•Jitters In Osun APC, PDP Over Caucus’s Activities
Pg. 4
Stop Distributing Motorcycles, Focus On Agriculture - Osun Muslim Community Tells Govt
THE Osun State Muslim Community has said both President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government and the 36 state governors lack the poli cal will to ameliorate the current hardship faced by Nigerians.
The President of the community, Sheikh Mustafa Olawuyi, said poli cal
leaders in the country lack the poli cal will to address the present situa on.
Olawuyi stated this at a press conference to herald ac vi es commemora ng the 1446 Hijrah celebraon at the Muslim Community Secretariat in Osogbo, He said the present situa on demands an aggressive agricultural revo-
lu on across the country, especially in the South West, where agriculture is on the decline.
His words, “Our leaders lack the poli cal will to fight the excrucia ng hunger ravaging the country as a result of economic crisis around the world. Our leaders rather than concentra ng on agriculture to reduce hunger, are busy
distribu ng motorcycles as empowerment.
“Instead of President Bola Tinubu to focus on rescuing the economy from infla onary crisis, he is busy with the poli cs of 2027. He is busy dissipating his energy on poli cs rather than good governance.
“The Governors are busy distribu ng motor-
My People Stopped Growing Rice Because Of Witches - Elerinmo
THE Elerinmo of Erinmo land in Osun State, Oba Micheal Odunayo Ajayi has revealed why his people stopped producing rice in the community.
Oba Ajayi noted that the people of the community stopped producing rice, as they claimed witches were turning into birds and ea ng their farms.
The monarch who spoke in an interview recently towards his 10th corona on anniversary said rice produced from the town was one of the best in the country, saying efforts are on to return the people to produc on.
He said: “When I became king in 2014, I realised that the essen al purpose of my kingship is to bring development to my people and cater for their welfare.
“Over me, Erinmo has been known to be a spiritual town because of the potency of various spiritual mountains that we have. And people troop there for pilgrimage and they get answers to their prayers.
“At a me too, Erinmo was producing rice. Our rice was one of the best. Along the line, people
stopped producing rice, saying that witches were turning into birds and ea ng their things.
“We are in the process of revitalising that because I had to convince them that everywhere there is fruit, birds will always go there to eat, and this has nothing to do with witches and wizards. They have accepted that.
“Erinmo land is fer le for so many things like cocoa and so on. We built
a cocoa house where our farmers can produce and send forth, and then we can move on to the next stage of finding an export market or making useful use of them. Of course, we have arable land for farming and so on.
“We first of all have to provide the infrastructure needed. The electricity was there fading but we had to renew the transformer or whatever and focus on educaon to people who just
thought they just go to school par ally, but now everybody understands that educa on is the key.
“We provide food for those who are in need. We cater for the youth by helping them to support their businesses, and we cater for farmers and women by providing the tools they need as farm implements.”
cycles, hairdressing, and beau cian equipment to the youths instead of revitalising the various agricultural se lements to concentrate on their areas of compara ve advantage to pull the country out of the woods.
“Un l we have people whose love for the country and its people supercedes that of their personal ambi on, then, maybe they will lead the country into prosperity”.
On the new Islamic year, Olawuyi said Muslims
have been the most tolerant, and stressed the need for con nuous religious harmony in the state.
He also noted that the one-week programme of ac vi es marking the celebra on including a Qur’an compe on, entrepreneurship skills acquisi on for youth, a public lecture, and Jumat service, among others culminates with a grand finale to be chaired by Governor Ademola Adeleke at the Osogbo Township Stadium, on Sunday, July 7.
Osun First Lady Advocates Improved Women’s Participation In IT World
THE First Lady of Osun State, Mrs. Ti lola Adeleke has called on stakeholders in Informa on Communica on Technology (ICT) to join hands with the authori es to improve the standard of opera ons as a way to encourage women to venture profitably into technology.
She stated this at the 9th Na onal Conference of the Nigeria Women in Informa on Technology (NWIIT) held in Osogbo. Mrs. Adeleke who was represented by the wife of the Commissioner for Economy, Budget, Planning and Development, Mrs. Olunike Adeleke said the Western world in the 21st century revolves around improved technology which the Nigerian Women in IT must key into.
She added that the State Government under Senator Ademola Adeleke has supported the course of NIWIIT in the areas of
registering over 50 IT parcipants of Women Professionals at both the state and local government levels, as well as equipping them with the required knowledge for both local and interna onal prac ce. The Commissioner for Innova on, Science, Technology, and Digital Economy, Hon. Maruf Dele Ayofe appreciated the Nigeria Women in Informaon Technology (NWIIT) for choosing Osun State as their venue for this year’s conference, pledging that the state will con nue to support the Women wing of technology.
Projects done by Robo Girls, i. e. students selected from local governments across the State were showcased and 3 students were declared winners where Mr. Akeem Najeem took the first posi on with a cash prize of N100,000, and the second posi on went to Aminat Oloyede with N75,000 cash prize and Mercy Adeloye came third with N50,000 cash prize.
Lead a team to produce a high-quality weekly newspaper in
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Head the Business team of a high-quality weekly newspaper in Osogbo.
Requirements:
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•Celebrating the voices of sports! Osun SWAN marked the 2024 World Sports Journalists Day with indoor games in Osogbo, on Tuesday
•The Elerinmo of Erinmo land
Yusuf Oketola
Yusuf Oketola
Titilope Adako
Once Again On The Minimum Wage
“In the approved 2024 budget, statutory federal allocations to the coffers of the state governments will be 69 percent higher than that of 2023. In the N5.54tn FAAC projection for the year running, Osun is expected to get a whopping N99.09bn. This means the state will have more resources to pay its workers”
FORMER Lagos State governor Babatunde Fashola has provided startling clarity by making a dis nc on between minimum wage and salary emoluments. This is vital in a nonindustrial economic structure and should be factored into the debate. Nevertheless, the discourse rages on.
An alarming input came on board this week with the screamer headline - “Osun, Oyo, and Benue have been iden fied as some of the states that have the least ability to pay and finance a new minimum wage. “This was revealed in a report by a research firm, Analysts Data Services and Resources (ADSR).”
