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VOL. 11. NO.015
Ooni Ogunwusi’s Commendable Peace Tour
The Ooni of Ife has deftly negated any lingering doubts as to whether or not his youthfulness will be a hinderence to his performance. In a very
promising start he has shown with his steady mien and gait a commendable maturity far beyond his biological age. He has confounded the doubters.
And initially there were quite a few; including some vociferous nay sayers. The maturity displayed is inspired. Age long feuds are being dismantled with prescient ease.
This is a big gain for the Yoruba speaking nation. It will stand the Yoruba in good stead in what is shaping up to be difficult
For it is clear that in the years ahead, a lot of negotiations will have to take place in order to resolve the issue of the peaceful co-existence of the
a diverse federation. The yorubas have to be united when the negotiations begin. This again is why the valiant efforts of the Ooni is so important. ...continue on pg5
Osun 11-month Doctors’ Strike Inhuman - See Story On Page 3
•‘We Borrowed To Transform The State’
•(L-R) Permanent Secretary, Hospital Management Board, Mr Segun Aduroja; former Special Adviser to Osun State Governor on Health, Dr Rafiu Isamotu; Chairman, Special Committee on Health in Osun, Dr Simeon Afolayan and Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr Semiu Okanlawon, during the press conference on the issue of striking medical doctors in the state, at the Ministry of Health, State Secretariat, Abere, Osogbo, last Friday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.
APC Victory Made Possible By Nigerians - Tinubu
- See Story On Page 3
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osun Defender Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Osun 11-month Doctors’ Strike Inhuman - Aregbesola By kehinde ayantunji
overnor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has stated that his administration obtained bank facilities to develop the state human, educational and economic potentials, stressing that only a responsible government will take such bold step to make life He said, his abundant for the people. According to him, administration, from he was never ashamed inception, placed priority or regret obtaining the on the well-being of the bank loans, saying that general populace and the presence of modern will not allow a tiny infrastructure in the population of the state state have justified the to reduce government to loans, while describing salary payment institution as “unpatriotic” the alone and neglecting p r o l o n g e d 11 - m o n t h other critical sectors of strike of the medical the state. The governor described doctors. the prolonged 11-month The governor stated this while addressing the State strike of the medical Chapter of Association of doctors as inhuman and Medical Officers of Health wickedness, considering in Nigeria (AMOHN), the importance of their during their courtsey visit services in the society to his office in Osogbo, the despite pleas from the government and wellstate capital, last Friday. meaning Nigerians. G
According to him, it is ridiculous and unprofessional for medical doctors, who had sworn to an oath and made covenant to save and protect human lives, resolved to strike all for 11 months in the name of agitation for an invisible increment in remunerations. He explained that the State of Osun under his watch was among the states that give adequate attention to the utmost welfare of the health practitioners in the country, stressing that the state pays the highest allowance to NYSC health practitioners being posted to the state. The agitation of some workers to the governor, has always been to reduce governance in its entirety to workers’ “unrealistic fantasy” salary payment.
He said: “Our administration, in spite of all successes we have recorded so far in all aspects of the economy, especially on the workers’ welfare, would not bow to any pressure or agitation to reduce governance to salary payment at this special economic period. “Just as we owe workers responsibility to pay their salary arrears and pensions, we equally owe the entire populace the provision of basic infrastructure, because the primary responsibility of government is to serve the people. “We met Osun in a bad physical infrastructural development condition and this led us to seek for available means to restructure the state and give it a new look. It is only those who do not understand what
•The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi (left), who was appointed as the new Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), by President Muhammadu Buhari, at the 45th convocation ceremony of UNN. With him is another dignitary at the event.
Ooni Becomes UNN Chancellor
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By kehinde ayantunji
he Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye
Ogunwusi (Ojaja II) has been appointed the Chancellor of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, as honours were conferred on other eminent personalities across the country on Saturday in Nsukka. in a press statement The investiture of the signed by his media monarch, Oba Adeyeye, aide, Comrade Moses was the climax of the 45th Olafare, stated that the Convocation Ceremony people of the ancient town of the institution, where expressed their profound 13,554 students were gratitude to Mr President graduated and conferred for the appointment of w i t h d e g r e e s a n d their monarch, saying diplomas. the development would Earlier l a s t further enable the week, during the visit monarch to build more of Oba Ogunwusi to bridges of friendship, President Mohammad especially across the Buhari, he was officially nation. presented the letter The statement noted of his appointment as t h a t O b a O g u n w u s i the Chancellor of the was ready to bring to institution. bear his influence and I n a p p r e c i a t i o n connections to promote of the good gesture unity and harmonious of the President for the working relationship in appointment, the monarch the university.
The palace further admonished Nigeria to promote only issues that can foster unity to ensure speedy development, rather than playing up their differences. It reads: “It is incontrovertible today that Ooni Ogunwusi is a bridge builder and being the youngest Chancellor appointed for the only university bearing ‘ Nigeria’, is worth celebration.” It stated further that the Ooni appointment has been considered as a positive sign that can further enhance peaceful coexistence of the nation, as it was clearly stated in the letter of appointment written and signed by the Honourable Minister of Education, Alh Adamu Adamu, on behalf of the President, that Oba
Adeyeye’s appointment was based on his wealth of experience and his capacity to manage men and resources, which he had demonstrated in the administration of his kingdom in the last three months. Other eminent Nigerians that were honoured at the convocation were Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Nnaemeka; former Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Commassie; Ambassador Godwin Alaoma Onyegbulam; Prince Arthur Nzeribe and Justice Eze Ozobu. The ceremony was witnessed by eminent personalities across the country.
development is all about that will contradict this fact because to the glory of God, our administration has successfully turned around the economic fortune of the state and has well given Osun a befitting look it deserved. “Whoever visits our cities and towns across the state would definitely feel the impact of our government, as this plethora of developments and transformation had brought investors to the state. The rapid development of our state is not xaccidental because it took us years to draw a genuine template for our state,” Aregbesola said. Specifically directing his speech to the striking medical doctors, the governor said in the first four years of his administration, workers were receiving their salaries by 25th of every month, including all allowances, saying the frustration from the state health workers has reached its peak. “When we came on board, we felt we owe our workers prompt salary payment and we introduced a new dimension into the system by ensuring that every worker gets his or her salary every 25th of the month and we did this for good four years without a vacuum. “Until 2015, when it appears unbearable for us, due to the little or no allocation from the Federation Accounts, Osun continued to meet up with her obligations. We increased the salary of our workers just as we paid 13th month bonus. “To further motivate our workers, we introduced a system, whereby every worker would choose either the date being employed or birthday for the annual collection of leave bonus. We equally increased the housing loan by 40 per cent. We paid 100 per cent of basic salary to all workers at the end of the year “It is also important to state clearly that we condemn in its entirety the unnecessary industrial action embarked upon by a section of the state medical practitioners because our administration has been a workers-friendly government and no organ of the state workforce has ever been neglected. “The strike is getting worrisome in spite of our sensitivity, commitment, dedication and passion to their plights, but
irrespective of this, we shall not lose focus or be distorted in waxing stronger to demonstrate our sincerity, openness, transparency and readiness to serve our people. “ Argebesola said Rolling out the success of his administration, the governor said, he met the state in a bad shape and the pact of his administration with the people is to develop the state at a fast pace. According to him, no administration has met the record of his huge investments in the health sector with the renovations of major hospitals, adequate provision of drugs and procurement of modern equipment. Aregbesola, who described medical health practitioners as the bedrock of healthy living in any society, said his administration will not be deterred in providing quality health for the people of the state. He commended members of the state chapter of AMOHN for their commitment, determination and passion to human lives, saying their resistance to join the striking medical practitioners was an indication of patriotism and value for human lives. Earlier, AMOHN State Chairman, Dr. Fabiyi Oluwole, commended Aregbesola for attaching utmost priority to the health sector and assured the state government of the association’s commitment and readiness to provide quality health service delivery. He disclosed that Osun has been rated as one of the best in primary healthcare delivery as a result of the support the sector has been getting from the government. O l u w o l e h o w e v e r, appealed to the governor to assist in the passage and assent to the Primary Healthcare Bill forwarded to the State House of Assembly, adding that the bill will go a long way in boosting their activities. He however, appealed to his striking colleagues to resume back to duty in the interest of the state.
News
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Osun Defender Tuesday, February
APC Victory Made Possible By Nigerians - Tinubu •Dedicates Award Tonation Masses that all would be
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By shina abubakar
he National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has said the collective effort by Nigerians was responsible for the party’s victory in the 2015 general elections. The former governor that the people played of Lagos State, while a m a j o r r o l e i n t h e r e c e i v i n g T h e S u n unprecedented political newspapers’s ‘Man of change. He however, urged the Year Award’ in Lagos o n S a t u r d a y , n o t e d Nigerians to remain steadfast and build a
proud of. He said: “What was accomplished in 2015 was not a singular effort; it was done through the collective love and labour of millions of Nigerians. A handful of them were well-known; most of them are hardworking anonymous people, who together constitute
the backbone and great strength of this nation. “It was this collective effort that produced the unprecedented change.” Tinubu, who thanked the people for their support and love, urged them not to relent, as it would not be in vain. “The nation is going through a challenging period and truly we must build our tomorrow today-together,” he said.
