VOL. 9. NO.065 NNNNN5050505050SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

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Front Page Comment

- See StoryOn Page 2

Who KilledChief Bola Ige,former Attorney-

General andMinister of

Justice? IGE

- See StoryOn Page 3

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd right), presenting Osun crest to winner of the 2014 High School Debate Champion, Master Ayodele Abeeblahi(middle). With them are wife of the governor, Sherifat (right); the state Deputy Governor, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori (2nd left) and Chairman, Omoluabi SupportGroup (OSG), Pastor Olu Alagbe during the reception dinner in honour of the 2014 High School Debate Champion, Master Ayodele organised by Omoluabi Support Group andOramiyan Worldwide, at State of Osun Government House, recently. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

Osun PDP Begs ForMembership Registration•Attempt To Woos CAN Fails

Adeleke’s Defection: PDP BoT Member, Chairman Chased Out Of Ede

Omisore And Osun'sImaginary Debts

Going by the freneticpace of project deliv-ery across the state, acasual observer wouldnaturally wonder howa state that was only afew years ago con-signed to the backwa-ters of developmenthas become the toastof investors and de-velopment partnersalike.

The story of how astate which the hurriedlydeparting PDP adminis-tration left prostrate andbankrupt has withinthree years not only re-ceived the kiss of life,

but has become apace-setter across theboard as transformationhas obviously remaineda compelling one.Clearly, the resoundingverdict across the fed-eration

is that the State ofOsun currently rankstall among the stateswhere things arehappening.

From the townsand cities nowadorning new lookscourtesy of theAregbesola's urbanrenewal initiatives,

Continue on pg5

2 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 31, 2014News

•Governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (5th left); his wife, Sherifat (6th left); Mr Kabiru Aregbesola (1st right); Qudir Aregbesola (5thright), Sakirat Aregbesola (4th left), Rauf Aregbesola (Junior) (left); Olateju Ishola (2nd left); Jumoke Oladeji (3rd left); Bode Oladeji (2nd right)and others, during the 57th birthday celebration of Governor Aregbesola, at Government House, Osogbo, recently.

By KEHINDE AYANTUNJI

By SHINA ABUBAKAR

Osun PDP Begs For Membership Registration•Attempt To Woos CAN Fails

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State ofOsun has begun to appeal to members of the publicto register for membership of the party as it

attempts to match the All Progressives Congress (APC)in popularity test in the state.

Investigations revealedthat the State Chairman ofthe party, Alhaji GaniOlaoluwa, was billed to hostvarious youth groups,which were mobilised by

some members of the partyto his personal residence atthe GRA in Osogbo, thestate capital, to have firstclass information on thebenefit of registering with

the party.It was gathered that the

party boss was worried withthe recent development inthe rank and file of the party,as its number furtherdecimated in the state,following the anticipateddecamping of some notablemembers of the party,including Senator IsiakaAdeleke and Olaoluwa’s

deputy.At the meeting, it was

gathered that Olaoluwa toldthe gathering that theregistration was to gatherthe list of members of theparty across the country,charging them to plead withtheir friends to also registerwith the party.

The PDP boss in the statefurther implored his gueststo persuade others,

particularly the unemployedthat an identity card wouldbe issued to everyone thatregistered with the party asmembers, which couldguarantee thememployment.

Five copies of theregistration forms weregiven to whoever thatvolunteered to recruitmembers for the party witha promise of monetary

compensation.It was also reported that

the party is currentlydisturbed by the attitude ofthe state populace towardsits gubernatorial candidateand therefore, feigningpopularity in its bid tomanipulate the August 9governorship poll in thestate.

Similarly, the party isworking seriously towardsinducing the zonalleadership of the ChristianAssociation of Nigeria(CAN) in the state with giftstowards preaching againstthe candidature of GovernorRauf Aregbesola amongChristian electorate.

Checks showed that theleadership of the party hasalso tasked it zonal leadersto find a way of luring theCAN leaders in theirrespective zones in the stateinto making bad commentabout the presentadministration in the state,with a view to incitingChristian voters against thegovernor.

It was however gatheredthat the mission failedwoefully, as most of theCAN leaders contacted bythe party turned down theirrequest on the ground thatreligious leaders are notpoliticians and must beneutral in their messages.

OSUN DEFENDER learntthat one of the zonal leadersof CAN told the PDP leadersat the gathering that it isbetter to live in peace, as thestate is presentlywitnessing, than to bebribed with millions of naira,leading the state back to thestate of insecurity, aswitnessed in the past.

The medium alsogathered that the party bossis putting a group togetherunder the auspices ofOlaoluwa Youth Vanguardthrough which he isplanning to unleash terroron the people of OlorundaLocal Government CouncilArea, which he vowed todeliver to his party comeAugust 9 at all cost.

It Will Be Impossible To Rig Osun Election- INEC

THE Independent National ElectoralCommission (INEC) has declared that theAugust 9 governorship election in the State

of Osun would be difficult to rig by politicians, asthe commission has put in place measures toprevent rigging.

The INEC ResidentElectoral Commissioner(REC) in the state, DrRufus Akeju, stated thiswhile declaring open atwo-day workshoporganized by the OsunState Council of theNigeria Union ofJournalists (NUJ) incollaboration with a Non-G o v e r n m e n t a lOrganization, DemocracyVanguard, while explainingthat the forthcomingelection in the state wouldbe strictly monitored byelection observers fromboth within and outside thecountry.

He explained that INECwould guard against allforms of rigging during theelection, adding that allforms of malpractices thatcharacterize elections inthe country would bestrictly prevented by thecommission.

Dr Akeju stressed thatINEC has taken seriousmeasures with the supportof the nationalheadquarters to preventrigging in the August 9governorship election inthe state and assured that

the votes of the people willcount.

Parts of the measures,according to him, arestrict monitoring of theelection, propersupervision, promptdelivery of electoralmaterials and synergywith the security agenciesand the media.

Akeju said: “Politicianscan only try to rig theforthcoming election inOsun State, but I am surethey cannot succeed withtheir plan, going by ourpreparations for the poll.

“INEC has now maderigging very difficultduring elections. Theballot papers to be usedfor election cannot beused more than once andit can’t be used by anotherperson or outside thedesignated polling units.We have taken measuresto ensure that electionscount in Nigeria.”

He assured all thepolitical parties that willparticipate in the electionof free, fair and credibleelection come August 9,stressing that he wouldprotect the integrity of

INEC in the state duringand after the poll.

The INEC boss alsourged journalists and othermedia practitioners in thestate to play active roles inthe election and avoid beingan appendage of anypolitical party, and stressedthe need for the media tobe unbiased in their reportduring the election.

Earlier in his speech, theNational Co-ordinator,

Democracy Vanguard, MrAdeola Soetan, urged theelectorate to troop out tocast their votes during theelection and urged them toalso monitor their votes.

He said the only powerthat the masses have istheir vote, and therebyurged them to use thepower well for thesustenance of democracyin the country.

Chairman of the Nigeria

Police Sergeant Bags Death Sentence For MurderBy ISMAEEL UTHMAN

A Police Sergeant and former orderly to theOwa-Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba AdekunleAromolaran, Mr Adamu Baruwa, has been

convicted for murder and sentenced to death by aState High Court, sitting in Ilesa.

Baruwa, who had beenstanding trial since 2008on a count-charge ofmurder, was sentenced todeath by hanging on May27, 2014 by JusticeAbdulrasazak Abdkareemof the court.

The State Ministry ofJustice had accusedBaruwa of killing one MrKehinde Awoyelu with anAK-47 riffle inside theOwa’s palace in Ilesa onAugust 20, 2008.

Prosecution counsel tothe state government, ledby Mr Moses Faremicalled five witnesses in

prosecuting the matter,according to a statementmade available to OSUNDEFENDER by theInformation Officer of theministry on Thursday.

The witnesses includedMr Amos Awoyelu,Akintola Awoyelu, elderand younger brothersrespectively to thedeceased and a consultantpathologist at ObafemiAwolowo UniversityTeaching Hospital, Ile-Ife,Dr. Omoniyi Esan.

The Awoyelus hadtestified during the trial ofthe case that they

witnessed the killing oftheir deceased brother,saying that the convictshot him on the chest atthe Owa’s palace.

According to theAwoyelus, they were atthe palace to settle a crisisthat ensued on theappointment of a chief inKajola Community.

The OAU pathologist, inhis postmortem reports,said the deceased was shotat a close range with apowerful gun.

Faremi, the prosecutioncounsel, in his submissionbefore the court, said aprima facie case has beenestablished against theaccused person, addingthat the prosecution hasproven its case beyondreasonable doubt.

Union of Journalists, OsunCouncil, Mr. AbiodunOlalere, said the workshopwas part of the union’sefforts to improve theskills of the members inelection coverage andassured the members ofthe public that the unionwill work hard to ensurecrisis-free, fair andacceptable election in thestate.

The police sergeant hadentered a not-guilty plea tothe case when the facts ofthe matter were tabledbefore the court.

Delivering his judgmenton Tuesday, JusticeAbdkareem said heaccepted the evidence ofthe prosecution witnesses,saying that they werefound credible and reliable.

Justice Abdkareemstated that extra-judicialkilling in any form is acriminal act and must becondemned, warning thathe who kills unjustly mustbe ready to face the wrathof the law.

The judge pronouncedBaruwa guilty of the crimeand subsequentlysentenced him to death byhanging.

3 News OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 31, 2014

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•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd left) winner of the 2014 High School Debate Champion,Master Ayodele Abeeblahi (2nd right); National President, Society for Peace Studies and Practice (SPSP), Dr WillieEselebor (right) and Chairman, Board of Trustees, Society for Peace Studies and Practice, Professor Isaac Albertsduring the 2014 Capacity Building Training on Alternative Dispute Resolution Progress organized by SPSP inOsogbo recently. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

Why Osun People Must Re-elect Aregbesola - AD2DBy ISMAEEL UTHMAN

THE Director-General, Osun Door-to-Door (OD2D)campaign group, Mr Segun Omoworare, has listedthe continuation of good governance that cuts across

every facet of life and stability of peace, as part of thereasons why the people should re-elect Governor RaufAregbesola.

