www.osundefender.org Wednesday, may 25, 2016
THE 6TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA
Front Page Comment
VOL. 11. NO.036
N100
Aregbesola: 59 Hearty Cheers To The Birthday Boy!
SAGES reckon that there are no events without great men. A further a ff i r m a t i o n t o that assertion is that great men became great because they willed it. One of such great men currently bestriding our terrestrial ball; who
attained greatness by dint of luck; combined with robust doses of strong will, determination, Godliness, contentment and hardwork; is the incumbent helmsman of the State of Osun, SouthWest Nigeria, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola.
Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola was born on the 25 th of May, 1957 into the Muslim family of Alhaji and Alhaja AhmadRufai Aregbesola in Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State. His father, Alhaji AhmadRufai Aregbesola, an indigene of Ilesa was a professional carpenter who used to
build wooden frames for lorries in Ikare-Akoko and later diversified into sales of automobiles. Alhaji AhmadRufai practiced Islam with good devotion and understanding. He kept and extended a peaceful family where the children were brought up with
cherished Islamic values and injunctions. As a young boy, Rauf Aregbesola started his education at St. G regory’s Catholic Primary School, IkareAkoko. Afterwards, he proceeded to Manuwa Memorial Grammar School (MMGS),
Iju-Odo, Okitipupa for his secondary education, but completed it at Arigidi Akoko Grammar School because his elder brother and guardian who was a teacher at MMGS had to proceed for further studies. ....Continue on page 13
Botched PDP Convention:
How Omisore Cornered Osun PDP Delegates’ Tags - Pg 6
- See Story On Page 3
•(R-L) All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Ayuba Waba and State of Osun governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, during Tinubu’s meeting with the Labour leaders over the now suspended nationwide strike.
ARG Canvases Prohibition Of Open Grazing E ncomiums On Aregbesola At 59
- Pg 4 - Pg 3
osun Defender Wednesday, May 25, 2016
2
News
3
osun Defender Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Botched PDP Convention: How Omisore Cornered Osun
PDP Delegates’ Tags
same PDP South-West faction which conducted zonal congress that was nullified by the court. Omisore, it was learnt, distributed the delegate tags to his supporters among whom were Dr Bayo Faforijin, who was the chairmanship candidate from the Omisore camp at the state congress, Prince Diran Odeyemi, a contestant
for the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, among others. Omisore and his supporters then attended the national convention held in Port-Hercourt, Rivers State as Osun PDP delegates. Adagunodo, who was supposed to lead the party executives from the State of Osun to the convention, as the
state chairman of the PDP, was nowhere to be found at the convention ground. Chairman, gave the tags By ismaeel uthman A chieftain of the to Omisore, whose camp PDP, who was also in he desperation of Senator Iyiola Omisore- boycotted the last ward, Port-Hercourt for the led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party local and state congress convention, Mr Funmiso (PDP) in the State of Osun was on Saturday that produced new set of Babarinde, confirmed brought to the fore, as the faction attended the PDP party executives in the that Adagunodo and governors’ factional national convention of the state. other delegates had no party as delegates from the state. The controversial tags to participate at the Fayose, instead of Omisore, who led governor of the Ekiti and convention. members of the PDP delivering the tags to Omisore belong to the Babarinde stated from his camp to the the Osun PDP State that Omisore, Faforijin, convention held in Odeyemi, Sherif and Port-Harcourt, Rivers other PDP members who State, allegedly cornered attended the convention the tags for delegates as delegates were not who were to attend the the authentic delegates convention from Osun. of Osun PDP to the OSUN DEFENDER convention. gathered that Omisore According to had collected the tags Babarinde, none of them from Ekiti State Governor, was a state, local or ward Ayodele Fayose and executives who were the refused to release them recognized delegates to to the new Osun PDP the convention. chairman, Honourable The former Assistant Soji Adagunodo, Organising Secretary of who was to lead the the Osun PDP described party delegates to the Omisore, Faforijin, convention. Odeyemi, Sherif and Delegates to the others as impostors and convention were impersonators, saying supposed to be the state, that they cornered the local and ward executives delegate tags meant for of the party in Osun. the real state delegates. Investigation revealed Babarinde, however, that the tags for the stated that the real South-West states’ delegates from Osun led delegates were handed •Representative of President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (middle) and other by Adagunodo did not dignitaries during the swearing-in ceremony of President Obiang Nguema Mbasog of Equitorial Guinea recently. over to Fayose. attend the convention because they had known that it would be postponed.
T
Encomiums On Aregbesola At 59 By kazeem mohammed ncomiums have been showered on the Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, as he clocks 59 today.
