VOL. 9. NO.066 NNNNN5050505050TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2014

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Front Page Comment

- See StoryOn Page 2

Who KilledChief Bola Ige,former Attorney-

General andMinister of

Justice? IGE

•As Aregbesola Says Omisore Has No Mental Capacity To Govern Osun

- See StoryOn Page 3

•Senator Isiaka Adeleke, first civilian governor of the State of Osun and former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant (arrowed) on top of a bus, waiving a broomto ecstatic APC members and supporters on his way to Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, venue of his defection from the PDP to APC last Saturday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

PDP Is A Party Of Thugs,Violent People - Adeleke

Osun Gets 27 Lawmakers In 2015

•Ex-Gov Leads Thousands Of PDP Members To APC In Osogbo

Osun PDP's plan orgy ofviolence

If the much talkedabout plan of thefar from beingPeople's Demo-cratic Party in thestate of Osun toperpetrate violenceas the electiondraws closer wasreal, then they

better have a re-think.To have a re-thinkis a necessity forOsun PDP before

they embark on Rus-sian-roulette. Ofcourse any plan to,yet again, embark onwhat they are best

known for;perpetrationof violence,will be tanta-mount toembarking ona dangerousgame with direconsequencesfor them.Continue on pg4

2OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 3, 2014 News

•Vehicular gridlock in Osogbo last Saturday during Senator Isiaka Adeleke’s defection from the PDP to All Progressives Congress (APC).Governor Rauf Aregbesola on top of a bus waiving a broom to his numerous admirers on the occasion. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

PDP Is A Party Of Thugs, Violent People - Adeleke•As Aregbesola Says Omisore Has No Mental Capacity To Govern Osun

By KEHINDE AYANTUNJI

THE first Executive Governor in the State of Osun,Senator Isiaka Adeleke, on Saturday lambasted thePeoples Democratic Party (PDP) as he publicly tore

the umbrella, the symbol of the party, which according tohim, marked the end of the PDP in his life and the State ofOsun, saying the party is full of thugs and violentindividuals.

Public declaration of theformer governor for theruling-All ProgressivesCongress (APC) in the state,had ended the longspeculation of his defectionfrom the PDP, the party hejoined since 2001.

He was a senator on theplatform of the party from2007 to 2011.

Adeleke’s defectionattracted party faithfulwithin and outside the state.

Nelson Mandela

Freedom Park, Osogbo,venue of the programme,was filled beyond capacity,as people hanged on theroadside waving as theformer senator from theGovernment House, Oke-Fiato the venue.

The anxious-waitingcrowd went into jubilationas the former governor, inthe company of GovernorRauf Aregbesola, arrived thevenue in an open-roof bus,waving a broom, the symbol

of his new party, the APC.Former PDP chieftains,

who also dumped the partyalongside Adeleke wereformer State PDP DeputyChairman, Dr Bello Salaam,Prince Adesoji Baderin, aformer commissioner,Honourables MusbauAyinde, Samson Siyanbola,Adekola Aliu all who weremembers of the House ofRepresentatives.

Former council chairmen,who also defected withSenator Adeleke wereKareem Adegoke, KamoruAjisafe, KamorudeenAdegoke.

Others were HonourableTaofeek Bello, AlhajaHauwa Hammed, formerExecutive Assistant,Rasheed Iranlado, Bayo

Aminu, Jimoh Oyekanmi,Alhaji Fatai Pepper, BimboOyedele, Musa Bilau, SakaLaoye, all PDP executives inEde-North and South LocalGovernment Council areasamong others.

The ceremony waspresided over by the APCInterim National Chairman,Chief Bisi Akande, NationalLegal Adviser, Dr MuizBanire alongside Ekiti Stategovernor, Dr KayodeFayemi, who was also inattendance.

Speaking on behalf of thedefectors, Senator Adelekeexpressed gratitude forreturning to the progressiveparty, APC, which hedescribed as his originalhome.

Adeleke, who

appreciated the people ofthe state for their supportso far, said he started hispolitical career in theprogressive fold, as amember of NADECO andstate governor under SocialDemocratic Party (SDP).

He said: “I am a party manto the core and when youare in a party, whichleadership has lost sanity,you cannot feel comfortablein such a party. I was neverinterested in thegovernorship seat, butsome of them came topersuade me that Omisorecannot win any election andthat I should contest.

“I reluctantly acceptedbecause I was in a dilemmaon how to campaign against

my brother, GovernorAregbesola, who isperforming excellently.Things rather took a newtwist, when we were invitedby the Congress Committeeof the party to the Ideal NestHotel, Osogbo, where I metthe highest shock of my life.

“When I got to the venue,I met my supporters, aformer council chairman, aformer House ofRepresentatives member,who were forced to lie downat gunpoint by the police,who accused them of beingthugs. I had to intervenebefore they could bereleased. I moved into thevenue of the meeting tocomplain to Jelili Adesiyanthat the police outside wereharassing my supporters.

“To my surprise,Adesiyan and Sogo justjumped up and gave meblows on the chest andOmisore was also beatingme shouting at them toshoot me. When some partymembers are ready toterminate your life, it isbetter to leave.

“I have nothing againstthe PDP. I was a senatorunder the PDP, but I cannotwork for criminals. Omisoreand his friends are violentpeople. I cannot work with ateam of hoodlums, who havenothing other thanviolence.”

Adeleke pledged his totalsupport for the realization ofthe second term ambition ofGovernor Aregbesola.

Governor RaufAregbesola, while receivingthe defectors said, Adelekewas only outside theprogressive fold, saying hewas born as a progressive,adding that Senator AdelekeBalogun, his father, was aprogressive throughout hislife.

The governor said: “Ihave been telling SenatorAdeleke for long that he didnot belong to the PDP. It isa party of destroyers. thePDP has no good history inYorubaland. Their reign isalways associated with,poverty, hunger and civilunrest.”

He assured the defectorsof equal opportunities forthem in the APC, adding thatthe spirit of the party isequality and justice.

Aregbesola also assuredthe people of the state thathis second term will witnesssteady progress anddevelopment and dismissedthe rumour of workers’retrenchment, saying hisadministration would neversack any worker, but wouldrather employ more.

Adeleke’s Defection: PDP Is Dead In Osun - Akande, Fayemi, OthersBy KAZEEM MOHAMMED

THE Interim National Chairman of the AllProgressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akandeand Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, have

said that the defection of the first Executive Governor ofthe State of Osun, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, to the partyhas shown that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) isdead in the state.

He stated this in Osogbo,the state capital, onSaturday, while receivingSenator Adeleke, who ledthousands of leaders andmembers of PDP to join theruling party in the state.

Akande stated that whenAdeleke left the PDP, hewould have gonesomewhere else, but for hisprogressive mind and theexcellent performance of thepresent administrationunder Governor RaufAregbesola.

Describing the APC andthe state under Aregbesolaas peaceful, hecongratulated Adeleke forleaving the party where hehad been marked to bekilled.

In his own address at theevent, Fayemi stated thatAdeleke, by joining theAPC, has only returned to

his original home, addingthat others who want tocome back to theprogressive fold would beaccepted with open hands.

“We know that the peopleare always with us and weare not bothered about that,but for the successes wehave recorded and stillrecording, it should be clearto everybody that God iswith us.

“In the coming electionsin Ekiti and Osun, there isno violence they can causeand there is nothing theycan do that we will notdefeat them,” he added.

The Interim NationalLegal Adviser of APC, DrMuiz Banire, whileaddressing the gathering,recalled that from thebeginning, Adeleke hasalways been a progressivepolitician, saying his

defection was a testimonyto his progressive-mindedness.

He also added that thedefection was anothertestimony that Aregbesolahas performed well in thegovernance of the state.

This, according to him,has given the party and itsfollowers confidence thatAregbesola would emergefor a second term.

Also speaking, Chairman,

Aregbesola CampaignCommittee, Senator SolaAdeyeye, said theappointment of Mr JeliliAdesiyan as the Minister forPolice Affairs was to use himto cause violence and usepolice against the APCleaders and supporters.

He said the intension forthe appointment was clearto everybody, when SenatorAdeleke was attacked andnearly killed when he was

contesting with SenatorIyiola Omisore forgovernorship ticket of theparty.

He said the plot to kill theformer governor failed, forhis return to the progressivefold to become a reality.

Adeyeye was howeveroptimistic that any attemptto cause violence, killpeople and rig electionwould fail.

