Osun Defender Online Version of April 21, 2023

2 News Kidnapping: Cross Boundary Criminals Terrorising Osun – Findings

•Continued from Page 1

criminal elements.

According to Adewinbi, there is intelligence report that some criminal elements who were dislodged in Ondo state might have infiltrated some forests in Osun.

Adewinbi who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, stated that Amotekun corps have always been on the alert in safeguarding residents of the state, saying that is why it was possible to rescue the Fulani who was abducted by kidnappers in Ila recently.

He said: “We are handling the kidnapping ma er. From available informa on, it is not unlikely that our forests have been infiltrated by these criminal elements. It will not be out of place to state that the kidnappers are from other states.

“From the intelligence gathered, some of the criminal elements who were dislodged in Ondo by the Nigerian Army, Police and Amotekun, have found their ways into our forests. Our boundaries with Kwara, Ondo and Eki needed to be properly for fied and we are working on that.

“We are re-strategising to kickout these criminal elements. We have increased our patrol and deployed officers to mount the border between Kwara and Osun. Through this, we have been able to free some vic ms of kidnapping. We will flush out these criminal elements totally.

“We will checkmate them at the borders; these criminals come through the borders.”

Naira Circula on Responsible For Upsurge - OPC

Acknowledging that the kidnappers have infiltrated some forests in Osun, the new Coordinator of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in the State, Mr. Yemi Aboderin, said the reintroducon of old naira notes is also responsible for the spate of kidnapping cases in the state.

Aboderin noted that kidnapping and other crimes had subsided when there was scarcity of cash, saying the criminal elements came alive when the Federal Government reintroduced old naira notes into circula on.

He said: “Resurgence in cases of kidnapping in the state could be traced

to current economic reality. The new naira policy introduced by the outgoing regime of President Muhammadu Buhari affected many people, most especially, the lower class nega vely and few of those who cannot cope with finding ways out of its effect seems to see kidnapping as lucra ve mean of getng the needed financial backbone to weather the storm.

“You will realise that when the old naira notes were withdrawn from circula on and scarcity of the new notes permeated the society, incidence of kidnapping reduced dras cally in the country.

“But with the re-

introduc on of the old notes into circula on, the kidnappers now feel that there are more cash in circula on and people could afford to pay for ransom.

“Since cases of kidnapping have gone down in the last few months, security opera ves have let down their guards, leaving the kidnappers to have a free hand to operate.”

“Lack of basic modern security gadgets by security opera ves to tackle kidnapping could also be adduced to rising cases.”

Aboderin said OPC will con nue to collaborate with conven onal security agencies to tackle the menace in the

state, saying they will con nue to comb forests on intelligence gathering and rescue opera ons.

“We have put our men on the alert and to be on the lookout for any related cases and inform necessary quarters. They have been briefed on the need to assist with community security watch to stem the de”, he said.

The OPC Coordinator said he could not rule out the fact that some criminal elements have infiltrated Osun forests through Eki and Kwara states to perpetrate crime in the state.

“We cannot rule out the fact that they have accomplices in the state who feed them on the targets to act on. But,

people in the state in search of quick money now engage in such crime as well.

“Our borders everywhere are porous. There is no proper and workable means to checkmate and document movements in and out of this country.”

We’ll For fy Our Boundaries – Police

According to the State of Osun police command, majority of the suspected kidnappers who have been arrested are residents of neighbouring states.

Spokesperson of the command, Mrs Yemisi Opalola, in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, stated that Osun could be witness-

ing ‘cross-boundary’ criminal ac vi es.

Opalola said the police have put strategy in place to for fy the boundaries between Osun and other states, adding that the police is also collabora ng with local security opera ves to ensure that criminal elements are flush out of the state forests.

The PPRO maintained that Osun is not a safe haven for criminals, saying that those behind the recent kidnappings are possibly opera ng from outside the states.

She said: “There are few pockets of kidnapping cases but I s ll want to tell you that we have been able to address all the kidnapping cases or abduc on.

“We have been able to rescue some vic ms and some of the suspected kidnappers have been arrested; some arraigned in court, while some are s ll under inves ga ons.

“Osun is not a safe haven for criminals; that why whenever some criminals commit crimes in other states and run to Osun, they will be arrested.

“There are possibilies and indica ons that the people behind these kidnapping cases are not from this state. The suspects that we have been able to lay our hands on are people who came from the neighbouring states.

Corruption: ICPC Partners CAC To Check Company Background In Osun

Yusuf Oketola

THE Head of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in the State of Osun, Mr. Kunle Omotosho has expressed the willingness of the commission to partner the Independent Corrupt Prac ces and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on an -corrup on campaign in the state.

Omotosho made the asser on while receiving Resident An -Corrup on Commissioner (RACC) of

ICPC, Osun Office, Mr. Demola Bakare, during a courtesy visit and sensi sa on lecture on Monday.

In his address, Bakare stated that the purpose of the visit was to improve on the collabora on between the two organisa ons at the state level and to enhance the existing cordial rela onship.

Bakare said the sensi sa on was to enlighten and educate officials of CAC on the an -corrup on campaign so that they

would not run afoul of the law in the discharge of their du es.

He noted that CAC is a member of the Illicit Financial Flow (IFF) commi ee just like ICPC, hence collabora on will facilitate exchange of intel during inves ga on of en es registered by CAC, par cularly when it is requires to check their background.

He emphasised that ICPC was not just a law enforcement agency, but a change agent that sensi ses the society through various

pla orms as it focuses more on Behavioral Change.

Delivering a lecture on “the Role of Public Servants/CAC officials in the Fight against Corrup on”, Mr. Laaro Sulyman of the ICPC office urged staff to support the An -Corrup on and Transparency Unit (ACTU) of their organisa on and promote the culture of integrity for excellent service delivery.

