Osun Defender Online Version Of March 16, 2018

CRIME

NEWS

Mob Burns Car, As Police Parades 11 Suspects SUV Crushes Teenager Of Armed Robbery, Fraud, To Death Others In Osun - Page 15 - PAGE 3

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•Osun Commissioner for Police, Fimihan Adeoye

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VOL. 013. NO.10

ISSN: 0794-8050

N100

Osun Development Plan:

Setting The Path For A Prosperous Future PAGES 5 & 6 SOCIAL REGISTER

Oranmiyan Group On The Move PAGE 8/9

NEWS

Osun Leads In FDA Partnership Projects Execution PAGE 12

POLITICS

PAGE 10

•Osun Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Olalekan Yunusa (2nd right) and some other stakeholders at a 3-Day Envisioning/Capacity Building Workshop for Sector Plan Development Team on MTSS in Osogbo on Wednesday.

Osun 2018:

APC, PDP, Others In Dilemma?

I'll Be A Single Term PAGE 2 Governor, Estranged Accord Party Members If Elected Accuse Chair Of Threat To Life - Fajobi •It’s A Blackmail - Fanibe PAGE 2

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Osun 2018:

NEWS

FRIDAY MARCH 16 - THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018

APC, PDP, Others In Dilemma?

choice of the district to confused as to the choice primaries.

Labour Party, Accord

By Shina Abubakar Meanwhile, other Party and NCP seems to zone the ticket. The of candidate that would With barely four months to the conduct of party Adagunodo faction, be acceptable to the political parties too seem have been at lost with primaries ahead of the 2018 governorship election according to reports, has general public in the poll, to have refused to grow regards to political in the state of Osun, political activities among settled for the west this, investigation out of the shadow of the realities in the state as parties in the state is still at its lowest ebb contrary senatorial district, but revealed has hindered APC, PDP and their none of the parties is to the expectation of the general public. activities showing any readiness to Omisore is said to be hell- both parties from going political The ruling All prospective aspirants bent on having another ahead with political appeared to be dictated give the two dominant activities so it could by the action of the two parties a fight for the Progressives Congress and their supporters. shot at the ticket.

(APC) had attempted to It was gathered that curtail fallout of its major political parties in guber poll later in the OSUN DEFENDER lift ban on political gathered year. that the both parties were decisions before the the state. activities in the party decision not to lift the about two weeks ago ban was not unconnected thereby creating with the party’s inability excitement among to finalise over which members of the party and district to zone its supporters of potential governorship ticket, as aspirants, but the excited many members of the public were disappointed party favour zoning the as the party is yet to lift ticket to the West the ban, making it about Senatorial district. the second time to be Information at the unsuccessful in its medium’s disposal attempt to make the revealed that the voice of political space lively. the party’s hierarchy is Similarly, the not united on the matter ostensible internal crisis as different chieftains of rocking the main the party had different opposition party has stances about it. A become an hydra-headed former Governor of the nemesis which is sapping State and a chieftain of party gladiators of their the APC, Prince energy and attention Olagunsoye Oyinlola away from the had at a public function preparation for the guber disclosed that it is the •Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd right); Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola poll and with no hope of turn of the West (2nd left); Chairman House Committee on Health at State House of Assembly, Honourable Leke Ogunsola (right) going away any moment senatorial district to and President Customary Court of Appeal, Justice Gloria Oladoke during the Commissioning of Primary Health soon.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI. produce the next Care Centre, Ijebu Ijesa on Tuesday.

The party has not been governor of the state. able to reach compromise Checks further regarding the way to go revealed that the APC is on the conclusion of its battling with convincing congress as it has failed to majority of its members The Policy and development to the state,

By Abdullahi Omotayo bring warring factions to to buy into the idea of Research Consultant adding that it has Senior Special Assistant to the Osun Governor on described the round table thereby returning the ticket to as expanded the state failing to meet the Osun central with a view Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs), Dr Folawiyo unprecedented the beyond expectation.

Olajoku has emphasised that, since the creation of expectations of the to convincing the achievements of While speaking on the people, who rely on them electorates to vote for the the state in 1991, no government has surpassed Governor Aregbesola, activities of SDGs, the Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s achievements within stressing to provide alternatives. that no SSA said no fewer than party later in the year.

It was gathered that governor has ever nine primary health Similarly, even while seven years of his administration in history.

This was the remarks of Olajoku while fielding recorded such strides centres across the state one of the opposition gladiators in the PDP gladiators, Senator Iyiola have refused to sheath questions from A r e g b e s o l a ’ s since the creation of the were built in the last few Omisore holds the party their swords, the party is journalists in Osogbo the performance months. is state. by the jugular because of also divided on the state capital, saying that exceptional.

Olajoku who noted He said: “Some of the his political ambition that the APC led targets of the 17 SDGs, against the resolve of the government in the state which have taken over entire party machinery in has visibly performed from the millennium the state because he has with its impacts spread development goals the ears of the party’s the state, said what include: to overcome •It’s A Blackmail - Fanibe across national secretariat. the state government poverty, reduce hunger, the petitioner and his accomplished through introduce good health The popular parlance

By Sola Jacobs cohorts had no right Sustainable Development and quality education, as among members of the PDP in recent times has The internal crisis rocking the state of Osun blackmailing him or Goals apart from those well as good jobs and been “It is Osun PDP vs chapter of the Accord Party has taken another twist Accord Party after they ones executed by the state economic growth.

Omisore”, which seems as the estranged members of the party alleged that had left the party. on its own are second to “But in Osun, we focus He disclosed that the none. to be a reflection of the the state chairman, Hon. Segun Fanibe threatened our goals on good health leader of the group their lives and that of their immediate family position of the majority of Some of the laudable and quality education.

(David) went as far as projects of the present Those two goals are very the party members, members.

The petitioner therefore alleging that he (Fanibe) administration according key to the sustainability In a petition written particularly in the Osun central and west from the Chambers of pleaded with the police sponsored a malicious to Olajoku includes; of other goals. senatorial district with a Samuel George and Co., authority to use its office “Ewi” against Chief Introduction of “Between August last Adedoyin, the section of the Ijesa counsel to the Vice for discreet investigation Raheem the year and now, we have Maye of Ife knowing his O’Ambulance, Federal Constituency in Chairman of the party, and that Hon. Segun closeness with the programme that had successfully built nine should be support, while Ife Federal Comrade Olasoji David Fanibe many lives Primary Health Centres monarch of Ife, Oba saved Constituency appeared to to the police authority in arrested, investigated and Enitan Adeyeye involved in road accident, in Oke-Ila, Atakunmosa prosecuted for be solidly behind the Ile-Ife, which was made construction of bridges, East and West, Oke Inisa available to OSUN threatening his life and Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, construction of roads in Ijebu-Ijesa. former senator. saying the petitioner was that of his family DEFENDER, the This stems from a “Also in education, we just out to tarnish his among others. members. public reaction of a petitioner claimed that He also mentioned the have built, renovated and Reacting to the personality. member of House of “Segun Fanibe and his allegation free meals given to pupils upgraded many OSUN DEFENDER in when Representative from Ife, cohorts had on the March contacted, Hon. Fanibe its investigation contacted of all the elementary elementary and middle 8, at about 10:00am, tried Dr Albert Adeogun that to eliminate Olasoji said Comrade Olasoji a source within Division public schools every schools in Egbedore, Ife zone is yet to produce David with a car along David and four others are ‘A’ police station Moore, school day; construction Osogbo , Olorunda, Iwo a governor since the birth XELA hotel, Mayfair in just few among thousands over the petition against of the state-of-the-art among other areas in the of the state over two Ile-Ife. Accord Party classrooms, introduction state. of the party members who the decades ago.

All these projects are around chairman in the state of of calisthenics in public The petition further went However, the ruling alleged that when the blackmailing him after Osun and the source schools among other rural based and the idea confirmed that the station interventions APC seems to be the most said Fanibe could not leaving the party. in of global goal is to troubled as party succeed with the plan to He added that Otunba received the said petition education, health, as well execute the projects that hierarchy is yet to have a eliminate him, he started Iyiola Omisore and from the counsel of Mr as human and capital can better the lives of the common ground over the threatening his wife and Asiwaju Bola Tinubu left Olasoji David since development. people in the rural time it would lift ban on children, insisting that he Alliance for Democracy, March 8th, 2018.

Olajoku said all these communities. In my office The source added that aforementioned projects today, we have been able political activities, a must return to Accord sometimes ago and they position that is not Party otherwise his safety did not blackmail their Fanibe has however not have brought to embark on two major former party, therefore, responded to police u n p r e c e d e n t e d goals, suitable to some is at stake. health and invitation. education”.

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SDGs Handler, Olajoku Scores Osun High

Estranged Accord Party Members Accuse Chair Of Threat To Life

FRIDAY MARCH 9 - THURSDAY MARCH 18, 2018

NEWS

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3

Osun Assembly Calls For Compliance On Land Use Charge best among them during

By Israel Afolabi She also complained their engagement, The State of Osun House of Assembly has called because their about all the independent for due compliance from stakeholders with the Land appointment is not petrol marketers, private Use Charge Law 2015 as passed by the state permanent”. schools and hoteliers that legislature.

“There is going to be a are not cooperating with needful substitution for revenue officials.

Chairman, House project in the state.

However, some Committee on Land, According to her, “we those who are not ready consultants who spoke at Physical and Urban have agreed to choose the to work”, she added.

Development, Hon. Nurein Adebisi made the call on Thursday at an interactive meeting with But UNESCO’s officials of the Ministry of Communication Finance and relevant Consultant (Regional stakeholders at the state Office), Mr Olusola

By Ismaeel Uthman Assembly, Osogbo.

Macaulay has dismissed Adebisi said the Contrary to the claims of the former Deputy Omisore’s claim, saying meeting was convened governor of the state of Osun, Senator Iyiola Omisore, that the union was not based on the report the the United Nation Education Science Organisation currently funding any committee received on (UNESCO) has denied committing any fund or fraction project in the state, and land use charge bill to the reconstruction of the just commissioned that the state government at no time approached the recently passed by the Workers’ Drive, Osogbo. organisation to fund the house and to know the Omisore had last week had role in the Workers’ Drive. barriers that hinder claimed that UNESCO reconstruction of the “There was no time the revenue generation. committed 70 per cent to former Ola Iya/OdiAccording to him, “we the funding of the Workers Olowo/Ita-Olokan road, Osun State government or its agencies approached notice low performance Drive and added that the which links the road that of revenue personnels crisis-riddled Peoples leads to the Osun Groove UNESCO to support the project or contribute and poor handling of the Democratic Party (PDP) road. anything to it. We didn’t revenue in the state and that there is still the need to review some sections of the law”, he added.

He urged the revenue The deceased was

By Gbenga Adeniyi personnels to be practical A 15-year-old boy was on Monday crushed to coming out of the and realistic in their popular Ayegbaju approach, so as to get the death after a Sport Utility Vehicle lost control and market around old rammed into the young boy in Osogbo, Osun State required results.

Governor’s office when The lawmaker, capital. therefore, called for critical review of engagement of consultants for the Land Use Charge and due compliance with the provision of the law as passed by the House of Assembly in 2015.

In her contribution, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Mrs. Adebimpe Ogunlumade who is handling thew land use charge projects in the state complained of fund as a major setback and poor handling of the job by revenue personnel.

She confirmed that the appointment of some consultants were based on due processes because •Scene of the accident at Ogo Oluwa area, Osogbo on Monday where a 15-year-old Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI. they are familiar with the boy was killed.

the meeting, Sanusi Raheem and Olukayode Olalekan lamented over the non-cooperation with revenue marshals in the state.

