Osun Defender Online Version of July 01, 2022

FRIDAY, JULY 01 - THURSDAY, JULY 07, 2022 VOL 17 NO 25 DEVELOPMENT

INSIGHT

Initiating Sustainability

A New Deal To Rehabilitate The Offender - Page 4

- Page 5

8 Parties, Candidates Yet To Begin Campaigns Two Weeks To Osun Guber Poll Ismaeel Uthman Sodiq Yusuf

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WO weeks to the July 16 governorship elec on in the State of Osun, eight poli cal par es and their candidates are yet to begin campaigns for the poll.

The par es and candidates, OSUN DEFENDER gathered, are yet to either begin ward to ward, local government, mega rallies, paste posters or erect campaign billboards ahead of the elec on, 74 days a er INEC li ed the ban on poli cal campaigns.

According to the list of governorship candidates released by the Independent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC), 15 poli cal par es are contes ng the July 16 governorship elec on in the State of Osun.

It was noted that aside the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democra c Party (PDP), Accord Party (AP), Social Democra c Party (SDP), Labour Party (LP), Ac on Democra c Party (ADP) and Peoples Redemp on Party (PRP), other poli cal par es and their candidates have not put up any campaign measure.

The situa on, it was reliably learnt, is evident throughout the state as many ci zens of the state are not even aware of the par es and their candidates.

Findings by OSUN DEFENDER also revealed that most of the poli cal pares do not have func onal secretariats, while some hurriedly put up office months leading to major elec ons in the state.

Some poli cal analysts who spoke with the medium yesterday contended that the reason behind the inability of the poli cal par es to campaign for the •Continued on page 2

•Affected Parties Not Well Grounded In Osun Politics - Analysts •We Are Not Familiar With Other Parties - Residents

OSUN 2022: The Debate

Cuts and Thrusts On the road To Bola Ige House monitored by Yusuf Oketola

K

•Ogunbiyi

•Gov. Oyetola

•Lasun

•Ademola

•Omigbodun

UDOS to the Yoruba program of the Bri sh Broadcas ng Corporaon for the refreshing debate which brought together some candidates in the race for the State of Osun governorship seat. It was greatly needed in a lackluster campaign.

At the debate, candidates of five major poli cal par es in the state were in a endance. Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP), Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, Accord Party (AP), Rt. •Continued on page 7

Osun APC ticket: Adeoti, Oyetola Know Fate On July 14

Pg. 6

FRIDAY, JULY 01 - THURSDAY, JULY 07, 2022

2

News

8 Parties, Candidates Yet To Begin Campaigns Two Weeks To Osun Guber Poll •Continued from page 1 governorship elec on is based on their numerical strength, especially at the grassroots.

While the medium noced the campaign billboards of some candidates of the non-major poli cal par es in Osogbo, the state capital, others are nowhere to be found in major towns like Ife, Ilesa, Ejigbo, Ede, Ikire, Gbongan, Okuku, Ibokun, Iwo, Ikirun, Ila among others.

Some of the other pares contes ng the elec on are the Young Democra c Party - YPP, Zenith Labour Party - ZLP, New Nigeria Peoples Party - NNPP, Allied Peoples Movement APM, Ac on Peoples Party - APP, Boot Party - BP, Naonal Rescue Movement – NRM and African Ac on Congress – AAC. Some of the poli cal par es and governorship candidates, it was learnt, were wai ng to step down for either Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the APC or Senator Ademola Adeleke of the PDP. Inves ga ons revealed that some of the poli cal par es were running a ‘one man show’ in which there are no other members of the par es than its chairmen and the handpicked secretaries.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the Chairman of Boot Party, Prince Adesoji Masilo, is also the governorship candidate of the party, while Adesuyi John

•Parties Not Campaigning Are Not Well Grounded In Osun Politics - Analysts •We Are Not Aware of Other Parties - Residents

• Some of the newly recruited Cadets of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps( NSCDC) during their psychology assessments in Osogbo, recently.

Olufemi who is the Chairman of ZLP is also the flagbearer of the party.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, a resident of the state, Mr. Abiodun Gbolagade said aside the dominant par es and their candidates, he was unaware that other par es are contes ng the July 16 elec on.

He said from his observa ons, only the APC, PDP, Accord Party and Labour

Party are serious in the contest.

According to him: “I do not even know their names or where their secretariats are. It is only during the elec on period that we hear about them. I do not know that they are even contes ng. I work in the metropolis, I do not see anyone around here campaigning for either Boot Party or ZLP or that par es.

“The truth is that these par es are not visible. They are just there to make the list of those contes ng. They do not have any structures to win. Just ask an average resident of the state if they know these par es. I am sure their answers will concur with mine. They are not on ground. They are not serious.”

Corrobora ng him, a trader at the popular Oris-

umbare market in Osogbo, Mrs. Kehinde Adegoke said she only knows of the candidates of the APC and PDP as contestants in the forthcoming elec on.

Asked why, she explained: “I am a trader.

I come to Orisumbare everyday. Ever since the contest started, I have only been seeing APC and PDP people. They come to campaign to us almost every week. Some of their

Osun 2022: British High Commission Delegates Visit Osun Kazeem Badmus

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N prepara on for the July 16 governorship elec on in the State of Osun, the Bri sh High Commission delegates, on Tuesday paid a visit to the State Governor, Adeboyega Oyetola.

Oyetola, who is seeking a second term will be contesting with 14 other candidates in the elec on.

Speaking during the visit, the leader of the delega on, Mr. Wale Adebayo, said they

were in the state on pre-elecon visit as part of efforts to assess and measure the level of readiness and preparaon of the poli cal par es, their candidates, the Independent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agents among other concerned authori es.

Adebayo added that the commission will not support any candidate but rather observe how the elec on is being conducted and as well reach out to the candidates

to know if there is any challenge.

He said: “We are the team from the Bri sh High Commission and we are here in Osun on pre-elec on visit to the state to see how prepared the state is for the elec on. We are here to meet with the stakeholders in the elec on especially with the key poli cal par es who are contes ng for the governorship elec on in the State.

“We have been to INEC to see how prepared they are

•Gov. Oyetola with the British High Commissioner delegates.

for the elec on and we have also met members of the Civil Society Organiza ons and we will be mee ng the Commissioner of Police to know the level of security measures they have put in place.

“We will meet with the candidates contes ng for the elec on to assess the level of their prepara on for the elec on. Basically, we are here to let you know that we are coming to observe the elec on as members of interna onal community. It is our responsibility to observe the elec on process.

“We are not here to support any candidate but to observe how the elec on is being conducted and as well reach out to the candidates to know if there’s any challenge”.

In his remarks, Governor Oyetola described elec on as a contest that must be seen as a peaceful race by contestants, expressing displeasure over the inflammatory comments credited to the gubernatorial candidate of the main opposi on party, saying such unguided tantrums could trigger violence and cause havoc on the peaceful

atmosphere reigning in the State.

He enjoined the local and interna onal electoral observers, par cularly the Bri sh High Commission, to watch the opposi on par es closely because of the unfolding events.

