Osun defender september 16, 2016 edition

www.osundefender.org FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016 Everyone is aware that the country is in dire straits. The critical response to a crisis is straightforward; What is to be done? In the case of our federating units the answer is unambiguous; look inwards; this is the

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Front Page Comment

Tax Payment Necessary To Boost Osun IGR sensible way to turn a crisis into an opportunity for a rebirth. It is also the pathway to a sustainable future.

The state of Osun is no exception to this rule of

thumb. The state of Osun under a far sighted, innovative government has gone through a wonderful transformation. Unprecedented massive investment in the physical and social infrastructure has launched the

path to a sustainable future. Now in the middle of a crunching economic downturn the steady progress achieved has to be maintained and protected.

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VOL. 11. NO.086

For Osun increasing internally generated revenue ( IGR) will be decisive. In actual fact there is no alternative.

This is not in anyway an attempt to reinvent the wheel. Lagos state

starting with the equally far sighted Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in 1999 has shown that it can be done. The astronomic increase in IGR has demonstrated what planning and determination can do.

Continued on Page 5

‘We Need To Value Our Cultural Heritage’

- Pg 3

Elebuibon Canvasses Tourism To Fight Economic Recession - See Story On Page 3

•State of Osun governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (middle); former State of Osun governor, Chief Adebisi Akande (2nd right); Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial aspirant, Dr. Segun Abraham (left); former Chairman, APC, Ireland Chapter; Hon. Olubunmi Salako and Immediate past Osun Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties, Dr. Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru celebrating 2016 Eid-el-Kabir festival with Chief Akande, at his residence in Ila-Orangun, State of Osun, on Tuesday.

Ondo APC Primaries: Gubernatorial Aspirants, Party -Pg 4

Chieftains Clear Air On Akeredolu's Emergence

OSUN DEFENDER Friday, September 16, 2016

PHOTOTALK

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Governor Rauf Aregbesola Visited Flood Disaster Areas In Osogbo On Wednesday

•State of Osun governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and some of his aides at Rasco area, Oke-fia, during an unscheduled inspection visit to some flooded arears caused by heavy downpour in Osogbo on Wednesday.

•Aregbesola and some of his aides, during the unscheduled inspection to some flooded areas.

•A Toyota car with registration number, LSD 683 DZ (Lagos) washed inside the bridge by the flood during the heavy rain on Tuesday while the driver of the vehicle was also washed away by the flood at Oke-Oniti area, Osogbo, State of Osun.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

News

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OSUN DEFENDER Friday, September 16, 2016

•State of Osun Deputy Governor, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori (6th right); in a group photograph with State of Osun Executive member of Peace Corps of Nigeria and some state government officials during their courtesy visit to the deputy governor in her office in Oshogbo recently.

Elebuibon Canvasses Tourism To Fight Economic Recession A We Need To Value Our Cultural Heritage - Traditionalist Sensitizes Yoruba A

By SHINAABUBAKAR foremost traditionalist and Ifa priest, Chief Ifayemi Elebuibon, has urged government at different levels in the country to diversify the nation economic income to tourism, believing it is capable of moving the economy out of recession quickly.

He disclosed this at economy is the only this year’s Ogbeyonu way out of the crisis, festival held at the assuring that tourism, House of Culture, considering the nature Elebuibon Street, of potentials on ground Osogbo, the State of is a quick way to place Osun capital. the economy back on According to him, track. the most developed “The sector requires economics in the world little investment did not rely on a means considering what is of revenue and most of already on ground these countries earn compared to what is largely from tourism needed in other and it is time for sectors, hence, it Nigeria to become the provides a quick tourism hub of Africa. alternative with proper He said, the country planning. As you can is blessed with so many see with what is going tourism potentials on now, we have across the federation, visitors from many adding that if the parts of the country potentials are properly and this stimulates the harnessed, it would economy of the state. create employment, The tourism industry generate huge revenue and reduce restlessness is a multi-level market among teeming young that attracts local and population in the international tourists, so there is no country.

The high priest investment that is a disclosed that waste if properly government should planned. If holiday invest in culture as lovers stop going every Nigerian culture abroad and patronize is a potential revenue tourist sites within the earner for the country, country, it reduces the saying the average amount of foreign citizen would be a exchange spent in cultural ambassador foreign land and help and attract tourists into improve the strength of the local currency”, the country.

He added that with he added.

The priest also called the persistent decline in revenue from oil, it is on Nigerians to always towards obvious that work diversifying the ensuring that the peace

maintained, stressing that there is no better

way to make the country great than to

ensure peaceful coexistence.

N Osogbo renowned traditionalist, Chief Ifaniyi Fanikayode, has urged the Yoruba dynasty both at home and abroad to value the esteemed cultural heritage endowed with by the race and not allow it to go into extinction.

Chief Fakayode gave part of activities lined up the charge while to celebrate Osarosun Ifa addressing the press as festival of Agbongbon’s

family in Osogbo recently.

According to him, it’s important to maintain our cultural heritage, ancestors and to know the importance of celebrating our ancestors.

chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun, Mrs Christianah Olusola Ogunfolaju, has pleaded with the inhabitants of the state to be patient with the government of President Muhammadu Buhari in his numerous efforts to battle the economic recession confronting the nation.

APC won at the centre.

Her words: “It is Mrs Ogunfolaju who hails from Orileowu in easier to destroy than Ayedaade South Local to build. The economic being Development Authority recession in the state said she experienced in the country today is a was convinced that all the efforts of the resultant effect of the president to bring the 16-year misgovernance nation’s economy back into shape would soon be fruitful.

It was her belief that if a leader is disciplined, all his efforts would not be in vain.

Mrs Ogunfolaju who contested for the house of assembly election in Ayedaade State Constituency of the state explained in a chat with OSUN DEFENDER in Ikoyi on Wednesday that it was a saving grace that the •OGUNFOLAJU

of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“It is because God loves this nation that made the APC government led by President Buhari to control the centre.

“If Nigeria is in disarray as a result of the misgovenrance of the PDP, which other country (ies) could contain the influx of our citizens?

“People don’t value what they possess. The APC-led government is indeed working in this country.

President Buhari is not only a blessing to Nigeria but to entire Africa.”

She said, if the PDP had fraudulently climbed to power in the last general elections, all the monumental corruption incidents being unveiled on daily basis by anti-corruption agencies would not have seen the light of day.

The traditionalist who is the Agbongbon Awo of Osogboland said, the purpose of the festival was to thank the Almighty God and the goddess for their protection and blessing upon the Agbongbon family.

The festival, according to him, will be celebrated with fanfare for five days, starting from Friday September 16 to 20.

“Day 1, which is Friday, will be observed by cleaning the Ifa and Osarosun shrines; it will also witness the appraisal and atonement to Ifa and all Ifa families, while Day two which is Saturday is the social celebration of Osarosun, cultural display, acrobatic display and entertainment of guests.

“Days three and four is the divination day for Agbongbon family alone and offering to the ancestors at the family house, while Day five is the grand finale and the festival will witnessed offering to Olokun and divination of all the children of Agbongbon family.”

The festival, according to Chief Fakayode, would be graced by all Ifa devotees from all the states across the federation and in diaspora.

reigning in most region of the country is

Ogunfolaju Sues For Patience With Buhari A

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OSUN DEFENDER Friday, September 16, 2016

RCCG Musical Concert In Osogbo Last Sunday

•A cross section of Choirs of Redeemed Christian Church of God, Victory Zone, Tinumola area, Osogbo, State of Osun, during their 2016 Choir Concert last Sunday. the zonal Choir Co-ordinator, Deaconess Olabisi Olabisi, (right), directing the affair at the event.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

Ondo APC Primaries: Gubernatorial

Aspirants, Party Chieftains Clear Air On Akeredolu's Emergence S

By SHINAABUBAKAR EQUEL to agitation and protestations of the outcome of the September, 2016 All Progressives Congress primary election in Ondo State which produced a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu, SAN, by a small section of the 24 aspirants; three major stakeholders have affirmed the credibility of the process.

