VOL. 9. NO.111 NNNNN5050505050TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2014

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

Front Page Comment

- Pg 9

- Pg 14

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (right), acknowledging cheers from 2014 intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia,during a farewell ceremony for them at the Governor’s Office, Osogbo, last Thursday.

- See StoryOn Page 2

- Pg 3

How Jonathan’s Security AgentsAttempted To Overrun Osun Govt House

Osun Guber Election:

PDP Election Petition DeemedTo Fail - APC Counsel

- See StoryOn Page

2

Ebola: SuspectedOAU StudentTested Negative– Osun HealthCommissioner

‘Why WeRejectedOmisore InOsun’

How SecurityOperativesBrutalised 84-yr-old, Other APCSupporters On EveOf Osun Poll

- Pgs 12 & 13

Weeks before theAugust 9th gubernato-rial elections which waswon by the pragmaticOgbeni RaufAregbesola of theAPC, it was obviouswe were up againstforces other than thepeople of Osun statewhich naturally shouldbe the determinant of

how the elections willswing. The Allprogressives Congress(APC) still smartingfrom its shockingdefeat in the previousEkiti elections hadliterarily sworn it willlose Osun over its deadbody. The murderousvillain fielded by thePeoples Democratic

The War Called The OsunElections; By Segun Tomori

Party (PDP), outrightlyunpopular with barely a fewdozens of people trailing himat campaigns howeverworethe confidence of aGovernor-In-waiting. Hethey didn’t care a

hoot about thepeople’s wish, allthat matters was thefull compliment ofthe paraphernalia ofState activated by an

imperial Presidentthough utterly clueless,but desperate to addOsun to his conquest infurtherance of his still-born second term bid.So lo and behold, thedie was cast!I havenot been emotionallyattached to anyelections in Nigeria asI was with the Osunelections,

maybe June 12, 1993Presidential electionspresumed to have beingwon by my President,M.K.O Abiola could bean exception.It wasn’t because I hadaffinity with anyone inOgbeni’s government orbecause I enjoyed anyform of patronage butbecause

Continue on pg4

2OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 16, 2014 News

•All Progressives Congress (APC) lawyer, Barrister Kunle Adegoke, answering questions from newsmen after thesitting at the 2014 governorship election tribunal at State High Court, Osogbo, last Thursday. Photo: SEGUN ADEJUMO.

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

PDP Election Petition Deemed To Fail- APC CounselCOUNSEL to Governor Rauf Aregbesola and All

Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Kunle Adegoke, hasaverred that the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party

(PDP) and its candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, before thestate governorship election petition tribunal is deemed to fail.

Benjamin Adekunle, A CourageousSoldier - Aregbesola

Ifon Indigenes Charge GovtOn Cultural Development•Congratulate Aregbesola On Re-election

INDIGENES of Ifon-Orolu in Orolu Local GovernmentCouncil Area of the State of Osun in Lagos State havecalled on the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to

intensify his effort towards tapping abundant naturalresources in the state.

By SHINA ABUBAKAR

Ebola: Osun Trains OfficialsTo Tackle DiseaseSTATE Government of Osun has stated that it has

concluded an arrangement for a special healthtraining programme for no fewer than 3,865

teachers, with a view to tackling any outbreak of EbolaVirus Disease (EVD) in schools across the state ahead ofschools’ resumption slated for September 22.

The State DeputyGovernor andCommissioner forEducation, Otunba (Mrs.)Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, made this knownrecently while speaking ona radio programme in Ilesa.

Laoye-Tomori, whoaffirmed that the State ofOsun has not recorded anycase of Ebola, emphasizedthe need for every parentand guardian to instilcleanliness in their childrenand wards’ basic hygienicpractices through hand-washing, with a view tokeeping them safe from anyoutbreak of EVD.

The deputy governoralso spoke on a wide rangeof issues concerning thestate’s education sector andappreciated people of thestate for their support at thepoll and affirmed that themassive transformationwitnessed so far remains a

tip of the iceberg whencompared with whatGovernor Rauf Aregbesolahas in stock for people ofthe state in his second termin office.

In a related development,the timely intervention ofthe State Deputy Governorhad saved lives of twopeople, who were knockeddown on a motorcyclepopularly called Okada atOke-Omiru junction in Ilesa.

Mrs Laoye-Tomori, whowas on her way to Osogboafter an offical function inIlesa, stumbled on the sceneof the accident and haltedher convoy to personallysupervise the rescue efffort.

She promptly ordered theimmediate transportation ofthe injured commercialmotorcycle rider and thepassenger to the nearesthospital for prompt medicalattention.

This was contained in acongratulatory statementissued after its general meetingand signed by its Chairman andGeneral Secretary, ElderAbolade Larinde and PrinceJide Johnson respectively.

The group disclosed that thecommunity is blessed withmany natural, traditional andcultural resources the stategovernment can tap, as meansof generating income, whileurging the governor to supportand elevate the “Odun AdeOrolu” festival to a state-wideevent.

According to the statement,the festival is incommemoration of the Olufon,as the Aremo Obatala, who isthe custodian of the traditionalwhite-beaded crown known asthe Ade Sesefun.

The group felicitated withthe governor on his re-election,describing it as a victory forthe masses and democracy andfurther commended theelectorate in the state for theirconduct before, during andafter the poll.

It also called on the statetraditional rulers’ council to

continue to play their advisoryrole in a bid to give citizens alevel play field in the affairs ofthe state.

“We advise Osun Council ofObas to intensify their effortsin advisory capacity to ensurethat equity, justice, fairness,transparency and cordiality aremaintained without biasbetween the governments andgoverned,” the statement reads.

It also sought the supportof the various progressive-minded groups and individualsin the state and outside tocooperate with the stategovernment in its effort todevelop the state in the interestof the general masses.

The group then pledged thesupport of indigenes of Ifon-Orolu both at home and in thediaspora to the success of theadministration in the state.

This, according to him, waswhat the counsel to the PDP wasafraid of what made them to bewasting time on service of thepetition on Aregbesola.

He stated this on Friday afterthe sitting of the tribunal, shortlyafter the panel had granted anapplication of counsel to PDPto paste a copy of the petitionon the notice board of the tribunalto represent service on thegovernor.

Adegoke stated that after thetribunal had initially directed thatthe petition should be pasted atthe Government House gate, thestate Attorney General (AG)offered to collect the service ofthe petition based on thegovernor’s order, but the PDPcounsel refused and insisted toreturn to court to report thatsecurity operatives did not allowthem to paste the petition.

He stressed that if the offerof the AG had been taken, thedays would have startedcounting, saying, “they haveonly 180 days to prove theirpetition and we don’t want tosit here and waste our time on apetition that is deemed to fail.

“Why don’t they let usquickly bury it as early aspossible. They are wasting timebecause they don’t want it to diequickly.

“We are ready to collect thepetition anywhere, even in themarket if they are ready to serveit, so that we can go ahead,” hesaid.

Earlier, the tribunal hadrefused an application broughtby the APC seeking the reversalof the order granted the PDP toinspect the election materialsused for the August 9, 2014governorship election on thebasis that precedence was notfollowed.

Aggreeing that the applicationof the PDP was not broughtoutside the pre-trial conferenceas required by the Electoral Act,the tribunal chairman argued thatthere are exceptional cases thatcould warrant granting suchapplications.

He ruled that since theinspection of the materials wasaimed at maintaining andsustaining the petition of thePDP, rejecting the application forinspection would be against theElectoral Act.

After delivering the tribunal’sruling, Justice Ambursa assuredparties in the matter not toentertain any fear as far asdispensation of justice isconcerned, saying he would notbe partisan in the process.

He said: “We have all swornto the Quran or Bible andnobody should think that we canbe used for their wishes. Thatwould not happen here”.

While decrying the fracas thathappened among counsel to bothparties at the INEC secretariaton Wednesday during electionmaterials’ inspection, JusticeAmbrusa called on the lawyersto abide by their callings anddesist from any acts that couldjeopardise the process.

By KEHINDE AYANTUNJI

THE governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola, has joined well-meaning Nigerians incommiserating with the family of the Brigadier-

General Benjamin Adekunle (rtd), popularly known as‘Black Scorpion,’ who passed on to glory on Saturday.

The governor, in astatement by his Director,Bureau of Communicationand Strategy, Mr. SemiuOkanlawon, said the deathof Benjamin Adekunle hasclosed a long chapter in thehistory of the nation, as itrelates to the Nigerian civilwar.

Aregbesola saidAdekunle played a crucialrole in the civil war thatalmost liquidated theNigerian nationhood.

The governor noted thatirrespective of what somepeople might believe or notbelieve about the deceased,Adekunle played a vital rolein making sure Nigeriaremained a united country.

“We receive with heavyheart, the death of one ofNigeria’s finest soldiers,who fought for the unity ofhis country.

“No doubt, he was asoldier of soldiers andcommander of men. Hedistinguished himself in hischosen profession both athome and abroad.

“Adekunle led the ThirdMarine Commando Divisionduring the civil war withsuch great courage anddetermination.

“Up till today, his warexploits in the command ofthe Third Marine remainsubject of discussion acrossNigeria and beyond.

“The history of post-Independence Nigeria andthe crises that threatenedthe young nation’sexistence will be incompletewithout a chapter for thiscourageous soldier.

“We, Government andpeople of Osun, convey ourheartfelt condolences to theimmediate and extended

IF not for the strong will of the electorate and divineintervention, the machinery of the Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP), with active support by the Federal

Government through the presidency, was to enact a chainof events that would have, in the worst scenario, warrantedthe declaration of a state of emergency by PresidentGoodluck Jonathan in the State of Osun.

families of Adekunle, andthe government and peopleof Oyo State.

“We pray that God reposehis gentle soul in paradise,”Aregbesola said.

OSUN DEFENDERgathered from authoritativesources within the PDP, howdays before the August 9,2014 gubernatorial election,the leadership of the party

resolved to have the sittinggovernor and AllProgressives Congresscandidate in the election,Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola,arrested along with his

deputy on the eve of theelection.

The meeting, which washeld at the private residenceof a chieftain of the party inOsogbo, had the currentserving Minister for PoliceAffairs, Mr. Jelili Adesiyanand the Minister of State forDefence, Mr MusiliuObanikoro, as well as otherprominent chieftains of theparty in the South-Westgeo-political zone of thecountry in attendance.

Days before the election,several events unfolded tothe teeming populace in thestate over the PDP’sdetermination to win theelection at whatever cost.

One of such events wasthe attitude put up by then e w l y - d e p l o y e dCommissioner of Police forthe election purpose, whorefused to work contrary toprotocol, as he refused topay any courtesy visit onthe governor as expected of

him.According to the

impeccable source, theofficial residence of thegovernor at Oke-Fia was tobe invaded by somemilitants from the NigerDelta in DSS and Policeuniforms to effect thegovernor and his deputy’sarrest on the eve of theelection.

The medium’s findingshowever revealed that onthe night before theelection, precisely at about11.00pm, two trucks loadedwith men in anti-riot mobilepolicemen uniform madefrantic attempt to invade theGovernment House locatedat Oke-Fia Area of the statecapital but were preventedfrom gaining entry by thegovernor’s security men,who stood their ground tochallenge the attempt tohave a sitting governor andhis deputy arrested despitetheir immunity.

Reliable sources aroundthe Government Houserevealed that the altercation

between the invadingsecurity operatives and thegovernor’s security aidesnearly led to a shoot-outbetween the two forces.

On seeing that thegovernor ’s securityapparatus was not ready toshift ground, the invadingPDP-sponsored securityagents shamefully retreatedand left to embark on otherassignments of gettingsome identified APCchieftains out of circulationbefore the morning ofelection.

