Osun Defender Online Version Of March 15, 2024

Controversies Trail Adeleke’s N53.4bn Road Project

Continued from page 1

The dualisa on of 3.86km Bap st High School-Oke Gada, Ede; a N11,090,838,764 contract was awarded to Enginec Interna onal Engineering Limited, while the construc on of four span bridge across Osun River and dual 2-span bridge across Erinle river was awarded to Raregeode Company Limited at a cost of N3,937,072,827,00.

All the contracts are to be completed within 12 months.

However, Raregeode Company Limited which is handling the construc on of a four-span bridge across the Osun River and a dual-span bridge across the Erinle River, is primarily owned by the Deputy Speaker of Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Akinyode Oyewusi.

Though Oyewusi claimed to have resigned from the company in

•Governor Awards 10.6bn Contract To Inactive Company

March 2023, informa on on the website of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) revealed that his resigna on was not effected un l August 24, 2023.

Oyewusi was swornin as the deputy speaker on June 6, 2023.

In addi on, the Acumen Forte Construc on which is handling the dualiza on of the Old Garage-Oke-Fia-Lameco Junc on with a sum of N5,822,105,829bn was also traced to him, with his wife, Fa ma Oyewusi being a person with significant control ll August 23, 2023.

Another controversy trailing the contracts is the credibility of A’skorj Nigeria Limited, the company handling the construc on of seven span bridge at the OkeFia intersec on, Osogbo.

The company with

registra on number 1160780 was registered on December 18, 2013, in Ibadan, Oyo State. But the firm was marked inac ve on the

Guide Against Jailbreak, There’s A Security Threat In Osun - Adeleke Raises Alarm

Yusuf Oketola

GOVERNOR Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has raised the alarm over a threat to the peace and security of the state.

Adeleke called on the security agencies to forfy the state against attacks, saying there were indica ons that criminal elements had entered the state.

Adeleke, in a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Tuesday, said there were signals that bandits from other states were coming into Osun, calling for maximum security in the state’s borders against the influx of the criminal elements.

According to Adeleke as contained in the statement, the criminal elements were targeting schools, planning to kidnap and a ack farm se lements to disrupt the peace and security of the state.

The Governor reiterated the need to redouble security a en on on the spate of killings in Ilesa by cult groups, noting that there must be an end to the menace.

He said: “We have reports that those behind the plot are targe ng disrup on of farming ac vies through kidnappings and a acks on rural farm se lements.

“Schools are being targeted with abduc ons

and a acks as a way of distrac ng from the implementa on of the safe school ini a ve and the mul billion naira infrastructure plan.

“There are signals that bandits from other states are facing Osun state. We need to secure our border from the influx of such criminals especially the Kwara-Osun boundary, and Ondo/ Garage Olode boundary among others;

“We must review safety and security measures in our schools. The Safe School Ini a ve must be well implemented. We must work with hunters and forest rangers to safeguard our forests and border towns.

“We need to redouble our a en on to cultism clashes at Ilesa. The killings must stop.

“I urge us to also pay a en on to inner city kidnappings and burglary. The CP must take proac ve measures on this;

“We need to fully set up our Joint Task Force to fully man the state. We need a rapid response force.

“Let’s also for fy our correc onal centers. We must guard against jailbreak.”

Part of the measures agreed to by the State Security Council, according to the statement, include integra on of hunters and forest rang-

ers into grassroots policing, strengthening the Safe School Ini a ve, eagle eye on the border regions especially Kwara/ Osun, Osun/Ondo and Osun/Eki among others.

Plot To A ack Osun Schools, Farms Will Be ThwartedPolice

The Osun State Police Command has however allayed the fears of residents of the state, parcularly communi es in rural areas, of reported planned a acks on their farms, proper es or persons by any individual or group.

The Spokesperson of the command, Mrs Yemisi Opalola, while reacting to the alarm raised by Adeleke, said the police were up to the task of providing adequate security for residents of the state Osun.

In a statement made available to journalists

on Wednesday, Opalola said the force had iniated security measures to ensure that security threat does not materialise in Osun.

The statement partly read: “We are doing everything possible to ensure that Osun is safe. When you hear that something is happening in your neighbourhood, you are supposed to prepare, think outside the box to prepare for any eventuality.

“That is what we have been doing. We have been preparing and se ng up security strategies and that is why security threats have not been allowed to escalate by the command.

“When we see what is going on in other states in the country, we strategise and put in place some security measures to ensure our own state is safe from those menace.”

CAC website, meaning that it has no reported ac vi es for a period of me. This has generated reac ons from members of the public who are wondering why the state government would award a contract running into billions of naira contract to an inac ve company. A’skorj was registered for ac vi es that include acquisi on and sales of lands and buildings, real estate, property developer, general contractor and supplier.

Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that two Persons with Significant Control in the company are a husband and wife who are indigenes of Ede.

The PSC are Kehinde Adebayo Olabode and Rofiat Olawunmi Olabode of 14, Babanla Agate Road, Ede, Osun State.

Further findings by this medium revealed that the husband and wife became PSC of the company on November 27, 2023.

The construc on of

seven span bridge at Oke-Fia intersec on, Osogbo which A’skorj is handling was awarded on December 6, 2023, nine days a er the couple became PSC. A known cri que of the Adeleke’s administra on, M.r Akin Adeyi, had in February accused the Governor of awarding the contract to his family phony company (A’skorj Nigeria Limited).

But the state government in a statement by the Commissioner for Informa on and Public Enlightenment, Mr Kolapo Alimi, declared that it only awarded contracts to competent companies.

The statement which was released on February 18, 2024, reads: “The Osun State government has responded to fake news about a company handling the Osogbo dualisa on and flyover project, declaring that “we award contracts to companies that are competent to deliver on specifica ons with lowest price quota ons.

“We have no apologies to award a contract to any company irrespec ve of its address as long as it complies with bidding specifica ons in terms of competency to deliver on the job and with the lowest price.

“We are fixated on engaging the most competent firm based on the bidding process even if the office address is the palace of Timi of Ede.

“We are also conscious of the verifiable fact that the owners of such companies are not wholly or partly owned by a member of the

•Adeleke

•Umar, Osun CP

•Media Practioners in Osun State in a group photograph after an advocacy meeting on Advancing Women’s Political Participation through Elected Candidates in the South West, organised by the Hope for Family Development Initiative HFDI, and Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen ifa, as well as Germany Foreign Office, held at Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ Press Centre, in Osogbo, on Tuesday

TEN years a er the adop on of the Chibok girls, the war against criminal elements posing as terrorists con nue to abate. Indeed, there has been a spike in abduc ons of school children and other innocent ci zens. Something is profoundly wrong.

