Osun Defender Online Version of July 2nd, 2021

FRIDAY, JULY 02 - THURSDAY, JULY 08, 2021

‘Oath-Taking’ In Support Of Oyetola’s Second Term Sparks Reactions

Page 2

VOL 16 NO 24

I Stole Our School Bus To Please My Wife - Driver Page 5

How Masquerades Attacked Muslims Over Drumming, Singing In Osun Page 4 •Imam, Masquerade, 5 Others Arrested, Detained

At Last!

Oyetola Makes C’taker Appointments For LGs •Sends List Of Nominees To Assembly For Approval

- Page Page 7

•Members of Osun State House of Assembly considering the caretaker list for LGs, LCDAs and AOs, yesterday.

Why I Was Invited, Detained By SSS - TOP Coordinator In Isokan LG Speaks Page 5

FRIDAY, JULY 02 - THURSDAY, JULY 08, 2021

2

News

‘Oath-Taking’ In Support Of Oyetola’s Second Term Sparks Reactions Kazeem Badmus

S

OME leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun have been accused of luring members of the party to taking oath to support the second term ambition of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and continuation of Prince Gboyega Famodun as the party chairman in the state.

According to a sociopolitical group, Society for Good Governance, the ‘oath-taking’ is always attached to every empowerment and opportunity being facilitated by either of a government official or a politician in their various areas.

OSUN DEFENDER watched a video where some members of the APC were taking oath to declare their support for Oyetola and Famodun, just as they rained curses on those that are not supporting the governor for second term.

In the video, the APC members also denounced a caucus of the APC, ‘The Osun Progressives’.

Also, some women in the APC have accused the State Women Leader of the party, Alhaja Kudirat Fakokunde, of compelling them to swear on oath to support Oyetola and Famodun.

One of the women who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday under condition of anonymity said: “On Tuesday, June 8, 2021, the State Women Leader of APC, Alhaja Kudirat Fakokunde, called all APC women leaders in all the local governments of the state to a meeting at the state party Secretariat in Osogbo.

“At the meeting, she asked the women leaders to off their footwears and swear on an oath to support Oyetola’s second term and continuation of Famodun. She was videorecording the process. She also asked us to swear that we will support her continuation too and that we will not join ‘The Osun Progressives.”

“And that we should go to our various local governments and do the same thing she was doing for all the women in the APC. She was raining curses on Aregbesola at the meeting.

“Please rescue us from the Women Leader, Alhaja Kudirat Fakokunde.

Is APC now a cult group?

Very soon, they will ask us to sleep inside coffin to take an oath. Please help us.”

Speaking with OSUN

•Wife of the Governor, State of Osun, Alhaja Kafayat Oyetola, with her counterparts from Enugu and Anambra states, Mrs. Monica Ugwuayi and Mrs. Ebelechukwu Obiano respectively at the Anambra Mothers’ Summit 2021, held at Alex Ekwueme Square, Awka, Anambra State capital, on Tuesday.

DEFENDER yesterday, the Spokesperson of the Society for Good Governance, Ms Tope Olaiya called on democrats in the state to caution the APC leaders and government officials on forcing members of the party to take

oath.

According to Olaiya, it is not only barbaric but criminal for anybody to force a person to take an oath to support a particular cause against the wish of the people.

Olaiya maintained that

oath-taking is against every democratic norm, just as she asked every rational leader of the APC and all government officials to wade into the matter and put a stop to it.

She said: “In the last couple of days, we have received credible informa-

tion about how some government officials and APC leaders are forcing some people to take oath to support the second term ambition of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and the continuation of Prince Gboyega Famodun as the party Chairman.

IBEDC, Engr. John Ayodele, the sales of Unistar metres to customers has been stopped since 2014, in compliance with the directive of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC).

The company said any of its customers who purchased the Unistar

metre after 2014, did not buy from IBEDC, neither did such customers pay for electricity used on those metres to IBEDC whenever they vended.

The statement, which was made available to OSUN DEFENDER on Tuesday reads in part: “The attention of the management of IBEDC Plc has been drawn to the activities of some unscrupulous agents operating within our franchise on the sale and installation of the defunct Unistar Prepaid metres.

“IBEDC stopped the sales of the Unsitar metres to customers since 2014 in compliance with the directive of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). To this end, any customer who purchased the Unistar metre after 2014, did not buy it from IBEDC, neither did such customers pay for electricity used on those metres to IBEDC whenever they vend.

“The management of Unistar Hi-Tech Systems Limited, the manufacturer of the metres in a public disclaimer on the pages of the Punch newspaper of 14th of June, 2021 said it had discontinued the produc•Continued on page 7

IBEDC Dissociates From Sale Of Unistar Metres, Warns Customers Niyi Olasinde

T

HE Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company Plc (IBEDC) has dissociated itself from the sale of Unistar Prepaid metres, which has been stopped since 2014.

IBEDC stated that

some agents have been selling and installing the Unistar prepaid metres to unsuspecting members of the public, warning its customers not to buy such metres again.

According to the company in a press statement signed by the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of

Symbol’s Quote

“Show kindness, love and generousity of spirit and of your substance to others’ needs. We must love our neighbours just like ourselves”

“We also have with us complaints by the Women Wing of the APC that the Women Leader of the party, Alhaja Kudirat Fakokunde, called them to a meeting where she asked them to be swearing on an oath to support Governor Oyetola’s second term and that of Famodun and herself.

“We should also recall that before Governor Oyetola emerged as the candidate of the APC in the 2018 Governorship Elections, some government officials were asked to be swearing on an oath to support his aspiration.

“We also have it on good authority that before the appointment of Commissioners and Special Advisers, some of them were asked to swear on an oath not to have anything to do (again) with former Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

“The compilation of these complaints and facts suggest that APC, our party, is fast becoming a cult group. This is against every democratic norm.

Forcing your choice on people is undemocratic, not to talk of taking a step further – asking people to swear on an oath, which is criminal.

“We understand that there is distrust within the Oyetola cabinet and the party. But the concerned people could avoid the embarrassing and undemocratic practice by appointing only their allies in government while ensuring that fresh blood is injected into the party to curry their loyalty.

“We place a passionate call to every rational and right-thinking leader of the APC, especially those in government to wade into the matter. This is not our APC. We are not known for occultic practices.”

Reacting, the Women Leader of the APC, Alhaja Fakokunde denied the allegations, saying that she never asked anybody to swear on an oath.

She said: “I did not ask anybody to swear on an oath. I only asked the women to support Oyetola’s second term and that was how I rallied round Aregbesola during his days.

Reacting to the issue, the Media Consultant to the APC Chairman, Mr. Kola Olabisi said Famodun was not aware of the oathtaking by some of his party members.

Olabisi said: “The Chairman is not aware of any oath. He cannot ask anybody to swear on an oath for anything. It is not in his character to do that.”

