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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2014 Weeks before the August 9th gubernatorial elections which was won by the pragmatic Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of the APC, it was obvious we were up against forces other than the people of Osun state which naturally should be the determinant of
Front Page Comment how the elections will swing. The All The War Called The Osun progressives Congress (APC) still smarting Elections-By Segun Tomori from its shocking defeat in the previous Ekiti elections had literarily sworn it will lose Osun over its dead body. The murderous villain fielded by the Peoples Democratic
Party (PDP), outrightly unpopular with barely a few dozens of people trailing him at campaigns however worethe confidence of a Governor-In-waiting. He
they
didn’t care a hoot about the people’s wish, all that matters was the full compliment of the paraphernalia of State activated by an
VOL. 9. NO.129 imperial President though utterly clueless, but desperate to add Osun to his conquest in furtherance of his stillborn second term bid. So lo and behold, the die was cast!I have not been emotionally attached to any elections in Nigeria as I was with the Osun elections,
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maybe June 12, 1993 Presidential elections presumed to have being won by my President, M.K.O Abiola could be an exception. It wasn’t because I had affinity with anyone in Ogbeni’s government or because I enjoyed any form of patronage but because Continue on pg5
Famodun Leads New Osun APC Exco - See Story On Page 2
Aregbesola - Pg 3 Advocates School Feeding Programme To End Terrorism
•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (middle), receiving an award of Excellence on Public Service from the Olufon of Ifon-Orolu, Oba Abdul-Maruf Magbagbeola (left) and President, Nigerian Association of Muslim Law Students (NAMLAS) of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Mallam AbdulYekeen Salahudeen during the sixth Annual Alhaji Lateef Okunnu Lecture with the Theme: ‘Islamic Civilization and the Destiny Man’ at the Conference Centre of OAU, Ile-Ife, State of Osun, last Thursday.
Group Awards Pg 9 Scholarship- To Female - Pg 3 Students In Iwo Osun - Pg 2 Muslims Observe Hijrah 1436
Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.
Aregbesola Flags Off Oranmiyan New Town
- See Story On Page 3
News
OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, October 28, 2014
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Famodun Leads New Osun APC Exco By KAZEEM MOHAMMED HE State of Osun chapter of the All Progressives TCongress (APC) has got a new executive council. The council is led by the former Secretary of the party, Prince Gboyega
Famodun, through a consensus and ratification by party members in
Osun Reinstates Commitment To Hygienic Environment By KAZEEM MOHAMMED
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OVERNOR of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has restated the commitment of his administration never to leave any stone unturned in providing clean environment and portable water supply across the state. He stated this during 2014 hygiene and sanitation reduce Global Hand-washing Day, incidence of several diseases. with the theme: “Choose handThe UNICEF Ambassador washing, choose health,” held then charged that the campaign at Nelson Mandela Freedom should be taken to town halls Park, Osogbo, the state capital. meetings, religious houses, Aregbesola, who was schools, markets, as well as represented by his deputy, community-based groups and Otunba Titilayo Laoye- professional bodies by all and Tomori, said parents should sundry in the state. maintain proper hygiene for In his keynote address, the their children, by ensuring that State WASH Consultant, Mr they imbibe the habit of hand- Olowole Ifemide, stated that washing at all times. the hand-washing campaign He emphasised that the would further provide state has taken seriously, the everybody the opportunity to role of sensitizing people, such once again reinforce the as schools children and importance of the exercise to teachers, market women and reducing the risk of spreading others on personal hygiene in of diseases. the state. Commending the state Speaking at the event, the government for promoting UNICEF Ambassador on hygiene, he said that hygiene Community Led Total promotion projects are being Sanitation, Mrs Sherifat implemented in the state, just Aregbesola, admonished all and as 74.6 per cent of the sundry in the state to join population have access to hands for sensitisation on improved water supply, as economic benefits attached to against the 59 per cent of the environmental hygiene and national access. reducing diseases like cholera, He reiterated that there is diaorrhea, dysentery and need to supply portable water trachoma. for the remaining 25.4 per cent She added that experts have to ensure that everybody in the established that hand-washing state has access to portable with soap, as well as proper water.
Osogbo NSE Commissions N2m Items By FRANCIS EZEDIUNO
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N order to address the shortcomings of the operations of the permanent secretariat of the Nigerian Society of En gineers (NSE), Osogbo branch, the society has unveiled some items, worth over N2 million donated to it. Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, the branch chairman, Engineer Adeniran Ibitoye a.k.a. Kilomodemo, revealed that the facilitation of the donated items were part of what he promised in his manifesto. Apart from the donation of physical items for the smooth administration of the NSE, Osogbo branch permanent secretariat, the chairman also revealed that part of the plans of his administration included providing a clean environment, increasing and improving membership drive, enhance the branch public image and raising the profile of the branch to generate support, commitment and sponsorship of programmes by engineers and non-engineers alike. He stated that the efforts of his administration towards the task had began to yield positive results from branch members, engineers from other branches as attested to the commissioning that was being witnessed. Kilomodemo appreciated the governor of the State of Osun; Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (FNSE), his Chief of Staff, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, and other donors, who responded in cash for rising to the moment and granting their requests. He hinted that that was not all as the NSE, Osogbo branch,
was planning to host members and their families to an end-ofthe-year party, which would come up in December this year. The NSE boss also noted that the society had built a sound relationship with journalists and some of their activities had been featured in the media. He appealed to all members to make it a point of duty to partake in all activities of the NSE. He also enjoined all Osogbo branch members to attend the World Engineering Conference on Sustainability Infrastructure Workshop tagged WECSI 2014, which would hold from 2nd-7th November, 2014 at International Conference Centre, Abuja. The items donated included; commissioning of the Office of the Chairman, commissioning of the Office of the General Secretary, commissioning of the Administrative Office, commissioning of the Spouses Meeting Room, 6.5KVA generating set, public address system, podium with NSE Osogbo Crest, conference table with its set of chairs for the Conference Room, table and chairs for the Office of the Chairman, glazed Information/Notice Board, customised wall clocks, ceiling fans for the Conference Room and all offices.
Osogbo, the state capital on Saturday. Speaking at the inauguration of the new executive council of the party, the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, charged the new party leadership to work towards ensuring that the continous lies and deception being spread by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) does not hold water. He reiterated that the party should start working to see that the opposition does not have up to 10 per cent of the entire votes in
the state in 2015. This, he said, would prove to the world that Osun is committed to good governance and belongs to the APC. Commending party members for ensuring peaceful congress, the governor also charged the new party leadership to be united, focused and committed to building a virile and strong party. The governor commended the outgone executives for their achievements, noting that no executive of any political
party in the history of the state has been able to meet their achievements. In his acceptance speech, the new Chairman, Famoodun, said his administration has resolved as true democrats to ensure openess, fairness, and level-playing ground within the party. According to him: “We are prepared to listen to others and consult other party leaders and members from time to time. “We will not be sectional, but we will be sensitive to the different backgrounds
and orientations of party members. “We will ensure that the welfarism and good governance of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola continue unabated, until development becomes irreversible in our dear state,” he said. Earlier, the outgoone Chairman of the party, Elder Adelowo Adebiyi, who reeled out his achievements, charged his successor to be committed to building a virile party, to make it a toast of all.
•(L-R) General Alani Akinrinade (rtd); State of Osun governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun at the flag-off of Oramiyan New Town in the state last Thursday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.
Osun Muslims Observe Hijrah 1436 By KEHINDEAYANTUNJI
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barbarism. “If you are a market woman or artisan, be honest in weight and measure and transparent in your business transactions. If you are a public servant, do your work diligently and always put in your best for the collective growth. That is the dictate of Islam. “As human beings, we are not permitted to judge anybody, but we are convinced that those who are involved in terrorism and killing innocent people are not Muslims by their action and character,” Aregbesola said. Chief Imam of Osogboland, Sheik Musa Animashaun, urged Muslims to use the new year
USLIMS in the State of Osun on Saturday gathered at the Osogbo City Stadium to celebrate this year’s Hijirah 1436, which marks the year Prophet Muhammed left Mecca to Medina. Hijrah marks the beginning progress in the society. of Muslims’ new year, while Aregbesola urged Muslims Government of the State of to be good examples in the Osun also declared yesterday society and always seek (Monday) as a public holiday knowledge to clearly to mark the new year. understand how to practise the Muslims scholars and top religion to sustain harmonious government functionaries in the relationship with other people state led by the state governor, in the society for collective Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on development. Friday night, stormed the He said: “A true Muslim Nelson Mandela Freedom Park will never be a criminal or be in Osogbo, the state capital, to disturbing peace of the society. celebrate the new year with Islam is all about holiness and fireworks. peace, devoid of all forms of They also proceeded to Muslim prayer ground at OkeBale, Osogbo to observe prayer, which was led by the State Grand Chief Imam, Sheik Musa Animasahun, to pray for peace and progress in the state. S the commissioning of projects under the The grand finale of the second phase of the UNICEF Replication celebration was celebrated at the city stadium with lecture, Programme continues, the state government march-past by the school of Osun has commissioned health centres built in children among other activities. Oke-Sokun in Ife East Local Government and Speaking at the event, the Koola communities in Ife Area office of the state. state governor, said Hijirah Speaking shortly after cranny of the state. symbolises fear of God and strict obedience to Allah’s commissioning Speaking further during the wishes. projects, the Special the commissioning of the According to the governor, Adviser to the Governor projects, done in there are six cogent reasons on Water Resources, Rural collaboration with the why Hijrah celebration is Development and government of the state, important to remind the people Community Affairs, Mr. the governor ’s aide of the need to always fear God Kunle Ige, assured the assured the people of more and adopt his dictates in the Holy Quaran as a way of life people of the area that the developmental projects the Ogbeni present administration in from to have a better society. He said, if people obey the the state is fully committed A r e g b e s o l a ’ s dictates of Almighty Allah, to the onerous task of administration, while also there will be peace, justice and developing every nook and urging them to continue to
to pray for forgiveness and sin no more. He commended the state governor for various developmental projects and urged the people of the state to continue their support and prayer for the governor. Dignitaries at the event included Sheik Salaudeen Olayiwola, President, Osun Muslim Community; Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola; State Commissioner for Tourism, Culture and Home Affairs, Alhaji Sikiru Ayedun among others.
