Osun Defender Online Version Of July 28, 2023

•The Commissioner For Transportation, Hon. Sesan Oyedele, addressing Osun Traffic Management Officers at the Ministry’s premises, Abere on Tuesday.

Photo : Shola Aderinto •Longe, Osun

Eiye, Afe Cult Groups Renew Attacks In Ilesa

•Wanted Solo Iwara, Bode Itaapa, General Shigo Lead Killings, Violence - Sources

•Faulty Operational Vehicles Hampers Police Intervention – Findings

•Continued from front page

ferent poli cal violence and cult related a acks before the elec ons.

However, five months a er the elec ons, the cul sts have resumed their violent ac vi es, shoo ng and a acking one another with cutlasses, daggers, swords, broken bo les, charms and clubs.

The renewed a ack has led to the killing of a reported leader of Eiye confraternity, who was iden fied as Segun Agbadaye, notoriously known as Shigo.

Also, three students of Osun State College of Health Technology, Ilesa, were accidentally shot during the shootout that occurred between the two cult groups last Sunday night.

One the students was shot in the eye, another shot in the waist while the third was shot on the leg, according to sources.

The students who were charging their phones at a barber’s shop at Amuta Junc on, were reportedly hit by the bullets from the sporadic gunshots of the cul sts.

The cul sts had attacked Bolounduro, a street in Ilesa around 9:30pm and engaged in about two hours gun battle.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the ongoing cult clashes began last week Wednesday, July 19, when some suspected members of Afe confraternity a acked the Eiye base at Okesa, Ilesa.

Segun (shigo) who was said to be one of the strongest Eiye member and another cul st, Amuda were reportedly killed in the a ack.

The development lead to reprisal a acks which has sha ered the peaceful atmosphere of areas like Irojo, Okesa and Bolounduro.

Wanted Solo Iwara,

Bode Itaapa, General, Shigo Lead Killings, ViolenceSources

According to sources, the cul sts leading the a acks at both side of Eiye and Afe were known faces who have been terrorizing Ilesa and its environs for years.

The sources menoned Solomon Aded-

imeji, known as Solo Iwara, Bode Itapa, General and late Segun as the people leading different a acks in the town.

It would be recalled that Adedimeji was declared wanted by Osun State Police Command on March 11, 2022 in connec on with murder, arson, ritual killing, armed robbery, rape and kidnapping.

Inves ga ons revealed that the late Segun and some other deadly cul sts were released from Ilesa prison few months to the July 16, 2022 governorship elecon and had since been terrorising the community.

Mr Sola Ogunleye, a resident of Imo in Ilesa, said: “These guys (cultists) are known faces. The police know them and where they live.

Solo Iwara, Bode Itapa are members of afe cult group, while General and Segun, people called him Shigo, a son of the Agbadaye of Igbadaye, are members of Eiye confraternity. Segun was killed last week Wednesday in Ilesa by these cul sts in a clash. The police know all of them. They are the people terrorising Ilesa and neighbouring towns and villages.

“Solo Iwara and Bode Itapa don’t live in Ilesa, they usually come from their hideout inside a forest at Iwara to launch a ack in Ilesa; and they retreat immediately. They usually come with nothing less than 20-25 motorcycles with three passengers on board.

“We are not at peace in Ilesa, the Eiye and Afe cul sts are terrorising us. They shoot at any me and anywhere. The two cult groups have been having running ba les for long, and our policians, especially PDP and APC, are to blame for this. They freed some of these guys from Prison before the 2022 governorship elec on. They armed them with weapons and the result is what we are seeing now.”

Faulty opera onal vehicles hampers Police Interven on OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the police in Ilesa are being challenged with faulty operaonal vehicles which has been making intervenons on distressed calls difficult.

It was learnt that majority of the police operaonal vehicles are faulty and could not run fast to crime scene whenever distress call was put to them.

On the last Sunday attacks, some policemen who craved anonymity told the medium that the Ijamo Police Sta on received distress calls, but was unable to rapidly mobilize to defuse the

tension. According to the policemen, the sta on was challenged with proper func oning opera onal vehicles.

They said: “There is no opera onal vehicle that works. We have trained men who are readily available, but we lack an operable vehicle that is in good working order. The department has only one vehicle that is in op-

era on that is flawed. The en re Ilesa East is covered by this vehicle.”

Some Ilesa residents claimed that it always takes police a minimum of about 30 minutes to drive to crime scene or area, describing the prac ce and unencouraging.

Residents live in fear, rush home by 6pm

The incessant cult clashes have le resi-

Osun Assembly Constitutes Ad-hoc Committee To Inspect Osogbo-Iwo Road

THE Osun State House of Assembly has set up an Adhoc Commi ee to oversee the ongoing reconstruc on work on 91.0km Osogbo-Iwo road.

Speaker of the assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun, cons tuted the commi ee during the appearance of the contractor, Engr. Olanrewaju Adeleke, the Managing Director of Peculiar Ulmate Concern Ltd. before the House on Tuesday.

The commi ee is chaired by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Akinyode Oyewusi.

It would be recalled that Adeleke had on July 18, 2023 appeared before the lawmakers but was also asked to reappear with Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works and Transport, Engr. Idowu Bello on Tuesday.

Adeleke, who was grilled by the lawmakers, told the House that the actual percentage of work done on the road so far was beyond the 21 per cent reported by the ministry.

He clarified that the commencement of project will be seven months in a couple of days as against nine months reported in some quarters.

“We will be seven months on the site in a couple of days. What we have done is beyond 21% but we understand that the ministry will not value some works done in some areas. Like the stone laying at Asamu and the work we are currently doing at Dele Yes Sir axis here in Osogbo. These are low hanging fruits that when completed in few weeks will increase the percentage comple on”, Adeleke

said.

