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Front Page Comment

- See StoryOn Page 2

Who KilledChief Bola Ige,former Attorney-

General andMinister of

Justice? IGE

Ekiti Gov Election ResultTurns Bloody In Ile-Ife•APC Members Attacked, In Critical Condition At OAUTHC

•(R-L) The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Women Leader, All Progressives Congress, (APC), Mrs. Alhaja Ramotu Tijani; National Chairman, All ProgressivesCongress, (APC), Chief John Odgwe Oyegun; Mrs. Omolola Oyinlola; former governor, State of Osun, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola and former governor, Lagos State, AsiwajuBola Ahmed Tinubu, during a visit to former Governor Oyinlola in his Okuku residence, State of Osun, on Sunday.

Is Jonathan a FulaniHegemon?

Afenifere, theYoruba group thatmakes itself out as thepromoter and defenderof Yoruba interests inconjunction with its al-lies in the Yoruba UnityForum and sundry“self-determination”groups predicatedtheir opposition to theAPC and its allies inpart to their

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

of complete Muslimdomination of the party andby implication, of Nigeriaitself. These groups wentabout their mission by de-crying what they termed thepossibility of a

“Muslim/Muslim”Presidential ticketeven when the APChas not even begunthe process ofchoosing its candi-date. Based on thissupposed opposi-tion to Fulani hege-mony, these groupsend up rallying be-hind

Continue on pg4

2OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 24, 2014 News

Ekiti Gov Election Result Turns Bloody In Ile-Ife•APC Members Attacked, In Critical Condition At OAUTHC

By OUR REPORTER

•(R-L) Mr. Ibiyode Kunle and Suleiman Ayeye, victims of violence attack by PDP thugs on APC members in Ile-Ife lastSaturday.

AS a fallout of the gubernatorial election held in EkitiState last Saturday, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and thugs suspected to be loyal to its

governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, havetaken it upon themselves to unleash terror on members ofthe ruling-All Progressives Congress (APC) atOgbingbin, Oke-Ijan and Garage-Isale areas of IremoWard in Ile-Ife, headquarters of Ife-Central LocalGovernment Council Area of the State of Osun.

As a result of the violentattack on the APC membersby the PDP thugs who werecelebrating the perceivedvictory of their party in Ekiti,Ibiyode Kunle (driver) andSuleiman Ayeye (tailor), whowere both violently attackedin front of their house onSaturday, were rushed to theAccident and EmergencyUnit of the ObafemiAwolowo UniversityTeaching Hospital Complex,

Ile-Ife with various degreesof injuries.

The Director of Publicity,Research and Strategy ofthe State of Osun chapter ofthe APC, Barrister KunleOyatomi, disclosed that hegot the report that somemembers of the party, whowere seated in front of theirhouse at Ogbingbin area ataround 8:00pm, weresuddenly and violentlyattacked with dangerous

weapons.On getting to the

OAUTHC, the incident wasconfirmed by the victimsand also corroborated byAbigail Ibiyode, the wife ofone of the victims.

In his own reaction, themember representing Ife-South State Constituency inthe State House ofAssembly and Chairman ofCampaign Committee for thesecond term re-electioncampaign of Ogbeni RaufAregbesola in Ife FederalConstituency,, HonourableFolorunsho Bamisayemi,stated that the event, whichwas a ripple effect of theelection in Ekiti, was indeeddetestable.

He maintained that therewas no reason why the PDPin Ife should unleashmayhem and violence on

APC members.In his words: “From the

reports I have, the attacksoccurred at Ogbingbin, Oke-Ijan on Saturday night andthe victims are nowreceiving treatment atOAUTHC, Ile-Ife. Rightnow, another has justoccurred at Garage Isale.

“Such violent attacksshould be exposed to thewhole world to see.

“Is this the plan of thePDP in the run-off to theAugust 9 gubernatorialelection?

“Is violence the best wayto campaign?

“It seems to them thatviolence, intimidation andmaiming of innocent peopleis the best form ofcampaign.”

Bamisayemi stressed thatthe occurrence was alien to

Osun and that the FederalGovernment should call thePDP and their thugs toorder.

“The matter has beenreported to the police in Ile-Ife and a petition would beforwarded to the StateDirector of State SecurityService (SSS) and stateCommissioner of Police forprompt action.”

He added that series ofprovocation would havebeen perpetrated by thePDP thugs since Saturdaynight when the first incidentwas reported.

He revealed that the APCmembers had been asked toshun violence and reiteratedthe stand of the APC thatthey would not retaliate.

“We would not resort toself-help and would not

also tolerate attacks onparty members. That is whywe want the police tointervene,” he added.

In their separatestatements, Messers IsaacAdebowale, Iremo Ward 5APC Chairman and SundayOladipupo, APC SenatorialYouth Leader, revealed thatit was the Ekiti election resultthat made the PDP toviolently attack the APCmembers in Ife Central LocalGovernment Council Area.

Oladipupo said he, alongwith some party members,were attacked on their wayback from Ilesa at Ilode onSaturday night and at homearound 3:00am on Sunday.

As at press time, anotherround of violent attacks onAPC members wasreportedly beingperpetrated in Ilesa.

Osun 2014: Monarchs Caution Politicians Against Violence

Protect Your Children AgainstAbuse, Commissioner Tasks Parents

PARENTS have been charged to ensure that theydo not compromise their children’s rights toquality education and social protection.

By SHINA ABUBAKAR

This was disclosed bythe State of OsunCommissioner for Womenand Children Affairs, Mrs.Mofolake Adegboyega,during a courtesy visit toGod’s Own ChoiceAcademy located at Oluodearea of the state capital toinspect the pupils of theschool.

According to her, theroles of parents are to giveright to life, goodeducation, socialprotection, healthy livingamong others to their

wards at all times.She also enjoined parents

and guardians to re-dedicatethemselves to this task as away of complementing theefforts of the governor ofthe State of Osun, OgbeniRauf Aregbesola, instrengthening his six-pointintegral action plan for thestate.

The commissioner,represented by the Director,Finance andAdministration, Mrs.Folasade Akinola, explainedto the children that theachievements recorded bythe ministry in theimplementation of Child’sRights Law and otherbenefits in favour of thechildren in the state wereat the instance of thegovernor’s support to theministry.

Mrs. Akinolaadmonished the childrenthat they have right to life,right to good education,right to healthy living, socialprotection, right offreedom from violence andabuse at home, school orthe society, as she enjoinedthem to be obedient and begood children to theirparents, teachers and eldersin the society.

Similarly, the DeputyDirector, ChildDevelopment of theMinistry, Mr. A. Rufai, inhis paper on Child’s RightLaw, geared the childrentowards the functions ofthe parents to them, whichthey are entitled to and alsorelayed the benefits andimportance of Child RightLaw to the children.

Highlight of the visit wasthe presentation of the ChildRights Law manual andRed Card Against ChildAbuse in the State of Osun,to the head teacher of theschool.

The Beauty Of Democracy Is That TheWill Of The People Prevails - Aregbesola

GOVERNOR of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, hassaid that the beauty of democracy is that the will ofthe people must prevail at all times.

Aregbesola in hisresponse to the outcome ofthe governorship poll inEkiti on Saturday said if theresult of the Ekiti electionwhich declared thecandidate of the PeoplesDemocratic Party, AyoFayose, the winner is thetrue reflection of thepeople’s decision anddesires, his party wouldhave no option but to abideby the outcome.

He said, a true democratmust be ready to embracedefeat just as he will bequick to embrace victory inall genuine democraticcontests.

Aregbesola, in astatement by his Director,Bureau of Communicationand Strategy, SemiuOkanlawon, however,cautioned that whilerecognising the will of thepeople in the attempt toinstitute real democracy inNigeria, all institutions ofstate must be deployed inmanners that promote andedify democratic tenets.

Reassuring the people ofOsun of the confidence ofhis party to win the August9 poll in Osun, Aregbesolasaid the support base for hisparty and governmentremained unflinching.

TRADITIONAL rulers in Ejigbo Local GovernmentCouncil Area of the State of Osun have cautioned“desperate politicians” against using the August 9

governorship election to cause violence in the state.They said political parties

and their candidates shouldrun issue-based campaignand leave the people tojudge through their votes.

The Ogiyan of Ejigbo,Oba OmowunuolaOyesosin; Olusongbe ofSongbe, Oba Kamilu Ajadiand the Olola of Ola statedthis during visits to thepalaces of the monarchs bythe All ProgressivesCongress (APC) CampaignCommittee in Ede/Egbedore/Ejigbo FederalConstituency onWednesday.

Oba Oyesosin stated thatwhile Governor RaufAregbesola was known tohave passion for thedevelopment of the state,other candidates also knowwhy they are vying for thegovernorship seat, addingthat the electorate should beallowed to use that basis tomake their choices.

Commending Aregbesolafor the development he hasbrought to bear in the state

within the last three and halfyears, he said that people ofthe state are still expectingmore from him during hissecond term in office.

He then cautioned thosethat are thinking of usingviolence and rigging, toshelve the idea and allowpeoples’ wish to prevail forthe sake of peaceful co-existence in the state.

Olusongbe, in his palace,stated that Aregbesola hasdone what would earn himsecond term in office, notingthat the development he hasbrought to the state cannever be over-emphasised.

“People of Ejigbo andOsun in general are notblind and they can all seewhat Aregbesola had done.This will play a verysignificant role during theelection.

“The appeal we have tomake as traditional rulers isthat we don’t want violenceand politicians must ensureviolence-free election,” hestressed.

While speaking at thevarious palaces, theChairman of the CampaignCommittee and the Speaker,State of Osun House ofAssembly of Osun,Honourable Najeem Salaam,said that the major focus ofthe main opposition party isto cause violence in thename of the election.

He stressed that thesupport and royal blessingsof the traditional rulersbefore and during theelection was vital forsuccess of the party at thepoll and a way of ensuringviolence-free election.

While noting that thesupport of the royal fatherswould assist the party tocontinue its developmentalprojects in the state afterwinning the election, Salaamsaid Aregbesola’s re-election was important forthe continued progress ofthe state.

Also speaking at thepalace of Olusongbe ofSongbe, Senator MudashiruHussain, representing OsunWest at the NationalAssembly, said the supportof the monarch wasimportant for the success ofAregbesola’s re-election

bid.Hussain, who described

traditional rulers as a pillarof support for the state, saidit was necessary for theparty to seek for themaximum support to achieveits aims.

Calling for a free and fairelection, devoid of violenceand killing, the senatorcharged the monarchs to

sensitise their subjects notto sell their voters’ cards orvotes, advising that doingso would amount to sellingtheir future and the futureof their children.

Subsequently, themonarchs and othertraditional rulers at theirpalaces also prayed for thesuccess of the party at thepoll.

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

3 News OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 24, 2014

•A newly-rehabilitated road at Ilahun in Obokun Local Government Council Area of the State of Osun, under theadministration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, as captured by our cameraman, GBENGA ADENIYI, last Thursday.

Osun Begins Implementation Of Urban Renewal Programme

GOVERNOR of the State of Osun, Ogbeni RaufAdesoji Aregbesola, has disclosed that the state isready to implement its urban renewal scheme, in

its selected nine cities without further delay.

By SHINA ABUBAKAR

He disclosed this whilereceiving report of thestate’s Structure Plan for theUrban Renewal Programmeof the state government, puttogether by officers of thestate Ministry of Lands,Housing and UrbanDevelopment, inconjunction with their UN-HABITAT counterpart.

The governor disclosedthat Osun has fulfilled itsobligation of payment ofN100 million counterpart-

fund with the UnitedNations.

Represented by hisdeputy, Otunba (Mrs.)Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, GovernorAregbesola said hisadministration is poised atcreating healthyenvironment, worthy ofhuman habitation acrossthe state, with a view tomaking the state, a force toreckon with across theglobe, in terms of clean,

healthy and hygienicenvironment.

According to thegovernor, government ofthe State of Osun is the firststate government in theworld to embark upondeveloping nine cities atonce under the urbanrenewal programme, sayingthe present administrationin the state will stop atnothing to preserve thelong-standing heritage ofthe state, as a state with thehighest number of cities ofover 800 years in age.

