Osun Defender Online Version Of March 08, 2024

Harsh Economy: Loan Defaulters Increase

•Continued from Page 1

Some credit officers of some microfinance banks who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER in different interviews during the week complained that their various customers have not been mee ng up with the weekly repayment amount recently.

The default of the customers in repaying the loans has mounted pressure on individual credit officers, according to them.

The credit officers who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER under condi on of anonymity, said it has become more stressful for them to get their customers to pay, saying majority of them were complaining of lack of sales.

A top official of one of the leading microfinance banks in Osogbo confided in the medium that there has been sharp decline in the repayment of loans given to their customers from January.

According to the official, the job of some credit officers of the bank was on the line, following the inability of their customers to repay the loan given to them.

The worker disclosed that majority of the loan defaulters are traders whose trades are not booming again as a result of the economy.

He said: “It has not been easy at all; we are also vic m of the ongoing economic hardship. We are not ge ng our money back as it used to be. Some of our customers who were credit worthy have been defaul ng. Traders who obtained loan to run their businesses have recently been finding it difficult to meet up with the weekly repayment.

“Our credit officers are being stressed; they are finding it difficult to recuperate our loan. Some of them are even on the verge of losing their jobs.”

A credit officer with a microfinance bank in Ilesa who did not want his name in print told OSUN DEFENDER that some of her customers have shut their shops and fled the town when they could no longer pay the obtained loan.

Some of the defaulted customers, according to the credit officer, are market women who obtained between N100,000 and N200,000 loans to boost their business.

She said: “Things are not easy for us in the microfinance banks. We the credit officers are bearing the brunt of the current economic hardship the more because our customers are pu ng our job at

•We’re Running At Loss Amidst – Customers

risk. They are no longer mee ng up with their various repayment term and that is a threat to us.

“A trader who have been repaying her loan with N7500 every week at Isale General here in Ilesa have not been paying for the past three weeks. She complained that her business was no moving again because of the infla on that has resulted into high price of commodi es.

“We went to her shop yesterday (Tuesday) and discovered that she did not open. Upon enquiry, we were told that she has traveled to Okada, Edo State. Her guarantor has

been pleading that we give him me to locate the woman or persuade her on phone to pay off the loan.

“Some of our customers who have defaulted in the loan repayment but did not run away are even telling us to arrest them. That’s the situa on we find ourselves now.

“We usually have one or two loan defaulters before now, but the number of customers, especially traders who have not been mee ng up with their weekly repayment has increased since the beginning of February.”

Aside the increment in the number of loan de-

faulters, the microfinance banks were also experience low patronage as new customers were not coming as it used to be.

A Manager of one of the community microfinance banks in Ife told OSUN DEFENDER that upon the fact that they charge 3.5 per cent on any amount of money given as loan, their customers were defaul ng in repayment, while there has been reduc on in the number of new customers.

He said: “We charge 3.5% on our loan and the payment dura on is four months. Our customers have recently been defaul ng in the loan repay-

•As Microfinance Banks Patronage Declines In Osun

ment. We are very considerate as we understand the economic reali es, so our credit officers have been lenient with the defaulters.

“But new customers are not coming in. There is reduc on in the number of people coming to join us or request for loan. That is a major concern for me.”

A credit control officer of one of the microfinance banks at Oke-Fia, Osogbo, who craved anonymity said: “We charge 5% flat rate on any amount, depending on the dura on of the loan. Our clients are not being faithful these days due to the situa on in the country. Some of our customers are defaul ng in their loan repayment and we don’t have new client.”

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER a foodstuff dealer at Akindeko market, Alekuwodo, Osogbo, Mrs Sherifat Adeyemo, said she obtained N200,000 loan from a microfinance bank when her ini al capital was flattened by the persistent high price of goods, especially rice, beans and sug-

WORKERS at the Osun Job Centre have appealed to Governor Ademola Adeleke to see to the payment of their salaries, saying they are dying of hunger.

The workers who expressed confidence in Adeleke’s compassion on their ma er, said living has been a serious challenge to everyone of them since the government stopped their salaries over a year ago.

According to the workers who spoke with newsmen on Tuesday in Osogbo, the current economic hardship has worsened their living condi on, disclosing that they have no money to meet their basic needs.

The workers also urged Adeleke to reopen the centre and make proper use of it, sta ng that the agency is capable of reducing unemployment, building capacity for employed and unemployed graduates from the state.

One of the workers, Mr Joshua Adebare, described the Job centre as an asset that the state government should protect jealously because of its capacity to secure jobs for unemployed candidates and thereby posi on Osun as one of the three states with least unemployment rate.

Adebare said: “It is over a year that the state government stopped our salaries; we have been living from hand to mouth since then. We appeal to Governor Ademola Adeleke to be compassionate on our ma er, like he did to the judiciary workers whose salaries were not paid for two years.

“We are not policians and we should not be treated as such. The Governor should please see to the payment of our salaries for the sake of our wellbeing, family and other dependants. We are dying of hunger. The current eco-

nomic hardship has made the ma er worse.”

“Osun Job Centre is an asset that the State government should protect. We have been facilita ng recruitment of Osun indigenes and residents into private sectors and helping the private employers to recruit suitable candidates from among unemployed youth in the state.

“The agency was also conduc ng ICT, employability and entrepreneurial training for indigenes and residents of the state to make them suitable for available opportuni es. We also engaged in career counseling, review of Curriculum Vitae (CV), interview prepara on and career coaching to indigenes and residents of the state.

“We have helped thousands of people to get job. This asset should not be thrown away just like that. Governor Adeleke should revive the centre and make it func onal. We also plead that he should instruct the payment of our 12 months salaries. We know the gov-

ar.

According to Adeyemo, she was to be paying N7500 every week to her credit officer as agreed but could not con nue paying the amount as a result of downtown in her business.

She said the obtained loan could only buy two bags of rice and two kegs of groundnut oil.

Adeyemi said she has been pleading with the microfinance bank to reduce the N7500 weekly payment to N4000, explaining that her capital will eventual vanish if she con nues to pay the required amount.

She said: “The N200,000 loan I obtained could not buy much goods because of the skyrocketing high prices of things. And there is no how you will make enough profit if your goods are not much; that is what I am facing.