Speaking on the alleged patching of the road, Adeleke said what was done were “preparatory” work needed for an exis ng road before the asphalt laying is done.

In his address, Bello, the PS Ministry of Works agreed with Adeleke that the ministry only valued the work done as 21%, sta ng that other areas highlighted by the company cannot be valued un l the it’s asphalted.

dents of Irojo, Okesa, Bolounduro and College of Health Technology in panic and confusion, forcing majority of them to close their shops and rushed home before 6pm.

A resident of Irojo, Mrs Bimbo Akinduro, told OSUN DEFENDER that she has not gone to her shop ever since the Sunday a ack, because she believed there would be a reprisal from the other cult group.

“Thank God the a ack happened on Sunday, if it were to be on Saturday, maybe I would have been among the vic ms because I close late. Ever since then, I have not opened my shop because I know there will be another a ack; that is their usual pracce. I don’t think Ilesa can be peaceful again. may God help us”, she stated.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the student who was shot in the eye was receiving treatment at UNIOSUN teaching hospital, Osogbo.

The other students were receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Ilesa.

When contacted, the Osun State Police Public Rela ons Officer, Mrs Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the incident, disclosing that some arrests have been made.

Yusuf Oketola

•Members of the Committee in Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Osun State Chapter, after the 2023 convention held at Ola-Oni Centre, Osogbo.

IN this our season of discontent the importance, the nature and indeed the defini on of social capital is on the front burner.

Too much emphasis is placed on immediate monetary benefits, this is a tragic error at a me of high interest rates and unstable foreign exchange rates mechanism.

The Nigerian trade union movement will do well to remember the importance of social capital in their upcoming nego a ons with the federal and the state governments.

The Chinese videography for crisis is a mixture of danger and opportunity, we must turn the present dysfunc on into a trajectory for a decisive and irreversible advance.

The unions as well as civil society should demand a “War Against Poverty’ as a decisive force for sustainable economic development as opposed to ephemeral “growth” rates. Nigeria is now the third largest econ-

Back To Social Capital

•Must Be The Central Thrust If Development

omy in Africa, down from first. The decline is a clear tes mony to the illusion based on “growth” rates without the fundamental underpinning for sustainability. We now have the opportunity to reboot and end the illusion.

We recall that in just right breath-taking years in Brazil, the government of Ignacio Lula da Silva pulled forty million people out of poverty. There was no magic wand just going back to the

basics. The produc ve base of the economy must be rebuilt. There must be an emphasis in retooling the Basic Industries such as Iron and Steel, Machine Tools, petrochemicals and so forth. Governments at all levels must ini ate mass social housing programs trajectory on a monthly rent to buy basis. We have to put the people first in our quest for sustainability.

Here at home, we have seen how Lateef Jakande, Sam Mbak-

The Discourse

“Aregbesola et al used anti-poverty programs as an economic lever to create social capital and achieve an advance. We should follow suit. For there is no reason to be fixated on a discredited orthodoxy”

we, Abubakar Rini and later on Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola et al used an -poverty programs as an economic lever to create social capital and achieve an advance. We should follow suit. For there is no reason to be fixated on a discredited orthodoxy.

The list of ministerial nominees has just been submi ed to the Senate. We urge that important in the screening should be an emphasis in disposi on towards the crea on of social capital and sustainable development. At a cri cal intersec on for the na on, it cannot be otherwise. Pu ng the people first must become the basis to achieve equity, balanced development and social jus ce. Let’s go for it!

The Implications Of Low Women Representation In Government: A Call For Gender Equality

DESPITE significant progress in achieving gender equality in many aspects of society, the representaon of women in government remains a cri cal issue worldwide. Women connue to be underrepresented in poli cal decision-making bodies, including na onal and state parliaments, cabinets, and local governments. This lack of equal representa on has profound implica ons for governance, policy-making, and the overall wellbeing of socie es.

According to a United Na ons Women report on Women representa on in Nigeria Na onal and State Assemblies, only 75 women make up the Na onal Assembly and State Assembly represen ng 5% of the 1459 total seats. In the State Houses of Assembly, out of 990 seats, women occupy only 55 represen ng 6%.

Out of 36 states of the federa on, 14 State Houses of Assembly do not have women as representa ves, including Osun State House of Assembly with 26 cons tuencies. The implica on of this in Osun State is that only men is taking the policymaking decisions.

According to a gender advocate and Execu ve Director, Women Advocates Research and Documenta on Centre, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, this low representaon of women in poli cal posi ons could be linked to the challenges encountered by women while venturing into poli cs.

Akiyode-Afolabi noted, “There’s a lot of violence around poli cs in Nigeria. When you are a woman, you are labelled a pros tute in poli cs, there is also cultural inhibi ons that women should not par cipate in poli cs. The male hegemony within the poli cal par es will tell women to step down for the men.”

“Having a very low representa on of women in the legisla ve arm of government is unhealthy for Nigeria democra c system, “Given the record that we have now, if you look at the Na onal Assembly,

we don’t have up to 7% of women. There are some Houses of Assembly in Nigeria where we have just one or in some places where we don’t even have any woman at all in the parliament, and if you look at that in terms of representa on, that is quiet embarrassing especially in a democra c society where par cipa on is cri cal”, Akiyode-Afolabi added.

To another gender advocate, Mr. Bukola Idowu, The Team Lead, Kimpact Development Ini a ve (KDI) promo ng women representa on in governance, par cularly at the legisla ve level must be a deliberate programme of poli cal par es by conceding at least 30% to 35% percent of their candidacy to women.

Osun, one of the states with no women representa on in the 2023 elec on, has three Senators, nine members of the House of Representa ves and 26 members of the state House of Assembly, plus the Governor and Deputy Governor, all being male.

