OsunDefender Online Version Of January 3rd, 2019

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VOL. 14. NO.14

ISSN: 0794-8050

N100

2020: Oyetola Restates Commitment To New Minimum Wage, Improved Workers’ Welfare It is with this that we would have enough re” sources to deliver on our promises to the citizenry. We would work hard to achieve the goals and developmental aspirations of our people within the available resources.

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- See Pages 3 & 11

•(R-L) Speaker State of Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Timothy Owoeye, Wife Of the State of Osun Governor, Mrs. Kafayat Oyetola, the Executive Governor, State of Osun, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, Deputy Governor, Mr. Benedict Alabi and his wife, during the Inter-Religious service for the year 2020, held at Office of the Governor, Bola Ige House, State Secretariat, Osogbo held yesterday.

Photo: Olushola Aderinto.

Oluwo, Estranged Wife Take Battle To S o c i a l Media Page 7

Crisis Looms in Osun Community Over 'Royal Extortion' Page 2

Pastor Names Church after Aregbesola Page 3

UPCOMING EVENT: Chief Bisi Akande Celebrates 81st Birthday January 16

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FRIDAY JANUARY 03 - THURSDAY JANUARY 09, 2020

Crisis Looms in Osun Community Over 'Royal Extortion' R

By Ismaeel Uthman

their house was built on.

According to the woman who lost her husband in August this year, she paid N50, 000 to Ogunmola and was yet to be given receipt as at the time of filing this report.

She said part of the land has been encroached by agents of Oba Adesina.

Another house owner who was yet to move-in said: "of recent, there was news from the community leader that all the landlord leaving in the community, those who have completed

their houses and yet to move-in and those who are yet to develop their land will need to re-buy their land or lose it.

"After a lot of clamouring by the people, the community leaders said everybody will need to reclaim their land with the sum N25,000. After the declaration of N25, 000, they sent out thugs to harass workers (bricklayers/ Tilers/POP/Carpenters) on the site.

"The thugs have been stopping workers on the

sites even when bricklayers have mixed cement with water and force them to call the owner of the land/ house to come and pay the N25,000 or they send the workers away."

However, the community head, Ogunmola, reluctantly confirmed the allegations when asked by the medium.

Ogunmola who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER at his residence in the community disclosed that the N25, 000 and subsequent N50, 000

esidents of Boredun, a community after OkeBaale, Osogbo in the State of Osun are current living in fear, following the incessant harassment of land and house owners in the area by thugs.

Besides, residents of the "I was told to pay N25, community alleged the 000 on each plot and I paid.

Alase of Ilase, Oba Jimoh It is surprising that my land Isiaka Adesina, Ajarabiolu II was sold to another person and the head of the despite paying N50, 000. community, Chief Basiru We have never experienced Ogunmola of causing land this until about two months dispute and extorting both ago. The police and state the house and land owners government should please in the area. help us."

Boredun is a developing Another victim of the community along Ibokun alleged extortion, who has road, few kilometers away four plots of land at the from Osun State community, said he paid a Broadcasting Commission sum of N150, 000 and was (OSBC). struggling to pay the Speaking with OSUN balance of N50, 000 to DEFENDER on Tuesday, claim his land as directed by residents of the area who Oba Adesina. asked not to be named The victim who refused because of the fear of the to reveal his identity said he unknown accused Oba was forced to commence Adesina of reselling land construction on his land in that had earlier been a bid to assert its ownership purchased about a decade and drive land grabbers ago. away.

They further alleged that According to him, the the traditional ruler people reselling the land directed those who do not were doing so with want their land to be resold impunity as they do not to pay a sum of N25, 000, care for the real owners, including those who have documents and built houses on theirs. measurement of the land, It was gathered that two as they encroach on weeks after the N25, 000 people's land at will. payment directive A widow, who works at compliance by the land State Universal Basic owners, Oba Adesina Education Board, Osogbo A Jampacked Osun Mall on New Years Day. The Multiplier Effect already induced on increased the amount to said she was asked to pay a the Economy of the State is a Testimony to the Far Sighted policies of the AdministraN50, 000, with a threat to sum of N300, 000 on the six tion led by Ogbeni Aregbesola. More of the Same is expected from the Private sector sell the land of anybody plot of land, part of which driving administration of Gov. Gboyega Oyetola. that fails to pay.

