Osun Defender Online Version of April 29, 2022

Ogunbiyi Vows To Industrialise Osun, Ensure Compulsory Free Primary Education

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FRIDAY, APRIL 29 - THURSDAY, MAY 05, 2022 VOL 17 NO 17

•Aregbesola

•Adamu

•Oyetola

ADAMU MOVES TO SALVAGE APC SITUATION IN OSUN

•Launches Negotiation With Aregbesola’s Group Omigbodun And The Passion To Modernise Osun

In the first of our usual series in the electoral cycle, Kazeem Badmus beams the searchlight on the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the July 16, 2022 governorship election in the State of Osun.

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Ileogbo Residents Cry For Help, Say We’re Being Terrorised By Thugs

Osun 2022: We Are Planning Towards A Conclusive Election - INEC

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FRIDAY, APRIL 29 - THURSDAY, MAY 05, 2022

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News

Adamu Moves To Salvage APC Situation In Osun Ismaeel Uthman

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HE Na onal Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has begun moves to salvage the situa on of the party in the State of Osun, ahead of the July 16, 2022 governorship elec on.

Adamu, it was gathered, was worried about the sharp division and the ‘fight-to-finish’ tendencies of The Osun Progressives (TOP) and the IleriOluwa fac ons of the APC in the state.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that Adamu is trying as much as possible to forestall the imminent defeat of the party at the governorship poll because of the intraparty crisis that has turned members of the party against one another.

It would be recalled that Adamu was the Chairman of the APC Na onal Reconcilia on Commi ee and had met

both Aregbesola and Oyetola’s fac ons before the Na onal Conven on of the party.

According to sources at the Na onal Secretariat of the APC, Adamu is trying to ensure that he does not lose Eki and Osun governorship elec ons, being the first elec ons he will supervise as Chairman.

A member of the Naonal Working Committee of the APC who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER in Abuja, on Tuesday, said: “The Chairman is worried about the crisis in Osun APC. He knows the grievances of the two sides of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.

“You will recollect that he had met the two camps few months ago whilst he was the Chairman of the Reconciliaon Commi ee and he made some recommenda ons.

“Now as the Na onal

Osun 2022: We Are Planning Towards A Conclusive Election - INEC Yusuf Oketola

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HE Resident Electoral Commissioner, Independent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC), in the State of Osun, Professor AbdulGaniy Raji, has expressed the readiness of the Commission to organise a conclusive elec on at the July 16, 2022 governorship poll in the state.

Raji stated that INEC has embarked on voter educaon, sensi sa on and enlightenment towards a credible elec on in the state.

He made this known while addressing newsmen on Wednesday during the Commission’s Voter educaon workshop organised for cri cal stakeholders in the elec oneering process.

The REC noted that the workshop was organised to train their staffs, stakeholders, suppor ng organisa ons and agencies on people’s expecta ons from them and also on how to respect voters rights.

He added that the commission is ready to organise a transparent process and to conduct conclusive elec on.

Raji said: “This is a workshop on voter’s educa on and orienta on. The programme is meant to sensi se and enlighten people on their civic right on elec oneering systems. This start from what an elec on is, what are the requirements and who is involved and what are the steps to follow.

“It starts from Con nuous

Voters’ Registra on, an exercise which we have concluded in Osun. Before that, we did a •Continued on page 6

•Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, his wife, Olori Kafayat Olanipekun and Hon. Abdulhakeem Olaoye Otaoroju, former Chairman Osogbo South LCDA, during their Master degree graduation at Ladoke Akintola University Of Technology, Ogbomoso, on Tuesday.

Chairman of our party, Senator Adamu is more worried about the fightto-finish tendencies of the two camps. He does not want APC to lose Osun and no ra onal chairman or chie ain of the party would want his party to lose a governorship elec on.

“Moreover, the

Chairman does not want to start his administra on on a poor performance note. Eki and Osun governorship elec ons will be the first serious task he will handle. He does not want to lose the elec ons.

“I can tell you that the crisis in Osun APC will be se led in a mat-

ter of weeks. The Chairman had met with the Minister of Interior on several occasions and I think their discussions were frui ul. Negoa on is ongoing and hopefully, there will be a compromise; may be on the Na onal Assembly and State Assembly ckets of the party in

the state.”

When contacted, the Publicity Secretary of the Salinsile led facon of the APC, Comrade Abiodun Agboola, said he was not aware of any reconcilia on move, saying the general members of the public will know if such happens any me.

Osun Assembly To Launch e-Parliamentary Portal Towards Effective Legislation Yusuf Oketola

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HE State of Osun House of Assembly is set to launch an eParliament portal towards effec ve Legisla ve ac vies in the state.

This is as the 7th Assembly signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kimpact Development Ini a ve (KDI) for the actualisa on of the project.

The e-Parliament is an interac ve pla orm that will help ci zens and residents of Osun to track

bills under the legisla ve process and those passed among other features.

Speaking at the signing of the MoU on Tuesday, Speaker of the House, Timothy Owoeye, noted that the development of e-parliament will, among other things, facilitate ease of doing parliamentary business, strengthen the rela onship between the legislature and the public and above all, bridge the gap between legislators and their cons tuents.

Owoeye stressed that

the project will also enhance democra c prac ces and inclusive governance and thus bridge the massive gap and mi gate the weak rela onship between legislators and their cons tuents.

He said: “It will be recalled that shortly a er the inaugura on of the 7th Assembly in the year 2019, a 6-point Legisla ve Agenda was developed basically to give direc on and chart the course of ac on for parliamentary ac vi es.

“Apart from the development of e-parliament pla orm, other components of the 7th Assembly’s

• Signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the State of Osun House of Assembly and Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) for the development and upgrade of E-Parliament platforms for the Assembly.

Legisla ve Agenda include Quality Legisla on, Effecve Oversight, Accountable and Democra c Assembly.

Effec ve Public Engagement and Legisla ve Research Centre. While franc efforts are being made towards.

“Achieving the other five components, it is equally essen al to focus a en on of the development of e-parliament platform in order to meet up with the demands of the contemporary legisla on.

More importantly, e-parliament is considered to be the engine room for other components of the legislave Agenda.

“The e-parliament entails the use of internet services, telecommunica ons and Informa on Technology equipment and services and ac vi es to enhance parliamentary transparency, accessibility and accountability. “ The ICT has proved to be a significant supportive and facilita ve power for effec vely fulfilling the du es and responsibili es granted to parliaments by the Cons tu on. In order to carry out the func ons of legisla on representaon and oversight more ef-

fec vely, to connect with.

