FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 06, 2026 VOL 21 NO 86
•DANGER!!! Fire hazard, CANCOGENIC propensities road into one. Telecommunications mast belonging to Pan African Towers Limited erected a few metres away from classroom blocks
Shola Aderinto HE management of a private school in Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State has demanded the total removal and relocaon of a telecommunicaons mast erected within its premises, saying the lives of 1,345 pupils and staff are in danger. The development is coming on the heels of findings by One House Development Ini a ve (OHI), a public interest Non-Governmental Organisa on, which re-
T
vealed that the mast owned by Pan African Towers Limited violates the Na onal Environmental (Standards for Telecommunica ons and Broadcast Facili es) Regula ons, 2011. The regula on s pulates a 10-metre setback from the perimeter fence of schools and hospitals. OHI had pe oned the Na onal Environmental Standards and Regula ons Enforcement Agency (NESREA), which in a le er dated January 28, 2026, directed the
firm to decommission the mast for lacking an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Cer ficate. Ten months a er, the order has not been complied with. Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, the School Coordinator, Mr. Sunday Oyinloye, corroborated OHI’s findings and demanded total removal. “We want total removal and reloca on of the mast because the required parameter needed for si ng such a mast, which says 10
metres setback from perimeter fencing and 15 metres setback from water source for school environment as indicated in the Federal Government 2011 gaze e, could not be implemented on the said plot of land,” Mr. Oyinloye said. He said the school community is living in fear: “We are afraid of the present and future health challenges of over 800 pupils, 450 students with over 95 teaching and non-teaching staff involved in the school op-
era on.” He disclosed that the mast was erected during the school holiday without permission. “This was discovered some me in October 2025, in which the bulk of the construc on was on when the school was on holiday. No permission was taken from the school,” he said. He said relevant authori es have been no fied since 2025. “NESREA, Osun State Capital Territory, Osun State Town Planning Authority, and Permanent Secretary through Egbedore Local Inspector of Educa on have already been no fied since 2025. Only NESREA responded with instruc ons to Pan African Towers to decommission the mast,” he said. He lamented that the state and local govern-
ment are yet to act and that the Egbedore Local Inspector of Educa on has not given any assurance. He said the mast is about 3 metres away from the perimeter fence. OHI had argued that acquiring adjoining land to meet the setback as suggested by NESREA is imprac cable as the facility is enclosed by school structures and a residen al building on three sides and a government road on the fourth, making outright removal the only viable op on. Mr. Oyinloye said the school rejected an offer for amicable se lement from the firm. “Pan African representa ves came to inform us that they have spent a lot on the erec on of the mast, solici ng for amicable se lement for the mast not to be removed, •Continued on page 2
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 06, 2026
2
News
Osun Govt May Sanction Oluwo Over In amatory Comments Shola Aderinto
O
sun State Government has read the riot act to the Oluwo of Iwoland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, warning him to stop forthwith his inflammatory rhetorics capable of igni ng religious confronta on, inter-town conflicts and disrup on of communal peace. The warning was contained in a le er from the Ministry of Local Government and Chie aincy Affairs, Office of the Permanent Secretary, dated November, 2026, with reference number CD.17/1/VOL.VIII/377, and signed by Wale Alliyu, for the Permanent Secretary. In the le er tled “Cauonary Notes On Inflammatory Rhetorics Capable Of Crea ng Religious And InterTown Conflicts”, the government said it had observed with worries and anxie es the recent well publicised statements and pronounce-
•Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) Osun Chapter led by its Chairperson, Comrade Abisola Ariwodola making presentation to the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola of INEC Osun office as ICONIC WOMAN ments from the monarch. ed the monarch that within to hold religious beliefs as di onal stool should not be “The persistence of such the context of the Nigerian guaranteed by the Cons - used to incite religious war, crisis-inci ng ac vi es and Cons tu on, every ci zen tu on. You cannot and you its occupants should also likely disrup ve conduct has a right to freedom of must not conduct yourself be mindful not to erode the against peaceful interfaith religious associa on, which in any way that can foment tradi onal values, culture religious crisis through serial and tradi on of the society cohabita on has reached a cannot be abridged. level this administra on can “As a tradi onal ruler, a acks on people of other on which they preside. “The role of a tradi onno longer ignore,” the le er you are bound by the Con- faiths,” the le er read. The government further al ruler is essen ally the stated. s tu on to respect the The government remind- rights of your cons tuents warned that just as the tra- preserva on of the cultural values and tradi on of the people. Pursuing a reform with poten al to create imity to the school,” he community violence and He said parents are manded for the removal conflict is a development threatening to withdraw and reloca on of the said. On safety during no responsible administramast. The parents threattheir wards. on will tolerate,” it stated. “The parents are not ened to withdraw their storms, he said: “In case of any strong or heavy The government said it happy with the situa on, wards from the school if held mee ng with the the mast is not removed winds or rainstorms, noted with shock and disPan African reps and de- because of its close prox- there are no possible so- belief several statements lu ons at sight for the and public u erances credsafety of the children.” ited to the monarch withThe Coordinator out denial. threatened legal ac on if “Your ac vi es are raisthe mast is not removed ing communal tension, before the next academic sowing seeds of commusession. nal and religious discord “If not removed be- and increasingly discreditfore the next academic ing the tradi onal values session, we will implore of your people and Yoruba the legal means of re- Society of which your domoval,” Mr. Oyinloye main is a major part. These warned. Mr. Oyinloye appealed to the Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, to urgently intervene and save the Latifat Bello lives of pupils and staff of HE Na onal Associa on the school. of Nigerian Students “We want Governor (NANS), Joint Campus Ademola Adeleke to intervene on this ma er by Council (JCC), Osun Axis, has saving the lives of pupils announced the uncondi onal and staff of the school. release of sixteen (16) stuThe lives of our children dents arrested in Ede, Osun are more important than State, following an opera on any business interest,” he by officers of the Cybercrime Unit, Zone XI of the Nigeria said. Police Force. He said the school The leadership of the ashas documentary evi- socia on, in a statement isdence including le ers sued a er the release, said wri en to NESREA and the development followed its its response dated Janu- collec ve interven on and ary 28, 2026, le ers to sustained engagement with the Permanent Secretary the police authori es over the through the L.I.E. Egbe- incident. dore, Town Planning AuDescribing the release as thority and Osun State a victory for jus ce, solidarity, Capital Development Au- and the collec ve determithority. na on to protect the rights, Efforts to reach Pan dignity, and fundamental African Towers Limited freedoms of Nigerian stuproved abor ve as mes- dents, NANS said the outcome sages sent to the number showed what unity and peaceprovided were not re- ful engagement can achieve. sponded to as at the me The associa on specially of filing this report. appreciated the Assistant
Telecom Mast Imperils 800 Pupils
•Continued from front page which was completely turned down by the enre stakeholders because the effects were inimical to the children who are future leaders,” he said.
Advert
developments cons tute serious threats to the peace, unity and stability of Osun State and your immediate domain,” the le er added. The government therea er issued six cau onary notes to nip in the bud any likely outbreak of religious and inter-town conflict: (i) that His Royal Majesty should stop forthwith any further a acks on the people of other faiths. All ci zens have rights to hold religious freedom of their choice; (ii) that His Royal Majesty should refrain from further a acks on fellow tradi onal rulers to forestall likely intertown confronta on; (iii) that His Royal Majesty should work to preserve the culture and tradi on of the people which the tradional stool you occupy symbolises; (iv) that His Royal Majesty should be guided by the norms and regula ons of behaviour as spelt out in the Chie aincy Laws and resoluons of the State Council of Obas; (v) that the Ministry of Local Government and Chie aincy Affairs will be monitoring compliance by His Royal Majesty with the above notes of cau on; and (vi) that the State Council of Obas is equally directed to watch and act on recent developments within Iwo land. “Please, Kabiyesi, kindly accept the highest regards of the Osun State Government,” the le er concluded. Efforts to get the reacon of the Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, as at the me of filing this report proved aborve.