PEOPLE FIRST

FRIDAY, JULY 02 - THURSDAY, JULY 08, 2021

Review & Outlook

3

BY OLALERE FAGBOLA The South-West Diaspora Conference

W

E are in full support of are in full support of the laudable initiative of the organisers of the South - West Diaspora focal point who organised a path - breaking summit “Harnessing Diaspora Remittances For Regional Development in the South - West “ facilitated by the office of the diaspora affairs, Ekiti State, last week. It is long overdue.

With millions of its very well educated, highly skilled citizens in the Diaspora, the South - West is literary sitting on an untapped gold mine.

The South - West must emulate countries such as Israel and India in particular in turning its Diaspora as not just a focal point but a partnership for development.

Remittances are important.

The South - West benefits from the twenty-two billion dollars worth of remittances a year. However the remittances must be structured. The South - West regional integration mechanisms must be structured inflows from the Diaspora to incorporate bond and equity financing for long

“With millions of its very well educated, highly skilled citizens in the Diaspora, the South - West is literary sitting on an untapped gold mine. “ - term project financing and infrastructural development.

This is after all the cheapest form of financing. There is also a synergy to be obtained; such financing will inevitably be interwoven with intellectual property acquisition, skills development as well imparting international best practices and exposure. It is a win-win scenario, sustainable development at its most impactful.

Working the talk is key. The thoughtful recommendations coming out of the conference must be fine tuned and coordinated by a regional inter - ministerial team of the region’s commissioners responsible for regional integration.

This is make or break, for the South - West it is a trajectory for an advance.

Former African President Faces Jail Time

F

OR Africa, a continent bogged down in the stultifying crises of the post - colonial state, the news of a court order jailing former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, for fifteen months was a sensation. This ought not to be so.

The order stemmed from Zuma’s refusal to appear before an anti - corruption commission to answer charges about his alleged involvement in corruption.

The republic of South Africa has once again demonstrated that it has in the words of its constitution, “independent institutions of the state”. This will continue to give South Africa an edge, nay a decisive advantage in every area over the rest of the continent.

It is also important to note that no ethnic conflagration has resulted over the jailing of an ex-

president. Zuma’s Zulu ethnic nationality IS the biggest block in South Africa, yet we have not seen outbreaks of demonstrations and sabre rattling in the Zulu heartlands.

This is due to South Africa having well structured, ideological oriented political parties as well as real trade unions as opposed to the “aristocracies of labour “ we have in countries like Nigeria. Combinations of the factors listed above have made it well nigh impossible to bifurcate matters by playing the ethnic card as in “they are oppressing our pickin” which is the age old tactic deployed in countries like Nigeria.

South Africa’s admirably strong institutions have set an example, in the interest of its citizens African countries should emulate South Africa.

Chickens Eat Each Other’s Intestines

W

HENEVER it comes to dealing with burning issues of high public interest especially in reacting to (instead of responding to) issue of change, too many human chickens are always fond of snapping at each other’s intestines, (for survival) either in the political, religious or in the business circle .

Sad enough, most of them (in their attitudes to change) are not given to addressing the heart of the very matter.

Take it or leave it, there is a newly redefined publisher and writer relationship, particularly in this postCOVID 19-information era in which the changing readers themselves have continued to change again and again.

As things stand, it is not advisable for any of us, nay the publisher, to get into the way of the fast-changing and fast-moving lane of the super information revolution train now sweeping all over the universe lest one be crushed beyond redemption.

We cannot even calm down the revolution. We cannot risk its ultimatum or come in the way of its anger.

We can only do ourselves a favour by anticipating it or keying into its constitution. The only tribute to pay the change revolution is to embrace it or lead its way, lest one is dragged and bruised on its crazy lane like the proverbial tap root tangling in the way of an “ajanaku” who ferrets like a “ firi nidi-oke,already “destined to climb “oke-odo” with all its ferocity .

Dear publisher, you are finding a stiff cut-throat competitor in your savvy (sabi) generation writer amid new software editing machine, generating images and arranging them with the speed of lightning.

What Then Is The Way Forward?

First admit that you are an illiterate and that you are better for it enrolling in the school of Alvin Foffler, who says you are a candidate billed “ to learn,

“Dear publisher, you are finding a stiff cut-throat competitor in your savvy (sabi) generation writer amid new software editing machine, generating images and arranging them with the speed of lightning”

unlearn and relearn” Hence, the publisher would do well to go along with his editor that we are now in the walless classroom and newsroom where the era of Bossism is dead and gone, even as leadership in the writing or in the media world is no longer determined by the largeness of the office space one occupies but by how relevant is your role in providing solution and bringing food to table.

Now wait for the shocker! The days when editors sit down to hire and fire reporters are going rapidly if not gone already. Today, reporters who are closest to facts and who “take change for breakfast “ are hiring and firing editors, for they are in the right position to know the ideal, respectable and respected editor who is best to lead out the real thing inside of them and raise the standard.

If only the crack publisher would play the game with intelligence and large-heartedness, he may of course have the last card and play the final joker by allowing the writer or reporter to prove his mettle to dish out bestsellerdom, seasonless scripts as well as writings which continue to dazzle plagiarists who do not know when next your new edition is going to catch them pant down. If you are however safe in the book industry, the writer must be ready to produce material which thunder goes beyond the launching halls, (if not avoiding it like a plague) And since “conviviality is an incentive to gallantry, the ideal publisher who knows his onion and knows how to take it must be prepared Publisher – Moremi Publishing to partner with, co-reHouse Ltd. spond and give advance Deputy Editor – Ismaeel Uthman royalty to the crack team (0805-121-2204) if he must lead the race”.

Who is asking the pubProduc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa lisher to take the dosage Reporter – Yusuf Oketola hook, line and sinker?

Reporter – Kazeem Badmus Not when all the bills Photo Journalist – Olushola Aderinto must pay by themselves.

Computer Graphics – Zainab Olalere So he must challenge the OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing very best out of the writer House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite or the reporter to prove Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), Gbogan Road Osogbo, his mettle, for we are in State of Osun the days of the proverbiISSN : 0794 – 8050 al bourgeois writer who Telephone : 0805-121-2204 shows himself, eminently Website : www.osundefender.com/index.php presentable but is all soge–mail : osundefender@yahoo.com gy and wormy inside. osundefenderbank@gmail.com •OLALERE FAGBOLA, All Correspondence to the above email Addresses.

Erstwhile South-West OSUN DEFENDER IS NOT AFFLIATED WITH ANY OTHER NEWSPAPER, Bureau Chief of Punch MAGAZINE OR ANY PUBLICATION WHATSOVER Newspaper.

OSUN DEFENDER

FRIDAY, JULY 02 - THURSDAY, JULY 08, 2021

4

News

How Masquerades Attacked Muslims Over Drumming, Singing In Osun Ismaeel Uthman

O

SUN DEFENDER has uncovered what triggered the attack on some Muslims, who are members of the Qomarudeen Society of Nigeria by some masquerades in Osogbo, capital of the State of Osun, on Sunday, June 27, 2021.

Investigations by the medium revealed that the attack on the Muslims, which led to the death of Alhaji Moshood Salawudeen, while 14 other members of the group were left wounded, was a continuation of clashes between members of the Muslim group and followers of the Chief Kayode Esuleke.

