Osun Defender - August 5th 2014, Edition by OsunDefender

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2014

As August 9 draws closer by the day we must continue to remind the electorate in our dear state of their responsibiliies; the need to vote right and to jealously guard their votes. To use the power of our

VOL. 9. NO.093

Front Page Comment Compatriots, Jealously Guard Your Votes! thumb to vote for continuity - as the state cannot afford to do away with the level of unprecedented development

going on in the state since the inception of Ogbeni Aregbesola's administration - is our first major responsi bility as re

sponsible citizens of our state. Of course we are not in doubt that the votes of our people will be for O g b e n i Aregbesola who has done the state much good. Continue on pg5

N50

Who Killed Chief Bola Ige, formerAttorneyGeneral and Minister of Justice?

IGE

Saturday’s Governorship Election In Osun:

PDP’s Fresh Plot To Rig In Selected LGAs Uncovered – APC - See Story On Page 2

US Exposes PDP’s Lie – APC - Pg 2 Jonathan’s Presidency Is A - Pg 9 Political Armed Robber - Akande - Pg 2

•Call Centre of Security Emergency Show Room. INSET: State of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd right), (cutting the tape of the centre). With him are: Chief of Policy and Plans, Airforce Headquarters, Air Vice-Marshal JM Gum, representing Chief of Air Staff (right); State of Osun Commissioner of Police, Mr Ibrahim Maishanu (left); Special Adviser to the State Governor on Security, Barrister Adekunle Amos during the commissioning of the Osun Emergency and Citizens’ Enquiry/Contact Centre by Governor Aregbesola in Osogbo last Thursday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

PDP Mega-rally: Omisore’s Rented Crowd Fails To Show Voters’ Cards - Pg 4

More Revelations On How PDP Plans To Rig Osun Governorship Election

- See Story On Page 3

News

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 5, 2014

PDP’s Fresh Plot To Rig In Selected LGAs Uncovered – APC

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged that the PDP plans to massively rig the Aug. 9th governorship election in 10 identified local governments in State of Osun, in addition to seeking a pliable person as a returning officer. In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party also said President Goodluck Jonathan has reportedly told the security agencies that he wants victory for his party at all costs, an

admonition that will definitely shape their perception of the election as a do-or-die affair. “Nigerians from all walks of life, desirous of a free and fair election on Saturday, are reaching out to us with

useful information on the plan by the desperate PDP to rig the forthcoming election, and we are taking the information very seriously. For example, we learnt that the PDP has identified Ife Central, Ife

East, Ife North, Ife South, Olurunda, Iwo, Ifelodun, Osogbo, Odo Otin and Aiyedade as places where they plan to perpetrate massive rigging. Two different results have allegedly been written ahead of the elections while three Vice Chancellors, one from the North Central and two from the South West, have been pencilled down to serve as a returning officer. The incentive for the returning officer who can announce the doctored results is 1 billion Naira,” it

said. The party said when these plans are put together with the massive deployment of security agencies to Osun to harass and intimidate the opposition, the huge amounts of cash being moved into the state via armoured personnel carriers, and the electoral malfeasance specialistministers who have landed in Osun, it is clear that the PDP is working hard to ensure that the forthcoming election is anything but free, fair and credible.

US Exposes PDP’s Lie – APC

T •The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (right), presenting a credit card to one of the beneficiaries, Mr Sikiru Muibi (middle) while the Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal (left), watches during the official launching of the farmers; input and credit support programme at the Central Distribution Centre, Aisu, Ede, State of Osun, last Wednesday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

Jonathan’s Presidency Is A Political Armed Robber - Akande By ISMAEEL UTHMAN

HE immediate-past Interim National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, has lashed out at the President Goodluck Jonathanled administration, describing the Presidency as a bunch of political armed robbers. Nigeria, according to hounded into detention on the Akande, has never had it so bad eve of the election, only for the like the President Jonathan-led Federal Government to hoodFederal Government, adding wink the global community to that there is serious set back in believe that the election was the lives of ordinary Nigerians free and fair, when in truth, the under the Jonathan’s process had been skewed in administration. favour of the PDP in the preChief Akande spoke at his election processes. country home in Ila-Orangun “The same scenario is while delivering a lecture titled: playing out again in Osun with “Political Armed Robbers are the militarisation of the state at our Gate,” at a welcome by men of the State Security reception organised for him by Services, who are shooting the Ila-Ifedayo-Boluwaduro sporadically everywhere in Federal Constituency to order to scare away the voters commend his political activities and intimidate our people so far. before election.” He said: “This present Akande said the military has regime is the worst. No peace, no business in civil activities no infrastructures, no like election and the electorate, electricity, no employment, no lamenting that the set back of industry, no prosperity, no Nigeria was as a result of the orderliness and no peace of misrule of the military regime. mind. Instead, there is panic According to the APC everywhere.” leader, the PDP and the “Today, Nigeria, which is presidency have begun moves one of the wealthiest and most to destroy opposition parties naturally-endowed places on out of intolerance in their bids earth, because of deliberate to hold-on to power and incidence of corruption and continuing enriching consequent misrule by the themselves against the wish of military administrations and the the electorate. PDP over the years, is breeding “Hunting for powers and the poorest and most-deprived not accountable to the citizens within its jurisdiction.” electorate, PDP and its The former governor presidency have begun to condemned the militarisation of destroy opposition all over the State of Osun with the men Nigeria by using massive of the Department of the State federal powers to impeach Security, soldiers and governors and fully arming the policemen. police and soldiers to protect He said the militarisation and cover up their corrupt with sporadic shootings by the leaders, while fraudulently DSS officers everywhere in the manipulating the wishes of state was aimed to scare away Nigerians at the polls with voters and intimidate absolute impunity. supporters of the APC. “History does not change. “In the recently-held It is the people who fail to governorship election in Ekiti learn the lessons of history. It State, hundreds of APC was this type of actions by the supporters and leaders were then ruling parties that led to

the collapse of the first and second republics of Nigeria due to the reckless use of brutal force by the ruling parties against the opposition. “The present ruling PDP is already toeing this line at the risk of our hard-earned democracy for which some of our compatriots paid the supreme sacrifice. “With PDP in power, votes do not count and, therefore, the electorate are not important in PDP’s culture. That is why Nigeria has been sinking and failing under PDP governments. “This present regime is the worst. Surely, this Jonathan’s presidency is a political armed robber,” Akande stressed. Former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Professor Mojeed Alabi, advised the electorate on the need to appreciate development against material and immediate gains

known as ‘stomach infrastructure.’ According to Alabi, Nigeria would remain underdeveloped, should the electorate sell their votes to those who offer them petty cash, saying that such set of politicians do not care for good governance. In his remarks, the Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba Wahab Oyedotun, Bibire I, extolled the virtue of Akande, who is the Asiwaju of Ila, describing him as a man that meant well for his town, state and Nigeria at large. Oba Oyedotun acknowledged Akande’s contributions to the development of the IlaOrangun community, stating that generations unborn would continue to appreciate Akande’s efforts on the develpment of the ancient town.

HE United States AID agency (USAID) has contradicted the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) lies that the body conducted a poll on Osun August 9 election in which the PDP was favoured to win. The PDP had, in a contained in a statement desperate bid to create the issued and signed by the impression that its party’s Director of Research candidate, Senator Iyiola and Publicity, Barrister Omisore, is popular, it told a Kunle Oyatomi. terrible lie that the United According to the APC: States agency had tipped its “They are shameless liars, candidate to win the who will implicate anybody election in a poll conducted at all costs through their by the country’s lying addiction,” international agency. The APC had contacted However, the PDP’s lie the USAID to provide it has been refuted by the with a copy of the findings Acting Public Affairs of the PDP alleged poll for Officer of the US Consulate verification, to which the General, Lagos, Rhonda agency responded that no Watson, who said: “No such poll was conducted. USAID poll was taken in The APC therefore Osun.” described the PDP in Osun Quoting a one paragraph response from USAID, as a band of liars, who Democracy and cannot be trusted with the Governance Team, Abuja, finances of the state. According to the APC: the United States Agency categorically said: “None of “The greatest weapon of a USAID Peace and thief is an incredible ability Democracy Governance to lie without scruples. If Implementing Partners (P/ such people as PDP liars DG IPs) support or plan to have access to the state support any election- treasury, they will loot it related opinion polls in empty. Osun.” The party further stated In swift reaction to the that liars and thieves cannot development, the ruling All replace Rauf Aregbesola, Progressives Congress adding that the good people (APC) in the state then wondered from where did of Osun know that the PDP the PDP scoop its false cannot win on August 9, because liars and looters story? The party’s reaction was form its core leadership.

I Don’t Need Ijesa Votes To Win – Omisore By OUR REPORTER

HE governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the August 9, 2014 governorship election in the State of Osun, Senator Iyiola Omisore, has dismissed Ijesa voters as inconsequential in his bid to rule the state. The Garage-Olode-born Ikire. They also told him that he controversial politician recently told his aides, who would lose in Ile-Ife and that had expressed his strength is in only one apprehension at his local government council unpopularity in Ijesaland, area. He then asked them that he did not need the which of the places is the votes of the Ijesas before worst, to which they told winning the governorship him Ijesaland. Omisore, at this state, election. One of the aides confided reportedly lost his cool and in OSUN DEFENDER that flew in a rage barking out: they told Senator Omisore ‘To hell with Ijesaland, I that their survey showed don’t need their votes.’ It would be recalled that that he (Omisore) would receive less than 20 per cent violence had heralded his of the votes in Osogbo, campaign in Ilesa recently as Ijesaland and seven other his thugs killed one All major cities of Ede, Ila, Iwo, Progressives Congress Ikirun, Ejigbo, Gbongan and (APC) supporter at Irojo,

area of the town. This angered had however his few supporters in Ijesaland and many of them have shifted their support for his rival, Governor Rauf Aregbesola. They have vowed not to vote for him but would keep collecting his gifts and later vote for Aregbesola, in line with their conscience, on August 9. The Ijesas are still seething with anger over the death of their iconic scion, the late Chief Bola Ige, first civilian governor of the old Oyo State and the nation’s Attorney General, at the time of his brutal murder in his Bodija Ibadan home. Senator Omisore was charged with his murder as the prime suspect. A few days before Ige’s murder, Omisore had led a

group of thugs and roughnecks to attack him at the palace of the Ooni of Ife and had boasted of this in a newspaper. Though the then PDP government in Oyo State had entered nolle prosequi and discontinued the trial, the court neither discharged nor acquitted the suspect, who for long was remanded at the Agodi Prison in Ibadan. Meanwhile, Senator Omisore’s electoral fortunes continue to dwindle as a recently opinion poll conducted by TSN-RMS revealed that Omisore will corner only a paltry 19 per cent of the total votes, while Aregbesola will scoop a huge 69 per cent and Fatai Akinbade of Labour Party will make no appreciable showing at the poll.