Investigation by the medium revealed that some of the land owners who Ministry of Interior, Barr. been provided for her. He, he Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola Georgina Ehuriah, for her therefore, urged parents paid the N25, 000 charge has called for concerted efforts by government, were given a receipt from tireless contribution to the and guardians on the need corporate organizations and relevant nation, especially in the to give more attention to the palace of Alase. The towards the education of the girl-child with area of promoting internal the girl-child education. receipt's heading reads astakeholders view to empowering her for meaningful contribution security and community Earlier in her remarks, 'Ilase-Ijesa Community: to the socio-economic development of the nation.

Ehuriah, MON, thanked development.

Land Lease/Sales Receipt'. quickening of her inert President Muhammadu for “Barr.

Georgina is an A receipt given to one the Aregbesola, according to complainants who paid a press release issued by the abilities, thus developing efficient and reliable ensuring the completion the family and society on and commissioning of the personality with an N50, 000 for her two plots Director (Press & Public of land reads: "Fifty Relations) of the Ministry, the one hand and ensuring unquestionable tenacity Gully Erosion Control and internal security on the and commitment to Road Improvement works thousand naira only, being Mohammed Manga, made other hand.” service”, Aregbesola at Agbozu, Umueze, Amaba payment for land bought the call on Tuesday at the Aregbesola commended emphasized. and Methodist Church Ozu Day Celebration 2019 from Baale and now cleared the people of Uzuakoli for He said that the Compound, Obioha by Kabiesi Alase of Ilase- and Civic Reception in recognizing the potentials recognition could not have Uzuakoli in Abia State and Ijesa. Behind the receipt is honour of deserving in the Permanent Secretary, been possible if a sound appealed for more federal a signature suspected to be daughters and sons educational base had not presence in the community. that of Oba Adesina, dated organized by the Uzuakoli Development Association December 10, 2019.

(UDA), in Bende Local The female complainant Government Area of Abia alleged that Oba Adesina State. that my supplications for

By Sodiq Yusuf eventually sold her land to the continued peace and The former governor was another person despite honoured at the event with overnor, State of Osun, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola the development of the paying the N50, 000 charge. ‘Enyioha 1 of Uzuakoli’ has restated his commitment to improving the state have been accepted She disclosed that she (friend of Uzuakoli people) condition of service for the state workforce by by the Almighty.

"We have shown bought the two plots of title conferred on him by all ensuring the payment of the New Minimum Wage. commitment to the land eight years ago before the traditional rulers of payment of full salaries Oyetola stated this just as state, while banking on the Oba Adesina came on the ancient kingdom of even with the economic throne, lamenting that she Uzuakoli at their Obi Agu he re-echoed the need for gains of the recently held situation. I am convinced the support of stakeholders Economic and Investment was not expecting the (the tiger ’s den, for his that by the grace of God, we realization of the Summit for the economic traditional ruler to sell the friendly disposition to the gonothe would be able to pay the v e r n m e n t ' s turnaround of Osun. new Minimum Wage with land after paying the people of the kingdom. determination for the Oyetola noted the According to Aregbesola, continued N50,000. progress of the sterling contributions of all the support of all girl-child education would stakeholders, especially Pointing to her land on state. stakeholders in the who are which some bricklayers not only ensure quickening The Governor spoke on successes achieved by his workers responsible for revenue of her inert abilities, but yesterday at the annual administration in the outwere laying foundation for generation. also help in developing the inter-religious prayer gone year, stressing its a house, she said: "look at "I urge all taxable adults that land, it is mine. I family and the society at organized by the state imperativeness in 2020. to pay their taxes to the large, thereby promoting government to herald the The Governor said: "I state as and when due. It is bought it N500, 000 about internal security and socioYear 2020 held at the went on Lesser Hajj to eight years ago from the economic development in New Bola Ige House, State glorify God for his mercies with this that we would have enough resources to family that owns the land. the country.

Secretariat, Abere. and grace over me and my It is two plots of land. The He sought for the administration after the deliver on our promises to He said: “Absolute the citizenry. We would people working there are commitment to cooperation of workers in commitment I made before from another person that the education of the girl- boosting the revenue getting the Supreme Court work hard to achieve the goals and developmental Kabiesi sold the land to. child would ensure the generation potentials of the verdict. I am of the belief aspirations of our people

Interior Minister Seeks Concerted Effort On Girl-Child Education

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payment on a plot of land directive was from Oba Adesina.