It was gathered that the attack was triggered when members of the Qomarudeen Society of Nigeria, who were holding a programme to pray on insecurity of Nigeria at their Mosque in Oluode-Aranyin of Osogbo, asked the followers of the ‘Esuleke Masquerades’ to stop drumming and singing at the mosque premises.

Findings revealed that the Muslims were occupying a part of the ‘closed road’ with a canopy but the other part was open for vehicle and non-vehicular movement.

The ‘Esuleke Masquerade’ and its followers had claimed that they were going to a shrine at the end of the road as their usual ritual route and rite for the Egungun festival.

According to eye witnesses, trouble started when members of the Qomarudeen Society of Ni-

geria asked followers of the ‘Esuleke Masquerade’ to stop drumming and singing at the mosque premises, most importantly when they were holding prayers.

Investigations revealed that some elders in both the Muslim and masquerade sides intervened and the masquerade followers walked down the road to their destination.

However, on their way back, the ‘Esuleke Masquerade’ followers continued their drumming and singing, which prompted the Muslims to challenge and ask them to stop as a sign of respect for the mosque and the prayers they were holding.

In the process, according to eye witnesses, fight ensued between the Muslims and the traditionalists which led to a free for all.

According to findings, a Muslim attempted to unveil the masquerade but was prevented by the traditionalists during the fight.

A member of the Qomarudeen Society of Nigeria who was also injured in the fight confided in OSUN DEFENDER that some of the ‘Esuleke Masquerade’ followers were disarmed of the charms which they used to attack them.

He said: “What caused the attack is that when the masquerade and it followers, include Chief Kayode Esuleke, were approaching the mosque premises, we told them to stop drumming and singing. We asked them to give us our deserved respect. Ordinarily, they were not to come to that place at the time we were hold-

•Imam, Masquerade, 5 Others Arrested, Detained

•Some of the former commissioners in the State of Osun in a group photograph with the wife of the Minister of Interior, Alhaja Sherifat Aregebesola, at the first year remembrance of the death of former Oyo State Governor, late Senator Isiaka Ajimobi, held last Saturday in Ibadan. ing prayers. The road is a closed route, it leads to nowhere. But they claim they were going to a shrine at the end of the road. Policemen and members of Amotekun corps were with them.

“They did not reach the shrine before they turned back, and they continued drumming and singing. We told them again to stop but they would not listen. In the process, they pushed one of us and that was how the attack started.

“They attacked us with charms but they could not have effect on us because we believe in oneness of God and that there is no power except that of Allah. We dis-

INEC Calls For Mass Participation In Continuous Voters’ Registration Kazeem Badmus

A

S the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), resumed the Continuous Voters’ Registration, residents of the State of Osun have been urged to seize the opportunity to get their voter cards, in preparation toward next year’s Governorship Elections and future elections.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in the state, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje made the appeal while answering questions from newsmen in Ilesa on Tuesday.

The registration, which is going to be in two phases, will run till the middle of April, 2022 in Osun due to the Governorship Elections, billed for July same year.

According to Agbaje, the exercise is for those who have turned 18 after the

last registration exercise, or those who are more than 18 years but have never registered.

He also said those who have issues with their accreditation during the past elections and those who have issues with their Permanent Voter Cards or their biometric details will be beneficiaries of the exercise.

Agbaje further stated that online registration, which commenced on Monday, will last for two weeks while the physical registration at the various registration centres will start on July 19.

He said: “What we are trying to do now is to give those who have turned 18 after the last registration exercise and those who have never registered before the opportunity to do so.

“Also, through this exercise, those who want to

move their voting place from one Ward, Polling Unit or State to another will be able to do so.

“Osun residents who have issues with their accreditation during the last elections and those who have lost or damaged their cards will have the opportunity to get another one in order to exercise their civic rights.

“The online registration has started since Monday.

We are going to monitor the exercise for at least two weeks before moving to the physical registration.

“The physical registration will start from the 19th of July and people can register in their various local governments or at the State Secretariat. The exercise is going to run till April, 2022 in Osun due to the Governorship Elections coming up next year”.

armed those people of their charms. We were able to chase them away from the mosque premises eventually, but they had injured many of us. They attacked us with stones, clubs and cutlasses. They destroyed the mosque too.

“We saw the ‘001’ vehicle of the Joint Task Force (JTF) driving in and we complained to the security.

Immediately the JTF left our side, about seven armed men who wore red and black clothes came from the midst of the masquerade followers. Those guys started shooting at us directly. They killed our ‘Baba Ijo’, Alhaji Moshood Salawudeen and six other people sustained gunshot injuries.

“We suspect those guys were hired by the masquerade followers after we chased them away from the mosque premises.”

Other people injured in the attack were: Abdul Jelleel Ali (12), Adebayo Awolesin (15), Taofeek Fatai (17), Malik Abdulkabir (17), Quazeek Al-Ameen (12), Qauzeem Aseyori (47), Ayuba Abdakeem (60), Abdusalam Abdrauf (39), Ajabge Ishaq (37), Owolabi Maruf (45), Risiqat Zakariyahu (45), Isiaq Ibraheem, Yahaya and Oladosu Halimot (47).

The victims were treated at the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Asubiaro Specialist Hospital and Muslim Hospitals in Osogbo.

However, the Chairman, Youth Wing of Egungun Worshipers Association, Mr. Ifasola Esuleke, denied the attack on the Muslims and the mosque, saying that they were not responsible for it.

Esuleke, who is the son

of the popular traditionalist, Chief Kayode Esuleke said: “We were going to a shrine located after the Qomarudeen Society of Nigeria at Oluode-Arin in Osogbo. The Muslim group was holding a programme and the members blocked the road to prevent us from passing.

“With intervention of some people, we were able to pass the place and when we were coming back, they had blocked the road again.

As we were talking, one of the Muslims came out and attempted to unveil the masquerade. They started throwing stones at us.

“None of us was armed; we did not carry any gun or cutlass. You can ask people around that area, the members of the Qomarudeen Society of Nigeria are always violent. It is the only Muslim group that always attack traditional worshipers.

“We have casualty from us too. One of us was stabbed and his intestine came out. He was kept inside the mosque before the Police came and took him out. A lady among us also sustained machete cut on her head. Go and ask people about this man, he had unveiled one masquerade at Ojo-Oba in Osogbo before.

He had fought several masquerades.

“We did not attack their mosque. They were the ones that destroyed the mosques by themselves. They had done it before, you can ask the Police.

“We the traditionalists are the most peaceful people in Nigeria. We don’t have problem with either the Muslim or the Christian communities.”

However, the Commissioner of Police in the

State of Osun, Mr. Olawale Olokode has appealed to the people of the state to remain calm and peaceful, disclosing that investigations have begun on the matter.

Olokode called for religious tolerance and understanding, maintaining that the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria guarantees freedom of religion, beliefs and association.

He assured the people that everybody found culpable in the attack would be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that Chief Esuleke had been arrested and detained by the Police.

