Osun Defender Online Version Of December 08, 2023

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 08 - THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2023 VOL 18 NO 47

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A Cash Crunch

•Customers Groan

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Bloodshed Imminents As Communal Clash Brews Btw Osun, Oyo Communities •Fake Policemen, Thugs Terrorising Us, Villagers Allege

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NJC Sacks Pg. 5 Justice Falola, Affirms Ojo As Osun Chief Judge

•A former deputy governor of Osun State, Erelu Olusola Obada CON, being conferred with a Doctor of Science in Public Administration at the Lead City University, Ibadan, yesterday.

Ifon, Ilobu On Fresh •Ilobu Indigenes Protest ‘Renewed Attack’ By Ifon War Path •Ifon Accuses Ilobu Of Ceding Land To Oyo One Reportedly Killed As Herdsmen Invade Farm In Ago-Owu •1000 Hectares of Maize, Cassava Pg. 4 Destroyed

Adeleke Probes Ilesa Pg. 2 Inisa Central Mosque Water Project, Orders Gets New Chief Imam Consultant To Forfeit After Three Years N70m Bullet Proof Jeep Pg. 6

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 08 - THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2023

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Bloodshed Imminent As Communal Clash Brew Between Osun, Oyo Communities kegs of palm oil, for an unknown offence.”

Findings by OSUN DE•Fake Policemen, Thugs Terrorising Us, Villagers Allege many destroying Osun State FENDER revealed that the Yusuf Oketola

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HERE is tension in some communi es that border Osun and Oyo states.

Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that there is a lingering land dispute between Ogunajo town, Paku town, Ejemu, Eleye, Oloya and Ojisun villages of Iwo local government of Osun state and neighbouring Offa-Igbo village in Lagelu local government of Oyo State.

A violent clash may break out between the villages at the boundry of the two states if the Oyo and Osun state governments and security agencies do not intervene on me.

Already, some of the villagers told the medium that some health facili es and houses have been allegedly destroyed by some hoodlums from Offa-Igbo.

They also claimed that their farm produce were being stolen by the thugs.

The medium gathered that the disputed land measures 3000 hectres, stretching from Oyi river (Oyo) to Oba river (Osun).

According to findings, when Osun State was carved out of Oyo in August 1991, Ofa-Igbo was designated as the border line between Iwo land and Ibadan land.

But crisis began when Ofa-Igbo reportedly began to lay claim to ownership of the land hos ng Ogunajo town, Paku town, Ejemu, Eleye, Oloya and Ojisun villages of Osun State.

According to some of the villagers, the tradional ruler of Ofa-Igbo, Oba Adeboye Salako Sinade, and his son, Akeem Adeboye, have allegedly been terrorising the six communi es for years.

The heads of the villages also alleged Oba Sinade of using fake policemen and thugs to a ack them on the land.

In an affidavit obtained

by OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday, the heads of the villages warned that the crisis might snowball into full communal clash if Oba Sinade is not cauoned on me, maintaining that they could not just stand akimbo and watch their people being killed and maimed.

The affidavit was deposed to by the Baale of Ogunajo, Musiliu Kehinde

Ogunajo.

The duo of Oba Adeboye and his son were accused of unleashing terror in collusion with fake policemen and thugs on the aforemen oned villages by fraudulently selling their lands and destroying proper es including government own.

OSUN DEFENDER

gathered that both Oba Adeboye and his son would some mes allegedly bring policemen from Oyo Police Command, Ibadan to arrest family members in the six communi es without any offence.

In the affidavit, the community head said: “Akeem Adeboye on the instruc on of his father,

Oba Adeboye has been vic mising and terrorising all our villages. They would armed with guns, cutlasses, axes, etc with support of many thugs and fake policemen to vandalise our villages, claiming the ownership of the land by force.

“Both Oba Adeboye and his son with their thugs have carted away

health facili es in many villages and they would be shou ng that they have sold off the land to buyers and we claimants should vacate the land by force.

“They would somemes bring policemen from Ibadan to arrest our family members on their farmland and we would be taken to Ibadan, Oyo State Police Command

•Wife of the Governor, Chief Mrs. Titilola Adeleke and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Children Affairs, Alhaja Temilade Khalid at this year Campaign Against Gender Based Violence in Òsogbo recently.

Photo :Shola Aderinto

Adeleke Probes Ilesa Water Project, Orders Consultant To Forfeit N70m Bullet Proof Jeep Ismaeel Uthman

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OVERNOR Ademola Adeleke has directed ‘a full scale probe’ of sixyear-old Ilesa Water Project, following the slow pace of work.

Adeleke has also suspended the Project Consultant, Mrs Tawa Williams, over alleged ques onable handling of the $106m loan for the project.

The Governor, in a statement by his Spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, said there is no progress on the project despite reported disbursement of N10bn and another $28m on it.

Williams’s suspension, according to Adeleke, was to allow unhindered review of the loan administraon, even as the consultant was directed to return to the N70m bullet proof jeep given to her on the project to the government.

OSUN DEFENDER

learnt that the direcve was sequel to the interim report of the State’s Assets Recovery Commi ee, Chaired

by Dr Tokunbo Salami which recommended immediate suspension of the water project to stop further squandering of loans secured on it.

Adeleke, however, frowned at what he described as large scale of corrup on reflec on in the handling of the loans and project, noting that it is regre able as it denied people of Ilesa and environs of drinkable water.

He said: “My administra on will dig into this ma er with all seriousness. The huge fund in ques on are loans to be repaid.

We have a sacred duty to ensure accountability and transparency in the handling of the fund and the project.”

According to the interim report of the Salami-led commi ee, “the Islamic Develop-

ment Bank agreed to fund the project to the tune of $65m while the Federal Government provided $41.94m.

“So far, a total of $27.073m has been expended from the IDB loan of $65 million, leaving a balance of the sum of $37.926m.

From the Federal Government loan of $41.94m which the consultant had reportedly converted to N12bn, the sum of N10bn had been purportedly spent on the project, leaving a balance of N2bn.”

The commi ee noted that despite the huge sums of $27.073m and N10bn already spent so far, the Ilesa water project is not yet func onal and the good people of Ilesa are yet to access any water.

The recommendaons of the committee which Governor Adeleke endorsed are include: “Suspension of the Consultant and

the Project Coordinator with immediate effect; review of the process leading to the auc oning of the various water pipes across the state and the revenue which accrued therefrom.

Probing of the execu on of the project with a view to ensuring that the state gets value for its money and that the loans are not diverted to private pockets; retrieval of the N70m bullet-proof project vehicle in possession of the Consultant.

“Reconciliation of financial exposure ($65 million and $41.94 million) on this project with other financial exposures of the state with a view to determining and/or ascertaining the total indebtedness of the state to both local and interna onal creditors.”