News

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 5, 2014

More Revelations On How PDP Plans To Rig Osun Governorship Election

NFORMATION is filtering through on how the PDP may have secured access to INEC’s database and practically alter information of originally-registered voters with those of mercenaries, who have been contracted from Lagos, Oyo and Ondo states. This was contained in a Oyatomi. statement issued and According to him, signed last weekend by the already, according to All Progressives Congress information from APC’s (APC) Director of Publicity field intelligence report, the and Research in the State of permanent voters’ cards Osun, Barrister Kunle produced from access to

INEC’s database are being distributed to young men and women contracted from the neighbouring states. “Information reaching us is that 62 young men and women, equipped with laptops, have been camped in two main hotels on Ibadan Road in Ile-Ife to effect the stealing of the data and alteration of personal information of registered

voters for the purpose of producing fake electoral materials that the PDP intends to use for their rigging purpose.” The source further said: “Actual work on this project is taking place at a radio station believed to be owned by a PDP chieftain. Our source confirmed that the car, which brought the materials on which the boys

were working, was a deep black Toyota Land Cruiser with an Abuja registration number. Computer experts from some universities in the South-West geo-political zone have stated that if actually INEC’s database has been hacked into, then a high number of originallyregistered voters, who had foolishly allowed the PDP to

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, acknowledging cheers from residence of Osogbo, last Friday

Osun Govt Launches Farm Inputs Credit Support For Farmers By KEHINDEAYANTUNJI

OVERNMENT of the State of Osun has revealed that it has finalised plans to help each farmer in the state with farm inputs for farming to the tune of N150,000 annually. The state governor, and Credit Support Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Programme. He stated that the stated this in Ede on Wednesday at the official process started with launch of the Farmers Input identification of farmers and

evaluation of the farmland through the Geographic Information System (GIS), adding that the whole process was a willing one and not compulsory. According to the governor, after the identification, evaluation and registration processes, each of the farmers would be

INEC Accredits 29 Observer Groups For Osun Governorship Election By FRANCIS EZEDIUNO

HE Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has cleared 29 domestic and international organizations to observe the August 9 gubernatorial election in the State of Osun. This was contained in Working Group, Centre the information kit for the for Democracy and election released by the Development, Nigerian Commission during the Civil Society Situation week. Room (Policy and Legal The domestic observer Advocacy Centre), groups approved by the CLEEN Foundation, The electoral body are 19, Forum of State while 10 are foreign Independent Electoral groups. Commission of Nigeria The figure is the same (FOSIECON), NEPAD with that of the Ekiti State Nigeria, Independent gubernatorial election, Election Monitoring which was held last June Group, and Research 21. Initiative for Sustainable Among the observer Development and Gender groups accredited for the Awareness (RISDGA). Osun gubernatorial poll are The international Transition Monitoring observers include the Group, (TMG), Nigeria UNDP/DGD, International Bar Association Election Foundation for Electoral

System (IFES), EU Delegation, British High Commission, United States Mission to Nigeria, Canadian High Commission, Embassies of Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany and France. Twenty parties are presenting candidates in the election in which a total of 1,407,222 voters are expected to vote. Some of the parties are the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Labour Party (LP), and the Alliance for Democracy, (AD). The incumbent governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, is running on the platform of the APC, while a former deputy governor and senator, Iyiola Omisore, is the flag-bearer of the PDP.

given a Wema Bank Debit Card, which would enable them go to any Farmers’ Input Supply and Service Company (FISCO) centre, which are available at every farm settlement in the state. He charged the farmers to be prudent in the management of farm inputs collected, as they will not be able to collect more than their farmland size, adding that at the end of each farming year, the farmers would either return farm produce or cash to the appropriate quarters. Speaking earlier, Director, Office of the Economic Planning and Partnership, Dr Charles Akinola, said the programme is an indication that the present administration in the state is

conscious of every sector of the economy. In their separate goodwill messages, Chairman, Farmers Association in the state, Chief Raimi Adeniji, represented by Dr. Sangolade and Dr Arigbede, appreciated the government for the gesture, saying it was an indication that the government appreciates the farmers and pledged their unalloyed support for the present administration in the state. The governor, at the ceremony, distributed some ready debit cards to registered farmers, among whom were: Mr Adediran Abiodun, Mrs Limota Shittu, Mr Emmanuel Adewumi and Mr Alagbe Kareem at the event.

collect the VIN number of their voters’ cards cannot vote on August 9 because their data and photographs would have been altered. Reliable reports from field intelligence and insider sources of the PDP have also revealed that the VIN numbers of the PVCs produced fraudulently by hacking into INEC’s database will be listed, polling unit by polling unit, and handed over to members of the National Youth Service Corps on duty to secretly tick as having been accredited to vote even when they were not present for accreditation. It is during the accreditation process that the original voter will discover that his/her data and photograph has vanished from the computer records and so will be disqualified from voting. However, the computer experts said that it is impossible to break into INEC’s database without an insider’s collaboration. According to the experts, “only INEC’s database administrator can, during editing, effect such comprehensive alteration that can totally erase data from a PVC of an originallyregistered voter and replace them with those of a mercenary. In another development available from various sources have it that the terrorist-like masked gunmen, who will be used to effect this fraud, surfaced about last Saturday evening around Oke-fia area of Osogbo, shooting into the air sporadically in company of other security forces. However, to their utter surprise, rather than run away in fright, Osogbo residents in the area, burst into singing APC songs, dancing and telling the terrorists that no matter what they were in Osogbo to do, Aregbesola is the man they will vote for. Incidentally, Governor Rauf Aregbesola was at that period in time talking to mini-bus owners and drivers, including Okada riders at the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, when the masked men, reportedly coming from DSS office along GbonganIbadan road, began their acts of terror.

Go To Polling Centre With Your Camera – De Raufs Boss

HE Director-General of De Raufs Volunteer Group International, Comrade Amitolu Shittu, has advised the voters to go to the polling centres during the fast-approaching August 9 gubernatorial election in the State of Osun with their cameras. He disclosed this at an across all local government interactive session with council areas in Osun. thousands of Osun voters, According to De Raufs who recently visited the volunteer boss, only the secretariat of the group in people can protect and Osogbo, the state capital. monitor the electoral De Raufs Volunteer Group process, and Osun people International is a leading must be extra-vigilant, as volunteer group electoral space is heating up campaigning for re-election by those that are supposed of Governor Rauf to be responsible for the Aregbesola with members fairness of the election.

“Our people must be very vigilant. They must go to the polling centres with their cameras. They must capture every moment. They must equally take pictures of their thumb-printed ballot papers. Those with no camera must record their ballot forms number. It is a duty that we owe the continuity of development. Security may be compromised, electoral officer may be compromised, but never must our people compromise in pursuit of good governance, eternal vigilance is the price of freedom,” Amitolu advised.

News

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Akande: An Epitome Of Quality Leadership – Prof Alabi By SHINA ABUBAKAR

HE former Interim National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, has been described as an epitome of quality leadership for the younger generation to emulate in a bid to make the country great. This was disclosed by a lot about public office life former Speaker, Osun State from the former governor and House of Assembly, Professor the lesson he drew from him Mojeed Alabi, while delivering was his view on the ephemeral a lecture titled; “Leadership, nature of life, hence, his Service and the Politics of commitment to serving “Stomach Infrastructure”: humanity. Akande and Rekindle of He said Akande’s Hope”, during a welcome home administration first put the reception held for the politician state on the path of in Ila-Orangun at the weekend. development through his According to the don, (Akande) vision and strict Akande is an embodiment of adherence to principles of humility, trust, transparent transparent governance, which, and discipline in public life and, according to him, is responsible even during the heist of for the edifice that stands corruption in the country, today as the government Akande stood out among his secretariat in the state. peers in the country. He disclosed that the ouster The Speaker of the of Akande from office in 2003 Assembly during Akande’s was made possible by the administration disclosed that PDP’s determination to he had the opportunity to learn capture South-West in

connivance with some unscrupulous elements in government that were spreading false news to the gullible public. This group, according to Professor Alabi, was dissatisfied with Akande’s prudent nature and stopped the usual way of siphoning public funds, hence, the group easily collaborated with the PDP to rig the administration out of office. He, however, added that the people realised their mistakes early enough that within two years of the then PDP administration, it welcomed Mr Rauf Aregbesola to the state to rescue it from the shackles of oppression and aggrandisement of the PDP-led administration in the state. Speaking on the new politics of ‘Stomach Infrastructure’, the don said doom, not just for the region, but for the entire country, if it jettisoned good governance for mere material gift from political office

seekers. He said the Ekiti State experience is a bitter pill to swallow, particularly, as the Yoruba people are not known to live ignoble live but with their integrity intact in the face

of any challenge, calling on the entire Yoruba nation to revert to the era of placing priority on merit and excellence than mediocrity. The professor of Political Science warned electorate not

APC Group In Irewole Prays For Aregbesola’s Victory By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

two-term lawmaker in the old Oyo State and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Irewole Local Government Council Area of the State of Osun, Chief Rufai Oyebamiji, has said the developmental strides of Governor Rauf Aregbesola in all sectors of governance would speak for him in the August 9 governorship election. He spoke in Ikire on Raji Omowale engaged in Saturday during a marathon supplications by reciting prayer session organised by his various Quranic verses for group for the victory of victory in the election. Aregbesola in the election. Speaking at the session, Islamic clerics invited for the Chief Oyebamiji said the prayer session and led by gathering was aimed at seeking Alhaji Jamiu Okin and Mallam violence-free election that would see Aregbesola emerging victorious. He noted that the achievements that Aregbesola has made in the area of economic development through agricultural development and provision of modern markets, youth empowerment, massive road construction and rehabilitation, development in the education sector, poverty alleviation among others are enough for his re-election. According to him, what Aregbesola has achieved within the last three and half years have not been achieved by any government since the creation of the state. “This prayer is specially organised to pray to God to make Aregbesola’s re-election •The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in a discussion with Iyalode of Osogbo, Chief (Mrs) Alake a successful one, so that all his developmental programmes Kolade, during the endoursement of the governor for second term by the widows in Osogbo recently.

Democracy Vanguard Raises Alarm Over Osun Security Siege By OUR REPORTER pro-democracy organisation, Democracy Vanguard, the State of Osun chapter, has raised alarm over the activities A of the State Security Services deployed for the forthcoming

recent promise of a free and fear 2015 general elections will be taken seriously, as the Osun election is a manifest dress rehearsal.

to jettison the interest of future generations because of their immediate needs, saying everyone should strive to vote for people that would leave lasting legacy for all to benefit from during elections.

They also called on the lawabiding people of Osun to remain steadfast, and unshaken in their quest to come out and vote for the candidate of their choice

come Saturday August 9, 2014, adding that no amount of intimidation or harassment must deter them from choosing their leaders by themselves.

aimed at rebuilding the state would be completed. “Revitalisation of the poor condition of our education sector, job creation for our youths, massive road construction, development of education and various iniatives that have been introduced to governance by Aregbesola have placed Osun ahead of other states. “It is our belief that when he is re-elected, he will do more and Osun will be better for it,” urging the electorate to vote massively for Aregbesola and stand by their votes. Also speaking, the group’s women leaders, Mrs Kemi Oladele, was optimistic that Aregbesola would emerge victorious, as all the plans to rig the poll would be resisted by the people of the state. He said Aregbesola has justified why he should be reelected and people are ready to re-elect him, with a view to complementing what he has done in his first term and take Osun to higher place. Present at the prayer session were community heads, among who were Chief Lateef Amusan (Alayetoro), Chief Mukaila Ayoade (Onisagba), Chief Saidu Adelakin (Oloowa), Chief Nurudeen Agbaje (Arinkinkin), Chief Asifatu Agunbiade (Onikan), and Chief Basaru Akinleye (Olugun). Others were Balogun of Ayetoro, Chief Ganiyu Olanrewaju; Balogun Arinkinkin, Chief Hassan Adebayo; Iyaloja of Ayetoro, Mrs Falilatu Ajoke; Iyaloja Oloowa, Mrs Raliatu Adekunle and the Baara Apinni of Ikireland, Chief Caleb Fadiran among others.

