VOL. 9. NO.105 NNNNN5050505050TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

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Front Page Comment

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•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (arrowed), acknowledging cheers from his supporters after the Jumat service atAfonta Mosque, Osogbo, State of Osun, last Friday.

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How Presidency, PDP MonetisedOsun Election With N16bn•Kashamu Gives N5m Parting Gift To Hotel Staff

LAUTECH Remains A BondBetween Osun, Oyo - Aregbesola

Osogbo ResidentsDecry ArbitraryElectricity Bill,Call FG’sIntervention

Pupils Take ToVocationalSkills As FGExtends Holiday

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Court RemandsWoman WhoBathed Banker-lover With Acid

The victory of theAll ProgressivesCongress, APC inlast Saturday’sgubernatorialelection in OsunState reinforcesthe oppositionagainst a seem-ingly rampagingpolitical train ofPresidentGoodluckJonathan

It was a welcomerelief to thenational leader ofthe APC,Asiwaju BolaAhmed Tinubu.Those who sawhim yesterdaymorning astheresult of theOsun State gov-ernorship

Osun and 2015: Thegame changer

poll was declaredsaid they saw a mangreatly relieved butreinforced for thebattle ahead.Besidesbeing an elixir to theopposition that wasbadly

traumatized bydefeat in Ekitia month ago,theOsunvictoryacts as aspring for

the oppositiontowards the 2015presidential prizethat was beingconsidered aforegone booty ofthe ruling PeoplesDemocraticParty, PDP. Themessage yester-day was that2015 is still

within play. Despiteearlier claims by theAPC that the presi-dency was determinedto rig the election infavour of the PDP’sSenator IyiolaOmisore, the outcomeof the election showedthe limit to whichPresident GoodluckJonathan would go inforcing his will on theelectorate.

Continue on pg4

2OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 2, 2014 News

By KEHINDE AYANTUNJI

LAUTECH Remains A Bond Between Osun,Oyo - AregbesolaTHE governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf

Aregbesola, has stated that the existence of LadokeAkintola University of Technology (LAUTECH),

Ogbomoso, remains a veritable source of bonding that hasbeen sustaining unity between the people and governmentsof Oyo and Osun.

The governor said hisadministration will continue todo its best in ensuring that thebond between the two statestransforms to technologicaladvancement through theuniversity.

The governor stated this lastWednesday while receiving theuniversity’s GoverningCouncil, Management andstaff, who paid him acongratulatory visit at theGovernment House, Osogbo,the state capital.

Harping on the significanceof the visit on a day that thecreation of Osun clocked 23years, Governor Aregbesolasaid it was ironic that somepeople make efforts to createdisunity, where there is none.

The Governing Council,headed by the former ViceChancellor of ObafemiAwolowo University,Professor Wale Omole, incompany of other topmanagement staff and councilmembers, was in Osun tocongratulate the governor, whorecently emerged winner of theAugust 9, 2014 governorshipelection in the state.

Aregbesola told theuniversity heads that therecould never have been a bettertime for the universitymanagement to visit Osun, asthe visit coincided with the23rd anniversary of thecreation of Osun from the oldOyo State.

The governor observed thatLAUTECH will remain asymbol of unity between Oyoand Osun.

He said the bond of unityand togetherness of the peopleof the state dated back morethan a thousand years beforeOsun was excised from Oyo.

He said the artificialseparation of state creation isnot and can never provide anybasis for hostility or disquietbetween the two states.

“How could anybodypromote hostility betweenOsun and Oyo? Ourrelationship before the artificialseparation lasted more than athousand years at least.

“Where then is the basis forhostility? LAUTECH remainsa symbol of unity between ourtwo states. We must fund it forthe growth, development andprosperity of the two states.

“I doubt if any of the twostates could independentlyfund the university if left to doit alone, given the scarceresources available to thestates.

“We must realise thatfinance is very important in theadministration of a university.

“Thus, there is noalternative to the managementof the university by the jointowners, if reason prevails,”Aregbesola said.

The governor therefore,called on the ProfessorAfolabi-led committee set upto harmonise the

administration andmanagement of the institutionto expedite action and submitits report.

The Vice Chancellor ofLAUTECH, Professor AdeniyiGbadegesin, whilecongratulating the governor onhis victory at the poll,acknowledged the commitmentand contribution of the stateunder Aregbesola in the pastfour years.

Gbadegesin said the effort ofthe Aregbesola-led governmentto turn around the state hasimpacted positively on allstrata including LAUTECH.

“We acknowledge yourefforts and that of yourgovernment in the jointly-owned university.

“We have more confidencein you that the university willenjoy your support for the nextfour years,” Gbadegesin said.

Osogbo Residents Decry ArbitraryElectricity Bill, Call FG’s Intervention

By ISMAEEL UTHMAN

RESIDENTS of Osogbo, the capital of the State ofOsun, have decried what they described as arbitraryand outrageous electricity bills given to them by

the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company (IEDC) forthe month of August.

The residents in aninterview with OSUNDEFENDER on Sunday insome parts of Osogbo,complained bitterly on theAugust electricity chargesby the IEDC, saying that thecharges do notcommensurate theirelectricity consumption.

IEDC is one of ther e c e n t l y - p r i v a t i s e delectricity distributioncompanies, which supplieselectricity to Osun and OyoStates.

Calling on the FederalGovernment and otherappropriate authorities tointervene in the “arbitraryelectricity bill”, the

residents said they do notenjoy electricity to warrantsuch bill that multiplied theone given to them lastmonth.

One of the IEDCcustomers, Mr TaofeekBabawale, a resident ofBaruwa Estate, said that hisbill for August increased byalmost 70 per cent of theprevious month’s charges,even when his electricityconsumption was lowerwhen compared to that ofthe previous month.

According to Babawale,he paid N1,800 for July; buthe was billed N3,300 for thejust-concluded month,saying IEDC increasedcharges without

corresponding increase inelectricity supply to hisarea.

Lekan Ogunksola ofAyedun Estate, HeritageArea, Osogbo alsocomplained of similarproblems, stating that hepaid N2,600 last month andhe was charged N3,800 forthe month of August, inwhich his householdconsumed lesser electricity,compared to last month.

In his own comment, MrsRukaya Lawal of Odi-Olowosaid: “We continue to settlebills without power supplyand they continue toincrease the tariff. The billthey brought this month isoutrageous. I suspect thatthe IEDC is just charging usarbitrarily. The electricitycompany workers hardlyread metres.”

OSUN DEFENDERgathered that electricitytariff has been increased toN16:44k per unit.

Omisore Files Petition, Asks CourtTo Nullify Election In 17 LGs

TWENTY days after the governorship election in theState of Osun, the defeated candidate of the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP), Senator Iyiola Omisore,

has finally filed his petition to challenge the victory of thecandidate of theAll Progressives Congress (APC) andincumbent governor of the state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

Omisore, who arrived theHigh Court premises alongIlobu road, Oke-fia inOsogbo at 4.00pm,submitted his petition to theSecretary of the tribunal,Mr. Adamu MohammedAliyu.

Speaking shortly afterthe submission of thepetition, Omisore expressed

optimism that he would winthe case at the court.

The PDP governorshipcandidate is praying thecourt to declare him winneror otherwise cancel theelection in 17 localgovernment council areas ofthe state and order a re-runin the council areas.

He said the election in theclaimed council areas wasrigged by the APC, urgingthe court to declare himwinner in the affected areas.

Also, the state Chairmanof the party, Alhaji GaniyuOlaoluwa, said that thetribunal will return themandate to Omisore saying:“Aregbesola came throughthe tribunal and he shallleave through the tribunal.”

Members of the PDP andtheir party agents in the lastgovernorship election hadarrived the court at 9.00am,waiting for theirgovernorship candidate.

Omisore however,enjoined the party membersand supporters to be patientsaying: “judgment would bedone in our favour.”

In the election, the APCcandidate, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola polled 387,257votes to defeat SenatorIyiola Omisore of the PDP,who polled 285,925 votes.

Omisore, it would berecalled, won only 8 out ofthe 30 local governmentcouncil areas in the state.

How Presidency, PDP Monetised Osun Election With N16bn

IT has eventually been established that the Presidencyspent a total of N16 billion to prosecute the August 9,2014 governorship election in the State of Osun to

secure victory for the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP)candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, by all means.

The money was used toinduce voters, mobilized

thugs, and pay fake securityoperatives that were hired to

rig the election in Omisore’sfavour.

An authoritative sourcefrom the Presidencyrevealed that the money didnot include the N6 billioninitially sent to mobilize PDPsupporters from within andoutside the state for the

electioneering campaign ofthe PDP, with a view tocreating the impression thatthe PDP candidate waspopular.

It was gathered that theN16 billion was broughtinto the state in batches, asthe last batch, which was

N8.5 billion was broughtinto the state on August 7,exactly two days before theelection, with the target ofusing the money to inducevoters and pay the hiredfake security operatives thatwould be used to win thepoll at all cost.

It was gathered that someof the PDP leaders, whowere given the money toprosecute the election intheir various localgovernment council areasand wards played a smartone on the party leadership,as they pocketed largestpercentage of the money,banking on the assurance oftheir leaders that the PDPwould use federal power torig the election.

According to a reliablesource, a party leader, whowas given N12.3 million forIfedayo Local GovernmentCouncil Area to shareamong all the wards andpolling units to inducevoters outsmarted his partyleadership in the state, as heallegedly pocketed N6.3million and declared N6million for other leaders.

The situation was notdifferent in other localgovernment council areas,especially in Ifeland, whereOmisore hails from, as partyleaders used the

opportunity of the electionto enrich themselves.

A PDP leader in Ife-Southwas reportedly heard,saying: “If not for the forceand the intimidation tacticsthat we used in Ifeland, ourperformance in the zonewould have been the worst,despite the fact that Otunbahails from the area.”

Meanwhile, a sourcefurther revealed that one ofthe custodians of themoney, a hotel staff, whowas moving bagscontaining the money fromone hotel room to anothergot away with over N80million without any of thePDP leaders noticing it.

The same source said thata prominent PDP leader inthe South-West, PrinceBuruji Kashamu, gave outN5 million parting gift to thestaff of the hotel, wheresome of the party leaderswere lodged in Osogbo.

According to the source,the tonnage of the moneywas too heavy for hisvehicle that he had to shedthe weight by giving themoney to the hotel staff,making it look like hisparting gift for their servicesduring his party’s stay in thehotel.

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

•Kashamu Gives N5m Parting Gift To Hotel Staff

•A cross section of APC members in Unit 2, Ward 8 Olorunda Local Government Council Area of State of Osun, inOsogbo during the celebration victory of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, by the APC members recently.

3 News OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 2, 2014

•Osun PDP Legal Adviser, Barrister John Abidoye (with mic) and his wives, during their defection from the PDP to AllProgressives Congress (APC) in Osogbo recently. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

Pupils Take To Vocational Skills As FG Extends HolidayBy SOLA JACOBS

SOME parents in the State of Osun have enrolled theirwards in vocational skills centres across the state, asthe Federal Government extended resumption dates of

pupils in primary and secondary schools due to Ebola threat.

