Osun Defender Online Version of March 11, 2022

FRIDAY, MARCH 11 - THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022 VOL 17 NO 10

Traders, Artisans Take Over Walkways In Osogbo Kazeem Badmus

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RADERS and ar sans have taken over walkways and pavements in most major roads in Osogbo, thereby denying pedestrians free movement.

The walkways which were constructed for pedestrians for smooth movement have been turned to mini-markets where traders and ar sans unrestrained displayed their products and goods.

Some of the roads with walkways that been abused are; Stadium-Lameco, Alekuwodo-Oke Fia, Igbona-Ayetoro, Olaiya-Aregbe, Ota Efun-Kobongbogboe, among others.

•Traders occupying walkway at Alekuwodo.

Photo: Shola Aderinto

•Continued on Page 4

Paucity Of Fund, Litigation Forced PDP To Parallel Gov’ship Primaries •Govs, Others Refused To Release Funds After Babayemi’s Adoption •Ademola Adeleke Receives Certificate of Return

•Adeleke

•Babayemi

Again, Cultists Strike In Ilesa, Kill One, Shoot Other P. 6

Osun United Players Face Difficulty As Bus Develop Faults, Spent 3 Days From Abuja To Osogbo P. 7

FRIDAY, MARCH 11 - THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

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News

Paucity Of Fund, Litigation Forced PDP Elders To Parallel Gov’ship Primary– Investigations Ismaeel Uthman

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HE Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) in the State of Osun, on Tuesday, produced two governorship candidates for the July 16, 2022 governorship elec on in the state.

A fac on loyal to the Adeleke dynasty held its primary elec on at Osogbo Township stadium where Sen. Ademola Adeleke emerged the flagbearer of the party.

The primary was supervised by na onal officials of the PDP and representa ves of Independent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC).

However, the Hon. Soji Adagunodo’s fac on of the PDP which is populated with elders of the party, held different primary at WOCDIF centre, Osogbo and produced Omooba Dotun Babayemi as the candidate of the party.

Among the PDP leaders at the WOCDIF primary are: former governor of the State of Osun, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, former deputy governor, Erelu Olusola Obada, Chiefs Shuaib Oyedokun, Olu Alabi, Tajudeen Oladipo, among others.

Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, Mr. Dele Adeleke and a representave of Mr. Sanya Omirin, Mr. Jide Bakare and the party ac ng chairman, Barr. Wale Ojo were also part of the primaries.

Inves ga ons by OSUN DEFENDER however revealed that the refusal of the Osun PDP elders to support and adopt Mr. Bamidele Adeleke, a cousin to Ademola Adeleke, as the only governorship aspirant to contest the party’s cket with his uncle destabilised poli cal calcula ons in the Adagunodo’s camp.

According to sources in the PDP, some PDP Governors, among who is Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, and other stakeholders in the party had earlier shown interest in bankrolling Bamidele Adeleke’s ambi on.

The PDP Governors and stakeholders reportedly rallied PDP elders in Osun to support Bamidele Adeleke because of

•The affected building.

his intellectual prowess, among other considera ons.

But the PDP elders, it was gathered, later opposed Bamidele Adeleke’s adop on on the ground that it was not appropriate to have two serious contenders for the party’s cket from the same family.

It would be recalled that the PDP elders had on Monday issued a communique where they declared their support for Babayemi, while other governorship aspirants of the party also withdrew from the race for him.

The refusal of the PDP elders to adopt Bamidele Adeleke discouraged those who were ready to sponsor him, making them to withdraw their support for the Adagunodo’s fac on.

OSUN DEFENDER learnt that the party elders specifically pleaded with Makinde and urged him to reason along with them on their decision.

However, Makinde and other stakeholders did not rescind their decision as they folded their arms and watched event playing out on the primary.

Some credible top members of the Adagunodo’s fac on of the PDP confided in the medium that the fac on was ready to par cipate in the primary

•Elder Statesman and PDP stalwart, Chief Shuaib Oyedokun, former Governor of Osun, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola among others at the Adagunodo faction’s governorship primary election held at WOCDIF centre, Osogbo, on Tuesday.

elec on held at stadium un l few hours to the exercise.

According to the sources, the Adagunodo’s fac on and governorship aspirants were not considering a parallel primary because they were ready to match Ademola Adeleke in ‘buying delegates’ at any amount.

But the fac on later resort-

ed to parallel primary when it dawned on its leaders that the financiers would not release fund to prosecute the exercise.

One of the PDP leaders who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday said: “We were not planning for any parallel primary before, we opted for it to avoid embarrassment.

“You know that Governor

Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and other stakeholders were suppor ng Mr Bamidele Adeleke’s ambi on. They were ready to bankroll the primary for him and they told our party leaders in Osun.

“Everything was fine un l some days ago that the elders said it was wrong to have two main contenders for the party’s

Stakeholders Seek Govt Intervention On Condition Of School In Ile-Ife Yusuf Oketola

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HE management of Saint Philip Anglican Primary School, Ayetoro in Ile-Ife, State of Osun, has sought the interven on of the State Government and old students on the poor condion of the school.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the school has five buildings but only two are func oning

with about 400 pupils.

Among the school structures is a story building whose roof has been blown off since 2021 by rainstorm.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, one of the management members of the school who do not want her name in print, said the government has refused to a end to the school in spite of several com-

plaints and reports.

According to her, some officials of the Ministry of Educa on and representa ves of Old Students Associa on had come to inspect the school but nothing was done therea er.

She noted that the management was only managing the available classes to teach the pupils, calling on the state government and old students to intervene by doing the needful.

She said: “The school has been in that condion for a year now as a result of a heavy rain. We had reported the school condi on to necessary authority immediately it happened, and they came to take pictures of the building but since then, nothing has been done.

“The old students of the school has also come to check the building but we have not heard anything from them too.

Though, we are s ll able

to manage the available classes, we call on the government and the old students to intervene and do the needful on me before another rain started”.

One of the old students of the school, Mr. Kehinde Adebisi told OSUN DEFENDER that he was ready to contribute to the rebuilding of the school if the government is running away from her responsibility.

Adebisi said: “That is my lovely primary school. I am part of the 1983-1988 set. I wish to contribute something to the development of my great school if the government is running away from its responsibility. Quality educa on for our children should be a priority of the government.

An enabling environment should be provided”.

Also, another old student of the school, Wahab Omiyefa pleaded with the state government to take necessary step in rebuilding the school.

cket from the same family.

The elders said they preferred Omooba Dotun Babayemi to Bamidele Adeleke.