Not done with the arrestplan for the governor andhis deputy, these samesoldiers of invasion stoppedthe deputy governor’svehicle on election day, asshe was going for heraccreditation at her pollingbooth, along a popularstreet in the state capital andwas promptly arrested butnot detained, therebymaking nonsense of theimmunity clause in thenation’s constitution.

How Jonathan’s Security Agents Attempted To Overrun Osun Govt HouseBy OUR REPORTER

3 News OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 16, 2014

By KEHINDE AYANTUNJI

Aregbesola Inaugurates Osun CSDP Board, Charges MembersOn Responsibility

THE Government of the State of Osun, OgbeniRau Aregbesola, has inaugurated the Boardof Directors for the State Agency for

Community and Social Development Project(CSDP) headed by Alhaji Musa Abdulraman withfour other members.

Inaugurating the boardat the Executive CouncilChamber of theGovernor’s Office,Aregbesola pointed outthat the impact of theCSDP in developmentcannot be over-

emphasised as they go along way in assisting thegrowth of a state.

He maintained that thebusiness of developing thesociety is an unendingtask for which everybodymust participate, so as to

achieve accelerateddevelopment withing ashort period, whiledescribing the agency as animportant one because itserves an importantpurpose.

Aregbesola who notedthat the CSDP board wasinaugurated with a view todeveloping the state,stressed that nothingmeaningful could beachieved if the governmentdoes not get support fromthe people.

While stressing that theCSDP would enhance andaccelerate development,especially at the local level,the governor observed thatthe CSDP approach willgive the people at thegrassroots the uniquefeeling that they are a partof government, which willin-turn make them closerto the government.

The state governor, whocommended the the CSDPfor the speed at which theycarry out their job,however urged them to

always complete ongoingprojects before embarkingon new ones.

Highlighting thecontributions of thepresent administration tothe CSDP, the governorsaid the sum of N400million has beencontributed as counterpartfund by the stategovernment, making itsecond only to Cross RiverState among the 26 statesparticipating in the project.

He stressed that OsunCSDP has so far sensitisedabout 1,076 communitiesand received 1,008Expression of Interest(EOI) from differentcommunities across thestate, while a total of 345micro-projects are beingimplemented across thestate.

Also speaking at theinauguration programme,

the Special Adviser to theGovernor on WaterResources, Rural andCommunity DevelopmentAffairs, Mr Kunle Ige,stated that the success ofthe project has made thecommunities in the state todevelop keen interest in theCSDP.

He urged the newly-inaugurated board to see itas a huge task ahead andapproach it with all senseof responsibility.

In his inaugural speech,the Chairman of the OsunCSDP, Alhaji MusaAbdulraman, expressedgratitude to the governorfor giving them the rareopportunity to serve thestate, while promising thatthey will execute the taskgiven to them with utmostsincerity and hardwork.

Kumuyi In Osun For Deeper LifeInternational Crusade

THE Deeper Life Bible Church will this Fridaycommence its International SupernaturalMiracles Crusade in the State of Osun to be

presided over by the General Overseer of thechurch, Pastor W. F. Kumuyi.

The crusade, accordingto the State Overseer ofthe church, Pastor JohnAdeniran, will commenceon Friday, September 19to Sunday, September 21at the Deeper Life CampGround, Agunbelewo Areaof Osogbo, the statecapital.

Addressing a pressconference in Osogbo onFriday, Pastor Adeniransaid the crusade will be an“explosion of supernaturalmiracles from the LordJesus through PastorKumuyi.

Adeniran added that thechurch is expectinghundreds of thousands ofparticipants within andoutside Nigeria for theinternational crusade andassured that all necessaryarrangements have beenconcluded to make theprogramme a successfulevent.

“This will be the thirdtime Pastor Kumuyi will bevisiting Osun since thecreation of the church in1991. He was in Osun in1994, 2006 and alsocoming this month,” PastoAdeniran stressed.

The state leader of thechurch added that by thegrace of God, the

programme will mark theturning point in the livesof participants by turningthem to God and forsaketheir lives of sin with thegospel of the Lord Jesus.

He said: “Explosion ofsupernatural miracles isthe theme of the crusade.This aptly described ourexpectations and what wedesire for everyparticipant. We are

organising a major crusadeat a time the nation isconfronting myriads ofchallenges.

“The answer is power ofGod unto salvation toeveryone that believe.Therefore, this power ofGod salvation must not berestricted at all times, nomatter how high odds mayappear.

The State Overseer ofthe church said nationalchallenges, which includeinsecurity and Ebolaoutbreak, is a globalphenomenon, which hasbeen existing fromgeneration to generation

and urged people to holdon to Jesus Christ toconquer the challenges.

He said: “Thosecalamities are the signalsof end-time and we havenowhere to run to, than torun to God for protectionin this challenging period.As far as you are withGod, all your desires willcome to pass.

Regional Overseerspresent at the pressconference held at theDeeper Life Churchpremise, Oke- fia branch,includes Pastor MosesPoopola, Irewole, PastorTimothy Ajayi, Ijebu-Ijesa, Pastor Gabriel, Ilesaamong others

Ebola: Suspected OAU Student Tested Negative– Osun Health Commissioner By FRANCIS EZEDIUNO

GOVERNMENT of the State of Osun hascategorically stated that the female studentof Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) who

was suspected to have the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD)and evacuated to an appropriate facility in LagosState, has tested negative to the virus.

The StateCommissioner for Health,Dr (Mrs.) Temitope Ilori,said the student had beenconfirmed to be Ebolavirus negative.

Ilori stressed that therewas no recorded case ofEbola in Osun, adding thatall machinery have beenput in place to ensure that,the state is Ebola-free.

According to thecommissioner, the OAU

female student suspectedto be a secondary contactof Ebola, who wasevacuated to anappropriate facility inLagos, had been confirmedto be free of the virus.

She noted that GovernorRauf Aregbesola had metwith State Committee onEbola and a committeespecially set up from theOAU to discuss on how toprevent the deadly disease

from rearing its head in thestate.

Ilori further stressedthat the state government,in its quest to avert the

spread of the viral diseasein the state, wouldcontinue to work with themanagement of ObafemiAwolowo UniversityTeaching HospitalComplex, Ile-Ife, LadokeAkintola UniversityTeaching Hospital,Osogbo, as well as otherstakeholders in the state,with a view to ensuringthat Osun remains Ebola-free.

It would be recalled thatthe OAU female studentwas said to have hadprimary contact with anEVD victim in PortHarcourt and fell sickwhen she arrived theuniversity and was rushedto OAUTHC.

Elebuibon Calls For Culture PreservationBy SHINA ABUBAKAR

THE Araba Awo of Osogbo, High Priest IfayemiElebuibon, has called on governments inNigeria to make preservation of tradition and

culture a priority for the development of the nation’stechnology.

He disclosed this whilespeaking at the 2014Ogbeyonu Annual Festival,held inside the House ofCulture in Osogbo duringthe weekend.

He said the ability of agovernment to preserve itscultural heritage forgenerations is anattestation of its ability todrive technologicaldevelopment, saying nonation can develop if it failsto consider its cultural

peculiarity.According to him, the

Yoruba nation is blessedwith rich cultural heritage,which if properlyharnessed, will fast trackits technologicaldevelopment, as well asthat of the country ingeneral.

He berated the waymonarchs are losingauthorities in the schemeof things in the country,alluding the unfortunate

trend to emphasis given towestern system ofgovernment adopted inNigeria, which, accordingto him, degraded themonarch authority.

Elebuibon, however,urged the monarchs toadhere strictly to traditionalroles if they are to retaintheir authority as guardiansof culture and tradition,stressing that claiming to becivilised would furtherdenigrate their God-givenauthority.

He commended thegovernor of the state,Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesolafor recognising traditionalinstitutions, saying it is theright step towards reviving

the Yoruba nation’s gloryto its peak.

The event witnessedtraditional dancers’performance including theFootprints Dancers fromLagos State; ANTP, Stateof Osun; Bata performersfrom Osun, as well as Ijalaand the invocation ofblessing on the state andthe country.

Among prominentpersonalities at the eventwere the Olufon of Ifon-Orolu, Oba Abdul MaroofMagbegbeola, Olu of Kuta,the Osimawa of Sagamu,Oba Gbenga Sonuga andthe Alaye of Ijesalandamong others.

Three Suspects ArraignedFor Stealing Motorbike

POLICE in the State of Osun have arraignedthree suspects - Bola Aluko, IbrahimAbiodun and Abiodun before an Osogbo

Magistrate’s Court for allegedly conspiring tocommit felony.

The charge sheetdisclosed that the accusedpersons conspired withothers believed to be atlarge to steal a Boxermotorcycle, property ofone Jamiu Adebayo atabout 1:00am at 1,Kolawale Street ofOsogbo MagisterialDistrict.

According to thecharge sheet, the stolenred-coloured Boxermotorcycle, withregistration numberOSUN LGB17XQ isworth N147,000.

It disclosed further thatthe offence is contraryand punishable undersection 390(9) criminalcode cap Vol II law of

Osun State 2003.However, the second

accused person pleadedguilty to the two-count charges profferedby the Police against him.

The defense counsel,Nnenna Ugwu, whileannouncing herappearance, apologized tothe court for theabsence of the firstaccused, in court.

However, the defencecounsel pleaded for thebail of the accusedpersons, while requestingfor the case to beadjourned.

The prosecutor,Inspector ElishaOlusegun, did not objectto the bail of the accusedpersons.

By MARYAM AFOLABI

•ILORI

4 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 16, 2014

The War Called The Osun Elections; By Segun Tomori

Continued frompg1

I just couldn’t imagine my home State go back to the disastrous “yearsof the locust”. I had participated actively in the campaigns, interactedwith the people, felt their pulse and the story was the same – Osun hasnever had it so good, the people vowed to defend their votes by allmeans possible! From that moment I had made up my mind to give myall and put myself at harm’s way if need be to ensure we form a bulwarkof resistance against the machinery of State to be deployed to thwartthe people’s wish.

When I was about to proceed on my journey to Osogbo, the OsunState Capital on Monday preceding the elections I prepared for theworst. Few associates privy to my trip advised strongly that I removedany APC sourvenir from my luggage,any ID card that can associate mewith the party amongst other security tips. They were right to beapprehensive, soldiers, officials of the Department of StateSecurity(DSS) including the hooded ones,lorry loads of mobilepolicemen had since being deployed across the nook and cranny ofOsun State. Bearing in mind the desperation of their paymasters, weknew they could stop and search vehicles and abduct anythingsynonymous with APC, so I took all the precautions. I took off on thejourney which in itself was dramatic.

As we got close to Oshogbo, a discussion ensued in the bus and Ifound out I was not alone in the Save-Osun initiative. Most of thepassengers shared the same sentiments with me and were also nativesof the State. They spoke emotionally and fiercely about theirdetermination to ensure Aregbesola’s victory. Speaker after speakerreeled out programmes and interventions of the Governor that hasbrought smiles to the faces of the people. They concluded he was thebest thing to happen to the State since its creation. The menacingapparatus of State then suffocating the enviroment will not deter them,they thundered! “Ko si ohun ti soja o se, a ma duro gboin gboin latidibo Aregbe” they said in yoruba dialect meaning “there is nothingSoldiers can do, we will stand firmly to vote for Aregbe”. I thought tomyself, we are about to witness mass resistance unequally in ournational history if anything go against the people’s will. Hopefully,the soldiers we met on the various check-points didn’t stop and search,they just peeped through the bus windows and passed us on. I heaved

a sigh of relief when I arrived Osogbo safely late in the evening.

