Osun defender march 24, 2016 edition (1)

www.osundefender.org Thursday, march 24, 2016

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Front Page Comment

VOL. 11. NO.028

Renaming of institutions in Osun: A welcome development

“If you do not know anything about the events which occurred before you were born, you will forever remain a child.” any discussion on - Herodotos. the totally unnecessary diversion on the The historian of anrenaming of higher cient Greece, credited institutions in the state by many as pivotal in of Osun. the origin of the disci- The wise counsel of

following the criticism trailing the renaming of UNIOSUN after the late, illustrious Chief Bola Ige. Not just that; similar opprobrium follow the renaming

other higher institutions after other heroes. This is most unwelcome and distasteful. We have to ask the pertinent question; What is wrong in

our schools and monuments after our heroes who have contributed meaningfully to national development? Of course we see nothing wrong in this.

We strongly recom-

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heroes - living or dead - deserve to be honoured so as to encourage others to emulate their patriotic deeds.

Failure to do it is to do a disservice not only to their memory but to our nation as a whole. ...continue in pg5

Stop Undue Criticism Of Aregbesola’s Govt - See Story On Page 2

•Osun APC Cautions Self-defeatist Critics

•Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi; State of Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola and their Sokoto State counterpart, Governor Aminu Tambuwal at the opening session of the National Economic Council Retreat, in Abuja last Monday.

Osun Will Pay Salaries - Govt Assures

Students’ Violence: Omoworare Calls On Ife-Ijesa People To Protect Educational Infrastructure

--Page Pg 34 - Page 4

News

osun Defender Thursday, March 24, 2016

Stakeholders Charged On Education Rejuvenation

By shina abubakar takeholders in the public school sector of the State of Osun have been charged to make students discipline a priority in the bid to rejuvenate public education and return its lost glory.

This was the position parents to ensure they of different speakers at monitor and supervise a symposium recently their children, with a organized by the National view to avoiding being Association of Osun State expelled from schools if Students (NAOSS) at caught violating rules.

He admonished the Local Government S e r v i c e C o m m i s s i o n stakeholders to cooperate Hall, State Government w i t h g o v e r n m e n t to ensure that their Secretariat, Osogbo.

I n h i s k e y n o t e children’s future is address, the immediate- secure.

In her presentation, past Commissioner for Information and Strategy Dr Sogbola of Obafemi in the state, Mr. Sunday Awolowo University, Akere, disclosed that the I l e - I f e a d m o n i s h e d administration of Ogbeni government to provide Rauf Aregbesola would an enabling environment not relent in its effort to for teaching to excel, get rid of social menace saying education is the among pupils in public leveler between the rich schools to ensure that its and the poor.

She also charged investment in the sector students at different is not a waste.

According to him, categories to be mindful the recent display of of their conduct at all i n d i s c i p l i n e a m o n g times, saying poverty public school pupils is should not be an excuse disturbing and urged to be involved in social

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vices, but a catalyst to make them strive to succeed.

According to her, many things were wrong with the education

system, ranging from teachers’ confusion of the new syllabus, pupils’

•Scene of an accident at Capital area, Osogbo, State of Osun, last Monday.

Stop Undue Criticism Of Aregbesola’s Govt

•Osun APC Cautions Self-defeatist Critics

By kazeem mohammed tate of Osun chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged all publicspirited men and women to contribute ideas to solving the economic crisis ravaging the country and the state, rather than indulging in ‘self-defeatist criticism’ of the Rauf Aregbesola-led administration.

I t a l s o c a l l e d o n 2015. citizens of the state, who It stated that this is are eligible, to pay their not a time for people to taxes, as a commitment play the blame game, but to their responsibility for sensible ones to seek for social and economic solutions. development of the state.

Those who do not have The party made the sensible contributions call in a statement on to make, the party said, Monday, by its Director should stop heating up the of Publicity, Research and polity with uninformed Strategy, Barrister Kunle a n d i r r e s p o n s i b l e Oyatomi. criticisms.

According to the party, It said: “Matters were the current economic complicated by the crash crisis was avoidable, but of oil price from over $120 for massive corruption per barrel to $27 as at of the PDP-led Federal January 2016.

Government that “This was a catastrophe squandered the country’s that affected the State resources within a period of Osun terribly, for we of 16 years from 1999 to were perhaps the most Change of Name relatively ambitious in the country to accelerate I, formally known and human, economic, addressed as ADEPETUN environmental and social ADEKUNMI, now development within our wish to be known and state,” the APC noted. addressed as ADEPETUN D A M I L O L A According to the party, CELESTINA. “external forces (both All documents with local and international), former name remain which were not apparent valid. The General Public at the time of planning should please take note. and execution of the Osun Development Plan combined to put a violent

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Change of Name

Change of Name

I, formally known and addressed a s L U K M A N OYELAKIN, now wish to be known and addressed as LUKE OYELAKIN NIYI. All documents with former name remain valid. The General Public should please take note.

I, formally known and addressed as AZEEZ MUJIDAT, now wish to be known and addressed as RAIMI MUJIDAT. All documents with former name remain valid. Access Bank and General Public should please take note.

halt to the exceptional progress being made.

“This crisis is existential. This is not a time for people to play the blame game, but for sensible ones amongst us to seek a solution.

“Those who do not have sensible contributions to make should stop muddying the waters with uninformed and irresponsible criticisms,” the party added.

One of the ways out, to keep the state afloat, the party stressed, was to ramp up internally generated funds through

taxation, which is what the government is doing.

“It is on the strength of this that we are urging all those who are eligible to pay their taxes, so that the state can manage its affairs until this national economic crisis is resolved.”

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misplaced priority and lack of proper supervision of schools by government agencies and therefore, called on the stakeholders to declare emergency in the nation’s education sector.

In his paper presentation, former Chairman of Egbedore Local Government Council Area of the state, Mr Bamidele Salam, called for a strong family tie to curb the spread of social vices among youths in contemporary times.

Among such vices mentioned were cultism, internet fraud, drug abuse, gangsterism, illicit sex, examination malpractices and violent protest among others.

He added that these vices, if not curbed early, are capable of reducing societal values, productivity and capable of causing insecurity and political instability.

Another speaker, Barrister Sanusi Olalekan, charged corrective institutions to be up and doing, especially the police, juvenile homes and the prison system.

He stressed that government should ensure that parents obey laws protecting children’s rights and ensure that they are not exposed to inimical acts capable of truncating their progress and development.

Pandemonium In Fedpoly Ede As Staff, Students’ Protest Paralyse Academic Exercise

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By ismaeel uthman

here was pandemonium on the campus of Federal Polytechnic, Ede on Tuesday, as students of the institution protested the imposition of N5,000 late registration fee on those of them who were unable to pay or complete their registration on stipulated time.

O S U N D E F E N D E R Staff Union(NASU) of the g a t h e r e d t h a t t h e institution were protesting p a n d e m o n i u m b r o k e the removal of ‘CONTISS out when the members 15’, a certain amount of of the Non Academic

money being paid to staff by the Federal Government aside their salaries.

It was gathered that the Rector of the institution, Mr Patrick Hussain, had reportedly promised to be using the N5,000 late registration being collected from the students to be paying the NASU members’ ‘CONTISS 15’.

However, the rector allegedly refused to pay

Aregbesola Charges Religious Leaders On Terrorism

overnor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf G Aregbesola, has charged religious leaders on the need to find a lasting solution to the menace

of terrorism and criminality that are ravaging the They agreed that poverty, world. bsolute ignorance, The governor, who was amisinformation, represented by Amir hajj and fanaticism injustice among in the state, Barrister others are the causes of Zikrullahi Hassan, at a terrorism and criminality symposium organised in the world. by the Secretary-General, duo therefore, Muslim World League, r eThe c o m nded that in collaboration with p a r e n t sm es h ld take the State Government of proper careo uof Osun, said it is imperative children and equip their on the religious leaders with moral, spiritualthem and to call their followers to social values. order and urge them to l s o allow religious tolerance. s pA e a k i n g ,

P r o f e s s o I n t h e i r s e p a r a t e A b d u l - A f e e zr lectures, Sheik Abdul- O l a d o s u , S h e i k Rosheed Adiatullah, Z a k a r i y y a h S a n u s i who delivered his and Professor K.K lecture in Arabic Olosho concluded and Professor Abdu t h a t t e r r o r i s m i s -Ganiyy Oladosu said b e y o n d r e l i g i o n b u t terrorism and criminality rather it is economical in are two faces of a coin. nature.

They however, advised world Muslim leaders to come together as one to tackle the menace.

Royal blessing was said by the Olufon of Ifon Orolu liticians, government top officials and Muslim clerics such as Senator Bayo Sallam; immediate past Commissioner for Home Affairs in the State of Osun, Tourism and Culture; Hon Sikiru A d e t o n a A y e d u n ; President-General, League of Imams and Alfa, South West, Edo and Delta-States, Imam Jamiu Kewulere; Aare Musulumi of Yoruba land, Alhaji Daud Makanjuola; Chief Imam of Osogbo land, Alhaji Musa Animasahun, among others.

the NASU members as promised, a development that had forced the NASU members to lock the school gate early Tuesday morning and suspended the examination which was started on Monday.

The medium learnt that the protesters blocked the school gate with the union bus, a situation that threw the school into confusion.

Some of the students who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER on telephone stated that sacrificecontaining gaud; hen, palm oil and other fetish objects were placed at the entrance gate of the institution and some strategic areas on the campus.

The medium gathered that the students then used the situation to protest the imposition of the N5,000 late registration fee and the arrest of two student activists, Lawal Sodeeq and Lawal Adeleke, who were campaigning against the charge.

The students were allegedly arrested on Sunday and released on Wednesday on the order of the rector of the institution.

The management of the institution has reportedly closed down the school till after Easter to forestall further breakdown of law and order.

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New LCDAs: Monarch Lauds Aregbesola osun Defender Thursday, March 24,

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A s t h e p i o n e e r enjoined stakeholders to traditional ruler in the State of Osun, F e s t u s B a b a t u n d e Adimula of Ifewara, Oba Hezekiah Komolafe, noted that administrator of the ensure that love and fair Adeniyi Owolola, has lauded the vision of t h e c o m m i t m e n t o f L C D A , M r . A j a o play guides the sharing Governor Rauf Aregbesola in creating new Local Governor Aregbesola to promised to work hard of assets and liabilities grassroots development in the fulfillment of the Council Development Areas (LCDAs). between the newlyS t a t e C o n s t i t u e n c y informed the creation of aspiration of government created LCDAs and its and the people and mother local council.

Receiving the newly- in the State House of the local councils. d e p l o y e d C o u n c i l Assembly, Honourable Manager of Atakumosa West Central Local Council Development Area, Mr Lateef Ayodele Ajao, in his palace, Oba Owolola noted that states across the nation have started emulating the ingenuity of Aregbesola in creating new local councils.

He also commended Aregbesola for crowning over 40 years of struggle for a local government with success, calling on the people of the LCDA to support the local council, adding that all the component communities must unite and ensure that the council succeeds.

Mr. Ajao, who was accompanied to the monarch’s palace by the member representing rd A t a k u m o s a W e s t •Wife of Edo State Governor, Iara Oshiomhole (3 left), donated some relief materials to members of IDP camp situated in Benin City, the Edo State Capital, recently.