Sulyman submi ed that “public officers are custodians of public trust; trust is fragile and must not be handled frivolously”.

“We are working on our boundaries to ensure that they are safe; we will not allow these evil doers to infiltrate our state. The police are also collabora ng with local security to ensure that our forests are safe. We have also put in place some security measures to ensure the safety of our people. Our priority has always been to ensure that the people of the state are secured and safe.

“The police in Osun promised the ci zens that we will not rest un l the criminals are rooted out of this command. We will not allow this command to be a res ng place for them. It will not be a place where they can hibernate to carry out their nefarious ac vies.”

Opalola enjoined the people of the state to always alert the police whenever they observe any suspicious movement of strangers in their various communi es.

•(Middle) Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye and members of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Population and Housing Census during their inauguration, on Monday.

IT should not be misinterpreted as risqué the use of the phrase an -climax, unfortunately, the aborted electoral heist in that state negated high hopes held about the breaking of the gender glass ceiling.

Nigeria should by now have had up to a dozen or more female elected governors. The so near and yet so far away a empt by “Mama Taraba” to win the governorship of Taraba State is s ll a painful reminder that we are not using female talent well and it’s all mo on and no movement on the gender parity front. This is regre able a source of concern and must be remedied.

The contrived melodrama in Adamawa State this week to quote the brilliant analyst Abimbola Adelakun was “tragedy and farce playing out simultaneously”. The charade was preposterous.

There was in the comic -tragedy confirma on of the inadequacy of ins tu ons. Absurdly, what ought to be independent ins tu ons of the state sat arms akimbo

Fear, Loathing And A Heist!

•An Anti-Climax In Adamawa State

“Deterrence is of paramount importance, there must be no delay.

If the heist in Adamawa had not been nipped in the bud there could have been a threat to public safety, and a breakdown of law and order leading to the declaration of a state of emergency”

as a viola on of the na on’s electoral law was going. It could not be more bizarre.

There is clearly a lot wrong with our method of recruitment and selec on into strategic offices. The Resident Electoral Commissioner al-

ready had ques on marks hanging over his performance in the civil service of Bauchi State. Makes one to wonder about the diligence of whatever ve ng was done before he was giving such high office. The same reserva ons a ach to those complicit in the theatre of the absurd. As long as we are lackadaisical in the screening process, this will con nue to be a recurring decimal. Asking nominees to “take a bow and go” is not just a nega on of the process we can now see that it can derail democracy itself.

The internal security mechanism must now be unambigu-

ous about bringing the suspects to book. Deterrence is of paramount importance, there must be no delay. If the heist in Adamawa had not been nipped in the bud, there could have been a threat to public safety, and a breakdown of law and order leading to the declara on of a state of emergency.

This is not acceptable for a country that held its first democra c elec on in the Western interpreta on of democracy in 1923 exactly a century ago. The daun ng collateral damage induces a picture of a country with ins tu onal deficits which cannot be favourable when factored in by country risks analysts. It will affect our economy right across the board.

The poli cal will for a wholesale revamp must be mustard. The incoming Na onal Assembly must have a new look at the s ll relevant recommenda ons of the panel headed by Jus ce Uwais. There is a clear impera ve to do so, we cannot con nue with perennial near misses without running out of kick one day.

Small Businesses And Unemployment

GETTING back to his desk a er elec on interlude, the Minister of State for Labour, Festus Keyamo SAN was obviously disconcerted by the alarming figures for Nigeria’s unemployment and of even greater concern the rate of underemployment which is even more difficult to define unemployment with sta s cal precision.

Defining underemployment is fraught with disputes about methodology.

Whatever the distraught of Keyamo, we must be alive to the fact which is that, Nigeria is a living incarna on of what was in vogue in the nineteensix es, the descrip on of a stagnant “third world” econo-

my as reflec ng the “development of underdevelopment” or interchangeably “growth without development”. The descrip ons are as a result of the pioneering work undertaking in that era by people like Andre Gunther Frank, the General Secretary of the United Na ons Economic Commission for La n America. We didn’t learn anything from the six es and the subsequent resource course. Now the chickens have come home to roost. Our delusions of grandeur must end. It was no ceably fixated upon by a one- me Federal Finance Minister, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, who went on and on about Nigeria as the biggest econo-

“With the terrible figures on hand, we have a structural deform- ity on hand which must be addressed. For a start the country must move from consumption to production which was the bases of the admirable 1960 and 1963 Constitutions. Furthermore, we must accept that economic policies rest on a tripod consisting of mon- etary, fiscal and trade policies. Trade has been neglected and must now be put on the front burner, we either export or we perish ”

my in Africa. Sta s cally this is correct. However, growth rates can only paper over the cracks of so many “false starts”. With an alarming demographic growth outstripping economic growth and concerns about the sustainability of the na on’s moun ng debts.

The incoming administraon has its work cut out. The herculean task to be undertaking to clean the Augean stables can no longer be delayed.

OSUN DEFENDER

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All correspondence to the above email addresses.

With the terrible figures on hand, we have a structural deformity on hand which must be addressed. For a start the country must move from consump on to producon which was the bases of the admirable 1960 and 1963 Cons tu ons. Furthermore, we must accept that economic policies rest on a tripod consis ng of monetary, fiscal and trade policies. Trade has been neglected and must now be put on the front burner, we either export or we perish. A new system of social and economic rela onships must be put in place and a naonal consensus forged to achieve the cons tu onal rearrangements vitally needed to drive the process there is no longer me. The figures are terrifying.