I have attended rallies, mega-rallies , name it, but what I saw on Tuesdayat the grand-finale of the campaign was frightening. A stadium whosecapacity can’t be more than 60,000 almost caved in due to pressure froman unprecedented mammoth crowd. Every space on the covered standswere over-filled, the main bowl of the Stadium was virtually unpassable.My associates and I had to hold ourselves to navigate our way throughthe crowd, it took us about an hour from the entrance of the stadium tofind somewhere to perch! Yet thousands more extend to adjoining roadsoutside the stadium. It was the APC mega-rally and to say it was awesomelymega is an understatement! We even heard that the Lord of Aso-rockcaught an instant migraine seeing the magnitude of the rally! The effect ofthat was seen in the sealing off of the freedom park that was supposed tohost workers rally the next day by “hooded soldiers” They got the nowfamiliar, albeit emergency “orders from above” to forcefully if need be haltthe Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliates endorsement rally forthe Ogbeni.

Co-incidentally, Wednesday, 6th August was my birthday but I was in nomood for celebrations of any kind. I told my well-wishers, family andfriends that you don’t clink glasses in a battle-front! Interestingly, one ofmy compatriots who was also a major ‘battle-axe” and good friend’s birthdaywas 8th August so I told him we’ll do a birthday plus victory party onthe 10th, a day after the elections,when we triumph at the polls. We knowwe had the people behind us, we never gave defeat a thought! By Thursday,preparations had reached feverish pitch, the towns, hamlets and villageswas now massively flowing with uniformed men of all hues and shades.Some DSS operatives came to the restaurant we were having dinner,Thursday evening, apparently on surveillance mission. We got the messageand we left in a jiffy! On our way to our location, we noticed a car trailingus, so we had to take a decoy to a bar. As we turned to the bar, the car alsoturned in another direction. Their mission still remains a mystery. ThankGod for little mercies!

When we arrived our abode, we swung into action to put finishing touchesto our master-plan which was to run a co-ordinated and effective livebroadcast of the elections on social and online media in collaborationwith the APC situation room which was to start from Friday evening tillthe announcement of the results on Sunday. This was necessary becauseleaking the plans of our devious opponents was key to frustrate theirrigging machinery; announcing results online as we get it directly fromour agents was also crucial to frustrate any manipulation at the collationlevel. By Friday afternoon, I had to tactically separate from my friends whothen proceeded to a high security location. The curfew was going to startaround 5-6pm. By 4pm, I arrived at my own secure location and quickly

moved to set up. I surveyed the enviroment to assess the possible threat level.I saw that it was negligible so I settled down for the task ahead.

By Friday evening we got intelligence report that notorius election rigger,Chris Uba was in town with a unit of 50 soldiers attached to him. We sent thatout and made sure it went viral. Later that night, information about the arrestof our leaders ranging from APC Publicity Secretary, lai Mohammed, theAttorney-general Of Osun State, barr. Wale Afolabi, Tinubu’s Special Adviseron media, Mr Sunday are, Commissioner for Agric among others were swiftlypublicised with dispatch. The far-reaching effect of the noise we made contributedin no small measure to the release of most of those picked up by Saturdaymorning. We discovered by Saturday morning that fake soldiers and policemenhad surfaced in many locations. Their logo was a red ankara tied to their lefthand. Quickly we activated our instant alert to our people,through all meanspossible. That again thwarted efforts to manipulate the elections from thebeginning.

The elections started peacefully however in most locations with accreditationgoing on smoothly. The only snag was the continued harassment of APCleaders across the State. The case of the 1st Civilian Governor of Osun State,Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke was quite instructive. After failing to assasinate himover-night due to resistance by his security aides, he was trailed from thepolling unit to his mother’s residence where he went after accreditation. Heescaped the siege by the whisker after he was discreetly notified. He couldn’tcome back to exercise his franchise. The results started trickling in by afternoonand the PDP demolition squad sensing their rejection quickly switched to aplan B to disrupt the collation process. We instantly alerted the public abouttheir norturnal meeting and evil plot. What really helped the APC apart fromthe determination of the people was our access to classified information. Wewere always a step ahead of them and that frustrated the election riggers.

I got an anonymous call from a patroitic police officer around 8pm whoclaimed he was at a location at modakeke and that results being collated wasabout to be altered. You could detect the fear in his voice as he asked me toensure his cover. He was an igbo officer deployed from other states, he wasn’tfamiliar with the terrain but what was gratifying that there could still be fewmen of integrity in the corruption-ridden Nigeria Police Force. In order toconfirm the authenticity of his Statement, I asked the Apapa Local GovernmentChairman who was with me to speak to him. He sounded credible, he concluded.So I made some calls to the authorities and sent text message to our men toact immediately.

Before 11pm, we already had all the results and we had won, though

unofficially. What sealed the deal for us and put paid to any manipulationthe PDP had in stock was the unexpected congratulation of Aregbesolaas the winner of the election around 9.40pm by the Ooni of Ife, ObaOkunade Sijuade. Omisore according to our sources had already informedAso-rock that there was fighting in his home-town of Ile-Ife becauseaccording to him, the results we were circulating were fake and he wasactually leading in the “original” results. The Ooni swiftly debunked that,not only congratulated the Governor-elect, but also stated that nobodywas fighting in Ife! That took the sail out of the wind of Omisore and histreacherous gang.

If we thought the threats have been subdued, we were in for a shocker! Thereturning officer whose task it is to announce the final result was underpressure to collect a whooping N1b and announce Omisore winner! Theywere ready to damn the consequences and ask us to go to court. So wehad to practically go on our knees! I salute the indefatigable people ofOsun State, they were resolute, they stood like a rock, stayed on thestreets all through and formed a human shield around the collation centre.Then the returning officer came in around 1.35pm. The results of all thelocal governments were announced before 5am. Then we now witnesseddilly-dallying of the highest order. It got to a point around 7am, anxiousjournalists and people started singing asking for the results. Lo andBehold, at about 7.10am, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was finally pronouncedthe winner!

There was instant jubilation across the nook and cranny of Oshogbo.Never in the history of elections have I seen such spontaneous excitementpervade the landscape because of results announcement. Within the twinkleof an eye, the whole town went agog with people clutching their brooms-symbol of the Governor’s party, congratulating themselves, okada ridersdriving menacingly in such euphoric ecstasy and finally we could sayhurray! We won! We didn’t win an election, we won a WAR with a stonelike the biblical david. Goliath came to battle with the best arsenal at hisdisposal but we came with the will of a determined people that vowed thatnever again shall they go the road of perdition they once trodded. Whosays the voice of the people is not the voice of God? Because ultimatelythe hand of the Almighty saved the day and gave us victory. Osun ti daraooooooo.

Segun Tomori

It Will All End One DayJust recently,

before we went tobed, my oldest sonasked me: “Dad,are we coming tothe end of theworld?” I did notanswer. I justbrought out myBible and read tothe three of themfrom Mathew 24.The whole chapterthat talks aboutthose signs thatwill be the preludeto the coming ofChrist. I thenpreached a bit.

The boys, whousually go to bedwith so much talk-talk, became veryquiet and sober. I

was sober too. Ihad not read thatchapter in a whilebecause I knowwhere it is andwhat it is about.That’s an error,now I know. But

reading it againwith the boys thatnight just got mesummarizing thatthis world is justlike a vapour, andone day, like a thiefin the night, theMaster will return

here, and all of ourlies, deception,brazen killing ofman by man, crazyamassing of wealthand looting of otherpeople’s precioustreasure, will come

to an end. Even ifJesus does notreturn now, anyoneof us may leave anyday and anytimewith no fore-warning or sign.

Joan Rivers, thecomedian, we just

OSUN DEFENDERPublisher – Moremi Publishing

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heard, left $150million behindwhen she passed onlast week. Otherpeople are jostlingnow to spend whatthe dead workedtirelessly for.

That moneycannot betransferred by wireor Western Union towhere her newabode is. It’s overforever! The samewill happen toevery one of ussomeday. Life is arace that must end.How do you wantto end yours?

•FOLA OJO,United State ofAmerica.

5555

Giant Strides

Great Are Your Legacies! (II)This edition continues the series started last week. The entire package captures the

comprehensive analysis of the strides of the Governor Rauf Aregbesola administra-tion in the State of Osun in practically all spheres of life. NIYI OLASINDE takesthe Mid-term Assessment to appraise the entire work done by the administrationbefore it sets out to commence its second tenure in office.

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, September 16, 2014MAGAZINE

Great Are Your Legacies! (II)

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

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· Continued from last week

WITH the review of the budget of the State of Osunfor the year 2011, conducted in our last edition ofOSUN DEFENDER Magazine, it became clear

that the balanced budget for the year was sized at One-Hundred and Fourteen Billion , Four-Hundred and Eighty-Nine Million, Seven-Hundred and Fifty Thousand, Three-Hundred and Twenty-Four Naira (N114,489, 750,324.00). Itwas an already-settled case that the budget, an obviouslegacy from the ousted Olagunsoye Oyinlola administration,was of an initial size of Eighty-Eight Billion, One-Hundredand Forty-Three Million, One-Hundred and Thirty-OneThousand, Six-Hundred Naira (N88, 143,131,600.00).However, the eventual size of the 2011 fiscal year budget,as approved by the defunct State of Osun House ofAssembly, which was assented to by the new Governor,Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was One-Hundred and Two Billion,Eight-Hundred and Sixty-Four Million, Six-Hundred andThirty-Three Thousand, Three-Hundred and Sixty Naira(N102,864,633,360.00). As reported, this figure was arrivedat, following various adjustments carried out on the originaldocument by the defunct legislative house of the state,which was proposed by the governor of the state, OgbeniAregbesola, upon his assumption of office on Saturday,November26, 2010. That proposed budget was sized atEighty-Eight Billion, One-Hundred and Forty-Three Million,One-hundred and Thirty-One Thousand, Six-Hundred Naira(N88,143,131,600.00), It had also been constantly affirmedthat when these sizes of proposed and approved budgetswith the 2010 Budget figure of the Oyinlola administrationalone, especially, when the various programmers, projectsand policies lined up with them by the incumbentadministration are considered, it would come to full glarethat the Biblical injunction that the little you have is enough,if not sufficient, to achieve what you intend, is golden.

Much has been considered concerning the eventful,historic occasion of the presentation of the proposedAppropriation Bill for the 2012 fiscal year to the incumbentHouse of Assembly by the governor of the state early thatyear. In further portions of the presentation speech whichwe now find relevant and appropriate, more facts came tothe fore on what transpired to produce the final documentwhich was passed as the 2011 Appropriation Act. Also, thetrue and correct assessment of the performance of theeconomy of the state for year 2011 was conducted.

In the review of the implementation of the 2011 Budget,it was placed on record how the governor recalled that thesize of the 2011 Appropriation Bill passed by the House ofAssembly was One-Hundred and Two Billion, Eight-Hundred and Sixty-Four Million, Six-Hundred and Thirty-Three Thousand, Three-Hundred and Sixty Naira(N102,864,633,360.00). According to him, the initial TotalRecurrent Budget was Forty-Nine Billion, Seven-Hundredand Eighty-Three Million, Five-Hundred and Sixty-NineThousand, One-Hundred and Ninety Naira(N49,783,569,190.00) or 48.40 per cent, while CapitalExpenditure was Fifty-Three Billion, Eighty-One Million,Sixty-Four Thousand, One-Hundred and Seventy Naira(N53,081,064,170.00) or 51.60 per cent of the total budget.

But the 2011 Budget was reviewed during the year toaccommodate the additional provisions required toimplement the New Minimum Wage and the implementationof the new salary structure fur medical doctors, healthworkers and the staff of the state tertiary institutions. Withthe approval of the State House of Assembly of the time, itwas revalued; a reallocation of the budgetary provisionson certain heads and sub-heads was carried out. In all, therealignment brought the total Recurrent Expenditure toFifty-Three Billion, Two-Hundred Million, Three-Hundredand Forty Thousand, Seventy Naira (N53, 200,340,070.00)or 51.72 per cent, while the Capital Expenditure was Forty-Nine Billion, Six-Hundred and Sixty-Four Million, Two-Hundred and Ninety-Three Thousand, Two-Hundred andNinety Naira (N49, 664,293,290.00) or 48.28 per cent. It washowever pointed out by the governor that the reviewsnotwithstanding, the size of the initial budget approved bythe State House of Assembly did not change.

