Osun Defender - November 4th 2014, Edition

VOL. 9. NO.132 NNNNN5050505050TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014

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

Front Page Comment

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•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (middle); German Chief Executive Officer, Entrade Energiesystem, Mr. JulienUhlig (2nd right); Chinese Chief Financial Officer, Entrade Energiesystem, Mr. James Kong (right); Chairman, Citiengineers Limited,Mr. Bello Olatunji (2nd left) and Co-ordinator, Entrade Energiesystem, Mrs. Olanike Adewole (left) during a courtesy visit to thegovernor at Government House, Osogbo, last Thursday.

- See StoryOn Page 2

- See StoryOn Page

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Osun Governorship Election:

Omisore Refunds Unspent N4bnElection Fund To Presidency•Arrests, Detained Aides For Stealing N205m

Osun PDP Withdraws Case Against Osun REC, INEC

Osun SchoolFeeding RatedBest In Nigeria

AIT Report:CondemnationTrails ReleaseOf MisleadingInformation- Pg 3

My Govt ‘ll BeGender-free AfterInauguration- Aregbesola

- Pg 2

Pushing Democracy Forward, OneStep At A Time -By Tolu Ogunlesi

General electionseason dawns inexora-bly upon us. It’s in theair everywhere: theflood of posters andbillboards; the endlesschatter of radio andtelevision jingles. Thesocial media is as wellabuzz with activities –every day we wakeup to politicians andtheir

campaign teams showingtheir faces on Twitter, andminions and“voltrons”circle thewaters frantically, lookingfor whom to devour onbehalf of their principals.

Regarding those principals,there are two camps: Thosewho are doing it becausethey stand a chance oftriumphing, and those

doing it because it isthe best way toposition yourself forthe crumbs that willdrop after the dusthas settled.

This second group arethe ones who know thatthe best way to getconsidered for acommissionership postin

Nigeria is to make loudnoises about the gover-norship, get noticed, andthen offer to drop yourambition in the spirit ofsacrifice, and in ex-change for some not-too-bad compensation.(You just have to lovethis country – nothing isever what it seems!)

Continue on pg4

2OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, November 4, 2014 News

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s lawyers, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN), answering questions fromjournalists within the court premises. With him is Chief Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) (left) and other lawyers after the sittingof Osun 2014 Governorship election petition tribunal at High Court, Osogbo, last Thursday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

Osun Governorship Election: Omisore Refunds Unspent N4bn ElectionFund To Presidency •Arrests, Detained Aides For Stealing N205m

THE defeated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)candidate in the State of Osun during the August 9,2014 gubernatorial election, Senator Iyiola

Omisore, was reported to have refunded N4 billion to thePresidency as the unspent fund meant for the election.

By OUR REPORTER

The money, a reliablesource said, was refundedthrough a bank afterpressure from thePresidency that the refundshould be effected as soonas possible.

This was just as thedefeated PDP candidate hadallegedly arrested anddetained some of his aidesfor stealing N205 million ofthe election fund.

While one of his PersonalAssistants popularly calledYako was arrested alongwith some of his drivers forstealing N170 million,

another of his staff, Panadol,was arrested for stealingN35 million.

It was learnt that themoney was allegedly stolenby Omisore’s staff in thecourse of moving themoney around fordistribution prior to theelection.

It would be recalled thatit was reported in one of theprevious editions of thismedium that Omisore hadinstructed some partyleaders and members torefund the money theycollected for mobilisation

during the election,accusing them of beinginstrumental to his failure atthe election.

A source privy to theinformation told thismedium that since the resultof the election was notfavourable to Omisore, hispersonal staff and PDPleaders have not beenfinding things easy, as thePDP candidate insisted onfull refund of the moneycollected.

The source, undercondition of anonymity,said: “Since after theelection, Otunba has notbeen taking things easy forthose who handled fundsduring the election at all.

“He has discovered thatmany of our leaders bankedon the Federal might to win

the election for us by allmeans and they didn’tbother to share the moneygiven to them to buy votes.

“Few weeks ago, whendirectives came from thepresidency that he shouldreturn the left-over after theelection, he was desperate

to get money anywhere andin the course of that, he hadto move against hispersonal staff, who had alsostolen to enrich themselvesduring the electioneeringcampaign and election.Infact, some of them werearrested and detained.

“As I am talking to you,N4 billion has been returnedto the Presidency through acommercial bank,” herevealed.

It would be recalled thatthe Presidency allegedlyprosecuted the Osunelection with a very hugeamount of money for thePDP to take over the stateby all means.

My Govt ‘ll Be Gender-free AfterInauguration - Aregbesola

WOMENS’ abiliity to respond appropriately to issues at the nick of time has been described asoutstanding and a necessary tool to participate

in politics.

By SOLA JACOBS

The governor of the Stateof Osun, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola, made this

known during a recent ad-vocacy visit by the repre-sentatives of United Na-tions Entity for GenderEquality and the Empower-ment of Women(UNWOMEN) and stake-holders of Women’s Gover-nance Accountability Plat-form (WGAP) at the StateGovernment House inOsogbo, the state capital.

Aregbesola, while wel-coming the entourage, ap-preciated them and alsostated that he understandsthe reason for the visit,which was on emergence ofwomen appointees at theparliament and other levelsof government in 2015 gen-eral elections.

He affirmed that his gov-ernment is gender-friendlyand faithful to the 35 percent affirmative of women inpolitics, and that it wouldhave gender-free cabinetafter his November 27, 2014inauguration.

Aregbesola informed thedelegates that women inpolitics should understandthat political process is agame in which one showsactive interest, with contestfor recognition and distinc-tion for one to get electedor rejected as the case maybe.

He averred that womenmust not wait to be invitedbefore participating in poli-tics, as politics is not a gameof choice but competition.

Speaking further, com-mending women on the abil-ity of their strength, he alsoencouraged the women inpolitics to brace up to thechallenge of representing

other women aside from theirduty of bearing, rearing, car-ing and earning for theirfamilies.

The governor noted theperformance of women bycasting their votes for his re-election into office on Au-gust 9, 2014 and he re-counted the experience ofsecurity threats of violence,brutalization, and oppres-sion to scare potential elec-torate, which women defiedto perform their civic duties.

Aregbesola also com-mended the UNWOMENand WGAP for their commit-ment to women in politics,and prayed that womenhave representation in fu-ture elections.

He praised the women ontheir enormousresponsiblity as care-giversand breadwinners andcharged them on how muchstrength is needed to standthe rigours of electoral pro-cesses, which he said, couldbe overwhelming.

Furthermore, he advisedwomen to support eachother, as well as strategizehow to create time andsource for funds to run forelective posts, just as hecharged them to get moreinformed as they prepare togo through their politicalparties and the electorate fortheir appointments.

Highlighting the supportof his government to sup-port women in the State ofOsun in their trades,programmes, natural andsocial activities, he statedthat his government iswomen-friendly as they arethe largest beneficiaries ofhis policies.

In response, the Directorof Women’s GovernanceAccountability Platform, Dr.(Mrs.) Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, appreciated thegovernor for being gender-friendly and for his specialfocus on women.

She thanked the gover-nor on behalf ofUNWOMEN and WGAP forhis attention as she relayedthe interest of women to beelected into elective posts atall levels of government inand through the State ofOsun in the forthcoming2015 general elections.

Highlight of the advo-cacy visit was the presenta-tion of the Report/ OutcomeDocument: Women’s Gover-nance Accountability Plat-form (WGAP) Project, OsunState, to Aregbesola by thedelegates.

The governor, having pe-rused the document, ad-vised that it should also bepublished in native lan-guage for the benefit of thecitizenry, due to the qualityof its contents.

Osun School Feeding Rated Best In NigeriaBy KAZEEM MOHAMMED

THE State of Osun Elementary School FeedingProgramme (O-Meals) has been rated the best andmost-organized in the country, which other states

need to emulate.This was the submission

of a 17- member Delta StateCommittee on Food andNutrition who were in Osunto understudy the Osunschool feeding programmeof the state.

Speaking on behalf ofother members, theCoordinator of theCommittee, who is also theUNICEF Desk Officer in theDelta State Ministry ofFinance, Mr. Akozor Nduka,disclosed that the aim of theDelta State Government is tointroduce school feedingprogramme as anintervention to encouragepupils in crisis-pronecommunities of the state.

Akozor said the best wayto encourage attendance,enrolment andconcentration in schools isby introducing school-feeding, at least, once daily.

He emphasized the needfor other states, includingDelta, to understudy theschool feeding programme

of Osun as a role model, soas to succeed.

According to him: “Osunis the leading exampleamong the states of thefederation in carrying outthe school feedingprogramme in the rightway.”

He stressed thatarrangement would be madeto ensure those in authorityand policy makers in DeltaState to come to Osun to seethings for themselves, in abid to facilitate quickimplementation of theprogramme in their state.

Earlier, the StateOperation Officer for OsunSchool FeedingProgrammes, Mrs. OlubunmiAyoola, while briefing thedelegates before the fieldinspection, hinted that theprogramme gulps N12.7million daily.

Ayoola maintained thatthe state governor, OgbeniRauf Aregbesola, is

passionate in bridging thegap between the children ofthe poor and the richthrough O-Meals and otherschool facilities beingprovided, saying that thestate government regardsthe programme as aninvestment in the lives of thefuture leaders, rather than

expenditure.She stressed further that

nutritious menu used for theschool feeding programmehas tremendously impactedin the retentive andenrolment capacity of thepupils, while urging thedelegates to make the bestuse of the Osun experience.

Alagbada Charges Industrial AgenciesIn Osun To Brace Up

THE State of Osun Commissioner for Commerce,Industry, Co operatives and Empowerment, Mr.Ismaila Jayeoba-Alagbada, has advised industrial

agencies in the state to brace up by repositioning the Smalland Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in order to boostthe economy of the state.

Alagbada gave thisadvise during the IndustrialBusiness Clinic organisedby the ministry recently.

The programme, whichwas the first official meeting,had the representatives ofthe Bank of Industry,Standard Organisation ofNigeria, Corporate AffairsCommission and otherindustrial agencies inattendance to discuss theDiagnosis of the

Challenges ofIndustrialisation in the Stateof Osun, and providepossible solutions to thechallenges.

The commissioner alsosaid the governor of thestate, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola, hasestablished the Micro CreditAgency to encouragebusiness enterprises tomake Osun an industrialisedstate.

He later appealed toindustrial agencies in thestate to brace up becauseno state can developw i t h o u tindustrialisation.

In the same vein, theSpecial Adviser to theGovernor on Commerce,Industry, Cooperatives andEmpowerment, Dr. OlalekanYinusa, advised allindustrial agencies presentat the business clinic to behonest in producing theirgoods, so as to boost theirbusinesses.

Industrialists in the statethen used the programme asan avenue to discuss thevarious challenges facingthem and possiblesolutions.

3 News OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, November 4, 2014

By OUR REPORTER

By KEHINDE AYANTUNJI

•(L-R) Secretary, New Day Building Materials Suppliers and Quarry Owners Association, Mr Sanusi Alaka; ChiefBashorun Oyedele; the newly-inaugurated chairman of the association, Mr Waheed Owolabi; the state Chairman,Quarrable Association, Mr Soliu Odunayo; Mrs Omotayo Olaoye and Alhaji Mufutau Oladapo at the swearing-inceremony of the new executive in Osogbo last Wednesday.

AIT Report: Condemnation Trails Release Of Misleading Information

REACTIONS have started to trail the recentpropaganda fuelled by the camp of the defeatedcandidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),

Senator Iyiola Omisore, in the August 9, 2014gubernatorial election in the State of Osun.