E
T he governor has then been described as a committed leader who has shown seriousness towards the development of the state in spite of the economic downturn. The State House of Assembly said, though, the state was battling with financial crunch, but the performance of Aregbesola has clearly placed him above board in the governance of the state. A statement by the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Honourable O l a t u n b o s u n Oyintiloye, said it was the commitment to development seen in Aregbesola that made the parliament to stand by him. He stressed that Aregbesola has been able to achieve a lot in every aspect of governance, saying he has decided to remain focused and committed, despite the challenges facing the state. “The way and manner Aregbesola has been handling the issue of governance in the face of the challenges confronting the state has clearly shown him to be a person that posseses leadership quality,” the statement read. The Assembly then assured the governor
of its support to ensure that the main agenda of his administration, which is to making Osun the best among equals is achieved. Also, a political group, Forum of Patriotic members of the All Progressives Congress (FOPAMEC) said Aregbesola has made his mark in the administration of the state. The Chairman of the group, Mr Ajasegun Aluko, said the various developmental projects going on across the state in spite of the economic challenges facing the country have shown that he is on the side of the masses. According to him, the doggedness of the governor in the face of the economic challenges has shown him to be a person who believes in integrity. “Before the current poor economic situation in our country, the whole world could see that Aregbesola was performing well, and despite the economic challenge, he is still struggling to ensure that the people enjoy the benefit of good governance. A j a s e g u n specifically singled out the development going on in the education sector across
the state, especially in the construction of new structures, as well as massive road construction, saying, these have presented him to be a governor who believes in quality. He then called on the people of the state to continue to support
the governor in every way they could, with a view to ensuring that he succeeds in his efforts. Also, the Chairman, Aregbesola Victory Group (AVG), Alhaji Waheed Ademola, described the governor as a leader
worth following due to his quest for the development of the state. He charged the people of the state to continue to support the
By kazeem mohammed member of the State of Osun House of Assembly, representing Ife North State Constituency, Honourable Babatunde Olatunji, has secured the freedom of 10 prisoners, who are serving jail terms in Ilesa and Ilesa prisons. Olatunji, the Chairman, with their families, as House Committee on he gave cash gift to fastCommerce, Industry, track their transportation C o o p e r a t i v e s a n d back to their respective Empowerment, during communities. a visit to the prisons Olatunji explained that on Friday, secured the he was pushed to take the release of those inmates action out of commitment with options of fines, to contributing to the after offsetting the fines d e c o n g e s t i o n o f t h e imposed on them by the nation’s prisons, which various courts, which he said, should not be an they could not afford. exclusive responsibility While some of the ten of the government. inmates convicted for He said individual various offences across intervention, no matter various jurisdictions of how little, would go a the state had already long way, particularly in served months, some the area of fulfilling the have been in the prison fine conditions imposed for years in their jail terms on the inmates by the before luck came their courts. way. According to him, Six of the inmates were “the amount of money serving in Ilesa Prison, unnecessarily keeping while four served in Ile- some of the convicted Ife. inmates with option of The lawmaker also fine perpetually behind facilitated the reunion bars was less than what an of the affected persons average person expended
on recharge cards daily. “Imagine an inmate observing six months in prison, eating government’s free meals three times daily, just because of his inability to pay only two thousand naira. “The contemplation of the law that provides an option of fine and the court that grant same is predicated on the assumption that such persons could be useful to the society in the long run.” The legislator was optimistic that some of the inmates, who had potentials, could be rehabilitated and made to add personal and societal value, if such intervention was available regularly. The Assistant Comptroller in-charge of Ilesa Prison, Mr Ope Fatinikun, commended the legislator for what he described as the first of such intervention in the prison in the last two years. He advised that the government should
administration.
Osun Lawmaker Secures Freedom For 10 Inmates A
devise means of productively engaging the inmates, even while behind bars, noting that, “it is an unnecessary loss, spending N450 daily to feed each of the over 500 inmates kept behind bars and adding no value. Mr Fatinikun also called on the State Houses of Assembly to review the criminal laws, to make way for provision of community service for convicted suspects over minor offences, rather than imposing jail terms on them. He further appealed to the National Assembly to expedite action on the prison reform bill, which has been pending before it for a long time. At the Ile-Ife Medium Prison, Assistant Comptroller in-charge, Mr Ajagono Mathew, emphasised the need to use the period of jail service to provide formal education for the inmates, saying; “most of them are school dropouts, due to broken home syndrome or loss of parents.
4
News
osun Defender Wednesday, May 25, 2016
UniAbuja VC Lauds Aregbesola’s Commitment To Education •AThes Vice Varsity Sets To Establish Its Distance Learning Programme In Osun “Our university Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Professor Sanni Mashi, burner of quality and
Professor Micheal Adikwu, has commended the Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, for his untiring commitment and passion towards the provision of an improved, quality and functional education. Professor Adikwu also commended the state g o v e r n m e n t f o r while addressing people remaining focused and during a courtesy visit to determined despite the the governor in his office current enormity of by the management team economic challenges of the university. Professor Adikwu, facing the entire country. The Vice Chancellor who was represented of the institution gave b y h i s D e p u t y o n the commendation A d m i n i s t r a t i o n ,
said the current government in the state has displayed a genuine commitment towards the promotion of modern public education with prompt financial interventions and provision of needed facilities, aimed at aiding teaching and learning process. Professor Mashi said the state has placed itself at the front
•Photo of the day: A young lady who claims to have graduated with a second Class Upper-Bachelor of Science in Computer Studies, raised a placard in Lekki Phase 1 to look for a job, recently.
