Osun Defender - September 30th 2014, Edition

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www.osundefender.org TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 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

how the elections will swing. The All progressives Congress (APC) still smarting 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

VOL. 9. NO.117

Front Page Comment

The War Called The Osun Elections; By Segun Tomori 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

Democratic

imperial President though utterly clueless, but desperate to add Osun to his conquest in furtherance of his still-born 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

Ekiti Crisis:

Osun APC Warns Of Dangers Ahead - See Story On Page 2

Osun Tribunal And Incomplete Witness Evidence For Prosecution - Back Page

Birthday: Osun Assembly Speaker - Pg 9 Greets Mrs Aregbesola,- Pg 2 Diekola

•Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (left) and the state Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Mrs Mofolake Adegboyega (2nd right) deposing to their witness statements before the Osun Election Petition Tribunal in Osogbo last Thursday.

Ekiti Crisis: ARG Decries ‘Deliberate Collaboration’ B y Security Agencies - Pg 3

Osun Govt Assures Of Ebola-free Eid-El-kabir

- See Story On Page 3

News

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 30, 2014

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Ekiti Crisis: Osun APC Warns Of Dangers Ahead

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LL Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun has warned the political class of serious dangers ahead should the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) be allowed to trample on law and order, as the Federal Government appears to be allowing Ekiti State governorelect, Mr Ayo Fayose, to do with impunity in the state.

In a strong-worded only in the South-West, but reaction to reports that also across the country.

Fayose led thugs to beat up The APC contended that judges handling cases if Fayose could desecrate related to his election, which the judiciary when he is not event has resulted in the yet in power, nothing can closure of the state judiciary stop him from committing indefinitely, the APC noted mass murder right from the that the event is a foreboding moment he is sworn in as of the anarchy, which the governor.

PDP intends to create, not “Ayo Fayose should be

closely watched because he appears to represent PDP’s game plan of using the rule of the jungle to capture and sustain itself in power.

“Fayose is possibly the arrowhead of that strategy in the South-West,” the APC alleged.

“The fact that the Federal Government security officials stood by and watched, while Fayose and his rampaging horde of thugs were beating up judges and lawyers in the premises of the hallowed chambers, is a clear

indication that the PDP-led Federal Government is complicit. That is a bad omen,” the APC said.

“Politicians should rally and impress it on President Goodluck Jonathan that if this judicial sacrilege in Ekiti presages his intention for seeking a second term in office, it could well be the beginning of the end of democracy and the rule of law in the country.

“It is therefore, imperative, not only that Fayose and his thugs should be made

accountable, everything should be done to persuade President Jonathan that no Federal Government has survived creating anarchy in the South-West.

“The earlier this lesson is learnt by the Jonathan administration, the better for democracy in Nigeria,” the APC said.

According to the party, Fayose and his thugs are spurred by the intolerable level of impunity, which the PDP-led Federal Government has been encouraging in the country by allowing government officials and security agencies to get away with cleptocracy and bestial violation of human rights, which have taken a turn for the worst since the Ekiti and Osun elections.

“We are inclined to believe that this murderously violent approach to governance will not be restricted to Ayo Fayose’s Ekiti, but will

dangerously creep to other parts of the South-West, as virtually all PDP’s current leadership in this part of Nigeria, and their potential governorship candidates are in the mould of Ayo Fayose in their criminal disregard for the rule of law,” the APC declared.

The party therefore, warned that if the rule of law disappears (as it is now happening in Ekiti State), justice will collapse and anarchy will follow and the PDP at the federal level will also be held accountable.

“Nigeria does not deserve this tragic fate,” the APC said, adding that, “it is time citizens of this country wake up from their slumber before criminals like those being bred by the PDP in Ekiti and elsewhere in the SouthWest region bring this hapless experiment of democracy to a tragic end,” the APC concluded.

Adesiyan In Trouble Over Illegal ‘Copter Landing In Private School

M •(L-R) Lawmaker representing Ede-North constituency in the State of Osun House of Assembly, Honourable Kamardeen Akanbi; All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders, Alhaji Sule Alao and Prince Yele Alabi and the Special Adviser to Osun Governor on Education, Alhaja Latifat Giwa, when the lawmaker declared his second term ambition in Ede on Sunday.

Osun Lawmaker Declares For Second Term

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

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AWMAKER representing Ede-North State Constituency in the State of Osun House of Assembly, Honourable Kamardeen Akanbi, popularly called ‘Osun Agbeni,’ has declared his ambition to re-contest in the 2015 election under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC).

He made the declaration constituency. in Ede on Saturday, just as He also said he has he gave his stewarship awarded scholarship to 11 accounts for the last three indigenes of his years in the Assembly. constituency for various Addressing the party agricultural and vocational supporters, the lawmaker trainings at Oodua recalled that within the Farmers’ Academy, AISU period of his stay in the Area of Ede. Assembly, he has been able Noting that there are a to give out interest-free lot more he has done for loans running to millions of his constituents, including naira to over 400 distribution of economic beneficiaries. materials like motorbikes, He also said he has been sewing machines, deep able to facilitate permanent freezers, farm sprayers employment for 42 among others, Akanbi indigenes of his stressed that he has been constituency in the state using his salaries and civil service, saying these allowances to affect lives beneficiaries include positively. doctors, teachers, nurses, He then called for drivers and clerks. supports of his Akanbi further stated constituents to achieve his that he has also second term ambition, recommended and saying, this would give influenced supply of him the opportunity to transformers to six affect lives the more. communities, as well as APC leaders, including road rehabilitation and Alhaji Sule Alao, Mr Jimoh construction in his Olayemi, Prince Yele Alabi,

commended the lawmakers for his efforts in influencing several developmental projects in the constituency.

They are optimistic that his achievements are enough to guarantee the realisation of his second term ambition, just as they charged him to do more.

In their separate adresses, the Special Adviser to the Governor

on Commerce, Cooperative and Empowerment, Dr Olalekan Yinusa and his Education counterpart, Alhaja Latifat Giwa, commended the people for their support for the state government and the lawmaker.

Highlight of the event was the adoption of Akanbi for second term by some party members.

ORE troubles have recently come the way of the Minister for Police Affairs, Alhaji Jelili Adesiyan, as owners of a popular private secondary school in Ibadan, Bodija International School, have filed a petition against the Minister of Police Affairs, for illegal landing of helicopter in the premises of the school without approval.

The petition indicated our notice that your that the minister ’s helicopter landed on the helicopter illegally landed school ground without the on the sports arena of the knowledge and consent of school at 10:30a.m last the school’s authorities.

“We hereby remind you week Sunday.

According to the sir that ours is a private petition, the illegal landing organisation and landing caused considerable the helicopter on our without damage to underlying premises drainage pipes in the permission constitutes school’s sports arena, trespass.

“As you can imagine, which was undergoing this action, if repeated, major construction.

The petition signed by could disrupt educational and pose the school’s lawyer, activities Olajumoke Ojo and Co, considerable danger, if the frowned at the school had been in unapproved landing, session,” the petition read.

The late famous jurist, describing the minister’s Kayode Eso, was the action as “a trespass.”

Governing “It has been brought to chairman,

Birthday: Osun Assembly Speaker Greets Mrs Aregbesola, Diekola

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HE Speaker of the State of Osun House of Assembly, Honourable Najeem Salaam, has eulogized the virtue of the wife of the state governor, Alhaja Sherifat Abidemi Aregbesola, as she marked her birthday, describing her as a bridgebuilder and a virtuous woman.

In a statement signed by X-raying the component his Chief Press Secretary, of her virtue, Salaam Mr. Goke Butika, Salaam hinted that Mrs. lauded Mrs. Aregbesola Aregbesola’s unparalleled for championing the cause humility and warm of women and children, attitudinal disposition to all particularly the vulnerable manner of men and ones in the state, asserting women across class that her passion to assist boundaries were the the needy has qualified her magnetic variants that for the medal of ‘Mother have drawn genuine love Theresa’s School of and respect to the first Humanity’, if there is one. family in Osun.

He then urged all wives of political office holders and powerful women across the country to borrow the model of Mrs. Aregbesola’s character concept, saying that she has succeeded in projecting what a good mother and wife should look like.

“I pray for long life in good health for the mother of our dear State of Osun and wish her more years of active service to womanhood,” he stressed.

In a similar development, the head of

the state parliament has felicitated with a chieftain of the ruling-All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Alhaji Fatai Oyedele Diekola, as he marked his birthday too, describing the politician as productive and skillful.

He saluted his courage during the political struggle that saw to the retrieval of Aregbesola’s mandate and his five-star performance on the political turf in the recently-concluded poll, where Governor Aregbesola was re-elected, praying that God gives him longevity and good health to further serve humanity.

