Osun Defender Online Version Of January 23, 2023

NUT Raises Alarm Over Shortage Of Teachers In Osun Public Schools

•Continued from front page

He said even with the reinstatement of some of the sacked teachers, the government s ll has a lot of vacuum to fill in providing adequate teachers for the state-owned schools.

The NUT Chairman added that the government’s inten on to improve the standard of educa on in public schools cannot be achieved without adequate teachers in the schools.

He said: “We have an acute shortage of teachers in Osun State government schools as of today. The shortage is just too enormous to the extent that in rural areas, we have some schools where we have five, six and eight teachers in a whole secondary school.

“It is only the urban centre that is fairly okay but talk of the rural areas, the shortage is too much. We want to appeal to our Governor to please employ more teachers as a ma er of urgency.

“I will like also to plead on behalf of the 1500 teachers that the last administra on rushed their employment. For those who got the employment through due process, the government should please reinstate them.

“Even if they reinstate these people, we s ll need more teachers. What we have now is an acute shortage. The gap they need to fill is just too much. There is no school in all the local governments across the state that does not need teachers.

“The 1500 teachers cannot even fill the gap. They will have to immediately recruit more. We want the government to come to our aid.

“The government is talking about improving the standard of educa on, there is no way they can achieve this without having adequate teachers on the ground.”

On infrastructure, Fatade said some school buildings are dilapidated, adding that the schools are also lacking adequate teaching materials.

He said: “In the area of infrastructure, in terms of buildings, we are fairly okay but we s ll have some dilapidated buildings in our schools.

“Also, the teaching materials are not adequate. We are appealing to the state government to provide teaching materials in order to aid teaching and learning in our schools.”

Speaking on the effect of fuel subsidy removal on his members, the NUT Chairman said teachers were already feeling the heat.

He appealed to the state government to provide pallia ve that will assist in

cushioning the effect.

According to him, “The subsidy removal on fuel is really affec ng teachers in the state. Some teachers live in far area from their working place. Some of them even work in a different local government to

where they reside.

“Even those living in the town are not exempted. A teacher that was spending N300 to his working place before is now spending about N800.

“We want to urge the government to provide a

sort of succour and quickly give us pallia ves in order to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal pending the me our salaries will be legally reviewed and increased.”

Echoing the view of the NUT boss, a teacher in

a public school in Osogbo who preferred anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, said many unqualified teachers employed by Parent Teacher Associa on had been teaching in many public schools.

He said: “There are not enough teachers in rural and semi-urban areas. In the urban areas, it is rela vely be er. For instance, some schools in Osogbo have almost enough teachers. Schools like Ataoja School of Science, Bap st Girls School, and Fakunle Comprehensive High School, all have almost enough hands.”

On how schools have been coping with the situa on, the teacher said, “I know of a school in Otan Ayegbaju where the teacher that is teaching Mathematics is a graduate of Accounting. He was good in Mathema cs during his secondary school days, and because there was no teacher for the subject, he took up the challenge.

“There is also a teacher in Ikirun who studied Business Administra on, and being asked to take Islamic Religious Studies. What is happening nowadays is that whoever has an idea of a subject will be in charge of subjects where there are no teachers now, not necessarily those who studied the subjects.”

Any Monarch That Abandons Culture, Tradition Has Gone Astray – Elebuibon

Idris Idowu

FOREMOST tradi onalist and Araba of Osogbo, Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon has taken swipe at the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Olawale Akanbi, over his stance on some Yoruba culture and tradi on as regards the tradi onal ins tu on.

Oluwo is known for his constant campaign against some aspect of Yoruba culture and tradi on, especially those that relate to rites for a monarch and others he had described as idol worshiping.

Oba Akanbi’s recent statement that Ifa has no role to play in the selecon of the new Alaafin of Oyo and Soun of Ogbomoso, has sparked reac ons from prominent Yorubas.

Reac ng to the statement, Elebuibon said Ifa remains the consultant for kingmakers in the process of selec ng a king in line with the Yoruba culture and tradi on.

According to the Ifa priest, any monarch who wants to discon nue the culture and tradi ons of his ancestors has gone astray.

Elebuibon, in an interview with an online TV, E oba, explained that consul ng Ifa before a king is selected or crowned plays a prominent role in making right choice for peaceful reign and development

of the town.

He said: “When it comes to enthroning kings in Yoruba land, there are culture and norms that guide it. It is civiliza on that distorted the tradional processes.

“What Oluwo said if for himself; maybe because

Ifa was not consulted before he was appointed a king.

“In Yoruba land, long before the government took over the process of appoin ng a king, every town has its own Kingmakers.

“When a king joins his ancestors, the Kingmakers will send words to the royal families. Then, princ-

es from the royal families would jostle to fill the vacant stool, and whoever wins takes the throne.

“However, before the winner among the princes can be appointed a king, the head of the King makers would have consult Ifa.

“We can’t just pick a king merely on appearance or wealth. We need

Osun Communities Seek Adeleke’s Intervention Over 13-Year Power Outage

Yusuf Oketola

RESIDENTS of Olodo, Irepodun and Gidigbi communi es of Osunjela area of the State of Osun have called on Governor Ademola Adeleke to come to their aid over a 13year old power outage.

The communi es, it was gathered, have been without power supply since 2009, a major challenge that has crippled business ac vi es and social life of their residents.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the electricity facili es, including transformer, wires and poles that supply power to the communi es got damaged in 2009 and have been le unfixed.

Residents of the communi es who are predominantly farmers, said they lack the financial capacity to restore the electricity.

According to a house owner in Olodo, Mr. James Aina, the communi es have acquired poles and mount-

ed it but do not have the fund to run electricity wires on them.

Aina said: “We have spent money and me to acquire poles and mount them. We have been on the issue of repairing the electricity facili es since 2009 when former governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola was in power.

“We are pleading with Governor Ademola Adeleke to help us solve this linger-

ing electricity outage issue. We need money to wire the poles bought with our money, servicing the transformer and workmanship to IBEDC staff that will connect the electricity; that is the major challenge that we have now”.

The leadership of the communi es, however, appreciated Adeleke for the construc on of a bridge linking the areas to Osogbo.

to consult Ifa to ensure that the reign of a person to be appoint a king will be prosperous and bring fortunes to the town and the people. If a wrong person is appointed a king, his reign will be disastrous. That is why we consult Ifa.

“However, the government took over kingmaking and brought out gaze e as a result of conflicts among ruling houses. But any government that goes against the culture and tradi ons of his people is not a good government.

“Any Governor that goes against the culture and tradi ons of his state is not a good Governor.