We are not going to interrogate the methodology used in the report. However, we believe that the Osun State can pay and there is a strategic impera ve for the state to do so. Currently, Osun makes circa 20 billion Naira in IGR annually and can make more even as the federal alloca on con nues to increase.
In the approved 2024 budget, statutory federal alloca ons to the coffers of the state governments will
be 69 percent higher than that of 2023. In the N5.54tn FAAC projec on for the year running, Osun is expected to get a whopping N99.09bn. This means the state will have more resources to pay its workers.
To expand its revenue base, Osun must transit to an agroindustrial-led transforma on and sustainability. Governor Ademola Adeleke has made a path-breaking input by waving all the right-of-way fees on fibre op cs. This is to be applauded for the state cannot encourage studying skills, in a low-wage ecosystem that is inherently uncompe ve.
Paying the new minimum wage will sustain this trend by increasing the purchasing power parity and raising disposable income which as the government led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo in the fi ies showed as a s mulus for jobs crea ng longterm investments. We are leaving aside here the perilous self-serving “consequen al adjustment “ mendacity, however, there is a compelling economic logic in a posi ve direc on for Osun State to muster the will to pay the new minimum wage.
The Discourse
GMO Foods: Only Food For Our ‘Thoughts’?
BIODIVERSITY is good and must be encouraged. But we must ALWAYS remember that agriculture itself entails the human selec on of par cular plant species and variants for the purpose of food produc on. That is the reason we plant endless hectares of wheat, banana, cocoa, peanuts, yam, cassava, etc, a er clearing and destroying other plants from their habitats so as to plant crops of interest.
The vast majority of those agita ng against GMO foods are wantonly ignorant about the impact of genecally modified plants on global food produc on and chain. I have long concluded that it is best to leave them in the bliss of their own ignorance.
Except a person decides to abstain totally from the consump on of processed foods, it is virtually impossible not to daily eat GMO foods in some countries. For example, greater than 70% of processed foods in grocery stores in the USA, Canada, and Australia are from GMO crops! Everybody buying French fries in most fast food chains is partaking of GMO potatoes! Brazil, Argen na, India, and China have already embraced some GMO crops. As China connues to emphasise food security, acceptance of GMO crops will grow.
Moreover, do
countries (such as Nigeria) that import a sub-stan tial por on of their food have total control on what they consume?
Needless to say, nature has gene cally modified living things in the past. It is currently quietly modifying them and shall keep modifying them!
Leaps in the collec ve progress of humankind from the age of wanderers and hunters to that of se lers and farmers culminated in contemporary agriculture. This has involved deliberate plant breeding for preferred plant genotypes.
Current hoopla about GMO crops are largely caused by conspiracy theorists who have embraced falsehoods and half-truths.
First, contrary to what they claim and the fears they propagate, GMO plants do not affect human fer lity.
Second, misrepresenta on of the views of Bill Gates is the stock in trade of conspiracy theorists. Bill Gates is the convenient punching bag of conspiracy theorists. Their allega ons had always been wrong; they remain wrong.
Bill Gates is an advocate of birth control. I am equally an advocate of birth control. The truth is that neither Bill Gates nor I have ever advocated forced or involuntary birth control.
Africans must not be steered into a mindset that disregards the dangers of overpopula on. The term refers to the number of people in a given habitat in rela on to the inadequacy of the resources needed to facilitate the well-being of that number of people.
We must remind ourselves that when the Bri sh started administering the Nigerian protectorates, the popula on of the UK was about twice that of Nigeria. When Britain granted independence to Nigeria about 100 years later in 1960, the popula ons of the UK and Nigeria were approximately equal. Today, less than
“That said, stark realities of the contemporary world is that many essential products and services are in dire shortage in many parts of the world. This is particularly the case in many of the so-called developing countries. The absence of alternatives is the predicament of Africans.”
64 years a er its independence, Nigeria’s popula on is already more than twice that of the UK! In the intervening period since 1960, the UK has grown its economy by leaps and bound, greatly expanded and improved its infrastructures and enhanced the wellbeing of its ci zenry. By contrast, the Nigerian economy has con nually failed to reach its enormous poten al. Essen al infrastructures have been allowed to suffer atrophy and decay. Consequently, the well-being of Nigerian ci zens has largely collapsed.
Elsewhere, China, without being urged to do so by any foreigners, for a long me executed an aggressive program of popula on control. Nigeria is currently the 6th most populous country in the world. It is es mated that by the year 2054, Nigeria will be the 3rd most populous country in the world. That is just thirty years from today.
We do not appear to be cognizant of the gale of problems rushing towards Nigeria. Whatever problems we are facing from the herder-farmer clashes are nothing compared with the conflicts that will erupt all over Nigeria because of struggles for access to inland water resources.
How shall we avert this predicament?
No one would dispute the rights of any country to refuse aid in any form from donor agencies. On their own parts, most donor agencies do not force their aids on recipient countries. Aids are granted and received on terms of mutual agreement. Ma er of fact, it is the preroga ve of recipient countries to grant or deny entry visa into their territory and domain.
That said, stark reali es of the contemporary world is that many essen al products and services are in dire shortage in many parts of the world. This is par cularly the case in many of the so-called developing countries. The absence of alterna ves is the predicament of Africans.
We know that developed countries keep on developing. As a ma er of fact, development in developed countries constantly outpaces that of others. As such, the term “developing countries” is a mere euphemism for underdeveloped countries! Largely, these are the countries that missed out on the scien fic and technological revolu ons of earlier centuries along with their innova ve transforma ons of diverse spheres of human achievements that include defense, housing, transporta on, health care and agriculture.
In my secondary school days, the world was awash with gory news of starva on in India. At Ilesa Grammar School, we made weekly contribu ons into SELF DENIAL FUNDS that provided aids for starving areas of the world. Today, India has leap-frogged in development because their leaders vowed that India will never again lag in science and technology.
OSUN DEFENDER
Publisher – Moremi Publishing House Ltd.
Unfortunately, too many Africans are trapped in a mindset of needless obscuran sm. In the guise of looking before they leap, so as to avoid pi alls, they look and look but rarely leap!
