•A cross section of Islamic and traditional clerics at the programme.

•A cross section of traditional rulers during the programme.

9OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, June 21, 2014 PHOTOTALK

•

Osogbo Progressive Union’s (OPU) Endorsement Of Governor Rauf Aregbesola ForSecond Term In Office At Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, Last Monday.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•A cross section of OPU members.

•Some of the OPU members at the event.

•A cross section of Osogbo traditional chiefs.

10 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, June 21, 2014

•

More Pix On All Progressives Congress (APC) 2014 Governorship Mega Rally At IwoStadium, Iwo, State Of Osun, Last Tuesday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI, SHOLA ADERINTO AND

JESUDOYIN ABRAHAM.

•A sea of heads at the campaign.

•Another cross section of Aregbesola’s supporters hanging at the upstairs of a building welcoming him to Iwo with ecstacy.

•A cross section school pupils welcoming Governor Aregbesola to Iwo.

PHOTOTALK

11 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, June 21, 2014

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companyJob Title: Store SupervisorRequirementMust have a minimum of OND in a business related disciplineMinimum of 2 years experience in a production companyJob Title: Sales ManagerRequirementA University degree/HND in Marketing or any of the Social Sciences.Minimum of 5 years cognate experience in sales as team leaderJob Title: Sales OfficerRequirementA university degree/HND in marketing or any of the Social SciencesMinimum of 2 years cognate experience in the sales department of aJob Title: Production Supervisor (Nigerians only)RequirementA University degree/ HND in any Engineering disciplineMinimum of 2 years of cognate experience PVC Pipes or Tissue Paper orTable water or Aluminium Long span sheets production.Job Title: Marketing ManagerRequirementA University Degree/H ND in Marketing or any of the Social Sciences.Minimum of 5 years cognate experience as leader of a marketing DepartmentMust be result oriented

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KPMG Nigeria is currently recruiting for the roles of: IT Network Officer, IT Helpdesk Officer and ApplicationDeveloper Officer within the IT Services Unit.

Job Title: Network Officer- A BSc degree in Computer Science with a minimum of second class lower division.- Knowledge of SAN Storage.- Knowledge of Network backup solutions.- Applicant must be below 30 years old.- Applicant must have at least 2 years relevant IT experience in networking.- Good knowledge of Cisco with equivalent professional certification (CCNA or CCNP.- Good knowledge of Windows server technologies.

Job Title: Application Developer

- A BSc degree in Computer Science with a minimum of second class lower division.- Applicant must have at least 2 years relevant IT experience.- Good knowledge of application development using HTML, XML, .Net, C#, JavaScript, VBScript (MCSD will bean added advantage).- Applicant must be below 30 years old.- Good knowledge of transact SQL with a relevant Microsoft or equivalent professional certification .- Broad knowledge of current IT development and integration technologies with best practice.- Knowledge of Software Development Life Cycle SDLC.

Job Title: IT Helpdesk Officer- A BSc degree in Computer Science with a minimum of second class lower division.- Applicant must have at least 2 years relevant IT experience in networking.- Good knowledge of IT helpdesk skills with professional certifications in (ITIL, Windows desktop operatingsystems).- Demonstrable customer support experience.- Applicant must be below 30 years old

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Job Title: Quality Control OfficerResponsibilities To coordinate the activities of the entire laboratory operations To ensure the effectiveness of the Operational Quality Management System (QMS) To collate and prepare data in order to assist factories root cause analysis (RCA) and problem solving sessions To actualise and assist the commercialization of NPDs To coordinate Good Manufacturing Practice activities on site in line with agreed GMP standards.Requirements BSc Microbiology, Food technology or Biochemistry Possession of M,Sc. is an advantage Deep knowledge of Microbiology and Food Technology Have a CAN DO attitude, exhibiting our core values Courage, Accountability, Networking, Drive & Oneness Age: 32-35 years 3 - 5 years work experience in similar position Operational knowledge of QC tools like SPC, SQC Good Knowledge of NAFDAC, SON requirementsMethod of ApplicationInterested and qualified candidates should send their covering letters and CVs to: vacancy@loracheconsulting.com—————————————————————————IPDC Limited recruitment for Graduate Marketers in NigeriaIPDC Limited (International Property Development Consortium), is a Nigerian Property development companywith the objective of developing and managing properties of the highest quality and standard. We provideprofessional real estate services to aspiring property owners, either corporate bodies or individuals on issuesregarding; Real Estate Development, Real Estate Marketing /Acquisition and Property Management.

