Osun Defender Online Version of August 25, 2023

The

FRONT PAGE COMMENT

Compelling Necessity For Caucuses In The Political Firmament

SINCE men came out of caves and started clustering in groups eventually transiting into communities, they have eventually clustered into formations and groups. This is an essential ingredient in the human composition.

Caucuses actually predated the

•A Caucus Is Not A Faction

•Need To Rebuild The Progressive Base Under A Committed Leadership

•Imperative To Present Fresh Perspectives As A Roadmap Towards Building A Better Society

formation of the formalisation of political parties we are used to today. Over time, the various caucuses representing various currents of

thoughts eventually coalesced together to form structured political parties, however, they never ceased •Concluded on page 3

OSPOLY: Petition Against Rector Submitted After Suspension - Investigation

Pg.2

•Ministry Received Complaint July 20, Nine Days After Odetayo Was Suspended

•Voucher Attached To Petition Fake - Panel

THERE is confusion on the reasons canvassed by the Osun State government for the suspension of Dr Tajudeen Odetayo as the Rector of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree.

Odetayo was suspended in a le er dated July 11, 2023 and signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Educaon, Mr. Muritala Jimoh.

The state government said Odetayo’s suspension came on the heel of allega ons of financial recklessness, fraud, corrup on and abuse of office contained in a peon against him.

But inves ga ons by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that there was no pe on against Odetayo

•Continued on Page 2

Nigeria’s First Books On Character Launched In Osun

‘’Bí ènìyàn bá ní orí ire kò ní ìwà, Àìní ìwà ni yóò ba orí ire ọún jẹ” ‘’Bí inú bá le ní àlejù, ire á kọ já”. “Ìwà rere lẹsọ ènìyàn”. “Ìwà ni ọba àwúre”, Kola OmotundeYoung, former Commissioner for Educa on, Osun State.

The Permanent Secretary, Osun Central Educa on District, Mr Anthony Famoriyo, yesterday launched two seminal works on the need to reinstate ethical values and character building as a fundamental bedrock of the Educa onal process. The books fundamentally appeal that the ethos of Omoluabi must now once again take centre stage. Report by Yusuf Oketola on page 5.

Pg. 4

Pg. 5

3.490 Hectares Of Cannabis Sativa Farm Discovered In Osun Osun PDP Upholds Babayemi’s Expulsion

•Former Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti addressing members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), during the launch of Omoluabi Progressives Caucus, in Ilesa, on Tuesday.

•Odetayo

OSPOLY: Petition Against Rector Submitted After Suspension – Investigation

•Ministry Received Complaint July 20, Nine Days After Odetayo Was Suspended •Voucher Attached To Petition Fake – Panel

istry of Educa on.

The query with reference number HEBS/TE/ PO/V.1 was dated August 1, 2023, 20 days a er the rector’s suspension.

In his response to the query, Odetayo described the allega ons against him as spurious, unfounded and calculated a empt to destroy his career and reputa on.

Odetayo explained that the Finance and General Purposes Commi ee of the ins tu on at its mee ng on Tuesday, April 14, 2023 approved the purchase of a Toyota Camry 2019/2020 model as his official vehicle at a cost of N26m.

The suspended rector disclosed that he opted to buy Toyota Highlander because it was cheaper (N21m) and the poor condi on of road leading to the polytechnic.

fided in OSUN DEFENDER that the panel later sent an invita on le er to Odetayo at noon on Saturday, August 19, but nobody was in the house to receive the le er.

Voucher A ached To Pe on Fake – Panel

In its minute of a meeting held on August 11, the panel noted that the voucher a ached to the pe on against Odetayo is not genuine.

The minute reads in part: “The panel noted the original voucher used in processing the payment for the vehicle as presented by the Ac ng Bursar is different from the one attached to the pe on. The original voucher number bear 07226, whereas the one a ached to the peon bear 07224.

•Continued from Page 1

as of the me of his suspension.

The only pe on written against Odetayo was received at the ministry of educa on on July 20, 2023, nine days a er his suspension.

The pe on was written by “Concerned Cizens of Osun State” and dated 29th June, 2023. It was addressed to the Governor through the Chief of Staff

However, neither the office of the governor, nor that of the Chief of Staff received the le er, as there was no signature, comment, stamp or name on it except that of the office of the PS where it was received a er Odetayo’s suspension.

This is just as the inves ga on panel set up by the state government to probe the allega ons against Odetayo concluded that the voucher a ached to the pe on is fake.

Signed by one Oluwaseun Majiyagbe, the peon reads: “The a en on of the Governor of Osun State is hereby drawn to the financial recklessness, fraud, corrup on and abuse of office by the Rector, Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Dr. Tajudeen Odetayo.

“Detailed inves ga on has revealed that the following financial recklessness, fraud, corrup on and abuse of office have been discovered under the rector.

“Over invoiced of the recent highlander 2019 bought by the Rector at the exorbitant price of over N27m, a vehicle which ordinarily should

“Over inflated price of some items, especially photocopy/duplicating papers and other items for the ins tu on, running into several millions of naira.

“The welfare of members of staff have not been a ended to: peculiar allowances remained in arrears, contract staff and part- me remained unpaid for months.

“All these are enough to bring the popularity of the current government down.

“We the concerned

ci zens are calling on the government to conduct thorough inves ga on into this financial recklessness before it becomes issue that opposi on will use to start a campaign of calumny against the peoples government of senator Adeleke. A s tch in me saves everything.”

The pe oner, according to findings by OSUN DEFENDER, is faceless. There was no address or phone number of the said “Concerned Ci zens of Osun” and that of the signatory to the pe on, Oluwaseun Majiyagbe.

Findings also revealed that the pe oner is not a member of staff of the polytechnic and does not have any social media handle except twi er which he registered in January 2016.

He followed just two persons while nobody followed him as of the me of filing this report yesterday. He has not also made any post or comment since the crea on of the account.

Inves ga ons also revealed that Odetayo’s suspension preceded a query issued to him by the Min-

He stated that all the allowances and salaries of contract staff were paid up to date, contrary to the claim of the peoner.

However, the invesga on panel set up by the state government to inves gate the allega on has concluded its du es.

The panel, headed by the same Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Educaon, Mr. Muritala Jimoh, held four different si ngs without invi ng Odetayo and the pe oner.

“The voucher presented by the Ag. Bursar indicated that the Toyota Highlander is 2018 model while the one on the peon is 2019 model. The voucher presented by the Ag. Bursar had the signature of the Rector on it while the one a ached to the pe on did not.”

However, OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the said fake voucher emanated from the bursary department of the polytechnic and was audited by the then Internal Auditor, Sunday A. Afolabi, who is now the Ac ng Bursar of the ins tu on.

Sunday A. Afolabi is a member of the Inves gaon panel on the pe on against Odetayo.

Adeleke Promises Overhauling Of Mining Sector

Yusuf Oketola

GOVERNOR Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has expressed his commitment and determina on to overhaul the solid mineral sector to make it dynamic beyond selling of raw materials into the development of value chains to get added earnings and redouble Nigeria’s Gross Domes c Product (GDP).

Adeleke who was represented by the Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Rev. Bunmi Jenyo, at the opening ceremony of Nigeria Gemstones Conference, held in Ibadan, Oyo State on Monday, said the gemstone sector has not received required atten on.

According to a statement by the Governor’s Spokesperson, Mallam Rasheed Olawale, Adele-

ke described the conference as a “laudable effort which will serve as a wakeup call to managers of the economy and policy makers across board”.

The statement quoted Adeleke: “The gemstone sector is a mulbillion-dollar industry that has not received the right a en on, despite the push to diversify our na onal economy. It is therefore a welcome development that we are gathered here to deliberate on this sub-sector.

“We have a challenge to develop process capacity to add high value to our solid minerals. Specifically, gemstones present a high value opportunity for willing and enterprising stakeholders to operate”.

“We can however not achieve much unless we engage the private sector more producvely. The organised private sector remains the most viable vehicle to drive the value addi on

and expansion of our processing capacity”.

Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Olanike Adeyemo, expressed happiness, pledged government’s support for the resolu on of the conference.

The organisers, Gemstones Miners And Marketers Associa on of Nigeria (GMMAN), is of the opinion that the conference is an opportunity for individuals and organisa ons in the gemstones industry to come together and discuss the latest trends, challenges and innova ons in the field.

The event a racted miners, dealers, lapidaries, jewellers, leading experts, researchers, policymakers and business leaders from all over the na on, to share their knowledge and insights.

Chairman of the Governing Council of the ins tu on, Hon. Diran Ayanbeku, had on August 8, 2023 inaugurated the panel and gave it twoweek meline to submit the report.

According to a member of the panel, Odetayo wrote the panel on Thursday, August 17, to request that he should be invited for fair hearing.

The panel, it was gathered, did not respond to his request ll the close of work last week Friday.

However, another member of the panel con-

It was also learnt that the official vehicle on which Odetayo was suspended was procured by the Head of Procurement of the ins tu on, Mr. Charles Fadahunsi, and was inspected and cer fied by the Director of Works of the ins tuon, Engr. John Abiola.

The panel, it was gathered, would submit its report to the Chairman of the Governing Council of the ins tu on any moment.

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•L-R: Deputy Governor, Prince Kola Adewusi, Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, Prof. Odunayo Clement Adebooye, Chairman of 2023 Osun Education Summit, Prof. Oyesoji Aremu, Head of Service in Osun State, Mr Samuel Aina at the opening ceremony of the Summit, held at UNIOSUN, on Tuesday.

Photo Shola Aderinto not be more than N12m.

to exist.

It will be a contradiction in terms, if they went out of existence, for humans are not zombies! They cannot all face the same direction at the same time.

The notion that a caucus is a “faction” or a rebel faction must be emphatically dispelled.

Modern political parties over time have embraced and have eventually accepted and operated under the framework of “ Democratic Centralism”. Nevertheless, tendencies and caucuses are accepted and indeed encouraged as necessary invigorating ingredients in a democratic setting and participation. They are essential to checkmate authoritarian manipulation which will eventually lead to a dictatorship. Part of the confusion is because of the structural deformities of what we know today as “political parties in Nigeria, essentially these formations are hurriedly cobbled up “Special purpose vehicles”.

A caucus is a current of thought needed to galvanised the grassroots, breathe fresh air into the party and presents an “alternative perspective” which could be turned into a game changer. A caucus is a reinvigorating mechanism and should not be considered as a threat.

From this perspective, the formation of the Omoluabi Caucus as a component of the APC in Osun State is very important and indeed much needed, it is a break through! At the moment, the party is dysfunctional and has lost its focus. Successive electoral debacle has seen the party sliding into irrelevance.

The Compelling Necessity For Caucuses In The Political Firmament

The party must be saved from destruction. Many of the people posing as “leaders” are careerists who do not know the reason for the existence of the party in Osun State. On the other hand, the Omoluabi Caucus represents the institutional memory of the struggles that led to daunting odds the attainment of state power and the installation of a very successful progressive government. The preservation of the institutional memory is nonnegotiable and it started with the launching of The Omoluabi Caucus last Tuesday in Ilesa.

With a fresh start, we will see the rebirth of people-oriented progressive politics in Osun State.

The strategic imperative is on ambiguous. Today, Nigeria in general and Osun State as a component of Nigeria, faces an excruciating cost of living crisis. Threatening to roll back great social advances stretching decades, the crisis is not the fault of the present Federal Government. It origins are centred on a considerable extent the managerial ineptitude and fiscal ineptitude of the suspended Governor of The Central Bank of Nigeria.

All of us as progressives have an obligation to help the Federal Government find a response. The APC in its manifesto made a pledge to build a “Social Market” economy; this a fundamental reinstatement of “Alternative Perspective Position” through which Rauf Aregbesola has a path breaking Governor of Osun rebooted the state.

al wisdom amongst the populace of Osun State is that they are positively beneficial. The empirical evident is unambiguous as well as irrefutable. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Aregbesola’s programs have been adopted in many states of federation, at centre, and even beyond the shores of Nigeria. They present an admirable battering ram in the fight against poverty reminiscent of the “great society” antipoverty crusade of United States President, Lydon Johnson, in the 1960s and more recently the program of Brazilian President, Ignacio Lula da Silva, who as President of Brazil lifted forty million people out of poverty. Their path must be followed by committed social democrats.

Aregbesola’s thrust is based on the attainment of social cohesion in which life would be more meaningful and better for the overwhelming majority of the citizens and their families. This is in alignment with the position of the APC to create an economy based on the ethos of a social market. The social market model has been very successful in places like Germany, Japan and the Scandinavia countries, among others.

