Osun Defender - July 8th 2014, Edition by OsunDefender

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TUESDAY, JULY 8, 2014

The axiom 'who the cap fits let him wear it' is apt in describing the ascension of former CBN Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to the throne of his forefathers as

VOL. 9. NO.081

Front Page Comment Sanusi Lamido Sanusi: A Truly Outstanding Emir Of Emirate stool Kano needs a personality the fourteenth Emir of Kano. After the demise of Alhaji Ado Bayero, Kano

of equal (if not a higher) pedigree, integrity and sagacity of the deceased

Emir to continue to run the traditional and cultural affairs of Kano. No doubt the K a n o kingmakers found the right personage in S a n u s i

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

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IGE

Presidency’s DMO Clears Osun On N350bn Debt Claims •Say’s It’ll Introduce Osun’s Sukuk To Other Parts Of Nigeria - See Story On Page 2

•Wife of the governor, State of Osun, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola (with mic), addressing market women and men during her visit to New Orisunmibare Market in Osogbo, State of Osun, last Thursday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

News

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Presidency’s DMO Clears Osun On N350bn Debt Claims •Say’s It’ll Introduce Osun’s Sukuk To Other Parts Of Nigeria

ONTRARY to persistent claims by the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Iyiola Omisore, who alleged that Osun’s government under Governor Rauf Aregbesola is indebted to the tune of over N350 billion, the Debt Management Office (DMO) in Abuja has said Osun’s debt profile is a very sustainable one, which is healthy for its economic growth. Dr. Abraham his campaign for the Nwankwo, who is the governorship seat on the Director-General of the claim that Osun DMO in the Presidency, government owes over disclosed that the state is N350 billion. one of the best states in The state government the federation with public had severally told the debt management, world that only those describing the claims to ignorant of operations of heavy debt burden in the financial world would Osun as mere agree that a bank can propaganda and hoax. give a state or individual Fielding questions from loans more that its newsmen at MicCom capacity to pay both Golf Hotel and Resorts, interest and the principal. Ada in the State of Osun Nwankwo, who did not during a three-day retreat give figure on the actual for members of the House debt figure of the state, Committee on Aids, explained that the state Loans and Debt needed to be encouraged Management, Dr. in terms of management Nwankwo declared that of debt because it has not Osun’s status is very borrowed beyond its sustainable. capacity. A former Head of The DMO boss stated Service under the that the State of Osun is A r e g b e s o l a one of the states in the administration, Elder federation with good and Segun Akinwusi, had stable public debt equally built and sustained management, adding that

his office recognizes the state as the first state to take Sukuk. “By our plan to encourage the issuance of Sukuk in Nigeria because, we need to diversify the instrument in the bond market. “We want to make sure that all segments of the society are captured in the bond market because there are some groups of people or individuals, who do not want to participate in ordinary bond because of interest. “Our office, DMO and others are working hard to introduce Sukuk in Nigeria. We are delighted

that Osun took the initiative and helped in introducing it in Nigeria. So, by that, Osun is one of the best states in public debt management.” He also stated that the nation’s debt GDP ratio has fallen from 22% to 13%. He added: “Our debt is sustainable because GDP is much lower now. However, in spite of that, government will continue to be very prudent and conservative in its spendings.” According to him: “From my submission, I told the lawmakers that the GDP ratio is about

12% and this includes both external and domestic debt for both the federal and state governments. “I emphasised in my discussion with the House of Representatives Committee on Aids, Loan and Debt Management that focus should be on having more revenue to service debts and therefore, even based of debasing of Nigeria GDP, our debt GDP ratio has fallen from about 22% to less than 13%. This does not mean that we are in a position to borrow more, because GDP has improved dramatically.

“However, the poor attitude of Nigerians to paying their taxes as many enterprises in the country - small and medium scale businesses that should be in the tax bracket - are not in the tax bracket and because many Nigerians, who should pay tax are not willing to pay their taxes, the tax revenue GDP ratio is low and it is from revenue that government is able to service the debt or borrow. Therefore, until our tax revenue to GDP ratio improves significantly, government will continue to be conservative in borrowing,” he stressed.

PDP Seduces APC Supporters With N20,000 To Sell Voters’ Cards’ Photocopies By ISMAEEL UTHMAN

HE rattled Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State of Osun has been accused of seducing supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with N20,000 to make photocopies of their permanent voters’ cards and submit same to some designated PDP chieftains. OSUN DEFENDER party members to list the gathered that the PDP has names and addresses of commissioned some of its supporters of Governor Rauf Aregbesola in their various domains, with the aim of approaching them for possible compromise. Investigation revealed that the PDP was specifically going for the APC supporters to compromise them, which would in turn reduce Aregbesola’s votes in the forthcoming August 09, 2014 gubernatorial election in the state. In the case of noncompromise, the PDP is said to be offering N20,000 to buy the photocopy of the APC

supporters’ voters’ cards, which many might consider insignificant to the electoral process. However, sources within the PDP have disclosed to the medium that the party has a team of experts that are welltrained in hacking systems, saying that the team was the one to make use of the photocopied voters’ cards. According to the sources, the PDP hacking team could clone the photocopied voters’ cards bought from the APC supporters and surreptitiously insert them into the voters’ register with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). “The implication of the move is that the names of the APC supporters would appear twice and the computer would deregister

it,” said the sources. The names of the APC supporters whose cards had been given to the PDP would no longer appear on the voters’ register that would be used to conduct the coming gubernatorial election. Such move, according to the PDP sources, was aimed at reducing the votes to be cast for Governor Rauf Aregbesola by his supporters, whose love for the governor is capable of sending jitters down the spines of the PDP and its governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore. The sources confided in the medium that the assignment is being funded by the South-West Mobilisation and Contact Committee of the PDP, headed by Buruji Kashamu.

Aregbesola Has Served Us Well – whole. Onirun, Oluresi What we can do as a •Deserves Second Term By SHINA ABUBAKAR

EEMING supporters and loyalists of the All Progressives Congress (APC) thronged the streets of Iresi and Oke-Irun in Boluwaduro Local Government Council Area of the State of Osun, to receive the party re-election campaign team, canvassing for votes ahead of the forthcoming governorship poll in the state. Onirun said the governor The crowd walked through the major roads in has not only done Iresi and Oke-Irun creditably, but he has also canvassing for votes among been fair to all sections the residents, as well as across the state, even in explaining the manifestoes policy implementation. According to him, of the candidate of the APC, Governor Rauf Aregbesola Aregbesola has judiciously to the teeming masses in the utilized the state resources to provide equitable community. Addressing the APC infrastructure to the people supporters in their palaces, as envisioned by the the Onirun of Oke-Irun and founding fathers, adding the Oluresi of Iresi, Oba that his administration is the to initiate Isaac Adetunlurese and Oba first Sikiru Adeseun respectively developmental projects that described Governor launched the state into Aregbesola as an excellent limelight. “Aregbesola is a divine performer who deserves to be supported for another messenger to the people of the state and Nigeria as a term of office.

people is to support him to succeed, which would benefit Nigeria as a whole,” the monarch said. In his view, the Oluresi opined that Governor Aregbesola is a rare politician, who should be allowed to use his experience to fully transform the state to a viable one socially and economically. Addressing the residents of the communities, Chairman of the campaign team, Mr Sunday Akere, said Governor Aregbesola has shown the people of the state through his six-point integral action plan in his first term of office by turning all moribund sectors alive. Akere assured the people of Iresi, Oju-Eri communities that the state government has approved the construction of the road linking Ajaba, Ajebamidele to Ikoro in Ekiti State to further open up the area for commercial activities.