The President must now bring its acclaimed managerial he into play, the present framework does not appear to be fully aware of the complexi es of nonconven onal warfare. Recruitment into the armed forces should be aware of this drawback; and in the recruitment process, they must now look at the structure of the Army via-a-vis unconven onal fare. They should have had the country well over a decade ago developed special forces trained and equipped to fight in different terrains. This is the ra onal way of tackling unconven onal warfare.

In addi on, technology must now be placed at the heart of the an terrorism strategy; this will include sensors, drones, electronic surveillance, etc. There is a school of thought descending from the posi on of the president that ransom should not be paid to the terrorists. Those playing what is in reality devil’s advocate are arguing that tracing ransom funds paid to the terrorist through the use of technology could produce a breakthrough. We agree with no ransom posi on with the president, we also believe that the use of technology must now be at the heart of the an -terrorism strategy.

There’s also a curse for concern.

The President’s Call

Time For The President To Bring In His Skills As A Manager In The War Against Insurgency

Specter now haunts Nigeria: it’s the issue of the seeming inability to separate policy direc on from decisions on procurement. This is very dangerous as it could lead to a never-ending war. The beneficiaries of the procurement system preven ng an ends to the saga. Countries engaged in all manner of warfare have to be conscious of the issue. The war against terror must not become a never-ending gi for defence contractors. It was precisely because of emergency of this fault line that the then United States President, John F. Kenedy introduced

the Performance Planning Budge ng System (PPBS). The PPBS was devised as a budge ng tools to streamline the defence budget in other to eliminate waste duplica on and fraud. We really must adapt our own version in other to make defence spending more cost effec ve as well as result-given. We really don’t have a choice with defence spending at about 20% of the na onal budget. The efficaciousness of the na onal defence budget must now come under scru ny as well as reevalua on. Countries in similar situaons have inevitable had to carry the cri cal reevalua on.

Nigeria: Powering Beyond The

By Abiodun Komolafe “

NIGERIA is at a crossroads and Nigerians are trying to find the responses to an economic crisis and currency turmoil. Of course, all manner of symptoms keep appearing!

Towards the end of February, Governor Biodun Oyebanji unveiled a N12 billion economic relief programme for Eki residents. That’s in addi on to other proac ve steps already taken by the governor to mi gate the effects of the fuel subsidy removal and naira floata on by the na onal government. In Borno State, Governor Babagana Zulum has been pu ng in a stellar shi even as Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has also been doing well across the board. Although not a paradise on earth, the ‘Centre of Excellence’ has a robust revenue base and a very solid social safety net thereby making it violence-free and prac cally the safest state in Nigeria. And in Abia State, the recent inaugura on of the $800m Geometric Power Plant and the proposed statewide light rail project have revealed what to expect from the Alex O -led government.

With these and other interven ons in place, one can safely say that the governors are in the right mode. However, the historical impera ve of this me is that men of high intellect and exposure like Oyebanji, SanwoOlu, Zulum and O should now be at the forefront of redefining the way out of the cultural dysfunc on in which Nigeria is currently immersed. That the governors have the human empathy and the intellect to do so is not in doubt. So, why can’t they dig deeper into a cri cal response to the illusion called ‘pallia ve’ like the former Governor Lateef Jakande whose direct labour approach to public works projects in Lagos State helped a lot of people to break out of poverty in addi on to transfer of skills by par cipa on?

Since social capital is deeper than economic capital, another way of building an aspira onal society is by embarking on housing schemes that are directed at civil servants and the urban-middle-class. A er all, the

Taking advantage of technology from Denmark, let our governors also maximize the opportuni es provided by the removal of the power sector from the Exclusive List”

Indians and the Vietnamese have shown that the higher the skills of an economy, the higher the produc vity. Otherwise, how did Vietnam arrive at having the lowest unit cost of electricity in the world? Well, it is not just that she developed a first-class electricity industry, she also developed world-class instutes! That’s why world-class industries like Samsung have found a safe haven in the once war-troubled country. Indeed, that’s why Samsung does more than $65 billion worth of manufacturing exports annually, not from South Korea, its home country, but Vietnam.

Taking advantage of technology from Denmark, let our governors also maximize the opportuni es provided by the removal of the power sector from the Exclusive List. Let them explore all the available human and social capital resources within the country and in the Diaspora to look into the alterna ve renewable sources of energy.

When one takes a cri cal look at the terrifying sta s cs, Eki State and the Netherlands have exactly the same land mass. However, the Netherlands is the world’s 2nd largest exporter of food and agricultural products. For the Netherlands, the agro-industrial exports fetch her about $140 billion a year. Impliedly, with the advantage of land mass, there are lots of poten als for a state like Eki to transform into an agro-industrial power house.

There was a me when Indians were sca ered across the globe, scavenging for survival. But her situa on changed immediately she decided to reach out to the Diaspora Indians. Now, India is the world’s 5th largest economy. Today, the Indian Ins tutes

of Technology (IITs) can match any Massachuse s Ins tute of Technology (MIT). Remember also the Wageningen University and Research as the engine room of the Dutch economy, the power of research that has transformed that small country into its current status. But where are Nigeria’s Research Ins tutes situated? When was the last me the Nigerian government poured money into, say, the University of Ibadan for research works?

Unlike India, the poli cal establishment in Nigeria has defied the thrust of development, as we have accepted it, or as it has been the conven onal wisdom since the 1950s. Instead of following the paths of brilliant economists like Karl Gunnar Myrdal and Andre Gunder Frank, the poli cal class in Nigeria has built its economy based on low skills and low wages, thinking that that’s the way to have poli cal control. As fate would have it, the chickens have now come home to roost and it is as if the gods are angry.

Tafawa Balewa, Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, was right! Balewa didn’t see the point

“Countries engaged in all manner of warfare have to be conscious of the issue. The war against terror must not become a never-ending gift for defence contractors”

Such a task is well suited for a president who comes from a private sector background and is surrounded by an economic team grounded in prac cal applica on of costs benefits analysis. We advocate an urgent budget review immediately as part of the unfolding strategic over haul. Defence is no longer about brawn but about strategic thrusts. The strategist pursed in the last decade and half have clearly exhausted the limit of their possibility, a seasoned manger is now expected to take a new turn.