It was also placed under observation by the Governorthat the draft 2012 budget which he was presenting at theoccasion was the very first annual budget to beconceptualized and formulated by his administration. Whiletaking his audience down the memory lane, Aregbesolarecalled that the processes for the preparation of the 2011budget had been concluded by the immediate pastadministration before he assumed office on November 27,2010 after the validation of his electoral victory by thecourageous judges of the Federal Court of Appeal sittingin Ibadan, Oyo State the earlier day; on the note of whichAregbesola was full of praises to the Almighty God forgiving him the privilege to present the budget and to servethe good people of the state.

If the philosophy, principles and policy thrust of thegovernment of the day and those of its umbrella party, theAction Congress of Nigeria (ACN) – now All ProgressivesCongress (APC) are anything to go by, then a note ofreminder deserves being sounded at this juncture on thehigh premium placed by the Rauf Aregbesola administrationon the resuscitation of the old values of hardwork, moraldiscipline and integrity for which the Yoruba nation wasreputed in the illustrious past. On the basis of this focus, itis in line with the pursuance of its lofty goals and idealsthat the Government of the State of Osun considers it fit tofirst of all, lay a solid moral foundation upon which furtherdevelopment would be based. This focus, according toGovernor Aregbesola himself, informed the idea of completerebranding of the state as the State of Osun; with newsobriquet as the State of the Virtuous i.e. Ipinle Omoluabi;added to which brand-new logo (crest), flag, anthem andcolours were introduced for the state for the purpose ofidentity and socio-cultural rebirth. This feat was recordedin February, 2011.

In his operational definition, Ogbeni Aregbesola defineda budget as an estimation of income and expenditure for afiscal period. Time and time again, Aregbesola spared noavailable opportunity to implore the people of the State ofOsun to continue to uphold the virtues and cherished valuesof honesty, integrity and dignity of labour. Also, theemphasis of his government and the exertions of hisgovernance are focused on the fact that the philosophical

underpinnings of budgets are more important than figures.To Aregbesola and his team, their background and thetrajectory of their coming to government; coupled with theroughening the people and the state went through in thehands of political buccaneers in the not-too-distant past;all have provided them with adequate preparation whichhas whetted their passion about service, redeeming lostgrounds and ushering in progress, which, as it has provenso far are not misplaced priorities.

All over again, readers need to be reminded of thebedrock principles which form the pillar-post of theincumbent administration in the State of Osun and all itsefforts at good budget preparation and implementation. Theemphasis of the governor had always been on thecompliance and conformity of his budget presentation withthe guidelines of the state’s Vision 20: 2020 FirstImplementation Medium Term Plan (2010-2013), which,according to him, had been comprehensively reviewed toaccommodate and incorporate the Six-Point Integral ActionPlan of his administration, as the main driver. The cardinalsof the Six-Point Integral Action Plan, it would be recalled,include the following:

(i) To Banish Poverty;(ii) To Banish Hunger;(iii) To Banish Unemployment (Create Work /

Wealth);(iv) To Ensure Healthy Living;(v) To Promote Functional Education; and(vi) To Enhance Communal Peace and Progress.In the light of the foregoing, and in consonance with the

tenets of these specifics, Governor Aregbesola confidentlydeclared that the Budget 2012, his first full document inoffice, was his team’s own budget; as it epitomizes theirdreams and vision. Also, he brought out to the fore howgratifying it was to note that it was in compliance with theFive-Year Fiscal Strategy Paper of the State of Osun thatthe budget was prepared. In addition, he reflected that thedraft budget 2012 had been fashioned towards theaccelerated achievements of the Millennium DevelopmentGoals (MDGs) by 2015.

We need at this very juncture to comment briefly on howwell the budgets of the state had fared at implementationsince the coming on board of the Aregbesola administrationin the State of Osun. In his comments on the quarterlyreview on the implementation of the 2011 Budget preparedby the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Budget,it was brought to attention that the Total Revenue whichaccrued to government from all sources from January toSeptember 2011 was Forty-Four Billion, Eight-Hundred andForty-Nine Million, Five-Hundred and Twenty-FiveThousand, Nine-Hundred and Sixty-Nine Naira, EightyKobo (N44, 849,525,969.80). The Total Expenditure ofgovernment, inclusive of all recurrent and capitalexpenditure for the corresponding period was Thirty-OneBillion, Six-Hundred and Fifty Million, Three-Hundred andNineteen Thousand, Four-Hundred and Twenty-Nine Naira,Five Kobo (N31,650,319,429.05).

Before we move to other segments of this edition, we

7 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 16, 2014 MAGAZINE

Great Are Your Legacies! (II)

•AREGBESOLA •LAOYE-TOMORI

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need to emphasize how the administration of OgbeniRauf Aregbesola had been guided by the principles ofprudence and proper accountability in the disbursementand appropriation of funds. According to the governor, thegovernment had been very prudent, not only in themanagement of the state’s financial resources; but alsowith regard to human and material resources. He furtherremarked that from the performance of the 2011 Budget ashighlighted, it became obvious that the finances ofgovernment had been kept afloat. In view of the foregoing,rather running into deficit, the State Government of Osunhad been ending its years since 2011 on a credit note.

THE nitty-gritty of the 2012 Budget of the State ofOsun was indeed highly revealing and relieving. Inthe budget presentation was found the promise and

reassurance of a year that was set out to witness massiveachievements in terms of execution of projects. Apart fromthe physical achievements recorded, the attention of theincumbent administration during the 2011 fiscal year hadbeen focused on laying a solid moral foundation upon whichdevelopmental programmes would be based. The governorhimself acknowledged this when he pointed out that thenecessary socio-economic planning frameworks requiredhad been put in place to pave way for the socio-economicreconstruction of the State of Osun in the 2012 fiscal year.

As it turned out, the people’s trust on the good promisesof the Aregbesola administration had not been misplaced.The experience during the year 2012 under review, as hasbeen traced in the first part last week has shown that yearto be truly eventful and full of laudable accomplishments.That year showcased the Government Unusual of OgbeniAregbesola as one that really means business; one that isfully devoted to delivering dividends of democracy at thedoorposts of the people of all socio-economic strata; onethat is fully at work – and purposely too! It is not in doubttherefore that the following year 2013 wielded still greaterpromise of a year of highly monumental achievements whichactually did outstrip those of the previous year in theirsizes, enormity, reach and impact.

In year 2012, Governor Aregbesola made it knowncategorically in his budget presentation that the budgethad been carefully packaged for the effective utilization ofhis team’s vision as encapsulated in the Six-Point IntegralAction Plan. The governor said it was necessary to notethat skeptics had been confounded in that past one yearby the strings of achievements recorded by hisadministration in the area of maintenance of law and order,agricultural revolution, empowerment programmes,changing the outlook of the state in terms of soundenvironmental planning and beautification, etcetera. Hegave his promise and the promise was constant; giving fullassurance to the good people of the state that with God onour side, the achievements of previous years were going tobe a tip of the iceberg, given the higher targets set to beattained for the incoming years. It became certain then thatyear 2013 would not be an exemption in this regard.

We shall devote the remaining segments of this edition

to the various aspects of provisions in the 2013Appropriation Act, how they were eventually fulfilled, andhow we can effectively compare this to the achievementsrecorded in previous years; particularly, year 2012.Unveiling his budget for the year 2012, GovernorAregbesola declared his budget as being christened:“Budget of Service and Progress.” Spelling out the nitty-gritty which formed the specifics of the budget, Aregbesolalaid down the following provisions as the cardinal objectivesof the budget. It is from the viewpoint of these that OSUNDEFENDER Magazine finds it most convenient toapproach the bedrock for the Budget 2013. They were laiddown as follow:

(i) Provision of enabling environment to ensureincrease in food production and to encourage agro alliedindustries with substantial participation of the privatesector;

(ii) Reconstruction of social infrastructure, economicand the industrial base of the state;

(iii) Creation of conducive economic environment thatensures job creation and empowerment of youths andwomen;

(iv) Promotion of culture of excellence and conducivework environment in the state’s public service;

(v) Development of opportunities for wealth creationthrough tourism and culture;

(vi) Promotion of industrial peace and socio-politicalharmony that would lead to revitalization of commerce andrestoration of wealth;

(vii) Restoration of healthy living to the people of theState of Osun through the provision of affordable, effectiveand quality health care for all;

(viii) Promotion of functional education by improvingbasic educational infrastructure and by enhancing capacityof teachers at all levels;

(ix) Promotion of clean environment and healthyliving; and

(x) Reformation of commerce by restoringstandardization of weight and measure.

On the basis of the foregoing, the governor went aheadto declare that the size of the draft 2012 Budget; Budget ofService and Progress, was One-Hundred and Forty-SixBillion, Six-Hundred and Seventy-Four Million, Two-Hundred and Eighty-Three Thousand, One-Hundred andForty Naira (N146,674,283,140.00). As already adduced toin earlier parts of this edition, this size of the Budget 2012had been upwardly reviewed for reasons stated toaccommodate more spending for various ministries andagencies of government. Much of the rationale for theupgrade in the size of the initial size of the draft budgetbefore it passed through the approval of the Parliamenthad been bared in the last edition. For now, the aspect thatseizes our attention is the one bordering on the details ofthe budget and the extent of its implementation at the closeof year.

Tuesday, January 22 2013 is indeed a red-letter day forthe Government and the governed in the State of Osun; astate which is conspicuously located in the nucleus part of

the South-Western geopolitical zone of the federation calledNigeria. On that very day, the Government of the day in thestate under the dynamic and visionary leadership of OgbeniRauf Adesoji Aregbesola met up with the dictates of officeplaced upon its ample and auspicious shoulders by thepromptings of statutory provisions and requirements laiddown under the Constitution of the Federal Republic ofNigeria. On that day, Governor Aregbesola took the bull byits horns when he, fully accompanied by his cabinetmembers, political associates, supporters, admirers andcritics alike, adorned the hallowed chambers of the State ofOsun House of Assembly to lay bare before the legislatorsand all present, formally, the full details of the 2013 Draft ofEstimated Revenue and Expenditure, which shall governthe policy thrust and direction of the administration as wellas determine the collective fate and destiny of the peoplein one full fiscal year. The event of the day was a follow-upto the earlier event of December 21, 2012, which involvedthe Governor’s forwarding his draft 2013 Estimate ofAppropriation Bill to the hallowed chambers of legislatorsfor consideration. Since that time, the draft budget hadbeen in the custody of the House Committee on Financeand Appropriation for its perusal and surgical operation.

The governor in his opening remarks expressed his greatdelight over his presence at the hallowed chamber topresent the 2013 Draft Budget to the people of the State ofOsun through the distinguished House which comprisedthe representatives of the people. He noted that the 2013Budget presentation under presentation was the secondannual budget to be fully conceptualized and formulatedby his administration within three years of its coming onboard; as the 2011 Budget had already been concluded bythe immediate past administration before his administrationassumed office in November, 2010. Justifying the timing ofpublic presentation of the draft budget at a time when thenew financial/calendar year had started; Aregbesola quotedrelevant portions of the Constitution of the Federal Republicof Nigeria to prove that the timing was still in order.According to him, Section 121 (1) of the constitution statesthat:

“The Governor shall cause to be prepared and laybefore the House of Assembly at any time before thecommencement of each financial year, estimates of therevenues and expenditures of the state for the nextfollowing financial year”

On the basis of this provision, the governor expressedhis deep-seated joy that his administration had compliedwithout breach because long before the end of December2012, the draft budget being publicly presented on datehad been laid before the State of Osun House of Assembly.He then pointed out that the presence of the executive armof government at the hallowed chambers of the House ofAssembly on that date was in response to invitation of theAssembly to publicly present the budget, in line with theopenness and transparency policy which marked theguiding principles of his administration.