A rumour had emanatedlast week that in the processof recounting votes, asordered by the electiontribunal for thegubernatorial election inOsun, the PDP and itscandidate were leading in

five local governmentcouncil areas.

The news had beendescribed as false, wickedand a means of causingconfusion andunnecessary hardship onthe people of the state, who

had put the election asideand were looking forward toanother four years under theleadership of Ogbeni RaufAregbesola.

They maintained that allthe peace-loving people ofthe state wanted was a freeand fair election, which theygot on August 9, 2014 andsince the announcement ofthe results, most people hadtaken it and moved on withtheir lives.

Citing the current report,

which was reported by apopular frontline medium, asthe handiwork ofdisgruntled politicians, theynoted that since the petitionwas still before a tribunaland it had not pronouncedjudgment on it, suchinformation carried to townwas deliberate and intendedto sooth the master.

The medium, whichcarried the misleadinginformation, was however,commended for owning up

to its error and apologisingvery early before theinformation could have hadthe desired negative effect.

Reacting to the source ofthe misleading information,a party leader in Ogo-Oluwaarea of Osogbo who cravedanonymity, revealed thatsince it was reported that aparticular political party andits candidate weresupposedly favoured by thefalse information, it wasclear the aim and intendedaction of the message,which was to createconfusion.

“From the results of theelection released, it wasclear that the APC and itsflagbearer won the electionconvincingly and anybodywho has any objectionshould go to the electionpetition tribunal and alsohave the patience to wait forthe judgment of the same

tribunal.”“The way the news was

spread, revealed the flawednature of the information. Itis generally unheard of thatyou will go to town withinformation that is notcorrect.

“In this case, theinformation was not onlyincorrect, but it was alsomisleading and the peoplebehind it should be soughtout and punished because Ican say the case is still thesubject of litigation.”

In the same vein, theleadership of the AllProgressives Congress(APC) in the state had beencommended for its proactivestance and its ability tocounter every plan of theopposition PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP)from creating unnecessarytension and over-heatingthe political space in thestate.

Osun PDP Withdraws CaseAgainst Osun REC, INEC

THE State of Osun chapter of the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) has withdrawn a caseseeking to nullify the 2011 State and National

Assemblies elections.The case was

withdrawn through amotion dated 15th ofOctober, 2014 signed byKehinde Adesiyan Esq ofKehinde Adesiyan &coChambers.

The PDP, prior to 2011elections, approached theFederal High Court,Osogbo, for an injunction

restraining the StateResident ElectoralC o m m i s s i o n e r ,Ambassador Rufus Akeju,from supervising theconduct of the electionsand the injunction wasgranted.

The IndependentNational ElectoralCommission (INEC)subsequently appealedagainst the decision at theCourt of Appeal, Akure.

Few weeks ago, anallegedly PDP sponsorednews filled the mediaabout a phantom judgmentfrom the Court of Appeal,Akure, where it wasclaimed that all the stateand national assemblies’members have beensacked.

The All ProgressivesCongress (APC) clearedthe air and educated thepublic that what happenedat the appellate court wasmere striking out of theNotice of Appeal and thatthe substantive case wasstill pending at the FederalHigh Court.

Fraud: Court RemandsFour In Prison

By ISMAEEL UTHMAN

FOUR suspected fraudsters have been ordered to beremanded in prison custody by an OsogboMagistrate’s Court for allegedly defrauding a

businessman to the tune of N11 million.The suspects were:

Najeem Adeniyi (46) TaiwoOguniran (40), OnifadeNurudeen (350) and AjayiIdowu (30).

They allegedly defraudedan Osun businessman, MrAli Akinola, of the sum.

According to the chargesheet made available toOSUN DEFENDER onFriday, the accused personsobtained the sum on thepretence of selling someparcels of land to him.

Police prosecutor,Inspector Kayode Olatunji,told the court that theaccused persons conspiredto commit the offence onJune 13, at about 12pm, atOke-fia, Osogbo.

Olatunji said the suspectsfailed to provide the parcelof land and also refused toreturn the money collectedfrom their victims.

The prosecutormaintained that thesuspects have committedoffence contrary to and

punishable under Section516 and 419 of the CriminalCode Cap 34, vol. 11 Lawsof Osun, 2003.

But the accused personspleaded not guilty to a twocount charge of conspiracyand fraud slammed againstthem.

Defence counsel, MrsNnena Ugwu, applied forthe bail of the accusedpersons in the most liberalterm.

The Magistrate, MrOlusola Aluko, turneddown the bail application onthe ground that he could notentertain oral application.

Aluko ordered thedefence counsel to file aformal bail application.

He thereafter, adjournedthe case till November 7,2014 for mention.

Fulani/Bororo Herdsmen Charged To Embrace Peace

IN a bid to attain one of the major points entrenched inits six-point integral action plan, which is: “Enhancement of Communal Peace and Progress”, government

of the State of Osun has called on the Fulani/Bororo herds-men in the state to see themselves as part of the develop-mental process of the state.

They were also chargedto ensure that peace andtranquillity continue to ex-ist between them and farm-ers in the state, by avoidinga situation where they usetheir cattle to graze on farm-lands, which usually causeclashes between them andfarmers across the state.

Chairman of the Commit-tee on Harmonious Rela-tionship between Fulani/Bororo Herdsmen and Farm-ers in the state, HonourableMudashiru Toogun, statedthis at a peace meeting heldwith the members of theFulani/Bororo herdsmen atOlupona in Ayedire LocalGovernment Council Area ofthe state.

He said the administra-tion of Ogbeni RaufAregbesola decided to setup the committee with thecollaboration of the Minis-try of Agriculture and FoodSecurity under the leader-ship of Mr. Wale Adedoyinbecause it has come to thenotice of the governmentthat clashes do arise be-tween the herdsmen andfarmers in the state.

Toogun, who pointed outthat members of the commit-tee also include the execu-

tives of the State Chapterof the All Farmers Associa-tion of Nigeria (AFAN), saidif they want the state tocontinue to experience eco-nomic growth and peace,they should avoid a situa-tion where cattle graze farm-lands, which are supposedto contribute to the eco-nomic development of thestate.

The Assistant Chief ofStaff to the Governor ex-plained that the state gov-ernment decided to arrangethe meeting against allodds because the adminis-tration of OgbeniAregbesola is a peace-lov-ing government, while alsostressing that progresscannot be achieved in anatmosphere of chaos andrancour.

Toogun, who reiteratedgovernment’s commitmentto attending to the needs ofevery ethnic group in thestate, charged the Fulani/Bororo herdsmen to comeforward with their demands,saying that government willtry its best within its meansto meet their demands.

He also explained that acommittee that will involveFulani/Bororo herdsmen

residents in each local gov-ernment council area in thestate, which will see to theharmonious relationship be-tween them and the farmerswill be set up.

While stressing that thecurrent administration hasnot left out the Fulani/Bororo herdsmen in thescheme of things, the com-mittee chairman also ex-plained that the majorsource of the thousands ofcows being slaughteredthrough the O-MEALSprogramme comes from theFulanis.

In his response, Chair-man, Seriki Fulani of Osun,Alhaji Oluwatoyin Sulaiman,lauded the governor for theinnovation of the peacemeeting, adding that theFulanis are solidly behindhis administration becauseof the various developmen-tal projects of the govern-ment which do not excludethem.

He assured the state gov-ernment that the Fulani/Bororo in the state will joinhands with the administra-tion in its onerous task ofmoving the state forward, bygiving peace a chance be-tween them and farmers inthe state.

Alhaji Sulaiman appealedto the state government toassist in checkmating the inflocks of infected cattle intothe state.

Earlier in the welcome ad-dress, the Coordinating Di-rector in the Ministry of Ag-

riculture and Food Security,Dr. Bukola Aluko, explainedthat the meeting became im-portant because of the needto create a harmonious rela-tionship between theFulani/Bororo herdsmenand the state government,so that growth and devel-opment can take place.

It will be recalled that thegovernor of the state,Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola,had before the gubernato-rial election held a similarpeace meeting with membersof the Fulani community atthe Government House,where he called on them to

move closer to the govern-ment, so as to be able to meettheir needs.

In attendance at the meet-ing were the Director, Live-stock Services, Mr. JohnsonAjayi, Director Agric Ser-vices, Mr Kola Ajisekola,AFAN chieftain, ChiefAdewoyin Adetoyese, theCoordinator, Osun WomenAgro-processors underAFAN, Mrs. Olaosun Com-fort, who was representedby the Osun Women Agro-processors Treasurer, Mrs.Bola Babarinlo, Agric Offic-ers and members of Fulani/Bororo herdsmen

4 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Pushing democracy forward, one step at a time -by Tolu Ogunlesi

Elections will hold in 28 states; only in eight of thesewill incumbents be seeking re-election. The other 20are coming to the end of their terms and will beseeking to anoint their successors, to the chagrin ofother contestants. Several governors will be lookingto become senators, and several senators, governors.Already about seven ministers have resigned, toaspire for the governorship in their various states. Notall of them will succeed. Those who don’t will bebanking on the prospects of compensation when – orif – the Peoples Democratic Party retains control ofthe Federal Government. Some of them might return asministers, others, ambassadors.

All of the politicking – amplified by news headlinesand newspaper columns and the internet – makes youask yourself, in quieter moments, to what end? Are wedoing politics for the sake of politics, solely for thebitter battles and the control of the mechanisms ofpatronage, or is all of this happening for a largerpurpose: to better the lives of millions of ordinaryNigerians.

Looking back at 15 years of democracy, is this wherewe should be? Should our generators still be thisloud in their nightly crying? Should our First Ladyor the governors still be rushing abroad for medicaltreatment?

Travelling around the country it is easy to bedisappointed by how little distance we have covered,in terms of development, in 15 years. There are culpritsat every level.

In the case of the Federal Government, its continuing

neglect of important inter-state roads is tragic. (I’ll leavethe electricity discussion for another day).

In the states, a good number of governors are, to say itthe Nigerian way, “trying.” Standards of performance forthe 2007/2011 set of governors appears to be somewhathigher than what we saw with their predecessors. Buteven then, we still have many governors for whom almostnothing good can be said. In Benue State, GovernorGabriel Suswam is confidently heading to the Senate ona rather dismal record: public primary schools in thestate only recently reopened after eight months of strike,while there is a three-month backlog of civil servants’salaries. But he seems assured his Senate seat is alreadywaiting for him. There are others like him, confident evenin their similarly mediocre performance.

The local governments are the worst. If they werescrapped today, the only difference would be in the reliefto be enjoyed from citizens thankfully rid of their thug-enforced revenue collections (radio and TV licences, cartowing fees etc).

Unfortunately, there is almost no partisan competition atlocal government level anywhere in the country. Theparty in power in the state automatically assumes controlof the local government structure; opposition partiesstand almost no chance of making a dent. Armed withtheir SIECs, our governors become mini-tyrants when itcomes to local government matters, concerned only aboutpolitical control, not service to the people.

One of the next milestones of our slow democraticjourney should be the enthronement of real democracy atthe local government level.

Sometimes, these things seem like wishful thinking, butI’m convinced that change is possible in our politics. Itmight be annoyingly slow, but things change. Already,we are getting used to the idea of having relatively free

and fair elections, aided by the presence of technology inthe form of mobile phones and social media.

Electoral victories are also no longer being taken forgranted. I remember 1999, when the Alliance for Democracy,riding on the back of the Awolowo mystique, swept theSouth-West. The joke back then was that if the AD hadfielded a goat or monkey, it would still have won. It seemslike we have come a long way since those days.