IPDC Limited is recruiting Marketers

Job Title: MarketerJob description Initiate sales and marketing activities, including phone calls, e-mails, online postings and face-to-face meetings,designed to identify and engage prospective new customers.Arrange meetings with prospective clients and maintain long term client relationships.Schedule and conduct site tours.Gather relevant market data to help prepare market surveys and/or marketing material with our marketing team. Encourage sales of properties through open houses, advertising, networking, and participation in multiple listingservices.Make documents such as representation contracts, purchase agreements, closing statements, deeds and leasesConference with clients to determine what kinds of properties they are seeking; Provide lists of properties that meetthe buyers’ needs and financial resources.Desired Skills and ExperienceBSc. in any social science course2-5 years experience in Marketing and/or Commercial Real Estate Business.Strong oral and written communication skills.Strong proficiency with entire Microsoft Office Suite.Prospecting and negotiating Skills.People Skills.ProfessionalismEssential to be a self-starter, have suitable communication skills and able to multi-task.Customer service skills required to meet the needs of clients and build trusting relationships.Skills in the fields of sales and marketing are needed for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. Thisincludes marketing strategy and tactics and sales techniques.Professional presence, with the ability to build strong client relationships.Thrive in a competitive entrepreneurial environment.Goal OrientedMethod of Applicationhttps://touch.www.linkedin.com to apply for this position

OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, June 21, 201412

Iwo Mega Rally: The Land Of The MacawSings Praises, Prayers For Aregbesola

As the ancient town of Iwo stood still for Governor Rauf Aregbesola's Second TermCampaign train last Tuesday, NIYI OLASINDE chronicles the distinct features of thegathering; even as he brings out the diverse aspects and dimensions that were packaged intothe event in different positive ways.

FEATURE

THE ancient town of Iwo played hostto the fourth in the series of megarallies of the All Progressives

Congress (APC), the State of Osun whichare packaged to herald the second cominginto office of the incumbent governor,Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, comeAugust 9, 2014. This time around,organizing and hosting of the rallyconcerned three local government councilareas situated in the Iwo FederalConstituency, and which is headquarteredin Iwo. The three local governmentcouncil areas of which the federalconstituency is comprised are Iwo,Ayedire and Ola Oluwa local governmentcouncil areas. It was therefore at theinstance of constituents in these threementioned councils that the mammothcrowd converged on Iwo on that day. Onaccount of the overwhelming crowd andthat of the ultimate success of theprogramme, big thumbs-up ofcommendation goes to the localorganizing committee, that is, theAregbesola Second Term CampaignCommittee for the federal constituency,ably chaired by the Secretary to the StateGovernment (SSG) and former StateChairman of the party, Alhaji MoshoodAdeoti.

In similar vein, all others whocontributed to the eventual success storyof the programme deserve commendation.An attempt at making a list will surelysnatch the responsibility of the write-up,thereby causing an awful derailment.Above all, all and sundry who made upthe gathering, members of the cheeringcrowd inclusive are appreciated, since all

Continued on page 13

of them, one way or the other mean one orother thing to the ruling party in the state.The programme at Iwo replicated myearlier judgment that the All ProgressivesCongress (APC) does usual thingsuniquely and in grand style, as far as theState of Osun is concerned. Inaggregation, the fold of the political partyall over the country has proven myverdict right via the success recorded atthe first-ever National Convention of theparty held last weekend at the Eagle’sSquare in Abuja. At that programme also,a surging crowd converged to attest to itthat the party of progressives is not justappearing to façade the usual oppositionthreats, but to contend and win the seatof government at the centre – that isgovernment at federal level.

