Osun Defender Online Version of March 03, 2023

2 News World Bank, Air Force Conclude Plans To Establish $5bn Aviation City In Osun

Yusuf Oketola

THE Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Oladayo Amao, has said that the World Bank, the Nigerian Air Force and the Messrs Shorefac Limited have concluded plans to establish an avia on city in Osogbo, the capital of the State of Osun.

Amao disclosed this on Monday while presen ng a paper at the Na onal Defence College (NDC) in Abuja, no ng that the project was part of ini a ves to effec vely harness competencies and enhance capacity building in research and development of the Nigerian Air Force.

Speaking on the lecture themed: “Air Power and Na onal Security: Counter-terrorism and Counter-insurgency Opera ons in Perspec ve”, the Air Force Chief said

NAF, in partnership with the World Bank and Messrs Shorefac Limited, has finalised discussions

2023 Presidential Election Results A Manifestation Of Democracy - Adeleke

THE Governor of the State of Osun, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, has described the outcome of last Saturday’s presiden al elec on as a manifesta on of what democracy is all about.

Adeleke stated this yesterday while addressing stakeholders and leaders of the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) at his residence in Ede.

The Governor while comparing democracy to spor ng games stated that ‘you win some and at the same me lose some, but the spirit of sportsmanship must be kept alive’.

He admonished the people of Osun to maintain peace ahead of the March 11 State House of As-

sembly elec on.

Adeleke stated: “The outcome of last Saturday’s elec on is a manifesta on of what democracy is all about. Democracy is like a spor ng game, you win some, you lose some. But we must at all mes, keep alive the spirit of sportsmanship.

“Our good people of Osun and Nigeria have voted. They have made their choices, leaders have emerged. We all now have a duty to sit down and serve the best interest of the vo ng public. This is no me for regret, recrimina ons, or blame game. We must sit-up and get to work as elected representa ves of our people and as responsible members of the poli cal class.

“ As a winner or a loser, what democracy demands of you is commitment to the rule of the game. So, in the countdown to March 11, I call on Osun people to again get their PVC ready, mobilise and exercise their civic responsibility. Let us avoid violence. Let us maintain peace. Our dear state is marked for good governance.”

an avia on city worth about $5.5 bn in Osogbo.

Amao said on compleon, the project would include aircra manufacturing plant, a maintenance repair organisa on and unmanned aerial vehicle produc on centre, amongst others.

He said some local and foreign organisaons had also shown willingness to partner

with the Nigerian Air Force to undertake some construc on works and establish plants at the avia on city.

“In the area of technological development, the Nigerian Air Force aims to improve aerospace technology to meet both defence and commercial needs and achieve reasonable selfreliance in essen al capabili es to leverage air

power.

“It is my belief that the Air Force Ins tute of Technology (AFIT), Kaduna and the Air Force Research and Development Centre, Osogbo are the most strategic steps in placing the Nigerian Air Force on course to address the technological challenges of the future.

“As part of ini a ves to effec vely harness competencies and en-

hance capacity building in research and development, the Nigerian Air Force, in partnership with the World Bank and Messrs Shorefac Limited, has finalised discussions to establish an avia on city in Osogbo worth about $5.5 billion.

“On comple on, the project would include aircra manufacturing plant, a maintenance repair organisa on and unmanned aerial vehicle produc on centre amongst others”, he stated.

Amao noted that the planned avia on city was a rac ng the interest of foreign and local organisa ons.

He said: “It is encouraging to men on that some local and foreign organisa ons have shown willingness to partner with the Nigerian Air Force to undertake some construc on works and establish plants at the avia on city.

“These would, in the nearest future, enhance internal technological development and reduce dependence on aircra spares as well as other foreign defence products and services.”

Free Nigerians From Unbearable Hardship, Ooni Tells Tinubu

Sodiq Yusuf

THE Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has charged the Presidentelect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to cons tute his transi on team that will provide economic recovery blueprint to free Nigerians from hardship and economic quagmire.

Oba Ogunwusi, in his congratulatory message to Tinubu as the winner of the last Saturday presiden al elec on, described the former Lagos State governor as a man of des ny, game changer and progressive workaholic.

The congratulatory message signed by the Ooni’s Palace Director of Media and Public Affairs, Otunba Moses Olafare, reads in part. “Your Excellency, I congratulate you and your amiable wife on behalf of the Oduduwa race worldwide as you have victoriously emerged as the President-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“You are indeed a man of des ny, you

are a game changer and you are a progressive workaholic who has worked assiduously with right strategy and tac cs jus fying the merit of your recorded victory.

“As a pragma c leader and manager of resources with adequate proven capacity to lead this country to an enviable posi on within the global commi ee of na-

ons, please don’t disappoint Nigerians and the African people.

“As a tested and trusted cerebral team leader that you are, you must in a couple days present your transi on team of cerebral men and women to give us an economic recovery blueprint, as Nigerians cannot wait to be liberated from the unbearable

economic hardship that has bedeviled the country in the recent mes.

“Nigerians have voted for you because of your promise of a ‘Renewed Hope” and you must swi ly from your first day in office come May 29, 2023 set the ball rolling in a manner that will further assure Nigerians of the ‘Renewed Hope’.”

Cocoa Price Rises In Osun, Falls In Other States As Elections Slow Down Trade

THE price of cocoa products increased this week in the State of Osun but declined in other states of Nigeria.

Cocoa trading was slowed due to uncertainty over last week’s presidenal and parliamentary elec ons in the country, industry officials and traders said on Wednesday.

Cocoa traders in the country said focus has been on elec ons and trading was just ge ng back to normal.

In Osun, graded cocoa-which has been cer fied as

fit for export was trading at N1.8m ($3,905) a metric ton, said Isaac Arayela, Manager at the Cooperave Produce Marke ng Union in Ile-Ife.

Arayela stated that cocoa price stood at NGN1.6m in the state last week.

