Osun Defender Online Version of November 12, 2021

FRONT PAGE COMMENT Nothing Contentious About Maintenance!

HE unnecessary diversion about the

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essence of the greatly acclaimed mega schools in the State of Osun is a reflec on of how intellectual dishonesty has become a guiding trajectory of state

policy and a repudia on of the principle of collec ve responsibility upon which modern government rests. This is immoral and deplorable.

There is absolutely nothing extraordinary about safety concerns about public buildings.

It should be rou ne. The schools, including elementary, middle and high schools, represent a worthy and monumental legacy of the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s administra on, of which the present Governor, Adegboyega

Oyetola, who was a leading light in that government, should be proud of.

We recall that President Muhammadu Buhari personally came to commission Osogbo Government High School with funfare, an event that shot Osun into na onal and interna onal glare.

Furthermore, the school projects have been commended by UNESCO and other interna onal bodies and have been rep•Continued on page 3

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021 VOL 16 NO 44

Acting The Script: Step By Step Attempt To Turn Osun Mega Schools To Relics Page 6

Aregbesola, Group Carpets HURIWA Over Biased Petition • Report Sponsored To Discredit Me - Minister Page 2

Public Infrastructure Decay Under Oyetola - Investigation - Page Page 4

•Controversies Over Structural Integrity Test On High Schools •Gov. Wants All Aregbesola’s Projects To Fall Into Ruins

•The condition of a year old COVID-19 Isolation Centre at State Specialist Hospital, Asubiaro, Osogbo, State of Osun.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021

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News

We’ve Registered Over 66,000 Voters In Osun – INEC Kazeem Badmus

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S the State of Osun gears towards next year’s gubernatorial elec on, the Independent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC), has disclosed that it has recorded about 66,239 fresh voters in the state.

The Head of Operaons of INEC in the state, Mr. Tope Ayeleso, made the disclosure on Monday while speaking to newsmen in Osogbo.

According to Ayeleso, the registra on exercise will con nue ll May, 2022 and the Permanent Voter Cards will be given out before the elec on.

He said: “As of today, Monday, we have recorded about 66,239 registered voters here in Osun and we are expec ng the cards before the guberna-

torial elec on.”

Speaking on the newly introduced Bi-Modal Voter Accredita on System (BI-

VAS) machines, Ayeleso said the machine encourages ‘One man, One Vote’, as there is no room for

•Report Sponsored To Discredit Me - Minister

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IGERIA’S Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has described a report by the Human Rights Writers Associa on of Nigeria (HURIWA) that he is deploying opera ves of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to protect his poli cal allies in the State of Osun as a hatchet job.

Aregbesola, a former governor of the state, said the human rights group was paid to discredit him.

This is just as a pressure group in the state, the Osun Concerned Ci zens, has also taken swipe at HURIWA, saying that its report is not only mischievous but also openly shows par sanship and hatred.

Aregbesola said: “It is a pity that such a report is from a Human Rights group. It is a hatchet-job which was paid for to discredit me. I was a Governor in that state for eight years. There is nothing else I would be than being a father figure in that state.

“I have told Nigerians that I will never run for Senator. I did not abuse my office as a Commissioner and Governor for different eight years and currently now that I am Minister that I have a lot to handle.”

The minister stated this yesterday at the State House Press Briefing yesterday whilst answering ques ons from State House correspondents on the achievements so far recorded under his ministry.

Reac ng to the HURIWA report in a statement tled:

enlighten voters on the usage of the machine before the elec on.

Ayeleso explained: “The

•The Deputy Chief Whip, State of Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Abidemi Ogunkanmi, receiving an award of Excellence from the President, Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, Mr. Rafiu Terigbade and his wife, during the International Accounting Day, 2021 held at ANAN House, Owode-Ede, State of Osun, yesterday.

Photo: Olushola Aderinto

Aregbesola, Group Carpets HURIWA Over Biased Petition Ismaeel Uthman

compromise.

He also said the commission will embark on a massive voter educa on to

“RE: Abuse and Misuse of NSCDC Officials for Poli cal Bias in Osun,” the Osun Concerned Ci zens berated the human rights group, no ng that it had negated the true principles expected from human rights crusaders.

The pressure group said the pe on against Aregbesolaias a dis nct show of bias by certain civil society pla orms, populated by “come-and-raid” characters who love their pockets more than objec vity, jus ce and development.

Signed by its Public Relaons Officer, Comrade Hafeez Olakunle, the group stated in the statement mae available yesterday, berated the claims of HURIWA while no ng that the pe on is shallow and bere of concrete evidence to support its sponsored claim.

It reads in part: “For supposedly non-par san pla orm of human rights ac vists and writers, any discerning and intelligent reader can plainly see how hopelessly par san the •Continued on page 5

Ayomide Akano

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HE Deputy Chief Whip, State of Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Abidemi Ogunkanmi, on Wednesday, received an award of excellence from the state chapter of Associa on of Na onal Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN).

Presen ng the award, the President of the associa on in the state, Mr. Rafiu Terigbade, said Ogunkanmi, who represents Ayedire state cons tuency was honoured

Symbol’s Quote

“We have the capacity and are tracking all escapees from our facilities. In addition, we are working with and have shared the details of escapees with INTERPOL, to check the risks of cross border movements”

card reader will take your fingerprint but when any voter comes around to vote and the card reader is rejec ng his or her fingerprint but recognises the voters card, the INEC Ad-hoc official on duty can allow the person to vote but in BIVAS, that is not possible.

“BIVAS will not allow you to vote un l either your face is recognised or your fingerprint is accepted. You cannot compromise with the use of BIVAS. “With Bivas, no incident forms again. It encourages ‘one man one vote’. Nobody can use any other person’s voter card on BIVAS because of the facial recogni on.

“As far as Osun elec on is concerned, I don’t think we are going to have any problem. We are also going to conduct training and massive voter educa on to enable them to know more about the machine”.

Osun Assembly Dep. Chief Whip Bags ANAN Award due to his commitment to the accoun ng profession.

Terigbade commended the lawmaker for staying true to the ethics of the profession in handling ma ers rela ng to the management of public accounts in the State of Osun.

He also praised Ogunkanmi for his support to the associa on, urging him not to relent in

being its worthy ambassador.

Receiving the award, Ogunkanmi thanked the associa on for the honour and promised not to relent on his services to humanity.