“Coming on board of e-parliament in the State House of Assembly, legislators would be in constant communica on, consultaon, interac on and dialogue with their cons tuents.

“In addi on, it will also enhance democra c pracces and inclusive governance and thus bridge the massive gap and mi gate the weak rela onship between the legislators and their cons tuents”.

In his address, the Execu ve Director of Kimpact Development Ini a ve, Mr Bukola Idowu, said Osun Assembly will be the first state in Nigeria to develop and deplore an en re eparliament pla orm for ci zen legisla ve engagement.

Idowu added that the project will be instrumental in strengthening ci zen engagement, providing innova ve ways to interact with them and enabling their access to parliamentary proceedings and documents.

He reiterated that the e-parliament will be ready and launched by June 2022 with the mely collaborave effort of the assembly.

PEOPLE FIRST

FRIDAY, APRIL 29 - THURSDAY, MAY 05, 2022

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Review & Outlook

BY RAUF AREGBESOLA A Thunderbolt From Marwa

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ROM Buba Marwa, the Naon’s can do an -drug czar, came a sugges on that affected the tone of the discourse during the week. Marwa wants all the presiden al aspirants to undergo a drug test.

The sugges on echoes a similar sor e a decade ago when former President Olusegun Obasanjo advocated for psychiatric evalua on of the mental health fitness of the candidates.

The two sugges ons remain conjectures for they do not have valida on in the cons tu on or the electoral law.

They should not be casually dismissed though, for they represent simmering unease about the quality of what is on offer.

Future amendments to the Cons tu on and the Electoral Law should examine the feasibility of implemen ng the sugges ons. In established democracies, a be er way of doing it will be by the way of a general na onal democra c agreement worked out and agreed upon by both poli cal and civil society. Sadly, our perennially ‘nascent’ democracy has not matured to that stage.

This means that for the good of

“Searching beam lights will have to be placed on the candidates. There is no alternative for this is a make-or-break decade for a nation warding off existential threats on a myriad of fronts” all, searching beam lights will have to be placed on the candidates.

There is no alterna ve for this is a make-or-break decade for a na on warding off existen al threats on a myriad of fronts.

Not just the press but a vigilant civil society must take part in detailed scru ny of the candidates.

Searching o en inconvenient quesons must be asked and answers demanded. It is in this way that the polity will begin to restore sensible and acceptable standards which has been terribly eroded over decades.

This will be a posi ve achievement, for the country. For to be compe ve in an interwoven global economy, it must field its first eleven.

Rigorous examina on will help to achieve this.

The Economics Of ASUU Strike

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OTHING signifies dearth of cri cal thinking in the APCled government like the lingering ASUU strike that is in the second month. In a tense situa on of escalating prices of diesel, petrol, foodstuffs, and collapse of the na onal grid; it is irraonal of any government to allow approximately three million students idling away in the streets, especially when we are dealing with an ailing economy like that of Nigeria.

Universi es in Nigeria are like factories. Shu ng them amounts to rendering thousands jobless. The economic value chain in Nigerian universi es is big --food vendors, sta onery sellers, okada, taxi drivers, landlords, banks and several small businesses in the value chain. All of these guys are today either underemployed or unemployed.

Letter To The Editor Our policymakers seem aloof and unaware of the mul plier effect of shu ng down businesses-genera ng sub-sectors like universi es.

All over the world, universies and other ins tu ons of learning are considered to be among business hubs for employment genera on, income redistribu on, and live-tes ng of the efficacy of macroeconomic policies.

Hence, the direct and indirect nega ve impacts of this ASUU strike could slow down the con nua on of more than 20 million businesses. We cannot build the desired future we all yearn for when policymakers cannot think of the impact of policies on the general well-

being of the people.

ASUU strike is taking a toll on the Nigerian economy. The strike is not just punishing the university teachers but an en re value chain is closed which is a recipe for unan cipated bigger crises. It is in the best interest of the APC-led government to hasten the return of the university teachers to classes. This would not only ensure those already employed remain employed but also those who eke out a living in the universi es remain busy. Nigerians need to be busier than they are now if we want sustainable economic growth. Slowing down private business acvi es is dangerous for any economy, and this exactly is what the ASUU strike, which the APC-led government has failed to address, is achieving. Very unfortunate!

TPL. Dr. Idowu Oyeleye Osogbo, Osun State.

Oba Adeyemi, The Inimitable Monarch Lives On

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LAAFIN of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Atanda Adeyemi III, has joined his ancestors a er a glorious 52 years reign on the throne of his fathers.

The curtain has therefore fallen on an inimitable era for a preeminent Yoruba tradi onal ruler, whose forebears presided over the most powerful and most advanced empire ever formed in Africa, South of the Sahara.

Oba Adeyemi was an elegant and colourful monarch. He was a bridge between the ancient and the modern. He encapsulated the totality of the recorded Yoruba history da ng back to the 11th Century. He was also urbane and cosmopolitan, moving seamlessly between the two worlds.

He would speak and act as the patron of Yoruba tradi onal ins tu ons in one breath and in another, he would be seen in a trendy sportswear, prac cing the most advanced aerobic exercise. Of course, he was a boxer.

He was also a moving encyclopedia of Yoruba history, culture and values. He could reel out events and dates in Yoruba history, ancient and modern, includ-

ing significant milestones, without leaving anything out. He probably knew everything about Yoruba history.

He was a father and mentor to me. He had a special liking for me un l he passed on. In 2013 when I was governor in Osun, we organised Oodua Children’s’ Day on May 27 to commemorate that year’s Children’s’ Day during which we brought par cipants from all Yoruba na ve and speaking parts of the world. Oba Adeyemi graced the occasion with Oba Okunade Sijuwade, the Oonirisa. They both acknowledged it was the first me they would be together in a public ou ng.

He honoured me with the tradi onal tle of ‘Omoluabi of Yorubaland’ and was one of the pillars of my administra on, suppor ng us with wise counsel and prayers.

He was a major player in the effort to se le the ri between me and my principal and he was s ll working on it ll he passed on.

My last moment with him was on March 7, in Ibadan, earlier this year, at the birthday ceremony of Dr Yunus Akintunde. As usual, he was colourful and mirthful. His warmth, effervescence and royal aura permeated the environment.

He was physically ac ve Publisher – Moremi Publishing and agile, never giving the House Ltd. impression of any impairDeputy Editor – Ismaeel Uthman ment of old age. We there(0805-121-2204) fore had no inkling that he would join his ancestors Produc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa any me soon.