In their separate remarks, members of the

committee urged the people to change their way of doing things, adding that excuses would no longer be tolerated in revenue collection in the state again.

Workers’ Drive Road: UNESCO Denies Funding Project

•Govt Demands Apology

pay 70 per cent or any other fraction to the project, as being peddled”, Macaulay said.

Reacting to the UNESCO report, the state government demanded apology from Omisore, describing him as a serial liar.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Adelani Baderinwa, in a press release on Wednesday said Omisore should apologise to Governor Rauf Aregbesola, the government and the

Mob Burns Car, As SUV Crushes Teenager To Death

A Year After: Ife,

Hausa Communities Reflect On Mayhem

By Sola Jacobs A year after the crisis between Yoruba and Hausa Communities that claimed lives and property in Ile-Ife, people in both communities have reflected on the need to maintain peace and tranquility in their domain.

Last Saturday, the Adegboye enjoined the Hausa community Hausa community to organised a prayer session livefully peacefully with which was led by Seriki their host community, Hausa of Ile-Ife, Alh. while he guaranteed their Muktar Madagali, and security in Ile-Ife and its attended by the environs. representatives of the According to him, the Commissioner of Police in issue of communal clashes, the state of Osun, insecurities and other vices traditional rulers in Ife is all over the world and no community as well as land is of exception, but the friends and well wishers. government of Nigeria and The representative of the Osun in particular are state Commissioner of doing their best to ensure Police, CSP Funso the security peaceful coAdegboye, the Area existence of its residents. commander in Division A The police chief Moore police station, therefore advised the stressed the importance of people of the community to peace and good seek and maintain peace at neighbourliness as a all times. prerequisite for growth and While reflecting on the development. past mayhem, the leader of

the Ile-Ife Hausa community, Alh. Muktar Madagali, said he was full of gratitude for the support, care and love of individuals who donated in kind and cash to the victims of the civil disturbance.

He prayed for the repose of the souls of those that lost their lives and enjoined his people to distance themselves from anything that will threaten the peaceful co-existence in their host community.

A social critic in Ile-Ife, Mr. Olaobaju Olalekan said that the lessons learned from the aftermath of the civil disturbance cannot be forgotten in a jiffy by both communities, as all had known that peace is an essential ingredient in dayto-day living.

He added that both communities had since sustained strong relationship and commitment towards

maintaining peace in the area and that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye should be commended for his initiative to build bridges of peace within and outside his domain.

Olaobaju said that the incident had made both communities to be security conscious, as well as flush out criminal elements within Sabo and its host community.

Olaobaju then advised the government to tackle the issue of youth unemployment, insecurity and poverty in the society and advised that both Hausa and Ife communities should be vigilant, never allow religious fanaticism, criminal elements and unpatriotic people to threaten the peace of the land, as no meaningful development could take place in any community marked with acrimony and disunity.

the incident happened.

According to an eye witness, the deceased, who was on errand to buy pepper in the market, was returning home when he was killed.

The vehicle was said to have lost control while on speed and skipped off the highway before ramming into the deceased.

The grey coloured SUV with registration number, Lagos JJJ 243 EF was said to have a middle age man, his wife and kid as occupants.

While the occupants were quickly ferried away to safety, the angry mob set the vehicle ablaze.

Another eyewitness, who claimed to know the deceased, said he was preparing for his Junior Secondary School Certificate Examination at the time he met his untimely death.

“The vehicle was coming from OgoOluwa area and rammed into the boy, killing him instantly,’’ she said.

Mr Rasaki Azeez, the father of the deceased and Deputy Chairman of NURTW at Fakunle Motor Park in Osogbo, said he could not believe his son was dead, until sympathisers came to call him at the park to retrieve the body of his son.

He said that the corpse had been deposited at the morgue of Ladoke Akintola University Hospital, Osogbo

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people of the state for lying that UNESCO contributed 70 per cent of the fund for the reconstruction of the road.

Baderinwa said “The UNESCO statement has confirmed the position of the government on the reconstruction of the road, and reinstated our claim that it was done 100 per cent from the Omoluabi I n f r a s t r u c t u r e Conservation Fund.

“Omisore should eat the humble pie and toe the responsible line with the UNESCO having officially punctured his blatant lies.

He should be bold enough to apologise to Governor Rauf Aregbesola, the state government and the people of the state. Taking this step will help in redeeming his battered and hogwash image in this particular issue.

The former deputy governor has demonstrated, by engaging in rumour peddling and spreading falsehood, gross incompetence and lack of understanding to run government.

“He has exposed his intellectual laziness to think or conduct simple research on how a renowned organisation like UNESCO runs its affair before embarking on his white lies.”

Baderinwa maintained that Omisore’s action calls for worry because he is a leading governorship aspirant of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which has shown that the party lacked a requisite person to hold the exalted position of the governor of Osun.

“This apparent failure is indicative of the fact that Omisore is a failed aspirant whose rabid desire to rule pushes him to tell lies with a view to gaining relevance, even when that hurts and disorients the people” he said.

The Commissioner advised Omisore to update himself on how government and organisations run, saying his conduct so far has shown that he might have been impeached as a deputy governor because of his incompetence and misconduct.

He urged him to desist from deliberate efforts at misinforming the people of the state and face his charges with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), just as he urged the good people of the state to once again disregard the lies.

PAGE

4 Will Omisore Ever Apologise?

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Nothing better illustrates the pathetic base politics of Osun PDP than the fatuous claim by Senator Iyiola Omisore that the United Nations Educational and Scientific Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) gave Osun State government over 70 per cent of the amount spent to reconstruct the Olaiya-Ita Olokan Road – the road that leads to the sacred Osun Groove. In an apparent bid to disprove the statement made by the governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, while inaugurating the 2.8 kilometre road on Tuesday, March 6, said that the state got the money to construct the road from the Omoluabi I n f r a s t r u c t u r e Conservation Fund with the approval of the state House of Assembly, he claimed that the global body largely provided the funds.

His words: “It is an open secret and matter in the domain of the public that the Osun State government had assessed counterpart funds from UNESCO, which is in excess of over 70 per cent following the designation of the Osun

It is bad enough that Omisore will drag the respectable international body into his kind of politics. Sadder still is that UNESCO’s swift rebuttal of the barefaced lie has changed nothing as far as Omisore and his PDP are concerned.

Osogbo Groove by the world body as one of the World Heritage sites for local and international tourists.

“This is not new and practical efforts, which climaxed in the attraction of such funds to Osun, began during the regime of the Peoples Democratic Party.

But, it is a statement of fact that Aregbesola received counterpart funds from UNESCO”.

Coming from an individual, albeit a serial loser, who once aspired to govern the State of Osun, such fiction in the name of politicking obviously takes him and his party to a new low. The truth however is that UNESCO provided no such funds to the state government. UNESCO in a statement issued by its

’

Communication Consultant (Regional Office) Olusola Macaulay was emphatic: “UNESCO did not contribute any fund to the construction of the road that leads to Osun Grove. And there was no time the Osun State government or its agencies approached UNESCO to support the project or contribute anything to it. We didn’t pay 70 per cent or any other fraction to the project, as being peddled. As I speak to you, we have no project we are undertaking in Osun State.”

It is bad enough that Omisore will OSUN drag the Publisher respectable international body Acting Editor into his kind of politics. Sadder Lagos Editor still is that

Bovas, Osun Govt Partnership A Good News Late last week, there was an information that the government of Osun is partnering with the Bovas Petroleum Company, an independent oil marketer towards ensuring supply and distribution of enough fuel to the state to ease the suffering of the people during and after its scarcity. This is no doubt a good news.

This is so not because fuel would be made available for the sake of it, but because a company that has been known for its integrity and concern for the people is being partnered.

For the record, during

one of the hardest period of fuel scarcity, Bovas is a fuel station that would not sell above the control price and this is to the public knowledge. It is a fuel

station that everyone would want to buy from.

Beside this, the role that this company has been playing in community service cannot be overemphasised.

For instance, people living around Agunbelewo/Okinni/ Erin/Ifon would always be grateful to the leadership of the company for the

constant grading of the portion of the road which has become an eyesore.

Though, it is a Federal road, but occasionally, this company has been

UNESCO’s swift rebuttal of the barefaced lie has changed nothing as far as Omisore and his PDP are concerned. No apologies to the Rauf Aregbesola administration that he so callously maligned; none to the good people of Osun that he irresponsibly tried to mislead; and certainly no word of contrition for the lies spewed forth about the global body. Rather, he has since moved on ostensibly convinced that lies, big or small, do not matter.

Well, Osun people have a rare chance to prove that true-telling does matter. It is in fact the hallmarks of an Omoluabi. Now, they know better than to entrust their destinies to the hands of those who choose to call darkness light; characters who put out falsehood as truth. Time to get ready for the soulless fellows as they will soon come begging for their votes. Time to show them the true masters.

helping to see that people move freely.

As little as that gesture may be, the fact that the management of the company shows concern to the plight of the people is a plus and needs to be commended by all and sundry.

Therefore, I see partnership between the company and the Osun government as a good thing for the people of the State.

It is my prayer that the partnership would become a reality, fruitful and beneficial to the people of the State.

•WASIU AYOKUNLE Okinni, Egbedore Administrative Office, Okinni.

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MAGAZINE FRIDAY MARCH 16 - THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018

Osun Development Plan:

Setting The Path For A Prosperous Future Since the creation of the State of Osun in 1991, no effective strategic development plan has been drawn for the state, hence, there is need for one. Coming from this background, the government of Governor Rauf Aregbesola has put a machinery in motion to set the path for a prosperous future of the state drawing a ten-year development plan. SHINA ABUBAKAR writes on the steps taken so far in this regard.

The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power.

During the struggle for the creation of the State of Osun, the founding fathers had a specific goal in mind, the type of state they want and the mechanism to drive its development.

However, since its creation, the state has gone through different phases of development, but hardly had the people sit together in the over two decades of its existence to think and design a new direction of development in line with new global realities.

The new global finance partnership system also request a new development plan to foster the achievement of developmental vision to bring a greater portion of the population out of poverty. Hence, the need for collaboration among all the stakeholders in the state to brainstorm and design a path for the future beyond their generation. To this end, the Ministry of Economic Planning, Budget and Development, this year January, brought together people from different strata of the society, at Iloko Resort to fashion a way towards a prosperous future for the state.

Though the outcome of the gathering is still at a stage where it would be converted into a document that would be available for all and sundry to be the watchword in the quest to make the state an enviable one among the comity of states across the federation.

Unlike in the previous time when developmental plan were handled by government alone or sometimes individuals, thereby the people who are the focus of such document are ostracised in the process which eventually render it redundant, in the case in focus, the people are the fulcrum of the plan, as its content is a product of argument among the stakeholders, while the final stage is being handled by technocrats who will eventually be at the helm of implementation.

Stakeholders Those saddled with the responsibility of drafting a developmental plan for the state

The new global finance partnership system also requests a new development plan to foster the achievement of developmental vision to bring a greater portion of the population out of poverty.

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include civil society organizations, the Non-Governmental Organisations, Market men and women association, members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party, National Conscience Party, Accord Party, All Ministry and Parastatals of Government, Traditional Rulers

,

Council of the state, members of the private sector in the state, the media groups. The reason behind such a large and wide participation is to ensure that the process that produced the document is not only encompassing but also society-driven and acceptable to everyone irrespective of their political or

•A cross section of participants at a workshop on the State of Osun Development Plan.

religious ideology.