The Ilesa water project was inaugurated in December 2017 by the administra on of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

heads of the six communi es have made several complaints against Oba Adeboye and his son at the Nigeria Police Force, Zone XI, Osogbo.

It was gathered that the tradi onal ruler and his son had not for once honour the police invitaon.

The community leaders claimed that they have never had any li gaon with Offa-Igbo on the ownership of their land un l 2001 when they were challenged by the then Oloffa of Offa-Igbo, High Chief C.D Adeyemo Otun.

They explained that Otun later withdrew the suit when he discovered that he was wrong, adding that they have been occupying the land peacefully and never paid any royalty to anybody in Oyo State.

Speaking on the incident, the Senior Special Adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Chamber and Commerce, Hon. Wasiu Ogundokun, called for the interven on of the state government on the crisis.

Ogundokun who spoke at the ongoing Trade Fair organised in Osogbo urge the state government to swi ly respond to the ma er to avert bloodshed.

He said: “There are a lot of crisis in Iwo which only requires the interven on of the state government.

Recently, people of Lagelu are arres ng our fathers and detaining them in the police sta on. I was part of those appointed by the local chiefs to monitor happenings around OdoOba. They are arres ng our people and taking them to Ibadan. They (Oyo people) are claiming they owned the land. But we don’t want any bloodshed.

“We don’t want any crisis for Governor Adeleke. We should also be pa ent at this me the Governor wants to embark on developmental projects in Iwo. “Who are the people of lagelu that want to disturb the peace of Iwo? Do they want to turn us to tenants on our own land?. This looming crisis can only be averted by the state government. In 2008, lagelu people entered Odo-Oba and begin to number all our father’s houses. We want urgent interven on of the Governor.”

PEOPLE FIRST

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 08 - THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2023

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HE increase in the fees for nursing students at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, is amazing. Tuion fees are to go up from N250,000 to N840,000 in one fell swoop.

In a country wracked by a decline in purchasing power as a result of a painful 42% devalua on, this is very insensi ve.

The students at OAUTH are predominantly from outside of whatever remains of the middle class.

Student loan or not how on earth are they going to underwrite the new fees? The conten ous student loan itself has only five billion Naira earmarked for it in the 2024 budget proposal. Small change given the number of students who will need it.

The Jack up in fees is a desecra on of the poli cal posi on of Chief Obafemi Awolowo a er whom the university is named. He must be squirming in his grave. In addi on, this is coming from a government whose elec on manifesto

The Need To Support The Local Pharmaceuticals

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Alarming Is Not The Word! commi ed it admirably to the development of a social market economy.

The increase in fees must be reversed. It will further widen class inequali es in a society already undergoing great stress.

The government should increase the educa on budget by moun ng a ferocious cost-cu ng exercise in the public sector and by implemen ng the report of the Oransaye commi ee on the costs of the machinery of government. Implementing the report is long overdue.

Educa on is an invest-

“The government should increase the education budget by mounting a ferocious cost-cutting exercise in the public sector and by implementing the report of the Oransaye committee on the costs of the machinery of government. Implementing the report is long overdue”

ment needed to make the country compe ve in a brutally compe ve world.

And there is no alterna ve to increasing quality spending on educa on.

This ill thought out increase in fees must be reversed immediately.

FROM THE SOCIAL MEDIA

&G’S products have zero local content. This makes them very expensive even as far back as two decades ago when I had a retail Pharmacy Prac ce.

Fast forward to five years back; Chinese products have flooded the market and are much, much cheaper. P&G simply CANNOT compete. The exchange rate issue and remi ance problem has heightened their difficulty in making profit.

I par cularly don’t see their plight as distressing. I would worry more about the Pharmaceu cal Giants. But then look at India! Something is fundamentally wrong in how mul na onals operate here. No backward integra on! We should have had a few hundred Emzors by now. Instead, the few budding ones are not able to survive. We need deliberate Government Policy to support local manufacturing in the area of Pharmaceu cals.

Aside from the Health Sector, the Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) that we need should be in infrastructure development; not areas where Nigerians excel in other climes and can do well with just a bit of Government Policy adjustment like produc on of pharmaceu cal raw materials.

We have almost inexhaus ble capacity to produce pharmaceu cal grade starch, binders, etc.

We should even be expor ng sef!! South Africa works with India to produce a lot of cheaper drugs with direct Government supervision!!

•Kemi Ilori, a Lagos base pharmacist, examines the wider issues in the closing down of the manufacturing plants of Procter and Gamble in Nigeria with 5,000 job losses.

The Discourse Nigeria’s Democratic Experience So Far Murtala Agboola

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ECENTLY at his presiden al library in Abeokuta, the former President of Nigeria, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, toyed with the idea of AFRO DEMOCRACY. According to him, the democracy as universally understood was imported into Africa, hence there is the need to have our home-grown democracy.

He admi ed that there are very few benefits accruable to majority of the people from the current system, hence the need for a change.

Further elucida on was not made, so it is assumed that may be academics, lawyers or social scien sts would take it up from there. Or be er s ll, the prac oners (poli cians) will propound a theory to jus fy it.

However, it is my view that a be er understanding of what democracy is should be revisited to give a be er understanding of the issues involved before situa ng our local experiences in Nigeria nay Africa. This will enable us to arrive at a fair and a be er conclusion.

The word democracy as it is known today originated from Greece where it was coined from(demo)people and (kra a) rule of, which simply translate to rule of the people. In the Greek city-states, the socie es were small and the popula on limited, hence everyone converged at a commonplace to take decisions that affected the society.

With development and complexity, it became prac cally impossible for all to converge, so those who did, elect from among themselves, ensure that those who are elected represent the interest of all. This is how indirect or representa ve democracy as we know it today emerged. It is also commonly referred to as liberal democracy.

The Greek system was christened classical or direct democracy.

Yes, no human system is perfect but com-

pared with other systems, liberal democracy is embraced by most countries.

Some of the good attributes of the system include periodic elecons, freedom of choice, plurality of poli cal par es and rule of law. Others are Universal Adult Suffrage, Fundamental Human Rights, Free and Fair elec ons, among others. Indeed what the expression “Dividend of Democracy” connotes is the ability of the voters to elect a government of their choice and also to express their views within the ambit of the law, contrary to the popular opinion of construc on of roads, schools, hospitals, etc. This is so because even in autocra c regimes, construc ons take place.

Simply put, in a democracy, majority must have their way while the minority must have their say. The rights of the minority must be protected. This does not mean that democracy is not without its shortcomings.

Two salient challenges come to the fore.

The system does not guarantee that the best candidate wins but it ensures the popular candidate does. Democracy is also expensive.