The rebuilding of the APC as the progressive voice of Osun State must be based on rekindling of Aregbesola’s programs and deepening for the purpose of today. The convention-

OSUN DEFENDER

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OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), Gbogan Road Osogbo, State of Osun ISSN : 0794-8050

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Supporting the launching of the OMOLUABI CAUCUS is the first step towards the reconstruction of the APC in Osun State as the voice of the people and a launching pad towards the attainment of power for the progressives at states level. It is a task that must be done, history will be unforgiving if this is not the case. Out there on the streets of Osun State, people were yearning for a renewed vigour in the reinstatement of progressive politics. This historic mission can only be carried out through the inputs of the committed progressives and not the flipflops of political opportunist bereft of a clear road map and an ideological trust. The OMOLUABI CAUCUS presents the way forward encompassing the yarning and aspiration of the people for a renewed commitment to a better life for all and social justice. These legitimate aspirations must be fully supported through the OMOLUABI CAUCUS, the new tools for the attainment of social justice in Osun State.

“The OMOLUABI CAUCUS presents the way forward encompassing the yarning and aspiration of the people for a renewed commitment to a better life for all and social justice”

thrust“Aregbesola’s is based on the attainment of social cohesion in which life would be more meaningful and better for the overwhelming majority of the citizens and their families”

FRIDAY, AUGUST 25 - THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 2023

Owa Stool: Adeleke Playing Politics With Review C’ttee Report - Igbajo Indigenes

SYusuf Oketola submi ed its report to Adeleke on January 3.

OME indigenes of Igbajo in Boluwaduro local government of Osun State have accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of playing poli cs with the reports of the Chie aincy Affairs Review Commi ee over his refusal to make it known to the public.

The indigenes who are protes ng against the installa on of former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Prince Gboyega Famodun as the Owa of Igbajo, demanded the release of the commi ee’s reports.

It would be recalled that Adeleke had on November 29, 2022 constuted the Commi ee to review the appointment of some monarchs appointed by the administra on of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola from July 17 to November 26, 2022.

The commi ee which was headed by the incumbent Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Reverend Bunmi Jenyo,

The commi ee was put in place a er Adeleke had declared the thrones of Akinrun of Ikirun, Aree of Iree and Owa of Igbajo vacant in order to ensure there was a strict compliance with due process of chie aincy declara on and na ve law, custom and tradi on.

However, since the submission of the Commi ee’s reports about eight months ago, the Governor is yet to take ac on on it and make public the recommendaons of the commi ee.

The Igbajo indigenes under the aegis of Igbajo for Equity and Jus ce (IFEJ) in an open le er to Adeleke on Tuesday, alleged that the Governor was planning to je son the panel’s report because of poli cal considera on.

The group said the Deputy Governor of the state, Prince Kola Adewusi, had during a protest by other Igbajo indigenes in May 2023, promised that the long awaited report would be out by June.

•Dignitaries at the 2nd Quarterly Intellectual Discourse Programme organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Osun Council, yesterday compliance with due process of chie aincy declaraons and na ve law, custom and tradi on.

However, the aggrieved indigenes urged the Governor to release white on the panel’s report, saying that delay in the release of the reports has hung the fate of the en re indigenes of

Igbajo community in the balance.

“Governor Adeleke declared the thrones of Akirun of Ikirun, Aree of Iree and others, including that of Owa of Igbajo occu-

pied illegally by former APC Chairman, Mr. Gboyega Famodun, vacant and set up a commi ee to review all the appointments caught by the Execu ve Order and to ensure there was a strict

3.490 Hectares Of Cannabis Sativa Farm Discovered In Osun

Yusuf Oketola

THE Na onal Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Osun State Command, has discovered 3.490 hectares of Cannabis Sa va farm at Mopatedo, a border town in Oke-Ila, Ifedayo local government.

According to the NDLEA, officers of the command, led by CSN Odigie Charles, stormed the farm at about 4am and destroyed it last Saturday, August 19.

The state Commander of NDLEA, Nnadi Chidi, disclosed this in a statement made available to OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday.

Chidi said the officers also recovered 8.725 tons of cannabis sa va, 16kg of cannabis seed and 30kg of fresh weeds while two suspects were arrested from the farm.

The statement reads: “NDLEA Osun state Command officers, led by CSN Odigie E Charles, surmounted a heavy down pour on Saturday morning, 19th of August, 2023 at about 4am, to destroy 3.490 hectares of cannabis sa va farm at Mopatedo town that shares a border with Oke Ila in Ifedayo LGA of Osun State.

“The officers also recovered 8.725 tons of cannabis sa va,16 kg of cannabis seed, 30 kg of fresh weeds. Two suspects were arrested and will be charged to

court”.

Speaking during the arrest, one of the suspects, 35-year-old Peter Makare, said he was brought from Akwa Ibom state confirm work with-

out knowing it was culva on of cannabis.

Makara who spoke in a three minutes video made available to OSUN DEFENDER yesterday said the manager of the

farm promised to pay him a sum of N200,000 for the job, but was yet to give him a dime since he joined in March this year. He said: “I’m from

We Are Not Recruiting Teachers

OYusuf Oketola tala Jimoh, said the report in some sec ons of the media that the government was ready to recruit teachers is misleading, urging members of the public to disregard such report.

SUN State government has debunked the report that it will embark on teacher recruitment process any me soon, saying that the just concluded three-day educa on summit will give a direc on.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Educa on, Mr Mur-

Jimoh, in a statement made available to newsmen in Osogbo on Tuesday, said: “Yes, it is true that our schools need more teachers, but it is not

something that we can just jump into. There are steps and procedures to be taken to recruit teachers.

“For a sec on of the media to just begin to spread the falsehood that the government is set for teacher recruitment is heartbreaking. It’s true that the issue of teacher recruitment was men oned during the press conference, but not that it is start-

Akwa Ibom State. I was in my home when someone invited me to do a farm work here in Osun. I didn’t know it is a cannabis farm. Since I got here, there’s no way to go back to my state because it’s a long distance.

“I don’t know it is a cannabis farm. I was told it’s a banga farm. I joined this farm since March this year. The manager of the farm has never allowed me to go out. He sent someone to bring food for me.

“I was promised a sum of N200,000 for the work but they haven’t paid me a dime since up ll this moment”.

The NDLEA commander while apprecia ng the doggedness of his officers, said that the heat on the bad guys will be increased, asking them to desist from the illegal trade or face the full wrath of the law.

ing now.

“We are having an educa on summit, and the issue of teacher recruitment and other issues bothering the educa on sector will be addressed, that is what was discussed.

