Osun Defender Online Version of January 27, 2023

Anxiety As Tribunal Delivers Judgment Today

Fuel Hike: Civil Servants, Private Car Owners Opt For Public Transport In Osun

Yusuf Oketola

SOME civil Servants and private car owners in Osogbo, capital of the State of Osun have been opting for public transporta on as the scarcity and skyrocketing pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly call petrol bite harder.

A litre of petrol, as of yesterday, was being sold between N310 and N350 by filling sta ons who had fuel.

Majority of the filling staons were not opera ng at all, resul ng to long queues at the few petrol sta ons that were selling fuel.

TENSION has pervaded the poli cal space of Osun as the elecon pe on tribunal is set to deliver judgment on the pe on filed by former governor Adegboyega Oyetola against the victory of Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke in the July 16 gubernatorial elecon.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that there was uneasy calm in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples

Democra c Party (PDP), as their members and supporters are hopeful of victory.

However, the APC has expressed op mism that it would come out victorious at the tribunal, calling on its members to be calm and peaceful.

The Director of Media and Publicity of the APC, Chief Kola Olabisi, in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER, yesterday, said the party diligently prosecuted its case, no ng that it was not expec ng anything

short of victory.

Olabisi said: “We are hopeful that we are going to come out with flying colours at the tribunal. We have really worked for it. We prosecuted our case diligently. There is no cause for alarm.

“The residents should go about their normal daily business ac vi es. They should be peaceful and avoid any provoca ve words from anybody.”

Expressing confidence on what would be the outcome of the tribunal, the

FG Assures Nigerians Of Adequate Security, Peaceful Elections

Yusuf Oketola

THE Federal Government has stated that the coming general elec ons will be conducted under a peaceful and secure atmosphere.

The assurance was given by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on Thursday, at a State House Press Briefing Series, highlighting the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari in the Ministry.

According to the Minister, “peace and security are necessary condi ons for elec on.

“All the security agencies in the country, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), are therefore on top of their game.

“They will leave no stone unturned to provide adequate security for the conduct of free and fair elec ons. Nigerians should therefore keep their minds at rest”.

Aregbesola also dis-

closed that the Nigerian Passports issued by the Nigerian Immigra on Service (NIS) increased numerically from one million in 2021 to 1.9m in 2022. This is about 80 per cent increase and it is unprecedented.

The Minister said that the Ministry of Interior is working with the Nigeria Immigra on Service (NIS) to constantly reform the passport administra on process in order to deliver improved services to Nigerians at all mes.

Speaking on the progress of the Nigerian Correc onal Service (NCoS), Aregbesola assured that custodial centres are now fully secured, as the personnel guarding the centres are now well trained and fully equipped.

“They now have the capacity to withstand and repel any form of attack”, he declared.

The former governor of Osun added: “The Correc onal Informa on Management System (CIMS) which captures

the records and biometrics of every inmate in the custodial centres to facilitate quick dispensaon of jus ce has been deployed in all the states of the Federa on and the FCT.

On the opera ons of the Federal Fire Service, Aregbesola disclosed that the sta s cs of service from 2020 ll date casts a beam of hope for personal and corporate security.

“The sta s cs show that the Fire Service responded to 10,659 fire calls, made 696 Emergency Rescues, saved 2,225 lives and an esmated property worth 25 trillion from 2020 ll date”, he said.

Commending the NSCDC for living up to its mandate of protec ng cri cal na onal assets and infrastructure, the Interior Minister stated that the corps is not only ac ve on land but also on water, figh ng off oil the , illegal oil bunkering as well as pipeline vandalism.

PDP said it was hopeful that the judgment would be in its favour.

The Director of Media of the party, Mr Oladele Bamiji, while speaking with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday said: “We have defended our case strongly and we believe jus ce will be in our favour. It will take a camel to pass through the eye of a needle for Governor Adeleke’s mandate to be upturned.

“We are expec ng the best. For us, we believe so strongly that we have defended the mandate of our people in Osun State very well. By the grace of God, the mandate of the people given to Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke will be preserved.”

OSUN DEFENDER visited the State Secretariat, on Wednesday and Thursday and observed that the parking spaces at different Ministries were not filled with vehicles as it used to be.

Many of the civil servants who have cars were seeing aligh ng from public transports at the roundabout leading to the Secretariat entrance.

Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that some of the civil servants decided to park their vehicles at home because they could not afford the pump price and the stress associated with ge ng the fuel at filling sta ons.

Speaking with the medium yesterday, a private security guard who do not want his name in print at the secretariat, said the inflow of vehicle coming into the place has reduced, a ribu ng it to the increment in the price of petrol.

He said: “Many civil serv-

ants who own cars have refused to bring it to work since the fuel scarcity broke out because they cannot afford the current pump price. They prefer coming with public transports.

“If you no ce, some of the parking spaces in each ministry are almost empty. Only those who live close to the Secretariat can afford to bring their vehicle to work.”

Since the fuel scarcity resurfaced late last year, vehicle owners have been facing hardship in ge ng petrol at fuel sta ons across the state capital.

The scarcity has also made commercial transporters to adjust the transport fare.

Drivers of mini bus popularly known as korope as well as commercial motorcyclists have increased intracity fare.

The medium gathered that mini bus drivers charge N250 from Kobongbogboe to Ogooluwa from ini al N150 while Bolanle to Ogooluwa is now N150 from N100.

The normal N50 transport fare rate has been cancelled, irrespec ve of the distance.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that there was sudden increment in the pump price on Tuesday and Wednesday. The price of a litre of petrol jumped from N280 to N350, a development le vehicle owners devastated.

Findings revealed that the independent marketers sell between N280 and N350 while major marketers sell between N190 and N220 in the state.

Official Twitter Handle Of Osun Govt Deactivated

Ismaeel Uthman

THE official twi er handle of the State Government of Osun, @StateofOsun, has been deac vated, findings have revealed.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that the twi er handle was being handled by one of the aides of former governor Adegboyega Oyetola.

The verified account was deac vated few days ago, according to findings.

The development has sparked reac ons from twi er users and other ci zens of Osun who had been engaging the state government through the twi er handle.

A civil right ac vist, Anthony Adejuwon, who raised alarm on the deacva on of the twi er handle on his personal twi er account, described the

ac on as “height of shortsightedness.”

