16
VOL. 9. NO.056 N50 50 50 50 50 SATURDAY, MAY 10, 2014 www.osundefender.org THE 6TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA Front Page Comment - See Story On Page 2 Who Killed Chief Bola Ige, formerAttorney- General and Minister of Justice? IGE - See Story On Page 2 •Wife of State of Osun Governor, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola (6 TH right); State Deputy Governor, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori (5 th left); a member, House of Representatives, representing Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan Federal Constituency, Alhaja Ayo Omidiran (5 th right); Wife of the Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Mrs Adebimpe Salaam (3 rd left) and other dignitaries during the protest by women and female school pupils in Osun led by Mrs Aregbesola and Otunba Laoye-Tomori over the abduction of some female pupils of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, in Osogbo last Thursday. INSET: Governor Rauf Aregbesola addressing the protesters at the Government Secretariat, Abere. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI. Omisore Is A Serial Liar - Osun APC Tells US Consul PDP Chieftain Caught With Parcels Of Voters Cards In Osun Reject Jeun S'iku! Protect your votes The Peoples Demo- cratic Party (PDP) and its gubernatorial 'wannabe' in the state of Osun, Iyiola Omisore Mr. 'Money miss road', are unre- lenting in their des- peration to coast home victory in the coming August guber- natorial election in. the state as it's now obvious that they are bent on using every crook means to achieve their much de- sired victory Already there are threats of violence from this far from being democratic party on members of the ruling party, APC as they (PDP) are threaten- ing fire against APC members. Going by their antecedent vio- lence and rigging are their stock-in-trade. And since there is no hope for them of win- ning the coming elec- tion through Continue on pg5

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Page 1: Osun Defender - May 10th, 2014 edition

VOL. 9. NO.056 NNNNN5050505050SATURDAY, MAY 10, 2014

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

Front Page Comment

- See StoryOn Page 2

Who KilledChief Bola Ige,former Attorney-

General andMinister of

Justice? IGE

- See StoryOn Page 2

•Wife of State of Osun Governor, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola (6TH right); State Deputy Governor, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori (5th left); a member, House ofRepresentatives, representing Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan Federal Constituency, Alhaja Ayo Omidiran (5th right); Wife of the Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, MrsAdebimpe Salaam (3rd left) and other dignitaries during the protest by women and female school pupils in Osun led by Mrs Aregbesola and Otunba Laoye-Tomori over theabduction of some female pupils of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, in Osogbo last Thursday. INSET: Governor Rauf Aregbesola addressing theprotesters at the Government Secretariat, Abere. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

Omisore Is A Serial Liar- Osun APC Tells US Consul

PDP Chieftain Caught With Parcels Of Voters Cards In Osun

Reject Jeun S'iku!Protect your votes

The Peoples Demo-cratic Party (PDP)and its gubernatorial'wannabe' in the stateof Osun, IyiolaOmisore Mr. 'Moneymiss road', are unre-lenting in their des-peration to coasthome victory in thecoming August guber-natorial election in.

the state as it's nowobvious that they arebent on using everycrook means toachieve their much de-sired victory

Already there arethreats of violence fromthis far from beingdemocratic party onmembers of the rulingparty,

APC as they(PDP) are threaten-ing fire against APCmembers. Going bytheir antecedent vio-lence and rigging aretheir stock-in-trade.And since there is nohope for them of win-ning the coming elec-tion through

Continue on pg5

Page 2: Osun Defender - May 10th, 2014 edition

2 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 10, 2014News

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

•(L-R) All Progressives Congress (APC) State Secretary, Prince Gboyega Famodun; Governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Patron,State of Osun Tricycle Owners and Riders Association (TORA), Alhaji Akeem Hammed and Deputy Chief of Staff to State of Osun Governor, MrGbenga Adebusuyi, during TORA’s endorsement of Governor Aregbesola for second term in office at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo,State of Osun, last Monday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

PDP Chieftain Caught With Parcels OfVoters Cards In Osun

By ISMAEEL UTHMAN

•Driver Arrested

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in Boripe Local GovernmentCouncil Area of the State of Osun has

been caught with thousands of election materialssuspected to be voters’ cards stocked in a greenToyota Camry car (Big Daddy) with registrationnumber Lagos AAA211AM.

Ijesa-North APC Campaign Committee AdoptsStrategy For OperationsMEMBERS of the All Progressives Congress

(APC) Campaign Committee for the August 9governorship election in Ijesa North Federal

Constituency have agreed to work as a team for the returnof Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

The Acting StateChairman of the party, ElderAdebiyi Adelowo, had lastweek inaugurated thecommittee alongside othersimilar committees in all thenine federal constituenciesin the state.

Ijesa North Constituencycomprises of Obokun andOriade Local GovernmentCouncil areas of the state.

According to thecommuniqué issued by theSecretary of the committeein Ijesa-North, MrOlatunbosun Oyintiloye,after its maiden meeting onTuesday, the Chairman ofthe committee, Dr WaleBolorunduro, said thecommittee must beconscious of securitychallenges ahead and beprepared for it because ofthe geographical structureof the area.

Bolorunduro, who is theState Commissioner forFinance, said, consideringthe similarity in the politicalopposition spread acrossthe constituency, thecommittee would have toset up sub-committees to beable to get to all the nooksand crannies of the twocouncil areas.

He further noted thatthough the assignment wastedious, considering thedesperation of theopposition, theachievements of thepresent administrationwould go a long way inmaking the job of thecommittee easier.

Bolorunduro stressedthat by setting upcommittees at the federalconstituency levels, theparty has taken anotherimportant step towardsrealising the re-election ofGovernor Aregbesola.

In his own contributionat the meeting, Oyintiloye,who is the Senior SpecialAssistant to the Governoron Community Forum, saidsub-committees areseriously needed to playc o m p l e m e n t i n gand advisory roles in thecampaign process.

He noted that the violenttrait of the opposition PDPrequires that the committeemust get to the nooks andcrannies of theconstituency to sensitisethe people on how toexercise their franchise andprotect their votes.

In their separatecontributions, the Special

Adviser to the Governor onRural and CommunityDevelopment, Mr. Kunle Ige;Honourable SamsonFafiyebi, representingObokun State Constituency;Honourable MohammedIbrahim, representing Oriade

State Constituency and Mr.Oluwatayo Rufus advisedthat the committee must notbe divided, with a view toachieving its aims andobjectives.

However, the meetingunanimously agreed to havethree-layer committees at

the various ward levels thatwill organise and controlunits, committee at the localgovernment level tosupervise and harmonisethe wards and the CentralWorking Committee thatwould operate at the federalconstituency level.

Omisore Is A Serial Liar - Osun APC Tells US ConsulTHE All Progressives Congress (APC),

State of Osun Chapter, has advised theUnited States Consul-General, Mr Rolf

Olson, to discountenance the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP)’s gubernatorialcandidate in the State of Osun, Iyiola Omisore’snarrative on a so-called “judgment” against theState Resident Electoral Commissioner because“his (Omisore’s) account is false and the manlies”.

on Tuesday.According to sources,

the election materials,which were in parcels,were stocked inside theboot and under the seatsof the car.

The driver of the carclaimed that the votingmaterials belonged to hisboss, who he refused toname on the spot.

The driver washowever, arrested andtaking to the police stationin Ikirun.

It was, however,gathered that the suspecthave been transferred tothe State CriminalInvestigation Departmentin Osogbo forinterrogation.

Reacting to thedevelopment, the AllProgressives Congress(APC) in the state said theelection materials wereactually voters’ cards andnot ordinary votingmaterials.

The APC said thediscovery of the hundredsof voters’ cards in thePDP chieftain’s car,underscored the criminaltendencies of the PDP.

Speaking through theDirector of Publicity,Research and Strategy,

Mr Kunle Oyatomi, theAPC urged the police toinvestigate the casethoroughly and bring theculprit to justice.

Oyatomi said thevoters’ cards parcelscovered all the wards inBoripe LocalGovernment CouncilArea.

The APC’s spokesmanstated that thedevelopment was a clearevidence that the PDP’scriminal act of buyingvoter’s cards continues.

He therefore, urgedpolice and other securityagencies in Osun tointensify securityoperations throughout thestate and do everything toget to the bottom of thematter.

According to the APC in a statement issued and

signed by its Director ofPublicity, Research andStrategy, Barrister KunleOyatomi, there was nosuch judgment thatpronounced the ResidentElectoral Commissioner(REC), Ambassador ToyinAkeju, “unfit” to conductelections in Osun.

The party therefore,

challenged Omisore topublish the so-calledjudgment or forever stopthis lies.

The APC on thecontrary asked the USConsul-General toconfirm from the courtrecords its own version ofthe story, which is that thePDP sought and got a

court injunction to stopAkeju from conductingthe 2011 elections in thestate.

“The court granted theinjunction, which wasimmediately appealedagainst by INEC.

“However, inside aweek of the injunctionbeing granted, the PDP

lawyers rushed back tothe court to ask for a stayof execution of the verysame injunction it gotfrom the court.

“Bizarre as the requestwas, the court granted itand the case terminatedthere till today. “So,where is that so-calledjudgment that Omisore islying about?” The APCasked.

The APC therefore,wanted the US Consul-General to takeOmisore’s statementabout the coming electionin Osun with a pinch ofsalt because Omisore hasbeen serially lying aboutevents in the state, whichthose who have eyes tosee and ears to hearknow are outrightfalsehood.