“Before a Governor can give his approval for the appointment of a King, the Kingmakers and the people of the town would have come to an agreement on who to be appointed. It is who they appointed that the governor is going to approve.

“And before the head of the kingmakers can send any name to the governor for approval, they must have consulted Ifa, to know if he is truly des ned to be king.

“So, if a king says he can’t con nue with the culture and tradi ons of his ancestors, but with foreign culture and tradions, he has gone astray and he is a bastard.

“A king who refuses to honor culture, norms and tradi ons should be ashamed of himself.”

•Participants at National Malaria Eradication Programme and Partners Media Orientation on Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) Campaign in Osun State, held at the Ministry of Health, Abere on Wednesday.

Photo: Shola Aderinto.

•Adeleke

AT a me of great dishevelment in the na on, the Bri sh Prime Minister, Edward Heath, bemoaned what he sternly condemned as the “unacceptable face of capitalism”. His posi on accurately reflected the reserva ons widely held about a harsh prevailing economic reality.

We are in the same situa on today in Nigeria. To put it in context, President Bola Tinubu has very commendably shown great courage in making the reforms that should have been done a decade ago. Of course, there can be no gain without pain; the issue is now how a human face will be put on the necessary but painful reforms.

Defining The Social Contract

A democracy is at its op mal when the Social Contract which binds the rela onship between civil society and the poli cal operators is at the heart of the agenda. The best example of this is the na onal democra c agreement worked out in 1962 through which a voluntary 10% pay cut affec ng all poli cal office holders was agreed upon and enforced. This was a high mark for democracy in Nigeria, sadly it has not been replicated since that e edifying moment. In view of this, it is reprehensible that the na on’s Revenue Mobilisa on and Alloca on Commi ee is now insensi vely advoca ng a

Niyi

Akinnaso

THIS is not the me for reckoning of the fortunes and misfortunes of the All Progressives Congress in Osun state. Nevertheless, any interven on in the poli cs of the state must acknowledge the successive losses of four major elec ons in the state in the last rounds of elec ons: the governorship elec on; the presiden al elec on; the Na onal Assembly elec on; and the state’s House of Assembly elec on. It is no exaggera on to assert that APC was wiped out completely.

The situa on calls for sober reflecon, rather than grandstanding or divisive rhetoric. As I will point out in the near future, it is myopic to conclude that the losses were due to fac onalism alone. True, the recalcitrancy of the two principals in the conflict fuelled the split of party members. However, even more important factors contributed to the losses. Of course, the Peoples Democra c Party took advantage of the fac onalism within the APC to enhance their chances in other areas.

I was charged with the conduct of the opinion poll for the state. It was clear from the poll that care must be taken to avoid defeat. I explained the details of the areas in which the PDP had compe ve advantage to the Governor. However, he chose to ignore the poll for reasons I will explain later.

It is against these backgrounds that I comment briefly on recent poli cal developments in the state. The first was the party restructuring commi ee set up by Governor Gboyega Oyetota before the Tribunal judgements were exhausted. It was headed by Professor Isaac Adewole, former Vice-Chancellor

Putting A Human Face On The Reforms

“The pioneering efforts of pioneers in this area such as Lateef Jakande, Sam Mbakwe and in another generation, Rauf Areg- besola must be looked at. The programs of the aforementioned had deeper impacts than Ill-thought expediencies now derisively referred to as palliative”

114% increment in pay for poli cal office holders at a me of plummeting standards of living for the overwhelm majority and their families. There can be no jus fica on and President Tinubu should impact his moral authority in this honeymoon period and throw it in the trash can.

He will get a standing ova on for doing so. As in 1962, the sacrifices needed at a me of adversity must demonstrably start from the top.

Ameliora ng The Effects

A response is urgently required to the comic realignment. Apart from the removal of subsidies (including the readjus ng of electricity tariffs) the Naira has been devalued by 42% with a full merger of dual exchange rates; the erosion of value will be more. Living standards have been hit and some protecve measures must be put in place. It will not be easy. For a start the easy way out through the use of

The Discourse

“pallia ve” has been discredited and rightly so. The “pallia ve” became enmeshed in corrup on and are be er forgo en. Deeper thinking leading to more effec ve measures must be brought into play. The eight-week window giving for nego a ons with the representa ves of Labour must lead to imagina ve indeed path defining measures.

The country, in moving away from the rent-seeking format of the past, must begin to construct data driven social safety nets. The pioneering efforts of pioneers in this area such as Lateef Jakande, Sam Mabkwe and in another genera on, Rauf Aregbesola must be looked at. The programs of the aforemen oned had deeper impacts than Ill-thought expediencies now derisively referred to as pallia ve. As the country places produc on at the forefront, it must see the provision of social safety nets as interwoven with increased revenues. The country’s new beginning must have a human face.

We are in a me of profound changes; the reboot must have heart and a human face. The new president has started well but he has to put empathy as the trajectory of reforms. Places like Brazil have shown that an a ack on the root cause of poverty is in itself the chief driver for sustainable development and genuine as opposed to ephemeral “growth”.

Osun APC: Softly, Softly

he could be re-admi ed to the party. The ques on is: Where did he go?

administra on of Governor Oyetola.

of the University of Ibadan and former Minister of Health. Not a few observers thought at the me that the commi ee was has ly set up to preempt the eventual return to Osun by former Governor Rauf Aregbesola, a er the expira on of his ministerial term in Abuja on May 29, 2023.

True to form, Aregbesola did show up in Osogbo and Ilesa about a week or so ago. He visited tradi onal rulers in both towns and addressed a large gathering of supporters, typified by ar sans and market women. His apology was couched to appeal to this group of supporters, who are likely to conclude: “O bebe. Aforiji lo ku”.

However, it was igbimo agba, led by Chief Sola Akinwumi that responded. In the eyes of the elders, Aregbesola s ll was not contrite enough. Some even thought he took back as much apology as he gave. In their own judgement, he should formally apologise for his “misdeeds” before

While holding judgement on the posi on of the elders regarding Aregbesola, the Chairman of the party, Tajudeen Lawal, was firm about sanconing those engaged in an -party ac vi es. In a statement that lacks ins tu onal memory, the Chairman said: “Meanwhile, we must be clear about this, we are not restructuring the party. The party is intact in Osun under Baba Bisi Akande and Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola.” Yet, “restructuring” is one of the tasks before the Adewole commi ee. Elsewhere, the Chairman made it clear that he was focused on those who served in the

Be that as it may, a party which lost four cri cal elec ons in a row in one electoral cycle cannot afford to take the high road in reforming the party. Rather, it must work toward inclusiveness. That’s why the idea of sanc ons should not be the star ng point of nego a ons.

