Osun Defender Online Version of October 29, 2021

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2021 VOL 16 NO 42

Osun APC Ward Congress: National Sect. Buni, Others Evade Notice, As Court Grants Substituted Service Page 5

Review Lagos Model And The Current NearMiss Of Opportunities In Osun

Page 6

Page 6

ALERT!

OSUN APC LOSING MEMBERS TO PDP •We’re Being Marginalised - Defectors •As Party Inaugurates Problem Solving, Page 7 Reconciliation Committees

Osun 2022: APC Candidate Hanging In The Balance - Akande Kazeem Badmus

A

•Some members of the All Progressives Congress who defected to the Peoples Democratic Party in Ede, yesterday.

former Na onal Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Adebisi Akande, has refused to make a declara on on who is going to be the candidate of the party in the 2022 governorship elec on in the state.

Akande said he did not know who will be the party’s candidate in next year’s elec on, even as he maintained that APC will retain power in 2022.

The former governor of the State of Osun stated this on Tuesday, in an interview with newsmen a er a mee ng of the Osun APC Elders Caucus, known as Igbimo Agba, held at his country home in Ila-Orangun.

He maintained that all the crises rocking Osun APC would be resolved before next year’s elec on, just as he restated his op mism that the party would not lose at the polls.

Akande said: “We are doing all our best to resolve every crisis; I can assure you that there will be no crisis within our party before the elec on. We come from different cons tuencies in Osun and we are going back to let our people know we have started to be more ac ve than before.

“I don’t know who our candidate may be in the forthcoming gubernatorial elec on, but I can assure you that our candidate will win the elec on in 2022.”

Speaking on the zoning of the 2023 presidency to the South, Akande said APC does not have cons tu onal provisions for zoning.

“My take on APC zoning presidency to the south is that, my party has no cons tu on for zoning, the south will be ready to slog it out with the north, whoever that becomes our candidate will win the presidency seat”, he submi ed.

At the mee ng, four new members of the APC were •Continued on page 2

COVID-19: 60,000 Residents Vaccinated In Osun – Official Page 7

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2021

2

News

Osun Pensioners, Govt Disagree On Payment Of Gratuity, Pension Ismaeel Uthman

S

CORES of pensioners under the Contributory Pension Scheme in the State of Osun have accused the State Government of non-payment of their en tlements for about three years.

The pensioners who staged a peaceful demonstra on by walking from Freedom Park, Osogbo to Government Secretariat, Abere, on Tuesday, said they have become beggars and bedridden due to the non-payment of their pensions and gratui es.

But the protes ng pensioners were barred by the security opera ves from gaining entry into the Government Secretariat.

The ac ons of the security officers did not go down well with the aggrieved pensioners who started raining causes on the government, saying they were being maltreated a er years of service.

This is just as the State Government said it has expended about N40billion to cater for the senior ci zens between 2018 and 2021, appealing to the pensioners to be calm.

But the pensioners, led

by Mr Gbenga Oyadare said the government was

yet to pay their gratui es from 2015 to 2020, adding that the arrears of the modulated pension payment have not also been paid ll now.

Oyadare said: “We were out on Tuesday to let people know our plight.

From August 2016 ll date, the primary school contributory pensioners are yet to be paid any-

thing. From October 2017 ll date, the secondary school counterpart and civil servants have not received anything.

“Contributory pensioners from the local government have not been paid anything since January 2019 ll date and that was why we protested on Tuesday to let people know what we are passing

through. The government has been going on air to say that it does not owe pensioners.

“Pensioners are of two groups, the old system and the new system. And government must be ready to tell the public that it owes contributory pensioners.

“Every month, the government will say it has released N708 mil-

•Some of the protesting contributory pesioners in Osogbo on Tuesday.

I Don’t Know APC Candidate...

•Continued from Page 1 inducted into the Elders Forum. They are: former Deputy Governor of the state, Senator Iyiola Omisore, Doctor Yemi Farounbi, Professor Deremi Abubakre and the spokesperson of the Senate, Senator (Dr) Ajibola Basiru.

Speaking, the Chairman of the APC Elders Caucus, Chief Sola Akinwumi, explained that the caucus is a congrega on of elders within the state towards actualising good party poli cking in Osun and ensuring that all members of the APC do register and play roles at the 2022 governorship elec on.

He said: “This mee ng is a wake-up call, we do it statutorily. This mee ng is to bring ideas, discuss them among ourselves.

“Ahead of the State of Osun governorship elecon, there is no party that can boost of caliber of people that assemble here as elders caucus, among us are former governors, ambassadors, senators and party leaders, just pu ng heads together to ensure that we will not lose Osun to any other party.”

Asked about the crisis in the party, Akinwumi said: “If anybody is aggrieved, we have mechanism which is internal. We are ready and open to everybody. We are not encouraging people go-

ing away, we don’t want opposi on within a party, it is not sensible and nobody gains from such prac ce. I do know that we are open.

They are our members like Elder Adelowo Adebiyi who was former ac ng chairman of the party.

“Nothing is stopping

anybody from ven ng out their anger, if that is anger, they should bury it now and move on because it is the party that will save everybody.

“As far as I am concerned, Aregbesola is a democrat, he will support us. He is supposed to be

here. We respect him a lot, and he is part of the Elders’ Caucus. Among us today, we have about two or three former governors, Aregbesola will certainly not do any other thing than standing with progressive, so, there is nothing to worry about.”

Symbol’s Quote

lion to pensioners. Out of that money, N150 million comes to contributory pensioners, and that includes civil servants, secondary school teachers, workers in parastatals and higher ins tu ons.

“I want to tell you that N150 million cannot cater for 50 contributory pensioners. What can we now say is the percentage of

the payment?

Reac ng, the State Commissioner for Informa on and Civic Orienta on, Mrs. Funke Egbemode, appealed to the pensioners to be pa ent with the government, saying their demands were being reviewed.

She said: “Since we took over in 2018, we have paid salaries and pensions as and when due and we are steadily reducing even the arrears we inherited from the previous administra on.

“To show commitment, we just devised a strategy to ensure that those under the Contributory Pension Scheme and whose en tlements are from N100, 000 to N500, 000, were paid up to December 2020.

Also, we have taken on those from N501, 000 to N1m, N1m to N1.5m and N1.5 to N2m and we are not relen ng. In the last two months, we have paid over 300 Contributory Pensioners.

“From 2018 to date, we have expended about N40billion to cater for our senior ci zens. This is a demonstra on of love and commitment to our senior ci zens and we won’t relent.”

Vacancy CONTENT COORDINATOR A reputable media organisa on based in Osogbo, Osun State requires a Content Coordinator. The work combines proof reading with features wri ng, edi ng as well as other designated editorial func ons.

