Osun Defender - December 19th 203 edition by OsunDefender

THE 6TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA

www.osundefender.org THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2013

PEOPLE FIRST

Front Page Comment

Opon Imoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Global Acclaim Purposeful leadership triggers a creative tension that separates quality thinking from the humdrum and run-of-themill. Such quality thinking has accounted for the global acclaim of

Opo Imo, the computer tablet of learning that the Rauf Aregbesola government has designed for secondary schools in the State of Osun. Though the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

opposition in the state, clearly out of its depth at the sheer brilliance of the innovation had instinctively tried to pooh-pooh it as wasteful, the observing globe has wasted no time in lauding the innovation. That shows how antedilu

vian the opposition thinking is; and how far removed they are from pressing developmental matters for a state that has no choice but to race against time, if it is to roll back the setbacks of the past. Continued on pg - 5

VOL. 8. NO.0151

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

N 50

IGE

Osun APC Raises Alarm Over Threat To Peace - See Story On Page 2

â&#x20AC;˘The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (4th right) in the front); his deputy, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Laoye-Tomori (5th right); the Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Honourable Najeem Salaam (3rd right) in a group photograph with members of the State House of Assembly and some State Executive Council members, when the governor presented the executive bill on local government creation to the Assembly last Monday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

Aregbesola Presents Bill For Additional 27 LGs

- See Story On Page 3

News

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, December 19, 2013

Osun APC Raises Alarm Over Threat To Peace

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun has raised alarm over the alleged plan by some politicians and their agents to embark on serial destruction of bill boards belonging to politicians of the APC. The party, in a statement alerted citizens of the state issued by its Director of to be vigilant and report Publicity, Kunle Oyatomi quickly to the police,

whenever they observe that criminals are trying to pull down bill-boards of the APC. According to the statement, the alleged plan is aimed at provoking violence through the unlawful act of destroying

APC advertisement billboards across the state. The statement reads: “The armoured plan is aimed at provoking violence through the unlawful act of destroying APC advertisement

billboards across the state. “Osun is peaceful and all politicians within the state are better advised to be civilized in their approach to politics, and remember that, only cowards resort to

participating in the forthcoming local government council election in the state. He said being fair to all political parties and conducting a credible election was the only way to make the jobs of the security agents easier, and also please the electorate.

The party therefore called on the police in the state to keep a close watch on criminal activities of these violenceprone politicians, whose only language of persuasion is violence. It added: “All politicians and political parties in the state have a duty to conduct themselves responsibly, no matter the provocation, so that the good image, which this government has already established and is attracting investors from all over the world, will not be destroyed. “The easiest way to drive away investors from Osun is to destroy the peace through violence, but the government and the security forces will not allow this. Everybody must be on the alert,”the APC added.

private schools struck out the teaching of Yoruba Language and Literature, except in government-owned schools. “Even pacifying praise singing in Yoruba language has faded and in its place, parents and guardians now pacify their children with biscuits and sweets,” he added. P o p o o l a commended the author for a job well done in contributing her own quota, in making sure that Yoruba language does not go into extinction. In her keynote address, the author; Mrs. Sanya Olukemi Mary disclosed that her love for the language was her motivating factor and the whole idea was to

resuscitate the language, culture and traditions of the Yoruba people. She said: “We must endure to uplift the language and not allow the importation of other languages.” She encouraged all parents to allow their children to speak the language and that governments at all levels must support the teaching of Yoruba language in the primary and secondary schools. The guests at the programme, including the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) Chairman for Ifelodun Local Government Council Area called on the government to facilitate the endorsement of the book for consumption in public schools.

•Beautification of streets by the State Government of Osun in preparation for Christmas celebration at Oke-Fia, Osogbo, the state capital of Osun.

Police, SSS Warn OSSIEC Against Undermining Voters’ Willbe that will in the smooth discharge

By ISMAEEL UTHMAN HE Osun Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) has been warned against unholy and any act capable of undermining the will of the people of the State of Osun in the coming local government elections.

According to the Commissioner of Police, Osun Command, Mrs election. Dorothy Gimba, who The police gave the advice, such c o m m i s s i o n e r move might in the promised to support long run lead to crisis the commission fully that will permanently in its bid to be an soil the image of the unbiased umpire in electoral body before the forthcoming local the electorate. government council According to a polls in the state. press statement In his address, the signed by the Head, State Director of the Press and Publicity SSS, Mr Joshua Unit of the Yakubu urged the commission, Mr OSSIEC not to Babatunde Fanawopo, disregard any the advice was given information on its during a courtesy visit activities, saying that to the Commissioner being sensitive and of Police and the proactive on Director of State information could Security Service curtail the plan of (SSS) in the state by some disgruntled the OSIEC leadership politicians to create on Monday. electoral crisis in the Gimba, who state. underscored the Yakubu assured the importance of electoral body that security in the SSS would always e l e c t i o n e e r i n g provide information process, said the task that will assist the before OSSIEC was commission in the humongous, highly smooth running of its tasking and programmes, just as emotional, urging the he charged members commission to live up of the commission to to the expectations of feel free to share the people, who want information that can nothing, but a credible assist in forestalling

any act that may lead to the breakdown of law and order in the state in relation to OSSIEC activities. Responding, the OSSIEC chairman, Otunba Segun Oladitan, said the c o m m i s s i o n understands the importance of security

of its responsibilities, hence, the visits to the two security outfits in the state. Oladitan, who expressed how much the commission cherishes the involvement of the police, SSS and other security agencies in its activities, promised to be fair to all political parties

violence when they have lost the argument.” “Osun is a State of the Virtuous, where only virtuous sons and daughters of the state can be elected into office; not frustrated people, whose only understanding of political engagement is criminal acts of violence. “The State of Osun has moved forward as one of the most politically-civilised places in this country and it will not accommodate or tolerate uncivilised acts like the one being planned by the axis of evil.”

Encourage Yoruba Language In Schools - Writers By FRANCIS EZEDIUNO

N order to encourage the reading, speaking and teaching of Yoruba Language and Literature, it has been recommended that the use of Yoruba language must be encouraged in homes, primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions.

This was the view of all the invited speakers, who were present at the formal book launch and public presentation of the Yoruba prose titled; ‘Ko Sohun To Le’, written by Mrs. Sanya Mary Olukemi held at the Ikirun Town Hall, Ikirun on Saturday, December 14. In his welcome address on the occasion, the Director of Social Development, Ifelodun Local Government, Prince Adebisi Popoola noted that since the demise

of great Yoruba prose writers like D. O. Fagunwa, D. F. Odunjo and Professor Akinwumi Ishola, who wrote excellent books, the trail had gone cold. He lamented the situation where even schools do not teach Yoruba Language, parents do not speak it with their children at home and it has virtually disappeared from the lips of the educated class, unlike other Nigerian languages. He frowned at the situation where

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

News

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, December 19, 2013

Aregbesola Presents Bill For Additional 27 LGs By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

oriented and developmentbased. To this end, the Bill proposes to establish a parliamentary system of government at the local government level. “The implication of this is that the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Council would be an elected councillors from the party having majority seats in the council, with other relevant

qualifications. “It is our firm conviction that this will inevitably reduce cost of governance; enhance quality of representation at the grassroots level and ensure smooth running of the local government administration,” the governor stressed. Aregbesola explained that this was because, the amount spent on over-

head and personnel already gulps all the council allocations, despite the acute paucity of funds available to local governments. Section 17 of the Bill, he said, further creates the Office of the Council Managers, who shall be a civil servant and the administrative

heads of the local government councils. Noting that the state government has acted within the existing law for the creation of the new councils, Aregbesola noted that the councils would bring the desired development to the people at the grassroots.