PDP Mega-rally: Omisore’s Rented Crowd Fails To Show Voters’ Cards

governorship election in the state. The organisation in a attempted taking photograph of statement signed by its the barbaric behaviour of the DSS, coordinator, Comrade Olowu the men of the DSS, some of them Emmanuel, and made available to in masks, alighted from their journalists in Osogbo, the state vehicles and attacked the people, HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the capital on Sunday condemned what snatching their phones and August 9 governorship election in the State of Osun, it described as the flagrant smashing them on the ground.” Iyiola Omisore, exposed himself again on Saturday, harassment and intimidation of “This undemocratic, barbaric as his supporters failed to show their voters’ cards at the the peace-loving people of Osun and lawless behaviour of men of by men of the Directorate of the DSS reminds us of the dark PDP rally, held at Osogbo Township Stadium, Osogbo, the Security Service (DSS). days of military rule in Nigeria, state capital on his directive. Democracy Vanguard said which democratic forces have Omisore had, during the crowd could show the cards. Osun has been one of the most been working and praying should President Goodluck PDP grand finale in Osogbo, peaceful states in Nigeria and be confined to the dustbin of Jonathan, his vice, Namadi shouted on top his voice, asking despite the governorship election history,” Olowu said. Sambo and other PDP leaders that is only few days away, the The group also called on his rented crowd to show their people have remained peaceful President Goodluck Jonathan to voters’ cards, but he was who had waited patiently, and are living in harmony. quickly call the DSS to order if his dissapointed as only few of the expecting the crowd to show The statement read in part: “Men of the Directorate of Security Services (DSS), arrived Osun few days ago, we in Democracy Vanguard, like every other right-thinking Nigerian, had thought they were deployed to show where we stand in a very maintain the peace already By OUR REPORTER peaceful manner. existing in the state as is the norm A commercial motorcyclist, in a democracy. THE security siege imposed on Osun in recent days has introduced a new fillip to Osun gubernatorial politics. who simply identified himself “Rather than go round the state Osogbo residents trooped out last Friday on hearing as Taju said: “I’m not a to maintain the peace and assure thatHundreds GovernorofRauf Aregbesola the people of their safety before, was observing jumat at Quareeb “Aregbe, No Shaking!”, “No to politician but why should they during and after the election, the Mosque located at Oke-Baale Democracy at Gunpoint”, “Tell come here and be intimidating Them to go to Chibok”, us. If they are yet to get to men of the DSS chose to parade the state in an apparent show of area of Osogbo, the state capital. “Oranmiyan Leekansi” amongst power and they are brandishing The situation outside the others. strength, harassing and guns like this, then Osun will Addressing the congregation, intimidating members of the mosque had already become another mega rally before the governor commended the be in deep problem if PDP ever public.” returns to power here.” “On Wednesday, July 30, Ogbeni finished the Jumat people for their support, while The crowd turned to an prayers. assuring them that the DSS men 2014, especially, the men of the unscheduled procession and it The mammoth crowd DSS went round, shooting are not their enemies. became a carnival of brooms sporadically into the air on major brought brooms from their A market woman, who was streets in Osogbo and environs in various homes. The broom- screaming on the top of her before the governor got to Oja a clear attempt at intimidating the wielding crowd, which voice in the crowd outside on Oba Area. The ecstatic crowd trekked public. An ugly scenario played out consisted largely of elderly the road leading to the mosque, at Capital Hotel junction, Dada women and commercial insisted: “we have resolved to several kilometres in company Estate Area, when people motorcyclists were saying: be waiving broom to the DSS to of the governor in validation of their ever increasing resolve to

their voters’ cards were dissapointed, as repeated efforts of Omisore to ensure that the crowd show their cards failed. When Omisore discovered that his repeated efforts had failed, he quickly changed tune and started saying, “thank you, thank you, thank you ....” repeatedly. Throughout the period he had to address the crowd, Omisore made no promise, other than thanking the

Osun 2014: Residents Ignore Security Intimidation •Display High Commitment To Aregbesola’s Re-election Project stand by Governor Aregbesola. It would be recalled that men and officers of DSS had two days earlier driven around town in Osogbo and were shooting sporadically into the air everywhere in an apparent show of strength. The interesting thing was that rather than people running helter-skelter at the sight of the heavily-armed DSS men, the residents in Okefia area of Osogbo responded with the shout of ‘Up APC!!! Aregbe ni o’, to the sound of each gunshot fired by the DSS. The headship of the DSS later denied knowledge of the sporadic shooting in an interview with The Punch Newspaper.

President and the PDP leaders for allowing him to fly “the ticket of the party”. Omisore was reported to have, before the rally, directed the party leaders to inform PDP members and the rented crowd to come to the campaign ground with their voters’ cards. The show of cards pattern by Omisore was fashioned after Mr Ayodele Fayose, the governor-elect of Ekiti State, who used the same method at the last mega rally of his party that secured controversial victory for him. Omisore has been copying Fayose on several occasions, thinking that that would also secure victory for him at the Saturday’s governorship election. The PDP governorship candidate had ridden on a motorcycle, but rather than adding to his popularity, the reverse has been the case. Omisore had eaten two cobs of corn along the street to impress the electorate, still, no dice. He dressed shabily to disguise as one of the downtrodding masses, but he was rebuffed. Anywhere Omisore went during the cause of his campaign, he was meeting with disgrace from the electorate who refused to identify with him.

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Compatriots, Jealously Guard Your Votes! Continued from pg1

But to guard our votes jealously could even be said to be more important than casting our votes. This is in view of the desperation of the far from being democratic Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its gubernatorial 'wannabe' in the state, Iyiola Omisore Mr. 'Money miss road', to coast home victory in the coming election. Thus while it's important to give our votes to Ogbeni, it's even more important to jealously guard our votes. This is what we need to do to ensure that the PDP doesn't succeed in its evil machinations. Already there are threats of violence from the party on members of the ruling party, APC as they (PDP) are threatening fire against APC members. Going by their antecedent violence and rigging are their stock-in-trade. And since there is no hope for them of winning the coming election through 'One man One vote' then their hope lies in repeating what they know how to do best. Another way through which the PDP is hoping to claim victory is by throwing money and other valuable gifts out

to entice voters to sell their votes. In this regard the handwriting had for long appeared on the wall. With the distribution of kerosene to their members and some members of the public which started last year their journey to entice voters with the aim of buying their votes started.

gifts the PDP is ready to offer them but they must not do so to do their bidding. The votes in the coming election are for Ogbeni Aregbesola who has raised the bar of good and responsible governance in the state and should never go to any other party let alone the PDP.

This stratagem rather than strategy, being viciously employed by the PDP in the state of Osun, is what we see as 'jeun s'iku' should citizens get swayed by it. 'Jeun s'iku' literally means 'eat and die' or 'eat the food that will lead you to your grave'. The money and other forms of gift which the PDP and Iyiola Omisore rely on to buy citizens' votes are nothing but 'Greek gift' and 'blood money' and collecting them to do their biding means doing so at one's peril. It simply means sending our state back to the pre-Aregbesola era; backwater of development. May God forbid!

The PDP and Iyiola Omisore are free to go about to throw carrot to the people in their desperation to capture the conscience of voters but never should the voters allow their conscience to be captured by these unscrupulous elements who have nothing to offer our state. The PDP has been in power for close to eight years here without any positive thing to show for it. All it had to show for its eight years of misrule are purely negative; violence, hunger, unemployment, collapsed school system, bad roads and general under-development across the state.

But it's not enough to pray to God to forbid evil things. We the citizens must also not use our own hands to bring evil things on our heads. To collect PDP's blood money to sell our conscience in the coming election will be tantamount to 'jeun s'iku' the consequence of which will be dire for our state. Of course the citizens can collect the gift of money and other

And on the part of the party's candidate, 'Mr. Money miss road' himself, he too had nothing positive to show for representing the state at the highest legislative body of this country even as he held a juicy position in the Senate, being Chairman Appropriation Committee for four years. Rather than serving the people and made positive impact in their lives he was only there to serve his own pocket. So in what way are they -

Osun And The Education Initiative

S the first four years of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola slowly winds to a conclusion and with the certainty of his securing a second term ticket at the August 9 poll, there is need to praise the school transformation agenda of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s administration. The weapon through which Aregbesola was able to successfully and effectively achieve this was through the Osun School Transformation Committee (O’School) under the Chairmanship of Otunba Lai Oyeduntan. It was a massive project which was so dear to his heart and he has achieved 95 per cent success at it with the introduction of same uniform across all the different levels of classes from the elementary, middle and high schools and the

construction of model schools across the nine federal constituencies in the state. No part of the State of Osun has not benefitted from this. Even, the towns of the candidates in the rival political parties could boast of this modern school edifice.

For the information of the reader, model schools construction and building is the rave of the moment now in the education sector and if Osun embraces it, there is no offence in it. So, in that wise, every opponent of this policy should just go and rest

because if Osun doesn’t toe this line, it would be a great disservice to the people of the state by the government in power but thank God Aregbesola was wise in doing this. So all dissenting mouths should keep shut. What else do you want to hear? It’s all been said

and with Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola still in the saddle for another fouryear term, it would be done. It behoves all peace and progressive-minded Osun people to allow for transformation and change. Chief Obafemi Awolowo

of blessed memory did it and he introduced a free education policy into the whole of Western Nigeria and funny enough, it was the same people who benefitted from that policy that finally rubbished education and made it the exclusive preserve of the rich, powerful and mighty. Thank God, an unknown person with a vision and mission in the mould of Aregbesola came into the scene and proved that it could be done again; education could be free and available for everybody across the board. He has done his own bit and played his part, the rest is left for us. Let’s do the one thing which is also the wise thing and vote him in as governor for a second term come Saturday. Osun A Dara O! •SIKIRU OLAWALE, Osogbo, State of Osun.

both the PDP and Omisore - going to effect any meaningful change in the life of the state as they are shouting around? We know that the virtuous and responsible citizens of our state who have enjoyed dividends of democracy in unprecedented term under the able and visionary leadership of Ogbeni Aregbesola will not waste their votes. We are sure they are not going to sell their conscience. We believe fervently that their votes will be for Aregbesola as they are not ready to 'jeun s'iku'. However,as we said above it's one thing to vote, the next important task before them come election day after voting is for them to protect their votes. Our people must guard their votes jealously so that these visionless elements who rely on vote stealing like they did in 2007 and who have nothing to offer the state and its people don't succeed in their fraudulent and evil plans. For them not to succeed the ball is in the court of the people. Our responsibilities are clear; to vote and to protect our votes. These are what we must do to ensure the return of the Aregbesola-led progressive government that has done so well for our state.

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

Politics OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Aregbesola On The March Again Ejigbo Mega Rally: Unanimous Attestation To Divine Will Glad revelations continue to open up to the camp of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the August 9 date of Osun Gubernatorial Elections approach. As the election campaigns intensify, the extended mega rally held in Ejigbo penultimate Tuesday is yet another bundle of surprises in the annals of political gatherings. It was a proof that response to call to a rally at such short notice could be so impressive and encouraging. This is more so, when the same federal constituency had previously played host to another scintillating crowd barely two weeks earlier! The mammoth crowd that graced the Ejigbo Mega Rally elicited a unanimous attestation to the fact that whoever is sent of God is irrepressible. This assessment came as a conclusion from NIYI OLASINDE’s coverage of the historic rally.