Ac ng Editor – Sodiq Yusuf
Produc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa
Reporter – Yusuf Oketola
Reporter – Kazeem Badmus
Photo Journalist – Shola Aderinto
Computer Graphics – Zainab Olalere
OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Gbongan Road, Osogbo, Osun State.
Less than four years ago, Nigerian social media peddled endless foreboding tales about 5G telephony. The apocalyp c warnings about the rise of the an christ gave the silly impression that our fears were sufficient to prevent the rise of the man of sin! Meanwhile, the USA was busy playing catch-up with 5G technology so that they might
•Read full article on www.osundefender.com
•Sola Adeyeye, a Professor of Biology is a former Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate.
Sola Adeyeye
Feature
100 Ex-PDP, Accord Members Join Omoluabi Progressives
IT is a common saying in poli cs that “While the people seek and yearn for development, poli cians think of the next elec ons.” The saying denotes a few things par cularly the no on that while others are sleeping in the comfort of their homes, policians are awake in the dead of the night strategising ahead of the next elec ons.
The characteris c nature of powerplay anywhere in the world is the alignment and realignment of forces, which determines the scheme of things especially the turn of events in an elec on.
The fact that poli cs remains a game of numbers where the majority takes the lead makes it interes ng and breathes life into the poli cal process with everyone wan ng to par cipate.
The 2026 governorship elec on in Osun State is two years away. But like the maxim, “Proper Prepara on Prevents Poor Performance,” states, poli cal gladiators are already pushing for the Bola Ige House, through several meetings, the forma on of caucuses, and defec ons from par es to their opponents, among others.
One of those movements seeking to return to the Oke-Fia Government House is the Omoluabi Progressives, currently a caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. Formed on August 22, 2023, the caucus according to its patron, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the only two-term governor in the state so far is to breed competence, character, and integrity in leadership, learning from the mistakes of the party’s defeat in 2022, and char ng the course for the ‘true’ progressives to reclaim power.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that since its inaugura on and the subsequent emergence of its leaders across the state, the caucus has begun ac vi es in prepara on for the next fes val of democracy. Star ng with a tour of the nine federal cons tuencies, the Omoluabi Progressives traversed the length and breadth of the state, reassuring members of a be er deal when the tendency achieves its aim of wrestling power in two years.
Also, the caucus at every of its monthly stakeholders mee ng held regularly in Ilesa, welcomed new members
•Decampees Possess
from all other poli cal tendencies in the statethe ruling Peoples’ Democra c Party (PDP), the Accord Party, the IleriOluwa wing of the Osun APC led by former governor Adegboyega Oyetola, and others.
At its last three stakeholder mee ngs on May 01, June 2nd, and June 30, 2024, more than a hundred (100) grassroots poli cians from within the APC and outside the party from the unit, ward, local government, federal cons tuency, and senatorial district levels have signified their inten on to join the rave of the moment.
Some of the new entrants into the fold include a former federal lawmaker, Hon. Tajudeen Adetunji Ajagbe who represented Ede, Egbedore, and Ejigbo federal cons tuency from 2011 to 2015, Chief Sakariyau Oyedeji Mabroo - a former PDP and Accord Party chie ain in Osogbo, as well as Hon. Segun Ojewumi, a former member of the Osun State House of Assembly from the IleriOluwa camp of the APC.
Others are; Bamidele Tope (PDP, Olorunda LG), Mrs Dauda Ti layo, an APC member from Atakunmosa West local government, Pastor Adenigba Adebayo (APC) from Obokun local government, Chief Kareem Mukaila, the Balogun of Sekona from Ward 8 in Ede South local government, Alhaji Isa Egunjobi (APC) of Ward 4, Ede South LG, Hon. Anthony Akinola and Hon. Folasade Oyedotun who served as councillors in the Aregbesola administra on from Orolu LG. Hon. Mustapha Adebowale, Mr Azeez Badmus, Mr. Oyetunji Sunday and Mr. Sunday Olalekan (Ward 8), Mr. Adewole Omololu, Mr. Ayoade Adegoke, and Mrs Adelakun Olawumi (Ward 7), as well as Hon Ibrahim Victoria from Ward 1 who are PDP members in Ejigbo local government area of the state also joined the Omoluabi caucus.
These grassroots policians and many others numerous too men on have internalised the structure of the tendency from the ward level, and have begun efforts of mobilisa on to rally support for the caucus as poli cal ac vi es have begun in the background.
•Jitters In Osun APC, PDP Over Caucus’s Activities
To Lead Caucus To Victory - Aregbesola
Speaking at the events to welcome the decampees, Aregbesola, the immediate-past Minister of Interior noted that they possess the required experience and poli cal capital to clinch victory for the Omoluabi Progressives in the next ballot.
He noted that they are fit to propagate the tendency’s vision of restoring character, competence, and commitment to democra c ideals to the poli cal leadership of the state and the na on at large.
The former governor of Osun stressed the importance of con nuous mobilisa on to achieve the caucus objec ves of guaranteeing mass prosperity for all.
Aregbesola said, “I want you all to return home and work more in mobilising poli cal eggheads and grassroots poli cians to the fold. The essence of Omoluabi is embedded in our character, competence, and integrity. That is what we should all focus on doing.
“All of you have to work hand-in-hand to ensure that we accommodate many interests
and make our tendency more vibrant than before. I know you can’t fail us.
“The new entrants are poli cians with value and uncommon grit. I believe that slow and steady wins the race. I am convinced that we are on the right track. With God on our side, we will reach the promised land.”
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Omoluabi Progressives, Alhaji Azeez Adesiji lauded members for their huge turnout at the ongoing membership registra on of the caucus.
Adesiji who commended the commitment of the leadership and members of the group throughout the state, urged them not to renege in their efforts.
He assured the new members of the caucus of fair and equal treatment, just as he admonished them to step up their mobilisa on strategies as it will further impact the realisa on of the vision of Omoluabi Progressives to reclaim the state in 2026.
The former council chairman said, “I am happy to report that we have
made a lot of progress at the ongoing membership registra on. Of a heartwarming development is the fact that members from all tendencies in the state have con nued to express interest in joining us across the board.