Osun 8th Assembly: Speakership Tears Members-Elect Apart

Ismaeel Uthman

CRISIS has begun to erupt the coming 8th House of Assembly in the State of Osun before its inaugura on, inves gaons have revealed.

OSUN DEFENDER authorita vely gathered that the 25 of 26 memberselect of the assembly are currently divided over the speakership posi on and other principal offices.

The 25 members-elect are all from the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP).

Some of the prospecve lawmakers, it was gathered, are scheming to disrupt the legisla ve prac ce, conven onal and tradi onal process of elec ng a ‘ranking member’ as Speaker of the Assembly.

A ranking member means that a lawmaker that has spent more than a term at the assembly.

However, findings revealed that only five members-elect for the

•Aggrieved

Prospective Lawmakers Approach Court To Pave Way For First Timer

8th assembly are ranking members. they are: Hon. Olaide Ajibola (Olorunda Cons tuency), Hon. Adewumi Kofoworola (Ede North Cons tuency), Hon. Adeyemi Adewumi (Obokun Cons tuency), Tajudeen Adeyemi (Ifelodun) and the current Deputy Speaker, Hon. Femi Popoola (Boripe/Boluwaduro Cons tuency).

But Popoola could not be considered for the speakership posi on because he is the only member from All Progressives Congress (APC).

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that leadership of the PDP has zoned the speaker of the 8th assembly to Osun Central senatorial district, leaving Ajibola and Adeyemi to the race.

However, some of the members-elect have rejected the move on the ground that there is nothing wrong for a first- mer

•Cross section of members of the Federation of Muslim Women Associations of Nigeria (FOMWAN), Osun State Chapter during their Ramadan Lecture held at their Secretariat, recently

to become the speaker of the assembly.

Two of the aggrieved members-elect, Hon.

Akinyode Oyewusi (Ife North Cons tuency) and Bamidele Lawal (Osogbo Cons tuency) have jointly

approach an Osun State High Court on the ma er. Oyewusi and Lawal are seeking a declara on of the

NANS Demands Justice On OAU Student’s Death, Frown At Jungle Justice

Yusuf Oketola

THE Na onal Associa on of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on the police to bring everybody responsible for the death of a 500-level Civil Engineering student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Okoli Chizoputam to jus ce.

Chizoputam died on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 after he was reportedly beaten by students of Awo Hall for allegedly stealing a mobile telephone.

A statement signed by the Na onal Public Rela ons Officer of NANS, Temitope Giwa, said the students body visited Dean of Students’ Affairs of the university, Prof. I.O Aransi, Chief Security Officer of the ins tu on, Babatunde Oyetokun and the Commissioner of Police in the state of Osun, Kehinde Longe, on Tuesday for jus ce advocacy and fact-finding mission.

Giwa, in the statement, said NANS learnt that Chizoputam’s death was as a result of mismanagement of a case that could have been best handled in the most lawful means.

He noted that the deceased was kept at the Students’ Union Building for close to eight hours before he gave up the ghost despite the obvious fact that he needed medical a enon.

Giwa said the assault on the deceased le a deep cut on his thigh.

The cut, according to Giwa, was suspected to

be from an object used to inscribe O sign on Chizoputam’s thigh.

He said: “During our interac on with both the Dean, Division of Students’ Affairs and the CSO of the ins tu on, we got to understand that the death was a result of mismanagement of a case that could have been best handled in the most lawful means.

“We were also told that as against the informa on making round, at no point was the Quick Response Squad of the University called upon to convey the deceased to the health centre before he gave up the ghost.

“In fact, as a students’ body which frowns against criminality in every form of it, we maintain that it was very wrong to have called the security unit of the university to convey the deceased to the health centre before he gave up the ghost.

“The leadership of the Students’ Union should have, upon been handed over to by the security commi ee of Awolowo Hall where the the was alleged to have taken place immediately taken him to the health centre for necessary treatment to be administered on him considering the injury he has suffered as a result of the beaten he got at Awolowo Hall.

“On his thigh is a very deep cut and what appears to be the use of an object to inscribe O on his thigh.

“While interac ng with the Commissioner of Po-

lice, Mr. Kehinde Longe, we made our stance known that we shall not in anyway stand in the way of jus ce and that we shall collaborate and cooperate with the ins tu on of the police to ensure that everyone involved in the murder are brought to jus ce.

“The only favour we can do to the memory of the dead is to ensure that jusce is served appropriately in order to serve as deterrence for others.

“We have tasked the police to ensure that those the deceased was handed over to at the Students’ Un-

ion Building be invited and interrogated too as it will assist in the cause of invesga on.

“Keeping the students in custody for close to eight hours before he gave up the ghost despite the obvious fact that he needed medical a en on as a result of the bea ng he had suffered while at Awolowo Hall is in itself culpability.

“Once again, we state that we frown against every form of jungle jus ce, not even on our campuses. Mob means people and everyone involved in that shameful and criminal act must be iden fied and brought to jus ce.

court that the provision of Rule 4(a) of the Osun State House of Assembly Legisla ve Standing Rules is inconsistent with the provision of Sec on 92(1) of the 1999 Cons tu on of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

Rule 4(a) of the Assembly Standing Rules states that “A Member-elect, addressing the Clerk, shall propose a ranking member-elect from the majority party that such memberelect, “Do take the Chair of the House as Speaker of the House of Assembly” provided such a nominaon shall be seconded by another Member-elect”.

The lawmaker stated that the Standing Rule negates the spirit of Secon 92 (1) of the 1999 Cons tu on which simply states that “There shall be a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of a House of Assembly who shall be elected by the members of the House from among themselves.”

NDLEA Destroys Acres Of Cannabis Sativa Farm In Osun

THE Na onal Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), State of Osun Command, has destroyed 0.36 acres of Cannabis Sa va popularly known as Indian Hemp farm.

