Osun Defender - November 25th, 2014 Edition

www.osundefender.org tuesday, November 25, 2014

Like the snake whose head has been cut off but which still erroneously believes it could fight on, the

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VOL. 9. NO.141

Front Page Comment

Omisore: Another Futile Journey

shamefully defeated PDP governorship candidate in the last governors

hip election in the state of Osun, former senator Iyiola Omisore had headed

for court to ‘re-claim his mandate’.

The inverted coma that

houses ‘reclaim his mandate’ here is deliberate. It’s deliberate because

Aregbesola’s Inauguration:

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just like he overpriced himself before that election; boasting around to high heavens that he was the Continue on pg4

Osun APC Calls For Fasting, Prayers - See Story On Page 2

Aregbesola, INEC Counsel

Found Discrepancies In Omisore’s - Pg 2

Media Ownership, A Challenge To Free - Pg 2 Press - NGE President

•Mr Femi Falana (SAN); State of Osun Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Wale Afolabi and Special Adviser to the state Governor on Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Barrister Funmilayo Esho-Williams and other eminent lawyers at the court premises at the ongoing Election Petition Tribunal over August 9, 2014 governorship election between Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the defeated PDP governorship candidate in the state, Senator Iyiola Omisore, at High Court, Osogbo, last Friday.

Osun Govt Takes Measures To Provide Adequate Water Supply - Pg 2

Tribunal Update: Omisore Still Struggling To Prove Case Against Aregbesola , INEC

- See Story On Page 3

osun Defender Tuesday, November 25, 2014

News

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Aregbesola’s Inauguration: Osun APC Calls For Fasting, Prayers

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he All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun has called on well-meaning citizens, especially its supporters, to observe a three-day fasting and prayers from today for a smooth, peaceful and dignified second term inauguration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as governor of the state.

In a special appeal issued by the party and signed by the party Director of Publicity, i n O s o g b o , t h e s t a t e Research and Strategy, capital, the APC said that Barrister Kunle Oyatomi, the Thursday’s event will

climax an epic period in the political history of Nigeria, when the unassailable will of the people, against all odds, triumphed in democratically determining who their leader should be.

The statement reads: “that leader, who the people of Osun have

democratically-elected as governor for the next four years in office, is Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

“Osun needs all the divine protection it can get against the machinations of people sworn to evil and brewed in violence, so that everything goes well”.

According to the APC, the people’s will in the State of Osun will always prevail against the kind of unofficial terrorism, which Osun lived through before and after the August 9, 2014 governorship election that confirmed a second term for Ogbeni Aregbesola.

“We therefore, cannot afford to be complacent in a situation, where lawlessness, impunity and

reckless misuse of power appear to be the order of the day in a country that is precariously sliding into evil, darkness and man’s inhumanity to man, only for political, selfish and irresponsible desperation for power,” the party said.

Osun Govt Takes Measures To Provide Adequate Water Supply

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•A block of shops at Ayegbaju Market in Osogbo, State of Osun, constructed by the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

By Francis Ezediuno

overnment of the State of Osun has said the ongoing rehabilitation of Ede Waterworks is aimed at enhancing water distribution to thirteen local government council areas of the state.

Special Adviser to the State Governor on Water Resources, Engineer (Mrs.) stable electricity supply to Tawakalitu Williams, stated the waterworks.

She hinted that the this in Osogbo, the state capital, while speaking on people of Ile-Ife, Ilobu and the level of development at Gbongan had been enjoying stable water supply due the waterworks. to the rehabilitation of Mrs. Williams, who the waterworks. noted that the rehabilitation While maintaining that w o r k s h a d r e a c h e d efforts are in top gear to completion stage, explained replace damaged pipelines, that the waterworks had the governor’s aide said been furnished with twelve the damaged pipes across new water pumps and a the state had hindered the 50kv generator, as well as adequate supply of water four transformers to ensure to some areas in the state.

She therefore, urged consumers to always pay their water bills to improve the state internally Olatoye, who is the g e n e r a t e d r e v e n u e , Ch a i r m a n , E d i t o r i a l while adding that state Board of Nigeria Tribune government is committed Newspapers, said, to have to the promotion of welfare a free press, journalists of citizenry.

Media Ownership, A Challenge To Free Press - NGE President By kazeem mohammed

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freedom of the press, he President of Nigerian Guild of Editors, said a free press must Mr Femi Adesina, has observed that media be honest, untainted and ownership would continue to pose a challenge have unskilled coverage to free press in the country. of civic affairs.

He said with the Adesina stated this that only 14 per cent continued ownership of w h i l e d e l i v e r i n g a of the world live in the media outfits by nonsociety, where there is lecture organized by Association of Veteran Journalists in Osogbo on Thursday with the theme: “Media Ownership and Challenges of Free Press.”

Adesina, who noted ounsel to Governor Rauf Aregbesola, that all the media the All Progressives Congress (APC) and houses always have a the Independent National Electoral predetermined goals and Commission (INEC) have pointed out discrepancies objectives, said over- in the voters’ registers being tendered by the legal censorship or interference team of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the owners, would defeated governorship candidate in the August 9, have negative effects on 2014 election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, before the its operations.

Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Osogbo, the H e s t r e s s e d t h a t state capital. ownership pattern and The observations were interference would made by the respondents’ inspect the documents. continue to be a factor in He said the petitioners’ counsel on Saturday press freedom. legal team has eventually b e f o r e t h e J u s t i c e Adesina, who is also agreed with the the Managing Director Elizabeth Ikpejime-led and Editor-In-Chief, Sun tribunal at the continued Newspaper, however, hearing of the petition said the challenges filed by Omisore and confronting free press is the PDP against the renot peculiar to Nigeria election of Aregbesola and the APC. alone.

The petitioners’ The veteran journalist counsel, Mr Roland Otaru said too much influence (SAN), while seeking to of ownership in the media tender the documents, outfits would make such media to lose credibility, told the tribunal that business, become weak the respondents’ legal team members have and eventually die.

Adesina, who noted been cooperating with •omisore the petitioners’ team to

professionals, freedom of the press would be doubtful.

In his remarks, the chairman of the occasion, Mr Dejo Olatoye, said ownership would always be a challenge to press freedom in the country.

must work without fear or repression.

Aregbesola, INEC Counsel Found Discrepancies In Omisore’s Evidence

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By kazeem mohammed

respondents to verify the voters’ registers for only the wards they are challenging, instead of tendering for all the wards, including the ones not being challenged in the 17 local government council areas in contention.

The joint team, he said, has collectively been able to verify the registers for AtakumosaEast, Boripe, Ede-North,

Ede-South and Olorunda local government council areas and sought to tender them.

Aregbesola’s counsel, Mr Femi Falana (SAN) and Kunle Adegoke (for morning and afternoon sessions respectively) and the APC counsel, Mr Aderemi Abimbola, revealed that they had found some discrepancies in the documents.

They subsequently told the court that they would reserve their objection till the final address stage.

In his own address, the INEC counsel, Mr Ayotunde Ogunleye, said the registers being tendered by the petitioners’ counsel for Boripe have pencil inscriptions on them after they have been certified

by INEC. Also for Ede North Local Government

Council Area, Ogunleye said some pages were missing, some bore no certification, while there were pencil inscriptions on all the pages after certification by INEC. For Ede-South, the INEC said there were some missing pages, while for Ward 4, Unit 4 of Olorunda Local Government Council Area, two voters’ registers were being tendered, one of which was used for the election, while the other one was not used at all, noting that there were undated certification on some of the pages of the documents.

The documents were then admitted in evidence and marked as exhibits.

S u b s e q u e n t l y, t h e tribunal adjourned further hearing of the petition till Thursday.

News

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Osun Defender Tuesday, November 25,

Tribunal Update: Omisore Still Struggling To Prove Case Against Aregbesola, INEC By kazeem mohammed

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FTER about two weeks of witnesses’ cross examination in court, the PDP’s defeated governorship candidate in the August 9, 2014 election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, is still struggling to prove credible and factual evidence to support his claim that the election in the state was manipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to favour Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

B o t h h i s p r i n c i p a l favour Aregbesola.

Even at a point under witness, his forensic expert and some of his agents, cross examination, one who had given evidence so of Omisore’s witnesses far (about 24 of them) had, created some ridiculous under cross examination, entertainment, when he instead confirmed that the said that, by mutilation of election was neither rigged, the result sheet of INEC irregular nor manipulated to deposed to in his statement

presented to the court, he meant that he was ‘forced to sign’ the document ; the entire court roared into laughter.

Omisore’s case appeared to start unravelling from the very first witness he presented, Prince Bola Ajao, the PDP’s State Secretary, who (again under cross examination) told the court, that he personally did not observe any rigging.

According to him, he was duly-accredited in his ward, he voted, but did not observe

any irregularity and did not leave his ward until after the election.