As if that is not enough, some of the appointments made so far are s ll in favour of the male gender. The Secretary to the State Government, the Chief of Staff, the Governor’s Spokesperson as well as the media aides and others to the Governor are all men.

To crown it all, the Speaker of the Osun

State House of Assembly, Hon. Adewale Egbedun’s composi on of staff were all men. It will not be a surprise to have all the Senators and members of the House of Representa ves also appoin ng male assistants.

One of the primary consequences of low women representa on in government is the inadequate considera on of women’s perspec ves and experiences in policymaking. Women’s unique concerns, such as reproduc ve rights, gender-based violence and economic empowerment may not receive sufficient a en on or prior-

ity in legisla on and policy development. Without diverse representa on, governments risk overlooking issues that dispropor onately affect women, perpetua ng gender inequali es, and hampering social progress.

Diverse perspec ves are crucial for effec ve decision-making and governance. When women are underrepresented, the perspec ves of half the popula on are not adequately reflected in policy discussions. This lack of inclusivity can result in policies that do not address the needs and aspira ons of women, leading to subop mal outcomes for society as a whole. Increased women representa on in government facilitates inclusive decision-making, enabling a broader range of voices to shape policies and contribute to more equitable outcomes.

OSUN DEFENDER

Publisher – Moremi Publishing House Ltd.

Deputy Editor – Ismaeel Uthman

Produc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa

Reporter – Yusuf Oketola

Reporter – Kazeem Badmus

Photo Journalist – Shola Aderinto

Computer Graphics – Zainab Olalere

OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), Gbogan Road Osogbo, State of Osun ISSN : 0794-8050

The underrepresenta on of women in government undermines the principles of democracy and legi macy. Democracy relies on the fair and equal representa on of all ci zens, regardless of gender. When women are not propor onally represented, it raises ques ons about the legimacy of the poli cal system and the extent to which it truly represents the will and interests of the en re popula on. By ensuring equal representa on, governments can enhance democra c values, build trust among ci zens, and foster a more inclusive poli cal environment.

Telephone : 0809-301-9152

Website : www.osundefender.com/index.php

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

All correspondence to the above email addresses.

The presence of women in government is vital for inspiring future genera ons of female leaders. When young girls see women occupying posi ons of power and influence, it expands their aspira ons and empowers them

Read full article on www.osundefender.com

“The implications of low women representation in government are far-reaching and multifaceted. Achieving gender equality in political leadership is not only a matter of fairness and justice but also essential for effective governance and inclusive decision-making”

Funmi Adekoya-Ojo

Aregbesola’s Legacy: Nigerian Passport Climbs Nine Places In Global Ranking

HE posi ve interven on of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the immediate past minister of Interior, in Nigerian passport reform has begun to manifest.

A report by an interna onal organisa on, Henley Passport Index, indicated that the Nigerian passport has risen nine places in the latest global passport ranking.

Henley Passport Index is a global ranking of countries according to the travel freedom allowed by those countries’ ordinary passports for their ci zens.

In the recently released index for Quarter 2, 2023, the Nigerian passport rose from its previous 100th posi on to 91st among the 199 countries and 227 travel des na ons studied.

The index showed Gambia, leading the ECOWAS, ranked 72nd, Sierra Leone at 74th,

Cabo Verde at 75th, Ghana at 76th, Benin at 78th, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast at 79th, Guinea at 80th, Senegal and Togo at 81st, Niger at 82nd, Mali and Guinea Bissau at 83rd, Liberia at 87th and Nigeria at 91st.

This indicated that there is an improved global access for Nigerians.

But the number of countries accessible without visas or with visa-on-arrival s ll stand at 46.

Findings revealed

that travellers with Nigerian passports can only traverse 25 countries visa-free as of June 2022. However, the number rises to 45 desna ons when visa-onarrival or e-visa programmes were added.

According to the CEO of Henley & Partners, Dr Juerg Steffen, a fall or improvement in ranking results from several factors, including reciprocity, economic and sociopoli cal stability and tourism.

Commen ng on the

Anthrax: Butchers Call For Central Abattoir In Osun

BUTCHERS in Osun State have appealed to the state government to provide for them a central Aba oir for the preven on of dangerous diseases among ca le, especially the current outbreak of anthrax.

The Chairman of Osun Butchers Associa on, Sulaimon Adebimpe, made the call on Monday during a sensi sa on tour to butcher by officials of the state Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security at Sabo Market, Osogbo.

Adebimpe stressed that having a central ca le market in the state will assist both government and cattle sellers to prevent buying infected animals.

He appreciated the state government for taking proac ve measures in curbing the spread of the disease.

The Chairman said: “We appealed to Osun State government to provide for our members a Central Aba oir. This will go a long way in assis ng both the government and ca le sellers to prevent buying infected animals.

“I also want to appreciate the government for taking proac ve measures in curbing the spread of the disease (Anthrax) in Osun.”

Earlier, the Director, Veterinary Services Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security,

Dr. Abosede Olatokun, had warned butchers in the state to stay away from the animals infected with the deadly disease, anthrax.

Olatokun explained that anthrax is a bacterial infec on that affects animal species like ca le, sheep, goats, camel, donkeys, horse, pigs and wildlife.

She noted that the present administra on priori ses the health and welfare of the people of the state, calling on the

butchers to take cau on in order not to infect people with the disease.

“The disease has a forming bacterium known as Bacillus anthracis which primarily affects animals which can also affect human beings who come in direct contact with the infected animal either dead or living”, she stressed.

The Deputy Director in the department, Dr. Joseph Tanimowo revealed that some of the signs that may be seen on an infected

animal, which may begin to manifest from one to eight weeks a er exposure to the anthrax spores are fever, chill, cough, muscle aches and weaknesses, chest discomfort and difficulty in breathing.