The APC leader said many people had sacrificed greatly to achieve the current great turn of events, while some had “practically surrendered their businesses.” He added: “Some provided funds, especially that elderly 90-year-old woman, Hajia Fadimatu Mai Talle Tara, who donated N1 million of her life savings for the campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari. May her soul rest in peace. “Others worked ceaselessly, hour after hour, day after day, until the historic job was done. Many hit the campaign train day and night from Katsina to Lagos. I reserve a special recognition and commendation for the youths across this nation who formed part of the foot soldiers in the struggle for change. It is to these heroes that I dedicate this award.”
The ex-governor noted that the country had come to a point where there was no turning back. “We have reached the juncture at which we must reform our institutions, rid our country of corruption or admit that we have mortgaged away the good future due us. The infrastructural decay of past decades, the unemployment time bomb, the challenging security situation make a compelling case for us all to join with this government embrace a new politics that will help build a new country,” Tinubu added.
Octogenarian Farmer Cries For Help Over Destruction Of Farm
•(L-R) Wife of Lagos State governor, Mrs. Bolanle Ambode; wife of Ogun State Governor, Mrs. Olufunso Amosun; wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo; Pastor (Mrs.) Folu Adeboye, during the Executive Feast of Easter 2016, organized by the Redeemed Christian Church of God, at the Redemption Camp, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, last Saturday.
Osun Medical Doctors Are Recalcitrant Over Strike - Special C’tee Boss Observes
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By kazeem mohammed
he Government of the State of Osun has stated that the striking doctors in the state have remained recalcitrant despite all entreaties by the government and leading lights of the medical profession to show understanding over their demands. The Chairman, Osun p o s t s f o r a b o u t 1 1 S p e c i a l C o m m i t t e e months, out of which on Health, Dr Simeon the state government had Afolayan, who stated this paid them for six months, at a press conference on he said the doctors have Friday, said the doctors automatically withdrawn w e r e a s k i n g f o r t h e their services in line with civil service regulations. impossible. This rule, according to He wondered why the doctors would insist that him, has taken effect and they would not be bound those who still want to be by the payment regime rendering their services agreed to by over 39,000 have been given fresh other workers in the state, opportunity, saying, the which was arrived at after government cannot be a rigorous deliberation seen to be promoting and on the finances of the encouraging lawlessness state within the context by a group or individuals. “It is an open secret of the national economic that Nigeria is faced realities. According to him, with critical financial the state government challenges, which have had at various times made many obligations engaged the doctors in impossible. The state negotiations at various came up with a very levels of governance, just transparent formula as highly-placed leaders for apportioning of its and elders of medical available resources and profession had intervened this was agreed to by all but the doctors refused categories of workers in to see reason with the the state. “By December, we government, which other categories of workers in told them they should resume work and they the state had. Noting that the doctors have remained adamant have been on different that they want to earn actions bordering on what we cannot afford. “It is either you want abandonment of duty
to work or you don’t want to work. But if you cannot take what we are offering and what other workers including doctors in local government council areas, doctors in the state Ministry of Health, consultants and some senior doctors at the state level are taking, we cannot afford it. “While admitting that doctors render essential services to the society, this statement reminded Nigerians that there is no single professional in the health sector that is not essential. “Just as the government is committed to the welfare of doctors, it must also be committed to the welfare of other professionals in the medical line such as pharmacists, nurses, radiographers, cleaners and others who have shown understanding,” he stressed. Afolayan recalled that doctors were eager to join the general strike called by the NLC even though they claimed they are not affiliated with the NLC but they refused to resume work when the strike was calledoff, saying: “When it is convenient for doctors they hearken to the voice of labour unions, only to claim decision taken by the same union is not binding on them.” While explaining that the doctors were
duly-represented in the revenue-sharing committee headed by veteran labour leader, Comrade Hassan Sunmonu, Afolayan averred that the committee had been determining the percentage going into the payment of salaries. He then stressed that government could not pay full salary to doctors, when others are receiving modulated salaries in line with the agreement. He commended the civil servants and other workers in the state for their loyalty, sacrifice, understanding and commitment to the service of the people of the state in this special time and deplores the selfishness and blackmail antics of the doctors. Reacting, the Chairman, Association of Resident Doctors at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Dr Owolabi Adeyinka, said that the government has not at any point called the striking doctors for negotiations. He said, the doctors were open to any form of negotiation, adding that they have also shifted grounds in the past.
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By ismaeel uthman
n 80-year-old cocoa farmer at Idominasi Village in Obokun Local Government Council Area of the State of Osun, Chief Sule Oladepo, has called on the state government and security agencies to save his life from some land grabbers in the village, who allegedly threatened to kill him over farmlands. According to Oladepo, portion of his cocoa farm the land grabbers have released to the people for destroyed his cocoa school project had also farm and chased him been sold to other people. Speaking with OSUN away from the village, appealing to the DEFENDER in an government and security emotion-laden voice on agents to intervene in the Sunday, Oladepo said: “I matter and reclaim his gave them land to build school on it but they farmland for him. Oladepo, an indigene moved into my cocoa of Osogbo, said that he farm with a bulldozer had been farming at and destroyed my cocoa. Idominasi Village since They sold the land to 1970, adding that he some people and they married a daughter of a are now building some prominent farmer in the structures on it.” He alleged that a village, Chief Gabriel former member of the Ibironke. T h e o c t o g e n a r i a n House of Representatives explained that his father was among those that in-law gave him the farm sent him away from the where he planted his farm. “I have now become cocoa and other crops, while another cocoa farm a beggar because I have was also bequeathed to nothing to do since they his wife after her father’s took away my cocoa farm. My children have demise. Few months after the dropped out of school death of his father in-law, and they are just roaming Oladepo said that some the streets in Osogbo,” people in the village he said. Calling on the state approached him that they needed land to build g o v e r n o r , M r R a u f a community school and Aregbesola, to assist that they would like him him to recover his farm, to release part of his Oladepo said that he had farmland for the project. reported the matter to the He disclosed that he police but that nothing subsequently agreed to give them a portion of the public notice land for the community I wish to notify the school. general public that my According to Oladepo, name was wrongly written he was surprised when a s A B UDU L L AHI the people brought a GARBA and that bulldozer to the farm and destroyed his cocoa my real name is ABE plants without informing OLADAPO STEPHEN. him, alleging that the All documents with my people threatened to kill real name remain valid. him when he challenged General public should them for destroying his take note. farm. Oladepo stated that he later realised that the
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for the record
osun Defender Tuesday, February
Osun Has Made More Than Enough Concessions For Doctors To Resume •Text of the speech at a press conference addressed by the Chairman, Osun Special Committee on Health, Dr.
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osun Defender Tuesday, February 23,
Simeon Afolayan, over the doctors’ strike.