At this juncture, it is important to reiterate the fact that there is no one-system-fits all democracy but each country considers her history, peculiari es, antecedents and culture.

At independence in 1960, Nigeria inherited the cabinet or the parliamentary system from the colonial masters, Britain. The system which had been prac sed in Britain since 18th

century lasted only six years in Nigeria when the five Majors, led by Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu toppled the government and assassinated top government officials, including the Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa; Northern Premier, Ahmadu Bello; Western Premier, Ladoke Akintola, among others. Some of the reasons advanced were nepo sm, corrup on, maladministra on and poli cal crises especially in the Western Region.

The military interregnum lasted for 13 years a er which the General Murtala Mohammed ini ated and General Olusegun Obasanjo accomplished transi on programme returned the country to civil rule in 1979 with the presiden al system.

The Second Republic operated for just four years before the army struck again. The army

“I agree with the former president that the voters have been shortchanged, but for want of a better term, I prefer to call what we practice now, Elitocracy. This is government of the elite by the elite and for the elite”

was in the saddle for another 16 years before the fourth republic came into being in 1999 with the elec on of President Olusegun Obasanjo. Good enough, power has stabilised since then with power changing hands peacefully.

Before the elec on of President Bola Tinubu this year, the Peoples Democratic Party had ruled Nigeria for 16 years consecu vely while the All Progressives Congress did same Publisher – Moremi Publishing for eight years. President Tinubu House Ltd. is of APC. It is worthy of note that Deputy Editor – Ismaeel Uthman in 2015, APC candidate Muhammad Buhari defeated the then Produc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa incumbent President, Goodluck Reporter – Yusuf Oketola Jonathan.

Reporter – Kazeem Badmus It must also be noted that Photo Journalist – Shola Aderinto diarchy was prac sed under the Computer Graphics – Zainab Olalere military President, General IbOSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing rahim Babaginda in 1993, when House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite elec ons took place at all levels Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), Gbogan Road Osogbo, except the presidency, hence State of Osun the reference to the abor ve ISSN : 0794-8050 third republic. The phraseology Telephone : 0809-301-9152 “abor ve third republic” is used Website : www.osundefender.com/index.php to indicate the fact that the final e-mail : osundefender@yahoo.com results of the 1993 presiden al osundefenderbank@gmail.com elec on was not announced All correspondence to the above email addresses. and the presumed winner, Chief •Continued o page 7

OSUN DEFENDER

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 08 - THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2023

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One Reportedly Killed As Herdsmen Invade Farm In Ago-Owu Yusuf Oketola Kazeem Badmus

Value, Olukoyi •1000 Hectares of Maize, Cassava Destroyed isVowsOsunto Take Over Ago-

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HERE is a growing security concern in Ago Owu Government Farm Se lement, Ikoyi in Isokan local government area of Osun State.

Some herdsmen have reportedly invaded the farm se lements, a acking the farmers and destroying their farms at will.

This is just as farmers in the se lement accused the Onikoyi of Ikoyi, Oba Taofeeq Morenigbade, of sending thugs to a ack them.

According to the farmers, both the herdsmen and thugs have constantly been a acking them and destroying their farms, calling on the state government to put an end to it.

The farmers claimed that the a ack had led to the death of one of them whose name was not men oned.

Apparently worried about the situa on, the

•The protesting farmers farmers protested to the Osun State Government Secretariat on Tuesday to in mate Governor Ademola Adeleke of their

plight.

The farmers called on the State Government to intervene and stop the alleged unlawful act of Oba

Morenigbade.

Armed with placards with inscrip ons such as; Governor Adeleke Save Our Souls from Olukoyi,

Olukoyi Beware of Governor Adeleke wrath, 1000 Hectares of Maize, Cassava Destroyed by Herders, Ago-Owu Farm Se lement

We’re Being Battered, Wives Of Osun Retired Judge Cries Out For Help Yusuf Oketola IVES of a rered judge of Osun State High Court, Jus ce Abdulkareem Babatunde Abdulrasaq, have accused him of constantly assaul ng them.

The assault, according to the wives, have le varying degrees of injuries on their body.

The two estranged wives, Mrs. Sherifat Oyekunle and Alhaja Afusat Egberongbe, alleged that the 70-yearold former judge battered them at any slight provoca on and eventually sent them out of his house in Oyan, Odo-O n Local Government Area of the state, without allowing them to take their belongings.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the Naonal Judicial Council had, in December, 2020, recommended compulsory re rement for Abdulrasaq for allegedly falsifying his age.

According to his estranged wives, the former judge used horsewhip, otherwise known as “koboko” to flog them severally and also bit one of them with his teeth.

They claimed that Abdulrasaq had denied them access to their children, including a seven-year-old sickle cell pa ent.

Meanwhile, a human rights ac vist, Ci zen Lola Wey and the Interna on

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al Federa on of Women Lawyers, have intervened and called on the re red judge to release the women’s belongings to them and allow them to give necessary care and a en on to their children.

FIDA, in a le er signed by its Vice-Chairperson in the state, Mrs Adeseyi Darlington, and made available to OSUN DEFENDER on Tuesday, alleged that Abdulrasaq had relegated the welfare and educa on of his estranged wives’ six children to the background.

The associa on noted that the children of the two women who were in the custody of the former jurist, had not been able to feed well or

•The victims

have quality educa on.

The le er reads in part: “It is our brief that our clients (Mrs. Sherifat Oyekunle and Alhaja Afusat Egberongbe) used to be married to Rtd. Jus ce Abdulrasaq Abdulkareem and their union was blessed with children.

“However, their marriage to this jurist was characterised with oppression, vic misa on and series of unprintable abuses that almost claimed their lives. The jurist was in the habit of assaul ng and subjec ng them to series of domes c violence which was not limited to caning them with caning s cks (koboko) before their children,

bi ng, etc.

“The recurrence of these inhuman acts resulted into separa on between our clients and the re red jurist as they had to run for their precious lives.

“As if that was not enough, the re red jurist claimed full and complete custody of our clients’ children without giving them access into the house to pack their belongings and denying them complete access to their children.

“He has succeeded in exposing them to the torments of being completely severed from their own children, while leaving the children to crave endlessly for the warmth and love of their mothers.

A p a r t from the five children of our client, the jurist has six other c h i l d re n (totaling eleven children) in the h o u s e which he took from t h e i r mothers.

“It is our brief that the welfare of these c h i l d re n

is being jeopardised by the re red jurist who placed li le or no premium on their educa on, feeding and general welfare, as the condion of these children as at the me of wri ng this le er is highly devasta ng.

“For instance, the re red jurist did not allow the children of our client i.e Egberongbe to go to school a er the commencement of the new academic year in September 2023, un l the pe on dated 10th October, 2023 was written to him and copied to some relevant parastatals.