According toOmoworare, the peopleshould not only consider themassive developmentalprojects already executedby Aregbesola, they shouldalso consider the policies,programmes and projectsthat would bring morefortunes to the state invoting for Aregbesola.

Omoworare saidremarkable projects like theOsun Airports, Osogbo EastBypass, Aje InternationalMarket, the modernElementary, Middle andHigh Schools, dualisation of

Gbongan to Osogbo road,among few other projectsthat would transform thestate and make it moreeconomically viable aftercompletion.

Speaking with OSUNDEFENDER on Tuesday atthe mega rally held atGovernment TechnicalCollege, Ilode, Ile-Ife,Omoworare saidAregbesola has fulfilled allthe campaign promises hemade to the people of thestate during the 2007g o v e r n o r s h i pelectioneering campaign.

He said: “In his campaignfor office in 2007,Aregbesola promised tobanish poverty, banishhunger, banishunemployment, restorehealthy living, promotefunctional education, andenhance communal peaceand progress.

“Today, Aregbesola hasemployed about 7, 000public servants, engageabout 40, 000 youthsthrough the Osun YouthsEmpowerment Scheme(OYES), several morethousands engaged infarming and other trades,created work and wealththrough the OYES, OREPAP, O BEAF, O FISH, OBOPS, OYESTECH, etc.

“Aregbesola hasengendered micro-economic growth with

injection of N200 millionthrough OYES monthlyallowance, re-engineermoribund economy that hasbeen weighed down by debtoverhang, created and builtmulti billion naira markets toaid trading, give loan tofarmers, traders andcooperative bodies toregenerate theirbusinesses.”

Omoworare added thatthe present administrationhas energized localeconomy throughempowerment of artisans,who are patronized by majorcontractors, re-work theexisting and built new farmsettlements, as well as aidedfarmers with implements andinputs, introduced newprofitable ways of runningpoultry farming andfinances it through

revolving loans.“Enhanced fish and beef

farming through provisionfor necessary strategiesthat increase productionand make them available ontable, provided free healthservices made available toall citizens, rehabilitated,renovated and stockedhospitals with necessaryequipment and drugs.

“Aregbesola provideambulance services on thehighways to assist accidentvictims, he supports theaged with monthlystipends. He supported theNational Union of RoadTransport Workers(NURTW) and RoadTransport EmployeeAssociation of Nigeria(RTEAN) with new vehiclesthrough loans.”

The OD2D Director-General said Aregbesola’achievements were toomany to count, saying: “Ifyou are to be countingOgbeni’s achievements,you will spend days andnights. You know I did noteven touch the educationsector.

“In the education sector,Aregbesola regeneratedand enhanced education ingeneral. Education isabsolutely free in primaryand secondary schools,pupils were given freeuniforms, grade 1-4 pupilseat free lunch, grade 10-12

pupils receive Opon Imo, aninnovative e-learning device.

“School fees in higherinstitutions were reduced by50 per cent, running grantsand instructional materialsare made available regularlyto schools, hi-tech modernschools building are beingbuilt to replace dilapidatedones.”

Omoworare urged thepeople of the state tooverwhelmingly re-electAregbesola for a secondterm in office in order tocontinue enjoying thedividends of democracymade available by thepresent administration.

The Director-Generalmaintained that a governorthat performed incrediblywell in just a term should begiven the chance to do more,stating that Osun wouldbecome an Eldorado ifAregbesola is re-elected forsecond term.

He claimed that none ofthe other governorshipcandidates for the August 9governorship election hasanything to offer, adding thatmajority of the contestantsare failed politicians, whohave no passion for thedevelopment of the state.

The practical door-to-door campaign was activatedin Ile-Ife on Mondayafternoon, as the groupagents went from house-to-house to canvass vote forAregbesola.

Osun ‘ll Not Sack ItsWorkers - Laoye-Tomori

By SOLA JACOBS

GOVERNMENT of the State of Osun has restatedthe determination of the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola-led administration in the state not to sack or

retrench any hand in the state public sector due to paucityof fund being witnessed across the nation but would ratherembark on training and retraining of all categories ofworkers in its service.

The state’s DeputyGovernor andCommissioner forEducation, Otunba (Mrs.)Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, stated this whiledeclaring open a Train-the-Trainers Workshop with thetheme: ‘Project WaterEducation for Teachers(WET)’ organized for someselected public schoolteachers in the state by theOsun State Universal BasicEducation Board (SUBEB)in conjunction with NestleNigeria Limited andStarbright Nigeria Limited.

Laoye-Tomori, who saidthe state government hasplaced teachers’ welfareamong its first line charges,said prompt payment ofworkers’ salaries, includingteachers, remains thehallmark of the presentadministration in the state,adding that the stategovernment will not rest onits oars in its effort toprovide infrastructure andteaching aids in schools.

A p p l a u d i n gcontributions of teachers,who she described asmoulders of the future, thestate Deputy Governor saidefforts of teachers haveimpacted positively onstudents in the state publicschools which now rankamong the best in the

federation.In his welcome address,

the state’s Chairman ofSUBEB, Prince FelixAwofisayo, represented bythe Permanent Secretary ofthe board, Mr. FataiKolawole, commendedefforts of the stategovernment in uplifting thestandard of education in thestate.

Mr. Kolawole also urgedparticipants to make gooduse of opportunitiesprovided in the workshop totheir best advantage, sayingthe workshop will go a longway in making them betterteachers in their respectiveschools and goodmotivators to theircolleagues and students.

In his keynote address,Nestle’s Country BusinessManager, Mr. Adewale Ojo,said the significant role ofwater in the life of man issecond to none, whichnecessitated Nestlé toaccord high priority to watertreatment and preservationin Nigeria.

Ojo said steps had beentaking to make safe wateravailable to Nigerianstogether with training ofteachers on water treatmentacross the nation.

A considerable number ofteachers participated at theworkshop.

Adeleke’s Defection: PDP BoT Member,Chairman Chased Out Of Ede

By ISMAEEL UTHMAN

A member of the Board of Trustees of the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokunand Chairman of the party in the State of Osun,

Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa, received one of the highestembarrassments of their lives on Tuesday when theyattempted to visit Senator Isiaka Adeleke for a discussionto persuade him against dumping the party.

Oyedokun and Olaoluwa,according to sources at thescene, were chased out ofEde alongside theirentourage by Adeleke’ssupporters, who were stillembittered with the allegedgory treatment meted out onAdeleke by Senator IyiolaOmisore and Minister forPolice Affairs, Alhaji JeliliAdesiyan.

The sources disclosedthat Oyedokun andOlaoluwa were stopped atthe entrance gate toAdeleke’s house andordered to turn back fromthere by the supporters,who threatened to beat thehell out of them if they daredto attempt going further.

The Adeleke’s supportersreportedly booed the PDP

chieftains and theirentourage, just as theychanted hatred politicalsongs to demoralize thePDP chieftains.

After several unfruitfulattempts to persuade theaggrieved Adeleke’ssupporters, Oyedokun andOlaoluwa were forced toturn back and their missionwas aborted.

“We saw them comingtowards Adeleke’s house.Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa andAlhaji Shuaib Oyedokunwere sitting in the samevehicle. A Lexus SUV withcustomized number platefollowed them. The vehicleswere like five in number.

“When they got toAsiwaju’s country home,they were stopped by hissupporters, who hadalready gathered there.Gani Olaoluwa andOyedokun tried to talk to thepeople, but they did noteven care who they were.

“Asiwaju’s peoplestopped them right from thegate. They did not allowthem to go inside to see

Adeleke. All the vehiclesretreated and left the place.They could not even passthrough the town again.They faced Owode roadstraight,” said the sources.

According to thesources, the PDP’schieftains’ visit to Adelekecame on the heel of theinformation that the firstexecutive governor of thestate would openly decampto the ruling - AllProgressives Congress(APC) today.

The PDP BoT memberand chairman werereportedly sent by thegovernorship candidate ofthe party, Omisore to have adiscussion with Adelekeand persuade him not todump the party.

The medium however,gathered that all necessarypreparations have beenmade by the APC andAdeleke for his opendefection today.

The sources alsoconfided in OSUNDEFENDER on Wednesdaythat the state Vice Chairmanof the PDP would also defectwith Adeleke to the APC.

We, Moremi PublishingHouse Limited, Publishersof Osun DefenderNewspaper, do not demandor accept gifts orgratification to publisharticles or photographs,neither do our journalists.Therefore, we implore you

not to offer any to ourreporters. In the event thatany journalist from ourestablishment demandssuch, kindly incident thereport atosundefender@yahoo.comor 08033927286 and08033880205.

ETHICAL ISSUES?

OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 31, 20144 News

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola acknowledging cheers from the crowd during the 2014 flag-off Governorship campaign at Government Technical College, Ile-Ife, recently. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI

By SHINA ABUBAKAR

APC Canvasses Support From CAN, Muslim Society, NURTW

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) campaigncommittee in Ila Federal Constituency has urgedreligious leaders in the state to help sensitise

followers on the need to eschew violence during theforthcoming governorship election in the state.

The team led by itschairman, HonourableSunday Akere, chargedChristian and Muslimleaders in Ila FederalConstituency to enlightenresidents in the area to votein line with their conscienceand in the interest ofdevelopment of the state.

He disclosed that therumour about governor’spreference for a religion overothers is spread bymembers of the opposition,

whose stock in trade is tocreate disharmony amongthe teeming populace in thestate, saying the governortreats everyone equally.

The commissionerenjoined both Muslims andChristians in the area tocontinue to live in harmonyand resist attempt by anypolitician to create crisis inwhatsoever manner.

He also charged membersof the National Union ofRoad Transport Workers

(NURTW) in the area toeschew violence and resistbeing used as politicalthugs by politicians, whoare desperate to get topower.

Akere commended thegroups for the support theyextended to the present

administration, saying itwould continue to servethem better when elected fora second term in office.

