Osun Defender Online Version of February 11, 2022

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HIS first model was adopted by Osun during the tenure of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola because it gradually increased debt service capacity in line with increase in economic ac vi es (GDP) of the state. As the state gets more effec ve and efficient in ring-fencing the economic ac vi es into its Internally Gen-

erated Revenue (IGR), the funding becomes more sustainable and addi onal headroom is opened for further financing.

The second opon is to use the total revenue over a long period of 20 years because debts for developmental projects are supposed to be on long term basis. But which of the previous

Review & Outlook FG’s N656bn Support Facility to States, Osun Borrowing Capacity And Matters Arising - Part 2 years’ revenues should be adopted? Another subjec ve issue is what percentage of such annual revenue should be

allocated to debt service? Forget about the cri cism of the current Federal Government •Continued on Page 3

• • •

What’s the Alternative Model to determine Borrowing Capacity?

Does the State of Osun over-borrowed?

Is Governor Oyetola privy to the basis of the determination of Osun Borrowing Capacity and Why he can’t deny?

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11 - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022 VOL 17 NO 05

Osun APC Crisis: Aregbesola Loyalists Under Siege Page 2

•Suffered 16 Attacks Between March, 2021 And Feb, 2022 •Oyetola Preparing Violent Ground For Rigging – Salinsile •TOP Acting Scripts To Gain Sympathy – Akere Our Reporter

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OYALISTS of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister of Interior, appear to be under siege in the face of the ongoing crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress in the State of Osun.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that no fewer than 16 poli cally mo vated a acks have so far been carried out on Aregbesola’s loyalists and his property between Sunday, March 28, 2021 and Thursday, February 4, 2022.

This, according to security experts, is an indica on that there is a resurgent wave of poli cal violence which if not curtailed, could result to full blown breakdown of law and order in the state.

It was observed that prior to the crisis between Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and his predecessor, Aregbesola, there was no record of poli cal violence within the APC in Osun.

But violence crept into the party when the ri between Aregbesola and Oyetola became a public knowledge.

“The need to establish ‘where power is’ through suppression of opposing voice to the governor’s second term is responsible for the resurgence of poli cal violence in the state”, said a poli cal analyst.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that a acks on the Minister’s loyalists started when some hoodlums a acked Aregbesola’s Personal Assistant, Mr. Olateju Adunni, on March 28, 2021 in Osogbo.

Adunni was a acked at a birthday event of Hon. Taofeek Badmus, who is represen ng Osogbo Cons tuency at the House of Assembly.

•Continued on page 2

•Motorists on queue at NNPC filling station, Ring Road, Osogbo, yesterday.

Fear Grips Students, Residents Over Insecurity In Iree

P. 4

Photo: Shola Aderinto

Commotion At APC N’tnl Secretariat As Oyetola, Adeoti Supporters Clash

P. 6

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11 - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

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News

Osun APC Crisis: Aregbesola Loyalists Under Siege •Continued from page 1 According to Adunni, the leader of the hoodlums that led the a ack was a known notorious thug who with his gang members have been enjoying execu ve protec on in the state.

Also, scores of members of the APC who belong to The Osun Progressives (TOP), a caucus of the party, were a acked in different parts of the state during the July 31 2021 Ward Congress of the party.

The a acks were carried out by hoodlums allegedly sponsored by Governor Oyetola’s IleriOluwa camp which wanted to enforce consensus against the elec ve congress demanded by TOP members.

During the ward congress, some members of the APC who par cipated in the elec ve ward congress in Osogbo, Iree, Ilesa, Ikire, Ife, Oyan were a acked and harrased by poli cal hoodlums.

On August 14, 2021, some members of the APC who were at the Party’s Secretariat in Osogbo to submit their pe ons on the conduct of the ward congress to the appeal commi ee were a acked by hoodlums.

The si ng of the appeal commi ee was abruptly brought to an end at past 4pm when hoodlums who had gathered at the secretariat started pebbling stones at the pe oners.

The hoodlums were chorusing ‘No Pe on, No pe on,” as they launched a ack on the peaceful APC members.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that the majority of the hoodlums put on ‘Oyetola 4+4’ fez caps. They had snuck into the premises of the secretariat and se led behind a container where they were smoking canna-

•The bullet-riddled Oranmiyan building after gunmen attack, last week.

bis sa va.

The hoodlums fired a gunshot into the air before pebbling stones at the peoners while the security opera ves at the premises of the secretariat were helpless.

On the evening of August 14, 2021, the residence of the former commissioner for Youths, Sports and Special Needs, Comrade Biyi Odunlade in Ile-Ife, was a acked while his car was vandalized.

The assailants had wanted to maim him but he was lucky not to be at home.

On August 26, five gunmen laid siege to the house of the Youth Leader of the Salinsile fac on of the APC, Mr. Abosede Oluwaseun, at Dada Estate, Osogbo.

The gunmen subjected Oluwaseun and his wife to inhuman treatment before taking away his phone and the li le amount of money with him. Oluwaseun was asked to deac vate his password on the phone by the gunmen before taking it

•Atobatele, one of the victims of the attack.

way. According to him, the gunmen appeared to have come for just the phone, but needed to drama se to make their opera on look like armed robbery.

Some members of the party who belong to TOP were also a acked by hoodlums in Ede during the Local Government Congress of the APC, held on September 4, 2021.

On September 12, 2021, APC members who belong to TOP were attacked around 5pm at St John’s Grammar School, Oke Atan, Ilode Area, IleIfe, where they were holding their weekly mee ng.

According to eye witnesses, the thugs who were about 20 stormed the mee ng with a wine colour space bus drove by a former youth leader of the party and motorcycles.

About 15 people sustained injury in the a ack that lasted for about 30 minutes, according to the vic ms.

On October 18, 2021, Women Leader of the APC in Boripe Local Government, Mrs. Yemisi Asiyanbola and two members of the party, Mr. Joseph Adegboye from Ward 5, Ada and Mr Gbenga were brutally a acked by thugs.

Asiyanbola and the two APC members were a acked at their various houses for belonging to TOP, according to them.

During the parallel State Congress of the party held at an open space hectre of land, opposite Ladsol Pure Water, Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo, two members of the party were shot by armed poli cal hoodlums in a massive a ack launched on the party faithful on October 16, 2021.

The hoodlums had attacked members of the party in a empt to disrupt the congress which produced Hon. Rasaq Salinsile as Chairman, Alhaji Azeez

Adesiji as Deputy Chairman and Hon. Adelani Baderinwa as Secretary of the party.

Mrs. Adedapo Atobatele and Mr. Ismail Akinyode were directly shot by hoodlums during the a ack.

