Osun Defender Online Version of September 30, 2022

47 School Teachers Battling Mental Health Problems In

NYusuf Oketola exercise, we discovered that some teachers were no longer leaving in the state but earning salaries.

O fewer than 47 public school teachers in the State of Osun are currently ba ling and undergoing rehabilitaon for different types of mental health challenges in the state.

This was disclosed by the state Commissioner for Educa on, Hon. Folorunso Oladoyin, while addressing a press conference on Monday, September 19,2022.

According to Oladoyin, instead of sacking the affected teachers, the state decided to help them seek rehabilita on.

He disclosed that the government has also discovered that surrogate teachers exist in public schools in the state, just as some teachers are also suffering from different health challenges.

He also disclosed that the Ministry of Educa on has eliminated examinaon malprac ces in public schools across the state.

The commissioner said: “We also discovered that 47 ac ve teachers at various schools were suffering from different mental health challenges. Rather than disengaging them, we place them on rehabilita on programme a er which two have resumed their duty post.

“We are also tackling the problem of quack teachers, especially deployment of Na onal Youth Service Corps members as main teachers, as well as N-Power teachers, to ensure that our students get quality service delivery, hence, recruitment of 2500 teachers to deliver on our vision.

“We have also discovered great truancy among teachers in the state. During one of the supervision

“A teacher has relocated abroad for over two years, yet drawing salary on monthly basis. Another is prac cing legal profession only to schedule student to come for lessons on weekends.

“We also discovered that a female teacher has relocated to Ogun State and only come around weekends to take classes while another one has been employed as lecturer at a Federal University, but engaged a surrogate teacher and paying him N10,000.”

Oladoyin stated that the ministry has eliminated exam malprac ce in all the public schools in the state.

He said contrary to previous years when 266 public secondary schools were caught to be involve in examina on malprac ces by the West African Examinaon Council (WAEC) officials out of the 308 that presented candidates for the exams, only one public secondary school was caught in the same act in 2019.

The commissioner said that is a great success in the bid to tackle examina on malprac ces and enhance quality educa on in the state.

Aree Stool: Intrigues, Conspiracies As Stakeholders Accuse Govt. Of Frustrating Selection Process

Ismaeel Uthman Kazeem Badmus

THERE is an ongoing conspiracy to connue frustra ng the selec on and appointment of a new Aree of Iree, the headquarters of Boripe North Local Council Development Area in the State of Osun, stakeholders have alleged.

Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that some government officials and princes, who are not disposed to a judgment of a State High Court which directed kingmakers in Iree to commence process on the selec on of a new Aree, are not ready to allow the community have a new tradi onal leader.

The government officials have not given their nod to the selec on of a new Aree and have also paused the bureaucra c process for the kingmakers to start ac on on the stool.

Aree stool became vacant when Oba Jimoh Olayoonu, Larooye II, joined his ancestors on July 8, 2018.

Oba Olayoonu hailed from Olaro ruling house.

Controversies and skimming had been trailing the selec on of a new Aree, as about five ruling houses, except Olaro, were laying claim to the stool.

It was learnt that Oyekunle, Oye te, Iyaola, Ojo and Olubonku ruling houses had indicated interest in the vacant stool.

However, a prince from Iyiola ruling house, Alhaji Lasisi Ayinde Lawal, dragged the kingmakers and five other ruling houses to court.

Lawal contested that it was the turn of his ruling house, Iyaola, to produce the next Aree.

Iyaola ruling house was the third on the list of ruling houses contained in the Chie aincy Declara on of Aree of Iree, 1957.

The ruling house was supposed to produce the new Aree a er the demise of Oba Michael Omotosho of Oye te ruling house who died in 2003.

But the Iyaola ruling house was unable to produce Oba Omotosho’s successor. The two ruling houses that followed Iyaola in the succession line, Ojo and Olubonko, also failed to produce candidate for the stool.

It was gathered that there was serious misunderstanding between the third, forth and fi h ruling houses and were unable to se le for a candidate to succeed Oba Omotosho.

However, the sixth ruling house, Olaro, produced Prince Jimoh Olayoonu Olatoyan who later be-

came the Aree in 2004.

According to Lawal in the suit filed before Jus ce Jide Falola of a State High Court si ng in Osogbo, it was the turn of his ruling house, Iyaola, to produce the next Aree.

He argued that since Iyiola was unable to produce the Aree at its righ ul me, it should be allowed to succeed Oba Olatoyan of the sixth ruling house.

But Olubonku ruling house, which was the seventh defendant in the suit, argued that the rota on order of the Aree stool has been neglected in 2003 which paved way for the emergence of Oba Olatoyan.

The ruling house said all the other ruling houses have produced Aree more than once except it, praying the court to declare it as the next house to produce new Aree.

In its response to the suit, Oye te ruling house, which is the ninth defendant in the suit, also said the rota on order on the

Aree stool has been neglected since 2003, praying the court to declare that all ruling houses were en tled to produce the next Aree.

Oye te also sought an order of the court to declare that whichever of the ruling houses that is able to produce the next Aree should automa cally become number one on the rota on order while other ruling houses will follow in sequen al order.

The 10th defendant, Oyekun ruling house which is the first on the list of ruling houses, said the rota on order on the stool has not been je soned, arguing that it is its turn to produce the next Aree being the next to Olaro, the sixth ruling house.

Ruling on the ma er on June 27, 2022, Jus ce Falola invalidated the Aree of Iree Chie aincy Declaraon, 1957 which contains the succession order to the throne.

The judge also declared Iyaola, Olubonku, Oye te

and Oyekun as the eligible ruling houses to produce candidate to fill the vacant stool.

He consequently barred Ojo and Olaro ruling houses from par cipating in the selec on process.

Jus ce Falola held that whoever emerges as the new Aree or the Governor of the state should take necessary steps to compile, approve and register a new acceptable and workable Chie ains Declara on for Aree of Iree.

Sequel to the judgement of the court, the kingmakers started the selec on process for the appointment of a new Aree.

They have reportedly wri en the Iyaola, Olubonku, Oye te and Oyekun ruling houses to nominate candidates for the vacant stool, in line with the court judgement.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the kingmakers, led by Chief Saliu Atoyebi, the Aogun of Iree, have wri en the Local Govern-

ment and the State Government to no fy them for the commencement of the selec on process.

The selecon process, it was gathered was to start on Friday, September 23, 2022.

However, none of the officials of the local and state governments showed up at the kingmakers’ mee ng that Friday, according to a High Chief who prayed not to be named.

