Osun Defender July 7, 2017 Edition

Magazine

Editorial Comment

Stemming The Tides Of Ritual Killings

More Than An Election

Pages 5 & 6

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•Suspected Ritual Killers of UNIOSUN Student, Oluwafemi Shonibare.

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Dr Adeleke’s temperament is a clear indication that he lacks the norms and patience required of the negotiating skills of a Senator of the Federal Republic.

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Daggers Drawn, As Parties Slug It Out -

•Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the State of Osun, addressing the mammoth crowd of APC members and supporters when he led the party’s campaign to Ede on Wednesday in preparation for the July 8 Osun West Senatorial Bye-election.

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Daggers Drawn, As Parties Slug It Out

By Kehinde Ayantunji As political parties slug it out on Saturday, July 8 Osun West Senatorial Bye-election, Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Wednesday dismissed the speculation that the Ede born Business Mogul and the younger brother of late Senator Isiaka Adeleleke, Dr Deji Adeleke borrowed his administration money to pay workers salary in 2014.

Aregbesola explained

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that he never collected a

Kobo from Deji Adeleke or any of the Adeleke family members, saying that his administration has never for any reason borrowed money from any individual or group to meet the state’s statutory obligations.

The governor said this in Ede during a Mega Campaign Rally for the All

Progressive Congress (APC) candidate for the Osun West Senatorial District bye-election, Senator Mudashir Hussain, expressing regrets that the family of the late Senator Adeleke has been using the unfortunate incident of his death to manipulate the minds of the people of the

Pandemonium As UNIOSUN Students Engage in Violent Protest

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There was pandemonium in Osogbo, the State of they were paraded by the apprehended them.

The heinous crime Osun capital on Wednesday, as students of the Osun police, Abdulrofiu said State University (UNIOSUN) paralysed activities by they hit the victim on the sparked outrage among head with a pestle before students in the institution engaging in a violent protest to vent their angers over the killing of a 400 level student, Oluwafemi disembodying him. He who had set part of the claimed they burnt the house of the cleric ablaze Sonibare by some suspected ritual killers. head for money ritual but and subsequently The rampaging Yusuf. before the completion of embarked on a violent students laid siege to In his confession when their rite, police protest. some streets in Osogbo burning brutes and vandalizing properties, while some of them ransacked soft drink shop and food canteen along the streets and seized their goods.

Oluwafemi, a student of Microbiology department was declared missing on June 28, but his headless body was found nine days after in a bush around Jafariya Street, Oke Baale Osogbo, •UNIOSUN Students during their protest against the killing of one of them, Oluwafemi a scenario that sparked Shonibare, a 400-level Student by suspected ritual killers, in Osogbo on Wednesday. protests by the students.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI. A Muslim cleric, Sakariyau Abdulrofiu and two others, Ibrahim Ayuba and Yusuf Aliu The monarch urged the were arrested in

By Israel Afolabi police to ensure that the connection with the The Olufi of Gbongan in Ayedaade Local culprit and his killing of the students. area of Osun State, Oba Adetoyese accomplices face the full Dressed in black to Government Oyeniyi has urged the police to conduct a diligent wrath of the law, saying, mourn Oluwafemi, the investigation and ensure proper prosecution of the students attacked 80-year-old man, Ganiyu Oladosu who was caught what Oladosu did was alien to the community motorists and journalists with human parts in the town. and would no longer be covering the protest, while they also invaded the NUJ correspondent chapel office at Fagbewesa where they of late Chief Bola Ige in the

By Ismaeel Uthman harassed a female old Oyo State became With full production activities resumed at the Osun moribund for over 15 journalist, Seun State Cocoa Processing Industry (CPI), Ede, the Adesokan and rough years over alleged handled others who tried production capacity of the company has increased by mismanagement and to take their photographs. 400 per cent from about 4,000 to 20,000 tonnes of Cocoa obsolete equipment.

The angry students into cocoa liquor for both local and international Normal production marched from their consumption. activities in the company school campus at Oke The company, which stopped in 2001 and since The CPI is the only Baale, to the palace of the industry inherited by the was commissioned on then the state government Ataoja of Osogbo, and state from the old Oyo October 17, 1982 during which has the sole of the the civilian administration ownership made a stop at the Olaiya State. roundabout where they engaged in bonfire before moving to the State IGR: Secretariat, Abere.

The Board of Osun Internal Revenue has commenced Office of the Accountant There were also bilateral discussions with Ministries, Departments and General; Ministry of bonfires by the students Agencies (MDAs) of government to meet its target of Finance, Ministry of at Ogo-Oluwa, House of N2billion monthly Internally Generated Revenue Justice, O’ Signage and Osun State Commodity Assembly and the state (IGR) and even exceed it.

Other affected MDAs Produce Board.

The Special Adviser to secretariat. are, the Ministry of Akano said the board the Governor on Tax and The police and has taken this dimension in investigation into the Revenue Matters, Barrister Environment Osun Waste order to synergise between disappearance of Oluwagbemiga Akano Sanitation, this known while Management Agency, the OIRS and Revenue Oluwafemi had led to the made Agencies, briefing pressmen on the Ministry of Health, State Generating discovery of his body and outcome of the meeting Hospital Management especially on the way the subsequent arrest of held with all the Political Board, Office of Natural forward to boosting the Abdulrofiu, Ibrahim and Heads of Revenue and Mineral Resources, IGR of the State.

Ede ancient city.

He said with the volume of workers’ salaries arrears and pensions at that time which was above N7 billion, Deji lack financial capacity to borrow the state the amount required at that time.

According to him, “Deji Adeleke does not have the financial capacity to bail out Osun from Ă˝its financial challenges even before now, not to talk about lending us money to pay workers’ salaries. If anything at all, it is their family that sought and got favours from the Osun State Government under my watch. It is to the glory of God that they got the Certificate of Occupancy of their university from our government. Why didn’t those who are their new friends give them C of O of that university? “If Deji Adeleke has so much money, why is he begging me to waive the payable tax of his university? Why can’t he just pay? “I am bold enough to say this over and over again, because I have never sought for assistance from any of the Adeleke’s family even during the life time of Senator Isiaka Adeleke, nothing as such occurred. “Though my

Monarch Insists On Ritualist’s Prosecution

accepted in the town.

Olufi said this while addressing the Chiefs and head of communities after an emergency meeting of the Gbongan

•Continued on page 3

relationship with late Adeleke was cordial and beyond politics because we have known each other even before Osun politics because our residences are adjacent to each other in Lagos state. “He was a good brother and a friend to me while alive, but during this dire economic period, I never approach him for any financial assistance not to talk of obtaining cash from his brother� Aregbesola unveiled.

He noted that the APC did the best it could have done for the first democratically elected Governor of the state when his then party, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) humiliated him by giving him the Senatorial ticket of the APC then.

Earlier, the governor had visited the palace of the Timi of Edeland, Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, where the monarch sued for peace stating that the coming election should not be allowed to cause crisis.

The governor commended the monarch for calling for peace to reign in the entire senatorial district before during and after the election, saying, the responsibility of any traditional ruler is to make sure that peace reigns in his domains.

The APC campaign rallies Meanwhile, as at the time of filing this report on Wednesday night, political parties are crossing the ‘T’s’ and dotting the ‘I’s’ of their strategies on how to win the bye-election.

Osun CPI Production Capacity Soars By 400 Per Cent

OIRS Engages MDAs On Revenue Increase

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General public should take note of this.

Generating Agencies of the state.

According to him, on the schedule for the bilateral talks, which commenced last week Thursday are, Ministry of Works and Office of Transportation, Ministry of Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Development, and Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security.

Office of Higher Education, Ministry of Innovation Science and Technology and Ministry of Commerce, Cooperative and Empowerment.

Also on schedule are, the Ministry of Tourism and Culture/Tourism Board/Authority; Ministry of Water Resources, Rural and Community Affairs;

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company had been seeking for measures and strategies to bring the company back to active production.

But the Governor Rauf A r e g b e s o l a ’ s administration in partnership with Golden Monkey of China removed all the obsolete equipment and installed modern ones to meet the modern-day requirements and needs.

The State Commissioner for Industries, Commerce, Cooperatives and Empowerment, Mr. Ismail Jayeoba Alagbada in an interview said, full production activities have returned to the company, saying, the company now processes and refines cocoa from harvest to products of high standard and for export purposes.

Alagbada said the gesture was part of the industrialisation plans of the current administration to put the company into effective use for optimum performance and industrialisation base of the state.

He noted that the gesture has yielded positive results as daily

assemblage of 20,000 tonnes of Cocoa are processed to various products.

The commissioner added that the company will soon begin the production of Cocoa Powder and Cocoa Cake, stressing that no fewer than 200 employments have been generated since the revival of the industry.

Disclosing that going by the new arrangement, the state government owns 30 per cent equity which gives it 30 per cent revenue derivable from all resources and funds generated there, Alagbada hinted that more hands would still be recruited as the expansion of the company is carried out. “Through this partnership, many people in Osun would learn the trade of cocoa processing.

The possibilities are just endless. At least, now, our people know that more value accrues to them if they process cocoa rather than exporting its raw form.�

He maintained that the company planned to expand its capacity in the next few months.

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Owner States Insist On Auditing Of Account

+,,./0 145605/7 89:49/; <=9=>0?09@ AB D=E4@=>0 The Forensic Audit of the account of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) instituted by the state governments of Osun and Oyo to resolve the crisis bedeviling the institution has thrown up accusation that the management and labour union of the institution have been frustrating the move.

While the Osun government, in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Adelani Baderinwa, said it is worried that the union is deliberately making efforts to frustrate the move to pull out the institution out of crisis, the Oyo State Commissioner for Education, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela on Channels Television Sunrise Daily programme said some elements in the university do not want an end to the crisis by frustrating the audit.

The duo said the audit of the account was borne out of the recommendations of Chief Wole Olanipekunled visitation panel which unveiled that the LAUTECH runs 97 bank accounts, with 10 Chief Accountants, even when the Treasury Single Account (TSA) has become the order of the day.

According to Baderinwa’s statement, the two state governments are doing everything humanly possible to resolve the crisis and ensure quick resumption, notwithstanding the selfish politics being played by some people, management, union and staff of the institution.

The setting up of the Chief Wole Olanipekun led visitation panel which recommended auditing of the university, he said, was a bold step taken by the Osun and Oyo government to find a lasting solution to the crisis, wondering why such move is being frustrated by those who should be part of it.

The press release reads: “It is worrisome and disturbing, especially in this present recession time, to know that LAUTECH runs 97 bank accounts when the Treasury Single Account (TSA) has become the order of the day. There are 10 Chief Accountants which is not so in other universities.

“More worrisome too is that LAUTECH has lost money in many distressed banks according to the

Z[\]^_ `a ]\b_ That I formerly known as MISS OJO ADETOMILOLA OLUWATOYIN, now wish to be known and addressed as MRS AYANTOYINBO ADETOMILOLA OLUWATOYIN. All former documents remains valid. General public should take note of this.

report of the visitation

panel.

The state government said it is worried about the level of mismanagement of funds in the university, saying that the institution should have been selfsufficient financially by

now.

“Osun State University with student population of about 9000 with six campuses which implies more recurrent cost and just nine years old like some other state

By Ismaeel Uthman Universities in the country are surviving.