Esuleke was invited by the Inspector-General of Police’s Intelligent Response Team to the Police Station at Oke-Fia, Osogbo, where he was detained on Tuesday.

He has not been released from detention as at the time of filing this report.

Also, the man that carried the masqurade on that day and one other person have been arrested and detained.

The Chief Imam of Qomarudeen Society of Nigeria in the state, Imam Yunus Qazeem and three others, Jamiu Salawudeen, Sulaiman Alarape and Saheed Akewi were invited by the police on Wednesday and have since been detained.

OSUN DEFENDER authoritatively gathered that all the suspects might be arraigned in court today (Friday).

Investigations revealed that there had been clashes between the members of Qomarudeen Society of Nigeria and the ‘Esuleke Masquerade’ followers in the year 2004 and 2018.

FRIDAY, JULY 02 - THURSDAY, JULY 08, 2021

5

News

Why I Was Invited, Detained By SSS - TOP Coordinator In Isokan LG Speaks Ismaeel Uthman

T

HE Coordinator of The Osun Progressives (TOP) in Isokan Local Government Council of the State of Osun, Hon. Tunde Boladale, who was invited and detained by the State Security Service last week Wednesday, has revealed the reasons behind his travail.

Boladale, who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday in a telephone interview, stat-

ed that he was accused of abusing Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.

According to him, somebody had reported him to the security agency that he was abusing the governor in a conversation he had with that person.

Boladale said: “I was invited by the SSS on Monday and I went there on Wednesday.

On getting there, they asked the group I belong to and I told them I belong to TOP. After

that, they asked why I was abusing Governor Oyetola and I told them I did not abuse the Governor because he belongs to everyone of us.

“They played a recorded conversation I had with one of the followers of the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Hon. Yemi Lawal to me. The conversation was political but I don’t know that person was carrying out a dirty job. He did not record where he was abusing

Igede Community Elects Ad’Igede Of Osun Idris Idowu

T

HE Igede community in the State of Osun has elected Chief Mathias Abi Ogah as the Ad’Igede of the state.

Igede is one of the three major communities that make up Benue society in the state.

In the election which was conducted on Friday, June 25, Chief Mathias Abi Ogah, emerged as the winner of the election after defeating his opponent, Mr. Jonathan Ibo, with eight against two votes.

Ten eligible kingmakers, who are the representatives of all the indigenes of Benue State in the state, participated in the election.

•Chief Mathias Abi Ogah

The Ad’Igede elect, Chief Mathias Abi Ogah, while speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, expressed his delight and also appreciated all the members of the community for their trust and support for him.

He said: “I really bless God for today. As a leader, you have to protect the interest of the people, you have to be aware of the plight, you have to be available for them everything, you have to move strongly to protect their interest.

“We will collaborate with the State Government to make sure that we bring the benefits of democracy to our people at the grassroots, even though we are not politicians, but on the

other hand, as a leader, you have a role to play in bringing benefit of democracy to the people at the grassroots.

“I will definitely stand out to make sure that whatsoever my people need, I will convince the government to do it for them.

“As a country, we need to be united. That is one thing we should know. In Benue State, the Igbo, Yoruba and other ethnic groups have their leaders. The same thing is also happening here in Osun. We need unity of purpose in this country.

“In Benue State, we work in collaboration; we don’t stand as a one-man MOPOL. That is why we are progressing and developing. Let there be unity, divided we fall, united we stand.”

However, Chief Augustine Apezan, the Chairman of the Benue community in the state who presided over the election, also expressed his delight over the peaceful nature of the election and also commended the Igede for electing a leader with good character.

He said: “I feel greatly honoured and happy on the peaceful conduct of the election. I am very happy with the way my people conducted themselves by having a leader and the leader is somebody who has good character and I believe in what they have done, they put the right peg at the right hole.

“And we are assuring the good people of Osun that everything will be fine and well.”

and cursing Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, my leader and benefactor.

He only recorded my response to what he said. And that recording was given to the SSS to incriminate me.

“Yemi Lawal had earlier called me to a meeting where he said I should renounce TOP and stop following Aregbesola. And I told him I cannot do that; Aregbesola is my benefactor. I told him we have different groups within the party; IleriOluwa, SDP caucus and others are in the APC. Why is TOP a problem?

“I owe everything I have and what I am today to God and Aregbesola. I told Yemi Lawal that since he cannot disown Senator Omisore, I cannot also disown Aregbesola. I am not an ingrate.

“I think some people want to be intimi-

•Hon. Tunde Boladale dating me and other members of TOP across the state. I know TOP is giving them headache everyday because we are growing and increasing in population day-by-day. They want to be intimidating us, but we cannot be intimidated. We are members of the All Progressives Con-

gress.

“I was not released by the SSS on Wednesday, but on Thursday afternoon, my lawyer was able to secure my bail.

“I need to say that the SSS did well, they did not torture nor maltreat me. They are highly civilized and courteous.

I Stole Our School Bus To Please My Wife - Driver Kazeem Badmus

A

48-year-old school driver, Olalekan Adejumo, has been arrested by men of the Nigerian Police Force in Ajah area of Lagos after stealing a school bus in Osogbo, the State of Osun Capital.

Adejumo, who was paraded at the Police Headquarters, in Osogbo, on Tuesday, confessed that he stole the school bus of Criterion Nursery and Primary School, Kelebe area, Osogbo.

He further disclosed that after stealing the school bus, he drove it to Lagos where he was using it for commercial purposes.

Addressing newsmen, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olawale Olokode said: “On July 8, 2021 at about 8:30 AM, the complainant reported at the Dugbe Divisional Police Headquarters that he employed the service of one Adejumo Moruf Olalekan of Oke-Baale, area, Osogbo to drive his unregistered Suzuki Mini Bus, conveying pupils of Criterion Nursery and Primary School Kelebe, Osogbo but on getting to his house in the early

•Adejumo hours of that day, he discovered that the said driver had disappeared with the vehicle.

“Investigations led us to Ajah area of Lagos State and Adejumo was arrested with the school bus which he had registered in his name and was using it for commercial purpose in Lagos State.”

The suspect spoke with newsmen, stating that he stole the vehi-

cle in order to please his wife who took away his children two years ago.

He said: “My wife took my children away from my house two years ago when I could not discharge my responsibility as a father again. That affected me and I started working as a driver.

I stole the school bus so that I could use it for commercial means and get money to please my wife and children.”

FRIDAY, JULY 02 - THURSDAY, JULY 08, 2021

6

I

Religion

NFINITE thanks to Allah ta’ala for His blessings and favours over His creatures. May all prayers and blessings be upon Muhammad (SAW), who is His Prophet and the most beloved of His born servants, and who is in every respect the most exalted of all mankind that ever lived.