The High Chief also told the medium that security opera ves did not also honour the mee ng as required.

“The police and DSS officers were ready to a end the mee ng but were told by a government official in our town to disregard the invita on”, said the chief.

As of the me of filing this report, both the local government and state government, it was gathered, have not communicated the kingmakers, either to authorise them to forge ahead on the selec on process or to hold on.

One of the kingmakers who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER under condion of anonymity yesterday said: “we (kingmakers) have met and ini ated the selec on process for new Aree as directed by the court. Some princes from eligible ruling houses have also bought interest form.

“We wrote the local and state governments, police and DSS to the effect that the selec on process will

S’Court Dashes Oyetola’s Hope, Dismiss Babayemi’s Case

Ismaeel Uthman

GOVERNOR Adegboyega Oyetola and his supporters have suffered a setback on the plan to remain in power a er his electoral defeat at the July 16 governorship elec on in the state.

One of the strong cases relied upon by Oyetola and his followers to take advantage of was the pre-elec on ma er ins tuted by a governorship candidate of the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP), Prince Dotun Babayemi, against the candidature of the Governor-elect, Sen. Ademola Adeleke.

Babayemi was pray-

officially start on Friday, September 16, 2022. They are to have representa ve in all we are to do as regard the selec on and appointment of new Aree in line with the law.

“The governments, both local and state, acknowledged our le er, but none of their officials showed up at the meeting. Security officials who had wanted to come to the mee ng were also recalled.

“Help us to beg the government; we are due for a tradi onal ruler. The government is the one delaying us; we are ready for the selec on process, but the local and state governments seem to have ulterior mo ve on this ma er.”

However, a senior official at the Boripe North Local Council Development Aree who does not want his name in print, said the Ministry of Local Government and Chie aincy Affairs has not given direc ve to the local government on the selec on process.

He said: “We cannot do this thing by ourselves. The state – ministry of local government and chieftaincy affairs has not given us direc ve on it, and we cannot do anything except the state directed us.”

Some stakeholders in Iree directly accused the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Adeleke Adebayo, of frustra ng the selec on process because the ruling house where his preferred aspirant hails from has been barred from contes ng the stool.

We’re Following Due Process – Govt.

But when contacted, Adeleke said the government was following due process on the selec on process.

The commissioner said there is a process to be followed in the selec on of a new tradi onal ruler and Aree of Iree in par cular.

on won by Adeleke.

However, the case was dismissed by the Supreme court yesterday,

dashing Oyetola’s hope.

Oyetola and his supporters had prayed and reportedly embarked on poli cal move to ensure that the court nullify the PDP primaries which produced both Babayemi and Adeleke.

If the court had nullified the primary, Oyetola would be the beneficiary as the runner-up in the July 16 governorship poll.

OSUN DEFENDER observed that the court judgment has dampened the moral of members of IleriOluwa camp of the APC, who had heavily relied on the case to sustain the con nuity of Oyetola in government.

He advised the stakeholders in Iree to allow the ministry to follow all the necessary procedures needed on the selec on process.

The commissioner said: “They should know there is a process to be followed. Let them allow the ministry to follow all the necessary procedures”.

However, findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that about 10 princes from Oye te, Oyekun and Olubonku ruling houses have indicated interest in the Aree stool.

It was learnt that only one aspirant came from Oye te while about seven and three aspirants showed up in Oyekun and Olubonku respec vely.

•Oyetola

ing the court to declare him as the righ ul candidate of the PDP in the last gubernatorial elec-

•Babayemi

•Corps Members erecting a signboard at Fakunle area, Osogbo as part of the campaign against Corruption. Photo. Shola Aderinto.

Oct 1: Not Just Another Anniversary

TOMORROW, the first of October is not just a date in the calendar, it was a momentous day in 1960 when Nigeria, one of the United Kingdom’ s biggest colonies, pulled down the Union Jack and became independent.

It was a date with des ny with due acknowledgement to the “Tryst With Des ny “ speech made by Prime Minister Pandit Nehru to India’s cons tuent assembly on the eve of India’s independence in 1947.

India’s “Tryst” was born amidst carnage and slaughter caused by the gran ng of independence to Pakistan on the day before independence.

India has since seen great but uneven strides. A week ago, India in a twist of irony displaced Britain the former colonial overlord as the fi h largest economy in the world.

The jury is mixed on Nigeria. That a vast mul na onal diverse en ty is s ll together is worthy of applause. It has some mes been par cularly dicey as in for example during the civil war which was a close-run thing.

However, mixed the evaluaon of the jury, the country must now face the future. It has no alterna ve than to do so. With popula on growth figures outstripping economic growth rates, the future must be faced with strategic urgency.

Awash for a me with cash from crude oil sales in the sevenes, Nigeria missed the opportunity to partake in the third industrial revolu on by building the much needed Basic Industries, such as Iron and Steel, Machine Tools, Petrochemicals and so forth. It s ll has to do so while at the same me playing catch up by taking part in and trying to be relevant in the fourth industrial revolu on of “the internet if all things”. It will be a delicate juggling balancing act but it must be done.

In playing catch up, Nigeria

“Going along with this, there must be fiscal stability in order to achieve social justice; a very painful lesson currently being learnt is that inflation is a punitive tax on the least protected sectors. Without macroeconomic stability, it will be hard to achieve the social cohesiveness so vitally needed for sustainable development”

will be at the same wading off existen al threats on a number of fronts.

The threats being waded off are as a result of the failure to resolve the issues pertaining to the conflict of the na onal groups usually referred to as “the naonal ques on”.

A transi on from ‘a mere geographical expression ‘into real na onhood can only be built on the founda on of social cohesion which translates into fairness. There must be equity to achieve “peaceful coexistence in one country”. Greater sensi vity must be shown to minori es, the disadvantaged those le behind and the marginalised.

Going along with this, there must be fiscal stability in order to achieve social jus ce; a very painful lesson currently being learnt is that infla on is a punive tax on the least protected sectors. Without macroeconomic stability, it will be hard to achieve the social cohesiveness so vitally needed for sustainable development.

We are nevertheless op misc about a be er future in which the excep onal, diverse talents of the Nigerian ingenuity will be harnessed for sustainable development, the a ainment of everincreasing standards of living as we move forward to a closer more harmonious union.