“I have been using the li le profit I made to argument the cost of goods I buy all the me. The prices of goods are not stable, they keep going higher and that has been making it difficult to have profit. We are prac cally running at loss.

“I discovered that if I con nue to pay the N7500 every week, I will not have anything to run my business in the next two months. I have pleaded with the microfinance bank to help me reduce the amount but they are not yielding yet. I am s ll owing two weeks payment as I am talking with you.”

ernor to be a merciful person.”

Corrobora ng Adebare’s claim, another worker of the agency, Mr Tope Akintomiwa, said: “Osun job centre has the facili es and templates to assist in the ongoing recruitment of teachers in the state and other training services in entrepreneurship and employment programmes.

“Reviving the centre will surely boost the image of government in consonance with Governor Adeleke’s agenda for skilled and unskilled youths.”

Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that the Osun Job Centre workers did not receive any salary throughout 2023.

The medium also gathered that there was no official communica on from the state government to the workers before the agency was shut.

The job centre was created in 2016 as part of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administra on’s effort to reduce unemployment in the state.

Another trader, Mrs Dorcas Iyiola, who is a pepper dealer at Oluode market, Osogbo, lamented that the con nuous hike in the prices of goods and commodi es has made mess of traders’ capitals, explaining that the amount that was used to buy four baskets of pepper three months ago was being used to busy a basket now.

“She said: “This is a trying me for we traders. We are the one bearing the hardship the most. The con nuous increment in the prices of goods have reduced our purchasing power. Virtually everyone of us is running business with loan; unfortunately, we are struggling to make profit now. In fact, we are running at loss because of the high prices of goods.

“It is now difficult for us to repay our loan. God should please intervene; the economic hardship has made mess of what we have.”z

Ismaeel Uthman

•Director of Public Health in the Osun State Ministry of Health, Dr. Akeem Bello (middle) with some media personnel at a one day refresher training programme on Tuberculosis, held in Osogbo, recently. Photo: Shola Aderinto

THERE has been much discontent over the size, scale, and discomfiture borough due to the construc on of the Oke-Fia flyover in Osogbo, capital of Osun State. The project itself might be necessary but it connotes shades of former governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s conceited project, the Olaiya flyover. The OkeFia flyover shouldn’t be a project of today, it should have been done yesterday if the needs and wishes of the people were to be respected in development. Of course, the Olaiya intersession design delivered by former governor Rauf Aregbesola was very effec ve in traffic control and management. This makes the flyover a misplacement of priority.

It stretches the intellectual capacity to link the construc on of flyovers and sustainable development. As far back as 1962, the French agronomist, Rene Dumont, in his landmark “False Starts In Africa “ warned about the mistakes of indulging in vanity projects. Oyetola’s self-serving socalled flyover is a classic example of a vanity project. A “White elephant” flyover has had zero impact on the local economy and even the most astute cost accountant cannot work out any mul plier effect.

Rethinking Development

During the week, the president of the African Development Bank (AFDB), Akinwumi Adesina, was deservedly honoured with the Obafemi Awolowo Leadership Award. This is significant because both the sage Awolowo and Akinwumi Adesina represent the edifying development model which has proved enduring and effec ve. Their prac cal involvement started from the base i.e. from the perspec ve of developing human capital as the trajectory for overall sustainable development. Oyetola’s absurd vanity project flyover is the direct opposite of this developmental trust.

Cri cal decisions have to be made across the board in the next few weeks and we ought to go back to the metested development paradigm. For example, the President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has correctly made a dis ncon between “minimum” and “living” wage. What is important here is that the president acknowledges the all-encompassing nature of a living wage. The labour unions should accept this framework as well. Mone zing the concept around an ephemeral minimum wage will be self-defea ng as we have seen in the past, including such disastrous episodes like the Udogie Award.

“Critical decisions have to be made across the board in the next few weeks and we ought to go back to the time-tested development paradigm. For example, the President, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has correctly made a distinction between “minimum” and “living” wage. What is important here is that the president acknowledges the all-encompassing nature of a living wage”

The role of the unions will be crical. They have to move away from the adversarial model rooted in the past and into the more far-sighted planning-oriented tripar te model that has proved so successful in countries such as Germany and Scandinavian countries. This is the only way to use produc vity as well as an export-oriented economy framework to bring millions of people out of poverty into sustainable development.

All of the above cannot be achieved without sweeping changes in the Cons tu on indeed; it will be be er to write a brand new cons tuon. Nigeria is at a cri cal intersecon and it has to turn adversity into an advantage. It should be seen as a golden opportunity for sustainable development.

The Discourse Of Monstrous Cathedrals And Hungry Congregants

By Abiodun Komolafe

SOMETIME in 1989, a friend told a story of how he was in dire need of sponsorship for his university educa on. When all things proved difficult, he approached one of the presbyters in a church in Ibadan, Oyo State who eventually advised that his impressive General Cer ficate of Educa on Ordinary Level (GCE O-Level) results be announced to the congrega on during a Sunday service with a view to wooing Good Samaritans. Though that was done, help did not come! The presbyter’s wife pleaded with his husband to rerun the announcement. ‘Who knows, help might come! ’But Iya Yard’ (preacher’s wife) was shouted down. We have more important things to do in the church’, he was quoted as saying. Then he turned to the help-seeker: “young man, go back to your village and start farming. By the me you do that for three to four years, you’ll have saved enough money to fund your university educa on.”

Well, my friend’s experience brought to the fore a statement credited to Pastor W. F. Kumuyi, the Founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Chris an Life Ministry, recently. Kumuyi reportedly urged the Church to stop devo ng all its money to church building but start commitng parts to feeding the poor and clothing the naked. According to him, “all the offerings are not just for the Church. There are poor people around. It makes no sense to give to a church building when the people inside are hungry.”

It is interes ng to note that good things are coming from Nazareth even as there might be priests who didn’t share Kumuyi’s lines of thought and are likely to take him up on this. Meanwhile, looking around, one sees many beau ful edifices, built with the people’s contribu ons, with the pastors cruising around in exo c cars and private jets. They live in opulence while the contributors suffer hunger and deprivaon. These days, the common trend within the House of God can only be referred to as Building Compe on: ‘if you build a 50,000-seater Auditorium, I will surprise you with a 120,000seater Basilica, complete with infrastructural and cultural significance and hi-tech facili es’, not even minding whether or not “those who do not have anything to feed” are there, dying.