OSUN DEFENDER

Publisher – Moremi Publishing House Ltd.

Deputy Editor – Ismaeel Uthman

Perhaps a lesson for the party Chairman is in order here. Governor Oyetola reached out to the former SSG, Moshood Adeo , who defected to the ADP in the 2018 governorship elec on and nearly cost Oyetola the elec on. He did not make any noise about it. Unfortunately, however, nego a ons fell through, when the Governor refused to welcome Adeo and his supporters to the APC with the customary welcome back jamboree. The rest is history.

Produc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa

Reporter – Yusuf Oketola

Reporter – Kazeem Badmus

Photo Journalist – Shola Aderinto

Computer Graphics – Zainab Olalere

OSUN

Osun ISSN : 0794-8050

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 truth is that if the APC in Osun must make progress, the dividing line between Ileri and Oranmiyan must be blurred. Besides, there is no way progress could be made if the two leaders of these fac ons do not talk to each other and to their supporters. This must be the focus of party leaders in Osun. It is not going to be easy. But it must be done.

Culled from The Naon Newspaper, June 21, 2023

“A party which lost four critical elections in a row in one electoral cycle cannot afford to take the high road in reform- ing the party. Rather, it must work toward inclusiveness. That’s why the idea of sanctions should not be the starting point of negotiations”

•Necessary but painful amelioration now needed

FRIDAY, JUNE 23 - THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 2023

4 News •Management Calls For Calm, Assures Justice Rumpus As Notorious Thug Reportedly Rapes FedPoly Ede Student

Yusuf Oketola

THE reported rape of a female student of Federal Polytechnic, Ede by a notorious thug in the town has sparked reac ons from students of the ins tu on.

OSUN DEFENDER learnt that the notorious thug, popularly known as ‘Aleba’, forcefully had canal knowledge of the student last Sunday, June 18, 2023 along Bode road, Ede.

The incident sparked outrage from students of the school who raised concern over the ‘larger than life’ a tude of the hoodlum, while calling on the management of the ins tu on to take acon on the ma er.

When contacted, the Students’ Union President of the ins tu on, Adedokun Idris declined comments on the incident.

A student of the instu on who spoke under the condi on of anonymity told OSUN DEFENDER that “the suspect is notorious for such act (raping student), sta ng that

he had gone scot-free in similar cases before.

“He is a powerful figure in Ede, they must arrest him and charge in to court, anyone that cover this up, God will judge them.”

Also, the students

Osun Assembly To Review University Of Ilesa, UNIOSUNTH Establishment Laws

THE State of Osun House of Assembly has set up a commi ee to review some laws passed by the 7th Assembly.

The laws to be reviewed include, University of Ilesa Establishment, 2022, Osun Environmental Protecon 2022, Osun Examina on Board Establishment, 2022, Osun State University Teaching Hospital (UNIOSUNTH) and Osun New Towns Development Agency Establishment, 2023.

The commi ee will be headed by the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Akinyode Oyewusi, while other members included are

Hon. Adeyemi Akinlolu, Hon. Taofeek Olayiwola, Hon. Olufemi Popoola, Hon. Akinyemi Oderinwale, while Mrs. Rachael Ojinmi serves as Secretary of the commi ee.

The Speaker of the assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun, inaugurated the commi ee at the plenary of the House on Monday.

Egbedun noted that the laws needed to be reviewed due to its importance to the people and public at large.

The Speaker tasked the commi ee to crically look into the laws, examine their policy thrust and make appropriate recommendaons.

of the ins tu on have unanimously demanded jus ce for the rape vicm, calling on the police to arrest the culprit and prosecute him accordingly.

Reac ng to the case, the management of the

school in a statement through its Protocol, Media and Public Relaons Officer, Sola Lawal, described the incident as lawlessness and barbaric.

He urged the students of the ins tu on to re-

main calm and be law abiding while the security opera ves con nue with their inves ga on.

The statement read partly: “We want to empha cally state that this act of lawlessness is not only barbaric but a bes-

al act that must be condemned in all its totality with a endant prosecuon of the culprit.

“Meanwhile, the Rector, Engr Dr. Man Yahaya Sani, has urged students of the ins tu on to remain calm and be law abiding while the security opera ves con nue with their inves ga on.

“He also advised the students to be wary of their movement and associates outside the campus as a way of aver ng similar occurrence.

“In conclusion, the Rector restated that as a parent, the welfare of the students remains paramount to his administra on and he would do all he can to make them comfortable.”

The management however, assured that the school will work with the security opera ves to bring the perpetrator of the dastardly act to book.

When contacted, Police Public Rela ons Officer, Osun Command, Mrs Yemisi Opalola, said the case is with the Police for inves ga ons.

Aformer Archbishop of the Osun North Anglican Diocese, Prince Ayo Ladigbolu, has said that no administrator governed the State of Osun with resounding legacies like former governor Rauf Aregbesola.

Ladigbolu, while speaking at a Civic Recep on organised by the South-West Muslim Clerics in Oyo, Oyo State, over the weekend observed that it was during Aregbesola’s tenure that the state witnessed massive transforma on.

He noted that Aregbesola’s style of administra on endeared him to many, including the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, who bestowed on him the tle of “The Omoluabi Agbaye of Yorubaland.”

According to the archbishop, “No one transformed Osun like Aregbesola. Among all those who have governed the state, he is excep onal.

That is why the late Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III

recognised his sterling leadership quali es and awarded him the Omoluabi Agbaye of Yorubaland.

“When I was Bishop of Osun North Diocese, I had the opportunity of presiding over several synods when Chief Bisi Akande and Prince

Olagunsoye Oyinlola ruled the state. I was also here when you (Aregbesola) became Governor and what you did.

“I can say categorically that you are an excep onal leader. One that posi vely torched Osun with

huge development that has con nued to impact the people. Even as Minister, your contribu ons to Oyo as a federal appointee is remarkable. We are always happy to associate with you and very grateful to you.”

Osun Witnessed Massive Transformation Under Aregbesola – Arch. Ladigbolu

Aformer Archbishop of the Osun North Anglican Diocese, Prince Ayo Ladigbolu, has said that no administrator governed the State of Osun with resounding legacies like former governor Rauf Aregbesola.

Ladigbolu, while speaking at a Civic Recep on organised by the South-West Muslim Clerics in Oyo, Oyo State, over the weekend observed that it was during Aregbesola’s tenure that the state witnessed massive transforma on.

He noted that Aregbesola’s style of administra on en-

deared him to many, including the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi III, who bestowed on him the tle of “The Omoluabi Agbaye of Yorubaland.”