“It is surprising that a more viable LAUTECH with students population of 26,360 undergraduates paying average of N70,000 tuition fee, part-time

•(L-R) One of the State Executive members of Triangle Group Pensioners, Mr Opadotun Sunday; State Chairman, Mr Rotimi Adelugba and the State NUJ Chairman, Mr Biodun Olalere during a press conference on the demonstration embarked upon by the 2011/2012 forum of retired public servants in Osogbo recently at NUJ Press Centre.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

Aregbesola Warns ‘PDP Hoodlums’ Against Mayhem

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Says, Opposition Is Dismantled

Governor of the State of Osun, Rauf Aregbesola has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against importing hoodlums and mercenaries into the state to unleash terror during the July 8, Osun West Senatorial by-election, saying, the move would be resisted.

“It is on record that Saying the efforts of the opposition was part of the despite the intimidation move to revive the party by the then security through the Bye-election, apparatus who invaded he described the move as the state with weird an exercise in futility, looking officers who had saying the party has been strange looking dogs still could not deter our totally dismantled.

Aregbesola stated these people from associating our good when the campaign train with led by him to solicit votes governance, why will for the All Progressives they be deterred by Congress (APC), Senator militants?.

“We use this medium Mudashir Husain moved to Ikire, in Irewole Local to warn any militant who Government Area of the the opposition had state, saying, the party has contracted to think twice lost its relevance in the before coming to Osun as South-Western part of government is ever ready Nigeria with the tearing to use every lawful means of the party’s at its disposal to smoke membership card by the them out of the state”, former President, Aregbesola declared.

The governor who had Olusegun Obasanjo who brought the party to the earlier paid a courtesy call on Akire of Ikire, Oba region.

The governor who Olatunde Falabi, He said the PDP’s era warned suspected militants who PDP might has gone in Nigeria, have engaged, to turn particularly in the Southdown the offer as the state west as many of the in collaboration with party’s founding fathers security agencies will do have dumped the party, everything possible to stressing that the PDP has ensure that Osun remains become a dead party in Nigeria and whoever peaceful as ever.

He said, “Why will returns to the party now anybody think that the could only meet vanity.

According to him, people of Osun who stood firm even in the face of ”Why will any sensible politician, at this time provocation during the last general election want to associate with a under the supervision of party that is not only the PDP led government drowning, but dead in the then, would now waver South-West.

“It will be an exercise in from such futility for anybody to determination?.

now want to wake up a dead horse through the July 8 Osun West Senatorial bye election when founding fathers of the party have not only deserted the party but wouldn’t want to associate with it.

“We are all living witnesses to how the former President openly at his ward declared that the PDP has gone beyond redemption, hence his

declaration of the obituary of the party with symbolic trashing of his membership card “, he stressed.

He also took the opportunity of the campaign to warn troublemakers especially the opposition parties who are nursing the ambition of bringing-in militants to unleash mayhem should people resist their underhand tendencies during the July 8 bye election.

students of over 2000 paying average of N120, 000, 1560 academic postgraduate students paying N150, 000; professional postgraduate students of 2600 paying average of N250, 000, pre-degree, distant learning and other programmes cannot survive on its own.

“While ventures in other institutions thrive, that of LAUTECH is dead.

TETFUND and Needs Assessment Funds running into billions have been given to LAUTECH without commensurate research output to show for it.

“Right-thinking members of the society should please prevail on LAUTECH management and staff to allow owner governments to do the right thing – proper auditing which invariably will ensure proper running of the institution and make it responsive to the essence of its establishment”, it added.

Also, Olowofela said, without the successful auditing of the LAUTECH account, the two owner states might not get the direction on what to do to bring an end to the crisis in the university, saying the decision to audit was taken by the two states.

According to him, the two owner states are committed to the joint ownership of the university, saying the issue on LAUTECH at this time is not about ownership, but about getting the university back on its feet.

Ritualist’s Prosecution •Continued from page 2 Traditional Council held at the Olufi Palace.

Oladosu was caught with human parts in his house at the Idi-Ifa located at Ile-Eesu compound in Gbongan, handed him over to the police and was detained at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in Osogbo, the state capital.

The monarch said, failure to punish the culprit appropriately through the necessary state mechanisms might attract the anger of the people who had wanted to kill him before he was handed over to the police “Gbongan is a very peaceful town and we embrace visitors. The disturbing case of Ganiyu Oladosu from Sooko ruling family that was caught with human parts was very unfortunate as it is contrary to our way of life here.”

“I want to appeal to the

state government and the police to handle this matter properly without delay. People of this town want justice to be done.

The perpetrators must be punished according to the law.

Speaking with journalists after the meeting, the Vice Chairman of Gbongan Progressive Elements, Chief Saka Kola Owopade said the Olufi spoke the minds of the entire people of the town.

Owopade said, “As our Kaabiesi said, the suspect must face the full wrath of the law. The matter must be thoroughly investigated. We are surprised that there were no reported cases of missing persons in this town; yet, the man has killed many people.

“Definitely, his victims are not indigenes of the town. Who are his accomplices? We want the police to find out all these and bring the perpetrators to book.”

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A traditional High Chief who is also from the royal family where the suspect hails from, Chief Oduola Abioye condemned the action of Oladosu and expressed regret that the family name was tarnished.

Abioye said: “In fact, it was my children that noticed that something evil was happening in Oladosu’s house due to violent odour that was coming out from the building. We eventually searched the house and discovered some parts of human beings there. He wanted to run away but we caught him and handed him over to the police.”

“Oladosu was living in Abeokuta before he relocated to Gbongan and he started selling bread when he came back home.

We didn’t know that he was perpetrating such evil in his house. One of his wives died sometimes ago and the second wife had left him long time ago.”

The Furore Over Budget At a time the national economy is only beginning to crawl out of recession, it is unfortunate that the National Assembly is locked in tango with the executive over issues surrounding the 2017 Budget.

Clearly, if we had thought that the past six months during which the budget underwent parliamentary scrutiny would suffice for the two parties to clear all grey areas, make necessary compromises and then push for speedy implementation of the budget said to have been designed to address the economic downturn, the latest animus shows how wrong we are. We consider it tragic that the country’s leadership would, at a time like this, embark on shadow-boxing when the economy is grinding to a halt.

The vexing issue, of course, is whether or not the National Assembly can introduce new elements outside what the executive has proposed into the budget. While many would argue that the constitution, particularly the provisions of Section 80, 81 is The bye-election which will take place in the ten local governments in Osun West Senatorial district on July 8, 2017, should on the surface, be another electoral routine to replace a departed member. This is, however, not the case here.

The Osun West Senatorial byeelection has taken on several facets.

It emphasises the often quoted quip of the former speaker of the United States Federal House of Representatives, Thomas ‘Tip’ O’Neill that, “All politics is local.”

Local issues have certainly dominated an election for a seat in the Senate to make laws for the republic in which federal issues should be at the fore.

The emergence of the two major candidates also revealed deep seated cleavages. Storming out of the All Progressives Congress (APC) before the primaries and decamping to the Peoples Democratic Party puts a question mark on the temperament of the PDP’s candidate, Dr Ademola Adeleke.

There is clearly a sense of entitlement in the comportment and behaviour of the PDP’s candidate.

The party ticket has to be negotiated and fought for in a democratic

while the Executive branch might seem right to argue that the lawmakers have no right to distort the budget through needles tinkering; that itself merely underlie its grave frustration with the perennial practice – by lawmakers – to insert new projects into the budget often without consultations with the executive branch. To put it mildly: that practice cannot be right. Yes, we expect that the Appropriation Act to be implemented faithfully by the executive; it however goes without saying that the executive branch as the implementing agency, cannot be expected to plunge into implementing elements it did not introduce – and over which there were no a-priori consultations– even when they manage to surface on the pages of the Appropriation Act. So also is the strange notion of insularity under which the executive seeks to deny the lawmakers any serious input into the making of the budget – a position that is not supported by the law or the constitution.

Having said that, the point also needs to be made that while we find

nothing particularly strange or novel in having constituency projects inserted by the lawmakers, what has become problematic over the years is the insistence by the lawmakers to execute them. Simply because the projects all too often, not organically linked to the communities they are expected to serve, nor are the local government consulted prior to their initiation, they end up as mere duplications of the ones the local government already have in place.

With no votes allocated for periodic maintenance because they are financed with federal money, they are no sooner abandoned to rot away.

We urge both parties to work through a compromise. To the extent that all of the issues being raised can be cured by consultations and proper coordination, a good way to proceed is for both parties to set up a body to coordinate the projects after which they would be properly evaluated, costed and incorporated into the national budget. Aside helping to stave off the annual ritual of distractions, it would help eliminate the needless grandstanding.

More Than An Election

work-in-progress, in solid roads and futuristic schools, on a scale never witnessed before.

“That is the new Osun, struggling to consolidate.’’

“The old Osun?, A daily plague to ruin: run-down schools, cratered roads, dysfunctional polity, where thugs were lords of the manor, a relay of contrived crimes to trap political opponents and, of course, unfazed haven of institutionalised ignorance, and cavalier global capital of destructive rumours!”

In Osun State, to paraphrase the Italian political philosopher Antonio Gramsci, “The old order is dying and a new one is struggling to be born.”

Dr Ademola Adeleke represents a discredited old order which must be decisively rejected on the 8th of July.

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course is whether or not the National Assembly can introduce new elements outside what the executive has proposed into the budget. unambiguous, there currently exists a cloud of doubts as to whether or not the lawmakers could introduce new elements outside what is laid before them without running foul of the doctrine of separation of power.

While the debate is legitimate, we had expected the parties to have ironed out their differences behind closed doors as against what is now fast turning to a costly distraction.

Far from being strictly matters of law and constitutionalism, what seems evident to us in the current matter is the failure of politics. For

atmosphere and not just given out based on sentiments or as a gift. Dr Adeleke has clearly fallen at the first hurdle.

If politics is the “art of the possible”, it is also largely based on the efficacy of compromise and negotiations. As the Germans do say, “A compromise is the art of dividing a cake in such a way that everyone believes he has the biggest pie”. Dr Adeleke’s temperament is a clear indication that he lacks the norms and patience required of the negotiating skills of a senator of the Federal Republic.

In contradistinction, his APC opponent, former Senator Mudashir Hussain has shown the maturity, dedication and commitment required for the role which is why we wholeheartedly endorse him.

The election also provides an opportunity for the electorate in Osun West to reaffirm its commitment to the dogged pursuit of laudable social intervention programmes by the Rauf Aregbesola administration at a time of tight fiscal constraints.

We commend to the electorate of

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APC opponent, former Senator Mudashir Hussain has shown the maturity, dedication and commitment required for the role which is why we whole-heartedly endorse him.

Osun West, the prescient observations of the columnist Kunle Abimbola (carried in full on our back page) this week that “apart from safety net programmes like OMEAL (the school feeding programme, which the Publisher Federal Government is adopting), OYES (youth Acting Editor volunteer and retraining programme, to tackle unemployment) and O- Lagos Editor REHAB (focused on care for the destitute and the Production Editor mentally-challenged), the whole state is a huge Senior Reporter

OSUN DEFENDER

Education An Instrument For National Development Education can be used to change the society for better, if the youths embrace it. If education is the culture and heritage that can we bequeath on generations to come and can be used to solve some fundamental problems facing the nation, adequate attention must be paid to it in the society.