The lawmaker urged ANAN to remain firm in keeping to the ethics of the profession and connue its unflinching support for the APC-led government in the state.

Osun Osogbo Shrine Gets $127,000 U.S Grant Folashade Ariyo

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HE U.S. Embassy in Nigeria is to spend $127,000 for the digital documenta on and conserva on of Busanyin Shrine located in the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove.

The grant is expected to support the preservaon of major ancient archaeological sites, historic buildings, monuments and major museum collec ons that are accessible to the public in the grove.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the $127,000 grant was awarded to CyArk, a California-based non-profit organisa on, through the U.S. Ambassador’s Fund for Cultural Preserva on (AFCP).

Speaking at the signing of the project’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday in Lagos, U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, said AFCP was administered by U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educa onal and Cultural Affairs.

She said that the grant supports the present preserva on of major ancient archaeological sites, historic buildings, monuments and major museum collec ons that are accessible to the public and protected by law in their host country.

“Today, we are proud to be launching our 2020 AFCP award to digitally document and conserve the Busanyin shrine located within the Osun Osogbo sacred grove”.

PEOPLE FIRST

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Nothing Contentious About Maintenance!

•Continued from page 1 licated by Borno and Kaduna States.

It cannot be overemphasised that these iconic buildings were bequeathed to the Oyetola administra on in PRISTINE state, all glistening and a remarkable difference from what schools look like anywhere around.

He owns them now and should be held accountable for their state three clear years a er Ogbeni Aregbesola had le office.

It is most regre able that the Oyetola administra on deliberately allowed the schools to fall into disuse by depopula ng them. Ironically, a speaker at a conference organised by the Oyetola administra on a couple of months ago lauded the ambience of the schools and suggested that parts of the space be used to induct young children into elementary STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathema cs).

The governor was present when the presenta on was made.

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T riles me each time I hear some individuals, who held d positions under the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administration, enjoyed all the perks and privileges and pocketed their salaries even when civil servants were receiving modulated salaries, distance themselves from what is perceived as the dark spots of that government. Many of them now compete to deride what they earlier stood for simply because they need to please their new principal. They have no shame in condemning what they had earlier praised to high heaven.

You were part of a government for four or eight years. You sup-

“For clarity’s sake, whatever happens to the schools today falls squarely on Governor Oyetola’s administration. He is responsible for them and should be held accountable for letting them fall into ruins” For clarity’s sake, whatever happens to the schools today falls squarely on Governor Oyetola’s administra on. He is responsible for them and should be held accountable for le ng them fall into ruins. The present sophistry and bare faced lying cannot impact on anyone with half a decent brain, for it is an unfortunate case of derelic on of duty and abandonment of responsibility.

Repudating The Past From The Social Media ported the roll-out of Opon-Imo, Igi Iye, the different brands of O’ projects and mega schools with your full chest. You were hitting your head against the bricks to prove your loyalty. Now, when the failings of some of these projects/programmes are pointed out, you always go to town with the tale that you were a spectator in that government. However, as a spectator, you received

your salaries, allowances and other unknown perks. You didn’t think it was necessary to leave a government whose policies didn’t agree with your conscience.

You have no shame.

Just as you savoured the mudun mudun of the past administration, eat the flesh of the current one too and stop disturbing us with your hypocritical stand grounded in self-preservation. You will still deny your current boss once power changes hands.

•Thompson Taiwo, a broadcast journalist, posted on Facebook on Tuesday, November 9, 2021.

Review & Outlook BY KANMI ADEMILUYI Morality And Collective Responsibility

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ODERN government as it has evolved within the increasing complexity of intricate poli cal economy requires a cohesive core for proper coordina on and effec veness. The mechanism to achieve the vitally needed cohesion is the acceptance of the doctrine of collec ve responsibility.

Originally associated with the parliamentary system of government, it is now accepted as applicable to all forms of government, including the unorthodox and military dictatorships.

There is now no feasible alterna ve to the acceptance of government by the acceptance of collec ve responsibility unless of course one accepts anarchism as a poli cal philosophy. The problem here is that the ideological precept on which anarchism is based has never been tested within the reality of the prac cal applica on of running a government.

The issue of the acceptance of collec ve responsibility is also anchored on morality. It is completely immoral and intellectual dishonest to, having accepted the implica ons of accep ng joint responsibility for a policy, now at a convenient juncture for self - serving purposes, turn round to repudiate the same posi on which had been collec vely agreed upon. Such a posi on is disreputable and connotes an absence of character. No modern government is run without a coalescing core of principles to guide policy.

Examples too numerous to cite exist. For brevity we may look at just a handful. O en cited as an example of honour is the resigna on of United States Federal A orney General, Ellio Richardson, from the cabinet of President Richard Nixon. Richardson felt that as a lawyer, he could not collaborate with President Nixon in obstruc ng Jus ce. Even though the rest of the cabinet was acquiescent in Nixon’s shenanigans, Richardson refused to allow himself to be roped into accep ng collec ve responsibility for viola ons of the cons tu on and tendered his resigna on from the cabinet. This is the path of honour. It is on the contrary dishonorable to cherry pick which aspect of collec ve responsibility to accept and which when it is convenient to repudiate with the ques onable benefit of a dubious hindsight.

The principle of collec ve responsibility was reinforced with the establishment in 1945 of the Nuremberg War Crimes tribunal to bring to

•A graphic illustration of the importance of the principle of collective responsibility in the operation of government from the Republic of India.

book members of the government of Adolf Hitler perceived to have commi ed crimes against humanity. At Nuremberg, members of Hitler’s government who tried to wriggle out were made to understand in unambiguous terms that by not resigning from Hitler’s government they had accepted (collec ve) responsibility for every ac on of that government good or bad. The eminently sensible posi on taking at Nuremberg had been enshrined in thought and ac on since then, not only in government but across all endeavours, morality and commerce including the redefinion of the issue of vicarious liability.

In view of the defini on of the processes of government in the course of evolu on, it is regre able that the present Governor of State of Osun, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola is cherry picking which policy to accept and which to repudiate in a government in which as Chief of Staff for eight years, he was de facto the Chief Opera ng Officer.