Now, the electorate are becoming more sophisticated anddiscriminating, it would seem, and are more likely to give,in their decision-making, as much weight to individualcandidates as to political party symbols.

While there are still some states that are virtual one-partystates, like Enugu and Ebonyi (where I spent the weekend),which are firmly in the grip of the PDP – in these states, thePDP governorship primaries will be the real election; thepolling in February 2015 will be no more than a formality –elsewhere things are changing.

Take the example of Rivers State, which, until last year wasone of the biggest pieces of the PDP’s landslide-dispensing electoral juggernaut. Months ago, while on avisit to Port Harcourt, I was told by one resident that “theAll Progressives Congress had no chance in the state.Rivers has always been a PDP State, bla bla”. It was easy tobelieve back then. But recent events seem to be casting astrong doubt on that anti-APC confidence, and now no oneis sure anymore. The turnout at the recent GovernorChibuike Amaechi mega rally was for me a big surprise.Amaechi of course took advantage of this to taunt thePresident, saying: “The President says we exist only onposters and billboards. So, we brought a large billboard forhim. If the President is not watching (the rally), they willgive him security report.”

Scenarios like the one in Rivers are a welcome development

for me because I believe that electoral uncertainty shouldbe one of the cornerstones of any democracy. There’s nopoint to democracy if one side is always guaranteed awin, regardless of its levels of performance, or of thequality of the credentials of its candidates. And for toolong, sadly, that is how Nigerian politics has been. ThePDP has taken for granted its ability to win thePresidency, as the APC has its ability to win LagosState.

Regular upsets would be more than welcome. While Icontinue to stick to my arguments that the APC andPDP are in the strict sense not (yet) real political parties,and are to a large extent easily interchangeable onaccount of an absence of true ideological foundations, itis still important to realise that they – whatever youmight want to call them – are the building blocks of ourdemocracy. If one of them was to vanish, we would bestuck with a one-party state, and no democracy. Give metwo imperfect parties over a perfect monopolising oneany day.

The fear of the loss of power is the beginning of politicalsensibleness, I believe. If a party realises that it canalways be dumped by voters then it is more likely toseek to put its best foot forward. And in thoseconditions, a war for talent between our political camps– like the ones we see in the European football leagues –is likelier. That, as far as I see it, can only be a good thingfor our burgeoning democracy. Going along with thatargument, I think the most exciting electoral scenario of2015 would be the APC losing Lagos, and the PDPlosing Aso Rock.

Wishful thinking – or solid possibility?

Source: THEPUNCH

Ideas, Not Emotions, Rule The World

AS the marchtowards generalelections in 2015

draws nearer home inNigeria, the political drumsof wits, wisdom and warare beating high tempo andfast assuming acacophonic crescendo,finding willing dancersamongst all thestakeholders in country,today, tongues arewagging as to who shouldbecome the next Presidentin the continent’s largestdemocracy.

From the man on thestreets, beer-parlours andtaxi-cubicles, farmerstilling the soil and nomadsgrazing their livestock; upto the egg-heads inuniversities, public service,religious centres andpolitical jobbers, the topichas been the same.

Should the incumbentPresident GoodluckJonathan of the PeoplesDemocratic Partycontinue despite hisperceived short-comingsand laxities, or wouldNigerians vote for the‘Change’ being proclaimed

by the main oppositionparty, the All ProgressivesCongress, APC? Here isthe dilemma. The rulingparty, PDP, has taken thebull by the horns bylimiting their candidaturefor the office of Presidentto one person alone: Dr.Jonathan, the currentpresident, being “begged”and TAN-ned to run “afterperforming so well.”

In truth, reality lives ina landscape of ceasefire,crossfire and doubtfulcontinuity. But will theAPC grab this momentumfor change with bothhands?

Unlike the PDP, the ideaof a consensus candidatemay not, after all, sufficefor the APC, which nowparades a tripod of titanicgladiators. The Three

Musketeers: Kano StateGovernor, Rabiu MusaKwankwaso; formerMilitary Head of State,General MuhammaduBuhari, retired; and formercivilian Vice-President,Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.Meanwhile, there is afourth columnist in therace, media mogul, Mr.Sam Ida-Isaiah ofLeadership newspapers,

who is still relativelyinvisible despite picking upa whopping N27.5 millionform with ease, unlikeBuhari, who went for abank bailout.

Of late, in the APC, allthe candidates are fieldingjustifications that wouldfind them favour with thevoters, especially, the6,000 likely partydelegates. But must

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caution be in the winds?Currently, the limits ofdefamation, denigrationand, not in the least,disaffection are beingstretched elastic. Well, onemay want to say that “allis fair in war as it is inlove.”

But let’s put sentimentsapart and try to draw senseout of this whole politicalcloset. Does idealdemocratic practice reston the plank of unopposedcandidature or aconsensus by a few overthe greater majority? No,it doesn’t. Therefore,those arguing for noprimaries in the APC aredefinitely not doing the‘Party of Change’ a worldof favour. After all, thebeauty of democracy is inpeople’s participation,freedom of associationand expression of interest.This also correlates withthe tenets of people’spower of process andplatform.

•ALABA YUSUF, Jabi,Abuja.

Continued from pg1

5555

Giant StridesGreat Are Your Legacies! (IV)

Still in the joyous mood of celebration, this piece of work is a promise kept tocontinue with the series of editions devoted to showcasing the landmark achieve-ments of the Government Unusual in the State of Osun in all sectors of life. As hasalready been pointed out, the mid-term assessment report of the Rauf Aregbesolaadministration is necessary to weigh how far the administration has gone withdelivering the good of democracy dividends to the doorsteps of the citizenry; andhow bettered our society had been by its exertions. NIYI OLASINDE remains theanchor as the series continues.

Aregbesola's Mid-Term Assessment Report:

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 16, 2014

•The newly-commissioned ultra-modern school building of St. Stephen’s ‘B’ Middle School, Modakeke, State of Osun.

6 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, October 28, 2014MAGAZINE

Great Are Your Legacies! (IV)

•Entrance of the newly-constructed L.A. Elementary School at Obada Area, Ede, State Of Osun, under the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

Contiuned on page 11

Contiuned from page 5

· Continued from last week.

THE last edition closed with the consideration ofachievements made so far in the Agriculture andRural Development; Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries

and Food Security Sub-sector of the State of Osun inthe last four years. Due partly to limitations imposed byspace and time; and partly to the need to be concise andstraight-to-the-point, the events and happenings in thesub-sector had to be summarized so that other sub-sectors could be considered. OSUN DEFENDERMagazine is taking this edition to pursue the task ofshowcasing events, happenings and astonishing stridesmade in other sectors and sub-sectors of the economyof the state within the stipulated time.

· Education, Science And TechnologyTHIS aspect of the administration of Ogbeni Rauf

Adesoji Aregbesola deserves much of critical focus,since it proved all along that Education sub-sector isone of the principal specialties of the administration. Tothis end, OSUN DEFENDER Magazine has devotedmuch space and time to its detailed spotlight in series ofour editions in the past years. It is not as if we aregiving up of this effort; but we intend not to overbeat it.So, we shall make mention of some of the giant stridesrecorded in the sub-sector before expressing desiresand expectations for the year 2014. As a sub-sector ofthe Social Services Sector of our economy, theimportance of education to the socio-economic andindustrial development of any nation cannot beoveremphasized. It is against this background that theadministration of Ogbeni Aregbesola has remainedresolute on the promotion of functional education in thestate. The governor continually recounted how a timelydiscovery was made by his team that the educationalinfrastructures in our schools were in worrisome stateupon their assumption of office in late 2010. In order torightly and accurately assess the level of decay in oureducational system, the Government of the State quicklyheld a two-day education summit with the theme:“Resolving the Education Crisis in Osun State:Bridging Analysis and Implementation Gaps” at theOsun State University (UNIOSUN) in February 2011.The summit was to become one of the most prominentand decisive giant strides taken by the Aregbesolaadministration. To put the record straight, it came asthe first ever in the annals of education summits in thestate! By that singular action, the incumbentadministration demonstrated its unwavering resolve totackle head-on the spate of neglect and rot that hadbedeviled the education industry in the state. Also by it,the Government Unusual took the bull by the horns torestructure and reconstruct amenities and infrastructurein the education sector of the state; in order to restore

quality and promote functional education at all levels inthe state.

Apart from the Free Education Programme at thePrimary and Secondary levels, the Aregbesolaadministration in the state has made remarkableachievements in the educational sub-sector. An instanceof this is the rebranding, repackaging and transformationbrought to bear on the Home-Grown School FeedingProgramme; an old programme of the Yar’Adua /Oyinlola years; which has been resuscitated andrechristened Osun Elementary School Free FeedingProgramme (O’ Meal). With the reorganization andresuscitation of the programme, all the pupils in primariesone to three in public schools in the State of Osun arenow covered under the free feeding programme whichoffers them wide assortments of highly nutritious mealsduring the school hours. Even meals that are not servedin routine menu in conventional practice, like qualitychocolate, milk, eggs and chicken are on the list ofregular menu of the feeding programme.

OSUN DEFENDER Magazine wishes to pause hereand reflect briefly in passing the extent of internationalacceptance and recognition which the State of Osun;through the O’ Meal programme has garnered unto itself.On January 22, 2014, the Governor of the state andgrand designer cum prime mover behind all theinnovation packages currently ongoing in the state,Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was in the European nation ofthe United Kingdom on the invitation of the higherlegislative chambers of that Queen’s country, the Houseof Lords, to enlighten, brief and teach theparliamentarians on the nitty-gritty and workings of theO’ Meal programme, which has turned it into a bundleof wonders in the state. It is no longer news the vibrantand ground-shaking standing ovation the governor wasaccorded at the event. Through that feat, OgbeniAregbesola has done us proud as a people as the firstever governor in Nigeria; even in Black Africa to be soesteemed and honoured to be summoned to lendknowledge to the White World, usually looked upon fororiginating innovations in virtually all areas of humanendeavour, education inclusive. This feat came to theshame, confounding and stupefaction of detractors whosee nothing good in virtually all the good gestures of theAregbesola administration, especially in the Educationsub-sector. More wonders are still expected to unfoldduring the current year.

In addition, the poor condition of infrastructure inpublic schools in the state is already being radicallyreversed. Towards this end, the first phase of theconstruction of New Model 100 Elementary Schools,50 Middle and 20 High Schools is in top gear. The fiscalyear 2012 witnessed massive reconstruction andrehabilitation of the dilapidated school buildings inherited

by the administration of the day from the ineptadministration of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola. This, thegovernor noted, is in consonance with the team’sdetermination to raise the standard of education in ourdear state.

It is in a bid to arrest the spate of perennial acuteshortage of teachers in our schools and concomitantlyensuring effective teaching and learning activities inschools that the incumbent administration has embarkedon massive recruitment and selection processes forqualified, quality, competent and experienced teachersfor engagement at our Primary and Secondary levels.This step, apart from being a necessity to compensatefor the ravaging neglect of the past; became necessaryto take adequate and abundant care of the explodingenrolment figures in schools, following the introductionof a true, functional and qualitative education at thoselevels. Specifically, various selection exercises have sofar been conducted by the State Universal BasicEducation Board (SUBEB) and the State Post-PrimaryTeaching Service Establishment and PensionsCommission (TESEPC), involving various numbers ofcandidates successfully absorbed into the teachingservice of the state. Following the large number ofretirees in the state’s teaching service at the end of the2012 fiscal year; arrangements were put in place in year2013 to get a huge number of teachers employed inreplacement for the retired ones. This plan saw the lightof day as the year witnessed massive recruitment andselection of teachers at those levels of education. Withproper inauguration of appropriate boards in particular,provision of required number and quality of teachingpersonnel has begun to receive greater attention in thepast year. In this direction, greater attention is anticipatedto come this year.