To state the obvious, the new trend in the Church calls for concern. ‘Prophe c u erances’

“The political class who use our commonwealth to sponsor would-be pilgrims to Mecca and Jerusalem is not helping matters. Of course, that’s why so many people have kowtowed, because, when a man makes it a point of duty to slash a tenth of his hard-earned salary and decides to give it to the Church, what’s wrong with such a soul is that he is still believing in the religious institution or the commandment of God that he should do so with his money”

a la miracles and prosperity are now gushing out like erosion while nobody cares about the Balanced Theology any longer. Apostle James said in the Holy Book that, if someone comes unto you without food and all you have to tell him or her is ‘go in peace’, what kind of peace would that be without first giving him what the body needs? Same goes for the Sheikhood system where the Sheikh lives large only for the followers to go home poor and hungry.

In an ar cle, Of miracle workers, receivers and cri cs’, (published on September 8, 2002), yours sincerely commented on how the nowlate Prophet T.B. Joshua went about, feeding the poor and clothing the unclothed, yet, what was of paramount interest to his colleagues in the faith was his having ‘evil spirit’ without doing something spectacular with their ‘holy spirit.’ Now that Joshua is dead, the world is free to accuse him of whatever it feels befits him but the truth is: those souls ‘Emmanuel’_ fed while alive would not forget his good deeds in a hurry.

Take it or leave it, the Church of Christ in the hands of men is prac cally s nking. From Lagos to Abuja, and from Adamawa to Owerri, the present-day Church is filled with various forms of sinful and shameful acts of many shades and shapes being perpetrated by its leaders, be er referred to as merchants on the altar of God. There is no dis nc on, be they mainline or the known privately-owned churches. The mainline churches are out of their conscience and are in business mainly for the interest of their Bishops, Archbishops and Primates. This is why one cannot find any of their children or loved ones in the country and their target among other things is to buy property abroad and dot every choice loca on locally with choice cars. No wonder the Holy Book says: “For the me is come that judgment must begin at the house of God:

and if it first begins at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?”

The Church in Nigeria is bleeding from the wound of financial impropriety inflicted on it by its leaders. Accounts are not being well-kept and promo ons and preferments are being stylishly sold under different names and guises. Emergency jobs are being created for the boys in the Departments, Areas, Zones, Dioceses and Provinces. Monies are being collected arbitrarily and parishes are being taxed just to sa sfy the taste of the leaders. Is it any wonder then that we have more ‘healers’ than the healed and more ‘perfect masters’ on earth than the One who has the ul mate power to give and take away? Indeed, that’s why the North-South dichotomy has only succeeded in dividing us instead of uni ng us and why the cankerworms of religious ethnicism and doctrinal fana cism have eaten deep into our fabric. It is also the reason our society comprises liars whose tokens are frustrated and wise diviners whose knowledge are made foolish.

As it is in the Church, so it is in the poli calcum-secular world. Things and mes have become so troubling that, if a poli cian decides to build his house on a river, our religious leaders

will build a canoe to the place. If they can’t build it, they will go as far as contrac ng experts from Ilaje in Ondo State to help construct a road to get there. As it is, there are millions of Nigerians who will follow their religious leaders into the lagoon. Anyway, that’s a topic for another day!

The poli cal class who use our commonwealth to sponsor would-be pilgrims to Mecca and Jerusalem is not helping ma ers. Of course, that’s why so many people have kowtowed, because, when a man makes it a point of duty to slash a tenth of his hardearned salary and decides to give it to the Church, what’s wrong with such a soul is that he is s ll believing in the religious ins tu on or the commandment of God that he should do so with his money. However, the unfortunate part of it is that other corresponding acts are observed in the breach by the Church.

During his me, former President Goodluck Jonathan established schools, complete with incen ves, for the Almajiris. Jonathan knew that, without these in place, Nigeria was si ng on a keg of gunpowder and that it was only a ma er of me before it’d explode. Unfortunately, March 28, 2015 came and the elec on Tsunami swept Jonathan back to Otuoke. What happened a erwards was nothing compared to forgo en ideas!

Let’s make this perfectly clear, the Church carries with it the totality of the responsibility of man. In the early days, the Church was supposed to be ge ng its direc ve directly from God. If its direc ves were from God, then, no one could query the Church. But, is the defini on of religion sacrosanct and where lies the space of God in the hearts of men or his place in the affairs of his elect? Why have religious instu ons in Nigeria become mere commercial organiza ons, toying with the people’s emo ons and des nies through selfish prayers and very weird ideas of blessings and healing? Over and above all, why have ins tu onal silliness, deliberate blindness and fake confidence robbed us of all the benefits of those prayers that have already been answered?

Why? For God’s sake, why?

2026: Osun Central May

Ismaeel Uthman

A

stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Mr. Ayobami Owojori, has cau oned the leadership of the party against listening to misleading informa on and advice.Owojori, who is from Iremo Ward II, Ife Central local government of the state, said the Osun APC should be very careful in choosing a candidate for the 2026 governorship elec on.

According Owojori in a press statement made available to OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday, it will be a poli cal suicide for the party to pick its next governorship candidate from Osun Central where the APC won just two local governments in the 2022 gubernatorial elec on.

Owojori was reacting to a posi on canvassed by O’toge, a poli cal group which had earlier posited that the party should consider Osogbo and either of the Na onal Secretary of the APC, Senator

Yusuf Oketola

HE Zonal Commander of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Halima Rufa’u, has hinted that illegal miners are sabotaging solid mineral resources in Osun State.Rufa’u also noted that the unwholesome development was affec ng targeted revenues, thus thwar ng the economic growth of the state.

She stated this during a courtesy visit to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, in his palace in Ile-Ife, on Tuesday.

The EFCC boss charged relevant pares on effec ve collabora on to checkmate the ac vi es of illegal miners and a endant effects on the environment and revenue genera on of the state.

She also sought the monarch’s support and collabora on in tackling scourge of cybercrime among students of ter ary ins tu ons in Osun.

Fail

Ajibola Basiru or the Execu ve Director of Marine and Opera ons of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Engr. Lekan Badmus, as alternave to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola.

