Civil Societies Gives 7-Day Ultimatum Osun Muslim Community Demands Justice On Murder Of Islamic Faithful Osun Muslim Community Demands Justice On Murder Of Islamic Faithful
Mass Protest Looms In Osun
FRIDAY, JULY 21 - THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2023
Expert Expresses Worry Over Drug Abuse By Youths
•As Mentally Deranged People Flock Osun
Kazeem Badmus Rauf Aregbesola’s administra on.
APsychiatrist Specialist, Dr Benjamin Eegunran, has expressed worry over usage of drugs and illicit substances by the youths in Osun State.
According to Eegunran , drug abuse by the younger generaon in the state is troubling and alarming, saying that something dras cally needs to be done to curtail the ugly trend.
Eegunran who confirmed the report of the Osun State Command of Na onal Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) that drug abuse was on the increase in the state, said the situaon had been like that for years.
The expert who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER in an exclusive interview on Tuesday, in Osogbo, said drug abuse and taking illicit substances are part of the major causes of mental illness.
He said the future bleaks for the youths who engaged in drugs and substances, affirming that the ugly trend is prevalent among the youth.
Eegunran maintained that the number of people with mental health challenge in the state is increasing, noting that they were almost on every street in the state capital.
OSUN DEFENDER noted that almost every major city or town in the state has several homeless, mentally challenged persons roaming the streets in their numbers, somemes naked.
Eegunran said the spate of mentally challenged people in Osun is ge ng worse, no ng that the state now has more than enough of them to export to other states.
He called for the establishment of a better form of Osun Rehabilita on programme (O’REHAB) which was created by Ogbeni
The specialist maintained that the O’REHAB helped in the management of people with mental health challenge, advising that any programme of such by the current administra on must include a psychiatrist.
He said: “Drug abuse is when one uses a drug that is not medically prescribed. It is be er not to start because it is always difficult to stop because of dependency syndrome.
“Once people start taking drugs, over me, they start craving them and even prefer the drugs to other leisure things. Also, bod-
ies are bound to be tolerant to the drugs and once this happens, the person becomes dependent on the drug. That is why it is always difficult for those taking drugs to stop it.
“When you talk of mental illness, there are people having mental illness alone.
Some people are into drug abuse alone. Some people are having mental and behavioural disorders due to drug abuse. There are people that is difficult to know the cause from the effect.
“The future is very bleak for the younger genera on. If you look
around the state capital, you will see a lot of people with mental illness, sleeping and smoking on the streets.
“It is ge ng worse daily; the state now has more than enough mentally challenged people that it can even export to other states.
Diphtheria: Osun Govt. Plans Reimmunisation For Children At Red Zones
Kazeem Badmus
OSUN State Government is planning to reimmunise children around places where Diphtheria infec ons were recorded in the state.
OSUN DEFENDER noted that there was an outbreak of Diphtheria in some parts of the state, which has resulted in one death.
The suspected diphtheria vic m who was six years old, was said to have developed the sign and symptoms on June 25, 2023, and died of the infec on on July 7.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with OSUN DEFENDER, the Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health, Dr. Akeem Bello, noted that most of the people coming down with diphtheria symptoms were those whose immunizaon was suspected to be incomplete.
Bello noted that if a child takes proper immunisa on without default, it is very rare for that child to have diphtheria.
He stated that the state team was working hard to curb the spread of the infec on through
sensi sa on and tracing people linked with those who had the infec on.
Bello said: “We recorded about 15 suspected cases but we only have two confirmed cases from Ilesa East local government in January and in Osogbo in June. Unfortunately, we lost that of Osogbo. Eleven suspected cases were nega ves while we are s ll awai ng results for other two suspected cases.
“We suspected that those who had diphtheria infec ons might have not taken proper immuniza on. Since there is a vaccine against diphtheria, if a child takes proper immunisa on without default, it is very rare
for that child to have diphtheria. What we discovered is that a lot of people that are coming down with diphtheria had no proper immuniza on.
“There is a plan now to reimmunise all the children around the area where we have this disease, to make sure they are fully immunised. The disease spread through contact by air.
“The government have been very suppor ve. When we have a situa on like this, we have to line lists all the contacts of the pa ents and trace them. We also educate the people about it.
“Also, we ac vated our emergency cen-
tres of diphtheria in January, and two weeks ago, we re-ac vated the centres. We have a surveillance, management and logis c team as part of the diphtheria EOC and we all are working together.”
“Internet fraudsters (Yahoo boys) are also part of the problem. Most of them want to stay awake at midnight and they do take s mulants to do so. In the morning, they take seda ves in order to sleep and this will have adverse effects on them.
“The O’ Rehabilita on programme of former governor Rauf Aregbesola was helping seriously then and I want to advise the present administra on to be sincere and set up be er commi ee which will include psychiatrists that will take care of these issues.”
Osun Assembly Frowns At Slow Pace Of Work On Iwo-Osogbo Road
THE Osun State House of Assembly has fronwned at the slow pace of work on the reconstruc on of 91.0km Osogbo-IwoIbadan road.
On Tuesday, the Assembly summoned the Managing Director and Chief Execuve Officer of Peculiar Concerns Limited, Engr. Olanrewaju Adeleke, to give the House details on the progress of work on the project.
The project, which is supposed to be completed within 18-month, presently at 20 per cent comple on for the past eight months, having paid 30 per cent
out of the total contract cost of N11.3bn by former governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s administra on.
But the contractor, Adeleke while appearing before the Assembly promised that the project would be completed in the next 10 months.
Not sa sfied with his assurance, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun, ordered Adeleke to reappear on the floor of the House on Monday, July 24, 2023 for further clarifica on.
He is expected to appear before the House alongside the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works.
•Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun (middle), flanked by the State Executives of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ during an advocacy visit to his office on Monday
Yusuf Oketola
SURVEY released a few days ago by the United Na ons in partnership with the Oxford Poverty and Human Capital Development Index is bi ersweet. On a posi ve impact, countries such as India, China and Indonesia have halved their own poverty rates over the past fi een years, in addi on more than twentyfive countries have made admirable progress in poverty reduc on.