Osun Speaker Lauds Adeleke’s DefectionBy KAZEEM MOHAMMED

SPEAKER, State Assembly of Osun, HonourableNajeem Salaam, has lauded the decision of the firstExecutive Governor of the state, Senator Isiaka

Adeleke, to pitch his tent with the All ProgressivesCongress (APC), describing it as a smart move for anastute politician.

Salaam, who is theChairman, GovernorshipCampaign Committee in EdeFederal Constituency,stated that Adeleke’s actionhas shown his desire foraccelerated developmentand progress of a state heloves and cherishes.

In a statement issued byhis spokesman, Mr. GokeButika, Salaam said, being

the first governor and anerstwhile ranking Senator ofthe Federal Republic ofNigeria, Adeleke is not onlya factor in Osun politics, butalso a statesman, whoseexperience is still considereda valuable asset to the state.

He further extolled thenon-violence approach topolitics adopted by the Ede-born politician, saying his

exit from the camp ofreactionary forces was theonly credible alternative fora man who seeks peace andconducive environment forinvestment drive in thestate.

Salaam added that he wasnot surprised to seeAdeleke returning to theAPC, saying, “frombegining, Senator Adelekebelong to the progressivefold”.

“The decision of SenatorAdeleke to join APC was asmart move for an astutepolitician who desiresaccelerated developmentand progressive progress

for a state he loves andcherishes.

“His exit from the camp ofreactionary forces whosestocks in trade are violenceand killings was the onlycredible alternative for a manwho seeks peace andconducive environment forinvestment drive in thestate”, he said.

Salaam then admonishedother politicians withprogressive traits to quicklyretrace their steps from thereactionary camp and joinhands with Governor RaufAregbesola, who haselected to take Osun to thenext level.

•Ex-Gov Leads Thousands Of PDP Members To APC In Osogbo

3 News OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 3, 2014

•Wife of the governor, State of Osun, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola, the lawmaker representing Isokan, Ayedaade andIrewole Federal Constituency, Hon Ayo Omidiran during their visit to Igbona and Oluode Markets in Osobgo, Stateof Osun, recently.

By FRANCIS EZEDIUNO

Ekiti, Osun Elections: Group Calls For Vigilance Amongst Stakeholders

A call has gone out to all traditional rulers, religiousleaders, elders, youth leaders, market men andwomen, NURTW leaders and members, public

servants, students and civil rights activists in Ekiti andOsun States to resist any attempt at rigging by PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) through dubious security andINEC officials.

This call was contained ina press statement issued bythe National ProgressiveMovement of Nigeria andjointly signed by itsNational Chairman; AlhajiMisbaaudeen KayodeAdekojo and National Co-

ordinator; Akin Akintolaand made available toOSUN DEFENDER.

The group accused theGoodluck Jonathan-ledadministration ofconcocting plans to thwartthe peaceful atmosphere

that the South-West hasbeen enjoying after derailingpeace in the North, South-South and South-East.

“For the peaceful South-West, the Jonathan PDP-ledFederal Government isplanning to rig elections inEkiti and Osun States as atest case for the 2015 generalelections.

“Hence the appointmentsof chief murder suspects andthugs as Ministers for PoliceAffairs, Defence andgovernorship candidates.”

It also condemned the

Federal Government forpaying lip service to thefunding of the nation’ssecurity, thereby allowingthe violence beingexperienced in the Northernpart of the country to spiralout of control, noting thatwith the best and mostmodern equipment, Nigeriansecurity personnel recordedgreat feats when oninternational peace-keepingduties with the UnitedNations.

While describing the kindof work environment in

which the nation’s securitypersonnel find themselves,it explained that they wereeasily overwhelmed by theBoko Haram insurgentsbecause the funds allocatedfor the funding of thedifferent securityapparatuses only existed onthe pages of papers and notin reality.

“These securitypersonnel are being wastedserving in the Boko Haram-ravaged North andkidnapped-ravaged South-East and South-South oftenconfronting jobless youthsand miscreants, who are theresult of corruption andcapital flights of PDP federal

office holders.“In comparison with

political office holders, whoretire with billions of Nairaas their severanceallowances, retired securityand public officers, whohave served Nigeria all theirlives, starve to death withnon-payment of theirgratuities and pensions.

“Their barracks are theworst in the world. We alsodiscover that the securityand public personnel inNigeria are the least paid inthe world, whereas thepolitical office holders arethe highest paid in Nigeria,”it added.

Osun To Establish First Automotive MechatronicsInstitute In Nigeria •Sends 30 Abroad For Training

By SHINA ABUBAKAR

By KEHINDE AYANTUNJI

IN its continued quest to make life more meaningful forthe citizens, create more job opportunities for youthsand enhance their capacities, the government of the State

of Osun is establishing an Automotive MechatronicsSpecialist Institute christened: ‘Bola Ige MechatronicsInstitute (BIMI)’, hosted by the Osun State College ofTechnology, Esa-Oke.

In a statement by theDirector, Bureau ofCommunications and Strategy,Office of the Governor, Mr.Semiu Okanlawon, theinstitute, when completed, willbe the first in Nigeria.

He pointed out that theinstitute will deal with thelatest technology involved inmodern vehicles, which consistof combined electro-mechanicalsystems with fully automatedcontrols termed:“mechatronics” that reducesuse of kilos of wires, makingway for light weight and greaterefficient motor vehicles oftoday.

The statement also revealedthat the state has concludedarrangement to send 30indigenes of the state toGermany to master thetechnology.

Okanlawon added that fundfor the project is anintervention soft loan provisionby the National AutomotiveCouncil, using part of its AutoDevelopment Fund LoanScheme domiciled with theBank of Industry (BOI).

According to him: “ Osun isthe first of all states andfederal institutions to establishthis world-class automotiveskill-gap bridge in Nigeriameant for promoting skillsneeded for employability of ourgraduates, technicians andimprovement for artisans in thesector.

“End-user training andassociated maintenancesupport for two years wasintegrated to allow Osunworkers master the repairs androutine maintenance underleadership understudy scheme.

“Following due process,advertisement was placed toattract qualified Automotive,Mechanical and ElectricalEngineers and technicians,who were tested/recruited andshall be going for a two-monthin-plant, end-user training atLN, Germany from 5th May– 30th June, 2014 beforereturning to participate in theinstallation and commissioningat Esa-Oke,” he stressed.

Okanlawon added that thelocal experts having trained inGermany will in turn serve astrain-the-trainers to train other

Nigerians at Esa-Oke .He emphasised that the

exercise is purely a practicaldelivery project, as traineesshall be tested and certifiedbefore graduation from thecentre.

“Our auto engineers,technicians and mechanics aregetting out of job because oftechnological changes, as the eraof trial-and-error to fix automaintenance is gone.Everything is knowledge-based

and Osun is ready to empowernot only the indigenes but allNigerians willing to seekknowledge at the BIMI, Esa-Oke.

“We plan to offer throughNational Board for TechnicalEducation (NBTE) andNational UniversitiesCommission (NUC) approvalfor upgrade of the Polytechnicsyllabus, a degree course onAuto Mechatronics using thefacilities in future,” he pointedout.

Osun Gets 27Lawmakers In 2015

A Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, the State ofOsun capital, has ordered the Independent NationalElectoral Commission (INEC) to conduct election in

Orolu State Constituency for a lawmaker to represent thearea in the State House of Assembly during the 2015 generalelections.

According to the judgementdelivered by Justice BabsKwewumi, the Osun StateHouse of Assembly, aspresently constituted by 26members, is illegal as a resultof act of INEC suppression ofthe 27th constituency createdin 1996 and restored in 2004.

He ruled that the electoralcommission does not need theapproval of the NationalAssembly before conductingelection in the suppressedOrolu State Constituency,affirming that having beinglawfully delineated and createdby the combined effect ofsections 91 and 112 of the 1999Constitution.

Orolu Local Governmenthad in suit number FHC/OS/CS/10/2013, urged the court todeclare the State House ofAssembly, as presentlyconstituted, asunconstitutional, by virtue ofsections 91 and 112 of theConstitution of the FederalRepublic of Nigeria 1999, dueto the act of INEC thatsuppressed the constituencycreated since 1996.

It also sought the relief of

the court to order the electoralcommission to conduct electionin Orolu State Constituency toincrease the number ofmembers in the House ofAssembly to 27 in compliancewith the said section of theConstitution.

