Osun - Defender March 12th, 2015 Edition by OsunDefender

www.osundefender.org thursday, march 12, 2015 The security agencies have been thrust into the spotlight and both their reputation and effectiveness is now on the front burner. In a normal democracy this does not have to be so. That this is the situation is a reflec-

THE 6TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA

Front Page Comment

VOL. 10. NO.020

Security Agencies and the Elections

of the weak institutions which continues to hobble our nascent democracy.For a start it is alarming that the security agencies havebeen dragged nto the murky t

errain of politics. I n doing so, their operational and institutional independence has been compromised. In this way their effectiveness has also been put into question.

operational effectiveness goes hand-in-glove with institutional independence. A compromised ecurity agency

sbe effective. For example, intelligence gathering is based on trust. Now how do you trust a compromised security agency. This could from the

N100

perspective of personal safety be a dicey proposition. This should be food for thought in view of the centrality of intelligence gathering to operational effectiveness. Continue on pg7

Osun Governorship Tussle:

Presidency, Omisore Scout For CompromisingAppealCourtJudges - See Story On Page 2

Nigeria Must - Pg 4 Return To First Republic Structure To Ooni Hangs Jonathan’s - Pg 3 Success On God

Jonathan’s Visit: Omoworare Kicks As PDP Destroys APC Campaign Bill- Pg 6 boards In Ije‘Elections: Jonathan Acting Like INEC Extends PVC - Pg 2 Adolf Hitler, Gbagbo’ Collection To March 22 - Pg 2 •(L-R) Chairman, Local Orgarnising Committee (LOC) of the Nigeria Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), State of Osun, Mr Goke Omigbodun; National Publicity Secretary, NIESV, Mallam Muhammad Ali; 1st Vice President, NIESV, Dr Bolarinwa Patunola; President, NIESV, Mr Olorogun Omeru; Assistant National Treasurer, NIESV, Mrs Titi Agbalaya and Chairman, NIESV, Osun State Chapter, Dr Seye Adegoke during the 45th Annual Conference of NIESV Osun 2015 at WOCDIF Centre, Osogbo, last Tuesday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

Osun’s Salaries Issue Is A Result Of FG Mismanagement Of Economy - Govt - Pg 4

osun Defender Thursday, March 12, 2015

News

Osun Governorship Tussle: Presidency, Omisore Scout For Compromising Appeal Court Judges

he Presidency, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in the State of Osun, Senator Iyiola Omisore, are said to have started scouting for compromising judges that would nullify the victory of Governor Rauf Aregbesola at the Court of Appeal. The new card, a reliable source revealed to OSUN with a view to creating DEFENDER, is meant to confusion within the fold use the appellate court judges of the All Progressives to deliver its judgement in Congress (APC). Justice Elizabeth favour of Omisore before Ikpejime-led tribunal had the presidential election,

March Elections: Further Postponement May Spell Doom - Ex-Osun AG T

dismissed the petition of the PDP and Omisore on the ground that there was no any evidence to justify the claims of rigging in the August 9, 2014 governorship election in the state. The petitioners have since appealed the judgement at the Court of Appeal in Akure, Ondo State and the respondents in the matter, Aregbesola, APC and the INEC have filed their responses to the appeal. Aregbesola and the APC have also filed a crossappeal on the ground that Omisore’s petition was supposed to have been

dismissed by the tribunal at the preliminary stage, having filed it out of time, of which the petitioners and the tribunal also conceded. Since the appeals were filed, the agents of the Presidency, led by the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN) and Omisore have allegedly been scouting for judges that would do their bidding. A reliable source told this medium that out of the three judges that would be named to preside over the matter, they have been able to find one that showed interest in playing the card as at last

week. This, it was learnt, has started giving Omisore confidence to the extent that he has again started boasting that Aregbesola would soon be sacked from office by the appellate court. According to a source, at a meeting, the issue of the appointment of the Secretary to the State Government and the Chief of Staff to the Governor came up, and Omisore confidently said that they would soon be sacked by the appellant court. He reportedly said: “Every arrangement is being concluded and I can

assure you that Aregbesola will go by all means before the election, at least, to destabilise them ahead of the elections.” It would be recalled that shortly after the lower tribunal reserved judgement on the matter, Omisore and the PDP agents allegedly approached the three-man tribunal with N5 billion to compromise its decision. The offer was subsequently turned down by the tribunal members.

By Kehinde ayantunji

he immediate-past Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the State of Osun, Mr. Wale Afolabi, has warned that another postponement of the general elections in Nigeria would bring doom to the country. The February 14th, 2015 would win the election with presidential and National a landslide. Assembly elections According to him, Buhari was postponed by the is acceptable to majority of I n d e p e n d e n t N a t i o n a l Nigerians and he is ready Electoral Commission, and committed to fight the (INEC) citing inability of two monsters ravaging the the commission to distribute country; corruption and permanent voter cards and insecurity. security issue as reasons for Afolabi however, said the postponement. that the two vices have However, speaking with become a monster in the journalists in Osogbo during country because the PDP the recently, the former government is paying a lip •Former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki (middle); APC presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari A t t o r n e y - G e n e r a l a n d service to them. (rtd) (right); General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd) (extreme left); Behind them is Buhari’s Press Secretary, Alhaji Commissioner for Justice Ya’u Darazo, after Mbeki and Abdusalami met with Buhari in Kaduna last Monday. said that the postponement was done in a bad faith and it was done deliberately to weaken the opposition parties, especially the All resident Goodluck Jonathan’s administration has that his ethnic group continues on people. to be ratified by the two-third of “Adolf Hitler was from a the National Assembly, adding been likened to that of a former leader of Germany, to loot the resources of the Progressives Congress minority group and he wanted that the President would rock Adolf Hitler, who started the World War 2 and former country. (APC). Adebisi maintained that to rule the world at all cost. The the boat if he dares sack Jega. His words:” So much President of Ivory Coast, Laurent Gbagbo, who refused to the steps of the President on Second World War started with He warned that Jega must energy, money had been hand over power after losing election. An Osun civil society Gbagbo of Côte d’Ivoire, was electoral process could lead to ethnic crisis from Germany, not be removed before or after expended on campaign the Osun Progressive making frantic effort to frustrate another civil war, threatening as well when Hitler wanted to the general elections. across the country and group, Left, made the comparison the conduct of the general that the civil war of 1966 foist himself on people. I want On the proposed deployment everywhere APC has been on Sunday, while addressing elections, and if possible, stay could be repeated if President to say that President Jonathan of military for the general accepted by Nigerians, only a press conference to warn in office beyond his tenure Jonathan fail to conduct the is also leading Nigeria like election, Adebisi said, any for the power that be to cut against further postponement or hand over to an interim general elections or relinquish Gbagbo and Hitler. involvement of military in “We need to call the President democratic and electoral power. short the expected victory of the general elections, government. T h e h u m a n r i g h t s to order. Unfortunately, none of process has negated the doctrine removal of the Chairman of the of the APC. Comrade Wale Adebisi, government institutions of democracy, adding that “ We i n A P C w i l l Independent National Electoral who read the text of the press activist said: “Ivory Coast’s the is working in Nigeria. The democracy is no longer in place crisis started with election Commission (INEC), Professor conference, stated that just not tolerate another postponement. It degenerated National Assembly cannot postponement. The election Attahiru Jega and involvement like Hitler, who came from to ethnic crisis and to a full war. call the president to order. The when there is involvement of of military in democratic military in election processes. a minority group to rule must hold since Nigerians process. Adebisi said it was Germany, President Jonathan It have been proven that people president’s ethnic people have and the whole world are According to the group, wanted to continue ruling from minority group has the been threatening war if he loses u n c o n s t i t u t i o n a l a n d ready. The slated dates of President Jonathan, like Nigeria at all cost and ensure tendency of foisting themselves the election. If eventually the undemocratic for the Federal president loses election, his Government to deploy military March 28 and April 11, ethnic boys will launch attack for the conduct of the election, 2015 are sacrosanct and all and this will resort to another just as he called on President must be ready to exercise civil war.” demonstrated uncommon Jonathan to rescind his decision their franchise. By Kehinde ayantunji Adebisi stated that President to use the military for the determination to move the “Since INEC has said he Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf state forward despite the Jonathan is using religion and election. several times that it is differences to cause The human rights activists Aregbesola, on Thursday inaugurated the Secretary daunting challenges, adding ethnic ready for the election, other disunity among Nigerians, called on Nigerians from to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, that they are proud of being which might fuel the imminent stakeholders should join various ethnic groups to hands with the commission and the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega part of the success story of civil war like that of Ivory unite, organize and resist any the governor. Coast, even as he called on to make the election a Oyetola, respectively. by anybody to frustrate H e s a i d : “ We s h a l l Nigerians not to allow the attempt Adeoti and Oyetola are them to be fair to the people. success. a democratic and electoral Afolabi said that the serving their second term “They must not only continue to be loyal to divide and rule tactics of the process for the conduct of the to dissuade them general elections, saying that issue of security should with Aregbesola. be fair but must do the the governor. His policy President from promoting unity of the scheduled dates for the will be our direction; his Speaking during the not be used by the Peoples right thing to all manner of purpose. elections must not be changed. Democratic Party-led (PDP) inauguration, the governor people, therefore, you must burden in governance, will Speaking on rumoured plan be our burden, Aregbesola He said: “The elections of u rg e d t h e n e w s e n i o r encourage them to do the Federal Government to by the Presidency to remove March and 11th of April derail the country’s current appointees to double their right thing without fear or is a trusted leader ,who is the INEC Chairman, Jega, 28th are sacrosanct, which must much concerned about the efforts in ensuring that life favour or affection”. democracy, adding that Adebisi said any attempt to do not be shifted beyond those Responding, the New development of the state,” that would be an invitation to two dates. INEC chairman, the onus is on the Federal is more abundant for the anarchy, saying the President Secretary to the State Adeoti said. Government to provide people of the state. He congratulated the should not underestimate the Prof Attahiru Jega, should not He said the Fifth Schedule Government appreciated the adequate security before , be removed on or before the governor for his victory at during and after elections of the Constitution, which governor for the appointing the election petition tribunal sensitivities of Nigerians to the election dates. Nigerians from general elections. has to do with the Code of them out of the four million different ethnic groups should in the country. According to Adebisi, Jega and urged the people of the Speaking on the chances Conduct for the public office population of the state and state to always support the could not be subjected to any see themselves as one and not as enemies and should not allow of APC presidential hopeful, holder is explicit on the pledged their loyalty to the governor. civil service law because his anybody to use them against nature of their offices and G e n e r a l M o h a m m a d how sacred in holding the governor. appointment and removal is one another.” He described the governor Buhari (rtd), on the coming trust of the people and urged established by law and needs as a visionary leader, who has election, he said that Buhari

‘Elections: Jonathan Acting Like Adolf Hitler, Gbagbo’

Aregbesola Inaugurates SSG, CoS

News

Osun Defender Thursday, March 12,

2015 Elections: GMB Support Group Inaugurates Co-ordinators In By Francis EZEDIUNO he local government council area Co-ordinators of the General Muhammadu Buhari (GMB) Support Group in the State of Osun have been charged to ensure that the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) got all the votes in the wards and polling units in the state during the March 28 presidential election. In his goodwill message, This charge was given by chieftains of the APC Honourable Kola Akanji, during the ceremony held the Chairman of Osun State to inaugurate and train local Broadcasting Corporation government co-ordinators (OSBC), stated that the for the group, which was whole aim of inaugurating held at the Olorunda Local the support group was to Government Council Hall, ensure that the Peoples Igbonna, Osogbo, recently. Democratic Party (PDP)

and its candidate do not score the required 25 per cent needed to clinch the presidency. While admonishing the co-ordinators to brace up for work, he declared that the postponement of the general elections for six weeks was deliberate, but added that the action would not stop the APC from clinching victory. “I call on you all to be steadfast and rise up to the task. I am very confident that we will win the election but achieving that will be by God’s grace and your own

hard work.” In his own message, the Managing Editor of OSUN DEFENDER newspaper, M r. K o l a O l a b i s i , also declared General Muhammadu Buhari as a man of the people going by his first outing as Nigeria’s Military Head of State. He opined that when he was there as Military Head of State, he was able to achieve some results which as President he was sure he would surpass. While supporting the use of card readers for

verification of eligible voters, he maintained that there should be no going back on its use. Olabisi advised the people to ensure that they collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) as it remains the only way they could exercise their franchise. He disclosed that the Federal Government had ganged up against the State of Osun and that President Goodluck Jonathan had not forgiven the state for not voting for him during the

•GMB Support Group members in Osun in a group photograph with the newly-inaugurated local government co-ordinators of the group and some of the invited guests at Olorunda Local Government Council Hall in Osogbo on Monday.

Ooni Hangs Jonathan’s Success On God

By shina abubakar

he Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, has told President Goodluck Jonathan that his chance of winning the March 28 presidential poll lies with God. He disclosed this last them in his second term. He said: “We understand Saturday when the President paid him a courtesy call in his t h e p a u c i t y o f f u n d s , palace in company of other please help us finish all the abandoned and uncompleted PDP chieftains in the state. The monarch rather than roads in the State of Osun.” In his response, President assuring the President of success at the poll, called Jonathan noted that his on other monarchs at the administration has touched almost all the sectors, gathering to pray for him. H e d i r e c t e d t h e promising to double his effort monarchs to stay round the if re-elected. He stressed that his Peoples Democratic Party, presidential candidate and administration has added about 25,000km of roads to pray for him. Ooni said: “By the Grace the roads in Nigeria, assuring of God, you will win the that another 10,000km would race. You monarchs here be completed in his second pray for the President to win term. Jonathan specifically the forthcoming poll; that he assured that his administration should be successful”. Welcoming the President would implement the report on behalf of the monarchs, of the confab. According to him, “only the Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba Adedokun Abolarin, the PDP can implement told the president that the the report of the confab. state was marginalised by Contrary to the opposition’s his administration as the belief, I did not influence the people felt no impact of his committee of confab and we government over the last six have decided to implement 100 per cent of the report.” years. He also disclosed that over He urged the President to ensure total representation N3.3 trillion was being used of Osun in his second term to import items, adding that tenure, if he wins re-election. it has been reduced to over The monarch specifically N600 billion. On the marginalisation of expressed dissatisfaction of the people of the state over the South-West by the present the ramshackle condition of administration, President roads in the state, appealing Jonathan said: “I promised to the president to complete that in the next dispensation,

the South-West will not be short-changed in any way.” The president also paid visit to the palace of Owa Obokun, Oba, Gabriel Aromolaran, to

seek royal blessing.

2011 general elections. Popular Nollywood a c t r e s s , M r s . To y i n Adegbola, revealed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has shown that there were more women voters in Osun. She also added that the state governor was also very interested in the welfare of women, as proven by the high level of regard his administration has been according women. She called on all the GMB Support Group members to maintain effective doorto-door campaign, which, she described, as key to the success of the party at the elections. The Technical Assistant to the South-West Coordinator of the GMB Support Group amd organiser of the programme, Engineer Felix Adeniran Ibitoye, aka Kilomodemo, stated that GMB Support Group was the umbrella body of all the groups working for the actualisation of the successful election of General Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s next president state. He announced that the group would hold a walk for change from Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo on the 21st of March and on Friday, 20th of March, a symposium would be held at Iloko-Ijesa. He announced that the South-West Coordinator of the GMB Support Group, who also doubles as the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Millennium Development Goal (MDG); Alhaji Abdulahi Binuyo, would have graced the occasion but was on a special assignment for Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

Osun’s Salaries Issue Is A Result Of FG Mismanagement Of Economy - Govt •Seeks Workers’ Understanding

overnment of the State of Osun has come out in the open to explain that its inability to pay its workers and pensioners is not unconnected with the shortage of revenue that has hit the whole country. This was contained in a press this whole saga which will statement issued and signed by be helpful rather than being the Director of Communication viewed as a deliberate act on and Strategy in the Office the part of the government. of the Governor, Mr Semiu “A government that ensured Okanlawon, reacting to a prompt payment of salaries on protest by some workers under or before 26th of every month the aegis of the TUC over delay since inception; a government in payment of their salaries. that introduced 13th month “ I t h a s c o m e t o o u r salary and a government that knowledge that today, some had commenced augmentation workers under the aegis of the of salaries with its hard-earned TUC came together in protest savings to prevent its workers against salaries that have not from tasting the bitter pill of been paid. revenue crisis cannot suddenly “While we recognise the wake up to deny workers their right of the workers to seek legitimate earnings. for the payment of that which “We are aware that President is legitimately theirs, we wish Goodluck Jonathan made some to repeat for the umpteen time statements during his visit to that the unfortunate owing of Osun at the weekend where salaries running to about three he was reported to have asked months cannot be divorced the people to demand for their from the crushing revenue salaries, saying his government crisis that has hit Nigeria as a pays states at when due and whole,” Okanlawon stated that some states have borrowed According to him,what is money beyond their capacities. required at this stage is for “The question Mr. President all and sundry to properly must be asked is: how do understand the genesis of loans obtained by states for

obvious development purposes and to bring better life to the people translate to revenue deductions across Nigeria to the extent that the whole country is facing this kind of heat? It is on record that the Director General of the Debt Management Office, under the supervision of President Jonathan came to Osun last year and declared publicly that Osun debts are within the capacity of the state. “He also recommends the Sukuk loan, which Osun took to other states seeking fast development for their people. What has changed between last year when the President’s Debt Management Office gave the state this clean bill and now? The governor’s spokesman also reiterated on how President Jonathan’s Minister of Finance, Dr (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been warning Nigerians to brace up for hard economic times. “ Wi t h o u t n e c e s s a r i l y harping on the fact that this is as a result of their shoddy handling of the nations resources at a time that we witnessed crude price hovering

about $100 at least in five years, can Mr. President justifiably claim that Osun’s unpaid salaries are not part of the hard economic times that his minister warned us against?” He therefore urged the people to recall that Governor Aregbesola had seen this coming a long time and as far back as July 2013, and had told Nigerians to call the Federal Government to account if the country would not be plunged into economic crisis. “Please recall that Aregbesola repeated this warning in February 2014 during a retreat by members of the State House of Assembly on the 2014 budget that the Federal Government had declared economic war on Nigerians. “However, as a responsible and responsive government, we can only appeal to our workers in the state and those connected with them for understanding. “What this time calls for is sober reflection on the part of all parties, as all hands must be on deck to ensure that we

If you have a story or advert for us, contact 08033927286, 08033880205, 08061197897, 08023191891.