REQUIREMENT

A minimum of Bachelor’s Degree in English or any media related courses. A Master’s degree will be an advantage.

-Graduates who are confident of their deep knowledge of English grammar and can correct factual mistakes can also apply.

COMPUTER GRAPHICS OPERATOR

“As we are condemning corruption, so must we speak against low productivity: corruption is a scourge that must be stopped and low productivity is a curse that must be rejected.”

The organisa on is also interested in hiring a computer graphics operators who is versa le in InDesign, CorelDraw PageMaker e.t.c.

MODE OF APPLICATION

Interested candidates are to forward their CVs with applica on le er to osundefenderboard@gmail.com. Apply between today, October 29, 2021 with references and Friday, November 5, 2021.

PEOPLE FIRST

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2021

3

An Unnecessary Dichotomy

T

HE perennial dispute about the status and prospects of the holders of Higher Na onal Diploma (HND) is a reflec on of the consequences of abandoning development planning. Because of this, the foresight reflected in the overarching recommenda ons of the 1963 Ashby commission into the future of higher educaon in Nigeria has been jetsoned.

The unfair treatment of the holders of the HND is a terrible fall out. The Ashby commission saw the intrinsic link between higher educaon, skills development and the expansion of the output of in par cular a developing economy. In this framework, every aspect of higher educa on complimented each other.

The Bri sh colonial au authori es saw the need to establish polytechnics and the HND cer fica on in 1920 because of the need to rebuild the industrial base a er the First World War which ended in 1918. They started the Yaba College of Technology on this basis in 1930.

The model worked for both countries as a way of developing much needed skills and developing skilled manpower for basic industries and manufacturing. The Bri sh converted their polytechnics into universi es sixty years a er the raison d’être had exhausted its possibili es and the na on had moved from an industrial economy into services. Nigeria in contradis nc on converted the

“Without an expanding industrial base, the contrived dichotomy was bound to come up. The country should not be happy about a shrinking industrial base in the face of mounting youth unemployment. The process must be reversed and the dichotomy ended” Yaba College of Technology into a university without fulfilling the original inten on of industrialisa on.

Without an expanding industrial base, the contrived dichotomy was bound to come up. The country should shrink not be happy about a shrinking industrial base in the face of moun ng youth unemployment. The process must be reversed and the dichotomy ended.

The work study format and industrial experience of the polytechnic graduates should be lauded and seen as an advantage and rewarded. This is the strength of the much admired economic performance of Germany since the end of the Second World War. The discriminaon must end and a way of equitably rewarding all skills enshrined. We are also in full support of ending the establishment of more polytechnics while the present ones are underfunded. It is me to put this sterile distrac on behind us.

Review & Outlook BY ASHIPA JAMES The Adverse Effects Of Skyrocketting Inflation In Nigeria

I

NFLATION is the general increase in prices of goods and services; fall in the purchasing value of money or the increase in the cost of living in a country. It is caused by the failure of aggregate supply to equal the increase in aggregate demand. In a report published on its website on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, the Na onal Bureau of Sta s cs (NBS) said that “Nigerian infla on decelerated in July a er food price growth slowed to the lowest level in six months”. According to the report, “consumer prices rose 17.4% from a year earlier, compared with 17.8% in June”. When viewed on its par value, the above conclusion appears posi ve but empirical observa on on ground makes one remember the tle of Darrell Huff ’s book, ‘How to Lie with Sta s cs” and this surely defeats any a empt to obfuscate the fact.

The general causes of high food prices in the short term include supply and demand, weather, disease outbreaks, war, and natural disasters. With an average increase of about 98.85 and 99.9 percent respec vely in the last year in prices of major staple foods in Nigeria, it came as a pleasant surprise when in his independence day speech, President Muhammadu Buhari a ributed the significant spike in the prices of food in Nigeria to middlemen who have been buying and hoarding essen al commodi es.

Although the ac vi es of middlemen contributed to the increase in food prices, it is not the major factor responsible for such increase in Nigeria as government’s fiscal and monetary policies, border closure, insecurity, COVID-19 pandemic, declining value of the naira in rela on to the dollar, climate change are greater factors responsible for high food prices than the ac vi es of middlemen. Globally, the pandemic slowed down economic ac vi es due to series of enforced lockdowns and locally, insecurity assumed a hydra-headed dimension as we now have numerous variants of insurgency like banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, farmers/herders clashes spread across the en re country, making food produc on extremely difficult as farmers are now afraid of going to their farms for fear of being raped or killed. The situa on is so unpredictable that if you go on window shopping today, the trending language is for traders to include the phrase “as at now” when responding to inquiries about the price of their commodi es, meaning that the price is suscep ble to increase if you are not buying immediately. To underpin the seriousness of the situa on, the current prices of maize in Nigeria is shown in the table below.

Maize Type Price per ton (N) Price per bag (N) White 250,000 25,000 Yellow 270,000 27,000 Source: Beta Price October 23, 2021 It should be noted that this increase in prices of goods and services affects every economic item and is not sustainable in an

“On the part of both the government and citizens, we must decide to change our preferences and excessive taste for foreign goods and patronize locally-manufactured products so as to increase production and reduce pressure on the naira for foreign exchange”

economy that operates a minimum wage of N30, 000 per month, which is yet to be fully implemented due to the high cost of governance and dwindling revenue.

In order to alleviate the sufferings of the people and knowing that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) regards fixing the economy as a priority in its manifesto, the following steps, though not exhaus ve, are necessary to bring down the present hyperinfla on in the economy.

If we must contain prices of essen al commodi es, government must implement selec ve ban on exports and futures trading in food grains. Also, government should enforce zero import duty on select food items, permi ng import of pulses and sugar

by Public Sector Undertakings (‘PSUs).

In addi on, it is necessary to distribute imported pulses and edible oil at affordable prices through Public Distribu on System (PDS)so as to reach the more vulnerable in the economy.

Furthermore, the government should consider the release of higher quota of non-levy sugar and grains from the strategic grain reserves, although there are claims that such reserves are heavily depleted.

It is necessary for government to think of ways to shore up the value of our na onal currency, the naira, which must be by s mula ng produc on through some of the above policies.

Government should create enabling environment for industrial growth and development by formula ng favorable industrial policies and intensify her current commendable stride at rebuilding our dilapidated infrastructure like roads, railways etc.

This will reduce the cost of transporta on and facilitate the easy movement of goods and services to every nook and cranny of the country.

On the part of both the government and ci zens, we must decide to change our preferences and excessive taste for foreign goods and patronize locally-manufactured products so as to increase produc on and reduce pressure on the naira for foreign exchange. This is one of the hallmarks of Publisher – Moremi Publishing patrio sm and is capable of boos ng loHouse Ltd. cal produc on of goods and services. On Deputy Editor – Ismaeel Uthman their part, industries should pay a en on (0805-121-2204) to quality control so as to be able to compete with foreign products.