Governor Aregbesolasaid one major step taken byhis administration uponassumption of office was to

prepare the state for theimplementation of its urbanrenewal programme, byridding the state of debristhrough dredging ofwaterways and riverchannels across the state.

Speaking on strategy tobe adopted for theimplementation of thestructure plan, the governorsaid the urban renewalprogramme will cover onekilometre radius from King’sPalace representing centreof town in each of theselected cities while it willcover two kilometres inOsogbo being the statecapital.

Governor Aregbesola

thereafter appreciated theUN-HABITAT team forassisting the state withtechnical support valued atover N400 million, and calledfor continued support of theworld body in theimplementation of thereport, saying theassistance will go a longway in helping the stategovernment tremendouslyin its quest to achieving itstarget of creating a healthyand clean environment forthe people of the state.

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

Commending effortsmade so far by the stategovernment in her quest toreverse ugly trendpervading the economicsector of the state, Ms. AmalPepple appealed toGovernor Aregbesola toensure that allrecommendations made inthe report are carried to theletter.

Presenting the report toGovernor Aregbesola, Head

of UN-HABITAT in Nigeria,Ambassador Kabir Yari,described the report as anecessary tool forenvironmental developmentand the state government’sright step in the rightdirection to reposition theeconomic potential of thestate with a view to planningfor the future of the peopleof the State.

Ambassador Yari said,people and communityleaders in all the selectednine cities were met throughtown hall meetingsorganized by the committeein their domains to intimatethem of what informed thestate government’s decisionto embark on the urbanrenewal programme in thestate adding that the peopleopenly embraced theprogramme which madecommittee’s work easier, anindication that the peopleare fully involved in thestate government’s plan fortheir future.

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

He said, the structureplan has provided the stateimplementation committeewith a legal framework, toimplement the programmeadvised the stategovernment to create a database to keep matters of thisnature for future referenceand appreciated people ofthe state for theircooperation and assistancethroughout the period theproject lasted.

Chairman of theCommittee, Professor J. B.Falade, said the structureplan was aimed atredesigning the state andmake the nine cities to beamong the best across theglobe.

Urging leadership of theState of Osun House ofAssembly to pass into law,without any further delay,the State Urban RenewalBill to ease theimplementation process ofthe structure plan,Professor Falade called onthe state government tocreate proper plans for theimplementation processbacked with right politicalwill, budgetary provisionand right mechanismadding that the role of theprivate sector should be putinto consideration.

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

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

Osun Governor’s Wife Charges Pupils To Seek KnowledgeBy JESUDOYIN ABRAHAM

WIFE of the governor, State of Osun and thePresident, Sheri Care Foundation (SCARF), MrsSherifat Aregbesola, has charged pupils to

embrace the culture of seeking knowledge, as a majorprerequisite to attain greater height.

She gave the charge onThursday at a statereception to welcome thewinner of the 2013/2014Spelling Bee Competition, a12 year-old Miss ZainabOlawale, who wassponsored to the UnitedStates of America bySCARF after winning thecompetition.

The Spelling BeeCompetition was organisedby the SCARF, thefoundation set up by thewife of the governor, as partof its educationprogrammes.

Zainab is a student ofUnity Middle School, apublic school in Osogbo,the state capital.

Welcoming the winner,Mrs Aregbesola said theprogramme was organisedto complement the efforts ofthe state government tobroaden the knowledge ofstudents, especially inpublic schools.

Charging students toembrace subsequentopportunity to seekknowledge, she noted thatthis would go a long way inexpanding their knowledge.

Mrs Aregbesola thenformally declared September

2014 for the commencementof the 2014/2015 SpellingBee Competition in thestate.

While also speaking, thePermanent Secretary, StateUniversal Basic Education,Alhaji Fatai Kolawole,stated that nothing

wonderful as the spellingbee competition has everoccured in the state, sinceits creation.

Commending the SCARFPresident for the greatthings that have beenintroduced to broaden theknowledge of students, hedescribed the initiative as agood change andimprovement in the stateeducational sector.

While congratulatingZainab for his emergence,the Principal of her school,Mrs Titilayo Akano,

described Mrs Aregbesolaas a good leader, who hasmade impact and whoseimpact cannot be forgottenin the state.

In her testimony, Zainabdescribed her stay outsidethe country as veryinteresting and full of fun,noting that the trip enabledher to acquire moreknowledge.

“When we were insidethe Aeroplane, I was afraidbecause that was my firsttime.

“When I was in Ghana, I

was lodged in the biggestschool there, where richpeople in Nigeria send theirchildren.

“Also, in America, I madefriends with some of thewhite people. They werevery friendly to me and theplace is very beautiful,” shesaid.

Zainab’s father, MrOlawale, while appreciatingthe wife of the governor forthe gesture, said they hadnever thought ofbenefitting from suchwonderful gesture.

Aregbesola To Build Another International Market At OwenaBy KAZEEM MOHAMMED

GOVERNMENT of the State of Osun has nearlycompleted the processes for the construction of anInternational Modern Market in Owena, a border

town with Ondo State, saying the project would beconstructed during his second term in office.

The Chairman, AllProgressives Congress (APC)Governorship CampaignCommittee in Ijesa NorthFederal Constituency, Dr. WaleBolorunduro, stated this atOwena on Thursday, whileaddressing the mammothcrowd of Governor RaufAregbesola’s supporters at acampaign rally.

He also stated that a waterproject has been started in thearea and would be completedduring the second term ofAregbesola’s administration.

Bolorunduro, who also said

that Ikeji-Ile to Ikeji-Arakejiroad project has been awarded,added that the ongoing powerproject in Ikeji-Ile would becompleted during the secondterm of the administration.

Identifying building of newschools, construction of roadsamong others, as part of thedevelopments that have beenbrought to the federalconstituency, he urged thepeople to re-elect Aregbesola toallow him complete all theongoing projects.

In his own address at therally, the federal lawmaker

representing Ijesa NorthFederal Constituency,Honourable NathanielAgunbiade, debunked the claimby the Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP) leaders that theyare the ones constructing theongoing water project in theancient town.

He stressed that the projectwas part of the programmesbeing executed by APC-ledgovernment, saying that whenthe projects are completed, thepeople of the area and itsenvirons would no longer havechallenges of portable water.

Also speaking, the Secretaryof the Campaign Committee,Mr Olatunbosun Oyintiloyesaid the support thatAregbesola has received in hisoutings have shown that he isloved by the people of the

state.According to him, the

passion and vision for thedevelopment of the state hasalways been the driving force,saying that his second term inoffice would enable him tocompliment on thedevelopment he had broughtinto the state.

He then charged on theelectorate to vote massively forAregbesola and defend theirvotes, with a view topreventing rigging that has arebeing planned by theopposition party.

Oyintiloye also alerted theelectorate about the lies beingspread by the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) aboutAregbesola and his candidate,saying, the lies are meant toconfuse the people of the state.

4 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Is Jonathan a Fulani Hegemon?Continued fromg pg1

“southerner” in the person of GoodluckJonathan, the current president of Nigeria. Forthem, being a foot soldier to a GoodluckJonathan is preferable to promoting what theyperceive as Fulani hegemony.

Goodluck Jonathan’s foot soldiers have notfailed to regale us with the notion that theNorth, more specifically, the Fulani are theenemies of Yorubaland who must be politi-cally neutralized not only for the health ofthe homeland but also of Nigeria in general.Events in the last few weeks have shown howcompletely wrong they are, in spite of beingtold over and over again that it is strategicallywrong and tactless to make a Manichean divi-sion between the “North” and the “South”,especially when it is obvious that each andevery Nationality in Nigeria is working forthe expression of its own political space.

In the last few weeks, Yorubaland has expe-rienced the attack on an elected Governor bya policeman who claimed he would not recog-nize the Governor because he is answerable tosome other “higher power” in Nigeria; we havewitnessed a serving Commissioner of EkitiState being charged with “terrorism” by thesame police authority that refused to recog-nize the Constitutionally elected Governor ofthe State; we have witnessed the president,Goodluck Jonathan confiscating private prop-erty for his own political purpose; we are wit-nessing Goodluck Jonathan lock down EkitiState and threaten residents simply because ofhis fear of his party losing the Governorshipelection in the State; we have witnessedGoodluck Jonathan harass and intimidate APCleaders going about their lawful and legitimatepolitical duties; we have witnessed GoodluckJonathan violate the right of free speech and

movement all in an attempt at silencing the op-position, both as members of the APC and asYoruba leaders.

Goodluck Jonathan has, again and again, shownhis utmost contempt for the Yoruba Nation, fromcreating this network of political criminals inthe land found in his own faction of the PDP,Afenifere, Labor Party and sundry organizationsto actually declaring war on the land in the formof current militarization of electoral contest weare witnessing all in a bid to have total control ofthe land; he has shown that the Yoruba Nation isjust a pawn in his own game of survival.

The last time we checked, Goodluck Jonathanis Ijaw-Igbo, and obviously NOT Fulani and whathe has done and is doing is not healthy for theHomeland. This is the person Afenifere and itsallies are promoting as being defender of “south-ern” interest against the Fulani. With friendslike Goodluck Jonathan, who needs enemies?

It is a matter of historical record that theYoruba had been Muslims long before the arrivalof the Dan Fodio Jihadists, which is whyYorubaland has no issues with Islam or Muslimsin their midst. When these groups now raiseunnecessary alarms about Muslims, they are notonly telling us that we, as a people, are incapableof mediating our religious preferences, whichwould be a-historical but actually telling us thatthey alone have a superior appreciation of reli-gious matters more than even the society theyclaim to represent.

Besides, the main anchors of GoodluckJonathan’s attempt at subjugating the Homelandare Yoruba Muslims. Musiliu Obanikoro, the Min-ister of State for Defense and Jelili Adesiyan, thePolice Affairs Minister, are Muslims. They arealready waging a war of terror on Yorubaland byvirtue of the offices they occupy and yet thesegroups will turn around and decry a “Muslim/Muslim” ticket? What this shows is that theyare comfortable with Muslims who will do theirbidding to subjugate the Homeland. Otherwise

how would a Musiliu Obanikoro, a supposed Minis-ter, who was unable to stand up to an insultingcommand from a Ministry he was supposedlysupervising when he was pointedly told to shut upand sit down now turn around and run riot with“his” soldiers? He could not muster enough cour-age embedded in his office to stand down his juniorbut would deploy all arsenal in his possession toharass and harangue unarmed citizens? And theseAfenifere groupies would see no evil, hear no evilwhile all of these are going on?

By acquiescing to these forms of intimidation,Afenifere and its allied groups have lost any cred-ibility as promoters and defenders of Yoruba inter-est and from now on, they should be treated astraitors to the Homeland and consigned to the gar-bage heap of history.

Jonathan is using these elements as props forhis tottering regime. Tottering because his presi-dential ambition would have to be thrown over-board because his expected

source of support in the International commu-nity has dried up. There will be no soft landing forhim as was pointedly shown him by the rejectionof his petroleum minister as OPEC’s Secretary-General nominee. It was obvious that with Shell’sinfluence in international oil politics as well aswithin the Nigerian government itself, such a nomi-nation would have been a shoo-in if all is well withthe Jonathan camp.

His attempt to precipitate a military putsch ofhis own making has also hit the rocks, again largelydue to lack of support from the international com-munity whose opinion of the military is nothing towrite home about; and that is putting it mildly.The only option left for him is to prepare a softlanding for himself by ensuring the neutralizationof the progressive forces in the country, which iswhy he appears to be “stumbling” from one crisisto another and only in States controlled by theAPC. It is also becoming increasingly likely thatthe North would not favor a progressive Northern

candidate as its Presidential choice and Jonathanbeing out of the way, with Yorubaland politi-cally emasculated, the coast will be clear for theNorth, especially its conservative wing, to takecontrol of the political processes of the two ma-jor parties and what these Yoruba enablers ofJonathan would have us believe they are fightingagainst would have become a fait accompli, withJonathan’s active connivance, whose ultimateaim is now to placate the same North he and hisfoot soldiers are railing against with the end re-sult of producing an extremely conservative po-litical atmosphere, while Yorubaland would havebeen made prostrate for easy picking by the sameconservative forces .