“Also, the minor children of Mrs. Sherifat Oyekunle, aged nine, seven and five are also in his custody with li le or no care whatsoever.

“It is our brief that several a empts made by our clients to make them have access to their children have proved abor ve as the Rtd. Jurist has always claimed to be above any Family Court or ins tuon that invites him to discuss the welfare of his children,” FIDA stated.

Speaking with Journalists, one of the affected women, Sherifat Oyekunle, alleged that Abdulrasaq had banished her from Oyan community and warned her against returning to get her belongings and check her children.

Owu Farm Se lement”, among others, the farmers said they were living in fear.

The leader of the farmers, Mr Adebanji Obenbe, said they were given land to farm by the state government and are paying taxes and dues to the government annually.

Obenbe, a re red civil servant who said he settled in the farm se lement a er his re rement, called on Governor Ademola Adeleke to protect them from the alleged incessant a ack and harassment by Oba Morenigbade.

He said: “Ago-Owu farm se lement that we all know is under the Ministry of Agriculture, we have issues that are disturbing us and holding the peace of the community. In fact, one person has been killed during this struggle. We are here to call on Governor Adeleke to help us from the torture, a ack and harassment by the Onikoyi of Ikoyi.

“Onikoyi’s men take guns and cutlass to our farm to cut our crops, they said the Olukoyi asked them to do so. We went to meet the Onikoyi and he said he truly sent them but he didn’t instruct them to cut the crops but he asked them to resell the lands to us.”

“They have pursued a lot of people from the farm with guns, and we didn’t react because it was the state government that put us there.”

Obenbe said the ac on of the monarch is a recipe for crisis if not quickly checked by the government.

“The ac on of the monarch can lead to huge crisis and war within his domain and disrupt the peaceful atmosphere of the area if not quickly checked by the government.

Governor Adeleke should stop Onikoyi from his lawlessness, using his royal office to oppress and suppress Ago Owu farmers”, Obenbe added.

The farmers also called on the government to help them stop the herdsmen who invaded their farmlands and damaged their crops.

When contacted, Oba Morenigbade denied the allega ons against him, saying the farmers should channel their grievances to the police.

“I don’t know anything about that. I’m currently out of the country. If they have grievances, they should channel it to the police,” he said.

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 08 - THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2023

Ifon, Ilobu On Fresh War Path Kazeem Badmus NDIGENES of Ifon and Ilobu might start killing one another again with destruc on of property if the growing tensions between the two communi es is not checked.

OSUN DEFENDER has consistently been reporting that the two communi es have not ceased from a acking indigenes of each other in spite of the peace accord.

The two communi es have also embarked on accusa ons and counteraccusa ons with the use of media.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that the media war between Ifon and Ilobu preceded the October communal clash between the two communi es.

On Wednesday, the Ilobu-Asake Development Union alleged that despite the peace accord signed with the state government, the people of Ifon have con nued to attack and destroy properes of Ilobu indigenes.

This is just as some Ilobu indigenes protested what they called renewed a ack on their farmland by some hoodlums believed to be from Ifon community.

The protesters who were farmers said the hoodlums set their houses ablaze and asked them to vacate the land.

According to the protesters, the hoodlums suspected to be Ifon indigenes have destroyed their farmlands and carted away their farm produce.

Armed with placards with inscrip ons such as; “We call for jus ce”, “ We farm on Oyo land not IfonOsun”, Save our soul”, Our means of livelihood is at stake,” the farmers said their farmlands belongs to Oyo State and not Ifon community.

Mr Basiru Adegbenro who spoke on behalf of the protesters, said: “Since the 4th of October, the people of Ifon have been a acking us on our farms at Abebi, Ologele, Oloso, Idi-Iroko, Baara villages and so on.

We were not farming on their land. The land we occupy currently belongs to Oyo state.

“They have destroyed our farmlands and taken away our farm produce.

They also burnt our houses.

“We don’t have anything to rely on again. We did not know what we did to them to warrant this ac on.

“We want the state government to come to our rescue. Our children

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•Ilobu Indigenes Protest ‘Renewed Attack’ By Ifon •Ifon Accuses Ilobu Of Ceding Land To Oyo

•Ilobu Indegenes during the protest could no longer go to school. Our proper es have been taken over by Ifon people.”

In his submission, Olawoyin Wakili, who claimed to have been attacked by Ifon people last week Saturday, said he was coming back from his farm around Owode village when he was waylaid by the hoodlums.

He said the hoodlums claimed Ilobu people have been warned not to step on Ifon land again.

“I went to my farm along Owode road on Saturday to pick the remaining potatoes on my farm.

On my way back, I was about to enter Ifon town when I saw five people on motorcycles flagging me down.

“I asked what the problem was and they told me they had announced that any Ilobu indigene should

not come near Ifon land again. I told them I didn’t hear about that. They said I have to see the Eesa of Ifon.

“I ignored them and started my bike. I was about to get to Orolu Grammar School when I saw that they had laid an ambush for me. I was beaten mercilessly with cutlass.

“They destroyed my farm produce that worth N500,000 and since the incident happened, my friends have been the ones helping me. Survival has been hard”, he narrated.

The IDU called on the state government to connue engaging the two communi es on the need to sustain the peace.

IDU lamented that no engagement has been held since October 6 when the peace deal was

signed.

The Na onal Public Rela ons Officer of IDU, Mr Tairu Babatunde, made the call at a press briefing on Wednesday.

The union accused the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor Ademola Adeleke on Security, Mr Adekunle Omoyele, of siding with the Ifon people.

IDU said: “It is, however, disheartening and shocking that despite this olive branch extended by the people of Ilobu to our neighbours, most par cularly, the people of IfonOsun, what we receive is more a acks, dehumanisa on, destruc on of proper es and harassment of our people. This is very sad.

“Since the ceasefire was declared, our people who are plying their trades in villages such as

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Oloso, Idi-Iroko, Owode and several other villages in Oyo State have not been allowed to witness peace. It has been a acks over a acks, harassment and torture. We believe this must stop.

“We call for the immediate arrest and prosecu on of everyone men oned, including Jide Akinyooye and the Eesa of Ifon, Babatunde Oyetunji.

“We want to advise the state government that peace building is a process and not an acon, we want them to con nue engagement as no engagement has been held since October 6 when the peace deal was signed.

“We also want the agents of the government, par cularly, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Security, Adekunle Omoyele, to stop ac ng like an agent of Ifon people.”

Reac ng to the allega ons, the Ifon-Orolu Progressive Union (IPU) accused the Ilobu people of trying to cede a land belonging to Osun State to Surulere Local Government area of Oyo State in a bid to frustrate Ifon people.