Produc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa Last but not the least, government Reporter – Yusuf Oketola must implement a combina on of fiscal, Reporter – Kazeem Badmus non-fi scal, monetary and non-monetary Photo Journalist – Olushola Aderinto policies like credit control, taxa on, inComputer Graphics – Zainab Olalere crease in personal savings to reduce disOSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing posable income with the people, suspenHouse Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite sion of public debt repayment to control Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), Gbogan Road Osogbo, the present skyrocke ng infla on in our State of Osun economy.

ISSN : 0794-8050 Telephone : 0805-121-2204 •Ashipa James Olashupo, Website : www.osundefender.com/index.php e-mail : osundefender@yahoo.com Osogbo. osundefenderbank@gmail.com •Read full article on All correspondence to the above email addresses. www.osundefender.com

OSUN DEFENDER

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2021

4

News

Osun APC Ward Congress: National Sect. Buni, Others Evade Notice As Court Grants Substituted Service Ismaeel Uthman

T

HE Na onal Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Chairman, Caretaker Extraordinary Na onal Conven on Planning Commi ee of the APC, Governor Mai Mala Buni have reportedly evaded no ce of court process on a case ins tuted by 2,517 members of the party in the State of Osun on the Ward Congress held on July 31, 2021.

Also, the Chairman of the Ward Congress Committee, Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye and the Chairman of Ward Congress Appeal Committee in the state, Amb. Obed Wadzani, were also evading the service of the court process on them as reported when the case came up at a Federal High Court in Osogbo, on Monday.

Following the report of the service evasion by the defendants, lead counsel of the plain ffs, Mahmud Adesina, applied that the respondents be served through subs tuted means.

The presiding judge, Jus ce Emmanuel Ayoola, granted the applica on and ordered that the noce of court process be pasted at the Na onal Secretariat of the party for the respondents.

Jus ce Ayoola therea er adjourned the case ll November 29, 2021 for proper hearing.

Explaining the subs tuted means process, Barr.

Kolapo Alimi, told OSUN DEFENDER that “When a respondent is evading service, you cannot force such person to accept it under the law. The bailiff of the court has to write report on the evasion of service.

“The lawyer of the plain ff will a er that file an applica on for subs tuted service. That was what we did today and the court granted our applicaon. We will go and paste the court no ce at the Naonal Secretariat.

“Under Under the principle of fair hearing, the respondents are en tled to 30 days to reply. It was based on that considera on that the court adjourned the case ll November 29, 2021.”

It would be recalled that a total of 2,517 members of the Osun APC in 26 Local Governments of the state had two weeks ago approached a Federal High Court, si ng in Osogbo, to challenge the Ward Congress of the party held on July 31, 2021 in the state.

The APC members are demanding for the cancella on of the Ward Con-

gress conducted by the party through Hon Gbenga Elegbeleye led commi ee.

According to the plainffs, they were wrongly excluded or prevented from

par cipa ng by vo ng or being voted for in the congress by the party.

They argued that the supposed congress held by the defendants was to-

tally in conflict with the guidelines of the exercise and the spirit of jus ce and fairness expected of the conduct of such programme.

The plain ffs are seeking a declara on that all of them and all other aspirants/candidates who individually paid the prescribed fees

by the party for the procurement of nomina on forms for the ward congress are the only eligible aspirants and emerged unopposed.

•Speaker, State of Osun House of Assemble, Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye (middle) receiving a Certificate of Credence from Federation of Iwoland Student Union (FISU) with him are members of the parliament, Hon. Adebayo Uzamot, Iwo, Hon. Benjamin Ogundipe and Hon. Adirulahi Adegbile during the Federation of Iwo Students Union Legislative Summit in Iwo on Thursday.

Osogbo Based Pornstar, King TblackHoc Paucity Of Fund Delaying Recruitment Of Rearrested, Back In Prison Teachers - Oladoyin Yusuf Oketola

A

N Osogbo-based pornstar, Tobiloba Jolaoso, popularly known as King TblackHoc, who is on trial for allegedly shoo ng porn video in Osun Grove, has been rearrested by the police.

Jolaoso was rearested following a bench warrant issued against him by an Osogbo Magistrate Court.

He had earlier been arrested alongside five members of his crew, on September 14, 2020 for shoo ng a porn video at Osun Grove, Osogbo.

They were arraigned before Magistrate Ishola Omisade, who admi ed them to bail in the sum of N200,000 and a surety each, a er spending three days at the Correc onal Centre in Ilesa.

But, Jolaoso and four other members of the crew jumped bail as they failed to show up before the court for con nua on of their trial, a situa on that made the court to issue bench warrant against them.

However, the police

were able to track down only Jolaoso a er his mother was arrested in Osogbo.

According to sources, the woman assisted the police in ge ng to the pornstar, leading to his arrest and arraignment on October 21, 2021 before Magistrate A. Adebayo.

Jolaoso was remanded

•King TblackHoc

in Ilesa Correc onal Centre by the magistrate a er pleading not guilty to the contempt of court.

According to a reliable police source, Jolaoso was arrested in a church at Igbajo in Boluwaduro Local Government of the State of Osun, where he was being treated for some illness he developed late last year.

Kazeem Badmus

T

HE State of Osun Commissioner for Educa on, Hon. Folorunsho Oladoyin, has said that paucity of fund is responsible for the delay in the recruitment of teachers for public schools in the state.

Oladoyin made this known while appearing at the plenary of the State House of Assembly, during the delibera on on the Ministry of Educa on budget which is contained in the 2022 budget presented by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola to the lawmakers.

During the plenary, Minority Leader of the Assembly, Hon. Babajide Adewunmi, lamented that there is no enough teachers in Osun public schools, asking Oladoyin while the state government was yet to employ new set of teachers who have scaled through test and screening processes in the recent recruitment exercise.

Adewunmi reminded the commissioner of his pledge last year when he appeared before the house during which he promised that the recruitment of teachers would be done in November, 2020.

The lawmaker wondered why the recruitment of teachers which Oladoyin promised would

be done in November last year, was yet to be done almost a year a er.

However, Oladoyin acknowledged the concerns of the lawmaker, no ng that the state government was commi ed to recrui ng teachers in public schools.

He explained that the delay is caused by paucity of funds, assuring that the names of successful candidates in the teacher’s recruitment exercise will be published and mobilised to classrooms by November this year.

Also, the minority leader asked the commissioner why Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s administra on has not completed some ongoing projects le behind by the administra on of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, which he said are failing to serve the purpose they were meant to.

The lawmaker par cularly referenced Iwo Grammar School and how it has been literally abandoned in spite of the huge investment on it.

