VOL. 9. NO.148 N50Thursday, december 11, 2014

www.osundefender.org T h e 5 T h m O s T - V I s I T e d N e W s -

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- See Story On Page 3

Front Page Comment“Look at what we did in

Osun State. In Osun, we had the best election conducted so far; the best election we have conducted so far as a commission since 2011.”

Quote

• Quote from Professor Attahiru Jega’s interview in The GuardIaN of Wed. Oct. 29 (2nd part of a series that started on the 28th).

•Jega

- See Story On Page 2

Osun Governorship Election Tribu-

‘Omisore, PDP Fail To Prove Allegations’

Tribunal: Osun Election Wasn’t Manipulated - Voters

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Aregbesola Applauds Osun Doctors In US

Osun APC State, Na-tional A s -s e m b l i e s ’ Candidates Emerge

•(R-L) The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf aregbesola; his deputy, Otunba (Mrs) grace Titi Laoye-Tomori; Secretary, all Progressives Congress (aPC), Osun Chapter, alhaji Rasaq Salensile and a Senatorial aspirant, alhaji Isiaka adeleke, during pri-maries/declaration of the party’s flagbearers to the National/State assemblies, at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, State of Osun, on Tuesday.

The situation with the turbulence in the oil market is dire. The misman-agement of the economy by the central government has left the federat-ing units

(the states) very much up and against it. The terms of trade have simply turned against us and we did not prepare for the rainy day. Now t

Lean Government: Key To Posterityhat the day of reck-oning has come we have to react positively. Those who have been proactive like for example,

Continue on pg5

2 OSuN DeFeNDeR Thursday, december 11,

If you have a story or advert for us, contact 08033927286, 08033880205, 08061197897, 08023191891.

News

by IsmaeeL uThmaN

•whO’S PuShINg whO? The police or the vehicle?

by kazeem mOhammedOsun Tribunal: ‘Omisore, PDP Fail To Prove Allegations’cOuNseL to Governor rauf aregbesola

before the state of Osun Governorship election Petition Tribunal, ajibola basiru,

has said that the defeated Peoples democratic Party (PdP) governorship candidate, senator Iyiola Omisore, has failed to prove any of his allegations of irregularities of the election before the panel.

This is in reaction to t he commen t o f Omisore’s counsel, Chris Uche (SAN), that the first respondent is short of witnesses before the tribunal.

This was just as more eligible voters, who are non-politicians told the tr ibunal on Tuesday

that the August 9, 2014 governorship election was free and fair, votes w e r e c o u n t e d a n d results announced in the presence of every voter.

Omisore is challenging the August 9 re-election of Aregbesola before the Justice Elizabeth

Ikpejime-led tribunal.The witnesses who were

led in evidence by the lead counsel of Aregbesola, Chief Felix Fagbohungbe (SAN), on Tuesday were Sanusi Balikis, Alade Rauf, Bello Afeez and Rasheed Okeowo.

Balikis, who told the tribunal that she was accredited and voted at Unit 2, Ward 2, Ede-North Local Government Council Area of the state, sa id everything was smooth on the election day where she voted, saying no voter was chased away.

She added that that she

was at his polling unit throughout the day of the election, while there were security men on ground performing their duties.

She also said she saw agents of various political parties signing the result form for the unit after the counting and declaration of the result.

Also, Alade, Bello and Okeowo who told the tribunal that they voted at Unit 7 of Ward 4 and Unit 10, Ward 4 of Ede-North Local Government Council Area and Ward 4, Unit 2 of Boripe Local Government Council

Area respectively told the court that there was no molestation or harassment of voters on the day of the election.

T h e y s a i d t h a t accred i ta t ions were properly done and every eligible voter was allowed to vote for the parties of their choice.

The witnesses in their respective testimonies explained that there wasn’t any case o f multiple voting or over-voting in their units, as no voter was allowed to vote more than once.

Okeowo specifically s a i d t h e r e w a s n o allocation of votes to any of the candidates, as the result announced for the units reflected the real votes cast, saying: “Whoever says votes were just allocated to Aregbesola is a liar, because the votes were counted and announced

in the presence of all without complaint.”

A d d r e s s i n g t h e press after the sitting, Aregbesola’s counsel, Ajibola said the comment of Omisore’s counsel that his client was hunting for witnesses was purely unprofessional and not expected of a senior lawyer.

He said: “The question of litigation is a matter of tactics and strategy and we can decide how many number of witnesses we want to call and how we want to call them.

“As far as we are concerned, the petitioner has not proved anything. They have called 43 witnesses who have not established anything.

“So, for him to say we are scouting for witnesses, he is speaking f o r F a c e b o o k , o r instagram,” he said.

Osun NCP Holds Primaries For National, State Assemblies

The National conscience Party (NcP) in the state of Osun on Tuesday held successful primaries to field candidates for the various

elective offices ahead of the 2015 general elections. At the end of the primaries, the NCP presented three

senatorial; seven House of Representatives and 18 House of Assembly candidates.

Though, the entire c a n d i d a t e s w e r e unopposed, but the party insisted on seeking the consent of members of the party, through delegates, before ratifying their candidature, according to the Chairman of the congress , Mr Rasak Olaniran.

All the candidates were adopted by the party delegates in the presence of two officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the congress.

Speaking at the event, the Deputy National Chairman, South-West, of the NCP, Comrade Waheed Lawal, who represented the National Chairman, Alhaji Yinusa Tanko, said the primaries was in line with the constitution of the party.

According to Lawal, the NCP was ready to contest the 2015 general elections with the All Progressives Congress (APC) , the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and any other parties interested in the election.

Lawal stated that the NCP would offer credible leadership and quality representation to the people of the state at different fora, adding that the party has, for long, been known for credibility and uprightness.

He therefore, urged the candidates of the party to be well-behaved and avoid acts capable of soiling the image of the party and disrespecting the electorate.

Lawal also charged members of the party to mobilize for the victory of the party in the coming elections.

Burial Plans For Opeyemi Fajemilehin ReleasedThe burial plans for the late General manager

of uniq Fm, 103.1, mr Opeyemi Fajemilehin, has been announced by the management of

the station.According to a statement

made available to OsuN deFeNder, the burial would come up on Friday, 12th of December, 2014.

The burial schedule, according to the statement signed by Adedeji Olopade, Head of Administration of the station, the body would leave LAUTECH Teaching Hospital by 8:00am and

lying-in state would be at the premises of uniq Fm by 9:00am.

At 10:00am, the body leaves uniq Fm for Igede-Ekiti and funeral service would be held at Igede-Ekiti by 11:00am.

According to Olopade, uniq Fm acknowledged and appreciated all those who showed concern

and sympathised with them during the demise of the General Manager, Opeyemi Fajemilehin.

•The Late FaJeMILehIN

OAU Graduates 150 Ph.D, 9,094 Degree Students

OVer 9,000 students of Obafemi awolowo university, Ile Ife, will graduate with doctoral and first degrees this year.

This was last Monday made known by the Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Bamitale Omole, at a briefing.

Omole also stated that 127 of the graduating s t u d e n t s o b t a i n e d first class from the institution.

The convoca t ion ceremonies, according t o h im , w i l l ho ld between December 10 and 12, 2014.

According to him: “The Senate of the university has approved t h e g r a d u a t i o n o f 9 ,094 f i r s t degree graduates drawn from the 13 faculties in the university.

“The breakdown is as follows: 127 students

made first class honours, while 2,369 and 4,256 respect ive ly made second-class upper and lower divisions. One thousand two hundred and thirty-two students made third class, while 123 students would graduate with ordinary pass.

“For the postgraduate s tudents , 394 wil l be confer red wi th postgraduate diplomas, 2,755 with master’s d e g r e e s , 7 3 w i t h Masters of Philosophy while 150 wil l be conferred with Doctor of Philosophy degrees.”

The V-C, who spoke on the challenges facing the institution, noted that its major issue was how to maintain its

number one position in Nigeria and moving up the ladder in Africa.