On November 16, 2021 members of the APC who belonged to the Salinsile fac on of the party were also a acked in Ipetumodu, Ife North Local Government of the state.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the a ack came a er the Caretaker Chairman of the local government, Hon. Ayoola Adeyeba, stopped the APC members from holding faconal inaugural mee ng of the elected execu ves of the party in the local government.

The council chairman was said to have insisted that the APC members would not hold the meeting, in spite of the no fica on sent to the police and Department of State Service.

But Ayoola denied the allega on that he led thugs to a ack the APC members.

Members of The Osun Progressives (TOP) were also a acked by some gunmen during their meeting at Oranmiyan House, Osogbo on November 18, 2021. The gunmen shot sporadically, bea ng the APC members and destroyed the canopies at the mee ng.

There was an a empt to disrupt the TOP mee ng at Eripa, Boluwaduro Local Government, by some poli cal thugs allegedly hired by some government officials in the local government, on January 5, 2022.

Eripa Town Hall where the mee ng was supposed to be held was shut when TOP and the IleriOluwa fac on wanted to resort to violence.

However, there were gunshots in the town a er the TOP members le the townhall to hold the meeting elsewhere in the town.

The gunshots were reportedly fired by hoodlums to harass and in midate the TOP members.

On Tuesday, February 1, 2022, the APC members in the Salinsile’s fac on were also a acked by poli cal thugs in Ikirun during a Federal Cons tuency mee ng.

The a ack was carried out at two different mes on the same day by the hoodlums. Some of the thugs reportedly used ‘Oyetola 4+4 face caps.

However, some of the organisers of the mee ng were arrested by the police, charged to court and remanded in Ilesa Correconal Centre.

The development is part of the reason why the Salinsile fac on accused the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Wale Olokode of bias, arguing that the po-

lice le the real suspects to arrest the vic ms of the a ack.

Just a day a er the Ikirun a ack, the Caretaker Chairman of Oriade Local Government, Mr. Bunmi Obeisun, was accused of harassing members of the APC in an a empt to prevent them from holding the Federal Cons tuency mee ng in Ijebu-Jesa, on February 2, 2022.

A re red United States Navy officer, Bamidele Fagbulu, Ph.D, also accused Obeisun of leading hoodlums to a ack him same day.

Fagbulu alleged that Obeisun first slapped him before ordering the hoodlums to descend on him in front of First Bank, Market Square, Ijebu-Jesa around 11:30am.

The Salinsile fac on was to hold a mee ng at IK Dairo park, located around the Ijebu-Jesa central mosque.

But the mee ng could not hold as hoodlums, allegedly ac ng on the order of Obeisun stormed the venue of the programme and destroyed the chairs and canopies there. The development led to the suspension of the meeting.

The mother of all the a acks was the one carried out on Oranmiyan House last Thursday, February 3, 2022.

Gunmen, who were said to be about five in number, laid siege to the building around 5:10pm.

The gunmen, according to eye witnesses, sprayed the building and the transformer outside with bullets.

According to the witnesses, the gunmen threw petrol-soaked foam inside the building and on the canopies in the compound Continued on page 7

•A victim of the attack in Ile-Ife.

PEOPLE FIRST

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11 - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

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Review & Outlook

BY WALE BOLORUNDURO 656 Billion Naira FGN Budget Support Facility To States, The Fuel Debacle Osun Borrowing Capacity Matters Arising - Part 2 •Continued from Page 1 IGERIANS are be“The global best practice “A big fear here mused with that eeby opposi on, FGN debt service has has been used to model rie sense of deja vu which must be allayed never been below 66 per cent of total revenue, since the day of Presi- Osun financing and debt as in here we go again. A er Goodluck Jonathan. Conservafunding of the urban is the possibility of dent ve banker’s approach is to look at the horrible experience with a na on (sovereignty) as the highest the importa on of fuel in with lowest risk, follow by a re-newals, infrastructural ‘Regulatory Capture’. grade 2008 which came at a horrenstate (sub-na onal), follow by private developments, real sectors and then, the individual bordous cost to consumers with This refers to the sector rowing (personal loan) as the least enabling environment that some people having to buy the rung. If an individual is usually subordination of the on allowed to access personal loan by have changed the capital, new car engines. We should alloca ng one-third of its revenue to Osogbo from glorified have seen a holis c revamp regulatory agencies to debt service, then, a state should be able to allocate half of his revenue to local government capital of the supply chain mechadebt service. individuals, group or nism as well as the regulato a modern city” So, in 2012, Osun total gross revetory framework. Predictably,

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no such thing happened and its crying me again.

As usual, the response is tepid. Once again, we have the trading of blame and a reluctance to accept responsibility. In many democracies, someone will have fallen on his or her sword by now.

Reflec ng the buck passing, the NNPC’s Group Managing Director has stated that, “ NNPC quality inspectors including GMO, SGS, GeoChem, conducted tests before discharge also showed that the gasoline met Nigerian specifica ons “. This response means that there are more ques ons than answers.

Fundamentally, there has been regulatory failure. Fuel cannot be imported into a sovereign state without regulators monitoring the cargo from the point of embarkment to the final point of discharge. The complicity in regulatory failure must be ascertained across the supply chain and there must be sanc ons and if need be prosecu on. A big fear here which must be allayed

special interests”

is the possibility of “Regulatory Capture”. This refers to the subordina on of the regulatory agencies to individuals, group or special interests. The great musical genius, Fela Ku , memorably referred to this as “paddy, paddy arrangements”.

Cronyism has stul fied our commercial framework and made the economy grotesquely uncompe ve. If as many suspected cronyism is at play here, the response of the authori es must be decisive as well as puni ve.

Overall, the NNPC as the sole importer of fuel must accept vicarious liability. It goes to show once the defects in the en re framework and is the price for not turning the NNPC from a government behemoth into a strictly commercial en ty like Brazil’s Petrobas, or Malaysia’s Petronas.

What is playing out is a na onal disgrace and the response of the government must be correc ve.

nue was about N50bn and alloca ng N25bn annually to debt service, at 14 per cent interest rate, the borrowing capacity would have been about N190bn on a 20-year long term basis.

Unfortunately, this approach was limited and then, there was no 20-year window in the domes c debt market for states. Not un l 2015, when such long-term facility was provided by President Mohammadu Buhari-led FGN for refinancing of states debts.

However, the FGN had such free access in the domes c capital market for more than 10 years and has improved the depth to a 30-year borrowing period.

In the first model, the debt capacity projected for 2014 was N160bn unlike the second model, which instantly, put the borrowing capacity at N190bn as at 2012. The second model is too bullish and it is always difficult to know what the peak annual revenue will be and when, the revenue will fall especially in an economy, like Nigeria, which is subjected to externality. The states must con nue

to push FGN, the regulator of capital market on effort to ensure the market is deepened for states’ financing of their developmental projects.

