Osun Defender - September 9th 2014, Edition

www.osundefender.org TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 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

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Front Page Comment imperial President utterly clueless, The War Called The Osun though but desperate to add to his conquest in Elections; By Segun Tomori Osun furtherance of his stillPeoples Democratic Party (PDP), outrightly unpopular with barely a few dozens of people trailing him at campaigns however worethe confidence of a Governor-Inwaiting.

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

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

Governorship Election:

APC Calls For Dissolution Of Osun Tribunal - See Story On Page 2

Omisore’s Loss: Five PDP - Pg 2 Chieftains Die Of Shock In Ile-Ife Osun 2014: Why PDP- Pg 9 Won In Ife - Pg 3 Zone Aregbesola’s Victory: - Pg 3 Celebrations Galore In Osun Osun PDP Chair In Trouble Over Mismanagement Of Party Fund

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd left); National Chairman All Progressive Congress (APC), Chief Dr. John Odigie-Oyegun (right); Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole (2nd right) and former governor of Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige during the 75th birthday celebration of Chief John Odigie- Oyegun in Edo State last Friday.

•Party Leaders Collect Signatures To Remove Him

- See Story On Page 3

News

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 9, 2014

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Governorship Election: APC Calls For Dissolution Of Osun Tribunal

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for the immediate dissolution of the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

In a statement issued by reported removal of the the National Publicity Chairman of the Tribunal, Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Justice I.M. Bako, on the Lai Mohammed, on Friday, basis of a petition written by the party asked that a fresh some people. one be constituted, with a “According to the view to engendering the information at our disposal, confidence of the public in the PDP used one of the the work of the tribunal. candidates in the August 9 The party’s position, the gubernatorial election in the statement said, was state to orchestrate the necessitated by the removal of the tribunal

chairman, whom the party (PDP) considered not pliable enough for the achievement of its evil machination,” APC said.

It added: “Therefore, this removal is unacceptable to us, because it suggests that some dark forces are teleguiding the proceedings of the tribunal; a development that is inimical to the fair delivery of justice.

“When we got this information about a week ago, we did not lend it much credence, believing that the

judiciary will not pander to the PDP or any party whatsoever in the execution of its constitutional duties.

But when we read the published report on Friday that the Chairman of the Tribunal has been removed, we were very worried.

“While our confidence in the judiciary remains unshaken, we believe this important arm of government must be shielded from political interference in the interest of justice, and in order for

the citizenry not to lose confidence in it’’.

APC accused the PDP of desperately seeking to barge into the Government House in Osogbo through the back door by engaging in irresponsible manipulation of facts since it lost the election last month.

“The most glaring has been the attempt by the PDP to deceive the public over the reason why INEC suspended two of its staffers over the Osun election. While these men were actually suspended for trying to rig the election in favour of the PDP, the PDP has put out a shameful lie that they were suspended

for manipulating the election result from two local government council areas to favour the APC,” the party said.

APC said that in view of the clear desperation by the rejected candidate of the PDP in the August 9, 2014 polls, all APC members and supporters in particular and the entire people of Osun in general must remain vigilant in order to frustrate the undisguised attempt by the enemies of progress and anti-democratic forces to thwart the will of the people of the state, which they expressed, despite all acts of intimidation and harassment.

Omisore’s Loss: Five PDP Chieftains Die Of Shock In Ile-Ife

By OUR REPORTER

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•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (right) and former Governor of Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige, during the 75th birthday celebration of All Progressive Congress (APC) National Chairman, Chief John Odigie- Oyegun, in Edo State last Friday.

Those Who Hold Negative Views Against Aregbesola ’ll Be Disappointed - Omoworare

By ISMAEEL UTHMAN

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ENATOR Babajide Omoworare, representing OsunEast Senatorial District at the National Assembly, has said that those who hold negative view against Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s second term would be disappointed.

Omoworare said those wonderfully more than what who have the impression he did in his first term. would that Aregbesola would not Aregbesola perform in his second term disappoint those who think would be proved wrong, as that his second term will the governor would not suffer development. I have only perform, but would not seen any governor that deliver beyond the before his election, work expectations of the majority was still going on, up till the eve of the election. in the state.

“Works were going on The senator stated this at the weekend while everywhere in state, not distributing eight minding the election. transformers to some of the Aregbesola is not a communities in the hypocrite; he really meant well for the state and that senatorial district.

The transformers shows he is a serious brought the total number of governor that knows what transformers that have been it takes to build a state.

“The governor just laid distributed across the senatorial district in the foundation in his first term. second quarters of the year The second term is a 2014 to 50, according to singular opportunity to ensure that sincere and Omoworare.

“The proponents of a genuine work that will term are always of the transform Osun in the area opinion that governors will of infrastructure and social of not perform in the second provision term. Anybody that holds amenities is being done.”

Omoworare stated that that view against Governor Rauf Aregbesola would be he has been complimenting disappointed. The governor Aregbesola’s efforts at performed in his first term putting smiles on the faces and he will perform better in of the people, by providing their needs of the people, the second term.

“I make bold to say that cities, towns and villages Aregbesola would perform that fell under the district he

is representing at the National Assembly.

He ascribed the distribution of the transformers to the requests made by some communities, who needed the transformers for better electricity supply.

The senator disclosed that he has sunk boreholes in all the 10 local government council areas that constitute the senatorial district, adding that he has secured gainful employments for over 100 people, aside his empowerment programmes.

O fewer than five chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their apologists have died of shock in Ile-Ife since the loss of the party’s candidate, Iyiola Omisore, in the August 9, 2014 governorship election in the State of Osun.

Sources close to the PDP in result was announced. the ancient town disclosed that “Some families were sobbing some of the chieftains of the and crying aloud, murmuring party who had been assured some words, saying they had that the presidency had already lost so many promised concluded an arrangement to opportunities with Omisore’s wrestle the state from the All loss at the poll,” the source Progressives Congress (APC)- said. led government of Ogbeni Rauf It was also gathered that Aregbesola, developed sudden Omisore had so assured his complications, when the kinsmen and supporters that reverse became the case. his electoral victory was a done It was also learnt that a deal to the extent that they had sizeable number of the PDP are started counting days that he still convalescing in various would occupy the Okefia hospitals in the town, due to Government House in Osogbo. the shock the election result Investigation also revealed engendered. that the PDP supporters had According to further started celebrating the victory investigation, the PDP of the election that was yet to candidate had listed out some be held two weeks before the juicy political appointments to election. be given to some of the A committee saddled with deceased and those who are the responsibility of now recuperating in the distributing already purchased various hospitals. customised uniforms and cows “The result of the election across the state was also up and dashed their hope. It was as if doing. there was a major disaster in A list of the APC chieftains, some homes in Ile-Ife on the members and apologists to be day the governorship election dealt with, with various degrees of punishment was also said to have been drawn.

While some members of the APC had been slated for mere beating with canes, some would into the consciousness of be arrested while others would have been run out of the state.

Nigerians.

The list of some monarchs, “His death brought back to mind in a flurry our last who were considered not to be encounter. Last year I met supportive of Omisore’s him and his professional political goal, is also said to twin brother, Mike have been made up for Awoyinfa. And after subsequent deposition. launch, we had a profound In some villages in Ife and robust discussion District, cash crop farmers, about a new Nigeria of their who were farming on Ife land, dream. but refused to vote for “It is rather unfortunate that Igwe would be lost this Omisore, have been slated for soon. We pray for the outright ejection from their farms. repose of his soul.

It was also gathered that the “On behalf of myself, government and people of next child to the cradle, Osun, we send our heart-felt Modakeke, would have condolences to Igwe’s suffered more with Omisore as immediate and extended Osun governor, as he had made families, management and an arrangement to decimate the staff of The Sun community by revoking Newspaper, Nigeria Union certificates of occupancy of of Journalists (NUJ), the some houses in the heart of the proprietor of the newspaper, former Governor of Abia town under the pretence that State, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu,” he would be citing government projects in the community.

Aregbesola said

Aregbesola Recalls Encounter With Dimgba Igwe, Says ‘Death Is A Tragic Loss’

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OVERNOR of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Sunday expressed shock over the death of one of Nigeria’s most versatile journalists, Dimgba Igwe.

Igwe, Vice Chairman of The Sun Newspaper until his death, was reportedly knocked down Saturday morning while going through his usual morning exercise.

In a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, Aregbesola said Igwe’s death once again robbed the nation’s media family of a doyen.

He described Igwe’s death as a devastating blow to not only the media world but also to the nation as a whole.

Aregbesola, however, averred that Dimgba Igwe’s death has again brought to the front burner the level of insecurity to lives and

property in the country.

He noted that it is unimaginable to think that merely engaging in a harmless venture like regular morning exercise could lead to a tragic death like that of Igwe.

“It is indeed a tragedy of huge proportion not only to have lost this fine journalist and manager of men, but also to have lost him in such needless tragic circumstance.

This once again calls to question the level of insecurity of lives and property in this country.

“Dimgba Igwe, until his death, and with his closest friend, Mike Awoyinfa, brought journalism to another level which brought one of Nigeria’s highest selling newspapers, the Sun

News

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OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Osun PDP Chair In Trouble Over Mismanagement Of Party Fund •Party Leaders Collect Signatures To Remove Him

By KEHINDEAYANTUNJI

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HE fate of the Chairman of the State of Osun chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa, to continue in office as the chairman of the party remained uncertain as at last Sunday over an alleged mismanagement of the party fund before and during the August 9 governorship election in the state.