According to the archbishop, “No one transformed Osun like Aregbesola. Among all those who have governed the state, he is excep onal. That is why the late Alaafin, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III recognised his sterling leadership qualies and awarded him the Omoluabi Agbaye of Yorubaland.

“When I was Bishop of Osun North Diocese, I had the op-

portunity of presiding over several synods when Chief Bisi Akande and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola ruled the state. I was also there when you (Aregbesola) became Governor.

“I can say categorically that you are an excep onal leader. One that posi vely tourched Osun with huge development that has con nued to impact the people. Even as Minister, your contribu ons to Oyo as a federal appointee is remarkable. We are always happy to associate with you and very grateful to you.”

Again, APC N’tnl. Vice-Chairman Accuses Omisore, Adamu Of Squandering N30bn Party Funds

Yusuf Oketola

Yusuf Oketola

Yusuf Oketola

Bleak Sallah As Transport Fare, Ram, Commodity Prices Skyrocketed

ram this year was slightly higher than the previous years due to the high cost of diesel and feeding by the sellers.

Adepoju said he couldn’t buy what he budgeted for when he got to Katsina where he went to buy the rams, adding that they (ram sellers) were already witnessing low patronage.

He said: “When we got to Katsina, the price of rams was too high and I had to buy the li le I could afford. The sellers were complaining about the cost of feeding the rams while the trailer drivers also increased their fees.”

Alfa Abdullah Rahmon who claimed that he always travels to Abeokuta, Ogun State, to celebrate the Sallah with his parent every year, told the medium that he might not travel this year due to the high cost of transporta on.

and stay back in Osogbo.

“I don’t think I will be going with my family this year to celebrate with my parents. I will prefer to send the money to them and celebrate the fes val with my family here in Osogbo in the li le way I can afford.

“I have five children and if I am to travel with them and their mother to Abeokuta, we will spend about N40,000 with the current price of transportaon. That does not include clothes for the children and other li le things”, he stated.

Cultist Convicted For Posing As Lawyer In Osun

Yusuf Oketola

MUSLIMS around the world will on Wednesday, June 28, celebrate this year’s Eid El Ahda popularly known as Ileya fes val.

Muslim faithful in the State of Osun will also join others in celebra ng the day with family, friends and well-wishers.

But the hike in price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol due to the removal of fuel subsidy may hinder the celebra on, OSUN DEFENDER noted.

The astronomical increase in fuel pump price from N195 to N500, the medium gathered, may prevent some people from traveling to their various hometowns to celebrate the fes val.

Also, prices of rams, goats, foodstuff and pepper which are necessi es to celebrate the fes val have also increased.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the transport fare from Lagos to Osogbo at the me of filing this report was N5000 as against the N2500 before the fuel price hike.

Also, Abuja to Osogbo was N15,000, Abeokuta to Osogbo 6,000 while Ibadan to Osogbo was N2000.

A bag of rice and a keg of oil were sold for N34,000 and N31,500 respec vely.

The medium also learnt that a small basket of yoruba tomatoes was N22,000 as there was scarcity of northern tomatoes with a small bag of pepper sold for N10,000.

Also, a small bag of finger pepper was sold at the rate of N12,000.

The medium visited

over the weekend some ram markets in Osogbo on Thursday and noted that the least price of ram was between N40,000 and N50,000 while big

rams were sold between N150,000 to N250,000.

Small goats were sold between N30,000 and N35,000 with the bigger

ones going for N70,000 to N90,000.

Speaking with the medium, a ram seller, Muideen Adepoju, said the price of

According to Rahmon, he will be spending almost N40,000 for transporta on with his family to Abeokuta and back to Osogbo, adding that he preferred sending the money to his parents

Mrs Adeleke Calls For Govt., Parents Synergy On Securing Brighter Future For Youths

Fatimah Olanrewaju

WIFE of the Governor of the State of Osun, Chief (Mrs) Ti lola Adeleke has called on the people of the state to form a robust synergy with her husband, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, in his efforts at giving the youths a brighter future.

Ti lola Adeleke who stated that the youths occupied a pivotal place in the agenda of Governor Adeleke, believed that Nigeria would be rapidly transformed if all stakeholders inculcated in their children moral values towards reawakening their consciousness and sense of responsibility.

She charged parents and other stakeholders to resuscitate their sense of responsibility towards building their children and wards’ minds, saying that is the only sustainable measure to safeguard them against numerous predicaments, such as child abuse, underage marriage, female gender mu la on, examina on malprac ces and internet fraud, among other vices.

The wife of the governor gave the charge in her address during this year’s Day of the African Child, last Friday.

At the occasion, the Imole Founda on, the convener of the programme, presented an Award of Excellence to Mrs Ti lola Adeleke for being an icon whose life has been dedicated to the upli ment of the youths.

She stressed that as Osun is joining the Organisa on of African Unity (OAU) to commemorate and honour the African Child, mothers par cularly should look into various challenges confron ng their children with a view to engaging them in dialogues and ac ons that would ensure a be er world for them.

In her lecture tled “Maintaining Zero tolerance Against abuse of the Osun state Child, the Head of the Legal Unit of Osun State University Teaching Hospital,

Osogbo, Barr. Olopade Abimbola, noted with delight that the Adeleke-led administra on, since assump on of office, has supported the crea ve energies of Ministry of Women Affairs in stamping out the menace of every form of abuse, neglect or exploita on of the child in the state.

Olapade noted that government and its relevant agencies have constantly raided streets to rid them off children hawkers, embarked on regular sensi sa on of tradi onal and religious leaders on the evils associated with child trafficking and organ

harves ng.

She added that government’s school feeding programme as well as its “Omoluabi culture” have been energising the girl child to resist abuse of her dignity.

Earlier in his welcome address, Babatunde Kehinde, the Publisher of Spectacular Interna onal Magazine under which auspices the Imole founda on organised the event, commended Ti lola Adeleke whom he described as a beacon of inspira on, guiding light and symbol of hope for the children of the State.

A36-year-old cultist, Ayotomide Adeniyi, has been convicted by an Osogbo Magistrate Court for impersonating a lawyer to defraud unsuspec ng residents of the state.

Adeniyi, a member of Alora confraternity, was convicted by the court a er he pleaded guilty to a six-count charge bordering on impersona on, fraud and membership of an unlawful society levelled against him.

The convict was said to have fraudulently obtained sum of N30,000 from one Sukurat Ganiyu under the pretence to appear for her in court as a lawyer.

Also, he obtained a sum of N5,000 from one Samuel Oyinloye under the pretence of assis ng him to secure his bail in court.