The farm, located at Obada Sawmill, Owena Ijesa in Oriade Local Government area of the state, was said to have 20kg Cannabis Sa va.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the farm was destroyed by the officers of the NDLEA led by ACN Oladele Ali last Saturday, April 15, 2023.

According to a statement by the Public Affairs Officer of the agency

in Osun, Odigie Charles, NDLEA discovered the cannabis sa va farm with the aid of some hunters.

Odigie disclosed that the hunters were paid huge amount of money by the agency to locate the farm, sta ng that the NDLEA officers surmounted a lot of obstacles to be able to get in and out of the farm.

He said: “NDLEA Osun state Command officers, led by ACN Oladele Ali, carried out a cannabis sa va farm destruc on of 0.36 acres of land and recovered fresh cannabis sa va, which weighed 20kg at Obada sawmill, in Owena Ijesa, Oriade LGA Osun state on 15th April, 2023.

“Officers from the DPRS Na onal Headquarters, Abuja were part of the team. The officers surmounted a lot of obstacles to be able to get in and out of the

farm.

“We paid some hunters huge amount of money to assist us in ge ng the farm. No arrest was made, but we are tracking down the owners”.

Yusuf Oketola

Photo Shola Aderinto

•NANS National executives during their visit to the State of Osun Commissioner of Police, CP Kehinde Longe

FG Unveils 5-Year Internal Security Strategic Plan

Yusuf Oketola

THE Federal Government has unveiled a five-year strategic plan to boost the country’s internal security architecture.

Speaking at the launching of the plan in Abuja on Tuesday, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, said the essen ality of the strategic plan cannot be overemphasized, due to the importance of internal security to na onal security and prosperity.

He said the five year plan for “the Ministry of Interior and its Services and Board was the a ermath of the second Ministerial Strategy Retreat held in Ilorin, Kwara State in 2021, where decision was reached to develop a strategic plan that would serve as a guide for all the programmes, projects and policies of the ministry, its Services and Board in attaining its overall ministerial mandate of fostering the maintenance of internal security and ci zenship integrity for the promo on of good governance.”

Aregbesola revealed that the plan will be implemented through the ministry’s agencies and board including the Nigerian Correc onal Service (NCoS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigeria Immigra on Service (NIS), and the Federal Fire Service (FFS).

He said: “The Ministry of Interior is integral to na onal security and prosperity in a way that many do not readily grasp. These are done through the four services of: the Nigeria Immigra on Service (NIS), monitoring comings and goings at our borders and ensures that those who are likely to harm us and our welfare from the outside are kept at bay.

“The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) complements the police and other law enforcement agencies in comba ng crime and intelligence gathering while the Nigerian Correc onal Service (NCoS), keeps custody of those lawfully sentenced or awai ng trial and the Federal Fire Service (FFS) respond to fire and other emergencies.”

The minister further explained that ‘the Ministry also registers marriage and regulates the presence of foreigners in our midst, insis ng that these services are essen al to the security of any na on and wellbeing of the people.

“Though there are s ll challenges here and there, but thousands of thousands of cases that would have put the na on into chaos are addressed daily

and nipped in the bud. This has enabled us sleep with both eyes closed and go about our daily business without any fear or worry.”

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, while giving more insights about the working of the strategic plan, said that the it

targets the achievement of set goals and objec ves of the ministry, its agencies and board for both mid and long terms.

He said: “The strategic

plan provides direc ons for both long and short term plans as well as analyse current internal security situa ons in Nigeria, looks into daily security challenges as well as the overall security architecture and na onal security policies.

“Another sec on of the plan looks at the strategy implementa on and all that is required to implement it.”

Belgore said the key pillars of the plan is safety and security, provision of internal security, ci zenship integrity, transparency and service delivery.

He revealed that the plan includes the establishment of a central security database that aligns natural human resources for safety and security.”

Ministry during the Launching of the 5-year Internal Security Strategic Plan

Belgore added that other highlights of the plan include the strengthening of the marriage registry and the expatriate quota considera ons.

Osun Recorded 130 Fire Incidents In 2022, N2bn Property Destroyed - Report

Yusuf Oketola

THE State of Osun Fire Service on Tuesday said proper es worth N2.28 billion were lost to fire outbreaks in the state between January and December 2022.

According to data obtained from the State Fire Service by OSUN DEFENDER, the losses were from 130 fire incidents that took place in the state in the year.

The data also reflected that majority of the fire outbreaks took place between January and March, with November recording the highest property loss of N1.13 billion to seven different fire outbreaks.

February recorded the highest incidents of fire outbreaks with 47 incidents and property worth more than N674m was destroyed.

Two persons, according to the data, died from the fire incidents in September, with the months of harma an/dry season having the highest records of fire outbreaks.

Fire Service Spokesperson in the state, Mr Ibrahim Adekunle, told the medium that the high numbers of outbreaks recorded during the harma an/dry season was mostly due to open fire and bush burning.

Adekunle said there was nothing special that caused a fire during the dry season more than the rainy season.

He said the only difference was the bush burn-

ing during the dry season, which was not applicable in the rainy season.

“Everywhere is dry during the dry season and any mistake concerning fire can lead to disaster, so people should be careful with the way they handle fire during the dry season.’’ He said.

Adekunle advised people to take precau ons against fire outbreaks and always remember to switch off their electrical

appliances and remove the cords from electrical sockets when there was no light and whenever they were going out.

He said: “Parents should also avoid allowing their children into the kitchen, and also keep fire matches away from them.

“Open fire like candlelight should be avoided and flammable liquids like petroleum, diesel should not be stored at

home.

“Bushes around buildings should be cleared to avoid fire gu ng your house when bushes are set on fire.