Publisher – Moremi Publishing This is immoral and he should House Ltd. stop it. The future is always Deputy Editor – Ismaeel Uthman around the company. Oyetola’s (0805-121-2204) current cabinet will be morally Produc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa bankrupt to start in a few years Reporter – Yusuf Oketola me start distancing themReporter – Kazeem Badmus selves from policies undertakPhoto Journalist – Olushola Aderinto ing today such as for example, Computer Graphics – Zainab Olalere the Olaiya flyover bridge. For OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing a poli cal economy to perform op mally there must be House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), Gbogan Road Osogbo, honour and the acceptance of responsibility. Hindsight is a State of Osun cop out. The dishonour of toISSN : 0794-8050 day appears very convenient, Telephone : 0805-121-2204 unfortunately, it always comes Website : www.osundefender.com/index.php back to hunt. e-mail : osundefender@yahoo.com osundefenderbank@gmail.com •Kanmi Ademiluyi, writes All correspondence to the above email addresses. from Osogbo.

OSUN DEFENDER

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021

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Public Infrastructure Decay Under Oyetola Our Reporter

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ublic infrastructure put in place by the immediate past administra on in the State of Osun are currently suffering negligence under Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s administra on, inves ga ons have revealed.

Specifically, OSUN DEFENDER noted that the infrastructure bequeathed on Oyetola by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s administraon are lacking in maintenance and are falling apart under the current government.

It is observed that there seems to be a deliberate a empt to allow Aregbesola’s legacy projects rot away in the face of the ongoing poli cal onslaught on the Minister of Interior by his successor.

The medium noted that aside Gbongan-Akoda and Osogbo-Ila-Odo roads, other infrastructure le behind by Aregbesola are totally le una ended to in terms of maintenance.

Among the legacy projects of Aregbesola, which are seriously begging for a en on of the current administra on is Nelson Mandela FREEDOM PARK, Osogbo.

The Freedom Park, built

by Aregbesola’s administra on, is an excep onal tourist haven for residents of the capital territory and visitors from far and wide and adjudged to be the most beau ful park in the state.

But the park is now a shadow of it former self as it is no longer func oning.

When OSUN DEFENDER visited the park yesterday, there was no life in the tourist site as everywhere was overgrown with weeds, while some residents had turned some sec ons of the park to a drying site for clothes.

The abandonment of the park has been generating hues and cries on the social media as residents of the state unanimously condemned its ‘disheartening state’.

Also, some of the OMOLUABI SCHOLAR BUSES procured by the Aregbesola’s administra on to be conveying public school students to their various schools across the state have been abandoned and parked at the front of the Ministry of Works and Transport, State Secretariat, Abere.

Some of the buses, it was gathered, developed fault and were not repaired by the government.

It would be recalled that the Osun Civil Socie es Coali on (OCSC) had in May this year asked Governor Oyetola to bring back the

•The bushy Freedom Park.

Omoluabi Scholar buses to be used for commercial transport in Osogbo.

The coali ons said the buses should be put on the roads to cushion the effect of the increment in transport fare by the minibus drivers and to break the monopoly of the private sector operators in the transport industry and end the current culture of impunity.

Another legacy project of the Aregbesola’s administra on that has been facing opera onal difficulty is OSUN AMBULANCE Service.

Residents of the state have been lamen ng the sharp reduc on in the service of the scheme, which used to be a popular and laudable social in-

terven on programme of the state government, a er Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES).

OSUN DEFENDER noted that majority of the Ambulance Sta ons are nearing dilapida on as they have been le unused and maintained.

Inves ga ons also revealed that more than 10 ambulance vehicles have been auc oned.

Also, the medium noted that the FIRE STATION buildings built by the Aregbesola government have been overgrown with weeds.

The buildings which was built in the nine federal cons tuencies in the state have not been put to use as they were without personnel.

Findings revealed that the fire sta ons were constructed in Ede, Ilesa, Ile-Ife, Erin-Osun, Iwo, Ila Orangun, Ikirun, Ikire, Ipetu-Ijesha, Ejigbo and Esa-Oke, but all are in a state of disuse.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the newly constructed fire sta ons in IleIfe, Ede and Ejigbo are the only ones in use, while the remaining eight have been under lock and key since their comple on about three years ago.

Findings by the medium revealed that the SECURITY infrastructure put in place by the Aregbesola’s government has been discon nued by Governor Oyetola.

Some residents of the state have taken to social

media to condemn the ‘worsening security situaon of the state, calling on the governor to revive the security architecture le behind by his predecessor.

During his administraon, Aregbesola purchased and distributed 125 patrol vehicles to security agencies in the state and specifically provided 25 fully equipped Armoured Personnel Carriers to the state Police Command.

Each of the APC was strategically sta oned across the state.

But majority of the patrol vehicles procured have been grounded with no effort to put them back to opera onal use again.

There is also no ceable reduc on in the ac vi es of O’CLEAN, a programme put in place by the immediate past administra on to make sure that every nook and cranny of Osun is clean and dy.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that for about two years, only two or three of the nine refuse parking trucks procured by the government are func oning as h trucks k were some off the parked inside the Government House.

Controversies Over Integrity Test On High Schools

•Abandoned O`Ambulance building at Sekona area.

Educa on infrastructure is not spared in the abandonment trend. Some schools which need maintenance were obviously le una ended to in spite of several calls by the people of the state on the government.

This has led to controversies over the Structural Integrity Test to be con-

ducted on some of the mega schools constructed

by Aregbesola.

According to the Commissioner for Works and Transport, Engr. Remi Omowaiye, some of the mega schools have structural defect and the government needed to be proac ve to forestall the Ikoyi building collapse in Osun.

Omowaiye said physical inspec on of facili es had earlier been conducted in all the 11 mega schools by experts who submi ed that it was impera ve to conduct structural integrity test on four of the schools.

The affected schools are: Ayedaade Grammar School, Ikire; Fakunle High School, Osogbo; Oduduwa College, Ile- Ife and Akinorun Grammar School, Ikirun.

“A Non Destruc ve Test (NDT) was carried out on the four Mega Schools.

However, the result of the NDT carried out necessitated further structural integrity tests in which we are awai ng the result of the test,” he said.

But some residents of the state have described the move of the government as poli cal and an a empt to demolish the mega schools as part of Oyetola’s plan to erase Aregbesola’s legacy projects.