“He made a lot of noiselying about Osun’spresumed debt overhangwith exceedinglyludicrous figures hefabricated.

“He has been lying tohimself and people likehim, that since OgbeniRauf Aregbesola came tooffice, the man has donenothing except to transferOsun’s wealth to hisfriends in Lagos,

The APC however,claims that even the USofficials in Nigeria knowand have appreciated howmuch Aregbesola hasdone and is doing forOsun citizens.

“But unfortunately, ittakes a negativecharacter like Omisorefirst to be blind to theseachievements and then tolie about the method ofgovernance in the state.

“There is no way sucha person can tell the truthabout what happened incourt in 2011,” the APCadvised the US Consul.

The car reportedlybelongs to a PDPchieftain, who wassuspected to be theChairman of the party inBoripe Local GovernmentCouncil Area.

Nemesis caught upwith the PDP chieftain,when the driver of the carwas stopped by the policeat a stop-and-search pointin Ikirun, headquarters ofIfelodun LocalGovernment Council Area

Page 3: Osun Defender - May 10th, 2014 edition

3 News OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 10, 2014

If you have a story or advert for us, contact 08033927286, 08033880205, 08061197897, 08023191891.

Osun Governor’s Wife, Deputy, Women Groups Protest ChibokPupils Abduction •Aregbesola Fingers Neighbouring Countries

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

WIFE of the Governor, State of Osun, MrsSherifat Aregbesola, deputy governor,Otunba (Mrs) Titilayo Laoye-Tomori

defied rains on Thursday and led women groupsto protest the abduction of 234 girl pupils ofGovernment Girls’ Secondary College, Chibokin Borno State by members of the dreaded BokoHaram sect.

They walked from theState House of Assembly

Complex, protesting theabduction, to the State

Secretariat, Abere andwere received by thegovernor, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola.

Women and girl pupilsof secondary schoolswere seen carryingplacards, bearing variousinscriptions like; ‘Bringback our girls’, ‘Free ourdaughters now’,‘Abduction of our

daughters is barbaric’,‘Nigerian women say noto abduction, ‘Hausacommunity say no toabduction’, ‘Our futureleaders are missing, bringthem back’, among othersand chanting differentsongs against theabduction.

Receiving theprotesters, Governor

Aregbesola stated thatthe abduction was a totaldeclaration of war on thecountry, suspecting thateither of the threecountries sharingboundaries with BornoState (Cameroun, Chad,Niger Republic) might besupporting the BokoHaram sect againstNigeria.

He then called on thePresident to call ameeting of AfricanUnion, with a view toinvolving the threecountries in the fightagainst the Boko Harammenace.

“The reason the crisisis heavy on Borno Stateis that it sharesboundaries withCameroun, Chad andNiger Republic and noone knows which of thesecountries is backing theattack on our countrythrough the Boko Haram.

“This is no longer anissue for Nigeria aloneand I call on the Presidentto call a meeting ofAfrican Union (AU). Itmay be possible that oneof these countries or allof them are responsiblefor these attacks and AUmust find out this.

“This is a war on our

country and we must fightback.

“We must commend oursoldiers for their efforts,but they need to do moreand it is only when thesegirls are brought back, thatthey could be said to havewon the battle.

“This incident is painfuland just as we are prayingthat the girls returnedhome safely, we also praythat God console theirparents until they arebrought back,” he added.

The governor thenrecommended that allreligions from Muslims,Christians andtraditionalists should chosea date to offersupplications to God tosafe the country from itscurrent trauma.

Earlier, the wife of thegovernor, who led theprotesters, said womenwere concerned about thecurrent growing violenceagainst women andchildren in the country.

Describing theabduction of the schoolgirls as barbaric andinhuman, she stressed thatthe government shouldstep up actions to bring thegirls back as soon aspossible.

She said: “We want ourabducted girls, daughters,sisters releasedimmediately and that thegovernment should carryout total rehabilitation onthem upon their release.

“We also demand thatadequate security beprovided for our childrenin schools here in Osunand Nigeria as a whole,”she added.

Mrs Aregbesola thencalled on every woman tobe vigilant now, so as toarrest, what she called,the undesirable situationfrom getting totally out ofhands, saying; “we mustnot fold our arms andwatch our children beingattacked”.

Also speaking, the StateCommissioner for WomenAffairs, Mrs MofolakeAdegboyega, also calledon every parent to rise andoffer all the necessaryassistance to rescue theschool girls.

Among those thatparticipated in the protestwere wife of politicaloffice holders, femalepolitical office holders,Hausa, Igbo and Igedecommunities, marketwomen, NigeriaAssociation of WomenJournalists (NAWOJ),physically-challengedpeople among others.

Reverse Decision On Card Reader For Ekiti, OsunElections - APC Tells INEC

THE State of Osun chapter of the AllProgressives Congress (APC) has statedthat failure of the Independent National

Electoral Commission (INEC) to deploy the CardReader for the coming governorship electionsin Ekiti and Osun states could well presage thecollapse of democracy in Nigeria.

This was the gloomyassessment of AllProgressives Congress(APC) in the state lastWednesday.

The party thereforeappealed to INEC to thinkcritically all over againand reverse its decisionnot to use the card readerin Ekiti and Osun states,while warning that shouldINEC insists, then it willbe held accountable forthe grave but avoidableconsequences that lieahead in the event of abotched process.

According to the APC,INEC’s decision is agrievous over-estimationof its capacity withoutusing the card reader tocheckmate the riggingsophistication of the PDP,which credibleinformation indicates willcompromise the votersregister, clone voter’scards and make multiplevoting possible.

In a statement issued

by the party’s Directorateof Publicity and signed byits Director, BarristerKunle Oyatomi, the partyadvised that “it isprimarily in INEC’sinterest to deploy thatequipment, which it hasalready purchased,because it will make allthe electronic riggingpossibilities known so farto the Nigerian politicalenvironment impossible toimplement”.

“Otherwise,” the partyconcluded, “there will bejustifiable suspicion thatINEC Card Reader wasdeliberately rested to helpthose who have perfectedplans to rig Ekiti and Osungovernorship elections.”

The APC further statedthat the party wants tobelieve that INEC meanswell for the growth andsustenance of democracyin Nigeria, but stressedthat the decision not todeploy the Card Readerin the coming critical

elections in the two stateswill negate that intensionof INEC andcompromise its integritybeyond redemption.

The question oneverybody’s lips after abotched exercise will be;“why did INEC notdeploy the Card Readersin its possession, when itwas fully aware or at leastinformed, that the

possibility of electronicrigging of the electionswas in the plan ofdesperate politicians andpolitical parties?”

“The APC in the Stateof Osun joins otherconcerned citizens inappealing to INEC not totake unnecessary,perhaps even dangerouschances in a situation,where not just democracyis at stake, but also peaceand security could well beshattered, if the elections

in Ekiti and Osun goterribly wrong as a resultof INEC’s refusal todeploy the Card Reader.

“All well-meaningNigerians wish INECwell and look up to thecommission for credibleelections” the APC said,while adding that “INECshould therefore notcompromise itselfthrough any act ofomission arising from abad decision.”

Special Projects OfficeInspects SchoolsIN demonstration of the resolve of the current

administration in the State of Osun thatwhatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing

well, the Special Projects Office, (Office of theGovernor), embarked on an unscheduled inspectionvisit to Anglican Central Middle School project atIlare in Ile-Ife to inspect some of the buildings beingconstructed there.

The Middle Schoolbuilding constructionproject is one of thenumerous, beingconstructed across thestate, as a fulfilment of oneof the cardinal objectivesof the administration,which is the promotion offunctional education.

After a thoroughevaluation of various

aspects of the project, theCoordinator of the SpecialProjects Office, EngineerAbiodun Isola, in companyof the CoordinatingDirector, Special ProjectsOffice, Engineer WaleAjayi and a Senior SpecialAssistant to the Governor,Mr. Aderounmu Agbomeji,expressed satisfaction atthe spate and quality of job

delivery.Isola then assured that

the school building projectwould rank among itspeer’s across the statewhen completed.

Residents of the areaalso expressed theirgratitude to theadministration of RaufAregbesola for deeming itfit to situate such abeneficial project in theirarea.

They thereafter wishedthe governor well in all hisendeavours, mostespecially in theforthcoming governorshipelection slated for August9th 2014, so as to be ableto continue his legacy ofu n p r e c e d e n t e ddevelopment in the state.

• Chairman, Governor Rauf Aregbesola Re-election committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ife FederalConstituency, Honourable Bamisayemi-Oladoyin Folorunsho (standing) addressing the first expanded meeting ofthe party’s stakeholders in Ipetumodu last Thursday. Also on the hightable are Chief Adegboye Onigbinde (2nd right);Prince Felix Awofisayo, State Universal Basic Education Board Chairman (3rd right); Alhaji Muraina Iyiola, APCinterim State Vice-Chairman Comrade Biyi Odunlade, Special Adviser to the governor on Sports and Special Needsand other dignitaries.

Page 4: Osun Defender - May 10th, 2014 edition

OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 10, 20144 News

•Alhaji Adebisi Abdul-Rasheed (middle) and his wife during the wedding ceremony of their daughter, Miss AdebisiNoimat (right), recently in Osogbo. Photo: JESUDOYIN ABRAHAM

By ISMAEEL UTHMAN

By KEHINDE AYANTUNJI

PDP Buying Voter Cards from UNIOSUN Students In OkukuCampus - Investigation •It Is shameful And Tragic - APC

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State ofOsun has been found during an investigation to bebuying voters’ cards from the students of Osun State

University, Okuku Campus.The PDP has been

offering N10,000 for anystudent that is ready to tradehis/her voter ’s card,according to sources.