According to the charge sheet obtained by OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday, Adeniyi commi ed the offence between January and June 2023 in Osogbo.

The offence, according to the police, contravened Sec ons 484, 419, 390(9) and 64 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Vol.II, Laws of Osun State, 2002.

The convict appeared before the court without a legal representa on.

In his ruling, the presiding Magistrate, Dr. Olusegun Ayilara, ordered that the convict be remanded in Ilesa Correc onal Centre.

The case was adjourned ll July 24, 2023 for sentencing.

•Mrs.Titilayo Adeleke and other dignitaries at the programme

Kazeem Badmus

•Former Archbishop of Osun North Anglican Diocese, Prince Ayo Ladigbolu, presenting a gift to the immediate past Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, at a Civic Reception in the latter’s honour in Oyo, Oyo State,

Religion

ALL praise is due to Allah the Lord of the universe, the Sustainer and Cherisher of our lives. He whom Allah guides is rightly guided, but he whom He sends astray for him he would find no one guiding friend (waliyy) to lead him (to the right part). I testify that there is no diet worthy of worship except Him and I also testify that Prophet Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger. May the peace and mercy of Allah be upon His soul, member of His household, His companions and those who follow him till the day of accountability.

JUMAT SERMON JUMAT SERMON

2. Total obedience to one’s parents and perseverance as demonstrated by Prophet Ismael (AS).

3. Allah tests (Balaa) His Servants from time to time.

By Sheik Musa Oladapo Raji

By Musa Oladapo Raji

There is no doubt that ‘idul-adha and hajj exercise are interwoven because (wuquf on Arafat) stand on Arafat could be described as a harbinger of ‘idul-adha. Arafat is on the 9th day of Dulhijjah while ‘idul-adha is on the 10th day.

A scholar once said that: “Indeed Allah has three different tens: i.e the first 10 days of Muharam (the first lunar month), the last ten day of Ramadan (the ninth lunar month) and the first ten day of Dhul-Hijjah (the twelfth lunar month) those periods are full of various degree of meritorious acts of worship. Muslims are enjoined to grasp the advantages of each whenever it is around. Ibn Abbas (RAA) relates that the Holy Prophet (SAW) said: There is no other days during which virtuous action is so pleasing to Allah as the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah. The companions submitted: “O Messenger of Allah, not even fighting in the cause of Allah? He (SAW) answered: yes! Not even Jihad in the cause of Allah except in the case of a person who goes on Jihad along with his life and property and does not come back with either. (i.e he is martyred in Jihad). Having understood the importance of these 10 days, it is pertinent to state here that the hajj exercises actually kick-start on the eight day of the said month, otherwise known as Yaomu Tarwiyya. Because all the pilgrims would leave the city of Makkah for Mina (about three miles east of Makkah) where the Pilgrims will remain for five to six days to perform some rites of Hajj. The tenth day is the day when the Pilgrims will throw the pebbles at the designated place, known as jamratul kubrah, with slaughtering of the rams to atone sins they might have committed during the exercise. Those that are not there on the other hands are also slaughtering their rams across the Globe. known as Ileya to us. Eleventh to thirteenth days are also used to throw pebbles at designated places and slaughtering of sacrificial lambs by the Muslims across the world.

When the injunction was first mentioned by the Prophet, His companions inquired to know what would be their gains and he said, it was the reawakening of the Sunnah of their forefather Ibrahim (AS). It is also enjoined that throughout the period, Allah’s name should be magnified and glorified after obligatory prayers. The period is known as “Ayyamu tashreeq”.

It is enjoined by the Prophet that anyone who intends to offer a sacrificial lamb for the sake of Allah should not cut his/her hair or clip his/her nails between the first and 10th days of the month.

What Type Of Animal Can Be Sacrificed And What Is The Position Of Shari’ah On It?

To start with it, it is an established Sunnah, binding on anyone who can do so irrespective of age and status. For the feast day, immolation of a ram is preferred to a sheep. He goat is also preferred to the she one. Same rule applies to both the cow and camel. However, it is not permitted to select a one-eye or sick animal, nor a lame one whose ribs show, nor an emaciated one with no fat, nor one with any kind of defect. Neither is it permitted to select one with a slit ear, unless it is only slit a little; the same holds for one part of the ear cut off. An animal with a broken horn is not permitted if it is bleeding but if it is not, it is permitted. It is recommended that any Muslim that wants to do this important rite should do it by himself instead of using a proxy. When he is about to slaughter it in the case of sheep or pierce at in the case of Camel, he should say “Bismillah Allahu Akbar, Allahuma haadha minka walaka” “in the Name of Allah, the greatest. O! Allah this is from you and for you”.

When they asked the Prophet of what benefit would be for them (the immolation), He respond-

Hajj And (Ileya) ‘Idul-Adha

ed that for every hair of the slaughtered animal is goodness for them. They asked further how about the wool? Then he said: for every wool of the slaughtered animal is goodness for them. It must be noted here that one should cut both the larynx and jugular veins properly. Any cut less than is not enough. Care must be taken that one should not remove his hand/knife until he is convinced that he cuts it properly, for if he removes his hand and returns it back to continue the cutting such animal should not be eaten.

Abu Ya’ala bin Anas (RAA) reported that the Prophet (SAW) said; “Undoubtedly, Allah has ordered good behaviour with regard to everything, if you will kill, kill it nicely. If you slaughter, slaughter it nicely. Let each one of you sharpens the edge of knife properly and make the slaughtered die quickly.” Muslim related it.

It must also be noted that time of slaughtering should be after one is sure of the slaughtering of Imam for anybody does his before that of Imam is not regarded as Ileya slaughtering.

Muslims are enjoined to fear Allah in everything they do, because He Allah accepts only from the pious (Muttaqin). Allah says: “It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him”. Quran 22:37.

Allah has equally given us the direction on how to distribute the meat when He says:“ … eat thereof, and feed the poor who does not ask (men) and beggars who ask (men) thus have we made them subject to you that you may be grateful”. Quran 22:36.

WHAT ARE THE DERIVABLE LESSONS FROM ‘EIDUL-ADHA?

Attempts have been made by many scholars to drive home lessons from it. Prominent among the lessons are:

1. Total obedience to the commandments of Allah as demonstrated by Prophet Ibrahim (AS).

4. Fulfillment of promise as did by Prophet Ibrahim (AS).

5. Importance of (Al-ihsaan) goodness and generosity to ones neighbours.

6. Importance of prayer and

7. Importance of remembrance of Allah (Adh-dhikr).

Some of the etiquettes of the ‘id prayer

1. These days (Ayyamu tashreeq) are days of dine and wine and remembrance of Allah the Mighty.

2. We should not eat before we leave for the ‘eid praying ground until we returned home. That was the practice of the Prophet, He would not leave for ‘id during ‘idul-fitri until he eats, and he would not eat on Ileya day until when he returned, He would then eat from the liver of his slaughtered ram.