However, all major stakeholders in the education sector, ranging from the parents, teachers, government and students must uphold its stem to prevent its continual decay.

While some governments have paid adequate attention to the education system like the

one being done in Osun by the state government, under Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, it is

unfortunate that some parents are not complementing these efforts.

Parents need to realise that the only appreciable legacy to leave behind is education, which will eradicate illiteracy and maintain societal peace and

stability.

The destiny of nations are built in the classrooms, meaning that what it takes

to tackle the monsters of corruption and insecurity must be produced, hence, quality education in whatever form brings fulfilment to the life of students, teachers, parents and the society.

However, teachers who

have passion and enthusiasm for teaching must be able to influence attitudes of students and expose them to the best of education.

The country needs creative teachers who will meet the needs of students, in terms of social skills, moral, emotional and intellectual development for them to be useful in and for the society.

Therefore, everyone needs to support the drive to reform the nation’s education sector for better result.

•IFEOLUWA AFOLABI, Oyan, Odo-Otin North LCDA, Osun.

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MAGAZINE FRIDAY JULY 7- THURSDAY JULY 13, 2017

Stemming The Tides Of Ritual Killings Of recent, incidences of ritual killings have become rampant in the society, and these have posed serious danger to the security of lives of the people. SOLA JACOB considers the causes and the solutions to the security threats posed by such criminal act in the State of Osun Sickness and ailment is as old as human existence and nature had bequeathed means of healing through natural means and human efforts to cure and relieve human from the grips of sickness and various ailments.

The practice of alternative and orthodox medicine is of great importance to man and even in the modern days, more emphasis is being laid on alternative medicine of healing method, as it is considered safer and in most cases without side effect, unlike the orthodox way of healing.

Practitioners of both methods had bicker more about the practice and management of both system, but both had helped human to overcome health challenges, hence, they are both useful and had helped human to overcome health issues at different times.

Recently in the State of Osun, the cases of ritual killings had gained prominence in media reportage as on Wednesday, 7th June 2017, a selfacclaimed Muslim cleric, named Rasheed Ajibade was apprehended with human head and other body parts at Oluode area in Osogbo, the state capital and after his arrest he confessed that one of his client Isiaka Akande, who runs a traditional psychiatric centre at Aagba community in Boripe Local Government Area of the state, gave him the human parts in his possession for money making ritual purpose.

The police source even alleged that the duo, Ajibade and Akande were to be arrested at Oluode area but on the fateful day, the former was arrested while the latter fled, but was later arrested on Monday, 19th June 2017 at his herbal home in Aagba, where he confessed to the crime. One other Taofeek Tijani was also arrested alongside.

Also discovered in Akande’s residence were eleven mentally-ill persons namely; Mutiyat Otitan, Afolabi Femi, Yemisi Babatunde, Alawumi Aladokun, Ajara and Taiwo Jolayemi. Others who were fettered in one of the uncompleted buildings in his compound are Taofeek, Toyin

•Suspected ritual killers arrested in connection with killing of woman in Agba, Boripe Local Government of Osun, recently.

Ogunleye, Ayobami, Adijat Moshudi and an old woman who could neither walk nor talk.

The duo later led the police to where they buried the remains of the woman whose parts were found with Ajibade.

Akande confessed that his friend, Ajibade lured him into money ritual which led to the killing of one of the mentally-ill victim in his psychiatric

home for the purpose.

In quick succession comes another discovery on 21st June, 2017 at a building located at Idi-Ifa in Ile-Eesu compound in Gbongan, Ayedaade Local Government Area of the state, where a suspected ‘ritualist’, Ganiyu Oladosu with three human heads and some other human parts was also apprehended and handed over to the

Youths could do anything to become rich at all costs, even at the expense of their parents and other blood relatives, leading to the increase in the rate of crime.

police.

Also, on June 28, 2017, a 400-level, student of UNIOSUN, Oluwafemi Shonibare was declared missing and his decapitated body was found inside a bush beside an Islamic Cleric house nine days after. This led to the arrest of some of the killers of Shonibare as subsequently sparked violent protest by students of the university after his body was found.

Earlier this year, precisely on 12th January 2017, Elijah Oyebode, a commercial driver was paraded for allegedly conspiring with an herbalist simply identified as Jelili Raji to murder and mutilate a 400 level student of Osun State University, Miss Rofiat Adebisi. Elijah carried the late Rofiat as a passenger from the University campus at Ipetu-Ijesa in Oriade Local •Continued on page 6

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MAGAZINE

FRIDAY JULY 7- THURSDAY JULY 13, 2017

Stemming The Tides Of Ritual Killings

•Ganiyu Oladosu (right) and his co-suspects of ritual killings in Gbongan when they were paraded by the Osun Police Command, recently.

•Continued from page 5

Government on December 2nd, 2016 with other commuters, but the deceased’s mutilated and decomposed body was later found inside a bush at Iragbiji. When he was apprehended, Elijah confessed to the crime alongside his accomplice, Jelili that the deceased’s was to be used for money ritual purpose, though both had been sentenced.

With these ugly trends in crime, which is on the rise everyday, one might ask for a synergy between the government, religion and faith based home to combat crime in the state.

A traditional practitioner, Ifawumi Eejitoosa, an herbalist and traditional healer affirmed that native herbal homes do heal different kind of sickness and ailments, especially psychiatrist cases, as well as other minor sicknesses.

He also affirmed that though human rituals still exist till date, it is sacrilegious due to sanctity of life, saying, only criminals are allowed to be used as sacrifice in olden days, but not in Nigeria of today, just as he noted that there had been departure from the practice of the old as only animals and birds are used for sacrificial purposes these days.

Ifawumi said, “all these claims do not debunk the facts that human ritual exists now and human beings are sacrificed for money making, promotion, trading, security and political appointments, saying, this ‘quick-to-rich’ syndrome, has bedeviled our society, as youths could do anything to become rich at all costs, even at the expense of their parents and other blood relatives, leading to the increase in the rate of crime”.

Another traditional practitioner, Oyedemi Awokunle of Agboniregun temple in Agurodo via Ola in Ejigbo Local Government Area of the state said, traditional herbalists have always complimented the efforts of the orthodox medicine practitioners, as some sicknesses and ailment have spiritual causes, hence they were indispensible in the society, saying, “both high and mighty do patronise herbalists and local herbal practitioner”.

“Murder or using human being for sacrifice thrives in the society, but those that are involved in such evil practice

•A suspect, Ajibade Rasheed arrested at Oluode area of Osogbo by a police patrol team for ritual killing.

Government and security agents to beam their searchlights on the activities of the traditional and religious bodies in the state who are suspected to be engaging in such practice to stem the tides of ritual killing.

will incur the wrath of Supreme Being, Olodumare because of sanctity of life.

Nevertheless, human ritual thrives because of quick rich syndrome by youths and the desperation to occupy position by the power seekers.”

Another herbal practitioner, the Iyalode Isegun of Oba-Ile, Toyin Olalekan said, there are local herbalists who treat various ailments, but not all of them sacrifice human beings, noting that people are quick to point accusing fingers at traditional practitioners, while christian and muslim clerics also engage in the dastard act.

She charged government and security agents to beam their searchlights on the activities of the traditional and religious bodies in the state who are suspected to be engaging in such practice to stem the tides of ritual killing.

Commenting on the dastard act, human ritual, Apostle Ayanfe Patrick of Orisun Iye Cherubim and Seraphim Church, Aba Iya Gani area in Ife Central Local Government condemned such criminal act and said it is against the commandment of God “Thou shall not kill” from which nations of the earth derived their law, saying, human life is sacred and should not be taken for any purpose whatsoever.

He admitted that religious home also effect care of different ailments and sicknesses, for the purpose of gospel is not only to preach to save soul, but to also heal the body and the spirit.

“Most of the sicknesses and ailments that affect mankind, may also has its roots in the spiritual realm, hence some seek spiritual help after they might had consulted orthodox practitioners, all to no avail; some churches have patients that resides in the church environment, but that does not mean that they should be used for human ritual purpose.

“People patronise traditional and religious homes for healings because of

the beliefs that some ailments have spiritual roots and because of poverty, especially people at the lower run of the ladder”, saying, despite that it is ungodly to conspire to use sick ones especially mentally-ill individuals for spiritual purpose or money ritual.

He however admitted that some healing homes collaborate with criminals using religious cloak to commit crimes.

A social critics, Mr Abiodun Kafidiya speaking on the prevalence of human rituals, said both the rich in the society and political office holders encourage this dastard act, as most of them engage in human rituals to get more money, renew their power and for such other purposes.

He also said that the issue of negligence of social welfare scheme via provision of free and qualitative health care for the poor in the society had made most citizen to resort to spiritual homes for ailments which should have been treated by specialist, which could eventually lured them to ritualists dens, termed “healing homes”.

He further hinted that most of the healing homes are not only ritualists dens, but at the same time criminals nests which the law enforcement agents must sanitise, revealing that some of the victims are hypnotized, especially those that are kidnapped, and they could start behaving strange because they are under spell.

“Also, women are violated in those homes, as most of the sick women become baby manufacturing machines for the ritualists turned healers. You will see some supposed mentally-ill patients in some religious home taking to market places and other public places to beg for alms, using them to generate income on daily basis.

“Some of them often give excuses that their relatives only dumped them

in their healing homes without asking of their welfare and how they feed”.

Another critic, Mrs Aderanti Igbayilola, a retired Matron at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Complex (OAUTHC), Ile-Ife said, there is a need for the government of the State of Osun to register and regulate the activities of traditional and religion healing homes in the state to curb criminal activities, arguing that aside the issue of human rituals and illegal adoption of babies in such homes, some of these homes had served as hiding places for young girls with unwanted pregnancies.

She revealed that some married men who put little girls in a family way hide them in such homes without the consent of their parents and guardian, only with the support of operators of those centres.

In his own view, a community leader in Ode-Omu, Asiwaju Oyeniran said, the community and the traditional rulers role must be upheld as they are closer to the people in their respective communities, saying, there is need for effective community policing to stem the tide of increment in various activities.

He also charged government to tackle the issue of youth unemployment and upgrade our social welfare scheme so as to provide the basic needs for the needy in the society.

Chief Oyeniran suggested that the law enforcement agents should be more proactive and maintain cordial relationship with local people with the purpose of eliciting information about criminal activities in their areas.

On the Osun government’s efforts on rehabilitation of mentally challenge people, the Commissioner for Youth, Sport and Special Needs, Comrade Biyi Odunlade said the state government had rehabilitated and integrated more than 160 mentally-challenged persons and it has not stop taking them off streets for rehabilitation.

On the rescue of the mentallychallenged persons from the ritualist den in Aagba, he said the state government would conduct primary assessment on the mentally-challenged victims to ascertain the level of their insanity, saying this would guide the government to know which of them to be treated at state or teaching hospital.

He further stated that all the rescued victims would go through psychological test to know those who are mentally stable or not, saying, once they are found to be mentally stable, they would be re-integrated into the society and their various families.