He was however, in court to give evidence that the election was rigged, based on what he was told by the PDP’s agents! Also, one of the party’s agents who told Ajao that the election was rigged happened to be the same man who, in court, said that by ‘mutilation of INEC’s result sheet ‘ he meant that he was ‘forced to sign’ the result sheet.

However, most contradictory to Omisore’s

claims so far, was that of his forensic expert who, after examining all the election papers, he gave evidence in court to the effect that there were no discrepancies in the papers he examined.

The expert said: “In the election results I examined for my principal (Omisore), there were no discrepancies.”

He told the court that he used the Certified True Copy (CTC) and the duplicates for his analysis, but he could not

Stakeholders Charged On Tourism Development

By shina abubakar takeholders in the tourism industry have been charged on the need to turn the sector into a major revenue-generating area for the country as it is done in other parts of the world.

The call was made by the foisted on the country by State of Osun Commissioner the fall in global price of f o r I n f o r m a t i o n a n d oil, therefore calling on the S t r a t e g y, M r S u n d a y nation’s leaders to diversify Akere at this year’s Brand the economy before it gets Journalists Association of too late.

He disclosed that it is not Nigeria Conference, held at Leisure Spring Hotel, enough to market a country, as a country’s potential Osogbo, the state capital.

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e definition, except the nation c o m m i s s i o n e r , t h e puts necessary facilities in conference, with the theme; place to attract potential “Tourism Marketing As tourists to the country.

According to him, some Catalyst for Economic of the factors that could Development”, came at the most appropriate time in make Nigeria a tourism the nation’s history, as the destination include good country goes into another m a r k e t i n g s t r a t e g y, austerity, as a result of its infrastructure, security, political stability and fair mono-economic policy.

He disclosed that Nigeria pricing of hotel facilities.

He commended brand must look beyond oil and focus more on tourism as journalists in the country the bedrock of the economy, for doing a good job for saying other countries of picking tourism marketing the world generate more as a conference theme, income from tourism than saying it was a good choice, as a result of the numerous other sectors.

Akere charged brand challenges currently facing journalists in the country to the country.

Earlier in his address, do more to drag government the Chairman of the group, attention into focusing on the sector, as well as allot Mr Goddie Ofose, revealed more effort to ensuring that that the theme of the the country is well-branded conference and the choice as tourism Mecca for all and of venue was not a mere coincidence, but a reflection sundry globally.

Similarly, the guest of the achievement of the lecturer, Mr Femi Adesina, present administration led the Managing Director of by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola Sun Publishing Limited, in the area of tourism in the said it is unfortunate that state.

He stressed that the Nigeria is in another austerity period within governor is doing a lot in three decades, which is the area of tourism in a bid to enhance tourism potential revenue generation of the state.

According to him, marriage counsellors, Osogbo was a small town, including wife of the Pastor in-charge of the Province, almost insignificant without Pastor Nike Olagboye and the Osun Osogbo Festival, health talks by prominent which, he said, placed it on the global map and made it consultants.

The four-day programme a big and significant town will would be rounded- globally.

He noted that the relative off with a family service tagged: Overflowing Virtue; peace being enjoyed in the on Sunday, November 30, state should be replicated across the country, so that 2014 at the same venue.

The annual programme, investors in tourism sector she stressed, is organised would have confidence in for the purpose of family bringing their capital into sustenance and well-being. the country.

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•INEC counsel, Barrister Ayotunde Ogunleye (right) and other lawyers during the 2014 governorship election petition Tribunal between Governor Rauf Aregbesola Aregbesola and the defeated PDP governorship candidate in the state, Senator Iyiola Omisore, at High Court, Osogbo, last Friday.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

Stop Playing To The Gallery – Aregbesola’s Lawyer Warns Omisore’s Counsel

By kazeem mohammed ounsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), on Friday warned the lead counsel of Senator Iyiola Omisore, the defeated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the August 9, 2014 election in the State of Osun, Chief Chris Uche (SAN), against impugning the professional integrity of his team and stop playing to the gallery.

Uche however insisted This was in reaction to the consistent statement that he deliberately wanted

by Omisore’s counsel that to tender all the registers Aregbesola, APC and INEC to prove his points, even legal teams were deliberately though not all the polling delaying the hearing of the units were being challenged.

He stressed that since petition filed against the the respondents would raise election.

Uche, had at the continued their objections at the final hearing of the petition of addresses, they should just Omisore and PDP against look at the document without the re-election of Governor verifying the contents.

Osinbajo, Falana and Rauf Aregbesola before the Justice Elizabethe Ikpejime- the INEC’s counsel, Mr led tribunal sought to tender Ayotunde Ogunleye in their the register voters’ used in reaction, objected to the all the units and wards of the argument of the petitioners’ 17 local government council counsel, saying it was wrong areas, including the ones to gag them from looking not being challenged in the at the document and be stampeded just as they noted petition.

S u b s e q u e n t l y , that it would take time to A r e g b e s o l a ’s c o u n s e l , look at the documents.

Due to the long period that Mr Femi Falana (SAN), wondered why the petitioners’ the verification would take, counsel was tendering all the and based on the suggestion voters’ registers, suggesting of Falana, the tribunal that the registers for only members retired into their the units being challenged chambers and when they by the petitioners should returned, the respondents be tendered to make the had only been able to verify verification of the documents the register for only six out of the 11 wards in Ayedaade by the respondents faster.

Thi s suggestion was Local Government Council taken by the tribunal and Area.

After the documents recommended same to the already verified were petitioners’ counsel.

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admitted, the petitioners’ counsel rose again to say that the respondents were only verifying the document to deliberately slow down the proceedings.

In reaction to the statement, Osinbajo, who had earlier waved the utterances, rose and cautioned Uche against making such statement.

He said: “My Lord, I take serious exception to my learned friend’s consistently trying to impugn our professional integrity.

“He has been saying it consistently, but he should be cautioned, because I cannot stay here and allow him to tender documents without looking at them,” he fumed.

However, after checking t he document s, al l t he respondents’ counsel stated

their observations on the document and they reserved their objections till the final address stage.

Among the observations were to the effect that some pages were missing in the register, some have inscriptions with pencils on them without endorsement, while some had certification date of ’14/10/2012’.

When it was clear that the verification of the documents would take much time, the tribunal adjourned till Saturday for further hearing to allow respondent examine the documents before giving their consent.

RCCG Holds Zonal Sisters’ Convention

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he House of Glory Zone of Province 1 of the Redeemed Christian Church of God in Osogbo, the State of Osun capital, has concluded plans to hold its Annual Zonal Sisters Convention from November 2730, 2014 at the zonal headquarters of the church along Hassan Sumonu Street, off Baruwa Street, Osogbo.

This was contained in a press statement issued, signed and made available to OSUN DEFENDER by the wife of the Pastor in-charge of the zone, Assistant Pastor (Mrs) Modupe Boluwaji.

According to her, the programme will feature ministration by prominent m en o f G o d , t a l k s b y •Pastor (Mrs) Boluwaji

find any discrepancy .

However the coup-degrace came under cross examination when this Omisore’s expert admitted to the court that he is not a registered statistician and that in two similar cases he had been involved, he lost.

So, how Omisore intends to win this case will be determined in weeks ahead, as the the PDP’s candidate has until Wednesday this week to supply the critical evidence to support his claim.

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Continued from pg1

osun Defender Tuesday, November

Omisore: Another Futile Journey

his illusive world continues to deceive him as he erroneously believes that he won the last gubernatorial election in the state even when all facts about that election were against his belief.

But it’s not for us to tell him not to go to court or to withdraw his suit. For like a Yoruba adage says; ‘who will tell a kid not to go leprous once he can live lonely in the bush?’ We had warned him several times not to waste his money to contest against the incumbent Governor, Ogbeni Aregbesola whose popularity in the state isn’t disputable due to his stellar performance but Omisore turned a deaf ear to our counsel.

Not only at the level of Osun Defender did Omisore receive the wise counsel not to contest

against Ogbeni’s popularity, even at the level of PDP leadership he received the same advise. For instance former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his usual candid nature did advise Omisore not to race with Ogbeni; that he should allow Ogbeni to finish his good work. But because Mr. Money miss-road has more than enough money to throw away, he dismissed Obasanjo’s advise.

Omisore overpriced himself to the extent that he boasted publicly that he would commit suicide if he didn’t win the election. Three weeks after he was disgraced at the poll he has failed to carry out his promise. We don’t blame him really for it isn’t easy to die.

Suffering from delusions of grandeur, rather than committing suicide as he promised Omisore prefers again to head for the court to ‘re-claim’ the mandate that was never given to him by the Osun electorate. But the reason why he

has headed for the court is clear; he doesn’t know of any good programme to do with money. He still have plenty money in his reservouir and instead of using the money to touch people’s lives positively he prefers to waist it on litigation.

The leopard cannot change its spot truly.

The whole world knows that the Osun election was hitch-free. It was well conducted without any record of electoral malpractices whatsoever. Being the reason why President GEJ congratulated Ogbeni Aregbesola immediately he was declared the winner of the election.