The Governor said: “I must commend and appreciate the Bri sh High Commission for its interest in deepening Nigeria’s democracy and for taking the struggle down here with the sole aim of ensuring peaceful, free, fair and credible elec on.

“Osun remains the most peaceful State in Nigeria and we are doing everything humanly possible to protect that enviable status.

“My only concern has to do with the a tude of the opposi on par es par cularly the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP), in terms of preaching violence when they go out for campaign with words like ‘fire for fire’ and one of them recently said they will use bombs freely during the elec on, those statements as we all know can incite people and cause unnecessary violence”.

candidates have even met our leaders and those are the ones I know.

“Honestly, I just heard the names of these pares from you for the first me. The people do not know them. All they know is APC and PDP. I know Lasun and Ogunbiyi are contes ng too but I cannot even remember their pares at my finger ps. I just know they are contes ng.

But, the APC and PDP are the ones our people know very well.”

Commen ng on the development, a poli cal analyst, Comrade Dare Alabi, said it is unsurprising that the situa on is what is obtainable two weeks before the governorship elec on in Osun.

Alabi argued that the par es are not serious contenders because they do not have the numerical and financial strength to mobilise the electorate to support their aspira ons.

He said: “Unless we want to lie to ourselves, these poli cal par es do not have the strength to face the dominant poli cal par es in the elec on.

This is because they do not have the required internal structure to convince the over five million residents of Osun to support their aspira on.

“Another huge factor is that their candidates are not popular. The people do not know them. So, why would they worry on campaigning when they do not even have the resources?

They are only there to get the pride of governorship candidates and that is all.

They are not in for any serious business.”

Reac ng to comments in the media of the nonvisibility of his campaign, the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representa ves and governorship candidate of the Labour Party, Hon. Lasun Yussuff, said his party had resorted to strategic in-depth campaigns, which as at June 23, had covered 16 local government areas of the state.

He confirmed on a private radio sta on programme to also hold public campaign ou ngs a er the local government tours before the elec on.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that only the deputy governorship candidates of the Peoples Redemp on Party, Comrade Emmanuel Olowu, is campaigning for the party. The flagbearer of the party is unknown to the residents of the state.

Poli cal par es contes ng the Osun Governorship elec on, are expected to round off their campaigns on July 14, 48 hours to the much an cipated elec on.

PEOPLE FIRST

FRIDAY, JULY 01 - THURSDAY, JULY 07, 2022

3

Review & Outlook

BY JAMES ASHIPA Thumbs Up For Progressive Reforms

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HE appointment in 2022 of the highly regarded reformist Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as the minister in charge of the country’s internal security mechanism it was regarded as an inspired choice.

A life long progressive of the social democra c hue the choice signalled a commitment to reforms and impac ng civilising values on a broken down system.

Aregbesola is well suited for the task. He had himself suffered injus ce when a broken down system took as in forever to restore the mandate willingly bestowed on him by the electorate through the courts. This must have been instruc ve, a painful personal experience.

It is therefore not surprising that at a recent review Aregbesola sensibly called for no more than a twelve months process between the arrests of the suspect and judicial adjudica on. He is correct, anything else will be unaccept-

E

“The reasons for the decline of progressive politics include questionable character of political personalities, lack of ideology and using the term for mere sloganeering, weaponization of poverty, adverse impact of money politics, and pervasive influence of cronyism to the detriment of competence”

“Aregbesola is well suited for the task. He had himself suffered injustice when a broken down system took as in forever to restore the mandate willingly bestowed on him by the electorate through the courts.

This must have been instructive, a painful personal experience” able in a democracy. The case for a holis c revamp of the criminal jus ce system is compelling as a ma er of fact it is inescapable.

There is a lot more to be done.

Admirable ini a ves have been put in place to rehabilitate the offender, it is a delight to see some of them taking exams and gradua ng from inside correc onal centers this thrust should con nue. It is not just the right thrust it also provides safeguards and a stablising buffer for society.

The review is commendable and we wish the minister more vigour as he embarks on the last lap of his tenure in office.

Low Key Electioneering VEN in a virtual age, something is disturbing for democracy about the recent tenor and format of elec ons in Nigeria.

Off-season, as well as by-elecons, are lacking the cut and thrusts, the contesta on of ideas conven onally associated with the process.

For example, the recently concluded governorship in Eki State appeared to have focussed all of the theatres of opera ons on the ac vi es of elec on day rather than vitally on the build up to the elec on itself.

It is telling that in the Eki State governorship elec on a leading candidate turned up for a live television debate organised by a na onal broadcaster towards the end. That (pardon the pun) speaks volumes.

With fi een days to go the offseason governorship elec on is not exactly invigora ng either. As

The Future Of Progressive Politics In Nigeria

with Eki it’s very much humdrum without any vigour in the selling of programs.

The opposi on par es seeking to replace a si ng government in a state should be providing a compelling alterna ve. Sadly, they are not. This exposes the none ideologically inclined thrust of what is described as “poli cs” in Nigeria.

The defini on is destruc ve.

“Stomach Infrastructure” has replaced manifestoes. It implies that Elec on Day is the only social contract in a democracy. Without an all encompassing social contract binding to the par cipants, do not expect any meaningful ‘dividends of democracy’.

We once did be er than this in previous republics with beneficial results. We should reinvent that period. It is to be hoped in that in the interest of a country at a cri cal juncture that the presiden al will be a more serious affair. It had be er be.

raises wages and takes on the economic and poli cal power of the oligarchy?”

Since her poli cal independence on October 1st 1960, the Nigerian poli cal space Awolowo has witnessed its fair share of progressive CCORDING to David Easton, “poli- poli cs from the First Republic to the curcs is the authorita ve alloca on rent Fourth Republic with such poli cal giof values”, which is necessary due ants as Ahmadu Bello, Obafemi Awolowo, to limited resources to meet the insa able Nnamdi Azikiwe, Michael Opara, Tafawa needs of man and to reconcile the conflict Balewa striding the poli cal space like between capital and labour on how to ap- colossus and implemen ng progressive programs in the First Republic. In the Secpropriate the surplus value.

Progressive poli cs is one of the strate- ond Republic, poli cally savvy individuals gies developed to ensure that the interest formed progressive poli cal par es such as of the common man is taken care of in the the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), Nigerian society by having as its goals, the protec- People’s Party (NPP), Na onal Party of Nion of social welfare, promo on of moral geria (NPN), Nigeria Advance Party (NAP), improvement, crea on of economic reform Greater Nigerian People’s Party (GNPP), and fostering efficiency. In modern poli cs, People’s Redemp on Party (PRP) and imit is viewed as part of the le -liberal tradi- plemented progressive programs such as on and in the 21st century, a movement free educa on, housing for all, effec ve that iden fies as progressive is “a social or agricultural policies et al to move their poli cal movement that aims to represent socie es towards economic growth and the interests of ordinary people through prosperity. The Third Republic was brief poli cal change and the support of gov- as it was designed to be a s llbirth by the military. The Fourth Republic was ushered ernment ac ons.”