On the whole, he called on the people of the state to partner with the government in ensuring effective security of lives and properties, as the issue of security cannot be the sole responsibility of the government.

There have been several excuses by those perpetrating one criminal act or the other that the hard economic situation had forced them to be cutting corners like engaging in robbery, kidnapping and the dastard act of human ritual for the purpose of getting quick money, but the collaborative stance amongst the government, religious bodies, traditional homes and security agencies would stem the tide.

The review of the activities of spiritual healing homes, should come under the search light of the government in partnership with traditional community leaders and leaders of religion in the state, if the killing for ‘quick-rich’ syndrome and other purposes must be wiped out in the state.

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POLITICS

FRIDAY JULY 7- THURSDAY JULY 13, 2017

Political Battle In Osun Is Progressive Vs Reactionary Senator Mudashir Husain is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the July 8 Osun West Senatorial district bye-election.

He once contested against late Senator Isiaka Adeleke and won in 2011, but was prevailed upon by the party in 2015 to release the senate ticket to Senator Adeleke who had just defected to APC from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after he was allegedly molested by some chieftains of his former party in the build-up to the 2014 governorship election. Adeleke won the senate seat, but the death of the 62 years old politician created controversies which have defined the forthcoming byeelection; for Adeleke’s younger brother, Demola has thrown his hat in the ring on the platform of the PDP, having stormed out of the APC Husain spoke on the controversies, his chances to win the election and other relevant political issues. Excerpt: Your opponent in the coming byelection, Ademola Adeleke of the PDP said the contest is between Governor Aregbesola and himself, not you. Could this be true, given the controversies over the death of his brother, the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke?

Husain: It is never a crime for a human being to elevate himself or seek relevance, and I would not make it a crime for Demola, based on his insinuations against the governor.

Besides, I would not dignify the young man who is being spoon-fed by some renegades of our party who fell off like fallen angels that subscribed to evil machinations; using the death of his brother to exhibit opportunism. In that wise, I could say that he was right in the sense of coded message. Demola knows that he is not contesting against Aregbesola, and he is not also contesting against me, but rather his puppet masters who were rehabilitated

by Governor Aregbesola politically and materially but chose to be ingrates are the ones contesting against me to prove a point. Fortunately, we know ourselves, and we know our strength, and I am cock sure, Demola’s puppeteers behind the curtain who are renegades of our party know that they are embarking on failed experiment, and the election could not have been between him and the governor but what he represents, which is a contraption of satanic forces. As touching the controversy trailing the death of our late Senator who I revered to the extent that I elected not to drag issue when the party asked me to drop my second term ticket for him as a mark of honour, because he was a former governor of our state, and a political leader in his own right, I would say that his death was very painful, but may we never be succeeded by our enemies through our brothers, because it confounds me how some people, because of political ambition would choose to dramatize the death of a great politician.

The controversy in the first place is needless because why would some human beings accuse Aregbesola of killing Adeleke, when it was a statement of fact that Aregbesola was in faraway China when Adeleke died, unless they want to attribute the capability of God to Aregbesola?

Besides, why would allegation of poison come ~ up in the first That ABDULSALAM place, when KAFILAT BIODUN, is the it is a same person as statement of ADEGBOYE BIODUN fact that KIKE. I now wish to be A d e l e k e known and addressed as ADEGBOYE BIODUN a t t e n d e d KIKE. All former s o c i a l documents remain valid. function of a UBA and general public party leader should take note of this. he loved? Or

•Senator Hussain

I would not dignify the young man who is being spoon-fed by some renegades of our party who fell off like fallen angels that subscribed to evil machinations; using the death of his brother to exhibit opportunism. could he have attended the function of his enemy? But the renegades who we know chose to line their pockets from the blackmail are pushing Demola to contest so that they could continue to draw their easy money from the family.

It is quite sympathetic. Let it be known that I have no issue with Demola contesting, and I have no issue against the political almajiris, because the young Adeleke has the constitutional right to contest as an adult and as a Nigerian; while the political almajiris deserve to eat from any pot, what I detest is blackmailing an innocent man, because he is the governor.

What are your chances as touching the election given the spirit of Adeleke that is being wagered by your opponent?

Husain: Look, Osun has a political tradition as well as dynamic electoral skew. Traditionally, Ife/Ijesa are Republicans, Osun central are liberal, while Osun West is a fortress of the progressives, but when Aregbesola came with his novel campaign and allinclusive politics, the tradition collapsed for innovation of dynamism; the entire districts were returned to the fold of the progressives, and the West senatorial has not deviated from that line. So, our chances of winning the election are premised on two grounds: that God does not tolerate deception the other side is bringing to the contest, and our people would never be fooled with their antics. Two, the electoral history has never pushed the West into the confine of the reactionary, though there were political accidents in the recent past, but the indicators that led to those accidents are no longer there for the opposition, and the quality of candidate presented by the opposition exhibits opportunism, and I do not think our people are ready for failed experiment.

Besides, I am more experienced than my opponent. I have been elected to the House of Representatives twice and I was also in the senate between 2011 and 2015 before stepping down for the late Senator Adeleke. I represented them well and brought projects to the constituency. Also, our party, under the

leadership of Governor Aregbesola has performed well in the state and the evidence of development of Osun under him is there for all to see. My opponent is not there at all. He thinks that leadership is engaging in funny dance steps and hiding inside his late brother’s trousers. The people know he is a joker. I am therefore approaching the election with confidence that our people will choose experience, good governance and a track record of legislative service over a jester.

As a political ally of Aregbesola, is it the truth that late Adeleke won the last election for Aregbesola based on his popularity and political structure as claimed by his brother who is contesting against you?

Husain: Honestly, I do not like to be discussing Adeleke’s issue, because that late gentleman was kind and down to earth while he lived, but because his death is being wagered as a deceptive flag for his brother who is now in the same bed with the political foes of the deceased, I would like to clear air on that. Before Aregbesola took the mantle of leadership in the state, the PDP was in power and late Adeleke was a Senator, the chieftains of the party then vowed never to relinquish power to Aregbesola, and they had all the powers then both at the centre, state and even local government councils. So, we went for the 2007 election, and Aregbesola won fair and square, and his victory at state capital was an eloquent testimony to that. So, by the time we would be going into general election of 2011, Aregbesola’s goodwill won election for all of us, and elevated some of these renegades who are waging political war against him today. In that wise, Adeleke would not have won election for Aregbesola, because Aregbesola by 2014 had become so popular and endeared to the people. He was a political brand every electorate wanted to associate with, and his achievement was so intimidating that the only leverage the PDP governorship candidate in 2014 was banking on was the army of occupation from the

federal. It would interest you to know that Adeleke was not even allowed to vote for the party’s candidate in that election, because the PDP thugs bombarded his country home with guns and other dangerous weapons, and it was the intervention of Governor Aregbesola that brought the situation under control.

Besides, it is a statement of fact that Aregbesola could have stood against the chance of late Adeleke in 2015 if he desired to, but because he felt that the former governor should be recognized as a leader, he asked me to release the ticket to him, and I saw it from the same angle with him. So, now for one political neophyte to think that history should be brought upside down, because of crass opportunism is unfortunate.

It was said that Aregbesola imposed you on other aspirants, given the way they stood down for your candidacy, what is your take on that?

Husain: Of course, I could not call that imposition, because the other aspirants were eminently qualified, just that our party has a unique tradition; that when our leaders met and took decision, it is considered to be a decision good for the party, because before they arrive at any decision, robust debates would have taken place and reasons would have dictated the pace of things.

How they reached the decision to field me falls in line with our unique tradition. That said, it could be because I was the only person who was not returned in the last election when I was prevailed upon to let it go for late Adeleke or it could be any other reason best known to the party. However, in order to affirm the decision of the party, I had to go through primary election which I won eventually, because the puppeteers lost the battle and their puppet chickened out. Besides, any of the aspirant could have chosen to slug it out on the field if they so desire, but because our party leaders and members have discipline, they hearkened to the voice of the party, and I show my gratitude to them for that.

How come Ejigbo, your hometown got all the political opportunities of the Osun West, don’t you think other towns and zones within the district may be angry?

Husain: Ejigbo is not primarily designed to have it all, and it would be a misconception to think so, because when the Senate ticket was taken from me, it was given to Senator Adeleke, but the party felt we should not be left empty-handed; an Ejigbo indigene was considered for the ticket for the House of Representatives. For the Speaker, he has been elected to represent Ejigbo state constituency, and we are so lucky to have him elected by his colleagues to lead, just the way we have Secretary to the State Government from Iwo. The return of the senate ticket is a child of circumstance, and it is accidental, not by design but by natural order. I do not think our people from other zones are angry because of that, for it was not my making that it happened like that.

Besides, the argument on where a candidate comes from is a disservice to representative democracy. No one ever goes to the senate to represent his village. Wherever you might have come from, the entire senatorial district becomes your constituency. It is mischief makers and lazy politicians who want to get undeserved favour for themselves that bring that argument up each time they lose.

Are you not shaken that the PDP factions have come together?

Husain: Shaken? No one is breaking sweat on it, because they were thrown out of power while they were together and apparently solid. So, is it now that they came together based on deception •Continued on page 13

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THE SOCIAL REGISTER

FRIDAY JULY 7- THURSDAY

A Cocktail Of Rece Ayanleke’s 71st Birthday Celebrated In Grand Style

Centre For Youths Initiatives On Self Education (CEYISED) C Level, Holds In Osogbo, On Thursday.

•Honourable Rasheed Olalekan Afolabi (middle) in a group photograph with some of the p

Stakeholders Advocate Par

By Israel Afolabi

•The celebrant, Mr Gabriel Ayandokun Ayanleke (JP) and his wife, Chief Mrs Comfort Oyenike Ayanleke cutting the birthday cake.

Stakeholders in budget processes at the grassroot levels have decried the non-involvement of critical stakeholders, particularly citizens in the preparation of budget, saying, such process would not promote development.

This was the conclusion at a 2-day Capacity Building on Budget Processes at the Grassroot Level organized by the Centre for Youth Initiative on Self Education (CEYISED) in conjunction with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in Osogbo on Thursday.

Speaker of the Osun House of Assembly, Najeem Salaam and the Executive Director, CEYISED, Mohammed Sharaf’deen said without the involvement of citizens who would play critical roles in budget cycle, such budget could not be said to have met the criteria of participatory budgeting processes.

Sharaf’deen said, with proper consultation with communities, the government would have adequate information about the needs of the people and meet them through budget processes, saying proper consultation of the leadership structure would solve

know their direct amount to waste at the end, no dev attracted to

majority of the problems atta “To identify community ne on the asset and strength of needed to develop such com can lead to underdevelopmen “Communities see themselv if they are given the opportun in their area and people will in their community if they are Sharaf’deen noted that if th budgeting, it would encourage roles and make the implem successful.

Also, Salaam, who was re House Committee on Public A the most effective budgetin

Osun CJ Inaugurates Commit •Mr/Mrs Gabriel Ayanleke (middle) with their children on Chief Ayanleke’s birthday.

It was a gathering of who is who at St Benedict Catholic Cathedral, Popo, Osogbo, on Saturday, 24th of June, 2017 as Mr Gabriel Ayandokun Ayanleke’s (JP) 71st Birthday Anniversary was celebrated.

