VOL. 9. NO.039 NNNNN5050505050TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014

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Front Page Comment

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Who KilledChief Bola Ige,former Attorney-

General andMinister of

Justice? IGE

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (middle); Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the university, Professor Gabriel Adesiyan Olawoyin (2nd left) andVice-Chancellor, Professor Adekunle Bashiru (right) during the 3rd Convocation for the Conferment of First Degrees and Award of Prizes at the university in Osogbo lastSaturday.

Aregbesola Challenges NigerianUniversities On Job Creation•As UNIOSUN Graduates 1,186 Students

Dwindling Federal Allocation: Osun Govt ‘ll Not Cut Salaries, Wages

A new Osun has emerged underAregbesola –Bureau

A combination ofmodern educationalfacilities, new networkof roads, betterstructured environmentand empoweredcitizenry have led tothe emergence of anew Osun under theadministration ofOgbeni RaufAregbesola.This wasthe conclusion of theBureau of

Communications andStrategy,

This was the conclusionof the Bureau ofCommunications andStrategy, Office of theGovernor in its release

on Sunday.

The Bureau said the entirepeople of the state haveseen remarkable differencein the rot inherited by thecurrent administration onNovember 27, 2010 and

what the state hasbecome in terms ofsocial amenities,motivation of thepeople and aboveall, restoration ofpeace.This was justas Architects inNigeria under theaegis of the NigeriaInstitute ofArchitects (NIA)

Continue on pg4

2OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, April 1, 2014

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News

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (right) at the Bola Tinubu colloquium, being welcome byGovernor Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, Governors Dr. Kayode Fayemi and Ibikunle Amosun at OrientalHotel, Victorial Island, Lagos, recently.

Aregbesola Challenges Nigerian Universities On Job Creation•As UNIOSUN Graduates 1,186 Students

By KEHINDE AYANTUNJI

GOVERNOR of the State of Osun, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola, has said on Saturday that Nigerian universities have not performed to expectations in their

responsibilities of research and innovations to addresspoverty and national development.

Aregbesola argued thatthe Nigerian universitieshave deviated from the pri-mary objective of universityeduction as regards their re-sponsibility to the largersociety.

The governor urged theNigerian universities to re-direct their focus in theiraddress at the third Convo-cation Ceremony of theOsun State University, heldat the Main Campus,Osogbo, State of Osun.

He said if the universitiesscientifically and philo-sophically pursue their ob-jectives, the challenges ofunemployment and abjectpoverty will reduce drasti-

cally in Nigeria.According to him: “Uni-

versity is crucial to the so-ciety to make discoveriesand provide knowledge forthose who are blind to so-cial development; that iswhy universities wereorganised into various divi-sions.

“Unfortunately, it appearsthere are no link betweenour universities and thelarger society, part of theindicator is unemploymentin the land, in a situation likethis, universities are ex-pected to provide alterna-tives through innovationand discovery.”

The governor lamented

that it was sad that employ-ers in Nigeria were rejectingNigerian graduates and em-ploying foreign graduates.

He insisted that universi-ties must produce best stu-dents who will be produc-tive and be of benefit to thesociety which, according tohim, is the philosophy of hisadministration.

“We are committed to

education because it is ourphilosophy to build a newman that will be mentally in-dependent, productive andbe of benefit to the society,”he said.

Earlier in his address, theVice-Chancellor of the uni-versity, Professor BashirAdekunle, said the univer-sity was graduating 1,186students in the third convo-

cation with 20 students withFirst Class, 328, SecondClass Upper and 660 Sec-ond Class Lower.

Mr Oladipo Rasheed ofthe Department of Econom-ics emerged the best gradu-ating student with the cu-mulative GP of 4.73

According to the Vice-Chancellor, as at the end of2013, the university had se-cured accreditation of its 32programmes from the Na-tional University Commis-

sion (NUC) and equally se-cured the approval of new12 undergraduate courses.

Professor Bashir also an-nounced that the universityis about to begin 10 post-graduate programmes whichis under the processing ofthe NUC, adding thatUNIOSUN will also com-mence part-time-programmes to provide op-portunities for those whomay not be able to engagein full time.

Aregbesola Is God’s Gift To Osun - APCCITIZENS of Osun should be grateful to God that they

have an astute economic manager like Ogbeni RaufAregbesola at this critical point in Nigeria when the

PDP-led federal government has run the country almostinsolvent as a result of massive corruption unequalled in itshistory.

According to the APC, in astatement issued by itsDirector of Publicity, Researchand Strategy,Barr. KunleOyatomi, and made available tothe media in Osogbo, lastSunday, “but for the smart,

strategic and disciplinedapproach adopted by the AllProgressives Congress (APC)administration-led by thegovernor, the federalgovernment would havesuccessfully ruined the

economy of the State of Osun,and brought unimaginablehardship and social collapse tothe state in the last ninemonths.”

“Unknown to many people,a deliberate political strategyto strangulate the people ofthis country has been adoptedby the Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP) –led federalgovernment since June lastyear when revenue allocationsto states progressivelydropped by 40 per cent, leavingmany of them stranded andunable to meet theirobligations.

“The State of Osun that hadthe third lowest allocation inthe country would have beenone of the worst hit, but forthe quantum leap Aregbesolahad taken in trying to grow thestate’s economy and improvethe lives of its citizens.

“On the contrary, Osun isriding the crest of the waves ofthe PDP-led federalgovernment imposed economicstrangulation only because theperson at the helm of affairshad the foresight to be prudentin his management of theresources at the disposal of thestate to prepare it for the kindof onslaught that hit Nigeria’srevenue under PDPmismanagement.”

The APC chieftain explainedthat those who are uninformedshould now be told the detailsof what Aregbesola has put inplace in the State of Osun, and

how the PDP has been tryingwithout success to sabotageprogress in the state.

“When Ogbeni assumedoffice in 2010, the total salariespaid to civil servants was aboutN2 billion and for the first threemonths, he had to borrow N1billion each time to pay salariesbecause the PDP left the statealmost bankrupt. Today,however, monthly salaries ofcivil servants have risen to N3.6billion due in part to negotiatedsalary increases across theboard.

“Secondly, owing to thescandalously meagre amountpaid to pensioners by the PDPadministration, OgbeniAregbesola raised the packagealmost four fold from N150million to N600 million.

“Thirdly, about 50 per centmore teachers were added to thewage bills.

“This was made easilypossible at the time whenrevenue allocation from thefederation account to the Stateof Osun was oscillatingbetween N3.9 billion andN4.8bn but since June last year,that amount has dropped by acriminal 40 per cent and thePDP-led federal governmenthas not bothered to offer anexplanation to anybody whysuch strangulation of Osun’seconomy has become a federalproject other than an excuse ofoil theft.

“Osun now gets from thefederal allocation only anaverage N3.2 billion monthly.

“Now, when you contrastthe massive developmentalprogrammes that are on-goingin the state with this revenueshortfall; Osun’s economyshould have collapsed sixmonths ago with seriousdefaults on salaries obligation.“But because Aregbesolaanticipated this disaster, Osunis not owing its workers,” theAPC claimed.

“Not only that, the OYESrecruits, the Agba-Osun socialsecurity initiative, theconstruction of schools, roadsand agricultural infrastructurecontinue in Osun, even if withsome strains. This is a credit toOgbeni Aregbesola’s unusualapproach to governance andresource management.

“In another contrast to whatis happening in Osun, manybetter situated states in thecountry in terms of revenueallocation are in grave economicdistress. Only recently,Bayelsa State has warned itscitizens to prepare for seriousbelt-tightening measures.Benue and Cross River stateshave threatened to cut salariesby 50 per cent. There are morestates in similar distress.

Those who do notappreciate what Aregbesola hasdone and continues to do forthe State of Osun are thievingopposition politicians and theircollaborators who still live inthe wicked illusion thatgovernment is about sharingpublic funds amongst a fewcriminals”, the APC said.

New Osun Has Emerged Under Aregbesola - Bureau•As Architects Understudy Osun’s Urban Renewal Scheme

A combination of modern educational facilities, newnetwork of roads, better structured environmentand empowered citizenry have led to the emergence

of a new Osun under the administration of Ogbeni RaufAregbesola.

This was the conclusionof the Bureau ofCommunications andStrategy, Office of theGovernor, Osogbo, in itsstatament on Sunday.

The Bureau said theentire people of the statehave seen remarkabledifference in the rot inheritedby the currentadministration on November27, 2010 and what the statehas become in terms ofsocial amenities, motivationof the people and above all,restoration of peace.

This was just asArchitects in Nigeria underthe aegis of the NigerianInstitute of Architects(NIA) described Osun’surban renewal programmeas a good template to causepeer-review with otherstates of the federation.

During a meeting with thegovernor at the weekend,the architects said thevarious restructuringstaking place throughout the

state showed that theadministration is poised forthe birth of a new society.

The Bureau, in itsstatement signed by theDirector, Semiu Okanlawon,noted that the completionof, at least, 39 mega schools,completion of almost 800kilometres of roads acrossthe state, creation of betterenvironment for healthierliving, empowerment of thevarious strata of the societyhave created a strong senseof newness in all spheres oflife.

“So, 39 schoolscontaining over 1,700classrooms with modernfacilities have beenconcluded. However, morethan that figure has reachednear completion stages andwould soon be put to useby the pupils for whom theyare targeted.

“If you place that side byside the huge network ofnewly-constructed, inter-city and intra-city roads

already completed, there isno doubt that thisgovernment has created anew Osun which is a sourceof attraction to people.Osun now offers a moreconducive atmosphere forbusiness and pleasure morethan any other time in its 22years of creation.

“As the state with theleast unemployment rating,the highest public schoolenrolment figures in Nigeriaand as the 7th largesteconomy in Nigeria, Osunno doubt has transformedfrom its old self to a modernstate with great potentialsfor more growth.”

Meanwhile, the NigerianInstitute of Architects hassaid it was in the state tounderstudy Osun’s urbanrenewal programme of thegovernment with a view torecommending it to otherparts of Nigeria.

NIA President who wasrepresented by the body’s2nd Vice-President, ArcAdibe Njoku, said: “Theexecutive members andscores of members from allparts of Nigeria and fromdifferent spheres of practice

are here to see, study yoururban developmentinitiative and evolve waysto provide requisitesupports to nurturepragmatic progressivism inthe governance andgenuine innovativeness inthe administration asepitomised by youradministration.

“We do hope to establishsome benchmark to assistother states in peer-review.”

Aregbesola, whileaddressing the body ofarchitects, said Nigeria mustbe rebuilt by professionalslike architects as theresponsibility for the rebirthof the society cannot be thatof political leaders only.

Aregbesola said: “Nigeriamust be re-built byprofessionals like you whoare selfless in thedevelopment of humansociety and humanitybecause political leaderscannot be generalists andtherefore, need all otherprofessionals to developthe nation’s socio-economic sphere.

“We have pandered toomuch on the failure of our

country, but we owe it aduty nevertheless, to try ourutmost best to use ourexpertise to solve theproblems of building andbridge collapse and othersundry issues related to ourindividual professions.

“It’s puzzling though thatNigerian architects have notdeveloped or built on theroofing sheets designed bythe colonial masters, someof which are injurious to ourhealth and otherenvironmental hazards.