In their separateresponses, leaders of CAN,Muslim Groups andtransport unions disclosedthat their groups did not

harbour hatred againstanybody, saying it would doits duty as a religious bodyto ensure peaceful conductof the poll in the state.

They also charged theadministration not to relentin its bid to deliver dividendsof democracy to all and

sundry across the statewhen its mandate isrenewed by the people.

The NURTW boss calledon government to completethe Ifedayo axis of Ikirun-Ila-Ifedayo road to furtherease movement of farmproduce from the area.

Democracy Day: NUJ Advocates ImprovedSecurity And Public Welfare

By KEHINDE AYANTUNJI

THE Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Zone -B hasadmonished the Federal Government to give premiumto security and the welfare of the people, which the

body said is the constitutional primary purpose ofgovernment.

In a statement issued inAkure by the NUJ NationalVice President (B Zone), DeleAtunbi, to mark 2014Democracy Day, the union saidthe security challenges facingthe country should be tackledheadlong to protect lives andproperty of Nigerians.

The zone is of the opinionthat the security challengesfacing the country is a seriousthreat to the gains ofdemocracy in the last fifteenyears.

It therefore, advised thegovernment to do everythingpossible to secure the releaseof the abducted students of theGovernment Girls SecondarySchool, Chibok on the 14thApril,2014.

The zone posited thatdemocratic institutions shouldbe strengthened to advance thecause of democracy.

It asserted that priorityshould be accorded to the totaloverhaul of the decayedinfrastructural facilities acrossthe country.

NUJ said all the three tiersof government should addressthe high rate of unemploymentin the country by creatingemployment opportunities forthe teeming Nigerian youthsroaming the streets.

It also observed that asituation whereby the futureleaders are not gainfullyemployed is not in the bestinterest of the country.

The zone however renewedits advocacy for theimplementation of MediaSalary Structure for mediapractitioners in the country.

It argued that the media inconjunction with other well-meaning Nigerians fought forthe country’s independenceand the enthronement of the

p r e s e n t d e m o c r a t i cdispensation.

The zone described asunfair, the disparity in thesalary of media practitionersand other civil servants in theFederal Civil Service andstressed the need for government to promote thequality of lives of Nigerians.

The union. which lamented

Osun Pledges To CurbOut-of-school Children

By SOLA JACOBS

GOVERNMENT of the State of Osun has pledged itscommitment to improve on the State School Feedingand Health Programme (O-Meals), declare zero-

tolerance to out-of-school children and ensure that soundquality education is given to children in schools throughoutthe state.

Represented by hisdeputy, Otunba (Mrs) GraceTitilayo Laoye-Tomori, thestate governor, Mr. RaufAdesoji Aregbesola,pledged his commitment inhis speech titled: ‘UnitingOn The State Of OurChildren’, read toparticipating schoolchildren at this year ’sChildren’s Day Celebrationheld at the State TechnicalCollege, Osogbo, the statecapital.

Stating that hisadministration has placedhigh priority on educationas a mark of commitment tosafeguarding the future ofthe state, GovernorAregbesola said hisgovernment is resolute togiving the best to thechildren, adding thatnothing should be spared ingiving the children a worthyfuture as they deserve thebest from all.

Condemning all acts ofterrorism against Nigerianchildren, GovernorAregbesola called for animmediate unconditionalrelease of the over 200Chibok girls abducted byBoko Haram sect, saying theabduction was anti-childrenand must be condemned.

Governor Aregbesola,who described Nigerianchildren as the future of thecountry, said qualityattention should bedevoted to educationaldevelopment of Nigerianchildren, saying future ofany virile society cannot bedivorced from forms oftreatment melted out to itsyoung ones.

According to thegovernor, the over tenmillion Nigerian children ofschool age that are out ofschool together with theover 153 million children ofbetween the age of 9 and 14,who had been exposed toforced/early marriage andother social vices should beprotected by allstakeholders across theworld.

Governor Aregbesola

however said everyuntrained child will inflictterror on the society leadingto increase in societalupheavals as beingwitnessed in the BokoHaram menace presentlyrocking the country.

Advising parents andguardians to pay moreattention to the impartationof the spirit of love throughcohabitation in theirchildren, GovernorAregbesola said it isobligatory for children torespect others and promotespirit of togetherness in allrespect.

He thereafter urgedparents to take proper careof their children, maintaintheir hygiene, give themclean and neat uniform andsee to their welfare at allfront.

In her address, the stateCommissioner for Womenand Children Welfare, Mrs.Mofolake AdetounAdegboyega, said childrendo not constitute anyone’sproperty but belong to theirown future.

Describing the event notas a celebration but a wayof calling on the FederalGovernment to bring backthe abducted over 200Chibok girls, Mrs.Adegboyega said it isdisheartening that Nigerianchildren have become targetand victims of domesticviolence includingkidnapping in different partsof the country.

Appealing tostakeholders to contributemeaningfully to thestoppage of heinous crimesagainst children in Nigeria,Mrs. Adegboyegacommended children in thestate for their resilience,courage, diligence anduncommon creativity, whichremains a source of pride toall.

High point of the eventwas match-past by pupilsfrom public and privateschools across the state.

May 29 Represents Nigeria’s Anti-Democratic Foundation, Says Afenifere

THE Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) has said theonly significance that May 29 has in Nigeria’shistory is that it represents the faulty foundation

upon which the country’s democratic governance stands.

The group, in a statementreleased to the mediayesterday by its PublicitySecretary, Kunle Famoriyo,said nobody shouldtherefore, expect the currentdemocratic governance toproduce the desired goodgovernance.

The statement said May29 signifies two events inNigeria’s history – the 1962declaration of state ofemergency in WesternNigeria and thecommencement of Nigeria’sFourth Republic in 1999.

“These two events do notevoke prideful memories ofNigeria and for its citizens.The 1962 episodeprecipitated catastrophicchains of events thateventually ended the FirstRepublic. Elected officials in1999 did not see theConstitution they swore touphold until after theirinaugurations, leading tothe prevention of properfoundation forConstitutional Governanceand which has resulted inthe decay in governanceand acute abuse ofpowers,” the statement said.

“As a nation, we mustaddress our mind to theeffects of these two

illegalities, some of whichare undemocraticdividends, weakinstitutions, risingunemployment and poverty,loss of political values andprinciple, deepeningcorruption, and a bleakfuture for the nation. Apartfrom those benefitting fromgovernment’s corrupt andnepotistic policies, can anyNigerian really claim thatMay 29 is worth celebratingas a country?”

“As we all reflect on thesignificance of May 29 inNigeria’s history, it isimportant to note that thepolitics that engineeredthese two events werespurred by hegemonicpolitical tendencies seekingto impose its ideals on ademocratic society.Therefore, we should notexpect that the foundationof Nigeria’s democraticgovernance, which is basedon anti-democratic tenets,will ever produce the desiredgood governance.”

The group said attentionmust shift away from themuch touted search for“good leaders” to having agood structure that enablesgood leadership, addingthat if a building that is

under construction has afaulty foundation, changingthe contractor will not solvethe problem.

“Our quest for goodgovernance must thereforemove away from a perpetualsearch for a “good leader,”as if such is a silver bullet.The solution to Nigeria’spolitical challenges iscaptured in a UN [June2012] report titled,“Realising the Future wewant for All”, when it statesthat ‘business as usualcannot be an option… It iscritical to promote equitablechange that ensurespeople’s ability to choosetheir value systems inpeace, thereby allowing forfull participation andempowerment…’”

“The implication of this isthat the unity of Nigeria isnegotiable and must benegotiated, informed by thewishes of the constituentethnic nations and notaccording to the dictate ofan imposed Constitution.

Afenifere Renewal Groupthus enjoins all Nigerians toprevail on delegates at theongoing National Confab todemand a new Constitutionanchored on true federalstructure, as this may be thelast golden opportunity fora peaceable resolution ofthe country’s problems.Failure to achieve this maybe Nigeria’s death knell.”

the lingering crises in the Polytechnics and Colleges ofEducation across the country, appealed to all thestakeholders in the sector towork together and find a lastingsolution to the problem.

While felicitating withNigerians on the fifteen yearsof an uninterrupted democraticrule, it advised the people tocontinue to pray for the goodof the country.

5OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 31, 2014 News

Omisore And Osun's Imaginary Debts

to the physical transformationdue to the massive road con-struction going on across thestate;from the overhaul of theeducation sector to the emerg-ing industrial landscape; thetourism sector currently beinggiven a new lease, the integra-tion of information technologyinto the learning and gover-nance process and the on-go-ing revolution in agriculture,the state has since emerged asa clear leader among its peersin the federation.

However, if the people arebasking in the exultation thatfinally the people's money isworking wonders for their ben-efit, or that a focused adminis-tration truly committed to theirwelfare is finally making gov-ernment money to deliver fullvalue for every naira spent, thecrowd of revisionists from thePDP - are apparently far fromimpressed. Not that we expect

them to be - anyway. Not withthe pace of development leavingthe PDP breathless and confused.However, to cook up some phan-tom figures on what is supposedto be the extent of the state's in-debtedness obviously comes tous as a new low in the party'sdesperate search for relevance.

What to make of the utterlylaughable and false claim by thePDP gubernatorial wannabe,Iyiola Omisore that the stateowes N630 billion? Even if weexcuse the PDP candidate's well-known penchant to elevate lyingto an art, the revelation that a manwho seeks to take over the run-ning of the state of Osun not onlyknows next to nothing about pub-lic finance ought to provide thecitizens of our dear state withsomething to chew upon.

Good citizens of the state onlyneed to recall the Omisore'segregious claims about award-ing contracts for some state roadswhile serving as a senator whenhe was not the minister of worksto appreciate his infinite capac-ity to trade in untruths!

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Lest we forget, the other well-known pathology suffered by thePDP candidate is hallucination.It refers to a condition of assum-ing what is not there. The truth ofcourse is there is no N630 bil-lion debt anywhere. If it exists atall, it must be in his fecund imagi-nation. Or could the PDP be re-ferring to the N30 billion bondissued in two phases to financecritical infrastructure which arealready being paid back by thestate government?