In conclusion, the global best prac ce has been used to model Osun financing and debt funding of the urban renewals, infrastructural developments, real sectors enabling environment that have changed the capital, Osogbo from glorified local government capital to a modern city. Yes, the model was challenged in 2015 and 2016, when the price of crude oil fell to below 30 dollars per barrel. The developmental projects and the results of impac ng all sectors of the economy by Aregbesola has improved the IGR to N19bn annually, which adequately, covered the annual debt service of N18bn.

With oil price at its highest in the last seven years, the monthly gross revenues of the state of Osun and local government, now totaled about N8bn monthly, while debt service remains about N1.5 bn monthly.

This is the reason Chief Gboyega Oyetola said that the debt por olio Publisher – Moremi Publishing is sustainable during House Ltd. the 2018 governorship Deputy Editor – Ismaeel Uthman debate and therefore, (0805-121-2204) subsequent a empt to Produc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa say otherwise has been Reporter – Yusuf Oketola very difficult and I have Reporter – Kazeem Badmus assumed he has not Photo Journalist – Olushola Aderinto sent anyone to say the Computer Graphics – Zainab Olalere contrary.

Concluded.

OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing

OSUN DEFENDER

House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), Gbogan Road Osogbo, State of Osun ISSN : 0794-8050 Telephone : 0805-121-2204 Website : www.osundefender.com/index.php e-mail : osundefender@yahoo.com osundefenderbank@gmail.com All correspondence to the above email addresses.

•Wale Bolorunduro, PhD, Former Commissioner of Finance, Economic Planning and Budget writes from 6B Lase Ogunleye Street, off Fadahunsi Avenue, Ilesa, State of Osun.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11 - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

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Fear Grips Students, Residents Over Insecurity In Iree •Ospoly Mgt. Asks Students To Stay Indoor, As Community Impose Curfew

By Kazeem Badmus

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TUDENTS and residents of Iree, the host community of Osun State Polytechnic, have expressed fears over what they described as worsening insecurity in the town.

The students and residents claim that the rate of armed robbery and ritual killings in the town was alarming, calling on the state government and the police to address the ma er.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that insecurity in the town has forced the community to impose dusk to dawn curfew.

The dusk-to-dawn curfew, according to Aree in Council, was in conjunc on with various security organs in the community to put an end to ritual killings, armed robberies, kidnappings and other forms of insecurity prevalent in the town.

It was learnt that incidents like armed robbery, house breaking and thievery were rampant in the town.

A madman was reportedly beheaded with his two hands severed by unknown persons at Oris area of the community.

Residents of the area said they discovered the mu lated corpse of the madman near a bush just few metres

•R-L: 2nd right, Pastor Mrs.Oladoye Olutoyin, Author of ‘30 Nugget For A Successful Mariage’, Pastor Jide Oladoye and other dignitaries during the book launch, held at Osun RCCG 6 Provincial Headquarters, Osogbo on Sunday.

Photo: Olushola Aderinto

away from the main road, around 8:00pm last week Wednesday.

According to the residents, the incident is another episode in the security threats going on in the town, adding that the community is no longer safe.

They said that the mandman came into the town not long ago and always roamed about begging for food.

The medium gathered that shop owners around the scene of the incident were

invited for ques oning by the Nigeria Police Force, Iree division and were subsequently released.

A student of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Lekan Babarinde, disclosed that the town has been facing series of security threats in the past months.

Babarinde said the killing of the madman might not be unconnected with ritual acvi es of the internet fraudsters known as Yahoo-Yahoo boys in the town, saying that

their influx into the town was alarming.

He said: “I went to poly junc on around 8:00pm and on my way back, I saw people around Oris area who were looking at mu lated body of a madman.

“I believe the Yahoo-Yahoo boys might be the one involved in the killing because the rate at which they are flocking around the town is alarming and disturbing.

“Iree is no longer safe. In

the past months, there has been report of kidnappings and armed robberies. A bike man was recently killed in Iree and his bike taken away”.

Meanwhile, the management of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree has directed students and all staff of the ins tu on to remain indoor to honour the dusk-to-dawn curfew of the community.

The management also directed that all unregistered

vehicles and those with nted glasses should be denied entry into the Ins tu on.

According to the ins tuon, all vehicles entering the ins tu on will be subjected to rou ne security checks as appropriate.

The school management in a memo signed by the Director of Media and Protocol, Mr. Adebayo Fadeji, on behalf of the registrar of the school, said the curfew will be effecve between the hours of 10.00p.m and 6.00a.m.

The memo which was issued on Monday reads: “The Aree in Council, in conjuncon with the various security organs in town, has declared a dusk-to-dawn curfew in Iree town. The curfew which will be effec ve between the hours of 10.00p.m and 6.00a.m. is put in place to stem the de of ritual killings, armed robberies, kidnappings and other forms of insecurity prevalent in the town.

“In view of the foregoing, all members of staff and students residing in Iree town are strongly advised to comply with the direcve of the Aree in Council and the security agencies in respect of the curfew and stay in their respec ve houses during the hours declared for the curfew.

“You are required to abide by this direc ve in your own interest.”

Aregbesola Calls For Review Of Law Guiding Bush Burning Aje Festival: Ooni To Declare Economic Summit, Exhibitions Open Today Sodiq Yusuf

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HE Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has called for the review of the law prohibi ng bush burning and the mechanism for its enforcement in Nigeria.

The Minister made this call at the Pull-Out Ceremony of the Re red Controller General of the Federal Fire Service (FFS), Dr. Liman Ibrahim Alhaji at the Na onal Fire Academy, Sheda, Abuja yesterday.

He said: “The law prohibi ng the lazy prac ce of bush burning should be reviewed and made more relevant to the me. This should include the mechanism for its enforcement. I believe strongly that it should be included in the mandate of forest rangers.

The economic loss and environmental damage due to this obnoxious prac ce are huge and incalculable. An end must come to it.”

Aregbesola further called the FFS to engage the mass media in educa ng and sensi sing the public in the preven on and handling of fire incidents.

“It is very cri cal for the service therefore to intensify its advocacy campaign on fire preven on. This, they say, is be er than cure. Though there are naturally occurring

fire incidents, but most fire incidents are man-made – accidentally, negligently or on purpose.

These can be prevented mostly if there is enough awareness.

Nigerians should be made to know the various categories of fire and what the first responders should do before the arrival of fire officers.

“This is the me of the year that fire incidents occur at a higher rate and most items are combus ble. The service should therefore engage the mass media to sensi se Nigerians on the need to be careful with handling fire and what to do if there is fire incident.

“Conscious efforts should be made to publicise your contact details so that Nigerians will have handy sufficient informa on on how to contact the service in case of fire”, the Minister said.

Aregbesola noted that the biggest challenge of firefighting in Nigeria today is aerial firefigh ng campaign for bush fires or industrial fires like what was witnessed in a departmental store in Abuja recently, and called on the Federal Fire Service to intensify efforts at collabora ng with other relevant security agencies and other levels of governments in this regard.

