FRIDAY JULY 13 - THURSDAY JULY 19, 2018
NEWS
OSUNDEFENDER www.osundefender.org
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Osun Speaker Distributes Seedlings To Osun Farmers By Israel Afolabi In its bid to ensure adequate supply of inputs in agricultural sector in the state, the Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Dr. Najeem Salaam has distributed high yielding crop seedlings to All Farmers Association Of Nigeria (AFAN) Osun State Chapter. The lawmaker also In his remarks at the advised farmers to AFAN secretariat contribute to the Land Osogbo, Dr. Najeem Charge Bill before the Salaam urged youths to house while promising go into farming due to that their views would be unstable oil price globally factored in before the bill that is affecting the is passed. nation’s economy. He noted that a Salaam made it known Microfinance bank for will be that it is only farming that farmers can bail out this nation at established in the state to give loans to the farmers this critical period. According to him, without stress while there “whether we like it or not, will be training for we cannot continue to farmers to cultivate in line downplay the importance with modern systems of of farming because oil is farming. In his remarks, the no more booming. We want to lift farming to President of Osun chapter greater height in the of AFAN, Mr Kayode Afolabi noted that Dr. state”. He promised to give Salaam has kept his support to the farmers’ promise with Osun association with all things AFAN. He commended the within his power to ensure good cultivation in speaker’s good gesture towards farmers in the the state. He said, “I will support state while urging him to farmers with tractors purchase tractors for because I know the farming in the state. He charged Dr. Salaam, problems facing our as one of their members, farmers in general.” to stand up for farmers He however predicted for them to a brighter future for challenge have better life. farmers if given the He solicited his support necessary support with for the establishment of the required equipments farmers’ Micro-finance and tools to cultivate. Bank and farmers house
in the state as well. He urged government not to drive farmers out of
Oke-Osun farm settlement because of farmland scarcity in the
state. Among the crop seedlings distributed to
the AFAN are cashew, cocoa, oil-palm, pepper and moringa seedlings.
We Are Not Targeting Opposition Parties’ Posters - O-Signage By Francis Ezediuno The State of Osun Signage, Hoarding and Advertisement Agency (O-Signage) has said that the enforcement of its zero tolerance for illegal pasting of posters around the state has only targetted those who have refused to comply with the state Signage Law. Speaking with OSUN we have made it known DEFENDER recently, the that we have zero Chief Operating Officer of tolerance for the pasting of the agency, Mr. Niyi posters on walls. Oduola maintained that “As you know, this act the exercise affects all defaces the wall and also political parties, saying, defacing the new even in the course of the infrastructures put in place agency removal of illegally by the government too”. pasted posters, residents Oduola warned that had variously commented anybody not adhering to that they were surprised this directive would be that both posters of the spending money in the politicians in the ruling drain as the agency would and opposition parties spare no effort to remove were removed. such posters. Oduola noted that their He revealed that the actions all over the state agency had the capacity to had gone to show that no work effectively in all the posters was spared in as local governments because much as it threatened the the administration had aesthetics of the state as acquired state of the art that was the mandate of equipment for it to work the agency and that is perfectly. what they are committed He observed that if not to. for the agency’s activities, He revealed that at the whole state would inception, the agency had have been littered by written to all the political posters. parties notifying them “The job we do also about the new directive contributes to peace in the and the embargo on state. We have observed pasting of posters on walls. opposition and rivalry In his words, “from the even in the pasting of inception of this agency,
posters. That is not our major concern anyway. Our primary duty is to maintain the aesthetic of the state and that is what we have been doing”, he added. The Chief Operating Officer disclosed that the agency is more concerned with posters but if there was any notice on billboards from OSignage, it means that something was wrong. “As you know, since the embargo on politics, politicians tend to want to
misbehave and our agency is in place to regulate the erection of these billboards”. He also cleared the air on the relationship between O-Signage and the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) stressing that there was no relationship between the two bodies. He said, APCON has been the one putting the removal signs on billboards in the state.
Osun West Aspirants •Continued from page 2 condition of anonymity believed that the large number of aspirants contesting the primary under the ruling APC would not in any way affect the region chances of picking up the party’s ticket. Rather, he said, it is a welcome development which signifies the dire desire of the zone to produce the next governor. He said: “Osun west is one-third of the state. So
if anybody is contesting for the governorship position from the 30 local governments, he must have the support of the delegates from all the local governments, hence the issue of how many aspirants is insignificant. “There are lots of aspirants from the west because they believe it is their turn. It does not affect anything. They can struggle with the delegates from west as well as from other districts.
On-The-Hustings Osogbo Agog For Oyetola As He Rounds Off Consultations By Kola Odepeju The city of Osogbo, capital of the state of Osun, was agog for Mr. Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola, a governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), last week as he rounded off his consultation tour across the state. It would be recalled that Oyetola, with his group, IleriOluwa, started his consultation tour across the state about four weeks ago to drum support for his aspiration ahead of his party’s primary election coming up this month. The tour, which took off in Ife rounded off on Wednesday with visitations to Olorunda and Osogbo local governments. It was a massive reception in Osogbo, an indication of his acceptability in the state capital and all over the state. Earlier, the group and its Symbol had visited other local government areas of the state where the people turned out impressively to register their support for the group and promised to give their mandate to Oyetola in the party’s primary election and general election of September 22 this year. Just like every other local government already visited by Oyetola and his group, the story was not different in Osun West Senatorial District, as massive turn-outs of people were recorded in support of his aspiration. The way people turned out to receive the APC aspirant, particularly in the West Senatorial District showed that there was no united voice as regards West Agenda, as some party members and electorate said they preferred Oyetola over others due to his comportment, experience and competence to govern the state effectively. While speaking in Osogbo on Wednesday, the content of his speech was not different from what
•Supporters of Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola during a consultation tour.
he earlier said in all the local governments earlier visited as he hammered on continuity of Ogbeni Aregbesola’s welfarist programmes and developmental projects; even as he promised to do more. The gubernatorial aspirant mentioned that he knows the junction at which the job of good governance will stop under Ogbeni and also where to continue, saying, there won’t be any stoppage or delay in the continuity of the good governance which foundation has been laid by Ogbeni if he’s allowed to succeed him. He said, it is continuity that makes Lagos what it is today in terms of world class development, saying, the only way Osun’s story will not be different from
that of Lagos is to ensure the continuity which he is ready to offer. Finally, the gubernatorial contestant promised that government of continuity under him will ensure that the arrears being owed workers are paid while he will also take care of party members well and run an all-inclusive government that will give every stratum of the society a sense of belonging. He said, he is perfectly fit to occupy the governorship position, having served in Aregbesola’s government and understands what is next for the people of the state interms of development, saying Osun need a competent hand like him that would be determined to build on the ongoing development and give the people of Osun the best.