Osun - Defender 1st January, 2015 Edition by OsunDefender

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Thursday, january 1, 2015

Quote “Look at what we did in Osun State. In Osun, we had the best election conducted so far; the best election we have conducted so far as a commission since 2011.” • Quote from Professor Attahiru Jega’s interview in The Guardian of Wed. Oct. 29 (2nd part of a series that •Jega started on the 28th).

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VOL. 10. NO.01

Front Page Comment

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Fayose: South-West’s Untameable Monster? 2006 experience in

Nearly two months after being sworn in – for the second time – as 11th governor of Ekiti State, it is perhaps now safe to aver that Governor Ayodele Fayose has leant nothing and forgotten nothing from his

that exalted office. Every day, every second spent since he was sworn in merely gives flesh to the saying that a leopard – try as it might – could never change its colours.

Months before the election that brought him into the office, the good people of Ekiti could have sworn that the man, who once claimed to revel in the company of rough-necks,

Continued on pg5

Fresh Primary Confirms Omoworare As Senatorial Candidate - See Story On Page 2

•Omoworare - 2,193 Votes; Lawal - 49 Votes •2,305 Delegates Voted

Conduct Free, Fair, Credi ble Elections - Pg 3

- Pg 2 •Aregbesola Charges INEC During REC’s Farewell Visit

Group Vows To Resist Any Attempt To Rig The Niger Delta Votes In Favour Of GEJ - Pg 4

•(R-L) Justice Abiodun Adefulire; State of Osun governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; National Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Nigeria, Alhaji Lai Muhammed and the Deputy Governor, Lagos State, Mrs Orelope Adefulire during the eighth day fidau for Prince Jimoh Akanbi Kareem-Laka Orelope, in Lagos recently.

Osun APC Accuses Obanikoro Of Contempt Of Court

- See Story On Page 3

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Osun Defender Thursday, January 1, 2015

Fresh Primary Confirms Omoworare As Senatorial Candi•Omoworare - 2,193 Votes; Lawal - 49 Votes •2,305 Delegates Voted

By kazeem mohammed he Senator representing Osun East Senatorial District of the State of Osun, Senator Babajide Omoworare, has again won the ticket of All Progressives Congress (APC) to vie for second term. He emerged through a was manipulated. rerun primary election held It was the controversies in Ijebu-Jesa, Oriade Local surrounding the earlier Government Council Area exercise that prompted of the State on Tuesday Lawal to petition the with 2,193 votes to defeat his only co-aspirant, Mr N a t i o n a l A s s e m b l y Sola Lawal, who polled 49 Election Appeal Committee votes in the election that in Abuja for redress. T h e f r e s h p r i m a r y, was performed by 2,305 delegates, drawn from 95 through which Omoworare wards in the senatorial e m e r g e d a g a i n w a s district except Ife-Central however, held amidst heavy where both contestants hail presence of policemen and officials of Nigeria from. Omoworare had earlier Security and Civil Defence been declared the winner Corps (NSCDC), as well of a modified primary held as officials of Independent among the APC leaders, but N a t i o n a l E l e c t o r a l the exercise had generated Commission (INEC). controversies, with his Omoworare said his co-aspirant waging war emergence was another against his emergence on call to service, lauding the the ground that the exercise

party members and delegates for the confidence reposed in him to fly the flag of the party for second term. He said he would put in extra efforts to justify the confidence reposed in him before, during and after the

2015 elections. Urging party members to strengthen efforts towards mobilisation for the victory of the party in the 2015 presidential, national and state assemblies elections, he said, this would bring the

desire change to the country. He also urged Nigerians to use the opportunity of the elections to vote the APC that would run a credible government with interest of the masses at heart. Omoworare, who also

Conduct Free, Fair, Credible Elections

•Aregbesola Charges INEC During REC’s Farewell Visit

By kehinde ayantunji

he governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to use the opportunity of the coming 2015 general elections to win the confidence of Nigerians by conducting a free, fair and credible polls.

The governor admonished the electoral umpire not to be biased and fall short of the expectations of the teeming masses of the country, who are looking forward to an election, where the majority of votes

will count. Aregbesola, according to a press release by his Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, was quoted as stating this when he hosted the

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd left); Celebrant, the comrade Amitolu Shittu (4th left) his wife, Folasade (4th right); Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Babatunde Badmus (3rd right); Senator Bayo Salami (left) and other dignitaries during the 50th birthday anniversary of Comrade Amitolu Shittu at Leisure Spring Hotel in Osogbo, last Sunday.

state outgoing INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Ambassador Rufus Akeju, who paid him a farewell visit at the Government House in Osogbo, the state capital. He commended INEC on the conduct of the last governorship election in Osun despite all the forces against a free and fair election, saying the commission stood its grounds by allowing the popular will of voters in the state to stand. Aregbesola held that the August 9, 2014 governorship election remains the best everconducted by the commission, noting that it will be a credit to the commission if that feat is repeated in the 2015 general elections across Nigeria. He also charged INEC to be above board in fulfilling its landmark promises to survive the antics of those who might want to subvert the democratic wishes of the people. Aregbesola said: “In spite of everything, INEC has done its beat by bringing civility and honour to the conduct of the last August 9 governorship election in the state. “The election that we had in Osun was about the best conducted by INEC, not because we won, but because the process was seen to be free and fair by all parties.” On the use of card readers for the conduct of the 2015 elections, Aregbesola urged INEC not to renege

Nigeria’s Pro-Democracy Activists, Groups Must Reconvene Now Over Buhari – Aregbesola

overnor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun has reminded pro-democracy activists and organisations in Nigeria and beyond of the urgent need to reconvene as a strategy towards ensuring the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate for the 2015 election, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd). Aregbesola said the time Peoples Democratic Partyis now for those who had led (PDP) government at the in the past rendered selfless centre. services to their fatherland “Wherever you find PDP, by confronting dictatorial you will find misery, poverty, governments and installing under-development. We must democratic rule. remember that the encounter The governor, according to of our people and experience, a statement by the Director, especially in the South-West Bureau of Communication and geo-political zone, have never Strategy in the Office of the brought anything positive. Governor, Semiu Okanlawon, “From time immemorial, spoke on Sunday evening in our people had associated Osogbo at the 50th birthday their party with misfortune lecture and presentation of a and till today, they remain the book in honour of a renown same,”Aregbesola told the pro-democracy and human audience. rights activist, Comrade The governor said the PDP Amitolu Shittu. government has foisted double Aregbesola, who spoke tragedy on the people through before a teeming population lack of transparency in oil of some of Nigeria’s leading revenues, adding that even pro-democracy activists, who before the prices of crude oil came to honour Shittu, said crashed in the international the current challenges being market, the PDP-led Federal faced by Nigeria arose from Government had robbed the ineptitude of the present Nigerians of the oil fortunes

commended his co-aspirant for giving a good fight in the contest, urged him to put the contest behind and join him to work for the success of the party.

through fraud of unimaginable proportions. “The Federal Government is the authority in-charge of the Navy, the Army, the Police, Air Force, and other security agencies. Yet, they tell us that 400,000 barrels of crude are stolen. Who is stealing the crude oil? And these are despite a questionable contract for the protection of oil pipelines and waterways awarded to some individuals. They have no other excuse to give. The only way is to vote them out,” he said. The governor reiterated, while the Federal Government has robbed the country of the oil revenues, the same government has made it hard for the development and growth of the non-oil sector. He said the multiform social, political and economic disorders being witnessed are direct results of the visionless PDP government. Charging pro-democracy activists, Aregbesola reminded Nigerians of the roles played by the likes of Amitolu Shittu and others, who were jailed, forced to exile, killed and harassed

unjustly for the enthronement of a people’s government. “This is the time for all of you to reconvene and ensure that we rescue our country before it is too late.” Shittu, who lamented the

on its promise of using the technology. He said: “The deployment of the machines, aside from making the election credible, will foil attempts by fraudulent people to clone the voters’ cards. The card reader will bring credibility and ensure that the electoral wishes of Nigerians are not jeopardized. “Our destiny as a people lies on how best we can mobilise and defend the common good of the people,” the governor noted. Speaking earlier, the outgoing REC, Ambassador Rufus Akeju, said his sojourn in the state had helped him in garnering life-time experience and challenges. He noted that it took the intervention of God and his forthrightness to have stayed on the job than expected, due to attempt by some alleged desperate politicians, who wanted to discredit him at all cost. “There was nothing that they did not say to make sure that our image and reputation were tarnished. But I thank God for his mercies. They alleged that I am a card-carrying member of a particular party. “We thank God that at the end of the day, all their allegations were unfounded and false. We are happy that we have come and served meritoriously. We wish Osun the best among the comity of states, and long live Nigeria,” Ambassador Akeju said.

hardship that pervade the country, also urged Nigerians to use their only power to vote out anti-people government. “Our voting power is the only power we all have and we must use it very well to reject bad governance and save ourselves the hell to which we are subjected,” he said.