Furthermore, in order to underscore in on May 29, 1999 and brought a lot of the significance of progressive poli cs to hope and promises to Nigerians, espeensure the survival of democracy, Theo- cially a er the ill-fated June 12, 1993 elecon. dore Roosevelt recognizes that “a great As the 2023 general elec on is fast democracy has got to be progressive or it will soon cease to be great or a democ- approaching, Nigeria is now the poverty racy” and Bernie Sanders asserts that “the capital of the world and UNICEF has deAmerican people must make a fundamen- clared that the country is home to 18.5 tal decision. Do we con nue the 40 years million out of school children. Insecurity decline of the middle class or do we fight has assumed more dangerous dimensions for a progressive agenda that creates jobs, as apart from a ack on schools, airports, trains are being a acked and our roads are no longer safe to travel on for fear of being kidnapped for ransom or killed, which Publisher – Moremi Publishing has made the future of House Ltd. progressive poli cs bleak Deputy Editor – Ismaeel Uthman and opaque for several Produc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa reasons. Medical tourism Reporter – Yusuf Oketola is now the order of the day Reporter – Kazeem Badmus as our health sector has Photo Journalist – Olushola Aderinto literally collapsed due to Computer Graphics – Zainab Olalere falling infrastructure and OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing a dearth of qualified medical personnel to man the House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), Gbogan Road Osogbo, dilapida ng medical facilies. Ter ary educa on is in State of Osun comatose because governISSN : 0794-8050 ment has refused to meet Telephone : 0809-301-9152 a 2019 agreement it willWebsite : www.osundefender.com/index.php ingly signed with ASUU. e-mail : osundefender@yahoo.com osundefenderbank@gmail.com Read full article on All correspondence to the above email addresses. www.osundefender.com

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OSUN DEFENDER

FRIDAY, JULY 01 - THURSDAY, JULY 07, 2022

4

Insight

Making Nigerian Custodial Centres A Path To Creating Better Version Of Offenders Ismaeel Uthman

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AMERICA is the land of second chance, and when the gates of the prison open, the path ahead should lead to a be er life.”

This statement was made

by President George W. Bush, in his State of the Union Address to the Congress on January 20, 2004 while introducing Prisoner Reentry Ini a ve to the United State system. Among other things, the ini a ve relied on ‘local partners to deliver a wide range of social services to help ex-offenders successfully return to the community’.

The Nigerian society has a nega ve percep on about ex-convicts and it is difficult for ex-offenders to be integrated into the society except in rare cases that may not be unconnected with poli cs. This age-long percep on has damaged the psychology of many former inmates, who felt rejected and unfit to con nue to live among normal people.

Besides, the prison is to among other things, rehabilitate the inmates and ensure that the society is free from the criminals serving their jail terms. But the Nigerian prisons are far from achieving the established goal of rebuilding and rehabilita ng the inmates, amidst conges on of the prisons. Iden fica on of this challenge necessitated the prison reforms embarked upon by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola since 2020.

The reform has achieved among other things, the change of nomenclature from Nigerian Prison Service to Nigerian Correc onal Service; ongoing decongeson of correc onal centres, building of modern facili es and capacity building for the NCoS personnel.

In furtherance of the reform, the NCoS on Monday and Tuesday organised a two-day retreat themed: The Nigerian Correc onal Service: Mee ng the Public Expecta ons. The programme named 2nd Controller General of Correc ons Retreat, was to review and reflect the service’s performance, including challenges in recent mes.

The iden fied challenges at the retreat are: jail break, a acks on correc onal centres, poor facili es, conges ons of prisons, lack of mo va on for staff, among others.

In addressing the challenges, speakers and discussants at the events agreed that there must be synergy between the NCoS and the judiciary to fast-track dispensa on of jus ce that will reduce number of awai ng trial inmates in the custodial centres.

Also, inmates must be treated well in a way to ins ll correc ons on them – thereby bringing out the core purpose of making the prisons correc onal homes as against puni ve centres it is known for.

According to the discussants, change may not come to correc onal centres except with the pure inten ons of Mr. President, no ng that there are some reforms that need the poli cal will of the president to drive.

It was noted that some inmates are illegally communica ng with people in the outside world. To address that, it was suggested that the correc onal facilies should have call centres where inminates will be allowed to make phone calls with proper monitoring.

To address the threats to the custodial centres, discussants stated that the NCoS must work on the compromise and complacency of its personnel with standard opera onal procedures.

Part of the sugges ons to address the challenges facing the correc onal centres are; engagement of members of the public to pay fines of minor offenders, appointment of trad onal rulers as chancellors for the custodial centres with a view to ensure be er management of the facili es, and that the inmates should be allowed to con nue their legi mate life in the prison but with clear separa on of hardened criminals with minor offenders.

Speaking at the Day 2 of the retreat, the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola called on the judicial arm of government to support the ongoing reform in the Nigeria Correc onal Service through mely conclusion of criminal cases.

Aregbesola specifically advocated a 12-month meline for dispensa on of jus ce on criminal cases

•Aregbesola addressing the participants at the retreat. brought to the court.

According to him, the judiciary should ensure that from arrest of suspects to conclusion of their cases in court, the maximum me spent should not be more than 12-month.

He urged personnel of the correc onal service to begin the advocacy for a year dispensa on of jus ce on criminal cases.

Aregbesola said he is a vic m of delay in jus ce delivery, no ng that his case on the restora on of his stolen mandate in 2007 acvated the judiciary to peg the conclusion of elec on cases to a year.

The former governor of Osun State said mely dispensa on of jus ce on criminal cases will not only reduce the number of awai ng trial inmates and decongest the correc onal facili es but will also save the service a lot of money.

Speaking on the condion of correc onal facili es in the country, Aregbesola said that beyond the law, attudinal change is required from the society and personnel of Nigeria Correconal Service to drive the needed reform.

According to him, majority members of the society do not have correct understanding of what the correcon centres should be, saying that is responsible for some nega ve comments on some issues involving ac vi es of the NCoS personnel.

Aregbesola who bemoaned what he described as unbefi ng status of some of the correc onal facili es urged the NCoS personnel to mobilise community efforts to change the facial appearance of their facili es.

He lamented that some of the correc onal facili es are dampening the morale of the officers and damaging the psychology of the inmates.

“For those of us who have traveled out of the country, you can hardly differen ate between their correc onal facili es and other facili es except for the walls. You have a wonderful facility that would make people passing to stop by and have a look but that is not the case here”, he said.

The minister also spoke on the need to make the

•Personnel of the Nigerian Correctional Service listening to lectures at the event.

correc onal facili es centres for rebuilding inmates through standard opera on procedures and improved welfare for both the inmates and the NCoS personnel.

He said: “Let us have a standard opera ng procedure that will task officers in charge of our facili es to be responsible. If you want to meet public expecta ons, we should start from our appearance.”

Earlier on the Day 1 of the retreat, Aregbesola had called on the NCoS personnel to ensure that all fleeing inmates are recaptured wherever they are.

According to him, the fleeing prisoners cons tute serious threat to the society, describing it as an affront to the society.

He said: “We s ll have the challenge of escaped inmates. Many of them have been arrested. Some came back by themselves while families, vigilantes and other watchmen brought some back.