One of the residents, Olarinre Salami said: “What has the governor and his government been looking since he came into power without replacing the damaged area before it degenerated to this level? Where are the Facility Managers employed by Aregbesola to take care of the school buildings?

“What is the government using the maintenance fees that the students are paying for? Why did Oyetola increase the maintenance fee from N3,000 to N6,000 per student per session without using the money for the maintenance of the schools in the first instance?”

Appearing on a private radio sta on, Rave FM’s Frank Talk, in Osogbo, on Wednesday, a former Commissioner for Works and Transport, Engr. Kazeem Salami, said the Oyetola administra on is out again to rubbish Aregbesola’s legacy projects.

According to Salami, nothing called for the structural integrity test on the school buildings, saying all they need is maintenance.

He said the Oyetola administra on wants all Aregbesola’s projects to fall into ruins, no ng that that is why it has not been maintaining them.

•Continued on Page 5

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021

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News

2.7 Million Passports Issued In Two Years - FG Sodiq Yusuf

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HE Federal Government has said that no fewer than 2.7 million passports had been issued in two years.

This is just as it assured Nigerians that the stress associated with the applica on and collec on of passports will soon be a thing of the past.

The Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, stated this yesterday at the State House Press Briefing while answering ques ons from State House correspondents on the achievements so far recorded under his ministry.

Aregbesola said: “It is important to inform you that we have witnessed growing demand for the Nigerian passport both locally and by Nigerians in diaspora. A total of 2,742,207 passports of different categories were issued between 2019 to date.

“The year-on-year increasing growth rate is however pu ng a lot of pressure on the current processing structure and resources and further jusfies the need for a reform in the passport applica on and processing system in line with the current reality,” the Minister stated.

Con nuing, the Minister revealed that the Ministry was aware of the challenges faced

by Nigerians in securing their Passports, but noted that effort is being put in place to make it a thing of the past.

He added: “The Ministry is aware of the challenges faced by applicants for processing and reissue of passports. I want to use this unique opportunity to assure Nigerians that the current experience will soon be a thing of the past.

New produc on and capture centres will be opened in the next few weeks to ease access by Nigerians all over the world.

“I am pleased to inform Nigerians that the Ministry has taken substan al meas-

•Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in a group photograph with the Committee to study the recommendation and implementation strategies on strengthening Internal Secutiry Frame Work and community policing in Abuja ures to address the issue of shortages of the e-passport booklets. This year alone, the ministry approved a special deployment of over 600,000 passport booklets, the largest of its kind ever done, to cushion the effects of shortages being experienced.”

On escaped inmates from the Nigerian Correc onal Service, NCoS, the Aregbesola assured Nigerians that fleeing inmates have nowhere to hide as those s ll on the run cannot fully reintegrate into the society, saying their biometric data have been captured and all other cri cal informa on needed to exist as a full ci zen has been digitally secured.

He said: “I will like to inform Nigerians that we have captured the biometric informa on of all inmates in the facili es of NCoS working in partnership with the Nigerian Iden ty Management Commission (NIMC).

“Therefore, we have the capacity and are tracking all escapees from our facili es. In addi on, we are working with and have shared the details of escapees with INTERPOL, to check the risks of cross border movements.”

Aregbesola debunked insinua ons that the Boko Haram terrorist group has a cell in Lagos state, saying “I get intelligence report on security every

day. The only person that does get higher informa on than my office is the President. There is no such report from anywhere as at this me that the Boko Haram has a cell in Lagos.”

The Minister of Interior said there has not been any incidence of the dreaded Coronavirus pandemic in any of the Nigeria’s Custodial Centres, a feat not common the world over.

Aregbesola hinted that since the surge of COVID-19 in March, 2020, no inmate has been tested posi ve for the virus, which is significant and commendable to the giant strides of the Ministry in fulfilling its mandate.

Yusuf Oketola

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statement is; symptoma c of the compromised state of many civil society organisaons in Nigeria today - HURIWA deserving an award for dirty job and cash-and-carry NGOism.

“But for the fact that it has sank from a reputable height to the depth of naked par sanship that consequently occasion shallow perspec ves, HURIWA should know that the issue of prevalent assault on correc on centres are ma ers arisen from a graver na onal insecurity challenge.

“That the first respondent to protec ng the custodial centres and inmate are the police; that the police and their sta ons themselves have come under overwhelming a acks na onwide, which is why NSCDC and other armed forces as now respondents to an unprecedented assault on na onal ins tu ons, including the NDA, Army Bases, INEC Offices and many more for which the Inspector General of the police, Service Chiefs and INEC Chairman cannot be singled out for recrimina on and per•Continued on page 7

Public Infrastructure Decay Under Oyetola •Continued from Page 4 He said: “Students of the Mega Schools were made to pay N2,000 per term for maintenance which goes directly into each mega school’s ac-

count for repairs. What has happened to those funds?

“On 19th March, 2019, a delega on of the engaged Maintenance Officers of the Mega Schools visited Governor Adeg-

boyega Oyetola to give him maintenance situa on report of the Mega Schools and to suggest, through their reports, solu ons and possible modali es for repairs which were not really

Roof, Ceiling, Window Of Osun Isolation Centre Blown Off, Detached HE roof of a year old COVID-19 Isola on Centre built at the State Specialist Hospital, Asubiaro, Os-

Aregbesola, Group Carpets HURIWA...

•Continued from page 2

ogbo, State of Osun has been blown off.

Also, the ceiling and window of the building have been detached, making the facility to be un dy.

The Isola on centre was built in early 2020 during the ravaging Coronavirus pandemic to curtail the spread of the disease.

OSUN DEFENDER visited the COVID-19 Isola on Centre on Wednesday morning and confirmed the deteriora ng condi on of the building.

According to a worker of the isola on centre who spoke under the condi on of anonymity, the Commissioner for Works and Transporta on, Engr. Remi Omowaiye, had on Tuesday inspected the facility to know the condi on of the place.

According to the worker, Omowaiye recorded all that was needed to be fixed on the building.

The official disclosed to OSUN DEFENDER that the roofing sheet of the isola on

centre has been changed on three different occasions since it was built last year.

In a telephone interview with the medium, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Rafiu Isamotu, said, “If anything got damaged at the Isola on Centre, it is the responsibility of the government to fix it.”

The commissioner added that they have put all necessary measures in place to fix the damaged items at the isola on centre.