“For this, the service should accelerate the rapprochement

with the Nigerian Air Force on the use of airplane for bombing wild and large fire with huge packs of suppressants to kill fire from the air,” he stated.

The Minister con nued, “I am repea ng the call for state governments to invest more in firefigh ng. It is a cri cal social service that must not be neglected. The FFS is only complemen ng state efforts, not to take over their responsibility.”

Aregbesola congratulated Dr. Liman Ibrahim Alhaji for successfully comple ng his tenure and etching his name in gold in firefigh ng and service to the na on and mankind by his notable contribu ons in the expansion of the Federal Fire Service.

He therefore urged the Ac ng Controller General and the management of the Service to build on his achievements to make FFS the best in the African con nent.

Earlier in his valedictory speech, Dr. Liman who was visibly delighted as he recalled his progression during his firefigh ng career thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for giving him the opportunity to serve as he encouraged the officers and men of the service to aspire to be the best firefigh ng service in Africa.

Yusuf Oketola

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HE Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi will today, Friday, declare Aje Heritage and Economic Summit open to kickstart this year’s edi on of Global Aje Fes val in the ancient city.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Media Officer of the tradional ruler, Moses Olafare, on Tuesday.

Olafare stated that the global Ambassador of Aje Fes val, Princess Toyin Kolade, would leave no stone unturned in making the forthcoming fes val the best of its kind.

The 4-day event which would hold in phases, will begin with the Aje Heritage and Economic Summit slated to hold at the Ojaja Arena, located inside the Ife Grand Resort in Ile-Ife where the Aje Fes val Exhibi on will also be unveiled to run daily for four days.

Aje Music Fiesta and Aje Movie Screening would hold on Saturday, February 26 and Sunday 27, 2022 re-

•Oyetola

spec vely.

Olafare acknowledged the efforts of the commi ee members for their relentless strides, assuring that this year’s edi on tagged: “Aje Fes val Reloaded” promises to be a tourist delight, investors delight and above all-full of educa on and entertainment.

The statement reads in part: “Aje Heritage & Economic Summit comprehensively highlights the investment environments,

policies, projects and cooperate products in all Oodua states of Nigeria. It will a ract chambers of commerce from across Oodualand to conduct investment briefings.

“Ooni Ogunwusi hereby invites the en re lovers of culture and tradi on globally to the Annual Aje Fes val under the able coordina on of the Aje Global Ambassador, Princess (Dr) Toyin Kolade, the Iyalaje Oodua Worldwide.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11 - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

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University of Ilesa, A Political Gimmick - Residents Slam Oyetola’s Commissioner Yusuf Oketola

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OME residents of the state of Osun have slammed the Commissioner for Works and Transporta on in the state, Engr.

Remi Omowaiye over his Facebook post where he said Governor Adegboyega Oyetola would establish University of Ilesa in Ilesa.

Majority of the commentators on the post described Omowaiye’s statement as poli cal gimmick to cajole the Ijesa people to support the second term ambi on of Oyetola.

According to the commentators, apart from being a pollical gimmick, it is pointless to establish a university in Ilesa when the College of Educa on and School of Health Technology in the town are in deplorable condion, while the government is s ll struggling to manage Osun

State University and other ins tu ons in the state.

One of the commentators, Prince Akin Okunade, said he was not in support of an ‘11th hour project’.

He said: “All these near-elec on programmes and promises get as e be. It appears as if Oyetola just recognised that developmental project is important in order to have popular support. I don’t support eleventh hour sakamanje” Another commentator, Mr Temitope Aduroja, also described Omowaiye’s post as a decep on, no ng that the state is not financially bouyant to bankroll a new state University.

“I refused to fall for this decep on and poli cal gimmick. Is the state financially bouyant to bankroll another state University? Anyway, people are not fools.”

•Hon. Rasaq Salinsile, Chairman Osun APC, leading Alh. Moshood Adeoti, an APC guber aspirant for his screening at the National Secretariat of the party in Abuja, yesterday.

Osun NSCDC Rescue Teenager Trafficked From Enugu Kazeem Badmus

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HE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), State of Osun command, has rescued a 14-year-old

human trafficking vic m, Pamela Ibe, who was trafficked to the state from Enugu.

According to the Public Rela ons Officer of the NSCDC, Atanda Olabisi,

Pamela was rescued in Ejigbo Local Government by men of the command on February 1, 2022.

Olabisi, in a press statement, stated that when asked ques ons, Pamela

Police To Investigate IleriOluwa DG Over Inciting Fedpoly Ede Students Comment Against TOP Members Protest Killing Of Colleague Yusuf Oketola

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HE Nigeria Police Force, Osun Command, has expressed its readiness to inves gate the Chairman of State Universal Basic Educa on Board (SUBEB) in the state, Hon. Israel Famurewa over alleged inci ng comment he made against members of The Osun Progressives (TOP).

Famurewa, who is the Director General of IleriOluwa Campaign Organisa on, in a video being circulated on social media, asked members of the party to wage war against the TOP members. He made the statement at a meeting in Ede. Few days a er he made the statement, members of TOP were a acked by hoodlums on three different occasions during their meetings in Ikirun and IjebuJesa and Ifon.

However, the Com-

missioner of Police, Mr Olawale Olokode, at a press conference last Sunday said the police was working on a pe on received against Famurewa over his comment.

Olokode added that all the pe ons submitted by members of The Osun Progressives have been treated with due diligence.

He said: “I wish to

•Famurewa

state that we have been working on every pe on received. The latest one has to do with the SUBEB Chairman which came to my knowledge recently, and our state Criminal Inves ga on Department under the Deputy Commissioner is seriously working on it.

“The pe oners came a couple of days ago, and they were assured of our readiness to get to the root of the ma er.

Kazeem Badmus

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TUDENTS of the Federal Polytechnic Ede, State of Osun, took to the street yesterday, to protest the killing of their colleague iden fied as Dele, popularly known as Oloore.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that Dele, a gradua ng student of the polytechnic, recently came into the town for his final clearance in preparaon for mobilisa on for the compulsory one year Na onal Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

It was learnt that Dele was hit by stray bullet during a gun ba le between members of the Oodua Peoples Congress, (OPC) and some miscreants headed by one Oko Ilu in the

town.

Dele was on a commercial motorcycle when he was hit by bullet, it was gathered. The commercial motorcyclists, simply iden fied as Obadina, was also said to have been shot.

The corpse of the deceased was deposited at the mortuary of the Osun State University Teaching Hospital Osogbo.

Students of the ins tu on yesterday trooped out to protest the killings, calling on the state government and the police to restore peace in Ede. The protes ng students matched to the palace of the Timi of Ede, Oba Laminisa Lawal, to demand that the perpetrators of the break down of law and order be arrested and brought to book.

disclosed that one Samuel from Cotonou, who is the suspect in the case, came to Enugu for POP business.