The presiding judge in hisjudgement relied on a letterattached to the plaintifforiginating summons datedJune 2, 2004 written by formerINEC Chairman, Sir AbelGuobadia, informing the Clerkof the National Assembly thatthe commission erred insuppressing Orolu LocalGovernment StateConstituency.

It further disclosed that theOrolu State Constituency waslegally delineated and createdsince 1996 and restored thesuppressed constituency.

The court further relied ontwo similar judgements earlierdelivered by a Federal HighCourt, Ibadan, involving theState Attorney-General andINEC and a Judgement of aCourt of Appeal involvingOrolu Local Government andINEC.

Oranmiyan Group Sets Up Committees To MobiliseFor Aregbesola’s Re-election By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

ORANMIYAN Group Worldwide has set up eight differentcommittees to ensure mobilisation of support and fundfor the re-election of its Grand Patron and the governor

of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.The committees are Finance

and General Purpose; MassMobilisation; Communicationand Publicity; Planning,Research and Strategy; Contactand Relationship; Strategy andTactics; Audit and FinanceControl and Women Affairs.

Inaugurating the committeesfor the re-election of the

governor, tagged: ‘OranmiyanProject 2014’, in Osogbo onFriday, the President of thegroup, Prince Felix Awofisayo,said the setting up of thecommittees was aimed at givingsupport to the party, the AllProgressives Congress (APC)and Aregbesola CampaignOrganisation to ensure his re-

election.He said: “Being our Grand

Patron, if Aregbesola is aspiring,he does not need to tell us beforewe rally round him to ensurethat he is re-elected.

“We are not contesting withthe party, having chosen him asthe flagbearer or the campaigncommittee, but we, asOranmiyan, are at thebackground to ensure that thelapses that might be experiencedin the party and the campaignorganisation do not affect theoutcome of the election, so thatwe will not be sharing blames.

“Ours is to give support tothe party and AregbesolaCampaign Committee,” hestressed.

Awofisayo then noted thatthe group has started lookingout to raise funds for the projectand it has started receiving goodresponses from friends, loversand associates, saying,Aregbesola’s personal moneywould go into the project.

He then urged the committeemembers to be active in theassignment given to them, witha view to ensuring the re-election of the governor.

Meanwhile, the MassMobilisation Committee has the

mandate of ensuringmanagement of mobilisation ofmembers, maximum attendanceat rallies and participation ofsupporters during voting period,as well as putting in placemechanism that wouldguarantee maximum protectionof votes.

The Committee on Planning,Research and Statistics has themandate of liaising with relevantstatutory agencies like INEC,Police and SSS among others,as well as collating, analysingand applying data that arerelevant to the success of theelection.

Contact and RelationshipCommittee is saddled with theresponsibilities of establishingpositive and beneficialrelationship with communities,liaise with traditionalinstitutions and professionalbodies, as well as establishingcontact with interest groupswithin the state.

Also Women AffairsCommittee has the mandate ofsensitising and mobilisingwomen for the election, educatethem on why they should beinvolved in the election anddefend their votes among others.

A prominent businessman in Osogbo, Chief MichaelOlaosebikan Oloke popularly known as Oke-Ayo, is dead.

According to one of the chil-dren of the deceased,Deaconness (Mrs)BisolaOnigbinde, he died last FridayMay 23, 2014 in his home at79.

Chief Oloke who was abusinessman till his death andhailed from Modakeke, is sur-vived by seven chilren. Theyare Mrs Bunmi Kumapayi, anurse in America; DeaconnessOnigbinde, a businessman in

Osogbo; Mr Yinka Oloke wholives in the United States ofAmerica; Miss Adeola Olokewho works in an oil company inLagos; Mrs Iwalola Ugulu whoteaches in Lagos; Mr OlagokeOloke, a businessman in Osogboand Mrs Bolanle Olubi who alsoworks in America.

The deceased is also survivedby his widow, Mrs Oloke.

Burial arrangement would beannounced by the family later.

Chief Oloke (Oke Ayo) Is Dead

•The Late Chief OLOKE

4 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Osun PDP's plan orgy of violence

Like former President OlusegunObasanjo - employing a yoruba axiomin his letter last month to PresidentJonathan - rightly said; "the personon whose head coconut was brokenmay not live to savour the taste of itssweetness". This is most true and theOsun PDP cannot pretend not tounderstand the meaning of this wittysaying.

Before it's too late for them it's betterthey make a U-turn from the journeythey are planning to embark onbecause this time around it won't bebusiness as usual for them. Shouldthey go ahead to hatch theirdiabolical plan as they did in 2007then they must also be ready to facethe dire consequences of theiractions. And for them the conse-quences will be dire indeed. Thus letthem not live with the erroneousimpression that they will get awaywith murder this time as the casewas in 2007. Never!

It continues to bug the minds ofright thinking people why the OsunPDP revels in perpetrating violence

whenever election is approaching.This philosophy of spilling theblood of innocent people in thename of election is anachronistic,uncivilised, ungodly and basicallyundemocratic. And it basicallycontradicts the name the partyanswers. For any party that laysclaim to being democratic as PDP'sname implies should steer clear ofviolence. It should have nothing todo with violence. But for Osun PDPthe reverse is the case.

Whereas it's a known fact that thePDP isn't in the least popular in thestate (contrary to her claim ofpopularity), that it thinks of nothingbut violence whenever electionsapproach in the state sort of lendscredence to two facts; one, that it'snot a popular party and two, it's farfrom being a democratic party. Ofcourse it's basically foolhardy forany popular party and a selfproclaimed democratic party for thatmatter, to revel in unleashingviolence on the very peopleamongst whom it claims popularity.We find this to be purely absurd.

The popularity of the incumbent

administration and its party isn'tdisputable due to its sterling perfor-mance. Everyday the people of Osuncontinue to queue behind thegovernor of the state, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola for having demonstratedexemplary leadership. And these factsare known to Osun PDP. They knowthat the Osun electorate is for Ogbenibut not for them. The people are notready to waste their votes as theyhave tasted two governments andthey know which one has genuinelyworked for them.

Thus having performed woefully foreight years, and as the time foranother gubernatorial election drawsnearer the PDP knows it has no hopein the coming election. And as adesperate party this is why it'splanning to start unleashing violenceas a way of harassing and intimidat-ing the electorate. But it's important tolet the PDP know that its vicious planis dead on arrival as the securityagents in the state will not fold theirarms and watch anybody to disturbthe peace that has found abode in thestate of Osun since the inception ofOgbeni's administration.

We will not advise the good andpeace loving people of Osun toengage in violence with PDPhooligans because two peoplecannot be mad at the same time.Thus whenever the PDP rascalsand their sponsors start or want tostart their madness, our peopleshould immediately report to thesecurity agents in the state whomwe trust will perform their dutyaccordingly. The law is there todeal with anyone who is out toperpetrate violence. And we appealto our security operatives not tocompromise the peace in the state.They must deal decisively withagents of violence, and withoutmercy too.

For the political thugs whomsponsors of violence want to useto perpetrate their planned heinousact, the advice by the HonourableSpeaker of the House of Represen-tatives, Aminu Tambuwal willsuffice; "tell politicians who wantto use you for political thuggery tobring their children to lead it". Halfa word, they say, is enough for thewise.

Aregbesola Deserves Commendation OverIntervention In Education

I want to use thismedium to againcommend the

Governor of the State ofOsun, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola, for hisefforts at revamping thedecayed educationalsystem in the state.

In addition to some ofthe new schools I havebeen able to visit, Iwatched the visual ofsome of the new schoolscompleted and ongoing onthe state television duringthe weekend and I gavekudos to Aregbesola.

It was a daunting taskbefore the governmentcould convince the peopleof Osun, including myselfthat there was the needto demolish some of theold schools for new onesto spring up. Our beliefthen was that thisgovernment would not beable to fulfill its promises.

Don’t blame us, it waswhat the people hadwitnessed under pastgovernments that causedit.

With new schools nowspringing up across thestate, I am now convincedthat there is justification

for the demolition of thestructures and thereclassification of theschools.

I have seen the newSalvation Army MiddleSchool at Alekuwodo; StAndrew ElementarySchool at Oke Baale;AUD Elementary Schooland the ongoing OsogboHigh School, all in

Osogbo.I have also seen the

Baptist ElementarySchool at Ilare, theongoing middle schoolsand high schools in Ile-Ife.I have also seen manyothers, ranging fromelementary, middle and

high schools in Ilesa,Ikirun, Ila, Iwo, Ikire andmany other places. Whilesome of these schoolshave been completed andnow being used, somehave been completed andawaiting commissioning,while some are stillongoing.

