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www.osundefender.org THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 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
PEOPLE FIRST
Front Page Comment Compatriots, Jealously Guard Your Votes! going on in the thumb to vote for continuity - as the state cannot afford to do away with the level of unprecedented develop-
state since the inception of Ogbeni Aregbesola's administration - is our first major responsi
bility as responsible citizens of our state. Of course we are not in doubt that the votes of our people will be for Ogbeni Aregbesola who has done the state much good. Continue on pg6
VOL. 9. NO.094
Who Killed Chief Bola Ige, formerAttorneyGeneral and Minister of Justice?
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IGE
Osun APC Final Governorship Mega Rally:
Aregbesola Exposes How PDP Rigged Ekiti Election •Promises To Complete 100,000-capacity Model Schools •To Dualise Osogbo-Ogbomoso, Ilesha, Iwo Roads - See Story On Page 2
•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and his predecessor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola (right on top of a bus), during the mega rally for the re-election of Governor Aregbesola, at Osogbo City Stadium, Osogbo, State of Osun, on Tuesday. Photo: SIKIRU ADEOYE-YUSUF
Why Osun People Should Not Vote For Omisore - Oyinlola
- See Story On Page 4
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OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, August 7, 2014
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OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, August 7, 2014
Osun APC Final Governorship Mega Rally:
Aregbesola Exposes How PDP Rigged Ekiti Election •Promises To Complete 100,000-capacity Model Schools •To Dualise Osogbo-Ogbomoso, Ilesha, Iwo Roads By KEHINDEAYANTUNJI
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HE governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has hit the nail on the head on Tuesday by exposing the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) rigging method in Ekiti State governorship election. He stated that there are strong suspicions that the PDP used scientific rigging in Ekiti by using suspected electronic ballot papers with a rigging device and therefore educated people on how to prevent such trend in Osun. Aregbesola stated this at the final mega rally of the All
Progressives Congress (APC) held at Osogbo City Stadium in Osogbo, the state capital on Tuesday.” He said: “If it is true or not, God has exposed how they rigged Ekiti election, and the secret is very simple. What to do is that when you touch the ink, ensure that the ink is not in excess and
exercise patience before you thumbprint the space, which has the symbol of a broom and also allow it to dry before putting it inside the box. “For those of you who are literate enough, write down the serial number of the ballot paper and use your phone to take its picture. This is a top secret, as I am saying it, they are getting shocked that the secret has been exposed. “They are pretending with their utterances that they want free and fair
election. It is a lie. Their intention is to rig. What we suspect that they did was that there are two tiny wires inside the ballot paper, therefore, they instructed the people to fold the ballot paper vertically since they don’t want the wires to cut. The secret is that people should refold the paper at the top and down before thumb-printing the APC logo,” Aregbesola said. The governor added that he deliberately kept the secret till now with a view to making it too late to try
anything funny. He stressed that the development so far witnessed in the state is the foundation, promising that before the end of this year, his administration would complete the various model schools that will accommodate 100,000 pupils in the elementary, middle, and high schools. The governor also promised to dualise Osogbo-Ilesa road, Ogbomoso-Osogbo road, passing through Ifon Ilobu and Iwo-Osogbo. He said his administration in the last three and a half years has redefined governance in the state through unprecedented projects and
provision of social services in all sectors of governance. Aregbesola said there is no justification to vote for PDP in Osun, challenging the opposition to point at a single project that indicates the presence of the Federal Government in the state. “This is their 15th year in power; they started Ilesa to Osogbo road, they did not complete it; they started Ogbomoso to Osogbo, it remains uncompleted. They are fraudsters and liars. He therefore, urged the people not to fear and admonished the security agencies to do their jobs in accordance with the laiddown rules and procedure to guarantee the rights of the people to vote without intimidation.
Osun Markets Close For Aregbesola’s Mega Rally By KEHINDEAYANTUNJI HE All Progressives Congress (APC) final mega rally will continue to stick in the memories of the people with support and solidarity from all sectors in the state, as the formal and informal sectors abandoned their work and stormed the Osogbo Township Stadium, venue of the rally on Tuesday. The major centres of also at its lowest ebb, the attractions were the major remaining few marketers markets in the state capital, were also sighted holding where market men and their brooms. Also at Akin Deko Market, women closed their shops, abandoned their they said the market had temporarily shifted to businesses to witness the been the stadium. presentation of a flag to “This is the day we have Governor Rauf Aregbesola, been waiting for to show our the APC candidate in the support for Governor Saturday’s election. Aregbesola. To close our When OSUNDEFENDER shops for one day for visited the popular Oja Oba Aregbesola is not enough to Market in Osogbo, the busy show an appreciation for market was scanty, while the what he has done for us,” marketers in their hundreds Alhaja Adebisi Ogunyemi wore APC-branded shirts, said at the market. waiting anxiously to At MDS, majority of the welcome the governor to shops were closed, as all of the palace. the them were said to have Most of them, holding left for the stadium. brooms, queued along the At the popular Oluode road, displaying APC flags Market, as early as 8.00am, in support of the governor. mini-buses in their hundreds Early in the morning, the gathered readily waiting to situation remained the same convey different groups to at Igbona Market, which is the stadium, just as fruit and Tuesday market, the pepper sellers wore their commercial activities was different APC attires.
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•Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo at the Township Stadium Osogbo for APC mega rally.
Aregbesola, Tinubu, Oyegun, Ajimobi Pay Homage To Ataoja •Oyinlola’s Appearance Excites Crowd At Ataoja’s Palace By KEHINDEAYANTUNJI
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ATIONAL Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), Chief Odigie John Oyegun, has expressed confidence that the party would emerge victorious in Saturday's governorship election in the State of Osun. Ataoja-in-Council He said what he saw in the the state was the true spirit of the applauded the former governor party, which he described as with a very loud ovation, when great things, which Ogbeni he was introduced at the palace. The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Rauf Aregbesola has achieved Jimoh Olanipekun, Larooye II, in his first term. Oyegun stated this while expressed appreciation to the speaking at the palace of the governor for moving the state Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh forward, especially Osogbo, Olatunji Olanipekun, when the the state capital. The monarch stressed that campaign train of the governor paid homage to the monarch in Aregbesola has done so much for Osogbo and its people have his palace. Oyegun, said: "This is the no other choice than to vote first time I am campaigning massively for the governor as with Aregbesola and I have seen a sign of appreciation. He said: "Aregbesola has great things which I am happy done what needs to be done for about. "I have seen great things our town and the people of which God has done through Osogboland will definitely your governor and I have seen reward him with our votes on the true spirit of the APC. I am Saturday.We never imagined our highly confident that on town could be developed like Saturday, we are going to vote this. For this, we are so Aregbesola back for a second grateful". Governor of the state, term with over ninety per cent Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, of the total votes." Also speaking, former explained that what the people National Interim Chairman of of the state have seen in the APC, former Governor first term of his administration Adebisi Akande, said the party was just a foundation to the would not allow any form of great things, which the manipulation in the coming government has in stock for the state. polls. He urged the people of the The appearance of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former state to vote massively for the governor of the state, added party on Saturday, so that the colour to the visit to the actual building process of the state can begin. traditional ruler. "This is just the beginning Apart from the crowd cheering the former governor, of great things to come. It is
only a foundation of what we have in mind that have been laid, the building process is about to start. We shall come back to continue the good work," Aregbesola said. Also with the governor were: Ekiti State governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi, Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; former governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Abubakar
Audu; former governor of Ekiti State, Otunba Niyi Adebayo; former governor of Kwara State, Senator Bukola Saraki. Others were: former governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipriye Silver; APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Muhammed; APC governorship candidate in Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) among others.