“Their choice did not go down well with Seyi Makinde and others, and as a result they did not release fund for our facon.

“We actually thought they would release money at the later hour but it dawned on us that Makinde in par cular had made up his mind.

“So, the elders felt there was no reason to par cipate in the primary held in Stadium because there was no money to give to delegates. We already had more than 300 delegates out of over 1500. We were ready to match Adeleke in buying delegates but there was no money to do that at the end of the day.

“Our elders who adopted Dotun Babayemi could not raise fund. Some of them did not even spend their personal money in the struggle. That was why we opted for parallel primary.”

However, one of the Media Aides to Governor Makinde absolved his principal from the crisis in Osun PDP, saying the governor was not suppor ng, nor had a favourite among the governorship aspirants.

The aide who prayed anonymity said: “One thing I can say is that Governor Makinde is not responsible for the crisis in Osun PDP. He wants peace and progress for the party, that is why he tailored whatever he is doing on PDP poli cs towards the unity of the party.

“For those insinua ng that Makinde was sponsoring Dele Adeleke, let them substan ate their claim. Governor Makinde does not have any favourite among the PDP governorship aspirants in Osun. Throughout the campaign period for the primary elec on, I don’t think anybody ever heard Makinde saying a word on a par cular aspirant.

“Makinde is not part of Continued on page 7

PEOPLE FIRST

FRIDAY, MARCH 11 - THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

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Review & Outlook

BY MUSBAU LATEEF Diaspora Voting

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setback for both democracy and the economy that the Nigeria diaspora was not giving the right to vote in the recent cons tu onal review just concluded in the na onal assembly. The rejec on should be reconsidered urgently too.

Countries such as Greece, Israel, France amongst many others have for long taking the right of their ci zens residing outside of their borders to vote as a right. In the presiden al elec on won by incumbent President Macron, observers no ced long lines of French voters lining up to vote in London, Brussels, Frankfurt and so forth. It was a testament to democra c values.

The rejec on of the right of the diaspora to vote is indica ve of an antediluvian interpreta on of rights and disturbingly highlights the lack of understanding of the synergy to be obtained for the benefit of the na on’s economic performance by encouraging the diaspora to be a notable force in na onal planning.

Countries that have made superb transi ons from under development in the past decades such as Isreal, India, Malaysia and Indonesia have used the talents and access to innova on and interna onal best prac ces of the diaspora very crea vely to beneficial effects.

Nigeria has hardly scratched the

“The rejection of the right of the diaspora to vote is indicative of an antediluvian interpretation of rights” surface. As is to be expected of a rent collec ng economy the fixaon is on the $22 billion annual remi ances from the diaspora. The figure itself might be an underes mate, whether it is or not, we should aim at increasing the diaspora contribu ons. If we take away the contribu ons our perennial balance - of - payments disequilibrium will be even more problema c and the Naira weaker.

Things have to change for their is no ra onality in under using a very cri cal asset. We must now formalise how the capital, the knowledge base, the technical capacity of the diaspora must be interwoven as a driving force in the na on’s development process. This in the long term will be more prac cal than the elusive delusions about “Foreign Direct Investment”. It is for reasons such as outlined that the diaspora must be giving a greater sense of belonging and the right to vote.

Measures in Reducing Traffic, Loss Of life In Owode Ede

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HE Hon. Commissioner sir, Firstly, I want to appreciate you for your beau ful and laudable achievements in the area of Works & Transport in the State, Sir. I wish your principal and party well in the forthcoming poli cal race, sir.

Sir, I want to call your a enon to some issues that need urgent address at Owode-Ede Route, which will reduce traffic dras cally at the Owode-Ede Market, especially during the market days; enhance safety and also reduce the possibility of taking one way by the road users in order to avoid traffic at OwodeEde junc on, ac on which had claimed several lives.

1) There is need to break road median in order for thousands of residents that live along Owode/Adejuwon/Kajola Road

Letter To The Editor to access their communi es without ge ng to the OwodeEde market and cause more traffic with other road users, sir. I discovered that the only access for these residents who are mostly mobile, who usually come from Osogbo township daily is to go and make a u-turn a er OwodeEde market and face the market in order to go and come in at the market junc on to access their communi es (Kajola / Adejuwon Road).

My advice sir, When one is driving from Abere towards Owode-Ede, im-

mediately a er the turning at the front of Dayef filling sta on or Palm Crest Hotel, there is need to break that road median shortly a er Cele junc on so that thousands of residents who are going to Owode Adejuwon/Kajola side will just make a U-Turn at the said point and take Cele Junc on to access their communi es. This won’t cost State Govt much fund and it will achieve 2 major things; i) It will reduce dras cally traffic at Owode-Ede junc on/ market ii) It will safe lives of those who take risks of taking one way in order to access Cele junc on in order to avoid long distance and the eventual traffic at OwodeEde junc on or market TPL. Dr. Idowu Oyeleye Osogbo, Osun State.

Police Dressing: Has IGP Breached The Constitution?

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ELIGION is a delicate issue; par cularly in Nigeria, where adherents of the dominant religions, Chris ans and Muslims, seem to be in a perpetual and some mes destruc ve mutual suspicion, distrust, or compe on. Therefore, it is understandable why the current adjustment to police uniform by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) in Nigeria has sparked another round of religious controversy in the polity.

The IGP recently approved a new dress code for women officers, permi ng them to wear stud earrings and headscarf under their berets or peak caps as the case may be. The dress code was unveiled at the IGP’s mee ng with Strategic Police Managers on March 3, 2022. According to report, the IGP noted that the Nigeria Police workforce has officers from every local government area with varying ethnic and religious backgrounds, thus warran ng the need for increased inclusion of female folks, gender mainstreaming, and diversity for op mum output and professionalism.

From the report, the objec ves of the Nigerian Police are crystal clear. It is instruc ve to also note that no religious words such as ‘hijab’ or ‘Islamic’ or ‘Muslim’ were used in the statements of the Nigerian Police. Now, the stated objec ves of the Nigerian Police can be summarised in two words: diversity and inclusivity. As a ma er of fact, these objec ves are also consistent with the global standard prac ce of other police ins tu ons around the world that have approved the headscarf or hijab for their officers. Some striking examples of such global standard prac ce can be found with the Metropolitan Police (Met Police) in London, and the Police Scotland, both in the United Kingdom; the New York Police Department (NYPD) – and all over the United States of America; the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) as well as the police officers in the Canadian ci es of Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver; the Australian Federal Police (AFP); the Swedish Police Authority (SPA); the New Zealand Police Force; the South African Police Service (SAPC) and the South African Military Force, amongst other.