He acknowledged that almost all the land and house owners in the community had bought their land years before Oba Adesina came on the throne.

The community head who was nursing fears while speaking with the medium appealed to resident of the community to remain calm and peaceful, just as he called on the state government to help the community.

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER on Ogunmola's phone, Oba Adesina questioned why Our Reporter entered the community and started asking questions from people without the permission of the head of the community.

Oba Adesina while responding to the allegations said: "I did not stop anybody from building house, nor disturb people building their houses. The Boredun community land belongs to the Alase of Ilase and nobody has authority to send the land.

"Those that sold the land 10 years ago to the land and house owners in the community had no authority to sell the land.

No individual can sell traditional ruler's land.

Boredun land is owned by Alase of Ilase. We are just being considerate by telling the land and house owners in the community to pay the charge for the development of Ilase, instead of revoking the land or going to court.

"I did not send thugs to disturb anybody. It is my chieftains that are going round the site to ensure that the house and land owners in the community comply with the payment directive. It is compulsory for everybody that buys land there to come to us for

•continue on Page 7

2020: Oyetola Restates Commitment To New Minimum Wage, Improved Workers' Welfar

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within the available resources."

In his remarks, the state Head of Service, Dr Olowogboyega Oyebade flanked by the Heads of MDAs in the state, was full of gratitude to the Governor and his team for prioritizing the welfare of the state civil servants.

Oyebade who reassured the Governor of the resolve of the public servants in showing diligence to duty, pledged their loyalty to the present administration in the state.

Religious leaders at the event harped on the need for the fear of God and sincerity of purpose from the leadership and followership, praying for continued peace and progress cum prosperity for the state in the New Year 2020.

FRIDAY JANUARY 03 - THURSDAY JANUARY 09, 2020

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Osun Assembly Warns Council Parliamentarians Against Conducts Likely To Cause Breach Of Peace

By Ismaeel Uthman he State of Osun House of Assembly has warned parliamentarians in all the Local Government and Local Council Development Authorities in the state not to engage in any conduct capable of disturbing the peace of the state.

The warning came on the ensuring that peace of the heels of incessant removal public is guaranteed at the of local government and affected LCDA. LCDA chairmen by The House also resolved parliamentarians in the that the notification sent to council, a development that the House by the Osogbohas been generating South LCDA and that of controversies and tension Olounda Local Government in the state. be committed to the House Speaking at a plenary Committee on Local session on Monday, Government and Public Speaker of the House, Hon Petition, with a directive Timothy Owoeye said local that the findings of the governments are supposed committee must come out to be closer to the within the stipulated time grassroots for required by the law. development, but the The Speaker emphasised reverse will be the case if that the Local Government there is no peace.

Creation and The plenary session was Administration Law of Osun convened to deliberate on 2015, Section 19 (C) gives the purported the Assembly seven days to impeachment of Osogbo- look into the matter, stating South LCDA Chairman, Hon that the House will work Akeem Olaoye, by four within the stipulated day. parliamentarians in the According to him, “I want council. to reiterate that the Local In its resolution, the Government is a Assembly directed that all government that is the parliamentarians of the supposed to be closer to Osogbo-South LCDA should the grassroots for vacate their offices pending development, reverse will the outcome of the be the case if there is no investigation on the peace. allegations against the “For the purpose of good chairman and his purported governance, this house impeachment. must take a stand to nip in Owoeye stated that the the bud any other council Assembly, after that may want to thinker deliberations, resolved that with the peace of the the Council Manager of the people.

LCDA should take over the “It is the resolution of the affairs of the council for Assembly that the peace to reign.

Parliamentarians should He also urged that vacate the Council for the relevant security agencies stipulated 7 days for the should take note of the relevant Committees of the order of the Assembly and House to investigate and that the parliamentarians advice the House should not parade accordingly.” themselves within the precinct of the Council,

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•Wife of he Governor, State of Osun, Mrs. Kafayat Oyetola with the first baby of year 2020 born at exactly 1:00 am with parents Mr. and Mrs. Abass at the State Hospital, Asubiaro, Osogbo.