While I amcommending this

government for what ithad done so far, I still needto charge this adinistrationto do more for us toregain our lost glory ineducation.

There is no doubting thefact that thisadministration has beenable to judiciouslymanage the resources ofthe state to have what wehave on ground now, butthis is an opportunity forus to make demands,because people see thisgovernment as a listeningone.

The truth is that theintervention of thisgovernment in the area ofeducation has seriouslyhelped the people of Osunand people are nowshowing interest in publicschools because thequality has improved.

• A D E W A L EADEYEMO, Osogbo,State of Osun.

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InfrastructureOSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Counting The Costs; Celebrating The Benefits (V)With this concluding phase, NIYI OLASINDE rounds off the chronicles on

the recently commissioned roads in the State of Osun. He concludes that theharvest of dividends of democracy still continues in the state; and that thestate and its residents are better for it. The fact remains that the state is beingrapidly transformed into a model that it was destined to be at creation. Otherground-breaking achievements of the administration shall be accordeddeserved prominence in our editions.

Ona Baba Ona In The State Of Osun

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (right), commissioning the completed 21 roads in Osogbo. With him - his deputy, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori(2nd left); Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (left) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) RATCON Construction Company, Mr Elias Zaad (2ndright), during the occasion when the governor commissioned the completed roads in Osogbo recently.

6 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 3, 2014MAGAZINE

Counting The Costs; Celebrating The Benefits (V)

Contiuned from page 5

Contiuned on page 11

· Continued from last week.

WE find it a convenient point to commence thisweek edition the closing remarks of the governorat the event last showcased in our last edition.

Aregbesola stated that he was not perturbed by thehuge amount of money committed to the road projects,because they would have unquantifiable benefits on thelives of the people. He added that at the inception of theadministration, he had a vision of progress for the state;of which road infrastructural development was a vitalcomponent.

Governor Aregbesola further stressed that becauseof the paramount importance of road transportation tothe movement of people and goods in Nigeria, includingOsun, government accorded it priority attention in itdevelopment scheme. The helmsman of the state pointedout that his administration was not deterred ordiscouraged by the little details of short-terminconveniences but focused on the big picture and thelong-term value of the sacrifices it is making today. Infurtherance of his speech, he said:

“When we started these roads, our traducers scoffedand mocked the project, claiming that we would neverhave the funds or the presence of mind to see themthrough. But to the glory of God and their eternal shame,we have delivered on our promise.

“We are not resting on our oars; our greater vision isto tar every road in the state since we cannot conceiveof a beautiful environment without good roads.

“We will therefore continue to convert our visionaryroad map for Osun into concrete and enduring legacyof asphaltic surfaces for the engendering of socio-economic development, progress and prosperity for ourpeople”.

He stressed that as the state capital, Osogbo Townshipand development project stands out as the product of avisionary roadmap, intentionally aimed at making Osogbothe truly modern state capital it deserves to be. In hisfurther exposition, the governor stressed that the roadswere designed to ease transportation within the city; aswell as in and out of it, adding that the total number ofroads being commissioned in Osogbo on that occasionwas twenty-one (21) of a total stretch of 26.31kilometres.

The governor went as far as listing one-by-one theroads being commissioned. A substantial part of theitemized road projects have already made our list in thisseries of OSUN DEFENDER Magazine edition. Thegovernor’s list includes the following:

Station Road to Ebenezer Hotel Road; Boorepo to

Elelede Junction Road; Elelede to Gbaemu Road;Gbodofon to Gbaemu Junction Road; and Ilobu Roadto GRA Road.

Others include: Oja Oba Road to Plantain Area; Balogun/ Biiro to Oke Baale Road; Alafia Street to Church Street;Awolowo Way; Coca-Cola to Capital Hotel Road; OkeOnitea Road to Anaye Market Junction; Okefia to ItaOlokan Road; the Road from Opposite Capital Hotel toOroki Road; Oroki Estate to Ilobu Road; Odetoyinbo toHeritage Hotel Road with Spur; and Kola Balogun RoadJunction to Fiwasaye Olorunosebi Junction.

There are also the Osunbukola to Ede Road; JohnMackay Road to Oke Baale; the road from Tanisi to KejiAdigun Street; Adams Street to Mercy Land and RoadSpur; Steel Rolling Camp to Kabelo Filling Station; andRehabilitated Ifeloju Omo-West Road.

Giving the nitty-gritty of the roads, the governor said:

“A closer look at these roads would reveal a deliberatepattern of an Inner Ring network of roads within Osogbowhich connect and complement the existing Outer RingRoad around the city.

The Inner Ring Road takes off from a point directlyopposite First Bank along Osogbo-Gbongan Road, fromwhere it winds through Gbodofon to Jaleyemi and GbemuJunction Road, and up to Isale Aro. This stretch covers1.79 kilometres. It then cuts across the Oja-Oba Roadto connect Gbemu Junction to Oluode Market throughElelede Junction and Abaku Road, and on to Boorepo,covering a distance of 1.47 kilometres.

“From there, it links up with the ongoing dual carriageOsogbo-Ikirun-Ilaodo Highway. From across theHighway, another stretch of the road runs from ChurchStreet to Bisi Bankole/Anaye Market Street, throughAlaafia Street to Oke Onitea Road and up to AnayeMarket Junction, to connect with the existing WestBypass Road. Here it covers 2.08 kilometres and loopsinto a semi-circle inside Osogbo.

Another 1.35-kilometre section of the Inner Ringcontinues from GRA Road to Adesina Crescent and upto Osogbo-Ilobu Road around Lameco Junction. Fromhere it branches off into the dual carriageway OrokiLane. Up this lane, an L-arm of the road turns rightto connect with West Bypass at Jerry Paul FillingStation.

“The other arm goes up through Oroki Estate ontoTinumola/ Wonderful Road to intersect with the IwoRoad to Okefia, at a point directly opposite CapitalHotel. Another span of the road goes in from besideCapital Hotel to Alekunwodo right through Coca-Cola.

This 2.33-kilometre section bursts out onto Osogbo-Gbongan Road, but this time beside First Bank, fromacross the point where it took off, to complete the Inner

Ring Road formation in the Osogbo Road Master Plan.”He further revealed that:

“These roads are constructed to last between 15 and20 years. They feature drainages that are fortified withiron and concrete thickness of between 60mm and 70mm.The accompanying drainage channels will furtherenhance the life span of the roads by draining floodwater away from the roads and thereby preventing theirbeing washed away by erosion.

“To improve the engineering integrity of the roads,they have been constructed with various layers consistingof laterite, stone base and asphaltic overlay of 50mm.Their asphaltic thickness is of the same quality becausethey will be plied by all grades of vehicles.

“All these roads put together have cost us tens ofbillions of naira. But we are not perturbed by the hugeamount of money we have committed into the roadprojects, we have our minds on the unquantifiablebenefits they will have on the lives of our people andthe overall socio-economic development of Osun.

In what we do, we do not allow ourselves to bedetained by the little details of short-terminconveniences; that is for small minds to get in a stewover. Instead, we focus our minds stoutly on the bigpicture and the long-term value of the sacrifices we aremaking today”.

EARLIER in the year, precisely on Tuesday April 15,2014, another ground-breaking occasion had been held;consisting in the official commissioning of roads. Thevenue of that occasion was not Osogbo, the state capital;neither was it another location within the confines ofthe Osun Central Senatorial District. Rather, the locationsubstantiated the claim that the various ongoing worksin infrastructure development of the state are spread allover the state. To set the record straight, the site of thecommissioned road projects was the ancient city ofIlesa in the Osun East Senatorial District of the State ofOsun.

On that very day, the frenzy atmosphere that pervadedthe air in Ilesa suggested that whatever it was broughtthat brought about the mammoth convergence wassomething that does not occur at frequent intervals.Earlier than that date, any resident or passer-by at theancient town could not deny the strong and boldpresence of ongoing developmental projects, obviouslyjump-started by some governments at some levels ortiers. On top of these were other visible ones that hadbeen brought to a logical conclusion and that had beenput to use. What was surprising is the fact that therewere no formalities surrounding their officialcommissioning prior to their use by their end-users.

One of the completed 21 roads by the governor, at Oroki Estate, Osogbo, during the commissioning.