Agency Assures Communities Of More Projects
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support the government. In their separate remarks, Executive Secretaries of Ife East Local Government Council and the Area Office, appreciated Ogbeni Aregbesola for painstakingly working to move the state forward. Also speaking, the duo of Venerable Wole Olaobaju, a community leader in Oke-Sokun and Pa. Festus Amusan of Koola community, expressed gratitude to the state helmsman for the completed projects, while appealing to the government for more projects like schools and construction of roads.
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OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Aregbesola Advocates School Feeding Programme To End Terrorism G By KEHINDEAYANTUNJI
OVERNOR of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, said on Thursday that no doctrine of Islam is ideological blueprint for insurgency, rather a call to faith of peace to establish relationship with God. He added that those who are started since the 80’s, but the using Islam as pretence to Federal Government was able engage in terrorism are to curtail them. Aregbesola, who cited criminals, who are misapplying Quran 11:118, said there is no the concept of Jihad in Islam. Governor Aregbesola stated compulsion in religion and this while delivering a lecture condemned all forms of tittled: “Muslim Response to terrorism. The governor stated that Insurgency,” during the Alhaji and Lateef Femi Okunun Annual poverty Lecture of Nigeria Association underdevelopment, among of Muslim Law Students, other factors are responsible Obafemi Awolowo University, for the rising profile of insurgency. Ile Ife. According to the governor: According to the governor, since September 11, 2011 after “Insurgency is rampant in the the bombing of the World Trade North East. What affects Centre in the United States of North East also affects Nigeria, America, Islam has been but we cannot take away the associated with terrorism, high level of poverty and while many have been calling under-development in the area. North East is the most Muslims different names. Aregbesola, who identified neglected political region in poverty and struggle for Nigeria. It is the zone that has political power through the enjoyed least power supply backdoor as the brain of since we have electricity in insurgency in Nigeria, said Nigeria. He therefore advocated a insurgency is far from Jihad. He said: “Insugency has political and economical nothing to do with Islam. It is intervention by providing armed rebellion against qualitative education and constituted authority. It is an create wealth in the economy attempt to destabilise or take of the region to end insurgency. He said: “I have proposed control of a country by force and use of violence. In most it to Muslim governors in and other cases, they are those who could Nigeria not attain power through philanthropists. With school conventional means and use feeding programme in the alternative violence and North East, terrorism will be political mobilisation to take history within a year. A child, who roams the streets for power.” The governor said Boko food, would be motivated to Haram is not the beginning of go to school, when he is insurgency in the Northern part assured that there would be of Nigeria, adding that the trend food and he would be taught a
better way of life that would give him future.” “Their mothers would be employed to cook the foods, while the farm produce of their fathers would have attractive commercial values. I am so confident that with this alone, unemployment and youth restiveness would be reduced to the barest minimum,” Aregbesola said. The governor described Okunun as an exemplary leader, who has offered his best to Nigeria by laying the foundation for the development in Lagos State with the infrastructural development, especially roads and overhead bridges. Chairman of the occasion, Professor Kehinde Yusuff, described the honouree, Femi Okunnu, as an elder statesman, who has contributed immensely to the growth of the nation. Yusuff lauded Aregbesola’s administration for observing what he described as religious justice through the freedom given to every faith to practise freely and commended the governor for granting a public holiday for the celebration of Hijra. The Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Professor Bamitale Omole, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Professor Omolayo Ajayi, expressed delight at the honour given to the honouree and described Alhaji Okunnu as a man who had served the country meritoriously with utmost commitment. “I want to advocate that as a nation, we should cultivate the
habit of honouring people, who have served the country when they are still alive. I don’t subscribe to post-humous celebrations done for people who have served this country,” he emphasised. Also speaking on the occasion, the President of the
OAU chapter of the Nigeria Association of Muslim Law Students, Mallam Abdulyekeen Olaitan, noted that the Lateef Femi Okunnu Lecture, since inception, has been serving as a sublime platform for greatly informed personalities and the general public for knowledge acquisition and meaningful
Aregbesola Flags Off Oranmiyan New Town By KEHINDEAYANTUNJI
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OVERNOR of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, last Thursday, flagged off the construction of Oranmiyan New Town in Osogbo, the state capital. The new town covers about capital. 1,200 hectares of land and made He said: “It is a well known up of seven neighbourhoods fact that capital cities all over with 42 main entrance the world are always centres of boulevards, iconic streets cape massive influx of people from beatification, landscaping, other parts. bicycle path, walk way, “It is part of government’s drainage system among others. responsibility to ensure that Aregbesola, at the official such influx does not snowball flag-off ceremony at Abeere, into perilous situation for stated that the new town came human habitation. out of the state government “This is what informed our commitment to renew cities and decision to embark on urban towns in the state, which renewal, so that the growth of brought about the invitation of our cities today will not turn the United Nations Habitat, them into centres of sorrow which recommended the idea, tomorrow. with a view to accommodating “The new town will fittingly more people. have basic infrastructural He stated that the move was facilities such as well-paved a continuation of his streets, good road network, administration’s march towards integrated drainage and sewage development, decent society system, as well as electricity and make life more abundant for supply facilities among others,” the people. the governor explained. The governor explained that On the name given to the new the Oranmiyan New Town, town, Aregbesola said it was which is designed for over 3,000 done in a bid to preserve the residential plots, was also borne cultural heritage of the Yoruba out of an overriding public need race and the founding fathers of to ease the pressure of Yorubas as a people. accommodation in the state “We have decided to christen it Oranmiyan New Town. This
Group Awards Scholarship To Female Students In Iwo S By FRANCIS EZEDIUNO
IX beneficiaries have emerged from the Iwo Action Council (IWAC) Year 2014/2015 female education development scholarship programme. They were unveiled on scholarships and give other Saturday, 25th of October, types of help to assist those 2014 at the Iwo Town Hall, who have merit but no money venue of the programme, to pursue their education at where a former Managing that level. Director of Sketch Newspaper, “This is therefore, an area Barrister (Mrs) Dupe Ajayi- in which assistance can be Gbadebo, was the Guest rendered by local groups, who Speaker. are able to identify the needy Mrs. Gbadebo, who and offer appropriate help, delivered a lecture titled: “The especially on a timely basis. Role of Community-based She explained that because Organisations in the of the duration in which such Educational Developments of government scholarship takes the Grassroots,” maintained before its arrival, local help that governments at different becomes important and such levels had tried to carry the should be organised well in burden of educating everyone advance to be able to meet the and in many cases, they emergency needs of desperate stubbornly cling to it as a students. political tenet, so as to remain In that regard, she popular. applauded the Iwo Action “The reality is that there are Council for taking the bold and far too many things like the crucial step in the award of this delivery of healthcare, good set of scholarships to female transport system, students, a decision she employment amongst others described as a wise one. for the people, that the gap Mrs. Gbadebo described the noted above widens. victims of marginalisation in “This is where NGOs (Non- education as mostly girls, the Government Organisations) poor and the handicapped, but come in to bridge the gap, opined that local groups had especially in their immediate the opportunity to assist, communities.” notwithstanding the group The guest speaker asserted involved. that one of the ways NGOs She stressed that IWAC had could come in was through the blazed the trail by opting to establishment of schools and award scholarships to female the creation of skill acquisition students because educating a institutes. woman translated to educating She noted that beyond these a nation, adding that with this, forays into education, it was they would be equipped to very vital to prevent the raise their children properly marginalisation of individuals and care for their families in the distribution of adequately. educational opportunities. In his welcome address, the “This is the reason why IWAC President; Alhaji Isiaq government awards Soladogun, noted that indeed,
the association had come a long way since it was formed on the 7th of December, 1990 and having achieved a lot in the development of Iwoland, they decided to award scholarships to female students, so that the town could realise its aim of producing its first female professor, a feat which had hitherto proved difficult to achieve. He appreciated everyone, who had contributed in making IWAC a great association and also for the success of the programme. On his part, the Chairman of the IWAC Female Scholarship Award Committee, Alhaji Suli Adigun, explained that the criteria for screening the
contributions for public enlightenment. Responding, Alhaji Okunun, a former Federal Commissioner for Works, who was excited with the presence of the governor, noted that Boko Haram members did not fall into category of Muslims by any definition, saying they have killed Muslims, Christians and even non-believers.
applicants involved ascertaining their identities, after which six female students emerged successful, of which four were undergraduates and two were post-graduate students. The names of the successful applicants were: Adekunle Odunola Esther (UNIOSUN, Osogbo), Akande Olajumoke Aminat (OAU,Ile-Ife), Adiamo Nafisat Folashade (UNIOSUN, Osogbo), Adebayo Fausat Abidemi (LAUTECH, Ogbomosho) for undergraduate scholarship and Akano Atinuke Olubusayo (UNILAG, Lagos) and Lawal Gbemisola Ganiyat (Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi) for post-graduate scholarship.
In attendance were key government functionaries from Iwoland, which included; the State Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs; Mrs. Folake Adetoun Adegboyega; the Special Adviser to the Governor on Works, Engineer Oladepo Amuda; an Assistant Chief of Staff to the Governor, Honourable Mudashiru Toogun; wife of the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaja Mujidat Adeoti and Director, Bureau of Communication in the Governor’s Office, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon and a popular Nollywood Yoruba actor; Baba Wande.