“But many are s ll out there, portending great danger to our communi es and people. There being out there is an affront to our jusce system. It is curious that

there have been reports of upsurge in violent crimes around the areas where these facili es have been a acked and inmates freed.

They therefore have to be brought back for minds to be at rest.

“In our desire to have greater control and ease the recapture of escaped inmates, it is very important to also have their DNA the moment they come into your care. The usefulness of this is more than recapturing escaped inmates. DNA will give you a near absolute certainty on the iden ty of the inmates in your care, 99.99999 per cent, according to the experts.

“We must fashion out strategies to recapture them. We must use technology to capture these inmates, let use everything we can, let the world knows we are commi ed.”

In his remarks, the Controller General, Haliru Nababa lamented that the custodial centers was being over stretched, saying the current capacity of the 244 custodial facili es of the service should accommodate 58, 278 as against the popula on of 75, 000 inmates it was having.

He added that the service had put up some measures to prevent a acks on its centers across the country.

Nababa said: “Drawing from the above, the NCoS has taken measures that will forestall future a ack such as the forma on and ac vaon of the Rapid Response Team, ini ate more intelligence sharing with other security agencies, the sensi sa on and encouragement of State Governments to implement non-custodial measures as well as the scaling up of the capacity of Armed Squad and Intelligence personnel on the use if high calibre weaponry and intelligence gathering.”

Speaking at the event, immediate past Minister of Interior, Gen. Abdulrahman Danbazau said it is a necessity for Nigeria as a country to meet up with interna onal standard on treatment of inmates and the facili es hos ng them.

Danbazau maintained that though Nigeria is making progress on the prison reform, there is s ll the need to con nue advocacy for deconges on of correconal centres.

He said conges on of correc on centres is a major challenge that must be permanently addressed.

If the sugges ons at the retreats are put to use, the public expecta ons from the Nigerian Correc onal Service will be posi vely met, and the custodial centres will be a path to crea ng a be er version of offenders.

FRIDAY, JULY 01 - THURSDAY, JULY 07, 2022

Agenda

5

A Sustainable Development Thrust •It is with relief that we note the restoration of the need for sustainable development back on the front burner.

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HE Sustainable Development Goals should be at the heart of Nigeria’s economic planning. For the country of unfulfilled expecta ons has for long exemplified a nineteen six es depic on of “growth without development”, “ False Starts” as well as the “Development Of Underdevelopment”.

Striving to a ain the goals of sustainable development is also a way of providing at least a resemblance of a for a long me illusory dividends of democracy.

Kudos to the federal government for walking the talk by facilita ng the funds for the projects commissioned under the SDG’s in the state of Osun on Wednesday.

It is with relief that we appreciate the restora on of the need for sustainable development back on the front burner.

A myriad of projects under the ini a ve of the Sustainable Development Goals were ini ated in the State of Osun on Wednesday, the 29th of June, 2022 The projects, worth over a billion NAIRA, were facilitated by the State Government and financed by the Federal Government through the office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP) headed by H.E Princess Adejoke Adefulire.

The projects include 1000 Capacity Skills Acquisi on and Entrepreneurship Development Centre in Dagbolu, Osogbo; 200bed abused women transit home; Type A Skill Acquisi on Centre and 80-Bed Mother & Child/ Mul purpose Hospital all in Iragbiji, Osun State.

The 1000 Capacity Skills Acquisi on and Entrepreneurship Development Centre in Dagbolu, Osogbo was handled by Dedicom Interna onal Associates Limited as the Project consultants.

Representa ve of Dedicom, Mr Mojeed Jamiu, commended President Muhammadu Buhari, the State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola and Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals OSSAP, H.E Princess Adejoke Adefulire on the successful execu on of the project.

Jamiu congratulated the host community and commended

•The Skill Acquisition Centre commissioned on Wednesday.

•A vital issue in the Sustainable Development Goals - Cutting infant mortality through the mother and child centre them for providing the enabling environment and support which enabled the project to be delivered on me and within the specified meframe.

The projects, according to the Governor, were ini ated and completed in line with the development and empowerment agenda of the administra on.

News We’re Still Fully In TOP – APC Members In Orolu Ismaeel Uthman

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EMBERS of The Osun P ro g r e s sives, a caucus of the All Progressives Con-

gress (APC) in Orolu Local Government of the State of Osun have denied joining the IleriOluwa fac on of the party, saying that they were s ll commi ed to

TOP ideals.

According to the TOP members who came in their hundreds to a end the weekly mee ng of the caucus at Oranmiyan House,

July 16: Osun Muslim Community Seeks Peaceful Election Sodiq Yusuf

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HE Osun State Muslim Community (OSMC) has called on governorship candidates of all poli cal pares par cipa ng in the July 16 gubernatorial elec on and other poli cians to excuse violence before, during and a er the poll.

OSMC made the call just as it charged all eligible voters in the state to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and shun all acts capable of truncating the electoral process.

President of the associaon, Alhaji Mustafa Olawuyi, stated this yesterday while addressing journalists on the schedule of events for the 25th anniversary of the associa on.

Olawuyi who hinted that the Osun State Muslim Community has in the last three weeks been engaging governorship candidates from the various par es on their plans for the state if elected, stressed that voters should come out

•Urges Eligible Voters To Collect PVC

en-masse to vote candidates of their choice in the elec on.

He said: “I appeal to all indigenes of Osun to embrace peace before, during and a er the governorship elec ons. We must also go out en-masse to obtain our PVCs to vote on the elec on day. We are ambassadors of a free and fair exercise. We want our people to go out to vote the candidates of their choice.

“We also appeal to all the poli cal gladiators to embrace peace. Once a winner is announced, that person should be magnanimous in victory and collec vely join hands for the development of Osun. We have tasked all Imams to con nue to pray for peace and a free, fair and credible elec on in July.”

Olawuyi stressed that in the last 25 years, the Osun State Muslim Community

•Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Snr. Special Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals.

has been commi ed to the ideals of propaga ng peace in the state.

He added: “We have in the last 25 years contributed to sustenance of peace in our dear state. We have not done this without the support of all Muslims in Osun. We have also since 2006 ins tuted a Sharia Panel, coordinated by experienced and eminent jurists, who have been helpful in the resolu on of disputes, even as big as boundary disputes, that have engendered communal peace and progress in the state.”

The president told newsmen that its silver jubilee would be rounded off tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday with meritorious awards to reputable Muslims who excelled in contribu ng to the progress of Islam in Nigeria and beyond.

Osogbo, yesterday, the report that they have joined IleriOluwa fac on and adopted Governor Adegboyega Oyetola is a deliberate misinforma on to deceive members of the public.

Leading the members, the Chairman of TOP in the local government, Mr Munirudeen Adeagbo, said at no me did they hold mee ng individually or jointly to dump The Osun Progressives for IleriOluwa.

Adeagbo equally stated that the TOP members in the local government were not working with or for the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) on the forthcoming governorship elec on in the state.

He said: “We want to inform everybody here that we are s ll in TOP. It is not true that we have le TOP and join IleriOluwa. The people spreading that misinforma on are doing that to deceive members of the public. We are not also working for or with PDP. We are commi ed to progressive ideals.”