The party stalwart called on the APC leadership at state and federal level to consider Ile-Ife for a reputable candidate for the party in 2026.

According to him, Osogbo alone cannot secure victory for any candidate, saying what ma ers is the popularity and acceptability of the flagbearer of the party.

He said: “Our convic on would not allow dust to se le on the a ack of the faceless O’toge Group on the Minister for Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Isiaka Oyetola. From their view, his poli cal incompetence and the folly of allowing the ex-governor to be the flagbearer of Osun APC in the coming 2026 gubernatorial elec on.

“The group further

empha cally pitched their preference for the APC governorship candidacy with either of the Na onal Party Secretary, Dr. Surajudeen Bashiru Ajibola or the ED Marine Opera ons at the Nigerian Ports Authority, Engr. Olalekan Badmus.

“It is possible that a certain sec on of the APC leadership in Osogbo believes that the Minister is unelectable, that Osogbo land is a strategic op on of where the APC can

depend on to win the 2026 elec on and that thirdly they possess an array of viable choices like Badmus and Bashiru.

“We want to contradict the inaccurate percep on that it is only Osogbo that can produce a viable op on for APC in Osun State in replacement of Alhaji Oyetola in 2026 governorship elec on. We are inclined to believe that the O’toge group is a manifesta on of rebellion against Alhaji

In his response, Oba Ogunwusi commended the an -gra agency for its focused s ng opera ons against currency speculators and street hawkers operating illegal foreign exchange markets across the country.

“EFCC, as the most vibrant an -gra agency in the country, under the leadership of the execu ve chairman, Mr Ola Olukoyede, must not be discouraged from working towards sani sing the economic space,” said Ooni.

The monarch, however, urged Nigerians to stop amassing illegal and unexplainable wealth by focusing on how they can make their living through legi mate means and develop the na on’s economy.

•Rufa’u presenting a sovenir to Oba Ogunwusi during the visit

Oyetola’s leadership by a select poli cal class of APC in Osogbo.

“It is also the beginning of a campaign to erroneously posi on Osogbo as deserving of the APC governorship cket in 2026 with poten als of defeating Governor Ademola Adeleke at the polls.”

Owojori stated further: “While a party in opposi on like APC in Osun State should not strictly consider zoning ahead of other electoral factors in the choice of a governorship candidate; it will nonetheless be a poli cal suicide for the party to pick her next candidate from Osun Central (where Osogbo is situated).

“The people of Osun State are already sensi ve to the fact that Osun Central had in the past produced three of the six civilian governors who had spent a cumulave fi een years and five months out of a conceivable twentyseven years and three months, leaving the other two senatorial districts to share the remaining eleven years and eight months.

“There is an electoral belief in Osun State that the poli cal party that gets the quantum of votes from two out of the two LGAs of Osogbo, Ile-Ife and Ede could easily win a state elec on. The people of Osogbo should therefore remember that they cannot achieve this without at least one of the two other dis nct areas.”

He traced the electoral history of Osun from 1992 ll 2014, saying: “In 1992, Governor Isiaka Adeleke won Ede and Ile-Ife to defeat Alhaji Bayo Salami who won Osogbo, Governor Adebisi Akande (from Ila Orangun) won only Ile-Ife decisively while Governor Isiaka Adeleke won Ede and Doctor Olu Alabi won Osogbo in 1999.

“Governor Rauf Aregbesola won Ede and Osogbo in 2014 to defeat Otunba Iyiola Omisore who won IleIfe massively. The high number of votes in Osogbo is obviously not the sole determinant of where a party should pick its candidate.

“That ex-governor

Akande, Oyinlola, Aregbesola and Oyetola are all from Local Government Council Areas that are not with high numbers of registered voters is an indica on that the acceptability of a candidate by the party is essen al in an elec on.

“A poli cal party with the inten on of serving the people should first look at the quality, experience, personal character and electability of the candidate and not only the electoral cons tuency capacity of the candidate. Osogbo should ensure that the ambious aspirant(s) from the locality are electorally presentable.

“Furthermore, we will suggest that any cons tuency desirous of governorship candidacy in APC should have their loyalty to the party reviewed by the last round of state elec on which has essen ally brought our party to opposi on in Osun State.

“Ques ons should be asked on why we won only two LGAs in the Central Senatorial District in 2022. We won Ifedayo with a margin of less than 300 votes, resolutely won Boripe (the home of Governor Oyetola) with over 13, 000 votes and disgracefully lost all the other eight LGAs (including Osogbo and Olorunda). Data tells us that our party is stronger in the West and East Senatorial Districts where we won six and five LGAs respec vely.

“For these reasons, the APC leadership in Osun and Abuja should beam their search light on Ile-Ife for a reputable candidate that can be acceptable to both party members across the state and the wider Osun State communies. The search should start now.

“The APC leadership in Osun State should actually say O’toge to the overt rebellion within the Ileri Oluwa caucus tagged O’toge. It is directed at misleading the party and the teeming Osun populace by sponsoring the rhetoric that it is only by fielding an Osogbo candidate that will lead to an APC Governorship victory in Osun State.”

Drama As 3 Men Claim Ownership Of Two Children From Housewife

Yusuf Oketola

THE infidelity of a married woman simply known as Taibat Rahman, has led to controversies on the paternity of her two children.

Taibat reportedly hails from Oosa compound, Apomu, Isokan local government of Osun State.

Three men have laid claim to the paternity of her two children.

Though the biological father of her first child was not in dispute, but the paternity of her second and third children has raised dust, forcing the three men to drag themselves and the woman to a private radio sta on, Agidigbo FM’s Kokoro Alate programme.

Each of the three men who are from Apomu and Ikoyi claimed to be in a rela onship simultaneously with Taibat.

The trio were simply iden fied as Sarafa, Oseni and Rauf.

Speaking at the programme which was monitored by OSUN DEFENDER, one of the three men, Sarafa, a labourer, noted that he met Taibat through her mother when the former was indebted to some microfinance banks.

Sarafa stated that the mother promised that her daughter would marry anyone who offset her debt.

He said: “In order to marry her, I paid the quantum of the debt. Four days a er she gave birth on November 30, 2023, some people from Ikoyi came to my house to claim that the child belongs to them. I was bewildered hearing such story.