News

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 8, 2014

PDP Unleashes Terror In Obokun LG •Party Leader Locks Boy, 14, In Dog Cage

HE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has begun to unleash terror in the State of Osun, as one of the party leaders in the state, Mr Francis Fadahunsi, locked a 14-year-old Olubiyi Olamikun, in a dog cage in his house at Ilase in Obokun Local Government Council Area of the state. This was just as the begging Fadahunsi for Youth Leader of All hours, his son was Progressives Congress subsequently released to (APC) in Iponda was him around 1:00am, with a attacked by PDP thugs led warning that no matter the by one Adekanmi Aderopo circumstances, he should on an alleged Fadahunsi’s never engage in such act for directive. which he was punished It all happened on again. Wednesday when According to him, he and Olamikun, who was his son trecked back to considered to be an Ilase in the same night after imbecile, tore a PDP poster they were released. in Iponda, a neighbouring He said he and his son town to Ilase, which was had related what transpired pasted on that of APC, at Obokun Police Station following an argument and written a statement to between him and one of his that effect. friends identified as Ope. Olubiyi, who claimed not Some PDP members, while to be either a PDP or APC subsequently beating up member, then called on the Olamikun at the scene, were government and other wellreportedly challenged by meaning Nigerians to help Aderopo’s wife and they him seek justice, as he has allowed the boy to go after no one to fight for him. hot arguments. Meanwhile, Aderopo, Recounting his ordeal, whose wife challenged the Olamikun said around PDP members while beating 9.00pm on the said day, Olakunmi also related that some PDP thugs stormed his few minutes to 9.00pm of house where he was the same night, some thugs residing with his father in two vehicles, forced stormed his house with themselves into the broken bottles, cutlasses building, beat him up and guns in a Sienna Bus repeatedly and took him and White Hilux Van away to Fadahunsi’s house belonging to Fadahunsi, which they used to whisk at Ilase. He noted that on getting Olakunmi away. He mentioned some of the to Ilase, Fadahunsi directed thugs as Sanmi Adeboyejo, that he should be locked in the dog cage, until his father whom he identified as a came beggin for his release. Nigerian Security and Civil Also lamenting, the father Defence Corps (NSCDC) of the victim, Mr Samuel officer, Kehinde Olohunda Olubiyi, said shortly after and Gbenga Omoseebi. He his son was taken away, he said Sanmi is currently left his house on the same living in Fadahunsi’s night and trecked down to house. Aderopo said when he Ilase, with a view to saving discovered that the thugs the life of his son. He further related that on had come and expecting getting to Fadahunsi’s him to open the door, he house at Ilase, he started quickly asked his wife and begging profusely before he children to run away to his was allowed to come into father’s house through the back door. the house to see his son. He added that the thugs Olubiyi added that after

subsequently broke his door, forced themselves in, but they could not found him in the house, because there was no light. The APC Youth Leader explained that when the thugs could not found him, they went out again and Sanmi started shooting into

the air before moving to Olakunmi father’s house. He said he had gone to the police station in Ibokun to make report and had written a statement to that effect. Reacting, the Chairman, APC Leaders’ Forum in Obokun Local Government

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

Council Area, Otunba Jumoke Ogunkeyede, described the attack by the PDP thugs on the APC Youth Leader and the 15 year-old Olakunmi as unruly. He said that though reports have been made at the police station, but alleged that efforts are being made by some PDP leaders

in connivance with some police officers to ensure that the young boy reverted his story. Calling on the police not to sweep the matter under the carpet, Ogunkeyede stressed that the party would do everything humanly possible to get to the root of the matter.

Masked Terrorists Guard Omisore At Campaigns - APC Raises Alarm “Political terrorism has arrived in Nigeria’s democratic space by the evil construct of the PDP,” the APC reasoned. The party drew attention to the fact that in all of his campaigns and appearances so far, the theme of Omisore’s campaign is that, arrangement has already been made to remove Aregbesola from office, no matter whatever he is doing. “Nobody has heard this fellow articulate a plan of governance for Osun, which can be publicly evaluated as superior to what Aregbesola is doing. All he has on offered is a so-called ‘plan’ that has been made to replace

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun has raised an alarm that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Iyiola Omisore, has introduced the terrorist culture of armed masked men on his campaign trail in a flagrant public gesture intended to intimidate the electorate. Deploring the impunity According to the party, Omisore was spotted during with which PDP and Omisore one of his campaign trails are operating, the APC said closely guarded by a masked, “this country and the suspected armed terrorist, democratic process are in the first of its kind to be seen terrible times”, adding that anywhere in the political as the August 9, 2014 history of electioneering in governorship election Yorubaland. approaches, PDP’s Reacting to this development, the party desperation to win by force observed that while of arms, rather than the votes President Goodluck of the people, is manifesting Jonathan fights armed and ever so clearly. masked terrorists in the North with Nigerian soldiers, the reverse is being done in HE Osun chapter of the All Progressives Congress Osun, by Jonathan’s man, (APC) has issued a strong warning to the Peoples hiding behind security cover Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, its to intimidate the electorate with masked and armed governorship candidate in the August 9 election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, its supporters and others breaching the suspected terrorist guards. The party therefore, called peace of the state to stop causing chaos in the guise of for a full scale investigation political campaigns. This warning came on the Council Area of the state; a by the security agencies, if it which was not privy to the exercise heels of a rising wave of development “because,” the party planned violent political followed series of other emphasised, “this potentially attacks on the supporters of similar attacks against dangerous dimension of the All Progressive supporters of the APC. electioneering violence is a Congress (APC) across the The statement high risk factor that can derail state. catalogued series of attacks democracy and threaten In a statement by the on the supporters of APC in Nigeria’s corporate party’s Director of Publicity, some areas of the state in existence.” Strategy and Research, recent times, which it said Besides, the APC said it Barrister Kunle Oyatomi, the could snowball into full heard it on good authority party cautioned all agents violence but for the that the PDP had brought it and promoters of conflicts understanding and in bales of fake police and chaos to refrain from containment attitude of the uniforms with subtantial arms such acts or face the wrath government. into the state with the of the law. The party listed the intention to replicate the The party issued the attacks on its members in Ilascenario of Ekiti and enact the warning after a political Orangun, Iwo, Ikirun, bombing experience in Ile Ife violence was averted by the destruction of Governor in several other cities of the State Police Command in Rauf Aregbesola’s campaign Obokun Local Government billboards along Osogbostate.

APC with PDP government come August 9th.’ The APC said it wants to make it abundantly clear that Jonathan’s and the PDP’s resort to terrorism and electronic manipulation of the voting process will fail because it is not in the wish of the citizens of Osun to replace Aregbesola’s excellence in governance with a clueless character, who has now added political terrorism to his violent credentials. “Osun wants a dependable gentleman in government; not an insurgent, masquerading like a blood-thirsty terrorist in public view,” the APC said.

‘Stop This Terror And Descent To Anarchy Now’

•A mammoth crowd during Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s re-election rally in Iwo recently.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

Ilesa Road, Ibokun and IleIfe, where unknown hoodlums had also planted minor explosive devices to scare people a few days ago as some of the instances in which APC supporters have been at the receiving end of PDP’s crusade of violence. The statement noted that it is the restoration of peace after a long reign of PDP’s terror government that endeared Aregbesola to the people of the state. “People could still remember that during its tenure, the PDP administration promoted chaos, terror and violence to an unimaginable level. “Since PDP’s exit from power however, peace returned to Osun. Our people have from 2010 embraced the peace and harmony that Aregbesola’s government heralded. “It has been shown to the whole world that this state values, enjoys and promotes harmonious living among its various peoples. “This is one of the cardinal programmes of the APC government. Ours is not a government that fans the embers of disquiet, discord and chaos. “Government will do everything humanly possible to sustain the atmosphere of peace and tranquility that have become the state’s hallmark in the last four years. “Any attempt by opposition agents to plunge the state back into the state of nature where life is nasty, brutish and short’ will be prevented. Hence, the peace-loving people of the state will rise up and defend the peace which they had enjoyed for almost four years now,” the party said.