Adejuwon, in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday said: “This is the height of shortsightedness on the part of who felt that the handle is his personal property. It means that whoever deac vated that account has completely cut the people of Osun away from the government because that was a reliable source of informa on for the people.

“The current administra on should ensure that that the pla orm is func oning again. It is so disheartening.

“It was not a private handle for anyone. It was not just an ordinary handle; it was a verified handle which means any informa on that comes from is verified.

“If someone refused to hand over that handle to the Ministry of Informa on which is there permanently, then it

speaks volume of the kind of poli cs and governance we are running.

“You cannot say you are no more in government and go away with a public account, and whoever was handling that account was being paid from the taxes collected from the people. You’re serving the people not the government and policians.

“We all know the importance of that account in this 21st century. It is the easiest and fastest way to get informa on across to the people. Deac va ng an official and verified twi er handle of a state government is uncalled for.

“The current administra on should inves gate that and ensure that such thing does not happen again. They should get the account back and ensure that the people have access to verified informaon.”

Ismaeel Uthman

•(Middle) the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (in white), Perm. Sec. Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaib Belgore (right), Mr. Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President and other top officials of the Ministry after a press briefing in Abuja, yesterday.

Time To Consider A Review

THE governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele has so far ruled out a review of the sugges on to extend the deadline for the exchange of old currency notes. He has the preroga ve and the statutory powers to do so.

The country is in a quandry because of the special posion of the central bank. Like that of the judiciary the independence of the. Central Bank must be jealously guarded, preserved and strengthened. A key lesson in contemporary history is that price stability is crucial, indeed vital for the preserva on of democracy. The catastrophic march into and consolida on in the office of Adolf Hitler for example would not have occurred without a currency collapse. This is why the naonal legisla ve body must at this precipitous moment in the history of the na on seek an accommoda on what in the French poli cal arrangement will be referred to as. a “cohabita on “ with the authori es of the. Central Bank to iron out areas of differences in the na onal interest. Threats centered on issuing. arrests warrants to central bank officials should stop. Our situa on is already too precarious on so many fronts.

Nevertheless, discre on is the soul of valor. With just a few days to go to the end of the exercise, it is clear that there are problems with the project management of the exercise. We care to recall that the currency was changed during the civil war and it was seamless. Given the rudimentary state of technology at the me this now appears like an outstanding achievement which it was. The exercise had to be cloaked in secrecy and was an ambush of the rebel forces.

Intellectual honesty compels the ques on that in view of the state of technology

Review & Outlook

B Y BY A D E M I L U Y I ADEMILUYI K A N M I KANMI

A Blue Wave

“With a low level of financial inclusiveness, we must consider some adjustments. The United Kingdom with all its education and technological adjustment needed three years to “phase in” a newly designed currency. A gradual phasing out option requiring an extension should be considered”

more than fi y years on what has gone wrong with the ongoing exercise, why unlike then is it not seamless?

We are not in the business of blame trading, however the ques on needs to be answered. The dislocaon to both the formal and informal economy cannot be overlooked. Lessons must be learnt.

We may care to start with the mindset. There is something suspiciously authoritarian about the approach, civil society and key stakeholders should have been involved at the implementa on stage.

It has become a cliche to state that a currency change is based on the exis ng currency being phased out and not forced out. This posi on of “forcing out” is clearly unrealis c, unhelpful and disrup ve. Right now, people are apprehensive about the exercise an a tude which portends ill for a society in which millions are s ll unbanked. With a low level of financial inclusiveness, we must consider some adjustments. The United Kingdom with all its educa on and technological adjustment needed three years to “phase in” a newly designed currency. A gradual phasing out op on requiring an extension should be considered.

•Aregbesola.

THE The recent announcement of a new poli cal group, “The Blue Movement” brings to the fore discourses about the nature and direc on of what is referred to as poli cs in Nigeria.

This is not surprising for the misinterpretaon of poli cs is founded on a patron-client rela onship to share the spoils, the boun es of the a ainment of poli cal office in a consump ondriven poli cal economy, any a empt to widen the space and incorporate ideology is viewed as a subversion of the established framework. A er all, the machinery is in reality not based on poli cal par es in the conven onal defini on as the concept as solved over the past three centuries but on the use of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to carve up the resources of the state.

For this reason, the announcement of a new poli cal grouping with a clearly mission statement was a short across the bow.

Speaking at the weekly stakeholders’ mee ng of Blue Movement in Osogbo/Olorunda local governments, the group’s Coordinator, Wale Alabi, said they remained the core members of APC in the State.

Alabi described members of the group as Aregbesola core loyalists since they believed in the poli cal ideology of the former Osun governor.

“Aregbesola is a core progressive. The internal wrangling within the progressive folds would soon become a thing of the past, notwithstanding, efforts by some individuals who have been frustra ng the peace move by concerned leaders

“We are not willing to do anything other than whatever Aregbesola is doing and as you can see, he has not even given his support to any other candidate because he was not called and he was not involved in the scheme of things”

of the party.

“We are not willing to do anything other than whatever Aregbesola is doing and as you can see, he has not even given his support to any other candidate because he was not called and he was not involved in the scheme of things.”

Nothing should be conten ous about this. Aregbesola remains a pivotal figure in the progressive firmament. Furthermore, there is a need for urgently needed clarifica on of the thrust of progressive poli cs in Nigeria today. Many have actually forgo en that poli cal interven on to be effec ve must be anchored on an ideological direc on.

The Blue Movement is right on course! The progressive movement in Nigeria has lost its so.

The ideological orienta on ma ers. In line with this the Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci who reached his apogee in the nineteen twenes noted in the “prison notes” which he wrote in the cap vity of the Mussolini fascist regime gulag that “the main essence of poli cs is to alter the territory of the debate decisively in the advantage of one’s posi on”. This is a key point and exactly where the progressives have lost the compass.

I’m in another era the progressives did dictate the territory of the. discourse, theory and the prac cal implementa on of ideas. In what is now a golden age it was research - in - applicaon.

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

The outcome manifested in the. social changes in the Western Region of Nigeria headlined by programs such as the implementa on of the “free” educa on program of 1957, advances in access to healthcare and crucially the acceleraon of capital forma on and aggrega on with the forma on of the Cooperave Bank in 1952 and other development finance ins tu ons such as the Western Nigeria Development Corpora on (WNDC) the finance coropara on and so forth. Such was the force of the intellectual redirec on and interven on that in 1961 there were protests against what were perceived as opportunist tax cuts to enhance electoral fortunate. This is a high level of sophis caon which most socie es have not reached. The electorate had calculated that tax cuts will limit access. and was not therefore not to their advantage.