he Government of the State of Osun would like to put it in correct perspective the current abandonment of work by doctors in the state of Osun. For the records, Government had at various times engaged the doctors in negotiations at various levels of governance. From the Permanent Secretary, to the Head of service, Chief of staff, Speaker of the house of Assembly and to Mr Governor himself. We have had robust engagement with the doctors with a view to resolving the logjam. Highly placed leaders and elders of Medical profession had intervened but doctors refused to see reason with the government which other categories of workers in the state had. The Government called on wellmeaning Nigerians to objectively examine the issues involved in the demands of the doctors and see whether they are in tune with the realities of the current worsening global and national economic situation and how it affects Osun. The doctors are demanding the impossible just as it said that the state under Governor Rauf Aregbesola had offered the best condition of service to all its workers including the doctors before the current financial challenges facing the entire country. The decision to live within our means in light of the shortfall in revenue accrual to the state, which requires sacrifices from all was taken by all stakeholders, including representatives of all the labour unions and government. The doctors are duly represented on the committee that sits on all the revenues coming to the government and decides on what goes to payment of salaries, what is dedicated to running government and what should be used for maintaining the welfare of the people and infrastructure. This committee, in its wisdom, recommended that the state’s resources be stretched a little bit, agreeing that it is better to have something all the time than to have full salaries in a few months and then have a long spell of nothing. It was a tough choice which required sacrifice, but the entire workforce of nearly 40,000 agreed. This cannot be vitiated or abrogated by a group whose members are less than 100. To be sure, a doctor’s pay is four times what his or her counterpart in the ministries, departments and agencies of government earn and are even in a better position to make sacrifice than them. Doctors have been on different actions bordering on abandonment of duty posts for about 11 months, out of which the state government T
had paid them for six months. In view of the financial challenges facing the state, this should be considered too generous by the government, to continue to pay those who have indefinitely withdrawn their services. By Civil Service regulation, workers who absent themselves from work beyond a certain limit are deemed to have resigned their appointment. This rule has taken effect and those who still want to be rendering their services have been given fresh opportunity. The government cannot be seen to be promoting and encouraging lawlessness by a group or individuals. This is a recipe for anarchy. That the doctors have abandoned their duty post for about 11 months and the state’s healthcare delivery system is still functioning calls to question their relevance. The government commends the civil servants and other workers in the state for their loyalty, sacrifice understanding and commitment to the service of the people of the state in this special time and deplores the selfishness and blackmail antics of the doctors. In the face of the current economic realities, it remains unbelievable that doctors would insist that they would not be bound by the payment regime agreed to by over 39,000 other workers in the state which was arrived at after a rigorous deliberation on the finances of the state within the context of the national economic realities. It is an open secret that Nigeria is faced with critical financial challenges which have made many obligations impossible. The state came up with a very transparent formulae for apportioning of its available resources adding that this was agreed to by all categories of workers in the state. “The only way labour can do without the distrust of government is by setting up a committee with the labour constituting half of the composition and government half and a neutral person jointly accepted by us to be the head of the committee to be reviewing all the revenues and using the reality of the revenue to appropriate or apportion allocation to strategic and key areas of government, which is wages and running the government. We agreed and we are running government absolutely on that basis. “That agreement came in August and in September; the doctors said they were not in any way bound by that agreement. “There was no way we could back down because, in the first instance, other professionals had accepted the agreement reached
Ooni Ogunwusi’s Commendable Peace Tour ....continued from pg1
The Ooni is traversing the length and breadth of yorubaland preaching the gospel of unity in strength. Others are beginning to key into the new road map. In this way the Ooni has very cleverly changed the territory of debate in a positive direction. This is a positive restatement of the beautiful prayer of St. Francis to the effect that “where there is discord let us find harmony; where there is a dispute let us seek for the truth.....”. This is the template that the new Ooni is setting to the admiration of all throughout the length and the breadth •Governor RAUF AREGBESOLA
with labour.” Doctors were eager to join the general strike called by the NLC even though they claimed they are not affiliated with the NLC but they refused to resume work when the strike was called off. When it is convenient for doctors they harken to the voice of labour unions only to claim decision taken by the same union is not binding on them. The doctors have remained recalcitrant despite all entreaties by leading lights of the medical profession, adding “they refused the popular agreement, what should government do? How can we reverse a decision accented to and agreed with by over 39,000 workers because about 100 people are dissatisfied.” he doctors have abandoned T their work since April 2nd of 2015 under the guise of different nomenclature. Initially they called it sit at home strike, suspended it for a while before it became a full blown strike. It is rather unbelievable that our doctors who are senior officers claimed they couldn’t afford to transport themselves to work when cleaners and ward orderly in hospitals who are junior officers could. “By December, we told them they should resume work and they have remained adamant that they want to earn what we cannot afford. In the first instance, except in communist country, you cannot force anybody to work; you can’t drag workers to
work under democracy. It is either you want to work or you don’t want to work. But if you cannot take what we are offering and what other workers including Doctors in Local government areas, doctors in the state ministry of health, consultants and some senior doctors at the state level are taking, we cannot afford it.” There is no doubt that all aspects of life are affected in Nigeria by the crushing economic hardship. While admitting that doctors render essential services to the society, this statement reminded Nigerians that there is no single professional in the health sector that is not essential. It said just as the Government is committed to the welfare of doctors, it must also be committed to the welfare of other professionals in the medical line such as Pharmacists, Nurses, Radiographers, cleaners and others. The government ensured payment of salaries on or before 26th of every month regardless of the arrival of federal allocation. “This state never received salary at the end of the month ever since inception. And why? Allocation always comes minimally 14 days after the month, Osun traditionally will wait till the allocation comes before salary can be paid as we are doing now. Today is 19th and January allocation has not come, and it may not come until the end
of yorubaland. His good work is also resonating positively amongst the yorubas in the Diaspora as well. Morning has indeed broken in yorubaland and we will all be better off for it. He must be encouraged to continue in this way. For there is strength in numbers. Unity means that there will not be that chink in the armour which leads to divisions and the weakness that allows the enemy to come in. For as the yorubas themselves do say; ‘It’s the crack in the wall which allows the lizard to enter’. This is not the time for such indulgence.
effort of those who have for long sensibly championed the worthy cause of Regional Integration in the South-West. Coincidentally the governor of the Ooni’s home state the astute Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has been at the forefront of this move. More than anyone else the Ogbeni has walked the talk and did so before it became fashionable. Now the strategic imperative of this position is now incontrovertible. It confirms once again just how pro-active and astute the Ogbeni governor really is. For as the saying goes ‘only the deep can all the deep’.
The effort of the Ooni also commendably compliments the
Now that the paramount ruler in yorubaland is on the same page with us in our collective aspira-
Why Aregbesola Deserves Commendation a d m i n i s t r a t i o n o f they want to be, but Aregbesola, I think such a good leader would Over Osun Airport Project government deserves take his people to not necessarily where they unique from other commendations.
P
e rmit m e t o
commend the State Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, for working hard to bring back to life, the once moribund Airport at Ido-Osun, after several years of neglect. It is worthy of note that it has being established that the focus was not to build just an Airport, the design, as confirmed by experts, is one of the best International Airports in the world, in Africa and first of its kind in Nigeria. An expert said that when the project is completed, the radio wave of the Airport would be accessible right there in Britain from Nigeria. This is one of the facilities that make the project
Airports in Nigeria and even in Africa as a whole. History has it that this Airport has been there since 1950’s under the old Western Region, but subsequently
became moribund. S i n c e t h e creation of Osun however, successive governments had promised to resuscitate it and even allocated fund for it, but we have not seen the result. If the Airport is now being worked upon by the present
The airport, when completed, would definitely add to the glory of the state, develop the state’s economy and the country as a whole. I will then want
to charge the state government under the leadership of Aregbesola to shun any criticisms and falsehood that have been cast against him and his government over the Airport project. There is a saying that, ‘a leader will take his people to where
want to be, but where they ought to be. He should remain focused, concentrate on what he stands to achieve and the glory the airport, when completed, would bring to the generality of Osun people. I will use this medium to call on the Federal Government and all other concerned agencies to render the needed assistance to the state govenment to execute this brilliant project. Also, the oppoision should stop needless negative criticisms of the state government over the project and all other developmental projects going on; we should learn how to appreciate commited and hard-
tion in yorubaland then it has become imprtant for all and sundry to work together towards making this goal - regional integration - realisable. The new emphasis will make the logic of Regional Integration unstoppable. This is vital. In our considered opinion, cometh the moment, cometh the man. In the Ooni Ogunwusi the yoruba nation has found a monarch to march the mood as well as the temper and the needs of the times. We should be grateful for this for anything else will be destructive. Let us all move on with greater vigour and renewed hope. Kudos to the Ooni Ogunwusi; he has made an inspired, promising start.
OSUN DEFENDER
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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
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Good Governance
osun Defender Tuesday, February 23, 2016
The Legacies Must Live On
osun Defender Tuesday, February 23, 2016
magazine
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osun Defender Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Rauf Revolution:
The Legacies Must Live On Still in the mood of public enlightenment, NIYI OLASINDE beams the torch further on the Education, Science and Technology SubSector of life in the State of Osun. Residents are cautioned to preserve and maintain with jealous care all that providence has entrusted into their care via the benevolence of the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
•Front view of the AUD Elementary School, Isale-Osun, Osogbo, constructed by Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration.