There are also other police forces around the world in which the hijab, or to put it be er, the headscarf, is literally banned. Some of such are in Europe, and France appears the most prominent. Even at that, the pro-hijab groups in those countries are very strong.

However, many commentators in Nigeria, and perhaps for obvious reasons, have interpreted the new development in the Nigerian Police to mean ap-

“As we evolve or develop inclusive practices to build our country, all sides of the divide must also learn to be tolerant and accommodating. That way, peace and progress will not elude our land”

proval for the use of the hijab, a religious adornment worn mainly by Muslim women following their faith (recall again that the police statement did not use any religious term or jus fica on). Some have also pushed the comments further to accuse the IGP of using his office to promote the Islamic religion or push a religious agenda. In this piece, I intend to examine the arguments for and against the current ‘hijab’ (read headscarf) adjustment to the police uniform by the IGP from both the jurisprudence of human rights and the 1999 Cons tuon of Nigeria. In other words, is allowance of the ‘hijab’ or, to put be er, a headscarf, for Muslim policewomen a viola on of Sec ons 10 and 42 of the 1999 Cons tu on of Nigeria as posited by many, including but not limited to Mr. Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN). Interes ngly, both sides of the divide rely on human rights jurisprudence and provisions of the 1999 Cons tu on of Nigeria.

Before examining either side of the arguments, it is essen al to provide some contexts further to aid our understanding of the underlying issues. First, what the Nigerian police has just approved is a headscarf and not necessarily what the Muslims understand as the hijab strictly so-called. What the hijab encapsulates in Islamic theology is another ma er en rely outside the purview of this piece. S ll, it is sufficient to say that a headscarf, o en regarded as the hijab by many Muslims and non-Muslims, is a garment that covers only the hair and neck of the wearer. The truth is, it is not only the Muslims who wear headscarves. However, it would seem that many Muslims worldwide have conceded to the compromise of a headscarf as the hijab. For want of a be er adjec ve, I think such a compromise is impera vely healthy and understandable in every mul religious society. Second, the idea that Muslim women are forced to Publisher – Moremi Publishing wear the hijab or headscarves or House Ltd. face veils or niqab or burqa against Deputy Editor – Ismaeel Uthman their will is par cularly persistent in (0805-121-2204) public debates and mainstream meProduc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa dia. Some mes, this idea is pushed Reporter – Yusuf Oketola further to say that wearing the hiReporter – Kazeem Badmus jab or headscarves or face veils or Photo Journalist – Olushola Aderinto niqab or burqa ‘degrades’ women’s Computer Graphics – Zainab Olalere dignity, and these Muslim women, OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing therefore, need to be ‘freed.’ Somehow, these ideas also find some leHouse Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), Gbogan Road Osogbo, gal jus fica ons in the opinions of many commentators. ConsequentState of Osun ly, it is against this background that ISSN : 0794-8050 the arguments for and against the Telephone : 0805-121-2204 hijab are o en pushed.

Website : www.osundefender.com/index.php e-mail : osundefender@yahoo.com •Misbau Alamu Lateef, osundefenderbank@gmail.com PhD., Columbia Law All correspondence to the above email addresses.

OSUN DEFENDER

School, New York.

FRIDAY, MARCH 11 - THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

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News

Traders, Artisans Take Over Walkways In Osogbo Continued from page 1 Notable products on the walkways are furniture, second-handclothes, ar st products, foodstuffs and drinks.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that most of the traders and ar sans considered the walkways as a righ ul place to display their products, making them to disallow and abuse pedestrian who make a empt to pass or point out the wrongness of their conduct.

Some of the traders who spoke with the medium at Alakuwodo, Igbona and Ota Efun markets said they resulted to using the walkways because of lack of fund to secure a shop.

According to Miss Victoria Olaniyan, a cloth seller at Igbona market, most of the traders in the market did not secure a shop because they only come during the market day which is every Tuesday of the week.

Olaniyan said she moves from one market to another and occupies the walkways to display her clothes.

She said: “I have been coming to this market for the past five years and I usually display my wares on this walkway.

“Most of us selling clothes here cannot secure a shop because we only come every Tuesday of the week and we have other markets we do visit”.

When asked if she knows the walkway is meant for pedestrians, Olaniyan said ‘pedestrians have resigned to their fate as there is nothing they can do about it’.

A Fish seller at Ota Efun market, Glory Adegoke, said government and market officials are collec ng money from them for using the place.

According to Adegoke, residents of the state prefer to buy from the roadside to entering inside the market, hence her decision to procure a space on the walkway.

She however said she was ready to go back to the shop if the government can provide and mandate it for all the traders.

Adegoke said: “The reason why I decided to be selling my fish here is because most customers do not want to enter inside the market. Most of them prefer to buy from those selling by the

•Aregbesola

•Traders occupying walkway at Igbonna market. roadside and at the end of the year, I have to pay shop rent.

“I paid some amount of money to government and market officials for this place but I sell more than I normally do when I was using my shop inside the market.

“Although, I am not a fan of using the walk-

way because of the danger a ributed to it, I am ready to go back to the shop if the government can mandate all of us to go back.”

Residents Want’s Government to Intervene Residents of Osogbo who spoke with this medium urged the state government to intervene

and send those using the walkways away from there.

An Athlete, Sola Fabunmi, said he could not carry out his rou ne morning exercise around stadium again because of the traders using the walkway.

He disclosed that the situa on is impending

sports development in the state as most of the walkways that ought to be used for exercise and ge ng fi er have been turned to mini-market.

He said: “Before the ar sans turned this place to their mini market, I use to jug on the walkway every morning but I can no longer do

that.

“At first, I tried to use the roadside but there was a day a car nearly knocked me off. Since then, I quit jugging and there are lots of people like me who quit because of this.

“The effect of what is going on-on our walkways is that sports development in the state is being impended and there is need to look into it by the concerned authori es”.

In his own view, Abass Sulaimon, a resident of Mallam Tope, Osogbo, wants the government to evict those using the walkways, saying they are meant for pedestrians and not traders.

“It is very unfortunate that we are s ll at this level of underdevelopment in our country.

How can a normal person turned walkways meant for pedestrians to his or her own mini-market where buying and selling will take place?

“I think it is high me the government rose to the challenge and give the users ul matum to quit the place and anybody who disobeys the order should be prosecuted”, he said.

Osun Environmental Protection Commercial Driver Remanded For Alleged Manslaughter The presiding MagisYusuf Oketola vide a reliable surety and Bill Scales Second Reading trate, O.A Daramola orwould not jump bail.