of the State of Osun, Ogbeni G OVERNOR Rauf Aregbesola has presented a bill before the State House of Assembly for a law on the creation of additional 27 local government areas in the state. Federal Republic of Presenting the Local Nigeria. Government Creation and “One significant aspect Administration Bill, 2013 of this Bill is that the before the parliament on existing 30 local Monday, the governor governments co-exist with noted that the creation of the newly-created ones. more council areas in the As a matter of fact, state was aimed at bringing Section 3 of the Bill clearly governance closer to the provides that pending the people at the grassroots passage of an Act of the level. National Assembly to list According to him, them in the constitution as many of the existing local Local Government Council government council areas, Areas, the 27 new local as presently constituted, government council areas are too large in size, as shall be 27 Local Council regards the area they Development Areas cover, the size of their (LCDA), and be called workforce, as well as the ‘Local Counties’ in the quality of representation state with the names needed at the grassroots specified in schedule II of level. the Bill. The governor had earlier “This provision clearly set up a committee, headed takes care of confusion by the former Speaker of that might have arisen the state parliament, should there be a Professor Mojeed Alabi to controversy as to the design modalities for the status of the local creation of new council government, if the existing areas in the state, the report and the newly-created of which was being acted LCDAs are lumped upon. together as 57 Local To ensure cost- Government Council Areas effective, people-oriented in the state. and development-based “This Bill has some administration at the local unique features that are •State of Osun Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives and Empowerment, Mr Ismaila Alagbada; Commissioner level, the bill, the governor meant to make local for Women and Children Affairs, Mrs Adetoun Adegboyega and Special Adviser to the Governor on Commerce, and Empowerment, Dr Olalekan Yinusa, during a courtesy visit by the Bristish Deputy High said, also proposes to government administration Cooperatives Commissioner, Peter Carter to the governor,Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola at the Government House, Osogbo recently. establish a parliamentary cost-effective, peoplePhoto: GBENGA ADENIYI. system of government at the local government level. He said: “It is beyond contention that the closest the state, the Speaker the government on any rulers, community By KAZEEM MOHAMMED government to the people area of declaration promised that the bill leaders, political and should be the local would be given HE Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, religious leaders and considered grey. government. Can we truly Expressing satisfaction accelerated consideration, Honourable Najeem Salaam has expressed leaders of thoughts to say that the existing local optimism that the proposed local government areas, interface between their with the way the wheel with a view to meeting the government system we when eventually created would reduce the cost of respective subjects and of progress is grinding in yearnings of the people. have in the State of Osun governance, increase the revenue profile and ensure the is a true reflection of the desired development at the grassroots. desire of the citizens of the Receiving the bill from with the governor as a state? state governor, Ogbeni parliament, we learnt that “The reality, as we have the Rauf Aregbesola for the with the creation of new found out, is that many creation of additional 27 councils, the cost of in bringing Africa and the local governments, as local government council governance would be By SHINAABUBAKAR Caribbean business presently constituted, are areas in the state on reduced, the business as OVERNOR of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf community on the world too large in size, as regards Monday, Salaam usual would be barred Aregbesola has again bagged the African and stage, as equal and valuable the area they cover; the size regretted that the positive and our revenue profile Caribbean Business Council (ACBC) Award for partners. of workforce, as well as history that was once would be upped. Also speaking at the Leadership. the quality of made by a former “Let one fact be Receiving the award at to the organisers of the event, the Ambassador of representation needed at governor, Chief Bisi established, all towns and the 4th Annual Conference award, commending its Guyana to the United States, the grassroots level. Akande, but was cornubations in this state and Winter Award Dinner, commitment to promoting H.E. Bayney Ram Karran, by the cannot “These have hindered “bungled be made organised by African and trade and investment said: “Many of the the smooth running of our reactionary forces, is headquarters of local Caribbean Business between Africa, the harnessed opportunities for government council areas Council, in Philadelphia, Caribbeans and the United investments and business local governments to the being repeated”. According to him, by at the same time, but it is United States, the governor States and bridging the developments are only now extent that they merely realised with ongoing survive to pay salaries and now, the state ought to be possible to have all cities, stated that the black nation cultural divide among the being efforts to address consolidating on the gains towns, villages witness must promote right member countries. nothing more. The issues. and “This is a most inspiring competitiveness statutory duties of the local of the aborted councils u n p r e c e d e n t e d consciousness “The conditions for governments have been created by Akande’s development at equal leadership, driven by vision gesture that is certain to investment are constantly pace, provided we to take their rightful position spur me to greater improving and as a result, neglected so much that government. “Our governor is here collectively see the in the world. achievements in my new investors can benefit people have actually today According to him:”My capacity as the governor of from first mover status and to repeat positive government as our own forgotten their existence history that was once and refused to be led by modest achievements as the State of Osun, and in choose the most promising within their locality. made by Chief Bisi the nose,” Salaam governor in Osun are my drive to better the lots prospects, while at the same “This historic Bill, when Akande, but was bungled stressed. anchored squarely upon the of my people,” he said. time, establishing long-term passed into law, will by the reactionary forces. The event, which was growth and profitability.” Adding that the vision I have for the provide for the “By now, we ought to governor has assured that transformation of my state. attended by business The State of Osun has in establishment of additional be consolidating on the the new councils would This is facilitated by the fact leaders, members of the recent time been generating 27 local government gains of the aborted not constitute burden on that I passionately believe diplomatic community and applause internationally and council areas in the state. councils created by the existing ones, he said, that it is possible to realise other dignitaries from locally, for its Africa, the United States t r a n s f o r m a t i o n a l The Bill expressly states Akande’s government, it would rather serve as my development vision.” Aregbesola, who was and other parts of the development initiatives, and that the 27 local but we were forced to platform for effective, government areas are open a new page for the efficient and all-inclusive represented at the dinner by world, was to celebrate and creation of an environment of new governance at the the Director General, Office reward local and regional that is conducive to created in addition to the creation of Economic Development leaders for their investments through trade 30 local government development outposts at grassroots. and Partnerships (OEDP), outstanding achievements The Speaker then Dr. Charles Akinola, and contributions to the and partnerships. council areas specified in the grassroots in our state. “In our conversation implored the traditional expressed his appreciation the Constitution of the ACBC mandate, especially,

...New Councils ‘ll Bring Rapid Development - Speaker

Aregbesola Receives ACBC Award, Calls For Visionary Leadership

News

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, December 19, 2013

Aregbesola Represents Development And Integrity - Ex Speaker By KEHINDEAYANTUNJI

ORMER Speaker of the State of Osun House of Assembly, Professor Mojeed Alabi on Monday described the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as the symbol of development, integrity and honesty, who deserve the massive support of the people in the state.

Professor Alabi stated this as a Guest Lecturer during the public presentation of Oriade Local Government Council Area Chapter of De Raufs, a volunteer group promoting Governor Aregbesola’s ideology, held at the Palace Square, Ipetu Ijesa. The former Speaker said Aregbesola has redefined governance from insolence to deliverance and competition of ideas that could develop the state. He noted that “those who are yet to see what the governor is doing may be suffering from Jaundice,” adding that the development in education, infrastructure, security and youth

employment is unprecedented. Chairman of the occasion and the first Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr Oluwole Onawumi described the governor as a genius in practical economy who, according to him, is openly committed to the principles of transparency and honesty. He urged De Raufs to emulate Aregbesola, by directing the tools of their intelligence, probity, diligence and every financial resource to support the governor in his drive to banish hunger and poverty in the state. Onawumi urged the governor to improve on the government monitoring machinery to

complete all road projects in the local government council area and hasten the creation of the proposed local government in the council area. Also speaking at the event, the Director General, De Raufs, Comrade Amitolu Shitu stated that Governor Aregbesola is exceptional in character and has passion for the development of the state. He said that all what Aregbesola is doing was seen last in the era of

Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Bola Ige, stressing that the zeal of the governor is motivating the group to double their support for him. Executive Secretary of Oriade Local Government Council Area, in his remarks urged the people of the area to unite and support the second term ambition of the governor, while declaring total support for De Raufs. In his address, the lawmaker representing Oriade State Constituency,

Honourable Mohammed Ibrahim described the public presentation as historic; as it coincided with the same day the governor presented the local government creation bill to the state legislature. He described Aregbesola as a visionary, bold and disciplined leader, just as he urged people to update their voters’ registration to be able to vote massively for the governor in the 2014 governorship election. Highlights of the

occasion included the presentation of a bus donated by the lawmaker and presentation of certificate to De Raufs in the council area. Dignitaries at the event included traditional rulers in the council area; state Chairman, De Raufs Comrade Musiliu Oladimeji; Coordinator, De Raufs in the council area, Alhaja Alirat Omobolanle; Abdulkabir Adebayo, and the APC Women Leader in the council area, Mrs Juliana Ajewole, among others.

Osun Govt Policy ‘ll Transform Civil Service - HOS By SHINA ABUBAKAR

HE recent recruitment of 337 fresh university graduates into the Civil Service of the State of Osun has been described as a way of transforming the Civil Service by Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration.

This was disclosed by the State Head of Service, Mr. Olayinka Owoeye in his keynote address at the opening ceremony of a three-day induction workshop for the new officers, held at the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding, Osogbo, the state capital. The Head of Service observed that the massive recruitment that the governor embarked upon has not only injected fresh blood into the system, but has also helped at tackling the general menace of youth unemployment. Owoeye appreciated the governor for his benevolence to the civil service in the last three years in terms of bankrolling direct training programmes, as well as sponsoring various developmental professional trainings for the civil servants in the state. While reiterating the current administration’s commitment to expanding the frontiers of knowledge through constant trainings, the Head of Service asserted that there cannot be an effective civil service when training is relegated to the background. He then charged the new officers to take maximum advantage of the workshop in order to be adequately equipped for the challenges ahead.