The union, in a statement signed by its Secretary, Prince Jide Akinyooye, refuted claims

by Ilobu, that Ifon indigenes were in mida ng, harassing and loo ng from frams owned by Ilobu indigenes.

IPU urged the state government to inves gate the claims by the people of Ilobu that Abebi, Idi-Iroko Model Town, Wale, Ologele, Oloso, Molufon, Bolorunduro

NJC Sacks Justice Falola, Affirms Ojo As Osun Chief Judge

Ismaeel Uthman HE Na onal Judicial Council (NJC) has recommended compulsory re rement of Jus ce Jide Falola of Osun State High Court.

This is just as the NJC declined the request of Governor Ademola Adeleke for the council’s permission to swear in the next Most Senior Judge in the State in ac ng capacity, following allega ons levelled against the Chief Judge of the state, Jus ce Adepele Ojo, and the resolu on of the State House of Assembly to suspend her.

The decision was taken at the NJC’s 104th Mee ng chaired by the Chief Jus ce of Nigeria, Jus ce Olukayode Ariwoola, held on 6 and 7 December, 2023.

According to a release by the Director of Informaon of the NJC, Mr. Soji Oye, Falola was found guilty of misconduct by an Inves gaon Commi ee in a pe on wri en against him by Mr. Dapo Kolapo Olowo and Po-

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laris Bank.

Falola was accused of judicial misconduct by the pe oners for gran ng a Garnishee Order Absolute against the bank for the sum of N283,174,000.00 in a ques onable and strange manner, and endorsement of the Order, a aching the account of the Garnishee with another garnishee and not the account of the Judgment

•Justice Falola

Debtor who had the legal obliga on to pay the supposed judgement sum.

The commi ee held that Falola misconducted himself by entertaining Suit No HIK/41/2018 when there was no evidence of a judgement of the Kwara State High Court before him, neither was there a Cer ficate of Registra on of same in Osun State to confer jurisdic on on him.

According to the release, the commi ee further found the conduct of Falola travelling to Lagos to visit the counsel of the bank in his chambers on the issue of garnishee proceedings unbecoming of the standard expected of a Judicial Officer.

The council therefore recommended Falola to Adeleke for compulsory re rement with immediate effect.

Consequently, the NJC suspended Falola from office pending the approval of the recommenda on of his compulsory re rement by Adeleke.

On the Chief Judge, the council “affirmed that Hon. Jus ce Ojo is s ll the recognised Chief Judge of Osun State, and would not work on the resolu on of a State House of Assembly, as it is the only body cons tu onally empowered to inves gate Judicial Officers and recommend same for any ac on to the Governor. Consequently, Osun State should revert to status quo.”

villages, among other places in the jurisdic on of Olufon Ward 10, Orolu Local Government, IfonOsun are covered by Surulere Local Government of Oyo State.

The statement reads in part: “Importantly, we would like to call the atten on of the Osun State Government that we have all evidence that the people of Ilobu are relentless to sabotage the ongoing peace efforts and tragically conceding Osun State territory to Surulere Local Government area of Oyo State in a fruitless mischievous trick to frustrate the people of Orolu Local Government area of Osun State.

“There is no iota of truth in the allega ons that indigenes of Ifon are in mida ng, harassing and loo ng Ilobu people’s farms. Also, nobody is chasing them out of their farmlands. They have empha cally confused themselves that their people are farming in Oyo State.

“How possible is it that Orolu will be chasing people farming in Oyo State territory? The raw fact is that Ilobu has colluded with some stakeholders in Oyo State to concede some villages under Orolu Local Government, Osun State, to Oyo State out of malice for Ifon.

“We are calling on the Government of Osun State to inves gate the calculated mischievous la er-day claims by the people of Ilobu that Abebi Village, Idi-Iroko Model Town, Wale Village, Ologele Village, Olosho Village, Molufon, Bolorunduro Village among other places in jurisdic on of Olufon Ward 10 in Orolu Local Government, IfonOsun are covered by Surulere Local Government of Oyo State.

“This wrong impression is not only unfortunate but unimaginable from well-iden fied Ilobu people that have grossly benefited from the magnanimity of Olufon as Olufon’s customary tenants over decades.

“The Orolu Stakeholders are openly declaring that the people in referred areas of Orolu Local Government area of Osun State have been under the administra ve jurisdic on of Osun State and equally par cipating in vo ng exercise as a major part of Osun State since 1999.

“Therefore, we are challenging anyone with a contrary opinion to challenge this claim with jus fiable voters card of Independent Na onal Electoral Commission or any other evidence as appropriate.”

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 08 - THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2023

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News

Six Arrested For Vandalising Steel Rolling Company In Osogbo Kazeem Badmus HE Osun State Police Command has arrested six suspects for allegedly vandalising Osogbo Steel Rolling Company with the aim of stealing some equipment.

The suspects are; Abass Adam (40), Ganiyu Sakiru (25), Wahaab Idowu (47), Ibrahim Amodu (26), Sikiru Ayomide (20) and Haruna Quadri (32).

Parading the suspects on Monday, the Commissioner of Police in the state, Isyaku Mohammed, said the suspects were apprehended while carrying out the criminal act.

According to Mohammed, the hunters’ group in Osogbo informed the police that some hoodlums invaded steel rolling company along Ikirun road, Osogbo and vandalized some armoured cables on November 28, 2023 at about 6:00 am.

He noted that exhibits recovered from the suspects include; some pieces of armoured cable wire, one Peugeot 607 car with registra on number EKP 844 EX, one mini-commercial bus with registra on number ADK 790 B and six pieces of iron saw blades.

According to the police boss, the suspects confessed to the crime, no ng that they would

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be charged to court upon comple on of the inves ga on.

Mohammed warned criminals in the state to desist or face the full force of law, adding that Osun would not be a safe haven for criminals.

He solicited support from other security agencies and stakeholders for a secure environment.

“My mission is to bring to reality the vision of the Inspector-General of Police of zero tolerance to corrup on, a secured environment for ci zens to thrive, policing with interna onal best prac ces, upholding the Rule of Law, and respect for fundamental human rights of all ci zens.

“All these I shall strive hard to achieve, especially with the support of team-spirited officers and men I met in the command, together with the coopera on of other security agencies in the state and stakeholders such as the tradi onal rulers, religious leaders, public-spirited associaons, students and youth leaders etc; as security is a collec ve responsibility.

“I have no doubt that, together, we shall fight all criminal elements in the state to a stands ll and Osun State will not be a safe haven for criminals to breed”, he stated.

•Ongoing dualisation of Old Garage to Lameco roundabout, Òsogbo

How I Stole My Girlfriend, Neighbour’s Generators, Gas Cylinder - Suspect Narrates Kazeem Badmus 24-year-old man, Damilola Oladele, has been arrested by the police for allegedly burgling about 10 shops in Agunbelewo area of Osogbo, Osun State capital, car ng away some items valued at N3m.