Happy anniversary to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

OPINION B Y BY K A N M I KANMI

A D E M I L U Y I ADEMILUYI

Flag Independence Day And Facing The Future

THE past has not been edifying since we obtained independence on the first day of October, 1960. For that reason; it is be er to face the future. The use of the phrase ma ers; for “Let us face the future” was the seminal” offering for the considera on of the people of Britain”, being the path-changing manifesto with which the Labour Party unexpectedly won the post Second World war Elec on of 1945.

It was an astonishing unexpected feat. Nobody, including the Labour Party, had remotely expected that Sir Winston Churchill, the war hero “saviour of the na on” and near deity could be defeated. Against the run of play however, Sir Winston was resoundingly defeated in an epic landslide.

The manifesto of the Labour Party in that pivotal elec on in 1945, not only led the party to victory, it changed the course of Britain’s history. The cause and effect reverberated around the world. Men and women as diverse as Pandit Nehru, Obafemi Awolowo, Kwame Nkrumah, a very young Nelson Mandela amongst so many others were enthused by it.

We should hope for such a decisive sea change as we celebrate independence day tomorrow. For there is a confusion about what many have come to see as ‘flag independence’ and the failure of the post - colonial state to deliver what had been expected.

Such a cri cal intersec on makes one to recall the observa on of a budding young journalist who went on to great reckon, Karl Marx.

Observing the tragic – comedy unfolding in the government of President Louis Napoleon Bonarparte in France, Marx observed in commentaries that changed poli cal analyses forever that “Men make their own history but they do not do so of their own free will, they do so under circumstances and in a situa on which they will not have wanted or desired. In the process, the norms, the tradi ons of the genera ons that have long gone they weigh like a NIGHTMARE on the souls of the living”.

Marx’s statement con nues to haunt suc-

“The report of the Oronsaye committee on the costs of the machinery must now be implemented. The corruption-inducing multiple exchange rates must be eliminated and replaced with a single rate. The racketeering called ‘subsidy’ has to go. The state must also muster the political will to end oil theft.”

ceeding. In the case of Nigeria, it is certainly nightmarish. For apart from the self-serving, as well as the delusional, there is a feeling of guilt and remorse about the trunca on of the hopes of independence.

The dividends expected are uneven. What had been an cipated was a new society based on a balanced federalism anchored on equity, fairness and social jus ce. This is in stark contrast to what we see around us and it is a crying shame.

The me has come for a reboot. Whoever takes over next year must decisively, with in the words of President Obama “the fierce urgency of now” embark upon a new beginning.

The can has been kicked down the road which means that very difficult decisions long postponed must now be made. The new president must not be shackled with the obsession with a second term. The mindset of “one good term deserves another” and similar balderdash will not help in making very decisive and electoral inconvenient decisions.

To return to produc on and generate revenues, there must be a return to the ethos and the spirit of the 1960 and the 1963 cons tuons. With the terms of trade turned against us, there is no alterna ve.

OSUN DEFENDER

The report of the Oronsaye commi ee on the costs of the machinery must now be implemented. The corrup on-inducing mulple exchange rates must be eliminated and replaced with a single rate. The racketeering called ‘subsidy’ has to go. The state must also muster the poli cal will to end oil the . The in-tray for the incoming president will be fully loaded with conten ous files needing decisive o en unpalatable decisions.

Nigeria needs a democra c spring to have the naonal rebirth necessary for survival. We can only hope that in spite of the cynicism, we will have our own “cometh the moment cometh the man” moment. With a demographic youth bulge, it has be er be so.

Multimillion Naira ICT Centre Abandoned Years After Completion In Ilobu

AN Informa on Communicaon Technology (ICT) Centre built at Ilobu, the headquarters of Irepodun Local Government area of the State of Osun has been under lock and key years a er its comple on, findings have revealed.

The mul million naira ICT project which was located at A.D.S Grammar School, Ilobu was reported to have been facilitated by the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representa ves, Rt. Hon. Lasun Yusuf and it has been le untouched since he le office in 2019.

OSUN DEFENDER visited the site of the ICT Centre on Wednesday and noted that the building has been overgrown with weeds and nobody was found at the premises.

The building, according to reports gathered by OSUN DEFENDER , is fully equipped with computers of high performance which can be used for JAMB and

other external exams.

A staff of the A.D.S Grammar School who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER under the condi on of anonymity, said the ICT has been in place since

he came to the school in 2019, but has not been put to use ll now.

He claimed that he didn’t know whether the ICT centre is built for the school or for

Again, Adeleke Accuses Oyetola Of Malicious Recruitment, Contract Award

THE transi on commi ee of the State of Osun Governor-elect, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, has again accused Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of embarking on malicious recruitment and award of contracts in his efforts to bankrupt and plunge the state into a deeper financial mess.

According to the transion commi ee, Oyetola’s administra on has surrepously embarked on the recruitment of 500 health workers.

The commi ee in a release signed by the Chairman, Media Sub-Commi ee, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, said the recruit-

ment was contrary to rules and extant prac ces, adding that those being recruited are mostly members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The commi ee also accused the governor of awarding mul -billion naira capital projects without tenders and compliance with procurement law.

It added that the awards are designed to blackmail the incoming government and mainly handed over to known cronies of the Governor.

The commi ee said it had reports that more than three of such contracts have been awarded in the last two weeks.

The release which was

made available to OSUN DEFENDER yesterday reads in part: “We learnt reliably that the outgoing administra on has commenced recruitment of 500 health workers through the Execu ve Secretary for Osun State Primary Health Care Board whose appointment was also recently done through the back door despite lack of requisite qualifica ons.

“The recruitment shrouded in mystery is a pla orm for a deliberate ploy to increase the state payroll and complicate efforts to address the parlous state of the state’s finance.

“Just a few weeks ago, the outgoing administra on embarked on sudden employment of 1,500 teachers hiding under the guise of filling vacancies while in real fact, it was part of a broader plan to financially incapacitate the incoming administra on. As usual, the exercise is a job for the boys, lacking the necessary manpower planning and development strategies.

“To confirm the sinister mo ve, the outgoing Governor has also been awarding mul -billion naira capital projects without tenders and compliance

with procurement law. The awards designed to blackmail the incoming government are mainly handed over to known cronies of the Governor with reports confirming that more than three of such contracts have been awarded in the last two weeks.

“We are thus not surprised when we learned of the ongoing recruitment of another set of medical workers contrary to rules and extant prac ces. Insiders confirm that those being recruited are mostly APC members without regards to qualifica ons and their suitability”.