Telephone : 0809-301-9152

Website : www.osundefender.com/index.php

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

All correspondence to the above email addresses.

The Blue and other movements are obviously trying to raise new cadres as well as a leadership to put the progressive thrust and posi on back as the cri cal driving force and should be encouraged and supported.

4

News

Kidnapping, Political Violence On The Rise In Osun

Ismaeel Uthman

KIDNAPPING and poli cal violence are rearing their ugly head again in the State of Osun.

The spate of kidnapping, par cularly in Osogbo and Iwo area has been frightening residents of the state who raised concern over their safety.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that four cases of kidnapping have been recorded in the state so far.

Two of the kidnapping cases were recorded in Osogbo while the other two were recorded in Iwo axis of the state.

It would be recalled that on January 14, 2023, a housewife simply idenfied as Gbemisola was abducted by some persons in Osogbo, according to Osun Security Networks, codenamed Amotekun.

A statement by the Command’s spokesperson, Idowu Yusuf, said the vic m was kidnapped in her residence at Technical College Area.

Gbemisola has not been found as of the me of filing this report.

On Wednesday, January 11, two farmers, Samuel Oladotun and Tobilola Fashola, were kidnapped at Okeosun area of Ileogbo, Ayedire Local Government of the State of Osun.

Oladotun and Fashola were released a er six days in cap vity with N10m ransom.

Three of their rela ves who had gone to pay ransom in Kogi were also abducted before they were released the third day.

On Friday, January 20, three farmers were also kidnapped by gunmen on their farmland located in Ologun area of Iwo, Iwo Local Government.

The farmers are: Hamzat Ibrahim, Deere Ibrahim and a 38-year-old man, whose name was yet to be iden fied.

The kidnappers were said to have demanded N5m for their release.

One of the vic ms had reportedly escaped from cap vity while the two others were s ll with the kidnappers.

A member of Union Bap st Church, OdiOlowo Osogbo, Mrs. Olayinka Tosin Kayode and her child were kidnapped by unknown gunmen around 6PM on Tuesday, January 24, around Otaefun/Kobongbogboe, Osogbo while returning home from her shop.

However, the vic ms were released yesterday.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that this is the first- me kidnapping inci-

dence would be occurring in Osogbo.

The Ijesa axis of the state was notorious for kidnapping cases in recent past.

Police, OPC React, Reassure Residents Of Safety

Reac ng to the spate of kidnapping in the state, the police said it is re-strategising to secure the state and cleanse it off criminal ac vi es.

Police Public Rela ons Officer, Osun Command, Mrs. Yemisi Opalola, allayed the fear of the people, saying that the police will for fy the state and ensure that all criminal elements are arrested or chased away from the state.

She said: “The police

are re-strategising and I can assure you that all the people involved in these criminal ac vi es will be arrested and prosecuted. We are on our toes, we are not res ng and we cannot un l Osun is safe and secure for the residents.

“I want to assure the people of the state that their safety is guaranteed. We are on top of the situa on.”

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER in an interview, the Chairman of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Fedrick Fasehun’s fac on, Alh. Adeleke Akintayo, noted that the kidnappers are nonresidents of the state.

According to Akintayo, the people involved in kidnapping ac vi es

could be described as invaders who came into the state to kidnap.

He said: “All hands are on deck. We are working hand-in-hand with the police to curb crime. Some of those behind these kidnappings are not living in Osun. They only come to the state to operate. But we are at alert. The civilian Joint Task Force of OPC, Vigilante, Agbekoya are trying to stop these kidnappers in every corner.

“We just implore the ci zens of the state to report suspicious movement to the security agents. We need the support of the people of the state in figh ng crimes. The security cannot do it all alone. We need to work together to make

the state free from any form of banditry.”

In his reac on, the Coordinator of Gani Adams led fac on of the OPC in the state, Chief Deji Aladesawe, urged the government and police to empower local security groups in the fight against crimes.

Aladesawe stated that only collabora ve effort can make the state secure and peaceful, adding that the OPC is reading to support the government and police on that.

He said: “The government and police need to empower local security groups. We also need their supports. I cannot mobilise my men to any scene of kidnapping without the consent of the Commissioner of Police

and the Governor of the state. There should be synergy among the conven onal and local security agencies.”

Cases of Poli cal Violence

Besides, OSUN DEFENDER noted that poli cal violence such as a acks on poli cal opponents and destruc on of campaign billboards have become a nightmare for poli cians in the state.

Members of Labour Party and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ijesaland have constantly been repor ng a acks on them and their campaign billboards in the area by poli cal thugs.

This is just as the Osun West Senatorial candidate of the APC, Dr. Amidu Tadese and his supporters were reportedly a acked on Tuesday at Ward 9, Ikire, Irewole local government area of the state.

Some of the campaign vehicles of Tadese were vandalized by the poli cal hoodlums allegedly working for the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP).

Ikire is the hometown of PDP candidate in the senatorial district, Akogun Lere Oyewumi.

But Oyewumi distanced the PDP from the a ack on Tadese and his supporters, alleging that it was the APC members that launched a ack on members of his party while returning from campaign.

Oyewumi said a member of the PDP in Ikire was killed when the APC allegedly a acked his supporters.

Intervene In Extortionate Practices Of Agents, House Seekers Beg Govt.

Kazeem Badmus

SOME residents of the State of Osun, especially those who are seeking house and shop rent have appealed to the state government to intervene in the extor onate prac ces of caretakers and agents.

The residents urged state government to come to their aid and stop the ‘extor on of accommoda on seekers by the caretakers and agents’.

Lamen ng what they described as unbearable charges the caretakers and agents place on accommoda on seekers in Osogbo, Ikirun, Ilesa and Ile-Ife, the residents asked the government to regulate their ac vi es before it gets out of hand.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, a corps member, Adedamola Azeez, who was recently posted to Osun, decried what she called “unfaithfulness and callousness’ of the agent she approached for accommoda on.

Narra ng what transpired between her and the agent, Azeez said: “I redeployed from Kogi and on ge ng to Osogbo, I asked a friend of mine about how I could secure accommodaon and she linked me up with a house agent.