In Cross River state however, graded cocoa was trading at NGN1.75m compared to between NGN1.76m and NGN1.78m last week, said Sayina Riman, a former president of the Cocoa Associa on of Nigeria.

The chocolate ingredient fetched NGN1.7m in

Edo State compared to N1.75m a week ago, according to Vincent Ohwojakpor, a trader.

A cocoa trader in Ogun State, Nojeem Olomide, said the product was selling at between N1.6m and N1.75m from N1.83m last week.

Mazi Uche, a Chrisan Associa on of Nigeria (CAN) official in Abia State, said cocoa was trading at N1.7m compared to N1.75m on February 8.

Meanwhile, cocoa price remained steady at N1.8m in Ondo state, the country’s largest producer of the product.

•Adeleke

Yusuf Oketola

Yusuf Oketola

•The Head of Service, State of Osun, Mr Ayanleye Aina (with mic), Coordinating Director, Local Government Service Commission, Barr. Lekan Babalola (right), Director, Senior Management Services of the Public Service Office, Mr. Najeem Akintola (left) at a one-day induction/orientation programme for newly converted Environmental Health Officers in government service held at the LGCSC, yesterday to establish

WE congratulate the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on his hard-earned victory in the just concluded presiden al elec on. The process was tortuous, full of twists, turns as well as “tales of the unexpected”. We wish a worthy winner well as he accepts a poisoned chalice and goes about the daun ng task of rallying the republic with vigour around renewed hope.

For many, the tenor of the elec on has turned out to be an an -climax. Such expressions of reserva ons ought not to be contemptuously dismissed or waved off, they should be explored as we move on and deepen our democracy. Discerning observers for example have asked for a revamp of the structure of the Independent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC) as well as perhaps a revisit of the recommenda ons of the Uwais commi ee’s a report on electoral reforms. The Uwais commi ee had arisen as a result of the perceived electoral debacle of the 2007 presiden al elec on. It is to the eternal credit of the late President Umaru Yar’adua that he had the intellectual honesty and the moral circumspec on to try to correct the flaws in the electoral system. Such a ributes are very much needed now.

The structural debilita on of INEC must now be examined and solu ons found to a myriad of problems not least those of logis cs and data. The irony is glaring that logis cs and data propel the modern world. The need for a thorough revamp is therefore urgent.

It is also crucial to look at the causes and effects of the low voter turnout. The elec-

Let Us Face The Future

has commenced. All elec ons are divisive a er which must come a truce, alignments and na onal democra c agreements. Once again, we urge the next Na onal Assembly to pass a law to formally and statutorily guide the transion process. We cannot afford to con nue to lag behind the rest of Africa.

The president-elect faces a daun ng task: far too much of the ‘evil day’ has been postponed. It is clear as daylight that the fiscal buffers do not now exist to postpone anything the dire is cast!

on as a result of the surge in new registra on and the collec on of Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) had been expected to be very high. With so many first- me voters and heightened interest even in the diaspora, such expectaons were valid. Unfortunately, once again, it was promise unfulfilled. Turnout on the country went down to 27%! This is awful. In some countries there are actually minimum turnout limits for the validity of elec ons as amongst other things a weapon against voter suppression. Saturday’s turnout is unacceptable and indicates a disturbing decline in voter parcipa on. It has not always been like this. For example, the pre-independence general elec on of 1959 recorded voter turnout of 75% and the 1963 plebiscite to ra fy the Republican Cons tu on had voter par cipa on of 83%. There is something wrong which has to be addressed.

We also salute the raw courage of the new forces

who have emerged and enthused the electorate in this electoral cycle and urge them to keep up with their endeavour, a democracy is anchored on plurality and an array of choices.

WHAT IS TO BE DONE?

THE president-elect has a full in tray and must act with dispatch. A transion commi ee with sub - commi ees much be cons tuted immediately. The expected diversity in the composi on of the transi on commi ee will by itself send out a message that the process of healing a er a divisive elec on

The incoming president must realign the fiscal framework of a country that is technically insolvent. A na onal consensus must be weaved to amongst other things implement in full the recommenda ons of the report of the Oransaye commi ee on the costs of the machinery of government; mul ple exchange rates must be merged and the fiscally destruc ve subsidies in order to grow revenue. A na onal consensus is interwoven with obtaining a na onal democra c agreement to solve the debilitaons of the aforemen oned problems. And of course, the process of returning to the ethos of a federal structure must begin with “the fierce urgency of now”.

OSUN DEFENDER

Publisher – Moremi Publishing House Ltd.

Deputy Editor – Ismaeel Uthman

Produc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa

Reporter – Yusuf Oketola

Reporter – Kazeem Badmus

Photo Journalist – Olushola Aderinto

Computer Graphics – Zainab Olalere

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

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 poli cian must now claim his place in history by transforming into a statesman. In the condi on we are in there is no alterna ve. We wish him well and pray he succeeds, for as he succeeds we all succeed. Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

“We urge the next National Assem bly to pass a law to formally and stat utorily guide the transition process. We cannot afford to continue to lag behind the rest of Africa”

4 News

Cash Crunch: Offerings, Charity Reduce In Churches, Mosques

•Church Goers Reduce As Beggars Lament Low Patronage

member of Cherubim and Seraphim Movement Church (Ayoni), Ayegbaju area, Osogbo, said she usually pay her offering through transfer to the church’s account.

According to her, “The cash crunch is not too pleasing but in every situa on, one must find an alterna ve way of doing things.

“I don’t stress myself paying my offering with cash again. What I do is to transfer to the church account no ma er how small. I prefer to hold the cash with me since there is an alterna ve.

“Although, I don’t know how well other people are using electronic payment for offering, what I no ced is that the number of people who pay offerings by cash has reduced dras cally in the past few weeks”.