State Development Plan (SDP) The stakeholders at the January gathering brainstormed on what they believe is the most appropriate developmental plan for the state to pursue in the next ten years, that is from 2018 to 2028; their discussions centres around developing Mission & Vision for the state for the period under review, this includes; to set the overall direction of the plan; provide the policy context; draw core values that guide staff behaviours and interactions with stakeholders.

The gathering also identified the SDP pillars, which includes the constituent sectors and strategic issues identification; the pillars provide more specific direction; and the constituent sectors indicate the sectors responsible for delivering each SDP pillar. These strategic issues facilitate goals and •Continued on page 6

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Osun Development Plan:

MAGAZINE

FRIDAY MARCH 16 - THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018

Setting The Path For A Prosperous Future

•Osun Commissioner for Budget, Economic Planning and Development, Dr Olalekan Yinusa and other dignitaries at the workshop.

•Continued from page 5 strategies for development.

Also, the gathering rubbed minds over the state’s goals, which will provide specific direction concerning the desired results and outcomes which the society would derive from achieving such goals. Besides, it also derived strategies on how the goals will be achieved and these strategies are at the high-level in the SDP because the detailed strategies will be in the MTSS. Apart from identifying the needful plans for the development of the state for the proposed period, the SDP is also to fashion a means of financing the process, priorities projects and funds, as well as ensuring the implementation of the identified plans. The meeting ruminates on how to find resources to execute the plan like; How much will come from the State Government?

What level of resources from nongovernment quarters (private sector, development partners, etc.)? What strategy should be employed to attract the needed resources (e.g. IGR development, tax reform, private sector incentives, etc.)?

From the foregoing, it is lucid that the 10-year development plan of the state is not just a view, but a systematic plan drawn to outlive individuals and to be championed by the institutions of government. This gave birth to the Medium Term Sector Strategy.

The Medium Term Sector Strategy (MTSS) MTSS represents a process through which strategic policy priorities are determined and aligned with resource allocation, within the context of forecast information on the State’s macro-economic and financial outlook.

It represents medium-term expenditure estimates that are linked to clearly define sector objectives that are derived from the overall state’s goals.

It is aimed at allocating resources towards strategic State goals and programmes within the constraints implied by the overall fiscal targets over a three year period. The concept involves an application of activities of budgeting, with a view to improving

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The SDP project, according to the Commissioner, is not about a particular individual, it is more about building strong and virile institution that would outlive individuals, administrations and even political parties

strategic prioritisation and the efficiency of public expenditures.

MTSS ensures a link between government expenditures and State goals and programmes articulated in the State Development Plan (SDP).

Since the Osun SDP is currently under preparation and upon completion it will contain broad goals, outcomes and targets, it will be almost impossible to implement the SDP without Medium Term Sectors’ Strategies (MTSS’S), hence, the need to embark on MTSS’S development. The MTSS document is authored by the career officers who manned government institutions and would ensure the success of the SDP. Why the MTSS The Ministry, Department and Agencies of government were put into twelve sectors referred to as the MTSS, and these will identify projects, plan and prioritise same for execution. All the agencies of government is represented because it is the macrounit through which service delivery is to be achieved The MTSS is the actualisation of the agreed high level policies of government as encapsulated by various policy documents such as SDGs, NEPARD, ERGP, SODP, and relevant sector documents.

MDA’s MTSS must also be aligned with any other policy-work that the sector has engaged in previously, in other words, the MTSS process must increase rather than reduce focus in Government planning.

The MTSS is to review high level policy with focus on rejigging it to fit into present realities, to this end, the MTSS would review: relevant

’

elements of the SDGs (i.e. goals and targets that concern each Sector), relevant sections of NEPAD, ERGP, SODP as it affects the MDAs, as well as sector’s situation analysis.

Part of the MTSS focus is the policy documents that are specific to each sector; e.g. gazette specifying the mandates, strategy document, documented functions, etc. (Other long-term strategies developed with partners agencies). It would also review function and Staffing Reviews, providing insight into; staffing requirements of each sector, functions that may no longer be required, new functions to be created and mergers of existing functions.

The review by the SPT is to focus on Sector overviews, which includes the challenges and constraints to the sector and specifically, to each sector (sector statistics will be valuable), mandates, mission, vision and core values of each Sector, policy thrusts (set goals, objectives, programmes, outcomes, and targets to be achieved) and projects to be executed for achieving the objectives, programmes, outcomes and targets.

It would also look at high level functions of the Sector (any duplications, any one to outsource, any one to drop, any new functions to introduce and why?), organisational structure of the Sector (is it appropriate for delivering the mission and vision, mandates, goals, programmes, outcomes and statutory functions of each Sector?), as well as manning levels of the sector whether it is adequate in terms of number, quality, age composition and gender

composition?

The SPT that authored the MTSS is part of the core element of the SDP, which is very germane to the achievement of the long term goal of the SDP without jeopardising its core policies. The concept is very significant because it provides a three to five years pathway to achieving the SDP and would provide a mid-term result on the success or failure of the SDP. The MTSS is very relevant because it provide a linkage between the SDP, budget and policy implementation. It is the fulcrum upon which the success or otherwise of the SDP relied upon, hence, the SPT and other stakeholders are exposed to regular and constant capacity building so that the civil servant do not only feel a sense of belonging but would possess a sense of ownership of the process.

How is the State Benefitting With the birth of the SDP and its component, the state is easier to govern for any administration irrespective of party affiliation because there would have been a definite pathway to the development of the state. Since there is a clear stated “Mission and Vision”.

The state would have a path it is heading within a specific time frame.

Besides, the SDP provides a templates for institutional reforms and provision of strong institutions that would not outlive individuals, but also drive the state developmental goals.

According to the Commissioner for Economic Planning, Budget and Development, Dr. Yinusa Olalekan, “the bigger benefit for the state is not just the ability to draft and have a document on SDP, but the fact that the process is home driven, that it is a product of our thinking, which invariably means the state stakeholders have the capacity to review and projects its own future development without external force”.

He stressed further that the SDP developing process has helped in empowering the state technocrat, in the area of envisioning for the state, because it is a process and when the present administration wind down in November, the public service in conjunction with any incoming government would continue to drive the affairs with ease.

The SDP project, according to the Commissioner, is not about a particular individual, it is more about building strong and virile institution that would outlive individuals, administrations and even political parties, which explained the emphasis the ministry placed on assembling every stakeholder across political divides to be part of the process that produced the document because government is of the view that the process that produced the document is as important as the document itself.

“The document is designed in such a way that is dynamic so that it can accommodate changes in line with realities of the time the state may be at a point in time. This allows for innovation on the part of implementers or even the head of the government of the day, who might think of doing a particular thing in a different way to achieve set goals in the SDP. “It also provides for all sector participation in term of implementation, monitoring and funding of projects and the SDP also takes care of inter agency rivalry and gives way for effective policy thrust and implementation”, Yinusa stressed.

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COMMUNITY

FRIDAY MARCH 16 - THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018

Ilesa East Council Boss Calls For Decentralised Voters’ Registration The Chairman, Ilesa East Local Government, Otunba Akeem Adesoji has called for more decentralisation of Continuous Voters’ Registration (CVR) to enable more people to partake.

Answering questions with the INEC officials to the from journalists as part decentralise of the exercise to registration centres to collation centres, so as to sensitise the people of the council on the need allow more people to to participate, he said the register, especially the exercise should be taken aged, just as he enjoined serious by every citizen the people of Ilesa East that has reached 18 years Local Government to of age and for those who troop out en mass and for one reason or the get registered.

The council boss other could not register in the previous exercises. commended the people He affirmed that every of the Local Government Nigerian has the right to and its environ for the •Otunba Adesoji live in any part of the love, cooperation and country and exercise his unflinching support or her civic right, saying since he assumed office, people for eschewing an important part of just as he lauded the violence and maintain Voter Registration is that an eligible person is advised to register at the centre nearest to his/her The Chairman, Atakunmosa West Local residence which is to Government, Honourable Francis Famurewa has make it easy for such assured that his administration would work with individual to access the the state government and relevant agencies to Polling Unit (PU) and revamp agriculture sector and make it a profitable vote on Election Day. Otunba Akeem also venture for farmers.

He gave the assurance reposition the youth by noted that voters registration is the only during his swearing-in ensuring capacity means to fight injustice and inauguration of the building and support for and entrench parliaments in the self-employment. democracy, as only council area.

He also said that water registered voter will be In his acceptance provision and sanitation eligible to vote during speech, the council boss would be prioritised by the next general said he would come up this administration as an elections in Nigeria. with strategies to integrated ingredient for He thereby pleaded

peace and order.

He then informed the people that the continuous voters’

registration exercise is taking place at the INEC Local Government offices in the council and

Orolu LG Chair Charges Youths On Peaceful Co-existence The Chairman, Orolu Local Government, Hon Adekunle Benson, has charged youths and political party mobilisers to ensure peaceful coexistence and harmony among themselves and the entire people in the area.

Benson made this members so as to deliver known at a meeting with and win the council for youths and mobilisers the All Progressives organized purposely to Congress (APC) in the mirror out strategies that f o r t h c o m i n g would enhance peaceful governorship elections in coexistence among party the state.

Atakumosa West Chair Assures Collaborative Efforts For Development

•Chairman, Atakumosa West Local Government, Hon. Francis Famurewa (left) taking oath of office.

CHANGE OF NAME/PUBLIC NOTICE FALADE STELLAMARIES TAIWO

MRS. BUSAYO ADEROGBA, (NEE ONI)

That FALADE STELLAMARIES TAIWO and FALADE LOLU ADEOLA are the same person, but now wish to be known and addressed as FALADE STELLAMARIES TAIWO. All former documents remain valid.

Access Bank and General public should take note.

That I was formerly known and addressed as MISS BUSAYO BELSSING ONI, but now wish to be known and addressed as MRS. BUSAYO ADEROGBA, (NEE ONI). All former documents remain valid.

General public should take note.

EZENNAMAKA IKENNA COLLINS That I was formerly known and addressed as EZENNAMAKA IKENNA, that I want to had COLLINS to my name and I now wish to be known and addressed as EZENNAMAKA IKENNA All former COLLINS. documents remain valid. Access Bank and General public should take note.

OGUNLEYE RASHIDAT TOLANI

That AKANNI RASHIDAT TOLANI and OGUNLEYE RASHIDAT TOLANI are the same person, but now wish to be known and addressed as OGUNLEYE RASHIDAT TOLANI. All former documents remain valid. Fidelity Bank, and General public should take note.

SPACE FOR SALE

other designated centres between 9.00am and 3.00pm daily, excluding public holidays.

preventive healthcare.

He said, “The watchword of our administration is evolution, which means development, growth, progress and advancement. I will be totally committed to developing in education, healthcare delivery, sanitation, infrastructure, agriculture and youth engagement.

“Our staff members constitute the engine room of this local government, hence staff welfare will be at the centre of this administration to ensure excellent service delivery. We would take proactive steps in building and sustaining harmonious relationship with our staff members as well as engage in activities that would boost staff morale.

“While accepting the leadership mantle of this local government, I am fully aware of the challenges that lie ahead.

This administration will align its policies with those of the state government while considering the peculiarities of our local government with a view

to finding solutions to our challenges”, Famurewa stressed.

Commending the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola at the state level for entrenching parliamentary system at the local governments, he was optimistic that the system though new in Nigeria, would provide a solid platform for the aggregation and articulation of various interests of the people.