Osun 2014: AYF Holds Support Rally For Aregbesola By FRANCIS EZEDIUNO
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few days to the much-anticipated Saturday’s gubernatorial election in the State of Osun, the massive support base of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the All Progressive Congress (APC) flagbearer in the election, continues to swell. A group within the APC country, was aimed at getting the known as the APC Youth properly Forum, (AYF), Osun electorate in the state Chapter, on Monday prepared for Saturday’s poll conducted a city-wide rally and also to encourage them and road-walk to sensitise to vote for continuity, as and campaign in support of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola the second term remains the only symbol of amongst the gubernatorial aspiration of hope contestants, based on the Governor Aregbesola. The procession, which physical infrastructure and many laudable kicked-off at the Osogbo very his Township Stadium, saw programmes AYF members in their large administration has been numbers walk to the able to achieve within a short Government House, Oke- period of three and half Fia, Olaiya Junction, Odi- years in office. At the venue of the rally, Olowo and Nelson the governor of the State of Mandela Freedom Park. Ogbeni Rauf The walk, which had Osun; various members of the AYF Aregbesola, who was from different parts of the accompanied by his deputy;
Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, admonished the youths not to mortgage their votes by voting for the wrong candidate and wrong political party. While reminding the youths that they are the future leaders, he intimated that they are the foundations of what to expect. Aregbesola accused the PDP of not developing the state in its seven and half years of holding the fort and revealed that since the onset of his administration of peace on November 27th, 2010, he has brought different industries to the state, which had helped boost employment. He cited the establishment of Omoluabi Garment Factory, Abere, RLG Adulawo ICT Complex, Ilesa and the re-activation of the moribund Ede Cocoa
Industry as examples. The governor, who was in his elements, disclosed that he was on his way to inaugurate another industry, which would assemble minibuses, better known as ‘Korope’ locally. The National Chairman of the AYF; Barrister Ismail Ahmed, has called on the electorate to come out enmasse and vote for the APC in a civil manner. While speaking to OSUN DEFENDER at the venue of the AYF rally, he encouraged Osun people not to fear the security operatives because they have no power to arrest or harass them, in as much as they conduct themselves in the proper manner. He however stated that there was no need for the massive deployment of troops in the state, as it was not under any emergency rule.
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OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, August 7, 2014
Why Osun People Should Not Vote For Omisore - Oyinlola •As Ex-Governor Dumps PDP For APC
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ORMER National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former governor of the State of Osun, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has finally taken solace in the All Progressives Congress (APC) with a warning that the people of the State of Osun should not dare vote for the PDP candidate in the state, Senator Iyiola Omisore. Oyinlola dumped the PDP death of former Minister of for APC, following his Justice and Attorney victimization by President General of the federation, the Goodluck Jonathan and late Chief Bola Ige. Iyiola Omisore’s faction of Oyinlola’s defection to the party. the APC has added flavour He declared his defection to Aregbesola’s imminent to the APC at the Osogbo victory on the Saturday’s Federal Constituency governorship election, as it Campaign Mega Rally for has rekindled the hope of the re-election of Governor the lovers and supporters of Rauf Aregbesola, held on the APC, who are very Tuesday at the Osogbo City optimistic that Aregbesola Stadium, Osogbo, the state would win the election. capital. Speaking at the rally, According to Oyinlola, Oyinlola said: “The people voting for the PDP of Osun voted for former candidate would amount to Governor Isiaka Adeleke, handing over the state to Chief Bisi Akande, criminals, who had been Olagunsoye Oyinlola and accused of murder on the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
We all enjoined your support. What I am trying to say is that all the good people and politicians in the state are now in one party, APC. “PDP is now an empty party, lacking credible politicians and candidate. Omisore is selfish and selfcentred. I did not know who and how Bola Ige was killed. What I know is that Omisore was accused of killing Chief Bola Ige. When Omisore wanted to nominate a person to fill my seat as PDP National Secretary, he chose Professor Wale Oladipo. Oladipo was in prison with Omisore on the death of Bola Ige. “He also nominated Jelili Adesiyan, my former Commissioner for Education, for ministerial position. Adesiyan, Oladipo and Omisore were
imprisoned for their alleged complicity in Bola Ige’s death. The person they are proposing to pick as senatorial candidate in Osun Central, Kunle Alao, known as Lele, was also a co-detainee with Omisore, Oladipo, Adesiyan on Bola Ige’s death. “Omisore also picked Gani Olaoluwa, who was also detained on Bola Ige’s death, as PDP chairman in the state. My question is: Is it until we are all turned to criminals or imprisoned before we can get political office?” The former governor then called on the people of the state to troop out en masse on the election day and vote massively for Aregbesola for the continuity of the development of the state. He stated: “In 2003, the so-called PDP leaders now
By ISMAEEL UTHMAN in the state were members of the Alliance for Democracy (AD). They later left AD for PDP. Adejare Bello was the only one from All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP). Where are the original members of the PDP? The original members of the PDP have left the party for the criminals. If you call a man to join you in eating; and the person washed his two hands to eat, what is left for the food owner? “There are no longer reputable individuals in the PDP again. Adeleke, Fatai Akinbade and Oyinlola have left the party for them. What is left for the PDP? There is nothing. It is left for the people to choose wisely. By the special grace of God, we will emerge victorious on Saturday. I have severed ties with the PDP slang, if you say Oyin Ni o, you will reply with Change……”
•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, acknowledging cheers from the crowd during a one million-men march round the streets of the State Capital, Osogbo, by youths from all the Local Government in support of his re-election on Monday.
Osun 2014: APC Leaders Woo Osun Electorate Ahead Of Gubernatorial Poll By FRANCIS EZEDIUNO
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T was a carnival that ordinarily one would not have thought would take place in Osun but it did take place in Osogbo, the capital of the State of Osun. It was the grand finale of the Jumokol and now Prince mega rally campaign for the re- Olagunsoye Oyinlola have election of Ogbeni Rauf found their way to the Aregbesola as governor of the progressive fold, thanks to the state. vigorous and massive mega As expected and as has been rallies organised by the APC to the norm from the previous garner support for the remega rallies which kick-started elelction of Ogbeni Rauf in Ile-Ife through Ikire, Ila- Adesoji Aregbesola. Orangun, Iwo, Ikinrun, It would be recalled that Obokun, Ede, Ilesa and Ejigbo earlier in the life of Ogbeni’s it had been mass of people administration in 2010, Elder trooping out every tuesday Peter Babalola a.k.a. Peter week in and week out. Power had decamped with a The major high points of the new alias ‘Peter Action’. mega rallies in the past 12 Defiling the heavy weeks, had been the defection downpour in some parts of the of high caliber members from state, party members and the the Peoples Democratic Party electorate trooped out (PDP) to the All Progressive massively in their thousands to Congress (APC). show their support for Ogbeni Heavy weights like Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola. Isiaka Adeleke, former The mega rally which also executive governor of the state, doubles as the grand finale was
meant for Osogbo-OlorundaIrepodun-Orolu Federal Constituency. The electorates who were full of joy and anticipating to see the next inauguration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola all stated that their votes was not for the highest bidder and come Saturday 9th of August, the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola would see their promises put into action. Speaking shortly before the entrance of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Governor of Imo State Owelle Rochas Okorocha admonished the electorates to vote massively for his friend because he was a good man. He also revealed that the APC never rents crowd because it is a party that is loved by the electorate. With the arrival and intimidating presence of past governors in the state Senator Isiaka Adeleke (Serubawon),
Chief Adebisi Akande (Baba Omo Kekeke) and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Prince of Peace) the stage was set for the campaign. The list was endless and it included National chairman, John Oyegun, Engr. Segun Oni, Dr. Chris Ngige, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Prince Tony Momoh, Dr. Bukola Saraki, Prince Abubakar Audu and governors from Kwara, Edo, Ogun, Oyo, Lagos and Ekiti states. Chief John Oyegun affirmed that the APC would not tolerate stolen mandate again and the Ekiti State election was the last case as the party was set to give the people the best form of government the people had ever wanted. Speaker by speaker which inluded Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Chief Adebisi Akande, Adams Oshiomhole, Senator Isiaka
Adeleke all called on the electorate to protect their votes and not be afraid of the security personnel as they were in Osun for protection purposes.
In his address, the Edo State governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole commended the people of the state for standing solidly in support of Aregbesola’s re-election, saying that the massive support of the electorate has sent jitters down the spines of the PDP. “PDP is jittery because where there is light, darkness must disappear. In Osun, Aregbesola represents light, while the PDP represents the darkness. When the people believe in a cause, they can stay throughout the day. You believe in Aregbesola, you believe in good governance, that is why you are here. “You must stand by a man who understands the meaning and the tenets of political power. You must move away from those who think bribery is power. You must reject the politicians who are buying your votes with kerosene. You must reject those who are planning to rig the election. “Democracy is about numbers and not about force. On Saturday, come out en masse to vote for Aregbesola, mobilize your people too to vote for Aregbesola. Collect their money if they give you, and vote for your conscience. Aregbesola is the man of the people,” Oshiomhole stated. In his address, the first executive governor of the state, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, warned the people of the state not to vote for ‘criminals’ and that they should not be dissuaded by the heavy presence of security personnel on the election day. Adeleke told the electorate that the presence of the security men is to protect the lives and property of the people of the state during the election period, even as he warned the security agents against intimidating the people of the state. The former PDP leader charged the electorate to vote for Aregbesola and protect their votes against the rigging plan of the PDP.