In addition to these numbers of teachers engaged,selection has also been made for competent and qualifiedteachers among the volunteer cadets of the popular OsunYouth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) and thosehitherto employed by the Parents-Teachers’ Association(PTA). According to plan, the process of recruitmentof teachers, which had been on, and was billed forcompletion within the first quarter of 2012, is intendedto be a continuous process. What this implies is thateven during the New Year, another batch of massiverecruitment and selection of teachers is expected to becarried out for existing and continuously-openingvacancies in the elementary and secondary rungs of theeducation ladder.

Also in the area of education, the governor noted thatit was in his administration’s bid to ameliorating thesuffering of parents, guardians and students thatreduction was effected in the exorbitant fees being

7 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, November 4, 2014 MAGAZINE


Contiuned from page 6

Continued on page 10

•AREGBESOLA •LAOYE-TOMORI

charged by the authorities of the Osun State University(UNIOSUN). A similar gesture was extended to all othertertiary institutions owned by the state. These includethe Osun State Polytechnic (OSPOLY), Iree; the OsunState College of Technology (OSCOTECH), Esa-Oke;the Osun State College of Education (OSCOED), Ilesa;and the Osun State College of Education (OSCOED) ,Ila-Orangun.

The Government of the State, the governor declared,had abrogated all forms of charges in our public schools.To achieve effectiveness in teaching and learning, theexamination and running grants being released quarterlyby the government to the public secondary schools inthe state have been increased by over 300 per cent. Itwas promised that the Aregbesola administration shallcontinue to give the deserved attention to the welfare ofteachers in 2012. This promise was redeemed all throughthe year, and this shall surely continue through the NewYear, judging by the level of recognition being currentlyaccorded to teachers and the teaching profession. It isplaced on record how in the year 2012 teachers in thehigh echelon in the state were elevated to the exaltedstatus of Permanent Secretary, with the designation ofTutors General.

Facts on ground have also revealed that within theshort period of the incumbent administration of RaufAregbesola in office, the State Library Board had receivedthe full attention of government, particularly in theprovision of conducive working environment; a situationwhich has positively impacted on its services to thereading public. The governor constantly promises thatthe State Library Board would continue to receive qualitysupport from the State Government of Osun in 2012and years ahead.

Ogbeni Aregbesola also promises his administration’sresolve to revive the State Scholarship Board. Thispromise has been redeemed in the year 2012, and shallbe consolidated in years ahead. Under the auspices ofthe scholarship board, assistance is given to deserving,outstanding but indigent (financially challenged) studentsof the state’s origin to obtain higher education at homeand abroad. Since the governor has already rolled outthe State of Osun Schools’ Calisthenics Programme,alongside the inauguration of Ewa Ipinle Osun, it iscertain that he shall soon be forthcoming in the fulfillmentof his promise to give revival to the old boys’ and girls’associations and voluntary clubs in all primary andsecondary schools for leadership training and team spiritbuilding.

Last year, it was in full realization of the vibrant roleand the auspicious place of Education sub-sector of the

Social Services Sector to the socio-economic life andpolitical emancipation of the State of Osun and theliberation of the people that the incumbent administrationaccorded to it a total allocation of N13.7 Billion or 18.8per cent of its total capital budget; though that initialbudgetary provision later on got reviewed upwardly,following the consideration of the State of Osun Houseof Assembly.

During the last one year, there have been tremendousachievements recorded for the Education sub-sector inthe state. Apart from the State of Osun Schools UniformScheme (O’ Uniform) other strings of successes havefollowed. Chiefest of them all; which is among thefundamental firsts which the administration has recordedso far is the introduction of the computer-like deviseinto the teaching-learning programme at the SeniorSecondary level of education in the state. The programmecalled Tablet of Knowledge (Opon Imo) has broughtlots of improvements in to the learning processes atthat stage as well eased the process of getting the state’scandidates for external examinations adequately preparedfor success. Lots have already been written on the nitty-gritty of the Tablet of Knowledge (Opon Imo) our earliereditions. The launch however eventually saw the lightof day in the month of May last year.

Also during the month of May, precisely on Mondaythe 27th May 2013, the annual globally-held Children’sDay celebrations took a different turn in the State ofOsun. This was as at the instance of the GovernmentUnusual of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola the first-everO’odua World Children’s Day Celebration was organizedand held. The event, a unifying force for all offspringof legendary Oduduwa in Nigeria and in the Diaspora,turned out to be a convergence of all children, adult andtraditional (royal) fathers of Yoruba extraction spreadacross the globe.

At the event of the day, representatives andcontingents present included those from about ten statesin the federation of Nigeria, those from the neighbouriingold Dahomey Kingdom (now Republic of Benin), andthose from other parts of the universe, with the inclusionof the United States of America (USA), the Americasand the Caribbean. It was really a colourful and eventfulprogramme. The states within the federation include thehost state, the State of Osun. Others are Lagos, Oyo,Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti States. We also had in attendanceother states like Kwara, Kogi, Edo and Delta states. Apartfrom an impressive turnout from almost all royal fathersfrom the host state at the event, royal fathers from otherplaces outside the State of Osun include the Alaafin ofOyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III; the Aseyin ofIseyin; and the Eleruwa of Eruwa. Royal fathers fromthe Republic of Benin include the Olupopo of Popo;

Onisabe of Sabe and Oniketu of Ketu among others.Through the auspices presented by the programme,

youths from those different states mentioned above andthose from other parts were able to interact andcooperate with love and share commonalities. As itturned out, and as Governor Aregbesola himself pointedout at the programme, the event of May 27, held at themain bowl of the Osogbo Township Stadium (underconstruction at the time) marked the largest-ever heldcongregation of black nationalities anywhere in theworld. The greatest achievement of the event wasbringing together after a long period of conflict twoprominent and frontline Yoruba royal fathers, the Alaafinof Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III; and theOoni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Okunade Sijuade,Olubuse II.

During the month of July, same year, the third in theseries of quiz competitions annually held incommemoration of the birthday of the internationallyreputed literary icon and Nobel Laureate in Literature,Professor Oluwole Akinwande Soyinka was held, withthe State Government of Osun taking the position of aleading light. Last year’s episode, marking the academicgiant’s 79th birthday had the involvement of seventy-nine youths for the finals which were held in theGovernment House of the State of Osun in Osogbo, thestate capital. The aim of the programme transcendedmerely celebrating the excellence radiated by Soyinka,but raising future stars among our youths; who wouldproject our image in the future; even after we mighthave been long-gone! This feat has already been repeatedthis year at the occasion of the 80th birthday anniversarycelebration of the academic giant.

Time and again during the outgone years, we broughtto the fore the numerous achievements of the incumbentadministration in the state in the aspect of developmentof schools infrastructure in the state. This is talking interms of the activities of the State of Osun SchoolsInfrastructure Development Project (O’ SCHOOLS). InSeptember 2013, the first in the numerous ultra-modernschools building projects of the O’ SCHOOLS projectwas officially commissioned and delivered for use. TheSalvation Army Middle School, Alekuwodo, Osogbo,the state capital is a 900-seater state-of-the-art complex,which put to rest the insinuations of detractors that allof the school building projects of the administration weredestined to be abandoned in the midstream. The schoolis one out of the fourteen in its category that are beingput in place by the Rauf Aregbesola administration inthe State of Osun. The school building has since beenput to use; while other school, building projects initiatedby the administration are almost completed / at various

8 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, November 4, 2014 PHOTOTALK

Osogbo City Stadium In The State Of Osun Rehabilitated Under The AdministrationOf Governor Rauf Aregbesola As Captured By Our Cameraman, GBENGA ADENIYI,Last Saturday.

•Entrance of the Stadium.

•Back view of the Stadium.

•Stadium field.

•Viewers sitting.

9 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, November 4, 2014PHOTOTALKSome Of The Completed Roads And An Ongoing Road Project In The State Of OsunUnder The Administration Of Governor Rauf Aregbesola As Captured By OurCameraman, GBENGA ADENIYI, Last Saturday.

•An ongoing road project at Stadium area, along Ikirun road, Osogbo.

•Another completed road in Erin-Osun.

•A completed road in Ilobu.

10 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, November 4, 2014MAGAZINE

Contiuned on page 13•Another section of stalls within the Ayegbaju Market, Osogbo.

Great Are Your Legacies! (IV)Continued from page 7


stages of completion and almost ready for officialcommissioning / delivery.

The year 2014 have started pretty well indeed! Fromthe start of the year, the hope had been high that moreand more in the line-up of public schools being erectedin the state shall be officially commissioned anddelivered. This hope has not been betrayed during thefirst quarter of the year. During the month of February,the first in the list of completed elementary schools inthe state was officially commissioned and delivered foruse. The Baptist Central Elementary School, Ilare, Ile-Ife, which official commissioning was held on TuesdayFebruary 18 witnessed massive turnout of residents ofIle-Ife, members of the political class and the entirepeople of the State of Osun – all of who were full of joyand prayers for the governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesolaand his team. The elementary school is one of the thirteen(13) units of its sort being put in place in the state.

The governor and other members of the StateExecutive Council present at the occasion of officialcommissioning appeared in the uniform of elementaryschools in the state; another initiative of theadministration.

In his address at the occasion, Governor Aregbesolasaid:

“The ongoing monumental transformation ofeducation in the State of Osun is unstoppable. Nobodycan stop us.

“Even if we have to step on toes, we shall continueto build a solid future for generations yet unborn. Theschool is not for Muslims, Christians or traditionalistsbut rather for the people of the State of Osun.

The education of our children must be taken seriouslyand we must not play pranks with it under any guise tosecure the future of our state and society at large”

In renewing his affirmation for the turnaround of theeducation sub-sector of the state, Aregbesola stated thatthe vision of his administration was to build aneducational system that would produce great men andwomen in the society. In addition to the afore-mentioneddata of thirteen (13) elementary school and fourteen(14) middle school building projects, there are still twelveunits of high school building projects ongoing in thestate. The governor however promised the delivery andofficial commissioning of all the projects before the endof his administration’s tenure of office.

In his graphical analysis conducted at the occasion,Governor Aregbesola made it known that hisadministration was spending on annual basis a whoopingsum of N27.1 Billion on teachers’ salaries and pension,while the Opon Imo project had so far gulped N1.2Billion. He put the capital expenditure so far on educationat N31. 1 Billion.

In her earlier speech at the occasion, the Deputy

Governor of the State of Osun, who doubles as theCommissioner for Education, Otunba (Mrs.) GraceTitilayo Laoye-Tomori revealed that the school has tent-five (25) classrooms, with capacity to accommodateone-thousand (1,000) pupils with other modern facilitieslike two (2) staff common rooms, one (1) office eachfor the headmaster and assistant headmaster, and a diningroom. Others are modern sports field, and other featuresthat make the school able to compete favourably withprivate schools anywhere in the contemporary Nigeria.She further had the following to say:

“The school symbolizes possibilities and that changeis inevitable. Despite the fact that some people aremischievous about the project, the government is righton top of the situation and we shall continue to worktowards better future for our children”

LOTS have been achieved in the Education sub-sectorof the State of Osun during the first tenure of theadministration in office. As a matter of fact, it can beargued with all justification that the sub-sector has beenone of the most versatile in the state. Events andprogrammes which took place in the sub-sector withinthis period have so far been under review.