The group are the Ondo West LGA, Mr ‘League of Contestants Raphael Adetimehin in the Last APC a.k.a Chico, State G o v e r n o r s h i p Organizing Secretary of Primaries in Ondo the Ondo West LGA State’, Ondo East and and Professor Bayo Ondo West Local Ademodi, State Leader Government areas. reads: In a joint statement With regards to the issued by the delegates r e c e n t l y - c o n c l u d e d from the Ondo-East and g o v e r n o r s h i p West Local gubernatorial election Government areas on of APC in Ondo State, the 8th of September, our interest is in the 2016 titled “Ondo State purported claim by APC Governorship some self-acclaimed Primary Election: Ondo leaders of APC in West and Ondo East Ondo West and Ondo Local Government East Local Government Areas Delegates’ Lists: areas that delegates list Setting the Records used for Ondo East and Straight”, both parties Ondo West Local refuted claims that the Government Areas delegates’ lists of the were fake and/or Ondo East and West padded.

LGAs were doctored to “We, the favour Rotimi undersigned, hereby Akeredolu also known declare categorically as Aketi. that it was the Part of the official harmonized lists issued letter which was signed from the decision of the by Mrs Roseline National Congress Adesua Omolara, Appeals Committee in Secretary of the APC, 2014 that were used on Ondo East LGA, Mr Saturday 3rd Okewoye Sarafa, September, 2016. No Secretary of the APC, strange delegates’ lists

were used for our two local government areas; rather it was the harmonized lists that were used.

We participated at every stage of the process and we make bold to say that authentic names and known delegates were accredited at the venue designated for Ondo West and Ondo East Local Government and accordingly voted during the exercise.

The process of accreditation for our Local Government Areas was adjudged open, credible and acceptable to all interests in our Local Government Areas. All delegates, including those who are now

•AKEREDOLU

crying blue murder sat under the same canopy and were later conveyed to the voting venue under heavy security. At that point, nobody raised eyebrows as to the authenticity of the list used”, the statement reads.

Both groups went on to state that the disputed delegates list was first made available to the gubernatorial aspirants as far as middle of late July, 2016 thereby reducing the chances of any act of hanky-panky in the electoral process.

They proceeded to expound on the buildup of the delegates’ lists of the Ondo East

and West LGAs which have become ‘objects of controversy’ in the recently-concluded primary election. ‘’For record purposes, the delegates list is the 26 executive members in the Local Government Area, the 12 principal Ward Executive Members and special delegates.

In the case of Ondo East and Ondo West Local Government Areas, delegates’ list was based on the Aro Lambo-led National Congress Appeals Committee decision of 2014 and approved by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of our great party” “Specifically, the National Appeals Committee decided on a 60/40 sharing formula with the Bola Ilori Group having 60 per cent while the Ademodi group presenting 40 per cent of the Executive Committee Members across the board.

Sometime last year, the NEC mandated the State Executive to ensure the implementation of the decision and this is evident by the fact that since October 2015, the Secretary, Ondo West Local Government

Area, Mr. Sarafa Okewoye and the Secretary, Ondo East Local Government Area, Mrs Roseline Adesua, have become bonafide members of the State Executive Committee, the highest organ of the party in Ondo State. They have been attending State Executive Committee Meetings without any opposition from any quarter. Why now?’’

The group asked.

According to the groups, the list of the delegates in Ondo West and Ondo East Local Government areas were already known to all interest groups.

In the same vein, a large section of the 24 gubernatorial aspirants in a joint communiqué disclaimed obnoxious claims by some embittered aspirants that the primary election was compromised.

They urged aggrieved groups to join hands with Akeredolu to bail out the people of Ondo State from the oppressive and selfserving government of the Peoples Democratic Party which is the major goal of the party in the state.

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OSUN DEFENDER Friday, September 16, 2016

Tax Payment Necessary To Boost Osun’s IGR ...Crucially the revenue raised has been demonstrably put to very good use. Lagos state has never looked back even at times of adversity. The state has weathered the storm and is on top of the job of creating a megametropolis worth living in. The governor of Osun state the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was as a commissioner; a member of that path breaking team. Tried and tested he knows how it is done. It's time to put the knowledge base and expertise gained in Lagos into productive use in the state of Osun.

Doing so will involve emphasising the social contract between the government and the people. The state government under Aregbesola has certainly delivered on its own part of the bargain. New schools, roads have been constructed; in addition social programmes such as the free school meals programme, monthly stipend for the elderly e.t.c have been implemented and sustained to widespread acclaim at home and abroad.

Now is the turn of every other stakeholder

to reciprocate in order to compliment the magnificent intervention of the Aregbesola administration.

The Aregbesola government has no intention whatsoever to increase taxes. In actual fact a solid case can be made for increased taxes as a response to the economic downturn. Nevertheless the Aregbesola government has no intention of doing so. What the government wants and this is legitimate is for everyone to pay their contributions and taxes. This is both legitimate and fair as well as very critical in a democracy. A democratic dispensation is after all an aggregation of stakeholders all of who contribute to the development of the community by paying their taxes and levies. This is why the well known slogan of the American revolution was "no taxation without representation!"

With a government that has delivered on its part of the bargain, the people of the state must now rally round and deliver by paying their taxes. This is the only way that the piv-

State Of The Nation I

have been following closely the activities of the President Buhari administration and whenever I have the opportunity, I try to find out people’s opinions as regards its performance.

I just realized that the hardship faced by many Nigerians is simply as a result of the fact that almost everyone of us benefited from the cycle of corruption.

The bricklayers, plumber, labourers, tilers are all complaining because building construction has slowed down massively as the thieves no longer have money to spend on real estate.

The car dealers are grumbling because their cars are begging for buyers.

Thieves can no longer spend wastefully.

The private school owners are shouting because parents can no longer pay outrageous sums and are withdrawing their wards.

I was shocked when I learnt that in a popular

private university in Abuja, parents are writing undertaking at the account section for their children to be allowed to write examinations and it goes on and on.

The fact is, a lot of people are returning to what someone referred to as ‘’default mode’’.

We mostly have been

living above our ‘Real Means.’

We have been staying in houses that ordinarily our incomes can’t afford; our children going to schools we can’t afford. Driving cars we ordinarily can’t maintain; we have been living a fake life all along.

Now the reality is before us and we don’t want to accept it.

This shows how morally bankrupt we all are.

You can’t eat your cake and have it. Take Note...”GOD HELP AND BLESS NIGERIA” You got billions from bank without collateral using your political influence. You put half into your business and spent the other half on exotic cars, jewelleries’ etc.

Your business employs 100 people normally. You

get illegal waivers and concessions to import raw materials at rock-bottom prices; you get overinflated contract to supply government some goods your company produce; in short, your company is kept afloat by corruption.

Now the new Sheriff in town says: No more ridiculous waivers; No more inflated

contracts; no more bank loans without collateral; in fact, it’s time you or your company pay off the billions of debt owed.

AMCON takes over your company; staff are laid off......And you go on air and say the new Sheriff is killing business and causing unemployment.

The truth is; you and your company were never in business, as you were only feeding off the system.

Too many companies and banks are funded by corruption.

Remove corruption from the system and they collapse.......and we end up blaming the person that removes corruption for the collapse of the corruptly run fake companies.

It’s like our system and corruption are so interwoven and inseparable that removing one will kill the other.

Maybe we should tolerate and learn to live with corruption, so that Nigeria can survive?

•UGO CHIKEZIE, Lagos.

otal gains can be protected and indeed enhanced. Oil prices internationally are not going to rebound any time soon. We are in for a long period of discomfort. This means that to protect education, access to health and so on everyone must pay their taxes. For no one can pin any hope on ever dwindling federal allocations any more.

The present difficult period will pass and Osun state will come out strongly. To overcome we recommend that every one should rally round the government at this critical junction by paying their taxes and helping the state. Their is no alternative and it is the right thing to do. Let's do it together for the sake of our state!

•This piece, already used in one of our previous editions, is repeated due to popular demand.

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

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FEATURE

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OSUN DEFENDER Friday, September 16, 2016

Yoruba Nation: Know Yourself F ROM conversations with Yoruba youths these days, it quickly becomes plain that most of them know disturbingly little, or even nothing, about their Yoruba nation. Because their Yoruba nation is part of a country called Nigeria and is inevitably part of the crookedness, chaos, and hopeless poverty that is Nigeria, because their Yoruba nation has lost much of its assets and capabilities in the context of Nigeria and seriously declined with Nigeria, they go about thinking that their Yoruba nation has always been a small, weak and crooked nation. They need to know that they are wrong, very – very – wrong. They need to learn the truth.