OSUN DEFENDER government council areas, who gathered that the State were dissatisfied with the Executive Council meeting of manner Olaoluwa has been the party held last week handling the fund, mobilised to Wednesday ended abruptly as challenge the chairman and was a result of the inability of the unable to provide a chairman to explain how the satisfactory explanations. fund of the party was spent It was leant that Olaoluwa, during and after the election. since his assumption of office, A dependable source from had been side-lining members the party said majority of the of his executive but his attitude state working committee to money was condoned for members, including the party what the sources described as chairmen in the 30 local “time and electoral exigency”

to sustain the party unity ahead of the governorship election.

According to the source, some party leaders, who were angry about the situation, have been moving around the 30 local government council areas across the state to collect signatures of the party chairmen, secretaries, youths and women leaders to remove the chairman from office.

Findings indicated that they have appointed those who will coordinate the removal in the three senatorial districts but the source refused to provide the names of those who are spearheading the move.

However, another credible source within the party said those spearheading the move

include the council chairmen, who served with Ola-Oluwa between 2007 to 2010, who felt betrayed and disappointed by the chairman “one-man-show” despite the support they gave him when he was contesting for the position.

He was said to have also ignored and abandoned the 2007 ALGON structure, which is still believed to be the strongest structure in the party.

They had reportedly thrown their weight behind Olaoluwa, with the intent of running the party together as one of them, but he later abandoned them.

Former Chairman, IlesaWest Local Government Council Area of the state,

Ibukun Fadipe, was reportedly spearheading the collection of signatures in Osun East, while Bimbo Oyedele, former Chairman of Boripe, is coordinating Osun Central, while all efforts by the party leaders to halt the removal, according to the source, are being frustrated, as the majority of the state executive committee members insisted on the removal of the chairman.

PDP governorship candidate in the August 9, 2014 governorship election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, Chairman, State Elders’ Forum, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, were also reported to have declined

to intervene on the matter as a result of the previous encounters with the chairman on money-related matters.

Parts of the allegation against Olaoluwa included disbursement of party fund.

The fund that he was unable to account for, according to the source, who pleaded anonymity, was above N500 million.

The grouse also included his failure to distribute the election funds to members of his executives and other party leaders, whose interests were budgeted for the election fund.

When contacted, Olaoluwa did not pick the calls put through his line and did not reply messages sent to seek clarifications on the allegations.

Osun Govt Signs Contract Agreement For Community - Based Road Maintenance

By SOLA JACOBS

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•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (middle); National Vice Chairman (South West Zone), Chief Pius Oluwole Akinyelure (left) and an All Progressives Congress chieftain, Pa Ayo Fasanmi, during the First All Progressives Congress South West Assembly at Premier Hotel Banquet Hall, Mokola Hill, Ibadan, Oyo State, last Thursday.

Aregbesola’s Victory: Celebrations Galore In Osun

By ABOSEDE AKINPELU

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O prove that August 9, 2014 re-election of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as the governor of the State of Osun was the wish of the people, since the re-election, the state has turned to a theatre of celebrations and thanksgivings by individuals and corporate bodies.

At the last count, not less Independent National Electoral than 200 of such celebration Commission (INEC) in the parties had been held across the morning of August 10, state and some neighbouring Aregbesola’s supporters in towns like Ekiti, Ondo, Oyo, several thousands, thronged Ogun, Lagos, Rivers and Okefia Government House to Kwara states. rejoice and solidarise with him, All the ministries and with a request that the parastatals in Osun are also governor must address them. early participants in the The governor, who had celebration of the Aregbesola hardly slept well for days, victory. strategising on how he would Prominent among those who come out in flying colours in have been celebrating the the election, appealed to his victory are the various towns’ elated admirers to head for unions, palaces, professional Nelson Mandela Freedom groups, students of tertiary Park, Osogbo, where he would institutions, pupils of both address them.

His supporters however, primary and secondary schools, political associates, insisted that the governor different homes, private should be in their midst, where companies, the widows, he sat on top of a vehicle, retirees, drivers’ unions, waiving to his additional commercial motorcycle admirers, who trooped out of operators and all other bodies their numerous homes to catch and individuals, who have been a glimpse of their political idol, benefitting from the populist Aregbesola.

The re-elected governor, programmes of Aregbesola’s who thanked his numerous administration.

Churches, mosques, places supporters for their role before of traditional religion and during the election, worshippers, various political promised to serve them better groups within the All during his second term.

Aregbesola said his primary Progressives Congress (APC) are also not left out of the mission was to make Osogbo the Dubai of Nigeria, where so celebrations galore.

Immediately the result of the many infrastructural facilities election was released by the that would improve the lives of the people would be

provided.

Immediately after this, so many instant celebration groups, displaying Aregbesola’s posters and singing victorious songs, emerged in Osogbo, the state capital.

A particular group, which was carrying a mock coffin of Iyiola Omisore, the PDP governorship candidate, who lost to Omisore, was sighted at Isale-Osun area of Osogbo where a Muslim prayer was being administered unto the mock body of Omisore not to rest in peace.

Another group of elated youths were also sighted at the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, dragging a dressed he-goat named ‘Iyiola Omisore’ along some streets in the state capital.

As it was in Osogbo on that Sunday, so it was in all the towns and villages in the state, as the people were rejoicing that their votes counted at last during the governorship election.

There was a case of a beer distributor around Sabo junction in Osogbo, who willingly rolled out a trailerload of assorted beer for the Aregbesola celebration free of charge.

Some food sellers on that Sunday were given out food free, while commercial motorcycle riders and their mini-bus counterparts were not taking fares from commuters, as their own way of contributing to the Aregbesola celebration.

Investigation however,

showed that it was an admixture of feelings in Ile-Ife, where Omisore hails from, as APC supporters and admirers were rejoicing, the PDP members and their apologists were weeping.

One thing however, was unique with the celebrations, according to investigation, they have been without the prompting or involvement of the APC, the governor or the government.

N a bid to ensure the durability of the various rural road projects, which Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration had embarked upon and to pave way for new ones, the state government has constituted Road Maintenance Gangs for the purpose of maintaining the roads to ease transportation of farm produce to markets.

The gangs are made up of While charging them to be youths of between the ages of committed to the task ahead, 18 and 52 and are to be stationed Oriolowo assured the gangs that in their various communities to the assignment would not in any allow for easy maintenance of way affect their legitimate jobs the roads. or businesses, saying that he Signing the contract wanted them to emulate other agreement for the Community maintenance gangs at Aatoo, Based Road Maintenance and Okinni and Ayodeji Farm issuance of certificates in Settlements.

Osogbo, the Permanent In his remark on the occasion, Secretary, Ministry of Water the Permanent Secretary, Resources, Rural Development Ministry of Works and the and Community Affairs, Chairman State Projects Engineer Adelere Oriolowo, Monitoring Committee for explained that lack of Osun Rural Access and Mobility maintenance culture in the Project, Engineer Nurudeen society is a huge barrier to Adeagbo, appreciated Governor development.

Oriolowo, who also doubles Aregbesola for his total as the Project Coordinator for commitment towards the goal the Osun Rural Access and target of RAMP in the state.

He explained that there is a Mobility Project (O’RAMP), stated that the current mutual understanding between administration in the state is on the state government and the course to ensure that all the recruited Road Maintenance various road projects are Gangs before signing the agreement, while charging them adequately maintained.

He promised that the State to take the task as a matter of Government of Osun would do duty, so that the money spent everything possible to on the projects would not appreciate any good Road amount to a waste.

Adeagbo then thanked the Maintenance Gang that performed wonderfully apart Road Maintenance Gangs for from the monthly stipends supporting the re-election of being received, noting that Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for a involvement of ladies among the second term in the justgubernatorial Road Maintenance Gangs is concluded election in the state. paramount.

Osun 2014: Why PDP Won In Ife Zone

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

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HE high number of votes recorded by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ife Zone of the State of Osun during the August 9, 2014 governorship election has been attributed to intimidation, harassment and general disenfranchisement of the people.

The PDP candidate in the as a lot of people were arrested. election, Senator Iyiola He said: “I will not say the Omisore, hails from Ile-Ife and APC lost the election in Ife his party, the PDP won in Ife Zone. We did what we could South, Central, East and North do; we stood up to their antics Local Government Council and we succeeded in reducing areas, consisting Ife Zone. their rigging plans in Ife Zone.

However, the Special “We thank God that we did Adviser to the Governor on not lose anyone in the area Local Government and because they planned to kill Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Bisi and maim and they actually Odewumi, said if people had carried out the plan, but been allowed to exercise their because none of us, who were voting right freely, the APC targeted slept in our houses. would have defeated the PDP Some were pursued into the in the area. bush, but we were lucky to He said people were escape unhurt. intimidated, especially in Ife“Assuming the people were South, where APC agents were allowed to exercise their voting not allowed to stay at their right freely, the APC would respective polling centres, just have won fair and square in Ife

Zone, just as we have witnessed in other parts of the state,” he said.

He also recalled that some leaders and members of APC suffered some levels of harassment from the security agents of the Federal Government before the election, noting that this instilled fears into some people and debarred a certain percentage of them to come out and vote in the area.

In spite of this intimidation, Odewumi noted that Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s performance eventually paid off, as he had a lot of achievements to show to convince the people of the state.