News

osun Defender Thursday, March 12, 2015

Nigeria Must Return To First Republic Structure To Progress –

he Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) has called for a return to the First Republic’s regional political structure or the Constitution of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones into federating units. In the First Republic, Nigeria practised a true federalist system with three regions, Western, Eastern, and Northern, as federating units and each being quite semi-autonomous. The ARG, a Yoruba Socio-cultural pressure group, argued that Nigeria can no longer afford the cost of running the present political structure. The group made this call in its ‘Nigerian Democratic Governance Report,’ subtitled: ‘Curbing Political Instability and Extravagance.’ It argued that the country is over-governed with 36 states and 774 local governments and one Federal Capital Territory and said with the prevailing dire economic situation, the country can no longer afford to maintain the alarming cost of government bureaucracy. The group said the reason for the infrastructure decay in the country is that a huge part of government revenue in all tiers of government is used to service the bureaucracy of government that merely covers three per cent of the entire population. “When budgets of all these government tiers are collated, more than 60 per cent of all public expenditure in Nigeria goes to service these bureaucracies that consist of less than three per cent of Nigeria’s population. This high cost of governance is the reason we cannot fund the delivery of critical infrastructure and social programmes. High cost of governance contributes to high cost of doing business, which in turn reduces Nigeria’s competitiveness

in the global market. “Unfortunately, current economic realities show that Nigeria can no longer fund these bureaucracies as some states now owe workers as much as four months’ wages, with no respite in sight. One would not be a prophet of doom to say there is a high probability that two-third of states in Nigeria might not be able to pay salaries in 2015. This is another threat to political stability as social vices and malfeasances would increase.” The group also advocated devolution of power, and the restructuring of the revenue allocation formula, where states are made to control the resources in their domain and percentage contributed to the government at the centre. For instance, it frowned at where Lagos is not earning derivable funds for the thousands of ships that berth at its coastline yearly. “When will Lagos and other suffering SouthWest states have access to derivable funds, be it on import/export duties, corporate taxes, and VATs being carted away therefrom? Arising therefore, as revenue from other regions is not faithfully remitted to the nation’s coffer, can the South-West region pursue means through which a per cent of revenues generated from its area can be kept or taken up as other regions are doing?” The group, which also did an assessment of governance in the last 15 years, concluded that there are no appreciable differences in

the manner the country was governed during military rule and during the 15 years of democratic rule. Using the World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators from 1996 to 2013, the ARG argued that regulatory quality, government effectiveness, rule of law, and corruption have largely remained what it was during the military rule and throughout the current democratic dispensation. The report also shows a deep disappointment in the manner the present administration has run the country. The ARG, said the Goodluck Jonathan administration has failed in key governance indicators such as job creation and poverty rate, electricity, anti-corruption, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), political leadership, and special intervention funds. For instance, it said, the government has expended over N2 trillion on a myriad of Special Intervention Funds with only appreciable results in Nollywood and the textile industry. It concluded that most of the funds have either been stolen or diverted to other uses. Despite anchoring the 2014 budget on “Job Creation and Inclusive Growth” ARG said the number of jobs created is a far cry from the number of new additions into the labour market. It said the number of unemployed youths in the country is a recipe for trouble. “Such dire situation is bound to promote crime and aggression, evidence of which includes the stampede that led to deaths during the Nigeria Immigration Service recruitment exercise. Rather

than confronting the issue of job creation and poverty frontally, Mr. President and his government faulted the World Bank’s report saying: “If you talk about ownership of private jets, Nigeria will be among the first 10 countries, yet they are saying that Nigeria is among the five poorest countries.” ARG also said that President Jonathan has

also allowed corruption, especially in the oil sector, to fester, while corrupt officials acts with impunity with the tacit support of the President. “Why is the oil industry in Nigeria such an opaque box? Why can’t the government investigate the claim of Berne Declaration that NNPC in connivance with some Swiss traders swindled Nigeria’s government of

about $6.8bn?” It, however, commended the government for removing corruption in the fertiliser distribution system.

Plot To Shift Elections Again Thickens

By shina abubakar

ew plans to frustrate move by the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct the rescheduled elections on March 28 and April 11 thickened as the Young Democratic Party (YDP) is asking INEC to use its logo on the ballot papers meant for the polls. Findings revealed that the party enjoyed the support of the Peoples Democratic Party bidding of its sponsors. “One of the agenda of this (PDP) and the Presidency, which was alleged of funding party is to discredit INEC cum the process itself and its activities. The party has concluded set the stage for a legal tussle plans to frustrate INEC with in case the PDP cannot stop the collaboration of the PDP the election and it loses and possibly seek a legal eventually. This whole task action against the electoral for those that run the affairs umpire in a bid to stall the is a simple job to do. “I think some powerful rescheduled polls from people are trying to run down holding on the said dates. Among the plans of the this country for their selfish party was to fight INEC to a ambition, hence, the creation standstill prior to the poll and of YDP to run the dirty job with the support of the PDP like a movement was created and the presidency, ensured during the Sani Abacha Junta that the election did not hold run by a young Nigerian. This and in the case that INEC is another movement that refused to shift its ground and Nigerians may underrate but the election holds, then shift can do a lot of damage to the nation reputations”. the battle to the tribunal. The party’s first move was A source within the party claimed that it was seeking INEC to register its a creation of the ruling logo on the ballot paper at a party and enjoyed all the time the ballot papers were support of the party and the expected to have been ready presidency, whose ambition for the poll on February 28; to seek postponement of the meanwhile, the next move of polls through whatever means the party is kept closely in the mind of its spokesperson and possible. “So the biggest support its sponsors. According to the source, of the YDP comes from the PDP and the Presidency and the actions of the leaders of whatever some Nigerians do the party is pre-planned and to unravel the truth about the each move is a strategy to party does not really matter, as ensure people lose confidence long as the party is doing the in INEC leadership, but the

•Imo State Governor, Chief Owelle Rochas Okorocha (2nd left); All Progressives Congress (APC) Lagos State governorship candidate, Mr Akinwumi Ambode (right); Lagos-West Senatorial candidate, Honourable Olamilekan Solomon Adeola and Ambode’s running mate, Dr Oluranti Adebule (left) at the Town hall meeting held at Amuwo Odofin Local Government Council Area of Lagos State last Monday.

main target is yet to be made open to even members of the party for reasons best known to the party sponsors. “Deliberately, the party has fixed its primaries for March 25 and 26 to show that it is ready for the presidential poll, especially as it has the nod of the court to be registered as a political party after INEC had rejected their application last year,” the source added.

INEC Extends PVC Collection To March 22

By Francis EZEDIU-

he I n d e p e n d e n t National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) across the country by additional two weeks. The commission in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the commission, Mr. Kayode Idowu, said the latest extension offered the last opportunity for duly-registered persons to collect their PVCs before the general elections scheduled for March 28 and April 11. “INEC hereby calls on registered persons that are yet to collect their PVCs to use this last opportunity in doing so, in order to participate in the forthcoming general elections,” Idowu added. The commission said on Wednesday that it had succeeded in distributing 80.24 per cent of the Permanent Voter Cards to their owners. This figure indicated that 55,232,874 out of the 68,833,476 registered voters had picked their PVCs. Out of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Ogun State remains the only state that had yet to reach 50 per cent PVC collection. In the state, only 47.27 per cent of the 1,829,534 registered voters had picked their PVCs. This showed that only 864,292 voters had collected their PVCs. It would be recalled that the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, had described the card reader machines INEC plans to use to accredit voters during the forthcoming elections as a fraud capable of

News

osun Defender Thursday, March

•(L-R) Professor Pat Utomi; Rivers State governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi; Founder, Trinity House Minister, Lagos, Pastor Ituah Ighodalo and All Progressives Congress (APC) Vice Presidential candidate, Professor Yemi Osinbajo during an interactive session on “The Nigeria I see” with Osinbajo in Lagos last Monday.

Jonathan Not Sincere About Confab Report, Says S/West •Highlights Resolve To Restructure Nigeria

he All Progressives Congress (APC) has faulted a Nigeria in general not to notion being created by President Goodluck take the President serious Jonathan that the implementation of 2014 again, noting that the National Conference report is dependent only on his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had no idea on how re-election. The party, also, dismissed p e o p l e o f S o u t h - We s t to move Nigeria forward. the impression, describing Nigeria in particular and The party said the APC Jonathan’s statement as presidential candidate, illogical and unreasonable, which it said, was directed to earn cheap popularity from South-West trampled upon by his administration. By ismaeel uthman In a statement issued by the APC National Vicehe Divisional Police Officer, (DPO) attached to Chairman (Southwest), Ipetumodu in Ife North Local Government Area of Chief Pius Akinyelure, the the State of Osun State for the August 9, 2014 party said if the Jonathan governorship election in the state, Mr Alabi Abiodun, a d m i n i s t r a t i o n w a s has admitted that he gave Yahaya Adekunle, a member interested in restructuring, of the Youth Service Corps (NYSC), who was allegedly it would not have waited assaulted by policemen a sum of N10,000. for three years in office Adekunle, who worked Tab damaged in the attack, before convoking the 2014 as an ad hoc staff of the just as he told the panel that National Conference. I n d e p e n d e n t N a t i o n a l a sum of N10,000 was given The party noted that with the lopsided nature of Electoral Commission to him by the by Divisional federation his administration ( I N E C ) d u r i n g t h e Police Officer, Ejigbo Local inherited about six years ago, election had petitioned the Government, Mr Biodun Jonathan should have swung Commission of Inquiry Alabi, who was deployed into action immediately and on Disturbance of Public to the area for the election. When the case came up put necessary mechanisms Peace set up by the state in place “to equitably and government in Osogbo, on Monday, Abiodun, the fairly restructure Nigeria for a l l e g i n g t h a t s o m e DPO said he actually offered policemen assaulted him N10,000 to Adekunle, the benefit of all.” The party added that at Polling Unit 003, Oyere stating that the money was Jonathan was using the Ward 2, Ife-East Local not a bribe. report of the 2014 National Government Council Area Abiodun told the panel Conference as a political of the state. that the corps member weapon from a region his He told the panel that he reported to him that he was administration “has not been was putting on INEC jacket assaulted by policemen on fair to despite its support for and his NYSC kits as an August 10, 2014. the president in 2011.” official of the commission The DPO added that upon The party, therefore, asked conducting the election, the report, he conducted the President “to desist from w h e n s i x p o l i c e m e n ‘identification parade’ making promises he cannot stormed the polling unit where he gathered all the fulfil. President Jonathan and descended on him for policemen in the district should stop appealing ethnic no just cause. and asked the petitioner to sentiment in order to score He was demanding N5 identify those that assaulted cheap political marks. A President, under whose million from the police as him. He stated that he later watch the Ekiti election was compensation. Musibau added that his gave Adekunle the N10,000 rigged, cannot restructure NYSC uniform was torn and N1,000 each to his three Nigeria.” The party urged the and his Samsung Galaxy friends, adding that he also

General Muhammadu Buhari and his running mate, Professor Oluyemi Osinbajo, had made a covenant with the people of Nigeria contained in the 2015 Buhari/Osinbajo

Assault: Police Admits Giving ate with Adekunle in the plate and appealed Petitioner N10,000 same to him to allow the matter

to rest. According to the DPO, Adekunle requested for money from him as transport fare to his home town in Kwara State. Abiodun maintained that he gave the corps member the N10,000 as transport fare, after which he wrote a letter to withdraw his case. Also, Corporal Gbenga Ogunleye, who was the Investigative Police Officer (IPO) of the case, told the panel that the petitioner could not identify those that harassed him among the policemen during identification parade. Ogunleye stated that his investigation did not reveal that Adekunle was truly harassed by the policemen. The chairman of the commission, Justice Moshood Adeigbe, appreciated counsel of both parties for their cooperation, while promising to make a comprehensive recommendation to Governor Rauf Aregbesola based on evidence before the commission. He thereafter closed the matter for further public debate.

Manifesto. The party said once elected, the Buhari/Osinbajo government would initiate action “to amend the Nigerian Constitution, with a view to devolving powers, duties, and responsibilities to states in order to entrench true federalism and the federal spirit.” It added that the Buhari/ Osinbajo government “will restructure governance for a leaner, more efficient, and adequately compensated p u b l i c s e r v i c e s e c t o r, while promoting effective participation of the private sector for more robust job

creation programmes to employ the teaming youths.” It said the Buhari/ Osinbajo government would bring to an end an arbitrary deduction of statutory allocations due to states governed by the opposition party and the backdoor allocation to the states that are not critical of an anaemic national government under the PDP.

•Photo of the day, Source: Face Book.

News

osun Defender Thursday, March 12, 2015

Jonathan’s Visit: Omoworare Kicks As PDP Destroys APC Campaign Billboards In Ijesaland By ismaeel uthman

ome of the campaign billboards belonging to the candidates of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ijesaland were at last weekend destroyed by suspected members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the visitation of President Goodluck Jonathan to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade and the Owa Obokun if Ijesaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran on Saturday. In a sharp reaction to the incident, Senator Babajide Omoworare, representing Omoworare’s campaign Osun East Senatorial District billboards and those of other in the National Assembly, said APC lawmakers, who are reno other party could carry out contesting like Honourable the destruction of the APC Rotimi Makinde, representing campaign billboards except Ife Federal Constituency the PDP, describing it as an and Honourable Sijuwade invitation to violence in Ile-Ife Atetilewa representing Ife and Ijesaland. Central Constituency in the Osun House of Assembly

were destroyed. Posters of the APC candidates were also defaced by the suspected PDP agents, who carried out the destruction in Ile-Ife, Ilesa, Osu, Osunjela, Ijebu-Jesa, Kajola and other places in the senatorial district. When OSUN DEFENDER visited Ile-Ife on Monday, Omoworare, Makinde and Atetilewa’s campaign billboards and posters at Moro-Express road and Enuwa Square in Ile-Ife were seen either destroyed or defaced, likewise those at Osunjela, Osun State College

of Education road, Osu-Ilesa interchange, Osogbo road, Isokun road about in Ilesa. H o w e v e r, t h e P D P campaign billboards and posters in the aforementioned places were seen standing neat and untouched, while those of the APC were either pulled down, torn or defaced. In his reaction, Omoworare decried the destruction, saying that the PDP was by the act, preaching violence against the peace pact signed by the national and state leaderships of the APC and the PDP for a violence-free election. Omoworare said that

he was not surprised that the PDP went ahead to destroy the APC candidates’ campaign billboards to prove its existence in Ile-Ife and Ijesaland, adding that violence, corruption, bad governance are the hallmarks of the PDP. Omoworare, who spoke through his Media Assistant, Mr Tunde Dairo, said: “PDP people have their way of doing things, which is violence. President Jonathan’s visit IleIfe and Ilesa on Saturday and virtually all the APC campaign billboards were destroyed by the PDP members. “Only God knows what the PDP tried to achieve by

•Members of Jagaban Group at a prayer session organised for peace in Osun and Nigeria in commemoration of the forthcoming general elections at a location in Osun recently.