Responding, Oladoyin stated that Oyetola will not abandon projects inherited from the past administra on, sta ng that the Iwo Grammar School has been completed and will be commissioned soon.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2021

5

News

Technology, Solution To Challenges Facing Nigerian Varsities - Registry Don Sodiq Yusuf

A

former Registrar of Eki State University Dr. Omojola Awosusi, has charged public universi es in Nigeria to put more efforts towards engendering full migra on to the use of technology to be able to compete maximally with its counterparts all over the world.

Awosusi, who is the guest speaker of the 1st UNIOSUN Registry Annual Lecture themed “Building a Sustainable University Registry in a Changing World: Challenges and Prospects”, recommended that op mising the use of technology through egovernment will assist the ivory towers to be more vibrant and solve the problem of standard, quality and poverty in the Nigerian system.

He said: “It is recommended that ins tuons should be allowed to deploy large online programmes to which crowd of knowledge seekers would subscribe to and pay for, possibly in foreign currencies.

•UNIOSUN Holds Maiden Registry Annual Lecture and Award Presentation “What we have today is that there is the dearth of ethics and professionalism in the Registry of today. As professional administrators, you must be problem solvers in your respec ve units and work to aid the growth

A

socio-political group, the Osun Progressive Minded Forum, has accused the Elders Forum be er known as Igbimo Agba of the All Progressives Congress (APC), State of Osun, of complicity in the crisis rocking the party.

According to the group, the APC elders, instead of appraising the crisis in the party with objec ve mind and sincerity resorted to pursue personal interest and refused to speak the truth expected of their calibre.

The group in a press statement signed by its Coordinator, Mr Sunday Oriowo, on Thursday, said the APC elders forum, contributed to the crisis by keeping quiet in the face of poli cal onslaught on former governor Rauf Aregbesola from Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and his group, IleriOluwa.

Oriowo said the contribu ons of the Igbimo Agba to the crisis in the party are not in any small measure, saying their acons were the combus ble element that started the seeming irreconcilable

bibe the virtues of hard work and integrity as well as con nually strive to be the best in their field.

According to OlaoluAli, “One thing that can never go out of fashion is knowledge. To know is to

be more. The least those in the academic can do is to improve knowledge and exercise our brains to gain and know more.

The way the world is going, the days of analogue is gone forever. It is in our best interest to

•Osun NUJ Chairman, Comrade Wasiu Ajadosu and other members of the union presenting gift items to best Table tennis player of the council, Mr. Kingsley Omoyeni, as part of acitivites marking the 2021 Press Week at the Ososgbo Township Stadium.

You Are Culpable In Osun APC Crisis, Group Accuses Elders’ Forum Sodiq Yusuf

of the University system in Nigeria.”

The Pro-Chancellor, Osun State University who doubled as the Chairman of the event, Mallam Yusuf Olaolu-Ali, SAN, tasked administrators in the registry to im-

situa on today.

He stressed further that the Elders Forum should have at the early stage of the crisis intervened and showed the required poli cal experience in se ling party ma ers.

The statement reads in part: “Igbimo Agba does not seem to subscribe to the saying “Agba ko si ni ilu, ilu baje; Baale ile ku, ile d’ahoro”. They allowed the crisis to fester. They watched and couldn’t say a word to all the attacks on members of The Osun Progressives across the state as if they are no longer in APC. “They watched arms akimbo when Governor Oyetola’s cabinet members were condemning everything that defined Aregbesola government in eight years. The Agba Osun watched when all human interest programmes and policies of Aregbesola were demolished.

“They pretended as if all was normal when strenuous a empts were made to run Aregbesola out of town and make him a pariah.

The Igbimo Agba had nothing to say when

seven leaders of TOP, including the Secretary of the party then, were arraigned in court and charged with a empted murder.

“It looks like Igbimo Agba would have been most happy if Aregbesola had been declared a persona non grata.

The Agba Osun would have been most happy if someone had been killed in all of these an social and malfeasance behaviours of Governor Oyetola’s people.

“If the Igbimo Agba claims they want to intervene in the crisis now, their interven on is not needed and can’t be in good faith as it is coming too late. It is an effort to serve Oyetola’s selfish interests.”

Osun APC Inaugurates Problem Solving, Reconciliation Committees Ismaeel Uthman

T

HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun has inaugurated problem solving and reconcilia on commi ees in all strata of the party’s organisa on.

State Chairman of the party, Hon. Rasaq Salinsile, said the cons tu on of the commi ees is essen al for the re-enactment of the good fortunes of the party, saying that the commi ees will work assiduously for the goodness of the party.

Members of the committees, according to Salinsile, include the principal officers recently elected at the congresses of the party, to be supported by three elders in each of the wards, local gov-

ernments and state levels.

Salinsile, who is of The Osun Progressives fac on of the party, stated this at the Osun APC State Execu ve Council mee ng on Tuesday, in Osogbo, no ng that the party has gone through the worst of mes recently.

The Chairman, according to a statement by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Com. Abiodun Agboola, maintained that there are a lot of problems to be solved in the party, including reconciling those who do not know the essence of progressive governance with the reality of it.

The Osun APC Chairman pointed out that the commi ees’ job will be to wake up the apathe c members of the party from their

Osun Lawmaker Laments Poor Health Centre In His Constituency

Kazeem Badmus HE lawmaker represen ng Obokun State Cons tuency at the State of Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Adewunmi Adeyemi has lamented the poor state of a Comprehensive Healthcare centre in Obokun, headquarters of Ibokun Local Government Council of the state.

Adeyemi, in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Wednesday, said the health centre is a ghost

T

be updated to the latest trends to fit in perfectly.

“This event is quite innova ve. I want to salute the Registrar, Mr Gafar Adebayo Shi u and his team for extending the arm of this programme to other universi es. It is very important.”

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Labode Popoola tasked administrators to be diligent and vibrant in the chosen fields of their career.

He thanked the Registry, especially in UNIOSUN, for their commitment to due process as well as extending honour to those awarded at the event.

The event featured a presenta on of awards of excellence in administra on to the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Labode Popoola, Pioneer Registrar of Osun State University, Dr. Julius Faniran as well as a posthumous award to late Ajiboye Faramade who served as an Assistant Registrar to the University ll his death in 2015.,

of itself and could not provide the needed services.

“During the budget presenta on of the Ministry of Health, I asked the Commissioner about the sorry state of the Comprehensive Health Centre in Ibokun.

“This Health Centre is a ghost of itself that could have provided good health care for my cons tuents and beyond because of the facility therein. But unfortunately, the facility lacks

the personnel to man it.

“During my visit to the premises of the hospital, apart from being very bushy, there are no doctors and adequate health professionals available for the smooth running of the hospital. This has made paents seek medical a enon uncomfortably from neighbouring ci es. This includes pregnant women that will need to have their babies delivered.

slumber, prevent defec on to other party by the dejected members and ensure resolu on of all ensuing crises in the party.