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Sanusi Lamido Sanusi: A Truly Outstanding Emir Of Kano Continued frompg1

Thus there is no denying the fact that the right choice has been made to continue to steer Kano's cultural ship. Until the new Emir became the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) little was known of him publicly. But the position of the Governor of the country's apex bank is a no mean one not to bring its occupier into public glare. In fact, the position of CBN Governor could be compared only to that of the President in terms of popularity and prestige. Hardly can the CBN Governor opens his mouth to say anything without being reported by the media especially as it concerns the country's finances.

Thus just like his predecessors, immediately Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi became the Governor of CBN his name became a household name throughout the country. But to say that his name rang bell or that his name was on the lips of many people more than those of his predecessors is to simply state the obvious. In fact, that's one fact that remains incontestable and the reason isn't unconnected with his controversial nature. As the Governor of the CBN the new Emir of Kano brought competence to bear in the banking sector. Under his regime the banking sector underwent a lot of reforms and his was a regime of zero tolerance for corruption. Though his reform efforts were not without criticisms from financial experts and economic analysts, it will continue to be on record that the banking sector witnessed appre-

ciable level of sanity and transformation under his watch. For this we give him kudos. Apart from exhibition of competence in the course of his career, another attribute that is worth mentioning about him as the CBN Governor is his activism. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi behaved more like an activist and this was why he fell out of favour with the power that be towards the tail end of his tenure as CBN boss. As a personage who has the blood of activism flowing in his vein Sanusi Lamido could not see without kicking. Being a candid and patriotic person he could not stomach some inherent rots in the system. That was why he had to blow the whistle concerning the non-remission of $20b oil proceeds into the Federation Account by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corpora-

Aregbesola Not Wooing Workers With Salaries

OVERNOR R a u f Aregbesola of the State of Osun recently paid the outstanding salaries of workers in the state. This was received with joy and much commendation by the workers who appreciated this as a product of great financial engineering, knowing that the monthly allocation to the state from the Federation Account had dropped by 40 per cent since last year. However, a section of the media, especially The Punch, reported this as the governor wooing workers. The slant of the story is disturbing and betrays a poor professional judgement, not just in being speculative and

tendentious, but in portraying opinion as news. Workers in the state were owed May salary, but this was in late June. However, as soon as the cheque from the Federation Account allocation cleared on

Tuesday June 24, salaries were paid and workers started receiving alerts from their banks that very moment. Pray, how then does that translate into wooing? Is payment of salaries not a statutory responsibility? When an

employer pays his workers, does that amount to wooing them? Governor Rauf Aregbesola has been ‘wooing’ the workers since December 2010 when it gave them 25 per cent of their salaries as 13th month bonus, which

has restored foreign training trips to the senior cadre, which had been suspended more than 15 years ago. These are what wooed the workers, not paying salaries. The tendentious report of wooing workers with salaries is innocuous except that it was done with the intention of portraying the governor as using salaries as campaign instrument; that he has only paid salaries because of the impending election, or else, he would not have paid them at all. A newspaper as an organisation, can take sides, but as professionals, let us stick to the facts and not pass opinion as news.

has never happened in the state. He progressively increased the percentage every year until December 2013, when he gave them 100 per cent as bonus. He has given workers in the state •SOLA FASURE, housing loans and, earlier Osogbo, State of Osun. this year, car loans. He

tion (NNPC). It was that exposé from him that created frosty relationship between him and the authority which led to his suspension and eventual sack. At Osun Defender we admire Sanusi Lamido Sanusi's courage, his sense of candour and patriotism as the CBN Governor. We fervently believe that, these, amongst others, are the virtues we need to propel our country. It's our hope that he will bring all these good attributes to bear as the new Emir of Kano. We thank Almighty Allah for making his life to be characterised by glories. His is a case of 'from one glory to a higher glory'. We cannot but wish him long life and good health to stay on his forefathers' stool. May Kano be peaceful during your reign-Amen.

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

Politics OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Aregbesola On The March Again Ikirun Mega Rally: Rekindled Commitment, Redoubled Effort •Double Tenure; Double Goodies; Quality Governance – Symbol’s Re-assurance The Gubernatorial Election in Ekiti State was expected by wishful thinkers to produce a spill-over effect in the State of Osun. This effect in detractors’ wildest imagination would suffocate the fold of progressives in the state. It however turned out that detractors were disappointed as there was a tumultuous crowd that trooped out penultimate Tuesday to demonstrate their support and acceptance for the second term bid of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in office. That development put to rest the wave of apprehension nursed and expressed in some quarters that the spill-over effect would cast shadows or dampen the morale of the progress-loving people of the state, as a vibrant subset of the volatile South-West. In Ikirun however, NIYI OLASINDE was part of the events which played out. He succinctly captures it as beginning of a line-up of redoubled efforts in the collective bid to clinch Ogbeni’s governorship ticket and his return back to the Government House, come August 9.

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (waiving broom), acknowledging cheers from his ecstatic admirers during a mega-rally for his re-election in Ikirun recently.

MAGAZINE

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Ikirun Mega Rally: Rekindled Commitment, Redoubled Effort

• •Governor Rauf Aregbesola and his wife, Sherifat, at the Ikirun re-election campaign recently. Contiuned from page 5 AT Ikirun, the headquarters of Ifelodun Federal Constituency of the State of Osun, it was a joyous crowd of supporters who converged to accord rousing welcome to the Symbol of their collective mandate, Ogbeni Aregbesola, who led his campaign train to the area on Tuesday, June 24, 2014. The people trooped out en masse to reassure the governor of their support and commitment toward returning him to the seat of governance in the fastapproaching Gubernatorial Elections in the State. In response to the demonstrated reassurance, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in turn assured the people of his avowed determination to double the utilitarian value of his administration through value-added service provision in all spheres. In his speech, Aregbesola described the strides made so far in the lifespan of the first tenure of the administration as just a tip of the iceberg. According to him, the second term would be the back-buster that would sweep all opposition off their feet and make them absolutely irrelevant in the politics and life of the twenty-three-yearold state. This election season is becoming more and more interesting. Obviously, as the coast is becoming clearer, things are getting better. The campaigns preceding the Gubernatorial Elections in the State of Osun have gathered momentum. As a matter of fact, it is an undertaking in stating the obvious that we are midstream into a fresh round of elections. The moment of decision is round the corner. In a matter of a month and few days, we, I mean all eligible adults who had registered as voters and who had collected their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs), introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) shall be exercising their franchise; through the power of the thumb. Now, it is becoming more down-to-earth that the thumb is more powerful than force of arms; especially if and when it is used to poll majority votes cast for a particular candidate and / or his political party. It is in reasonable response to this stark reality that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state has recently intensified efforts at massive voter education and awareness creation as it roves round the nine federal constituencies into which the state is delineated, with the intent of reaching the electorate in their domains and present them with the programmes and policies the party has in stock for them. Over a period of time spanning almost four years now, the state has witnessed monumental progress, growth and development, measured with the widespread developmental projects springing up, jumpstarted and bankrolled under the aegis of the Government Unusual spearheaded by the indefatigable team of achievers led by Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola. The landmark achievements of the administration are many. So plenty are these ground-breaking feats that making an attempt at reducing them to writing would require a voluminous work! This medium has done that over and over again. Yet in our avowed determination at providing the public with true, unbiased, accurate and authentic information we shall not shy out at this crucial stage to reemphasize the joy of having a competent government in place at the helm of affairs. It is safe here to conclude that this Government Unusual is working. This is the truth that is quite visible in every stratum of life in the State of the