NIESV Advocates Involvement Of Professionals In Urban Renewal Drive By Francis EZEDIUNO he regeneration of old cities through the provision of good roads, clean drinking water and good sanitary system and the involvement of professional estate surveyors has been described as the best way to ensure urban regeneration for national development. This statement was made President stated that as part by Olorogun James Omeru, of the conference, particants the National President of the would go into some of Nigerian Institute of Estate the areas of the state on Surveyors and Valuers assessment basis. (NIESV) during a press Omeru commended held as part of programme t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n o f of events to commence the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola 45th Annual Conference of for giving the state capital the institute tagged: Urban an urban lifting but urged Renewal As A Catalyst For him to engage the services National Development at of professional estate Osogbo. surveyors in his urban The NIESV National

renewal transformation. The NIESV was also of the opinion that there was need for the old system to give way to the new so in that wise the state government needed to engage estate surveyors before urban renewal could be achieved. In the same vein the First Vice-President, ESV Patunola AjayI stated that the development of tourist centres with urban renewal and infrastructural development was welcomed. He stressed that in order to make these centres attractive there was need for the government to improve

on their quality thereby making them avenues for income generation. Ajayi opined that in doing this the state would be developed and in so doing it would be felt throughout the nation. “Developing the state also develops the nation and good packaging brings international investments.” He called on government at all tiers to be fully involved in urban renewal and also the creation of an Estate Department in

the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning. The Institute kicked against the operations of quacks but revealed that on 2014 the National Association of Estate Agents was formed so that the activities of these land agents who are not professionally qualified can be monitored and they would be subject under the code of estate agents.

destroying our billboards and posters. Every campaign billboard that belongs to the APC, especially that of Senator Babajide Omoworare were destroyed in Ile-Ife, Moro junction, Ilesa, Osu, Osunjela and other places when the President visited Ile-Ife and Ilesa on Saturday. “It is appalling to see PDP doing this. It is an invitation to anarchy and violence generally. Unfortunately, this is not strange. It is the manifestation of the First lady Dame Patient Jonathan’s campaign of violence. “Some days ago, the first lady told PDP supporters to stone anybody that says change. What do you expect when a first lady uttered such violence-promoting statement? It is telling you that the attitude of PDP is nothing but violence. When asked the steps to be taken by the APC on the matter, Omoworare said: “The APC will just have to report to security agencies. We will never engage in violence, especially in the State of Osun. We are Omoluabis; we will not retaliate nor engage in any dastard act like the PDP. “The matter is left to the court of public opinion; the people should judge the two parties. If you are carrying out destruction and defacing of campaign billboards and posters on the streets, you cannot tear away the positive impression that has been registered on the minds of the people by the APC. “We hope the PDP will not unleash bigger violence on the electorate on election days to prevent them from going in the change direction. We hope the PDP will allow the electorate to vote for who they want. For us, we will not retaliate. We know we are popular, so we do not need to be violent.”

Romancing Traditional Rulers Will Osun Assembly Warns Against Jega’s Removal Not Safe You, NCP Tells President Jon-

By Kazeem mohammed

he State House of Assembly of Osun has warned against subverting the forthcoming general elections, through the removal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, ahead of the elections. The Speaker, Honourable Najeem Salaam, through a press statement by his Press of the PDP extraction were Secretary, Goke Butika, said, waging media war against President Goodluck Jonathan the leadership of the INEC must come out clearer on the was because the commission alleged plot to remove Jega i n s i s t e d o n u s i n g t h e Permanent Voter card (PVC) before the polls. He stressed that Nigeria and card reader to prevent should not be dragged into rigging of the polls. Describing the castigation needless crisis over the position of INEC chairman, of the INEC boss as disgusting, saying that the ruling Peoples ridiculous and uncalled for, he Democratic Party (PDP) said, the noise by the ruling should spare the INEC boss party is at best suggestive that from its campaign of calumny. there was plot to subvert the The Speaker noted that the elections. “We should all strive to reason why some politicians

consolidate this 16-yearold democracy as a people, and no section of the people should see power as their exclusive right, but the right of those who could obtain the mandate of the people through elections. “Thus, it is needless to indulge more on the campaign of calumny, especially against INEC,” the Speaker asserted. He then implored the federal authority to discard the idea of removing Jega, if the card was on the table, noting that the consequence of changing the game when the game is almost at extra time would vitiate the credibility of not only the elections, but also democratic credentials of the country.

By ismaeel uthman

he National Conscience Party ( NCP) has stated that the visitation of President Goodluck Jonathan to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade and the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, on Saturday would not safe him from losing his re-election in the State of Osun. The NCP said the sudden traditional rulers as an effort romance of the president with in futility, maintaining that the traditional rulers in the South- 2015 presidential election goes West would yield no positive beyond what an individual or results for and could not yield institution could decide for the him electoral victory in the electorate. According to Lawal, the region. Deputy National Chairman traditional rulers in the Southof the NCP, South-West, West and Oba Sijuwade and Alhaji Waheed Lawal, stated Aromolaran want “good this on Tuesday while reacting governance in Nigeria and to the last Saturday’s visit of they could not market a failed President Jonathan to the Ooni product to the electorate in the of Ife and Owa Obokun of coming elections.” He added: “The monarchs Ijesaland. Lawal described President want change, so are their Jonathan’s romance with the subjects and the entire people

of Osun and Nigeria at large. If President Jonathan likes, he can relocate to Osun, still he will lose his re-election with a wide margin. “Gone were the days when traditional rulers decided the direction his town or city will go for elections. Now, the electorate are well-informed, sophisticated and hopeful of a better Nigeria. They are very sensitive to election matters than for any traditional ruler to manipulate them. “No amount of romance with traditional ruler could change the decision of the Osun electorate to vote out the president for obvious reasons. The people are tired of governments insensitivity to their plight. They want a competent and disciplined person to lead them”

osun Defender Thursday, March

Security Agencies and the Elections civil society and the base of the democratic ethos.

Continued from pg1

For example the Ekiti-gate tapes revealing the compromising of key operators in the security network has not helped. It throws up a dilemma. This relates to perception. And it induces a lack of trust. For the security agencies are not supposed to be involved in what is actually a perversion of the electoral law of the country. In addition the problem is further compounded by bringing the Army into the policing of the electoral process. This is not just wrong, it is dangerous for a democracy especially one without deep roots and one that is hobbled by weak institutions. Incontrovertibly, the police force must carry out the security functions on election day. To do otherwise is to undermine both

Let us also remember the warning of the Greek philosopher Socrates who centuries ago admonished that ` a soldier who goes into politics has already lost his honour`. He is absolutely correct! Like the judiciary the Army is the last line of defense of the republic. Like Caesar`s wife they must be transparently above board. Everything has to be done to protect both institutions and their operational independence and effectiveness. The military top brass also have to keep the politicians at arms length. This is crucial in order to maintain the professionalism of the Armed Forces. Immersion of the top echelon of the Armed forces into partisan politics undermines this and should be discouraged at all cost. The coming elections are a litmus

We therefore insist that our police must be neutral, impartial and uncompromising; being the main institution at the center stage of policing the elections. This is the role they are expected to play according to the constitution. This has now been validated by the Courts and we should accept For 16 years after the restoration of it as such. For those who are clamouring for the involvement democracy we should not continof the Army clearly have an antiue to describe our democracy as `nascent`. This is actually insulting. democratic agenda. And that not so well hidden agenda must be Ghana today does not refer to its exposed in order to nip it in the democracy as such. On the contrary the country is now deservedly bud. This is because the logiheld up as a beacon of democracy. In that admirable country an incumbent central government losing

Hidden Truth And Facts Nigerians Don’t Know About The Card Reader

t is very correct if I say that most Nigerians don’t even know the basic facts and importance of the card reader intended to be used by INEC for conduct of the general elections. Well, let me bring to your knowledge that the card reader is an important gadget aimed at stopping election rigging. It is to verify and authenticate PVC presented by a voter. The advantages of the card reader are enormous and cannot be over-emphasized; some of the advantages of the card reader are as follows; first, once the card reader is configured, it can only read PVC issued by INEC at the polling unit, where it was configured. Secondly, it enables authentication of the identity of the voter by matching his or her finger print with the code on the chip of the card. Thirdly, it keeps a tally of all cards read and authenticated with their details including the time when this was done. Fourthly, the PVC is like a data bank, in the sense that the verified information is sent to a central server via sms and this stored information will enable INEC audit results from polling units, as well as arrange statistical analysis of the demographics of voting, something INEC has never been able to do effectively in the past years. Fifthly, the ward collation officer can use this information to audit polling unit result sheets

and to determine whether accreditation figures have been altered; a common feature of electoral fraud in our jurisdiction. From the above facts, it can be concretely said that the card reader is an electronic machine and not a voting machine used for accreditation of voters in order to improve the integrity of voting process, a development we Nigerians should embrace whole-heartedly as it will flush out election rigging. With it in place, the days when politicians

in what I term as ‘survival of the fittest or survival of the strongest’ will come to polling units and hijack unused ballot papers either by bribing the electoral officers or by other means they deemed necessary to enable them rig the elections will become impossible and a thing of the past. Now, the card reader will guarantee accurate accreditation as it records the time and place accreditation took place, hence enabling INEC to audit results from polling units and know the number of unused ballot papers to expect back,

thereby making it difficult for those who intend to rig elections to manipulate the figures. It is only in Nigeria you will see a higher number of people voted than those that did accreditation, now, with the card reader in place, the trend of rigging elections will be put to an abrupt stop as the collation officer can determine whether accreditation figures have been altered or not. The dilemmas of the card reader are multi-faced; one, those who intend to rig the elections will feel dejected as they won’t have access

to the unused ballot papers, which has always been the tradition in the past to rig the elections by manipulating the figures. Two, those who believe in their party manifesto, selected candidates, etc. will enable them win the elections will be rejoicing. Three, the initiators of the card reader will be jittery about the success of the card reader because of those who are willing to do anything possible to ensure that the card reader is a flop and doesn’t work thereby making Jega and INEC’s efforts futile, these people are even will-

an election and voluntarily giving up power is now pretty much routine. We ought to be in the same league with Ghana, Republic of South Africa and so on. Other African countries are also following the same trend. That we are not, is very disturbing!

test for our democracy. Therefore in the scheme of things, the honour of the Security agencies and the need to be above politics must be held. The entire gamut of Nigerian life must be professionalised. The professionalisation of the security agencies is crucial in this respect. To compromise will be to endanger the very basis of our democracy. This is why unruly, anti- professionals such as Joseph Mba must be frowned upon. He in particular, represents a dangerous tendency which is incompatible with the ethos of democratic governance. It must be stopped!

ing to go as far as hacking into the system of INEC to make sure the card reader fails. It is important for us to note that the card reader does not contravene any provision of the Constitution nor the Electoral Act, rather it adds values to the desires of Nigerians to have a credible election in line with international best practice. If a free and fair election is successfully conducted, our symbol and pride as the ‘Giant of Africa’ will be truly manifested hence, let us all embrace this new innovation and development by INEC. I see us getting to the promised land sooner than expected. I am not a prophet of doom, rather, I am a realist and a positive thinker but my instinct tells me that Professor Jega is under tension as he is faced with the challenges on the success of his sincere intention to conduct a credible, free and fair election because of those who are willing to do anything to ensure use of the card reader ends up in futility. FAGBOHUNGBE OLUFUNSHO DAVID, Osogbo, State of Osun.

OSUN DEFENDER

Publisher – Moremi Publishing House Ltd. Managing Editor – Kola Olabisi (0803-392-7286) Editor

–

Kayode Agbaje

(0803-388-0205)

Lagos Editor

– Kola Odepeju

– Pet-Kola Taiwo Ibitowa

Production Editor Senior Reporter Senior Reporter

(08023191891)

– Sola Jacobs – Kazeem Mohammed

Magazine Editor

– Niyi Olasinde

Reporter Reporter

– Kehinde Ayantunji – Francis Chukwuma

Photographer Photographer

– –

Oluwagbemiga Adeniyi Olushola Aderinto

Admin. Manager

–

Murtala Agboola

Computer Operator – Computer Operator –

Saheed Afolabi Mary Akintola Assistant Computer Operator – Lukman Oseni

OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarantee Trust Bank GTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. All correspondence to the above mail address. ISSN: 0794-8050 Telephone: 0803-392-7286, 08033880205 Website: www.osundefender.com/index.php e-mail: osundefender@yahoo.com

feature

osun Defender Thursday, March

How The Tribunal Made Nonsense Of Omisore’s Petition (13) 1 2 I W O L O CA L GOVERNMENT:

Out of the 144 polling units in the 15 wards in Iwo Local Government Area, the Petitioners challenged the elections in only 53 polling units. In proof of their allegations, they called only two witnesses; they are the PW21 and PW22. The PW21 was a polling agent for the Petitioners. He was in charge of unit 11. His testimony at pages 1485 to 1486 Vol.IV of the Petitioners petition dwell on the following allegations:Paragraphs – “2, That I know that at my polling unit some voters were denied accreditation, and were not allowed to vote even though they came with their permanent voters card to the unit. 3, I witnessed the election at my unit, money was shared to voters at the queue, open campaign for votes, sharing of food and drink by Mr. Majester and other APC members at the unit. 4, That I know as a fact that Alhaji Dr. Ashifanu came with several women in purdah and these women carried out multiple voting at the unit and the security officers at the unit did not stop them at all and these continued till the end of voting at the unit. In the first instance, sharing of money, food or any other gift during election amount to bribery and if proved amounts to serious electoral malpractices. To establish this, it has to be shown that either the candidate directly induced voters or through his acknowledged agent authorized what was done or subsequently ratified it. See the case ofMusa and Ors v. National Electoral Commission and Ors (1989) 1 NSPLR 20 at 36. Again from the PW21’s evidence as reproduced, his claim that some potential voters were denied accreditation was not established before the honourable Tribunal. No witness came before us to say he or she was denied

•aregbesola

By Ibrahim Lawal

accreditation, or given food and money to cast his or her vote for a particular candidate. Finally, his allegation of multiple voting was also not substantiated. If there was multiple voting as claimed by the PW21, he ought to have demonstrated this before the Tribunal showing very clearly the specific areas of over voting or multiple voting. In fact all the allegations by the PW21 in his adopted statement on pages 1485 – 1486 Vol.IV of the petition were not proved. On PW22, his statement on oath also bothers on nonaccreditation of voters, voters register not ticked, threat by a group of people called “Jaishu Tahun” and one Mr. Dauda to kill all PDP supporters and anyone who cast vote for PDP. Irreconcilable entries

•omisore

in forms EC 8A and forms EC 8B in his ward and unit. Inexplicable and non-initialed alterations in forms EC 8B, open campaign during the election and inducement of voters with food and drinks. Some of these allegations of intimidations and threat to life, are criminal in nature. It was expected of the Petitioners or those of his supporters or agents who were so threatened or intimidated to report to the security agencies or a petition sent to the police authority including all the threats and intimidations. There is no proof of any report made to the police. The witness did not show to the Tribunal any altered result that was not initialed nor did he demonstrate before the Tribunal his alleged conflicting entries in forms EC 8A and EC 8B, in any of the units challenged.