Faith Is Imperfect Without Morality By Faith is such a power that keeps men away from low attributes and mean acts, and encourages him to Imaam Raji, achieve high attributes and clean morals. That is why Musa Oladapo whenever Allah calls his slaves towards virtue or whenever He wants them to hate evil, He declares it as an essential requirement of the Faith in their hearts. For example when He; in Surah Taubah, commands men to adopt righteousness and to speak truth, He addresses them as “O you who have faith” (or “O you who believe”) Fear Allah and be with the truthful people.”

(Taubah 119).

Allah’s Messenger has nicely explained it that when faith is firm to rise to that standard.

Many times, even a child can copy the movements of Salat and is and belief is strong, then strong and lasting moral will be developed, and if the moral character is low, then faith will accordingly be weak. able to repeat what is recited during the prayer. Sometimes, an actor A man, who is immodest and ill-mannered and who adopts bad hab- also offers prayer with all humility and concentration and performs all its without caring for others, is like the person about whom the holy the necessary rites.

But these kinds of movements do not benefit belief or meet the Prophet has said: “Modesty and faith are twins. One who gives up one purpose. There is only one way of offering prayers in the best manner has to lose the other too.”

Once the Prophet passed by an Ansari who was scolding his or performing other forms of worship that will never bring out wrong brother about his immodesty. The Prophet advised him to let him go results, and that is: high moral character. Any person who has this as modesty was a branch of faith. A man who harasses his neighbour attribute in him, his prayer is useful. But one who is deprived of this and makes him suffer any kind of damage is called cruel and stone- attribute, his worshipping is useless.

It is narrated by Imam Ahmed: “One person asked the Prophet: ‘O hearted by the religion. In this connection, the decision of the Prophet is: “By God, he cannot be a Momin; by God, he cannot be a Momin; by Messenger of Allah, a certain woman is very famous for her prayers, God, he cannot be a Momin. He was asked: ‘who’ He answered: “He fasting and many charities, but she talks rudely with her neighbours.

Tell me, what will be her fate?’ He replied that she would go to Hell. from whose misdeeds his neighbour is not safe.”(Bukhari).

The holy Prophet advises his companions to keep away from Then that person asked: ‘O Messenger of Allah! Another woman does the talk that is trash, the acts that are wicked, and the deeds that are not do much by way of prayers and fasting; gives pieces of cheese in senseless. He says: “A person who believes in Allah and the Hereafter charity and does not harm her neighbours.’ He replied: ‘She is of the should speak about good things or else should keep quiet.”(Bukhari). Paradise.“ This reply gives an idea of the high value attached to good charIn this way, through the truth of faith and by means of its perfection, noble qualities are nurtured and developed and they are guarded acter. It also shows that charity is a collective prayer whose benefit reaches the society. For this reason, there is no room for any reduction and kept secure till they bear fruits. in them. As Salat and Fasting are apparently individual forms of worRows Disrupted, Hearts Sad, Prayers Tasteless However, you will also find such people, who will be calling them- ship, a little relaxation-to a very little extent-is allowed in not making selves Muslims, yet they will be lazy in offering compulsory prayers, very elaborate arrangements about them.

The holy Prophet did not merely answer a casual question that exand will be posing in the public as if they are very keen on establishing these prayers. But they will not lag behind at the same time in acting in plains the relationship between morality and the religion, He explains such a way that will be contrary to the demands of the noble character its connection with the correct forms of worship, and forms the basis of and perfect faith. Such people have been warned by the holy Prophet reform and improvement in the world and salvation in the next world.

They are connected with each other and none can separate them. and the Ummah has been asked to be careful of them.

Who Is Poor?

A man who commits the mistake of performing the various forms One day, the Prophet asked his dear companions whether they of worship without understanding their significance can only be a man who had not understood the spirit of the worship or has been unable knew who was poor. They answered that poor was one who had no

JUMAT SERMON

Weakness Of Morals

dirham or dinar (money)’ He said: “In my Ummah, the poor is that man who would appear on the Day of the Judgment before Allah; he had offered prayer; he had paid Zakat; he had observed fast; but he would have abused somebody, he would have falsely accused someone; he would have unjustly taken someone else’s property; he would have murdered someone; would have hit somebody. All his virtues would be given to his victims. If his virtues are finished before his wicked deeds are finished, then the errors and sins of the victims would be given to him and he would be thrown into the Hell.” (Muslim). Such a man is really poor. His condition is like that trader who has goods worth one thousand rupees but he is a debtor for two thousand rupees. How can such a man be called rich?

A religious man who offers certain prayers or performs certain forms of worship, but even after that performs certain evil deeds, behaves rudely with the people, treats poor and helpless people cruelly, how then can such a man be called righteous?

The Prophet has explained by quoting an example. He said that the best moral character melts errors like water and bad morals spoil man’s record as vinegar spoils honey.

Identification of hypocrite When wickedness is nourished in the self, and the loss caused by it has become manifest and the danger has increased, then that man has come out of his religion like a nude who has come out of his garments.

At that time his claim of righteousness or faith would be false.

What will be the value of religiousness without good morality!

How is it possible that a man should belong to Allah and at the same he should be a victim of corruption?

This relationship between faith and morality is clearly shown in the hadith of the holy Prophet: “The man who has these three habits is a hypocrite even if he observes fast, offers prayers, performs Umra (pilgrimage), and calls himself a Muslim: when be talks, he speaks untruth, when he makes a promise he does not keep it, and when he is given something in trust, he commits dishonesty.”( Muslim ).

In another narration, he has said:“There are three signs of a hypocrite: when he talks he speaks untruth, when he makes a promise he does not keep it, and when he makes a contract, he deceives, although he may be offering prayers, observing fast and calling himself a Mus1im.”

He has also said: “There are four habits, in whosoever they are, he will be a complete hypocrite. If anyone of these habits is found in a man, he will have one habit of disruption till he gives it up. When something is given to him in trust, he commits dishonesty, when he talks, he tells lies, when he makes a contract, he deceives, and when there is be quarrels, he starts abusing. (Bukhari).

•Shaykh Imam Zakariyah Sarumi is the Grand Imaam of Ipetu-Ijesa.

Crime

Father Strangled Daughter To Death In Osogbo Yusuf Oketola

A

15-year-old girl, Aminat Adesina, has been reportedly strangled to death by her father, Mr. Kehinde Adesina, at their residence in Halleluyah Estate Area of Osogbo, capital of the State of Osun.

Amina, according to residents, was said to have been strangled to death by her father, a generator repairer, while asleep around 4:00am on June 24, 2021.

A resident of the area, Mr. Ojo Eko, in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER, confirmed the incident, saying that it happened between 3:00am and 4:00am while the whole members of the household were asleep.

Eko said: “Two days before the incident happened, Kehinde had sent away Amina’s junior brother from the house, complaining about his behaviour and the boy had been sleeping with me.

“On the day of the incident, I rallied some people in our area to go and see the chairman of the community, so as to

lice station to report the matter himself, we had to hold him down for him not to run away. We went to the Police station and the Police came to arrest him and the body of the girl has been deposited at Osun State Univer-

sity Teaching Hospital, Osogbo.”

Kehinde was arraigned before an Osogbo magistrate’s court on Tuesday for alleged murder and he was remanded in Ilesa Correctional Centre.