Reporter – Yusuf Oketola My deepest condolencReporter – Kazeem Badmus es to his immediate family, Photo Journalist – Olushola Aderinto the government and peoComputer Graphics – Zainab Olalere ple of Oyo, Yoruba people OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing worldwide and his admirers House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite across the globe.

Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), Gbogan Road Osogbo, I pray for the repose of State of Osun his soul and unending comISSN : 0794-8050 fort for him at his next staTelephone : 0805-121-2204 on.

Website : www.osundefender.com/index.php e-mail : osundefender@yahoo.com •Ogbeni Rauf osundefenderbank@gmail.com Aregbesola All correspondence to the above email addresses.

“Oba Adeyemi was an elegant and colourful monarch. He was a bridge between the ancient and the modern. He encapsulated the totality of the recorded Yoruba history dating back to the 11th Century.

He was also urbane and cosmopolitan, moving seamlessly between the two worlds”

OSUN DEFENDER

FRIDAY, APRIL 29 - THURSDAY, MAY 05, 2022

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News

Ogunbiyi Vows To Industrialise Osun, Ensure Compulsory Free Primary Education

•(L-R) Accord Party State Chairman Mr. Olusegun Fanibe, National Chairman Accord Party, Hon. Mustapha Nalado presenting party flag to Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, the Governorship candidate of the party in the July 16 Osun State Gubernatorial election.

Kazeem Badmus

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ENOWNED business mogul, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, on Tuesday formally declared to contest the July 16, 2022 governorship elec on in the State of Osun under the pla orm of Accord Party.

Ogunbiyi whose declara on witnessed massive turnout of people from every nook and cranny of the State, said he understands the needs of the people and would definitely meet them if elected the governor of the state.

He vowed to ensure free and compulsory primary educa on in the state.

“Educa on needs to be strengthened in order to enable ci zens maximize their great poten als. Our efforts in the area of educa on will therefore, focus on the relevant areas which will include science, technology, crea vity”, he stated.

Speaking on the economy of the state, the Ileogbo born poli cian maintained that he would industrialise Osun and create enabling environment that will attract na onal and internaonal investors.

He said: “From day one of going past the finish line of this very important elecon, you will experience, at first hand, consistent hard work, the mantra of our government will be: Industrializa on.

“We will immediately tap into the posi ve dividends of Nollywood to create huge employment and appreciable inflow for our very resourceful youths.

We shall create a mega investment ou it to a ract na onal and interna onal investors.

“We will give financial and technical support to small, medium, big and

mega enterprises. Mineral resources shall be turned into high yielding finished products with the support of local, na onal and interna onal strategic partners.

“I am an experienced farmer and prac ce technologically-enhanced farming. Osun state within the shortest period, will be the food basket of Nigeria.

“Agro-allied industries

shall be established in our smart Industrial Parks.

Trade-based Coopera ve Socie es shall be established and well managed.

Real Estate Development will be given the pride of place all over Osun State and not only Osogbo. We will develop and ensure planned, clean and beneficially integrated city centres. We will definitely be

on course, for produc vity and growth.

“Our value-adding metrics will be on the rebound from the very first day of our tenure.

“Our youths and women will be the first line of atten on in our government.

We will provide them with opportuni es to develop as entrepreneurs by leveraging on the abounding op-

portuni es in Informa on Technology, ba k making and other innova ons.

“We can no longer behold our future genera ons waste away as a result of laissez faire or unserious a tude to the very serious business of governance, unemployment and deliberate abandonment when we can put their talents and skills into produc ve use for the growth and development of our dear state. I have a game-changing profile as a well-tested entrepreneur that always achieves beneficial results.”

Ogunbiyi urged the people of the state to support his ambi on and vote for him on the elec on day, just as he urged the electorate not to sell their votes.

“My fellow ci zens of Osun State, do not believe in the old and discredited playbook that your mind can be skewed and your acons determined by envelopes of money that is not from hard work and beneficial value-addi on.

“We must be guided by democra c norms, and value-adding acts of dedica on, not noise, lies, vainglory and empty promises.

We will be deliberate and disciplined and encourage every ci zen, to take own-

ership of the Osun Development Project. We will all join hands, set the tone and achieve the urgently needed paradigm shi that will give birth to Osun State of our dreams. A leading State in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Demagogues promise quick fixes for complex problems. They are constantly pushing back to prevent or stall beneficial progress in order to maintain the status quo. They want to con nue to pocket power in order to keep their privileges.

“They are afraid of change and are therefore, constantly fanning embers of unproduc ve disagreements, resentments and disunity. They distribute money in order to fracture ra onal thinking and carefully thought-through decisions.

“Definitely, we have unique and very useful skills in Osun State to enable us develop and grow our economy and dras cally improve our well-being.

My colleagues and fellow ci zens of Osun State, our assets are for produc ve growth and not for usage to sa sfy the whims and caprices of self-serving interests.”

Osun 22: YIAGA Africa Calls For Free, Fair Poll, To Deploy 560 Observers Ismaeel Uthman

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renowned elec on monitoring group, Yiaga Africa, has called on media prac oners in the State of Osun to be ac ve par cipants in the process of achieving smooth and credible electoral processes that will guarantee free, fair and credible elec ons in Nigeria.

This is just as Yiaga Africa, called for a free, fair, credible and transparent July 16 gubernatorial elecon in the state, no ng that pre-elec on electoral ac vi es play vital roles in the conduct and outcome of every elec on.

A board member of the group, Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu, made the call during a Watch The Vote(WTV) Media Dialogue Round Table Discussion for print and broadcast journalists in Osun, yesterday, in Osogbo.

According to Nwagwu, Yiaga would be deploying 560 elec on observers to monitor pre and post elec on processes in all the 30 local government areas of the state, He said the group, through its WTV, would deploy observers in pairs to a representa ve random sample of 250 poll-

ing units in all the local government areas.

Nwagwu said Yiaga would also be using Parallel Vote Tabula on (PVT), an advanced technology that leverages sta s cs and technology for the observa on of the process of vo ng, coun ng and tallying of elec on results.

“Five hundred WTV polling units observers would be deployed to observe the accredita on, vo ng and coun ng processes on elec on day”, he said.

He added that the group would also be deploying 32 trained longterm observers to monitor pre-elec on ac vi es across the state.

The elec on analyst said Yiaga would also deployed addi onal 32 observers to monitor result colla on process at the local government result colla on centres on the elec on day.

Nwagu urged all the stakeholders that will be par cipa ng in the elecon to come together to ensure that the poll is

peaceful, inclusive, transparent, credible and fair, saying what the group is a er is a credible poll that everyone would be proud of.