OSUN DEFENDERgathered that the buy andselling of the voters’ cardsstarted last week, whensome agents of the PDPstormed the universitycampus and began toapproach the students oneafter the other.

Investigations furtherrevealed that the PDPagents divided themselvesinto two groups; one at thecampus and the other in thetown.

It was gathered that thePDP agents usedpersuasion to confuse thestudents into selling theirvoters’ cards, and theargument that the studentsdo not need the cards, asthey would not be around

to vote on the election day.However, the illegal

transaction has come to thenotice of the public in thecommunity, a developmentthat compelled securityofficers and chieftains of theAll Progressives Congress(APC) to be on the lookoutfor the culprits.

Reacting to thedevelopment, the Directorof Publicity, Research andStrategy of the APC,Barrister Kunle Oyatomi,described the PDP’s actionas a shame and a tragedy,saying that it speaksvolumes on the quality ofminds of those involved in

the illegal transaction.Oyatomi therefore called

on the UNIOSUN studentsin the Okuku campus, or anyother campus of theuniversity, not to sell theirrights to criminals, whocommercialized educationby increasing tuition fees,when they were ingovernment.

He added that UNIOSUNstudents should be gratefulto God that He broughtOgbeni Rauf Aregbesola,not only to reduce theirschool fees from an averageof N200,000 to N75,000, butalso to increase theirbursary from N3,000 to

N10,000 for others, and fromN10,000 to N100,000 for lawand medical students.

Oyatomi said: “Anystudent who sells his voter’scard therefore commits acrime against himself,because the PDP has vowedto reverse everythingAregbesola has done in thestate, which means theUniversity fees will revert toN200,000, if not more.

“That is totally beyondthe capacity of parents inOsun to pay, while bursary

will come down to N3,000again.

“The APC is urging thestate university authoritiesto intervene and make thestudents understand that byselling their voters’ cards,they are committing“academic suicide. That isthe tragedy of it all.

“The authorities of theUniversity must intervene,and other students shouldhelp their colleagues comeout of the bewitchingsituation they have beenput by the PDP,” Oyatomiemphasised.

Group Lauds Aregbesola’s O’MEAL AsFG Is Set To Copy Scheme From Osun

A political movement, Rise4Rauf, has once againpassed a vote of confidence on the Home GrownSchool Feeding Programme of the State of Osun.

The organisationenjoined the governor of thestate, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola, not to rest onhis oars, as his programmesare clear testimonies of hisvisionary thinking for thegrowth and development ofthe state.

In a statement signed bythe organisation’sChairman, Alhaji IsiaqOyewumi, the foundationcalled on the governor to befocused on his mission tothe state and urged him notto be distracted from hislaudable policies andprojects, particularly theO’MEAL, which it said hascaught the attention of theFederal Government.

The group’s chairmandescribed the recent remarkof the Supervising Ministerof Education, Mr. NyesomWike, that the Federalgovernment will introducethe feeding programme, asa proof that educationpolicy of Osun, which

includes O’MEAL, is well-conceived and being well-coordinated andimplemented.

According to Adeosun,this well-thought out policyand the manner ofimplementation must havedrawn the attention of theFederal Government to thisbeneficial programme.

He also observed thatthis would be the secondsuch welfarist programmethat caught the fancy of theFederal Government, citingthe Osun YouthsEmpowerment Scheme(OYES) as the firstprogramme of Osun to becopied as YESO by thegovernment at the centre.

“The declaration by theMinister of Education, thatFederal Government willsoon introduce schoolfeeding, has further provedus right in our remark thatthe feeding systemintroduced by Osun is averitable programme.

“The acknowledgementof the Osun feedingprogramme as being goodenough to be adopted bythe Federal Governmentshows that Osun’seducation policy is bestsuited for the nation.

“This will be the secondinstance of when FederalGovernment would identifyand adopt a programme wellalive and running in Osun.The first one was the OYES,

Osun Governor’s Aide AppealsTo Students On Bursary

THE Special Adviser to the Governor of the State ofOsun on Higher Education, Alhaja Mulikat Bello,has appealed to the authorities of the 21 higher

institutions of learning in the country, on behalf of thefinal year students, who have not yet received their Year2012/2013 bursary awards to submit all requiredinformation, which include the school’s bank accountdetails, as well as rendering their previous statement ofpayment of the Year 2011/2012 bursary awards to the Officeof the Higher Education, Scholarship and Bursary withoutfurther delay.

which the World Bankcommended andrecommended for theFederal Government,” thestatement said in part.

Rise4Rauf thencommended the governorfor his people-centred,people-oriented and people-based projects, charginghim to continue with histransformational agenda,which he commenced nearlyfour years ago.

Alhaja Bello made theappeal on Thursday inOsogbo while addressingjournalists on the policythrust of education, withregards to Ogbeni RaufA r e g b e s o l a ’ sadministration in her office,which she said is aimed atmaking higher education,accessible and affordable toall and sundry.

Alhaja Bello, whoreiterated variouscommitments andinterventions of GovernorA r e g b e s o l a ’ sadministration, as it affectstertiary education positivelydisclosed that,N275,690,000 was approvedby the government for thepayment of variouscategories of the Year 2012/2013 bursary award, while atotal sum of N226,140,000had been disbursed to20,774 students from 56tertiary institutions acrossthe country, which includethe Nigerian Law Schools,18 universities, 13Polytechnics/Colleges ofTechnology, 14 Colleges ofEducation, 3 Colleges ofHealth Technology andColleges of Agriculture, oneSchool of Nursing, Schoolof Hygiene, School ofSurveying and Co-operative College.

The governor’s aideaverred that the bursaryintervention, like all otherinterventions, such asslashing of the tuition feespayable by the students inthe state-owned tertiaryinstitutions andsponsorship of 98 medicalstudents of UNIOSUN toKarazin University, Kharkiu,Ukraine, has reduced thefinancial burden of tertiaryeducation on both parentsand students andcushioned the effects ofinflation on the lean pursesof the parents.

She maintained thatrecent presentation by thegovernor of four 18-seaterbuses each to the StudentsUnion Government of OsunState Polytechnic, Iree,Osun State College ofTechnology, Esa-Oke, OsunState College of Education,Ila-Orangun and Ilesa wasanother unending supportby Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesolafor the students in tertiaryinstitutions.

Alhaja Bello thereforecalled on all students inhigher institutions in thestate, particularly those whoare indigenes of Osun toreciprocate the kind gestureby supporting thegovernment in all itslaudable programmes.

NOUN Commends Aregbesola Over Bursary Award

THE management of Open University, OsogboStudy Centre has commended the State ofOsun governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, for

approving the sum of N9 million for students, whoare of the state origin studying in the school.

The managementdescribed the gesture ofthe governor asunprecedented in thehistory of the centre,saying it has brought reliefto the indigent students inthe university.

This was contained in aletter of gratitude issuedand signed by the Director

of the Centre, Dr (Mrs) O.Pitan.

According to her, thestated sum of money wasreceived by the centre andhad since been distributedto the concerned students,adding that a similargesture was extended tothe centre during the 2013academic year.

She disclosed that thegovernor ’s attitudetowards the welfare ofstudents of the state’sextraction showed hiscommitment to thedevelopment of education,while urging other states toemulate the governor.

The NOUN director alsodescribed as landmarkachievement, the state-of-the-art schools theadministration is buildingin the state, out of whichsome have beencommissioned for use insome parts of the state,

saying it is a legacy forgenerations to come.

She also urged thegovernor to assist theuniversity in the area ofinfrastructure, especiallyin putting a lecture hall inplace with a view tocreating conducivelearning environment forthe teeming students in theinstitution.

According to her, theever-increasing populationof the students hasstretched the facilitiesbeyond expectations,hence, the need to build alecture hall for the use ofstudents.

By SHINA ABUBAKAR

Page 5: Osun Defender - May 10th, 2014 edition

5OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 10, 2014 News

Reject Jeun S'iku! Protect your votes 'One man Onevote' then theirhope lies inrepeating what theyknow how to dobest.

Another waythrough which thePDP is hoping toclaim victory is bythrowing moneyand other valuablegifts out to enticevoters to sell theirvotes. In this re-gard the handwrit-ing had for longappeared on thewall. With the dis-tribution of kero-sene to their mem-bers and somemembers of thepublic whichstarted last yeartheir journey to en-tice voters with theaim of buying theirvotes started.

This stratagemrather than strat-egy, being vi-ciously employedby the PDP in the

state of Osun, iswhat we see as'jeun s'iku' shouldcitizens get swayedby it. 'Jeun s'iku' lit-erally means 'eatand die' or 'eat thefood that will leadyou to your grave'.The money andother forms of giftwhich the PDP andIyiola Omisore relyon to buy citizens'votes are nothingbut 'Greek gift' and'blood money' andcollecting them todo their bidingmeans doing so atone's peril. It sim-ply means sendingour state back tothe pre-Aregbesolaera; backwater ofdevelopment. MayGod forbid!