A mere allegation that strange faces and or persons who were not registered voted is not enough in an election petition. It must be proved by the Petitioners that such unregistered voters voted and that they voted for the Respondents and that the result of the election was affected to their disadvantage. The evidence of the PW22 was short of the above requirement. His evidence in our mind lacks legal value. We observed that the Petitioners did not field witnesses in 51 polling units in the ward. They are considered abandoned. The allegations in this Local Government were similarly not proved. P a g e s 1 0 9 - 111 o f t h e Judgment delivered by Hon. Justice Elizabeth Nguveren Kpojime; Hon Justice Vincent Igometi Ofesi and Hon. Justice Abubakar Idris Kutigi delivered

feature

osun Defender Thursday, March 12, 2015

How The Tribunal Made Nonsense Of Omisore’s Petition (14) OBOKUN L O CA L GOVERNMENT In Obokun Local Government, there are 10 wards and 83 polling units. The allegations of the Petitioners are in respect of 30 polling units in 9 wards. The wards are Ibokun ward 01, polling units 001, 002, 003, 004, 005, 007, and 008. Ipetu Ile/Ada Owode ward, 02 polling units 005, 006, and 008. Ila hun/Ikinyinwa ward 03, polling units 002 and 006. Ilase/Idominasi ward 04, polling units 001, 002, 004 and 006. Esa Oke, ward 7 polling units’ 002, 003, 004, 009, 011, 012 and 013. Otan – Ile ward 8, polling units 001 and 005. Esa Odo ward 9, polling unit 006. In proof of the claim in the above wards and units, the Petitioners called two witnesses; they are PW40 and PW43 in respect of wards 7 and 8. The PW40 made a written statement on oath which he adopted as his evidence before this Tribunal during the trial. His testimony as contained in his statement on pages 887 to 889 Vol. III of the petition is not remarkably different from the testimonies of all other witnesses for the Petitioners. It also bothers on improper accreditation, conflicting or irregular and incorrect entries in forms EC 8A and EC 8Bs. He was the PDP ward supervisor and Collation Agent. In spite of all the allegation of electoral malpractices in his deposition which he adopted before us as his evidence in this petition, the PW40 admitted under cross-examination that he voted but after much troubles or difficulties. That there are 13 units in his ward and there were PDP agents in all the units. PW40 identified Exhibit 200, pages 19 – 25 when it was shown to him. They are the results received or collected from all the units in his ward. He admitted signing Exhibit 175 B5, which is form EC 8B. His name is also on the result sheets contrary to his allegation or claim in paragraph 6c of his deposition which he adopted as his evidence in this case. He could not also point out any discrepancies or improper entries in forms EC 8A and EC 8B. PW40 identified his signature on Exhibit 215 (form EC 8A). Further cross-examined, PW40 stated that he cannot tell the number of ballot papers used as he is not a computer wizard; he could not tell the number of valid votes cast for unit 9. He does not know the number of ballot papers rejected. That as a supervisor, he did not remain in a particular place. He

•A cross section of All Progressives Congress (APC) lawyers jubilating at the court room after the declaration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola as the winner of August 9, 2014 governorship election in the State of Osun at the Election Petition Tribunal that sat at High Court, Osogbo, recently.

was moving around. According to him, he personally witnessed the collation of the result in unit 4 and got the other results from his field agents through forms EC 8A. The evidence of this witness is neither here nor there. We wonder how he has to complain against the result of election in which his party agents were in all the units and signed all the results as could be gleaned from the Exhibits before the Tribunal. He personally voted after accreditation. He signed the results. Nobody who was prevented from accreditation and voting was called to testify. PW40 failed also to demonstrate before the Tribunal any other result that is authentic apart from the CTC of the result tendered by them before the Tribunal. The difficulties or troubles he faced or encountered during accreditation was not established before the Tribunal. His evidence again in our mind does not advance the case of the Petitioners. The PW43 statement can be found at pages 912 to 914 Vol.3 of the petition. He adopted same as his evidence in this case before the Tribunal. He was the collation officer for PDP in ward 8 and voted in unit 002. The PW43 in spite of his allegations and claims in his deposition admitted voting after he checked and found his name in the voters register pasted on the wall in his polling unit. He admitted before the Tribunal he voted for the candidate of his choice. He acknowledged receipt of Exhibit 200 pages 26 – 27, 27 (Form EC

8A). He identified Exhibit 175BC though bearing his signature but denied ever signing same. He admitted that the signatures in his statement on oath and Exhibit 175 BC may be his, but he did not sign Exhibit 175 BC. However, simple but careful comparison of the PW43 signature on Exhibit 175 – BC and his statement shows no remarkable differences. In our view, PW43 signed Exhibit 175 BC despite his denial. Again a careful examination of Exhibit 200 pages 26 – 27 shows the signatures of the parties’ agents including that of the 2nd Petitioner. The denial of the signature by the PW43 at this stage is rather too late. It does not help this case either. Exhibit 215 page 6 bears the name and signature of the PW43. He cannot deny it at this stage. Further, under cross –examination by learned counsel to the 2nd Respondent, the PW43 admitted before the Tribunal, that Exhibit 215 is the collated result for his ward and that in unit 004, A.P.C. scored 100 votes while PDP scored 124 votes and that the PDP won, but they struggled to win that unit. Yet PW43 insisted that the entries in that unit were wrong in that the PDP ought to have earned 300 valid votes and not 124. He however also failed to show the basis for these figures. There was no concrete evidence to show why the correct scores was not entered for PDP. The PW43 maintained that there was no accreditation yet he was accredited and voted for the candidate of his choice. PW43

failed to establish his allegations as contained in his paragraphs 6E, 6J and 6I. The alleged difference in the entries in formsEC 8A and EC 8B were not also established before us. Over voting, intimidation, harassment of voters as claimed by the PW43 in his deposition were also not substantiated by credible evidence. He failed to demonstrate before the Tribunal, how votes in units 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 were manipulated in favour of the 1st and 2nd Respondents by the 3rdRespondent. All the above notwithstanding, a person who participated in an election by voting after due accreditation and freely moving round the various other units other than the one in which he voted, cannot seriously complain of harassment and intimidation without credible and acceptable evidence. If there were registered voters who were prevented from accreditation and voting, it is left for the Petitioners to call such witnesses. It is also incumbent on the Petitioners who are alleging irreconcilable entries to show and prove same. PW43’s evidence is lacking in legal value, it goes to no issue. The Petitioners have failed to prove their case in respect of Obokun Local Government Area. Pages 111-113 of the Judgment delivered by Hon. Justice Elizabeth Nguveren Kpejime; Hon. Justice Vincent Igometi Ofesi and Hon. Justice Abubakar Idris Kutigi on the 6th February, 2015.

Feature

osun Defender Thursday, March

Jonathan Cannot Grow Beyond His Height

e just got the news that “Nigeria’s Attorney general has filed affidavits to scuttle use of PVCs for elections. First, it was a retired Colonel of the Nigerian Army and National Security Adviser to the President, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd) that ignited the ‘fire’ that truncated the February 14 elections. Now it is the No1 ‘counsel’ of the land, Mohammed Bello Adoke, that is initiating this fresh shenanigan. The questions are: What are they afraid of? What is Adoke’s problem with PVC, which had been put to use in the Ekiti election, which was ultimately rigged in favour of Fayose. The same PVC was also used for the Osun governorship election and adjudged the best conducted by INEC so far under Professor Attahiru Jega as chairman. “Mr. Adoke is opposed to efforts by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free and fair elections, using an updated electronic voters’ register and permanent voter cards”. This is contrary to the taunting of GEJ at campaign stumps and interviews that the adoption of PVCs will be part of his legacy to ensure credible elections, as well as a means to eliminate lapses recorded in past elections. Now the same Jonathan has sent Adoke to file a court affidavit to surreptitiously undermine the use of PVCs. No doubt, Jonathan continues to storm Nigeria happily! Any way, it is a matter of time, when all these storms would pass away, but their actions and inactions will put them in the bad column of records by which Nigerians and ultimately God will deal with them all. They should ask the ‘maradonic’ Ibrtahim Babangida, how miserable he will always remain each time he remembers June 12. He and his cohorts might grandstand and say they accommodate no regrets. Such would only remain on their lips. But deep down in their heart of hearts, they burn in fire of guilt! If only they could turn back the hands of the clock! And for these contemporary ‘actors of drawbacks’, it’s a matter of time when their shirts would sag on their shoulders. That is even here on earth. And in the hereafter, God knows how to deal with them upon the counts

•jonathan By Adebayo Mabayoje

of innocent Nigerians they have caused grief in their lives because of their selfishness. Whether Jonathan likes it or not, he can’t survive this onslaught. Nigeria is a winner. Democracy and rule of law will triumph over their lies. It appals like hell, seeing how GEJ keeps squandering the nation’s wealth. “Millions” is out of reckoning in their folds, as he doles out billions of Naira on daily basis. A calculation of the monies he is being alleged to be distributing must have accrued beyond the total of what he could legitimately gather as a president of the country. We read that he distributes billions of Naira every blessed

day, while many Nigerians die of hunger. Neither he nor any of his aides have refuted the allegations of his spending spree. Jonathan forgets that a man will not grow beyond his height. Yes, Jonathan cannot achieve beyond his destiny. Unfortunately, part of his destiny is that millions of Nigerians have died under him. Many more are still dying of hunger, terrorism and of lack of basic infrastructures like good health, which less than the billions he is throwing all about would have procured for Nigerians. If I were Jonathan, may God forbid, and I am faced with these growing fear of this ‘Imminent Change’, I would simply surrender to my destiny.

I will exit honourably. I will try to right some little out of the many wrongs that have been recorded in my score-cards. I would know that though most of my hangers-on would revolt for fear of sustainability of their illegitimate lifestyles, but I would be strong to look forward; my forwards, especially that of the hereafter. Jonathan cannot and will never grow beyond his height. His destiny is sure. He can’t go beyond this phase, but he can choose to be happy after this phase by allowing the people’s will to thrive. •Mabayoje, a public commentator on contemporary issues, wrote in from Lagos.

feature

151

osun Defender Thursday, March

Hacking Of Osun Defender Website, Real Reason Why President Jonathan Replaced Reno Omokri?

ou remember him, Reno Omokri. He is the Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on New Media. His major assignment is to propagate the Federal Government programmes and President Goodluck Jonathan in good image on all platforms of the social media. But of late, Reno has been an unwanted guest in the villa. He has lost his goodwill in the eyes of financial players of the PDP-led administration. In battling for survival and relevance, and last minute effort to save his job, Reno Omokri began a clamp down on some media outfits operating online. It is a known fact that there is a national rejection and dwindling popularity of the Jonathanled administration. In his private and official capacity, Reno has induced several bloggers to help re-engineer the image of his principal, all attempts failed. He went further to initiate an online opinion poll, which was hurriedly pull down when it was clear that GMB of APC would defeat GEJ. In the last few days, technical and ICT experts from and around O SU N D E F E N D E R newspaper have been in a technological battle with an internationallyrecognized Indian Hackers Online Squad led by Viveki Ramachdran, operating from India. Notorious Black Hat Hackers that formed the Indian hackers Online squad were involved in a recent fullblown online war with Pakistan.

•jonathan By ismaeel uthman

They were contacted by Reno Omokri and this was the last straw that finally broke the camel’s back. His instruction was clear for the hackers, who were heavily paid by the Presidency to bring down and completely wipe out all contents from archives of notable online media outfits working against

the second term bid of Mr. President. And OSUN DEFENDER made the list, basically because it is a widely reported rumour that the media outfit is owned by the arch-enemy of Mr. President, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, a man, who has publicly taken a deliberate swipe against the mal-administration of the Jonathan/Sambo p r e s i d e n c y. O SU N

DEFENDER, after analysis, is rated 3rd of the most visited online media websites in Nigeria with well above 200,000 daily viewers. And lastly, it has constantly and consistently thrown confusion into the presidential media team how the media outfit gets leakages of planned and orchestrated attempt in the Aso villa leaked to the general public. Sahara reporter, a popular online media platform based in the US was intentionally excluded from the list of online media website to attack by the hackers’ squad . O SU N T h e DEFENDER website: w w w. o s u n d e f e n d e r. org was successfully attacked and pulled down for about senven days by the India Hackers Online Squad but was quickly restored by crack-squad of white hackers hired by the OSUN DEFENDER management . Reno Omokri’s failure in this disastrous bid finally exposed him and the inner kitchen cabinet in the Presidency felt he needs to be replaced, and as such, they introduced Mr Obi Asika to salvage the image of Goodluck Jonathan in the next five weeks. Other online new media on the list of Reno Omokri for attack were The Nation Newspapers and Premium Times. Report however, has it that OSUN DEFENDER is back fully online after about a week downtime as a result of the attack, with a renewed vigour to keep Nigerians abreast of information that will

phototalk

osun Defender Thursday, March

Majiyagbe Group In Ikire Under The All Progressives Congress (APC) In The State Of Osun, Orgarnised A Special Prayer Session For The Victory Of APC Presidential Candidate And Others In The 2015 General Elections, Ikire, Last Sunday. Photo: GBENGA

•(L-R) Honourable Kazeem Alabi; Comrade Alamu Adebayo; Comrade Bola Hassan, Chairman, Peregun Group in the state; Chairman of Majiyagbe Group, Mr Ademuyiwa Babatunde (Bako) and former Senatorial leader, Osun West, Chief Ishola Oyewumi, during the programme.

•A cross section of members of Majiyagbe Group.

•A cross section of Islamic clerics during the prayer.

513

phototalk

osun Defender Thursday, March

Official Launching Of Instructional Materials For Use Of Public Middle/High Schools In The State Of Osun In Osogbo Recently. Photo: GBENGA

•(L-R) Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mr Lawrence Oyeniran; State of Osun Deputy Governor, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori and SUBEB Chairman in the State, Prince Felix Awofisayo.

•A cross section of pupils at the programme.

•A cross section of dignitaries at the event.

•Some of the distributed school materials.

politics

osun Defender Thursday, March 12, 2015

The Power Of The Humble Broom I have seen first hand how the choice of the humble but powerful broom as the symbol of a major political party has contributed to the growth of the local economy of remote rural areas in the oil palm producing belt of southern Nigeria over the past few months of electioneering campaign. From Ilubirin Agbabu, a remote waterside settlement near Ore, where the Irele/Ore oil palm settlement is located to Okitipupa, Igbotako, Omotosho, Igbobini, Irele, Ode Aye, and so on, we have the oil palm belt of Ondo State. Agbabu, one is reminded by an aging signboard is the location of the Agbabu Bitumen project conceived during the first republic but never implemented by a succession both military and civilian governments and long since forgotten. No government has bothered to invest in the local production of this vital ingredient for the modern nylon tarred road. It matters little that under the earth stretching for kilometres from Ilubirin Agbabu into the creeks that lead to Igbokoda, Mahin, Ugbonla Zion on the great western Nigeria water highways linking Epe to the right and Warri to the left. The

By Abimbola Daniyan

neglect of Agbabu’s riches means more profit for a few in profligate Nigeria while this remote corner remains literally in the dark age. The humble broom, the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s symbol is giving the women of Agbabu something to survive on with the rising demand for this undervalued but essential tool for cleaning in all Nigerian homes and surroundings of the rich and the poor. The hard working women of this area eagerly go with their male counterparts who climb the majestic palm tree to hack off it’s rich oily bunch and trim out the tree’s branches, out of which the powerful broom now sweeping across Nigeria politically is made by woman power. Many families eek out a living in the semi-abandoned oil palm settlements first created by

the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, first premier of the Western Region in the late 1950s. The living quarters are all in various stages of dilapidation with apparently no one caring one bit. Young and middle aged Nigerians of different ethnic groups make up the farm settlements, from their languages and dialects: Ikale, Urhobo, Ijaw, Itshekiri and Igbo mostly live and work here. The normal level of demand for brooms before now had meant that the branches of the palm tree fetched little income, compared to the political season when demand has quadrupled. The women are happy to see new buyers with weigh-in scale coming to their remote villages and buying tonnes of the humble broom at fair prices whilst relieving them of the burden of transportation to the. Far-away

“The broom revolution is powered by our amazing women working with their children from their humble homesteads, and though they may not know fully how their hard work is heralding the wind of change that is blowing across Nigeria’s four cardinal points, it is already winning hearts and minds from ethical injection of cash directly

market centres. This new idea is signalling the industrial exploitation of the broom and the oil palm’s other by-products that were once undervalued. It is estimated that the women from each household sell up to 3dozens of sizeable brooms (about three big brooms make one kilogramme which may be sold for N100 or more and gross about N1, 600 twice a week or N3, 200 for meeting family needs. This may seem small at first until you see the number of families it takes to supply 1000 kilograms or 1 tonne of brooms ordered by a major user. The broom revolution is powered by our amazing women working with their children from their humble homesteads, and though they may not know fully how their hard work is heralding the wind of change that is blowing across Nigeria’s four cardinal points, it is already winning hearts and minds from ethical injection of cash directly to rural families. The broom revolution’s leaders must prepare their minds to do more for these simple folks by making life less arduous and providing them some modern comforts to enable them get more work done.