In his welcome address, the leader of the •(L-R) Deputy British High Commissioner, Peter Carter in a handshake with Professor Wole Soyinka during a training team, Elder courtesy visit by Carter to the governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola at the Government House, Osogbo Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI. Olufemi Adelowokan recently. appreciated the governor for solving the age-long problem of succession By ISMAEEL UTHMAN plan, which, according to him, had always been a The accused be struck out on the were ground that the source of concern to State of Osun Magistrate Court, sitting persons plaintiff, Ede North arrested on February successive Heads of in Ede has freed four bricklayers arrested 2013, while Local Government Service in the state. and arraigned at the court by the police over 6, Elder Adelowokan a land dispute between Ede North Local Government erecting a structure Council Authority, on a part of the had no fact to counselled the new Council and Areja and Ayope families in Ede. land located substantiate the officers to learn the The bricklayers were: Wasiu Gbadebo (35), Mutiu disputed at Owode-Ede in Ede allegations. culture of hard work, A g b o o l a Local dedication to duty, loyalty Oladapo (35) Hammed evidence from the North to Government Council maintained that the to government and Ojetade (27), and complainants prosecute the allegations Area of the state and Ayope and Areja rendition of effective Omoniyi Adade (40). Dismissing the three leveled against the were arraigned at the families were the support to their court on the rightful owners of supervisors, so that they count charges of accused persons. the disputed land on The magistrate stated conspiracy, trespass and following day. can get to the top of their conduct likely to breach that there was need for the They were ordered which chosen careers. bricklayers were justice to prevail on the the public peace on to be remanded in He further charged Magistrate F.I matter and that the truth prison custody by the arrested. them to see self- Monday, Upholding the Olusade of the court, needed to be positioned magistrate, even as development as an said the bricklayers submission of the accordingly. were they pleaded not integral part of their found not guilty of the Olusade therefore guilty to the charges, defence counsel, duties, so that they do not charges. struck out the case, but they were the magistrate then lose trend with major Olusade dismissed the discharged and acquitted released on bail few discharged and developments in their case on the ground that the acquitted the bricklayers weeks later. chosen careers. there was no detailed accordingly. Counsel to the accused persons, The workshop accused persons, Mr following the failure participants were made Mathias Agboola had of the plaintiff to up of 20 cadres of during the cross provide gazettes to officers serving in 12 e x a m i n a t i o n , prove to the court right on agencies of government The government of the State of Osun has prayed the court that its of the to which they had been the matter should ownership procured special security numbers for use by land. posted. people in distress. One of the The numbers are: beneficiaries, Mr 08100000481, 08100000482, 08100000483, Adeleke Kazeem We, Moremi Therefore, we implore you 08100000484, 08100000485, 08100000486. described the workshop Publishing House not to offer any to our as a positive gesture of All the numbers became operational since Limited, Publishers of reporters. In the event that the governor, aimed at August 17, 2012. any journalist from our Osun Defender ensuring an effective civil establishment demands Please, note and call to assist Ogbeni Rauf Newspaper, do not demand service, saying, they such, kindly incident the or accept gifts or Aregbesola, the elected governor of the State would reciprocate the at gratification to publish report Of Osun, in sustaining a peaceful and crime-free state government gesture osundefender@yahoo.com articles or photographs, environment. by applying all they have or 08033927286 and neither do our journalists. 08033880205. learnt in their respective - Management fields.

Land Dispute: Court Frees Bricklayers Accused Of Trespass, Conspiracy

Security Tip In Osun

ETHICAL ISSUES?

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, December 19, 2013

Opon Imo’s Global Acclaim Continued from Pg -1.

The World Summit Awards, a project of the UN-backed International Centre for New Media, Salzburg, Austria, which runs within the UN framework of the World Summit on the Information Society, picked Opon Imo as among the top four, from 461 entries all over the world. Opon Imo also came out as No. 1 in its immediate category of “Innovation in e-learning and science.” United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), another UN body, has spoken of the device in glowing terms, adding that such innovations had opened an exciting vista for developing countries of Africa and Asia to leverage on technology to close the educational gap between them and the developed world; and also empower their future citizens to better compete in an increasingly globalised world , now skewed against them. In an interesting parallel, which shows the Osun innovation is

the future of mass and quality education, Thailand too, a country in Asia famous for its rice paddies, has launched its own US $100, iPadpowered “One Tablet Per Child” programme, each tablet like Opon Imo containing e-books and allied educational materials, to be distributed to every primary school in the country of 70 million people. Unlike in Osun where the tablets are for senior high schools, Thailand’s tablets are for primary schools, the biggest of such an experiment in the world. Also, unlike Osun where beneficiary pupils have the privilege to take their Opon Imo home, the Thai kids can only make use of the tablets in school. That difference alone underscores the commitment of the Aregbesola administration to the education of its youths, despite being far poorer than the Thai government. It is a thing of joy that the Osun government, as financially challenged as it is, has seen the value

of strategic investment in education. It is even more heart-warming that in Opon Imo, it has hit on a technique of ultra-quality education, without ripping apart, thanks to technology, its rather lean pocket. That is therefore the Opon Imo spirit. The gadget might be a wonder in itself because of its sheer novelty on these shores. But the plaudits will not endure until the beneficiary pupils, from very early in the day, hit on the restless but healthy intellectual curiosity that annexes science and technological innovations for development. Achieving success at that level will the ultimate applause: for Osun, from its very own public schools, would start producing future scholars that can adapt science and technology to promote the local economy: in electric power, commerce, medicine, agriculture, engineering and other sectors.

Osun, can beat our chests and feel confident that we have safe, beautiful and befitting abode. We owe our sincere appreciation to Aregbesola for taking this bold step. The State of Osun Urban Renewal

Project, known for short as O’RENEWAL is a project aimed at giving facelift to our towns and cities and bringing them up to the standards of today’s urban centres. In this regard, nine selected major towns in the state chosen on the basis of their centrality in their

respective federal constituencies are mapped out for rebuilding and upgrade in features and amenities. These cities include Osogbo, the state capital, Ikirun, IlaOrangun, Ejigbo, Iwo, Ede, Ilesa, Ile-

Ife and Ikire. More towns shall be covered by the effort in further phases of the project in future. With this step, development is decentralized; as it is spread large and wide across the state. The step taken by the government of

The pupils too must challenge themselves to justify the government’s investment in the Opon Imo project, despite fierce and competing demands by other pressing programmes and projects. But the pupils will not be challenged if the parents do not play their own parts. By investing in Opon Imo, the Aregbesola government has relieved parents of money they would otherwise have spent, buying recommended texts for the children. It is therefore time to pay back, and give their children the supervision, support and encouragement. That way, the Osun community will reap maximum benefits from what many have called the Opon Imo educational revolution.

On the government’s part, it

O’RENEWAL Project: Long Overdue, Yet Deserving INDLY permit me a space in your popular, widely-read and highlyreputable newspaper – OSUN DEFENDER, to air my opinion on the running and operations of the Rauf Aregbesola administration in the State of Osun. I am sure that through your medium, the parties concerned would be reached with my admonitions, pleas and commendation. Firstly, I intend to laud the efforts of our governor, Ogbeni Aregbesola, in the various ongoing projects in the state; most especially, the massive road projects, the schools infrastructural projects, the agricultural revolution, and particularly, the Urban Renewal projects. At last, we in the State of

must ensure that the teachers undergo training and retraining to master this paradigm shift in pedagogy, and make the most effective use of the new tool at their disposal.

the state in holding wide consultations with community members and stakeholders is wellconceived and h i g h l y commendable. While I cannot but tongue-lash the critics of this administration; I enjoin all and sundry to give their rallying support to the administration in order to ensure that success is attained in all its programmes and projects. I bet that we shall all be better for it in a non-distant future time. • W O L E ODETUNDE, Isedo Area, Ila-Orangun, Ila LGA, State of Osun.

OSUN DEFENDER Publisher

–

Moremi Publishing House Ltd.