Thus, Afenifere and its groupies are actuallyworking for the enthronement of conservativeelements in power in Nigeria, protestations to“restructuring” notwithstanding—even at that,they would go into Jonathan’s National Confer-ence only on the basis of “trusting Jonathan torestructure” which is now turning out to be ahoax as evidenced by the various decisions beingmade.

But we do not have to fall into this pit, whichis why, “ooduapathfinder” once again, calls forthe Homeland to ensure a complete and over-whelming defeat of these agents of reaction andconservatism going about in Afenifere/PDP/LPcolors on Saturday, June 21 2014.

They have come with their guns and we haveour votes and our land to defend. As they camewith their guns, so shall they go.

On Osun Indigenes And 'Lagos' CrowdTHE governorship

candidate of thePeoples Democratic

Party (PDP) in the August 9election in the State of Osunrepeated the blackmail mantraof the opposition by accusingGovernor Rauf Aregbesola ofawarding contracts to Lagospeople at the expense of theindigenes of the state. Hepromised to flush out these‘Lagosians’ if elected intooffice.

There are many fallacieswith this notion. First, thewrong impression is beinggiven that the people who havehelped the governor in onecapacity or the other to run thegovernment are aliens. Butthese are mostly indigenes ofOsun, born and bred in thestate, had their primary,secondary and tertiaryeducation in the state and hadto move outside due to limitedopportunities.

Indeed, before Osun wascreated out of the old Oyo Statein 1991, the closest formal jobanyone could get was the civilservice in Ibadan. Even sinceOsun State was created, besidesstaff of banks posted to thestate and can be posted

anywhere else, only thesecretariat in Osogbo offerslimited opportunity foremployment. How, indeed cana graduate of petroleumengineering be employed inOsun? Perhaps, these peoplewould want them to work aspetrol attendants. Maybe thosewho read marine engineeringand oceanography should beemployed at the Osun Rivertending to the gods so that they

can be really occupied by theirstate.

These critics nevermentioned the fact that the‘aliens’ have built houses intheir hometowns, repatriatemoney home and regularlysupport members of theirextended families trapped in thegripping poverty in the state.Many of them have set upcottage industries for theirfamilies and friends and it is

these ‘aliens’ that are calledupon to donate for the causeof development in theircommunities and the state ingeneral.

It is rather to the credit ofGovernor Aregbesola that thesehuman resources are beingbrought back to contribute tothe development of the state.

Secondly, Yoruba peopleare one and we are all related.Apart from our common origin

of Oduduwa in Ile-Ife, theYoruba civil wars of the 18th

and 19th centuries havedisplaced and intermingled thepeople such that we do nothave pure forms again. At anyrate, there are hundreds ofthousands of Osun people whohave held and still holdprominent positions in Lagos.There are also very largesettlements like Ijesatedo andEjigbo domiciled for Osun

people. How can anybodyalienate these people?

Let us even look at thosecasting the first stone. Morethan 60 per cent of the lastPDP administration cabinetmembers were not resident inthe state before theirappointment, including thegovernor and his deputy. EvenSenator Iyiola Omisore beforehis emergence as deputygovernor in 1999 and later asSenator was operating amechanic garage in Ibadan.Would he then qualify himselfas an alien?

Even if these people are notOsun indigenes or Yoruba, itwould still have beenunconstitutional for them to bediscriminated against. How dowe forge national unity andpromote inclusion if we fosterinsularity and engage in theexclusion of other people? It isincestuous and retrogressive.The most developed places arewhere there is accommodationand openness.

That this jaundices view isbeing canvassed by a formerSenator of the federal Republicis shameful and tragic.

•BAMIDELE ALONGE,Jubril Martins Street,Surulere, Lagos

OSUN DEFENDERPublisher – Moremi Publishing

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PoliticsOSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Rousing Ovation Greets Re-Election Bid @ Ila-OrangunThe mega rally of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun, third in the series, was

held in Ila-Orangun recently. At the well-attended rally, a line-up of spectacular events caught theattention of OSUN DEFENDER Magazine. The crew met an expectant, large, bustling crowd ofenthusiastic party members, admirers, supporters and sympathizers on ground. Similar to reportsmade on the two earlier rallies, constituents of Ila Federal Constituency, comprising three localgovernment council areas of Ila, Ifedayo and Boluwaduro made the day with Governor Aregbesola,wielding their brooms as they gave a Victor’s Palm to the Wonderful Achiever. The unanimousresolution at the rally is, as NIYI OLASINDE reports, something that thrills the heart, as thecontinuity in office of the helmsman who has impacted positively on the lives of the constituents andthe people in general during his first term in office was endorsed. Full details of the big meet arehere presented.

Aregbesola On The March Again

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (arrowed on top of a bus), acknowledging cheers from the mammoth crowd, during his re-election mega rally in Ila/Ifedayo/Boluwaduro Federal Constituency at Ila Township Stadium, Ila-Orangun recently.

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Rousing Ovation Greets Re-Election Bid @ Ila-Orangun

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THE third in the series of mega rallies put together by theruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osunwas held on Tuesday, June 10, 2014. All roads led to Ila-

Orangun, the seat of Ila / Ifedayo / Boluwaduro FederalConstituency of the State of Osun on that red-letter day onwhich an unprecedented crowd comprising party members,loyalists, faithful, supporters, sympathizers and residents,converged on the ancient town of to grace the mega rally underreference. This election season, it has been the practice of theparty to convene mega rallies across the nine federalconstituencies in the state. Two weeks earlier, two federalconstituencies in the state had taken turns to host the incumbentgovernor and his campaign train to their territories. These are theIfe Federal Constituency, where the series of mega rallies intendedto usher in the re-election of the governor for the second termkick-started; and the Irewole /Ayedaade / Isokan FederalConstituency, which turn it was a week later. It was the exigenciesimposed by this successive timetable that drew people to convergeon the headquarters of Ila / Ifedayo / Boluwaduro FederalConstituency where a large crowd, the largest so far, gathered toaccord the governor deserved recognition and approval; as well asgive their solidarity to him for his second term bid. This was atthe instance of the Ila Federal Constituency Campaign Committeechaired by the State of Osun Commissioner for Information andStrategy, Honourable Sunday Akere.

On the day of the event, the ancient town of Ila-Orangun wasstretched to full capacity as all nooks and crannies of the townshook under the weight of the mammoth crowd that gathered tobid Aregbesola a rallying welcome. As early as eight o’clock inthe morning, the hustle-bustle that woke the streets of the townfrom the long slumber of the previous night was enough harbingersto the great tumult that was to come later in the day. As at teno’clock, the streets were already set for apparently the biggestcarnival ever held in the ancient settlement. In his description ofthe experience of the rally later in the day, former governor of thestate and erstwhile National Chairman of the All ProgressivesCongress (APC), an indigene of Ila-Orangun, Chief Adebisi Akandecould not hide his marvel at the density of the crowd. Accordingto the septuagenarian politician, he had never witnessed such alarge convergence on the town, his pace of birth.

One unique and salient feature of the rallies held so far, that ofIla-Orangun inclusive, is the atmosphere of peace, tranquility,tolerance and serenity that prevailed before, during and after thecrowd-pulling event. The length and breadth of the matter is thatthe mega rallies so far held were devoid of rancor; they werehitch-free; and they were rich in all qualities of endearment andpersuasion. The implication of this is that the ruling party in theState of Osun has mastery in the skill of conversion. As a matterof fact, members of the leading opposition subsist in thoseconstituencies where the rallies have been held; not to talk ofmembers of other parties. In the particular towns which playedhost to the rallies, it is a matter of stating the obvious, thatdwellers and residents are not absolutely consisting of membersof the All Progressives Congress (APC). What then contributedto the huge success recorded at those rallies? What factors wonthe unprecedented crowd recorded to the side of the governor,Ogbeni Aregbesola?

The first and central in the list of most probable factors is thefact that the hallmark of the progressive All Progressives Congress(APC) as a broad-based political party is love, good brotherlinessand peaceful co-existence of all Nigerians; irrespective ofconsiderations to ethnicity, religion, socio-economic statuses,background or state-in-life. In other words, the focus of thefounding fathers of the party is not that of “capturing” areas ofgovernance “by all means”; but through loving entreaties andmore importantly, through imprints of quality selfless service

consisting in life-touching programmes and projects. In the lastfour years in the State of Osun, this pace has been set clearly.Aregbesola has demonstrated that the best way to govern is toadd value to the lives of those you lead without any taint ofdiscrimination.

It is sure and certain that the prevailing climate of politicalcontests in the State of Osun has today changed for better. Sincethe period of election campaigns preceding the 2011 GeneralElections, the state had begun to turn a new leaf, as “do-or-die”money-bag politicians who would spare nothing to lord it overthe electorate began to lose grip over the political terrains. I betthat the best form of voter education is leadership by example.When people are offered the best quality of service; when theyare provided with the abundant doses of what they need; andwhen the provided services have populist consideration, thentrust is built and people hold their leaders in confidence. Theclimate of distrust, fear, tension, suspicion and pent-up angerwhich dominated the attitude of the led toward their leaders inthe past was brought about through careless neglect on the partof leaders during those dark eras. Give it to him; Aregbesola hasopened a new chapter in the socio-political terrains of our state.Today, it is no longer business as usual. All fraudulent, violence-prone and self-seeking politicians would fare better, should theyhave a rethink or else, let them find other engagements.

At Ila-Orangun, reflections expressed by the teeming crowdshowed that of a people whose hearts were filled with profoundgratitude to their liberator. In the case of the jubilant crowd, itcomprised people whose wholesome demonstration of gratitudecould not be suppressed. They came all-out from all strata anddivides to give support, approval and endorsement to the manthey fully trust: Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, the flag-bearerof the All Progressives Congress (APC).

By midday, the Ila-Orangun Central Stadium venue of theevent, directly overlooking the palatial residence of the politicalarrowhead of the area, Chief Adebisi Akande had become carnivalground as it rocked with over-swelling crowd. People scrambledfor space because no one wanted to be left out of the fun, euphoriaand ecstasy of the event.

Programme of events at the rally had kicked off in earnest.Stage performances were presented by various groups of artistesin order to keep the surging crowd occupied, entertained andmeaningfully refreshed. Thus, the audience at the rally weretreated to enriched package of music presentations and playlets,all pointing to the achievements of Ogbeni Aregbesola since heassumed the reins of power about four years ago.

Among the musicians who performed at the occasion the nwere Otunba Saheed Osupa, Sir Shina Peters, Tony Tetuila, D.J.Bazzman and the popular Baluu music maestro from Ilorin,Kwara State, Madam Aduke, alias Iya L’Aduke. Limitationsimposed by space and time would not cause serious besetting tomentioning that young, talented, vibrant and enterprising teenager,a secondary school student of Ataoja School of Science, Osogbo,who performed with the touch of proficiency and professionalismwielded by adults. He is Olatunji Kazeem (a.k.a. Kazzy Roll).Kazzy Roll’s hit track at the event has since become a chorus inthe mouths of many residents; not to talk of its widespread useon electronic media as an intro to jingles and as interludes.

Also on stage performance at the event-laden occasion was thefamous and highly reputed Yoruba culture legend, poet andcosmogony singer, Pa Ajobiewe. With his deep baritone voice,Ajobiewe made enthralled the crowd to the point of producinggoose pimples from the skin of members of the audience. Somewho are deeply emotional could not but shed tears of emotion ashe eulogized the trend of progress recorded so far in the State ofOsun under the leadership of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola.The climax of his stage performance at the event came as he was

invited to usher in the appearance on stage of the governor. Thepraises of Ogbeni and the citation of his ancestral cosmogonytore open people’s adrenalin glands, as the effect produced by hispraise-singing was so electrifying that the governor himself wasmoved to high spirits.

Among the Nollywood entertainment stars who eitherperformed or showed presence at the occasion are Saheed Balogun,Toyin Adegbola, Yemi Sodimu, Kola Olaiya, Ojo Arowosafe (a.k.a.Fadeyi Oloro), Baba Ijesa, Ogunjinmi (Ajagajigi Oogun) and ahorde of others. The playlets rendered centred mainly on theachievements of the Aregbesola administration in the state andthe many firsts it recorded so far in all spectra of life.