Salinsile reminded the commi ees that the essence of their elec on was hinged on the rebranding and the re-energising of Osun APC and reposi on it for greater future success.

He urged them to work very hard on their assignment to jus fy their posions and ensure a vibrant Osun APC, saying that is the only path to toe, taking good cognisance of the journey to precipice which the former handlers had taken APC. The Chairman stressed the need to ensure full mobilisa on of all APC members across the state and hype them to get back into the groove of the essence of democra c norms and progressives prac ces and principles.

Salinsile said the party will work hard to get the non poli cians to appreciate what the party had done for their sake, what is being done presently and assured them that the wheel of development and progress will move on in greater stride.

He urged all party members to cooperate and unite with each other in the bid to rebrand and rework APC for greater achievements.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2021

6

Feature

Lagos Model And The Current Near-miss Of Opportunities In Osun - Part I

•Oyetola

•Aregbesola

•Bolorunduro

I

to N7billion in 2007. Similarly, the IGR of Osun increased from annual figure of N4billion in 2010 to N12billion in 2018. In the published public account of Osun, a figure of N19billion was reported as the annual IGR of the state, a confirma on of the workings of the model, which had automated the collec on and processing of taxes since 2011.

5. At the heart of the model is the reform of policies, job funcons, structures and laws of the state to provide legal frameworks and the structural strength required for ease of governance. Many job func ons were reclassified into the office of Chief of Staff (COS) to give the COS, the visibility, contribu ons, control and responsibili es as the effec ve gatepost of governance. Many tradi onal func ons of the offices of the Secretary to the State Government, Commissioner of Finance (investment and some other func ons), Special Du es were transferred to the Chief of Staff. This was similar to Lagos model and the Chief of Staff of Osun was allowed to a end the Joint Accounts and Alloca on Commi ee (JAAC) meetings. These roles were supposed to prepare the incumbent Governor of Osun, Adegboyega Oyetola, for the current jobs, under the con nuity strategy required to land the model safely and to feed into the model itera vely, the lessons learned, pi alls and the outcomes of the model.

Therefore, whatever the current governor is doing right is the deliberate outcome of the model and what he has been taught to do by his predecessor, Aregbesola. That is why one is at a loss for words, when we hear from Oyetola’s disciples that the current governor grudgingly accepted his appointment as Chief of Staff because Asiwaju Bola Tinubu compelled him to do so, or when his disciples try unsuccessfully, to abdicate him from the joint responsibili es taken during Aregbesola’s tenure, or when he distances himself from the model, which has helped him to increase the IGR of the state and as his administra on profits from federal refunds, sales of assets and investments made during Aregbesola’s administra on. Meanwhile, it is counterintui ve and it turns logic on its head, for a man, who reluctantly accepted an appointment to stay on that same COS job for eight (8) years and finally reaping the benefits of the plum posi on of a Governor, subsequently. What an alluring reluctance?

THE CULTURE The model has a governance culture that replaces a culture of “do li le” in the governance of Osun. The government must demonstrate the seriousness and mental capacity required to evoke hope and to sustain the con nuous development of Osun space.

The handlers of key economic agencies must demonstrate the

drive and impetus required to torch all the spheres of needs of the people and the determina on to organize, to support and to focus the resources (including the people) to generate economic ac vi es required for the sustainable development of the state and the standard of living of the people. Obviously, you will know if governance is a tea party, when this model is used to assess any government because it generates needs, unlike the pedestrian approach which thinks about what to use money for.

THE STAKEHOLDERS Three major stakeholders were iden fied and they became the integrated parts of the model. They are: (1) the masses, the majority people of the state, who are the beneficiaries of the infrastructural development and the economic ac vi es as well as the movement of goods and humans, which become easy. The masses also benefit from the empowerment programs as well as improvements in the condi ons of living. (2) The civil servants and re rees who have to be paid for their services and re rements.

Their patronage includes recruitments into service to fulfill the establishment rules, release of funding for trainings, especially the mandatory training for promo ons, the life insurance scheme for workers, which started during Aregbesola’s first term, payments of pensions and backlog of pension (there have always been backlogs since crea on of the state). The patronage of this class of people goes beyond monthly salaries to allay their fears. (3) The sociopoli cal stakeholders, who have to be included based on their abili es to support the government. These classes of par cipants include Community Development Associa ons and their councils.

The basis of inclusiveness and involvement was well established during the first term of Aregbesola and the social registry of vulnerable people was created. Many of these stakeholders worked their “tails up” to elect the current governor, unlike some of us, who, didn’t work for him. The group includes the carriers of sacrifices to the heavenlies (“awon agbebo orun”) and the party faithful. Unfortunately, these people who worked for the incumbent governor in 2018 are being dubbed “A en on and Appointment seekers or noise makers”. Noise makers in poli cs? As if the name calling reduc onists, don’t know that there is no “bara re da sohun” in poli cs, but only, “bara re da sibi” and there are many ways to do the la er, other than appointments, in poli cs: a missing opportunity for party cohesion and inclusiveness that can deliver con nuity for the ruling party in Osun, not this “abuse or abandon Aregbesola to get patronage or s ck with Aregbesola and get defamed and damned” paranoid syndrome. This approach was different from what the party used in 2014 to secure the second term of Aregbesola, when all the past leaders across the line of divides were brought together, in conviviality to diffuse the tension, to confront and to trounce heavily (like an escaping slave), the federal might of PDP and its candidate then, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

The features, the cultures, the stakeholders’ management presented above have become the poli cal philosophy and economic model; an integrated prism through which any government in Osun would be assessed for many years to come, especially the government that came in on the mantra of con nuity.

To be con nued…..

In the Part II of the ar cle, opportuni es in jeopardy will be examined and an expository analysis of programs, which have been rebranded, just because of exclusion tendency.

Wale Bolorunduro, PhD, former Commissioner for Finance, Budget and Economic Planning (2011-2014), State of Osun, writes from 6B Lase Ogunleye Street, off Fadahunsi Avenue, Ilesa, State of Osun.

T was not long into the administra on of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, when it became obvious that the model that was used between 1999 and 2007 in Lagos State was going to be used for the renaissance of Osun, the cradle state of the Yorubas, which unfortunately had the rus est capital in Nigeria as at 2010. Aregbesola had been a Commissioner for Works and Infrastructures in Lagos for eight (8) years and highly ideological on governance issues, before winning governorship elec on in Osun in 2007 but became governor of the state on November 27, 2010 a er three and half years of legal ba le to reclaim his stolen mandate. Having to wait for three (3) years before reclaiming his mandate to become a Governor, he was clear-headed on what to do and the speed of implementa on.