Before we go further, I urge our youths not to take whatever I say here as truth without trying to check up from other older persons and from available writings. Most of what we will say here are available in writing. Make particular use of the worldwide social media.

The first truth you need to learn is that most of those who have been exercising authority over Nigeria since independence do not want the youths of the different nations of Nigeria to know the history of their nations, or even to speak the languages of their nations. This is why History has been subtly excluded from the curriculum of our schools for decades. It is also why education is constantly being discouraged in many subtle ways in Nigeria. It is why the high quality university which we Yoruba created at Ife (Obafemi Awolowo University) was taken away by the federal authorities and gradually degraded. Their belief is that, to build Nigeria, they must weaken most of the various nations of Nigeria, especially the strongest ones like the Yoruba and Igbo. They say these things explicitly from time to time. Try and find out. In the world, no other country that comprises many nations tries as hard as Nigeria to weaken its nations; what such countries commonly do is to promote the prosperity and strength of their various nations. For a good example, read what India has been doing with its nearly 2000 nationalities.

Our second truth is that, today, our Southwest is very very poor.

But what I want you to note specially is that all the poverty of our Southwest today is new. In fact, we as a nation have never before been as poor as we are today.

For many centuries before the British came and included us in Nigeria, we Yoruba were politically very civilized and orderly in our many kingdoms, economically very productive and comfortable, socially very sophisticated and fashionable. We lived in many towns and cities, unlike almost the rest of the nations of Black Africa.

Our second truth is that, today, our Southwest is very very poor. But what I want you to note specially is that all the poverty of our Southwest today is new. In fact, we as a nation have never before been as poor as we are today.

For many centuries before the British came and included us in Nigeria, we Yoruba were politically very civilized and orderly in our many kingdoms, economically very productive and comfortable, socially very sophisticated and fashionable.

We lived in many towns and cities, unlike almost the rest of the nations of Black Africa. Our farming was rich, our country was well supplied with food, our traders were trading far and wide in Black Africa, the products of our country (like cloths, beads, metal implements, etc) reached far and wide, and our language was the common language of trade among many nations of the coasts of West Africa. Before the British came and included us in Nigeria, we were already a considerably educated people, because of the coming of Christian missionaries – and unlike nearly all of the rest of Africa, we already had a large and growing class of university graduates (lawyers, doctors, engineers, writers, teachers, etc), and we had newspapers in some of our cities. We were very much like Japan in Asia – a nation already modernizing itself without any European colonial ruler.

By DIRAN APATA

Our farming was rich, our country was well supplied with food, our traders were trading far and wide in Black Africa, the products of our country (like cloths, beads, metal implements, etc) reached far and wide, and our language was the common language of trade among many nations of the coasts of West Africa. Before the British came and included us in Nigeria, we were already a considerably educated people, because of the coming of Christian missionaries – and unlike nearly all of the rest of Africa, we already had a large and growing class of university graduates (lawyers, doctors, engineers, writers, teachers, etc), and we had newspapers in some of our cities.

We were very much like Japan in Asia – a nation already modernizing itself without any European colonial ruler.

At the time of Nigeria’s independence in 1960, we were the most educated nation in Nigeria and in all of Africa, and the most advanced in all aspects of modern development. We had more tarred roads than any other, more towns with pipe-borne water, the first television station in all of Africa, the first sports stadium, the first industrial estates, the first Free Education programme, many of the most productive and richest cocoa farmers in the world, rich production of food crops on our farms, modern farm settlements, extensive plantations of rubber, palm trees, teak and other valuable tropical trees, special institutions for training skilled workers (in furniture making, electrical installations, plumbing, wood work, crafts, etc), an investment corporation that was the largest collection of African-owned

investment capital in all of Africa.

On the whole, our Western Region was much richer than the other two Regions of Nigeria (Northern and Eastern Regions); and it generated more internal revenues than these other two Regions together. The cocoa exports of our farmers provided most of Nigeria’s foreign exchange. By 1960, we were a rich nation poised to grow richer and richer.

UT we are now a poor nation. Almost all of our prosperity has, since Nigeria’s independence, been gradually destroyed. In almost every Yoruba town, there are now some Yoruba beggars in the streets.

Very many of our educated young men and women cannot find jobs to do, some for years. Many continue to depend on their parents, but many parents themselves are no longer able to provide enough for themselves.

Among the few educated who are fortunate to have jobs (such as teaching jobs in state schools, or other jobs in government offices), most are not sure that they will receive their salaries at the end of every month, and many don’t receive their salaries for many months. Our old and retired parents and grandparents are no longer sure if they will be paid their pensions. Many have ceased getting any pensions. Add all these together, and you will see how poverty has taken over among us.

But that is not all. One other source of poverty is that our educational system has virtually collapsed. We invested heavily in education in order to strengthen our development, but the Nigerian opposition to education has gradually destroyed our

B

education.Most of our public schools are now wretched, dirty and ugly, and children cannot learn properly in them. Our school teachers no longer get the kind of respect that teachers get from governments and people in other countries. And then, they often don’t get paid their salaries regularly. They are demoralized and robbed of pride in their profession. All these poor conditions have also extended to our universities and colleges.

Therefore, university lecturers and professors are often as discouraged as our school teachers, and they too are often on strike. And corruption has added to the destruction of all educational standards.

Consequently, many of our graduates don’t really measure up to the true level of graduates any more. Many of our secondary school and university graduates these days cannot read or write – either in English or in our own Yoruba language.

HAT all this poor education means is that many of the graduates of our secondary schools and universities don’t have the education for getting anything done. Many cannot think up, plan, or start ventures of their own. And they do not have skills for most jobs – that is, they are unemployable.

The old technical schools have perished. For many available jobs, employers often go to neighbouring countries (like Benin Republic) for skilled workers. In fact, you will often hear employers say that our youths don’t take skills seriously and are difficult to depend on.

Again, add all these together, and you see poverty plainly – poverty in the midst of plenty.

Yet another reason for poverty among us Yoruba is that we don’t produce our own food any more.

This is another way in which our general decline in Nigeria has affected us. Most of the food being sold in our markets today are not produced by us or on our land.

They are brought from somewhere else or other. That means that most of the billions of Naira spent daily buying food in each of our towns does not stay in our region and circulate there; it goes to other places promptly. But even more serious is the fact that we have no control over our food supply. We have no food security. Some years ago, when food transportation from the North encountered some problem for some days, our Lagos city soon began to starve, and Lagosians had to stream to Benin Republic to buy food, including even minor items like tomato and pepper. For us, this is a very dangerous situation – the most disastrous kind of poverty imaginable.

We will continue.

W

•Culled from Nigerian Tribune.

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PHOTOTALK

OSUN DEFENDER Friday, September 16, 2016

2016 Eid-El-Kabir Prayer At Oke-Baale Praying Ground, Osogbo, State Of Osun, On Monday.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•Admirers hailing Governor Rauf Aregbesola on his way back home from the praying ground on Monday.

•A little boy waving to Governor Aregbesola.

•A cross section of Aregbesola’s admirers waving to him.

•Supporters waving brooms to greet Aregbesola when coming from Oke-Baale Praying Ground.

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PHOTOTALK

OSUN DEFENDER Friday, September 16, 2016

2016 Eid-el-Kabir Prayer At Oke-Baale Praying Ground, Osogbo, State Of Osun, On Monday.

Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•Admirers hailing Rauf Aregbesola.

•Supporters using APC flag to greet Governor Aregbesola after the Eid-el-Kabir prayer.

•An old woman intuitively admiring Governor Aregbesola.

•A cross section of people waiting for arrival of Governor Aregbesola at the Praying Ground.

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PHOTOTALK

OSUN DEFENDER Friday, September 16, 2016

Free Train For Sallah Festival Provided By State Government Of Osun, Under The Administration Of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Taking Off From Railway Terminus, Iddo, Lagos.