If Mr. President who is the leader of the party at the topmost level could congratulate Ogbeni Aregbesola, who is Omisore to contest the result of the election even as he knew he was never a popular candidate.

The only clause as far as the election was concerned which people kicked against was the massive deployment of security personnel

Ask Your Conscience… Was August 9 Election Rigged?

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hen the mendacious P e o p l e s Democratic Party (PDP) apologists began to challenge their metacarpus to furnish manufactured facts on political situation of the state on the internet, one would not only concur but also be of the same opinion that the initiators of that news are really brilliant.

Though, people of book, the learned would never be moved by the Akporslike comedy that these apologists have turned to their main business, raising fabricated alarms on the on-going tribunal hearing, but only few are regaled by it.

Was it a PDP mischance or not? Despite being severely misrepresented, Aregbesola and APC won against all oddity and ambush, well-prepared by the PDP men and their

boys, who left the required process of reading out their manifesto, but were fast to orchestrate inescapable propaganda that needed only magic to be freed from.

T h e P D P, i n s t e a d of counting it has bad luck, has seen a joy in perpetrating a big lie, making mountain out of

molehill to maintain their dodgy stand from falling.

Everyone thinking in the right manner would understand the strategy being used by the PDP as a tie-my- people- down formula.

The August 9, 2014 governorship election remains undisputable that neither Aregbesola nor his

deputy will visit any of the tribunal proceedings since it began for there is nothing to be afraid of, as the much talked about evidence put together to challenge his emergence is quite meretricious; no wonder the gullible ones among them would be deceived even into the

pit of hell.

These brilliant liars are well-equipped both materially and academically that they have once captured the attention of a whole Africa independent Television (AIT) after Nigerian Tribune had once become a victim of their deadly deceit.

No thanks to one Lere Olayinka, whose appointment in Ekiti State as a Special Assistant to the Governor has prompted our brothers in Osun to keep the fire of hypocrisy burning just like the former did in Ekiti before he romped home to victory.

To the cynics, let your twit fire keep burning but my question is still here haunting and hounding your conscience; was August 9 election rigged?

Keep sending your rain of curses as well, you are not as talented as the biblical Balaam, whose curse suddenly became a blessing.

• O Y E D E J I OLUDAYO, Osogbo, State of Osun.

by federal authority which wasn’t necessary and the security operatives were used against the party of the winner of that election but not against Omisore’s party. So people continue to ask; what is the basis of his going to court?

We are not the one to determine Omisore’s case in the tribunal.

The Judges are there to rule on his case and the Judges are no fools. They are wise people and like the Yorubas would say; ‘if a mad man presents a case, it isn’t a mad man that will judge’. So let Omisore go from one tribunal to another, it’s certain that he has embarked on a futile judicial mission. His case will only be like that of a hunter whose safari was unavailing.

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G i a n t osun Defender Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Aregbesola’s Mid-Term Assessment Report:

Landmarks Of Excellence (III) The mood of celebration is thick in the air. With the inauguration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola three days away, this edition is in time; to open up newer areas where the impact of his administration has been felt during his first term in office. NIYI OLASINDE moves deftly to accomplishing this task.

Through this and earlier editions in the series, attempts are made not to leave any stone unturned in the sector-sector-by-sector analysis of events, activities and strides. OSUN DEFEDNDER Magazine wishes our numerous readers; progress-loving indigenes of State of Osun in particular, happy

•One of the newly-completed 21 roads by Governor Rauf Aregbesola at Oroki Estate, Osogbo, during its commissioning sometime ago.

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magazine

Osun Defender Tuesday, November

Landmarks Of Excellence (III)

•The danger zone where auto accidents were rampant and robbery attacks usually occurred at Asejire area along Ibadan/Ife Expressway has being turned into a beautiful site through State of Osun Government Urban Renewal and Beautification programmes.

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Continued from last week.

O, we can deduce from the foregoing that the bulk of the beautiful package of intervention programmes we now have on ground and their impact came courtesy of the summit and the responses to the challenges that necessitated it. As a matter of fact, the impact of the incumbent administration on the education terrain of the state has been fat and colossal. Today we see the hand of a government that works in practically all sectors. With our focus on education, never in the annals of the State of Osun has the education sector fared better than it is doing now!

Following the declaration of a state of emergency in the education industry in the state, the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola swung swiftly into action when in February 2011, the first-ever Education Summit was put together for the State of Osun. The agenda and thrust of the summit was to actively engage a rich pool of ideas, skills, experiences and expertise of participants; drawn from diverse and related disciplines from Nigeria, Africa and the Diaspora in order to fashion out lasting panacea to the multifaceted hydra-headed challenges that had hitherto plagued the sector.

As part of the findings and recommendations of the summit, which was chaired by no less a personality than the academic icon and internationally reputed Nobel Laureate in Literature, Professor Wole Soyinka, the teaching-learning environment was identified to be of high preponderating and contributory influence on impact of delivery, efficacy and good outcome. It would not be a mismatch, therefore, to attribute the emergence and evolution of the State of Osun Schools Infrastructure Development Project, known for short as O’SCHOOLS to the numerous landmark breakthrough achievements of the inaugural Education Summit for the State of Osun held in February 2011.

Another in the list of programmes rolled out by the incumbent administration sequel to the State of Osun Education Summit is the ongoing Schools Reforms and Reclassification. By the tone of the reclassification, no school was going to; in nomenclature or identity lose the name given to it by its initial owners before the take-over of the mission schools by the government in September 1975. Also by it, the speculation that some pupils or students would have to trek long distances to and fro schools on daily basis is off-track.

As part of dedicated efforts on the part of government to restoring confidence in and making life comfortable for the pupils / students; luxury buses were introduced for daily smooth conveyance of the public schools children at peanuts of N20.00 per trip! This facility is provided for conveyance to and fro school. At its inception toward the latter part of the last academic session, the buses were about twenty in number. However, Government of the State of Osun has promised that by the time this new session unfolds, the buses must have been available in such abundant number as to sufficiently go round all local government council areas of the state. The “Omoluabi Scholar Buses” have come to stay. Our populace is implored to back government effort with cooperation, support and understanding so that the project could infuse its own quota to the overall success of the total education package intended by the administration. ·

It is also an unfounded fallacy that government has the ulterior motive of partial or massive retrenchment of teachers at the back of its mind by initiating the programme.

In addition to this, the calculated lie fabricated that the Government Unusual has embarked on the mass demolition of school structures claimed to have been erected by the immediate past administration is both unsystematic and irrational. The governor has continuously spared no available medium to debunk these rumors. The Deputy Governor, who also doubles as the State Commissioner for Education has never relented in disabusing the minds of citizens and residents and insulating them from believing these bunches of lies. Below are excerpts from responses

by Otunba Lai Oyeduntan to questions bordering on these malicious insinuations: On the negative protestation against the whole essence of providing the public education sub-sector with brand-new infrastructure, this response provides the most apt response: “Osun Schools Infrastructure Development Committee is the Project Management Office (PMO) of Schools Infrastructure Development Project for the State of Osun.

The Schools Infrastructure Development Project is an intervention mechanism, one of the intervention mechanisms introduced by the government of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola to revamp the education sector of the state.

Our project is essentially to superintend the development of the most decayed and largely dilapidated structures in the schools for basic education in our state. I don’t know whether I will agree with you that the public does not know.

If anything at all, we have had a lot of exposure in terms of what we stand for, what we do, how we do it and even the activities that we have been engaged in. The name, the coinage ‘’O’SCHOOLS’’ has been the name for the committee to the extent that many of us have had to answer to the name ‘’O’SCHOOLS’’. O’SCHOOLS is the alias of the committee.”

The impetus for the new infrastructural development is here given in lucid terms: “Firstly, there’s no difference. It is a development. It is an enhancement. It is an enhancement of the environment where our teaching and learning functions take place. Why I say there’s no difference? One, the setting on which we are doing our intervention is based on the existing schools. The schools are there, but they have deteriorated so badly that they had become dysfunctional. Yes, some people started that idea in the past, and it is time to improve on it, to modernize it, to bring it up to track with modern TwentyFirst Century standards. So what we’ve been making is a transformational projection of what we have been doing and bringing it up to track with the best practices all over the world.”

Reacting to the insinuation that demolished school structures are strong edifices that are legacies of the immediate past administration in the state, the chairman responded as follows: “Well, the truth is that we have had to remove dangerously dilapidated structures from our schools. One, at the beginning of this committee’s assignment, we toured the schools and found structures that constituted immediate

danger to the users of the premises and this made us to invite the heads of the schools; that is the headmasters and the principals to give us reports and file their returns and give us details of such structures in their premises that are considered to constitute immediate danger to students. We received their requests and we found out that four thousand and fifty five (4,055) structures were noted to be dangerously dilapidated. You must know, for emphasis, we only go to remove those structures that have been identified by the schools. So we only go to those schools on invitation by the heads of the schools to help remove dangerously dilapidated structures. What that means in essence, is that whatever structures we remove, would have no adverse effect on the capacity of the affected school to function the morning after; because we are only invited to come and remove structures that were not in use as at the date of removal. So it is not true that the intention was to put the schools and the users in hazard or difficulties; the intention was not haphazard.