“I called the house agent and he asked me to meet him in his office. I got there and the first thing he asked for was a consulta on fee. He said I had to pay N1500 before he could take me to the available apartments.

“Since I had no choice, I paid him but to my surprise, when we got to the first apartment, he asked me to pay the bike man that took us there, I told him I had already paid him but he said that was just for him taking me out.

“A er checking four apartments, I saw the one I like and I asked him how much was the house rent. He told me the house rent was N75,000 but the total pack-

age is N150,000. He said the agent fee is N50,000 while lawyer will collect N25,000 just for a single room selfcontain.

“I couldn’t say anything again because I was dumbfounded. I le in anger. This is pure extor on and it seems these house agents don’t have the fear of God”.

A resident of Owode Ede, Komolafe Abiodun, in his submission, urged the state government to look into the issue and restore normalcy to issue rela ng to house rent ma ers in the state.

According to Abiodun, house agents and caretakers were found of collecting between N50,000 to N70,000 for an apartment of N200,000 rent, adding that the minimum amount most of the agents collect was N15,000 for a single room.

“What house agents in Osogbo are doing is pure corrup on. They are making life difficult for accommodaon seekers and I think the

government needs to look into this.

“I think there is a need for the government to regulate their ac vi es. Their charges are unbearable and these people don’t see it as anything.

“The major problem we have is that the yahoo guys are willing to pay anything and the house agents are using that yards ck for everyone”.

osun Defender observed that a 2 bedroom apartment with full POP goes for N300,000 to N500,000 with an agent fee of N70,000 to N100,000.

Also, a room and parlour self contain in Osogbo is between N180,000 to N250,000 with an agent fee of N40,000 to N70,000.

A single room self contain is between N80,000 to N150,000 with an agent fee of N30,00 to N50,000

In Osogbo, majority of the campaign billboards of Senator Ajibola Basiru, the Osun Central Senatorial candidate of the APC, have been destroyed.

Also, some of the campaign billboards of the PDP candidate in Osun Central Senatorial District, Mr Olubiyi Fadeyi, have also been vandalized.

The House of Representa ves candidate of the Labour Party in Ijesa South Federal Cons tuency, Mr. Gideon Aloba, said no fewer than seven of his campaign billboards have been destroyed.

Aloba accused supporters of the PDP of destroying his campaign billboards.

According to Aloba, the PDP has been sponsoring a coordinated attack on his campaign billboards in Ilesa East, Atakunmosa East and Atakunmosa West local governments. Aloba who was bit-

•Continued on page 7

•2023 Batch A Stream 1 Corps Members during the first Morning Meditation at the NYSC permanent Orientation Camp, Ede, yesterday.

How We’re Kidnapped, Released After N10m Ransom By Victim

•Narrates Ordeal In Kidnappers’ Den

ON Wednesday, January 11, two farmers were kidnapped at Okeosun area of Ileogbo, Ayedire Local Government of the State of Osun. One of the kidnaped vic ms, Samuel Olawale Oladotun narrated his ordeal to Kazeem Badmus a er he was released by the kidnappers.

How the kidnapping occurred

Oladotun, a 31-year-old farmer, said he and his brother, Fashola Tobilola, were coming from their farm at Atunni around noon when the kidnappers waylaid them. He said: “The farm we went to that day is Atunni farm. Our own farm is Gapson farm. I was leaving the farm with my younger brother, Tobi a er I finished everything I wanted to do that day. I was driving my car, suddenly, I heard gunshot from behind me. I thought the hunters were the one shoo ng, so I came down from the car. Immediately I came down, three men approached me from the back and started shoo ng sporadically. Another set also came through the front and they all surrounded us. That was how we were captured.

“We would have been three in the car but one of our staff who was with us that day did not follow us; he said he wanted to pick his motorcycle. That was how he escaped from being kidnapped.

Surviving The Six-Day Cap vity

Narra ng his ordeal in the kidnappers’ capvity, Oladotun stated that he and his brother spent seven days with their abductors before they were released a er collec ng ransom.

Oladotun, a graduate of Animal Science, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, said: “A er we were kidnapped, we trekked for about 45 minutes before we stopped to rest. A er res ng for some minutes, we trekked again for about two-three hours before we rest again, and it was dark. There was no water and food at the place we were kept. Tobi, my younger brother that was kidnapped with me was fas ng that day.

“When it got to a stage that we could no longer bear the thirsty, we asked the kidnappers if we could get water. One of the kidnappers beat us for asking for water. However, one of them who understand English language, gave us water.

“The following morning, we were given roasted cassava to eat. Around 6pm, we were also given roasted yam to eat.

“On Friday, a er calling our people to demand for ransom and the response they got was not favourable, we were not given anything to eat or drink. Later that night, I asked for water and they gave it to us with garri. Surviving there was not easy at all. The kidnappers were seven in numbers and the water with them was just 5 litres. It meant that the nine of us had to share that water.

“We were not given anything to eat or drink throughout Saturday. On Sunday morning, when we could not bear the suffering again, we asked for water. At first, the kidnappers didn’t answer us but later, they came with a water inside a small plas c container. We were later given garri and li le bread in the evening.

“We didn’t eat anything on Monday ll evening when we were given garri. On the day we were released (Tuesday), they only

gave us water and the cold there was terrible.”

Dissec ng The Loca on Of The Cap vity

Ask if he knows the loca on (s) where they were kept, Oladotun said: “I can’t say exactly where the loca on was because we always move at night. But everything – the movement is within the axis of our farm (Moomu, Ileogbo, along Kuta to Ede road, Ikoyi). We were just moving from one loca on to another and majorly the kidnappers hid under the bush. It is not as if the kidnappers walk through peoples’ farms, no. They walk majorly under thick shield inside the bush.

“We were hearing voices at the first place they took us to. There was a day we heard a bike moving around the place. Also, the last place the kidnappers took us to was very close to the main road because we do here movement of vehicles.

“Those bringing them food and water are part of the gang and they were Fulanis. They were armed with cutlass and s ck.

I observe that the kidnappers had collaborators around that place who were Fulani like themselves. Why I said so is that while trekking inside the forest, we did not sight any cow, not come across any herder.

The Last Day With The Kidnappers

On the sixth day with the kidnappers which was the day we were released, they told me that the people who went to pay ransom had been held hostage. They threatened to kill all of us if our family didn’t provide the money they requested for. I begged them to pity us and the one that understand Yoruba among them translated what I was saying to the others in Hausa.