•Some of the indigenes and non-indigenes of the State of Osun boarding the free train.

•Some of the little children inside the train.

•Some of the passengers boarding the train with ram.

•Another cross section of passengers boarding the free train.

PHOTOTALK

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OSUN DEFENDER Friday, September 16, 2016

More Pictures On Sallah Festival 2016

•President Muhammadu Buhari (2nd right); the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Farouk Umar (right); Magajin Gari of Daura, Alhaji Musa Umar (2nd left) and others at the Daura Prayer Ground on Monday.

•President Buhari acknowledging cheers from his admirers.

•Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo (3rd left); Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode; (4th right); All Progressives Congress (APC) National leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (4th lrft); Wife of Lagos State Governor, Bolanle (3rd right); Senator Oluremi Tinubu (2nd left); and others in a group photograph during the Eid-El-Kabir celebration.

FEATURE

5 11

OSUN DEFENDER Friday, September 16, 2016

Edo 2016 Postponement: Sanctity Of Human Lives

W

ITH about 72 hours away to the conduct of the 2016 Edo State gubernatorial election and in the midst of repeated assurances by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of its preparedness to ensure a credible exercise, Nigerians and indeed, lovers of democracy were thrown into a state of shock by the sudden media briefing of the Nigeria Police and the Department of State security (DSS) in Abuja, the federal capital on Wednesday 7 th September, 2016, calling on INEC to postpone the elections over security threats by those it referred to as insurgents and extremists to cause mayhem in the country between September 12 and 13, 2016 of which Edo State was one of the targets.

The disappointment and panic caused by this security advise on the heartbeat of our democracy is beyond description, because nobody saw it coming, as all the political parties and their candidates had campaigned vigorously and were on the eve of rounding it up; the local and international observers were already on ground; the media and over 25,000 security operatives had been deployed to provide security by the authorities; not forgetting the electorate, who were also rearing to go in exercising the franchise on the scheduled election day.

However, in tandem with its responsibility of ensuring the sanctity of the process, INEC, the only institution constitutionally saddled with the responsibility of management of elections, insisted on going ahead with the election, in view of preparations already put in place and having not been officially communicated with the latest development by the security agencies.

AINFULLY, with less than 48 hours to go, INEC had to postpone the election by two weeks, after it had had been officially briefed by the security agencies of the security threat which could affect the credibility of the election, in view of it falling short of the provisions of the Electoral Act of which INEC is duty-bound to comply with in the discharge of its functions. It’s an understatement to describe the postponement as a huge disappointment in view of the resources and mindset committed to the election by all the relevant stakeholders and political watchers.

Thus, by heeding the security advice and postponing the election, this INEC under Professor Mahmud Yakubu has once again demonstrated a great sense of responsibility and patriotism, respect for sanctity of human lives and the electoral process, which might have been imperiled, if it had gone ahead with the election against the advice.

For our information and education, the primary responsibility of INEC is to conduct elections which cannot be successfully done without the

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chieftains of the then ruling party were conscripted into the antidemocratic plot of calling for its postponement by the powers that be then based on several grounds, chief among which were, insecurity in the North East, occasioned by the menace of Boko Haram insurgents, alledged poor distribution of PVC in the Southern part of the country, unlike in the North, alledged bias of Professor Attahiru Jega in favour of the North against the South and strident calls for his removal, etc. Some of the groups even engaged in public vandalism and brigandage in some South East states and Lagos just to drive fear and intimidation into the minds of the electorate, in order to sabotage the electoral process for the evil and anti-people’s interest of their paymasters.

UT to God be the glory, as all their anti-democratic plots collapsed like a pack of cards, just as the electorate went out defiantly on the new election day and like they say, the rest is history.

While we recognize that people have the right to question the veracity of the security report on Edo State gubernatorial polls out of so many reasons, such as the fear that are we going back to our immediate inglorious past, when the security agencies became political, partisan and unprofessional in the discharge of their functions, in utter violations of the Constitution? One differs with this school of thought, in view of the fact that we don’t have a counter-position or fact to disprove the security report and also because unlike in the past, there is no double speak and compromise of the security apparatus on the election, this time around.

Despite the fact that we are disappointed by this postponement due to security threats, which is an indictment on our security system in urgent need of a rejig, we must look forward with optimism to the new date of September 28 th, 2016 for the Edo State gubernatorial election and we owe it a responsibility to admonish all the stakeholders to play according to the rules and galvanize the electorate to come out enmasse to peacefully and orderly exercise their franchise in a manner representative of the democratic tenet of one man, one vote, one woman, one vote, as they would have done on the old date.

Thus, the time has come for Nigerians to tenaciously uphold the sanctity of human lives in our endeavours by jettisoning the crude political philosophy of do-or-die.

The elections in Edo State is about the political destiny of the people for the next four years and so, it behooves on us to be very concerned about the sanctity of the process and human lives by ensuring that the peace of the state is not threatened before, during and after the elections through a credible exercise, afterall, there should be life after the election.

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•YAKUBU

By NELSON EKUJUMI

collaboration and support of other stakeholders, such as the provision of adequate security, peaceful and orderly conduct of party agents and voters. We must also note that the provisions of the Electoral Act are stated explicitly and must be fulfilled for an election to be termed as free, fair and credible, fundamental of which is the exercise of franchise by voters in an atmosphere devoid of fear and intimidation.

Unfortunately, instead of looking at the issues dispassionately in view of our challenging security situation nationwide, some “Nigerians” rushed to judgement by describing the security report as a ruse and politicizing security which is about protection of human lives, devoid of discrimination of sex, age, colour, religion, ethnicity, political bias, etc. But we must note that in the midst of this condemnation of the security report, which necessitated the postponement, there are certain category of Nigerians, who have showed genuine apprehension and concern about this development, unlike the hypocritical condemnation, which was not unexpected from certain quarters because of their antecedent.

But the apprehension over this postponement by genuine interests can be understood and appreciated in view of the compromised and political conspiracy of our security apparatus under the previous administration. The fear is better described as a hangover from the irresponsibility and treasonable plot of the security agencies to cause a postponement of the 2015 general elections in 2015 of which this new shift in date in the Edo state gubernatorial poll is seen in the same mould.

One recollects that for the first time in our political history, the 2015 general elections suffered a postponement of six weeks after

INEC was arm-twisted by the security chiefs, who made a 360 % U-turn from their earlier position of preparedness to provide adequate security on the eve of the election, only to sing a new song of the need to be allowed to concentrate on addressing security challenges posed by the threat of Boko haram in the North East for the time being.

ESPITE the overwhelming condemnation of the position of the security apparatus and the admonition of Nigerians for INEC to conduct elections in areas not troubled by insurgency and then go back to those areas ravaged by the menace of Boko Haram to conduct elections when the conditions are suitable, having seen through the antidemocratic plot, INEC succumbed to the treasonable felony plot and intimidation of the ex-security chiefs to postpone the general elections.

Before then, information was rife in the air of the alledged attempt by the immediate-past administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan to scuttle democracy through a postponement of the 2015 general elections and this much was confirmed when the ex-National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki (Rtd.), went to Chatham House in London in January 2015 to fly the kite for the postponement of the 2015 general elections for three months by citing in his view, poor distribution of the PVC by INEC as the basis. He was roundly condemned by Nigerians, who saw through the plot to destabilize our democracy and elongate the tenure of the then government unconstitutionally.

This is not to forget that, prior to the date for the conduct of the 2015 general elections, various individuals, groups and even

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HEALTH

12

OSUN DEFENDER Friday, September 16, 2016

How To Increase Your Egg Health In 90 Days

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N the past a common belief was that the only factor which determines ovarian and egg health was age. Based on new studies, we now know that this may not be true.

There are many factors that can have an impact on the health of the ovaries and eggs including environmental factors, hormones in the diet, and stress just to name a few.

In addition, having healthy fertility is based on many additional aspects to consider, including: · Proper circulation · A healthy fertility cycle · Balanced hormones · Healthy eggs Why Is Egg Health Important?

Egg health is one of the cornerstones of healthy fertility.

The health of your eggs (ovum) can affect whether or not fertilization and implantation will occur as well as the viability of a pregnancy. In the past it has been thought that we are born with all of the eggs cells we will have for the rest of our lives, hence the reason age can have such an impact on egg health.