The trouble with Omisore andhis PDP is clearly their poor un-derstanding of what governanceis all about. Not for them theyears of painstaking preparation,or the labour of love that publicservice entails; or more still, theappreciation of the financial re-engineering needed to turn thingsaround; not for his ilk, the irondiscipline that has brought thestate thus far.

As it is, citizens of Osun obvi-ously have far better things to en-gage in than dwell on Omisore'sfables.

Continued from pg1

OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 31, 20146

AUDACIOUSEXPLOIT

withMURTALA AGBOOLA

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

As Governor AregbesolaFlags Off Campaign In Ile-Ife

THE beauty of democracy isbeginning to unfold. The bestingredient of democracy is the

periodic election. It allows those inpower to give account of stewardshipand by so doing, telling the electoratewhy they should be considered for asecond attempt. It also affords theopponents a clear opportunity not onlyto discountenance whatever the peoplein government have to say, but give thevoters a credible alternative.

How time flies! It is almost fouryears since Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesolatook the mantle of leadership of the 22-year old state in November 2010.Before the Court of Appeal, Ibadangave its judgment on November 26th,2007; many people with lesser faithhave given up hope that Aregbesolawould retrieve his mandate. HoweverLo and behold, the mandate wasrestored and within the last forty threemonths, the unusual governor of theState of Osun has shown that the forty-two months of “wilderness” (waitingfor the mandate) was worthwhile.

Baba Kabiru, as he is fondly called,has touched every aspect of our life. Hestarted with the channelisation of majorstreams in the state capital and someother towns. Flooding used to beannual occurrence in places likeRASCO near Oke-Fia and Gbonmi inOsogbo.

In other major towns in the state,flood control used to be hectic,especially during the raining season.Today, we are so used to having deepsleep when it is raining that we hardlybelieve we ever had flooding problem.

On assumption of office, the state ofschools infrastructure was terrible.School buildings were in the state ofdisrepair, ceilings were caving in, whilethe morale of teachers was very low.This, no doubt affected theperformance of students in bothinternal and external examinations. Toprovide a lasting legacy, he caused tobe assembled at the auditorium of theUniversity of Osun State, (UNIOSUN)Osogbo, in the early part of hisadministration, eggheads from theIvory Towers in the country. Therecommendation and subsequentapproval by the government is what hasbecome of the architectural masterpiecein school complexes in the state.

There is a sense of pride and a highspirit among the teachersand the pupils. There isalso the zeal to excel onthe part of students. Foronce, pupils can nowdesire or attempt tocompete with theircounterparts either in theprivate sector or in anypublic school in any partof the federation.

The pupils now have aconducive atmosphere tostudy, while thegovernment also provideda pair of uniform for eachpupil. In terms of roadinfrastructure, the State

Osun is by every standard one of theleading lights. Even the adversaries ofthe government do appreciate, that ithas been an unprecedented expansionand renewal of roads better christenedONA BABA ONA.

As if all these are not good enough,the engagement of 40,000 youths in thetwo streams of the Osun YouthEmpowerment Scheme (OYES) ishighly laudable. Some uninformed andmischievous critics have condemnedthe employment of tertiary institutiongraduates to engage in medial jobs.

They forget that their involvement isvoluntary and that the OYESprogramme is not a safe-haven for anyperson looking for a permanent job. Itis only a stop-gap or to provide atemporary relief for any person justcoming out of school.

But if one may ask, what alternativedid they (critics) provide? Theengagement of youths in such aprogramme can best be appreciatedagainst the background of insurgencyin the country. The unscrupulouselements in the society make use of the

•AREGBESOLA

youths, who are idle, to perpetrate theirnefarious activities.

The aged people draw a stipend fromthe government on monthly basis. Itmight be considered as meager, but tothe vulnerable who are the target, it issomething worthwhile. Thegovernment’s programme in agricultureis also commendable. The youths arebeing re-oriented to take active interestin agriculture, which can employ agreater number of people besidesproviding food self-sufficiency.

It is the idea of Aregbesola that wecan depend on ourselves in the South-West zone for tomato, pepper, onionsand other foodstuffs such thatwhenever the North cease supplying,we would not be adversely affected.Not only that, Osun, nay the otherstates in the zone can fill the Lagosfood market.

By the time Governor Aregbesolamounted the campaign rostrum on May27th 2014, at Technical College, Ilode inIle-Ife, he was armed with what he haddone since he assumed office. Theseare facts. They were incontrovertible.They were there for all to see. If theopposition party members are talkingabout a hired crowd, are they alsonegating the facts on the ground?

If our politics would have a meaning,it must start from now. Campaignsmust be devoid of violence. Ourcampaigns must be issues-based withfacts and figures not relying on theFederal Government to provide anycover in any circumstances. The peoplein this side of the country are highlyenlightened and cannot be fooled. Theyknow what they want and cannot beled astray. From what is on ground, itis manifestly clear, the people knowwho their rightful candidate is.

Imagine another four years forOgbeni and the State of Osun would belike an oil-producing state takingderivation from the petro-dollar-oilrevenue from the Federal Government.

The campaign of calumny onschools reclassification, rather thanslow Aregbesola down, had ratheremboldened him to do more.Candidates should be able to sell theircandidature through who they are, andwhat they can offer. Nigerians areready to listen to anybody who hassomething meaningful to say. A levelplayground should be offered

candidates by way ofdebates on theirprogrammes by themedia. No seriouscandidate should bemade to stay out eventhough it is notcompulsory.

The forum willenable all candidateswith something goodfor the people to freelyexpress themselves. Itwould also afford thecandidates to respondto issues arising fromtheir discussion andother issues that mightcrop up.

And The Jinx Was BrokenARSENAL football club popularly known

as the Gunners finally broke the jinx ofnot

winning a cup recently.In a pulsating match at the Wembly Standium

London, Arsenal came from a two goals downscored less than ten minutes into the match tobeat Hull City 3-2. Before the match, supportersof rival clubs such as Chelsea and ManchesterUnited had predicted that it would go theBirminghan way, when Arsenal lost in the final ofthe Carling Cup by two goals to one.

Now that the jinx is over, it is time for Arsenalto start winning laurels. The team almost won thePremiership shield also this year but for injuries

to key players because it stayed 128 days in thenumber position. This was higher than any of it’srivals.

Le Prof, as Arsene Wenger is called, is not onlyexperienced but places premium on groomingtalents. He is methodical and conscientious. He isunmoved and unfaxed by other clubs purchasingplayers with outrageous fees. Mr Jose Mourinho,the loquacious and cantarkerous Manager ofChelsea Football Club may describe him as a“failure specialist” but followers of the round-leather game know that there is only one Le-Profin football inspite of not winning a diadem in the lastnine years. To my fellow Gunner fans, I say this isjust the beginning.

OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 31, 2014 7PHOTOTALK

Overall Winner Of Public Schools Debate Spent A Day With The State Of OsunGovernor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Last Monday.

•Governor Aregbesola (3rd right); his wife, Sherifat (2nd right); the overall winner, State of Osun Public Schools Debate, Master Habibllah (3rd left); Chairman, OmoluabiSupport Group (OSG), Pastor Israel Alagbe (left); Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Transportation, Commerce and Industry, Honourable Bisi Yusuf(right) and Secretary, Omoluabi Support Group (OSG), Barrister Kayode Tinubu (2nd left), during Habibllah”s visit to the Governor, tagged: ‘One-Day With Ogbeni’, at theGovernment House, Osogbo, State of Osun, last Monday.

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (right), welcoming the overall winner, State of Osun Public Schools Debate, Master Ayodele Habibllah (left), to theGovernment House, during his visit to the governor tagged: ‘One-Day With Ogbeni’, at the Government House, Osogbo, State of Osun, last Monday.

•

8 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 31, 2014PHOTOTALK

•

•A cross section of invited guests at the event.

Reception Dinner In Honour Of The 2014 High School Debate Champion, MasterAyodele Abeeblahi, Organised By Omoluabi Support Group And Oranmiyan World-wide At State Of Osun Government House, Osogbo, Recently. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•(L-R) Deputy Governor, State of Osun, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori; Winner of the 2014 High School Debate, Master Ayoodele Abeeblahi; Governor, State of Osun,Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his wife, Sherifat, on the occasion.

•(L-R) Honourable Ajiboye Ademola; Honourable Akinloye Ajibola and Honourable Leke Ogunsola at the programme.

9OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 31, 2014 PHOTOTALK

•A cross section of winners of the debate on the occasion.

•Chief of Staff to State of Osun Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola (2nd left), presenting a certificate to the first runner up, Miss Mary Jacob (right). With them are, BarristerKayode Tinubu (left) and Honourable Babatunde Ayeni (2nd right), at the event.

Reception Dinner In Honour Of The 2014 High School Debate Champion, MasterAyodele Abeeblahi, Organised By Omoluabi Support Group And Oranmiyan World-wide At State Of Osun Government House, Osogbo, Recently. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•Parents of the winner, Mr and Mrs Ismail Ayodele at the event.

•(L-R) Senator Bayo Salami; President, Oranmiyan Worldwide, Prince Felix Awofisayo andChairman, Omoluabi Support Group (OSG), Pastor Olu Alagbe, on the occasion.

10 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 31, 2014INTERVIEW

Only A Mad Person Can Say Aregbesola Hasn’t Performed - Osun Law-makerHonourable Bello Osuolale, a retired Senior PoliceOfficer and a lawyer represents Boripe/BoluwaduroState Constituency in the State Assembly of Osun.

In this interview with our reporter, KAZEEMMOHAMMED, the lawmaker traced his journey intopolitics, the activities in the state parliament and theperformance of Governor Rauf Aregbesola amongother issues. Excerpts:-

OSDF: As a retired Police Officerand a legal practitioner, why didyou join politics?