He then commended the people of the state for standing firm and support Aregbesola at the election, saying, the support was a great challenge to do more in terms of development.

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OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 9, 2014

The War Called The Osun Elections; By Segun Tomori Continued frompg1 I just couldn’t imagine my home State go back to the disastrous “years of the locust”.

I had participated actively 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.

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!

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.

When we arrived our abode, we swung into action to put finishing touches to our master-plan which was to run a co-ordinated and effective live broadcast of the elections on social and online media in collaboration with the APC situation room which was to start from Friday evening till the announcement of the results on Sunday. This was necessary because leaking the plans of our devious opponents was key to frustrate their rigging machinery; announcing results online as we get it directly from our agents was also crucial to frustrate any manipulation at the collation level. By Friday afternoon, I had to tactically separate from my friends who then proceeded to a high security location. The curfew was going to start around 5-6pm. By 4pm, I arrived at my own secure location and quickly moved to set up. I surveyed the enviroment to assess the possible threat level. I saw that it was negligible so I settled down for the task ahead.

Co-incidentally, Wednesday, 6th August was my birthday but I was in no mood for celebrations of any kind. I told my well-wishers, family and friends that you don’t clink glasses in a battle-front! Interestingly, one of my compatriots who was also a major ‘battleaxe” 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

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

Stop Worrying About The Oyakhilomes

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have cautiously restrained myself talking about Pastors Chris and Anita Oyakhilome’s marriage.

When a marital relationship crashes, my God, I hurt all over. It’s too much for me to handle.

The truth however is that, marriages do crash, love does fade, things do happen.

Extremist Christians don’t like talking about this unchanging truth, but it is what it is. Those who once said: “I do”, do come back and say: “I am done”.

In the US, it is 50 per cent of the time. You can “reject- that- in-Jesusname” all you want, truth is marriages do crash. It takes God’s grace to keep them standing.

I am not in the Oyakhilomes’ shoes. I don’t even like their shoes; it’s too bling-bling for me! But I hurt for

them; especially for the children, who will now grow up in a divided home. No one begins in a marriage with the hope that it crashes the next day.

That’s what hypocritical critics of the Oyakhilomes fail to understand.

So, Pastor Chris committed adultery, and

Pastor Anita is mad as hell and justifiably so.

When trust is thrusted out of the window in a relationship, everybody finds a new tent. But guess what? It’s their problem, it’s not mine, and it’s not Nigeria’s. That’s why I am not interested in worrying myself about it. I pray there will be a

détente. I pray Chris and Anita go back loving again, and living again, and dreaming again, and preaching from the heart again. That’s my hope and prayers. If they don’t? It neither quickens nor delays the return of Jesus. If they do, we will rejoice and be glad in the day the Lord has made.

I am more concerned about Nigeria now. I am more concerned about those young people like Aminat and millions of them, whose hopes are dying everyday in a country that has what it takes to keep everybody’s hope alive. Home and abroad, money is missing in stacks and stashes.

Home and abroad, our vaults are vanishing in batches. Between August and September 2013, Nigeria’s external reserves dropped by $1.33bn — from $47bn to $45.67bn.

Money is missing, projects are neither completed nor executed, external reserves are on a free-fall, and we are not fighting any external wars! Dollar in the hands of dullards, and Naira in the tight control of the naïve. All we continue to get is a combination of foolishness and sheepishness in government.

I am not going to join in worrying about the Oyakhilomes. None of them is like the Aminats of this world, who can only feed themselves once a week. None of them is.

•FOLA OJO, United States of America.

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 overnight 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

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Giant Strides OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Aregbesola's Mid-Term Assessment Report:

Great Are Your Legacies!

With the elections come and gone; especially with the victor's palm in our hand, it is not too early to start a serial documentary edition on the monumental achievements recorded during the first tenure of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administration in the State of Osun. NIYI OLASINDE devotes the current series of editions to accomplishing that task.

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

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OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Great Are Your Legacies!

•Entrance of the newly-constructed L.A. Elementary School at Obada Area, Ede, State Of Osun, under the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

Contiuned from page 5

I

T has been in the best interest of the incumbent administration and in the ultimate pursuance of the well-being of the citizenry of the State of Osun that our earliest editions of OSUN DEFENDER Magazine for the current year 2014 had beamed their searchlights on what should pre-occupy the minds of the generality of citizenry of the state as touching on the service delivery and policy thrust of government in the State of Osun; a government which had occupied the saddle of governance for slightly almost four years. In the earlier editions of the Magazine segment for earlier years in the wake of the administration, we preoccupied ourselves with what the disposition of the new administration should be in its entire period of time in office. As honestly, transparently, objectively and empirically as possible, our Magazine segment discharged those two separate yet inter-related mandates to the best of its ability and in an unbiased manner. One best way we found apt and appropriate to discharge that onerous mandate was to look intently into what the focus and direction of the administration had been within its short stay in office; and juxtaposing that with the election promises of the helmsman in conjunction with the agenda, programmes and manifestos of the ruling party in the state, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN); now metamorphosed into the All Progressives Congress (APC). These onerous tasks were carried out with a careful analysis and consideration of various thick and shades of sizes of budgetary provisions which the State of Osun had experienced in years past, especially in years that could be considered recent past.

This current year alone, several of our series have been devoted to chronicling and heralding the wonderful activities and achievements of the Government Unusual.

Apparently, our exertions were devoted to promoting the interests and prospects of the administration we hold dear in the Gubernatorial Elections that were then approaching. If that assessment is true, it is all well and good, as there is nothing sinister of criminal in writing to promote any sets of interests or ideology one holds dear – so far they do not run foul of the law. But our intents go beyond that. Now that the elections are over, we still write to documents all that we have seen and heard. If nothing else does, posterity makes it incumbent on us so to do. So we affirm that as far as the State of Osun, Nigeria and the world at large are concerned, the legacies of Ogbeni Aregbesola within the space of his first four years in office are great indeed!

There were series of editions rolled out and devoted to the scrutiny and analysis of these all-important and mind-bugging aspects of the Aregbesola administration; especially as a majority of residents and indigenes was highly expectant of what niche or significant positive difference the administration was set out to offer towards

the overall betterment of lives of the entire citizenry.

Topmost among the series of editions in this category were those dwelling chiefly on projections into what the expectations of the people of the state were, concerning the budget estimate that had been presented to the state Parliament late in the just-concluded year, and which approval and passage into law was pending on the floor of the State House of Assembly as at the time of making the projections into what was expected to be engendered by the ensuing year’s Appropriation Act of the State of Osun. As the years rolled by, subsequent attempts were made, mostly at the overlapping periods between the end of the first quarter and the outset of the second; after the bills had been passed into law by the hallowed chamber, to unravel and demystify the actual contents of the Acts; so as not to keep the people in the dark as pertains to their concrete provisions. These mandates we have successfully pursued and achieved in these past years of the Aregbesola administration; taking especial care in being an unbiased umpire as much and as fair as it is possible.

Due to reasons hinged on rumours making the rounds among anti-government forces in particular, OSIN DEFENDER Magazine had always deemed it necessary time and time again during each respective year to conduct a graphic assessment of the performance of the year’s Appropriation Act / Budget, so as to present to the whole wide world the reality; or better put, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Now, as we approach the end of the first term of the administration. OSUN DEFENDER Magazine deems it fit and most appropriate to run an overall appraisal of the performance of the economy of the state in these past four years. It is the constitutional right of every citizen and resident to be entitled to his personal opinions.

But whatever our opinions are, we should base them on some criteria which form a litmus test for their acceptability. Are our opinions based on the truth? Are they fair to all? Are they substantiated with proven evidences? Do they promise to better the lots of the generality of the people? Well, here are our own findings from a time-tested assessment of the Aregbesola administration. Whether we are right or wrong, the people have spoken recently by polling massively for Governor Aregbesola and his political platform. The superlative helmsman and his political party have won the people’s endorsement for the second term in office, thereby, we are vindicated.

Late in year 2011, precisely on Thursday, December 29, the governor of the State of the Virtuous, the State of Osun, had approached the floor of the state House of Assembly for the presentation of the draft budget for the incoming year, 2012. Bearing in mind that the administration of Ogbeni Aregbesola came on board the governance of the state following the judgment delivered by the courageous judges of the appellate court sitting

at Ibadan, Oyo State, which declared Engineer Rauf Aregbesola of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) as the valid and authentic winner of the Gubernatorial Elections held in the state on April 14 2007; then it would become equally interesting to remember that the budget estimate for the year 2011 must have been on ground prior to the time his (Aregbesola’s) election was upheld on Friday, November 26, 2010. Also noteworthy is the fact that the same monumental judgment which brought Aregbesola to the seat of governance was the same that put paid to the illegal People’s Democratic Party (PDP)led administration. As a matter of fact, ouster of the immediate past administration from office came just as its helmsman was warming up for the official presentation of what would have been his seventh (and his last) budget in office as the Chief Executive of our state before the State House of Assembly. As luck and providence would have it, that arrangement was not to be. However, we have to resist the temptation of forgetting to mention that the 2012 Annual Budget was the first that was fully a wholesome handiwork of the incumbent administration. By implication, the budget estimate, which Aregbesola would be approaching the State House of Assembly with this year-end for passage into law, would be his fourth. The ethics and ethos observed in his budget proposals so far, as well as their manner o presentation, approval, passage and execution mark the administration out as truly people-oriented. The achievements we have so far attest to our claims.