The suspect visited the house of Pamela’s parents in Enugu and promised to take her to Lagos for hairdressing training.

“Pamela said Samuel forcefully put a charmed bangle on her wrist and this made her unconscious, as she later found herself in a room with two boys and girls. She said she didn’t know the actual date she got to Ejigbo LGA. She said Samuel used to touch their heads with eggs any me he was going out.

“Luck smiled on her as she was able to escape from the room she was kept. While roaming around the streets of Ejigbo, officers of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Osun State Command, invited her up for further inves ga ons.

“The release further noted that the vic m has been handed over to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Enugu State Command.”

The NSCDC State Commandant, Emmanuel Ocheja, called on parents and guardians to keenly watch over their wards, just as he appealed to them to always know the whereabouts of their children.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11 - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

6

T

Religion

HE concept of leadership in Islam is seen from the perspective of responsibility and sacrifice. Every man who has a family however small its size is the leader of the family. He has responsibilities towards the family and has sacrifices to make for the comfort of other memBy bers of the family. Councillors as heads of wards, chairmen as heads of Councils, Governors and Imaam Presidents, school heads as Headteachers, PrinOluwatoyin cipals, Provosts, Rectors and Vice-Chancellors Yusuf and Imams all have responsibilities towards their subjects and followers to cater for their needs and make personal sacrifices towards achieving the ends.

Prophet Muhammad, Allah be pleased with his soul, is reported to have said: “All of you are shepherds and each of you would be called to account about his flock is treated”.

This hadeeth places a huge responsibility on individuals coming out to seek votes to become leader in whatever capacity.

The hadeeth seeks to draw altruism from anybody wanting to lead. The hadeeth seeks comfort for the led at the expense of on the masses, how much less those in whose custody public fund is? One can imagine the malediction of Allah on leaders the leaders.

A Muslim leader who has read this hadeeth or heard about who pauperise their people and enrich their own family memit should be wary of taking up leadership positions, if the in- bers and associates.

Whenever anybody brought a gift to the Prophet, he would tention is to amass wealth, make himself, his family and associates comfortable and leave the people on whose shoulder he ask about that man or that widow who came so-so time to seek assistance, and the gift would be given to them. Muhammad rides to power to lick the dregs and settle for the crumbs.

The Day of Reckoning would be quite of discomfiture for believed any gift to him belonged to the public since he was the unbelievers, those who refused to use the Holy Books as holding the position in trust for people.

The second Khaleefah, Umar, exemplified the true meanguides. The Holy Prophet lent a voice when He said seven categories of people who be sheltered in the shade of Allah’s ing of “Minister”, somebody who is to minister to people’s umbrella on the Day of Judgment. First of the group are Just problems. Umar would be touring the city of Madeenah at a Leaders: leaders whose administration is devoid of nepotism, time he needed comfort most, to find out about the problems favouritism and sectionalism as well as tribalism. Leaders his people were facing with a view to catering to their needs. who see everyone of their subjects and followers as deserving Umar had Ministers/Commissioners but he would not leave of equitable treatment. Leaders who walk the talk of achiev- everything to them. He would not just take briefs from them. ing equity between the rich and the poor as Allah explain in Umar interacted directly with the people. He operated an Quran 16:71: “Allah favours some people in wealth over oth- open court.

But today what do we see? People working to minister to ers. But He would want that those favoured in material wealth to spend on the jetsam so that society is full of equity. But those the needs of leaders. From the public fund, leaders and members of their immediate family enjoy comfort while the pubwho have been favoured deny the favour of Allaah.”

In Quran 2:177, Allah explains that what virtue and piety lic strive to seek minimum comfort from the little they earn. are beyond performing regular prayers. Allah adds that virtue Masses are not even saying leaders should make any sacrifice includes spending the best of one’s property on the poor, the for them. Leaders can fly a kilometre journey but they make roads motorable for the led. Leaders can go to Johns Hopkins needy, the less privileged.

Now if Allah enjoins the rich to spend part of their wealth for mosquito bite, equip hospitals for our fatal fever. Leaders

JUMAT SERMON

Leadership Is Sacrifice

can send their children to Oxford Cambridge Harvard at the expense of public fund, they should make public schools attractive, less expensive for children of the masses. Leaders can build super mansions, but let the little we earn build modest houses for us.

Leaders should be proactive about the welfare of the led. The ministry of Agriculture during the rein of Yusuf as minister of Agriculture in Egypt remains an all round supper as explained in Quran chapter 12. The focus of the Ministry was to ensure food sufficiency for the people not even for Pharaoh or the Minister.

A leader leads from the front as epitomised by Prophet Muhammad during his defensive wars particularly Uhud where he was reported to have died before the truth was known that he sustained injuries. Muhammad didn’t sit in the comfort of his house among his wives. What comfort did his house offer in the first instance? Rather, he was at the battle ground.

Prophet Muhammad was an Imam, Chief Judge, Finance Minister, Minister of Budget Planning, Attorney General. He did not fail in any capacity. He laid a solid foundation for the growth of the Arabia. No wonder one of the architects of the United Arab Emirate, Muhammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum attributed the growth of the Emirate since 1971 to the leadership model of Prophet Muhammad as enshrined in the Quran.

And on the part of the people, as we talk of our rights we talk of our duties towards the government. We should pay our taxes regularly, guard public property, keep clear of destroying public utilities whatever the level of our frustration. We should listen to our leaders and respect them as long as they serve us within the limits of the resources we too generate to the public treasury.

We should change our mentality and reasoning towards the government. We should be able to identify saboteurs amongst us and counsel them. If we believe Presidents, Governors etc should not convert public property to their personal use, we too as Directors; Permanent Secretaries, General Managers, etc should stay clear of stealing public goods. Our society will only change when we all change as Allah says in the Quraan, “Allaah will not change the situation of a people unless they change their own mentality.”

Oluwatoyin Yusuf Imaam, OSBC Muslim Community.

News

Commotion At APC N’tnl Secretariat As Oyetola, Adeoti Supporters Clash Ismaeel Uthman

•Oyetola

•Adeoti

T

Rt. Hon. Lasun Yussuff were screened by the APC Screening Commi ee ahead of the February 19, 2022 governorship primary of the party yesterday.

According to some APC members, Oyetola arrived the secretariat few minutes before 2pm.

He was accompanied by the governorship candidate of the Social Democra c Party in the 2018 gubernatorial elec on, Senator Iyiola Omisore, the Director General, IleriOluwa Campaign Organisa on, Hon. Ajibola Famurewa, APC

HERE was commo on at the Naonal Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja yesterday where the screening of the State of Osun governorship aspirants took place.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the commo on emanated from poli cal exuberance of supporters of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and those of former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeo .

Oyetola, Adeo and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representa ves,

members and drummers.

Adeo , according to the APC members, arrived the secretariat at 2:15pm and was welcomed by his supporters and wellwishers who had been wai ng for him.

Yussuff, the former deputy speaker of the House of Reps, arrived later with just an aide, it was gathered.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that supporters of both Oyetola and Adeo started singing poli cal songs in favour of their aspirants who had gone for the screening exercise.

But the songs, it was gathered, were later laced with insulting and provoca ve languages which got both fac ons out of

their calmness.

According to the APC members, the development resulted into threats and harassment of one another as the two groups became hos le to each other.

However, the nerves of the fac ons were calmed by security agents and some leaders who prevailed on them.

Osun APC Loses Chieftain Kazeem Badmus

T

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun, yesterday lost a chie ain of the party, Alh. Sulaimon Alao.

Alao was a member of Igbimo Agba, an Elder Caucus of the APC in the state.

He died at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, according to family source.

Governor Adegboyega Oyetola described Alao’s death as monumental loss to the state.

Oyetola in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ismail Omipidan said he was taken aback by the news of Alao’s demise as he a ained the age of 70 few days back.

The governor who condoled with the family and people of Oniso’s compound, Ede, over the death of their patriarch, equally extended his hear elt condolences to the people of Ede town, Ede Federal cons tuency and members of the APC in the State.

He described Alao

as ‘a true progressive’, owing to his commitment and dedica on to the growth and development of the APC in Ede and Osun at large.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered the hos lity con nued when Oyetola was leaving the Secretariat a er his screening.

It was reported that security agents on the Oyetola’s entourage a empted to push Adeo ’s supporters away, leaving the governor’s supporters untouched.

According to some of the APC members, Adeo supporters resisted the security agents, asking them to also push Oyetola’s supporters away as well.

The medium gathered that the development resulted to hot alterca ons between the security agents, Adeo and Oyetola’s supporters.

It was learnt that the Chief Security Officer to Oyetola, Mr Ismail Dauda, lost his temper before he was calmed by Famurewa.

However, Oyetola was escort out of the building while Adeo le about an hour later.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11 - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022

7

News OAU Students Mourn, Demand Justice For Death Of 200L Colleague Yusuf Oketola

Ismaeel Uthman Kazeem Badmus

T

HE Student Union Government of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife has demanded for jus ce over the death of a female student, Heritage Ajibola who died a er falling into a soakaway in her private hostel.

Heritage, a 200L student of Linguis cs and African Languages, was confirmed dead a er falling into a soakaway on Wednesday a ernoon at Bver Hostel, Ile-Ife. According to a statement signed by the SUG President, Secretary and the Public Rela ons Officer, Festus Olayiwola, Samuel Odewale and Taofeeq Ogunpari respec vely, Ajibola’s death would have been averted had the soakaway system been properly constructed and covered.

The statement reads: “This incident is highly unfortunate. The Union mourns her. May her soul rest in peace. May God give her family, friends and coursemates the for tude to bear this irreparable loss.

“It must be noted that Heritage’s death was avoidable if the soakaway system was properly constructed and covered. It is saddening that this has happened despite the huge amounts of money paid by students for rent.

“The Management of the Hostel must answer for the death of Heritage.

The Union is immediately demanding jus ce for Heritage, with a view to forestalling a possible reoccurrence of this”.

Reac ng to Ajibola’s death, the OAU management in a statement signed

by Abiodun Olarewaju, expressed its sadness on the development.

The university sympathised with the students and commiserated with the parents of the deceased.

It described the incidence as unacceptable, just as it promised to cri cally look into the circumstances that led to the student’s death and mete out appropriate sanc ons against those involved or whoever is found culpable.

PUBLICATION OF NAME FAGBEMI VICTORIA FUNMILAYO That I was formerly known and addressed as

FAGBEMI now known as

FUNMILAYO

wish and

to be addressed

FAGBEMI VICTORIA FUNMILAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

Salary Arrears: Osun Tertiary Institutions Workers Give Oyetola 14-Days Ultimatum

W

ORKERS in the State of Osun owned ter ary ins tu ons have given Governor Adegboyega Oyetola a 14-day ul matum to pay the arrears of modulated salary owed by the state government.

The workers, under the aegis of Unions of Osun Stateowned Ter ary Ins tu ons, threatened to embark on an indefinite strike ac on if the government failed to address their demands at the expira on of the ul matum on Tuesday, February 22, 2022.

In a le er obtained by OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, the workers said the government is owing them 30 months modulated salary arrears.

The le er was jointly signed by the Chairmen and Secretaries of academic and nonacademic staff unions of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke, Osun State College of Educa on, Ila and Osun State College of Educa on, Ilesa.

According to the workers, the state government was yet to implement the minimum wage for the workers of the

•Heritage

ter ary ins tu ons, saying they were being taken for granted.

The le er reads in part: “The council seriously frowned at the way and manner the government is trea ng our issues despite the unusual cooperaon and understanding we had with the government.

“The 30 months arrears of modulated salary which Oyetola promised to pay since is s ll being awaited, despite having spent more than three years in office.

“The council no ced with dismay that the Bureau of Pension Service is insis ng that 35 years of service is s ll being used for our re ring members despite the exis ng law duly enacted by the State of Osun House of Assembly and assented to by the then Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola.

“Also, the council frowned at non-payment of deduc on arrears for four months of May and June 2019, February and April 2020 which are s ll outstanding. The council demands the release of these deduc ons without further delay.

“The union is seriously dissa sfied that the 2019, 2020 and 2021 promo on exercise are s ll being delayed despite the fact that a circular for their

Osun APC Crisis: Aregbesola Loyalists...

Continued from page 2 in an a empt to set the building ablaze.

On the evening of that day, some members of the APC were a acked in Ifon, Orolu Local Government of the State.

The APC members were a acked where they were holding their mee ng at Ayetoro, opposite Carpenter Hall, Ifon.

According to some of the APC members who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER under condi on of anonymity, the hoodlums stormed the mee ng around 6pm and started shoo ng sporadically.

The hoodlums reportedly unleashed machete cuts on two members of the party, Alh. Sani Muhammed and Isiaka Irewumi.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that police have arrested one Mustapha Saidu who allegedly a acked the vic ms with cutlass.

Sources at the police sta on told the medium that the Caretaker Chairman of Orolu Local Government, Hon Benson Adekunle and Chairman of Oloru Area Council, Kazeem Oladejo were with Saidu at the sta on.

Also, a billboard erected with the picture of Aregbesola was set ablaze on Friday, February 4, 2022, by hoodlums. The billboard which was erected at Jaleoyemi junc on, Osogbo,

was said to have been burnt by the hoodlums at the early hours of Friday.