Speaking with OSUN

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DEFENDER, the suspect said he ventured into stealing a er he got an injury while playing football and couldn’t work again.

Oladele said he stole a generator and gas cylinder belonging to his girlfriend, adding that his neighbour’s genera ng set was also sto-

Inisa Central Mosque Gets New Chief Imam After Three Years

Kazeem Badmus NISA Central Mosque has finally go en a Chief Imam a er three years of crisis.

The mosque had been shut in 2021 by the state government, following violent clashes of interested par es on who would be the Chief Imam of the community with-

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•Inisa Central Mosque

in and outside the mosque.

However, the state government has announced the appointment of Alhaji Akeem Muhammad Jamiu as the Chief Imam of the mosque.

The government made the announcement following an agreement with the League of Imams and

Alfas in Osun State on the choice of Jamiu.

Also, Alhaji Moshood Oyedokun was nominated as the Muffassir of the community.

The announcement was contained in a press release jointly issued and signed by the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Alhaji Rasheed Aderibigbe

and the Chairman, League of Imams and Alfas in Osun State, Sheik Musa Animashahun, on Wednesday.

The release warned against disturbing the peace of the State in the name of religion, adding that the state government will deal with whoever is trying to use religion to perpetrate unrest accordingly.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that the choice of who would succeed the late Chief Imam of the mosque, Mustapha Baruwa, had divided some Muslims in two different fac ons, a move that later resulted into violence, forcing the government to shut down the Central Mosque in 2021.

However, Muslims in the town and other parts of the state observed their Jumat Prayer for the first me in almost three years at the Central Mosque last week Friday.

len by him.

Asked how he stole the items, Oladele said he was living in the same house with his girlfriend but decided to sell the items when she travelled.

He said: “I don’t have parents again and my family members are not helping out. A er my injury, I became idle and I started stealing. Once I stole anything, I would sell it immediately.

“The generators are for my girlfriend and neighbour. My neighbour travelled and le his generator outside, that was how I was able to steal it.

“My girlfriend went home for her mother’s burial and I didn’t have much on me. That was why I took the generator and sold it for N30,000. I also sold her gas cylinder.”

According to the State Commissioner of Police, Isyaku Mohammed, men of the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Service (NHFSS), intercepted the suspect while on surveillance patrol at Oke-Fia

roundabout, Osogbo on November 13, 2023.

Mohammed said the suspect was in possession of one big bag containing some food items, cooking utensils and other items suspected to be stolen.

He said: “When he was ques oned about the items, he could not give any sa sfactory proof of ownership. Hence the suspect was brought to the An -Kidnapping Squad for discreet inves ga on.

“Having received the report, the detec ves swung into ac on and in the course of inves ga ons, it was discovered that the suspect had on different dates burgled about 10 shops in the Agunbelewo area of Osogbo and carted away some items valued at N3m.

“Further inves ga on revealed that the suspect who is living in the area solely carried out the crime in the shops and kept the items in his house. The suspect confessed to the crime and he will be charged to court on the comple on of the inves ga on.”

News

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 08 - THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2023

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Dismembered Body Of OAU Student Nigeria’s Democratic Killed By Ritualists Recovered In Ogun Experience So Far Yusuf Oketola HE lifeless body of an 18-year-old student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Quadri Salami, has been found by the police in Ogun State.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the 100level student was allegedly killed by one Akeem Usman and Niyi Ifadowo for ritual purpose.

The two suspects have been arrested and paraded at the Ogun State Police Command, Abeokuta, on Wednesday.

According to a statement by the state Police Public Rela ons Officer (PPRO), Omolola Odutola, Salami’s father had on November 14, reported at Kemta Police sta on, Abeokuta that the boy had been missing since November 8.

Odutola said that the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, on Wednesday, personally led a team of Tac cal Squad to Mile 6 in Ajebo area of Abeokuta for a special opera on where Salam’s body was found.

She said: “The commissioner went with the team to a shallow grave to exhume the decomposing body parts of the deceased a er a tracking clue beamed at Usman who was arrested in possession with the vic m’s phone.

“He implicated Ifadowo that both of them commi ed the heinous crime by slaughtering the vic m and dismembered his vital parts for ritual purposes.

“Ifadowo went away with the deceased head and his two wrist, and paid the sum of N100,000 into Usman’s account as proceeds from the sale of the human body parts.

“The suspects therea er con nued to sell the vic m’s other body parts on demand to in-

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•The shalow grave where Salami was buried ternet fraudsters.

“They buried the heart, two legs, and flesh inside a plas c rubber for rituals and used the remaining parts for a crime against humanity.”

Odutola explained that among their confessional statement, the duo admi ed that they had used four other human heads for money rituals.

She added that the

suspects were at the State Criminal Inves gaon Department (SCID) for con nua on of discreet inves ga on, saying that they would be prosecuted.

•Continued from page 3 Moshood Abiola not inaugurated.

OUR EXPERIENCE SO FAR How have Nigerians fared under democracy, especially since 1999 star ng from elecons to the welfare of the ci zenry?

Our elec ons con nued to be marred by irregularies, in mida on, hijacking of ballot boxes, altera on of elec on results, among others. Unfortunately, maiming and killing has become part of our elec on process. Even with technology, we are s ll far from where we should be.

There is a marginal improvement, one may say, but we are s ll very far away.

My view is that for an enduring solu on to these challenges, we need to look at these problems holis cally. To me, the causa ve factors are impunity caused by desperate poli cians who want to win elec ons at all cost, but who cannot be sanc oned for infrac ons caused during elec ons. Some voters too are ready to be made sacrificial lambs to sa sfy their paymasters. Some lose their lives in the process. The elec on

Customers Groan As Scarcity Of Cash Hits Osogbo Kazeem Badmus ESPITE the Supreme Court ruling that the old Naira denominaons of N200, N500 and N1,000 notes con nue to co-exist with the new notes indefinitely, there is no ceable shortage of cash in Osogbo, Osun State capital.

OSUN DEFENDER observed that the scarcity which commenced about three weeks ago has led to an increase in the transacon charges of Point Of Sales operators.

Also, most commercial banks now load only one Automated Teller Machine at a me for their customers to withdraw. Some of the banks also set their withdrawal limit both on counter and at Automa c Teller

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Machine (ATM) to between N10,000 and N20,000.

OSUN DEFENDER visited some commercial banks around Ogo-Oluwa area of Osogbo on Wednesday and Thursday. It was observed that while some of the bank’s ATMs were not dispensing, others had just an ATM working with crowd of customers lining up to withdraw.

The banks have also capped their daily withdrawal to give more people access to the limited available resources.