The downside is not to be glossed over though, 1.1 billion people worldwide are s ll in muldimensional poverty. A horrible figure! Here in Nigeria, the accepted sta s cs is that 133 million people are trapped in mul dimensional poverty. With a devalua on of the Naira by 42% and the elimina on of the corrup on propelled fuel subsidy, millions more have definitely been pushed into the poverty trap. Even those above are just a serious illness away from penury. The situa on is dire! The cost of living crises in Nigeria is bound to get worse with all manner of an cipated increases in tariffs and fees, including fees for Unity Schools and Universi-
From Poverty To Shared Prosperity
•Once Again Nigeria Lags Behind
es rumoured to be in the offing.
In this predicament, an anpoverty program, a real war against poverty must now be at the heart indeed the propellant of economic policy. This is the reality and it is commonsense. To state the obvious, the much needed revival of the na on’s manufacturing base will be meaningless within the context of the con nuing erosion of purchasing power parity. A lesson to be learned from the recent debacle is that living standards can only be
protected by macroeconomic stability. President Bola Tinubu must begin the diligent search for a Central Bank governor who places the core mandate of price stability above all else and who resist poli cal interference. It’s a tough call.
The current sta s cs confirm the fall out if a rent-seeking economy based on consump on for a ny elite as opposed to an emphasis on producon trajec ng into shared prosperity.
The new federal government has started well picking the low hanging
The Discourse
“The new federal government has started well picking the low hanging fruits, it must now declare a total war on poverty. The higher hanging fruits include a serious attack on the costs of government, a transition from “minimum”to living wages, the use of commodity exchanges to modernise agriculture, thereby transiting the peasant farmers into commercial farming. The River Basin Development Authorities have to be turned into value-addition export zones. The list is long” fruits, it must now declare a total war on poverty. The higher hanging fruits include a serious a ack on the costs of government, a transi on from “minimum” to living wages, the use of commodity exchanges to modernise agriculture, thereby transi ng the peasant farmers into commercial farming. The River Basin Development Authori es have to be turned into value-addion export zones. The list is long. It is in this way that we can have hope renewed and build a society based on social jusce as well as shared prosperity.
Aregbesola, Brown Card And Competitive Nigerian Human Capital
Uwanaka
“I am s ll not pleased with this figure. In Europe and America, thousands of foreigners are inducted into ci zenship every year. They do this to a ract youths and people in their prime who would like to contribute to the development of their countries. Let’s face it. There is a limit to your expecta ons from a non-ci zen and it is reasonable to expect an average person to be more loyal to his or her country. The bane of the smooth pathway to Nigerian ci zenship however is the cons tuonal requirement of con nuous residency in Nigeria for 15 years. This is a huge disincen ve, considering that in the United States and most European countries, it is five years. Some of these countries have made a habit of snatching young and resourceful brains – who a er four years of schooling and working for just one year – through easy pathways, to obtain quality migra on to their countries.”
The above quote, which are excerpts from the speech by Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, Nigeria’s immediate past minister of interior, at the ci zenship conferment ceremony for 385 people, on May 27, 2023, could signify a major policy shi by the Nigerian government, in the realisa on of the cri cal role that diversity in human capital plays in mee ng its development aspira ons in a globally compe ve and increasingly globalised world.
Coming from a senior official with conserva ve leanings at the tail-end of an administra on that did not have diversity management as one of its strong points, this policy dri could also represent a more fundamental comprehension of the role that human capital and intelligence plays in the 21st century and fourth industrial revolu on, which every globally compe ve country is conscious of, and has been ac vely par cipa ng in. In an increasingly globalised fourth industrial revolu on world, compe on for the best human capital and talent has indeed, become a fierce ba le.
The Nigerian policy dri and response have been the ‘Brown Card’ ini a ve, announced by Aregbesola at the May 2023 conferment
ceremony. But more on the brown card later. Research has iden fied human capital as the most important factor in development. Diversity in human capital has also been iden fied as a factor that enhances high performance among groups, though diversity can somemes be challenging to manage.
Indeed, the most developed countries of the world have policies and schemes that support the migra on of good talent from every part of the world. The United States, which is the largest economy in the world, and also leads in military strength, science and technology with its current popula on of 332 million, has adopted various migra on schemes to a ain and retain its global dominance. ‘Opera on Paperclip’ is an example of a migra on program that the US has used to a ain and retain its global economic and technological dominance. The programme was a secret government opera on between 1945 and 1959, whereby over 1,600 German scien sts, engineers, and technicians were taken from former Nazi Germany to the U.S. for government employment a er the end of World War II in Europe. By 1947, this migra on program had ne ed an es mated 1,800 technicians and scien sts, and 3,700 family members from Germany to the US.
Among those moved by this program to the US was Wernher von Braun, who was the chief architect of the Saturn V launch vehicle, which enabled human missions to the moon. He is also one of the most acclaimed heroes of the success of the Na onal Aeronau cs and Space
“The Nigerian Brown Card should hopefully see in future, naturalised Nigerians of Indian descent sent as Nigeria’s ambassador to India, naturalised Nigerians of Israeli descent sent as Nigeria’s ambassador to Israel, naturalised Nigerian of British descent sent as Nigeria’s ambassador to the UK, among others. Such an approach has contributed to successful diplomacy by the US and some other countries”
Administra on (NASA), and the numerous benefits of NASA to science, communica ons technology and other forms of technology. Other cri cal persons that the US harnessed from this program were Adolf Busemann, who was responsible for the swept wing that improved aircra performance at high speeds; Herbert A. Wagner, the inventor of the Hs 293 missile; and other engineers on the Osenberg List that developed the V-2 rocket.
Alongside policies in centuries past that encouraged Jewish migra on, which explains some of the Jewish ancestries of many contem-
porary global tech founders such as Facebook and Google, the US has, in recent decades and more contemporary mes, used a number of policies to ensure that they a ract top talent to support its global economic and technological lead. They include the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (Green Card Lo ery) and H-1B Visa for highly skilled workers which has encouraged many Asian techies to migrate, work and contribute to the development of the US tech sector.
Recent US legisla ons such as the CHIPS Act and Infla on Reduc on Act poten ally encourage the migra on and reten on of top tech and renewable energy specialists to the US. Immigrants and those with migrant backgrounds played key roles in the development of COVID-19 vaccines in the US, as immigrants cons tute nearly 25% of all workers in pharmaceu cal and medicine manufacturing, as well as more than 25% of all physicians in the country. The powerful US military is also a diverse organisa on, as 41% of the military idenfy as members of minority groups.