But it's notenough to pray toGod to forbid evilthings. We the citi-zens must also notuse our own handsto bring evil thingson our heads. Tocollect PDP'sblood money to

sell our consciencein the coming elec-tion will be tanta-mount to 'jeuns'iku' the conse-quence of whichwill be dire for ourstate. Of coursethe citizens cancollect the gift ofmoney and othergifts the PDP isready to offer thembut they must notdo so to do theirbidding. The votesin the coming elec-tion are for OgbeniAregbesola whohas raised the barof good and re-sponsible gover-nance in the stateand should nevergo to any otherparty let alone thePDP.

The PDP andIyiola Omisore arefree to go about tothrow carrot to thepeople in their des-peration to capturethe conscience ofvoters but nevershould the votersallow their

OSUN DEFENDERPublisher – Moremi Publishing

House Ltd.

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

Editor – Kayode Agbaje (0803-388-0205)

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Senior Reporter – Sola JacobsSenior Reporter – Kazeem Mohammed

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

Aregbesola asthey are not readyto 'jeun s'iku'.However, it's onething to vote, thenext important taskbefore them comeelection day aftervoting is for themto protect theirvotes.

Our people mustguard their votesjealously so thatthese visionless el-ements who rely onvote stealing likethey did in 2007and who havenothing to offer thestate and itspeople don't suc-ceed in theirfraudulent and evilplans. For them notto succeed the ballis in the court ofthe people. Our re-sponsibilities areclear; to vote andto protect ourvotes. These arewhat we must doto ensure the returnof the Aregbesola-led progressivegovernment thathas done so wellfor our state.

conscience to becaptured by

these unscrupu-lous elements whohave nothing tooffer our state.The PDP has beenin power for closeto eight years herewithout any posi-tive thing to showfor it. All it had toshow for its eightyears of misruleare purely nega-tive; violence, hun-ger, unemploy-ment, collapsedschool system,bad roads andgeneral under-de-velopment acrossthe state.

And on the partof the party's can-didate,

'Mr. Money missroad' himself, hetoo had nothingpositive to showfor representingthe state at thehighest legislativebody of this coun-try even as he helda juicy position inthe Senate, being

Chairman Ap-propriation Com-mittee for fouryears. Rather thanserving the peopleand made positiveimpact in their liveshe was only thereto serve his ownpocket. So in whatway are they - boththe PDP andOmisore - going toeffect any mean-ingful change in thelife of the state asthey are shoutingaround?

We know that thevirtuous and re-sponsible citizensof our state whohave enjoyed divi-dends of democ-racy in unprec-edented term un-der the able and vi-sionary leadershipof OgbeniAregbesola will notwaste their votes.We are sure theyare not going tosell their con-science. We be-lieve fervently thattheir votes will befor

Continued from pg1

Page 6: Osun Defender - May 10th, 2014 edition

OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 10, 20146

AUDACIOUSEXPLOIT

withMURTALA AGBOOLA

TEL: 0806-119-7897E-mail: [email protected]

Yoruba Position OnNational Conference

LAST Tuesday in NECA,House, Alausa Ikeja, LagosState, some prominent

Yoruba sons and daughters met atto take position on nationalaffairs, as a prelude to thenational conference to be heldlater this month.

The Chief Obafemi AwolowoMemorial Symposium tookposition on how the countryshould be governed. Participantsat the symposium, which includedthe governor of the State ofOsun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesolaposited that what the late Yorubaleader foresaw in the 1960s andwhich he wrote about is still veryrelevant today, forty years afterand twenty seven years after hisdemise.

The late avatar wrote onNigerian national issues then andthe issues still have potency nowas if they are happening now. Allthese, the former Premier ofWestern Region saw coming.

He institutionalized agovernment that today, the Yorubanation is still very proud of. Thestandard he set in governancebefore independence in 1960 isyet to be met, not to talk aboutsurpassing it. His performancehas become a benchmark bywhich governments after him areassessed both in the formerWestern Region and other partsof the country.

The symposium, whichcelebrated the late sage’sposthumous 105th birthday,appreciated the ideals, ideas,vision and ideology of the latehero.

The symposium organised bythe Obafemi AwolowoFoundation was titled: “TheNigerian Constitution: The AwoRoad Not Taken.

Ogbeni Aregbesola used theforum to reiterate the fact thatthe Late Awo used hisgovernment to banish poverty andignorance. With this background,the representatives of the Yorubapeople know that the people willnot accept anything less than whatthe late leader brought to them.

While is it not possible torecreate the same milieu in whichAwolowo lived, it is pertinent tostate that we can still attain theideas and the ideals he lived anddied for. His antagonists thenbelieve that what he waspreaching then was unattainableuntil he made them possible.

With good leadership that hasvision and mission ingovernment, most of the thingshe wrote about is feasible. Inpractical terms, what are thedemands of the Yoruba nation inthe commonwealth calledNigeria?

The Yoruba will ask for a truefederalism or better still, fiscal

federalism, where the componentunits will have control over theirresources. This will help the unitsto develop the natural resourcesabundant in the country.

For the system of government,the parliamentary or cabinetwould suit us. It has the capacityto mobilize people intogovernment. Contribution ofmembers would influence theirperformance in election and ingovernment. The system is lessexpensive as the resourcesdeployed to service thegovernment officials now can beused to provide infrastructure.

The present system, besidestending towards autocracy, canthrow up anybody, whosebackground performance may notbe known.

However, in the cabinet system,the power to be entrusted inindividuals depends on hiscontribution on the floor of theparliament. The system

encourages members ofparliament to make invaluablecontributions.

Amongst the demand theYoruba would make is that in thenew federation to be establishedthrough the constitutionalconference, different areasshould be allowed to developalong their space.

The current decadent system isnot helpful as it retards thegrowth rate. At best, the presentsystem can be described asunitary, which came into beingbecause of the militaryinterregnum.

We have good materials inevery section of this country tolead the potentially great nationto the promise land. If we get ouracts right, there is no reason whyNigeria cannot lead the way forthe black race.

It is incumbent upon thePresident Goodluck Jonathan’sadministration to ensure that all

the legal issues connected withthe National Conference areproperly sorted out. This is toprevent any loophole that couldbe exploited by some people inthe future.

Another major area is theimplementation. Nigerians haveno problem with good ideas andpolicies, but implementation hasalways been the bane.

Considering the mood of thenation in terms of securitychallenges and the dwindling oilrevenue, one would have electedto argue that the huge amount tobe spent on the conference isoutrageous.

However, if the upshot of theconfab can serve its purpose then,the country would be better off.

For the Yoruba nation, who aredefinitely the pathfinders andwho through Awo’s foresight, hadalways been in the lead, willalways continue to do so. Theissue of integration should alsobe vigorously pursued, such thateach of the six regions can go atits own pace.

Awo’s pursuit of greaterhappiness for a greater number ofpeople as a philosophy is stillrelevant and cherished. The latepolitician did not allow the auraand perquisite of office to slowhim down in the quest for thegood things of life for his people.The crop of leadership in theSouth-West are also doing theirbest. The All ProgressivesCongress (APC) governors haveelevated the level of governancein the region, such that even theopposition has agreed that thereis a marked difference.

“Join the mainstream was thepopular slogan of the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) in theregion, when erstwhile President,Chief Olusegun Obasanjo heldsway in Abuja.

The region was “conscripted”into the mainstream politics andtill today, there is nothing to seeas the dividend. If we can makeuse of the late sage’s idea,philosophy and policies, theSouth-West and indeed Nigeriawould be better-off.

Until we practice healthyrivalry, the country wouldcontinue to degenerate. Differentregions may have differentpriorities, which they set out toachieve. The Nigerian peopleshould ensure that this confabdoes not end as anotherjamboree.

•This piece, first published inSaturday March 8, 2014 editionis repeated due to populardemand.

-Editor

•AWOLOWO

Page 7: Osun Defender - May 10th, 2014 edition

OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 10, 2014 7PHOTOTALK

Presentation Of Certificates To State Of Osun Trainees On Payroll AutomationAnd e-Payment Of Salaries By Chief Of Staff To The Governor, Alhaji GboyegaOyetola, Last Tuesday.

•Alhaji Oyetola (left) presenting Certificate of Completion to Mr Oluwaseun Hassan after his training on Payroll Automation and e-payment for Salaries facilitated byCHAMS PLC, during the State of Osun Civil Servant Smart ID Card and Biometric Automation of ‘I am alive’ at Office of the Governor Parking lot, State Secretariat,Osogbo, State of Osun, last Tuesday.

•Chief of Staff to the Governor, State of Osun, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola (left), presenting Certificate of Completion to Mrs Sherifat Fatoki after her training on PayrollAutomation and e-payment for salaries facilitated by CHAMS PLC, during the State of Osun Civil Servant Smart ID Card and Biometric Automation of ‘I Am Alive’ atOffice of the Governor Parking lot, State Secretariat, Osogbo, State of Osun, last Tuesday.

•Alhaji Oyetola (left) presenting certificate of completion to Mr Kunle Makanjuola on the occasion.

Page 8: Osun Defender - May 10th, 2014 edition

8 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 10, 2014PHOTOTALKWomen In The State Of Osun Led By Wife Of The State Governor, Mrs SherifatAregbesola And The Deputy Governor, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori,Protested The Abduction Of 267 Female Pupils Of Government Girls SecondarySchool, Chibok, In Borno State, Osogbo, Last Thursday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•A cross section of State of Osun female pupils during the protest.

•Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola (5th right); Otunba (Mrs) Laoye-Tomori (6th right); a member, House of Representatives representing Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan Federal Constituency,Alhaja Ayo Omidiran (4th right); Wife of the Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Mrs Adebimpe Salaam (6th left); and other participants during the protest.