“We don’t needuniversity certificate toknow that we are in dangerof health crisis and needmore environment-friendlyroofing material that willsupport our claims to beingpart of a global village thatpreaches environmentalsanity.

“The mentality of ourpeople is so subservientthat we don’t even knowthat we are in danger byusing the present roofingmaterials, and this is wherethe professionals come inwho can distinguishbetween genuine buildingmaterials from fakes”, thegovernor said.

3 News OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, April 1, 2014

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

Dwindling Federal Allocation: Osun Govt ‘ll Not Cut Salaries, WagesTHE Government of the State of Osun has said that it

would not cut back the salaries and wages of thecivil servants in the state, in spite of the dwindling

revenue from the federation account.The government said

though, the persistent dropin the allocation accrued tothe state from the federationaccount was having directeffect on the finance of thestate, but it would notconsider any option thatwould cut down the welfareof the people.

State Commissioner forFinance, Economy andBudget Planning, Dr WaleBolorunduro, stated this onSunday in Osogbo, whileaddressing newsmen on thefinancial status of the state.

Bolorunduro said: “Osunwill not cut down salariesand wages. It is not goingto happen. The promise ofGovernor Rauf Aregbesolawas to reform civil serviceto be better and efficient.The government willcontinue to perform itssocio functions. We willcontinue to fund AgbaOsun, O’Meal, provideschool buses for our schoolchildren and continuerunning the government.

“What we will do is tofurther look for theloopholes that are gulpingour money and block them.We are re-engineering ourfinances and business.What we are witnessing is anational challenge, but wewill not shut downgovernment and welfare ofthe people.

“The government willminimize new projects andcontinue the existing ones,and cut down expenditure.

“We will continue ourdevelopmental projectsbecause economy cannotgrow without infrastructuraldevelopment andinvestment must followphysical infrastructure. Thegovernment will doeverything to keep faith withthe pension payment andthe welfare of the people.

Bolorunduro said despitethe financial crisis facing thecountry and affecting thestate directly, the State ofOsun has been paying thesalary of its workers andalso has no plan to reducesalary of its workers whilecontinuing with the variousdevelopmental projectsacross the state.

According toBolorunduro, the salary billof the state was N1.6bnmonthly when GovernorRauf Aregbesola took theleadership of the state in2010, while the salary billincreased to N2.4bn inNovember 2011, followingthe implementation of theMinimum wage for workers.

The commissionerexplained that the agitationfor the implementation ofrelativity for the workersstarted in January 2012 andthe state governmentimplemented the relativity inMay 2013, therebyincreasing the salary bill ofthe state to N3bn in June2013.

In September 2013,Bolorunduro said the salarybill later increased to N3.3billion as a result of minimum

wage, oil subsidy removal,mass retirement andrelativity, while the revenueof the state was droppingfrom the federation account.

He stated that the stategovernment has beenaugmenting salaries withN1bn on monthly basis fromits savings since July 2013,lamenting that the savingscould not carry the state toDecember 2013.

Bolorunduro explainedthat while the stategovernment receivedN4.8bn after mandatorydeductions in May 2013, theallocation dropped toN2.69bn in July, when themonthly salary bill of thestate has reached N3.6bn.

The commissioner statedthat the shortfall in thestate’s monthly allocationwas currently over 44 percent with a funding gap ofover N1bn monthly.

“There was initial drop ofN500m from the accruablerevenue to the state inMarch 2013. When therevenue started dropping,we thought it was a joke. Theprice of the crude oil wasstable, so we believed thatthere was no reason for theshortfall in our allocations.

“The commissioners offinance in the states workedout because the money onground was not ourexpectation. But thefollowing meeting, theFederal Governmentdeclared that it could notargument the statesallocations again, becausethere is no money to do thatanymore.

“We were told that therevenue from crude oil hasdropped because of theshortfall in the crude oilproduction. We were toldthat some people arestealing the oil andvandalising the pipelinesand thus there is no muchrevenue for the federation”,the commissioner lamented.

Bolorunduro alsolamented the delay in thereceipt of the allocation fromthe federal government,saying that the allocationswere always made in arrearswhich sometimes could beone or two months. .

He said: “Of course, weare all aware that states’allocations from theFederation account aremade in arrears, the usualdelay in receipt of theseallocations, which in mosttimes can be up to one ortwo months .

‘This implies thatmandatory expenditure ofthe state such as security,salaries and overheads ofthe government would beoutstanding until receipt ofallocations.

“Given our desire forgood governance, andborne out of our strategicinitiatives, ouradministration has beenmeeting its numerousobligations by resulting toits past savings andapplication of “ways andmeans” particularly to

finance salary payments atleast twenty five daysbefore receipt of allocations.

“It should not beforgotten that as part of thecurrent government’sresolutions to ensure thatworkers are well motivatedto ensure robustproductivity, prior the endof 2013, the state ensuredpayment of workers’ salarieson 25th of every month.

“Having deployed thissavings to capitalexpenditure, and with aview to save cost, the statehas no option than to waittill some days closer to thereceipt of its allocation fromFederation account beforeprompting the regularspontaneous financing for

the salary obligations.”Speaking on the pension

status of the state, thecommissioner disclosedthat the state’s monthlypension bill was N260m inNovember 2011 butincreased to N600m due tothe mass retirement ofworkers in 2012.

The number of the retireesin the state in November2010, according toBolorunduro, increasedfrom 9,781 to 14, 000, whilethe number of localgovernment retireesincreased from 6,600 to 11,000, in December 2013.

He stressed that theAregbesola administrationmet N4bn pension liabilityin 2010, out of which it has

been able to pay N1.2bn.Osun pension bill,

according to thecommissioner, is higherthan Ogun and Oyo stateswho are earning higherrevenue than Osun.

The commissionerappealed to the people ofthe state to understand thefinancial challenges of thestate and continue theirsupport for the government.

Bolorunduro said:“Despite the fact that Osunranks 34th on the revenueallocation table, and unlikestates that are alreadylooking at the option ofsalary review (such asBalyesa and Bauchi), thestate of Osun has been

paying the salary of itsworkers without fail and alsohas no plan to reduce salaryof its workers whilecontinuing with the variousdevelopmental projectsacross the state.

“Ironically, there is atrend (may be coincidental)that most of the states thatare considering salary cutare PDP-led states.

“I wish to use this mediumto appeal to all the state’sworkers and retirees to bearwith the state governmentin this trying period, as thefinancial challenges are notpeculiar to Osun, even as wecontinue to deploy ourstrategic initiatives to copewith the cash crunch.”

Osun Gov’s Wife Calls For Cooperation InMaintaining Clean Environment

WIFE of the Governor of the State of Osun, MrsSherifat Aregbesola, has called for cooperationand collective action of the people in meeting the

human development goals especially in reducing childmortality, enhancing maternal and women health,sustaining environment and combating malaria.

Mrs Aregbesola who isthe Ambassador,Community-led TotalSanitation (CLTS) said allthese would be greatlyachieved throughmaintenance of clean andsanitary environment.

She spoke on Saturday inIlesa, while taking part in themonthly sanitation exercise,with the intention ofsensitizing the people to bemore alive to theirresponsibility in keepingtheir environment clean at alltime.

The sensitization exercisewhich began at Ilesaroundabout, the centre ofthe ancient town was latertaken to Ilesa-East LocalGovernment Area office atOgburu, Ilesa where thegovernor’s wife addressedthe teaming participants.

Mrs. Aregbesolaacknowledged that, thoughthe people are responding

well to various sanitationexercise in the state, rangingfrom market, office and themonthly exercise, butbelieve that the peopleshould be motivated to domore.

“We should be aware thatthe ultimate benefit of goodhygiene and sanitationattitude among our peoplewill lead to better quality life.This will also enhance oureconomic growth.

“Total sanitation will leadto stopping opendefecation and also ensurethe use of hygienic toilets.Complete sanitation alsodemands that we do notdump solid wasteindiscriminately.

“It also demands that weshould stop throwing refusein drains and gutters. Itdemands that we wash ourhands with soap after usingthe toilets, cleaning forbabies, before and after

eating as well as usingpublic facilities amongothers.

“Available data from theDevelopment Agenciesrevealed that Nigeria is noton track to meeting theMillennium DevelopmentGoals target for sanitationand others. We needcooperation and collectiveaction in meeting the humandevelopment goalsespecially those onreducing child mortality,enhancing maternal andwomen health, sustainingour environment andcombating malaria”, MrsAregbesola reiterated.

The Ambassador forCommunity-led TotalSanitation however chargedthe citizen especiallywomen to be more active inkeeping their environmentclean.

Speaking, the stateCommissioner forEnvironment andSanitation, ProfessorOlubukola Oyawoye,observed that the state isbetter off than whatobtained in the past in termsof environmental sanitation,owing to the efforts of thepresent administration.

While promising thatgovernment will not relentin its efforts to ensure thatthe environment is keptclean and conducive for aliving at all times, the SpecialAdviser to the governor onEnvironment andSanitation, Mr Bola Ilori,warned that governmentwould not pat the violatorsof environmental regulationon the back.

He particularly warnedrefuse collectors who dumpwaste by the road sideinstead of approved dumpsite to desist from the act.

Those who took part inthe exercise include; Leaderof the state House ofAssembly, Hon. TimothyOwoeye; Chairman, HouseCommittee on Environment,Hon. Folarin Fafowora andother members of thecommittee.

Others include; the stateCommissioner forAgriculture, Mr WaleAdedoyin; the ExecutiveSecretary of Ilesa East LocalGovernment, Mr LanreBalogun; the stateTreasurer of the AllProgressives Congress,Chief Kunle Odeyemiamong others.

1,938 Police Officers Promoted In Osun, Oyo, Ondo States

NO fewer than 1,938 Police officers in Osun, Ondoand Oyo states that form Zone 11 of the NigeriaPolice Force have been promoted.

The promotion took off,just as no fewer than 516officers in the State of OsunPolice Command have beenpromoted to different ranksin the Police Force.

The Assistant InspectorGeneral of Police in-chargeof the zone, Mr DavidOmojola, while decoratingthe promoted policemen,said the Inspector-Generalof Police, Mr MohammedAbubakar, has approvedthe promotion of policemenin the three states.

Omojola, who decoratedthe newly-promotedofficers on behalf of the IGPon Monday in Osogbo, thecapital of the State of Osun,said the Police Force wasgoing through serioustransformation.

The AIG urged the newly-promoted officers to defendthe ethics of the Policeprofession and worktowards realising the visionof the IGP for the force.

He also charged thepolice officers in the countryto be disciplined and defend

democracy, stressing theneed for the officers touphold the tenets ofdiscipline andthoroughness in theirduties.

In the Osun PoliceCommand, total of 307officers were promoted toCorporals, 82 to sergeants,67 to Inspectors, 47 toAssistant Superintendentof Police, two to DeputySuperintendent of Police,eight to Superintendent ofPolice, and three to ChiefSuperintendent of Police.

The Commissioner ofPolice in the State of Osun,Mr Ibrahim Maishanu, whodecorated the newly-promoted police officers inthe command charged themto support thetransformation programmesgoing on in the Police Force.

Maishanu alsochallenged the policeofficers to key into thetransformation vision of the

present administration byensuring quick and efficientservice delivery.