The transi on committee appealed to the people of the State not to fall prey, saying all recruitments effected in breach of manpower planning strategy and whose sole goal is to lay me bomb for the newly elected Governor won’t stand.

“We urge people of Osun state not to fall prey to the latest an cs of the Oyetola team. All recruitments effected in breach of manpower planning strategy and whose sole goal is to lay me bomb for newly elected Governor can’t stand”, it said.

the use of the en re community, saying that there have never been an official communica on to the

school regarding the project.

The President of Ilobu Development Union, Mr. Femi Salako, when contacted, said there was an ongoing process to revive the project, saying stakeholders have approached Hon. Lasun Yussuff who also expressed disappointment over the condion of the project.

He said: “When we no ced as concerned ci zens, we approached Hon Lasun Yusuf who facilitated the project; he also expressed his disappointment and promised to step in and do all it takes to ensure the centre is put to beneficial use of the community, including spending his own resources to upgrade it if need be.”

Flood: Traders Lament, Call For Urgent Intervention

Kazeem Badmus

TRADERS at MDS and New Orisunmibare in Osogbo, capital of the State of Osun, have lamented incessant flood occurrence at the area whenever there is downpour.

The traders appealed to the state government to urgently address the recurring menace of flooding in the area.

Flood has been prevalent in the area for months as a result of the blockage of drainage and erosion channels which prevented the free flow of water when it rains.

Some of the traders who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday said the incessant flooding in the area is a threat to their business and safety.

“We are always afraid of losing our goods and proper es to flood whenever it rains in this area, said Mrs Abosede Agunbiade, a trader at MDS.

She noted that traders whose shops are by the roadside have lost their goods mes without number to flooding this year, calling on relevant authori es to come to their aid.

Another trader, Abimbola Olasunkanmi, called on the government to be responsive in permanently pu ng a stop to

flooding in the area.

She said all the flood preven on measures taken by the traders have not been frui ul, sta ng that only government can take appropriate steps to stop the menace.

She said: “This is the issue we have been having during rainy season. Traders, especially those of us with our shops near the road went through a lot to prevent the loss of goods whenever there is downpour.

“Some of the drainage has been blocked and the other ones are too ny to accommodate erosion when there is downpour. If you see us during this period, you will pity us.

“The government is the only one that can help us and I’m appealing to them to beam their favorable searchlight at us and end this menace”.

Another trader, Mrs. Olabisi Gbadamosi, said leaders of the market had wri en series of letters to the state government over the flooding but nothing has come out of it yet.

“Our leaders have wri en the government about the flooding on many occasions but to the best of my knowledge, nothing good has come out from it. We need government’s interven on here” she said.

Yusuf Oketola

•The abandoned ICT centre.

Kazeem Badmus

•Oyetola•Adeleke

Olojo: A Unique Cultural Display Festival

Ismaeel Uthman

YORUBA is very rich in culture and tradi on. The glamour of the Yoruba culture and tradi on resonate in various fes vals of ancient towns in the South western part of Nigeria. Each town in Yorubaland has her own dis nc ve fes val(s) that appeals to nonYoruba speaking people to par cipate. Aside from tradi onal rites which are core ac vi es that are always seclusive, the Yoruba fes vals are adorned with cultural display to entertain the audience.

One of such beau ful and popular fes val is Olojo Fes val in Ile-Ife. Ife is the cradle of Yoruba race. It is an ancient city in South-western Nigeria. The city is located in the State of Osun, and it is about 218 kilometers northeast of Lagos. The town lies at the intersec on of roads from Ibadan (40 miles [64 km] west), Ilesa, and Ondo. It is one of the larger centres and probably the oldest town of the Yoruba people.

Olojo is an occasion held in celebra on of the “Ojo Ojo di jo” which literally means the day of the first dawn, believed to had been first experienced in the historical city. It is also an event celebra ng Ogun, the god of iron, Sango, the god of thunder and Aje, goddess of richness. The event is an embodiment of culture and tradi on.

The 2022 edi on of the Olojo fes val was held between Friday, September 23 to Monday, September 26. The four-day event was themed “African Con nental Free Trade Area: Showcasing Domes c Tourism With Olojo Fes val”.

The fes val started with Ojo Ilagun which is manifested in the Iwode, a community cleansing rite. There was also a terrestrial message from the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, to the people of IleIfe and to the world. Ooni’s Adire Hub Fiesta, a showcase of the City’s indigenous local fabrics, the Adire Oodua, was also featured prominently on the first day of the Olojo fes val .

Aare culture procession and Ojaja Grand Resort Musical Concert was held the following day, the fes val Grand Finale known as the Ojo Okemogun

The third day was Ojo Ajoyo or Asekagba on which presented Ooni’s Grand Royal invita onal recep on.

Known as Ojo Ibile, the Ooni’s ancestral tradi onal propi a on as well as a cultural talent hunt was held last Saturday which was the peak of the fes val. The event was witnessed by prominent Nigerians and tourists from the world over.

OSUN DEFENDER reporter was at the event and noted that Olojo fes val is a unique annual culture event that a racts millions of people and gets the ancient city agog. Members of different occul c groups were openly displaying their iden es. It was a no hold back tradional event with maximum security opera ves. There was no incidence of violence before, during and a er the event held at Enuwa Square, the Palace of the Ooni of Ife.

Tradi onal rites which are not harmful to the people were openly performed at the fes val. There was procession for the wizards, supernatural human being, appeasement of the god of riches. Cultural performance was also held to showcase Ogun, the god of iron and Sango, god of thunder.

A middle-aged man who incarnated Esu, (the divine messenger, trickster god of chance, principle of indeterminacy, and essence of fate among the Yoruba tradional believer) was seeing drinking a cock’s blood a er decapita ng its head. The man was moving round the premises of the event with the dead cock hanging on its le shoulder.

A er the cultural displays and open tradi onal rites, the Ooni of Ife re red to Ile Igbo to wear the ancient Aare crown. The crown is said to weigh 50kg and would only be worn by Ooni after special rites, among which is a seven-day seclusion before the start of Olojo fes val.

A er wearing the crown, Ooni was seen in different form. He appeared possessed by some spirits, but he was also averagely conscious. His walking steps was not balance as he managed to pray for the people of Ife, the ancient town, Osun and Nigeria at large. He was walking amidst conven onal and tradi onal security opera ves. There were also some long-cane-wielding men who were scaring bystanders away to create a clear part for Ooni.

At the event was President Muhammadu Buhari who was represented by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf

Aregbesola.