News

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OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Osun Govt Assures Of Ebola-free Eid-El-kabir A

By FRANCIS EZEDIUNO

S this year’s Eid-el-kabir celebration approaches, the State of Osun Government has commenced steps to put in place screening centres in strategic motor parks within the state, as a measure to prevent the spread of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease, as an influx of people would be expected.

This information was made available to the public by the State of Osun Commissioner for Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Temitope Ilori, during the Ebola Virus Infection Sensitisation for the

Joint National Association of People With Disabilities (JONAPWD) at the State Government secretariat, Abere recently.

The health commissioner

also encouraged relatives of people that would be travelling back home for the festivity to be vigilant and report any unusual symptoms to the health authorities.

She revealed that motor parks that were designated for such screening centres include Iwo, Ejigbo, Ikirun, Osogbo and Ede, where it is presumed that there would be influx of people from outside Nigeria, especially the West African sub-region.

She maintained that

JONAPWD member remain a vital aspect of the society that the state government needs to carry along because they are unique.

Meanwhile, the State Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Professor (Mrs.) Olubukola Oyawoye, has stated that the best solution to the war on the Ebola Virus Disease currently ravaging some West African countries is cleanliness.

She maintained that even

with the use of hand sanitizers, soap and water are still the best method of keeping germs at bay.

Oyawoye stressed that the message of cleanliness should be preached by all, as there are different types of diseases in the society.

Earlier, the Director of Primary Health and Disease Control in the State Ministry of Health, Dr. Kayode Oguniyi, in his enlightenment talk, traced the first outbreak of the disease in 1976 to a Congo village, where the Ebola stream was located.

He revealed that the vector was the African fruit bats which transmits to other animals like gorillas and monkeys, who eat remnants of fruits, which would have been eaten by these bats, hence the discouraging of bush meat consumption, as one of the preventive measures.

“The virus is found in all body fluids like saliva, tears, urine, sweat, semen, faeces and vomitus and the incubation period is 2 through 21 days and presentable symptoms include fever, headaches, cough, weak body, diarrhoea and blood oozing out of all the body openings.”

Ogunniyi added that the

disease did not start from Nigeria but rather the first case was imported from Liberia by one Patrick Sawyer.

He noted that of the 19 suspected cases of the disease in Nigeria, 7 died including Patrick Sawyer and Dr. Adadevoh, while 12 recovered.

He therefore advised people to be very careful in the way they handle corpses, stating that the World Health Organisation has found out from research that in every 10 Ebola cases, 67 of them had contacts with corpses of victims of the disease.

“That was what informed the government decision to stop interstate conveying of corpses.”

He explained that before conveying of such corpses if there was need, proper autopsy result should be obtained.

In clearing the air on how the disease can be treated, Dr. Oguniyi stated that there currently exists no specific treatment, as only symptoms that were treated.

Representatives of the Health Ministry and JONAPWD took turns to demonstrated proper hand washing techniques.

OPU Honours Indigenes

T •Who is pushing who, human being or non-living thing?

Photo: FACEBOOK

Ekiti Crisis: ARG Decries ‘Deliberate Collaboration’ By Security Agencies •Warns Against Mayhem In Yorubaland

HE Afenifere Renewal Group [ARG] has expressed reporting lines lie far away concerned that a needless and preventable violence from the constituent unit they are serving; another poor indihas degenerated into anarchy in Ekiti State. cation of the nation’s over-cenIn a statement issued on Sun- 2015 presidential election by tric unitary system.” all means, are seeking any opday by its Chairman, Olawale “The ARG would like to reOshun, the group said from portunity to foment mayhem mind these desperadoes that all indications, there is no jus- in the Southwest. The failures treacherous politicians have tification for why, within just of security operatives to nip never amounted to anything one week, the state is transit- the courtroom crises in the bud good in Yoruba land, whatever ing from a peaceful community lend credence to this rumour their short gain may be. This and it shows a different signal to that of chaos. disregard of a key element of The ARG noted that the from President Jonathan’s re- governance has no place two sequential attacks on judi- cently publicised commitment in Yoruba land; it shall be upcial officers were pernicious in to security at UN General As- rooted the same way previous intent because the first incident sembly.”

“The ARG would like attempts were resisted. We ought to have served as preto suggest that the resulting want to remind them that such monition for a non-partisan intimidation and violation of security agency to take charge anarchy is a coded message that Rule of Law have always made warns against reposing faith in and arrest the situation. the Yoruba race stronger, result“Not in any report did we security agencies, whose ing in substantial gain for the read that the hoodlums attacked security officers.

Rather, the attacks were targeted against unarmed civilians and judicial officials,

By ISMAEEL UTHMAN right in the presence of secuNDICATIONS have emerged that a former Chief Press rity operatives. These are clear Secretary to former governor in the State of Osun, Chief indications of deliberate negliBisi Akande, Mr Adelani Baderinwa, is aspiring to be a gence, if not collaboration, by member of the Federal House of Representatives. security operatives,” the stateBaderinwa, according to OSUN DEFENDER also ment said. information at the disposal of that Baderinwa’s “That a handful of hood- OSUN DEFENDER, is gathered supporters, under the auspices lums, clearly under manipula- currently making moves to of Team Adelani Baderinwa, tion, successfully halted judi- secure the ticket of the All have voluntarily constituted five cial proceedings in a lawful and Progressives Congress (APC) canvassers in each of the wards legally-constituted court of to contest the Ifelodun/Boripe/ in the three local government Federal council areas constituting the law is appalling. It is a bare- Odo-Otin federal constituency. faced signal that ‘might is right’ Constituency election.

It was learnt that some The aspirant’s supporters and that hoodlums will now be the dispenser of justice in a political associates, friends and premised their actions on the of Baderinwa were ground that the Ikirun-born civilised society. These acts supporters pushing for his candidature for politician deserves the APC are blatant disregard of the ju- the 2015 general elections. ticket to contest the Federal diciary and an assault on the The Baderinwa supporters House of Representatives collective civility of all Yoruba include commissioners, election, having been a loyal, people.” lawmakers in the State of Osun committed and financial member The group said: “Rumour House of Assembly, Special of the party.

When contacted on Sunday, has been rife that desperate Advisers and Senior Special politicians, with the backing of Assistants to the Governor, Baderinwa said he was being Federal Government, as part of media practitioners, civil taken aware of the steps being organisations, women taking by his supporters, but he their untoward plan to win societies bodies, artisans and students.

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populace.”

The ARG reiterated that, for Nigeria to survive current besetting crises, national institutions must remain truly national, not only in structure, but also in operations. They must not become toothless or be rendered ineffective at the whim of those who may wish to deploy them for selfish purposes.

“ARG therefore calls on the Acting Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, to take urgent steps to restore faith in the Police by bringing all violators of the peace of our people to justice, , while those are the custodians of our judicial institutions at this time must do all within their powers to protect the sanctity of the temple of justice,” the group concluded.

HE State Government of Osun has felicitated with Osogbo Progressive Union (OPU) on its 2014 awards and honour celebration.

In a statement issued by intimidation, arrest and the State Commissioner for detention by federal forces.

Information and Strategy, Similarly, the state Mr Sunday Akere, the state government felicitated with government commended the all distinguished awardees people and residents of the particularly, Chief Lai town for their candour Oyeduntan, Chairman during the last governorship O’School and Barrister election in the state.

Basiru Ajibola, He noted Osogbo Oroki Commissioner for Special people for their Duties and Regional steadfastness and Integration for the honour commitment to the done them by the O.P.U. enthronement of good He commended the union governance and for deeming it fit to honour development in the state. these eminent sons of The statement disclosed Osogbo, whose invaluable that Osogbo proved that its contributions have assisted support for Governor Rauf the administration of their Aregbesola and his party principal , Ogbeni Rauf during the 2007 general Aregbesola to achieve elections was not a ruse with monumental feats during the repetition of their his first term, as members of unwavering support and the Omoluabi team. doggedness to ensuring Akere finally prayed for that the APC won August 9, peace to continue to reign 2014 poll in the face of in Osogbo and the State of brazen assault, harassment, Osun in general.

Akande’s Aide To Contest House Of Reps Election

Osun Pilgrims Organise Prayers For Aregbesola, Osun, Nigeria

would be contesting any elective post.

According to Baderinwa, the political activities of his supporters are simply their wish for him, saying that he had been pleading with them for some years before they decided to take the recent action without consulting him on the House of Representatives’ ticket.

“I will make my decision known to the general public on the Ifelodun/Boripe/Odo-Otin Federal Constituency election ticket after consultation. As at now, I am yet to tell anybody am vying for this or that,” he said.

Baderinwa, a former chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ekiti Council, is the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Information and Strategy and Director, Media Monitoring.

He resigned from The Sketch Newspaper to join Akande’s government in 2000.

ILGRIMS from the State of Osun, who are currently in holy land of Mecca, recently gathered to organise special prayers for the governor of the state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, his immediate family, state and Nigeria at large.