When the programme proper was about to start, there weresessions of opening prayers held according to the Christian,Islamic and Traditional orders of rite. Pa Oye Oke led the Christianprayers while prayers in the Islamic doctrines were led by AlhajiRasheed Adeniyi, the Youth Leader for the All ProgressivesCongress in the constituency. Prayers in the traditional way wereled by Otunba Sule Alao. With these prayers observed, all wasset for an eventful, hitch-free occasion; as the events moved onwith action and enthusiasm, pending the arrival of the NumberOne Citizen of the State of the Virtuous, Ogbeni Aregbesola.

When finally the arrival of Ogbeni was announced to the jubilantcrowd at exactly 2:39 p.m.; the occasion reached the zenith of itsglory. Swarms of brooms were wielded while all sorts of bannerswere lifted to show recognition with the aspiration of the seasonedadministrator. Dressed in his characteristic white traditional attire,Aregbesola was wielding his broom vehemently inacknowledgement of the crowd of admirers who had stayed putsince morning to see, cheer and hear from him. On arrival,Aregbesola did the necessary exchange of pleasantries withdignitaries before settling down to the task on hand. By then thetime was around 2:45 p.m.

Governor Aregbesola, who rode unto the venue of the occasionin his characteristic mini luxury van, could not conceal his delightat meeting a huge crowd at the open-field arena directly overlookingthe Ila-Orangun country home of Chief Akande. This was mindlessof the fact that his trip to the venue had all along been sloweddown by another crowd that accompanied him from the palace ofthe paramount monarch of Igbominaland, His Royal Highness,Oba Abdul-Wahab Oyedotun Bibire I through the town towardOra-Igbomina / Kwara State Boundary road. The governor andhis entourage had earlier been at the palace of the monarch to seekhis royal blessings. All along the streets of Ila-Orangun, theexperience was that of an unimaginable crowd trooping out. Theatmosphere is currently generating into a contest; with eachparticular area struggling to outdo the other in giving the much-deserved honour to the governor. Or how else could we describethe apparently jocular remarks of the first executive governor ofthe state, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, who in his consummateacknowledgement of the crowd, promised that Ede FederalConstituency, his indigenous constituency would do better whenthe lot shall roll to it to host the campaign train? The coveting isgood and pleasant.

Following the singing of the National Anthem and the State ofOsun Anthem back to back, the introduction of guests present atthe occasion was done. This was followed by a welcome addressdelivered by the Chairman of the Aregbesola Second TermCampaign Committee of the constituency, who doubles as theState of Osun Commissioner for Information and Strategy,Honourable Sunday Akere. In his address, Akere led theconstituents to welcome the governor and other guests to therally. He enjoined the massive attendees at the rally to be calmand orderly. He highlighted the achievements of the administration

•(L-R) Senator Sola Adeyeye, representing Osun Central Senatorial District; State of Osun Deputy Governor, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori; Senator Isiaka Adeleke; AllProgressives Congress (APC) Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his wife, Sherifat, during the 2014 governor-ship campaign in Ila-Orangun recently.

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Rousing Ovation Greets Re-Election Bid @ Ila-Orangun

within its three-and-a-half years in office and promised thatthe governor had much more in stock for the state and its peopleif given the mandate to carry on. He cautioned the people againstthe nefarious activities of some desperate money-bag politicianswho, according to him, would not stop at anything to have accessto fraudulent victory. He then counseled them not to sell theirvoters’ cards as it remains their power to exercise their franchiseand freedom of selecting who they prefer to lead them. He thenannounced that the voters’ cards for those who registered in otherstates and parts of the country but are now resident in the state,and who had earlier notified the Independent National ElectoralCommission (INEC) office in the state were as at date availablefor collection at the state headquarters of the commission. Hethen concluded by stating the resolve of members of theconstituency to vote for continuity, that is the continued stay inoffice of Ogbeni Aregbesola beyond August, 2014.

Next to speak was the honourable member representing the IlaFederal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives,Honourable Julius Olufemi Fakeye. In his own speech, Fakeyepointed out the serenity, peace and tranquility reigning in thestate since the coming on board of Ogbeni Aregbesola. He dweltextensively on the landmark achievements of Ogbeni in the stateand called on his constituents to usher him in through their massivevotes for fresh four-year tenure of office; so that the good workcould continue.

After him, the senator representing the Osun Central SenatorialDistrict at the National Assembly, Professor Senator Sola Adeyeyerose to speak. Ila Federal Constituency is a sub-set of the OsunCentral Senatorial District. Adeyeye cited the specificachievements of the All-Progressives Congress (APC)-ledAregbesola administration, to include the Osun YouthEmpowerment Scheme (OYES) which in two installments hadprovided gainful employment for a cumulative figure of 40,000vibrant youths, thus mopping up the rate of joblessness,despondency and crimes in the state. In addition, the universitydon gave the minimum figure of employed teachers to reinvigoratethe hitherto ailing education sub-sector as 5,000, and that therecruitment of teachers into the elementary and secondary rungsof the education ladder is a continuous process. Not only that, heenunciated the road infrastructure project of the Aregbesolaadministration which is fast transforming the state into a modelstate among the comity of states in the federation. According tohim, since the glorious era of the old Western Region under theleadership of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the Osogbo/ Ikirun / Ila-Orangun Road had been divided into three phases.While he lauded the efforts of late Chief Bola Ige in the old OyoState and much recently those of Chief Bisi Akande in fixing theroad, he stated the commitment of the Aregbesola to fully dualizethe road during the next dispensation. He then called for threesolid “gbosa” for the incumbent administration.

In the words of the State of Osun Interim Chairman of the AllProgressives Congress (APC), Elder Adelowo Adebiyi, he madea checklist of the achievements of the administration, which hecross-checked for confirmation with the people of theconstituency. Unanimously, the people confirmed the correctnessof the highlighted projects. He then went ahead to vote forcontinuity of goodies, called dividends of democracy. He ralliedtheir support by enjoining them to troop out and cast their votesmassively for Ogbeni on August 9, so that all the ingredients thatmake for life more abundant could be at their reach in non-distantfuture.

The State of Osun Interim Secretary of the party, also anindigene of the constituency, Prince Adegboyega Famodun dwelton the achievements of the administration in road infrastructure.He drew attention to intra- and inter-township roads constructedby the administration of Ogbeni, as well as the valiant effort atopening the rural areas up to development. He thanked the royalfathers in the constituency and enjoined the people not to bowout for their support for the Aregbesola administration.

At this juncture, Kazzy Roll was invited to perform on stage.His thought-provoking, scintillating and charging track becamethe echo of all. He sang:

“Aregbesola you are the champion;Aregbesola you are the winner;Aregbesola you are the winner;Oun l’o le see, e yaa di’bo fun un…”The crowd became electrified with frenzy and since, the track

has become a household number for progress-loving people allover the state.

Next to speak was the Executive Secretary for BoluwaduroLocal Government Council Area, Honourable Stephen Dosumu,who spoke on behalf of the two other executive chairmen of localgovernment council areas in the constituency. Dosumu pledgedthe unflinching support of his colleagues in the constituency inparticular and the state as a whole to see to the overall success ofprogrammes and projects embarked upon by the administrationof Ogbeni. He then prayed for the success of the party and itscandidate in the forthcoming election. He called on the people tothrow their support behind Ogbeni in the forthcomingGubernatorial Polls.

The Deputy Governor of the state, who doubles as theCommissioner for Education, Otunba (Mrs.) Grace TitilayoLaoye Tomori was also on hand to lend her voice to the clarioncall made at the occasion. She heaped praises on her boss, thegovernor, who she christened as “Aji ro daradara fun Osun”,meaning the one whose innate thought and plans for Osun areintently good. She congratulated the people on the approach ofthe election which she prophesied would reopen another chapterin the new phase so beautifully begun for the state. She madecountdown to the election and announced that what separatesthe people and the ballot was only eight weeks. She announcedthe intention of the leading opposition to disband all the beautifulprogrammes put in place by the administration of OgbeniAregbesola; citing instances of the State of Osun YouthEmpowerment Scheme (OYES); the Osun Elementary Schools’Feeding and Health Programme (O’ MEALS); and the paymentof monthly stipends of N10, 000 each to widows and the old. Sheasked for confirmation if the audience wanted the laudableprogrammes to stop; to which they roared a resounding responseof “God forbid”. She then enjoined the people to troop outmassively to vote and uphold these programmes and numerousothers already in existence or in the pipeline.

Otunba Tomori enumerated the intrinsic quality and manifestvalues of each of the programmes already rolled out by theadministration. The O’ MEALS programme; aside feeding thepublic school pupils with highly nutritious meals; therebyimproving their mental capabilities; had also provided gainfulemployment for 3,000 women, who were engaged either as cooksor vendors. In addition, she noted how the programme had assistedcrop and livestock farmers in absorbing their produces for paymentwithout sweat, tears or losses. Similarly, the OYES had providedyouths with gainful employment, thereby setting them, theirparents and the society free from shackles of vices attendant tojoblessness.

She pointed out that another rumor making the rounds wasthat the administration had the intent of retrenching teachersupon its assumption of office for second term. She reasoned thatan administration that had been battling with acute shortage ofteachers, especially following the massive retirement witnessedin 2012 cannot be planning to retrench teachers. In addition, shecited the assiduous effort of the administration to recruit moreteachers since its inception in office in 2010. The political headof the Education Ministry put the figure of teachers employed sofar at about 10,000; just as she promised that more number ofteachers is still to be recruited soon, not to talk of other cadres ofpersonnel to be so recruited; even before the end of the first termof the administration in office. She urged the people not to listento the leading opposition and their antics of lies and deceit. In herwords, peddling of lies and deceit has become a vocation formembers in that camp, to the extent that they had carried theirlies to the threshold of Otunba Isiaka Adeleke. On a final note,she urged the people to vote massively for Aregbesola, comeAugust 9 and stand solidly to defend their votes.

When it was the turn of Chief Adebisi Akande to address therally, song of “Bisi Akade, Baba Omo keekeekee” rented the air.Chief Akande confessed that the kind of administration thatAregbesola is running is a complete rarity, concerning the massiveprojects and programmes being jump-started to completion.According to him, whenever Aregbesola came to him to informhim of the next project or programme, his first question was howto fund the initiative. He further revealed that on each suchoccasion, the governor’s response was that God would providethe empowerment and that he should assist with fatherly blessings.He marveled at the wonders of Opon Imo, the school feedinginitiative, the massive reconstruction of dilapidated schoolstructures through the State of Osun Schools’ InfrastructureDevelopment Project (O’ SCHOOLS) and then went ahead tomarvel at the volume of crowd that converged at the event.

Further in his speech at the event, Chief Akande cited thesoaring popularity, acceptance and endorsement of the progressiveAPC in the nation’s core north; an area hitherto known to be thefoothold of conservatives. He attributed this recent trend to themanifest hand of God, charging the people of the State of Osun,not to renege on their support for the party. Before leaving thepodium, Akande confirmed the acknowledgement of the peopleon all provided dividends of democracy. He quizzed the peopleover each item, one after the other – Opon Imo, road, etcetera, towhich the soaring crowd responded in the affirmative.

Next to mount the podium was the Chairperson of kolanutsellers in Ila-Orangun, who represented the market women andappreciated Governor Aregbesola over his kind deeds, especiallyin the area of market construction, commerce and industry. Shedeclared her group’s continued support for the administrationand enjoined the people not to lose their votes. According to her,the only way of forestalling losing their votes was to give it toAregbesola in the next election.

When it was the turn of former governor, Senator Isiaka AdetunjiAdeleke to speak, there was a thundering applause, as everyonewas eager to hear from the much-loved politician who had justdefected into the midst of progressives. Adeleke gave his nod forthe overwhelming size of the crowd and promised that Ede axiswould do better.

He went ahead to debunk the claims made by one of hiskinsmen, who according to him was once his beneficiary. That isin person of the former Speaker of the state parliament,Honourable Abdul-Rauf Adejare Bello. Bello, according to him

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•State of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (on top of a mini-bus), acknowledging cheers from the crowd during the 2014 Governorship Campaign in Ila-Orangunrecently.