“It is with deep sense of humility and responsibility that I stand before this great parliament to celebrate democracy with my people being the first democratically elected local government in eleven years. I am humbled and highly honoured by your trust and abiding faith in me.

“I pledge that the confidence you have reposed in me as the Chairman of this local government would forever be held sacrosanct by me and shall never be betrayed or taken for granted”, Famurewa assured.

The council boss stressed that the meeting was aimed at enhancing peace, unity and development among the people of Orolu, adding that it is important for whoever wish to continue witnessing and e x p e r i e n c i n g unprecedented developmental projects to support the continuity of APC government in the state He said his major priority is to empower the youths through skills acquisition, job creations, empowerment, assisting women with soft loans to improve their businesses and harness the untapped abundant resources in the local government for its development.

According to him, “This government belongs to youths as recognised stakeholders in political circle and governance and is entrusted with ensuring peace and unity in their respective areas.

“It is very necessary to put heads together with youths to identify the challenges facing them in their various areas and find the lasting solutions accordingly”.

While speaking on behalf of the youths, the APC Youth Leader in Orolu Local Government, Mr Azeez Moruf (Dodo) promised that youths in Orolu would cooperate and support the council boss in all ramifications as well as the APC-led government to the extent that the party will be victorious in the f o r t h c o m i n g governorship election in the state.

VACANCY There is vacancy in a reputable media organisation in Osogbo for experienced Advert Canvassers.

Remuneration is performance-based and one of the best in the industry.

Candidate must be resident in Osogbo.

For enquiries: Please Contact Mr. Agboola on 08061197897, 07032594744 and 08038144394.

8

OSUNDEFENDER

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THE SOCIAL REGISTER

THE SOCIAL REGISTER

FRIDAY MARCH 16 - THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018

OSUNDEFENDER

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9

A Cocktail Of Recent Happenings Osun Scout Federation Chief Oranmiyan Group Begins State Wide Tour 3rd Day Fidau Of Alhaji Oranmiyan Group Worldwide has Celebrates Quranic Graduation commenced a statewide sensitisation Raheem Shittu In Iyeku tour aimed at further complementing

•Mr and Mrs Mustafa Kamorudeen posing with their son, Wasiu after being given his graduation certificate, at the event.

It was a celebration galore in Osogbo, capital of the State of Osun recently, when a teenager, Alfa Wasiu Mustafa, the Training Commander of the Osun Scout Federation, celebrated his Quranic graduation in Osogbo.

Mr Mustafa Kamordeen, father of the graduand who is also a member of United Nigeria Herbalist Association, Osun State chapter gave thanks to Almighty Allah for sparing his life and thanked all well-wishers that graced the event.

Alhaji Yusuf Elebiti, the Chief Imam of Nawar-u-Deen Society, who also graced the event, prayed for the graduands and urged other youths to be up and

doing in seeking knowledge.

He also urged Muslims to be united and preach peace in Islam.

In his address, the Chairman, Nigeria United Herbalist Association, Laka/Abaolu chapter, Mr Lukman Ussein urged all Muslim Clerics to be careful in their preachings and behaviours, saying whatever they say or do would automatically be copied by their followers.

The Commissioner, Osun Scout Federation, Chief S.O Akinbile who also spoke at the event described the graduand as a committed young man who has a better future awaiting him, just as he gave thanks to Allah for his life and his family.

He then presented a Holy Quran as a gift to the celebrant.

efforts of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun in educating Party members on the need to continue to be steadfast and committed to the programmes and policies of the Party.

The Oranmiyan Team led by its Director of Administration, Mr. Niyi Aluko kick-started the tour on Friday 9th March, 2018 with visits to Orolu, Irepodun and Olorunda Local Government Areas where they met with Oranmiyan members in each LG Area.

The occasion was used to further impress on the teeming members on the need to continue to be loyal to their Principal, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and to shun any attempt from any aspirant to lure them with material things. The delegation also warned party members to avoid involving in any political assembly not endorsed by the APC in the State.

While commending the gathering for the impressive turnouts, the delegation promised that dividends of democracy will soon be evenly distributed. Finally, party members

•Friends, sympathisers and politcal associates of the late Shittu during the fidau programme.

•Mr Sadiq Moruf addressing members of Oranmiyan group during the visits to one of the local government areas in the state.

were asked to make sure their PVCs are safe and in good condition, and whoever is yet to collect theirs should do so on time because it remains the only power to choose leaders of their choice. Other members of the delegation included Mr. Yinusa

•A cross section of women wing of the group.

Adeyeye, Mr. Ganiyu Abisoye, Mr. Alaba Popoola, Mr. Adedeji Afolayan and Sadiq Olajide Moruf. The tour will continue on Monday 12th March, 2018 with visits to Ede North, Ede South and Osogbo LGs respectively.

It was a was involved in a fatal sombre moment accident as a result of in Iyeku last which the car Sunday, March somersaulted and he was 11, 2018, when flung outside the car. the 3rd day Fidau He died the day after of Alhaji and was interred same day Raheem Shittu at his Osogbo home. was conducted in Born 60 years ago, Shittu his family acted briefly as the compound at chairman of the Odo-Otin Iyeku in Odolocal government council Otin South after the death of his boss, LCDA in the Barrister Wumi Oke. State of Osun.

The occasion had in A l h a j i attendance many APC Raheem, a stalwarts like the former caretaker Commissioner for Local Vice-Chairman •The late Raheem Shittu.

Government and of Odo-Otin Chieftaincy Affairs, l o c a l Barrister Kolapo Alimi, Comrade Poju government council was involved in a Odusola, Dr. Adetunji Dare, Mr. Jimoh lone accident on his way to his country Asa among others. home in Iyeku last Thursday.

Raheem is survived by his aged Raheem left Okuku after a meeting mother, widow, brothers, sisters and and headed towards his town where he children.

•Members of Oranmiyan group listening to one of the official delegates during the visit.

Chief Olamiju Is The New Obanla Of Esa-Oke

•The Commissioner, Osun Scout Federation, Chief S.O Akinbile, presenting Holy Quran to Wasiu Mustafa while others watched.

•From left: Chief Executive Officer, Akol Groups, Siji Olamiju; Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti; Obanla of Esa-Oke, High Chief Akanbi Olamiju and Mrs Sola Olamiju, during the installation of Chief Akanbi as the Obanla (‘Gbonimodu) of Esa-Oke on Saturday

Residents of Esa-Oke in Obokun East Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of the State of Osun, as well as their king, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adeyemi Akanbi were happy to host traditional rulers, politicians and other well wishers who witnessed the chieftaincy installation of High Chief Akanbi Olamiju as the new Obanla (‘Gbonimodu) of the ancient town.

Speaking after receiving the title of Obanla (‘Gbonimodu) of Esa-Oke, he assured everyone present that wherever he sees anything good, he will never hesitate to bring it down for his people and that wherever he finds himself, he

will ensure that he will never bring shame to them, saying “I will always protect and ensure that no shame is brought on my people through any thing I do now or in the future”.

Those present at the event include, Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy affairs, Barrister Kolapo Alimi; Chief Executive Officer, Akol Groups, Siji Olamiju.

Others are Member, House of Representatives, Hon. Wole Oke; Former Commissioner for Lands, Architect Muyiwa Ige; HRM Oba Fatanmi Oluropo, Olura of Ira, Ikeji Ile.

•A cross section of Islamic clerics and others at the Fidau programme.

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

FRIDAY MARCH 16 - THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018

INTERVIEW

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10

I'll Be A Single Term Governor, If Elected - Fajobi Chief (Engineer) Abiodun Bisi Fajobi is a native of Ode-Omu Ayedaade Local Government area of the state of Osun, a former Permanent Secretary with the Lagos State Ministry of Works, who retired in 2012. A seasoned administrator and an engineer, in this interview with the News Editor, SHINA ABUBAKAR and ABDULLAHI OMOTAYO, he bears his mind on his aspiration to occupy the governorship seat in Osun.

OSDF: Considering your background, what actually stimulates your interest into seeking the governorship seat of Osun?

It will interest you to note that I am from a politically conscious and progressive family; my late father was a councilor during the Action Group.

Also I have a late uncle named Chief Adeniyi Fajobi who was a member of the House of Assembly in the old Oyo state between 1979 and 1983 under UPN, my late mother was a woman leader for the whole of Ayedaade LG under SDP. Because of that background and knowing that the state would require an experienced hand, I was approached by my people to come and “Bail Out” the state. The present governor is doing well, so we need someone who will have the vision of the party to propel the activities or the programmes of the party further, hence, this instigated my coming into the race.

Besides, I want to give back to my state what the country and even the western region gave me, free education or affordable education during Awolowo’s regime. I want to bring back those things that were good in those olden days to Osun. I want to bring succour to our people. I want to remove, God helping me, Poverty from the state. Unless we are deceiving ourselves there is abject poverty and I want to remove it to a level that if not completely eliminated, it will be drastically reduced. Osun in terms of poverty rating in the country is about the 24th out of the 36 states in the federation which shows that we still have a lot to do.

Another thing that also propels me is that our youths, women, physically challenged people and vulnerable members of the society need our attention in terms of empowerment. I want to ensure I bring in a lot of empowerment programmes that will allow our youths to be gainfully employed. I want to teach the people of our state how to fish and not to give them fish.

OSDF: You talked about bringing in programmes that will help the youths to be gainfully employed, are you saying the crops of programmes put in place by the present administration on youths are not good enough?

The programmes the present governor is embarking on are very good, what I will do is to fine-tune some of those programmes which is the reason why I said there should be continuity in government. It is not that any of his programmes will be jettisoned. Wherever I see some lacuna, I will try and improve on such areas.

OSDF: Considering the political consciousness of the people, do you think you are politically entrenched enough to be able to actualise what you are aiming for?

I must confess to you that since the days of the Alliance for Democracyled government, I have been part and parcel of the political process, even in Osun. There used to be a group called FASUP which is Fajobi Support Group for the incumbent governor. A lot of groups were setup but ours was spread all over the state. We have presence in all the LGs of the state. I have been part and parcel of the

•Engr. Fajobi

I tell people that if this race has been twisted to the central, I wouldn’t have bothered to contest. It is now depends on the hierarchy of the party to give us direction where the governor should come from. It’s my personal opinion that it is now the turn of the west senatorial district. programmes of the progressive party in Osun. The programmes I am bringing forward, in any case would be integrated into the party’s programme - APC. The programmes of the party will definitely continue to be progressive to put smile into the faces of our people and that is why my five cardinal points is capped “IDEAL” , meaning, ‘I’ for Industrialisation, ‘D’ Delivery of world class infrastructure including health, education, roads, electricity etc, ‘E’ for Empowerment of youths, women underprivileged, physically challenge people and the vulnerable, ‘A’ for Agriculture and rural development and ‘L’ for Learning made easy through provision of good education system for our children, through training and retraining of our teachers, through teachers’ empowerment both serving and retired. We are still working on the blue print, which I am not ready to discuss now.

OSDF: Tell us the things you’ve done for the people around here which they can use to measure the reliability of your personality?

I have organised lots of training programmes for our people mostly on empowerment and capacity building.

I have a company that organises training for the youth, besides; I have facilitated or influenced the employment of indigenes of the state into civil service and other private organisations. There is no place I have worked that I haven’t employed or use my influence to employ indigenes of Osun. Also, I am a chief here in OdeOmu. I am the Okanlomo of Ode-

Omu land. I am also a chief in my church here in Ode-Omu. God has used me in my small way to impact positively on our people. I am also the president of Gbongan/Ode-Omu Anglican Grammar School old student association. I have been president for the past 10 years and I know what God has used me to do to impact positively on the lives of many people. I am not somebody that gives out money because I don’t believe in money sharing. It is temporary when you give out money but you should give people a means of livelihood. And the message I keep passing to them is that I have helped them, they should also help someone else.