“In spite all the challenges Nigeria’s democra c system is facing, it is s ll the best form of government and must be protected”, he said.

In his technical presenta on, the Elec ons Manager of the group, Paul James, said that PVT would allow the group to present an accurate and comprehensive assess-

2022: Osun PDP Begins Statewide Campaign, Vows To Oust Oyetola Yusuf Oketola

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HE Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) in the State of Osun has begun its campaign for the July 16, 2022 governorship elec on in the state.

The campaign began immediately a er the inaugura on of the party’s Campaign Council on Monday in Osogbo, capital of the State of Osun.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, the Director General of

the campaign, Mr. Sunday Bisi, said majority of the people of Osun want PDP to takeover the lead-

•Sen. Ademola.

ership of the state from All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to Bisi, there is no doub ng the fact that Governor Adegboyega Oyetola would be defeated in the forthcoming governorship elec on, saying the popularity of the governor is dwindling day-by-day.

He said the PDP is ready to offer good governance and put smile on the faces of the people of the state.

The campaign train of the party was in Iwo on Tuesday and Ilesa yesterday.

ment of the elec on processes.

James said PVT would also help the group to detect, expose and deter fraud during the elec on and also remove uncertainty in verifying elec on results.

Speaking during the opening remarks, the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Osun Council, Comrade Wasiu Ajadosu said the country’s democra c and electoral processes need to be given special a enon by the media and civil society groups for desired development.

According to Ajadosu, both the media and the civil socie es have relaxed since they won the ba le for the return of democracy in 1999, urging them to gear up to the new cause of sustaining and developing the hard earned democracy.

PUBLICATION MRS. OGUNNIYI FUNMILAYO MARY That I was formerly known and addressed as MISS GBEMISOYE FUNMILAYO MARY now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. OGUNNIYI FUNMILAYO MARY. All former documents remain valid.

General public should take note.

FRIDAY, APRIL 29 - THURSDAY, MAY 05, 2022

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News

Ileogbo Residents Cry For Help, Say We’re Being Terrorised By Thugs Ismaeel Uthman

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LEOGBO, the headquarters of Ayedire Local Government, State of Osun, is under the siege of some notorious hoodlums who have been terrorising the community for the past four years, inves ga ons have revealed.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the hoodlums have subjected residents of the community to perpetual fear, following unabated a acks on innocent people and constant disrup on of peace of the town.

Findings revealed that the thugs, led by one Nureni Ajagbe, are always armed with Pump Ac on, dane guns, cutlasses, axes and charms.

The hoodlums, it was gathered, killed an Hausa man known as Kabiru Musa, on April 19, 2022.

Kabiru was reportedly shot by one Isaac Dada, one of the thugs where he was harvesting maggot at Aderu, Sta on Road area, Ileogbo, around 9am.

According to sources,

•Accuse Community Leaders Of Conspiracy, Complacency the deceased was shot for refusing to give the hoodlums money when he was asked.

A human right ac vist in Ileogbo, Mr Abiodun Funminiyi, confirmed to OSUN DEFENDER that the thugs have illegally cons tuted themselves into ‘authority’ with the aid of some community leaders.

Funminiyi accused some influen al people in the community of conspiracy in the criminal ac vi es of the hoodlums.

The Coordinator Advocate For Jus ce said: “We called on the state Government and the Inspector General of Police to come to our aid in Ileogbo. These thugs have been terrorizing us with impunity for the past four years.

“The thugs are being sponsored by some prominent members of the community. These people have compromised the Divisional Police headquarters in Ileogbo, and the police

at the Area Command in Iwo are always under pressure to release these thugs whenever they are arrested.

“On April 14, 2022, the leader of the thugs, Nureni Ajagbe, shot a young man, Adetunji Akande twice. He met Akande and one other person figh ng and instead of separa ng them, he went straight for Akande and attempted to slap him.

Akande guided himself so that he would not be slapped.

“Nureni was furious that Akande could summon courage to guide himself. He then went for his pump ac on gun and shot Akande in the hand. Akande therea er began to run for his life, but he was shot again in the leg by Nureni.

“Akande’s rela ves went to report the case at police sta on in Ileogbo. Instead of arres ng Nureni, the suspect, the police arrested Akande, the vic m. They claimed that Nureni had come

to report that Akande was selling Cannabis Sa va and that was why he shot him. It took the interven on of some of us before Akande was released.

“We reported the case at Area Command in Iwo and the police arrested Nureni. He was detained and released the following day a er the people who are using him called the police.

The police said they will arraign him in court but nothing has been done ll now. He is walking freely in Ileogbo.”

Speaking on the death of Kabiru Musa, the human rights acvist said: “Kabiru was killed by Dada, one of the hit man of Nureni gang. Dada shot Kabiru because he did not give them money.

“What happened is that on April 19, 2022, Kabiru was harves ng maggot at Aderu, Staon road, Ileogbo and these same thugs asked for ‘se lement’. Kabiru said his master would

•Akande. pay them, pleading with them to be pa ent. But

Thugs Brutalise Sowore Loyalist Over Campaign Posters In Osogbo Yusuf Oketola

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R. Afolabi Ayorinde, a loyalist of the African Ac on Congress (AAC) Presiden al candidate in the 2023 general elec ons and the convener of #Revolu onNow Movement, Omoyele Sowore, was on Tuesday a acked and brutalised by some thugs over campaign posters in

•Afolabi.

Osogbo, capital of the state of Osun.

Ayorinde, an indigene of Ikirun, was said to have been a acked by some thugs suspected to be followers of Asiri Eniba, at Igbona area of Osogbo, when he was going to Ikirun.

Asiri Eniba, whose real name is Kazeem Oyewale, is the Chairman of Na onal Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Oroki

Branch, Osogbo.

The vic m, according to report, was in Osogbo at the early hour of Tuesday to meet with the leadership of #TakeItBack and AAC for the collec on of campaign posters, banners and other materials needed for Sowore’s campaign in Ikirun.

According to a press statement issued by the Osun Chapter of Take It Back Movement and signed by the Coordinator, Comrade Samson Tola, Ayorinde was dragged out of the commercial bus conveying him to Ikirun and was mercilessly beaten by the thugs.

The movement while condemning the act called on the Osun Police Command to inves gate the ma er and bring the perpetrators to book.

The statement which was made available to OSUN DEFENDER yesterday reads, “The Take It Back Movement, Osun State Chapter, decries the aggravated assault of one of Sowore For President campaigners, Mr Ayọ, at Osogbo while going back to his hometown Ìkìrun by

some thugs loyal to one popular poli cal thug, Àṣírí Ẹnibà. We equally call upon the police to arrest and prosecute the lawbreakers accordingly.