“We implore members of the public to disregard the media report. when the State is ready to recruit teachers, the public will be adequately informed”.

“And the affected ruling houses and stakeholders appeared before the commi ee to state their own side of the story on the subject ma er on how Oyetola government abused its posi on to impose Adegboyega Famodun without following due process and in flagrant disobedience to suit No. HIK/10/2021at the material me.

“But it was a surprise that six months a er Osun Chie aincy Panel of Enquiry had submi ed its reports, it is yet to see the light of the day as at the me of wri ng this open le er to Governor Ademola Adeleke. It has come to the knowledge of the good people of the State that Adeleke was planning to je son the Panel’s reports because of poli cal hanky-panky.

“IFEJ, is using this medium, on behalf of the good people of ancient town of Igbajo, to appeal to the State Government under the leadership of Governor Adeleke, to release the white paper of the Panel of Enquiry Commi ee that was empowered to look into the Igbajo chie aincy ma er.

“Non-release of panel’s report had hung the fate of the en re residents of peaceful Igbajo community to have a true and generally acceptable tradional leader to give direcons to the people of the town and as well put the ancient town in jeopardy since illegal imposi on of Gboyega Famodun.

“The much awaited White Paper on the report of the chie aincy panel s ll hangs the fate of the good people of Igbajo imbalance.

•The suspects

Nigeria’s First Books On Character Launched In Osun

FIRST two different books teaching characters in Nigeria have been launched in Osun State.

The books tled, ‘Character Educa on’ and ‘Developing Strong Characters’ were launched in Osogbo yesterday. They are wri en by an Ife-born educa onist and former Permanent Secretary, Osun Central Educa on District, Mr. Anthony Famoriyo.

Famoriyo said the books are wri en to address deficiency in characters and moral decadence among public school students.

The author who joined the Civil Service in 1984 said public schools are no longer what it used to be 35 years ago, sta ng that students behaved well and more obedient than now.

He said a lot of social vices like rio ng, fighting, cul sm and bullying are now happening in the public schools.

Famoriyo stated: “I joined service in 1984 and le in 2018. By the me I was leaving serv-

ice, the school has turned to another thing en rely. The public schools are not what it used to be 35

Omoluabi, Punctuality And Competitiveness

THE author in the book outlined a crucial reason about why the ethical values of Omoluabi is s ll so relevant. The Book reviewer, Prof. Lekan Sanni also zeroed in on this. “Punctuality” is a key chapter in one of the books and correctly so, is not just important, it is at the heart if compe veness of a modern economy.

Professor Sanni comprehensively debunked the self-deprecia ng noxious glorifica on of “African Time”. This concept is arrant nonsense and must be condemned!

A er the Second World War ended in 1945, the Japanese became an economic superpower by lever-

aging their cultural insistence on punctuality. This was turned into the brilliant “Just-in- me” system of produc on which turned hitherto unknown brands such as Toyota, Corrola etc into world conquering brands.

The Yoruba too must turn the Omoluabi ethos into a powerful economic model, must also be reinvigorated into an economic model for sustainable development. A er all German anthropologist adopted the Ijesa financial intermedia on system, including Esusu et al into the world bea ng Lender banking system used in Germany. Culture can be turned into powerful economy tool.

years before.

“The public schools teach students how to behave well, there character was very good, students were very obedient. But by the me I was leaving, it was hell. Rio ng, fighting, cul sm and bullying – a lot of things are hap-

pening.

“A er I re red, I have a research and was reflecting upon what happened back in those par cular years. What’s wrong with our society? Even parents of these children have sort of character and behavioural flaws.

“Then I realised that there’s something I missed; the tradi onal society. Character is taught at home with extended family. But that extended family system has collapsed with modern civilisa on. Also, there’s nowhere students are taught characters”.

The books reviewer, Professor Lekan Sanni, noted that the book is first of its kind in Nigeria and Africa that teaches character.

Sanni opined that the author has iden fied absence of adequate focus on character educa on in our formal educa on system as a major cause of the challenges, and resolved to play a pioneering role in preparing the books on character educaon for Nigerian youths.

He said the books are meant for the use of teachers, Educa on Managers, parents, guardians and various stakeholders in the development of good characters in youths.

The Chief Launcher, a former commissioner for Educa on in the state, Mr. Tunde Young, while Speaking on the essence •Continued from page 7

Osun PDP Upholds Babayemi’s Expulsion

TYusuf Oketola member is akin to connued self-destruct and further proof of a tudinal indiscipline which led to his expulsion from the party.

HE Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) in Osun State has advised a former governorship aspirant in the party, Prince Dotun Babayemi to desist from parading himself as a member of the party in the state.

According to the PDP Babayemi’s con nuous parade of himself as PDP

Disregard Trending Social Media Advert On Palliative - Govt. Alerts Residents

Ismaeel Uthman

THE OSUN State government has warned members of the public to disregard a trending advertorial on the pallia ve programme of the state.

The advert is said to be trending on social media with the tle “Welcome To FG 5 Billion Naira Osun State Pallia ve” and purportedly issued by the state Ministry of Finance.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Akeem Bello, in a statement made available to OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, said the advert did not emanate from the state gov-

ernment, urging members of the public to discountenance it in its en rety.

Bello said the publica on was intended to mislead and swindle unsuspec ng members of the public.

He said: The a en on of Osun State Government has been drawn to a publica on trending on the social media, purportedly issued by the Ministry of Finance tled, “Welcome To FG 5b Naira Osun State Pallia ve” reques ng applica on from the general public on the pallia ve programme.

“This is to inform the good people of Osun state that the said pub-

lica on did not originate from the Ministry of Finance or from Osun State Government. Members of the public are therefore enjoined to disregard the publicaon as it is intended to mislead and swindle the people.

“At the appropriate me, the State Government will issue informa on on pallia ve measures, which will be released to the public through designated government agencies and verifiable official channels.

“The characters behind the fake and fraudulent publica on are hereby warned to desist from this ille-

gality, as government has alerted the security agencies to unveil those behind the act and prosecute them accordingly when arrested.”

The State Chairman of the party, Hon. Sunday Bisi stated this in a press release issued on Wednesday, a copy obtained by OSUN DEFENDER

Babayemi had claimed membership of the party on a private radio program on Wednesday.

Bisi maintained that Babayemi’s expulsion from the party by his ward execu ve committee and ra fied by the state execu ve committee remained in force.