Egg cells are some of the only cells in the body that do not regenerate… or at least that has been the belief up until now.

Recent research has brought up some promising new views on egg production – women may actually produce eggs throughout the reproductive years. Scientists have found stem cells within the ovaries that produce new egg cells (Nature, 2004).

Regardless of this study’s finding, age still had an impact on the new eggs since the ovaries continued to age, causing the “housing” for the eggs to be less than optimal. Protecting the eggs you currently have as well as encouraging ovarian health through diet, herbs, supplements and increased circulation to the reproductive system is of the utmost importance.

90 Days: The Cycle of an Egg Many women who are having trouble getting pregnant have been told by their doctors that their eggs are not healthy, or that their eggs are “old”. The options usually given to these women include using an egg donor, IVF, or adoption. But what most women don’t know, is that there are things you can do to help support the health of the ovaries and eggs, but it must be done for at least 90 days to have an impact.

During the cycle of an egg’s journey towards ovulation there is a window of opportunity, a period of time, when certain factors can affect the health of the

includes movement, such as tennis, walking, running, dancing, or fertility yoga.

Exercise increases the blood flow in the body, brings fresh blood to all of the cells and helps to oxygenate the blood.

Get Abdominal or Fertility Massage One of the best therapies for increasing blood flow to the reproductive system is by massaging your uterus and ovaries. Massage helps to bring fresh, oxygenated blood to the ovaries and removes old stagnant blood. You can have a massage therapist perform abdomen massage or find a therapist who specializes in fertility or Maya abdominal massage. You can also learn how to apply Self Fertility Massage and do it in the comfort of your own home. It is best done starting the day after your period has ended and continue all month long, practicing at least 4 times a week. If you are currently trying to conceive, perform the massage techniques from the day after your period has ended up until ovulation.

Hormonal Balance ORMONAL balance is essential for proper egg health.

Due to environmental factors, stress, and modern diets more and more women are becoming hormonally imbalanced. If hormonal balance is off the eggs may not respond, the fertility cycle gets out of balance, and ovulation may not occur. An intricate hormonal symphony is at play every month in preparation and fulfillment of the fertility cycle. But there is good news, balancing your hormones is possible. Here are some ways to help balance your hormones and nourish the endocrine system.

Cleanse the system of · excess hormones Use the fertility · superfood Maca Reduce exposure to · xenohormones If your FSH levels are · high the herb Vitex has been shown to help support normal hormone levels Nutrition During this window of opportunity, what you are eating can also impact the health of your ovaries and eggs either positively or negatively. It’s up to you. The types of nutrients your eggs depend on are found in a diet dense in nutrition.

Check out the Nutrient Dense Fertility Diet for a complete guide about eating for fertility and egg health. Here are some quick food suggestions for supporting egg health:

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eggs that are preparing for ovulation.

The cycle of an egg in preparation for ovulation is around 90 days.

URING this 90 day period before an egg reaches full maturation, the eggs are changing and preparing for ovulation. At this time they are affected by both healthy or unhealthy influences.

Contributing factors to egg health are: · Blood Flow · Proper oxygenation · Hormonal Balance · Nutritional intake · Stress These are the factors you’ll want to focus on when increasing the health of your eggs. Let’s look at each factor closer, and examine how you can have an impact on that area…

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Blood Flow and Proper Oxygenation Oxygen rich blood flow to the ovaries is essential for good egg health. Blood flow can decrease from lack of exercise, dehydration, and thick blood. To increase blood flow to the ovaries follow these suggestions: Get at least 8, 8oz. glasses of pure water every day EHYDRATION can cause your blood to become thick and decrease circulation in the body, as well as many other issues. Make sure to drink purified water that is NOT bottled in plastic. An easy way to get a head start every morning, is to put a quart of water next to your bed when you go to sleep. You can then drink a quart of water upon rising and you are half way done with your water intake for the day.

Exercise Find something to do that

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INTERVIEW

51 3

OSUN DEFENDER Friday, September 16, 2016

Economic Recession: Things Might Have Been

Worse If Buhari Is Not The President - TUNS OSUN DEFENDER Reporter, ISMAEEL UTHMAN, stumbled on a team of journalists conducting interview for the Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Khamiz Olatunde Badmus, popularly called TUNS, during the Eid-el-Kabir celebration in Osogbo. He was able to answer some questions before the illustrious son of Osogbo began to attend to eminent personalities that came to celebrate with him. Excerpts:

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HAT message could we draw from this Eid-elKabir celebration?

The message of the Eid-el-kabir is enormous, but the most import of it is that we should be submissive to God, our parents and we should always keep to our promises. When Prophet Ibrahim prayed to almighty Allah to give him a son, and a promise to sacrifice the son to him, Allah gave him a son named Ismaeel and he was living happily.

Later, Allah reminded Prophet Ibrahim of his earlier promise to sacrifice Ismaeel to him. As difficult as the task was, Prophet Ibrahim kept his promise; he told his son, Ismaeel, that he had promised to sacrifice him to Allah. Ismaeel, being an obedient and submissive son, released himself for the sacrifice. That was an expression of faith and fear of Allah. As Prophet Ibrahim was about to slaughter Ismaeel, Allah sent down a ram to replace him. So, ram was slaughtered as sacrifice, instead of Ismaeel. That tells us that in every difficult situation, Allah does not abandon His people; the believers, those that fear God and those that keep their promises. If we make a promise, we should endeavour to fulfill it. This relates to all our leaders in Nigeria, when they are campaigning, they make promises.

Whatever they promised during the electioneering campaign, they should make sure they fulfill it because almighty Allah is watching them. Individuals too are not left out; we must be honest to ourselves and to almighty Allah.

Nigeria’s economy is in recession, what do you think is responsible for this?

If we appraise the economic situation of the country, we will thank God because we are very lucky in Nigeria to have President Muhammadu Buhari. If the March 24, 2015 presidential election had turned otherwise, only God knows where we would be today. Don’t forget that the recession had started many years back but we did not feel its impact much because of the high price of oil in the international market. At that time, Nigeria was producing over two million barrels of oil per day; the avengers or whatever they called themselves were also stealing the oil and exporting it. Nigeria was losing one quarter of her daily income on oil

economic recession?

The best solution is to look inward. Our financial system is not okay. The banks are not interested in the real sector, which is agriculture. If the banks had shown interest in the real sector from the beginning, our economy would have for long been diversified.

Everything we eat, wear or have as materials are from agriculture.

Besides the electronics, every other thing that human beings use are related to agriculture. Unless we go back to agriculture, Nigeria’s economy would not be strong. Look at the rice issue, I am sure in the next few months, the price of rice will fall.

ICE plantation and production is improving in the Northern part of the country. By the time other states go into rice farming and production fully, the price of rice will fall. Soon, local rice will take-over the market.

Fixing the economy will take time; it is not something you do in a day.

We have about three sectors in agric: we have the arable crops, the livesstocks and the tree crops. The three crops take about four to five years before yielding income. The arable one is about a year. The lives stocks is also into segment: there are some that are five years; some are three months while some are six months. All these things need time to go through. The government needs the support of everyone of us; if we don’t support the government to succeed, are we going to work against the government to fail? Nigeria is our country and we must pray for the success of the President directing the affairs of the country. Most of the people that are criticizing this government are not in the real sector of the economy. It is some of us that are in the real sector of the economy that know what it takes to be a producer and play along with the economic situation.

Do you support the call for restructuring?

I believe we are one; we need to co-exist among ourselves. What are we restructuring? It is all over the world, even as we are sitting down here, we always try to outsmart one another. That is how it will go on and on. We need to understand ourselves and move forward. What are we restructuring? We have been together for over 100 years, is it now that will want to separate?

Where are we going to? We should continue the co-habitation.

R •BADMUS

to the oil thieves. Over 400,000 barrels of crude oil were being stolen per day. Nobody was ready to arrest or caution them then.

Now, there is a new government headed by President Buhari that is arresting the oil theft issue in the affected areas. In reaction to that, what we see is some people calling themselves avengers, blocking the main source of income of the country by blowing up pipelines.