Sodiq Yusuf

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bill for environmental protec on has scaled through second reading at the State of Osun House of Assembly.

Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye, noted that the bill had a lot to offer, saying it was aimed at keeping the state clean.

Owoeye said that the bill would, among other func ons, focus on untapped mineral resources in the state, serve as a source of revenue and bring environmental offenders to jus ce.

The Speaker noted that the bill would regulate the erec on of masts by telecommunica ons operators and check illegal mushroom domes c

gas plants.

In their different contribu ons, the lawmakers said that the bill would aid control of flood, regulate the ac vi es of the Ministry of Environment, sanise and guide policies on environment in the state.

They noted that the bill would also enhance standard of living of the people and urged the House to give it accelerated passage.

In another development, the Osun State House of Assembly has confirmed Governor Adeboyega Oyetola’s nominees for Osun State Civil Service Commission.

The Assembly confirmed the nominees on Monday during the plenary at the State Assembly Complex, Osogbo.

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30-year-old man, Wasiu Kazeem, has been remanded in Ilesa Correc onal Centre over the death of a 60-yearold man, Gabriel Adeeyo, by a Magistrate Court in Osogbo.

Kazeem, a commercial driver of one Mitsubishi bus with Registra on Number RLG 799 XA was said to have driven dangerously on the highway which resulted to Adeeyo’s death.

The defendant was also accused of driving on the highway without driver licence, insurance and road worthiness.

Account to the charge sheet obtained by OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday, the defendant commi ed the offence on February 19, 2022 at about 8:30pm at Onward Junc on, Osogbo.

But the accused person pleaded not guilty to a six-count charge bordering on dangerous driving and manslaughter levelled against him.

Defence counsel, Kehinde Adepoju prayed the court to admit the defendant to bail on a liberal term, promising that he will pro-

However, the police prosecutor, Inspector Jacob Akintunde, opposed the bail applica on, arguing that the offence involved a loss of life, and that the defendant may jump bail if admi ed to.

dered that the defendant be remanded in Ilesa Correc onal Centre and a formal bail applica on should be provided.

The case was adjourned ll April 4, 2022 for ruling on bail.

Oluwo Set To Marry Kano Princess

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HE Oluwo of Iwo land, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi is set to marry a Kano princess, Firdauz Abdullahi.

The wedding is set to hold on March 19, 2022, at the residence of Madakin Kano, Yola Quarters in Kano State.

A recep on strictly for the ladies follows at the palace of the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero.

Oluwo had earlier this year in an interview with BBC, confirmed his upcoming wedding, sta ng that the date will be made public soon.

The wedding date was announced in a statement via his official Facebook

page on Tuesday, March 8.

The statement described the bride-to-be as a “matrimonial material and morally upright princess.”

The post reads: “History Made: Royalty Meets, Weds Royalty. A great wife, matrimonial material and morally upright princess becoming an empress.

“The glory is not mine alone. It belongs to all of us who trust in our way, an undiluted monarchy that resigns only to God, The Creator. We reference God for everything.”

The monarch had in 2019 divorced his Canadian-born wife, Chanel Chin, over irreconcilable differences.

FRIDAY, MARCH 11 - THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

Issues & Policy 5 The Death Of Truth Abosede Oluwaseun

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IRST, let us as Nigerians, be fervent in prayers that those in whom we innocently reposed our hopes for a be er country are themselves not going to turn out to the be arsonists, the final undertakers that would see to the abrupt end of our collec ve space on earth.

Reading Abimbola Adelakun column in PUNCH newspaper of Thursday, February 24 edi on, a discerning reader, who reads opinions for the sake of mental development, would easily come to the same prayer above given the potpourri of lies, fabrica ons, innuendoes that made up her piece.

Comments are free (goes the popular saying) in the culture of wri ng.

But facts are sacred!

So, when the writer alleged that Rauf Aregbesola, former governor of Osun, spent N69bn on an airport project in Osun, men and women of wisdom would ask where she got her figures from. Yes, Adelakun is gi ed with the capacity to weave words together but she seems to be unaware of A E Saman, the inves ga ve historian who was so enamoured with the burden of history on every writer that he wrote that “wri ng history is like holding a conversaon across ages, responding to people long gone and posing ques ons to individuals yet unborn.”

Saman’s sermon was more of a cau onary pinch to all writers to be wary of their postula ons for the historical weights they carry lest people “across ages,” “people long gone” and “individuals yet unborn” are not misled by their variegated distor ons.

Those who clamour

•Mega school

for good governance should recognise it when they see one. Today, Aregbesola stands condemned by many who fail to take a look back to the landmarks of his administra on in the area of human capital development, value reorienta on, infrastructure revolu on, innova ve educa on steps that le the state be er by the me he was leaving in 2018.

Some editorial judgments hurt the sense of reasoning and the consciousness of the burden of history. Some have accused Aregbesola recklessly that his administra on expended some humongous sum of money on ‘Opon Imo’, computer tablets distributed to school children when the focus should have been on guaranteeing quality educa on for them in more efficient and innova ve ways.

How else could a governor have been ‘innovave” in a state like Osun than the introduc on of a stand-alone device that never existed and which was acclaimed even by the United Na ons Children Educa on Fund (UNICEF) to be one of the most innova ve strategies to democra se educa on.

How do you condemn a man for introducing ‘Opon Imo’ and in the same breath, proceed to accuse him of not being innova ve?

Among other recognions, the Tablet of Knowledge had won e-Learning & Science category at the World Summit Awards (WSA) in Sri Lanka in 2013.

The device was chosen from 421 other innovaons for the 2013 Awards ve ed by the grand jury of global eminent experts under a project of the Interna onal Centre for New Media. That is annu-

•Aregbesola ally organised among 190 UN-member States and runs within the United Naons (UN) framework of the World Summit on the Informa on Society.

Even if cynics would dismiss it, can anyone honestly separate such innova ons from achievements of Osun students in external examinaons therea er, where for instance, a student of Ataoja Government High School, Kamardeen Ridwan emerged one of the best in the 2019 Joint Admissions and Matriculaons Board?

Ignore the noise, get to the depth of what happened in Osun under Aregbesola and see whether the current Minister of Interior is not the defini on of the clarity of purpose and commitment to welfare of the people that we have all craved for.

The eight-year administra on of the former governor of Osun should s ll be green in the psyche of the generality with the excep on of the mischievous one who choose to be blind to the enduring legacies of a focused re-

gime.