He said: “The PDP is a party opera ng on the threshold of rule of law and it is strange that a man who prides himself as a legal prac oner would not understand the import of his expulsion from the party right from his ward.

“Poli cs though, is a wide field for all sort of actors including elementary undertakers feigning supermen, there should however be limits to selffoolery. A non-starter in poli cal goals doing a voodoo comparison with a gene c winner like Governor Ademola

Adeleke is nothing but poli cal heresy.

“While Babayemi is at liberty to fester and soliloquize in his school boy error of arrogance, which has blinded him to his poli cal emp ness, we however take excepon to using the good name of our great party and that of Governor Adeleke as launch board to ply his habitual trade of treachery.

“The PDP wishes to reiterate to the unsuspec ng members of the public that Mr Dotun Babayemi by all intents and purposes, is not a member of our great party, the PDP in Osun State. His expulsion by the execu ve commi ee of our party in ward 2, Otun-Balogun, Ayedaade local government, and as ra fied by the state execu ve commi ee is s ll in force.

“We also wish to warn that the PDP in Osun State will not accept criminal impersona on of membership of our party. Mr Babayemi can con nue in his trade as it suits his poli cal purpose and as already exposed to all discerning minds in the state, but not on the pla orm of our party where he is not known to the books of record”.

•Adeleke

•(Middle) The Deputy Governor of Osun State, Prince Kola Adewusi, Author of the book, Mr. Anthony Famoriyo and his wife, (2nd left), Chief Launcher, Mr. Kola Omotunde-Young and other dignitaries at the Launch of the books titled “Chracter Education and Development Strong Chracter” at NUJ press Centre, Osogbo Yesterday. Photo Shola Aderinto.

Osun Communities Lament Deplorable Roads, Seek Govt. Intervention

Yusuf Oketola

RESIDENTS of Kajola Community, OwodeEde, in Ede North local government of Osun State, have cried out to the state government over the deplorable condi on of

roads in the area.

The roads, according to the residents, have con nued to make life highly unbearable for them.

Speaking with newsmen on the development, Chairman, Kajola Landlord Associa on, Pastor Daniel

Agbolade, urged Governor Ademola Adeleke, to extend ongoing community developmental projects in Osun to their area.

Agbolade, who commended the Governor for his giant strides cu ng across every sector of the

state economy within the space of eight months, said that the people of the area, spanning Owode-Oju Oja- Oke-Awere-Eid Prayer Ground, down to Kajola/Sumbare communi es were anxiously expec ng the Governor to come

Police Arrest Two In Connection With Kidnapping In Oyan

Kazeem Badmus

THE Osun State Police Command said it has arrested two persons suspected to be informants of the gunmen who abducted six people from Oyan, Odo-O n local government on Monday while returning from the farm.

The vic ms were said to be returning to Oyan from Aworo village near Agbamu town in Irepodun local government of Kwara State where they went for a commercial transac on when they were a acked and kidnapped at about 6:30 pm.

One of the vic ms, Mrs Grace Adepoju according to a statement by the Osun Police Public Rela ons Officer, Yemisi Opalola, escaped from the abductors in the early hours of Tuesday.

Opalola said: “As a result of pressure mounted on the kidnappers by the team, they were disorganised which led to the escape of Mrs Grace Adepoju unhurt at about 3:00

am of 22nd August, 2023 and since reunited with her family, while assis ng in the rescue of other vicms.

“The team while combing the forest arrested two other persons suspected to be informants to the kidnappers who are presently in custody of the police team from Kwara State.

“Meanwhile, policemen and other stakeholders like hunters and vigilantes of both commands are s ll combing the forest areas of the states with a view to rescuing the other vic ms.”

to their aid, lamen ng that the road linking the communi es were in terrible condi on.

He said: “It is a tug of war accessing communi es in Owode/Kajola; apart from those who are residents of the communi es, farmers alike find it difficult to move their produce to markets, due to deplorable state of the roads, thereby inhibi ng economic ac vies and threatening food security.”

Agbolade appealed to Adeleke to come to their rescue, saying the communi es had been abandoned for too long by previous administra on.

He appreciated the Governor for the renova on of the Kajola Primary School, adding that many communi es in that axis had never enjoyed the presence of the government in any way not un l recently.

He disclosed that some roads in the communi es were made motorable through communal efforts.

“Our communi es have been lacking access roads, hospital and electricity supply, the streets roads, including the main road which was constructed by the past administra on have been abandoned.

“It was through the

Panic As DSS Officer Allegedly Stabs Caretaker In Osogbo

HERE was panic around Tinumola area of Osogbo, capital of Osun State on Wednesday when an officer of the Department of State Service (DSS) allegedly stabbed a caretaker, Omosola Oladele, over payment of electricity bill.

TKazeem Badmus the caretaker of the house where the DSS officer is living asked the officer to pay for his electricity bill and the officer told him he did not have the money. Oladele said he ought to have paid the money since the 16th of August, but the officer complained that he had been the only one paying for the bill since.

The DSS officer who was simply idenfied as Tifase, according to an eye witness, stabbed Oladele in the waist when the vic m asked him to pay for electricity bill.

According to the eye witness, Morounkola Tosin, the vic m was rushed to the hospital and the ma er was reported to police sta on.

He said: “Mr Oladele who was

“The DSS officer ran inside, took out a knife and stabbed the man below his waist. The man nearly died and we rushed him to the hospital.

“We reported the issue at Dada Estate police sta on to help us apprehend the officer but the DSS said they cannot release their personnel to a police officer, that

they can only keep him in their custody.

“We want the government to assist us in taking this man into the book so that other officers will not misuse the power vested on them by the cons tu on to protect lives and proper es rather than killing the people that they are meant to protect.

“We want jus ce to be served. Had it been we result to self-help, things would have gone out of hand and when honesty is not rewarded, corrup on will be inevitable. If jus ce is not served in this ma er, then if something of this nature happens next me, people can mob the culprit.”

Narra ng his or-

communal efforts that the road from Wonderful Block industry to Kajola -Abekoko was made possible and as we are speaking the road is in a very poor condi on. The road urgently needs grading and sand-filling as immediate intervenon, before going further to properly construct it.

“Obviously, a community of that size with over 2,000 houses and predominantly populated by private car owners needs access road; we, therefore, call on our responsive and responsible governor to please come to our aide”. He added.

Also, the Caretaker Chairman of Boluwaduro local government, Abayomi Aina, has also lamented the poor condi ons of roads in rural areas of the state.