“Later, the kidnappers said if they released me, would I go home and bring the remaining money? I told them I did not know what was going on at home, so I could not promise them. They told me to go back to where we were kept.

“Around 8pm, they came to call us and what I no ced that me was that some of them were not present again. Only two of the kidnappers remained. They asked us to follow them; when we got to a point, we saw a hunter coming and they hid themselves. Later,

they gave Tobi his cloth and they asked us to start running.

“We trekked for almost four hours un l we got to a village called Ikoyi.”

The Ransom

The total amount the kidnappers collected was N10m. The first batch was N6m and they later collected another N4m.

Kidnapping And Nigeria Security System

While in kidnappers’ den, I asked myself: “how on earth do these people get weapons”? They carry all these weapons on bike and security opera ves would not challenge them. It shows that there is lack of security in this country. We are not safe at all. It is not about the police alone but the government. There are some policies that are not working in this country.

“Amotekun and hunters cannot go to the bush without the permission of the police. Police will also tell you they cannot go into the bush. All this means that even the government do not care about the ci zens. If you see the kidnappers, they don’t look like someone who can afford N50,000. It seems they have leaders whom they answer and deliver the money collected as ransom to.

“It seems the government has hand in this kidnapping. That is our conclusion as vic ms, because it is not as if they cannot capture these guys (kidnappers). They were communica ng and I think they can track them through that.

Going Back To The Farm?

Asked if he would go back to the farm, Olatunde said: “For now, I can’t go back to the farm. We may get another person who will be managing our workers and I will get an android phone, so that I will be doing video call with them. Maybe I will be going once in a while but going there on a daily basis for now is not on my agenda. I have always been going regularly apart from Sundays.”

“It seems the government has hand in this kidnapping. That is our conclusion as victims, because it is not as if they cannot capture these guys (kidnappers). They were communicating and I think they can track them through that”

Deadline: Traders, Residents Of Remote Areas Lament As New Naira Notes Remain Scarce

Ismaeel Uthman Kazeem Badmus

TRADERS and residents of remote part of the State of Osun have expressed worries over the January 31 deadline for the old naira notes, lamen ng that the redesigned currencies were s ll scarce in their various environments.

Some of the traders in Osogbo have been rejecting the old naira notes, just as some other people have also stopped collec ng them from Point of Sales operators.

Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that residents of the state whose towns and communi es are without banks are finding it difficult to get the new naira notes and discard the old ones.

In Ikirun, Oyan, Okuku, Iree and Ila, it was gathered that the residents of the towns travel down to Osogbo to deposit their old naira notes in banks with the hope of ge ng the redesigned notes.

This is just as some residents paid POS operators to get the new naira notes from them, while some others go to filling sta ons to exchange the money.

However, some of them were disappointed as the banks insisted on not giving out the new naira notes through the counter, asking the customers to make use of the Automated Teller Machine (ATM).

The medium noted that the maximum amount of the new notes paid to each customer by some banks was N20,000 on Wednesday and Thursday in Osogbo.

Also, the ATM machines of the banks were not fully loaded with cash, a development that resulted to long queues.

A resident of Ikirun, Mr Waheed Akande, told the medium that he was le with just N100 as he was afraid to collect the old naira notes.

Akande said: “I am le with just N100; I will have to be transferring to people’s account if I need to pay them. I am afraid of collecting the old notes. The new naira notes are scarce in Ikirun. I was at a commercial bank in Osogbo on Wednesday to deposit the old notes with me. I thought I would get the new notes on the counter but the bankers insisted that I should make use of the ATM. When I got to the ATM, I met a long queue, so I could not wait. I used the N1000 with me to travel back to Ikirun.

“We don’t have bank here and the POS operators have a ached extra charge as a condi on of

giving you new naira note.

A lot of people in Ikirun are going to Osogbo to deposit the old notes, while some pay charges to the POS operators to exchange the old notes with the new ones.”

Speaking with OSUN

DEFENDER, a resident of Ila, Mr Segun Babatunde, said the people in the town made use of micro finance bank to deposit the old notes.

Babatunde said: “People are taking the old notes

to micro finance bank. But we are not given new notes. We will just pay into our accounts and be doing transfer from there.

“The POS operators in our areas do not even have the new notes and people are not collec ng the old notes from them.”

Some traders in Iree said they were s ll trading

with the old notes because the new naira notes were not available.

A trader who spoke with the medium said: “We are s ll collec ng the old notes because the new notes are not available. We just make sure that the old notes are not much with us. Also, we have been encouraging people to do transfer. Some

Osun College Of Health Tech. Students Decry Infrastructural Decay

STUDENTS of Osun State College of Health Technology, Ilesa have lamented that the school lacks infrastructure and facili es needed for a conducive learning environment.

The students who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday under condion of anonymity urged the

management of the college and the state government to provide infrastructure that befits the status of the school.

According to the students, the college is far below a standard secondary school, no ng that necessary infrastructure and facili es were not available in the college.

OSUN DEFENDER noted

that there was no tarred road in the school. The path leading to the classrooms and laboratories were also unpaved, making them to be dusty.

The medium also observed that majority of the classrooms were with damaged windows, with just few tables and chairs.

The school also lacks standard toilets. The re-

Kwasu Dress Code And Moral Sanity On Campus

Kiifayah Aleshinloye

THE Kwara State University (KWASU) have introduced new dress codes. They have outlawed the use of lewd clothes and related materials. Some students applaud the move; others are not comfortable with it. But the ins tu ons are defending their ac ons, warning that errant students will be sanc oned.

Under the new dress code regime in KWASU, girls are not to wear sleeveless or blouses with deep cleavages, mini-skirts and transparent clothes; the boys cannot wear shorts, dungarees, earrings and afro hair style. They can also not sag their trousers or plait their hair. Both sexes cannot wear ta ered (or flowery) jeans, heavy jewelry, ankle chain or slippers; nor can they pierce their bodies (nose, mouth,

tongue).

Besides, the school barred the cohabita on of male and female students on or offcampus. In the past, both sexes had separate hostels on campus. Some of those living off-campus co-habited. A student (who does not want to be named) described the measure as an infringement on students’ freedom and right to associate and interact without hindrance.

In addi on, students are barred from using clothes with obscene inscrip ons, fez caps or any other face covering, wearing es loosely (for boys), rolling up sleeves, and wearing ar ficial hair beyond shoulder length, among others.