Due to this sudden change in the baton of leadership, governance and administration in the state, lack of congruence in focus, ideology and policy thrust of a new government under the dynamic progressive leadership of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and that of the ousted conservative People’s Democratic Party (PDP) necessitated the review of the 2011 draft budget inherited by the new administration. The reshaping exercise was necessary to enable the ensuing document reflect the vision and programmes of the new administration in the state. Consequent to this necessity to adjust the Budget, the passage of the 2011 Appropriation Bill into law could not sail through before the former State House of Assembly until towards the end of March 2011. It was really a commendable deed by the functionaries of the new administration, top civil servants and other stakeholders in seeing to it that a workable document reflective of the dream, focus and aspiration of the new administration was produced; more so, such that the signing into law of the Appropriation Act by Mr. Governor did not extend beyond April 6, 2011. The maximum cooperation accorded the effort

by Speaker and honourable members of the defunct State House of Assembly is also highly commendable.

For the year 2012 Appropriation Bill and its passage Contiuned on page 7

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 9, 2014

MAGAZINE

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Great Are Your Legacies!

•AREGBESOLA Contiuned from page 6

into law however, the processes and procedures were much faster than they were for the previous year. This was partly due to the fact that the administration of Ogbeni had been well-entrenched; and partly due to the fact that the draft document it had to work with was its handiwork in entirety. In addition, lots of changes had taken place in our political and public terrains; hence in our democratic structure. The 2011 General Elections had further solidified true democracy in our midst such that a new State House of Assembly truly reflective of genuine yearnings and aspiration of the people had emerged. The people also had begun to visualize the administration in vogue in the state as one that was allout to deliver dividends of democracy relevantly at their doorposts. Already, the long list of earliest projects and programmes executed by the administration was giving strong, doubtless indications to this conviction.

By February 20, 2012, the governor of the state was already on hand in the hallowed chambers of the State of Osun House of Assembly to sign the bill presented to the honourable lawmakers previous December into law.

That timing presented a remarkable improvement over events already traced for year 2011; which culminated in the passing of the bill into law in late March; and the Governor assenting it by early April. Casting a retrospective glance back at the events marking the signing the 2012 Appropriation Bills into law, Aregbesola’s comments at the occasion would serve as reminder to the build-up to attaining the recorded feat.

In his speech at the occasion, the governor thanked the lawmakers and all present, describing the events of signing the bill into law as about the most significant event of the year. It was on that note that he premised the solemnity accorded the occasion on its all-important nature. As if in affirmation of our earlier claim in this report, the governor, while recalling the events of year 2011 observed that similar ceremony that year was performed in the month of April. He went ahead to stress that the achievement of getting the document signed in the month of February 2012 was not a destination; as his ultimate desire was that by the beginning of every subsequent year of his administration, the implementation of the year’s appropriation and the following year’s projections must be well underway.

If for mere purpose of clarification, we need to further cast a glance on the opening speech of the governor at the occasion, as he recounted that Budget 2011 was put together by the departing administration, which made it to have little input from the incumbent administration under his leadership. According to him, the budget document as of then was presented to a legislative house that was anything but friendly and which leadership had

•LAOYE-TOMORI

foresworn itself that over his dead body would he (Aregbesola) reclaim his mandate and assume the mantle of leadership in the state. He further clarified that it was in the midst of that uncertainty that the year 2012 appropriation was passed, while he availed the medium to express his profound gratitude to the Almighty God. In his comments on the year 2012 budget, the governor described the document as the people’s budget.

He observed that since there was a presence of a full cabinet; every item was consciously considered in the light of the developmental goals of his team and the demands placed on the team by the people of the state for whom the document, its projects and programmes are meant. This feature, undoubtedly justified the budget as the people’s budget.

As was adduced to in earlier paragraphs of this current edition, Ogbeni Aregbesola referred to the historic occasion of the day as clearly the most significant event of that year. Events unfolding during the year 2012 and subsequent years partly justified that assertion as true; while they also showed it as a statement made in mood of being modest, economical, prudent and judicious.

On the one hand, it was the budget that gave direction to events and activities of government, as well as service-delivery throughout the year. On the other, we had a long catalogue of highly significant events occurring during the year. Readers would agree with me that year 2012 was highly eventful and productive in the annals of purposeful governance in our state. That fact had emboldened us to say that mush events took place in the life of the state which outstripped one single occasion of budget-approval in significance and overall contribution to the lives of the citizens.

By the time the year was ending, a good majority of residents was full of prayers for Governor Aregbesola and his team over the many positive differences they introduced to governance of our state. In the end, we saw and experienced a budget that was really a document of the people; by the people and for the people.

Democracy was visibly seen at work! Government Unusual has been fully at work. So much that we find the governor credible on his promises at the beginning of the year. So much that we would want to hold him credible for the blessings he rained on the state at the commencement of each passing year; the current year inclusive.

If we consider the claims of the governor at the occasion of signing the Budget 2012 into law, it would make it clearer how well he has redeemed his promises to his people. During that occasion, the governor revealed that his administration had, in the budget, concentrated on agriculture, infrastructure and education. According to him, this was informed by the

consideration that these areas required critical intervention for the immediate goals of job creation and capital development to be realizable. Excerpts: “This year’s budget is however the people’s budget.

We have a full cabinet and every item was consciously considered in light of our developmental goals and the demands placed on us by our people.

“We have concentrated on agriculture, infrastructure and education. This is informed by the consideration that these areas require critical intervention for us to be able to achieve our immediate needs of job creation and human capital development.

“The immediate need of our people is job. If people are gainfully employed, all their other problems are easy to solve. In addition, social tension and escalation will be reduced. Criminal activities will abate and we will need to spend less on security and defence. Again when people have jobs, more revenue will accrue to government in terms of taxes, rates and levies. It is therefore a win-win for government and the people” In furtherance of his comments on the focus and priority areas of the 2012 Budget, Aregbesola pin-pointed the commitment accorded agriculture by his administration. He observed that the people of the state are predominantly farmers. In view of this fact, he opined that if the vast resources of the state were appropriately harnessed, the state should be on its right path to wealth and prosperity. Expressing the commitment of his administration to achieving this gigantic feat, Aregbesola vowed to ensure that the State of Osun became the food basket of the South-West region: “Our commitment to agriculture is unwavering. Our people are predominantly farmers. This, if we harness it appropriately, is our path to wealth and prosperity.

We intend to carry this out to the fullest and ensure that we are the food basket of our region. Agriculture is indeed primary to obtaining food security. If we cannot feed ourselves, we are vulnerable to blackmail and machination of our food suppliers. Secondly, it is easier to stimulate the setting up of agro-allied industries, knowing that we have comparative advantage in it.”

The foregoing may appear a historical account, bur it here serves as link with what we have to discuss for subsequent years. Therefore, it is on this same prophetic note that Ogbeni Aregbesola started the year 2013, when he rained prayers on the State of Osun and its people during this year’s edition of the annual New Year interreligious prayers held for civil servants at the beginning of every year. According to the governor, the year 2013 shall be a year of abundant prosperity, wealth, sound health and bumper harvest for the state and its Contiuned on page 10

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 9, 2014

PHOTOTALK

8

75th Birthday Celebration Of All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, In Edo State, Last Friday.

•(R-L) The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief (Dr.) John Odigie- Oyegun and his wife Victoria.

•

•(R-L) Edo State Governor, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole; Governor Aregbesola and former Governor of Anambra State, Senator Chris Ngige.

Final Burial Ceremony Of Mother Of Former Governor Of Oyo State, Senator Rasheed Ladoja, The Late Alhaja Halimat Sadia Ladoja, In Ibadan, Oyo State, Last Thursday.

•(L-R) Governor Rauf Aregbesola; Oyo State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi and former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rasheed Ladoja.

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PHOTOTALK

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 9, 2014

First All Progressives Congress South-West Assembly At Premier Hotel Banquet Hall, Mokola Hill, Ibadan, Oyo State, Last Thursday.

•(R-L) An All Progressives Congress chieftain, Pa Ayo Fasanmi; Governor Rauf Aregbesola; National Vice Chairman (South West Zone), Chief Pius Oluwole Akinyelure and former National Chairman (South West Zone) Alliance for Democracy (AD), Oba Olatunji Hamzat.

•(R-L) Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Chief Akinyelure; Oba Hamzat and the deputy governor, Lagos State, Adejoke Orelope Adefulire.

MAGAZINE

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Great Are Your Legacies!

Contiuned on page 7

people. The experience throughout that year had been encouraging; judging by the volume of projects executed; number of programmes rolled out and significant impact of people-oriented services embarked upon by the Government Unusual of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola.

A

T the wake of the year 2013, there were accusations and apprehension that were misplaced and quite unnecessary from some quarters. Hardly had year 2013 started than the members of the opposition party in the State of Osun, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) started pointing accusing fingers at the State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola over the way in which he forwarded this year’s appropriation bill to the State House of Assembly, which they alleged improper in that the presentation was devoid of noise, fanfare and other formalities which in their myopic beliefs should accompany the presentation of the bill to the state parliament. But the reality is that the governor did eventually make appearance at the hallowed chambers of the State of Osun House of Assembly to make presentation of the year 2013 Proposed Appropriation Bill to the honourable members of the house. This was quite confounding and baffling to detractors.