We should not also forget that the price of oil has gone down drastically. We know what is happening in other countries that depend on oil like Nigeria. That is why I said we are very lucky to have President Muhammadu Buhari, because he has been managing the situation carefully. If other party were to be in power now, may be things would have been worse than this.

But the other party does not believe in your submission; they believe that whatever the situation, President Buhari should have fixed the economic crisis.

What do you see to that?

Economic problem is not what you fix in a short time. If you are earning N20 million on daily basis before, and suddenly it dropped to N8 million, what will you do?

When the other party was in power

and oil was sold at higher price at the international market, how much was saved? What was the money generated from crude oil used for? Former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, had announced publicly that one quarter of Nigerian revenue went to the people stealing Nigerian oil and they were not arrested. But President Buhari’s administration came and stopped that corrupt practices.

HESE people have been in the bunkering business for many years without being challenged. When the present government made move to stop them, those oil thieves took to arm, blowing up pipelines. Don’t forget that this same set of people were the ones that the previous government awarded security of the pipelines contracts to. The people that are stealing the oil are the same set of people given the contract of securing the pipelines.

I am not the publicity secretary of anybody, but these are facts that everybody must review on the economy of the country. How would you award security of pipelines to the same people stealing our oil?

As an industrialist, what would you suggest as solution to the

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14

OSUN DEFENDER Friday, September 16, 2016

Job Vacancies In Nigeria Training Manager · Lagos, Market Related · Job Type: Permanent · Sector: Admin · Posted by Siemens on Wednesday, September 14, 2016 · Reference: 208147 Job Details Employer: Siemens Siemens is an Integrated Technology Company. The business activities of our Energy, Health care, Industry and Infrastructure & Cities Sectors have enabled us to capture leading market and technology positions worldwide. Technological excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and international focus have been our hallmarks for 165 years, making us strong and linking us to our shareholders, employees and customers as a partner of trust.

Job Description · Manages the Siemens Sitrain and Siemens Power Academies. Oversees department budget, with full responsibility for the P&L of the function. · Has strong focus on excellent delivery of a high quality training product, both to internal and external customers. Must have the ability to sell training courses and programs, and to achieve growth of the department through increased customer demand. · Must also have a strong commitment to personal professional development of trainers and training curricula. · Ensures process and delivery improvement through improved course content, highly skilled training partner personnel, and enhanced innovative use of technology. · Drive Sales by promoting Training offerings to all existing and new customers · Develop go-to-market strategy for Training portfolio fitting with market requirements · Gather feedback from customer, assess customer’s needs, address customer inquiries and provide ideas and suggestions on relevant training offerings · Create and drive opportunities to guarantee achievement of Order Intake & Sales targets · Deliver presentations and provide technical knowledge-sharing/ training to customers · Regularly update customer information and pipeline in the Philos CRM tool and develop efficient weekly working plan and monthly business reports for management · Act as a change agent to proactively derive new opportunities for Training and develop trusted relationships with customers to ensure increased customer satisfaction · Day-to-day supervision of trainers, training partners, training plan and content · Providing reports on department performance on a regular basis and managing budget · Develop and deliver a balanced training schedule which meets the needs of the general market and regional authorities · Ensuring the availability of adequate resources in terms of training staff, materials & equipment. · Oversees the tendering process to ensure incoming enquiries are dealt with efficiently and competitively. · Ensure up-to-date certification and licensing from approved Technical Societies and Certification Bodies in alignment with quality objectives · Take day-to-day responsibility for the general upkeep of the Training department · Establish apprenticeship schemes, training curricula and development programs meeting the needs of clients, educational institutions and State Governments · Enhance performance of the department utilizing modern training and management techniques.

Candidate Requirements · What knowledge and skills do I need to apply for the role? · Minimum of 8 - 10 years related work experience · Bachelors degree in Engineering (Electrical/ Electronics/ Instrumentation) · Masters in Business related course an advantage · Experience as a Trainer also an added advantage · Proficient in MS Office Suite Apply before Monday, November 14, 2016 - 62 Days left ……………………………end…………………………………

CEO/Registrar · Lagos, Market Related · Job Type: Permanent · Sector: Admin · Posted by PendaXia on Wednesday, September 14, 2016 · Reference: 208145 Job Details Employer: PendaXia Our client is a foremost professional membership based institution, established by Act of Parliament of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, with mandate to develop standards for practice of its profession and regulate its professional practice through stipulated licensing regime. The Institute is desirous to hire a strong leader to fill this role. Key Roles and Responsibilities · Enhance the Institute’s advocacy role and stakeholder engagement across all tiers of government. · Oversee development and widespread dissemination of regulations for the practice of the profession, and enforcement of licensing regime. · Drive execution of the Institute’s strategic and operational plans, direct daily administrative tasks of the Secretariat to achieve the Institute’s goal. · Ensure implementation of all policies, plans and decisions of the Council, Executive team and various committees of the council of the Institute.

Candidate Requirements · Minimum of Bachelor’s degree from a reputable university. · A Master’s degree will be an added advantage. · Must have a minimum of 15 years’ working experience, general or operational management roles with demonstrable capability in engaging diverse stakeholders, leading teams and delivering results.

Apply before Friday, September 30, 2016 - 17 Days left ……………………………..end………………………………….

Head of Research Unit · Abuja, Market Related · Job Type: Permanent · Sector: Admin · Posted by Rossland Consulting Limited on Wednesday, September 14, 2016 · Reference: 208116 Job Details Employer: Rossland Consulting Limited Rossland Consulting Limited provides business development services (BDS) to clients in the private and public sectors within and outside Nigeria. In 2013, it expanded the scope of its services to include professional Background Screening and Business Brokerage thus making Rossland Consulting an integrated business development service provider of industry profiles, industry association management, business intermediation, and background screening. Clients served includes multinational organizations, public sector entities, industry associations, and the micro, small and medium enterprise members of associations.

Job Description · The Research Unit is a strategic part of a Group offering Integrated Business Development Services covering: Market Research, Consumer Intelligence, Brand Profiling and Socio-Economic Research interests. · The Group’s other Business offering for which the Research function is expected to contribute significantly to are: Background Checks, Recruitment Services, Franchise Development and Agricultural Value Chains Development.

Candidate Requirements · All Candidates must have a degree in the related field, a post graduate degree will be an added advantage. · ll candidates must have at least three years experience in a research function as a research and development executive etc. · All candidates must have demonstrable experience and capability to design a research project.

· All candidates must have written skills, good oral communication skills and proficient use of I.T tools. · Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply. · Prospective candidates must reside in Abuja.

Apply before Monday, September 26, 2016 - 13 Days left ………………………..end…………………………..

Integration Developer · Lagos, Market Related · Job Type: Permanent · Sector: IT · Posted by Hot Jobs on Wednesday, September 14, 2016 · Reference: 208115 Job Details Employer: Hot Jobs We are a leading management consulting firm that has been delivering finance and business expertise to fast-growing Nigerian companies. With offices across the country, the team consists of tenured finance and IT leaders. Our highly skilled professionals have a range of expertise encompassing financial operations, risk & compliance, information technology, transactions, restructuring and professional search. We are recruiting to fill this vacant position. Responsibilities · Design and develop new software code; performs corrective and perfective code maintenance on application in production. · Participate in design and code reviews. · Ensure that implemented software meets functional and non-functional requirements. · Develop and execute unit, integration, and system tests. · Monitor and maintain existing production system(s).

Candidate Requirements · Bachelor degree (Engineering, IT) by relevant university; complementary studies as a plus; · 3 - 4 years of experience. · Must have experience developing integration solutions using one or more of the following: WebSphere Application Server 7/8, J2EE, MQ, Oracle RDBMS, Web Services, JMS, EJB, MDB, Quartz, Eclipse Luna, SVN; · Experience with performance testing and related troubleshooting and tuning · Good analytical, problem solving skills. · Good documentation and communication skills. · Strong analytical and coordination skills.

Apply before Thursday, October 20, 2016 - 37 Days left ……………………………….end……………………………..