THE FEATURES The governance model has five (5) main features: 1. It must torch all the social spheres of life of the people. It must be highly engaging, with people as the focus of the development at the beginning, middle and at the terminal stage of governance processes and goals. This led to some plans and programs of government, which were adopted as Seven Points Integral Ac on Plan to suit Osun socio-cultural context. It is to domes cate the welfarism idea of late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and to ensure the security of the people 2. Infrastructural developments to cater for the immediate and future needs of the people in a modern way and to generate maximum economic ac vi es for the people and to some extent, for ring-fencing into the treasury of government. The infrastructural developments are to be intertwined with urban development of commercial towns (one a er the other). Osun is highly urbanized with some towns like Osogbo, Ile-Ife, Ilesa, Iwo having poten als to be developed into business districts. The urban and roads development are not only to open commercial corridors like we have on Iwo road, Gbongan and Ikirun roads in Osogbo but to also provide key essen al infrastructures like the new Ataoja High School, Fakunle High school and Osogbo High School and Asubiaro General Hospital along these modern roads. Two of these schools have come into na onal recogni ons by winning na onal awards because of the conducive learning and teaching condi ons present there. Osogbo has capacity for the five (5) High schools, two (2) were remaining to be built at the end of Aregbesola’s tenure and opportuni es for con nuous developments. Ilesa township roads were included and in a systema c approach to decongest the city center traffic first and to take advantage of the outer rings of roads with over N7billion spent on the State and Local Governments roads in Ilesa in his first term. Opportuni es exist to con nue the roads in Ilesa and to pave way for the dualisa on of the Ilesa-Ereja Square to Ilesa brewery road. Similar plans were put in place for Ife, Ede, Iwo and other township roads.

3. Leveraging of the financial posi ons to finance the development of the infrastructures and the programs, which include economic sectors of the state (Agriculture, Commerce and Tourism).

This also includes investments on assets and income genera ng ventures that are capable of apprecia ng the equi es of the government over me. Like Lagos state, an investment special purpose vehicle like OSICOL was used like Ibile Holding of Lagos, etc.

Aregbesola pushed the limit of the envelope by crea ng Omoluabi Conserva on Funds for the investments of savings, coming from miscellaneous revenues (excess crude oil), etc 4. Although the revenues (internally generated revenues) would lag behind funding requirements of 1 and 2 above, it would gradually increase. Lagos IGR increased from N600million monthly

“The basis of inclusiveness and involvement was well established during the first term of Aregbesola and the social registry of vulnerable people was created. Many of these stakeholders worked their “tails up” to elect the current governor, unlike some of us, who, didn’t work for him”

PEOPLE FIRST

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2021

7

News

Osun APC Losing Members To PDP Ismaeel Uthman

T

HE numerical strength of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun is currently dwindling, following defecons of members of the party to the opposi on Peoples Democra c Party (PDP).

OSUN DEFENDER noted that the crisis rocking the Osun APC has given some valuable members of the party, who claimed to be sidelined by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, reason to decamp to the PDP. Though the defec ons are s ll poli cally light, the APC might witness massive decamping of its members before the July 2022 governorship elec on, according to poli cal analysts.

Findings by the medium revealed that some APC members, who neither belong to The Osun Progressives nor IleriOluwa fac ons of the party are skep cal of the party’s victory in 2022 if Oyetola is given return cket.

The skep cal APC members, it was learnt, have concluded to join the PDP immediately Oyetola is given

•Chairman, The Osun Progressives, Rev. Adelowo Adebiyi, Barrister Kolapo Alimi with lawyers after the court proceedings on a suit filed by members of the APC in the State of Osun over the Ward Congress held in July. the APC governorship cket in an cipa on of enjoying the goodies of a new government.

Besides, other aggrieved members of the APC have

already been dumping the party for the PDP. Just yesterday, hundreds of thousands of the APC members le the party for PDP in Ede South Local Gov-

ernment of the State.

The defectors, among who are former councillors from Alajue Ward and Loogun ward, were received by the leadership of the PDP in

Ife Residents Cry Out Over Destruction Of Community have been selling embarked on explora on the community land to min- ac vi es across Ife and IjeBy Indiscriminate Mining Chiefs, ers in total disregard to the sa land, and their ac vi es Yusuf Oketola

R

ESIDENTS of Lajaro ko - A g b a d a d u d u Area of Ile-Ife, State of Osun, have alerted the State Government on the destruc ve ac vi es of gold miners in their community.

According to the residents who staged a protest on Wednesday in Ile-Ife, the miners have polluted their water and environment with the indiscriminate mining ac vi es.

The residents said the problem began a er three Chinese gold miners who brought their diagnosing machines, along with some local Chiefs, into the peace-

ful community few years back.

They maintained that the ac vi es of the miners were fast becoming a killing prac ce and hazardous to the health and safety of residents of the area and Ile-Ife at large.

Lojaroko-Agbadagbudu community is located along Ifewara road, Ile-Ife, and it is surrounded by water which necessitated the construcon of local bridges and make-shi pathways to get to their homes.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that in the last three years, some “Omo Onile” who had sold their lands, in support of some Ile-Ife

COVID-19: 60,000 Residents Vaccinated In Osun – Official Yusuf Oketola

N

O fewer than 60,000 residents of the State of Osun, have been fully vaccinated against Coronavirus.

The Chairman of Osun Primary Healthcare Development Board, Pharm.

Leke Ogunsola said this on Tuesday, while defending the budget of the agency before Osun House of Assembly’s Joint Commi ees on Finance and Appropriaon.

According to Ogunsola, more than 60,000 people had received full COVID19 vaccina on while over

200,000 people had also taken the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.

Ogunsola explained that the state has also completed the second phase of polio vaccina on.

“We were also able to provide polio vaccina on at the primary health centres in addi on to taking the vaccina on to homes, schools and religious centres”, he stated.

He stated further that with the renova on of the 332 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across the state, the agency had been rendering effec ve healthcare services to the people.

health and safety of residents of the area.

The miners, according to the residents, have excavated and destroyed land and about three roads of Agbadagbudu-Odin area, Sarun-Agbadagbudu area and Lojaroko-Obalogun, which are part of the five connec ng roads of the community.

Describing the mining ac vi es as heinous, the residents said the unprofessional prac ces of the miners have resulted to serious flooding and erosion, making their movement and transporta on of farm produce difficult.

Some of the chiefs of the community were alleged to have collected millions of naira from the Chinese which they use to build houses and buy exo c cars, while the host community faces environmental problems.

A member of the Federal House of Representaves, Hon. Lawrence Ayeni who is represen ng Ijesa South Federal Cons tuency, has been working on a bill to checkmate indiscriminate mining ac vi es in Ife/ Ijesa Senatorial District.