What the adversaries and detractors of this administration deliberately ignored or skipped to realize is that the business of genuine governance outstrips mere merrymaking and frivolities that amount to nothing. These art and trade were the unprofitable engagements which occupied the entire life and times of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-led administration in office. Like an unrepentant sinner, these displaced outcasts would never learn their lessons. What the people have seen of the Aregbesola administration has justified the resolve with which they opted and voted for change during the 2007 gubernatorial polls in the state. They have done it all over again this year. In corollary, greater dividends will follow.

We make bold to assert that there still exists a segment of the opposition who has today made a reasonable cross-over; having been convinced by the great good works which Ogbeni and his team have spent their little time in office to dispense to the good life and well-being of the generality of the people of the State of Osun.

These people under reference do not comprise the mammoth crowd of former die-hard supporters of the drowned People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who have since the time of change of baton of administration defected into the fold of progressives in the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). This massive defection is still in progress! The said ongoing massive defection is not borne of crave and love for any government in power (AGIP) but borne of genuine conviction based on solid life-transforming achievements and activities of the incumbent administration. The case of the ousted

•Complexes and offices at the Ayegbaju Market.

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is likened to that of the proverbial thief who has stolen so much that the owner of the stolen articles took notice! For an umpteenth of eight years, the peace-loving, enduring and longsuffering people of our state had been robbed, not only of their financial fortunes but their peace, legitimate rights and liberties (their franchise inclusive).

This year alone, we recorded massive defection of dignitaries hitherto considered to be big-wigs of that God-forsaken party. Significantly, two former governors of the state dumped the umbrella for the broom; presumably to join the progressives in the onerous task of sweeping the state clean of the filth and dirt of the past as a means of charting the course for a glorious future.

Today, the people have known better. In spite of protestations by their sworn enemies claiming to be the friends of the people, the people are now better able to separate friends from fiends! Calling oneself Ore Ara Ilu (Friend of the Masses) does not wield a magic wand of its own. The people can now separate the grains from chaffs. We all know today who the genuine friends of the people are.

In all truth and honesty, we submitted in our commemorative package marking the second year anniversary of the Aregbesola administration that it is a government of the people which, in great unquantifiable measure, is favourably disposed to the good life, wellbeing and welfare of the people. The edition then was the mid-term assessment of the Aregbesola administration. If that administration had failed to do the presentation of its annual budget for just one year without noise, fanfare, merry-making, pomp and pageantry, only God knows what fortunes of resources it would be conserving for the state by so doing. More so, the government is working on a non-stop basis!

The likes of PDP administration that we once had here; and which still subsists in less fortunate places would still remain at standstill in periods when the budget for the New Year was awaiting approval and endorsement into Appropriation Act. Even during the year for which a budget has been approved and passed into law, the characteristic lethargy of PDP administration anywhere has the bad fate of dispensing the disastrous legacies of sorrows, woes, affliction and stagnation to its citizens who are turned into victims thereby.

The right people in the political class have responded aptly and accurately to the gaffe of the drowned People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state. The wise counsel they offered to the idlers is that they should approach appropriate courts of competent jurisdiction with their grievances. Not only that, the bunch of flatulent neverdo-wells has been charged to make constructive criticisms; rather than base their criticisms of the administration on baseless rumours and mere assumptions. They were advised to make proper findings on the activities and programmes of the government of the day before going ahead to criticize its laudable efforts at turning the tide of the state and its people around

positively.

Commenting further on the other sectors of priority, Aregbesola observed that infrastructural development is one means of kick-starting the transition of our cities into urban and truly urban areas. This, according to him, would serve the triple purpose of providing jobs, laying the foundation for economic development and creating wealth for the government and the people.

Education, according to the helmsman of the State of Osun, is the long but steady path to greatness. He remarked that the investment being made today is for the future of our people. Accordingly, it takes just nine years, if we are to start from scratch, to provide qualitative basic education; but that by the same token, it takes approximately the same period to destroy it. On a sad and sympathetic note, he lamented that the progressive destruction of education in the State of Osun that could guarantee three per cent pass for secondary school leavers was shameful. He then expressed the determination of his administration to put an end to that sad trend: “By the time we are rounding up our tenure, I am by the grace of God looking forward to 100 per cent pass in all examinations for secondary school leavers in our state. From this generation will arise by the grace of God geniuses, scientists, clergy, entrepreneurs, artists and artistes and world renowned academics. The potentials are already here, it only requires nurturing. This is why we are funding education massively. “ Gladly, the state has started recording that feat today.

Unraveling the impetus of the incumbent administration for a people’s budget, Governor Aregbesola reflected that his team was guided by the highest ideal of governance, the provision of the greatest good to the greatest number. Also, he advanced as cause the team’s determination to impact every citizen, no matter how little – from big businesses, to civil servants, to artisans and peasants.

In addition, the Governor of the State of Osun created the awareness that as the 2012 budget was integrated in principle; so it shall be made in implementation.

According to the governor, it was the directive principle of his administration to sink to the last kobo the entire budget into the economy of the state. Except where it became absolutely necessary, every kobo would henceforth be sunk into the economy of the state. The governor made it clearly known that discussions were on with the state’s strategic partners, contractors and suppliers that the budget of the state must be used to reinflate the state’s economy.

It was also emphasized by the state’s helmsman that from that time onward, the focus of his team would be how to implement the budget 2012 and subsequent ones to the fullest; on the basis of which he solicited 100 per cent implementation, saying that anything short of that would be unacceptable to him. He stated further that if Contiuned on page 11

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 9, 2014

MAGAZINE

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Great Are Your Legacies!

•A recently commisssioned road in Ilesa.

Contiuned from page 10

any money would be returned to the treasury; let it be for reason of prudence and gain in cost and not for under-implementing in quality and quantity.

The 2012 Appropriation Bill which was signed into law in February that year was a balanced budget, sized at One-Hundred and Fifty Billion, One –Hundred and Twenty-Four Million, Seven-Hundred and Three Thousand, Eight-hundred and Eighty Naira (N150, 154,703,880.00). This budget size was against the initial sum presented by the Governor to the State of Osun House of Assembly on December 29, 2011. The initial budget so presented was sized at One-Hundred and Forty-Six Billion, Six-Hundred and Seventy-Four Million, Two-Hundred and Eighty-Three Thousand, OneHundred and Forty Naira (N146, 674,283,140.00).

These two figures presented a difference (an increase) of Three Billion, Four-Hundred and Fifty Million, FourHundred and Twenty Thousand, Seven-Hundred and Forty Naira (N3, 450,420,740.00).

The rationale for the jack-up in 2012 budget which occasioned the N3.4 Billion that was added to the proposed figure by the State Governor before the final passing, as explained by the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Honourable Najeem Salam, was the revelation, upon the close scrutiny of the initial budget that the revenue and the recurrent expenditure of some ministries were under-budgeted. Also, the House incorporated some agencies’ budgets that were not included.

Among the agencies which had their draft estimates adjusted by the House were Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC), the State of Osun House of Assembly, Ministry of Environment and Sanitation, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH-TH) and the Ministry of Health. Also added to the list was the then newly-established agency, the State of Osun Agency for the Control of AIDS (OSACA), which budget was incorporated into the 2012 Appropriation Law. This inclusion, according to Salam was to forestall a situation where the purpose of establishing the agency would be defeated. Also, the jack-up was done to facilitate the funding of specific projects like OYES Tech and Opon Imo. Apart from the monetary aspect of the law, Salam said that the House had placed the Bureau of Computer Services under the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, to further ensure its efficiency. He said that the House clearly understood the policy direction of Governor Aregbesola and assured the people of the state that the budget would fast-track development and boost the economy of the state. Today, the state and its good people are better for all these innovations.

Presenting the breakdown of the discrepancies that constituted the increase in the final budget, as against the old/initial size, the N3.4 Billion difference comprised a Capital Expenditure of Seventy-Nine Billion, FortySeven Million, Seven-Hundred and Eighty Thousand, Five-Hundred and Twenty Naira (N79, 047,780,520.00).

Total Recurrent Expenditure of Seventy-One Billion, Seventy-Six Million, Nine-Hundred and Twenty-Three Thousand, Three-Hundred and Sixty Naira (N71, 076,923,360.00), Overhead Cost of Seventeen Billion, Seven-Hundred and Eleven Million, Three-Hundred and Fifty-Four Thousand, Five-Hundred and Ten Naira (N17,711,354,510.00), Personnel Cost of Twenty-Eight Billion, Three-Hundred and Ninety-Five Million, NineHundred and Five Thousand, Four Hundred and Fifty Naira (N28,395,905,450.00) and Consolidated Revenue Fund Charge (CRFC) of Twenty-Four Billion, NineHundred and Sixty-Nine Million, Five-Hundred and Eighty-One Thousand, Four-Hundred Naira (N24,969,581,400.00).

THE initial size of year 2011 Budget presented to the State House of Assembly through the budget speech of Ogbeni Aregbesola, ably represented by his Deputy Otunba (Mrs.) Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori was EightyEight Billion, One-Hundred and Forty-Three Million, One-Hundred and Thirty-One Thousand, Six-Hundred Naira (N88,143,131,600.00). This figure was said to witness various adjustments made after the presentation of the budget speech on the floor of the State of Osun House of Assembly. Therefore, the size of 2011 Budget as approved by the hallowed Parliament of yesteryears, and assented to by the Governor was One-Hundred and Two Billion, Eight-Hundred and Sixty-Four Million, Six-Hundred and Thirty-Three Thousand, ThreeHundred and Sixty Naira (N102,864,633,360.00). As would be expected, the main policy thrust of the 2011 Budget; and that of the entire Aregbesola administration at that; focused on the economic transformation of the State of Osun, through the effective and efficient implementation of the Six-Point Integral Action Plan of the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola.