7 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 3, 2014 PHOTOTALK

•(L-R) Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi; Senator Isiaka Adeleke; Governor Rauf Aregbesola; his wife, Sherifat; APC Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande; DrMuiz Banire and a member, House of Representatives, Alhaja Ayo Omidiran, at the event.

•A sea of heads at the programme.

First Civilian Governor In The State Of Osun And Former 2014 Governorship AspirantUnder The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) In Osun, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, DefectedFrom The PDP To The All Progressives Congress (APC) With His Supporters AtNelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, Last Saturday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

8 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 3, 2014 PHOTOTALKFirst Civilian Governor In The State Of Osun And Former 2014 Governorship AspirantUnder The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) In Osun, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, DefectedFrom The PDP To The All Progressives Congress (APC) With His Supporters AtNelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, Last Saturday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•Mammoth crowd during the programme.

•(L-R) Honourable Ayo Omidiran; Sentaor Sola Adeyeye; Alhaji Fatai Oyedele Diekola and Senator Bayo Salami on the occasion.

9 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 3, 2014PHOTOTALK

•(L-R) Senator Jide Omoworare; Honourable Yinka Ajayi; Honourable Lasun Yusuf and Elder Peter Babalola.

First Civilian Governor In The State Of Osun And Former 2014 Governorship AspirantUnder The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) In Osun, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, DefectedFrom The PDP To The All Progressives Congress (APC) With His Supporters AtNelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, Last Saturday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•(L-R) Chief of Staff to State of Osun Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola; Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti and APC Secretary in the State ofOsun, Prince Gboyega Famodun.

•Mammoth crowd during the programme.

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 3, 2014PHOTOTALK

•Another huge crowd at the event.

First Civilian Governor In The State Of Osun And Former 2014 Governorship AspirantUnder The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) In Osun, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, DefectedFrom The PDP To The All Progressives Congress (APC) With His Supporters AtNelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, Last Saturday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•APC supporters displaying brooms during the programme.

11 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 3, 2014 MAGAZINE

Counting The Costs; Celebrating The Benefits (V)Contiuned from page 6

Contiuned on page 12

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

That kind of simplicity had become rare in this partof the globe where many governments spend millionsof hard-earned currency, raised from the taxes paid bytheir citizens to commission projects that are clearlydestined not to survive their commissioning date. It wasthe same Ilesa that in some years past paid host to crowdof witnesses who were deceived into believing thatelectricity transformers had been install to assuage theuntold hardship experienced by the people, occasionedby epileptic power outage; only to wake up the nextday to resume into the selfsame hardship. The sameIlesa was part and parcel of the mirage called mini waterschemes that once dotted the state yet there were nodrops of drinkable water on the household tables to justifythe huge investment claimed to have been committedinto the projects! Those were the unholy practices whichthrived under the close watch of some deceivers inpower. This is not to talk of the long-standing waterdam project of the Federal Government which till datehad not been brought to completion; yet huge sums ofmoney had disappeared into thin air on its bill!

This time around the purpose of the gathering was tocelebrate and dedicate a successfully completed, testedand trusted collection of projects, jumpstarted and bank-rolled on the bills of the Government of the State ofOsun. This time around the people gathered to celebratethe provision of yet another infrastructure that hadconstituted a set-back for the large and well-populouscommunity for quite some time. It was indeed acelebration of consummate demonstration of purposefulgovernance.

Early that day, the governor inspected the sites of the29-kilometre stretch of roads. This was done with theactive involvement of a mammoth crowd that throngedthe city to witness history being made. At the end ofthis first part of the assignment, the governor and hisentourage returned to the expansive premises of IbalaCommunity Primary School where the commissioningwas billed to take place.

The crowd of admirers that converged to greet thegovernor on this occasion was not drafted from a far-away place or from some unknown planet. They aremostly made up of the members and residents of Ilesacommunity and the entre Ijesaland; for whom the roadprojects were initially intended. They are the same peoplewho had suffered decades of rough, pot-hole riddledroads and who are now fully prepared to savour andrelish the dividends of good governance, courtesy ofOgbeni Rauf Aregbesola. That was the more reason whythey emerged from all corners of the town to catch aglimpse of the prime achiever behind the feat and registertheir applause for him. On his own part, the governorwas on hand to gleefully acknowledge their cheeringapplauses.

At the instance of the occasion, Governor Aregbesolaassured the people of their maximum protection beforeand after the August 9 Gubernatorial Elections in thestate. Obviously excited over the success of the

completed road project, the governor said: “It will bepractically impossible for the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) or their agents to foment trouble in any part ofthe state”. He warned those who were planning to usefederal might to rig the Gubernatorial Elections in theState of Osun; cautioning that such groups or individualswill have themselves to blame.

Commenting further on the issue, Aregbesolacautioned that his administration has the capacity tohumble and humiliate any trouble maker through theinstrumentality of the law. It would be recalled that thesame city of Ilesa was one of the worst-hit spots by themandate robbers who stole his earned mandate in theApril 2007 polls in the state. In his words at the occasion,he said:

“The time of brigandage, violence and election riggingin the state has gone for good; whosoever makes suchan attempt will surely regret it. This is the seventh yearthat my mother and I were chased out of Ilesa becauseof election and such trend will meet serious resistance;they will be dealt with beyond their imagination.

“They picked the most violent candidate among themto intimidate our people. That time has gone. They saidsomeone is a Minister of Police Affairs, another is aMinister of Defence, thousands of them cannot unseatme because it is by the grace of God and the support ofthe people.

“Out of the PDP aspirants, Omisore is the leastcompetent, but because of his criminal records andtendency, they believe he is capable of unleashing terroron our people. He lost his ward in the last election, soOmisore is of what value before the electorate? He lostwoefully in the election and failed to challenge the electionin court, now he is crying wolf gain the state INECResident Electoral Commissioner without any evidenceto prove that any manipulation existed during the lastelection. We are watching if INEC will succumb to theirbaseless and ridiculous sentiments”.

The governor went ahead to call on the people to bevigilant and exercise no fear ahead of the GubernatorialElections, saying the ongoing good work will not betruncated. On the commissioning of roads, he said thesame gesture would be extended to the six other zonesof the state and commended the people for their support.

Taking toll of the achievements so far recorded, thegovernor pointed out that there was no town orcommunity in the state that had no benefitted from theroad project and other infrastructural development inthe past three years, which presented a completion fromthe PDP tradition, which, in his words “wascharacterized with violence, hunger and poverty”.

The selected roads, numbering fifteen (15) andspanning up 20.71 kilometres include Tosho obembe –General Hospital, Oke Opo Community, Irojo – Sabojunction, Ilerin / Leventist – Obokun Avenue, Lejoka /Abiola / Imo Junctions, Omo Olupe Street and OldOmieran Road. Others are Isokun / Osogbo, Ibala / IdoOko Junction, Oladokun Ibironke, Oke Omiru andOtekunrin roads.

In his speech at the occasion, the Special Adviser tothe Governor on Works and Transport, Engineer SabituOladepo Amuda said that since the assumption of officeof the governor, he had been giving serious priorityattention to roads and infrastructure across the citiesand towns in the state. In his estimation, a whoopingsum of N3.7 billion had constituted the total cost whichthe administration had invested on the commissionedroad infrastructure in Ilesa. According to him, the roadtransformation made it evident that the state had virtuallybecome a road construction site with the regularconstruction and rehabilitation projects across the state.

In his royal compliments, the Owa Obokun ofIjesaland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Gabriel AdekunleAromolaran remarked that governor Aregbesola hadbrought unprecedented development to Ijesaland andthe state at large; adding that the people of Ijesalandremain solidly behind the governor. The monarch urgedthe governor to carefully and intently take a look at thevarious communities’ requests for local government toprevent communal clashes, while not abandoning thewelfare of royal fathers and traditional rulers, especially,the issue of mobility.

Speaking on behalf of transporters at the occasion,Mr. Olalekan Salam, Chairman, National Union of RoadTransport Workers (NURTW), Group 4, commendedthe governor for the construction of Ilesa Townshiproads; which, according to him would give a boost tocommercial activities.

It was fanfare galore, as the venue of the occasion,Community Primary School, Ibala Road, Ilesa becamea beehive of activities as several entertainment groupsand individuals added flavour, glamour and life to thecharged atmosphere. Ijesas from home and abroad weresighted exchanging pleasantries with one another andguests from other towns of the state and beyond.Different societies, groups and individuals in Ijesalandthronged the venue to pay special homage to the OwaObokun of Ijesaland in commemoration of the landmarkachievement of roads that were commissioned.