If truth should be at the heart of all wri ngs, then, the predicament Osun has found herself post-Aregbesola should indeed be the subject of a en on by the army of Nigerian writers and beyond. For, how could a state have been set on a solid base of such monumental advancement in all facets and when the baton was passed to a predecessor, what stares you in the face immediately is acute retrogressions.

The excitements, love and preference for Aregbesola’s style of engagements were unmistakable.

Faced with a populace that had become despondent arising from years of hopelessness when government cared less about changing the condi ons of the downtrodden, the populist appeal was gingered with a passion for the people.

Even without the financial resources to actualise the huge dreams the way he wanted, Aregbesola knew he had the task to create a bond between his administra on and

the people. Thus, ac vies such as Walk-to-Live, a monthly fitness walk in different parts of the state, Ogbeni Till Daybreak, a periodic, all-night town hall engagement with the people; Gbangba Dekun, a quarterly day me engagement with the people from one federal cons tuency to another, brought everyone on board. There was no way the outcome of his policies would not resonate with the common man seeing they were designed to elevate him from his poor condions.

His administra on strove to bequeath to the state world-class ideas and physical structures. The Nigerian elites send their children to most expensive schools abroad. But Aregbesola met classroom situa ons that were at best, only fit for pigs. The courageous task of giving Osun world-class study environments stands as singular strongest reason this former governor should remain their hero.

And indeed, he is!

Using the high school model as illustra on of the enormous commitment to quality under the Aregbesola administra on, one is compelled to ask whether such elevated quality of life is not a er all, the essence of the good governance that columnists crave for. Or is this another manifestaon of the hypocrisy of the elite?

For those who may not know, each of the high schools constructed by Aregbesola flaunts 72 fully furnished classrooms, six offices for study groups, fully furnished and equipped laboratories for Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Home Economics, Agricultural Science, a fully equipped ICT Room, one fully furnished library, a Facility Manager’s office, a Book shop, a sick bay, a Bursar’s office, fully furnished offices for three Principals, three General Staff offices, a Senior Principal’s office, a Record Store, a Security shed/ Recep on, 18 toilets for young ladies, 18 toilets for young men, borehole for 24-hour water supply, dedicated high/ low voltage electricity transformer, a school auditorium, a total of 1,000 square-meters of floor space hall capable of si ng 1000 students for external exams, Stores for equipment, u li es storage, Storage for Documents, Olympicsized football field, 7 lane sprin ng tracks for 100 meters and 400 meters Pavilion, outdoor basketball court that doubles as

lawn tennis court, a parking arena that can take 75 cars at a me.

Oh! When the Peoples Democra c Party’s hos le machinery was deployed in Osun in 2014 to oust Aregbesola, most of the policies that distorters of facts today would want us to believe angered the people of Osun, had been in place. But even in the face of the most horrendous a acks, in midaons and harassment of his administra on, the people stood defiant in defence of a man they all saw as Messianic.

I recall a popular song on the lips of the Osun people at the me.

T’Aregbes lawa o se/ T’Aregbesola lawa o se/ E ba ko’bon wolu, kee k’aja wole/T’Aregbesola lawa o se (Meaning “We are resolute in support of Aregbesola/ If you like bring guns and dogs/ We are determined to re-elect Aregbesola.”

That refrain, and many more that became popular on the streets of Osun aptly demonstrate the apprecia on for how an administra on had wormed its way into the hearts of the ordinary people who had for long resigned to fate in the face of years of bad governance.

You may accuse Aregbesola of being a dreamer.

But then, history will be kind to those who aspired or believed they could create el-Doraldo even in the face of lack. Some people came to the state and simply realised with no funds, the only alterna ve was to be cosme c and move on.

A Yoruba saying “Eni to sebe ate, eni ki Ogun pa, Ki le fe se fun eni o sebe rara”, meaning “When you ask the god of iron to strike dead he who prepared a tasteless stew, what do you do to who did not even make a empt to cook anything?”

Do not be carried away by the orchestrated campaigns against Aregbesola over his policies in Osun.

What is now strident are the cries of the focal minority of elites who did not feel that Aregbesola pandered to their eli st tastes and preferences.

The former governor pandered towards the needs of the silent majority to the anger of those who were perpetually in search of domina on of the hapless common man. It is the reason you see that in Osun ll date, his credibility on the streets remains unques onable.

Columnists crave for good governance via their wri ngs. But it would ap•Continued on Page 6

FRIDAY, MARCH 11 - THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

6

News

Again, Cultists Strike In Ilesa, Kill One, Shoot Other Ismaeel Uthman

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ILLINGS and other violent ac vi es of cul sts have connued unabated in Ilesa, leading to the death of no fewer than 15 people between January and yesterday, March 10, 2022.

Inves ga ons by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that in spite of the intervenon of security operaves and public outcry by residents of Ilesa, cul sts have not ceased from terrorising the town.

The medium gathered that while some members of the public believed that the violent clashes between cult groups in Ilesa had been laid to rest, the cul sts have con nued to kill one another.

But the killings are not reported as the previous ones.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the cul sts struck again on Wednesday and killed one person known as Omoga at roundabout in Ilesa.

According to some residents of Ilesa, Omoga was hacked to death around 9pm by some

cul sts who waylaid him at roundabout.

Omoga, it was gathered, was a ‘hard guy’

who was known by many people in Ilesa.

However, none of the residents could confirm

if Omoga was a cul st or not.

One of the residents who spoke with OSUN

Osun 2022: ADP Elects Atanda As Guber Candidate Sodiq Yusuf

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HE Ac on Democra c Party (ADP) in the State of Osun, yesterday, elected Barr. Kehinde Atanda as its candidate to contest the July 16, 2022 governorship elec on in the state.

Atanda emerged the ADP’s flagbearer in the primary of the party held at its Secretariat, Biket juncon, Osogbo.

All the accredited members of the party at the primary voted for Atanda who hails from Iwo, while Mr. Muritala Adegboyega was elected as the deputy governorship candidate of the party.

The primary was conducted by Barr. Nasiru Adewale, Lagos ADP Chairman, on behalf of ADP Na onal Working Commi ee.

•Lagos State ADP Chairman, Barr. Basiru Adewale, addressing members of the party during the congress. Sitting beside him is Hon. Toye Akinola, Osun ADP Chairman.

DEFENDER said: “Omoga was a ‘street guy’. Everybody knows him to be a hard guy, but I can’t say he was a cul st. This is because when the clashes between Afe and Eiye cult groups started, all the cul sts le Ilesa for safety.

But Omoga was around, he did not go anywhere.

I was surprised when I was told he was killed on Wednesday.”