•Aregbesola teaching the pupils at the newly-constructed Salvation Army Middle School, Alekuwodo, Osogbo. Continued from last week
AST week edition closed with promises to L publish a reminder of the depth of rot, decay, negligence and decrepit state of facilities and infrastructure witnessed in the Education Subsector of the state during the years preceding the coming on board of the Aregbesola administration into the reins of power, service and governance. People can tell lies; some can forget so soon; but records cannot deceive us all. We therefore wish to recapture the unsavoury situation by bringing back some of the pictures of that odd past era, so as to substantiate our claims and justify the achievements recorded for the Aregbesola administration in its re-engineering efforts. We challenge our numerous readers to cast their minds back to the old glorious era when education was the pride of the South-West geopolitical zone of the federation called Nigeria. It is the genuine and well-directed activities and concerted efforts of our forebears, our illustrious ancestors that earned us the topmost ranking of the most educationally advanced region of the country. Then, at that time, parents committed fortunes of their hard-earned resources to get the best quality education for their wards. And the quality was greatly assured; in all its ramifications. The teachers, textbooks, notebooks, instructional materials and reaching aids and infrastructure – all were present in adequate quantity and quality. As we found it, so we fondly remember it! The teachertraining programmes of those days were simply superb. Though the syllabuses and curricula of those olden times later came under serious criticisms as being alien in nature, bookish and cumbersome in their contents and colonial (imperialist) in their thrust, aims and goals; they are today proven as not only adequate but also complete in producing the total man, well educated and morally well-shaped. The teaching-learning environment was conducive and well-enabling for aiding effective learning. In the classrooms, the teacher-pupil ratio was properly planned. The out-of-class environment was friendly, well-kempt and beautiful. The person of the teacher and that of the pupil was given priority in terms of decency in dressing, appearance, neatness and personal hygiene. It was indeed a glorious era. The essence of tracing this background shall soon come to fore when we begin to underscore the devastation we witnessed in the years of decay. During the years immediately preceding the coming on board of the incumbent administration in the State of Osun, it was claimed that the kind of education provided was free, qualitative and functional. But what operated in actuality and its
product negated and falsified this claim. Education was claimed to be free; yet parents were made to pay exorbitantly for it through their noses! It was claimed to be qualitative; yet what was being paid exorbitantly for was substandard and offered disservice to its products, their parents and the entire society. At the end of the day, none of the parties went scot-free. A case of adding salt to injury! Our school environment became grossly unkempt and untidy. We were never tired of exposing these odd situations at all levels of education in the state. Students and pupils were made to take farm implements to school almost on session-by-session basis; while actually no meaningful farming or clearing activities took place in schools. Anyone who is in doubt of the true situation of public schools’ infrastructure is advised to approach the offices of the State of Osun Schools’ Infrastructure Development Committee (O’ SCHOOLS); as it was the committee that collated the statistics of haphazard structures in public schools as part of its very first set of assignments upon inauguration. But we shall do our own bit of duty in reminding readers of the true state of infrastructure inherited from the ousted administration in the state. The condition of infrastructure in schools was horrible, distasteful and terrible. Most school buildings, legacies of the earlier better eras were dilapidated due to a combination of old age and poor maintenance culture. What became of the annual running grants of the time could not be far-fetched. It was a downward extension of the depth of corruption, subterfuge and profligacy perpetrated at the peak of leadership in the state. We also remember that the schools that were initially outcome of community or missionary (Christian and Muslim) efforts had been taken over by government right from the mid-1970s; say precisely, September, 1975.. This development, which was initially well-intentioned, became a misfortune due to the fact that governance became profane, desecrated and ridiculed. The just-concluded series of OSUN DEFENDER Magazine edition featured many picture slots of dilapidated structures which were then ugly features of our schools. Most of the school structures which the immediate past administration bragged to have provided, and which execution and official commissioning gulped huge amount of money; with official commissioning done with fanfare, pomp and pageantry, turned out to be death traps. No sooner were they completed than they started giving the most dangerous signs of imminent collapse. Remember the haphazardly executed
structure on the campus of the Osun State College of Education, Ilesa. The project was expected to be a lecture theatre, designed and constructed to house several tens of students at a go. What a mass killer those trap would have proven in the hands of the ritualistic, sit-tight power-hungry elements that held sway of those days! It took the perpetual vigilance of our eagle-eyed reporters and the ever-resilient and irrepressible nature of Great Nigerian Students to effect timely identification of impending doom; and that forestalled the doom; saving the lives of our teeming promising youths (the greater tomorrows) thereby. The main intent of the sacked People’s Democratic Party (PDP) power hijackers in the state was to get their members, admirers, supporters, boot-lickers and cronies inordinately enriched. That fact could be the most reasonable and rationally justifiable reason why a government that prided itself as Ore Ara Ilu (People-Friendly Government) should defy all procedures and tenet of due process in the award of most of its contracts. That was why a carpenter’s job was being awarded to a plumber! In most cases, the lion’s share of the contract sum would have gone into the coffers of party stalwarts and other functionaries of the administration as settlement sums as kickbacks and percentages. The ensuing effect was that the remaining sum could not meaningfully fund the project through its various stages of execution without tampering adversely with the project quality. The situation with school furniture was pathetic, horrible and saddening. Furniture for both teachers and students were in sorry state; and in most cases, they were simply not just there! What business do teachers and pupils have to conduct in a school where seats are missing? As a result, parents were made to bear with utmost discomfort the burden of providing chairs, desks and lockers for their wards; if they must benefit from the strange, erratic brand of free, qualitative and functional education of that time. In addition to this extra burden, various forms of unaccountable fees were indiscriminately introduced at will either centrally by the government or internally by the respective school administrators. This was why at the very inception of the incumbent administration; one of its very first steps was to stop the imposition of all forms of levy on students in the state. We also wish to recall that school fees regime at both secondary and tertiary levels in the state as of then was exorbitant to the extent that education was far-becoming unaffordable for the poor and the Continued on page 10
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8 Association Of Medical Officers Of Health In Nigeria, State Of Osun Chapter, Paid A Courtesy Visit To State Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, At State Secretariat, Abere Recently. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.
osun Defender Tuesday, February 23, 2016
•Governor Rauf Aregbesola; his Deputy, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori (left) and Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola (right).
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Former Lagos State Governor And All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Was Honoured By The Sun Newspaper At The Official Ceremony Held In Lagos State Last Saturday.
•Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his wife, Senator Oluremi (middle); Lagos State Governor Akinwumi Ambode (left) and other dignitaries at the event.
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•(L-R) Vice Chairman of Association of Medical Officers of Health in Osun, Dr Adebukola Olajide; Secretary, Dr Adesina Olaogun and Chairman, Dr Fabiyi Oluwole.
•Across section of medical officers.
•Wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, Aishat (2nd left); Senator Tinubu and other dignitaries. •(L-R) State of Osun Head of Service, Mr Sunday Owoeye and Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti.
•A cross section of dignitaries during the programme.
•Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun (left); former APC National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande (2nd right); Asiwaju Tinubu (2nd left) and other dignitaries at the event.
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The Legacies Must Live On The Legacies Must Live On Continued from page 7
did. By the time it was through with its mission of plundering, practically all public schools in the state had become understaffed. Without the intention to cast aspersion on anyone, it is placed on record that the quality of teachers selected into public primary and secondary schools in those days through the various recruitment and selection exercises could not be guaranteed; and the consistently poor results of instruction on yearly basis, coupled with the abysmally low indices of performances of the candidates of the state’s origin in public examinations were clear indications to it that something was terribly wrong with quality of instruction. In most cases, teaching was seen not as a vital social service infrastructure under the ousted administration. It was considered as the dumping ground for all categories of scholarship-bankrupt and academic liabilities; so far they could avow their loyalty to the ruling party or pay the price for the job slot or both. In a nutshell, the recruitment selection exercises of that era were marred with gross misconduct and irregularities. They were fraught with scams of malpractices. No doubt, all classes of lower academic qualifications could be found on the teaching roll of every public school at all levels. All manners of unacceptable standard of managing quality education were the order of the day. It was not the concern of that administration to prepare the society’s youth adequately for bracing up competently with the increasing challenges of the ever-dynamic contemporary world. We have once clarified that the degree of difference between the helmsman of that administration and Aregbesola; their mission in governance, their motives, drive, mindset and attitude to genuine people-oriented service cannot match, since the latter possesses doses of these attributes in larger magnitude than the former. We also have reflected that in the opinion of the former, education should be made the exclusive preserve of the rich, the high and the mighty. He made this declaration loud and clear during one episode of his monthly audience-participation propaganda programme, entitled Gbagede Oro. In his response to a particular question bordering on the high school fees regime introduced by his administration, the retired General pronounced that whoever demands quality education for his ward must be prepared to spend exorbitantly. He corroborated this stand with a popular Yoruba proverb that runs: “Obe t’o dun; owo l’o pa a”, meaning, sumptuous stew requires lavish spending. To Aregbesola, education should be genuinely free for all without any
blinkers, discrimination or deprivation; such that its free nature must not tamper adversely with its functionality and its quality. To Oyinlola, public schools, of which he was all along a beneficiary should be killed outright; or rather should have their doors shut forever for all he cares! This adamant position came out during another in the long list of episodes of the programme referred to above. In his response to whether teachers wage demand should not be met to forestall an impending industrial action and its attendant problems; Oyinlola shrugged in defiance and blatantly told then teachers to proceed on strike, so far they did not forget to lock up doors of the schools and get the door keys submitted to appropriate quarters and offices! In his own vein, Aregbesola views education at the public schools as a cherished legacy that must be jealously preserved and profoundly enriched. To this man of action, his position as the incumbent helmsman of the state places upon his shoulders the onerous responsibility of being proprietor to all public schools in the state. While wishing proprietors of privately-owned institutions well, he made it boldly clear that he would not hold back any means at his disposal and that of the state to rekindle the dwindling fortunes of public schools in the state, so that together with their private counterparts they shall function and cooperate to revive and revamp the lost glory of the education sector in the State of Osun in particular, and Nigeria as a whole. So it is a whole lot of difference, hinged on attitude and disposition; coupled with the afore-mentioned components of mission in governance, motives, drive, mindset and attitude! ur next point of duty is giving priority O consideration to the environment in which teaching-learning activities took place. The environment is here considered in terms of its suitability, befitting status,, sanitation and hygiene. This vital sub-sector is of high essence if lasting health and well-being are desirable anywhere. This is because a healthy mind resides in a healthy body, which is in turn domiciled in a clean, healthy environment. In the past, Osun was a victim of a grossly degraded environment; with incidents of pollution and indiscriminate refuse disposal being very rampant. This ugly situation by extension, took its tolls on our public schools. We cast our minds back to the ugly sights of the past, the perennial flooding and erosion that threatened the residents of the state with extinction and the undulating terrains which our roads had been turned into. We remember in particular the flood of July7, 2010; which inflicted serious damages of incalculable value on people in Osogbo and other parts of the
•Some of th School Buses, acquired by Aregbesola’s administration.