Provide Information To Police, DPO Urges

NGO Organises Free Eye Treatment Today By ismaeel uthman

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), the By murtala agboola Forum for Nation Builders and Social Development, embers of the public have been tasked to is set to organise a free eye test and medical treatment provide useful information to the police to in Osogbo, the capital of the State of Osun. help them perform their duties effectively.

The group, in a press Bewaji disclosed that a wonderful job statement signed by “Without the assistance of members of the public, the police can doing free eye test would be but community policing its Chairman, Mr Jide conducted for the people hardly achieve the task will do more.

Bewaji, on Tuesday, of effective policing of free eyes glasses, A g b e m o r o t i , w h o said that the programme and the society.” eye-drops and other spoke eloquently about would hold on Thursday This call was made defect correctional policing, at the Nelson Mandela eyes materials would be given by the Divisional Police community stressed the need to bring F r e e d o m P a r k , O l d to the patients, whose Officer of Ataoja Estate together the people and Garage, Osogbo. conditions demand for it.

Police Station, Osogbo, the police to afford the to Bewaji, He said: “Nation Mr Clement Agbemoroti, people the opportunity theAccording programme was part at the monthly meeting to complain openly about of the group’s social b u i l d i n g i s a t a s k of the members of the what is happening in their responsibilities and to that everybody must participate. It is a patriotic P o l i c e C o m m u n i t y respective community. assist the less-privileged, move that everybody Relations Committee chairman of PCRC who are suffering from must be key-into it.

(PCRC) at the station of The the division, Chief eyes defects.

Everything must not recently.

He stated that health be left to government.

G b a d e bo Adeyemo, He emphasized the urged members to play m a t t e r s s h o u l d n o t Everybody, especially fact that the police are active roles in ensuring be left to government t h e w e a l t h y p e o p l e , ready to work but the that the committee is alone, hence the group must contribute in one assistance of members effective. decided to give back to way or the other to the the community through d e v e l o p m e n t o f o u r of the public in the the programme. provision of information is invaluable.

In his report to the gathering, Agbemoroti said the crime rate has to their husbands, rather, By sola jacobs been brought to the it benefits the men, even call has gone to the upper chamber of the Na more than the women. barest minimum with tional Assembly that the relevant sections of the assistance of the It however implored the Nigerian Constitution be amended for the men to step-up and act in public.

The police chief said passage of the gender equality bill. support of gender equalIn a press statement though they are in the ity, as the bill is not a some boys terrorising people at Odunola Farm signed by the President minority. battle of the sexes but a The bill also commend- struggle to ensure that and other areas in his of the Nigeria Associajurisdiction have been tion of Women Journal- ed the Senate President, both sexes have access to arrested and will soon be ists (NAWOJ), it noted Bukola Saraki ,who, it quality life. with displeasure the noted, was in support The group further charged to court.

Members of the PCRC recent rejection of the of the bill and as well urged all women groups Equality Bill by thanked him for the win- to be actively involved were enjoined to have Gender Senate arm of the dow of opportunity he in sensitizing Nigerians, local vigilance groups the Assembly last had given for the reintro- especially the lawmakin their areas, who must National week. duction of the bill. ers, to the importance of collaborate with the The statement exIt further explained the bill. police in carrying out pressed displeasure that that the leadership of The association their duties. the National Assembly the Senate should use its to use all its T h e s e v i g i l a n c e could reject a bill seeking good office to lobby other pledged members and its male groups were, however, equity for women. senators on the impor- colleagues to drive the seriously warned not Moreover, the bill com- tance of the bill. sensitization process to take laws into their mended the sponsor of Speaking on the impor- through the media, while hands but get the police the bill, Senator Abio- tance of the bill, it noted hinging its claim on the informed about any dun Olujimi, for being that the gender equality fact that progress and misbehaviour on the part a worthy representative bill is not a bill that seeks development will be limof Nigerian women, as to erode the responsibility ited, if the nation fails to of any resident.

This would enable it extolled other women of a woman in her home, recognise that there is an the police to do more, and very few men who neither does it remove the urgent need for women saying that the PCRC is supported the bill, even submissiveness of wives to be empowered.

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Nation’s Constitution Should Be Amended - Women Journalists

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He also called on the people of the LCDA to reciprocate government’s kind gesture by performing their civic obligations of paying their taxes and rates to make the local government viable.

Also speaking, Honourable Komolafe enjoined the communities of the newly-created LCDA to unite and ensure its sustainability, adding that Governor Aregbesola’s vision for all-round development of the state can only come to fulfillment if the citizenry support him.

Komolafe, who is visibly elated, noted that the long time aspiration of the people of the area was brought to fulfillment

by Governor Aregbesola, who he described as a hardworking visionary leader.

society.

“That is why we resolved, after we had organised economic summit last year December, to provide free eye treatment for our people who are suffering from one eye defect or the other. We are doing this because of the prevalence of eye problems ravaging our society.

“Many people have lost their sights to little eyes

challenge, due to poverty, lack of awareness and enlightenment on eye issues general. We want to assist the people on the maintenance of their sights.”

Bewaji therefore urged members of the public make good use of the opportunity and come out to benefit from the free eye treatment programme.

Easter Holiday: Osun Again Offers Free Train Ride s part of its continued commitment to the

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welfare and well-being of the people, the Government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of Osun has announced this year’s free train ride for the Easter celebration.

In a statement by the facilitating the easy Ministry of Commerce, m o v e m e n t o f t h e Cooperative, Industry citizenry wherever they and Empowerment on are.

Wednesday, the free “And this programme train ride would convey takes care of both Islamic people coming for the and Christian festivities.

Easter festival from Since its commencement, Lagos to Osogbo on we can say confidently Friday 25 by 10am. that it has been a boost to A return train will the economy of the state. depart Osogbo to Lagos “It is this ease on Monday, March 28 during festival periods by 11 am. that informed the The statement noted i n t r o d u c t i o n o f t h e that the government did scheme by Governor this to ease movements of the people during Aregbesola.

“Therefore, it is the period of the festivity.

T h e G o v e r n m e n t wish of government t h e r e f o r e e n j o i n e d that our people from indigenes of the state to Lagos, Ogun and Oyo maximise the advantage States would seize this the free train ride offers window of opportunity them to visit home and b y A r e g b e s o l a ’ s government to visit enjoy the celebration.

The statement said: home and celebrate with “This tradition of free their relatives.” train ride as introduced by the Aregbesola government about five years ago is aimed at

•Continued from page 3

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osun Defender Thursday, March 24, 2016

Osun Will Pay Salaries - Govt Assures

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he Government of the State of Osun has described as uncalled for insinuations that the state would not pay salaries of its workers in March as a result of the N6 million federal allocation that accrued o f t h e G o v e r n o r ,

to it for the month of February.

The state government however, assured its workers that just as the Rauf Aregbesola administration had weathered the storm to pay salaries up to December, the government is executing with the support of all stakeholders, including the workers, a wellmapped out strategy for ensuring that workers are not made to p a y m or e pri ce for the dwindling allocation than they have done.

A statement by the Bureau of Communication and Strategy in the Office

which was signed by its Director, Semiu Okanlawon, explained that the considerablyreduced FAAC allocation is no more news to the state. “ T h e s t a t e received less than N150 million from October till date, due the repayment obligations for the infrastructural programmes it has been prosecuting.

“In spite of the heavy obligations, Osun has paid more than N5 billion in salaries between the same period.

“FAAC is not the only source of revenue to the state

and the commendable support of workers has allowed us to stretch our reserves and other sources to pay workers on mutually-agreed terms, as well as fulfill our development promises to the majority of the people “As at today, the process for the payment of January salaries is at the final stages. Osun workers will receive their salaries from this week in preparation for Easter holidays.

“The state today remains a major project site employing thousands of our people in simultaneous with the construction of major roads, models schools and other infrastructure mostly to be completed before the end of the year.

“Osun is therefore, fulfilling its

obligations to the people and running government. The state call all that care to come to visit Osun to see for themselves the moods in the state, rather than pander to rumours, conjectures and lies,” Okanlawon stressed.

The statement added that Osun, by virtue of its poor allocation, has never had the opportunity of ample resources that are commensurate to the humongous responsibilities of payment of salaries, payment of pensions and gratuities, and implementation of capital projects.

“But due to prudent management of resources, creative infrastructure financing, this government has been able to fulfill

its obligations in all these critical areas of governance.

“The fact remains that Osun, under Aregbesola did not have to wait for the day the state would get N6 million as allocation before proffering solutions towards sustainable economic self-reliance.

“This is why Osun has reduced the cost of governance, moved aggressively to increase Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), sought to attract investments into the state through provision of hitherto non-existent infrastructure and enabling environment and instituted performance-driven governance.

“It must be noted that all hands are on deck towards more

Students’ Violence: Omoworare Calls On Ife-Ijesa People To Protect Educational Infrastructure

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erturbed by the spate of students’ violence in his senatorial district, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Babajide Omoworare, has called on parents and guardians in Ife-Ijesa Senatorial

District, at large to instill discipline in their children and wards right from home.

Omoworare, who O m o w o r a r e , t h e is representing Osun- parents would assist East Senatorial District a lot in building a sane in the Senate, stated that and safe society, if they it was disheartening could instill discipline and worrisome, the and fear of God in their increasing level at children, saying that w h i c h p u p i l s a n d the action of the pupils students in secondary and students in their and higher institutions various schools is a r e s p e c t i v e l y a r e reflection of the homes unleashing terror on they came from.

The senator stated their various schools and campuses in the this while reacting to the violent protest state.

According to

of students of the Southern Nigeria Institute of Innovate Technology (SNIIT), Ifewara, State of Osun, who set the school buildings on fire, in protest against the non-accreditation of its management courses by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

Speaking through his Media Assistant, Comrade Tunde Dairo, in a press statement on Thursday, Omororare said: “I condemn in strong terms, the actions of miscreants under the guise of

rampaging students, who unleashed terror on the campus of SNIIT and Ifewara community, which happen to fall within my senatorial district.

“A situation where students descend on facilities of their campus, charring properties and looting, in protest of a call to participate in professional examinations, is unacceptable and condemnable.

“Students’ welfare must be prioritized by various schools through coordinated

•PHOTO OF THE DAY: The little kids probably 2 and 3 were seen in Orisunbare, Lagos, drinking sachets of dry gin.

student management interaction on issues, which must be embraced by the school management to fulfill their roles of educational foster parents.”

He admonished parents to imbibe fear of God and some level of morals in their children to shun acts capable of driving them into destructive tendencies.

O m o w o r a r e further charged the host communities of educational infrastructure to do their best to safeguard the infrastructure and other community advancing projects, if they want the pace of growth to increase.

The senator said: “One cannot but wonder where such destructive tendency emanates from.

Recently, it was secondary school pupils in Ile-Ife and now Polytechnics students from Ifewara.

We cannot continue to run away from responsibilities; collectively we have a role to play to stall future occurrences of this nature.”

convenient repayment schedule of existing loans, as part of plans to free the state’s resources for critical needs of governance.

This is in addition to the drive for internally generated revenues, the performance of which is very encouraging,” the statement added.

The bureau therefore called on some critics of the government who are capitalising on the last allocation to make unguarded statements, noting that Osun’s resources could not have been better utilized than what the Aregbesola administration had done in the last five years.