Charity Reduces

Beggars Lament

The ugly trend has also affected the alms people give out to the needies, with beggars lamen ng the dras c reduc on in the amount of money they receive from givers.

Speaking with the medium, a physically challenged beggar at Ayetoro, Osogbo, Muhammad Aliu, said the unavailability of cash was a direct punishment on them, lamen ng that people no longer give them money due to the situa on.

According to Aliu, some of his regular givers now greet and wave at him whenever they pass by, urging the government to inject more cash into the system.

•Continued from front page Church Goers Reduce, Offering Suffers OSUN DEFENDER observed that the lingering cash crisis has been affec ng the religious lives of many residents of the state.

It was noted that the impact of the scarcity of cash is being felt in many churches.

Some church goers who stay far from their churches failed to make it to their various worship centres on Sundays be-

cause of the cash crunch while those who went to church could not keep up with their regular offerings.

The medium observed that most of the churches now pasted their account details on the wall as an alterna ve to cash offerings.

A member of the Redeemed Chris an Church of God, Mount Zion Zonal Headquarters, Baruwa Street, Osogbo, who spoke with the medium on condi on of anonymity, said the lack of cash

affected his weekly offerings.

The member said he no longer goes to church regularly due to the scarcity of cash, disclosing that he was staying at Stadium area.

He said: “The distance from house to church is far and I need to take a bus of N400. The cash crunch has dissuaded me from going to church because some mes, I would not have any money to pay for transport on some Sundays.

“Even when I go

some mes, I would not be able to pay my offering or in some cases, pay below the amount I usually give out before. I am not the only one affected by this.”

When asked if doing a cash transfer to the church will make it easier, the member said not every member of the church knows how to make online payment, adding that the amount to be sent some mes, does not encourage people to do it.

In her own comment, Mrs. Biola Samuel, a

Aregbesola Congratulates Tinubu, Says Victory A Call To Duty

Sodiq Yusuf

THE Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has congratulated President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on his electoral victory, saying it is a call to duty.

In a congratulatory message personally signed by the Minister and made available exclusively to OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, Aregbesola recalled the long and tortuous journey of the Presidentelect in poli cs, stressing that Tinubu deserves every commenda on for the feat.

The former governor of the State of Osun and age-long poli cal mentee of Tinubu said Asiwaju’s triumph will come with a lot of consolida on of the massive infrastructural development and progressive policies of the outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari’s administra on.

Aregbesola said: “I join the leadership of our party, star ng from President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR:

the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, GCON, the Na onal Chairman of our party and other members of the Na onal Execu ve Council (NEC), members of the Presiden al Campaign Council (PCC), other leaders of the party, members na onwide and admirers to congratulate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-elect, and Alhaji Kashim She ma, the Vice President-elect, on their victory at the February 25, 2023 Presiden al elec on.

“It has been a long and

arduous journey, from the Primrose Circle, the Senatorial bid and victory, Jusce Forum/June 12/NADECO struggle, to Sunday Adigun/BATCO gubernatorial struggle and victory, the governorship experience and MANDATE era in Lagos, the resurgence of progressive tendency in Western Nigeria, consolida on of progressive influence in Nigeria and now the Presidency. You deserve every commenda on as we equally give glory to God for His mercy.

“This victory is a call to duty. It is my wish that with this victory comes the consolida on of the eight years of massive infrastructure development and progressive policies of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administra on, deepening of the democra c process, advancement of social democracy, promo on of party discipline and guaranteeing of be er life for all.

“Equally important is the need to ensure that Nigeria meets her historic responsibility to Africans and the Black Race as the leader of both en es.

“I congratulate President Muhammadu Buhari, the leaders and members of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), other par es that par cipated in the elec on and their candidates, for the keen contest and a successful elec on. I pray that God will give you good health and the wisdom needed for a successful tenure in office.”

At Mosques

OSUN DEFENDER also noted that mosques and Islamic organiza ons also bear the brunt of the cash crunch as the usual fissebilillahi (charity) has noceably reduced in some of the mosques.

At the Daa’rul Rahmat Islamic Society prayer ground, Zone XI area, Owode Ede, where the female Muslim faithful pray every Thursday of the week, the regular dona ons by the worshipers have dras cally reduced as observed by the medium.

OSUN DEFENDER was at the prayer ground yesterday and noted that more than half of the congrega on did not have cash to give out as charity during the prayer session.

It was however gathered that most of the congrega on have resorted to sending their charity to the Islamic society account number.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, Alhaja Safurat Gbadamosi, a member of the society, said the cash crunch did not affect the number of people coming in for prayer every week.

She however noted that the cash crunch affected the contribu on of people to charitable projects and programmes.

This is just as almost every mosque in Osogbo was being affected by the scarcity of cash as Muslims were no more giving out money for charity at the end of every compulsory prayer.

When asked how much he made daily before the cash crunch, Aliu said he was making between N2000-N3000 before the scarcity of cash begun. He disclosed that he hardly make N200 now.

He said: “The situaon is affec ng us here. You know people give us whatever they have but now that the cash is scarce, they no longer give us money as usual.

“Before the crisis, I used to make between N2000 - N3000 daily, but since this issue came up, I struggled to get N200 in a day.

“I want to appeal to the government to find a las ng solu on to it. If our helpers get money, I know they will remember us”.

Another beggar who iden fied himself as Yunus, urged the authories to consider the poor and those who feed with the li le they got as alms from the people.

Yunus who spoke in Hausa language noted that some of the beggars have already gone back to their villages due to the cash crunch, pleading with the government to make money available.

“As you can see, we are more than this. Some of us went back to our village while some moved to other areas because we are not ge ng money from our helpers like before.

“The government should consider people like us who rely on whatever we get from our helpers to feed our families. It has not been easy at all”, he lamented.

•Osun APC members celebrating the victory of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the just concluded Presidential Election at freedom park Osogbo.