OSUN DEFENDER
The United Kingdom (UK) has a good healthcare system characterised by a life expectancy of 81 years and is a medical tourism des na on for the Nigerian elite. The UK’s much-prided Na onal Health Service (NHS) has staff from over 200 different na onali es. Though a 74.4% majority white Bri sh country, out of NHS staff whose ethnicity was known, 74.3% are white and 25.7% are from ethnic minority groups. The situa on gets more interes ng in some of the higher-skilled
FRIDAY, JULY 21 - THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2023
Patients Groan As OAUTHC Doctors Embark On Strike
PATIENTS have been le to their fate at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife, Osun State, as Residents doctors of the hospital have embarked on a strike ac on.
The resident doctors embarked on the twoweek industrial ac on to protest the alleged failure of the Federal Government to pay their COVID-19 allowances and four-month salary to them.
OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the health workers who operate under the auspices of the Associa on of Resident Doctors (ARD) began the strike ac on on Monday a er their emergency mee ng.
The mee ng was conducted digitally, according to a statement released by the President of the associa on, Dr.
Anuforo Anthony, General Secretary, Dr. Enesi Ibukunoluwa, and Public Rela ons Officer, Dr. Mar ns Jesunbo.
The statement reads:
“The ARD OAUTHC had earlier issued a two-week ul matum to the management on 5th June, 2023 to resolve the crisis involving unpaid four to seven-month salaries of about 40 members. The ul matum was further extended with great restraint, by two weeks star ng from 30th June, 2023.
“Despite giving the hospital management ample me in the interest of peace to act and resolve these issues, there seems to be no end in sight and the payment of other cadres of newly employed staff persists with our members s ll owed salaries.
“The OAUTHC management has also not made sufficient effort in addressing the backlog
of various outstanding allowances, including COVID-19 allowance, outstanding hazard al-
lowance upgrade arrears, update course refunds amongst others.
“We have resolved
to proceed on a twoweek strike (at the first instance) star ng from 12AM on Tuesday, 18th
July, 2023 to press home our demands to get our doctors paid their salaries and allowances.”
Food Security: Osun Community Urges FG To Fund Mechanised Farming
THE Igbajo Community in Boluwaduro local government of Osun State has called on the Federal Government to fund and mechanise agricultural opera ons as part of measures to tackle food shortage across the country.
President Bola Tinubu recently disclosed that 500,000 hectares of land had already been mapped to increase the availability of arable land for farming, having declared a state of emergency on food security in Nigeria.
The President of Igbajo Development Associa on, Mr. Sola Fanawopo, in a statement last weekend,
said the community was eager to receive federal assistance in the area of food processing and preserva on in order to take its produc on of crops to a new level.
Fanawopo said the key to agricultural breakthrough in Igbajo community is for the government to fund and mechanise farming opera ons to ease the stress of the farmer and enhance commercial agriculture.
He said: “Realis c land prepara on involves the removal of the cover bushes, the removal of tree stumps as well as the removal of stones from the land. Igbajo farmers stop at the removal of bushes using the ancient, manual slash-
and-burn methods.
“However, the key to agricultural breakthrough in our community is for the government to fund and mechanise these opera ons. Thankfully, they are a once-and-for-all opera on and the effect will be immediate.
“It will transform the land by making it available for full mechanisa on of all agricultural opera ons from seeding to harvesting. With tree stumps, roots, and stones present on the ground, the use of most agricultural equipment is simply impossible.”
Fanawopo also advised the federal government to focus its interven on on revoluonalising agriculture in the country.
One Escapes As Vigilantes Burst Gays Inside Car In Osogbo
SAME sex rela onship – gay and lesbianism is fast spreading in Osogbo, Osun State capital, findings have revealed.
In spite of the law prohibi ng same sex marriage, sexual intercourse and amorous rela onship between same gender, some individuals have connued in the gay, lesbianism and bisexual prac ces.
Just yesterday, two married men who are bisexual were reportedly caught having sex with each other inside the car at Ireakari Community, along Ikirun/ Osogbo Express Way, Osogbo, Osun State.
The two men whose names were given as Oluropo Adebayo and Oluwole Fadero, were apprehended by vigilantes on night duty.
Addressing some news men in Osogbo yesterday, the chairman of the vigilante group, Mr Ahmed Nureni, said Adebayo and Fadero were caught in the ‘immoral act’ yesterday, around 11:50pm.
Nureni said Adebayo escaped from the scene while Fadero was apprehended and handed over to the police at dawn for proper inves ga on and pros-
ecu on.
He disclosed that Adebayo was a resident of Ireakari Community, adding that his community Chairman had also been contacted to inform him and other people of what Adebayo was caught doing.
“Though Oluropo Adebayo ran away from the scene, we idenfied him as a resident of the area, Ireakari Community, along Ikirun/ Osogbo Express Way, Osogbo, Osun State.
“We were able to trace him to his house, and we informed the chairman of his community what he was caught doing. We needed to do that so that parents would warn their children against rela ng with him, so that they will not be ini ated into gay or lesbianism”, Nureni said.
He warned members of the public to desist from any criminal acts, saying ‘In Yorubaland and Nigeria generally, it is an offense, as a ma er of fact, evil to engaged in same sex marriage or sexual acvi es.”
When contacted, the Chairman of Ireakari Community, Chief Adenrele Folorunsho, confirmed that the vigilantes reported to him about Adebayo’s same
sex scandal, no ng that the community would not tolerate, nor encourage same sex marriage or amorous relaonship.
Folorunsho disclosed that he led some members of the community and policemen to Adebayo’s house a er the case was reported to him, saying that the bisexual suspect had fled the community.
He said: “We went to his (Adebayo’s house), only his wife was around. We believed he didn’t return home a er he escape from where he was caught having sex with his fellow man. It is really a bad habit; we cannot encourage that. His wife was even disappointed in him. His partner is already with the police, we know the security agents will soon arrest Adebayo as well.”
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Rela ons Officer in the state, Yemisi Opalola, said the police were inves ga ng the ma er.
Adebayo’s case came up almost three years a er some members of Islamic group, Tebleeq, a acked a health praconer simply known as Olayinka, on the report that he was a gay.
Yusuf Oketola
Yusuf Oketola
Yusuf Oketola
•Members of Osun G21 presenting certificate of Investiture to former Commissioner for Works and Transport Engr. Kazeem Salami on Tuesday.