Pastor Names Church after Aregbesola the church members who appreciated the gesture. It was a collective decision to name the church after Aregbesola. The church wanted to appreciate those that donated and worked for its erection. We named some structures in the church after others who donated to make the building a reality."

Pastor Oshinfade disclosed that he had maintained a long standing relationship with the Minister of Interior since the days of "Alimosho Dynamo" a socio-political

By Sodiq Yusuf

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he pastor of Holy Divine Evangelical Church (Cherubim and Seraphim), Mr Victor Oshinfade named his church after the immediate past governor of the state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

Oshinfade while N500, 000 to complete the speaking with OSUN payment, but I did not DEFENDER in a telephone have the money.

"I went to meet interview on Tuesday said he received spiritual Aregbesola who I fondly De-Young, message to name his called church after Aregbesola on Aregbesola who asked me April 18, 1994 years before to see him the next day. On the next day, he instructed the cathedral was built.

According to him, the his Personal Assistant. Engr message came to pass on Lash to give me the money.

September 2, 2006 when I went back home and told he named the church "Abdulrauf Aregbsola Cathedral" as approved by his church members.

Oshinfade said the ife of the Governor of the state of Osun, Mrs decision to name the Kafayat Oyetola on Wednesday welcomed church after Aregbesola was to honour him and the first baby in the year 2020 with a special other people that gift. contributed to the building of the cathedral.

Mrs Oyetola who went and other top government He described Aregbesola as an epitome round hospitals in the state functionaries in the state. of religious tolerance who in the search of the first Mrs Oyetola contributed his quota to baby of the year was happy congratulated the parents the development of the society irrespective of to meet Mrs Kafayat of the first baby of the year who was and urged them to take religion or political Adewale affiliation. delivered of a baby boy at good care of him for him to "Naming the church after Aregbesola was 1:00am on Wednesday, grow and achieve his full inspirational. I got the January 1, 2020 at the potentials in life. message on 18th of April, state General Hospital, Appealing to all parents 1994. When I told in the state to ensure good Aregbesola, he sounded Asubiaro, Osogbo.

She spent time with the upbringing of their skeptical and questioned how would the church be, baby and showered children, Mrs Oyetola but I told him God will fulfill the message. God prayers on him, just as she charged them on the need fulfilled the message to presented gifts to him. to give good education to name my church after The First Lady also their children so that they Aregbesola on 2nd of September, 2006 while he presented gifts to other can be useful to their was the Commissioner for newborn babies in the families, the state, and the Works in Lagos state", maternity wards as she nation at large.

Oshinfade explained.

She also enjoined the He added: "When we rejoiced with the mothers wanted to buy the land, we and their family members. nursing mothers to did not have money. I got She was accompanied adequately breastfeed a man that sold me a land and told me to be paying by the state Commissioner their children for the first N5000 every month. But for Health, Dr Rafiu six months without mixing the man died within a Isamotu, Special Adviser to it with water or any other short period of time. His wife requested we pay the Governor on Public food for their healthy Health, Dr Olasiji Olamiju •contninue on Page 13

Mrs Oyetola Welcomes First Baby In 2020 With Gift

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group, stating that they were also together in the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Alliance for Democracy.

The pastor-politician downplayed allegations of Aregbesola being a religious fanatic, noting that his recent turbanning as Amirul Waziri Muminiin of the state of Osun State is in recognition of his unprecedented achievements as the former governor of the state for eight years and contributions to Islam and humanity.

Be Law Abiding, Osun PDP Tells Residents

By Ismaeel Uthman

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he Peoples Democratic Party in the State of Osun has advised the people of the state to be law abiding and support the government.

In a New Year message by the PDP Chairman, Soji Adagunodo, the party urged the people to be prayerful and submit themselves to the authority of the current administration.

Adagunodo said: “Whatever the situation we are passing through as human beings at any particular time of our lives is never without the knowledge of God and there is nothing we can do to change it.”

Quoting the book of Romans 13:1-3, Adagunodo stated: “Let everyone subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which

God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. “Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves; for rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended.”

He called for prayer in support of the people in authority to do what is right and for improvements in the country, state and individual’s economy so

that life can be better for everybody.

Adagunodo warned the people not to be law breakers but to be law abiding as there would be an avenue to switch gears in the next three years if they are not satisfied with the present government.