ARG Canvases Prohibition Of Open Grazing
The Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) has called on the Southwest governors to ban open grazing in their respective states as has been done by the government of Lagos State and just on Monday by the government of Ekiti State. The ARG in a statement behalf of all Yoruba signed by its National people, we condemn, Chairman, Honourable strongly, the violent Wale Oshun, observed activities carried out by that as there is great the criminal herdsmen d i f f i c u l t y n o w i n and state unequivocally differentiating between that the Nigerian state the lawful herdsmen in and its security agencies pursuit of a livelihood owe the obligation to a n d t h e m a r a u d i n g intervene strongly and criminal herdsmen who stop these sustained purposely go out to attacks and breach of kill, maim and disrupt security. . the livelihood and well “We contend that being of communities, the incessant tragedy it is necessary that o c c a s i o n e d b y t h e Nigerians are protected skirmishes be it in Ondo, with a swift decision by Ekiti, Katsina, Enugu or our governors to banish Benue is beyond grazing open grazing of animals. per se and that it reveals The ARG said: “On a vile intent to usurp other peoples land, with public Notice a long term expansionist This is to inform objective. “This certainly members of the public is not and cannot be that kehinde tolake accepted by anyone who sadia, is the same person has blood flowing in his as kehinde tolake veins. Yoruba people s a d i a t , l awa l will not accept this. tolake alimatu. “We are therefore That i now wish to be addressed as KEHINDE asking the various arms TOLAKE SADIAT. All of security agencies to former documents remain act firmly because these valid. FIRST Bank and crimes undermine the general public should take integrity of governance
and of nationhood. We call on Southwest governors to collaborate with one another in taking a firm decision on this absurd development. “Importantly, we remind our traditional rulers that they have always had the responsibility and firm obligation of protecting their communities and subjects. They cannot afford to abandon these sacred responsibilities now”. The pan-socio-political Yoruba group appealed to all concerned agencies and authorities that open grazing must be stopped immediately, for it is sensible that we may be having a new wave of terrorism creeping into our land space in the same way Boko Haram surreptitiously became a cancer which has defied a complete cure and Nigeria may continue to grapple with its consequences for many years to come.
effective education, thus earned the state several commendations, accolades and encomiums and as well made it the model among its peers in the country, Africa and the entire world, adding that the state education policy had been found worthy and copied by governments at various levels locally and internationally. He disclosed that the management and staff of the university, in-line with the constitution guiding the activities of Nigerian universities, deemed it fit to establish its Distance Learning Education in Osun, which according to him, if completed, will be the first in the entire South Western region. Professor Mashi stressed that the Centre for Distance Learning and Continuing Education of the University was established in its continuous efforts to reach out to the teeming population of Nigerians to have the opportunity of formal education. Professor Mashi said: “The aim of Distance Education is to increase access to education to a large number of citizens interested in furthering their education. “Unlike the formal systems, however, Distance Education is designed to democratize and liberalize education to facilitate the pursuit of knowledge without sacrificing one’s career. “It also enables studies to be combined with work by those that are interested in involving themselves. “One of the objectives of the system is to make life-long education the hallmark of Nigeria’s educational policy. “Osun is the first state in the South West zone, where the centre wishes to establish its presence. Professor Mashi, who also attributed the visit of the management of the institution to the state to what he described as timely educational partnership and projection, said the establishment of the centre in the state will add more value to the education strides of the current government and as well boost its economic potentials. “Our visit to Osun is to intimate Mr. Governor of our decision to establish a Distance Learning Centre at Iragberi in Egbedore Local Government Council Area of the state.
has expressed its commitment to Distance Learning Education through involvement in the activities of the National Universities Commission and other strategic partnership dedicated solely to open and distance education advancement in the Commonwealth and Africa,” Professor Mashi stated. Professor Mashi, who extolled the administrative acumen of Governor Aregbesola, however vowed to give the current administration the necessary supports and collaboration. “While we appreciate the enormity of the problems, which government at all levels face these days, we equally demand for your support to enable us take-off successfully in the state. “To be specific, we need an office space and facilities, where preliminary work of the service centre will commence. “We promise and assure that the activities of the centre in the state will impact positively on a large number of people in the state and contiguous states, especially the youths and public servants. “We wish your administration a s u c c e s s f u l accomplishment in your efforts to reposition the state, as we look forward to partnering with your government in the development of education sector in the state,” he said. In his remarks, Governor Rauf Aregbesola commended the management of the institution for counting the state worthy of hosting such academic centre and for situating first of its kind in the state. He added, “We appreciate the authority of UniAbuja for deeming it fit to pursue a cause that was almost dead and for building this monumental edifice in our state. “Our state will continue to appreciate the economic benefits of this kind gesture, as host community will no doubt be forever grateful to this. Analyzing his commitment towards education, Governor Aregbesola said his administration prioritized education, having understood the
fact that education is the only heritage that one could leave on and be so sure of, saying it is also the only patrimony that can never be joked with. “To understand education, both in philosophical and practical essence, education is beyond secondary level, because it is the greatest tool for the advancement of every human community, society and organization. “Therefore the difference between developed and underdeveloped nations is the degree of application of knowledge. “No efforts should be spared in getting education to be properly disseminated and passed on. “Though, we are constrained with the economic tragedy that has befallen our nation by the phenomenal decline in our oil revenues, which unfortunately is the mainstay of the economy, but we will do everything within the limit of our resources to support this project and ensure its success and realization”, Aregbesola stated. He therefore urged the institution to support the state by situating science related courses that will meet the needs of the state, saying Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is the major area, where the state needed most in energizing the youths towards the realization of independent life. He said: “ICT is the tool for rapid transformation of any society, for this reason, our government needs university knowledge to advance our society in the area of ICT, sciences, administration and management.”
5
osun Defender Wednesday, May 25,
Celebrations osun Defender Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Aregbesola @ 59:
Celebrating Excellence In Service The task is arduous! It constitutes a Herculean task. It appears hard or even impossible to package all there is to document about the strides of a great achiever in a single-shot edition. This becomes apt and more true-to-life when the personality in context is none less than Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Governor of the State of Osun. However, NIYI OLASINDE will devote the next series to celebrating this icon of excellence as he turns fifty-nine.