“We are aware of those whose job it is to confuse unsuspecting members of the public through their mischievous statements. The question these selfappointed critics of the Aregbesola administration should be asked is: if they demand that further funds should not be released to this government, what has happened to all the loads of lies-laden petitions they had sent to the Federal Government?,” it added Saying that the ordinary people of Osun recognize the people-oriented programmes of the administration, the statement added: “We are consoled by the fact that the ordinary people; the focus of this administration,

appreciate the enormous work this government has done.

“This government set out an ambitious and radical agenda t o r e p o s i t i o n our people for productivity, which

public Notice

Change of Name

This is to inform members of the public that BISIRIYU TAJUDEEN, is the same person as A B DU L SA L AM .

Now wish to be known and addressed a s A B DU L SA L AM TAJUDEEN. All former documents remain valid.

GTBank, FCMB, NYSC and general public should take note.

I, formally known and addressed as ONANIRAN OLUSOLA MODUPE, now wish to be known and addressed as ODUEKUN OLUSOLA MODUPE. All documents with former name remain valid. The General Public should please take note.

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osun Defender Thursday, March 24, 2016

Renaming of institutions in Osun: A welcome development ..continued from pg1

We cannot live in a society without In addition, with history no longer a historic memory.

Other societies being taught in the schools this is thrive because they recognise this. a very good way Examples abound of keeping their memory and valiant worldwide. The deeds alive. It will highly acclaimed also vitally allow school of governthe curiosity of suc- ment at Harvard ceeding generations University was renamed after Presito be aroused to want to know more dent John F. Kenabout them; their nedy. Throughout achievements and the world libaries, the positive way in universities and which they impact- research institu ed on society.

tions have been renamed to keep the memories of the deserving alive.

Those who were instrumental in promoting the changes certainly knew what they were doing.

At home there was no dissent, and sensibly so, when the first generation University of Ife was renamed after the iconic Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

Again it was the right thing to do.

All the people honoured in the renaming exercise are deserving of the honour. Chief Bisi Akande for example, put in a stellar performance as governor of Osun state.

He will forever remain a reference point for probity and management performance. Chief Bola Ige himself was an

The Coming Of Osun LCDAs

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t’s no longer news that some 31 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), three Area Councils and two Administrative Offices were recently, created in Osun State by the Rauf Aregbesolaled administration.

As Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure in the Bola Tinubu-led administration when Lagos State had its LCDA experience, one can safely state that Aregbesola has garnered experience sufficient enough to help him drive the newlycreated lower-tier administrative units in Osun State.

At a period of global financial failure like this, fears on the part of the people cannot be said to be misplaced. It is therefore comforting to know that the governor has assured that the new councils were created primarily to bring “development to the people”, manage “the markets”, and generate

“more revenues, amongst others.” Good also that he has allayed the fears of human and material resources with which to power the third tier of the administrative structure, taking into consideration the socio-economic and geo-political realities on ground in the country.

With these additional administrative council areas in place, one expects that local government administration will be brought nearer to the people.

However, beyond the politics and emotions usually associated with great ideas like this, the question before careful political observers is: has the governor breached any law of the land by creating these lower

administrative centres? In my unlearned estimation, the ‘inchoate’ judicial pronouncement of the Supreme Court in the case of Attorney General of Lagos State v Attorney General of the Federation (2004) 20 NSCQLR 90 on the operation of Local

Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos State and, by extension, Nigeria has settled that!

This is even as Nigerians are of the view that the refusal by the National Assembly to do the needful as required by law tends more towards the political than the altruistic.

So, how long is an ‘inchoate’ journey of local government creation and who do we blame for

the fate of Lagos State?

Even, if our fathers have eaten sour grapes, for how long shall the faults and evil propensities of the parents, not only transferred to the children, but also punished in them?

Olusegun Obasanjo spent eight years as Nigeria’s president out ended up as the worst enemy of the South.

Goodluck Jonathan, another victim of good luck, spent six years without caring a hoot about righting the wrongs of his master.

Democracy allows for openness and inclusiveness. If creation of LCDAs is at a time like this in the history of Nigeria capable of meeting the governance and development needs of the people, what stops Aregbesola from acting in the interest of his people?

•Abiodun Komolafe, Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State.

acknowledged scholar as well as a path breaking governor of the old Oyo state. There is really no reason to politicise a measure for which the Ogbeni deserves good kudos.

Undoubtedly more people will be acknowledged in the course of time.

The right thing has been done and we should all be in support.

The achievements and thoughts of those who have done a positive contribution to society must be kept alive as worthy of emulation by succeeding generations in order to guide and guard them. This is even more relevant now than ever as we seek to rebuild and remodel a broken down society.

OSUN DEFENDER

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Aregbesola Revamps Osun Cocoa Industry, Ede

osun Defender Thursday, March 24, 2016

“This Cocoa Products Industry, Ede has a big story surrounding it. I therefore owe great gratitude to many people in government and outside it. The then military government was very ardent to break a monopoly of bad fortunes for Ede, by actively supporting the quest to site the industry there. It is my earnest prayer, that everyone connected with the operation of it in whatever category, would find joy and happiness in all their

hat was the message delivered

by His Royal Majesty, the Late T Oba Tijani Oladokun Oyewusi,

Agbonran II, Timi of Ede, at the commissioning of the multi-million naira Cocoa Product Industry, Ede on October 17, 1982, with Late Chief Bola Ige as old Oyo State governor in attendance.

From the onset, one squabble or the other reared its ugly head. The first expatriate Managing Director of the company, Mr. K.W. Sheldon, tried his best to put it on sound footings, but he lost out in a dirty board-room politics in a dramatic manner. The government-owner of the company, thereafter felt concerned about happenings in the company, and decided in 1990 to lease it out. This brought about a ‘marriage of strange bed partners’.

And the resultant effect saw rounds of muscle flexing. The two principal leases of the factory at the time; Worldwide Industrial Ventures Limited and Dalami (Nig.) Limited, got involved in allegations and counter-allegations, which resulted in a fierce legal battle, that saw two legal luminaries – Late Chief Fredrick Rotimi Alade Williams (Timi the Law, SAN) and Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) slugging it out at an Osogbo High Court.

This went on for a period, before sanity prevailed, as the administration of Senator Isiaka Adeleke, the first Executive Governor of Osun State, took the bull by the horns, by giving the final nod to Worldwide Industrial Ventures Limited, to effectively run the affairs of the company. Dalami (Nig.) Limited again went to court to contest its termination and this went on for years, before it was resolved

by Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola’s government.

At the time Worldwide Ventures Limited took over, production capacity level was at 5 percent. But within a short period, it raised the production capacity to 60 percent, by injecting substantial funds into importation of spare-parts, as well as locally sourced ones from the Nigeria Machine Tools Limited, Osogbo and Nigeria Sugar Company Foundries, Bacita. The FFA contents of cocoa, cake and butter, under Worldwide Ventures Limited hovered between 1.40 and 1.55 as against 2.24 before it took over. Globally acceptable FFA content for cocoa butter is 1.50.

Most unfortunately, the unexpected again happened in 1995, when the leasehold agreement of Worldwide Ventures Limited with Osun State Government, was crudely, illegally and arrogantly terminated by some over-zealous officials of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, acting on the instruction of a Commissioner, who has his own ulterior motive of bringing in his friend to take over the leasehold of the company.

Worldwide Ventures Limited was “thrown” out of Cocoa Product Industry premises in a jungle

By OLUMIDE LAWAL

1982, which in anyway are not in tandem with modern day operation of such a gigantic factory, adjudged the biggest in Sub-Saharan West African. Sir Adewale Adeeyo did not leave anything to chance. He visited China one or two times to confirm the efficiency of the new investor, as far as their activities in China were concerned. e was able to ascertain and ensure that the new investors, would not jettison the continuous and permanent operation of Osun Cocoa Products Industry. Kudos to you, Sir Adewale Adeeyo for living up to expectation.

It is to the glory of God, that the confidence reposed in Runners (Nig.) limited – the Chinese new investor, was not misplaced. The company has made us proud in Osun with its multi-million naira turn-around rejuvenation and totalover hauling of the industry. What we now have in place is a factory that will stand the test of the time and ensure that the sweet aroma from the Osun Cocoa Products Industry, Ede endures forever.

A sparkling environment and committed workers are already in place, roaring to go into action. This new development will certainly improve the socio-economic life of Osun in general and Ede, its catchment area in particular. We hope that additional production lines for beverages, chocolate etc. will be put in place by Runners (Nig.) Ltd. Bravo to Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Sir Adewale Adeeyo and other stakeholders, for not allowing the dreams of the industry’s founding fathers to die. Posterity will judge you kindly. All hands should be on deck, to make Osun Cocoa Products Industry, a lasting legacy and a pride of us all, so that generations coming behind, will say of us living, that we mastered our moment.

To Cocoa farmers all over Nigeria, there is a ready market waiting for your produce at Osun Cocoa Products Industry, Ede. Governor Aregbesola should trudge on and bring more industries to Osun, as we have industrial sites for Kaoline, bauxite, gold and other mineral resources across the state, waiting for exploitation and production for local consumption and importation, to boost the state internally generated revenue. The assistance of the World Bank in this regard should be sought. Such new investors should also be given tax holiday.

H

•AREGBESOLA

manner. It was like scaring away foreign investors. What followed could be better imagined than described.

There and then, began the unending and protracted problem of the industry for a long time. Osun State Government’s only industry, which In fact, is a goldmine, if properly managed, is the Cocoa Product Industry, Ede. It is a veritable source of foreign exchange earnings for the state. It is capable of generating the much-needed internal revenue for the state at this crucial moment of its socioeconomic development. More so, with the need to tap into all natural resources, that abound in the state.

Much as I am not holding brief for anybody, it is only fair to let the Chinese investors now in control, to operate without let or hindrance.

Neither should any encumbrances placed on their way. There should be no bad blood, as regards who brought them into the scene. What we need in Osun is accelerated industrial development. The present leasee is determined to put the company on the right footing. The factory is now a beautiful sight to behold. he Cocoa Product Industry erstwhile managers and workers, who have been on forced holiday for more than eleven years, are men of proven integrity, who should be given the right of a recall if they so wish and take the company to greater heights. Cocoa Product industry, Ede, is a company of yesterday, today and tomorrow for the people of the State of Osun.

It is posterity-bound and prosperityinclined.

The administration of Governor

T

Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, has now taken the bull by the horns in giving a new lease of life to the hitherto moribund industry. Governor Aregbesola in his wisdom was able to put in place, a dynamic Board of Directors, under the able leadership of a leading light in the entrepreneurial world, in person of Sir Adewale Adeeyo (OON). his wonderful leader of men and material, on serious scrutiny of what was on the ground, shifting and weighing, hit upon a world-class investor from China, by name Runners (Nig.) Ltd, who are specialists in Cocoa Industry Management back in their country.

Sir Adewale Adeeyo-led board, in cooperation with officials of the State Ministry of Commerce and Industry, were able to identify the core problems of Osun Cocoa Products Industry, major among which, was that over the years of its abandonment, some unscrupulous people have vandalized very important cables, electrical materials among others. This in effect, had affected the industry badly.

Governor Aregbesola was ready to give executive approval to the urgent needs of the company, whenever they were made. The governor trusted absolutely in Sir Adewale Adeeyo’s role to reinvigorate the industry.

The new investor also came up with master plans for the resuscitation of the factory. They threw themselves seriously into revamping its operation. Brand new and state-of-the art equipment were brought in to replace the obsolete ones put in place since

T

•Lawal, wrote this piece in from Ede, State of Osun.