“The assaulted Ayọ came to Osogbo in the early morning of Tuesday to meet the leadership and members of Osun TIB/ AAC for the collec on of campaign materials like posters, banners and other needed materials for his domain in Ìkìrun. Immediately a er he le , report came to us that Mr Ayo was a acked, dragged out and mercilessly beaten by touts while already in the bus conveying him back to Ìkìrun.

“We found out that some of his fellow passengers in the bus were asking him about the Sowore For President campaign posters he was carrying and he told them about it, not knowing that one of the passengers have made a telephone call to some individuals who later came and assaulted him at that spot.

“We want to reiterate our posi on that the law

allows ci zens to associate with and campaign for any poli cal party or candidate of their choice devoid of undue interference.

“More importantly, we demand halt to state sponsored a acks on human and democra c rights of innocent ci zens, electoral violence, and vote buying during elec ons.

“We demand arrest and prosecu on of statesponsored poli cal thugs and call on Osun youths to desist from being used for electoral violence and other selfish purposes by corrupt poli cians in the state”.

Ayorinde, while speaking with OSUN DEFENDER said he was able to recognise the hoodlums that a acked him as followers of Asiri Eniba because they have had series of encounters with them at the barricade.

All efforts to get reac on from Asiri Eniba proved abor ve as his phone number was said to be switched off ll press me.

Dada did not listen, he brought out a gun and shot Kabiru. The guy died instantly.

“If care is not taken, these thugs will graduate to full fledge armed robbery gang and nobody will be safe again.

The police should act fast on this.”

Corrobora ng Funminiyi’s claim, a legal prac oner, Mr Taiwo Alagbe, said some influen al people are ‘using’ the thugs to oppress the less privileged and perpetuate evils in Ileogbo.

According to Alagbe, the thugs are being used to grab land, a ack opposing voices and ins ll fear in the people by some influen al personali es in the community.

He said he had handled series of cases involving some of the hoodlums, saying their sponsors have compromised the police in Ayedire Local Government and a sec on of the judiciary in the state.

Alagbe called on the Commissioner of Police and the State Government to nip in the bud the criminal ac vi es of the hoodlums and restore sanity into the town.

FRIDAY, APRIL 29 - THURSDAY, MAY 05, 2022

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Religion

JUMAT SERMON

LL praise is due to Allaah, and may His peace and blessings be upon the final Messenger, His pure family, noble companions, and all those who folBy low them with righteousness until Imaam Muhammad the day of Judgment.

Laylatul Qadr is better than a Abdulalimi thousand months.

In the Holy Qur’an (97:1-5), Allah says: “Indeed, We revealed (the Qur’an) during the Night of Decree.

And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree? The Deprived is truly unfortunate: One who is Night of Decree is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend deprived of Laylatul Qadr is truly unfortutherein by permission of their Lord for eve- nate: The companion Anas ibn Malik reported: ry matter. Peace it is until the emergence of “Ramadhaan approached, so the Messenger dawn.” of Allah said: ‘This month has come to you, Previous sins will be forgiven One who spends the night in prayer, his and in it there is a night that is better than a previous sins will be forgiven. Prophet Mu- thousand months. Whoever is deprived of it hammad said: “Whoever spends the nights of is deprived of all goodness, and no one is deRamadhaan in prayer out of faith and in the prived of its goodness except one who is truly hope of reward, he will be forgiven his previ- deprived.”

When It Occurs? ous sins.”

The majority of scholars are of the opinion that Laylatul-Qadr may occur on any of “If anyone cannot spend all the odd nights of last ten days of Ramadhaan and is not able to pray the the odd nights in the last ten nights of Ramwhole night he should at least pray Isha and Fajr adhaan.

The Prophet Muhammad said: “Search in congregation on that night. It would be enough for Laylatul-Qadr in the odd nights of the to fill its scales In Sha Allah. The Prophet last ten nights of Ramadhaan.” said: “Whoever attends Isha prayer in congregaWhat to do? tion, then he has the reward as if he had stood half If one finds Laylatul Qadr, he should seek of the night. And whoever prays Isha and Fajr forgiveness from Allah. in congregation, then he has the reward as if he had A’isha asked the Prophet, “O Messenger spent the entire night standing in prayer” of Allaah! If I knew which night is Laylatul-

Qadr, what should I say during it?”

And he instructed her to say: ‫ُﻑْﻉﺍَﻑ َﻭْﻑَﻉْﻝﺍ ُّﺏِﺡُﺕ ٌّﻭُﻑُﻉ َﻙَّﻥِﺇ َّﻡُﻩَّﻝﻝﺍ‬ ‫ﻱِّﻥَﻉ‬ O Allaah! You are Most Forgiving, and you love to forgive. So forgive me.

If one cannot pray whole night If anyone cannot spend all the odd nights of last ten days of Ramadhaan and is not able to pray the whole night he should at least pray Isha and Fajr in congregation on that night. It would be enough to fill its scales In Sha Allah. The Prophet said: “Whoever attends Isha prayer in congregation, then he has the reward as if he had stood half of the night. And whoever prays Isha and Fajr in congregation, then he has the reward as if he had spent the entire night standing in prayer.”

Imam Malik (d. 179 H) narrated that he had heard that Saheed ibn al-Musayyab (d.

94 H) used to say, “Whoever is present at Isha on Laylatul-Qadr has taken his portion from it.”

May Allah count us among those who will witness laylatul Qadr, Eid, and grant us acceptance of fasting, prayer, charity and alms giving.

May Allah make this sermon a beneficial one for me, the writer, the readers, and the entire Muslims. And our last prayer, is praise be to Allaah Almighty, Lord of the worlds.

News

We Are Planning Towards A Conclusive Election...

Laylatul Qadr: Significance & Virtues Of The Most Important Night Of The Year

I’m Not A Thief, I only Help In Selling Stolen on from newsmen, said complice, Yusuf, killed Phones - Suspect he is not a thief but only and dismembered the deceased when they met Kazeem Badmus

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suspected armed robber, Lukman Adedokun, has said that he was not part of a gang who specialised in robbing Point of Sales (POS) operators in the State of Osun.

But Adedokun confessed that he is just an accomplice who helped in selling stolen phones.

Adedokun, alongside two other suspects, Gbenga Opeyemi and Ibukun Ajayi, were on Tuesday, paraded by the Nigeria Police Force, State of Osun command, for allegedly robbing POS operators in Ikirun.