“As of today, our numbers are increasing in every local government. It is as if the people were wai ng for Omoluabi with the manner in which people have expressed huge love and solidarity with what our patron and symbol of good governance represents.
“I am also delighted to inform you that we are daily traversing the length and breadth of the state to listen to our members and monitor the progress of the caucus. Be assured that we are ready to support and resolve every issue. By the grace of God, we will return to power in 2026,” the Chairman stated.
Ji ers In Osun APC, PDP Over Caucus’s Acvi es
Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that both the ruling PDP and the IleriOluwa tendency of the All Progressives Congress in Osun have been ji ery about the growing popularity of the Omoluabi Caucus.
It was gathered that while the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) led by Governor Ademola
Adeleke is making fran c efforts to woo the patron of the caucus and members of its apex body to his side, the Oyetola arm of the APC is working assiduously to decimate the caucus on all fronts.
Feelers within the IleriOluwa camp revealed that the camp has been sending emissaries to key figures in the caucus like the former Speaker of Osun Assembly, Dr. Najeem Salaam, former SSG, Alhaji Moshood Adeo , Revd. ‘Lowo Adebiyi, Engr. Kazeem Salami, and Abosede Oluwaseun, among others to decimate Aregbesola’s polical strength.
Another of the ripples generated within the rank and file of Oyetola’s loyalists was the membership registra on of the caucus flagged off by the former Minister and other leaders of the Omoluabi Progressives on June 2nd. Immediately, the APC convoked an emergency stakeholders mee ng to report the former governor of Osun to the naonal headquarters, calling for his sanc on over alleged an -party ac vies.
OSUN DEFENDER gathered that in weeks to come, other bigwigs from the ruling party and other poli cal par es will officially pitch their tent with the Omoluabi Progressives.
•Aregbesola during the membership registration exercise
•Adesiji, displaying the Omoluabi Progressives membership card to members
Sodiq Yusuf
UNIOSUNTH Warns Staff Against Poor Treatment Of Patients, Families
THE Management of Osun State University Teaching Hospital (UNIOSUNTH) has warned its staff against the poor treatment of pa ents and their families.
The management said anyone found culpable or reported of being lackadaisical on the job would be sanconed.
The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Professor Peter Olaitan, gave the warning during an exclusive interview with OSUN DEFENDER
Professor Olaitan was reac ng to widespread complaints about the poor a tude of some of the staff towards pa ents and their family members.
In the last few
weeks, some members of the public have taken to social media to call out the management of the hospital over what they described as the nonchalant a tude of some staff
However, the CMD assured members of the public that the hospital management would not condone any form of carelessness from the staff, adding that the well-being of every pa ent is its major priority.
Professor Olaitan noted that the hospital has organised a series of training for its staff, urging members of the public to report any staff who falls short in the discharge of their du es to the authories. He said, “The man-
agement of the hospital does not condone any form of indiscipline from our staff and we take the lives of our clients as a priority.
“The hospital has
organised a lot of staff training and we expect the utmost professionalism from them. We will not pardon anyone found or reported of going against the ethics
of the hospital.”
“As a way of encouraging professionalism, the hospital management rewards and encourages staff who perform their du es efficiently and that is what we need from everyone,” he said.
Professor Olaitan however, appealed to pa ents and their fam-
ily members to take it easy with the staff whenever they visit the hospital.
“We have only one job here which is to save lives and we are doing it to the best of our ability. The hospital, the paents, and their family members have to come together to achieve the best result always.”
FGM Practice Reduces In Osun - Findings
THE prac ce of Female Genital Mula on in communi es across Osun State has reduced dras cally, OSUN DEFENDER gathered.
Findings by the medium indicate that efforts of the State Government and some Nongovernmental Organisa ons have led to the actualisa on of an almost zero
number of cases.
Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, the SouthWest Gender/FGM analyst for the United Naons Popula ons Fund, Mrs. Uzoma Ayodeji, noted the reduc on rate in the prac ce of FGM cases in the state is encouraging especially in places like Osogbo, IleIfe, Ada, Igbajo, Ijebu-Ijesa, Iwo, Ikire, Gbongan, among others.
Ayodeji who spoke
•OSUN DEFENDER’s Production Editor, Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa gave his daughter, Owaronke out in marriage to Opeyemi last weekend in Abeokuta, Ogun State
Osun
Students’
Community Accuse Adeleke’s Govt Of Fake Promises, Plan Protests
THE Students’ Community in Osun State may hit the streets soon in protest over the alleged failure of the state government to address the challenges facing public ter ary educa on in the state.
The students in a statement jointly signed by All Students Union Governments (SUG), Na onal Associa on Of Osun State Students (NAOSS), Na onal Associaon of Nigerian Students (NANS JCC) Na onal Associa on of Nigerian Students (NANS) South-West expressed displeasure over the negligence of the state government in crea ng an avenue to lis-
ten to their plight. The students’ body also accused the Senior Special Assistant on Students Ma er to Governor Ademola Adeleke, Bashiru Aderoju, of failing in his responsibility.
They accused Aderoju of being the government stooge to the detriment of Osun students, saying he has been defending his paymasters while making empty promises to pacify them. students.
The statement reads:
“Osun State might likely face the mother of protests even see as the student community, a vital segment of our society is feeling increasingly neglected by the state government. This discontent
has been brewing for some me and the lack of a en on from the authori es is alarming.
“The Senior Special Assistant on Student Matters appointed to bridge the gap between the students and the state government has seemingly fallen short of expecta ons and we’d act any me soon. He unsurprising turned out to be a government stooge at the detriment of Osun state students.
“He has been everywhere defending his paymasters and making empty promises just to calm the students and prevent an uprising in the student community.
“The students feel
abandoned as their repeated calls for dialogue and ac on have been met with silence.
“The unrest is a clarion call for immediate acon from the Osun State Government. Addressing the concerns of the student community should be a top priority. ensuring that the grievances of students are heard and acted upon.