OSDF: What is your take on the issue of zoning the next governorship seat to the West or even going back to the Central?

Politics is all about number, it is about integrity, it is about delivering what we call dividends of democracy to our people. Personally, looking at the scenario and the history of the state, I discover that the Central Senatorial District has produced the governor twice, Baba Bisi Akande and Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola. The present Governor is from the East Senatorial District. Osun West has produced just once for only 21 months. When you look at the whole geography, it is better and more appropriate to zone the governorship seat to Osun-west.

I am not saying this because I come from the West. I tell people that if this race has been twisted to the central, I wouldn’t have bothered to contest. It is now depends on the hierarchy of the

party to give us the direction where the governor should come from. It’s my personal opinion that it is now the turn of the west senatorial district.

After all, the west can boast of men and women of timber and calibre, integrity, proven experience, that could steer the ship of the state.

OSDF: There is also this sentiment of home-based candidate being wiped up from some quarters; what’s your take on this?

I also agree that someone who hasn’t shown commitment to his home stead cannot just wake up to contest for governor of the state. Someone who has been working in Lagos for example and not connected to his root, he has not been coming home, people don’t even know him. As far as I am concerned, fortunately, I built my first house and the first in my life here in Ode-Omu even without the thought of contesting for the governorship seat. I later built the one in Lagos where I now reside.

However, in governing this state experience matters a lot. I was reading Oyinlola’s statement about the governorship seat coming to west and he was addressing age, he talked about 50 years and below. I am referring to this because I am combination of analogue and digital.

I have worked in a World Bank assisted project and there is no way I won’t be computer literate. Most of my documents are typed by me. Even when I was in service especially the last 15 years of my stay in service which was when computer now really took over the generation, I have always been on my computer doing one thing or the other. People like us are balance between analogue and digital and that is experience. For somebody to now peg our age is unconstitutional. It will debar experience minds who really mean well for the state from participating by cutting down the age. I am presently 65 years but I know I am very young at heart.

OSDF: Reacting to Oyinlola’s statement, in several parts of the world, younger people rule and it works well for them. If the older generations refuse to give the space, when would the younger ones come in?

I started that people like us come in because of the younger ones so that they will know that there is a brighter and rewarding future. We are still there to download our experiences to them so that they can carry on. I was telling somebody that if by the grace of God, I become the governor of Osun, I will not spend more than one term. I told my God that anytime I am 70 years, I will go back home and give it to the younger ones to run. That’s even a way to give it to the younger ones to rule.

OSDF: Are you saying if, God forbid, you are not able to make the governorship seat this time, you won’t try it another time?

No, I will not, forget it, I will not. I am saying this because I want you to hold it on me that I am a man of my word. Whenever I say yes, my yes remains yes and when it’s no, it remains no.

FRIDAY MARCH 16 - THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018

ISSUES/POLICY

OSUNDEFENDER www.osundefender.org

11

ISAAC OLUSESI writes on the grief, deprivation and frustration sequel to evidential humiliation and damning denigration of women as the reason for Nigerian South-West women conference, an overhang of the global perspective on women development.

South-West Women In Global Perspective

Nigerian women have always shortchanged themselves as some women sacrifice self-respect and dignity for selfish gains in money, power, and other ignoble motives. The attitude, at variance with the spirit of International Women’s Day, does not advance the development cause that women strive for. And that was the grief of women in the South-West Nigeria at a two-day conference penultimate Tuesday, on the theme: “Virtuous Woman: Pushing for Greater Development.”

The carriage of the regional confab, held in Osogbo, the capital of the State of Osun had its glitz, style, glamour and pizzazz; but had no usual accoutrements of power sleek, siren-blaring escort vehicles, among other indices of political power in this part of the globe. The business of the conference was rather too serious -the total reengineering of women picked its way through the maze of practical submissions at the confab that conceded the total woman to be the most efficient primary catalyst for family peace, communal serenity and national development.

There was no ambiguity about what a contemporary woman should be, and the consensus was clear on the fundamentals of a woman role in nation-building. At the flag-off of the conference, wife of the VicePresident of Nigeria, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo charged women to re-dedicate themselves to eradicating those social vices that seem to drive violence. She urged, women to “ensure that their children are not just trained to possess academic certificates but these children must become complete

•Wife of the Vice President, Dolapo Osinbajo and wife of the Osun Governor, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola at the Women Conference in Osogbo. human beings, imbued with sufficient traditional and moral values to help build a virile Nigeria.”

While, the host State Governor Rauf Aregbesola asked the women to impart in their children the virtues of anti-corruption, orderliness and peace, he said corruption spreads poverty and hardship in a nation; orderliness brings about significant development; and peace inhibits chaos and war. The triad of anti-corruption, orderliness and peace harbinger growth

and development for greater productivity and greater income. He professed, “Mothers must instill in their children the sense of performing their civic responsibility, to defend the country when the need arises, pay their taxes, be politically active, and most importantly, sow seed of peace.”

Somehow, neither Osinbajo nor Osun Governor dived into the familiar paradox of women, thrown up by circumstances of the re-crafting of development for women

running through the mills of the revolution of rising multiple expectations that preceded the discussions, with the relearning of the Beijing conference on women’s rights and development and such other global intervention perspectives on development, nations’ internal institutional adjustment and re-orientation of the cultures and traditions of the respective nations as they affect women and their children at the sequential levels of policy, politics and governance.

However, Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola, chairperson, Osun Officials’ Wives Association (OSUNOWA), the confab organisers, practically dived so much into depth of the paradox of women as she gave holistic key consideration to the development of women to mean enlarged frontiers of human development. Women development, she posited, is human development. At the conference, she enthused, “development of women embraces skill acquisitions and training for economic empowerment; and creation of awareness and intervention in critical health-related issues, civic and development policy advocacy among others.” Her submission integrated the specific situations of poor women, rural women, prostitute-women, single mother, widow and so on, targeting ameliorative reasons to improve the women’s conditions.

Meaning that, Mrs. Aregbesola, the standard bearer and crusader of women

•Continued on page 14

Progressive Communication And The Defence Of Good Governance

By Semiu Okanlawon As a postgraduate student some years back, I chose to do a thesis on Politics and the New Media. This decision was inspired then by what I envisioned was going to be a boom in new communication religion with the burgeoning fortunes of telephony in Nigeria and the rest of Africa.

With the advent of the Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM) and the growing availability of internet facilities across our continent, I had no doubt that the future of politics was going to be determined and shaped by a wider scope of communicative culture where restrictions, controls and censorships, as they were known, would become tall orders.

I knew certainly that with telephones and internet on citizens’ hands, so many conventions and norms would change especially in political communications. I was also confident that public opinion would no longer be monopolized and manipulated by the few aristocratic and elitist media owners.

I also knew that a time was coming when even campaign funds would be raised and spent through communication technology.

Obviously, no time in history has communication been so democratized than now. Voices no longer exclusively belong to the affluent who could buy airtime, pay for ample spaces in print media and possess massive resources to toss the minds of the masses; swinging them in whatever direction that suited the elites at each particular occasion.

The people can now tell their stories! A government that is not conscious of the people’s mandate runs the risks of instant judgment. And in equal terms and quantities, a government that is well at home with the people’s mandate could measure the backing of the people through the ceaseless communication which tells the stories of its successes and groundbreaking attainments.

Researchers in political communication must by now be conscious of an emerging trend of the progressive culture and its communication strategies that is well rooted in Osun, South-West region of Nigeria.

As a case study, the emergence of what was initially a ‘ragtag’ group of scattered, zealous, young men who simply noticed that there was a clear departure from the old order

‘

Those who had followed the Osun political space since the inception of the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administration would have no qualms coming to the conclusion that a government that prides itself as “unusual” readily and, willy-nilly, puts itself up against all the arrows.

in governance and democratic norms, began to morph into a concise army of highly organized youth group all in defence of good governance.

Those who had followed the Osun political space since the inception of the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administration would have no qualms coming to the conclusion that a government that prides itself as “unusual” readily and, willy-nilly, puts itself up against all the arrows. Many might not have taken cognizance of the import of the swearing-inday declaration by Governor Rauf Aregbesola on November 27, 2010 when he paused to announce that he would not follow the norms; he would break ‘rules’; and definitely upset the apples cart to achieve the human development, the reason for his political adventure to Osun in the first instance. In an environment where political gladiators are only known to be gifted with highfalutin, grandiose speeches full of promises, it could not have been a surprise that most people didn’t take Aregbesola too serious with his promises then.

Beyond the allure of demagoguery, how many campaigners keep their words anyway? Aregbesola has kept his own. By the middle of 2011, about seven months into his first term, it was becoming clearer to those who never took much notice of the November 27, 2010 ‘threat’ that the governor meant every word in his promise to run an unusual government.

By that time, the stage was already set for a new direction in the state’s education. Also in the conviction that the state needed a fresh face to attract new fortunes, a new brand must be built in line with the new desires for the state. From these two components of the “unusualness” alone, Aregbesola’s had stirred the hornet’s nest causing ripples that were never known in the history of the state

’

since its creation. But the ripples were for the good!

The adoption of the Sobriquet, Ipinle Omoluabi (State of the Virtuous); dumping the toga of the State of the Living Spring, a new flag, a new crest, garnished with an anthem, were to bring the state to confront a huge deluge of criticisms ranging from allegations of secession plot to raising and training of militia to confront Nigeria.

While the fire of that was raging with ferocious fervor, the assault on the rot in the education sector began with schools reclassification into Elementary, Middle and High Schools. That necessarily culminated in the movements of students from some schools to others with all the attendant logistic issues. But those who were in haste to abort the pregnancy of these ideas did not have the patience to wait whether the delivery would bring blessings or curses.

In addition to these reforms and many others that the Aregbesola administration determinedly brought forward, it was obvious that the state would be the centre of all attractions especially given the eagerness of the opportunistic opposition to bring down the administration and return them to reckoning. This was further compounded by the existence of a populace that was tied to the old order and too rigid to explore new possibilities.

In the face of this stiff opposition came the army of young minds who could see through the impact of the new initiatives and were up to defend it against the venom of those poised to frustrate them. As in many templates that have been adopted in other places and even by the Federal Government, I am of no doubt that there are different organizations of young men and women forming themselves into progressive communication pressure groups

in other places convinced now that their voices must be strident, amplifying and strong enough to drown the ranting of the opposition.

In a way, the emergence of the Progressive E-Group in Osun further amplifies the strategic youth engagements of the Aregbesola administration that reforms the minds of young men and women and makes them find fulfillment in befitting and gratifying ventures rather than the destructive and demeaning engagements youths think are the last options in some other places.

Had the environments under the Aregbesola administration not been conducive and encouraging, couldn’t these energetic men and women who have taken it upon themselves to defend good governance today be found as militants, kidnapers, fraudsters, prostitutes, armed robbers and other promoters of social vices? But there is an established trend of progressive youths engagements in Osun as illustrated by the creation of the Osun Youths Empowerment Scheme (OYES), Osun Rural Enterprises and Agriculture Programme (OREAP), training of young farmers in Germany to acquire modern technologies in farming, training of young technicians for the repair and maintenance of communication devices such as laptops, telephone handsets, iPads, under the OYESTECH Scheme.