How Disunity, Imposition, Leadership Failure Aided APC’S Defeat

THERE is a new poli cal order in the State of Osun. The Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) has clinched all the elec ve na onal offices in the state, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) is le without a single na onal assembly seat. This is a reccurrence of the 2011 general elec ons in which Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who was just about five months as the governor of the state, led the Ac on Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to win all the na onal assembly seats, and the presiden al elec on.

OSUN DEFENDER had predicted in its last week edi on that the PDP was posi oned to win two senatorial districts and six House of Representaves seats. The newspaper submi ed that Osun Central Senatorial District and three Federal Cons tuencies would be a ba le ground for both APC and PDP. However, the ba legrounds were all won by the PDP.

The defeat suffered by APC was foreseen and the party had been forewarned. OSUN DEFENDER had in its previous edi on reported that the party was approaching the general elec ons with a divided house. The medium noted that there was no ceable disunity among members of the APC.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that former governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s camp known as IleriOluwa and loyalists of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, did not close ranks in spite of the dissolu on of The Osun Progressives (TOP).

Besides, the medium noted that part of the factors that contributed to the failure of the APC in the general elec ons was a weak campaign planning.

Findings revealed that the APC candidates were le to their fates by the party leadership. Unlike the PDP candidates whose campaigns were led by Governor Ademola Adeleke and other leaders of the party, the APC candidates had no party leader to lead their campaigns. It was noted that Oyetola did not lead campaign for any of the candidates, while other leaders of the party were no ceably passive during the campaign period.

One of the House of Representa ves candidate of the party in Osun West Senatorial District confided in the medium that Oyetola and the party leadership did not support them for the elec on.

The candidate who spoke under condi on of anonymity yesterday said: “I don’t know how to say it but the blunt way to say it is that Osun APC is in disarray. We don’t have a leader at all. We were le to campaign alone. The party did not support financially or morally.

“I need not to tell you that former governor Adegboyega Oyetola didn’t campaign for anybody through the elec oneering period, not even in his own local government. Was that how the party did in 2019? Some of us knew defeat was steering us at the face but we summoned courage.”

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the Presidentelect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had few days to the general elec ons, gave each of the candidates of the APC huge amount of money.

According to sources, Tinubu gave a sum of N10m to each House of Assembly candidate, N20m to House of Representa ves candidates’ and N30m to the senatorial candidates.’

A House of Assembly candidate in Osogbo Federal Cons tuency told the medium yesterday that all effort to appeal to Oyetola to augment the cash gi from Tinubu proved abor ve.

He said: “Both the party and former governor Oyetola did not give us anything. Tinubu gave us N10m and we went to former governor Oyetola to inform him and ask for the party and his own support. He told us point blank that he could not give us anything; that he was instrumental to the money given to us by Tinubu. In spite of the cash crunch, if we had enough money before elec on, it would not have ended up like that. We hope to change the situa on this coming House of Assembly elec on.”

OSUN DEFENDER also noted that the manipulaon of the primaries of the party which produced

the candidates of the party for the general elec ons also cumulated to the APC’s loss in the last Saturday’s elec on.

Members of the party who spoke with the medium across the state were unanimous on their submission that imposi on of candidates was the bane of the party’s defeat in the elec on.

Mr. Lekan Afolabi of Ward 5, Iwo, told the medium that APC leadership had imposed unpopular candidates on members of the party for the general elec on, saying that resulted into apathy and protest votes.

Afolabi said: “We knew it would result to this failure when the party leaders were imposing candidates everywhere. People kept silence since then and decided to show the pepper on elec on day.

“For instance, the senatorial candidate in Osun West is not popular but the power that be imposed it on us; that is the situa on in other zones of the state. How do you want a candidate who is not popular among his own people to win an elec on?

“Unfortunately, we do not have vibrant party leaders who could drive campaign. Your candidate is not popular and your party is also weak, how will you win an elec on? That is the situa on currently in Osun APC, and the former governor put us in this mess.”

Another member of the APC in Ila, Mrs Abosede Adegoke, said the party was out to fail in the elecon right from the beginning.

Adegoke said: “You don’t need any soothsayer to tell you since last year that the APC will fail woefully in the general elec ons. But the leaders and selfish people have been deceiving themselves and misrepresen ng facts. The poli cs of division and imposi on of candidates led us to this.

“I know so many members of the APC who voted against the party’s candidate in the last Saturday elec on as a protest against imposi on. The party should learn lesson from this. Let us allow internal democracy to thrive; imposing unpopular candidates will con nue to lead us to defeat.

“How do you appeal to somebody who cheated clearly during the kangaroo primary last year to work for your favourite now? Go and check every local government, members of the party are the one working against our candidates because they are imposed on them.

OSUN DEFENDER also noted that majority of the electorate in the state voted for all the PDP candidates to prove that Governor Ademola Adeleke actually won the July 16, 2022 governorship elec on.

However, the Director of Media of the APC, Chief Kola Olabisi, a ributed the electoral defeat of the party to violence allegedly unleashed on members

of the party by the PDP.

According to Olabisi, the APC would have had a be er show in the elec on if there was a level playing ground.

He said: “We all saw what happened in the naonal assembly elec on; there was no a level playing ground at all. If there was a level playing ground, APC would have recorded such result. You know how members of the APC were killed in Ijesaland, Ila and other parts of the state.

“We have cases where some of these PDP thugs were chasing away electorate with dangerous weapons. There were instances where thugs declared that anybody that wanted to vote for APC should leave the vo ng centre”

The coming House of Assembly elec on might also go same way of the last na onal assembly elecon except for about three cons tuencies.

The medium noted that anger was s ll raging among the APC members, par cularly followers of aspirants who were denied cket by the party.

According to sources, members of the party were poised to work against the emergence of some of the House of Assembly candidates to show that they are not popular within the party.

But Olabisi appealed to members of the APC to put aside their grievances and work for the victory of the party in the coming House of Assembly elecon.