However, some security opera ves who were in mu i have been deployed to the isola on centre by the state government yesterday to prevent people from gaining access into the premises of the building, apparently to prevent them from taking pictures.

alarming as at the me of the visit. Oyetola received the reports and forwarded it to the Deputy Chief of Staff, Abdullahi Binuyo to work on.

“In 2020, Governor Oyetola set up a commi ee led by the Deputy Governor to engage all the consultants and firms that constructed the mega schools to interrogate them on the standards of the school. The outcome of the whole mee ng boils down on maintenance and not construc on defects but rather on issues of vandalism and misuse of the modern facili es as proven by the consultants.

“Not long before then, the government through the Ministry of Educa on, disengaged the Facility Managers without a reasonable reason. They were disengaged through a le er given to them in July 2020 but back-dated to March 31, 2020. The government also scrapped the agency, Omoluabi Educa onal Service Limited, specifically set up by Aregbesola’s administra on to look into the general administra-

on of those schools which had Late Dr. Fagbulu as the Chairman.

“It is sad to let you know that those schools were abandoned and not taking care of ever since the disengagement of the Facility Managers which there was/is NO PLAN of either replacing them or providing another serious alterna ve for the maintenance of those schools before it got worse.

“Everyone understands that an abandoned building either new or old is prone to huge defects or deforma on as a result of lack of maintenance and proper care.

“It is however hypocri cal of Governor Oyetola to present a different narra on far from the truth, a er neglec ng various reports on maintenance of those schools as far back as 2019 and then now come up with a le er with inner inten on to ridicule Aregbesola’s legacy by condemning the standard of the structures.”

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021

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Opinion

Acting The Script: Step By Step Attempt To Turn Osun Mega Schools To Relics

•Osogbo Government High School, after commissioning in 2016.

Wale Bolorunduro

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HE eleven (11) High Schools (popularly surnamed Osun Mega Schools) are obviously, the levelers for the poor ci zens of the state to have their children also trained in the beau ful modern environments, which are conducive for learning at almost zero cost to their parents. They are the wards of the state; they must be catered for by the state; that is the ideology behind Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s intervenon in the educa onal sector of Osun. The mega schools are meant for highly populated towns (mostly urban centers) with current or projected high popula on of senior secondary school students. It is also an opportunity to take advantage of economic scale to pull resources (human and teaching materials) to one loca on for effec ve u lisa on and at a cheaper cost per student.

According to Lord Dennis, “Not even the devil knows the intent of a man”. Apparently, there is a clandes ne move to depopulate the schools, to abandon the regular maintenance, to empty the mega schools, to declare them unfit for learning, to convert them to an qui es or poultry farm. It has been wrapped up with all machineries of government. The recently collapsed 21 story building in Ikoyi, Lagos is the smoking gun for their clandes ne media campaign. Honestly, they are not kidding. It is real and it is coming from bellicose minds full of hatred for the historical educa on infrastructure that strategically dots the corridors of the nine most urbanised towns of Osun. Simply, because it was Aregbesola, who conceptualised the schools and who sought the funding via Nigerian maiden Sukuk bond to build the schools.

The mega schools are located in highly populated towns. Data and trends revealed that Osogbo, the state capital, has capacity for 15,000 Senior Secondary Schools students and therefore, required five (5) of these high schools. But for paucity of funds, only three (3) could be completed.

One would have expected the successor of Aregbesola, who became Governor on the mantra of con nuity to build the remaining two (2) mega schools in Osogbo and to advance and realign the educa onal programs for con nuous improvement in the quality and cost of delivery, a er restoring names.

Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu started the sanita on program and waste management scheme in Lagos, it was Babatunde Fashola, who came to improve the systems and the delivery. That is what progressivism is all about. One would have expected Oyetola’s administra on to improve the school bus scheme (Omoluabi Scholar buses provided

by Aregbesola) and to provide the boarding houses for the mega schools. Basically, to aid daily transporta on of students to the mega schools and to provide opportuni es for private sector involvement in providing services at affordable rates for students, who want to live in boarding facili es. The loss of opportuni es by the current Osun government would definitely hurt the state in the near future, irrespec ve of the move to obliterate the records of Aregbesola or to discredit a man, who is not coming back to Osun to run for governorship race again.

While opinions differed on the Change of Names and Uniforms in the educa onal reform of Aregbesola, nobody was against those beau ful and func onal edifices for learning. I had my beef with the change of my school’s name, which was personal, but I didn’t care a hoot about the uniform, while many alumni did. Prof Odekunle of blessed memory, an alumnus of the presgious Ilesa Grammar School, who was present during the commissioning of the new building, eulogised the idea and the administra on of Aregbesola, for giving us such a mini campus but had a reservaon for the loca on, which was personal.

I have never seen any of our alumni, who have rejected the new school building, although we have emo onal a achment to our old empire building also. The old and new students believe the stakeholders (including founders and students) own the mega school building, since they own the land and this is the sense of belonging of the old students of Ilesa Grammar school and other schools, who are willing to support government in the maintenance of the Mega school buildings.

The ques on beckoning for answers are: (1) a er reversing the name, why depopula ng the schools? (2) Why denying many of those kids from a ending these pres gious schools with such huge capaci es (3) what is the funding requirements submi ed as maintenance cost since early 2019 and how much has Oyetola government spent on the buildings that are already more than five (5)

years (which is the me frame s pulated for major maintenance of public u li es) and (4) what is the reason for the delay of funds, required for the maintenance of these mega school buildings, since 2019?

Definitely, the ini al a empt of the current administra on in reversing the name change is a window dressing of the sepulcher of bones. It started with the return of names, to curry the sympathy of the Alumni of the schools and the restora on of uniforms is to beam up the people of Osun and to pick their brains! Like a handshake beyond the elbow, it has gone berserk and now, it is in the open what the real mo ves are. It now sucks and it sucks big me (pardon my French). While the change of name has no effect on the quality of educa on, yanking away those students from these dignified learning environments to the old dilapidated and abandoned buildings of the old schools, without renova ng those old schools is “unthinking”. It is the oppression of the poor ci zens, especially the wards of the State of Osun by the establishment and it is trampling upon their fundamental rights to choose.