•The successful female students who were offered scholarship by IWAC.
is by no means an accident. It is part of our administration’s policy to revive and preserve our common historical heritage as Yoruba people. “It is also a way of celebrating our heroes and legends, which is also one of the best ways to preserve our culture.” He urged prospective land owners at the town to ensure that they complete the building of the houses according to specifications within one year, stating that their certificates of occupancy would be ready within 30 days of payment. Speaking as the Special Guest of Honour at the programme, former Chief of Defence Staff, General (rtd) Alani Akinrinade, called on other state governors to toe the line of Osun, noting that housing is of high importance to any modern society. He commended the governor on the construction of roads in the state, stating that with what the governor has done in terms of road development, there is no town in the state that would be unreachable. According to him: “I will like to describe Ogbeni Aregbesola as a new kid on the block because with the success he has achieved, it means that if we can get more people like him in government, Nigeria still has hope. “The completion of the project being launched today may look unachievable due to the current situation of the country, but I am very sure that the accomplishing spirit of Oranmiyan that is in Rauf Aregbesola will get it completed. “He is a man that we, the leaders of Yorubaland, really want other governors, especially in the Oodua states, to emulate completely.” The State Commissioner for Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Architect Muyiwa Ige, noted that the state has witnessed large influx of people since its creation, most especially since the coming into power of the current administration.
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OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, October 28, 2014
The War Called The Osun Elections-By Segun Tomori Continued frompg1 I just couldn’t imagine my home State go back to the disastrous “years of the locust”. I had participated actively n the campaigns, interacted with the people, felt their pulse and the story was the same – Osun has never had it so good, the people vowed to defend their votes by all means possible! From that moment I had made up my mind to give my all and put myself at harm’s way if need be to ensure we form a bulwark of resistance against the machinery of State to be deployed to thwart the people’s wish.
When I was about to proceed on my journey to Osogbo, the Osun State Capital on Monday preceding the elections I prepared for the worst. Few associates privy to my trip advised strongly that I removed any APC sourvenir from my luggage,any ID card that can associate me with the party amongst other security tips. They were right to be apprehensive, soldiers, officials of the Department of State Security(DSS) including the hooded ones,lorry loads of mobile policemen had since being deployed across the nook and cranny of Osun State. Bearing in mind the desperation of their paymasters, we knew they could stop and search vehicles and abduct anything synonymous with APC, so I took all the precautions. I took off on the journey which in itself was dramatic.
As we got close to Oshogbo, a discussion ensued in the bus and I found out I was not alone in the Save-Osun initiative. Most of the passengers shared the same sentiments with me and were also natives of the State. They spoke emotionally and fiercely about their determination to ensure Aregbesola’s victory. Speaker after speaker reeled out programmes and interventions of the Governor that has brought smiles to the faces of the people. They concluded he was the best thing to happen to the State since its creation. The menacing apparatus of State then suffocating the enviroment will not deter them, they thundered! “Ko si ohun ti soja o se, a ma duro gboin gboin lati dibo Aregbe” they said in yoruba dialect meaning “there is nothing Soldiers can do, we will stand firmly to vote for Aregbe”. I thought to myself, we are about to witness mass resistance unequally in our national history if anything go against the people’s will. Hopefully, the soldiers we met on the various check-points didn’t stop and search, they just peeped through the bus windows and passed us on. I heaved a sigh of relief when I arrived Osogbo safely late in the evening.
I have attended rallies, mega-rallies , name it, but what I saw on Tuesday at the grand-finale of the campaign was frightening. A stadium whose capacity can’t be more than 60,000 almost caved in due to pressure from an unprecedented mammoth crowd. Every space on the covered stands were over-filled, the main bowl of the Stadium was virtually unpassable. My associates and I had to hold ourselves to navigate our way through the crowd, it took us about an hour from the entrance of the stadium to find somewhere to perch! Yet thousands more extend to adjoining roads outside the stadium. It was the APC mega-rally and to say it was awesomely mega is an understatement! We even heard that the Lord of Aso-rock caught an instant migraine seeing the magnitude of the rally! The effect of that was seen in the sealing off of the freedom park that was supposed to host workers rally the next day by “hooded soldiers” They got the now familiar, albeit emergency “orders from above” to forcefully if need be halt the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliates endorsement rally for the Ogbeni.
Co-incidentally, Wednesday, 6th August was my birthday but I was in no mood for celebrations of any kind. I told my well-wishers, family and friends that you don’t clink glasses in a battle-front! Interestingly, one of my compatriots who was also a major ‘battle-axe” and good friend’s birthday was 8th August so I told him we’ll do a birthday plus victory party on the 10th, a day after the elections,when we triumph at the polls. We know we had the people behind us, we never gave defeat a thought! By Thursday, preparations had reached feverish pitch, the towns, hamlets and villages was now massively flowing with uniformed men of all hues and shades. Some DSS operatives came to the restaurant we were having dinner, Thursday evening, apparently on surveillance mission. We got the message and we left in a jiffy! On our way to our location, we noticed a car trailing us, so we had to take a decoy to a bar. As we turned to the bar, the car also turned in another direction. Their mission still remains a mystery. Thank God for little mercies!
When we arrived our abode, we swung into action to put finishing touches to our master-plan which was to run a co-ordinated and effective live broadcast of the elections on social and online media in collaboration with the APC situation room which was to start from Friday evening till the announcement of the results on Sunday. This was necessary because leaking the plans of our devious opponents was key to frustrate their rigging machinery; announcing results online as we get it directly from our agents was also crucial to frustrate any manipulation at the collation level. By Friday afternoon, I had to tactically separate from my friends who then proceeded to a high security location. The curfew was going to start around 5-6pm. By 4pm, I arrived at my own secure location and quickly moved to set up. I surveyed the enviroment to assess the possible threat level. I saw that it was negligible so I settled down for the task ahead.
By Friday evening we got intelligence report that notorius election rigger, Chris Uba was in town with a unit of 50 soldiers attached to him. We sent that out and made sure it went viral. Later that night, information about the arrest of our leaders ranging from APC Publicity Secretary, lai Mohammed, the Attorney-general Of Osun State, barr. Wale Afolabi, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on media, Mr Sunday are, Commissioner for Agric among others were swiftly publicised with dispatch. The far-reaching effect of the noise we made contributed in no small measure to the release of most of those picked up by Saturday morning. We discovered by Saturday morning that fake soldiers and policemen had surfaced in many locations. Their logo was a red ankara tied to their left hand. Quickly we activated our instant alert to our people,through all means possible. That again thwarted efforts to manipulate the elections from the beginning.
The elections started peacefully however in most locations with accreditation going on smoothly. The only snag was the continued harassment of APC leaders across the State. The case of the 1st Civilian Governor of Osun State, Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke was quite instructive. After failing to assasinate him over-night due to resistance by his security aides, he was trailed from the polling unit to his mother’s residence where he went after accreditation. He escaped the siege by the whisker after he was discreetly notified. He couldn’t come back to exercise his franchise. The results started trickling in by afternoon and the PDP demolition squad sensing their rejection quickly switched to a plan B to disrupt the collation process. We instantly alerted the public about their norturnal meeting and evil plot. What really helped the APC apart from the determination of the people was our access to classified information. We were always a step ahead of them and that frustrated the election riggers.
I got an anonymous call from a patroitic police officer around 8pm who claimed he was at a location at modakeke and that results being collated was about to be altered. You could detect the fear in his voice as he asked me to ensure his cover. He was an igbo officer deployed from other states, he wasn’t familiar with the terrain but what was gratifying that there could still be few men of integrity in the corruption-ridden Nigeria Police Force. In order to confirm the authenticity of his Statement, I asked the Apapa Local Government Chairman who was with me to speak to him. He sounded credible, he concluded. So I made some calls to the authorities and sent text message to our men to act immediately.
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President. After the bitter division the country experienced when Umaru Yar’Adua was incapacitated, Nigerians believed that Goodluck would unite Nigerians. Today, the discernible sour note in the polity is that we are more divided now than we were even during the Nigerian civil war. From Shehu Shagari to
Baba Obasanjo, and Musa Yar’Adua, my country has never been this torn-apart and polarized. A very high percentage of those who support President Jonathan for reelection in 2015 are from either the South-South or the South-East. An equally higher percentage of those who can’t stand him running are from the South
West and the Northern parts of Nigeria. These two groups are very passionate about their stands for and against, and it’s getting very personal in many cases. The dins and quibbles about Jonathan’s government, governance and competence to lead Nigeria out of the doldrums have grown wilder and wider,
and the polity is heated-up pretty bad. Our security outfits have become the megaphones and foot-warriors of the ruling party, PDP. Jonathan’s yet-to-beannounced candidacy and presidency have pushed Nigerians far apart into their isolated individual tents. Politicians who slap and disrobe judges are pushed
If we thought the threats have been subdued, we were in for a shocker! The returning officer whose task it is to announce the final result was under pressure to collect a whooping N1b and announce Omisore winner! They were ready to damn the consequences and ask us to go to court. So we had to practically go on our knees! I salute the indefatigable people of Osun State, they were resolute, they stood like a rock, stayed on the streets all through and formed a human shield around the collation centre. Then the returning officer came in around 1.35pm. The results of all the local governments were announced before 5am. Then we now witnessed dilly-dallying of the highest order. It got to a point around 7am, anxious journalists and people started singing asking for the results. Lo and Behold, at about 7.10am, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was finally pronounced the winner!
There was instant jubilation across the nook and cranny of Oshogbo. Never in the history of elections have I seen such spontaneous excitement pervade the landscape because of results announcement. Within the twinkle of an eye, the whole town went agog with people clutching their broomssymbol of the Governor’s party, congratulating themselves, okada riders driving menacingly in such euphoric ecstasy and finally we could say hurray! We won! We didn’t win an election, we won a WAR with a stone like the biblical david. Goliath came to battle with the best arsenal at his disposal but we came with the will of a determined people that vowed that never again shall they go the road of perdition they once trodded. Who says the voice of the people is not the voice of God? Because ultimately the hand of the Almighty saved the day and gave us victory. Osun ti dara ooooooo.