Olabisi said: “It is be er to fight inside the house rather than outside the fence. We all need to put out differences behind and work for the progress of the party so that we can enjoy the dividends of democracy together. In the spirit of party loyalty, I want to appeal to our people to work for the victory of the party.

“In every contest, only one person will emerge, once someone is pronounced the winner, I don’t see any reason why somebody who called himself or herself a complete party man to work against the interest of the party. There is internal mechanism to se le all grievances with the party and there is court of law too. Working against the party is not the best.

“To say that you are not vo ng or working for your party because your aspirant was not considered or given the cket is absurd. These people who are complaining, will they be happy if they were the candidate of the party and another set of people inside same party were working against them?

“My appeal to every member of the APC is to close their ranks and work together for the victory of the party.”

•Tajudeen Lawal, Ag. Chairman, Osun APC •Oyetola.

Ismaeel Uthman

Okada Riders, Petty Traders Now Receive Transfer For Payment 6 News

Ismaeel Uthman

SEQUEL to the lingering scarcity of cash, commercial motorcyclists known as okada riders and pe y trades in the State of Osun have resolved to accep ng transfer as mode of payment for fare and sales.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that pe y traders have been procuring Point of Sales (POS) machines to aide the electronic payment for their customers.

This is just as both the pe y traders and commercial motorcyclists have opted for the virtual micro finance banks with which they receive transfer payment from the customers and passengers.

While majority of the POS operators have shutdown their shops due to lack of cash, findings revealed that the collecon of the POS machines is increasing among the pe y traders.

A foodstuff seller in Owode-Ede, Mrs Sherifat Abimbola, said she opted for the POS machine to increase her sales, saying majority of her customers offered to make transfer payment a er buying goods from her.

According to Abimbola, her sales had dropped since the cash crunch began, explaining that she had refused to accept electronic payment because of the fraud and stress associated

with it.

Abimbola said she later went to procure a POS machine to aide the electronic payment for her customer and prevent fraudulent transac on.

She said: “When this cash crunch started, the sales was down and the market was dull generally. I was not accep ng transfer for payment from my customers because I was afraid of being scammed and the stress of confirming the payment. That affected my sales for like three weeks.

“When I discovered that I was losing customers and I was not making sales again, I went to collect POS machine. With that, my customers will use their ATM to make payment and it will be confirmed immediately. That has increased my sales.”

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday, a fish seller at Oja-Oba market in Ikirun, Mrs Bisola Aderibigbe, said she resolved to opening an account with one of the virtual microfinance banks to receive transfer payment from her customers.

She said: “Since everybody is making transfer payment, I was told this online microfinance banks do not charge like the normal commercial banks. So, I opened an account with one of them and I have been receiving payment from

it since.

“I was afraid of receiving transfer into my normal account because of the crazy charges on every transac on. But the virtual account is far be er than the commercial banks for us the pe y traders. We are now adap ng to the cashless policy.”

Some of the commercial

motorcyclists who spoke with the medium said they had no choice than to accept the reality of the cash policy and ensure that it does not cripple their opera ons.

One of the commercial motorcyclists, John Agboola, a graduate of Business Administra on, said he was fast to accept the reality which ne-

cessitated him to be accep ng transfer for the payment of transport fare from his passengers when his colleagues were lamen ng at the early stage.

Agboola said: “I knew this cash crunch will linger for long; and everybody know there is no cash in circula on. I am one of the few commercial motorcyclists, if not the first person,

to start accep ng transfer payment from our passengers.

“I will be the one to tell them that I accept transfer, though I will add like N50 or above to the fare as charge, and that really boosted my opera on. Many of my colleagues are accep ng transfer too for payment now. I am happy we are moving with the de.”

UNIOSUN VC Emerges President Of African-German Board

Yusuf Oketola

THE African-German Network of Excellence in Science (AGNES) has elected the Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, Prof. Clement Adebooye, as the President of the network.

Adebooye was elected to lead the network from 2023 to 2025 in an elecon that was conducted as part of its annual meeting on Wednesday. With Adebooye’s emergence, the Secretariat of the network will move from Benin Republic to Nigeria for the first me since its establishment in 2011 and it will be situated at Osun State University, Osogbo.

AGNES is a networking organisa on established

Sanitation Team Inspects Smelly Water At Ogo Oluwa After Osun Defender’s Report

Kazeem Badmus

Ateam of inspectors from Water and Environmental Sanita on, Osogbo West Local Council Development Area, Oke Arungbo, Osogbo, on Wednesday, inspected the foamy smelly water in front of the Redeemed Chris an Church of God, Province 1, Ogo Oluwa area, Osogbo, State of Osun.

OSUN DEFENDER had in its last edi on reported that residents of the area had alerted the State Government and the Ministry of Environment on the danger posed by the s nking water.

The residents noted that the contaminated water has been polluting the air and threatening their healthy living.

However, the sanitaon team, a er assessing the environment, said the smelly water was a result of a barrier created to block its free-flow.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, the Director, Water and Environmental Sanita on of

the LCDA, Mrs Monsurat Kolapo, said no ce has been passed on to the people involved to get the barrier broken and allow free passage of the water.

She said: “ We came here to inspect what was going on, and we discovered that the covert was done by the government with an exit for the free flow of

by the German Government Alexander von Humboldt Founda on (AvH), with the support of the Government of Germany in 2011.

The network is designed to award grants and fellowship to support highly qualified young scholars (Doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers) from SubSaharan Africa through four grant programmes: AGNES Intra-Africa Mobility Grants, AGNESPAWS Intra-Africa Mobility Grants for women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathema cs), AGNES Junior Research Grants, and AGNES-PAWS Junior Research Grants for women in STEM.