Managing Editor

–

Kola Olabisi (0803-392-7286)

Editor

–

Kayode Agbaje (0803-388-0205)

Lagos Editor

–

Kola Odepeju (08023191891)

Production Editor

–

Pet-Kola Taiwo Ibitowa

Senior Reporter Senior Reporter

– –

Sola Jacobs Kazeem Mohammed

Reporter Reporter Reporter Reporter Reporter

– – – – –

Shina Abubakar Ismaeel Uthman Niyi Olasinde Kehinde Ayantunji Francis Chukwuma

Photographer Photographer

– –

Oluwagbemiga Adeniyi Olushola Aderinto

Admin. Manager

–

Murtala Agboola

Computer Operator – Computer Operator – Assistant Computer Operator

Saheed Afolabi Mary Akintola – Lukman Oseni

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

INTERVIEW

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, December 19, 2013

Osun Assembly Is Efficient Than Ever - Binuyo The lawmaker, representing Ife North Constituency in the State of Osun House of Assembly, Honourable Ipoola Binuyo, who is the Chief Whip of the House said that the decorum in the present Assembly is borne-out of the maturity of the current lawmakers. When our reporter, KAZEEM MOHAMMED met him, he also spoke on the impact of some of the policies of the state government. Excerpts:SDF: You had contested for councillorship and now House of Assembly of which capacity you are now serving, why are you interested in legislative areas? BINUYO: My interest in legislation is prompted by the fact that representation has to do with your capability and I believe as a lawyer and chartered arbitrator; that is the area I can serve people without my name being embellished. I am a principled person, I don’t lie and being a legislator, I will be able to express my mind and tell people where I stand. As a legislator, I don’t control allocation and I collect my salary the way the salaries of civil servants are being paid. When you are the chairman of a local government council, I doubt if any council chairman would disclose the allocation he collects per month, meaning that, when you are in that position, you must be ready to lie and there is no way you will lie and your name will not be dented. I am not saying executive is not good, but being the kind of person that I am, I prefer to be a legislator. Apart from that, when I was in Obafemi Awolowo University as an undergraduate, I was the class governor from 200 level to final year. At the Nigeria Law School, I was the OAU student coordinator for my set in 1999/2000. So, the interest has been there for long.

OSDF: What is the secret behind the decorum being enjoyed in the present Assembly, unlike in the past? BINUYO: The secret is that we are all matured people. In the last Assembly, of which I was a member, we were 11 lawmakers from the opposition, while the PDP members were 15. Those of us in the opposition were more vocal, but the majority then would not want us to have our way. In the present Assembly, however, if there is any issue, we would have resolved it at the parliamentary before we go to the floor, unlike in the last Assembly whereby, we, from the opposition would have our meeting and those from the PDP would have their separate meeting before going to the floor. They would have agreed on what they wanted to impose on us and when they would raise it on the floor, we would reject such thing and that was why there was no decorum. However, the fact that there is

decorum does not mean that we are rubber-stamps. If the truth need to be told, we would tell whoever that is concerned. We don’t care whose ox is gored, whoever wants to bring back the pace at which development is going in Osun today would see the other side of the House, as we would take all necessary action against such person. There must be justification for whatever money that the government is spending and that is why we are monitoring the activities of the government closely. OSDF: How will you consider the efficiency of the last Assembly with the one we have now, especially in the area of legislation? BINUYO: This Assembly is more efficient. It is the bills that come to the House that will determine its efficiency. The present government under Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is more reasonable and determined to work and he has good programmes. It is those programmes that have been tailored towards the lawmaking process. For instance, there is no way you can see the kind of development we are seeing in the state today, if there is no law that backs it. Because of the quality of service Ogbeni has come to render, we have a lot of issues to deal with in the House. We have a lot of bills to consider and that has made this Assembly to be busier. OSDF: As a lawyer and lawmaker, how will you rate the present administration interms of compliance with the laws of the state, especially, the Appropriation Law? BINUYO: Ogbeni Aregbesola is somebody that respects the law so much, maybe because he is a product of the law, who got to power through court judgment. When you want to talk about budget compliance, this administration is far above the last administration. In the last administration, the budget performance was not up to 40 per cent, but since inception, this administration performs above 100 per cent. The present government performs better that what is being appropriated for, which is excellent, because all the programmes appropriated for are being executed to the letter. For instance, the last administration releases money for agriculture during raining season, when it would not be useful for the purpose and they will end up using that money for their personal enrichment. The situation is totally different in the present administration, because the right things are being done at the right time. So, interms of compliance with the law of the land, this government is excellent, unlike the last administration. OSDF: Which programme of this government will you say

•BINUYO

interests you most? BINUYO: There is no programme of this government that does not interest one. It only depends on how it touches one. Will you say that employment of 40,000 youths under OYES is not good, apart from the massive employment into the civil service? I know how many people that have been employed in my constituency through me. Through me alone, not less than 40 people have been employed under this administration in my constituency, not to talk of those that didn’t go through me. Do you also want to say that the massive road construction going on is not important? They are not just constructing roads; they are constructing quality roads that can stand the test of time, unlike the

situation during the last administration, when they constructed sub-standard roads. See road networking going on in Osogbo, Ilesa, Iwo, Ejigbo, IleIfe and all the other towns in the state. Will you say that the Opon Imo, Agba-Osun, O’Meal, and so many other developmental programmes of this government do not interest one? If I have my way, I would say that nobody should contest with Ogbeni Aregbesola for second term. He has done well and he should be supported. OSDF: What about the claims by the opposition party that nothing reasonable has been achieved by this government? BINUYO: It is madness. The deaf can feel the impact of the government by their sight. Do you want to talk of the type of the schools he is building or the massive construction of roads going on? There are many developmental programmes going on everywhere. Infact, from Ipetumodu to Ode-Omu in my constituency, work is going on there. I believe that whoever is in his or her senses would know that Ogbeni is working. If anybody now says that Aregbesola is just grandstanding, that person should be taken out for psychiatric treatment. In the health sector, agriculture, security, education, water provision, if we must be fair, Aregbesola has done well. Also

look at the massive work going on at Ido-Osun Airport. There is no aspect of his sixpoint integral action plan that has not been touched and if that is the case, tell me what the opposition, be it PDP or whoever wants to use to campaign against Ogbeni. He does not waste money. I give kudos to Ogbeni and I doff my hat for him. OSDF: Which area of development do you think this government should focus more attention on? BINUYO: I believe that the governor has not really exhausted all his programmes in his Sixpoint Integral Action Plan. We still need to do more on road construction, health system, agriculture, railway, and education and even on employment, because there is no area that is not important. OSDF: With the development, you have mentioned, what do you see in the 2014 governorship election in Osun? BINUYO: If the INEC under the leadership of Professor Attahiru Jega does not compromise as they did in Anambra State and they allow the people of Osun to judge by their votes, Ogbeni will be surprised that the people love him and they will show that by their votes. Even when Aregbesola was still struggling to become the governor, people loved him and now that he has shown the stuff he is made of through his developmental programmes, people now love him the more. Any day, anytime, Aregbesola is in the minds of the people and for us to continue to enjoy him, we must stand firmly and we must not allow anything to stop his good work. OSDF: What is your message for the people of your constituency? BINUYO: I want to thank the people of my constituency for their support so far, starting from politicians, voters and traditional rulers and I promise that I will never disappoint them in the assignment that they have given to me. I am here to represent them and I will continue to represent them well.

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, December 19, 2013

PHOTOTALK

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, December 19, 2013

State Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Presenting The Executive Bill On Local Governments Creation To The Speaker, State Of Osun House Of Assembly, Honourable Najeem Salaam, At The Chamber Of The House Last Monday. Photo: GBENGAADENIYI.

•Governor Aregbesola (right) presenting the bill to Honourable Salaam (left).

•(L-R) Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti and the deputy governor, State of Osun, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori at the programme.

•(L-R) State of Osun Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Wale Afolabi and former Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Professor Mojeed Alabi.

•(L-R) Special Adviser to State of Osun Governor on Youths, Sports and Special Needs, Comrade Biyi Odunlade; Special Adviser to the Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Honourable Bisi Odewumi and Special Adviser to the Governor on Home Affairs, Culture and Tourism, Mr Oladipo Soyode.

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, December 19, 2013

PHOTOTALK

•(L-R) Honourables Kamil Oyedele; Sijuade Adetilewa and Rasak Adeyemi during the presentation of the bill.

•A cross section of members of the State House of Assembly Service Commission on the occasion.

•(L-R) Special Adviser to State of Osun Governor on Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Festus Agunbiade; Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Prince Wale Adedoyin and Special Adviser to the governor on Security, Barrister Adekunle Amos at the event.

PHOTOTALK

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, December 19, 2013

Faces At The Maiden Edition Of Aregbesola Strategic Human Development Public Lecture, Held At Leisure Spring Hotel, Osogbo, State Of Osun, Recently.

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd left); Guest Lecturer and Interim National Publicity Secretary, All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Lai Mohammed (2nd right); Chairman of the occasion, Professor Wale Omole (left) and the Director-General, Awolowo Centre for Philosophy, Ideology and Good Governance, Professor Moses Makinde (right), during the public lecture organised by Awolowo Centre for Philosophy, Ideology and Good Governance to round-off activities marking Governor Aregbesola’s third year in office.

Presentation Of An 18-Seater Bus To The All Progressives Congress (APC) In IfeSouth Local Government Council Area, State Of Osun, Donated By Mr. AbdulPhoto: Lateef Adeosun, Recently in Ifetedo. JESUDOYINABRAHAM

• •(L-R) The donor, Mr. Abdul-Lateef Adeosun; APC Women Leader, Ife-South Local Government Council Area, Alhaja Fausat Aderinlewo and an APC Leader in the council area, Elder Jonathan Ologbenla at the presentation of the bus.