•Focal Person SDG Osun State, Engr. Shittu Wiliams, 3rd left, Engr. Kunle SDG Abuja, 4th left, Mojeed Jamiu, Consultant for the project, 1st left, during the inauguration of the SDG Skill Acquisition, Dagbolu, Osogbo on Wednesday.

The Skill Acquisi on Centre as shown in the pictures below are equipped with training tools and equipment for ar sans, tailors, fashion designers, Computer Technicians, bricklayers, plumbers, barbers and welders.

Two 250 sewing machines, 100 computer sets, 50 HP colour printers, 20 sets of hair dressing equipment and other accessories are ready for takeoff at the Skills acquisi on centre, Dagbolu, Osogbo.

The 200-bed abused women transit home has a transit home equipped with a 100-capacity canteen and Type Skill acquisi on centre where they could be trained in several voca ons and cra s while not being idle at the Centre.

The centre, specifically built for abused women has facili es for a Skill Acquisi on centre equipped with training tools and equipment for tailors, fashion designers, computer technicians, barbers and cosmetologists.

Youth and Women empowerment and skill acquisi on remains a cri cal pillar in the agenda of the administra on.

The government of President Mohammadu Buhari, who approved the projects for Osun State received great commendaons from those at the event.

Speaking at the ceremony, Princess Adefulire commended the State Government for providing the enabling environment for the successful execu on and comple on of the projects in the state.

According to her, the Good people of Osun state should appreciate the efforts of both President Buhari and Governor Oyetola who both fought relentlessly to ensure that the four projects were delivered on me.

All the projects are 100 per cent completed, equipped and ready to use.

The life-changing projects are expected to provide thousands of job opportuni es for the people of Osun while li ing many of them out of poverty as well.

The Mother and Child Hospital in Iragbiji, the Governor’s home, will assist in reducing infant, mother and child mortality rates as well as cut down on deaths associated with child birth.

“The Government of President Mohammadu Buhari, who approved the projects for Osun State received great commendations from those at the event”

FRIDAY, JULY 01 - THURSDAY, JULY 07, 2022

6

Community Report

Family Accuses Monarch Of Forceful Takeover Of Farmland, Petitions IGP Kazeem Badmus

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HE family of Olabomi Salami of Moku Compound, Odo Ogbe, Ile-Ife, State of Osun, has accused the Omoni of OkuOmoni, Oba Taiwo Odedoyin of forcefully taking over of its cocoa farm land at Owode Village, ModakekeIfe. According to the family in a pe on sent to the Inspector General of Police, Usman Akali Baba, through its solicitor, the monarch chased its members away from the farmland and threatened to kill them if they dare come back.

The pe oners called on the IGP, to inves gate and bring the perpetrators to book if found guilty.

In the pe on obtained

by OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, the family members said they have been cul vating the farmland before the Ife/Modakeke crises which made them vacate the land and ran for their lives.

Part of the pe on reads; “We are Counsel to the en re family of Olasoji of Odo-Ogbe Compound, Ile-Ife, Osun State (hereina er referred to as “our client”), and on their instruc ons we write you.

Our client is a family whose progenitor is a son and a bonafide indigene of Ile Ife, who hails from. Odo-Ogbe Compound, Ile-lfe in Osun State.

“That our client has a large expanse of farmland which comprise several cash crops farm at Owode Village via Oku-Omoni, Modakeke-Ife, Osun State ever before the emergence of the Ife/Modakeke crises and has since been in possession without any form of encumbrance before the said crises.

“That the members of our client’s family have also had their por ons of the farmland and have been cul va ng the same ever before the lfe/Medakeke crises.

“That all these individuals are the children of Olasoji who all had cocoa farmland in Owode via Oku Omoni, Modakeke-Ife, Osun State before the Ife/Modakeke crisis and have all passed away. They include: Abudu Olasoji, Bamidele Olasoji, Lasisi Olasoji, Jimoh Olasoji, Samuel Olasoji, Ojo Olasoji, Lawrence Olasoj, Funminiyi Oladipupo Olasoji, Munniratu Olasoji, Tijani Olasoji.

“That due to the Ife/Mo-

dakeke crises, all the above individuals le their farmland and ran for their dear life. Our client also told us that a er the death of their father, all the individuals men oned above who have farmlands in the abovemen oned loca on, the duo of the Omoni of Oku Omoni and one Mr. Remi Labi ko went and took over the whole expanse of the cocoa farmland belonging to our client and thus leaving the children of the deceased without any means of livelihood.

“That the duo of Omoni of Oku Omoni and the said Remi Labi ko have not only taken over our client’s father farmlands but have threatened to deal ruthlessly with anyone who dares them by going into the said large expanse of cocoa farmland. The children of our client have been living in abject poverty most especially in these hard mes of economic crunch.

“From the foregoing, it is clear that the act of the duo of Omoni of OkuOmoni and Mr. Remi Labiko is capable of causing a breakdown of law and order in the community if not urgently addressed by your respected office.

“In the circumstance, we humbly request that you use your revered office to cause a detailed inves ga on to be done into the facts presented in this pe on to bring the perpetrators to book if a prima facie case is made against them”.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the IGP upon receiving the pe on wrote a le er to the State Commissioner of Police, reques ng him to inves gate the alleged forceful takeover of the farmland.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, the Head of Olasoji family, Olasoji Olagbaju, said the forceful takeover of the farmland has led to un mely death of some members of the family because of their inability to go into the cocoa farmland to harvest their crops.

According to him, the yearly proceeds from the farm is over N100m, adding that the family had wri en series of le ers to the authority to assist in ge ng the farmland back.

He added that youths in the family are already agitated and eager to reclaim their ancestral farmland through “whatever means”, saying the elders

of the family were the ones calming the youth down.

Olagbaju said: “A er the crisis of Modakeke ended, the Olasoji family went back to Owode Village in 1998. They were there from 1998 to 2005.

It was in 2005 that one Remi Labi ko was used to threatened us and our family members who were farming on the land and were told to vacate from the village or get killed.

“The en re family had to trek in the bush for two days before they could get to Ile-Ife. Since this event in 2005, the family have not been allowed to enter Owode Village ll date.

“A lot of the family members have died due to the forceful takeover of the land as it is the source of their livelihood. The proceed that was being generated yearly from the farm is over N100m.

“The family is a peace loving one and that is the reason why we are taking all the necessary steps under the law to get back our property. We have wri en to the State Governor, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi and the AIG Zone XI, for assistance but the story

is s ll the same.

“That is the reason why we decided to pe on the Inspector General of Police. The youths of the family held a mee ng and they resolved to take over their ancestral farmland with all their might; I and some other elderly members of the family had to quickly prevail on them not to take any step that would breach public peace.

Olasoji appealed to all concerned authori es to come to the family aids in ge ng its property back from the monarch.

However, OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the monarch, during a mee ng with the officers set up by the Osun Commissioner of Police to inves gate the allega on denied taking over the family’s farmland.