Aina who toured the community a er his inaugura on by Adeleke, expressed fear over the condion of roads that linked Otan-Ayegbaju, the hometown of ex-Registrar, Na onal Business and Technical Examina on Council (NABTEB), Prof Olu Aina and Ila-Orangun, the hometown of Chief Bisi Akande, leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

deal on the hospital bed, Oladele confirmed that the DSS officer stabbed him for asking him to for electricity bill.

According to him, “The IBEDC normally brings bill every 16th and they will tell us to pay that day. When they brought this month’s bill, I told the DSS officer that he should pay on that day, he told me no problem but he didn’t pay.

“I went to him yesterday to ask for the money and during our conversa on, he went inside his room and brought out a jack knife and stabbed me with it.”

All effort to get in touch with the DSS opera ves proofed abor ve as his phone number was switched off

The council boss thereby appealed to the state government to urgently intervene, saying that the road is becoming a death trap for motorists.

No ng that the road linked many towns most of which are villages where farmers take their farm produce to the state capital and also linked to Eki state, enjoined the member represen ng Boluwaduro/Ila/Ifedayo at the federal House of Representa ves, Hon. Clement Akanni Olohunwa, to use his office and intervene to ensure that the road is fixed as urgent as possible.

He also advised the director of works in the local government to come up with tenta ve measures to salvage the road from total collapse pending the interven on of the higher authories.

•Members of Nigeria Estate Surveyors and Valuers, Osun State Chapter, presenting a photo frame to Commissioner for Special Duties, Dr. Bashir Salam during their advocacy visit to his office on Tuesday.

Photo Shola Aderinto

Omoluabi: Our Cause Is Just, Victory Assured, Says Aregbesola

HERE is a fresh breath to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State.

A new caucus of the APC, Omoluabi, was launched on Tuesday by immediate past minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

TIsmaeel Uthman fac on. We are the genuine founda on members of the party and we have no intenon of abandoning the ship of the party as it navigates the most turbulent waters. We are no sprinters, but long-distance runners and we will s ll be standing when all the fair-weathers have gone.”

The introduc on of Omoluabi caucus, according to Aregbesola, is a renewal of commitment to the path of progressive ideology and poli cs as inherited from past heroes, beginning from Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin, Chief Abraham Adesanya, Chief Bola Ige and others.

Members of the APC from all the 31 local governments in the state stormed the Amuta residence of the former governor of the state for the inaugura on of the caucus.

Leaders of the APC, including former State Chairman of the party, Revd. Lowo Adebiyi, former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeo , former State Deputy Chairman of party, Alhaji Azeez Adesiji, among others were also at the event.

Addressing members of the caucus, Aregbesola said there is need for the APC to rise up, renew their strength and reclaim the party’s place in the poli cal firmament in Osun.

Aregbesola said residents of the state has not rejected APC but were not well pleased with individuals who turned the party to personal fiefdom and thus abandoned the path of progressivism.

The ex-minister explained that Omoluabi tendency is not a fac on of APC but one of the caucuses in the party which is populated with genuine founda on members, adding that they have no inten on of abandoning the party.

He said: “Emerging from the ashes of the near annihila on of our party in the governorship elec on of 2022 and the general elecon earlier this year, we should rise up and renew our strength and reclaim our place in the poli cal firmament in Osun.

“Given the enthusiasc and hear elt recep on accorded us by the people any me we are in the state, it is clear that they did not reject us or our party. They are only not well pleased with the individuals who have turned our party to personal fiefdom and abandoned the path of progressivism and the interest of the people.

“The Omoluabi tendency is a caucus within the All Progressive Congress (APC), actually one of the caucuses in the state. We are not a

The former governor noted that APC failed in the state because of indiscipline and lack of focus which manifested in lack of character and incompetence of the handlers.

“Our party failed principally because of indiscipline and lack/loss of focus. This is manifested in form of lack of character and incompetence. Character is the mental and moral qualies required in an individual to occupy certain office or perform certain task.

“Competence is the skill required to get specific task done. It is bad when one of the two is absent, but it is always catastrophic when both are absent. It is beyond disputa on how the absence of these virtues spelt doom for our party in the recent past.

“These virtues are integral to the Omoluabi ethos in Yoruba belief system. When we were at the helm here, we not only lived this ethos, we made conscious effort to revive and promote it among the generality of the people of the state.

“We should therefore consciously return to this path of rec tude and dis nguish ourselves as Omolua-

•(Middle)Wife of Osun State Governor, Erelu Ngozi Adeleke and other dignitaries at the 2023 Youth Leaders Conference organised by the Nigerian Youth Congress (NYC), Osun Chapter, after her confirmation as ‘Pad A Girl Ambassador’ by

bi in its most pris ne form”, he added.

Aregbesola said the Omoluabi caucus is for everybody, saying there is no religious, occupa on, and economic status discrimina on He stated: “Our movement is for all comers in the state. We make no discrimina on on the basis of ethnicity, religion, occupaon, economic status and any circumstance of birth, except in adherence to our core values and character.

“We are open to all people, young and old, rich and poor, educated or otherwise, traders and blue collar, landowners and tenants.”

The former minister maintained that poli cal power should be deployed in the service of the people, saying that is what progressive poli cians are known for.

“The core of our belief is that poli cal power should be deployed in service of the people. This convic on stems from the wisdom of our forebears, who le us with the progressive tradion of seeking the highest benefits for the largest number of people.

“They emphasized associa ng with the best in character and human values, always exhibi ng discipline and promo ng human dignity with integrity.

This ethos finds its roots in the very origins of governance”, he added.

Aregbesola maintained: “When others are modifying their character and disposi on to blend with exigencies, we have resolved to dig deeper into our inner recesses and emerge with a be er version of ourselves.

“We are staunch progressives, deeply rooted in the principles of Omoluabi, and this guiding light will always illuminate our path. Our poli cal engagements are free from animosity or hatred, for our love for all of God’s crea ons knows no boundaries. This uncondi onal love paves the way for our core values.

“At the heart of Omolu-

Osun NSCDC Parade 2 For Energy Theft, One Other For Encroachment

Kazeem Badmus

THE Osun State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) on Wednesday, paraded two persons for alleged energy the

The suspects, AbdulFa a AbdulLateef (29) and Adesina Opeyemi (31), according to the NSCDC State Commandant, Sunday Agboola, bypassed electricity meter with a view to power their pumping machine at no cost.