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osun Defender Thursday, March 24, 2016

National Economic Council Retreat At The State House Conference Centre, Abuja Last Monday.

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Preparation For Easter Celebration In Osogbo.

•Cloth sellers and buyers at Igbona Market in Osogbo on Tuesday.

•President Muhammadu Buhari addressing the gathering at the National Economic Council Retreat in Abuja last Monday.

•Vice President Yemi Osinbajo addressing the gathering.

•(R-L) Chief of Staff to the President, Mallam Abba Kyari; Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Engineer Babachir David Lawal; former Cabinet Minister and Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister of India, Professor Montek Sing Ahlualia and Governor of Zamfara State and Chairman, Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Alhaji Abdelaziz Abubakar Yari, at the meeting.

•Buyersn and sellers of food items at Ayegbaju market also in Osogbo on Tuesday.

•A cross section of Governors at the retreat.

osun Defender Thursday, March 24, 2016

•People buying food stuff for Easter celebration at Akindeko Market, Osogbo, last Tuesday.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI

SPORTs

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osun Defender Thursday, March 24, 2016

Hiddink’s Risible Decisions In Chelsea Defence Behind Average Courtois

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n infuriating aspect to Chelsea’s latest meaningless fixture, Saturday’s 2-2 home draw with West Ham, was Guus Hiddink’s risible decision to field the same backline that was found wanting time after time at the start of the campaign. and Gary Cahill were In front of distinctly found wanting yet again. average goalkeeper This time it was the T h i b a u t C o u r t o i s , turn of West Ham quintet the porous quartet of Enner Valencia, Diafra pedestrian right-back Sakho, Manuel Lanzini, Branislav Ivanovic, out Dimitri Payet and impact of position left-back substitute Andy Carroll Cesar Azpilicueta and the to highlight Chelsea’s sluggish, myopic centre- defensive deficiencies — back pairing John Terry not that it has been too

difficult to forget them this season.

The sight of Payet catching out Terry and wrong-footing Cahill with a pass that evaded Ivanovic and teed up Carroll for West Ham’s second was chastening to watch. Standing 6-foot-4, the Hammers’ striker is difficult to miss, but he somehow slipped under the radar of Chelsea’s defence.

The loss of Kurt Zouma should not be underestimated. The 21-year-old’s physical prowess, mobility and versatility made the Blues’ defence more obdurate. Unfortunately, fate in football can be callous. There was something desperately cruel about that horrible, knee-jarring moment just before the hour-mark in Chelsea’s 1-1 draw against Manchester United, when Zouma fell awkwardly and was

•Guus Hiddink has revealed why Chelsea are set to miss out on the top four.

taken off the pitch with a season-ending ACL problem.

Zouma’s injury gave Cahill the chance to reestablish himself in the back four and renew his partnership with captain Terry. The duo were once the cohesive heartbeat of Chelsea’s backline, but at 35, Terry isn’t the player he once was and needs a higher calibre defender than Cahill to make up for the mobility he lacks.

Cahill and Terry’s renewed acquaintance didn’t last long, though.

Just 38 minutes into Chelsea’s next game following Zouma’s injury, against Newcastle United, Terry was forced off with a hamstring problem which would keep him on the sidelines for six matches.

Shorn of the services of Zouma and Terry, Hiddink had no realistic options available to him other than to move Ivanovic to centre-back, switch Azpilicueta to right-back and try out £21.7 million specialist left-back Baba Rahman in the position he was signed last summer to fulfil.

Despite his astronomic transfer fee and success in the Bundesliga with previous club Augsburg, Rahman’s chances at Stamford Bridge have been restricted by Jose Mourinho and Hiddink.

The 21-year-old Ghana

Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil: Arsene Wenger Was A Big Reason I Joined

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money deal in 2013, said there was no truth to the claims, writing on Twitter: “Have seen the media reports today.

“Arsene Wenger was a big reason for

rsenal star Mesut Ozil has denied a claim that he had asked his agent to secure a return to La Liga if Arsene Wenger remains at the club next joined the Gunners from Real Madrid in a bigseason.

The report in Don Balon, which was picked up by The Sun, said Germany international Ozil was frustrated by his lack of silverware under Wenger and had asked his agent to explore the possibility of a return to Spain.

The 27-year-old, who •Mesut Ozil joined Arsenal from Real Madrid in 2013.

me joining Arsenal — this hasn’t changed! #Respect #AFC” Have seen the media reports today. Arsène Wenger was a big reason for me joining Arsenal this hasn’t changed! #Respect #AFC Mesut Özil (@ MesutOzil1088) March 22, 2016 Ozil, who was recently linked with Barcelona, has yet to sign an extension to his contract and there have been concerns over his future.

Wenger said in December that negotiations over a new deal would take place at the end of the season, while Ozil said he was in “no rush” to prolong his deal but was “very happy” at the Emirates Stadium.

Ozil also told the April edition of Arsenal Magazine that he feels he has become more of a leader at the club this season.

Leicester Take On Barcelona, Psg And Celtic In International Champions Cup

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nd, this summer, they will be taking on Celtic in Glasgow on July 23 in the tournament’s opening match, before facing newly crowned French champions Paris Saint-Germain in Los Angeles on July 30 and finishing with a trip to Stockholm to challenge Barcelona on Aug. 3.

L e i c e s t e r C i t y carefully planned prechief executive Susan season programme that Whelan told the club has worked extremely website: “An invitation well in recent years — to participate in the including a week-long International Champions training camp in Austria C u p h i g h l i g h t s t h e and selected domestic significant impression friendly fixtures. the club is making on an “The ICC is a great international audience. opportunity to compete “We are delighted with some of Europe’s to be involved in this leading clubs and to y e a r ’ s c o m p e t i t i o n . further promote the Club, It will form part of a and the city of Leicester,

around the world.”

Also in action will be Liverpool and Chelsea, who play on July 27 at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena.

The Reds also take on AC Milan on July 30 at Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara and face Barcelona at an unconfirmed venue in Europe on Aug. 6.

This year’s ICC tournament will also be played across the globe, including tournaments in China and Australia, which feature Man City, Tottenham Hotspur, Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Melbourne Victory.

•The ESPN FC team compare how Leicester City would fare in the other top European leagues.

international looked jittery to start, but appeared to come of age in the first leg of the Blues’ Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain.

Football is as much about confidence as it is ability, and Hiddink’s decision to publicly lambast Rahman after hauling him off at halftime in February’s 2-1 win at Southampton following an error, which resulted in the home side scoring, was as frustrating as uncalled for.

Considering the defensive crimes committed by Ivanovic during the course of the season — for which the 32-year-old Serbia international was recently rewarded with a oneyear contract extension — Rahman’s punishment was laughable.

Hiddink subsequently experimented with Kenedy at left-back, but it soon became evident that the 20-year-old Brazil starlet is more suited to a creative attacking role. The interim boss resorted to chopping and changing him with Rahman, with disturbing results. This included Chelsea being dumped out of the Champions League by PSG and the FA Cup by Everton.

Following Diego Costa’s dismissal in the FA Cup shambles at Goodison Park, Terry came off the bench to make his 700th appearance for Chelsea as a makeshift centre-forward.

Chelsea have eight Premier League games left and the likelihood is that irrespective of results, barring further injuries, Hiddink will stick with the current backline. And what a complete waste of time that will be.

It now seems likely that Antonio Conte will be the next manager to try his luck in the Stamford Bridge hot seat once he has fulfilled his obligations with the Italy national side at Euro 2016.

Hopefully, between now and then, Conte will be keeping a watchful eye on Chelsea’s performances and the backline in particular.

Next season, if the Blues are to return to the top, they cannot afford a repetition of the defensive shambles that have marked this campaign. Of Hiddink’s current favoured back four, and Zouma’s longterm injury aside, only Azpilicueta genuinely merits retention and that would be at right-back.

The start of the 201617 campaign will come round soon enough.

Will Chelsea learn their lessons? Time will tell, but should they fail to do so yet again, the consequences will repeat themselves.

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JOB vacancies Motorcycle Apprentices/Mechanic/Engineers · Company: ELRIDESDEN Rhmi Ltd · Location(s): • Lagos Towns: “Ikeja “Lekki · Specialization: • Other • Technical/ Artisan · Industry: • Others · Application Deadline: 26 April, 2016 · Job Type Fulltime Job Details You must be safety conscious, trustworthy, self motivated, and will be required to work within a team according to company policies.

Job Requirements Min Required Experience: 0 year(s) Desired Courses: • Mechanical Engineering Desired Skills: • Adaptability • Coaching • Collaborating • Communication • Confidence • Creative and analytical thinking • Customer Service • Customer Relationship Management • Innovation • Interpersonal Relationships • Maintenance • Self Leadership • team management • Teamwork • Transparency and Honesty Other Requirements: Extensive …………end…………………..

Political Economy Analysis Of Diarrhoea Control – Consultancy · Company: Save the Children · Location(s): • Lagos · Specialization: • Consulting · Industry: • NGO / International Agencies · Application Deadline: 31 March, 2016 · Job Type Temporary Job Details Save the Children is the leading independent organization creating lasting change in the lives of children in over 120 countries around the world. Recognized for our commitment to accountability, innovation and collaboration, our work takes us into the heart of communities, where we help children and families help themselves.

We work with other organizations, governments, non-profits and a variety of local partners while maintaining our own independence without political agenda or religious orientation. Save the Children’s mission is to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and to achieve immediate and lasting change in their lives.

Save the Children is looking for experienced development professionals to work within the Nigeria Country Programme. These roles will be critical for the delivery of results for children expected by this programme.

Job Title: Political Economy Analysis of Diarrhoea Control in Lagos State, Nigeria – Consultancy Introduction and background Since 2009, Save the Children has campaigned globally in support of improved health and nutrition outcomes to accelerate progress towards MDG four, under the umbrella of our EVERY ONE campaign. In Nigeria, EVERY ONE was formally launched on 17th February, 2012.

Over the last five years, SC has developed strong expertise in understanding the political dimension of health and nutrition frameworks in Nigeria. We will bring our advocacy and campaign strengths at both state and national level into play in delivering the outcomes under this programme, building on a strong reputation across government and civil society for leading the call for improved child survival outcomes in Lagos State.

The Stop Diarrhea project is an initiative supported by Reckitt Benckiser aimed at contributing to a two thirds reduction in diarrhoeal related deaths in children under the age of five in Lagos State, Nigeria; specifically in Shomolu LGA in Lagos. Nigeria has high incidence of diarrhoea cases in children across the geo-political zones, especially in children 0-5 years, resulting in percentage increase in children being affected by diarrhoea. Repeated episode of diarrhoea exacerbates children poor health status and accelerates malnutrition, creating a deadly cycle. Diarrhoea remains a leading cause of childhood morbidity and mortality in developing countries like Nigeria. Dehydration caused by diarrhoea is a major cause of illness and death among young children, even though the condition can be easily treated with oral rehydration therapy (ORT).

Exposure to diarrhoea-causing pathogens is frequently related to the consumption of contaminated water and to unhygienic practices in food preparation and disposal of excreta. The combination of high cause-specific mortality and the existence of an effective remedy make diarrhoea and its treatment a priority concern for the health sector.