The medium also gathered that another person was shot by suspected cul sts yesterday around 8am at Oke-Ola in Ilesa.

According to sources, the vic m was shot on the head and hand by some young men who rode on motorcycle.

It was gathered that the wife of the vic m rushed him to an undisclosed hospital.

When contacted, the Police Public Rela ons Officer, Osun Command, Mrs Yemisi Opalola, was not available for comment.

Feature

The Death Of Truth •Continued from Page 5 pear they are confused if they fail to recognise the manifesta ons of their clamour when placed before them.

It would be tragic for humanity if chroniclers of history fail to cri cally do a postmortem of the Aregbesola years in Osun and see through the genuine eleva on of the state that took place.

Just last week, a member of the House of Representa ves from Osun, Babatunde Ayeni, was on the floor crying over the endless spilling of blood that is the order of the day in Ijesaland in the last couple of months. Ayeni called on the House to compel the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali, to deploy a special con ngent of his men to quell the killings in Ilesa and its environs.

The above is instrucve. Our columnists have not asked why Osun, once categorised the most peaceful state in Nigeria, suddenly joined the league of the Nigerian killing fields. And the people are helpless! But it is not just cul sm that is killing the people of Osun. Armed robbers stroll in and out of the state at will in a state that was once considered impregnable to crime.

If our writers are willing to ask why, we should be ready to tell them to demand what has happened to the about 25 sophis cated Armoured Personnel Carriers of the Aregbesola era which warned hoodlums Osun could not be a haven for them.

So, Ayeni directed his request to a wrong quarter.

The House of Representaves member, indeed, need to go back home to

“It would be tragic for humanity if chroniclers of history fail to critically do a postmortem of the Aregbesola years in Osun and see through the genuine elevation of the state that took place”

request from his Governor what has happened to the security architecture of the Aregbesola years.

That is where the solu on lies against the incessant killings in Osun.

I watched a video of a fatal accident around the Ikire axis of the Ife-Ibadan Road few weeks ago. A bus filled with passengers coming from one of the Northern states had summersaulted, killing about eight instantly. About 10 were badly injured in need of emergency services. One instruc ve voice at the background of that video was a villager lamen ng nostalgia about what would have been the quick response of the Osun State Ambulance Services, had this happened under the Aregbesola years. Of course, many of the wounded who could have been saved, had help come in me, also died.

Developmental journalists should be concerned and demand from the current administra on why has it failed to maintain the exis ng ambulances even if it could not improve by adding to the fleet.

Under the last administra on, you could not travel 20kms in Osun with-

•Opon imo out sigh ng a sta oned ambulance wai ng for the next emergency call.

If all that is to wri ng is not editorial sabre-ratling, conscien ous writers have resources such as the Bureau of Sta s cs to scoop facts from. Such resources afford writers basic scien fic analysis that strip postula ons of all emo ons and leave them with bare facts.

For instance, she would have found those vital indices of the Aregbesola years that confirm that instead of her false conclusions that the policies, put together created mess, indeed held Osun out proudly among the comity of states.

Empirical figures showed that while Aregbesola inherited an unemployment

rate of 17.2% when assuming office in 2010, he handed over to his successor in 2018 an unemployment rate of 5.3%.

On ease-of-doing-business ranking, Osun was number 23 in 2010 but dropped to 19 by 2018.

While poverty rate in Osun was 37.5% in 2010, it had dropped dras cally to 10.9% by 2018.

The sta s cs did not just drop. Those figures represent the actual impact of a combina on of ideas cu ng across social protecon concepts, energizing the economy to be ac ve rather than being dormant and civil engagements that made the ci zenry to be part of the process.

Anyone who wants to

genuinely help the people of that state must first avail himself of facts from such repositories, lest they serve their readers some poisonous contents.

Falsehood is poison by another name. Those who consume it are energised to make absolutely wrong assump ons; jump into wrong conclusions and indeed take terrible ac ons. And where does that leave the society, which innocently draws the inspira ons for its ac ons on the postula ons of perceived opinion shapers?

Abosede Busayo Oluwaseun (Safety), the State Youth Leader of the Salinsile-led All Progressive Congress in Osun, can be reached on seunsafety@ gmail.com

FRIDAY, MARCH 11 - THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022

7

Sport

Osun United Players Face Hardship, Team Bus Develops Faults Kazeem Badmus

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LAYERS of Osun United, the football team of the State of Osun, are currently facing difficulty to travel outside the state for matches.

The only vehicle available to the team is faulty and yet to be repaired, inves ga on has revealed.

According to some supporters of Osun United, the team now hires commercial bus to convey them whenever they have matches outside the state.

Osun United which is 3rd on the group B1 table of the Nigeria Na onal League (NNL), has been managing the coaster bus which was procured in the first term of former governor Rauf Aregbesola.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the team has also been using the bus meant for Osun Babes whenever it is available.

The supporters of the club disclosed to the medium that the players recently spent three days on the

•Players Spent 72 Hours From Abuja To Osogbo

•Osun United FC. way to Osogbo from Abuja as the bus developed fault on two different occasions.

One of the players of the team said: “The bus we are using is the only one le out of the buses given to us

during the last administraon and the bus is even old and not up to the task anymore. We just keep managing it.

“Let me tell you one bitter experience. We were

coming from Abuja a er our match recently. We le Abuja early morning on Monday, hoping to get back to Osogbo by evening but unfortunately, we got back on Thursday.

Paucity Of Fund, Litigation Forced PDP Elders...

Continued on page 2 the working commi ee of the party. He is not one of the party leaders in Abuja that will determine whoever will emerge as the flagbearer of the party.

Yes, he is the leader of the party in South-West and what he wants is for PDP to take power in Osun. He cannot be dividing the party that he wishes to take over power in the state. He is forever for peace and the unity of the party.”

Another member of the PDP in Osun a ributed the parallel governorship primary to li ga on on the legality of the delegates used for the governorship primary elec on.

It would be recalled that a

state High Court had last week Thursday recognized the ward excos produced by the Adagunodo fac on of the party as those eligible to par cipate in the governorship primary.

The judgement of Jus ce A. Aderibigbe of the High Court in Ijebu-Jesa reads in part: “An order of mandatory interim injunc on of this court is gran ng, recognising the ward execu ve officers elected on the 25th of September, 2021 in the following wards listed as (a) – (y) on this applica on as the only authen c and/or authorised elected ward execu ve officers permi ed to vote delegates at the party’s governorship primary scheduled to take place on the 8th of March, 2022, the

state congress, state assembly primary, Na onal Assembly primary and presiden al primary respec vely in full compliance with the judgment of the court delivered on the 22nd of November, 2021 affirming all ac ons taken by Hon. Olasoji Adagunodo as the Chairman of the Peoples Democra c Party, Osun State chapter which include the conduct of the ward execu ve congress on the 25th of September, 2021, pending the determina on of the moon on no ce.”