The structures were demolished based on the specification of the users. It was structured and it was mapped out.”

The devilish notion contrived that the administration intended through the O’SCHOOLS or the Reclassification exercise to make pupils or students of schools to trek long distances to and fro schools is debunked with this response: “It is not true. It is not possible. It is not practical that we ever moved pupils/students from Ipetu-Ijesa to Ijebu-Ijesa or any of such locations. First of all, I’ve thrown a challenge to the public. Anybody who can identify a structure that was removed without the invitation of the affected schools should please let us know or contact us. I don’t want you to confuse an attempt by a committee in the Ministry of Education to implement the new schooling structures. That is a different thing entirely. That was a recent event and the government is on top of it to make sure that this is done properly. For us as O’SCHOOLS, our relics, purview, our mandate is to superintend the introduction of infrastructure in our schools, and nobody has suffered any deprivation as a result of our activities. The only wholesale demolition we witnessed so far are those school structures marked for demolition for the purpose of immediate redevelopment; and as of today, twenty-four (24) of such schools have been developed.”

Lastly in this edition, we shall refer to the Chairman’s response to questions bordering on speculated schools’ merger and the imminent submerging of initial ownership.

Also, this response allays the fear of teachers’ retrenchment: “I would have to clarify certain things. The policy of restructuring the schooling system, the policies of even

Continued on page 11

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Beautification And Urban Renewal Projects Under The Administration Of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

•An ongoing pedestrian way along Ola-Iya area of Osogbo.

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•A pedestrian construction worker performing duty along Godofan River, Osogbo.

Osun Defender Tuesday, November 25, 2014

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2nd Annual Brand And Marketing Conference Osun 2014, Organised By Brand Journalists’ Association Of Nigeria (BJAN).

Photo: GBENGAADENIYI.

•(L-R) Managing Director (MD), The SUN Newspaper/President Guild of Editors, Mr Femi Adesina; representative of State of Osun governor, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Sunday Akere and Dr Grace Achum.

•(L-R) Chairman, BJAN, Goddie Offose and Special Assistant to the President on Logistics and Protocol, Prince Abiodun Olatunbosun.

•A cross section of BJAM members.

•Newsmen at the event.

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Osun Defender Tuesday, November

New Schools In The State Of Osun Built Under The Administration Of Governor Rauf Aregbesola. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI

•L.A. Elementary School, Obamde, Ede.

•L.A. Elementary School, Ilesa.

•The interior of one of the classrooms at Laro-Timehin Middle School, Isale Osun, Osogbo.

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Osun Defender Tuesday, November

Landmarks Of Excellence (III)

•aregbesola Continued from page 6 the average size, optimum size of these schools are not arbitrary. They are not new and they are not even farfetched. The results of that reorganization will justify the exercise. Right now, most of these schools are already of that same size. We have primary schools with the population in excess of one thousand (1,000) all over the state. We have secondary schools with population in excess of 2,000 plus all over the state. But what do you have? In one premises, you have three, four schools. In one premises, you have several schools. All we are doing is rationalization; which is optimizing the allocation, the application of resources.

Part of the resources is the teachers, and they are on top of the chart. Why do you have schools with two teachers, three teachers; four teachers; five teachers; and they have two or more schools in that same premises? Why not aggregate them and reschedule them and make the time table and allocation of teachers a lot easier? Then comes the issue of maintaining the schools. The environment is very, very important for the development of the mind. That is even more so for the young mind, the young impressive mind.

That is the budget and that is what we are aiming at - That the environment should be conducive; and be of support to a developing mind that is learning and maturing into wholesome personality.”

These question and answer sessions were held at a time when the schools’ reclassification exercise had not begun to take effect. At the time the responses were made, the idea of reclassification had not yet been publicly known, as it was then at the conception stage. Yet the responses are still found apt and relevant! This shows the depth and extent of the preparedness, commitment and consistency of the Government Unusual to its programmes and policies.

The programmes and policies of the incumbent administration in the Sate of Osun are mutually reconstructive. They are integrative, well-knit, symbiotic, interdependent and interwoven. · Health Services NOTHER vital sub-sector of the Social Services Sector in the life of our state; services in this sector are also rendered free by the incumbent administration. During the 2011 fiscal year, the government of the State of Osun recorded remarkable achievements in the health sub-sector, particularly, in the provision of infrastructure, procurement of drugs and medical consumables, capacity building of the medical and health workers, free screening of people with eye defects and provision of free eye glasses and drugs, free surgical operation to remove hernia, lumps in the breast and keloid, etcetera. The Free Qualitative Health Programme of the Aregbesola administration was pursued with all doggedness and determination in the year 2011. As a mark of the administration’s commitment to Free Qualitative Health Programme, a total sum of N191.7 Million was expended by the Government of the State during the year on purchase of drugs and medical consumables alone. This giant stride was carried on unabated in the year 2012 and subsequent

A

•Laoye-Tomori years till date.

According to Governor Aregbesola, in pursuance of the administration’s vision to save our people from all avoidable diseases and deaths; government would continue to increase accessibility to quality health care services in all the nooks and crannies of the state by ensuring the completion of all ongoing hospital projects down the lifespan of his administration; as well as the upgrading of the comprehensive health centres and general hospitals in selected towns in the state. The School of Health Technology, Ilesa and the schools of Nursing and Midwifery, Osogbo have also begun to receive adequate care. Particularly, they have started to receive adequate funding and supply of equipment in the 2012 fiscal year. It is hoped that this kind gesture would continue into year 2013.

The governor drew attention to the significant improvement that had been made in the reduction in neonatal, infant and maternal mortality. Also, he drew attention to how increased immunization coverage and other relevant indicators of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) had taken place. He commented that the fight against the scourge of Human Immuno-Deficiency Virus / Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (HIV / AIDS) would continue to be pressed with renewed vigour in order to ensure that the prevalence rate is reduced to the barest minimum. He also made it known that the State Action Committee on the Control of AIDS (SACA) would metamorphose into a fullfledge agency in 2012. This promise has also seen the light of day. Also, rapid response teams in the Health sub-sector comprising surgeons and experts have been set up during the year to attend aptly to the health needs of the people.

Ogbeni Aregbesola made his words his bound in 2012, when he, in conjunction with his Oyo State counterpart devoted quality attention to the development of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH-TH),Osogbo. In order to truly restore healthy living to the people of the State of Osun, the incumbent administration allocated a total sum of N1.8 Billion in the draft 2012 Budget for the execution of its programmes in the sub-sector. As was pointed out by the governor, the government’s spending on health was not limited to the sectoral allocation alone. Spending on environment, job creation and poverty alleviation and other programmes of government that promote the welfare and happiness of the people would definitely impact positively on health.

On account of the newly-created Osun State Agency for the control of AIDS (OSACA) and the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital (LAUTECHTH), the budget size for the sub-sector was eventually reviewed upwardly in the last year’s Appropriation Act. It is highly commendable how great improvement and remarkable facelift have been brought to bear on the public health facilities in the state. During all the held series of Ogbeni Till Daybreak and Gbangba De’kun; two versions of the public enlightenment (sensitization)/ audience participation programme organized by the incumbent administration, it instilled all progressive-minded members o0f the audience with pride how the various functionaries

of governments recounted their achieveme4nt in the general overhaul of public hospitals.

Worthy of great commendation is the introduction of Osun Ambulance Service, nicknamed O’AMBULANCE. This rapid response mechanism to accident and emergencies has been of auspicious and invaluable assistance in saving lives of citizens who would have been sent into their untimely grave.

We count it most unnecessary to go back to recounting the sad experience of the past dark years when the emergency health services in the state were close to nothing. We only wish to raise our hearts of thanksgiving to God who has blessed the state and its residents with responsible and responsive government. Today, health services and drugs and consumables are qualitative, comprehensive and accessible and all are rendered free of charge in all public hospitals across the state.

We also need to commend the intervention efforts of the Aregbesola administration in stemming and containing the outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) during the current year. We do not need to dwell much on this as the frantic effort of the administration in the mentioned regard remains fresh in memory. · Finance, Industry, Commerce and Cooperatives N the area of Finance, Commerce, Industry and Industrialization, the ongoing Rauf Revolution has so overwhelmingly impacted on the socio-economic lives of the people of Osun that the state is currently being transformed into a land of full prosperity and bright full opportunity for all citizens. Before his assumption of office, the state had nearly been run into insolvency by the impostors who held her and her people captive. Aside the fact that there were no meaningful projects on ground to justify the presence of a government in the state during that dark era; the flimsy excuse on the tongue of the executive of the time is that there was shortage of funds to execute projects that would have impacted positively on the lives of the people. As if to add salt to injury, Oyinlola always lamented that he was financing the salaries and allowances of civil/public servants in the state through bank loans and overdrafts. Not only that, Oyinlola rushed to obtain a loan from a commercial bank to the tune of N18.3 Billion (first installment of about N36 Billion) about three or four months to his ouster from office. He did this in utter defiance to and total disregard of the voice of reason by members of opposition and all other stakeholders who meant well for the state. At the end of it, nothing tangible could be found on ground as evidence to having sunk such enormous sum into the economy of the state.