Some of the key measures to prevent childhood diarrheal episodes include promoting exclusive breastfeeding, hand washing with soap, improving hygiene and quality of drinking water, vitamin A supplementation and promoting rehydration and zinc intake as prescribed in the WHO 7 point plan for diarrhoea control. ORS and Zinc remains the cornerstone of appropriate case management of diarrheal dehydration and is considered the single most effective strategy to prevent diarrheal deaths in children under< 5’s.

The Stop Diarrhoea Project The “Stop Diarrhoea Initiative” in Lagos is supported by our partner, Reckitt Benckiser (RB) and it is aimed at reducing one of the leading causes of death in under 5 children- Diarrhoea. Through this effort, SC hope to conduct a policy analysis on Stop Diarrhea Initiative to document relevant government policies that revolve around the elements of WHO/UNICEF 7-Point Plan for the control of diarrhea. The essence is to generate evidence based report that will inform SC’s advocacy strategies for a successful program implementation. The program drew participants from line Ministries, departments and agencies from the health sector in Lagos state including, Ministry of Health, Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Lagos state Ministry of Rural Development (LSMRD), Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) S/W Zone, Lagos Water Corporation, Lagos Civil Society Partnership (LACSOP), Strengthening Health Outcomes through the Private Sector (SHOPS) and PATHS2. SC believes an effective and impactful implementation of SDI project will rest on an enabling policy environment thus it became imperative to identify and analyze laws and policies in Lagos state upon which the SDI campaign can be grounded.

Analyzing the laws and policy helped to identify entry points, issues for review or amendment and/ supportive provisions that can strengthen the implementations of SDI and engender impactful outcomes. The policy analysis meeting has no doubt revealed some new issues which the SDI needs to address for successful project implementation. Specifically, the analysis have shown that there is need to amend some of the Laws and policies to make them respond to issues that may directly or by implication support the SDI. It may also be necessary to consult the sanitation law and the special peoples Law of Lagos state to know how they interact with / support the policies and laws analyzed here. In view of the above, a comprehensive Political economy analysis will be initiated in Lagos. The process will build on previous PEAs conducted by SPARC and SAVI in Lagos to involve an in-depth desk review before the stakeholder mapping. The PEA will provide a systematic analysis of the current status of policy effort, the positions of support and opposition taken by key players, and the political, financial, and other interests of key players in Lagos in relations to Diarrhoea control.

Purpose of the Engagement The PEA is to provide actionable information on identified key political actors in the states, opportunities and constraints to the adoption, funding and implementation of the Health Sector Medium Term Sector strategy (MTSS), water and sanitation programs in the state.

Political economy analysis approach has attained prominence in the development

terrain globally due to the realization that to deliver effective and efficient development assistance, an understanding of the local context is mandatory. This is because even issues that appear purely technical could have deep political, economic and social roots.

The PEA will consider socio-economic and political considerations relevant to the states of Health Sector Medium Term Strategy and WASH Policy implementation and their influence in securing necessary commitment of support for Water and Sanitation interventions in the state including possible risks. It will also help to gain an understanding of the interaction between the national, state and local government agencies in this regard.

The PEA will provide contextual analysis into the following; • Who are the key public and private players (Institutional and public) in the state responsible for resourcing for child health and WASH programs?

• What are the challenges involve in securing government commitment to child health and WASH programs in Lagos state?

• Who are the influencers of the key stakeholders and decision makers responsible for child health and WASH programme in Lagos state?

• How does interest group and CSO influence budget decisions in Lagos State?

• What are the strategizes and prospect for donor engagement in scaling up child health and WASH interventions in Lagos and Nigeria in general Research methodology The study would adopt a multi-pronged methodology, which will include a combination of qualitative and qualitative analysis using appropriate source documents and research approaches including desk review. Process Planning • Meetings will be conducted with relevant project staff to determine the extent of the analysis, set priorities and identify key goals and expectation for the political economy •A concept note will be developed and shared with relevant project staff for buy in 1. Identification of Issue • Review of existing report: This will include desk review of previous analysis conducted by SAVI and SPARC. It will also include review of previous political economy studies as well as policy documents pertaining to issues of diarrhoea control and WASH intervention in the state • Contextual Analysis: A rapid contextual analysis will be conducted using the synthesizing report (SAVI/SPARC) analysis. The contextual analysis will also identify the stage in child health and WASH activities funding and policy in Lagos state.

2. Analysis of Political Dynamics This will be conducted through stakeholder mapping exercise using cost effective, participatory approaches that could involve workshop setting. The purpose will be in two folds via; þ% Gather information to help analyse the extent to which structural, institutional and agency factors constitute constraints or provide opportunities for effective policies and initiatives on Child Health and WASH. þ% To propose strategies and identify realistic solution needed to improve government commitment to Child Health and WASH intervention in Lagos state. þ% Dissemination of report to stakeholders through the publication of report and organisation of stakeholder town hall meeting for feedback and commitment to actions.

Consultancy Upon receipt of applications from prospective consultants, Save the Children (SC) will review such applications and asked shortlisted candidates to submit 3-5 page proposal and corresponding budget as separate attachments for the conduct of political economy analysis survey on diarrhoea and WASH programmes in Lagos State. This piece of work is expected to last for between 6-8 weeks maximum.

To guide prospective applicants, SCI will provide a detailed ToR and require shortlisted candidates to submit their proposal focusing on detailed methodology and protocol, research team, workplan and other necessary information require to determine their ability to deliver quality product for dissemination.

Job Requirements Min Required Experience: 10 year(s) Desired Courses: Not Specified Other Requirements: Qualification and Experience þ% The preferred candidate (s) must have a doctorate degree (Ph.D) or its equivalent in social sciences with at least 10-15 years’ experience in development or relevant field of endeavor. þ%Demonstrable experience in the academia or development sector is required with evidence of writing skills and publications. þ% Robust research experience using qualitative and quantitative approaches through participatory analysis is preferred. þ% Evidence of past similar work/undertaking is necessary þ% In-depth experience using PLA will be an added advantage In order to apply for more great opportunities, please visit our website on www.savethechildren.net/jobs. For more information and to support our work, please visit our website on www.savethechildren. net. Our selection processes reflect our commitment to safeguard children from abuse.

Our people are as diverse as the challenges we face. …………………………………END……………………………………

Researcher Of Safes And Fingerprint Locks · Company: Fosad Consulting Ltd · Location(s): • Lagos · Specialization: • Security / Intelligence · Industry: • Consulting · Application Deadline: Not Specified · Job Type Fulltime Job Details Company DescriptionOur Client, a business conglomerate with presence in different sectors including Consumer Products, Corporate Services and Infrastructure is seeking to hire the services of a Researcher of Safes and Fingerprint locks (Bio metrics).Title: Researcher of Safes and Fingerprint LocksJob DescriptionThe role is domiciled in Lagos and researcher will liaise with sales teams nationwide and suitable candidate will:• Conduct research to determine client’s opinions on Safes and Fingerprint locks offered them.• Perform both social and market research to evaluate consumer buying behaviors.• Create surveys and questionnaires and distribute them.• Perform qualitative research to attempt to understand why people do, buy, or think a certain way by researching their attitudes, opinions, and actions.• Design, organize, and manage the distribution of research materials.• Write and present reports.• Work with sales, marketing, and product development teams to create and launch products and services.• Analyze and evaluate results of interviews and surveys.• Make recommendations to clients about how resulting information could be used.• Collect information from various locations on the Internet such as forums and review websites.• Record information through negotiation process.• Determine what research techniques will be used and length of research process.• Determine buying trends.• Evaluate success and failures of competitors.• Organize and present data in clear, concise manner.

Job Requirements Min Required Experience: 2 year(s) Desired Courses: Not Specified Other Requirements: Qualifications:Suitable candidate should:• Possess at least a first degree.• Have at least 2 years work experience in a market research company• Be familiar with how bio-metric/ fingerprint locks work• Have worked in a security outfit or an organization that sell or make use of Safes and Fingerprint locks like banks, hotels etc.Additional InformationExperience in Automatics [Sliding Door Machine, Revolving Door Machine, Digital Locks] would be preferred. …………………………end……………………………..

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osun Defender Thursday, March 24, 2016

Supreme Court Judgments: A Cobweb Of Intrigues?

A legal expert, Joseph Uwua, argues that the Supreme Court can redeem itself by ensuring that By joseph uwua justice is done in Ekiti State in view of fresh evidence that the last election was rigged. violation of the Electoral Act

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here is no doubt that the Supreme Court is the Apex Court in Nigeria with the last say on any judicial matter.

It is composed of experienced justices who have undergone the crucibles of legal drilling from the lower courts to Court of Appeal and finally to the Supreme Court. These jurists are the custodians of justice and they can safely and truly be referred to as Alase Ekeji Orisa (very powerful second in command to the gods or representatives of the gods on earth).

Constitutionally, the Supreme Court is so powerful that it can give judgment in a case and give reasons for the judgment later. It can also aprobate and reprobate, reverse itself and even contradict itself in some cases, yet, it is the final court. However, just as the justices are Supreme in delivering judgments, they can equally commit supreme or extreme errors. This was put more succinctly in the famous quote of the respected late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa who said: “We are final not because we are infallible but rather infallible because we are final. Justices of this court are human beings capable of errors.”

With the above background, it is safe to assume that not all judgments of the Supreme Court could be taken to be fair even though it may be final.

Therefore, one can comment and ask questions even if that will not change anything. This is why I express doubts about recent developments in the Supreme Court concerning some of its recent decisions on some election petition matters.

Verdicts on Rivers, Akwa Ibom I am, particularly, worried about the Supreme Court judgment upholding the elections of Nyeson Wike as Governor of Rivers State, Ayodele Fayose as Governor of Ekiti State and Udom Emannuel as Governor of Akwa Ibom State.

I will start with the elections of Rivers and Akwa Ibom states that were conducted in gross violation of the electoral act as pronounced by the tribunals and Appeal Courts. It is like dismissing the judges of the tribunals and Courts of Appeal as if they don’t know law at all!

Despite Wike’s sack by the tribunal and Court of Appeal because of over-voting and widespread violence leading to many deaths, the Supreme Court set aside the judgments of the tribunal and that of the Appeal Court and affirmed his victory as declared by INEC. International observers returned a damning verdict that there was no election so properly called in Rivers State but allocation of figures with total neglect of the card reader provided by INEC, but the Supreme Court in its wisdom might have de-emphasised the use of card readers judging by the reason it gave in the case of Ebonyi governorship appeal where it affirmed the victory of Governor Dave Omahi when it held that, card readers cannot be a substitute for manual accreditation but a supplement to it.

The reasons given for the Rivers and Akwa Ibom governorship judgments are not different. In the case of Rivers gubernatorial petition, INEC head of election monitoring testified that the election conducted by his commission was done in

and that was the most important testimony that made the Court of Appeal cancel the election. If this testimony can come from the organiser, that is INEC, then no further evidence is needed.

Some have argued that the Supreme Court is conservative, but I disagree because it was the same Supreme Court in a radical decision that made Amaechi who didn’t contest an election governor just to teach Obasanjo a lesson that impunity does not pay. It was the same Supreme court that gave judgment to Atiku against Obasanjo 13 times also to send a message to Obasanjo that he was not above the law as a President. In an ironic twist of fate, Amaechi may have brought what happened in Rivers upon himself.