OSUOLALE: In the first instance, I didnot intend to join politics, but the attitudeand commitment of Ogbeni RaufAregbesola propelled me to join.Sometimes ago, when I was in Ilorinpractising my legal profession, theMuslims in Iree invited me to come andchairman a fund-raising programme forFOMWAN Nursery and Primary School,which I accepted. As times went on, westarted debating on who to call as thechief launcher and someone suggestedAregbesola, which I rejected on theground that I was not a politician and Ididn’t want to involve myself in it. Afterserious deliberations and considerationsof his antecedents, we eventually agreedto invite him. When we contacted him, hetold us that the security situation in thestate then did not favour him to come toIree, which was understandable because,then, Iree was purely a PDP town,considering the fact that the late S.MAfolabi hailed from the town. As a retiredsenior police officer, I assured him thatnothing would happen because I was nota politician and he eventually agreed tocome. Thank God he came and he washappily received by majority of our peopleand while he was returning, he asked meto come and see him, which I firstdeclined. But eventually, due to hisattitude and the way he approachedissues, I decided to join his party and thatwas how I joined the defunct ActionCongress. Due to the fact that I don’t jokewith issues relating to my people in Iree,they embraced my decision and up tillnow, that love is still there. Theimplication of that is that in Iree now, PDPis finished, because a large number ofthem would join us any moment from now.

OSDF: Since your entry into politics,how have you been finding it?

OSUOLALE: Politics is veryinteresting because you would beexposed to different kinds of people andevents. For instance, Ogbeni Aregbesolais a politician with a difference, becausehe embraces everybody, irrespective ofreligion or political party. An averagepolitician would not want any good thingfor his opponents, but in the case ofOgbeni, he would tell you that thereshould not be any quarrel and you shouldnot revenge. For all they did to him beforeand during his election and what he wentthrough to reclaim his stolen mandate, hestill insisted that nobody should revengeand whoever did so would be dealt withby law.

In my view, his style of life has beenbrought into governance and we havebeen the positive result of his approach tothe extent that even his opponents,especially from the PDP, are comingmassively to join his party, APC.

So, I have been finding it interestingand the party I belong to has been able todemonstrate that politics is all aboutservice, which is my primary intention.

OSDF: Since you joined thisparliament in 2011, how has the businessof lawmaking been?

OSUOLALE: The business oflawmaking here has been very interesting,because in the present Assembly, we havelawyers, accountants, engineers, medicalpractitioners, surveyors, industrialconsultants, political scientists and many

other professionals and we have thosethat have experience of lawmaking beforesome of us came in. This gives us theopportunity to debate on issuesconstructively to arrive at a justconclusion. The contributions of membershave been so excellent and we thank Godthat we have a Speaker that is open-minded and ready to welcome debates forthe betterment of our people.

Apart from that, the governor makesthings easy for us, because he neverintervenes in anything we do here. Whenhe brings a bill, he leaves it for us todecide and that is what has been assistingus. That is why I laugh when somemischief makers say this Assembly is arubber stamp. We have had cause tosummon the governor, his deputy andother high-ranking government officials,which they have yielded. If we are to be arubber stamp, that would not have beenpossible.

For example, when he brought the localgovernment creation bill, he said it openlythat we can add or subtract the way wefeel it should be done and that is what weare doing now. If we are a rubber-stamp,he would be the one to dictate to us onthis issue.

OSDF: Which of the laws passed bythis Assembly will you say interests youmost?

OSUOLALE: There are two of them;the one on HIV/ AID and the one againstChild Abuse. The stigmitisation againstHIV victims is common, but with that law,everybody is cautioned against suchthing. Also, the younger ones are thefuture of our state and we must protectthem and that was why the law was made.There are several other laws that we havemade to better the lives of the people ofthis state.

OSDF: What is your assessment ofGovernor Aregbesola performance sofar?

OSUOLALE: When you have atransparent and honest leader, you expectnothing other than good things. The firstthing that baffles me is the engagement of40,000 youths in two batches under OYESand this has gone a long way in reducingunemployment rate in the state. There isno government in Nigeria that has beenable to meet that standard. Among thebeneficiaries of this scheme were thosebeing given permanent job in the civilservice, while some are being empoweredto stand on their own. This has drasticallyreduced unemployment rate in the stateand it has gone a long way inguaranteeing security of lives andproperties.

Another thing that baffles me is howthe governor developed the idea of freerail service. Apart from the free rail serviceduring festive periods, farmers have alsobeen offered the service to transport theirfarm produce to Lagos, so that they canmake more profit.

Before Aregbesola came, Osogbo wasjust like a glorified local governmentheadquarters. It could not be called astate capital because of dilapidation ofroads and rough situation of the city, buttoday, Osogbo has become somethingelse. Osogbo now can be called a statecapital due to the works that Aregbesolahas done. He did not stop at Osogbo,even the remotest parts of the state areseeing the impact of his administration.For example, there is a road in my

constituency - Iyaji to Eripa, whichnobody believed could be tarred, butAregbesola has done it. There is no localgovernment council area that you will notsee such developmental programmescompleted or going on.

Beside that, the School FeedingProgramme, O’MEAL, is a programme thathas been executed in a way that nobodyhas ever done to the extent that theUnited Kingdom Parliament had invitedthe governmor to come and teach themhow he did it. The Ambulance Scheme isalso there always and people can testifythat these initiatives have been soeffective and save many victims ofaccidents or attacks.

Do you also want to talk of thedredging of streams, which has preventedflooding across the state. Records haveshown that Osun is no longer recordingcholera, not because of anything, butbecause Aregbesola has shown seriousconcern to issues relating to environment.Do you also want to talk of the efforts ofthe government on agriculture, health,education, security and many others, hehas done well in these areas.

He is a committed man that works dayand night for the development of the stateand I always pity his wife, because I don’tthink he has enough time for that woman.We pray that God give him good health tocomplete what he has embarked on andreap from it.

OSDF: But the opposition are sayingAregbesola has not done anything?

OSUOLALE: It is only a mad man thatwould say Aregbesola has not performed.It is either that person is insane or deafand dumb. Those that are saying thatwere only politicising it. They are onlysaying he has not done anything, theydidn’t mention just one thing he wassupposed to do but has not done. Theyare saying he has not done anything, yet,they are not ashamed of going to thenewly-constructed Freedom Park inOsogbo to campaign. Or do they want tosay they didn’t know that Aregbesola did

it. Roads are being constructed invirtually all communities in the state, newmodel schools are being constructedeverywhere.

So, whoever is saying Aregbesola hasnot done anything should shut his mouthforever, because people have seen whathe has done and they can never bedeceived again.

OSDF: What do you see in the August9 governorship election in the state?

OSUOLALE: It is a job that God hasconcluded and I can say it that by thegrace of God, Aregbesola will have 90 percent of the votes. We know that somepeople are planning to rig, but we will notallow that to happen because everybodyhas seen what Aregbesola has done todevelop the state.

There is no way any federal power canwork in Osun and I know they would noteven try it. Maybe it can work somewhereelse, but in Osun, it cannot work. Theyknow they have failed and we are onground here. The federal power was therewhen we defeated them in all the electionswe held in 2011.

OSDF: Do you have trust in the abilityof the INEC to be fair in the election?

OSUOLALE: Even if INEC wants totake sides in favour of the PDP, it will notbe possible, because they can only dothat where they are popular. We are notgoing to allow anybody to rig theelection. However, we expect INEC tobuckle up and conduct a free and fair poll.

OSDF: Your message to the people ofyour constituency and Osun in general?

OSUOLALE: People of myconstituency should not disappoint meand Aregbesola, who has done so well forus in our constituency. We should ensurethat Aregbesola gets 95 per cent of thevotes in that area. To the people of Osunin general, we have all seen what ishappening and we must vote enmass forOgbeni Aregbesola, so that the goodwork can continue.

•OSUOLALE

OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 31, 201411 FOR THE RECORDS

Regional Autonomy…Or NothingBeing the position paper of Yoruba groups in theNational Conference towards achieving regionalautonomy

Regional Autonomy means...a. Control of natural resources within the region.b. Developing and establishing appropriate

governance structure for the Region, andc. Devolved authority, responsibilities and span of

control to manage and ensure the sustenance of theregion.

Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife [Okwadike) - formerGovernor of old Anambra State and a delegate at the20141N’ational Conference in an interview withNewswatch on 12 May 2014 [Retrieved 12 May 2014,mydailynewswatchng.com] said: “The only zone thatis very strong because of their rationality is the South-West. Even if others do not embark on federating unitbased on zones, the South-West is going to have theirregion intact economically; then, they will develop,progress, grow and every part of Nigeria would beenvious of the region. It is the decision they are takingnow. Some people don’t understand it. At least, theytaught some of us, but it is the truth that I am sayingnow that the South-West will grow exponentially whenregional government is adopted.”

Nigeria, as a nation, should therefore translateto ...

a. A restructured country with Regional arrangementsvia the consolidation of the current unviable thirty six[36] states. The consolidation would be based on thecongregation of nations and affiliate groups withcommon and historic affinities and who enjoy territorialcontiguity borders. Any ethnic group or groups withina state wishing to align with any other state or to belongto a new Region shall be allowed to do so if confirmedin a plebiscite by the affected people, For instance,Yoruba people in Edo, Kogi and Kwara states.

b. ‘The Regions exercising all powers not expresslyceded to the central government. As such, the federalconstitution will contain only one legislative list - theExclusive Legislative List - that shall detail the powersand responsibilities to be exercised by the centralgovernment.

c. Each Region having its constitution, which willreflect its peculiarities, circumstances and preferencesthat shall not be inconsistent with the constitution ofthe Nigerian Federation.

d. All tiers and structures of government below theRegional level prescribed in the Regional constitution,and should not be the concern of the FederalGovernment. The present state governments will beretained within the new Regional framework and localgovernment councils would be accommodated with lawenacted, in each Region, prescribing their structure,composition, roles and purposes, finance andadministration.

SECTION AOur stance as Yoruba peopleThis submission represents the culmination of efforts

and ideas which have been canvassed in the Yorubalandscape since the agitation for a return to truefederalism, led by those seeking a solution to the perennialcrisis of governance in Nigeria. These positions werereinforced at the 2014 Yoruba ConstitutionalConferences of February 12 and 20 respectively, at theHouse of Chiefs, Secretariat of Oyo State Government,Ibadan. ‘The conference had in attendance Yorubaorganisations and prominent sons and daughters ofYoruba extraction. The positions is also’ been detailedin the publication - Yoruba Agenda.