He urged the residents of the state to be alive to their responsibility and channel ideas with the authorities in place to move the state forward.

The PDP chairman admonished the people of the state to go back home and start a crusade of building and strengthening their political parties that will be stronger than any individual or group upon which responsible democracy can be established.”

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ISSUES/POLICY

Health Is Wealth - Addressing the Problem of Public Defecation and Urination

Established 2005

“

Growth With Development: An Invigorating Year Ahead

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udos to the managerialist Governor of the state of Osun, Adegboyega Oyetola for producing a timely and realistic budget. The budget sensibly focuses not only ephemeral, headline grabbing ‘growth’ but on sustainable development.

Meeting the January to December budget cycle is of paramount importance to the planning and we give kudos to both the executive and the Legislative branches of government for meeting a tasking deadline.

The new year 2020 is going to be tough, even unpredictable, we are however, once again reassured by the steely determination of Governor Oyetola to rise up to the occasion. The emphasis on human capital development is most welcome and the continuing investments in the physical infrastructure. With his private sector background, Governor Oyetola is certainly aware of the need to ensure a synergy across

sector to induce a critical man for sustainable development. Clear evidence for this was provided in the highly rated signation investments summit which was more of an economic roadmap rather than the worn out routine talk shop.

Oyetola continues to demonstrate an admirable commitment to the fiscal stability interwoven with transparency and accountability which will undoubtedly be invigorated in the new year. This stands the state in good stead. We have no doubt about his commitment to better days in 2020 and to make life more worthwhile for the people.

We should therefore, be positive and look at the bright side. The new year will be the increased activities and be beneficial to the people of the State of Osun. We should therefore, be of good cheer.

We wish our teeming readers, the good people of osun a very happy and fulfilling new year.

2019 In Retrospect

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e as a state had torrid times in the

year that just rolled by. At a point, it was as if the state would be consumed. But that didn't in anyway sweep away the remarkable feats we had, which brought resounding cheery moments.

In the year 2019, the state was beleaguered with specter of insecurities that almost threatened the sustainable peace the state has been known for.

In that year, abduction was on the prowl. Many individuals were held captive by the rampaging kidnappers and abductors who had a boom, as some victims, according to reports paid to gain freedom.

Also, while arrests have been made in some cases and trial have commenced, some other perpetrators are still very much at large with the hope that the long hand of the law will catch up on them soon.

A professor at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Adegbehingbe was abducted on the 5th of May, 2019 at the Apomu axis of Ife-Ibadan expressway while returning from Lagos with his family.

The chief hunter in Ibokun, headquarters of Obokun local government, Chief Amusa Dusin's abduction also easily comes to mind. This abduction had a comic undertone. It sent a striking mes-

sage that the abductors were no respecter of titles. He was kidnapped alongside a woman, Mrs Tayo George on the 22nd of May. A ransom of N1.8 million according to reports was paid to secure their release.

We also had that of the three Chinese expatriates at the Itagunmodi area of the state at the latter part of the year.

Although the abduction and other form of criminal activities was not peculiar to the state, many states across the country had their fair share. It was what led to the coming together of states in the Southwest to form "Operation Amotekun."

The state government must beef up security in the New Year especially in the Ilesa-Ife axis. This will help a great deal in its pursuit to have more investors in the state.

We hope the state will get to the desired height while the residents of the state perform their civic responsibilities in this New Year.

Fatai Abiodun from Iresi

Healthy habits overcome all illnesses, himself, that was his just as the harmattan overcomes the spot! All I could say scotching heat; nuisance diseases are was “wow!” We products offilth,just as lice inhabits cloths have no shame – pure and simple. of the filthy.”