OSUN DEFENDER’sinvestigation revealed that thepupils have since theannouncement on the holidayextension enrolled for vocationskills in hairdressing, bead-making, fashion and textilemaking, carpentry, vulcanisingand auto-mobile engineeringworks.

A visit to some of the centresby the medium revealed thatboth boys and girls took to

artisanship, due to extension oftheir schools’ resumption date.

Some of the interviewees saidit was necessary for them totake to vocational skills becauseof the downward trend ofeducation nationwide and thatskill acquisition would helpthem out of the currentunemployment crisisbedevilling the countrywhenever they finish schooling.

One Miss Shakirat Lasisi, a

Junior Secondary School pupilsin a Middle School in Osogbo,who was one of the traineesenrolled at a Shalom BeautyCentre in the state capital, saidshe pleaded with her parents toenrol her at the centre becauselearning the art of making hairwould not only add to herknowledge, but as well providemeans of living for her in thenearest future.

Another respondent at thecentre, Olamide Babalola, saidas a male, he was learning theskill so as to become an eventplanner in the nearest future, ashair dressing is an aspect ofevent management.

At Fidu Saloon, along Ede

Road in Ile-Ife, a unisex salonowner, who is a graduate ofObafemi Awolowo University,explained that it is not onlypupils of secondary schoolsthat enrol for vocational skillacquisition, but universitygraduates and under-graduatesas well, since entrepreneurialskill is the way out ofunemployment.

He added that most of hisenrolees are students of higherinstitutions, who spend three tosix months intensive training.

At a mechanic workshop atIgbalaye Area of Osogbo, theowner, Mr Tirimisiyu Yusuf,said he has twenty apprentices,while some are full-time

apprentices, some only attendworkshop during weekends andduring long vacation.

He averred that vocationaltraining is needed more in timelike this, when there is dearthof artisans in the country witheveryone clamouring for non-existent white-collar jobs.

Yusuf urged parents to enroltheir wards for vocational skills,so as keep them away fromcrimes and unemployment,adding that someundergraduates are becomingcommercial motorcycleoperators because they are notmarketable for employment,neither did they acquire any skillwhich could make themgainfully employed or beemployers of labour.

Some parents, who spokewith the medium on the holidayextension over Ebola threat,carpeted the FederalGovernment for the holidayextension, saying that it was notin the interest of the pupils andparents, while queryingwhether the government hasbuilt quarantine centres inschools across the nation or kitthe students nationwide againstEbola.

According to a social critic,Kehinde Akinseyindemi, theFederal Government shouldhave liaised with the states’Ministries of Health andEducation to fashion outworkable modalities to curb thespread of the deadly virus inschools across the nation.

Ataoja Royal Families HailAregbesola’s Developmental Projects

By FRANCIS EZEDIUNO

FOR his developmental projects since the inception of hisadministration on 27th November, 2010, the state governor,Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has been commended for his

developmental projects.

Oyedijo after the general meetingof the ruling houses at Gbaemu’scompound, all the royal familiesin Osogbo assured the governorof their unalloyed loyalty andsupport for his administration.

The royal families also laudedGovernor Aregbesola’sadministration for the variousdevelopmental projects in theState of Osun, especially thestate capital that had been givena facelift.

The royal families, whichincluded Matanmi, Sogbo,Olahanmi and Olajomo, in acongratulatory message to thegovernor on the electoral victory,also lauded the deputy governor,Otunba (Mrs.) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, and other indigenes ofOsogbo in the government ofGovernor Aregbesola for beinggood ambassadors of the ancienttown.

They commended OgbeniRauf Aregbesola for his effort intransforming the state andexpressed optimism that hewould take Osun to greaterheights.

Despite Ebola Scare, Osun Osogbo 2014 Records SuccessBy FRANCIS EZEDIUNO

THE 2014 Osun Osogbo Festival may have come andgone but the festival will not only linger in the mindsof tourists and stakeholders as a successful exercise,

but also as one surrounded with controversy, no thanks tothe Ebola Virus scare.

The scare of the dreadedEbola virus notwithstanding,the 2014 Osun Osogbo Festi-val was a resounding success.

Tourists and stakeholders,who spoke at the festival, werefull of praises to the organisersfor organising a hitch-free festi-val and to the people of Osogbofor being good hosts.

Few weeks to the festival,there were uncertainties onwhether the festival was goingto hold or not, as there were sto-ries in the media alerting thepublic on the State Governmentof Osun’s stand on Ebola con-trol, which discouraged non-residents and foreigners andtourists from attending the fes-tival.

However, the success of thefestival had confirmed the con-nection and intensity of the tour-ism sector to the people and howquickly it could recover in themidst of crisis.

Though the festival wit-nessed slimmer patronage withthe absence of the OduaPeoples Congress (OPC)among others, but the domesticpatronage had shown that it wasthe people’s festival with thesignificant number of culturalenthusiasts that converged onthe grove for the annual rites tothe Osun goddess.

Even with the Ebola scare,the festival also recorded a mar-ginal influx of foreign touristsand Osun devotees from Brazil

and visitors from within Nige-ria.

Many believed that the in-genuity of the age-long festivalof the people had become apoint of reference and nothingcould disrupt it because of thenorms, value and heritage itholds to their existence, whileothers said the degree of cam-paign mechanism at mobilisingrather than discouraging people,put together by the organiserspaid-off at the end.

Notwithstanding, the festi-val started on a good note withthe votary maid setting out theprocession to the Ojubo Osun(Osun shrine) at the grove.

In earnest, the processionprogressed with a good outingand attracted spectacle and ad-miration from devotees, tour-ists and visitors, who throngedthe grove in their numbers.

Mrs. Nike Okundaye, thefounder of Nike Art Gallery,said that this year’s festival wasmemorable, as there was norecord of casualties throughoutthe celebration.

She however commendedthe security operatives at thisyear’s edition for not only be-ing around, but also giving maxi-mum security to visitors.

According to her: “Thecrowd was not much and thesecurity agencies did a goodjob.”

Speaking on tourist patron-age, Okundaye said: “My prod-

ucts were patronised by fewpeople, but the patronage wasnot like the previous year. Wehope next year’s edition in 2015will be much better than thisyear, as we pray for betterthings ahead.”

Mr. Paulo Oliveira, the Di-rector of Studies, Centro deOrunmila in Brazil, called forstronger cultural ties betweenNigeria and Brazil.

Oliveira, who led a Braziliandelegation to the Osun Osogbofestival, despite the Ebola scare,said that Brazil has similar cul-ture with Nigeria, adding thattheir traditional ways of wor-ship are not different from theYoruba traditions.

“We remove our cap beforegreeting our traditional rulers, weas well prostrate to greet our tra-ditional rulers just like the wayYoruba people do.

“We eat, dance and worshipthe same way Yoruba people doand most of us are traditionalworshippers,” Oliveira said.

The director said that the ori-gin of some of the Brazilianswas from Oduduwa, the forefa-

ther of Yoruba land in Ile-Ife,State of Osun.

His words: “I believe thatmajority of Brazilians are notforeigners, but Nigerians. Youcan trace our origin to be fromIle-Ife.

“Brazilians believe that weare Yoruba and not foreignersby history, since our forefatherswere enslaved to the foreigncountry, where they eventuallymarried white men and gavebirth to us.”

Oliveira said that in someparts of Brazil, they still wor-ship Sango, Obatala, Sonpona,Oya, Ogun and Irunmole.

“These are the things theyleft behind for us to worship,and would continue to be a gen-eration thing because it waswhat our forbearers identifiedwith and transferred to us.

“We share the same blood,traditions, norms and culture, soNigerians and Brazilians arebrothers and sisters.

“That is the more reason whywe do attend the Osun Osogbofestival in order to embrace ourcultural heritage and traditions

of our forefathers,” he said.Mrs. Olaleke Fakeye, the

Regional Trade Marketer forMTN, South-West, said therewas no regret despite the re-striction of visitors to thisyear’s Osun Osogbo festival.

According toFakeye,:”MTN never regrettedcollaborating with the organisersand the government of the Stateof Osun in hosting the annualfestival because it not onlyhelped to reach our subscrib-ers, but also created a rallyingpoint to celebrate the people’sheritage.

“We did every programmethat we organised for the chil-dren and people of the State ofOsun and gave out a special giftto the winner of the footballcompetition that we organised.

“We witnessed a largercrowd in our MTN stage. Ithink it was quite successful,”Fakeye said.

She added that they had beenpartnering with State Govern-ment of Osun for over eightyears and there was not muchdifference in their sales this year,when compared with 2013.

Strive For Excellence - Cleric Urged JournalistsBy SOLA JACOBS

JOURNALISTS have been urged to strive for excellence intheir chosen profession for their betterment, as well as touphold the honour and development of the country.

The Pastor-in-charge of theRedeemed Christian Church,Liberation Parish, Alekuwodo inOsogbo, State of Osun capital,gave this charge at thethanksgiving service of thenewly-elected executives of theNigeria Association of WomenJournalists, Osun State(NAWOJ) recently.

In his sermon, Pastor PeterOlaleye urged journalists to fearGod in discharging their dutiesand should not be a willing toolin the hands of politicians.

Pastor Olaleye admonishedthem to do things and write aboutissues that will promote anddevelop the nation, rather thanissues that will further divide the

country.He also urged them to be

steadfast in prayer and holiness,as well as promote righteousliving.

Speaking at the thanksgivingceremony, the newly-electedstate chairperson of NAWOJ,Mrs Toyin Adeoye, chargedwomen in the noble professionto be mindful of their primaryroles, as mothers and dutifulwives to their respectivehusbands.

Mrs Adeoye said thoughjournalism as a profession istasking but women should notneglect their primary duties atthe expense of their profession.

She also solicited for thecooperation of the members of

the association, as well as theprayers of the church for thesuccess of the newly-electedexecutives, who are saddled withleading the association in theState of Osun in the next twoyears.

The climax of the thanksgivingservice was the dedication of themembers of the executives ledby their chairperson, Mrs ToyinAdeoye; Vice Chairperson,Tunrayo Ayegbayo; Secretary,Funmi Adekoya and FinancialSecretary Bisola Ariwodola.

Present at the thanksgivingservice were the StateCommissioner for Informationand Strategy, Mr Sunday Akere,the Chairman of Nigeria Unionof Journalists in the state, MrAbiodun Olalere, Mrs SolaJacobs National Auditor ofNAWOJ, Mrs BukolaAderibigbe, Sola Egbodofo andmany others.

Giving the commendationsrecently in Osogbo, the AtaojaRoyal Families, comprising thefour ruling houses in Osogbo, thestate capital, described thegovernor’s victory in the just-concluded August 9, 2014gubernatorial election in the stateas a manifestation of theacceptability of the currentadministration.