How President Jonathan Cloned Abubakar Shekau

ndoubtedly, the news of the purported capture of the resurfaced leader of the Boko Haram terrorist group, Abubakar Shekau presently hovering around the Nigeria political space which may have been credited to feeders within the Nigeria Defense HQ or its mercenaries, is a bid to present a cloned individual as the original leader of the group, further blackmail certain people in the society, and ultimately result to further mudslinging of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. No doubt, Nigerians believe that the monster was a creation of the ruling party in their pursuit to maintain a firm grip on power, the nation’s treasury and extend their 16 years of futile rule at the center. This is at the expense of the lives and properties of the people, who are believed to be helpless in the face of the PDP’s misrule. In accordance with the statement of a former Nigerian dictator, General Sani Abacha on the consent of the government in power, if terrorism last for more than 48hrs in a country, and with a deep understanding of the relationship between a creature and the

By Kazeem Sulaiman

creator, Nigerians will collectively subscribe to the submission that a relationship convincingly exist between President Goodluck Jonathan and the leader of the most dreaded Nigerian based Boko Haram terrorist group. This evident claim has aided the fast rise of the terrorist group and the military’s inability to end the activities of this terrorist group for the past six years in power, which has brought so much shame on us as a people. The decision of the President Goodluck Jonathan led government to satisfy the conditions on which the February polls was untimely postponed, after President Goodluck Jonathan claimed to have underestimated the activities of the

dreaded group from its inception, is believed to have instigated the presidency to match the battle field in an attempt to either subdue or eradicate the Boko Haram Terrorist group, so Nigerians should neither be utterly shocked nor perplexed by the swift swing of the President Goodluck Jonathan led Nigerian Military to combat the over six years terrorism that has ravaged the entire North Eastern Nigeria and its environs, for this is a clear indictment of the incumbent administration which is in accordance with claims from well meaning Nigerians that the President Goodluck Jonathan led government has deliberately allowed the insecurity in the North eastern Nigeria to degenerate in pursuance of political points best known to the Presidency and the

“The decision of the President Goodluck Jonathan led government to satisfy the conditions on which the February polls was untimely postponed, after President Goodluck Jonathan claimed to have underestimated the activities of the dreaded group from its inception, is believed to have instigated the presidency to match the battle field in an attempt to either subdue or eradicate the Boko Haram Terrorist group, so Nigerians should neither be utterly shocked nor perplexed by the swift swing of the President Goodluck Jonathan led Nigerian Military to combat the over six years terrorism that has ravaged the entire North Eastern Nigeria and its environs, for this is a clear indictment of the incumbent administration which is in accordance with claims from well meaning Nigerians that the President Goodluck Jonathan led government has deliberately allowed the insecurity in the North eastern Nigeria to degenerate in pursuance of political points best known to the Presidency and the ruling party.”

ruling party. Nevertheless, the position of some members of the ruling class and the Nigerian masses that the Boko Haram terrorist group is a creation of the ruling party can be best justified with the ongoing perceived determination of the presidency and the ruling party to employ all necessary mercenaries towards bringing peace and tranquility to the North East, after the government’s nonchalant attitude for over six years that has led to the displacement of more than 3 million people, death of more than a hundred score, destruction of many over homes and death of our unborn cities, this calls for a probe by both national court of law and the international criminal court of law. Conclusively, Nigerians are glad to join the government on their sudden awakening from their six years of slumber by giving the insecurity in the North East a good fight. This will help us restore peace in our country and return sanctity in our society. Nonetheless, we also express our disappointment in the deliberate inactions of the President Goodluck Jonathan led administration to combat the dreaded terrorist group.

feature

515

osun Defender Thursday, March

Corruption And Death Penalty Advo cacy R ecently, the former Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Iyom Josephine Anenih described Nigeria as a cesspool of corruption and advocated death penalty for corrupt government officials. She linked the excruciating poverty level in the country, in the midst of plenty, to pervasive corruption. Although this suggestion that corrupt government officials be executed is not new, pundits have reacted to the advocacy that it might perhaps be the last resort to exorcise the cankerworm of corruption, which has eaten deep into the fabric of the nation. Corruption, in all its manifestations, has been described as the greatest single impediment to the attainment of national aspirations. Corruption checkmates all vision for a morally strong and economically prosperous society. Indeed, corruption is the anti-thesis of development and progress. Corruption is not only illegal; it is bad because it corrupts the very soul of the community. It makes nonsense of all planning and budgeting, and it wastefully depletes inadequate resources. It breeds cynicism, and promotes inequality. It almost renders it impossible for any administration to address the objectives of equity and justice in the society, with any seriousness and finally, it destroys the social fabric of the society, leaving each individual on his own to do only whatever is best for himself. Pundits have averred that politicians, in all the parties, and with only few exceptions, are soft, indeed even tolerant towards corruption. They may condemn it in the strongest of words and even make opposition to it a part of their electoral platforms and manifestos, but fundamentally, they do not have resolute, self-defining, self-constituting opposition to corruption. Defection of certified corrupt politicians from any party to another without questioning, jumbo salaries and allowances of legislators, the highest in the world, unaffordable for a developing country like Nigeria, more or less amount to a form of legalized but totally corrupt looting of our national coffers no matter how much they talk or seem to act against corruption, in the end, virtually all political elites, with only a few notable individual exceptions, are fundamentally tolerant towards corruption. They live and feed fat on corruption as the very medium of their existence as politicians. The “moral” critique of the humungous scale of corruption can have positive political results if and only if there are reasonably large numbers of political elites, who do take the struggle against corruption seriously and are willing and able to base both their electoral politics and their policies and actions in political office on that struggle. These existed in the first and second republics in spite of the political crises. Corruption has probably for long existed and will perhaps forever exist in all forms and at all stages of human social development, and furthermore while it has managed to co-exist in one way or another with modernization and modernity throughout virtually all the regions of the world, there is a boundary beyond which corruption on a monumental scale is a great crippling obstacle to progress, peace, sustainable development and well adjusted modernity. Nigeria, under military dictators and now under ruling class parties, has for long gone beyond tolerable limit, as far as corruption is concerned.

•Lamorde By A.S. Asaju

There are Nigerian economic or business moguls that make their wealth from productive, value-added and job-creating enterprises but by a wide margin, the great majority of wealthy, propertied classes make their wealth from corruption-related connections in ways that ultimately make their wealth non-productive. There is the need to use the struggle against corruption as fundamental to the country’s political future. Education, health, development, and basic freedoms to information, association and life, fair trails and private property rights all languish in the hands of a governance structure laced with corruption. Just as in human rights discourse, the socially and economically vulnerable suffer the most. The pertinent question is: Where can the people, the victims of corruption go for redress? Who will help when treasuries are being pilfered? When people talk of corruption in government, politicians as policy makers may be the first line of attack. But politicians come and go. So civil servants who tend to be there for all seasons get their share of the blame. It is the civil servants who are in position to frustrate the public (politicians) and then capitalize on their frustration, by asking to be “settled” before action is taken on their matter. The civil service should be a primary target audience for the crusade against corruption.

The crusade against corruption in the country culminated in the enactment of the Anti-Corruption law and the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commission. There have been cases of corruption in the higher echelons of the civil service, even before the Anti-corruption Act took effect. There are even those who think cynically that the anti-corruption crusade would be frustrated mainly by public servants, who have so made corruption a way of life that is normal not to expect them survive on their official and legitimate remunerations. Civil servants are reported to have developed infinite number of ways of out-smarting the system to avoid detection of their fraudulent practices. Everything should be done to restore sanity and morality to the system by eliminating the twin evils of corruption and inefficiency. At the inception of the Third Republic, the Obasanjo Administration, taking into consideration the matter of corruption in governance, submitted the Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Bill to the National Assembly almost immediately after the inauguration of the administration. The Anti-Corruption Law is a stringent one. It punishes both those who receive, and those who offer gratification. It imposes a duty, the breach of which is punishable by law, on everyone, from those who directly participate in the crime of corruption, to those, who, though not participating in it, yet have knowledge that such a

crime has been committed, or is being committed, and failed to report it to commission. Many aspects of procedures in government and general conduct of public affairs have been so thoroughly corrupted that the procedures themselves have become excuses for those who may not be inclined to fraudulent behavior. There is the need to critically look into this “corrupt environment”, so to speak. The pertinent questions are: Are there elements in procedures that compel corruption or make corruption easy? How can we sanitize our procedures so as to remove corruption that has become embedded in it? Recently, the Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Larmode, at a seminar on anti-corruption entitled: Fiscal Responsibility and Good Governance, said what was on the ground in the states across the land belied the huge allocations from the centre. According to him, “poor service delivery, inadequate infrastructure, poor management of public enterprises, bad governance, moral decadence and general underdevelopment are among the impact of corruption on attempts at development among state governments in the country”. I recall that at the threshold of 2007 elections, Nigerians were told that at least twenty-five (25) state governors would be gnashing their teeth in jail for corruption. The pronouncement created eddies in the political space, notwithstanding the fact that most citizens had expressed indignation on the profligacy among their leaders in the face of choking economic environment. Ironically, none of the governors was put behind the bars in the land as of the time the eightyear Obasanjo administration wound down. Rather, most of the so-called corrupt governors came out smoking as godfathers and kingmakers, fixing themselves or their proxies in strategic political offices in the country. Some of them stepped higher on the scale of rating among their peers in the political arena by emerging as senators, ministers and national officers of the ruling parties. There were others who created fiefdoms by floating parties, where they called the shots and became beautiful brides to desperados for power and authority at the highest level of government. One or two who were jailed were rehabilitated to the uttermost shock of the nation. Ribadu-led EFCC’s report to Senate came to naught. The report was on the commission’s investigation of the petitions and allegations of corruption against thirty-one (31) of the then state governors and governments. Part of the report claimed that the EFCC was able to establish cases of corruption against fifteen (15) of the governors, indictment against three (3), while six (6) others were still being investigated, just as only one (1) governor was issued a clean bill of health. I am of the strong opinion that the anti-corruption crusade appears to be losing steam. It is becoming very obvious by the day that there is a link between corruption in government in the country and the high level of poverty. This is obviously contrary to the general thinking that this could be due to global economic recession. •Prof. Asaju, the acting ViceChancellor of Oduduwa University, wrote in from Ipetumodu, State of Osun.

for the records

osun Defender Thursday, March 12, 2015

The Time To Act Is Now Being the text of a World Press Conference held on Saturday 21/02/2015.

THEME: State of the Nation…The 2015 General Elections, Matters arising. Good morning, Gentlemen of the Press, Comrades, Compatriots, esteemed Countrymen and women, This press conference is the initiative of Project Rescue Democracy (PRD) a coalition of over 60 Civil Society, Self-determination, Ethnic and Professional Groups, who, compelled by the recent happenings in our country regarding particularly the 2015 General Elections have elected a concerted collaborative effort as patriotic and public spirited groups desirous of rescuing our democracy and country from the abyss, yes we cannot fold our hands and watch politicians attempt tenure elongation under any guise or means. We cannot allow the musings of same, nor shall we watch unaddressed any attempt to further postpone the 2015 General Elections. The signs are ominous as a very dark cloud hung over the Nigerian political horizon as a result of the impending violations of the tenets of democracy and the constitution by forces of evil who are determined to plunge the country into unwarranted chaos whose consequence portends grave danger to our collective peace and security. There is a general rule of engagement in this trade which is known all over the world, it is definite that there will be a handover date because there is tenure for political office and as such, it is the responsibility of the elections management body to start preparing for the next general elections immediately after a general election and government has a responsibility to providing an enabling environment for the elections management body to perform its statutory responsibility. Then the dates are fixed, wherein all efforts are put in place in ensuring that the dates for the election and swearing of a new government remains sacrosanct. But what we are seeing today is that all the known values of transparency, fairness and credibility of the electoral system are about to be compromised. We have observed that the principle of one man, one vote is about to be imperilled. The E-card reader which the electoral management body has introduced to promote the sanctity of one man, one vote is about to be circumvented by political actors. Or what do we make of the attempt by some members of the Senate to discredit the use of E-card reader during the presentation of the INEC Chairman on Wednesday 18th February, 2015? For a government to be legitimate in a democracy its, power must derive from the people through the ballot box which must be seen to be free, fair, transparent and credible, which are all under threat in the unfolding Nigeria’s case. A whole lot of issues have been thrown up and are going to be thrown up to stop, derail, circumvent, discredit and frustrate the whole electoral process, from the issue of PVC, E-card reader to eligibility, security, threats of war, violence, intimidation, mudslinging, character assassination and so many other mundane issues which have no bearing with elections and sound democratic values. The following are issues which we want to present to the whole world so as to call to order, anti democratic elements and forces of evil. Free, fair, transparent and credible elections, a must! For a long time, Nigeria has basked in the embarrassment of controversial elections, but we have come of age with the introduction of the E-card reader by the electoral management body that will forestall any form of rigging and manipulation which the Nigeria electoral system is known for. Unfortunately, we are shocked and disappointed that major political stakeholders are up in arms against the use of E-card reader which we all know will eliminate multiple voting, because the number of accredited voters will not be more than the number that will cast their votes as recorded by the E-card reader. Small arms and arms proliferation: The threats of war and violence have no place in democracy and must be condemned. Thus, we are surprised that some characters in utter violation of democratic and civilized tenets have resorted to threatiocracy, that unless a particular candidate wins, there will be war and one would expect the security agencies to have responded to the threat by calling them to order, but we are not surprised that boko haram have been emboldened by such official negligence to issue threats against the conduct of the 2015 general elections. More so, we are disturbed by the proliferation of arms, small, big and deadly weapons. We are worried by the use of explosives in Okrika, Rivers State only recently which is a frightening dimension in electoral violence in our land. We use this opportunity to call on the security agencies to be alive to their responsibilities and urge them to further strengthen their intelligence gathering units to mop up all arms, ammunitions and explosives for us to have a violent free pre, during and post elections environment.

No to militarization of elections: The constitution is very clear and explicit as to the duties and responsibilities of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as provided for in Section 217 and 218 of the 1999 constitution which states explicitly the role of the military and nowhere is it provided for in the aforementioned section of the constitution where the military is given powers to be involved in election matters. The Court of Appeal recently held that the military has no business in election matters. We want to add that election matters are purely civil matters which is called the festival of the voters, it is not a day of war, it is the day the voters through the ballot paper award a pass mark to a government or rejects it, that is the practice all over the world and Nigeria cannot be an exemption. So the use of the military to conduct elections, suppress voters, intimidate political opponents is an aberration and unconstitutional. However, we are surprised that Mr. Femi Fani Kayode is asserting that they are going to use the military irrespective of what the law says and we wonder, if he is a court of superior jurisdiction? No to extension of election dates We are opposed to any extension of the 2015 general elections by any means whatsoever. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 in Section 135 (2) is clear as to the tenure of the government which is the handover date and any move or step taken against the actualisation of this date, will lead to serious constitutional crisis. Transparency from the National Assembly We shall continuously demand transparency and responsibility from the National Assembly regarding their actions and or inactions targeted at compromising the electoral process as Nigerians shall demand for open voting at the floor of both Houses should any such matter come before the National Assembly. ?Strict adherence to constitutionalism We demand that Prof. Jega adhere strictly to the provisions of the Electoral Act and the 1999 constitution empowering him to uphold the sanctity of March 28th and April 11th 2015 general elections dates without the interference of the Security Agencies, and to only postpone election in the places directly embroiled in uncontrollable crisis or war. We call on Professor Attahiru Jega to affirm his constitutional responsibility and refuse to be teleguided to carry out his statutory functions without fear or favour. No to interim government It is important to warn that Nigerians are opposed to any tinkering with the current electoral process either by way of an illegal Interim National Government or military intervention and that March 28th and April 11th 2015 elections dates and May 29th Handover dates remain sacrosanct because any deviation will result in constitutional crisis that may implode the system.

Tenure elongation We are not unaware of the proliferation of arms, armed conflict and orchestrated crisis to heat up the polity and give plausible reasons for the intended six months tenure elongation of the Goodluck Jonathan administration. National security We demand that the National Security Adviser (NSA) and service chiefs concentrate on their constitutional responsibility of defending and protecting the territorial integrity of the nation and hands off matters of election and electoral matters as recently upheld by the Court of Appeal because acting contrary for political expediency will be tantamount to violating the constitution. Collection of PVC We call on all Nigerians to ensure that they collect their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) which is the only guaranteed passport to vote on Election Day for a candidate of their choice devoid of intimidation, inducements, ethnic, religious and other mundane sentiments. Conclusion Gentlemen of the press, it is said by Frantz Fanon that every generation out of relative obscurity must discover its mission and either fulfil or betray it. We are not unmindful of the pains and tragedy of the June 12, 1993 debacle and that we may not walk that path again, we insist that the government and INEC make March 28th and April 11th, 2015 and May 29th 2015 sacrosanct, immutable and definite. We want it placed on record that times have changed and that what Nigerians permitted with little or no resistance in 1993, will not be allowed to repeat itself anymore as it’s obvious that the groundswell of public

517

economy

osun Defender Thursday, March

States To Default On Salaries As FAAC Allocations Shrink

•Godwin Emefiele: Central Bank Governor

•okonjo-iweala: Finance Minister

igeria ’ s s t a t e governments are facing challenging times as oil-driven monthly distributions from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) test new lows in 2015. States’ capacities to meet regular salary payments to civil servants will come under severe pressure as FAAC allocations tumble on account of declining oil prices. B is marck Rewane, CE O of Lagos-based research firm Financial Derivatives, says he expects “more states to default on salaries” as the government revenue pool shrunk to N500.1 billion in January 2015. “This would have been sharply lower if not for the 16 percent devaluation effect”, Rewane added during a breakfast presentation at the Lagos Business School on March 4. The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) abandoned the official forex window in February to trade in the interbank market, effectively devaluing the naira for the second time in four months, after crude oil prices dropped 50 percent to $61 in March, from June 2014. Rewane projects that oil prices

By Akin-olusoji akinyele

could inch up slightly to $65 before “sliding back to $58 per barrel”, not too far off the IMF’s $52.8 average price estimate for Nigerian crude this year. The massive drop in crude oil price at the international oil market has caused a “substantial loss in revenue” for the country, according to Jonah Otunla, accountant-general of the federation, who admitted this at the January edition of the FAAC meeting. FAAC allocations have lost 33.8 percent of a N756 billion record payment in June 2014, paying only N500.1 billion at the January 2015 meeting.FAAC copy Rewane projects a further N100 billion revenue loss, expecting FAAC to disburse only N400 billion to the three tiers of government in March. Analysts at FBN Capital have traced the origin of the states’ cash crunch to the national minimum wage of N18, 000 per month, approved in 2011, adding that “anecdotal evidence suggests salary arrears have developed in some states”. Investigations by

BusinessDay’s state correspondents confirmed a mixed bag of up-to-date salary payments vis-à-vis owed arrears by different states. One civil servant in a northcentral state, said the government had started paying but was not sure which month’s arrears was paid because salaries have not been paid since December. Another source from a southsouth state said the government was yet to pay four months of arrears, despite raising tuition fees at the state-owned university and being able to host an ostentatious electoral campaign event for one of the presidential candidates. “The state government is the largest employer of formal labour in most Northern and South-Eastern states, mainly through teaching jobs and other permanent and temporary roles in ministries, departments, and agencies” according to Lagosbased investment bank CSL stockbrokers. “Most states depend primarily on monthly receipts from the Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) to fund their budgets. Though there are a few exceptions such as Lagos and Rivers states.