IMPORTANT NOTICE For prompt report of events happening in your area during August 9, 2014 governorship election in Osun, call these telephone numbers: Kola 08033927286 Kayode 08033880205 Kazeem 08062207954 Shina 08066772615 Ismaeel 08067836368 Niyi 08030417786 Francis 08060041395 Jacobs 07032839396 Agboola 08061197896
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OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, August 7, 2014
Osogbo Standstills For Aregbesola’s Mega Rally By SHINA ABUBAKAR HE city of Osogbo, the capital of the State of Osun, stood still for the All Progressives Congress (APC) final rally, as the governorship election is barely few days away. and the The almost two months candidate incumbent governor, intensive campaign activities of the party Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, climaxed with the flag- by the National Chairman handing over for the of the party, Chief John party’s governorship Oyegun, supported by
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national leaders of the party. The roads leading to the stadium was brimming with human and vehicular traffic, as residents defied the rain to take to the streets, to solidarise with the governor, who in company of three former governors of the state, Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke, Chief
Bisi Akande and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, moves through the city to the stadium. At all the major junctions on the road, residents thronged the streets with brooms in their hands to show support for the re-election bid of the governor and their resolve to ensure
continuity in the developmental process in the state. It took about three hours for the governor ’s entourage to move from Old-Garage part of the state to the stadium, as residents lined up the road to show enthusiasm for the governor’s mission. Meanwhile, the stadium
•Former Governor of Osun and former National Secretary of PDP, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola formally joined APC as he received the party’s flag from the APC National Chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun, in Osogbo, State of Osun, last Tuesday.
Huge Crowd In Osogbo For Aregbesola’s Campaign By KAZEEM MOHAMMED
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SOGBO, capital of the State of Osun, recorded an unusual mammoth crowd of Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s supporters on Tuesday, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) held the grand finale of his campaign for the Saturday’s governorship election. Though, the programme, and the entrance of venue of held at the Osogbo Township the programme. As if that was not enough, stadium, was slated for 11:00am, but as early as the return of Aregbesola to the 8.00am, Osogbo had started Oke-fia Government House feeling the impact, as APC after the campaign was another supporters in uniform have evidence of his acceptability, as been storming the town from people from every part of the all the 30 local government state capital abandoned their council areas of the state and businesses again to cheer him. Apart from the crowd that Modakeke Area Office. Virtually all the streets of the ran after his vehicle from the state capital was at a standstill, campaign ground, traders and as there was a serious vehicular residents at Omo-West, Pepsihold up due to the large number Cola, Ayetoro, Igbona, of the residents of the state Ajegunle, Old-Garage and Okethat stormed the ancient town Fia were thrown into joyous mood on sighting him on top for the campaign. Traders, artisans, motorists, of a bus, responding to cheers commercial motorcyclists, from his admirers. Addressing the crowd at the popularly called Okada riders, as well as businessmen and campaign ground, Aregbesola women, abandoned their said what he has done in his businesses to catch a glimpse first term were just foundation of Aregbesola and identified of what to come in second term. with him. He appreciated God for The Aregbesola’s arrival at using him to transform the the venue of the programme state, saying that the supports was another scene to behold, he received from the people as the broom-wielding encourage him to do more, just mammoth crowd of his as he noted that he would not supporters, were thrown into relent until Osun is developed jubilation mood on sighting to international standard. him. In his own address at the In spite of the rains that greeted the campaign, the rally, the National Leader of supporters and sympathisers APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, of Aregbesola defied the rain asked the people of the state and stood still in the main bowl not to be scared of security of the stadium, the venue of the operatives that are being deployed for the poll, saying programme. Security operatives and that they are meant to defend Osun Youths Empowerment the people and their votes. He warned the PDP and the Scheme (OYES) volunteers had hectic time in controlling the Presidency against kitting thugs crowd, just as traffic warders with security and NYSC had hectic time in controlling uniforms, with a view to using vehicular movement in town them to rig the poll, saying that
whoever allow himself to be used to rig the election would have him or herself to blame. According to him, the PDP and the President know nothing about governance, saying that the APC is the party that is committed to the development of the state and the country at large. Also, the National Chairman of APC, Chief John OdigweOyegun, said the party would not henceforth accept the stolen of its mandate, warning that no single votes of the people should be tampered with in the August 9 election. According to him, whoever tries to tamper with the people’s mandate given to APC would pay dearly for it. The former National Chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande, said the President has no moral right to canvass for
vote for PDP in Osun, as no federal presence has been felt since he came on board. He was optimistic that the APC would emerge winner in the August 9 election because Aregbesola has justified the reason he should be re-elected, calling on the electorate to vote and stand by their votes. Speaking on behalf of the other APC governors in attendance, Governor Adams Oshimhole of Edo State said that the opposition PDP figures are now jittery because they have seen the handwriting on the wall that people want Aregbesola and the APC. He urged the electorate to vote massively for Aregbesola, who, according to him, understands the meaning of political power to attract development to the state. Other speakers at the
campaign ground, the Speaker of the Osun House of Assembly, Honourable Najeem Salaam; his Lagos State counterpart, Honourable Adeyemi Ikuforiji; Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti; and APC leader, Alhaji Fatai Diekola warned against the rigging of the Saturday’s poll, as such attempt would be resisted. They noted that the PDP chieftains have realised that they are not popular and they want to rig the poll, saying that the electorate should not allow them. Among the governors in attendance were governors Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, Fatai Ahmed Fatai of Kwara State, Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State, Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State and Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State among others.
was filled to capacity, as the people defied the early downpour to listen to the party leaders’ submission on the coming poll in the state. Residents and party loyalists thronged the stadium from 10.00am and waited in the rain throughout the duration of the campaign. Addressing the gathering, the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said Ogbeni Aregbesola has marketed himself to the people of the state, adding that the youths should come out en mass and vote for the governor. He berated President Goodluck Jonathan on the excuse of killing of youth corps members in 2011. In his speech, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola said he has joined the fold of the progressive and bid farewell to the fold of the PDP for short-changing the South-West. He condemned the party for betraying Obasanjo after helping the party to win election in 2011. The former governor disclosed that the PDP candidate is not fit to be governor in the state, saying the party is well aware of the reasons, which explained why he was denied the ticket in 2007. He described the present crops of PDP members as lacking integrity, as the present bigwigs still have questions to answer regarding the ignoble death of Chief Bola Ige. He described the state governor as a man of integrity and has unrivalled passion for development, not only for the state but the entire country. Some state governors at the gathering included the governors of Oyo, Ogun, Kwara, Edo and Imo states. Those who addressed the gathering told members of the party and residents to troop to polling units and vote for the governor on August 9 and stand by their vote and ensure that it counts.
Omisore Refused Entry Into Ikire, Gbongan Communities •Ogbaaga, Wakajaiye And Odeyinka Communities, Near Ikire And Gbongan, Osun
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T sounds unbelievable but it is real, as youths and leaders of Ogbaaga and Wakajaiye communities near Gbongan as well as those of Odeyinka near Ikire trooped out of their residences and blockaded roads leading to their respective communities on hearing that the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Iyiola Omisore was coming on campaign visits. According to Dauda community, among other Oladele, a youth leader in resolutions.” Ogbaaga, who spoke with Asked why this drastic OSUN DEFENDER, the decision, especially with youths and elders of the area freedom of movement and had a crucial meeting a day association as fundamental before the reported Omisore’s rights of citizens of Nigeria to visit to their community. move about, and if this was not According to Oladele: “We tantamount to infringement, the held a meeting, which was well- youth leader responded: “Yes, attended by adult members of we know that there is the right the community, as well as of freedom of movement and youths. At the meeting, it was association, as enshrined in the resolved that we should not nation’s Constitution, but in a allow him (Omisore) into our situation where this candidate
is coming around to corrupt our people with voodoo rice and kerosene, we also have the right to disallow him from polluting our community. “Where his right stops, our own begins. Information filtered in that he was coming with those items. We do not know his real intention because we have been hearing stories of the food items being laced. We do not want to take chances. Our children are innocent and they could be easily carried away, and in order to prevent any unwanted consequences, we decided to move fast on him.” Similar stories akin to the above were told by community members of Wakajaiye, also
close to Gbongan, as well as Odeyinka, near Ikire. In the case of Ikire, the youths even went as far as singing derogatory songs to the hearing of the visiting PDP governorship candidate, Iyiola Omisore, to show their disdain for him. It was learnt that as Omisore moved to surrounding areas close to schools, kids were chanting praises of Aregbesola to Omisore’s hearing. One of the lyrics was even to the effect that the youths do not need the laced food; they were already being fed by Aregbesola. “E se oooo, e gbe majele yin lo, ao fe, Aregbesola ti bo wa” meaning, “Thank you, go away with your poison, Aregbe has already fed us.”