“The scenario led to a heat argument between us and it took the effort of the police to calm the situa on. At the police sta on, they asked Taibat who is the biological father, he said I’m the person.

“The following day, we went to the police area command where she withdrew her earlier statement that I’m the biological father of the baby and pointed at Rauf as the father. The police were confused too.

“That made the police to direct that the child be taken to welfare home. But instead

that, she took the baby to Rauf’s house in Ikoyi town. That’s where the naming ceremony took place. We have stopped communica ng since then.”

Narra ng his own side of the story, Oseni, a plank seller, said he married 30-yearold Taibat from Oosa compound and she moved into his house at Okejagbo a er she conceived her second child.

Oseni said: “I was not around the me she gave birth and my family called to inform me that the baby has been taken to somewhere else for naming.

“Then, I rushed down to her house but I couldn’t find her. The ma er started degenera ng and becoming a serious issue. Then I decided to take the ma er to the palace of Alapomu. At the palace, she affirmed that the child belongs to me. But she took my baby to Rauf’s house.”

Meanwhile, Rauf, the third man, denied knowing Oseni while affirming that he only knows Sarafa.

He said: “Oseni does not have any child with me. And this baby in ques on was born in my house. She already had a baby for me before this one. Her first born was for me. I don’t know about her second born but this new baby in ques on is for me.

“When she gave birth on November 30,

it was one of Sarafa’s family that called to inform me that Taibat has put to bed. Then I

took police to Sarafa’s house and we were instructed to conduct DNA tests to know

the real father of the baby.”

In her response, the woman affirmed to be

in a rela onship with the trio simultaneously.

She claimed that she was living in the village with Rauf and at the same me do come to Apomu to see Sarafa who always take her back to the village.

She denied ever living with Oseni nor had any pregnancy for him.

Taibat said: “I only live with Rauf since I married him. But Sarafa always threatened me to move into his house, saying he would come with thugs to attack Rauf and I at the village. Meanwhile, Rauf and I are always quarreling. That was when I decided to leave him and moved to Sarafa’s house with my children.

“For Oseni, I was never in his house while we were da ng and I don’t owe him any child. I have been in Rauf house since I got married.”

Suspended College Provost Drags Governing Council, Others To Court

Kazeem Badmus

THE suspended Provost of the Osun State College of Educa on, Ila-Orangun, Prof. Jimoh Afolabi, has dragged the state government and Chairman of the Governing Council of the ins tu-

on, Mr. Peter Babalola, before the Na onal Industrial Court, si ng in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Afolabi was suspended by Governor Ademola Adeleke on January 26, 2024 for alleged financial impropriety.

He had ini ated the

suit before he was suspended as the provost of the college to challenge the governing council’s decision to set up a probe panel to inves gate him while in office.

During the hearing of the suit before Jus ce Hasan Yakubu on Tuesday, Mr. Adesola Adebisi, counsel for Afolabi, argued that

51-Year-Old Man Jumps Into Well, Commits Suicide In Osun

•Residents Blame Osun Fire Service For Negligence

Yusuf Oketola

A51-year-old man, Gbenga Ayeni, has commi ed suicide by jumping into a well, OSUN DEFENDER gathered.

Ayeni, a resident of Powerline area, off Ijebujesha road, Ilesa, Osun State, was said to have killed himself on Friday, March 1, 2024.

OSUN DEFENDER learnt that the deceased was a former worker at the Interna onal Breweries, Ilesa.

He reportedly became a labourer a er he was sacked by the company.

According to sources in the community, Ayeni le home for work in the early hour of Friday and jumped into the well at the block site where he was working.

His footwear was reportedly sighted at the well by his wife who went to deliver his breakfast to

him.

The woman raised the alarm when she didn’t see her husband, prompting the people nearby to check the well where they discovered her husband.

But the father of three had died before he could be rescued.

However, residents of the area have bemoaned Osun State Fire Service for what they described as negligence of duty.

The residents accused the fire service of poor service.

One of the residents, Mr. Wahab Akinrinade, who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday disclosed that the suicide mission by the deceased would have been aborted had the fire service quickly come to the scene.

Akinrinade said he first contacted the Fire Service sta on in Ilesa but was directed to headquarters of the service in Osogbo.

He said: “It was a ter-

rible incident last Friday. I made efforts to get the a en on of the Osun State Fire Service in Ilesa to rescue the man but they claimed their sta on is just a training centre. They directed me to their headquarters at Abere, but the state fire sta on asked me to call Federal Fire Service because they don’t have the required equipment to bring the man out.

“It was late before we could contact federal fire service. It’s sad that a whole Fire Service does not have necessary equipment to use in such incident.

“The state government should wake up and do the necessary things for the fire service to prevent future occurrence.

“Who knows if the man would s ll be alive by now if they quickly intervened. We later hired labourers to bring his corpse out of the well.”

the defendants did not file any process before the court but were only represented.

Adebisi said Afolabi remained the provost of the college in the face of law because the suit had been ins tuted before his suspension.

He averred: “The suit was filed consequent upon the invita on of my client (Afolabi) before an inves ga ve panel set up by the Chairman, Governing Council of the ins tuon. My client should not be seen as being removed from office as the ma er had been ins tuted before his purported suspension and subsequent removal from office.

“In the face of the law, Afolabi remains the Provost of the Osun State College of Educa on, Ila-Orangun. Our resolve on this ma er is that part of our prayers before the court is to challenge the purported suspension of my client..

However, counsel to the defendants, Messrs. Muyiwa Ogunleye and Adewale Ishola apologised to the court for their failure to file their processes.

Ogunleye, who represented the state government and Ishola, who was counsel for Babalola, promised the court to present their processes at the next date of the case.

Jus ce Yakubu subsequently adjourned the case ll April 17, 2024, for further hearing.

•Mr. Sayo Aremu (right) presenting an award of recognition to Pastor Oluwagbemiga Ajao (Tolu Photo) for his con- tributions to photography in his zone in Òsogbo recently. Photo :Shola Aderinto of

Workers To Adeleke: Don’t Be Misguided, Say No To Tenure Extension Of AG

Ismaeel Uthman

THE controversies raised by the reported move of Governor Ademola Adeleke to extend the years of service of the Accountant General of the state, Mr. Rasheed Olalere, is yet to se le.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that Olalere is due for re rement on March 14, 2024 when he will be attaining the mandatory rerement age of 60 years.