NANS Secures Release Of 16 FEDPOLY Ede Students, Harassed By Police
T
Inspector-General of Police, Zone XI, AIG Bassey Samuel Ewah, for his interven on, leadership, and commitment towards ensuring the uncondional release of the students. NANS also extended its profound apprecia on to all comrades, par cularly the leadership and members of the Federal Polytechnic, Ede Students’ Union, for their solidarity, courage, and support throughout the period of the engagement. The release came a er days of tension and public outcry by the student body over the conduct of the officers during the opera on in Ede community. In an earlier press statement dated November 4, 2026, NANS Southwest Zone D, through the Office of the Coordinator, had strongly condemned what it described as a brutal hostel invasion and harassment of students by the Zone 11 Cybercrime Unit.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 06, 2026
T
HE campaign for reparaons, courageously championed by the far-sighted Bashorun M.K.O. Abiola, remains as relevant as ever. The revela ons and conversa ons his ini a ve triggered decades ago are s ll at the forefront of global discourse, reaffirming the foresight of the great Nigerian na onalist and democracy icon. It is regre able that Nigeria’s President was not present at the Commonwealth Summit in An gua, par cularly at a me when the ques on of repara ons for the vic ms and descendants of the transatlan c slave trade featured prominently on the agenda. His absence notwithstanding, the discussions at the summit reinforced the wisdom of Abiola’s historic advocacy for compensa on for the devastaon wrought by slavery. May his patrio c and Pan-African soul con nue to rest in peace. Let us not a empt to put a decep ve gloss on history: the slave trade was hideous, barbaric and profoundly destrucve. It disrupted the social, economic and poli cal ecosystems of African socie es, with consequences that con nue to reverberate across the con nent and its diaspora. No amount of historical revisionism can erase this reality, much less undo the damage. The Bri sh monarch, to be fair, does not wield the execuve authority of the Bri sh Government and therefore sought to steer a middle course in addressing the ma er. Importantly, there was no a empt to obscure or minimise the brutality of the slave trade. However, the monarch could not commit the Bri sh Government to financial repara ons for the descendants of its vic ms. To borrow from the tradi onal language of Bri sh governance, he is not the “First Lord of the Treasury”, a designa on reserved for the Prime Minister. The current Bri sh Prime Minister has demonstrated some alignment with calls for repara ve jus ce. However, given the country’s challenging
“Watching someone of African descent appear so dismissive of the historical experiences of her ancestors is both heartbreaking and troubling. Rather than simply condemn such attitudes, we should also recognise the psychological complexities of colonial conditioning”
3
Government reached an outof-court se lement with Kenyan vic ms of colonial-era torture, resul ng in the payment of £19 million in compensa on to thousands of Mau Mau veterans and their families. These were freedom fighters whose resistance helped pave the way Analysing What’s On The Front Burner for Kenya’s independence. That se lement demonstrated that historical injus ces can be acknowledged and addressed through meaningful repara ve ac on. It should serve as a useful precedent for broader conversa ons on repara ons. Opportunists such as Kemi Badenoch should also be reminded that, un l as recently as 2015, successive Bri sh governments were s ll repaying loans raised to compensate slave owners and merchants for the loss of their so-called property and commercial interests following the aboli on of slavery. In other words, the Bri sh state con nued to honour financial obliga ons arising from the aboli on of slavery long a er the vic ms of the slave trade and their descendants had been denied comparable considera on. fiscal circumstances, he must valida on within a dominant As the Bri sh themselves tread carefully and navigate the culture can produce a painful would say, “What is sauce for compe ng demands confron ng estrangement from one’s ori- the goose is sauce for the gangins. the Bri sh economy. Watching someone of African der.” The most disappoin ng interThe demand for repara ons, ven on, however, came from the descent appear so dismissive of which should also encompass Leader of the Opposi on in the the historical experiences of her the pursuit of a more equitable United Kingdom, Mrs Kemi Bad- ancestors is both heartbreaking interna onal trade and economenoch. It is par cularly unfortu- and troubling. Rather than sim- ic framework, must be sustained nate that, despite her Nigerian ply condemn such a tudes, we within the Commonwealth of heritage as the daughter of the should also recognise the psy- Na ons. Historical jus ce canlate Dr Femi Adegoke, a respect- chological complexi es of colo- not be separated from the coned progressive and medical doc- nial condi oning. Unfortunate- nuing economic inequali es tor, she has chosen to distance ly, thousands, if not millions, of that shape rela ons between