O’Ambulance: From Basic To Advanced Cardiac Life Saving
OAmbulance (Osun Ambulance Service) is an household name in Osun State. Apart from Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES), O Ambulance remains the most popular legacy of former governor of the State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. It is an ini a ve that is beneficial to vast majority of the people of the state, saving lives round the clock.
The service which was launched on February 4, 2013 is a pivot of one of the six-point Integral Ac on Plan of Aregbesola in promo ng healthy living among the people. The agency was christened a er ambulance due to the nature of the services to render.
Ambulance, according to medical experts’ analysis, does the most life-saving act; it aids the pa ent to reach the hospital on me and works as a life-saving solu on. Ambulances play a dominant role to rescue accident vicms, injured and ill peoples and ease the stress of transporta on to the hospital. It saves lives!
The agency has been rechristened Osun Emergency Medical Services And Ambulance System (OSEMSAS), due to its upgrade, efficiency and to key into the Na onal Emergency Medical Services And Ambulance System (NEMSAS) model. The agency, according to its General Manager, Dr Segun Babatunde, was rated the best in the country by a team of the Federal Ministry of Health which came this year to evaluate the service. Babatunde is hopeful that Osun will be part of the pilo ng states for NEMSAS.
Currently, the agency operates with 40 Ambulances spread across the state for a 24/7 service delivery. “All services are free and our response me is between five to 10 minutes. Our service is 24/7 round the clock”, said Babatunde in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER on Tuesday.
Restructuring The Agency
OSEMSAS has undergone different restructuring processes to ensure that it con nues its mandate of saving lives. This has resulted into efficient delivery of services and management of resources.
Explaining the recent restructuring of the agency, Babatunde said: “When I got here, we had to carry out a need assessment. The need assessment talked about the gap between the then current situa on and the desired des na on. We did an evalua on on how well we were doing, what we were not doing right and the desired level in terms of service delivery, facili es and so on.
“What we discovered was that the number of units (ambulance sta ons) we had from incep on was far more than what we needed. We reduced the units to what we need. There were some units that did not operate for a whole year. We used to have 49 units; one per local government and the area office and 18 across the highways in Osun. The need assessment gave us the performance of all the units and we discovered that there were some areas we do not need units at all. We collapsed the units in those areas and looked for a Primary Health Care Centre that was very busy in the area and post a tricycle ambulance there.”
The restructuring also birthed technical and opera ons departments which led to the improvement of service delivery. “There was no record of our personnel and equipment when I came on board. I created a file
for our personnel and proper es to know what we had and it gave us a clear picture of we needed. There was no website before, we created one and people can see what we are doing. We also started partnerships with private hospitals which was not there before I came in”, said Babatunde.
Explaining the need to partner the private hospitals, Babatunde said: “We discovered then that if the vic ms we rescued do not have money or rela ve to run around for them at public hospitals, the healthcare providers will not a end to them. But that is not the case at the private hospitals, they will take care of the vic ms.”
The restructuring also brought out Basic Medical Emergency Pack which contains medical consumable needed to a end to any emergency pa ent at the hospital. Babatunde noted that the pack has improved the agency’s partnership with hospitals and helped in reducing the death of medical emergency vic ms.
Opera ons And Personnel
On opera ons and personnel, Babatunde said: “We got punctuality on the part of our personnel right; we got training right, we got medical consumables supply right and our vehicles repair right. Our response me was the last thing we got right. Anywhere in the state, our personnel will be at the call of need between five and 10 minutes.
“We have 40 vehicles. The ones that are ac vely working are 35. Even though they are old and the cost of maintenance is high, I can tell you that we are doing well. We need new Ambulances to reduce our cost of maintenance.
“We have 300 personnel. These personnel are paramedics and drivers. We have the technical, monitoring and other staff. The appointment of our personnel is based on adhocracy. Our personnel are not permanent staff. They are adhoc and there are condi ons given to them.
“The agency, giving the kind of job we are doing, cannot afford non-experts and people without proper training. That is why we recruited the personnel based on merit without any interference from anyone. Our training has been quarterly and we have enjoyed the support of the governments right from the ini ator of the programme, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to the present administra on which has been fantas c.”
The Challenges
Asked about the challenges facing the agency, Babatunde iden fied funding, vehicles and medical consumables as areas needing serious improvement to enhance the service of the agency.
He said: “We need more funding and equipment. Presently we are opera ng at Basic Life Saving. The government just got an Ambulance for us that can launch us to Advanced Cardiac Life Saving. We need to fully move from Basic to Advanced.
“Our staff also need be er remunera on in terms of salary. With how the country is now, they need their salaries to be jacked up.
“We also need support from nongovernmental organisa ons, individuals and charity organisa ons. The government cannot do it alone. People can assist the agency by procuring ambulance and medical consumables.”
Babatunde said poli cs or change of government has not affected the opera ons of the agency.
“This is a service delivery agency and poli cs has never affected us. We have resisted every a empt to poli cise
the agency. The governors have always placed premium on the op mal service delivery of the agency. I’m sure Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola will be happy seeing what the agency has become now. It is one of the biggest legacies that he has and will be proud of at any me”, he stated.
Figure of Beneficiaries
Asked about the number of accident vic ms the agency has rescued and the delivery taken, Babatunde said over 22,560 accident vic ms have been rescued between 2013 and 2023. Similarly, no fewer than 1,203 pregnant women were delivered of babies by the service within its 10 years of opera on. This is just as the agency has facilitated referral of 14,000 of the 22,560 rescued accident vic ms within 10 years of his existence.
On the hazard of the job, Babatunde said “A lot of our personnel have been a acked in the course of their dues. Though it is reducing now, it was too much in the past. People get emo onal and reacted angrily, taking their anger out on our people. It is reducing now and we keep telling our people to always give way for an ambulance when on the road, because the person the ambulance is rescuing may be your family.
“Also, I will appeal to the public that whenever an emergency happens, we should not start doing videos or taking photos. The proper thing to do is to call the ambulance and when the personnel arrive, allow them to do their job because they are professionals who have been trained.”
On the status of the agency, Babatunde proudly said: “We are the best in the country and most of the things the Na onal Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System created by the Federal Government is trying to do now are things we have been doing years ago.
“The focused areas of our services are prompt provision of emergency medical services to the vic ms of road accidents and evacua ng them to the nearest hospital, provision of quality referral services for pa ents from one hospital to another, depending on the specialist services required and provision of emergency medical services in medical emergency situa ons anywhere any me within the state.”