Speaking on behalf of the Alhaja Serifat Abidemi governor in Mecca, the Aregbesola. He therefore State Commissioner for prayed for good health and Local Government and long life for the first lady.

Leading the recitation of Chieftaincy Affairs, Barrister Kolapo Alimi, thanked the whole Quran, Chief pilgrims for deeming it fit to Imam of Ijesa land, Sheik organise the prayers as Idris Muhammad Jamiu, said requested by the governor. with Quran, all problems are He said the essence was solved and prosperity will to thank Allah for definitely follow.

He also assured the successful completion of his first term in office and place governor that all his good the second term before God intentions for the state will for more resounding come to reality. Pilgrims were happy with enthusiasm achievements.

Earlier, Amir Hajj, Alhaji during the prayer, while Dhkrullahi Hassan, said the thanking the governor for prayer coincided with the making life comfortable for birthday of governor’s wife, them.

I

was yet to tell anybody he

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OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 30, 2014

The War Called The Osun Elections; By Segun Tomori to assess the possible threat level. I saw that it was negligible so I settled down for the task ahead.

Continued frompg1

I just couldn’t imagine my home State go back to the disastrous “years of the locust”. I had participated actively in 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 Asorock 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 wellwishers, family and friends that you don’t clink glasses in a battlefront! 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

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.

Jonathan And $9.3m Arms Purchase Scam

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T will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, for a government that wears regalia of corruption to absolve itself of the seized $9.3 million by the South African government.

The reported lies that the money was meant for arm purchase by the Federal Government obviously holds no water.

If that was actually what the money was meant for, why couldn’t any of our security agencies (Army, Air Force, Navy, Police etc) be represented? Why was the National Security Adviser (NSA) not represented? How come no Nigerian diplomat or government official was involved? Why the choice of a private jet owned by the President of the

Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Orisajafor.

I still need to ask: Why purchasing black market arms? Why just two unofficial government representatives and an Israeli arms dealer on board? What if the arms

dealer refuses to deliver the arms after payment since the transaction would be done by cash?

Was the money really meant for arms? If yes, who would use the arms and for what purpose? Is our government or President Jonathan not covering something up?

As 2015 general elections approach and politicians are gearing up, issues like this are not unexpected. Firstly, to have enough money to buy the votes and secondly, to have something to fall back on should they lose the

election.

President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan government is no doubt the most corrupt (civilian) government I have ever known. The flimsy excuse that arm purchase embargo is placed on Nigeria by the Western nations holds no water. Is

it the same America that donated warship to Nigerian government that will refuse to sell arms for us, even when it is clear that we are facing security challenges?

Besides, when last did we buy arms from the West?

I can authoritatively establish that our arms in the last one decade were purchased from the Russians. Do we have problems with the Russians too? GEJ must come out and give Nigerians satisfactory answers to the question of the Nigerian integrity in the League of Nations, rather than doling out cash (bribe) to the legislators. Nigeria will be rescued soon from these looters!

•JIDE AFOLABI, Jos.

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 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.

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 brooms- symbol 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

OSUN DEFENDER Publisher

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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.

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Politics OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Rauf Revolution In The State Of Osun:

Getting It Right With Opon Imo Intervention Initiative In spite of the volume and quality of time and lengthy writings devoted to the Opon Imo intervention initiative introduced by the incumbent administration, the fact still remains that it stands as one of the most controversial measures among all revolutionary instruments in the Education Sub-sector of the state in modern time. NIYI OLASINDE revisits the numerous benefits of the Tablet of Knowledge, as schools prepare to resume for yet another academic session. The bold pace-setting step of pioneering this wonderful device for use in our public schools, which had, for several years running, been relegated and reduced to bases for disseminating ignorance, poverty and intellectual cum moral decay is through this piece applauded.

•A cross section of State of Osun High School students displaying their Opon Imo devices.

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Getting It Right With Opon Imo Intervention Initiative

•Another set of enthusiatic public High School Students working with the Tablet of Knowledge.

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HE terrains of public education in the years preceding the advent of the Rauf Aregbesola administration was far from being attractive or alluring. This is true as all indications pointed to a situation of rot, decay, abandonment and devastation in the sub-sector; so much so that parents and guardians were repelled with fear and disgust from committing their wards to the care and tutelage that that category of schools dispensed. Needless to say, the only category of parents and guardians who were left to the mercy of those schools were those who due to certain limitations imposed by economy or other factors, had no alternative than sending their wards there as a last resort.

In other words the segment of the populace who gave patronage to those schools in those dark days comprised those who looked up to God and prayed ceaselessly for deliverance and rescue to come their way some day.

In our series last year and in years before, OSUN DEFENDER Magazine has devoted lengthy writing to the spate of rot and decay which the sub-sector witnessed during the period under reference. We therefore would not have to subject our numerous readers to the boredom, drudgery and monotony of having to recast the ugly events of those years. We also have, time and time again given details of the poor score sheets of candidates of the state who were produced through the ugly system in public examinations. In honest terms, the performances were not only persistently poor but also abysmally woeful and disheartening.

In terms of enrolment figures, the statistics had dwindled drastically. In terms of schools’ physical structures, materials, equipment and textbooks, the scoring was simply nothing to write home about. The quantity and quality of teaching and non-teaching personnel in those schools had been another point of concern. In most cases, the teachers were not just there.

Where they were present in some numbers, it was not usually in the right quality. Recruitment and selection exercises for teachers in those days were fraught with fraud and irregularities, hence, the teachers (so called) were mostly engaged in an attempt to pacify political

hangers-on, cronies and boot-lickers.

Since the coming on board of the Rauf Aregbesola administration however, a wave of change, unprecedented and unimaginable – confounding to distracters has rippled the public education sub-sector of the state. In all ramifications, the sub-sector has been virtually overhauled. Apart from the free, functional and qualitative education package wielded by the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola in the State of the Virtuous, other components of good service delivery, which could make learning much easier, attractive, effective and efficient have been put in place.

Among the multiple “O” programmes initiated by the Government Unusual, the education industry has taken a substantial number. We can easily talk of the O’ Uniform programme under the auspices of which the administration distributed school uniforms and badges free of charge to all students in public schools in accordance with their levels; whether elementary, middle or high school. Not only this, the O’ Meal programme ensures free feeding of pupils in primary school classes one to four on daily basis with nutritious and highly enriched food varieties so as to enhance their intellectual development and prepare them adequately for future challenges. The O’ Calisthenics is a programme in physical cum affective and psychomotor domains. Through it, the government of the day has exposed the students, drawn mostly from the middle school rung of the educational ladder to more productive engagements of their time, talents and latent potentials.

The O’ SCHOOLS intervention initiative is an area that is almost of exceeding importance of all. This is so as no meaningful and impactful teaching-learning process can take place in poor physical environment. The State of Osun Schools Infrastructure Development Committee, known for short as O’ SCHOOLS is out to effect the demolition of all existing dangerously dilapidating structures in all our public schools and replacing such with modern, befitting and more durable ones that can favourably compare with the demands of the

Twenty-First Century. We have discussed issues relating to this to detail in some of our editions in the just-concluded year. We only need to add in passing that “infrastructure” in the context of O’ SCHOOLS mean a wide variety of components which include: a) School buildings as designed and approved; b) External works as designed and approved; c) Landscaping as designed and approved; d) Furniture for students and staff; e) Library, laboratory and workshop equipments; f) Sporting facilities; and g) Any other facility, structure and equipment that may be considered necessary for effective teaching and learning in the schools.

Also, by the plan of the O’ SCHOOLS Committee, we realize that the government intended at the initial stage to build and deliver: · 100 elementary schools (2,100 classrooms); · 50 (62?) middle schools; and · 20 high schools In view of limitations imposed by the economic realities on ground, the first phase of the programme could however accommodate the minimum delivery of: · 50 elementary schools; · 33 middle schools; and · Between 10 and 20 high schools As at the end of last year, the statistics of these schools which were almost ready for official commissioning and use was put at about fifteen (15) elementary schools; thirteen (13) middle schools; and ten (10) high schools. The figures are still counting, as the programme is continuous through the life of the administration. Latter part of last year and early this year marked the official commissioning of the first fruits of the O’ SCHOOLS project and their delivery to their respective intended end-users.

First in this regard was the official commissioning of the Salvation Army Middle Contiuned on page 7

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Getting It Right With Opon Imo Intervention Initiative

•(L-R) The Speaker, Federal House of Representaives, Rt. (Hon) Aminu Tambuwaal; Oyo State Governor, Senator Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi and former Lagos State governor and National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu making history at the launch of the initiative in June last year.

Contiuned from page 6

School, located at the Oke Fia / Alekuwodo area of Osogbo, the capital of the State of Osun.

That was done in September 2013. Second was the commissioning in February of 2014 of Baptist Central Elementary School, Ilare, IleIfe. Most recently during the month of March, another ultra-modern school building project in the category of elementary school, the A.U.D. Government Elementary School, IsaleAgbara, Isale-Osun, Osogbo was officially commissioned. The list is still counting! This rate of completion has put wagging tongues into silence.