The helmsman of the State of Osun was full of

8 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 16, 2014 PHOTOTALK

Farewell Ceremony For 2014 Intending Muslim Pilgrims To Saudi Arabia AtGovernor’s Office, Osogbo, State Of Osun, Last Thursday.

•

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd right); Managing Director, NAIC, Mr Bode Opadokun (2nd left); Zonal Manager, NAIC, Oyo State, Mr RasheedOgunbiyi (left) and Branch Manager, NAIC, Oyo State, Mrs Famodun Kemi.

•(L-R) Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti; Governor Rauf Aregbesola; state Commissioner for Home Affairs, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji SikiruAyedun and Head of Service, Mr Sunday Owoeye.

•Aregbesola (right), addressing the 2014 intending pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.

Courtesy Visit By Nigerian Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) Team To TheGovernor, State Of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, In His Office, Abere, State OfOsun, Last Wednesday.

9 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 16, 2014PHOTOTALK

•Some of the political parties at the court premises.

•Another cross section of lawyers at the court premises after the sitting.

2014 Governorship Election Tribunal Between The Governor Of The State Of Osun,Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola And PDP Governorship Candidate In The State, SenatorIyiola Omisore, At High Court, Osogbo, Last Thursday. Photo: SEGUN ADEJUMO

•State of Osun All Progressives Congress (APC) Acting Secretary, Prince GboyegaFamodun (let) and some lawyers at the court premises.

•APC Lawyer Kunle Adegoke (2nd left); State of Osun Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Wale Afolabi (3rd left) and other APC lawyers.

10 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 16, 2014MAGAZINE

Great Are Your Legacies! (II)

•Complexes and offices at the Ayegbaju Market.

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appreciation to the Honourable Speaker, Houseleadership and the entire honourable members of the Housefor their support and cooperation since inauguration.According to the governor, it was with the continuedcooperation of these sets of functionaries that theadministration could meet the yearnings and aspiration ofthe people. The governor’s appreciation also went to theJudiciary: the Acting Chief Judge, the President of theCustomary Court of Appeal and the honourable judges ofthe State Judiciary for their unalloyed cooperation andsupport for the administration of the day. He reflected thatit was only through the collaborative efforts of the threearms of government in the state that the State of Osun isbeing developed in line with the dreams and aspiration ofthe founding fathers of the state.

The governor devoted some quality time to highlightingthe onerous and delicate nature of the sensitive taskinvolved in the preparation of budgets and financialestimates. According to him, drafting the budget is the mostimportant work of government. Defining budget, thegovernor opined that:

“It is what in summary encapsulates the whole businessof government for the whole year. The content of the budgetwill determine the outcome of the lives of millions of thecitizens, enterprises, institutions and agencies. It is asolemn affair that must therefore be approached with everysense of responsibility. It is not a perfunctory act or a riteof passage. It is a very, very serious business and that iswhy we have taken our time to carefully consider all theramifications in shaping the destiny of the governmentand our people for the next one year.”

Casting a retrospective glance at the antecedents of theState of Osun before the advent of the administration,Governor Aregbesola recalled how his administration metthe state in a state of near-collapse in 2010; owing tocareless, negligent, unscrupulous and inadvertentleadership which held sway in the state for several years.He however gave thanks and appreciation to God Almightyfor how his administration had been empowered, withinthe first half of its first four-year mandate-period, tovigorously and assiduously pursue the re-orientation ofthe people. He then reasoned that the 2013 Budget underpresentation was to ensure the consolidation of theachievements which the administration had recorded in thevarious sector and sub-sectors of the economy of the state.This revelation confirmed the earlier predictions of OSUNDEFENDER Magazine in our serial editions where wesolemnly resolved to counsel the incumbent administrationto devote that year’s budget to consolidating its numerousachievements, completing on-going projects, as well asinitiating new ones. Far from dwelling on figments ofimagination, relevant excerpts of the governor’s speechwhich touched on these run as follow:

“It is to be recalled that when we came on board inNovember 2010, we met the social as well as physicalinfrastructure almost in shambles, but to the glory of God,within the first half of our four-year mandate, we havebeen able to vigorously pursue the re-orientation of ourpeople, give them assurance and hope. The 2013 Budgetbeing presented today is to ensure the consolidation ofthe achievements we have recorded in the various sectorsand sub-sectors of the economy in the last two years. Thebudget will also ensure the continuity of the well-tested

and well-intended policies and programmes of ourAdministration. The budget is equally targeted towardsensuring the completion of on-going projects and thestarting of new ones that will bring about continuedimprovement in the socio-economic well-being of thepeople of Osun. Our resolution in this regard is total andirreversible. Like the 2012 budget, the 2013 Budget is inline with the Six-Point Integral Action Plan of thisadministration. It is also in compliance with the Five-Year Fiscal Strategy Paper of the State. The 2013 Budgethas also been packaged towards ensuring achievementsof the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in Osun by2015. I want to assure Mr. Speaker, the HonourableMembers of the State House of Assembly and the goodpeople of the State that this administration will continueto ensure the formulation and implementation of policies,programmes, and projects that will guarantee freedom forall, life more abundant for our people.”

We have always emphasized that the focus of the policy-thrust of the incumbent administration, as well as that ofthe ruling party in the State of Osun, is hinged on the Six-Point Integral Action Plan under reference in the above-quoted excerpts. For the benefit of doubts, the Six-PointIntegral Action Plan which marks the hallmark of theincumbent administration is here again recaptured:

(i) To Banish Poverty;(ii) To Banish Hunger;(iii) To Banish Unemployment (Create Work /

Wealth);(iv) To Ensure Healthy Living;(v) To Promote Functional Education; and(vi) To Enhance Communal Peace and Progress.

In addition, we kept on reiterating the meticulous effortof the administration of the day at ensuring that successivebudgets of the State of Osun become acceptable throughconformity with all known standards everywhere. Thus,apart from having the Six-Point Integral Action Plan of theadministration as their guiding principle, it is alwaysensured, as attested to by the governor himself in theexcerpts quoted above, that budgets of the state, with effectfrom the 2012 Budget are made to comply with the Five-Year Fiscal Strategy Paper of the state and strictly adhereto ensuring the achievement of the Millennium DevelopmentGoals (MDGs) by the target year of 2015. Our effort atpointing out these areas of congruence between ourprojections and analysis and the actual budget documentwe always have on ground is to bring it to the fore that ouranalysis on the crew of OSUN DEFENDER Magazine areborne of deep-seated, well-articulated researches.

We have, at our own end conducted an assessment ofthe performances of the 2012 Appropriation Bill. Ourassessment was lent credence to by the governor himself.In his own assessment, the governor conducted a reviewof the performance of the 2012 Budget. According to him,the Budget 2012, which was christened “Budget of Serviceand Progress” approved by the State of Osun House ofAssembly was One-Hundred and Fifty Billion, One-Hundred and Twenty-Four Million, Six-Hundred andTwenty-One Thousand, Eight-Hundred and Eighty Naira(N150,124,621,880.00). The initial Total Recurrent Budgetwas Seventy-One Billion, Seventy-Six Million, Eight-Hundred and Forty-One Thousand, Three-Hundred andSixty Naira (N71,076,841,360.00) or 47.35 per cent, while the

Capital Expenditure was Seventy-Nine Billion, Forty-SevenMillion, Seven-Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Five-Hundred and Twenty Naira (N79,047,780,520.00)or 52.65 percent of the total budget. He reminded the honourable Houseand all in attendance that it was in order to enable thegovernment get certain vital projects and programmesexecuted, which were not envisaged while the budget wasbeing prepared that the initial 2012 Budget had to bereviewed to accommodate certain provisions required byvarious agencies of government. With the approval of theHouse of Assembly, a reallocation of the budget on certainHeads and Sub-Heads was carried out. The adjustmentsconsequently brought the Total recurrent Expenditure toSeventy-Four Billion, Three Million, Five-Hundred andEighty-Five Thousand, Seven-Hundred and Eighty Naira(N74, 003,585,780.00) or 49.29 per cent; while CapitalExpenditure was Seventy-Six Billion, One-Hundred andTwenty-One Million, Thirty-Six Thousand, One-HundredNaira (N76,121,036,100) or 51.71 per cent. It was broughtout, even as we did in our previous editions that in spite ofthe review, the original overall size of the 2012 Budgetremained unchanged.

On the performance of the implementation of the 2012Budget and its contribution to the macro-economy of theState of Osun, the rating of the State House of Assembly,as given by the Honourable Speaker is that the performancewas superlative. According to the rating, the people wererated as having won in the long last; judging by the volumeand intensity of life-transforming programmes, projects andinitiatives embarked upon by the Aregbesolaadministration; with more and more being rolled out day-in; day-out. In like manner, Governor Aregbesola also ratedthe performance of the 2012 Budget high when recountedhow the Fourth Quarterly Report of the 2012 Budgetprepared by the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planningand Budget revealed that the Total Revenue which accruedto the State Government from all sources was SeventyBillion, Two-Hundred and Seventy-Four Million, Eight-Hundred and Forty-Four Thousand, Two-Hundred andForty-Six Naira, Eighty-Four Kobo (N70,274,844,246.84);while the Total Expenditure for the year was Sixty-FiveBillion, Ninety-Seven Million, Nineteen Thousand, Eight-Hundred and Seventy-Nine Naira, Twenty-Nine Kobo(N65,097,019,879.29).

The governor revealed that in spite of several economicadversities which characterized the year 2012, hisadministration was able to keep the financial situation ofthe state afloat. According to him, numerous challengeswhich the year 2012 witnessed included sharp drop in therevenue accruing to states as a result of reduction in crudeoil benchmark price and aggressive build-up of excesscrude oil accounts by the Federal Government of Nigeria.In spite of this tight financial position of Government dueto dwindling revenue from the Federation Accounts,however, Aregbesola said that his administration had beenable to execute various projects and programmes that arevery beneficial to the people. According to him, the StateGovernment under his leadership had tried to ensureprudent management of the state’s scarce financialresources in the overall interest of the citizenry. He furtherexpressed the delight of his team in the discovery that theyhad done their best within the available resources in the

11 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 16, 2014 MAGAZINE

Great Are Your Legacies! (II)

•A recently commisssioned road in Ilesa.

Contiuned from page 10

provision of necessary infrastructure for the developmentof our dear state. Rounding off the aspect touching on theperformance of the 2012 Budget, Aregbesola expressedprofound thanks to the distinguished legislators and theentire good people of the state for their support in ensuringthe high performance of government so far. On a final note,the governor promised the desire of his administration toensure a higher level of performance in 2013.

Unveiling the mask on the nitty-gritty of the 2013Appropriation Bill, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola had thefollowing to say, concerning the policy thrust, directionand ultimate goal of the bill:

“Our ultimate goal for the 2013 Budget is to ensure agreat improvement in the welfare and standard of livingof our people. Thus, the 2013 budget has been carefullypackaged to ensure the effective realization of our visionas encapsulated in our Six-Point Integral Action Plan. Itis important to intimate this August Assembly that thepreparation of 2013 Budget has been very participatory.Relevant inputs were sourced and received from variousstakeholders across the State in order to enhance thequality of the Budget.”