“The role of the Senior Special Assistant on Student Ma ers needs to be re-evaluated to ensure that it effec vely serves its purpose. Beware of massive agita on that will turn down the state ac vi es from the students’ community anyme soon”.
during the declara on of abandonment of FGM in five communi es in Osogbo, said there was a need for all stakeholders to collaborate to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
The FGM analyst said: “Five years ago, the rate of FGM in the state was about 76 percent but at the last survey, it has reduced to about less than 50 percent and we are hopeful that the trend will con nue ll we reach zero percent.
“Today is about the public declara on of the abandonment of FGM in Olorunda Local Government Area of Osun State. Five communi es in the Local Government came together to publicly declare the abandonment of FGM in their communi es.
“We want more collabora ve effort among the stakeholders to ensure that we reach more communi es in the state. The next step is to ensure that the communi es that are yet to declare do likewise.
“We are targe ng percent in order to achieve the SDG goals by 2030 where no community in Osun State will s ll be engaging in this harmful prac ce.”
Also, the State Commissioner for Health, Barr Jola Akintola, while speaking with the medium reiterated the government’s desire to see an end to FGM in the state.
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He said: “Before the interven on of these programs in collaboraon with the UNFPA, the rate of FGM in Osun State was over 70 percent but within the five years when they started, it reduced to less than 50 percent and I believe by the me another survey comes out, it would have reduced to less than 20 percent.
“The government with the support of partners is reaching out to communi es especially the rural areas, where FGM is s ll being pracced. We are telling them about the havoc of FGM and we can see we are winning the war against FGM in the state in collabora on with our people.”
Similarly, a NonGovernmental Organisa on, Ac on Health Incorporated, disclosed that cases of Female Circumcision have reduced in major ci es in Osun State.
The NGO said ci es like Osogbo, Ile-Ife, Ilesa, and Iwo have witnessed a sharp reduc on in cases of FGM.
The Program Officer, Ac on Health Incorporated, Fa ma Idris, while speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, said the organisa on’s effort has yielded posi ve reports.
“Our campaigns have been yielding posi ve results. We have been receiving success stories of people who wanted to mu late their girl child but changed their opinion a er our campaign.
“Also, the records show that the issue of female genital mu laon has decreased in Osun State. So, there has been a great impact,” she added.
Meanwhile, the Osun State Government has warned residents against circumcision of female children, no ng that anyone found guilty will face the law.
The Director of Gender Affairs, Ministry of Women Affairs, Children and Social Welfare, Mrs Lola Adewale, noted that female Circumcision is not an an dote to pro-
•Continued on Page 7
Kazeem Badmus
Kazeem Badmus
Yusuf Oketola
Fresh Crisis Brews As NURTW Seeks To Takeover Osun Park Management Secretariat
FACTS have emerged on the real cause of the unrest that happened on Tuesday evening when fac ons of the Osun Transport Management System (OSTMS), engaged each other in a supremacy battle.
The development, OSUN DEFENDER gathered threw residents of the Ilesa Garage area of Osogbo, into a panic.
It was gathered that the crisis was an offshoot of the ongoing crisis within the rank and file of the transport management union.
Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that some members of the OSTMS who have been disenchanted with the leadership of the Chairman, Mr. Nurudeen Wakili popularly known as Alowonle have been finding an opportunity to register their displeasure and compel the state government to remove him.
Sources told the medium that some officials of the proscribed Na onal Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), which metamorphosed to the OSTMS in November 2022 are displeased with the composi on of the branch chairmen and unit heads across the state.
They alleged that some individuals appointed as branch chairmen are not original members of the defunct NURTW in the state, and have not been following the guidelines of the transport system.
Further inves ga ons by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that moves by some of the erstwhile members of the NURTW who are laying claim to the ownership of the offices used by the OSTMS are also ed to the crisis that erupted on Tuesday. Resident and shop owners at Ayepe, Sadiat, Ilesa Garage, and Fadilulahi areas were reported to have scampered for safety as hoodlums shot sporadically into the air around the state secretariat of the group.
The medium gathered that a fac on led by the Deputy Chairman (Operaons) of the OSTMS, Wasiu Arogundade, invaded and temporarily took over the state secretariat of the union for a few hours.
But the main group, led by the chairman of the union, Nurudeen Wakili popularly called Alowonle mobilised to take back the office a er an exchange of gunshots.
The sources said, “There are different is-
sues around the pandemonium that happened on Tuesday. First, some branch chairmen appointed by the state government under Alowonle are neither transport workers nor some of us who are former NURTW members.
The individuals according to our findings are either poli cal machineries of the state government compensated with those appointments.
“Secondly, the offices used by the OSTMS are for the NURTW. The union was the one paying for the offices and financing its running and therefore owns where Alowonle and the branch chairmen are using. Now, some of the displaced NURTW execu ves are going through the backdoor to use the crisis to take back their offices.
“If they succeed, it will return the leadership of Asiri Eniba and others to the OSTMS which the Alowonle group and the state government do not want to happen. Alowonle is also alleged to have mismanaged the funds of the union. A lot of the stakeholders are not happy with the way they are
being taken care of. These are the main issues.”
Speaking with journalists, Arogundade accused the OSTMS Chairman of extor on and high-handedness.
He said, “Alowonle used the name of Governor Ademola Adeleke and his elder sister, Yeye Dupe Adeleke-Sanni to extort us. During the burial of Yeye Dupe’s husband, we contributed N1.6 million and during the governor’s chie aincy tle, he collected N150,000 from each branch.”
Reac ng, Wakili, who sustained several cutlass wounds, disclosed that the allega ons against him were all lies.
He noted that the aggrieved group were dissa sfied with his decision not to return the transport management system to the Na onal Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), where their allegiance belongs.
“It is simply impossible to collect money for Yeye Dupe’s husband’s burial or Governor Adeleke’s chieftaincy conferment when they were not members of the transport union. They should disclose who
collected the money from the branches. Branch chairmen are s ll alive they can speak about it as well. If they were protesting those issues why the a ack on me? They attempted to kill me and we handed over one of those who a acked me to the police for inves ga on.
“Their claim is simply an a empt to bring back NURTW with a view to antagonising the Adeleke’s administra on in the state”, he added.
Reac ng to the development, Governor Ademola Adeleke in a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Wednesday, directed the Commissioner for Transporta on to convey a reconciliatory mee ng between all warring facons.