state; and in which many lives and inestimable property perished. We remember similar incidents which occurred in earlier years during the time of the immediate past administration. We remember those terrible stenches occasioned by huge refuse heaps which dotted our streets; even within the metropolis of Osogbo, the state capital. We remember the pollution that continuously characterized the adjoining communities to the State Hospital, Asubiaro; where mortuary pollution nearly made the people prone to attendant dangers of epidemics. We remember how carcasses of animals and even corpses of lunatics simply littered the streets and were watched to complete processes of decomposition there without proper disposal or burial, thereby threatening the health and good living of the people. The list is long indeed! Specifically in reference to the decay in the public education sub-sector, we remind readers of how our schools were turned into refuse-dumping grounds and public toilets. It is only recently that the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is turning things around positively for our public schools and for the prospects of their pupils and students. The nefarious activities of hemp smokers, hoodlums and criminally inclined miscreants who used our public school buildings as hideouts thrived under the close watch and supervision of that ousted administration. As a matter of fact, the Government of the State of Osun of today still has the big task of combating hooliganism and gangsterism among students. In today’s State of Osun, there are confirmed incidences of pockets of violence and mayhem, obviously orchestrated by the captors of yesteryears – the brood of “do or die politicians” in the drowning People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Today, the Aregbesola administration has made all these ugly sights and smells a banished outcast that no one dare harbor in our midst. Right from the inception of his administration, Aregbesola took the bull by the horns when he declared a 90-day emergency on environmental sanitation. He took the decisive step of introducing bi-monthly and weekly environmental sanitation exercises as the case may be to execute rapid transformation of our towns and cities into decent places of abode for healthy individuals, and to sustain the culture of cleanliness, which, according to sages, is next to Godliness. Today, sanitation and safe health practices have so much become internalized in the lives of our people that clean environment has become their Continued on page 11
•One of the schools that benefitted from Governor Aregbesola’s School Rebuilding programme Continued from page 10
administration on our public schools system. For now, let us dwell a little on the events, activities and developments which served as antecedents to the ongoing redesigning, reorganization and reclassification exercise; which we roll out this series to laud and celebrate. THE recent efforts of the incumbent administration in the State of Osun at bringing back the long-lost pride and glory in the Education sub-sector, especially in the public domain now attracts our attention. The efforts of the administration, which kick-started with the introduction of free, functional and qualitative education upon the ascension of the administration barely four years ago, had metamorphosed into the introduction of free school uniforms to pupils and students at all levels up to Senior Secondary three, free school feeding programme for pupils up to Primary Four in the elementary rung of the school ladder under the State of Osun Schools Free Feeding and Health Programme (O’ Meals) and had culminated into capital intensive programmes such as the State of Osun Schools Infrastructure Development Programme (O’ SCHOOLS) and the introduction of the broad-based jet-age instructional support package, the Tablet of Knowledge, known in our tongue as Opon Imo. This is not to talk of other programmes like the Osun Schools Calisthenics and the drastic increase in the subvention and grants to our schools. Also in addition are the massive recruitment and selection / placement of qualified, competent and experienced teachers into the system. All the foregoing are undoubtedly laudable pluses for any administration anywhere, especially in the face of the present spate of rot and decay witnessed in the sub-sector in this part of the globe. The most recent of all is the ongoing schools reclassification programme. For its relentless auspicious and invaluable efforts, the Government Unusual of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has become the envy of other states, especially the adjoining ones from which battalions of students cross daily to reap the benefits of good, sound academic and moral instruction. In spite of all these innovative intervention efforts which have so far impacted positive turnaround in the terrain of public education in the state, there still subsists a reasonably large cross section of people and residents, who are yet to see, recognize or appreciate the good works of the administration in the afore-mentioned regards. Most unjustly and ingratuitiously
criticized of all these laudable programmes is the reclassification programme, which classifies our schools into Elementary, Middle and High schools. Concerning this policy, my personal take is that even in the highest heavens, the first law is order. The classification of schools as such is even in order with the reclassification earlier carried out by the Federal Government under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Education, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and other stakeholders. Under the Federal Government reclassification, modifications were done to the 6-3-3-4 system of education which was introduced in 1987/88 academic session throughout the federation. The earlier modalities comprised for each child, six years of primary education (between the ages 6 and 11); three years of junior secondary education (ages 11 to 14); three years of senior secondary education (ages 14 to 17); and four years of tertiary education. In the schema presented above, the double three in between covers the whole range of the student’s secondary school career spanning six good years in all. n the reclassification of the government at the I centre, introduced in 2001/2002; and which hardly ever went beyond the demonstration stage, the six years of primary/elementary education and the first three years of secondary education, called the junior secondary school years in the 6-3-3-4 system were joined together to form an expansive period of nine-year basic education; while the remaining three years of secondary education – the senior secondary years stand apart. As it proved, the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme presented a farce at the end of the day. The stage at which the incumbent administration met the public institutions of education in the state was such that barely was up to 5 per cent of our secondary school leavers matriculable into any institution of higher learning. The performances of candidates of the state at public examinations; be it those of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the Joint Admission and Matriculations Board (JAMB) recorded below 2 per cent of credit passes in five subjects, with the inclusion of English and Mathematics. The situation was so terrible and abysmal that the state’s ranking among the comity of states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) numbering thirty seven in all was that of a laggard. The state took the
backward position in the thirties! Now that the Government Unusual of Ogbeni Aregbesola has in its wisdom resolved to fin lasting panacea to all lingering issues which had hitherto plagued the sub-sector, it would not only be wise and appropriate; but also complementary and supportive to give it free hand to approach the hydra-headed albatross confronting the industry head-on. In the new classification, the naming of education stages as Elementary, Middle and High schools is not entirely new. What could be new are the positive approaches and strategies; and these are necessarily so. In the new classification, the first six years of early education of the child, called the Elementary stage, comprises children of ages spanning between 6 and 11 years. The Middle School entertains products of the Elementary schools for about three years, till they reach ages about 14 years; after which they proceed to the High school. At the highest, an average student is ready, armed with brilliant academic performances evidenced by good results to proceed to his choicest tertiary institution at the age of seventeen in the maximum. The new classification, apart from removing the misfortune of bad results after the whole career of about twelve years; also seeks to make parents more alive and amenable to their Godassigned role by deemphasizing pre-primary education. In our days, pre-primary education was a complete rarity. Yet students who started solid primary education at the age of six or thereabouts coped effectively with the challenges of their sudden transition from home to school. Another issue which bothers the minds of genuine stakeholders is whether many of the agitators against the new classification, the teachers inclusive really have their wards in the various public schools on which these vital far-reaching decisions are being taken. To me, anyone who is not a stakeholder to the extent of having a ward in the public institutions should not even contribute to; not to talk of kick against any reforms fashioned out for them. I proudly add that in our days, teachers took pride and glory in having all of their children pass through their same sphere of influence i.e. the schools where they taught. The trend today is shameful indeed! Teachers who make the loudest noise of dissent against every reform in the sector hardly have any of their children in the public schools. I am sure that if all had been well with the system, Contiuned on page 12
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The Legacies Must Live On The Legacies Must Live On Continued from page 11 not failed in our duty to point out the degenerating
trend of things in our public schools. While that oppressive tenure lasted, nothing was done to arrest the deplorable conditions of those schools, in terms of infrastructure, systems overhaul, quality control, syllabus enrichment and personnel selection strategy, This sordid situation caused the standards to decline to the extent that it became repelling for any parents or guardians to deliberately put their wards in public schools. Even teachers in those categories of schools could not muster confidence to entrust their own ward to the care of the schools, where they were supposed to be pacesetters as stakeholders in the strength of biological parenthood! What this implies in essence is that it was those who were constrained financially and who could not afford the high cost of getting their wards educated in the numerous private schools that dominated the landscape who resorted to putting their wards in these private schools. Lest we forget, these public schools were the pride of the Nigerian society during the good old days. Most of those who invested their times in office to destroy our public educational institutions were once beneficiaries of the same system, It was a clear case of someone who having ascended a tall edifice, removed the same ladder with which he climbed up with the wicked intention of preventing others from having the sweet experience of an upward journey to a higher altitude! t therefore came as a soothing relief that upon I his coming on board as the Chief Executive of the State of Osun In November 2010; about four years ago; one of the first set of promises echoed and reechoed by Ogbeni Aregbesola was his avowed determination to turn the tide around positively for education, most especially the kind that is provided in the public (government-owned) institutions in the state. According to him, he did not come to send the proprietors of private schools out of business – no! But as chief proprietor of public schools, the responsibilities which the office he occupies reposed on him behooved him to take good and adequate care of the public sector of education in the state; and our public schools and pupils / students by extension. This stance / position by a public office holder, especially in the pedigree of a governor is quite responsible, touching and worthy of emulation. On this note, OSUN DEFENDER Magazine hammers it strongly that those who aspire to step into elective public offices should imbibe this kind of attitude and mindset. Today, we write as those whose captivity is turned around. Our captivity in the State of Osun has been turned around. The governor who gave those lofty promises mentioned above; alongside those that were boldly enshrined in the Six-Point Integral Action Plan contained in his pact with the people has measured up with the tone and spirit
of his promises. He has not let the people down; neither has he reneged on his pledge to bring forth a complete turnaround in the entire aspects of life of his beloved people. OSUN DEFENDER Magazine has in the last edition made reference to the relevant portions of the Six-Point Integral Action Plan contained in the Pact made by the First Omoluabi with the entire people of the state during his election campaign preceding the 2007 Gubernatorial Elections in the state. But it is here considered not to be in any way out of place to recast those relevant portions. Here we go: “My mission and ambition are to restore to the people, a state of peace, opportunity, for progress and room for the pursuit of prosperity in our time under a people friendly government. I give you Six-Point Integral Action plan, to the intent that they constitute my actions of faith concerning which I want to be held accountable at any time during my stewardship. SIX POINT INTEGRAL ACTION PLAN · Banish Poverty · Banish Hunger · Banish Unemployment (Create Work/ Wealth) · Restore Healthy Living · Promote Functional Education · Enhance Communal Peace and Progress” Further in the line of drawing specific reference, we have the following: CIVIL SERVICE REFORMS “There is the need for a civil service reform that will not lead to any loss of jobs as I Rauf Aregbesola do not believe in laying people off in the name of reforms. Our reform will make the work environment more conductive, stimulating and development oriented. Bonuses, incentives and regular awards shall be instituted to promote a culture of excellence in the civil service along with the prompt payment of salaries, allowances, leave bonuses and year end performance bonuses. Promotions and comprehensive salary reviews and increases shall be regular. Internal and external training, work exchange programmes and overseas training shall be actively reinstituted for comprehensive human development in the civil service. New Tutor General/Permanent Secretary Cadre shall be created for Teachers in new education districts for better school administration. We shall institute Home Ownership Scheme for public servants and also support and encourage their backyard food production business ventures. We shall do a comprehensive review of civil service names and conventions as part of our efforts to create a people- friendly civil service.