“Same should be applied to farmlands; bushes around the farm should also be cleared to provide a fire break so that when hunters or anybody sets bushes on fire, it will not affect the farm.

“Also, fire ex nguishers should be kept in the

car, offices and houses to fight or tackle any form of fire when it breaks; and gas cylinders should be kept outside the kitchen, away from the burner.”

Adekunle explained that 85 per cent of domes c fire outbreaks came from the kitchen and electrical appliances, adding that if people adhere to the cau onary direc ves, there would be a dras c reduc on in fire outbreaks.

Tackle Spate Of Insecurity In Osun, NNPP Tells Adeleke

Yusuf Oketola

THE State of Osun Chapter of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has urged Governor Ademola Adeleke to take the bull by the horn in securing the lives and property of the people of the state.

NNPP frowned at what it termed ‘foot-dragging’ approach of the state governor in addressing the insecurity challenge, saying “there is fire on the roof of the house.”

The party, in a statement by its Chairman and Secretary, Dr Tosin Odeyemi and Comrade Adewumi Adegboyega noted that Adeleke had waited too long before taking steps to restore the confidence of the people in state security architecture by effec vely securing their lives and property.

According to NNPP,

the level of insecurity in the state has gone beyond what can be treated with kid’s gloves, stressing that the state government must take decisive and immediate ac on to put ci zens’ minds at rest.

Recalling the security breach that occurred along Osogbo/Iragbiji roads within a space of one month, the party said the unpalatable news coming out of the state in the recent me is scary.

The statement read: “One would have expected the state governor to declare a state of emergency on the security going by the recent happenings across the state, but their statement on the issue shows that they are insensi ve and indifferent.

“Osun people can no longer move freely, both at daylight and at night, the fear of the unknown has forced fun seekers

to tread so ly. Criminals are having a field day to the extent of taking Point of Sales (POS) terminals around to forcefully withdraw money from their vic ms’ accounts.

“Investors are scared of coming to Osun State to invest because of insecurity and business owners are passing through

hell in the hands of hoodlums that are going to their shops every day like’ tax collectors.

“It is high me these stopped. Our lives are in danger. Any emergency mee ng to be called must be immediate not dragging feet on it before Osun is plunged into a state of anarchy.”

•Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and other officials of the

•Adeleke

IBEDC Loses Over N130m To 15,000 Illicit Meters In Osun

Yusuf Oketola

THE Ibadan Electricity Distribu on Company (IBEDC) has said it was losing an average of N130m revenue to the use of illicit meters by some residents of the State of Osun.

IBEDC stated that about 15,000 illicit meters exist in its network across the state which resulted in the gross revenue loss.

Speaking at a Stakeholders’ Townhall Mee ng in Osogbo on Wednesday, IBEDC Regional Head for Osun, Engr. Oluwatoyin Akinyosoye, said the company had stopped the installa on of the illicit meters, which uses card to load electricity since 2013.

Akinyosoye said: “In Osun region, conserva vely, we have about 15,000 of these illicit meters in our network and the average revenue loss every month due to this is over N130 million.

“These meters consume energy and the revenue is not coming to us. That is a huge loss. If we can curb these illicit meters, we know that we can plunge back the revenue to our purse to serve our customers be er.

“These illicit meters were go en through the backdoor, unknown to us ll now. Most of these meters are the ones that you

have to use a card for before you can load.

“As a company, we stopped the installa on of these type of meters since 2013. So, any other one

Islam Forbids Ingratitude - Imam Adeagbo

Kazeem Badmus

THE Chief Imam of Adedayo Kareem Dayus Central Mosque, Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo, Sheikh AbdulRofihi Raji Adeagbo has stressed the importance of showing gra tude to a benefactor in Islam.

According to Adeagbo, God does not love or support any act of ingratitude to a benefactor.

Adeagbo made the asser on during the 6th Annual Ramadan Lecture of Oranmiyan Worldwide on the topic “As-Shukra (Gra tude) held at the Oranmiyan House, Osogbo.

The Islamic scholar noted that anyone who does not show apprecia-

installed between 2013 ll now are illicit meters”.

Akinyosoye urged those using the meters to come forward to address the issue, warning that those

who failed to do so will face the wrath of the law.

“The message we have for those using the illicit meters is for them to come to our office to inform us

about it and we assure them that we will only remove the meter and advise them on the steps to take to get a meter legally.

“But if we catch any cus-

tomer with the illicit metre, we will disconnect the customer, charged him or her for the used energy, and of course, face prosecu on”, he added.

to human being will not be grateful to God, sta ng that those who in one way or the other contributed to one’s success should be appreciated.

He warned that it is an act of traitor which

is reprehensible by God and human being to plot the downfall of a benefactor.

Adeagbo called on those who are rich and in posi on of power to spend from what God has given

Olu Of Agbowo: Don’t Set Iwo Town Into Communal Crisis - Group Warns Adeleke

Kazeem Badmus

THE Ta’awunu Human Rights Ini a ve (THURIST) has cauoned Governor Ademola Adeleke over his plan to install Prince Musibau Akande Gbenusola as the Olu of Agbowo in Iwo Local Government of the state.

THURIST, in a press statement signed by its Director General, Barr. Sulaymon A Tadese, said installing Gbenusola is an a empt to undermine the sovereignty of Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi.

The group claimed that Gbenusola was not an indigene of the town, calling on the state government to refrain from installing him to forestall impending catastrophe.

It stated that the move was nothing but an a empt to set the peaceful Iwo town on serious communal crisis and upheaval.