FEATURE

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, December 19, 2013 A lawyer Mr. Murtala Abdul-Rasheed writes on State of Osun Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s achievements in the judicial section....

Aregbesola’s Giant Stride In Judicial Sector assured them he would very few people, except of BY now, course malicious political opponents, would refuse to acknowledge that the incumbent governor of the State of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is a man imbued with a class when it comes to the issue of leadership. However, I will leave his accomplishments for the state in general terms for the chroniclers of history, having decided to limit myself for what he has impacted on the administration of justice since he ascended to office three years ago. To impugn the insinuation that this is just a routine hagiography of a popular public office holder, I would also refrain from making direct, positive evaluative remarks but would leave it to the readers to draw their own conclusions from the factual and welldocumented performances of the Oranmiyan. My real intention for writing this piece is to show how a ruler, convinced on his ideology and principled enough to make sacrifices for their actualisation, can bring about far-reaching changes. I am a lawyer and being wellschooled in the philosophy that law is an instrument for positive social changes, I am always delighted whenever I perceive that any person, body or institution is making •AREGBESOLA worthwhile contribution to help the cause of justice administration. 9, last year, he appointed competent, Accordingly, I want to place it on fit and proper persons into Osun record that I have been so excited State Judicial Service Commission. about the remarkable landmark After the efforts to appoint a very achievements that Ogbeni Aregbesola brilliant and erudite judge of Osun has made to overhaul justice State extraction, Justice Joseph administration in the state. The Olubunmi Oyewole, proved abortive, governor had earlier promised that the Aregbesola adhered strictly to the revival of the justice sector would be a recommendations of the National subset of his administration’s larger Judicial Council (NJC), which Osun Rebirth Project. He made this culminated in the appointment of the vow in his campaign brochure unassuming and generally acceptable published as the Green Book- My first female Chief Judge for the state. pact with the people of Osun State, To consolidate on all these stating solemnly as follows: “My appointments, the governor also made government will ensure speedy access a lot of investment on human capacity to justice by all individuals in Osun building of judicial officers. For State, by reforming the courts system example, all legal practitioners in the and procedural rules, introducing government of the state and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) magistrates (which have become mechanisms and free legal services.” enlarged in size as noted above) were That vow now seems to have turned sponsored to this year’s Annual prophetic! While space may not General Conference of the Nigerian permit wholesome recitation of the Bar Association in Calabar. They governor’s endeavours in this context, were also sponsored to this year’s I would briefly mention those that I International Bar Association regard most remarkable. Conference, which held in Boston, Now, let us move down to the facts United States. All magistrates in the and figures. Prior to his ascension to state were also sponsored to office, there were only 18 magistrates Magistrates’Association of Nigeria holding sway throughout the expansive Annual Conference, which held in Osun state. Since the majority of the Lagos earlier this year, with the state cases are invariably handled by recording the largest number of magistrates, Aregbesola felt the contingent at the conference among inadequacy this limited number of the 36 states. judicial officers foisted on the Judiciary Besides, judges of superior court and its concomitant negative impact on are sponsored to overseas training efficient administration of justice, he periodically to sharpen their skills and therefore, appointed additional 19 equip them with modern ideas on magistrates to bring to 37 the number justice delivery. of this cadre of judicial officers. The Aregbesola’s relationship with the governor also appointed 18 more state bar has been excellent. All the five counsel to boost the efficiency of branches of the NBA in the state, service delivery at the state’s Ministry namely Osogbo, Ikirun, Iwo, Ilesa of Justice. He established the state’s and Ife, have, at one time or the other, Citizen’s Mediation Centre to settle become beneficiaries of the state disputes between citizens without the governor’s largesse. For example, At need to resort to litigation and thereby the annual Sapara Williams Law week decongest the courts. He did not stop of the NBA Ilesa which held on there; he appointed 309 presidents November 26. Ogbeni announced the and members of the customary courts donation of three buses to the Ilesa, in the state to revive the court, which Ife and Iwo branches of NBA, which had become remarkably in-operational did not have buses of their own, because of lack of quorum and failing unlike the remaining two other to meet the objectives for which it was branches of Osogbo and Ikirin that established. have. Furthermore, to ensure that only Under the vibrant leadership of quality persons are appointed into the Ogbeni, the state’s legislature has judicial service, the governor tinkered been proactive by passing many laws. with the body charged with the issue of These include Osun State Agency appointment of judicial officers, the For the Control of HIV/AIDS (OJudicial Service Commission. On June

follow the unpredictable and expensive procedure of litigation. What a torturous path that proved to be!

For whopping three years, he fought a relentless legal battle, which would have exhausted the patience of men of lesser steely constitution. To claim back his stolen mandate, he called more than 100 witnesses and tendered 168 exhibits in his petition before the Election Petitions Tribunal, to prove the allegation of mass rigging of the election. Eventually, the judgment came on November 26, 2011, when the Court of Appeal declared Aregbesola the winner of the election and ordered he should be sworn-in the following day. Furthermore, it is remarkable that all the above quoted achievements of Ogbeni were done for the Judiciary alone despite the fact that Osun State is the smallest economy in Nigeria. To make this objective and the larger dream realisable of Osun Rebirth Project, the governor embarked on major drive to increase phenomenally the internally generated revenues of the state. It is noteworthy that SACA) Law, 2011; State of Osun as at 2009, Osun had a meagre Security Trust Fund Law, 2012; StateGross Domestic Product (GDP) of Osun Centre for Black Culture andof N110 billion ($963 million) International Understanding and internally generated revenue (Amendment) Law, 2012; State of (IGR) of N320million monthly, Osun Legitimacy (Repeal) Law, but as of today, the state has an 2012; State of Osun Anthem, Crest IGR of about N1.4 billion per and Flag Law, 2012; State Of Osun month, also, the state’s GDP is Debt Management Office Law, 2012about N738 billion. and The Osun Protection Against Commenting on the performance of Aregbesola after Domestic Violence Law, 2012. In addition to these laws, there are three years in office at the Ilesa also many bills at different stages of Bar- organised Law week in passage at the state’s legislature; thesehonour of Christopher include justice-sector bills, such as theAlexander Sapara-Williams show State of Osun Special Offences Courtcase session, the guest speaker and Commissioner for Regional Bill, 2013. In short, the legal/policy reform Integration and Special Duties, Mr. Ajibola Bashiru, gave an initiatives of Aregbesola’s administration cut across nine major overview of the governor’s justice sector initiatives as sectoral areas. These include (a) follows: “Aregbesola has led an Public Finance Management; (b)Revenue Generation; (c)Educationadministration to modernise and Human Capacity Development; governance; institutionalise good (d) Urban Renewal and Environment;governance practices; facilitate and support investment; improve (e)Governance and Security; (f) Judicial Sector Reform; (g) Health security and social welfare; and Safety; (h) Agriculture and Food promote public good and realise Security and (i) Institutionalisation of the Six-point Integral Action Plan of the Administration. Social Welfare Schemes. “Governmental institutions and An objective reader may ponder onpolicies become more why a governor who is not himself a meaningful, achievable and lawyer may embark on revolutionisingsustainable when they are the justice sector on such an in the legal expansive and ambitious scale. But, I entrenched of society. The am not surprised; having known that framework immense development being the governor is a beneficiary of a witnessed in various facets of courageous and uncompromising in the State of Osun is judiciary, he will strive to fulfill on his life functions not only purposeful promise to make the society better leadership,ofbut clear rethat he met it. engineering of different aspects Though he is an engineer, of the society including financial, Aregbesola somehow understands thelegal, judicial and social great importance a good sectors.” administration of justice system In conclusion, I would like to implies for harmonious co-existence, state that the governor has progress and sustainable erected a great foundation for development. This is easily shown in dynamic and efficient justice the way he handled the matter of his administration which is solid governorship election debacle in his enough to carry the weight of state. superstructure of Having been cheated subsequent legal reforms. This exemplary of his mandate through legacy would surely give him a massive election riggingplace in history. in the last governorship election in the state, the •Abdul-Rasheed is a former governor urged all his National Publicity Secretary, followers and Nigerian Bar Association. supporters not to take Culled from THE NATION