After this, Governor Aregbesola disclosed the size ofYear 2013 Budget, which he put at a precise figure of One-Hundred and Eighty-Three Billion, One-Hundred and FiveMillion, Eight-Hundred and Seven Thousand, Four-Hundred and Sixty Naira (N183, 105,807,460.00). He thendeclared the christening of the budget as “Budget ofFreedom”. His declaration and the principles on which thebudget is being anchored are here presented verbatim:

“At this juncture, I wish to present to this HonourableHouse of Assembly, the draft 2013 Budget, the size of whichis N183,105,807,460.00 (One Hundred and Eighty-threeBillion, One Hundred and Five Million, Eight Hundredand Seven Thousand, Four Hundred and Sixty Naira).The draft Budget which is tagged “Budget of Freedom”is anchored on the following policy thrusts: -

(i) a complete turnaround of agriculture such thatit will be revolutionised, made attractive and profitablewith a view to improving the welfare of the people andthe economy of the State;

(ii) provision of necessary and durableinfrastructure like roads, electrification, ICT etc that willensure development of the economy of the State;

(iii) creation of job-friendly economic environmentto ensure empowerment of youths, Women, cooperativemovements, Artisans etc;

(iv) development of public service that is result-oriented, efficient, effective and responsible with a viewto making it one of the best in the federation;

(v) provision of effective health care delivery for allwith special attention to the needs of children and women;

(vi) provision of effective waste management andbeautification schemes to rid our communities of filth;

(vii) development of diverse economic potentials ofthe state and reactivation of commercial activities;

(viii) reactivation and speedy completion ofabandoned water schemes;

(ix) transformation of the education sector with aview to providing functional and qualitative education;

(x) reforming the court system, upgrading of courtsand introduction of Alternative Dispute Resolutionmechanism with a view to ensuring speedy access to justiceby all individuals in the State.”

We have already placed on record how the year 2013 hadstarted on a prophetic note; with the governor himselfdeclaring prophesies of boom on the state. According toGovernor Aregbesola, the year 2013 shall usher in an era ofrelease, liberty and deliverance for the state; with the stateand its people witnessing bumper harvest in virtually allsectors of its productive organs. The helmsman of the stateprophesied of a state where abundance, plenty and self-sufficiency shall begin to be witnessed; and where thecollective wealth of the citizens shall begin to be positivelyengaged for the collective overall benefit of all. This, we allmust agree, promised to present positive deviation fromknown traditions where the commonwealth of all was usedfor the enrichment and maximization of the welfare of aprivileged few.

Perhaps the most accurate approach to analyzing thecurrent year 2014 Budget, its contents, goodies andprovisions is to recap our projections, predictions andcomments, contained in OSUN DEFENDER Magazineedition for Tuesday, January 21, 2014, as follows:

“The New Year 2014 is symbolic in many respects. Firstis the fact that the year is the last in the four-year termpackaged into the first tenure of the Rauf Aregbesolaadministration in the State of Osun. The earlier three yearsof the administration has witnessed the massive rollingout of programmes, projects and policies; mostly ininfrastructure; which OSUN DEFENDER Magazine hascommitted lengthy volumes of essay to chronicle. Anothersignificant angle from which the New Year 2014 could beviewed is that it promises to be a year of reckoning, duringwhich most of the projects already kick-started would becarried to their 100 per cent implementation, delivered tothe Government of the State as their sponsor, as well asofficially commissioned to the Glory of God and for theultimate use of the people of the state. There is no doubtabout it that during the just-started year, many moreprojects, programmes and policies would be initiated bythe administration of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola.So this fact constitutes another symbolism of the New Year.Another in the list of the significance of the year 2014 isthe fact that it is a year that would witness the creation ofmore new local administrations. Known either as localcouncil development administrations (LCDAs) or localgovernments, these creations are there to bringgovernment closer to the people and make developmentspread to the grassroots in some astronomical scale. Inaddition, they increase the depth of participation ingovernance and make known in greater details the impactof good governance; the kind that the Rauf Revolution isout to dispense to people at the grassroots.

“Above all, the year 2014 is a year when some series ofelections would be conducted at the two tiers ofgovernment on ground in the state. Though OSUNDEFENDER Magazine may not be the appropriate and

competent authorities to release the election timetablefor these elections; we know for sure that sometimebetween the end of the first quarter and the end of the firstmonth in the second quarter, the state should beapproaching the polls for the local government ballots.In similar vein, sometimes in July same year, the stateshould be heading for the polls for the conduct of anotherround of Gubernatorial Elections. For all we know, we inthe State of Osun at this juncture are not in need to votefor some vacant position. What we are all set out toaccomplish is to fulfill all righteousness in consolidatingan already established administration and getting samefirmly enthroned with our power of the thumb to be ableto complete dispensing the goodies of its mandate to thepeople of the state. We should not therefore forget thedeprivation and neglect of the past seven-and-a—halfyears of the holocaust and desist from acts which are mostcapable of returning the state to the wilderness. It’s hightime we took our destinies in our own hands. OSUNDEFENDER Magazine wishes the state and its peopleanother season of free, fair and credible elections; devoidof rancor and violence.

“From the 2014 Appropriation Bill of the State of Osuntherefore, much provision are expected to reflect on theitems of significance here mentioned and many more.Specific mention shall be made of provisions in subsequenteditions as we continue the consideration of the bill. Stillfor a start, we need to emphasize that as in earlier years,the draft 2014 Budget which is tagged “Budget of Growth,Enhancement and Development” is anchored on thefollowing policy thrusts: -

(i) a complete turnaround of agriculture such thatit will be revolutionised, made attractive and profitablewith a view to improving the welfare of the people and theeconomy of the State;

(ii) provision of necessary and durable infrastructurelike roads, electrification, ICT etc that will ensuredevelopment of the economy of the State;

(iii) creation of job-friendly economic environmentto ensure empowerment of youths, Women, cooperativemovements, Artisans etc;

(iv) development of public service that is result-oriented, efficient, effective and responsible with a viewto making it one of the best in the federation;

(v) provision of effective health care delivery for allwith special attention to the needs of children and women;

(vi) provision of effective waste management andbeautification schemes to rid our communities of filth;

(vii) development of diverse economic potentials ofthe state and reactivation of commercial activities;

(viii) reactivation and speedy completion ofabandoned water schemes;

(ix) transformation of the education sector with a viewto providing functional and qualitative education;

(x) reforming the court system, upgrading of courtsand introduction of Alternative Dispute Resolutionmechanism with a view to ensuring speedy access to justiceby all individuals in the State.”

· To be continued.

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 16, 2014 FEATURE 12

How Security Operatives Brutalised 84-yr-old,Other APC Supporters On Eve Of Osun Poll

Contiuned on page 13

PA Joseph Fakayode, an 84-year-old leader of theAll Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun Statecould not have imagined what befell him on Friday

August 8, 2014. That was the eve of the Osun Stategubernatorial election.

For one, the octogenarian was bereaved. He had justlost his 40-year-old daughter; so he was in deepmourning. So, naturally, what he deserved at the pointwas empathy and that was what a horde of familymembers, APC supporters and others, who gathered athis residence, No 5, Oduduwa Street, Oke-Ila, OsunState, came to offer him.

But the security forces, who were deployed in thestate on the orders of President Goodluck Jonathansupposedly to enforce peace, thought otherwise. Theoctogenarian was visited with such savagery you couldonly expect in a typically vicious military regime.

The case of the octogenarian was just one of manyAPC supporters who were brutalised as the securityforces went on the rampage on the eve of that poll,which witnessed one of the worst militarisations in thehistory of elections in Nigeria.

At every stage of this brutalisation process, thesecurity forces would first send terror into people inthe vicinity of their operation with ceaseless bursts ofgun fire, then create mayhem by breaking into theirtargeted residence, and at gun-point, order residents tolie face down on the floor. As this terrorist operationwas in progress, other security agents would bescreaming orders that anybody who attempted to escapewould be killed.

Shortly before this terrorist attack on Pa Fakayode’sresidence, Alhaja Abibat Oladapo aka Mama Nuru, anagent of the APC for Ifedayo Local Government Areaof the state, had also come to condole with Pa Fakayode.So it was in her presence that the soldiers came calling.

The Alhaja had no premonition that she would be avictim of the terror she experienced that night in thehands of the security operatives. As terror swept theentire building and people were screaming for help, anagitated Pa Fakayode came downstairs only to find outthat soldiers and other security agents were everywherepointing guns at the heads of people who had come tosympathise with him over the death of his daughter.

Before he could say a word, the soldiers ordered himto put both hands on his head and sit on the open groundin the rain like the others.

The 84-year-old man had no choice. In utter fright,he slowly went down and suffered the humiliation ofhis life in the hands of Nigerian security agents, whohad ostensibly come to keep the peace in an electionthat the President’s party, the PDP, were obviouslydesperate to win at all costs.

Alhaja Abibat Oladapo, who had prepared to performher civic responsibility for his party in furtherance ofdemocracy in the country on August 9 as an APC agentin the local government, was soon to have a very bitter

experience of what the Federal Government’s intentionsactually were when they sent soldiers to “keep the peace”in Osun governorship election.

She had heard Pa Fakayode screaming and as sherushed down to help, she was confronted by a civildefence operative, who cocked and pointed his gun ather. She was terrified. But as she pleaded for mercy,other security operatives rained slaps on her face andhead, and in spite of this assault, she summoned thecourage to ask: “What crime have we committed todeserve this cruel treatment?”

“Shut up!”, the civil defence man growled andordered the Alhaja to sit on the open ground like theothers. As she found a place on the ground to sit,security operatives rushed upstairs to Pa Fakayode’ssitting room and vandalised the furniture, after they hadforcibly opened the doors and broken into the old man’sflat. One of the DSS operatives in this assault gang washeard shouting in rage: “You stupid people. If you wantto die, you will die now. All of you are sheepishlyfollowing Aregbesola because he promised you N500.We shall waste your lives here and nothing will happen.”

To illustrate the political nature of the securityoperation in Osun before, during and after the election,sources said those who led soldiers and other securityoperatives to Pa Fakayode’s residence were PDPsupporters allegedly led by one Hon. Funmi, a formerfemale PDP member of the Osun State House ofAssembly in company of one Segun, a staff of the StateHouse of Assembly and one Bukola , a sanitation officerat the local government. There were five others, threeof whom were on motor-bike.

In all, 38 people were arrested that night from PaFakayode’s compound and over a dozen of them wereAPC polling agents. Others were sympathisers who hadcome to condole with the old man on the death of hisdaughter. There were several ladies and young women,including Alhaja Oladapo, and other women leaders ofthe APC. Between Oke-Ila and Osogbo, where theyeventually ended up, some of these women wereallegedly assaulted by some of the operatives.

After this terrorist operation at Pa Fakayode’sresidence, the 38 APC supporters were herded into atruck. This process did not end before a heart-breakingevent occurred. The 84-year-old Pa Fakayode lost gripand fell helplessly to the ground twice as he attemptedto climb into the truck. Alhaja Abibat Oladapo was besideherself with grief watching as Pa Fakayode was beinghumiliated by the security forces.

As the convoy took off from the compound, anotherbizarre event occurred. Three PDP supporters, oneSegun, Tosin and Oke, who had led the security squadto Pa Fakayode’s house, followed the convoy on theirmotor bikes. One of the soldiers, in a fit of rage, pointedhis gun at the trio threatening to kill them if they did notstop following. It took a mobile policeman in the squadto dissuade the soldier from shooting, pointing out that

the three men were PDP agents who had earlier led thesquad to the APC leader’s house to arrest the victims.

Surprisingly, however, rather than the truck conveyingthe APC supporters heading for Osogbo at about mid-night, it allegedly diverted and was moving in the wrongdirection to Ora, a town 10 kilometers away from Oke-Ila. Alhaja Oladapo became apprehensive and secretlymade a phone call to Hon. Abiodun Idowu, one of APC’sleaders in the area. For three hours between midnightand 3am, the whereabouts of these APC leaders andagents were unknown until they birthed at the militaryfacility in Ede.