Omole added that the university has made history by becoming the first ivory tower to be rated the best in the country for three consecutive years on the Webometric ranking o r g a n i s e d b y t h e Cybermetrics Labs of

Spain.He said: “It is on

record that the Obafemi Awolowo University is the leading university in Nigeria in Information C o m m u n i c a t i o n Technology with internet access bandwidth of 600Mbps, which is the largest in the Nigerian

by kehINde ayaNTuNjI

3 News OSuN DeFeNDeR Thursday, december

by kazeem mOhammed

•The wife of the State of Osun governor; alhaja Sherifat aregbesola, giving gifts to the children at the 2014 Father Christmas party organised by OSBC in Osogbo, recently.

Tribunal: Osun Election Wasn’t Manipulated - VotersGOVerNOr of the state of Osun, Ogbeni rauf

aregbesola, on monday opened his defence against the petition challenging his august 9, 2014 re-

election before the state Governorship election Petition Tribunal, with ordinary voters telling the tribunal that the election was not manipulated.

Four voters, who told the court that they were not politicians and testified before the tribunal, said there were proper accreditation and the voting proper was also hitch-free.

The witnesses were Mrs Rachael Babatunde, a trader; Folorunsho Olojede, a retired police officer; Adeniji Akinropo, a retired civil servant and Rauf Ajide Olaegbon, a trader.

The defeated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, is challenging the re-election

of Aregbesola and the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the ground that there were no proper accreditation, that additional voting points were not created and that some voters were disenfranchised.

Giving her evidence, Mrs Babatunde told the tribunal that she was neither a member of APC nor any other political party, saying when she got to his polling unit in Ward 8 of Olorunda Local Government Council Area, he was properly accredited and eventually voted.

Explaining that she was not an agent of any political party, but ordinary voter who witnessed what happened at the polling unit on the election day, the witness further stated that the process followed on the said day was peaceful, as nobody was harassed nor chased away.

She added tha t she stayed behind until after the election and the APC won at the unit, adding that she saw agents of all political parties counter-signing the result form for the unit.

Also, Folorunsho told the tribunal that there was no case of inducement of voters on the election day in his Ward 3, Unit 6 of Olorunda Local Government Council Area, saying nobody was disenfranchised on the said day.

He testified that after the

election, votes were counted, announced, counter-signed by party agents and pasted on the wall, saying: “When I heard that the election is being challenged, I was baffled and wondered how such peaceful election could be taken to the tribunal.

“When I heard that the result of the election is being challenged, I volunteered myself to testify in this case to confirm that the election was very peaceful.

“I am a retired police officer and I don’t belong to any political party. I was just a voter on that day. I decided to come and testify because of the development Aregbesola has brought to Osun and what he is still currently doing.”

In his own evidence, Akinropo told the court that accreditat ion was properly done and voting

was conducted in a peaceful manner, saying nobody voted more than once on the said day.

He s a id t he r e su l t announced for his unit was the true reflection of the people’s wish, saying, no party was allocated votes.

As against the claim that additional voting points were not created, all the witnesses told the tribunal that addit ional voting points were created for their various units.

Also, Olaegbon testified that he was accredited and voted, just as every other voter was allowed to vote on the said day.

H e a d d e d t h a t h e witnessed the accreditation, voting and announcement of the result on the said day.

S u b s e q u e n t l y , Aregbesola’s counse l

Aregbesola Should Appoint Aides Based On Credibility - Group by FraNcIs ezedIuNO

The newly sworn-in governor of the state of Osun, Ogbeni rauf aregbesola, has been charged to make credibility a benchmark in the consideration

of political appointments as commissioners, special advisers and senior special assistants for the smooth running of his administration in the next four years.

T h i s c h a r g e w a s g i v e n b y D e a c o n Ayomiposi Olorunfemi, the spokesperson fo r Progress ive Congress Alliance, during a parley in Osogbo, the state capital recently.

Olorunfemi observed that the group of people that comprised the recently-dissolved State Executive Counci l were able to achieve success and boost the image of the governor because they believed in the ‘Oranmiyan’ project. They believed in the government unusual that Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was all about.

According to him: “The governor was able to achieve the level of success he had in his first term because he took his time to carefully select the very best from the list he had and we can see that as a testament that throughout

the duration of the first term of Mr. Governor, he never had cause to reshuffle the cabinet or lay off any of his aides.”

He maintained that it was this that enabled the governor to achieve a lot in terms of meeting the needs of the people of the state.

“ A p a r t f r o m t h e i r c e r t i f i c a t i on , Ogben i Aregbesola has to pick those that the people want. These two criteria must go together and by so doing, we will discover that the state government business will be smooth just like we had in the last four years.”

Another member of the group, Mrs. Abosede Akano, was of the opinion that the dissolved State Executive Council should be reconstituted with the

same members, as virtually all of them had performed more than expected.

She expla ined tha t because the team was a winning side, there was no point changing a winning side and this was the joker that Ogbeni Aregbesola had to go all out and break records in his second term.

Mrs. Akano described the past state council as the winning formula of the governor and she wanted the governor to see reason and retain the old order.

They also cal led on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun headed by its new Chairman, Prince Gboyega Famodun, to ensure that the state primaries are conducted within an atmosphere that is devoid of violence.

They also charged him to build on the success of his predecessor, Elder Lowo Adebiyi, and ensure that the 2015 general elections are successful.

Ede Seeks End To Land DisputesThe Federal council of ede descendants union

(Fcedu) in ede in the state of Osun has urged the state governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, to find a

lasting solution to the land disputes between the people of ede and Osogbo.

Speaking at the 21st Ede Mapo Arogun Day celebration at the weekend, the President of the union, Barrister Dele Adeyemi, said it has become necessary for Ede and Osogbo to stop incessant boundary clashes in the interest of peace and development.

H e a l s o u rg e d t h e governor to look into the report of a commission set up by former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola on boundary demarcation, w h i c h i d e n t i f i e d t h e boundaries between Ede and its neighbours including Ofatedo and Ido-Osun.

Adeyemi advised youths to desist from causing unrest in the town and allow peace to reign in Ede and the state as a whole.

He also charged them to be productively engaged and strive to succeed in life, rather than getting involved in street fight.

Adeyemi also charged the state government to revamp the ailing Cocoa Industry in Ede as an economic and employment strategy.

T h e f i r s t c i v i l i a n

governor of the s tate , Senator Isiaka Adeleke, the Timi of Edeland, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, Vice Chancellor of Osun State University, Professor Basiru Okesina, immediate-past Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation in the state, Professor (Mrs) Olubukola Oyawoye, were among dignitaries at the event.

by bOLaNLe babaLOLa

sought adjournment till Tuesday and it was granted.

Explaining the rationale behind the request for adjournment , the APC counsel, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), said the request was strategic, noting that the petitioners have not made any case before the tribunal.

O b s e r v i n g t h a t t h e witnesses called so far were unshakeable under cross-examination, Akeredolu said: “We want to take our time to make sure that the witnesses we are calling are as good as the ones we have called. The witnesses have done extremely well.”

Omisore’s counsel, Chris Uche (SAN), also said they were happy with the progress made so far.

Osun APC State, National Assemblies’ Candidates Emerge

by kazeem mOhammed

caNdIdaTes for the state and National assemblies under the platform of the all Progressive congress (aPc) in the state of Osun

emerged on Tuesday. They emerged through

affirmation by party leaders from various state and federal constituencies and senatorial districts.

P r o f e s s o r O l u s o l a Adeyeye, representing Osun Central in the Senate and Babajide Omoworare, representing Osun East were returned for second te rm, whi le the f i r s t executive governor of the state, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, emerged for Osun West to replace Senator Mudashir Husein.

While a number of the state lawmakers were also returned for another term, some, including Samsom Fafiyebi representing, Obokun State constituency were dropped and replaced with the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Community Forum, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, among others.

Announcing the names of the candidates, the state chairman of the party, Prince Gboyega Famodun, said the candidates were elected by party leaders across the state.