Children, family members and friends gathered at the venue to celebrate their own, who was an Ophthalmic Specialist Nurse at the University College, London Hospital.

Born in 1946 to the late Pa/Mrs Anthony and Veronica Ayanleke in Ghana, the celebrator started his primary school education at St. Paul Primary School, Mampong, Ghana up to primary two. At the age of 9, he came to Nigeria, leaving his parents in Ghana to complete his Primary School Education at St Augustine’s Primary School, Inisa.

He was one of the first beneficiaries of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s free education policy and he attended Saint Augustine’s

Modern School Inisa between 19601982. He also went to Saint Charles’ Catholic Grammar School, Osogbo between 1964-1967 after which he attended School of Nursing, Eleyele, Ade-Oyo State Hospital Ibadan.

He worked between 1973 and 1978 at General Hospital Ogbomosho, after which he won foreign scholarship to read Ophthalmic Nursing at Royal Leicester Infirmary in England in 1977 which he started in 1978 He proceeded on post graduate training in Ophthalmology and completed the training in 1980, after which he moved on for advanced courses and BSC (Hons) degree at University of London in theatre and causality.

He worked in so many Hospitals, including Adeoyo State hospital, Ibadan; General Hospital Ogbomosho, General Hospital Osogbo (now LAUTECH) among other.

He married with Chief Mrs Comfort Oyenike Ayanleke, and blessed with children and many grandchildren.

•Osun CJ, Justice Adepele Ojo (3rd right), some other judges of the State High Court and me Osun High Court Rules.

T

he State of Osun Chief Judge, Justice Oyebola Adepele Ojo recently inaugurated a sixmember committee for the review of the Osun State High Court (civil procedure) Rules, 2008.

The committee has as its Chairman,

Justice Moshood Adeigbe, while Magistrate Asimiyu Adebayo will serve as the Secretary. Other members of the committee are the Dean, Faculty of Law, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Professor Ademola Popoola; Chief Wuyi Adeyemo, Barrister Yomi Aliu and

THE SOCIAL REGISTER

THURSDAY JULY 13, 2017

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www.osundefender.org

cent Happenings

YISED) Capacity Building On Budget Processes At The Grassroot Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

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Hamed In Osogbo Recently

ome of the participants.

Participatory Budget Process

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ir direct needs, it will just o waste of resources and d, no development will be racted to such area

oblems attached to budgeting. mmunity needs, it is compulsory to focus strength of a community, as these are p such community. The denial of these development and conflict at the grassroot. see themselves as being part of the process he opportunity to affect decision making people will participate more in a project ty if they are actively involved”, he said. ted that if these processes are followed in ld encourage the citizens to also play their the implementation of such budget

who was represented by the Chairman, on Public Account, Rasheed Afolabi said, e budgeting process is the bottom-up

approach which gives the people at the grassroot who will be the beneficiaries of such processes the opportunity to be involve actively in their affairs.

He said, “For a budget to be successful, all the stakeholders must be well involved and engaged.

That is the best way to achieve success.

“If the people are not engaged to know their direct needs, it will just amount to waste of resources and at the end, no development will be attracted to such area”.

Representative of the ICPC, Baba Alaro Shuaib said, if all stakeholders are involved in budgeting, it would guarantee transparency and make citizens to have confidence in the system.

This, according to him, would go a long way in curbing corruption which is the major mandate of the commission.

Other facilitators at the workshop are Mr Shina Adefolahan, Olaitan Olumide among others.

Meanwhile, the capacity building programme would be replicated in Ode-Omu for Osun West between July 10 and 11, as well as Ile-Ife for East between 12 and 13.

mmittee To Review Court Rules

ourt and members of the committee on Review of PHOTO: Shola Aderinto

while serve of the f Law, le-Ife, Wuyi u and

•The graduand, AbdulJelil Hamed (middle) being presented the certificate of apprenticeship. Right is his boss, Yinka Adebowale and 2nd left is Mr Rotimi David.

Barrister O. C. Ogbewe.

The Chief Judge while speaking during the inauguration said, the process was aimed at fast-tracking and ensuring effective determination of civil matters in the state.

A statement by Adeyinka Adeleke, Press

Officer, Osun State High Court said, Justice Ojo stated that the Lagos State High Court Civil Procedure Rules, 2004, which serves as the template for Osun State Rules of the high court, has since been reviewed for more than one occasions.

The committee amongst others has as its terms of reference, to do a critical appraisal of the provisions of the Osun State High Court Amended (civil procedure) Rules, 2008, with a view to identifying procedural hitches and bottlenecks militating against the quick, effective and expeditious determination of cases by courts.

Also, the committee is expected to call for and receive memoranda from respective stakeholders in the justice administration sector in the state, inclusive of Judges, Magistrates, State Counsels, the Nigerian Bar Association, the academia, as well as from members of the public.

“It is also expected to formulate and propose new provisions to be inserted in the Rules and/or make recommendations as to the amendments to be made to the existing provisions, with a view to making the Osun State High Court Rules effective and efficient in meeting the challenges of modern day litigations”.

The committee has three months to submit its report.

•Family members of the graduand at the event.

Family members, friends and associates of Mr AbdulJelil Hamed of Owulabagbin Compound, Osogbo assembled at Ajigbotoluwa Street, Alekuwodo Area, Osogbo recently as the graduation ceremony of his apprenticeship was held.

He was an apprentice at TJ Aluminium, of which Yinka Adebowale is the Chief Executive Officer.

It was a joyous moment for the graduand, as members of the Aluminium Manufacturing Association in Osogbo and family members showered blessings on him.

AbdulJelil, who expressed gratitude to God for the successful

completion of his apprenticeship, said the experience during the period was hard, but interesting.

He said, his determination to succeed in his apprenticeship has propelled him to persevere through the difficult period of his training.

He thanked his boss for exposing him to the rudiments of Aluminum Manufacturing, just as he appreciated his wife and family members for their support during the period.

His boss, Adebowale described AbdulJelil as a responsible human being who has demonstrated high sense of perseverance and commitment.

OUR SOCIAL REGISTER IS OPEN FOR YOUR SOCIAL ACTIVITIES TO BE MADE PUBLIC Spaces are available for your anniversaries such as weddings, house-warming and chieftaincy title ceremonies among other for your take. To take advantage of this, you can reach out to Murtala, 08023280935, Kazeem 08062207954 and Nike on 07032594744 Let the public know what you are doing.

FRIDAY JULY 7- THURSDAY JULY 13, 2017

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FRIDAY JUNE 30 - THURSDAY JULY 6, 2017

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NEWS

FRIDAY JUNE 30 - THURSDAY JULY 6, 2017

Why We Are Taking Calisthenics To Schools Government of the State of Osun through the Directorate of Social Mobilisation and Guardian, Office of the Governor, recently announced its decision to institutionalise Calisthenics into Public Schools across the state. Ademola Yaya , one of the calisthenics team leaders provides more insight into the intention of the government in this interview with KEHINDE AYANTUNJI. Excerpts OSDF: It has been in the news that a new template has been designed for Calisthenics in Osun. What is it about?

Ademola: Yes, since the introduction of calisthenics in our Public Schools by Governor Rauf Aregbesola, performances and displays at various anniversary celebrations had been restricted to about 15,000 pupils from schools in Osogbo and Olorunda Local Government Areas alone. With the new template as approved by Mr. Governor, selected public schools in all the nine Federal Constituencies as well as interested Private Schools in the proximity of the designated Training Centres can participate.

Secondly, participation is voluntary with the Parents or Guardians of the participating students responsible for their costumes. The government will only be responsible for the training and competitions which will hold in two stages – at the Senatorial level amongst teams representing Federal Constituencies and at the State level among the First Placed Teams that might have emerged at the Senatorial level competition.

In addition to trophies, plaques, medals and certificates of participation for the participants, cash prize of N1,000,000 (One million naira), N750,000 (Seven hundred and fifty

thousand naira); and N500,000 (Five hundred thousand naira) will be won by the first, second and third place teams respectively at the state level competition in July, 2017. By November 2017, the 1st team in each of the Senatorial level will compete for N2,000,000 (Two million naira); N1,000,000 (One million naira) and N750,000 (Seven hundred and fifty thousand naira) for 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions respectively. These cash prizes will be used by the authorities of the combined participating schools and the host school for the development of their sporting facilities and activities.

OSDF: How practicable is this activities, especially at the State Anniversary level in November, 2017?

Ademola: Calisthenics is very flexible, it all depends on creativity. At our level, displays take two categories – field composition and background display. Activities at the Federal Constituencies to the Senatorial competition are only based on field compositions. At the state level on the Anniversary day, a background display consisting of rows of pupils seated in a gallery at Osogbo Township Stadium will be forming captions of different words or patterns, speaking to the competing teams in the main bowl. The background will not be competitive, it will only add flavour and glamour to complement the competing teams and entertain the audience.

At another level, the field composition could also play background role to form different words and captions. Display can involve from a few dozens up to thousands of persons exercising in unison. As stated already, calisthenics is very flexible; it is a function of creativity.

OSDF: What does this new template intend to achieve?

Ademola: Calisthenics takes pupils

from average families away from harmful and vile-out-of-school engagement into joyful and healthy activities, especially in the absence of other healthy exercises in our schools today. It teaches discipline, cooperation and teamwork; it conditions the pupils to be physically and mentally sound; it brings participants from various background and orientation together in a happy atmosphere which is a fertile ground for developing pleasant, unforgettable experiences and perhaps, lifetime friendship.

In essence, the target of Mr. Governor is to institutionalise calisthenics in our schools curriculum as an integral part of processes to mould a complete new character that is imbibed with tools needed for daily application of life such that they will be completely educated in soul, mind and vision. This should not be taken in isolation. Just like the mega schools, school feeding, uniform, Opon Imo, training and re-training of teachers, incentives to teachers and many more, calisthenics is engraved in the Six-point Integral Action Plan of Mr Governor, with which he canvassed for votes in 2007 gubernatorial election in Osun.

FRIDAY JUNE 30 - THURSDAY JULY 6, 2017

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Nigeria And The Long Wait For Accountability Leadership in Nigeria has become synonymous with failure of promises and fantasies of electioneering.

Nigerian populace is not oblivious of this fact. That is why it has become a principle for the political class to attempt to grab the best possible from the booties of electioneering, so as to bother less if and when the general public engage in endless lamentation usually occasioned by failed promises from their representatives in all strata of governance.

Nigerians are seen by the outside world as diehard optimists. Most Nigerians also have similar views of themselves, although long time of failed promises has not really constituted deterrence to continued participation in electoral process. These unique attributes have however been frustrated by those who have turned peoples’ patience and perseverance to folly and idiotism. The frustrated resilience has, thus, become dysfunctional to the few wellintentioned individuals that venture into the corridors of power to address the corrigenda of political malfeasances.

It is true that all human beings are political animal and that the efficacy of preference comes into play when divergent views are expressed in an effort towards political office ascendancy. Some people may actually not really get fascinated by party sympathy and affiliation; the persuasion of personality traits and oratory power may influence people to inebriation. It is however logical to posit an issue of importance like the one under consideration within the toga of neutrality, so that people generally may see reasons why a shift of ground in matters of principle and discretion has become grossly inevitable.