Segun Tomori
Before 11pm, we already had all the results and we had won, though unofficially. What sealed the deal for us and put paid to any manipulation the PDP had in stock was the unexpected congratulation of Aregbesola as the
Nigeria Needs A Uniter, Not A Divider N 2011, almost all the regions in Nigeria came together with one voice to elect Goodluck Jonathan as President. Muslims and Christians called him humble, a source of inspiration, an intellectual, a prayer warrior and the first Ph.D holder to ever become president in the country. Pastors from both orthodox and pentecostal hues used his life story as sermon illustrations because it was compelling. Mothers named their babies after Goodluck Jonathan. If I had a son around that time, I would have named him Goodluck, which means: “You encounter good fortune, especially by chance”, not necessarily by merit. In his life’s story, he has recorded a fleet of good luck since the days he said he had no shoes on his feet. An Assistant Senior Prefect in secondary school who, we were told, became the Senior Prefect, Deputy Governor, later became Governor; Vice-President and now
winner of the election around 9.40pm by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade. Omisore according to our sources had already informed Aso-rock that there was fighting in his home-town of Ile-Ife because according to him, the results we were circulating were fake and he was actually leading in the “original” results. The Ooni swiftly debunked that, not only congratulated the Governor-elect, but also stated that nobody was fighting in Ife! That took the sail out of the wind of Omisore and his treacherous gang.
to exalted seats, while lawmakers who are carrying out their constitutional duties but happen to be in the opposition are harassed and shot at in broad daylight by security operatives hired by ruling party goons. In spite of these brazen acts of utter disregard for sanity in government and governance, the presidency is keeping mum. I am sure this will get worse as we draw closer to February 2015, and mark my word, it will begin from Ekiti, which is gradually becoming a breeding ground for lawlessness and dystopia. Ekiti State, the land of the lettered, is now chaperoned by a generalissimo rapscallion and bumptious, bombastic, blowhard varmint. We shall see what we shall see. Nigeria shouldn’t be where she is today. We, as a matter of urgency need a uniter, not a divider presidency we have today. THIS IS SMACKDOWN STRAIGHTUP TALK!!! •FOLA OJO, United States of America.
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OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarantee Trust Bank GTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. All correspondence to the above mail address. ISSN: 0794-8050 Telephone: 0803-392-7286, 08033880205 Website: www.osundefender.com/index.php e-mail: osundefender@yahoo.com
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Giant Strides OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Aregbesola's Mid-Term Assessment Report:
Great Are Your Legacies! (III) This piece of work is a promise kept to continue with the series of editions started sometimes in September. The mid-term assessment report of the Rauf Aregbesola administration is necessary to weigh how far the administration has gone with delivering the good of democracy dividends to the doorsteps of the citizenry; and how bettered our society had been by its exertions. This is the story that NIYI OLASINDE sought to chronicle through this series. It is a commemorative package intended to incident the turning point in the life of the administration from its first term in office into its second.
•The newly-commissioned ultra-modern school building of St. Stephen’s ‘B’ Middle School, Modakeke, State of Osun.
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OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Great Are Your Legacies! (III)
•Entrance of the newly-constructed L.A. Elementary School at Obada Area, Ede, State Of Osun, under the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola. Contiuned from page 5 Continued from Tuesday, September 16, 2014. N the basis of the afore-mentioned features of the 2013 Appropriation Act of the State of Osun; with its contents and policy thrusts, OSUN DEFENDER Magazine shall begin at this juncture to conduct a vivid appraisal of what the experience of the state, the government and its people has been like; working with and running with the 2013 Appropriation Act; the Budget of Freedom. It is always good and sweet at year ends and/or at the beginnings of fresh years to conduct this kind of assessment; more so where the government has to its credit a retinue of life-transforming achievements that cannot be controverted, falsified or negated. However, it is always good, appropriate, relevant and informing to make a break in mid-year and conduct an assessment on where we have been, how far we have gone, and where we are; as a tool to charting definitive courses to where we ought to or intend to be. Now particularly, when the gear of governance is about changing for the Aregbesola administration from one tenure to another;; it is more appropriate than at any other time in the lifetime of the administration to weigh, appraise and evaluate what the experience has been and review what the journey has been running with the vision of “Government Unusual”. This shall now seize our attention. As we have seen, year 2012 has proven to be a year of turning around of the captivity of the people of the State of Osun. Now, the next segment shall be devoted to the highlight of the journey so far, as well as what the expectations and realities were for the year 2013. Here, highlighting the monumental achievements of Government Unusual of Ogbeni Aregbesola shall require the appraisal of the performance of all sectors/sub-sectors of the economy. In our characteristic fashion, we shall endeavour to present the scoresheets in as objective, credible, fair and unbiased fashion as is possible. We shall soon turn to accord priority attention to the programmes, projects and activities of government which formed the thrust of its policies for all the years in aggregate; and which produced for it the huge success we have on ground and which we celebrate today. But just before then, let us devote a little of our space, time and effort to the consideration of the little we have at our disposal of the 2014 Annual Budget. This is essential as the year is the current one under which this appraisal is being conducted. In detail, OSUN DEFENDER Magazine did analyze the importance and sensitive nature of the 2014 Appropriation Act, sometime in the beginning of the year. Here is the recap: Today, almost four years into his administration in the State of Osun, the indefatigable Ogbeni has not for once derailed from the tone and spirit of his signed pact with the people. As a matter of fact, the bond of the pact is waxing stronger and stronger by the day; so much that the people couldn’t have settled for something less. The bond and contents of the pact; as well as the fulfillment of the full list of it has transformed the State of Osun into the envy of sister-states in the federation of Nigeria. The fact that is obvious from our discourse so far on the 2014 Appropriation Bill currently undergoing critical scrutiny in the hallowed chambers of the State House of Assembly is that the budget document has not in any way presented
O
any significant deviation from the defined framework for budgets which the administration has defined right from the time of its inception in office. In our two previous editions, it was with fond reference and pride that we compared among budgets that had been presented, rolled out and implemented in the entire three full years already spent in office by the incumbent administration. As far as the State of Osun is concerned today, want of evidence is quite irrelevant as all the nooks and crannies of the state are replete with the handiwork of the Aregbesola administration. Even to the most unrepentant critic of the administration and its ideals, it has become an accepted fact that there is a government of the people in place – a government that works. Practically in all spheres of life in the state, the Rauf Aregbesola administration has impacted positively. The effort is still on. It is to the unrelenting efforts and activities of the administration that we devote the current series of edition; at least as they are reflected in the year 2014 State of Osun Appropriation Bill. Lest we forget, we shall draw reference to those aspects of importance on which the 2014 Budget of the state and earlier ones are based. We now recast these intricacies, so that we do not lose count on the real bases of our subsequent arguments and discussions. It is with these guiding stars that we intend to open this particular edition; starting with a recap of the Six-Point Integral Action Plan of the Aregbesola administration: “SIX-POINT INTEGRAL ACTION PLAN · Banish Poverty · Banish Hunger · Banish Unemployment (Create Work/Wealth) · Restore Healthy Living · Promote Functional Education · Enhance Communal Peace and Progress” “From the2014 Appropriation Bill of the State of Osun therefore, much provisions are expected to reflect on the items of significance here mentioned and many more. Specific mention shall be made of provisions in subsequent editions as we continue the consideration of the bill. Still for a start, we need to emphasize that as in earlier years, the draft 2014 Budget which is tagged “Budget of Growth, Enhancement and Development” is anchored on the following policy thrusts: (i) a complete turnaround of agriculture such that it will be revolutionized, made attractive and profitable with a view to improving the welfare of the people and the economy of the State; (ii) provision of necessary and durable infrastructure like roads, electrification, ICT etc that will ensure development of the economy of the State; (iii) creation of job-friendly economic environment to ensure empowerment of youths, Women, cooperative movements, Artisans etc; (iv) development of public service that is resultoriented, efficient, effective and responsible with a view to making it one of the best in the federation; (v) provision of effective health care delivery for all with special attention to the needs of children and women; (vi) provision of effective waste management and
beautification schemes to rid our communities of filth; (vii) development of diverse economic potentials of the state and reactivation of commercial activities; (viii) reactivation and speedy completion of abandoned water schemes; (ix) transformation of the education sector with a view to providing functional and qualitative education; (x) reforming the court system, upgrading of courts and introduction of Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanism with a view to ensuring speedy access to justice by all individuals in the State.” To enhance and facilitate the achievement of the enviable and lofty feat set for itself by the Aregbesola administration, the following Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) policies were approved by the Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola since the earlier years of his administration. They are: (i) Agencies of Government are expected to double their efforts and be aggressive in their Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) efforts in the 2011 fiscal year so as to surpass their targets; (ii) All agencies should be proactive in revenue generation by ensuring that their current revenue base is widened (iii) All revenue collected should be paid into the General Revenue Accounts, using the appropriate Heads and Sub-Heads of revenue while the Treasury Receipts of such payments should accompany returns to the Office of the Accountant-General. It is illegal to keep Government revenue in private purse or unauthorized Departmental Account; (iv) Collection of revenues should not be left alone with the Field Officers, the appropriate Head of Departments must be personally involved in revenue mobilization, collection and rendition; (v) Returns of revenue collection must be made monthly by all Agencies of Government to the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Budget and the Office of the Accountant-General, failure in that regard will attract sanction; (vi) The release of funds for the execution of programmes and projects would, in relevant cases, be tied to the revenue performance of Agencies of Government; (vii) All agencies of Government should involve internal strategies to ensure greater efficiency, probity and accountability in their revenue collection and rendition; (viii) Top career and political functionaries shall be specifically held liable for any lapse in revenue collection and rendition; (ix) All agencies of Government should give greater attention to Revenue Collection than to Expenditure since no expenditure dreams can be actualized without adequate revenue backing; (x) All agencies of Government awarding contracts
Contiuned on page 11
OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, October 28, 2014
PHOTOTALK
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State Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Celebrated Hijirah With Islamic Faithful In The State To Mark The New Hijrah 1436AH At Osogbo City Stadium On Saturday.
•(R-L) The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; representative of the Ataoja of Osogboland, Chief Sulaimon Olanipekun; President Osun Muslim Community, Sheikh Salawudeen Olayiwola and Grand Imam of Osun, Sheikh Musa Animashaun, during Hijrah 1436AH celebration.