We have observed through the lifetime of the incumbent administration how our public schools have flourished prolifically with massive employment of trained, qualified, competent and highly experienced teaching personnel. We have also witnessed how the administration has made the teachers in public schools highly motivated by attending promptly to all their needs, not only in terms of salaries and fringe benefits, but also other needs bordering on entry and terminal points as well as elevation of high echelon personnel in the teaching profession to the exalted status of Permanent Secretary. Hence we now have three Tutors-General; one for each Senatorial District of the state.

Central to the free education programme of the administration of the day is the free book distribution exercise embarked upon. By this, the sufferings of the masses have been alleviated a great deal through free distribution of exercise. The climax of this is the introduction of the Tablet of Knowledge, known as Opon Imo. This device is one of the most laudable efforts of the Aregbesola administration in the Education Sub-sector. The Schools Reclassification Programme and Schools Discipline Initiative are other effort made to revive the sector from the horrible state it was in at the take-over time of the administration.

We shall now swing forward to give concise consideration to Opon Imo and all that it entails.

When the newly-inaugurated administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola came out with the

idea of holding the first-ever State of Osun Education Summit in February 2011, detractors wagged their tongues in outright condemnation of the programme which they considered as sheer waste of time and resources. Today, the summit has justified itself; as it has translated to meaningful life-impacting transformation in the Education Sub-sector of the state; most especially the public schools, to which the government remains proprietor and financier.

We know for sure that quite a number of interesting packages has begun to be rolled out as aftermath of the summit, which was chaired by none less a personality like the academic giant and famous Nobel Laurel, Professor Wole Soyinka. Notable among such educational rebranding efforts of the administration which are wielding potent reforms in the education industry of the state owing to their purposeful and faithful implementation are the O’ Uniform, O’ SCHOOLS, O’ Meal and O’ Calisthenics; and such others as we have discussed above. The particular ground-shaking and epoch-making entrant into the scene is the Tablet of Knowledge, known popularly as Opon Imo.

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either by parents or government has been relieved. We remember with nostalgia the old good eras of free education as introduced and successfully operated in the defunct Western Region by the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the premier of the Region. The same feat was replicated during the Second Republic with late Chief Bola Ige at the helm of affairs as Governor of the old Oyo State. We also remember the good efforts of Chief Bisi Akande in his days as Governor of the presentday State of Osun.

During the entire period under reference, tuition, textbooks and notebooks were entirely free! The free education scheme afforded many school children especially those from humble socio-economic background the opportunity of access to quality, functional education. By the standards of those periods, school children were provided with textbooks and notebooks free of charge. But the standards of the current time place the demand on government to find another device which can present volumes of books of different sizes in a very light, easyto-access gadget, which an average learner can carry about with much ease and which can provide learning anywhere and anytime without the burden of carrying bulky bags around.

Another advantage of the Opon Imo is that it saves the government the perennial burden of procuring sets of books. According to Governor Aregbesola while responding to critics that his administration is deemphasizing the use of books, he enumerated the economic benefits of providing easier4 alternative as consisting in saving enormous costs for the state which can be expended on other viable life- changing programmes and projects. The governor said that over a period of ten years, the devise would save government a whooping sum of about N50.25 billion; were the state to engage in the physical purchase of hard copies of textbooks for the 17 subjects taught in our public schools, hard copies of 51 audio tutorials, hard copies of JAMB and WAEC past questions and answers and the rest.

Aside these, the Opon Imo device can be

HE Opon Imo initiative has come, like its earlier-introduced counterparts to demystify school learning and make public school learning more attractive; thereby restoring its old-lost glory, honour, sanctity and rectitude. By virtue of the line-up of these intervention efforts, it is no longer a dreadful event to send a child to public schools. On top of these attractive packages; education in our public schools is free, qualitative and functional. What this latter point implies is that a good proportion of parents who had been made victims of coughing out enormous hardearned resources in order to get their wards educated in private schools; or rather who could scarcely afford that costly facility for their wards are now afforded the rare privilege of good education free of charge, courtesy of the quintessential leader of our time, Ogbeni Aregbesola.

Through the introduction of Opon Imo, the burden of spending enormously on textbooks Contiuned on page 10

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 30, 2014

PHOTOTALK

Preparation For 2014 Ileya Festival In Osogbo.

•Ram buyers and sellers at Ring Road area, Osogbo last Saturday.

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• •Some of the Osogbo inhabitants buying food stuff for Ileya festival at Olu-Ode Market, last Saturday.

•Rams displayed for sale at Sabo Market, Osogbo, last Saturday.

8 Photo: GBENGAADENIYIAnd SEGUNADEJUMO

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PHOTOTALK

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 30, 2014

The Good Women Of The Redeemed Christian Church Of God, Victory Zone, Osogbo, Organized A Programme Titled ‘Overflowing Home Builder’ Penultimate Sunday.

Photo: SHOLA ADERINTO

•A cross section of Good Women of The Redeemed Christian Church Of God, Victory Zone, Osogbo in a group photograph with children of Abiye Orphanage home, Osogbo, during their visit to donate to less-privileged members of the society.

•Another cross section of the Good Woman during their thanksgiving programme in the church to commemorate the grandfinale of their three-day programme at victory parigh, Tinumola Estate, Osogbo.

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Getting It Right With Opon Imo Intervention Initiative Contiuned from page 7

solar-powered. It also has the capacity to record audio lessons, thus saving students the trouble of copying notes. It also spares them more time to learn.

Another benefit confirmed for the device is that it facilitates the incumbent administration’s free education programme through its costsaving nature. We would all agree that a truly qualitative and functional free education programme is usually a crowd-puller. The populist nature of such programme therefore would require its provider to find means of making learning easier, fast and all-reaching within a limited space of time. OSUN DEFENDER Magazine is of the assurance that the Aregbesola administration has done this sufficiently well.

The governor has continuously emphasized the bold resolve and determination of his administration to focus thrust on the making of the total student – so the preparation of conducive learning environment, which consists in the construction of befitting classrooms and equipping such with good furniture, shall win the priority attention of his government. He has never reneged on his promise that his administration will not waver or get derailed from the pursuance of these lofty courses of action.

Further on the issue if textbooks, Aregbesola reasoned that since textbooks are made from wood which is obtained from forests cultivated on wide expanses of land; the introduction of a devise like Opon Imo, which reduces the dependence on books, will help in the conservation of our forest resources, hence reducing risks associated with environmental degradation.

It has been a reasonable argument from the point of view of Ogbeni Aregbesola that since a student must have been exposed to textbooks from kindergarten, offering him something different at his high school age would do him much benefit. In other words, he should be offered with the kind of learning that brings him in conformity with his colleagues and counterparts in the present world order through

•AREGBESOLA

exposure to digital-based instruction that makes him ICT-compliant.

In Governor Aregbesola’s definition, the Opon Imo devise is a first of its kind standalone learning tablet in the world for self-paced study.

It provides three major content categories visà-vis e-library virtual classroom, and an integrated test zone. The virtual classroom category contains 63 e-books, covering 17 academic subjects for examinations conducted

by WAEC, NECO and JAMB as well as nonacademic life-enriching subjects such as History of the Yoruba, Sexuality Education, Civic Education, Ifa on Ethics and Morals, Enterprise Education, hints and tips on passing SSCE and How to Live a Healthy and Happy Life. It was further revealed by the Governor that this section also contains an average of 16 chapters per subject and 823 chapters in all, with about 900 minutes or 15 hours of audio voiceovers.

In the integrated net zone of the devise, there are more than 40,000 JAMB and WAEC practice questions and answers dating back to about 20 years. It also contains mock tests in more than 51 subject areas, which approximates to 1,220 chapters, with roughly 29,000 questions, referencing about 825 images.

The tablet, as it has turned out, is in design, use and purpose more than a learning devise. It is a revolution that individualizes learning and brings the school to the child. No wonder that Governor Aregbesola said that in the old order, the pupils went to school to study, but that with Opon Imo, they henceforth learn!

Opon Imo has also been defined as entailing democratization of learning. This is so, because Opon Imo provides equal access to every child, irrespective of his or her background. Pupils in the remotest village now have access to the same body of knowledge as their counterparts from the most cosmopolitan city.

No wonder that OSUN DEFENDER Magazine drew reference to the coincidence of the Opon Imo launch with the June 12 celebration, vis-à-vis the mention above of the democratization aspect of the device. We pause to reflect that the annulment of the results of

•LAOYE-TOMORI

the June 12, 1993 Presidential Elections which was widely, convincingly and overwhelmingly won by the late business mogul, captain of commerce and symbol of the collective cause for democracy, late Bashorun Moshood Kasimawo Olawale Abiola poised monumental set-back to the nation and the development of its segments and institutions. Had the democratic experience of that time been allowed to thrive and materialize, the nation would have advanced well today. This is more so if it is viewed against the back drop that the achievers of today – Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor Babatunde Raji Fasola and our own Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola – were parts and parcel of the struggle in the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP). If our return to democratic governance had started from that time; honestly, we would have gone very far by now.