Addressing newsmen at the Police headquarters in Osogbo, Police Public Rela ons Officer, Mrs Yemisi Opalola, said some POS operators in Ikirun complained about the incessant robbery on them, in a pe on to the commissioner of Police, Mr Wale Olokode.

She said the commissioner, upon receiving the pe on, directed detecves to swung into acon, adding that the sus-

pects who perpetrated the act and receiver of the stolen items were arrested by the men of the force.

She said, “On 30th March, 2022 the complainants who are POS Operators within Ikirun area, reported through a pe on, addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Osun State, that in the Month of March 2022, on different days, mes and places, unknown gunmen trailed them from their various shops to their houses, using gun and other weapons and robbed them of their hard earned money, 30 new different phones and other valuables worth N5million.

“On the receipt of the informa on, the detecve swung into ac on and through me culous analysis of intelligence gathered, the suspects who perpetrated the act and receiver of the stolen items were arrested. The suspects will be charged to court as soon as the inves ga on is completed”.

However, Adedokun, while answering ques-

assisted those who stole the phones to sell them.

Adedokun who claimed to learn lling said he was a pick-pocketer before he mend his ways.

He said he helped the suspected armed robbers to sell 14 phones for N15, 000.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, one of the suspects, Ibukun Ajayi, said they trailed their vicms to their houses and use cutlasses to scare them before robbing them of their valuables.

He said: “It is true that we robbed them and what we normally do is to trail them to their houses a er they closed from shop and we use cutlass to scare them”.

Among other paraded suspects are Muideen Nafiu, Yusuf Muslim and Rabiu Fatai, who allegedly killed a widow, Aisat Yekeen and dismembered her corpse for ritual purposes in Ileogbo, Ayedire Local Government of the State.

Responding to quesons from Journalists, the prime suspect in the crime, Nafiu, said his ac-

in his room.

He, however, admitted collec ng the hands of the woman, which his accomplice intended to use for him for money ritual.

Speaking on another breakthrough by the command, Opalola also said police officers have arrested one Abdullahi Abdulkareem for threatening to abduct a member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adebayo Taiwo, and one Jus ce Oke. According to her, the suspect sent text messages to the vic ms, demanding between N500,000 and N2m or they, alongside their family members, would be abducted.

“On the receipt of the informa on, a team of police detec ves swung into ac on and through series of relentless efforts, the suspect was arrested with the phone used to perpetrate the act.

“He confessed to the commission of the crime and will be charged to court a er the compleon of the inves ga on,” Opalola concluded.

•Sheik Muhammad Abdulalimi, is the Mudiru Ad-Da’wah Wal-Irshad, Obaagun, State of Osun.

•Continued from Page 2 lot of voter’s educa on sensi sa on enlightenment and therea er this implementaon process is meant for the next stage towards elec on, where we are going to sensise people on elec on processes, the right of people during the elec on, voters expecta ons from our staff and other stakeholders.

“The suppor ng organisa ons and agencies that will come to par cipate in the elec on. The roles of the voters and the community at large at ensuring that we have peaceful elec on while the commission is making efforts to ensure that we follow the normal standard and procedures in assuring the people that as much as possible to ensure that we are not par san, we are not taking side and we assure them of credible elec on.

“We will make sure that in the elec on, we are transparent. We are also through the voters’ educa on, seeking for people’s supports and coopera on to ensure that we join hands together.

“We don’t want disrupon during the elec on, we don’t want an inconclusive elec on and we are going to conduct a conclusive elecon. Those who are trained at today’s workshop are our electoral officers who are heading the local governments in the state and their

assistants. In each local government, we have three assistants.

“In each local government, we have minimum of assistants that are senior staff. All our head of departments at the state headquarters and the management team are also here, about 12 corps members who have been going round markets with posters and placards to sensi ze people on voters educa on which help us greatly during the Con nuous Voters’ Registra on are also here.

“This process is very important part of the elecon process. Today, we have those who are major stakeholders in this workshop and the INEC headquarters have also sent a powerful team, about four deputy directors from voter’s educa on department, gender and inclusive.

Raji also noted that about 370,000 Permanent Voter’s Cards of those who registered between 2011 and 2018 are yet to be collected.

He stressed that people are not coming to collect their PVCs in spite of all the sensi sa on and enlightenment.

The REC reiterated that PVC of those who registered from June 2021 to March 2022 will be ready for collecon as from next week.

Kazeem Badmus

FRIDAY, APRIL 29 - THURSDAY, MAY 05, 2022

Profile

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Omigbodun And The Passion To Modernise Osun In the first of our usual series in the electoral cycle, Kazeem Badmus beams the searchlight on the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the July 16, 2022 governorship election in the State of Osun. versity), for B.Sc. and M.Sc. Architecture, University perience, he is focusing majorly on ‘Youth Develop-

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RC. Oyegoke Akinrinola Omigbodun, born about the me Nigeria was declared a Federal Republic, into the Oloba’do family ily of Osogbo, is a cer fied Architect, Estate Surveyor, veyor, Poli cian, Teacher, Proprietor and the first person erson licensed to prac ce Architectural and Estate e Management in Nigerian.

His father, the late Venerable Julius Ladun-joye Omigbodun, was then pioneer Principal off the Osogbo Grammar School and first Chair-man of the then Osogbo District Council thatt stretched across about five of the present Local Governments of Osogbo, Olorunda, Irepodun, Orolu and part of Egbedore. The same late Ladunjoye Omigbodun was the first Uni-versity graduate from the then Osun Division n and was therefore easily the scribe and spokes-man of the Obas of Osun Division that ini ated d and wrote the first le er to the then GovernorrGeneral, Sir John McPherson, on 8th October er 1950, reques ng for the extrac on of Osun Division from any administra ve headquarters in Ibadan, a long struggle that culminated into the he crea on of Osun State in August 1991.

It was during the tenure of his father as the Chairman that Electricity and Pipe-borne water ter came to Osogbo. The first tared road in Osogbo gbo was also done during his father’s tenure.

These and many more landmark are what the young Omigbodun is willing to latch on as he prepares to contest the Number One seat of the State tate of Osun.

Omigbodun is contes ng for the Governorship seat in July 16, 2022 gubernatorial elec on under the pla orm of the Social Democra c Party (SDP) and is willing and ready to serve the people of the State efficiently and transparently.