Akere, Diekola Anticipate Better 2015

By shina abubakar

he immediate-past Commissioner for Information and Strategy in the State of Osun, Mr. Sunday Akere, has charged residents of the state to be hopeful in the New Year, while describing 2015 as a year of breakthrough. He disclosed this in a promising one for the people, New Year message signed by both socially and economically. “When you look at the way him and made available to events unfold in Nigeria, one journalists in the state capital. According to him, the New would realise that God has a Year is full of hope, optimism positive plan for the country and progress and it is left for and its residents particularly Nigerians to take advantage in this New Year. However, of the current socio-political God would only provide the situation in the country and environment and it is for us to use the opportunity. utilise it positively. “As a people, we better use He disclosed that the people of the state and the country our hands to decide the type in general have had difficult of country and life we want times, particularly towards the to live, hence, we should all end of 2014, but stated that be positive in thinking and the year in focus would be a action, so as to make our state

and country great again and make the dream of its founding fathers a reality,” he added. Similarly, a statement issued by an APC chieftain in the state, Alhaji Fatai Diekola, has urged residents of the state to desist from act capable of truncating the relative peace reigning in the state, especially as we get into 2015. The statement disclosed that God Himself has designed for Nigeria, a better 2015, while charging the teeming populace in the state and the country to go about their activities in the year with discipline and focus on choices that could change the story of the country positively.

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Osun Defender Thursday, January 1, 2015

Osun APC Accuses Obanikoro Of Contempt Of Court

By kazeem mohammed

he State of Osun Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described the statement credited to a defeated Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in Lagos State, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, over Osun Governorship Election Petition Tribunal as contempt of court.

This was the reaction of the state APC in a statement by Barrister Kunle Oyatomi, Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy of the party, while commenting on the reported statement by Obanikoro. Obanikoro’s assertion in an interview with one of the national newspapers that the PDP already has the upper hand at the election petition tribunal in Osogbo “sounds like the dream of a drunkard, or better still, a drug addict.” Obanikoro had in the interview said: “If you have been following proceedings at the court of law, you will see that we have gained the upper hand. Aregbesola won with about 50 per cent of the votes, while we scored about 40 per cent of the votes. . . You wait for the outcome of the tribunal. We are going to win because the facts show that the results are in favour of the PDP.” According to the APC spokesman, Obanikoro acted in contempt of court with that statement, which was obviously designed to misinform the public against evidence before the tribunal. Oyatomi declared that only a drunken man or one in the stupor of drug overdose would arrive at Obanikoro’s conclusion, which runs against the grain of evidence so far produced at the tribunal. The APC spokesman f u r t h e r a rg u e d t h a t implicit in Obanikoro’s statement is the insidious impunity of the PDP to present a fait accompli in a case that is ongoing in the court. “The idea is to give a false impression that the PDP has secured a favourable judgment in a case in which evidence is still being produced by witnesses,” Oyatomi said. He added that the PDP’s bluff was characteristic of the party’s arrogance of impunity inspired

Change Of Name I, formerly known and addressed as miss latifat jenrola niniola, now wish to be known and addressed a s m r s l ati fat jenrola akinola. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

by its gross misuse of power that has become

notorious. The APC therefore, urged that Obanikoro should be sanctioned by the tribunal for contempt of court, for unlawfully pre-empting the tribunal’s decision on who actually won the August 9, 2014 governorship election in the State of Osun.

It would be recalled that the petitioners, in proving their case before the tribunal, called 43 out of the over 500 witnesses they listed to testify in their favour. Two of the witnesses called by the petitioners, Samuel Oduntan and Pius Bakare, who claimed

to be forensic experts, admitted faults before the tribunal in the purported analyses they carried out on the election materials for the petitioners to prove their case. All other witnesses of the petitioners also told the court that they

voted on the election day for parties of their choices, just as the PDP’s Acting Secretary, Bola Ajao, said under crossexamination that he did not witness any rigging on the governorship election day.

•Honourable Wasiu Adebayo representing Olorunda State Constituency in the State of Osun House of Assembly, (4th right) and others during the presentation of a motorcycle to Odo Atatalo Band Drummers’ Group of Olorunda local government area in the state, last Sunday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

OAU Students Threaten Mass Action Against Jonathan Over Failed Promises

By ismaeel uthman

resident Goodluck Jonathan might be heading towards another rough edge with the students of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile Ife in the State of Osun over failed promises. The university Students’ fees being charged by U n i o n G o v e r n m e n t the management of the P r e s i d e n t , M r. I s a a c university. Ibikunle, in a press According to the statement jointly signed students’ leaders, President with his Secretary, Mr. J o n a t h a n h a d h e l d a O l u d a r e B a m i d e l e , meeting with the students’ said President Jonathan leaders when he visited was yet to fulfil his the university campus to promise to reduce the attend a political meeting

organised by some Yoruba leaders on the campus, and promised to reduce the fees. Weeks after the fees reduction promise, the students said they have not seen any green light on the fulfilment of President Jonathan’s promise. The OAU students stated that they would do everything in their capacity to ensure that the President loses the February 2015 presidential election, if he fails to fulfil the promise. The students and their

colleagues all over the country would work against the president if he fails to fulfil the promise he made to them on the fees and other matters relating to the education sector. A copy of the press statement made available to OSUN DEFENDER on Tuesday reads: “Some students from poor background had dropped out of school because of the exorbitant fees being charged by higher institutions. “Crime would continue to be on the increase if

Effect Change In 2015 - Oyintiloye Charges Nigerians

By kazeem mohammed

he All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Obokun State Constituency in the State of Osun House of Assembly, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has charged Nigerians to reflect on the past and effect the necessary change in the 2015 general elections. Nigerians have the I n h i s N e w Ye a r responsibilities of taking message, Oyintiloye said their destiny into their the bad situation of the hands and change the country under the Peoples situation. Democratic Party-led “Nigeria is in trouble (PDP) Federal Government t h a t t h e P D P - l e d calls for serious concern government brought on that everyone must rise up us because of leadership against through their votes incompetence, selfishness in the new year. and corruption. Holding President “Apart from states like Goodluck Jonathan and Osun and few others, the PDP-led government hardly could the people r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e sleep with their two country’s woes, he said, eyes closed because of

insecurity and the Federal Government has failed to tackle it headlong. “The 2014 and even the preceding years have been challenging years in terms of insecurity and economic collapse and it is our responsibility to determine our fate on whether we want to continue to be in trouble or we want to get out of it,” he said. Oyintiloye, who solicited the support of the people of Obokun for his aspiration, said he would ensure that the constituents are given good representation in the next legislative session. Noting that the constituency comprises of agrarian communities

that need more presence of the government, he said, he would work harder to facilitate more development into the area. Reflecting on the developmental strides of Aregbesola’s administration within the last four years, he said, there is the need to elect legislators from APC that would work with him to succeed and bring more development to the state. He then urged those who have not collected their voters’ cards to do so, saying, it is the power they have to effect the required changes.

education, which is the only sure way to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, is commercialized and put out of the reach of poor students. “We urged President Jonathan to fulfil his promise and reduce the fees or be ready to lose the 2015 presidential election. It would be recalled that the OAU students had, on Friday, 28 November, 2014, hauled stones and sticks at President Goodluck Jonathan during his visit to the campus. The OAU placardwielding students, who said they were protesting the current rot in the education sector booed and stoned President Jonathan, while entering the presidential chopper, few minutes after the summit. The irate protesters were shouting “ole” “ole” (“thief”, “thief”) at the president and other notable politicians, who attended the event. Inscriptions on the placards displayed by the students read: “We Condemn Jos Killings of Students, Students Are Not Chicken”, Don’t Sell Education As You Sold Electricity”, We Demand Total Reversal of 2014 Hiked School Fees, We are Not Responsible For Jonathan’s Ineptitude.” among other inscriptions.