•Governor Aregbesola addressing the farmers on the occasion.
6
magazine
osun Defender Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Celebrating Excellence In Service THE journey commenced almost twelve years ago; precisely, it was in year 2005. The people sought out a change in the baton of the administration of their state and went all-out for it through the ample opportunity provided by the Gubernatorial Elections of year 2007. We were all witnesses to the events which characterized the elections and those that trailed it. The events of the three and a half years of the post-election litigations, tagged as the struggle would not be traced here, lest they bore our numerous readers. But here, we shall devote quality time and space to tracing the numerous achievements of the administration in the space of five years plus, which have succeeded in justifying its branding as “Government Unusual”. Readers would bear witness that the achievements of this incumbent administration have been numerous, monumental and transformational all through the entire four-year period that marked the first tenure in office. More than this, the impact of the landmark breakthrough achievements is expected to last with us far longer than the entire span of the life of the administration. Even as it consolidates its achievements in the ongoing one whole term, which is its second tenure in office, generations unborn would find in the life-transforming projects and programmes of Ogbeni Aregbesola and his indefatigable team fond legacies which imbue in them viable relics of fulfilled lives and purposeful citizenship. Before we go on with a detailed exposition of the numerous laudable achievements of the Government Unusual, which got inaugurated sometimes, close to six years ago, OSUN DEFEBDER Magazine finds it necessary to conduct a brief background study on the situation which formed antecedents and constituted a build-up to the wave of change which we currently experience. This special anniversary package shall open with a thorough examination of the background to the numerous achievements recorded so far by the Rauf Aregbesola administration in the State of Osun. In doing this, we shall do justice to some of the achievements of the Government Unusual in summary form. We shall bring out the peculiarities of these achievements; which have presented a positive deviation from known trends in the state since creation about twenty-five years ago. It was in an attempt at producing this positive
change that sages identified the necessity for a government which would work assiduously towards the realization of the dreams, yearnings and aspiration of the state’s founding fathers. It was found out that that element had been elusive all the while since the state’s creation date in 1991. The appearance in the horizons of an administration which held high promise of realization of these dreams did not catch the people unawares. At the beginning of the movement, the pact which the change agent presented to the people of the state appeared, to many, as too good to be true. Today however, realization has dawned on many of these pessimists that the pact can be achieved. We here present the cardinals which dictated the contents in the pact: “MY PACT WITH THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OSUN My mission and ambition are to restore to the people, a state of peace, opportunity, for progress and room for the pursuit of prosperity in our time under a people friendly government. I give you Six-Point Integral Action plan, to the intent that they constitute my actions of faith concerning which I want to be held accountable at any time during my stewardship. SIX POINT INTEGRAL ACTION PLAN · Banish Poverty · Banish Hunger · Banish Unemployment (Create Work/Wealth) · Restore Healthy Living · Promote Functional Education · Enhance Communal Peace and Progress On this august occasion of the fiftyninth birthday anniversary of the man behind the entire change, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of the State of Osun, it is both deserving and worthwhile that all progress-loving patriots who are found in the categories of indigenes, residents or well-wishers of the state should take a victor’s palm and wave it in celebration of excellence and magnanimity in governance. Now, Osun is getting it right! Now, Osun is on the right course to self-sufficiency in virtually all spheres of life. Now, your state, my state and our state is finding its foot as prime-mover – a clear leader in the comity of states in the federation of Nigeria. We deserve nothing less than hearts of gratitude to God Almighty. We are moving! Osun is moving! Nothing, we say nothing will stop us! Let us now
•A newly-commissioned road by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in Osogbo, sometime ago.
turn to examining the progress and development witnessed in all spheres of life in the state since the inception of the Rauf Aregbesola administration close to six years ago. LOTS have been achieved in the Education sub-sector of the State of Osun during the half-decade period under review. As a matter of fact, it can be argued with all justification that the sub-sector has been one of the most versatile in the state. Events and programmes which took place in the sub-sector within this period shall now seize our attention. As a sub-sector of the Social Services Sector of our economy, the importance of education to the socio-economic and industrial development of any nation cannot be overemphasized. It is against this background that the administration of Ogbeni Aregbesola has remained resolute on the promotion of functional education in the state. The governor continually recounted how a timely discovery was made by his team that the educational infrastructures in our schools were in worrisome state upon their assumption of office in late 2010. In order to rightly and accurately assess the level of decay in our educational system, the Government of the State quickly convened a two-day education summit with the theme:”Resolving the Education Crisis in Osun State: Bridging Analysis and Implementation Gaps”; held at the Osun State University (UNIOSUN) in February 2011. The summit was to become one of the most prominent and decisive giant strides taken by the Aregbesola administration. To put the record straight, it came as the first ever in the annals of education summits in the state! By that singular action, the incumbent administration demonstrated its unwavering resolve to tackle head-on the spate of neglect and rot that had bedeviled the education industry in the state. Also by the impetus of the summit, the Government Unusual took the bull by the horns to restructure and reconstruct amenities and infrastructure in the education sector of the state; in order to restore quality and promote functional education at all levels in the overall interest of all residents. Today, the public education sub-sector of the state has been so wondrously and positively overhauled that the state has been moved from its rear position of a laggard in terms of performances of candidates’ results