Could you believe The above is my loose translation of a poem learned in our elementary school someone,sporting a days, which, I believe, must have been one three-piece suit and Prof. Afoláyan the of those cute compositions of J.F. Odunjo necktie,had in his “Alawiye” series. Who in our days audacity to come to would ever forget the front of my office a short while ago, “ÌmótótóBoríÀrùnMólè”? Those were days stand next to my own car (yes, my car) and of functional literacy, when whatever we used it as the lavatory, where he let loose learned in school was carried over to our of his unharnessed liquid baloney! Of day-to-day activities in life. To digress a little course, he got a long lecture from me. He bit, if, for example, anyone among us really did, with the promise that if he dared attempted to act with any form of cruelty such dastardly act on my property again, I to an insect, especially tried to trample on would make him scoop everything he piped it with impunity, someone, most likely a into the ground and carry it into a dump sitestill in his Mungo peer of his or hers, Park’s suit and Babaa was bond to quickly One of the greatest concerns Sala’s necktie!In all recite in the ears of the bully the lines my wife and I have constantly fairness, the gentleman that said, “Yí, yí, expressed since returning to the apologized profusely. yíêsêrêsíapá kan . . homeland has been the issue of You see, in most civilized .” literally meaning, public defecation and urination, societies, this is called “ indecent exposure” “Turn your feet in a is always different direction . especially the latter. First, we’ve which criminally categorized wondered whether it had . .” This was a stern warning that always been this bad when we into serious legal groups hammered in the were young and living at home, such as rape and incest. is not a bully ’s ears to or just a new “fad” that found This misdemeanor offence. refrain from killing or harassing an its way into our societal psyche Seriously!

The world has laughed innocent bug. In in the last forty or so years, or other words, in whether it had always been us to scorn on this those days, we there but the population matter. My nephew once told me a story (probably practiced what we learned and learned explosion of the last few decades a joke) about one Oyinbo what we practiced. had just escalated the public act. man arriving and stepping out of the Simply put, education was strictly, in the old Latin airport in Lagos and asking his host, expression, non scholaesed vitae (not just another Oyinbo man, where he could find for school but for life). I wonder where and a rest room to ease himself. The host, why we missed that sacred trajectory. But smiling from molar to molar, stretched that is not the focus of today’s mini-essay. forth his arms and declared, “From here I am concerned about public defecation in to Maiduguri.” We have become such a joke! My wife and I have wondered if we Osun State.

Back to the unspoken premise of today’s were the only “been-to” idiots in town bothered by this public spectacle since we musing, unhealthy practices have become the bane of our societal progress because have seen no one else around us complaining about it. We felt like the not only have they subjected us to public ridicules, they have exponentially Prophet Elijah of old, who wanted to shortened our life expectancies, probably commit suicide because he thought he was unbeknown to our leaders who are the only righteous prophet left in the charged with the responsibility of whole land to witness and decry the ills of overseeing our safety.One of the greatest the stony-hearted people around him. He concerns my wife and I have constantly was proven wrong! Thank God, he was. It expressed since returning to the homeland was such a welcoming relief when a family has been the issue of public defecation and member recently called my attention to urination, especially the latter. First, we’ve current activities of the Osun State’s First wondered whether it had always been this Lady in proactively decrying and bad when we were young and living at denouncing such prevailing anomaly. To home, or just a new “fad” that found its convince me, he went straight to his library way into our societal psyche in the last forty and handed me a DVD which the First Lady or so years, or whether it had always been produced specifically on the subject. there but the population explosion of the Although I have not watched the video, as last few decades had just escalated the it got stuck and damagedinside my public act. We could not believe how equipment, the mere revelation that a ourmen have had no premonitions or iota public figure in my State is concerned of shame in opening up their long pants about this issue made my day. I say kudos on the streets, and urinating openly, or our Michael Oladejo Afoláyan women have manifested little or no •contninue on Page 13 decorum as they hoverwith their wrappers right at the corner of the street like the mother chicken covering its eggs and doing their “private” – Moremi Publishing things in the public space!Oh Publisher House Ltd. boy, what ever happened to the era of the much-revered – Ismaeel Uthman woléwolé (health inspectors)? Deputy Editor (0805-121-2204) At least, people were afraid they could be in trouble if apprehended for answering Production Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa the call of nature in such unnatural way. This issue Reporter – Solomon Odeniyi stirred me right on the face Reporter – Yussuf Sodiq one day as I accompanied one of my relatives to a Ministry Photographer – Olushola Aderinto where I approached the receptionists at the Computer Graphics - Zainab Olalere Information Desks that I needed to ease myself. One of OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limthem pointed to the shrubs ited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarantee Trust Bank GTB, right in front of the office. I Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. queried why on earth in a All correspondence to the above mail address.