Oyetola Preparing Violent Ground For Rigging – Salinsile

Reac ng to the series of a acks, the Chairman of the APC, Hon Rasaq Salinsile, said Governor Adegboyega Oyetola had been waging war against members of the party who opposed his divisive tendency and bi er polics since he became the governor.

According to Salinsile, Oyetola-led IleriOluwa camp resorted to violence because it has dawn on it that it is not popular within the party.

Salinsile, in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, said Oyetola’s loyalists are trying to in midate members of the party ahead of the governorship primaries.

He said: “The crisis in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun began immediately a er the inaugura on of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola in November, 2018.

“The crisis started when Oyetola began to mark some members of the party as archenemy a er his emergence as the Governor of the state.

The governor started his administra on with polics of division and bi erness which degenerated

into the current crisis in the party.

“They thought they were popular, but when it dawned on them that we own the party, they resorted to violence to in midate our people.

“The Oyetola people have been persistent in a acking us, while the police are also consistent in aiding them. The police under the leadership of Mr Wale Olokode, has been compromised by the Oyetola government.

“All the a acks on us is an indica on that Governor Oyetola is preparing violent ground for the upcoming governorship primary of the party. Oyetola knows he cannot win a free and fair contest.

That is the reason they shielded away from elecve congresses last year.

They are not popular.”

TOP Ac ng Scripts To Gain Sympathy – Akere

But the Special Adviser to the Governor on Poli cal Ma ers, Chief Sunday Akere, absolved Oyetola and his loyalists of being the masterminds of the poli cal violence in Osun.

Akere, in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, said TOP members were responsible for the poli cal violence in Osun, saying that all the reported a acks on them was just a script to gain the sympathy of the people.

Akere said: “Why did we have to prepare a violent ground? Who is perpetrating violence? When you are in the majority, you don’t have any fear. Oyetola has the majority and the support of the party people in Osun. Whoever is sure that he has the majority in the party should come out on February 19 to contest against Oyetola.

“Let them come out and queue at the 332 wards in the state. Nobody is perpetra ng violence. The governor and the en re party machinery are ready for the primary.

“It is the TOP people that are a acking themselves.

They are crea ng an environment of violence. The facts are there; it is logical.

Who will come to Oranmiyan House to a ack the building? What is the essence of a acking the building?

“They said the people that a acked the building came a er the people have concluded their mee ng and le . It is TOP people that are ins ga ng violence. They are ac ng script to gain public sympathy.

We have seen through their logic.

“You need to see how people are welcoming the Governor at various local government during the ongoing Strategic engagement tour. The governor is loved and supported by the people. It is the minority that is ins ga ng violence in the state.”

commencement had been issued by the State Government.

The union demands for immediate commencement and comple on of 2019, 2020 and 2021 promo on exercises without further delay.

“It is very unfortunate that the issue of contributory pension scheme has not been resolved despite the con nued agita on and recommendaons from various unions on the ma er.

“It is very painful that the last recruitment done in the state owned ter ary ins tuons was in 2008 and most of our ins tu ons are seriously under-staffed because there are no replacement for the re rees, those who died in ac ve service and those who transferred their services.”

Pay Our Corpora ve Deduc ons, Osun Workers Tells Gov.

Meanwhile the mainstream workers under the aegis of the State of Osun Joint Labour Movement have also wri en Oyetola, demanding payment of their corpora ve deduc ons and outstanding arrears of salary and pensions.

In the le er, dated February 7, 2022, co-signed by Joint Nego a ng Council Chairman, Bayo Adejumo; Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress, Jacob Adekomi; and the Chairman, Trade Union Congress, Adekola Adebowale; and addressed to the governor, the labour movement demanded payment of four months coopera ve deduc ons which form part of monthly salaries of some categories of workers for the month of June 2019, April, May and June 2020.

The demands also include giving financial effect to workers promo ons star ng from November 1, 2021, and implementa on of nominal promoons and conversion.

The le er reads in part: “The movement note with concern the non-payment of coopera ve deduc ons of monthly salaries which form part of monthly salaries of the affected workers for the month of June 2019, April, May and June 2020.

“The immediate payment of the deduc ons shall be appreciated. It is worthy of note that the government, through the a ached circular, agreed to implement nominal promoon for “2019 and 2020” as contained in paragraph 2 same, yet up ll now, the issue has not seen the light of the day.

“In view of which the joint Labour Movement hereby call for ‘immediate release’ of circular for the implementa on of nominal promo ons and conversions spanning 2019 – 2021.

“Workers and pensioners in the state have been noted by the Joint Labour movement to be extraordinarily resilient, having endured the non-payment of outstanding arrears of salaries and pensions which this government has agreed to commence the payment with effect from 1st November 2021.”

ISSN : 0794 - 8050

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 11 - THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2022 VOL. 17 NO 05 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com

News Police To Investigate IleriOluwa DG Over Inciting Comment Against TOP Members Page 5

D

EMOCRATIC values are ideas that make a society ideal and prosperous. They include social jus ce, freedom and fairness, equality before the law, democra c decision making, freedom of speech, free and fair elecon, rights of minority, and freedom of press, amongst others. Any society that claims to be prac cing democracy but put any of these values under assault is being ruled by cruel and vicious autocrats. Under the watch of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, a lot of a acks have been unleashed on democra c values. Osun APC is divided into two fac ons: Ilerioluwa/Famodun and Aregbesola/Salinsile fac ons. As a result of the power of incumbency that the Ilerioluwa group temporarily holds, it has taken Osun back to dark era where thugs are freely used by the government to a ack perceived opposi on. Ilerioluwa group has severally sent thugs to a ack virtually every poli cal gathering or mee ng of The Osun Progressives that metamorphosed into Aregbesola/ Salinsile APC fac on.

The latest one was a ack on Aregbesola campaign office in Osogbo by fully armed thugs on Thursday, February 3, 2022 with an a empt to set the building ablaze. Having directed their gunshots at the building, the thugs concentrated the gunshots on the transformer in front of the building that supplies electricity to it to trigger power surge and inferno.

Again, they threw petrol-soaked bread into the building surroundings in an attempt to set it ablaze. This latest a ack was the second as same thugs had in November 2021 a acked APC members who were holding mee ng in the same building but were repelled by the mammoth crowd at the mee ng. Interes ngly, this very building was one of the Ilerioluwa campaign offices in Osogbo during Osun 2018 gubernatorial elec on.

As at today, the difference between All Progressive Congress (APC) and People Democra c Party (PDP) is six and half a dozen. It is instruc ve to state that PDP also has its challenges with five aspirants jostling to become candidate of the party but no a ack or violence has been exhibited like its conjoin APC twin.