in public examinations into a frontal position. We need to remind readers here, in passing that at the inception of the incumbent administration well over five years ago, the state was found at a position which it was ranked between thirty-second and thirty-third among the thirty-six states of the federation and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. This position was a sad, condescending level for a state which had fond legacy as an educationally advanced state / area in the history of Nigeria. Fortunately, the Rauf Aregbesola wave of revolution in the State of Osun has revived the fond legacy; such that today, the state smiles home with a position ranking it among the units; even among the first five in the entire nation. The magic wand wielded in achieving this wonderful feat is not farfetched: the administration committed the cream of resources to the task in the most honest, accountable, transparent, responsible and responsive manner. Apart from the Free Education Programme at the Primary and Secondary levels, the Aregbesola administration in the state has made remarkable achievements in the educational sub-sector. An instance of this is the rebranding, repackaging and transformation brought to bear on the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme; an old programme of the Yar’Adua / Oyinlola years; which has been resuscitated and rechristened Osun Elementary Schools Free Feeding and Health Programme (O’ MEAL). With the reorganization and resuscitation of the programme, all the pupils in primaries one to three in public schools in the State of Osun were initially covered under the free feeding programme which offers them wide assortments of highly nutritious meals during the school hours. Even meals that are not served in routine menu in conventional practice, like quality chocolate, milk, eggs and chicken are on the list of regular menu of the feeding programme. During the course of the first year of running with the vision of the programme, however, the coverage of the feeding programme has been extended to cover Primary Four in our public elementary schools; with the possibilities of getting the coverage further expanded at some non-distant future date. In addition, the poor condition of infrastructure in public schools in the state is already being radically reversed. •To be continued
57
osun Defender Wednesday, May 25, 2016
8
osun Defender Wednesday, May 25, 2016
59
osun Defender Wednesday, May 25, 2016
10
osun Defender Wednesday, May 25,
osun Defender Wednesday, May 25,
12
osun Defender Wednesday, May 25, 2016
513
tribute
osun Defender Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Aregbesola: 59 Hearty Cheers To The Birthday Boy! The journey of three-score years in not a joke! With Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s attainment of the age of fifty-nine today, he begins an adventure into his sixtieth, the Elders’ Age. NIYI OLASINDE puts this piece together to celebrate the occasion and to wish the celebrant an eventful, gainful and prosperous swing into the world of elders.
At school, Rauf’s preference for the sciences became obvious as he scored Grade “A” in all the science subjects he sat for in the WASC Examination. The one-year interlude between his secondary and tertiary education was spent as a teacher at Imesi-Ile High School. After this, he proceeded to the Polytechnic, Ibadan for his tertiary education where he studied Mechanical Engineering, obtaining his Ordinary National Diploma (OND), and later his Higher National Diploma (HND) in 1980. He had his mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme in Kaduna, where the young engineer worked with the National Freight Agency and afterwards worked as a pioneer engineering staff of the Nigerian External Telecommunications (NET), at its Kujama Satellite Earth Station in Kaduna. He also worked at the Lagos Airport Hotel and later worked with a friend of his who founded Rubicon Nigeria Limited. Having acquired remarkable experience, Rauf established his own engineering firm, Aurora Nigeria Limited in 1986. The company has since its establishment handled numerous major projects for both government and private organizations in most states of the federation. Rauf Aregbesola is a fellow of many professional bodies which include the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Nigerian Association of Technological Engineers (NATE) and Certified Marketing Communications Institute of Nigeria (CMCIN). He has also earned meritorious awards such as Ambassador of Goodwill for the State of Tennessee, USA, Nigerian Society of Engineer’s Merit Award (Contribution to Engineering Discipline) and the Best Commissioner in Lagos State Award. Rauf added another feather to his cap when he bagged the Associate Membership of the American Institute of Industrial Engineers (AIIE). Aregbesola’s foray into politics started in his undergraduate days around 1977 / 78 as Speaker of the Students’ Parliament at the Polytechnic Ibadan. He was also the President of the Black Nationalists’ Movement, a position he held between 1978 and 1980. Similarly, he was an active supporter of other progressive student movements nationwide, which earned him life membership of the National Association of Technological Students (NATS). Outside the tertiary institution, Rauf Aregbesola played an active role in the struggle against Abacha military junta between 1993 and 1998. In June 1990, he became an elected delegate of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) Inaugural Local Government Area Congress. In July of the same year, he was also a delegate to the party’s first National Convention in Abuja. During the transition period to democratic governance, Aregbesola was a vibrant pro-democracy and human rights activist; as he towered
prominently in the demilitarization and pro-democracy struggles in the 1990s. A consummate community mobilizer with in-born sterling leadership traits; Rauf has been active in community associations, especially in Alimosho, Lagos, his base; where he remains the Secretary to the LGA Elders’ Forum till date. On the twilight of Nigeria’s actual return to democratic rule, he became the Director of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Campaign Organization (BATCO), which engineered the electoral victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the Governor of Lagos State in 1999. He performed similar feat, using the platform of the Independent Campaign Group (ICG) to ensure the re-elction of Asiwaju Tinubu for a second term in office in 2003.