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OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, August 7, 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 -
Open Letter To My People Of Ile-Ife
I
am Prince Adetilewa Sijuwade, truly and rightly an indigenous Ife Prince. I have at the peak of my priorities, the emancipation and uplifting of Ile-Ife indigenes. In essence, I am courageous to say that I will count on my fingers those that love Ile-Ife more than I do. Not by busy footings, grand standings or lip services, but by actualization of programmes of uplifting of Ifes. Through the special grace of our Almighty God, my party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the blessing of my father, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, and the very good people of Ife, I was voted into my present status in government as a legislator to influence and promote infrastructural, socio-economic developments and promotion of Ifes through good governance. The APC government, within three and a half years in office, had from its incepetion, reduced fees payable in stateowned tertiary institutions by half;
created opportunities via O’YES; provide ultra-modern school infrastructure; feed 500,000 pupils daily (0’meal) and other related programmes. Other laudable achievements of the current APC administration in the state include selfemployment opportunities in fish and poultry farming, free qualitative education plus transportation for pupils and students; free and qualitative health services, social benefits for the elderly. Plans are also on to build Oranmiyan International Market in IleIfe. Creating additional Local Development Council Areas with a view to bringing government closer to the grassroots are added opportunities for faster development. I am also bold to say that there is no household in IleIfe that has not and still not benefiting from the APC/ Aregbesola’s administration. All the current
gubernatorial candidates in the forthcoming election have had at one time or the other, opportunities to better our lots in Ife, either as deputy governor/senator and most especially, as Chairman of Appropriation Committee of the Senate, but we all know what we got for those years in Ife; poverty save for very very close family members, allies and cronies. The responsibility of all and
sundry in Ife at this time is to ensure better future for our children and not to mortgage the referenced future for our own individual selfish interests. Our future is the reflection of yesteryears and the present. We have experienced unimpressive yesteryears in Nigeria, Osun and particularly in Ife, the bastardization of our heritage, culture and psyche in the Military/ PDP governments, people can now appreciate
what governance is all about and what it is supposed to be. I also need to stand in defence of His Imperial Majesty, Ooni of Ife, here by assuring all and sundry that Baba is the spiritual father of all, regardless of whether you are addressed as an “Omo onile or Alejo” and as a true father to all, Ooni will not assent to blackmailing non-natives to vote PDP or will be sent packing form their respective Ife abodes. Oba Sijuwade had on several occasions publicly identified with the excellent and unusual brilliant performances of Ogbeni Aregbesola. I appeal to all and sundry in Ife to let’s put on our thinking caps and vote right. The presence of security operatives should not intimidate us into not performing our civic duties and rights. They would be there to protect us and aid our vigilance. Think positively, vote positively, Vote AREGBESOLA! He is tested and proven above all others. •Sijuwade current represents Ife-Central Constituency in the State of Osun House of Assembly.
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.
OSUN DEFENDER Publisher
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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
OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, August 7, 2014
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PHOTOTALK
OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, August 7, 2014
All Progressives Congress (APC) 2014 Governorship Re-election Of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s Mega Rally At Osogbo City Stadium, Osogbo, State Of Osun, Last Tuesday. Photo: SIKIRUADEOYE-YUSUF
•A crowd of Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s supporters and admirers in and outside of the Osogbo City Stadium, during the Mega Rally on re-election of the governor on Tuesday.
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• •Ogbeni Aregbesola (on top of a bus), at the mega rally on his re-election, held at Osogbo City Stadium, Osogbo, State of Osun, on Tuesday.
OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, August 7, 2014
PHOTOTALK
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All Progressives Congress (APC) 2014 Governorship Re-election Of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s Mega Rally At Osogbo City Stadium, Osogbo, State Of Osun, Last Tuesday.
•A cross section of Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s supporters at the mega rally in Osogbo.
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•Governor Aregbesola and former governor of Osun, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola (on top of a vehicle), acknowledging cheers from the crowd at the Osogbo Township Stadium, Osogbo
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OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, August 7, 2014
11 THE most important decision an elected public official makes should of necessity concern what he wants to do with the office.It also includes what range of issues he wants to recognise and make his own agenda. The challenge therefore is to create boundaries for the office and thereafter select among possible goals.That’s why politics does not favour subtlety,but it does favour leadership that runs with uncommon discipline and clarity of purpose and a deep recognition that politics is a human enterprise for public good,not personal aggrandisement. However, these days in Nigeria,politics feels and smells very much like a boxing arena or a “do or die” affair,where,as one writer puts it, “punches come from different directions, strategies change blow by blow,and another challenger is always waiting to take you on”.But true champions are those that are focused and have the capacity to absorb punches and deliver telling blows that wins the bouyt. No place in Nigeria this week will these scenarios play out as Osun State where the governorship election holds this Saturday,August 9. A graphic account of the political situation in that State is like a super tanker loaded with fuel. Implosion is imminent if things are not handled with utmost care.Security should be on alert but should not intimidate or scare away voters. How Osun has come to this frightening level is not hard to understand.Seven weeks ago,the dramatic outcome in the governorship election in nearby Ekiti State which saw the defeat of the incumbent governor,Dr.Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress(APC)by Mr.Ayodele Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)has raised the political temperature in Osun many notches higher.
OPINION
OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, August 7, 2014
The Odds Favour Aregbesola By DAN ONWUKWE While it has given the PDP supreme confidence that the same feat can be repeated in Osun,it has put the ruling party in Osun State on its toes,and governor Rauf Aregbesola on alert.Will thunder strike twice in seven weeks? This is a question that makes Saturday’s election perhaps the fiercest gubernatorial contest since the present democratic dispensation began.While it could be foolish-maybe even dangerousto underestimate any of the 20 candidates already cleared for the poll,the real battle is between the incumbent governor and the PDP standard bearer,Senator Iyiola Omisore.The two are popular no doubt in what has been a dirty campaign.In the end,only one winner will emerge,and that winner will be the one with the biggest grassroot support and how they turn out on election day. I do not foresee a close contest as many pundits have predicted.This is in spite of the President Jonathan’s visit over the weekend. While the choice of who emerges winner on Saturday belongs to Osun voters,I foresee Governor Aregbesola re-elected by a wide margin,provided the election is adjudged free and fair. You may ask, what informs my decision?My confidence to endorse the incumbent governor is anchored on his accomplishments in the last four years.They will speak for him unless Osun record of performance counts for nothing for Osun voters.There’s something about accomplishment that brings electoral
reward.In the words of Lyndon Johnson,former American President,”what you accomplish in life depends almost completely upon what you make yourself do…perfect concentration and a great desire will bring a person success in any field of work he chooses”. The very first thing the person should do,Johnson further advised,”is to train the mind to concentrate upon the essentials and discard the frivolous and unimportant.This will ensure real accomplishment and ultimate success”.As someone with marxist background,these words his aides say resonate with Aregbesola as a man with welfarist credentials.These have reflected in his performance in key sectors such as education,infrastructure like road network and agrculture and rural development. I can tell testify to some of these areas.Let me start with road.My encounter with the governor’s achievement on roads happened by chance.At a recent visit to Osun for a wedding,less than 30 minutes into the journey to Oshogbo from Lagos,we got a call that there was a terrific traffic gridlock along Lagos/ Ibadan Expressway. The options for me and my friends were two:cancel the trip or find alternative route to Osun.The driver suggested we could cut off the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway.I was familiar with where we were headed,but came out a first class stretch of road known as Orile-Owu heading towards Ijebu-Igbo.I was told it was one the 400km intra-city/inter-city road network constructed by the Aregbesola administration. I understand the Orile-Owu road,a clear dividend of
democracy is beside the 10km of road network constructed and rehabilitated in each of the 30 local government areas of the state. Perhaps,the undeniable achievement of Aregbesola for which even his opponents will acknowledge is in the education sector where free,home-grown school feeding programme packed with nutritious meals has been in full operation in public primary schools.Also,under the acronym “Opon Imo” (e-learning),school pupils are provided with computer tablets,as well as free school uniform to pupils.With new mega schools built across the state,and over 254,000 pupils been fed daily with nutritious meals,who says learning is no longer interesting. From statistics available,about 750,000 pupils have reported benefited the the elearning scheme,while no fewer than 3000 local tailors under Omoluabi garment factory have been trained and empowered to made the school uniforms readily available. What better way to promote Small and medium enterprises. The picture which emerges from the foregoing is that of a governor for whom all human contacts has a purpose. The reason for all the tension and desperation ahead of the Osun poll this Saturday is simple:it is all about who wins the soul of Southwest ahead of 2015 and President Jonathan expected re-election bid. But politicians should realise that the existence of the country supercedes the ambition of any individual or group. Culled from THE SUN
FEATURE
OLUSESI ISAAC writes that Nigeria’s National Conference’s proposal of additional 18 States is good, but not enough without the inclusion of Borgu State with New Bussa as capital.