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, the court recognized Chairman of the PDP in the state, Mr. Wale Ojo, described the primary held at stadium as illegal.

•PDP delegates during the governorship primary election held Osogbo township stadium on Tuesday.

Ojo said: “We had a court order that recognizes the congress conducted in September 2021 which was supervised

by Hon. Soji Adagunodo, the present South-West Chairman of the party. There was an ealier High Court judgement delivered

by Jus ce A.A Aderibigbe which validates the same congress supervised by Adagunodo.

“So, the party at the naonal level was running away from court judgements and we don’t want to join others in suppor ng illegality. Because if the party failed to use the delegates recognized by the court, it will amount to illegality and we don’t want to support illegality.

“The primary we held at WOCDIF was in tandem with the ruling of the High Court and in actual compliance with the provision of our cons tu on.”

Ask if the na onal secretariat will accept the candidate produced at the WOCDIF primary, Ojo said: “It is not compulsory for the naonal secretariat to recognize our primary as long as we are on the side of the law. If the na onal secretary does not comply with the ruling of the court, then definitely we know what next to do.

“We will try to first exhaust the internal mechanism of the party and if that fails, we will not have any other choice than to approach the court to compel the party to do what is right”.

Meanwhile, the Na onal Secretariat of the party yesterday issued cer ficate of return to Sen. Ademola Adeleke as the party flagbearer for the July 16 governorship elec on.

“The bus broke down in two states and required mechanical a en on, we

had to get a hotel to sleep in those places.

“The driver had to be pu ng water inside the radiator every 10 minutes.

It was an experience I pray never to have again”.

The supporters of the team appealed to the state government to look into what they described as poor welfare of the team, saying it can impede the performance of the players.

Meanwhile, OSUN DEFENDER gathered that stakeholders in the team recently had a mee ng to discuss how to solve challenges hampering the club.

The mee ng, according to sources, had in attendance, the state Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Mr. Yemi Lawal.

The sources said the commissioner promised the team a new bus and improved welfare.

NTTF To Enlist Osun Table Tennis Tournament As National Competition Kazeem Badmus

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HE Vice President of Nigeria Table Tennis Federa on (NTTF), Dr Tayo Adesoji, has disclosed that the annual Michael and Felicia Memorial Table Tennis tournament in Osun would be enlisted and upgraded as na onal compe on from 2023.

Adesoji disclosed this during the final of the second edion of the compe on held at Otan-Ayegbaju where 250 table tennis players from 17 states competed for trophy and other prizes, including cash.

The compe on was soley sponsored by Chairman, Osun state Table Tennis Associa on, Ayo Alabi, as part of ini aves to encourage youths to develop interest in sports and divert them from engaging in criminal ac vi es.

The week-long event attracted sport lovers from different parts of the country.

Alabi said raw talents in table tennis discovered from the compe on would be nurtured to interna onal level to become successful and useful.

At the end of the final, Omeh Amadi from Ondo State emerged winner, having defeated Solanka Azeez from Delta State.

In the final of the women single, Esther Tosin Oribamise from Delta State defeated Hussain Alimat from Oyo State to emerge the winner.

The winners for trophy received N125,000 each while the second posi on got N100,000.

Also, all the 250 players

received cash prize for their par cipa on in the compe on.

Adesoji said the Otan table tennis tournament would provide opportunity for player to earn points.

He expressed delight over the large turnout of players and spectators for the game.

He said one of the cardinal points of the current NTTF administra on was to encourage grassroots development.

Adesoji said: “Seeing a beau ful compe on like this gladdens my heart. For a compe on to have 250 players from 17 states and being solely sponsored by an individual, I promised to ensure that the comple on is listed on the programme of the Nigeria Table Tennis Federa on (NTTF) in 2023.

“The apparatus that makes a compe on complete for NTTF would also be made available here so that this compe on would be of standard that is expected of interna onal table tennis compe on.

“As an individual, I am going to donate another table tennis board to Osun State Table Tennis Associaon.

CHANGE OF NAME AFOLABI ADE TIMOTHY That I was formerly known and addressed as AFOLABI ADEWUYI TIMOTHY with former date of birth 27/02/1960 now wish to be known and addressed as AFOLABI ADE TIMOTHY with my correct date of birth 27/03/1961.

All former documents remain valid.

General public should take note.

ISSN : 0794 - 8050

News

FRIDAY, MARCH 11 - THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2022 VOL. 17 NO 10 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com

D

IFFERENT figures had been released at different mes by official and unofficial spokespersons of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola as the loan repayment figures of the State of Osun. At every point in me, a empt has always been made to “sex up” the figure with about 10-to-12 billions naira, represen ng an overstatement of 15 to 25 percent, higher than what it should be. In the most recent jaundiced publica on, the issue was lumped up with the loan amount, which was sexed up to N200bn. While I will quickly submit here that there was no such loan amount anywhere, talk less of it being bequeathed on Oyetola’s administra on, however, the loan repayment will be the focus of the Part I of this write up.

So, what can be the objec ve of the current government of Osun?

The objec ve is to make excuses on why the current government has had to abandon projects and programs that have always endeared Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to the public in Osun, or to divert the atten on of the people from the increase in the Internally Generated Revenues (IGR) of the state and the FAAC alloca ons for the past two years (2020 and 2021) un l the recent flash in the pan drop in the revenues.

The alloca on had increased since 2020 un l January 2022, when fund alloca on from federa on account fell by 18 percent, a shor all occasioned by the increase in petroleum subsidy as benchmark price used to price the main input by global refineries increased. The December FAAC alloca on (distributed in January 2022) has dropped from N700bn to N575bn January 2022 alloca on (distributed in February 2022. The drop represents 18 percent drop in revenue, accruing to all the states. But this drop is not sufficient to reduce the state of Osun’s monthly revenues from an average of N4.1bn to a level at which the inherited monthly loan repayment of N1.5bn would have thrown the net receipt into a negave figure. Let someone in Oyetola’s administra on swear on oath that the gross revenue had dropped to that “level”.