The skewed mindset and resultant leadership incontinence may have become horrendous in our polity, such that good intentions are shrouded in distrust and hopelessness. This appears to have taken shines off our political terrain as if the faithful and trustworthy ones are not yet born. Situations and circumstances may become so overwhelming that the good intentions and visions become encapsulated in stark reality that throws unsuspecting role players off balance. It is then the strength of discernment that can assuage the pain and become capable of instilling a respite of candour that will enable one to surmount the conundrum of ignorance.

January 2015 to May 29, 2015 can be likened to the period between the amalgamation of Southern and Northern Nigeria in 1914 and the actualisation of independence in 1960.

Students of History and Social studies will quickly fathom the rigmarole of power tussle between the colonial masters and the natives, most especially the nationalists that stood to defend the peoples’ interest. It is however, difficult to comprehend that what transpired within the four months preceding the power hand over from the academic president who represented the now comatose Peoples Democratic Party to General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd.), will make Nigerians to continue in the imagination web that the illusion of the short period has created for a very long time into our political future.

Our governance in this part of the world is shrouded in secrecy. It was after President Buhari took over that we heard about the ill-concept of “Budget Padding. Little wonder then that growth and dwarfism are synonymous with the self-styled largest economy in Africa. Input and output are two inseparable words that determine the level of success in an organisation

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part of the world is shrouded in secrecy. It was after President Buhari took over that we heard about the illconcept of Budget Padding. Little wonder then that growth and dwarfism are synonymous with the self-styled largest economy in Africa.

•President BUHARI

By Adeolu Gbotemi (country inclusive). It is from this reality that the phrase “the end justifies the means” crops up. The moment openness is lacking in a process, there is high possibility that little success will be recorded. That is why I will forever be grateful to President Buhari and his APC-led government for breaking the jinx of administrative subterfuge in Nigeria.

I remember a time that my knowledge prompted me to posit that we should suspend budgeting process for a year by giving a million naira each to all Nigerians so as to measure our respective levels of productivity and acumen there from. I now understand better anyway that economic paradigm does not allow for that anywhere in the world. Because money was flowing stupendously, we cannot use that as a yardstick for healthy economic climate.

The case was made worse after the postponement of the presidential election by six weeks in 2015. Money became so debased that our currency became sacrilegious as legal tender in

Nigeria. U.S dollars became the currency of inducement in the hands of government personnel and political gladiators. Nigerian press shouted it to the high heaven, but we all feigned ignorance and have turned on our deviant side that remains till date our bane of nationhood and economic emancipation. No one told those who were to take over in May 29, 2015 that it was only six months earlier that Nigeria’s economy was adjudged the largest in Africa. The reckless spending of Mr. President that was to hand over was not reported officially, let alone the deep in ranking that the incommensurate spending represented when juxtaposed with the momentous economic activities that usually guarantee capital inflow.

We are at the crossroad of imperfect operational document in the semblance of a constitution foisted on Nigeria by some laymen that have no understanding of how economy and people-oriented government are effectively run. Enshrined immunity clause does not make leaders answerable for their multifarious malfeasance in office. That accounts for why former President Olusegun Obasanjo and those who ruled after him cannot be punished despite the evil

suffered by Nigerians under their watch. They remain sacred cows on leaving office because the constitution shields them from punishment that should be meted for monumental loss of lives and resources that their maladministration brought, with the attendant trauma on the innocent citizens.

Many have argued that nothing is wrong with our constitution. Those with these mindsets are of the opinion that the problem lies with the people in the corridors of power. Close scrutiny will however reveal things that are wrong with both the operational document and the people saddled with its interpretation and application. The clauses are inconsistent with best practices around the world and the mentality of the ruling class also calls for serious examination. The document should be reappraised and positioned in such a way that those who operate it are also meted with appropriate sanctions if goofed in the course of discharging constitutional responsibilities.

The constitution emphasises the secularity of our nation state; but we see religious bigotries on display everywhere. In appointments for instance, we see flagrant abuse based on religion in contravention of the codified principle of religious neutrality and federal character.

The earlier we stop deceiving ourselves the better. We must all rise up to defend our commonwealth. I believe, there is nothing wrong with us staying together as we are under the plurality of nations and faith, we must however allow for fairness in all spheres of human endeavour. We must also make our leaders accountable to us so that it becomes extremely difficult for impunity to thrive. Exemplary leadership is the only thing that can move us forward as a nation. The earlier this becomes institutionalised, the better for us as a people.

•GBOTEMI writes in from Osogbo, State of Osun.

Political Battle In Osun •Continued from page 10 and pathological hatred for Aregbesola that they can win election?

I sympathize with them, because those who are pushing them benefitted largely from Aregbesola’s benevolence and industry, and they think the only way to repay him is to work for his pull down. Unfortunately, Aregbesola has not lost his political steam from the people on the street, except very few elites who wanted to share the collective resources but were denied.

Give it to us, the puppet and the puppeteers on the other side knew it was a failed mission, but there is no crime in trying. I encourage them to continue with their razzmatazz; our people will decide who they prefer on July 8 between a progressive candidate and a reactionary. Do you know who is shaken? It is the candidate that is so desperate and hoping from one party to another and even went to bed with those who beat his brother to a pulp and kicked him out of their party. The person who chickened out of a primary election and shopped for an uncontested ticket, is the one that is shaken. The one that has already conceded defeat by alleging without proof that the election will be rigged against him, is indeed badly shaken.

Is it true that the battle is about home base who are the politicians

•Senator Hussain

based in Osun and Lagos politicians are Osun indigenes based in Lagos State, because it was alleged that Aregbesola marginalized the politicians at home?

Husain: It is a pathetic situation that some unscrupulous politicians can do anything, including trading lives of the people for politicking. When has it become a crime to seek better life in other area? When has it become a crime that a successful Yoruba man

who hails from Osun but made fortune in Lagos, the centre of commerce and opportunities the nature situated in Yorubaland, only to come home and contest for political position? I was born in Ejigbo, I schooled in Ede, and I attended Arabic school in Lagos before I returned to Abidjan in Cote d’Ivoire.

Then I returned to Lagos which accommodates me and gave me a rise in politics. So, how does that make me a stranger some political renegades want to project? The battle is purely between those who want to protect the interest of the people-the progressives, and those who want to share our collective patrimony – the reactionary. Therefore, the issues of Lagos-based versus home-based is a cliché designed by the renegades who want to change the narratives of success story of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

At any rate, if I come from Lagos, what will you call my opponent that is based in the United States? He should not even come near any polling station, if we follow the dubious logic of home based versus Lagos based. This is where their argument fell apart and their machination has come back to haunt them because, by the rules they themselves set, their candidate is a foreigner.

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JULY 8 BYE ELECTION

FRIDAY JULY 7- THURSDAY JULY 13, 2017

Re: Squandering Governors Rolling Out The Drums

By Abiodun Komolafe Nigeria is, as we speak, challenged and all eyes can see it! No thanks to past leaders who, in their selfish wisdom, ate all the country’s honey, thereby leaving it with nothing but moonshine.

Nonetheless, Yemi Adebowale’s blanket swipe at Nigerian governors [as espoused in his article, entitled: ‘Squandering Governors Rolling out the Drums’ (This day, June 10, 2017)] cannot go unchallenged by those of us who are aware of Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s passion for Osun and his determination to leave the state better than he met it. For instance, I have had cause to wonder what would have by now become the fate of the state’s already stunted finances, had Bisi Akande not built the cynosure-of-all-eyes secretariat, and the state’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are to operate from rented apartments. By the same token, what will history have said of the governor had he wasted the state’s meagre resources on jamborees and allied frivolities?

In my view, Aregbesola deserves commendation for championing the cause of sound economic decisions that midwived a fresh agenda for value-based leadership in Osun State, especially, at a time when how much money can be thrown around on meaningless projects has become the parameter for gauging performances. Unlike other states that reacted harshly to the global crunch, it is on record that Aregbesola’s administration had never under any guise ‘downsized’ or ‘right sized’ its workforce. So far, the Hassan Sunmonu-led Revenue Apportionment Committee has been doing a wonderful job in the area of salary payment, a measure that has bailed the state out of a protracted wages crises.

Well, while one cannot but appreciate Adebowale’s concerns, his plight cannot be shunned either. For instance, from January 2017 till date, total revenues that have been accrued to Osun from the Federation Account are on the left side of N2 billion.

Similarly, Osun’s annual Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) are by far less than half of what Lagos State takes home monthly. Notwithstanding, Osun has paid modulated salaries and allowances of all its workers and pensioners up to May 2017.

Ditto, for all its Local Councils’ workers.

•Governor Rauf Aregbesola But this is without prejudice to the outstanding payment which the governor knows and said would be paid as soon as the financial fortune of the state improves.

Interestingly, Aregbesola’s prescriptions for unpaid salaries have now been adopted as a template for dealing with a similar issue by other states.

Be that as it may, those who have insisted that Aregbesola’s story of unpaid salary is a product of the state’s history of debt have so far failed to rationalise cogent reasons for, say, Delta State’s inability to pay 13 months salaries of its workers or Ondo’s N80bn debt pile up from salaries, allowances and pensions. Bayelsa State, with all the huge resources at its disposal currently owes its workers six months’ salaries. Other states are in this unfortunate web, as could be seen in the rush to partake in the palliative measures put in place by the Federal Government to cushion the effects of unpaid salaries. Maybe our friend has also forgotten that the Federal Government is also struggling with “accumulated arrears of salaries and allowances” which it doesn’t even “have the fund to clear ... for now.” Yet, heavens have not fallen.

Though Adebowale’s assertion that “the monthly deductions from” states’ “share of

federally-collected revenue to service the loans are now impacting negatively on their finances” is understandable, he went overboard by referring to Osun as one of the states that are ”deep in debt with very little to show for it.” His assertion can be forgiven, after all, he might either be making that assertion out of outright ignorance, pure mischief or simply because it’s been long since he came this way. Otherwise, how on earth could a commentator worth his convictions accuse Aregbesola’s administration of incompetence?

Without being immodest, any objective observer with vast knowledge of how Osun was, six years ago compared to the height now attained in terms of socioinfrastructural development will agree with me that the story has changed from demeaning dirges of despair to melodious tunes of achievements and hope for a better future. So, where do we start counting Aregbesola’s achievements from? Is it from the education sector where, as at last count, no fewer than 55 new structures, comprising 20 Elementary, 22 Middle and 13 High Schools have been added to existing structures, while a total of 82 school blocks, comprising 1,534 classrooms across the state have been refurbished by Aregbesola’s administration? Is it the Osun Elementary School Feeding Scheme, (O’MEALS) which has so far gulped more than N10 billion in providing over 200 million plates of highly nutritious meals to certain categories of pupils? Is it the robustness of the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) which is aimed at reducing unemployment among our youths? Is it the procurement of 25 Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC) and 100 Patrol Vehicles which have greatly helped in making Osun “the safest state in Nigeria”?

Is it the hospitality sector where the number of hotels in the state has, in a short period of six years doubled the number already in existence, pre-November 27, 2010? Is it the establishment of Osun Microcredit Agency which has led to a sharp reduction in unemployment as well as alleviation of poverty in the state? Is it the Agba Osun (Elderly Welfare Scheme) through which each of the most vulnerable elders in the state is paid N10,000.00 monthly?