Remarks By The Governor Of The State Of Osun,Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola At The OfficialCommissioning of 15 Selected Roads In Ilesa Township,Held At Community Primary School, Ibala Road,Ilesa, On Tuesday April 15m 2014.

On The Road AgainWe have come together again to witness the

completion of another set of our road infrastructuredevelopment projects. Today’s ceremony I one of thoseevents that serve to reassure us as a people that weremain firmly on course on the path of socio-economicdevelopment we have charted for ourselves.

When we came aboard, we made a promise to ourpeople to progressively transform their condition of livingfor the better. We have since been driven by a passionatedesire to fulfill that promise. As part of that fulfillment,we made a commitment to change the physical landscapeof Osun in a manner that will facilitate progress and

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 3, 2014 MAGAZINE 12

Counting The Costs; Celebrating The Benefits (V)

Continued on page 13

Continued from page 11

•A newly-commissioned road at Oroki Housing Estate, Osogbo.

prosperity for our people.The development of our road infrastructure in our

state is our chief means of actualizing this commitment.The reason for this is not far to seek; in our part of theworld roads are simply the most important means oftransportation of humans and materials. There is also alinkage between roads and our health. Bad roads causeaccidents and travelling on bad roads makes one sick.Bad roads also hinder physical interaction betweenpeople.

Unfortunately, this is the same infrastructure that hassuffered unspeakable neglect and underdevelopment.However, since our own desire as a government is thesocio-economic development of Osun and the well-beingof our people, we have developed unparalleled attentionto the development and modernization of our roadinfrastructure.

Our road development plan is ambitiouslyunprecedented in the history of the state. It coverstownship roads, intra- and inter-city roads, as well asinter-state roads. The extent of our commitment tochanging the face of Osun through the construction ofmodern road networks can be seen in the huge amountof road construction going on simultaneously all overthe state.

It would amount to no exaggeration for us to restatethat Osun is currently a massive road construction site.We are constructing new roads, extending existing ones,and rehabilitating those that have gone bad.

We are deliberately concentrating on those roads thathave very high impact on the socio-economic lives andexistence of our people. As I speak to you, road projectsare going on in the cities and towns spread all overOsun. Most of these roads are in advanced stages ofcompletion.

In Osogbo, a total of 21 township roads are beingconstructed or rehabilitated and have gulped N4.095billion. In Ede, 13 township roads have been repairedthrough direct labour, at the cost of N873, 817,458.85.Most of them have now been completed.

In the different Federal Constituencies in the state,79 kilometres of intra-city roads are under constructionand rehabilitation. Similarly, most of them are nowcompleted. In addition to the intra-city roads, 20 otherroads traversing the cities, and covering a total of 294.27kilometres, are also at advanced stages of completion.They are worth N10.62 billion.

We are also constructing six selected roads, coveringmore than 74.1 kilometres, in the six geo-political zonesof Osun. They cost the government N17.5 billion. Weinherited eight road rehabilitation projects of 144.29kilometres from the previous administration which wehave almost completed.

There are of course four more gigantic roadconstruction projects that we have embarked upon.These are: the reconstruction into a dual carriagewayof the 36.85-kilometre road from Osogbo to Ila-Odoon the state’s border with Kwara State; the Gbongan-Orileowu-Ijebu-Igbo Road, which is also a dual

carriageway.The third is the construction of the Omoluabi

Motorway, a dual-carriage road from Akoda to GbonganJunction, with its Bisi Akande Trumpet Interchange.The construction was officially launched on the 15thof June last year at the cost of N29.23 billion.

Of course, the Osogbo East Bypass Road is in the listof our major road construction undertaking. The EastBypass is a 17.5-kilometre road that will have a railwayunderpass at Ofatedo, an interchange at Ataoja, ad twobridges across Osun River. The government is investingN14.5 billion in the project.

In continuation of our road development plan forOsun, we have since January last year embarked on theconstruction of 218 kilometres of road in all of our localgovernment council areas, including the Area Office.

Because these road development projects are aimedat achieving socio-economic development in Osun, wehave adequate consideration and coverage for our ruralareas. It is our belief that opening up the rural areas isof vital importance to the success of our developmentprogramme, especially with agriculture in focus.

Our road projects in the rural areas have been soimpressive that even the World Bank could not helpnoticing. The Bank accordingly gave its commendationto our high-level performance in the Rural AccessMobility Programme (RAMP), and enlisted Osun forparticipation in RAMP II. This comes with theopportunity for the state to access about USD 79 million(N1264 billion) in World Bank AFD credit.

Today’s commissioning is part of the township roaddevelopment projects for Ilesa. The 15 township roadrehabilitation works have been completed to the gloryof God and for the greater good of the people. On theseroads, totaling 20.71 km., we have expended N3.7 billion.

I must let you know that these are not just roads thatcatch the fancies of government officials or the onesleading to the homes of their girlfriends. These are theroads that impact most on the socio-economic lives ofthe people. The ring road for instance encircles the entiretown and it is now possible to enter and egress Ilesawithout getting into the centre of the town as was thecase in the past.

Our dream indeed is to put every road in the bestpossible shape and make driving on them a pleasure.We are happy, however that we have taken the rightsteps and on course to the destination.

We are convinced that the huge amount we havecommitted into these road infrastructure projects ismoney well-spent. With what you are witnessing, youcan all testify to the prudent and judicious use to whichwe have deployed the resources of the state.

For us, governance is about making a commitmentto the people and going all-out to fulfill that commitment.It is the only way to earn the trust and confidence ofthe people in order for them to continue to trust leaderswith their sacred mandate.

As a responsible and progressive government, wehave committed ourselves to the development andprogress of our people. We will remain true to our

commitment and we will stay on course for itsactualization.

I thank you all for your warm reception.Osun a dara o!MORE recently, another convergence was made on

the city of Ilesa at the instance of the BusinessWorldNewspaper to confer the award of the Most InnovativeNigerian Governor In First Term on the Governor ofthe State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola. Thegovernor in his response after receiving the award, titled“Willing and Ready to do More” enumerated his landmarkachievements with expressed determination to striveharder to better the lots of the people. Particularly, inthe area of road infrastructure development, the governorhad the following to say:

“Moreover, there is solid proof of innovation in ourrehabilitation, reconstruction and construction of rural,local, intra-city, and inter-state roads. Good roadinfrastructure will not only enhance human living, itwill equally boost trade and commercial activities. Wehave spent billions of naira in ensuring that roads inOsun do not serve as death traps but greatly enhancesocio-economic activities for the well-being of ourpeople.”

Earlier in his speech, Governor Aregbesola bared whatserved as impetus for his strides to improve on thegeneral living conditions of his people.

“What we have done in Osun since we assumed officeis what anyone entrusted with power is unavoidablyexpected to do. We saw manifold, human-made socio-economic and political problems eroding the humandignity of our people and we responded with the requisitesolutions.

I must, however, note that the unique thing about ourobligatory intervention is its unprecedented, markedlyinnovative and unconventional nature. In itsphilosophical outlook and underlining framework, theblueprint of our administration is decidedly andunalterably people-centred.

“We had clearly realized even before we took officethat viable, sustainable development would be a sorelydispiriting mirage if it is not comprehensively people-focused and intensely innovative. Such people-regardinggovernance, I am confident to aver, is the efficaciousbalm with which we have healed Osun of its manyavoidable socio-economic and political disorders. Andthis happened just within a single term of our being inoffice.

“To be precise, the innovation we have engenderedin purposefully translating our practicable vision ofdevelopment into enduringly beneficial reality is evidentin the public education system of the state”.

13 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 3, 2014FEATURE

We Left PDP Because Our Lives WereIn Danger - Adeleke, PDP ChieftainsA

S events continue to unfold ahead ofthe August 9, 2014 governorshipelection in the State of Osun, the All

Progressives Congress (APC) seems to begaining from the war of attrition that haseaten deep into the Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP), both at the state and the federallevels.

It would not be out of place to state that thePDP in the state has been losing majority of itsfinest members to the numerous crises that hasbeen rocking the party from 2010. The crisis wasnot unconnected with the gubernatorial ambitionof some chieftains of the party, who wanted tosucceed former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

First to leave the party among its strongchieftains was Elder Peter Adebayo Babalola,popularly called ‘Peter Power’. Babalola left thePDP when it was obvious that his ambition wouldbe jeopardized, as the party had favoured SenatorIyiola Omisore for the governorship ticket of theparty. Elder Babalola joined the Action Congressof Nigeria (ACN) in December 2010 and waspersonally welcomed by Governor RaufAregbesola and notable chieftains of the party atthe Technical College, Osogbo. Presently, Babalolais the Chairman, Local Government ServiceCommission Board in the state. Babalola said hecould no longer cope with the politics ofwickedness, hatred and bigotries, hence heresolved to take solace in the then ACN. He joinedthe APC with all his structures, loyalists andsupporters, who were in thousands. His exit fromthe PDP was the first political hurricane that hitthe party and almost tore its umbrella totally.