Opon Imo, by containing all subjects, is a veritable tool in the making of the rounded student. It was revealed that a science student has access to textbooks on arts and social sciences and vice-versa.

We also learnt that there is a business side to the tablet. According to Governor Aregbesola, a factory for the assemblage of computer tablets is already in the pipeline in the State of Osun. The factory will provide jobs for our youths and provide revenue to the government.

He said that by that singular move, the foundation is being laid for the making of Osun as the IT hub of the nation. The governor expressed the hope of his administration that Opon Imo would spread to other parts of the nation from the State of Osun.

In rounding up his speech at the launch of the devise in June 2013, Ogbeni Aregbesola viewed the addition of Opon Imo to our education as another turning point in the public school system in the State of Osun. He expressed his strong belief that the history was in the making on that day with the official launch of the devise; and that the real significance of the day in the history of education in Osun will be appreciated in the fullness of time.

History was made in June 2013 through the Contiuned on page 11

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 30, 2014

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Getting It Right With Opon Imo Intervention Initiative

•Laro-Timehin Middle School, Isale-Osun, Osogbo, recently built under the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

Contiuned from page 10

events culminating in the official unveiling of the iPod-like computer devise; customized to demystify learning for students at the senior secondary level of our public school system in the State of Osun. Branded simply as Opon Imo, which translates into Tablet of Knowledge, the devise, a brainchild of the Aregbesola administration had earlier come under severe criticisms from the camp of detractors on many grounds; the last of which was that the programme had been clandestinely launched in Lagos.

Earlier, detractors had tongue-lashed the project as sheer attempt at wasting the financial fortunes of the state; attempting to deify the oracles by the introduction of what they chose to call Opon Ifa; and an overall attempt at making the youths of the state tow the path of fetishism. As time advanced, further accusations came that the Opon Imo project sought to deemphasize the use of textbooks; and most recently, critics of the project cried foul that it had been launched in Lagos, rather than the State of Osun for which it was designed and meant.

At the end of it all, the administration of the day, under the leadership of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has proven itself to be well above all situations aimed at distracting it as the Opon Imo initiative has eventually seen the light of day.

In his state-wide broadcast heralding in the New Year 2014, the Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola elucidated on the numerous achievements of his administration in the past years. In his speech titled “Reflections on Our Policies and Programmes”, the Governor detailed the achievements, which bordered chiefly on the giant strides recorded in the education industry.

While commenting on the whole essence of his aspiration to become the helmsman of the state in the first place, the governor had this to say:

the last year and even the last three years since the Almighty God, by His grace and mercy, brought me to this seat as your Governor. Permit me to say that the only reason why I aspired to be governor was to get an opportunity to improve the lot of the masses of our people.

“I know how dehumanizing poverty and lack of opportunities can be. I know how illiteracy can truncate the destiny of a person and a society.

“This is why every day our focus as an administration has been (and is) on how to improve the lives of the majority of our people.

“My firm belief is that government exists to protect life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, provide an environment for commerce to thrive, for the young and economically deprived to be educated, for the sick who cannot afford medi-care to be taken care of, for the provision of security for all, and for the enforcement of the rule of law and maintenance of law and order.

“All of these must be premised on the truth that all men, regardless of means, religion or ethnicity, are created equal by God and must be enabled where they are unable to access the means for decent and humane existence.

“The question I ask myself about any policy we propose to make is simple: ‘How will this benefit the poorest in the State of Osun’?”

On the justification behind the introduction of the O’ Meal programme, the Governor made the following comments: “It is this philosophy that has guided and inspired all of our policies as your government. We put in place the O’Meals programme for feeding all elementary school children daily because we know that a large number of our people find it difficult to feed themselves and their children. We know that undernourishment and calorie deficiency is a major cause of physical and mental underdevelopment of children and young “As we begin this great year, I reflect on people.

“It has been scientifically confirmed in

many countries that provide lunch for their children in school that it significantly improves the academic performance and health of the pupils. We are finding this to be the case in our state.

“Additionally, the programme has increased elementary school enrolment in Osun from 150,000 to 380,000 children. We now have the largest elementary school enrolment in the country.”

Of particular note is the reference we intend to draw to the last quoted paragraph above. On the overall, it is the aggregate of the comprehensive and integrative package of initiatives in the education sector of the state that contributed to the upsurge in enrolment statistics of public schools in the state, to the effect that there was a swelling of more than double only within the space of three years.

Commenting on the Opon Imo initiative, the Governor traced the purpose of its introduction and the impact it had made so far, when he said: “Our provision of ‘OPON IMO’ (THE TABLET OF KNOWLEDGE) which contains all the textbooks and teaching aids required in high school is because we know that most parents in the state simply cannot afford the cost of textbooks.

“Again we believe that all of our children, regardless of the financial means of their parents, must have equal access to books and other materials for effective learning. The introduction of this electronic tablet is to bring our children, no matter how remote their location may be from the centres of digital advancement, to familiarity and currency with cutting-edge technology.”

The Governor appraised the overall education policies and programmes of his administration in lucid terms in the following words: “The same is true of our educational reform policy. You will recall that when I was sworn in as Governor in November 2010, the schools were in a shambles. Hardly any Contiuned on page 12

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Getting It Right With Opon Imo Intervention Initiative Contiuned from page 11

school in the state had facilities of any kind.

We then called for an education summit, attended by great educationists and intellectuals of all persuasions.

“Professor Wole Soyinka, our own Nobel Laureate, made time out to personally attend.

The summit recommended a complete overhaul of our education system.”

He particularly appraised the outcome and effectiveness of the first-ever State of Osun Education Summit as follows: “The most important conclusion of the summit was the restructuring of the system into three basic categories, Elementary, Middle and High schools. Grades 1–4 are the elementary school, Grades 5–9 are the middle school, while grades 10–12 are the high school.”

Concerning the State of Osun Schools’ Infrastructure Development Committee (O’ SCHOOLS), the Governor affirmed our claims when he said: “In the high school, we focus on preparing the children for both internal and external examinations. Our plan is to build 20 new high schools, 50 middle schools and 100 elementary schools. Each of these schools will be equipped to state-of–the-art standards, especially with digital learning aids, electronic boards, functional and contemporary laboratory equipment, sports facilities, clean water and large power generators etc.”

Making justification for the merger of schools, the Governor made the following clarifications: “The only way to provide these facilities at affordable costs is to merge small poorly equipped schools into larger schools where all the facilities can be provided to large

numbers of students using economy of scale to maximum advantage. This is what we have done.

“Sometimes, this policy has been misunderstood and some have tried to mischaracterize the reforms as having a religious undertone. This is most unfortunate, wicked and untrue.

“The philosophy of our education policy has been the development of a new man intellectually, socially and morally. This new man is placed in the centre of society and views his own development as part of and for the development of society.

“This is a non-parasitic and non-oppressive man, who views his existence in the context of the growth of others; he views whatever he acquires to be subsumed in the overall interest of others. He is a man in himself and a man for society.”

Governor Aregbesola refuted claims by a segment of people that he is bent towards favouring one religion against the other. He also told the story behind the education reforms initiated by his administration: “There are some who may genuinely feel that the education reforms might affect their missions. This is an unfounded fear. Only an irresponsible person will attempt to rubbish or remove the legacy of missionaries in education in Osun and even in Nigeria. I attended mission primary and secondary schools here in Western Nigeria and I proudly display that on my resume.

“But let me take us back into a bit of our fairly recent history. Everyone knows that mission schools were taken over by the government of the Western State almost 38 years ago. This means that since 1975, all mission schools were owned, funded and run by government. But the successive state governments ensured that the names of the schools were not changed, in order to maintain the legacies of the founding missionaries.

“Therefore, as we rebuild the schools and expand their facilities, we also have not and

•The newly-commissioned ultra-modern school building of St. Stephen’s ‘B’ Middle School, Modakeke, State of Osun.

will not tamper with their names. We believe that the missions and missionaries, who founded the schools, must be immortalised by retaining the names of the schools. For example, one of the completed middle schools in Osogbo is the Salvation Army Middle School at Alekuwodo.”

On the prospects of returning mission schools to their initial owners, the Governor said: “I am also aware of the agitation of some missions to have schools returned to them.

Although, as I have said before, the schools have been owned by governments since 1975, our administration is not foreclosing the prospect of returning some of the schools upon the completion of our new schools.

“I wish to emphasize that this process can only begin upon completion of the schools we are currently and aggressively building all over the state. The process of return of schools must be well planned and executed because of the various implications, especially the fact that their ownership had changed almost four decades ago.”