The new Presidentelect holds the dis nguished fellowship of interna onal organisaons including, Fellow, Alexander von Humboldt Founda on; Fellow, Ger-

man Academic Exchange Service (DAAD); Fellow, United Na ons University (UNU) and Fellow, Obafemi Awolowo Order of Sustainable Educa on.

Speaking a er his elecon, Adebooye pledged his dedica on to the vi-

sion and objec ves of the Humboldt Founda on and AGNES.

He reiterated his allegiance to the Alexander Von Humboldt Foundaon and reassured the organisa on of the security of funds as well as transparency in every decision and ac vity of his administra on.

The UNIOSUN VC further vowed to ensure that scholars and researchers in the Humani es, Law and Social Sciences are represented more in future grants from the organisa on.

He stated further; “I was nominated for this posi on, and having accepted the nomina on, I am happy to have been elected. I promise to uphold the tenets on which the organisa on was inaugurated in 2011, and I definitely would not disappoint you all.”

Other members of the new AGNES leadership include: Professor Alexandra Muellner-Riehl from Germany, who was elected Vice President; and Dr. Romaric Vihotogbe from the Republic of Benin, who was unopposed for the posi on of Secretary.

water but that exit has been blocked by some people.

“We have instructed the occupants of the two buildings to break the barrier and

a er that, we will find a permanent solu on to it by installing rings for water to pass freely without affec ng the walls of the two buildings.”

The AGNES outgoing President, Professor Dr. Romain Lucas Glele Kakai, admonished the President-elect to maintain and further proliferate the good name of the organisa on, and congratulated him as well as other newly elected leaders on their victories.

•Environmental health officers inspecting the smelly water

•Adebooye

Nigeria, 31 Others For FIBA Basketball World Cup

THE 32-team field for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 has been confirmed, following the conclusion of the Qualifiers on Monday, with the final ckets claimed in the February 2023 window.

With 17 of the 32 spots in the 19th edion of FIBA’s flagship men’s basketball event formalised before the last two game days, Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Jordan, Mexico, Montenegro, Puerto Rico, Serbia, South Sudan, USA and Venezuela were the last ones to stamp their parcipa on to complete the list.

Americas: Brazil, Canada, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, USA, Venezuela

Asia: Australia, China, Iran, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, New Zealand, Philippines

Europe: France, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain

Scheduled to take place from August 25 to September 10, 2023, the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 will feature nine countries who did not take part in the previous edi on in 2019. It will be the first World Cup par cipa on for Cape

Verde, Georgia, Latvia and South Sudan. Egypt, Finland, Lebanon, Mexico and Slovenia are back on the biggest stage of interna onal basketball.

The next step for the 32 qualified teams will be finding out what groups they will play in and who they will face as they do ba le to be crowned world champions. These answers will come on Saturday, April 29, when the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Draw takes place in Araneta Coliseum, Manila,

one of the compe on’s host venues in the Philippines.

The 28 teams that played in the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifiers but did not qualify for the World Cup, and the addi onal 12 teams among the highest-ranked teams from the teams that did not qualify for the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifiers will compete in the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments.

Osimhen Wants To Score More Goals, Win Trophies For Napoli

atop the Serie A rankings, 18 points clear of Inter Milan in second.

The Gli Azzurri defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 at home, and a er being sent packing by Cremonese, the league’s bo om team, they are now one step away from the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals.

Osimhen has stated his aim to win both the

THE Nigerian forward, Victor Osimhen, has indicated that he intends to win every trophy s ll up for grabs this season.

The Parthenopeans have had a standout campaign so far this year, and they now sit

Champions League, in addi on to his primary goal of helping his team win the Scude o.

The 24-year-old, while speaking in an interview with Corriere della Sera, revealed that the team has a long way to go, but he wants to win every trophy.

“March has only begun, so there is s ll me. But I do want everything, and so do we.

For this accomplishment, we give our lives. We are giving everything up to get it, thus we deserve it. We are nearly there, but if we get sidetracked now, woe be de us.” he said, as cited by Tu o Napoli

Further speaking on the team’s collec ve goals, he revealed that his team are aiming to establish themselves across Europe.

“Our philosophy is always the same, in Italy and in Europe: establish ourselves and win.” Says Osimhen.

Luciano Spalle ’s men will host the Eagles for the reverse fixture at the Diego Maradona stadium on March 15, and a victory for the Italians would send them to the Champions League quarterfinals.

Why Osun Residents Voted Massively For Us - PDP

Osun 2022: Quit Legal Battle, Lawyer Tells Oyetola

Yusuf Oketola

Ahuman rights lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi has asked former governor Adegboyega Oyetola, to stop challenging the July 16, 2022 governorship elecon results that ushered in the administra on of Governor Ademola Adeleke in the state.

Olajengbesi, in a statement on Monday, said with the defeat suffered by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in last Saturday’s Presiden al, House of Representa ves and Senatorial elec ons was an evidence that the people of the state truly rejected the APC during the governorship poll.

According to Olajengbesi, the landslide victory of the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) in the elec on confirmed what it described as undisputable popularity and acceptance of Adeleke in

the state.

He said stated that “the loss of the APC yet again proved that “Oyetola is a featherweight which the good people of Osun rejected outrightly at the July 16, 2022 governorship elec on”.

The statement reads in part: “The commanding, indisputable and overwhelming victory of all PDP Na onal Assembly candidates in the February 25 presiden al elecon in Osun again goes to shows the popularity and widespread acceptance of Governor Ademola Adeleke who led the party to victory in the state.

“Also, the victory of the PDP presiden al candidate, a North-Easterner from Adamawa, in a SouthWest state and a Yorubadominated one at that is testament to Adeleke’s efficient leadership and effec ve grassroots mobilisa on, capability, tenacity as well as the widespread

THE Peoples Democra c Party (PDP), in the State of Osun has explained why the electorate in the state voted massupport, love and coopera on he enjoys from the good people of Osun.