Speaking, the s ta te governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, lauded the maturity of the party leaders and members for their discipline.

He said the way the candidates emerged has shown the diligence of the APC leaders in managing the affairs of the party.

According to him, the emergence of the candidates was the result of effective management, consultation and harmonisat ion of different opinions within the party.

He confirmed that only

three of the 38 contesting seats cutting across the state and national assemblies were yet to be resolved, while promising that they would soon be resolved.

He expressed optimism that the APC would win all the national and state assemblies seats in the 2015 general elections.

OSuN DeFeNDeR Thursday, december 4 News

•The Deputy governor, State of Osun, Otunba (Mrs) grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, in a group photograph with members of The Osun Indigenes Organisation in the uS at the governor’s Office, abere, State of Osun on Monday.

Aregbesola Applauds Osun Doctors In •Groups Embark On Medical Mission In Osun

by shINa abubakar

INdIGeNes of Osun resident in the united states of america under the auspices of Osun Indigenes Organisation in the usa have embarked on a medical

mission in Osun for five days.Addressing the team led

by Dr. Oluremi Ilupeju, the Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, affirmed that the state commended the team for deeming it fit to give back to the society in a unique manner.

According to the governor, who was represented by his deputy, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, he disclosed that the state government is determined to add value to the lives of its citizenry, hence, its decision to make quality health delivery an integral part of its six-point agenda.

The governor disclosed that despite the meagre resources available to the state, it leads others in innovative government policies aimed at improving the lots of the masses, such as its 24-hour free ambulance service, which is the first in the country.

“We build many hospitals and are committed to building more and we are committed to providing medical services to the people free-of-charge. We are always proactive in our service delivery to the people, such as the way we fought Ebola,” she disclosed.

I n h e r a d d r e s s , t h e i m m e d i a t e - p a s t Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr (Mrs) Temitope Ilori, stressed that medical mission is beyond providing advanced medical care, but also personnel capacity development through cross fertilisation of ideas.

She also stated that the mission’s health service provision is also critical in rural health service delivery, as it makes people, who ordinarily would not go to hospital, to seek medical service and help in discovering critical health conditions.

Dr Ilori told the team that the state government would support and ensure the success of their mission

Speaking on behalf of the team, Dr Ilupeju disclosed that the essence of the mission is to take healthcare delivery to the rural dwellers, who could not afford the leisure of medical-check up regularly.

He said the enthusiasm

shown by the team against other mission programme embarked upon before was due to the fact that the mission was put together by the state indigenes resident in Maryland in the USA.

According to him, the in the state throughout their stay.

mission would take the team to five communities, including Erin-Osun, Inisa, Iragbiji, Ile-Ogbo among others in five different local governments council areas across the state.

He disclosed that part

of what the team would be doing is evaluate patients, make diagnosis and dispense drugs to the prospective patients, as well as establish a referral centre in the USA for patients that would require emergency treatment abroad.

‘....Osun, Only State With 24-hour Ambulance Service’ by FraNcIs ezedIuNOThe state Government of Osun is the only one in the

federation with a 24-hour ambulance service owing to the establishment of the Osun ambulance

service by the administration of Ogbeni rauf aregbesola as part of his six-point integral action plan.

This was disclosed by the state’s deputy governor, Otunba (Mrs . ) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, who represented the governor du r ing t he r ecep t ion and courtesy call made on the state government by the Osun Indigenes Organisation in the United

States of America, a group based in Maryland.

The deputy governor also revealed that from t h e i n c e p t i o n o f t h e administration, it had been pro-active about the health of the people, hence the

decision to partner with any group that has decided to give back to the people.

She noted that because of the seriousness with which the state government attached to health, it has gone ahead to build and renovate several state-owned health institutions a n d w e l c o m e d m a n y medical missions coming to the state.

“The state government was commended for the way it responded to the Ebola scare that hit the nation some months back,” she added.

Responding, the President of The Osun Indigenes Organisation in the United States, Pastor Oyegoke, stated that all the group was doing was sowing back to

the community.Oyegoke revealed that

in 2013, they had, through the Ministry of Education, awarded scholarship to 31 deserving recipients to the university.

W h i l e e n c o u r a g i n g everybody to sow towards an end, he disclosed that they had spent about $25 ,000 t owards t he medical mission but more prayers and support were still needed to achieve success.

Oyegoke who was in the company of his wife, Yeye Osun (Mrs.) Oyegoke, Dr. Ilupeju; leader of the medical mission, other members of the group were at the Abiye Orphanage Home, where they donated food items, cash and other items to the motherless babies.

In attendance at the government reception were the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of Health and Hospital Management Board, Dr. Tope Oladele and Mrs. O. M. Ajayi, immediate-past Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr, Uzamotu and staff of the Ministry of Health and Hospital Management Board.

Police AIG Advocates Investment In Economy To Prevent Crime by kehINde ayaNTuNjI

assIsTaNT Inspector-General of Police (zone XI), mr ambrose Ojemudia, has urged philanthropists in Nigeria to invest in the

economy, with a view to creating wealth in the society to reduce crime rate.

Ojemudia said this in Osogbo during a courtesy vis i t to TUNS Farms Nigeria Limited located a long Ik in run Road , Osogbo.

The AIG said if many N i g e r i a n s c o u l d b e entrepreneurial and invest in agricultural business and other sectors of the economy, it will reduce the rate of unemployment in the country and by extension, reduce the number of those who take to crime as means of survival.

He said: “By virtue of my job, I have been to many places in the country. I know people can unjustifiably take to crime because of unemployment. If many Nigerians could be enterprising and invest in the country’s economy like TUNS Farms, then problem of unemployment will be reduced. I am calling on all Nigerians who God has blessed to invest greatly in the Nigerian economy.

“This establishment is a model worthy of emulation

by other Nigerians that God has blessed. The chairman of the company is advised to keep the flag of the company flying. I am delighted and impressed with what I saw here,” he added.

In his remark, Chairman of TUNS Farm, Asiwaju Tunde Badmus, appreciated the AIG for the visit and promised his company’s support for the Police Zonal Command.

He said Tuns Farm was incorporated about 30 years ago and as at today, generated employment for over 500 people.

Badmus added tha t though the harsh economic environment and high

cost of production are d i scourag ing bu t the company is keeping the flag flying because of its lofty aim to add value to the Nigerian economy.

“I must confess, this has paid off. In recognition of our strides in the area of safe and quality products, aside many endorsements and certification we have received from regulatory b o d i e s a n d a g e n c i e s including NAFDAC and Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), a “Can Do” award was presented to us by Yum Restaurant International.

“Today, we are among the two Internat ional certified companies that

supply chicken to KFC, which is the number one eatery in the world.”

He then called on the Federal Government to come up with policies that will make business environment conducive for those in agric-related businesses.

T h e A I G w a s accompanied during the visi t by three Deputy Commissioners of Police, DCPs Omololu, Olalekan O l a d i p u p o , F r a n c i s Kumoriti, Ayankola Ojo and Adeagbo Olanrewaju among others.

5 OSuN DeFeNDeR Thursday, december 11, 2014

by IsmaeeL uThmaN

Lean Government: Key To Posterity Continued from pg1

governors Fashola and Areg-besola saw it coming and like the Boys Scouts were prepared.Having seen adver-sity on the horizon they opted for a rationalisation of the machinery of government; trimming of waste, duplica-tion and graft. This sensible route did not of course affect personnel. On the contrary it helped to elevate the living wage of the civil service.