While some students like the new dress codes, others find fault in it. I personally think the enforcement of these rules are for the be erment of the students. Like in mass communica on department, lecturers

do not allow their students to dress anyhow. They had sent me out once for not complying with departmental dress code.

The society generally is degenera ng and immoral acts are fast becoming the norms. Educa on goes beyond the four walls of classroom and literacy. University is a training ground to build a complete human being who is able to fit-in in all sphere of life. Educa on, morality, discipline, values and good character are what the ivory tower train the students for. That is well the dress code rule by the University of Ilorin is welcome.

Discipline starts from physical appearance, that is why it is important to have proper dressing on campus. I hope my fellow youths will appreciate this.

•Aleshinloye Kiifayah Dasola, Mass Comm. Dept, 200 level, Reg No: 202290050561HF

of us have resolved to take whatever amount of the old naira notes to Osogbo on Monday.”

We’ve Circulated Enough New Currencies To Go Around - CBN

But the Central Bank of Nigeria, Osogbo branch, said it has circulated enough of the new naira notes to commercial banks, urging residents with old notes to go to their banks and change them to new ones.

The CBN warned commercial banks in the state against disbursing old naira notes, urging customers to report any bank disbursing the old currencies.

Deputy Director, Banking Supervision of the apex bank, Dr. Adetona Adedeji, stated this during a sensisa on tour on Wednesday.

He said: “We want to assure the people of Osun State that the Central Bank of Nigeria has printed enough money that will go round and our people should endeavour to take their old notes to the banks and collect the new ones.

strooms were uncompleted as of the me this medium visited it.

According to the students, they had no other op on than to be relieving themselves in bushes when nature calls, since the school lacks func oning toilet.

A student of Health Informa on Management department who gave her name as Morayo, in a chat with OSUN DEFENDER, lamented that available chairs and tables in her classrooms were not enough for the students.

“Even the available chairs and tables are not comfortable, they are old chairs that are already fallen apart. We are learning under a very challenging environment”, said Morayo.

Another student of the school, Abiola, decried the poor road system and facilies on the campus.

According to him, the untarred road and unpaved path to their classrooms make the school buildings and classrooms dusty, and as a result make their clothes and shoes dirty as well.

He said: “Look at everywhere, dusty. No tarred road, no paved path to our classrooms. We don’t even have toilets. We go to the bush to relieve ourselves any me the nature calls. The environment is not conducive for learning at all.”

“There is no bank that will pay you with old notes now. All banks have enough new currency to go around. So, we are appealing to our people to adhere to the instruc ons. By midnight on January 31st, the old notes will cease to be legal tender in Nigeria.

“I can assure you that there is no bank in this state as of today that can afford to pay the old notes. The direc ve is so clear and CBN has given them enough currency to circulate.

“Banks have stop given out old notes since last Friday and if any bank is s ll disbursing old currencies, such bank should be reported to CBN, Osogbo branch”.

Speaking during the sensi sa on tour, a resident of the state, Onyema Udeze, appealed to the Federal Government to extend the deadline, saying the direc ve was having a nega ve impact on traders.

Udeze who sells secondhand clothes around Oke Onitea, Osogbo, said his sales have dropped because he was rejec ng the old notes from his customers.

He said: “I am a trader and I don’t have a bank account. I deal with money daily and because of the direc ve, some of my customers who came to buy goods with old notes were not a ended to and the repercussion is that I couldn’t get money to feed my family.

“The new naira notes has not circulated very well and in as much as I admire the ini a ve, I want to appeal to the Federal Government to extend the deadline from January 31st”.

•Former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in the State of Osun, Hon. Adelani Baderinwa, in a group photograph with family and well-wishers, during his 60th birthday, last weekend. Photo: Shola Aderinto.

Ismaeel Uthman

Mbappe In Fresh Clash After Neymar, Messi Fallout

KYLIAN Mbappe’s appointment as the new vice-captain of Paris Saint-Germain has appeared not to go down well with the squad with Presnel Kimpembe now speaking out.

Mbappe faces a fresh problem in the Paris Saint-Germain dressing

room a er Kimpembe confirmed he was “not made aware” of the striker replacing him as the club’s vice-captain.

Mbappe captained Les Parisiens and he ne ed a club-record five-goal haul in their 7-0 thrashing of French sixth- er minnows US Pays de Cassel

on Monday.

He led the team out for the first me in the absence of club captain Marquinhos with his increased status at the club, following his new threeyear contract penned last May.

PSG boss, Christophe Gal er explained:

“I decided that he is the second captain since the beginning of the season, he deserves to have this armband when Marquinhos is not there because he has decided to stay.”

However, that decision was not communicated to Kimpembe, who had previously held the status.

“In the last few hours, I have been able to hear and read a lot about myself,” Kimpembe wrote on Instagram.

“I therefore wish to make things clear in order to avoid con nuing to spread false informa on in this regard. I was not made aware of this deci-

Barcelona To Register Gavi After Memphis Depay’s Departure - Report

BARCELONA are reportedly set to register Gavi as a firstteam player and hand him No 6 shirt, following Memphis Depay’s departure. Gavi signed a new contract earlier this season but it had been thought he had have to wait un l the end of the campaign to be officially registered with the senior squad.

However, Cope are repor ng that Barca are hoping to be able to reg-

ister Gavi in the coming days and are just wai ng for the green light from La Liga.

Barca seem to have a li le wiggle room a er seeing Memphis Depay depart for Atle co. It seems unlikely a replacement will arrive which means renewals are the focus instead.

Gavi looks to be the priority, if the report proves to be correct, although Barca also s ll need to register Ron-

ald Araujo with the first team.

The Catalans are also keen to hand Alejandro

Balde a new deal as soon as finances allow but that might have to wait un l the summer.

sion, this is completely false. That said, I will always respect the decisions of the club.”

The decision to install Mbappe as vice-captain also notably overlooked Lionel Messi for the role – the Argen ne had captained Barcelona for three seasons but does not hold similar status in Paris. Mbappe directed one of his goal celebra ons in the World Cup final in front of Messi, hin ng at heightened tensions between the two.

Mbappe, PSG’s only representa ve in the French World Cup squad, was mocked by Argen na goalkeeper, Emi Mar nez in the victors’ celebra ons a er the final. Mbappe was given me off by the club as they honoured Messi’s triumph upon his return to further add fuel to sugges ons of a fractured rela onship.