In the administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Rauf Aregbesola served as the Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure. Through the ‘Operation Taxpayers’ Money in Action’ and ‘Operation Patch it Well’, he successfully rehabilitated and fixed several roads through the Lagos State Ministry of Works and Infrastructure. Within this same period, the ministry renovated and furnished several staff quarters, maintained an all-year-round drainage clearing gang (drain ducks) which cleared over 1250 kilometres of drains in Lagos and instituted the streetlight maintenance programme. Furthermore, under his leadership, through the Independent Power Project, the ministry supplemented the National Electric Power Authority’s power supply
with an additional 270 megawatts. Since his appointment and reappointment, Engineer Aregbesola had continued to confound all with the strength of his commitment to selfless service. His diligence, sincerity and tirelessness in the administration of the vast Ministry of Works and Infrastructure as well as supervision of the Public Works Corporation and State Electricity Board has been acknowledged as being responsible for the outstanding success recorded during the entire eight-year tenure of the Tinubu administration in the Centre of Excellence, especially in road construction, rehabilitation, maintenance and street lighting. In addition to the feat placed on record above, the astute and seasoned engineer had to his credit the successful rehabilitation of about 841 roads, through the Public Works Corporation’s Operation taxpayers’ Money in Action (referred to above); and over 600 roads the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure’s Operation Patch it Well (also earlier referred to). These two agencies, it is placed on record, worked round the year, day and night in areas of road maintenance, drainage and canal channelization and all the rest. ith the wealth of experience W gained from the private and public works and administration, Rauf Aregbesola was emboldened to replicate his achievements in the State of Osun, his native home. His interest in society, the condition of living of the people, their attitude towards production and wealth creating activities and how all these affect their status motivated him to participate in the Gubernatorial race for Osun State in 2007. As a true African who always seeks to find expression and connection to his cultural roots and history, he decided to use Oranmiyan platform as a metaphor and a symbol of his ambition to liberate the people of Osun from the yoke of misrule, corruption and bad leadership. He therefore became an initiator and member of Oranmiyan, a sociopolitical group which promoted his ambition as the Governor of Osun State in 2007 General Elections. The group has a long-term vision of initiating a Yoruba socio-political renaissance. Although radical a nd
progressive, Oranmiyan has an Awoist tendency within the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). In the 2007 elections, Aregbesola contested under the platform of the Action Congress (AC), which latercame to be known as Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN); and later metamorphosed intoAll Progressives Congress (APC). After the polls, one of the strongest opponents, Prince ...continue on pg14
14
tribute
osun Defender Wednesday, May 25,
Aregbesola: 59 Hearty Cheers To The Birthday Boy!
•Continued from page 13 Olagunsoye Oyinlola of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was declared winner. For Aregbesola, Oyinlola’s victory was a case of stolen mandate which had to be challenged and taken back. The court case took a long time, to the extent that many people had lost faith in Aregbesola’s appeal in the court. But Aregbesola assured them that “…by the grace of God, I, Rauf Aregbesola will assume the mandate that the people of Osun freely gave to me on April 14, 2007. I don’t believe the judges are delaying the ruling. I think they are taking their time. Victory is sweeter when it is delayed” O n November 26th 2010, after almost three and half years of serious legal battle, Oyinlola’s election and his government were declared null and void by the Court of Appeal sitting at Ibadan. In his place, the court declared that Rauf Aregbesola was the winner of the polls, and thus, should be sworn in as Governor. Amidst a massive crowd, Rauf Aregbesola was sworn in the following day as the sixth civilian governor of the State of Osun. ndeed, the story of Ogbeni Rauf I Aregbesola, the Executive Governor of the State of Osun exemplifies life streams out of the belief that the passion to fight social injustice is never connected to unpleasant incidences experienced in life but an absolute altruism borne out of the firm conviction that life is a trust to serve. He is one of those few selfless people that strive to straighten our crooked world, even in the face of obstinate challenges. As a great lover of literature, Rauf widened his knowledge of the different parts of the world by reading extensively. As a young Primary III pupil, he started reading Chinese literature and other Communist books as a subscribed reader. This keen interest in Communist publications ingrained in the young Rauf a great concern for welfare and well-being of the people around him. His Six-Point Integral Action Plan is focused on creation of wealth through active engagement of the abundant human resources available in the state, banishing poverty, massive food production, youth and women empowerment, promotion of healthy living and promotion of conducive environment for the sustainable growth of commerce. Through his plan, his government seeks to recreate a socially responsible system of governance with welfare of citizens as a cornerstone. It also seeks to recreate the glorious period of Yoruba political era built on Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s social welfare and well thought-out political strategies and performance; a government of the people, by the people and for the people by the Grace of the Almighty God. In a period of almost six years, it is not
too early to make an objective assessment of a government, especially, one that has just in the past eighteen months got a renewed mandate for fresh four-year tenure. Apart from frantic efforts which abound in outlining the direction of the Aregbesola administration based on the promises made to the people of Osun State before the April 14, 2007 Elections; reiterated during the inauguration of the new government on November 27, 2010; and fresh promises made during the 2014 Gubernatorial Election Campaign period; the nooks and crannies of the state are replete with concrete achievements with which to rate the administration’s achievements as superlative. Generally, Ogbeni Aregbesola never wavered nor refracted from delivering his pact based on his Six-Point Agenda for the development of the State of Osun. A cardinal objective of government is to create a highly motivated workforce since the success of government programmes depends to a large extent on how well they perform their duties. It is therefore not surprising that one of the first actions that he took was to approve the payment of thirteenth month salary to workers in the state public service as end of the year bonus. This was in addition to approving the payment of N47 million as leave bonus for public officers in the state civil service, including teachers of secondary schools across the 30 local governments of the state. Equally, the governor approved the payment of N61 million as leave bonus for local government staff who also got the sum of N18 million as end of the year bonus. More and more of these worker-friendly incentives have been so far rolled out in the life of the administration. Second, and in the area of education, the governor approved the release of N21, 666, 000.00 for the payment of the reaccreditation fees for the National Examinations Council (NECO) to release the results of Ordinary Level Examinations conducted in 2010. NECO had withheld the results of the candidates who sat for the examinations conducted by the body because the immediate