OLLOWING the mega rally under coverage in this report, lots have been happening to portray the incumbent adminis tration at the federal level under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan as high-handed and anti-democratic. Since the commencement of rounds of campaign rallies lined up to grace this election season, all manners of actions and inactions which constitute gross electoral misconduct have been reported to have become order of the day among the rank and file of the State of Osun Chapter of the conservative Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Jonathan’s political platform. We have reported the party as having embarked on a state-wide pursuance of the nefarious mission of purchase of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). The purchase of such cards has one clear motive behind it. That is that such devilish purchase has automatically dispossessed the original and legitimate carriers the cards; as well as robbing them the right and power to exercise their vital civic responsibility – that of casting their votes on the Election Day. We have also borne reports that another approach devised by the leading opposition party to secure undeserved victory is to collect the numbers on the cards of unsuspecting victims of their inordinate schemes and use that, via the connivance of some bad eggs in the machinery of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to nullify the registration of such voters and invalidate the power and use of their voter cards for voting. Both approaches, it has been confirmed were employed for use in areas adjudged to be the territories of relative strength for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and the ultimate motive is that of

reducing the numerical strength of potential voters so as to give upper hand to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). For both approaches, lots of material and financial inducements have been use as baits and decoy for voters to part with their vital materials or the details they contain. Aside the use of cash up to the tune of between N5,000 and N10,000; other materials being circulated to entice the victims to catch the hook include measures of raw rice, crash helmets for riders of motorcycles and household kerosene. The approximation of our findings on the targeted effect of all these nefarious acts boils down to the fact that the leading opposition in the state is afraid of going into any clean contest with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC); knowing full well that it cannot emerge victorious over the latter. The same reason is attributable to the evasive attitude demonstrated by the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) candidate in the election, Iyiola Omisore towards any programme or event organized by any group of stakeholders in the direction of getting the populace adequately acquainted with the manifestos and programmes of all parties and candidates in the contest. This lethargic attitude on the part of Omisore has become so worrisome and disturbing that people are compelled to believe that it is either the candidate is a sub-standard product; or the party is not well articulated with programmes and manifestos to sell itself to legitimate voters in an election. However, both misfortunes enumerated above could be true for the party and its candidate. However, fresh facts emerging within the past one week indi-

cate that it is not the focus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state to get people to vote for it in the coming election. Rather, it relies on the Federal Government which is controlled by the party, and which it considers as “almighty”. One proof that may well substantiate this theory or line of reasoning is the massive purchase of Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) which it has embarked on over some time. The theory views it that if legitimate victory in an election is the target of the opposition, it would not embark on that dastardly massive disenfranchisement mission, realizing that doing so could jeopardize its own chances of emerging victorious as well. The second indication which may serve as proof to the theory is that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state has not thrown enough zest and zeal behind its election campaign. It has been observed that rather than organizing truly democratic political campaigns or rallies, all that the party had succeeded in doing so far is a shameless show of power and the rabid support of the Federal Might. It is part of the findings of OSUN DEFENDER Magazine that even at the scenes of its make-believe rallies, what the party did off-camera was massive exchange of voter cards for money, rice or kerosene. Also, for reasons not unconnected with dearth of ideology early identified with the conservative party, the flag bearer, Iyiola Omisore and his cohorts never had any meaningful electoral promises to roll out other than death sentences and curses issued on their political adversaries, who they consider as

Continued on page 11

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 5, 2014

PHOTOTALK

Commissioning Of Osun Emergency And Citizens’ Enquiry/Contact Centre By The Governor, State Of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, In Osogbo, Last Thursday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•(L-R) Governor Rauf Aregbesola; Chief of Policy and Plans, Airforce Headquarters, Air Vice-Marshal JM Gum, representing Chief of Air Staff; Chief of Logistics and Communication Airforce, Air Vice-Marshal UC Oche and Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Aeronautical Engineering and Technical Service Limited, Air Vice Marshal Andy Tsakar.

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•(L-R) Commandant, Engineering Construction Regiment (ECR), Ede, Brigadier Gbenga Adeyemi and State of Osun Commissioner of Police, Mr Ibrahim Maishanu.

•A cross section of dignitaries at the event.

•(L-R) Senator Babafemi Ojudu; Mr Segun Babatope and Special Adviser to State of Osun Governor on Security, Barrister Adekunle Amos.

PHOTOTALK

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Chief Rufai Oyebamiji Group Of The All Progressives Congress (APC) Organised A Prayer Session For Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s Victory In August 9 Governorship Election Recently.

•A two-term lawmaker in the old Oyo State, Chief Rufai Oyebamiji (4th right) and some of the community heads at the prayer session.

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•Islamic clerics at the prayer session.

•A cross section of APC members in a group photograph shortly after the prayer session.

•A cross section of women members of APC at the programme in a group photograph shortly after the prayer session.

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 5, 2014

MAGAZINE

Ejigbo Mega Rally: Unanimous Attestation To Divine Will

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his Oyo counterpart, Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi (on top of a bus), acknowledging cheers from the mammoth crowd, during a campaign rally for Aregbesola’s re-election at Unity School, Ejigbo, State of Osun, recently. Contiuned from page 6 eternal foes in their rabid inordinate bid to clinch power by all means and at all costs. Just of recent, the atmosphere of peace and tranquility which had hitherto reigned supreme in the State of Osun got suddenly broken with the arrival of the machinery of the governorship seat contestant for the Peoples Democratic Party in the elections holding later this week, Senator Iyiola Omisore. Since that arrival, things had refused to remain the same for the state and its residents. This complete reversal of peaceful habitation and guaranteed security was replaced with security breaches, unruly attitude and gross lawlessness, perpetrated by Omisore and his cohorts. Apart from pockets of isolated cases of violence and vandalism recorded in some parts of the state over the past few weeks, two significant events happened of recent which betrayed the ignoble intents an ungodly schemes of the party for the state. First event came alive when the entire parts of the state capital were held to ransom for days on end; simply because the party and its scanty rascally loyalists were said to be expecting the governorelect of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose. The tension that mounted the city, which ensued from the social disturbance created caused discerning minds to ask that if dusts of confusion could be so raised over expectations of an awaiting governor, what then would be the fate of the state and its residents when it would be the turn of the President, who doubles as the National Leader of their party to visit the state? The stark reality of answer to the last question raised above came with the occurrence of the second event. This last week, President Goodluck Jonathan was being expected in Osogbo, the state capital for the grand finale of Omisore’s pre-election exertions. As a result of that, strange presence of security apparatuses became prominently noticed in Osogbo, the state capital. Tension, fear and apprehension gripped residents arising from the unnecessary, brazen show of shame as these security personnel paraded all major roads in the city, sporadically firing gunshots into the air, with the clear motive of scaring residents, obviously to repel them from getting interested in trooping out to cast their votes massively on the Election Day. This interpretation of the events which these supposed protectors of lives and property acted out represents the widespread opinions among residents who reacted to events unfolding since Wednesday, as build-up to Jonathan’s visit. This event occurred to drive home the point that there is more to it than meets the eye in the Federal Government’s plot for the forthcoming State of Osun Gubernatorial Election. Much has already been written on this and related issues. OSUN DEFENDER Magazine shall here rest its case on the matter for more pressing issues of greater relevance to the topic of this edition. THE ninth in the series of mega rallies held for the re-election bid of the standard bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming Governorship Elections in the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was held in Ejigbo, penultimate Monday. The rally held undeterred as an extended event; being the second of its kind to be held for the Ede Federal Constituency. There was no note of disharmony in the music. It was not a duet; neither was it a quartet piece. The people of the ancient yet famous Ejigbo community in the present-day State of Osun simply trooped out last Tuesday and sang in unison: that Aregbesola must continue in office as governor of the State of the Virtuous for a second tenure of four-year duration, starting from November 27, 2014. Someone may ask if the people under reference are musicians or choristers. Well, they are not, in name-calling; yet they elicited the attributes in the rousing welcome and demonstrated response to the call for a rally, issued out on short notice by the State of Osun Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) to the effect that another in the series of mega rallies was to be held in Ejigbo, a powerful arsenal in the political territory of the Ede Federal Constituency of the state. This extension, apparently viewed in some quarters as unnecessary, eventually proved itself out not only as necessary, but also apposite, deserving and worthwhile. The turn of events at the colourful rally was such that thrills the heart and fascinates one to politics, the commitment to the love of one’s people and devotion to their well-being and betterment. It is a combination of all these attributes, people confessed at the event that worked wonders for Aregbesola and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). The selfsame fact was confessed to be true for the Chief Host of the rally, who doubles as the Speaker of the fifth session of the State of Osun House of Assembly, Right

Honourable Najeem Salaam. Much the same was reflected in the case made for the Asiwaju of Ede, first Civilian Governor of the state and former senator of the Federal Republic, Otunba Isiaka Adeleke, whose homestead of Ede constitute two of the four local government council areas which comprise the Ede Federal Constituency. In a nutshell, no venture is as rewarding as impacting the lives of one’s own people positively, at least, with every slightest opportunity that comes one’s way in life. The ancient Ejigbo community was thrown into frenzy ecstatic mood on that day, as people abandoned much of their daily routines for an event packaged into the canvassing of votes for the reelection bid of Governor Rauf Aregbesola as helmsman of the State of Osun. To most of the people, the event of that day was one which they had heard and watched to have been held in other parts of the state. It was a similar event they had trooped out massively to co-host with their fellow constituents in Ede a fortnight earlier. Yet, they never relented, as they appeared to be unbending in their resolve and determination that there is only one man qualified and fit for the task in question – that of steering the ship of their state for the next four years, and doing so most effectively. To them, as far as the Bola Ige (White House) Government Office at Abere is concerned; and as far as the Oke Fia Government House is concerned, there is no vacancy yet. The streets of Ejigbo had come alive with activities of sorts since the early hours of the day. All manners of people, whose callings cut across diverse fields of endeavour trooped out in droves in preparation for the occasion they were billed to host later in the day. The occasion was such that called for people who had earlier held divergent views, and who may have been in the camp of the opposition to start having a rethink. Never, since the process of the ongoing contest began, had it been heard that a contestant of any other party came and shook the ground as did the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that day. Not even the fact that Ede is the indigenous home of Barrister Adejare Bello could do the magic of pulling so robust a crowd for his boss and their political front, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the ancient town! Ejigbo was agog for Aregbesola. The streets became a beehive of activities as early as the day began. The trend went on unabated till late in the evening. The ongoing Ramadan fasting was not a deterring factor for Moslems, as men and women of all faiths came out to contribute in one way or the other to the overall success of the event. At last, the faith they exercised was not betrayed; neither did it prove to be misplaced. The product they sacrificed all of their time and ventures to market is good and marketable. The gospel of Aregbesola for second term is already yielding good dividends. The stage is appearing to be set for a beautiful outing, come August 9. The venue of the mega rally had become filled up since around 10:00 a.m. The expansive premises rocked under the weight of the unprecedented crowd it played host to. It had already been a fact well accepted that never in the history of holding political rallies had such huge turnout as being currently witnessed been experienced. When OSUN DEFENDER reporter arrived at the venue much later in the day, all was set for an event which the entire Ejigbo and its adjoining communities will find unbeatable for some time to come. The events had kick-started before the long-awaited arrival. Entertainment was on by the accomplished Fuji maestro, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (K1). The Fuji superstar sang beautiful numbers eulogizing the valiant works of the Aregbesola administration, even as he urged the people not to look elsewhere for a better option. To him, the bird they had in hand was already worth than tens of others parading themselves for consideration to be entrusted with the serious work involved in governance. Ayinde cautioned the people not to lose their votes by polling for selfish destroyers of the collective destinies of a people. Clearly, Aregbesola had proven his mettle by his impact made in less than four years in all spheres of life. It was a beautiful piece of music loaded with thought-provoking messages. When the preliminary events started, speaker after speaker mounted the podium to address the waiting audience. The approximation of the thrust of their words is the praise of the candidate and the caution to vote wisely on the d-day. Further in their speeches, speakers at the event cautioned the people not to sell their voting instruments, that is, their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) or exchange them or the Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) they bear for any Greek gifts. It was observed that the