This is fundamentally im-portant, for the civil servants have to be protected. It is after all the political leader-ship and not them who cre-ated the imbalance in the first place. In the face of today`s adversity there must be a

wholesale cost rationalisation of the cost of the machinery of government.What is needed now is lean government translating to smarter government.Smarter government will be more efficient and effective. This is crucial, for the aggre-gate savings brought about by greater efficiency will now be re-directed towards production as well as the physical and so-cial infrastructure. This is the sort of operating framework used in the state of Osun and it has worked.It also if we may go down memory lane worked for the Obafemi Awolowo led regional government in the Western Re-gion of Nigeria in the 1950`s.Recurrent expenditure under Awo was held to about 27%. This is why so much was done

and massive social gains were made in the region. That greatly admired government showed the efficacy of lean and smart gov-ernment; it must be emulated.If social justice is to be attained there must be a re-ordering of priorities for you cannot have your cake and eat it all at the same time. What is needed to-day is a government focused on a direction of capital towards the creation of a new society based on social solidarity and social justice. Only a rationatilasation can bring this about. And it has to be done for the sake of the polity and in the interest of the next generation or two.The quest for lean government ought to have been undertaken earlier. It will now be done in a very difficult terrain and without very much by way of a margin of error. Fortunately people with

the foresight such as Aregbe-sola have blazed the trail and shown how lean, smart admin-istrations can lead to greater efficiency and better use of resources.This is why in the present circumstances everyone should follow suit. For right now there is no other viable alternative. To claim that there is a viable alternative to what operates in Aregbesola’s Osun, Fashola’s Lagos plus a few other states in our federation where lean government is the principle, is to be economical with the truth. And the consequence of living in denial can only be dire for us all.

OSUN DEFENDERPublisher – Moremi Publishing House Ltd.

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Editor – Kayode Agbaje (0803-388-0205)

Lagos Editor – Kola Odepeju (08023191891) Production Editor – Pet-Kola Taiwo Ibitowa Senior Reporter – Sola JacobsSenior Reporter – Kazeem Mohammed

Magazine Editor – Niyi Olasinde

Reporter – Shina AbubakarReporter – Ismaeel UthmanReporter – Kehinde AyantunjiReporter – Francis Ezediuno

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Computer Operator – Saheed AfolabiComputer Operator – Mary AkintolaAssistant Computer Operator – Lukman Oseni OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarantee Trust Bank GTB, 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

Aregbesola: Beginning Of A New EraTHURSDAY November

27th 2014 has gone down as one of the remarkable

days in the history of the State of Osun. It was a day the Lord made to enable the state citizens to praise Him and believe in Him.

T h e a t m o s p h e r e w a s generously permissive and enable all the buoyancy of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to exude like he’d just won some gold medals at the Olympics.

The last of greatness is the page of history. Ogbeni’s name has been written in the Guinness Book of Records as he has become the most complete man of his time, a man distinguished by the stupendous many-sidedness.

S a m u e l J o h n s o n , a n international pastor once said: “Almost every man wastes part of his life in attempts to display qualities which he does not possess and gains applause which he cannot keep.” So far so good, this Ogbeni of a man deserves whatever encomiums he has been receiving worldwide. He has proved to all and sundry that, he is truly a real leader loved at home and celebrated by all.

Our God is a God of second chances and third and fourth and fifth ones too. Omo Iya Olobi began his second term

on November 27th 2014, and not until he reaches the fifth will the good people of the State of Osun, especially the Ijesas rest. He deserves our prayers every day. Pray for the good of Jerusalem and it shall be well with thee. Note, he is a president in making. A president from Osun? After many people had said openly that, can any good come from our Nazareth? They are not God.

Every term of four years

that passes is another stepping stone to Ogbeni’s greatness. As this inauguration for second term marked a new and better turn in his world, may it bring inevitable joy, peace and happiness to the citizens of this great state. As the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning, so shall the Lord do unto Ogbeni, his family and the State of Osun in general.

There is no glory for God in that which is humanly possible. Omo Ijesa modu apona da has been doing the impossible

with the help of God hence he continues to give thanks, honour and adoration to the Almighty God. He cooperated with God and He lifted up his head above peoples’ imagination, no wonder God Himself told him: “Rauf, when I have a plan for your life, I am not influenced by those who overlook or underestimate you”.

When men are cast down, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is always lifted up. No wonder

the heavens declared the glory of God on November 27, 2014 in Osogbo during the inauguration and the firmament His handiwork.

If you study the lives of successful men and women all around the world, Ogbeni Aregbesola inclusive, no matter in which field, you will discover one common factor in their lives – diligence. Ogbeni is a diligent person who puts his very best into what he does, and pay attention to details to achieve perfection. He is

breezy, charming and ebullient and has guts like a typical Ijesa man.

From an unstable and unpleasant beginning, he saw himself through. Oh! My God, truly, greatness is his heritage. To this Mandela of our time, there is no room for two Wills. If you want God’s will, you must be prepared to surrender your own will, and this is the greatest respect for our creator, the Almighty God.

Good men do not make history, courageous people do. Aregbesola, with the backing of God, confronted the lions personified by the Peoples Democratic Party and the security operatives in their dens, like the Biblical Daniel, he came out unscathed.

Act your way into boldness, and fear will lose its ability to control or paralyse you. When the light turns green, God’s resources are available for your assignment. Those who attack and betray you are victims of a fallen world. Ogbeni, don’t place all the blames on them. Even though, Judas didn’t understand or intend to betray Jesus, he played a vital role in ushering Christ into His destiny. Ride on Omoluabi, ride on Oranmiyan and move forward Omo Ogedengbe agbogungboro of Ijesaland.

•TuNDe eSaN, Ilesa,

OSuN DeFeNDeR Thursday, december 6 FeaTure

Aregbesola: Beyond The Inauguration RitualOur performance in the first term

endeared us to you and convinced you to give us the mandate for another term

– Governor Rauf Aregbesola in his inauguration speech on Thursday, November 27, 2014.

OGBENI Rauf Aregbesola, Governor of Osun State, had at least three reasons to celebrate when he was inaugurated as governor for a second term. My focus here is not so much on the reasons for celebration as on their implications for our young democracy. However, I first have to bore you with the reasons for celebration in order to appreciate the discussion that follows.

First, Aregbesola won a hard-fought electoral battle against the power machine of the Peoples Democratic Party. The PDP operatives maligned his administration virtually throughout his first term and distorted his records during the campaigns. In the days leading up to the election, Osun voters were intimidated by unprecedented security presence. Finally, on the eve of the election and the very day of the election, Aregbesola’s supporters were harassed, and as many as 700 of them were arrested or otherwise prevented from carrying out their legitimate duties. Clearly, these are not the best ways to grow a democracy.

Second, in spite of all odds, Aregbesola won the election by a wide margin. Not only did he win with 55 per cent of all lawful votes, being the widest margin of victory in recent governorship elections, he garnered over 70 per cent of the female votes.

Third, Aregbesola would be the first governor of the state to have legitimately won reelection and, therefore, the first to serve a legitimate second term in office. Interestingly, his predecessors had teamed up with him and were by his side during the inauguration.

What is more, Osun voters, who made his re-election possible, were at the inauguration in all their diversity – traditional rulers, religious leaders, political leaders, business leaders, professionals, market women, artisans, youths, and so on. It was an unusually large crowd for a second term inauguration and on a week day.

My encounter with one of the voters at the inauguration venue was quite instructive. The woman was pleading earnestly with the security at the gate to let her into the stadium. I decided to intervene, when I observed that she had a child on her back, while holding her young daughter by the right hand and her son by the left. The security at the gate would not let her into the VIP section of the stadium. Besides, she had no invitation card. I decided to lead her to another gate and pleaded with the security there to let her in.

On the way to the other gate, I asked her why she came with her children, and without an invitation

card. She said she wanted to see the governor who feeds her children in school, gives them free uniform, and gets “Ijoba” (the government) to buy fruits from her kiosk. “Iruu re s’owon pupo (his likes are very scarce)”, she added. The sentiment she expressed reflects the attitude of most Osun women towards Aregbesola.

This leads to the first of three key issues arising from Aregbesola’s inauguration, namely, the role of performance as a qualification for re-election in a democracy. This is an important issue in Aregbesola’s case, given the historical, political, and media contexts of his re-election. Historically, no governor before him since 1999 ever won re-election. The odds were equally stacked against him politically: If there was one governor the PDP and the Presidency wanted out of power, it was Aregbesola. Moreover, he was a target of negative press, which often jumped on the bandwagon of the opposition to blow up distorted information about the man and his programmes.