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Osun Defender Thursday, January 1, 2015

Group Vows To Resist Any Attempt To Rig The Niger Delta The group averred Jonathan would be a menace of Boko Haram that for alm ost six disaster because he insurgency, corruption, Votes In Favour Of GEJ group under the aegis of Niger Delta years of Jonathan’s h a s , s o f a r, s h o w n impunity and others,

Support Group for Buhari-Osinbajo 2015 has vowed to resist any attempt at rigging the Niger Delta votes in favour of President Goodluck Jonathan. A c c o r d i n g t o t h e disappointed the region National Coordinator but he has also failed of the group, Comrade the Niger Delta people Dennis Mene, President with his one-sided style Jonathan has not only of administration.

administration, its impact has not been felt in the region rather, what is seen is an attempt for one ethnic group to lord on others. The group therefore, warned that another four years of President

that he is incapable and overwhelmed by the challenges of the country. “This is a fact that former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Professor Wole Soyinka attested to. Jonathan, rather than curtail the

By murtala agboola

the community. Oloruntobi Community is a settlement between Abidogun and Kelebe areas of Olorunda Local

Government Council Area, which holds its annual day on the last Sunday of every year.

Ataoja Commends Community On Self-help Initiatives

he Ataoja of Osogboland, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, has commended residents of Oloruntobi Community (Zone 7) of Alare in Olorunda Local Government Council Area of the state for the various developments in the area through self-help initiatives. Oba Olanipekun, who was represented by the Oke Osun Community Head, Prince Azeez Taofeek, gave the commendation at the Annual Thanksgiving Day of the community, held last Sunday at the open space in the community. The monarch expressed delight that the community, through self-help, has embarked on projects like expansion of roads, provision of electricity and security among other things. He also appreciated the fact that the community is very peaceful and the residents meet regularly to assist themselves through communal efforts without relying solely on the government, urging them to be consistent and use initiatives that would further bring development to their community. Also speaking, the member representing Olorunda Constituency in the state parliament, H o n o u r a b l e Wa s i u Adebayo, called for more support of the residents to the government, saying, it is through the supports of the people that any government can succeed. As part of their support, the legislator enjoined the people living in the community to vote en masse for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the February, 2015 general elections to further bring rapid development to the state. He however promised to ensure the completion of the bridge linking the community with Ota-Efun, noting that but for paucity of funds, the government would have delivered the project. In his welcome address, the chairman of the community, Mr Murtala Agboola, counseled residents of the area to continue to contribute to its development, noting that the community cannot rely on government alone

to provide all their needs. Admonishing members to be steadfast in attending the fortnightly meetings and pay their dues as and when due, he said: “We can achieve a lot with our regular meetings and the payment of dues.” Also present at the event was the Alare Community Head, Prince Muili Folorunso, as well as members and friends of

•ataoja

has blamed virtually everybody for his failure. “The failure of Jonathan to end the insurgency in the North East has cost Nigeria more than fifteen thousand lives and still counting,” the group stressed. The group in a statement released in Benin City recently asked: “If they say one person is the sponsor of Boko Haram, then who is the sponsor of corruption, impunity, bad governance e.t.c? We s h o u l d n o t b e deceived that one person can Islamize Nigeria.” The only dividend of democracy we can pin-point of President Jonathan’s administration is increase in pump price of oil, increase in electricity t a r i ff a n d m o n t h l y charges without light, corruption, insecurity and poor infrastructure. The group therefore

•jonathan

expressed its support for Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State,former Governor of Bayelsa, Ti m i p r e S i l v a a n d Senator Ugbodehehe of Akwa Ibom for their stance for change and against bad governance. “We strongly believe in the integrity and capacity of General Muhammedu Buhari/ Professor Yemi Osinbajo to deliver on jobs and

•(L-R) State of Osun All Progressives Congress (APC) Secretary, Honourable Razak Salensile; State Chairman, Prince Gboyega Famodun and former APC Chairman in the state, Elder Lowo Adebiyi, during the flagg-off ceremony for the disbursement of two billion Naira accessed by the State Of Osun under the Central Bank Of Nigeria (CBN) Development Fund And Distribution of mini-buses to commercial transporters by the governor in Osogbo, recently.

Monarch Sues For Political, Religious Tolerance

By ismaeel uthman

arely six weeks to the 2015 general elections, the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, has sued for political and religious tolerance among Nigerians, especially the politicians. Speaking through a press statement to commemorate the 2014 Oroki Day, Oba their followers to tolerate Olanipekun said there the views of others to ensure is need for tolerance, peaceful coexistence,” the cohabitation and mutual traditional ruler said. Oba Olanipekun, who understanding among politicians and Nigerians at decried the unrest in the large who are of different troubled North-East part of Nigeria, called on the faiths for peace to reign. “Since everybody could people of the country to not belong to the same pray fervently for the political party, there is the sustenance and restoration need for politicians and of peace in the area, just

as he urged the Federal Government to step up actions to end the Boko Haram insurgence. The traditional ruler said: “”I want everyone of us to continue to be law-abiding and to imbibe political tolerance. All of us cannot belong to the same political party and since this is not possible, we have to learn how to live in peace with those who do not share the same political belief with us. “I am appealing to all sons and daughters of Osogbo, under the

umbrella of Osogbo Progressive Union, to tolerate one another. We all need to forget personal interests, hatred, unnecessary dichotomy and to join hands together to achieve the goal of further developing our town.” Oba Olanipekun commended the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola for the transformation of Osogbo into a befitting state capital, while appealing to the people of the state to continue to support his

government to spur him to work harder for the development of the state. He also called on the people of Osogbo to unite and work together to develop the town and to make it the best in the country, just as he also urged the wealthy to remember the needy and seek to create jobs in the town

Osun Defender Thursday, January 1, 2015

By ismaeel uthman

Fayose: South-West’s Untameable Monster?

Continued from on pg1

had become a changed man. Such was his song everywhere he went that the Fayose of old – the character that played the brigand; the one who conned the people of Ekiti to accept the reality of a non-existent poultry project that cost the treasury N6 billion; the toughie who drove every shade of opposition out of town – was dead and buried! Indeed, he would go as far as to sell to an unsuspecting people his now-fangled phrase – ‘stomach infrastructure’ to demonstrate how much he cared for their well-being. Everywhere he went; his song was that the people should expect a new deal from him this time around. With open arms, the large-hearted people appeared to have over-

looked his past sins and indiscretions when they opted, perhaps against reason, to offer him another opportunity to lead them. Today, Ekitis must have been ruing their fatal misjudgement ever since. Rather than settle down to the work the good people elected him to do, it has been one macabre dance after another. In their first taste of the ‘born-again’ Fayose, on September 22, his thugs stormed the premises of Ekiti State High Court sitting at Ado-Ekiti where they disrupted the proceedings. Their grouse was that a group, E11 had in May, approached the Ekiti State High Court asking it to ban Fayose from participating in the governorship election having been impeached from office in 2006 and over his trial over an alleged poultry scam to the tune of N1.9 billion between 2003-2006. As it turned out, that was a mere foretaste of the style of Ekiti’s new man of power. Three days later, on September 25, he would again lead

General Buhari Is Unstoppable Now

hat happened in 1993 between Alhaji Bashir Tofa and the late Chief Moshood Abiola of the blessed memory is about repeating itself in Nigeria in Nigeria today. Before the June 12, 1993 presidential election, handlers of Alhaji Bashir Tofa knew that comparing Bashir Tofa and Chief Abiola was like apples and oranges comparison. They knew that it was like comparing a giant with a dwarf. They knew that there was no basis for the comparison, and if it was a 100 meter dash, Chief Abiola would have hit the tape, while Tofa would still be at the starting point. The handlers led by Dr Doyin Okupe initiated a strategy to hit Chief Abiola from all corners and try to panel-beat him to Tofa’s level. They failed miserably and woefully too. In the process of doing that, they helped in no uncertain terms to catapult Chief Abiola to an unprecedented height. The rest is now history. In 2015, the reckless, useless and fraudulent historians and hack writers are at work again. This time, it is a battle between President Jonathan and General Muhammadu Buhari (GMB). Buhari has contested presidential elections in 2003, 2007, 2011 and even though, he did not make it, he gave a good account of himself. Though he was cheated out, he got millions of votes. He remained consistent, committed and courageous even in the face of all the troubles he had to go through. President Jonathan became a deputy governor and through luck, he became governor, Vice President and now President and he would have ruled Nigeria for six years by next year. In 2015, Nigerians will take stock.