3. Taking of ritual bath, applying scent and wearing of one’s best cloth. The Prophet had directed us (for the two ‘id) to wear the best of our clothes, to use the best scent available and to slaughter the expensive ram.

4. Exchanging of pleasantries. Islam teaches us to greet and congratulate ourselves. It even recommended the manner of greeting, it goes thus: “Taqabala Lahu minna wa minka. May Allah accept it from us and you”

On a final note however, I want to draw our attention to innovation recently introduced to ‘idul-adha. tagged as ‘Ileya carnival’, where we see some youths, not necessarily Muslims, barricading the road, with a view of extorting money from the road users and in most cases, doing so under the influence of alcohol. If this goes on unchecked, the incoming generation may consider it as part of “Ileya” festival. I therefore, appeal to our fathers, Chief Imams, scholars of great repute and preachers to vehemently oppose this move during their various sermons on ‘id day as well as on Fridays’ Khutbah. Let them realise that it is an alien custom to Islam, let us also encourage our youth to see the importance of dignity of labour instead of looking for shortcut through rituals killings kidnapping and internet fraud of all kinds. It is only Allah that is worthy of reliance on.

Until the close of our request, will be AlhamduliLlahi Rabil‘alamin.

We’ve Received Over 100 Memo From Osun APC Members – Repositioning C’ttee

Ismaeel Uthman

THE commi ee set up by former governor Adegboyega Oyetola to reposi on the All Progressives Congress in the State of Osun has disclosed that it has so far received over 100 memoranda from members of the party.

Secretary of the commi ee, Mr. Rasaq Adeosun, in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER on Tuesday, said the commi ee was overwhelmed with turn out of the APC members for the submission of memoranda and appearance before the panel.

Adeosun disclosed that the commi ee

extended the deadline for the submission of memorandum because some members and groups of the APC didn’t act fast on the informa on.

According to Adeosun, the commi ee is open to all members of the party irrespec ve of their tendencies.

He hinted that the commi ee was at the

advanced stage of its task and will submit report very soon.

Adeosun said: “I must tell you that our party members turned out; we received over 100 memoranda. We are overwhelmed with the turnout of the party members both in physical appearance before the panel and submission of memoranda.

“We needed to extend the deadline for the submission of memo because we discovered that some of our party members and groups did not act on the informa on on me.

“However, we are at the advanced stage; we will submit our report soon.”

•Imaam Musa Oladapo Raji

The Chief Imaam of Telemu Land Ola Oluwa LGA, Osun State.

Messi Nominated In Three Categories For ESPY 2023 Award

WORLD Cup winner and Argen nian team Captain, Lionel Messi, has been nominated in three categories for the ESPY 2023 award.

The prize is given by popular American broadcast TV sta on, ABC.

The former Barcelona and PSG star player has enjoyed a stellar campaign in recent mes. Messi li ed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, scoring seven goals and registering three assists.

The seven- me Ballon d’Or winner also scored twice in the final against France at the Lusail Iconic Stadium.

His performance has go en him a nomina on in the ESPY Best Championship Performance category. Other candidates in the

category are Nikola Jokic (NBA), Rose Zhang (LPGA) and Leon Edwards (UFC).

He was also nominated in the best athlete category alongside the likes of Aaron Judge (Baseball), Patrick Mahomes (NFL) and Nikola Jokic (NBA).

The 35-year-old is also a nominee for the Best Soccer Player category alongside Aitana Bonma , Erling Haaland, and Sophia Smith.

Messi won the best interna onal athlete award at the ESPY back in 2015.

Adeleke Sets To Appoint Commissioners

GOVERNOR Ademola Adeleke of the State of Osun is set to form his cabinet with the appointment of commissioners.

Sources at the Governor’s Office informed OSUN DEFENDER that Adeleke has penciled down names of members of the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) to be appointed as commissioners.

According to the sources, the list of the poten al commissioners would be forwarded to the State House of Assembly any moment from now.

Mallan Rasheed Olawale, Spokesperson of the Governor confirmed

to OSUN DEFENDER yesterday that the list of the commissioner nominees will be sent to the assembly very soon.

Olawale said: “I can confirm to you that the list of the commissioner nominees will be sent to the House of Assembly very-very soon. It could be in the next one hour or before the end of the month.”

Among the names being touted for the appointment are: Mr Abiodun Fafa Ojo (Ayedaade), George Alabi (Ejigbo), Maruf Ayofe (Ede North), Bashir Tokunbo Salam (Ede South), Sola Ogungbile (Egbedore), Sunday Oroniyi (Iwo), Gani Olaoluwa (Olorunda), Hashim Abi-

oye (Ifelodun), Rasheed Aderibigbe (Odo-O n), Kolapo Alimi (Irepodun), Ayo Awolowo (Ila), Bunmi Jenyo (Ila), Mayowa Adejoorin (Obokun) Bayo Ogungbangbe (Oriade), Wole Bada (Ife Central), Sesan Oyedele (Ife East) and Barr. Jola Akintola (Ilesa-East).

OSUN DEFENDER noted that Osogbo and Atakumosa local governments had no nominee on the list as of the me of filing this report yesterday.

It was also gathered that Governor was also compiling list of members of the party to be appointed Special Advisers which will also be submi ed to the assembly for approval.

JOSE Mourinho has been suspended for four European matches for insul ng referee Anthony Taylor a er Roma’s Europa League final defeat by Sevilla, UEFA announced on Wednesday.

The Portuguese confronted Taylor in a car park following Roma’s penalty shoot-out loss a er a 1-1 draw in Budapest.

Mourinho has been banned from “the next four UEFA club compe on matches in which he would otherwise par cipate, for direc ng abusive language at a match official”, European football’s governing body said.

His team will play in the Europa League group stage next season.

Roma have also been fined 50,000 euros ($54,744) and banned from taking away fans to their next European match “for the ligh ng of fireworks, throwing of objects, acts of damage and crowd disturbances”.

The Italian club were also fined 5,000 euros over the “improper conduct of their team” and ordered to “contact the

Mourinho Fined Four-match Ban For Insulting Referee

Hungarian Football Federa on within 30 days” to agree a settlement regarding damages caused by their supporters in the stadium.