Virtuous. At a time like this, prior to the Gubernatorial Elections of year 2007; a young, vibrant, enterprising and promising gentleman – an engineer by profession - expressed interest in providing the kind of leadership the state had long thirsted for. Unfortunately, since the creation of the state in 1991, this kind of administration had been a matter of desideratum, i.e. necessary but missing. The man, who christened his campaign appellation after one of the illustrious legendary forebears of the Yoruba race, Oranmiyan, stormed the entire political landscape with rallies, campaigns and public forums with which he intimated the populace with the innovations he was about to bring to bear in government, should he be given the mandate. Not to bore my readers with too much of wellknown details, I hereby venture into adumbrating the entire election promises in the presentation of his Six-Point Integral Action Plan, encapsulated in the pact he made with the people of the state: · Banish Poverty · Banish Hunger · Banish Unemployment (Create Work/Wealth) · Restore Healthy Living · Promote Functional Education · Enhance Communal Peace and Progress Today, we all are living witnesses to it that he has kept faith with his promises. Little wonder that the first civilian governor of the state Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke, did at the Ikirun Mega Rally name the achiever behind these countless projects in Ibo as Ekwueme, meaning a man of his words; or better, a man whose word is his bound. Aregbesola has, within his almost four years in office touched the lives of the citizenry in all facets. Boldly, we assert that there is no household, sector, class, caste or stratum of the state where the hand of his administration has not been prominently felt. It is in appreciation of this kind gesture; so magnanimously bestowed that people troop out in their droves whenever the call is made on them to give of their time, attention, interest, love and support. In most cases, most of these variable constructs, which the people of the state possess in abundant dosage, are given unsolicited. Naturally, it is a matter of one good turn that deserves another. But the people insist on giving more than these. They are fully committed to doing it all over again for Ogbeni and his administration so that the good work could continue. So far, five mega rallies have been held in five out of the nine federal constituencies in the state. Aside this, local campaign rallies are ongoing all over the corners, nooks and crannies of the state, all at the instance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to publish the policies and programmes which the party and its candidate have in stock. This fact is against the backdrop that some other parties in the contest are not being noticed as convening any gathering at all. Some of them do not appear to have any well conceptualized manifestos! Aside these rallies organized by a well-known, widely accepted political party, other gatherings are being held on daily basis by groups of diverse interests, adopting the candidature of Ogbeni and endorsing his stay in office beyond year 2014. At all the mega rallies held so far, the experience has been awfully wonderful. The surging crowd of supporters that trooped out to grace these rallies is astonishing. Little

wonder that members of the leading opposition in the state marvel to the extent that they carelessly mistake the explosive figure of attendees for hired cronies from other lands. Once, I overheard some of their idlers arguing on how the statistics of a single political party at just one of its rallies could appear to surpass the aggregate population figure of the entire state! To such ones and others who are similarly confounded, I give this candid answer: Time will tell, or better still, our votes shall soon tell. It is as simple as that. THE recently-held mega rally at Ikirun has multiplied the already numerous woes of traducers. Since the rally day, I for one have not been able to come out with a selfsatisfactory solution to the puzzle in my mind. The puzzle is whether or not the Reinhard Bonnke crusade which first opened the venue to mammoth crowd was as large as this political convergence it drifted into of late. Speaker after speaker, including Senator Isiaka Adeleke and Governor Aregbesola himself could not hide their rapturous amazement at the turnout of people at the event. The petrifaction of doubting Thomases caused their lower lips to droop. The story is told of how some of them began to develop high blood pressure; while those who had long been afflicted had their cases aggravated. WHY? Because they thought, in their wildest imagination, that the charade of Ekiti would cause a set-back for camp of progressives. Gladly, they are disappointed. The mega rally held in Ikirun, the seat of Ifelodun Local Government Council Area of the State of Osun was convened at the instance of the Ifelodun Federal Constituency, comprising three local council areas, namely, Ifelodun, Boripe and Odo-Otin. Every component of the rally, including the huge turnout, the spacious and expansive venue and the orderliness which pervaded the atmosphere spoke of work of ingenuity in planning and events management. Thus, one could not but appreciate the grand homework done by the Aregbesola Second Term Campaign Committee for the constituency, under the distinguished chairmanship of the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola. As early as eight o’clock on that day, the ancient town of Ikirun had already woken up to the frenzy atmosphere that was destined to last all-day. The streets fast became beehives of activities as crowds built up rapidly for the great event. At the centre of the town, especially, Oja Oba and areas adjoining the Akinrun’s Palace, attitudes of traders, commercial motorcycle operators (popularly referred to as okada men) and the presence of security men indicated that the stage was being set for an interesting event. At Total Area, down to Station Road, up to Monday Market and across the Ofa / Osogbo Expressway to Akinorun Grammar School, the situation was as if the weekly Monday Market was going to be extended one more day. This was also the situation at the popular Oja Alamisi Junction. The popular Eko-Ende Road did not take exemption from the hustle-bustle. The apparently most affected area was the old Inisa Road, stretching from the old Mobil Junction, through Labaeka / Emiloju Area down to the Coker Memorial High School, overlooking the venue of the great meet. Entrances to the town were not spared. Outskirts along

Contiuned on page 11

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 8, 2014

PHOTOTALK

Wife Of The State Of Osun Governor, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola, Visited Some Markets In Osogbo, Last Thursday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

• (L-R) State of Osun All Progressive Congress (APC)Women leader, Mrs Kudirat Fakokunde; Iyaloja of Gbajumo Market, Mrs Adeosun Bolanle; Mrs Aregbesola and Barrister Ajibola Bashir during the visit.

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•(L-R) The Ataoja of Osogboland, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanipekun and Mrs Aregbesola at the palace.

•A cross section of market women at Gbajumo Market, Osogbo.

•Another cross section of market women and men at New Orisunmibare Market, Osogbo, welcoming Mrs Aregbesola to the market.

PHOTOTALK

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Wife Of The State Of Osun Governor, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola, Visited Some Markets In Osogbo, Last Thursday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•Another cross section of Oja-Oba market women in Osogbo listening to Mrs Aregbesola’s speech.

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Thugs In The State Of Osun Vandalised Billboards Of The Governor, State Of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Recently.

•One of the Aregbesola billboards vandalized by the PDP thugs in Ilare.

•Another Aregbesola’s billboard vandalised by PDP thugs in Idominasi.

•Another Aregbesola’s billboard vandalized by PDP thugs in Otan-Ile.

PHOTOTALK

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Nollywood Comic Actor, Mr Hafiz Oyetoro Also Known As Saka, Paid A Courtesy Visit To The State Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, In Osogbo, Last Thursday.

•(L-R) The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Mr Semiu Okanlawon; Chief Executive Officer, Dudu Productions, Mr Tunde Alabi-Hundeyin and Nollywood Comic Actor, Mr Hafiz Oyetoro also known as Saka, during a courtesy visit to the governor in Osogbo, State of Osun, last Thursday.

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•Oyetoro (right, with fez cap) on the Assembly Ground with pupils of Salvation Army Middle School, during his visit to the school at Alekuwodo, Osogbo, State of Osun, last Thursday.

•Oyetoro (right), asking questions from the pupils of Salvation Army Middle School, during his visit to the school at Alekuwodo, Osogbo, State of Osun, last Thursday.