He worked with Chief Bisi Akande during his me as governor of the state as the Chairman of Osun State Property Development Corpora on (December 2000 to May 2003). He was also the State Programs Monitoring Adviser (SPMA) of the United Na ons Development Program (UNDP) in Osun (March 2001 to August 2003), and Special Adviser to the Governor on Inter-Party Rela ons (2008 to 2010).

Oyegoke’s mother, the late Iya-Abiye Regina Ola de Omigbodun was the daughter of the late Jagunoshin Johnson Awoyera-Awoyemi from Logun Compound, Okerewe Ile-Ife, then one of the most trusted chiefs, associates and confidants of Baba Ooni Adesoji Aderemi, first Governor of Western Nigeria. Mama Regina Ola de Omigbodun re red as the Chief Health Sister of the Old Oyo State, shortly a er its crea on, having served as Deputy Chief Health Sister of Western State, Nigeria.

Having a mother who worked in the health sector, Oyegoke believed so much in offering free and qualita ve health to the people. The kind which will be accessible to residents of the state without having to travel abroad.

Oyegoke Omigbodun thus had a background of great apprecia on for good educa on and poli cal enlightenment, from parents that mentored and sent him to All Saints Primary School, Osogbo, Government College, Ibadan (School Number 3062), then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo Uni-

of Ilorin, Nigeria, for Masters in Business Administra on (MBA) and the Premier University of Ibadan, for Masters in Geographical Informaon Systems, M.Sc. GIS.

As a lover of educa on and a student of history, Omigbodun is willing to provide qualita ve educa on and believe that the state has enough resources to achieve it. He is ready to block the loopholes and retain enough resources to be able to run the state University, Polytechnics and Colleges of Educa on.

Goke Omigbodun is a professionally qualified teacher, registered by the Teachers’ Registra on Council of Nigeria (TRCN), an Architect licensed by the Architects Registra on Council of Nigeria (ARCON) and a chartered Estate Surveyor & Valuer, registered by the Estates Surveyors & Valuers Registraon Board of Nigeria (ESVARBON).

He has travelled across countries and with his ex-

“He has travelled across countries and with his experience, he is focusing majorly on ‘Youth Development and Global Infrastructure.

Omigbodun wants to channel the energies, intelligence and knowledge of Osun youths towards ensuring a well boosted state economy. He plans to make Osun state the bulb of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and businesses in Nigeria which will in turn lead to crime reduction, youth engagement, employment and economic growth ”

ment and Global Infrastructure. Omigbodun wants to channel the energies, intelligence and knowledge of Osun youths towards ensuring a well boosted state economy. He plans to make Osun state the bulb of Informaon Communica on Technology (ICT) and businesses in Nigeria which will in turn lead to crime reduc on, youth engagement, employment and economic growth.

He believes Osun Youths can have job status that are ICT based and be the drivers of the industrial revolu on in Nigeria, just like the drivers of merchandise and industrial revolu on in America located in the State of California. He sees the youths as his pillar and wants them to vote him as the next governor of Osun State to achieve this.

Goke Omigbodun once served as Caretaker Chairman of the then Alliance for Democracy (AD), in his Olorunda Local Government, and has been Deputy Chairman for about four years to date, of the Social Democra c Party in Osun State, Nigeria.

Goke Omigbodun has been a consistent strong voice for the restructuring of the Federal Government of Nigeria, to facilitate devolu on of more powers to and greater resource control to federa ng units and their Local Government Areas. Omigbodun believes there is need for Nigeria to go back to when state government had control over what they generate internally.

The energe c progressive minded poli cian has been going out to campaign about restructuring and that is why he tled his Campaign ‘Yoruba e Ronu’ (Yoruba think deeply).He wants Yoruba to go back to the days of Obafemi Awolowo when cocoa money was used to build Cocoa House because he was controlling cocoa money without being forced to do so.

Osun people need a governor that is going to be a voice of the people and take us back to that me when there was resource control to the extent that Awolowo could build the tallest building yet in western Nigeria outside of Lagos.

They need a governor that is ready to priori se youth development, provide free educa on, give quality health and make a good usage of the state resources. The man is Arc. Oyegoke Omigbodun.

Goke Omigbodun’s Non-State ac vi es include being a Co-convener and pioneer President of the Network of NGOs (NETNOS) in Osun State, Trustee of ANGELS Founda on, former Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Ins tu on of Estate Surveyors & Valuers (NIESV), Osun State, former Chairman, Nigerian Ins tute of Architects (NIA), Osun State, and serving Ex-Officio Member of Council of the NIA. Goke Omigbodun is a member of the Osun Development Associa on (ODA), a beneficiary of the Rockefeller Founda on ini ated global Leadership for Environment & Development as LEAD Fellow, as well as a Fellow of the Nigerian Ins tute of Architects (FNIA).

Good Governance Globally is a watchword and aspira on of the gentleman and poli cal ac vist,

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T is a pity that most of our poli cal analysts are like mo vators of the school of Direct Interpreta on of Equivoca on (DIE). They o en tend towards the way of hackers .

Instead of looking at obscured poli cal issues from the Dynamic Equivalent Interpreta on (DEI) system of communica on, they look at them from myopic lenses. A Psycholinguis c approach to this Osinbajo/Tinubu betrayal syndrome (being bandied from mouth to mouth) would definitely have assisted us in avoiding gobbledygook or hobbledegooking while saving us from playing the folk etymologists on issues that need clarity of mind. Many cri cs don’t actually understand the meaning and the psychology of betrayal, a word which is in the same cognate family of traitor and traditor among others.

And how do you have the whole and holis c view of a word which depth of can lever you do not fathom? Too many of our media genera on go into needless depression and die from unmet expecta ons, even as many engage in hate literature as a result of folk mo va onal system of communica on rammed into their mindset.

It was the same DEI metalinguis cs system of manipula on with which the Shakespearean three witches communicated their predic ons to Macbeth and brought him to an Equivoca on in which they fired up his desire but robbed him of the needed strength. Zeal without knowledge is dangerous while knowledge without zeal is weak and useless. It is the breeding ground for arbitrariness.

I go with the Chinese Philosopher whose priority among other things is to correct language.

“If language is not correct, then what is said is not what is meant, if what is said is not what is meant, then what ought to be done would remain undone, if what ought to be done remains undone, then Art and Moral would deteriorate; if Art and Morals deteriorate, then jus ce would go astray, and if jus ce goes astray, people would stand in awful confusion.” This is the reason why there should not be any arbitrariness in whatever we are saying.

No doubt, too many analysts (in this context and content) are ge ng the meaning of betrayal wrong simply because we are in the days of lazy drones who have folk a tude to mo va onal speaking, where-in we ignorantly equate speaking with popular etymology and the Tall stories for popular consump on.

