Osun Defender Online Version of February 10, 2023

Osun Election Tribunal Panel Erred In Law, Verdict Against Constitution - INEC

THE Independent Naonal Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that the governorship elec on pe on tribunal on the July 16, 2022 gubernatorial elec on in the State of Osun erred in law on its majority judgment.

According to INEC, the tribunal judgement which sacked Governor Ademola Adeleke and returned former governor Adegboyega Oyetola as the winner of the elec on, is a miscarriage of jus ce.

INEC, in a No ce of Appeal dated January 30, 2023 and filed before the Appeal Court in Akure, urged the appellate court to set aside the verdict of the tribunal and uphold the elec on result declared by it.

The electoral commission listed 44 grounds of appeal, among which is that the tribunal erred in law by claiming that Adeleke did not score majority of the lawful votes.

INEC noted in the appeal that the pe oners (the All Progressives Congress and Oyetola) only called two witnesses who did not prove that Adeleke did not win the elec on.

Also, INEC asked the Court of Appeal to set aside the judgement of the tribunal, no ng that Sec on 294(2) of the 1999 Constu on (as amended) makes it mandatory for all judges that sat in the hearing of a ma er or elec on pe on to not only express their individual opinion in writing but also at the me of judgement make pronouncement on same by herself or another panel member.

INEC noted that Chief Magistrate Rabi Bashir who was the second member of the tribunal failed to either express her individual opinion in wri ng at the me of the judgement nor make any pronouncement in support of Chairman of the panel, Jus ce Tertsea Kume, who read the majority judgment on Friday, 27, 2023. The commission also asked the appellate court to dismiss the pe on filed by APC and Oyetola for lacking in merit.

In the No ce of Appeal signed by counsel to INEC, Prof. Paul Anababa (SAN) and 17 others, the commission challenged the decision of the Tribunal on the grounds that the tribunal erred in law by using a table contained in the final written address of the pe oners to determine overvo ng and deducted votes scored by the respondent.

•APC, Oyetola To Challenge Adeleke’s Eligibility At Appellate Court

rors in it or not.

The commission also noted in the appeal that “The tribunal erred in law when it held that Form EC8 series, Exhibits BVR, RWC, and R.BVR will be evaluated notwithstanding the fact that the polling units’ agents and presiding officers who were at the said polling units did not tes fy at the tribunal”.

INEC maintained that the polling units’ agents and presiding officers who were at the said polling units are the witnesses who can give direct evidence on the said Form EC8 series and exhibit BVR.

APC also accused Adeleke of forging the secondary school cer ficate he submitted to INEC to prove his eligibility.

But the tribunal admitted that though there was discrepancy in Adeleke’s cer ficate, he was qualified to contest the elec on.

However, the verdict of the tribunal did not go down well with the APC, insis ng that Adeleke is not eligible to par cipate in the elecon.

The APC, it was gathered, will file a No ce of Appeal before the appellate court any moment from now.

•Legal Consultant to Foundation for African Cultural Heritage, Mary Ekemezie, (with mic) and other invited dignitaries during the awareness on the danger of Comprehensive Sexuality Education organised by Pen Publishers held at Ataoja School of Science, Osogbo, yesterday. Photo Shola Aderinto must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, no ng that there was no proof that it tampered with any records before the panel.

The electoral body also dismissed the tribunal’s claim that because it issued different accredita on reports, its conduct was tantamount to tampering with official documents.

According to INEC, the allega on that it tampered with the official records was a criminal allega on that

On the allega on of cerficate forgery by Adeleke, INEC stated that the APC failed to prove how it got to know that the document was forged, who told the

party and the par cular of the person, what are the details as to me, place and circumstances of the informa on.

INEC however noted that the principal is the custodian of the school and the one in the best posi on to say that the Adeleke’s Cerficate issued to him has er-

However, there are indica ons that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Oyetola have concluded plan to challenge the tribunal’s judgment on Adeleke’s eligibility to contest the elec on at the Court of Appeal.

The APC in its pe on before the tribunal had alleged that Adeleke was not eligible to contest the July 16, 2022 governorship elecon because he did not meet the requirement.

One of the counsels to the APC, Mr Kunle Adegoke, SAN, told OSUN DEFENDER in a telephone interview yesterday that the party would also file an appeal on the decision of the tribunal.

Adegoke, however, did not disclose the aspect of the tribunal that APC or Oyetola would challenge.

He said: “We are also going to challenge the tribunal judgement, but I cannot tell you what we are challenging un l the appeal has been filed.”

Cash Crunch: Fear Grips Bank Staff Over Possible Aggression

Kazeem Badmus

THERE is palpable fear among workers of commercial banks in Osogbo, capital of the State of Osun, over possible aggression from their various customers who were experiencing difficulty in assessing cash.

Findings among various staff of the banks revealed that they have all been told to remain calm in the face of provoca ons from any customer to avoid being attacked.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that majority of the bank staffs were no longer parking their vehicles at the bank premises.

Some of the staff who spoke with the medium under condi on of anonymity yesterday, said the huge crowd at their various Automated Teller Machine galleries and in the banking halls posed threats to their safety.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that the fear was heightened by the violent protests and a acks on some banks in Ibadan of Oyo State and Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Tuesday.

According to some of the staff, the paucity of new naira notes and cash generally has exposed them to threats, harassment and hu-

milia on.

They absolved the banks from allega on that they were hoarding cash and thereby deliberately punishing their customers and starving them of cash.

A staffer at one of the new genera on banks at Ogo-Oluwa area, Osogbo, said the protests in Oyo and Ogun states have created fear in the minds of the bank staffs.

The staffer who prefer anonymity told the medium that bank managements had requested for more security personnel to forestall any problem.

She said, “I can confirm to you that we are all afraid of possible aggression from the customers. The situaon is ge ng out of hand and it may lead to crisis if not properly managed.

“We are not responsible for the cash crunch; the problem is not from us but how many people are we going to explain that to? Will they even care to listen to our explana on?

However, the medium gathered that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Patrick Longe, on Monday held a mee ng with all the bank managers in the state where he advised them to push all the cash in their custody out for their customers.

The commissioner has also reportedly put his men

on alert to forestall any breakdown of law and other in the face of the lingering fuel and cash crises.

Going around some commercial banks in the state, OSUN DEFENDER noted that customers have con nued to besieged ATM galleries to withdraw cash.

Long queues, figh ng and disappointment s ll persist at the various ATM centres, in spite of the fact that some banks have been paying the new naira notes on the counters.

It was noted that Jaiz Bank is the most consistent in the disbursement of the redesigned new naira notes on the counter and ATM.