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 8, 2014

MAGAZINE

Ikirun Mega Rally: Rekindled Commitment, Redoubled Effort Contiuned from page 6 Inisa, Obaagun to Coker, Obaagun via Oke’ba, Iragbiji / Ada end, Eko-Ende and the rest were beefing up with congestion. The Osogbo end of the outskirts had expectant people attracted to it as they expected the appearance of their beloved emancipator – Ogbeni Aregbesola. Motor Parks in the town were not spared. Unions of public transport operators also organized themselves into groups with which they set out to identify and solidarize with the man who turned their fortunes around positively in a dramatic fashion. Student bodies, market men and women and various trade unions and associations used the ample opportunity provided by the august occasion to troop out and make their gratitude and support known. Needless to say, multifarious political groups and associations struggled to outdo one another as they registered their presence at the rally. On arrival at Ikirun, the first port of call for the governor and his entourage was the palace of the monarch of the town, where all the royal fathers were already seated, waiting for the arrival of the man in who they are well pleased. The host, Akirun of Ikirun, His Royal Majesty, Oba Rauf Olayiwola Olawale Adedeji, led others to receive the governor on arrival as prayers were rained on him and the success of his second term bid. Thereafter, the governor made straight for the venue of the occasion. The mammoth crowd that heralded his arrival at the palace, the ones that lined all the streets, and the cumulative crowd that accompanied him all the way to the venue suggested the expectation and arrival of one of the prophets of old, say, Mohammed or Jesus Christ. Already waiting at the venue was another large crowd. It was indeed a glorious occasion. Speeches after speeches were made at the occasion. The high point was the speech of the governor, the man of the moment. Aregbesola thanked the people for the continued faith in, and their support for his administration, even as he solicited their massive votes on the Election Day. He brought out the unique and intricate elements which distinguished the State of Osun and its politics from Ekiti; just as he cautioned the electorate to spurn all forms of intimidation and troop out in droves on Election Day to perform their civic obligation. He also counseled law enforcement agents to endeavour in their operations to dwell strictly within the ambit of constitutional provisions; as that was the only proviso for the people to stretch olive branches to them. Most impressive was how Aregbesola recounted his list of achievements; just as he promised to do more in his second term. According to him, he was seeking re-election, not just for the sake of it, but to do better in terms of good governance and service delivery to the people, In his words at the occasion, his seeking re-election was governed by the doctrine of “double tenure; double goodies”. By implication, the benefits derivable from giving him mandate to serve another term in office shall outstrip those already derived from the first tenure. Among dignitaries who graced the occasion are former governor of the state, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, Wife of the Governor, Alhaja Sherifat Abidemi Aregbesola, Deputy Governor, Otunba (Mrs.) Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori and the visiting Wife of the Governor of Ogun State, Mrs. Olufunsho Amosun. Others include the rank and file of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun led by the Acting Chairman, Elder Adelowo Adebiyi and Acting Secretary, Prince Gboyega Famodun. Among the members of the State Executive Council in attendance are the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Olalekan Adeoti, Chief of Staff to the Governor, who doubled as the Chief Host at the event, Alhaji Gboyega

Oyetola, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Honourable Sunday Akere, his Justice Ministry counterpart, Mr. Wale Afolabi and a host of others. Also in attendance are federal and state legislators, executive secretaries of local government council areas, political bigwigs, representatives of trade and professional associations and groups and others. Nollywood actors and musicians were not left out as usual. The chief entertainer at the occasion was King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (K1). Leading the Obas at the Akinrun’s Palace are their Royal Majesties, the Akirun of Ikirun, Oba Abdul-Rauf Olawale Adedeji (Ifelodun); Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Ayotunde Olabomi Odundun IV (Boripe); and Olokuku of Okuku, Oba Samuel Abioye Oyebode Oluronke II (OdoOtin). AS has been noted earlier, the programme of events at the Mega Rally had kicked-off prior to the arrival of the governor at the venue. The programme featured speeches by numerous speakers as well as entertainment bits by musical artistes and Nollywood actors and actresses who graced the occasion. It was part of the feature of the orderly crowd to announce lost but found articles; in spite of the population explosion at the venue. On hand at the event to announce to the teeming audience the availability of their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) at the local government Office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nearest to their places of registration was the State of Osun Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Honourable Sunday Akere. He further aired the announcement that the PVCs for those who transferred from other states and parts of the federation were already available at the state headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); stressing the all-important nature of the voters’ cards in the forthcoming elections, with a caution that anyone who lacked the card would not be allowed to vote. Mounting the soapbox to address the august gathering after Akere was a staunch member of the constituency committee for the Ogbeni’s Second Term Campaign Project, who doubles as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC), Honourable Kola Akanji. Akanji hammered his speech on the multifarious benefits of having the Aregbesola administration back in office via votes polled massively for it in the approaching round of elections. He also corroborated the essence of having a permanent voter’s card and urged all registered voters to effect its timely collection in order not to be left out in the voting exercise. Honourable Akanji went further to give the assurance that the massive votes of his constituents would return Ogbeni as duly elected. He urged the people to shun the devilish antics of the leading opposition – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) whose stock-in-trade are lies and deceits; noting that the vehemence of their antics could not over-sway the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the constituency. On the contrary, the opposition party’s mechanisms could not insulate it or break its defenses against abysmal failure at the polls. Speaking on behalf of Iyalojas, market men and women in the state, Alhaja Awawu Asindemade cast a retrospective glance at the new landmark achievements of the Aregbesola administration since its inception. According to her, those achievements include donation of buses to their groups all over the state, building of modern, state-of-the-art international market structures with modern facilities, revival of industries and manufacturers’ outlets which she said was in the pipeline. She cited numerous market complex projects ongoing in the state and confirmed that Ikirun would not be left out in the final analysis. Alhaja Asindemade cited how Aregbesola had already made easier and more cost-effective the process of stock-

replenishment for traders without taking the risk of travelling to Lagos and other distant lands. She then opined that at some non-distant future date, Osogbo would have attracted an impressive turnout of traders from all over the country, thereby reviving its old fond position as a commercial centre – all as positive effects of Aregbesola’s commercial / industrial drive. She concluded by appealing to all and sundry, traders in particular, not to listen to mischievous information and deceits but to troop out massively to vote for Aregbesola in the forthcoming elections. There were several other speakers who kept the people occupied and productively engaged prior to the arrival of the man of the moment, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola. Also, various entertainers performed to the delight of all as prelude to the take-off of the events-proper. The arrival of Ogbeni Aregbesola and his team was first noticed at the venue of the rally at exactly 4:05 p.m. The governor got to the venue in company of dignitaries like first civilian governor of the state, Alhaji Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti and the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, among others. It is placed on note that a larger segment of dignitaries had remained comfortably seated at the venue prior to the appearance of the governor. Having engaged in the usual exchange of pleasantries, Governor Aregbesola settled down for the take-off of events. At about 4:15 p.m. the National Anthem and the State of Osun Anthem were sung back-to-back; followed closely by the anthem that is now becoming usual with such gatherings – “On Your Mandate We Shall Stand…” The introduction of guests and dignitaries was done and the programme proceeded without further delays. As the Chief host of the event, the Chairman of the Committee for the Second Term Campaign of Governor Aregbesola in the area, who also is the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, gave a welcome address. He thanked the attendees of the programme for making it a point of duty to be present. According to him, the acronym for the local government councils under the constituency, i.e. Ifelodun, Boripe and Odo-Otin was IBO; which in mother tongue translates to “votes”; and as such, the people of the area conveyed their resolve to poll massive votes for the governor in the fast-approaching round of elections. He used the opportunity presented by the occasion to reprimand critics of the stock of opposition over their false allegations that the party was in the habit of hiring crowd from some distant lands. He attributed the usual huge turnout at campaign rallies to the genuine interest, love and support of the people; promising the administration’s determination to give back more of selfless service to the people for the ultimate growth and development of the state. The next speaker at the occasion was the State Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun, Elder Adelowo Adebiyi. Dwelling on the illegality and dire consequences of selling their voters’ cards for pittances, the chairman cautioned the electorate not to sell their cards but to use them to cast their votes for Governor Aregbesola on August 9. Elder Adebiyi urged the people to spurn rumour making the rounds on the hatred of teachers or other civil / public servants for the administration, saying that such rumours are baseless and unfounded. Adebiyi clarified that instead of widespread rumours that the administration was about to retrench workers, it would embark on massive recruitment to block vacancies that exist in all segments. Also, he debunked rumours that all serving political officers in the state and all awardees of contracts are non-indigenes; citing concrete examples and justifying them as bona fide indigenes of the State of the Virtuous. He then went ahead to shower the Contiuned on page 12