Some state governments have recently stated they may be forced to seek bank loans to cushion the revenue shortfalls”, even as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to embark on a strike if workers’ salaries remain unpaid. One of the state leaders of the NLC declined comments to BusinessDay, when prompted in a phone conversation about the strike, preferring rather to issue a press release soon. The International Monetary Fund in a recent assessment of Nigeria, highlighted the importance of “improved budgeting at the level of state and local governments” to help better manage much needed fiscal adjustments in 2015. Latest available CBN data showed that internally generated revenues (IGR) across the states amounted to N586 billion in 2013, with only Lagos (53 percent), Kano (35 percent), Ogun (31 percent) and Rivers (26 percent) states being able to achieve substantial IGR as a percentage of total revenue.

•Culled from BUSINESS

for the records

osun Defender Thursday, March 12, 2015

Boko Haram Has Put Nigeria On Terrorism Map

Being A Text Of Address Delieved By The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.) At Chattam House, London, On Thursday, February 26, 2015.

ermit me to start by thank ing Chatham House for the invitation to talk about this important topic at this crucial time. When speaking about Nigeria overseas, I normally prefer to be my country’s public relations and marketing officer, extolling her virtues and hoping to attract investments and tourists. But as we all know, Nigeria is now battling with many challenges, and if I refer to them, I do so only to impress on our friends in the United Kingdom that we are quite aware of our shortcomings and are doing our best to address them. The 2015 general election in Nigeria is generating a lot of interests within and outside the country. This is understandable. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and largest economy, is at a defining moment, a moment that has great implications beyond the democratic project and beyond the borders of my dear country. So let me say upfront that the global interest in Nigeria’s landmark election is not misplaced at all and indeed should be commended; for this is an election that has serious import for the world. I urge the international community to continue to focus on Nigeria at this very critical moment. Given increasing global linkages, it is in our collective interests that the postponed elections should hold on the rescheduled dates; that they should be free and fair; that their outcomes should be respected by all parties; and that any form of extension, under whichever guise, is unconstitutional and will not be tolerated. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War, democracy became the dominant and most preferred system of government across the globe. That global transition has been aptly captured as the triumph of democracy and the ‘most pre-eminent political idea of our time.’ On a personal note, the phased end of the USSR was a turning point for me. It convinced me that change can be brought about without firing a single shot. As you all know, I had been a military head of state in Nigeria for twenty months. We intervened because we were unhappy with the state of affairs in our country. We wanted to arrest the drift. Driven by patriotism, influenced by the prevalence and popularity of such drastic measures all over Africa and elsewhere, we fought our way

•All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate in Nigeria, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) (on the podium) addressing dignitaries during the meeting General Buhari held with United Kingdom officials at Chattam House, London recently.

to power. But the global triumph of democracy has shown that another and a preferable path to change is possible. It is an important lesson I have carried with me since, and a lesson that is not lost on the African continent. In the last two decades, democracy has grown strong roots in Africa. Elections, once so rare, are now so commonplace. As at the time I was a military head of state between 1983 and 1985, only four African countries held regular multi-party elections. But the number of electoral democracies in Africa, according to Freedom House, jumped to 10 in 1992/1993 then to 18 in 1994/1995 and to 24 in 2005/2006. According to the New York Times, 42 of the 48 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa conducted multi-party elections between 1990 and 2002. The newspaper also reported that between 2000 and 2002, ruling parties in four African countries (Senegal, Mauritius, Ghana and Mali) peacefully handed over power to victorious opposition parties. In addition, the proportion of African countries categorized as not free by Freedom House declined from 59% in 1983 to 35% in 2003. Without doubt, Africa has been part of the current global wave of democratisation. But the growth of democracy on the continent has been uneven. According to Freedom House, the number of electoral democra-

cies in Africa slipped from 24 in 2007/2008 to 19 in 2011/2012; while the percentage of countries categorised as ‘not free’ assuming for the sake of argument that we accept their definition of “free” increased from 35% in 2003 to 41% in 2013. Also, there have been some reversals at different times in Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Mali, Madagascar, Mauritania and Togo. We can choose to look at the glass of democracy in Africa as either half full or half empty. While you can’t have representative democracy without elections, it is equally important to look at the quality of the elections and to remember that mere elections do not democracy make. It is globally agreed that democracy is not an event, but a journey. And that the destination of that journey is democratic consolidation – that state where democracy has become so rooted and so routine and widely accepted by all actors. With this important destination in mind, it is clear that though many African countries now hold regular elections, very few of them have consolidated the practice of democracy. It is important to also state at this point that just as with elections, a consolidated democracy cannot be an end by itself. I will argue that it is not enough to hold a series of elections or even to peacefully alternate power among

parties. It is much more important that the promise of democracy goes beyond just allowing people to freely choose their leaders. It is much more important that democracy should deliver on the promise of choice, of freedoms, of security of lives and property, of transparency and accountability, of rule of law, of good governance and of shared prosperity. It is very important that the promise embedded in the concept of democracy, the promise of a better life for the generality of the people, is not delivered in the breach. Now, let me quickly turn to Nigeria. As you all know, Nigeria’s fourth republic is in its 16th year and this general election will be the fifth in a row. This is a major sign of progress for us, given that our first republic lasted five years and three months, the second republic ended after four years and two months and the third republic was a still-birth. However, longevity is not the only reason why everyone is so interested in this election. The major difference this time around is that for the very first time since transition to civil rule in 1999, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is facing its stiffest opposition so far from our party the All Progressives Congress (APC). We once had about 50 political parties, but with no real competition. Now Nigeria is transitioning from a dominant party system

519

for the records

osun Defender Thursday, March 12, 2015

Boko Haram Has Put Nigeria On Terrorism Map to a competitive electoral polity, which is a major marker on the road to democratic consolidation. As you know, peaceful alternation of power through competitive elections have happened in Ghana, Senegal, Malawi and Mauritius in recent times. The prospects of democratic consolidation in Africa will be further brightened when that eventually happens in Nigeria. But there are other reasons why Nigerians and the whole world are intensely focussed on this year’s elections, chief of which is that the elections are holding in the shadow of huge security, economic and social uncertainties in Africa’s most populous country and largest economy. On insecurity, there is a genuine cause for worry, both within and outside Nigeria. Apart from the civil war era, at no other time in our history has Nigeria been this insecure. Boko Haram has sadly put Nigeria on the terrorism map, killing more than 13,000 of our nationals, displacing millions internally and externally, and at a time holding on to portions of our territory the size of Belgium. What has been consistently lacking is the required leadership in our battle against insurgency. I, as a retired general and a former head of state, have always known about our soldiers: they are capable, well trained, patriotic, brave and always ready to do their duty in the service of our country. You all can bear witness to the gallant role of our military in Burma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Darfur and in many other peacekeeping operations in several parts of the world. But in the matter of this insurgency, our soldiers have neither received the necessary support nor the required incentives to tackle this problem. The government has also failed in any effort towards a multi-dimensional response to this problem leading to a situation in which we have now become dependent on our neighbours to come to our rescue. Let me assure you that if I am elected president, the world will have no cause to worry about Nigeria as it has had to recently; that Nigeria will return to its stabilising role in West Africa; and that no inch of Nigerian territory will ever be lost to the enemy because we will pay special attention to the welfare of our soldiers in and out of service, we will give them adequate and modern arms and ammunitions to work with, we will improve intelligence gathering and border controls to choke Boko Haram’s financial and equipment channels, we will be tough on terrorism and tough on its root causes by initiating a comprehensive economic development plan

•General Muhammadu Buhari (3rd left); APC Leader in Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (at the back of Amaechi); Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi (right); former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi (2nd left) and UK officials.

promoting infrastructural development, job creation, agriculture and industry in the affected areas. We will always act on time and not allow problems to irresponsibly fester, and I, Muhammadu Buhari, will always lead from the front and return Nigeria to its leadership role in regional and international efforts to combat terrorism. On the economy, the fall in prices of oil has brought our economic and social stress into full relief. After the rebasing exercise in April 2014, Nigeria overtook South Africa as Africa’s largest economy. Our GDP is now valued at $510 billion and our economy rated 26th in the world. Also on the bright side, inflation has been kept at single digit for a while and our economy has grown at an average of 7% for about a decade. But it is more of paper growth, a growth that, on account of mismanagement, profligacy and corruption, has not translated to human development or shared prosperity. A development economist once said three questions should be asked about a country’s development: one, what is happening to poverty? Two, what is happening to unemployment? And three, what is happening to inequality? The answers to these questions in Nigeria show that the current administration has created two economies in one country, a sorry tale of two nations: one economy for a few who have so much in their tiny island of prosperity; and the other economy for the many who have so little in their vast ocean of misery. Even by official figures, 33.1% of Nigerians live in extreme pov-

erty. That’s at almost 60 million, almost the population of the United Kingdom. There is also the unemployment crisis simmering beneath the surface, ready to explode at the slightest stress, with officially 23.9% of our adult population and almost 60% of our youth unemployed. We also have one of the highest rates of inequalities in the world. With all these, it is not surprising that our performance on most governance and development indicators (like Mo Ibrahim Index on African Governance and UNDP’s Human Development Index.) are unflattering. With fall in the prices of oil, which accounts for more than 70% of government revenues, and lack of savings from more than a decade of oil boom, the poor will be disproportionately impacted. In the face of dwindling revenues, a good place to start the repositioning of Nigeria’s economy is to swiftly tackle two ills that have ballooned under the present administration: waste and corruption. And in doing this, I will, if elected, lead the way, with the force of personal example. On corruption, there will be no confusion as to where I stand. Corruption will have no place and the corrupt will not be appointed into my administration. First and foremost, we will plug the holes in the budgetary process. Revenue producing entities such as NNPC and Customs and Excise will have one set of books only. Their revenues will be publicly disclosed and regularly audited. The institutions of state dedicated to fighting corruption will be given independence and prosecutorial authority without

political interference. But I must emphasise that any war waged on corruption should not be misconstrued as settling old scores or a witch-hunt. I’m running for President to lead Nigeria to prosperity and not adversity. In reforming the economy, we will use savings that arise from blocking these leakages and the proceeds recovered from corruption to fund our party’s social investments programmes in education, health, and safety nets such as free school meals for children, emergency public works for unemployed youth and pensions for the elderly. As a progressive party, we must reform our political economy to unleash the pent-up ingenuity and productivity of the Nigerian people thus freeing them from the curse of poverty. We will run a private sector-led economy but maintain an active role for government through strong regulatory oversight and deliberate interventions and incentives to diversify the base of our economy, strengthen productive sectors, improve the productive capacities of our people and create jobs for our teeming youths. In short, we will run a functional economy driven by a worldview that sees growth not as an end by itself, but as a tool to create a society that works for all, rich and poor alike. On March 28, Nigeria has a decision to make. To vote for the continuity of failure or to elect progressive change. I believe the people will choose wisely.

interview

osun Defender Thursday, March 12, 2015

PDP Chasing Shadows On 2014 Election Litigation Afo labi Barrister Wale Afolabi was the first Speaker of the Osun State House Assembly and the immediate-past Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in the state. In an interview with KAZEEM MOHAMMED, Afolabi, who is one of the leading members of the legal team of Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the election petition tribunal, spoke on the litigation arising from the August 9, 2014 governorship election, and the struggle for government at the center among other issues. Excerpts:-

SDF: Sequel to the judgement of the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, the PDP has gone to the Court of Appeal, instilling confidence in their members that they would win, what is your comment? AFOLABI: When I see people discussing this issue with me, or I read in newspaperss, I always laugh, because if you look at the case that the PDP brought to court, in the first instance, it should not even have come to court at all, because they have no case. For example, they said we did not win by majority of lawful votes, but by calculation, even if we agree that they prove the case and deduct all the votes they are complaining about, we still lead by over 16,000 votes. What we are saying is that they did not prove anything at all. In those days, when there was no tension in the land, in cases like this, we will just file a preliminary objection and that they have ‘No Course of Action. It means that even if they succeed in what they are claiming, they cannot win and so why do you have to come to court. That is the basis of their case. Apart from that, let us now look at the merit of it, they said they will call 600 witnesses, they ended up calling 43 witnesses. They challenged over 900 polling units and they could not call evidence to prove their case. The witnesses they called were either ward supervisors or the so-called collation agents for the whole state. How can those people give evidence of what happened at the polling units? They have to lead evidence in all the polling units they are challenging to say that the election was not free, not fair and not credible. They claimed that the result of the election were not signed and stamped and when their witnesses came, we showed it to them, they confirmed that they signed. They said the results were mutilated, their witnesses said they were not mutilated; they said there was no stamp, we showed them and the results were stamped. So there was no basis for them to come to court at all. What I think they did was that they don’t want to lose their supporters and that was why they came to court. Election petition is not for fun; you don’t just come to court for the fun of it. They have wasted the time of the court, wasted the time of litigants and the lawyers. OSDF: But the allegation was that the tribunal was compromised by the respondents’ team and that was why they could not get justice, how will you react? AFOLABI: That is the problem about the PDP. Anytime they lose, they would find somebody to blame for their loss. It is their stock in trade. Let them bring evidence as to when and where the tribunal was compromised. There was nothing like that. If you follow the judgement, initially you would think that the tribunal would dismiss the petition based on our preliminary objection that they filed their papers out of time, which they agreed. They agreed that they did not file their papers within time, but they are giving excuses for their negligence. If they are serious about their case, why didn’t they file within time? There are provisions in the rules but they did not comply, meaning that they are not serious with the case, but they were trying to shift blames. They are shifting blame because they know that judges don’t talk, except in court. OSDF: Are you saying nothing would come out of their case at the Appeal Court? AFOLABI: I am so confident of that. We have looked at the brief they filed, there is nothing substantial. It was just like their petition. Apart from that, you don’t build something on nothing. Their case has no leg to stand on, either at the tribunal or at the appeal. Their appeal is just a waste of time and they are only finding another way of lying to their supporters as they have been doing before. If you remember the day we adopted written addresses, you will see that Omisore himself was not comfortable in court because the