Don’t A ack Banks, Staffs, ACAMB Pleads With Nigerians

Meanwhile, the Associa on of Corporate Affairs Managers of Banks (ACAMB) has appealed with Nigerians not to a ack banks and their staffs, saying that they were not responsible for the lingering scarcity of cash.

The President of the associa on, Mr. Rasheed Bolarinwa while speaking on Rave FM’s ‘Frank Talk’ programme on Wednesday, urged the people to be paent, sta ng that the banks managements were ready to resolve the challenges they are facing.

He appealed to bank customers not abhour the misconcep on that the banks

or their staffs are hoarding money, saying the banks are not in control of the supply of cash.

Bolarinwa said: “The banks are not hoarding or hiding money from the people. We understand the hiccups and pains Nigerians have been made to go through with the implementa on of this currency redesign.

“The policy is meant to promote a cashless policy but the implementa on has gone awry, however, the banks are adjus ng to the dictate of the situaon.

“Right now, the regulatory body is well aware of the situa on in the country. They have set up a task force comprising different agencies of government that are moving round and the vault of banks is being opened.

“We shouldn’t go away with this misconcep on that

the banks or the bankers are hoarding money. If you get into a vault and you see money, the vault is meant to hold money. There are protocols for moving money from the vault to the counter.

“It is not the banks that control the supply of naira. It is handled by a third party. So, the banks are not at fault in anyway.

“People should be paent. We know the pains that this hiccup has caused but we will con nue to plead with Nigerians, please don’t a ack the banks.

“We are not enemies of the people. Whenever there are challenges, let us point them out and we will try as soon as possible to resolve it. The bankers are our brothers and sisters. An average banker has about eight dependants, so, we should not go about a acking the banks. The banks are not at fault in this”.

Ismaeel Uthman Yusuf Oketola

Aflurry of ac vi es is predictable with heightened ac vi es as we count down to the final weeks of what could be the most decisive indeed game changing general elec on since independence. There is that much at stake.

Not all the indica ons are posi ve. For example, the collec on of the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) has ended controversially with a lot of people feeling disenfranchised. Sadly, there are even hints of voter suppression. This is unacceptable for a country that has been at the forefront of championing democra c rights and was at the forefront of the an -apartheid struggle. There is a clear case now for another extension of PVCs collec on, in the long term, we must now consider same day registra on which worked in Kenya alongside further reforms in voter registra on. A review is essen al because our current system is outdated to state the least. It is disgraceful that tens of thousands of voter cards are being confiscated from

foreigners.

In addi on, the Peace Commi ee has a lot of work to do, so do the security agencies. Some people have to be cau oned

In To The Home Stretch THE DISCOURSES

about inflammatory speeches and it is desirable to make examples of some people if that is the language they understand. Scenario planning as well as preemp ve

strategies have to be put in place before Elec on Day and potenal flash points paid a en on to. There are an -democra c forces who do not want the elec ons to take place and they must be checkmated. Nigeria owes the rest of Africa a duty of care to celebrate and showcase the efficacy of democracy on the twenty fi h of February.

Briefly.......

The confusion must end and the new naira notes must be made available to Nigerians, all logis cs impediments must be cleared. The authori es must not allow a new arbitrage framework to be entrenched. Those who have tragically allowed a parallel market to become the norm as we have now unacceptably go en used to in the foreign exchange market must be reinged in. To allow this to happen will be tragic and distort monetary and macroeconomic policies forever. Those who have made money from currency dealings in the last one month should be happy with their windfall, the authori es on their part must say enough is enough!

What Happened After India Eliminated Cash

IN 2016, the Indian government abruptly wiped out most of the na on’s currency in hopes of ending black money and curbing corrupon. Has the experiment worked?

On the night of Nov. 8, 2016, there was a surprise announcement on Indian television. In a live telecast to the na on, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that the country’s two highest-denomina on currency notes (Rs 1,000 and Rs 500) would be withdrawn immediately from the market. The plan, termed demone sa on by the press, was planned in secrecy and announced dramacally, as Modi’s masterstroke against black money.

As economic experiments go, it was a big, bold move. There was no precedent, anywhere in the world, for a sudden economic shock of this scale. The withdrawn notes, amoun ng to US$320 billion at the me, represented 86 percent of the total currency value in circula on in India. By making the notes worthless almost overnight, the government hoped to destroy large piles of black money hidden away by tax evaders. In addi on, the government claimed the plan would strike a major blow against corrup on and counterfeiting and would kick-start India’s transi on into a digital, cashless world. In a country with a huge informal

economy, dependent on cash transac ons, demone sa on was a big poli cal gamble, too.

The immediate fallout was chaos, as the country scrambled to cope. There was a rush at banks and ATMs to exchange old notes and withdraw new currency. Queues at banks grew; many people suffered, especially the poor, who had no access to credit cards or mobile wallets; and dozens of deaths resul ng from the crisis were reported.

Two years later, the dust has settled, and it has become obvious that demone sa on was not the resounding success the government expected it to be. India’s black money problem has not gone away. The economy has taken a bea ng, huge financial losses have been incurred,

and the marginalised poor, least able to withstand adversity, have been nega vely affected. There have been some gains in tax collec ons, and the country has progressed toward digital payments, but these advances could have been achieved through other, less dras c means.

For countries tackling black money or promo ng a cashless economy, India’s experience with demone saon provides rich lessons. Although the long-term social, economic, and poli cal consequences of demone sa on are s ll playing out in India, answers to many complex ques ons are now apparent.

What Happened to the Black Money?

Economists who supported demone sa on predicted that black money hoarders would destroy their stashes rather than declare them, thus delivering a bo om-line bonanza to the country. But in August 2018, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the country’s central bank, confirmed that 99.3 percent of the demone sed notes had been returned to the banks. Almost nothing was ex nguished.

OSUN DEFENDER

Publisher – Moremi Publishing House Ltd.

Deputy Editor – Ismaeel Uthman

Produc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa

Reporter – Yusuf Oketola

Reporter – Kazeem Badmus

Photo Journalist – Olushola Aderinto

Computer Graphics – Zainab Olalere

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

Telephone : 0809-301-9152

Website : www.osundefender.com/index.php

The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), a private forecaster, es mated that 1.5 million jobs were lost between January and April 2017. The labour force further shrank from 439.7 million in the fiscal year 2016–17 to 426.1 million in 2017–18. And the labour force par cipa on rate (which expresses the labor force as a percentage of the working-age populaon) fell from 46.1 percent to 43.5 percent. According to CMIE, those ages 15 to 24 were the most affected, probably because they were relavely new to the workforce and typically held low-skilled, informal jobs paid by cash.

e-mail : osundefender@yahoo.com osundefenderbank@gmail.com

All correspondence to the above email addresses.