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 8, 2014

MAGAZINE

Ikirun Mega Rally: Rekindled Commitment, Redoubled Effort

••(L-R) Laoye-Tomori; first civilian governor in the State of Osun, Senator Isiaka Adeleke; Governor Aregbesola; his wife, Sherifat and wife of Ogun State Governor, Princess Funmilayo Amosun, at the Ikirun mega rally. Continued from page 11 appreciation and gratitude of the party hierarchy on workers, cadets of the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) and pensioners for their patience and forbearance over slight delays being recently experienced in the release of their monthly pay. He revealed that arrangements were in top gear to pay their May salaries, stipends and pensions as the case may be. Adelowo announced that reports had it that following the scenario at Ekiti, some fake tax collectors suspected to be cronies of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had started parading the premises of traders and shop owners demanding for a sum of N10, 000 as tax. He authoritatively disclaimed the State Government’s involvement in the unwholesome affair and directed affected traders to report such swindlers to law enforcement agencies as soon as their presence was noticed around their premises. Finally, he announced that prospective voters who were yet to have their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) should approach INEC’s LGA offices closest to their initial registration centres to claim them in order to quality as eligible voters in the forthcoming elections. The member representing Ifelodun / Boripe / Odo-Otin Federal Constituency of the state at the Federal House of Representatives, Abuja, Honourable Yinka Ajayi rose next to speak. In an emotion-laden rendition, Ajayi summed-up his intended speeches and supplication in two songs, which he led the people to sing. The songs are the immortal hymn sung as follows: Olorun Agbaye, Owo ni f ’oruko Re, Iwo l’a gbeke le, La’i ma je k’oju ti wa. Chorus: Bi ko se pe O ko ‘le naa Osise nse e l’asan Wo Alpha ati Omega Ran iranwo Re si wa. The second is the reigning traditional number: Dagunro o se e je / 2ce Ije ti e je tete; e ma je dagunro Dagunro o se e je! After the federal lawmaker’s song session, the next person to engage the crowd in a speech was none else than the senator representing the Osun Central Senatorial District at the Senate of the Federal Republic, Senator professor Olusola Adeyeye. According to the university don-turned politician, Aregbesola had through his performance demonstrated that he was God-sent on a mission to the people of the state; cautioning the people on the need to be wary of killers, thugs and violence-prone figures paraded by the leading opposition party in the state; as such people could obviously have no divine mission to deliver. Al that they could inflict was tears attendant to sorrow, tears and blood. Clarifying the clear difference between the State of Osun and Ekiti State in terms of body politics and yearnings for progressive brand of governance, Adeyeye flashed back to memory the distinct voting patterns elicited by voters in the two states in 2011 General Elections, which distinguished the State of Osun as the only state in the federation where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) failed woefully. In the speech of the former and first civilian governor of the state, who also represented Osun West Senatorial District at the Senate between 2007 and 2011, Senator Isiaka Adeleke, he expressed his great delight at being at home, being a honourary chieftaincy title older in towns in the area among which are Ikirun, Iree, Inisa and Faji. He counseled that the only wise option open to the electorate

is to return Aregbesola elected. He attributed the wisdom in this decision to the nature of the governor who makes promises and keeps them. He then gave the Ibo name of “Ekwueme” to Aregbesola, meaning the man who lives to his promises. As earlier pointed out in this report, he expressed confidence that all salaries, pensions and stipends were already being paid at the time of the staging of that rally. Finally, he promised that the crowd that would be attracted at Ede would surpass the astonishing one that was being beheld at Ikirun. The Deputy Governor of the state spoke next. She engaged the people in vehement and rapturous brandishing of the brooms, counselling them thereafter on their wholesome duties on the Election Day, that is, how they should vote and protect their votes till collation stage. FINALLY, the long expected speaker, Governor Aregbesola mounted the stage at exactly 4:52 p.m. Aregbesola’s appearance up-stage was heralded with songs supplied by King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall (K1); which was reciprocated by the waiting crowd who wielded their brooms in wild jubilation. Prior to the governor’s erudition, the popular anthem, “On Your Mandate We Shall Stand” was sung in unison. Following his usual long list of acknowledgement, Governor Aregbesola went into his speech, breaking it intermittently with songs. It was a highly charged atmosphere. Ogbeni Aregbesola brought out the many peculiarities of Osun and Ekiti. He went into the archives of the SouthWest and brought out peculiarities and uniqueness in voting behaviour of the people. He pointed out how the people of the state voted out Jonathan and his party in the General Elections of 2011 as he foretold nothing less of hat fate as befalling their party in the forthcoming Gubernatorial Polls. Commenting on the just-concluded Gubernatorial Elections in Ekiti, in which the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Ayodele Fayose was returned elected, Aregbesola said that the truth of the situation that led to the verdict laid with God, the judge of the entire Mankind. He then charged the people to troop out and vote massively as well as get prepared to protect their votes from the nefarious activities of Mandate thieves who may likely be on the rampage in their desperation to find “empires” to rule by all means. Responding on the boastings of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Federal Government to descend on the State of Osun with a lock-down, the Chief Executive expressed the absolute impossibility of such tyrannical measure and called on the people not to bow to intimidation but to go on discharging their civic obligation as stipulated by the provisions of relevant portions of the law. Promising double portions of dividends of democracy to the people, he enumerated the achievements of his administration so far, including breakdown of monthly salaries and pensions; stating categorically how the monthly statutory allocation from the Federation Accounts had been grossly inadequate to fund the monthly bills of the state since mid-2013. Openly at the rally, Governor Aregbesola debunked the insinuations that his administration was about to cancel the operation of commercial motorcycle operators, popularly called okada riders in the state, should he be elected for another term of office. He said that he never had such intentions. It is safe to conclude here that the Ikirun Mega Rally recorded utmost success; more so when traducers had wagged their tongues that the party would not be able to

carry on with its campaigns with much vigor. The party waxed stronger and stronger, and there were indications that all hands are now on the deck to re-strategize toward good outing at the poll. It is with great courage that OSUN DEFENDER Magazine asserts that in the State of Osun of today, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is still the party to beat in any political contest. In terms of concrete solid achievements, no single party could pride itself as being able to deliver as much as the ruling party. Not even the boastful PDP which had occupied the seat of governance for about eight years with little or no remarkable achievement. Not even all the opposition parties combined; as they cannot agree. AT this juncture, OSUN DEFENDER Magazine shall draw excerpts from the pact given to the people of the state upon rolling out of the Oranmiyan campaign team of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola eight years ago; for the purposes of reference and setting the records straight: My mission and ambition are to restore to the people, a state of peace, opportunity, for progress and room for the pursuit of prosperity in our time under a people friendly government. I give you Six-Point Integral Action Plan, to the intent that they constitute my actions of faith concerning which I want to be held accountable at any time during my stewardship. SIX POINT INTEGRAL ACTION PLAN · Banish Poverty · Banish Hunger · Banish Unemployment (Create Work/Wealth) · Restore Healthy Living · Promote Functional Education · Enhance Communal Peace and Progress BANISH POVERTY COMMERCE Vision: To make Osogbo the second hub in international trade in goods and commodities in the Southwest. Osun people’s natural affinity for commerce has been dampened over the years by unfriendly and unfocused economic policies of government thereby popularizing poverty among a people, who are naturally hardworking, industrious and adventurous. Our purposeful government of ACN shall revitalize commerce and restore wealth back to the land through: · Market friendly policies that will revive the customary commercial activities in Osogbo and other towns in Osun. · Promotion and support of activities focused on wealth promotion for our people. · Transformation of Osogbo into an International market where goods will be procured at prices comparable to any other part of West Africa. FINANCE& ECONOMIC PLANNING I shall increase the internally generated revenue of the state and also improve in mileage on every kobo accruing to the state by: · Ensuring real time online access to actual position of the state finances to prevent misuse and other forms of abuse by receiving agencies. · Reducing leakages in the tax collection and administration process. · Running a transparent and accountable government. · Ensuring prudent management of the state’s Continued on page 13

MAGAZINE

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Ikirun Mega Rally: Rekindled Commitment, Redoubled Effort

•Governor Rauf Aregbesola (on top of a bus), acknowledging cheers from his supporters and admirers at the Ikirun mega rally. Continue from page 12 · Ensuring that the funds

of the state are used for developmental

purposes. · economy.