Police Arrest 21, 22-Year-Old Serial Killers

CHANGE OF NAME ADEGOKE AZEEZAT NIKE That I was formerly known and addressed as YUSUF AZEEZAT NIKE now wish to be known and addressed as A D E G O K E AZEEZAT NIKE.All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

plead on behalf of the boy with his father.

“On getting there, the chairman invited the father to know the offence of the boy and also to plead with him. When Mr. Kehinde arrived, he said he had even com-

Kazeem Badmus

T

HE State of Osun Police Command has arrested a 21-year-old notorious serial killer, Tope Gbenga, popularly known as ‘Jembe’ in Osogbo, the state capital.

Gbenga and other suspects, Olaide Adelu (22), Yussuf Arowolo (22) and Opeyemi Obaniwa(23), were linked to various killings and robberies in the state.

Parading the suspects at the Command’s Headquarters, Osogbo, on Tuesday, the Commissioner of Police, Olawale Olokode said the suspects, who have confessed to the crimes had led Police crack detectives to their armoury in a banana plantation at Oke Baale area of the state capital.

According Olokode, men of the force arrested the suspected criminals on

mitted an offence, that he had killed his own daughter.

“Everyone present there was shocked to hear that. We followed him to his room and met the lifeless body of the girl. The father had

June 26, 2021 at about 4:40 PM with three cut-to-size single barrel guns and some cartridges recovered.

He also noted that one of the Armourers, a single mother by the name Azisat Omoboriowo, was also arrested.

Olokode said: “On June 26, 2021 around 4:40 PM, my men arrested dreadful and notorious serial killer, Tope Gbenga popularly known as Jembe along with his cohorts.

“The suspects confessed to the crimes and led Police crack detectives to their armoury in a banana plantation at Oke Baale area of the state and we recovered three cut-to-size single barrel guns and some cartridges.”

“This success was a follow-up to the arrest of the gang armourer, one Omoboriowo Azisat aged 23 years at Oke Abesu area,

bathed and dressed her up and there are signs of faeces on the floor which shows the girl was strangled to death. But we could not ascertain what led to that.

“So, he told us that he would go to the Po-

Osogbo while attempting to kill one Joshua Olugbode.

“Also, mop-up operations were carried out at the house of the kingpin of the gang, Jembe and a locally fabricated barrel of a pistol gun was also recovered”.

Speaking with newsmen, Olaide Adelu said, “I had an altercation with one man called Sikoli Eleshe (the boxer) who wanted to fight me but I could not overpower him. I took my gun and shot him. We keep our guns with one ‘Tioja’.

Those guns were recovered from ‘Yahoo boys’ when they were protesting #EndSARS in Osogbo last year.

We are using those guns to maim people.”

Similarly, Gbenga Tope, an ex-convict said he has killed two rival cult members in 2021 after he left the prison. He noted that the same rival cult groups had killed his brother before he

went to prison.

He said: “Members of Aye group killed my brother and after I left the prison, they were after my life. I was given a gun by the person that initiated me to Eiye confraternity and I used it to kill two people this year.”

PUBLIC NOTICE Land Of Goshen Interdenominational Prayer City This is to inform the general public that the above named organisation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) Osogbo for registration under Part C of Companies and Allied Matters Act, 1990 The trustees are: Odeniran Motunrayo Ayoade Odeniran Abiodun Adebowale Odeniran Jolaade Adetola Odeniran Odunola Adebusola Adeyeye Adedamola Adedapo AIM AND OBJECTIVES -To Undertake Church Services And Evangelism -To Undertake Educational Services -To Empower Women And Youth Through Sensitization And Vocational Training Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, Nigeria within 28 days of this publication.

Signed: Secretary

PEOPLE FIRST

FRIDAY, JULY 02 - THURSDAY, JULY 08, 2021

7

Sports

Sports Festival: Osun Govt. Inaugurates At Last! Oyetola Makes Caretaker the best ever, Local Organising Committee val Appointments For LGs, LCDAs, AOs which should be conducted in line Yusuf Oketola

A

S part of its efforts to kickstart the state sports festival, the State Government of Osun, on Wednesday, inaugurated the Local Organising Committee (LOC) comprising chairmen of various committees.

This is contained in a release issued by the Chief Public Relations Officer of the Osun Sports Council, Mrs. Funmilayo Moradeyo.

The inauguration, which was held virtually, was performed by the Chief of Staff to the

P

Governor, Dr. Charles Akinola, on behalf of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.

Members of the LOC includes, Mr. Yemi Lawal, Commissioner for Youth and Sports (Chairman), Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr. Adeleke Adebayo (Vice Chairman), Commissioner for Finance, Chief Bola Oyebamiji, Commissioner for Health, Dr Rafiu Isamotu, among others.

In his inaugural speech, Akinola charged members of the committee to make the festi-

with the festival rules and regulations.

He added that the committee should work out modalities for the festival, which is first of its kind.

Responding on behalf of the members, Mr. Tunde Popoola, the former Secretary General of Nigeria Olympic Committee, thanked the Governor for giving them the opportunity to serve their state, promising that they would ensure all hands would be on deck to work round the clock for the success of the Sports fiesta.

Ismaeel Uthman

T

HE anxiety of members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the appointments of Caretaker Management Committees for Local Governments, Local Council Development Areas and Area Offices has been quenched.

Governor Adegboyega Oyetola has sent the list of the candidates to be appointed as chairmen, Secretaries and members of the caretaker committees to the State of Osun House of Assembly.

According to sources, the list was received by the Speaker of the Assembly, Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye late Wednesday.

OSUN DEFENDER had in its June 11 edition reported that the caretaker appointments might not take place un-

til July.

Council Managers had taken over the administration of the Local Governments, Local Council Development Areas and Area Offices since February 8, 2021, following the expiration of the tenure of elected parliamentarians on February 5 this year.

However, when the list got to the House As-

sembly yesterday, the Speaker convened a plenary session where other lawmakers were officially briefed of the caretaker appointments.

After the plenary session, the lawmakers went into the open floor of the house where the Speaker announced the names of the nominees.

Tribute To The Yoruba by Reno Omokri

EOPLE often assume the Yoruba are so successful as an ethnic nationality due to their thirst for education, and how it has penetrated down even amongst their remotest rural communities. But study them. Their culture of respect opens doors for them that even education cannot open.

Diplomacy gives them supremacy.

And their culture is often mistaken for what it is not by others who do not understand them as a people. What some people ignorantly call cowardice, or sycophancy, is stooping to conquer. It is both a military and diplomatic strategy.

This is what Scripture meant in 2 Corinthians 10:4 “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty”. Wisdom, courtesy, diplomacy, and praise are all weapons. A weapon is anything you can use to achieve your strategic objective. It does not always have to be a physically offensive weapon.

But are the Yorubas even cowards, as some people accuse them to be? Well, let us let the facts speak for themselves.