In a communiqué issued andsigned by Alhaji Nasiru Oyeniyi

Court Remands WomanWho Bathed Banker-lover With Acid

By ISMAEEL UTHMAN

A 24-year-old woman,Omowumi Ajide, hasbeen ordered to be

remanded in prison custodyby an Osogbo Magistrate’sCourt for allegedly bathingher lover with adulteratedacid in Osogbo.

Ajide allegedly pouredadulterated acid on the face ofher lover, Awoyemi Abiodun, whoworks with a first generationbank along Gbongan/Ibadan Road,Osogbo Branch.

The ugly incident occurredwhen Abiodun allegedly told Ajidethat he was no longer interestedin the relationship.

The charge sheet madeavailable to OSUN DEFENDERon Thursday stated that theaccused person committed theoffence on August 4, 2014 atabout 9:15pm at Adetoro Estate,Osogbo.

Police prosecutor, InspectorFagboyinbo Abiodun maintainedthat the offence committed wascontrary to and punishable underSections 96 and 355 of theCriminal Code, Cap 34, Vol. 11,Laws of Osun, 2003.

The plea of the accused wasnot taken due to the capitalnature of the offence.

Magistrate Olusola orderedthat the accused be remanded inIlesa prison custody, just as headjourned the case till October3, 2014 for mention.

Ajide and Abiodun, accordingto information, have beencourting for about four years.

Change Of NameI, formerly known and

addressed as JIMOHTAOFEEK, now wish tobe known and addressedas MR AYINDETAOFEEK. All formerdocuments remain valid.General public shouldtake note.

Change Of NameI, formerly known and

addressed as ILORIMATTEW IPOOLA, nowwish to be known andaddressed as ILORIOLANIBI MATTEWIPOOLA. All formerdocuments remain valid.General public shouldtake note.

4 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Osun and 2015: The game changer

Continued from pg1

Overwhelming presenceThe overwhelming presence of security menin the state in the days ahead of the poll didnot impede the electorate from exercisingtheir will on who governs them. Thatindeed, is a reassuring sign for manyNigerians and the international communitythat the 2015 election could be a free andfair election.Indeed, ahead of the polls last weekend, theAPC and its flag bearer, Aregbesola, had inthe face of the strong presence of securitymen around the state betrayed clear signs ofunease. The APC’s national spokesman,Alhaji Lai Mohammed in statements paintedthe impression of the determination of thepresidency to rig the election in a cleardetermination to reshape the politicalconfiguration of the Southwest ahead of thedecisive 2015 election.Such panic caused the opposition party tosummon all its elected office holders andpolitical appointees from across the countryto show presence in Osun State from lastTuesday as a way of boosting the morale ofits supporters in that state.The PDP’s candidate was also lifted by thepresence of strong detachment of thesecurity forces whose presence helped tosuppress whatever advantages the incum-bency factor would have given toAregbesola.Omisore also had his friends from the Senateincluding Senators Enyininnya Abaribe,

Ehigie Uzamere and some others to lift hisheart. But the most decisive factors were thevoters on ground who at the end of voting onSaturday showed their preference for theincumbent.The outcome was, however, not a rout as theAregbesola camp had predicted it would bewithout rigging. That underscored the agitationamong some PDP loyalists who had sought foran alternative candidate. Omisore, a formerdeputy governor of Osun State had before thiselection been on the winning side of all thegubernatorial elections conducted in OsunState. He was deputy governor to Chief BisiAkande, strongly supported the immediatepast governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola in2003 and 2007, but, however, came short indelivering himself into an office he had in thepast helped others to enter.Though a very lively man with soundeducation, the factors against Omisore weremostly fanned by perceptions about himarising from his trial for the murder of ChiefBola Ige, a former attorney general of thefederation. Omisore who was acquitted ofcomplicity in that murder, however, did littleto clear that perception. Besides, his politicalfoes helped to fan the negative perceptionabout him.Oyinlola, the immediate past governor of thestate who himself had a grudge against thePDP rubbed in the Ige wound on the peoplewhen he questioned why President Jonathanhad surrounded himself with all those who werequestioned over the murder of Ige.“The candidate of the PDP was arrested forkilling Ige. He was arrested and detained. “Thenational secretary of the [PDP], ProfessorWale Oladipo, was also detained in connectionwith the killing. The Minister of PoliceAffairs, Jelili Adesiyan, was also detained.

“The chairman of the party in this state,Ayobami Olaoluwa, was also arrested. So, why iseveryone who was in detention given appoint-ment or put in a position of authority? We needto ask the government,” Oyinlola said.Great minusLinking anyone or party with the death of Igewas a great minus especially given the adorationthat Ige continues to draw from most parts ofthe state. The election was also an opportunityfor political enemies in the Southwest to hit athim. Tinubu had by every indication mounted theplatform of political leadership of the Southwestwith the dominance of his party in five of the sixSouthwest states. After the loss of Ekiti, hispolitical empire was trimmed to four states andthe prospect of losing Osun, had in the last weeksof the campaign become an exciting lure forTinubu bashers in the region.Internal dissentIt was especially so, given that Aregbesola wasgenerally considered the closest of the APCgovernors to Tinubu.The internal dissent to Tinubu in the Southwestwas especially fanned by vestiges of Afenifere,the socio-political organization through whichTinubu, himself emerged as governor of LagosState in 1999. But the former governor’s allegedrole in splintering Afenifere after his emergenceas governor helped to create animosity thattoday irks many Yoruba leaders.Even though many Afenifere leaders did notcome out openly to antagonise Tinubu andAregbesola ahead of the election, some of themwere enthusiastically waiting to celebrate thedownfall of the APC in Osun.Celebrating the downfallAPC leaders who learnt from their laxity in Ekitiwere well prepared for Osun and went out of theway to woo known and unknown enemies. PDPon the other hand did not help its candidate with

the clear animosity towards rebels in the party.The treatment of Oyinlola and another formergovernor of the state, Senator Isiaka Adelekesubsequently proved to be one of the majorproblems for the PDP on Election Day.Though Oyinlola did not muster enough votesto win his booth, Adeleke’s grip on Ede, one ofthe largest towns in the state helped to firmlydeliver the town to the APC. After being luredinto the PDP gubernatorial contest, theformer governor was allegedly forced out bywhat he claimed to be impediments put on hisway. That was the beginning of his defectionto the APC, a move the PDP would now regretnot to have stopped.One APC source revealed that Adeleke was thecandidate the party feared most could troubleAregbesola. But even after he withdrew, thePDP hierarchy in the state failed to soothehim giving him room to defect. Tinubu, theAPC national leader and the many presidentialaspirants in the party would be very gleefulwith the outcome of the polls. Yesterday, asource said Tinubu was himself very bouncy ashe saw the result as a vindication against theaspiration of his internal foes in the South-west. For the presidential aspirants, theoutcome of the election gives hope that theirpermutations of forging a Southwest andNorthern alliance against the PDP remainsfeasible.For President Jonathan, the permutation mayhave been that whatever loss of support hemay have suffered in the North would begained in the Southwest. Now, it is back tobasics.By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

With Goons, Guns, Dogs, Omisore Is Still Crying Wolf!

W I T H

90,000 securityoperatives in hiswar-room, heavyarms andammunitions thatcan snuff life out ofany opposition in ajiffy, hundreds ofdogs trained to mauland maim dissentingvoices, meanmilitants co-mingling from far-a n d - n e a r ,overzealous partyfoot-soldiers withcharms and voodoofrom Chad, MusiliuObanikoro leadingthe Army, JeliliAdesiyan directingthe Police, Buruji

Kashumu in-chargeof the money bag,and scaramucciaChris Ubah headingthe department ofbraggadocio, it is aconsternation thatshellacked PDPcandidate, Iyiola

Omisore, still has thelarynx to cry wolfabout theg u b e r n a t o r i a lelection he lost toRauf Aregbesola onAugust 9, 2014.

I can’t believe it! Omisore was the

Goliath, Rauf wasthe David. Whenbiblical Davidwhipped the behindof Goliath, the latterand his men went tosleep. But in the caseof our PDP Goliath,no, he does not want

to sleep. He wants tostay wide awake asan election tribunalcombs through thedocuments of avalid election sheet-by-sheet looking forloopholes forsubversion and

torpedo. At the endof it all, the prayerOmisore seeks fromthe tribunal mayreveal that he mighthave not evenscored up to thenumber of votes hewas given credit for.

Is he jittery aboutthis? You bet he is,but this litigationmay be a nudge fromabove towards2015. Omisore andhis campaign thathad the goons, theguns and dogs justwant to cry wolf,where there is none.

That’s the moral ofthe story; and itsounds immoral tome.

• FOLA OJO,Osogbo, State ofOsun.

OSUN DEFENDERPublisher – Moremi Publishing

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

5555

AnniversaryBeginning Of New Beginnings II

As the State of Osun moves on in her quest and desire for greater heights, NIYI OLASINDE concludes thiscommemorative edition with a note of prediction that the skies are just the starting limit to the greatness of the statein all spheres of life.

The State Of Osun At 23

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 2, 2014

•Laro-Timehin Middle School, Isale-Osun, Osogbo, recently built under the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

6 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Beginning Of New Beginnings II

•AREGBESOLA •LAOYE-TOMORI

•Continued from Tuesday, August 26, 2014.

THE Executive arm of Government is headed byMr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, and assisted byhis deputy, Otunba Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori;

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), AlhajiMoshood Olalekan Adeoti; the Chief of Staff, AlhajiGboyega Oyetola; the Head of Service, Mr. YinkaOwoeye; and fourteen (14) cabinet commissioners.

Recently, on Saturday, August 9, 2014 to be precise,the people of the State of Osun returned OgbeniAregbesola as governor for the second term withmassive votes in a Gubernatorial Election whichclimaxed a season of hot contest. On November 27this year, the administration of Ogbeni Aregbesola shallbe re-inaugurated for the second term. It is a widelyacknowledged fact that the monumental achievementsrecorded by that administration in all spheres haveserved as impetus for the people to poll massively forthe Government Unusual to continue with the tide ofprogress for another four-year term in office.According to Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola during theelection campaign heralding the Governorship Election,the duty and process of electing a governor is a one-day exercise which has a far-reaching effect that candetermine the course of events of our lives and ourprogress as a people for more than mere four years;but for as far as twenty of more years! Theachievements of the administration in all spheres inthe first four-year period have proven this fact beyondreasonable doubts.

The State of Osun House of Assembly consists of26 honourable members. The Speaker is Rt.Honourable Najeem Folasayo Salaam, while theDeputy Speaker is Honourable (Barrister) AdegboyeAkintunde. The leader of the House is HonourableTimothy Owoeye.

The judiciary is headed by Justice Oyebola AdepeleOjo. The Chief Judge is assisted by 18 other HighCourt Judges in the dispensation of justice. TheCustomary Court of Appeal is headed by Justice GloriaE. Oladoke (Mrs.) and consisted of other judges.