He said: “Affected animals are usually found dead without any signs of illness. Dark unclotted blood also flows from body openings like the nose, mouth, ear and anal region of the affected animals, also the carcass

does not become s ff a er death.”

Tanimowo counselled the butchers not to touch any animal showing signs of the disease, poin ng out that the dead or sick animal should be promptly reported to the veterinary authority for proper acon.

He assured that the state government has made provisions for the treatment of any infected animal that has not gone beyond control.

report, a former Nigerian Ambassador to Singapore, Ogbole AmeduOde said an asser ve and consistent implementa on of Nigeria’s war on drugs and cybercrime would mend the country’s reputa on in the global community.

According to AmeduOde, “The offshoot of drug-related crime perpetrated by Nigerians abroad and a low-performing economy has brought us here.

“So, what we can do is to strengthen our moral fibre by rigorously implemen ng regulaons that shore up our standing globally.

“We must also ensure that the economy bounces back and becomes robust so well that our people are not vo ng with their feet. When fewer ci zens indulge in criminal acvi es across internaonal boundaries, and with these other steps I have men oned, I think we will bounce back. Anything short of this will be a waste of our me.”

The Public Rela ons Officer of the Nigeria Immigra on Service, Anthony Akuneme, said more beneficial bilateral agreements with more countries could open doors for Nigerians.

“It is a func on of reciprocity. If one country agrees that my cizens can come without needing a visa, I, too, will extend the same gesture to them”, he stated.

Osun Govt. Bans Olu Of IleOgbo From Land Transaction

THE Osun State Government has banned the Olu of IleOgbo, Oba Abeeb Adetoyese Agbaje, from par cipa ng in land transac ons in his domain.

The ban was issued on Wednesday following his appearance before the A orney General of the state and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Jimi Bada and Dosu Babatunde, respec vely.

According to a statement issued by Babatunde at the end of the mee ng, the decision becomes necessary to curtail frequent alleged cases of land-grabbing by the monarch within

Ileogbo and surrounding villages.

It was reported that many people from IleOgbo township, Eleni and Moomu Abimbola villages have wri en several pe ons against Oba Agbaje on his royal conducts of forceful acquisi on and sales of land subsequent in mida on of innocent land owners using the judiciary and the police.

Oba Agbaje was banned from par cipating in land transac ons and using any of his palace cronies to engage in forceful acquisi on of ci zens land.

He was told to warn his emissaries mostly the head of IleOgbo princes, Gbadewolu Oyelami Kasali and other chiefs he allegedly uses to per-

petrate the illegality.

The statement reads: “Aside from numerous newspaper publica ons, we have received peons against the Palace and office of the Olu of IleOgbo, HRM Oba Abeeb Adetoyese Agbaje Arowo Okunjoye II of forceful land acquisi on and sales”

“Most of those publica ons and pe ons are poin ng to the state government as an accomplice. Just two days ago, it was boldly written on the front page of The Guardian Newspaper ‘helpless people seeking government interven on’.

“To sustain the integrity of our government and ensure a peaceful atmosphere in IleOgbo and adjoining villag-

es, the Olu of Ileogbo should stop engaging in land transac ons in whatever form within the Ayedire local government pending our inves ga on.

“We have set up commi ee to invesgate and come up with

report and recommenda ons. The warning should be respected. Anyone whose land has been taken unjustly or forcefully should not hesitate to get across to the Osun State Ministry of Local Government and Chie aincy Affairs”

TYusuf Oketola Yusuf Oketola

Yusuf Oketola

•Director General of Oranmiyan Worldwide, Comrade Sodiq Olajide, speaking at his 54th birthday prayer recently at Oranmiyan house.

•Oba Agbaje

OSPOLY: I Was Not Aware Of Any Petition, Complaint Against Me - Odetayo

Ismaeel Uthman

DR. Tajudeen Odetayo, the suspended Rector of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, has disclosed that he was not aware of any pe on or complaint against him from any quarters.

Odetayo, in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday, said he only received a suspension le er from the Ministry of Educaon, insis ng that nobody ever contacted him on any allega on.

He said he was confident that he did not commit any infrac on either financially or through conduct.

“I was not aware of any pe on or complaint against me. The only thing I saw was the suspension le er from the Ministry of Educaon. Nobody ever told me anything. I am confident that my hands are clean, I never committed any infrac on either financially or through conduct.

“I did not read any poli cs to my suspension. I don’t even think of it. I believe in God and I have faith in Him on the case. God is in control”, Odetayo stated.

The state government, through the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Educa on, Mr. A Jimoh, announced Odetayo’s suspension on Monday in a le er dated July 11, 2023, a copy of which was obtained by OSUN DEFENDER on Monday.

The le er partly read, “You are hereby suspended as the Rector of Osun State Polytechnic, the sequel to the strong allega ons of financial recklessness, corrup on, misappropria on of fund, abuse of office among others.

“You are to proceed on suspension immediately, while the invesga on into the allegaons leveled against you commences soon.”

The government subsequently appointed Mr Kehinde Adeyemi Alabi as Ac ng Rector of the ins tu on.

Odetayo’s suspension sparked protest and reac ons from staff and students of the ins tu on and members of the public.

Majority of the commentators on the suspension accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of

nepo sm, alleging that he suspended Odetayo to pave way for Alabi, an indigene of Ede, to head the polytechnic.

Alabi had contested for Deputy Rector of the ins tu on and got nine votes in an elec on held on June 22, 2023.

The incumbent Deputy Rector, Dr Gboyega Oyeleke, had 51 votes.