The tenets of the Six-Point Integral Action Plan include the following: (i) To Banish Poverty; (ii) To Banish Hunger; (iii) To Banish Unemployment (Create Work/ Wealth); (iv) To Ensure Healthy Living; (v) To Promote Functional Education; and (vi) To Enhance Communal Peace and Progress.

The 2012 Budget of the State of Osun was a balanced budget which was initially sized at around One-Hundred and Forty-Six Billion Naira (N146 Billion) pending the approval of the State Parliament. After the consideration of the draft budget by the State House of Assembly, an

increment of about N3.4 Billion Naira was made to it as explained above to make the total balanced budget of the size of One-Hundred and Fifty Billion, One-Hundred and Fifty-Four Million, Seven-Hundred and Three Thousand, Eight-Hundred and Eighty Naira (N150,124,703,880.00). Precisely speaking, the exact difference, which constitutes the jack-up in the budget, was Three Billion, Four-Hundred and Fifty-Nine Million, Four-Hundred and Twenty Thousand, Seven-Hundred and Forty Naira (N3, 459,420,740.00). It becomes crucial at this juncture to note that Budget 2010 which preceded it and which was tagged: “Budget of Consolidation and Development”, sized at One-hundred and Fourteen Billion, Four-Hundred and Eighty-Nine Million, Seven-Hundred and Fifty Thousand, ThreeHundred and Twenty-Four Naira (N114,489,750,324.00); the 2009 budget, also a balanced budget, which was tagged: “Budget of Sustainable Transformational Development” was of the size Ninety-Eight Billion, Ninety-Three Million, NineHundred and Forty Thousand, Seven-Hundred and Eighty Naira (N98,093,940,780.00). In our assessment of performances of successive years’ budgets vis-à-vis the performance of the economy at the time, OSUN DEFENDER Magazine did observe on a sad note how the budget sizes, alongside supplementary budgets did escalate without corresponding improvement in the living conditions of the people. For instance, the 2003 budget, which the Oyinlola administration inherited from the Chief Bisi Akande-led administration, was a balanced budget which size was only Fourteen Billion, Five-Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, One-Hundred and Forty-Five Thousand, Two-Hundred and Fifty Naira (N14, 534,145,250.00). The rate at which budget sizes for successive years had escalated all through the Oyinlola years sky-rocketed had sent waves of jitters down the spines of objective analysts in the years which that administration lasted. Today, we remain living testifiers to the fact that little or no meaningful achievements were recorded by that ousted administration in spite of incessantly hiked budgetary allocations. It was a government of waste, rot, subterfuge and profligacy.

The review of the 2010 Budget, which was the last in the series of budgets planned and executed by the Oyinlola administration showed that apart from the virements carried out with the approval of the State House of Assembly, there was no supplementary budget in 2010 unlike in the previous years. Observations further revealed that the various budget implementation mechanisms of government were effectively utilized in ensuring the implementation of the budget. In addition, the performance of the budget was reportedly assessed on quarterly basis by the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Budget. It was brought to the fore that the Contiuned on page 12

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 9, 2014

MAGAZINE

12

Great Are Your Legacies!

Contiuned from page 11

fourth and the final Progress Report on the implementation of the 2010 Budget showed that the Total Revenue which accrued to the Government from all sources was Sixty-Four Billion, Eight-Hundred and Fifty-Nine Million, Five-Hundred and Ninety- Two Thousand, Three-Hundred and Fifty- Six Naira, ThirtySeven Kobo (N64,859,592,356.37), while the Total Capital Expenditure was Fifty-Seven Billion, FourHundred and Thirteen Million, Six-Hundred and Ten Thousand and Four- Hundred and Twenty Naira, FortyEight kobo (N57,413,610,420.48). These figures were said to be pre-audited figures which must have changed slightly as at the time the Final Accounts of Government for that year were prepared and audited.

On the whole, OSUN DEFENDER Magazine’s position is that in the whole of Prince Oyinlola’s seven and a half years in office, the indices of underdevelopment, backwardness, poverty, sloth and squalor on ground do not in any way justify the committance of such huge budget provisions to the various sectors of life in the State of Osun. The glaring fact is that a conservative party of the deepest dye, which the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) represented, had no programmes, projects of policies which could effect a positive turnaround in the lives of the people. In other words instead of spending resources to better the lots of the people, huge amounts of financial resources of the state were siphoned, diverted to private coffers and the people were, in effect, left reeling and wallowing in the abyss of hunger, starvation and poverty. Before the take-over of the Aregbesola administration, poverty, sloth and wretchedness had bitten so hard into the lives of the people that any possibility of rescue appeared bleak, especially to the teeming pessimists. In addition to this, poverty of the mind was mounting. The whole atmosphere was charged with tension, morbid fear, insecurity, uncertainty and socio-economic woes. Thank goodness that our rescue came in the fullness of time.

We shall hence shift focus to aspects of the 2011 Budget which offer proof to our claims. These aspects are here re-emphasized since they have all along formed basis and principles for preparation and implementation of budgets in the State of Osun; and are the guiding principles adopted by the incumbent administration in its entire fiscal operations.

The detailed analysis of the various components of the 2011 Budget shall now seize our attention. This shall be done vis-à-vis the revenue profile for 2010 and the implementation of mechanisms approved by the Government for the successful implementation of the approved budget.

The total actual revenue of Government for 2010 was Sixty-Four Billion, Eight-Hundred and Forty-Nine Million, Two-Hundred and Ninety-Two Thousand, Three-Hundred and Fifty-Six Naira, Thirty-Seven kobo (N64, 849,292,356.37). The revenue projection for the 2011 was, therefore, higher than the 2010 actual revenue

•Another section of stalls within the Ayegbaju Market.

by a sum of Thirty-Eight Billion, Five Million, ThreeHundred and Forty-One Thousand, Three Naira, SixtyThree kobo (N38,005,341,003.63) representing 58.59 per cent increase. This shows the incumbent administration’s awareness of the low InternallyGenerated Revenue (IGR) base of the state which accounts for undue dependence on allocations from the Federation Accounts. The new administration, given this trend of events appears determined and ready to take the bulls by the horns so as to ensure enhanced Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) for the state. It became glaringly revealed, therefore that as a gigantic step toward achieving this feat, the State Government had approved the appointment of a Tax Consultant, by name, Messrs Infiniti Segment. Justifying this choice, it was argued that the tax consultant had proven track record of efficient performance in the area of InternallyGenerated Revenue (IGR). Also, it was uncovered that as part of its strategy, the current administration was also determined to reposition the Internal Revenue Service of the State towards greater efficiency through the recruitment of qualified personnel and provision of all necessary logistics that will enhance its performance.

Efforts would equally be made to reduce leakages in the tax collection and administration processes through the implementation of electronic revenue collection system.

This, it was revealed had started to be addressed by the Infiniti Segment. As revealed by the analysis, the target of the State Government was to raise the monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) collection to at least N1 Billion before the end of the 2011 fiscal year. This feat has already been realized.

To enhance and facilitate the achievement of the above-stated enviable and lofty feat, the following Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) policies were approved by the Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola early in the year. They are till date policies driving the Internally-Generated Revenue direction of the administration: (i) Agencies of Government are expected to double their efforts and be aggressive in their Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) efforts in the 2011 fiscal year so as to surpass their targets; (ii) All agencies should be proactive in revenue generation by ensuring that their current revenue base is widened (iii) All revenue collected should be paid into the General Revenue Accounts, using the appropriate Heads and Sub-Heads of revenue while the Treasury Receipts of such payments should accompany returns to the Office of the Accountant-General. It is illegal to keep Government revenue in private purse or unauthorized Departmental Account; (iv) Collection of revenues should not be left alone with the Field Officers, the appropriate Head of Departments must be personally involved in revenue mobilization, collection and rendition; (v) Returns of revenue collection must be made

monthly by all Agencies of Government to the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning and Budget and the Office of the Accountant-General, failure in that regard will attract sanction; (vi) The release of funds for the execution of programmes and projects would, in relevant cases, be tied to the revenue performance of Agencies of Government; (vii) All agencies of Government should involve internal strategies to ensure greater efficiency, probity and accountability in their revenue collection and rendition; (viii) Top career and political functionaries shall be specifically held liable for any lapse in revenue collection and rendition; (ix) All agencies of Government should give greater attention to Revenue Collection than to Expenditure since no expenditure dreams can be actualized without adequate revenue backing; (x) All agencies of Government awarding contracts must ensure that all relevant, charges, levies and other expenses are staturtorily required to be borne by the constructors are not loaded in the cost of the project to be paid by Government. Taxes, levies and other charges should not be included in the cost of projects which should have been determined by necessary economic considerations. While Agencies of Government are expected to make budgetary provisions for 5 per cent VAT charges on the contracts fees as in the case for all goods and services consumed by the Government, withholding tax charges, development levy and legal fees are to be deducted from the fees payable to the contractors; (xi) Legal fees payable at the time of execution of a Contract Agreement or deductible at source at the stage of payment shall continue to be paid by all contractors/suppliers; (xii) The payment of Water Development levy is mandatory for all taxable adults in the state, whether in the public or private sector; (xiii) All contractors handling projects worth N100,000.00 and above shall continue to pay 5 per cent Development Levy to Government; (xiv) Tender fees shall continue to be paid to the client Agency in respect of all categories of contracts in accordance with the existing regulations; (xv) Government shall give incentives to Revenue Collectors who exceed the set targets in other to motivate them with greater performance while sanctions (e.g. withholding of running costs) will be introduced for non-performance. The appropriate incentives will however be determined at the material time; (xvi) All Revenue Collectors and Account Officers must be conversant with the provisions contained in Chapters 6-12 of the State of Osun Financial Regulations. This is necessary in order to ensure that they do not run foul of any regulation.