Taylor was harassed by Roma fans at Budapest airport with his family the day a er the controversial final.

An Italian man was charged with affray a er the ugly clash.

Referees’ body PGMOL

said: “We are appalled at the unjus fied and abhorrent abuse directed at Anthony and his family as he tries to make his way home from refereeing the UEFA Europa League final.”

Taylor booked 13 players, seven of them from Roma, while the bad-tempered game was li ered with delays due to the unusually high number of fouls.

Police Arrest 6 Armed Robbery Suspects In Osun

THE State of Osun Police Command has arrested six armed robbery suspects who allegedly snatched a mercedes benz car from a driver at gunpoint in Ikire.

Four of the suspects,Ibrahim Yusuf (24), Lawal Abubakar (25), Umar Abubakar (35), and Sule Muhammed (20) were said to have pretended as passengers going to Abuja from Ogun State where the vic m gave them a li

On ge ng to Ikire, State of Osun, the suspects allegedly stabbed the owner of the car, pushed him out of the vehicle and drove away.

Community Alleges Land Grabbers’ Invasion, Seeks Adeleke, Osun CP’s Intervention

ADO ORIOKE , a town in Ejigbo local government area of the State of Osun, has urged Governor Ademola Adeleke and the Commissioner of Police in the State, Kehinde Longe, to intervene and stop plan to annex its land by some individuals.

Speaking on behalf of the community during an interview with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, the Alado of Ado-Orioke, Oba John Olugbade, said tension started building up in the area when some yet to be iden fied individuals and a monarch chased away farmers on the community land.

According to Olugbade, Ado-Orioke shares border with another town,

Iwooke.

He stated that the farmers, while working on their farms saw some people moving around Idioko area, claiming that that par cular land which belongs to Ado-Orioke would be used for a proposed university.

Oba Olugbade, who said the community has not given its land to any individual or group to build a university, stressed that the land in ques on does not belong to any other town.

The tradi onal ruler urged Governor Adeleke and police commissioner to immediately intervene and prevent the issue from becoming full blown crisis.

He said: “Farmers that we gave land at Idioko, our

boundary with Iwooke, reported to me that few weeks back, some people came to the area and marched through our land. A monarch and some security opera ves were also there. They came to measure some parts of our land.

“These people chased the farmers away and entered their farms without permission. The development is capable of distabilising peace in our area as tension is already building up. I am begging the Governor, and the state commissioner of police to intervene before the ma er causes problem.

“My community has not given any company or school the go-ahead to use our land, because no

one has approached us for such permission. We don’t want anyone to illegally take any por on of our land, because that is capable of causing unrest. They should help us stop this invasion by land grabbers.”

According to the Spokesperson of Osun Police Command, Yemisi Opalola, the suspects were arrested with the vehicle snatched from the vic m.

Opalola, in a statement made available to OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, said the other two suspects, Salisu Ismail (31) and Habeeb Saidu (27) were the receiver of the stolen vehicle.

She disclosed that the suspects commi ed the alleged offence on June 15, 2023.

The Spokesperson said: “On 15th June, 2023 at about 0630hrs, the complainant reported at Gbongan Division that, at about 0100hrs of same date, he picked four (4) passengers from Opic park, Ogun State heading to Abuja with unregistered Mercedez Benz car. But on ge ng to a point around Ikire’s jurisdic on, the said passengers forced him to stop and started shoo ng to scare him.

“While struggling with them, he was stabbed with

a knife at his le hand, pushed out of the vehicle and suspects went away with the said 4ma c Benz car. He further stressed that; he can iden fy the suspects if seen.

“Immediately a er the Police received the report, a team of policemen on stop and search along Ibadan/Ile-Ife expressway, Gbongan was alerted, but when the suspects sighted the policemen, they abandoned the said car and took to their heels and escaped to the bush.

“Police combed the bush where two of the suspects were arrested. Efforts put in place by AnKidnapping Squad yielded more results whereby four other suspects were arrested at Lagos State.”

On other successes recorded by the command in the recent past, Opalola said the police also arrested three suspects, Akano Olasunkanmi (20), Monsuru Ali (25), and Tunde Alabi (42), for alleged unlawful possession of firearms.

Se said one cut-to-size locally-made pistol, 10 locally-made Dane guns, one pump ac on, and one live cartridge were also recovered from the suspects.

Ismaeel Uthman

Kazeem Badmus

Yusuf Oketola

Sport

HEALTH is not valued un l sickness comes with its a endant misery. Sudden death of many young people, especially below 50 years, either through brief illnesses, slip and break of jaws/skulls is becoming very alarming. Only the families who have lost their owns, especially breadwinners, really feel the pinch. Yes, death is inevitable. It should, however come, having enjoyed physical, mental and social well-being for reasonable 70 years and above. Healthy life is mainly a func on of complex interac on between our genes, diet and environment. Although, taking care of ourselves with nourishing foods, regular exercises and adequate sleep amongst others everyday may not necessarily be absence of disease or sickness, it will definitely add years to our lives and lives to our years.

Regular consump on of nourishing foods – vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes like beans, groundnuts, etc helps prevent a number of chronic diseases and prevent diges ve distress; guarantees skin tone and texture and lessen the effect of sun exposure and aging. Only a naive person will invest so much money on body creams at the expense of nourishing foods as, inevitably, one is what one eats. Interestingly, these are not necessarily expensive stuffs. Waterleaf (Gbure) is, arguably the very cheapest and most commonly found vegetable. A family of 5 could not consume more than between N200 and N300 worth for a meal and it goes with virtually any stuff like eba, amala, fufu etc. Its regular intake keeps heart healthy as it supplies it oxygen and blood it needs; it reduces level of cholesterol in the blood which ul mately prevents heart disease and stroke that could compromise one’s health; it is rich in vitamin A; rich in vitamin C which reduces risk of developing Alzeimer disease and slow age related cogni ve dysfunc ons; it plays vital func on in blood produc on in human body; it is recommended for pregnant women as it helps increase their blood levels and provide other required nutrients. When gbure is combined with other vegetables or ingredients, it prevents malaria. And malaria kills! In 2021 alone, researches reveal that “no fewer than 200,000 Nigerians were killed by malaria and 61 million other afflicted annually with an es mated US$1billion lost annually for malaria related absenteeism and produc vity losses.”

As there are affordable vegetables so for fruits like mangoes, water lemon, oranges, pawpaw, etc. Already sliced packaged water lemon, for instance, is N100. This fruit improves heart health, boost immunity system, prevents osteoporosis, improves male fer lity, prevents kidney injury and improves skin health amongst others. However, some people don’t eat it appropriately as they have habit of throwing away its seed when ea ng. It should be

Health Matters

eaten with the seeds.