As early as 7am on Tuesday, members of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic shut the OSPOLY campus gate in protest against Odetayo’s removal.

The chairman of ASUP in the ins tuon, Dr. Fatai Afolabi, expressed discontentment over Odetayo’s suspension.

Afolabi described the suspension as an aberra on, saying there had never been a commi ee set up to inves gate the rector let alone find him guilty of any offence be-

fore he was asked to vacate his seat.

He stated further: “The governor appoint-

ed someone who is not qualified as the Ac ng Rector of the ins tuon. The person that

the governor appointed contested for the post of deputy rector and he lost out.

“We have a deputy rector on ground who should replace the rector when removed, that is what the guidelines say, and in the absence of the deputy rector, the most senior chief lecturer will be appointed as Ac ng Rector.

“The person that was appointed as Ac ng Rector does not have a rank from 1-50 in the ranking of Chief Lecturer. The only thing that qualifies him is that he is from Ede.

“The governor is nepo s c with appointments and dealings in Ospoly. The governor wants to put Ede indigenes everywhere in the school which is not possible. Is it only Ede that voted for him? Everybody voted for him.

“Dr Odetayo who

was removed was alleged of corrup on among others, he was never made to face any panel or inquiry, he was never issued query.”

Afolabi said it was possible that Odetayo was suspended because he did not manipulate the deputy rector elecon to favour Alabi, the appointed ac ng rector.

He said: “The main reason for his (Odetayo) removal was that he was invited by the Chief of Staff to the governor, Alhaji Kazeem Akinleye, who instructed him to make the person they appointed as Ac ng Rector now to emerge as the deputy rector.

“The order given to the rector was beyond his capacity, a deputy rector is elected by the senior workers. During the elec on, the anointed candidate of the Chief of Staff got 19 votes while the winner, the most senior chief lecturer on campus, got 51 votes.

“The state of things in OSPOLY now is that all academic ac vi es including the ongoing exam stand suspended un l the governor does the right thing.”

Meanwhile the state government has sued for peace, assuring ASUP and students of the ins tu on that the ma er would be looked into and necessary measures taken.

The government in a statement by the Commissioner for Informa on and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, said the Governing Council of the ins tu on will inves gate the allega on against Odetayo and take appropriate ac on as soon as possible.

Osun Lawmaker Calls For FG Intervention On Ikire Flood

Ismaeel Uthman

THE Senator represen ng Osun West Senatorial District, Akogun Olalere Oyewumi, has urged the Federal Ministry of Works to direct the contractor handling Ibadan-Ife road to, as a ma er of urgency, proceed to the por on affected by flood at Ikire to avert further damages and allow free flow of traffic.

Oyewumi also appealed to the Na onal Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to send relief materials to the affected vic ms of the

flooding in Ikire, Apomu, Ikoyi and Gbogan areas of the state.

OSUN DEFENDER had reported that residents of the communi es lost proper es worth millions of naira to the flood occasioned by downpour between Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd of July, 2023.

Oyewumi, in a moon moved on the floor of the house on Tuesday, noted that tributaries of many steams from towns in the area entered the Osun River at Asejire dam, thereby making the area marshy and waterlogged always.

He said if the spate of the flooding is not immediately checked, it could lead to unimaginable damage to lives and property when there is heavy rainfall in September and November.

“The tributaries of many streams from these towns enter the Osun River at Asejire dam thereby making the area marshy and waterlogged always.

“The heavy flood in these towns has destroyed proper es worth several million naira, many households have been displaced and motorists along the road were stranded for a

whole day!

“Further concerned that, if the spate of this flooding is not immediately checked, when the rainfall really starts in September to November this year, it could lead to unimaginable damages to lives and properes. The road which is the 2nd busiest road in South-West Nigeria (after Lagos-Ibadan road) may also become impassable.

“Urge the Federal Ministry of Works to immediately direct the contractor handling IbadanIfe road to, as a ma er

of urgency, proceed to the por on affected by the flood at Ikire to avert further damages and allow free flow of traffic.

“Urge the Ecology office and/ or FERMA to equally assist in the channelisa on of other affected areas in Ikire, Ikoyi, Apomu and Gbongan communi es.

“Further urge the Naonal Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to quickly send relief materials to the affected vic ms in Ikire, Apomu, Ikoyi and Gbogan, all in Osun West Senatorial District of Osun State.”

•Newly appointed Special Assistant on Children Affairs, Alhaja Sekinat Temilade with Governor Ademola Adeleke the Executive Governor of Osun State after her swearing-in on Wednesday.

•Odetayo

Osun APC Drags Adeleke To Court For Appointing Himself As Commissioner For Works

Kazeem Badmus

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State has dragged Governor Ademola Adeleke to court for appoin ng himself as the Commissioner for Works.

Adeleke had last week Wednesday during the inaugura on of the appointed Commissioners, announced himself as the Commissioner for Works and his deputy, Prince Kola Adewusi, as Commissioner for Sports and Special Needs.

The APC, in a suit marked HOS/03/79/2023 before a State High Court against Adeleke, Adewusi, A orney General and Commissioner for Jus ce and Osun State House of Assembly, asked the court “Whether a State Governor can, during

the period when he holds office as the governor, hold any other execu ve office.

“Whether a person can be validly appointed a Commissioner of the Government of a State if his nomina on is not forwarded to and received by the State’s House of Assembly for purposes of confirmaon.”

The plain ff (APC) sought a declara on of the court that Adeleke’s move by appoin ng himself as a commissioner is uncons tuonal, invalid, null and void in view of Secons 183 and 192(2) & (5) of the Cons tu on of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered).

APC also sought another declara on that the deputy governor’s appointment as commissioner too is uncons tu onal, invalid, null and void in view

of same cons tu onal provision.