number of items in the assortment of those Greek gifts had been increasing in recent times; ranging from financial peanuts, though expired rice to adulterated household kerosene. It was also brought under mentioning the nefarious activities of destiny mortgagors who engage in trading of voters’ cards. The representative of Iwo Federal Constituency at the Federal House of Representatives, Honourable Gafar Amere spoke at length on this issue and recommended that the treatment meted out to them at his federal constituency be introduced in the host constituency. According to him, perpetrators who are apprehended are thoroughly beaten before being handed over to the police for necessary prosecution. Speakers who spoke prior to this and thereafter directed the people to troop out en masse and cast their votes fearlessly on the Election Day. They were cautioned not to be intimidated by the huge presence of security personnel, as the apparatus is put in place to forestall security breaches and breakdown of law and order. All the same, voters were charged to stand by at their polling units after observing their civic responsibilities and observe the events unfolding till the moment of vote-counting. This vigilance duty of protecting votes is crucial in Nigeria where anything negative that could be thought of is possible. After this session of speeches, King Wasiu Ayinde took the central stage for a long time to entertain, enlighten and educate the waiting crowd. This round of interlude lasted for slightly over twenty minutes when it was interrupted with the arrival of the Deputy Governor, State of Osun, Otunba Grace Titilayo LaoyeTomori. At the instance of her arrival, the young artiste, who is a student of Ataoja School of Science, Osogbo, Kazeem Olatunji, a.k.a. Kazzy Roll was brought on stage to contribute his own quota to the entertainment. Kazzy Rolled thrilled the audience to the rhythm of his popular track, “Aregbesola you are the Champion…” Thereafter, King Wasiu Ayinde resumed the entertainment till the arrival time of governor Aregbesola. For some time prior to the arrival of the governor, news had gone round that the governor and his train had arrived the town and had proceeded straight to the palace of the monarch of the town, the Ogiyan of Ejigbo, His Royal Highness, Oba Omowonuola Oyeyode Oyesosin II for traditional homage and royal blessings. Close on hand for that portion of the assignment was the governor of the sister-state, Oyo State, Senator Ishiaq Abiola Ajimobi. Also on the entourage were the first civilian governor, State of Osun, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, selected members of the State Executive Council, members of the hierarchy of the ruling party in the state and other eminent personalities. At the palace, the monarch, joined by other monarchs in the area eulogized the good works of Ogbeni and his administration, which they attested had impacted people in the entire length and breadth of the state, with particular reference to the area. They thereafter poured prayers on him for success at the polls. With that done, all was set for his departure from the palace for the venue where the mammoth crowd had stayed converged, waiting for the eventsproper to kick off. From the palace of Ogiyan of Ejigbo, it was a traffic gridlock that characterized the roads down to the Unity School venue of the campaign programme. Earlier, it had been a similar experience that dominated the scene. All the way from Osogbo, the state capital, people of the communities along the access road to Ejigbo had trooped out overwhelmingly to accord Governor Aregbesola a rousing welcome to the area. In Ara community in particular, the turnout was reported to have been so thick that the governor’s entourage was force to come to a standstill. All the way from Osogbo, commercial motorcycle operators, popularly called okada riders were said to have lined up in beautiful array ahead of the governor’s procession as their own way of showing their love and appreciation for him. At Ejigbo, the scenery was easily likened to a pilgrimage centre, as people lined the streets to cheer the entourage. Each group and individual struggled to outdo one another as they scampered to catch a glimpse of the wonderful achiever and to bid him welcome and give assent to his success on the tour and in his re-election bid. Left and right of the major road leading to the town, people had laid in wait to accord the governor and his train a befitting welcome. After his departure from the palace, it proved an uphill task for vehicular traffic to make it to the venue of the big meet. The surging crowd upon his entry into town had redoubled, since news had circulated round announcing his arrival. The broom anniversary was so colourful that one could easily find himself at cross as to whether he had seem that large volume of brooms all at once in his entire lifetime. Candidly, if all those brooms were engaged to sweep the floor of a community, it is doubtful whether it would not be swept bare of sand! From the ancient palace, through places like Iwo Road, Oke Moyo Junction, Royal Hotel Junction and Moyepe Road down to Unity School, the final destination, the constriction was so dense. At the venue, the crowd that had already converged was astonishing. This was coupled with the fact that the crowd met in town followed still till the arrival at the venue. It was wonder in action! Upon his arrival, the governor was seen atop his characteristic mini luxury bus, brandishing his enormous broom vehemently in acknowledgement of cheers from the crowd. The first pointer to it that the governor was with one outstandingly powerful co-traveller was that he was seem beckoning to someone to come up the bus and join him in the task of acknowledging the crowd. It was with surprise that the expectant crowd sighted the Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi mounting the bus and waving his the crowd with the governor. The uproar was terrific. Upon alighting from the vehicle, the governor exchanged pleasantries with dignitaries already waiting before heading for his seat. The time of arrival was 4:44 p.m. The big arrival culminated in the commencement of the programme-proper. The National Anthem and State of Osun Anthem were sung back-to-back. By 5:05 p.m., the programme had kick-started in full swing with the introduction of guests and dignitaries. The first speech after the official commencement of events was delivered by the Chairman of the Aregbesola Second Term Campaign Committee for the federal constituency, an indigene of the town, who also is the Speaker of the State of Osun House of Assembly, Right Honourable Najeem Salaam. Salaam mounted the soapbox on the note of music, as he raised the song “Kele gbe e tabi

Contiuned on page 12

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 5, 2014

MAGAZINE

Ejigbo Mega Rally: Unanimous Attestation To Divine Will Contiuned from page 11 o gbe o ee…” In his protocols, he acknowledged the presence of all dignitaries and then greeted and thanked the attendees for honouring the clarion call, and for exercising such time-tested patience as to wait since morning. Honourable Salaam then prayed for god outcome at the polls, come August 9. He drew attention to it that all attempts by the swindlers of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to bribe the people with all manners of Greek gifts had failed. He assured the governor that as far as the federal constituency is concerned, the people would not be overswayed with such demeaning gifts. According to him, it is an insult on our persons and traditions in Yorubaland for our conscience to be bought, how much more with pittance! He cited the gift items to include coffin cash, expired rice, ritual crash helmet and latest, adulterated kerosene. He cautioned the people not to honour any such gifts, as the end-result could be catastrophic. Salaam went further to urge the people to troop out on the Election Date to poll massively for Aregbesola. He charged them not to succumb to threat or intimidation, which could be the sole motive behind the boasting of the opposition-led Federal Government to fortify the state with series of battalions of security personnel. Lastly, the Speaker cautioned prospective voters not to give out their voters’ cards or release the PIN on them in exchange for any consideration – financial or material. He broke into songs intermittently as he spoke, singing “Erin l’enu wa…”; Ibi o ba lo l’a nlo…”; B’o wu yin e pin ‘resi…” The crowd burst out in enthusiastic refrain of these songs, adding to the impact and import of the speech. It was the turn of the senator representing the Osun West Senatorial District at the Senate of the Federal Republic, Senator Mudasiru Hussein Oyetunde. Also an indigene of Ejigbo, Hussein treated the people to a round of songs as he sang “E e r’egbe e wa bi…? He then spoke at length in the second lingua franca of Ejigbo indigenes, that is, the French Language. Indigenes of Ejigbo are traditionally reputed for their massive engagement in farming and trading, both engagements which have taken them to transverse the shores of far away Cote d’Ivoire, thereby making the cocoa-rich country their second home till date. Having spoken in French, Oyetunde sang a political death song for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He then said prayers in Arabic, according to Islamic injunctions. Next to come on stage was one of the senators representing Ekiti State in the National Assembly, Senator Babafemi Ojudu. Senator Ojudu simply led the people to sing a number: “Mo gbo’ro kan, won nle’ri won l’a won fee gba ‘joba…” The song is loaded with meanings as it conveyed the impossibility of impostors and interlopers taking over the reins of governance in the state ever again. Next, Senator Isiaka Adeleke mounted the rostrum. He gave the assurance as a bona fide citizen and a political arrow-head of the area that Aregbesola and the All Progressives Congress (APC) would poll an overwhelming 95 per cent votes cast on the Election Day. He acknowledged the crowd and urged them to translate their turnout to votes. Adeleke sent the people of adjoining communities to elders and chiefs of the area to announce to them that the coast was clear: that he was now in the fold of the APC, and as such, he would no longer work against their collective wishes. The areas he mentioned include Afake, Ola, Masifa, Agurodo, Songbe, Olorin, Isundunrin and others. He then promised that following his cross-over, a day would henceforth be set aside to visit the areas. Adeleke cautioned the people not to tolerate fraud on the day of election. He announced the plan by the Federal Government to arrest and detain him on the Election Day. He cautioned security personnel against honouring such unlawful order as the aftermath could spell disaster for such personnel. It was then the turn of the Oyo State helmsman, Senator Abiola Ajimobi to speak to the audience. Ajimobi conveyed the compliments of the people of his state and their goodwill message to the people of the state. He congratulated the Osun people in advance, as he expressed confidence that victory shall tune the songs of progressives on the dawn of August 10. He concluded by raising three traditional songs: “E ku ewu omo…”; “Ina Ran… “ (Haruna Ishola version); and “Kinihun d’eru jeje f’eran ni’gbo…” All the three were given enthusiastic refrain by the crowd. The long-awaited moment was heralded at that juncture. It was time for the people’s governor to address the crowd. It was indeed broom revolution moment. D J Bazzman was on hand to tune in