In his goodwill message, Buhari charged Nigerians to restore the old glory of the country in farming, saying that the bedrock of Nigeria’s economy was famously known to be agriculture.

The president said farming is the only solu on to end hunger and food insecurity.

He recalled that Olojo fes val showcased Yoruba culture at its best. It was in the olden days a sociocultural event to showcase farm produce, hardwork and declara on of agricultural profits.

The President also tasked Nigerians on collecve effort in ending insecurity in Nigeria, saying that security agencies should not be le alone to tackle various threats facing the na on.

He said: “Olojo fes val was an event in the olden days to showcase farm produce, profits made in farming and agriculture at large.

“It will gladen my heart if Nigerians could restore the old glory of farming; this Olojo fes val too should also bring back the old days of showcasing farm produce, hard work and good character.

“The fes val should not be for merriment alone. Merriment should come a er work. There should not be merriment without work. Working is the an dote to poverty.

“I must also say that security is our collec ve effort. We should not leave security ma er to security agencies alone. If we leave security agencies to handle security issue alone, there will not be adequate security.

“We are collec vely responsible for provision of security. The government will do its own while the people should also support the security agencies. We should report any suspicious move or person in our environment to the security agents.

“I appreciate Ooni’s effort in ending insecurity in Nigeria. Collec vely, we will end insecurity in Nigeria.”

•Oba Adeyeye with the ancient Aare crown.

•Participants at the festival.

Religion

Iseek refuge in Allah from the devil the accursed and I start in the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful. I testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. I also testify that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is His Messenger. May the benediction be upon his soul, members of his household, his companions and those who follow his ways till the last day.

JUMAT SERMON JUMAT SERMON

(4) Taking a FIRM DECISION not to commit such sin in future.

(5) The repentance must be TIMELY: i.e. when it is acceptable, this is divided into two; general and specific.

By Imaam Raji, Musa Oladapo

By Imaam Raji, Musa Oladapo

Say O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves by committing evil deeds and sins. Despair not of Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly He is oft Forgiving Most Merciful.

This discourse would not have come at any other time better than this, when various degrees of sins are being committed every moment unabated. And if truly we are seeking the countenance of Our Creator, we must put an end to wallowing in sins. Allah (SW) our Creator honours and prefers us to other creatures. He gives us reasoning faculty that makes us to excel above other creatures. But alas! What we are doing is contrary to the expectations of Allah, and then we still expect His mercy to be in abundance, whereas mercy and blessing of Allah are not given to sinners and perpetrators of evil acts.

Allah (SW) is happy when a servant repents to Him, because He was created by Himself and created other things for the benefit of mankind. He (Allah) has made the heavens and earth and whatever therein of service to the mankind. Even the angels whom we believe to be closer to Allah, Allah still makes them to be subservient to mankind by charging them (angels) to guard mankind at all times. As a result of this uniqueness of mankind, he has succeeded in having a manifest enemy (satan) or devil who always wishes to distant mankind from Allah. He (devil) always provides paths that will lead him (mankind) to distant him from Allah. In fact in most cases, he (devil) will make the path attractive and adorable for his perceived enemy to follow because his happiness lies in that. Should somebody fall prey to his trick, he rejoices at this type of situation, because he considers it as part of his score card over the mankind.

Let Us Turn To Allah In Repentance

If however, a servant turns to Allah in repentance, the devil became annoyed because he regards it as a loss, but he will still strive harder probably such person can still be in his shackle. It is our duty therefore to do everything humanly possible to free ourselves from this avowed enemy. If a servant returns to His master confessing his misdeeds with moody appearance, there is every probability for the master to change his anger to pleasure and punishment to reward.

Nevertheless, my esteemed readers, sincere repentance has five conditions that must be in place before Allah accepts it. These will be explained in brevity:

(1) Repentance must be SINCERE for the continence of Allah, without any atom of showoff or because of worldly gain. If it is otherwise, such repentance is not accepted. Allah says: “So, call you upon Allah making worship pure for Him” (Quran 4:14).

(2) Showing of REGRET over one’s misdeed: This must reflect on him of being sober and blaming his soul for the sin he has committed.

(3) Total REFRAIN from such sin: This is necessary because if he persists in repeating the same act, it appears as if he does not take Allah serious or his repentance could be likened to being sarcastic. This type of repentance lacks sincerity of purpose and it is not accepted.

Crime

Man Lands In Prison For Allegedly Defiling 4-year-old Girl In Ikirun

AN Osogbo Magistrates Court, on Tuesday, ordered that a 37-year-old man, Abiodun Babatunde, be remanded in Ilesa Correconal Centre for allegedly defiling a four-year-old girl in Ikirun.

Babatunde was re-arraigned before the court on a four-count charge bordering on rape, sexual assault and threat to life.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the accused person was earlier arraigned before an Ikirun Chief Magistrate Court on August 21, 2022 before the case was transferred to the State Criminal Inves ga on Department, Osogbo.

According to the charge sheet obtained by OSUN DEFENDER, the accused person commi ed the offence on March 20, 2022 at Surulere Area, Ikirun, State of Osun.

Police prosecutors, Inspector Elisha Olusegun, told the court that the accused person also allegedly threatened to murder the minor if she men oned the incident to

anyone before he was arrested.

Olusegun said a er the incident, the vic m had to undergo a medical procedure following injuries she sustained.

The alleged offence contravened the provisions of Sec ons 31(1) (2) and 32 of the Child’s Rights laws of Osun, 2007 and Sec ons 360 and 86 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Vol. II, Laws of Osun State, 2002.

But the plea of the accused person was not taken due to the nature e of the offence.

In his ruling, the presiding Magistrate, A.O Odeleye, ordered that the accused person be remanded in Ilesa Correconal Centre.

Odeleye directed the police to transfer the case file to the Directorate of Public Prosecu ons (DPP) in Osun for legal advice.

The case was adjourned ll November 3, 2022 for men on.

The general one is the repentance a sinner makes before the sunrise from where it used to set. Any repentance after this is not acceptable. Allah says; “The day that some of the signs of your Lord do come, no good will it do to a person to believe then, if he believe not before, nor earned good (by performing deeds of righteousness) through his faith” (Quran 6:158). “The signs of your Lord” in the verse was interpreted to be rising of the sun from the west (where it used to set) by the Prophet (SAW).