BVAS Will Retire Fraudulent Politicians - Osun REC

•Says 394, 880 PVCs Yet To Be Collected In The State

THE Resident Electoral Commissioner for the Independent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC) in the State of Osun, Dr Muu Agboke, has said that using the Bimodal Voter Accredita on System (BVAS) will re re all fraudulent policians in future elec ons.

Agboke stated this on Wednesday in Osogbo, the state capital at the forum for Strategic Dialogue Between Chris an and Muslim Religious Leaders with the commission.

The programme was organised by a faith based organisa on, Jus ce Development and Peace Makers’ Centre (JDPMC).

Agboke said that BVAS will be used for both accredita on and transmission of the results at the polling units, sta ng that no electorate will be allowed to vote without being accredited with BVAS.

He charged the religious leaders to educate the electorate to be part of elec oneering process in their various communi es, to ensure that nobody bypasses the BVAS accredita on during the elec on.

The REC also restated that the commission will deploy security agencies that will monitor vote buyers and sellers on elec on days.

He, however, called on religious leaders to use their pla orm to preach against vote buying and violence during and a er the elecons.

Agboke said “I enjoin everyone to be part of this process by repor ng those that always disrupt elec on and cause violence on elecon day. Let’s stay back after our vote and get the total number of accredita on and votes cast in our polling units before leaving.

“Any polling unit with interrup on of votes, destrucon on the elec on will record zero vote.

“We will arrest and shame anyone caught selling their PVC to others. We will also deal with vote buyers on elec on day.

“The total number of those who have collected their Permanent Voters Cards, (PVC) in Osun State is 1,560,777, while those who are yet to collect their PVCs are 394,880.

“Most of the uncollected PVC are the old cards. Some of the owners of these cards have relocated without process of the transfer of their cards.”

The Grand Imam of the state, Shaikh Musa Animasahun, represented by the Special Assistant to the Grand Imam, Alfa Abdusalam Akinwumi and the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Osogbo, Bishop John Oyejola, urged those who are yet to collect their PVC to do the needful for them to be able to choose their leaders.

They warned poli cians to desist from using thugs to disrupt elec on, just as they called for peaceful conduct of the 2023 general elecons.

Speaking at the programme, the Coordinator of Jus ce Development and Peace Makers’ Centre, (JDPMC), Rev. Father Peter Akinkunmi, explained that the forum was called for spiritual leaders to have clearer insight and understand direc on as Nigeria is preparing for the general elec on.

Akinkunmi stressed that it is very important that everyone is carried along, especially strategic stakeholders

in the society. He said: “In Osun state, we know that spiritual leaders have the heart and mind of the people. A lot is going on in the media and communi es sensi sa on. But we know how wonderful and powerful it could be if the spiritual leaders are completely involved in the process of sensi sa on and mobilising people ahead of the coming elec on.

“We call for solidarity with the Persons with Dis-

ability in the process of PVC collec on. Let all ci zens be generous in giving them priority on queues and all forms of support necessary to ensure that they are disenfranchised ahead of the elec on.

“We make special appeal to INEC to ensure that through credible data disaggrega on, it is able to deploy appropriate support materials needed by persons with disability such as blindness and albinism to the very PU where they have registered.

“Finally, we are confi-

dent that religious leaders would intensify their various efforts in using the religious pla orm for sensi sa on and voter educa on ahead of the elec on.

“In compliance, however with the electoral law, let it be noted that religious centres can only educate the people on how and not who to vote. As we draw closer to the elec ons, JDPMC shall con nue to further her collabora on with all people of goodwill to work for a peaceful, inclusive and credible elec on in 2023.”

Kidnapping, Political Violence On The Rise In Osun

Continued from page 4

tered about the development, descried the poli cs of destruc on, in mida on and violence allegedly being played by a na onal assembly candidate of the party in the area.

OSUN DEFENDER also noted that some of the campaign billboards of Hon. Ajibola Famurewa, the Osun East Senatorial candidate of the APC, in Ilesa have also been destroyed.

It would be recalled that the lawmaker represen ng Ijesa South Federal Cons tuency at the House of Representaves, Hon. Babatunde Ayeni, had two weeks ago raised the alarm over the spate of poli cal violence in Ijesaland.

Ayeni noted that conduc ng elec on in the part of the state might be difficult if the trend is not

checked.

The lawmaker who called on the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, to wade in on the recent a ack on members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ijesaland, said the polical violence in the area was becoming worrisome and needed urgent security a en on.

CSO Decries Violence, Calls On Policians To Play By The Rules

A civil society group, the Peoples’ Advocates, has decried spate of poli cal violence in the state, calling on security agencies to live up to expecta ons and as a ma er of duty restore sanity in to the poli cal system.

The group, in a press statement, signed by its

Chairman and Secretary, Barr. Bayo Alade and Comr. Jolapamo Bolanle, respec vely condemned a acks on persons and facili es and proper es of poli cal opponents in the state.

The statement reads in part: “The recent report by an intelligence group (SMB intelligence) that rated Osun as the state with highest polical violence case in 2022 is disturbing.

“It is even more alarming going by the trend of poli cal violence cases like disrup on of campaign billboards, attack on poli cal offices, among others that have been reported in the state just 15 days into 2023 and few weeks to

the February general elec ons.

“We call on all polical actors in the state to play be the rule and excuse violence. We equally charge the security agencies in the state to be up and doing. Osun had been rated as third most peaceful state in Nigeria before, descending from that ladder should be a cause of concern for every stakeholder.”

UTHMAN BASHIRAT

Yusuf Oketola

KEHINDE

That I was formerly known and addressed as ADEAGBO BASHIRAT KEHINDE, now wish to be known and addressed as UTHMAN BASHIRAT KEHINDE. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

D

2023 Elections: The Poor Are Mere Participants

respec vely. The main opposi on PDP which is the ruling party’s Siamese twins fixed its presiden al nomina on form at N40million; governorship N21million; Senate and House of Representa ves at N3.5million and N600,000 respec vely. If PDP were to be the ruling party, its nomina on form fee could have, most likely, surpassed that of APC.

“Truth be told, the poor have lost out in the 2023 general elections, especially on 25th February Presidential and National Assembly elections as that elections have been won and lost, between the ruling elite and the poor - before, during and after the primaries that produced the candidates of all major political parties”

The poor will definitely find it extremely difficult, except they are lucky to have a moneybag that is sympathe c to their cause and prepared to clandesnely support with the logis cs involved.