•Picture showing enthusiastic pupils that benefitted from the Opon-Imo and School Feeding Programme
Appropriate nomenclature will enhance accountability and promote public access to the services of the ministry. A citizen with a complaint of blockage of drainage will find a Ministry of Roads and Drainages easier to identify with than Ministry of Works, a Ministry of Human Resources and Development will more appropriately communicate its services than a Ministry of Establishment.” WE now swing to the Education sub-heading of the Pact, which we quote as follows PROMOTE FUNCTIONAL EDUCATION Vision: Eradicate the frustration of youths caused by education that does not lead to employment. “To achieve this, the government of AC under Rauf Aregbesola shall: · Provide free education at all levels in Osun State. Focus on functional education. Education that makes one useful to himself and society. · Improve incentives to teachers and work with the NUT to restore the dignity of the teaching profession. · Restructure administration of school management and create Tutors-General (Permanent Secretary Cadre) from among Head Teachers in three Educational Districts which we will establish.\ · Fix all collapsed educational infrastructures in all the schools. · Support with modern teaching aids and well-stocked libraries. · Ensure cooperation with parents and teachers to improve discipline and morality. · Introduce non-partisan community-based governing boards for all schools. · Reduce number of students per classroom immediately. · Introduce home development plans for teachers who wish to build houses in their home towns, through access to special mortgage packages. · Promote mass adult literacy and numeracy programmes. · Promote and support Special programmes that give special attention to education of girls and women. · Establish institutions that impart life-long skills for all, in and out of formal schooling. O N HI G HE R EDU C ATI O N A N D UNIVERSITY · I am committed to ensuring that an Osun State University takes off on a sound footing and becomes a first-class institution with linkages to renowned universities in the developed world. · I will make every tertiary institution in Osun State an independent degree-awarding one. Continued on page 13
Continued from page 12
It is in copious and consummate pursuance of these beautiful and hope-inspiring promises contained in the Six-Point Integral Action Plan encapsulated in the Pact of the incumbent governor that he swiftly swung into action upon the restoration of his stolen mandate through the justice upheld by the courageous judges of the Federal Court of Appeal situated at Ibadan, Oyo State on Friday, November 26 2010. Since his inauguration and official assumption of duty on the next day, the state has up till now stopped to witness unprecedented accelerated progress in all spheres of life; a development which has made it the envy of all states in the country. In the area of education in particular, lots of achievements have been recorded by the Aregbesola team since inception. In our last edition, not only did we mention in passing the lineup of astonishing ground-breaking achievements recorded so far by the Government Unusual; but we also went further to state categorically that the most currently in vogue and widely misconstrued among a large cross section of residents is the ongoing reforms in the schools’ structure. The reforms popularly referred to as the State of Osun Schools’ Reclassification programme form our current focus of public enlightenment on this series of editions. he first in the lineup of efforts known in public parlances, consciously and deliberately made by the incumbent administration, aside the free, functional and qualitative education which took effect right from its very first day in office is the convening of the first ever State of Osun Education Summit. The summit, held in February 2011, was convened with the sole intent and purpose of charting a decisive and definite course for the turning around of public education at all levels of the rungs of the educational ladder in the state.
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Time and again, lots have been written and said in an attempt at portraying the true picture of decay and rot in the sector prior to the emergence of the Government Unusual. We are at this stage not going to procrastinate by repeating this all over. We shall however begin to take another dimension in approaching the entire concatenation of events which form a build-up to the rot; the extent of the rot as at the time of the coming on board of the government of the day; the quick diagnosis of the degree and intensity of the ravaging extent of the rot; the prognosis of the right decisive steps to take to ameliorate the depth of decay as well as mitigate against a continuation of the bad trend; the prompt,
•Commissioning of Wole Soyinka High School, Ejigbo.
timely and proactive intervention efforts taken; and the progress made so far. To these numerous tasks shall OSUN DEFENDER Magazine now proceed. We shall thereafter proceed to give perusal to the Schools’ Reclassification programme of the incumbent administration and its multiple dimensions of benefits to all and sundry in the State of Osun. PRIOR to the emergence of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola and his team on the saddle of leadership, governance and service in the State of Osun, the entire sectors of life in the state were riddled with innumerable crises of seemingly insurmountable magnitude. As a matter of fact, the terrain of the time was replete with abounding evidences that the education sub-sector of the Social Services Sector of the economy of our state stood as the most terribly bedeviled; being adversely devastated and most critically ill. OSUN DEFENDER Magazine casts a retrospective glance at its numerous revealing editions of the time, which were totally committed to unraveling the depth, extent, gravity and intensity of devastation, rot, abandonment and negligence which befell the all-important sub-sector as the period of fiery siege mounted by the captors of the time; the bandits of the conservative People’s Democratic Party (PDP) rolled by. We need to sound a reminder note that while that fiery siege of the Oyinlola years lasted; our medium never compromised its avowed stand of confronting and criticizing the oppressive policies of the time which nearly snuffed life out of all sectors of life in the state. Measured by all known standards, it became confirmed beyond all reasonable doubts that there was hardly any other single sector or sub-sector in the state which suffered blows as terrible, palpable and debilitating as did the education industry. As at the time of coming on board of the Rauf Aregbesola administration over the reins of power, governance and service in the State of Osun, it appeared that the public sector of the state’s education industry was heading for the rocks. It had nosed-dived and degenerated so much that government could no longer find its foot to stand the competition poised by the huge and ample presence of private investors at all rungs of the ladder within the industry. Readers are here reminded of the ugly rot of that time as showcased in our series of editions. It is for this selfsame purpose of sounding a reminder that this edition had in the first part, brought back to sight the sorry, sordid, gory and horrible sights which called for urgent emergency
and intervention which the purposeful, focused and foresighted administration of Ogbeni Aregbesola came to provide. Barely 100 days into the administration of the progressive Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) of the time, now the All Progressive Congress (APC), the very first decisive steps in the right direction for turning the tide around in favour of revamping the dwindling fortunes of education in the state, were made. Long before that solution hour, the desiring hearts of progress-loving indigenes and residents had panted continuously for positive changes that would set the state back on course of its old glory of excellence in academics and scholarship. As at that time, records and visible evidences had begun to prove that it had become a case of clear impossibility for the state to have above 2 per cent five credit passes for its candidates presented annually for public external examinations, i.e. the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (WASSSCE) as organized by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC); and the Senior Secondary Certificate Examinations (SSCE) as conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO).
he foregoing, by implication, stands to T reason that it was fast-becoming difficult for the state to assert itself among the comity of states in the federation of Nigeria in filing up its admission quotas in federal institutions of higher learning. This, by extension, implies that it was becoming what could be likened to the Biblical case of a camel passing through the eye of the needle for the state’s school leavers to scuttle through the rigors of the “almighty” Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). As if to add salt to injury, the government-sponsored free enrolment policy for school certificate students of public secondary institutions which the defunct Oyinlola administration paraded as the prime of its acclaimed free education programme ended up in a farce! This was as the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) withheld the results of the state’s public schools candidates for the 2009/2010 outing of the examinations. The reason for this step was not remote to discern: The Oyinlola administration defaulted in its financial obligation to pay up for the entry of its students for the examinations! As a matter of fact, one of theContinued first numerous on pageshockers 14 which the new administration had to muster and
magazine
osun Defender Tuesday, February 23, 2016
14
The Legacies Must Live On
sports
osun Defender Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Barcelona Stars Will Resist Premier League Cash - Josep Maria Bartomeu arcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu B says he is confident of retaining all of the club’s key stars despite acknowledging that the money in the Premier League is an issue for the European champions. Bartomeu said players including Lionel Messi, Neymar, L u i s S u a r e z , S e r g i o Manchester City — who Busquets and Gerard Pique will be managed by exwould be able to earn more Barca boss Pep Guardiola if they were to move to from next season — would England, but said even not be able to tempt them
away. In an interview with the Mail on Sunday, Bartomeu joked that “the weather” would be enough of a reason for players to opt to remain at the Camp Nou if offered the chance to play at the Etihad Stadium. “We know Messi could
•After Barca’s latest victory over Las Palmas, Alexis Nunes asks Steve Nicol if the team can stay unbeaten for the rest of the season.