Agboola noted that the suspects were arrested at about 19:00 hours on Monday, at Akede area, Oke Baale, Osogbo by the joint opera on of the NSCDC and the Ibadan Electricity Distribu on Company (IBEDC).

Speaking with newsmen, one of the suspects, Abdullateef said they decided to bypassed their meter due to the economic situa on of the country.

According to him, “We bypass the electricity to pump water. The money we spend on buying electricity is too much; that is why we thought we should bypass it to save cost.

“We do buy electricity but the situa on of things in the country made us to

bypass the meter. We bypassed on Sunday and we were caught on Monday.

“Had it been we knew that we would find ourselves in this situa on, we would not have bypassed at all. I want to urge those who are bypassing to stop it. It is be er not to use

electricity than to face what we are facing here.”

Also, a 23-year Abiodun Akinloye was paraded for allegedly encroaching Segilola mining site and commi ng public disturbance.

Agboola said the suspects will be charge to court a er inves ga ons.

abi Progressives lies discipline—whether in personal endeavours, social interacons, poli cal rela onship or any sphere of life. Those who cannot align with the Omoluabi ethos don’t have a place with us. Our guiding principle remains a blend of character and competence.

“These twin pillars, we believe, are the keystones of human civiliza on and progress. As we recognize our stage of development and the urgency to upli our people, we’re convinced that reinvigora ng these core values is pivotal to maintaining our resonance amongst them.

“There is no guarantee that the journey will be easy, but we are movated by the fact that our cause is just and victory is assured. We will not be discouraged and we shall not rest un l the dawn breaks from the night.”

Speaking at the event, Adeo , Lowo and former commissioner four Tourism and Home Affairs, Alhaji Sikiru Ayedun urged members of the caucus to be united, shun divisive poli cs and brace up for the task ahead.

Nigerian First Book On Character Launched In Osun

•Continued from Page 5

of ‘Omoluabi’, said the former administra on of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was so concerned with character and ethics that the government developed and launched “Omoluabi Boys and Girls Club and “Omoluabi Youth Club”.

Young also said the Aregbesola administra on developed and approved the Omoluabi Policy on Educa on with vision of educa on that delivers “Sustainable prosperity in individual life and society.

The former commis-

sioner said the two books would have been quite useful if they were available then.

He said: “While we had the rare opportunity to serve here, the government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was so concerned with character and ethics; and we developed and launched “Omoluabi Boys and Girls Club” and “Omoluabi Youth Club.

“The government also developed and approved the Omoluabi Policy on Educa on with a vision of educa on that delivers “sustainable prosperity in

individual life and society”

and mission to ensure they produce confident, matriculate-able students who are first class scholars, cultural icons and models of good character, innova on and competence; the true Omoluabi.

“We had to develop most of our own materials to use from scratch for training and mentoring members of these clubs. Many did not understand then - and even now - that without fundamental posi ve character transforma on in the society, real development will con nue

to elude the na on.

“I pray that those in government now will appreciate the need for such societal transforma on, review documented works and revisit some of the past efforts. These two complimentary books from Mr Famoriyo would have been quite useful, if they were available then.

“I also pray that those with authority now, will recognise the contents as important inputs to a renewed society and patronise the author”.

the Organisation, recently.

POLITICS is different from par sanship; so many people who played poli cs are not poli cians, or perhaps, par san poli cians. American poli cal scien st, Harold Lasswell, defined poli cs as “who gets what, when, how.” Poli cs is fundamental to human condi on, it also involves all the acons of government and all the people who work for, serve, or challenge it.

Par sanship, on the other hand, according to Brian Duignan, a Senior Editor at Encyclopedia, is a “strong adherence, dedica on, or loyalty to a poli cal party—or to an ideology or agenda associated with a poli cal party—usually accompanied by a nega ve view of an opposing party.”

Both poli cs and par sanship have crept into Osun educa on system. Of all the areas of governance, educa on sector has consistently been the leading area of discourse by poli cal actors and analysts. Successive administra ons in Osun State ini ated one or two policies that make or mar the sector. It must be noted that most of the recent policies in the educa on sector were because of poli cal conflicts.

Realising the damage of playing polics with educa on could cause, late French poli cian and advocate of Living La n, Jean Capelle had warned: “Educa on must keep itself beyond the reach of poli cal conflicts and party struggles in order to place itself objec vely at the service of all families…..”

The Na onal Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Dr. Mike Ene, had also in 2020 warned governments to stop playing poli cs with educa on. He noted that “playing poli cs with educa on by successive administra ons, especially post-Civil War, has had grave consequences on the sector, including the teaching profession.”

Osun educa on system was, and is s ll at the centre of poli cs. The administra ons of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola in the state have made interven ons in the educa on sector with pleasant and unpleasant results years a er. The current administra on of Senator Ademola Adeleke, is about to unleash obviously new educaon policies on the state. Adeleke administra on held a three-day summit which was concluded yesterday to have a fresh breath into the educa on sector. The summit, according to the Commissioner for Educa on, Dipo Eluwole, was borne out of the need to reposi on the educa on sector for development and func onality. Eluwole, in a text of a press conference address last week Friday stated that: “Available records have it that the state is rated as being the most poorly rated in public examina on performance index which puts Osun state among the last three in the na on for some me now. The state is also having the largest out-of-school children in the south-west Nigeria and probably the least in adequate teacher-pupil-ra o. These are descrip ons that were alien to the State educa on sector in the past, because the founding fathers bequeathed a befi ng educa on legacy to the State.

“Osun educa on sectorial problems are quite hydra-headed and except an overhaul sectorial reform is taken fast, it could become irredeemable. That is why the state 2023 ed-

“Before Aregbesola’s emergence in 2010, the highest performance of Osun public school students in West African Examination Council (WAEC) was 15.68%. The state had recorded 10.91 in 2006, 6.86% in 2007, 10.11% in 2008, 13.98% in 2009, 15.68% in 2010, 21.9% in 2011, 22.21% in 2012, 20.54% in 2013, 18.55% in 2014 and 21.64% in 2015, according to reports by the National Bureau of Statistics”

PERSPECTIVE

Osun Education: Between Reforms, Vindictiveness And Politics

BY ISMAEEL UTHMAN

Crime

summit on February 20, 2020. Consequently, Oyetola reversed all the educa on policies put in place by his predecessor; leaving alone Opon-Imo which had been withdrawn from the secondary school students. He returned the schools to their former status before the administra on of Aregbesola. The secondary school students were returned to their former schools with no new buildings. Findings showed that the Oyetola administra on did not build a single classroom during its four-year tenure.