law into their hands through violence. He

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, December 19, 2013

Job Vacancies In Nigeria Hot Job Vacancies at Chemtech Group, December 17th 2013 Chemtech Group - A holding name for an indigenous conglomerate which comprises of 5 vibrant member companies. Chemtech Chemicals Limited is dedicated to providing the highest quality products, services, and technical information to her customers. Exceptional quality starts with people wanting to be the best. Exceptional quality comes from teamwork. We are a reputable conglomerate with a niche, at both national and global levels in the downstream sector in the downstream sector of the Oil and Gas, Automobile, Property, Agriculture and Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Industries. We represent one of the most vibrant Additive companies in the world, with strong market presence, increasing growth and performance and strong competitive edge amongst the top market players of Additives and Blending Businesses in Nigeria. Due to continuous growth in our businesses, we are looking for qualified, highly skilled, result-oriented, dynamic, energetic, self-motivated and dedicated professionals ready to work under their own initiative, putting in enormous effort and long hours, with tenacity to achieve results to fill the position listed below: Job Title: Quality Control Manager Location: Ogun - Mowe Description To manage Quality Control Processes/System. Ascertain and standardize product quality, product formulation, Institute standard and ethical test procedure and processes. Qualifications and Skills Bachelor’s Degree (Minimum of 2.2)/ HND (Minimum of lower Credit) in any field of Science, especially in chemical, Biochemistry, Industrial Chemistry or related field. A minimum of 5 years Laboratory experience especially in Lubricant blending laboratory. Relevant training/certificate will be added advantage. Job Title: Business Development Manager Location: Ogun - Mowe Description To deepen the existing customer’s relationship, aggressively develop new business by enlisting new national and multinational companies. Coordinate and supervise sales & distribution of products. Qualifications and Skills Bachelor’s Degree (minimum of lower Credit) in any field of science Business Administrative/Marketing. A minimum of 10 years direct sales or other business management experience in specialty chemicals. A minimum of 5 years progressive managerial experience in related field in-depth technical knowledge of the lubricate industry will be added advantage Job Title: Chief Accountant Location: Ogun - Mowe Description Handle full spectrum of financial and accounting role e.g. AR, AP, GL, Forecasting and budgeting etc. Compute taxes and prepare tax returns ensuring compliance with payment. Reporting other tax requirement Qualifications and Skills Bachelor’s Degree (minimum of 2.2)/ HND (minimum of lower credit) in Accounting/ Finance or Numerate Discipline. Must have ACA/ACCA/CPA or equivalent. Must be proficient in use of accounting packages and MS Excel. Minimum of 5 years relevant experience in a well structured environment. Relevant experience in Oil & Gas Industry, Audit and Costing would be an added advantage. Job Title: Sales & Distribution Officer Location: Ogun - Mowe Description Drive and facilities the process of sales of process of sales of product; through product requisition from the warehouse; ensuring prompt delivery to customers, maintaining good business relationship with existing customer and enlisting new customers for the company. Qualifications and Skills Bachelor’s Degree (minimum of 2.2)/ HND (minimum of lower credit) in any field, especially, business Administration or Marketing. A minimum of 3 years direct sales or marketing or other business development experience Job Title: Factory Operatives Location: Ogun - Mowe Description To be actively involved in the process of one or more sections of the factory; blending, packaging, equipment operation, material conveyance, loading offloading of product and any other task as may be assigned. Qualifications and Skills OND in any Engineering field, or any technical course or related field. Work experience in the factory Oil/Gas Lubricant blending factory preferred. Knowledge of operation/driving of forklift would be added advantage. Job Title: Security Personnel Location: Ogun - Mowe Description To ensure of company assets and properties, staff and products through surveillance, vigilance and use of security gadgets and tools. Qualifications and Skills OND in any field required. A minimum of 3 years work experience in Security related job. Relevant training/certificate be added advantage Job Title: General Manager Location: Ogun - Mowe Description To coordinate and manage the overall activities of the company obtains profit contribution by managing staff; establish and accomplish business objectives. Communicates values, strategies, and objectives; assign responsibilities; build a system that allows for free flow of information, provide leadership and mentoring; encourage career development and staff personal effectiveness. Qualifications and Skills Bachelor’s Degree (minimum of 2.2)/ HND (minimum of lower credit) in any field of Science, Business Administration/Marketing. A minimum of 8 years in Lubricants industry, not less than 4 years in Mgt position. Must be able to formulate different Lubricant grades. Strong organizational skill, vast in knowledge of the Oil and Gas Industry and high level of commitment to work and business ownership spirit knowledge of Lubricant Market and product development would be added advantage. Job Title: Technical Services Officer Location: Ogun - Mowe Description Installation, Commissioning and after sales support services on laboratory equipments. Qualifications and Skills Bachelor’s Degree (minimum of 2.2)/ HND (minimum of lower credit) in Engineering, Technology or related field required. A minimum of 3 years experience on installation, repair & technical support services on laboratory equipment. Job Title: Marketing Officer Location: Ogun - Mowe Description Actively involved in business & Product development, Advise Mgt on advertisement, promotion & Strategies, Prospect and enlist new customers. Manage existing customers. Qualifications and Skills Bachelor’s Degree (minimum of 2.2)/ HND (minimum of lower credit) in any field of science, especially in Chemistry or any related field. A minimum of 3 years direct sales and distribution experience, preferable in Oil & Gas Company, Marketing experience in sales/distribution of chemicals/Additives. Job Title: Business ManagerLocation: Lagos Description To supervise and coordinate the general operation of the business: from product requisition, to record documentation of sales, distribution and accounting. Qualifications and Skills Bachelor’s Degree (Minimum of 2:2)/ HND (Minimum of Lower Credit) in any field of Science, Business Administration and Marketing. A minimum of 5 years work experience in sales and distribution of Consumer Goods would be an added advantage. Job Title: Account OfficerLocation: Lagos

Description Keeps accurate records of payments and sales. Manages all cash transactions and prepares weekly analysis to store manager. Carry out daily bank transactions and deposits. Manages the proper collection, reconciliation and banking of money. Qualifications and Skills Bachelor’s Degree (Minimum of 2:2)/ HND (Minimum of Lower Credit) in any field of Science, Business Administration and Marketing. A minimum of 5 years work experience in sales and distribution of Consumer Goods would be an added advantage Job Title: Sales RepresentativeLocation: Lagos Description To promote, build and increase sustainable customer base: meeting set sales objectives and target: ensuring good and consistent customer service relationship. Qualifications and Skills OND in Business Administration, Marketing or any field required. A minimum of 3 years direct sales/marketing experience of consumer Goods. Experience/knowledge of canvassing & retail. Job Title: Executive Director OperationsLocation: Lagos DescriptionHolding down a critical Executive Management position with full responsibility for P&L of the Subsidiaries of the Group, the incumbent will be responsible for: Strategic Orientation; Defining and establishing overall Strategic Business Plan, including goals and objectives in the short, medium and long term. Process and Operational Imperatives: Align company’s process and operational models to contract agreement, whilst ensuring consistent and quality delivery on client expectations. People Management and Organisation Development: Create effective teams and enabling environment that allows people employ their talents in achieving organizational objectives in a mutually beneficial relationship. Qualifications and Skills Bachelor’s Degree (Minimum of 2:2)/ HND (Minimum of Lower Credit) in Engineering, Masters Degree in Management/Administrative Field will be an added advantage. Not less than 15 years’ post graduate experience, with at least 7 years in a Top management role. Knowledge of business development, procurement, supply chain and contract management. Previous experience in the oil and gas industry, energy sector or transportation will be an advantage. A vast knowledge of Manufacturing business environment. Commercially astute and with proven P&L responsibility and track record of growing revenue, cost management and delivery against KPI’s. Experience of process redesign and operations management. Practical experience of sales, marketing, customer management and account management. Visible leadership skills within challenging performance environments. Superior communication and presentation skills. Excellent PC skills, including MS Office, Internet e.t.c. Job Title: Logistics OfficerLocation: Lagos Description To co-ordinate all pre-importation, documentation, clearing of products/goods. Qualifications and Skills Bachelor’s Degree (minimum of 2.2)/ HND (minimum of lower credit) in purchasing & supply, Business Administration, Transportation or related field. A minimum of 4 years work experience in logistics or cargo transportation job. Experience/knowledge of clearing processes and Goods in transit management from the Port would be added advantage Job Title: Procurement OfficerLocation: Lagos Description To facilitate the process of purchase and procurement of all company goods and services in line with company’s policy, at best market price and equality. Qualifications and Skills Bachelor’s Degree (minimum of 2.2)/ HND (minimum of lower credit) in purchasing & supply, Business Administration, Transportation or related field. A minimum of 4 years work experience procurement of goods and services. Experience/knowledge of related product/materials/services peculiar to the Oil & Gas/bending/addictive business and market location and best prices will be an advantages professional certificate in purchase & supply would be added advantages. Job Title: Help Desk OfficerLocation: Lagos Description To render technical support for computer users by resolving, authorizing and managing users’ data information. Qualifications and Skills Bachelor’s Degree (minimum of 2.2)/ HND (minimum of lower credit) in Computer science/Engineering or related field A minimum of 3 years working experience in related field. Certificate in N+ and A+ will be advantage. Job Title: Personnel OfficerLocation: Lagos Description To co-ordinate and enforce policy compliance on staff documentation credential verification. Referee and Guarantor confirmation and organize training and seminars for staff career development. Learning and development: undertake training needs assessment, pre and post training evaluation, training implementation and development programme execution/assessment. Qualifications and Skills Bachelor’s Degree (minimum of 2.2)/ HND (minimum of lower credit) in Sociology, psychology, Personnel Mgt, Social Science, Humanities or related field. A minimum of 3 years working experience in Human Resources/Personnel Mgt, Experience in Oil & Gas industry will be added advantage. Hands on experience in learning and Development will enhance suitability of applicant. A member of the chartered institute of Personnel Mgt of Nigeria will be an advantage. An ability to interact successfully with individuals from a wide range of Professional and non-Professional background. Job Title: Finance OfficerLocation: Lagos Description To Planning/budgeting and controlling/monitoring, financially and general Resources Management: People, Monitoring, evaluation & reporting, carrying out Financial modeling & analysis, Mgt reporting, performance evaluation & statutory reporting. Qualifications and Skills Bachelor’s Degree (minimum of 2.2)/ HND (minimum of lower credit) in finance/Accounting or any numerate field or ACA/ACCA/CPA or other equivalent qualifications A minimum of 4 years relevant work experience in a well developed and structured environment, leadership and Mgt Skills and exposure to various aspects of finance and accounting. A broad knowledge and understanding of financial and Mgt accounting principles with proven high level analytical and interpretive abilities. Job Title: Operation Manager Location: Ogun - Mowe Description To oversee the production process of the plant, coordinate and supervise all operation activities through production. Quality Control and Packaging of final products Qualifications and Skills Bachelor’s Degree (Minimum of 2.2)/ HND (Minimum of lower Credit) in any field of Engineering, Chemistry, Industry Chemistry or related field required A minimum of 8 years production experience, especially in the Lubricant Plant/Oil & Gas Industry, A minimum of 4 years progressive managerial experience in related field. How to Apply Interested and qualified candidates should send soft copies of their application and Resume to: hr.admin@chemtechgroupng.com Or Submit hard copies to: Chemtech Group of Companies; 239, Ago Palace Way, Okota, Isolo, Lagos. Application Deadline 17th January, 2014 ——————————————————