As pointed out earlier, three Senatorial Districts existin the state. They are Osun I which consist of Edeand Iwo zones. Osun II consists of Osogbo and Ikirunzones while Ife/Ijesa has as constituencies the Ife andIlesa zones. With each district having 2 zones, the stateis divided into 6 zones in all. The state is made up ofthirty local government areas and the Ife East AreaCouncil. The local governments and their headquartersare:

Atakumosa-East - IperindoAtakumosa-West - OsuAyedaade - GbonganAyedire - Ile-OgboBoluwaduro - Otan-AyegbajuBoripe - IragbijiEde-North - Oja TimiEde-South - EdeEgbedore - AwoEjigbo - EjigboIfe-Central - Ile-IfeIfe-East - Oke OgboIfe-North - IpetumoduIfe-South - IfetedoIfedayo - Oke-IlaIfelodun - IkirunIla - Ila-OrangunIlesa-East - IyemogunIlesa-West - Omi AladiyeIrepodun - IlobuIrewole - IkireIsokan - ApomuIwo - IwoObokun - IbokunOdo-Otin - OkukuOla-Oluwa - Bode OsiOlorunda - IgbonnaOriade - Ijebu-IjesaOrolu - Ifon-OsunOsogbo - Osogbo (Oke Baale)Ife-East Area Office - Modakeke

Osogbo is the state capital. It is a city that is rich inarts and crafts. It is about six hours drive,(approximately 428 kilometres) from Abuja, the FederalCapital and 232 kilometres from Lagos, Nigeria’s mostprominent port city and commercial/industrial nervecentre. Ibadan, the most populous city in West Africa(largest in Black Africa) is about 88 kilometres fromOsogbo. Federal Government agencies in the statecapital include the Nigeria Machine Tools, OsogboSteel Rolling Company (currently undergoingprivatization and commercialization under the aegis ofDangote Group of Companies), and the IndustrialDevelopment Centre. Others are the FederalDepartment of Solid Minerals, the Liaison Office ofthe Raw Materials Research and Development Centre(RMRDC), National Directorate of Employment(NDE), National Examinations Council (NECO) andthe West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

The state capital also houses a national grid of thePower Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). Withthe ongoing trend of road revolution in the state, theState of Osun is on the path of enjoying splendid roadnetwork within itself and with other parts of thecountry, and it is also being rapidly improved for railwaynetwork for easy transportation/conveyance of cargoand commuters. The aerodrome at Ido Osun at theoutskirts of the state capital has begun to receive urgentand priority attention from the government of the dayas it is being radically transformed and upgraded intoan international airport for flying all manners and kindsof aircraft as well as their repairs. The ultimate aim ofgovernment’s efforts and activities in the airport projectare those of its expansion, upgrading andtransformation into the status of an up-to-datefunctional international airport.

In the area of commerce and industry, the RailwayTerminus at the Old Garage Area in the heart ofOsogbo is being transformed to meet the high demandsof cargo loading and off-loading as well as highcapacity warehousing facilities. In addition to thiseffort, a state-of-the-art market is being currentlysituated at the Old Government Secretariat premisesat Baruwa Area, before Ogo Oluwa, in order toprovide another avenue for economies of scaleassociated with bulk purchase of consumer goods asan alternative to having to place individual directpatronage in Lagos or Ibadan. This innovative Marketis named Ayegbaju Internal Market. The first phaseof the Ayegbaju International Market has already beencommissioned for use and allotment of shops and stallsequitably done. Already, trading activities havecommenced at the market. Also ongoing is the workon the International Market at Dagbolu, anotheroutskirt of Osogbo, the state capital, along Ikirun Road.

The State Government operated its businesses froman ultra-modern secretariat complex in the statecapital. The legislative and judicial arms of governmentare interdependent and work harmoniously with theexecutive arm to move the state forward.

Local government administration in the state, as inother states of the federation, is operated under a two-tier system made up of the executive and the legislativearms. Developmental activities in the local governmentareas complete the efforts of the State Governmentof Osun in making the state truly investment-friendly.

The Government the state of Osun would welcome

Continued on page 7

7 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 2, 2014 MAGAZINE

Beginning Of New Beginnings II

•The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun (middle) and his wives during the 2014 Osun-Osogbo festival.

foreign visitors wishing to come over on a guidedvisit of Osun State to see firsthand, the rich heritageof our people. Organizers of tours and travels will beencouraged to collaborate with the Government thestate of Osun to bring in foreigners wishing to visit forthe purpose of tracing their roots or understanding thecultural heritage of the blacks, particularly the Yorubas.

There is an ancient culture situated in the heart of amodern city. Let the Creative Art and Designer, NikeDavies Okundaye, take you into a world that moveseasily between talking drums and the internet. Whetheryou are a specialist in the arts or merely interested infinding new forms of art, the Nike Centre offers youmore than this opportunity. For over two decades, shehas attended workshops in both the United States andEurope where she gave lectures on traditional Nigeriantextiles. No doubt she is known today for her colourfulbatik and paintings that appeals to modernity.

Nike is definitely a master in the art of weaving anddyeing. She was brought up amidst the traditionalweaving and dyeing practiced in her native village ofOgidi in Western Nigeria. Her cultural revival in theart and craft has launched her fame beyond the bordersof the country. Surely, you can now visit the world ofthe Yoruba, to explore a culture that has flourished inwestern Nigeria for more than 1000 years.

Explore the arts and crafts of the centre whichincludes; adire, batik, indigo, beadwork, painting,carving, embroidery, metal work, weaving anddrumming. All of these could be seen and purchasedonline. You can visit her centres located in Lagos,Osogbo, Ogidi, and Abuja, Nigeria.

One more thing, the Nike Centre for arts and culturegives you an opportunity to see Nigerian art in newforms and style. This is also a place where you canspend your days and time visiting museums, galleries,and traditional markets, or studying the techniques usedby the Yoruba craftsmen and artists.

Chief Jimoh Buraimoh was born in 1943 in Osogbo.From the 1960s, he has emerged as another shininglight of the Osogbo School of Art. His creative instinctsspan the world of dramatic art, but mostly famous withhis drawings, oil painting, textile and bead painting.Primarily, his themes are drawn from the Yorubatraditional mythology and social life. They also minglewith Western style and motifs which gives his worksmuch international awareness. In his autobiography,The Heritage, Buraimoh gives an account of his life,illumining his three decades of involvement in visualarts.

Chief Buraimoh’s works had been widely exhibitedin solo and group presentations in some of the world’sfinest galleries. In 2002, his works featured in theVisions 0of Yoruba at the October gallery in London;in 2003 Contemporary Art for the Continent at Diggs

Continued from page 6 Gallery, Winston Salem State University, NorthCarolina; and 202, the World Moves We FollowCelebrating African Arts at Mc Clung Museum inKnoxville, Tennessee. Some of his sole exhibitions wereheld at Goethe Institute, Lagos, Nigeria (1970, 1967 -1968), Commonwealth Institute, London, England 1979,Southern University, New Orleans, Louisiana USA,1998, and the National Museum, Lagos, Nigeria, 1993.

The imaginative and evocative ability of his workcould be seen on display at Smithsonian Museum ofArts in Washington D.C. among others in Europe. Hisworks are also recognized and celebrated in thecontinent His works are on display at the Second WorldFestival (FESTAC) in Lagos in 1977. Earlier, herepresented Nigeria n artist at the First All AfricanTrade Fair in Nairobi, Kenya in 1972, and in 1983, hebecame the first Nigerian to be awarded membershipof the contemporary Worlds Association of MosaicArtists (Asociationi Internazionale MosaicistiContemporanei), based in Ravenna, Italy.

The Ife Museum was established in recognition ofthe ancient town in Yoruba mythology. Ile Ife,according to the Yoruba tradition of origin is the firstcity created by Olodumare (God) before the landspread to other places in the world. Today, there areevidences of this ancient tradition in different parts ofthe city. There is an Ifa (oracle) Temple in the Oketaseneighbouhood that represents the Vatican of all Ifaworshippers worldwide. There are also importantrelics and state-of-the art and craft works found inIfe, Some of these ancient works of arts and religiousobservance are now being managed by NationalMuseums and Monuments. Some of the mostwonderful collections of the museum include the OpaOranmiyan (Staff of Oramiyan). The staff is a massivestone monolith standing on the burial site of Oranmiyan,the grandson of Oduduwa, the said founder of boththe Benin and Oyo empires. The staff stands roughlysixteen feet in height. It is located inside the Oranmiyanshrine in Moopa in the Arubiidi and of the town.

Another wonderful collection of the museum is then Groove. Also called Ori Olokun, this masterpiecewas unearthed in 1910 by the German ethnologist LeoFrobenius, in Irebami, Ife. Ori Olokun in the Ife traditionis the goddess of the sea, a giver of children and thehealer of abdominal diseases. More than this, the OriOlokun site is particularly important as a testimony tothe only spot where the knowledge of iron smeltingand bead making went on simultaneously. Thisimportant piece is carved in bronze which depicts theartistic excellence of the Yorubas. This has made thehead to be adopted as the logo of the Second All-AfricaGames in 1973. Also, the head is the insignia of theNigerian Institute of Architects.

Ita Yemoo in the Moore (Mor reh) environ is one ofthe archaeological sites in Ife. In his 1953 excavation,

Frank Willet unearthed five terra cotta and bronzeartifacts. Among these are the bronze figures of theKing and Queen (probably the Ooni and his wife) andthe twin figure.

SO far, what could be clearly deciphered is that thestates we have in Nigeria today are all products ofmilitary regimes. This fact, according to someunrepentant critics of military government, is probablythe only good side of military incursion into governancein Nigeria. Many of these critics even see state creationas an achievement that is not too impressive orremarkable for the various military governments.According to them, if civilian administrations in Nigeriahad been left with no military interruption, Nigeria wouldhave witnessed far-greater development in all spheresof life, including state and local government creation.The experience with Lagos State where thecontroversial issue of local government creation ofearly 2000s had left the resultant effect that the statetoday has above fifty local/grassroots administrationin place, and which has influenced in no small measure,smooth, effective and d3evelopment-orientedadministration of the state is a clear proof establishingthat line of argument.

In 2011, in the State of Osun, a committee wasconstituted by the administration of Ogbeni RaufAdesoji Aregbesola to look into the viability and actualcreation of new local administrations in the state. Afterlong considerations to public requests, petitions andmemoranda, the committee submitted the reports ofits findings and recommendations to the StateGovernment. The committee, headed by ProfessorMojeed Alabi, former Speaker of the state’s House ofAssembly in the days of the Alliance for Democracy(AD)-led administration of Chief Bisi Akande, is widelybelieved to have done well its bits in consummatingmemoranda from all quarters and forwarding such inan unbiased and objective manners, therecommendations forthwith.