That the same unpopular medium (a newsprint) was used surrep ously by the government of Osun to pollute the air again was not surprising because it was used to spread falsehood, previously on the funding of High Schools, when the use of Sukuk bond is glaringly in the public domain as the funding source of high schools. That junk went ahead to lie that a commercial loan of N16.5bn was used at over 21 per cent per annum interest rate. Compromising (conering) a newspaper by an official of government to spread falsehood is not only morally bankrupt, it

Osun 2022: ADP Elects Atanda As Guber Candidate Page 6

BY WALE BOLORUNDURO Don’t Go That Route Again: An Admonition To Governor Oyetola (Part I) is mortally immoral. Simply, because this bo om of the barrel newspaper would not ask them to support their figures with evidence or conduct inves ga ve journalism on the issue. The paper however, gave them away, sheepishly, this me, by men oning N1.45bn as monthly deduc on a ributable to Aregbesola’s loan (not minding the descrip on). They have probably forgo en that N1.8bn had been fabricated and given to another journalist, who refused to publish it, when they couldn’t substan ate the figure. Even at that the 18 per cent drop in the federaon revenue cannot result into a nega ve receipt of revenues. Fortunately for their clandes ne mo ve, the Federal Ministry of Finance does not publish monthly alloca on of the individual states again.

But we know the total loan deduc on at the incep on of Oyetola administra on was N2.4bn. With comple on of convenonal bond (1st tranche) in July 2019, it fell to N1.8bn and by April 2019, it fell to N1.5bn, a er the comple on of Sukuk bond. I can autograph this figure, any day and anywhere. Data don’t tell lies. Therefore, anything significantly above this must be “other deduc ons” a ributable completely to Oyetola’s administra on and which must be exposed. This is the reason Oyetola should be admonished not to take this route again, which will lead his administra on into another conundrum, similar to the media fiasco generated on its failed and highly tele-guided integrity test of the prejudiced four high schools and the subsequent, self-inflicted charades of “brain tests” of Oyetola’s Olaiya bridge, with due respect to Hon. Kolapo Alimi, the propounder of the brain test in the taxonomy of poli cs of Osun. Going this route again will be a big mistake in an elec on year.

The government of Oyetola in its usual

“I never heard him object to any of the expenditures that came to us for approval then and nobody had the temerity to turn down expenditure requests of the government agencies that were reporting, directly to Oyetola, then.

So, what must have gone “hairy”, now that he is the governor and why can’t he rein-in his men, both official and unofficial media men.”

perfidy has failed to disclose publicly this “other deduc ons”, generated under Oyetola’s current administra on or inherited, which must have resulted into their purported nega ve receipts in February, if there is any? We know that all the states in the federa on have been at loggerheads with Federal Government on various deduc ons such as dues to consultant that processed Paris club refund, restoraon of deduc ons that Federal Government suspended during the COVID-19 and many others on the nego a on table that had nothing to do with loan repayment deduc ons. The restora on of the suspended deduc ons, totaling about N450m monthly is part of the N1.5bn monthly loan repayment (my own figure), men oned above and has always been factored into the loan repayment analysis here and in any of our explana ons. So, its restora on cannot be the sole reason for Oyetola’s purported nega ve receipt from Federa on Accounts. It will not add up, itera vely, no ma er the permuta on and combina on employed, it will not add up.

If the government has shirked its responsibility of renego a ng its obliga ons and refinancing its por olio, when interest rate fell from 14 percent to 10 percent in the first quarter of 2020, so who is to be blamed? If it has abandoned its responsibility on federal ma ers, why should it be bothering people now, crying hoax and fouling the air. A er all, its audited government accounts for 2020 have shown that the Internally Generated Revenue has increased to N19bn annually as a result of the assets he inherited, when he “applied” for the job to become a Governor. Oyetola has been described as Encyclopedia of Finance, so we don’t need to tell him that his IGR is expected to be the source of its loan repayment and that FAAC alloca on source is used in a short-run according to bone-head finance course module.

Also, pundits have alluded to the fact that the recent episcopal message by the “Papal” of Ijesa North Anglican Communion could have sent apprehension to the incumbent government, who took it as a friendly fire. The non-poli cal message, from our Lord Bishop Oluyamo that there could be a fiscal (revenue) challenge that may affect future salary payment under Oyetola. So, to preempt the issue and to absolve itself of the moral burden it carries as the main part of the previous government, the current government decided to hang the baggage on Aregbesola’s neck, by

HIGHLIGHTS: •What are the renewed attempts and why?

•deduction and the bubble game •The genesis of “other deductions” beckoning for disclosure from Governor Oyetola •Why the mathematics will not add up •Gentle reminders to Governor Oyetola and the Opportunities for Restitution going back to its vomit on the debt bubble game. In its usual, dissembling characteris c of “a whodunit syndrome”, the smear campaign against Ogbeni Aregbesola is resuscitated, pronto!!

It became nausea ng during the last quarter of 2021, when their propagandist published on social media the falsehood on the 33 months loan repayment of the administra on. I had presumed the period to be from November 2018 to July 2021 because accoun ng in government is on cash basis and revenues from federa on accounts are earned in arrears. Unfortunately, the Commissioner for Finance corroborated the figure in his press release on refunds from federal government.

Their figure was so awful and scandalous that I had to write emails to the current Commissioner for Finance, Mr Bola Oyebamiji to check his figure on the unsavory repayment of N67bn 33months (from November 2018 to July 2021). My calcula on then, revealed that the 33-month purported loan repayment figure was “way off ” by more than N10bn. I didn’t get a reply but I believe they got my message that throwing a figure that does not recognize refunds or reversals by the Office of Accountant General of the Federa on is tantamount to running an opaque finance.

So, what could be the basis for this unholy behaviour by an administra on that was berthed by Ogbeni Aregbesola, himself and for a current government that is headed by someone, who was his Chief of Staff for eight years and who was the “Chief Host” of all the state tenders board mee ngs in our first term. I never heard him object to any of the expenditures that came to us for approval then and nobody had the temerity to turn down expenditure requests of the government agencies that were repor ng, directly to Oyetola, then. So, what must have gone “hairy”, now that he is the governor and why can’t he rein-in his men, both official and unofficial media men.

In part II, I will be drilling down on the loan repayment figures (the actual and the shamefully fabricated) by breaking them down, item by item and its space permits, I will launch into the total loan amount debacle and the expository on the total loan conjecture.

•Wale Bolorunduro, PhD, Former Commissioner for Finance, Economic Planning and Budget writes from 6B, Lase Ogunleye Street, off Fadahunsi Avenue, Ilesa, State of Osun.

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

All correspondence to the Deputy Editor, ISMAEEL UTHMAN, Telephone: 0805-121-2204, usmanismail001@yahoo.com. ISSN: 0794-8050.

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