A copy of the statement made available to OSUN DEFENDER yesterday was tled: ‘Installing a NonIndigene as Olu of Agbowo in Iwo: An A empt to Undermine the Sovereignty of the Oluwo of Iwoland and an Impending Catastrophe Wai ng to Happen. Need To Call Governor Adeleke To

Order’

The statement reads in part: “We have evidence that Governor Ademola Adeleke has approved the installa on of Mr Musibau Akande Gbenusola a tenant in Agbowo from the Adebiopon family contrary to what the tradi on and chief’s law on Obaship system of Iwo town especially and Yorubaland in general.

“The known prac ce is for the members of a royal family to nominate a crown prince to rule over them.

“It is important to say frankly that this proposed installa on is an a empt at brigandage intended by the incumbent Government of Osun State as well as an a empt to set the peaceful Iwo town at serious communal crisis and upheaval.

“Be informed however that Musibau Akande Gbenusola belongs to the Adebiopon family which has no rela onship whatsoever with Ankan family or Agbowo community at all by any stretch of connec on.

“Consequently, the purported Installa on of Olu of Agbowo is capable of se ng a bad precedent in Iwoland and Osun State in general.

“The Governor should be advised against his ploy to set Iwo community

ablaze. Iwo kingship exists by evidence and judicial authority for centuries.

“It is important to remind you, however, that

addressing this issue meously will assist the Nigeria Police Force in her agenda for a crisis free society in Nigeria”.

them to help the needy, saying doing that is a sign of apprecia on to God.

He said: “Almighty Allah does not support any act of ingrate. He has warned all Muslim in the holy Quran to be thankful to those who have in one way or the other contributed to our success. There is no doubt that anyone who does not appreciate human being will not appreciate God for his favour.

“Those who are rich

and in posi on of authority should help the less privileged in the society by spending from what God has given to them. This is a way of thanking God for his mercy.

“There are different ways of showing apprecia on to God. Apart from God, believers should be grateful to their parents for bringing them to this life. We should treat them well and those around us”.

Anti-Party: Suspension Of Party Members A Nullity - Osun APC

Kazeem Badmus

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun has declared that any suspension of its members carried out by any organ of the party so far is a nullity and should be disregarded.

This was just as it urged members and leaders of the party to exercise restraint in their quest to suspend members who allegedly engaged in an -party ac vi es during last general elec ons.

OSUN DEFENDER had in its March 31, 2023 edi on reported that some loyalists of former governor Adegboyega Oyetola

in the APC are planning suspension of some members of the party for alleged anparty ac vi es.

However, the State Secretary of the party, Alhaji Kamoru Alao, warned that APC

members at every level should not be in haste to suspend anybody for an -party ac vi es.

According to Alao, stakeholders of the party had resolved that any issue bordering on the review of the ac vi es and strengthening of the

party before, during and a er the last elec ons would be handled by the 11member commi ee drawn from each of the nine federal cons tuencies across the state.

Alao, in a statement issued by the party’s Director of Media and Informaon, Chief Kola Olabisi, in Osogbo, on Monday, said “based on this direc ve from the party at the state level, any suspension of any member of the party carried out by any organ of the party so far is a nullity, without any effect and should be disregarded.

“APC is a product of the law built with the blocks of the rules of law for its for ficaon”.

•(R-L) Barrister Gbenga Akano, Elder Lowo Adebiyi, Hon. Rasaq Salinsile and other invited dignitaries during the 6th Annual Ramadan Lecture of Oranmiyan Worldwide, held at Oranmiyan House, on Tuesday Photo Shola Aderinto on

Kazeem Badmus

RESIDENTS of Ifelagba Community, Aigbe Oke -Odo area, Okinni, Egbedore Local Council Development Area of the State of Osun have sought the interven on of the state government on the community river.

Osun Community Seeks Govt. Intervention On Aigbe River Police Rescue Couple From Kidnappers’ Den In

Aigbe River is located at the back of Okinni Grammar School.

The residents who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER, said the community’s ‘Aigbe Ahoyaya’ river has become a threat to them, saying that it always overflows its boundary and thereby causing flood since over three years ago.

Urging the state government to come to their aid and dredge the river, the residents said they do not have what it takes to ensure free-flow of the river, no ng that all what is needed is a full dredging. According to the residents, the community had wri en series of letters to the immediate past administra on on the need to dredge the

river without any posi ve outcome.

A member of the community, Engr. Abdulazeez Adetunji while speaking with the medi-

um, urged the state Governor, Sen. Ademola Adeleke to intervene by dredging the river for the free flow of water. According to Adetunji,

the community might witness life-threatening flooding if the river is not a ended to before the full blast of the rainy season.

He disclosed that members of the community had been abandoned their homes whenever it rained in the past.

Group Chides IBEDC Over Estimated Billing To Customers

ACivil Society Organisation, People Against Corrup on and Injus ce, has berated the Ibadan Electricity Distribu on Company (IBEDC), over its esmated billing to customers that have paid for prepaid meters but not yet given.

The group, in an open le er to IBEDC, demanded explanaon on why there is delay in the supply of prepaid meters to customers who have paid since 2016.

According to the group, IBEDC ac on is against the Electric Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act 2005, adding that the inability of the company to supply the already paid-for meters is and should be its responsibility and not that of the customers who are being given esmated billing.

Signed by the group’s Head of Directorate of Public Affairs, Naheem Olaore, the le er reads in parts: “The a enon of our esteemed group, People Against Corrup on and Injus-

Osun

Ismaeel Uthman

THE State of Osun Police Command has rescued Mr Andrew Jonah and his wife, Margret from kidnappers’ den.

The couples were abducted on the OsogboIragbiji road on Saturday while returning from a church programme at 4 a.m, on Saturday, April 16.

They were riding on a motorcycle when they ran into an ambush mounted by the kidnappers.