The manner of emergence of electednational officers of the party showedclearly that there still exists bright radianthope for Nigeria, not only in the aspect ofinternal democracy, but also orderliness,peaceful conduct and other ingredients oflasting democratic culture. Of greater joyis the fact that such programme of suchgreat magnitude and significance came upat a time like this; otherwise, detractorswould have classified our earlierjudgments as product of parochial,sectional assessment. Now the truth hasbeen affirmed by the fact that even inevents of nation-wide significance, the AllProgressives Congress (APC) is aformidable force to reckon with inbreaking barriers to unity and harmoniouspeaceful co-existence. Surely, with thisparticular progressive party, there is hope

for Nigeria.Like earlier ones held in Ile-Ife, Ikire and

Ila-Orangun, the Iwo Mega Rallyshowcased the best attributes that avirtuous people should radiate. Central tothis is the spirit of love. Love in thiscontext implies love for all that is noble,good and worthwhile. GovernorAregbesola and other speakers at thoseheld rallies never minced words inshowing gratitude to the people for thelove they showed, not only by attending,but also by waiting almost in day-longexpectation of the arrival of the campaigntrain and the subsequent take-off ofproceedings, even by staying glued tillthe end of speeches. As a matter of fact, ittakes love to withstand all the rigorsimposed by surging crowd, weatheruncertainties and other hazards,especially, the opportunity costs ofputting up attendance at the expense ofother engagements that people couldhave been preoccupied with.

Another quality of the people whichmade those rallies a rallying-point is thespirit of appreciation, which is alsocharacteristic of any truly virtuouspeople. Something interests me in themanner that one highly reputable monarchin the state asks from the gathering at anypublic event within his domain in recenttime, as to if they would show sincereappreciation for the good gestures ofGovernor Aregbesola. The rousing andthunderous chorus of affirmativeresponse to this question each time it wasasked thrilled the heart with joy. It is notin doubt that people are sincerely

appreciative of all developmental effortsof the incumbent administration since itsascension into office. All that we pray for,which forms the central core of all therallies is that the appreciation, betranslated into trooping out massively onElection Day to exercise that civicresponsibility that is a leveler for all. Thatone civic responsibility requires thatwhich all persons who have attained thestipulated voting age do with theirthumbs. That responsibility requires oneman, one woman to thumbprint only onceon the ballot paper on election date forthe candidate of their choice – Aregbesolaof course – and be an active, vigilantobserver of events up till counting andrecording time. The all-important value ofthis task by voters was stressed over andover again by speakers at the rally.

Another attribute observed in thepeople of the state, which instills in megreat pride of belonging here is thepeople’s rapturous desire for continuity.With all that we have seen and heard, alarge majority of our people is insistent ondefending the change they collectivelyeffected, consciously and deliberately in2007. It is so far widely demonstrated thatelections in the State of Osun shall nolonger be exercises where people arecoerced or over-swayed with financial ormaterial gratifications. Desperatemoneybag politicians who are hell-bent toassume political offices by all means andat all costs have no business here. Theirtime has expired for good and all!

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

13 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, June 21, 2014

The role of security agents of sorts inmaintaining peace and orderliness isindicative of the fact that they are gettingup to defend the masses, which is theirconstitutional role in the democraticsociety. At the Iwo Mega Rally inparticular, Governor Aregbesolaannounced the reassurance given by theauthorities of the armed forces that theywould be protective rather thandestructive in their dispositionhenceforth. This undertaking, if carriedout to the letter shall infuse soothing reliefinto the hearts of the people.

Lastly, the spirit of oneness and unitywhich prevailed among the people,measurable in terms of the hitch-, rancor-free conduct is praise-worthy. It is withunanimous accord that a vote ofconfidence is being passed on Aregbesolaand his political platform, the AllProgressives Congress (APC) to ride on.Surely, as God Himself concluded in thescriptures, if the people are united andspeak one single tongue, there is nothingthey endeavour that shall not beaccomplished. May this divine will findpractical expression in the life of ourstate, in the aspiration of Ogbeni and inour collective overall interest, comeAugust 9 when we shall be approachingthe polls. God bless the State of Osun;God bless Nigeria.

BUT the Iwo Mega Rally was unlikethe three which came before it inmany dimensions. In fairness, there

has been no fresh rally held so far withoutits uniqueness. However, that of Iwotends to have surpassed. This was to theextent that the first civilian governor ofthe state, Senator Isiaka Adeleke,increased his usual prediction of votes tobe polled by the ruling party in the statefrom 80 per cent to between 80 to 90per cent! According to him, the peopleof Iwo gave unanimous assurance in anunusual manner – a development that isimpressive and good indeed fordemocracy and good governance. He

however promised that the unanimity ofEde electorate would be more robust. Thatrevelation makes things better still!