Culled from Strategy+Business, a pwc publica on.

“Scenario planning as well as preemptive strategies have to be put in place before Election Day and potential flash points paid attention to. There are anti-democratic forces who do not want the elections to take place and they must be checkmated. Nigeria owes the rest of Africa a duty of care to celebrate and showcase the efficacy of democracy on the 25th of February”

Deepa Krishnan

“For countries tackling black money or promoting a cashless economy, India’s experience with demonetisation provides rich lessons. Although the long-term social, economic, and political consequences of demonetisation are still playing out in India, answers to many complex questions are now apparent.”

4

News

Bad Roads, Late Night Meter Monitoring Tops Osun Residents’ Complain In January

Kazeem Badmus

THE deteriora ng state of roads in the State of Osun and alleged late-night meter monitoring by purported staff of Ibadan Electricity Distribu on Company (IBEDC) were the major complaints by residents of the state in January.

According to a report by a nongovernmental organizaon, Urban Alert, 72% of Osun residents complained about bad roads in the state while 11.8% talked about the alleged visita on of the IBEDC staff to their various houses late in the night.

Urban Alert stated this in its monthly report which was obtained by OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday.

Some of the roads complained about include the ones at Irepodun street, Oke Onitea, Shasha-Uniosun culvert, Odeyinka-Ikire, Ejigbo-Isoko, and Ila-Oke-Ila.

Besides, some residents of the state have directly complained about the condi on of roads in their various area.

A par cipant of an audience par cipatory programme on Rave FM, ‘Oju Eleri’, Hakeem Alausa, lamented the poor state of Idande-to-Alatori road.

Alausa while commen ng on the programme which had

in audience the Team Leader of Urban Alert, Mr Anthony Adejuwon, said the road has been a death trap for long.

Another par cipant of the programme, Oluwafemi Amu-

san, lamented that OkinniIgboki road was terribly bad, urging the government to fix the road to ease the stress of the people in the area.

Complaining about the

dilapidated state of the road linking Fountain University, Osogbo, to Ajenisuwa community in Osogbo, a resident of the area, Ibrahim Adebayo, appealed to the state govern-

Osun Govt. Reverses OSCOTECH Tuition Fee After Protest From Students

Yusuf Oketola

THE State Government of Osun has reversed the increment in tui on fees of students of Osun State College of Technology (OSCOTECH), Esa-Oke after the students staged a peaceful protest to the State Secretariat, Abeere, on Monday.

The students who came out in their large numbers besieged the Hall of the Local Government Service Commission where the swearingin of new four appointed High Court judges was going on to prevent the governor from entering.

Armed with placards with different inscripons such as “Say No To Tax Clearance, OSCOTECH”, “No To School Fees Increment” among others, the students demanded immediate reversal of the tui on increment, describing it as callous.

However, the protesters were a ended to and calmed by the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye, who promised that their request would be look into by the Governor.

Speaking with OSUN

DEFENDER on Wednesday, the Students Union Government President of the ins tu on, Comrade Isaac Akamo said they were able to meet Governor Adeleke shortly a er the protest, noting that some of their demands have been addressed.

He said: “We demanded four things from the state government

which are; reversal of the school fee increment, tax clearance, construc on of the campus roads, illumina on of the campus.

“The school fees has now been reversed, the tax clearance has been suspended ll further noce. The Governor also promised to construct the campus roads which will be done a er the Deputy Governor come

to inspect the condi on of the campus.

“On the illumina on of the campus, that will also come a er mee ng with the school management”.

It would be recalled that both OSCOTECH and Osun State Polytechnic, Iree tui on fees were increased at the twilight of former governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s administra on, a development that led to protests by the students.

ment to see to the rehabilitaon of the road.

Ajenisuwa said the road, when fixed, will improve the wellbeing of the people and economic prosperity of the community.

Meanwhile, Urban Alert has also said there were several complains about some people who have been reportedly going to houses at odd hours on the disguise of being staffers of IBEDC to inspect their prepaid metres.

A commentator on Urban Alert’s official facebook page during the “Oju Eleri” programme, said: “some people masquerading as IBEDC staff are going around peoples houses in Osogbo at 11 pm and 5am checking prepaid meters.

“Complainant is calling on IBEDC to clarify if those going around at 11pm and 5am are their staff ”.

Another user wrote, “Officials of IBEDC are alleged to be visi ng houses around 5am and 11 pm in the name of prepaid meter inspec on. How will people differen ate between IBEDC staff and the

people of the underworld at night?

“Complainants are calling on IBEDC to address this”.

However, the Public Rela ons Officer of the IBEDC, Osun Region, Mrs. Kikelomo Owoeye, denied the reports, saying that no staff member of the company would go to customer’s house at odd hours.

Kikelomo, in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, said: “Our staff do not work at odd hour. Even if we are suspec ng that any of our customers is engaging in illegal connec on or bypassing of metre, we will rather go with law enforcement agent (s) to such places.

“But for our staff to go alone to people’s houses at those odd hours is not part of our schedule.

“I will like to advise the customers that if anybody claims to be an IBEDC staff coming to their premises, they should request for their means of iden fica on. If they can’t provide it, such a person should be handed over to the police.”

Why We’re Embarking On Google Mapping Of Osun – Official

TSuliyat Mustapha Internally Generated Revenue. According to Ishola, the google mapping programme will assist people who are into e-Commerce and aid security opera ves in arres ng criminals anywhere in the state.

HE ongoing google mapping programme embarked upon by Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administraon in the State of Osun has been described as a project that will benefit people living in the rural areas and aid the security of the state.

Media Adviser to the Governor on Informa on, Communica on and Technology, Mr. Sola Ishola, said most of the places in the urban areas were already mapped, calling on residents of the state to key in into the programme to make it work.

Ishola, in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, said the programme will give the state a good presence in the global space and boost the

He said: “This is about online presence and that is what we are trying to improve for Osun, such that no part of the state is le out of the world that has been described as a global village.

“So, this mapping thing represents the online presence of the state in the global space and we are trying to ensure that Osun is present and is seen in the global space. Beyond the map, it is about reposi oning Osun State globally.

“The benefits of the mapping are numerous. Part of the benefits is that you can have people coming to the state as tourists and navigate around the state without any issues. It will also help people who are into e-Commerce and logis cs business because people can buy online from anywhere in Osun and send their loca on and the goods will be delivered without stress.

“It will eventually, help to grow the business parts of Osun State, thereby, helping to improve the Internally Generated Revenue.

“It will also help in terms of security because anybody in distress can send his or her loca on and they will be easily traced.