As we approach the final quarter of year 2014; withthe Governorship Elections having been held andconcluded; and as we look forward to holding localgovernment polls anytime from now; it is anticipatedthat the Rauf Aregbesola would have come out withthe assent of the incumbent State of Osun House ofAssembly (OSHA), a process which shall enact intolaw (Act) the bills for their creation. Already, whatlies on ground prior to the creation of these councilsindicate a high rate of development in all ramifications,unprecedented in the annals of governance in the state.Apart from bringing governance closer and nearer tothe people, the creations would attract greaterdevelopment and fast-track the urbanization of thegrassroots. Thus, the State of Osun shall be on thepathway to accelerated progress and monumental

Continued from page 10

8 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 2, 2014 PHOTOTALK

Residents Of Osogbo, State Of Osun, Hailing Governor Rauf Aregbesola ShortlyAfter Jumat Service At Afonta Mosque, Osogbo, Last Friday.

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, acknowledging cheers from his admirers shortly after Jumat service at Afonta Central Mosque, Osogbo, last Friday.

•Governor Aregbesola (right), Sheikh Karim Banni (left) and Sheikh Wahab Banni Afonta (at the back) during the Jumat service.

9 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 2, 2014PHOTOTALK

•Open Stalls building at Ayegbaju Market, Osogbo.

•An aerial view of Ayegbaju Market, Osogbo.

Ayegbaju Market In Osogbo Built Under The Administration Of Governor RaufAregbesola.

10 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 2, 2014MAGAZINE

Beginning Of New Beginnings II

•A cross section of Osun worshippers on their way to Osun Osogbo Groove.

growth attendant to any such creations worth itssalt.

The fact that we know too well is that state creationexercises so far witnessed in Nigeria are advantageousin many ways. If they had not proven beneficial onthe overall or in some specific states, geo-political zonesor areas in actuality; they are supposed, in the making,to be beneficial. It behooves us to turn attention toareas of benefit (anticipated or real) accruable fromthe creation of additional local government areacouncils or states. What are the intended benefitswhich such creations are anticipated to bring about?

First and foremost, state creations are meant to bringgovernment and governance closer to the people atthe grassroots. Government and governance areconstructs which are often viewed by rural dwellersand people of the distant interior as abstract. By virtueof state creation, government at the second tier is madecloser to the people, thus making the people moreresponsible for deciding matters that directly touchtheir lives.

State creation is also an important tool foradministrative convenience and easy planning from thecentre. In other words, far-reaching decisions thattouch the lives of all citizens are better planned andexecuted to make greater impact when states are socreated to be closer to the people, even in the remotestareas.

State creation helps in resource allocation and budgetappropriation; more than it could be made moreequitably allocated to segments of the country today.With state creation, comes creation of more localgovernment council areas. The third tier of governmentfurther signifies the processes, modalities andpracticability of equitable resource allocation. In effect,resources are more widely, evenly and equitably spreadwith proliferation of states and local government councilareas than when such were over-centralized in urbanplaces.

In a plural and multi-ethnic society like ours inNigeria, state creation is a tool for cultural identity,definition of traditional structures, strengthening of age-long nationalities and bonds of belief patterns – all ofwhich are a tool for enhancing peace, unity, tranquilityand harmonious co-existence.

In a federating multi-ethnic and multi-lingual countrylike Nigeria, cultural homogeneity, similarity in history,traditions and belief patterns; which are one of primeconsiderations in state creation foster peace anddevelopment.

In terms of democratic governance, state creationenhances smooth democratic and electoral processes.With 774 local government councils in Nigeria, which

are located in thirty-six states and the Federal CapitalTerritory; wards, state constituencies and senatorialdistricts are easily classified. Aside this, geo-politicalzones, which are six in number are easy to classifyfor zoning, resource allocation and other matters thatborder on federal character. The objectivity andfairness with which these principles are operated aretopics of discussion under a separate edition. Butideally, these smooth workings are expectations thatstate creation should be able to fulfill.

Creation of states facilitates accelerated socio-economic development. Rural urbanization takes place,attendant to creation of states. As states move closerto rural areas, the amenities they bring touch on thelives of the dwellers of rural areas more meaningfully.This has effect on diverse areas of convenience –electricity, pipe-borne water, motorable roads, healthcare facilities, educational institutions, agriculture,environment and sanitation, culture and tourism,commerce and industry, etcetera. State creation bringsareas not known or located hitherto into limelight.These points, apart from fulfilling the task and wholeessence of governance; also leave the peopleactualized and gratified.

In addition, state creation is a veritable tool in jobcreation and productive engagement of workforce.With the emergence of states, offices andestablishments multiply. The areas that had hithertobeen abandoned and forlorn become crowd-pullers asnew brighter opportunities are attracted to them duelargely to the presence of a new government at thatlevel. That new cluster and constellation of governmentpresence and establishments of prominence,engendered by state and local government creationgive fillip to and impetus for progress, growth anddevelopment to areas that are beneficiaries from suchcreations.

Today, Nigerians express great admixtures ofsurprise and disappointment at the failure of successivecivilian administrations at the centre to create lastingand permanent states and local government areas inapt response to the genuine and necessary agitationand yearnings of the people of various geo-politicalzones, ethnic and sub-ethnic groups in the country.

To the Ibos of the South-East geo-political zone ofNigeria, their zone is currently being undermined andshortchanged in the Project Nigeria. This is due to thefact that the zone has the least number of states i.e.five, in the comity of zones in the country. The zones,with the names of the zones they comprise are listedbelow:

NORTH EAST1. Adamawa2. Bauchi

3. Borno4. Gombe5. Taraba6. Yobe

SOUTH WEST1. Ekiti2. Kagos3. Ogun4. Ondo5. Osun6. Oyo

NORTH CENTRAL1. Benue2. Kogi3. Kwara4. Niger5. Nasarawa6. Plateau

SOUTH SOUTH1. Akwa-Ibom2. Bayelsa3. Cross River4. Delta5. Edo6. Rivers

NORTH WEST1. Jigawa2. Kano3. Kaduna4. Katsina5. Kebbi6. Sokoto7. Zamfara

SOUTH EAST1. Abia2. Anambra3. Ebonyi4. Enugu5. Imo

In view of the foregoing revelations, the Ibos of theSouth East geo-political Zone are in constant agitationto first be brought to the same number of states withother contemporary zones, before fresh creations,which are advisably done equitably are made.

To the Ibolo, Ekiti and Igbomina sub-ethnic groupsof the Yoruba in the present-day Kwara State in theNorth-Central geo-political zone; agitations for a newstate are loud and rife. This cross section of sub-ethnic

Continued on page 11

Continued from page 7

11 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 2, 2014 MAGAZINE

Contiuned on page 12

Beginning Of New Beginnings II

•ADELEKE •AKANDE •OYINLOLA

groups, which comprise almost ten out of the existingsixteen local government council areas in the stateearnestly yearn for cultural identity, tribal contiguity,freedom from allegedly being ultracized and ethnicalconformity with their counterparts, kith and kin in theSouth-West geo-political zone.

As if in mirror response to the agitations of thesegment of Kwarans expressed above, the Yoruba su-ethnic groups in the present-day Kogi State are alsoearnestly yearning for a new state which would deliverthem from the present creation which is considered ayoke too burdensome to bear for them. This group,the Kabas and the Bunus of the old Kaba Province;part of which has been carved out with the present-day Ekiti State; is agitated over their lumping togetherwith other tribes and being “unequal yoked” with thosewith whom they are quite heterogeneous. Others arethe Yagbas, Mopa/Amuro people and the entire areathat is known as Okuns. These sub-ethnic groupsintend to be liberated the same way liberation camethe way of Otun Ekiti and environs in the present-dayEkiti State under Bourdillon in the pre-Independenceera.

Similarly, some other parts of Kwara State intendand seriously yearn to be carved away with their kithand kin in other states of the federation. This includesthe Nupe people who intend to go with their kin in thepresent-day Niger State; and the Fulanis who intendto belong to one or the other of the Northern statesconsidered to be their origin.

Back home in the State of Osun, the presentstructure which remains legacy of the 1991 Statecreation exercise is not near-perfection; neither is itprecluding possibilities of further creations. Even ifthe agitation is not in vogue, it could be easily foreseenby discerning minds that the Igbominas of Ila/Ifedayoaxis would one day be carved out with their brethrenspread over Irepodun and Ifelodun local governmentsof Kwara State (a wide expanse indeed) to become astate bound by the same dialect, culture and beliefpattern.

It is also not a closed case the possibilities that theIfes and Ijesas (with the inclusion of Iresi, OtanAyegbaju and Igbajo) would one day wake u to buryingtheir differences and start up fresh agitations for astate of their own.

The effort of OSUN DEFENDER Magazinethrough this write-up should not in any way be linkedwith divisive tendencies. The State of Osun as it istoday embodies/encapsulates a bunch of happy sub-ethnic nationalities. In spite of this, the populationcongestion and population density per square kilometredistance suggest that one or more new states in thenearest future would not be too irrelevant. The

compact nature of our settlement pattern, incomparison with some other states, suggests that wedeserve more states here. Therefore, what Nigeriarequires today surpasses mere division into geopoliticalzones on the basis of equal number of states. It wouldbe more beneficial if parameters like population, itsgrowth and expansion, economic viability of existingstructures; and the likes, rather than landed area (landmass) are accorded consideration in state creation.For now and in the nearest future, Nigerians earnestlyawait the emergence of new states and localgovernment councils that shall be the creation of ourpresent democratic structure. This shall go a long wayin poising a litmus test for our democracy. More validand reliable are these forms of test than any changein currency or other cosmetic monetary/financial orfiduciary policy embarked on by the government. It iscandidly observed that many of these currencypolicies, especially the recently introduced one, whichdestroys lower units of our currency and introducesyet higher ones are intended (deliberately or not) tonail the coffin for the masses (who subsist in themajority) and their survival and welfare.

As has been done on several series of OSUNDEFENDER Magazine, the best modality forconducting a valid and objective assessment of theRauf Aregbesola administration is by making echoesof the election campaign promises of OgbeniAregbesola. The campaign promises, which formed apact which the “SYMBOL” made with the people;and on the bases of which be nominated to be heldaccountable at any point in time during his tenure ofstewardship as governor of the state are summed upin a Six-Point Integral Action Plan. They are hereadumbrated for the purpose of reminder:

SIX-POINT INTEGRAL ACTION PLAN OFTHE GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE OFOSUN

BANISH POVERTYThe people of the State of Osun are noted for their

natural affinity for commerce. Hence, the StateGovernment is committed to revitalize commerce andrestore wealth back to the land:

·Revival of the customary commercial activities inOsogbo, the state capital, and other towns with focuson wealth creation for the teeming populace.