Call Agent Supervisor · Lagos, Market Related · Job Type: Permanent · Sector: Call Centre · Posted by Lorache on Wednesday, September 14, 2016 · Reference: 208102 Job Details Employer: Lorache Our client, is currently seeking to employ suitably qualified candidate to fill the vacant position: Job Roles · To monitor transaction quality of CSD,(Outbound/Inbound/Backend/ Frontend)agents. · To monitor performance report of teams. · Audit processes for identifying process gap and provide input for process efficiency. · Conduct root cause and training needs analysis for various process. · Responsible for team motivation and create team synergy for enhanced KPI performance. · Maintain records of QA reports history of official of officials and share them with supervisors /HOD. · Prepare monthly performance for management review and action Candidate Requirements · Customer focus, Result Oriented, Leadership quality, Energetic and Assertive, Knowledge of AVAYA and recording structure, Proficient with Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Team player.

Desired Attributes: Relevant Industry Experience, should have planning and organizing skills. Good interpersonal skills Requirements · Qualification: Graduate / Post graduate. · Desired Experience: 3/5 Years Apply before Sunday, September 18, 2016 - 5 Days left ……………………….end…………………………

Urgent Job Vacancies

Are you an experienced News Reporter with cognate experience in a reputable news medium?

Do you have a deep knowledge of the State of Osun?

Do you have passionate interest in the affairs of the State of Osun?

Apply for the available post if your answers to all these are positive.

Do so in person to: The Managing Editor, Osun Defender Newspaper, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun.

Or send your CV to kolaolabisi15@yahoo.com

You can subscribe JobRSN Vacancies in Nigeria, Jobs in Nigeria via your e-mail: www.jobszilla.ng •Cullledto from

51 5

SPORTS

OSUN DEFENDER Friday, September 16, 2016

Arsenal And Paris Saint-Germain Stumble Out Of Champions League Gate F OR different reasons, the Champions League should probably be both Paris Saint-Germain’s and Arsenal’s top priority this season. The only question about the French side’s domestic performance is likely to be how much they will win Ligue 1 by. Last season it was by 31 points, and while they’ve had a ticklish start this season, a fifth-straight title will surely arrive at some point next spring. At this point, their sights are higher than the French home are rather less league.

Conversely, Arsenal’s certain. Despite finishing chances of success at second last season, they

really didn’t feel much closer to actually winning the thing than in seasons past, and in 201617 all of their main rivals have improved greatly.

Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City all have new managers and new players, and are all ahead of Arsene Wenger’s side

in the chase for the Premier League. Because of the nature of both competitions, they probably have a better chance of winning Europe’s top prize than England’s, realistically.

Yet on Tuesday night in Paris — in a 1-1 draw — neither side looked like potential European champions. Of course it is too early to draw definitive conclusions, but both sides displayed

•Arsene Wenger and Unai Emery were both satisfied with their teams' performances in the Champions League.

Messi And Neymar Achieve Perfection As Barcelona Thrash Celtic B

ARCA banished the memories of Saturday’s by psyching out Dembele Alaves defeat with a relentless attacking to keep out the third of display to make light work of Celtic. Lionel four spot kicks he has Messi set another record by becoming the first player faced in the Champions to score six hat tricks in European Cup history, but he League. He was then was not necessarily Barca’s outstanding player, as saluted by supporters at Neymar contributed a goal and four assists. Luis half-time.

Suarez was late to get in on the act but still scored a DF Sergi Roberto, 7 — brace to add to Andres Iniesta’s crashing volley.

Pleased the crowd with rotation backfired against his tenacity, shaking off Positives Where to start? Messi Alaves, and so he reverted three Celtic challenges at scoring a 40th career hat to an almost full strength one point before trick and making history lineup, save Andre releasing Messi for a clear or Neymar’s generosity? Gomes starting ahead of chance that went to The two players were in Iniesta. Barca’s high waste. Still has work to do scintillating form and press worked well against to adapt to the right-back were not so much on the a Celtic side out of their position but is heading in same page as reading the depth, but as the coach the right direction. same words. Marc-Andre has said many times, DF Gerard Pique, 6 — ter Stegen’s confident everything is easier when Had very little to do on the stop from Moussa you have Messi, Neymar whole and may have Dembele’s penalty also and Luis Suarez. gotten complacent as he Player ratings (1-10; 10 was caught out by proved that the best.

Players Dembele’s through ball goalkeeper is unfazed = even after committing an introduced after 70 which led to the penalty. minutes get no rating): error.

DF Samuel Umtiti, 7 — GK Marc-Andre ter Looked a little fazed by Negatives Only a miser could Stegen, 7 — Misjudged the occasion, as well as think of any downsides to Sinclair’s run to give the wet conditions and a 7-0 win, but if there has away the penalty but intense pressure to be one, then it was quickly redeemed himself provided by Celtic, which allowing space at the back for Moussa Dembele to slide a pass into Scott Sinclair, and ter Stegen giving away the penalty.

Looking at the bigger picture, it could be of concern that only Barca’s first-choice XI seem capable of producing a performance this good after a summer when strengthening the squad was a priority.

Manager rating out of 10 7 — It was clear Luis Enrique wasn’t going to •Barcelona got their Champions League campaign off take any chances after his to an emphatic winning start.

meant he struggled to make the most of his ballcarrying skills.

DF Jordi Alba, 7 — Was his usual energetic self on the left and helped craft the opening goal with a well-worked short corner routine with Neymar.

significant and familiar weaknesses that suggest things will have to turn around pretty quickly to significantly enhance either’s chances.

For Arsenal, this was another sluggish opening to a Champions League campaign, the third year in a row they have dropped points in their opening group game.

Their start was dreadful, going behind inside a minute after Edinson Cavani was left free to nod home on the edge of the six-yard box, a general sluggishness ensuring it would be another tricky night for the Gunners.

“They started much stronger and played at a high pace,” said Wenger after the game. “Perhaps we were a little bit nervous. We lost a lot of the ball in the first half.”

PSG’s problems were broadly located around a single man. Cavani might have opened the scoring, but on that occasion it was more difficult for him to miss, and for the rest of the game he looked a sad shadow of the player he once was. He missed three more highly presentable chances later, and looked uncertain, bereft of confidence and close to an active liability to his team.

This was a view held by most inside the Parc des Princes, aside perhaps from the two managers.

It’s difficult to think of two more differing touchline styles. Wenger was flapping his arms in frustration like a f l u m m o x e d schoolteacher during the

Marcus Rashford’s Ambition Is Showing Jose Mourinho A New Way Forward

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OUNG as Marcus Rashford is, it’s arguable that he has just taught Jose Mourinho something new — that this Manchester United team can, in fact, impose itself from the very beginning. The teenager’s introduction at half-time in the Manchester derby galvanised his team, who despite being only one goal down at the break looked like they were about to be thoroughly dismantled. His entrance also represented the type of fearlessness that will unsettle the very best teams.

One major consolation season was the year of the for United, aside from their counterattack — brilliantly m u c h - i m p r o v e d embodied by Leicester’s performance in the second Premier League triumph — half, is that they will not perhaps this may be the face many challenges year where those who nearly as demanding as attack with ambition are going up against a Pep rewarded.

This is why it was so Guardiola team for the rest to see of the season. That said, encouraging they can usefully learn to Rashford surging forward Saturday.

He play with a little less on immediately broke some of reserve. the away side’s rhythm and It was curious to see Mourinho engaged in a showed them that they familiar tactical dance with could not merely dictate Guardiola, one where he terms as they wished. It is reacted to a manager who interesting, too, that he sought to impose himself replaced Jesse Lingard, a on proceedings. Looking player who can be decisive across the division at some in the biggest matches but primary of the other impressive whose teams, this may be the contribution is often his wrong approach. Liverpool strength as a defender from City eviscerated Leicester the front. While Mourinho by four goals to one, while may argue that he is easing Tottenham were even more Rashford into the team, dismissive of Stoke City, there must be something to beating them 4-0. While last be said for granting him a regular start.

match, Unai Emery was pacing up and down in the manner of an aggressive lawyer angrily putting his case forward in court. The one thing they had in common, though, was an apparent admiration for Cavani’s performance. Wenger described it as “good,” while Emery focused on the positives of missing a selection of sitters.

“The most important thing is the opportunities themselves,” Emery said.