So, why and how did he win? Two short answers: Outstanding performance and the resilience of

an appreciative electorate. Here is how Aregbesola put it in his inauguration speech: “We revamped agriculture and made it a profitable venture for farmers. We have positioned our youths for greatness by providing them with quality education. We have redefined the infrastructure of education by building state of the art schools, and proving cutting edge technology, free school uniforms, free meals and so on. We have empowered our people economically through all the ‘O’ projects: O’REAP, O’MEALS, O’BEEF, O’HUB, O’HONEY, O’CLEAN and so on. We have made micro-credit available to our people on a large scale, … we have lifted the GDP of the state, making Osun the seventh largest economy in Nigeria. We have cared for the environment in an unprecedented way. We have banished flooding and cleaned the environment of filth … There is no local government that did not partake in our local and intercity road projects. We have embarked on a most ambitious urban renewal programme. We have cared for the old, the weak and infirm while special people have not escaped our touch. We have delivered on our six integral action programme”.

This leads to the second issue: Why and how was Aregbesola able to accomplish so much with limited resources and within so short a period? First, it must be appreciated that Aregbesola is a trained engineer, a pragmatic and seasoned administrator of people and resources. For eight straight years, he was the Commissioner for Works in Lagos State, under whose watch the unprecedented urban renewal projects in Lagos were crafted. His knowledge of policymaking and project execution was deployed to its fullest when he became a governor in Osun. Even more importantly, he has long adopted an ideology of governance that puts people first. The lesson here is simple: Elect candidates who have cognate experience in governance and have verifiable track records.

Second, Aregbesola recruited the best people, all professionals in their own right, to his cabinet and created the Bureau of Social Services to monitor and oversee all state projects. The Bureau, headed by Femi Ifaturoti, is staffed with engineers, architects, lawyers, quantity surveyors, and other project specialists, who monitor and provide monthly assessments of all ongoing projects throughout the state. BOSS, as the department came to be known, has become an institution in the Osun government circle.

Third, Aregbesola got national and international sponsors, private partners, and Osun citizens involved in appropriate projects. He also employed direct labour, where appropriate, by engaging volunteers and thousands of young graduates in his O’YES programme. Most importantly, he ensured that every single project he embarked upon generated jobs for Osun citizens and he encouraged the reinvestment of their earnings within the state. As a result, Osun became the seventh largest economy in the nation.

Finally, he adopted a governance ideology of progressivism, which views social and economic development as twin engines of growth. It was not enough for him to invoke Obafemi Awolowo. He reinvented him in his approach to governance, by putting people first in all his programmes and projects. Surely, his style is different from the sage’s; but the results would have gladdened the sage as they did Osun voters.

The critical question now is about the sustainability of the programmes and projects. For a start, Aregbesola’s To-Do list over the next four years must include four items.

First, he should consolidate the programmes and projects he has so far embarked upon. Second, he should focus more on the necessary infrastructure that connects the people with one another and with the projects. Third, he should ensure

by NIyI akINNasO

•aRegBeSOLa

OSuN DeFeNDeR Thursday, december 11, 2014 7PhOTOTaLk

representatives Of The emir Of zazzau Paid a congratulatory Visit To The state Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni rauf aregbesola, at The Government house, Osogbo, Last Friday.

•aregbesola (middle); representative of emir of Zazzau, Sheikh Jubril abubakah (3rd right); Mallam Yunusa Ibraheem (2nd right); former Commissioner for Regional Inte-gration and Special Duties, State of Osun, Barrister Bashir ajibola (1st right); Mallam ali Muhammed (3rd left); Senator Bayo Salami (2nd left) and former Commissioner for home affairs, Tourism and Culture, State of Osun, Mr. Sikiru ayedun (left) during a congratulatory visit to the governor by the representatives of the emir of Zazzau on his inauguration for second term in office at government house, Osogbo, last Friday.

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf aregbesola (left) with the representative of emir of Zazzau, Sheikh Jubril abubakah (right), during the visit.

8 OSuN DeFeNDeR Tuesday, November 11, 2014 PhOTOTaLk

(R-L) The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf aregbesola; acting Chairman, Osun Internal Revenue Service, Mr Dayo Oyebamiji and Director, Medium, Tax Department of Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mr Peter Olayemi, during the launch of electronic Tax Clearance Certificate (e-TCT), at Leisure Spring hotels, Osogbo, State of Osun, on Thursday.

•(L-R) governor Rauf aregbesola; State of Osun head of Service, Mr Sunday Owoeye; Special assistant to the governor on Budget, Mr Bade adesina and Deputy Managing Director, Infinity System enterprises, Mr Bode Oluyemi at the event.

•(R-L) President-general, Market women association, State of Osun, alhaja awawu asindemade; governor aregbesola; State Commissioner for Finance, Dr. wale Bolorunduro and other dignitaries, during the launch of electronic Tax Clearance Certificate (e-TCT), at Leisure Spring hotels, Osogbo, State of Osun, on Thursday.

Launching Of Electronic Tax Clearance Certificate By State Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni rauf aregbesola, In Osogbo Last Thursday.

9 OSuN DeFeNDeR Tuesday, November PhOTOTaLkLaunching Of Electronic Tax Clearance Certificate By State Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni rauf aregbesola, In Osogbo Last Thursday.

•another cross section of dignitaries during the programme.

•Prince Omolade Binuyo, Commissioner II, Internal Revenue Service (IRS)(middle); adeola adekunle Commissioner I, IRS and guest Speaker and Director, Medium Tax Department, Federal Internal Revenue Service, Mr Peter Olayemi.

•governor Rauf aregbesola answering questions from newsmen at the event.

•Some of the dignitaries at the event.

10 OSuN DeFeNDeR Thursday, december

Nigerian ambassador To Ireland, ambassador bolere elizabeth ketebu, Paid a Trade mission Visit To The state Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni rauf aregbesola, at The Government house, Osogbo, Last monday.

PhOTOTaLk

•governor Rauf aregbesola (4th left); his deputy, Otunba (Mrs.) grace Titi Laoye-Tomori (2nd left); Nigeria ambassador to Ireland, ambassador Bolere elizabeth Ketebu (5th left); Mr Sean Lyons (middle); Chief executive Officer (CeO), City engineer Limited, Mr. Kola Bello (2nd left) and other entourage members of the ambassador during a trade mission visit to the governor at the government house, Osogbo on Monday.

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf aregbesola (left), with the Nigeria ambassador to Ireland, ambassador Bolere elizabeth Ketebu (right) during the visit.

11 OSuN DeFeNDeR Thursday, december feature

Entrenching National Security Through Counter-terrorismTHE issues involved in terrorism in Nigeria are numerous. They include religious ideology, eccentricity of religious terrorist, socio-economic conditions, border security, global Islamic connection and international cooperation.

The challenges militating against efforts to address terrorism in Nigeria include religious fanaticism, low level training and equipment of security forces, poverty, porous borders and insufficient international cooperation.

Terrorism is like a tree, you keep cutting its branches, but it will continue to grow, but if you want to eradicate it completely, you have to see the roots of the tree.

Panacea To Terrorism ThreatsSecurity education into

the Nigerian educational curriculum for students to be aware of global security situation and security awareness. Research-based institutions on security and the institution must enjoy autonomy, documentation of historical events and effective policy drawing and making on terrorism.

•Corrupt security officers are major setbacks: Security and integrity should be major considerations when recruiting security officers. Those who will not meet that threshold should not be allowed into the service. The vetting of an officer is very important to see a number of corrupt officers removed from the system.

•There should be a programme to synchronize the activities of the military, the police and other intelligence bodies, in order to develop a common standard and operation procedure for forces in the country.

•We need to counter religious propaganda indoctrination: Terrorism occurs when ideological motivation meets with operational capability. The way in which a terrorist group shapes its radical world view and disseminates it to audiences worldwide plays an important role in the public interface between the group and its target audience.