Adeleke also warned transport workers in Osun State against ac ons and ac vi es capable of plunging the state into violence and lawlessness.
The statement said, “The officials and their members should desist from distrac ng Osun people from many ongoing laudable projects and delivery of good govern-
•One of the victims of the clash
ance.
“This administra on will not condone lawlessness and acts of violence. We must not and can not afford to return to the era of the previous administra on. Our government has zero tolerance for violence.
“Any issue within the transport management should be resolved in line with due process. Internally Generated Revenue in Osun State is strictly
regulated within a framework of accountability and transparency that can not be breached.
“Our government has automated revenue collec on while integra ng mul ple revenue points into a single billing process. Our IGR has increased as a consequence of our innova ons and zero tolerance for revenue leakages. Diversion of revenue is a thing of the past in Osun State.”
Herdsman Sentenced To Death For Killing Father After N3m Ransom In Osun
AN Osun State High Court si ng in Ede has sentenced a middle-aged herdsman,
Issa Ibrahim alongside others to death for kidnapping, killing, and dismembering the corpse of his father, Adamu Ibrahim over inher-
itance.
The convicts; Lateef Bello, Abdulrahman Soliu, Bello Ibrahim, and Jolaanabi Saheed were arraigned
on October 28th, 2021 alongside the mother of Jolaanabi (Ajibola Saheed) on four counts of conspiracy, murder, and kidnapping.
How Osun Rehabilitation Centre Was Vandalised, Looted Under Oyetola’s Govt
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the alleged offences.
•NDLEA Calls For Resuscitation Of Centre For Drug Dependent Persons
Yusuf Oketola
THE Osun Rehabilita on Centre (O’Rehab) located in Konda, Ilobu was looted and vandalised during the administra on of former governor Adegboyega Oyetola, findings by OSUN DEFENDER have revealed.
The development, it was gathered has led to the referral of drug users for treatment and rehabilita on outside the state, due to its condi on.
The centre, built by the government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in 2012, according to the state government and the Naonal Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) needs an urgent revi lisaon to cater for the rehabilita on of persons with mental challenges, destute, and those who are homeless.
In a statement made available to OSUN DEFENDER, the Osun Command of the Na onal
•Adeleke Working To Revive O’Rehab - Aide
Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) called on Governor Ademola Adeleke to provide a standard rehabilita on centre to cater for drug-dependent persons in the state.
NDLEA Commander in Osun, Chidi Nnadi, made the call in commemoraon of the 2024 United Na ons Interna onal Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking, stressing the need for the state government’s interven on to facilitate access to treatment for vic ms who are under the yoke of drugs.
The commander noted that the unavailability of a rehabilita on centre has made the agency refer drug-dependent pa ents to a facility in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, and other neighbouring states.
“The need for government interven on to facilitate access to treatment for vic ms who are under the yoke of drug dependence cannot be stressed.”
Commen ng on the development in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to Governor Adeleke on Special Needs, Kamil Aransi said the present administra on is interested in pu ng the abandoned Rehabilita on Centre back in shape.
Aransi opined that his team had visited the site of the abandoned centre at Ilobu on the instruc ons of Governor Adeleke, saying the place had been vandalized and looted under the administra on of former governor Adegboyega Oyetola without repair before he le office.
He said: “My team and I had visited the abandoned and looted Rehabilita on Center in Ilobu
He said: “I want to appeal to Governor Adeleke that the state is in dire need of a standard rehabilita on centre to cater for drug-dependent persons presently referred for help in neighbouring States.
on the instruc on of Mr. Governor as he’s interested in pu ng it back in shape. I can assure you that the facility will soon be renovated for the purpose intended.
“The rehabilita on center was vandalized and destroyed during the administra on of former Governor Oyetola and it wasn’t repaired ll he le office.”
The rehabilita on centre used for O’Rehab, according to findings by OSUN DEFENDER, also served as a temporary shelter for des tute transferred from other states for reintegra on with their family.
However, the Oyetola administra on throughout his four years as the governor of the state between 2018-2022 je soned the programme. Also, the current Governor Ademola Adeleke has not come up with a programme or idea regarding such a legacy.
The defence counsel from the Osun State Ministry of Jus ce, Moses Faremi during the trial called three witnesses; two sons of the deceased and a police officer, with evidence ranging from a stool, club, and others recovered from the house of Jolaanabi where the deceased was kept at Owode-Ede a er he was kidnapped on April 17, 2017.
Faremi stated: “They kidnapped Adamu from his house and took him to the house of Jolaanabi. They demanded for ransom of N10m but later reduced it to N3m which was delivered at Sagamu in Ogun State. While the father was in their den, the veil used to cover his face fell off and he recognized his abductors. They killed him and dismembered his corpse. They threw the parts into Osun River to cover the crime.”
The presiding judge, Jus ce Kudirat Akano, delivering her judgment on Tuesday said the prosecuon counsel was able to establish that the convict commi ed the crime of conspiracy, murder, and kidnapping by the convenonal statements and the evidence given by an eyewitness (one of the sons of the deceased).
Kazeem Badmus
Kazeem Badmus
Osun APC Suffers Defection After Oyetola’s Adoption As Leader
Yusuf Oketola
SOME members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State have joined the ruling Peoples Democra c Party (PDP).
The defec ons occurred within the spate of two weeks a er the adop on of former governor Adegboyega Oyetola as the leader of the party in the state.
The defec ons, according to findings by OSUN DEFENDER, happened majorly in Osun West Senatorial District and other parts of the state.
The development according to members of the party who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER under the condi on of anonymity depicts Oyetola’s lack of capacity to manage the party’s crisis in the state.
Oyetola was unanimously adopted as the Osun APC leader by party leaders and stakeholders at the residence of a former interim Naonal Chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande in Ila Orangun, on June 19, 2024.
In Ikire, the headquarters of Irewole local government, Mr. Tunde Ayandosu, one of the loyalists of Oye-
tola, joined the ruling party.
Ayandosu, who was the Chairman of the APC in Ward 4 joined the party with his followers. He was welcomed to the party by the Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Lere Oyewumi.