There is no doubt that they are part of acceptable linguis cs but they have limited poli cal and monolingual resources to in-depth and cri cal thinking which such ma ers touching the des ny of Nigeria demand.

It was reported that Asiwaju had long been insinua ng and smelling betrayal around Osinbajo since the me he allegedly counselled that

“We may not need the second citizen to go to rooftop or any hilltop to convince Nigerians about the presidential cordiality between him and the Number One citizen in the last seven years, and everyone who (for instance) knew the relationship between President Olusegun Obasanjo and his vice, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar when they were in power, understands that the difference is simply clear ”

I’m Not A Thief, I only Help In Selling Stolen Phones - Suspect Pg. 6

PERSPECTIVE BY LERE FAGBOLA

The Political Portmanteau Of Osinbajo/Tinubu: What Betrayal?

•Tinubu and Osibajo a Muslim/Muslim cket, on the fulcrum of which Tinubu was hoping to share the Vice Presidency cket with Buhari, was not then appropriate for Nigeria.

Again, many armchair analysts are also bandying, from lips to lips, the same theory (like cats in a chorus) that the Vice President’s well-informed decision to go for the Presidency amounted to betrayal of Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu.

A case of the tail now wagging the dog.

What is it to betray? To betray is to deliver up a person or thing treacherously. To be treacherous is to be perfidious. Perfidy is formed from PER+FIDES (FAITH) That is, to violate faith. Indeed, it is a word more in the household of faith than in the corridor of other thing.

The alterna ve word for betrayal is Tradere”.

The word is cognate of the word Traitor, formed from the La n traditor, and from tradere, which is to deliver.

Traditor is anyone of the early Chris ans who in order to save their lives, gave up copies of the scriptures or the good of the church to their persecutors.

This is not the space to tell about the untoward a tudes of too many of our Nigerian Chris ans who expect poli cal manna of power to fall from heaven as if power does not require responsibility. They claim that poli cs is a dirty game, yet celebrate Christmas in which the Lord Jesus Christ wears humanity to enable Him touch humanity for good governance. Betrayal is a word that touches faith more than any other subject. It is more of faith in a cause than in any other things.

The issue of faith or religious belief speaks for the deepest feelings and sensi vi es of indi-

viduals and communi es. On such issue as one touching on one’s goal, the Sage of our land, Chief Obafemi Awolowo counselled that one must be immutable even though one could be flexible as to the method to achieving such goal.

With Professor Osinbajo’s experience as far as Presidency is concerned, he is nearer and more at home than Tinubu could ever be, especially in this poli cal dispensa on.

And as a man of faith, conscious of the fact that faith must be expressed in ac on, even as the most appealing poli cal mission is being genuinely concerned about the welfare of the people, the Vice President would be betraying his convic on if he refuses to go for presidency just because Tinubu had consistently showed interest in it.

It is high me the country’s interest and poli cal des ny were surveyed as issues of deep concern beyond what should be subordinated to the wishful inani es of ordinary people; simperings of socialites and pomposi es of poli cians.

When we talk about the Portmanteau of Osinbajo and Tinubu, we are not talking about their travelling bag but referring to the transferred mantle of leadership between them.

What do we mean by portmanteau?

No doubt it is a travelling bag or box for carrying clothes. French: portmanteau, from PORTE stem of PORTER; to carry. But It is formed from PORT+MANTEAU(MANTLE) being POWER. Conversely, it is the box of power.

Those who are thinking that Tinubu declared his interest and inten on in the na on’s Presidency must be missing the point as far as the poli cal portmanteau between him and Professor Osinbajo is concerned.

Tinubu had more than seven years ago made his inten on known through his lobby and demand for the Vice Presidency slot, which mantle however fell upon Osinbajo.

“When two masquerades encounter each other in public, it is usual for them to seek obeisance one from the other. On the lower levels, their followers operate as if the issue depended on whips and blows. But when the two masqueraders confront one another, they know that the contest on the higher plane is a contest of “MESALIYM” Every word u ered by each of them is not allowed to pass on its face value.”

Tinubu had not only in the presence of his poli cal lieutenants sighed concerning his interest in the Presidency, he asked for it through the Vice Presidency office but he was not blessed with sufficient: “hukemu” being statements couched in the future tense but assuming the character of commands.

And the very day he lost it to Osinbajo was the very day his poli cal Elijah yielded the double por on of his mantle of presidency (though reluctantly) to Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

Tinubu should be God-fearing enough to pour for God, the water of the Presidency fetched by champions, like Osinbajo who risked all it takes to go to Aso Rock.

Professor Yemi Osinbajo had been faithful in many of the assignments that came his way during the short period he acted for the President. I do recall here that it was during one of such periods that experts gave kudos to him for ini a ng progressive economic measures which culminated in the improved World Bank ra ng of Nigeria as the 145th country opera ng transparency in enabling business environment and in easiest access to credit facility.

The experts who noted that Nigeria had with a 24 milestone success jumped away from its previous 169th posi on in the world, agreed that policies put in place within four months by the Vice President had yielded economic dividends but called on government to deepen the ini aves across board while matching them with acts of parliament for sustaining the tempo.

Indeed, if there is one enduring legacy which posterity dare not to squander, it is the sanity which President Muhammadu Buhari has finally brought to bear on June 12 episode, as he did not only give na onal apology to the winner of the 1993 presiden al elec on as well as to his family, he crowned June 12 as the na on’s Democracy Day .

This is where I find Farooq Kperogi’s ar cle tled:” Ten reasons Osinbajo will ignite a Religious Civil war” distasteful, weak and illogical.

The allega on that the Vice President was a bigot could only have held some water if Osinbajo is not part of Buhari’s administra on which redressed the evil perpetrated on June 12 by a fellow Muslim.

We may not need the second ci zen to go to roo op or any hilltop to convince Nigerians about the presiden al cordiality between him and the Number One ci zen in the last seven years, and everyone who (for instance) knew the rela onship between President Olusegun Obasanjo and his vice, Alhaji A ku Abubakar when they were in power, understands that the difference is simply clear .

“It is a good horse that never stumbles and a good wife that never grumbles.” And ming is s ll an essence of military or poli cal success. It was said of General Fabianus that he used the element of right ming for the many great ba les he fought and won. He would not go to war simply because his enemies are spoiling for fights, He would bide his me and wait ll the zero hour when he launches right into the territory of the enemies, rou ng them, black and blue.

The zero hour doth come for Osinbajo; Let those who have ears hear.

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

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

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