Though the Governor, through his spokesperson, Mallam Rasheed Olawale, denied any move to extend year of service of “re ring permanent secretaries”, some workers in the State civil service have insisted that Adeleke was making poli cal statement on the ma er.

According to the workers, Adeleke would have expressly men oned the Accountant General in the statement released by his spokesperson if he has no plan to keep him in office a er his re rement age.

The workers who spoke under the auspices

of Osun State Workers Union, in a le er addressed to Adeleke, on Monday, warned that extending the tenure of the AG will have nega ve effect on the civil service.

A copy of the le er sighted by OSUN DEFENDER yesterday was signed by Mr Alabi Oluwaseun, the Chairman of the union.

The le er partly reads: “The a en on of great and ever conscious Osun State Workers that comprises the core Ccvil service in the State who are efficiently pilo ng the ac vi es and policies of government was drawn to a statement credited to the Spokesperson of the Governor that the government doesn’t have plans to extend the tenure of re ring officer in the Civil Service.

“The Spokesperson specifically men oned the Permanent Secretary without recourse to the current Accountant General and the person of Mr Olalere Alabi Rashidi, the present occupier who will

•As CDHR Accuses Governor Of Circumventing PSR

be re ring from service on the 14th of March 2024 at mandatory re rement age of 60 years.

“We deduced and confirmed that the inten on of the government under leadership of Governor

Hardship: Osun PLWDs Lament Lack Of Job Opportunities, Means Of Survival

Fatimoh Olanrewaju

SOME of the Persons Living With Disabili es (PLWDs) in Osun State have decried the excrucia ng effects of the current economic hardship being experienced in Nigeria on them.

Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that life has been difficult for some of the PLWDs since the removal of fuel subsidy in the wake of President Bola Tinubu’s administra on on May 29, 2023.

The fuel subsidy removal and devalua on of the naira has led to the skyrocke ng prices

of foodstuffs and essenal commodi es.

Speaking in a telephone interview with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, the Chairman of Joint Na onal Associa on of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD), Stephen Idowu, highlighted some of the challenges being faced by members of the associa on which centred on their wellbeing.

According to Idowu, “One of the most significant consequences of Nigeria’s economic downturn is the limited access to healthcare and support services for special needs individuals.

“With strained resources and funding cuts, many facili es and programs catering for their needs have been severely affected. This lack of access exacerbates their exis ng challenges and hampers their ability to lead fulfilling lives.

“Educa on is a fundamental right for all individuals, yet many special needs students in Osun State are experiencing dispari es in access and quality due to economic constraints. Limited funding for special educa on programs, inadequate infrastructure, and a shortage of trained educators further marginalize these students, hindering their academic and personal development.”

The Chairman also stressed that another core challenge faced by the special need people is employment opportuni es.

He said: “The economic downturn has also dispropor onately impacted employment opportuni es for special needs individuals in Osun State. With high unemployment rates and a shrinking job market, many find themselves facing addi onal barriers to securing meaningful employment.

“Discrimina on, lack of accommoda ons, and limited voca onal training programs further perpetuate their exclusion from the workforce.

“Beyond economic challenges, special needs individuals in Osun State con nue to face social s gma and discrimina on, which are exacerbated by the prevailing economic condi ons.

“Limited awareness and understanding of their needs, coupled with widespread misconcepon result in exclusion and marginalisa on in various aspects of society, including educa on, employment, and social interacons. “

Idowu however implored the Osun State government for more support to lessen the economic hardship for the PWDs.

Adeleke is to allow the outgoing Accountant General is to remain in office a er his re rement age.

“We call on good people of Osun State to advise Mr Governor not to extend the tenure or elongate the service year of Mr Rashidi Alabi Olalere the current and outgoing Accountant General.

“Mr Governor is a perfect gentleman and team player, he should not allow some disgruntled elements of no value to insgate or advise him to take wrong decision that will have nega ve effect on the civil service and bad result for our dear and lovely Governor.”

Meanwhile the Commi ee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Osun State Branch, has also cau oned Adeleke against gran ng extension of service years to the Accountant General.

CDHR, in a le er addressed to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Wale Egbedun, on Tuesday, accused Adeleke and Olalere of an a empt to circumvent the Public Service Rules in the state through a move

to extend the service year of the AG.

According to the organisa on, Olalere ought to have submi ed his letter of re re but refused to do that because of his plan to remain in ac ve service a er the required me.

CDHR said the disregard to the public service rule by top civil servants is not only damaging the referred civil service but soiling the beau ful image of the State.

“The idea of extending the service year of re ring Public officers is a stampede of the Public Service Rule 020810”, the organisa on stated.

CDHR demanded that the assembly should inves gate what it described as open disregard to the Public Service Rules by Adeleke, the process that led to the extension of the service year of the Head of Service and why the Accountant General and other Permanent Secretaries whose re rements are less than six months were yet to submit their le er of re rement as stated in the Public Service Rule.

Road Reconstruction Hampers Business Activities In Osogbo

TRADERS around Alekuwodo, Rasco and OkeFia areas of Osogbo, Osun State capital, are currently witnessing downturn in their trade and businesses as a result of the ongoing reconstruc on of the network of roads around the axis, parcularly the Alekuwodo/Oke-Fia stretch, which has been closed for over a week.

The closed stretch is proposed for the Alekuwodo/Oke-Fia flyover under the N100bn infrastructure programme of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that those badly hit by the development are food vendors, recharge card vendors, and petty traders, among others who were trading by the roadside.

Despite understanding the necessity of the road, Tunde

Adeyemi, a trader whose business flourished around the area, said, “The road closure has hit us hard. Without the usual flow of customers, our businesses are suffering.”

Also, a fruit vendor, Adeola Ojo, noted that, “Since the closure, sales have plummeted since the road was closed. It has been a struggle to make ends meet.”

Mrs Bola Adeyemi, a cloth merchant at Lameco urged the state government to fast-track the flyover and road construc on to protect their business interest.

She said: “We appreciate the government’s efforts to improve our infrastructure, but they must consider the impact on our businesses.

“We urge them to expedite the reconstruc on process and find alterna ve soluons to minimise our losses.”