I entered Ilesa Grammar school in the late 70s and le in the early 80s. I can’t remember when the students popula on was less than 1,000, which gave many of us the opportuni es to relate, to compete and to learn from other students, who came from other regions of the country, I had Prof Peter Oyelere (nicknamed Bamangar Tukur, who was “repatriated” from the North), Computer Whiz-kid Tunde Fabamigbe, Timothy Ene, Brigadier General Okolie Atanacious and others, who came from the Eastern part of Nigeria. Today, the Ilesa Grammar School Mega school building (for senior secondary school students) has a popula on that is less than 1,000 students despite its capacity for 3,000. This is because of the deliberate a empt to depopulate the mega schools.

I learned there has been earlier suspension of regular maintenance and repair works since November 2018 but thank God, they are mostly electro-mechanical maintenance requirements that would not affect

“. That is the script, Chief Gboyega Oyetola’s administration, who came into power with the mantra of continuity is acting now, though with different motive, but with the congruence of goals. To turn the mega schools to poultry farms”

the structural integrity of the buildings. For buildings that have been in use since 2016 and 2017 at their maximum loading capacity and that of the users, if they have not failed in five (5) years, they will not fail, period!! So the invita on by the Commissioner for Works to the professional bodies to come and do joint inspec ons is an exercise in fu lity and a mere poli cal jamboree. Let the government of Osun go and maintain the school buildings, let them fix the roofs of some of the schools which have been damaged by rain storms and let them take responsibili es as if those buildings are their personal houses. I have seen them circula ng pictures of opened distribu on boxes of electrical wires. God forbids, if any student gets electrocuted by those opened electrical cables, the state government and its officials will be held responsible and liable by the courts of law in Nigeria and in the Interna onal Courts. I have heard different figures as maintenance requirements submi ed on the mega schools and as usual, the figure may s ll change. But why would a responsible government leave out a maintenance expenditure, that may be less than an average of ten (10) million naira per mega school since 2019 just because, it wants to nail Aregbesola?

It has now come into the open public that the current handlers of Osun government have wri en le ers to some professional bodies (both statutory and unceremonious bodies) to come for joint inspec on of the mega school buildings just because the civil servants (the technocrats) in the ministry of works would not succumb to undue pressure to write damning reports on the Mega School buildings; the jejune reports, which are required by their li le souls to declare the eleven (11) mega schools unfit for students. While the le er, wri en by the Commissioner of Works, Remi Omowaiye, con nues to trend on social media, their social media rats are busy flashing pictures of plastering cracks, opened electrical distribu on boxes and other ridiculous, lowthinking stuff as the structural defects of the mega school buildings. The cheapskates among them are busy pos ng on internet, the pictures of vandalized wall panels and boards (both wall and ceiling boards) by their rascally children as if they are aliens from another world, instead of sugges ng ways of curbing bad behaviours and vandalisa on among Osun students. Did Aregbesola send their children to schools to go and be destroying the school proper es?

•Read full article on www.osundefender.com

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

PEOPLE FIRST

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021

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News

Street Begging: NGO Set To Tackle Menace Among Children In Osun Yusuf Oketola

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Non-Governmental Organisa on in the State of Osun, Monsurat Ajoke Foundaon (MAF) has reiterated its readiness in tackling street begging among teenagers in the state.

According to the Coordinator of the Foundaon, Ms. Monsurat Ajoke, child begging is gradually becoming a menace in every state, including Osun, saying that thousands of children live on the streets, begging for money and food.

Ajoke said Osogbo, the capital of the state, has more than 20 children beggars in a day; a development she said is responsible for the growing rate of thuggery and violence among children in the city.

She stated that begging offers children no hope and uncertain future.

The coordinator said: “Begging offers children no hope and uncertain future and giving money to children on the streets

•As Former VC, Popoola Shares Success Story of Forest Economics and Sodiq Yusuf

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away from organisa ons that are there to help them. If you give them money, food or cloth, you are paying them to

be on the street and become beggars. Such children almost inevitably, turn to a life of crime as they get older.

•Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Rt.Hon.Timothy Owoeye (middle) in a discussion with Hon. Babatunde Festus Komolafe (right) with them, Chairman House Committee on Finance, Hon. Taiwo Olodo duringg the 2022 budget g consideration at the Assembly y chambers on Tuesday y

UNIOSUN Gets Recognition At UN Climate Change Summit

SUN State University has recently showcased herself as one of the fron ers of a safe and habitable environment.

This is just as the former Vice-Chancellor of the university; Professor Labode Popoola, shared the success story of the ins tu on’s commitment to doubling up efforts in addressing change and cul va ng the habit of forestaon.

In an ar cle tled ‘Naonal goals via local ac on’ published in the Climate Ac on Edi on 2021 of the Sustainable Development Solu ons Network, which is a global ini a ve of the United Na ons, Popoola revealed the contribu ons of students of Osun State University towards combating climate change in the environment and further expa ated how the newly enrolled students of the ins tu on are made to plant and nurture tree seedlings from matricula on ll gradua on under the UNIOSUN matricula on tree plan ng campaign.

Popoola, a Professor

encourage them to leave home and stay out of schools.

“It promotes drug abuse and keeps them

Sustainable Development, and Director of Sustainable Development Solu ons Network in Nigeria, also revealed the output of the tree plan ng campaign in UNIOSUN, and advocated the replica on of the programme across the educaon system.

He said: “The tangible output of the Matricula on Tree Plan ng Campaign which commenced in 2018 is es mated to about 4,000 trees of various species and ages annually. In four years, about 16,000 seedlings were planted with a survival rate of over 80%.

“If this project is sustained, it has the poten al of enhancing the environmental service func ons of trees on the university campuses. Already, this has created huge awareness among our students about a nature-based approach to a aining some of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals as they eagerly nurture the seedlings and trees.

“Nigeria has about 170 universi es, 60 polytechnics, and 152 colleges of educa on. The impact of replica ng this approach to greening our landscape

in Nigeria and elsewhere can only be imagined. It is cost-effec ve, reliable, sustainable, and no nega ve impacts are envisaged.”

Furthermore, he stated that a key goal of the leadership of Osun State University is to help in developing efficient MRV systems that can be used across the country. This would ensure a greater collabora on is facilitated with the relevant government MDAs, which would help to provide a more valid greenhouse gas emission inventory.

“Please, do not make beggars out of our children. Our constant monitoring of the situa on reveals that no ma er what they may tell you, they all have homes or a place of safety to go where they are being fed and taken care of.”