Contes ng an elec on presupposes service to the people. The despera on of Ilerioluwa APC fac on is an exhibi on of despera on to cling to power at all cost. This is a big ques on mark on democra c credence of ruling APC. In fact, Ilerioluwa fac on’s despera on to crush intraparty perceived poli cal opposi on may soon lead to blood-le ng if care is not taken. If a fac on of a party could be wielding violent a acks on intraparty conflict, what will it exhibit on Elec on Day? How many thugs will it use in all the polling units across the state? Assuming its thugs cover all the polling units, does it have monopoly of violence? Would its twin sister fold its hands and watch it outsmart it in its professional game?

Should the Ilerioluwa caucus con nue in its violent re-elec on pursuit, would Osun voters, who are not blind to all these shenanigans, if only for the sake of peace in the state, make up their minds to pay APC back in its own coin by voting it out on July 16, 2022 gubernatorial elec on? Yes, voters have power to do so but does it make sense to walk from frying pan to fire? If APC is bad, PDP cannot

Attacks On Democratic Values be an alterna ve as both are two sides of the same bad coin. Devil cannot be an alterna ve to evil. This is a challenge for other par es like Ac on Democra c Party (ADP), Labour Party, etc to buckle up their games; posit and represent an alterna ve democra c and development paradigm to the present rot. This, they could do by coming out with credible candidates with no blemish; and pro-poor policies and programmes that can be er the lives of the people. It is the absence of this third force and mulparty compe veness that emboldens the powers that be in the two major par-

STRIKER

es.

In the run-up to the July 16, 2022 gubernatorial elec ons in Osun, all security personnel should be on their toes, especially the police. They should not compromise their duty or be seen to be par san in poli cal ac vi es. They must be so proac ve in preven ng violent a acks and apprehend anyone who perpetrates them and bring them to full jus ce. It is unjus fiable for the Police not to have made an arrest of those who carried out an a ack against people mee ng in Oranmiyan House in November 2021 and another a ack on 3rd of

“would Osun voters, who are not blind to all these shenanigans, if only for the sake of peace in the state, make up their minds to pay APC back in its own coin by voting it out on July 16, 2022 gubernatorial election? Yes, voters have power to do so but does it make sense to walk from frying pan to fire? If APC is bad, PDP cannot be an alternative as both are two sides of the same bad coin” February, 2022. If a serving Minister and immediate former governor’s campaign office could be targeted with no arrest made ll now, nobody seems to be safe any long. A peaceful Osun has radically transformed into a flourishing arena for thugs, muggers and cul sts with impunity. Police are to protect life and property and allay fear of possible a ack in the mind of the populace no ma er the poli cal affilia on. In the absence of discharging this core responsibility professionally, anarchy will ensue.

Striker is not the opinion of the Columnist featured above

To Make A Difference, Learn We are living through trying mes in Nigeria; heading swi ly to a point where “the centre can no longer hold.” Nevertheless, Nigeria has such a resilient spirit and uncommon Grace from Above such that it has consistently bounced back from the brink of such adversi es that make other na ons history. Born of unusual historical circumstances, it seems that no diabolic machinaon will stop it from achieving its historical des ny as the “giant of Africa,” of which it is presently only a mere poten al.

However, the heavens only help those who help themselves, as they say. Accordingly, every genuine ci zen desirous of a change to that mighty and just republic must wake up now and begin to do the needful rather than leaving it to fate. Believe it or not, the change we desire must begin with us all as individuals. Leo Tolstoy said: “Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself/herself.” There, precisely, lies the contradic on.

Whereas there are overwhelming social condi ons that form a person’s character, the same adversity that turns one man to a bandit is the same that turns another, right by his side, into a scholar. It is a ma er of personal choice based largely on birth, upbringing and self-development.

This is why we have made the choice today to inspire ourselves with some words on learning and making a difference. To make a difference, the first thing to do is to learn, and learning does not take ages.

There are so many sayings that point to the fact that knowledge is everything: it is what builds wisdom, character and skills. It is said that “wisdom is be er than silver and gold,” “knowledge is power,” and “my people per-

ish for lack of wisdom.” The misconstruc on of what knowledge is all about is indeed at the root of Nigeria’s vagrancy almost to the edge of self annihila on today.

Learning and knowledge is definitely not about cer ficates for plum job and it is not to be obtained solely from the schools.

According to Marcus Garvey, “To be educated is to be learned in all that is worthwhile knowing. Not to be crammed with the subject ma er of books or the philosophy of the classroom but to store away in your head such facts as you need for daily applica on of life, so that you may be be er in all things, understand your fellow men and interpret your rela on to your creator. You can be educated in soul, vision and feeling as well as in mind. To see your enemy and know him is a part of the complete educaon of man; to spiritually regulate oneself is another form of the higher educa on that fits man for a nobler place in life, and s ll to be able to approach your brother by feeling of your own humanity, is an educa on that so ens the ills of the world and makes us kind indeed...”

As said, when this no on is go en wrong in trying to formalise the acquisi on of learning, a society is on the way to doom.

Indeed, at the entrance gate of a university in South Africa, the following message was posted for contempla on: “Destroying any na on does not require the use of atomic bombs or the use of long range missiles. It only requires lowering the quality of educaon and allowing chea ng in the examinaons by the students. Pa ents die at the hands of such doctors. Buildings collapse at the hands of such engineers. Money is lost at the hands of such economists and

accountants. Humanity dies at the hands of such religious scholars. Jus ce is lost at the hands of such judges... The collapse of educa on is the collapse of the na on.”

To remedy the decades of ins tu onal damages to knowledge acquisi on process, the onus is now on us all to learn by ourselves; run quick courses for being our best, for ourselves and for the society. The way is to return to our study desks, and for those who can read to widely do so and then write and teach those who can’t. The Sage, Obafemi Awolowo, emphasised this discipline when he said “while many men in power and public office are busy carousing in the midst of women of easy virtue and men of low morals, I, as a few others like me, am busy at my desk thinking about the problems of Nigeria and proffering solu ons to them. Only the deep can call to the deep.” Thinking correctly is a func on of good learning.

In an age and place where the blind and violent pursuit of money without work is dominant, learning is s ll clearly available everywhere for those seeking it - for those that desire wisdom, character and skill, which remains the sure and descent means to wealth. The first task is to pause in our rou ne of being busy doing mostly nothing other than hustle, and resolving, in addi on to hustling for mere survival or vanity, to seek knowledge; convinced genuinely that being maximally useful to oneself and posi vely relevant to the community, not to men on relevance to the larger society, the na on and the world, is simply impossible without adequate learning.

Osun DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarnaty Trust Bank (GTB), Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun.

All correspondence to the Deputy Editor, ISMAEEL UTHMAN, Telephone: 0805-121-2204, usmanismail001@yahoo.com. ISSN: 0794-8050.

Website: www.osundefender.com Email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com, osundefemder@yahoo.com