Nigerians are looking back, they are looking at the present and as well as the future. In the past sixteen years, a lot of water has passed under the bridge. Nigerians have seen a lot. Devastated, pillaged and gang raped in all fronts, Nigerians are now thinking seriously. Shall we continue with this mess? Do we have an alternative? Can we do things differently? Is Nigeria a basket case? Are we helpless and hopeless? Are our destinies in our hands? Can we bring the change we all desire? Can we raise the bar of leadership in 2015? Can we recover our stolen country? Many hard

questions demanding hard answers. After the 2011 elections, General Buhari said he may not seek the highest office again. But the crisis of leadership in our country has pushed him to throw his hat into the ring again. He has been compelled by the forces of history to step forward again and this time, it is a different ball game. General Buhari of yesteryears is no longer the same Buhari of today. Things have changed. Time has changed. The calculations, equations and permutations have changed. Nigerians want Buhari to come clean up the Augean Stable PDPled Federal Government is leaving behind. GMB is coming to change the way we think and the way we work.

But the enemies are at the door again. The thieves are at the door once again. They are with guns, bombs, Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (IBM), Rocket Launchers (RL), Warships, Jet fighters, Bows and Arrows, AK-47s, etc to shoot him down. They tell us he is a religious bigot, an Islamic fundamentalist, a semi-illiterate person, too old and too weak to get things done. They are still manufacturing every bad thing under the sun and are heaping them at GMB’s doorsteps. They are desperate, vicious, hopeless, helpless and potentially dangerous. They are doing everything humanly possible

to stop and if possible to kill General Buhari. This is the reason why l want maximum security for General Buhari now. This meretricious mediocrity can pull the house down to remain in power. They are ready to slaughter thousands to remain. They are ready to continue to divide the country to remain in power. The corrupt people and criminals in the land will do everything humanly possible to stop Buhari. We have seen them at work. They know the consequences of General Buhari’s presidency. They know that he is a no nonsense man. They know he will fight criminals head on. They know he is going to remove feeding bottles from their mouths. They know

The authentic speaker and 18 other house members have since been hounded out of town. Today, Emperor Fayose struts Ekiti in open defiance of the constitution and his oath of office. He has castrated the judiciary. The House is currently on forced exile. Traditional rulers and other stakeholders in the state dare not open their mouths to criticise his style. The emperor-governor does as he pleases without the strictures of checks and balances put in place by the constitution. And as one would expect, each passing day opens and closes with tales of how his predecesor, Kayode Fayemi ‘wrecked’ the treasury even without a shred of proof. In Fayose’ infantile exhibitionism, not even the dignity and the high pedestal of the office he occupies is held to be sacrosant. Surely, the good people of Ekiti

thugs into the premises of the High Court. The thugs invaded the court of the Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, presiding over a land matter, tore the record books, beat court officials and vandalized court furniture. Not done, they turned on another judge Hon. Justice J. A Adeyeye, presiding in another court, beat and dragged him on the ground. The judge’s suit was allegedly torn into shreds. With the judiciary sufficiently taught a lesson, his next target would be the APC-dominated House of Asembly. Not for him the niceties of constitutionalism or even the rules of the House. On November 17, he got the seven PDP lawmakers in the Assembly to sit amidst tight security, where they appointed a protem speaker, Dele Olugbemi to preside. That very day, Fayose’s list of three commissioner-nominees and 12 special assistants were ratified. Barely a week later, the seven lawmakers in a House of 26 members would move to sack the Speaker Adewale Omirin.

he will do things differently. They know his puritanical disposition and they know he will stop at nothing to stop the mess in the land. General Buhari may be a religious bigot, he may be a fundamentalist, he may be a dictator, he may be an old man and semi-illiterate, he may be everything they claim he is but these congenital liars from the pit of hell will kiss the dust. They will swallow their words when the chips are down. They will go down with their pathological lies, when it dawns on them that no 21st century idiot will stop an idea, whose time has come. They can call General Buhari names, they can call him anything but it will amount to nothing. Those who claimed they are PHD holders have disappointed us. Those who claimed they are not dictators have bruised and oppressed us. Those who claimed they are young brought shame and mediocrity to us. Leadership is not measured by height or age. Mr Webster wrote Webster Dictionary at the age of 80. Buhari remains a candidate to beat in the 2015 presidential election and I pity these characters, who will dare to stand on his way. I pity those who did not know when the train left the station. I sympathize with those who did not know when to call a spade a spade. I fear for those who did not know that an idea whose time has come is here. I worry that history is leaving some people behind in Nigeria. I fear that some compound idiots who have ruined Nigeria for years are yet to come to terms with GMB’s towering personality. •Joe Igbokwe, Lagos.

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Osun Defender Thursday, January

Buhari Is The Hope For The Desired When Joshua was about to assume the leadership of the Israelites after the death of Moses, God told him to be “strong and courageous” – Joshua 1:7.

his was because the Almighty knew how difficult the assignment of leading His people would be for Joshua. Anyone who is stepping forward at this stage of Nigeria’s development to contest for its leadership is either out to exploit its current level of corruption to line up his pocket or he is willing to put his life on the line to rescue it from further slide into moral and social decadence. I want to believe that the emergence of General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) as the flag bearer for the APC Party in the forthcoming Presidential elections in Nigeria is a clear indication of the gentleman’s determination to help change the current hopeless state of the country. I am hopeful that with this development, the much-taunted “change” slogan of the party is possible after all. My optimism is predicated on the character of the person of Muhammadu Buhari, who I believe is not only a very strong and courageous leader, but one who has never been inclined to lining up his pocket; he is the kind of leader Nigeria needs now. The difference between Goodluck Jonathan, the incumbent President and flag bearer of PDP and Muhammadu Buhari now of APC is the difference between the weak and the strong; it is the difference between the faint-hearted and the courageous; it is the difference between the inept and the strong-willed. The difference between these two individuals is that between the illdisciplined and the disciplined, between the corrupted and the uncorrupted. They say; “when the head is rotten, the entire body is certainly rotten”; this is the situation we have in our beloved nation today. Goodluck Jonathan, as the head of government today, cannot change the current situation in Nigeria, even if he wants to, because “his hands are tied”. He has soiled his hands; “he who must come to equity must come with clean hands” – Jonathan’s hands are not clean. He has lost his voice, and all moral rights and strength to fight our greatest enemy in the nation today; corruption. Each election year, Nigerians are inundated with lofty manifestos politicians come up with as they come seeking their votes; we all know that these programmes are never executed as planned. Nigeria’s problem is not lack of bright and intelligent people to formulate the greatest and most wonderful development programmes; neither is it lack of the funds needed to successfully implement such programmes. Nigeria’s problem has been the lack of will on the part of the leadership to selflessly execute these programmes; our leaders are greedy, selfish and without the fear of God in them. And for as long as Nigeria continues to be under the leadership of such inept and greedy people, so long will we continue to languish and sink deep in the darkness of underdevelopment. What we need today in Nigeria is good leadership; we need a strong, selfless leader, who is willing and determined to sacrifice all, to effect the necessary change that Nigeria deserves.