The specific one is the repentance that one makes when one is dying, this is not acceptable for Allah says; “Allah only accepts the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and foolishness and repent soon (i.e. afterwards). It is they whom Allah will forgive and Allah is Ever all Knower, all Wise. And of no effect is the repentance of those who continue to do evil deeds until death faces one of them and he says; now I regret, nor of those who die while they are disbelievers. For them we have prepared a painful torment” (Quran 4:17-18). Any repentance makes during the time of death is not acceptable.

You will all recall that Pharaoh made the same attempt but Allah turned it down. Allah says; “till drowning overtook him, he said, I believe that none has the right to be worshipped but He (Allah) in whom the children of Israel believe, and I am one of Muslims” (Quran 10:10). Listen to what Allah says thereafter “Now (you believe) while you refused to believe before and you were one of the Mufsiduun (evil doers, the corrupter)” (Quran 10:91).

With this last condition, it is pertinent to encourage ourselves and stress the need to flee to Allah in repentance because of our being shortsighted in nature, only Allah knows what the future holds for us.

Read full article on www.osundefender.com •Imaam Raji, Musa Oladapo is the Chief Imaam of Telemuland, State of Osun.

Police Arraign Cyclist Over Missing Motorcycle

Tolulope Babatunde Olamide Adeboyejo

A32-year-old commercial motorcycle operator, Femi Faniran, has been arraigned before an Osogbo Magistrate Court over a missing motorcycle in Osogbo.

Faniran was accused of absconding with a Bajaj motor-

Car Dealer Arraigned For Alleged Fraud In Osogbo

Zainab Abisola Anuoluwapo Owolabi

A59-year-old car dealer, Abiodun Famakinwa, has been arraigned before an Osogbo Magistrate Court for allegedly duping a customer of a sum of N3m in Osogbo.

Famakinwa was accused of obtaining the money from one Apanpa Richard, under the pretence of purchasing a Toyota Camry car for him.

The defendant was

also accused of using force and threat to retrieve the said vehicle from the complainant a er delivering it to him.

According to the charge sheet obtained by OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, the defendant commi ed the offence in the month of April, 2022.

The alleged offence contravened Sec on 422, 419, 516, 386, 390(9) and 406 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Vol II, Laws of Osun State, 2002.

However, the accused person pleaded not guilty to the five-count charge

bordering on conspiracy, stealing and fraud levelled against him.

Applying for the bail of the defendant, defence counsel, Kehinde Adepoju, prayed the court to admit him to bail on a liberal and term, promising that he would provide reliable sure es.

Ruling on the bail applica on, the presiding Magistrate, M.A Olatunji admi ed the accused person to bail in a sum of N1m with two sure es.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 - THURSDAY, OCTBER 06, 2022 6 The case was adjourned ll October 31, 2022 for hearing.

cycle given to him on installments by one Olanrewaju Lukman.

According to the charge sheet obtained by OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, the accused person commi ed the offence on September 17, 2022 at about 8.00pm at Dada Estate, Osogbo.

The offence contravened Sec ons 516 and 390 (9) of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Vol. II, Laws of Osun State, 2002.

The accused person, however, pleaded not guilty to a two-count charge bordering on stealing leveled against

PUBLICATION

AYANBODE WASIU OLALEKAN That AYANBODE WASIU OLALEKAN and AYANBODE WASIU TUNDE are the same, but now wish to be known and addressed as AYANBODE WASIU OLALEKAN. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

him.

Applying for the bail of the defendant, defence counsel, Tunbosun Oladipupo, prayed the court to admit him to bail on a liberal term, no ng that the accused person was robbed of the motorcycle and was injured in the process.

Oladipupo noted that the defendant was s ll receiving treatment for the injury sustained.

The counsel further explained that the accused person was a reliable cizen of the state and that a reliable surety would stand for him throughout the trial.

In his ruling, the presiding Magistrate, M.A Olatunji, admi ed the defendant to bail in sum of N100,000 with two sure es.

The case was adjourned ll October 31, 2022, for hearing.

Kazeem Badmus

Sports

English Premier League Returns After International Break

Kazeem Badmus their place at the top of the table.

THE English Premier League is set to return a er a two-week interna onal break, with clubs at the top of the table aiming to con nue their strong start and those at the bottom hoping the break will bring new fortune.

The interna onal players were back in their various clubs while the coaches have been with the non-interna onals on the training ground during the break.

The early kick-off match will see table-topping Arsenal taking on third-placed To enham in the London derby at 12:30pm tomorrow, Saturday.

The Gunners, who had won six of their first seven matches with the only defeat coming against Manchester United, will hope to avoid defeat and cement

Unbeaten To enham, meanwhile, will be aiming to lay down a maker in the race for the top four and win the London derby bragging rights.

The match will be followed by ra of matches at 3:00pm with 10 teams battling to secure the 3 points.

New Chelsea boss, Graham Po er, who will be leading his team out for his first EPL game as Chelsea Manager will be rearing to go and secure 3 points against Crystal Palace.

Meanwhile, Patrick Viera’s Palace team which will enjoy the home support will look to make life difficult for Chelsea and delay po er’s wait for his first 3 points.

Also, Liverpool will hope to beat Brighton when the seagull visits Anfield with Jurden Klopp team fla ering to deceive this season.

Liverpool will be hoping the international break brought a change in fortunes, pu ng a really poor start to the season behind them. With midfield opons now returning and opportunity to reset, Klopp’s side should now kick into gear against a Brighton side ge ng used to a new manager.

Liverpool are bookies favourite to challenge

Pogba Reflects On Second Difficult Spell At Man United

PAUL Pogba has admi ed that his second spell at Manchester United did not play out as planned and has explained his reasons for rejoining Juventus.

The French midfielder became a World Cup winner during his me with the Red Devils, but struggled for form and fitness at club level and ul mately le Old Trafford as a free agent in the summer of 2022 with serious quesons asked of his contribu on to the collec ve cause.

The 29-year-old, who became the most expensive player on the planet when returning to England for £89 million ($97m) in

2016, concedes that he fell short of expecta ons but is determined to rediscover a spark back in the familiar surrounds of Turin.

Pogba said: “I like to think and say that it is my heart that made the choice to come back to Juventus. It was also maybe the right me to come back here. The last three years in

Manchester, also condioned by injuries, did not go the way I wanted, it’s not a mystery.

“Juventus came from two years in which they did not win the Scude o. It was a good challenge for both of us, and maybe it was the right me to get together and try to take back our righ ul place: me and Juventus. Inside of me, I know that this jersey is very special. It brings out my best. We built a good history with this team, which I never forgot even when I le Coming back here for me is always a reason to push even harder, to s mulate myself to do well. I never had any doubt that this is where I belong.”