The Vision
He envisioned that in the next five years, OSEMSAS will be the best in the area of Advanced Cardiac Life Saving. He said: “In the next five years, my ambi on for the agency is it becoming the best in the area of Advanced Cardiac Life Saving. We are doing well in Basic Life Saving but we want to move forward and compete with what we get in the United States. The present Governor just bought an ambulance for us, it is a mobile intensive care unit that can launch us to Advanced Cardiac Life Saving opera ons. We need to fully move to Advanced Cardiac Life Saving. “I want the Agency to be able to capture and deliver on any form of emergency that may occur, so that nobody in the state will die of a treatable emergency.
“Presently, we are working on having the register of all the doctors in Osun state and their area of specialisa on so that when we pick a pa ent, we will be able to call the doctor who is in the best posi on to treat the pa ent.
“What we do now is to pick pa ents and drop them off at the hospital but now, we want to move forward and make sure every pa ent that our agency picks comes out well. I also want to advise our people to key into the Osun Health Insurance Scheme to enjoy our service fully. Keying into it is like paying for the rainy days.
Ismaeel Uthman
•Babatunde, OSEMSAS GM
FRIDAY, JULY 21 - THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2023
3-Month Blackout Aiding Robbery In Our Community – Residents Cry For Help
Yusuf Oketola
RESIDENTS of Akiriboto, a town in Ayedaade local government area of Osun State have called for government and individual’s to support them in their effort to restore power supply to the community.
According to the residents, the community has been in total blackout for the past three months without any hope of power restoraon in sight.
OSUN DEEFENDER learnt that the power outage was as result of vandaliza on of electricity installa on and the of some cable.
The residents lamented that the blackout has since been aiding robbery in the community, par cularly at poultry farms.
The medium gathered that the blackout has forced residents in the area to abandon poultry farming, which the community is known for as a result of constant robbery at different poultries.
Also, there has been an increase in cases of stealing of motorcycles in the midnight, according to the residents.
Speaking on the issue on Monday, a poultry farmer, Mukaila Mutairu, called on the government and Ibadan Electricity Distribu on Company to accede to the community’s demand of restoring power supply to the area.
Mutairu said: “The blackout has led to hike in the rates of crime in
the village. The people in the community are known for poultry farming.
“However, the blackout has made farmers to lose great numbers of their poultry. Unknown people keep using the blackout to steal poul-
try in the community. If we had electricity, these robberies would not be as rampant as this.
“The first me the light had a fault, the community contributed N50,000 for repair. However, immediately a er they repaired it,
around 2am of the following day, we woke up to a loud sound around where the transformer was located. When checked, we were told that some cables had been stolen. That was the last me the community had a power
Absence Of Community Workers Leaves Osun Roads Dirty
Kazeem Badmus
MAJOR roads in Osogbo, capital of Osun State and other towns in the state have become dirty in the absence of community service workers.
OSUN DEFENDER noted that members of the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) who were sacked by Governor Ademola Adeleke, had for years been responsible for the cleaning of the roads.
It would be recalled that Adeleke on February 16, 2023, dissolved the state youth empowerment scheme, and replaced it with Imole Youth Corps, laying off the youths engaged by the scheme then.
The absence of replacement for the laidoff youths has turned the roadsides into an eyesore, it was noted.
The medium observed that roadsides in Osogbo have become dirty and bushy due to the absence of those cleaning them.
OSUN DEFENDER observed that roadside at Estate, Dele Yes Sir, Igbona, Ota Efun and Kobongbongbe of Osog-
bo, Ikirun, headquarters of Ifelodun local government and Ile-Ife were littered with dirt, especially empty table water plascs and nylons during visita ons on Wednesday and Thursday.
Speaking with the medium, a resident of Ota-Efun, Osogbo who iden fied himself as Jacob Emmanuel, urged the state government to provide a short-term solu on to cleaning the roadsides, pending the me it will roll out its long-term plans.
Emmanuel who noted that the state’s roadsides were ge ng too dirty and bushy also appealed to residents to stop dumping wastes on the roadsides.
He said: “Almost all the busy roadsides in Osogbo are dirty and bushy now because those responsible for cleaning and clearing them have been sacked. I know the present government will have its reasons for laying them off but I believe there should be an alterna ve or short-term solu on before the Governor will recruit other people.
“Our people should also assist the government by not dumping waste on the roadsides.
An unkept environment can lead to lots of danger”.
A chie ain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ile-Ife, Sikiru Yunusa, called on the state government to return the OYES cadets, saying they were laid off unjustly.
“It’s more than five months now and the Governor has not recruited anyone to replace the unjustly sacked O’YES cadets. The Governor should just accept he made a mistake and recalled the sacked cadets”, he stated.
A trader at Ikirun, headquarters of Ifelodun local government, Alhaja Monisola Lawal, told the medium that it has dawn on some people that the OYES cadets were doing great work with the cleaning of the roadsides.
She said: “Some people see those in charge of cleaning the roads among the sacked OYES cadets as below the ladder; they underrated and undervalued them. But everybody is now apprecia ng their work because it is an open fact that our roads are becoming dirty everyday. The roadsides are li ered with waste which is not supposed to be.”
supply.”
Another resident, a motorcyclist, Joseph Adekola, told OSUN DEFENDER that the lack of electricity in the area had led to more cases of midnight robbery.
“They dispossess motorcyclists of their motorcycles. This has become very usual in the community. We are begging the government and the power distribuon company to come to our aid”, he said.
Also speaking, an aged pe y trader, Mrs Victoria Oloyede, said residents of the community travelled as far as Gbongan to get ac-
THE Osun State Muslim Community has renewed call for jus ce on the killing of a Muslim, Moshood Salaudeen, by suspected Masqueraders who are already on trial.
Salaudeen, who was a member of Qomarudeen Society of Nigeria, was allegedly killed in an alleged a ack on Kamorudeen Central Mosque, Oluode Arayin, Osogbo, on Sunday, June 27, 2021 by masqueraders.
Chief Kayode Esuleke, who was said to be the owner of Esubiyi masquerade, whose adherents allegedly a acked Kamorudeen Central Mosque, where Salaudeen was killed was remanded in Correc onal Center by an Osogbo High Court upon his arraignment on September 14, 2021.