past administration reneged on making payment. Again, the governor also directed that all corps members serving in the state starting from March 2011 be deployed to schools to strengthen the development of that sector in line with his policy of delivering quality education to the future generation of the state. The governor also took immediate steps in evacuating corps members of the state’s origin who were trapped in the postelection violence which broke out in some Northern states. The mission successfully evacuated more that seventy corps members back home. Not only that, State of Osun indigenes who were affected by the political logjam and civil unrest in Cote D’Ivoire were also evacuated and brought home in several luxurious buses. They were later supported with cash donations, food and other materials to help them settle down. Meanwhile, the administration has also organized an Education Summit where issues affecting that sector were discussed. Since that inception stage, trends and developments in the education industry in the state have been traceable to gains from that first-ever summit! eedless to say, education in the N State of Osun since the ascension of the Aregbesola administration has not only been free; but also has been comprehensive and qualitative. The introduction of timely intervention nuggets, like the State of Osun Schools’ Infrastructure Development Project (O’SCHOOLS), the Free Elementary Schools’ Feeding and Health Programme (O’MEALS), the O’UNIFORM, O’CALISTHENICS and the Opon Imo (Tablet of Knowledge) are innovative programmes in the annals of public education in the state that have transformed the state into envy of its counterparts in the comity of states. In other sectors and sub-sectors, other laudable programmes exist, which have impacted positively on the lives of residents of the state. In agriculture and environment sub-sectors for instance, we can cite the Osun Rural Enterprise and Agriculture Programme (O’REAP) and the O’CLEAN
Project. Other “O” programmes that can be easily underscored include the O’ Honey, O’ Beef, O’ Fish and O’ CLEAN Plus. Limitations imposed by time and space will not allow us to go on and on in listing the varieties of initiatives brought into governance under the Rauf Revolution in the State of Osun. The administration also recorded a major feat in terms of drawing the attention of the international community to Osun State by hosting the 4 th World Summit of Mayors from February 25 to March 2, 2011. A major issue for discussion at the conference focused on how to eliminate corruption among other social problems facing the black race. An immediate impact of the conference on the state was in the area of tourism. The Aregbesola government used the occasion of the conference to project the image of the state as a potential tourist destination; as various programmes were outlined for the over one thousand guests that were hosted. In tackling unemployment, the administration started the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) to register unemployed youths and assist them in finding and pursuing a career of their choice. The government has therefore employed twentythousand youths in three streams running; in various sectors in the state. In other words, the administration has been able to cater to the employment needs of at least 60, 000 youth in three streams! This feat has earned widespread applause from observers within and outside the country and has fast become a model for emulation. The OYES initiative developed in line with the objective of government to banish poverty and hunger from the state through job creation and employment opportunities for its teeming youths. Aregbesola has demonstrated his rare quality as great leader of unequalled enduring ability through thick and thin. His rare and unfathomable cope of governance through adverse economic climate which characterize the latter parts of Goodluck Jonathan years placed him in the fore as monumental achiever and quintessential trail blazer, especially in putting on ground solid, physical infrastructural projects which are of immense overall benefit to the good life and benefit of his people. Till date, his giant strides remain unabated; even in the face of unfriendly financial challenges being faced by virtually all states in the federation called Nigeria. OSUN DEFENDER wishes the birthday boy greater grace, abundant wisdom, sound health and God’s guidance and protection; even as he forges ahead with his visionary strides for his state and his beloved people. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
515
osun Defender Wednesday, May 25,
www.osundefender.org
THE 6TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA
wednesday, may 25, 2016
T
he name Sir Henry Urmston Willink (1894-1973) does not ring a bell in the modern day Nigeria. It was not so about 59 years ago. Sir Willink was a British politician and public servant. He rose to be British Minister of Health from 1943-1945. He later became Vice-Chancellor University of Cambridge between 1953 and 1955. His papers are held till today at the Churchill College Cambridge. On September 2,1957,Sir Abubakar TafawaBalewa(1912-1966) deputy leader of the NPC and Federal Minister of Transport was appointed Nigeria’s First Prime Minister by the then second Governor General of Nigeria, Sir James Wilson Robertson(1899-1983) who served from June 15 1955 to November 16 1960. On September 26 1957 the British government appointed Willink to chair a commission to inquire into the fears of Nigerian minorities and means of allaying them. The commissioners arrived in Lagos on November 23, 1957 and between that date and April 12, 1958 they held public sittings and had private meetings and discussions in each region, in Lagos and in the Southern Cameroons. They returned to London on April 12, 1958. In its report published on July 30, 1958, the Commission stated that although real fears existed in every region, it was satisfied that setting new states would create problems as great as those they sought to eliminate.” In every region, the fears expressed were of a government based on a tribal, or in the North a religious, majority. Rightly or wrongly, it was feared that the regional governments, secure in their majority, would not be ready to respond to criticisms or to meet the wishes of the minorities”. Other members of the commission were Gordon Hadow, Phillip Mason, J.B. Shearer while K. J. Hilton served as the secretary. The commission published 108 pages for its conclusions and recommendations. The Willink recommended as follows: “We were impressed in both the Western and Eastern Regions, with the special position of the people, mainly Ijaw, in the swampy country along the coast between Opobo and the mouth of the Benin Rivers. We were confronted, first, with their own almost universal view that their difficulties were not understood at headquarters in the interior, where those responsible thought of the problems in quite different forms from those they assumed in those riverine areas; secondly, with the widespread desire of the Ijaws on either side of the main stream of the Niger to be united. We cannot recommend political arrangements which would unite in one political unit the whole body of Ijaws; we do however consider that their belief that their problems are not understood could be largely met without the creations of a separate state which have rejected for the reasons mentioned
By eric teniola
We Cannot Be Free Until They Are Free
I have visited the Niger Delta area ‘several times and with billions of naira
poured into that region by the central, states and local governments and oil companies also for developments, it is still the same old story-misery, frustration, poverty, neglect, militancy, etc. A leadership that emerged from there recently, failed to address the chronic problems of the region and made worse their plight by distributing massive wealth to just few who eventually lost focus. Pity.