Groundnut is one of the affordable legumes. It is immensely rich in potassium, calcium, phosphorous and vitamin B. It has healthy fats, protein and fibre that lower the risk of heart disease and blood glucose levels regula on.

In summary, vegetables, fruits and legumes are natural nutrients and drugs our body system needs everyday to func on op mally and take us far away from sickness. I had a friend whose only me he consumed fruits was during Ramadan. He was not friendly with vegetables. He paid dearly for it and lived very short but miserable life. This had nothing to do with his pocket as he was averagely comfortable.

It was simply a lackadaisical a tude to

health ma ers.

Yes, the daily struggle to make ends meet as a result of pervasive unemployment, high cost of living, poverty that plague Nigeria (in the midst of abundant human and natural resources that could make life sa sfactorily for majority of the people but systemically schemed for the benefit of a very infinitesimal percentage of the people) could be so overwhelming to make one pay less or no a en on to what one consumes. Good health is everything. A smart person, especially from a humble background, should do everything to avoid sickness that will force him/her hospitalised. It is not a classified fact that the ruling elite have refused to invest in the healthcare. This informs why they im-

mediately jet out of the country when they have a slightest headache. The sorry state of our healthcare system has forced most of our experts in health system relocate to a “greener pasture”. According to the data obtained from the Nigerian Associa on of Resident Doctors, 85% of doctors are planning to leave the country to seek greener pastures in countries like United Kingdom, United States and Saudi Arabia especially. As of October 2022, only 10,000 resident doctors are in the country with no effort by the government to address this pathe c situa on, leading to personnel inadequacy in the health sector.

As a regularly serviced vehicle performs op mally, so does human body. A body system that consumes vegetables, fruits and legumes regularly; that exercises regularly and sleeps adequately will hardly get sick. A body system that regularly does a check up will discover ailment at infant stage and nip in the bud. Get immunised against killer diseases like Hepa s B, Yellow fever, etc, which are available in General and Teaching Hospitals. If you have a good health but have been lackadaisical with your health ma ers vis-a-vis what you consume, put a stop at this a tude immediately and revert to healthy living. Otherwise, you will be sick and be taken to the hospital. If you are lucky to recover, doctors will list out what you should eat and never to eat again. If you are unlucky, which is most likely because of our pathe c situa on, you will live a miserable life and have a painful death. A s tch in me saves nine.

STRIKER Striker is not the opinion of the Columnist featured above

Challenging Political Times

NIGERIA is passing through its most interes ng and challenging poli cal mes and progressive poli cians, radical reformers and revolu onaries should be happy to be alive at these mes, if they are genuine and alive to their responsibili es.

For one, it is generally accepted (le ists, righ sts, centrists) that poli cs is the highest concentra on and determinant of the economy. Nigeria today finds itself in a situa on where poli cs has no defined direcon, ideology, principles, code of conducts or func onal organisa on – everything is determined and controlled with millions and millions of naira! It is finally clear for all to see that there are simply no poli cal pares worth calling that name and all that we have are gang-up and conspiracies for seizing poli cal power. A poli cal party starts out fundamentally with a clear idea of how society is best managed for prosperity and posterity, which it encapsulates in a manifesto, detailing what to do and how to do it in the best interest of abundant life for the majority of ci zens. It then put in place its structures, code of conduct, leadership and membership trainings, and disciplinary codes among others.

As things stand today, decades of military government and corrupt, crude, criminal accumula on of wealth have placed those individuals who have the money in control of poli cal processes - with outcomes, loyal es, sanc ons all simply determined by those with the deepest pockets, which they further stuff through control and cornering of public resources; thereby sinking society further in the bo omless hole of money poli cs, with consequent underdevelopment and unending social

crises occasioned by widespread inequalies and injus ce.

The journey back, even into a poli cal me that bears semblance to the Na onal Party of Nigeria (NPN) and Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) era, is long; not to men on retracing our na onal steps back to the beginning - poli cs and governance in a Federal Republic with a parliamentary system of government based on taxa on by semiindependent federa ng units - instead of naked, brutal, unjust, exploita ve almighty Federal government of oil-rent money control that subjugates all federa ng en es and renders all produc ve enterprises outside crude oil rent money collec on and wilful deployment unrewarding toils.

The tasks for all patriots are clear-cut: One, they must start from where we now find ourselves. The Federal Government, through its policy choices today, dictates and determines all life, as the sole custodian and dispenser of oil rent money. The evalua on of those policies on the minimum progressive scale that guarantees the survival (just survival first) of the common man/woman (the majority) must occupy their immediate organisa onal a en on and responses. Governments always gallivant around as if there are no alterna ves to chosen policies, as worst exemplified by Babangida’s “No Alterna ves to Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP)” in the 1990s. There are always alterna ves, and historically, only organisa ons of the people do compel governments to choose them. Governments of moneybags for clique aggrandisement always disposed to picking the worst op ons in their own selfish interests in service as despots to their interna onal masters!

Next, in the intermediate period before the upcoming diversions of the next electoral cycle, which will only be retrogressively worse (without being a prophet of doom), patrio c organisa ons across all tendencies (more importantly progressive ones) must organise for the achievement of two cardinal objec ves - a return to a genuine FEDERAL REPUBLIC through comprehensive Na onal Restructuring, however gradual and in phases; and the total overhaul and reform of the electoral system – best of all on parliamentary basis. A whole lot is loaded in this short summary but the deep will easily discern the details.

So long as these cardinal objec ves are not achieved, in three years, another elec on cycle will catch up with us most probably in a more hellish state. Even if he is best inten oned and next in powers to God Almighty, there is only so much any President can do within the current na onal structure framework and operating cons tu on (with humongous cost of running government, brazen embezzlement, disservice public service, pandemic corrup on and inept policing and jus ce system). It will remain the same of same story of underdevelopment, frustra ons, miseries, buck-passing, regrets, wastedyears and mo on-without-movement. The country’s un-federal, an -federal structure and poli cal framework is simply a road block to everything just and good; it is andevelopment, iniquitous, an -people and unsustainable; it breeds rebellions, compounds criminali es, wholesale insecurity and wastage of lives.

For patriots, the sooner begun, the sooner done; whatever the sacrifices demanded.

“A body system that consumes vegetables, fruits and legumes regularly; that exercises regularly and sleeps adequately will hardly get sick. A body system that regularly does a check up will discover ailment at infant stage and nip in the bud. Get immunised against killer diseases like Hepatitis B, Yellow fever, etc, which are available in General and Teaching Hospitals”