Also arraigned alongside Esuleke were his son, Fashola, who is the custodian of the masquerade, Kola Adeosun and Akeem Idowu.
The defendants were accused of shoo ng Salaudeen with a gun which resulted into his death and thereby commi ed an offence contrary to Sec on 319 of the Criminal Code Cap.34, Vol. 11 Laws of Osun State.
But the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the 13-count charge bordering on murder, attempted murder, breach of public peace and malicious damage.
The case is s ll pending at the court.
cess to cold drinks.
Reac ng, the Lead Media Rela ons for the Ibadan Electricity Distribu on Company, Busola Tunwase, urged the community to take the protec on of their electrical installa on seriously and report any case of vandalisa on.
“We take the issue of vandalism seriously. They should report the case to the IBEDC or the nearest police sta on in the area. We keep advising everybody to keep watch of their installa ons. The list of communi es asking for replacement is long,” Tunwase said.
However, the Osun Muslim Community has expressed worry over the delay in the prosecu on of the ma er, saying it is disheartening that jus ce has not been served two years a er the incident.
Addressing a press conference to herald Islamic New Year, Hijrah 1445 AH, on Sunday, the President of the Muslim Community, Sheik Mustafa Olawuyi, demanded speedy trial of the case, saying jus ce delayed is jus ce denied.
Olawuyi said: “Injusce is the root of crime in our society; and nobody should take the tolerance and silence of the Muslims for granted. Here in Osun, masqueraders went inside the mosque to a ack Muslims. They killed one person and destroyed the mosque. We are yet to get jus ce on that.
“It is disheartening that we are s ll seeking jus ce two years a er the incident; the case is in court dragging. This is not fair. We want jus ce on the ma er; jus ce delayed is jus ce denied. The case should be tried speedily. We want jusce.
ABDUL RASHEED ISIAKA ADETUNJI That I was formerly known and addressed as ABDULRASEED ISIAKA ADETUNJI. Now wish to be known and addressed as ABDUL RASHEED ISIAKA ADETUNJI. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.
Governor Ademola Adeleke with his brother, Dr. Deji Adeleke during the convocation of Adeleke University, Ede, last weekend.
Ismaeel Uthman
Hike In Fuel Price: Mass Protest Looms In Osun
Ismaeel Uthman
THE recent increment in the price of Premium Motor Spirit price per litre may lead to mass ac on from angry residents of Osun State, findings have revealed.
Aside the organised labour unions and civil society groups, inves ga ons by OSUN DEFENDER have revealed that some residents of the state who are not happy with the increment and its a ending effect on the economy, were ready to hit the street anyme soon.
It was gathered that the residents, among who are commercial vehicle operators, market men and women, were only wai ng for any available opportunity, like a protest from any group, to venlate their anger on the fuel pump price increment.
This is just as Osun Civil Socie es Coali on (OCSC) has threatened to mobilise the people of the state for a mass protest against the hike in the price of fuel.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, Chairman of the OCSC, Com. Waheed Lawal, said the removal of the fuel subsidy is already having a ‘killing effect’ on the common people, urging the Federal Government to provide succour for the people on me.
According to the OCSC, Nigerians are feeling the pinch of economic reform with complaint that policians have shown no signs of cu ng down the cost of governance or share in the pain.
The coali on stated that the common people have lost confidence in the leadership of poli cal func onaries of the country as a result of economic hardship without any help or end in sight.
The OCSC said: “Many Nigerians who are feeling the pinch of economic reform have complained that poli cians have shown no signs of cu ng down the cost of governance and share in the pain. As a ma er of fact, the common people have lost confidence in the leadership of poli cal func onaries.
“The last few months have not been pleasant for Majority of Nigerians. Hitherto, Nigerians have been struggling to survive. However, the subsidy removal, naira devalua on, and the implementa on of a value-added tax on diesel imports are causing further spikes in the prices of goods and exacerba ng a cost-of-living crisis in Africa’s biggest economy.
“It is ge ng difficult daily for Nigerians, especially with the recent
•As Civil Society CoalitionGives 7-Day Ultimatum
petrol subsidy removal and naira float and other reforms the Tinubu’s ledgovernment is doing. They are good reforms but they are seriously hur ng Nigerians and businesses. Many families can’t even afford to eat twice daily anymore as prices keep
soaring. The fuel subsidy removal is already having a killing effect on the common people.
“The effects of the infla on scourge are more evident on the poorest of the poor of the country where malnutri on and hunger rates are surging
daily as millions of children roam the streets in search of food.
“The worsening costof-living crisis is causing a decline in living standards, which is hur ng physical and mental health and worsening exis ng condions.
“The renewed pressure is not only felt by households but also businesses, as the recent reforms are already taking their toll and threatening to keep many out of business.”
According to OCSC, the Nigerian government needs to cut cost of governance, ease the rising cost of living and address the hike in the prices of basic commodi es.
and Director of Press and Public Relations Mr. Moshood Suleiman, welcoming the newly appointed Commissioner for the Ministry, Barrister Kolapo Alimi on Thursday.
Of Governor Adeleke’s Cabinet Members
Kazeem Badmus
GOVERNOR Ademola Adeleke of Osun State on Wednesday, July 20, 2023, sworn-in 25 Commissioners and allocated por olios to them. Governor also appointed some individuals yesterday to head government agencies and parastatals.
The appointments, as expected have been genera ng reac ons from members of the public. The first call of a rac on is the inclusion of members of the Adeleke family in the government, star ng from commissioner to Chairman of government agency.
While Adeleke declared at the swearingin of the commissioners that he will head the Ministry of Works, the governor appointed one of his late brother’s wives, Mrs Adenike Adeleke as the Commissioner for Federal Affairs. His nephew, Tunji Adeleke, was also appointed the Chairman of Local Government Service Commission. This has received condemnaons from people who are wondering why the
governor would pocket three sensi ve offices while local governments like Ifelodun, Ayedire, Orolu do not have any commissioner.
Besides, the deputy governor, Prince Kola Adewusi would be in charge of the Ministry of Sports and Special Needs. The poli cal arrangement for the distribu on of Adeleke’s cabinet members seems un dy, according to analysts. For others, each of the local government where Adeleke won in July 16, 2022 governor elec on deserves to have representa ve in his cabinet.