Despite being a beneficiary of an unprecedented Supreme Court ruling, Amaechi locked up the judiciary for months by not allowing the Chief Judge preferred by the Nigeria Judicial Council (NJC) to assume that position in Rivers State and don’t forget that the CJN is the head of the NJC. However,Wike immediately reinstated the preferred judge of the NJC when he assumed office. Observers say Amaechi may have been punished while Wike was rewarded. There is also the argument that since Amaechi is not in good terms with his estranged political mentor, Peter Odili, whose wife is a Supreme Court justice, the Rivers judgment is a pay back time for him. he Rivers judgment may have been a political judgment just like the Buhari vs. Obasanjo in 2005, where despite overwhelming evidence of mass rigging across the states, the victory of Obasanjo was upheld by the Supreme Court ostensibly because it was already three years into the administration and sending him packing might threaten national security.

In the Buhari vs Yar’Adua judgment of 2008, despite the massively rigged election as admitted by Yar’Adua himself, the Supreme Court in a split decision, ruled in favour of Yar’Adua. It was the first time the Supreme Court justices were sharply divided on a sensitive Presidential judgment, 4-3 in favour of Yar’ Adua.

The human element is also a factor in Supreme Court judgments. Judges are humans and when they are not happy with you, you cannot get justice from them as I have explained in Obasanjo/Atiku and Amaechi cases. There is also another suspicion along this line of thought. Some have concluded that the Supreme Court justices are angry with Buhari for complaining about them publicly. Buhari recently said that his major headache in his fight against corruption is the judiciary and that is why the Chief Justice of Nigeria at every forum has always tried to defend the integrity of the judiciary after the President made the remark.

The Rivers and Akwa-Ibom judgments may be the Supreme Court’s way of getting back at the President and his party.

There is yet another reason adduced by the analysts for the judgment of the Supreme Court and this is about the necessity for peace in the Niger Delta.They argued that if the judgments had gone otherwise, it could spark off protests in the already

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“It is also true that this court can do incalculable harm through its mistakes. When therefore it appears to learned counsels that any decision of this court has been given per incuriam, such decision shall be overruled. This court has the power to overrule itself and it has done so in the past for it gladly accepts that it is far better to admit error than to persevere in error”. t is common knowledge that judges are indeed capable of writing two sets of judgments on the same matter and this tends to confirm the rumours which made the rounds after the Supreme Court affirmed the victory of Fayose and gave him a relief he did not seek that that was not the original judgment and we equally heard huge sums of money exchanged hands.

Unfortunately, there was no proof of this and so it remained at the level of rumour, but in every rumour, there may be an element of truth. As Charles Dickens noted, ‘Lawyers are a society of people who have the capacity to argue that black is white according as they are paid’. This confirms that judges are also capable of writing two sets of contrasting judgments on the same matter.

Now let’s take a look at some intrigues in the Supreme Court in the recent past to show that these judges are after all humans.The case of the Sokoto gubernatorial judgment of 2010 which was arrested by the then CJN, Aloysious Katsina-Alu, comes to mind.

The judgment would have gone against then Governor Wamako and the Sultan would not be happy so Katsina-Alu arrested the judgment that was about to be delivered by the then President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Ayo Salami, on the request of Justice Dahiru Musdapher who was next in line as the succeeding CJN. When Justice Musdapha became CJN and was troubled by his conscience and went to Jonathan to reinstate Salami, he was told to put it in writing to explain what has changed and how Justice Salami who had been accused of perjury was suddenly given a clean bill of health, Musdapher who didn’t want anything to cost him his new position as the CJN couldn’t do so. That was how Salami was sacrificed by his colleagues.

Salami remained on suspension until he reached the mandatory retirement age. These are the Justices of the Supreme Court!

Another worrisome trend about the judgments of the Supreme Court is inconsistency.

The Supreme Court as at today, has contradicted its own judgments. For instance, it said in a judgment in favour of Rotimi Amaechi in 2007, that it is not the candidate that people voted for but the party but in another judgment involving CPC Vs PDP candidate in 2013, the Supreme Court reversed itself and said parties are inanimate objects and that it is human beings people voted for. he implication of the latest Supreme Court judgment on Rivers and Akwa-Ibom gubernatorial elections and that of Ekiti State delivered in 2015 is that the Supreme Court has encouraged electoral violence in future elections. It seems to be telling future electoral contenders

I •Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) Mahmoud Mohammed

restive region whose politicians just smarting from the loss of the Presidential election, daily complain of marginalisation.

Wike alluded to this when he said blood would have flowed if the judgment had gone otherwise.

Another boiling issue is the Biafran agitation which is also linked with marginalisation.

They argue that if the judgment had gone otherwise, the losers will team up with the Biafran agitators to further heat up the Niger Delta area and the Federal Government will find it difficult to contain another insurgency while it is still battling with Boko Haram. As a result, the Rivers and Akwa Ibom judgments may be political. A noticeable trend in the judgment is that all are unanimous.

The judgment affirming the victory of Governor Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State and quashing the judgment of Appeal Court which declared Alex Otti Governor-Elect is different because INEC joined Ikpeazu against Alex Otti to appeal to the Supreme Court. This is why I didn’t dwell much on the Abia judgment.

Verdict on Ekiti The Supreme Court judgment upholding the election of Ayodele Fayose as Governor of Ekiti State is another judgment that attracted murmurs from legal pundits.

The APC had approached the Supreme Court having lost the case at the tribunal and the appeal court on the grounds of non eligibility and militarisation of the polity but Fayose’s victory was affirmed.

Curiously, the Supreme Court against all odds and normal legal doctrine, granted Fayose a relief he didn’t seek by quashing his impeachment done by the State House of Assembly in 2006.

The Supreme Court ruled that Fayose was illegally impeached even though that was not before the Supreme Court. Many legal minds questioned that decision, wondering when it has become the norm for courts to grant reliefs not sought before them!

However, the last may not have been heard about the Ekiti judgment in the face of recent confession by the PDP’s State Secretary, Dr. Tope Aluko, who said the PDP rigged the election and he was an active participant.

Opinions have been divided on whether or not the case could be revisited by the Supreme Court since it comes under ‘issue estoppel’ (a matter that is already settled) which has made the court a functus officio. But other legal minds are of the opinion that the case could be revisited if only to restore the integrity of the judiciary and the sanctity of the constitution as no time can bar this important restitution.

They cited the popular saying of the late Justice Oputa who said:

to go ahead and kill as many people as possible to win as this shall be stamped and sealed at the Apex court. The Supreme Court ought to have cancelled the Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Ekiti elections. Their decisions go beyond law no doubt, it includes political, and socioeconomic considerations even personal biases in some cases.

The international community will take our judicial system to the cleaners with these strange judgments.

Reacting to the Supreme Court judgment of Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, a foremost Observer organisation, The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) wrote: “As the foremost election observation coalition in the country, we see the Supreme Court judgments as a clear cut attempts at legalising electoral robberies. These judgments, particularly on Rivers and Akwa Ibom states, have merely given judicial imprimatur to the damaging mind set of rapacious politicians who would stop at nothing in their bid to subvert the will of the people. Beyond the justice of the Supreme Court; there is the justice of the Almighty.”

Akwa-Ibom and Rivers have been settled by the Supreme Court even though it may be a supreme error of judgment but the Supreme Court can still redeem itself and correct the error of Ekiti State with the avalanche of new evidence including graphic confession by one of the principal actors. In matters concerning the protection of the integrity of the judiciary and the sanctity of the constitution, no time can bar the restitution of these fundamental attributes.

I will end this piece by again going back to another quote of justice Oputa, “… therefore, as a court of justice, the Supreme Court has the power to control its own procedure so as to prevent its being used to achieve injustice.

It is no exaggeration to say, yet again, that the Justices of the Supreme Court are responsive to the call of justice and ever sensitive to the realistic perception of the stresses and strains of the contemporary Nigerian soci-ety. Indeed, the fact that the Supreme Court can overrule or explain away its earlier decisions is an indication that the law is a living idea that is concerned not so much with the logic of words but with the logic of realities.”

If the apex court does not give the right judgment, where else can the common man go?

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•Culled from The Nation.

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editorial from other newspaper

osun Defender Thursday, March 24, 2016

2016 UTME: Another Harvest Of Errors

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OR the second year running, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has demonstrated an apparent lack of capacity in conducting the computer-based test for the 2016 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. The hitches recorded and candidates’ lamentations will compel any discernible person to query its adoption when the infrastructure for its success is grossly inadequate.

Reports of internet failure, computer glitches, power outages, incompatible questions and answers, difficulty in down-loading question papers, computers without mouse or with keyboard problems, posting of candidates outside the state they registered for the examination were rampant; as was the case in 2015. But most unusual were the 40 marks awarded to some candidates extremely handicapped by these difficulties, and the double results JAMB issued in some cases.

That marks were arbitrarily awarded was an admission of grave error, and it raises integrity questions on this year’s exam.

The exam, which began on February 27 in 521 centres across the country, ended on March 19. The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, who was at one of the centres in Abuja on an inspection visit, expressed concern about the plight of candidates who had not been accustomed to using a computer. He said, “I have sympathy for candidates who are not computer-literate and there are many of them.

I think we should combine CBT with paper examination for sometime but definitely, the future is for computer.” Absolutely!

Many candidates and their parents share the minister’s concern, too. A distraught mother to a candidate – Tobiloba, who sat the exam at MTI College, Surulere, Lagos – is seeking another test for her daughter because she believed that her daughter is brilliant, and could easily have passed the examination, but for the challenges she did not create that day. Her computer tripped off repeatedly during the test. She logged in and saw mathematics, chemistry and physics papers complete. But when the

computer tripped off again, a second log-in showed as follows: mathematics 46, chemistry 25 and physics 25 questions, instead of 50 each.

Desmond Peters, another parent, posits, “It is obvious that we are not ripe for this technology yet.” The JAMB Registrar, Dibu Ojerinde, will be hard put to dispute this assertion. Although the CBT mode was fully introduced last year to address the challenges posed by the paperpencil method, its release of results within 24 hours and serving as an effective bulwark against cheating are not sufficient grounds for the board to overlook the inherent mounting obstacles or complaints thereto. This is why the House of Representatives on Thursday advised the Federal Ministry of Education to direct JAMB to return to the old system or alternatively, make it optional. Earlier, some candidates had protested in Lagos, demanding the cancellation of this year’s test, following the lapses that attended it.

Apart from a few elite schools, the majority of which are privately owned, computer education in secondary schools in the country is a non-starter. This was attested to last year by one of the teachers who participated in the national competition for the Teacher of the Year Award. He told the interview panel chaired by Pat Utomi, “In my school, we teach computer on chalkboard.” Such schools are aplenty; even more are colleges where students have neither theoretical nor practical knowledge of computer. Yet, these schools present candidates for the CBT. It is this category of UTME candidates that rush to learn how to fiddle with computer keyboards at cybercafés just to sit the examination. They leave the exam halls with forlorn faces, terribly upset and conscious of the fact that they did not perform well, not because they are not intelligent, but because the system failed them. This has gone on for two years, denying admissions to otherwise brilliant youths, whose future is jeopardised in the process. This cannot continue.

The minister should, therefore, demonstrate

that his sympathy for this group of candidates is real by ensuring that CBT is made optional in the 2017 edition. It will reduce the degree of failure orchestrated by hitches; and narrow the chances of a candidate from Lagos being given a centre in Warri, or candidate, like Juwon Medaiyese, from Ilorin going to Minna to sit the test. A level playing field has to be created for all the candidates, otherwise, JAMB will largely be seen as fleecing the candidates and their parents annually.