The monarch said he had nothing to do with the farmland, adding that when he tried to talk to those who are occupying the land, he almost got killed.

He said: “I don’t have anything to do with the takeover of the farmland and I’m not collec ng any money from those using it. The me I tried to intervene in the ma er, I almost got killed”.

News

July 16: Group Urges INEC, Police To Ensure Secrecy Of Voting On Election Day •Condemns Votes Buying, Seeks More Turnout In Osun Sodiq Yusuf

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civil society group, Center for Social Jus ce and Protecon of Public Interest, has urged the Independent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to ensure secrecy of vo ng in the July 16 governorship elec on in the State of Osun.

In a statement signed by its Coordinator, Akin Akanji, the group said ensuring secrecy of vo ng, and other measures will reduce vote buying to the barest minimum in the elec on.

Akanji also called on security agencies to rise to the occasion by iden fying vote buyers and restrict them from gaining access to the polling sta ons.

He also condemned in strong terms cases of vote buying in the just concluded gubernatorial poll in Eki State, urging voters not to sell their conscience for freebies and items that would not in any way contribute to their welfare and social security in the next four years.

The Coordinator said: “Our people need to be wiser than ever. What happened in Eki was reflec ve

of the huge poverty in our land which, however, is urmountable if we elect credible leaders at the elec ons.

This is the more reason why our people need to reject monies from poli cians to cast their vote.

“We urge INEC and security agencies to ensure secrecy of vo ng and ade-

quate policing of the ballot box and the vo ng area, so as to dissuade vote buyers from patronising unsuspec ng voters. As voters, we also need to be cau ous and do away with selling our rights.

“We also call on residents of Osun to come out en-masse and collect their

Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) because it is our only impetus to elect credible candidates in the elecon.”

Akanji also urged policians to play by the rules and avoid all shenanigans that will truncate the peace of the State before, during and a er the July elec on.

Osun APC ticket: Adeoti, Oyetola Know Fate On July 14 Ismaeel Uthman

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Federal High Court, sitng in Abuja, will on July 14, 2022 deliver judgment on a suit filed by a governorship aspirant of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Alhaji Moshood Adeo , against Governor Adegboyega Oyetola on the governorship cket of the party.

Counsels to the par es in the suit adopted all their wri en addresses when the case came up at the court on Wednesday.

Counsel to the governor, O.O Jolawo, SAN, had earlier told the court that he wanted applica ons on the preliminary objec ons to be argued and concluded before the judgment.

But the court objected, insis ng that since it is pre-

elec on ma er, it must be concluded before the elecon day.

Following the adop on of the wri en addresses, Jus ce Ekwo of the court adjourned the case to July 14 for his verdict on the ma er.

The Osun governorship elec on is coming up on July 16.

Adeo is challenging Oyetola’s eligibility to parcipate in the APC governorship primary elec on held on February 19 this year on the ground that he did not resign his membership of the Caretaker and Extra Ordinary Conven on Planning Commi ee.

It would be recalled that Adeo , an aspirant, came second in the highly compromised governorship primary elec on held on February 19, this year.

The former Secretary to the State Government who felt cheated in the primary elec on approached the court to seek redress as regards Oyetola’s eligibility to contest with a prayer that he (Adeo ) be declared as the APC candidate for the July 16 governorship elec on.

Adeleke Family Denies Negotiating With Tinubu mind faced with road On Osun Guber Poll mented block in poli cal progress. It is Yusuf Oketola

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DELEKE family in the State of Osun has denied the insinua on that the head of the family, Dr. Deji Adeleke, has accepted a sum of $75.5m from the presiden al candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to help him talk to his younger brother, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, to step down for Governor Adegboyega Oyetola in the forthcoming governorship elec on in the state.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by a member of the family, Mallam Rasheed Olawale, the family said the insinua on was coming from some demented minds who are hellbent to tarnish the good name of the family.

The family described the report as untrue, saying there is no me Deji Adeleke had mee ng with Tinubu to trade away his brother’s ambi on.

The statement reads: “Our a en on has been drawn to a libelous defamatory fake news from a counterfeited pla orm, posi ng that Dr Deji Adeleke has traded away his brother’s ambi on in a nego a on with Senator Bola Tinubu.

“The story which contained all manners of evil concoc ons were not only fic ous lies but they are figment of a de-

unbelievable that any reasonable writer will concoct such decei ul piece without any iota of truth.

“The said pla orm has demonstrated that fake news should not only be sanc oned and criminalised but all purveyors of fake news should be judicially punished.

“We want to state quite strongly that Dr Deji Adeleke at no me had any mee ng with Senator Tinubu. He was never in any financial compensatory deals with the presiden al candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“He remains a strong pillar of his brother and other propeople poli cians in the popular drive to enthrone good governance in Osun state. We affirm that the business mogul has not discussed or trade away his brother’s ambi on as projected especially as he is not a card-carrying member of any poli cal party.

“We subsequently urge the general public to disregard the malicious publica on and push ahead with the overwhelming drive to change the narra on of Osun state for be er.

“Those behind the publica on are desperate poli cians who are threatened by the imminent victory of Senator Ademola Adeleke in the July 16th governorship elecons.”

FRIDAY, JULY 01 - THURSDAY, JULY 07, 2022

7

News

Stakeholders Advocates Inclusion Of More Women In Politics Kazeem Badmus

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OVERNMENT at all levels has been urged to integrate more women into governance of the na on.

The appeal was made on Tuesday in Osogbo, during a town hall mee ng organised

by Jus ce, Development and Peace Maker Center (JDPMC), to stop Violence Against Woman in Poli cs.

In his welcome address, the General Coordinator of the JDPMC, Osogbo, Rev. Peter Akinkunmi, said every na on needs women in poli cal posi ons in order to develop.

Akinkunmi said: “We are here to deliberate on our future and how to bring about good governance in our society. The United Na ons has said woman must occupy at least 35 percent posi on in government if we are to witness true democracy.

“Any na on that wants to develop must have woman occupying various posi ons in the administra on of such country”.

Speaking at the programme, the Olokebode of Okebode, Oba Ezekiel Adeniran, maintained that the number of women involved in Nigerian poli cs is low, compared to other countries in the world.

Oba Adeniran who described Nigerian women as ‘women voter’ urged them to seek elec ve posi ons, adding that they have potenals and capability to lead.

He said: “The percentage of women in poli cs in Nigeria is too low compared to other countries around the world.

“We have a lot of women who are capable and have poten al to hold elec ve and appointment posi ons but unfortunately, Nigerian women are voters who don’t contest for elec ve posi ons.

“I want to urge our women to par cipate more in poli cs and contest for elec ve posi ons. I want to also urged the government to make the appointment of more women into governance a priority”.

The Olori of Ipetu-Ile, Olori Adetokunbo Falade Fala, in his own contribu on, said women are facing a lot of challenges when it comes to par cipa ng in elec on.

She maintained that unl electorate start elec ng people without considering their gender, the country will cease to progress.