Members of the Progressive E-Group in Osun and other allies find their voices through the fresh capacities and power offered by the social media to say that these (the Aregbesola ways) are the ways to go.

If anything, the facebooking and tweeting generation in Osun has rescued the state from what could have been an invasion by the antiprogress elements and elites. Of course, it is a reality that these elites would always rise against such people-oriented governance simply because it erodes their hitherto unchallenged monopoly and manipulation of the people to keep them down and trample on them. In clear terms, the communication technologies that the electorate live with every day of their lives also offers them the power, just as their votes do, to remove bad governments and support good ones. The power, from all indications now, lies with the people.

•Semiu Okanlawon is the Special Adviser, Information and Strategy, State of Osun.

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FRIDAY MARCH 16 - THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018

Osun Leads In FDA Partnership Projects Execution The Country Director of the French Development Agency, Mr Olivier Delefosse has revealed that Osun is the leading state in Nigeria among the five states the agency partnered with on socio-economic and infrastructure development in the country.

Delefosse said Osun and capital development has performed creditably as being reflected in the well and that the state has achievements made by met the agency’s the state in various expectation on the rural sectors, especially road construction scheme infrastructure. tagged; Osun Rural Delefosse expressed the Access Mobility Project, agency’s determination O’RAMP which the and readiness to further agency partnered the partner Osun on different state on. l i f e - c h a n g i n g The French Envoy gave programmes, noting that Osun the pass-mark Osun has really made the when he and his team agency proud in the paid a courtesy call on partnership it entered Governor Rauf with her.

Aregbesola in his office, at “The goal of this visit to the State Government Osun is to seek further Secretariat. partnership between the Delefosse said his visit state and the French to Osun has exposed him Development Agency to the high level of because sincerely we are commitment displayed proud of your optimum by the present delivery on the partnered administration led by projects we have had with Aregbesola has made to you. turn Osun to a centre of “We are also delighted i n f r a s t r u c t u r e in the fact that you don’t development in Nigeria, joke with the payment of particularly in the your counterpart funds Southwest region. whenever it is needed and The French envoy who this has made the projects had earlier toured the meant for Osun to have already completed seamless implementation. projects commended the “We are very proud Osun government for because we have seen a abiding by the dictates of lot on ground, we have the partnership. gone round to inspect the He said Osun has first phase of the RAMP demonstrated high sense that covered 225km roads of commitment to human already completed across

the rural areas in this state and I must tell you frankly that your team has delivered. ”I know that RAMP is a project taking place in about five states in Nigeria and I must say that out of those states I have visited, Osun takes the lead in terms of timely execution and quality project delivery”, Delefosse stated.

The French envoy who commended the resilient spirit of Governor Aregbesola to deliver the dividends of democracy to his people despite the financial challenges most state governments are facing in the country, said Osun has witnessed geometric progression under Aregbesola’s watch.

He attributed sincerity of purpose in governance as sine qua non to engender all round growth and development, stressing that the success of any government lies in its ability to deliver on the people’s expectations.

He added, “ I have seen in the Governor the sincere spirit to good governance as this has been exhibited in the myriads of developmental projects the state had witnessed so far. ”It is worthy of mention that despite your

meager budget you are still able to deliver, I am happy to know that projects are delivered despite lack of funds, this is commendable.

“This can only be made possible by a leader who truly has the love of his people at heart as this has made me to explore with the state new opportunities our agency want to develop that would bring more productive and beneficial relationship. ”We are involved in power generation and

In his remarks, Governor Aregbesola commended the agency for entrusting the state to accomplish her dreams with the success it made on the bilateral relationship.

A r e g b e s o l a enumerated some of the successes his administration had made on various sectors p a r t i c u l a r l y infrastructure, describing the state/ AFD’s partnership as most beneficial and rewarding in the history of the state.

‘No Disagreement In Osun APC Leadership’ The All Progressives Congress in the state of Osun has categorically refuted the story published by the Independent Newspaper which gave the impression that the party leaders and elders were in disagreement with Gov Rauf Aregbesola over the issue of where the governorship candidate should emerge from and when to lift the ban on political activities for the purpose of the next governorship election.

In response to the d i s a g r e e m e n t publication, the party’s whatsoever at that Director of Publicity, meeting and that the Research and Strategy, leaders did not even Kunle Oyatomi has discuss the issues the described the story in its publication reported.

“What the meeting set entirety as a fabrication out to discuss was a and that there’s no iota review of the last local of truth in it. government election and According to the party measures required to chieftain, there was no strengthen the party

Role Of Opposition In A Democracy And Omisore's Anti-Climax The tag, opposition party in Nigeria actually came in the first Republic when the Northern People’s Congress, NPC, and the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons, NCNC, formed the federal government and Chief Obafemi Awolowo of the Action Group left the Western Region as Premier to the centre in the parliament to lead the opposition. That was the period when Nigeria actually felt that the country had an opposition which gave suggestions, and as well condemned, when necessary to put the Sir Tafawa Balewa-led NPC government on its toes.

Needless, however, it is to say that the opposition is a government in waiting if and when there’s a need to do away with an incumbent. In parliamentary democracies, it is far easier to do away with the government and quickly replace it with the opposition, which in most cases, have proven its mettle in providing alternative solution through better governance. It is also possible, even though very tough in Presidential system. That was what happened in 2015, when APC replaced the PDP. This fourth republic democracy started on a very good footing with strong opposition which the then Alliance for Democracy, AD, provided in 1999 and thereafter. The party transmuted to Action Congress, AC, Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and lastly All Progressives Congress, APC, waxing stronger by the day as it continues to change composition, new entrants and name. Despite criticisms, the party needed to change identity to accommodate new entrants and reflect new outlook. The party was so attractive that it became a rallying point for progressives from diverse backgrounds, even from the then ruling party, the PDP. Nasir El-Rufai, Shehu Sani, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, are but few of these. They provided virile opposition through intellectual and intelligent opposition. They did not just criticize government of the day but proffered solutions to myriad of problems bedeviling the country. The name APC was

transmission and we will like to partner with the state in this regard just as we are also interested in urban development and in the area of solid waste. ”The AFD is also interested in developing small farmers and farming through irrigation as well as helping small and medium enterprises SMEs to grow, we are ready to partner with you in these areas because we have seen in you the sincerity to give your people a good life”.

structure throughout the state “It is rather unfortunate that the newspaper has been misled by unscrupulous individuals who fabricated the story for whatever undue advantage they thought they could gain from it.

“In the process, the newspaper itself has misled the public and tarnished its credibility.

“We hope in the future, this kind of error will not occur and the newspaper should always try to seek information from the appropriate quarters.

Truth Of The Matter with

AYEKOOTO ayoakinola444@gmail.com

•AWOLOWO

•OMISORE

then, thus synonymous to opposition.

Some sitting governors were not left out in providing strong opposition to the PDPled federal government. Very prominent among them is the governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and the then governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi. Aregbesola was the first governor to raise the alarm in 2013 on the present financial situation we now found ourselves, even when the then federal government was in denial. The restructuring being mouthed today initially came from Aregbesola, when he picked holes in our faulty federal arrangement, fiscal federalism and unconstitutional bogus office title appropriations.

Subtle opposition came from the then Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, and now the Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, his sensitive position in government notwithstanding. Sanusi raised the alarm especially on stolen crude oil revenues. Aregbesola was smeared with all sort of dirty and unprintable acronyms and even almost labeled a secessionist. He almost lost his second term bid, not because his people wanted him out but because the then Aso Rock landlords couldn’t withstand his regular assaults. All federal

How do you place a former deputy governor, former Senator of the Federal Republic, leader of a major political party throwing caution to the winds by deliberately turning truths upside down such that an international agency, UNESCO, would deem it necessary to refute his claims?

arsenals including financial strangulation were deployed to make governance difficult for him. But he didn’t yield ground and, to their surprise, won his reelection bid to Oke Fia Government House and Bola Ige Governor’s Office.

John Kayode Fayemi, then governor of Ekiti State, wasn’t that lucky. The machinery then in Abuja was deployed. He was subtly humiliated, tear-gassed and made to lose seat. Fayemi found favour with the new government and was made a federal minister. Lamido Sanusi Lamido was unceremoniously removed from office as Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, but providence gave him the throne to the Emirship of his hometown of Kano as compensation.

Today, and very unfortunately, opposition government has taken a nosedive to the abysmal. It has exposed the level of intelligence, intellect and disrepute to which those men of yesteryears, who held forte in our state and national governments have fallen. The type of opposition we have today is bereft of honesty, patriotism and virility. It is so base that onlookers will be held agape with disbelief. How do you place a former deputy governor, former Senator of the

Federal Republic, leader of a major political party throwing caution to the winds by deliberately turning truths upside down such that an international agency, UNESCO, would deem it necessary to refute his claims?

The Workers’ Drive, commissioned last week by the governor, was fully financed through a special fund, approved for use by the state house of assembly. Shortly after, the former deputy governor, who still has cases to answer with anti-graft agents, came up with stories too hard to believe because UNESCO does not release funds for projects. The story was so erratic that the agency had to announce a rebuttal.

If the PDP is a party of people whose integrity matters to them, Iyiola Omisore should have been reprimanded because in wanting to discredit the good works of Rauf Aregbesola’s government, has succeeded in furthering the already battered and tattered images of himself and the party he claims to represent. Osun government and Ogbeni need not ask for any apology because Omisore has also succeeded in announcing to the world, beyond Osun and even Nigeria, the ingenuity and integrity of Ogbeni in funding such a laudable project.

FRIDAY MARCH 16 - THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018

OSUNDEFENDER www.osundefender.org

13

Osun School Classroom Converted To Open Defecation Spot

By Francis Ezediuno The attention of the State of Osun Ministries of Health and Environment has been drawn to the unhealthy act by some residents of Ifon town in Orolu Local Government Area of the state as they defecate openly in some schools.

One of the schools which has been where such act is converted to a makeshift rampant is AUD open defecation spot Elementary School, Ifon.

OSUN DEFENDER’s where pupils and visit to the area showed residents visit to answer that within the school nature’s call. premises, there is an A resident in the area abandoned classroom said that the stench

oozing from the classroom has now become totally unbearable, a situation which is giving the school authority and concerned parents cause for worry.

According to a teacher, the school authority has been helpless because a good number of the teachers are not residents of the town and several attempts at getting the Water and

Environmental Sanitation (WES) Department of the local council to act has fallen on deaf ears continually.

He explained that the act was not always perpetrated during school hours but before and after school and during the weekend break.

The health implications according to the health officials would

With FRANCIS EZEDIUNO be costly, as the state of health of the children and also staff members could be compromised as a result of the foul smell oozing from the affected sections of building.

They urged the state government to intervene

in the situation so as to avert an epidemic of adverse proportions since it involved an elementary school where innocent children were supposed to get educated and not a ticket to their early grave.

Blood Donation: Haematologist Calls For Action By Government And People To buttress the importance of blood for the survival of humans, a Haematologist has called on kindhearted Nigerians to take the issue of blood donation as a duty they must perform for humanity.

Dr. Adebisi Adetolua revealed this in a chat with this medium recently in Osogbo.

She said that from experience, Nigerians attached all sorts of taboo to the practice of donating blood; a practice which had helped to save countless numbers of lives that would have been lost due to loss of blood or non-availability of blood to carry out blood transfusion.

According to her, “most traditional and religious beliefs still attach some form of taboos and redline against the practice of blood donation.