At mes like this, we must always remember Leah who has spent 10 wallowing years in ac vity. We must now also remember all those in capvity held by Odious fiends, the war against terror must now enter a decisive phase, as the na on says Never Again! We must painfully realized that the terrorists are aiming at dismantling the heart of the republic and they will not succeed.

of a Federal Ministry of Agriculture. But he reluctantly established it. As a ma er of fact, it was the last Ministry to be created in the First Republic; and he didn’t call it ‘Federal Ministry of Agriculture’. Instead, it debuted as the ‘Federal Ministry of Natural Resources and Research’, with Alade Lamuye as its first minister. The idea at the me was to use the Federal Government money and interna onal aid to establish a fantas c research ins tute and the products of the research would be given to the regional governments for implementa on. Sadly, everything has long been distorted. The last me we heard of the Na onal Ins tute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) was when Professor Dotun Philips held court as its Director-General. The more reason posterity will remember Oyebanji for turning Eki State University not just into a degree factory but also a well-funded and researchfocused ins tu on of higher educa on.

Since nothing happens by chance or faith, the ques on is: what’s to be done? Since one’s ac ons determine one’s faith, it behooves educated and enlightened minds like Oyebanji, Sanwo-Olu, Zulum and O to favour efforts that tend towards moving away from the lowskill, low-wage labour into a high-skilled economy, which is the only way to get produc vity at the op mal and interna onally compe ve exports. Convenonally, ‘pallia ve’ is just an expedient start, not a cure. It is a temporary approach, not a permanent solu on.

Aggrieved Prince Drags Adeleke To Court Over Aree’s Stool

ONE of the contestants for the throne of the Aree of Iree, Prince Ali Afolabi, has dragged Governor Ademola Adeleke before an Osun State High Court for allegedly disregarding the law in the appointment of a new monarch for the town.

Joined in the suit are the A orney General and Commissioner for Jus ce, Commissioner for Local Government and Chie aincy Affairs in the state, and the newly appointed Aree, Prince Muritala Oyelakin.

Afolabi who is from the Olubonku ruling house, said Adeleke did not follow due process in the appointment of Oyelakin as the new Aree.

In the suit filed before the State High Court sitng in Ikirun, Afolabi accused Adeleke of flouting the rule of law and je soning due process in the fresh selec on.

The plain ff prayed the court to nullify the en re selec on process, maintaining that it was “a rape of the Cons tu on and complete fraud”.

Afolabi also prayed to the court for “a declara on that by Na ve law and Custom of Iree Kingdom And Aree Chie aincy, a person can only be validly selected to Aree Chie aincy by an elecon/selec on by the Kingmakers in Iree Kingdom and no one else.”

He also prayed for: “A declara on that the appointment of the 5th defendant (Oyelakin) as the Aree of Iree and consequent recognion by the 1st defendant (Adeleke) as recommended by 2nd and 4th (Iree Local Government Council) defendants as the Aree of Iree is unconscionable, inequitable, null and void.

“An order se ng aside the selec on/elecon process that produced the 5th defendant as the Aree of Iree for being conducted or par cipated in by nonKingmakers in line with the na ve law and custom of Iree.

“Declara on that Olubonku ruling house is the only chie aincy ruling house competent to present a candidate for the Aree chie aincy being the only ruling house that is yet to rule since 1866 when Atanda Ol-

ubonku ruling house ruled between 1795 to 1866.

“An order of injuncon restraining the 1st-4th defendants by themselves or proxies or by whatsoever/whatever name he/she or they are known from accep ng the candidature of the 5th defendant or any candidate from any ruling house(s) of Aree Kingdom than the plainff ruling house.

“An order of injuncon restraining the 5th defendant accep ng or parading himself as the elected Aree of Iree King.”

Afolabi argued that Governor Adeleke con-

travened Sec on 20, sub-sec on (2) of the Chief’s Law (cap.25) Laws of Osun State, 2002 by approving the selecon of Oyelakin before the statutory 21 days.

Afolabi further said:

“The law stated that after selec on of a monarch might have been done, the governor shall not approve or set aside that selec on un l a er 21 days. Recall that the selec on of Oyelakin was made on February 22, 2024, while Governor Ademola approved it by issuing an approval le er to Oyelakin on March 6, 2024.

“This ac on by the Governor makes the

le er of approval illegal and a viola on of the same law that Governor Adeleke swore to obey.

“If Governor Adeleke accused former Governor Oyetola of not following the rule of law and breaching process, the Governor has done worse by je soning the law, including the White Paper he issued. This is a gross injus ce to the good people of Iree and it should not be allowed to stand.

“To ensure that this injus ce and breach of the cons tu on do not stand, I have, through my lawyer, challenged the fresh selec on in

Cultists Unleash Mayhem On Ijesa Villages, Farmers On The Run

FARMERS in some villages in Ijesaland have raised the alarm over the invasion of cul sts on their settlements, calling on the state government to come to their rescue.

According to the farmers, the cul sts have run them out of their villages following incessant a acks on them without help from any quarter.

The farmers disclosed that the cul sts have con nuously been a acking residents of Aladodo, Olowu, Itapa, Oluwo, and E oni in Atakunmosa East local government for over a week.

One of the farmers who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER in Ilesa, on Wednesday, said the cul sts first a acked Aladodo village before going to other villages.

The farmer who craved anonymity said the cul sts were avenging the death of the son of one of them who was reportedly drowned in the stream.

“The cul sts first attacked Aladodo village on Thursday, last week. They came with motorcycles and started shoot-

Ex-Governor Ambode’s Chef Arrested In Osun

VICTOR Abayo-

mi, a chef to the former governor of Lagos State, Akinwunmi Ambode, has been arrested in Osun State for allegedly stealing some items worth millions of naira at the ex-governor’s Ikoyi residence.

This was disclosed by the State Security Service prosecu ng counsel, Joshua Babalola, before a Yaba

Chief Magistrates’ Court, on Monday.

Babalola said the accused person was arrested at Old Garage, Osogbo, Osun State on March 7, 2024.

Abayomi is facing two counts of charges bordering on conspiracy and the pressed against him by the SSS.

The prosecu ng counsel told the court that Abayomi and others who were s ll

at large conspired to commit the offence.

The presiding Magistrate, Mr Peter Nwaka, ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Ikoyi

Correc onal Centre for 30 days.

Nwaka adjourned the case un l April 8, 2024, for inves ga on and presenta on of facts.

ing sporadically. They unleashed machete cuts on anybody they lay their hand on. They have sacked the village completely.

“The reason for their a ack is that one of their sons was drowned in the stream; he died and his corpse was recovered. The cul sts claimed the boy was killed and thrown into the stream; that is why they are attacking us.

“A er succeeding in running the residents out of Aladodo village, the cul sts moved to other villages, a acking the people one a er the other. Villages like Itapa, Oluwo, E oni, and Olowu are constantly being a acked. Some of the farmers and other residents have fled because of the incessant a acks from the cul sts.