Oyewumi had during the event asserted that he wooed Ayandosu due to his capacity as an opposi on member, saying that all efforts to influence the electorate to vote for him at Ayandosu’s polling unit proved abor ve at the last general elec ons.
Also, in Ede South Local Government, a former youth leader of the APC and former Councillor of Babasanya Ward, Abiodun Ajuwon defected to the PDP.
Ajuwon, who defected last Thursday led over 100 card-carrying members of APC into the ruling party in Osun.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Ajuwon a ributed their decision to join the PDP to the good leadership style and excellent performance of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
“Only fools will not see the work of the performing governor” Ajuwon added.
Ajuwon further said
that Governor Adeleke’s achievement in less than two years in office performed beyond expecta ons.
Receiving Ajuwon and other defectors during the local government PDP mee ng, the Chairman of Ede South Local Government Area of Osun, Lukman Afolabi
described many of the defectors as leaders and solid members of the APC in Ede South.
He assured them that their new party, (PDP) would provide equal opportuni es and privileges for both old and new members, adding that the party’s doors remain open for
other opposi on party members to join them.
Calling on exis ng PDP members to welcome the defectors with open arms, the council chairman enjoined them to remain united in order to con nue to move the wheel of progress Osun state is experiencing under PDP forward.
Other PDP leaders who received the defectors are; the leader of the federal cons tuency and the former chairman of Ede South local government, Elder Sunday Akanfe, Hon. Busari Kodoro, Hon. Naheem Amodemaja, among others.
Osun, 9 Others Will Struggle To Pay New Minimum Wage – Report
Yusuf Oketola
OSUN , Benue, and Oyo have been iden fied
Corruption Rocks Osun Govt, SSA Diverts 70 Bags Of Rice
Yusuf Oketola ered to the group during the last Eid-El-Kabir.
THE Senior Special Assistant to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Civil Society Organisa ons, Comrade Emmanuel Adebisi accused of diver ng 70 bags of rice intended for Osun Civil Socie es, has been suspended.
The rice, findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed was intended for distribuon during the last EidEl-Kabir fes val. Adebisi, however, was said to have not delivered the gi Governor Ademola Adeleke while announcing Adebisi’s suspension in a statement by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, on Wednesday, directed his Chief of Staff, Hon. Kazeem Akinleye to inves gate the ma er.
Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER in a telephone interview on Wednesday, the Secretary of Osun Civil Socie es Coali on, Comrade Emmanuel Olowu said he also heard about the development in the news.
Olowu affirmed that no bag of rice was deliv-
He said: “As a ma er of fact, I also heard about it in the news. But if at all he was given rice, I can categorically say no bag of rice was delivered to the Osun Civil Socie es Coalion.”
But Adebisi in a statement on Wednesday debunked the allega on, describing it as misleading, malicious, and the handwork of some poli cal detractors.
The statement reads: “It has come to my a enon that recent reports
as
circula ng in the media regarding I Comrade Adebisi Emmanuel, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Civil Socie es, are misleading and untrue.
“I con nue to serve diligently in my capacity as Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Osun State, with unwavering commitment to my responsibili es.
•Adebisi
“Any insinua on of my involvement in misconduct, par cularly rela ng to the alleged diversion of 70 bags of rice intended for Osun Civil Socie es during the Eidel-Kabir fes val, is en rely baseless and without merit and the handwork of some bitter political fools and I challenge anyone with fact on this to bring it out.”
some of the states that have the least ability to pay and finance a new minimum wage.
This was revealed in a report by a research firm, Analysts Data Services and Resources (ADSR).
According to the report, other states that may find a wage review challenging are Yobe, Kogi, Adamawa, Jigawa, Kebbi Plateau, Kano, Nasarawa, and Eki
But, Lagos, Imo, and
Zamfara ranked highest in computed ability to pay.
In its recent reporttled “The Nigerian New Minimum Wage: Implica ons for State Governments’ Budget Performance”, the Ibadan-based research ins tute adopted four metrics to arrive at the rankings.
In compu ng the states’ ability to finance a new minimum wage, ADSR examined the ra o of personnel expenditure
FGM Practice Reduces In Osun...
•Continued from Page 5
miscuity.
She added that the short and long-term effects of Female Genital Mu la on are huge which some mes may lead to death.
She said there is a punishment for anyone caught in the act.
“Female Genital Mula on is a cultural belief and a misconcep on that requires change. There is a need for all key stakeholders to be advocates for the eradica on of FGM.
“We’ve talked about the law and our security agents have assured us of their support. So, whoever sees anyone trying to perform circumcision on a girl child should report to the security agencies.
“People believe the prac ce of Female Genital Mu la on is an andote to promiscuity but it is not. That’s why we give the health consequences of the prac ce which at mes, leads to death.”
She added that the Osun state’s VAP law states that “The performance of FGM or engagement of another to perform FGM carries a punishment of imprisonment not exceeding four years or a fine not exceeding N200,000 or both.
“A emp ng to perform FGM or engaging another to perform FGM carries a punishment of imprisonment not exceeding two years or a fine not exceeding 100,000 or both.”
to total expenditure, total revenue, internal revenue, and states’ total debt stock.
“This analysis shows that states with rela vely high ability to pay are those currently having: low personnel expenses to total expenditure rao; low personnel expenses to revenue ra o, especially, IGR; low debt profile, and rela vely high elas city of personnel costs contribu on to future revenue and expenditure,” it stated.
OSUN DEFENDER recalls that Governor Ademola Adeleke had called for the review of the Federa on Account Revenue sharing formula as well as the moving of solid minerals from exclusive to concurrent legisla ve list.
Adeleke who represents the South West at the Na onal Tripar te Minimum Wage committee noted that a review of the revenue-sharing formula and amendment of the legisla ve list is necessary to boost the capacity of the states to pay the new minimum wage.
He, however, posited that individual states would have to nego ate with their workers and agree to a realis c and sustainable minimum wage in line with the available resources.