•Some female members of the Hausa community in Osogbo and other participants during the protest.

Page 9: Osun Defender - May 10th, 2014 edition

9OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 10, 2014 PHOTOTALK

•Some of the protesters

•Some of the placard-carrying protesters with the police.

Women In The State Of Osun Led By Wife Of The State Governor, Mrs SherifatAregbesola And The Deputy Governor, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori,Protested The Abduction Of 267 Female Pupils Of Government Girls SecondarySchool, Chibok, In Borno State, Osogbo, Last Thursday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•Some of the participants during the protest. •Another cross section of the protesters.

Page 10: Osun Defender - May 10th, 2014 edition

10 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 10, 2014 PHOTOTALK

•(R-L) The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Marketing Agent, Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN), Alhaji Nasir Ibrahim; Executive Director, PAN, MrJumat Alli and General Manager, Sales/Marketing PAN, Alhaji Umar Abubukar, during the official presentation of Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN) products in Osun atthe Government House, Osogbo, State of Osun last Tuesday.

•Governor Rauf Aregbesola inspecting one of the Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN) Products, during the official Presentation in Osun at Government House, Osogbo, Stateof Osun last Tuesday.

Official Presentation Of Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN) Products In Osun AtGovernment House, Osogbo, State Of Osun Last Tuesday.

Page 11: Osun Defender - May 10th, 2014 edition

11 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 10, 2014

Ekiti / Osun Gubernatorial Elections, Question Of Credibility

DO you understand codedlanguage? Do you know thatwhen the first atomic bomb was

invented in 1942 in the United States,the coded language to PresidentRoosevelt read: “New baby born”? Doyou know that politics is a contest ofpersuasion, the most vital ingredients ofpower are often intangible and theylodge in the precinct of credibility? Doyou know that credibility matter so muchin politics? It was loss of credibility thatforced Richard Nixon from office. It wasloss of credibility that mortally woundedLyndon Johnson. It was lack ofcredibility that drove Gary Hart out ofthe presidential race in 1988. It was lackof credibility that Jimmy Swaggert; abillionaire TV evangelist fell from graceto grass. And it was lack of credibilitythat made Jefferey Archer, an author, amember of the British House of Lordsand the chairman of a political party tobe remanded in prison. It was loss ofcredibility that made late Evan Enwerenand Chuba Okadigbo as senatepresidents being impeached. PatriciaEtteh lost her Speakership position dueto lack of credibility.

W.B Yeats, an accomplished Irishpoet and philosopher was quick toidentify credibility as a function of group-dynamics in politics. A practical exampleof a country where the credibility of theleaders has transformed thegeographical space is Singapore, a smallcountry of about four million people inAsia. This small country was led to itsindependence by a 35-year old mancalled Lee Kuan Yew in 1965. Atindependence, Singapore had nothing butthe people were mobilized to turn theirmisfortunes to success. Singapore today,has per capital income of more than$30,000. This was due to credibilityleadership of Lee Kuan Yew. In hiswords.” The key to our success wasthe quality of the men in charge”. InBauchi state, former Deputy Governorunder Isa Yuguda Administration in 2009,put integrity first by refusing to decampwith his former boss to PDP from thethen ANPP even in the face of threatwhich eventually led to his purportedimpeachment by the state parliament.The inability of Senator AdolphusWabara to recognize that credibilitymatters most in politics made him to losehis presidency seat at the upper chamberof the National Assembly.

Do you know that the common run ofman sees this administration in Nigeriaas deficient in honour and character?And do you know that the onlyhonourable thing for our non-performingpolitical office holders is to resign andapologize to the people of Nigeria fordisappointing them for their selfishmotives? Our non-performing leadersmust ‘cut and cut cleanly’. The acid testof credibility came to the fore inDecember 2002, when the LondonBorough of Southwark councilChairman of Licensing, Dr Abdul-Rahaman Olalekan Olayiwola, a veryBlackman of Yoruba descent was giventhe go-ahead to stand as a candidate forWestminster parliamentary electionrepresenting the Liberal Democrats. Heis the first Blackman in the history ofBritain to be given such an opportunity.Conversely too, because of doubtfulcredibility of the United Nations and theUnited States on weapons inspection,President Pyongyang of North Korearejected a call by the United Nations 35-nation Board of Governors of theInternational Atomic Energy Agency

By ADEYEMI STEVEN

(IAEA) to inspect its weaponsprogramme.

Also, in the United States, credibilityscored a goal. Specifically on December5,2002, Senator Strom Thurmond, ademocrat representing South Carolina,turned 100 years and resigned from theSenate after serving meritoriously for 48years. His constituency was voting forhim each time he comes out to contest.He was not such a lot that would turneducation to free ignorance, healthreform to free death, gainful employmentto massive unemployment, death as aprecondition for automatic employment(as happened in the just concluded NISrecruitment exercise), wealth creationto poverty creation, rural developmentto youth enslavement and criminality,and not a leader that would decorateknown thieves with national honours andawards; not a government that will claimto have created 1.6milion jobs only onthe pages of newspapers, not such whowould remove subsidy all in the nameof deregulation of the downstreamsector; the empowerment of rustics andthugs, and the parade on the corridorsof power of fools heady with self-aggrandizement among others. Asenator, who voluntarily resigned withthumbs up in his honour. He became thelongest serving senator in Americanhistory. In the words of JawaharlalNehru: “Time is not measured by thepassing of years, but by what one does,by what one fells, and by what oneachieves’’. How would you justify thecredibility of a party at the centre, whichinitially named Ambassador IbrahimGambari as the head of the Niger Deltaproposed summit during the heydays oflate Yar’Adua’s presidency? In the daysof the late General Sani Abacha,

Gambari was Nigeria’s representativeto the United Nations (UN). Thus, hetook up the onerous task of justifyingthe killing of Ken-Saro Wiwa by theAbacha-led government before theUnited Nations. He did that many yearsago, but the effrontery is still fresh inthe minds of the aggrieved. To anydiscerning mind, therefore, the choiceof Gambari as the head of the NigerDelta summit amounted to a big insultto the south-south people. But, Gambariscored himself credibility goal when hechose to save the situation by bowingout of the headship of the summit.

In 1980, Senegalese PresidentLeophold Senghor, at the age of seventy-four showed a rare credibility in Africanpolitics by announcing his decision toresign in favour of his protégé, AbdouDiouf, a skillful technocrat. With thisfeat, Senghor thus became the firstAfrican leader since independence togive up power voluntarily.

Credibility once played a super-gamein political decision-making. It was in theelection of Corazon Aquino (the widowof Senator Aquino murdered byMarcos) on February 7,1986. SenatorRochand Lugar from Indiana monitoredthe election in person. Reagan did notlike that his friend lost the election andin a press conference Reagan told theworld that the election was not free andfair. But contrary to expectation, SenatorLugar rushed to the press and told theAmerican audience that the Presidentwas wrong. He warned Reagan not tobecloud the American credibility forselfish motives and advised Marcos tostep down.. Reagan understood. Reaganlater advised Marcos on phone in acoded language “to cut and cut cleanly”.Senator Laxalt of Nevada concluded his

message to Manila, the palace ofPresident Marcos; “ I think the time hascome to resign”. Like that message toMarcos and as the credibility of ourgovernment is at low ebb, I think it istime to “cut and cut cleanly”. This is toavoid future political embarrassment. Apresident or governor has so manyunwritten powers, Hence, he defeats theends of power when he is not credible….the power to appoint judge to hisbiddings, the power to issue executiveorders and the immunity of section 308,the power to appoint cabinet membersto become sycophants, especially inmouthing his ‘transformation agenda’ asif that is a magic wand capable of turningNigeria into a paradise overnight, thepower to return the budget he hadalready signed into law and forwardedan amendment in form ofsupplementary Appropriation bill to thelegislators for approval credibilitymatters! The words of Bryce Hallow,an Eisenhower legislative aideinterrupt.” Integrity is power; I wouldput integrity first.

And in the world of fiction painted byW.B Yeats, Chinua Achebe interpretedcredibility through Okonkwo in the book“Things Fall Apart”, W.B Yeats in thesecond coming interrupts.

“ Turning and turning in the wideninggyre

The falcon cannot hear the falconer,Things fall apart; the center cannot

holdMere anarchy is loosed upon the

worldOkonkwo, was the hero of the book

“Things fall apart” written by ChinuaAchebe. As an egocentric man,Okonkwo would never take to advice.He saw others as weaklings living a lifeof fear. Fear of failure; fear that thereputation he had built up would passunto a worthless son, Nwoye. Ratherthan cut and cut cleanly; Okonkwo afterreturning from exile, reacted violently bykilling again, a law enforcement agent.He became an odd man out. Okonkwohad to kill himself by hanging.

Amid the anarchy in Liberia in1990, Samuel Kanyon Doe remainedholed up in the Executive mansion,refusing all pleas from within andoutside Africa to ‘cut and cut cleanly’and go exile, instead, Doe refused toheed to the advice given to him to cutand cut cleanly, on September 9,1990,he decided to leave the safety of hisExecutive Mansion in Monrovia to paya visit to ECOMOG headquarters andit was there that he was finallycaptured by Prince Johnson’s rebelgroup…. The words of senator Laxaltto Marcos resume again, but now toour political leaders in Ekiti and Osunstates, who are jostling forgovernorship seats in the two states tothink about their credibility first,especially for those whose integrityhad been dented considering theirpolitical antecedents, so that their dirtylinen will not be washed in the public.And to the electorate, credibility ratherthan monetary inducement should beconsidered first before voting for anycandidate, so that we won’t use ourcollective votes to send ourselves backto second political slavery andservitude again in the South West all inthe name of joining the mainstreampolitics, which has in no small measureretarded growth and developmentduring our short and horribleexperiment with the so-calledmainstream politics between 2003 and2007.