It should be acknowledged, however, that the board meant well by introducing the CBT, as it aligns with modernity and advances the frontiers of Information Communication Technology education. But the bitter truth is that there is a mismatch between the present level of our education and the computer literacy culture being imposed on it.

What’s more; Nigeria is ravaged by infrastructure deficits like gross inadequacy in electricity supply, broadband penetration and alternative source of power. As the UTME lasted, power supply nationwide dipped to 3,449.53 megawatts for a country of about 170 million people, according to statistics from the Ministry of Power. Progress will remain a mirage with the UTME’s CBT if the country does not get these indices right.

Many universities, which had for long passed a vote-of-no-confidence in JAMB’s UTME with their conduct of post-UTME tests to select their students, will be reinforced by this year’s CBT short-comings to deepen the process. Globally, any university worth its name admits its own students; we believe it is the right way to go.

It will guarantee quality and autonomy badly needed in our universities.

•Culled

from The Punch

TECHNOLOGY

How Google Just Quietly Made Your Android Phone More Secure

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y now, you’ve probably heard all about the changes introduced with Google’s Android 4.3 release. But those fresh features and bits of polish are only part of the story. One of Google’s biggest changes to the Android platform is actually happening outside of the operating system — and it’s affecting almost every Android device in the world.

It’s the widespread launch of a universal app-scanning system — a system that watches your device for any new application, even one loaded directly onto the device (“sideloaded”) from outside of the Google Play Store, and instantly checks the app for malicious or potentially harmful code.

That’s huge. And while we’ve been busy focusing on new devices and fun features, Google’s been busy making sure every Android user has that system on his phone — whether he realizes it or not.

Google initially launched the feature, known as Verify Apps, with Android 4.2 last November (Android VP of Engineering Hiroshi Lockheimer discussed it with me exclusively at the time). Now, Google has pulled the program out of the OS and made it automatically available to every device running Android 2.3 or higher. That covers almost every phone and tablet out there — about 95 percent of the actively running products, according to Google’s latest platform measurements.

How did that happen? Simple: Google made the code a part of Google Play Services, a standalone utility that’s updated regularly behind-the-scenes by Google — independent of any manufacturer or carrier rollouts. It’s part of the ongoing deconstruction of Android that we’ve been talking about for a while now.

The new system works alongside an automated scanning system that’s been in place since early 2012 for all apps on the Google Play Store. With the new device-level scanning added into the picture, that means every app you put on your phone — whether from the Play Store or from an unofficial third-party source — is now scanned, analyzed, and compared to

proportion than ever. They’ve always been sensational; all it takes is a little basic caution and common sense to avoid having your device devoured by an evil mobile genie. In the real world, the killer viruses that are so good for headlines actually affect next to no one.

But now, even if you aren’t careful — even if you do carelessly download shady-looking stuff from out in the wild — your phone will automatically protect you. nd there’s the rub: That means t h e p a y - t o - p l a y programs pushed by antivirus vendors — the same companies that, coincidentally, are almost always behind the press campaigns surrounding the big, bad Android malware of the moment — are now completely redundant with the protection provided by the operating system itself.

Not that that’ll stop the vendors from trying to scare you into using their products.

Beyond the Verify Apps expansion, Android 4.3 itself includes a number of OS-level security enhancements. Perhaps most significant is the addition of a security feature called SELinux — or Security-Enhanced Linux — which protects certain core aspects of the system’s functionality.

There’s also an apparently still-under-development feature known as App Ops that allows users to selectively disable permissions from installed applications. (Android, unlike other mobile operating systems, requires all apps to request specific permissions in order to gain access to any function of the device or area of user data — and those permissions are always disclosed to the user prior to installation.) The function was discovered by the gang at Android Police and has yet to make its public debut.

All combined, there’s less reason than ever to panic the next time the inevitable “OMG THE ANDROID MALWARE MONSTER IS COMING!!!” story comes along. And it will: If history’s any indication, we’ll probably see another such story and accompanying set of fear-inducing headlines within a matter of weeks.

But a little bit of knowledge goes a long way. Here in the real world, the monsters aren’t nearly as scary as the storytellers make them out to be.

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a massive database of malicious code, all in a fraction of a second.

On the Play Store side, if something is flagged as problematic, it won’t be published. On your device, if a red flag comes up — even just for something as seemingly innocuous as an app that might send SMS messages on your behalf without your knowledge — the system will warn you and recommend you avoid proceeding with the installation.

“We wanted to make sure those protections were available even for users who were choosing to install applications from a source other than Google Play,” Android Security Engineer Adrian Ludwig tells me.

“It’s always been a focus for Android to make sure that we’re supporting an open ecosystem and that it’s possible for users to get applications that developers, for any number of reasons, aren’t distributing through [the official Play Store channel].

Just like in its original 4.2-based incarnation, the newly widespread Verify Apps feature is on by default but can be bypassed or disabled if you want.

The system prompts you the first time you install something from outside of the Play Store and confirms that you want its protection; even if you opt in then, you can always disregard its advice and proceed with a flagged app installation down the road, if you’re so inclined.

So in the big picture, what’s this all mean? Simple: All those big, bad, scary Android malware stories we’re constantly seeing are even more blown out of

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osun Defender Thursday, March 24, 2016

health

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osun Defender Thursday, March 24,

Simple Steps To Preventing Diabetes I Introduction f type 2 diabetes was an infectious disease, passed from one person to another, public health officials would say we’re in the midst of an epidemic.

This difficult disease, once called adultonset diabetes, is striking an ever-growing number of adults. Even more alarming, it’s now beginning to show up in teenagers and children.

More than 24 million Americans have diabetes; of those, about 6 million don’t know they have the disease. (1) In 2007, diabetes cost the U.S. an estimated $116 billion in excess medical spending, and an additional $58 billion in reduced productivity. (1) If the spread of type 2 diabetes continues at its present rate, the number of people diagnosed with diabetes in the United States will increase from about 16 million in 2005 to 48 million in 2050. (2) Worldwide, the number of adults with diabetes will rise from 285 million in 2010 to 439 million in the year 2030. (3) The problems behind the numbers are even more alarming. Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness and kidney failure among adults. It causes mild to severe nerve damage that, coupled with diabetes-related circulation problems, often leads to the loss of a leg or foot.

Diabetes significantly increases the risk of heart disease. And it’s the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S., directly causing almost 70,000 deaths each year and contributing to thousands more. (4) The good news is that type 2 diabetes is largely preventable. About 9 cases in 10 could be avoided by taking several simple steps: keeping weight under control, exercising more, eating a healthy diet, and not smoking.

What Is Type 2 Diabetes?

Our cells depend on a single simple sugar, glucose, for most of their energy needs. That’s why the body has intricate mechanisms in place to make sure glucose levels in the bloodstream don’t go too low or soar too high.

When you eat, most digestible carbohydrates are converted into glucose and rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream.

Any rise in blood sugar signals the pancreas to make and release insulin.

This hormone instructs cells to sponge up glucose. Without it, glucose floats around the bloodstream, unable to slip inside the cells that need it.

Diabetes occurs when the body can’t make enough insulin or can’t properly use the insulin it makes.

One form of diabetes occurs when the immune system attacks and permanently disables the insulin-making cells in the pancreas. This is type 1 diabetes, once called juvenile-onset, or insulindependent, diabetes. Roughly 5 to 10 percent of diagnosed diabetes cases are type 1 diabetes. (5) The other form of diabetes tends to creep up on people, taking years to develop into full-blown diabetes. It begins when muscle and other cells stop responding to insulin’s open-up-for-glucose signal. The body responds by making more and more insulin, essentially trying to ram blood sugar into cells. Eventually, the insulinmaking cells get exhausted and begin to fail. This is type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes used to be called adult-onset diabetes, since it was almost unheard of in children. But with the rising rates of childhood obesity, it has become more common in youth, especially among certain ethnic groups.

In the U.S., the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study found that type 2 diabetes accounted for only 6 percent of new diabetes cases in non-Hispanic white children ages 10 to 19, but anywhere from 22 to 76 percent of new cases in other ethnic groups (6).The highest rates were found in Asia-Pacific Islander and Native American youth.

In addition to the millions of adults with diabetes, another 57 million adults have “pre-diabetes.” (7) This early warning sign is characterized by high blood sugar levels on a glucose tolerance test or a fasting glucose test. Whether pre-diabetes expands into full-blown type 2 diabetes is largely up to the individual. Making changes in weight, exercise, and diet can not only prevent pre-diabetes from becoming diabetes, but can also return blood glucose levels to the normal range.

Type 2 Diabetes Can Be Prevented Although the genes you inherit may influence the development of type 2 diabetes, they take a back seat to behavioral

likely to have developed type 2 diabetes than those who rarely ate whole grains.

(21) When the researchers combined these results with those of several other large studies, they found that eating an extra 2 servings of whole grains a day decreased the risk of type 2 diabetes by 21 percent. hole grains don’t contain a magical nutrient that fights diabetes and improves health.

It’s the entire package—elements intact and working together—that’s important.

The bran and fiber in whole grains make it more difficult for digestive enzymes to break down the starches into glucose. This leads to lower, slower increases in blood sugar and insulin, and a lower glycemic index. As a result, they stress the body’s insulin-making machinery less, and so may help prevent type 2 diabetes. (22) Whole grains are also rich in essential vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals that may help reduce the risk of diabetes.

In contrast, white bread, white rice, mashed potatoes, donuts, bagels, and many breakfast cereals have what’s called a high glycemic index and glycemic load.

That means they cause sustained spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels, which in turn may lead to increased diabetes risk.

(22) In China, for example, where white rice is a staple, the Shanghai Women’s Health Study found that women whose diets had the highest glycemic index had a 21 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, compared to women whose diets had the lowest glycemic index. (23) Similar findings were reported in the Black Women’s Health Study. (24) More recent findings from the Nurses Health Studies I and II and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study suggest that swapping whole grains for white rice could help lower diabetes risk: Researchers found that women and men who ate the most white rice—five or more servings a week—had a 17 percent higher risk of diabetes than those who ate white rice less than one time a month. People who ate the most brown rice—two or more servings a week—had an 11 percent lower risk of diabetes than those who rarely ate brown rice. Researchers estimate that swapping whole grains in place of even some white rice could lower diabetes risk by 36 percent. (25) 2. Skip the sugary drinks, and choose water, coffee, or tea instead.

Like refined grains, sugary beverages have a high glycemic load, and drinking more of this sugary stuff is associated with increased risk of diabetes. In the Nurses’ Health Study II, women who drank one or more sugar-sweetened beverages per day had an 83 percent higher risk of type 2 diabetes, compared to women who drank less than one sugar-sweetened beverage per month. (26) Combining the Nurses’ Health Study results with those from seven other studies found a similar link between sugary beverage consumption and type 2 diabetes: For every additional 12-ounce serving of sugary beverage that people drank each day, their risk of type 2 diabetes rose 25 percent. (27) Studies also suggest that fruit drinks— Kool Aid, fortified fruit drinks, or juices—are not the healthy choice that food advertisements often portray them to be: Women in the Black Women’s Health study who drank two or more servings of fruit drinks a day had a 31 percent higher risk of type 2 diabetes, compared to women who drank less than one serving a month. (28) How do sugary drinks lead to this increased risk?