“The government and the police should please come to our rescue. We have nowhere to live.”

OSUN DEFENDER

gathered that the cultists obtained a sum of N200,000 from a farmer in one of the villages.

The farmer was also macheted by the cul sts a er obtaining the cash sum.

When contacted, the Public Rela ons Officer of Osun State Police Command, Mrs Yemisi Opalola, said the police would take necessary ac on on the ma er.

Opalola urged the farmers and other residents of the affected villages to report to Divisional Police Officer in their area.

Woman Who Chose N300,000 Cash Over Surgery To Remove Goitre Dies

AYusuf Oketola portedly declined the medical assistance and instead asked that the money raised be handed to her.

woman simply iden fied as Mrs Folakemi from Ede, Osun State, who preferred cash of N300,000 instead of a free surgery to remove the goitre which had afflicted her for years, is dead.

Folakemi had in November, 2023 sought financial assistance at the State Secretariat, Abere for her condion.

However, a medical team which came across Folakemi offered her free surgery.

But Folakemi re-

She reportedly went back to her village with the hope that the state government which had promised to assist her, would fulfil the pledge.

According to media reports, a director of a nongovernmental organisa on who had taken interest in the case was able to convince Folakemi to let go of the money and have the opera on done.

However, the surgery which was done few days ago was reportedly unsuccessful, leading to Folakemi’s death.

Kazeem Badmus

Yusuf Oketola

Ismaeel Uthman

•The deceased

•Ambode

• Marketers obstructing the free flow of traffic at the Akindeko market, Alekuwodo, Osogbo Photo: Shola Aderinto

Igbajo: Kingmakers Boycott Process As Govt Uses Warrant Chiefs To Appoint New Owa

Ismaeel Uthman

KINGMAKERS in Igbajo, Boluwaduro local government of Osun State have dissociated themselves from the appointment of Prince (Dr.) Ademola Stephen Makinde as the new Owa of Igbajo.

The kingmakers said the only known Owa of Igbajo is Prince Gboyega Famodun, who they had elected

•Famodun The Only Owa of Igbajo, We Don’t Have Another Monarch – Obaala

and performed tradi onal rites for in 2022.

The Osun State government had on Monday announced Makinde’s appointment as the new Owa of Igbajo, following the cancella on of the selecon process that led to the emergence and installa on of Famodun.

Famodun, who was unl his selec on as a tradional ruler, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, was installed on November 25, 2022, by former governor Adegboyega Oyetola.

But his appointment was nullified alongside that of the Oyetola approved

•I Was Manipulated To Vote – Warrant Chief

Aree of Iree, Prince Ademola Oluponle, for lack of due process by the state government.

In a white paper released on January 18, 2024, the state government announced the nullifica on of Famodun’s ap-

pointment, following the adop on of the report and recommenda on of the Chie aincy Review Commi ee set up by Governor Ademola Adeleke.

The commi ee reported that, “It was established that, though it is the turn of Owa Oke-Ode to ascend the throne of Owa of Igbajo, where Prince Adegboyega Famodun hails from, other contestants were denied a fair hearing and the right to par cipate in the selec on process by the headship of the family and kingmakers.

“It was a pre-planned arrangement with the sole aim of producing Prince Adegboyega Famodun as the new Owa of Igbajo.”

The commi ee recommended a proper and all-inclusive arrangement wherein all contestants to the throne will be accommodated in the interest of fair play, and equity and in line with the custom and tradi on of Owa of Igbajo kingdom.

However, findings by

Frustrations Hit Oyetola’s Camp As Loyalists Bemoan Minister’s ‘Wickedness’

the viral audio berated the former governor for not giving him audience for over eight months.

Ayofe stated that all effort to get Oyetola’s atten on to discuss some important issues regarding the progress of the APC in Osun for the past eight months proved abor ve, saying that he was prevented by his aides.

He vowed to leave the APC because of Oyetola’s a tude, saying the Minister has not been fair to him.

Ayofe said: “Remove me from the (APC/Oyetola) groups, I have determined. I have been thinking about it for a long me. I’m done with Oyetola and APC. It is almost eight months I have been seeking audience with the minster at his office in Abuja. I also came to Osun to see him but all prove abor ve.

“I have some ma ers to discuss with him privately which can be of benefit to Osun people. I also sent a text message to Oyetola, telling him the ma er is of importance and urgent. He didn’t respond. What else do I want to do. Do I have another leader? Whereas, other people are having access to him.

“I declared war on Governor Ademola Adeleke whose father is my father’s friend solely because of Oyetola. I know what Adeleke did for my family

•Loyalist Threatens To Leave APC, Says Minister Not Making Himself Available

when he died.

“Other tribes who are Ministers are taking good care of their people. Is it a curse for us not to benefit from our own leaders? It is be er I leave the party (APC). I’m not asking Oyetola for money, all what we want is for him to use the influence of his ministry for the benefit of Osun people.

“I became an orphan in Abuja and it was frustrating. Is it un l we commit suicide? There are opportuni es in all ministries and one must have a godfather to benefit and that is the purpose of going into polics. I’m fed up. Our leaders are not giving chance to get access to them. How long will that persist?

Joining the conversaon, a former local government Chairman who iden fied himself as Kehinde Abidemi Akanfe from Ejigbo said: “I don’t know what we do for Oyetola that made him not to pay us furniture allowance after spending one year and three months in office. I don’t know why he said we didn’t deserve furniture allowance, severance and take homes. Whereas another party came in and within one month, paid the money even when the beneficiaries include APC members.

“Do we have the right to accuse those who de-

camp to the PDP during the last elec on now with what Oyetola has done?

“I know he is not a poli cian. He only got an opportunity through President Bola Tinubu. Aregbesola learns from Tinubu and that is the reason why he takes care of his team.”

In his own lamenta on, an APC member from Ward 07, Esa-Oke, Mr Oluwasanmi Kehinde, said APC would lose the next governorship elec on if the party’s leadership failed to address the issues on ground.

He said, “We should let Oyetola know that he is not a good person. We should be bold enough to let him know the kind of damage he has caused us.

“When he was the governor, he collected all his en tlement without caring about ours.

“Now, they are calling

us to support him whenever he comes to Osun as a Minister, I will never be part of that. It is be er to let the party know that if we con nue like this, we will lose again in the next elec on.”

Another member who did not disclose his name said: “Oyetola is wicked and callous. When you have the opportunity to work with two different administraons, you will know the difference.