The APC prayed for: “An order nullifying

the 1st Defendant’s appointment of himself as the Commissioner for Works for

Osun State for being invalid, null and void and contrary to Secons 183 and 192 (2)

Osun Sets For Vaccination Against Cervical Cancer

Kazeem Badmus

OSUN State has been chosen as one of the states that will receive the first phase of the Human Papilloma Virus vaccines.

The vaccines which are meant to prevent Cervical Cancer, according to the state World Health Organisa on Technical Officer for the program, Dr Oluwabukola Alawale, will be implemented between September 25 and 29, 2023.

Alawale noted that the vaccine is targeted at girls between the ages of nine to 14, adding that it will be available in all health facili es in the state.

Speaking during a sensi sa on program in Osogbo on Wednesday, Alawale noted that the vaccine is safe and effec ve, calling on parents to make their eligible children available for the vaccine.

Alawale added that the vaccine would target Human Papilloma Virus type 16 and 18 which are high-risk and causes cervical cancer for women.

She said: “It is a new vaccine in Nigeria and it has been

added to the rou ne immunisa on for adolescent girls. The vaccine is available to prevent cervical

cancer in our girl children.

“The vaccine will target Human Papilloma Virus type 16 and

18 which are highrisk and cause cervical cancer. Once the vaccines are taken, the risk is reduced.

“Sixteen states of which Osun is among are in the first phase and the target girls are those between the age of nine to 14 years.

“All the eligible have been captured in the micro plan and the target areas are Primary and Secondary schools, both public and private, religious centres, markets and playgrounds. The vaccines will be implemented from September 25 to 29, 2023.

“The vaccine is safe, effec ve and efficient. It will create a level of immunity against certain diseases that may occur in the future”.

Recruit More Islamic Teachers, Osun Muslim Community Tells Adeleke

Yusuf Oketola

OSUN State Muslim Community (OSMC) has called on the state government to recruit more Arabic and Islamic teachers into all public schools across the state.

The Muslim community noted that the current numbers of Islamic and Arabic teachers in the schools falls well below required numbers.

President of the OSMC, Alhaji Mustafa Olawuyi, made the call during the Islamic new year Hijrah 1445 celebra on in Osogbo, the state capital, last Saturday.

He said: “We call on Osun State Government to urgently recruit Arabic and Islamic teachers into our public schools. The current numbers of teachers in the schools are not enough. It falls below

what we expected to have or required.”

The OSMC president also urged the State and Federal government to revive all dormant industries in the state, such as the Steel Rolling Mills, Machine Tools Industry, Osogbo and Cocoa Industry in Ede.

Olawuyi said reviving the industries will provide employment opportuni es for youths and boost the economy of the state.

He appealed to the state government to address the concerns of the residents on the health hazards arising from emissions from the iron and steel recycling factories in Ikirun and Ile-Ife.

The Muslim leader said the Industries have caused unnecessary deaths and infec ons of hepas diseases among the workers and residents.

& (5) of the Cons tuon of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered).

“An order nullifying the appointment of the 2nd Defendant by the 1st Defendant as the Osun State Commissioner for Sports and Special Needs for being invalid, null and void and contrary to Sec on 192(2) and (5) of the Cons tu on of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as altered).

“An order restraining the 1st Defendant from parading himself as and/or performing the func ons of the office of Commissioner for Works for Osun State while he s ll holds the office of governor of the state.

“An order restraining the 2nd Defendant from parading himself as and/or performing the func ons of the office of Commissioner for Sports and Special Needs for Osun State unless and un l he is nominated as such by the 1st Defendant and his nomina on is forwarded to and received by the 4th Defendant for purposes of confirma on.”

•Members of Sexual and Gender Based Violence Network, Justice Cluster after their stakeholders meeting, in Osogbo on Monday. Photo: Shola Aderinto

Mauricio

CHELSEA boss, Mauricio Poche no, says he must make tough decisions as he aims to reduce his “massive squad” a er a pre-season draw with Newcastle.

The Blues, who took 29 players to the United States, played out a 1-1 draw in front of more than 70,000 watchers in Atlanta.

Miguel Almiron cancelled out Chelsea summer signing Nicolas Jackson’s 12th-minute opener.

But Poche no said he wanted to reduce the squad before their Premier League opener against Liv-

Pochettino

erpool on 13th August.

He added that morale could be affected if there were numerous players in the squad not ge ng regular game me.

“At the moment the dynamic is very good, really good guys and they are sharing the me together,” Poche no said.

He stated further: “It is difficult because some mes in every game, three, four, five players cannot play and that is difficult because the mood is difficult.

“It is about crea ng a squad with good balance and people who have the opportunity to play and can compete for their place.

“That is a big job and challenge for us in the transfer window to build a good rela onship and good balance. Then, if players are not happy because they believe they are not going to play, we are going to find a solu on with the club and fix the situa on.

“What we cannot have

Plans To Reduce Chelsea’s ‘Massive Squad’

is a massive squad, players not be involved and then it’s going to create a mess in the squad. Maybe less

is more and more is less, it is not mathema c. That is why I need to make clear we don’t need a big squad.

“We need 22, 23, 24 players with some younger and that’s it. I am so sorry because maybe the deci-

sion will be tough but we need to build a good and a balanced team who want to compete for things.”

Osun-Born Basketball Player, Olawuyi Makes D’Tigress List To Afrobasket Championship

OSUN born Female Basketball Player, Adenike Olawuyi, has made D’Trigress final cut to the 2023 FIBA Afrobasket tournament holding in Kigali, Rwanda later this week.

The Nigeria Basketball Federa on (NBBF) on Tuesday officially released the names of 13 players who

will be making the trip to Kigali for the 2023 Women’s Afrobasket tournament.