On the newly introduced Omoluabi Corps and Instilling discipline in school children of the state the Governor said: “Osun is a state which will be a model of peace and tolerance. I would like to say that religious, political and ethnic tolerance is the basic foundation of our Omoluabi heritage.

We must promote this culture of tolerance and civilized conflict resolution with all our might.

“This is why we have decided to establish an Omoluabi Peace and Conflict Management Commission. This is to be a standing commission where communal, religious, ethnic or other social disputes can be resolved by a body of respected elders from across Yorubaland and even other groups.”

FOREIGN NEWS

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Russian Suspicions Of US Motives In Syria Make Cooperation Unlikely

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HE United States and Russia see Islamic State as a common enemy but are failing to overcome deep mutual distrust and agree on how to tackle the threat together, making any role for Moscow in the U.S.-led campaign unlikely, say U.S. officials.

been joined by fighters from Russia’s predominantly Muslim North Caucasus, a region where militants wage daily violence to establish an Islamic state.

Differences between the former Cold War foes are stark, say the officials. Moscow suspects Washington’s ulterior motive is removal of its ally, Syria’s President Bashar alAssad. Washington refuses to consider working together as long as Moscow insists that U.S. strikes need Syrian and U.N. approval.

The bloodshed there is rooted in two wars that Moscow fought with Chechen separatists after the Soviet Union’s fall and these fighters could pose a security risk for Russia if they return to the North Caucasus.

Diplomatic efforts, from high-level talks at the United Nations to informal contacts in Moscow, have failed to resolve those misgivings, which echo broader problems in U.S.Russian relations, already at a post-Cold War low over the crisis in Ukraine, American officials say.

“The main obstacle to Russian participation is Moscow’s position that ‘this can only be taken with permission of the Syrian government or through the U.N.,’ which is not something we accept,” a senior U.S. administration official told Reuters on the condition of anonymity.

“If Russia thinks that somehow they’re going to gain some kind of shift in the U.S. policy, that is not going to happen.”

Though Russia has no sympathy for Islamic State militants who have seized large tracts of territory in Iraq and Syria and face U.S.-led air strikes in both countries, Moscow’s relationship with Syria forms a difficult backdrop to talks over any potential role.

Russia’s absence from the anti-Islamic State coalition complicates Washington’s calculus, reducing the possibility of U.S. leverage over the flow of Russian arms into Damascus as the U.S.-led campaign moves forward with air strikes in Syria and arms anti-Assad rebels.

Moscow, which has been trying to raise its diplomatic and economic influence in the Middle East, has been a major provider of conventional weapons to Syria, giving Assad crucial support during the nearly four-year civil war and blocking wider Western attempts to punish him with sanctions for the use of force against civilians.

Washington, meanwhile, backs moderate Syrian rebels who are seeking to topple Assad and are likely to play a central role in any future ground campaign inside Syria. The U.S. government accuses Assad of widespread human rights abuses and says it will never ask for Assad’s permission for its air strikes.

While this all but rules out military collaboration in Syria against Islamic State, also known as ISIL, U.S. officials still see potential for common cause on another front: aiding Baghdad’s battle to roll back Islamic State’s gains in Iraq. But there, too, joint U.S.-Russian action appears out of the question.

“The U.S. and Russia share an interest in defeating the kind of violent extremism that ISIL represents,” a senior State Department official said.

“DIDN’T ANYTHING”

CHANGE

Russian sensitivity about Assad’s fate figured prominently in private discussions between Moscow and Washington in recent weeks, say U.S. officials with direct knowledge of those talks. After President Barack Obama announced air strikes against Islamic State forces in Iraq in August, members of his

administration began signaling to Moscow that Syria was next, the officials said.

They said Secretary of State John Kerry conveyed the message to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Paris on Sept. 15 on the sidelines of a conference on Iraq, attended by U.N. Security Council permanent members, European and Arab states, and representatives of the EU, Arab League and United Nations. All pledged to help the government in Baghdad.

At that meeting, Kerry offered assurances that the United States would not directly target Assad or his forces, the officials said. Meeting at the United Nations on Wednesday, just days after the start of the U.S.-led air assault in Syria, the two again discussed the conflict.

Among two dozen individuals and groups identified by the U.S. State Department on Sept. 24 as foreign terrorists or terrorist facilitators was a Chechen militant group, Jaish alMuhajireen wal-Ansar. The designation, which enables Washington to freeze assets and block financial transactions, was seen as benefiting Moscow.

But U.S. officials say Washington has made no specific request to Moscow to join the coalition or work together in the fight against Islamic State.

Nor has Russia offered to do so, they said. But they acknowledge Moscow’s potential importance in any campaign in the Middle East.

“There’s no doubt that Russia is a key player on Syria, on Iraq, and will inevitably be involved in whatever we are dealing with,” though it remains to be seen what kind of role that will entail, the senior Obama administration official said.

A group of U.S. and Russian foreign policy experts who regularly advise their own governments met privately in

Moscow last week, seeking common ground in the fight against Islamic State, according to a person close to the matter.

The Russian delegation, which included former officials still close to the Kremlin, expressed interest in counterterrorism cooperation, including intelligence sharing.

But the talks encountered too much mutual distrust to agree on anything tangible, the person said.

The discussions were held on the basis of what is known as “Track II” diplomacy, an unofficial channel for international conflict resolution.

In

Moscow,

Fyodor

Lukyanov, editor-in-chief of the journal Russia in Global Affairs, said Russia’s role in the fight against Islamic State likely would be limited to assisting the Iraqi and Syrian governments.

Moscow already supplies weapons to security forces in both countries.

“Russia has no desire, no plan and no interest to be part of any campaign led by the United States,” said Lukyanov, who is also head of a Kremlin foreignpolicy advisory panel.

“The Russian view is that all this mess to a large extent has been produced by the reckless and crazy policy in its invasion of Iraq,” he said, referring to the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq that was heavily criticized by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“It didn’t change anything,” a senior U.S. official said.

At a news conference at the United Nations on Friday, Lavrov questioned the legality of the air campaign and also gave the United States a “we-told-you-so” message about the consequences of U.S. policy in the region.

“We are fighting against terrorism consistently, constantly, not just when someone announces a coalition,” Lavrov said.

Moscow had long warned of the potential blowback of U.S. support for the anti-Assad opposition in Syria’s civil war.

Plans to expand American training and arming of moderate rebels have only heightened those concerns.

BEHIND-THE-SCENES EFFORTS Despite that, Russia could gain from any U.S. success against Islamic State, which has

•Rescure team been rescuring the volcano victims in Japan on Sunday.

At Least 31 People Feared Dead After Japan Volcano Erupts HIRTY-one people were presumed dead on Sunday near the peak of a Japanese volcano that erupted unexpectedly a day earlier while it was packed with hikers out to admire autumn foliage, sending a huge cloud of ash and rock tumbling down its slopes.

T

Police said the 31 people were found in “cardiopulmonary” arrest but declined to confirm their deaths pending a formal examination, as per Japanese custom. An official in the area said rescue efforts had been called off due to rising levels of toxic gas near the peak, as well

as approaching nightfall.

Hundreds of people, including children, were stranded on the mountain, a popular hiking site, after it erupted without warning on Saturday, sending ash pouring down the slope for more than 3 km (2 miles.)

Most made their way down later on Saturday but about 40 spent the night near the 3,067 meter (10,062 feet) peak. Some wrapped themselves in blankets and huddled in the basement of buildings.

“The roof on the mountain lodge was destroyed by falling rock, so we had to take refuge below the building,” one told NHK national television.

“That’s how bad it was.”

More than 40 people were injured, several with broken bones.

Earlier, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency had said authorities were trying to confirm the whereabouts of 45 people.

It was not clear whether those 45 included the 31 people found in cardiopulmonary arrest.

The volcano was still erupting on Sunday, pouring

Saudi Arabia Warns Yemen Violence Could Threaten Global Security

S

AUDI Arabia has said “unprecedented challenges” facing Yemen since Shi’ite Muslim rebels took over the capital could threaten international security, and called for swift action to deal with instability in its southern neighbor.

The world’s largest oil

ex porter, which shares a long border with Yemen, welcomed an agreement signed in Sanaa on Sept. 21 to form a new government incorporating the Houthi rebels and some Yemeni southern separatist forces.

But the kingdom, a key U.S. ally which views itself as protector of Sunni Islam, fears the accord could benefit its main regional foe Iran, which it sees as an ally of the Houthis, and might also bolster the Islamist militant al Qaeda group.

It is not clear whether the power-sharing deal will satisfy

the Houthis’ demands, or whether it will instead embolden them to seek further powers.

Under a security annexe to the accord, they had been expected to leave Sanaa in return for their inclusion in the new government. To date they remain in place.

In some of his strongest language about Yemen to date, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal told the U.N. General Assembly that hopes for an end to the crisis had been wrecked by what he suggested was the Houthis’ failure to honor the deal.