Create viable Public/Private sector partnerships to jump start the

· Our overall goal is to reduce dependence on federal allocation as a means of funding the government.

· Create economic environment that ensures availability of jobs for all Osun indigenes. · Establish one LIFE ACADEMY in each of the three Senatorial constituencies for the building of life- long skills in out of schools, youngsters as well as adults seeking alternative competencies. · Promote labour exchange centres to facilitate employment of graduates from our Life Academies.

· Create partnerships with the private sector on road development and provision of infrastructure. TRANSPORTATION We shall produce a transport master plan to provide direction for development of the sector. The safety of the lives of the indigenes of the State of Osun is of great concern to us. We shall:

CIVIL SERVICE REFORMS BANISH HUNGER FOOD& AGRICULTURE Vision: Our government shall banish hunger in Osun and enhance wealth through massive increase in food production and agriculture. Every farmer shall sell his products and be prosperous. The labour of the farmer shall no longer be in vain because we shall provide assistance and support to farmers in finding and exploiting profitable market for their goods.

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.

· Reduce to the barest minimum, road traffic accident within 6 months on all roads starting with Federal roads. · Create a motorized division of the Osun troopers to patrol roads to prevent accidents on the highways and organize rescue and recovery operations.

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.

INNOVATION

We do not presently grow enough food in Osun to feed us round the year and this should concern a government that cares for its people.

Promotions and comprehensive salary reviews and increases shall be regular.

Europe, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and now China have made life for their people permanently comfortable through innovation, research and development, thrift and hardwork.

Our government shall support farmers to attain increase in food production, better storage and delivery. We shall provide assistance to farmers in exploiting profitable markets and market opportunities for their products.

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

We Africans especially the people of the State of Osun are thrifty (a ki se oni nakuna) and hardworking (ati agbe at onise owo lo ka imele si aida nile Yoruba) but we have been backward in looking forward.

To maximize the benefit of resultant massive increase in food production, we shall improve:

New Tutor General/Permanent Secretary Cadre shall be created for Teachers in new education districts for better school administration.

· Access roads and general transportation to even the most remote areas of the state.

We shall institute Home Ownership Scheme for public servants and also support and encourage their backyard food production business ventures.

We have not been innovative enough, we have not invested enough in research and we have not developed the fruits of innovation and research. In other words we remain backward, poor, unscientific and losers (eni igbehin) among the family of nations.

Storage process and capacity.

Processing of agricultural produce.

Rural electricity and water supply.

CASH CROPS · Encourage production of cash crops which can enhance farmer’s income and provide basis for an effective agro-industrial society in the state of Osun. · Specified to vigorously develop extensive farming in palm trees to create a fully integrated oil palm processing industry. · To target and capture minimum of 10% of the multibillion naira- per day food market of the neighbouring states. ·

Support cooperative efforts by farmers

· Be a catalyst to the development and promotion of micro, small and medium enterprises that will exploit available raw materials. · board.

Set up price support scheme for farmers through commodity exchange

BANISH UNEMPLOYMENT (CREATE WORK& WEALTH) No job loss, more jobs. Osun people are peaceful, dignified and hardworking people who desire and deserve gainful employment for their children and themselves. Rather than policies that will create employment and wealth for the people, the policies of the PDP government in place serve to enrich few at the expense of majority of our people. As part of our GOVERNMENT UNUSUAL programme, I Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola make a pact with you good people of the State of Osun, in the presence and by the grace of God Almighty that our government shall create immediate employment for 20,000 people within our 100 days in office. 5,000 of these places shall be reserved for those who were retrenched and are still willing and able to work. As a people-friendly government, our policies shall help to:

We shall do a comprehensive review of civil service names and conventions as part of our efforts to create a people- friendly civil service. Appropriate nomenclature will enhance accountability and promote public access to the services of the ministry. A citizen with a complaint of blockage of drainage will find a Ministry of Roads and Drainages easier to identify with than Ministry of Works, a Ministry of Human Resources and Development will more appropriately communicate its services than a Ministry of Establishment.

It is a matter of concern that our leaders do not car or worry enough about these issues. I care and I’m deeply concerned. As your Governor I will do everything possible to: · Create awareness and dissatisfaction among all in the State of Osun about our position among the world’s people and the need to move up the ladder of human ascent and development away from permanent and persistent poverty. · of all.

Ensure that ideas with original creativity are tapped for the enrichment

TOURISM Vision: Tourist’s cradle in Africa The State of Osun is the cradle of Yoruba people and our rich culture. The opportunities for wealth creation in Osun state through tourism have been underexploited. We shall:

· Give real importance to education with skills development so that we can make what we need and become more competitive in the world as a people by creating more skills development centres in the State of Osun. · In these centres we shall teach Men and Women to think with their hands, sharpen our already proven entrepreneurial skills and stop Nigeria from importing:

· Develop State of Osun tourism potentials to its fullest to promote employment and wealth among people of the State of Osun. · at Ile-Ife.

Encourage development of Yoruba museum and world heritage centre

Encourage programmes that nurture and promote arts and talent.

Enhance the image of traditional rulers and institutions.

· Mobilize our traditional rulers to showcase the state’s tourism potentials to Yorubas in the diaspora (e.g. Brazil, Cuba and West Indies). ROADS Vision: Roads to and in all towns and villages in Osun. Road construction and maintenance shall be used to generate employment for the indigenes of the State of Osun. · Community based road maintenance units will be established to ensure timely repairs and deduce overall maintenance costs. · Development and regular maintenance of urban and rural roads to get top priority. · Access roads to evacuate agricultural produce shall be constantly improved and expanded.

TOOTH PICK (IGI OPARUN FUN ITAYIN) FROM CHINA, ORANGE JUICE (OROMBO) FROM KOREA, SHOES (BATA) FROM SPAIN/ ITALY, FAN BELT/ CAR TYRES (RUBBER) FROM JAPAN AND FRANCE. When I know that these can be easily manufactured here. I shall turn the State of Osun into a creative agro-industrial zone God willing. INDUSTRIALISATION Key to banishing unemployment permanently anywhere is promoting conducive atmosphere for manufacturing and production. Our Government shall: · Develop integrated industrial estates for mini, micro and large manufacturing enterprises in the three senatorial zones of the State of Osun. · Provide the estates with infrastructural facilities that reduce the cost of setting up industries (roads, electricity, water and telecommunications). ·

Provide incentives targeted at attracting manufacturers/ investors.

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

Continued on page 15

FEATURE

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Ife Bombing, PDP And Boko Haram (Part 1) ‘The PDP has set the stage for its tactics ahead of the elections in 2015 and it’s simple; bomb parts of Nigeria and indeed Nigerians and place the blame on the door of the opposition APC. Men like Femi Fani-Kayode are being used to attack them in the press and various online media as sponsors of terror. Isn’t it queer that days after Fani-Kayode accused the APC without proof of having a militant terror wing and an evil character in Musiliu Obanikoro accusing Bola Tinubu and his friends as starting Boko Haram that suddenly Ile-Ife was bombed?’

win sympathy for President Jonathan and claim the APC are the demons, who have prevented him from performing and that is where I worry. The real Boko Haram promised to bring their campaign of terror to the South particularly our oil refineries and oil installations in Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta states, but definitely not Ife. Everyone remembers Akure prisons was attacked by people suspected to be Boko Haram, but it was to release their members jailed there, but they have no reason to bomb Ile-Ife. Lagos State naturally is a target for any terror organisation, as its the commercial nerve of the country, but the state government has done well so far to limit attacks there through prompt intelligence operations and arrest of suspected extremists and aliens including the ones arrested in the Bayelsa State Government Lodge in Ijora but to bomb Ile-Ife is far-fetched for the real terrorists as it gives them no political mileage. The APC governor in the State of Osun, Aregbesola, cannot bomb his state as that would be senseless. The bombers were clearly the militant wing of the PDP, the political Boko Haram, who would soak the feet of Jonathan in blood so as to get re-elected.