The reversal of the policy led to depopula on of the modern schools constructed by Aregbesola. Oyetola had earlier sacked the consultants engaged for the maintenance of the schools. In an interview with OSUN DEFENDER last weekend, Prince Dare Eluyemi, the Managing Director of El-Samirad Facilies Services Limited, one of the consultants engaged for the maintenance of the schools, said they were sent packing by Oyetola without any tangible reasons. “We ran the project efficiently un l the administra on of Governor Gboyega Oyetola stopped the payment for the maintenance of the schools on polical grounds. I guess he had poli cal differences with his predecessor whose administra on engaged us”, said Eluyemi.

According to some educa onists, the educa on policy reversal embarked upon by Oyetola had no posi ve impact in the quality of educa on in the state. Their submission came on the heel of poor performance of secondary school students of the state in external examina ons.

uca on summit is not only desirable but also mely.”

That was the second summit on educaon in the state. The Aregbesola’s administra on had between February 7 and 8, 2011 held an educa on summit at the Osun State University Auditorium. The summit, chaired by Prof. Wole Soyinka, had the theme: “Resolving the Educa on Crisis in Osun State: Bridging Analysis and Implementa on Gaps”.

It also had sub-themes, viz: “Resolving the Educa on Crisis in Osun State”, “Quality Assurance and Capacity Building”, “Role of Stakeholders”, “Early Childhood and Basic Educa on”, “Funding Approaches”, “Curriculum Implementa on for Func onal and Entrepreneurial Educa on” and “Special Educa on and Language in Educa on”.

Aregbesola had said the summit was a comprehensive and holis c response to a scandalous educa onal rot he met in the state at the incep on of his government, declaring it as unbefi ng of a state and people that were part of the first revolu onary educa onal policy in Nigeria.

The summit birthed reforms and policy like restructuring of educa on administraon modality, reclassifica on of schools, construc on of mega and modern schools, same school uniform, introduc on of tablet of knowledge – Opon-Imo, a new approach to teachers’ welfare and that of other nonteaching staff, among others. The reforms were not without strong cri cism and threats. But Aregbesola’s administra on sailed through the storm.

Before the end of Aregbesola’s eight years in office, 11 high schools with 876 classrooms for high school students were built. Only the Iwo High School building was not func oning as of November 27, 2018. A total of 28 new story buildings of middle schools consis ng of 764 classrooms, 21 quadrangle buildings of elementary schools consis ng of 531 classrooms were also constructed. Also, 143 blocks of between two and 10 buildings consis ng of 1,550 classrooms, mainly for rural se lements were built, while rehabilita on of 215 old school buildings to produce 1,213 classrooms across the state was also achieved. The administra on also employed 3,230 teachers on merit in 2013 into public schools. This was

followed by the introduc on of Opon-Imo to secondary school students.

Apparently, the reforms brought about remarkable improvement in the public educa on. Before Aregbesola’s emergence in 2010, the highest performance of Osun public school students in West African Examinaon Council (WAEC) was 15.68%. The state had recorded 10.91 in 2006, 6.86% in 2007, 10.11% in 2008, 13.98% in 2009, 15.68% in 2010, 21.9% in 2011, 22.21% in 2012, 20.54% in 2013, 18.55% in 2014 and 21.64% in 2015, according to reports by the Na onal Bureau of Sta s cs.

The performance of the state improved to 45.5% in 2016 with a short decline of 43.50% and 40.85% in 2017 and 2018 respec vely. However, there was laudable improvement in 2019 May/June WAEC performance as the state recorded 50.16%.

Aregbesola’s reforms in educa on was more appreciated when a student of Osogbo Government High School Osogbo, Akintade Abdullahi Akanbi, emerged winner of the year 2020 Young Nigerian Scien sts Presidenal Award Compe on. Akintade adorned the venue of the award presenta on where he received the handshake of President Muhammadu Buhari as then was with the selfsame unified school uniform.

Commen ng on the Osogbo High School building, Akintade said: “The school is indeed a model school in terms of structure and content. It has nice structures and the teachers here are very competence and professional. They are doing great work to ensure the students here get the best of educa on. The science laboratory here is well equipped and has helped me to build more on both theore cal and prac cal aspect of my educa on. The school standard is the best. You can never see a structure like this in both private and other public schools in the state. Without being boas ul, you can hardly find this type of school anywhere in the country. It is not only about the structures, probe deeper and you would discover we have good teachers too. The school is be er than private schools.”

However, Aregbesola’s successor, Oyetola, who served as his Chief of Staff for eight years, embarked on a review of Aregbesola’s educa on policies with a two-day roundtable

OSUN DEFENDER noted that Osun state declined from 2019’s 50.16% in WAEC performance to 4.78 in 2020 and 32.55 in 2021, according to NBS’s reports.

Osun was also rated the state with highest number of out of school children in the South-West, according to the 2021 Mul ple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS-6), a Na onal Bureau of Sta s cs data, supported by the United Na ons Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Explaining the survey last year, UNICEF Social Policy Specialist, Muhammad Okorie, said 14.88 per cent male children in Osun and 11.5 per cent female, making 13 per cent average rate, were out of school in the state.

This is a sharp retrogression for the state. The Na onal Bureau of Sta s c (NBS) had in 2013 rated Osun as the state with highest number of primary school enrollment in Nigeria, and the state with lowest index of unemployment in the country. In the 2013 school year, the overall rate of children enrolled in primary school was 95.2 per cent (95.8 per cent for boys and 94.6 per cent for girls). No fewer than 200,000 children of school age were enrolled in public elementary schools in the state in 2013/2014 academic session. Before Aregbesola’s emergence, Osun was ranked second state with highest number of out of school children in the federa on in 2009. The state had witnessed low enrollment turn out in primary schools un l the debut of Elementary School Feeding and Health programme of the Aregbesola administra on. The programme, no doubt, spurred a great deal of parents and pupils into enrolling in public school in large numbers. But the programme, like other Aregbesola’s intervenons in educa on sector, was badly hit with poli cal vindic veness.

Stakeholders have expressed concerns that the Adeleke administra on’s summit will not bring about another confusion in the state educa on system.

However, the Governor, had while declaring the summit open on Tuesday, promised to give his best support to ensure that the state reclaims its top ranking in WAEC before the expira on of his first term.

He noted that his administra on has iden fied educa on as the common heritage that good governance could bestow on its teaming ci zenry.