In his erudition, the Senatorrepresenting Osun Central SenatorialDistrict at the National Assembly,Professor Senator Sola Adeyeye wasmore eloquent than ever. He made thefifth and sixth lines of the first stanza ofNigeria’s National Anthem the theme ofhis speech, which is: “the labour of ourheroes past shall never be in vain”. Hethen went ahead to checklist the heroespast against their noble deeds while alive.The heroes’ honour roll began from thegreat Sir Herbert Macaulay, through theFirst Republic leaders like Alhaji SirAbubakar Tafawa-Balewa, RightHonourable Sir Nnamdi Azikiwe, ChiefJeremiah Oyeniyi Obafemi Awolowo andAlhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello (all of blessedmemory), to the felled Cicero of Esa-Oke, late Chief Bola Ige. On the shroudedmystery surrounding the assassination ofIge, Adeyeye asked many probingquestions which required voters tobeware of casting their votes in thedirection of the yet-to-be-absolveddramatis personae fingered in the killingplot. Voting in favour of those accusedpersons, he concluded, shall make vainthe exertions of our illustrious heroes.

The foregoing is not all. Theconvergence on Iwo last Tuesday, asattested to by the governor himself wasastonishingly overwhelming. The IwoCentral Stadium venue of the occasionwas another class of its own. Except ithas the mind of keeping date withdisappointment, shame and showdown;no opposition party in the state darechoose such an auspicious space for thebiggest of its (so-called) mega rallies. Noteven the noisy, flatulent PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) that believesstrongly in financial / materialenticements. The crowd at Iwo was solarge and tumultuous that even thegovernor remarked that the volume ofcrowd outside the stadium outnumbered

that within! Great crowd; good people!The crowd at these rallies were notenticed or attracted with money or othermaterial inducements. There were nohired thugs, killers or odd-jobbers.

Upon the largeness of the crowd atIwo, there were no reported cases ofviolence or other mishaps (ditto for thethree earlier-held rallies). In spite of theteeming crowd lost items were still foundand reported, signifying the absence ofpick-pockets and pilferers at the event.This should not be surprising in the Stateof the Virtuous, the variousempowerment programmes embarkedupon by the administration of Ogbeni hasmopped up miscreants and odd-jobbersfrom the streets. The handful remainingare confined to where they are needed –the camp of the leading opposition.

Iwo axis is one of the settlements withwhich the State of Osun shares ampleborders with adjoining states. One of thegreatest delights ever was how passers-by and passengers to other states en routeIwo hastily deserted motor parks to enjoyOgbeni and give him his deserved respectand admiration for all they had heard andseen. It is no fiction that not less thanfour of the passengers inside a bus thatconveyed one of my friends to Iwo onthat day cancelled their earlier-plannedjourneys on hearing that Aregbesola wasbilled to be in town! Instead of carryingon with their trips as scheduled, they tookthe momentary decision to stay put andidentify with a man whose imprints ofgood governance had become a referencepoint all over the country and whose likethey covet to saddle the mantle ofleadership in their respective states.

It is astonishing that in spite of the factthat the stool of the monarch of Iwo hadbecome vacant, following the demise ofOba Ashiru Olatunbosun Tadese, the lastOluwo on February 19 last year; royalfathers, traditional rulers and communityleaders still converged in the auspiciouspalace of the ancient town to hold theforte and receive Governor Aregbesola

with honour, splendor, prestige andfinesse. This kind of unity and transparentreverence for traditions are rare thesedays. We have heard of cases wheretussles among living monarchs had nearlywrecked the ship of kingdoms and states.The prevailing love, peace and unityamong these community leaders deservecommendation. In spite of the sad realityfelt at the conspicuous absence of ObaTadese, it was a joyous crowd thatgathered to accord Aregbesola a rousingwelcome.