herself so empha cally from her people across the world remain former colonial powers and Nigerian roots. In this regard, caught in similar struggles over their former territories. Nigeria may well be spared the iden ty, belonging and self-acIt is par cularly encouragembarrassment of claiming her ceptance. ing that our own dis nguished The demand for repara ons poli cal posi ons as representacompatriot, Dr Ngozi Okonjove of its interests. Her appear- must therefore con nue. It is a Iweala, was present at the ance on the Bri sh television legi mate historical and mor- Commonwealth Summit. Her channel, Sky News, was par cu- al demand, not an a empt to interna onal experience and rewrite history or impose an larly reprehensible. exper se in global economic Badenoch’s interven on ap- arbitrary burden on present governance should be brought peared to emerge straight from genera ons. There is also an im- to bear on the conversa on. The the pages of Frantz Fanon’s portant precedent worth recall- repara ons debate must move groundbreaking 1952 work, ing. A few years ago, the Bri sh beyond historical Black Skin, White Masks. Fanon, acknowledgement who originated from Mar nique OSUN DEFENDER to prac cal proposin the Caribbean, explored the Publisher – Moremi Publishing als for economic jusHouse Ltd. psychological consequences of ce, equitable trade – Sodiq Yusuf colonialism, par cularly the in- Ac ng Deputy Editor and sustainable deternalisa on of the coloniser’s Deputy Photo Editor – Shola Aderinto velopment. values and the resul ng aliena- Deputy Graphics Manager – Zainab Olalere May the soul of on from one’s iden ty. Produc on Controller – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa Bashorun M.K.O. Badenoch’s posi on raises Abiola, alongside uncomfortable ques ons about OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing those of all na oniden ty, self-acceptance and House Limited, Behind Oranmiyan Building, Gbodofon, alists who faithfully the lingering psychological con- Off Gbongan Road, Osogbo, Osun State. served humanity : 0794-8050 sequences of colonialism. Her ISSN and have since deapparent repudia on of her Af- Telephone : 0805-208-6134 parted, con nue : www.osundefender.com/index.php rican heritage evokes the kind of Website to rest in perfect : osundefenderhq@gmail.com iden ty crisis Fanon examined, e-mail peace. osundefenderbank@gmail.com in which the desire for social ac•Research assistance by ceptance, economic survival and All correspondence to the above email addresses. Israel Oladele.
Kudos To M.K.O. Abiola! The Quest For Reparations Remains Relevant
News
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 06, 2026 VOL. 21 NO 86 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com
L
OVERS of democracy understand that social stability, the provision of opportuni es for personal fulfilment, security and the possibility of upward mobility cons tute the bedrock of an enduring and con nually deepening democra c culture. Unfortunately, in the desperate struggle to retain poli cal power, which provides access to the distribu on of public largesse, these fundamental reali es are o en concealed beneath layers of propaganda and poli cal spin. However, conven onal wisdom is beginning to see through this web of make-believe. In the course of the week, respected voices have stepped forward to redress the balance and redirect public discourse towards the reali es confron ng the country. Ul mately, confron ng these reali es requires asking the fundamental queson: What is to be done? In an interven on designed to elevate the na onal conversa on, Atedo Peterside, founder of the highly regarded Investment Banking & Trust Company (IBTC), which later became part of Stanbic IBTC, has once again demonstrated why he has evolved over the decades into one of Nigeria’s most authorita ve, respected and non-par san observers of the economy. During the week, Peterside observed that the economic reforms of the Tinubu administra on had dispropor onately benefited wealthy Nigerians while worsening the living condi ons of millions of low-income earners. As reported by Vanguard, Peterside made this observa on during an interview on Arise Television on Monday. He argued that while uppermiddle-class Nigerians had recorded improvements in their investments and incomes over the past three years, poorer households were struggling to afford basic necessi es. According to him, the reforms had not adequately addressed the economic difficul es confron ng the majority of Nigerians. Peterside has correctly iden fied the fault line. What we are witnessing is not merely the failure of the muchtouted trickle-down effect of economic reforms. It is, in effect, a widening income gap in a society already weakened by limited opportuni es for self-improvement, economic mobility and social advancement. This is a dangerous development.
“The country is arguably experiencing one of the most difficult periods in its post-independence history. Evidence emerging from credible civil society organisations, including the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP)”
P2
B.A.C.K.S.T.O.R.Y
State Of The State
Amidst the propaganda, the daunting realities of governance can no longer be ignored.