Titilope Adako

•Olalere

Gas Price May Crash To N400 Per Kg In Osun As Adeleke Meets Investors

Yusuf Oketola

THE Managing Director, The Allegiance CNG, Deji Afolabi, has promised a major reduc on in the price of cooking gas from N1,400 to N400 for residents of Osun State.

Afolabi made the pledge during a business mee ng with Governor Ademola Adeleke on Tuesday at the Governor’s Office, Osogbo, according to a statement by the Governor’s spokesperson, Mallam Rasheed Olawale.

Afolabi was quoted to have said that Osun would benefit from several gas projects of his company to the tune of $20m which will expand the state economy and reduce energy poverty.

Afolabi who said his firm is among those engaged by the federal government for the adop on of CCG in transporta on in the wake of fuel subsidy removal, said it is willing to invest

•The

in power genera on for the state to power the industrialisa on objec ve of Governor Adeleke beginning with the powering of State Secretariat and Government House 24/7 at no cost.

He reportedly said the plant by the firm will be sta oned in three loca ons and reflects senatorial demography, promising to present sample of the household gas to the governor within

two weeks.

According to the statement, close to $80m would be commi ed to the state infrastructure within the framework of Public Private Partnership by Afolabi’s

firm and First Tricon Construc on Service Limited led by Remi Olumuyiwa.

In his own separate presenta on, Olumuyiwa said his company was impressed with the infra ini a ves of

Crisis Looms In Osun Community As Council Allegedly Plans To Unseat, Install New Monarch

IKazeem Badmus

NDIGENES of Akiriboto-Oke in Ayedaade local government of Osun State have called on the state government to avert a looming crisis in the town.

The indigenes alleged the leadership of the local government council of trying to dethrone their monarch, Engr. Peter Akinyele Oyewo, and start a fresh selec on process for the Olu of Akiriboto-Oke stool.

Speaking with newsmen in Osogbo on Wednesday, the President, Akiriboto-Oke Progressive Element, Deacon Tunji Olasunkanmi, noted that a nomina on form was sent last week from the council to some people for a fresh selec on process.

According to Olasunkanmi, Oba Oyewo was installed by the tradi onal council of the local government in 2021 and has since been placed on the

payroll of monarchs in the local government.

Olasunkanmi wondered why a new selecon process would be suggested by the local government when the monarch is alive and has not been found of any misconduct.

He therefore urged the state Governor, Sen. Ademola Adeleke and tradi onal instu ons in the state to come to their rescue, adding that the situaon might jeopardise the peaceful atmos-

phere of the town.

He said, “Oba Engr. Peter Akinyele Oyewo, having sa sfied the laid down criteria by the town and the tradi onal council of the Ayedaade local government and the s pulated laws of the state was installed as the Olu of Akiriboto-Oke on the 25th of May, 2021.

“Since his installa on, the town has been witnessing an uninterrupted peace and unparalleled land mark a ainment and progress. That both sons and daughters of the town are in full support of his administra on.

“The town has been witnessing unprecedented coopera on and progress. Inves gaon revealed that Oba Oyewo has since been placed on the payroll of the tradi onal council of the Ayedaade local government ll date.

“There is no traceable document of Oba Oyewo’s suspension or removal from office. In the history of Akiriboto-Oke, there was no crisis in the selec on of Oba.

“However, a cloudy atmosphere occurred mid-last week when a stranger drove to the youth leader’s house and showed him a form from the Ayedaade local government council. The form was about intending candidates for the ‘vacant stool of Olu of Akiriboto-Oke’ which is never available.

“We are peaceloving people and we want the government in all cadres to be informed and take necessary ac on so that our stable peace will not be jeopardised.” MRS

the Governor, hence its decision to refocus a $60m inves ble fund for roads, bridges, water and housing projects across Osun.

Applauding Adeleke for exci ng investors’ confidence by his elaborate policy innova ons, Olumuyiwa posited that the firm was not going to burden the state with financial traps, assuring that it has a strong and good rela onship with financial ins tuons for sponsorship of projects.

“We have a very good rela onship with our banks and investors. When we see what we can deliver in Osun, we have the capacity to do it. We are here because this is our country, this is our state. We are ready to work with you to meet the housing and infra needs of our people”, the company chairman stated.

Responding, Governor Adeleke assured the company chiefs that Osun was implemen ng a fasttracked Ease of Doing Business plan with a target on a rac ng investment into the state.

He said: “These submissions here today are really massive. Osun is changing for the be er. On a daily basis, various firms across the sector are reaching out to us with ac onable proposals. I am glad that these two firms are really here to hit the ground running.

“We have the land. We have the enabling environment. Osun is already a huge construc on site. You are welcome to the site.

ongoing reconstruction of Peter Ajibola Street, Alekuwodo, Osogbo, reaching an advanced stage in preparationn for the laying of asphalt Phtoto: Shola Aderinto

TRUE story: I take brain-enhancing supplements. And I wanted to market them in Nigeria because they help me think deeply. I men oned this to a friend who owns malls across Nigeria. He told me not to waste my me. He said if I want to make money in Nigeria, I should sell sexual enhancement.

It made me sad, but can I say he was lying? I asked some other people, and they all said the same thing to me differently.

And then I began to think deeply about this. Do we, as a society, value pleasure over treasure? And is that why we are almost always under financial pressure? We are mulplying our popula on without mul plying our remunera on. And un l we reverse this, we will not fulfil our poten al.

I s ll wanted to inves gate this ma er. My mind is analy cal. Un l I have empirical data, I am not sure to accept a premise.

So I thought to myself, what can I invesgate or invigilate to either lend or take away credence from these asser ons about our contemporary values as a people?

So, I decided to inves gate the biggest YouTube channels in European countries and African na ons.

Loads of Nigerians are doing skits. It’s probably one of the biggest things online for Nigerians. We are inundated with entertainment and cruise. But you hardly see Nigerians doing ‘How To’ videos. How to start a business. How to get a scholarship. How to build a drone. How to start a cucumber farm. Our passion is to be entertained.

The biggest YouTube channel in Sweden is PewDiePie, with 111 million subscribers. It is about using humour to teach gaming, investments such as NFTs, and new digital technology. In Germany, it is Kurzgesagt, with 22 million subscribers. It is about science and focuses on educa on. In France, it is Squeezie, with 18.7 million subscribers. Squeezie is basically a French version of PewDiePie.