“When you have chances, one day you might score, one day you might not. It’s all about having confidence. He wasn’t the best, but I said to the players that the first point is creating the chances, and then we have to work on confidence.”

While both managers drew positives from the result and respective performances, this was not a game to leave the rest of Europe quaking in their collective boots.

Both sides will of course be aiming to win the group and avoid facing a theoretically better team in the next round (as Arsenal have done in five of the last six seasons), but on this evidence few will fear either team.

One thing worth keeping an eye on is the goalkeeping situations with both teams. Wenger seemed to admit after the game that David Ospina, surprisingly included in Paris, will play in Europe, while Petr Cech takes on domestic duties. “They know the rules,” said Wenger, before adding the caveat that “you can always change your mind, based upon performances.” PSG seem in a similar spot, while Kevin Trapp was in goal for their opening four Ligue 1 games, Alphonse Areola took his place on Tuesday.

One wonders about the wisdom of such a clear delineation: of course. It’s probably a good idea to give your second-string keeper as much time on the pitch as possible, but the potential for creating needless instability is strong. As Claudio Bravo and Joe Hart discovered at the weekend, a goalkeeper unfamiliar with his defence is a dangerous thing to any team. Whether Ospina will be able to properly step back in every two weeks is unclear, but it certainly represents a gamble.

Both Wenger and Emery seemed satisfied with their respective performances after the final whistle, but there was very little in Paris to suggest either team are serious contenders for the top prize. Given their respective priorities, they could both be in for a frustrating and slightly unfulfilling campaign.

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016

T is very heartwarming that the President visited the State of Osun as a mark of honour to round-off the events marking the 25 th anniversary of the existence of the state. To those of us who have a positive disposition to all happenings around us, that visit was seen as a plus to the positive transformation that have taken place in the past few years. Although, the disgruntled elements will want to view things otherwise because of that blind propensity to be critical of all events taking place in the environment; objectivity has compelled us to brush aside parochial sentiment that will make the critics to always see the bad side of successive occurrences.

Bearing it in mind that the State of Osun is not the only one marking the silver jubilee of creation, having the number one citizen who is known not to usually give into jamboree is an indication that better days are here with us.

We have in President Buhari a personality that knows his onions.

He must have been convinced of the genuineness of developmental strides, weighty enough to necessitate his presence for any commemoration. We all know that the pointers to the completion of any project in the past were the bogus emblem of the power that be.

Whether a project was to specification or otherwise, was then not an issue. We can at least see different things happening now to give rays of hope to once a beleaguered state. Roads built four years ago are still passable and schools built are of international standard which many states in this country cannot boast of. We were here when roads were built and did not endure the test of time.

OME even crumbled before commissioning. Credit then goes to Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola for changing the trend of projects’ execution in the state; although our people in the Peoples Democratic Party will always find fault. They went to the press to attempt a sort of blackmail on the integrity of the Governor Aregbesola that he was patching potholes on major routes to be passed through by the President during his visit. Exploring the benefits of hindsight however, I discovered that the said roads are those from Abere to the popular Olaiya Junction; through Alekunwodo, down to Osogbo Government High School, which was commissioned by President Buhari during his recent visit. The roads under consideration were actually dualized by the past regime under PDP; but for the maintenance culture of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the roads would have become nightmarish to road users by now.

For example, asphaltic overlay of the said routes have been done by Aregbesola repeatedly due to the sordid works done on the roads originally.

The economic downturn witnessed by the country has dealt serious blows on the prospects of the state. We just must give kudos to our

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President's Visit: A Reminiscence

By ADEOLU GBOTEMI assassinate him. That could not be substantiated but nothing should be left to chance at any point in time. So, I salute the courage of the President to accede to the request of our governor to come to our state.

That is also a pointer to the fact that the money spent on security around us in Osun is solid; that is why the confidence of Mr. President got aroused to visit the state at such auspicious occasion. I am sure the critics will still want to fault this standpoint, but the truth that is always contending with their harboured falsehood will not allow them to have any rest so long as they refuse truth a place of operation in our system.

Y appeal goes to the civil servants of this state who may have to endure a little more the boisterous winds of economic quagmire blowing across the nation presently. With some more resilience, we will not get knocked down and at the end of the trouble. Rather, we will appreciate the developmental strides of the present administration. The current state of affairs is a child of necessity that has to be accommodated. The tending of that child will soon remove the wilderness that the skewed nursing; occasioned by global incongruence foisted. We must never lose hope in the current despair. We must remain resolute to keep the unalloyed support for the ongoing environmental transformation. When the benefits begin to unfold, we will all be able to raise our heads high that our sacrifice has not been in vain.

The political class should also maintain their resolve to see the state developed. History will not forget the active members of the ruling-All Progressives Congress (APC) for the brunt they have to bear in repositioning the concept of politicking. We must defy the current pains and pressure that departure from politics of profligacy is exerting. This is a new trend that we need to cope with in order to see a new nation of our dream that is prosperous and secured. Mr. President has openly acknowledged this and he himself is aware of the excruciating pains that the inevitable change is inflicting on ordinary Nigerians.

What we need to strive for is to get meaningfully engaged to earn legitimate survival. We should shift our focus away from the former practice that rewarded indolence; whereby loafers got chunks of our patrimony for practically nothing.

Rewards for industry must be encouraged. That is the only way to be proud of our involvement in the political process of our country. We have suffered much retrogression in the real sense of it no doubt; but the old method is absolutely unsustainable and we must all resolve to change that old trend of earning something for nothing. We have fruits for hard work beckoning through sprouting. They will mature for our consumption by and by. May we all survive this painful transition which is surely going to herald us to immeasurable joy ultimately.

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•BUHARI governor for the careful way he has been managing the affairs and resources of the state, despite the paucity of fund. Some have even argued that the state of things in the state now did not warrant the invitation of the President. We must however, regard it as a thing of honour that we paid hosts to the President without the usual occurrence of having such opportunity only during electioneering. The meaningful road map that was unfolded during the visit will herald support for the envisaged progress that the state is resolute about under Governor Aregbesola.

Some cabinet members of President Muhammadu Buhari must have come here to see things for themselves concerning the state of our physical infrastructure. This no doubt will afford the state to leverage on the goodwill of the Federal Government and attract investment. Not all the states of the federation will have the privilege of having the President on such occasion. The few hours he was together with us wouldn’t have been a waste, considering the financial situation the state is battling with.

The news was carried by some newspapers last month that Osun and three other states took virtually nothing home from the federation account due to heavy burden of debt defrayment. The President’s visit must have created ample opportunity for him to be convinced that such harsh treatment would not augur well for the state economically.

We therefore expect some relief from a truce that Ogbeni must have struck with his august visitor on the first of September.

MISCHIEF should not be a way of life for anybody that wants to

progress in life. Some people through the social media came up with the idea that a single project should not be the basis for a whole President to visit a state. This is very correct but it told much about how people can allow for sentiment to becloud their rational judgement.

Everyone in this state is quite aware of the attitude of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola since the state began to feel the impact of economic downturn. His lively disposition in social events has taken to flight. The usual pumps that go with political outings suddenly fizzled away. That is to tell us that money that answers all things is no longer coming handy.

HE President must have considered, through collaboration with his chief host that cutting tapes around at this crucial time of our national life should be relegated to dormancy realm. We are all aware of the readiness of Ataoja School of Science for occupation. Many other structures would have also attracted attention from someone who is petty and uncoordinated. The limitation of Mr. President’s task to Osogbo Government High School was not only reasonable; it was a move that should attract accolades from wellmeaning people of Osun.

Considering the security implication which would have restricted movements round the state capital; it is commendable that the chief host and his guest did not add to the pains of the people by moving from one area to another with the attendant cordoning off that goes with such occasions.

IT was a great risk that President Buhari took to come down to Osun at a time that speculations are rife about the purported intention of unscrupulous dissidents to

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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 Managing Editor, KOLA OLABISI, Telephone: 08033927286 (kolaolabisi@yahoo.com); Editor, KAYODE AGBAJE, Telephone: 0803-388-0205, E-mail: osundefenderbank@gmail.com, kayodeagbaje@yahoo.com. ISSN: 0794-8050.Website: www.osundefender.org.