“Majorly, this will be beneficial to the people in the rural areas more. Most of the places in the urban areas are already mapped but many of the rural areas are yet to be mapped and this means that there is no access to them and this makes them lose some opportuni es”.

•OSCOTECH students during the protest.

Patients, Relatives Groan As Cash Crunch Slows Down Treatment In UNIOSUNTH

LIFE has not been easy for pa ents and their rela ves at Osun State University Teaching Hospital, formerly known as LAUTECH.

Apart from the mental stress in ge ng their loved ones treated, relaves of pa ents at the hospital have also been going through difficul es in making payment for treatments and other medical needs, inves ga ons have revealed.

Though UNIOSUN had for over six years been opera ng cashless policy as payments were encouraged to be made through automated payment method, OSUN DEFENDER noted that the ongoing cash crunch has brought untold hardship to the rela ves of pa ents.

Also, poor internet service and networks of commercial banks have been frustra ng digital payment as well, a situaon that further put relaves of the pa ents under pressure.

Inves ga ons revealed that cashiers at the hospital have been occasionally demanding for cash payments from people who wanted to pay for either drug, test or other medical service.

Of all the payment centres in the hospital, only that of the pharmacy secon was consistent in automated payment through Point of Sales machine with Automated Teller Machine card.

But the centre, according to some of the people who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER, declined the POS/

ATM payment for hours on Monday because of poor internet service and the network of the banks.

Besides, a payment spot behind the Accident and Emergency Unit has always been demanding for cash payment, according to findings.

It was noted on Wednesday that the payment centre at Phlebotomy unit was accep ng both transfer and cash payment from people.

OSUN DEFENDER was at the centre on Wednesday morning and observed that the cashiers were more disposed to cash than transfer.

However, where transfer payment was made, it took about 15 minutes, depending on the bank’s service, to confirm the payment, a development that slows down treatment of the pa ents involved.

Speaking with the medium, Mr. Yemi Abolusodun, who had a rela ve admitted at the hospital, stated that he was asked to make payment with cash for the treatment of the person on sick bed on Monday.

Abolusodun claimed that the treatment was delayed ll he was able to get cash for the payment which took him about 18 hours.

He said: “There was a drug prescribed for us on Monday to get for the paent but we couldn’t buy it un l Tuesday a ernoon because they demanded for cash at the pharmacy. They told me the POS was not working, so they needed to collect cash. They did not accept transfer either.

“The doctors keep telling us that we were en-

dangering the life of the pa ent because he ought to have started using the drug.

“I had to go to the town to look for where I could get cash. I was not able to get cash un l Tuesday and that was when the doctors started trea ng the person we brought in through emergency.

“Imagine a pa ent not able to use drug for 18 hours a er it has been recommended. That is what we have been facing here.”

Confirming the automated payment system, a pa ent Mr. Ilias M.A, told OSUN DEFENDER that he has always been making payment with his ATM card.

He however, noted that there were complaints from other pa ents about the failure of the automated payment which forced the officials to demand for cash.

For Mrs. Ilufoye who brought her dad for surgery at the hospital, the delay in the confirma on of transfer payment is not suitable for a person who requires urgent medical atten on on sickbed.

Ilufoye said she made payment for the surgery of her father through transfer, sta ng that she was asked to wait for about 30 minutes for the confirma on of the transac on.

According to her, she was told that the payment confirma on would come from Lagos.

Hajia Suliyat Olawale could not hide her feelings when speaking with OSUN DEFENDER on the cash crunch and the challenge of payment for treatment at the UNIOSUN teaching hospital.

Olawale who was full of emo on lamented that pa ents and their rela ves were going through hardship in ge ng payment done for treatment.

According to her, almost every point of payment in the hospital were demanding for cash pay-

the banks, a development that have brought about discrepancies in the online and digital payment.

She said: “UNIOSUN teaching hospital has been running cashless policy before this me; we have not been encouraging cash payment. But the current situa on is that the internet service of some of these banks is poor, making it difficult to ini ate transac on or confirm payment. That is why we asked the pa ents or their rela ves to make cash payment. It is for the good of both sides.”

ment because of the poor internet service.

She said the paucity of cash has resulted to delay in the treatment of their rela ves on sickbed, calling on government to make cash available to the general public.

Olawale said: “Making payment for treatment here is not easy at all. We are really suffering here. We couldn’t get our pa ents treated without cash.

“The network to transfer is not good and these people (cashiers) are no more accep ng transfer. What about people who do not even know internet banking system? This is wickedness and I just hope that the government will find something to do about it before it is too late. What if the person died in the course of finding cash to pay?”

However, one of the cahiers in the hospital admi ed that they were demanding for cash payment from either the pa ents or their rela ves.

According to her, the cash crunch has put more pressure on the networks of

OSUN DEFENDER noted that a popularly pharmacy at the hospital area have also stopped payment through the POS machine and ATM.

A endants at the pharmacy have been demanding for cash or transfer payment for drug or medical materials.

Asked why the pharmacy stopped the usage of POS machine for payment, one of the a endants who prayed not to be named said the service of majority of the banks have been declining payment.

She added that customers’ account would be debited for payment while the account of the pharmacy would not be credited.

“To avoid issues like this, we concluded in stopping the POS usage for payment and we encouraged our customers to pay with cash or transfer”, she submi ed.

Narra ng her ordeal, a middle-aged woman who iden fied herself as Omolabake, said she waited for 25 minutes before her payment could be confirmed.

She said: “I made payment of N8000 for drugs through my bank’s app, I was debited immediately but I was told the account of the pharmacy had not been credited, so I had to

wait. I waited for 25 minutes before the payment was received.

“My husband was on the sick bed and the doctors needed to administer the drugs on him. I came to this pharmacy because the one inside (LAUTECH) UNIOSUN teaching hospital did not have the drugs. Besides, those people were also demanding for cash payment too. This scarcity of cash is adding pains to those of us in the hospital. Our pa ents are not being treated on me because of the delay in payment for drugs.”

Aside payment for treatments, OSUN DEFENDER noted that ge ng cash to pay for food and other li le things for the pa ents and the rela ves have become difficult for the people.

None of the ATM machine inside the hospital was dispensing cash as of the me the medium visited the galleries yesterday.

Also, the POS operators in the hospital do not have enough cash to give to people.

Like other Nigerians, the pa ents and their rela ves appealed to government to make cash available in the interest of their wellbeing.

Commen ng on the ma er, the Chairman Medical Advisory Council of the hospital, Dr. Babatunde Afolabi, said UNIOSUNTH is on Electronic Medical Records which means that everything about the hospital has been digitalised.