“The lack of implementation

of the security annexe of the agreement and the lack of implementation of the agreement itself in the required manner by the Houthi group has dashed these hopes,” he said in a speech circulated by the Saudi mission at the United Nations in New York.

“Yemen faces accelerating and extremely dangerous conditions that require us all to look and propose the necessary solutions to confront these unprecedented challenges,” Prince Saud said.

Prince Saud said Yemen’s violence “will no doubt extend to threaten stability and security on the regional and international arena that could prove difficult to put down regardless of the resources and efforts that may be exerted.”

Saudi Arabia in 2011 played a

key role to push forward a Gulf power transfer deal that saw long-serving President Ali Abdullah Saleh step down after months of protests in 2011 in favor of his deputy.

Yemen has since faced multiple challenges, including regular attacks by al Qaeda and its affiliate, Ansar al-Sharia, as well as protests by southern separatists demanding secession from the country.

The Houthis say their move into Sanaa was necessitated by them being left out of a government formed after the 2011 protests that they had participated in.

Saudi Arabia views the Houthis, who hail from the Zaydi branch of Shi’ite Islam, as allies of arch-rival Iran. Iran denies interfering in Yemeni affairs.

smoke and ash hundreds of meters into the sky. Ash was found on cars as far as 80 km (50 miles) away.

Volcanoes erupt periodically in Japan, one of the world’s most seismically active nations, but there have been no fatalities since 1991, when 43 people died in a pyroclastic flow, a superheated current of gas and rock, at Mount Unzen in southwestern Japan.

Ontake, Japan’s secondhighest volcano 200 km (125 miles) west of Tokyo, last erupted seven years ago. Its last major eruption was in 1979.

Satoshi Saito, a 52-year-old hiker who climbed Ontake on Saturday and descended less than an hour before the eruption, said the weather was good and the mountain, known for its fall foliage, was crowded with people carrying cameras.

“There were no earthquakes or strange smells on the mountain when I was there,” Saito, who usually climbs Ontake several times a year, told Reuters. He also said there were no warnings of possible eruptions posted on the trail.

“But a man who runs a hotel near the mountain told me that the number of small earthquakes had risen these past two months, and everyone thought it was weird,” Saito said.

FEATURE

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 30, 2014

14

Gradual Killing Of The System S INCE the civilians took over government in 1999, we have had eight Inspectors General of Police till date. They are- Musiliu Smith (1999-2002), Mustapha Adebayo Balogun March 2002January 2005, Sunday Ehindero 2005-2007, Mike Mbama Okiro 2007-2009, Ogbonna Okechukwu Onovo 2009-2010, Hafiz Ringim January 2010- 2012, Muhammed D. Abubakar2012-2014 and Mr. Suleiman Abba 2014- till date. A keen observer will note that in some cases, some Inspectors General of Police, even introduced new uniforms,during their tenure.

These career appointments made in the last fifteen years alone, have ceiling on the number of years one has to spend in the service before you retire or you are kicked out. In case of judiciary, seniority takes precedence.

All the appointments were made by the President.

In some cases, he made the appointments, in consultations with the National Assembly or the National Council of States.

He does not need consultation before appointing anyone as Group Managing Director of NNPC, neither does he need to consult anyone before appointing anyone as Head of Service once, he is a Permanent Secretary.

From 1999 till now, we have had seven Chiefs of the Air Staff. They are Air Marshall Isaac Alfa (1999-2001), Air Marshall Jonah Wuyep (2001-2006), Air Marshall Paul Dike 2006-2008, Air Marshall Michael Oluseyi Petinrin (2008-2010), Air Marshall Mohammed Diko Umar (2010-2012), Air Marshall Alex Sabundu Badeh(2012-2014) and Air Marshall Adesola Nunayon Amosu from January 2014 till date.

But there is nothing in the law or in the procedure of appointments, which says anyone less than two years left to serve, must be appointed head or anyone who is the most senior.

From 1999, we have had nine Heads of Service of the Federation. The Post is a creation by the Constitution. They are Mr. Abu Obe1999-2000, MahmmudYayale Ahmed 2000-2007, Ms Obele Okeke 20072008, MsAmmalPepple June 16 – June 15 2009, Mr Steve Oronsanye June 16 2009 – November 15 2010, Prof. Oladapo Afolabi November 16 2010 – September 2011, Alhaji Isa Bello Sali September 30 2011 to March 2013, Alhaji Bukar GoniAji March 25 2013 to August 2014 and Mallam Danladi Kifasi August 19 2014 till date.

And there is no law that says the Presidents cannot appoint someone that has at least four to six years to serve before retirement, so that he or she could carry out the necessary reforms before he or she retires. Changing service chiefs constantly, like we change police uniforms, is amazing.

All things being equal, Alhaji Kifasi will retire in December next year, when he clocks sixty. He has served as a member of the Governing Board of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

We all know that in the military tradition, once you appoint a junior officer as service chiefs, all his seniors automatically retire.

Let us imagine how many trained and experienced officers that have suddenly left the service in the last fifteen years; their careers suddenly cut short and their families in total penury, in a country of their own, which they once served proudly.

I am told that Alhaji Kifasi is highly imaginative and hardworking. Poor soul!

According to the pioneer Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms established in February 2004, Dr.GokeAdegoroye, who retired as Permanent Secretary of FCT two years ago, there are over 150,000 federal civil servants (Mainstream) as at now.

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation was established on April 1, 1977 as a merger of the Nigerian National Oil Corporation and the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel.

It also supervises the upstream and downstream oil development and it is charged with regulating and supervising the oil industry in Nigeria. It has nine directorates. They are Exploration and Production, Refining and Petrochemicals, Commercial and Investment, Finance and Accounts, Corporate Services, Gas and Power, Engineering and Technology, Business Development.

The corporation also has various subsidiaries. They include Nigeria LNG Limited (NLNG), Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC),National Engineering and Technical Company (NETCO),Pipelines and Product Marketing Company, Nigerian Gas Company (NGC), Integrated Data Services Ltd. (IDSL), Warri Refining and Petrochemicals Company Ltd. (WRPC), Kaduna Refining and Petrochemicals Company Ltd. (KRPC),Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), NNPC Retail Ltd., Nigeria-Gazprom Ltd. (NiGaz), NIKORMA Transport Ltd. (NIKORMA), NIDAS Marine Ltd., Hydrocarbon Services Company Ltd (HYSON), NNPC Pension Fund Ltd., Duke Oil Services Ltd. (UK), Calson Bermuda Ltd., NNPC Properties Ltd and Brass LNG Limited.

From 1999 to date, we have had eight Group Managing Directors for the corporation. From March 17, 2010, when he became Acting President till he was finally sworn-in as President, on May 6 2010,

Why must a new President distrust serving service chiefs to the extent that he has to appoint his own, bearing in mind that since 1999 till date, only one political party has been in power in the centre.

•ABBA: Police IG

By ERIC TENIOLA following the death of his predecessor. Five Managing Directors of the NNPC have served under the current President. Likewise the present Minister of Petroleum Resources has appointed four group Managing Directors for NNPC since she came to the Ministry on April 16 2010. They are: Dr. Jackson Gaius Obaseki, May 1999November 2003; Engineer Funso Kupolokun, November 2003- July 2007; Engineer Abubakar Yar’Adua August 2007January 2009; Dr. Muhammed Sanusi Barkindo, January 2009- May 2010; Barrister Ladan Shehu, April 2010 to May 2010; Engineer Austen Olusegun Oniwon, May 2010- June 2012; Engr. Andrew Leah Yakubu, June 2012- August 2014 and now Dr. Joseph Thlama Dawha from August 2014 to date. Dr.Dawha joined the NNPC in 1988.

All things been equal, he has less than five months to serve. The NNPC has a Board of Directors of which the Minister of Petroleum is the head. The board was constituted on July 17 2012. It was again reconstituted with the same membership last week. From 2012 till now, the board has met only once. Other members of the board are: Abdullahi Bukar, Steve Oronsaye, Professor Olusegun Okunnu, Daniel Wadzani, Bernard Otti and Peter Nmadu.

From 1999 till date, we have had seven Chiefs of Naval Staff. They are: Vice Admiral Victor Kare Ombu (1999-2001), Vice Admiral Samuel Olajide Afolayan 2001-2005); Vice Admiral Ganiyu T.A. Adekeye (2005-2008); Vice Admiral Ishaya lko Ibrahim, 2008-2010; Vice Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim 2010-2012; Vice Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba, 2012-2014 and Vice Admiral Usman Oyibe Jibrin January 2014-till date.