In the history of Nigeria, only two men have returned to Nigeria to face almost certain death even when they had the option of a very comfortable political asylum abroad. Both of

them are Yoruba. In 1985, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida toppled the Buhari regime while Major General Tunde Idiagbon (mixed Yoruba/Fulani) was at Mecca yet Idiagbon returned.

In 1995, Olusegun Obasanjo (pure Owu Yoruba) was accused of planning a coup by the blood-thirsty tyrant, Abacha (if you do not like that truthful description of Abacha or if you believe that ‘Abacha did not loot’, you can go and join him where he is) while he was away in Copenhagen.

He was informed by the then US Ambassador, Walter Carrington, that Abacha meant to arrest, try and execute him, and was offered political asylum in the United States.

He returned to face almost certain death.

What more example of bravery can there be than these two shining ones?

Furthermore, there is the apocryphal example of Colonel Francis Adekunle Fajuyi, who chose to die with the then Head of State, Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi, rather than abandon his guest, which he was at liberty to do.

In addition to the above, in my opinion, they are the least

IBEDC Dissociates From Sale Of Unistar Metres...

•Continued from page 2 tion and the sale of such metres since 2014 in line with NERC’s directive.

“The Association of the Electrical Installer of Nigeria (AEIPON) that continue to promote the sale and installation of the Unistar metres is not in any way affiliated to IBEDC, nor does it represent the interest of the company.

“It will be recalled that the same association in 2017, took IBEDC to court, praying the court to compel the company

to absorb the illegally sold and installed Unistar metres for some of our customers at Osun State “The court resolved matter in favour of IBEDC, as the plaintiffs failed to prove or show evidence that the said Unistar metres installed in IBEDC’s network was with its permission or consent.

The court also held that because the metres were installed in IBEDC’s network illegally, it constitutes economic sabotage.

“In the light of the above therefore, the Chief Operating Officer (COO)

of IBEDC, Engr. John Ayodele, said IBEDC as a customer centric organisation is committed to metering all its customers through the current National Mass Metering Programme (NMMP) approved by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

He appealed to customers to be more cautious and not fall into the hands of fraudsters who parade themselves as marketers, selling and installing illicit metres not recognised by the company or approved

by NERC.

likely to maintain and retain their cultural values, when it clashes with other cultures.

I love how they retain their full culture when they travel abroad. It is a rarity amongst Africans. When you visit London, you may be confused if you think Yoruba is the only African language in existence.

A Yoruba man can enter a quiet bus and receive a phone call and speak in Yoruba, and won’t feel embarrassed. And I am not referring to a Johnny Just Come. I am referring to second generation Yorubas who were born and brought up in England, I have been traveling the world from childhood, yet I have not encountered people

doing that with much wider spoken African languages, such as Swahili and Hausa.

They may speak it privately in their homes abroad. but not publicly, and even if they do, it is not to the extent of the Yoruba.

It has gotten to the extent that the Metropolitan Police now recruit Yoruba-speaking Constables, and Harrods now employ Yoruba-speaking cashiers. Oh please do not just take my words at face value. Fact-check me.

Go to Houston on a Sunday, you will see Yoruba people everywhere in their native wears, adire, plus abeti aja and eleti aja.

Here in California, other Africans now draw crowd to their parties by saying ‘the Nigerians will be there.’

This will annoy other tribes, including mine, however, when foreigners talk about how cool Nigerians are, they are usually referring to Yorubas.

Take it or leave it, but the Yoruba are the most progressive Black people on the face of planet Earth.

They produced the first Black African Nobel laureate for an academic category (Wole Soyinka), and the first Black African military ruler to have voluntarily handed over to a civilian President (Olusegun Obasanjo), and the first Nigerian to win a Grammy Award (Sade Adu) as well as the first person born and bred in Africa to have won a Pulitzer Prize (Dele Olojede).

The reason why Yorubas are the biggest music stars of Nigerian origin is because they are unabashedly Yoruba.

They do not try to sing or act like Westerners. They are very in-your-face with their Yoruba-ness. And when people like themselves to such a high degree, others tend to join them in liking them.

There are an estimated 15 Black billionaires on Planet Earth. Three of them are Yoruba. More than any ethnic nationality in Africa.

US President, Joe Biden, named a Yoruba man, Adewale Adeyemo, as deputy Treasury Secretary. This is the highest position to which a Black African has been appointed (not elected) in US history. Another Yorubaman, Dr. Oluyinka Olutoye, became the first person on Earth to successfully perform a surgery by taking out an unborn fetus from its mother’s womb and putting it back after the surgery.

77% of all Black doctors in America, and a very large percentage of these are Yoruba. I commend the Edekiri people (the real name of the Yoruba). You guys are oni te si iwaju.

ISSN : 0794 - 8050

News

FRIDAY, JULY 02 - THURSDAY, JULY 08, 2021

INEC Calls For Mass Participation In Continuous Voters’ Registration

VOL. 16 NO 24 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com

L

OCAL Government (LG) administration in Nigeria dates back to pre-colonial period. It is a system of government of the grassroots people through their chiefs which has undergone re-evaluation over time to suit its essence. Interference in LG began in 1916 when the British Colonial Master instituted a Native Authority Ordinance to establish the legal framework of Indirect Rule in Nigeria. This interference was however resisted especially in the Eastern and Western Nigeria because its components were undemocratic and at variance with the traditional system of local administration already in existence. This protest resulted to 1950 Ordinance, which injected some democratic oxygen into the system of LG. Again, in 1976, there were reforms in LG administration targeted by the military regime to prevent the traditional rulers from setting up a separate Council of Chiefs, with advisory roles consistent with harmonised condition of service of the LG personnel and the personnel of the State and Federal Governments. The reforms were essentially designed to spread government programmes to the grassroots by the military regime as part of its activities to handing over power to the civilian government. In 1988, there was another LG reform. The primary target, this time around, was to professionalise LG services with streamlined functions with LG Service Commission as monitoring agency.

By 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic, Nigeria operates a Federal Republic of 36 states with the Federal Capital Territory and 774 Local Governments. In essence, LG is the Third Tier of the government. Each LG is divided into Wards across the State with each Ward electing a single member to its LG Parliament. It is at the LG level that democracy is much visible. This informs why Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, clearly provides that, “The system of Local Government by democratically elected Local Government Councils is under this Constitution guaranteed; and accordingly, the Government of every State shall, subject to Section 8 of this Constitution, ensure their existence.” The Section 8 caveat has 6 subsections.

All has to do with ongoing discussion at the National Assembly on new States and Boundary adjustment, referendum. Once any of these conditions is not prevailing, election into LG is a compulsion.

Various reforms on LG from 1916 till 1999 Constitution are targeted to develop a virile LG administration but the actions of most Governors in the States between then and now leave much to be desired.

Some people have argued that by the virtue of Section 162(6) of the 1999 Constitution, where each State shall maintain “State Joint Local Government Account” into which shall be paid allocation to the Local Government of the State from the Federation Account and from the government of the State, abuses are imminent from the governors. Hence, deliberate delay in organising Local Government elections and putting a handpicked caretaker committee who cannot challenge illegal deductions of LG funds by the Governors which have stalled development at grassroots.