Upon his assumption of office, one of the first most terribly threatening challenges the incoming administration met on ground; and which it must find urgently surmountable was huge repayment and servicing of huge

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Continued on page 11

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•Recently-asphalted Tinumola/Lameco road in Osogbo by the administration of Governor Aregbesola.

Continued from page 10 debts of which the just afore-mentioned loan is a component. Upon all, the Oyinlola administration was always indebted to workers a backlog of salaries and allowances; while substantial amounts of pension and gratuity were owed to senior citizens (retirees). We once mentioned the high school fees regime that characterized the education sector in the state in those days. On top of it, authorities of state-owned institutions of higher learning were compelled to provide counterpart funding for the payment of salaries and allowances of their workers. Other arbitrary fees were charged on pupils/students at all levels of public schools in the state just as it pleased the inordinate desires of those at the helm of affairs. This is not to talk of illegal, indiscriminate deductions from local government monthly statutory allocation, just as it was deemed necessary! Upon all, tongues of all top functionaries of that government wagged for shortage of funds.

This sad trend was reversed by the Aregbesola administration. The loans and debts were immediately totted up and rescheduled; while all avenues through which substantial amounts in revenue that would have accrued into the coffers of the state were leaking out were blocked. Ever since, all forms payments of revenue into the coffers of the state have been made through e-banking. Through this latter measure, the monthly revenues of the state have been raised by an upward of N20 Million! The spate of ghost worker has been successfully combated. Also the school fees regime at the tertiary level was instantly reviewed backward, while education at primary and secondary levels became free in all ramifications.

The practice of making illegal deductions from the local government statutory allocations ceased with immediate effect. All contractors who had hitherto defaulted/ abandoned contract works assigned to them were mobilized back to site. The entire backlog of salaries, allowances and retirement benefits met on ground unpaid was settled. Also, an instant end came to the imprudent practice of having to approach commercial banks for loans and overdrafts over any expenses of the state. In short, accountability, probity, prudence; transparency and integrity which had been debased as core values and virtues of the Yoruba race were restored. Today, we are all better for it. More details have come to fore in subsequent editions of this series.

During the period of the fiery siege, which lasted for complete seven-and-a-half years; Osogbo the state capital had completely lost its hard-won status as a commercial city. Earlier efforts by the Alliance for Democracy (AD)led administration of Chief Bisi Akande to regain these lost grounds were not accorded continuity. The Orisunmbare Ultra Modern Market constructed by that administration was not put to use; instead, it became refuse dumping ground.

In the event of time, it became overgrown with weeds and bushes, hence an abode for rodents and reptiles. That was under an administration which self-styled itself as Ore Ara Ilu i.e. People-Friendly Government.

Today, under a more capable government administered

by Ogbeni Aregbesola, the Orisunmbare Ultra Modern Market has found its full use; likewise other shopping spaces privately developed at various legitimate locations within the state capital and all other locations throughout the entire state. If the non usage of the facilities all this while had been a result of people’s resistance to change, the massive development projects being embarked upon, involving demolition of illegal structure had made them to take recourse to normalcy and abide by rules of civility and decency. Today, Osogbo metropolis is a better place to behold.

Apart from the Orisunmbare Ultramodern Market in Osogbo, other efforts at reconnecting Osogbo and the entire state to their rightful place in commerce are ongoing.

The reconstruction work at MDS and Station Road of the city shall soon be commenced. Already, the Railway Station and Old Garage area of the city are already a beehive of activities, even as the railway services in the state are being resuscitated in collaboration with the hitherto moribund Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC); a feat that the Federal Government could not have recorded! It is also placed on record that the Aregbesola administration has since inception been providing free conveyance for indigenes of the state who intend to travel home during festivities like Id-el-Kabir, Id-el-Fitri, Christmas/New Year and Easter. According to the State of Osun Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Co-operatives, Alhaji Jayeoba Alagbada, at a Quarterly Press Briefing organized at the instance of the State Ministry of Information and Strategy during the outgone year, the free railway transport services facilitated by the Government of the State of Osun through his Ministry had by May 2013 transported up to 20,000 travellers during festivities to Osun.

Another major step being currently taken in the direction of commerce in the state is the world-class Ayegbaju International Market fully constructed, commissioned and delivered at the site of Old Government Secretariat in Ogo-Oluwa Area of Osogbo, the state capital, The intention behind the creation of this market is to provide a spacious avenue for selling finished products carted in from Lagos via the railway; while agricultural produce are carted back through the same means. For this purpose, the Osogbo Railway Terminus has been given a facelift, including in spaces, pedestrian bridge, warehouses and other facilities to upgrade it to the new status. With the emergence of the New Ayegbaju Market, traders would be saved the risks, rigors, time and cost of going to Lagos for replenishing their stock. In effect, consumer too will be offered quality products at the same moderate prices obtainable in Lagos.

This shall contribute in no small measure to the economic welfare of the people of the state. It is expected that the first phase of shops at the Ayegbaju International Market will be delivered for official commissioning any moment from now.

Similarly, another market has sprung up through the dynamic leadership of Ogbeni Aregbesola. That is the Aje International Market at the Ido Osun outskirts of Osogbo, the state capital. The site of this market is the Trade Fair Complex which the Oyinlola administration claimed

falsefully to have developed to international standard.

Amply located close to the proposed Ido Osun International Airport, named as Moshood Abiola Airport, the market shall upon completion tower prominently to aid and promote international trade as well as boost the commerce of the State of Osun.

Another in the list of markets being constructed in the state is the Dagbolu International Market, at Dagbolu Village, Oba Junction, along Ikirun/Ofa Road of Osogbo, the state capital. This market is clearly the largest of the three projects with full facilities to fit the status of an international market. Proximity of the railway system to the location of this market is a big plus. The location of the three markets shall serve the purpose of feeding other towns in the state based on their nearness to specific axis.

Other efforts of the Aregbesola administration in the area of commerce include the construction and development of the Ido Osun Aerodrome to the full status of an international airport named M.K/O. Abiola Airport; development of industrial estates in the State of Osun; and development of Ajagba Fair complex at Ilesa and Olufi Complex at Gbongan, with similar ones in Osogbo, Ikirun, Ede, Iwo, Ile Ife and Ila Orangun. Concerning the M.K.O. Abiola Airport, Ido Osun, it is an International Airport, the contract for which is to the tune of N4.6 Billion, to be completed and delivered before the end of the current year.

We should not fail to mention the upgrade and full utilization of the Free Trade Zone; a spacious land mass acquired by the State Government since the time of the immediate past administration. The effort of the incumbent administration has yielded the dividend of securing the land for the state for use as assemblage plant for mini buses, popularly called korope. When the activities of the plant fully kick off, the plant would be the hub of supply of the specific brand of China-made mini bus for all states of the federation.

We also wish to document the siting of the Bola Ige Mechatronics Centre in Esa-Oke. The purpose of this, aside provision of means of livelihood to more and more of our citizens, is to entrench maintenance cultur4e in our citizens. Through the activities of the centre, care and maintenance would be provided for automobile, with a view to lengthening their lifespan and ensure their smooth use by motorists and commuters alike.

One memorable feat recorded in the area of commerce is the participation of the state at the Niger State Trade Fair held in Minna around July, 2012. It would be remembered that the state had topmost ranking at that trade fair. In addition, in further pursuance of the concept of Omoluabi, arrangement is in top gear by the Government of the State of Osun to introduce standard measures and scales to the state to avoid cheating and inordinate wealth-making; so as to attract and endear more of patronage to Osun market.

The industrial thrust of the Aregbesola administration does not end with the foregoing. Aside the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES); several empowerment Contiuned on page 12

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Landmarks Of Excellence (III)

Continued from page 11 programmes have been organized, particularly, for women and other classes of people in the state. Also as an offshoot of the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme, several training programmes have taken participants to different parts of the world, like OYES-Tech and the agricultural training which has taken participants to Germany. The Aregbesola administration has also invested hugely in the electricity supply situation of the state with the view of boosting the industrial and commercial drive of the state thereby. Today, electricity supply has so improved that Osun is ranked as one of the states in the federation with the most constant and regular supply of electricity.

The massive investment of government in improvement of electricity supply includes distribution of electricity transformers and planned installation of three more feeders to connect the state to the main grid if the Power Holding of Nigeria; as well as the planned integrative efforts with other states of the South West to provide alternative source of energy via the abundance of natural gas in oil-rich Ondo State. Internally, the recently launched O’Clean Plus is a waste management drive of making wealth from waste and producing alternative source of household energy consumption through biogas. It is hoped that this venture, when commercialized, shall impact boost on the economy of the state.