He also warned policeofficers in the state to avoidtendencies that could act asblot on the image of thePolice Force.

The police boss alsodisclosed that thepromotion has the approvalof the Inspector General ofPolice, Mr MohammedAbubarkar and the PoliceService Commission (PSC).

“With your promotionand decoration today, theexpectation on you is high.You are therefore, enjoinedto rededicate yourself to theservice of the NigeriaPolice,” he advised.

He also enjoined policeofficers in the state to exhibitgreater intelligence,commitment, discipline andloyalty in the discharge oftheir constitutionalresponsibilities.•ABUBAKAR

4 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, April 1, 2014

A new Osun has emerged under Aregbesola –Burea

described Osun’surban renewalprogramme as a goodtemplate to cause peer-review with other statesof the federation.

During a meeting withthe governor at theweekend, thearchitects said thevarious restructuringstaking placethroughout the stateshowed that theadministration ispoised for the birth ofa new society.

The Bureau, in itsstatement signed bythe Director, SemiuOkanlawon, noted thatthe completion of atleast 39 mega schools,completion of almost800 kilometres of roadsacross the state,creation of betterenvironment forhealthier living,

empowerment of thevarious strata of thesociety have created astrong sense ofnewness in all spheresof life.

“So, 39 schoolscontaining over 1,700classrooms withmodern facilities havebeen concluded.However, more thanthat figure has reachednear completion stagesand would soon be putto use by the pupils forwhom they are targeted.

“If you place that sideby side the hugenetwork of newlyconstructed, inter-cityand intra-city roadsalready completed,there is no doubt thatthis government hascreated a new Osunwhich is a source ofattraction to people.Osun now offers a moreconducive atmospherefor business and

pleasure more than anyother time in its 22 yearsof creation.

“As the state with theleast unemploymentrating, the highest publicschool enrolment figuresin Nigeria and as the 7th

largest economy inNigeria, Osun no doubthas transformed from itsold self to a modern statewith great potentials formore growth.”

Meanwhile, the NigerianInstitute of Architectshas said it was in thestate to understudyOsun’s urban renewalprogramme of thegovernment with a viewto recommending it toother parts of Nigeria.

NIA President who wasrepresented by thebody’s 2nd Vicepresident, Arc AdibeNjoku said, “TheExecutive members andscores of members from

all parts of Nigeria andfrom different spheres ofpractice are here to see,study your urbandevelopment initiativeand evolve ways toprovide requisitesupports to nurturepragmatic progressivismin the governance andgenuine innovativenessin the Administration asepitomised by yourAdministration.

“We do hope to establishsome benchmark to assistother state’s in peer-review.”

Aregbesola, whileaddressing the body ofarchitects, said Nigeriamust be rebuilt byprofessionals likearchitects as theresponsibility for therebirth of the societycannot be that of politicalleaders only.

Aregbesola said,“Nigeria must be re-builtby professionals like you

Caution Over Political Decampees

NOW that thepolitical additionsand subtractions

are ongoing, the politicalparties I am certain wouldbe smiling considering thenumber of political soulscrossing the divided lines.

While politics is greatlyregarded as a game ofnumbers, great care mustbe taken because numbersor statistics at times can bedeceptive as we haveclearly seen in the case ofNigeria where what is onthe book is quite differentfrom what is obtainable onground.

That is exactly the truthand this is a warningbecause there are manyfactors behind thedecisions of people todecamp from a politicalparty and camp withanother.

Mostly, what obtains inNigeria is the fact thatsome of these decampeesare coming from the otherpolitical folds with loadsand loads of frustrationsand they earnestly desire to

remain relevant and notbecause of any ideologicalleaning or clear-cutpolitical programme.

This is where thepolitical parties especiallythe All ProgressiveCongress (APC) shouldtake note.

Not all politicianspitching tents with the APCare indeed progressive and

have any ideology toperpetuate. All they do isjust to swell the ranks ofthe APC and end upconfusing things.

Remember the popularsaying, “too many cooksspoil the broth” and doeffective screeningsbefore admitting anypolitician coming inespecially from the

drowning PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP)which ‘big’ umbrella isleaking seriously.

Some of them havebeen sent on covertmissions and with time,their political espionagemission would unfolditself.

Take for example, therecent decamping of

former governors IbrahimShekarau and AttahiruBafarawa of Kano andSokoto states respectively.

Though every humanhas a right to choose butonly God knows theirreasons for leaving theparty they helped nurtureand conceive.

The reason is not farfetched as both still want

to remain relevant in thepolitics of their respectivestates and also becausethey perceived the APC isromancing with theincumbent governors attheir own politicalexpense.

These are just tworecent examples but mytake is that the APC shouldbe careful. It’s good toaccept all political orphansinto the fold but it must bedone with tact and not justto offer them juicy postsand electoral endorsementsso as not to also offendthose that have been thereand have sacrificed all forthe survival of the APC.

They should pass the‘house style’ inhouse testsand with time, we wuillfind out that those whodon’t have the love of theparty at heart would findtheir way back fromwhence they came.

Time will tell!

• I P O O L AOYEDOTUN, Akinlalu,State of Osun.

OSUN DEFENDERPublisher – Moremi Publishing

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

We don’t needuniversity certificateto know that we are indanger of healthcrisis and need moreenvironment friendlyroofing material thatwill support ourclaims to being partof a global villagethat preachesenvironmental sanity.

“The mentality of ourpeople is sosubservient that wedon’t even know thatwe are in danger byusing the presentroofing materials, andthis is where theprofessionals come inwho can distinguishbetween genuinebuilding materialsfrom fakes”, thegovernor said.

who are selfless in thedevelopment of humansociety and humanitybecause political leaderscannot be generalists andtherefore need all otherprofessionals to developthe nation’s socio-economic sphere.

“We have pandered toomuch on the failure of ourcountry, but we owe it aduty nevertheless, to tryour utmost best to use ourexpertise to solve theproblems of building andbridge collapse and othersundry issues related toour individualprofessions.

“It’s puzzling though thatNigeria Architects havenot developed or build onthe roofing sheetsdesigned by the colonialmasters, some of whichare injurious to our healthand other environmentalhazards.

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RenaissanceOSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Humanizing Education Through ReclassificationIn the State of Osun, South West Geopolitical Zone of Nigeria, the general overhaul

of the various sectors of life in recent times calls for commendation. The educationsub-sector of the Social Services Sector, as a starting point, deserves our attention.Here, the entrenchment of the Omoluabi philosophy is currently being accorded itsrightful anchorage and foothold. This glad trend of events has been on the trail ofother intervention efforts earlier instituted by the Rauf Aregbesola administration.Glaring as these efforts are, cynics, detractors and unrepentant critics are still in thebusiness of running the administration down; in clear preference for the old oddsituation! In this series of exposition, NIYI OLASINDE chronicles the so far, sogood of the journey into good governance; typified as "Government Unusual".

THE OMOLUABI CONCEPT IN THE STATE OF OSUN

•O’CALISTHENICS, ONE OF THE INTEGRAL TENNETS OF THE OMOLUABI CONCEPT:A cross section of participants displaying calisthenics of ‘RAUF REVOLUTION’and ‘OSUN A DARA’ during the Oodua Children’s Day celebration at Osogbo City Stadium in May last year. Inset: (L-R) The Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade; the governor,State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; his wife, Sherifat and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, on the occasion.

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•BOLD STEP IN THE DIRECTION OF SCHOOLS’ RECLASSIFICATION: The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (arrowed), addressing his numerous admirersduring his official commissioning of Baptist Central Elementary School, Ilare, Ile-Ife, State of Osun, recently.

ASIDE the free, functional and qualitativeeducation programme of the incumbentadministration in the State of Osun under the

leadership of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola; thereare numerous other mutually reconstructive, integrativeprogrammes, policies and packages that are not onlyin tandem with, but also complementary to theorientation and philosophy of Omoluabi which hasformed the core value and bent of the overall exertionsof the administration. In all its programmes and policiesas well as the execution of all projects, theadministration has so far been guided by fairness,justice, equity and fair-play; giving unto all strata andgroups across the state as much as is reasonablyrequired, in relation to what is desired within rationallimits and within the affordable reach of availablemeans. This is done with profound magnanimity; evenin the face of dwindling monthly revenue allocationfrom the Federation Accounts. Today, honest analystsand unbiased observers would agree with OSUNDEFENDER Magazine that this administration hasno equal among the ones that had come in earlier yearsin terms of contribution to the life of the state and thewell-being of its residents in all ramifications. Theimmediate past administration, taken as case study onlyextorted from and sapped the economy of the statebeyond the marrow, such that by the time the knellwas sounded for its inglorious exit, the state had almostbeen dragged into an absolute state of insolvency. Thecase and fate of the state was as terrible as that! It istherefore shameful, disappointing and pitiful to hearinsinuations peddled here and there; time and again bymembers of the leading opposition in the state: thePeoples Democratic Party (PDP) attempting todenigrate the giant strides of the Rauf Aregbesolaadministration and the tangible, visible and all-encompassing achievements which are so glaring thatthey cannot be controverted. In pragmatic terms, theState of Osun has in the past three-and-a-half yearsshed off its old image. The state has acquired newname, new status, and new destiny – all to the extentthat her fortunes have changed for the better! Thisdevelopment came as fulfillment to the predictions wemade at the beginning of the launch of the newunderlying philosophy in year 2011. During that timeunder reference, OSUN DEFENDER Magazinepostulated that the state’s acquisition of new name,sobriquet, logo / coat of arms, flag, anthem and all the

rest transcended mere name-calling and or othersuperficial underpinnings. We predicted at that earlystage that the names and other symbolicrepresentations would speedily begin to speak aloudfor the state; such that it would sooner than later betransformed into the envy of all other states around,both in Nigeria and yonder. We are glad today. Wecan stand tall and beat our chest that Osun is well oncourse to reaching the Canaan of her dreams.

The promise to the effect of transforming the stateinto conforming to the old ethos, values and orientationof our forebears was first rolled out in the policystatement of the candidate for the Action Congress(AC) of the time. In his blueprint on his proposedprogrammes and policies, titled “My Pact With thePeople of Osun State”, Engineer Rauf Aregbesolamade it categorically clear that he would effect overalltransformation in the entire spheres of life of the state.To detractors and critics of all sorts, those promisesappeared too good to be made true. Even upon thedelivery of nearly all of these promises, these detractorsstill find it a hard pi;; to swallow – coming to termswith the astounding realities on ground within the shortspan of time the administration has spent in office.

As early as February 2011, the rebranding processfor the state had been in full swing. With thisrebranding, the state shed its old name “Osun State”for “the State of Osun”. The state also took newanthem, coat of arms, colours and flag. Above all, thesobriquet of the state, which had hitherto been “theState of the Living Spring”, changed to “the State ofthe Virtuous”, translated in Yoruba to mean “IpinleOmoluabi”. It is the whole range of issues, connotationand impact of this concept of Omoluabi that we shalltake this series to unravel. We now start with runningthe background of events as they were met on groundby the incumbent administration upon its assumptionof office.