Olori Fa la said: “There was a me I wanted to contest for councillor in my area due to the problems being faced by my fellow women in the community. I made my inten on known and people were in support of me. Along the line, some men during a mee ng told me people like me shouldn’t be involved in

•State of Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Abdulganiy Raji, addressing some of the State Gubernatorial candidates during the Ọmọlúàbí Convergence organised by The Nigeria Institute Of Public Relations (NIPR), Osun State Chapter, held at Adolak event centre, Osogbo on Tuesday.

Photo :Shola Aderinto poli cs, saying those in polics are thieves. They also claimed that poli cians are

rogues.

“Those are part of what they are using to scare the

women away. Un l we understand that we have to elect the person who re-

ally care for us, irrespecve of the gender, that is when we can witness real

progress. Without women in governance, there won’t be progress in such government”.

She appealed to women to rise up and fight the menace of violence against them.

“As a woman, if we see another woman who is maltreated, we should be able to rise up and fight on behalf of that woman to demand jus ce. This is me for us to come together and fight the menace of violence against women”, she added.

Others who spoke in support of women par cipa on in poli cs during the mee ng are; Uztaz Jamiu Alimi, the chief Imam of Boluwa fe Community, Ayekale area, Osogbo and Venerable Gabriel Abimbola from Anglican Cathedral, Osun Diocese.

Motorists, Residents Seek Govt. Attention On Oke-Oniti/ stated that the road will be noted for immediate acAnaye Market Road on, but nothing has been Yusuf Oketola

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ESIDENTS of OkeOni area of Osogbo, capital of the State of Osun, have called on the state government and relevant stakeholders to urgently see to the fixing of the damaged por on of the community road.

The road, according to residents, was damaged by downpour experienced recently in the state and has been posing threat to the community and motorists plying the route.

OSUN DEFENDER visited the community on Tuesday and observed the cri cal level of damage on the road which is about to affect the culvert.

Some of the residents and motorists who spoke with the medium noted that the local and state government need to take

swi ac on in the rehabilita on of the affected por on before the other parts were affected which can lead to hardship for all road users.

According Mr. Lateef Aderoju, a resident in the area, the state government must take urgent acon in repairing the road, no ng that it may lead to hardship if not a ended to on me.

He said: “This por on of the road got damaged due to the consistent rainfall witnessed lately in the state and if nothing is done to it on me, the damage may affect the culvert and the road will collapse totally.

“The government need to do something urgently.

There are some other parts of the road which are also not in good shape.

Everything should be done at the same me. This is the only road that connect Oke-Oni to Igbonna.

•Damaged portion of Prime - Ofatedo road.

•Dilapidated Oke Oniti road, Osogbo.

If the culvert eventually collapse, motorists and other users will have to go through stadium.”

The state Commissioner for Works and Transport, Engr. Remi Omowaye in a facebook post on Monday

done as at the me of filling this report.

Similarly, residents of Prime area, Ofatedo in Egbedore local government of the state have also called the a en on of the state government to a damage culvert in the area.

The affected culvert is located along old Ede road and connect the community to the East Bypass road nicknamed ‘Ona Baba Ona’.

The culvert was early this year filled with laterites but recent downpour in the state has washed it away, leaving the road in a delicate state.

Osun 2022: The Debate •Continued from Page 1 Hon. Lasun Yussuff, Labour Party (LP) and Arch. Goke Omigbodun of Social Democra c Party (SDP).

Issues of governance and economy was the major focus of the debate and how each candidate will bring prosperity to the state.

The agricultural sector of the economy was priori sed and discussed by each candidate.

While speaking at the programme, Oyetola said that the youth need to engage in agriculture, no ng that his administra on, through the Ministry of Agriculture, has been providing lands to individuals who have interest in agriculture.

On the issue of godfatherism in Nigeria poli cs, Oyetola stated that he doesn’t need the support of any godfather to win the July 16 governorship elec on, no ng that his

achievements in the last three and half years will speak for him.

Hon. Lasun Yussuff as well reiterated the importance of agriculture to grow the state economy.

He said Osun do not need to go to Abuja for monthly alloca on, no ng that the state can generate more revenue from agriculture sector. Yussuff said he is a prac cal farmer while other candidates read agriculture from textbooks.

He said godfatherism cannot be excused in Nigerian poli cs, but can be prevented if candidates are voted for only on merit.

The former deputy speaker said Nigeria poli cs has been bastardised with inducement of voters, sighting examples from the just concluded Eki governorship elec on and the APC presiden al primary.

The governoship candidate of the SDP, Omigbondun while speaking said he is the only candi-

date with a documented manifesto, sta ng that he is fully prepared to lead Osun to the promised land. He noted that the people of the state are his godfathers, sta ng that he will rely on them to win the governorship elec on.

In his address, Adeleke on his part debunked the rumour that he will be controlled by his brother, Dr Deji Adeleke. He said there is nobody playing the role of godfather to him, stating that the Adeleke family loves themselves and they do things together.

CANDIDATES REJECTS VOTE BUYING Candidates of the five poli cal par es pledged not to induce voters during the poll.

They stated this while responding individually to a ques on on vote buying.

All the candidates called on the security agents to arrest and prosecute anyone found engaging in it.

ISSN : 0794 - 8050

FRIDAY, JULY 01 - THURSDAY, JULY 07, 2022 VOL. 17 NO 25 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com

PERSPECTIVE

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HERE an average of 50m people suffer from mental illness (with one out of four Nigerians accoun ng sta s cally as insane) even in a country in which less than 10 percent of its popula on is having access to professional (mental) assistance, while government’s annual budget devoted less than three percent to mental health, hell could not have found a nearer haven of a bedlam than Nigeria.

Does it not amount to delusion of lunacy, with the usual headline news of top public office holders, obviously for fear of life a er office, loo ng public treasury as they cart away billions of naira where staggering poverty is nakedly staring majority of Nigerians in the face?

Li le wonder why the former Secretary General of World Health Organisa on (W.H.O.) Professor Adeoye Lambo, did recommend some mes that any poli cian aspiring to contest either as a governor or President of Nigeria should first of all be subjected to mental test towards determining his health status and thereby save Nigerians the risk of pu ng their collecve des ny in the hands of luna cs in flowing babanriga and agbada.

However, it is in this same country, Nigeria, where the masses, especially the charisma c religionists have ironically dismissed poli cs as a dirty game; consigned the exercise of vo ng rights as mere gamble, while resigning their fate to God to work out the electoral mathema cs for them; even as they foolishly believe that luck would automa cally carry a man who has refused to jump well across the ditch of misgovernance.

Do they think it was for fun that King David rightly observed that: “With the merciful, God will show himself merciful; With an upright man, He will show himself upright, but that with the froward, (such as we are ) God will show Himself forward?

Each me I reflect on the way Nigerians are conduc ng their search for the next Number One ci zen for 2023, amid a gale of memoranda and hourly predic ons flying presumptuously too late across religious houses where-in clerics are also compelling worshippers to produce their voter’s card before entering their sanctuaries, I am o en reminded of the lesson in the proverbial story of the missing horse of Alaafin of Oyo and a search party.