“It is a poli cal blow that former governor Gboyega Oyetola and his co-travellers in the APC couldn’t deliver Osun for the APC senatorial and House of Representa ves candidates and in fact, Tinubu despite that many of them claim the former Lagos State governor is an indigene of Osun.

“How then can an individual who can’t deliver his state for his party’s presiden al candidate claim he won the July 16 2022 governorship elec on? How? What a public display of shame!

“The people of Osun State have spoken again and loud at that! Oyetola should quit figh ng a legal war whereas he has been rejected totally by the people of the state through the ballot. The people want Adeleke and only Adeleke they want.”

sively for the party in last Saturday’s general elec on.

According to the PDP, voters in the state voted en-masse for its presiden al and Naonal Assembly candidates because of the tribunal judgement which sacked Governor Ademola Adeleke.

It would be recalled that the governorship elec on pe on tribunal, led by Jus ce Tershe Kume, declared the immediate past governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, as the winner of the July 16, gubernatorial elec on in the state.

In a statement signed by its Director of Media, Oladele Bamiji, the PDP stated that the tribunal judgment infuriated the people of the state who considered the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a bunch of people who want to steal their collec ve will through the backdoor.

The party said that was the reason while the electorate ensured that the APC did not win any of the elec ve offices in the general elec ons.

PDP secured all the three senatorial and nine House of Representa ves seats in the state during the elecons.

But the APC alleged that the elec ons were held under siege which was responsible for the party’s defeat.

However, PDP debunked the allega on saying that the elecons was conducted under a peaceful atmosphere.

The party added that the elec ons results declared reflected the collec ve will of the Osun people.

“I don’t know whether there is any credence to such a claim that thugs were moving around the state, even with the presence of security everywhere.

“It never happened anywhere. I wouldn’t know where such an allega on is coming from as far as I am concerned. They are just bea ng about the bush.

“In my unit, we were all together with the APC and we didn’t have any issues. Elec ons bring people together. For me, I never heard any report of thuggery

anywhere.

“Nothing of such. The elec on was held under a very peaceful atmosphere and the results declared reflected the collec ve will of the Osun people.

“They are threatening court cases again. That was part of what got people annoyed, especially, a er the governorship elec on where people felt that they were the ones who elected governor Ademola Adeleke.

“The residents see APC as a bunch of people who want to steal their collec ve will through the backdoor. That was what infuriated the electorate in last Saturday’s elecons and that is why they got the bea ng of their life.

“They should not begin to make the mistake of making the court appear as if it is a department in APC. The court is for all Nigerians regardless of class, status, and poli cal affilia on.

“Wherever they want to go, we will meet them there. Anybody condemning what happened on Saturday is just messing around”.

Kazeem Badmus

ISSN 0794 8050

Osun 2022: Quit Legal Battle, Lawyer Tells Oyetola

THE much talked about 2023 General elec ons - the Presiden al and Na onal Assembly – first batch – is done with, remaining governorship and State Assembly elec ons on March 11. Although Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu of All Progressive Congress (APC) was declared winner and President-elect by the Independent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday, March 01, 2023 having polled 8,794,726 (eight million, seven hundred and ninety-four thousand, seven hundred and twenty-six) votes in 12 states. He lost in his adopted and ancestral states – Lagos and Osun – to Labour Party (LP) and Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) respec vely. It is a remarkable note as per his “tradi onal base” as votes from the northern states largely contributed to his victory notwithstanding the fact that Governor Abduallahi Ganduje could not victoriously deliver Kano, Governor Nasir El-Rufai could not deliver Kaduna, President Muhammadu Buhari could not deliver Katsina, Governor Simon Lalong could not deliver Plateau and Aduda could not deliver Abuja for him.

As a ma er of fact, if the PDP aspirants had stepped down for a singular candidate during their primary, the victory would have been the other way round. For instance, the insistence of Alhaji A ku Abubakar to become PDP flagbearer at all cost made Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwakwanso, who were all tradi onal PDP, defected to other platforms – LP and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to contest. Again, five PDP Governors also known as G-5 Governors did not take it easy with the PDP leadership as A ku could not be a presiden al candidate while Iyiocha Ayu remains the Na onal Chairman from same northern region. They threatened to work against A ku unless PDP addressed their grievances and eventually carried out the threat, which also contributed to PDP defeat. If PDP had had a consensus, which may not necessarily be A ku, 6,984,520, 6,101,533 and 1,496,687 of PDP, LP and NNPP votes totalling 14,582,740 in 24 states would have devoured APC 8,794,726 votes in 12 states. However, it was not to be.

In another perspec ve, LP victory in APC tradi onal base, especially Lagos should not be given ethnic coloura on. Yes, Igbos have substan al popula on in Lagos and voted for their own but what is their percentage? Do they outnumber Yorubas and other ethnic na onalies in Lagos? The answer is simply no! The defeat of APC and PDP by LP has to do with residual of #EndSARS pro-

“Daily struggle for better life continues, it is time to rebirth and nurture such a party that will be for the majority poor with cred ible leadership as the existing ruling parties – APC and PDP – ap parently do not have what it takes for transparent internal democracy, idea driven politics and governance, and radical social transformation for prosperity for the majority”

Review Of 2023 General Elections

test combined with illusion in LP seen as a “Third Force” by everyone dissa sfied with the heritage of PDP and APC. Hence, the defeat of APC in its strongholds and poor performance of PDP in its tradi onal domain would have given LP victory but for massive votes for APC from the Northern Nigeria.