In a bid to tackle the menace, the Founda on on Sunday, November 14, 2021 will organise an empowerment programme tagged ‘Vision pick our children from the street’ at Excellent Event Centre, Ona Baba Ona, Ofatedo area, Osogbo.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that some hotspot areas in Osogbo where the ac vies of street begging is rampant among the children includes, Capital Junc on, Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osun Mall, Igbona Area, Ibikunle, among other places.

Aregbesola, Group Carpets HURIWA...

•Continued from page 5 secu on, despite that coordinated and efficient responses are expected from them.”

“As a grassrooted independent observer group based in Osun we were impar ally at both APC congresses that took place in Osogbo on that day. We can confirm that organizers of both congresses invited all security agencies to their program.

“NSCDC is no different and nothing indicated that they were used as they only responded, at the one venue

where such happened, to the invasion of thugs who attempted to disrupt peaceful Nigerians from exercising their cons tu onal and civic rights.

“Security agencies are duty bound to protect public gatherings, any day, any me when so requested. Rather than frown at the suspicious absence of duly no fied and invited security agencies, HURIWA chose to cas gate the agency that did the needful and avoided a bloody ending to a legi mate gathering!

“HURIWA, rather than do an objec ve analysis based

on truthful reports, merely allowed itself to be used as a nega ve, par san tool of falsehood peddling and personality maligning, in a long-running poli cal contest within Osun APC, which basic truths and details are in the public space for over two years now.

“While not holding brief for NSCDC, they ought to not only respond appropriately but actually sue HURIWA for defama on of a du ful, nonpar san Command of its that finds itself in a highly contenous poli cal space.”

TBAs, Auxiliary Nurses Pledge To Desist From FGM Practice In Osun Yusuf Oketola

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OCAL childbirth care providers known as Tradi onal Birth Attendants (TBA) and Auxiliary Nurses in the State of Osun have pledged to desist from Female Genital Mu la on because of its harmful consequences.

The TBA operators and the auxiliary nurses vowed that they would no longer indulge in the prac ce, just as they declared support for the campaign to end FGM in the state.

As part of the move to end FGM, TBAs and auxiliary nurses drawn from Ilesa-West, Irepodun and Ede South Local Government of the state were sensi sed on the dangers of the act.

A three-day capacity

building for TBAs and auxiliary nurses was organised by a non-profit organisaon, Ac on Health Incorporated in collabora on with the state Ministries of Health and Women Affairs with the support of the United Na ons Popula on Fund (UNFPA) and the United Na ons Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

AHI Program Officer, Mrs. Arinola Alabi, said as part of the effort to end Medicalisa on of FGM in Osun, TBAs and auxiliary nurses capaci es were built on the opera onalisa on of FGM referral pathway at community level, saying that, that will help in the reduc on of FGM prac ce by any category of health care provider.

In her presenta on, the

Reproduc ve Health Coordinator at the State Ministry of Health, Mrs Toyin Adelowokan, highlighted the nega ve implica ons of FGM prac ce and also dissected the issues around myths and misconcep ons about FGM. Adelowokan said the prac ce has no benefit to female children and there is no basis for it in religion and tradi on. She appealed to TBAs and auxiliary nurses to shun the prac ce.

Also, the Gender Desk Officer at the State Ministry of Women Affairs, Mrs Adewale said Female Genitak Mu la on is a viola on of rights of girls and women urged the TBA and Auxiliary Nurses to stop the prac ce and also to inform others to shun the prac ce.

CHANGE OF NAME

MRS. AKANO KEHINDE ADEWUMI

That I was formerly known and addressed as MISS GBADAMOSI K E H I N D E ADEWUMI. Now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. AKANO KEHINDE ADEWUMI. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

SHITTU AKEEM AGBOOLA

That I was formerly known and addressed as SHITTU AKEEM GBADEGESIN. Now wish to be known and addressed as SHITTU AKEEM AGBOOLA. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

ISSN : 0794 - 8050

News

Osun Osogbo Shrine Gets $127,000 U.S Grant

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021 VOL. 16 NO 44 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com

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N Monday, 1st November, 2021, a 21- storey building wing of athree-tower estate designed by Mr. Femi Osibona, an estate developer and the Managing Director, Fourscore Heights Limited, collapsed in Gerrand Road, Ikoyi, Lagos State, claiming 45 lives, including Femi Osibona himself, as established on Monday, 8th November,2021.

The trio of high-rise buildings also known as “360 Degrees Towers” is first of its kind in Nigeria, designed to have residen al facili es maisone es, flats, duplexes and penthouses, open recrea on area with outdoor television, gym and swimming pool, club house, 24-hour security, servant’s quarter and parking space slated for comple on in 2022. In fact, it was 80% completed with about 60% of the four bedrooms flat sold between $1.2m and $3m already as the higher the floor, the higher the price to the subscribers. Before his venture in Nigeria, the owner of the Fourscore Heights Limited, Femi Osibona, had developed similar proper es in United Kingdom and South Africa.

Although, there are controversies on whether or not the developer got approval for 15-story building against 21-story he constructed. It was a fact that the collapsed building was sealed

by Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) for an alleged failure of a structural test. In addi on, there is a document from Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) dated April 2019, revealing that only 15 floors were approved for the project like its other twin structures that are 15 floors. Again, there was a le er from a Prowess Engineering Limited, alleged structural engineers supervising the collapsed building, wri en to Mr. Femi Osibona, sta ng that they could no longer con nue with the work as they could only guarantee the integrity of the building up to the 4th floor and that they would not take responsibili es “for any other construcon errors that may have occurred over me on the project” and requested their “company name and logo be removed from the project board and kindly no fy all necessary approving authori es of our withdrawal.” The le er was signed

by Muritala Olawale, Managing Director on 20th February, 2020. To ascertain this claim, all efforts to get across to the company and loca ng its office proved abor ve.

As at the me of wri ng this piece,

“There is always a price to pay for cheating the system.

Our individual and collective refusal to play by the rules instead of sharp practices to cheat and compromise the system will have daring consequences”

Rescuing The Soul Of Osun APC

The Fall Of 360 Degrees death toll was 45 while survivors were 6.