Reason For A Borgu State THE recommendation of the nation’s National Conference for the creation of the additional 18 new states cannot be said to be exhaustive. And before the decision reached by the conferees goes to the National Assembly or a referendum, creating a Borgu State with New Bussa as capital is not only justifiable, it is also expedient for its population, viability, history, cultural affinity, and contiguity. Borgu State has been part of the behemoth of requests placed before the Committee on Constitution Review of the National Assembly because the social, cultural, political and economic fundaments that determined the creation of states in Nigeria in 1976, 1987, 1991 and 1996 also come to play in creating Borgu State. With the massive consensus of the people of the area, it is only left for the National Conference’s Committee on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government to recommend the creation of Borgu State, having the existing large local government area to be joined by the requisite number of local government areas, contiguous with one another drawn from the neighbouring Southsouth Kebbi State, North-west, North-north Niger State, and North-west Kwara State. These states, Kebbi, Niger and Kwara States similar or near similar cultural and historical antecedent. New Bussa as proposed capital extends over a vast area that approximates the territorial stretch of such modern day geopolitical units as Kuwait, Swaziland and Lebanon. New Bussa lies between latitude 90N and 110N, longitudes 20E and 40N; it is bounded to the North by Kebbi State, to the West by Benin Republic and to the East by the River Niger; and has a territorial spread extended to Illo and Kooje in Kebbi State, Kaima and Baruten areas of Kwara State and situated in between the south fringes of the Guinea Savannah, Northern Guinea vegetation belt and the Northern borders of the tropical forest (Southern Guinea) region. The bulk of the population of New Bussa
•MARK
•KUTIGI
reside in Bussa, Guffanti Agwara, Wara, Babanna, Doro-Malale, Rofia, Luma, and Papyri, with the people having such basic social infrastructure and facilities as motorable roads, electricity, pipe-borne water supply, intra-city transportation, signals of several radio and television stations, networks of the global system for mobile communication, ultra-modern air landing facilities at the Kanji N.A.F base, public primary and secondary schools, specialised tertiary institutions like the Federal College of Fresh Water Fisheries Technology, and government’s several basic health centres. New Bussa has an impressive array of national and man-made tourist attractions that include Zekanna and Kalli Hills located in Wawa and credited with curative powers;
Pissa cave served as protective refuge during war situations; Old Bussa Ruins situated between Malale and New Bussa; Kanji Lake National Park Tourist Camps and National Park at Oli and Wawa that houses wildlife; Wawa Maot in Wawa town for defensive purposes; Kubeli Hilly Range having layers of feldspar, an excellent raw materials for the manufacturing of glass and porcelain; Kanji Lake and Dam generating electrical currents nationally and sub-regionally; Shagunu Wildlife; Konkosso soil wonder in Babanna, NorthwestBorgu, characterised by different colours of soil which are scooped up into calabashes and refined as face and body powder. These tourist attraction are still being visited today from across the globe. In the 19th
century, German explorers, Dr. Heinrich Barth, Machiavellian arch-monopolist George Tubman Goldie, Captain Anderson, Henry Kemble and other Europeans including Mungo Park (who died in 1806 at Bussa rapids), Lt. High Clapperton, Richard Lander, John Lander, and Lord Luggard (who later amalgamated Nigeria, all at different times had visited the tourists centres in the proposed Borgu State. The construction of the massive Kanji Dam complex in Nigeria in 1969 by the then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (retd) opened the floodgates of government presence, sanitation and housing facilities, banking services and investment opportunities and the creation of Borgu local government out of the old native system that over the years continue to improve the economic, social and political lot of people of Borgu. The political will of the Federal government that favoured the Borgu in the past, will certainly not today be a clog to the creation of Borgu State. It will be roundly applauded if the final shortlist of new states includes Borgu State as the national conference resumes August 14. A Borgu State will solve the problem of underdevelopment of the constituents; meet the growth and development aspirations of the nationals and national residents in Borgu; remove discontent and tension; obliterate the aura of domination; and breed good neighbourliness. Nigeria as one single indivisible geo-political entity will be better for it. •OLUSESI is Assistant Director, Directorate of Publicity, Research and Strategy, All Progressives Congress, State of Osun.
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INTERVIEW
OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, August 7, 2014
PDP’s Coup In Osun’ll Fail – Aregbesola The deployment of gun-wielding operatives of the Directorate of State Services (DSS) to the State of Osun ahead of the August 9, 2014 governorship election has been condemned by the state Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who described the show of force by security men in Osogbo as an assault on democracy. Aregbesola, during an interview session with senior journalists in Osogbo, said by firing shots into the air, the masked DSS men intended to shock and intimidate the people. Where’s democracy when the people are prevented from having their choice and the same people paid to protect them now terrorize them?” Governor Aregbesola asked. He added, “If election is about acceptance, popularity and the impact you have made on the people, we are confident that their show of force has failed.” The governor spoke about his efforts in making life better for Osun people since he assumed power and concluded he was sure of clinching victory at the polls on Saturday. Excerpts:
Q
UESTION: The governorship election in the State of Osun is a few days away. How prepared are you to avoid what happened in Ekiti State? AREGBESOLA: The real issue is not about you as a candidate but the quality of the electoral process. Once the quality is good and high, whatever the people say is final,because they are the ultimate deciders of who represents or governs them. But to answer the question properly, I have prepared so well for the office in a way that going by the normal run, I should not be working as hard as I’m working now for re-election. Why we are different from them is that we have always been with the people from day one of our administration. How many governors walk the streets with their citizens? I have been doing that since the first month in office. How many governors created interactive forums in Nigeria before me? There is none. I’m the first governor that devoted close to 10 hours of continuous engagement on a quarterly basis with the citizens. The people ask any question in a conducive atmosphere. ‘Ogbeni Till Daybreak’ is a worldwide engagement, because we take feedbacks from social media. Gbangba Dekun is a monthly community interactive forum, where I sit with stakeholders in the community to ask or make inquiries on any issue. This is the picture of direct engagement we’ve had with the people that no government in Nigeria has ever attempted to do. We also have a carnivallike procession in ‘Walk to Live’, where we just walk round the communities and it’s quite engaging and popular because everybody wants to be with the governor. Hardly is there any community in this state that I have not touched. In terms of physical and social services, this is the first government that can say that there is no household, be it PDP, APC and others, that our programmes have not reached. I feed 300,000 pupils every school day at the cost of N3.6 billion a year. I have been doing it since 2012 and I have spent N7.2 billion on it. You can go to these schools and observe what the pupils are eating to be sure whether it is worth what we are saying or not. I can tell you that nobody touches the money except those in-charge. Long before we commenced the feeding arrangement, we empowered poultry farmers and fish farmers to produce chicken, eggs and fish the pupils now consume . We gave them close to N600 million . The only people we buy from now are herdsmen . We have the second batch of O’YES cadets, the first batch of 20,000 have graduated and the second batch of 20,000 have commenced training. They work two or three days a week and they have the rest of the week left for them to see what they can do with their hands and earn a living because they are taught entrepreneurial skills. They earn N10,000 monthly as cadets. On this scheme alone, this administration has spent N9 billion. I tell people what these schemes mean for national development. I have in that scheme directly injected N9 billion into the economy, and a man earning N10,000, unless you promise to double his investment, has no business traveling to Ibadan with that N10,000. If it’s not going to yield anything more, he won’t go to Ibadan. Every bit of the money is better spent here.