8 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 24, 2014 PHOTOTALKRe-election Campaign Of Governor Rauf Aregbesola Of The State Of Osun In Ijesa-North Federal Constituency, Last Thursday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•(L-R) Member, Federal House of Representatives, Honourable Nathaniel Agunbiadeand Member State of Osun House of Assembly, Honourable MBO Ibraheem.

•Some of the public school pupils at Ikeji-Arakeji campaigning for Governor Aregbesola.

•(L-R) Chairman, Aregbesola Campaign Committee in Ijesa North Federal Constitu-ency, Mr Wale Bolorunduro; Secretary of the Committee, Mr Olatunbosun Oyintiloyeand State of Osun All Progressive Congress (APC) Women leader, Mrs KudiratFakokunde.

•A mammoth crowd during the campaign.

9 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 24, 2014PHOTOTALK

•Wife of the Governor, State of Osun and President, Sheri Care Foundation (SCARF), Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola (middle); wife of the Chief of Staff, Alhaja Kafayat Oyetola andthe Permanent Secretary, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Fatai Kolawole, at the event.

Welcome Banquet In Honour Of The Winner, State Of Osun 2013/2014 Spelling BeeCompetition, Organised By Sheri Care Foundation (SCARF) In Osogbo, Last Thursday.

Photo:ABRAHAM JESUDOYIN

•A cross section of pupils of Unity Middle School at the event.

•(Front row) President, Sheri Care Foundation (SCARF), Mrs Aregbesola (middle); Zainab (2nd left) in a group photograph with pupils of Unity Middle School, Osogbo.

•Mrs Aregbesola (2nd right), parents of Miss Zainab Olawale, Mr and Mrs Olawale(left and right) and Zainab (2nd left).

10 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 24, 2014MAGAZINE

Rousing Ovation Greets Re-Election Bid @ Ila-Orangunclaimed in a recent interview with a national newspaper that

he, Adeleke was paid By the All Progressives Congress (APC) todisrupt the primaries of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP),his old political party. On that note, Adeleke took a copy of theHoly Quran and swore to it that he never collected any dime fromany political party. He then announced that for that and otherfrivolous claims by the opposition; time would tell. Finally, heenjoined the people to disgrace the opposition with their massivevotes for the progressives on August 9. He then challenged AdejareBello to also come out in the open to swear has he had done, iftruly he is a Muslim.

Finally, it was the turn of the one, who the people had longawaited, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola to speak. At that pointin time, the raconteur and organizers chose that the legendaryAjobiewe should usher him to the stage with his deep-rootedversed of rich Yoruba cosmogony. Ajobiewe rose to the occasionas he did his bit pretty well. Following this, Iya Aladuke alsosang the praises of Aregbesola while on stage, prior to thecommencement of his speech. The time was 4:20 p.m. on the dot.

After his long list of greetings, Aregbesola went ahead to makea list of his achievements for the people of the federal constituencyover the last forty months or thereabouts, since he mounted thesaddle of governance in the state. In a situation that conforms tothe proverbial hearing from the horse’s mouth, Aregbesolahighlighted his achievements in the area to include the building ofthree ultra-modern schools under the State of Osun Schools’Infrastructure Development Project (O’ SCHOOLS); feeding ofnot less than 14,439 pupils on daily basis under the OsunElementary Schools’ Feeding and Health Programme (O’ MEALS);and the employment of 242 women for the same scheme. Othersare free distribution of school uniform for all public school pupils/ students; distribution of 2,000 units of Opon Imo; payment ofN10,000 yearly bursary to each student in institutions of higherlearning, against the paltry sum of N3,000 paid by the immediatepast administration and lots more.

In the area of health service delivery, apart from the broad-based free, qualitative health programme of the administration,Aregbesola confirmed from the people if they noted the ongoingrefurbishment work on the Ila-Orangun General Hospital. Tothat question of confirmation, the response was in the affirmative.He then listed similar other hospital projects ongoing as those inAyetoro, Igbajo, Oke-Ola in Ila, and Ora-Igbomina; with thepromise that many more were still to come. He added that asidethese gigantic hospital projects, the administration is equippingthem with state-of-the-art equipment, stocking them with qualitydrugs and consumables as well as providing good potable wateralongside.

In Ila Constituency alone, two installments of volunteer cadetsin the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) had beenrecruited, with the cumulative figure of 6,000. Similarly, thegovernor enumerated the administration’s care of the oldprogramme, under which welfare package is being delivered tothem on monthly basis to the tune of N10, 000 per head. Intotality, the administration was said to be expending a sum notless than N18 million monthly on the old and widows in IlaFederal Constituency alone.

Still on health matters, Aregbesola drew attention to hisadministration’s initiative at rolling out the Osun AmbulanceScheme, known for such as O’ AMBULANCE. The quickemergency response of trained personnel under this scheme hassalvaged many lives that would have been sent to their untimelygraves, had the programme not been put in place.

On the Ila water project, Aregbesola promised that the realwater scheme which would dispense good, potable water to thepeople would come in earnest; reminding them that he never

promised what he would not redeem.He, like Professor Senator Adeyeye dwelt much on road

projects. Governor Aregbesola confirmed that as good motorableroads are all over the state, other road projects would be providedin earnest. He also classified Ikirun / Ila Road to phases, up toEkan-Meje in Kwara State and promised the people to expectbig, wide and smooth road in the category of his “Ona BabaOna”, that is, road that surpasses road!

In the area of education, the governor enumerated that apartfrom the tuition-free education programme and free distributionof textbooks and notebooks in vogue in all public schools acrossthe state; his administration had been able to kit pupils / studentswith uniform, as well as feeding the elementary pupils up to classfour; and that through the programme, a vast number of womenhad been given productive engagement and stable means oflivelihood.

Lastly, Governor Aregbesola analyzed how peace and securityhad reigned supreme against the atmosphere of violence andturbulence which had pervaded the state in years preceding hisadministration’s assumption of office.

Earlier in his words of assurance at the event, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola charged voters and entire residents of the State ofOsun to shun threats and intimidation ploy of the opposition,which had been the clear motive of the mishap recorded inneighbouring Ekiti State earlier in the week. That unfortunateoccurrence was viewed a sad dimension to the build-up to theforthcoming Gubernatorial Polls in the state.

The governor dropped his final entreaty as he addressed anunprecedented jubilant crowd that people should troop outmassively on the Election Day, come August 9, to cast theirvotes, which they should stand by to protect till counting andrecord-taking stage at the respective polling booths. He did notallow the opportunity provided by the occasion to slip by withoutreminding them to be calm, peaceful, yet watchful and vigilant.

It was an enthusiastic broom-brandishing convergence thatgave the governor their best wishes for a victorious electionexperience. On the entourage of the governor were the DeputyGovernor, who doubles as the Commissioner for Education,Science and Technology in the State of Osun, Otunba (Mrs.)Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, Wife of the Governor, AlhajaSherifat Abidemi Aregbesola, Speaker, the State of Osun Houseof Assembly, Honourable Najeem Folasayo Salaam and the FirstExecutive Governor of the state, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke.Others are the Senator representing Osun East (Ife / Ijesa)Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Senator BabajideOmoworare, the Senator representing Osun Central SenatorialDistrict in the National Assembly, Senator Professor OlusolaAdeyeye, who doubles as the Chairman of the Governor’ CentralCampaign Committee, member representing Ila-Orangun /Boluwaduro / Ifedayo Federal Constituency at the Federal Houseof Representatives, Honourable Femi Fakeye and the lawmakersrepresenting the three local governments comprising the federalconstituency in the State House of Assembly, HonourablesAjiboye Ademola Adebiyi (Ila); Atolagbe Afolabi (Ifedayo); andDejo Osuolale Bello (Boluwaduro).

Other dignitaries present at the mega rally include the formerNational Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), formerGovernor of the state and father of the day Chief Adebisi Akande,commissioners in the State of Osun, party chieftains and partyhierarchy in the state, including the state Interim Chairman of theAll Progressives Congress (APC), Elder Adelowo Adebiyi, stateInterim Secretary, Prince Adegboyega Famodun, party executivesin Ila Federal Constituency and the three local governments aswell as from all the thirty local government council areas of thestate as well as the Ife East Area Office, who came to identifywith their comrades. The occasion also showcased the defection

of some scores of politicians from the leading opposition; thePeoples Democratic Party (PDP) into the fold of progressives.

Among other eminent personalities at the occasion are State ofOsun House of Assembly members and executive secretaries ofthe three local governments in the area, Honourable Victor SegunAwotunde (Ila); Honourable Stephen Dosumu (Boluwaduro); andHonourable Kunle Ayantoye (Ifedayo). Speaking on behalf of hiscolleagues, Honourable Stephen Dosumu promised the supportof all his colleagues for the programmes and causes of theadministration while charging voters to vote massively forAregbesola and protect votes such cast. Also, executive secretariesof the remaining twenty-seven (27) local governments and that ofIfe East Area Office were in attendance to solidarize with theircolleagues.

AT this juncture, OSUN DEFENDER Magazine shall drawexcerpts from the pact given to the people of the state uponrolling out of the Oranmiyan campaign team of Ogbeni RaufAregbesola eight years ago; for the purposes of reference andsetting the records straight:

My mission and ambition are to restore to the people, a stateof peace, opportunity, for progress and room for the pursuit ofprosperity in our time under a people friendly government.

I give you Six-Point Integral Action Plan, to the intent thatthey constitute my actions of faith concerning which I want to beheld accountable at any time during my stewardship.

SIX POINT INTEGRAL ACTION PLAN· Banish Poverty· Banish Hunger· Banish Unemployment (Create Work/Wealth)· Restore Healthy Living· Promote Functional Education· Enhance Communal Peace and ProgressBANISH POVERTYCOMMERCEVision: To make Osogbo the second hub in international

trade in goods and commodities in the Southwest.Osun people’s natural affinity for commerce has been dampened

over the years by unfriendly and unfocused economic policies ofgovernment thereby popularizing poverty among a people, whoare naturally hardworking, industrious and adventurous.

Our purposeful government of ACN shall revitalize commerceand restore wealth back to the land through:

· Market friendly policies that will revive the customarycommercial activities in Osogbo and other towns in Osun.

· Promotion and support of activities focused on wealthpromotion for our people.

· Transformation of Osogbo into an Internationalmarket where goods will be procured at prices comparable toany other part of West Africa.

FINANCE& ECONOMIC PLANNINGI shall increase the internally generated revenue of the state

and also improve in mileage on every kobo accruing to the stateby:

· Ensuring real time online access to actual position ofthe state finances to prevent misuse and other forms of abuse byreceiving agencies.

· Reducing leakages in the tax collection andadministration process.

· Running a transparent and accountable government.· Ensuring prudent management of the state’s resources.· Ensuring that the funds of the state are used for

developmental purposes.· Create viable Public/Private sector partnerships to jump

start the economy.

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•(L-R) The deputy governor, State of Osun, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori; the Orangun of Ila, Oba Abdulwahab Oyedotun; The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola and the Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba Adedokun Abolarin when the governor paid homage to the monarchs on his way to the venue of the campaign recently in Ila-Orangun.

11 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 24, 2014 MAGAZINE

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· Our overall goal is to reduce dependence on federalallocation as a means of funding the government.

BANISH HUNGERFOOD& AGRICULTUREVision: Our government shall banish hunger in Osun and

enhance wealth through massive increase in food productionand agriculture.

Every farmer shall sell his products and be prosperous. Thelabour of the farmer shall no longer be in vain because we shallprovide assistance and support to farmers in finding and exploitingprofitable market for their goods.

We do not presently grow enough food in Osun to feed usround the year and this should concern a government that caresfor its people.

Our government shall support farmers to attain increase infood production, better storage and delivery. We shall provideassistance to farmers in exploiting profitable markets and marketopportunities for their products.

To maximize the benefit of resultant massive increase in foodproduction, we shall improve:

· Access roads and general transportation to even themost remote areas of the state.

· Storage process and capacity.· Processing of agricultural produce.· Rural electricity and water supply.CASH CROPS· Encourage production of cash crops which can enhance

farmer’s income and provide basis for an effective agro-industrialsociety in the state of Osun.

· Specified to vigorously develop extensive farming inpalm trees to create a fully integrated oil palm processing industry.