•afolabi judges asked their lawyers so many questions only for their supporters to be jubilating based on the lies they were told. That is the kind of the person they are. So, in the same vein, they will not get anything from their appeal. OSDF: Have you replied to the appeal now? AFOLABI: We have prepared our reply and we have up till the week (last weekend) to file our reply. I must say that we also filed a cross-appeal to the effect that they did not file their papers within time and as a result, the judge should have dismissed their case at the preliminary stage. This was almost happening when the judge affirmed that they did not file their papers within time, but the judge just found a way of saving them to go to the merit of the petition. So, we have our cross-appeal that their petition should have been treated as abandoned because they did not do what they were supposed to do within time. OSDF: Do you think your party, APC and Buhari/Osinbajo ticket is the answer to Nigeria’s problems? AFOLABI: Definitely! If you look at the antecedent of General Buhari and the record of Professor Yemi Osinbajo, you will see that the desired change is imminent. When Buhari was the Head of State, he instilled discipline into the polity, even into our ways of life. This man was the Head of State, Chairman of PTF, Minister of Petroleum and nobody up till today could say he was corrupt. So, the APC has credible candidates and I have no doubt that he would perform very well. Also, we have our manifestoes and our party programme, which he is going to implement. Unlike the PDP that is a party of indisciplined people, we are disciplined in our party and if you look at the APC governors, they are pursuing the policies of our party and I am sure that when Buhari gets there, he

would do the same thing. Also, Osinbajo, I have known him for a long time and when he was the the Attorney-General in Lagos State, he did so many reforms for the judiciary and I know that when he gets to the federal, he would do more. One thing I know is that Nigeria is not a poor country, but it is the way they are managing our economy that is causing our problems, which we must change. Things have gone bad that they are not giving state money again. The salary in Osun is N3.6 billion and the last allocation we collected was N1.2 billion, which is not even enough to pay salaries. They don’t know how to manage the economy and the best thing is for them to leave the place and let competent people manage it for us, because you cannot give what you don’t have. OSDF: There have been several issues raised against Buhari, ranging from his certificate, to his age and health condition, do you think this is not going to affect his chances? AFOLABI: They are doing all that because they are being threatened by his popularity. Femi Fani-Kayode, who is their megaphone, is a person like that. He has studied the situation and discovered that they cannot match Buhari in terms of performance. What they are now trying to do is to destroy him, but as they are raising these issues, Buhari is become more popular and acceptable to Nigerians. We have said that this campaign should be issue-based and not campaign of calumni and character assassination, but they cannot stop because they don’t have any issue to talk about. What have they managed well? Is it power, economy, security or infrastructure? They have failed Nigerians and they have to leave. OSDF: The PDP and some groups have raised issues about the use of card readers

for the election, do you support the use of card readers? AFOLABI: Of course, I do because it is the best for us to have free and fair election. The PDP is raising issue against the card readers because for the first time, they are facing the challenges that they cannot rig election with it and that is why they don’t like it. Why are they afraid of card reader if not for their ill-motive? They are even saying we should revert to the use of Temporary Voters Card instead of Permanent Voter Cards. The INEC has said that with the number of PVC collection, it is ready to conduct the election, what then is their problem? The issue is that they are jittery and that is why they are finding excuses and in the next two weeks, they won’t have anything to say again about the PVC issue. Don’t forget that they even want to remove Professor Attahiru Jega because he wants to do things in a right way. So, they are the ones having problems, but their time is over. OSDF: Within the last four years that you served as Attorney-General in Osun, will you say that the legal system improved in the state? AFOLABI: It has improved tremendously. As at the time we came, most of our judges don’t even have Computer Laptops to use to prepare cases, check judgement and the rest, but the government bought all these things. In terms of human capacity, when we came, we met 18 Magistrates, we employed more 19, so that we will have more magistrates on the jobs throughout the state to improve on justive delivery system. Also, we have appointed three more judges to assist the ones we met on ground. In the Ministry of Justice too, when we came, we met 28 lawyers and we employed 20 more. These are the ways to improve justice delivery system. These and several other things have been done and more are still going to be done to improve our justice delivery system in the state. OSDF: You recently spoke about the dwindling allocation to the state, don’t you think this will affect the performance of Governor Aregbesola in his second term? AFOLABI: If you know the kind of person we have as a governor, you will know that he is an intelligent man, a man of vision, passion and action. He will definitely find solution to it. I know it is tough, but I have no doubt that he will find solution to it. OSDF: Your message to the people of Osun and Nigeria in general? AFOLABI: To the people of Osun, I want to thank them for standing by us. At the last election, people stood by us when they brought soldiers and SSS men arresting our party leaders and clamping them in detention. Our people have risked everything to get this government back to power and they will not be dissapointed. Despite the lean resources of the state, people should be rest assured that this second term would even be better than the first term. To the entire country, I want to advise that the people should go out to vote and vote out Jonathan. He cannot remain the President of this country again. He has been there for six years, he has tried all the tricks and it is clear that he does know how to govern. If we change him, and bring in APC government with Buhari as President, there will be remarkable difference.

feature

521

osun Defender Thursday, March 12,

Osun And The General Elections T he A u g u s t 9 , 2014 gubernatorial election in the State of Osun and the tribunal judgment lost by Senator Iyiola Omisore have come and gone. The winner, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the incumbent governor, has been declared the elected candidate having polled the highest number of votes and also fulfilled all the requirements as stipulated in the Electoral Act. Senator Omisore and PDP battled fruitlessly to tilt the tribunal judgment in their favour, even when the peace-loving Osun people have rejected them at the poll. To all Nigerians, the election was free and fair and that was why there was not a single report of protest from all quarters across the state. That things went freely on the election day was due to the resilience of the Osun people, who have vowed that Osun will not again be a theatre of political war. The state has witnessed uninterrupted p e a c e a n d t r a n q u i l l i t y, a n atmosphere that no doubt engenders positive development and attracted investments. The prelude to the election and its aftermath was laced with several innuendos and a big sacrifice on the part of all peace-loving people of the state who persevered. That all stakeholders comprising distinguished Osunnites including all former executive governors of the state, Chief Isiaka Adeleke, Chief Bisi Akande and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola teamed up with Ogbeni Aregbesola is not just a political rigmarole but a signal to all concerned that the federal might will not be allowed to prevail as witnessed in Ekiti. President Jonathan received accolade for organising a free and fair election, forgetting that there would have been total breakdown of law and order if Osun people and APC as a party had not persevered in the face of tyranny brought upon them by the PDP-led Federal Government. However, a number of issues have been raised on the role of law enforcement agencies and conduct of elections in Nigeria. Several Nigerians commended the President and leadership of INEC on the outcome of the elections in Edo, Anambra, Ondo, Ekiti and Osun states. Mr President gave himself thumb-up for losing elections in all other states except Ekiti in the last two years. But discerning minds know that APGA and labour party candidates in Anambra and Ondo are in PDP cloak. Governor Mimiko and ex-Governor Peter Obi have confirmed the insinuations with their recent defection to PDP. Unfortunately, Aso Rock and PDP hierarchy failed to realise that our dear people of Osun know the inside out of the anointed candidate they

•aregbesola: The Victor By Adebayo Ogun-

were making unjust and fruitless efforts to impose on them. So, the people’s verdict was not just for Ogbeni Aregbesola to continue his welfarist programmes. It was a resistance to PDP’s kleptomaniac hegemony over Osun. Osun people voted and ensured their votes were counted. Men and women, young and old were all vigilant. All attempts to rig the election were subtly resisted by the people. The most intriguing aspect was the dozens of APC leaders unjustly arrested on the eve of the election and kept in the gulag without trial by Jonathan’s security agents. Where is justice and why do we think President Jonathan deserves accolade for using hooded armed men to terrorise Osun people during the election? We need to have a rethink on the use of military’s role in Nigeria’s elections. They should be a back-up force to forestall violence. August 9, 2014 governorship election was a liberation struggle in Osun. One hopes Nigerian electorate would emulate the spirit of Osun people and liberate themselves from the cluster of internal colonialists, who have vowed never to let our dear country grow. Osun election victory is a strong signal to all tyrants on this mother-earth that people’s desire will always prevail. Our people endured the agonies of the occupation and triumphed in the end.

As they did in 2011 presidential election, Osun people once again through the ballots, liberated us anew, from corrupt and inept leadership the mighty PDP government sought to impose on their psyche. One hopes this feat will be the needed infectious virus that will spiral across Nigeria on March 28 and snowball to a great modern revolution that will ultimately usher Nigeria into the new millennium we all crave for through an APC-led Federal Government. Suffice to say that several gunwielding hooded men in convoy with unmarked vehicles woke people up in their sleep with sporadic gunshots, arrested and harassed many APC stalwarts and observers with impunity on the eve of the election. The APC Publicity Secretary, Chief Lai Mohammed, was apparently abducted by Department of State Security operatives in this manner. Is this part of attempts to build a nation where peace and justice shall reign? Nigeria is a theatre of absurd! Marilyn Orga, the image maker of Department of State Security (DSS), even went on air to inform the whole world that Lai Mohammed, a national officer of the opposition party was arrested for wandering in a state where there is no war and no curfew or state of emergency declared? Meanwhile, over 200 innocent girls were kidnapped in Chibok even when emergency rule was imposed on Borno. Orga’s utterances show the security agencies have declared war on the

opposition. If this macabre dance resurfaces in the general elections, then there will be lots of drama that could threaten this country’s future. When Chief John Odigie Oyegun, the National Chairman of the APC threatened to form a parallel government if the people’s will was not allowed to prevail, Nigerians thought the party is inviting anarchy in the country, but who is to blame? Who in Nigeria today would have thought this country will still be crawling after fifteen uninterrupted years of civil rule? Who thinks energy problem will remain unsolved with many companies closing factories and our environment being despoiled by generator fumes as a result of epileptic power supply, even with the sale of PHCN to the private sector. Nigerians should ask the PDP leaders who own these power companies and why are they yet to deliver? Yet, the PDP keeps boasting it will rule this country for six decades before any other party could smell the presidential villa, hence the perpetual rigging of previous elections and the clinging on power since 1999 causing Nigerians sleepless nights, inflicting untold damage to the country’s health. Interestingly, the whole world knows better with the president’s assertion that Boko Haram members abound in his cabinet. Hopefully, he has summoned enough courage to close in on the traitors with his current onslaught against the terrorists. The same CDS General

osun Defender Thursday, March 12, 2015

Efficacy And Benefits Of Fruits Natural For Human Body

ruit is one of the types of foods that contain nutrients, vitamins and minerals are generally very good to eat every day. Compared with chemical drugs supplements that are sold in stores, the fruit is much safer without the dangerous side effects as well as of the prices are generally much cheaper than supplements that have the same function. Below we can see the contents, properties and health benefits of some kind of fruit that is in the earth: 1. TOMATO FRUITS (TOMATO) - Tomatoes contain vitamin A, B1 and C. - Tomatoes can help cleanse the liver and blood of our hearts. - Tomatoes can prevent various diseases and other health problems such as: a. bleeding gums. b. night blindness / kotok chicken. c. blood clotting. d. appendix. e. prostate cancer and breast cancer.

2. FRUIT PAPAYA (PAPAYA) - Papaya contains vitamin C and provitamin A. - Papaya can help break down dietary fiber in the digestive system. - Papaya can Constructing smooth digestive tract. - Papaya can cope with or treat various diseases and other health problems such as: a. heal wounds. b. eliminate the infection. c. relieve allergies 3. BANANA FRUIT (BANANA) - Bananas contain vitamins A, B1, B2 and C. - Bananas can help reduce stomach acid. - Bananas can help maintain water balance in the body. - Bananas can cope with or treat various diseases and other health problems such as: a. disorders of the stomach. b. heart disease and stroke c. stress d. koleterol lowering levels in the blood. 4. FRUIT MANGO (MANGO) - Mango contains vitamin A, E and C. - Mango can act as a disinfectant. - Mango can clean the blood. - Mango can cope with or treat various diseases and other health problems such as: a. body odor / dd / unpleasant body odor. b. lowering body heat during a fever. 5. STRAWBERRY FRUIT (STRAWBERRY) - Strawberries contains provitamin A, vitamin B1, B and C. - Stobery substances contain antioxidants to fight free radicals. - Strawberries have their uses / other health functions such as: a. treat the health problems of the urinary bladder. b. a anti virus c. be anti-cancer 6. APPLE FRUIT (APPLE) - Apples contain vitamin A, B and C. - Aple can help lower blood cholesterol levels. - Apple has a utility / other health functions such as: a. be anti-cancer substances. b. reduce appetite is too big. 7. FRUIT ORANGE (ORANGE) - Orange contains vitamin A, B1, B2 and C. - Oranges containing anticancer for the body. - Juice can prevent and treat various diseases and other health problems such as: a. treat thrush. b. lower the risk of cardiovascular, cancer, and cataracts. 8. FRUIT PEAR / PIR (PEAR) - Pear contains vitamin C and provitamin A. - Pear contains anti-oxidants that are good for health. - Pear can prevent various diseases and other health problems such as: a. reduce fever / body heat. b. menhilangkan dilute phlegm in cough and phlegm. 9. CASHEW FRUIT SEEDS RED / RED CASHEW (Guava) - Guava contains vitamin C very much. - Guava contains antioxidant and anticancer agents. - Guava has a utility / other health functions such as: a. lower blood cholesterol levels b. treat infections. c. keep treating canker sores. d. accelerate blood circulation.

e. launched the digestive tract. f. prevent constipation.

10. FRUIT WATERMELON (Watermelon) - Watermelon contains vitamin C and provitamin A. - Watermelon can be allergenic. - Watermelon has a utility / other health functions such as: such as: a. lower cholesterol levels. b. prevent and restrain a heart attack. 11. FRUIT MELON (Honeydew) - Melon contains vitamin C and provitamin A. - Melon contains anti-cancer and anti-oxidant. - Melon has a utility / other health functions

such as: a. prevent blood clots. b. cleanse the skin. c. menlancarkan digestive tract. d. kolestrerol lower levels.

12. CARROT FRUIT (CARROT) - Carrots are rich in vitamin A. - Carrot good for maintaining eye health. - Carrots have a utility / other health functions such as: a. improve immunity and physical endurance. b. keep the heart healthy. 13. STAR FRUIT FRUIT (STAR FRUIT) - Star fruit contains vitamin C and provitamin A. - Starfruit can help facilitate digestion of food.

- Starfruit has a utility / other health functions such as: a. lowering blood pressure. b. lower levels / levels of cholesterol in the body. 14. PINEAPPLE FRUIT (PINEAPPLE) - Pineapple contains vitamin B and C. - Pineapple can prevent heart attacks and strokes / receipt. - Pineapple can treat a variety of diseases and other health problems such as: a. heal wounds. b. cure the infection in the digestive tract. To be healthy naturally without chemicals eat a variety of fruits to taste every day for the health of our precious bodies.

1 0 Health Benefits Of Eggs For Kids

he next time your kid complains too much about eating eggs, you can list him the benefits given below!

1. Complete Protein: Eggs are a complete protein food. Each egg contains 6 grams of protein per serving. Proteins are the building blocks for a young body and are required for new cell generation and regeneration of cells. Eggs help kids grow bigger and stronger. Ensure that your kids consume one egg a day and you don’t need to give him a multivitamin at all! 2. Eggs Contain Lutein And Zeaxanthin: Eggs are an excellent source of lutein and Zeaxanthin, which are essential for healthy eyes. They keep vision sharp and reduces the impact macular degeneration. They also ensure the health of the retina. 3. Eggs Contain Choline: Choline helps in building the membranes of the cells. It also important for the development of the brain. Choline is also responsible for the molecules of the brain which signal the nerves. 1 egg contains 100 mcg of choline. 4. Eggs Contain Omega-3s: Omega 3 are healthy fats found predominantly in fish. Omega 3 helps in early brain development and cognitive memory. Regular consumption of eggs can help delay the onset of arthritis and heart diseases as the kids mature into adults. 5. Eggs Are Replete With Vitamin D: Eggs are an excellent source of vitamin D . Vitamin D is important for the bone health of growing kids. Egg is the only food based source of vitamin D. 6. Eggs Help In Healthy Hair And Nails: Eggs contain 9 essential amino acids which help in the growth of the healthy nails and hair for kids. Kids are always chewing off their nails or breaking them and eggs ensure faster

regrowth. You can also use egg as a natural conditioner! 7. Complete Balance Of Fats: Eggs contain the right balance of saturated and unsaturated fats which make it an excellent snack for growing bodies. We are fighting childhood obesity on a global scale and hence we can feed eggs to the kids without any worries about obesity. Try poached or boiled eggs, rather than fried ones! 8. Eggs Have Minimal Cholesterol: Eggs have minimal harmful cholesterol. In Fact, consumption of eggs leads to a spike in the HDL (good cholesterol). This is extremely important keeping in mind the global children obesity epidemic. You can prepare eggs with minimal fats lesser oil or boiled eggs ) to ensure that you kid receive adequate nutrition without the harmful effects. 9. Eggs Contain B12 Vitamin: Eggs are an excellent source of the B12

vitamin. It is better to get this vitamin naturally, thank in pill form. Vit B12 is essential for neural health. This vitamin is also called cobalamin. It is important for your child’s brain and nervous system development. 10. Eggs Contain Folic Acid: This water soluble vitamin is equally essential for the neural health of kids. A folate deficiency can lead to weakness and nerve damage. So, it is essential to load up on eggs for the right dose of folic acids. All these benefits reiterate the importance of eggs in the diet of kids. Try and incorporate eggs in as many forms as possible as it is a versatile food. Hope you liked our information about eggs for kids. Do share your experiences in the comments below.

and resulting fat storage. Heart Disease. Scientists think, green tea works on the lining of blood vessels, helping keep them stay relaxed and better able to withstand changes in blood pressure. It may also protect against the formation of clots, which are the primary cause of heart attacks. Esophageal Cancer. It can reduce the risk of esophageal cancer, but it is also widely thought to kill cancer cells in general without damaging the healthy tissue around them. Cholesterol. Green tea reduces bad cholesterol in the blood and improves the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol. Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. It is said to delay the deterioration caused by Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Studies carried out on mice showed that green tea protected brain cells from dying and restored damaged brain cells. Tooth Decay. Studies suggests that the chemical antioxidant “catechin” in tea can destroy bacteria and viruses that cause throat infections, dental caries and other dental conditions Blood Pressure. Regular consumption of green tea is thought to reduce the risk of high blood pressure. Depression. Theanine is an amino acid naturally found in tea leaves. It is this substance that is thought to provide a relaxing and tranquilizing effect and be a great benefit to tea drinkers. Anti-viral and Anti-bacterial. Tea catechins are strong antibacterial and antiviral agents

which make them effective for treating everything from influenza to cancer. In some studies green tea has been shown to inhibit the spread of many diseases. Skincare. Green tea can apparently also help with wrinkles and the signs of aging, This is because of their antioxidant and antiinflammatory activities. Both animal and human studies have demonstrated that green tea applied topically can reduce sun damage. How Much? These are some of the many benefits but the reality is one cup of tea a day will not give you all the abundant gains. The jury is out on how many cups are necessary; some say as little as two cups a day while others five cups — and more still say you can drink up to ten cups a day. If you are thinking of going down this route, you may want to consider taking a green tea supplement instead (it would keep you out of the bathroom). Another thing to point out is that there is caffeine in green tea — so if you are sensitive to caffeine then one cup should be your limit. Green tea also contains tannins (which can decrease the absorption of iron and folic acid), so if you are pregnant or trying to conceive then green tea may not be ideal for you. You can try mixing green tea with other healthy ingredients such as ginger. For the rest of us with all these abundant benefits…it’s a wonder we drink anything else.