You can subscribe to Job Vacancies in Nigeria, Jobs in Nigeria via your e-mail: www.recentnigerianjobs.com

FEATURE

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, December 19, 2013

Aregbesola’s Discipline Committee In The State Of Osun: Timely Intervention At Humanising Public Education Worse than issues bordering on poor quality service delivery; hinged on poor funding, poor provision of infrastructure / superstructure and acute shortage of teaching personnel; other factors militated against the effective operation of public educational facilities in the State of Osun in years prior to the coming on board of the incumbent administration. It was timely identification of these other debilitating factors and getting the spate of attendant rot arrested head-on that prompted the Government Unusual to constitute a discipline committee to look into the crux of the matter and make recommendations as appropriate. NIYI OLASINDE writes on the Importance of the committee’s exertions and expectations from them.

HE fortunes of public educational institutions in Nigeria have dwindled in recent years; just as their private counterparts are finding a free day in gaining prominence with apparent bid to outweigh, supplant and replace them in prominence, relevance and impact. This sad trend presents a sharp deviation from the situation, which had long been entrenched in our culture and polity; where the role of public educational institutions in quality service delivery, translating into production of high quality manpower output was overwhelming and preponderant. In known situations in the past, some subsections of the country had come under series of administrations and regimes, both civil and military, under which education as an essential social service was provided free. In the present-day South-West geopolitical zone of the country, the experience in the early 1950s under the rule of the defunct Action Group (AG), led by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo was that free qualitative and functional education was provided in order to facilitate rapid provision of the much-needed human capital, preparatory for an independence nation. It was highly effective and the harvest was prolific. •The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (in Middle School uniform with fez cap), in the midst of a cross section of during the official commissioning of Salvation Army Middle School, Alekuwodo, Osogbo and flag-off of the new school Some decades later, precisely pupils, system (Re-classification) in the State of Osun, recently.

during the Second Republic, some states of the federation, which came under the rule of the rule of Awolowo’s defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) also enjoyed this vital social service and others in the category of human services free of charge. All along, there had been variations of this free provision of educational services either as a nationwide or sectional phenomenon. Even under some military regimes, some variations of free, compulsory education were provided, with government footing the bills. A case in hand was the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme introduces nationwide by the military administration of General Olusegun Obasanjo (rtd.) in the late 1970s. During the glorious past times under review, all was well with our education system, to the extent that we boldly assert that all the eminent sons and daughters who functioned hitherto as movers and shakers of the nation in various sectors were products of the good gestures packages into the free, qualitative and functional educational arrangements of those days. Earliest harbingers of trouble started to roar their ugly heads in the earlier-mentioned late 1970s; when the military regime of Olusegun Obasanjo, upon the promptings of the time responded

swiftly by constituting discipline corps in schools. Under that arrangement, military personnel, known in derogatory language as “zombie” were drafted mainly to our public secondary schools to “enforce discipline”. Thereafter, military regimes in the country had taken their turns to institute various measures, aimed majorly at stemming the tide of indiscipline, corruption and decadence, an obvious reflection of a depraved society – all to little or no avail. Examples are the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) of the mid-1980s and the War Against Indiscipline and Corruption (WAIC) of 1990s (under the military regimes of General Mohammadu Buhari rtd; and late General Sani Abacha respectively). The trend traced above had so degenerated over the years that discipline had nearly become completely elusive and non-extant in our public schools. The most unfortunate trend is the one which became prevalent upon the claimed aligning of parts of the nation with the mainstream politics at the centre, under the rule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The endresult has spelt catastrophe for virtually all sectors of life in our nation; since the party and its instrumentality of governance was all-out and hell-bent to sustain through fraud the vast “empire” which ir fraudulently acquired. Most sadly, this sad trend took its ugly toll on our educational sector.

In the State of Osun, events during the fiery hostage of the immediate past administration fared the state in such horrible stead that our schools were debased, as they condescended into training grounds for political thugs, hoodlums and social miscreants. This was in obvious response to the kind of oppressive leadership unleashed on the state and its people by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The rest is story! We are all aware of the ugly events of the time. Disheartening still was the spurious efforts by the foisted administration; itself the grand author of deceit and confusion; instituting a discipline corps! Upon the assumption of office of the incumbent administration in the state, the terrain in our public educational institutions was everything far from desirable. As a matter of fact, all indications on ground as pertains to them were repelling factors for parents / guardians to have their wards entrusted into these schools. In the space of three years, the Aregbesola administration has turned the fortunes of public education around to the chagrin and utter confound of distracters. In brazen and shameless reaction to the rapid transformation witnessed; especially to futilize it, so that the administration would not be outstripping theirs in performance; the powers-that-be of yesteryears have enlisted various untoward

measures and ploys, which include co-opting of pupils / students of public schools to cause crises. These orchestrated violence and crises were contrived to capsize the ship of progress roving the state’s school system. Instances of these crises include those trailing various innovative policies and programmes rolled out so far by the Rauf Aregbesola administration. In all of it, the government of the day has proven itself competent and equal to the task by employing wide consultation of stakeholders and embarking on massive enlightenment programme. These prompt and proactive measures have gone far to quell the embers of disharmony fanned by the wicked enemies of the state and its good people. The last and most recent joker is the introduction of a committee of experts, commissioned to carry out deep-rooted enquiry into the causes, depth and intensity of indiscipline, decadence and disorderly conduct among our school age children so as to fashion out modalities for combating the spate. This measure will go a long way not only in restoring sanity to the sub-sector; but also in reviving its long-lost glory. The time-tested efforts of the committee, chaired by Dr. Isiaka Owoade, it is hoped, shall soon manifest into a potent tool in the hand of our government and policy makers in moving our state forward. Really, Osun is moving.

IN RETROSPECT

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, December 19, 2013

A Memorable Quote From A PDP Aspirant In The State Of Osun

“Recently, Chief Bola Ige came on radio here (Osogbo the state capital), to insult me and my family. THAT IS THE LAST TIME HE WOULD INSULT ME. He was beaten yesterday. The people of Ile-Ife beat him up and he was crying like a baby, as they removed his cap and glasses. If it had been at a political gathering, he will be dead by now..... In fact, what the people wanted to do was more than removing his glasses and cap....” -IYIOLA OMISORE. •Culled from Vanguard Newspaper.