Ayeni had noted that “the Nigeria Mineral and Mining Act of 2007, prohibits all forms of unauthorized explora on of mineral resources.

“Over the past few years, individuals and unverified companies have

have con nued to cause untold hardship to all inhabitants, especially to the poor villagers, and local dwellers, many of who have been forcefully displaced and dispossessed of their lands by the miners.

“Excava on of these areas may expose the people to environmental hazards/natural disaster such as landslide, earthquakes, erosion, and forma on of sinkholes, loss of biodiversity and contamina on of soil, groundwater and surface water by chemicals released during the mining processes”.

“Having worked in three above areas of this community, their next point of call is the two remaining roads that lead to NTA-Mokuro road, one to Idita Community, and second to Omilaj Area where a Government bridge had before now been constructed by previous government in 2007 to help link these communi es and ease congested traffic on Ilode-Ifewara busy road in the ancient town.”

The community call on the Federal Government, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the State of Osun, Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development, Hon Minister for Mines and Steel, Arch. Olalekan Adegbite, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi and other stakeholders to intervene in the indiscriminate mining in the community.

Ede. It would be recalled that about 5,000 APC members were said to have defected to the PDP in June this year in Iragbiji, the hometown of Governor Oyetola in Boripe Local Government of the State.

Though the number of the defectors was quesoned, there were actually hundreds of members of the APC that joined PDP. On October 3, another set of APC members decamped to PDP in Oke-Ila, Ifedayo Local Government of the State.

The defectors were led

by Hon Yisa Adebayo, a former Chairman of the local government.

A female poli cian in the same local government, Hon Funmilayo Olasehinde-Mustapha, had earlier in September this year, led some other PDP members to the APC. A former member of the State of Osun House of Assembly, Hon Olaide Ajibola, le the APC for PDP with hundreds of his loyalists and supporters in Osogbo, in September this year.

Ajibola was the Director General, Ajibola Basiru Campaign Organisa on in 2019.

He represented Olorunda State Cons tuency between 2007 and 2011 under the umbrella of the Ac on Congress of Nigeria. He later le the party for PDP in 2010. He rejoined the APC later.

A grassroots mobiliser of the APC in Iwo, Mr. Nurudeen Emiloju, angrily le the party early this month with the excuse that he was being treated as an outcast in the party.

Emiloju, it was gathered, is a strong poli cian who influences decisions of majority of youths and other residents of Iwo. Scores of APC members had two months earlier

switched their loyalty to PDP in Iwo, before Emiloju’s defec on.

The APC defectors were led by an APC chie ain, Hon. Ismail Labaowo, a former councillor in Gidigbo Ward I, Iwo Local Government.

Labaowo lamented abuse of power by governor Oyetola and total neglect of Iwo local government in terms of infrastructural development as his reason for dumping the party.

He said: “There is no reason to stay in a party where your voice cannot be heard.

I am in poli cs to protect the interest of my people.”

On Wednesday, another set of APC members decamped to PDP in Iwo. They were led by a stalwart of the party, Mr. Kehinde Kokoro and Hon. Akeem Kobaje.

Some members of the APC also le the party for PDP in Ido-Osun, Egbedore Local Government of the State few weeks ago.

Around the me, some notable members of the ruling party in Oba-Ile, Olorunda Local Government of the state, decamped to PDP, saying that APC has lost its direc on.

The defectors were led by Hon. Wale Fagbemi popularly known as Janco, Mr Sulaimon known as Baba Ede, Mr Jimoh Ajinikirun, among others.

Also in April this year, scores of APC members decamped to PDP in Ilesa West Local Government on two different occasions.

Hon Bukola Amure, a stalwart of the APC led other members of the party to PDP on April 10, 2021.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that more members of the APC have concluded plans to defect to the PDP in Odo-O n, Ayedire, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ife Central, Ife East and Ife North Local Government Areas of the state.

PUBLIC NOTICE ADEMILUYI ADEKANMI ADEBOYE That my name was wrongly written as ADEMILOBI ADEKANMI ADEBOYE on my Bank Verification Number (BVN), the correct name is ADEMILUYI ADEKANMI ADEBOYE. All former documents remain valid.

Banks and general public should take note.

ADEFOLAYAN SIMBIAT OMOLARA That my name was as wrongly written O M O L A R A SIMBIAT instead of ADEFOLAYAN SIMBIAT OMOLARA and my date of birth was wrongly written as 1st January 1960 instead of 2nd January 1960.

All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

ISSN : 0794 - 8050

News

You Are Culpable In Osun APC Crisis, Group Accuses Elders’ Forum

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29 - THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 04, 2021 VOL. 16 NO 42 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com

O

N his visit to The Head of Service of the Federa on in Abuja on Thursday, October 7, 2021, as a part of the ac vi es to mark the 2021 World Day for Decent Work (WDDW), the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said there was a need to reviewing the current minimum wage as the prices of goods and services have risen beyond the reach of an average Nigerian worker.

Hyperinfla on has made nonsense of the current N30,000 minimum wage with very few states implemen ng it.

However, there is no need for lamenta on.

What is required is to have a full grasp of how we have been teleported here to fully understand our predicament so as to situate the problem and probably, iden fy how we could navigate out of it.

A pay rise for the poli cal office holders in 1979 provoked the first demand for a minimum wage.

The leadership of Comrade Hassan Sunmonu, the pioneer NLC President, demanded N300 (Three hundred naira) per month minimum wage, backed up with a general strike. Eventually, President Shehu Sagari and Hassan Sunmonu led NLC Execu ves agreed to N125 (One hundred and twenty-five naira) minimum wage per month in 1981.

In 1989/90, Pascal Bafyau NLC leadership nego ated an improved minimum wage which resulted into N250 (Two hundred and fi y naira) na onal minimum wage. In that very 1989/90, the N250 could not command reasonable goods and services, hence, a nego a on with General Abdusalami Abubarka military junta which resulted into N3,000 monthly na onal minimum wage. Although, NLC had been proscribed, a commi ee of Industrial Unions led by Comrade Sylvester Ejiofor led the nego a on.

Between 2000 and 2001, there was another agita on and nego a on by Comrade Adam Oshiohmole led NLC with President Olusegun Obasanjo led civilian government which yielded N5,500 for states’ workers and N7,500 for federal workers and oil producing states monthly minimum wage. The long journey to August 2010’s N18,000 minimum wage which took effect from January 2011 started in 2008 when the NLC via the Labour and Civil Society Coali on (LASCO) held na onwide rallies and march protests for a new minimum wage of N52,200, among other demands, eventually nego ated to N18,000. The latest minimum wage of N30,000 was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 which is yet to be fully implemented by many states.

Within the space of forty-years (1981-2021) of the struggle for na onal minimum wage, what factors have been responsible for inability of workers wage to meet the cost of providing basic needs?