FEATURE

“The words of senator Laxalt toMarcos resume again, but now to ourpolitical leaders in Ekiti and Osunstates, who are jostling forgovernorship seats in the two states tothink about their credibility first,especially for those whose integrityhad been dented considering theirpolitical antecedents, so that theirdirty linen will not be washed in thepublic. And to the electorate,credibility rather than monetaryinducement should be consideredfirst before voting for any candidate,so that we won’t use our collectivevotes to send ourselves back tosecond political slavery and servitudeagain in the South West all in thename of joining the mainstreampolitics, which has in no smallmeasure retarded growth anddevelopment during our short andhorrible experiment with the so-called mainstream politics between2003 and 2007.”

Page 12: Osun Defender - May 10th, 2014 edition

OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 10, 201412 FOR THE RECORDS

Replicating Awolowo’s Economic Policies:The State Of Osun ExampleINTRODUCTION: Several years after his

demise, Awo the sage remains the most –debated politician in the Nigeria polity, duringand after his life time. Awo, a self disciplinedman and philosopher king, unrepentantapostle of true federalism and welfarist, heldsway in the political clime of the old WesternRegion as a premier between 1952 and 1960,the national leader of the opposition between1959 and 1963; and the federal commissionerof finance and vice – chairman of the federalExecutive Council of the federal republic ofNigeria between 1967 and 1971 He cannot butbe the most debated politician in Nigeria if wetake into cognizance many achievements of“the first” recorded by him as landmarks indifferent political offices occupied by him.

As a premier of the Western Region, he wasthe first to introduce Free Universal PrimaryEducation and Health, built Liberty stadium inthe regional capital-Ibadan - the first of itskind in Africa; established WNTV – the firsttelevision station in Africa; commissioned thefirst tallest skyscraper in tropical Africa,Ibadan, known as Cocoa House and ran aglobally respected civil service, inbued withpublic service ethos and core values ofintegrity, honesty, objectivity andimperciality, as well as archetype YorubaOmoluabi, encompassing a noble person ofgood character.

As for the late sage’s cabinet, perhaps noother epithet could have adroitly andsuccinctly put it, other than that of the legendhimself. Awo (1966 asserts “My team ofministers was unexcelled. It was a team ofwhich any head of government in the Worldwill be proud. It was a well – knit, highlydisciplined and fanatically loyal team. Each ofthem knew his subject well”

AWOLOWO’S ECONOMICPOLICIES:

In one of his writings, Awo the visionaryleader opined that aside from administrativeimpediments, he actually realized that therewere other financial hurdles of mountainsheights to overcome and his team wasdetermined to blast their ways through allhurdles and “compel the force of any adversecircumstance to serve our will We regardourselves as crusaders in a new course.” Thiscourageous observation would have beenenough to prepare his administration for anaggressive exploit in the economy.

Awo, as an apostle of democratic socialismadopted what can be regarded as “Keynesianmodel” in furtherance of regional economicintegration during his time. Alan Blinder (Prof)describes Keynesians belief as an aggressivegovernment action to stabilize economy basedan value judgments.

(a) Macro-economics fluctuationssignificantly reduce economics well-being; and(b) The government is knowledgeable andcapable enough to improve on the free marketfrom all intents and purpose,

Awo’s economic policies were in no waydifferent from this classic but subtlephilosophy. Chief Obafemi Awolowo,described by the Time Magazine of Monday2nd, 1954 as one of shrewdest political mind inAfrica” ran his administration in the WesternRegion with its fascinating achievement of“steady increase in public revenue with thestrictest fiscal control. It is on record that hisgovernment increased regional revenue fromE4.79 million in 1952/1953 to E20.13 million.In addition to this, his administration had a 5-year development plan which the governmentwithout any recourse to borrowing externallyexcept the E1 million from the federalgovernment, prosecuted without any stress.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s administrationwas known for regular appraisal ofgovernment fiscal operations and effectivepruning of wasteful spendings. It is worthmentioning here that under Chief ObafemiAwolowo’s premiership, recurrent and CapitalExpenditures rose from £4.67 million in 1952/1953 to £24 million in 1959/1960 with 31.8%in economic project, 41.5% in social servicesand 6.7% in General Administration of which£3.63 million was expended.

It would not be out of place to remark herealso that Awo’s administration madesignificant achievement in the monetizationpolicy of his government on staff-housingproject through open-market rentage of thescheme. This and many other legendaryfeatures of Awolowo’s economic policies madehis era an engagingly different from

subsequent administrations at the level of thestates carved out of the old western region,where fiscal recklessness, profligacy and debtservicing have become new - fangled attributesof government management.

As a welfarist and social democrat, ChiefObafemi Awolowo, through his actions andpolicy statements was of the belief that forthe purpose of narrowing the gap between therich and poor, there must be wealthredistribution and an enabling environment foreconomic to grow. To this sage, governmentmust endeavour to distribute wealth equitablyamong those who have contributed to itscreation and even those, who could notbecause of ill-health or physical incapacity. ToObafemi Awolowo, the bigger the wealth andthe more equitable its distribution amongfactors that have created it, the greater theoutflow of influence and power.

Chief Obafemi Awolowo, a case study infiscal discipline managed the economy of thiscountry during the Civil War adopting theaforementioned keynesian fiscal modelthrough aggressive government actions tostabilize the nations economy without anyrecourse to borrowing. It was to the sages’credit that despite the war, there was growthin economy, stability and rising revenueprofile through sales of treasury bills andraising of about £253 million compulsorysavings scheme, which entailed the mandatorysaving of 1% out of the total allocation to allministries respectively during this period.

Above all, Chef Obafemi Awolowoestablished an Economic planningCommission, staffed by qualified NigerianEconomists with a view to ensuring a plannedeconomy with 5-year development plan forthe federal government. Its obligation was toassess and appraise available statistics on ournatural and human resources, determine

location of industries and types, establishpriorities and supervise detail of thedevelopment programmes existing at a giventime. It was also recommended by Awo that tosustain economics growth, the country shouldimplored technological know-how and sendNigerians abroad to acquired necessary know-how and expertise.

Other enviable planks of Awo’s economicspolicies, which time and space might not allowthis discourse to touch are

1. Establishment of industries2. Balance Budget3.Fair and progressive taxation4.Full Employment and5.Modernization of Agric to mention but a

fewTHE STATE OF OSUN EAMPLEFrom empirical evidences, the state of

Osun, led by the urbane governor, OgbeniRauf Adesoji Aregbesola has been able toreplicate the enviable legacies of ChiefObafemi Awolowo in the realm of economicphilosophy.

1. INCREASE IN REVENUEGENERATION: When this administrationcame into power in 2010, its revenue base wasat low ebb of N300 million per month but theshrewd and self discipline mind in OgbeniAregbesola saw the revenue rase to over 1billion naira as at today. Its is noteworthy tosay that what the government did was toblock all avenues of fiscal waste and monetaryleakages, where funds meant for public usewhere being diverted into private pocketbefore this era.

2. REDISTRIBUTION OF STATERESOURCES: It must be clearly stated herethat the decision of the present administrationto employ 40,000 youths of the state’extraction under its OYES Scheme is intandem with Awolowo’s philosophy of wealthdistribution and as a matter of fact themonthly payment of N10,000 to its stateoldies under the “Agba Osun” scheme is in

line with Awo’s philosophy of equitabledistribution of wealth even to the physicallyincapacitated, as a matter of distribution ofwealth even to the physically incapacitated, as“a matter of humanity”

3. ECONOMIC GROWTH: With theintroduction of O-YES and O’ MEALSchemes, respectively, it will; amount to acolourless platitude to suggest that the state ison economic growth. I have no doubt in mymind that the multiplier effects of thesestatutory programmes have served as impetusthat has made the state of Osun, the 7th largesteconomy in the country today. This laudablelandmark shares the visionary whims andcaprices of the late sage, who was of theopinion that the biggest the wealth” the greaterthe in - flow of the “nation’s influence andpower”.

4. FAIR AND PROGRESSIVETAXATION: Before this administration cameinto power, tax administration phenomenonwas not only discouraging at the level ofprivate sector but despondent. One resultanteffect of this was that only the civil servantswere fulfilling this obligation of tax paymentto the government as there taxes werededucted from the sources. This governmentcame and tagged this a classic aberration. Ittherefore set machinery in motion for fair andprogressive taxation and collection of such asat when due via a mechanism involvingministry officials and government designatedrepresentatives. This has in no small wayadvanced the revenue base of this government.This ideal is a replica of Awo’s economicphilosophy.

5. CREATION AND MAINTENANCEOF BUFFER ACCOUNT: the unprecedentedcreation and sustenance of buffer account, atthe inception of this administration, wherefinancial seeds are kept for the purpose ofreimbursement and succor during fiscal hardtimes, like we are presently witnessing is acommendable innovative ideal. From availablerecords, the state helmsman had directed that apercentage of the accruable monthly allocationand sundry funds should be diverted to thisspecial interventionist account regularly. In therecent times, government has made itabundantly clear that it has been able tosurvive fiscal suffocation unleashed on if bythe central government in Abuja throughrecourse to this account.