A customer who spoke with the medium lamented that the scarcity of cash had affected him, saying being unable to withdraw par cularly in cases of emergency is not ideal.

He stated, “I had an

emergency on Saturday, so I rushed to the nearest bank to use ATM. To my surprise, none of the ATMs was dispensing.

“I am aware that the banks have capped daily withdrawal again, but my problem is, why are the ATMs not dispensing? I find it hard to understand why I have to carry about an ATM card and yet I can’t use it when I want to.”

A POS operator, Olabisi Ademola, disclosed that she had increased her charges by 100 percent and

now charges N200 on a N5,000 transac on, adding that ge ng cash has been difficult.

Ademola said she resorted to buying cash from traders and petrol sta on a endants to meet up with the needs of her customers.

“There is nothing I can do at this period than to increase the charges because ge ng cash is very difficult now. I had to buy cash from traders and petrol sta on a endants to meet up”, she stated.

It’s Barbaric To Rate Osogbo Dirtiest State Capital – Govt.

Ismaeel Uthman SUN State Government has described the report that Osogbo was becoming dir est state capital in Nigeria as a deliberate a empt to rubbish Governor Ademola Adeleke administra on.

According to the state government, Osun remains one of the cleanest state in Nigeria.

In a statement by

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the Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment and Sanitaon, Hon Babatunde Balogun, the government said it was barbaric for anybody to rate Osogbo as the dir est state in Nigeria.

The statement reads: “With all sense of responsibility, enre Osun remains one of the cleanest state in the country as both the state capi-

tal and major ci es in the state are always kept clean daily by the sweepers, parkers as well as PSP operators.

“So, how could a group gather false statement to tannish the good work of an ac on Governor? This is barbaric and we are condemning and rejec ng such write up and we are warning them to desist from such act”.

PUBLICATION BAMIDELE ABOSEDE OLAYEMI

That I was formerly known and addressed as OMOTOSO BOSEDE OLAYEMI, now wish to be known and addressed as BAMIDELE ABOSEDE OLAYEMI. All former documents remain valid.

General public should take note.

ADEROGB ANIFAT IYABO

That I was formerly known and addressed as A D E R O G B A ANIFA IYABO, now wish to be known and addressed as ADEROGBA ANIFAT IYABO. All former documents remain valid.

General public should take note.

management body has some elements who compromise the integrity of the independence of the Independent Naonal Electoral Commission.

It is sad that some academics dra ed to assist the body to ensure free and fair elec ons have compromised and have become culpable in the atroci es of INEC. Di o for some security officials who believe that elec on me is a bonanza, that they must partake to make maximum gains. Some voters also take gra fica on before vo ng. Elec on results are so conten ous that rather than the ballot boxes, the courts have become the determinant factor of our elecons.

Today, many Nigerians are groaning, a lot more are wallowing in poverty. These people and others see democracy as being too expensive. The cost of governance has not escape the prying eyes of people. The salary and emoluments of public officials in these trying mes is baffling to say the least. The vehicle and furniture allowances in an economy that is in a direstraits has not escape the atten on of cri cal minds.

Some discerning minds have cri cised the fuel consump on used by government officials in convoys but which are borne by the state.

At the Government Houses, all expenditures are taken by the public whereas in the United States of America where we copied the system from, according to a former First Lady, Mrs Michelle Obama, in a video that went viral on the social media, the first family picked their bills at the end of every month except rent and staff while they sojourned in the White House. In the presiden al system we copied from the US, the parliament plays a crucial role in checking the excesses of the execu ves, but it is not so in Nigeria. This, some Nigerians posit, is so because the legislatures are in the control of the execu ves. Some well-meaning Nigerians are of the view that eternal vigilance is of essence. This means we should not end our civic duty by vo ng alone but must be interested in what goes on in government. There is a clarion call on civil society groups, professional bodies and patrio c individuals to stand up to be counted.

The local government elec ons at the sub-na onal here is a charade. This is so because the party in power always win landslide. Elec on like a football contest must have elements of suspense ll the final result emerges.

There is a serious disconnect between the electorate and the elected leaders. The only me there is a semblance of connec vity is dur•Read full article on www.osundefender.com

ISSN : 0794 - 8050

News

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 08 - THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2023 VOL. 18 NO 47 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com

We’re Being Battered, Wives Of Osun Retired Judge Cries Out For Help

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IGERIA is said to be a Federal Republic and this is affirmed in name by its 1999 Cons tu on as amended. But “Federalism is sharing of power between a na onal government and the states that reside within its borders, instead of one or the other having all the authority.” In a federaon, there are two laws – local and na onal – and the ci zens are expected to obey these laws and this is how Nigeria was originally designed. Before Nigeria’s 1960 independence, all cons tu ons were schemed to protect the interest of the colonial masters, including the 1960 cons tu on. As a ma er of fact, it is only the 1963 cons tu on that was autochthonous as it was made and adopted by the Parliament of Nigerians elected by the Nigerians for that purpose. Since demise of the First Republic in 1966, subsequent military administra ons have tampered with the cons tu on to weaken the regions/states powers and strengthen the centre which is in tandem with their central administra ve chain of power and command. For instance, Sec on 140 (i) of 1963 Nigeria Republic Cons tu on states, “there shall be paid by the Federa on to each Region a sum equal to fi y percent of (a) the proceeds of any royalty received by the Federa on in respect of any minerals extracted in that Region and (b) any mining rents derived by the Federa on from within that Region.” This implies that each Region financial advantage is a funcon of what it brings to Federa on table and that this financial status determines Regions strength and influence within federa on.

Every cons tu on made a er 1963 ll this present 1999 is a modifica on of 1963 Cons tu on – weakening federa ng states for a very powerful centre vis-a-vis resource sharing formula and arroga ng more power and responsibili es in current and residual subjects to the centre.