WHAT YORUBA PEOPLE WANT….. OURIRREDUCIBLE MINIMUM

The Yoruba democratic objective is to secure anabundant life and peaceful existence for all our people,and to reserve the liberty and rights of citizens of ourregion. These include:

- the right to freely elect our representatives in anatmosphere of freedom and civility

- the right 10 religious worship and practices- the righ t 10 reject any form of oppression, and- the right to legislate for the common good and

wellbeing of our people and our nation.The Yoruba aim is to be partners in the creation of a

state where the citizens are recognized by thegovernment and the government serves the interests ofthe citizens (Folorunsho, 2014).

For us Yoruba people, we demand Regional Autonomyfor the South-West Region within a united Nigeria.Yoruba people will effectively communicate to all otherethnic nationalities an understanding of the aims andobjectives of the Yoruba people in the following contextsof:

A YORUBA PEOPLE - Cultural/LanguageHomogeneity

A YORUBA REGION - States/Geographic Zone andA YORUBA NATION - A shared vision (Yoruba

Agenda, 2012.The YORUBA PEOPLE OF NIGERIA hereby make

the following demands:a. Regionalism: a restructured Nigeria federation

consisting of a Central Government and Regionalgovernments of other ethnic nationalities - this could bebased on the current six geopolitical zones. The South-West Region must include all Yoruba people outside theimposed artificial boundaries, in Edo, Delta, Kogi andKwara states.

b. A negotiated legislative Exclusive, Concurrent andResidual list

c. A unicameral legislature at the center; details of theRegional legislature shall be clearly set out in theconstitution of each Region

d. A parliamentary form of government at thecentre

e. The right to self determination on and up to theright to secede

f. A just and equitable taxation system that will treatthe federating units with equality and better coordinationat the federal level in order to eliminate the current rentiersyndrome.

g. Fiscal Federalism and Resource Control: a systemwhereby a substantial part of the proceeds accruablefrom every Region will be domiciled in the Region andan agreed percentage contributed to the center by thefederating units for the responsibility of the Federalgovernment.

h. Establishment of Regional Policei. A new people’s constitution: the resolutions and

conclusions .of the 2014 National Conference shall leadto an autochthonous Constitution, that is a home-grownand all inclusive draft that shall be submitted to theNigerian electorate voting in a Referendum

j. Status of Lagos: Lagos will continue to be theeconomic nerve centre of Nigeria and the West Africansub-Region, hence, there shall be an appropriatebudgetary provision that is part of the First Line Chargein the Federation Account. Unity is a derivative, it is nota goal...it is an aberration to talk of unity in a federation... we do not need unity to be in a federal arrangement... all we need is an agreement between the federating

units ... (Views expressed by Prof Ayoade and ProfAriyo at a policy discussion at the Yoruba Academy, 9April 2014)

PREFACE & PURPOSEIn the beginning, there was no Nigeria. There were

ethnic nationalities and Kingdoms. Prior to the Britishconquest and invasion of the different ethnic nationalitiesthat make up the present day Nigeria, these nations wereindependent nation states [Sagay, 2011]. Hence, thereis a need to revisit what was agreed at the variousconstitutional conferences that led to the First Republicand Nigeria’s independence in 1960. Knowledge of thiswould re-awaken a better understanding of the

arrangements agreed to by ethnic nationalities that ledto the emergence of Nigeria as a federated nation.

This forced marriage of diverse ethno-national groupshas produced tension and difficult moments for thecountry, Nigeria. The next step in charting a course forthe future is to safeguard the destiny of the Yorubapeople, and reconstruct the Nigerian federation. This isthe first intent of this publication, that is, a revisit andreinstating of the agenda of the Yoruba people ... whatYoruba people want.

While Yoruba people do not ask other ethnicnationalities to change their focus, we also expect othersto refrain from imposing their own goals’ and values onYoruba people [Yoruba Agenda, 201-2] - all ethnicnationalities can co- exist in Nigeria so long as there aremutual respect for each other’s positions, as everyonehas a .right to decide to live within or outside of Nigeria.A recent publication, titled “Key issues before theNorthern delegates to the 2014 National Conference,”where the North claims to be ... the backbone andstrength of Nigeria necessitated a strategic appraisal andresponse. This is the second intent of this publication -it is the need to employ an evidenced-based methodologyto address and correct an attempt by a section of Nigeriato distort history and repaint the existential context ofNigerians.

The Northern reasoning - in the publication - can besummed up as; Nigeria is two countries of Northernand Southern Nigeria, oil exploration in the Niger Deltawas financed by Northern groundnut proceeds and theNorth feeds the rest of the South with daily supplies ofcows ... therefore the North is equally entitled to NigerDelta oil proceeds as the Niger Deltans themselves(Sagay, 2014).

The North’s obsession with revenue sharing and theproceeds of oil, exposed a jaundiced vision of thedevelopmental aspiration of a people. The publicationalso exposed some inherent contradictions in thoughts,for example a claim that ... Nigeria is de facto twocountries of Northern and Southern Nigeria ... (Chap7, Sec 1.1, p. 32). Hence, there is an acute need todemonstrate that Nigeria is NOT just North and South,the North, as defined and described in the publication,ceased to exist the day Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd.)created 12 Nigerian States in 1967 ... the North is NOT80% of the Nigerian land mass, as claimed by thispublication.

Assertions of this nature are clear indications thatNigeria is still searching for an answer to the NationalQuestion, which defines how Nigerians should livetogether as .a nation. At the heart of solving thistherefore, is the adoption of a widely acceptable structureof government, to which everyone could identify with.This is the third intent of this publication - explicatingpolicy positions that defines and describes how Nigeriashould be structured and governed.

Nigeria - Infonnation DataTable 1 is extracted from the publication - “Key issues

before the Northern delegates to the 2014 NationalConference.” The data stated are erroneous and ignoresthe legitimacy of other geo- political zones/arrangements.Table 2 provides a detailed analysis of Nigeriainformation data [Yoruba Academy, May 2014].

Table 1: Nigeria Information Data Source: “Key issuesbefore the Northern delegates to the 2014 NationalConference.”

Table 2: Nigeria Information DataAnalysis by: Yoruba Academy, May 2014*Note:- The numbers of languages in Nigeria are 529, of

these,7 are extinct. Of the living languages, 21 are

institutional,76 are developing, 357 are vigorous, 26 are in _trouble,

and42 are dying. [Ethnologue, 2014]- A total of 43 languages are been shared by more

than one RegionData SourcesAluko, Mobolaji E. 2011. Voters’ registration by state.

Created on 06 March 2011 web: Nigeria Village Square,INEC 2 Nigerian Population Commission, 2006.Population, landmass, density); NPC Report, 1991 andField Reports INEC. Retrieved 2014. LG, federalconstituencies, senatorial districts: election candidates2011. Ethnologue.com. 2014. Ethnologue: Languagesof the World, Seventeenth edition. Dallas, Texas: SILInternational. Online version

YORUBA...OUR CONTEXT AS A PEOPLEYoruba people developed one of the most sophisticated

and well-balanced political and governance systems inthe world, from the 10th century on - a political system

Continued on page 13

•Maj.-Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo (retd)

12 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 31, 2014FOR THE RECORDS

based on the sovereignty of the people, with strongdedication to the dignity of life, human freedom, andaccountability in leadership and governance. This wasconfirmed in Report 1114 - the 1921 Annual ColonialReport on Nigeria by the British, when it states that= ...the Yoruba occupy the South-West corner of Nigeriaand from an early date possessed an organizedgovernment’ [P.3].

During a brief period of our modern history, ourmodern leaders, authentic products of our history andculture, under the exceptional leadership of our topmoststatesman of the time - Chief Obafemi Awolowo - servedthe Yoruba people with the very best government in thewhole of Africa. Under their leadership, the WesternRegion became the pace-setter in virtually all aspects ofmodern development. As examples, the Regiondeveloped programmes that empowered Yoruba peopleto become some of the most productive in Africa. TheRegion became - First in Africa [Oodua Foundation,2014]. As a people, the Yoruba were and are stilIabsolutely set on accomplishing greater things. Our firmbelief as a people is that we can still do it any time weset our hearts and hands to it [Oodua Foundation, 2014].

Our Obstacle is Nigeria...The current Nigeria is not oriented towards

development, progress or prosperity. Nigeria now tendstowards the maximization of power by the federalestablishment. As a result, authority and control inNigeria have been accumulated in the confines of theFederal Government. Nigeria, a country of differentnations, has reduced the governments of the states ofthe Nigerian Federation to the level of impotency andincapability. These have stunted the growth anddevelopment of the states and their citizens.

Yoruba people aspire for development and the wellbeing of its people noting the potentials and attainmentof the South West, despite the limiting environment calledNigeria.

The South-West of Nigeria is a Region with ...A landmass of approximately 80,000 square kilometers

and a current 2013 estimated population of 40 millionpeople – more populous than:

.20 countries in Europe – Albania, Austria, Belgium,Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Demark, Finland,Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,Sweden and Switzerland;

.41 countries in Africa – Angola, Benin, Botswana,Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape verde, CentralAfrican Republic, Chad, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,Guinea-Bissau, Lassotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar,Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique,Nambia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao· Tome and Principe,Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Swaziland,Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe;

.17 countries in the Americas - Bahamas, Barbados,Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El-Salvador,Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama,Paraguay, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay and Venezuela;

.13 countries in the Middle East - Bahrain, Brunei,Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar,Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirate and Yemen;and 6 countries of Asia - Cambodia, North Korea,Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Taiwan [YorubaAgenda, 2012].

Unique geography, competencies and resources andis positioned as the hub of development and growth ofNigeria into the 22nd Century

The foremost urban civilization in Black Africa. Ourfirst town, Ile-Ife, was built in the early 10th Century,during the European - Dark Age when most of Europehad no towns, with a level of urbanization more advancedthan that of the countries of Europe in the same period(Oodua Foundation, 2014).