· To target and capture minimum of 10% of themultibillion naira- per day food market of the neighbouring states.

· Support cooperative efforts by farmers· Be a catalyst to the development and promotion of

micro, small and medium enterprises that will exploit availableraw materials.

· Set up price support scheme for farmers throughcommodity exchange board.

BANISH UNEMPLOYMENT (CREATE WORK&WEALTH)

No job loss, more jobs.Osun people are peaceful, dignified and hardworking people

who desire and deserve gainful employment for their children andthemselves. Rather than policies that will create employmentand wealth for the people, the policies of the PDP government inplace serve to enrich few at the expense of majority of our people.

As part of our GOVERNMENT UNUSUAL programme, IRauf Adesoji Aregbesola make a pact with you good peopleof the State of Osun, in the presence and by the grace of GodAlmighty that our government shall create immediateemployment for 20,000 people within our 100 days in office.

5,000 of these places shall be reserved for those who wereretrenched and are still willing and able to work.

As a people-friendly government, our policies shall help to:· Create economic environment that ensures availability

of jobs for all Osun indigenes.· Establish one LIFE ACADEMY in each of the three

Senatorial constituencies for the building of life- long skills in outof schools, youngsters as well as adults seeking alternativecompetencies.

· Promote labour exchange centres to facilitateemployment of graduates from our Life Academies.

CIVIL SERVICE REFORMSThere is the need for a civil service reform that will not

lead to any loss of jobs as I Rauf Aregbesola do not believe inlaying people off in the name of reforms.

Our reform will make the work environment more conductive,stimulating and development oriented.

Bonuses, incentives and regular awards shall be instituted topromote a culture of excellence in the civil service along with theprompt payment of salaries, allowances, leave bonuses and year-end performance bonuses.

Promotions and comprehensive salary reviews and increasesshall be regular.

Internal and external training, work exchange programmes andoverseas training shall be actively reinstituted for comprehensivehuman development in the civil service.

New Tutor General/Permanent Secretary Cadre shall becreated for Teachers in new education districts for betterschool administration.

We shall institute Home Ownership Scheme for public servantsand also support and encourage their backyard food productionbusiness ventures.

We shall do a comprehensive review of civil service names andconventions as part of our efforts to create a people- friendlycivil service.

Appropriate nomenclature will enhance accountability andpromote public access to the services of the ministry. A citizenwith a complaint of blockage of drainage will find a Ministry ofRoads and Drainages easier to identify with than Ministry ofWorks, a Ministry of Human Resources and Development willmore appropriately communicate its services than a Ministry ofEstablishment.

TOURISMVision: Tourist’s cradle in AfricaThe State of Osun is the cradle of Yoruba people and our rich

culture. The opportunities for wealth creation in Osun statethrough tourism have been underexploited. We shall:

· Develop State of Osun tourism potentials to its fullestto promote employment and wealth among people of the State ofOsun.

· Encourage development of Yoruba museum and worldheritage centre at Ile-Ife.

· Encourage programmes that nurture and promote artsand talent.

· Enhance the image of traditional rulers and institutions.· Mobilize our traditional rulers to showcase the state’s

tourism potentials to Yorubas in the diaspora (e.g. Brazil, Cubaand West Indies).

ROADSVision: Roads to and in all towns and villages in Osun.

Road construction and maintenance shall be used to generateemployment for the indigenes of the State of Osun.

· Community based road maintenance units will beestablished to ensure timely repairs and deduce overallmaintenance costs.

· Development and regular maintenance of urban and ruralroads to get top priority.

· Access roads to evacuate agricultural produce shall beconstantly improved and expanded.

· Create partnerships with the private sector on roaddevelopment and provision of infrastructure.

TRANSPORTATIONWe shall produce a transport master plan to provide direction

for development of the sector.The safety of the lives of the indigenes of the State of Osun is

of great concern to us. We shall:· Reduce to the barest minimum, road traffic accident

within 6 months on all roads starting with Federal roads.· Create a motorized division of the Osun troopers to

patrol roads to prevent accidents on the highways and organizerescue and recovery operations.

INNOVATIONEurope, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and now China have made

life for their people permanently comfortable through innovation,

research and development, thrift and hardwork.We Africans especially the people of the State of Osun are

thrifty (a ki se oni nakuna) and hardworking (ati agbe at oniseowo lo ka imele si aida nile Yoruba) but we have been backward inlooking forward.

We have not been innovative enough, we have not investedenough in research and we have not developed the fruits ofinnovation and research. In other words we remain backward,poor, unscientific and losers (eni igbehin) among the family ofnations.

It is a matter of concern that our leaders do not car or worryenough about these issues.

I care and I’m deeply concerned. As your Governor I will doeverything possible to:

· Create awareness and dissatisfaction among all in theState of Osun about our position among the world’s people andthe need to move up the ladder of human ascent and developmentaway from permanent and persistent poverty.

· Ensure that ideas with original creativity are tappedfor the enrichment of all.

· Give real importance to education with skillsdevelopment so that we can make what we need and becomemore competitive in the world as a people by creating more skillsdevelopment centres in the State of Osun.

· In these centres we shall teach Men and Women tothink with their hands, sharpen our already proven entrepreneurialskills and stop Nigeria from importing:

TOOTH PICK (IGI OPARUN FUN ITAYIN) FROMCHINA, ORANGE JUICE (OROMBO) FROM KOREA,SHOES (BATA) FROM SPAIN/ ITALY, FAN BELT/ CARTYRES (RUBBER) FROM JAPAN AND FRANCE.

When I know that these can be easily manufactured here.I shall turn the State of Osun into a creative agro-

industrial zone God willing.INDUSTRIALISATIONKey to banishing unemployment permanently anywhere is

promoting conducive atmosphere for manufacturing andproduction. Our Government shall:

· Develop integrated industrial estates for mini, microand large manufacturing enterprises in the three senatorial zonesof the State of Osun.

· Provide the estates with infrastructural facilities thatreduce the cost of setting up industries (roads, electricity, waterand telecommunications).

· Provide incentives targeted at attracting manufacturers/investors.

· Develop skilled personnel through our Life Academies,Universities and colleges to service specialized industrial andmanufacturing needs.

RESTORE HEALTHY LIVINGVision: To work to save our people from all avoidable deaths

due to accidents, emergencies, poverty and inadequate healthfacilities.

To achieve this for all and particularly our children andsenior citizens, we shall:

· Provide effective and available healthcare for all.· Provide efficient accident and emergency ambulance

service.· Provide primary health clinics within 10 kilometre radius

of every Osun town, with special attention to the needs ofchildren, women and the elderly.

· Provide functional General hospitals within 20kilometre radius of human habitation.

· Provide referral hospitals within 30 kilometre radius ofhuman settlement.

· Establish free blood pressure checks in conjunctionwith private organizations at every local government office.

•(L-R) First civilian governor of Osun, Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke and Governor Aregbesola, addressing the crowd, during his re-election campaign in Ila/Ifedayo/BoluwaduroFederal Constituency in Ila Orangun recently.

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 24, 2014 MAGAZINE 12

Rousing Ovation Greets Re-Election Bid @ Ila-Orangun

Continued from page 11

· Undertake special programmes for the upgrading,retraining and working comforts of all health personnel.

· Encourage and nurture alternative medical therapy.· Free treatment for malaria to children below age 18 and

senior citizens (60+).ENVIRONMENTVision: To embrace current scientific methods in controlling

the generation of waste and the conversion of waste to wealth.The state of the environment, especially waste generation,

management and the embarrassing filth in our communities demandspecial attention. The CAN government shall:

· Encourage all houses in the State of Osun to have amodern and affordable toilet facility through a special scheme.

· Provide private sector driven waste management andbeautification schemes to rid our communities of filth whichthreaten public health.

· Beautification of town centres as a starting point ofgeneral urban renewal.

· Work with the private sector to establish appropriatewaste-to-wealth projects under a composite waste managementpolicy.

WATERVision: Water for all in the state of the living spring.It is a painful regret that most cities in Osun do not have

potable water running at any time and Osun is the state of theliving spring!!!

Our Government will do everything possible to bring potablewater to all parts of the State of Osun and correct this anomaly.

All abandoned water schemes shall be reactivated and speedilycompleted.

AFFORDABLE HOUSINGOur ACN Government shall:· Help Osun indigenes realize their dreams of house

ownership or rehabilitation of failing structures through deliberateprogrammes that improve their income earning capacity.

· Support mortgage schemes that make house ownershippocket friendly.

· Actively support research and development on the useof local materials to force down building costs.

ELECTRICITYElectricity for all shall be the creed of ACN Government in

Osun. We shall:· Ensure that electric energy is available in the state for

domestic, commercial and industrial activities.· We shall endeavour to provide electricity to all villages,

hamlets and farm settlements in the state.· Private sector-led power agencies shall be encouraged

to set up energy stations in the state.SECURITYSecurity of lives and properties are of paramount importance

to us. Our Government shall:· Have special programmes for the police and

neighbourhood security outfits.· Provide special allowance to all security agents

deployed to Osun State and enhance their operational facilitiesfor efficiency.

· Respond to the operational needs of security agentsthrough provision of mobility, communication gadgets, protectivegears and conducive working environment.

FIRE SERVICESWe shall improve capacity of fire services to respond to

emergencies.

PHYSICAL WELL-BEINGOur Government will promote physical exercises as a

deliberate policy which will form a crucial aspect of our healthy-living programme. This is in keeping with the adage that a soundmind only resides in a sound body.

PROMOTE FUNCTIONAL EDUCATIONVision: Eradicate the frustration of youths caused by education

that does not lead to employment.To achieve this, the government of AC under Rauf Aregbesola

shall:· Provide free education at all levels in Osun State. Focus

on functional education. Education that makes one useful tohimself and society.

· Improve incentives to teachers and work with the NUTto restore the dignity of the teaching profession.

· Restructure administration of school management andcreate Tutors-General (Permanent Secretary Cadre) from amongHead Teachers in three Educational Districts which we willestablish.\

· Fix all collapsed educational infrastructures in all theschools.

· Support with modern teaching aids and well-stockedlibraries.

· Ensure cooperation with parents and teachers toimprove discipline and morality.

· Introduce non-partisan community-based governingboards for all schools.

· Reduce number of students per classroom immediately.· Introduce home development plans for teachers who

wish to build houses in their home towns, through access tospecial mortgage packages.

· Promote mass adult literacy and numeracy programmes.· Promote and support Special programmes that give

special attention to education of girls and women.· Establish institutions that impart life-long skills for all,

in and out of formal schooling.ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND UNIVERSITY· I am committed to ensuring that an Osun State

University takes off on a sound footing and becomes a first-classinstitution with linkages to renowned universities in the developedworld.

· I will make every tertiary institution in Osun State anindependent degree-awarding one.

· Encourage use of services of retired, but not tired donsand administrators, from reputable institutions.

ENHANCE COMMUNAL PEACE AND PROGRESSVision: To restore the bond of trust between the Governor and

the governed.Over time, people have disconnected from government because

those in authority have not shown enough concern about theirwelfare or actively engaged them in formulating policies that affectthem.

Our Government shall restore partnership between governmentand people through:

SAGES COUNCILS (EGBE AGBA)Our state is blessed with a large pool of elderly folks who are

invariably well educated, have enjoyed successful careers, travelledwidely in the world, but are currently reduced to irrelevance inthe society.

Our Government will support the formation of non partisancommunity based sages councils, capable of providing guidancein management, moral and ethical development in our society.

Our Government will seek elderly guidance and advice as inputsto our policy formation and implementation.

Government will support the senior citizens and help in their

management of socio-economic problems peculiar to the group(pension, health and education).

YOUTHS COUNCIL (EGBE ODO)People age 30 and below constitute the majority of our

population but unfortunately are often frustrated and unfulfilledas a consequence of intolerable social and economic policies.

Our ACN Government shall support the creation of nonpartisan community based youth councils to provide a platformfor them to articulate and work out solutions to various problemsconfronting them.

Our Government will encourage cross fertilization of ideasbetween the Sages and Youth Councils through which publicpolicies would be influenced.

Government will promote sporting activities and creation ofphysical facilities for sporting and related activities.