the old School track of “Stand up for the Champion!”. Aregbesola came on stage, flanked by Governor Ajimobi and Senator Isiaka Adeleke. Governor Aregbesola’s first remark after the long list of acknowledgement was the crowd, which he commended. He took the people down the memory lane that as that was the ninth in the series of mega rallies, it was still well attended. He then appreciated all the people for always heeding the clarion call and for waiting for the train with patience since morning. Governor Aregbesola cast the people’s mind on the good works so far which he tagged as fore-taste, compared to what he still has in stock. He compared the ongoing process to that of igniting a car engine. According to him, the car of progress had been kick-started, and that it shall be on progress movement till 2018. He enumerated the woes and affliction with which the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is known – Poor school, poor people, poor road, dearth of potable water and retrogression in all that is good. He then reminded the people of how the incumbent administration had come to set new records. All the achievements recorded so far were described by the governor as “foundation”, which he is now seeking re-election to build upon. He gave reasons for the relevance of his intervention efforts and why the people should not allow a sad recourse to those long-gone eras of captivity. He charged all and sundry to break away from any affinity with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He cited their candidate who prides himself as Eni Iyi as afar-cry from that appellation, since his entire conducts violate the etiquette of a honourable person – for instance, his disorderly conduct, championing the cause of thuggery, disrespect to elders, assault to elders by removing cap off their head, promising to convert school structures to poultry farms and demolition of reconstructed school structures. Aregbesola tongue-lashed the opposition’s Greek gifts and counseled the people to keep them always at an arm’s length. He spoke on non-edible kerosene that it could be consumed if properly tested and certified safe for use, after all it was provided with the money stolen from the people. The largesse could after all be a way of returning to the people what had earlier been stolen from them. As for the edible things like rice, the governor counseled the people not to eat them at all. Aegbesola hammered the importance of early collection of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVC) and announced the July 26 / 27 date of collection of cards for new registrants. He also announced that the display of voters’ register is on and that people should approach their polling units henceforth for verification, so as to lodge timely complaints as necessary. Anyone whose name is missing or has any complaints was directed to intimate party elders and chieftains in his ward. Also, the cards to be distributed on the said dates are to be conveyed to voters’ respective wards. The governor announced that the Osun Micro Credit Scheme he announced had taken off with a huge sum of N4 billion, and directed interested people with genuine business interests to approach the offices for an interest-free loan. He cautioned people not to doubt the sincerity of his projects, promising that all outstanding projects shall be completed before the current year runs out. The school projects in Ejigbo too shall be completed soon, regardless of sabotage efforts of detractors. He cautioned the people to desist from all acts that could return the state back to slavery; including voting wrongly. Aregbesola rounded off his speech on a prophetic note. He prescribed portions of scriptural references for Christians and Moslems to pray with. For Christians, he prescribed I Samuel 17:4546; while for Moslems Samf ‘Il Fati 1-9 was cited. Finally the governor raised two departing songs: “A o pade ni Abere…” and “O ya yo ‘gbale re…” With these dismissal songs, the crowd dispersed. So far, the ninth mega rally held at Ejigbo last Tuesday recorded an outstanding success. By the outcome of these rallies, we can rest assured with s safe conclusion that all is beautifully set for the astounding success of the progressives at the polls, come August 9 this year. AT this juncture, OSUN DEFENDER Magazine shall draw excerpts from the pact given to the people of the state upon rolling out of the Oranmiyan campaign team of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola eight years ago; for the purposes of reference and setting the records straight: My mission and ambition are to restore to the people, a state of peace, opportunity, for progress and room for the pursuit of prosperity in our time under a people friendly government.

•(L-R) The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; the Ogiyan of Ejigbo, Oba Omowonuola Oyeyode; first civilian governor in the State of Osun, Senator Isiaka Adeleke and Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, at the Ogiyan’s Palace.

I give you Six-Point Integral Action Plan, to the intent that they constitute my actions of faith concerning which I want to be held accountable at any time during my stewardship. SIX POINT INTEGRAL ACTION PLAN · Banish Poverty · Banish Hunger · Banish Unemployment (Create Work/Wealth) · Restore Healthy Living · Promote Functional Education · Enhance Communal Peace and Progress BANISH POVERTY COMMERCE Vision: To make Osogbo the second hub in international trade in goods and commodities in the Southwest. Osun people’s natural affinity for commerce has been dampened over the years by unfriendly and unfocused economic policies of government thereby popularizing poverty among a people, who are naturally hardworking, industrious and adventurous. Our purposeful government of ACN shall revitalize commerce and restore wealth back to the land through: ·Market friendly policies that will revive the customary commercial activities in Osogbo and other towns in Osun. ·Promotion and support of activities focused on wealth promotion for our people. ·Transformation of Osogbo into an International market where goods will be procured at prices comparable to any other part of West Africa. FINANCE& ECONOMIC PLANNING I shall increase the internally generated revenue of the state and also improve in mileage on every kobo accruing to the state by: ·Ensuring real time online access to actual position of the state finances to prevent misuse and other forms of abuse by receiving agencies. ·Reducing leakages in the tax collection and administration process. ·Running a transparent and accountable government. ·Ensuring prudent management of the state’s resources. ·Ensuring that the funds of the state are used for developmental purposes. ·Create viable Public/Private sector partnerships to jump start the economy. ·Our overall goal is to reduce dependence on federal allocation as a means of funding the government. BANISH HUNGER FOOD& AGRICULTURE Vision: Our government shall banish hunger in Osun and enhance wealth through massive increase in food production and agriculture. Every farmer shall sell his products and be prosperous. The labour of the farmer shall no longer be in vain because we shall provide assistance and support to farmers in finding and exploiting profitable market for their goods. We do not presently grow enough food in Osun to feed us round the year and this should concern a government that cares for its people. Our government shall support farmers to attain increase in food production, better storage and delivery. We shall provide assistance to farmers in exploiting profitable markets and market opportunities for their products. To maximize the benefit of resultant massive increase in food production, we shall improve: ·Access roads and general transportation to even the most remote areas of the state. ·Storage process and capacity. ·Processing of agricultural produce. ·Rural electricity and water supply. CASH CROPS ·Encourage production of cash crops which can enhance farmer’s income and provide basis for an effective agro-industrial society in the state of Osun. ·Specified to vigorously develop extensive farming in palm trees to create a fully integrated oil palm processing industry. ·To target and capture minimum of 10% of the multibillion naira- per day food market of the neighbouring states. ·Support cooperative efforts by farmers ·Be a catalyst to the development and promotion of micro, small and medium enterprises that will exploit available raw materials. ·Set up price support scheme for farmers through commodity exchange board. BANISH UNEMPLOYMENT (CREATE WORK& WEALTH) No job loss, more jobs. Osun people are peaceful, dignified and hardworking people who desire and deserve gainful employment for their children and themselves. Rather than policies that will create employment and wealth for the people, the policies of the PDP government in place serve to enrich few at the expense of majority of our people. As part of our GOVERNMENT UNUSUAL programme, I Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola make a pact with you good people of the State of Osun, in the presence and by the grace of God Almighty that our government shall create immediate employment for 20,000 people within our 100 days in office. 5,000 of these places shall be reserved for those who were retrenched and are still willing and able to work. As a people-friendly government, our policies shall help to: ·Create economic environment that ensures availability of jobs for all Osun indigenes. ·Establish one LIFE ACADEMY in each of the three Senatorial constituencies for the building of life- long skills in out of schools, youngsters as well as adults seeking alternative competencies. ·Promote labour exchange centres to facilitate employment of graduates from our Life Academies. CIVIL SERVICE REFORMS There is the need for a civil service reform that will not lead to any loss of jobs as I Rauf Aregbesola do not believe in laying people off in the name of reforms. Our reform will make the work environment more conductive, stimulating and development oriented.

Contiuned on page 13

MAGAZINE

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Ejigbo Mega Rally: Unanimous Attestation To Divine Will FIRE SERVICES We shall improve capacity of fire services to respond to emergencies. PHYSICAL WELL-BEING Our Government will promote physical exercises as a deliberate policy which will form a crucial aspect of our healthyliving programme. This is in keeping with the adage that a sound mind only resides in a sound body. PROMOTE FUNCTIONAL EDUCATION Vision: Eradicate the frustration of youths caused by education that does not lead to employment. To achieve this, the government of AC under Rauf Aregbesola shall: ·Provide free education at all levels in Osun State. Focus on functional education. Education that makes one useful to himself and society. ·Improve incentives to teachers and work with the NUT to restore the dignity of the teaching profession. ·Restructure administration of school management and create Tutors-General (Permanent Secretary Cadre) from among Head Teachers in three Educational Districts which we will establish.\ ·Fix all collapsed educational infrastructures in all the schools. ·Support with modern teaching aids and well-stocked libraries. ·Ensure cooperation with parents and teachers to improve discipline and morality. ·Introduce non-partisan community-based governing boards for all schools. ·Reduce number of students per classroom immediately. ·Introduce home development plans for teachers who wish to build houses in their home towns, through access to special mortgage packages. ·Promote mass adult literacy and numeracy programmes. ·Promote and support Special programmes that give special attention to education of girls and women.

•Governnor Rauf Aregbesola acknowledging cheers from the crowd. Key to banishing unemployment permanently anywhere is promoting conducive atmosphere for manufacturing and Continued from page 12 production. Our Government shall: Bonuses, incentives and regular awards shall be instituted to promote a culture of excellence in the civil service along with the prompt payment of salaries, allowances, leave bonuses and year-end performance bonuses.

ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND UNIVERSITY ·Develop integrated industrial estates for mini, micro and large manufacturing enterprises in the three senatorial zones of the State of Osun.

Promotions and comprehensive salary reviews and increases shall be regular. Internal and external training, work exchange programmes and overseas training shall be actively reinstituted for comprehensive human development in the civil service.

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

·I am committed to ensuring that an Osun State University takes off on a sound footing and becomes a first-class institution with linkages to renowned universities in the developed world.

·Provide the estates with infrastructural facilities that reduce the cost of setting up industries (roads, electricity, water and telecommunications).

·I will make every tertiary institution in Osun State an independent degree-awarding one. ·Encourage use of services of retired, but not tired dons and administrators, from reputable institutions.

·Provide incentives targeted at attracting manufacturers/ investors. New Tutor General/Permanent Secretary Cadre shall be created for Teachers in new education districts for better school administration. We shall institute Home Ownership Scheme for public servants and also support and encourage their backyard food production business ventures. We shall do a comprehensive review of civil service names and conventions as part of our efforts to create a peoplefriendly civil service. Appropriate nomenclature will enhance accountability and promote public access to the services of the ministry. A citizen with a complaint of blockage of drainage will find a Ministry of Roads and Drainages easier to identify with than Ministry of Works, a Ministry of Human Resources and Development will more appropriately communicate its services than a Ministry of Establishment. TOURISM Vision: Tourist’s cradle in Africa The State of Osun is the cradle of Yoruba people and our rich culture. The opportunities for wealth creation in Osun state through tourism have been underexploited. We shall: ·Develop State of Osun tourism potentials to its fullest to promote employment and wealth among people of the State of Osun.

Vision: To restore the bond of trust between the Governor and the governed. RESTORE HEALTHY LIVING Vision: To work to save our people from all avoidable deaths due to accidents, emergencies, poverty and inadequate health facilities.

Our Government shall restore partnership between government and people through: SAGES COUNCILS (EGBE AGBA) ·Provide effective and available healthcare for all. ·Provide efficient accident and emergency ambulance service. ·Provide primary health clinics within 10 kilometre radius of every Osun town, with special attention to the needs of children, women and the elderly.

·Provide referral hospitals within 30 kilometre radius of human settlement.

·Encourage programmes that nurture and promote arts and talent.

·Undertake special programmes for the upgrading, retraining and working comforts of all health personnel.

·Enhance the image of traditional rulers and institutions.

·Encourage and nurture alternative medical therapy.

Our Government will support the formation of non partisan community based sages councils, capable of providing guidance in management, moral and ethical development in our society. Our Government will seek elderly guidance and advice as inputs to our policy formation and implementation. Government will support the senior citizens and help in their management of socio-economic problems peculiar to the group (pension, health and education). YOUTHS COUNCIL (EGBE ODO) People age 30 and below constitute the majority of our population but unfortunately are often frustrated and unfulfilled as a consequence of intolerable social and economic policies.