The most recent stride in the direction of Trade, Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives is the provision of credit and loans for traders and investors in the state. The State Government of Osun, under the aegis of the State of Osun Micro Credit Agency has committed a sum of N40 billion to this scheme, which is intended to lift the bar of enterprise, self-dependence and poverty reduction among the people, indigenes and residents of the state. Already, beneficiaries who emerged through transparent and unbiased scrutiny system are smiling home with robust sums of credit with which to solidify the bases of their businesses.

In addition, motorcycles, mini-buses (popularly known as korope) and luxury buses are provided for commercial transport operators in the state through their various trade unions with convenient yet expedient terms of pay-up. · Environment, Sanitation And Hygiene EXT point of consideration is environment, sanitation and hygiene. This vital sub-sector is of high essence if lasting health and well-being are desirable anywhere. This is because a healthy mind resides in a healthy body, which is in turn domiciled in a clean, healthy environment. In the past, Osun was a victim of a grossly degraded environment; with incidents of pollution and indiscriminate refuse disposal being very rampant.

We cast our minds back to the ugly sights of the past, the perennial flooding and erosion that threatened the residents of the state with extinction and the undulating terrains which our roads had been turned into. We remember in particular the flood of July7, 2010; which inflicted serious damages of incalculable value on people in Osogbo and other parts of the state; and in which many lives and inestimable property perished. We remember similar incidents which occurred in earlier years during the time of the immediate past administration. We remember those terrible stenches

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•East Bye-Pass road, Osogbo.

occasioned by huge refuse heaps which dotted our streets; even within the metropolis of Osogbo, the state capital. We remember the pollution that continuously characterized the adjoining communities to the State Hospital, Asubiaro; where mortuary pollution nearly made the people prone to attendant dangers of epidemics. We remember how carcasses of animals and even corpses of lunatics simply littered the streets and were watched to complete processes of decomposition there without proper disposal or burial, thereby threatening the health and good living of the people.

The list is long indeed!

Today, the Aregbesola administration has made all these ugly sights and smells a banished outcast that no one dare harbor in our midst. Right from the inception of his administration, Aregbesola took the bull by the horns when he declared a 90-day emergency on environmental sanitation. He took the decisive step of introducing bimonthly and weekly environmental sanitation exercises as the case may be to execute rapid transformation of our towns and cities into decent places of abode for healthy individuals, and to sustain the culture of cleanliness, which, according to sages, is next to Godliness. Today, sanitation and safe health practices have so much become internalized in the lives of our people that clean environment has become their creed. What this implies is that people now troop out en masse to observe sanitation willingly without being coerced or instigated. People now abide by simple laws of decent refuse disposal, a feat hitherto considered unrealizable by pessimists!

To corroborate these gestures, the Government Unusual has invested massively in the sanitation drive of the state through certain initiatives like the inauguration of the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES), the O’CLEAN programme and recently, the O’CLEAN Plus. Also, there has been massive investment in the purchase and provision trucks and equipment for collection, disposal and processing of wastes and their conversion into wealth.

With the State of Osun Waste Management Agency (OWMA) properly in place, the waste disposal efforts of the incumbent administration is availing much to arrest problems hitherto associated with environmental degradation and pollution. This is done quite effectively with all hands on deck; even with the active collaboration of the private sector.

Any moment from now, the first step shall be taken toward ensuring that our streets, roads and communities are rid of indiscriminate waste disposal; even as waste disposal baskets shall be distributed to all commercial bus / mini-bus operators so that passengers do not just drop waste papers, nylon and other materials through window panes to the roads. This intervention effort, according to OWMA sources shall soon be extended to other stakeholders so that the measures shall be broad-based and all-encompassing.

Readers shall bear with us that these mentioned activities are just a tip of the iceberg in the list of activities so far embarked upon by the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in reversing the ugly trend of dirty environment in the State of the Virtuous.

This New Year promises higher grounds to be reached in this sector; even as residents show promise of greater

cooperation and participation in activities bordering on the conservation and preservation of the environment. · Roads And Infrastructure ROADS and infrastructure is our next port of call.

It would be recalled that by the end of the time of the immediate past administration in office, the voice of OSUN DEFENDER Magazine was vehement over the state of disrepair in which virtually all roads in the Osun State of the time were. We remember vividly that most access within the metropolis of Osogbo, the state capital had become erosion paths and courses for drainage. The administration of the time, both at state level and local government tiers were simply there doing nothing. Their functionaries were busy siphoning funds from public accounts; while the situation of our roads worsened. Many of the roads were plunged into such state of disrepair that they ceased to be motorable. Even as state capital, all access roads linking Osogbo with other states were not dualized. The administration of the time excused itself on the premise that those inter-state roads are federal roads; even as it was the ruling party at the federal level, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) that held sway in Osun, the concessioning deal could not be sealed by governments at the two levels. The only one so concessioned was the Akoda/Old Garage/Ikirun/Ila-Odo/Erin-Ile, Kwara State Boundary road; which was billed for reconstruction in two phases. Unfortunately, the administration spent its entire years in office on only the first phase of that road; the stretch from Akoda to Old Garage. It is the Aregbesola administration which is of another party that is now carrying out the reconstruction of the other phase of the road. Even the first phase constructed by the Oyinlola administration cannot be certified as fully constructed. It was haphazardly done! The road had begun to have trouble spots long before its purported completed completion. It is placed on record that the road project commenced by the immediate past administration in the state was brought up to standard and eventually completed by the Aregbesola administration.

If it is possible or rather expedient to accord an area of specialization to an administration; then it would not be exaggerative to pin-point road project as the major area of specialization of the incumbent administration in the state.

In virtually all parts of the state, road projects measuring various lengths of kilometres have been initiated since the commencement of the administration’s tenure of office in November 2010. These toads have today reached various levels of completion, while many that have been completed are either awaiting delivery or commissioning. In addition to these, various local government road projects have been constructed by the thirty (30) local governments in the state and the Ife East Area Office. Few months ago, upon the fresh re inauguration of the executive secretaries of the local government councils for the last lap of their time in office, the governor charged them how important it is for them to take the construction of the 10-kilometre road project in their respective council areas serious; amidst other indices of good governance.

Continued on page 13

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Osun Defender Tuesday, November

Landmarks Of Excellence (III) Continued from page 12

The State of Osun Urban Renewal Project of the

incumbent administration, which entails the reconstruction

of roads in and modernization of ten kilometer radius of city centres in nine major cities in the nine zones of the state, is already in progress. The cities are Osogbo, Ikirun, Ila Orangun, Iwo, Ede, Ejigbo,Ilesa, Ikire and Ile Ife .Osogbo, as he state capital shall have two city centres: Oja Oba/Palace area and Old Garage. The city centres shall be provided with good modern amenities like post offices, police stations, recreational centres, parks and gardens, eateries and the likes to give the places the desired face-lift that shall make them conform to modern-day standard of cities.

Apart from these efforts, episodes of the several Federal Government road projects are currently ongoing in the presentday State of Osun. This has been made possible through the process of concessioning. The rumour making the rounds amidst a segment of the people in the society is that the roads are federal roads and so, none else could wield the magic wand of reconstructing such roads except the “Almighty” Federal Government; more so, when such roads are being dualized. The source of this rumour is not hard to discern. The governor of the State of Osun during one in the list of episodes of live audience participation programme, a brainchild of the incumbent administration branded “Ogbeni Till Daybreak” did not mince words while responding to a pool of questions fielded, which were related to this kind of insinuation. His response was that if an administration which was led ad powered by the ruling party at the centre (referring to the People’s Democratic Party - PDP); and which stayed in office and held on to power for an upward of eight years could not reconstruct Federal Government roads within its area of jurisdiction; then it could not be true that an ousted administration or a Federal Government that had been hitherto co-plagued by inertia could now come back to do the reconstruction.

The fact of the matter is contained in this analogy, that if you refuse to take care of your own house, premises or vicinity; it will be vain wish to expect someone from the neighbourhood to come and take care of it for you. This analogy depicts the mindset which governed the resolve of the incumbent administration to seek the concessioning of all Federal Government roads in its vicinity and get them rapidly transformed into well-dualized and macadamized roads. In Aregbesola’s opinion and feeling, it is shameful to observe that all access roads leading to the State of Osun from adjoining states are narrow, single-track roads. Osogbo in particular as the state capital has been bereft of good roads; which cause frequent traffic congestion in the metropolis. It is on record how OSUN DEFENDER Magazine had frequently bemoaned the sorry sight of poor access roads in the state.