’
elsewhere. 27- This is a matter which requires a special effort and the cooperation of the Federal, Eastern and Western Government; it does not concern one region only. Not only because the area involves two regions, but because it is poor, backward and neglected, is the whole of Nigeria concerned. We suggest that there should a Federal Board appointed to consider the problems of the area of the Niger Delta. In this we would include the Rivers Province without Aboada or Port Harcourt and would add the Western Ijaw Division…”. “We do not contemplate that the Board should carry out the works which it recommends; this would be left to the Regional Government(except in the case of exclusively Federal schemes) and the annual report of the Board would include a report on actual progress. We consider that this arrangement should be temporary and it should be the object of the Board to conclude its work within ten or twelve years when provision for development had gone far enough to make it possible for this arrangement to be abandoned….Our proposal would provide some financial inducement to the Regional Government, but its sole ultimate sanction is the working of the domestic machine and the value of votes; it is more likely to be successful if there is such a balance in the Federal House of Representatives that every seat is of importance. The declaration of the
Ijaw country as a Special Area would direct public attention to a neglected tract and give the Ijaws an opportunity of putting forward plans of their own for improvement. It would be difficult for either Government to justify to the electorate either a blank refusal to accept a plan recommend by the Board or a failure to implement an accepted plan; in this, as in all our recommendations, we assume a desire to continue with democratic institutions; it is on this assumption that all the steps leading to independence are based.” These were part of the suggestion by Willink commission. t should be noted that the first discovery of oil in Nigeria in-bloc OML 29 onshore at Oloibiri in Ogbia Local government of the present Bayelsa State was made on January 15, 1956 and production did not start until 1958. I am not sure Sir Willink was aware of the discovery of oil before making the suggestion. The 1963 constitution married the suggestion of Sir Willink. In section 159 of that constitution “(1) there shall be a board for the Niger Delta which shall be styled the Niger Delta Development Board… The Board shall be responsible for advising the Government of the Federation and the Governments of Eastern Nigeria and Mid-Western Nigeria with respect to the physical development of the Niger
I
Delta…” No region in Nigeria has so far been designated as “special areas” except the Niger Delta and no region also has suffered environmental calamity as Niger Delta now with no land and no water with heavy military presence. It was the spirit of Willink report that gave birth to Decree 22 of 1992 which led to the creation of Oil Minerals Producing Commission (OMPADEC). Same to NDDC. Same to the Amnesty programme. Contrary to recommendations of Sir Willink, states have been created in the region as well as local governments yet the problem persists. So when you read about oil fields been bombed in Niger Delta and ugly incidents, one is bound to ask, ‘what do these people really want?’ We need to go beyond asking such a question. There seems to be a disconnect between them and us. We don’t seem to understand them and they don’t understand us. At times they don’t understand themselves. The situation in the region is much more complex than imagined. ne of their leaders Major Isaac Jasper Adaka Boro (1938-1968) while being sentenced to death by hanging for fighting the cause of Niger Delta as the leader of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force by Justice Phil Ebosie in Port Harcourt on March 27 1966 under the regime of General Thomas Johnson Umanakwe Aguiyi Ironsi(1924-1966) said his people “had long sought to separate not because they loved power but because their conditions were peculiar and the authorities did not understand our problems. There is nothing wrong with Nigeria. What is wrong with us is the total lack of mercy in our activities”. To the people of Niger Delta, I plead that violence has never solved and will never solve any problem. I have visited the Niger Delta area several times and with billions of naira poured into that region by the central, states and local governments and oil companies also for developments, it is still the same old story-misery, frustration, poverty, neglect, militancy, etc. A leadership that emerged from there recently, failed to address the chronic problems of the region and made worse their plight by distributing massive wealth to just few who eventually lost focus. Pity. In spite of that, the central government cannot give up on Niger Delta which at present provides most of Nigeria’s wealth, just like the government cannot give up on other parts of the country too including the north east region that is completely devastated today as a result of religious insurgency. In the words of James Baldwin (1924-1987), the black American novelist in his essay titled, MY DUNGEON SHOOK,” We cannot be free until they are free”.
O
Teniola, a former director at the presidency, resides in Lagos.
OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank GTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. All correspondence to the Managing Editor, Kola Olabisi, Telephone: 08033927286 (kolaolabisi@yahoo.com); Editor, KAYODE AGBAJE, Telephone: 0803-388-0205, E-mail:
osundefender@yahoo.com, kayodeagbaje@yahoo.com. ISSN: 0794-8050.Website: www.osundefender.org.