The State of Osun that we know today has a longand eventful antecedent. Its recent experience, exploitsand achievements have been the most impressive andsignificant since its coming into being – even since itsexistence in the various forms it had been known priorto its statehood. It is the whole truth when it is assertedthat the state has never had it as good as it is faringthese days. Since its creation on Thursday, August 271991, the State of Osun, amply located in the SouthWest geopolitical zone of the Federal Republic ofNigeria has had its own fair share of the good, the bad

and the ugly. Up till November 2010, the state hadbeen witnessing stunted growth owing to the misfortuneof bad, purposeless leadership. It is true that a newstate has to undergo some years of planneddevelopmental phases, yet in the case of the infantState of Osun, it was hardly offered the opportunity ofmaking a headstart with meaningful phases ofdevelopment. Safe for the period of time between May1999 and May 2003 when the state came under theprogressive governance of the Alliance for Democracy(AD), under the able leadership of Chief Bisi Akande,it had been having a wobbling movement that couldnot be rightly termed a forward march.

The time of creation of the state was the militaryera of General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, withColonel Leo Segun Ajiborisa (rtd.) as the first MilitaryAdministrator. The democratization process started bythe Babangida administration saw to the emergenceof Alhaji Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke in the saddle ofleadership in the state. But that administration couldscarcely afford the state the desired pace of progressit desired or deserved. The military interregnumbetween 1993 and 1999 brought it under the rulershipof several military administrators – Colonel AnthonyUdofia; Colonel Anthony Obi; and Colonel TheophilusBamigboye took their turns to govern the state beforethe return to civil rule of 1999. As at the start of thereturn to civil rule in 1999, the state appeared to bebattling vigorously with existence and survival. Ifanything, it had not been offered the best kind ofgovernance required and requisite for its surge to itsplace of prominence among the comity of states. Theemergence of the Alliance for Democracy (AD)-ledadministration of Chief Bisi Akande in 1999 came asa soothing relief; and the administration did make aproper start in the direction of making the state a modelof excellence. But the administration did not last! Theseizure of the South West by the conservative People’sDemocratic Party (PDP) in the 2003 polls in the nameof aligning the zone with the government at the centreappeared and did eventually prove to have nailed thecoffin for the young state. With the coming on boardof Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as the state’shelmsman, the stage was set for another round ofretrogression. As it eventually proved, virtually allsectors of life in the state went through the valley ofthe shadow of death and extinction.

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•AREGBESOLA: Governor, State of Osun •LAOYE-TOMORI: Deputy Governor and Commissioner for Education

Before now, OSUN DEFENDER Magazine hadnever been mute to conveying the true picture ofsituations as they unfold. It had been part and parcelof our creed, since the tome of the struggle for thereclamation of the stolen collective mandate of ourpeople to always bring to focus the multiple damageswith which the state was inflicted and afflicted underthat inglorious administration – the administration ofBrigadier-General Olagunsoye Oyinlola. The damagesare beyond what could be reduced to writing or whatseries of editions of our Magazine editions couldaccurately approximate. What we can do; and thatwe have resolved to do; given the limitations imposedby the space at our disposal is to conduct a broadoverview of the numerous damages inflicted on ourstate, its sectors of life, its infrastructure, its peopleand their entire living conditions; in terms of their extentand intensity. As we have always emphasized, theextent and gravity of the dastardly damages are of solarge a magnitude that ordinarily, they could haverequired an upward of half-decade to remedy. But thankgoodness! God has been so merciful and benevolentto us that He provided a way out of our numerouschallenges. Fortune has smiled on us; such that today,like a piece raw precious jewel which has passedthrough the test of fire, we are emerging purer, morebeautiful and more dignified. Thank God for giving usthe privilege of progressive governance providedthrough the auspices of the All Progressive Congress(APC)-led administration of Ogbeni Rauf AdesojiAregbesola. Today, we can proudly stand tall and beatour chest to sing praises and adoration to God Almighty,as we have clearly never had it so good.

Since the focus of this series of editions is on theEducation sub-sector of the Social Services Sector ofour state’s economy; we shall concentrate greaterfocus to issues and events bordering on the educationindustry, most especially, as they touch on the public(government-owned) institutions at all levels, vis-à-visthe Schools’ Reclassification cum the Omoluabiconcept. Expectedly, the reforms and reclassificationwhich we take these editions to celebrate affect thepublic schools most directly. The effects they have onthe private counterparts as partners-in-progress arespill-over. We shall begin to point these specific effectsout in the fullness of time. But before we proceed, weintend to refer our readers to the specific portions ofthe pact which the Governor made with his people,the virtuous people of the State of the Virtuous, wayback 2005. These promises rolled out were containedin the Six-Point Integral Action Plan of Mr. Governor.Relevant portions of the plan which have direct bearing

on education are here recapped:“My mission and ambition are to restore to the

people, a state of peace, opportunity, for progressand room for the pursuit of prosperity in our timeunder a people friendly government.

I give you Six-Point Integral Action plan, to theintent that they constitute my actions of faithconcerning which I want to be held accountableat any time during my stewardship.

SIX POINT INTEGRAL ACTION PLAN· Banish Poverty· Banish Hunger· Banish Unemployment (Create Work/

Wealth)· Restore Healthy Living· Promote Functional Education· Enhance Communal Peace and Progress”Further in the line of drawing specific reference,

we have the following:CIVIL SERVICE REFORMS

“There is the need for a civil service reform thatwill not lead to any loss of jobs as I Rauf Aregbesolado not believe in laying people off in the name ofreforms.

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

Bonuses, incentives and regular awards shall beinstituted to promote a culture of excellence in thecivil service along with the prompt payment ofsalaries, allowances, leave bonuses and year endperformance bonuses.

Promotions and comprehensive salary reviewsand increases shall be regular.

Internal and external training, work exchangeprogrammes and overseas training shall be activelyreinstituted for comprehensive human developmentin the civil service.

New Tutor General/Permanent Secretary Cadreshall be created for Teachers in new educationdistricts for better school administration.

We shall institute Home Ownership Schemefor public servants and also support and encouragetheir backyard food production business ventures.

We shall do a comprehensive review of civilservice names and conventions as part of ourefforts to create a people- friendly civil service.

Appropriate nomenclature will enhanceaccountability and promote public access to theservices of the ministry. A citizen with a complaintof blockage of drainage will find a Ministry ofRoads and Drainages easier to identify with than

Ministry of Works, a Ministry of Human Resourcesand Development will more appropriatelycommunicate its services than a Ministry ofEstablishment.”

WE now swing to the Education sub-heading of thePact, which we quote as follows

PROMOTE FUNCTIONAL EDUCATIONVision: Eradicate the frustration of youths caused

by education that does not lead to employment.“To achieve this, the government of AC under

Rauf Aregbesola shall:· Provide free education at all levels in Osun

State. Focus on functional education. Educationthat makes one useful to himself and society.

· Improve incentives to teachers and workwith the NUT to restore the dignity of the teachingprofession.

· Restructure administration of schoolmanagement and create Tutors-General(Permanent Secretary Cadre) from among HeadTeachers in three Educational Districts which wewill establish.\

· Fix all collapsed educationalinfrastructures in all the schools.

· Support with modern teaching aids andwell-stocked libraries.

· Ensure cooperation with parents andteachers to improve discipline and morality.

· Introduce non-partisan community-basedgoverning boards for all schools.

· Reduce number of students per classroomimmediately.

· Introduce home development plans forteachers who wish to build houses in their hometowns, through access to special mortgagepackages.

· Promote mass adult literacy and numeracyprogrammes.

· Promote and support Special programmesthat give special attention to education of girls andwomen.

· Establish institutions that impart life-longskills for all, in and out of formal schooling.

ON HIGHER EDUCATION ANDUNIVERSITY

· I am committed to ensuring that an OsunState University takes off on a sound footing andbecomes a first-class institution with linkages torenowned universities in the developed world.

· I will make every tertiary institution in OsunState an independent degree-awarding one.

8 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, April 1, 2014 PHOTOTALK

At The Third Convocation For The Conferment Of First Degrees And Award OfPrizes At Osun State University, Osogbo, Last Saturday.

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (middle); Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council of the University, Professor Gabriel Adesiyan Olawoyin (2nd left) andVice-Chancellor, Professor Adekunle Bashiru (right) during the 3rd Convocation for the Conferment of First Degrees and Award of Prizes at Osun State University, Osogbo, lastSaturday

•Governor Aregbesola; Professor Olawoyin; Professor Adebisi Balogun and Professor Bashiru at the event

9 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, April 1, 2014PHOTOTALK

•Ogbeni Aregbesola (middle); Professor Olawoyin (middle) and Professor, Balogun (left) during the 3rd Convocation for the Conferment of First Degrees and Award of Prizes atOsun State University, Osogbo, last Saturday.

•Governor Aregbesola (right) and former PDP South-West Vice Chairman, Alhaji Tajudeen Oladipo on the occasion.

•Wife of the Governor, State of Osun, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola (holding shovel right);state Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Professor Olubukola Oyawoye(with broom) and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment and Sanitation,Mr Bola Ilori (holding shovel left) while participating in the monthly environmentalsanitation in Ilesa last Saturday.

At The Third Convocation For The Conferment Of First Degrees And Award OfPrizes At Osun State University, Osogbo, Last Saturday.

•Mrs Aregbesola (2nd left); Professor Oyawoye (2nd right) and the Iyaloja of the Stateof Osun, Alhaja Awawu Asindemade, during the environmental sanitation exercise.

Wife Of The Governor, State Of Osun, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola, At MonthlyEnvironmental Sanitation In Ilesa Last Saturday.

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· Encourage use of services of retired, butnot tired dons and administrators, from reputableinstitutions.”

The promises contained in this pact were made inswift and timely response to a situation which was inevery way far from good and positive. The spate ofdecay, rot, abandonment, devastation and neglect whichcharacterized the dark era under reference isindescribably huge. So huge that if we devote time toits description, space will rob us more interesting taskof documenting the numerous achievements of thegovernment of the day: the Government Unusual ofOgbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola. However, we shallnot fail in our duty to succinctly paint the picture ofwhat things looked like exactly at the time of changein baton of leadership on Saturday, November 27, 2010.

WE challenge our numerous readers to casttheir minds back to the old glorious era wheneducation was the pride of the South-West

geopolitical zone of the federation called Nigeria. It isthe genuine and well-directed activities and concertedefforts of our forebears, our illustrious ancestors thatearned us the topmost ranking of the most educationallyadvanced region of the country. Then, at that time,parents committed fortunes of their hard-earnedresources to get the best quality education for theirwards. And the quality was greatly assured; in all itsramifications. The teachers, textbooks, notebooks,instructional materials and reaching aids andinfrastructure – all were present in adequate quantityand quality. As we found it, so we fondly remember it!The teacher-training programmes of those days weresimply superb. Though the syllabuses and curricula ofthose olden times later came under serious criticismsas being alien in nature, bookish and cumbersome intheir contents and colonial (imperialist) in their thrust,aims and goals; they are today proven as not onlyadequate but also complete in producing the total man,well educated and morally well-shaped. The teaching-learning environment was conducive and well-enablingfor aiding effective learning. In the classrooms, theteacher-pupil ratio was properly planned. The out-of-class environment was friendly, well-kempt andbeautiful. The person of the teacher and that of thepupil was given priority in terms of decency in dressing,appearance, neatness and personal hygiene. It wasindeed a glorious era.