·The finance and economic programmes of thegovernment will encompass:

·Increase in Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR);·Running of a transparent and accountable

government;· Reducing leakage through real time on-line

access to financial positions of the state;· Ensuring that the state funds are used for

development purposes;· Accessing grants and development funds from

multilateral agencies;· The overall goal is to reduce dependence on

federal allocation.BANISH UNEMPLOYMENTWork and Wealth· Immediate employment for 20,000 people,

while reserving 5,000 places for those who wereretrenched and are still willing to work;

· The policy of no job loss, more jobs, through;· Creation of job-friendly economic

environment; and· Establishment of labour exchange centres to

facilitate employment of graduates.Civil Service Reforms through:· Creation of a more conducive work

environment-stimulating and development-oriented· Promotion of culture of excellence in the civil

service, bonuses, incentives, internal and externaltraining, regular promotions, increase and promptpayment of salaries, allowances and leave bonuses

· Regular review of salaries· Establishment of new education districts for

better school administration and creation of New TutorGeneral (Permanent Secretary Cadre) from the ranksof school teachers

· Institution of Home Ownership scheme forcivil servants and encouragement of backyard foodproduction business ventures

· With the vision of making the State of Osun atourist’s cradle focused on wealth creation through:

· Development of Yoruba Museum and WorldHeritage Centre at Ile-Ife

· Encourage programmes that nurture andpromote arts and talents

· Enhance the image of Traditional Rulers andinstitutions

· Mobilize Traditional Rulers to showcase thestate’s tourism potential to Yoruba in the Diaspora (e.g.Brazil, Cuba, and West Indies)

· Rehabilitation of Roads to, and in, and townsand villages in the State of Osun

· Establish community-based road maintenanceunits to ensure timely repair and reduce overallmaintenance cost while also providing employment.

· Build access roads to evacuate agriculturalproduce

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

· Development of transportation.· Produce a transport master-plan for the state.

Continued from page 10

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 2, 2014 MAGAZINE 12

Beginning Of New Beginnings II

•A recently commisssioned road in Ilesa.

· Minimize road traffic accidents on all roads.· Create motorized division of the Osun

Troopers to patrol roads to prevent accidents on thehighways

· Organize rescue and recovery operations.BANISH HUNGER· Government will banish hunger in the State of

Osun and enhance massive increase in food productionand agriculture by:

· Assisting every farmer to sell his products inexploiting profitable markets

· Support for farmers to attach increase in foodproduction, better storage and delivery

· Maximization of benefits of resultant massiveincrease in food production through improved;

· Access roads and general transportation toeven the most remote areas of the state

· Processing of agricultural produce· To encourage production of cash crops which

can enhance farmers’ income and provide:· Basis for an effective agro industrial society

in the State of Osun· To facilitate price support schemes for

farmers· To target and capture minimum of 10 percent

of the multibillion naira per-day for market ofneighbouring states

· To develop and promote micro, small andmedium enterprises that will exploit available rawmaterials.

RESTORE HEALTHY LIVINGHealthcare Delivery· Provision of effective healthcare for all with

special attention to the needs of children, women andthe elderly

· Provision of free, efficient accident andemergence ambulance service

· Provision of primary health clinics within 10kilometre radius in every town in the State of Osun

· Provision of functional general hospitals within20 kilometre radius of human settlement

· Improved working conditions and welfarepackage of health personnel

· Encouragement of nurturing of alternativemedical therapy

· Environmental development· Encouraging all houses in the State of Osun

to have modern and affordable toilet facilities througha special scheme.

· Provide private sector driven wastemanagement and beautification schemes to rid our

communities of filth.· Water for all in the state. Government is

committed to provision of potable water to all parts ofthe State of Osun.

· Reactivation and speedily completion of allabandoned water schemes.

· Affordable housing scheme by helpingindigenes of the state to realize their dreams ofownership or rehabilitation of falling structures throughdeliberate programmes that improve their income-earning capacity.

· Enhanced research and development on theuse of local materials to force down building costs

· Electricity for all through private sectorparticipation in the generation and distribution of energy

· Improved security of lives and property· Special programme for the police· Neighbourhood security outfits· Provision of special allowances to all security

agents deployed to the State of Osun and enhancingtheir operational facilities for efficiency.

Fire Services· Building the capacity to the State Fire Services

for promoting response to emergencies at all times.ENHANCEMENT OF COMMUNAL PEACE

AND PROGRESS· Restoration of partnership between

government and people through the formation of sages’council/peer group

· Non-partisan community-based sages’councils comprising well-educated, experienced andwidely trained elderly folks capable of providingguidance and moral and ethical development I oursociety.

YOUTH COUNCIL· Non-partisan community-based youth council

comprising young people who constitute the majorityof our population but are often sidelined in theformulation of socio-economic policies

· Government encourages interaction betweenthese councils.

Sports· Promotion of sports and enabling environment

of infrastructure.Judicial Sector Reforms· Ensuring speedy access by all individuals in

Osun State by reforming the court system andprocedural rules, introducing alternative disputeresolution (ADR) mechanisms and citizen mediation

centres.· Improved welfare package of judicial officers

and upgrading courts with modern IT andcommunication facilities.

Communication· Restructuring of Government Media to ensure

that professionals are motivated and continuouslytrained for competency and service to the people.

Consumer Protection· Ensuring that consumers get the best goods

and services at the best prices. Support consumerwatch agencies and also cooperate with others tpprotect citizens from unfair business practices

PROMOTE FUNCTIONAL EUCATION· Establishment of a viable education sector that

will eradicate the frustration of youths caused byeducation that does not lead to employment.

· Focus on education that will make one usefulto himself and society.

· Improved incentives to teachers andcollaboration with the NUT to restore the dignity ofthe teaching profession.

· Restructured administration of schoolmanagement and the creation of Tutor-General(Permanent Secretary cadre) from among teachers.

· Improved educational infrastructure includingteaching aids and libraries which are in a deplorablestate.

· Cooperation with the parents and teachers toimprove discipline and morality.

· Introduction of non-partisan community-basedgoverning boards for all schools.

· Reduction in the number of students perclassroom.

· Establishment of institutions that impart life-long skills for all (Life Academy).

· Higher Educational Institutions andUniversities.

· To resolve to ensure that Osun StateUniversity operates on a sound footing and becomesa first-class institution with linkages to renownuniversities in the developed world.

For all we know, the administration of Ogbeni RaufAdesoji Aregbesola in the State of Osun has come tobring splendid blessings the way of all and sundry inthe state; indigenes and residents alike; and inpractically all sectors of life. We hope that as theremaining parts of the tenure(s) of the administrationin office unfold, more of quintessential, monumentaland ground-breaking achievements would be recordedto the ultimate advantage and overall benefit of all.Long live the State of Osun!

Concluded.

Continued from page 11

13 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 2, 2014FEATURE

•Another cross section of Governor Aregbesola’s supporters at Ife-Odan in Ejigbo Local Government Council Area of State of Osun.

Osun 2014 And Aregbesola’s VictoryI believe that all men and women of

peace should commend the presentadministration in Osun for the far-

reaching development programmes it hasinitiated for the benefits of our people. It isour duty to see to it, that these positiveprogrammes of development succeed andthe momentum maintained. Our peopleshould commit themselves to this noblecause. What others could not do duringtheir tenure, Aregbesola has done in threeand half (3½) years of coming into office,very prudently and transparently. Nowonder, he coasted home to victory in theAugust 9, 2014 governorship election for asecond term.

Indeed, anything is possible if we havefaith, the will and joyful hearts. I know weall have the will to play our parts in thiscampaign for accelerated development inthe State of Osun. I know we have faith inthe present regime and we have the heartsto face the challenges ahead. Our peopleare urged to support this administration’slaudable programmes of economicreconstruction, social justice, unity andreligious tolerance, that will guarantee ourpresent happiness and future prosperity.Test of faith can only be ascertained byGod Almighty, in whose hands is thesovereignty of heaven and earth.

The cause of Aregbesola’s regime is thecause of the common people and the less-privileged members of our society; thevillagers, the labourers, the farmers andthose millions of unemployed. It is a causethat compels our serious attention andcommitment.

What is therefore left for us as a peopleof the State of Osun, is to make a pledgefrom now on that we will bury all ourdifferences and come out fully toconsolidate on the achievements of OgbeniAregbesola.

Let the politicians pledge that they willnot misuse the trust and responsibility thatare thrusted upon them by our people. Letthem pledge that they will speak for thosewho have no voice and to remember thosewho are forgotten. Let them pledge that theywill love us as themselves and that looting

of public treasuries will not be their majorpreoccupations. Let them remember Hisab-accountability before God Almighty, on theday that all would be assembled before Him.

The challenges for the electorate is togive voices and votes to people of integrityand for those fundamental democraticprinciples of human freedom, free economicenterprises, self respect and accountability.

Indeed, Aregbesola’s regime has offeredus new hope. New hope of gainfulemployment and self respect for thosethousands of our school-leavers;graduates skilled and unskilled throughO’YES.

New hope of economic recovery, throughthe dedicated pursuit of individualistic andcollective approach to agrarian revolutionand small-scale industrialization in the statethrough O’REAP. New hope of good qualityof life for the rural populace through thefaithful execution of populist-orientedprogrammes, like the DAGBOLU scheme,through O’HUB.

Socially, we must build bridges ofunderstanding and economically, we mustnarrow the wide gap between the rich andthe poor, if we want peace and stability inthis country. Indeed, we stand at a greatturning point, when the State of Osun andindeed Nigeria are looking for a newdirection, through a second term forAregbesola and an APC federally-controlledgovernment.

A time like this calls for leadership likeAregbesola that can set a firm focus andpositive vision for the future and rally thepeople of Osun behind it. We thank Godthat at this point in time in Osun, we havesuch a leader in the person of Ogbeni RaufAdesoji Aregbesola. Let me commend allhis good efforts towards ensuring progressin the state since he took charge. However,the governor himself must continue toreinforce the attributes of good leadershipwith which he is already identified and makemore use of home-grown people to man key

positions in his second term in office.

The school merger programme by thegovernment should be vigorously pursued,possibly with modifications. The structuresbeing put in place are of world standardand a legacy that will outlive Aregbesola. Iam impressed, that the various sitesdemolished are now been beautified withwalkways. Definitely, we need to embracemodernity in all aspects of our life, thoughno changes come about without temporarypains. Only change is permanent.

Aregbesola’s government has beenlistening not only to the clamorous voicesof the priviledged few and the opportunistsat the corridor of power, but also the hardlyaudible voices of the proverbial silentmajority.

The governor has declared that hisadministration does not presume to have amonopoly of knowledge. He has brought‘dissenters’ into policy discussions, ratherthan freeze them out. He has invitedconstructive criticism because he believesthe critics have a right to be heard. Weshould realise that the lamps ofenlightenment are lit by the spark ofcontroversy and that their flame can besnuffed out by the blanket of consensus.

In this regard, we must concede, that outexperience in this state between 2003 to 2010was not particularly edifying. We saw hatredand sorrow on our faces waiting for loveand happiness. We saw families dividedagainst themselves, waiting to be broughttogether again.

To find answers to all theseunwholesome acts, we must look withinourselves. Let us forget the past and cometogether to build this state for nobody elsecan do it for us because it belongs to all ofus. We must close all sullen pages and opena new chapter.

Let us give unalloyed support to OgbeniAregbesola, so that those who were left outin the cold in those years of inaction, couldbe accommodated for positivecontributions. Let us know that we cannotlearn from one another until we stop

shouting at one another; until we speakquietly enough so that our words can beheard as well as our voices.