Olawuyi, who plays for Ratgeber Basketball Academy in Hungary, started off her basketball dreams as a kid in the city of Osogbo.

It’s indeed a dream come true for the 19-year old, who was discovered, trained and nurtured by

Osun State Basketball Head Coach, Taiwo Ajibola Eleniyan, who played a significant role in her development and has now grown to become one of the most sought a er teenage sensaons in the world of Basketball.

The young budding talent is in the league of her own and taking huge strides in the brown-ball game.

With immense passion, interest and love for the

Woman Dies Inside Church During Transition

lifeless body was dropped at her husband’s house around 1pm by the “Iyajo of the church” on Wednesday.

game of Basketball, Adenike has worked extremely hard to reach where she is today and with a clear objec ve of crea ng a niche for herself in the Basketball arena.

“It’s been God all through. One of my dreams has finally come to past. Now it’s me to make my fatherland proud.” She said on her social media handle.

Basketball is one of the most popular sports around the globe, any young player, who plays basket today dreams of playing for the na onal team and for young Adenike, she is indeed living her dream.

MANCHESTER United’s Coach, Erik ten Hag, said the club need a new striker a er its 2:0 defeat at the hand of Real Madrid in a pre-season game on Thursday.

a ons. Garnacho, a oneon-one situa on. From the situa ons, you have to score.”

Amiddle-aged woman

iden fied as Hannah Ige, has reportedly died in a Cherubim and Seraphim church at Okesa in Ilesa, Osun State.

Ige, a mother of seven children, was said to have died while in transi on at the church late Tuesday.

A woman who claimed to be the deceased’s younger sister said Ige’s

THE nominee from Osun State was not announced in the first batch of the Ministerial list read by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on Thursday.

Akpabio, who read the list of 28 names sent by President Bola Tinubu at the plenary, said a supplementary list will follow.

Tinubu is cons tu onally mandated to appoint a min-

The woman who was weeping and refused to men on her name during a conversa on with OSUN DEFENDER said: “My sister has died. We were told she died this (Wednesday) morning inside the church. She was on transi on when she died. She was a member of the church.

“We were not informed of her death by the church

ister each from the 36 states and the FCT, and an addi onal six represen ng the geo-political zones of the country.

Top on the list handed over to Akpabio by the Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, are former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, his counterpart from Kaduna, Nasir El-Rufai, former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Chief Bayo Adelabu, and 25 others.

people. It was the Iyajo of the church that came to drop her lifeless body at home. She packed the body in a long sack. And we observed that the body wasn’t that of a fresh corpse.”

A former Chairman of Commi ee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) in Osun State, Comr. Wahab Akinrinade, said a rela ve of the deceased came to report the case to him.

Akinrinade said the said Iyajo has been arrested by the police.

A media prac oner who was aware of the incident told OSUN DEFENDER that the deceased died on the seventh day of her transi on.

“The woman should be around 50 years. She regularly embarked on transion; she was part of those people who would go on transi on without ea ng on drinking for days.

“I learnt that woman was on the seventh day of transi on without ea ng or drinking when she died.”

Nigeria’s D’Tigress are the compe on’s defending champions a er winning the tle back-to-back in 2019 in Dakar, Senegal, and in 2021 in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Nigeria will kickstart the defence of their tle against DR Congo in the opening game of the championship today.

The team arrived Kigali, on Wednesday and are settled ahead of their opener against DR Congo today.

According to the coach, United’s inability to take their chances against Real Madrid “absolutely” emphasised their need for a new striker.

United had chances of their own but failed to score with any of their 14 a empts - an all too familiar tale given their problems taking opportuni es last season.

Erik ten Hag, while speaking with journalists a er the match, confirms bringing in a new striker is a priority and says his side must become more clinical in front of goal.

Asked if the a acking display in Texas emphasised why they are looking to sign a new striker, Ten Hag said: “Absolutely.

“There were two things - the pressing can be be er from the start, and scoring goals.

“I think we need more players who are capable to be in the one-on-ones and we had the situaons of one-on-ones.

“It was (Marcus) Rashford, it was, I thought, Sco McTominay in one-on-one situ-

United are pushing to sign Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund, with talks over a deal underway and other poten al a acking irons in the fire as they look to bring in a frontman.

The Old Trafford side have already brought in Chelsea midfielder, Mason Mount, and Inter Milan goalkeeper, Andre Onana this summer, with the la er making his bow in Houston.

Speaking on the debut of Cameroonian goalkeeper, Andre Onana, Ten Hag said: “Two very good saves. He was there in the moment the team needed him, so he did his job. I think he integrated well into our team.

“This is the first game and detail, we have a lot of work to do between him and the defending part (of the team).

“You could see with the second goal where we are not close at the back post. It can’t be that and goals will come there.

“There are things that are rules we have to follow, and they’ll come quick, that we integrate that into our way of play.”

Ismaeel Uthman

Sodiq Yusuf

Ivividly recall having a discussion with a senior journalist who used to be with the BBC and Times of London in her prime and now in semi-rerement keeps a regular column with Vanguard and The Africa Report

She told me that while she was at the University in the UK in the 1970s spilling into the 1980s, she and her course mates used to laugh at their friends who were studying mass communica on because in their opinion, not only did they lack a sturdy base as the course was a mishmash of a lot of courses which wasn’t really designed to create experts out of its graduates, journalists were born and not made just like musicians, writers, ar sts and other crea ves. In their opinion, it made sense to study courses like poli cal science, interna onal rela ons, or history if one desired a career as a poli cal journalist, economics, finance, or economic history if one had an eye for a financial journalist career, English, Linguis cs, Languages if one wanted to be a good culture journalist. Studying mass communica on was an American inven on which was a gargantuan waste of precious me.