•Faces at the commendation service in honour of late Fresh FM Journalist, Taiwo Kekere-Ekun held at the Osun NUJ Press Centre, Osogbo, yesterday Photo: Shola Aderinto
FRIDAY, JULY 05, 2024 - THURSDAY, JULY 11, 2024 VOL. 19 NO 25 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com
ABUSE of forum? Fulsome apologies! But be sure it’s both a logical and legi mate grist to tell the Osun tale: of development — or lack of it.
That was how we, kids in the Lafiaji area of Lagos Island, hollered and learned, by rote, the Yoruba alphabets — shouting at vivid pictures of humans bearing these alphabets on their chest, and bawling louder than the child next to you, to impress the teacher!
The school, St. David’s School, Okesuna, Lafiaji, Lagos, s ll stands ll this day. The school, in concert with the many neighbourhood lessons, with teachers and their scary canes, drilled the first bit of formal learning, into the minds of the bawling kids.
You needed the Yoruba alphabet drills to start the allYoruba preparatory classes 1 and 2. The English alphabets waited ll you made Standard 1, in those days when Lagos, as Federal Capital Territory, did eight years of primary school, before it was later pared down to six; and the class nomenclature changed from Standard to Primary.
That screaming kid of yore — among many others — is now the Ripples of today who, many confess, has a rather good grasp of English style, lexis and structure. Yet, the beginning was so humble!
Of course, the first eight — later six — years of formal schooling was free, thanks to the iconic Chief Obafemi Awolowo. Educa on couldn’t have been free in the West, while kids in its Yoruba outpost of Lagos (though then federal capital) would pay?
“Indeed, since the Awolowo Western Region government (1952-1959) — which by the way had bouncing cocoa wealth — no sub-national government in Nigeria has essayed audacious development as Osun did, under Aregbesola, though with puny resources”
B.A.C.K.S.T.O.R.Y
By
Kunle Abimbola
Osun Dramatics
Much later, the federal authori es — under Gen. Yakubu Gowon and Lagos State Military Governor, Col. (later Brigadier) Mobolaji Johnson — would add a boon: heavily subsidized highquality mid-day meals, that saved the kids, mainly from poor homes, from the vendor shylocks, that dished low-quality food at outrageous prices!
Boy! Didn’t many of us taste those exo c meals, complete with fruits and chilled milk, for the first me in school — even taking home li le ra ons for our younger siblings?
Why this flashback, though? Simple: The mo va on to write Ogbeni: The Osun Renaissance Years, stemmed from sharing childhood kin with thousands of Osun kids, from humble homes, basking in the warmth of their government’s policy sun.
Safari Books, Ltd, Ibadan, released the work in May.
Ogbeni is an ode to a government that placed the poor as the central plank of its policies — and poli cs.
But in Rauf Aregbesola’s Osun, it wasn’t school feeding alone, in the first four years of schooling. It was the total transforma on of the school and study environment.
Why, a visit to the sedate classrooms, at Osogbo’s Anthony Udofia Elementary School, felt like becoming a child again, and being taught in such comely classes, with their sweet libraries; and for mid-day sports, romping into the enchan ng play grounds!
Whither those gli ering facili es today, less than eight years later, though the school s ll stands? The answer is up in the wind! That appears the retrogressive streak of Osun polics and drama cs! The poor, more than anyone, are the ulmate vic ms.
But the enchan ng windows of Udofia — and the con guous Government High School, Oke-Fia (now Osogbo Grammar School): the Osun model mega high school that in 2020 produced Abdullahi Akintade as Nigeria’s best student scien st, barely four years a er the new school opened in 2016 — were a loud metaphor for youth educa on, training and empowerment.
The youngest were fed — and the feeding itself was structured to put money in the pockets of these children’s farmer and caterer-parents. The kids were also put in transformed schools, from the hitherto shambolic, nay collapsed, public school system, in the most radical transforma ve interven on in Osun history.
The most senior — the senior secondary (SS) 3 classes — were equipped with “Opon Imo”, units of computer tablets that were warehoused, quo ng from Ogbeni, “54 etextbooks covering 17 subjects, 54 (video) tutorials covering 17 subjects, over 40, 000 prac ce ques ons-and-answers, and seven extra-curricular books”, which included the Bible, the Qur’an, and the Ifa Corpus, covering the varying faiths.
Even the common uniform project — as controversial as that was — was wrought to standardize tailoring and design skills, to feed orders to thousands of Osun ar san tailors, via the interven on of the Omoluabi Garment Company, now defunct.
Again, where is Opon Imo today? Indeed, where’s that Garment company, which the Aregbesola order then promoted as the biggest garment business in West Africa?
Gone with the wind! For context, Kwara, under Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq,
has appropriated a similar idea; and is running with own factory, with the promise of jobs for its youth and tax for its purse.
For youth jobs: the same government framed OYES: the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme. OYES volunteers not only out-numbered the Osun Civil Service, OYES also triggered N-Power, the graduate scheme, a er its image, on the na onal front, under President Muhammadu Buhari — just as Osun’s school feeding inspired a na onal home-grown schoolfeeding programme, as a safety net for the poor.
More cri cally, OYES triggered the World Bank version of YESSO: the Youth Employment and Social Support Opera on. YESSO gathered data to compile a Na onal Social Register (NSR) for condi onal cash transfers to the very poor, complete with opportuni es to train in skills to make ends meet. The NSR came handy during the terrible months of COVID-19.
Yet, where is OYES today?
Osun 2010-2018 was total human development: from youth to the seniors’ welfare and empowerment dubbed “Agba Osun”, and public health, using aggressive road and sundry infrastructure as a spur, but making the common man the crux of policy.
Indeed, since the Awolowo Western Region government (1952-1959) — which by the way had bouncing cocoa wealth — no sub-na onal government in Nigeria has essayed audacious development as Osun did, under Aregbesola, though with puny resources.
Ogbeni: The Osun Renaissance Years, soon to be publicly presented, captures these momentous strides, with its many crises and controversies.
All through that epoch, the media slept and snored, though a good sec on of it would jerk awake to dish out explosive ignorance from arch-bias — wanton abuse that gave the Fourth Estate a bad name.
Ogbeni pushes a more balanced account for posterity, say, some 100 years from now. But before then, what if it gets to 100, 000 young African leaders as a primer for how to put the poor at the core of government policies? Exci ng?