•Social media can be used to sniff out signs of terrorism by collecting, collation and analyzing information in or order to prognosticate certain scenario. For instance, programmes such as open source indicators (OSINT)

system for intelligence analysis extracts and analyzes data from social media with the goal of monitoring and forecasting national security-related events.

•Bilateral and multilateral consensus: A global consensus should be reached to curb the proliferation of small arms and weapons. Nigeria should establish a strong relationship with the international community, so as to enhance intelligence sharing, law enforcement cooperation, economic sanctions, and in turn disrupt the flow of terrorist funding. We must work with the grassroots first to obtain sensitive information through creating a secure and trust centered environment to work with them.

•To counter these threats, the government needs to establish extensive intelligence gathering and security system such as maintaining extensive files on suspected terrorists and terrorist groups.

•Security agents should also train how to thoroughly interrogate each person coming to Nigeria through any channel (borders, Airports, Seaport

etc.) asking where the person is going after the visit, and who packed the passengers bags. Any nervousness or reluctance on the part of the passenger can result in further and even more detailed questioning. Passengers can also be separated from travel mates and questioned individually to determine if there are any contradictions in their stories. Passengers travelling from certain countries are more closely scrutinized. Arabs, Chad and Cameroon are to subject to intense

•Anti-Bomb Squad: The IED has three components, the timers, triggers, detonation and booster and explosive with shrapnel etc. timer or trigger can easily be constructed with even an alarm clock and simple batteries or cell phones and is virtually impossible to control with tightening border control and some measures to account for dual use substances like ammonium nitrate fertilizer, this risk can be reduced. Detonators and booster are key components of IED and not easily available. The three possible sources of detonations and explosives are the armed forces and ordnance factories,

private factories, chemical factories, quarrying/mining and the road construction industry. Today, exemplary punishment should be given to those users who let the detonators/explosives fall into wrong hands. Also, a tactical ntelligence/espionage network would be of help too.

•Community Policing: All cities must establish a network of committees and housing societies to monitor all suspicious movements in their own locality. This measure will enhance both intelligence gathering, as well as alert police to movement of terrorists. Police can circulate photographs and information of the fugitive suspects to these committees. In short, a city-wide concept of neighborhood watch needs to be implemented immediately.

•Effective CCTV Systems may help to deter a terrorist attack or even identify planning activity. The CCTV should be focused on city centers, public spaces like motor parks, seaports, borders, airports, public safety agencies, corporate campuses, shipping malls and sport centers.

•Another preventive action that has been used is the threat of and use of pork and pork products against radical religious groups that feel that contact with pork will render them unclean.

•Today, many countries have special units designated to handle terrorist threats. Nigeria needs to establish a special mission unit, whose role is to directly engage terrorists and prevent terrorist attacks. Such units perform both in preventive actions, hostage rescue and responding to on-going attacks.

Building a counter-terrorism plan involves all segment of a society or many government agencies. In dealing with terrorists, the lead responsibility is usually at the national level. Terrorism understanding, their profile and functions (Modus Operandi) increase the ability to counter terrorism more effectively. Understanding the source, motivation, methods of preparation and tactics of terrorist groups, financial tracking and identification of the sponsors can play a role, as well as communications intercept.

by Fadare PeTer

•JONaThaN

OSuN DeFeNDeR Thursday, december 12 FeaTure

Changing Tide For The Niger ALMOST every Nigerian leader has attempted to solve the problems of the Niger Delta region.

Some did by establishing bodies to ameliorate the problems of the region, while some created more states for the region.

These attempts may not have been satisfactory to the people of the region though, but that is not to say that the leaders have not tried at all.

In 1960, for example, a body known as the Niger Delta Development Board was established. The establishment of that board formed part of the 1963 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. According to section 159 of that Constitution, it clearly states that “There shall be a board for the Niger Delta, which shall be styled the Niger Delta Development Board. The members of the Board shall be- a person appointed by the President, who shall be chairman; a person appointed by the Governor of Eastern Nigeria; a person appointed by the Governor of Mid-Western Nigeria; and such other persons as may be appointed in such manner as may be described by Parliament to represent the inhabitants of the Niger Delta. A member of the Board shall vacate his office in such circumstances as may be prescribed by Parliament.

The Board shall be responsible for advising the Government of the Federation and the Governments of Eastern Nigeria and Mid-Western Nigeria with respect to the physical development of the Niger Delta, and in order to discharge that responsibility the Board shall- cause the Niger Delta to be surveyed in order to ascertain what measures are required to promote its physical development; prepare schemes designed to promote the physical of the Niger Delta, together with estimates of the costs of putting the schemes into effect; submit to the Government of the Federation and the Governments of Eastern Nigeria and the Mid-Western Nigeria annual reports describing the work of the Board and the measures taken in pursuance of its advice.

Parliament may make such provision as it considers expedient for enabling the Board to discharge its function under this section. In this section, “the Niger Delta” means the area specified in the Proclamation relating to the Board which was made on the twenty-six day of August, 1959. This section shall cease to have effect on the first day of July 1969”.

At the time the board was established, the Mid-Western Region has not been created from Western Region but its creation at that time was forgone conclusion.

On August 9, 1963 under the tenure of Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (1912-1966) as Prime Minister, the Mid-Western Region was created and the first Premier of that region was Chief Dennis Chukadebe Osadebe (1911-1994) from Asaba with Chief James Ekpre Otobo (1925-2011) from Uzere, Isoko South in the present Delta State as Deputy Premier, while Chief Jerriton Samuel Marriere (1907-1971) from Enweren in Urhobo Kingdom was appointed Governor and Chief Humphrey Omo-Osagie (1896-1977), the Iyasere of Benin Kingdom became Deputy Leader of the new region. At that time Asaba was part of the Benin Province.

On May 1, 1967, Chief ObafemiAwolowo (1909-1987) from Ikenne in Ogun State, in his historic speech in Ibadan, advocated for the creation of two states in the Eastern Region of Nigeria as a way of solving the then political crises in the country: “It would be perfectly in order to create a Calabar State or a Rivers State by decree and without a plebiscite,” he pleaded on

that day.On May 27, 1967, the then Head of

State, General Yakubu Dan-Yumma Gowon (80), an Angas from Plateau State split Nigeria into twelve states and created South Eastern State and Rivers State out of Eastern region.

General Gowon named Calabar the new capital of South Eastern State and appointed Brigadier Udoakaha Jacob Esuene (1936-1993), an Ibibio from Eket in the present Akwa- Ibom as Governor. He also named Port-Harcourt as the new capital of Rivers State and appointed the then Lt. Commander Alfred Papapreye Diete-Spiff (72), an Ijaw now the Amayanabo of Twon-Brass in the present Bayelsa State, as pioneer Military Governor. Through Government Notice 955, as published in Federal Government gazette volume 46, General Gowon appointed Justice Darnley Arthur Raymond Alexander from West Indies Island of St. Lucia as Chief Justice of South- Eastern State. He later became Chief Justice of the Federation 1975-1979.

General Ibrahim Badamos Babangida (74), from Minna in Niger State created Akwa Ibom State on September 28, 1987 and appointed Major General Jonathan Tunde Ogbeha (67) from Lokoja in Kogi State as pioneer Military Governor. On August 27, 1991, General Babangida created Delta State, with Asaba as the state capital and named Group Captain Luke Chiji Uba Ochulor from Okpofe Ezinihitte Local Government in Mbaise in Imo State as the pioneer Military Governor.

In 1992, General Badamosi Babangida through Decree 23 created OIL MINERALS PRODUCING AREAS DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION

(OMPADEC) and named Chief Albert Korumbu Horsefall (73) from Degema in the present Rivers State as the pioneer chairman of the commission.

It was the commission that gave the first job to the present President as Assistant Director, a position he held before he became Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State in 1999.

On October 1, 1996, General Sanni Abacha (1943-1998) created Bayelsa State with Yenogoa as the state capital and appointed Captain Phillip Oladipo Ayeni from Oke-Imesi in the present Ekiti State as Military Governor. Captain Ayeni has been bedridden with stroke since February 28, 1997 and is presently at a dilapidated house in Apapa in Lagos State.