“Some religious sects have advocated a policy of no blood transfusion that has disallowed their adherents from seeking the option of blood transfusion even in medical emergencies and also from voluntarily allowing their members from donating blood”.

The Haematologist revealed that such organisations were supposed to be in the forefront of championing the campaign for the encouragement of the practice, adding that government had played its part and

it cannot force the citizens to carry out the practice.

”Many factors contribute to the problems facing blood donation in

the country. These factors include donating of unscreened blood, taboos, short fall of eligible blood donors [on health grounds] all which had contributed to depletion of blood reserves all over blood banks in the country.

“The most annoying thing is that even family members of patients that need blood transfusions to survive are reluctant to donate blood.

“They prefer to contribute money amongst themselves to get touts who hang around blood banks in designated hospitals to buy blood from them.

“Another situation which had further increased the rate is unscreened blood being transfused on unsuspecting patients. This unscreened blood may have been infected with Hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, and other blood related infections.”

She called on government and all its agencies to put hands on deck and work out a comprehensive blood donor policy in order to ensure maximum survival of its citizen.

The Haematologist stressed that the benefits of blood donation include good health and a reduced risk of cancer and haemochromatosis which is a health condition that arises due to excess absorption of iron by the body.

She revealed that haemochromatosis may either be inherited, caused by prolonged intake of alcohol, anaemia or other disorder, thus regular blood donation may help in reducing iron overload.

According to her, amongst the benefits is also maintenance of a healthy heart and liver, weight loss for the obese and people who are at higher risk of cardiovascular diseases and stimulation of blood cell production.

“It helps in reducing the risk of damage to liver and pancreas.

Donating blood may help in improving cardiovascular health and reducing obesity.

“It is important to know that human blood cannot be manufactured, people are the only source of it and that is why it is important to donate blood and help those who need it.

“It is possible to store your own blood for future needs but there is need for the blood to be stored in a good and hygienic blood bank”.

She however warned that blood donation should not be very frequent and there was need for consultation with a doctor before donating to avoid any health issues.

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NEWS

OSUNDEFENDERwww.osundefender.org

FRIDAY MARCH 16 - THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018

We Borrowed To Tackle Infrastructure Deficit, Poverty - Aregbesola The Governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola on Tuesday said that he resorted to borrowing for developmental projects due to the terrible infrastructure deficit and level of poverty he met when he assumed office in 2010.

According to him, infrastructure in the state borrowing to finance before his emergence as projects in the state was a the governor. child of necessity for the Aregbesola stated this development of the state, in his address during the recalling that there was commissioning of huge dearth of Primary Healthcare

Centre executed through the Sustainable Development Goals in Ijebu-Ijesa, Oriade Local Government Area of the state.

The governor noted that his government would not have borrowed, had the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which ruled the

•Teenagers packed in the boot of a moving vehicle without regard for their lives.

state for seven and half years, done the needful by providing required infrastructure development which his government later championed.

He lamented what he described as poor management of the state’s resources by the then wasteful PDP-led government, stating that the state would not have become noticeable among its peers had his administration failed to do the needful to stimulate her economy.

Aregbesola maintained that his administration has been very prudent in the management of the state resources, adding that his financial prudence assisted him to successfully scale through the toughest economic period that tormented the whole nation.

The governor said: “Our administration did not go for borrowing for any other thing than to rescue the state and her people from poverty they were plunged to when we assumed office.

Osun Govt. Partners Independent Petroleum Marketer To Tackle Fuel Scarcity The Government of Osun has expressed readiness to partner Bovas Petroleum Nigeria Limited, an Independent Petroleum Marketer, to rescue the state and its citizens from the present hardship being experienced in purchasing petrol in the state.

The state government impeccable track records said the partnership and sincerity of purpose became necessary in a bid to humanity. to end the scarcity of the He maintained that the product (petroleum) in state decided on the step the state and as well to collaborate with the increase the supply company purposely capacity of petroleum because of its direct link product for distribution with the NNPC, a across the state daily. partnership which The decision to partner according to the the petroleum company Governor had yielded was made known by the positive impact in the Governor of the state, activities of the company Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola over the years. after a brief meeting he The governor assured held with the leadership of his administration’s of the Bovas Petroleum commitment to explore Company, at all avenues humanly Government House, possible to work with the Osogbo. company in a bid to Governor Aregbesola improve the supply of said he convened the petroleum products in meeting as part of his every nooks and crannies administration’s effort to of the state. relief the pains being “As a government, we experienced by citizens, want to do everything most especially Osun possible to put an end to residents, in accessing the protracted fuel and purchasing the scarcity in our state and product. we are ready to work Aregbesola who with Bovas Petroleum to pointed out that the state achieve this. needs at least 55 trucks of “We want to work with 33,000 litres of petrol this company to improve daily, said it is alarming on the daily supply of to find out that the state petroleum to our state gets less than 10 trucks and as well guarantee the per day which according product in every nooks to him is below what the and crannies of our state. state needs to survive “We are setting on daily. cause a machinery that Aregbesola disclosed will facilitate the that his government realisation of our decided on the meeting objectives to guarantee a with the management of steady supply of petrol to the petroleum company our people”, Aregbesola based on the company’s stated.

Speaking earlier, the Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer of Bovas Petroleum Nigeria Limited, Mrs. Victoria Adunola Samson, commended Governor Aregbesola for striving very hard to rescue the state and her people from the present hardship being experienced in accessing and purchasing petrol in the state.

She however promised that her company would do everything possible to ensure that the state gets enough supply of petroleum products to ease the sufferings of the people of the state.

“I am really touched to find out that the governor cares for the people of the state by striving very hard to ensure that Osun gets enough supply of petroleum products to ease the sufferings of all residents whose works demand the usage of fuel, motorists and commuters.

“During our comprehensive discussion on the issue I discovered that he (Aregbesola) simply loves his people and he doesn’t want them to lack anything which is why he wants us to bring enough supply to Osun so as to halt the scarcity which is seasonally prevalent every year.

“To this end, we are ready to partner the state to increase on the supply capacity as we are promising to do our best to improve on the supply

of petroleum products to Osun so as to alleviate the suffering”, she stated.

“On assumption of office in 2010, coupled with the status of the state’s treasury, propelled us to go for borrowing to bring to our people the required infrastructural facilities which they had suffered from in the previous administration.

“Today, Osun would not have become a cynosure of all eyes as it is, if we did not take the bold steps we took to stimulate her economy through financial reengineering.

“Our state can boast of so many developmental projects across sectors which were not in place prior to our emergence.”

Speaking on the successes his administration has recorded through the partnership with the S u s t a i n a b l e Development Goals (SDGs), Aregbesola said the scheme had helped to complement the good governance which his administration has exhibited in the state.

Aregbesola said his administration has never failed in contributing its counterpart fund of 50% in each of the projects executed through the partnership.

Earlier, the

Commissioner for Health, Dr. Rafiu Isamotu stated that the commissioning was part of government efforts at achieving essentially the 3rd goal of sustainable development which is to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages.

Isamotu stressed that most other goals of the S u s t a i n a b l e Development have their relationship with health directly or indirectly.

In his address, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on S u s t a i n a b l e Development Goals (SDGs), Dr Folawiyo Olajoku, said the agency has discharged its responsibilities to the fullest in all aspects of the economy particularly on education and the health sectors.

Olajoku disclosed that the state SDGs has procured and distributed freely over N3million worth of drugs to the people of the state, saying, “We have recruited over 400 healthcare officers, procured 50 ambulances and as well constructed and renovated over 47 classrooms across elementary and middle schools in the state”.

South-West Women In Global Perspective •Continued from paage 11 development in the South-West region did ample justice to her gender’s desire for mainstreaming in both public and private sectors to impart skills in women and change their attitudes for development, in the global perspective to radically overhaul the conditions of women and children for development.

What particularly irked Mrs. Aregbesola is glossary of the conditions of evidential humiliation and damning denigration of her sex that interestingly constitutes 50 per cent of the Nigerian population, performing nearly 60 per cent of working hours, but regrettably receive just 10 per cent of the nation’s income and own less than 1 per cent of its property.

Osun first lady is pricked that the deprivation and frustration of her gender centre around girl children’s premature marriage, teenage pregnancy, genital mutilation, street hawking, truncated education and sexual molestation in higher schools; premature death sequel to rape, sexual perversion and rage; trafficking in women and girls; the ‘Home Alone’ children, abandoned at home by ambitious parents, ruthlessly pursuing their careers; and women-girls mass suicides from forensic socialcommunal-religious conflicts.

It is also disheartening deep inside Mrs. Aregbesola that her gender painful conditions, brutal and bestial would include prostitution, abortion, face disfigurement by tribal marks, dehumanising widowhood rites, inheritance rights, excessive household chores, sex role imposed by nature, division of labour prescribed by incendiary cultures, prevalence of sexual perverts-drug addicts, juvenile delinquents-marauders in the society, and diverse forms of abuse, battering and discrimination against women ostensibly by society, largely male-

dominated and dependent on gender insensitive, obnoxious cultures and difficult traditions.

Taken as a whole, the women confab does not have to translate into the reverse order against men. Rather, the objective was to promote such global development opportunities for women to pursue their legitimate dreams and afford the society maximum benefits. The Osogbo women discussion platform bore a wave of overhang global concerns for women development; and the conference imprints could be gauged by its salutary effect on the South-West total ecopolitical system in terms of effective social, political, economic and moral consciousness in women; improved literacy chart for women; collapsed walls of bickering and controversy around women development; and identified assessed and prioritised women issues and needs for full integration into development policy, politics and process of government, more than ever before.

The conference practically boosted the effectiveness and corporate identity of its organisers, a proof of their sensitivity and responsibility.

The confab that generated noticeable enthusiasm across Osun and fostered the credibility of the chief organiser, Mrs. Aregbesola, had women from across South-West region of Nigeria, radiant, cheerful in attendance and in style, beauty and passion for the confab project.

Mrs. Osinbajo, a reserved, bright, beautiful and lush-dark complexion woman, not spoilt by artificial enhancers that exuded her simplicity and grace led the women including wives of State governors who were also dressed decently in African and transcontinental prints, designed in simple styles and obsessed with jewelry and make-up that screamed opulence and elegance. They carried stunning silhouette that made everything they wore sit well on their frame.

FRIDAY MARCH 16 - THURSDAY MARCH 22, 2018

CRIME

OSUNDEFENDER www.osundefender.org

15

Police Parades 11 Suspects Of Armed Robbery, Fraud, Others In Osun the sacrifice, the victims were asked to bring six denominations of 100 dollars, six denominations of 50 Euros, six denominations of 50 pounds and six denominations of 1000 naira, making the sum of N560,000 which was handed over to Afolabi

Ganiyu. ”Funke and her Eleven suspects have been paraded by the Osun husband realised that they State Police Command for various offences ranging have been dealing with from armed robbery, fraud, impersonation, burglary, fraudsters when they were and stealing among others. later asked to bring another N300,000.

Seven of the suspects, remote control, one black “During the Lasisi Isiaka, 37; Akintayo laptop bag, one saw blade, investigation, the second Selimu Adekunle, 32; one unregistered Bajaj suspect Abdulkadir Kamoru Olofaina, 32; motorcycle, one cutlass Adesina who happens to Adeniyi Akeem, 32; Basiru and 19 laptops.

On the three suspects Soliu, 27; Umoru Saheed, and Aderibigbe Kunle, 23 arrested for fraud and were arrested for alleged impersonation, the PPRO robbery, burglary and said they were arrested based on the complaint of stealing.