The essence of tracing this background shall soon

come to fore when we begin to underscore thedevastation we witnessed in the years of decay. Duringthe Oyinlola years, it was claimed that the kind ofeducation provided was free, qualitative and functional.But what operated in actuality and its product negatedand falsified this claim. Education was claimed to befree; yet parents were made to pay exorbitantly for itthrough their noses! It was claimed to be qualitative;yet what was being paid exorbitantly for wassubstandard and offered disservice to its products, theirparents and the entire society. At the end of the day,none of the parties went scot-free. A case of addingsalt to injury! Our school environment became grosslyunkempt and untidy. We were never tired of exposingthese odd situations at all levels of education in thestate. Students and pupils were made to take farmimplements to school almost on session-by-sessionbasis; while actually no meaningful farming or clearingactivities took place in schools.

Anyone who is in doubt of the true situation of publicschools’ infrastructure is advised to approach theoffices of the State of Osun Schools’ InfrastructureDevelopment Committee (O’ SCHOOLS); as it wasthe committee that collated the statistics of haphazardstructures in public schools as part of its very first setof assignments upon inauguration. But we shall do ourown bit of duty in reminding readers of the true stateof infrastructure inherited from the oustedadministration in the state. The condition ofinfrastructure in schools was horrible, distasteful andterrible. Most school buildings, legacies of the earlierbetter eras were dilapidated due to a combination ofold age and poor maintenance culture. What becameof the annual running grants of the time could not befar-fetched. It was a downward extension of the depthof corruption, subterfuge and profligacy perpetratedat the peak of leadership in the state. We alsoremember that the schools that were initially outcomeof community or missionary (Christian and Muslim)efforts had been taken over by government right fromthe 1970s; say precisely, September, 1975.. Thisdevelopment, which was initially well-intentioned,became a misfortune due to the fact that governancebecame profane, desecrated and ridiculed. The just-concluded series of OSUN DEFENDER Magazineedition featured many picture slots of dilapidatedstructures which were then ugly features of ourschools. Most of the school structures which theOyinlola administration bragged to have provided, andwhich execution and official commissioning gulped

huge amount of money; with official commissioningdone with fanfare, pomp and pageantry, turned out tobe death traps. No sooner were they completed thanthey started giving the most dangerous signs ofimminent collapse. Remember the haphazardlyexecuted structure on the campus of the Osun StateCollege of Education, Ilesa. The project was expectedto be a lecture theatre, designed and constructed tohouse several tens of students at a go. What a masskiller those trap would have proven in the hands of theritualistic, sit-tight power-hungry elements that heldsway of those days! It took the perpetual vigilance ofour eagle-eyed reporters and the ever-resilient andirrepressible nature of Great Nigerian Students to effecttimely identification of impending doom; and thatforestalled the doom; saving the lives of our teemingpromising youths (the greater tomorrows) thereby.

The main intent of the sacked People’s DemocraticParty (PDP) power hijackers in the state was to gettheir members, admirers, supporters, boot-lickers andcronies inordinately enriched. That fact could be themost reasonable and rationally justifiable reason whya government that prided itself as Ore Ara Ilu (People-Friendly Government) should defy all procedures andtenet of due process in the award of most of itscontracts. That was why a carpenter’s job was beingawarded to a plumber! In most cases, the lion’s shareof the contract sum would have gone into the coffersof party stalwarts and other functionaries of theadministration as settlement sums as kickbacks andpercentages. The ensuing effect was that theremaining sum could not meaningfully fund the projectthrough its various stages of execution withouttampering adversely with the project quality.

The situation with school furniture was pathetic,horrible and saddening. Furniture for both teachers andstudents were in sorry state; and in most cases, theywere simply not just there! What business do teachersand pupils have to conduct in a school where seatsare missing? As a result, parents were made to bearwith utmost discomfort the burden of providing chairs,desks and lockers for their wards; if je must benefitfrom the strange, erratic brand of free, qualitative andfunctional education of that time. In addition to thisextra burden, various forms of unaccountable feeswere indiscriminately introduced at will either centrallyby the government or internally by the respectiveschool administrators. This was why at the veryinception of the incumbent administration; one of its

•PROMOTING THE ETHOS OF OMOLUABI THROUGH MASSIVE YOUTH EMPOWERMENT: The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (with fez cap), leadingthousands of OYES cadets in the endurance trek. With him are his deputy, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori (right) and other dignitaries sometime ago.

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•Oyeduntan: O’School Chairman•KOLABALOGUN: Social Welfare, Youth Sports andSpecial Needs•AWOFISAYO: SUBEB Board Chairman

very first steps was to stop the imposition of all formsof levy on students in the state. We also wish to recallthat school fees regime at both secondary and tertiarylevels in the state as of then was exorbitant to theextent that education wa far-becoming unaffordablefor the poor and the average. Even the rich wascompelled to create preference for private schools,due to simple cost analysis couples with other factorshinging on quality decline and such others afore-mentioned.

The issue of quality of instruction cannot be jettisonedsimply with the wave of the hand by any serious-minded government. But that was simply what theOyinlola administration did. By the time he was throughwith his mission of plundering, practically all publicschools in the state had become understaffed. Withoutthe intention to cast aspersion on anyone, it is placedon record that the quality of teachers selected intopublic primary and secondary schools in those daysthrough the various recruitment and selection exercisescould not be guaranteed; and the consistently poorresults of instruction on yearly basis, coupled with theabysmally low indices of performances of thecandidates of the state’s origin in public examinationswere clear indications to it that something was terriblywrong with quality of instruction. In most cases,teaching was seen not as a vital social serviceinfrastructure under the ousted administration. It wasconsidered as the dumping ground for all categoriesof scholarship-bankrupt and academic liabilities; so farthey could avow their loyalty to the ruling party or paythe price for the job slot or both. In a nutshell, therecruitment selection exercises of that era were marredwith gross misconduct and irregularities. They werefraught with scams of malpractices. No doubt, allclasses of lower academic qualifications could be foundon the teaching roll of every public school at all levels.All manners of unacceptable standard of managingquality education were the order of the day. It was notthe concern of that administration to prepare thesociety’s youth adequately for bracing up competentlywith the increasing challenges of the ever-dynamiccontemporary world.

We have once clarified that the degree of differencebetween Oyinlola and Aregbesola; their mission ingovernance, their motives, drive, mindset and attitudeto genuine people-oriented service cannot match, sincethe latter possesses doses of these attributes in largermagnitude than the former. We also have reflectedthat in the opinion of the former, education should bemade the exclusive preserve of the rich, the high andthe mighty. Oyinlola made this declaration loud andclear during one episode of his monthly audience-participation propaganda programme, entitled

Gbagede Oro. In his response to a particular questionbordering on the high school fees regime introducedby his administration, Oyinlola pronounced thatwhoever demands quality education for his ward mustbe prepared to spend exorbitantly. He corroboratedthis stand with a popular Yoruba proverb that runs:“Obe t’o dun; owo l’o pa a”, meaning, sumptuousstew requires lavish spending. To Aregbesola, educationshould be genuinely free for all without any blinkers,discrimination or deprivation; such that its free naturemust not tamper adversely with its functionality andits quality. To Oyinlola, public schools, of which hewas all along a beneficiary should be killed outright; orrather should have their doors shut forever for all hecares! This adamant position came out during anotherin the long list of episodes of the programme referredto above. In his response to whether teachers wagedemand should not be met to forestall an impendingindustrial action and its attendant problems; Oyinlolashrugged in defiance and blatantly told then teachersto proceed on strike, so far they did not forget to lockup doors of the schools and get the door keys submittedto appropriate quarters and offices! In his own vein,Aregbesola views education at the public schools as acherished legacy that must be jealously preserved andprofoundly enriched. To this man of action, his positionas the incumbent helmsman of the state places uponhis shoulders the onerous responsibility of beingproprietor to all public schools in the state. Whilewishing proprietors of privately-owned institutions well,he made it boldly clear that he would not hold backany means at his disposal and that of the state torekindle the dwindling fortunes of public schools in thestate, so that together with their private counterpartsthey shall function and cooperate to revive and revampthe lost glory of the education sector in the State ofOsun in particular, and Nigeria as a whole. So it is awhole lot of difference, hinged on attitude anddisposition; coupled with the afore-mentionedcomponents of mission in governance, motives, drive,mindset and attitude!

Our next point of duty is giving priority considerationto the environment in which teaching-learning activitiestook place. The environment is here considered interms of its suitability, befitting status,, sanitation andhygiene. This vital sub-sector is of high essence iflasting health and well-being are desirable anywhere.This is because a healthy mind resides in a healthybody, which is in turn domiciled in a clean, healthyenvironment. In the past, Osun was a victim of a grosslydegraded environment; with incidents of pollution andindiscriminate refuse disposal being very rampant. Thisugly situation by extension, took its tolls on our publicschools. We cast our minds back to the ugly sights ofthe past, the perennial flooding and erosion that

threatened the residents of the state with extinctionand the undulating terrains which our roads had beenturned into. We remember in particular the flood ofJuly7, 2010; which inflicted serious damages ofincalculable value on people in Osogbo and other partsof the state; and in which many lives and inestimableproperty perished. We remember similar incidentswhich occurred in earlier years during the time of theimmediate past administration. We remember thoseterrible stenches occasioned by huge refuse heapswhich dotted our streets; even within the metropolisof Osogbo, the state capital. We remember thepollution that continuously characterized the adjoiningcommunities to the State Hospital, Asubiaro; wheremortuary pollution nearly made the people prone toattendant dangers of epidemics. We remember howcarcasses of animals and even corpses of lunaticssimply littered the streets and were watched tocomplete processes of decomposition there withoutproper disposal or burial, thereby threatening the healthand good living of the people. The list is long indeed!

Specifically in reference to the decay in the publiceducation sub-sector, we remind readers of how ourschools were turned into refuse-dumping grounds andpublic toilets. It is only recently that the administrationof Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is turning things aroundpositively for our public schools and for the prospectsof their pupils and students. The nefarious activities ofhemp smokers, hoodlums and criminally inclinedmiscreants who used our public school buildings ashideouts thrived under the close watch and supervisionof that ousted administration. As a matter of fact, theGovernment of the State of Osun of today still has thebig task of combating hooliganism and gangsterismamong students. In today’s State of Osun, there areconfirmed incidences of pockets of violence andmayhem, obviously orchestrated by the captors ofyesteryears – the brood of “do or die politicians” inthe drowning People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Today, the Aregbesola administration has made allthese ugly sights and smells a banished outcast that noone dare harbor in our midst. Right from the inceptionof his administration, Aregbesola took the bull by thehorns when he declared a 90-day emergency onenvironmental sanitation. He took the decisive step ofintroducing bi-monthly and weekly environmentalsanitation exercises as the case may be to executerapid transformation of our towns and cities into decentplaces of abode for healthy individuals, and to sustainthe culture of cleanliness, which, according to sages,is next to Godliness. Today, sanitation and safe healthpractices have so much become internalized in the livesof our people that clean environment has become theircreed. What this implies is that people now troop out

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Continued from page 11

•BEFITTING LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR YOUNG OMOLUABIS: An aerial view of Baptist Elementary Central School, Ilare, Ile-Ife, State of Osun, recently commissionedby Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

en masse to observe sanitationwillingly without being coerced orinstigated. People now abide by simplelaws of decent refuse disposal, a feathitherto considered unrealizable bypessimists! By extension, this innovationhas worked wonders in our schools. Atthe appropriate segment of this write up,specific references shall be drawn to theimpact of the sanitation / hygiene driveof the incumbent administration on ourpublic schools system. For now, let usdwell a little on the events, activities anddevelopments which served asantecedents to the ongoing redesigning,reorganization and reclassificationexercise; which we roll out this seriesto laud and celebrate.