From the remnants of OMPADEC, President Obasanjo in June 2000 established the NIGER DELTA DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION (N.D.D.C.) and appointed an Economist/Journalist, Chief Onyeanma Ugochukwu (70) from Umuahia in Abia State as Chairman and Chief Godwin Omene, an Urhobo from Delta State as Managing Director. Section 14 of the NNDC Act stipulates that 15% of the Federal Government budget must go to NNDC. Last year the NNDC got over N300 billion. The Executive Director (Finance and Administration) of NNDC, Pastor Power Aginighan, said on August 3, 2011 that the NNDC got N561.9 billion between 2000 and 2011. This year alone, the National Assembly approved N322.6billion for the NNDC.

On September 10, 2008, President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua (1951-2010) created the Ministry Of Niger Delta and on December 9, 2008, he named my former boss Chief Ufot Ekaette (75) an experienced administrator from Ikot-Edor in Onna Local Government Council

Area as pioneer Minister of the ministry with Chief Peter Godsday Orubebe (55) from Ogbobagbene from Burutu Local Government Area of Delta State as Minister of State. In 2001, the ministry got N51.2 billion, in 2010 it got N82.6 billion, in 2011,N55.2 billion, in 2012, N86.2 billion, in 2013, N63.4 billion. Between 2009 and 2013, the ministry collected over 342 billion alone.

On January 25, 2009, the same President Yar’Adua issued proclamation acting on section 175 of the Constitution and pardoned all militants in the Niger Delta. He then created an office called Presidential Amnesty Programme and appointed Chief Ndu Timi Alaibe from Opokuma in Bayelsa State as Chairman and Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta. Chief Kingsley Kuku (44) from Arogbo Ijaw in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, the man who succeeded Chief Alaibe, told the nation on February 17 this year that the PAP has collected over 234.1 billion since its inception. In March this year, the Senate approved another N34.8 billion for the PAP.

Added to all these are the huge monthly allocations for the states in Niger Delta. For example, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (60) from Ogwashi-Uku in Delta State on June 1, at Babcock University in Ogun State, announced that Akwa Ibom State with a population of 2.5 million received N260.1 billion in 2013 alone, while Bayelsa received N173 billion, Delta N209 billion, Rivers N230 billion. Oyo State with a population of over 5 million received N82 billion during the period.

For the month of October this year Akwa Ibom received N17.3 billion, Delta State received N14.1 billion, Ebonyi received N2.7 billion, while Kogi received N3.8 billion and Rivers got N11.8 billion, while Osun received N2.3 billion.

Last year Obio/Akpor Local Government in Rivers State, where the former Minister of State for Education, Mr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike once served as chairman, spent N6.3 billion according to the Chairman of the local government council area, Prince Timothy Nsim.

Some of the former militants have now become “big players” in the lucrative oil business, having been given monopoly in the policing of the marine coastline routes in the Niger delta-a statutory responsibility of the Nigeria Navy, yet oil theft is on the high increase on a daily basis.

Right now, we have three bodies, namely NDDC, Ministry of Niger Delta and Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) simultaneously addressing the problems of the Niger Delta. With one of them as the incumbent President, and with the wild and wide presidential powers at his command, the people of the Niger delta have never been so blessed in their chequered history.

My long-time friend, Professor G.G. Darah, will always insist that the money allocated to the Niger Delta cannot compensate for the destruction of the environment in that region by the oil companies.”Eric, just come to the Niger Delta and see the havoc that the oil has caused to our people” he once told me. The people of the region will always argue too that the oil money of Nigeria is their own and that they are doing us a special favour by sharing it with the rest of Nigerians. No doubt they have come a long way from the era of oppression and they still have a long way to go.

by erIc TeNIOLa

•BaBaNgIDa

13 OSuN DeFeNDeR Thursday, december

Osun APC Candidates For 2015 General Elec-FOr The recOrds

14 OSuN DeFeNDeR Thursday, december FeaTure

Mr President, Your Critics Are Not Your Enemies

•JONaThaN

THE ever-rowdy and crowded Murtala Mohammed Airport was my choice of departure-

route back to my base after a four-week vacationing in beautiful but sweltering and sultry Nigeria. Arriving the airport and in obedience to the Customs and Immigration prescribed compulsory rituals, I proceeded to the individual information screening counters before whom all men must appear prior to boarding a flight out of Nigeria. I filled out all the forms including the new “EBOLA” health form, whatever that was. At the first counter, a lady wrapped in traditional attire courteously swung her right hand demanding my Nigerian passport. She then did some finger-fights with the buttons on her desktop computer for about three minutes, apparently satisfied, she said ‘thank you sir, go to the next counter”, as she waved me to the immigration counter.

My journalistic credo and instinct urged me on to ask her what the procedure she just went through was for. “We just want to know if you can travel”. She responded calmly. I queried some more. “So there are some people who are not allowed to travel”? ”Yes”.., her response came with some firmness in her voice. She continued, this time a bit more militarist typical of any Nigerian security official bestowed with the power to overpower the powerless; “some people have been insulting and criticizing President Jonathan. You know the man is trying his best and he is not even fighting with anybody. He is a gentle man and he is not even responding to all their insults”. I then poked further asking if someone who does not pose a clear and present threat and danger to Nigeria, but only criticizes the president, is forbidden to travel out of his own country. Probably conscious that she might be blabbing too much, she said; “Well, I am not a politician, I am SSS, and we are just trying to help the man.”

This was the kind of discussion I love to bury my head in, but I was already tired from the bustle of Lagos and I just wanted out fast. But before I left, I sermonized a little bit. “Anyone who is president will be insulted and criticized. Every Nigerian president has been insulted and criticized. That is how it is all over the world. I live in America, ma. There are many Americans who speak worse things about Barak Obama. Some have even threatened to kill him. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown. But the government shouldn’t take away the rights of citizens to freely move about because they criticize the president”. ”You are right sir...

the insult is just too much against him...Thank you have a safe trip”, she concluded.

The prevalent twists-and-turns in the Nigerian political environment are not only stomach-turning, they are heart-wrenching. My brief encounter with the obviously partisan security official confirmed that there is a new shake and shift in Nigeria’s polity and politics. In our new Nigeria, if you speak against the president, your freedom will not only be restricted, worse punitive measures may be unleashed. The unwholesome trend of events now is that whenever the Nigerian president asks us to jump, rightly or wrongly, jump we must. If we don’t, then we have become his enemies. Friends, this country is daily drowning in its own body-fluid, and an environment of political asphyxiation is no doubt now here with us. I am not sure if this new wave of opposition-suppression is a direct order from the presidency, or it’s just a bunch of over-zealous, pandering, fawning and sycophantic government apparatchiks scribbling their own scripts. Wherever the dart is being fired from, it is ugly. A few

examples we remember. During the State of Osun governorship election in August, security operatives, masked-men and marksmen numbering about 90,000 were massively deployed to take over security of the state.

They were wield ing and brandishing guns and gleefully shooting into the air to cow down all oppositions against the major party. Opposition men were arrested and thrown behind bars without telling them what their offences were. Does this new trend of opposition-suppression now inform why one impugning governor-elect slapped and disrobed a sitting judge with the help of security men, and no word of reprimand from the presidency? Does this also inform why seven legislators in Ekiti chased out eighteen of their colleagues and their Speaker while our security agencies watched and applauded on the order of the governor? The opposition was run out of town illegally, and the presidency keeps mute. Does this inform why twice in just two weeks, Nigeria’s security men raided the opposition offices and carted away men and materials belonging to the opposition party?