Babatunde a ributed the challenges being faced by the pa ents and their rela ves in payment for treatment and other medical services to poor internet service and banks’ server.

He said: “We are on Electronic Medical Records and that is the pla orm upon which all those things are generated and payment is made but as you know, technology will come with bo leneck.

“Those bo lenecks are things that we are trying to manage. We are meeting at different commi ee levels and the issue will be addressed as soon as possible.

“We are having a serious challenge. Somemes, the network will be down. We have the same problem in all the banks but here, we are trying to overcome the challenge.

“In fact, we are going out of possibly to managing both the electronic and manual so that if you cannot do electronic, you can con nue manual. Inially, we don’t want to do that but with the situa on of things, we need to do that”.

•Some people waiting to make payments at pharmacy section of the hospital.

•Yemi Abolusodun

Ismaeel Uthman

ALL praise is due to Allah, and may His peace and blessings be upon the final Messenger, His pure family, noble companions, and all those who follow them with righteousness un l the day of Judgment.

It is said in the olden days that ‘chose a friend before the road’, this refers to the importance of choosing the right friend, a loyal person, who does not betray, and does not harm his partner, and in Islam there are founda ons for choosing a friend, in accordance with Allah’s law.

JUMAT

SERMON

JUMAT SERMON

He said: “Allah Almighty said: Those who love each other for my glory will have pulpits of light that the prophets and martyrs will envy. Narrated by AlTirmidhi, and he said Hassan Sahih.

By Imam Muhammad Abdulalimi

By Imam Muhammad Abdulalimi

The first basis is to be a righteous person: One of the criteria for choosing a friend, which may differ from one person to another, is that he should be a righteous person. The founda ons of choosing a friend in Islam require righteousness in the Islamic concept.

Therefore, choosing a good friend in Islam is a very important ma er. The one described in Islam as a righteous person, is the person who establishes the obliga ons of his Lord, preserves them, refrains from corrup on, misguidance, and devia on, and forbids indecency and evil, and avoids sins as much as possible. A corrupted person affects others without them realizing it.

The second basis is to be honest: The second founda on of the founda ons of the friend’s choice in Islam is menoned by Allah in the following two verses below: “Surah AlAnfal, Verse 27-28: “O you who believe! Betray not Allah and His Messenger, nor betray knowingly your Amanat (things entrusted to you, and all the du es which Allah has ordained for you), And know that your possessions and your children are but a trial and that surely with Allah is a mighty reward.”

Trust has many forms, entrus ng someone with money, secret, honour, word, and others. Somebody who is entrusted with a work must be inves gated and punished for not performing his du es; likewise somebody who took he is not en tled to.

Keeping people’s secrets is also an act of honesty. If someone else keeps secrets with you, he will keep yours, just as the way you have kept his secret. Honesty is also in returning what people entrusted to you, whether money or a moral ma er, such as the one of husband and wife. Whoever does not take care of being honest towards his son, or his partner in the family will not take care of the honesty of a friend.

The Third Basis Is To Be An Advisor: It is not enough for

Police Warn POS Operators, Fuel Stations Over Sales Of New Naira Notes In Osun

Yusuf Oketola

POLICE in the State of Osun have warned those selling the new naira notes in the state, especially Point of Sales (POS) operators and filling sta ons to desist from such act, threa ng to prosecute anyone found culpable of the offence.

The Police Public Relaons Officer, Osun Command, Mrs. Yemisi Opalola on Wednesday, stated that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Patrick Longe, has directed all Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers to carry out full enforcement of the provisions of Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.

The statement reads: “In compliance with the Federal Government’s policy and the InspectorGeneral of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba’s direc ves to uphold the provisions of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 and dignify Nigeria’s currency, the Osun Police Command is using this medium to warn members of the public who

The Foundations Of Choosing A Friend In Islam

a friend who is morally upright individually not to care about his friend’s uprightness. Here is a missing important condion which is advice. A friend is to call his friend to order when he commits a sin or a mistake, or any ma er in which he deserves advice and guidance.

The Messenger of Allah (SAW), narrated on the authority of Tameem al-Darii, said: “Religion is sincerity.” We said to whom? He said: (To Allah, His Book, His Messenger, the leaders of the Muslims and their common folk).

The Fourth Founda on Is Loyalty: Loyalty between friends is important, no ma er how far the distances are, and the days between them, they must maintain covenant and loyalty. Even if one of them dies, the other remains loyal, remembering the covenant of his/her partner, and in him he lives and dies, for his memory, children and parents. If any, reminds him in his life of the good invita on, and in his death he does not forget to pray.

The Messenger of Allah (SAW) , said, “Guarantee for me six from yourselves, and I will guarantee you Paradise: be true when you speak, fulfill when you promise, fulfill when you are entrusted, guard your private parts, lower your gaze, and restrain your hands.” [Narrated by Ahmad and Al-Haakim.

The hadith of the Prophet about choosing a good friend

The Prophet (SAW) has several hadiths about friendship and friends and other narrators narrated them from him. Among those hadiths are the following:

On the authority of Anas bin Malik, may Allaah be pleased with him, a man was with the Prophet (SAW) and another man passed by him and said, “Oh, Messenger of Allah: I love this.” The Prophet, said to him: Did you know him? He said: No. He said: I know. He said: So he followed him and said: I love you for the sake of Allah. He said: I love you by Allah, for whom you loved me. Narrated by Abu Dawood and authencated by Shaykh Al-Albani.

A ributes Of A Good Friend

As it was previously shown, the founda ons of choosing a friend in Islam include goodness of a friend. So, how can a friend be good, how is it known, and what are the characteris cs of righteousness.

One of the characteris cs of a righteous friend is that he does not commit major sins and disobedience, does not steal, does not commit adultery, does not brag about it, and covers himself if he falls into it, and he does not take precedence over indecency, lowers his gaze, guards his tongue, takes care of the rights of his parents, and does not hinder them.

Among the characteris cs of a good friend are honesty, speaking the truth, fear of Alaah, avoiding tempta on, enjoining good and forbidding evil, accep ng advice, giving advice, supplica ng for his friend, suppor ng him in his worries, sharing in his joys, and overlooking the mistakes of a friend as long as they are not in the right. Accep ng cheerfully, keeping secrets and fulfilling covenants and promises.

Among the characteris cs of a righteous friend is the one who does not keep pace with his friend in wrongdoing, injus ce, and corrup on, and does not fear the blame of the blamer in truth, and restores his friend to the right path, grants him support, and does not abandon him as much as he can, and terrifies for his fear.

May Allah make this sermon a beneficial one for me, the writer, the readers, and the en re Muslims. And our last prayer, is praise be to Allah Almighty, Lord of the worlds.