THE recent efforts of theincumbent administration in theState of Osun at bringing back the

long-lost pride and glory in the Educationsub-sector, especially in the publicdomain now attracts our attention. Theefforts of the administration, which kick-started with the introduction of free,functional and qualitative education uponthe ascension of the administration barelythree years ago, had metamorphosedinto the introduction of free schooluniforms to pupils and students at alllevels up to Senior Secondary three, freeschool feeding programme for pupils upto Primary Four in the elementary rungof the school ladder under the State ofOsun Schools Free Feeding and HealthProgramme (O’ Meals) and hadculminated into capital intensiveprogrammes such as the State of OsunSchools Infrastructure DevelopmentProgramme (O’ SCHOOLS) and theintroduction of the broad-based jet-ageinstructional support package, the Tabletof Knowledge, known in our tongue asOpon Imo. This is not to talk of otherprogrammes like the Osun SchoolsCalisthenics and the drastic increase inthe subvention and grants to our schools.Also in addition are the massiverecruitment and selection / placementof qualified, competent and experienced

teachers into the system.All the foregoing are undoubtedly

laudable pluses for any administrationanywhere, especially in the face of thepresent spate of rot and decay witnessedin the sub-sector in this part of the globe.The most recent of all is the ongoingschools reclassification programme. Forits relentless auspicious and invaluableefforts, the Government Unusual ofOgbeni Rauf Aregbesola has becomethe envy of other states, especially theadjoining ones from which battalions ofstudents cross daily to reap the benefitsof good, sound academic and moralinstruction.

In spite of all these innovativeintervention efforts which have so farimpacted positive turnaround in theterrain of public education in the state,there still subsists a reasonably largecross section of people and residents,who are yet to see, recognize orappreciate the good works of theadministration in the afore-mentionedregards. Most unjustly and ingratuitiouslycriticized of all these laudableprogrammes is the reclassificationprogramme, which classifies our schoolsinto Elementary, Middle and Highschools. Concerning this policy, mypersonal take is that even in the highestheavens, the first law is order. Theclassification of schools as such is evenin order with the reclassification earliercarried out by the Federal Governmentunder the auspices of the FederalMinistry of Education, the UniversalBasic Education Commission (UBEC),the State Universal Basic EducationBoard (SUBEB) and other stakeholders.

Under the Federal Governmentreclassification, modifications were doneto the 6-3-3-4 system of education whichwas introduced in 1987/88 academicsession throughout the federation. Theearlier modalities comprised for eachchild, six years of primary education(between the ages 6 and 11); three yearsof junior secondary education (ages 11to 14); three years of senior secondaryeducation (ages 14 to 17); and four yearsof tertiary education. In the schemapresented above, the double three in

between covers the whole range of thestudent’s secondary school careerspanning six good years in all.

In the reclassification of thegovernment at the centre, introduced in2001/2002; and which hardly ever wentbeyond the demonstration stage, the sixyears of primary/elementary educationand the first three years of secondaryeducation, called the junior secondaryschool years in the 6-3-3-4 system werejoined together to form an expansiveperiod of nine-year basic education;while the remaining three years ofsecondary education – the seniorsecondary years stand apart.

As it proved, the Universal BasicEducation (UBE) programme presenteda farce at the end of the day. The stageat which the incumbent administrationmet the public institutions of educationin the state was such that barely was upto 5 per cent of our secondary schoolleavers matriculable into any institutionof higher learning. The performances ofcandidates of the state at publicexaminations; be it those of the WestAfrican Examinations Council (WAEC),the National Examinations Council(NECO) and the Joint Admission andMatriculations Board (JAMB) recordedbelow 2 per cent of credit passes in fivesubjects, with the inclusion of Englishand Mathematics. The situation was soterrible and abysmal that the state’sranking among the comity of states andthe Federal Capital Territory (FCT)numbering thirty seven in all was that ofa laggard. The state took the backwardposition in the thirties!

Now that the Government Unusual ofOgbeni Aregbesola has in its wisdomresolved to fin lasting panacea to alllingering issues which had hithertoplagued the sub-sector, it would not onlybe wise and appropriate; but alsocomplementary and supportive to giveit free hand to approach the hydra-headed albatross confronting theindustry head-on. In the newclassification, the naming of educationstages as Elementary, Middle and Highschools is not entirely new. What couldbe new are the positive approaches andstrategies; and these are necessarily so.

In the new classification, the first sixyears of early education of the child,called the Elementary stage, compriseschildren of ages spanning between 6 and11 years. The Middle School entertainsproducts of the Elementary schools forabout three years, till they reach agesabout 14 years; after which theyproceed to the High school. At thehighest, an average student is ready,armed with brilliant academicperformances evidenced by good resultsto proceed to his choicest tertiaryinstitution at the age of seventeen in themaximum.

The new classification, apart fromremoving the misfortune of bad resultsafter the whole career of about twelveyears; also seeks to make parents morealive and amenable to their God-assignedrole by deemphasizing pre-primaryeducation. In our days, pre-primaryeducation was a complete rarity. Yetstudents who started solid primaryeducation at the age of six orthereabouts coped effectively with thechallenges of their sudden transitionfrom home to school.

Another issue which bothers theminds of genuine stakeholders iswhether many of the agitators againstthe new classification, the teachersinclusive really have their wards in thevarious public schools on which thesevital far-reaching decisions are beingtaken. To me, anyone who is not astakeholder to the extent of having award in the public institutions should noteven contribute to; not to talk of kickagainst any reforms fashioned out forthem. I proudly add that in our days,teachers took pride and glory in havingall of their children pass through theirsame sphere of influence i.e. the schoolswhere they taught. The trend today isshameful indeed! Teachers who makethe loudest noise of dissent against everyreform in the sector hardly have any oftheir children in the public schools. I amsure that if all had been well with thesystem, they would have had noreservation in making their children passthrough the system.

To be continued.

13 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, April 1, 2014HEALTH

Saving Nigeria - Share The Truth About Health Condition To Raise AwarenessEXPERIENCE, they say is the best teacher.

All of our experiences play significant rolein the way we make sense of our world. I

grew up believing lots of myths as they floataround me, I was not alone, millions of Nigeri-ans were in the same situation. We were told tonever question our adults as they know best, wewere cautioned at a slight mischief and made topromise we would never be mischievous again.Many a times our adults succeeded in suppress-ing the natural instincts that we were all bornwith, the ones that push us to do the forbidding,not because we wanted to be bad but just be-cause our curious mindset were alert, we wantedto see how things would turn out if we did agiven task differently from the norm. However,sometimes the exaggerated stories of our mythswere too powerful that we indeed forget to beadventurous, too scared to push against theboundaries because all in all we just wanted tosurvive, to live would be added pleasure but tosurvive is all that we ask for.

As we grow older we sometimes move awayfrom our comfort zones, we make newfriends, started working perhaps with a totallydifferent group of people who were raised andgrew up with their own very different views ofthe world. At this time it is inevitable that thebeliefs that we held dearly would be tested tothe limit, we would have to re-examine all thosestories that were fed to us without much effortsfrom our elders, now it would require more thana mere talk or cheap threats to believe a con-cept, we require more evidence to support ourbeliefs, again not because we wanted to be diffi-cult, it is just that we have experienced the worldin a different way, all those untested stories noware no longer valid. We have found a perfect,more plausible explanations for them.

“No man’s knowledge here can go beyondhis experience.”John Lock

Sitting at a UW Physicians reception in Se-attle Washington, I was relaxed and really didnot anticipate much as all I was at the clinic forwas to get my name on their register ‘just incase.’ The fact that a country and employer caredenough about me and encouraged I did this wasenough of excitement. At 28 years old I havenever visited a doctor and the only time I wasnear to a health professional was 15 years priorat a Health Centre at ObafemiAwolowo Univer-sity for a throat infection, which didn’t takelong as the examination by the nurse only took afew seconds and she didn’t really need muchfrom me in terms of any history of allergic reac-tions or family health history, I was given acourse of antibiotics and left the clinic, luckilythe medicine worked.

UW Physicians experience took an unex-pected turn when the doctor noticed half of thequestions on my form was left blank, she calledme in and wanted to discuss why that was. Shewanted to know my family health history, theones that I was unable provide. She wanted meto tell her about my siblings health, to see ifthere were anything she could put in the form inorder to help me faster and better in case of anemergency. I was dumfounded and just starredat Dr Grace (not her real name). My whole lifeflashed right in front of me, not because I didn’tknow what to say but because I was jugglingbetween two versions of my family health his-tory - the made up version and the real one. Iwas not sure which story I should tell.

Here was my dilemma, I did not know any ofmy grandparents. They were all dead beforereaching 60 years old. None of them was killedby thunder, auto accident, not even endless eth-nic crisis or any other physical attacks that Icould point to. They all died after some sort ofillness. It was only my maternal grandmotherthat made it to the hospital, she died anywaysas her illness was at a critical stage before takingto the hospital. The cause of her death was noth-ing the family wanted to talk about.

Dr Grace asked about my siblings and theirhealth history, I told her that my two brotherswere deceased, she sympathised but her curios-ity grew stronger, she wanted to know how theydied as this might provide crucial health infor-mation for my records. This should be a simplequestion to answer for anyone, but it wasn’t forme. The version of the cause of my brothers’death that I grew up with was completely dif-ferent from the version that I have come to termswith.

My oldest brother, Tope was killed by mymother’s sister in-law because she didn’t have aboy of her own, at the time she had five girls andwas very jealous of my mother’s good fortuneof 2 male children. And on top of this Tope wasdoing really well academically, he was 19 yearsold and at his final year at a Catholic GrammarSchool Ipetumodu - a very good local school at

the time. On the weekend he stays with myuncle to help with business. Because of all theseambitions he had, my mothers’ sister in-lawcould no longer take it, so she killed Tope. How?That would be great if someone could give in-sights. Now three years down the line, my fam-ily again ran out of luck as Mayo, the only othermale child in the family died. Only that thistime there were slightly more people involvedin the killing, depending on who you listened to.If you hear my paternal side of the family, thekiller was my mother because she had enlistedher son for a sacrifice, otherwise how come theonly boy left in the family died. Mayo was 14and an articulate school boy. He went to Sev-enth Day Adventist Grammar School Lagere,Ife - one of the few good schools to attend in theearly 80s. These were the explanations thatfloated around me as I grew up. These was sup-posed to be enough explanation for my broth-ers’ death. I had so many unanswered questions.I was lost, completely.