This is exact scenario playing out in Osun.

“Some Civil Society Organisations have rejected the State’s claim of paucity of fund for not conducting council elections and have threatened mass protests in the state and legal action if the Governor contemplates a caretaker committee, using the State Assembly as rubberstamp for illegality instead of the elections known to law”

Interference In Local Government Administration Being fully conscious of the fact that the tenure of all political office holders in Local Government Councils will expire by 5th February, 2021, on Tuesday, 19th May, 2020, Governor Gboyega Oyetola sent names of nominees for the Board of the State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) to the Speaker of the State House of Assembly for screening and clearance.

Having gotten the Assembly clearance, on the 10th of June, 2020, Mr. Governor inaugurated the Commission. Interestingly, apart from the fact that Mr. Governor directed all the political office holders at the councils to vacate their offices and hand over to the most senior council personnel through a statement from the Secretary to the State Government, Wole Oyebamiji, on 5th February, 2021, he has taken no further steps to conducting the council elections as demanded by the 1999 Constitution despite the fact that the State Electoral Commission is in place and prepared to conduct the election. For a whole year (10th June, 2020 – 2nd July, 2021) of inauguration of the commission, its staff, Chairperson and members are being paid salaries and

STRIKER

allowances without conduct of election.

Some Civil Society Organisations have rejected the State’s claim of paucity of fund for not conducting council elections and have threatened mass protests in the state and legal action if the Governor contemplates a caretaker committee, using the State Assembly as rubberstamp for illegality instead of the elections known to law. No State in South-West is enmeshed with this constitutional and political aberration. In Ondo and Ekiti states, the LGs are being run by democratically elected Chairpersons and Councillors. Ogun State has slated its LG elections to 24th July, 2021. Seyi Makinde-led PDP Oyo State has had its own LG elections in 22 May, 2021.Lagos LG elections will hold 0n July 24, 2021 as the tenure of the 20 LG Chairmen and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDA) ends in July 25, 2021. These are practical demonstrations of what the constitution says – no excuses; no vacuum! If a caretaker Governor is unthinkable at the expiration of a gubernatorial tenure in any state, same should apply to the LG but for the lawlessness at that level.

Page 4

Further investigations have revealed that the paucity of fund claim by the state is a pretty lame excuse. The real problem is that under the watch of Oyetola, his party - APC - is in serious crisis and doubts its capacity to win any free and fair election in the state. The party is polarised between Oyetola’s Ileri-Oluwa followers and the progressives within the party who are being harassed and persecuted for their struggle towards rebuilding and save the party from unrelenting drift to conservatism.

Contrary to either ignorance or mischief that LG has no major responsibilities, 1999 Constitution empowers it with the following: construction and maintenance of roads, streets, drains and other public highways, park and open spaces; provision and maintenance of public transportation and refuse disposal; assessment of privately own houses or tenements for the purpose of levying such rates as may be prescribed by the State House of Assembly; control and regulation of outdoor advertising, movement and keeping of pets of all descriptions, shops and kiosks, restaurants and other places for sales of food to the public, and laundries; naming of roads and streets and numbering of houses; establishment, maintenance of markets, motor parks and public conveniences; licensing of bicycles, trucks (other than mechanically propelled trucks), canoes, wheel barrows. State governments have hijacked most of these responsibilities from the LGs. As such, they could not satisfactorily perform these statutory functions because the Governors recklessly abuse their funds domiciled at the States Joint Local Government Account (SJLGA). This should be one of the parts to be expunged from the 1999 Constitution as it kills development at the grassroots and encourages light-fingered governors to institute caretakers, as against duly elected administrators, so as to have unhindered access to the LGs funds.

Striker is not the opinion of the Columnist featured above

Perfecting The Electoral System

D

EMOCRACY is not just about elections. However, elections are not only the high points of the democratic process but its mainstay. Whereas a confirmed free and fair election does not guarantee full delivery of the dividends of democracy, a fraud-ridden election guarantees that there will be little or no dividends at all, except a harvest of woes. That is how key election is to democracy, and if perfection can hardly be attained on earth, every electoral management system must strive towards excellence – to achieve credible elections.

It is widely acknowledged that credible elections are characterised by inclusiveness, transparency, accountability and competitiveness. Between Nigeria’s Independence in 1960 and the April 21, 2007 election that declared Umaru Musa Yar’Adua President of Nigeria, almost all elections across board lacked those ingredients, with the June 12, 1993 Presidential Elections, won by MKO Abiola but annulled by Gen, I.B. Babangida and Company, being the only excusable exception. Ya’Ardua had to admit the utter crookedness of the election that made him president and sincerely inaugurated the Justice Uwais Electoral Reform Panel, hoping that with the implementation of the panel’s report, better days for credible elections in Nigeria will be guaranteed.

We have come a long way from the wetie election characteristics of the 1960s, which were provocative ingredients for coup d’états and civil wars, to the characteristics of the March 2015 election that made displacement of an incumbent president by an opposition candidate possible. Yet, we have a long way to go in order to purify the electoral processes to an acceptable level of credibility. The big worry today is the inertia, if not resentment, of the biggest beneficiaries of the current level of purification achieved through hard struggles, the ruling party.

The short-lived Yar’Adua administration demonstrated sincerity and commitment to implementing almost all the recommendations of the 297-page Report but the Jonathan administration was not that generous and we went into the March 2015 General Elections with only as many changes as it could simply not stall or sabotage due to popular pressure. The clear beneficiaries are the ones we are contending with today, the National Assembly and the Presidency.

We are at a time when election credibility has the capacity to simplify some of the bedevilling issues on the national front burner, if not fundamentally or fully resolve them. A Bill for advancing the Electoral Reform is before the footdragging Senate, awaiting transmission to the unenthusiastic Presidency. How

passing the bill and accenting to it with all speed has now become rocket science is hard to understand, with major elections ahead in the first months of 2023, and insecurity and nationalities agitation baggage to carry along.

Election is not a few days’ event; it is a lasting process from one election cycle to another. The rules to govern the entire process need continuous perfection based on the level of civility and technological advancement attained by society. Where we are today gives assurance of an infrastructure base and general citizen awareness that can sustain a credible election modus driven by technology, for substantial credibility. When it is clear that based on strict and open adherence to pre-stated rules, the winner is the winner and the loser is the loser, the steam to heat the national polity is taken away from political manipulators of primordial, ethnic and religious sentiments.

All required now is the political will and demonstrated sense of responsibility (or lack of it) by the political elite, for which they will be cheered or jeered; and the sense of duty of the people to make timely and informed demands without giving a quarter, knowing that they will be the inevitable recipients of the consequences of actions and inactions of state actors at the end of the day.

Osun DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun.

All correspondence to the Deputy Editor, ISMAEEL UTHMAN, Telephone: 0805-121-2204, usmanismail001@yahoo.com. ISSN: 0794-8050.

Website: www.osundefender.com Email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com, osundefemder@yahoo.com