•(L-R) The Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Honourable Najeem Salam; Chairman of the occasion, Professor Mojeed Alabi and the state governor, Ogbeni Aregbesola, during the Hijrah 1436AH celebration in Osogbo.
•Aregbesola (left), acknowledging march-past from some pupils of Balogun Nursery/Primary School during the Hijrah 1436AH celebration at Osogbo City Stadium on Saturday
OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, October 28, 2014
PHOTOTALK
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Thanksgiving Service Of Four Years In Office Of Former Governor Of Ekiti State, Dr John Kayode Fayemi, At St. Benedict Catholic Church, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Recently.
•(L-R) Former governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni; All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun; Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; and the immediate past governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi at the event.
•Wife of the governors: (L-R) Oyo State, Mrs Florence Ajimobi; wife of former Ekiti State governor, Erelu Bisi Fayemi; State of Osun, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola; Ogun State, Mrs Olufunsho Amosun; former deputy governor of Ekiti State, Professor Modupe Adelabu and Kwara State, Mrs Omolewa Abdulfatai Ahmed on the occasion.
•New Ekiti State Government House constructed under the administration of former Governor Fayemi.
•Professor Wole Soyinka (2nd right) cutting the tape of the new Ekiti State Government House. with him are former governor of Ekiti State, Dr Fayemi (3rd left); Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun (2nd left); Oyo State governor, Senator Ajimobi (right); wife of the former Ekiti State Governor, Erelu Fayemi (4th left); wife of Ogun State governor, Mrs Funsho Amosun (let); and other dignitaries.
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OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Flag-off Ceremony Of Oranmiyan New Town By State Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Last Thursday. Photo: GBENGAADENIYI.
•(L-R) Special Adviser to State of Osun Governor on Youths, Sports and Special Needs, Comrade Biyi Odunlade; Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti; state Commissioner for Finance, Dr Wale Bolorunduro and the Deputy Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Honourable Akintunde Adegboye.
•(L-R) Special Adviser to State of Osun Governor on Water, Engineer (Mrs) Tawakalitu Williams; State of Osun Head of Service, Mr Sunday Owoeye and Chief of Staff to State •A cross section of traditional rulers at the programme. of Osun Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola.
•A cross section of dignitaries at the event.
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OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, October 28, 2014
State Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Heralded New Hijirah 1436AH With Display Of Fireworks At Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, Last Friday/ Saturday Night.
•(L-R) The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; State Commissioner for Home Affairs, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Sikiru Ayedun; State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Barrister Kolapo Alimi and other dignitaries, during the pyrotechnics and fireworks display to herald the New Hijirah 1436AH.
•Aregbesola watching the pyrotechnics and fireworks displayed.
•Firework displayed
•Another displayed firework.
•Another displayed firework
OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, October 28, 2014
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Great Are Your Legacies! (III)
•A recently commisssioned road in Ilesa. Contiuned from page 6
must ensure that all relevant, charges, levies and other expenses are staturtorily required to be borne by the constructors are not loaded in the cost of the project to be paid by Government. Taxes, levies and other charges should not be included in the cost of projects which should have been determined by necessary economic considerations. While Agencies of Government are expected to make budgetary provisions for 5 per cent VAT charges on the contracts fees as in the case for all goods and services consumed by the Government, withholding tax charges, development levy and legal fees are to be deducted from the fees payable to the contractors; (xi) Legal fees payable at the time of execution of a Contract Agreement or deductible at source at the stage of payment shall continue to be paid by all contractors/ suppliers; (xii) The payment of Water Development levy is mandatory for all taxable adults in the state, whether in the public or private sector; (xiii) All contractors handling projects worth N100,000.00 and above shall continue to pay 5 per cent Development Levy to Government; (xiv) Tender fees shall continue to be paid to the client Agency in respect of all categories of contracts in accordance with the existing regulations; (xv) Government shall give incentives to Revenue Collectors who exceed the set targets in other to motivate them with greater performance while sanctions (e.g. withholding of running costs) will be introduced for nonperformance. The appropriate incentives will however be determined at the material time; All Revenue Collectors and Account Officers must be conversant with the provisions contained in Chapters 612 of the State of Osun Financial Regulations. This is necessary in order to ensure that they do not run foul of any regulation. THE presentation of the draft budget / Appropriation Bill for the year 2014 had been a set of careful and wellpackaged programme set on course since the middle of the just-ended year 2013. These sets of activities however snowballed into the official presentation per se at the very end of the year. The presentation of proposed budget documents, especially to the hallowed chambers of the State House of Assembly is a practice which enjoys ample provision and has illustrious precedence in law. It is therefore a matter of greater consequence than mere formality when the basis for the official presentation by the governor or his accredited representative is brought up for discussion year after year in the chambers of the State House of Assembly. Time and time again, justification was made for the staging and timing of public presentation of draft budgets at a time when the new financial/calendar year had started; so far as the draft budget had reached the desk of the hallowed chambers prior to the end of the concluded year. In earlier years for instance, the governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and members of the State House of Assembly
spared no effort in quoting relevant portions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to prove that the timing was still in order. Relevant and appropriate records show that Section 121 (1) of the constitution states that: “The Governor shall cause to be prepared and lay before the House of Assembly at any time before the commencement of each financial year, estimates of the revenues and expenditures of the state for the next following financial year” It had been on the basis of this provision that administrations after administration hinged their compliance without breach. Particularly, in his budget presentation of the 2013 Appropriation Bill to the State House of Assembly, the governor made reference to this justification just as he adduced to the fact that the document that was being officially presented at the beginning of the New Year had been laid before the house long before the end of December 2012 He then pointed out that the presence of the executive arm of government at the hallowed chambers of the House of Assembly on that date was in response to invitation of the Assembly to publicly present the budget, in line with the openness and transparency policy which marked the guiding principles of his administration. It needs be stressed for the purpose of records that in earlier years of his administration, Governor Aregbesola had always predicted as his years in office wore on, his administration would be moving toward total compliance with the accurate practice of effecting al full approval procedure and implementation of the budget for the New Year at the very start of the calendar year on January 1. A clear attestation to this claim is the fact that the Proposed 2014 Appropriation Bill was placed and presented before the State House of Assembly by the end of 2013. The official presentation therefore came slightly earlier than that of the previous year. This is an improvement; as it is hoped that in subsequent years into the second tenure of his administration, the state shall be experiencing total adherence to that stipulated principle. On Tuesday, December 31, 2013, the governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoiji Aregbesola presented the proposed budget 2014 before the hallowed chambers of the State of Osun House of Assembly. The presented budget is of the size Two-Hundred and sixteen Billion, Seven-Hundred and Forty-Five Million, Two-Hundred and Thirteen Thousand, Two-Hundred and Sixty Naira (N216, 745,213,260.00). Presenting the budget on behalf of the governor, the Special Adviser to the governor on Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Bade Adesina extrapolated the details and breakdown of the proposed budget. According to the presented details, the budget comprised a total amount of One-Hundred and Nineteen Billion, One-Hundred and Thirty-Six Million, Nine-Hundred and Thirty-Two Thousand, and Six-Hundred Naira (N119, 136,932,600.00) in Capital Expenditure, which constitutes 55 per cent of the Total Budget Expenditure. The Total Recurrent Expenditure is sized at Ninety-Seven Billion, Six-Hundred and Eight Million, Two-Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Six-Hundred
and Sixty Naira (N97,608,280,660.00), representing 45 per cent of the Total Expenditure for the year. It was bared at the presentation that the budget for the year is tagged “Budget of Growth, Enhancement and Development; and that the budget, like its earlier ones is premised on the Six-Point Integral Action Plan of the Mr. Governor’s administration. Osun Defender Magazine shall find it most appropriate at this juncture to quote excerpts from the budget speech presented at the august epochmaking occasion: “The budget is about growth, enhancement and development. It clearly shows the ratio that is of best international practices, in terms of recurrent and capital expenditure. That is why our capital expenditure is far higher than the recurrent expenditure. “Part of our agenda is to drive the IGR more critically in the 2014 fiscal year. We have to use initiative financing with adequate measure to provide necessary financial structure for most of our developmental projects. “We will focus clearly on Public – Private Partnership (PPP) initiatives, which is the practice going round all over the world now”. A critical look at the budget for the New Year revealed that the budget size is a lower than that of last year, which was sized at about N234 Billion. The analysis accompanying the presentation observed the budgets as similar documents, as they both reflect the reduction in the oil benchmark from $79 per barrel to $77.5 per barrel and the numerous cases of oil theft. The next edition(s) shall bare the remaining details of the occasion of the presentation, the responses trailing the presentation and the general expectations from the budget implementation for the year 2014. OSUN DEFENDER Magazine finds this relevant portion of an earlier edition most appropriate at this juncture; just for the wholesome purpose of driving home the point on the relevance and significance of Appropriation Acts so far rolled out in the life of the Aregbesola administration. The massive positive contribution to the welfare and general life of the citizenry justified the budgets, that of the current year (2014) inclusive, as truly life-touching, people-oriented and impacting in all ramifications. The relevant portion of one of our earliest editions for the current year is here flashed back to memory: “LIGHTS eclipsed on the last edition just at the stage where we were starting to do justice to sending feelers out to capturing the exact speculative mood of residents, people and patriots of the State of Osun as to what goodies to expect from the finished documents of the year 2014 Appropriation Act, which shall any moment from now be enforceable; having passed the ongoing litmus test statutorily provided for it before the honourable members of the State of Osun House of Assembly. We have so far considered what the contents, thrust and delivery of the budget documents for the previous years in the entire life of the incumbent administration looked like. In other series of OSUN DEFENDER Magazine editions, we had, time Continued on page 12
OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, October 28, 2014
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Great Are Your Legacies! (III) Continued from page 11
and again before taking the plunge into the waters of these seas of issues; given consummate consideration to the numerous achievements of the administration in practically all spheres of life. It is obvious, without mincing words that under democratic governance, the achievements of any administration at whatever level spring from annual provisions loaded in the operational budgets / Appropriation Bills of the administration. It becomes therefore a task engaged in, in stating the obvious when we decipher it that the Aregbesola administration had been, and is still an embodiment of good promises to the people of the state. In sharp contradistinction with some earlier administration in the state, which spelt disaster for the state and its teeming people, the administration came on board to revive the ailing state. It is therefore not going to be a misplaced trust to expect that the 2014 State of Osun Appropriation Act would be a perfect consolidation and consummation of the achievements of the earlier years; just before another round of elections would signal for the administration another turn of service-oriented term in office.” · Agriculture and Rural Development; Livestock, Forestry, Fisheries and Food Security UCH transformation has been witnessed in this sub-sector since the advent of the Rauf Aregbesola administration in the State of Osun. Early in the year, the announcement came live on the state-owned media stations of names of fresh allottees for farming on the various farm settlements within the confines of the state. These same announcements were relayed on the pages of some renowned national dailies. The effort is another in the lineup of exertions to boost agricultural productivity, integration and sustainable food security; as well as boosting the state’s internally-generated revenue base of the state. This effort is in itself has come as fulfillment of promises ad a ready-made answers to desires and expectations from the 2014 Budget still in the theatre o midwifery. Agriculture is the mainstay and prime sustainer of our economy in the South-West in particular; and in the Nigerian nation in general. It is on this note that we boldly assert that the overwhelming importance of this sub-sector to our socio-economic life and our overall prosperity cannot be overemphasized. This is more so because above 70 per cent of our working population is engaged in this industry and all forms of farming enterprises. In full cognizance of this fact, the Rauf Aregbesola administration has vowed not to renege in its determined efforts at investing massively in food production, food security and agriculture in entirety. The activities of government in this regard have transcended mere lip-service. The Osun Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Programme (OREAP) has taken off effectively. It had, during the years previously under review, given birth to such other programmes like O’Beef, O’Fish, O’Honey and chicken production. It has also till date served as life-giver and sustainer to the State of Osun Elementary Schools Feeding and Health Programme (O’MEALS). The number of “O” programmes in this connection is still counting. As the 2012 Budget contained much promise in the area of agriculture, so it was that at the end of the year, the trust of the people for a fruitful year of bumper harvest was not betrayed. This position is true of the state and of
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•Another section of stalls within the Ayegbaju Market.