Boost For Napoli As Osimhen Returns To Training

VICTOR Osimhen has returned to Napoli training a er recovering from a hamstring injury that kept him out of Nigeria’s interna onal friendly in Oran.

The Nigeria internaonal suffered a hamstring knock during a Champions League ou ng against Liverpool.

That setback saw him missing three Serie A matches as well as the Super Eagles’ internaonal friendly against the Desert Foxes in Oran.

He is now back on his feet and Napoli have confirmed he has resumed training.

A statement from the Serie A giants’ website read: “Victor Osimhen had treatment and completed a personalised session on the pitch, while Ma eo Politano joined

the group for the warmup but then worked separately.”

Without the African star, Luciano Spalle ’s men cruised to victory over Spezia, Rangers (Champions League) and AC Milan. Even with his return date yet to be known, his impending return to full fitness is good news as the Blues will have plenty of op ons in their a acking setup.

Three- me African champions Nigeria will also be excited to see the former Lille goal machine nearing full fitness as they face Portugal in October’s interna onal friendly.

Manchester City for the le but the 2019 champions have not had the best of start with 2 wins, 3 draws and a defeat in the first seven matches.

Po er will pose a threat and aim to frustrate Liverpool as the team have had a promising start and sit 4th in the EPL table a er the last round of matches.

Other matches at 3pm will see Bournemouth host Bren ord, Fulham will face Newcastle and Everton visiting Southampton.

The late kick-off match sees Westham host Wolverhampton Wanderers at 5:30p.m

On Sunday, the first Manchester derby will take place as Second-placed Manchester City will host Manchester United who are 5th on the log at the E had stadium.

goals and 1 assist in 7 matches and will be hoping to add to his tally.

Mar nez, meanwhile, has been one of the architects of the change in fortune for United a er their shaky start which led to the club losing its first two matches.

The match will kick-off at 2pm.

Steven Gerrard will lead his Aston Villa side to take on Leeds United at 4:30pm on Sunday.

The last match of the round will be a ba le between the last two teams occupying the bo om of the table.

Brighton who will have Roberto De Zirbi at the dugout a er replacing Graham

The match is sure to see a ba le between the EPL top scorer Erling Haaland and Lizandro Mar nez.

Haaland had taken the league by storm with 11

Leicester city who are now bookies favourite to be relegated will host No ngham Forest at the King Power stadium with the match kicking off at 8:00p.m.

APC Members Threaten To Denounce Membership Over Imposition Of Candidate

Yusuf Oketola

MEMBERS of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in OtanIle, Obokun East Local Council Development Area (LCDA), State of Osun, yesterday thronged the streets to protest alleged imposi on of a chairmanship candidate by some leaders of the party in the state.

This is just as the aggrieved members threatened to denounce their membership of the party if the imposi on is not reversed.

The party members who trooped out in large numbers, said they were against the rejec on of the current Caretaker Chairman, Hon. Bello Saliu Bamidele, whom they claimed emerged the winner of the party’s local government primary elec on before the results of the polls were upturned by those they described as “powerful people” in favour of another person.

According to the protesting APC members, since the crea on of Obokun local Government, Otan-Ile had never produced any poli cal office holder.

They noted that despite their total commitment to the bid of the party, they were astonished by the decision of some party leaders to drop the name of their son, Bamidele who emerged the winner of the primary.

“Bamidele’s name was fraudulently exchanged with the name of a person who could not win his unit in both the governorship and local government primary elecons.

“What happened is purely a deliberate a empt to rub and take away our mandate”, said the APC members.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, APC Chairman,

•The protesters.

Ward 008 in Otan-Ile, Chief Isaac Akinleye, said they would do everything within their reach to take back their stolen mandate.

Akinleye said: “We are here not to fight, but to protest against the imposi on of a candidate.

“We have come to register our grievances and would take back the power of the chairman that was stolen away from us because APC in Otan-Ile has really worked hard for the party, but has never been represented in the local government since its crea on.

“The Caretaker Chairman, Saliu Bello, who emerged winner in the primary elecon held in five towns under Obukun East LCDA won in

three towns namely Imesi, Otan and Esaoke. Ilare and Esaodo did not take part in the vo ng process.

“A few days a er the elecon, the returning officer and others who came to conduct the primary elec on, made a U-turn in the results already declared, with strange figures and declared one Owoeye from Esaoke the winner.

“We want Saliu back because he is the authenc winner and if not, that means they want us out of the APC party.”

Echoing a similar view, an Otan-Ile High Chief, Mrs Ajayi Folashade, said the ancient town has been denied in the distribu on of poli cal appointment since its creaon.

APC Members Threaten To Denounce Membership Over Imposition Of Candidate

UNTIL 2011, any me bombings and killings were being reported in Nigerian media, especially on electronics media, they were always items under foreign news; they never had anything to do with our local reali es. Such news items were only associated with Iraq, Rwanda, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Somalia and other war-torn countries. In fact, one could jokingly address a friend who looked thin and pale due to stress or other factors as looking like a “Somali.” I had severally made use of the expression and one of such occasions was with a si ng governor – Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola – in the presence of his Chief of Staff, Gboyega Oyetola. I said, “Oga, I don’t know how you’ve go en it, you are now looking be er. Keep it up.” He queried immediately, “How did I look?” I replied him point blank, “You were looking like a Somali who needed UN urgent interven on!” The COS immediately rebuked me and said, “Will you stop that? How could you be addressing Oga like that? What kind of a person are you?” But Mr. Governor intervened instantaneously and said, “Please, allow him talk. He says things as he sees them.” Of course, I meant no disrespect, the COS only took the banter too seriously.

Aside 6 July 1967 – 15 January 1970 Nigerian Civil War, bombings and mass killings were alien to Nigeria. While there could be some crimes, criminalies and skirmishes here and there, we were largely used to sleeping with our two eyes closed as the security agencies were up to the task of containing and preven ng them from developing into large scale insecurity. As we speak in Nigeria today, insurgency, banditry and terrorism have become daily rou ne. Mass kidnapping has become a lucra ve business as it occurs every day with families paying millions of Naira as ransom to secure release of their members, while the unlucky ones pay ransom and s ll lose their own to kidnappers’ cruelty. While the military and other securi es agencies have done and have con nued to do their very best to arrest this pathe c situa on, some bad eggs among them have made winning the ba le difficult as they work and give intelligence to these criminal gangs.