Series of editions have been devoted to consummateconsideration of the prospects of the education sub-sector of the Social Services Sector of the state’seconomy. In this connection the achievements of theincumbent administration in the sub-sector during theyear and in its entire three year plus in the saddle ofgovernance were relayed. These were brought back tomemory so as to actually capture the mood of the peopleand to make out the expectations of the people from thefinal blueprints of the year 2014 Appropriation Act. Priorto the consideration of the Education sub-sector, wegave consideration to the Agricultural sub-sector. Judgingfrom the line-up of achievements in the various spheresof life, it became a safe conclusion that the people expectnothing short of greater giant strides in the varioussectors of the state’s economy in the current year. Nowthat the year is almost at its end, and as a fresh tenureof office is almost commencing for the Aregbesolaadministration, expectations are very higher that loftygrounds are going to be reached for the state in the sub-sector.

t is in a bid to arrest the spate of perennial acuteshortage of teachers in our schools and concomitantlyensuring effective teaching and learning activities inschools that the incumbent administration has embarkedon massive recruitment and selection processes forqualified, quality, competent and experienced teachersfor engagement at our Primary and Secondary levels.This step, apart from being a necessity to compensatefor the ravaging neglect of the past; became necessary

to take adequate and abundant care of the explodingenrolment figures in schools, following the introductionof a true, functional and qualitative education at thoselevels. Specifically, various selection exercises have sofar been conducted by the State Universal BasicEducation Board (SUBEB) and the State Post-PrimaryTeaching Service Establishment and PensionsCommission (TESEPC), involving various numbers ofcandidates successfully absorbed into the teachingservice of the state. Following the large number ofretirees in the state’s teaching service at the end of the2012 fiscal year; arrangements were put in place in year2013 to get a huge number of teachers employed inreplacement for the retired ones. This plan saw the lightof day as the year witnessed massive recruitment andselection of teachers at those levels of education. Withproper inauguration of appropriate boards in particular,provision of required number and quality of teachingpersonnel has begun to receive greater attention in thepast year. In this direction, greater attention is anticipatedto come this year.

In addition to these numbers of teachers engaged,selection has also been made for competent and qualifiedteachers among the volunteer cadets of the popular OsunYouth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) and thosehitherto employed by the Parents-Teachers’ Association(PTA). According to plan, the process of recruitmentof teachers, which had been on, and was billed forcompletion within the first quarter of 2012, is intendedto be a continuous process. What this implies is thateven during the New Year, another batch of massiverecruitment and selection of teachers is expected to becarried out for existing and continuously-openingvacancies in the elementary and secondary rungs of theeducation ladder.

Also in the area of education, the governor noted thatit was in his administration’s bid to ameliorating thesuffering of parents, guardians and students thatreduction was effected in the exorbitant fees beingcharged by the authorities of the Osun State University(UNIOSUN). A similar gesture was extended to all othertertiary institutions owned by the state. These includethe Osun State Polytechnic (OSPOLY), Iree; the OsunState College of Technology (OSCOTECH), Esa-Oke;the Osun State College of Education (OSCOED), Ilesa;and the Osun State College of Education (OSCOED) ,Ila-Orangun.

The Government of the State, the governor declared,had abrogated all forms of charges in our public schools.To achieve effectiveness in teaching and learning, theexamination and running grants being released quarterlyby the government to the public secondary schools inthe state have been increased by over 300 per cent. Itwas promised that the Aregbesola administration shall

11 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, November 4, 2014 MAGAZINE

•Building of AUD Middle School, Araromi, Iwo under the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.


Continued from page 10

continue to give the deserved attention to the welfareof teachers in 2012. This promise was redeemed allthrough the year, and this shall surely continue throughthe New Year, judging by the level of recognition beingcurrently accorded to teachers and the teachingprofession. It is placed on record how in the year 2012teachers in the high echelon in the state were elevatedto the exalted status of Permanent Secretary, with thedesignation of Tutors General.



We have so far showcased the achievements of theGovernment Unusual of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesolain the State of Osun so far within the short space of itsstay in office; as well as expectations from the budgetfor the current year 2014 in the agricultural andEducation sub-sectors of our economy. Hope springseternal that the entire year shall be full of achievementsthat are laudable and remarkable in these two sub-sectors. We shall now focus on more sectors and sub-sectors of the state’s economy.

Apart from the Free Education Programme at thePrimary and Secondary levels, the Aregbesolaadministration in the state has made remarkableachievements in the educational sub-sector. An instanceof this is the rebranding, repackaging and transformationbrought to bear on the Home-Grown School FeedingProgramme; an old programme of the Yar’Adua /Oyinlola years; which has been resuscitated andrechristened Osun Elementary Schools Free Feeding and

Health Programme (O’Meal). With the reorganizationand resuscitation of the programme, all the pupils inprimaries one to three in public schools in the State ofOsun are now covered under the free feeding programmewhich offers them wide assortments of highly nutritiousmeals during the school hours. Even meals that are notserved in routine menu in conventional practice, likequality chocolate, milk, eggs and chicken are on the listof regular menu of the feeding programme. During thecurrent year however, the coverage of the feedingprogramme has been extended to cover Primary Four;with the possibilities of getting the coverage furtherexpanded at some non-distant future date.

In addition, the poor condition of infrastructure inpublic schools in the state is already being radicallyreversed. Towards this end, the first phase of theconstruction of New Model 100 Elementary Schools,50 Middle and 20 High Schools is in top gear. The just-concluded fiscal year 2012 witnessed massivereconstruction and rehabilitation of the dilapidated schoolbuildings inherited by the administration of the day fromthe inept administration of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.This, the governor noted, is in consonance with theteam’s determination to raise the standard of educationin our dear state.

Consequent to the first-ever Education Summit heldfor the State of Osun referred to above, there wasconducted a wide-covering inspection of schools andtheir facilities throughout the state; as well as requisitiongiven to all principals and head teachers to give the rollof dilapidated structures in their respective schools; soas to give government the cues to follow in its demolitioncum reconstruction bids via the instrumentality of theState of Osun Schools Infrastructure DevelopmentProject Committee (O’SCHOOLS). The committee, anintervention initiative of the incumbent administrationaimed at reducing and even totally eradicating the untoldrisks of life to which users of the infrastructure (teachersand pupils alike) had been hitherto exposed. Accordingto the Chairman of the committee, Otunba LaiOyeduntan, by the middle of the year, most of the newlyreconstructed school buildings shall have been delivered,completed and ready for official commissioning. Thisfeat has been achieved as at date. As at the time of toll-taking and commencement of the reconstruction work,nothing less than four thousand and fifty-five (4,055)dangerously dilapidated structures had been demolishedthroughout the entire public schools in the state, as theyconstitute terrible risks to the lives of their users.

Responding to questions bordering on allegations ofindiscriminate demolition of school building structuresfrom the camp of die-hard opposition party, the People’sDemocratic Party (PDP); the Chairman made it knownthat there were only few cases of wholesale demolitionof structures; which was carried out only in placeswhere the schools were billed for immediate

reconstruction. In furtherance of his exposition,Oyeduntan revealed that there were only twenty-four(24) of such cases.

According to Oyeduntan, one of the major motiveswhich served as impetus for the massive reconstructionof schools in the state; apart from saving the lives ofusers from the horrendous fangs of dilapidatedstructures was to make our school structures, furnitureand other infrastructure compliant with the standardsand requirements of the Twentieth Century. This goal isalso being currently achieved.

Other achievements of the government of the daythrough the State of Osun Schools Infrastructure includethe massive use of local contents – local contractors,local suppliers of materials, local patronage of suppliersthrough procurement of manufactured materials fromtheir sellers within the state; as well as the productiveengagement of craftsmen and artisans with a view toinjecting enormous cash into the economy of the statefor the betterment of all. According to him, as the OsunYouth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) has been injectingabout N200 Million into the economy of the state onmonthly basis; so the O’SCHOOLS is doing valiantly towrestle the state and its residents from poverty, penury,sloth and woe.

Concerning the restructuring process in the educationstructure of the state, the state is well on course toaccomplishing the meaningful categorization of stagesof schooling into Elementary, Middle and High schools.By the resumption of schooling activities for a freshsession 2013/2014 academic year next September, thenew categorization and dichotomization would haveformed proper shape. These are all a tip of the icebergin the strings of successes recorded by the Aregbesolaadministration for the mid-term period under appraisal.

It is in a bid to arrest the spate of perennial acuteshortage of teachers in our schools and concomitantlyensuring effective teaching and learning activities inschools that the incumbent administration has embarkedon massive recruitment and selection processes forqualified, quality, competent and experienced teachersfor engagement at our Primary and Secondary levels.This step, apart from being a necessity to compensatefor the ravaging neglect of the past; became necessaryto take adequate and abundant care of the explodingenrolment figures in schools, following the introductionof a true, functional and qualitative education at thoselevels. Specifically, various selection exercises have sofar been conducted by the State Universal BasicEducation Board (SUBEB) and the State Post-PrimaryTeaching Service Commission (TESCOM), involvingvarious numbers of candidates successfully absorbedinto the teaching service of the state. Following the largenumber of retirees in the state’s teaching service at the


OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, November 4, 2014 MAGAZINE 12

•A recently commisssioned road in Ilesa.

Great Are Your Legacies! (IV)end of the 2012 fiscal year; arrangements have already

been concluded during the first half of year 2013 to geta huge number of teachers employed in replacementfor the retired ones. This new employment roll shall bemade prominently manifest by the beginning of the nextacademic session in September 2013.

In addition to these numbers of teachers engaged,selection has also been made for competent and qualifiedteachers among the volunteer cadets of the popular OsunYouth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) and thosehitherto employed by the Parents-Teachers’ Association(PTA). According to Ogbeni Arregbesola, the processof recruitment of teachers, which was then on, andbilled for completion within the first quarter of 2012,was intended to be a continuous process.

Also in the area of education, the governor noted thatit was in his administration’s bid to ameliorating thesuffering of parents, guardians and students thatreduction was effected in the exorbitant fees beingcharged by the authorities of the Osun State University(UNIOSUN). A similar gesture was extended to all othertertiary institutions owned by the state. These includethe Osun State Polytechnic (OSPOLY), Iree; the OsunState College of Technology (OSCOTECH), Esa-Oke;the Osun State College of Education (OSCOED), Ilesa;and the Osun State College of Education (OSCOED) ,Ila-Orangun.

The Government of the State, the governor declared,had abrogated all forms of charges in our public schools.To achieve effectiveness in teaching and learning, theexamination and running grants being released quarterlyby the government to the public secondary schools inthe state have been increased by over 300 per cent. Itwas promised that the Aregbesola administration shallcontinue to give the deserved attention to the welfare ofteachers in 2012. This promise was redeemed all throughthe year, and this shall surely continue through the NewYear, judging by the level of recognition being currentlyaccorded to teachers and the teaching profession. It isplaced on record how in the year 2012 teachers in thehigh echelon in the state were elevated to the exaltedstatus of Permanent Secretary, with the designation ofTutors-General.



Last year, it was in full realization of the vibrant roleand the auspicious place of Education sub-sector of theSocial Services Sector to the socio-economic life andpolitical emancipation of the State of Osun and theliberation of the people that the incumbent administrationaccorded to it a total allocation of N13.7 Billion or 18.8per cent of its total capital budget; though that initialbudgetary provision later on got reviewed upwardly,following the consideration of the State of Osun Houseof Assembly.