To be continued.

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OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 9, 2014

FEATURE

The War Called The Osun Elections W EEKS before the August 9, 2014 gu bernatorial election, which was won by the pragmatic Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of the the All Progressives Congress (APC), it was obvious we were up against forces other than the people of the State of Osun, which naturally should be the determinant of how the election would swing. The APC, still smarting from its shocking defeat in the previous Ekiti election, had literarily sworn it will lose Osun over its dead body. The murderous villain fielded by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), outrightly unpopular with barely a few dozens of people trailing him at campaigns, however wore the confidence of a Governor-in-Waiting. He they didn’t care a hoot about the people’s wish.

All that mattered was the full compliment of the paraphernalia of state activated by an 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 election in Nigeria, as I was with the Osun election. Maybe June 12, 1993 presidential election, presumed to have been won by my President, M.K.O Abiola, could be an exception. It wasn’t because I had affinity with anyone in Ogbeni Aregbesola’s government or because I enjoyed any form of patronage, but because 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 State of Osun capital on Monday preceding the election, 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 been deployed across all the nooks and crannies of the 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 Osogbo, 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 environment 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 should anything go against the people’s will. Hopefully, the soldiers we met at 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, which capacity can’t be more than 60,000 almost caved in due to pressure from an unprecedented mammoth crowd. Every space on the covered stands were over-filled, the main bowl of the stadium was virtually unpassable. My associates and I had to hold ourselves to navigate our way through the crowd. It took us about an hour from the entrance of the stadium to find somewhere to perch! Yet, thousands more extend to adjoining roads outside the stadium. It was the APC mega-rally and to say it was awesomely mega is an understatement! We even heard that the Lord of Aso-rock caught an in-

•AREGBESOLA

By SEGUN TOMORI stant migraine seeing the magnitude of the rally!

The effect of that was seen in the sealing off of the freedom park that was supposed to host workers rally the next day by “hooded soldiers” They got the now familiar, albeit emergency “orders from above” to forcefully, if need be, halt the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliates’ endorsement rally for the Ogbeni.

Co-incidentally, Wednesday, 6th August was my birthday, but I was in no mood for celebrations of any kind. I told my well-wishers, family and friends that you don’t clink glasses in a battle-front! Interestingly, one of my compatriots, who was also a major ‘battle-axe” and good friend’s birthday was 8th August. so I told him we’ll do a birthday plus victory party on the 10th, a day after the elections, when we triumph at the polls. We know we had the people behind us, we never gave defeat a thought! By Thursday, preparations had reached feverish pitch, the towns, hamlets and villages were 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 masterplan, 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 4.00pm, I arrived at my own secure location and quickly moved to set up. I surveyed the environment to assess the possible threat level. I saw that it was negligible, so I settled down for the task ahead.

By Friday evening, we got intelligence report that notorious election rigger, Chris Uba was in town with a unit of 50 soldiers attached to him.

•OMISORE 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, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Attorney-general Of State of Osun, Barrister Wale Afolabi, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on media, Mr Sunday Aare, Commissioner for Agriculture 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 first civilian governor of the 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 whiskers 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 nocturnal 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 patriotic police officer around 8.00pm, who claimed he was at a location in 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 corruptionridden Nigeria Police Force. In order to confirm the authenticity of his statement, I asked the Apapa Local Government Council Area 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.

Before 11.00pm, 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 Asorock 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 was to announce the final result was under pressure to collect a whooping N1 billion and announce Omisore as the 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 5.00am. Then we now witnessed dilly-dallying of the highest order. It got to a point around 7.00am, 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 all the nooks and crannies of Osogbo. 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.

FEATURE

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 9, 2014

14

An Epoch Is About To Close Rear Admiral Alabi Muhhamed Lawal (rtd.) (1946-2006) was appointed Military Administrator of Ogun State and served between December 1987 till August 1990. He was elected governor Kwara State and served from May 1999 to May 2003. He died in London on November 6, 2006

fear entertained in 1999 was T HE that the military, having been in power for the last 29 out of the 33 years, would still continue to imperially dominate the political setting in the postmilitary era, which is supposed to be a full civilian government.

The dread was further reinforced and fortified with the election of General Matthew Aremu Olusegun Okikiolu Obasanjo, a former war hero, as President, coupled with the imposition of the 1999 Constitution; a corrigenda full of errors and imperfections, without plebiscite or referendum.

Major General Jonathan Babatunde Ogbeha (rtd.) (67) was the pioneer Military Governor of Akwa Ibom State from September 1987 to July 30, 1988.

He later became the Military Governor of old Bendel State between 1988 to 1990. He was elected Senator, Kogi West, between 1999 and 2007.

Now 15 years after, that fear, seem to be vanishing and disappearing fast. As a matter of fact, gradually, the military seems not to be executors and projectors of our political destiny. Civilians are pushing them to be mere onlookers and bystanders. A passage in our body politics is about to close. It is either the military do not understand anything about party politics or the civilians have outsmarted them.

Brigadier General Olagunsoye Oyinlola (rtd.) (63) was appointed the Military Governor of Lagos State between December 1993 to August 1996. He was elected governor of Osun State in 2007 and served till 2010, when the Court of Appeal nullified his election on November 26, 2010.

Major General John Nanzip Shagaya (rtd.) (71) was the former Minister of Internal Affairs. He was a member of Armed Forces Ruling from 1985 to 1989 before he became the ECOMOG Field Commander and handed over to Major General Tunji Olurin (rtd) in September 1993. He was elected Senator, Plateau North, in May 2007 and served till 2011.

With the impeachment of Admiral Murtala Hamman Yero Nyako (rtd.) (72) as governor of Adamawa State on July 15, as we have only five on the political scene. I mean elected not appointed, for we still have former military Generals around, on appointment.

They are Major General Muhammadu Magoro (rtd.) (73) representing Kebbi South Constituency in the Senate, Major General David Alachenu Bonaventure Mark (rtd.) (66), the current Senate President, an Idoma Christian representing Benue South in the Senate, who incidentally was born in Zungeru in Niger State, Commodore (rtd.) David Jonah Jang (71),Governor of Plateau State, Rear admiral (rtd.) Gboribiogha John Jonah (60), Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State and Major General (rtd.)

Muhammed Saleh (59) representing Kaduna Central in the Senate.

Commodore Jang was Military Governor of Benue between1985-1986 and Gongola State (now Adamawa State) between 1986-1987. He is serving a second term as governor of Plateau State.

Major General David Mark was Chairman of Abandoned Properties Implementation Committee for the former Eastern Region now made up of nine states after the civil war in 1969, member of the Armed Forces Ruling Council, 1986-1989, Military Governor of Niger State between 1984-1986 and Minister of Communication from 1987-1990. He has been representing Benue South Senatorial zone for the past 15 years. He was elected Senate President of June 6, 2007.

Admiral Jonah, Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, a Naval Engineer from Nembewho, was elected along with Governor Henry Seriake Dickson on February 14, 2011.

General Magoro (NA435) entered our national consciousness in May 1985 as Minister of Internal Affairs, when he announced the expulsion of many West Africans including Ghanaians from Nigeria under Major General Muhammadu Buhari regime. Over a million foreign nationals were affected by the expulsion. In 1971, President Kofi Abrefu Busia (1930-78) of Ghana drove out over one million Nigerians, mostly Yorubas, from Ghana, due to the economy downturn in that country. Now that the economy of Ghana is down, we should not be surprised if President John Dramani Mahama (56) follows Busia’s example. General Magoro had earlier served as Minister for Transport under the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo in 1978 but was not a member of the Supreme Military Council, then unlike his classmate, General Ibrahim Babamosi

Major General Abubakar Tanko Ayuba (rtd.) (68) Served as Minister of Communications between 1985 and 1987 after which he became the Military Governor of Kaduna State between August 1990 and January 1992. He was elected Senator, Kebbi South, between 2007 and 2011.

Squadron Leader Diepreye Solomon Peter Alamieyesigha (62) was elected governor of Bayelsa State in May1999 and served till December 2005 before he was impeached.

•OBASANJO

By ERIC TENIOLA

Babangida (73).

After the overthrow of Major General Buhari’s government on August 27, 1985

by General Babangida, General Magoro retired voluntarily from the Army. He was later appointed the head of the Nigerian Railways and the Nigerian Ports Authority. He later became the Chairman of Ocean and Oil Servicing Limited and the Chairman of Oando Group in 2000, a Petroleum Marketing Company created through Privatisation of Unipetrol Nigeria Pl., in which Ocean and Oil Services bought a major share.

Tragedy struck him on March 24, 1999, when his best friend, who was the Iron Surgeon of the Major General Buhari’s era and Military Governor of Borno State in 1978, Major General Babatunde Abdulbaki Idiagbon (rtd.)