Ife Bombing Site of an explosion in Nigeria

e are living in desperate times now and it’s becoming clear as the days go by that the PDP and President Goodluck Jonathan’s burning ambition to be re-elected would come at all cost even with the blood of Nigerians. The recent bomb explosion in Ile-Ife in the State of Osun has all but exposed the hands of the PDP and shown that Boko Haram is of three types; there is the religious Boko Haram led by Abubakar Shekau, which we all know; there is the criminal-minded ones and there is the political Boko Haram, which in the runup to the 2015 elections, everyone would find out is the militant wing of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). W

In my article some months back on Boko Haram, I mentioned the three forms of the terrorist group including the political one. I gave the example of Kano during the 2012 fuel subsidy protest and reminded Nigerians of the church worshippers, who were killed according to eyewitness account with semiautomatic rifles, the type issued to government secret service agents, that together with other incidences including the Boko Haram suspects that were arrested in an abandoned Bayelsa State Government building in Ijora-Lagos State, plus the bombing in Ile-Ife penultimate Tuesday, shows for a fact Boko Haram has a political arm used by faces in this present government to terrorise Nigerians (see my article titled Musings on Boko Haram and its Sponsors as published on this medium: http://saharareporters.com/ article/musings-boko-haram-and-theirsponsors-its-time-stop-them-or-theystop-nigeria-ola%E2%80%99-idowu). The PDP has set the stage for its tactics ahead of the elections in 2015 and its simple - bomb parts of Nigeria and indeed Nigerians and place the blame on the door of the opposition APC. Men like Femi Fani-Kayode are being used to attack them in the press and various online media as sponsors of terror. Isn’t it queer that days after Fani-Kayode accused the APC without proof of having a militant terror wing and an evil character in Musiliu Obanikoro accusing Bola Tinubu and his friends as starting Boko Haram that suddenly Ile-Ife was bombed? Coincidentally, the crown witness in FaniKayode’s EFCC corruption case was nowhere to be found when the trial resumed last week, an obvious step towards throwing out the case by the judge for lack of diligent prosecution as scripted by the Presidency and the PDP in exchange for his recruited job of blackmailing the APC and its leaders. The same Fani-Kayode, who has no known political constituency and has never won an election as a politician, is the one castigating the APC and pontificating for the people of the South-West and indeed Nigerians. He defected to the APC and called the PDP all sorts of names but came

•JONATHAN By OLA' IDOWU

back to the same PDP and now the APC is the evil party. A man, who called President Barack Obama of the US the Antichrist prior to his re-election in 2012. In a sane and civil society, such a man would not be taken seriously and would have been forced to have himself checked to prove his mental sanity, but in Nigerian such people bestride our airwaves feeding us with garbage. Obanikoro on his part I wouldn’t blame too much, I lay all the blame on Tinubu’s shoulders. Tinubu it was in 1999, who brought back such dubious antidemocratic element from exile in the US, claiming he wanted technocrats and ‘sons of the soil’ in his government. Tinubu did this against all the advice of Lagosians then who cited how Obanikoro burnt down the ancient landmark City Hall building in Lagos during the Sani Abacha regime, when he was the Chairman of Lagos Island Local Government and a popular campaigner for Abacha’s life presidency, at a time Tinubu was in exile, fighting for democracy with NADECO. He didn’t listen and rehabilitated Obanikoro politically, going on to make him a senator in 2003 under the Alliance for Democracy (AD) banner and today his fingers are being burnt with those decisions. Of all the so-called technocrats Tinubu brought into government, its ‘non-technocrats’ like Babatunde Fashola and Rauf Aregbesola that are still standing strong by him today. Most of the rest have since bitten the fingers that fed them. I lay the blame on Tinubu for not identifying and even up till now talents amongst the diehard party supporters, who have stood with the party from AD, AC, ACN and now APC and are the foot soldiers, who have the grassroots appeal but I believe

things are changing now. An Obanikoro, who after leaving the AD for the PDP, did not win the governorship primaries in 2007, losing out clearly to Hilda Williams (the widow of the late Funsho Williams) ,but the ticket was still given to him by Bode George and then PDP Chairman Ahmadu Ali. His campaign in 2007 proved to be the most violent in the history of Lagos State perhaps in the entire South-West. Every single campaign he held from Idumota to Ojota to Ikeja, at least, five AC supporters and innocent bystanders were killed in hails of bullets. It was the darkest time I ever witnessed in the history of Lagos State, not even Abacha’s regime was that terrifying in the state. It was so bad, Lagosians were asking themselves if Obanikoro’s thugs kill everyone, who would be left to vote for him on election day? Not surprisingly, he lost the election by a handsome margin. Now, that same terror template is being imported into the West ahead of the elections in the State of Osun on August 9th and the elections in 2015. In the lead up to the election in Osun, Ile-Ife (where PDP candidate Iyiola Omisore hails from) has been bombed and obviously, it would be pinned on APC by the likes of Omisore, Obanikoro and Fani-Kayode. The plan is to get Omisore interacting with the masses eating popcorn and climbing iron horses (Okada) and claiming to be popular with the people, then the political Boko Haram, the militant wing of the PDP would be bombing parts of Osun including Ife and claim it’s the APC doing it because they are jittery of him winning like Fayose did in Ekiti State and they are trying to stop him campaigning especially, in Ife where he hails from. It’s the same template they would use across the whole South-West, so as to

There is clear danger for the Yoruba, Nigerians and indeed the opposition APC, as this PDP government of Jonathan is ready to turn their terror machine on everyone. The signs are as clear as daylight, and places where they feel they would struggle for votes like in the SouthWest would be the epicentre of bombing campaigns. Expect to see their activities increase in Osun, then they move to Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states with more bombings, as all those places are controlled by the APC. On standby would be the likes of Fani-Kayode and Obanikoro to blame it on Tinubu and APC and try to turn the people against him rather than against Jonathan, who has shown generally, he does not care about Boko Haram, believing they are killing Northerners. Anyway, it’s none of his business. But for me’ these terror war has become personal’ as I have families in Lagos and Ogun, lots of friends in Oyo and Osun states. It’s also time Tinubu, APC governors and stalwarts organise a high-powered emergency security meeting (call it the COBRA meeting like the UK Prime Minister chairs’ when there is clear danger) and face this new threat from the PDP’s Boko Haram militant wing’ who are hell-bent on bombing Yoruba and indeed Nigerians in the SouthWest to death. In part two of this article, I would highlight why the life of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, is in danger and he needs urgent security protection before his cousin allegedly kills him and pins it on Boko Haram, APC and Tinubu, who was reported to have generally made some remarks against some Obas in the South-West. I would also explain why the lives of Obas in Yorubaland are at risk (Boko Haram has killed and attempted to kill Emirs in the North, so its easy to kill a high profile Oba in the west by PDP’s political Boko Haram and blame it on Tinubu), while I would give my recommendations to the APC on what needs to be done urgently before things get out of hands. Also, I would give my one pence advice to President Jonathan and hopes he listens, as he has surrounded himself with immature, power-hungry and evil men, who would assist him in bringing our country to the end.

•Idowu, a Management Consultant and Researcher writes in from the UK.

MAGAZINE

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Ikirun Mega Rally: Rekindled Commitment, Redoubled Effort

•Governor Rauf Aregbesola (on top of a bus), acknowledging cheers from his supporters and admirers at the Ikirun mega rally. Continue from page 12 · Ensuring that the funds of the state are used for developmental

· Create economic environment that ensures availability of jobs for all Osun indigenes.

purposes.

· Establish one LIFE ACADEMY in each of the three Senatorial constituencies for the building of life- long skills in out of schools, youngsters as well as adults seeking alternative competencies.

· economy.

Create viable Public/Private sector partnerships to jump start the

· Our overall goal is to reduce dependence on federal allocation as a means of funding the government.

· Promote labour exchange centres to facilitate employment of graduates from our Life Academies.