Unfortunately for the other PDP governorshipaspirants, who were at logger-heads with oneanother on the contest to obtain the party ticket,the Court of Appeal in Ibadan, sacked Oyinlolaand declared Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as thewinner of the April 17, 2007 governorshipelection in the state. Aregbesola’s declarationdemobilized and demoralized the PDP in general.Every ambition of the PDP chieftains perished.Not even one of them won a single office in the2011 general elections. Aregbesola is the gamechanger. Scores of the PDP had been defecting tothe APC ever since. Ayedaade, Ayedire,Boluwaduro Ibokun, Ifelodun, Irewole and Ilawere among the few local government councilareas, where notable PDP chieftains have dumpedthe party for the APC.

The 2010 scenario repeated itself in the PDP.The devilish governorship ticket of the partyturned the party members against themselves.The party was finally factionalised and the unityof purpose disappeared into the thin air. Threechieftains of the party had signified their intentionto contest the August 9 gubernatorial electionunder the party. They were: Senator BayoOlasunkanmi, Honourable Woke Oke, and SenatorIyiola Omisore. The handwriting was very clearon the wall then that Omisore was the favouredaspirant, as the PDP chairman, Alhaji GaniOlaoluwa and other decision makers of the partyhad thrown their weights in support of Omisore’sambition right before the primaries of the party.

Suddenly, Senator Isiaka Adeleke majesticallywalked into the governorship race. His ambitionwas controversial and timely as well. Adeleke’sinterest in the governorship ticket of the partygenerated hues and cries both within and outsidethe party. The APC was not also comfortablewith it, because he has the integrity, structuresand credibility to contest with Aregbesola. Itwould give Aregbesola a tough time if he contested,so they said. At the same time, the APC was alsohappy to have Adeleke in the contest with generalsubmission that: “Adeleke is a civilized politician.He would not engage in thuggery and violence,unlike a particular notorious governorshipaspirant. There would be peace in the state ifAdeleke was given the gubernatorial ticket.”Adeleke was seeing as the stabilizer for the PDP,as many aggrieved members of the party, includingthose who had left, were ready to return. But allwas not well with the aspirants, especiallySenator Iyiola Omisore.

On May 3, 2014, there was a stakeholdersmeeting of the PDP held at the Ideal Nest Hotel,Osogbo. The meeting was called by the CongressCommittee of the PDP. It was the day thingstotally fell apart for party. Senator Adeleke wasallegedly attacked by the Minister for PoliceAffairs, Alhaji Jelili Adesiyan, Omisore and hisaide, Sogo Agboola. Adeleke alleged that Adesiyan

jumped over the table to launch a punch on hischest, Sogo strangled him, while Omsiore wasdealt a blow on his head. Before Adeleke’s arrivalat the meeting, five of his supporters had beenattacked at the hotel. Adeleke met the five lyingdown on the ground helplessly. The five Adeleke’sloyalists included: Honourable Debo Ayinde,Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye and former PDPChairman in Ede North Local Government.Adeleke was traumatized by the incident and heresolved to withdraw from the governorship race.He claimed that his life and those of his supporterswere under threat and that Omisore was after hislife. Uneasy calm pervaded Ede, the home townof Adelele, as people were anxious to know whatwould be the next step of the Asiwaju of Edeland.According to sources, Adeleke’s supportersinsisted that he should no longer remain in thePDP, and that they did not care which party hechose to join.

Senator Isiaka Adeleke finally dumped the PDPfor the All Progressives Congress (APC) onSaturday, May 31, 2014. All his structures,loyalists and supporters in every nook and crannyof the state followed him into the APC. NotablePDP chieftains that joined APC with Adelekeincluded: State Deputy Chairman of the PDP,Alhaji Basiru Tokunbo Salami, former Chairman,Irepodun Local Government, KamorudeenAjisafe, former Chairman, Boripe Localgovernment, Mr Bimbo Oyedele, formerChairman, Ayedire Local Government, AlhajiMusa Bilau, former Commissioner for LocalGovernment, Prince Adesoji Baderin, formerChairman, Iwo Local Government, former ViceChairman, Ede-South Local Government, AlhajiRasheed Adio, former leader, Ede-South LocalGovernment, Honourable Bayo Aminu, ChiefAdeleke Okinni, Engineer Lambe, HonorableNathaniel Adetona, Honourable Akeem BelloAtanda, Waheed Oni, Jimoh Oyekanmi and SikiruOlayiwola. Others were: Ebenezer Adeniyi, SikiruYusuf, Ganiyu Olaniyan, Femi Olatoye, HonOlarwnwaju Olagoke, Chief Ayo Akinsanmi,Kayode Dairo, Dr Alade Akanmu, Chief KayodeDairo, Hon Moruf Ayofe Prince Adesoji Baderinand Adelowo Adebiyi.

Addressing the gathering during his opendeclaration, Adeleke said: “I appreciate theChristians, Muslims and the traditionalists. In1992, Christians, Muslims and traditionalistssupported and voted me as the first ExecutiveGovernor of the state. In 1992, I was a progressiveand I am back to into the progressive fold. I wasin SDP then and I was the Assistant FinancialSecretary of NADECO. Chief Olu Falae was theChairman. Honourable Osinowo, Bola Tinubu

and I always worked together then. I was one ofthe people that fought for June 12 because I believein it.

“I have not seen any party misbehaving andnotorious like the PDP. Some people came to meto woo me for the governorship race, which I didnot even think of. They said Omisore cannot winthe governorship election, so they wanted me tocontest with Omisore and get the PDP ticket.Two days to the PDP governorship primaries,there was a meeting at the Ideal Nest Hotel. Mypeople had gone ahead of me to the meeting. WhenI got to the hotel, I met five of my people lyingon the ground, with police pointing guns at theirheads. I enquired and the policemen told me theywere thugs. These people were Ayinde, Akinleyeand others. I told the police that it was notpossible. I went straight to the meeting room tomeet Omisore and the Minister for Police Affairs,Jelili Adesiyan. This Jelili Adesiyan (Jalo), wasbrought to me by my party leaders in 1992. Hewas speaking poor English like that of GaniOlaoluwa, the current PDP Chairman in the state.Jelili said he had NCE certificate. So my partyleaders wanted me to fix him in my campaignteam. I did not mind his certificate but feltuncomfortable with his poor grammar. Eventually,I employed him.

“At the meeting room, I met Sogo, Omisore,Jelili and others. As I was complaining of theharassment of my people, Jelili jumped over thetable and punched me on the chest. Sogo strangledme and was punching me from the back. Omisoresaid: “Shoot him, take him out and shoot him.” Iswear to God with this. These people are thugs.Imagine a whole minister jumping over the tableand punching me! I cannot stay in that party. Iwould not support a criminal. I beg you all not tovote for Omisore. He is a thug; all of them arethugs. I wholeheartedly joined APC. They haveforgotten I am a son of Balogun. Anybody thatbeat the son of Balogun will witness shock.

“When I was asked to contest the governorshipelection, I could not have any manifesto becauseI did not know what I would say, rather than Iwould develop the state. Aregbesola is working.You cannot deny that. The PDP only wants torig and use violence. But we will resist them. Itrust my people in Ede. We are back peacefullyin APC and we will work in unity. Progressive isour background, we just strayed away and nowwe are back.”

The PDP Deputy Chairman, Alhaji BasiruTokunbo Salam said: “We left PDP because thereis no security. There was insecurity in PDP. Ourown leader, Adeleke and former Chairman of Ede-North Local Government, Alhaji Akinleye were

attacked at a meeting. I met Akinleye on the ground.He had been beaten mercilessly. He was vomitingblood. He was saying: “If you want to kill me,don’t shoot my boss.” I saw him vomiting blood.As I was entering the hotel, chairman, GaniOlaoluwa, did not even care about Akinleye. Thethree of us were council chairmen. Adeleke was35 when he became the governor of the state. Tothreaten and attack Adeleke was an insult on thepeople of the state. If they could threatenAdeleke, a powerful politician, what else couldthey not do to us? Change is a global language.Politics has changed. The politics of guns andviolence has changed. We don’t want that again.That is why we have come to APC. When I readmy about suspension in the newspapers becauseI cut a birthday cake with Ogbeni, I told themthat I had already suspended myself before theydid. We have passed the threat and fear level. Weknow there is security in APC; we believe ourlives are secured here. APC is now a platformthat will accept the oppressed people from otherpolitician party.”