However, a team of an -kidnapping squad of the police, led by a Superintendent of Police, Moses Lohor, freed the couples late Wednesday.

The couple, according to the Police Public Relaons Officer, Osun Command, Mrs. Yemisi Opalola, were rescued from the kidnappers’ den inside a forest in Osun.

Opalola said: “The kidnappers engaged police opera ves in a gun duel during the rescue operaon.

ce (PACI) has been drawn to the April 2023 es mated billing in Osun State where you placed the majority of your customers

using black and digital meter on es mated billings, even though your marketers have access to pick reading on the said meters.

“We are constrained to bear our mind on this issue of public interest a er seen clearly that it is against the Electric

Police Arrest Armed Robbery Suspect In Osogbo

Kazeem Badmus

A23-year-old armed robbery suspect, Sodiq Adeleke, who has allegedly been terrorising residents of Osogbo, capital of the State of Osun, has been arrested.

Adeleke and other members of his gang were reportedly in the criminal habit of forcefully ge ng their vic ms to withdraw money from their accounts.

He was arrested a er allegedly robbing one Joseph Wusu at the Technical College area in Osogbo, on Monday.

The suspect, who was also suspected to be a member of a secret cult, was arrested by men of the command’s an -cul sm squad upon complaint by the vic m.

Police Public Rela ons Officer, Osun Command, Mrs Yemisi Opalola, con-

firmed the arrest, sta ng that the suspect and his gang members have been terrorising residents and forcefully ge ng their vicms to withdraw money from their accounts.

According to Opalola, the suspect and his accomplices accosted Joseph on the road, compelled him to open his phone, checked his account balance and forced him to transfer N150,000 to them.

Power Sector Reform (EPSR) Act 2005.

“It is a known fact that majority of the masses who are vicms of these es mated billings have paid for prepaid meters since 2016.

“The inability of your company to supply the already paid-for meters is and should be the responsibility that you have to take with full chest without having to put your innocent customers in pain for your failure.

“We demand that IBEDC should stop the es mated billing of customers that have paid for prepaid meters but not yet supplied.

“We shall not hesitate to take ac ons henceforth if the extor on situa on persists”.

“One of the kidnappers died during the faceoff and we recovered a gun from the kidnappers.”

She warned residents to be mindful of their movement by avoiding lonely areas at night so as not to fall prey.

Speaking with newsmen, Margret Jonah said the kidnappers had threatened to use them for ritual if their rela ves refused to pay ransom.

She said the gunshots from policemen overwhelmed the kidnappers, forcing them to abandon her and her husband and flee to avoid arrest.

Margret Jonah said: “As we were hearing gunshots, the kidnappers abandoned us and ran away. Then, we heard people calling my husband’s name.

“My husband answered them when we realised that they were the policemen that came to rescue us. We are grateful to men of the An -Kidnapping Squad of Osun State Police Command for rescuing us.”

PUBLICATION

OYENPEMI TEMITOPE NAFEESAT. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

was formerly known and addressed as MORUF SHERIFAT JUMOKE, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. FRANCIS OLAJUMOKE SHERIFAT. All former documents remain valid. Banks & General public should take note.

Kazeem

Photo: Shola Aderinto

PUNDITS who are constantly keeping abreast of the poli cal and economic situa on and the state of the communal and homogeneous status of Osun State amongst the comity of states in Nigeria do not need the father of History, (Herodotus). This father of history who is tradi onally regarded as the first historian to collect and systema cally document events and create an account with his compilaon which delves into what has been and what it has to be in the future, should not be harbouring thought that Osun will be bere of massive poli cal, economic and infrastructural development in due course as a developing economy.

The case of Osun as the second most literacy rate in the country released by UNESCO in 2012 was 80% as it followed Lagos closely at the first posi on was documented at 92.1 %. then. This clearly shows how the poten al of Osun as a state, barring all misgivings and misunderstandings of the principle of the sharing of dividends of democracy, falls into the category of States that are well posi oned for this glorious and divine promo on, considering their endowment in human and natural resources. If we need to proffer a solu on to what has been happening in Osun, in terms of the slow pace of civilisa on apart from the 2nd posi on in the literacy rate, we need also to delve deeply into the four characteris cs of history as it affects Osun.

History is not a list of facts, facts must be interpreted by people. ...

History is not about the past - it is about the rela onship between the past and the present....

History is not only what happened, but what did not happen. ...

History is not exclusive, but inclusive. ...

We must study not only events but condions. We must always study what the gladiators who have ruled Osun in the past have done wrong and look at another way of how things should be done to right the wrong that the people have had to grapple with as a society over me. This is what we need to see as a change to the next level, considering the APC manifesto.

Before we analyse the poli cal infan lisa on of the core cogni ve reasoning capacity of those who had held sway in government over me, we need to give an appraisal of those who have used governance as a means of vengeance to cul vate ri and acrimony which later promoted a lack of con nuity in the legacy bequeathed by some previous predecessors in government. This undue la tude of the a tude of the leaders must change. It portrays leaders as incompetent and people who are not mature enough to ascend the reign of power.

That is why we are connec ng the change we need to the previous antecedents of occurrences. Without history, a society shares no common memory of where it has been, what its core values are, or what decisions of the past account for present circumstances. Without history, we cannot undertake any sensible inquiry into the poli cal, social, or moral issues in soci-

PERSPECTIVE

BY FEMI MODE SIYANBOLA

State Of Osun In The Year Ahead!

Badamosi Babangida created nine states with Osun created out of Oyo State with Osogbo as the capital. It was a dream fulfilled and hope achieved.

with sanctuaries and shrines, sculptures and artworks in honour of Osun Osogbo and other dei es; the tourism opportunity of this must be accentuated and make a major IGR modem not only once in a year but at all mes whenever the en ty a racts tourists all over the world.