•AREGBESOLA Every O’YES cadet has a smart card and the issue of anyone tampering with their money does not arise. Mine is among the few governments that developed a meaningful welfare programme for elderly citizens. We have a package based on an extensive survey of citizens that are 65 years and above in our database. We now identified those among them that are without any support. It’s the first time any government will do so in Nigeria. We identified 1,800 of such people statewide. The selection was purely based on their conditions, no primordial sentiment. Professor Ogunbameru of Obafemi Awolowo University administered everything and gave us the list with their addresses. We have been giving them N10,000 monthly since 2012. Still along that line, before now, ambulances here used to carry dead bodies, whereas they’re not meant only for carrying dead bodies. We have ambulance points everywhere in the state now working 24 hours. Also we just launched debit cards of between N100, 000 and N150, 000 for farmers with which they buy their farm inputs at their doorsteps. They buy on guaranteed credit and pay back with either their commodities or sell and pay back. I look at my government’s engagement
with the people which has impacted every home positively, and I say if election is about acceptance, popularity and impact you have made on the people, we are waiting for what the verdict of democracy would be. In a credible, transparent, free and fair election, I’m not worried at all about what people will say about his administration. QUESTION: How do you react to the heavy security presence in the state? AREGBESOLA: Democracy is not just voting. Everything pertaining to the capacity of the people to vote or not to vote and to freely decide what they want must be of interest to all of us. Whenever that right is infringed, it’s a total assault on democracy. We cannot call that democracy. The issue of militarization of the state is not one man’s job. We owe it a duty to let the whole world know what is happening here. It’s an infringement on the rights of Nigerian people. We’ve all forgotten that we pay the salaries of these security agencies. We don’t pay them to wear masks in our towns. They should only wear masks when they engage terrorists and if they have to operate in a region where seeing them might compromise their own safety and security. What would they say is the reason for what they are doing now other than intimidation?
So, what this means is that they want to conquer and cow our people, which is a direct assault on democracy. Yes, you asked for what I am doing. I won’t use guns against them but I will not be quiet. I believe this must be condemned by all , because this is not about Aregbesola alone. You people may not have any press office to work in if this continues. Don’t think it will stop there. By the time they finish with the press, they can say you should not even go and buy yam to eat anywhere. Everything will be affected. This is the longest coup in the history of this country, where gun-wielding and masked security operatives are unleashed on the people ahead of an election by a desperate federal government. But this PDP coup will fail. If election is about acceptance, popularity and impact you have made on the people, we are confident that their show of force has failed. QUESTION: Is your administration on good terms with teachers, civil servants, okada riders and students? AREGBESOLA: Most people don’t even know how to assess relationships. They assess them on the basis of complaints by a dissatisfied section of a critical lot. It cannot be like that. It is impossible for human beings to exist without conflict. The Yoruba have an idiomatic way of saying that. They say the teeth and the tongue fight, but they are always still together. Let us look at what we have done and then situate our relationship within it, though some people for whatever reason do not just like us. I told someone that what should concern you is not those who are opposed to you especially as it gets to the run-up to the election. When it’s still far ahead, you may be bothered so you can make adjustments. But when no matter what you do, that’s their attitude, you just stay put. According to newspapers, not less than 20 parties are seeking power democratically. If you win 60 per cent of the votes, it does not mean you don’t have opposition. The 40 per cent who don’t want to see you may cut your head if you are careless. If you win 60 per cent, you are home and dry. In a struggle with other stakeholders this is good enough. What we are doing is to ensure that each of these critical sectors don’t have any basis at all to oppose us. Let us start with the students. Before we came in, students were being given a bursary of N3, 000 and they didn’t even get the bursary on time.The system was ridden with scams. I wondered why I should approve N3, 000 for anybody ? It’s better if we don’t give bursary or we give it meaningfully. We raised the bursary to N10,000 flat. Medical and Law students receive N20,000, while our indigenes in Law schools receive N100,000. The school authorities give the money to students in their systems. I don’t see how such students will hate us. Whoever now hates us has something else against us, not because we have not done the needful. The increases weren’t solicited. We did it out of our own understanding of the reality of what students are going through.
Continued on page 13
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INTERVIEW
OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, August 7, 2014
PDP’s Coup In Osun’ll Fail – Aregbesola Continued from page 12 There was agitation for reduction of tuition fees and we reduced fees from a huge amount to something that is comparably affordable. Also, we have been investing in developing the institutions much more than any administration has done in the history of this state. Yes, we are having some challenges with the lecturers but it’s not peculiar to us but you just have to bear it. For Okada riders, they have no problem with us. They may want us to do things for them as we have done to some other groups, but it is not as if they said, compared to others, these are the problems. The roads here are appreciated even by those who use legs. Has any government succeeded in constructing 200 kilometres of road in all nooks and crannies of the state? There is no part of this state that we have not constructed a new road and it’s not just any road but roads with concrete drainage, with stone base and kick asphaltic cover and above all when I get to campaign grounds, I say our roads have tribal marks. In all general roads, we have roads with marks. We now have special roads, when we complete some of them, they will be tourism attraction and centres on their own. The road we are building in Gbogan, people will be coming to look at it, mark my words. That road you see, Gbongan to Akoda, will be a tourism attraction because it is not an ordinary road because it’s a road that took me time to conceive and design and we are taking our time to develop it. So, when people talk about the cost of our roads, I just laugh because it’s not good to be talking to people who don’t know what they are saying. We have different types of roads. That road is going to be a reference point in road construction. We are changing the landscape and making the state of Osun a hub of everything that is good. We also want to tell the world that the black man is a human being. Before our advent, the civil servants never knew that salary could be paid before the end of the month. For seven and half year, salaries were never paid here before the end of the month. But from when I assumed office, we changed that. Before the year ended when I assumed office, I paid 10 per cent of their basic as 13th month salary and paid December salary before the end of the year, the civil servants were dazed. Since that day up until December 2013, I pay salary on or before the 25th of every month. But as from January 2014, we ran into trouble which we explained to everybody six months before then. In July 2013, the Federal Government began a squeeze that they themselves know that nobody believed them. They said 400,000 barrel of crude oil is being stolen everyday. We didn’t know problem was coming. Instead of collecting N4.6 billion, they gave this government N2.6 billion, 40 per cent slashed. We thought it will be temporary because after that month, they said the stolen crude has reduced to 200,000 barrel per day. When the oil being lost reduced, would you still expect a 40 per cent cut? From that July to now, the maximum allocation this state has ever received is N3.2 billion which was in November 2013. I am not making up anything, simply saying the truth. Now ask me how was I able to pay up until December 2013? My people are called osomalo- they are very deft in the management of money and I took this from them. I had been saving through the Omoluwabi Conservation Fund in which 10 per cent of all allocation must just go and rest. So, I had money in reserve, which was a build-up for my refusal to form cabinet for 10 months, I had the money. Whereas my income fell to N2.6billion at the lowest and N3.4billion at the highest for a month, my statutory expenditures which are expenditures that I have no control on once we have agreed on it, for instance salary, pension and they are N3.6 billion every month, I have no power over it. I can’t say no, I’m not paying, Between July and December, I augmented my income with N5.4billion. All in the hope that this thing will go, it didn’t go. It has not gone as we speak, it is even worse. Before, when you get your allocation, you will cash it by the 15th of every month. That was why they were paying salaries on the 15th of the month