•buhari By Godwin Airuoyuwa

Nigerians will be doing a great disservice to our beloved nation if at this stage of its struggling existence, they elect our current weak, selfish and incompetent President to continue in office. The need for a selfless, strong and courageous leader in Nigeria now, cannot be overemphasized; we have missed several opportunities to have the type of leaders we deserve as a nation, all because of tribal politics and corruption. By my reckoning, we missed our first opportunity to have a strong leader after the civil war in 1970. Most nations that have gone through civil wars have always emerged stronger, more united and prosperous under a strong leader. Nigeria, after its thirty months of civil war, settled for a compromise candidate as its leader; one who was chosen based on tribal politics. General Yakubu Gowon (Rtd.), a young inexperienced military officer, who had no battle experience was given this enormous responsibility. The sudden inflow of oil wealth to the nation immediately after the war, which would have served as a catalyst of development for a visionary

leader became a curse for Gowon. Rather than embark on rebuilding the nation and the people who have just been devastated by the civil war, Gowon went on a spending spree, constructing fly-overs and organising festivals. The nation became weak and divided; with so much wealth and a visionless leader, large scale corruption started to emerge; Nigeria began the drift in the wrong direction. We had our second chance when in an attempt to stem this tide, one who had a vision for the nation, came into the scene to give it a new direction. Like most genuine agents of change, Murtala Mohammed, who was a beneficiary of the emerging corrupt system under Gowon, embarked on this new direction, leading by example; he “repented” and stripped himself of all illegally-acquired wealth, so he could successfully persuade others to help build a morally-strong nation; talking of coming to equity with clean hands. His mission was however short-lived; he was cut down by agents of darkness, who never wanted any change. From this point on, Nigeria grew from one level of corruption to the other. A third opportunity came briefly when the duo of Muhammadu Buhari

and Tunde Idiagbon attempted to reverse this trend in 1983; this move was stopped in its track by the evil genius, Ibrahim Babangida. Under Babangida, corruption was institutionalized, becoming our national way of life. It has become cancerous and has eaten deep into the fabrics of the society and has eroded our values as a people. Babangida once boasted that everyone has a price and this statement has become the modus operandi of all subsequent governments since then. It is this mess established by Babangida and perfected by subsequent governments that the next leader must strive to clean up, if Nigeria is to take its rightful place in the comity of nations. Nigeria needs a “war on corruption” because no meaningful development can take place in a nation so immersed in corruption like Nigeria. And if PDP and Jonathan had what it takes to address this problem, they would have done so in the number of years they have been in power. I believe this is yet another opportunity for us as a people to salvage what is left of our great nation from the grip of PDP. Muhammadu Buhari is familiar with the mess we are in and as observed above, he has been part of some attempts made to stop its growth. When he became the head of government in 1983, he undertook to eradicate the corruption that continued to plague the country. About 500 politicians and businessmen were arrested for corrupt practices and his War Against Indiscipline (WAI) tried to encourage productiveness and patriotism among the population at large. But the forces of darkness led by Ibrahim Babangida removed him from power in August 1985. In his perhaps the last attempt to help sanitize this nation, let us give Muhammadu Buhari all the support he needs. We must realize that this responsibility to change the status quo in Nigeria today is beyond the capacity and capability of any one man; the fight will require the collective will of the people for it to be successful. The same forces that have resisted this change before are still very much around and they are more powerful than ever before. And unless as a people, we rally behind this man and rely on the power of the Almighty God, we will fail again. God forbid that we fail again; for the consequences of failure this time around are better imagined. And for those “politicians” who hide under the toga of men and women of God, this is not the time for religious politics; this change is beyond religious affiliations. It will be fundamental and revolutionary for it to be permanent; like cancer, its treatment will not be superficial; it will involve a paradigm shift; a change in the psyche of all Nigerians, a renewing of our minds. It will be painful and expensive and will take a while to materialize. Many of its originators must realize that they are not in it because of what they hope to personally gain from it because they may not live long enough to reap its benefits. So this crusade is not just for 2015 but for beyond, therefore a lot of patience is required. The sacrifice we will be making now for standing behind Muhammadu Buhari is for posterity and perhaps for what history may say about us. Let’s make it work!

Osun Defender Thursday, January 1, 2015

Change

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Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner Paid A Farewell Visit To State Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, At The Government House, Osogbo, On Monday.

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•Resident Electoral Commissioner of Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun, Dr. Rufus Akeju (left), receiving a gift from Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the State of Osun, during a farewell visit at the Government House, Osogbo, on Monday.

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•(L-R) The outgoing Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Osun, Dr. Rufus Akeju; Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the State of Osun; Osun INEC Administrative Secretary, Mr. Oladipo Oladapo; Head of Department of Political Monitoring Team, Mr. Niyi Opadiran and Public Affairs Officer, Mrs. Adenike Tadese, during the farewell visit at the Government House, Osogbo, on Monday.

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Osun Defender Thursday, January 1, 2015

Christians Shopping For New Year Festival In Osogbo, State Of Osun, Last Tuesday. Photo:

•Various patrons at Igbona Market, Osogbo, for the New Year, last Tuesday.

•Buyers and sellers at Oja-Oba Market, Osogbo, for the New Year.

•Clothes and shoes sellers for the New Year festival at Olu-Ode Market, Osogbo.

Osun Defender Thursday, January 1, 2015

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St. Andrew’s Elementary School, Oke-Baale, Osogbo, Built Under The Administration Of The State Of Osun Governor , Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, As Captured By Our Cameraman, GBENGA ADENIYI, Last Tuesday.

•Front view of the school.

•Back view of St. Andrew’s Elementary School.

•One of the classrooms of the school.

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Osun Defender Thursday, January 1, 2015

Osun Labour Unions Submitted A Report On Ways To Improve Revenue To State Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, At His Office In Abere, Recently.

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (left), receiving a report compiled by the state Labour leaders on ‘Ways to Improve the State Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) from Chairman, Labour Committee on IGR, Comrade Francis Adetunji (2nd right), during the official presentation of the report at Governor’s Office, Abere, State of Osun recently. With them are: Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Osun Chapter, Comrade Saka Adesiyan (left); Chairman, Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) Osun Chapter, Comrade Bayo Adejumo (3rd right) and other members of the council at the event.

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•Aregbesola (centre); his deputy, Otunba (Mrs) Titi Laoye-Tomori (4th left); Head of Service, Elder Olayinka Owoeye (3rd left); Chairman, Labour Committee on Internal Generated Revenue (IGR), Comrade Francis Adetunji (3rd right); Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Osun chapter, Comrade Saka Adesiyan (2nd left); Chairman, Joint Negotiating Council (JNC), Osun Chapter, Comrade Bayo Adejumo (4th right) and other dignitaries, during the official presentation of the report compiled by the Labour on ‘Ways to Improve the State IGR at Governor’s Office, Osogbo, State of Osun, recently.