“During Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s tenure, even the caretaker who spent nine months and those who spent five years collected their severance but Oyetola does not want success for his own people. That is his policy.

“Adeleke who is in the PDP paid the severance of former assembly members who were APC, while

Oyetola failed to pay the severance of the assembly members who le a er he became governor.

“You people are saying this because you don’t know the man called Oyetola. I have known him since he was the Chief of Staff to Aregbesola. He has been a s ngy man. There was a me he came to the House of Assembly and he gave five people N2,000.”

In another audio, a loyalist of Oyetola noted that presen ng the Minister as the party candidate in 2026 will spell doom for the party.

“If APC should present Oyetola as a candidate in 2026, it will fail woefully. If you go to the town, bear parlours or board a mini bus (Korope), you will know what people are saying about him.

“Presen ng Oyetola means we will be in the opposi on for a long me,” he said.

In his submission, another loyalist of Oyetola in the audio, said: “Once you know someone is wicked, you need to move away from him. Oyetola has nothing to offer.

“We will take over the state by 2026 but I believe Oyetola will not be a governor in this state again. We all know Oyetola disappointed and betrayed you but you have to look beyond him. He is not worth it.”

OSUN DEFENDER revealed that the Igbajo kingmakers refused to par cipate in the selec on process for a new tradi onal ruler for the town.

All the six tradi onal kingmakers queued behind Famodun as the authen c Owa of Igbajo, insis ng that they could not perform any rite for another tradi onal ruler.

According to inves gaons by OSUN DEFENDER, Boluwaduro local government appointed five warrant chiefs to replace the tradi onal kingmakers.

The warrant chiefs, it was gathered, were taken to the Ministry of Local Government and Chie aincy Affairs on Wednesday, March 6, 2024, where they elected Makinde as the new Owa of Igbajo.

However, one of the warrant chiefs, Mr. Fatai Akintunde, has disclosed that he was manipulated to par cipate in the selec on process by the Chairman of Boluwaduro East (Ajoda) Local Council Development Area, Mr. Biodun FatookiOloba.

Akintunde, in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday said: “My local government chairman called me last week Wednesday that there was a programme to a end in Osogbo. Since I am also a poli cian and we are in the same poli cal party, I obliged him.

“He took me to the Ministry of Local Government and Chie aincy Affairs in Osogbo. On ge ng there, he informed me that we were to vote a new Owa of Igbajo. I was surprised, but I could not leave the place.

“We, the Warrant Chiefs were five. We had six candidates contes ng for the Owa’s stool; Prince Makinde had four votes while another candidate had just one vote. The local government Chairman had instructed me to vote for Makinde. I am not a kingmaker, nor a chief. This is the first me of having that kind of selec on process in Igbajo.”

Also, the Obaala of Igbajo, High Chief Sam Ajibodu, who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER on sick bed, said the kingmakers led by himself never par cipated in any new selec on process.

He said: “I am the head of the kingmakers in Igbajo and I know we have selected and installed Owa of Igbajo, who is Gboyega Famodun. We don’t know any other thing aside that. Let’s leave everything to God.”

•Famodun•Makinde

FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2024 - THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2024

RAMADAN! What is Ramadan?

And what will make you know what Ramadan is?

Ramadan is a month like no other months. It is the month of mercy, forgiveness and emancipa on from the hell fire. These are some of the goodies reserved for the upright people who obey their Lord and carry out His commands. Ramadan is the month of the Glorious Qur’an. Yes! The whole Book was transmi ed from Laohul Mahfouz (the preserved tablet, in upper heaven,

News

JUMAT SERMON

JUMAT SERMON

By Sheikh Ibrahim Oladejo

By Sheikh Ibrahim Oladejo

in which the record of all the events that will transpire in this world from the beginning to the end are kept) to Baitul Ma’mur, ( a house situated in the lowest heaven next to the earth.) Baitul Ma’mur is akin to the Ka’bah in Makkah, frequently visited by the Angels for the purpose of worship therein. From there, the revela on was retransmi ed in piecemeal to The Messenger (PBOH) over the period of twenty-three years. The maiden Qur’anic revela on, (“Read…! in the Name of your Lord who creates. Creates man from a clot. Read..! And your Lord is the Most Bounteous. Who teaches by the pen. Teaches man that which he knew not.”) which was delivered by Angel Jibreel to the Prophet (PBOH) took place during Ramadan. In addi on to all that, it is only Ramadan among its peers that can boast of possessing one single night that is be er than one thousand months.

Allah says confirming the first transmission from Laohul Mahfuz to Bai l Ma’mur in Q97:1-5 “Verily! We have sent it (the Qur”an) down in the night of Decree. And what will make you know what the night of decree is?The night of decree is be er than one thousand months. Therein descend the Angels and the Ruh (Angel Jibreel) by Allah’s permission with all decrees, (The whole night is) peace un l the raising of the dawn”.

To demonstrate the importance of Ramadan, the Messenger (PBOH) taught his companions and Muslims at large to prepare for it ahead of me. It was narrated that The Prophet (PBOH),

Welcome Oh Ramadan! (Part One)

on sigh ng the crescent of Rajab, (the seventh month), would say: “O Allah! Bless for us the month of Rajab, likewise Sha’baan, and spare our lives to witness Ramadan”.

During the designated period of fas ng, every adult Muslim male or female, who is sane and healthy, must abstain from ea ng, drinking and engaging in love making as well as vain talks and misconduct from dawn ll dusk.

‘Emir’ Re-Arraigned On Alleged Murder Of APC Members, Terrorism

Titilope Adako

OLALEKAN Oyeyemi, popularly called Emir, was on Wednesday, re-arraigned on a 10count charge of terrorism and murder at a Federal High Court, Osogbo, Osun State.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that Oyeyemi, a stalwart of the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) in the State had earlier been arraigned before the court on February 1, and was remanded at Ile-Ife custodial facility.

But the prosecu ng counsel, Rabiu Umar Usman, at the resumed si ng of the case on March 05, told the court that he wanted to amend the charge against Oyeyemi.

Oyeyemi, in the amended charge, was accused of terrorism and murder of some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

He was accused of

conspiring with other suspects at large to attack one Muraina Olayiwole and Tope who were members of APC on or about February 27, 2022 at Orita CMS, Osogbo.

According to the charge sheet, Oyeyemi and other suspects at large, based on poli cal differences, did unlawfully kill Olayiwole and Tope by shoo ng them and later used stone to break their heads.

The prosecutor said Oyeyemi also committed act of terrorism by arming himself with guns to terrorise members and supporters of the APC and other residents of Osogbo.