My Husband’s Killer Must Face The Wrath Of Law - Widow Of Slain Fashion Designer

are into this unethical behaviour, especially Point of Sales (POS) operators and Filling Sta ons to jetson such.

“The police command has emplaced an intelligence unit to arrest and subsequently prosecute such individuals or groups engaged in the sale or abuse of the Naira notes issued by the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“The Commissioner of police has equally directed the Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers to carry out full enforcement of the provisions of Secons 20 and 21 of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007 which criminalizes amongst other things, the hawking, selling, trading, spraying, matching, falsifying or counterfei ng of bank notes, refusal to accept the Naira as a means of payment, tampering with the Naira notes.

The Police Command therefore, enjoins members of the public to cooperate with it to ensure violators are brought to book”.

MYusuf Oketola Kazeem Badmus syndicates to rob Points of Sales (POS) operators in the state.

RS. Mariam Iwaloye, the widow of a 28year-old fashion designer, Nurudeen Quadri, popularly known as Alowonle, who was allegedly killed by some opera ves of the Osun State Police Command in the wee hours of Wednesday, January 25, 2023, has demanded jusce for her late husband.

The bereaved, while speaking with OSUN DEFENDER on Tuesday, in her late husband’s residence at Mafowurosere Street, Jaleoyemi area, Osogbo, doubted if she could bear the loss of her husband.

It would be recalled that some police officers who were reportedly hooded allegedly broke into Quadri’s room around 2am and shot him dead in the presence of his wife and his six-month-old baby.

However, the Police Public Rela ons Officer, Yemisi Opalola, while reac ng to the report, stated that Quadri was an alleged notorious robber who connived with some

According to Opalola, the deceased a empted to escape and jumped from a three-storey building when the policemen wanted to arrest him.

“I don’t know about the shoo ng. Even if he wasn’t shot, the mere fact that he fell from the storey building was enough to cause his death”, she said.

But Iwaloye disclosed that one of the police officers who came to their house shot her husband a er the leader of the team ordered him to do so.

The widow who described her husband as an easy-going person, said he was shot when he tried to run due to the shock of seeing police officers in the middle of the night.

She added that the late Qaudri had a phobia for the police, owing to various cases of harassment he had witnessed in the past.

According to her, “It was around 2am that the policemen got to our

apartment and started knocking aggressively. I woke up and went to our landlady’s room. she asked them whom they sought and they told her Nurudeen. She pointed our apartment to them and they forced themselves inside.

“The police team came in the company of someone in handcuffs and when my husband saw how aggressive they were, he tried to run but he was shot by one of the officers a er the leader of

the team ordered him to shoot my husband.

“My husband was an easy-going man and he was a tailor who didn’t make any trouble. The policemen who came to our house wore fez caps and jackets. I was very afraid when they entered into our room.

“I want jus ce for my husband. I have not been myself since my husband was killed. I don’t even know how to cope now. My husband’s murderers must not go scot free”.

•Alowonle

•Sheik Muhammad Abdulalimi, is the Mudiru Ad-Da’wah Wal-Irshad, Obaagun, State of Osun.

Arsenal Star, Jesus Returns To Cub To Step Up Recovery From Knee Surgery

Barcelona May Sell De Jong, Fati Over Drop In Wage Bill

BARCELONA may have to sell two of their players this summer a er being ordered to cut wage bill by €200 million.

Financial struggles at Camp Nou are well documented, with efforts to bring down a wage bill that had spiraled out of control, contribu ng to Lionel Messi leaving Catalunya for Paris Saint-Germain in 2021.

It is now claimed that Barca need to trim a further €200 million (£177m/$215m) off their salary payments in order to comply with La Liga rules.

There are reports that several players may have to be offloaded in the next transfer window, including long-standing Manchester United target De Jong –who snubbed the chance to move to Old Trafford in 2022.

The Red Devils have also been credited with interest in Spain interna onal forward Fa , and the 20-yearold could come up for grabs as he is a big earner not guaranteed regular game me under Blaugrana boss Xavi.

De Jong is under con-

tract at Barca un l 2026, and is said to be in line for a further £78m ($95m), while Fa is reportedly earning £200,000-a-week and may be allowed to move on if a bid of around £90m ($109m) is tabled by any of his suitors.

Sergio Busquets is another player that Barca are reportedly prepared to part with, as the long-serving World Cup winner heads towards free agency, while the Liga giants are also willing to offload Jordi Alba, Ousmane Dembele, Sergi Roberto and Franck Kessie.

GABRIEL Jesus has returned to Arsenal to step up his recovery following surgery on a knee issue in December, 2022.

The Brazilian striker has not featured for the Gunners since before the World Cup due to the injury he sustained while represen ng his country in Qatar.

He underwent surgery in London before Christmas and has been slowly working his way back to fitness ever since, with the forward now walking without the need for crutches or a knee brace.

Jesus spent me in Eng-

land last month working with Arsenal’s medical team and was at the Emirates Stadium on January 22 to watch the Gunners beat Manchester United 3-2.

He then flew overseas to con nue his rehabilita on, but he has now returned to London to take a major step forward on his road to recovery.

Jesus’ first day back at Arsenal’s London Colney training centre was on Tuesday, with the 25-year-old now following a carefully mapped out fitness plan alongside the club’s medical team with the aim of returning to ac on at some

point next month. He is now able to do some light ball work on the training pitch, although the key focus of his recovery at the moment is on con nuing to strengthen his knee.

Arsenal have been reluctant to put an exact meframe on Jesus’ return, but he has always been hopeful of being back on the pitch in me to s ll play a major role during the final stages of the season.

The Gunners host Brentford on Saturday looking to get back on track in the Premier League following their defeat at Everton.

Akinrun Stool: Gboleru Ruling House Appeals To Adeleke To Release White Paper

Aruling house in Ikirun, Ifelodun local government of the State of Osun, has appealed to Governor Ademola Adeleke to release white paper on the recommenda ons of the Chie aincy Affairs Review Commi ee.

The commi ee had on January 3, 2023 submi ed its report to the Governor.

Speaking on behalf of the ruling house yesterday, Prince Kayode Oyetunji, commended Adeleke for his ac ons and assurance to adhere to rule of law on chie aincy ma ers, par cularly on the Akinrun stool.

Oyetunji urged the Governor not to listen to some people who wants to misrepresent fact and manipulate him into closing his eyes on the Akinrun stool in spite of the recommenda on of the panel.

He said: “The execu ve order on chie aincy ma ers across the state was mely, and not only since calming down tensions across

the state and par cularly in Ikirunland, but it is also giving all par es real hope that one day jus ce will surely triumph.