·Free treatment for malaria to children below age 18 and senior citizens (60+). ENVIRONMENT

ROADS

·Community based road maintenance units will be established to ensure timely repairs and deduce overall maintenance costs.

Our state is blessed with a large pool of elderly folks who are invariably well educated, have enjoyed successful careers, travelled widely in the world, but are currently reduced to irrelevance in the society.

·Provide functional General hospitals within 20 kilometre radius of human habitation.

·Encourage development of Yoruba museum and world heritage centre at Ile-Ife.

Vision: Roads to and in all towns and villages in Osun. Road construction and maintenance shall be used to generate employment for the indigenes of the State of Osun.

Over time, people have disconnected from government because those in authority have not shown enough concern about their welfare or actively engaged them in formulating policies that affect them.

To achieve this for all and particularly our children and senior citizens, we shall:

·Establish free blood pressure checks in conjunction with private organizations at every local government office.

·Mobilize our traditional rulers to showcase the state’s tourism potentials to Yorubas in the diaspora (e.g. Brazil, Cuba and West Indies).

ENHANCE COMMUNAL PEACE AND PROGRESS

·Develop skilled personnel through our Life Academies, Universities and colleges to service specialized industrial and manufacturing needs.

Our ACN Government shall support the creation of non partisan community based youth councils to provide a platform for them to articulate and work out solutions to various problems confronting them. Our Government will encourage cross fertilization of ideas between the Sages and Youth Councils through which public policies would be influenced.

Vision: To embrace current scientific methods in controlling the generation of waste and the conversion of waste to wealth. The state of the environment, especially waste generation, management and the embarrassing filth in our communities demand special attention. The CAN government shall:

Government will promote sporting activities and creation of physical facilities for sporting and related activities. We shall reinstate the abandoned ‘boys’ and girls’ clubs’ and name them Omoluabi Boys’ and Girls’ club to perform the roles similar to boys’ and girls’ scouts, boys brigade and more. JUSTICE SECTOR REFORMS

·Encourage all houses in the State of Osun to have a modern and affordable toilet facility through a special scheme. ·Development and regular maintenance of urban and rural roads to get top priority. ·Access roads to evacuate agricultural produce shall be constantly improved and expanded. ·Create partnerships with the private sector on road development and provision of infrastructure. TRANSPORTATION We shall produce a transport master plan to provide direction for development of the sector. The safety of the lives of the indigenes of the State of Osun is of great concern to us. We shall: ·Reduce to the barest minimum, road traffic accident within 6 months on all roads starting with Federal roads. ·Create a motorized division of the Osun troopers to patrol roads to prevent accidents on the highways and organize rescue and recovery operations.

An attribute of good governance is to promote justice, equity and fair play amongst citizens of the state.

·Provide private sector driven waste management and beautification schemes to rid our communities of filth which threaten public health. ·Beautification of town centres as a starting point of general urban renewal. ·Work with the private sector to establish appropriate waste-to-wealth projects under a composite waste management policy.

Government of ACN will e3nsure speedy access ti justice try all individuals in Osun State, by reforming the courts system and procedural rules, introducing alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms and fee legal services. To complement these, ACN government shall improve welfare packages of Judicial Officers and upgrade courts with modern IT and communications facilities.

WATER

COMMUNICATION

Vision: Water for all in the state of the living spring.

Our Government will restructure OSBC to: Ensure its professional are motivated and continuously trained for competency

It is a painful regret that most cities in Osun do not have potable water running at any time and Osun is the state of the living spring!!!

Provide digital equipment and infrastructure upgrade to conform to international best practices in broadcasting. Our Government will do everything possible to bring potable water to all parts of the State of Osun and correct this anomaly. Exploit its tourism promotional capacity and capability.

INNOVATION All abandoned water schemes shall be reactivated and speedily completed. Europe, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and now China have made life for their people permanently comfortable through innovation, research and development, thrift and hardwork. We Africans especially the people of the State of Osun are thrifty (a ki se oni nakuna) and hardworking (ati agbe at onise owo lo ka imele si aida nile Yoruba) but we have been backward in looking forward. We have not been innovative enough, we have not invested enough in research and we have not developed the fruits of innovation and research. In other words we remain backward, poor, unscientific and losers (eni igbehin) among the family of nations.

CONSUMER PROTECTION AFFORDABLE HOUSING Consumers deserve to have the best goods and services at the best price and not have to pay more for goods and servi9ces than their counterparts in other parts of the world. Our ACN Government shall: ·Help Osun indigenes realize their dreams of house ownership or rehabilitation of failing structures through deliberate programmes that improve their income earning capacity. ·Support mortgage schemes that make house ownership pocket friendly.

Our government shall support the establishment of a consumer watch agency and also cooperate with organizations that have similar objective of protecting our people from unfair business practices. In all the above and above all these I intend to run a people-friendly government – a Government of the people, by the people, FOR THE PEOPLE. A GOVERNMENT UNUSUAL in this land.

It is a matter of concern that our leaders do not car or worry enough about these issues. ·Actively support research and development on the use of local materials to force down building costs.

Infrastructures and facilities for reaching, advising, guiding, warning me will be given constant nurture.

ELECTRICITY

Outside these I have no rigging machinery and will strongly appeal to you all Osun voters to fight and defend your votes.

I care and I’m deeply concerned. As your Governor I will do everything possible to: ·Create awareness and dissatisfaction among all in the State of Osun about our position among the world’s people and the need to move up the ladder of human ascent and development away from permanent and persistent poverty. ·Ensure that ideas with original creativity are tapped for the enrichment of all. ·Give real importance to education with skills development so that we can make what we need and become more competitive in the world as a people by creating more skills development centres in the State of Osun. ·In these centres we shall teach Men and Women to think with their hands, sharpen our already proven entrepreneurial skills and stop Nigeria from importing:

Electricity for all shall be the creed of ACN Government in Osun. We shall: ·Ensure that electric energy is available in the state for domestic, commercial and industrial activities.

Do not sell your vote and our future to a moneybag or vote people who do not care enough about our future as I passionately do. I am entering into a pact with each and all of you as you read this that I and my colleagues shall work in all honesty, tirelessly to bring marked improvements to your life.

·We shall endeavour to provide electricity to all villages, hamlets and farm settlements in the state. ·Private sector-led power agencies shall be encouraged to set up energy stations in the state. SECURITY

TOOTH PICK (IGI OPARUN FUN ITAYIN) FROM CHINA, ORANGE JUICE (OROMBO) FROM KOREA, SHOES (BATA) FROM SPAIN/ ITALY, FAN BELT/ CAR TYRES (RUBBER) FROM JAPAN AND FRANCE. Security of lives and properties are of paramount importance to us. Our Government shall:

Apart of this pact you will be able to see that your children are better educated and have jobs; farmers, artisan, traders are more prosperous, general quality of health has improved and you are no longer afraid to go to the hospital. Osun will again be producing food enough for its people. Through my Government Unusual, I shall work with and for you to create wealth through our toil as our fathers and mothers did to make us prosperous until 1962.

When I know that these can be easily manufactured here. ·Have special programmes for the police and neighbourhood security outfits. I shall turn the State of Osun into a creative agro-industrial zone God willing. ·Provide special allowance to all security agents deployed to Osun State and enhance their operational facilities for efficiency. INDUSTRIALISATION ·Respond to the operational needs of security agents through provision of mobility, communication gadgets, protective gears and conducive working environment.

Concluded.

INTERVIEW

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 5, 2014

I Am Sure Of Aregbesola ’ll Win - Salami Adebayo Ayoade Salami was elected Senator for Osun Central Constituency of Osun at the start of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, running on the Alliance for Democracy (AD) platform. He took office on May29, 1999. After taking his seat in the Senate in June 1999, he was appointed into the Committee on Public Accounts, Labour as Vice-Chairman. In a May 2001 debate over importing beans from Burkina Faso, Bayo Salami was in the minority, when he argued that whatever could be done to feed Nigerians and make food affordable to the people should be done. The Senator in this interview bares his mind on the administration of Aregbesola in Osun among other sundry issues. Excerpts:difference. Not your oil but how you use your intellect to better the lot of the people.

SDF: Sir, you have been around for a while in Osun politics, and people here know that you are a progressive, what will you say qualifies you as a progressive? O

OSDF: You, as a seasoned politician in this state, are you in tandem with the insinuation that the governor of the state abandoned the local politicians in the constitution of his cabinet and that the cabinet is made up of people from Lagos?

SALAMI: The first thing I will like to say is that you said I have been around for a while, but I will tell you that I have been around all the time since Osun State was created. Before the creation of Osun State, I was a local government council chairman in the then Oyo State. It was after that that Osun was created and I have been part of politics since then. I also make significant impact in the creation of the state and I contested the governorship of the newlycreated state in 1991with Isiaka Adeleke. So it is not that I have been around for a while but I have been around all the while. You are also asking what the impetuses of a progressive are. I have seen all the governments that ran through the state, you will see that when a progressive mind comes into governance, they believe the essence of government is doing good for the masses. Nobody has exhibited this trait in the history of Osun than Rauf Aregbesola.

SALAMI: The question you just raised, somebody raised it here last night. The people he has brought are Osun indigenes. Some of them may not necessarily be domiciled in Osun as at that time, but for whoever cares to listen to me, the standards we have reached in the last three and a half year needs sharp minds. I am not defending him. You need sharp minds for sound ideas. I can tell you now that politicians that are based here know the level we have reached, and I believe that by the second term of Aregbesola’s administration, politicians at home would have moved to the next level. Things are no more the same in the state; our teachers are different nowadays; there mode of dressing and work environment have changed. That is the level we have gotten to. We are no more doing things as it used to be.

OSDF: So you believe Aregbesola has lived up to the impetuses of a progressive with the way he is governing the state? SALAMI: He has done a lot for the state and has been able to lift the state higher in terms of development among the commity of states in Nigeria. His programmes have touched the lives of the people of the state in so many areas. Though, the first programme he embarked upon may look small to some people, but to me, that is the greatest achievement of this administration. The programme was changing the concept of our state to that of “Omoluabi”. This is no physical but germane to the mind and being. There is a great difference between being a virtuous person and a bastard. That’s one core value that every human being should have; attribute of being responsible. Good is what that concept has brought to Osun. It may look minute but great in the concept of growth. Let’s go on from there. It is very bad for a human being to wake up in the morning and finds nothing to do. That will change him from a complete human being. So what he did in his first 100 days in office was to create an engagement for twenty thousand youths. If you wake up in the morning and sit down without having anywhere to go, you are no more a being, you will hate yourself. Twenty thousand youths had been saved from such situation, I have seen some nation in a bid to try to engage youth, absorbed them; put them on a job that they don’t even need, after they finish that job line, they destroy it. I am not saying we should do the same thing. What we have here is justifiable. In our own case, the streets were not clean, which is alien to our culture. These people were taught for three weeks on the dignity of labour. The N10,000 they get may look small, but you will see that with that, about N200 million is monthly pumped into the economy of the state. It is not an amount that can go to other state. If somebody is getting an allowance of N10,000, all he does with such money is to take care of his immediate needs, not one that he can travel out of the state with. Parents, for the first time, were relieved of the burden of seeing the child they have trained over a period of time sitting at home doing nothing

OSDF: If you were to be the governor of the state, will you have constituted cabinet like Aregbesola did?