Also, Oyeyemi was alleged to have unlawfully killed one Tajuddeen Rabiu by shoo ng him in the presence of his wife on or about August 5, 2022 at Ayepe, Ilesa Garage, Osogbo.

The accused person was also alleged of se ng a car ablaze at Ayetoro junc on, Os-

ogbo, on or about November 28, 2022.

But Oyeyemi pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Defence counsel, Edmund Z. Biriomoni, applied for the bail of the accused person but the prosecu on counsel sought me to go through the bail applica on for proper reply.

Jus ce Emmanuel Ayoola of the court adjourned the case ll

Prior to the prescrip on of Ramadan, The Messenger of Allah (PBOH) who was just se ling down in his new environment a er migra ng to Yathrib (later renamed MadeenatuRasul, i.e. the City of the Prophet) once no ced an unusual fanfare among the Jewish community in the town. Upon asking for the reason, they replied that, they were preparing for a celebra on to commemorate the day Prophet Musa (PBOH) and the Israelites were delivered from Fir’aun (Pharaoh of Egypt). In reacon to that, The Prophet (PBOH) said: “but

we Muslims deserve Musa (PBOH) more than you do. He consequently commanded his companions to join the Jews in observing the fast on that day which was the tenth of Muharram. Later, he instructed them to increase one more day when fas ng on the same occasion in future. It was obligatory upon the Muslims then to fast the ninth and tenth days of Muharram. Meanwhile, the prescrip on of Ramadan later abrogated that rule and reduced the verdict of fas ng Tasua and Ashura (ninth and tenth of Muharram) to Sunnah (op onal.)

Going down the memory lane, the history of the first Quiblah (the direc on faced in the daily ritual prayers) at the early stage of Islam used to be towards Baitul Maqdis in Qudus (The grand Mosque in Jerusalem).These incidents shed more light on the fact that all the Abrahamic religions are of the same pa ern, they have many things in common; e.g, performing ablu on using water before prayer, mode of worship like raising up the hands, bowing and then prostra ng during prayer, dressing up decently by covering up the whole body, especially by women as well as exchanging gree ngs with the words of peace. These are in concord with what are available in all the scriptures. No wonder the Messenger of Allah (PBOH) said: “All of us, we the Prophets of Allah are kinsmen who were nurtured by different mothers.”

In rela on to that, Allah said: “O you who believe! (In the Oneness of Allah and Islamic Monotheism) Fas ng has been prescribed for you as was prescribed for those before you, that you may become pious”, Q2:183.

Once again, Ramadan is a month of spiritual upli ment during which one denies himself, based on the command of the Creator, some basic lawful enjoyment and comfort in order to a ain a higher post in the sight of Allah. It is a period of reflecon and medita on, a period of giving out charity to the poor, and a period when the affluent temporarily has a taste of some hardship which the less privileged people o en experience. It is also a period of ge ng closer to Allah. According to the Prophet (PBOH), Allah The Almighty said: “All the deeds of the son of Adam (mankind) belong to him except the fas ng which is Mine, and I (Allah) am the One who will grant reward for it”.

To be con nued in sha Allah.

• Sheikh Ibrahimd Oladejo Raji, Imaam Kosemani Jum’ah Mosque, off Iwo Ibadan Road, by Adetoro Shopping Complex, Mercyland Area, Dada Estate Osogbo, Osun State. irajoladejo1951@gmail.com

Stop Stigmatisation Of People With HIV, O-SACA Boss Urges Residents

Anthony Faji

THE Osun State Agen-

cy for the Control of HIV/AIDS (O-SACA) has appealed to residents of the state to stop the s gma sa on and discrimina on against people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

Chief Execu ve Officer of the Agency, Dr. Adeniyi Oginni, made the appeal in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER on Wednes-

day. Oginni noted that there was the need to address some factors causing s gma sa on against the HIV/AIDS pa ent in the society.

The O-SACA boss who placed the prevalence of HIV in the state at 0.9 percent, said according to sta s cs, more than 50 percent of people living with the virus are on medica ons.

He noted that the agency’s goal was to ensure that anybody who

tested posi ve started treatment immediately to curb the spread of the virus in the state.

According to the medical expert, “The best way of preven ng the spread of the virus in our society is for everybody to get tested to know their medical status.

“HIV/AIDs is not a death sentence, it is even be er than diabetes, and hypertension because if you don’t take medicine for hypertension you will develop a stroke and die. Those diseases can kill faster than HIV but people are ignorant.

“Those who have the virus need to also get enlisted and be on treatment un l they are unable to affect anybody else.

“The aim is for everyone affected and receiving treatment to get to zero level where it will not be significant enough to be transmi ed to another person.”

Speaking further, Oginni said the state government and some partnering organiza ons have employed some models to ensure that the spread of the virus is at the barest minimum for the safety of lives of the people.

Tuesday, March 19, to rule on the bail applica on.

•Emir

Osun Assembly Awaits Executive Bill On Sports Development

Yusuf Oketola

THE Chairman of the Osun State House of Assembly Commi ee on Youth, Sports and Special Needs, Hon. Abiola Awoyeye, has disclosed that the execu ve arm of government will soon transmit its plans on the revitalisa on of sports in the state to the House.

The plans, it was gathered, would be based on the reports submi ed to the state government by a Commi ee set up to look into the challenges confron ng the sports sector and come up with possible ways of addressing them for the development of sports in Osun.

OSUN DEFENDER

recalls that the Deputy Governor of Osun State, Prince Kola Adewusi, who doubles as the state Commissioner of Sports, had set up a 9-man Sports Committee to help in revitalising sports in the state.

But nothing has been heard of the commi ee’s report months a er it was submi ed.

However, during a familiarisa on visit paid to his office on Tuesday by the leadership of Sports Writers Associa on of Nigeria, Osun State Chapter, Awoyeye was asked to give updates on the report and what the state government intended to do about it.

The Chairman of Osun SWAN, Timothy Agbor, who led his team to the lawmaker, also inquired from Awoyeye what the state government was doing to transform Osogbo City Stadium and the en re sports sector in general.

Responding, Awoyeye commended SWAN for its ini a ve and bold steps of promp ng government to be responsible and responsive.

He said he has spoken with the Deputy Governor and that the report would soon be sent to the House of Assembly as an Execu ve Bill for considera on.

Addressing the SWAN leadership, the legislator, who represents Ife Central Cons tuency said, “I want to thank you (SWAN) for not joining issues. Development is not a personal thing, it is collec ve and we have to see to the development of our communi es and state. All the issues you have raised today are very cogent and I am going to shed a lot of

light on them.