In the process, another sad event was said to haveoccurred. Pa Fakayode, the 84-year-old man, who hadallegedly been brutalised in his own compound and madeto sit on the ground in the rain, now came under pressureto urinate. He was said to have pleaded with his captorsto stop and allow him urinate with some decency anddignity. But the brutishness in such security reportedlyignored the old man’s plea. Now under extremepressure, the octogenarian took his singlet from underthe pyjamas that he wore when he was arrested, madeit into the shape of a bowl and urinated into it while thetruck was in motion.

•Pa FAKAYODE

•Pa Fakayode’s sitting room.

13 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 16, 2014FEATURE

Again, at 11am on August 9 when theelection had already started, these APCsupporters, who were in varying degrees offear, humiliation and torture, were conveyedfrom Ede military facility to Osogbo. Onarrival at the DSS Headquarters in Osogbo,they were all allegedly ordered to lie facedown on the open ground. Some of theyoung men and women quickly complied,but Pa Fakayode, who was frail from ageand the torture of the events from Oke-Ilathrough Ede to Osogbo, was slow to complywith the order.

A security operative went berserk anddescended on Pa Fakayode with a horse-whip, which he furiously lashed severaltimes on the head of the old man until asoldier with a human heart, who could nottake it anymore, physically brought theassault of the operative to a halt. The soldierthen turned to the officer, rebuking him forallegedly maltreating a very old man. Butthe officer was allegedly unrepentant.“What kind of old man is he?”, he queriedthe soldier. “Why is he still in politics andsupporting Aregbesola? Let him call thatAregbesola to come and rescue him now”,the officer said. Many of the victims whowatched this brutish display of inhumanitywere said to have burst into tears. Thewomen wailed and the men cursed.

Before this humiliation of Pa Fakayode,there had been an orgy of alleged beatingof men, women and children at the agency’sheadquarters as they alighted from the truckthat brought them from the military facilityin Ede. A boy, identified as Seun, who hadcomplained of cold the previous night inEde, was slapped several times by a mobilepoliceman, who allegedly ordered him toremove his clothes and had cold waterpoured on his naked body; and after thetreatment, he was subjected again to kickswith jack boots.

It was this demonstration of alleged biasof the security forces that led one of thesoldiers, who rescued Pa Fakayode from thesecurity officer, to wonder aloud when heasked: “What kind of politics are we playingin this country that we subject eveninnocent old men to barbaric and wickedtreatment?”

“What was totally inscrutable was thatmany Osun citizens who were arrested andbrutalised by the security forces betweenAugust 8 and 9 were either APC leaders ortheir agents and supporters,” sources said,adding: “The PDP people who wereapprehended by vigilant citizens forcommitting serious electoral fraud andhanded over to the Police and DSS officerswere promptly released and safely returnedto PDP leaders. The Police argued that theirrelease was ordered ‘from above’. OnAugust 8, especially, dozens of APC leaderswere arrested throughout the state between10pm on the eve of the election and 6am onAugust 9, the day of the governorshipelection proper. They were randomly pickedup in some cases.”

Citing a pathetic case, the source said afather and his 14-year-old son, AdebayoKolawole, met at the DSS facility in Osogboon August 9. The son was picked up at PaFakayode’s residence (father and son weretenants of Pa Fakayode), while the fatherwas in another batch of those arrested inthe same town. The re-union in detentionwas heart-rending because apart from beingbrutalised, both also had the misfortune ofwatching how another little boy wasmanhandled.

“When those arrested were asked to lieface down on the ground, the boy after awhile, raised his head to get some freshair but in a flash, a Policeman descended

How Security Operatives Brutalised 84-yr-old,Other APC Supporters On Eve Of Osun PollContinued from page 12

on this little boy, beating him black andblue. There was an unwritten code in securitydetention that you don’t look at officers whoare brutalising you. If you tried, you got thebeating of your life. This little boy was suspectedto be trying to identify the faces of hisoppressors. He nearly lost his eyes in theprocess.

“As you read this, not a single case has beenbrought against any of the APC officials andsupporters, which in effect means theycommitted no crime for which they wereruthlessly manhandled, assaulted and brutallyhumiliated by the very same security forcesPresident Goodluck Jonathan sent to Osun tokeep the peace.”

However, instances were cited in which somenoble soldiers and a few exceptional policemenopenly expressed disgust at the treatment beingmeted out to those arrested. One police officerat INEC’s office on seeing the number of oldpeople arrested was said to have wondered aloud:“These old men couldn’t have been thugs. It iswrong to mistreat them simply because theybelong to a political party.”

At the military facility in Ede, one soldierwas so compassionate about the age of PaFakayode that he was claimed to have removedhis cap and offered it to the octogenarian tocover his head in the cold, while the Alhaja, whowas arrested with him, removed her head tie tokeep the old man warm from the cold. And atthe DSS office, another soldier even intervenedto stop a DSS officer who repeatedly usedhorsewhip to lash at the head of the 84-year-oldPa Fakayode.

Another instance was cited of the level of thebrutishness and impunity with which suspectedPDP thugs and the security forces manhandledpeople in Osun over the August 9 election. Itwas the story of a young man allegedly cut downin his prime in Ilesha. The young man, identifiedsimply as Tolu, had just concluded the namingceremony of his child and was wheeling backthe generator used to the owner when he met hiscruel fate; a squad of uniformed people (nobodycould determine whether they were PDP thugsor men of the security forces) were also drivingpast.

Immediately this armed squad observed that

the young man had the Aregbesola campaignvest on, they allegedly opened fire on the poorboy. He was said to have died on the spot.

Reacting to the gale of arrests on the eve ofthe Osun poll, however, the spokesperson ofDSS, Marilyn Oga, said the agency’s operativeswere in Osun to ensure peace, adding that theywere only arresting suspected thugs andcriminals who were allegedly violating the lawand attempting to disrupt the election.

She said the APC spokesman, Alhaji LaiMohammed, who was also arrested, was nabbedbecause he was moving about at the wee hourson the eve of the election. According to Oga,who spoke on a popular television station, theearlier gubernatorial elections in Ondo, Anambraand Ekiti were successfully conducted becausesecurity forces were also deployed to maintainpeace in those places.

She defended the agency against the publicoutrage, which trailed the wearing of hoods byits operatives in the Osun election, saying itwas the normal practice for the operatives to bemasked during ‘special operations’ so that theywould not be compromised.

But the APC took the DSS spokesman totask, wondering if Alhaji Lai Mohammed, theformer governor of Osun State, Senator IsiakaAdeleke, who was placed virtually on housearrest until he outwitted the security men andslipped away from the soldiers and other securityoperatives who had surrounded his residence,and other APC leaders and supporters, who werepicked up in their homes on the eve of theelection, were also criminals.

Culled from THE NATION

•Master KOLAWOLE •Alhaja ABIBAT •SEUN

“As terror swept the entire building andpeople were screaming for help, an agitatedPa Fakayode came downstairs only to findout that soldiers and other security agentswere everywhere pointing guns at the headsof people who had come to sympathise withhim over the of his daughter…”

•Mrs Adebisi Adesina was beaten, forced to lie flat on the floor for several hours, after she was arrested at Pa Fakayode’s house.

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 16, 2014 14INTERVIEW

‘Why We Rejected Omisore In Osun’Frontline industrialist and elder statesman, Chief Tunde Badmus, speaks with Dare Odufowokan,

Assistant Editor, on the last August 9, 2014 governorship election in Osun State and why the people ofthe state are comfortable with Governor Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola. He also shed more light on recentpolitical happenings in the country. ExcerptsHOW would you assess the

performance of INEC in theAugust 9, 2014 gubernatorial election

here in Osun State?

Well, as far as I am concerned, INEC did agood job with that crucial election. Before now,I used to think the 1993 June 12 election ofChief MKO Abiola is the best election we everhad; now I think the Osun election is better inmany ways. I cannot find any aspect of theelection where INEC failed. I went out that dayand saw things for myself. The INEC officialswere effective, the youth corps members werethorough and everybody followed instructions.So, it was a very commendable exercise. Iwouldn’t know if there are any other hiddenissues, but with the things we saw, INECperformed. I believe in Jega and he has proventhat he is honest and reliable. You can imagine,immediately after the election, he came out tosay the over-militarisation of the state is notgood and shouldn’t be repeated anywhere elsein the interest of democracy. That is Jega foryou. He is not like all these political jobberswho will not be able to do the right thing whengiven national assignments.

But the huge military presence in Ekitielection was repeated in Osun State, what isyour take on this?

I think Mr. President was misinformed intodeploying so much military personnel into Osunfor the election. We heard him explaining that itwas necessary to forestall violence; who arethose who wanted to cause violence here inOsun? They said there were some area boys,who are they? There was nothing like that inOsun. The people wanted to vote. They wantedto be able to elect their own leaders. That wasall. Nobody wanted to fight or burn houses. Wedon’t play politics like that in Osun State. Theelection proved that to the whole world. I haveno problem with Mr. President’s decision toprotect the people but my problem is with thosewho gave him a wrong impression. Did you seewhere any of those alleged boys was arrestedbefore, during and even after the election?Jonathan was misled and I am sure he knowsbetter now. He acted like a leader. No leader willtake security for granted.

But there were allegations that the APCunder Governor Aregbesola wanted to unleashterror on the state?

Well, I just told you what happened. It is leftfor you to believe me or not. I live here in Osogbo.For the past three years of Aregbesola asgovernor, he has been preaching peace. He is notthe type of politician who will destroy becausehe wants power. Remember, when Aregbesolacame into governance, he introduced theOmoluabi slogan. And when Omisore startedcampaigning, he said “Eniyan Iyi”, meaning Osunpeople are gentlemen. So, if both parties claimedto be gentlemen, where then were we expectingthe thuggery and violence.

In spite of all that, Aregbesola was re-elected.Will you say the result reflected the wishes ofthe people of Osun?

Look, let me tell you this, I don’t belong toany of the political parties. I am not a politician.I’m an elder statesman. So, I am not supportingany of the parties but the result reflected thewishes of those who didn’t sell their conscience.In every election, people will vote differently,but I want to tell you that Aregbesola shouldhave gotten more votes if people were notinduced with money and other things. A lot ofpeople sold their conscience. It was a toughelection but the people of Osun made up theirmind to return Aregbesola because of hisperformance in office. A lot of people were alsodisenfranchised in many ways. Aregbesolareaped where he had sown. He came into Osunto transform the state. And he did that for fouryears. There is no single family in Osun that hasnot benefitted from his government. Quote meanywhere. So when election came and he said hewanted another term, everybody agreed. That isthe basis for his victory over the Peoples

Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, IyiolaOmisore. This is the reason why Osun peopledidn’t vote for PDP and Omisore.

With this victory, Aregbesola made historyas the first person to get re-elected by Osun peopleas governor. What do you make of this assomeone who has been around since thecreation of the state?

Well, Osun people are educated andenlightened. They are no fools. Aregbesola gotreelection because he performed. Osun peopleare watching every politician. Whatever you do,they will pay you back. Oyinlola in his firsttwo years, people loved him because he wasfocused and performing. But when he lost focus,the people turned their back on him. If he hadcontinued being focused, the people would votefor him. He lost popularity and he didn’t get thevotes of the people. It all depends on theperformance of the person. If you do well, theywill return you, if you don’t, they will showyou the way out.

You said you are not a politician. What thenis your involvement in the politics of the state?