Again, I have no doubt in my mind that thisideal is in no way different from Awo’seconomic policy of enforcing 1% compulsorysaving by all ministries during his time asfinance minister.

6. FULL EMPLOYMENT: Aside from O-yes scheme meant to empower youths of thestate origin, hundreds and thousands ofappointments have been made in the publicservice, teaching service and primaryeducation board. From available records andstatistics, no administration, since the creationof the state has ever done it better than thepresent one. The resultant effect of O-YESalone is that about 200 million naira, monthlyis being pumped into the state economy, asidefrom the monthly salaries and wages of publicservants and other ad hoc staff of otherempowerment - oriented programmes of thestate.

7. AGRO- BUSINESS: This was themainstay of the economic policy of Awo inold Western Region, when he was the premierof the region. He was not lucky to be a petro-dollar magnate but then he looked in ward andsettled for agro-business that later brought tolife, the tallest building in the capital cityCocoa-House. There were farm settlementsand plantation schemes – all this helped in theeconomic growth of his administration.

Here in the state of Osun today, agro-business is Ogbeni Aregbesola economicsobsession. Or what with the state’s micro-credits to farmers of different persuasions andintroduction of different agric business, for thepurpose of bringing agriculture back to thefront burner of economy. This must be areplica of Awolowo vision, as different farmssettlements abandoned by the previousadministration have been resuscitated underthe state’s agric enterprises scheme O’REAP

By Comrade BAMIDELE ADIGUN

•Comrade ADIGUN

Page 13: Osun Defender - May 10th, 2014 edition

13 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 10, 2014

Job Vacancies In Nigeria

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

AIICO Insurance Plc Job Openings for Sales Representatives in Lagos

AIICO Insurance Plc - The market leader in Life Insurance business and a major General insurancein Nigeria today and our business is expanding. As a result of continuous expansion, the need hasarisen to thy self-motivated Sales Representatives aged between 21 to 50 years at AIICOINSURANCE PLC under AYIDU SUNDAY AGENCY.AIICO Insurance Plc is currently recruiting to fill the job position of:Job Title: Sales RepresentativesLocation: LagosQualif icat ionMBA, B.SC, HND.SEX: Both Male and Female.Marketing experience not essential as adequate training will be provided.DescriptionAfter undergoing intensive and comprehensive training with us, we offer in return careeropportunities, job securities, high income and bonus scheme in the business.With such incentives, our vibrant Sales Representatives have unique opportunity of becoming UnitManagers in just two years.We have a wide range of attractive Savings and investment/Life protection plans in the market.How to ApplyInterested and qualified candidates should send their credentials/CV’s to:Ayidu Sunday M.Agency Manager,36/38, Industrial Avenue,Ilupeju, Lagos.Tel: 08024703077

Time: 10:00 am prompt on each day.

Application Deadline 20th May, 2014.———————————————————————————————————————Lagos State Ministry of Education recruitment for a Quality Assurance Officer

The Lagos State Government is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Quality Assuranceprofessional to head its newly established Quality Assurance office under the Ministry of Education.The office will be responsible for strengthening standards and regulation of public and privateschools below tertiary level in the State.Lagos State Ministry of Education is currently recruiting to fill the job position below:

Job Position: Quality AssuranceLocation: LagosJob DescriptionAs the Head of the Quality Assurance office, the candidate will oversee the Quality Assurance teamof over 500 officers; He/she must have strong leadership skills and able to work collaboratively toresolve quality assurance issues.The candidate will be experienced in developing internal procedures, monitoring plans and managingthe day-to-day activities of the team with offices across the State.The candidate will be expected to give the strategic direction for implementation of the QualityAssurance programme of the State and be the focal point on policy matters relating to qualityassurance of public and private schools in Lagos State.Qualifications and RequirementsThe candidate who should not be more than 55 years of age must posses a minimum of a firstdegree in Education, with a postgraduate degree in Management, Social Sciences or Humanitiesfrom recognized university. A certificate in Quality Assurance and membership of Quality Assuranceprofessional body is desirable.For administrative effectiveness, the candidate will possess excellent IT, communications, reportwriting and analytical skills.The candidate must be result-oriented and have passion for excellence and ability to support thetasks through his/her knowledge on best practices locally and internationally on Quality Assurance.The candidate will have a minimum of fifteen (15) years post qualification work experience, whichshould include a minimum of ten (10) years experience of people management and teachingexperience often years.How to ApplyInterested and qualified candidates should send their CV and a maximum of two page supportingstatement electronically to:[email protected]

Note:Submission of hard copy documentation will not be entertained.Shortlisted candidates for the next phase of the selection process will be contacted via email.Further information on conditions of service can be obtained from the States Office of the Headof Service:Lagos State Ministry of Education,Alausa, Ikeja.

Application Deadline 21st May, 2014.———————————————————————————————————————Chams Plc recruitment for a Graduate IT Trainee

Chams Plc is Nigeria’s leading identity management and transaction payments systems solutionprovider.Starting off as a privately owned business in 1985, we have evolved from computer and hardwaremaintenance to providing enterprise technology solutions in the identity management andtransaction payments space to public and private sector institutions.Chams Plc is recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Graduate IT TraineeLocation: LagosQualification and RequirementsThe company is on a quest to invest in those select few and unique young brains with the mostvaluable and innovative high level I.T applications or I.T projects who meet the following criteria;Must have a B.Sc or HND from a reputable institution preferably in Computer science or any I.Trelated courseMust be analytical and possess superior ability to develop applications at short noticeMust be apt and possess ability to work under pressureMust be available for a 3 months uninterrupted durationMust have completed NYSC with a discharge certificateMust not be more than 28 years of age as at last birthdayMust already have a software application idea or I.T pet project in the pipeline.Job DescriptionChams Plc is a renowned I.T Company of commendable repute with leading track record inIdentity management and payment systems. The company is resolutely committed to improvingthe quality of life and service delivery through the delivery of excellent information technologysolutions.The successful geek stands to benefit from an array of offerings which includes;A golden opportunity to receive recognition for your ideas and contribution to I.T solutionsAn opportunity to be groomed by I.T specialists and gurus in the industryAutomatic employment contract with full benefits for the geek with the most successful project.A platform to develop I.T skills and Technical know-howThe desire to take service delivery to a vantage I.T level through investing in new technologiesand innovative software solutions led to the creation of the Geek camp. A camp designed to serveas a grooming house to incubate young I.T geeks willing to think out of the box and stand out fortheir unusual I.T gifting and ideas.

How To ApplyInterested candidates who meet the requirements should:http://chamsplc.com/careers/submit-resume/

Note: Fill the online application form, upload your resume and submit. Only applications receivedonline will be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Application Deadline 5th June, 2014.———————————————————————————————————————Reals Academy Job Vacancies in Lagos

Reals Academy is a skill enhancement center for real estate professionals.The academy focuses onintegrating theories into practice and encouraging computer aided practices by the professionals inthe building industries.Reals Academy, seeks the services of intelligent, self motivated and result-oriented young individualsto fill the position below:

Job Title: ICT OfficerLocation: LagosQualif icat ion

Young graduate with B.Sc/HND in Computer Science with programming skills.Job Title: Acct. / Admin OfficerLocation: LagosQualif icat ion

Young graduate with B.Sc/HND in Accounting with proficiency in the use of Peachtree or Tally.Job Title: SecretaryLocation: LagosRequirementsHighly computer literate.Good looking young lady.Proficiency in the use of MS Word, Ms Power-point, Coreldraw among others.How to ApplyInterested and qualified candidates should send their CV’s to: [email protected]

Note: Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interview.

Application Deadline 13th May, 2014.———————————————————————————————————————Recent Nigerian Jobs in a Pharmaceutical CompanyA Pharmaceutical Company with foreign partners and brands in the ethical and OTC markets, seekcandidates for immediate employment.

Job Title: National Sales ManagerJob Code: MO1Location: LagosQualification/ExperienceApplicants must be computer literate, registered Pharmacists with 1-3 years post qualificationexperience in similar positions must possess a valid driver’s licence with at least one (1) yeardriving experienceJob Title: Area Sales ManagerJob Code: MO2Location: South-East and South-WestQualification/ExperienceApplicants must be computer literate, registered Pharmacists with 1-3 years post qualificationexperience in similar positions must possess a valid drives’ licence with at least one (1) year drivingexperienceJob Title: Medical Sales RepresentativesJob Code: MO3Locations: Abia, Oyo, Rivers, Jigawa, Katsina, Kwara, Osun, Taraba, Gombe, Ondo, Edo, Imo,Bayelsa, Sokoto, Abuja

Qualification/ExperienceApplicants must be graduates of a reputable university with degree in Pharmacy, who will be readyto go to institutions and meet doctors and see Pharmacists must possess a valid drives’s licence withat least one (1) year driving experience

Job Title: Regulatory OfficerJob Code: MO4Locations: LagosQualification/ExperienceApplicants must be graduates of a reputable university with degree in any of the BiologicalSciences, specifically in Bio-Chemistry, Microbiology and Physiology; and must be computerliterateJob Title: Store - KeeperJob Code: MO5Locations: LagosQualification/ExperienceApplicants must be graduates of a reputable university or Polytechnic with degree in HND or BSCin Accounting with at least two (2) years of experience in similar position, in Pharmaceuticalindustry and must be computer literate.