“When it comes to development, without infrastructure, it is nothing. I always make an example of Akwa Ibom Stadium. They built that stadium and gave Julius Berger a ten year contract to maintain it. That is a government with foresight because they know that a er construc on, there must be maintenance.”

He said the government is serious about upli ing the standard of Osogbo City Stadium,adding that no fewer than ten Construc on Companies had submi ed their presenta ons for the project.

While expressing displeasure about the abandonment of the stadium by previous governments, Awoyeye said, “We have invited a lot of contractors to present their quotaons and presenta ons for the stadium. We had about six to seven of them.

“The revamping of that stadium has to come in a separate budget so that we will face it squarely. We can even split the budget since government is con nuum.We are doing to alot to revamp sports in Osun.

“Nothing was done in Osun sports in the past 15 years. Nothing was done at the stadium.”

The lawmaker disclosed that the state government is in talks with the Kantangwua Construc on Company

Fatimoh Olanrewaju

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has appointed Dr. Temitope Ilori as the new Director General of the Na onal Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA).

Ilori is the daughter of the first Naonal Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Adebisi Akande who is also a former governor of Osun State.

The new NACA DG was a Commissioner for Health in the state between 2011 and 2014 during the administra on of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

Ilori’s appointment is contained in a statement by the

that handled the stadium and that part of the money previous government owed it would

FORMER Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro, believes the absence of Victor Boniface from Nigeria’s African Cup of Na ons squad cost the team the tle in Ivory Coast.

Nigeria were on the brink of winning a fourth AFCON tle last February but lost 2-1 in the final to hosts, Ivory Coast, despite taking a first half lead.

The Eagles looked set to repeat their 1-0 victory over the Ivorians from the group stage when

Head of Public Relaons and Protocol of NACA, Toyin Aderibigbe, on Thursday.

OSUN DEFENDER

noted that Dr. Ilori is the first female to be appointed the Director-General of the agency.

She took over from her predeces-

soon be paid. He men oned some of his efforts at developing sports in the

captain William TroostEkong – who had ne ed a penalty to decide that first mee ng – rose to head in the opener late in the first half.

However, Franck Kessie equalised just after the hour mark and before Sebas en Haller turned in Simon Adingra’s cross in the 81st minute to seal a third AFCON tle for Ivory Coast.

Recoun ng his AFCON experience in an interview with AfricafootUnited, the Portu-

sor, Dr Gambo Aliyu, who was the DG of the agency from June 2019 ll February 2024.

Up un l her appointment, Ilori was a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Community Medicine, University of Ibadan, and a Consultant

PUBLIC APOLOGY

grassroots, promising to engage the execuve on the crea on of sports Commission.

guese tac cian stated that Boniface would have made a big difference if he was available for the tournament.

“I will say that Boniface would have made the difference without injury,” Peseiro said.

“He was very confident and can play comfortably in our two-man a acking style. He can also play on both sides of the strikers and that would have made him our invisible arc in the tournament.

“Our op ons to re-

Family Physician in the Department of Family Medicine, University College Hospital, Ibadan.

•Continued from Page 2 Adeleke’s family.

“We assure the people of Osun state that all contracts are awarded within the context of due process as s pulated by the extant procurement laws of the state.”

Another hullabaloo on the Adeleke’s N53.4bn road project is the concentra on on Ede.

Of the seven contracts, Ede, the hometown of the Governor is a beneficiary of three major projects of Ede-Egbedi-Erin Osun inter-city road construcon (N1,069,847,000), dualisa on of Akoda-

Timothy Agbor commended the lawmaker for his strides and urged him not to relent.

fine our style were limited in his (Boniface) absence.”

Meanwhile, Boniface is expected to ac on in April a er an injury that has kept away for three months.

The star forward last played and scored for Leverkusen in a 4-0 home win over VFL Bochum on December 20.

Boniface has been outstanding for Bayer Leverkusen since he joined from Belgian club Royale Union SG last summer.

The Nigerian striker had a great run that saw him score 16 goals and make eight assists in 23 appearances across all compe ons for Die Werkself before his injury.

Bap st High School, Ede (N12,200,512,000) and dualisa on of Bap st High School-Oke Gada, Ede (N11,090,838,764).

The total contract sum allocated to Ede from the N53.4bn road project is N24.3bn.

PUBLICATION

JOSEPH MARY TOSIN

That ODOFIN MARY TOSIN and MARY OLUWATOSIN ODOFIN are the same person but now wish to be known and addressed as JOSEPH MARY TOSIN. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

• (L-R) Osun SWAN Treasurer, Seyi Akanni, Chairman, House Committee on Youth, Sports and Special Needs, Hon. Abiola Awoyeye, Osun SWAN Chairman, Timothy Agbor and Vice Chairman of the association, Oluwaseun Omolola during a familiarisation visit to the lawmaker

JAPA is a Yoruba word that means ‘flee’ to gaining freedom from bondage of Nigeria. ‘Ja’ means run and ‘pa’ is an emphasis and import to an expression - Ja. Simply put, ‘japa’ is a colloquial expression of mass movement of people, especially the young and professional, out of Nigeria to seek greener pasture.

When I saw a news with the headline, “Japa: Tinubu Issues Execu ve Order on Health Workers Leaving Nigeria”, I breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that health ma ers were being addressed by the ruling elite, a er all. By the me I read the details, I was downcast as the government was only scratching the surface while leaving the issue unaddressed. During his visit to Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital, Aro in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on Saturday, March 9, 2024, the Minister of State for Health, Tunji Alausa, said Mr. President had issued an execu ve order as part of dras c steps to combat the challenge of brain drain confron ng the health sector. The Minister said, “You cannot eat your cake and have it. If you are going, just resign your appointments with the Federal Government, rather than applying for leave of absence, that is the presiden al execuve order that has been communicated to all the Chief Medical Directors of Federal Government owned health facili es to implement. The problem with the leave of absence is that such a fellow is out there in the UK or Australia working, making money but his name s ll appears on the payment roll of the government and so to replace him is difficult because he is s ll being considered as a staff whereas he has le the country. So, to solve this problem, the President has directed that health workers going abroad to work should just resign their appointments and not apply for leave of absence. This way, you won’t be blocking others who want to work and of course piling burdens for your colleagues that you le behind. The government is not unmindful of the japa effect on our manpower in the health sector and the President has ordered for massive produc on of manpower such that when people go, there will always be replacement. It is against this background that we are working intensely on the enrolment of our nurses. What used to be 28,000 is now 68,000 and our inten on is to take it to 120,000 by the end of the year, so there will always be abundant skilled manpower to take over from those leaving the job.”