If le unaddressed, it will con nually replenish the pool of frustra on, despera on and social discontent, creating fer le ground for criminality and other forms of social instability. To be forewarned, as Peterside is doing, is to be forearmed. What we have is a manifesta on of economic growth without meaningful development. The figures presented on paper may indicate sta s cal growth, but this has not translated into commensurate increases in produc ve output, produc vity, employment opportuni es and household prosperity. In this regard, sta s cs derived from ques onable methodologies increasingly stand at variance with the lived reali es of Nigerians on the streets. The symptoms of this malaise are everywhere: rising numbers of outof-school children, increasing crime rates, worsening living standards, widespread unemployment and deteriora ng social condi ons. The consequences of jobless growth can no longer be ignored or wished away. Another dangerous consequence of the kind of economic and poli cal arrangement being pursued is the entrenchment of STATE CAPTURE. State capture refers to the subordina on of the ins tu ons and mechanisms of government to the interests of a select and favoured group of individuals and economic actors. It is an outrageous distor on of the very concep on of democracy, which is supposed to guarantee equal ci zenship, accountability and the equitable distribu on of opportuni es. The danger of state capture was brought into sharp focus in the United States of America on Tuesday, when voters demonstrated their disapproval of the enormous financial influence being deployed to shape electoral outcomes. At a me when ordinary Americans are themselves confronting a difficult cost-of-living crisis, the rejec on of excessive financial influence in the democra c process carries an important lesson. The United States has deeper
democra c roots, stronger state ins tu ons and a more advanced economy than Nigeria. Yet, while Americans are grappling with their own economic difficul es, Nigeria is confron ng an even more desperate existen al crisis. Unlike the United States, Nigeria does not possess a sufficiently developed social safety net to cushion the effects of economic shocks on its vulnerable popula on. It is against this background that patrio c and though ul Nigerians such as Atedo Peterside are right to demand deeper reflec on, a more circumspect assessment of government policies and a sincere na onal conversa on about the country’s direc on. We would do well to heed their admoni on. In the fourth edi on of its muchadmired analysis of Nigeria’s subnaonal fiscal landscape, BudgIT has painted an equally troubling picture of the financial reali es confron ng the states. This should hardly come as a surprise, given Nigeria’s persistent distor on of the principles of fiscal federalism. The states have increasingly become dependent on federal allocaons, indulging in what can best be described as feeding-bo le federalism. This is the nature of the quasifederal arrangement produced by the 1999 Cons tu on, in sharp contrast to the more robust federal principles embodied in the 1963 Republican Cons tu on, the 1961 Cons tu on and, par cularly, the 1954 Oliver Lyttelton Cons tu on. The outcome is a disaster foretold. In a genuine federal arrangement, the cons tuent units should possess the capacity and ins tu onal incenves to generate substan al revenue from their respec ve economic acvi es, rather than depend almost en rely on financial handouts from the centre. Unfortunately, this dependence has encouraged a culture in which several states devote dispropor onate a en on to grandiose projects, o en conceived more as instruments of poli cal pres ge than as responses to the fundamental needs of their people. For many subna onal governments, governance has become an exercise in mo on without movement. Monumental projects and
grand announcements dominate public conversa ons, while li le serious thought is devoted to human development indices, poverty reduc on, educa onal advancement, healthcare delivery and the achievement of the United Na ons Sustainable Development Goals. The ques on is not simply how much money governments receive or spend, but what measurable improvements such expenditure brings to the lives of the people. The country is arguably experiencing one of the most difficult periods in its post-independence history. Evidence emerging from credible civil society organisa ons, including the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), as well as interna onal ins tu ons, con nues to raise ques ons about the capacity of subna onal governments to func on as effec ve agents of development. This represents a significant departure from the developmental responsibili es exercised by regional governments in the pre-colonial period and during the First and Second Republics. To paraphrase the Italian Marxist philosopher and poli cal theorist, Antonio Gramsci, Nigeria appears trapped in a system of social and economic rela ons that has spectacularly failed. In the absence of an equitable social contract and a coherent framework for collec ve responsibility, all manner of disturbing manifesta ons are emerging. Insecurity, kidnapping, insurgency, poverty, social disloca on and other forms of criminality are increasingly becoming defining features of the na onal experience. The fundamental ques on, therefore, is how long a society can con nue to operate under an arrangement that produces so much hardship, inequality and disillusionment without confron ng the structural causes of its predicament. Gramsci’s famous observa on about the interregnum remains parcularly instruc ve: “The old is dying and the new cannot be born; in this interregnum, a great variety of morbid symptoms appear.” Indeed, WE ARE IN THE AGE OF MONSTERS.
OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Behind Oranmiyan Building, Gbodofon, Off Gbongan Road, Osogbo, Osun State. All correspondence to the Acting Deputy Editor, SODIQ YUSUF, Telephone: 0805-208-6134. ISSN: 0794-8050. Website: www.osundefender.com Email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com, osundefenderhq@gmail.comAmconseq uatissim del estrud dolortie min vent dolore dit wiscips u