Weight gain may explain the link: In both the Nurses’ Health Study II and the Black Women’s Health Study, women who increased their consumption of sugary drinks gained more weight than women who cut back on sugary drinks. (26, 28) Several studies

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and lifestyle factors. Data from the Nurses’ Health Study suggest that 90 percent of type 2 diabetes in women can be attributed to five such factors: excess weight, lack of exercise, a less-than-healthy diet, smoking, and abstaining from alcohol. (8) mong 85,000 married female nurses, 3,300 developed type 2 diabetes over a 16-year period.

Women in the low-risk group were 90 percent less likely to have developed diabetes than the rest of the women.

Low-risk meant a healthy weight (body mass index less than 25), a healthy diet, 30 minutes or more of exercise daily, no smoking, and having about three alcoholic drinks per week.

Similar factors are at work in men. Data from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study indicate that a “Western” diet, combined with lack of physical activity and excess weight, dramatically increases the risk of type 2 diabetes in men. (9) Information from several clinical trials strongly supports the idea that type 2 diabetes is preventable. The Diabetes Prevention Program examined the effect of weight loss and increased exercise on the development of type 2 diabetes among men and women with high blood sugar readings that hadn’t yet crossed the line to diabetes. In the group assigned to weight loss and exercise, there were 58 percent fewer cases of diabetes after almost three years than in the group assigned to usual care. (10) Even after the program to promote lifestyle changes ended, the benefits persisted: The risk of diabetes was reduced, albeit to a lesser degree, over 10 years. (11) Similar results were seen in a Finnish study of weight loss, exercise, and dietary change, and in a Chinese study of exercise and dietary change. (12–15) Simple Steps to Lower Your Risk Making a few lifestyle changes can dramatically lower the chances of developing type 2 diabetes. The same changes can also lower the chances of developing heart disease and some cancers.

Control Your Weight Excess weight is the single most important cause of type 2 diabetes. Being overweight increases the chances of developing type 2 diabetes seven fold.

Being obese makes you 20 to 40 times more likely to develop diabetes than someone with a healthy weight. (8) Losing weight can help if your weight

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is above the healthy-weight range. Losing 7 to 10 percent of your current weight can cut your chances of developing type 2 diabetes in half.

Get Moving—and Turn Off the Television Inactivity promotes type 2 diabetes. (16) Working your muscles more often and making them work harder improves their ability to use insulin and absorb glucose.

This puts less stress on your insulinmaking cells.

Long bouts of hot, sweaty exercise aren’t necessary to reap this benefit. Findings from the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up Study suggest that walking briskly for a half hour every day reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 30 percent. (18, 19) More recently, The Black Women’s Health Study reported similar diabetes-prevention benefits for brisk walking of more than 5 hours per week. (20) This amount of exercise has a variety of other benefits as well. And even greater cardiovascular and other advantages can be attained by more, and more intense, exercise.

Television-watching appears to be an especially-detrimental form of inactivity: Every two hours you spend watching TV instead of pursuing something more active increases the chances of developing diabetes by 20 percent; it also increases the risk of heart disease (15 percent) and early death (13 percent). (17) The more television people watch, the more likely they are to be overweight or obese, and this seems to explain part of the TV viewing-diabetes link. The unhealthy diet patterns associated with TV watching may also explain some of this relationship.

Tune Up Your Diet Four dietary changes can have a big impact on the risk of type 2 diabetes.

1. Choose whole grains and whole grain products over highly processed carbohydrates.

There is convincing evidence that diets rich in whole grains protect against diabetes, whereas diets rich in refined carbohydrates lead to increased risk (53).

In the Nurses’ Health Studies I and II, for example, researchers looked at the whole grain consumption of more than 160,000 women whose health and dietary habits were followed for up to 18 years. Women who averaged two to three servings of whole grains a day were 30 percent less

www.osundefender.org

THE 6TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA

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he current global economic downturn has significantly affected crude oil sales which is Nigeria’s economic mainstay. There is no gainsaying the fact that the days and years ahead will be challenging for not just the Federal Government, but the states and local councils in Nigeria in terms of managing dwindling resources.

The economic squeeze culminated in the inability of about 27 states out of the 36 states of the federation to meet their financial obligations, especially the payment of salaries to public workers.

It was this situation that led to the idea of the bailout loan to the affected states from the Federal Government.

Our dear state which had been a reference point in socio-economic development indices in the country became the toast of the nation as Governor Rauf Aregbesola stood out among peers as an ardent lover of his citizens with the level of infrastructural developments in education, health, rural areas and roads, among others.

Ogbeni Aregbesola embarked on several social service programmes like the senior citizens monthly allowance, a social security scheme that helps the needy senior citizens in the state. The free feeding in our elementary schools is another milestone. Both policies have been adopted by the APC-led Federal Government. This should make Osun indigenes proud and rejoice for this feat.

As the gubernatorial election drew nearer in 2014, the diminutive governor had more than enough to showcase to the world, including his critics. The budding party, APC and Ogbeni Aregbesola could beat chests to challenge his opponents in the election.

Several debates were organized by various groups but his opponents could not summon the courage to face him, owing mainly to his unprecedented achievements.

Osun people stood by their governor, for they all know what the state gained within his just over three years in the saddle of their affairs in the state then.

Osun people voted and made sure their votes were adequately counted.

Voters endured the hardship of security intimidation, while thousands kept vigil at the collation centre. The whole world witnessed how it took INEC, the supposedly impartial umpire, several hours to announce the final results, after all local government results had been read. It took the collective efforts of hapless voters and men of the fourth estate of the realm, our gentlemen of the press, who all agitated and protested before the presiding officer reluctantly announced the final results to the admiration of Osun people and Nigerians at large.

Alas, the bubble burst, as the world witnessed downward trend in the price of our black gold. Needless to say that oil is the mainstay of our economy, hence the need for all to gird our loins. Jonathan government could no longer conceal the biting effects of the dwindling revenue, hence the declaration of austerity measure

by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the then Coordinating Minister of Nigeria’s economy in December 2014.

By adebayo ogun-

Surmounting Fiscal And Development Challenges In Osun

Many Omoluabis have since forgotten why they all fought to liberate Osun from the claws of PDP agents, who sought to snatch Osun with the help of intimidating DSS agents over 18 months ago. Instead, we now fall prey to the ever-present rumour mill that thrives on half-truths, outright fabrication of lies and gossips with intent to destroy. The perpetrators we know do not mean well for our dear state. They are out to destroy us through their primitive accumulative tendencies, which are their traits. They were roundly defeated at the polls; hence they still lick their wounds, so they will stop at nothing to run down a popular government.

Unfortunately, the Federal Government continued its reckless spending at the expense of the federating states and hapless mass populace amidst low earnings.

President Jonathan dispatched the eleven aircrafts in the presidential fleet and personally supervised distribution of huge cash to various groups across the country to procure votes that will retain him in Aso Villa, not minding the deliberate impoverishment of Nigerian mass by his government. uring Jonathan’s regime, returns from agencies like the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF), Excess Crude Account (ECA) and Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas (NLNG), which fall within concurrent list between Federal Government and federating states, were made exclusive rights of the almighty Federal Government. Besides, the proceeds were neither disclosed nor lodged into the federating accounts as stipulated by the Constitution.

All these anomalies account for what led Osun and other states to the present quagmire. Regrettably, Homo Sapiens forget good deeds swiftly.

Many Omoluabis have since forgotten why they all fought to liberate Osun from the claws of PDP agents, who sought to snatch Osun with the help of intimidating DSS agents over 18 months ago. Instead, we now fall prey to the ever-present rumour mill that thrives on half-truths, outright fabrication of lies and gossips with intent to destroy.

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The perpetrators we know do not mean well for our dear state. They are out to destroy us through their primitive accumulative tendencies, which are their traits. They were roundly defeated at the polls; hence they still lick their wounds, so they will stop at nothing to run down a popular government.

This writer clearly understand Ogbeni’s current predicament and feel his tribulations. He is one of the architects of today’s modern Lagos.

I was a co-convener at a seminar in August 2001, where he delivered a paper on the challenges facing Lagos State in the provision of infrastructure to lift the state’s economy and I quite understand his background and experience. As the commissioner saddled with the provision of infrastructure in Lagos State, the aggressiveness with which he worked alongside Asiwaju Tinubu, his political godfather, to make Lagos a centre of excellence is what he thought he also needs to lift Osun to a modern state that will become a toast of the investors through provision of infrastructure. Unfortunately, the terrain is different. Lagos people understand better, while resource avenues are quite diverse than Osun’s.

Meanwhile, this writer is very sympathetic with our dear people in Osun. First, our senior citizens who have contributed immensely to Nigeria’s development and are owed pension arrears due to aforementioned reasons. Our dear civil servants and teachers who also bear the burden

All stakeholders have to work together. We need to educate our citizens on the need to contribute towards governance by fulfilling their civic responsibilities. Prescribed taxes and rates must be contributed by all and sundry. Tax evasion is anathema in other climes. Most developed societies in the world today rely on taxes and rates to provide social services. The state’s information and media managers have a lot to do in this regard.

There is need for reorientation of the people towards positive contribution for greater tomorrow.

of months of unpaid salaries.

The market men and women who displayed their wares and wait endlessly for prospective buyers whose source of income had either depleted or seized for months. Also of concern is the plight of all other stakeholders, who are affected by the current economic situation. Ogbeni has worked tirelessly but the current cash crunch which leaves the state’s economy in comatose needs to reenergise both the leaders and the led.

This is not time for any blame game. We were all proud of him for making Osun a reference point in the drive towards economic development and that was why he was re-elected last year. y now, everyone realises that things can no longer continue as usual. There must be attitudinal change on the part of the people and government. There must also be policy reviews, and in some cases reversals.

All must contribute to realise the dreams of the founding fathers of Osun, the state of virtue. We all have a duty to support our government. We must learn from the present support given the government of Lagos State

by Lagosians, who enjoined the government to fully enforce traffic rules for the benefit of all. That’s one of the areas citizens can participate in governance.

All stakeholders have to work together. We need to educate our citizens on the need to contribute towards governance by fulfilling their civic responsibilities. Prescribed taxes and rates must be contributed by all and sundry. Tax evasion is anathema in other climes. Most developed societies in the world today rely on taxes and rates to provide social services.

The state’s information and media managers have a lot to do in this regard.

There is need for reorientation of the people towards positive contribution for greater tomorrow.

On its part, the government has a duty to be open and more accountable to the populace. It must initiate, formulate and evaluate policies relating to citizens and

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stakeholders’ benefits. Citizens’ cohesion and engagement must be pursued through the information and media managers. We all have a duty to ensure the state is able to fulfil the social contract. Government too must be able to set priorities. Projects and policies that can lift the state out of the present conundrum must be vigorously pursued.

The Ido-Osun aircraft maintenance airport is a laudable project that will spin and buoy the state purse; hence its early completion is highly desired since it’s the third of such in Africa after Johannesburg and Addis Ababa.

Osun is predominantly agrarian. We must make agribusiness more attractive to our teeming populace. The youth must be rerouted towards taking agriculture as vocation through provision of incentives.

All local councils need to provide land for the youth, women and interested workers to engage in cooperative cluster farming with state support through provision of loans to achieve the desired objective.

All efforts will divert the attention of

our people from the currently flourishing market of rumour mill that thrives on half-truths and outright fabrication of lies and gossips across the state of virtue.

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:

osundefenderbank@gmail.com, kayodeagbaje@yahoo.com. ISSN: 0794-8050.Website: www.osundefender.org.