At the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Associa on of Nigeria (MDCAN) 13th Biennial Delegates mee ng and

“Concerted efforts should be made by the government to motivate its available human resources for health in order to sustain and improve on the quality of undergraduate and postgraduate medical trainings in Nigeria.” As I write, statistics shows that Nigeria has lost 16,000 Doctors to Japa in the last five years”

How Not To Address JAPA Syndrome

scien fic conference in Kano in September, 2023, the President of the associa on, Prof. Muhammad Muhammad said, “Medical educa on is under threat, mainly due to the large number of specialists and trainers migra ng to other climes. A number of universies presently have less training quota than the manpower and infrastructure the ins tu on can effec vely train.” He lamented that no fewer than 500 specialist doctors with speciality in teaching and training had migrated saying, “They are the ones that are involved in teaching and nurturing of new generaon doctors from both medical schools and training specialist in Nigeria.” He went further, “With the alarming rate of japa, some departments are closing or le with one or two doctors who render services that were supposed to be rendered by 10 of them. It will take the country almost 10 years to replace the number by the rate at which we are producing.” And he concluded, “If there is no improvement in current condi on in terms of infrastructure, working condi on and security, it will be difficult to

prevent people from moving out. Concerted efforts should be made by the government to mo vate its available human resources for health in order to sustain and improve on the quality of undergraduate and postgraduate medical trainings in Nigeria.” As I write, stas cs shows that Nigeria has lost 16,000 Doctors to Japa in the last five years. With the available facts and sta scs, what is required is not an ‘execu ve order’ of ‘just resign your appointments and not apply for leave of absence’ but a declara on of a state of emergency in the health sector and alloca on of significant votes to it. These votes must be monitored and supervised by responsible agencies and stakeholders in the health sector so that the funds won’t end up in private pockets. Medicine is same everywhere in the world; what makes difference are the infrastructures, equipment, remunera on, incen ves, working condi ons, among others. Our health system - primary to ter ary - is in a state of comatose. Revival of the sector and making it op mally opera onal and a rac ve to health workers should

be government priority.

Furthermore, there should be immediate full implementa on of the Mental Health Bill which had been signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in January, 2023, the first legisla ve reform adopted since the country’s independence, a replacement of Lunacy Act of 1958, especially at this period of socio-economic disorder that is dragging people into mental disorder vis-avis disturbances due to over-thinking on how to make ends meet, leading to anxiety and depression, among others. As of 2022 when things were rela vely be er than now, Dr. Adebayo Adebisi, Head of Department of Clinical Services in Federal Neuro-psychiatric Hospital, Kware, Sokoto said, “The generally known es mate is one in four Nigerians has some form of mental health problems. If you say we are 200 million, that gives to about 50million Nigerians with mental health issue.”

Conclusively, all efforts must be made to address the state of insecurity in the land as it is a singular factor that has nega vely affected every sector and everybody. Insecurity has become a thriving big business that has refused to evaporate. Or how does one explain bandits who kidnapped 16 people in Kaduna demanding N40trillion, 11 Hilux and 150 Motorcycles as ransom for the release of their cap ves? Even the en re Federal Government 2024 budget which is the biggest in history is N28.7trillion! Although, security agencies are doing their best but their best is not good enough. The government knows sponsors of terrorism and should go a er them as they seem to have compromised some few bad eggs among security opera ves who make job difficult for their loyal and committed majority colleagues. And me is of essence.

STRIKER Striker is not the opinion of the Columnist featured above

The Wages Of Alienation

“ HOW e take concern me?” is one of the popular sayings of the typical Nigerian. Another prominent one, a selfish prayer, is “however much they sell it, may God just provide me with the means.” These are signs of loss of hope in social processes and tendencies towards selfhelp in pursuit of “happiness” largely to the detriment of others. We forget that no man is an island in the society and the consequences of individual disposi ons and ac ons, even at the family level, inevitably reverberate all around the community and the na on at large.

Arriving at this nega ve, self-centred temperament did not happen in a day. In summary, government not based on taxaon but almost en rely on oil money is basically the cause. Government ought to be based on taxa on on the produc ve efforts of its empowered ci zens at the local government level, which is supposed to be the founda on of state and na onal government. Two factors, the discovery and explora on of crude oil and military rule that centralised the federa on into a unitary state, did devasta ng damages to democracy and produc vity. The civilian elite, dominated and redesigned by the military juntas, became reliant and self-sa sfied to centrally collect the oil rent money and simply distribute to selves and spend as they wish at the federal, state, and local

government levels.

Whatever projects they deem fit to throw around in their “magnanimity” are seen as “government” projects: government schools, government roads, government stadia, government transformers, government houses, government this and government that; there is neither sense of ownership by the ci zens (as individuals or as community). Oil money was used to execute them and not taxes from people’s produc ve engagement. The oil money is not seen as proceeds from the explora on of our common patrimony, oil money belongs to government and not the people; and the elite sustained that false narra ve.

A er military rule, their civilian twins - along with fellow military brass now in flowing robes - ins tuted a democracy based on a cons tu on that retains all the elements of unitary and dictatorial rule in which THE PEOPLE (men oned three mes in the popular defini on of democracy) are removed from having a voice in determining government policies but reduced to mere voters in pre-manipulated elecon processes. The end result remains the same as under military rule, with only the grace of absence of naked brutality.

THE MAJORITY can be subs tuted for THE PEOPLE in defining democracy. However, the import remains the same. The majority in any society remains the work-

ers, students, women, children, ar sans, farmers, traders, etc - the masses in general. The elite who are the most connected, exposed, successful, educated and rich cons tute a minority whose interests also ma er BUT WHOSE INTERESTS HAVE NOW BEEN TURNED TO THE DOMINANT INTEREST against the spirit and le ers of democracy. The clear outcome is underdevelopment and na onwide distress.

Democracy, however disfigured, s ll offers the best opportunity for THE PEOPLE to redress the social contract of Democracy. Of course, widespread poverty and ignorance make the goal challenging indeed. Nevertheless, organisa ons of the masses need to wake up from their slumber and take on the challenges of redefining democracy - in form and content. The wages of aliena on is increasing poverty and ignorance with consequent escala on in crime and violence to the propor on of insecurity challenges worse than even what is being witnessed today.

Only a return to true federa on (in which every federa ng state is autonomous with what it owns); ci zen produc vity on a massive scale; and taxa on for governance by a government elected truly by the majority; can restore prosperity and guarantee law and order. Only then can we say bygone to the days of ethnicity, religious bigotry and all forms of extremism and, as a genuine FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, finally realise the goal of our na onal mo o: unity and faith, peace and progress.