Let us remember that if we succeed,generations to come will say of us nowliving, that we mastered our moment. Thatwe helped to make Osun safe andprosperous to live in. This is our summonto greatness. Let us pray that strength andcourage abundant be given to us; that thegood that lies in each of our hearts mayday-by-day be magnified. That we maycome to see more clearly not what dividesus, but that which unites us. That the truespirit of this time – its joy, its hopes andabove all its binding faith may live amongus. Osun must always be many steps aheadof others.

We must build a virile state and improvethe standard of living of our people,because the worth of a nation is the worthof the men and women in it. We must notlose hope, for in ashes there can still bespark. For as the passage in one of theShakespeares’ works put it “there is a tidein the affairs of men which taken in timeleads to good fortune.” We must not allowthis golden opportunity to slip by.

We thank God that August 9, 2014governorship election was devoid ofviolence and acrimony in whatever forms.We should know that our leaders can onlygovern over the living. All political partiesin Osun should come together and joinhands with Aregbesola’s administration.For there is no victor, no vanquished. Thevictory is larger than Aregbesola’s, itbelongs to the people of the State of Osun,irrespective of political parties.

Aregbesola is working, Osun isprogressing. For Aregbesola and the peopleof Osun, it is a goal scored in a grand style,after an epic and protracted play againstconcerted forces of fate.

•Lawal writes from Osun State.

By IBRAHIM LAWAL

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 2, 2014 14FEATURE

By ADE OLUGBOTEMI

•JEGA

Jega’s Statements Alone Not EnoughWE must tell ourselves the

blank truth now, havingseen the extent the sitting

President of the Federal Republicof Nigeria went in order todislodge the re-elected governorof the State of Osun, Ogbeni RaufAdesoji Aregbesola. GoodluckEbele Jonathan did not feignpretence about his desire toconquer Osun by force for theruling Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), as he mobilized over sixtypercent of Nigeria’s securitypersonnel to Osun, so as tofrighten people to submission;forgetting momentarily that amore daunting challenge of BokoHaram insurgency needed to becurtailed. It is good however thatOsun people also showed the stuffthey are made of; defying all threatsand trooped out en-masse to re-elect the man they can entrust withtheir future.

The super umpire, ProfessorAttahiru Jega, did not hide hisdispleasure about the Osunelection that was unprecedentedly,extremely militarized. At least, hiscomment after the electionshowed that he was never a partyto the heavy presence of securityagents in the State of Osun priorto, during, and after the multi-fatedelection. Speakers after speakershave condemned what many termed‘a drift to the medieval age’; inwhich archaic things with theirbrutish characteristics held sway.

Foreign observers were stunnedto see a single state so bombardedwith armed soldiers and othersecurity agents as if in warsituation. Incidentally, theimmediate-past Inspector Generalof Police, shortly before theelection, came to Osun anddeclared to the whole worldunequivocally that the situation inOsun was peaceful and mostcongenial for the then fast-approaching gubernatorialelection. No wonder, the leader ofthe United Nations observers urgedthe winner of the election tochallenge the act in court.

We must give Kudos to Jega forhis impartiality in the conduct ofthe election. It is on record that heaverted the imminent eruption ofcrisis that would have possiblyconsumed the state, and byextension the whole entity calledNigeria. The Minister of PoliceAffairs, Jelili Adesiyan boastedbefore the election that it is eitherthe PDP takes over the state or thestate is set on fire, and be madeungovernable for the sittinggovernor. Today, the threat hasturned out to be wall gecko’spremonition, now resonating intheir intuitive imagination.

It is just something normal for aprincipal umpire like Attahiru Jega

to attempt to douse tension bytelling the whole world that sniperswill not be allowed in futureelections, especially with theirintimidating presence in therecently-concluded Osun electionstill fresh in our minds; and withanother eye on the fast-approaching February 2015general elections. While one needsnot doubt the sincerity of ProfessorJega in making such statement, wemust be wary of withdrawing to ourcomfort zone, thinking that allshall be well. We are more thanever convinced that the greatestenemies of this country are the lawflouters in the ruling-PeoplesDemocratic Party.

We are operating in a society ofnormlessness, or what sociologistswill refer to as Anomy. We havecodified standards but our so-called leaders disregard the setstandards as derelicts. They areregarded as unenforceable thoughwe love to sound it loud and clearthat our Constitution ranksamongst the best in the wholeworld. Our leaders see themselvesas being above the law. One isconsidered to have flouted the rulesif he does not belong in. The

moment he is a loyalist of thepeople at the helm of affairs, he isfree to do and undo.

This is where our problem lies;and that is why we may never beable to progress than we are doingnow, except we deliberatelydisown the recalcitrant leaders,who feel they are free to doanything at the expense of allothers. They believe they are wisebut their ignorance is making us totake a step forward and fivebackward. Ironically, they knowhow to create buffers forthemselves, so that they are notseriously affected by the painstheir inactions are causing themasses; while those creatingstability for the survival of ourcountry through personal sacrificeare always at the receiving end.

The Constitution guarantees thesanctity of the provision thatensures the independence andautonomy of the electoral body, butthose elected to be custodians ofelectoral law flagrantly disregardthe entrenched provision. Theyoften treat the umpire body as toolto be manipulated because theyhave the mentality that since it lieswithin their power to appoint theumpire, they must be able to

manipulate him, in line with theselfish dictum that ‘he who paysthe piper dictates the tune’. That iswhy any directive from theelectoral body is treated as havingno operational influence on theirpersons. Any good intention inissuing operational guidelines istherefore regarded as not bindingon them, but on those that are notin power.

The Independent NationalElectoral Commission (INEC) hasdrummed it loud and clear that it isnot yet time to campaign towards2015. This instruction seems notto hold water before the rulingPDP, which has subtly been rallyingsupport for President GoodluckJonathan’s second term bid. I amnot sure any formal campaign couldhave been more elaborate asevidenced in the zonal rallies beingorganized by the facelessTransformation Agenda of Nigeria(TAN). No other political partywould have tried that without PDPraising eyebrow. Such rallieswould have attracted seriousreaction from Mr Presidenthimself. He would have eitherinstigated the judiciary to sanctionthe notable figures, or ordered thearrest of all masterminds.

The fact that INEC has not beenable to stop the pro-Jonathancampaign is an indication that PDPwill remain a sacred cow as longas she remains in power. With whathappened in the recently-concluded election in Osun, thereis no guarantee that Jega will havefree hand to operate; irrespectiveof his desire to be impartialtowards all contestants. Otherpolitical Parties and all Nigerianswho hold the survival of Nigeria inhigh premium must brace up toresist PDP’s excesses to thatNigerians may have the opportunityof rising up to beat their chests thatthey have what they bargained forduring the general Election that isvery much around the corner.

I know Professor Attahiru Jegaas a man of integrity. This is theright time for him to weigh all theoptions before him and criticallyexamine whether it will still bepossible to maintain his rectitudeafter 2015 general elections.Rather than allow PDP to dent hisimage, it will be more honourablefor him to resign so that the wholeworld can see PDP as a group ofdespots, who have absolutepredilection to remain in powerirrespective of whether they enjoythe goodwill of the electorate ornot. Flouting rules must be metedwith severe penalty from theumpire; and any disregard forconstitutional order must faceabsolute repudiation. Nigeria’sfailure will amount to the failureof all.

15OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 2, 2014 PHOTOTALK

Demons In This Democracy: A Reflection On Osun Election

OPINION

EACH time I get into discussingNigeria with my non-Nigerianfriends, who have studied up on

Nigeria as a country, the ones who knowthe history, tenacity and intellectualstrength that Nigerians carry in their DNA,those who see sprawling natural resourceslittering almost every nook and cranny ofthe nation but wasted and frittered away inignominy and dire depravity, those whobelieve that even their successes arecontingent upon the success of Nigeria asa nation, they are all curious to know why anation so blessed is yet so bizarre in actions.

Non-Nigerians are not the only onesfrustrated and asking questions, Nigeriansare also. The same stories of neglect,depreciation in human value, blatant humanrights violations, and in-your-face hijack ofwhat is a man’s precious possessioncontinue with no end in sight. I have notbeen part of an electoral process in Nigeriasince 1983, a few years before I relocated tothe US. The last Osun State election wasmy most recent experience, and it was bizarre.What I saw and heard during the electiondoubled up my disgust and disdain for oursystem still struggling to work pro bonopublico. Nigeria has not grown, and maynever, if the manure that will enhance growthbecomes incrementally menacing andvenomous.

It was both shocking and appalling thatpolitical party men and women in a patheticprowl around polling stations doled outmoney to voters to vote certain ways. Bowlsand bags of rice were distributed to voters,so they could elect brigands to be captainover the people. Unfortunately many Iengaged in discussions over this discussedthe issue as a comedy package. What isabnormal in sane societies is normal in mycountry.

I deliberately rode on commercialvehicles for a whole day eavesdropping asthe people recalled their experiences onelection day. Some rejected the baits thrownat them by party foot-soldiers, while many

others who had no choice responded to thelure because there is too much pain in theland. Some families had probably not eatenin days and they just wanted to eat theirlast supper and die.

Before, during, and after the election, theattack-dog of violence was let off its leachto torment and bruise many people in anunfathomably reckless fashion. Errand-boysof lawlessness in masks and withammunitions from unverifiable destinationsput the citizens in a choke-hold and ahostage situation. They were the lieges, andthe people became the helpless vavasour.The littering of major cities and villages bymasked-men and marksmen wielding andbrandishing guns and gleefully shootinginto the air was perceived by many as acarefully designed bugaboo to cow downvoters and skew the election in a particulardirection. Those guys, who became nightmarauders couldn’t have been the sameones Nigerians remunerate monthly toprotect them. Some powerful people ingovernment hid under that cover toperpetrate those acts in this democracy filledwith demons. Men in black on the eve ofthe election besieged many homes. About800 members of the opposition politicalparty were reportedly arrested and detainedwith no explanations. Up till the time of thisreport, hundreds of them are still reportedlykept behind bars still awaiting freedom fromthe hands of our ‘security operatives’. Andthis is a democracy?

The Osun election has loudly andlimpidly shown us all that Nigeria is not onlyon a slippery slope into an era of brutishbullishness and reprehensible impudence,an audacious spate of fascism hasobviously crept into the crevices of ourfabrics as mobocracy and thugocracy arecontending with democracy as we approach2015. Where is the freedom guaranteedunder a democracy? Where iscommonsense, and where is decency ingovernment? That Osun militarization

charade is an inficio, infeci, infectum on abudding democratic lifestyle that Nigeriansare striving to cherish.

What happened before, during and afterthe election in Osun is apparently animprimatur from political marksmen andsnipers that are using the power and mightof the Federal Government as cover tooppress and suppress. Let the truth be toldthat evil men and women in masks and blackuniforms have an enlightened anddetermined Nigerians to contend with, andthe people are waiting and prepared todefend their votes and voices. Thepertinacity of the people cannot besubmerged or subsumed in a veiled attemptto render them mute.