I am an indigene of Osun State and I havehuge investments here. It is my notion that theremust be peace and good governance in the state.It is my view right from the era of the June 12crisis that there must be peace in every statecapital and the federal capital territory and Lagosfor business to thrive in Nigeria. So, myinvolvement is to ensure peace and goodgovernance. I am not a party man. But I alwayssupport good governments. My support forAregbesola is because of his good initiative thatis helping the state and securing my investments.Good and bad things happen in the capitals firstbefore moving to other parts of the state orcountry. I am a poultry farmer. I need peace formy workers and others to perform. I know whatI lost during the June 12 crisis when there wascurfew in the town. Before then, I never wantedto do anything with politicians. But that incident

taught me to be an underground player in politics.I became an intermediary so as to ensure peaceand protect my investments.

But there was this rumor of your arrest duringthe election. What actually happened?

Well, the issue to me is not anything big. Therumour emanated from one of the major aspirantswho mistakenly sent the message to my ownphone too. I don’t deserve such treatment fromanyone, talk less from this person. He didn’tknow my number was part of the ones he sentthe thing to. I have assisted this person onoccasions monetarily and with influence. It issad that he did that. When the youths came hereto say I must refute the story, I decided to moveround the city, I didn’t see anybody to say youare wanted. On Friday, I prayed in the mosque.I was not arrested. On Election Day proper, Itrekked 13km to go and vote. I was not molestedin any way. Maybe that was the plan of thiscandidate to embarrass me. We thank God itdidn’t happen. People around here wanted touse the federal might to intimidate their politicalopponents which is against the policies of thisJonathan administration. I was not arrested. AndI thank the people of Osun State for their concernwhen they heard the rumour.

There were talks about the agriculturalproject your company is into with the OsunState Government. What is it really about?

The project is a Public Private Participation(PPP) effort put together by three partners,namely Osun State Government, TUNS Farmsand Poultry Association of Nigeria, Osun Statechapter. The poultry association represents thefarmers in the project. The government providedmoney for feeds that the chicks will eat. TUNSFarm provided day-old chicks. Then the farmersare to get the poultry farms. The governmentappointed scheme manager whose role is toaccess the farmers to be sure they have readyinfrastructures. It is the scheme manager whowill write to TUNS farm to release chicks and

feeds to the farmers. The farms are inspecteddaily by the scheme manager. When the birdsare ready for calling, the scheme manager gathersthem all for the ready markets.

We have seen a situation where farmers madea profit of about N240 million. One farmer madeabout N15million profit since we started. Thatis to tell you the rate of the success of the project.The question I ask is if there has been anyagricultural project that has been this successfulsince the creation of Osun? This is a project thathas made TUNS the number two producer ofbroiler meat in Nigeria. And the governmentinvestment is being paid back. As we speak, thegovernment has withdrawn about fifty percentof its investment into the project. So, in the nextone or two years now, the government will nothave a kobo in this scheme. The governmentprotected its investment by employing a schememanager. So, it is a hugely successful projectthat has created about 7,000 jobs both directand indirect. We have about 300 farms involvedin this project.

And where is the market for this hugemonthly production?

There are ready markets for the birds whenthey are grown. That is why the school feedingproject, O’meal came up. The school childrenproject takes about 10 percent of the birdsmonthly. The remaining 90 percent is sold withabout 40 percent going to KFC nationwide.Another 30 percent goes to Shoprite while thebalance goes to the oil companies across thecountry. The ready market is made possible bythe certification of TUNS Farm by internationalaudit. The Osun State Government is benefittinghugely in the area of improved IGR. The farmersare paying special taxes to the coffers of thegovernment as a result of this project.

The government also provided money tofarmers to start the programme. It is a brillianteffort by Ogbeni and he found ready partners inus. We had to give the guarantee. Today, thePoultry Association of Osun is the richest in thecountry. Aregbesola has been able to help thefarmers and at the same time, protect governmentmoney. This project has made about 300 peoplemillionaires. This is one project that you can seeits product everywhere. It is not like otherprojects that cannot be felt by the people.

You were a leading socialite in Lagos beforenow. What informed your decision to relocateto Osogbo?

Yorubas say it is when you are young thatyou can dance ‘palongo’. I am an elder now. Thebody also requires that I go easy. It was in thosedays one can go from King Sunny Ade’s partyto Sikiru Ayinde Barrister’s show and end up atEbenezer Obey’s club. I am now more at homewith the people of my community. It is alsoimportant that one should familiarise with hispeople. This is one of the reasons the peoplelove Aregbesola. He is a grassroots person. Heis a friend of everybody. Go out there in thestreet and you will see why he won the lastelection.

You are the Asiwaju Musulumi of Nigeria.You recently lost the Aare Musulumi AlaoArisekola. How would you remember him?

That was one man who touched my life inmany ways. Whatever lifestyle I am leadingtoday, I learnt from him. He is an exemplaryman who would never disagree with anybodywhatever the case may be. He is one man whopreaches peace and unity. His leadership of theMuslims in the South-West was God sent and alot of us learnt from him. He is one man whoused his resources to support Islam andhumanity immensely. I really felt bad about hisdeath because I related very closely with him. Ilearnt a lot from him and I will always rememberhim.

Culled from THE NATION

•BADMUS

15OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 16, 2014 PHOTOTALK

•Ejigbo High School in the State of Osun under the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, as captured by our cameraman, GBENGA ADENIYI, recently.

•One of the classrooms in Ejigbo High School, in the State of Osun under the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

Newly-completed Ejigbo High School Project Under The Administration Of TheState Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2014

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

By ADE OLUGBOTEMIIT is fashionable today for

“Men of God” to put onan emblem of distinction,

with a view to accordingthem respect and treat themlike second-in-command tothe Creator. This in itselfwas heavenly-ordainedbecause as Messengers ofGod, they are to bereferenced. They are to beholy at all times, so as to befound worthy by God to receive divineinstructions that will subsequently bedelivered to other human beings, whoare incapable of gaining insight into thecelestial realm because they are ‘notordained’ to do so. However, the attitudeof some of these people of God recentlyapparently calls to question the claim thatthey have minds that can wait on, andreceive from their Maker.

In the early days of human existence,the priests were usually consulted tochoose leaders for the people of God.The priest would then consult God byfervently praying for directives that willguide them to pick the person ordainedto lead the people. When there were noclear-cut directives, lots wouldprayerfully be cast, so that the chosenone would have the lot falling on him. Inall cases, the choice would be rightbecause of strict abstinence fromextraneous influence capable ofmodeling personal thoughts towardsundue subjectivity. Any leader thatemerged through such a neutral process,usually had no choice than to work intandem with people’s expectations.

Our clergies today take to untowardmeans to chart a course for the people,who are blindly following them. Most ofthem have become mereprognosticators, who draw counselsfrom sources other than God’s to paveway for contemporary speculation ofman that leads many astray. Theyproject the message as if it hasemanated from God and oftencompound the problems of undiscerningfolks that see them as super medium toknow the mind of God. Because of thespecial respect people have for them,they have led so many to reasoningwilderness, which is basically a realmof confusion and a parallel line to thepath of divine inspiration.

The recently-concluded State of Osungubernatorial election really gavecredence to this standpoint, whendesperation pushed people in the mainopposition party, the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) to employ allantics to win voters to their side. Theyturned so fallacious that they almostexhausted the contents of lies’repository. The whole process wasunprecedented in the history ofelectioneering process in Nigeria. Addedto this was the profundity of the wholemess coming from PDP’s arsenal.Strange multiplication of ‘doubtingThomases’ pervaded the entire politicalatmosphere of the state; to the end thatthe bravery of the valiant literallyevaporated from them.

The case was made worse by the tacitsupport and backing given the liesfabricators by some ‘men of God’ whovirtually turned the altar of God to aninstrument meant to also fabricate andpropagate lies. The tenacity of theirapplications sent serious confusionacross and beyond the state that peoplestarted wondering whether there wasanything profitable in positive innovationthat has become the hallmark ofgovernance in the State of Osun of late.Devil’s agents behind the pulpitsrecklessly fed their congregations withspiritual junks from hell. They openly toldtheir members that Governor Aregbesolahad been rejected by God because ofhis anti-Christ posture; praying that themighty hand of God might come heavilyagainst him.

Many fake Spiritualists in inventedcassocks became prayer warriorsagainst the incumbent governor. Theyentered into marathon fasting on hillsand mountains and descended after daysof dry fast, white fast, and all mannersof fast to vaunt themselves, and boastabout that the government of the State

of Osun has been withdrawn fromOgbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola.Inciting handbills were distributed by somany pastors, while many of themordered their church members to havenights of vigil to pray againstAregbesola’s victory at polls. Insightfultext messages found their ways intopeople’s handsets; many of themdeclaring war against the person ofAregbesola. The barrage was endless.

It is noteworthy to recount how manyof us were vilified and castigated.Without sounding sanctimonious, weonly desired that the Will of God beestablished. Some of us who wereopenly branded never received a dimefrom any quarters. We only developedpassion for positive change that willshow that God is merciful and good tous. We demanded that God shouldshame those who were going about tofan mischief and errors, so that peoplewill know their true God, Who bringsHis counsel to pass in the midst of Hispeople. We never went to any prayermountains, but with faith in God, wefasted and prayed that God shouldmanifest His power. That was exactly

what happened on August 9, 2014,when against all odds, God provedHis deity as a God of war againstinjustice, before Whom all powersmust bow.

The good people of this statemust be aware that those men ofGod have begun a new processof satanic prayer to overturn what

God perfected on August 9, 2014. Theyhave gotten another gratification that ispropelling their energy to have themruled by their minds. They are seekingfor helping hand in human judgment atelection tribunal, and I am sure they willfind one at the end of their arms. At theend of the whole process, they will findout that God’s arm is mighty, and that itis powerful enough to compliment thefrailties of man. People, who loveprogress, must daily pray for God’s willto manifest upon the adjudication of manthat is often misguided by emotionalwhims.

We are at the verge of revival in ourchequered history. We are hoping thatthe ecstasy that greeted the declarationof August 10, 2014 will not be puncturedby any human error that has brandedour country as a nation of despots, whosediscretions have permanentlycondemned us to a realm of Lilliputiansthat supports a notion of retrogressionin global moves towards socio-politicalemancipation. For our recalcitrantclergies to get it right and fulfill God’smandate upon their lives, they mustquickly respond to their primary ministryof praying for the good of their‘Jerusalem’( which in this case isNigeria) that is currently enmeshed inmultifaceted crisis.

It is in Nigeria’s prosperity that theclergies’ fulfillments lie. Nobody in hisright senses will feel satisfied with thecurrent situation in which mostNigerians are ready to flee the countryfor any more economically-viablecountries of the world. We must lookbeyond any religious consideration tohave our problem fixed and advancesteadily to a bay of safety. If Nigeriaremains in her problem, no pastor orbishops, or whatever any titles they carry,will worth any while. They musttherefore be apolitical in their duty toseek God’s face, so that Nigeria canattain her full potentials under anypolitical party or politician.

As we move towards year 2015,which many people consider as a yearof destiny, we must be courageous tocritically examine our situation and seewhere we have been missing the pointall along. If Peoples Democratic Partyand Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan are notthe media of greatness and politicalemancipation, as some of us are sensing,they should develop large hearts toaccommodate what God intends to do;so that we can all begin to enjoy togetherand subsequently feel proud of anemerging Nigeria, where it becomespossible to make full proof of individualinnate talents. Enough is enough withour being unnecessarily sentimental.

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

Clergies, Where LiesYour Integrity?

“Many fake Spiritualists in inventedcassocks became prayer warriors against theincumbent governor. They entered intomarathon fasting on hills and mountains anddescended after days of dry fast, white fast,and all manners of fast to vaunt themselves,and boast about that the government of theState of Osun has been withdrawn fromOgbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola. Incitinghandbills were distributed by so manypastors, while many of them ordered theirchurch members to have nights of vigil topray against Aregbesola’s victory at polls.Insightful text messages found their waysinto people’s handsets; many of themdeclaring war against the person ofAregbesola. The barrage was endless.”