Then it dawned on me that no one could help.I have to find reasons among all these confusionon my own. My family were blessed, we allsleep in one big room so it was easy to carry outa few of my missions. Tope’s killer lived abouta mile away so I did not bother about her how-ever, my focus was on my mother, how daredshe ‘ate’ Mayo? The only person in the wholewide world that understood me, the only per-son that supported my mischievousness to-wards my overbearing older sister. My mothercried for years and lost all will to do anything.While I sympathised with her, I was adamant Iwas going to break her wings. I have heard thatwitches go to meetings in the middle of the night,so I set to wake up and watched her with hopethat she would get up, she never did. I heardthat the physical bodies was usually left in bedbut their ‘spirit’ would have left the vicinity soif you hit a witch hard in the middle of the night,that may knock them unconscious as they wouldhave to rush rush back to life from their meet-ings. I tried this, but each time I really didn’thave to ‘hit’ my mother, she was already awakewith teary eyes sobbing, whispering to herselfthat she was supposed to die and not her chil-dren, she really wanted to die, I knew this.Throughout this time there were lots of othermeasures that my extended families were takingto determine who the male-children eater was,none of which involves getting detailed medicalrecords of my brothers’ illness. It was all spiri-tual, I was told. It was impossible to make senseof any of the stories that I was told as I knewthat none of the explanation coincide with whatI saw. I was only a child, I wasn’t supposed toknow any better so I mourned on my own andstarted on a journey to discover the truth, theway that I could be set free of heavy burden ofunknown.

In my late teens, things were a bit calm in myfamily, I started nursing the idea of reincarna-tion. I have heard stories about dead people atIgbeti Market in Oyo State. I heard that most ofthe produce sellers turned their backs to theircustomers so as not to be recognised, this likemany other myths did not pass me by, I held onto it. I started imagining Mayo walking downthe road with me, especially when I were alone,I dreamt of him, recited all the good times wehad had together. I would wake up in the middleof the night sweating heavily, I could only tellmy mother half of the story, as any parentswould testify, children are much more obser-vant than we give them credit for, so I nevermentioned I dreamt of Mayo to my parents, Iknew enough that any mentioning of his namewould open a whole lot of cans of worms thatwould lead to more confusion and possible dis-traction to my goal. Reincarnation thoughts hadto be laid to rest as it was just causing too muchheadache.

Now that the reincarnation beliefs proved tobe too difficult for my young mind to bear. Icontinued my journey of finding inner peace, astime went by I no longer mourn for my deceasedbrothers, I had accepted they were gone to theplace beyond, they remain only in memories,however, I was burdened not by absence but theunknown reasons behind their untimely deaths.I could no longer feel at ease alienating everyonearound me as their killer, I needed solid facts.

Here is how it all happened. I was about 8years old, mature enough to absorb all the infor-mation leading to Tope’s death. Tope was at agrammar school. He lived in the town and onlycame home on the weekends, stayed longer dur-ing exams, and when he did, he stayed with myuncle so I barely knew he existed. On this fate-ful evening, he was brought home by his friends- Brother Femi, to my parents’ house. Tope wasweak and had to be carried inside. He hasn’tbeen in town for three weeks as it was examperiod. According to Femi, Tope and his friendswent to play football two weeks prior, and ontheir way back to the hostel Tope was joggingand accidentally tripped and fell forward, flaton his face. His left knee cap was dislocated tothe side and injured the tissues around, also hefelt really sick inside and he could barely keepanything down afterwards. Tope did not go toany clinic, he was determined to stay at schoolto ‘tough’ it out and so he could finish his ex-ams. After about a week, the bruises on his leftknee area got badly infected, he was physicallyweak not only from the knee infections but alsofrom his aching stomach, he had hurt one or twoof his vital organs perhaps his kidney during theheavy fall. After he was carried in, he had wee ina potty and all I could see was blood, a sign ofan damaged kidney. And for his oozing infectedknee, I made my peace in coming to terms withthe fact that the sore were infected with somesorts of dangerous bacteria. He was admitted at

the local teaching hospital the same evening butlost his fight for life after a couple of weeks. Hedied because one or two of his vital organs werebadly infected and perhaps the medical practi-tioners weren’t able to get to the heart of thematter on time, either way, it was bad news forthe family.

I was right there again the evening that Mayowent for a hair cut, he came back and we allteased him about the number of ‘contours’ hehad on his head. In the middle of the night hecomplained of headache, mother gave him a doseof Phensic. Mayo as we all knew in the familyhad a history of nose bleeding, for this he wouldusually sit still when it occured with efinrinleaves held close to his nostrils, he also com-plained quite a lot of headache aches, and forthis usual pain relief medicine always worked.But this night he was restless and complainedof sharp pains as if something was eating awayhis brain cells. My parents took him to thenearby clinic. Early next morning, news camethat Mayo had been transferred to the teachinghospital, the same one that his brother died at 3years prior, needless to say, I was horrified. Iremember my mother coming home to get moremoney, buying more drugs, most of which wouldbe rejected shortly after the purchase by yetanother doctor, basically Mayo became a guineapig. He received different diagnosis by severaldifferent doctors that my parents were confusedwhom to listen to. All along, his symptoms re-mained the same - massive pains inside his headand his deterioration was apparent. Mayo’scause of death remained heavy load in my mindwherever I went, until I found a plausibleexplanation in 2005 - 22 years after his death.

Glued to BBC page following everynews from Ivan Noble - a BBC Online Scienceand Technology writer at the time who was di-agnosed with brain tumour in 2002 andwent through series of treatments. I read all hisentries with outmost interest. I wanted to learnmore about this horrible cancer that causes somuch pain in the brain. Reading Ivan’s columnprovided me with so much knowledge that Ihave craved for so long. It was emotional indifferent ways for me, on one side I was happyfor Ivan that he had a good fighting chance, hewas able to communicate how he felt with hisloved ones and carried lots of people along bysharing his experience living with brain tumour,lots of people felt him and prayed for him. An-other part of me was filled with resentment to-wards the doctors who attended to Mayo dur-ing the few weeks he was at the hospital. Mayowasn’t given a slightest fighting chance. He prob-ably died that quickly due to the mis-diagnosisin the first place. Ivan’s generosity of sharinghis story helped me enormously to finding aplausible explanation to the cause of mybrother’s death. Now I have laid it all to rest, nomore burden or confusion. I am free.

Nigerians has found more ways of conceal-ing the truth about the nature of our illnesses, ifyou were poor and could not afford travellingabroad, the common assumption for ill healthwas witches’ spell and the nature of illness isnever known or only known to a few peopleeven within the family. If you were rich andcould afford to travel abroad for treatment, thenyou would come back telling us fables, that itwas God who healed rather than disclose thenature of the illness so we could all learn. Suchis the case with Prof Dora Akinluyi when shewas recently confronted about her health, Nige-rian people adored Prof for her work withNAFDAC, I was expecting someone like her tobe more open about the nature of her illness inorder to raise awareness. The truth is, under-neath all of our outward acts were ingrainedmyths that has proved hard to shift with many,famous or otherwise.

Health tourism has increased in Nigeria sig-nificantly in the last few years, everyone who issomeone gets their health problems sorted inEurope, North Americas, Middle East, Asia-particularly India - everywhere and anywhereas long as it’s not Nigeria. Do we really knowthe true cost of health tourism? I think the costof HT is far greater than what we thought it wasif we factored in the fact that these foreign na-tions are more aware of the type of illness thatwe are prone to.

How will the nation’s medical professionalsimprove if we all die of the same illness thatcould have been easily prevented simply be-cause we were too intimidated to share? I wouldthink bringing awareness is a great gift ProfAkinluyi could have given to the country, thiswould have been much more appreciated thansitting at the National Conference.

•ODOAJE wrote in from London.

By FOLAKEMI ODOAJE

•ILORI

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, April 1, 2014 14INTERVIEW

Aregbesola Has Transformed Osun - AlagbadaIsmaila Adekunle Jayeoba Alagbada is the Osun

State Commissioner for Commerce, Industries, Coop-eratives and Empowerment. In this interview with jour-nalists, including CORRESPONDENT Gbenga Faturoti,Alagbada speaks on the efforts of the state govern-ment to boost business enterprises, youth empower-ment and resuscite the moribund Cocoa Products In-dustry, Ede. Excerpts:

TO what extent has the state governmentboosted the small and middle scalebusiness enterprises and business

potentials in the state?

When you look at the state before Ogbeni(Governor Aregbesola) assumed office,they used to call Osun a civil servants statebecause there was nothing to trade with.We looked at this when we came in;considering how to stimulate commerce inthe state.

How do you encourage investors andwhat are those things that need to be putin place?

At present, you will discover that thecurrent administration headed by RaufAregbesola has put in place policies andprogrammes to stimulate commerce in thestate. One; for you to bring investors to thestate, security is paramount. Can anyinvestor go the northern states or any ofthese Boko Haram terrorised states? Theanswer is no. So, we thank God that in thestate as of today, in terms of security, theadministration of Aregbesola is performingwell.

How do you expect investors to investwhen there are no basic infrastructures?

Massive road construction is presentlygoing on in the state alongside variousinfrastructural and developmental projects.If you look at the position of Osun, you willdiscover that it is central, its’ close to andsurrounded by economically active states,so the best way to make use of theseopportunities is to link up with these statesthrough infrastructure and these are thekind of infrastructures we need toencourage investors to come in and invest.

Now all these things will lead to thedevelopment of small and medium scaleenterprises. Another thing we did is that weinvited the National Association of Smalland Medium Scale Enterprises and askedwhat their challenges were, and even someof the companies that closed down. Theygave us some reasons, which they claimthat there was no adequate training, andthere was no succession plans, that oncethe owner of the business dies, that is theend. We venture to address thesechallenges so that commerce can moveforward in the state. We asked them whatwe can do to encourage our people andbusiness owners in the state is to havetraining workshop and office for small andmedium scale enterprises. The building hasbeen completed and adequately furnished.The building serves as day care clinic andcentre where entrepreneurs will be able toreceive training. The state governmentconstructed the building in collaborationwith the national body of the small andmedium scale enterprises. I am happy toinform you that the first batch ofentrepreneurs we trained is over 300entrepreneurs and it is continuous. Mostof the entrepreneurs you see out there, thereis no difference between their personalaccount and the account of the company.They just get things mixed up. Some of themdon’t even know how to manage thebusiness. They need training and that iswhat we are giving to them. So that is partof the strategies we are using to developsmall scale enterprises in the state.

What do you say considering thebusiness potential, given that thepackaging of the finished product leavesmuch to be desired and that the type ofproduct would not be able to compete withother products?

We are working on that as well. The otherstrategy we are using to stimulate businessenterprises is development ofinfrastructures like airport, electricity, goodnetwork of roads among others.

Efforts are on to eradicate poverty, reduceunemployment, banish hunger andfunctional education in line with the SixIntegral Action Plans of the presentadministration.

Many people live around Osogbo butwork in Lagos and the state governmentmoves them to and from especially duringfestive periods. So free rail service hashelped transportation, or what do youthink?

Beyond that, people are able to knowwhat was happening before and what ishappening now. Then there is communalre-union among their families and that isvery important. Many people will not believewhat is happening in the state unless theycome to the state. This is part of the waysto stimulate commerce. That is how peoplewill get to know that this is what you areproducing.

Also before now, there was no organised

market in the state. What we were havingbefore now was street trading and it isdangerous considering the lives of people.

The current administration establishedthree international markets they areAyegbaju market, Aje market and Dagboluinternational market. If you will rememberthat Ayegbaju market was originally acompleted market before the creation of thestate in 1991. It was when there was no placeto use for secretariat that it was convertedto secretariat and that is why we need togive kudos to Chief Adebisi Akande for thewonderful job he did there to give the statebefitting state secretariat when he was thegovernor.