Journalism as a profession has undergone numerous changes from the days of Johann Carolus (1575-1634) was the publisher of the Rela on aller Furnemmen und gedenckwurdigen Historien (Collec on of all Dis nguished and Commemorable News) which is the first newspaper in history to Iwe Irohin published by Henry Townsend – the first in Nigeria.

The internet and social media rendered the print media obsolete in a manner that caught media pundits and stakeholders napping. Just about any ‘idiot’ excuse my French can become a media mogul even surpassing the combina on of Rupert Murdoch and Michael Bloomberg in this informa on age or Fourth Industrial Revolu on Era.

The current buzzword is the reality of the presence of ar ficial intelligence which can handle certain human tasks and whether or not it will render journalists unemployed probably to the delight of the government of emerging economies who see the media as an adversary making their rela onship rather bellicose and at best a conglomera on of strange bedfellows.

I have a friend who is currently doing his post-doctorate in Japan and he writes daily using the aid of a popular AI tool called Chat GPT. The wri ng is so flawless that it appears to be a threat to those who make their bread and bu er in the media especially that has to do with the wri en word or content crea on.

Stakeholders in the tech sector have raised concerns about it and even the

PERSPECTIVE

BY TONY ADEMILUYI

Will Artificial Intelligence Render Nigerian Journalists Unemployed?

were not yet fit to replace real journalists. Journalists are “afflicted with the syndrome of the great technological replacement, but I don’t believe in it”, Rogne a said. “The robots alone are just not capable of producing ar cles. There is s ll a part of journalis c work that cannot be delegated.”

What does these contras ng views by media experts mean for the average Nigerian Journalist as the Nigerian newsroom isn’t insulated in any way from the vagaries of globaliza on?

While I don’t want to be a Prophet of Doom, at the same me I don’t want to be a purveyor of cold comfort. The onus rests on the present-day Nigerian Journalist to be well acquainted with AI tools and see how they can be mastered in such a way that he will s ll be able to boast of a day job or any decent job at all.

A popular journalist became a broadcaster much later in his life and so Nigerian pen journalists should be flexible enough to adapt to how they can s ll be relevant even with its presence.

We have an antecedent to look up to. The internet and social media greatly reduced the demand for print media journalists as many print media houses folded up. However, journalists who were digitally savvy immediately switched online with some making the kind of fortunes that would never have been envisaged had the disrup on not come.

world’s wealthiest man once called for the pause of further AI development so that it doesn’t cons tute a threat to our collec ve human existence.

The largest publisher in Europe, German Axel Springer the owner of Bild, and the famous previously American owned Poli co which they purchased, laid off many journalists because, in a leaked memo, the management said that AI had replaced their roles.

As reported by AFP: Alex Connock, author of “Media Management and Ar ficial Intelligence”, says that mastery of these AI tools will help decide which media companies survive and which ones fail in the coming years. And the use of content crea on tools will see some people lose their jobs, he said, but not in the realms of analy cal or high-end repor ng. “In the specific case of the more mechanis c end of journalism -- sports reports, financial results -- I do think that AI tools are replacing, and likely increasingly to replace, human delivery,” he

said. Not all analysts agree on that point. Mike Wooldridge of Oxford University reckons ChatGPT, for example, is more like a “glorified word processor” and journalists should not be worried.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU William Ruto Approves 7-10% Salary Increment for Civil Servants Star ng Ju... “This technology will replace journalists in the same way that spreadsheets replaced mathema cians -- in other words, I don’t think it will,” he told a recent event held by the Science Media Centre. He nonetheless suggested that mundane tasks could be replaced -- pu ng him on the same page as Connock.

French journalists Jean Rogne a and Maurice de Rambuteau are digging further into the ques on of how ready AI is to take over from journalists. They publish a newsle er called “Qant” wri en and illustrated using AI tools. Last month, they showed off a 250-page report wri en by AI detailing the main trends of the CES technology show in Las Vegas. Rogne a said they wanted to “test the robots, to push them to the limit”. They quickly found the limit. The AI struggled to iden fy the main trends at CES and could not produce a summary worthy of a journalist. It also pilfered wholesale from Wikipedia. The authors found that they needed to intervene constantly to keep the process on track, so while the programs helped save some me, they

Not to sugarcoat things, AI will definitely disrupt the media as some jobs would definitely go as seen by Axel Springer and even some other media houses in the West. For instance, the advent of social media was a checkmate on the dictatorship of the tradi onal media. If not for Twi er, which ensured that Tucker Carlson even had a larger audience than when he was a prime me anchor in Fox, he would have been permanently silenced through the dictatorial and brutal non-compete clause.

Change is the only permanent and constant thing in lIfe. Rather than act like the 20th century industrial age English Luddites who saw the machines as their foes and went about destroying them which didn’t stop it for its me had come, Nigerian journalists should realise that the days of running up and down to file stories and reports may be greatly reduced no thanks to alI.

The real tragedy of Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart was the failure of the protagonist to swi ly adapt to the change that the Caucasians brought. His na onalism failed him as the same people he fought for – the people of Umuofia refused to even give him a decent burial as he had commi ed a taboo – suicide which ironically, they weren’t willing to change their minds to suit his interests despite his immense efforts at community building. He was betrayed in death by the very change he resisted.

A word is enough for the wise!

“Change is the only permanent and constant thing in lIfe. Rather than act like the 20th century industrial age English Luddites who saw the machines as their foes and went about destroying them which didn’t stop it for its time had come, Nigerian journalists should realise that the days of running up and down to file stories and reports may be greatly reduced no thanks to alI”

•Tony Ademiluyi is the CEO of Buzz Times Media and can be reached at anthonyademiluyi@yahoo.com and +2348167677075