“What can give us a better life and food security is production and productivity with export oriented production of goods and services, especially in agriculture with which we have comparative advantage. Only a deliberate programme and policy of the government at all levels could guarantee this and the current ruling elite don’t seem to be interested”

Rescuing The Soul Of Osun APC

Teleporting To Decent Working And Living Condition In 1980s, 90s and 2000, there were reasonable levels of produc on and produc vi es. Aside some limited mechanised farming, substan al numbers of peasant farmers were on their farms producing cash and arable crops, livestock to feed the local and mul na onal factories springing up for produc on in the ci es. At that period, tex le industry, for instance, was the next largest employer of labour a er government. Every man earned money as a means of exchange for goods and services. From year 2000 ll now, things have been on a very fast reverse gear. In fact, in the last ten years especially, things have gone from bad to worse.

As a result of government policies and body language encouraging wealth without source of labour, nobody is interested in farming and produc vity again but in anything what will fetch quick money. Rapidly, agricultural areas were deserted with concomitant collapse of factories

STRIKER

as the produc on environment is too stuffy for produc on and profit making. For instance, lack of constant electricity with prohibi ve prices of petroleum products to power electric generating sets and maintenance, bad roads which are threats to goods delivery among numerous hosle condi ons and policies evaporated the factories and being replaced with mega-prayer centres for ‘riches and prosperity.’ For li le farmers who s ll believe in working to earning money, a acks unleashed on them by kidnappers, bandits, ca le rustlers, headsmen have forced them out of the farms with this condi on ge ng worst every day. If today, minimum wage is raised to N100,000, it is not sufficient for a worker with a family of five to have access to basic means of life. Therefore, Comrade Ayuba Wabba demand for review of workers salary is in order.

However, as infla on renders the past and present wage useless, so will same happen to

Page 5

any upward review. The price of every basic thing is prohibi ve. Electricity tariff has been reviewed upward with pending inten on to further increase. The house rent has increased as the landlords will pass the bulk to their tenants.

The market men and women, ar sans and other service providers will jack up their fees to be able to cope with their rising bills. In essence, huge money will con nue to progressively command li le goods and services.

Except government is dedicated to contain insecurity and take prac cal steps on mechanised farming, produc on and produc vity, big money will con nue to chase small goods and the value of naira will con nue to depreciate.

While con nuing to agitate for increase in workers wage to cope with the precarious situa on we have found ourselves, labour leadership should wake up from its slumber by doing the needful – form and launch a labour party in name, philosophy, orienta on and programmes that will make life be er for the poor working people as the present ruling elite with the excepon of very few are thieves and rogues and have no ideological compass on how to move us forward. What can give us a be er life and food security is produc on and produc vity with export oriented produc on of goods and services, especially in agriculture with which we have compara ve advantage. Only a deliberate programme and policy of the government at all levels could guarantee this and the current ruling elite don’t seem to be interested. All they want is free petrodollar and how they will steal it for their own personal aggrandisements. The earlier the labour leadership takes this ini a ve, the nearer to decent and be er life for the mass majority of the poor working people as against the present poverty and misery in the midst of plenty.

Striker is not the opinion of the Columnist featured above

Where Are Our Popular Organisations?

P

OPULAR Organisa ons are generally described as ins tu ons or groups of people with the same interest or ideology who come together to par cipate in the democra c process of a country or are united on certain professional, community, poli cal, cultural or socio-economic goals.

From charity, philanthropy, healthcare, emergency management to human rights and poli cs, there are thousands of civic organisa ons, otherwise called Civil Society Organisa ons (CSOs), as well as labour, students and professional organisa ons in Nigeria today.

Under repressive military rule, especially the last tranche of 15 years between 1984 and 1999, we witnessed the blossom and full impact of popular organisa ons in their truest standing as pressure groups. Strangely, the return to “democracy” for the last 22 years - since 1999 - has done devasta ng damage to popular organisa ons.How and why so is serious scholarly theme for the intellectually inclined. The fact today is that, apart from commendable and up-and-doing Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), and to a lesser extent, the Academic Staff Union of Universi es (ASUU), all our glorious popular organisaons and NGOs need a Jesus to raise their Lazarus from the grave, minding that Saint Lazarus of Bethany though was dead only for four days before encountering Jesus!

Democracy is concretely about the people, not about poli cians and government; and that is why it is popularly said that people get the type of government they de-

serve. Whenever you have “demonstra onof-craze” instead of democracy and you are delivered pathe c governance instead of good governance, the common place but shallow thing is to blame poli cians and the government, forge ng that a people not in good standing as per values and orienta on cannot birth poli cs, poli cians and government that is either good or for the people.

Poverty and ignorance have terrible nega ve impacts on individual and social values without doubt. However, “dark days reveal the sterling worth of men and women.”

Things only get worse, the “good old days” when men and women rose up against tyranny and injus ce were li le be er than today in terms of miseries and want; only the quantum and context has changed.

Where are the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Na onal Associa on of Nigerian Students (NANS), Nigerian Medical Associa on (NMA), Nigerian Bar Associa on (NBA), Civil Liber es Organisa on (CLO), and Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) of those days, and many more that space will not permit men on?

There were and s ll are cultural associaons, community organisa ons, trade unions, professional associa ons and democracy and rights groups dedicated to securing the welfare of ci zens. Where are they now in a season demanding clear ar cula on, intransigence, chivalry and heroism for the redemp on of a na on fast sliding into the precipice? What accounts for the silence and shameful capitula on? Surely, the vacuum created by their coma is responsible

for deadly, inar culate and destruc ve outbursts against oppression and injus ce, as nature abhors such vacuum. The least that can be done by them is a coming together to very loudly clarify the na onal situa on in an unbiased, popular context, and table their demands for those that have the responsibility to move Nigeria forwards rather than into hell. They can do so in such a manner that grabs na onal a en on, fires popular imagina on and inspires collec ve pressure and construc ve engagement of the powers-that-be.

Not every popular ac on implies hos lity and confronta on with the government or the state, not to men on violence. No. Indeed, most produc ve engagement of inordinate power, with firm resolve and full pressure, are always civil, non-violent mass ac ons borne of coordinated ac vi es based on well enunciated posi ons and demands around which there is mass mobilisa on.

We need our mass and popular organisa ons back from the grave now. One and all ci zen has a role to play in their resurrecon and rejuvena on. Their role is simply to recreate and forge together a people whose views, values, disposi ons and choices are purified be er than it is today, and quickly reorganise them accordingly. It is such a people that will not allow any poli cs, poli cian or government to lead them down the drain through visionless, parochial and divisive poli-tricking and vile governance. Like the Late Murtala Muhammed said donkey years ago, “it is me to reflect, to rethink and to act!”

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