In Osun, the last Saturday elec on result was a disaster and fatal blow for APC as the PDP won the presidency, all the three senatorial seats and nine House of Representa ves. Osun APC defeat gradually began when Governor Mai Mala Buni led APC Caretaker Extraordinary Conven on Planning Commi ee (CECPC) threw open the party membership and allowed those who had nothing in common with progressives to join the party. It hastened its defeat when it started aliena ng and a acking the real progressives in the party. The final straw on the camel

back was on July 31, 2021 when it held a shambolic Ward Congress with no proper accredita on and result sheets throughout the 332 wards with pictures of the other two candidates (behind which their supporters ought to queue) largely absent. This crisis was unresolved and snowballed to 19th February, 2022 parallel congress to elect governorship candidate while charade called primaries were held to choose candidates for Senatorial, House of Representa ve and State Assembly posi ons. They were all handpicked by the Governor and the party leadership. Meanwhile, those who bought forms and had prepared for primaries but were sidetracked were not refunded their money nor pacified for injus ce meted to them. The rest is history but the defeat of APC is self inflicted.

I congratulate Asiwaju on his victory but there will not be any honey-

moon. He must hit the ground running as clouds and storms of hunger, anger and frustra ons have gathered and s ll gathering momentum all around Nigeria. What can clear the air is if his government addresses these problems on me. He must address high cost of living, unemployment, affordable but qualita ve educa on and healthcare, scarcity and high cost of petrol, kidnapping, terrorism and insecurity generally, reduc on of poverty index that has increased by 50% under his party watch amongst others.

The mileage covered by Peter Obi’s LP especially in cosmopolitan states like Lagos where consciousness is higher than countryside explains the yearning of the poor people, especially the young, for an alterna ve poli cal platform that can represent their interest.

The import of this is that a new party or a small party with credible leadership and candidates with pro-poor people programmes and policies could turn the table around to defeat the socalled big ruling and main opposi on par es. It may not have the capacity at the na onal level immediately but it could spring surprises at local, states, and regional levels. While daily struggle for be er life con nues, it is me to rebirth and nurture such a party that will be for the majority poor with credible leadership as the exis ng ruling pares – APC and PDP – apparently do not have what it takes for transparent internal democracy, idea-driven poli cs and governance, and radical social transforma on for prosperity for the majority, which are what we require as a people at this par cular period.

NIGERIA

now has a new President in wai ng – Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu –as well as 109 and 306 newly elected or re-elected Senators and House of Representaves members (exemp ng those inconclusive). Come May 29, 2023, the new President will take Oath of Office and assume power while the 10th legisla ve assembly commences soon a er the 9th must have run its full course by 11th June, 2023. While congratula ng the President-elect and incoming assembly members, appeal goes to all losers to be of good democra c conduct and always act within the ambits of the rule of law; same goes to all cizens across the winners/losers divides. Serving the people, if that was the genuine inten on, is not a do-or-die affair, and doesn’t happen only when in power.

Eight years ago, we were similarly here, with a much more unifying, all-embracing and comprehensive victory for “Change” that swept in a Buhari Messiah, our own “Re red General” to the Rescue in the mould of Charles De Gaulle, Winston Churchill, et al, in Asiwaju Tinubu’s words; and why not? Buhari was, unlike defeated Jonathan, a General of the Army, and once upon a me a Commander-In-Chief, so our insecurity challenges would surely soon be a thing of the past! Buhari was once a Petroleum Minister when our refineries were built, and had been CEO of the Petroleum Trust Fund that performed certain wonders with oil money, so our refineries would soon work again and more would be built, and with that, the economic sector would witness unprecedented profitable rebirth and growth, with energy overflow and super exchange rate for the Naira.

Buhari’s Spartan life and integrity itself bellies the death of corrup on, which he would soon kill before it killed us; those standing in the way

The Ultimate Solution

will overfill our prisons. So was the euphoria eight years ago. To God be the glory at least that some of us priviledged to survive are living witnesses to what played out ll date!

Eight years is a long but short me, much else eight years in democra c life. Because we have descended into sorry unitary system with an almighty president whose powers at the centre are next to God while the Governors are demigods in their states, it is possible for a President, visionary or malevolent, to significantly impact the life of the country posi vely or disastrously, which is why the contest to be President is almost do-or-die. However, with due respect to our Nigerian messianic fixaons, capacity and possibility of a truly visionary president, the odds of significant posi ve impact are slim indeed once you get out of messianic mode and look deeply into the big picture; one, the place of Nigeria in the interna onal order; two, the structure of Nigeria, which makes good governance almost impossible.

Have a few ques ons to highlight above two factors. How can a Governor who is Chief Security Officer of a State not have control of the police force in his State? Why must a village woman who desires to bag and sell sachet water to school children in Otuoke have to register at a CAC, Abuja if she ever wants to be recognised as a business venture? Will Japan look on happily, not to men on support us, to develop capacity to make Hondas and Toyota automobiles here (for us and sub regional market), so that its own labour force will become unemployed and its economy go down?

While ways to freedom from foreign suppression exist for every determined na on with great leadership, and Rwanda and Indonesia are just two examples, the first step is the return to a governance and democra c structure that makes produc on of good leaders and ci zens possible and sustainable. A fake FEDERAL system and a people willing to resort to anything for survival but a desire to change the damning structure upon which their en re polity rests will not lead anywhere but to persistent mo on without movement, and possible end in the abyss; in four or eight years, God forbid, we are simply likely to be back to today if we did not return to genuine Federalism, and no Governor or President can be blamed for our woes, except for the fact that he/she did not support and work for restructuring!

When the governorship/State Houses of Assembly elec ons are over by March 11, 2023, may Nigerians begin to get it into their minds that reliance on oil money sharing in a fake federal system (in an en ty that is “a mere geographic expression”) will lead nowhere whosoever the personality in charge is, unless that personality is commi ed to restructuring the country. More importantly, may Nigerians have the courage to organise and struggle for restructuring of the country to a genuine FEDERAL REPUBLIC whosoever be for or against it among the power elites! It is possible in a gradual and rancour free mode within 4-year tenure and is without doubt the ul mate soluon to almost all our crises. Let us pray it will happen under the watch of the victorious man now centrally in charge.

osundefemder@yahoo.com