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Osun Defender Thursday, January 1, 2015

The Robber State Can Now Drink Her Oil igeria’s economy damnation over the oil slump price becomes more frightening a few days ago when a White House officials further bluff the nation and the fraction of the remnant of her stolen oil. President Goodluck Jonathan’s government has deliberately dragged the nation’s fair economy into the mud. White House Director of the US National Economic Council, Mr. Jeff Zients, heightens Nigerian’s economic woes, when he said a few days ago that the cessation of oil imports from Nigeria had to do with the significant rise in US oil production. Zients, US Labour Secretary, Thomas Perez, and White House Policy Council Director, Cecelia Munoz, told a few US journalists thus: “Across the last several years, US oil production has ramped up significantly by more than 50 percent to now over eight and a half million barrels per day.” He explained that such a high turn up in local US oil production “has now dramatically reduced our dependency on imports,” Zients noted, adding that “in fact, we now produce more here than we import.” The Guardian Newspaper reported that the White House official stated that the development is consistent with President Barack Obama’s energy strategy, which has changed “quite a bit over the last few years, as we are much less dependent on oil imports.” That strategy has not only left Nigeria in the lurch, but has generally also driven down the international market price of oil to a ridiculous $60 range over the last few weeks. Oil price, which soared around $100 in September, is now $56.52 for the WTI Crude and $61.38 for the Brent Crude oil. But Zients and other US officials at the press briefing did not address the issue of the ongoing importation from other oil-producing nations, including OPEC members like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and non-OPEC suppliers like Canada. In fact, as at last month, it was reported that, while US completely halted oil imports from Nigeria, it increased its importation from those three countries. Now, Saudi Arabia foreign reserve has hits $1.5 trillion, while Nigerian’s is a meagrely hovers around $39.5 billion dollars! The reduction of US oil importation from Nigeria to zero is the very first time since 1973 that the US did not import oil from Nigeria. US Shale Oil production is responsible for the infusion of “light, sweet crude,” said to be similar to Nigeria’s Bonny Light oil, and US refineries are said to have preferred buying the locally-produced oil, which is cheaper than Nigeria’s light crude. Comrade Adams Oshiomhole aptly provided an answer to the question I put before Mr President a few days ago. Here is the question for emphasis: “Is it that Mr Jonathan knows a thing or two about the oil bunkering at the backwaters of the degraded Niger Delta region?” Those involved in oil bunkering do not fetch crude oil with bowls or buckets. They do so with cargo ships, marine tankers and ocean liners and, they are known. It’s alleged that the wife of Mr President, Mrs Patience Jonathan owes MT Patience cargo ships 1-10 that are involved in oil bunkering at the Forcados Terminal, Brass in Port Harcourt and other oilproducing states in the Niger Delta. N

•Alison-Madueke By Erasmus Ikhide

These gigantic marine tankers don’t have wings with which they fly. They are regularly being escorted by the Nigeria Navy and other security apparatus across the coaster lines. Nigeria is Africa’s largest oil producer, accounting for more than two million barrels per day. But from investigation, more than 4 million barrels per day are produced, but only two million is accounted for. Even the Nigeria Liquified Gas (NLG) is not left out of this bizarre business. Speaking during a visit of the Association of Enigies from Edo South to him recently, Oshiomhole said: “Over the past 18 months, we have not shared the excess crude account and yet, the account is empty. Sometimes we are told they have taken money from it to fund subsidies including subsidy on kerosene but your royal highnesses, there is nowhere in your various domains where kerosene is sold for N50. So in the name of subsidy, large sums of money are being stolen. “Things are tough now around the country because the Federal Government mismanaged our national resources and what is being stolen, nobody agrees it is being stolen. What is arguable is who is responsible for this stealing. When the Federal Government and the President talk about oil theft and the amount that is allegedly stolen is huge such that whereas we have the capacity to produce about 2.4 million barrels a day, what accrues into the federal

government account is less than 1.8 million barrel a day. “From the last time we had a meeting, the handouts they distributed shows that sometime for a period of two weeks, we were losing as much as 700,000 barrels a day and that has been on for the past twelve years. I am not able to understand why, suddenly, Nigeria cannot protect its territorial waters because the boundaries have not changed and the people are still the same and at the peak of the so-called militancy, we were still exporting about 2 million barrels a day. “Then, how can we explain that after we have resolved the issue of militancy in the Niger Delta, we have rehabilitated the ex-militants and even awarded contracts to them, that we are losing as much crude oil as that to oil thieves and to the best of my knowledge, there is no major known person who has been prosecuted and convicted for oil theft in a way that reflects the magnitude of what is allegedly stolen. “What this means is that our budgets have not performed over the past 3 years, whereas the budgets have been based on an average of between $77 to $78 and $79 a barrel. The average price of Nigeria’s sweet crude has been around $108 per barrel. That gives a surplus of over $30. Ideally, we ought to be saving $36 per barrel and 2.3 million barrel a day over the past three years and if you look at these numbers, you will find that what we have in our excess crude oil account should be over $30 billion but as we speak, we have barely $3 billon in our excess

crude account. “Now oil price has dropped to $60 and because we have not saved, the naira is undergoing devaluation. Already as low as N180 per dollar and I believe by February when the elections are over, nobody is going to want to hold the naira. Wherever the election goes, I expect that the naira will hit over N200 per dollar. The inflationary consequence of it is that prices of goods and services will go up and part of the vicious cycle of the devalued naira in the manner that is being done is that the price of petroleum products imported in dollars will go up in naira and government will be asking people who are already poor to pay more money for petroleum products”, Oshiomhole said. For years to come, Nigeria will lie outside the main stream of countries whose economic recharged itself by their leaders’ commitment to development. The price flung blow is so devastating that it will take Nigeria several years of redirection and diversification to recover from it. Unfortunately, President Jonathan’s cringers and lickspittles belief nations’ grows naturally. There are no naturally grew nations; they stemmed or are forged from leaders intellectual capabilities to think through policy framework. Savage corruption gives birth to political backwardness, economic stagnation and decimates its currencies. The singular act of surging corruption will set Nigeria apart from and behind the other aspiring developing countries. Nigeria, which has become a problem child of the globe, a nation of gifted, vigorous people aided in the past by military caste and by great intellectuals, suddenly embraces an uncanny passion for unbridled corruption. The President couldn’t bring his earlier taunted virtues; modesty, toughness, forbearance and a blunt brute into collision with the treasury looters in his government and crush them into pieces. President Jonathan has brought Nigeria into an artificially stabilised state at a medieval level of confusion and weakness. He could not fight Boko Haram insurgents, nor stop finical haemorrhage, or crude oil theft. His government depicts a logical failure of all that had gone before; or at least of all that had been glorious! The President has pulled himself up by his own bootstraps. The Otuoke man rarely litters his mind on the crazy patchwork nation, whose intermittent socio-economic status broadly reduces her stance in the comity of nations aspiring to become one of the largest economies in the world by 2020. Perhaps, our President needs to read Nietzsche in which Thus Spake Zarathustra was written: “I say unto you: It is the good war which halloweth every cause. War and courage have done more great things than charity.” Nigerians must make the right choice and resolve the nation’s

leadership question in next year’s February election before insanity closed down our minds.

•Erasmus wrote in from Lagos, Nigeria.

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Osun Defender Thursday, January 1, 2015

Tribunal And The Burden Of Proof Osun

ince October 30, 2014 when the

Justice Elizabethe Ikpejime-led State of Osun Governorship Election Petition Tribunal hearing the petition challenging the August 9, 2014 reelection of Governor Rauf Aregbesola began sitting in Osogbo, politicians of various political parties have explored different means of instilling confidence in their supporters and this has continued to create confusion on which one to believe from the information emanating from the tribunal. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, as the first and second petitioners, filed a joint petition before the tribunal to contest the re-election of Aregbesola as the first respondent, his party, All Progressives Congress (APC) as the second respondent and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the third respondent. From day one and in fact before the tribunal began its sittings on the matter, there had been rumours and falsehood about what transpired at the tribunal. Sometimes, it was rumoured that the ballots have been recounted and invalid votes have been found to be counted for Aregbesola, while Omisore was leading. The rumour spread like wild fire, but it was eventually found to be false. Also, sometimes it was rumoured that the tribunal had eventually discovered that the election was rigged and would sack Aregbesola before the end of the year, to the extent that members of the PDP were celebrating, but it was also found to be false. Several such rumours were later found to be false. However, in totality, the petitioners are challenging the result of the election in 912 polling units, out of the 1,842 polling units in the 17 local government council areas listed as being in contention. The council areas are Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Irepodun, Ede-South, Ede-North, Iwo, Ayedaade, Irewole, Ola-Oluwa, Ejigbo, Atakumosa-East, Ilesa-East, Ilesa-West, Oriade and Obokun local governments. After the pre-hearing of the petition, the petitioners had spent their entire 14 days guaranteed by law “to prove their case”, the first respondent spent only eight out of the 10 days guaranteed by law to defend the allegations, while the second respondent has just so far spent two days out of its 10 statutory days as at the time the tribunal adjourned till January 5 for Christmas and New Year break. In the course of the hearing, Omisore and the PDP counsel called only 43 witnesses out of about 1,000 witnesses they listed in the petition and tendered over 300 exhibits. Most of these exhibits are Certified True Copies (CTC) of the same result forms at the polling units, wards and local government levels that validated the result of the election as declared by INEC. The largest percentage of these documents had objections raised against them by the respondents for either not being tendered by the appropriate person, or for being altered by the petitioners after certification and the tribunal has, so far, reserved ruling on those objections till the judgement stage. However, it was the allegation in the petition that eligible voters were disenfranchised, unqualified voters were allowed to vote, harassment of PDP agents and that the results of the election were not stamped and signed, but only few of the witnesses called to testify were PDP agents, who stayed at their polling units and witnessed the voting process. Most of them were