O’WIDOW, through which each widow in the state also draws N10,000.00 monthly;

Æithout being immodest, any objective observer with vast knowledge of how Osun was, six years ago compared to the height now attained in terms of socioinfrastructural development will agree with me that the story has changed from demeaning dirges of despair to melodious tunes of achievements and hope for a better future.

O’REHAB, through which the government has been identifying, rehabilitating and reuniting the mentally-challenged with their families and the society and O’AMBULANCE, for the purpose of saving lives and reduction of road accidents impact in the state are also to the governor’s credit.

Of equal importance is agriculture and one cannot blame Adebowale for harping on this sector, especially, now that the country is said to be painfully haemorrhaging from dwindling economic fortunes as a result of global oil glut. Apart from other laudable initiatives, government interventions, notably, in the provision of fertilizers, loans, as well as, the construction of more than 200 kilometers rural roads for rural-urban accessibility have led to massive production of food crops.

As we know, Osun has one of the longest road construction records in the country.

Oba Adesoji Aderemi East West Bye-Pass in Osogbo and Bisi Akande Trumpet Bridge at Gbongan are at the completion stage. But for lack of funds, the 47km-Osogbo/IlaOdo, Kwara Boundary Road and others would also have become a done deal.

From the above, one can safely say that Osun’s current situation is neither a death warrant nor an indefinite inconvenience.

After all, tough times never last!

•Komolafe writes in from Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State (ijebujesa@yahoo.co.uk)

ÇÈÉÉÊ ËÌÍÈÎÈÇ ÏÐÑÒÓÔ ÒÕÖÒ ÒÕÓ ×ÓØÑÙÐÓÓÔ ÚÛ ÒÕÓ ØÑÔ×ÐÚ×ÚÐÒÑÚÜÖÒÓ ÓÝÓÞÒÚÐÖÝ ÔÕÖÐÑÜÙ ÚÛ ßÚÒÓÔ àÓÒÏÓÓÜ ÒÕÓ All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State of Osun places APC in the winning stead come July 8, senate bye-election; and PDP in the loosing track. factor in the outcome of the bye-election.

Senatorial Bye-election: APC Or PDP The defection and re-defection by Nigerian politicians only point out the dialectics of political equation, dynamics of electoral calculus and oscillation of the politicians’ personal mission in politics, is explainable only in terms of the wave of ideological or non-ideological particularism and the tide of desperation of the material interest of players in party politics. This, Ipso facto is thus a major factor in the partisan strength of the political parties out there in the field, aimed at capturing the baseline support of voters’ choices. Such was the case in the emergence Senator Mudasiru Hussain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as candidates for the June 8 bye-election to fill the Osun-west Senatorial seat in the National Assembly.

The defection of Ademola Adeleke from the ruling APC in the state to the opposition PDP in the heat of the blitz and glitz of the APC bye-election primary is the corollary of overwhelming phobia of the effect of the APC electoral strength, APC incumbency, APC campaign issues, and personal characteristics of the APC candidate in the bye-election. But the fear is superfluous, unnecessary because the election is mitigated horizontally and vertically by the absence of compelling elements of national and state electoral swings. In other words, the Osun-west bye-election is an Island, obviously unaffected by any national or state electoral trends. The bye-election is insulated from the effect of any electoral swings.

The electoral strength of the two front burner political parties, APC and PDP plays substantially more important role in the bye-election, implying that the election cannot be well accounted for from the disposition of the Osun-west voters alone, neither from the reported voting behaviour of individual citizens of voting age in the senatorial district, nor the electoral value of the respective candidates for the senate. Rather, the partisan strength of the political parties of the

The partisan strength of the political parties of the contending candidates remains a robust factor in the outcome of the election, barring all extraneous variations in terms of illegalities, atrocities, in the votes share. contending candidates remains a robust factor in the outcome of the election, barring all extraneous variations in terms of illegalities, atrocities, in the votes share. The analysis, in terms of the pedigrees of the disproportionate electoral sharing of votes between APC and PDP in the State places APC in the winning stead come July 8 and PDP, in the loosing track.

The APC incumbency is another cue which the voters will use to make their choice between the two candidates in the bye-election. The incumbency status inputs in the party weighty electoral advantage, far and above PDP, gives Hussain, the APC candidate for the senate, greater visibility and acceptability to the Osunwest voters just as political resources at the disposal of the incumbent APC in the state practically allowed the party to conduct really impactful electoral outings.

The years of APC in the governance and administration of Osun have continued to produce geometric increase in developmental politics, policies and projects across the state. And the party remains substantially non-vulnerable to electoral defeat for reasons of numerous unprecedented performances in the state. For the people of Osun-west, the advantage of the APC incumbency has consistently been profoundly complemented by the value-added campaigns for the bye-election. The effect of the incumbency, personified in Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Osun is the multiple social, economic and political developments which his incumbency has brought pro bono public. For the APC, incumbency is a compelling

Contrastingly, the PDP years (2004-2011) in the Osun Bola Ige house were practically wasteful. And today, PDP remains the same prodigal “son’’; it is extravagant in its campaign expenditures to overcome large electoral handicaps. Ironically, additional campaign spending by Ademola Adeleke, the PDP candidate for the Osun west bye-election will bring no good at all because the more money he spends, the fewer votes he would garner in the election. Already, the candidate has spent huge chunks of money to grab the PDP ticket for the senate, like Iyiola Omisore proliferated staggering sums of public money in his wallets for the 2014 PDP governorship primary election in a way that actually overstretched the elasticity of the party to a breaking point.

What a lesson here for Ademola Adeleke? “Building up to the Osun PDP primary election, Isiaka Adeleke, also a contender in the PDP 2014 governorship race reported in a plain language of a boxing ring that he was pilloried, insulted, brutalised, demeaned, dehumanized and threatened with a gun cocked to his head. And then, he was irreverently chased out. If the toothless Adeleke at the material time had waited longer than necessary, he would have been treated to a Chinese torture-tie down, tie up and chain to the ground. But he quickly dashed out, gaspi ng for breath and looking blank, and just as the breeze outside gently hit him, he missed and mixed his footsteps and then Adeleke looked back again and dropped his head in apparent total disdain for PDP, its lawlessness and criminality with impurity.” (Isaac Olusesi, Osun Defender, Saturday, April 26, 2014) The PDP “money talk” in Ademola Adeleke’s race for the senate, erroneously showing the party strength is high; but practically, the party faces sure panic and peril for obvious lack of campaign issues. His defection to PDP, underscoring no ideological particularism in the political process can neither stabilise the party nor help its terrains to generate desired magnificent electoral fortunes in any public election in Osun.

•Olusesi is Assistant Director, Directorate of Publicity, Research & Strategy, Osun APC.

FRIDAY JULY 7- THURSDAY JULY 13, 2017

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Ambulance: Reducing

Do you know that road accident kills more than any disease you can think of?

The World Bank report has predicted that the rate of road accident in SubSahara Africa will increase by 70 per cent by 2020. The report also revealed that Africa has the highest number of accidents, but with the fewest vehicles on the road. According to the report, road accident will injure and kill more people in Africa than malaria, AIDS, Cancer and diabetes combined due to limited access to post-road accident emergency healthcare services. This means that road accident kills more people than any ailment or disease in Sub-Sahara Africa.

It is absolutely unfortunate to hear that Nigeria is ranked second highest road accidents among 193 countries of the world. To worsen the matter, the World Health Organization (WHO) also placed Nigeria as the most dangerous country in Africa with 33.7 per cent death per 100,000 populations every year.

While some political office holders are busy perpetrating evil and obnoxious acts by keeping their state allocations meant for developmental projects in septic tanks, caskets, burial grounds, water tanks and so on purposely for the benefit of their family members alone, the governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola is busy saving and preventing lives of the people of Osun from avoidable death resulting from road accidents; labour cases in women, emergency referrals of patients and many more through a life saving agency, Osun Ambulance Services agency, O’Ambulance.

Though, it is only Almighty God that gives and takes live, but unfortunately, many accident victims died just because the life saving agents were not around or not sent to save them from avoidable death, forcing them to answer the call of death. May God spare our lives.

Through this service alone, it is clear that Aregbesola loves and care for the people of the state, as he wants the people to leave healthy and longer than

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The Rate Of Emergency Casualties In Osun

By Alao Waheed to die untimely. Also, he wants people of the state to be saved from every avoidable death, which is the reason behind O’Ambulance.

Before Aregbesola- APC government was inaugurated on the 27th of November, 2010, many road accident victims lost their lives even at the scene of such accident, as there was neither such agency, nor ambulances to take them to a specialist hospital where they could be taken care of. The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) which occasionally takes accident victims to either hospitals or mortuaries could not do much because, it was impossible for the commission to be everywhere at the same time, even with their limited logistics. As a result, thousands of lives of accident victims were lost in Osun until Aregbesola came on board with his O’Ambulance scheme.

No doubt, the agency must have saved you, and if not you, then your friends, family or somebody you know from avoidable death, which in the last four years of existence, for the record, has helped rescued and saved more than 12,067 people from avoidable death as a result of its prompt and effective operations in road accident emergency healthcare service delivery across the length and breadth of the state.

O’ Ambulance guarantees safety of

lives of road accident victims across tribes, races and origins. They have saved many lives and still counting.

They have achieved so much simply because of the support and logistics given by the governor who makes things go smoothly, propelling the officials of the agency to double their efforts in ensuring that avoidable deaths are prevented.

In Osun, it is no longer hyperbolic to say that the state is blessed with a dynamic, visionary and innovative governor, whose innovation in setting up the Osun Ambulance Services has drastically reduced the morbidity and mortality rates often caused by road accidents. It has also reduced maternal mortality rates as a result of effective referral system from primary to tertiary heath facilities for specialists intervention.

O’ Ambulance has responded to more than 1,217 road accident emergencies, 188 cases of collapse, 367 hospital referrals and 152 labour emergency cases all of which lives involved were saved. Also, 1,829 casualties involved in all the emergency cases, the life saving agency was able to save more than 1,774 lives and recorded 55 deaths of which 27 were males, while 28 were females. In a nutshell, 7700 male and 4367 female accident victims were rescued from all the cases in the last 4 years.

Records show that O’ Ambulance has responded to more than 300 emergency

cases or more in a month, arising from road accident, labour emergency cases, referrals and other health emergency related cases across the state.

To make his plan a reality, a very huge amount of money was voted for the operation of O’ Ambulance, and 50 high-tech ambulances were acquired, which makes Osun the first state with the highest number of ambulances in Nigeria. 31 high-tech ambulances were stationed in all the 31 local government headquarters, while the remaining 19 high-tech ambulances were also allocated to strategic areas along the major highways in the entire state.

As a matter of fact, all the procured high-tech ambulances are well equipped with walkie-talkie, close user group (CUG), foams and other necessary medical appliances which could be used to give first aid to the victim before making referrals.

Meanwhile, O’ Ambulance has generated a lot of job opportunities for more than 450 personnel. More than 400 paramedics were employed and specially trained to man the ambulances, render emergency medical services to the victims before transferring them to the nearest health specialist centres, purposely to save the victims lives from avoidable death.