It was also noted that lawyers were appointed to head Ministry of Informa on and Public Orienta on (Kolapo Alimi), Health (Sola Akintola) and local government and chie aincy affairs (Dosu Babatunde). Some members of the public have expressed doubt on the performance of the commissioners at their various ministries, describing it as a square peg in a round hole.
It should be noted that this is not the first me a lawyer will be
appointed to head the Health ministry. Barr. Niyi Owolade was the commissioner for health under Chief Bisi Akande’s administra on.
A new Ministry, ‘Energy’ was created with Hon. Festus Adeyemo heading it. Going by it name, the ministry is expected to oversee issues that has to do with genera on of power and distribu on of electricity, though the mandate of the ministry has not been made known to the public.
The All Progressives Congress in the state reacted to the forma on of Adeleke’s cabinet, saying it shows clear cases of pu ng some square pegs in the round holes, which would result in an imminent monumental catastrophe.
State Chairman of the APC, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement issued by the party’s Director of Media and Informa on, Chief Kola Olabisi, in Osogbo on Thursday, also noted that greed and unwillingness for accountability and probity in the office was the reason the Governor appointed himself the
commissioner for works.
The party also berated the Governor for appoin ng his deputy as a commissioner. But the APC has a precedence for this. Former deputy governor Ti Laoye-Ponle was in charge of Ministry of Edua on during Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s first term as governor.
The statement further read: “The prerogave of the governor to put lawyers in charge of the ministry of educa on and health is fraught with admissible reasons to any rightthinking members of the society”.
Speaking with the medium, a poli cal analyst, Femi Babasola noted that the public will be watching Adeleke and the other commissioners on their performance.
According to Babasola, Ministries like Health, Educa on, Finance and Works will be in the spotlight with some people already calling into ques on, the capacity of those heading them.
Babasola appealed to the residents to support the commissioners in the discharge of their du es.
“The current economic reali es have sparked more calls for the government to ease the na on’s cost-of-living crisis and put the brakes on rising prices by cu ng down on the cost of governance.
“The Nigerian government must move quickly to set up shock absorbers to cushion the people’s pain. It is just a mere emphasis to state that there is poverty, hanger, confusion and frustra on in the land. Anger is bo ling up and the gunpowder that Nigeria is si ng on may explode any me.
“The recent hike in cost of fuel is damning. People of Osun State parcularly trek and those that have vehicles can’t even afford to fuel them for use. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should not drain Nigerians’ blood for reform or development of any form.
“We recommend a pause in interest rate hikes to relieve the pressures on economic agents. We also urge the government to implement fiscal measures such as reducing/ removing the tax on basic food items to protect the most vulnerable as well as spur demand-side growth.
“We also implore the government to hasten the provision of the ancipated pallia ves to lessen the impact of the rising trend in prices on economic agents. We can’t con nue to wait on promises for pallia ve. The me is NOW!”
The OCSC demanded speedy response from both the federal and Osun State governments on the provision of pallia ve, threatening that it would mobilise the people to the street if the governments fail to do the needful.
“Without inten on to threaten, we want to state categorically that failure for the issues raised above to be looked into between now and the next one week, and the needful done, we shall be leading the mass of the people out on the street for a protest and nothing shall deter us ll we achieve victory since that seems to be one language that the government understands”, he stated.
The OCSC appealed to the people to remain calm and resilient in the face of the current hardship.
•The Permanent Secretary, Osun State Ministry of Information and Public Enlightenment, Mrs Abimbola Babatunde
FRIDAY, JULY 21 - THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2023 VOL. 18 NO 28 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com
THERE have been a lot of bickering after Osun APC abysmal performance in the last general elec ons, star ng from the July 16, 2022 governorship elec on and a er the homecoming of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola to Osun, having meritoriously served as the Minister of Interior. This piece intends to locate the fulcrum of the problem, its degenera on ll elec on and inevitable defeat and collapse of APC in Osun.
In prepara on for the party primaries for the 2018 gubernatorial elec on in the State, there were clamours and agita ons by the party faithful and stalwarts to zone the governorship candidate to West Senatorial District, giving various reasonable and logical considera ons. Amongst others, there were two heavy weight aspirants from the West –Alhaji Moshood Adeo who was the incumbent Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and Rt. Hon. Najeem Salam who was the incumbent Speaker of the State House of Assembly. However, the Na onal Leader of the Party and personal leader of the incumbent Governor Aregbesola had an interest in who should become the candidate and eventually succeed Aregbesola. And who he wanted was his cousin, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, who was the Chief of Staff to the Governor. Unfortunately, Oyetola was from the Central.
At the risk of APC losing at the elec on, Governor Aregbesola did everything not to provide a level play ground for other aspirants, especially from the West, so that his leader’s choice could emerge the candidate. These other aspirants were not fools. The Governor’s body language and orchestraons, permuta ons and machina ons were clear as only being in favour of his leader’s anointed aspirant – Oyetola. Hence, there were protests and movement of some aspirants and their supporters out of the party to seek their ambi ons in other poli cal par es, apart from PDP. Expectedly, Oyetola emerged as the APC flagbearer at the primary and won the 2018 governorship elec on. It is instrucve to state that because APC strength had been decimated in the processes leading to its primary, it could not have a straight win in the first ballo ng as it lost. It was very lucky that there was a rerun because of some skirmishes and disrup ons of elec ons in some wards which made INEC pronounce the elecon inconclusive. A er the rerun, APC was declared winner by INEC and was eventually affirmed by the Supreme Court.
Instead of con nuing with progressive and populist programmes of his predecessor and put in place processes to reconcile aggrieved party stalwarts and faithful (who had le the party) back to its fold, Oyetola embarked on unprovoked aggressive a acks against his predecessor’s person and legacy projects and aliena on of any party member perceived
“When Sanwoolu’s electoral victory was threatened in the last general election, he sought Aregbesola’s intervention and today, victory is assured. That is a lesson in politics. Today, unfortunately for progressive politics in Osun, instead of reviewing the journey so far and buckle up for future engagement, those who are supposed to be tried and taken to gulag for murder of the party and handing it over to the undertakers are now the ones lamenting and asking for Aregbesola’s head less than three years to another gubernatorial election in the State”
Untold Story Of Osun APC Quandary
to be Aregbesola’s associate, loyalist or sympathizer, but accommodated anybody that didn’t like Aregbesola’s guts. And what’s the issue? Oyetola believes that but for Asiwaju, Aregbesola didn’t want him to become Governor. And that’s the bedrock of his animosity towards Aregbesola throughout his tenure. What a pe y perspec ve!