Three other suspects, one Ajayi Adefunke, who Afolabi Ganiyu, 33; received a text message AbdulKadir Adesina, 40 which was a recharge pin and Wasiu Sule, 32 were on her phone, she called arrested over alleged the phone number that fraud and impersonation, sent the recharge pin and under the pretence of the call was received by an being ritualists; while one old man who pleaded that other suspect, an ex- the recharge pin be convict, Oyebisi Sodiq was forwarded back to him as arrested over alleged it was meant for his son. ”Subsequently, she armed robbery with a toy forwarded back the gun.

Oyebisi Sodiq who had recharge pin to the sender been sentenced to two while the old man years’ imprisonment for a requested that she should case of armed robbery and visit him in Ilase Village was released from prison which she did in company on 15th April 2017 of her husband.

“On getting to the confessed that he actually stole a motorcycle when he village, Funke and her husband were requested went for a carnival party to perform a sacrifice at Ede. He said, “I stole the which was done by motorcycle because I was Afolabi Ganiyu, also stranded and I had no known as Ifatoki and after •The paraded three suspected fraudsters. money to transport myself back to Ifon Osun where I reside”.

According to Osun one Oginni Oluwasogo, Police Public Relations Risikat Aderibigbe, and

By Abdullahi Omotayo Officer (PPRO), Folashade Bashirat Yusuf A 27-year- old man, Akeem Onaolaji has been respectively.

Odoro, Oyebisi was in possession of fire arm and sentenced to three years imprisonment by an Osogbo The items stolen the Bajaj motorcycle he Magistrate court for stealing items worth of N200,350. include, one wooden The prosecutor, Inspector Fagboyinbo Abiodun shelves, three pillow stole as at the time he was arrested. while addressing the 2018 at Temidire Estate, cases, and one dressing She added that based on court said sometimes in Osogbo, the accused chair totaling N84,000, this he was arrested and a December 2017, January person unlawfully property of Oginni search warrant was 20, 2018, and February 23, entered into the shop of Oluwasogo. executed in his house at Ifon Osun where items including, one toy gun, one plate number with reg. no FTD 851 QB and

By Mariam Bello Nafisat pleaded for TVS Bajaj motorcycle were A Magistrate Court in Osogbo has jailed a 36-year- forgiveness and mercy of recovered.

Besides, Odoro said the old mother of three, Nafisat Raji for 12-month for the court, saying she could not understand arrest of the seven suspects stealing a Tecno phone worth of N15,000. who were arrested for Nafisat who was Cap 34 Volume 11 Laws what led her to the crime.

Pleading for the court armed robbery, burglary arraigned before of Osun State 2003. and stealing followed a Magistrate O. A Oloyade The prosecutor also pardon, she appealed complaint by one Mrs on a count charge informed the court that that her last child was too Hawa Jamiu, who bothering on stealing, the mother of three young to be abandoned. reported that she left her pleaded guilty of the children has once been The defense counsel, house at Oluwalogbon offence. charged to court on a Okobe Najite pleaded to Estate behind Konkobilo court to temper justice Prosecutor, Inspector Hotel, Ilobu road around Fagboyinbo Abiodun similar offence.

08:00 hrs and on her return told the court that the at about 17:30 hrs she convict, an indigene of discovered that her house Ede, committed the had been burgled.

By Mariam Bello offence on March 10 at She said, valuables, Tinumola Estate in A 40-year-old woman, Abosede Abigail has been including Samsung Osogbo. arraigned before an Osogbo Magistrate Court for Television valued He said, Nafisat N70,000, one Mini HP entered into the shop and alleged conspiracy and assault on one Yinusa Laptop valued N65,000, stole the Tecno handset Emmanuel. one HTC phone valued which valued N15,000.

Abigail was docked on He explained further N35,000 and some He explained further Monday, March 12, 2018 that the suspect and jewelries valued N40,000 on a count charge that the divorced convict others at large gave had been carted away. bothering on conspiracy Emmanuel, the Upon complaint, the was arrested by the and assault. people around the area complainant a fist blow PPRO said the police The accused person all over his body and commenced investigation and was handed over to and the suspects were the police after a pleaded not guilty to the teeth bites, after which he offence preferred against sustained a deep cut arrested, saying the thorough beating.

Inspector Abiodun her. suspects confessed to have wound. tendered the The prosecutor, committed the offence also Oladoye argued that which led to the recovery statement of the accused Inspector Oladoye the offence is contrary person and the stolen Joshua told the court that of the stolen properties. and punishable under Other stolen items phone as exhibit before the defendant committed Section 355 of the recovered are three iron the Court. the offence on March 6 at He stated that the Criminal Code Cap 34 bar, one Samsung Galaxy about 11.30am at Oremeji Volume 11 Laws of Osun S6 phone, one woofer offence is contrary to and Street, Ogo-Oluwa in punishable under Section State 2003. speaker, two HP laptop, five types of television and 390 of the Criminal Code Osogbo.

The defence counsel,

By Abdullahi Omotayo

be the surety of Afolabi Ganiyu and the third suspect, Wasiu Sule who impersonated a lawyer were arrested.

The exhibit recovered from Afolabi include; one mirror, booklets of receipt, six calabashes, one wooden box, three charms account book, one local

pot, a complete local attire and a cap.

Afolabi confessed that he actually duped the complainant as alleged, while Wasiu Sule also confessed that he studied law in the University of Benin but has not been to Law School nor call to bar.

Ex-Convict Bags 3-year Jail Term For Stealing Goods Worth N200,350 The accused was also accused of stealing one and a half carton of Baron Wine valued N2,600, one pack of 1960 Origin, half carton of Joven valued N3700, one carton of Erujeje valued N3000, a carton of Seaman Schnapps valued

Mother Of Three Jailed 12-Month For Stealing N15,000 Phone with mercy for his client.

The magistrate, Oloyade convicted Nafisat on the one count charge and sentenced her to 12-month imprisonment with an option of N10,000 fine, just as she ordered that the stolen phone be returned to the complainant.

Woman Docked Over Assault Mr Olayinka Ojo applied for the bail of the accused in the most liberal and affordable terms.

The magistrate A. A Oloyade granted the accused bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum.

She said one of the sureties must be a civil servant, sworn to affidavit of means, while both sureties must resides within the court jurisdiction with evidence of three years tax payments and three passports photography The case was adjourned to March 27 for hearing.

N19,300, two cartons of Chelsea Dry Gin valued N13,200, one carton of Trophy Beer valued N4,000, one carton of Kronenbourg valued N4,000, one carton of Bottled Chelsea dry gin valued N7,000, three bottles of Mark Dowel valued N10,500, two bottles of Best valued N1,000, two bottles of Brandy valued N1,200, two bottles of Schenapp valued N2,000, ten pieces of Origin valued N3,200, four bottled Origin valued N3,200, one bottled 1960 origin valued N1,800, five cartons of soft drink valued N4,750, three cartons of Pepsi Cola valued N3,000, six bottles of Big Cola valued N8,400, all valued N94,650 properties of Risikat Aderibigbe.

Other items stolen by the convict include one gas cooker, rubbers of rice, rubbers of beans and other items, valued N21,700 property of Bashirat Yusuf Inspector Fagboyinbo said the accused person, having stolen N200,350 worth of items, has committed an offence contrary and punishable under Sections 413, 390(9), and 515 Criminal Code Cap 34, Volume II Laws of Osun state of Nigeria, 2003.

Onaolaji who was an ex-convict had no legal representation, but pleaded guilty to the sixcount charge levelled against him.

The Magistrate, Tunde Badmus then sentenced him to three years imprisonment.

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OSUNDEFENDERwww.osundefender.com

KANMI ADEMILUYI argues in an article first published in the website Obirikiti (circle) that a guiding principle which was so transformative should not become a vacuous shibboleth or electioneering slogan.

It is rather unfortunate that the administrative intervention of Chief Obafemi Awolowo or has it has come to be referred to - “Awoism” has become a vacuous electioneering slogan rather than a coherent political philosophy. It will be of use if Awoism can be codified as well as modernised in the way that the British politician RHS Crossman did with the work of the philosopher of ancient Greece Plato, in his seminal work “Plato Today “.

Crossman reintroduced Plato to a new generation and made him relevant to the modern world.

“Awoism “ is clearly problematic today and for an obvious reason.

Awolowo was a social democrat, who was very deeply shaped by the progressive current of the nineteen forties very much like the other African nationalists of that era. In his own case as the leader of government business and later premier of the western region he used the opportunity to merge theory with practice.

Apart from the Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola none of the so called Awoists has actually in thought and deed really held up the banner of Awoism as a political philosophy rooted in social democracy. Awoism should have enjoyed a renaissance during the debates on the Structural Adjustment Program [SAP], sadly, this historic opportunity was missed and it did not. The Awoists gave no response at all, let alone even a tepid one. The fight against SAP was relinquished to other forces.

The price paid has been devastating on the political economy of the Southwest. With SAP came the reversal of critical gains made in education and access to healthcare. The deindustrialisation in the region was pronounced. The great industrial estates built on the framework of a harsh taxation regime in the region became the abode of “places of worship “. The whole point which was to use the industrial estates as the trajectories for industrial development, backward integration, employment generation and sustainable development is gone.

Awo Today

•Chief Obafemi Awolowo

•Governor Rauf Aregbesola

•Peas in Pod

‘

Apart from the Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola none of the so called Awoists has actually in thought and deed really held up the banner of Awoism as a political philosophy rooted in social democracy.

Equally painful is that the development finance companies have been dismantled due to the “Soludo reforms “. This is catastrophic, for the region needs long term development finance.

Awolowo himself was acutely aware of the painfully obvious stultification of the development process of the Anglo -Saxon banking model with its debilitating short termism. This model clearly could not provide the long term financing so vitally needed to evolve a

’

self sustaining economic base.

For this reason, Awolowo created the Cooperative Bank in 1953. The Cooperative Bank was key in creating a lower middle class, a strata that used to be known as a petite- bourgeoisie. It gave the Yoruba a head start in the distributive trade, small scale and light industries. For the higher end more capital intensive ventures, Awolowo created The Western Nigeria Finance Corporation, The Western Nigeria

Development Corporation etc. If the Malaysian visiting delegations were astonished that Yoruba’s owned Breweries, heavy industries and food processing plants in the late fifties and the early sixties, it is due to the efficacy of the development finance institutions.

We have to recreate all of this again. For the issue of the structure, the efficacy of capital as well as its deployment remains a critical issue in the quest for sustainable development,.Yes we can!

A new form of Awoism, will, like Awolowo did, look at options such as the German “social market” economic model founded on tripartite cooperation between government, business and trade unions. This is the basis for Germany being the strongest industrial economy in Europe. In addition, it is in tune with our using consensus building rather than adversarial means. Also of interest should be the Dutch farmers’ cooperative formula. Today the Netherlands has just 200,000 farmers organized in cooperatives exporting $110 billion worth of agro industrials a year. This again fits in with our cultural affinity. We must examine the models that fascinated Awolowo and which he adapted for positive development.

Fundamentally, the emphasis on human capital development, as well as the emphasis on Social Capital as the most enduring form of developmental capital must be reignited.

The people of the southwest have been played a bad card. As the struggle for the reenactment of a real federal state intensifies, Awoism as a political philosophy must be brought back. Not as vacuous sloganeering but as a tool to achieving sustainable development based on real capital formation which is fundamentally necessary to achieve a fairer and more just society as well as “ life more abundant”. Awoism must be the framework for a system of social and economic relationships which is for the benefit of the overwhelming majority and not as his prevalent today, for a few.

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

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