(1943-1999) died suddenly in Ilorin after travelling from Abuja. Till today, he is still mourning that tragedy.

By calculation, he may not come back as second term senator for personal reasons.

Admiral Murtala Nyako was the pioneer governor of Niger State, when it was created from Sokoto State by General Murtala Muhammed in 1976. He served in that post until he handed over to Rear Admiral (rtd.) Ebitu Okoh Ukiwe (74), who is from Abriba in Imo state, in December 1977.

After leaving the military, he ventured into cattle and agricultural business, just like his father, Alhaji Hamman-Yero and his mother Hajia Maryam Daso. He later

became the President of the Horticultural Crops Growers Association of Nigeria, the Practicing Farmers Association of Nigeria and the Apex Farmers Association of Nigeria. His farm, Sebore (EPZ) Farm was the largest in the country and also owns the largest mango farm in the country transporting most of his products to Europe. In short, he was a successful farmer. And so he was elected in April 2007 as governor of Adamawa State. He was impeached in July. Admiral MurtalaNyako is not alone. At 72 regrettably, he is in exile. He may likely face treason charges for the satanic letter he wrote to the President on April 16 this year if he returns from exile.

Military officers elected between 1999, but who have lost out include, Lt. Col. (rtd.) Joseph Iorshnghar Akaagerger (58), Military Governor of Katsina State between August 1988 to May 1989. He represented Benue North in the Senate between 2003 and 2007. In the 2011 election, having joined the AD, Action for Democracy, he was defeated by Chief Barnabas Andyar Iyorchia Germade (66) by 229,682 to 143,978 votes.

Major General Muhammed Chris Alli (rtd.) was Military Governor of Plateau State and was Chief of Staff of Nigeria Army from 1993-1994. President Obasanjo appointed him Administrator of Plateau State and served between May 18 2004 and November 18 2004.

Major General Olatunji Idowu Ishola Olurin (rtd.)(69) was Military Governor of Old Oyo State between September 1985 to July 1988. President Obasanjo appointed him Administrator of Ekiti State between October 19, 2006 and April 27, 2007.

General Olusegun Obasanjo was elected President from May 1999 and served in that post till May 2007. On April 2, 2012, out of frustration, he resigned as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ruling PDP. He was gallant abroad but in Nigeria his long years in the service of the nation and his party are hardly mentioned these days. General Olusegun Obasanjo has been turned to a nonpersona grata, unacknowledged by the government that he made.

Please don’t count out the Generals yet, as we all know Generals are fighters and a fighter knows many ways. He who fights and runs away, live to fight another day. We may not see the last duel of the Generals yet in the political scene.

Past experience has taught us all never to underestimate the power and influence of the military and their espirit de-corps.

No doubt, a passage is unfolding in our political system. Either it is for good or bad, only time will tell.

For years now, our vocation was to blame most of our problems on the military. Now the civilians are gradually taking complete control of the political system. If the adventure fails, the civilian political class will have no other body to blame except of course themselves. The nation will not forgive or forget them.

We can see developments taking place in other parts of the world. Why should Nigeria be an exception?

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

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 9, 2014

15

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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2014 W E have made a lot of efforts over the years, to ensure that birds of the same plumage flock together in the political circle; quite unfortunately however, the same story of strange bed fellows is repeatedly told. It may not be new to some of us that political parties often categorize themselves as belonging to either the progressives, or the conservatives. Over the years however, the membrane is hardly noticeable between the two. The case is made worse by indiscriminate cross-carpeting from the political class.

It is on this basis that people are calling for clear-cut ideological leanings that will allow for definitive privilege that will open alternatives that people can consider, before a decision to veer into politics is made.

We can see people in political parties like the All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), Action Alliance (AA), and a host of other political parties, referring to themselves as the progressives, and those in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) being referred to as the conservatives; although this does not go down well with them. Whatever the case however, those in PDP have a clear understanding that they are a special breed, either by action or inclination.

Evidently, we find it difficult to agree with any of the claims, because the disgruntled members of one bloc easily decamp to the other without restraint. An example was the recent action by Ondo State governor, who sought for soft landing in the Labour Party, but is now back in PDP, where he originally felt marginalized.

With the recent defection of two chieftains of APC viz: Chief Tom Ikimi and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, it now becomes urgently imperative than before that serious restructuring exercise be carried out, so that people of like minds will work together as political associates, with little propensity to defect based on personal ambition. The party must be able to chart a formidable course for ideological ideals capable of challenging other political parties with their muddled ideological toga. Like it happened during the time of Azikwe and Awolowo, nobody being referred to as chieftain with find any other party homely because their ethos will spot them out.

I once pointed out in this column when APC was birthed in what I captioned: ‘APC And Ideological Enigma’ thus: “It is now of utmost importance that ideological boundary becomes wellpronounced. People must be able to know the difference between the leftists and the rightists. Well mapped-out agenda must separate the two. It is not enough for people to just come together for the sake of wrestling power from the behemoths that have permanently planted themselves on our political landscape, as if it is their exclusive right to remain in power. Incidentally, they have occupied the national life for a reasonable period of time, when a meaningful assessment can be made. We have witnessed promises made unfulfilled; we have seen projects initiated, sordidly done and commissioned without the clout to stand the test of time, and we have heard of

By ADE OLUGBOTEMI

supernatural breed that have a kind of discernment ability different from what the rest of us have.

Year 2015, APC’s Burden Of Expectations “With the recent defection of two chieftains of APC viz: Chief Tom Ikimi and Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, it now becomes urgently imperative than before that serious restructuring exercise be carried out, so that people of like minds will work together as political associates, with little propensity to defect based on personal ambition. The party must be able to chart a formidable course for ideological ideals capable of challenging other political parties with their muddled ideological toga. Like it happened during the time of Azikwe and Awolowo, nobody being referred to as chieftain with find any other party homely because their ethos will spot them out.” white elephant projects, budgeted and provided for, that only exist upon completion within the purview of executors’ imagination.

People cannot expect anything new again because there is actually nothing more to showcase by the ruling PDP. That is why Nigerians will be eager to see the emergence of a new power bloc.

Such emergence must be capable of heralding better and more assuring ways of doing things; whereby hopes will no longer have permanent home in oblivion; and expectation, a residence in mirage.

Confidence must become kinetic in the arena of promises made, and promises fulfilled. A situation when promises made by leaders are equated to steal-born children in the closet can no longer generate confidence that leaders need from their followers.

Junketing around the world has only left Nigerians worse-off. Investment generation that countless trips around the globe were meant to influence has remained on leaders’ lips and the pages of newspapers; because they have not translated to economic edifices that can

absorb millions of school leavers from our tertiary institutions across the country. Such trips have only succeeded in generating foreign exchange earnings for those countries, who understand our leaders’ crave for ostentation and profligacy. They may be quick to take their guests round their heritage, but the venture ends there; because they will never be favourably disposed to any technological transfer that is capable of reducing the capital inflow to their countries.

Any party that wants to form government now, and enjoy the confidence of the masses must be innovative enough to generate opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths, who are walking about in hopelessness, and with minds in squalid state. Road map to greatness must be generated; such that policies and programmes will be dispensed with in a manner that is clear to sound minds. We cannot continue to grope in the dark about activities of government, as if government is a deity that should not be understood by mere mortals. This has often put our leaders on pedestals that portray them as

We need not get carried away by the enthusiasm that the politicians, who are coming together to form All Progressives Congress are showing, because some of them may turn cosmetic at the end of the day—they may rush out the way they are rushing in now.

When people have a clear understanding of what they are getting involved in, and they have clear convictions that it is in line with their fundamental belief, let any tempest come, they will stand like Imesi Rock, because those who know their onions will be ready to stake their all in what they believe in.

The allies in the emerging Mega Party, who are making waves in the western and eastern parts of the country may have convinced some of us about what to expect when eventually they send the Hawks in Aso Rock packing. This is not enough to repose so much confidence in the strangers that are joining in. Terms of reference that clearly spell the basis for the bond must be well-understood by, and acceptable to them. Nigeria of today needs those who are united in spirit and mind; with the clear knowledge of, and agreement with the bond contents that exemplify their operations.

Everything that may likely cause strained relationship must be identified and nipped in the bud, now that the party is aiming to conquer the centre. Nigerians are keenly watching to see whether things will be done differently or not. The ruling-PDP is known for persistent internal wranglings that is doused only when the time for electioneering is around the corner. That is evidence that PDP has nothing in the kitty for ordinary Nigerians, who are generally yoked in acute maladministration that has become the hallmark of their strange leadership style.”

This is the time for decisive action, that Nigerians everywhere in the world will be able to say that a party has emerged that is readily able to give direction to the political calculations that hitherto have remained incongruous. This will give ample chance to people of high intelligence quotients to decipher and chose between the party of genuine progressives and those that are peopled by mere jokers in political cloaks, whose stock in trade is just to manoeuvre innocent Nigerians for mere selfish political gains.

Our resilience has sustained us this far.

We may become totally dismembered however, unless something urgent is done to salvage the situation. What is emerging in the horizon now to assuage our battered psyches is the assurance that something positive will come with the birth of APC. Victory in 2015 general elections is one thing; the thinking now must transcend this, because what we have now is a party that has ‘won’ in so many elections, but has made the country miserable for Nigerians. We now need a party that will win at polls and make people’s joy to be full because of maximum benefits they will derive from government.

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.