We shall reinstate the abandoned ‘boys’ and girls’ clubs’and name them Omoluabi Boys’ and Girls’ club to performthe roles similar to boys’ and girls’ scouts, boys brigade andmore.

JUSTICE SECTOR REFORMSAn attribute of good governance is to promote justice, equity

and fair play amongst citizens of the state.Government of ACN will e3nsure speedy access ti justice try

all individuals in Osun State, by reforming the courts system andprocedural rules, introducing alternative dispute resolution (ADR)mechanisms and fee legal services.

To complement these, ACN government shall improve welfarepackages of Judicial Officers and upgrade courts with modern ITand communications facilities.

COMMUNICATIONOur Government will restructure OSBC to:Ensure its professional are motivated and continuously trained

for competencyProvide digital equipment and infrastructure upgrade to

conform to international best practices in broadcasting.Exploit its tourism promotional capacity and capability.

CONSUMER PROTECTIONConsumers deserve to have the best goods and services at the

best price and not have to pay more for goods and servi9ces thantheir counterparts in other parts of the world.

Our government shall support the establishment of a consumerwatch agency and also cooperate with organizations that havesimilar objective of protecting our people from unfair businesspractices.

In all the above and above all these I intend to run apeople-friendly government – a Government of the people,by the people, FOR THE PEOPLE. A GOVERNMENTUNUSUAL in this land.

Infrastructures and facilities for reaching, advising, guiding,warning me will be given constant nurture.

Outside these I have no rigging machinery and will stronglyappeal to you all Osun voters to fight and defend your votes.

Do not sell your vote and our future to a moneybag or votepeople who do not care enough about our future as I passionatelydo.

I am entering into a pact with each and all of you as you readthis that I and my colleagues shall work in all honesty, tirelesslyto bring marked improvements to your life.

Apart of this pact you will be able to see that your children arebetter educated and have jobs; farmers, artisan, traders are moreprosperous, general quality of health has improved and you areno longer afraid to go to the hospital.

Osun will again be producing food enough for its people.Through my Government Unusual, I shall work with and for

you to create wealth through our toil as our fathers and mothersdid to make us prosperous until 1962.

Concluded.

•A cross section of APC supporters at the rally.

13 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 24, 2014FEATURE

•Governor Rauf Aregbesola (arrowed); his wife, Sherifat; the deputy governor, Otunba (Mrs) Titi Laoye-Tomori; Senator IsiakaAdeleke; Speaker, Osun House of Assembly, Honourable Najeem Salam and other dignitaries, during Aregbesola’s Re-election Cam-paign at Iwo Federal Constituency, Iwo, State of Osun, recently.

Aregbesola: Consolidating APC StrengthIn Ifelodun Federal Constituency

The train of Osun All Progressives Congress (APC) mega rally in the nine federal constituenciesahead of August 9 governorship election will this week move to Ifelodun/Boripe/Odo-Otin Fed-eral Constituency. KEHINDE AYANTUNJI examines the issues that will strengthen the popularity ofGovernor Rauf Aregbesola in the federal constituency.

IN preparation for the August 9, 2014governorship election in the State of Osun,the All Progressives Congress (APC) flag

bearer, Governor Rauf Aregbesola, has embarkedthe mega rallies across the nine federalconstituencies in the state. The rally kicked-offin Ile-Ife before Ikire and Iwo federalconstituencies.

No doubt, the presence of huge crowds at allthe mega rallies held so far was a pointer toanticipated landslide victory for GovernorAregbesola by the APC supporters. It is also aclear evidence of his popularity and exceptionaladvantage over other leading gubernatorialcandidates.

Twenty-five political parties presentedcandidates for the election, but the majorcontenders are Aregbesola and Senator IyiolaOmisore of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),who has also commenced his campaign rallies inthe various local government council areas of thestate.

Issues dominating Aregbesola’s campaign sofar are developmental projects in the variousfederal constituencies and other areas, where heintends to consolidate, if elected for a second term.Aregbesola always emphasised on the need tovote massively for APC, while urging theelectorate to jealously protect their votes. All heconsistently requested is one-man-one-vote,insisting that if people’s votes count, APC wouldwin conveniently.

From all indications, Aregbesola’s performancein the last three and half years has already shapedhis victory in August. At every rally, he countsdemocratic gains of his administration in townsand villages in the state, ranging from physical,social, infrastructural to the state economy. Itdepends on the peculiarities of the towns andvillages, but substantially, Aregbesola hasimpacted positively in all the nine federalconstituencies.

In Ile -Ife, where Aregbesola’s major contenderhails from, the governor was able to justify thenecessity of his re-election by mentioning variousroad projects; construction of model schools,provision of Tablets of Knowledge (Opon Imo),dredging of major flooding rivers, OYES, O’MEALS beneficiaries among others. In IkireFederal Constituency, Orile- Owu road to IjebuIgbo was a project that is very important to thepeople of the area. These are key developmental

projects that will aid the governor’s victory.

On Tuesday, June 24, 2014, GovernorAregbesola’s campaign train will move toIfelodun/ Boripe/ Odo-Otin Federal Constituency,which is one of the major areas, where Aregbesolaenjoys massive support since 2007 governorshipelection.

Aregbesola was rigged-out in the three localgovernment council areas, making up theconstituency in 2007, but the result of Boripeand Odo-Odo Otin Local Government CouncilAreas were challenged by the governor at theelection petition tribunal. In Boripe, there wasno voters’ register for the council area and 14,497votes were recorded for the PDP. The voters’register was among the INEC documents insidethe burnt INEC office in Iragbiji as a result of thefall-out of Federal House of Representatives by-election in early 2007 between Honourable BelloOsunolale of the defunct ANPP and lateHonourable Kayode Idowu.

In Odo-Otin, the local government council areaof the former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola,43,606 was recorded for the PDP, against 5,098recorded for the defunct Action Congress (AC),but at the tribunal, it was established that thevotes recorded exceeded the number of registeredvoters. The court therefore nullified the two localgovernment council areas’ results and upheld thatof Ifelodun, which formed parts of the resultsthat led to the declaration of Aregbesola as thegovernor in November 26, 2010.

The popularity of the governor, which wasrigged, was later proved beyond reasonable doubtin court, which confirmed his overwhelmingpopularity in the federal constituency. In 2011,Aregbesola’s popularity was equally put to test,as the defunct ACN defeated PDP in the threeState House of Assembly seats and Federal Houseof Representatives. Honourable Yinka Ajayipolled 36,894, against PDP’s candidate, TundeKajogbola, who scored 19,720. ACN won thethree council areas during the presidential andsenatorial elections. These are testimonies of thepopularity of APC and Governor Aregbesola inthe federal constituency.

In May 2014, when INEC lifted ban onpolitical campaigns, the committee appointed bythe leadership of APC to lead the campaign of thegovernor wasted no time in consolidating on thestrengths of the party in the area with the

constitution of another nine standing sub-committees and visitation to the palaces of majortraditional rulers in the federal constituency. Theyhave equally organised mass campaign rallies inOyan and Eko-Ende in Ifelodun, Odo-Otin LocalGovernment Council Areas.

The committee was chaired by the Chief ofStaff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola,with Comrade Poju Odusola from Odo-Otin asthe Secretary. Others are Prince Bayo Adeleke,Honourable Raheed Olalekan, Alhaji MoshoodOluawo, and Honourable Wale Afolabi, theAttorney General and State Commissioner forJustice. Since the committee started its campaign,one major factor that has eased its work is theunprecedented performance of the governor inthe area. The committee has been rolling outgovernor’s achievements as justification for hisreelection. Aregbsola’s achievements in the areaare unprecedented, as he has provided new leaseof life to the people in the federal constituency

Parts of the strength of the governor in thearea is the massive road construction, which hasincreased the governor’s support in the federalconstituency. Aregbesola’s administration,through direct labour projects, has completed therehabilitation of Alamisi-Idi-Esu road in Ikirun,while it has also embarked on the rehabilitationof Ikirun township roads at a sum of over N1billion.

Also under its direct labour projects, Mondaymarket/Idi-Esu/Iragbiji/Aagba is underrehabilitation, while Idi-Esu/Ikirun/Iree/Otan/Ilato Kwara State boundary road is beingrehabilitated. The administration is rehabilitatingthe inherited Oore-Agbeye road among others.

To ensure sound health, which is part of thesix-point integral action plans of the governor,Aregbesola’s administration has dredged six majorrivers and streams in the federal constituency toprevent flooding. The rivers and streams, whichtotaled at 21.37km in length are; Osere stream,Adekunle and Odo-Fun, Odo-Oko, Ikirun,Alagbagun and Osun Streams in Iragbiji, Otapeteand tributaries in Iragbiji, Pansaga Stream, Inisa,Iyeku and Oyan.

Inspite of its proactive steps at avoiding diseaseoutbreak often caused by flooding, the stategovernment did not relent in its effort aimed atproviding credible and reliable health-care deliverysystem to the teeming populace of the state, Ikirun

Federal Constituency inclusive. Aregbesolaemployed fresh personnel into GovernmentComprehensive Health Centres and ensure regularprovision of drugs and other consumables to thehospitals in Ikirun, Iree, Inisa, Okuku, Iragbijiand Oyan.

Government also renovated theComprehensive Health Centre in Inisa and builtnew primary health centre at Egbeda in Boripe,Eko-Ende in Ifelodun and constructed fencesround the ones in Iragbiji, while major renovationis ongoing in Ikirun General Hospital. Thesehave enhanced the confidence of the people inpublic health facilities and increased publicpatronage from 19,000 in 2011 to 77,000 in 2012for out-patients. Birth deliveries increased from110 in 2011 to 252 in 2012 and surgeriesperformed in the public hospital in the federalconstituency increased from 22 to over 300successful surgeries.

In the education sector, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola has raised the bar for others in thecountry to follow through his innovative policiesaimed at improving the quality of education forchildren, with a view to securing their future. Themerger and reclassification of schools intoElementary, Middle and High schools have beendescribed by many educationists as the mostvibrant option at revamping the sector.

To sustain this vision, Aregbesola’sadministration is building a Middle School in eachof the local government council areas in the federalconstituency and a High School in Ikirun, whilerenovating other selected schools in the federalconstituency.

An outstanding innovation of GovernorAregbesola, which is to ensure greaterimprovement in teaching and learning, is theintroduction of a computer device, Tablet ofKnowledge, (Opon-Imo), as 8,114 secondaryschool students in Ikirun Federal Constituencyhave gotten the tablet of knowledge. The tablet isa major tool used by the governor inrevolutionizing education in the state.

The government elementary school feedingprogramme has provided free quality lunch for14,459 elementary school pupils in the federalconstituency; the National Bureau of Statisticshas ranked the state first in public primary schoolenrolment. Also through this programme, 354food vendors are also benefiting from the scheme,including the provision of free school uniforms inthe federal constituency.

In rural development, the administrationconnected a number of communities to thenational grid power project. These communitiesinclude; Igbotele/Alapata, Koko, Oyancommunity, Iyalode community, Itake-Iba, andAsaba. It also provided transformers to BaptistHigh School area, Iree, Akirun palace and also inIragbiji. It constructed a modern palace and healthcentres at Eko-Ajala and Seke in Ifelodun LocalGovernment Council Area, constructed andequipped modern town halls at Asi and Elesinfunfun in Odo-Otin. The administration alsoprovided farm inputs to farmers and constructed12 hand-pump boreholes at Dagbolu, Orisa-Elejin,Odo-Amu, Ita-Odan, Opete, Ikupelete and Elesinfunfun among others

The governor, through the Ministry of RuralDevelopment, also constructed and equippedlibraries at Agbeye and Ijabe, Civic Centres atEkosin and Oyan, as well as 20 open marketstalls at Okuku, Asaba and Ijabe. It alsoconstructed boreholes in various communities inthe federal constituency, including Ilayo, Iyeku,Kabba, Imuleke, Ijabe, Elesin funfun, Eko-Ajala,Ilayo, Okua among others.

The federal constituency also benefitedimmensely from the governor’s welfare schemefor the aged and enjoys relative peace in the area.One of the Amour Personnel Carriers (APC) bythe governor was equally stationed permanentlyin Ikirun. These are transformation programmesthat will aid his victory in the constituency. Theyare unprecedented in the history of the federalconstituency and would no doubt assist thegovernor’s easy ride to the Government Housefor the second term.