•AKNADE productive. This is an achievement on its own part.

people who believe the state is in debt to the tune of N350 billion?

He also came up with Osun Rural Entrepreneurial Agricultural Programmes. Let’s clear the land and give it to people, who are interested in farming. That is an area, where we have comparative advantage, so that we can also be the food basket for this part of the country.

SALAMI: Look, people who said he has borrowed N350 billion do not know what N350 billion amounts to. One thing is clear, no single entity can borrow more than N150 billion; no single individual, state, corporation or what have you can get more than N150 billion. When you borrow N350 billion and if they give you an interest rate that is at barest minimum, it will be 12 percent, which means you will be paying 3.5 billion in a month, when the allocation to your state is less than N3 billion and yet you have to pay salaries and running cost. People still capitalize on our ignorance; we can be subsumed by just rumour. You will wonder that do these people know what they are talking about? I have just told you if you borrow such money and the interest you are going to pay, that shows you as a mischief. You want to make it in life and you don’t want to borrow? Let me tell you something, America is the most-indebted country in the world. There is no place people of the world want to get to more than America. How many people are struggling to get a visa to come to our country and how many people want to get to America? They raise their debt ceiling year after year, so long they can produce that huge infrastructure in the US, and everything is okay with them. Most of our leaders do not have what it takes to govern a nation. In this century we are and the one coming, it is not the mineral resources inside the soil that makes the difference, but the brain that God has endowed us with that will make the

We have reform in the education sector. Honestly, I Bayo Salami, am looking at my background as a capitalist, I was wondering how a government can continue to feed children in public schools everyday without being a burden on government, but he felt differently on it, saying most of these children are from the have-nots and they also have a role to play in the development of the state. He held that they needed the food at that particular age to aid their assimilation. So they now eat balanced diet a day in the school. He also decided to give them free uniform and he transformed the education sector at the higher level by giving them the tablet of knowledge “Opon Imo”, and for the first time in the history of the state, infrastructural development is at the highest, the kind of road that we never imagined came up, roads that can last fifteen to thirty years and that is the practice world over, if you want to borrow money from banks it must show how lasting such project must be, it must be able to stand the test of time, they don’t expect you to be spending money on maintenance. OSDF: So you are in agreement with

SALAMI: Maybe I will not even be that exposed to have those tall dreams that he has. My dreams may still be the dreams that we used to have about doing things, but I have seen the practical solutions to problems through him. Look at the kind of roads he is constructing round the state. We use to construct roads too before, but hardly will you go there after six months and you will not blame yourself. He has done all that is humanly possible in the last three and a half years at the expense of his own health. The good he has done is more than my expectation that is why I have decided that whatever it takes, he has my endorsement and come August 9, we are going to win, no amount of N50 billion Naira that PDP may bring to Omisore campaign account, money will not buy the conscience of an Osun person with what they have seen in the last three and a half years. OSDF: What are your fears about the coming governorship election in the state? SALAMI: I, Bayo Salami, do not have any fear about the election. I am very sure that come August 9, we will win the election with a wide margin. Take it from me, we have a state that is heterogeneous not an homogenous one like that of Ekiti. I am not unaware that President Jonathan spoke with all the Obas in Ekiti on one on one basis before the day of the election. I am not unaware that he will do the same thing in Osun, but I am aware of the situation in Osun. Our Obas are not illiterates. They are of sound mind and conviction that they know what is right. At the appropriate time, Osun people will take their so-called N10,000 they have penned down for every voter and will still do the right thing. This not a place that you to come and preach religious differences. we have been living together as brothers, so I am certain that APC will win the election.

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, August 5, 2014

PHOTOTALK

Widows In The State Of Osun Endorsed The Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, For Second Term In Office Held At All Progressive Congress (APC) Secretariat, Osogbo, Penultimate Thursday.

•(R-L) President, O’Widows, State of Osun, Mrs Funmilayo Olapeju; Governor Rauf Aregbesola; State Coordinator, O’Widows, Mrs Olanike Owolabi; Deputy President, O’Widows, Mrs Elzabeth Odetayo and other members of the group, during a special prayer and endorsement of Aregbesola for second term in office at All Progressives Congress (APC) State Secretariat, Osogbo last Thursday.

•(R-L) Governor Rauf Aregbesola; Iyalode of Osogboland, Chief Alake Kolade and President O’Widows, Mrs Funmilayo Olapeju, during the special prayer and endorsement of Aregbesola for second term in Osogbo, State of Osun, on Thursday

•Some of the widows in Osun (O’Widows) showing their support for Aregbesola, during a special prayer and endorsement of Aregbesola for second term in office.

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2014 nly the uninitiated will attempt to compare the state of affairs in Ekiti with that of Osun State, particularly with regard to the June 21 governorship election in the former, and the fast approaching August 9 gubernatorial election in the latter. One undeniable fact about Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State is that he is a grassroots man to the core. Indeed, the impressive crowds that have been attending his rallies since his campaign for reelection started have been confounding the opposition, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) whose members have been alleging that the crowds are rented. But they know deep down their hearts that they are lying. Such is the allure of the man, Rauf Aregbesola: downright factual; no pretence.

By TUNJI ADEGBOYEGA

Let Aregbe Do It Again

Aregbe, as he is fondly called, understands the language of the grassroots as he knows the lines on his palms. He knows his people just as his people know him. This is one major hurdle that those who might want to repeat what they see as the ‘Ekiti feat’ in Osun State have to contend with, come August 9. Aregbesola’s mission statement is encapsulated in the six-point integral action plan of his administration. One is ‘Promotion of functional education’, under which the decayed educational infrastructure in the state is being gradually replaced while at the same time ensuring quality control. His government has reclassified schools into elementary school (five years); middle school (four years) and high school (three years), against the national policy of 6-3-3. This radical departure was informed by the government’s belief that pupils need more time at the middle school so as to prepare them for maturity into high school. The state has had to build 25 mega schools in order to bring children from diverse backgrounds together to learn in a conducive atmosphere. However, political jobbers have criticised this policy on the alleged ground that it constitutes an erasure of religious lines, especially in schools with bias for religion. Mercifully, the tension that initially attended this policy has since given way, with the government’s explanation of how it came about, i.e. that it was the idea of Prof Wole Soyinka’s team, designed as a way out of the education decay that the state was in when Aregbe took over. Of course, other aspects of the Aregbesola government’s educational programme include the one nutritious meal given free to 254,000 primary school kids daily under the state’s O-MEAL Programme. This is to help develop their brains as well as serve as incentive for them to go to school. In addition, it is a way of getting ready markets for farmers in the state to sell their farm produce that is used in preparing the meals. Then the Opon Imo or ‘tablets of knowledge’ that have been distributed to about 150,000 secondary school pupils in the state. The tablet has 56 e-books, 10 years of past West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examinations Council (NECO) and the Joint Admissions and

Through his robust management of the economy, the state internally generated revenue (IGR) has grown from N300million that the administration inherited in 2010 to about N1.5 billion monthly. Thus, the government has been able to steer the economy from its nearbankruptcy in 2010 and is still doing the ‘balancing act’ in a predominantly civil servant state despite the drop of its revenue from the federation account from N5billion to about N2.5billion monthly. The oversubscription of the Sukuk Bond from its envisaged N10billion to N11billion is a measure of investors’ confidence in the state economy; so is the other N60billion bond out of which N30billion had been drawn.

•AREGBESOLA

Matriculation Board (JAMB) questions, as well as the Holy Bible, Holy Quran and traditional religion content. This is saving the government huge sums of money under its free education programme. The other legs of Aregbesola’s action plan are banishment of hunger/ unemployment, enhanced security/ welfare, restoration of healthy living and promotion of communal peace, etc. Aregbesola knows the importance of the agricultural sector and has done so much in so short a time that farmers would not forget him in a hurry. He has liberalised access by farmers to soft loans to improve their yield and lessen their burden; he has also complemented this with good roads to enable the farmers transport their produce with ease to the market. Indeed, it is in the area of road network that the governor, an engineer, has brought professionalism and ingenuity to bear. All over the state, the administration is building durable roads and rehabilitating dilapidated ones. And, in order to ensure that the state gets value for its money from the contractors, some of whom are notorious for disappearing after collecting mobilisation fees, the Aregbesola administration insists on delivery of the roads before paying the contractors. The benefit here is that roads are constructed to specification since the contractors know that they would not be paid if they deviated from the terms of

service announcement? For lack of what to say, the few but vocal critics of the Aregbesola administration say he is a religious bigot. One would ordinarily have ignored such idle criticism but for the fact that those who want to succeed the governor are so desperate that they can cook up anything. In a situation where people celebrate the replacement of an administration, not for non-performance, but on the flimsiest of excuses, it is good to put all the cards on the table to enable the electorate, who should be the ultimate deciders in the August 9 governorship election in the state sift the wheat from the chaff. The truth is, the composition of Aregbesola’s cabinet does not support this claim. In the 34-member cabinet, only 12 are Muslims just as we have only 12 Muslim permanent secretaries of the 32 in the state. With regard to the state house of assembly with 26 members, only nine are Muslims.

the contract. In like manner, new hospitals are being built all over the state even as old ones are being renovated and all equipped to enhance the free health treatment for a section of the people. The government has also taken away from the streets a lot of youths who otherwise would have been jobless and thus constitute social menace to law-abiding citizens. Although there is still work to be done in this regard as it is impossible to mop up the huge number of jobless youths that the government inherited, the fact is that through its O-YES Scheme, the government has reduced their numbers significantly by about 40,000. The security agencies could not have had it better as the Aregbesola government has done a lot for them by way of empowerment, to ensure peace and reduce criminality in the state. The government has assisted the security agencies with some 125 patrol vans, among other things. Of course, like most other performers and change agents, Aregbesola has had his own unfair share of criticisms. Like the typical woman who, for lack of what to say, says it is in her husband’s house that she would sleep tonight! Where else could she have slept? Even if she would sleep in a place where she is not supposed to, could she have made that a public

This is only a fraction of what the man, Rauf Aregbesola, has done in Osun in less than four years. He has literally breathed life into virtually all sectors of the state that were dead when he took over the reins of government after a protracted legal battle to reclaim his mandate from the PDP usurpers. What makes these achievements particularly praiseworthy is the fact that Osun is not a rich state. It is a predominantly civil servant state, one in which few resources are being chased by overwhelming demands. Yet, Aregbe has been making sense in spite of the financial limitations. Positive developments that hitherto were thought to be unimaginable have become possible in the state. So, “a good turn”, as they say, “deserves another”. It is time for Osun people to tell those who have nothing to offer to steer clear of governance in the state. What the state deserves now is the continuation of the streak of successes that it has been witnessing since Aregbe’s administration took over. It is only unfortunate that people who should be in jail in decent climes are some of those now seeking to rule a progressive and pace-setter region like Nigeria’s southwest. That tells us something about the depth to which the country has sunk, especially under the PDP.

•Culled from THE NATION

OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank GTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. All correspondence to the Managing Editor, KOLA OLABISI, Telephone: 08033927286 (kolaolabisi@yahoo.com); Editor, KAYODE AGBAJE, Telephone: 0803-388-0205, E-mail: osundefender@yahoo.com, kayodeagbaje@yahoo.com. ISSN: 0794-8050.Website: www.osundefender.org.