•AREGBESOLA before we came in. That used to be the practice. But now, because you want to squeeze the opposition government, they even squeeze themselves. Nobody gets the reduced allocation earlier than the 26th of the following month. But before now, I wasn’t waiting for their money; I just pay on or before the 25th. If for whatever reason, because when we wanted to introduce the digital automation, it was difficult to do cross over it will get to the 1st or 2nd of the following month, not that the money is not there, we have arranged, banks just pay, we have money with them. To make up the deficit in what I received and what I must pay, I spent extra N5.4 billion. However, I told you earlier that I gave 10 per cent of basic salary for 13th month salary; the second year I gave 25 per cent; the third year I gave 50 per cent; the fourth year, I gave 100 per cent. So, December of 2013, I gave every worker in the employment of Osun 100 per cent of their basic salary as extra income which I paid before the end of the year, ordinarily, why should any worker say I am not friendly with them. Before, workers here were given their leave allowances en bloc at the end of the year, I told them this is unreasonable because we don’t go to leave at the same time, so choose when you want your leave allowance to be paid. Is it at your birthday or the anniversary of your employment into the service? So, whenever you summit your birthday, your leave allowance will be credited to you. I don’t know if any other government in Nigeria does that. Two, go and visit the secretariat and see what we have made of their work environment. So, if these are things that should motivate workers, I stand tall and proud because I have done my best. No matter what anybody tells me, majority of them will appreciate these things. However, since January because I have exhausted my reserve, it is when we get money that we now go to look for money to add to it and pay. That began in January. The difference between me and others is that I don’t hide anything; I tell whosoever cares to listen. I am the most loquacious governor in
Nigeria. I went to the retreat of lawmakers and I said what is happening in Nigeria today is equivalent to the declaration of economic war on the states. If it is just mere shortage and it comes early, of course we will pay, it doesn’t come early. As we speak, we have not collected June allocation. What we are saying is that is either people don’t even care or they think you can just conjure money or they know what you are going through. I said at a rally recently that from what I have heard from their grapevine because they had a meeting where they said that, squeeze them, if they can’t pay salary, you will create problem for them. Mark my words; they might not give us June allocation until the end of August. But we will pay our workers, already we have paid June. I am happy to tell you that majority of our civil servants see and appreciate what we are doing. You can to the secretariat and see what we are doing. We increased the car loan by 400 per cent; we increased housing loans by 100 per cent. For 36 out of 43 months we have been paying regularly, let’s even assume that there is a problem of delayed payments now, I cannot believe all the workers will be against us because I have done my best. If the demonstration of interest of workers in their remuneration and allowances counts and with what we have done, I don’t think they will be against us. I read the advert they published and I laughed because it indicted them. They wrote that my income was N2.8 billion and this is what I have to pay, N3.4 billion and pegged it with state and local governments. There is no way I can touch local government account because it is separate and distinct. We made sure nobody touches local government account and get away with it. Local government has its own separate account and I don’t know where their account is. I can only give policy statements on that. Our teachers in the state are now very well motivated, such that you cannot distinguish between them and bank workers. When you see a teacher in Osun before now. They were so depressed, not motivated and they had absence of facilities to
contend with. Our teachers now appear corporate and well-motivated. It is not that there won’t be some of them who for whatever reason don’t like us but they are in the minority. Don’t buy the talk you hear that teachers don’t like him, I don’t believe that. We did independent, scientific opinion poll, which does not support all these talks. You need to see how people respond to us everywhere. People just swarm around me. I have never been in a place where my presence does not generate euphoria. You don’t get such reception if people have problem with you. I don’t really believe I have any problem with any critical sector. There is nothing that the opposition has not done to deride us. There is no household in this state that does not feel our impact. We are talking about how to make education the central focus of our administration because I am no longer thinking of now but we want to create a new set of Nigerians to build a new society. Mine is the first government in Nigeria to give free uniform to all students. The first government that will say that you don’t need to buy textbooks for your children in the high school, Opon Imo and it is targeted at 150,000 students. One of the attractions is that it reduces the cost of books. With that number and with what it cost us to procure the e-book, N200 million for 53 books. If you divide N200 million by 53, you will get the cost per book on that basis. If you now divide the outcome with 150,000, do you know that the cost of the book will be N2? Opon Imo should be celebrated by all because it reduces the capital outlay on books. Tell me any government anywhere in the world that can provide eight textbooks free of charge to students. How many parents can buy all books required by their children, but we have changed this by putting into the hands of all our students in high school a library of 53 textbooks. Our students here keep it with them, go home with them, and sleep with them for as long as they are in school. That was why I said that we have saved our state N8 billion to procure these books for the students. Immediately they heard that I said we have saved the state N8 billion naira, they said Aregbesola has stolen N8 billion. That was the genesis of the money they said my son took from Opon Imo. Let’s ask them where the N8 billion is. QUESTION: What is your perception about the term stomach infrastructure? AREGBESOLA: To those who people who are elite and are therefore separated from the people, this term may make a new meaning to them. I am a product of the popular forces. I am part and parcel of the people. I emanated from them and a product of their struggles. What is now known as stomach infrastructure is what we know as interaction, engagement, living with the people and meeting their aspirations and needs. That is what we have been doing from the very beginning of this administration; I feed their children everyday meal. The Akara seller knows that I feed her child everyday. I identify with them on a daily basis in their struggle to live and they understand that everything we do is to make live easy for them. My administration does not suffer alienation from the people. It is one and same with the people and that is the basis of our confidence in their ever ready support at all times. QUESTION: Is there any aspect of the state that you think you have not touched? AREGBESOLA: There is no trade, commercial or social group in the state of Osun that we have not impacted. There is no aspect. Apart from Lagos, we are the only state government that has an emergency call centre but has been made dysfunctional because the federal government just refused to give us short code to make it work. I am telling how totally insensitive some of us are to the critical issues of our people. Whether you are APC or PDP, is your commitment not to improve the lot of your people? And when you get to these offices you must shun partisanship because you have sworn to an oath of allegiance to the Constitution and service to the people. I challenge anybody to say that my programmes are discriminatory. Why should it be anyway, are they not our citizens? We have a nation to build and a people to serve.
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INTERVIEW
OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, August 7, 2014
Aregbesola Has Used Osun Resources Judiciously - Alabi Professor Mojeed Alabi is a former Speaker of the State of Osun House of Assembly, presently a lecturer in the University of Ilorin and a leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. The Professor of Political Science, Adjunct Professor of Public Law, Legal Practitioner and Policy Consultant, in this interview with KAZEEM MOHAMMED reflects on the records that Governor Rauf Aregbesola has made in governance of Osun and the reasons he should be re-elected. Excerpts. ranging from the fact that Osun owed N350 billion; that Opon Imo project was awarded to Kabiru Aregbesola among others. Do you see this as merely political? ALABI: On the debt, it is just a distraction and the government has been vindicated when a Federal Government agency, Debt Management Office, said Osun is not owing such debt. It is just political and those that are spreading such rumour have been disappointed and they should stop lying. On the other hand, I am not in the position to talk about who a contract is awarded to and who is benefitting from it, but my own is that I have seen what I want to see. I don’t know who is doing the Opon Imo, but the issue is that I have seen a product, an initiative that is useful for our children. I saw polytechnic students who are saying they feel like going back to secondary schools to take the advantage of Opon Imo. I see what they are saying as lies, rumour and just political gimmick to deceive the people and those that are spreading such falsehood should stop playing on the intelligence of Osun people. For me it does not matter who construct the road, as long as it is solid enough to last for so many years; it does not matter who is in charge of building the market, as long as we have Ayegbaju Market, where our people have the opportunity of buying and selling. The question is, are we getting value for our money or not? There are so many opposition members, who are gaining from this government, the opportunity which we didn’t have when they were there. Somebody was telling me that about 60 per cent of OYES cadets are either PDP members or their relatives and even in the just-recruited civil servants, they are many. So, all those ideas that somebody did this and that are coming from people of little minds, as people of great minds want to see what are the result of what the government is doing.