Today, work is earnestly in upper swing in getting reconstructed the Osogbo/Ila-Odo/Erin-Ile, Kwara State Boundary road. It is expected that the completed road shall be delivered before the end of the current year, 2014. The contract for the reconstruction of Osogbo/Iwo/Ibadan Road; also a dualization project has been awarded and work has started on the road project. Not only these, work on the Gbongan/Orile-Owu/ Odeyinka/Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State Boundary road has reached an advanced stage – also a contract awarded by the incumbent administration. Gbongan/Akoda end of the Gbongan/Osogbo Expressway is also not left out of the massive reconstruction in roads, currently ongoing in the State of Osun. Work is also going on, on the construction of Igbajo/Imesi/Ekiti State

Boundary road. The Gbongan/Orile-Owu/Odeyinka/Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State Boundary road is important as it provides a shortcut to cosmopolitan Lagos State without having to go through the unnecessary headache of traffic congestion which is the normal feature of Ibadan/Lagos axis. Already, the Ikirun/Iree/ Ila-Orangun road project has been completed.

There are other road projects currently going on in the State of Osun. Within the metropolis of Osogbo the state capital alone, practically all the inner access roads have been reconstructed.

These roads are damn too numerous to mention. Of recent, the East Bypass, stretching from Ido-Osun end, through Isale Osun/Ita Olookan bursting out at Ikirun road had its contract work awarded and work has commenced in earnest. This is not to talk of the work that is ongoing at the Old Garage Area of Osogbo, which, apart from being a work of beautification, is intended to make that heart of the city more spacious, healthy and more befitting. The West Bypass, popularly referred to as Ring Road, constructed by the Alliance for Democracy (AD)led administration in the state is currently witnessing a facelift.

We have so far done justice to events and happenings in the Roads and Infrastructure sub-sector of our state. We were able to bring out the revolutionary transformation already recorded in that sub-sector up till the point of this eve of the termination of the administration’s first tenure in office. We now deem it most convenient to forge ahead at the exact point where we paused. Apart from the entire massive road projects mentioned as monumental achievements of the “Government Unusual” of Ogbeni Aregbesola, there are still left more road projects which constitute the full list of difference as at date, between his administration and that of his predecessors. Our exact stopping point was where we were considering the ongoing local government road projects in the State of Osun, measuring ten kilometers at a go. During the time of the ousted administration in office, little of nothing was found on ground with regards to the Rural Access Mobility Project (RAMP). This was even as the project is a collaborative effort between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the World Bank. In spite of the fact that that ousted administration was controlled and run by the same party that held sway at the centre, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP); the State of Osun did not fully access this facility which was provided with the auspicious intent of opening up of our rural areas to urban centres for the purpose of accelerated industrial growth and all-round development.

Readers would agree that little or nothing could be achieved in the area of activating the industrial drive of any administration or even developing its agricultural policies without developing road infrastructure to the fullest. It is with pride that we place on record that the Rauf Aregbesola administration has since inception been pursuing all Rural Access Mobility Projects (RAMP) approved for the state faithfully and assiduously.

This is to the extent that barely a year into the lifetime of the administration, over 500-kilmetre roads in the category of Rural Access Mobility Project (RAMP) had been constructed in the state, under the execution and supervision of the incumbent administration. This trend came, regardless of the fact that the administration of the state today is in the hand of a different party, the All Progressive Congress (APC). About mid-2013, it was in the news that another batch of these RAMP roads was approved for selected states of the federation. The glad part of that news was the inclusion of the State of Osun as part of four or five benefitting states. With this trend of events, our state is certainly on its fast-tracked surge to the top among comity of states, especially, in terms of access to farmlands as a way of boosting agricultural productivity, industrial development and overall good living of our people.

•AUD Middle School in Ikirun, State of Osun, built by Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration.

Since that first frantic step was taken at the inception of the administration, the Government Unusual of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has been impacting positively on the lives of the citizenry of the state in many diverse ways; most especially, in the area of provision of road infrastructure. Till date, the Rauf Aregbesola administration has not relented in its efforts at bequeathing the legacy of good motorable roads to all nooks and crannies of the state. Apart from the many roads which have been completed and instantly put to use, many other road projects subsist at various stages of completion, and which await official commissioning at any date from hence. OSUN DEFENDER Magazine shall at this stage shift focus to the in-depth consideration of these numerous projects so as to serve as documentation and reminder for all, to attest to the fact that that the administration is working. We now turn to the apt consideration of these numerous road projects.

For the purpose of conservation of space and rime, we here take Osogbo, the capital of the State of Osun as focal point.

The administration has embarked on the construction of such road projects as: Igbonna / Ago Wande / Oke Onitea Road; Olu Alabi / Anaye Market Link; West Bypass modification; Bisi Bankole / Owoeye / Apostolic Faith / Pepsi Cola ; Oke Fia / Alekuwodo; and Orita Sabo / Orita Elelede / Oluode Road. Others include Orita Gbaemu / Isale Aro / Our Lady of St. Francis; Odi Olowo / Baptist High School /Gbodofon / Aregbe; Ola Iya Junction Opening; Oke Fia / Rasco / Old Garage Opening; Freedom Park; and Rasco / Railway / Old Sawmill / Olaiya Link. Others are MDS / Railway Station / Ola Iya Access Way, Rasco / Railway / Old Sawmill / Olaiya Link, MDS / Railway / Olaiya Access Way, Station Road, Ajegunle / LAUTECH / First Bank / Station Road Link, Old Garage / Orisunmbare / MDS, Olaiya / Odi Olowo / St. Francis / Asubiaro / Ita Olookan and Fagbewesa Road / Station Road.

We also have Aregbe / Akindeko /Capital Hotel, Capital Hotel / Tinumola / Boorepo /Ring Road, New Gbongan Road, New Iwo / Ibadan Road, Ilesa Road, East Bypass, Old Garage / Ikirun-Ila Odo-Erin Ile-Kwara State Boundary Road, Testing Ground / Aderin / Orita Sabo / Onisekere Road, Gbongan / Akoda Road and Ife/Ibadan / Gbongan Junction Trumpet Road. The list is apparently endless!

It is fervently hoped that even if no new road projects are initiated in the current year, the already existing ones shall before the arrival of the last quarter of the year be brought to a stage of total completion; fully delivered and officially commissioned for use.

·

To be continued.

interview

osun Defender Tuesday, November 25, 2014

14

How Aregbesola Saved Us From Omisore’s Fufu Agenda - BUKOY MR BUKOLA OYEWO (BUKOY) is a Financial Management expert and Building/Civil Engineering contractor

with over 25 years experience. He hails from Ifon, headquarters of Orolu Local Government Council Area of the State of Osun. He is

aspiring to represent Irepodun/Orolu Constituency in the State House of Assembly come 2015 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In this chat with BOSE AKINPELU in his Ifon Orolu country home, he spoke on his political ambition among other issues. Excerpts: privileged, widows, orphans and the physically-challenged.

OSDF: Can we have a brief of your political history?

Substantial parts of my salaries and allowances would be dedicated to accomplish these programmes under MAO Foundation.

OYEWO: I was the Osogbo Federal Constituency Returning Officer for 2011 general elections for the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN); aspirant for State of Osun House of Assembly in 2011 under ACN. I was also an aspirant for the State House of Assembly in 2007 under the Action Congress (AC) and the Alliance for Democracy (AD) candidate for Osun State House of Assembly in 2003.

OSDF: There was an insinuation that your party, the APC will lose in Orolu, how did you manage to win all the ten wards during the last gubernatorial poll?

OYEWO: First of all, we thank God Almighty for granting Osun people quest for continuity of good governance. I also want to use this opportunity to wish the people’s governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola another term of resounding success, as he is preparing to take another oath of office on Thursday, 26th of November.

Please note that I aspired in 2007 and in 2011 respectively, but in deference to party leadership, I have twice conceded to the incumbent, Honourable Kamil Oyedele. My wide consultations have revealed that it is now God’s time.

Yes! We won in all the 10 wards in Orolu Local Government Council Area of the state as a result of the unprecedented achievements made by the Aregbesola-led administration in all sectors. Also, our victory at the polls was a manifestation of Orolu people’s gratitude and wish for continuity of good governance.

O SD F : W h a t e x p e r i e n c e qualifies you for parliamentary role?

OYEWO: I am not just coming from the blues, I have been in politics with political experiences ranging from the one we had during my undergraduate days to the Transition Committee membership of Orolu Local Government in 2002, tertiary institution governing council membership among others. •OYEWO OSDF: What are your political mobilization efforts at the grassroots level which will make your dream become a reality?

OYEWO: As you know that politics is all about people, particularly at the grassroots level.

I believe in grassroots politics. I have met with party leaders and elders, party men and women, traditional rulers, chiefs, religious leaders, market men and women, students and many others. So far, the response is encouraging, as our wonderful people are really identifying with us purposely to make our dream come true.

OSDF: How do the people of your constituency perceive your ambition?

OYEWO: In fact, I am very happy because wonderful people, political leaders, youths, students, women and many others are really identifying with me. As I have been with them, now, they are all with me since they know that I have an aspiration. Even people of my constituency are the ones nudging me that I should go ahead

and represent them and they are convinced that I could give them proper representation at the state parliament with unprecedented achievements; development of people and communities. They all believe I could do all these within short period with my experience in businesses and my exposure in many areas.