•Aregbesola (2ng right), the Ogunsua of Madekeke, Oba Francis Adedoyin (2nd left); Chairman, O’Schools, Alhaji Lai Oyeduntan, at the commissioning of one of the newlyconstructed schools in Osun recently. Continued from page 13 that question simply because I was involved, both in
All through the entire years of the immediate past administration, which at best could be described as years of the holocaust, education in the State of Osun suffered a terrible set-back; not only in terms of poor quality of results and feedback, but also in terms of what went into it i.e. funding, staffing, materials and aids, infrastructure and the learning environment. It was perhaps the urgency imposed by these sordid and despicable conditions into which this vital industry had been plunged in the state that the new administration took the bull by the horns to explore and exploit means and ways of arresting the decay being witnessed by the sub-sector.
ollowing the declaration of a state of emergency in the education industry in the state, the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola swung swiftly into action when in February 2011, the first-ever Education Summit was put together for the State of Osun. The agenda and thrust of the summit was to actively engage a rich pool of ideas, skills, experiences and expertise of participants; drawn from diverse and related disciplines from Nigeria, Africa and the Diaspora in order to fashion out lasting panacea to the multifaceted hydra-headed challenges that had hitherto plagued the sector. F
As part of the findings and recommendations of the summit, which was chaired by no less a personality than the academic icon and internationally reputed Nobel Laureate in Literature, Professor Wole Soyinka, the teaching-learning environment was identified to be of high preponderating and contributory influence on impact of delivery, efficacy and good outcome. It would not be a mismatch, therefore, to attribute the emergence and/evolution of the State of Osun Schools Infrastructure Development Project, known for short as O’SCHOOLS to the numerous landmark breakthrough achievements of the inaugural Education Summit for the State of Osun held in February 2011. This far into the exposition at hand, our teeming readers have been taken down the memory lane, as we went through the spate of rot, decay and abandonment which our public educational institutions were made to witness in the past decade or thereabouts; particularly, during the time of the fiery siege unleashed by the immediate past administration. We availed the ample medium offered by our numerous editions to explore the multiple ugly side-effects of the careless neglect of the time and the extent and depth of dungeon into which the state had been plunged. We further went through the details of devastation;
the extent and intensity of damage and the resultant effects of the declined quality on the state, its people and the products of the rotten system directly. Part of this was the abysmally poor academic performances of the state’s candidates in annual external examinations, to the extent that it was becoming increasingly difficult for the state’s candidates to fill their allotted spaces for admission in federal tertiary institutions, due to dwindling performances. Also, admission into stateowned institutions became difficult due to much the same reasons. As a result, rate of dropout became very high. This presented a sharp deviation from long-known traditions whereby our state was one of the leading lights in the area of Western Education in the nation.
The prevailing situation in the State of Osun was that bad! Fortunately, the coming on board of the Aregbesola was a timely development; which brought with it timely relief to all and sundry in the state. Rather than moaning and groaning under the yoke of the colossal loss suffered by the state and its people over the years, the progressive and dynamic administration of Ogbeni Aregbesola knew what to do and when exactly to act. This timely intervention, according to opinions expressed by sources close to the governor and his team was due to long time of planning and deep-seated interest which the Symbol of the struggle for the revival of Osun, Ogbeni Aregbesola has in the education of youths in the state and bringing back quality to it. The factors which provided impetus for the first ever State of Osun Education Summit; and which added credence to the O’SCHOOLS project have been attributed the decisive steps taken so far and the huge success recorded to early recognition of requisite elements for effective learning, accurate diagnosis of the affliction which had bedeviled the sub-sector and recognition and proper application of efficacious therapy. SUN DEFENDER Magazine casts readers’ minds back to excerpts of interview held with one of the principal actors in the education policies of the incumbent administration in the state, the Chairman of the State of Osun Schools’ Infrastructure Development Project (O’SCHOOLS) Committee, Otunba Lai Oyeduntan, who justified the Education Summit, its rationale and aftermath as follows: O
“Well, I’m sorry to say that I’m not aware that anybody has criticized that summit. I have not seen any fellow doing that! The summit was widely attended. It was widely graced from all over the world by people who are knowledgeable in education, policies, and even in intellectual aspect of it. I am going to answer
planning and implementation; and the after-effects. How did we come about the summit? Long before Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola came into office, right from the moment he indicated interest and was given the ticket to contest, he had shown a lot of interest in education. As far back as 2004, he sponsored a remedial programme for Osun boys and girls preparing for external examinations. That time, 2,000 candidates were involved. Extra-mural classes were organized in Osogbo, in Iwo, in Ilesa - about 2,500 candidates I think. And Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola picked the bill to fund the classes, paid for their school certificate entry fee and paid them (the candidates) allowances. When the results came, it was disappointing! It was obvious that there was a lot more wrong with the education sector than trying all these cosmetic approaches for a solution. So between 2005 and 2011, there were so many committees he instituted focusing on education! That is why it was possible that within the first 100 days of his being sworn in, an education committee - a summit chaired by no less a personality than Professor Wole Soyinka took place; inviting resource people from all over the world; many of them, our own people, who had made marks in the United States, in Europe, in the Americas and other parts of the country and Africa. Okay, the summary of the findings at that summit identified that it takes more than the teacher, it takes more than the pupil, it takes more than all of these to have all the impact that it requires to increase the fortunes of the education sector. One of these is that the teacher who will teach must be made more efficient. The students must be well prepared, and of course, the environment must be made more friendly and befitting - more enabling! So, the environment must be properly taken care of and that led to the uniform concept introduced by the Government of the state to encourage and of course to motivate the pupils. Teachers are being recruited and being retrained via programmes of training, retraining and promotion courses. Now, we are talking of the environment - we have the O’MEAL programme, we have O’UNIFORM, even O’TEACHERS, so to say, all came as a result of experts identifying and pointing out the crucial steps to take, to set the sector back on track.”
15
Penalty Woe For Cristiano Ronaldo As Real Madrid
C
ristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty as Real Madrid slipped even further behind leaders Barcelona in the Primera Division title race by
drawing 1-1 at Malaga. The Portuguese headed the Merengues in front late in the first half at La Rosaleda but just a minute later had a spot-kick saved by Carlos Kameni, and in the second half Malaga grabbed a deserved equaliser through centre-back Raul Albentosa. The hosts might even have snatched a winner late on had it not been for some great goalkeeping by Madrid’s Keylor Navas, but Zinedine Zidane’s side fall nine points behind Barcelona with 13 games left of the campaign. Madrid went into the game buoyed by their 2-0 win at Roma but wary of their two previous trips to Andalusia — a 1-1 draw at Real Betis and a narrow 2-1 win over relegationthreatened Granada. Zidane was forced to start Nacho at centre-back as Raphael Varane was suspended and Pepe injured, while the Frenchman dropped James Rodriguez in favour of Jese, who scored the second goal against Roma after coming off the bench. Jese and former Malaga midfielder Isco were Madrid’s brightest players early on, drawing fouls from the hosts and creating danger every time they went forward. Jese had Madrid’s first clear chance but Kameni came out quickly to smother. Then Isco went for goal from range but lifted his shot well over the crossbar. It was the beginning of a flurry of chances for
both sides. Juanpi won the ball back in Madrid’s half and made for the box but could only shoot straight at Navas. Then Ricardo Horta took advantage of more uncertainty in Madrid’s area but missed the target with just Navas to beat. At the other end, Jese was clean through against Kameni again after latching onto a ball from Marcelo but Kameni saved with his feet. Malaga squandered two more opportunities and then were harshly punished at the other end as Ronaldo headed Toni Kroos’ free kick into the far corner from an offside position. Barely a minute later the Portuguese was felled by Weligton and offered an opportunity to score again from the spot but Kameni guessed correctly and dived to his left to repel the spotkick. Malaga should have levelled before the break
when Duje Cop was played in in the area, but Navas stuck out a foot to send the ball spinning up and Ramos had to race back to head it over. Madrid continued to leak chances in the second half and it took another fine save from Navas to prevent Nacho from putting through his own net. Malaga finally levelled when Recio played Weligton in down the left and the centre-back’s cross was allowed to roll across the box, where Albentosa lashed into the net. Malaga could have won the match, Navas again coming to the Merengues’ aid by tipping a header from Charles over the bar, and at the other end Ronaldo was denied a late winner by a block by Brazilian centreback Weligton.
our club. When something is done, we will announce it.”
Messi, who a little over a year ago made several ambiguous statements over his future, now appears firmly committed to playing out the remainder of his toplevel career at Barca.