In contrast, in Nigeria, the biggest YouTube channel is Mark Angel Comedy, and the next top five are comedians, rappers or singers.

“Loads of Nigerians are doing skits. It’s probably one of the biggest things online for Nigerians. We are inundated with entertainment and cruise. But you hardly see Nigerians doing ‘How To’ videos. How to start a business. How to get a scholarship. How to build a drone. How to start a cucumber farm. Our passion is to be entertained”

PERSPECTIVE

By RENO OMOKRI

Have Sex, Entertainment, And Cruise Become Our National Character?

In Ghana, the biggest channel is Sarkodie’s. He is a Ghanaian rapper. In South Africa, it is Trevor Noah, the comedian. In Ethiopia, it is Hope Music, a music group.

Next, I inves gated countries with the most significant traffic on a par cular p*rngraphic website called Pornhub. And lo and behold, Nigeria topped their visitor traffic.

I found this hard to accept and reconcile with our outward appearance of religiosity. Nigeria is perhaps one of the most religious na ons on Earth.

The most important job in Nigeria today is not being president. The Director General of the Na onal Orienta on Agency has the most vital job in Nigeria, because Nigerians

need a change of a tude.

We need to be reoriented towards patrio sm and wholesomeness.

Nigerians delight in running down Nigeria on social media and even try to outdo each other on who can do it be er. And it is not just young Genera on Z. Elders do it. Clerics too. Supposed statesmen engage in it.

Recently, a Russian woman who now lives in Nigeria said she loves Nigeria because “it is just a cruise country.”

Let me translate. She admires Nigeria because we are an unserious country, with unserious people, who do not take important ma ers seriously. That was an insult.

We must move towards being a country focused on growth and produc vity, not a country of natural complainers, with one of the lowest tax-to-GDP rates on Earth, yet want our government to do for us what governments in na ons where they pay taxes do for their ci zens, while we all sit down and are entertained and use whatever money we can find to buy imported goods then blame our government when our currency refuses to rise.

•Sourced from the writers X account

STRIKER Striker is not the opinion of the Columnist featured above

The Audacity Of “The Worst”

IN his apocalyp c poem, The Second Coming, W B Yeats wrote, “The Best lack all convic on, while The Worst are full of passionate intensity.” We are living agonisingly, yet casually, through that quarter-todooms-day in Nigeria today; hardly bothered that the situa on is so degenerate and loaded with toxicity and nega vity that any single spark upon any fuse of the dozens of me-bomb-issues will lead to Nigeria becoming history. This is no pessimism or any a empt at terrifying anyone. Indeed, anyone not terrified by now is either part of the cause of the crises or is keenly aware of, and hopefully working on certain solu ons, or is simply so numbed to the full scale of the appalling reali es. At our present bus-stop, except for reversing and facing a new route, the next bus-stop seems no other sta on than Armageddon.

True, Nigeria has not always been okay but it is no excuse not to, at a certain me, reset itself and head to the Promised Land.

Fela Anikulapo Ku ’s Sandra sang in 1976 that “Everything disorganised, everything up-side-down...” Likewise, a flip through the lyrics of songs of most musicians a er the civil war, reveals a documenta on of anguish in the land. Today, when we look back to those “glory days” with nostalgia, it is simply because we have con nued a sustained and relentless slide down into Armageddon,

tumbling from one damning calamity to another, un l we have arrived at today’s alarming bus stop in the middle of nowhere. Now, rather than reboot and reinstall, those that are repea ng the same government-thing and expec ng different result are reeling out propaganda and half truth to cajole the people, not knowing that at a certain stage “nothing enters the ears of a man who is going deranged with hunger and anger anymore!”

Since everyone reading this is lucky enough to be alive today and a living witness to the reali es: from dreadful insecurity to chronic hunger, does one need to chronicle them? What is required are sensible suggesons of ways out.

Let us state firmly that you cannot sow yam and reap cocoyam, however alike they sound. Never! The good seed that our Nigerian founding fathers sowed, having looked at us thoroughly (and even the depar ng colonial masters that don’t wish us well had to agree with them) was FEDERALISM. That is the suitable opera ng system, not perfect - as nothing on earth is perfect - but suitable enough to reap us “unity and faith, peace and progress,” and a na on “where truth and jus ce reign” based on unityin-diversity, equity, rule of law, free press, separa on of powers, etc – all the precepts of democra c governance. But then, the po-

li cal elites mishandled the nurturing of the seed and the military came and uprooted it and planted the unitary, centralised, zombie government based on crude oil sales-money sharing and wilful spending by any sec on of the elite in power (military or civilian), as virtually the only thing governance in Nigeria is all about.

The civilian poli cal elites in the 2nd republic and especially since 1999 have refused to uproot that evil seed, and replant the FEDERALISM seed of our Founding Fathers, simply because of the sweetness of corrup on, stealing of public wealth, impunity, and all the evil benefits of “federal power.” Those in opposi on that made braggadocio about Federalism only get into the corruptly sweet “federal power” and turn their back on federalism, as we have seen again and again.

Whereas there is no space enough to list all the steps necessary to take Nigeria and Nigerians back to the promised land, you can have it for free that the one and all problem of Nigeria is that we are having an evil opera ng system in the unitary, presiden al system based on the 1999 Cons tu on as amended: nothing good can ever come out of it, whosoever you bring up as President: Jesus the Christ or the Blessed Prophet Muhammad (PBUH); or both combined. In same breath, the one solu on that will begin to roll out all other sweet solu ons is simply to return Nigeria to bearing its true nameFEDERAL Republic of Nigeria. If you want to know the full meaning of FEDERALISM and how it is run in a country, you can Google it un l we have me and space to explain it in simple terms here, then you will appreciate how “up-side-down” and disorganised our life and society.

Finally, none of the people benefi ng from the juicy aberra on will help Nigerians return to Federalism. No Messiah will, no NLC will. No child ever spits out a spoon of honey given to it. It is up to the people to achieve their freedom by coming together, organizing and struggling for it; one person first, then two, then a dozen, then a hundred, and then a movement that no evil elite or devilish security force on earth can stop. Nigeria will not be the first to achieve so, and not the last.