The agrarian status of Osun must also be u lised by the government to discourage the use of hoes and cutlasses by our old subsistent farmers who are gradually coming to ex nc on. The blueprint of farm se lement which has been entrenched by the late sage Obafemi Awolowo must be re-enacted and put to use to encourage our youth to embrace agriculture through the provision of tractors in those farm se lements for the ever-elusive mechanised farming.

The ever-file-carrying syndrome of the civil servant staff must come to an end. The government that wants improvement in its working system must begin to computerise the execu on of government day-to-day ac vi es. This will go a long way to curbing brain drain and provide a technological base environment for our science base graduates from our universi es.

ety, to even talk about the issue of Osun State in the year ahead.

However, the resilience and doggedness of the founding fathers and crusaders for the creaon of Osun were rewarded on August 27th, 1991, when the administra on of Gen Ibrahim

THERE is a popular saying that captures the heart of infidelity with respect to words and ac ons, “do as I say but not as I do.” Once you come to terms with that statement you are no longer likely to be perplexed that majority of mankind find it difficult, if not almost impossible, to match their words with their ac ons, and they have unlimited lame excuses for that infidelity.

We will skip infidelity at family and friendship level, of course, those are the theatre where infidelity is cul vated and takes root; let us go straight to government - simply because infidelity by governments have overriding consequences that deepens infidelity everywhere!

In order for poli cal par es to get into government, their candidates must be elected to cons tute it by a majority of the electorate. One major characteris c of elec ons is poli cal debates amongst contes ng candidates and campaign rallies for the candidates by their par es. It is during these events that promises are made concerning the aspiraons of the people. What aspira ons do the people have? Simply, to be happy. What are those things that will make them happy? Food on their tables, decent clothing and affordable accommoda ons, func onal educa on for their children, func onal transporta on means, affordable access to stable power, water supplies and health services, jobs that will pay their bills and allow a li le fun and holidays, security to lives and proper es that gives peace of mind, freedom of conscience,

The front runner governor was a lawyer, Oladipo Oladosu, but a er a close primary in which Isiaka Adeleke came second, Adeleke was able to win a runoff. He was then elected the first civilian governor of Osun State in 1992. It was at this period Osun was nicknamed (State of the Living Spring) which was later changed to (Land of Virtue) by the elaborate branding that was done by the indefa gable crea ve and progressive leader, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola between 2010 and 2018 of his administra on. At the inaugura on of the new Governor, Senator Jackson Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke of the PDP, it was changed back to (State of the Living Spring) which is uncalled for, considering the change we expected in the con nuity of governance, to discourage profligacy and prodigality.

Osun which is also known for the abode of the goddess of fer lity in Osun grove, one of the pantheon of Yoruba gods, the landscape of the grove and its meandering river which is do ed

Without minding who’s ox is gored or from which poli cal divide those in power are from, the government must begin to invest massively in the tapping of resources which Osun is endowed with. If the government can take the bull by the horn, the Osun GDP will increase from a meager 2.5 % to a higher level thereby providing massive employment opportuni es for the youths.

The great camaraderie that existed when the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, came to commission a passport edifice at Ilesa and the incumbent governor from another party graced the occasion has to be encouraged. The feud and ri that always segregates fac ons in a party must be nipped in the bud and genuine reconciliaon of poli cians within a party must be entertained. May God give our poli cians the wisdom to comprehend that democracy is a government of persuasion and not a government of coercion.

Walk Your Talk

liberty and jus ce equally for all, and so on. With the debates, rallies and elec ons over, every candidate of every poli cal party having promised all these, governments are formed. James Madison said “a good government implies two things: first, fidelity to the object of government, which is the happiness of the people; secondly, knowledge of the means by which that object can best be attained.” It is given then that the people, when vo ng, believed that the par es and candidates that get their majority votes have these two quali es. So, what usually happen that society ends up where they do, with the majority of poli cal par es and their cons tuted government, with few excep ons, failing to walk their talks?

Is it simply impossible for par es and governments to do as they say? No, we have a few contrary examples. Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Ac on Group, Unity Party of Nigeria come to mind, as well to a great degree Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Alliance for Democracy in Lagos specifically, and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola substan ally in Osun. However, a simple inventory, generally, will dishearten any good heart! Put all polical par es that ever got into government in Nigeria on one side and their many promises next to it, alongside the reali es during their tenure! Each of the 36 states and the FCT can examine themselves for various periods but

we can check out the Federal Government by ourselves, especially the last few ones. The table, as everyone can take me to find out, is simply not deligh ul. Solving only ten of a hundred problems, while crea ng fi y new problems in the process does not speak well for “good government” as defined by James Madison.

If we are to get out of the sad and ugly experiences occasioned by failed government promises accompanied with lame excuses, we all have a role to play at the formave stages. As adults, if our fishes are too dried up to bend, we can at least work on the coming genera on. Vince Lombardi, the great go-ge ng American Football Coach said “watch your ac ons, they become your habits. Watch your habits, they become your character.” One of the best characters we can begin to cul vate is to always do as we say, to always walk our talks. Let us stop saying “it is easier said than done.” Lombardi said “perfec on is not a ainable,” as we all accept, “but if we chase perfec on we can catch excellence.” A majority with excellent character can surely, one day soon install a government excellent in character, pu ng an end to the ages of governments across all poli cal par es that are incapable of walking their talk, solving 10 out of 100 societal problems, while crea ng 50 new problems as legacy.

STRIKER Striker is not the opinion of the Columnist featured above

“The feud and rift that always segregates factions in a party must be nipped in the bud and genuine reconciliation of politicians within a party must be entertained”