“Messi said a few days ago, ‘Barcelona will be the only European club that I play for,’ so if someone is interested in Messi, forget it,” Bartomeu said. “He said this. I didn’t say it. He said this.” Even so, he recognises that the new Premier League TV contract for 2016-19, which has increased by 70 percent to over £5 billion, is a potential problem. “When people ask me who is our rival, I always s a y, ‘ I t ’s t h e P r e m i e r League,’” he said. “The TV deal, the organisation of the competition, the fact they have interesting matches permanently, that the league is very equal. Everything. The TV rights is a consequence of doing things correctly in past years.”
the Primera Division TV contract due to the fact rights were negotiated on an individual basis. However, a new “collectivised” TV deal was mandated into law by the Spanish government last year, forcing cash to be shared more equally. Bartomeu has already said he believes it will be good for La Liga but will hinder his club’s financial power in the short-term. La Liga’s deal for the 2015-16 season is said to be worth around €1bn (£772.8 million) but Bartomeu said Barca “will try” to cope with the new situation. “Finally in La Liga we are selling the rights in a more equal way,” he added. “It’s worse for Barcelona, worse for Madrid, worse probably for some of the teams, but we have to think of the long term. We would like to get some TV rights like the Premier League and the competition in La Liga should be [more] interesting.”
Barcelona and Real Madrid had previously received around half of
Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale Could Become World’s Best - Ra-
R
eal Madrid forward Gareth Bale could b ecome the best player in the world
within a few years, according to his former boss Rafael Benitez. B a l e , 2 6 , p l a y e d listened,” Benitez is under Benitez during quoted as saying by the the Spaniard’s spell Sunday People. “He did in charge of Madrid his work on the pitch and in the gym too. earlier this season. “But what I see in him Benitez lasted just seven months in the job most is improvement. before being sacked by There are areas of his Los Blancos in January, game that he continues but says he saw enough to work on. He can get of Bale in that time to better. “Obviously, he’s a convince him that the Wales international can very good player now. make it right to the top. But in a couple of years “ I n e v e r h a d a if he carries on, I don’t moment’s problem with see any reason why he Gareth. He was a very could not be regarded as solid professional who the best.”
Bale, who is currently sidelined with a calf injury, has hit 13 goals in 15 La Liga games this season.
•Cristiano Ronaldo scored before missing a penalty as Real Madrid were held at Malaga.
Per Mertesacker: Arsenal Need Big Display VS. Barcelona After Hull Draw
P
•Cristiano Ronaldo scored before missing a penalty as Real Madrid were held at Malaga.
earn more money in other teams, or Neymar, Busquets, Gerard Pique or Luis Suarez,” Bartomeu said. “Neymar, for example, when he came to Barcelona, had better offers from other teams. Suarez also had better offers, but they decided to come to Barcelona because I think this club attracts players, because we are more than a club.” He cited the club’s charity work, which he said “creates an atmosphere that we are not only a football club.” H e a d d e d : “ We a r e confident because we know our players are very happy in our club, in our city. They enjoy sport, their profession, and they are in a group. So we are very confident those players are not moving, taking decisions because of money.” Bartomeu stressed that there was no problem with contracts, despite Messi and Neymar’s deals expiring in 2018. “All of our players are in a moment where we renew their contracts, we extend their contracts,” he said. “Right now I don’t see that any of our players have to leave next summer. “I cannot tell you if we have done it or not done it, but as a member of the board we are responsible people. We know what is best for
er Mertesacker concedes Arsenal need to rediscover their best form for Tuesday’s Champions League meeting with Barcelona following a disappointing 0-0 FA Cup draw against Hull. Arsene Wenger’s side dominated against the Arsenal at bay, with a Tigers at the Emirates replay not what either Stadium on Saturday side would have been but, unlike their FA Cup particularly keen on final meeting in 2014 and given their respective last year’s third-round targets this season. While Hull are tie, they could not find a gunning for promotion way to beat Steve Bruce’s straight back to the men. Hull goalkeeper Eldin P r e m i e r L e a g u e , F A Jakupovic made several Cup holders Arsenal are g o o d s a v e s t o k e e p challenging for the title. They also have a
Champions League round-of-16 first leg against Barcelona on Tuesday, and Mertesacker wants to see an improvement in the side when the Catalan club come to North London. “Overall, we missed a bit of something and we have to come back quickly in three days’ time,’’ he said. “We have a very important game, the first leg against Barcelona, and we will see the fans again — it will be another buzzing night but it is up
to us how we perform.
•Per Mertesacker.
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Tuesday, february 23, 2015
E
very
settlement
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human species is inundated with problems that daily occupy the minds of major stakeholders. Problems bothering on the sociopolitical and economic lives of the people call for attention daily, so as to proffer solutions to them before they get out of hand and intractably dangerous. Quick solutions make room for peace, and the resultant progress creates respite for all and sundry through developmental activities that people engage in within a tranquil atmosphere that is conducive for productivity. Problems that are left unattended to may soon create some sort of disequilibrium that if not wellmanaged, may become an albatross to the entire people and the community as a whole. Prompt attention often mitigates fatality that money may become too insignificant to tackle when action is delayed. To say that things are no longer at ease in the State of Osun; and by extension in the Federal Republic of Nigeria is to say the fact, an understatement. Many of us love to point accusing fingers to the leaders, who are often regarded as lacking in innovation and ideas that would have averted any hardships that are currently raging. Ironically, nobody can be exonerated because we have all contributed one way or the other to the raging woes. If only we can do some soul searching, everybody will be able to engage in a process of selfexamination capable of x-raying the incongruent internal process inimical to the existing social order. It is easy to apportion blames to others, whereas we try to justify our own ineptitude that might also have contributed to the current sorry state. We are at a critical point, where honest assessment must be done by all of us. We all must honestly ask questions concerning how we arrived at this critical condition that we all feel unsecured, in view of our economic woes and political uncertainty. In doing this however, we need to underplay selfish political consideration that causes psychological trauma in most of us. How have I contributed; how have you contributed; or how have we contributed (jointly)? should be the constant questions agitating our minds as concerned citizens of Nigeria. Yet, the quest to get these facts must motivate us to the point of identification as to where we have got it all wrong; with a view to avoiding such pitfall in the future. We may hastily drop the blame at the doorstep of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); the party that was in the saddle of governance continuously for sixteen years. We may totally not be
By ade olugbotemi
Avoiding Fur ther Self-inflicted
be dashed. All of us must be sincere in our assessments of the current situations we have found ourselves. We must also accept the enormity of economic misfortune that PDP’s years of misrule have brought onto us before we begin to castigate the ruling All Progressives Congress. We need to note that our civil servants; especially those at the senior cadres that have opportunity to manage funds also have their own portion of the blame to bear. We may be quick to blame government for the downturn in our economy; what we have discovered recently pointed to the contrary. It is the senior carrier officers that usually disorientate and pollute the minds of the newlysworn-in political office holders, so that they can also rake their own part of the booty. People should go out to study the lifestyles of some top public officers and measure them side-byside with their legitimate earnings. Just like it happened to Nigeria that the managers of our economy failed to plan for a possible unfavourable economic climate, some of our top civil servants did not also envisage that their disservice to our country, state and local government can deal a bounce-back economic blow to themselves.
egative a n d i n c i t i n g statements that are fast gaining ground, to me appear unjustifiable. Anywhere we go now, we either hear that Governor Aregbesola is not doing fine, or nothing meaningful is happening be happening in Nigeria now. It was under the government of Mohammadu after the general elections have been Buhari. We may aggravate the already lost by PDP that the super minister bad and tensed situation if we refuse in that regime; Okonjo-Iweala came to be sincere in our assessment out to tell the whole world for the first of the current state at all levels time that the Federal Government of government. I honestly suggest had been borrowing to pay workers’ that we all pray and look inward to salary. We all feign ignorance now; see where things are still not being whereas, monumental plundering of handled properly and come forward unimaginable dimension went on for with useful suggestions that will bail years, under successive presidents us out of the current pathetic situation. from the self-styled biggest party Some of us claim to be praying to God in Africa, with all of us watching but out attitudes and pronouncements negate what we are praying for. helplessly. N
•buhari
wrong in our assessment, but a closer look will attempt to shift the bulk to the super structure of our society that encourages misdemeanour and social malady. The moment an individual wins an election, what readily comes to mind is how the new office holder will become stupendously rich overnight. It is not that we love the guy so much; far from it. It is because there is now an expected veritable source of financial relief for those who usually claim to be the brain behind his emergence. Failure to meet expectations will draw serious but needless anger against the perceived political beneficiary. The former ruling party cannot be totally exonerated due to their gross mismanagement and monumental corruption. Nigerians are already held bound and dumbfounded by the recent discoveries of how our commonwealth was plundered by the stalwarts of a party that claimed to have solutions to all problems plaguing Nigerian socio-political and economic landscape. Were it not for the ouster of PDP in April last year, only God knows what would
nyone w h o s e e m s h a p p y about the state of our economy now must have lost his/her senses; because there is no family that is not feeling the pang of economic meltdown at the moment. Those who stole our money silly are also not left out. They are already feeling the pinch by way of their loots that have to be relinquished to anti-graft agencies. We only hope that they will maintain the tempo of loyalty they have exhibited so far; so that our expectation that the recovered money will be used and bring much-needed relief at the end of the day will not A
We must admit that we are all guilty one way or the other. We must think of how civilians of all walks of life have sharked responsibilities and how henceforth they will fulfil their obligation of regular payment of tax. We must also think of laudable ideas and efforts that will boost the revenue base of government. Government on its part must ensure that resources are judiciously used in the overall interest of the general public. Horse trading is needed at this point in time to strike a balance. We must all be considerate on both ends. Openness must be our watchword, so that confidence
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.