This year alone, there have been tremendousachievements recorded for the Education sub-sector inthe state. Apart from the State of Osun Schools UniformScheme (O’Uniform) other strings of successes havefollowed. Chiefest of them all; which is among thefundamental firsts which the administration has recordedso far is the introduction of the computer-like deviseinto the teaching-learning programme at the SeniorSecondary level of education in the state. The programmecalled Tablet of Knowledge (Opon Imo) has broughtlots of improvements in to the learning processes atthat stage as well eased the process of getting the state’scandidates for external examinations adequately preparedfor success. Lots have already been written on the nitty-gritty of the Tablet of Knowledge (Opon Imo) our earliereditions. The launch however eventually saw the lightof day in the month of May this year.

Also during the month of May, precisely on Mondaythe 27th, the annual globally-held Children’s Daycelebrations took a different turn in the State of Osun.This was as at the instance of the Government Unusualof Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola the first-ever O’odua WorldChildren’s Day Celebration was organized and held. Theevent, a unifying force for all offspring of legendaryOduduwa in Nigeria and in the Diaspora, turned out tobe a convergence of all children, adult and traditional(royal) fathers of Yoruba extraction spread across theglobe.

At the event of the day, representatives and

contingents present included those from about ten statesin the federation of Nigeria, those from the neighbouriingold Dahomey Kingdom (now Republic of Benin), andthose from other parts of the universe, with the inclusionof the United States of America (USA), the Americasand the Caribbean. It was really a colourful and eventfulprogramme. The states within the federation include thehost state, the State of Osun. Others are Lagos, Oyo,Ogun, Ondo and Ekiti States. We also had in attendanceother states like Kwara, Kogi, Edo and Delta states. Apartfrom an impressive turnout from almost all royal fathersfrom the host state at the event, royal fathers from otherplaces outside the State of Osun include the Alaafin ofOyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III; the Aseyin ofIseyin; and the Eleruwa of Eruwa. Royal fathers fromthe Republic of Benin include the Olupopo of Popo;Onisabe of Sabe and Oniketu of Ketu among others.

Through the auspices presented by the programme,youths from those different states mentioned above andthose from other parts were able to interact andcooperate with love and share commonalities. As itturned out, and as Governor Aregbesola himself pointedat the programme, the event of May 27, held at themain bowl of the Osogbo Township Stadium underconstruction marked the largest-ever held congregationof black nationalities anywhere in the world. The greatestachievement of the event was bringing together after along period of conflict two prominent and frontlineYoruba royal fathers, the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba LamidiOlayiwola Adeyemi III; and the Ooni of Ife, His ImperialMajesty, Oba Okunade Sijuade, Olubuse II.

Recently, the third in the series of quiz competitionsannually held in commemoration of the birthday of theinternationally reputed literary icon and Nobel Laurel inLiterature, Professor Oluwole Akinwande Soyinka washeld, with the State Government of Osun taking theposition of a leading light. This year’s episode, markingthe academic giant’s 79th birthday had the involvementof seventy-nine youths for the finals which were heldin the Government House of the State of Osun inOsogbo, the state capital. The aim of the programmetranscends merely celebrating the excellence radiatedby Soyinka, but raising future stars among our youths;who would project our image in the future; even afterwe might have been long-gone!

We have so far showcased the achievements of theGovernment Unusual of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesolain the State of Osun within the space of the first fouryears of the administration in the agricultural andEducation sub-sectors of our economy. With our nextedition in the Magazine segment, more sectors and sub-sectors shall be explored.

To be continued.

Continued from page 11

13 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, November 4, 2014POLITICS

The change of baton in the All Progressives Congress (APC), State of Osun, carries with it theburden of positioning the party for greater advantage, writes OLUSESI ISAAC.

Burden Of Osun APC New Executive CouncilE

NTER Prince Adegboyega Famodun;Elder Adelowo Adebiyi, out. No onemade a political virtue of tears.

There was only smile, the smile ofcorporate achievements of the duo, as ateam. No one carried a plastered smile.The glow of smile was not faint. Happinesson both sides was full. Not dimmed. Noone had happiness snuffed out of him andno conspiracy to deny anyone ofhappiness. No one was depressed at theevent of the change of baton, either.

And nothing put a damper on ourcollective celebration of the event – theinauguration of Famodun, and thevaledictory of Adebiyi. The former is theState of Osun new Chairman of the AllProgressives Congress (APC), the rulingpolitical party in the state; and the latter,is the out gone party chairman whosetenure was neither cruelly abridged, normade the party go through the mill ofunedifying history or procession of shame,gloom, misery and failure.

The event venue is Nelson MandelaFreedom Park, Osogbo, the state capital;and the event, a Saturday ago was the bestof events. No one wimped out and no onewimpished, or winced. No one’s spirit wasbroken. A broken spirit, if any at all, isonly the midwife of a new spirit. Nocontradictions exploded in anybody’s face;no sign of distaste, looming in the horizon.And no atmosphere of genial indifferenceat the event. The event was theinauguration of Famodun, the State ex-secretary of the party, a historic advanceon the last. And there was a hug here, ahandshake there. There was a shout forjoy that reverberated cross-culturally, fromthe huge crowd to the podium; and quickand fast, in reverse order, just as the StateGovernor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola chargedthe new party leadership to nib in the bud,the lies and deception being paddled bythe Osun opposition party, the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) by letting thepublics know the truth.

Addressing the crowd, Aregbesolacaptured the moods and colours of all inhis charismatic, short address as hefurther charged the party new executivesto embark on deliberate and consciousmobilization of the masses of Osun, theirparticipation, socialization and educationfor the building of democracy. AndFamodun where he stood in strict alert,taking the oath of office as APC newChairman, is not unaware of theengagingly robust logic of the historicmoment. His postulations have alwaysbeen anchored on his personal values ofhonesty, sincerity, team spirit and round-table talk.

Hear the new first partyman in Osun:”Weare prepared to listen to others andconsult other leaders of our party. We willnot be sectional. Rather, we will besensitive to different and sometimescontrasting backgrounds and orientationsof party members,” pledging that hisadministration will “ensure openness,fairness and level-playing ground as wellas ensure that the welfarism and goodgovernance of our dear governor, OgbeniRauf Aregbesola continue unabated, untilthe development becomes irreversible inour dear state”. Indeed, the new partychairman is one, totally adrift withidolization of indolence; he is workaholic.

A graduate of North London Polytechnicsin Purchase and Supply, Famodun is a lightthat has never been hidden under a bushelas he crosses from one familiar landmarkto another and sets the pace by his highethical restraints in the discharge of hisresponsibilities. In 1983, he was AssistantSenatorial Secretary of the defunctNational Party of Nigeria (NPN); electedChairman, Boripe Local GovernmentCouncil (1990-1993); State Chairman,Democratic Party of Nigeria (DPN), (1994-1998); State Chairman, All Peoples Party(APP) (1998-1999); and State Chairman ofAdvanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) in2006. In the different epochs, the new StateChairman of APC, reportedly serveddiligently and unobtrusively. He is reputedto be as wise as he’s selfless, and he’s as

jealous of his integrity as he’s passionateabout his service to humanity and thewelfare of those around him. I can sumhim up as a Force for Utilitarian Good; andI can testify that his profound infectiouscommitment to the party is Best for theparty.

Famodun, with his State new executivecouncil of APC is happy to the marrow; andAdebiyi, the out gone chairman is happierthat he’s not succeeded by small mindsand Lilliputians. Both Adebiyi, andFamodun, then as party State secretary area story of achievements. “No executive ofany political party in the history of the statehas been able to meet theirachievements,” the governor noted as hecommended the out gone executives.

The duo of Adebiyi and Famodun hadthe exceptional priviledge that deliveredtotal landslide electoral victories, in theApril 14, 2011 general elections and in theAugust 9, 2014 governorship election, tothe party, APC. They both successfullysupervised the transmutation of ActionCongress Nigeria (ACN) to the magnificentAPC, meaning that they both shoulderedgreater responsibility of unification andstability of the new and larger progressiveAPC. The transmutation as supervised bythe Adebiyi-Famodun team safeguardedthe Osun APC’s time tested culture ofcohesion, unity, discipline, solidarity andinterest articulation from diving into sheerpolitical immaturity and anarchy,insensate hostility and mutual suspicion,and unbridled antagonism and acts ofincendiary.

Adebiyi and Famodun, in unison gavethe ACN, later APC in the state criticallyrequired administrative growth anddevelopment. The state executive councilof the party, under their cooperativecaptainship, took policy steps that actuallyinstitutionalized APC as a party to beatalso in terms of stability, welfare,membership arithmetic, party groups

multiplication and mobilization of diversepublics for the party.

Indeed, Famodun and his new teamthat also makes the state workingcommittee of the party are no small mindsand Lilliputians that one finds in theopposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),the party that has tragically lost interestin protecting the party from wastage. Likea malignant cancer, the metaphor ofwastage has overtaken every facet of PDP.Wastage has become the dominantspecimen, the all-embracing formula forthe tragedy of the party. The PDP creepingcancer of wastage has wasted the party’sbest and brightest politicians, to APC atall levels of government and politics inNigeria.

Which explains that Famodun hasgreater burden of leadership as hecontends with the wastage of the PDP’sbest and brightest politicians into OsunAPC; the burden of regularly criticalappraisal and synthesis of thedecampees’ political values and politicalloyalties; the burden of tilting positivelythe political attitude and behaviour of theentire new men and women in the party;the burden of generating populardisposition in terms of loyalty, allegianceand willingness in the old and new partypeople to have concerns above parochialconcerns; and the burden of effectivemanagement of conflicts in the dailyinteractions within the party.

As though conflict management seemsa lot easier in APC, than in PDP where asimilar change of party executive councilwould naturally lead to flexing of musclesor exchanges meant to show raw power,arrogance of office and shamelessexhibition of clowns such that the PDPbecomes embattled by the devaluation ofits moral authorities, staggering as usualfrom storms and stress, and trial anddepression to constantly unresolvedinternal rift and hemorrhage.

The PDP’s general operations, fromobvious lack of leadership alwaysgenerate enormous conflicts, caused bydissension about collective goals, theuneven distribution of authority amongconstituents, violation of the rules,unbalanced allocation of values, anddissension about method of change. Theparty, the PDP relishes the thought ofviolence, wide and wild violence in thematter of change, even at the leastprovocation.

But Famodun and his executive council,from assessment are a corps of wizards inthe game of party politics and partyadministration, with a flair for removinginstitutional obstacles to popularparticipation of the party people in partyaffairs. The Osun APC new leadershipknows, the party people are the defendersof internal democracy and internal justice;while everyone outside the party knows,democracy is best facilitated by goodleadership, and best corrupted by themanipulation of popular wishes.

The Osun APC, the party ideology, theparty symbol and the party songsexperienced and shared in common byparty members, perform enormousintegration functions; and the Famodunexecutive council as integration medium,will further simplify the party integrationprocess, as the father simplifies theunification of the family. The council knowsthat the greater its unification power, thegreater the visibility of the party, that alsodetermines the conditions under whichdemocracy in Osun will continue to besustained and consolidated. That is whythe difference between party survival orbreakdown is a question of politicalengineering.

Famodun should note that if heengineers slowly when tackling seriousparty issues, he might be accused ofprocrastination or deacceleration. Manywould want to write him off as indecisiveand accuse him of ineptitude in agovernment of Osun that is in a hurry fordevelopment. And if he is one who doesnot brook lethargy; dispatch is his word,then, paradoxically he might be hailed fordecisiveness or be hated for indecenthaste. It is for him and other people in theOsun APC State new executive council thatthe axiom, ‘make haste slowly’ is invented.But Famodun is a wasp in politics like JohnMcEnro, the American Lawn Tennis star isa wizard in the lawn game. Famodun’spolitical values have taken root and hisloyalty to the party is firm. He has personalattributes which are sterling; of royal birth,he is at home with the royalty as he’s evenat ease with the lowly. And luckily for him,the governor ’s six-point integral actionpact with Osun people are enchanting andon course.