•Some of the public school pupils at Ikeji-Arakeji campaigning for Governor Aregbesola.

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 24, 2014 14

For Osun, Let’s AriseThe State of Osun today has become a

state of flourishing dreams because themasses of the people see Rauf Aregbesolaas the rarest of the rare. They see him as agovernor governing them with the wisdomof saints, as a leader leading thembeyond the Red Sea. They are headed tothe promised haven of advancement andjustice. Rauf Aregbesola naturally comesto you as a Sheikh, but truly Aregbesola isa man of style. He has this confidence thatalways tells you that this man knowswhere he is going. Aregbesola belongs inthe circle of great men of courage andendurance; men that make impacts andcreate possibilities.

He carries on like a sportsman that hashis eyes on the gold medal. He works like abusinessman that has been given a target.He recognised that the mandate given himis sacred and he must deliver. Today, theState of Osun is one of the best run andeconomically managed in terms of humanand economic resources development inNigeria, as tourism, agriculture, educationand human development capacity havebeen his major targets in moving the stateforward. Osun has never witnessed sucha supersonic growth. The future andsurvival of Osun’s economy can never befully realized without the eight years ofOgbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s administration.

It is a process that has to be fullycompleted. The people of Osun no doubthave come to trust this indefatigableleader, entrusting the future of theirchildren into his hands, as the educationalstatus of Osun has leaped forward tremendously ten years ahead of what anyother government could have achieved. Injust four years of Aregbesola’sgovernment, he fast-racked the ratherslow economic development pace of theState of Osun, putting it on the footpathsof great developed regions. Ogbeni hasgiven Osun a soft-landing into the orbit ofgreat states in Nigeria. Like an artist, hehas advanced the State of Osun with theupward stroke of his painting brush.

He has fought and won many battles toshame mercenaries and saboteurs, whocalled themselves politicians in the state.

Their war threats and agenda seem notable to stop him and undeterred, hepursues his glorious agenda of developingOsun to enviable heights. These funnypoliticians’ poisonous lies emanatingfrom their poisonous gas chamber calledparty headquarters were never enoughto stop him. He set the people of the Stateof Osun free, breaking the yoke of slaverythe people have been subjected to in thepast. Before the arrival of Aregbesola, thenights have been so long for the State ofOsun and it was like dredging out the heartof the Atlantic Ocean into a waiting vesselalready sinking on the high seas. The feetof good development for too long draggedlike a crawling kwashiorkor baby. Today,the endurance of the people of Osun havepaid off after long nights of rituals andsacrifices of innocent blood and sweat,when these mercenaries and saboteursbecame blind and drunk with rum andspirit consumption becoming totallyincapacitated to run the state accordingto the will and wishes of the people. Thetruth must be told, reality is what Nigeriansneed, not empty promises, we need to vote-in the right people this time around again,because Aregbesola has broughtgovernance closer to the ordinary people.He has no doubt, surpassed previousregimes in the area of infrastructuredevelopment, as he works tirelessly for hispeople because their heartbeats mean alot to him. His words can be trusted. He isapproachable and reasonable. He’sdogged and came on board only toimplement unprecedentedtransformational agendas like O’Tour,O’Yes, O’Meals, Opon imo etc. Osun hasnow become a state of peace withdividends of democracy flowing into hercoffers.

Another joker of Ogbeni is the undilutedspirit of Omoluabi; cherished traditionsand lifestyle, fresh and newly-injectedback into the system and day-to-day lifeof the people, as blocked steel tubes andrustic water injectors in the arts ofgovernance and public administration are witnessing a total overhaul and re-engineering, creating a new and widely-

accepted concept of Ipinle Omoluabi, kick-starting a new dawn of fresh ideas thatrule a modern and civilized society in theState of Osun today. As tourism andcultural experts, tourism has becomeserious business in the state, as this sectoris fast becoming a major revenue earnerfor the state. The tourism sector under thewatchful eyes of Ogbeni has been boostedwith the private sector greatly motivated,resulting in great changes in thehospitality and entertainment industry ofthe State of Osun. For instance, new hotelsare springing up with the existing ones

By TAIWO AND KEHINDE OLUWAFUNSO

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

FEATURE

expanding, thereby creating jobopportunities for youths, who are tourguides and promoters of the arts. Ogbeniknew that any state that neglects tourismwould not attract global attention, hence,the choice of the State of Osun as the venueof so many national and internationalevents in recent times.

With these great strides of Ogbeni, theState of Osun will soon become anattraction to great international investors.Haba! the State of Osun has never had itso good and detractors in the state neednobody to tell them that it is a new dawnin the state. Even the blind could see theparagon of beauty the State of Osun hasbecome lately. To cut the long story short,“Half a word is enough for the wise”. Theelders of our land would say, the continuityof this administration is what the peopleof Osun are clamouring for. V ictoria Asata.

•Taiwo and KehindeO l u w a f u n s o , P a n a f e s tRepresentatives, Nigeria, live in Lagos.

15OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 24, 2014 PHOTOTALKInauguration Of Cote D’voire Chapter Of Oranmiyan Worldwide And InstallationOf Prince Felix Awofisayo As Baba Oba Of Abidjan Recently.

•The President, Oranmiyan Group Worldwide, Prince Felix Awofisayo (middle); ObaYoruba of Abidjan, Alhaji Rasak Babalola (left) and the Oranmiyan President inAbidjan, Mrs Sadiat Aremu, shortly after Awofisayo was decorated as Baba Oba ofAbidjan, Cote D’Voire.

•Prince Awofisayo (middle) and dignitaries from Nigeria and Cote d’Voire in a group photograph shortly after his decoration as Baba Oba of Abidjan.

•Prince Awofisayo (first right), presenting the Oranmiyan flag to Mrs Sadiat Aremu(3rd left) who is flanked by other leaders of the group during the inauguration of theCote D’Voire chapter of the group recently.

•Some members of Oranmiyan group in Cote D’Voire during the inauguration of the chapter.

TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2014

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

By ADE OLUGBOTEMIONE of the majorencumbrances thathave pinned us down

to a spot for ages is the powerof cajoling that those ruling usoften apply when it is time tocanvass for votes. They comeup with bundle of lies of whatthey intend to do that mayforever be impossible toaccomplish in history. Peopleeasily get carried away withrhetoric that appeals to theirsenses of humour; but when thesubconscious ids are alert as not to bemanipulated, and it becomes obvious thatit is up for games of deception, thecanvassers resort to obstinacy thatheralds violence, to make people getscary, so as to pop-up the corridors ofpower through indecorous means.

We usually forget that time is tooprecious to toy with, that is why we findit too convenient to let go whenever thetraditional artful dodgers subtly manipulatethe electoral process in their own favour.Tensions are then teased off with theintroduction of soothing statements suchas ‘four years are around the corner’,‘we don’t have to worry ourselves overelectoral malpractice because the judiciaryis a toy for executive arm’s manipulation’,‘we should not wait for the murderers tokill us’ and ‘God will judge, so we shouldlet the sleeping dog lie and leave everythingin His hands’. We forget most times thatHeavens helps those who help themselves.

Our endurance instinct also plays itsrole in assuaging our nerves, such thatwe trivialize problems that shouldseriously be tackled headlong, and theysoon become burdens that inflictexcruciating psychological pain. We thusbecome despondent with our potencyterribly decimated. Nigerian voters arenow ascribed values that equate us withdogs that can only bark but with nopredilection to bite. Our electedrepresentatives that are supposed to beanswerable to us are dreaded withnostalgia because of the stupendouswealth that makes the chicken-hearted topanic, which can be flaunted around;whereas the poverty level is exacerbatedbecause what would have gone into publicutilities in public domains are made to getsolace in private estates for self-aggrandizement.

My very concernbothers on thesentiments beingwielded toconvince, orconfuse theelectorate, who holdthe ace indetermining theoutcomes of thefast-approachingg u b e r n a t o r i a lelection in the Stateof Osun and the onerecently concludedin Ekiti State. Thetwo elections willbring to the fore forthe umpteenth timethe gullibility levelsof the voters, whomay either hold theirintegrity on soundobjectivity orcrumble under thes e n t i m e n t a linclination of

desperate politicians to turn the table. Eachof the choices has its implications on therespective states both in the short andthe long run. People must refuse Deviants’deception and reject Desperados’

manoeuvrability.

The usual practice is to impress it onthe people that they stand to gain a lot ifthey identify with the party at the centre;

and because the nation’s resourcesare predominantly controlled by theruling party, many have cast theirvotes sentimentally. After all, it iswise and normal to tilt towards theside that is solvent; although this isnot always the case in Nigeria’spolitical evolution. Personalities,rather than affiliation with the partyat the center have so far determinedthe gains accrue to individual States

in the Federation. The turnaround in theSouth-West states, where none of thegovernors belong to the ruling party is apointer to this standpoint.

We have suddenly discovered that themuch-taunted federal might is nothingbetter than a sham. No state under theruling-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)can boast of the massive infrastructurethat the opposition parties across thecountry are providing. That is why it hasbecome absolutely impossible to use therhetorical main stream politicking toinfluence people’s voting pattern anylonger. People only need to be consciousof the fact that no ruling party all overthe world will be willing to lose power toopposition party; especially in Nigeria,where members of the ruling party aregrandstanding over imaginaryoverwhelming support of Nigerianpeople.

Entrenchment of real democraticvalues must now be paramount in ourhearts, because we can no longer affordto lag behind democratically in the comityof nations. Those who do not believe inthe tenets of the rule of law cannot claimto be custodians of democratic principles.We know that it is a punishable offenceto blow siren in the State of Osun todayexcept by those authorized in theconstitution; but some people believe thatthey are above the law, as they flagrantlydisregard this with impunity. No lawenforcement agents can challenge thembecause of executive fiat that has madesuch people untouchable.

Rigging has become a popular tool inthe hands of the ruling cabals to denyNigerians of popular choice; and no oneis left in doubt anymore that if allowed,they will apply it over and over again.People may need to be extra-vigilant if

more damageswill not come theway of ourelectoral values.We do not haveuniform hand-over date forg o v e r n o r sa n y m o r e :courtesy ofPDP’s riggingmastery. We mustprevent anotherscenario, whenNovember 27 willno longer be thedate for swearing-in. people’s votesmust be made tocount, so that ourelected leaderscan be madeaccountable toNigerians onwhose behalffranchise is heldin lien.

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.

The Intrigues OfForced Capitulation

Just Before The Ongoing National Conference Winds UP

OUR democracy is arguably already injeopardy, and many people are sternlyclamouring for the break-up of this

country; but I have a contrary opinion. We haveso many advantages to derive from our presentsize, and if there are problems, they are such ascommon to every human society, and they arenot insurmountable. One problem that may getmore complicated is the obstinacy of governmentin power that has refused to let votes count. Thishas resulted in lack of uniformity in thegubernatorial elections.

Competent court did well by rescuing somestates where rigging took place from the party atthe centre. That is why elections will be takingplace differently in Ekiti and Osun States this year.Similar occurrence has been recorded in Edo andKogi States, and many more may yet be added

unless those engaging in rigging misadventure putan end to it. We must do all humanly possible toput an end to this menace in Nigeria is to enjoysmooth democratic process as they have it in otherparts of the world.

There is bound to be skewed advantages instaggered elections, especially as expressed byvoters in the build-up towards last weekend’s Ekitielection. The honourable members at the NationalConference must therefore do everything possibleto insist and ensure that if fake results are cancelledand wrong declarations nullified, it will still bepossible for elections to come up when they areheld in other states of the federation. There will berelative free elections, if the exercise is ubiquitous.My suggestion in this regard is for an interimgovernment to be in place after the restored

“Entrenchment of real democraticvalues must now be paramount in ourhearts, because we can no longer affordto lag behind democratically in the comityof nations. Those who do not believe inthe tenets of the rule of law cannot claimto be custodians of democratic principles.We know that it is a punishable offenceto blow siren in the State of Osun todayexcept by those authorized in theconstitution; but some people believe thatthey are above the law, as they flagrantlydisregard this with impunity. No lawenforcement agents can challenge thembecause of executive fiat that has madesuch people untouchable.”