the incumbent administration up till date. The incumbent administration under the leadership of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola had in 2011 embarked on various programmes geared towards boosting agricultural output in the state. One of such was the land validation exercise carried out in four out of the nine farm settlements in the state, to determine the status of the performance of the settlers. While doing that, the governor did promise that the exercise shall be extended to all other farm settlements in the state. Ogbeni has made good his promise in the past years by fully validating the other farm settlements and funding them all into full capacity, as well as restoring them to their pride of place of old. Gladly, we opened our documentary of numerous achievements in this sub-sector in the current year with the mention of recent giant strides on our state-owned farm settlements. Needless to say; this current year 2014 promises to bring in the best of bumper harvest for the state and launch it ahead to a place of prominence and greater economic prosperity among the comity of states in the federation. Greater laudable achievements are still expected as the little that remains for the year unfolds. The government on its part promises to keep faith with its avowed pledge to make life more abundant for the people and transform their living standards through sustainable agricultural programmes and projects; especially, by moving the state upward from its stagnant position below the poverty line to a higher pedestal of higher per capita income. In order to facilitate the transportation of agricultural produce from the farms, as much as a total of 45-kilometre access and 25 kilometre feeder roads were constructed during the year 2011 to link farm settlements with the urban centres. According to government sources, the list of affected farm settlements includes Mokore, Esa Oke / Esa Odo, Iwo / Patara and Orile Owu and Ago Owu. The willingness and readiness of the Government of the State manifested in its intensified efforts at providing access / feeder roads in the rural areas in the subsequent fiscal years – 2012 and 2013 in particular. In the current year (2014) alone, lots more of these roads have been commissioned. Today, there are a high number of these local roads under construction; and the government at the state and local tiers are collaborating to work assiduously to bring these projects to safe and logical conclusion within the remaining time for the completion of the administration’s first tenure in office. This fact does not preclude the fact that many more roads in this category are still being initiated day-in; day-out. On its own part, the State of Osun House of Assembly is intensifying its oversight function to ensure that all projects of road construction adhere strictly to, and abide by safety and quality standards. This year however, expressed high expectations among the populace that these roads shall be ready for use and handed over to the people, for whom they were constructed have not been dashed. Due to the insatiable nature of man’s wants, needs and desires, hopes are still very high now that the year has reached its conclusive quarter. However, the hope is high that by the time of their completion and delivery, the coast would have been clear for a rapid transformation of the agriculture sub-sector; and that of the fortunes and economic prosperity of the people of the State of Osun. In the area of empowerment of farmers, a total of 3,776
farmers’ cooperative societies were registered in the 2011 fiscal year; out of which 66 benefitted from N153 Million loan disbursed by the Government of the State under its quick impact intervention programme. The year 2012, it is placed on record, also witnessed bumper production of broilers through the Osun Poultry Grower Production Scheme; a tripartite arrangement involving the Government of the State, an agric concern (Scheme Manager) and the Poultry Association of Nigeria. It was also to the awareness and the gladdening delight of all stakeholders in the field of agriculture in the state in the years under review that more than N40 Million out of the N1 Billion obtained under the Commercial Agriculture Credit Scheme, as early as the first quarter of the year 2012. A large number of poultry farmers in the state who had benefitted from the scheme in year 2011 were also opportune through the scheme to expand the scope of their poultry farms under a wellguaranteed market for their broiler production in year 2012. The effort had since witnessed an upward swing. Equally worth of note is the fact that a total sum of N621 Million was released during the year 2011 for the procurement of modern agro-inputs which included 3,580 metric tonnes of fertilizer; 14.68 metric tonnes of improved maize and rice seeds and various quantities of agrochemicals. Apart from the 42.50 per cent subsidy provided by the Government of the State, farmers were also granted loans pending harvesting and marketing of their produce to be able to buy fertilizer. The Government of the State did promise and did actually redeem the promise in the concluded fiscal years (2010 - 2013) to give necessary encouragement to farmers by making fertilizer available to them at subsidized rates. In the unfolding of the various agricultural policies for the year 2013 and the previous years; the governor reasoned that the State of Osun is an agrarian economy with arable fertile soil, which can only be moved forward positively by revolutionizing its Agriculture. As all indications around us have shown, the focus and pursuits of the administration since inception have drifted toward this inclination. The foregoing came in affirmation of our earlier claims that the Government Unusual of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola prioritizes agriculture and sees it as a vital means to attain its lofty ends in government. It further confirms the claims laid to it above that the helmsman of the State of Osun accords great emphasis to the Six-Point Integral Action Plan of his administration, on the basis of which he made his pact with the people of the state during his election campaign prior to the 2007 Gubernatorial Elections. True to his promises and pact, the administration of Ogbeni has been proving well its worth and mettle by prompt, consummate and accurate delivery of his (Ogbeni’s) election promises. Staunch evidence to this is found in the assessment of his administration for the year 2012 and earlier years; in terms of priority attention given to the sector and its various sub-sectors, huge yearly budgetary provisions, provision of infrastructural amenities aimed mainly to open up rural areas to urban areas, employment generation and youth empowerment, among others. Excerpts of his speech regarding this area run as follow: Continued on page 13
Contiuned on page 13
13
MAGAZINE
OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Great Are Your Legacies! (III)
•Building of AUD Middle School, Araromi, Iwo under the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola. Continued from page 12 “In the out-gone year, under the Farm Settlement Scheme, we provided land for potential farmers in the state. The programme covers nine different locations across the state with a total of 3,456 settlers cultivating 17,280 hectares of farmland. Access/feeder roads of the settlements received priority attention with the construction of a total of 77.2 kilometre roads in settlements, namely Mokore, Ago-Owu, Ogedengbe/Ago-Owu, EsaOke/Esa-Odo, Iwo and the link road between Ago-Owu and IjebuIgbo. As part of the present administration’s efforts to banish hunger, 150 hectares of virgin farmland were cleared and allocated to 30 prospective farmers in Akinleye, Iwo farm settlements and Mokore cooperative farm at Ago-Owu under the aegis of Osun Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Scheme (OREAP). In our efforts to boost food production, O’REAP Youth Academy was established. Already, 48 youth have been selected for training in Germany under an exchange programme with the State of Saxony Anhalt. The programme, as conceptualized, aims at producing modern-day farmers equipped with modern technologies in agriculture thereby ensuring food supply at sustainable basis. The programme recruited 610 O-YES cadets at 20 per LGA and 10 from Ife East Area Office to kick-start the programme in the State of Osun. The participants of the programme are currently receiving intensive training in nine training centres.” OSUN DEFENDER Magazine is at this juncture committed to unveil the actualization of the promise of the administration just bared above, concerning the training of the selected youths of the state’s origin in the German State of Saxony. Today, it is highly commendable that the Aregbesola administration has sent the vibrant youths, numbering upward to about fifty, selected from the length and breadth of the nine Federal Constituencies which the state comprises. The youths, who had been selected in just, fair and objective manners, have successfully received a three-month intensive training in virtually all areas of agricultural endeavour, which include animal husbandry, soil science, crop propagation, agroprocessing, food preservation, feeds milling and others; and are fully back to impact in positive terms the economy of their indigenous state. This effort came courtesy of the State Government’s intervention innovation called Quick Intervention Programme (QUIP). Since the arrival in batches of trainees in Germany of the state’s contingents of trainees in various fields of agriculture, the expectation that their acquired expertise being put to practice shall be brought to bear on the state’s agricultural productivity and transformation from crude practice to modern farming approaches has not been cut short. The subsequent training programmes organized and conducted by these competent Germany-trained personnel shall further reduce the spate of unemployment in the state; especially among the vibrant youths. Finally on this subsector, it is noticed that since most agriculture-oriented programmes are perennial or long-term in nature, they take long time to mature. It is therefore hoped that the Aregbesola administration shall continue assiduously in its pursuance of its already-initiated programmes and projects; nourishing them to a logical conclusion thereby. We have placed on record in earlier editions how emphasis has been placed on the promotion of cultivation of tuber crops like cocoyam and potatoes. This effort has paid off well in the current year has it has attracted further interest and committance of resources from outside. Not long ago, the federal Government through its Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources has sited an institute for researches and cultivation tuber crops in Iresi, a town in Boluwaduro Local Government Council Area of the state. Similarly, we recently witnessed the visit by a South American Agricultural Institute which came around to negotiate terms with the government of the state on the introduction of a special species of sweet potatoes, yellowish in flesh and fortified with Vitamin A. These are just examples of recent trends in the area of agriculture in the State of Osun. T was revealed that during the same year under review, 97 I hectares of land was put into cultivation by the participants of the programme and that efforts were in top gear to form the