Method of ApplicationInterested candidates should send their applications/CVs to: [email protected] giving fulldetails such as position applied for with the code and mobile phone numbers foe easy contact.

Application Deadline 20th May, 2014———————————————————————————————————————MEDIPLAN Healthcare Limited Jobs in Nigeria for Medical Doctors and MarketingOff icers

MEDIPLAN Healthcare Limited is a Health Maintenance Organization incorporated in May 2000in Nigeria to carry on the business of providing healthcare services to corporate organizations andmembers of the public, under a prepaid arrangement, utilizing a network of primary, secondary andspecialist healthcare providers nationwide.Job Title: Medical DoctorsQualification: MBBS, Masters degree in relevant disciplinesLocation: Lagos, Port HarcourtPersonal Characteristics/Skills desired- Must have excellent computer skills (MS Office) and the ability to learn new systems/programsquickly!- Touch typist minimum 50 words per minute- Must be able to work sometimes long hours during the busy periods- Ability to prioritize, handle pressure & responsibility, and work within deadlines strongly emphasized- HMO working experience will be an added advantage- Strong analytical, investigative and organizational skills- Excellent verbal and written communication skills- Strong attention to detail

Job Title: Marketing OfficersQualification: HND, B.Sc., B.A., Masters degree in relevant disciplinesLocation: Lagos, Port Harcourt, Ibadan

Personal Characteristics/Skills desired- Must have excellent computer skills (MS Office) and the ability to learn new systems/programsquickly!- Must be able to work sometimes long hours during the busy periods- Ability to prioritize, handle pressure & responsibility, and work within deadlines strongly emphasized- HMO working experience will be an added advantage- Touch typist minimum 50 words per minute- Strong analytical, investigative and organizational skills- Excellent verbal and written communication skills- Strong attention to detail

How to ApplyYou are expected to make the position applied for and location the subject of your e-mail. Forexample: “Medical Executive – Lagos”

All applications must be submitted electronically and should reach the company on or before 5.00p.m. Thursday, 15th May, 2014 and should be e-mailed to: [email protected]

Please note: All applications that do not follow the above specified conditions will not betreated. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted

Page 14: Osun Defender - May 10th, 2014 edition

14 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 10, 2014FOR THE RECORDS

•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

Page 15: Osun Defender - May 10th, 2014 edition

15 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 10, 2014

Page 16: Osun Defender - May 10th, 2014 edition

SATURDAY, MAY 10, 2014

THE quality of agovernment cannot bebetter than the quality of

the people serving in suchgovernment. The hues andcries being witnessed acrossthe nation and beyond over theApril 14 abduction of over 267pupils of Government Girls’Secondary School, Chibok inBorno State, by the terroristIslamic sect, Boko Haram, aremore worrisome, dangerousand offensive to the corporateimage of this contraption called Nigeria.We had never had it so bad in thiscountry.

Never was the rapidity and frequencyof crime commission even experiencedduring the hellish regime of the despoticmilitary ruler, the late General SaniAbacha. The witnessed culture ofimpunity during the inglorious regime ofthe late Abacha has been sentenced intoa child’s play under the administration ofPresident Goodluck Jonathan. Nigeriansdie in hundreds and thousands inavoidable circumstances. Who wouldhave known that terrorism which wasalien to this nation in some years backwould become a hydra-headed featuretoday? Terrorism, in the time past, wasassociated with countries like Iran, Iraq,Nicaragua etc. But alas! The criminalmalaise is daily becoming intractable. Itis only when the Boko Haram has notkilled that it becomes news. Thefrequency of the terrorist activities in thiscountry today is frightening anddisheartening.

As the August 9 governorship electionis knocking in Osun, there have beenaccusations and counter-accusationsbetween the two prominent politicalparties in the state. Both All ProgressivesParty (APC) which is the party ingovernment in the state and the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) which is themain opposition party are daily engagedin ferocious war of words which isreminiscent of the unpleasant events thathappened before the 2003 generalelections. Few months to the elections,the number one law o officer of thefederation who was an illustrious Yorubason, Chief Ajibola Ige, was eased out ofthis world in a mysterious circumstancein his Ibadan, Oyo State residence.Whoever had been following themultifarious drums of war before thedastardly killing of the serving nation’sAttorney-General and Minister of Justice,would not agree less that there was everylikelihood that Chief Ige was killed toenable the power-that-be masqueradingin a reactionary group to have undeservedinroad into the heartland of the South-West. It was the scheduled killing ofChief Ige who was a leading light amongthe progressives in the South-West geo-political zone that was responsible for thecapture of the zone minus Lagos Stateby the leadership of the PDP.

If all is well with any association, thecredit goes to the leadership of suchgroup; and if the reverse is the case, anaccusing finger would be pointed at suchleadership. If any part of the body is inpain, the remaining part will definitely notknow peace. Today, there is war in theNorth-East geo-political zone of thisnation where Boko Haram would notallow the inhabitants of the area to sleep

www.osundefender.org THE 5TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA

with their two eyes closed. There is nodoubt that the body language of PresidentGoodluck Jonathan is showing that heis desperate to register undue recognitionin the South-West by facilitating therigging of both Ekiti and Osungovernorship elections coming up in fewmonths’ time. Jonathan should be toldby his handlers that a method usedyesterday to ‘win’ undeserved victoryin any contest may become archaictoday. Jonathan who by whatevermeans he got to power is the leader ofthis country today should be ready totake responsibility for the currentunfavourable plight of the nation. It ispungent clear that Jonathan with thehappenings in his party, the PDP, in theSouth-West, is deliberately inviting crisis,war and anarchy to the South-West.

In terms of size and population,Nigeria is a large country to the extentthat some of the component states aremore populous and bigger in size thansome countries all over the world. Theentity called Nigeria can be likened toassociation of nations forcefully woventogether in the socio-economic andpolitical self-serving interest of her

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 ([email protected]); Editor, KAYODE AGBAJE, Telephone: 0803-388-0205, E-mail: [email protected],[email protected]. ISSN: 0794-8050.Website: www.osundefender.org.

colonialist. It is often said that no nationcan survive two civil wars. By schemingto rig the incoming Ekiti and Osungovernorship electons, it is an invitationof war to the South-West by Jonathan.The populist programmes of the latesage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, when hewas dictating the political short in theregion, have opened the inner eyes ofthe people of the region. Suffice to saythat any attempt to rig any election intoday’s South-West will not be an easytask as whoever contemplates suchshould remember the principle of RIGAND ROAST of the Old Ondo State andWETIE incident of the 1960’s. Electionrigging is worse than armed robbery.Encouragement of such anti-socialactivity by any leader is capable of puttinginto the dustbin the political gains ofyesterday accumulated since the adventof another democratic experiment in thiscountry in 1999.

If the news making the round isanything to go by that some desperateOsun politicians of the PDP extractionrecently made a fruitless effort topenetrate some of the NationalCommissioners of the Independent

National ElectoralCommission (INEC) inAbuja with a view toeffecting the transfer ofOsun Resident ElectoralCommissioner (REC),Ambassador Toyin Akeju,it means Nigeria is in aserious trouble as far asdemocracy is concerned.But the joy therein was thatsome of thecommissioners, by theirconduct and disposition to

the issue at stake, showed that they aregenuine patriots who would not sell theirconscience for a mere pot of porridge.The question is – why such desperationto rig a governorship election? If theintention of any politician is to servegenuinely, his ambition is not worth theblood of anybody. If not for the uprightposture of Professor Attahiru Jega, thepolitical-pariahs in Osun would have hadtheir undeserved way.

My take on this is that Professor Jegashould not take this allegation lightly.Some of his aides, who, for pecuniaryreasons, prepared a memo to discuss thetransfer of the Osun REC, should bemade to face the music. If a scapegoatis not made out of this issue, thedesperado politicians might go foranother script in their efforts to hit theirco-contestant below the belt. The buckstops on the table of Professor Jega; thereason for the sustainability of hisimpartial contribution to his fatherland inhis commission. Professor Jega owes ita duty to ensure the protection of the lifeof the Osun REC as there is everypropensity for the political desperadoesto give Akeju the Chief Bola Ige treatmentwhen it is apparent that they are meetingwith brickwalls in their ploy to removethe Osun INEC chief for their own selfishreason.

The body language of PresidentJonathan is not indicative that he’sgenuinely committed to fight corruptionas election rigging which some of hisaides are scheming for has no other namethan corruption. The choices ofJonathan’s parties as governorshipcandidates in both Ekiti and Osun areenough to decipher that he lookselsewhere when corrupt practices arebeing elevated to a game. But for howlong does the President think he cancontinue to benefit from such vices?What should be running riot in his brainis that with the ongoing insurgency inthe North-East and some other parts ofthe Northern Nigeria, it would be suicidalfor him to add another election-rigginginduced crisis in the South-West. I hopeJonathan would not be the last Presidentto midwife the corporate Nigeria. Thechoice is his.

It would be worth the while to informJonathan that there is ominous sign thatsome characters of the reactionary groupextraction are all out to sponsor crises inthe State of Osun. Anytime that thereare suspicious killings in both Osun andEkiti, those statutorily saddled with theresponsibility of protection of lives andproperty should know where to beamtheir searchlight. But it would be in theinterest of the nation if the intendedpolitically-motivated criminal activities arenipped in the bud.

•Prof JEGA: INEC Chair

Omo OsunWith

Kola Olabisi�:08033927286 e-mail: [email protected]

Consequences Of Rigging Osun,Ekiti Governorship Elections