Those hospitalised are having difficulty in paying their medical bills while no single insurance company has come out to pronounce that it is the insurer of the property and be responsible for medical bills and compensa on to survivors, burial and compensa ons to the families of the deceased. While commending Babajide Sanwo-Olu government for a promise to picking up burial expenses and li le compensa on to the survivors, it cannot be a subs tute to insurance company. Aside the deceased and survivors, what becomes of the subscribers who had paid some money upfront?

Although, Lagos State Government has indefinitely suspended Mr. Gbolahan Oki, the General Manager of Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) and cons tuted a panel with members drawn from Nigeria Ins tute of Archi-

STRIKER

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tects (NIA), Nigerian Ins tute of Town Planners (NITP), Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) and other bodies to invesgate remote and immediate causes of the collapse and make recommenda ons to preven ng future occurrence, there seems to be an organised conspiracy to cut corners, from the property owners, supervising agencies down to the materials suppliers as reoccurrences have been too o en. Research has shown that from 2005 ll date, “at least 152 buildings have collapsed” in Lagos State.

This is an average of 10 collapsed houses per annum. This is unacceptable! Before, during, ll handing over, building experts – Architects, Soil experts, structural and civil engineers, mechanical and electrical engineers are supposed to be working hand in hand with supervising government agencies. They are to vet materials to be used and each floor must be cer -

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fied before proceeding to another level with me set for the concrete and casting to dry before weight is added. If all these are followed, there would not be structural defects that usually cause the collapse. Circumven ng the system with impunity is a major cause as supervising agencies, more o en, materials suppliers and experts, including the owners of property do play sharp prac ces for personal interest.

This explains why NECOM House, the jaw-dropping edifice, the tallest building in Lagos with 32- floor, 525feet (160m), designed, constructed and completed by NicksonBorys and Partners since 1979 s ll stands like the rock of Gibraltar today in Lagos Island. Cocoa House, a 26-floor house, 344 (105m) in Ibadan, Oyo State was built in 1965 by Cappa and D’Alberto construc on firms and s ll stands firm not withstanding that it got burnt on 9th February, 1985 as a result of a spark from a piece of malfunc oning electrical equipment and its renova on completed on 2nd August, 1992and opened for public use.

There is always a price to pay for chea ng the system. Our individual and collec ve refusal to play by the rules instead of sharp prac ces to cheat and compromise the system will have daring consequences. Unfortunately, where sinners reap wages of their sins, the virtuous will have a poron. What a monumental disaster it would have been if this had happened when all subscribers had moved in!

Striker is not the opinion of the Columnist featured above

The Bad And The Good News

OR the sake of a happy ending, we begin with the bad news; good for Anambra and Nigeria somewhat but bad for democracy!

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidate, Professor Charles Soludo, has emerged the elected governor in the just concluded Anambra State gubernatorial elec on, dogged by procedural glitches, temporary suspension of result announcement, and rescheduled elecon in Ihiala Local Government.

Anambra has a na onal record for the lowest voters’ turnout in Nigeria. It is bad news for democracy, when it turns out that only an acve minority delivers the majority vote to elect government. Anambra has a total popula on projected at about 5.5 million, of which the adult popula on (age above 18 years) is es mated at 60% (about 3.3 million). The eventual total registered voters were put by INEC on the eve of the elec on at 2,466,638. The eventual total accredited voters were a pathe c 253,388; about 10% of voters, with 90% choosing to ignore the exercise! With Prof Soludo ge ng 112,229 out of the total valid votes of 241,523 (rejected votes being 8,108), less than 4% of the adult popula on of Anambra, and less than 5% of the total registered voters have produced a Governor! That is appalling for democracy indeed.

The low voters’ turnout cannot be en rely blamed on the state of insecurity in the State; the turnout in the 2017 elec on when things were far be er was just 22%. Same applies to Nigeria as a whole, where there has been a consistent decline in numbers of voters’ turnout since 1999, with the voters’ turnout in the 2019 general elec on being the lowest in Af-

rica, based on percentage of adult popula on and registered voters, according to a report by Dataphyte. These are bad omens for “government of the people by the people and for the people.” When eventually all confidence is lost in democracy to produce good governance and development, your guess is as good as ours on what ci zens will recourse to for the guarantee of their rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

The good news, however, is the ray of hope offered in the just concluded APC Na onal Caucus Mee ng presided over by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo at the behest of the President. Democracy begins with internal party democracy. Once go en wrong at that stage, the eventual flow ll the general elec on follows the same undemocra c patterns. Elec ons today suffer from all kinds of manipula ons and suffoca on, chief amongst which is heavy mone sa on and material inducements. In a situa on of widespread poverty and ignorance, where the en re purses of the states are in the pockets of the governors to spend virtually as they please, the outcome of delegate elec ons of poli cal par es where the governors are stakeholders are be er imagined. We are all living witnesses to the open secrets of the PDP Na onal Conven on of 2019 in Port Harcourt, and the proceedings of the last gubernatorial elec ons in Eki State that produced the return of Dr. Kayode Fayemi, as governor for the second term.

If candidates and governors who believe they have done well and are popular are afraid of general membership vote within their pares, what manner of popularity then are they

laying claims to? Reportedly running helter skelter, lobbying devils and angels to prevail on the President to reverse the happy choice of direct primary op on, the governors involved are merely confessing their unpopularity and revealing their an -democra c creden als.

Democracy is going through dire mes in Nigeria. Par es, when they are not the ruling party, open up and vigorously canvass membership, only to become ruling par es and close up membership (now that there is a “na onal cake” to be shared). Even when the ruling party courageously and commendably called for new members and revalida on of old membership, the exercise was fraught with clique-ism bothering on cul sm: cards were in short supply and hoarded away, made available to only devotees. S ll, no display of the final membership register is done throughout from Ward to State Congresses. How a transparent general elec on by all registered member will happen without a credible membership register remain a mystery. Meanwhile, the struggle by contending forces will now be how to doctor the list or how to prevent certain members, while only allowing certain others and even non-members, to decide the direct primary elec ons.

Indeed, the fault does now lie with our stars but with us. Any democracy is in the end a reflec on of the character of the people, who allow society to be lorded over by the elites of such peculiar character. Nevertheless, it is cheering that, in principle at least, and for now, the ruling “progressive” party seems to favour direct primaries for its upcoming intra party elec ons.

OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty 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.

Website: www.osundefender.com Email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com, osundefemder@yahoo.com