O
SDF: What makes your party, APC, a progressive party and different from o t h e r political parties? ALABI: If you look at the development of party system in Nigeria, you will discover that there have always been difference between those that we regard as the progressives and the others, whose interest is primarily in furtherance of business interest or private selfish interest. Unfortunately, for the greater part of postindependent Nigeria, these set of people that we call progressives have not been able to come together, except, perhaps for the very short period of Ibrahim Babangida’s transition programme, when two parties were decreed. And it was that coming together of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) that actually propelled the election of Chief MKO Abiola as the presidential candidate, but eventually, the election was annulled. The APC now represents the first major post-independence attempt among the progressives to come together to rescue the governance of the states from the people, who simply have no idea about governance in terms of using the instrumentality of state power to further the interest of the down-trodden masses. So, the APC, in the first history of Nigeria, is a major attempt and first major dominant force to have successfully threatened the party in power, the PDP. Although, we have not taken over government, but this is the first time that the party in power is feeling threatened by an opposition party to ensure the need for a new way of doing things. That is what the APC represents and that is what makes it difference. OSDF: In Osun, would you say Ogbeni Aregbesola’s administration has been able to translate the ideals of the progressives to development? ALABI: One must appreciate the efforts of this government in turning around the state. The idea of governance itself is putting social infrastructural amenities in place for people to be able to realise their individual selfdevelopment. Development is not about government distributing money to individuals, because there is no way government can embark on such method and be able to satisfy everyone. In a civilised society, governance is about putting in place appropriate structural, appropriate infrastructural, social, economic amenities that would enable us as individuals to realise the highest potentials of our being and be able to say we can live the way a normal human being should live. That is what the present government of Osun has been able to do. You will see network of roads through which people who are based here and are involved in the production of things that could be useful in other states could easily move their products to those states, while those things that are produced somewhere else and needed by the people of Osun can come easily. That is the law of comparative advantage. For example, we use to talk about Israel, Saudi Arabia as a dry land, but people who go there will tell you that they eat fresh fruits. They are not produced there, but they have the needed infrastructure to make sure they get what they want, even if those things are not produced there. And conversely, where they produce things in excess of what they need, there is also opportunity to transport it to where they are needed, so that they can make added income. Again, look at the state of education in Osun, I realise that this government has discovered that in any society, the development of individual is key to societal development. So, human resource development is also one critical area of development that I have seen in this government and that starts from the root of education. Before you can begin to build a sound mind in a sound body, you have to start from the root and that is why this government should be appreciated for putting in place structures, amenities and provisions that would make it attractive to children to want to stay in school. That is why every school that is being built now would have the needed furniture, the needed facilities that would make it attractive, the needed laboratory that would make students to want to grab the nitty-gritty of science for the development of the nation and well equipped library where students can bury their heads to increase their knowledge. Apart from that, we have seen civil servants, especially the junior cadre who are saying they have never gone on training, but under this
•ALABI government, several of them are going on continous training. This is part of human development because it is only when humans are developed in terms of intellect that he or she can see what is good in government and use his or her training to contribute to the development of the state. What makes people to struggle to travel abroad, in my view, Aregbesola has started doing it and that is development. Look at agriculture under this government and see the way government has gone into massive production of fishery and reviving the concept of farm settlements. This is one of the areas, where Osun can reap in terms of comparative advantage because a lot of our people here engage in agriculture. So, when you provide the needed environment to cultivate that, then, we can have excess. The essence of taking dual carriage way from Akoda to Gbongan and from Gbongan to Ijebu-Igbo is that if we produce at the scale the government wants us to produce, there is tendency that we may not be able to consume everything, and the easiest market for us is Lagos. That road is the easiest way to Lagos and since we have good way of transporting what we produce, the production will be higher and the product will not be rotten away. That is what China is doing that is developing their economy. That is the idea I have seen in this government. Also, look at Osun Youths Empowerment Scheme (OYES). Some critics are saying that how can you say a graduate should be sweeping on the road, and I ask, is it not better to do something than to do nothing? An idle hand is the devil’s workshop. When you have something to do that is earning you money, is it not better? There is one aspect that some people have not seen, the OYES is not for you to just go there and graduate in two years, I have seen some youths in OYES who have used the opportunity of the scheme to acquire other skills, through which they have become independent earners of income today. In any event, the OYES is not a full-time day job, they spend between two to three hours and if you are productive as a beneficiary, you have the opportunity of using the remaining 22 hours to pursue something else. This is a programme that helps youths to think on how to spend the N10,000 they are earning to making something big out of it. In fact, some of them have been employed into the civil service, some have stood on their own and some have gotten offer somewhere else. Look at Agba Osun, some people are complaining that some elders are not getting, but they have forgotten that some elders don’t deserve it because they have children that are
taking care of them. For instance, my mother is 80 years and if you give her that money, it does not make any sense, because I even give her more than that in a month. There are some of them who don’t have anybody to take care of them. Though, the government cannot give to everybody, but the fact that some people are taking it is something and I am aware that others would also be considered in the second phase. Therefore, it is a fact that Aregbesola has laid a good foundation for development and development must be cumulative and sustainable in the sense that when you spend your term, another person would come to build on it. But in a situation whereby a good foundation is laid and someone now comes to take us backward by so many steps, development can never be cumulative as we want it to be. Like I said, development is not a day affair, it is cumulative and it is in that that we can begin to see the greatness of Osun. That is why the concept of “Osun Adara” is an elating one that is intended to make the people to be futuristic. That means you are continuously productive and prospective. It means that we have not reach where we are going no matter what this government has achieved and we must continue to improving and sustaining that legacy until Osun becomes what we want it to become. OSDF: What will you say have been the trickle-down effect of those programmes and policies on the economy of the state? ALABI: Of course, we have seen very fundamental change in the economy of the state. For example, through OYES, government is sinking N200 million into the economy of the state every month and the money is circulating within the state. Also, the concept of new uniform has attracted an investor into the state, through which many of our youths have also been employed. The fact that we have good roads, travellers are passing through the state and they buy things on the roadside and many others. Even for those who are involved in property, there have been increase in their business, because everyday, people are relocating to Osun due to the development that we now have. Apart from that, as the roads are being constructed, bricklayers, labourers, people who are selling sand and gravel among others are getting jobs to do. It is when they get money from there that they also think of paying taxes and doing things for themselves. The issue is that, each individual has seen improvement on his or her living. OSDF: There have been several rumours,
OSDF: Do you think what Aregbesola has done are enough to earn him a second term in office? ALABI: In a normal and civilised society, he needs not campaign at all. In a normal society, not even many candidates would ever want to contest against him, because the issue would be, let us see where this man will end his tenure having started on a good note. I must not be oblivious of the fact that there are other factors we use in this part of the world to chose who govern us, perhaps, because of the level of underdevelopment. As a government, you have a choice of using public money for the development of the people or you use it for the aggrandisement of the leadership. Aregbesola has not used the resources for the aggrandisement of the leaders and that was why you see leaders of our party complaining that they didn’t get anything. So, leaders of our party are the ones that suffered for what the government has been able to do today and as for me, I am proud to be part of that sacrifice, because what is important is not what is coming into my pocket, but rather, what I am able to see in terms of development. So, for me, I don’t see anything that will stop the man Aregbesola from winning the election. Of course, there are other things that people are insinuating like bringing soldiers, police, using photo-chromic voting equipments, rigging, violence and all that, but I think we have risen beyond that level. Our people in Osun are civilised and the kind of calamity that befell the people of Ekiti would not befall us in Osun by the grace of God. Come August 9, the people of Osun will be able to show to the world that we can be able to see the difference between a person who wants to make a positive impact on us and someone who wants to milk us. The issue in this election is development versus ‘chop-makeI-chop and I know that the people of Osun are much more sophisticated to be able to see and read between the lines and know where their interest lies. I also know that their interest lies in continuation of our development, because I don’t want to imagine Aregbesola losing that election. Does it mean all these roads will stop? Does it mean OYES will stop? Does it mean school feeding of children will stop? Does it mean the construction of new schools will stop? The implication of his loss will be too catastrophic for the entirety of Osun and we may not get back on line for many years to come. So, I don’t pray for it and I believe that the people of Osun are not praying for that too and we are working hard to make sure that this dividends of democracy which are pleasing to all of us will continue for quite some times.
OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, August 7, 2014
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2014 nly the uninitiated will O 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. 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 OMEAL 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
By TUNJI ADEGBOYEGA
Let Aregbe Do It Again
•AREGBESOLA
past West African Examinations Council (WAEC), National Examinations Council (NECO) and the Joint Admissions and 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 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 lawabiding 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 OYES 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 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. 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 near-bankruptcy 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. 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 south-west. That tells us something about the depth to which the country has sunk, especially under the PDP.
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 •Culled from THE to the Managing Editor, KOLA OLABISI, Telephone: 08033927286 (kolaolabisi@yahoo.com); Editor, KAYODE AGBAJE, Telephone: 0803-388-0205, E-mail: osundefender@yahoo.com, kayodeagbaje@yahoo.com. ISSN: 0794-8050.Website: www.osundefender.org.
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