participants of the academy into registered cooperative groups with assistance from the government as part of the exit strategy for the OYES cadets in January/February 2013. This goal has by now been realized, as the 2010/2012 Batch of OYES cadets have already been graduated into the labour market. Also, already, another batch of OYES cadets, i.e. the 2013/2015 Batch, comprising 20,000 vibrant unemployed youth has been recruited; a substantial part of which is to receive functional training in areas of farming, animal husbandry and dairy farming and entire agriculture practice. In addition, Mr. Governor ’s assessment of his government’s performance in the previous year in the field of agriculture was revealing of the following facts: “In order to inculcate the virtue of dignity of labour in our young school leavers as well as make a career in agriculture in the face of non-existing jobs in our society, 47 secondary schools across the State of Osun were assisted with inputs of piglets and cockerels under Agriculture-In-Schools-Programme. A total of 100 hectares of farmland was cultivated by these schools for the production of cassava, maize, red cocoyam and vegetables. It is expected that proceeds from the programme, especially, red cocoyam, will be extended to the Elementary Schools’ Feeding Programme. Also, efforts would be made in the current year to expand the scope of the programme.” In pursuance of the foregoing, incentives are already being provided by government in the current year for actual practising farmers; especially through their registered farmers’ cooperative societies Also, the following exploits and feats were made in various sub-sectors of agriculture during the period under review; with high promise of greater performances this current year and during the entire life-span of the Aregbesola administration: “In the area of seedlings production, 100,000 and 40,000 seedlings and oil-palm respectively were raised and sold at subsidized rates. In addition, 1,796 plantain suckers, 24,473 cashew seedlings, 1,531 potted root stocks for budding were raised in 2012. Moreover, 221,930 hybrid cocoa pods from hand pollination were produced. Under the capacity building of modernday cocoa production, 22 farmers’ field schools were established while 20,000 sachets of fungicide, 13 solo pumps and 136 litres of avestrin were distributed to farmers. In the area of livestock development, 115,515 animals comprising cattle, sheep, goats and pigs passed through the nine control posts in the state.” The following other feats and exploits were recorded during the year under review: Under animal diseases control we were made to realize that 135 surgical cases were attended to while 8,268 samples from various animal species were sent for confirmatory test. Also 50,128 animals of various animal species were investigated and diagnosed for various diseases, 84,844 fowls were inoculated against various poultry diseases. It also came to the fore that under veterinary epidemiology, 5,581 dogs and 2,168 cats were vaccinated against rabies infection while 25,000 sheep and goats were similarly vaccinated against kata. Active surveillance of birds and sensitization were also stepped up in the year to checkmate trans-boundary emerging diseases from the neighbouring states, especially, Avian Influenza (AI). The sub-sector also received a boost during the outgone year with the implementation of the Osun Broilers Outgrowers Production Scheme (O’BOPS) under OREAP. A total of 1,186,860 Day-Old Chicks Broilers were produced and supplied to 224 participating farms as at 22nd November, 2012. The assessment of the scheme, according to Governor Aregbesola revealed that over 783 jobs were generated with an estimated 7,830 farmlands empowered indirectly. The governor accounted that under the sub-sector 3, fish farm estates were established at Esa Odo, Iwo and Okuku, each on a 50 hectare of land to boost protein intake of the citizens of the state as well as generating employment to reduce youth restiveness in the state. As far as the current year is concerned, the governor promised that over 3,000 ponds would be dug and allocated to over 3,000 interested fish farmers when the project is fully operational. An impressive revelation that came to the fore is that in
government’s efforts to boost fish production, the government is in continuous collaboration with a private scheme manager in Okuku Osun Fish Outgrowers production Scheme (O-POPS) on fish production. The scheme was defined as one that is aimed at promoting fish production as well as providing training ground for youths in Osun. Under the scheme, 120,000 catfish fingerlings stocked in July 2012 were said to have reached 1 kilogramme each by the middle of December 2012 for cropping and sale. It was further revealed that 24 OYES cadets were currently undergoing training in fish production at the centre in Okuku. These cadets are part of the recently-graduated first batch beneficiaries, and are already self-employed through assistance from the government. It was also placed on record how government engaged in the provision of agricultural inputs in the outgone year, to the extent that the state distributed 2,160 metric tones of fertilizer to farmers. Other inputs made available to farmers included 10,242 metric tones of maize seeds,1,283 kilogrammes of solid and 2,902 litres of liquid herbicides/insecticides, 89 tubes of insecticides, 24.16 kilogrammes of fungicides at subsidized rates. Regarding the implementation of the Third National Fadama Development Project (FADAMA III), government was said to have released a sum of N196.3 million as counterpart funding, The project, it was revealed, had assisted rural communities in the provision of infrastructural facilities such as access roads, cold rooms as well as productive assets like tools, agro-processing equipment, livestock and fisheries facilities. The Government of the State of Osun then renewed pts avowed support to the programme to ensure its success. In his final assessment of the performance of the sector for the year 2012, the governor had the following remarks to make: “There is no doubt that agricultural sector in 2012 witnessed tremendous improvement vis-à-vis the huge investment by the Government. In the current year, Government will definitely improve on this as new programmes/projects have been factored into 2013 budget to further sustain the current achievements, if not surpassed. Those programmes/projects include: Arable Crop Nursery Development; Feeding African Project; Young Farmers Club; Multiplication of Red Cocoyam, and Best Agricultural Practices.”
To facilitate and enhance the gesture mentioned earlier on in the course of this discourse, an independent committee of experts was constituted in 2011 with a view to advising government on the distribution of fertilizer to genuine practising farmers as part of government’s resource optimization strategies. In validation of this, the government confirmed that the state currently has reserve of fertilizer and agro-inputs for active genuine farmers. Given the importance attached to agriculture and rural development subsector, a total sum of N5.6 Billion was provided in the 2012 Budget to fund the various government programmes in agriculture and rural development in the just-concluded fiscal year (2012). The provision set aside and implemented for the year 2013 was higher than this. Going by the above analysis of feats in the area of Agriculture, Food Security and Rural Development, it is much fervently hoped that this year 2014 shall be one of greater consolidation of achievements and lofty grounds already gained. In the light of this, the Government of the State of Osun is expected to devote greater budgetary provisions to this all-important subsector. Also, since the government had not, in the past years, been out with its entire exhaustive list of intended programmes, policies and schemes in this area, more of new innovative programmes are expected to be rolled out in the current year, 2014.
To be continued.
14
OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, October 28, 2014
STATE GOVERNMENT OF OSUN MINISTRY OF LANDS, PHYSICAL PLANNING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT
LAND USE ACT OF 1978 NO.6 LAND REQUIRED FOR THE PROPOSED ULTRA MODERN MARKET, IKIRUN, STATE OF OSUN
Notice is hereby given that the following parcel of land along Osogbo/Ikirun Road, Ikirun, Ifelodun Local Government Area, State of Osun Nigeria, is required for public purpose absolutely and in particular for the construction of Ikirun Ultra-Modem Market as a Public Private Partnership (PPP) between State Government of Osun and MABTOS INT’L GLOBAL CONCEPTS LTD.
NEW STATE OF OSUN WORKING COMMITTEE 1.STATE CHAIRMAN
- PRINCE GBOYEGA FAMODUN
2. STATE DEPUTY CHAIRMAN
-
ALHAJI AZEEZ ADESIJI
3. STATE SECRETARY
-
ALHAJI SALINSILE RASAQ
4. STATE ASST. SECRETARY
-
ALHAJI BAKARE A.R. IDERA
DESCRIPTION 2. All that parcel of land along Osogbo/Ikirun Road, Ikirun in Ifelodun Local Government Area, State of Osun containing an: area of approximately 12.413 Hectares, the boundaries of which is described below: Starting from a concrete beacon marked PBK-4139 which is about 45 metres West of Osogbo/Ikirun Express Way, the Universal coordinate of which is 871718.267mN and 682394.550 mE of the universal origin of Zone 31 in the Universal Transverse Mercator Projection Coordinate System, the boundaries run in straight lines, the bearings and distances of which are as follows:
5.ZONAL VICE CHAIRMAN
-
CHIEF SALIU AKANNI
6. ZONAL VICE CHAIRMAN
-
7. ZONAL VICE CHAIRMAN
MR. OLADOSU OGUNREMI (EAST)
-
8. STATE LEGAL ADVISER
HON. ADELAKIN ADEOYE (CENTRAL) -
BARR. ADEKUNLE R. OGUNSOLA
9. STATE ASST. LEGAL ADVISER -
ALH. GABRISIYU OLAOBAJU
10. STATE TREASURER
-
HON. SEGUN OLANIBI
11. STATE ASST. TREASURER
-
MR. KAREEM SIKIRU
12. STATE FINANCIAL SECRETARY- ABUBAKAR ADESOJI MUFUTAU (IROKO) 13. STATE ASST. FIN. SECRETARY -
HON. ASAOLU OLADIRAN
14. STATE ORGANISING SECRETARY-
SIKIRU OLAYIWOLA
15. STATE ASST. ORGAN. SECRETARY- ALHAJI ADENIJI RASHEED 16. STATE PUBLICITY SECRETARY -
DAVID AKINTOLA MORAKINYO
17. STATE ASST. PUBLICITY SECR. -
MISS OGUNDARE AINA FUNKE
The Starting Point All property beacons are concrete Pillars;
18. STATE WELFARE SECRETARY -
OLUWOLE AKINLOYE
19. STATE ASST. WELFARE SECRE. BAKARE
-
All bearings and distances .are approximate, and All bearings are referred to Universal North.