How does it compare today?

As we speak, you will discover thatthings are gradually changing. Rome wasnot built in a day. We cannot say that wewant to get 100 companies in a day or 50businesses at once. It is a gradual process.There is a lot of development going on inthe state. The only thing we were havingbefore the current administration was thetransmission centre that transmits energyto the national grid. Whether we like it ornot, Osogbo will be able to benefit at least12 hours of electricity supply in a day unlikeLagos which is very populated. So whenyou look at infrastructures, the market thatwe are constructing and the effect of theairport that is under construction, it is goingto have a lot of impact on the businesspotentials.

What are the benefits we should expectfrom the ongoing international airportconstructed by the state government?

The international airport beingconstructed by the state government woulddefinitely change the status of the state interms of industrial development. When youhave an airport here, it would decongestthe airport in Lagos. The airport will makethis state a hub. People would come andclear their goods from Abuja and thingswould be cheaper here. By the time theycome to clear their goods from wherever,this would increase economic activities inthe state. Some of them would not go thatday, they would stay in the hotels and thiswould bring business for our peoplebecause they cannot go without spendinga dime. This will then stimulate commercejust like in Dubai which is even more like adesert in comparison with our state. So theadministration of Aregbesola must becommended.

Railway station is also attractingattention, what is government doing in thataspect?

Look at what we did at the OsogboRailway Station. The very first day we gotthere, the place stinks and we were allshocked but with what is happening therenow, we are happy. Of all the stations ofNRC, Osogbo station is the best. All theseare to stimulate commerce. If you look atthe efforts of Aregbesola, it has built theconfidence of our people. Gradually thingsare changing. The small scale enterpriseshave been boosted and we will still boosttheir activities.

The government is constructing marketsfor the people, is that part of commercestimulation?

The market that is under construction willstill contribute and boost commercialactivities. Immediately those two marketsstart operation and more are still coming,people will be happy because they can taketheir products to those markets.

This administration encouraged farmersto go back to farm most especiallyplantation of cocoyam through its quickintervention programme. How do youencourage people in this area?

The state government has empowered332 cocoyam farmers with N32 million. Apartfrom that, we empower the people of thestate through co-operative societies. So wehave about 31 cooperative societies thatare benefiting from the state. We startedthis empowerment programme in 2011withN153million with different cooperativesocieties and about 77 cooperativesocieties benefited from it. Between 2012and 2013 we empowered additional 600cooperative societies with aboutN600million. All these money will continueto circulate within the cooperative societies.

There are three markets that the presentadministration is developing at the sametime and when exactly will these marketsbe operation for the people of the state?

On the issue of market development,

there are three of them, we have Ayegbaju,Aje and Dagbolu international markets. Ajemarket is having about 650 open and lockedup shops and by the special grace of God, itwill be ready for use on or before June thisyear. Ayegbaju market too will be ready.When you talk of the expenses incurred onthe two markets, it is not government thatcommitted the huge resources on them; it isbeing done under Public Private Partnership(PPP) arrangements because in developedcountries if you want any business tosucceed, the best model is the PPP. That iswhy you can see lot of rapid developmentgoing on in the two markets. If governmenthad taken it fully, we will not be where weare today. For Ayegbaju market, it’s about80 per cent completion and if you get therenow, you will see the type of quality of workgoing on there. The construction of roads,fuel station, fire station among others. So Ibelieve that by June, the two markets willbe ready. Looking at what is happening allover the world, if any government wants tobuild a market, for that market to be readyon time it has to be under PPP arrangements.When you go to London and otheradvanced countries, most things that yousee there are owned by group of people orcompanies and that is why they are efficient.

The government gave 600 cooperativesocieties N600million, is it in the range ofN1million per cooperative society. Clarifythis?

When you talk of empowering farmers, itdepends on the carrying capacity of eachof cooperative societies and what you wantto embark upon. Don’t think that we weresharing N1 million to each farmer. It dependson the acres of farmland that you want tocultivate. There are some people that donot need more than N250,000 to start off. Ifyou want to go into fish rearing, those thatwant to do one thousand cannot get thesame as those who want to do fivethousand. For those that want to go intopiggery, the person that wants to rear fivehundred is different from the one that wantsto rear one thousand. So it was sharedaccording to their intentions, needs andtheir capacities. So don’t think that N600million was shared among 600 cooperativesocieties at N1 million each.

How does your ministry supervise andrecover loans given out to the people and howmuch is being owed the government?

As regards supervision of loans, theministry gives out according to your needsand to make it more successful, we partnerwith the ministry for agriculture. This isbecause we have discovered that ourpeople once any money is coming fromgovernment, they think it is part of thenational cake and they may not the projectserious. We met a debt of over N1billionleft by the previous administration from

loans that people did not pay back. Thestate government has given them the lastnotice now reminding them of theirindebtedness. By the special grace of God,we are giving them till ending of Marchand by then, whoever refuses to pay his/her debt will be sanctioned by governmentbecause it is money that belongs to thestate, not an individual. I want to use thisopportunity to tell you that Aregbesola hasapproved the establishment of micro-credit agencies in the state to empowereveryone. By the special grace of God,before the end of March or by early April,the agency will be launched and it is goingto be autonomous. The government wishto assist the people financially at areduced interest rate in order to empowerthem and the money is going to bemanaged by professionals, so that we canget value for our people. All these are partof the efforts of Aregbesola to empowerthe people. If the people we are governingare happy, then the government will behappy but if they are not happy, thegovernment will not be happy. What willbe the legacy that the government is goingto leave behind? The only legacy anygovernment can leave behind is to makethe people happy. The present governmenthas touched people through variousprogrammes such as education, healthfacilities, road construction andrehabilitation and employmentopportunities.

How much has the state governmentcommitted to Moshood Abiola Airport in Ido-Osun?

The government has committed so muchinto the project and it is aimed at boostingthe economy of the state. Despite thepaucity of funds, when Aregbesola madea statement, considered it done becausebefore he speaks, something must havebeen on ground.

•Culled from DAILY INDEPENDENT

•JAYEOBA

15OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, April 1, 2014

TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2014

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

By ADE OLUGBOTEMI

ALL known antics

are often employedin battles of wits

with a view to weakeningopposition; this becomesmore germane when affinalbond is absolutely non-existent. With people ofcommon heritage however,such desperation breedssystemic dislocation that maylikely engender suspicion and polarityon the long run, especially when theinnocent bear unnecessary brunt in asimilitude of suffering grasses in the duelof two elephants. The disequilibriummay, for long, be a spell that is likelygoing to remain a clog in the wheel ofprogress after the raised dusts havesettled.

It was speculated to be a temporaryscenario, when in July 2013 theallocations to some states in theFederation were down by 40%. Manyof us questioned the rationale behindthe new development and nosatisfactory explanations were given tothat effect. I specifically asked somequestions to which answers capable ofassuaging agitations could not beprovided. Many aspects of our nationallives have continued to suffer; we allknow that when the constituent unitssuffer, the whole will also not be atpeace. It is now a matter of a fowl thatperches on a rope, in which neither therope nor the fowl is at peace. We areall waiting to see where this will landus, but the damage may be too much torectify on the long run.

The volatile nature of ourtogetherness as a country has againcome to the fore for the whole world toex-ray and the constitutionality orotherwise of a tier to discretionarilyreduce or withhold what is due to othertiers as allocations should be a matterfor reconsideration. It has beendiscovered that the party in power atthe centre is only interested in theinstrument of power that can be wieldedto frustrate the people to bring themdown on their knees if they choose notto fly their kite.

We cannot claim to have essence ofliving if we don’t have the exclusive rightto determine the way we intend to beruled and under what umbrella. Thecurrent situation whereby the rulingPDP believes that staying under theirtricuspid umbrella that neither providesshade against scorching sun norimmunity against being soaked on arainy day, but which sharp-edge springspierce our skins and inflict pains is tosay the least the highest level ofdehumanization. To me, this isabsolutely unacceptable and thisremains a ploy that must be vehementlyrepudiated.

I believe we are rational HumanBeings that we claim to be; but ourrationality should remain a licence topilot us to a direction where actions are

taken at will to better our lots and runaway from dangers when they aresensed. PDP as a party has reducedNigerians to puppets that have no rightto modicum of rational decisions. It isunder this god-damn party that a servingminister that is involved in financialimpropriety will be spared, not mindingthe sweat of tax-payers’ right to goodleadership that exhibits unfetteredtransparency.

PDP is known to reprobate andapprobate at the same time, as theyopenly engage in flagrant divide and rulethat only affects the people that are notin the states under their control. Manystates that are equally subjected toallocation reduction now get solace inthe buffers that SURE-P fund creates,the situation is different in the State ofOsun where PDP man is saddled withthe responsibility of (mis)managing thefund. The fund is disbursed to PDPmembers without engaging in anyfunctions that can add values to the

economy of the state. PDP beneficiary-members only see the fund as monthlysubvention that represents their ownshare of the proverbial national cake.

People must now see that it is adeliberate effort by the PDP to stifle andstrangulate the states under oppositionthat the 40% reduction came to force.Means of survival now remains adaunting task for states like Osun, Ekiti,Rivers, and a host of states that choseto free themselves from PDP’sdebacles. Governors in these affectedstates are now left with the option ofrationing the limited available resourcesin the best way possible to ensuresystemic survival. It is now left for thepeople in the affected states to eithersubscribe to belt-tightening process orfall into the antics of corruption-endemicPDP government at the center.

People are in the best position nowto compare what is happening at thecentre with what is happening in their

states. The Federal Governmentcontrols the greater percentage ofnational resources, but can webeat our chests that the positiveimpact they are bringing to bearreally commensurate with thevolume of resources in her kitty?This is a pertinent question thatmust be asked persistently as wejourney towards a bay of

decision-making as to have those to bein the saddle for another four years fromNovember this year. We must rationallyexamine how our lots have fared in thedispensation spanning 1999 to datewhen PDP has been in control of ourNational Life.

Road to freedom is always thornyand hard; as those who are now seento be free from our peculiarities will havea lot to say if they are asked.Peradventure, the present generation ofthose concerned may not have much tosay experientially, availabledocumentaries must be able to elucidateon the endurance brunt theirgenerational precursors have borne. Wemust therefore sit down, think and makeconcrete decisions about where wedesire to be and how to get there. Onefact that remains incontrovertible is thatpeople’s decision today predominantlydetermines what their tomorrow will be.

Political dissidents are again smartingfor the prowl. We all must be on guardto prevent politicalbrigandage and enslavement.There is no gainsaying that thegovernments in power innon-PDP-controlled statesare not without theirshortcomings. Theappropriate thing to do atthe moment is to keenlyobserve the loose ends andhandle the corrigenda insuch a way that frayednerves will be assuaged. AllProgressives Congressgovernments in the State ofOsun and Ekiti State must domore of listening now, sothat pockets of grey area canbe tidied up to fortify thecurrent strength. With thiseffectively done, no amountof antics of financial muzzlefrom PDP-controlled FederalGovernment will doanything to prevent people’srational decision in ensuringthat the resourcefulness ofthe moment is adequatelymaintained.

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.

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