From 1999 till date, we have had eight

Chiefs of Army Staff. They are: Lt. Gen. Victor Malu, May 1999- April 2001; Lt. Gen. Alexander Ogomudia, April 2001- June 2003; Lt. Gen. Martin Luther Agwai June 2003June 2006; Lt. Gen. Owoye Andrew Azazi, June 2006-May 2007; Lt. Gen. Luka Nyeh Yusuf, June 2007- August 2008; Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Bello Dambazau, August 2008- September 2010; Lt. General Onyeabo Azubuike Ihejirika, September 2010-2014 and now Lt. Gen. Kenneth Tobiah Jacob Minimah, January2014 till date.

The post of Chief of Defence of Staff is the highest military officer in the Nigerian armed forces. The position was established for the first time under 1979 Nigerian Constitution with General Julius Alani Ipoola Akinrinade (75) as the first Chief of Defence Staff. Gen. Akinrinade a war hero, is from Yakoyo near Ile-Ife in Osun state.

From 1999 till date we have had seven Chiefs of Defence Staff. They are Admiral Ibrahim Ogohi, 1999-2003; General Alexander Ogomudia, 2003-2006; General Martin Luther Agwai January 2006-May 2007, General Andrew Owoeye Azazi, May 2007-August 2008; Air Marshall Paul Dike, August 2008-September 2010; Air Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, September 2010-October 2012; Admiral Ola Ibrahim October 2012January 16, 2014, and now Air Marshall Alex Sabundu Badeh, January 16, 2014 to date.

From 1999 to date, we have had six Chief Justices of the Federation. They are Muhammed Lawal Uwais 1999-2006, Salihu Modibo Alfa Belgore 2006-2007, Idris Legbo Kutigi 2007-2009, Aloysius Iyorgyer Katsina-Alu 2009-2011, Dahiru Musdapher 2011-2012, Aloma Mariam Muktar 2012 to date.

All these appointments clearly define who really we are.

Human nature, being human, someone who has less than a year to spend in the office, however competent or patriotic he or she could be, will be more concerned or worried about his retirement plans than bringing any tangible inputs into the service, moreso when pensioners in Nigeria are treated like endangered species; neglected and humiliated. A service is not a laboratory where you perform annual experiments with new reforms and with different headships.

The problem is that we don’t allow the system to grow. And a system does not grow overnight. It has to be systematic and gradual. If we don’t allow the system to grow, then we must expect all kinds of corruption, misconduct, irregularities within the system, hence the numerous gigantic and difficult problems that have now plagued us.

I have limited myself to the civilian government and the appointments made from 1999 to date because a civilian government is supposed to get things right.

By limiting the tenure of a service chief or a chief executive to less than two years, we are promoting job insecurity. We are at the same time killing the service.

And of what use is adead service to the growth of a nation.

•Eric, a former Director at the Presidency, stays in Lagos.

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 30, 2014

PHOTOTALK

15

The New National Coordinator Of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Mr Abada Okpiroro, Paid A Courtesy Visit To The State Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, At The Government House, Osogbo, Recently.

•(L-R) Deputy Governor, State of Osun, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and the newly-posted Coordinator, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), State of Osun, Mr Abada Okpiroro during a courtesy visit to the Governor at Government House, Osogbo recently.

State Of Osun Ministry Of Health Organized Ebola Sensitization Workshop For Physicallychallenged In The State, Recently.

•A physically-challenged man from Irewole Local Government Council area, demonstrating how to physically wash hands during the Ebola Disease Sensitisation programme for JONAPWD members in Osogbo recently.

www.osundefender.org

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014 is very hard to take it I T away from Nigerians, who will always want to make a point of conviction, where apparently there is none. The nature of fighting for an unjust course has always justified the stand of some nationals of those economically-viable countries, who seem not to see anything good in us to warrant any scintilla of respect and honour. Over and over again, we have not been able to fault their standpoint because when a jewel is not valued by its owner, nobody can fault the attempt by any other person to trample it under foot.

By ADE OLUGBOTEMI

thoroughly convinced that the threat that moves up to high heaven will eventually exhaust its gradient to come down abased.

Osun Tribunal And Incomplete Witness Evidence For Prosecution

It is necessary to point out certain omissions in what would have been veritable tools in the hands of Governor Aregbesola’s challengers; so that maybe, it will become easier for them to claim the victory they have severally alluded to. This, in a way will also help the tribunal to quickly dispense with the case within the time frame allowed for by electoral law and also allow the state to quickly settle down to the task of continuing fixing the problem arising from past maladministration and neglect.

Party faithful will also be able to face the realities that betide in order to strategize for future elections.

The big question is ‘why has PDP left out this veritable source of evidence in their fact gathering?’ They ought to have just requested that their reports be presented as documentary evidence to prosecute their case. They should in fact produce the foreign observers’ report, so that the verdict can eventually be internationally-adjudged to be fair all parties. We are all familiar with the ways reports are doctored to favour a party of interest. We know how falsification is perfected, so as not to sense any foul play, but with the corroboration of foreign observers’ reports, the assessment can be creditably made.

Whenever an election is challenged at the tribunal, both the prosecutors and the challengers will try all humanly possible to convince the adjudicators that they have ample evidence to establish the veracity of their cases. No effort will be spared to ensure that their grounds of challenge and defence are not faulted. It sometimes takes them to the realm of fallacy and crevice of fables, such that an unsuspecting juror will easily get confused to the end that wrong judgment is awarded. Human limitations and subjectivity thus leave many wilderness of imagination to erroneously ascribe toga of partiality, where there is none.

Witness accounts form veritable tools that opposing parties often exploit to drive home their points. Such accounts can either be coded, i.e. written or oral.

Oral evidence with stamps of authority often carries more weight for circumstantial veracity to be established that oral evidence. That is why litigants work acidulously for the latter to be admitted in evidence, so that the cases of their clients can be made simpler to pursue. We all remember how the police report that the defunct Action Congress (AC) generated a lot of furore during the prolonged case that led to the return of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola as the lawfully-elected governor of what is today known as the State of Osun.

Nobody knew the importance of police report until the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) started fighting tooth and nail to prevent its admittance. The same police report was faulted to have been written in an unprofessional way, but the proof, beyond reasonable doubt, that the report actually emanated from police authority

Reports from all these security agencies ought to have been frontloaded by PDP and her candidate to help the tribunal in her quest to speedily dispense with the case at hand. The DSS is good at adequate reporting, if they really want to live up to their billing and responsibility. The police is also a professional body that knows her onions. The same goes with other observers, both local and international. Their proficiency cannot be faulted if actually they are out to do what they have been detailed to take charge of. It is for the good of all parties, if an unbiased reporting has been made and the reports are produced as scripts of evidence to those who have been charged to adjudicate on the matter.

•GANIYU OLAOLUWA: Osun PDP Chair

put paid to the issue. The strength of the report gave the tribunal and the appellate court inroad to what actually transpired before PDP was erroneously awarded victory instead of AC that actually won the election that produced Aregbesola as the authentically elected governor.

I found it difficult to believe that the August 9, 2014 could be faulted for whatever reason, especially by former Senator Iyiola Omisore, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party that applied all unconventional means to confuse all innocent voters of the State of Osun. Never in the history of our political evolution has a candidate’s quiver been so ruthlessly stocked with fallacies that almost became a continuum, which outstanding attribute is its unbreakable nature. Unfortunately for the mischief makers, all their fallacies have expiry dates. As a fallacy got waned in potency and power, they

quickly called another up for duty, until the quiver got exhausted of its contents.

They thus resorted to verbal abuse and castigation that eventually worked for Aregbesola positively. People became so tired of lies and conjecture, which repudiation caused many to rally support for the Incumbent. The result of that is now history.

PDP’s Federal Government brought almost three quarters of Nigeria’s security apparatus put together to the State of Osun for reasons best known to them. If it was only the Police that flooded Osun, it would have been excused on the altar of critical analysis.

The Directorate of State Service (DSS), the Army, the Civil Defence Corps, Immigration Service etc, all combined with the regular and Mobile Police to cause a dread that Osun people will relive for a long time to come. Like the proverbial eye opener, people in the State of Osun now know, and are

We have seen how witness’ accounts have written in the past and witnesses are called upon to be tutored on things they know nothing about. That is why most of them easily get confused before the Judges, who use their wealth of experience to fish out wrong claims from those who claim to be giving authentic oral evidence. Just like most wellmeaning Nigerians are looking forwards to an era of impartial judgment, Osun Election Tribunal must also spread its dragnets to gather evidence outside the purview of the court premises. The complainants may fail to gather evidence that are germane to fair trial of cases before them; they are also in the best position to explore the benefits of hindsight to help handle cases in accordance with their individual merits and in line with best practice the world over.

Democracy will thrive well when the three arms of government namely; Executive, Legislature, and Judiciary determine to make things work. Nigeria can only develop politically when we all resolve to make things work better than they are now. We are in a situation when nothing seems to be going the right direction, and it is when people know that things cannot be taken for granted and that there is enforceable penalty for taking things for granted that they will be careful and do things rationally the way they are handled in civilized World.

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.