I celebrate the enduring influence ofFamodun’s “alma mater” the KMC, Igbajo -the crucible that moulded his personalityand burnished his character of soul andmind. And his wife says, “he’s truly acherished and trusted fellow, dogged andrugged, and selfless and humble, as wellas diligent and honest.”

While the ceremony and celebration,after inauguration was done in style; andeverybody, gorgeously look, dressed thatspelt happiness as they exchangedpleasantries, enlivened by tantalizingmeals and entertaining music. It was aunique exhibition of Yoruba, Hausa andIbo attires, and extravaganza of APCcustomized wears.

The verdict? The Osun APC newExecutive Council, with passion forhumanity and welfare will build a unitedpolitical family of larger electoral coast,sweeping home victories at all elections.The ultimate burden.

•OLUSESI is Assistant Director,Directorate of Publicity, Research andStrategy, All Progressives Congress (APC),State of Osun.

•FAMODUN

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, November 4, 2014 14

Nigeria’s Unitary Federalism: The MakingOf World’s Most Influential President

•JONATHAN

RECENTLY, Nigeria's PresidentGoodluck Jonathan, through hisSpecial Adviser on Media and

Publicity, Dr Ruben Abati, threatened to suean online website, RichestLifestyle.com andother publications that claimed that MrPresident is the sixth richest AfricanPresident, with a net worth of $100 million.According to Abati, how could PresidentJonathan have muscled up such strengthof wealth; considering the fact that he hasnever done what the likes of Dangote,Otedola or Jimoh Ibrahim of this world knowhow to do best.

Between 1999 and now, Nigeria'spresident has been earning his income viaemoluments accruing from the offices heoccupied. That is going by the defence thatMr President's media aide, Dr Abati,presented.

This foregoing is not particularly aboutthe claim or otherwise of the financialstrengths of President Jonathan. It is aboutthe office of the Nigerian President and theinfluence that anybody occupying the seatcould wield.

Emoluments are monies that an individuallegitimately receives from working. So, ifarguments of Mr President's aide carried theday, how would he push an explanationagainst the fact that President Jonathanoperates most influences; comparingsituations around his current office with thatof his counterparts across moderndemocratic world. The Nigerian Constitution,as it is being interpreted and implementedtoday in the country, arrogates hugefinancial influences, among other ones, tothe office that President Jonathan occupies.This is because several contradictions areobservable in the Nigerian laws. Interpreters,implementers, as well as occupiers of publicoffices, according to the Constitution alsofeast from this unpalatable development.

Critically, the Nigerian state is anoxymoron in the sense that it is a federationonly to the extent that its political structureincludes a Federal Government, stategovernments, and local governmentcouncils. The workings of the politicalsystem as set in the 1999 Constitution isessentially unitary, as practically everypolitical and economic act takes its cue fromthe central government. This is quitecontrary to the tenets of true federalism.

Basically, the principle of federalismprescribes that the central or federalgovernment should exclusively handlematters like foreign policy and entering intotreaties with other states, defence ofterritorial integrity of the nation, issuanceof currency and responsibilities for centralbanking, customs and immigration.Provision of social services, like education,running of hospitals and public health,marriage, divorce, small time crimes shouldbe left to states and local governments.

But that is not the case in Nigeria. TheFederal Government dabbles into practicallyevery aspect of the lives of the citizens thatshould easily be handled by either the statesor local government councils. For instance,all courts are regarded as one unit in thecase of divorce. That is why a divorce casecan be instituted in any part of the countrywithout regard to the residence of the partiesto the divorce case. Too much power,resources and patronage is concentrated atthe centre, to the detriment of the statesand local governments, which now appearas mere appendage to the centralgovernment. Every month, the states, forthemselves, and in proxy for the localgovernment councils, go with a beggingbowl to collect offering from the god namedFederation Accounts Allocation Committeeor FAAC.

The entire Part I of Schedule Two of theConstitution has an almost inexhaustible listof 68 items on the Federal Exclusive

Legislative List: This list covers commerce,arms and defence, aviation, broadcasting,and an imprecise section on "any otherincidental or supplementary to any mattermentioned elsewhere in this list."

Section 80 of the Constitution demandsthat all revenues or other monies raised orreceived by the Federation shall be paid intoone Consolidated Revenue Fund of theFederation; and no money shall bewithdrawn from the Fund except it isauthorized by an Appropriation Act of the(Federal) National Assembly. Section 81empowers only the President of theFederation (in the context of the foregoingPresident Goodluck Jonathan) to cause tobe prepared and sent before the NationalAssembly (NASS), the estimate of theyearly revenue and expenditure of thefederation.

Section 1 of Part II of Schedule Two,(which dwells on powers shared betweenthe Federal and States Governments) stillempowers the NASS to make provisions forthe division of public revenue between thefederation and the states; among the statesof the federation; between the states andthe local government councils; and amonglocal governments in the states.

As if the powers of the centralgovernment are not already too much, thecurrent Nigerian Revenue Allocationformula is as follows: 52 per cent to theFederal Government; 26.72 to all stateGovernments; and 20.60 to all localgovernment councils. This, of course,excludes the 13 per cent deducted and paidto oil-producing states. Even then, theFederal Government still runs two agencies,the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairsand the Niger Delta DevelopmentCommission, on behalf of the oil-producingstates.

Section 21 of the Fiscal ResponsibilityAct of 2007 lists some corporations,agencies, and government-ownedcompanies, whose Chief Executive Officersreport only to the President. In Fiscal Year2014, whereas the entire three arms ofgovernment; Executive, Legislative andJudiciary (with their ministries, departmentsand agencies) spent a measly N4.6 trillion,whereas these 31 autonomous agencies,that have no need to apply for an authorityto incur expenditure, spend a whopping N12trillion! This is another way of saying thatthe NASS need not formally pass anAppropriation Act before these agenciescan spend money.

These agencies simply provide only anabridged version of their annual earningsand expenditure to the NASS, which simplyglosses over same, and approve as is,whereas Section 56 of the FiscalResponsibility Act, titled: 'Budget Circular,'prescribes "the submission, in a prescribedform, of the revenue and expenditureestimates of ministries, extra-ministerialdepartments, and other executing agenciesof Government...; and gives detailedguidelines and instructions on thepreparation of the estimates andexpenditure..."

These agencies are: Nigerian NationalPetroleum Corporation; Nigeria Depositinsurance Corporation; Bureau of PublicEnterprise; National Agency for Science andEngineering Infrastructure; Nigerian SocialInsurance Trust Fund; Corporate AffairsCommission; National Clearing andForwarding Agency; Nigerian Unity Line;Nigerian Airspace Management Agency;Nigerian Shippers Council; NationalMaritime Authority; Raw Material Researchand Development Council; Nigerian CivilAviation Authority; National SugarDevelopment Council; Nigerian PostalService; Nigerian Ports Authority; andFederal Airport Authority of Nigeria.

Others are Nigerian Mining Corporation;Nigeria Re-insurance; Nigerdock NigeriaPLC; Securities and Exchange Commission;National Insurance Corporation of Nigeria;Nigeria Re-insurance Corporation; NigerianTelecommunication; National AutomotiveCouncil; Nigerian Tourism Development;National Communication Commission;National Agency for Food & DrugAdministration & Control; NigerianCustoms Service; Federal Inland RevenueService; and Central Bank of Nigeria. Anyother agency may be included by theMinister of Finance through a local notice.

Sections 230 and 238 of the Constitutionrespectively empower the President of theFederation (again in this context PresidentJonathan) to appoint both the Chief Justiceof the Federation and the Chief Judge ofthe Federal Court of Appeal. And, of course,the Chief Justice of the Federation is theChairman of the National Judicial Council.In addition to Section 21(a) and (b) of Part Iof the Third Schedule of the Constitutionthat empowers the National Judicial Councilto recommend the appointment anddiscipline of Chief Justice of the Federationand other Federal Judiciary officers, Section21 (c) and (d) also empower the NationalJudicial Council to recommend theappointment and discipline of State ChiefJudges and other state judiciary officers.One can see that the entire judiciary systemtrickles down from the Presidency.

There is more to the powers andinfluences of President Jonathan todispense patronage: Section 153 of theConstitution gives him powers to constitutethe Independent National EconomicCommission, National PopulationCommission, National Judicial Council,Federal Judicial Commission, NationalDefence Council, National Security Council,Nigeria Police Council, Police ServiceCommission, Revenue Mobilization andFiscal Commission, Federal Civil ServiceCommission, Federal CharacterCommission, and the Code of ConductBureau.

One vital aspect where the Nigerianfederal system deviates from that of theUnited States of America is that no state isallowed to have its own Constitution.Whereas in the days of Nigeria's FirstRepublic, each Region had its ownConstitution. That is no longer the case.

These days, Nigeria's federalismfunctions like a military chain of command,which is essentially command and control.There is hardly a clear separation of powersin the three arms; the Legislative, Executive,and Judiciary, and of the three tiers; theFederal, States, and Local GovernmentCouncils.

Most of the resources go to the FederalGovernment, with the Constitutionguaranteeing its supremacy in practicallyevery aspect of the people's life, includingthe monopoly of the use of state coercivepowers, like the military, the police, and thesecret services. It is upon such oxymoronin the Nigeria's federalism that PresidentJonathan and his ruling party, PDP, roderoughshod on Nigerians and particularly onOsun people during the last governorshipelection, when he deployed over 73,000security agents alongside billions of Nairato Osun. It is upon this that monthlyallocation to states has been continuouslydecreasing since last year. With that number,insurgency in the Nigerian North East wouldhave gone with history. Hence, it indeed isa misnomer, and mis-judgment, to refer toNigeria's 1999 Constitution as a federalconstitution. In any case, it bears theimprimatur of a military government.

•Mabayoje sent in this piece from Lagos.

By ADEBAYO MABAYOJE

FEATURE

15OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, November 4, 2014 FEATURE

Aregbesola's Latest Application To Dismiss Omisore's Petition:

Technicality Or Sound Principle Of Law?

•OMISORE•AREGBESOLA

By IBRAHIM LAWAL

IT is no longer newsthat Otunba Iyiola Omisore headedfor the Election Petition Tribunal

in Osogbo to challenge the victoryof Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola at the just-concluded gubernatorial election held onthe August 9, 2014 in the State of Osun.It is also very interesting that efforts ofthe PDP before, during and after the filingof the petition at the Tribunal Registry,have been of high level drama ofabsurdities.

There have been ridiculousallegations by the PDP of APC’s deliberateeffort at frustrating their quest to getjustice at the tribunal. There have beenridiculous claims by the PDP and theirhirelings to give impression that they wererigged out in the just-concluded election,despite the shenanigans and raw showof force displayed by the “AlmightyFederal Government” by unleashing themost wicked terror on innocent citizensof our dear state for belonging to a partyother than PDP through which they havebeen inflicting untold hardship on haplessNigerians since 1999.