Another departure that would have casta shadow on the event is the recent home-call of the elder statesman, respectedpolitician and religious leader in the area,Alhaji Lateef Katayeyanjue. Instead ofcasting shadow on the event, theoccasion turned out to be a summit forthe celebration of the life of the departedicon. Speaker after speaker eulogized thegood deeds of the deceased. A minutesilence was observed and prayers wereoffered for the repose of his soul inAljana Firdaus. There was hardly anyspeaker at the event that had nothing tosay of the impactful and accomplishedlife of the deceased.

The big deal in all these is that the IwoMega Rally brought to the fore andamplified the hand of peace with whichAregbesola has handled the State of Osunsince his assumption of office. One ofthe cardinal objectives of hisadministration as contained in the Six-Point Integral Action Plan encapsulatedin his pact of governance for the peopleof the state is that his administration will:“Enhance Communal Peace andProgress”. All said and done, events atIwo Mega Rally and other rallies aretestimony enough to it that peace andprogress are the success story of theAregbesola administration in the State ofOsun. Iwo people prayed through theirmassive turnout at the event that our stateshall continue to experience greatermeasure of peace and progress. We allpray along to the same effect. May Godgrant our hearts’ desire.

Continued from page 12

Iwo Mega Rally: The Land Of The MacawSings Praises, Prayers For Aregbesola

FEATURE

•Governor Aregbesola (with broom), acknowledging cheers from his numerous admirers at the Iwo mega rally.

14 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, June 21, 2014

•OMISORE •ADELEKE •ADESIYAN

A memorable quote from SenatorIsiaka Adeleke on the PDP candidatein the State of Osun, Senator IyiolaOmisore, Minister of Police Affairs,Alhaji Jelili Adesiyan and another PDPchieftain in the state, Sogo Agboola.

Omisore, Police Minister Beat Me Up - Adeleke“On entering the hall, I saw Omisore, Adesiyan, Sogo

Agboola sitting together. I went to Adesiyan to complainthat police officers and DSS operatives were holdingparty men outside. But, instead of listening to me, hejumped over a table before him and hit me with a blowon the chest. Sogo Agboola also attacked me. Before Iknew what was happening, Omisore hit me with a blowfrom the back. About seven guns corked were pointed atme,” Adeleke asserted.

•Culled from Nigerian Tribune,Thursday April 3, 2014

15 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, June 21, 2014

SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2014

THE next general elections inNigeria take place in a year’stime. But before then, the

gubernatorial elections in EkitiState and the State of Osun wouldtake place today and August 9th

2014 respectively.Political campaigns and rallies

have been conducted by allpolitical parties contesting theelection in Ekiti State. Candidateshave made promises butunfortunately there was no forumfor the gladiators in Ekiti State tocanvass through a debate to enablethe voters to assess them.

The election is taking place todayand the voters are ready to give thecandidates their score card.

Electioneering campaigns aremeant to be issue-based that enablecandidates to tell the electoratewhy they should be voted intopower. For incumbents, it allowsthem to ask for continuity based ontheir track record.

The media, the civil societygroups, the security and above all,the Independent National ElectoralCommission (INEC) haveinvaluable roles to play to ensurefree, fair and credible elections.

Elections in Anambra and Deltastates did not show the level ofmaturity and competence expectedfrom INEC. The INEC helmsmanhas promised that the forthcomingelection would prove that theelectoral body is equal to task.

If INEC is able to live up toexpectation, then a landmarkachievement would have beenmade.

It is in the interest of allNigerians thatthe electoralbody is able toget it right, sot h a tgovernmentwould notonly beresponsibleb u trepresentativeas well.

The South-West is highlyenlighteneda n dsophisticatedpo l i t i ca l ly,h e n c eanything thathappens in thezone has adomino effecton thecountry. If weremember thatthe events that

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truncated the first republicemanated from politically-related

OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank GTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. All correspondenceto 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 Litmus Test ForINEC Towards 2015

•JEGA

AUDACIOUSEXPLOIT

withMURTALA AGBOOLA

TEL: 0806-119-7897E-mail: murtalamuag@yahoo.com

issues in the region, then we needto put all hands on deck to ensure a

credible election.The Inspector-General of Police

(IGP) has promised a fairly largesecurity presence in Ekiti State onSaturday to ensure adequatesecurity. We must, however, warnthat it must not scare voters or thepolice should not be deployed fornefarious activities.