Recently, there were reports of arrest of bandits’ arms suppliers and nego ators by security agencies. Zamfara Police have, for instance, arrested and paraded 10 informants who supply arms and ammuni ons, food stuff, motorcycles, military uniforms, nego ate and deliver ransom to the bandits in their enclaves. While these security efforts are com-

“Assuming and conceding that the armed forces and other security agencies are able to deliver on President Buhari’s December, 2022 deadline to nip insecurity in the bud, we should not be so joyous. It is on the foundation of security of lives and property that all other things are built”

Who Revives Our Security Shipwreck?

mendable, they are just a scratch on the surface. Terrorists’ real sponsors are known by the authori es and un l they are all arrested, paraded and prosecuted, the carnage would not stop. Although, I don’t have inkling to reason for terror, those behind terrorism have succeeded to a very large extent. They have demonstrated the capacity to make states and na on ungovernable; they have drama cally rendered the slogan, “promoting the welfare and security of ci zens” as the direc ng principle of state as enshrined in the Preamble of Nigeria 1999 Cons tu on, as amended, imprac cable. Terrorism has created fear in the mind of the populace, closed business environment and sha ered lo y government infrastructures and welfare targeted for the people’s comfort. It has rendered many children orphans and many families in permanent tears and sorrow for loss of their breadwinners. Only those

affected could express their feelings of perpetual pain and anguish. Nowhere is safe any long – mosque, church, farm, home, road, trains, airports and everywhere!

Again, terrorists have chased farmers out of the farmland which has, to a very large extent, contributed to the skyrocke ng prices of staple foods and consumables that are now out of the reach of the poor who are the mass majority in Nigeria. Some farmers in the North-East, the food basket of Nigeria, were reportedly killed in their farms while others spoke to their legs and abandoned the farms.

Yes, more than any previous governments, President Muhammadu Buhari administra on has revived our rail transport system which had literarily died. It has reconstructed and made func onal, among others, 156km Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge; 327km Itakpe-Warri

Standard Gauge; 203.8 Kano-Kaduna Standard Gauge; 186km Abuja-Kaduna Standard Gauge among others. Not rail alone, the regime has put in place many huge road infrastructures that will make movements and travels easy for Nigerians but terrorists have made these road and rail infrastructures unsafe for use. 28th March, 2022 a ack on AbujaKaduna train in Katari alone had more than 65 people kidnapped and le at least 8 people dead, including a medical doctor, a lawyer, TUC Secretary-General and APC Youth Leader.

If the truth must be said, our security infrastructure is shipwrecked. Assuming and conceding that the armed forces and other security agencies are able to deliver on President Buhari’s December, 2022 deadline to nip insecurity in the bud, we should not be so joyous. It is on the founda on of security of lives and property that all other things are built. We must ask ques ons from those presiden al candidates who want to take over from Buhari via 2023 general elec ons what they would do differently to address our security challenges and restore peace, tranquility and prosperity to our land. Anyone of them that could not sa sfactorily convince us of his/her strong security architecture outlay does not deserve our votes. We must eschew ethnic senment but give our mandates to who could secure our lives and proper es first and turnaround our pathe c situa on and hopelessness.

STRIKER Striker is not the opinion of the Columnist featured above

THE progressives are generally defined as those favouring social reforms. Differing from conserva ves and tradi onists who are content with the status quo, the progressives aim at policies that will take society to new developmental level that guarantees the welfare and prosperity of the majority of ci zens.

The common saying is that “birds of the same feather flock together.” Accordingly, be it poli cs or other social organisaons, progressives come together on the basis of likeness of mind and interest to advance humanity to the next level, while conserva ves, reac onaries, radicals, revolu onaries, and centrist do likewise, for their various interests and agenda. It is expected that you will never find a reformist in a neo-Nazi movement. However, whereas flocking together on the basis of breed s ll obtains largely in the avian and animal world, humans seem to have moved on to a new perplexing level of breed-dilu on when it comes to bedfellow on ideas and interests!

Depending on the historical challenges of any specific country, one can plainly tell what the posi ons of the progressives are. That used to be the case in the mes past in Africa, Nigeria not exempted. In Nigeria for instance, when Awolowo, Aminu Kano or Balarabe Musa speak, you know from which point of view and in whose overall interests; same for Ahmadu Bello, Adisa Akinloye or Umaru Dikko.

Things have changed dras cally and nas ly, especially since 1999. Today, either

The Progressives Dilemma

in poli cs or within various social organisaon, ideas, manifestoes and programmes have been relegated to the shadows. Congrega ons are no longer based on promo on of any ar culated social interests rooted in any lo y concep on. All that exist are various gangs promo ng private and clique interest basically deleterious to the common good. In poli cs, the major poli cal assemblies are as patently different from one another as six is from half a dozen!

Progressive minded ac vists and poli cians s ll abound in the land even as they are becoming an endangered species in an age when “the best are full of doubts and the worst are full of passionate intensity.” However, number has never been a disadvantage to votaries of good causes; their handicap has always been waned zeal to dis llate themselves as wheat away from chaff, then organise with passionate intensity.

Today, progressives, with very few excep ons, are sandwiched in a variety of reac onary and an -people assemblies, fearful for personal fortune and thereby silenced in words and ac on. With Nigeria trauma sed and endangered as it is, there is no graver me in its history demanding crystallisa on of progressive

thoughts and ac ons in a purified and outstanding assembly.

The most cri cal ques on on front burner of the na on is the very one conserva ve and reac onaries do not want raised and progressive are fearful to proclaim and demand answers to - the ques on of the structure of a naon that is named “FEDERAL REPUBLIC of Nigeria.” Any progressive minded patriot that has not lost his/her progressive mind must know that the infidelity to that very name is the root cause of all trials and tribula on the country faces, from me, and ll date – which is threatening to consume it. He/she must know that a thousand more general elec ons, however free and fair, can never produce persons that will right that wrong, having been premised on poli cs, poli cal par es, poli cal proceedings that are offspring of a deformed system and structure.

Indeed, it is amazing grace that Nigeria is s ll standing; and perplexing that true progressives can claim that status in their invisible, forlorn and ineffectual state wherever they are. One clear fact is that the me always propels a soluon from the belly of its problem. As we prepare for the most tes ng general elec ons in a state of our gravest insecurity challenges ever, it is me truly for fervent work and prayers that the mes will resolve the progressives’ dilemma and mely catapult them to organise towards redemp ve ac 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: 0809-301-9152. ISSN: 0794-8050.

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