“We appreciate huge responsibili es of the Governor besides the needs for him and his team to appraise the reports and recommendaons of the panel before rolling out direc ves.

“Notwithstanding, we believe that the government should by now release a white paper to implement the posi on of the government. Therefore, we are appealing to the Governor to, please, without further delay release the white paper se ng out unambiguously the posi on of the government on chieftaincy ma er in Ikirunland.

“Meanwhile, rumours have it that a group of people is desperate to truncate good inten ons of the government either directly or indirectly, and or by technically misrepresen ng the true posi on with a view to crea ng “Don’t Do Syndrome’ thereby causing confusion or to put the whole ma er in abeyance, regardless of the work done by the honourable panel.

“Rumours also have it that another group of people is selling unfounded dummy to the government on rule of law and that the “Osun government must not commit contempt of court” because Gboleru Ruling House people have taken their ma er to Appeal court.

“We want to set the records straight. As people who believe in rule of law, our prayer before the panel and of course, the government, is that all government ac ons since 17th November, 2021 that our legal team had appropriately served the Osun State Government our appeal court papers, should be cancelled.

“The selec on carried out on 19th November, 2021 and the approval and appointment of new Akinrun of Ikirun by the Osun State Government on 26th October, 2022, while there exists legal encumbrances, were flagrant viola ons of rule of law.

“Therefore, the cancellaon of all the government acons will only further promote rule of law and not a contempt as being rumoured to truncate government’s ac ons.”

NGO Calls For Total Removal Of Sexuality Education In School Curriculum

Anongovernmental organiza on, Pen Publishers, has called on government at all levels and Ministry of Educa on to see to the total removal of sexuality educa on in school curriculum across the country.

The call is coming months a er the Nigeria Minister of Educa on, Mallam Adamu Adamu ordered that the sexuality educa on be expunged from basic educa on curriculum across Nigeria.

Chief Execu ve Officer of Pen Publishers, Mrs. Haleemat Alli-Bankole state that Comprehensive Sexuality Educa on is a Sexuality Educa on curriculum developed by UNESCO and partners for Worldwide use which content and delivery endangers children.

Alli-Bankole spoke during a sensi sa on programme on sex educa on for students across the

State of Osun in Osogbo yesterday.

She explained that the event was targeted at increasing the awareness about the harms of the comprehensive sexuality educa on in the school curriculum.

Mrs. Alli-Bankole said: “This awareness programme is targeted at increasing the awareness about the harms of the comprehensive sexuality educa on in our school curriculum.

“The Pen Publishers’ wishes to create awareness on its dangers in order to protect our vulnerable children from con nued exposure to it by removing it from the school curriculum as directed recently by the Minister of Educa on”.

In her remarks, the Legal Consultant to the Founda on Africa Cultural Heritage, Mrs. Mary Ekemeize, stated that sexual educa on shouldn’t be part of curriculum for pupils in basic classes, no ng

that it expose them to immoral sex at tender age.

Ekemeize added that many textbooks teach the students on how to have sex which they are not ready for.

She said: “Many textbooks and subjects in our schools today now teach students on how to have sex, something they are not to be exposed to at that age. Sex educa on should be a secondary school class subject.

“When you look at textbooks in junior secondary schools today, they are talking about abor on which is illegal in Nigeria. They are not presen ng the danger part to the children, they are rather seeing it as something normal.

“The government should replace sex educa on with some other subjects that will be of good to students. They can teach them on how to regulate emo ons when they are angry. The government should see to the total removal of the subject from our curriculum “.

Yusuf Oketola

•De Jong, Fati

•Jesus

Ayomide Ibrahim

email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com

Barcelona May Sell De Jong, Fati Over Drop In Wage Bill

IN the 23 December, 2022 Edi on of this column which I tled “BVAS On Trial” I did submit, “Therefore BVAS is on trial as it is the bedrock upon which 2023 general elec ons is built; verdict of Elec on Tribunal si ng in Osogbo will either vindicate or invalidate its efficacy.” On Friday, 27th January, 2023, the Osun Elec on Tribunal, headed by Jus ce Terste Kume, delivered its ruling. This column can never contain the details. The fulcrum of the ruling, however, is that the tribunal granted the prayers of the pe oners, former Governor Gboyega Oyetola and All Progressive Congress to sack Governor Sen. Ademola Adeleke and declare Oyetola as the winner of the July 16, 2022 gubernatorial elec on in Osun. The tribunal affirmed over vo ng in 749 polling units across 10 local government areas in the state as alleged by the pe oners. The ques on begging for answer now is can BVAS be relied on to deliver free, fair and credible elec on in the forthcoming February and March 2023 general elec ons? X-ray of what happened on the recent tribunal judgment in Osun will answer the poser.

The July 16, 2022 gubernatorial elec on in Osun was very peaceful as voters went to their various polling units to exercise their right to vote their chosen candidates. Kudos must always be given to the security agencies for their professional conducts before, during and a er the elec on without which the peaceful atmosphere recorded would have been elusive. By the following day, July 17, Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) was declared winner by the Independent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC), having polled 403,271 votes against Oyetola’s 375,027 votes which triggered spontaneous wide jubila ons and carnivals across the state, especially by the youths.

On the 5th of August, 2022, however, the loser of the elec on, Oyetola and his APC submi ed a pe on before Elec on Tribunal in Osogbo, challenging INEC’s declaraon of Adeleke as the winner. Oyetola and his party contended that there was over voting in the declared results of the 976 BVAS used in 749 polling units across 10 local government areas in the state. They prayed the tribunal to outrightly cancel the contended results in the alleged polling units for nonsubstan al compliance with the 2022 Electoral law and an order for INEC to conduct fresh elec ons in the affected poling units or declare him and his party winner of the elec on.

In filing their documents to challenging July 17 INEC’s verdict, Oyetola and APC approached INEC to furnish them total number of accredita on of the disputed poling units. It should be noted that 976 BVAS were used in 749 polling units being challenged which means that more than one BVAS were used in some par cular polling units. By the me INEC was uploading number of accredited voters to the pe oner from its website, it was yet to synchronise the second BVAS used to accredit voters in those par cular units on its server. Meanwhile, the totality of number of accredited voters in both BVAS used in every par cular poling unit was recorded in the form ECA8 signed by every agent of the party present immediately after the elec on. And this is the crux of the ma er.

By the me INEC woke up from its slumber that it had a technical problem of synchronisa on with the server and rec fied the problem and uploaded the actual totality of accredited voters, which is in tandem with what was recorded on the form ECA8

Osun Tribunal Verdict: INEC Is Culpable

on the elec on day, the tribunal refused to admit it but relied on the erroneous one earlier submi ed. Hence, there is discrepancy between synchronised and yet to be synchronised list given to the pe oners which the tribunal’s majority judgement relied on.