Election monitors should havean unfettered access to do theirjob.

What makes the election in Ekitiand Osun States at this timechallenging is the fact that it wouldto a large extent determine howprepared the INEC is and byextension how they would handlenext year’s general elections.

Beyond that and moreimportantly is the fact that whilethe incumbent governors haveperformed to the expectation ofthe people, there is a very strongdesire by the powerful forces at thetop, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) to clinch back these states.

It is possible to have a credible,free and fair election, if only wedecide to do the right thing.Electoral malpractices should notbe condoned in anyway by anyperson, regardless of his or herposition. As a country, we shouldbe able to walk the talk as it affectsour ability to prosecute electoraloffenders.

It will help us to stabilize ourdemocracy and the polity if we canhave a credible election. Allstakeholders should go about theirnormal duties without hindrancefrom any quarters.

In previouse l e c t i o n s ,logistics hadconstituted amajor headacheto INEC. We canonly hope that ithas been factoredinto theirpreparations.

If everythingh u m a n l ypossible has beendone, then weonly hope thatnature would bebenevolent by notraining on thatday.

We can onlykeep our fingerscrossed andawait Saturday,when hopefullythe election ofEkiti would bec o n d u c t e dsuccessfully.

President Goodluck Jonathan And The Chibok Girls

TODAY is exactly 68 days since theyoung and innocent girls ofGovernment Secondary School,

Chibok, Borno state were abducted by theBoko Haram sect.

The unfortunate and ugly scenario thatbrought Nigeria into the limelight forwrong reasons has attracted sympathyand demonstrations throughout the worldwith the theme #Bring back our girls.

Like other national issues, thepresidency was initially, lackadaisicalabout the abduction, until the negativereactions from outside the country to thetouchy issue compelled PresidentGoodluck Jonathan to act.

As if the belated action was not badenough, the President is yet to visit thehapless parents of these unfortunate girlsin Chibok, Borno State. The fundamentalquestion to ask is: Is Chibok not part ofNigeria? Why must the parents of theseyoung girls be made to undergopsychological torture and trauma?

Granted the fact that the act initiallyjolted everybody, the presidency oughtto have summoned the courage to do theright thing.

Leadership and power entailsresponsibility. A leader is so describedbecause he has followers. Such a leader

must take the interests of those he leads.The First Lady introduced comic into thewhole affair by questioning the veracity ofthe abduction. She became noted with thereis God ooooo.

Obviously from how the whole thing hadgone, one is tempted to conclude thatPresident Jonathan believes either rightly orwrongly that Boko Haram is nothing but acontraption of the northern elitist hegemony,bent on sending him out of power. This musthave informed his attitude and behaviour.However, with the killings so far, whichtranscends religion and ethnicity, one istempted to put a lie to conspiracy of thenorthern leaders.

As a Commander-in-Chief, the Presidenthas not lived up to expectation. TheExecutive President, which the presidentialsystem connotes, makes the whole countrya constituency of the President. Sinceinsurgency started in the North-East, thePresident had visited Borno and Yobe once.

That was even contingent upon the factthat the All Progressives Congress (APC)governors had a meeting in Maiduguribefore the Commander-In-Chief could visitthe area. The alibi then was the place wasnot safe.

Recently the media was awash with thenews that the President would visit Chibok

to have first-hand feelings with the plightof the concerned parents. The president’sMedia and Publicity spokesman, Dr ReubenAbati later denied that information. Up tillnow, the President is yet to visit Chibok.

Sometimes the president needs to thinkand act out of the box. The securityoperatives sometimes create dreadfulsituation in an otherwise manageablesituation.

If I were Jonathan, I would simply ask allthe heads of the security agencies toaccompany me to Chibok. If the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Director Generalof the State Security Service (SSS) and theChief of Defence Staff follow me to Chibok,can there be breach of security? The answeris simply, ‘No’. If they cannot provideadequate security for the trip, then it meanstheir own lives are in danger.

Unless and until we put ourselves in theshoes of the common men, things wouldnever change. It is sad and indeed pitiablethat 68 days after the Chibok sad episode,the President is yet to see the people in thearea. Have we tactically conceded that partof the country to the terrorists?

The President needs not hole himself inhis cocoon in the ambience of Aso Rock.