They went to the extent of shouting atthe rooftops about a purported evasionof service of their petitionby Aregbesola, as if there was noprovision for substituted service in law.They gave the impression to the generalpublic that they were a serious partyand in a hurry to diligently pursue apetition that would see their emergenceas the next government in our dear state.The desperation of Omisore’s PDP is somuch that they result to outright falsehoodby concocting fake figures showing thatthey are well ahead of the legitimatewinner of the election. Some of theirmembers even boast on the social mediathat come November27, 2014, Iyiola Omisore is going to besworn-in as governor. It was so bad thatthe chair of the tribunal had to clear theair on the fabricated figures and warnedof dire consequences for a repeat of suchshameful act.

With the speed atwhich Omisore’s PDP had gone aboutconducting their case on the pages ofnewspapers and social media, one wouldhave thought that they would be diligentenough to pursue the petitionwith vigour at the tribunal. Despite thearrays of Senior Advocates of Nigeriaparaded by the petitioners, a majordamage has been done to the petition,which has rendered it null and void. Theonly good thing that can be done to suchincurably bad petition is for the tribunalto give it a decent burial by dismissing itin its entirety.

The Electoral Act 2010 (as amended)is the law guiding election-relatedmatters, including election petitions. TheFirst Schedule to the Electoral Actprovides a guide for filing of andprocedure to be followed in electionpetition. By virtue of Paragraph 16 (1) ofthe First Schedule to the Electoral Act2010 as amended, the petitioners(Omisore and PDP) have 5 days withinwhich to file any Reply to the Replies ofthe petitioners. TheOgbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s reply wasserved on the petitioners on October9, 2014, but they purportedly filed a replywith respect thereto on October 14, 2014and served same on Aregbesola onOctober 15, 2014.

In essence, Omisore and PDP ought tohave filed their reply toAregbesola’s defence on the October13, 2014 and not October 14, as hepurportedly did. This conclusion foundsolace in the decision of the Court ofAppeal in Aroh v. Odedo (2011) LPELR-9202 (CA) at pages 15-16 paragraphs E-E.

This mistake of the petitioners by theirrefusal to file the reply to the respondent’sreply within time has rendered thepurported reply filed on the October 14,2014 null and void. The legal effect isthat the pleadings in this petitions aredeemed closed on the date of service ofthe respondents’ replies on the petitioners.For all intent and purposes, the active datewhen the pleadings closed in this petitionis therefore on October 9, 2014. The petitioners’ obligation to apply for theissuance of Pre-hearing Notice in FormTF007 lapsed on that day by the provisionof Paragraph 18 (1) of the First Scheduleto the Electoral Act, 2010.

By the record of the tribunal and theCertified True Copy (CTC) ofacknowledgement of service of allprocess in possession of the respondents,it is clear beyond any iota of doubt thatthe 7 days the petitioners are expected toapply for the issuance of Form TF007started on 10/10/2014, when all therespondents served their respective replieson the petitioners. The time to do so endedon 16/10/2014. Consequently, the 7 days’limit to apply for the issuance of FormTF007 has expired and same cannot beextended.

The implication of the failure to applyfor the issuance of the Pre-hearingSession Notice as in Form TF007therefore renders the petition abandoned. This position of the law was establishedin Okereke v.Yar’Adua (2008) 12 NWLR(Pt. 1100) 95 where the Supreme Court,interpreting Paragraph 3(1) of thePractice Direction 2007 (which provisionis in pari materia with paragraph 18 (1)of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act2010) held that petitioner’s failure tocomply with such provision relating toissuance of pre-hearing session is fataland the tribunal is empowered to treatthe petition as abandoned. The courtfurther held that a party, who has failedto issue a pre-hearing form would bearthe consequence of dismissal of thepetition.

I have read on various media, thePDP’s claim that the application soughtto be heard by Aregbesola and APC ismere technicality aimed at delayingthe hearing of the petition. This claim isnothing but an idle talk, as the SupremeC o u r tin Okereke v. Yar’Adua emphasised thefundamental nature of the pre-hearingsession and the need for its strictcompliance. The court summarised thelaw thus:

“Pre-trial sessions in the presentdispensation are a condition precedentbefore a tribunal or court can proceed toentertain any election petition or mattersrelating thereto. The position of the lawis trite that no matter how well-conducted,where a court lacks the competence andjurisdiction to entertain a matter, theproceedings conducted thereon are a

nullity.”

To add salt to the injury alreadysuffered by Omisore and the PDP throughtheir lackadaisical attitude, the Court ofAppeal in ACN V. NOMIYE (2011)LPELR-3590 (CA) Page 34 paras D-F,having considered the full import ofParagraph 18 of the First Schedule to theElectoral Act, 2010 (as amended) held asfollows:

“The application for issuance of Pre-hearing notice (in whatever form) mustbe made within seven days after the filingand service of the petitioner’s reply onthe respondent or seven days after thefiling and service of the respondent’s replyas the case may be. Failure to complywithin the time frame is fatal to thepetition. Time cannot be extended and thetribunal has no option but to dismiss thepetition.

If with all the noise, the arrays oflawyers and all the lies employed by thePDP, they still fail to adhere strictly totime stipulated for filing processes in theirown petition, it will be too late in the dayto bring in “substantial justice” mantra tosave a petition that is dead on arrival. Ifthe tribunal accedes to Omisore’s requestfor the application to be heard with themain petition, it is just a postponement ofthe dooms day as the petition has suffereda self-inflicted fatal blow and no amountjudicial surgery can save it from thisterminal disease.

• Lawal is the SSA (Legal and JudicialSector Reform) to the Governor, Stateof Osun.

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014

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

By ADE OLUGBOTEMI

THE theatrical

escapade of ourpolitical gladiators in

Nigeria has continued toplunge people in utterbewilderment because asone riddle is at the verge ofbeing decoded, another oneunfolds for attention; thuscompounding the rigmaroleof ever-volatile politicalterrain of the Federal Republic ofNigeria. At least, we have seen that it isonly here in Nigeria that the more youtry to be keenly observant, the less youvisualize telling stories about. I am notsure this is explicitly peculiar to Nigeria,but events over the years are indicativeof the reality that Nigeria is a country tooutwit in the art of muddled scenario.

It is the wish of any politicians, oraspiring political office seekers to riseto pedestal of recognition in office.Everything is done for this purpose, andirrespective of what dirty antics areapplied, beneficiaries believe that merefence-mending effort will be enough toassuage frayed tempers. That is thereason behind the common saying in thepolitical circle that “there is nopermanent friend or foe in politics”. Thisis where the rottenness of politicsdomiciles, because an average typicalpolitician is both a schemer and achameleon. These attributes are appliedin their reticent game to outwit oneanother, and the gains accrued areapportioned according to individualingenuities, positive or negative.

The Speaker of the House ofRepresentatives, Mallam AminuTambuwal, has tasted both the juicy andnot too palatable sides of politics. Hisascendancy to the seat of number fourcitizen in the land was not without itschallenges and stiff opposition from thepowers- that-be in his own party. All top-notch stakeholders in the ruling-PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) were againsthis emergence as Speaker. It took meregoodwill across the rank and file (cuttingacross party line) of House members toensure that PDP’s preferred choice inJadesola Akande, a legislatorrepresenting Oyo State in the lowerchamber was schemed out. The resultof that internal democracy in the Houseof Representatives is there for the wholeworld to see today.

We have suddenly discovered that itis possible for lawmakers to developindependent minds that will shield theirconsciences from the idiocy ofexecutive overbearing. We see adeparture from the inglorious era ofstooge-parliament, when electedlegislators only play the script passedacross by the executive arm. Legislativeprocess has almost turned an executiverubberstamp that is devoid of robustconstitutional debate desirable foroversight scrutiny. Many moves of theexecutive arm have been faulted basedon the resolve to depart from theinglorious era of legislative junketing,

whereby executive bills are given easypassage without thorough scrutiny.

The natural tendency of humanity isto desire privilege and pleasure. Thesure availability of honour, money,opportunities, and other paraphernalia ofoffice at Tambuwal’s beck and call areenough to cause him to stay put withthe ruling-Peoples Democratic Party.Because it is certain from the onset ofJonathan’s tenure that he would seekfor re-election, it is also certain thatTambuwal will remain the Speaker uponhis return to the lower chamber in thefast-approaching general elections. It isthen just rational not to leave certaintyfor uncertainty. Tambuwal must thenhave seen what remains in obscurity formost of us.

The motivator of Tambuwal’sunprecedented move may be unveiledso, so soon, when the dust settles on hisdecamping. The revelations that maylikely come in torrents will no doubt helpthe teeming voting Nigerians decide on

which of the parties and candidates tovouchsafe their votes to at the polls earlynext year. Speaker Tambuwal may nothave such motive as to open any can ofworms yet, the attempt by PDP to venta spleen will definitely force words outof his mouth. My consternationdomiciles in the overall effect suchexchange of banters will have both onthe success of the much-envisagedelections and the socio-political structureof Nigeria. The sitting Speaker of thelower chambers may hold his peace andkeep sealed lips, so long as PDP allowfor natural course of justice.

We must not be surprised if words areforced out the gentleman’s mouththrough reprisal vilifications that PDPmay bring to bear. The security detailsof Mr Speaker have been withdrawn,and people are already sending outwarning signals that PDP may plan forthe worse in terms of the content of theirvindictiveness that may be chargedagainst the innocent. Speaker Tambuwalhas to be careful and be security-

conscious more than ever. This isdefinitely not the best of time totake anything for granted;especially the issue of his personalsecurity and safety. The party towhich he has decamped (APC)must also note that the time ofseeking repose and smirking is notnow, as the endangered cobra thatcomes out of its hiding with a

smiley face is not a best companion forthe hunter.

Few days from now, Nigerians willhave the opportunity to assess thematurity of the people in the lowerchamber. They will see whether ourlegislators are really the executivestooges that most people call them, orthey have come of age to really showobjectivity that distinguishes mostlegislative arm of government in thedeveloped world in Tambuwal’s case.We shall see whether or not fifteenyears of a so-called stable polity hasreally translated to a body of lawmakersthat cannot be tossed around by thosewho are even in the position to learnfrom their robust legislative experience.This period poses a litmus test, and it isyet to be seen if actually our legislatorswill not constitute a threat to thetransition period that will climax inFebruary elections.

It may be that the decision ofTambuwal to settle for Sokoto Stategubernatorial ticket will be an asset tohis new party, after the well-orchestrated conjecture that the manwas eying presidential seat. It is nowvery obvious that the nationwideconsultation, which cut across partydivides prior to the decamping was wellthought out. Nigerians now patientlyawait the outcome of the melodramathat has already led to Tambuwal, asitting Speaker being humiliated with thewithdrawal of his security details by theoverzealous Acting Inspector Generalof Police, who may probably be out todo a dirty job to impress his principal,and possibly convince him that he isqualified to be made a substantiveInspector General.

This is the appropriate time for ourlegal instruments to again be put to testfor the efficiency that ordinary Nigerianshave often clamoured for. Ournationhood is likely to be threatened,depending on how PDP handle thematter of Tambuwal’s cross-over. Amake or mar scenario may soon beunfolding and all those who areinterested in Nigeria’s continuedexistence must really come up withsuggestions and actions that will savethe country from the time-bomb that islikely to set her on fire, if care is nottaken. The ability to overcome thechallenges that this issue of MrSpeaker’s defection will pose will surelymake a greater Nigeria that all of uswill pride ourselves in.

OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank GTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. Allcorrespondence to the Managing Editor, KOLA OLABISI, Telephone: 08033927286 ([email protected]); Editor, KAYODE AGBAJE, Telephone: 0803-388-0205, E-mail:[email protected], [email protected]. ISSN: 0794-8050.Website: www.osundefender.org.

Speaker Tambuwal AndHis Clear Conviction

•TAMBUWAL

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Osun Defender - November 4th 2014, Edition