The story had it that within this same search party put together to look for the missing horse,

“If our political dispensation is today failing in view of lack of commitment to governance by politicians and the lack of understanding by the electorate of the sacredness of vote, it is because the media and religious houses as well as nongovernmental organisations, including governments, are grossly failing in their duties of giving proper orientation on the sacredness of vow and vote. ”

News Family Accuses Monarch Of Forceful Takeover Of Farmland, Petitions IGPPg. 6

BY OLALERE FAGBOLA

The Bedlam Of A Nation were par es with different mo ves. There was a party that craved to find the horse; The other party wished the horse should not be found while the third party planned to chase the horse further if found.

Some mes I o en wonder if Hubert Ogunde’s popular lyrics “Yoruba Ronu (Yoruba think hard) should not be adopted as our Na onal Anthem for the na on, especially in this unguarded dark age when most of our so-called marginalised southerners appear to be playing the proverbial nihilists, who are red of living but are afraid of dying while hanging on to a theory of nihilism which neither put them here or there.

At this juncture, I cannot but sing again my song of: “Delusion of Lunacy” in my collec on of poetry tled: “Heroism, Songs and Troubles wherein my lamenta on goes thus: “When reality points its fingers at Nigeria, Nigerians o en sink in their cushions to talk Nigeria; And I am always amused by their hot adjecves as they wag their tongues in mere frivolies, They call for a quick annihila on of something that needs repara on; saying it is without reserva on that they are calling for its condemna on; Today it is about qualita ve this; Tomorrow it is all about quan ta ve that;

STRIKER

We daily dream of great expecta ons without working towards their realisa on; We are always quick to propound new ideologies li le caring about their workability; When shall we stop shadow-pugilism to embrace construc vism?

It is saddening, par cularly to note that not many people understand the meaning of vote to enable them understand the power of vote.

No ng the harmony between vow and vote, especially as both words are from same spirituality, once an oath is taken or a vote is given, there is no going back on it . This is because what informs the rule of NO DIVORCE in a real Chris an marriage informs the NO CROSS CARPETING ideology in a real poli cal party.

Just as it is sacrilegious for ministers of God to coerce worshipers into taking vow which does not come by divine inspira on or voluntarily, it is criminal for poli cians to induce electorates with money, or worse s ll, deny him the right to cast his or her vote.

This is why the sacred ma er of vow as in the ideological issue regarding vote, requires careful considera on and orienta on, par cularly for voters, with no room for rashness or in mida on.

If our poli cal dispensa on is today failing in view of lack of commitment to governance by poli cians and the lack of understanding by

the electorate of the sacredness of vote, it is because the media and religious houses as well as nongovernmental organisa ons, including governments, are grossly failing in their du es of giving proper orienta on on the sacredness of vow and vote.

One cannot afford NOT to be fana cal on ma ers such as one touching Vow and Vote; (the two being temple ma ers) for it is in the inner sa sfac on derivable in one being allowed to exercise one’s right to cast vote, even from one’s own decision, based on convic on and on ideology that ma ers, rather than on pandering to the winning side through carpet-crossing master minded by covetousness.

Not many people appear to understand that the huge role which MAMSER ( during President Ibrahim Babangida’s era ) played in the social mobiliza on of the electorate for the 1993 presiden al elec on, considered as the freest ever, accounted for the way Nigerians par cipated ac vely in the elec on which was won by Bashorun MKO Abiola.

Let me quickly add here that in sane culture and scriptures, even in ancient mes, there is no place where a person (except in barbaric culture) was coerced or en ced or ensnared against his or her wish into oath-taking or to vote momentarily on the impulse of mone sa on as witnessed in the recently concluded primaries of our major poli cal par es in the country and governorship elec on in Eki State.

I have always loved what the sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo was once quoted as saying that: “If you don’t trust him, don’t engage him, but if you engage him, don’t doubt him.”

Rather than repudia ng vow or oath impetuously, a man is enlightened very well enough to realise the implica ons of the solemn act.

Most importantly is the fact that God-inspired vow is sacrosanct and without burden, and it is a pill which potency has no expiring date and the mystery there-in is like God-inspired marriage which does not accommodate divorce because what God gives, He keeps from being broken.

Striker is not the opinion of the Columnist featured above

Security And Election Credibility

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HE primary responsibility of government that is in direct control of the state (the armed forces, police, and intelligence agencies) is the security of lives and property of all its ci zens. The best way to approach that responsibility is to guarantee the rule of law (equality before the law) and the welfare and prosperity of the ci zens. Once the government fails consistently to end (or reduce to the barest minimum) the problems of mass poverty, ignorance, nepo sm and selec ve dispensa on of jus ce, it has become the main agent of insecurity itself!

Having reconciled to our fate in the interim with a poli cal elite largely uncommi ed to ending but even sworn to deepening illiteracy, ignorance, poverty, sec onalism and impunity, we can expect only the least commitment from any sec on of them in power towards playing by the rules when it comes to elite rivalry in electoral (do-or-die) contests for democra c power; especially when their true and only manifesto is control of “free money” from the federa on alloca on accounts for wilful spending, while deceiving the masses with bogus promises.

The Na onal Bureau of Sta s cs has it that about 53% of youths between the ages of 15 and 34 are unemployed. Those not out-ofschool are on forced holidays along with their

ter ary ins tu on teachers. Between indolence and ac ve engagement in fraud, scams, robbery, kidnapping, and as agents of terrorist a acks, a large army of both idle and criminally disposed youth, created by the failures of the poli cal elites, come in handy as thugs and tools of poli cal violence against perceived opposion in their journey to power to control allocaons from the federa on’s accounts for selfish disbursement.

In Osun, the reality of insecurity and poli cal violence, across board – both ruling and opposi on par es – have been on ground months since, and escala ng as the July 16, 2022 governorship elec ons date approaches. There are two most worrisome aspects of this condemnable tendency capable of jeopardising the elecon and den ng its credibility.

Firstly, the deployment of the Regional Security Ou it, Amotekun, for poli cal expediency is most unfortunate. It goes against the law and the calling of the ou it: basically setup to tackle the increasing menace of terror and associated violent crimes like kidnapping. The government must resist every tempta on to dra them into par san poli cal engagement as vicious tools of poli cal vende a. That would be another powerful argument against state policing, which is already overdue but comes up against the

genuine argument of possible execu ve abuse.

During elec on, whatever role Amotekun is to play, if any at all, has to be under strict supervision of the police force and at no me must they operate independent of police control.

Secondly, flowing from above, even the police that must exercise supervisory role over Amotekun and other sister security agencies have become systema cally par san over the last years, in Osun especially. There have been protests and calls in the public space for the removal of the Osun Police Commissioner over poor managerial capacity and par san compromise. It does not augur well for a major security ou it that should oversee the proceedings without fear or favour to ally with one of the par es, for pecuniary interests obtainable by its chief officers.

In the final analysis, the resolve and determina on of the ci zens to have their say and have their way in who governs them will be decisive. It is not the first me poli cians will try to compromise the state and exploit violence, fear and insecurity as electoral weapons; it has always been the resolve of the people to assert themselves and ensure their votes count that makes the difference, even as cross-sec ons of the Civil Socie es are as compromised as the par san security ou its.

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

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

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