DR. (MRS.) MONISOLA IDAYAT
3. The Governor of State of Osun hereby revokes any existing Statutory or Customary Right of Occupancy. on the said parcel of land in accordance with Section 28 of the Land Use Act 1978 No.6 and any other rights or interests in the said land.
20. STATE AUDITOR
-
ADEMOLA BAMIDELE
21. STATE ASST. AUDITOR
-
ADEKUNBI TAJUDEEN
4. The State Government’ of Osun is, willing to pay compensation arising from the revocation order on the said land in accordance with Section 29 of the Act.
22. SEN. YOUTH LEADER-
5. Any person claiming to have any right or interest in the said larid is required within six weeks from the date of the service of this Notice to send to the Director of Lands, Ministry of Lands, Physical Planning & Urban Development, Osogbo, State of Osun, Nigeria a statement of his/her interest and evidence thereof and of any claims in respect of such interest.
OLANIRETI OGUNSINA (OMOOLOPE)EAST
23. SEN. YOUTH LEADER
-
24. SEN. WOMAN LEADER 25. SEN. WOMAN LEADER
SAMSON OYEBODE (CENTRAL) -
-
ALHAJA AFUSAT ALESHINLOYE MRS FUNMILAYO ADEGBILE (WEST)
6. Any such statement shall be made by the said claimant in person or through an agent (duly authorized by the claimant in that behalf) having qualifications which are not less than those of a Legal practitioner or of a Land, Estate or Valuation Officer employed in any of the Public Services of the Federation.
26.SEN. WOMAN LEADER
7. And notice is hereby given State Government of Osun intends to enter into possession of the said land from the day following the date of publication of this Revocation Order.
28. STATE ASST. WOMAN LEADER 29.
STATE YOUTH LEADER
8. Any person who shall willfully hinder or obstruct Government or any person employed by Government from taking possession of the said land or any part thereof is under the provisions of Section 28, Cap.136 Laws of State of Osun, Nigeria, liable on conviction to a fine of Fifty Naira (N50.00) or to imprisonment for three months.
30.
STATE ASST. YOUTH LEADER -
HON. ADEKUNLE ADESINA
31.
STATE EX-OFFICIO (FEMALE) -
MRS SAKUNLE IDOWU
32.
STATE EX-OFFICIO
-
ALHAJI TAJUDEEN AGBEYI
33.
STATE EX-OFFICIO
-
WASIU ADEDIJI – EDE SOUTH
34. STATE EX-OFFICIO
-
ALHAJI ADEBAYO YISA – CENTRAL
35. STATE EX-OFFICIO
-
WOLE ADUNOLA
9. A plan showing the site is available for inspection during office hours at the office of the Director of Lands” Ministry of Lands, Physical Planning & Urban Development, Osogbo. Dated this: 14th day of October 2014ARC. ‘WALE OJO Permanent secretary, Ministry of Lands, physical Planning & Urban Development, Osogbo.
-
27. STATE WOMAN LEADER -
OMOLAOYE FELICIA (CENTRAL) ALH. FAKOKUNDE KUDIRAT BOLANLE MRS RAJI FATIMAT KIKELOMO -
HON. TEWOGBADE ALIU
OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, October 28, 2014
PHOTOTALK
15
At The Inauguration Ceremony Of The New All Progressives Congress (APC) Executives In Osun By Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI Governor Rauf Aregbeolsa In Osogbo Last Saturday.
•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (left), presenting All Progressive Congress (APC) flag to newly elected State Chairman of APC, Prince Gboyega Famodun (right), during the inauguration ceremony for the newly-elected APC executives in Osun by the governor in Osogbo last Saturday.
•Aregbesola (3rd left), presenting All Progressive Congress (APC) flag to Prince Famodun (4th left). With them are the Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Honourable Najeem Salaam (2nd left);the Deputy Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Honourable Akintunde Adegboye (left); Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (3rd right); the immediate past APC Chairman in Osun, Elder Lowo Adebiyi (2nd right); the newly-elected APC Secretary in Osun, Honourable Razak Salensile (right) during the inauguration ceremony for the newly-elected APC executives in Osun by the governor in Osogbo last Saturday.
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2014 need no soothsayer to tell us what has already come to pass; neither do we need the mastery of a prophet to reveal to us what is now a reality, known by all; because both of them (soothsayer and prophet) only manifest their ingenuity when occurrence of events is still wrapped in misery. That the All Progressives Party (APC), State of Osun chapter now has a new chairman is a reality that has become a common knowledge that needs no further investigation. Prince Adegboyega Famodun, an astute politician of no mean repute is the newlycrowned party chairman. I join millions of his admirers to say congratulations! W
By ADE OLUGBOTEMI
E
All Hail The ‘King’
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the governor of the State of Osun, now qualifies to be referred to as one of the prophets of our time, because one of the ways by which a good prophet is known is by speaking ahead of an event before it actually comes to pass. Ogbeni (as Osun Governor is commonly called) has repeatedly referred to Prince Famodun as a future king. It is no longer a matter of conjecture that this man of destiny will be at the helm of affairs of the ruling party of the State of Osun, and unarguably the party with the highest prospect of taking over power from the Peoples Democratic Party through the fast-approaching February 2015 general elections. Rather than being a king over a medium-sized community of Igbajo however, Prince Famodun has a more honourable privilege and more daunting task of superintending over the ruling party of the State of Osun. By implication, this exerts on him a greater responsibility of having to manage the excesses and good attributes of people from all the administrative areas of the state, and also project the state in a good light, as he traverses the entire country as the number one party-man to interact with other party stalwarts to generate ideas on how Nigeria will move out of her doldrums to an enviable position that we all look forward to. Kudos must be given to the outgone chairman, Elder Adelowo Adebiyi, who worked in conjunction with Ogbeni Aregbesola to ensure victories in all elections that were held while incharge in acting capacity. He might not have satisfied all party faithful, but the fact that there were no major crises throughout the time he held sway calls for serious commendation. Members of his executives should also be given pats on the back for accommodating their former leader, who might not have been infallible while the working relationship lasted. All of them still have a lot to contribute to the party under the new leadership. The new chairman is coming in at a time that his party (APC) is facing the greatest challenge of confidence building and formidable internal mechanism that
•FAMODUN
will ensure unalloyed loyalty from party members, who might have been crossed one way or the other by the recentlyconcluded ward and state congresses. His immediate predecessor, under whose tutelage the party had recorded great feats of winning various elections both at the federal and state levels must not have been without his own shortcomings; the new chairman, himself, the scribe of the party before the recent elevation, needs to painstakingly bring opposing camps together, so that the gargantuan challenge of convincing the people of the State of Osun that the party (APC) is well-positioned to build confidence on is achieved. The fortification of the party is one area that must be given an adequate attention. We are in the era of constant decamping and cross-carpeting. Although this cannot be totally avoided in democratic settings, all hands must be on deck to ensure that it does not constitute a negative toll on the party’s quest to challenge the ruling PDP, which nightmarish overbearing has caused many people to lose faith in our faltering political process. Experience must spur
the new chairman to muster courage that will convince the party hierarchy that better ways of dispute handling can be fashioned; and he must run an allinclusive administration, where everybody is allowed to have a say in matters of structural survival. Diverse opinions’ aggregation mechanism must be in place, so that the process of crises management is wellstructured and made convincing to be exploited by the rank and file of party membership that may feel aggrieved at any point in time. This process must be superintended by tested hands in the party, who will be seen to be fair to all anytime there are disputes to be resolved. Process of conflict resolution must be handled with dispatch, so that those who are displeased with any step taken will feel free to register such with the unshaken assurance that justice and fair play will prevail. The All Progressives Congress (APC) must be adequately positioned to overcome the herculean task of unseating the behemoth in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Incidentally, the State of Osun is about
the only state in Nigeria, where the governor is highly admired and properly trusted. The ruling party in the state must compliment the effort of government by building confidence around the party, so that people may retain their trust in the governor and vote en-masse for the party anytime local government elections are held prior to, or sequel to the general elections in February. Party supremacy seems to have been relegated to the background in the polity. No political party appears to stand out of this malfeasance, with inadequate funding as the greatest factor responsible. The new party leadership has the daunting challenge of adequately mobilizing funds for the party with no prejudice to the firm control that party officials must enjoy over political office holders that are statutorily funded through official largesse. Office holders must see the responsibility of funding their party, under which platform they ascended to positions of authority. Political office holders must also help the new leadership in such a way that the usual encumbrances that often weaken party structure are reduced to the barest minimum. The transformations that occurred in the ruling party in the State of Osun have made it impossible for substantive officers to assume office since the incumbent governor assumed office in 2010. It was from Action Congress (AC) that transmuted to Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), then from ACN to All Progressive Congress APC). Honesty should be the watchword for the new party executive to enjoy the loyalty of the teeming followers, who have been clamouring for a permanent party structure. This is the only way a great confidence can be built not only in party members but also by those watchers whose decisions are vital at the polls when it will become inevitable for integrity to play major roles in the choices people will make to determine who their elected representatives will be. The princely quality that prompted the governor of the State of Osun to openly eulogize the new chairman to the end that he would one day become a king must be exhibited to the fullest, so that his tenure will be a watershed for greater electoral success for a party that most Nigerians now feel should rescue the nation from acute maladministration that has been the hallmark of governance under the Peoples Democratic Party. With the resolve to draw strength from the throne of grace and succeed in all fronts that the challenges of office will pose, ‘King’ Famodun has all it takes to take the party to the next level. May this new era make us witness progress that will be a delight to all of us looking forward to an environment that we all can be proud of.
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.