One of the fastest growing economic blocs in Nigeriaand the world, with a combined GDP of $69.1Qillion,constituting 25.3% of the national GDP (2012 estimates)and a GDP per capita of $11,341 - a gross Regionaloutput that grew the most in 2012 with an absolutenominal increase of 21.8% nominal growth - comparedto 16.38% in the North West, 14.27% in North Central,1,0.89% in the South East, 8.19% in the North Eastand -1.69% in the South-South, Over 60% of Nigeria’sindustrial capacity and approximately 60% of thecountry’s banking assets plus 67% of its insuranceassets ... Two of Nigeria’s most important deepseaports - Lagos Port Complex, Apapa & Tin Can Island- handling over 100 million tonnes of goods p.a, valuedat an estimated $2b in 2012, alongside its profitable landborders that accounts for 60% of the trading andcommercial activities in Nigeria The most performingnon-oil sectors of the economy, which includetelecommunications [32%], building and construction

[12.5%], solid minerals [12.5%], hotel and restaurants[12.5%], real estate [10-4%] and business services[9.7%]. .. A financial services infrastructure thatincludes 22 national commercial banking institutions,20 finance companies, 20 primary mortgage institutions,2 merchant banks, 20 micro-finance banks and 5development finance institutions, with extensive networkof branches, and most significant operations in Nigeria.These institutions command money assets to the tuneof N6-4 billion [May 2013].

One of the fastest growing economies in the world,of comparative size to other national economies. Forinstance,

Lagos State produces about 12% of Nigeria’s GDP,which is equivalent to almost $32billion [according tothe 2013 estimates], making it Afica’s 13th largesteconomy ahead of Tanzania

Great tourism potentials due to the peculiarity of itshistory and distinct geography, and capabilities in ICTand other skilled professions

The most conducive and safest part of the countryfor investors and visitors. Of the top 20 cities thatMcKinsey has identified as growth hot spots forcompanies targeting young, entry level consumers,Lagos and lbadan are included in the list, alongside otherurban centres such as Dar Es Salaam, Ouagadougou,Kampala and Lusaka.

A competitive advantage that is leveraged on itsstrategic assets of a unique communality of language,customs and culture among its peoples; a demographyconsisting of an exceptionally youthful population; hugehuman and material resources including a largeknowledgeable Diaspora; vast tracts of arable agriculturalland, renewable water resources, and the presence ofextensive mineral deposits, such as hydrocarbons, etc.[Source: DAWN Commission, 2012].

Regional Autonomy…Or NothingThe unfettered autonomy to develop the Yoruba Nation

as a federating unit in Nigeria is the only factor that ismissing in efforts to industrialise our Region. All theingredients for socio-economic development are presentin Yoruba land and the question of viability andsustainability does not arise [Yoruba Agenda, 2012]

Therefore .. .for Yoruba people, it is REGIONALAUTONOMY ... OR NOTHING!

THE 2014 NATIONAL CONFERENCE TO DATE...

Revisiting the need for a national conversation ...As a nation, we must talk.The clam our for a national dialogue among Nigeria’s

over 250 ethnic nationalities has been as old as thecountry itself. This became more popular after the firstmilitary coup in 1966. The imperative for a NationalConference as a necessary discussion over Nigeria’sfuture has been firmly established and constantlyagitatedfor by many, especially we the Yoruba people. Thisnational discussion is meant to be the laxative tocorruption, ethnic chauvinism, conflict and perversionof the rule of law - all of which have stifled economicdevelopment, social harmony and the forging of acollective Nigerian identity.

Therefore, there is no doubt that there is need forconsensus among the country’s distinct ethnic groupson critical national and governance issues such as thestructure and form of government, revenue allocation,and political representation. Haven established an acuteneed to restructure Nigeria; a national conference cannotand should not be about what is least disruptive in ourdiscourse of Nigeria’s future [Ariyo, 2014]. Thequestion is whether the 2014 National Conference, withits prescribed modality, is capable of addressing Nigeria’sperennial existential problems.

This is why Yoruba people are revisiting the debate.The 2014 National Conference must be a discourse aimedat inclusive nation-building. Yoruba people will not bepart of a charade that will not create the needed nationalconsensus on key issues in the country. The conferencemust be markedly different from previous ones. The2014 National Conference must emerge with outcomesthat

To be continued

•Lt.-Gen. ALANI AKINRINADE (retd.)

Continued from page 12

Culled from THE PUNCH

13 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 31, 2014

The Menace Of Unemployment In Nigeria: Any Way Out?

THE greatest challenge facingthe country today is theproblem of unemployment,

which has rubbished the claim thatNigeria’s economy is among thefastest-growing in the world,because it has failed to translateinto the development of standardof living of an average Nigerian onthe streets.

Unemployed people, accordingto World Bank report, “are amember of an economically activepopulation, who are without workbut available for and seeking forwork, including people who havelost their jobs and those who havevoluntarily left work.”

Not too long ago, the NigeriaImmigration Service (NIS)conducted a recruitment exerciseacross the country. Hundreds ofthousands of Nigerian youthsattended the shabbily organizedexercise, which led to painfuldeaths of about seventy peopleincluding pregnant women. Thisugly development clearly revealedthe growing rate of unemploymentin the country. It is estimated thatabout 4.5million youths enter thelabour market every year, whichcould only absorb a tiny fractionof them. The situation Nigeriafaces today doubles that of othercountries, which has causedimplosion in those countries.

High unemployment rate is amenace that has seriousimplications for nationalproductivity and growth, social

cohesion, political stability andnational security. Theunemployment crisis, if notproperly tackled, could be a tickingtime-bomb that will soon explode.

There are many factors drivingunemployment in the countrytoday, which range from inadequatejob opportunities, lack of skills andexperience, mismatch betweensupply and demand of labour, andnumerous barriers to youthentrepreneurship.

There is, however a way out ofthis menace as government, parentsand the youths all haveresponsibilities to play in curbingthe unemployment rate in thecountry.

One of the ways the issue ofunemployment could be tackled isfor the youths to design a templatethat will make them diversify intovocational and entrepreneurialskills. Youths should also identifyand develop their unique sellingpoints, which can make themovercome the challenge ofunemployment.

People who are into vocationaljobs should not be stigmatized asit has been observed that this is oneof the reasons that discourageother people acquiring vocationalskills.

The nation’s education sectormust also be restructured to makeit functional and meet therequirements of the labour

markets, as most graduates lack theskills and training to succeed in theever-growing labour market.

The issue of corruption, whichhas eaten deep into our system,must also be addressed for themenace of unemployment to beadequately tackled. Billions ofnaira being stolen by ourgovernment officials can be usedin so many ways to benefit theentire populace, through thecreation of job opportunities forthe youths and the provision ofenabling environment forbusinesses to thrive. Fightingcorruption should constitute anintegral part of the functions ofgovernment in a country.

The Federal Government shouldalso create a special purpose fundfor young entrepreneurs, and trainthem on how to use the fundsjudiciously. For us to tackle themenace of rising youthunemployment, we must tackle theproblem of lack of funding. If thisis in place, it would be easier togive young entrepreneurs the start-up capital for their business tosurvive.

Agriculture was the majorsource of revenue-generation forthe country before independence.The palm oil in the south and east,the cocoa production in the westand the north was famous in theproduction of groundnut. Apartfrom these major products, thereare some others that could createjob for the youths. Crude oil that

is supposed to be a blessing hasbecome a curse for the country,because the agricultural sector isalmost abandoned.

Government should makeagriculture attractive to theyounger generation, which canresult in providing jobs formillions Nigerian youths, as wellas swell-up government revenue.Legacy of the Premier of the oldWestern Region, Chief ObafemiAwolowo, should be revived byinvesting massively in agriculture.

Federal and state governmentsshould provide enablingenvironment for industries tospring up, while those moribundprivate industries shouldrejuvenate instead of governmentputting burden only on their necks,the paradigm should shift in thiscountry for flourish future.Provision of enabling environmentwould also encourage millions ofgraduates to forsake governmentjobs to the creation of their ownwealth. Most especially,government should reformNational Youth Service CorpsScheme (NYSC) in order to serveas empowerment for the students.

If government can afford to payN12 million to each delegate of theNational Conference that will lastfor three months, there is noexcuse for her not to empowermillions of graduates from higherinstitutions, instead of waiting forunavailable jobs.

•Jimoh wrote in from Universityof Ilorin, Kwara State.

‘We, The People,’ The Power Of The Nigerian VoterIN Nigeria, our current system of

government and governance ismodeled after that of the United

States of America. The preamble to theUS Constitution starts with ‘We thePeople of the United States, in orderto form a more perfect union, establishjustice, insure domestic tranquility,provide for the common defense,promote the general welfare, andsecure the blessings of Liberty toourselves and our posterity, do ordainand establish this Constitution for theUnited States of America’

To ensure that the essence of thisdeclaration in the constitution andgovernment is not lost about ‘we thepeople’, elections are held every twoyears into congress and every four yearsfor governorship and presidentialelections, just as we do for those twoposts in Nigeria. We seem to have takenonboard here in Nigeria a good portionof this presidential system but Nigeriaand its citizens seem to be missing acritical component of which is the veryessence of democracy, which we claimto practice!

That critical part is ‘We the people’and the power held therein by thepeople through the electoral process.With the second coming of democracyin 1999, we, the people in Nigeria have

stood by and allowed incompetenthands to get to – and in some instancesstay in – power either by us ignoringour electoral responsibilities or allowingmassive rigging in some instances.

We have severally chosen to ignorethe lack-luster performance, of someof our elected representatives and insome instances, failed to hold theseelected representatives accountable,through the ballot box. This must stop,as we the people, have the power tohold these officials accountable, byvoting, but not only voting, also ensuringthat our votes count. Vote and wait foryour vote to be counted! We all knowabout our history in Nigeria, 100 peoplevote in a polling booth, yet announcedresults at that polling booth, shows thata single candidate had 110 votes castfor him or her! Wake up Nigerians,protect your votes! The discomfort ofdedicating a single day to voting andprotecting your vote, clearly outweighsthe suffering for four (4) years underan incompetent government, in mostinstances without vision or leadership.