Forma on of Na onal Conscience Party (NCP) in 1994 by Late Chief Gani Fawehinmi to galvanize and provide a polical pla orm for the poor against military ban on all poli cal party is an example of such rare cases. But why couldn’t a poli cal party be limited to local, state or region for limited objec ve within such locality? A er all, Ac on Group (AG) which was formed in Ibadan on 21 March, 1951 as an arm of Egbe Omo Oduduwa was western region based and won regional power in Western Nigeria under Bri sh Colonialism and also partook in the na onal elec ons on the eve of Nigeria independence in 1960 but was unable to garner required votes and support outside its confined region. If the military had not taken power in 1966 and dismantled poli cal development, AG or any regional party, would have formed an alliance or evolved as a na onal party.

Truth be told, the poor have lost out in the 2023 general elec ons, especially on 25th February Presiden al and Naonal Assembly elec ons as that elecons have been won and lost, between the ruling elite and the poor - before, during and a er the primaries that produced the candidates of all major poli cal par es. Recall that the tag price placed on nomina on form and expression of interest in their conven ons last year clearly shredded the poor and the middle-class elements that were deceiving themselves by claiming to be members of these par es. For instance, the ruling APC nomina on form and expression of interest fee for a presiden al aspirant was N70million and N30million respec vely, totaling N100milion; N50million for governorship aspirant; N20million and N10million for Senatorial and House of Representa ves aspirants

At their conven ons where their candidates that will contest next month general elec ons emerged, it was so designed, schemed and moni sed that no poor or middle-class element who has genuine interest to contribute to development of our society could either aspire or have capacity to emerge as a candidate except those who had appropriated our collec ve wealth to their private pockets when they held sway in government.

Yes, campaign for mass collec on of PVC and massive vo ng by the people for the candidates of their choice is lo y based on promises of be er life by candidates. But experiences should have, by now, taught the poor people some lessons that what they will get in exchange

STRIKER

for giving them mandate is increase of misery and poverty in the midst of abundance while the ruling elite take jolly good care of themselves. For instance, the outgoing 9thNa onal Assembly legislators who would not be returning to the Na onal Assembly have taken care of themselves in the 2023 na onal budget. They have carved out N30.17b severance package for themselves, to be drawn from N21.83 trillion passed by same Naonal Assembly on 28th December, 2022 and signed into law by President Buhari on 3rd January, 2023 for 2023 fiscal year, which is an increase of almost N7billion than the 8th Assembly package in spite their humongous monthly salaries and various allowances. Same applies in the states and local governments between execu ves and legislators but the poor, at all levels, have no succor but an uninterrupted suffering.

If the truth must be said, the poor, who are the majority, will only be choosing between Satan and Lucifer. Ab ini o, they have been schemed out of the leadership and representa on. Therefore, no illusion a er the elec ons and inaugura-

Striker is not

ELECTIONS are an integral component of democracy. The best legal brains are nominated, confirmed and appointed to leadership posi ons in the judiciary at local, state and federal levels but the legislatures and execuves must be periodically elected by the consent of the majority adult popula on in a democracy.

Democracy is not all about elec ons. Democracy packs a lot, including separa ons of powers among the judiciary, execu ve and legislature; poli cal party forma ons; internal party democra c processes; poli cal campaigns; equality of ci zens and the rule of law; presumpon of innocence, free hearing and trial; the freedom of the press and fundamental human rights of ci zens; and so on. However, elec on into public offices is a fundamental necessity of democracy, and is usually, for good reasons, more a ended to than other issues; perhaps because once the people in public offices do not get their mandate through the consent of the people, all other cri cal expecta ons are mortgaged ab ini o.

Democra c governance is about popular par cipa on in how the people are governed, in their best interest.

on of the winners as it will be business as usual-the ruling elite will con nue to protect their own interest but incessantly launch a acks on the living and working condi ons of the poor. It is only through their collec ve struggles and protests one or two concessions could be won and lost over me as the ruling elite get more emboldened, jus fying it on “austerity measure” without necessarily affec ng their frolicking and flamboyant lifestyle. Unfortunately, there is no short route for the poor to liberate themselves other than to organise, mobilise and struggle to form their own poli cal party in name and ideology and with candidates for public offices emerging from their real sweat, strength and blood only and not by other immediate pecuniary factors. Alternately, they could massively join one of the exis ng par es, in an organised manner with deliberate intent, to do same. If they could a ain this feat sooner than later, then, freedom is in sight for be er life and happiness for the poor who are the majority democracy craves.

Election And Toxic Politics

offices - elected or appointed by those elected – should be keen to listen to the people, fathom their yearnings and aspira ons, and ready to serve to deliver dividends that meet those yearnings and aspira ons. In Nigeria, it has turned out largely, except for a few excep ons in personality and places, to be a sadly wrong assump on.

Public offices are sought, desperately and violently, for all sorts of reasons except for the public good to the extent that a former president declared elec ons as a do-or-die affair! How, for the sake of God, can any man/woman wish to be er the lots of his/her community and people so desperately as to not mind killing and maiming as many persons as he/she perceives as standing in the way? There are unnumbered unresolved cases of high profile poli cal assassina ons and brigandage, the most lamentable and painfully ironic being the killing of a si ng Minister of Jus ce and A orney General of the Federa on! Not to men on death and maiming of many “unknown civilians” and loss of proper es in nameless billions of naira.

President Muhammadu Buhari was

quoted to have once said he will keep the iden ty of his preferred successor close to his chest as he does not want him to be eliminated before his me. What a damning indictment to a deadly poli cs and dispiri ng pointers to the fact that our elites and poli cians have not learnt much either from the past, or of democracy itself. The terrible hangover of protracted military rule – brutal and authoritarian – and the history of monarchy and colonialism combined s ll weigh heavily on their mentality! With the unprecedented level of insecurity in the na on, it is no me to add poli cal and electoral violence, which are alien to true democracy. Of course, Fela has characterised ours as demoncrazy (demonstra on of craze) with all the toxic meaning anyone is free to read into that. However, me is now for the youth and women, who are the majority players in poli cs, to have a rethink on the role imposed on them and redefine their own place, goals and ac ons by themselves. Such paradigm shi and acons are the only hope for a new “polics without bi erness” where elec ons will not be “a do-or-die affair.”