Honourable Debo Ayinde said: “There isserious crisis in PDP. They will shoot themselvesas they always do. We have seen the difference.Osun has changed. Aregbesola is working; Osunis developing. One of the PDP chieftains, who isaspiring to become a deputy governor, confessedthat Aregbesola is indeed working. But he saidthe PDP would be discrediting his work byspreading false information on the debt profile ofthe state. Adeleke deliberately chose APC becausehe is a progressive. He said there are two partiesin Osun: APC and other political parties.”

In his own remark, Alhaji Kamorudeen Ajisafesaid: “I have finally come back to the progressivefold. There is no party you cannot join. But whenyou are being threatened, it is time for you toexit. I joined APC because I acknowledge the goodworks of Aregbesola. Aregbesola has performedbeyond expectations.”

Engineer Lambe said: “Aregbesola’s householdis known for victory. Aregbesola is unique. I amproud of him. All the Aregbesolas I have knownare victors and are always successful in everythingthey do. I want to be part of the good people.’

By ISMAEEL UTHMAN

•A cross section of APC supporters at the event.

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 3, 2014 14

15OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, June 3, 2014 PHOTOTALKFirst Civilian Governor In The State Of Osun And Former 2014 Governorship AspirantUnder The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) In Osun, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, DefectedFrom The PDP To The All Progressives Congress (APC) With His Supporters AtNelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, Last Saturday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•One of the decampees from the PDP to APC, Honourable Samson Siyanbola, House of Representatives’ member (right) displaying a broom, while Oyetola (left); Adeoti (2nd left);Fayemi (3rd left) Adeleke (4th right); Aregbesola (3rd right) and his wife, Sherifat (2nd right), watch.

•Another decampee, Kamoru Olagoke, former Chairman, Ede-North Local Government Council Area in the State of Osun, displaying a broom during the programme.

TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 2014

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

By ADE OLUGBOTEMIWE have suddenlymet ourselves in acountry that is in

serious dilemma by reason ofvisionary leadership that isabysmally lacking. Thosewho have a betterunderstanding of whatNigeria’s problems really arehave just discovered thatunless they get the instrumentof purposeful rulership, thereis little or nothing they can do. The testedhands have so far performed woefully,to the end that no one is sure of whatdirection the ship is drifting. That is whyit has become archaic for any leader tostick to the toga of sectionalism. It hastherefore become imperative for anyleader to think beyond sectional politicsthat may only be beneficial to one stateor region of the country.

Nothing can be more paramount thanfor a section to showcase the roadmapto greatness. The pilot scheme withinthat section or state must be madeworkable, so that others that have toentrust their freedom and franchise intotheir hands will have unfetteredconfidence to do so. This is so becauseeverybody has lost faith in the waysgovernment businesses are run in thispart of the globe. We only hear ofpromises and budgetary provisions;excuses upon excuses then begin totrickle in to justify the failures that suchpromises heralded. We have examplesin the well-orchestrated transformationagenda that only manifest in paperworks, as against the concrete benefitsthat such efforts are supposed togravitate.

The geographical location of the Stateof Osun would not have beencoincidental or accidental; although I didnot observe this personally untilsomeone, who is keenly interested inhow location has become a majordeterminant of what roles a particularstate can play, or is capable of playingin the task of emancipating a subset ofour society or the whole structure calledthe Federal Republic of Nigeria. Thestate is centrally-placed within theSouth-West geo-political zone, and if theremarkable influence the region has hadon the socio-political development of thecountry is anything to go by, the Stateof Virtue (Osun) is pivotal in the questto liberate Nigerians from self-inflictedslavery, if the good works we are seeingnow extend beyond her geographicalboundary.

The flurry of activities that arechanging the physical outlook of thestate must take a centre stage, if anymeaningful message is to be passedacross. This is where anothercomparison becomes imperativebetween the projects being undertakenby the state and Federal Governmentsaround here. While all projects beingsuperintended by the state governmentunder the leadership of Ogbeni RaufAdesoji Aregbesola have either beencompleted or are still progressing, thosebeing executed by the FederalGovernment are all suffering from themenace of abandonment. To bepragmatic, none of the thirty local

government council areas and the AreaOffice in Modakeke can complain ofneglect under the Rauf’s Revolution.

There are three major roads that areundergoing rehabilitation under thefederal road category, namely, Osogbo-Ilobu-Ifon-Oyo State boundary, theOsogbo-Ilesa road; and the dual-carriageway linking Ile-Ife to Ilesa axisof Akure-Ibadan dual-carriage-way. Allthe three roads highlighted here wereawarded over five years ago, with noneof them nearing 30% completion.Recent visits to all the three federal roadsshowed that they have all beenabandoned; with all equipment removedfrom sites. All the three roads underreview are now worse than theconditions the respective PDPcontractors met them. This is anindication that truly, our almighty PDP-controlled Federal Government haspermanently signed treaty withinefficiency and failure.

The party at the centre; PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) now has aself-acclaimed engineer as her candidatefor the August 9, 2014 gubernatorialelection in the State of Osun, withnothing being done by the party andIyiola Omisore (the candidate) to ensurethe completion of these important roads.The three roads are now impassable dueto their states of disrepair. Mostunfortunately, the President and theCommander-in-Chief of the ArmedForces, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan hasboasted severally that PDP is going toreclaim the state alongside its Ekiticounterpart, which elections are aroundthe corner.

Campaigns are gradually gatheringmomentum with all the candidatesstruggling to outwit one another in thequest to occupy the seat of power laterin the year. The question now is whatpacesetting magic can be performed bythe party that has been in power at the

centre for fifteen years, as againstthe magic wand being displayed bythe incumbent Ogbeni Rauf AdesojiAregbesola, whose powerexpedition is less than four years?With the task of spreading thetentacles of revolutionarygovernance to the entire South-West in the front burner, the PDPhave the burden of their lives in

convincing Ekiti and Osun people, andindeed the whole nation that they arestill qualified to hold the ace in the faceof numerous failed promises andprojects that dot the length and breadthof the whole country.

The general elections are also verymuch around the corner with majorstakeholders playing cat and mousegame. No one is left in doubt that withthe body language of Mr President andthe various jingles that appear like thereplica of Late Sanni Abacha’singlorious era, the ruling PDP will surelypresent the incumbent President as theirstandard bearer. The major challenger:All Progressives Congress (APC) is alsoplaying a waiting game to ensure thatthey make no mistake in arriving atpicking a challenger, who will suppressthe power of incumbency to provide thiscountry with visionary leadership thatwill remove the never-do-well emblemthat Nigerians have gotten accustomedto these past fifteen years.

Nigeria is at the lowest ebb of beingone of the most corrupt nations in theentire world. This singular reason hasmade Nigerians to be inundated with thelitmus test of having to go fordependable leaders, both at the Stateand Federal levels, in the fast-approaching elections. There is the needto part ways with that ugly identity thathas categorised us amongst the nationsof the world that are wallowing in abjectpoverty in the midst of plenty. We nowneed to exhibit highest level of sensitivitythat will motivate us to elect leaders thatwill fill generational gap that has beencreated through profligacy and self-centredness that have constituted thehallmark of our National life for morethan two decades.

Nigerians have been cajoled muchlong enough. Unfulfilled promises havecharacterised our leadership traits, suchthat truth has become absolutelyalienated from our psyche. This is theright time to open a new chapter thatwill reorientate especially our youths fora glorious future. Our bond with povertyand ideological squalor must now bebroken; and that permanently too. It istime to test a new set of leaders thatwill prove their mettles beyond rhetoricat all levels, so that our youths can onceagain look into the future with hope anddetermination for industry that will fosteran image that all of us can be proud of.This change must start from thegubernatorial elections in both Ekiti Stateand the State of Osun, and be made toclimax in the general elections of 2015.It is high time we shone our eyes, so asto remove once and for all, the dictumof “the more we look, the less we see”.

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.

Load Of Pacesetting InContemporary Nigeria

•JONATHAN