1 1 B e n e fi t s O f G r e e n T e a

ot for the love of the taste — no way! I drink it because I’m told it’s good for me…or, to be honest, the real reason I drink it is because I believe it help keeps my weight in check. But recently I decided to look into it a bit deeper and see what are all these other benefits of green tea people talk of.

Why Green Tea? Green tea has been used as a medicine for thousands of years, originating in China but widely used throughout Asia this beverage has a multitude of uses from lowering blood pressure to preventing cancer. The reason that green tea has more health benefits attached to it than black tea is (apparently) due to the processing. Black tea is processed in a way that allows for fermentation whereas green tea’s processing avoids the fermentation process. As a result, green tea retains maximum amount of antioxidants and poly-phenols the substances that give green tea its many benefits. Here’s a list of some of its amazing benefits — benefits that you may not have been aware of. Some of these benefits are still being debated, so please do your own research if you want to use green tea for medicinal purposes. Weight Loss. Green tea increases the metabolism. The polyphenol found in green tea works to intensify levels of fat oxidation and the rate at which your body turns food into calories. Diabetes. Green tea apparently helps regulate glucose levels slowing the rise of blood sugar after eating. This can prevent high insulin spikes

523

osun Defender Thursday, March 12, 2015

Healthy Living

FashionWith & Lifestyle Top 5 Foods For Perfect Skin Eniola Agbaje and Okpomu Shola N Healthy Living 7 Best Foods To Eat For Healthy Eyes

large number of individuals, through close research and observations, has been shown to be suffering from various optical problems including Cataract. In view of this, we bring to your disposal, some foods that have been proven to aid better sight. 1. CARROTS: They are an excellent source of Vitamin A and Beta-carotene that promotes overall eye health. Vitamin A is crucial for the surface of the eyes and lids, while Beta-carotene is a powerful antioxidant that helps protect the cells of the eyes from free radical damage. Also, the beta-carotene helps to lower the risks of cataract and macular degeneration. 2. LEAFY GREENS Lettuce, spinach and generally, every type of vegetable are good for not only the eyes, but the whole body. These vegetables contain very potent antioxidants (Zeaxanthin and Lutein), which helps lower the risks of chronic eye diseases. 3. CORN Now, this is one of the most popular vegetable known to mankind and one way or the other, everybody has consumed corn. Corn is fortified with Vitamin C, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B1 and Folate. Consuming corn on a regular basis lowers risks of Cataracts and helps prevent the loss of yellow pigments in the eyes. 4. OLIVE OIL The major reason why olive oil is so beneficial to your eyes is that it helps your body absorb nutrients from the other foods that can help keep your eyes healthy.

It is therefore advisable to drizzle olive oil over your mixed salad to absorb all of the nutrients from the tomatoes and leafy greens, and cook your sweet potatoes and meat with olive oil to get the most nutrients. 5. TURKEY One of the best and extremely tasty foods to eat for a healthy eye is Turkey. It is rich in both the B-vitamins Niacin and Zinc. It is also fortified with B-vitamins tryptophan, phosphorus, protein and selenium. It is low in cholesterol and saturated fat. It can easily be substituted for both beef and chicken. The regular consumption of turkey keeps the eyes healthy and can help prevent cataract. 6. TOMATOES They are great source of carotenoids, including Lycopene, a great antioxidant, which helps protect the retina and other areas of the eye from the light- induced damages. It also helps protect your cells from damage and prevents prostrate, stomach and lung cancer. Tomatoes are rich in Vitamin C that helps protect the eyes and vision. It can be added to your everyday meal either as garnishing or dressing or by drinking the juice, which is packed with essential vitamins and minerals. 7.SWEET POTATOES Sweet potatoes have got to be everyone’s favourite type of tuber. They are amazing at helping cater for healthy eyes, as they are a great source of Betacarotene. Sweet potatoes contain Vitamin A, Vitamin C, betacarotene, fibres, manganese and potassium, which are all essential

othing speaks better than a beautiful and healthy skin and nothing attracts people more than a glowing and alluring skin. Although, it has suddenly been difficult in recent times to maintain a healthy and blemishfree skin, but here are some few tips on how to maintain that special glow of your skin through the consumption of some very affordable food items everyday. 1. THE RED BELL PEPPER The red bell pepper popularly known as “Tatase” is a very tasty vegetable that can be enjoyed either cooked or used as dressing for a meal. One red bell pepper contains more than a 100% of our daily Vitamin C needs, Vitamin B6 and some significant amount of dietary fibre. It is rich in carotenoids that help prevent your skin from wrinkles and also increases blood circulation to the skin, thereby helping you have that youthful look and glowing skin. 2. DARK CHOCOLATE Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, fatty acids and flavanols that promotes glowing skin. These antioxidants help reduce roughness in your skin and protects it against sun

ays of our life are sometimes filled with so much struggle. Some of us even call it “hustle”. Each day is like a new, fresh battle day. We fight for space and thrive for recognition. I guess that’s part of our makeup. Living things are bound to compete and fight in order to remain a living being. While struggling daily, we get disappointed, heart-broken, hurt or injured; creating scars and wounds. These make some of us weak, depressed with the thought that we cannot carry on. We get carried away in our deep thoughts and conflict. Too busy to take a break, too occupied to breathe again. Too busy chasing one thing we can’t control; TIME. Deadlines are set, appointments are made and in our efforts to meet up with time, several events unfold and some leave us knocked out, battered and bruised. Then we go back to our “can’t (s) and negativity. A man once said: “Our deepest fear is not that we are

he w e e k e n d i s e v e r y b o d y ’s m o s t anticipated time of the week. Mostly because it’s the time to unwind and have fun. Majorly, weekends are known for all kinds of fun activities; weddings, birthday parties, house warming and all other types of get-together. Friends get to hang-out, shop at the mall, go to the beach, see a movie and catch-up on basically all fun stuffs. After very busy weekdays, it would be rather inappropriate to be caught in our working or serious outfits during the weekend. This time of the week is when it will be easy for us to put on something less serious and uptight but still elegant and

damages. It also contains cocoa, which relaxes the arteries and increase blood circulation that leads to a smooth and healthier skin. 3. SALMON Salmon is an excellent sea food that helps fight stress, anxiety and depression. It also provides the body with most of our daily Vitamin D needs. Salmons are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids that are excellent for eradicating inflammation, wrinkles and acne. Omega-3 also helps hydrate the skin from inside out. 4. COCONUT OIL Coconut oil is one of the richest sources of saturated fat with about 90% of calories of saturated fat. Coconut oil is rich in Vitamin E for keeping your skin moist, soft and free of wrinkles. It also

contains Lauric acid, a powerful antibacterial and antiviral agent that keeps away viruses, inflammation, infections and acne. The application of coconut oil on the skin and also consumption of at least one tablespoon full of raw coconut oil daily helps the skin radiate and gives it that healthy outward glow. 5. GREEN TEA Well, everybody knows that green tea is good for the body, but what we don’t know is that it is a great source of antioxidants and amino acids that helps relax your body and lower stress. Green tea releases Catechins, a kind of antioxidant with anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. It also helps reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure.

Reflection

Depth Of Our Strength inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measures “. Over 100 trillion cells lay within a living human body, in which over 180 million cells are generated every minute. The cells in us are more than the number of stars in the galaxy. Within us lay great strength, capacity and energy. Possibility; great might to do just anything we want to do. Beneath every obstacle lies a way out. No problem is without a solution. Only if we are too afraid to take the risks it demands. This is where motivation and persistence come in. In 1945, Anna Jarmics hands were amputated due to an explosion of a grenade. Recovery was slow and painful. Back then, there were no rehabilitation facilities to aid recovery and no anaesthetics. How do you do when you are ten years old with no hands. She went to school, learnt how to pick up a pencil. Despite no fingers

or thumbs, she learnt how to write and hold things. Though it was hard and almost impossible, but Anna was not a quitter. “Impossible “ did not exist in her vocabulary. While working as a security guard, Anna broke her back. She had to go through two major operation procedures. No hands, broken back, also a single mother of four; how harder can life get. As circumstances set boundaries, Anna found a way to thrive and shine brighter. Anna Jarmics is an award-winning artist, whose water-colour paintings have been winning ribbon at Calgary Stampede for decades. She also had many championship wins including gold medals in darts at the senior Olympics. No matter how life gets, there is always a reason to get tougher and triumph, because we can do anything.

Fashion Getting Dressed Up For The Weekend

sneakers) or even a very simple slippers to go with it.

stunning. Casual dresses, jeans and tops and a pair of flat or heeled shoes or even sandals, as the case may be will do the magic. For the men, you can rock your jeans or short with a T-shirt and a casual footwear (loafers,

www.osundefender.org

“

THE 6TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA

THURSday, MARCH 12, 2015

Nigeria we hail thee; Our own dear native land; Though tribe and tongue may differ; In brotherhood we stand; Nigerians all are proud to serve; Our sovereign motherland” was the song we once cherished as our National Anthem. Service was then seen as a thing of pride because of the honour that went with it. Everybody saw the task of being one’s brother’s keeper as specifically delightful. As a deterrent, anybody who failed to seek the good of others suffered serious alienation and ostracism because the binding cord of our nationhood was selflessness. The prevalence of deviant behaviour and sequestrated life, to say the least was extremely repudiated. National identity was fabulously cherished and only rare necessities took people off the shores of our dear country; with the consciousness to quickly be back in the country as soon as possible. Today, we have different scenario trending in our national life. We suddenly become our own enemies; and we engage in deliberate action aimed at weakening ourselves through subversive actions that obstruct and disrupt our peaceful coexistence. All of a sudden, we destroy our essence through willful psychological bashing that pitches us against one another. The crafty in our midst quickly capitalize on this to profit through our complacency. The trend has continued to smear us in the face until recently; when some individuals decide to embark on a rescue mission to salvage the remnants of our incontinence. Expectedly, hope is beginning to rise that efforts can be coordinated to redeem our battered identity. There are elements of good in evil, and however good a situation appears, it is always alloyed with some taints of imperfection. So, when Nigeria was seen to be in the golden era, certain usages still dented our smooth edges; and today that people see Nigeria as a place where confusion has permeated our entire national life, some concerned individuals (though few) still feel concerned and are busy thinking of the possibility of salvaging the seeming hopelessness. These few individuals, though still have fault semblance, are engaging in a kind of covert mentoring that is intended for a bailout. The effort is now assuming a replica of massive movement, such that the impact is getting globalized with the attendant change influence that is originally intended. Nobody ever thought that a formidable opposition party could emerge at this period of our national life. It never happened during the time of Nigeria’s founding fathers like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tafawa Balewa, Obafemi Awolowo, and Aminu Kano. Actually, what we had were parties built around these notable individuals who were seen as leaders of their blocs. The closest they went to the current situation was alliances, which never endured anyway. That was the reason the ruling-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took the emergence of All Progressives Congress (APC) lightly. This rare feat and the architects must be

By ade olugbotemi

When It Is No Longer Business As Usual

•buhari

appreciated by well-meaning Nigerians because of the effects both on the short and long runs. Nobody is talking of one Action Congress (AC) predominantly peopled by Yoruba, All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP) of the Eastern Nigeria, or Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) that was synonymous with the Northern part of the country. This development is not without attendant ills and vices. The pervasive hate speech and malicious advertorials in the media clime is a direct product of the emergence of the two mega parties viz PDP and APC that are now known as providing viable options for the teeming electorate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to make. General Muhammadu Buhari is not just contesting for the first time. He has tried over and over again, but nobody considered him a threat because of the sectional nature of the platform on which he has been running in earlier attempts. It is the product of an imminent change and preponderant weight of opinions that portray power shift from a party that has been in saddle for almost sixteen years to an amalgam that adopts BROOM as its logo and

CHANGE as its slogan. There is also the positive side in the urgency that the ruling PDP that has taken people for granted for who they are now see the voting populace as important. This is the first time it will happen in the post-military era that PDP will really try to resist the formidable opposition that has come like a holocaust that is trying to sweep off a party that has prided itself as the biggest in Africa, destined to rule the country for the next sixty years. This also responsible for the urgency that many have regarded as belated, which now propels the ruling party to engage in aggressive campaign and the seeming mad rush to initiate bogus projects that complacency has not allowed for in almost six years of President Jonathan’s occupation at the helm of affairs. The emergence of APC has also caused some hawks preying on our commonwealth to have a rethink; to the end that they dumped the rulingPeoples Democratic Party to embrace the emergent move that has culminated in a party that now controls the majority seats in the lower chamber of the

National Assembly. The ruling party has failed to quickly see this as a mass movement because of that predilection for inertia and impossibility mentality that has plagued governance under PDP. Some top notchers in PDP realized that unless they repent, they may soon become political relics, who are bound to become irrelevant in the emerging dispensation. They derived incurable guilt from the debilitating sabotage they have dealt our economy over the years as PDP cronies, and therefore thought it wise to dump PDP and the evil it stands for in Nigeria’s political platform. Most of the people that dumped PDP for APC have told Nigerians that they left their former party for the perceived injustice being meted to the masses through massive corruption and economic sabotage. According to them, it will be a disservice to continue to wine and dine with those who mean and design evil perpetually for the country. They intend that Nigeria should move forward, and this may be too daunting if they remain in their former PDP camp. They have hinted Nigerians on the events now playing out in the political circle, so that people will not get confused regarding their choice of candidates at the polls. The recent poll shift is prominent in PDP’s file as revealed by some of those who decamped; and consternations are rife that elections may not hold at all because the ruling party feel that they have lost too much ground to opposition and for fear of prosecution over past misdemeanour. The ongoing tenacious media campaigns are intended to possibly reverse the trend in the event that elections are made to hold compulsorily. It is now left for Nigerians to demonstrate whether they are fed up with economic saboteurs in the ruling party, or they are ready to effect the much needed change which the entire world is looking forward to; time will tell The ruling party is not allowing anything lie low as a result of mass exodus of some of its notable members. We have suddenly arrived at an era of adoption; ostensibly for the ruling PDP to claim relevance as the general elections are fast approaching; and applying the considered most potent instrument of financial inducement on gullible Nigerians as usual. They consider it an anathema to defeat a sitting president, as this has never happened in Nigeria’s history. Though some people have come to a conclusion that PDP’s actions are rather belated, the ruling party is trying hard to discredit the emerging scenario. They said APC is a party of spent forces from PDP. They also said that there is nothing for APC to change; meaning that in their own opinion, they are running the best government possible for Nigeria, irrespective of unprecedented corruption that Nigeria in now known for. They believe that corruption is no evil, and that poverty is also nothing to warrant any hues and cries. In the unlikely event that the ruling party wins the forthcoming election however, they now know that it is no longer easy to take Nigerians for a ride.

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.