Doyin Okupe, Senior Special

Assistant to the President had already forewarned us. He promised that severe government punishment awaits anyone who criticizes his boss. It is now very obvious that if you camp with the opposition in today’s Nigeria, you are perceived an enemy of the president. This is what the president’s men are missing. Those who criticize Goodluck Jonathan are not his problems. The challenges Nigerians face daily are the falling prices of oil and the eviscerating value of the Naira are the problems. Disappearing Nigerian money in batches through corruption and cronyism is the problem. China, we heard, constructed the world’s largest 22,000MW hydro-electric plant for $25 billion. Nigeria spent $35.45 billion for 2,500MW, yet supply is epileptic in some places and non-existent at all in others. In sixteen years, three presidents from the same political party have not been able to complete a 180km Abuja-Lokoja road. Enugu-Onitsha road was awarded by the Obasanjo administration. Up till today, a journey that is supposed to take about an hour takes four, when there is a downpour. Enugu-Port-Harcourt Road, Uyo–Calabar Road, and Lagos-Ibadan Expressway are all in the same purulent mess. These are the problems, oppositions aren’t. N20 billion pension fund was stolen, the thieves were identified, but they are walking around free today with no comeuppance. These are the problems, oppositions aren’t. Boko-Haram brigands, who hold states in the Nigerian sovereign territory hostage, took over government houses and parliaments, seized a serving service-chief’s town with audacity, walked into our churches and mosques defiling our holy places with innocent blood are the problems, not the opposition. About fifteen thousand Nigerians have been slaughtered by Boko-Haram, more than the number of casualties in the first US Gulf War of 1991. Can this government just focus on tackling problems besieging Nigerians instead of creating more by hounding the opposition with guns and goons all over the land?

In Nigeria, Sanni Abacha and Ibrahim Babangida couldn’t shut down the opposition with all their armaments because no government succeeds long-term in suffocating opposing voices. That is why Mr. President must call his men in blue and black to order. Opposition members are not the president’s enemies; they just don’t buy into his worldview, and his style of governance and type of policies are not good fits for them. That is called democracy. It is a form of

by FOLa OjO

15 OSuN DeFeNDeR Thursday, december 11, 2014 PhOTOTaLkstate Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni rauf aregbesola, at The Thanksgiving Prayers To Mark His Successful Second Term Inauguration In Office, At The Nasrul-Lahi-Il-Fatih society Of Nigeria (NasFaT), Osogbo branch, recently.

•(R-L) Chairman, Nasrul-Lahi-Il-Fatih Society of Nigeria (NaSFaT), Osogbo Branch, alhaji Biliaminu Isola; governor Rauf aregbesola; former Chief of Staff to the governor, State of Osun, alhaji gboyega Oyetola and Vice Chairman (NaSFaT), Osogbo Branch, Mr. Yinka anjous, at the thanksgiving prayers to mark the successful inauguration of governor aregbesola’s second term in office at the NaSFaT permanent site, Osogbo, recently.

•governor Rauf aregbesola (right), acknowledging cheers from his admirers after the thanksgiving prayers.

•another cross section of governor aregbesola’s admirers on the occasion.

Thursday, december 11, 2014

www.osundefender.org T h e 6 T h m O s T - V I s I T e d N e W s -

by ade OLuGbOTemINIGERIANS are baffled! And the bewilderment

of anomie to them is quite daunting. It is not reassuring that come February 2015, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is capable of independently conducting flawless general elections that will convince Nigerians that indeed, Professor Attahiru Jega and his co-pilots in the electoral clime are the trusted ones. Nigerians are equally worried that the President of the biggest country in sub-Sahara Africa is prepared to stand in contest with opponents that other political parties will push forward to slug it out with, without tinkering with the whole process that will eventually bring to the fore representatives that Nigerians will beat their chests, have, emerged in clean contests.

It is incontestable that Nigerians know their onions; and they are aware when a foul play is being contemplated. It is equally true that they are timid towards violent reactions, except of course when frustration is getting to the extreme. The violent reactions that greeted the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election that would have produced Chief M.K.O. Abiola (May his soul rest in perfect peace) was not unenvisaged; and the wild jubilations, sequel to the announcement of the death of Late General Sanni Abacha were not unexpected. The duo represented the moods of the nation; and I am not sure any Nigerian needs be told today what is pinching, and where the pains of maladministration are being felt. So, our leaders must not assume that all is well, just because people have not taken to the streets yet for reason of overt protests.

The concomitance of Mr. President’s visit to Ile-Ife the penultimate week, and the protests that greeted his arrival on the campus of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, despite the ongoing semester examinations are in consonant with the popular saying that ‘the timidity of a tiger is not a measure of its cowardice. The students are not oblivious of the fact that their future is no longer secured due to lack of visionary leadership. They know that their efforts on personal transformation and niche creation might be delicate nictations without a shroud through which eyes are blinded. They are obviously fed up with leaders, under whose hegemony youths’ lives are engrossed in jeopardy.

Obviously, they are clamouring for a change of guards in our national life.

Some of the students expressed disdain over what they called Mr. President’s insensitivity to the plight of the students, when he chose to downplay their plight by laying siege to the campus with heavy presence of security personnel, not minding the ongoing semester examinations. Those students need explanations on why Mr. President had to come to OAU campus at a time when examination fever pervaded everywhere. They simply regarded the act as the extension of his insensitivity to the welfare of millions of Nigerians, who daily suffer deprivations in all spheres of life. This is another issue that cannot be wished away; especially when some students were said to have missed their examinations in the process.

People are aware at the larger society that the pervasive poverty throughout the nation is man-made and deliberate. Except for few cases of people with dysfunctional mentality, most Nigerians are not ignorant of the fact that we are treated and regarded as being equal with animals with lower level of intelligence quotients. We are equated with domesticated animals that are deficient in their thinking faculty, so we are regarded as lacking in rational inclination to decipher what evil of dehumanization they are meting out. That is why they tell us that there exist those things that are invisible to eagle’s eyes. They even tell us that objects that are naturally white in colour, and are visibly seen, are not whitish but black because they see themselves as the only rational beings, while others are morons.

So many things are agitating

people’s minds, and many posers are begging for answers. The soothing of frayed nerves however lies with only the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the person he has saddled with the unique responsibility of superintending the electoral processes as stipulated in the

Constitution of this nation. Unless the duo give satisfactory solutions to these puzzles, we may only be playing ourselves to the gallery; the repercussions of which may be injurious to our national life, especially now that consternations are mounting towards 2015 general elections. They will do themselves good if they will not feign ignorance about the genuine concerns of the people.

Only last month, Professor Attahiru Jega told the whole world that the electoral body has lifted ban on electioneering campaigns as statutorily enshrined in the Constitution, so all political parties are now free to sell their programmes and manifestoes to the electorate. Nigerians will want to know what constitutes an electioneering campaign and what is not. Nigerians are quite aware that long before the ban was lifted, a self-styled neutral body, apparently kitted with Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) cloaks had flagrantly traversed the length and breadth of this country rallying support for President Goodluck Jonathan. Nigerians want to know where it is written in the Constitution that Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) is authorized to do so.

It was very obvious that while the TAN’s open campaign lasted, known leaders of PDP, ranging from ministers, governors, members of PDP Board of Trustees, and other political office holders were in attendance. PDP owe Nigerians explanation as to what constitute a political gathering and what is not. Obviously, pressure groups such as Bring Back Our Girls Group with genuine intention to right the ills of the nation have not been allowed to drive home their rational demands, while security personnel were seen always providing coverage at TAN rallies. We need to know why tax payers’ money is used to protect those who show disdain to our Constitution in illegal gatherings in support of Mr President, but the same harass others who try to draw government’s attention to some societal ills.

Professor Jega recently announced the lifting of ban on campaigns by political parties. He also set up a committee to monitor expenses on electioneering campaigns by various political parties. The Chief Umpire must tell us how much PDP has spent on TAN’s campaign and add same to the amount already spent since the ban was lifted and what will be spent until campaigns are over. He also needs to explain to Nigerians what portion of Nigerian Constitution or electoral laws that allows a body to carry out campaign activities, when ban on such has not been lifted.

While awaiting responses to all these posers, Nigerians must be ready to expect

OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank GTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. All correspondence 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.

Some Explanations Jega, President Jonathan Owe Nigerians

•Jega•JONaThaN