In an exclusive interview with Vanguard Newspaper on March 22, 2013, Professor Ben Nwabueze, SAN, Chairman of a group of eminent personali es, The Patriots, said: “Quite frankly, there are many flaws and many errors in the content of the cons tuon. So many errors and I as a person was partly responsible because I was a member of the cons tu on dra ing commi ee set up by the military government in 1978. I was not only a member but the chairman of one of the sub-commi ees that produced Chapter 2, the fundamental objec ves and one of the cardinal flaws in the cons tu on is the concentra on of power in the centre. Late Chief Ro mi Williams, a close friend of mine and nearly everybody in the Cons tu on Dra ing Commi ee were so overwhelmed with this feeling, this patrio c feeling that we needed unity and the most effec ve way

“But I don’t want to give up that the peck of office will make Mr. President renege his advocacy for genuine Federal Republic of Nigeria by initiating processes that will eventually lead to amend constitution that will restore the spirit and letters of 1963 constitution with fiscal federalism”

Could President Tinubu Reinstate Fiscal Federalism? to achieve unity of the country is by having a very strong central government. Then, what did we do to achieve our misguided objecve? We took away 50% of the items on the concurrent list and gave it to the centre. We looked at residual ma ers, these are matters exclusive to the states, we took a large part of it, more than 30% and close to 50%, we took it away from states and gave it to the centre. And the result is the almighty Federal Government. But what we discovered was that instead of producing unity, we produced disunity because of the intensity of the struggle to control the centre. The intensity is not just in the poli cal power that was concentrated at the centre, much of the money also went to the centre and so by acon, we destroyed what is called fiscal federalism. So, when people struggle and agitate for true federalism, fiscal federalism, they know what they are talking about and they are right. That must be changed and un l it is changed, we might not achieve true federalism because the basis of which we did it has proved to be misguided.”

Nine years before the above interview was granted, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu,

STRIKER

Lagos State Governor, struck the first salvo, challenging centralisa on of most basic powers by Federal Republic of Nigeria. Having conducted referendum and secured the endorsement of the House of Assembly which signed it into law, Governor Tinubu created 37 addi onal Local Governments in 2004.

Un l then, Lagos State has 20 Local Government Areas listed in the cons tu on while its counterpart, Kano, has 44 Local Government Areas listed in same cons tu on. Interestingly, General Olusegun Obasanjo was the incumbent President at the me. Inves gaons revealed that Mr. President gave a direc ve to the Minister of Finance, Dr. Mrs. Okonjo Iweala, not to release local government funds for Lagos State. It wasn’t limited to Lagos; other states that ini ated similar processes like Ebonyi, Katsina, Nasarawa and Niger were affected. Eventually, other States chickened out and reverted but not Lagos. Lagos prosecuted the ma er up to the Supreme Court, asser ng that Lagos has the rights to create those local governments; that they however remain inchoate un l listed in the appropriate schedule of the cons tu on; and that the Federal Government

Pg. 4

had no rights to seize the alloca on due to the original 20. Lagos state then renamed the newly created LGs as Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), and maintained the original 20 LGs. S ll the funding for the 20 were never released un l Tinubu le and Fashola succeeded him.

As a champion and defender of true federalism, I had thought that Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu would, in his inaugura on speech on May 29, 2023 as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria say, ‘Fellow Nigerians, I have toiled for true federalism day and night and prac cally demonstrated it in Logos State. Under my watch as the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, we shall ini ate processes that will eventually translate to genuine federalism as opposed to adulterated system we have inherited. True and genuine federalism has come to stay!’ I was not only disappointed that nothing related to federalism was said, I was delved a psychological salvo and yet to recover when Mr. President instead said, “Fuel subsidy is gone” which has made life more miserable for the people and kicked more people into poverty and starva on.

While Mr. President and his spokespersons preach ‘renewed hope’ and appeal to the people to persevere harsh socio-economic situa on created for a be er tomorrow, people in government at all levels have been living flamboyant life and care less on tribula on that they have subjected the people.

Adulterated federalism encourages corrup on and creates major setback for development as too much resources and power are allo ed to the hands of a single person – President. As Lord Ac on, Bri sh poli cian said, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” But I don’t want to give up that the peck of office will make Mr. President renege his advocacy for genuine Federal Republic of Nigeria by ini a ng processes that will eventually lead to amend cons tu on that will restore the spirit and le ers of 1963 cons tu on with fiscal federalism.

Striker is not the opinion of the Columnist featured above

Before The Truth Sets You Free

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N John 8:32, the Bible (New Interna onal Version) says, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” I prefer the version because of the context, on the basis of the opening word, “Then.” It presumes that there are deeds to be done even before the truth is known, much ahead of it se ng anyone free. Full of grumblings about unrighteousness and not being in good standing before equity are the works that majority of Nigerians ignore with veiled contempt. They are far from the day they will embrace the truth and thereby find self and social redemp on.

As far as peace and security, jus ce, freedom and prosperity are concerned, desiring them requires interroga ons of the Nigerian reality dispassionately to find out the truth about how and why we con nue to perambulate about in our present wilderness of a thousand tribula ons. Meanwhile, those who want to work on it and achieve it do not need to come in their thousands. All they need is, while not being saints themselves as there are none, come with as clean a hand as possible. That way, they will have the support, solidarity and followership of the majority; with that, the victory of good over evil in the land is inevitable.

Those who are the champions of exploita on and oppression in Nigeria today and have plunged the majority into unprec-

edented hardship with fake promises of better days ahead resul ng from their wayward policies, have indeed summed up the a tude and disposi on of the majority – their nonpar san affilia on to truth, and their unwillingness to make sacrifices for the common good. Seeing clearly that majority of Nigerians are in huge deficit and beholden to self-destruc ve par san “truths” and self-centred pursuits, the elites are assured that there is absolutely no meaningful resistance to injus ce that can be mustered by the people. Accordingly, the elites connue to openly and brazenly showcase their unrepentant commitment to themselves at the expense of the common good.

The truth about how and why we are where we are is not hidden at all. They are told by those s ll commi ed to telling them every day before the independence of Nigeria in Newspapers, in songs, in poems, in theatres and dramas, and more recently on all social media pla orms. Why then is knowing the truth and ge ng set free by it difficult? It takes the readiness to accept the readiness of the responsibility that the truth imposes to really know the truth even if a man or woman’s brain is cracked opened and the truth is poured into it; without that readiness to follow the truth to the dark places it leads ahead of emergence into light, a person in front of whom the truth

is standing naked will con nue to have reasons to live the lie in ruinous denial.

Truth imposes responsibility; willingness precedes readiness in the task of accep ng those responsibili es. Without readiness, let the majority of Nigerians arrive at just being willing to accept that responsibility first.

We will accordingly arrive at the first stage in which no government that is supposed to be of the people, by the people and for the people can take them for granted. Nigerians had lived under brutal military dictatorship for years and eventually summoned the willingness to throw off their tyrannical yoke. So, what changed? The value system, and its decadence, gradually, un l the man or woman saying the truth or doing right by it today is the endangered species in Nigeria, and seen by majority as the fool by the majority who are themselves dehumanised idiots; thereby easily producing the kind of government they deserve.

There are several stories of human and societal redemp on, and Nigeria is capable of wri ng the most upli ing and spectacular of such, and why not, if Rwanda can come from horrifying genocide story to the blessed, prosperous country they are today through a leadership and followership that eventually came to reckoning with doing what is needed to make them know the truth and be set free by it?

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

All correspondence to the Deputy Editor, ISMAEEL UTHMAN, Telephone: 0809-301-9152. ISSN: 0794-8050.

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