There is however good news in thehorizon, over the last few years inNigeria, it seems we are witnessing anew type of leadership in government,

that gives credence to that dictum ofdemocracy being a government of thepeople, powered by the people andwhose sole concern is for the progressof the people. Leaders are coming upthat recognize they were elected for apurpose beyond themselves, who areafter the development of theirconstituencies, not only for today butalso for citizens yet unborn.

We are indeed fortunate that suchmen are women are emerging fromwithin the people, and as citizens, wemust therefore use our power, throughour votes to support and return suchleaders to office where possible, andensure we encourage the rising of moreof such leaders to the benefit of ourfuture.

The first of such leaders that strikesone is the current Governor of KanoState, Mallam Rabiu Kwankwanso.There are two key areas where he hasstood out as a true servant leader. Thefirst is in the area of transparency, Noother government in the history ofNigeria, even Africa has ever publishedminutes of its executive body, for all andsundry to see in newspapers. All ofNigeria knows on a weekly basis whatKano State is planning to spend fundson, how projects are being run, projectstatus updates and what the funds havebeen spent on.

The second area in Kano State thatstands out is the focus on education inthe next 10 to 15 years, This statewould most likely have the highestnumbers of doctors, pilots andengineers and other professionals, if wego by the number of scholarships beinggiven to Kano State indigenes byKwankwaso’s government. I wouldindeed, have applied to become anindigene of Kano, if I was not of thestate of the virtuous (State of Osun,)where the leadership is takingunprecedented giant strides in socio-economic development of it’s people,as testified to by one of the drivers ofthe creation of the state, the Oonirisaof Ife himself, who affirmed that thepositive rate of development, sinceOgbeni Rauf Aregbesola becamegovernor, three and a half years ago, isunprecedented and never witnessedunder any other administration in thehistory of the state!

What is happening in the State ofOsun and what are we the people goingto do about it?

•Babayemi wrote in fromGbongan, Ayedaade LocalGovernment Council Area, State ofOsun.

By DOTUN BABAYEMI

By JIMOH WAHEED

OPINION

15 OSUN DEFENDER Saturday, May 31, 2014

More Pix On The Flag-off Of All Progressives Congress (APC) 2014 GovernorshipCampaign With A Mega Rally At Government Technical College, Ile-Ife, State OfOsun, Last Tuesday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI And SHOLA ADERINTO.

•(R-L) National Assembly member from the State of Osun, Senator Olusola Adeyeye , representing Osun Central; member, House of Representatives from Irewole, Ayedaade,Isokan Federal Constituency, Hon. Ayo Omidiran; wife of Osun governor, Alhaja Sherifat Aregbesola; Governor Rauf Aregbesola; his deputy, Otunba (Mrs.) Grace Titi Laoye- Tomori; Deputy Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly , Hon. Adegboye Akintunde; Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti and Chief of Staffto the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, during the flag-off campaign for Aregbesola’s second term in office, at Technical College, Ile-Ife, last Tuesday.

•Mammoth crowd at Ile-Ife.

•Dancers at the event.

15 OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, April 24, 2014

SATURDAY, MAY 31, 2014

TUESDAY, May 27,2014 will ever remainevergreen in the

memory of all and sundry inIfe Federal Constituency as aday that the highest evernumber of people convergedin Ile-Ife to catch a glimpseof their political idol, theincumbent governor of theState of the Virtuous, OgbeniRauf Aregbesola, who is thegovernorship candidate forthe All Progressives Congress (APC)in August 9 governorship election in thestate. It was the day the whole ancienttown of Ile-Ife became carnival-like asdifferent groups of Aregbesola’sloyalists openly demonstrated theirunalloyed support for the governor whohas turned the fortune of the state forbetter within the past three and a halfyears of his administration.

Aregbesola’s numerous admirers andpolitical functionaries were jostling forattention with a common objective ofcelebrating their political icon of theprogressive extraction. As early as 6.00am, participants in the epoch-makingevent who did not want to be held downby vehicular gridlock, were sightedtrooping to the venue of the event atGovernment Technical College, alongIfewara Road, Ile-Ife. Others weredancing and singing round the town withecstasy, visibly selling the ideals of theAPC to non-political converts and thosewho might still be sitting on the fence ofpolitical consideration.

Some top political functionaries of theAPC in the zone were observed, in theusual manner of politicians, trying tooutdo one another in the act of phoneypublicity-seeking. This is epitomized bythe supporters of each of the politiciansspotting the same uniforms, dancing andsinging round the venue of the event withconspicuous display of banners of theirprincipals. The scene, to a large extent,was entertainment offered free ofcharge. People were seen exchangingbanters, pleasantries and sharingexperience. It would not be anoverstatement to observe and profferthat never had such mass of peoplecongregated for a common purpose inthe history of the ancient town. Beforethe arrival of the man of the moment toIle-Ife, all the major roads in Ile-Ife werecongested with vehicles to the extentthat vehicular and human movementsalmost became impossible. Ubiquitouscommercial motorcycle riders who areknown to always know how to meandertheir way out of traffic gridlock weredisappointed on that Tuesday as theirmovement was also impeded. The painsof the motorists and motorcyclistshowever, became a blessing to somepetty traders hawking satchet water,assorted sweets, groundnut and otherfast foods in the traffic.

If the situation was unbearable for themotorists before the arrival of thegovernor to Ile-Ife, one could imaginewhat the situation would be whenOgbeni Aregbesola eventually arrivedthe town. The convoy of the governor

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became a snail shell as it was forced tobe moving slowly because his admirerswho were singing his praises were allscrambling to have a glimpse of theirgovernor. From the gate of ObafemiAwolowo University (OAU) throughIdi-Omo, Lagere, Iremo to the Palaceof the Ooni of Ife, Oba OkunadeSijuwade, the crowd that welcomed thegovernor was simply tumultuous. Itwas the day I could not envy securityofficers as they were busy throughout,controlling both human and vehiculartraffic as well as overseeing the securityof the man of the moment.Aregbesola’s supporters in Ile-Ife milledround him as ants do to sugar. Theywent where he went and did whateverhe was doing. Before the securityofficers could control the influx of thegovernor’s admirers who were hell-bentin following him to the palace, it wasindeed an arduous task.

Having received the blessings of theOoni for his second term ambition,Aregbesola, in company of his deputyand some of the members of his cabinet,

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.

went straight to the venue of the mega-rally which is about two kilometresaway. It took him about 40 minutes tomake it to the venue as his admirersjust won’t let him go without giving theman attention. When Aregbesola enteredinto the venue of the rally, theatmosphere became electrified aseverybody was jostling to sight him. Anace musician, Wasiu Ayinde Anifowoshe(KWAM 1), was on hand to add glamourto the occasion while some membersof the Nollywood were also not left outof provision of entertainment stuff toadd colour to the event. It was observedthat security was beefed up at the eventto forestall any untowards happening.Throughout the duration of the event, ahelicopter which was apparently on asurveillance mission was hovering roundthe venue.

That the mega-rally went on withoutany hitches could be said to be due to acombination of many factors. One ofwhich is the forthrightness ofHonourable Folorunsho Bamisayemi-led Governor Aregbesola Re-election

Six-member Committeefor Ife FederalConstituency put in placeby the interim State ofOsun Chairman of theAPC, Elder LowoAdebiyi. It is on recordthat because of theenormity of theassignment before thecommittee, it hit theground runningimmediately after its

inauguration. Knowing that it could notdo it alone, the main committee wasbroken into many sub-committees oneof which is the publicity committeewhere I co-functioned as chairman withBarrister Kunle Oyatomi, Osun APCDirector of Publicity, Research andStrategy. It is worth mentioning that thepublicity committee of the Ife FederalConstituency is unique in the sense thatit is the only known committee with twochairmen in the history of the state. Theobjective of the committee was betterfor it as there was no friction of anytype. The Ife committee being the firstto host the Aregbesola re-electionmega-rally, then became a template forother zones in the state.

It is worthwhile to recall that agathered intelligence by the committeehad shown that some disgruntledelements of the PDP extraction hadperfected an arrangement to bungle thehosting of the mega-rally by Ife FederalConstituency chapter of the APC bykilling some notable members of theparty in the zone; a development whichwould have necessitated thepostponement or outright cancellation ofthe rally. The committee whichgenerated a petition from the intelligencesent same to security agencies bothwithin and outside the state. Thearrowhead of the nefarious plan whichwas said to have been held in a hotelbelonging to a PDP chieftain at Arubidiarea of Ile-Ife, was said to have backedout of the evil plan of shedding the bloodof innocent persons, cautioning hismilitant foot soldiers that then that theplan had leaked, whoever was caughtwould be on his own.

It would also be recalled that theBamisayemi-led committee held a pressconference last Sunday where he toldthe world the plan of the opposition tokill some of the APC chieftains in Ile-Ife as injection of a spike to the balloonof the mega-rally. Based on thesuccessful hosting of the maiden editionof the Ife Mega-rally, I am of the opinionthat it should be a template for otherzones and that the governor’s committeeheaded by Professor Sola Adeyeyeshould tap from the knowledge andexperience of the Ife zone by co-optingsome of the members into thecommittee.

It was remarkable that no singleincident of violence at the mega-rally.Governor Aregbesola was at his best inIle-Ife. The totality of Ogbeni’s activitiescould be summed up to him carrying thepolitical battle to the door step of Omisoreat the source.

Omo OsunWith

Kola Olabisi�:08033927286 e-mail: kolaolabisi@yahoo.com

Ile-Ife APC Mega Rally: Taking PoliticalBattle To Omisore’s Door Step

•Governor Rauf Aregbesola (left), dancing with his supporters during the official flag-off of his re-election campaign for second term in office at Government TechnicalCollege, Ilode, Ile-Ife, State of Osun, last Tuesday.