Our behaviours have caused us to loserespect in the eyes of the rest of the world.When some white man somewhere in thewestern world call us animals-in-human-clothing because of our actions, we getangry and furious and demand to berespected. Have we proved them wrong? Big Agbada and flowing Babariga don’tprovoke respect. Big talk, haughty swagger,big jeep, big castles, and big oil don’tprovoke respect. Respect is a jewel and aprecious stone more precious than silverand costlier than gold. At one time inNigeria’s history, we earned respect andmany nations bowed before us. At anothertime, we auctioned it so cheap on the backof greed, graft, gluttony, dehumanization,and deliberate pauperization of the peopleare leaders were elected to serve.

Ours is a nation, where leaders have norespect for the people they lead, wherehuman lives are not deemed precious, andwhere blatant banditry has become the orderof the day. A nation where governmentresources become personal assets, andcronyism is an open cankerworm, cannotbe respected. A nation where opposingvoices are silenced in cold-bloodedmassacres, where community leaders arekidnapped for ransoms and young girls arehanded out in marriage to Alzheimer-stricken

oldies-with-no-goodies cannot berespected. Ballot-box snatching, ballot-papers-switching-abracadabra countrymakes a good line in Saturday night comedyin the US. A nation with astounding mind-boggling wealth and yet with anundeserved astounding, mind-bogglingheap of ravaging poverty cannot berespected.

Some of these fellas, who have becomearea-boys at all levels of governmentstudied in the US; and many of those wholead us today studied abroad. Theyapparently got the education but remainuneducated; they went through schools,but the schools didn’t go through them.They have helped ordain demons in ourdemocracy. If you live in Anambra, Sokoto,Rivers, Kwara, Oyo, and anywhere inNigeria and do not rise up to condemn theseacts of arbitrary arrest and dehumanizationof powerless Nigerians by powerful onesthat we saw in Osun, it will soon come to acity near you. When it does, there will bewailing and gnashing of teeth.

In a democracy, a man has the libertyand freedom to elect whosoever he desireseven if the candidate is deaf-and-dumb anda nincompoop. That’s his choice, that’sdemocracy. In a democracy, goons with gunsdon’t just take over my house and life andtell me how to jump and how high. In ademocracy, you just don’t take over powerbecause you are connected to a militarydepot and police precincts or you haveaccess to money and men who can do yourbidding for a paltry. In a democracy, you layyour case before the people, why you wantto be who you want to be, and the peoplemake the final call based on the convictionin their soul.

Will Nigeria’s many troubles ever end?That is our hope. But we’ve got some messin our hands; and it’s a huge mess!

By FOLA OJO

•(L-R) Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Dawud Naobi; National Amirah, Federation of Muslim Women’s Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Hajia Aminat Omoti; the governor,State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his wife, Sherifat, at the FOMWAN 29th National Conference, held at Osogbo City Stadium last Friday.

State Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Attended The 29th FOMWANNational Conference, Held At Osogbo City Stadium Last Friday.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

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

By GOKE BUTIKAONE Yoruba famousproverb that says, “if athief is not caught

immediately, he may turn aroundto arrest his victim”’ seems to haveconcisely captured the drama ofabsurd being played out in the Stateof Osun after the just-concludedgovernorship election.

Quite interesting, the candidateof the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in the election, Mr. IyiolaOmisore, who was doubly sure that he wouldsend the incumbent governor, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola, back to Lagos State, where he onceserved as Commissioner for Works andInfrastructure, in the August 9, 2014governorship election; premising his convictionon an innuendo that Aregbesola had no root inIjesa land, adding that the governor’s claim thathe is of Ijesa stock was false and that the Ijesaswould puncture the claim for him through theelection, is now praying the election tribunal todeclare him the winner of the election where hecame second or have the election cancelled for arerun poll.

It would be recalled that two weeks to theelection, Omisore appeared on ChannelsTelevision on the platform of a programmetagged: POLITICAL UPDATE anchored bySeun Okinbaloye and assured his audience thatAregbesola would be defeated in all polling unitsincluding his (Aregbesola’s) own, asserting thathis party had done its homework very well andthat he would be waiting for the governor tocongratulate him after his victory at the poll.

However, before he went for the interview,Omisore, while addressing his supporters inIfewara situated in Atakunmosa-East LocalGovernment Council Area said that he was surethat he had already won, because according tohim, all the chieftains of the APC, particularly amember of the House of Assembly representingthe constituency, Mr. Babatunde Komolafe,would be arrested and have their houses sacked.

Whereas it was a chest beating some monthsbefore the election by the PDP candidate that hewould not accept any election conducted by thethen Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC),Ambassador Rufus Akeju, for Omisore allegedthat he had a familiar relationship with thenational leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola AhmedTinubu and that soldiers must be deployed toprovide him “level play ground”. As a matter offact, he drew attention of those who cared ahoot to what obtained in Ekiti State as touchingthe militarization of the state, insisted that suchscenario would be doubled up in Osun.

As expected, close to 73,000 securityoperatives from different formations weredeployed in Osun against the 36,000 operativesdeployed in Ekiti State a week before the electionand almost half of the men wore mask,particularly men from Department of the StateSecurity (DSS); they were menacingly paradingthe streets in the state capital and other citiesand towns with a show of force, while somewere wasting bullets into the air. Instructively,chieftains and supporters of the PDP werehappy and jubilating that their faithful partnershad arrived; while the APC loyalists respondedwith broom-wielding peaceful resistance andchatting of party’s slogan.

The election was keenly contested, theopposition parties threw up different jokers,they whipped up different sentiments againstAregbesola’s government. Both pretenders andcontenders chose the bandwagon approach; theystarted with unsubstantiated debt profile of thestate, moved against education policy and otherspheres of influence, particularly the delayedpayment of salaries caused by the epilepticallocation sharing by the Federal Government,it was used sufficiently against the governmentto the extent that the demographic data of the

election reflected the damage done to the psycheof some civil servants, who vowed to punishthe governor for the salary delay, no matter theadjustment.

As if the election was programmed to favourthe runner-up, the REC, Akeju, was redeployed,and the man who conducted Ekiti election wasbrought in alongside two others to come andoversee the election and on the eve of the election,the security operatives in mask began to deliveron orders from Aso Rock men on ground. As theMinister of State for Defence, MusiliuObanikoro, was dishing out order to the Army,the Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan,was allegedly issuing directive on the police.

As boasted earlier by Omisore, men of DSSwent full blast at the unholy hour of the electionday, as they arrested over 700 APC membersand leaders across the 30 local governmentcouncil areas; some homes of selected chieftainsof the APC were turned to battlefields, forsporadic shootings raged on for hours. All in abid to scare the daylight out of the people, witha view to creating apathy, so that alleged alreadythumb-printed ballot papers in favour of thePDP would be used generously for those whochose not to come out to vote.

Unfortunately, the antics of militarization,brutalization and the ultimate siege visited onthe state turned counterproductive for the PDP,

as it welled up anger of the electorate, who defiedthe siege as people, women in majority, pouredto the polling booths in legions for accreditationand voting proper.

Reports from the field indicated how moneyand rice were deployed at the polling booths bythe agents of the PDP with impunity, while APCagents, who were found with money, as much asfive thousand naira were whisked away. Forinstance, some amateur video clips had shownhow the PDP agents were giving promissorynotes, when the money brought to Isokan LocalGovernment Council Area was exhausted!

Interestingly, subtle violence and intimidationwere employed in some villages of Ife-SouthLocal Government Council Area, as voters werethreatened to either vote for Omisore or losetheir farm lands, while there was no election insome densely populated villages like OmiFunfun, Mefoworade, Garage Olode, kere andsome other villages, because the sentiment of“our son must not be humiliated at home” wassold to those who attempted to raise a finger ofprotest.

In a related development, Obanikoro, ChrisUba and Adesiyan were moving round in aconvoy during the election, while some NigerDelta warlords like Asari Dokubo, Tompolo andothers were in Ile-Ife, allegedly hatching a plotto supplant the process, according to a credible

source.

Another interesting dimension to thedrama was that, it was very easy torecognize how voters voted, for the APCsupporters folded their ballot papers inline with Aregbesola’s instruction, whilethe PDP supporters folded as instructedtoo. So, that made the counting and sortingeasy for the presiding officers.

At the dusk, the internet facilities throughsocial media platform had obtained and pastedresults of the 3,012 polling units across the state,that obviously rattled the PDP camp, whichresponded with a weak fist that those results onthe web were false, but when the returningofficers and electoral officers across the 30 localgovernment council areas began to submit theirresults, they were the same with what everyonealready had.

At dawn of the following day, PresidentGoodluck Jonathan had congratulated Aregbesolaand expressed his desire to work with him,followed by the Ooni of Ife, Oba OkunadeSijuwade, Musiliu Obanikoro, Femi Fani-Kayode and hundreds of others who stormedthe state for Omisore. But to the PDP candidate,losing the election was a nightmare, quiteunthinkable and ego deflating. Thence, theoutcome of the election must be challenged atthe election petition tribunal.

Of course, Omisore reserves the right toapproach tribunal after election, if he feels anyinjustice was done during the process, but hismoral ground appears steep, for questions wouldbe asked: who was meant to benefit from 73,000security operatives deployed to lay siege to thestate by the federal power controlled by hisparty? Whose mission was the likes of theMinister of State for Defence, Obanikoro andthe Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan,Asari Dokubo, Tompolo, Chris Uba and armedmasked men, genuine and counterfeit came tochampion? Were the PDP polling agents not atthe polling booths? Which party lost over 700supporters and leaders to wanton arrest andhumiliation the night before the election? Whopays the bill of INEC? Who pays the NYSCmembers who served as presiding officers andclerks? These questions and many others arebegging for answers.

To belabour the obvious, the PDP candidatewas programmed to be the prime beneficiary ofthe instrument of intimidation unleashed onOsun, it was just that the people of the statedefied the siege by hugely turning out to votefor their choice and the deployment oftechnological devices made it practicallyimpossible for open manipulation. So, thecontent of the 815-page petition of Omisore tobe prosecuted by seven senior advocatespromises to be dramatic.

Interestingly, the winner had also soughttribunal order to inspect the ballot papers of the23 local government council areas for forensicanalysis, first of its kind in the history of Nigeriaelection tribunal, expressing his readiness toprobe the figure appropriated to the runner-up.Indeed, it promises to be a legal battle royale.

It would be recalled that Aregbesola broughtthe ‘stolen mandate’ slogan into the politicallexicon in 2007, when he dragged the PDP andthe then Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola to thetribunal after the governorship election, wherehe fought for three and a half years before hewas declared as the winner of lawful votes andreturned the governor in 2010. Now, Omisorehas bought political coinage, as he claims thathis mandate was stolen, compelling him toapproach the election tribunal. The poser is: Isthere any mandate for the runner-up, whoseleaders had congratulated the winner? Theelection petition tribunal will determine theanswer?

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.

Osun 2014 GovernorshipMandate: Genuine Or Stolen?

•AREGBESOLA