FEATURE

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, December 19, 2013

Giant Strides Continue In Osun

AST week, the media reported the British Deputy High Commissioner as saying that the State of Osun is a viable destination for any investor, who is looking for a safe place to put his money in Nigeria because, according to him, “the State is peaceful”. The High Commissioner did not stop at that; he said, “within three years of his administration, what the government of Ogbeni Aregbesola has done in terms of infrastructural development and how the governor has been attracting businesses and industries is IMPRESSIVE, PRAISEWORTHY AND BOASTFUL for FUTURE of the state”, (emphasis mine). For a country now accustomed to negative stories from mischievous quarters, painting the State of Osun in the most unfavourable light, this statement from Mr. Peter Carter, Britain’s Deputy High Commissioner in Nigeria should put the lie to the misinformation and disinformation fed to and promoted by a section of the media.

The reader will recall that less than a month ago, some scary noises came out of a religious organisation in the State of Osun, warning of chaos if the governor’s education reform agenda was not immediately scrapped, and a return to status quo effected. However, what scares these religious people in the education policies of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has been applauded by the British Deputy High Commissioner, who has this to say about standardization of education in Osun; “The British Council, because of the GIANT STRIDES made by the administration in the area of education, has trained over 200 teachers in teaching English language and the council is also keen to continue the work it has already started in training more teachers”. The truth could not be more clearly stated. What’s going on in the State of Osun in virtually all departments is really and truly “giant strides” in development. However, a vocal minority enamoured of

By KUNLE OYATOMI

and sated by the miserableness of conditions that Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola met, are getting serious and sizeable media attention, as they hysterically demand a return to the status quo created by their People Democratic Party (PDP)

friends. These people live in the past and they have practically lost their legitimacy as “promoters of the good” for at each stage of the Aregbesola revolution every step taken by the governor was viciously condemned, his person maligned and the State placed in the dumps by the opposition party and their surrogate. In fact, many respectable citizens who were misled to buy into the false stories coming out of Osun got a sense that a radical Islamists had emerged in Osogbo who must be checkmated. That was some two years ago. We had worked as hard as we could to change the pathetic image which the PDP and their friends tried disingenuously to

create of the State of Osun. As you read this, that strainous effort is not over, because there are people in high and low places who have a preference for lies and continue to buy into the falasies that PDP and their surrogate tell about Osun. They keep the negative stories alive and they swear by their goddess of lies that Aregbesola is destroying Osun. Some people, awfully limited in their perceptive ability, call that politics; blind, deaf and unenlightened politics perhaps. When you sit back in the fraudulently acquired opulence of your wealth to tell senseless lies about your own state, or you junket media houses with utterly false stories about how the state is being run, all for the purpose of tarnishing the image of the government in power, in the long run you qualify to be described as a terrorist. You are in the business of mentally terrorizing your community. That is not politics; it is crime!! But the good thing is that these lies and those who take pleasure in

propagating them have not succeeded even in fooling ordinary people in the state who see, hear, feel and delight in the incredible level of progress that the All Progressives Congress (APC) government led by Ogbeni Rauf Aragbesola, continues to make in Osun. Every person, who denies the progress going on in the State of Osun is a criminal. But people who know what is happening, whose source of information is not the political illiterates assembled in the opposition party, will tell you that the state is making giant strides. And no less a personality than the British Deputy High Commissioner has said just that. Let the enemies of progress bow their heads in shame. They have eyes to see what is going on in their country, but they deny what they see. However, their denial has changed nothing and will stop nothing. Giant strides in Osun continue. The world is acknowledging it. The people are delighting in it. The streets of our cities tell the story. Business is bubbling. The pace of commercial activities in the last three years has more than doubled. There is no single family in Osun today that is not positively affected by the giant strides which the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola led government is taking. The scare-mongering of the opposition, the lies of their surrogate, and the evil machination of their supporters from distant lands cannot and will not be allowed to stop these giant strides. Finally, a word of warning and advice: Those who seek to undo these giant strides which the people of Osun cherish should be prepared to face the wrath of the people. In Yorubaland, they should understand what that means. They should think again in their own best interest. •Barrister Oyatomi is the Director of Publicity, Research and S t r a t e g y , A l l Progressives Congress (APC), State of Osun.

www.osundefender.org

THE 6TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA

TTHURSDAY 19TH DECEMBER, 2013

HE clamour for a new revenuesharing formula has gained currency more than any topical issue that is attracting serious attention in our public discourse. Actually, nobody would have taken agitators serious because we are used to incessant condemnation of nearly all moves by constituted authorities, be it federal, the state or the local government. We have discovered however that not all agitations are baseless after all. It therefore becomes inevitable to x-ray some concerns that have been expressed in the recent past; so as to draw conclusion on the rationale behind those overt expressions

By ADE OLUGBOTEMI

Imperatives Of Devolution Of Power â&#x20AC;&#x153;Presently, the Federal Government is controlling the lion share of the revenue available to take care of major businesses of government. Apart from this, the power to withhold what

accrue to other tiers of government is exclusively vested in Presently, the Federal Government is controlling the lion the government at the centre, in which case, government share of the revenue available to take care of major businesses activities other than those directly connected to the Federal of government. Apart from this, the power to withhold what Government can be made to go moribund due to the paucity accrue to other tiers of government is exclusively vested of fund. People at the grassroots are then made to suffer in the government at the centre, in which case, government without much negative impact on the government at the activities other than those directly connected to the Federal centre.â&#x20AC;? Government can be made to go moribund due to the paucity of fund. People at the grassroots are then made to suffer without intentionally entrenched in the about the ugly practice being much negative impact on the process of litigation. The accused perpetrated often get frustrated are either discharged after along the line because the government at the centre. acquittal for lack of substantial powers that be will always be out A quick reminder comes to evidence, or cases are to circumvent unbiased mind from the rampancy of adjourned indefinitely until administration of justice. project abandonment that usually people forget about them. There are few instances of characterises most ministries The people that are directly projects completion. Even at that, and the agency of government at the federal level. An attempt to affected by successive the jobs are shabbily done and tour major road projects being dereliction appear powerless to quality control mechanism is handled by various contractors pursue their grievances to logical affected by centrifugal forces will only leave the monitors in conclusion, because of the that remove the utility base of serious despondency and distances away from their such projects. No sooner are bewilderment, because most abodes. For a complainant to such projects completed and contractors that register with the leave Ipoda Osun without commissioned than they begin Federal Government will always assistance from anybody, and to show signs of collapse. Vital rely on party affiliation to travel to Abuja, because certain projects will better be managed contemplate demobilizing from contractors have chosen to and supervised, if the parties site because of the parody of abandon their road projects after concerned are involved within national cake-sharing that being mobilized substantially, reasonable proximity. Most prompts them to collect huge such a person must be truly projects that have their blessings sums of money for no work patriotic. After all the rigours, the from the Federal Government are person will not be able to not closely monitored and their done. influence anything and this will longevities are equally badly Anti-graft agencies are constitute a discouragement for affected. established and funded under the future attempts to seek redress Large concentration of funds tutelage of the party at the on similar perniciousness. at the centre has made room for centre; although they are wanton profligacy that erodes Similar occurrences of project claimed to come into existence under various enabling laws. abandonment can also be seen value for money and derivative That is why defaulters donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel in federating units, but it is only utility. Most ministries, perturbed whenever operatives those states that share party departments and agencies have of those agencies threaten to affiliations with the government duplicated functions. The bring fraudsters to book. at the centre that is also corrupt multiplicity of functions has often Prosecutions may take-off, but that get off the hooks of the anti- bred inefficiency and resultant they are never ended because graft bodies. Human rights wastages of public funds. of the permissive laxities that are lawyers that feel concerned Directorates in these ministries, departments and agencies

constitute draining pipes in our economy, and this is so because there is too much concentration of policy formulation at the centre. The resultant laxities engender serious problems that do not allow for clear cut policy implementation. All these problems have surfaced severally in most critical sectors of our economy because few people are managing vast resources that could have turned out to be more beneficial to the masses that are largely situated and found in the rural areas. No wonder, we now resort to a monolithic mode of production because agriculture that used to form the mainstay of our economy has been abandoned and is now at the mercy of peasant farmers that largely cultivate for subsistence and demonetized guild. Some states that have no direct affiliation with the Federal Government, simply because they do not belong to the same political party, now maximize their utility value, thereby holding their destinies in their own hands and making remarkable impacts on the lives of ordinary Nigerians within their jurisdiction. Healthy rivalry among these states has made it possible for them to embark on projects that have direct positive bearing on the people that are mainly targeted as beneficiaries. If more funds are made available to these few states that have chosen to tap from rare ingenuities to carve a niche capable of advancing the cause of citizenry, they will surely become challengers to those hiding under the retrogressive canopy of federal might to constitute economic catastrophe. One gets niggled out by the manner in which wastages are condoned at the centre, where the largest percentage of the natural resources is retained, but with little being done to evolve human capacity development. It is in this light that I call for the scrapping of many of the malfunctioning and dysfunctional ministries, departments and agencies. With the earlier clamour for more concession of funds to the states and local government acceded to, life will surely become more bearable for ordinary Nigerians.

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