I will just list one or two examples for limita on of the space. When Aregbesola was turbaned as the Waziri Mumini of Osun State by Chief Imam of Osogbo at Oja Oba Central Mosque on 20 December, 2019, Oyetola did not a end but send a representa ve. Four local government chairmen that a ended were later vic mised by the government. Although, Aregbesola s ll defended him at the event saying he had told him he would go to lesser Hajj to thank God for the victory a er Supreme Court Judgment; hence, his absence. On 20th February, 2020, Aregbesola facilitated the building of ICT centre, toilet facili es and renova on and equipping of laboratories of Ogedengbe School of Science, Ilesa, by Huawei. Despite long me invita on to Governor, Commissioner of Educa on and the Special Adviser on Educa on for the commissioning, they were all absent. At the August 2021 30th Anniversary of Osun crea on with awards presenta on to dis nguished people, with former and si ng governors in a endance, Aregbesola was schemed out of the event. At a stage, ex-governor Oyinlola of PDP became Oyetola’s spokesperson, urging Aregbesola to desist from visi ng Osun as he was distrac ng Oyetola!
To arrest this odious situa on among oth-
ers, the leaders of the party – Asiwaju Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande – had a parley with Oyetola and Aregbesola twice in Akande’s country home in Ila. Instead of having truce and moving forward, the situa on con nued to degenerate. For instance, a ermath Governor Mai Mala Buni led APC Caretaker Extraordinary Conven on Planning Commi ee (CECPC) new registra on and revalida on exercise, strange bird fellows infiltrated the party and held its jugular. Hence, the real progressives formed a caucus – The Osun Progressives (TOP) - to educate members on how the party could be more progressive and where party tends to derail, struggle with robust debates within the party with the objec ve to put it back on its tract of its progressive orienta on and ideas. When it was very clear that Oyetola and the party were romancing these infiltrators who have no single progressive orienta on and creden als, TOP of which Aregbesola was a patron, decided to rescue the party by democra cally contes ng every posi on in its leadership. The struggle for the soul of the party was so fierce that the then party state chairman, Prince Famodun, was alleged to have said that he was ready to dialogue with opposi on PDP than reconcile with Aregbesola group within APC - TOP. At the party ward primary elec on of 19th February, 2022, two fac ons were contes ng –Oyetola/Famodun and Aregbesola/Salinsile. By virtue of registra on and revalida on exercise of the party membership in 2021, the party membership register had been domiciled with Oyetola/Famodun led Exco. Up ll the evening of the primary, it refused to avail Aregbesola/Salinsile exco the membership register with which elec on will be based. Again, there were no proper accredita on and result sheets on ground throughout the 332 wards and no picture of candidates behind which their supporters were to queue. Where ques ons were asked on proper accredita on, threats and real violence were deployed to silence and disperse members. Members names were purged out of the bogus party register while membership slips were rejected for vo ng.
Despite OSIEC readiness to conduct council elec on to replace officials whose tenure would expire by 5th February, 2021, Oyetola looked away, as he wanted only his loyalists in council. Hence, he handpicked LG Caretaker Commi ee which he was renewing every sixmonth and everyone suspected to be affiliated with TOP was edged out and these were the presiding officers in all the 332 wards primaries against the tradi onal elec on adhoc staff. The slogan all through was “Kiko lama ko” – we shall write whatever outcome pleases us. Same episode repeated itself at the 31st July LG congress.
Instead of pulling the house in order after the primary and address some issues that had polarised it ahead of July 16 governorship elec on, Oyetola/Famodun led fac on’s arrogance and aggression against TOP hit the roof. Oyetola openly boasted that these infiltrators would force some poli cians to early re rement. Under Oyetola watch, the state government arraigned Elder Lowo Adebiyi, former APC State Chairman; Hon. Raseaq Salinsile, Caretaker State Secretary of the party and others for trumped-up charges, following their leadership roles in the ward congress appeal commi ee with the inten on to jail them. Thugs were freely used to harass TOP members everywhere with some assassina on attempts. In November, 2021, thugs were sent to a ack Aregbesola Campaign Office in Osogbo but were repealed by mammoth crowd at the mee ng; on February 3, 2022, same building was a acked by armed thugs with concentrated gun shots at the transformer in front of the building and the generator inside it so as to trigger power surge and inferno and also threw petrol-soaked bread into the building surrounding. Aregbesola himself, as a serving Minister, was a acked by thugs loyal to Oyetola in Osogbo but for his superior firepower of his security details, he could have been murdered. Oyetola /Famodun fac on refused to conduct primaries but imposed its candidate where more than one aspirant collected forms to contest House of Assembly elec on even within its fac on. It refused to sell inten on to contest forms to Aregbesola/ Salinsile fac on; when same were bought directly from Na onal Office of the party in Abuja, they were refused submission or incorporated in all electoral ac vi es throughout. Oyetola/Famodun fac on felt that it could single handedly win every elec on without one house. At every public mee ng, it was mocking TOP by calling it “TOP biscuit” and “Erunrun akara.”
Who doesn’t know that only hard work, tolerance, coopera on and wooing opposi on to one’s side having consolidated one’s house, with passable internal democracy, is the potent way to electoral victory? A parasite digs its grave, thinking it is wreaking havoc on its host. As ac on and reac on are always equal and opposite in science, so it is in poli cs. In bourgeois poli cs, you don’t play a game of aliena on but accommoda on as it is a game of number. When Sanwoolu’s electoral victory was threatened in the last general elec on, he sought Aregbesola’s interven on and today, victory is assured. That is a lesson in polics. Today, unfortunately for progressive polics in Osun, instead of reviewing the journey so far and buckle up for future engagement, those who are supposed to be tried and taken to gulag for murder of the party and handing it over to the undertakers are now the ones lamen ng and asking for Aregbesola’s head less than three years to another gubernatorial elec on in the State. Isn’t this perplexing? Anyway, there is me enough to right all the wrongs and recapture the progressive spirit and order necessary for electoral victory for the sake of good governance for the good people of Osun. However, me will tell.
OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. All correspondence to the Deputy Editor, ISMAEEL UTHMAN, Telephone: 0809-301-9152. ISSN: 0794-8050. Website: www.osundefender.com Email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com, osundefender@yahoo.com