Some call trackers were also recruited and trained specially to receive calls, identify the location of those calls and then send the closest ambulance to the location of the accident where the service of the O’ Ambulance is needed.

O’ Ambulance renders 24 hours free services to the people of Osun.

During a chat with some of the victims of road accident rescued by the O’ Ambulance along Osogbo/IfonOsun-Ogbomoso road, one Mr Akibu Bakare eulogised Governor Aregbesola as well as the agency, saying, “we would have been in an unknown world, but fortunately for the six of us, we just found ourselves at the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital in Osogbo where we were all treated and taken care of”.

•Alao is an Information Officer in the Directorate of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Osun APC Secretariat, Osogbo.

Need To Support Osun On Withholding Taxes It is no more news that virtually all the states of the Federation have been on redirection towards revamping their revenue generation basis from solely relying on proceeds from oil sector to taxes as the only reliable means of revenue generation.

Tax, by definition, is a financial charge or other levies imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or corporate entity) by a state or the functional equivalent of a state to fund various public expenditures like: Infrastructure Projects, Public Security, Health Services among others.

Infrastructure: There is no gainsaying that, Government needs resources to construct roads, bridges, rebuild schools and a number of other projects which are also germane for the society growth. Relying on government alone to fund these types of projects is no longer feasible as a result of the dwindling revenue from government purse.

Public Security: Money collected from taxes goes a long way in securing lives and property of individuals and corporate bodies. Security consumes a lot of money, hence, a Trust Fund, just as being in place in Lagos State would go a long way in securing lives and property. Such money-consuming project could only be achievable only if private organisations and public spirited individuals could team up with the government through donations both in cash and equipment to actualize this dream. If lives and property are

secured, people would be confident to embark on their daily activities without any hindrance.

Health Services: Government sees it as her primary assignment to provide free or subsidised health service to its citizens. This may include preventive immunisation shots, disaster relief and many others. All these and many more are funded from taxpayers’ money. This is why it is incumbent on every individual who earns income and corporate entities to see tax payment as inevitable. Failure to pay, or evasion of or resistance to taxation, is usually punishable by law.

Tax is of various types depending on the scope of income operation. People have been accustomed to various types of taxes like, income tax, company tax and value added tax, but hardly do people know about the one called withholding tax; even majority of the people that do pay withholding tax do not do it rightly, especially with regards to the address of the recipient of such tax.

Withholding Tax is an Income Tax withheld from employees’ wages and paid directly to the government by the employer. It is a tax levied on income in form of dividends, rents, interests, director’s fees, gambling winnings, commissions etc from securities owned by a non-resident. The amount withheld is a credit against the income taxes the employee must pay during the year. And how this tax (withholding Tax) is paid to the state depends on the

•Barr. Gbenga Akano, S.A to the Governor of Osun on Tax Matters address that the tax payer used in his or her ‘Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate’.

Now, this is the area of concern. Based on the recently conducted research on Withholding Tax, tax on withholding that is due to the coffers of the state being presently used to develop some states of the federation.

The State of Osun in particular, is losing revenue to the tune of N10 billion yearly as a result of non-remittance of withholding taxes of Osun indigenes transacting businesses in other states. This comes about, just because the various Osun indigenes in other states (I mean, taxpayers on withholding tax) did not use Osun address in their ‘Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate’, instead, they used other address

perhaps, the address of where they live.

Meanwhile, taxpayer’s address is the prerequisite for tax remittance and the determinant on where to remit as far as Withholding Tax is concern.

It is therefore, disheartening to note that huge sums of money which ought to have accrued into the coffers of the government of Osun is lost, due to a simple reason of the address of where the payee resides. Osun can be financially independent with the support of all and sundry since ‘it takes the rubbing of two hands to make both hands clean’.

The appeal therefore goes to all residents and indigenes of the state, home and abroad to join hands with the Government in financing the ongoing developmental projects through the payment of taxes. This call is on all Osun indigenes transacting businesses in other states; let’s be patriotic to our state, let’s remit our withholding taxes to the coffers of the state by simply using Osun address for the Withholding Taxes related transactions with various public and private companies we transact business with.

Osun government is committed to building a vibrant economy aimed at boosting commerce, industry and improving the welfare of the citizenry.

We can together achieve this by contributing our quota through tax payment.

•Babalola is the Information Officer, Osun Internal Revenue Service

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þÜáøÚY JULY 7- THURSDAY JULY 13, 2017

Threat To A New Order An Osun, it is a birth pang of sorts.

An old order is dying â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and frankly, no sane mind would mourn its passage.

But a new order is struggling to be born. Again, until it is delivered, safe, healthy and strong, no sane mind can afford to be sanguine.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a dramatic juncture of two e x t r e m e possibilities: either to consolidate the emerging era of conscious safety nets, by a compassionate state, to shield the most vulnerable; or take a tragic roll-back into the prebendal past, where state resources were captive to the few fat cats in government â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and their cronies.

All that is playing out in the makegood senatorial election, billed for July 8. It is to replace the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke, aka Serubawon, the first elected governor of Osun and two-time senator of the Federal Republic.

Interestingly, in the rumpus to fill that void â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and elections here are always a rumpus, simply because barren folks often hide behind empty bluff and bluster â&#x20AC;&#x201D; is an Adeleke brood, Ademola Adeleke, literarily sworn to, willy-nilly, succeeding his elder brother.

To face him is Mudashir Hussain, a Tekobo (Lagos arriviste) by defensive but bitter local political gossip, but a legislative veteran in his own right.

Hussain represented Oshodi-Isolo, Lagos, as Alliance for Democracy (AD) member in the House of Representatives (1999-2007), before he joined the Aregbesola-led long trek to salvage Osun, back in 2007.

After losing to the elder Adeleke in the controversial election of 2007 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; an election not a few insist could be the worst in Nigerian history, in which Rauf Aregbesola himself got his governorship mandate stolen â&#x20AC;&#x201D;he defeated the same Adeleke, as sitting senator, to became an All Progressives Congress (APC) Osun West senator in 2011.

But Senator Hussain would yield his place to the same Serubawon, an election-eve trade-off to the defector from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after Serubawonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sinister confrontation with the Omisore group.

By Serubawonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s own words, the

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Observation úÝßýÞÿÝO ß úÝß qualification, and the eventual Ademola Adeleke scurry to the Osun PDP, the same party and people his late brother fled from for dear life.

In that piece, Prof.

Akinnaso did a clinical, if furious, putdown of Otunba Adeleke, for his desperate tactics. To be sure, that was well earned, with all

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order is dying and a new one is not fully born, these poster boys of democratic barrenness jerk awake at each electoral cycle, to rattledazzle the gullible, with a rich lather of empty emotions.

Omisore group threatened to kill him, with Jelili Adesiyan, then President Goodluck Jonathanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s minister of Police Affairs, allegedly raining stiff blows on Adeleke, at the PDP state secretariat at Osogbo, to underscore that threat. That sent hurtling the mighty Serubawon. For once, the fearsome one that sent folks scuttling, himself dived for cover!

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an irony of the no-holds-barred clawing for power, in these climes, that the younger Adeleke is back in bed with the same noxious forces that nearly politically gassed his brother.

In â&#x20AC;&#x153;The politics of death and the triumph of truthâ&#x20AC;?, Niyi Akinnoso, The Punch columnist, did full justice to the soulless manoeuvres of the younger Adeleke: the dirty politics of poison over a sudden family tragedy, the media amplification of that theory, the attempt to sully the waters over the coronerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s probe, the politics of intraAPC disqualification and re-

facts available.

But lo! Politics is often a utility business, with morality as the least consideration.

Remember the Machiavellian quip about the end justifying the means? The only catch though, is that a politician would forever live with how he defines himself.

Take Iyiola Omisore, furiously remaking his image and rebranding his political essence on Facebook, and other social media channels. Not bad â&#x20AC;&#x201D; after all, Saul, the ultimate anti-Christ turned Paul, the Christian neophyte-withoutequal!

But would that, open sesame, wipe off Omisoreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s past, any more than all the waters of the Atlantic would blot out the blood in the hands of the evil Lady Macbeth, in Shakespeareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play, Macbeth?

With his first steps in politics, the younger Adeleke has defined himself.

It is a democratic right he would float or sink with.

That, however, is not the problem.

The problem is what Adeleke and his new company epitomize: the right to pushing emptiness, as a democratic alternative to substance.

That is almost beyond pardon, especially in a state experiencing seven straight years of developmental governance, after nearly eight years of ruin and stagnation.

But because an old order is dying and a new one is not fully born, these poster boys of democratic barrenness jerk awake at each electoral cycle, to rattledazzle the gullible, with a rich lather of empty emotions.

In the past seven years, despite a deliberate orchestration of the contrary by the Osun opposition and their media

confederates, the news coming from Osun has been decidedly developmental.

Only from June 15 to 17, UNICEF midwifed a study tour by 16 states, to understudy Osunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social safety nets, for possible implementation in these other states. The states: Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara, Benue, Katsina, Delta, Lagos, Ondo, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Enugu, Adamawa, Kano, Bauchi and Rivers.

Lagos is to Nigeria what California, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Golden Stateâ&#x20AC;?, is to the United States â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the biggest economy around.

Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers and Ondo are oil royals, far more endowed than Osun. Kano is the northern commercial nerve.

Yet, all these states went, under UNICEFâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proud banners, to take a tutorial on what mighty developmental strides puny Osun had attained, with its meager resources, to protect its most vulnerable!

Apart from safety net programmes like OMEAL (the school feeding programme, which the Federal Government is adopting), OYES (youth volunteer and retraining programme, to tackle unemployment) and O-REHAB (focused on care for the destitute and the mental health-challenged), the whole state is a huge work-in-progress, in solid roads and futuristic schools, on a scale never witnessed before.

That is the new Osun, struggling to consolidate.

The old Osun? A daily plague of ruin: run-down schools; cratered roads; dysfunctional polity, where thugs were lords of the manor; a relay of contrived crimes to trap political opponents; and, of course, unfazed haven of institutionalized ignorance, and cavalier global capital of destructive rumours!

Indeed, the grim modern equivalent of Hobbesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s state of nature: an Osun where life was nasty, brutish and short.

So, the July 8 election is between Hussain and Adeleke, for the Osun West senatorial seat? Only on the surface.

The real battle is progressive and reactionary forces gunning for the soul of Osun, as prelude to the 2018 gubernatorial elections: either to further deepen the developmental strides of the past seven years (which would be wise); or slip back into the ruin of the past (which would be tragic).

Talk of the delicate tendrils of a new order, of hope and promise; tangling with the dry stubs of a dying order, of ruin and stagnation.

That, then, is the stark choice before Osun West voters - and one false step, it just might be back to the past of ruin, from the emerging future of hope.

â&#x20AC;˘This piece, published in The Nation Newspaper of Tuesday, June 27, 2017, is culled due to its relevance to the political situation in Osun.

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 Acting Editor, KAZEEM MOHAMMED, Telephone: 0806-220-7954, kazeemayofe26@yahoo.com. ISSN: 0794-8050.Website: www.osundefender.org., E-mail: osundefenderbank@gmail.com,