On the surface, the tribunal judgment casts an aspersion on BVAS which could raise credibility ques on of its efficacy. However, inves ga ons have proved contrary. Perhaps because such scenario did not occur in Eki gubernatorial elec on that took place on 18th June, 2022, exactly four weeks before Osun, INEC could have girded its loins. In essence, BVAS is very ok and makes elec on conduct and management easier. What has brought confusion here is human inefficiency and poor management by INEC. When INEC knew that it was yet to synchronise its accredita on and confirma on on its server, it could have de-

POVERTY and Democracy are not the best of partners. Democracy is about majority rule and how to put it in place is through a poli cal process called Elec on. Elec on is all about choice between many candidates contesting for public offices, which ordinarily should be free of manipula ons and based on issues of development and social progress - be erment of the lives of the majority and society in general. The contestant most widely accepted and with the majority votes gets elected.

However, it is not as simple as stated. Right a er Independence in 1960, the first a empt to hold an elec on all by ourselves, the mul plicity of manipula on gimmicks brought into play, led to chaos, collapse of the First Republic, military coup, counter-coup and civil war (all between 1963 and 1970), with untold casual es in properes and lives; from which precipitate crises and trauma we are yet to recover 60 years on. A er 13 years of Military Rule, the Second Republic came in 1979 and just a er the second elec on following the military hand-over, the same scenario of electoral manipula on, allied with corrup on and socio-economic retrogression, led to similar end to the Second Republic in 1984; this me a bloodless coup minus the civil war.

The Third Republic, mis-midwived by President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, was s llborn due to electoral and poli cal rigmaroles, leading to the annulment of the freest and fairest elecon in Nigeria, so to speak. A dark period of military dictatorship headed by General Sanni Abacha followed un l he was checkmated in death and General Abdulsalami Abubakar superintended the birth of the Fourth Republic, which has run almost 24 years uninterrupted with Four General Elec ons and the fourth President now

layed its announcement of the winner of the elec on un l having done the needful. Why in a hurry to announce result and give pe oners incomplete list of accredita on?

On this ma er, INEC should be held responsible by the Osun voters whose electoral choice is being smashed by its inefficiency and unprofessional conduct as there is no established over vo ng but negligence of INEC in issuing two conflic ng reports on a single ma er. I, therefore, align myself with Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, who submi ed on Arise TV on Sunday, 29 January, 2023 that, “INEC has to be held completely responsible for what happened” and that Osun voters in the affected areas should sue INEC for damages over wastage of their votes. Assuming without conceding that there was over vo ng which will be known by the presiding officer and agents of the poli cal par es immediately a er the elec on, this is what Sec on 51 of the 2022 Electoral law

states par cularly Sec on 51(2,3 and 4), “Where the number of votes cast at an elecon in any polling unit exceeds the number of accredited voters in that polling unit, the Presiding officer shall cancel the result of the elec on in that poling unit; where the result of an elec on is cancelled in accordance with subsec on (2) there shall be no return for the elec on un l another poll has taken place in the affected polling unit; notwithstanding the provision of subsec on (2) and (3), the Commission may, if sa sfied that the result of the elec on will not substan ally be affected by vo ng in the area where the elec on is cancelled, direct that a return of the elec on be made.”

Although, as at the me of wri ng this piece, INEC has gone to the Court of Appeal in Akure to vacate Jus ce Terste Kume tribunal verdict, it must come all out to apologise to Osun people and assure them of victory to rec fy its error and also assure Nigerian voters that such irresponsibility will not repeat itself in this forthcoming general elec ons.

Money And Politics

the incumbent.

From 1999 return to democracy, there has been a steady cleanup and improvement in elecon processes but rather than an equally steady return to issue-based poli cs and free, fair elecons, majority of the poli cians, with very few excep ons, have only steadily improved their ingenuity in manipula ng the process and the electorate. While not en rely abandoning electoral violence, results altera ons, etc, the most worrisome rigging trend today is the heavy influence of money and vote buying, right from the internal elec ons within poli cal par es to the general electoral contest between par es. With unremi ng poverty and worsening quality of life amidst huge gap between the extremely rich and the majority poor, the prospect of objec ve assessment of contestants and free choice by voters remains remote.

However, there are several examples to be held up of Nigerians who showed great courage in the face of the crushing effect of the economy and allowed their good senses to prevail over their want of money. On the September 25, 2020 edi on of the TVC Programme, Your View, a Nigerian, Mr. Augus ne, an Okada rider from Oghara Area of Delta State was celebrated for returning N700,000 forgo en with him to the owner. A Keke rider in Jalingo, Mr. Usman returned N1,150,000 to its owner; Mr. Olayinka Adeniyi, a cab operator at Murtala Mohammed Interna onal Airport in Lagos returned $2,400 to the authori es; Mr. Adekunle, an Uber Driver in Lagos returned $700 belonging to an American lawyer passenger he chauffeured, Rogelio Gar-

cia, who forgot it in his cab, similarly as Francis Sunday Adedokun, another uber driver, returned $4,000; and one of the most celebrated cases, men oned and rewarded on the floor of the last Senate and received commenda on by the Governor of Adamawa: a security man with United Bank of Africa (UBA), Mr. Ibrahim, who returned $10,000 misplaced by a bank customer, which he found. None of the millions of poor voters in Nigeria, and they are the majority, will ever be bribed anything close to what these Nigerians have found and voluntarily returned.

Rather than through enforced policies and legisla ons as been unsuccessfully a empted now, complete electronic vo ng system (by Nigerians home and abroad, including service men), expected sooner than later, is one hope for dras c reduc on in the nega ve influence of money in poli cs. Nevertheless, given our experience of how the majority of the poli cal players have con nuously re-invented their manipula on acts over the ages, taking it to ever greater heights, the final solu on is a determinaon within each and every one of us to embrace a new orienta on towards money in general and money-poli cs par cularly, especially when the survival and progress of society is at stake. For those who collect money to vote and act against their conscience, they need to ask how far that money of yesterday and yesteryears have gone in solving their needs today, compared to the noman’s-land of underdevelopment, violence and crime the consequent bad leadership installed has landed Nigeria today - in which all of us, rich and poor, are now poten al vic m.

“INEC has gone to the Court of Appeal in Akure to vacate Justice Terste Kume tribunal verdict, it must come all out to apologise to Osun people and assure them of victory to rectify its error and also assure Nigerian voters that such irresponsibility will not repeat itself in this forthcoming general elections”