•aregbesola By kazeem mohammed

PDP supervisors, who did not stay permanently at their units, but moving round to monitor the election. Also, none of the witnesses told the tribunal that they did not vote, rather, they said there was no proper accreditation, with each of them saying: “I voted, but we can’t call that an election.” Many of them were subsequently confronted with the voters’ registers for their units and they confirmed that their names were ticked as being properly accredited. Also, all the result forms (Form EC8A) in the polling units being challenged were signed by party agents in their various units, except for very few. The biggest drama of all was when the “Expert Witness” of the petitioners, Mr Pius Akinyemi Bakare, who claimed to be an ICT Expert, Digital Forensic Expert, Document Forensic Expert, Certified Trainer and Forensic Data Analysis Expert among others, admitted that there were several errors in the analysis he carried out for the petitioners. He conceded that his analysis was riddled with false entries and false calculations. The expert said he did not carry out the fingerprint analysis of the ballot papers used for the election to determine whether truly there were multiple thumb-printing, as being alleged by the petitioners. The second expert, Mr Samuel Oduntan, who claimed to be a statistician in his deposition, but while giving evidence, said he was never a registered statistician. He further said he found no discrepancies in the result of the election he used for his analysis and the one used to declare Aregbesola as the winner of the election. There were drama upon drama when many of the witnesses were being crossexamined by the respondents’ counsel, as one of the lawyers of the respondents observed cases of contradictions in the testimonies of the witness. Whether those contradictions exist or not, it is for the tribunal to judge. On the other hand, Aregbesola who

•omisore

is the first respondent, called only 19 witnesses, who were ordinary voters and APC agents, who witnessed the voting process from accreditation to voting proper, as well as counting and announcement of ballot on the said day, in defence of the petition. He tendered no document to support his denial of the allegations. The reason for calling such number of witnesses, according to one of the counsel, Mr Ajibola Basiru, was that the petitioners have failed to discharge the burden of proof placed on them by law. Basiru said: “It doesn’t make any sense to just be calling witnesses anyhow and we are not under any obligation as far as number of witnesses is concerned, because the petitioners have not proved anything. “We call those witnesses to further show the court that the election was free and fair. You can even see that we didn’t spend our entire 10 days because we didn’t need it, as no case has been made against us and we don’t want to be wasting the time of the court.” However, all the 19 witnesses of the first respondent (Aregbesola) confirmed to the court that the election was free and fair in their various polling units. The party agents among the witnesses said agents of all parties signed the result forms for their units without any harassment, while the independent voters among them, who formed the largest number said they witnessed the signing of form EC8A in their units and there was no intimidation or harassment of either voters or party agents. Those witnesses were subsequently confronted with duplicates of form EC8A, which were issued to the PDP agents and had been tendered before the tribunal. Those duplicate copies were signed, but not stamped and the rulings on the objections raised against them are still pending before the tribunal. Answering questions on those duplicate copies, the witnesses explained that it was the original copies of the forms that were signed and stamped, hence, the stamp might not

reflect on the duplicate. The Certified True Copies of the original of those documents showed that the original were indeed stamped and signed. So far, the second respondent (APC) has called eight witnesses, who were APC agents at the election and their stories were not different, as they told the court that they all signed the result forms for their units, just as the PDP agents voluntarily did without any harassment or intimidation and the election was free and fair in their units. Some of the witnesses who acted as party agents told the court that they were members of Osun Youths Empowerment Scheme (OYES) as against the allegation of the PDP that they were used as INEC adhoc staff. However, the second respondent still has eight days left to defend the allegations of the petitioner, after which the third respondent (INEC) will open its defence, which would also take another 10 days. It is after then that the parties would go back home to prepare their final written addresses, which would also take days and come back to court to argue the addresses and then wait for judgement. While the petitioners contended that they have tried their best to have the election of Aregbesola upturned through the evidence they have before the court, the respondents said the petitioners have not discharged the burden of proof placed on them by law and that, in fact, they have not proved any of their allegations. Who is right between the parties is for the tribunal to determine at a later date.

for the records

Osun Defender Thursday, January 1, 2015

New INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners And Their

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Osun Defender Thursday, January 1, 2015

The Primate And His Broken Records

“Religion is the price we pay for being intelligent, but not as yet intelligent enough.”—Aldous Huxley.

read the celebrated interview of Primate Olabayo, where he predicted what to come in 2015 and how his thought, clothed with the garment of “sacred”, was made viral on the internet and I was compelled to remember the class of my very articulate teacher at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Dr. Jide Gbadegesin, a Harvardtrained Doctor of Philosophy, whose area of concentration is study of religion, a pastor who sees beyond the dictate of Christianity. Among Olabayo’s predicted items: “PDP will win in Lagos”, presidential election would not happen in February and if it takes place, it will be stalemated”; politicallymotivated assassination would be rampant”; people with black mask would kill many politicians”; “the seat of the President would not be vacant”; “unless we pray, there will be chaos”; “APC will retain Rivers, Ogun and Oyo states”; et al. Having gone through the thought of the primate, what quickly came to my mind is the way some scholars see religion, and Alfred North Whitehead seems to have revealed what might have informed how Olabayo thinks and conveys his message to us when he says; “religion is about an individual solitariness”. Whitehead argues that when you are alone and you begin to reflect on issues, it is possible for you to take those issues from profane to sacred, that it could be foisted on the throat of the people, who see religion as feeling of “absolute dependence”, according to Friedrich Scherliermacker, a French religious scholar. Give it to Primate Olabayo, the man has been doing some thinking, while other “men of God” are busy showing their flight of fancy in the wrap of sacred vanity, though he lacks the accuracy and the inductive truth value of Nostradamus known in the

“Yes, I knew when the US presidential contest between Al Gore and George Bush (Jnr) was tough and too close to call, the same Olabayo saw Al Gore only to quickly retract when Bush won the election. Though, he argued, we read his confusion in the defunct National Concord then. Even, Barack Obama was not given a chance, while he was slugging it out with Hillary Clinton, but Obama won the primary election of the Democrat resoundingly. For crying out loud, how could it be said that PDP will win Lagos, when the only agenda the party is bringing to the table is to reverse the gains of mega city laid by Bola Tinubu and consolidated by Babatunde Fashola? But because Jimi Agbaje, the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP is loved and seen as a politician with finesse and possibly acceptable to the elite class, which Olabayo belongs, he thinks that power will change hands, forgetting that President Jonathan-led PDP has angered the masses with his double-faced austerity measure that guarantees N4 billion for presidential food, only to appeal By goke butika