OSDF: What Brought About Fufu agenda In your constituency?

2011(ACN).

Therefore, my chances of getting the ticket is extremely high and since I have assessed my potentials and I know I am very capable. That is what has been propelling my aspiration.

OSDF: Why are you aspiring to represent Irepodun/Orolu OSDF: What is the assurance Constituency? that you will get the party ticket to represent your constituency?

OYEWO: Irepodun/Orolu should be expecting representation par OYEWO: As I said earlier, I am excellence. I would make the APC a party man to the core. I believe in agenda my topmost priority and party structure and establishment. there would be regular stakeholders’ I believe in my people and I have meetings, where my constituents’ been living, working, eating and desires would be addressed. dinning with them since, I was born. Dividends of democracy would They know my background, my reach all nooks and crannies of capability and they all know I have my constituency accordingly. The passion to serve. existing Manasseh Amao Oyewo Foundation would be further fuelled More so, it is my people that under which a lot of programmes have been nudging me on that would be implemented, such it is my turn to go to the State a s h u m a n d e v e l o p m e n t a n d H o u s e o f A s s e m b l y, h a v e n empowerment programmes, job stepped down twice after Chief creation and bursary awards. Also, Bisi Akande’s endorsement(AD), there would be a very unique purposely to fulfil the wishes of our scheme meant for the lesspolitical leaders in 2007( AC) and

OYEWO: It is very funny.

When Omisore came to Orolu for his electioneering campaign, he promised the people of my constituency that if he becomes governor, each and every resident of the council area would be supplied seven wraps of Fufu weekly because he was told by his co-akotiletas that we do not have any food other than Fufu. It is quite amazing!

OSDF: What are the expectations of APC in 2015 general elections?

OYEWO: We expect change, Nigerians are yearning for change, positive change to happen; and as the best alternative in Nigeria today, the APC expects to win the elections and bring about the change Nigerians desperately need. And as you know, Ogbeni Aregbesola won the governorship election convincingly in spite of the PDP’s heavy militarisation of the electoral process. That is a clear indication of what happened in Osun.

OSDF: What is your advice to the people of your constituency?

15

osun Defender Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s Inauguration The People’s Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, would be inaugurated on Thursday November 27, 2014 for his second term.

There is no denying the fact that Ogbeni Aregbesola has warmed himself into the hearts of the people of the State of Osun with his massive developmental projects.

His impact has been felt in all the nooks and crannies in the state while he has touched every aspect of our lives in the State of the Virtuous.

What else could we do as individuals or corporate bodies on this auspicious occasion if not to identify with him by congratulating him.

Your popular soar away grassroots tabloid, OSUN DEFENDER Newspaper, is doing a supplement to congratulate the workaholic governor of our time in commemoration of the inauguration. Individuals, corporate bodies, institutions, and well-wishers can avail themselves with our low advert rate below:

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Any of these phone lines can be contacted: 08033927286, 08033880205, 08061197897 and 08023191891.

- Management

Osun Defender Round-Table chat is a platform for all aspirants in the State of Osun to espouse their programmes for the electorate.

It is a forum where activities aspirants intend to embark upon are brought bare to the people.

It exposes the real person of the aspirant, his values and his plans for his constituency. This forum is open to serving public officials as well as those who intend to contest.

For any additional information on the above issue, any of these numbers should be contacted: 08033927286, 08033880205, 08061197897 and 08062207954.

Round-Table

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THE 6TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA

Tuesday, november 25, 2014

he State of Osun is now frenzy, preparatory to the swearing-in of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola for his second term in office. Just two days away, the state will go agog for the epochmaking event that is expected to be a precursor to another life-transforming tenure that will propel the multiplication of smiley faces, which the ingenuity of the uncommon governor will herald through his six-point integral action plan. People will troop in from all walks of life to witness what can be regarded as the first genuine expression of people’s wish after the 1999 elections that brought in Chief Bisi Akande as Osun governor. We must adequately get prepared to manage the influx that this event will generate; because it may likely turn out to be unprecedented.

By ade olugbotemi

Fund Paucity: Imperatives Of Alternative Financing

It is good that the people of Osun have proved a point that they don’t belong to that set of people who get carried away with rhetorics and conjectures that have no roots in pragmatic exemplars. Here in Osun, people take time to examine the quality of news that filters to them and then decide to act based on the perceived credibility that such news carries. That is why they decided to return Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola as the Executive Governor of the State of Osun for the second time; irrespective of the cannons of fallacies that the opposition hauled prior to August 9, 2014 gubernatorial election in the state.

The concern in this column this week is actually the sequence that will follow the proposed swearing-in. In line with the dictums that “if we fail to prepare, we are preparing to fail”, and “one good turn deserves another”, we need to x-ray the critical issue of finance that is the bedrock of programme execution. No doubt, people will expect more dividends of democracy that will impact more positively on the lives of the people. With Aregbesola’s penchant for success, people will expect that all ongoing projects will be completed, and new ones initiated. It is expected that the grey areas of the past four years would have been well identified and be mitigated to the countdown of his second four-year term in office.

All agencies of government will be expected to plug all loopholes that engendered wastages in the first term, so that the much-envisaged better results from all sectors are realized this time around.

The profligates at the center of our economic management have proffered an evasive antidote of austerity measure to their self-inflicted economic woes, not minding the recklessness that characterizes their financial management in all sectors of our economy. Those who keenly observed the scenario in the main bowl of the newly-commissioned Akwa Ibom International Stadium in Uyo during the qualifier match with

•aregbesola

South Africa, in which the whole arena was painted green with Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) kits a few days earlier, will understand what we are driving at here. State governments that know what they are doing therefore have no choice than to apply stringent economic measures, in addition to resource diversification to keep their survival alive.

The most critical at the moment in the State of Osun is the crises-laden education sector. We might have seen remarkable structural transformation, whereby some schools have been equipped with modern buildings in the last four years, others are ongoing awaiting completion, and other schools are also clamouring for attention, so that the transformation can be total.

With the rise in expenditure of the education sector, and the attendant dwindling resources available for projects’ execution, it may be very difficult to fully realise the dream of adequate funding except alternative sources of fund are exploited.

Not minding the criticism of fraud and mismanagement against the Federal

Government of late, some austerity measures have been contemplated by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to the end that enough funds may be generated for project execution and to keep the economy running. Although this may be a ploy to shroud the shady deals that have been uncovered with the Federal Government, state governments cannot feel unconcerned about the handwriting that is boldly seen on the wall. The Federal Government has chosen to dole out whatever is solely deemed desirable. This is enough signals that unless there are measures in place to mitigate the consequence of impunity from the government at the center, most state governments may go bankrupt.

Majority of people were convinced that Governor Aregbesola was wellmeaning when he instructed that school principals and headmasters should not collect levies, under whatever guise, from students in any of the public schools. This initially generated a lot of furore because school managers used such money as stopgap in the past. The governor, reacting to this excuse quickly increased overhead subvention payable

to schools. The payments of the buffer were short-lived because of a depleted federation account.

This is made worse by the SURE-P fund that is not totally available to states controlled by parties other than Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The result is that PDP’s profligacy is extended to states not being controlled by them through the proportion of SURE-P fund that is mismanaged by their cronies.

The Governor of the State of Osun may have no choice now than to eat humble pie, and revert to the old order whereby Parents, Teachers Association (PTA) is allowed to charge and manage levies to cushion the effect of inadequate fund or lack of it. We have gotten to a point where nothing seems to be free any longer; not even the air we breathe because free air may be contagious afterall. Most parents are now of the opinion that education, important as it is, must not be completely free. The governor also needs to buy into this in accordance with the present reality, so that schools can have access to some basic amenities that will keep the system going.

Government on her side must put in place certain conditions that will curb any tendency of overbearing from the PTA, whose duty it is to manage the fund so generated. School heads must also offer useful counsel to those saddled with the responsibility of managing the fund in order to protect personal names and integrity. This symbiosis will go a long way in dousing the raging tension in this all-important sector, so that the much-needed sanity and vitality can be restored. Students’ role of submitting to constituted authority is also important.

Most schools are now crises-laden because of the unruly behaviour of some students. The culture of giving honour to whom honour is due, which seems to have become archaic, must be pursued will renewed vigour. This will make the objective of laudable results realizable, and the situation will additionally be saved from damaging rut.

Proceeds from our land resources might have increased remarkably since the coming to power of Ogbeni Aregbesola, there is the urgent need to intensify efforts on this potential money spinner. More people must be mobilized into the farm, so that resultant massive food production can yield proceeds to finance the ongoing projects and also bring relief to the oversaturated labour market. Loose ends created by tax evasion must also be looked into and plugged. Income from tax has always been a veritable source of fund for project financing; that is why all agencies of government must synergize to mobilize taxation funds to keep the system going, now that mismanagement

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.