Western world as the “man who saw tomorrow”, I must also admit that sometimes, he got some variables, and on many occasions, he recorded some goofs like a gambler who banks on inductive inferences using logical conditional derivatives to arrive at an answer. Yes, I knew when the US presidential contest between Al Gore and George Bush (Jnr) was tough and too close to call, the same Olabayo saw Al Gore only to quickly retract when Bush won the election. Though, he argued, we read his confusion in the defunct National Concord then. Even, Barack Obama was not given a chance, while he was slugging it out with Hillary Clinton, but Obama won the primary election of the Democrat resoundingly. So, I will be correct to say that the prediction of Olabayo is the product of his solitariness. For crying out

loud, how could it be said that PDP will win Lagos, when the only agenda the party is bringing to the table is to reverse the gains of mega city laid by Bola Tinubu and consolidated by Babatunde Fashola? But because Jimi Agbaje, the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP is loved and seen as a politician with finesse and possibly acceptable to the elite class, which Olabayo belongs, he thinks that power will change hands, forgetting that President Jonathan-led PDP has angered the masses with his double-faced austerity measure that guarantees N4 billion for presidential food, only to appeal to the masses to reduce formulae for their ration. Olabayo predicted that the seat of the President will not be vacant, because he thought in his solitariness that Jonathan would not relinquish power, even if he is defeated, forgetting that nobody saw

that the people of Burkina Faso who were in bondage under Blaise Campaore for close to 20 years, would massively chase him out of power and the country, to an extent that he is yet to get a place to stay as you read this piece. In the Year 2015, we are told to prepare for hardship, as if hardship is a delicacy that courts the friendship of the saliva and that we are going to pay more for darkness being sold by the unscrupulous businessmen who bought the PHCN, because they are short of cash, and the same set of investors coughed out billions for Jonathan’s campaign. Look, someone should tell the primate that people are moving close to the wall and would do the needful but unpredicted when they find that their back is against the wall. Lest I forget, the Primate spoke about assassination, I think former President Olusegun Obasanjo had said that in his epistle to Jonathan and even revealed that snipers were being trained to exterminate some political actors profiled by Jonathan’s administration. Who knows, our Primate may be reflecting on the letter too, but it is clear nobody saw the collapse of Synagogue’ structure at Ikotun Egbe, yet hundreds of foreign and local people, who wanted sacred solutions to their problems, lost their lives in the process. Even, Pastor Temitope Joshua, “the healer of the world” did not see it coming. Oh, that reminds me what Karl Marx observed about religion when he says: “Religion is a sigh of oppressed”. Noting that when people are thoroughly oppressed by the ruling class and they are made powerless, they would resort to religion as an escapist method, and that sometimes, the bourgeois class may deliberately hand over religion to the people in order to make them see their oppression as an act of God. So, he sees religion as a weapon of oppression. At the end of the class, Gbadegesin described the religious universe as crazy. I think Olabayo’s prediction is crazy.

Osun Defender Thursday, January 1, 2015

www.osundefender.org

THE

6TH

M O S T- V I S I T E D

NEWS-

THURsday, JANUARY 1, 2015 By ade olugbotemi

e are quick to pass bulks in an attempt

to exonerate ourselves from the guilt of misdemeanor going on around us. This has made it extremely difficult for us to take responsibility in the slightest sense of it. We become careless about issues that have direct bearing on our wellbeing; and we have become a laughing stock to the outside world that envies the gifts of nature that have been bestowed. They see us as squandermaniacs, who take natural endowment for granted, as if we will prosecute the Giver (God) if He decided not to be so benevolent. The evil that tortoise plots, which is thought to affect others, has now turned around to affect tortoise directly. Tortoise has suddenly become a worse victim than any of those seen as badly affected. We are far from being our brothers’ keepers for reason of selfallusion, which allows us to feign ignorance about the plight of others, whose well-being should ordinarily bring us respite. We are now at a crossroad, and no one seems to know the direction through which the muchneeded succour can be fashioned; just like the elders will say that we are confused and we are lost as to which mortal to put the dry okra to get the desired component for the drawing soup. Since the return of Nigeria to democratic rule in 1999, we have equated election to conventional merchandise. People, most especially the politicians, believe that the period of electioneering is such that should be made most advantage of. It is a period that candidates must showcase their propensity to play game. The best player is considered as that individual with the fattest moneybag, with naira or dollar notes to dole as symbol of strength and capability. This is considered as an instrument of conviction to party people that someone going into contest at whatever level is ready for personal aspiration to materialize. Politicians then get to power with the erroneous generalization that the electorate have received their dues in the gratifications that initially changed hands. The larger populace then go on to groan under non-performance that has become the hallmark of successive administrations at the center in Nigeria. Most of our political office holders today have no feeling of guilt or condemnation, because they feel they have paid their dues before getting to office. Irrespective of people’s complaint, political office holders often regard agitations, however genuine; to be ill-timed, because their time of reaping from what they have sown is not yet over. They take time to recoup what they have spent on electioneering, and go ahead to keep in excess over and above the considered normal return on investment to save for subsequent aspiration that is generally not guaranteed by mortality that is fundamentally the nature of man. The thought of the suffering masses

N21bn Campaign Fund: Just Because We Are All Involved

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is shrouded in pretence, so that the guilt of conscience is buried in ostrich sand. That accounts for the reason some people think most political office holders are in the occult, as most of them are seen to be recalcitrant. In the extreme, elections are rigged through inducements to election umpires, who disregard the expression of wishes at the polls and award victories to candidates with relatively high ‘bargaining power’. Part of the booties in office is conserved to fulfill such ends. The masses are helpless in this regard, as they are also forced look forward to such windfall to cushion their impoverishment in the hands of the political office holders. They often make jest of themselves; saying that it is Abu’s money that is used to entertain Abu. Some even go to queue on election days because of the expected gains from the inducement largesse that politicians dole out to unsuspecting voting populace to wield support their own ways. Most of us bother less about the long-term effect such temporary comfort derivatives have on our lives; that is why we are permanently tied to a spot in time, because today has been consumed upon our avarice previously. Emotions have risen over a whopping

amount of money in excess of N21 billion raised in support of the reelection bid of President Goodluck Jonathan the penultimate week. Such emotions have led to serious outbursts; most of which came from the suffering masses. Nigerians are aware of the problem of funding confronting most states of the federation. The Federal Government is not left out, as several austerity measures are being put in place as advocated by the coordinating minister of the economy, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala. She has severally warned federating states of the need to put in place measures that will ensure that all loopholes are plugged. Most states of the federation owe workers’ salaries up to three or four months now. The launching of campaign funds the penultimate week in Abuja was therefore perceived as an extreme level of insensitivity by both the president, people in the rulingPeoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the so-called donors. The fundraising is seen by all as ill-timed, especially at a time when the Federal Government is also not able to pay workers’ salaries. As at today, workers in most ministries, departments and agencies of federal extraction are yet to receive December

salaries. It is therefore seen as a misnomer for government to overlook the pertinent matter of workers’ welfare, only to raise such a huge sum for mere reelection purpose. People would have appreciated it better if such efforts were directed to the revamp of our economy, which has gone comatose. They are of the opinion that the enthusiasm or desperation that brought that idea about would have been directed to the resuscitation of our battered economy. That move alone is seen to be strong enough to earn Mr President Nigerians’ sympathy to guarantee his return to office again. A multibillion naira campaign fund has successfully been launched, and this in the opinions of the launchers is expected to ‘change the destiny of Nigeria’ as usual. More funds will still be added because some of their allies are yet to donate into the campaign vault, aimed at returning the most powerful president in Africa for another term. The allies will not like to loosen their grips on the future of Nigeria; hence the need to fortify the structure that is yielding for them golden fleece and the resultant insulating woolly jacket meant for the amelioration of inevitable economic threat. The legendary ‘Apala’ music icon, Raji Owonikoko, said in one of his numerous records, that a trickster, who applies guile to make love to a lady can exhibit the evil ingenuity but once. Nigerians have been tricked not once, not twice, but on four occasions. We can well feel the pains of our long period of complacency and seeming indifference, whereby our portions have been wounded, battered and utterly depleted. Like the tricked lady, we have been traumatized to the point of losing our essence. Our resuscitation will only be made possible by means of a concerted effort to activate our life-supporting mechanism, which energizer is hidden in the February general elections. Many have seen the downing of our economy in the hands of the rulingPDP and at the twilight of President Jonathan’s tenure, as the best thing that can happen to Nigeria. According to this school of thought, Nigerians will be able to objectively x-ray the managerial acumen of the sitting president, and how the ruling party feels about, and their possible reaction to the plight of the people they claimed have voted them in. With the current situation, Nigerians must clearly be aware of where their lots have fallen in the purview of the ruling class’ considerations; which is enough to determine the voting pendulum of Nigerians and the direction it will swing in February general elections. Getting it wrong the fifth time will definitely lead to an irredeemable waterloo.

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