0794-8050 government office that would ISSN: 0805-121-2204 be a place for me or any other Telephone: Website: www.osundefender.com/index.php person for that matter to use e-mail: osundefender@yahoo.com, osundefenderbank@gmail.com as toilet. He stirred me down and declared that even if the OSUN DEFENDER is not affiliated with any other newspaper, overall head of the magazine or any publication whatsoever. establishment needed to ease

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COMMENT

FRIDAY JANUARY 03 - THURSDAY JANUARY 09, 2020

MAGAZINE FRIDAY JANUARY 03 - THURSDAY JANUARY 09, 2020

Osun 2020 Appropriation Act: Improvements, Expectations With the recent assent by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola to the Year 2020 State of Osun Appropriation Bill and its attendant passage into Law, Ismaeel Uthman captures the feelings and pulses of indigenes and residents of the state; regarding their expectations and perceived improvements over feats recorded in years past.

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OOD governance is hinged, among other components, on meticulous process of planning, assiduous political will -power and concerted effort taken at scrupulous implementation of plans and execution of programmes, policies, projects and activities; in accordance with laid-out plans.

No matter how beautiful plans are; and notwithstanding the serious posture of an administration, its effectual performance will largely depend on how close to reality its goals, plans and vision are; and the efficiency ratio between all arsenals of resources, matched with the projects and policies on ground, vis-a-vis time limits set for performing the programmes and activities in achievable terms.

What the State of Osun has witnessed within the last umpteen of a decade has seriously toed the lines of precincts laid above. No wonder that the immediate past administration did well in setting the ball rolling for amazing, unprecedented milestones of development to situate and inhabit the state in the manner of permanence.

The state has, within the time limits under reference, been transformed dramatically into a massive project site.

Visibly, development has been the daily experience of the State of the Virtuous in all ramifications. Heavy and gigantic construction works in roads, school edifices, sport facilities, market complexes and others are so notable today that even the detractors and naysayers have no better choice than changing the notes, tones, pitches and lyrics of their dirges of lacklustre hopelessness; replacing it with their breaking forth into songs of praises and adulation for the progressive governance of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Along the lines of social services and human capital development, the progressive administration has opened the blinkers and turned the sod in providing good, safe, decent and comfortable housing for the generality of the people, making education qualitative, functional, free and affordable and making quality health facilities and services available and accessible to all and sundry within the state; irrespective of location. We have seen the free and rapid response ambulance operations thrive and succeed. We have been part of the enviable heights reached through the infectious intervention impacts of the State Government’s Osun Elementary Schools’ Feeding and Health Initiatives (O’ MEALS) ... The list can go on and on.

Amidst the heated noise of detraction which greeted its days and policies in office, the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administration, before it bowed out on November 2018 had restored the state back to the one that pays 100 per cent salaries to all cadres of workers and pensioners. More than that, the administration bequeathed a long list of finished and duly commissioned projects, prominent number of work-in-progress legacy projects, which the government of continuity widely endorsed by the people continues with today, with pride and dignity. Above all, the government of continuity we now have in place is a rich asset: an eternal pride of legacy which signals the possibility of other laudable projects and programmes that we could proudly parade as dividends of democracy.

ITHIN the space of a little above a year in office, the Adegboyega Oyetola administration in the state has well proven it beyond fears and doubts as having realized its onions and known its worth

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Governor Oyetola Laying the Budget before the House of Assembly in December 2019 and mettle in making life much better for the people of the state. An active insider, in the capacity of Chief of Staff to the Governor for eight solid years under the Unusual Government of Ogbeni Aregbesola, Oyetola stood tall as the best candidate for the job. As a matter of fact, he has reaffirmed the confidence reposed in him, which earned him the job through the provision of life-bettering and welfare-enhancing programmes, projects and policies.

The latest in the lineup of feats recorded within the fractional period he has spent in office is the recent assent into law of the proposed 2020 Appropriation Bill. The implication of this development is that, contrary to what had nearly become a sad reality, whereby the budgets of a new year would drag before the hallowed chambers of legislators for scrutiny, well nearly into the middle of the year; the Osun Budget for year 2020 can start running its course for implementation right from the very first hour of Year 2020.

A fallout of achievement that is remarkable from this is the harmonious existence and cordial relationship that subsists among the three arms of government in the state; particularly, between the executive and the judiciary.

With the Year 2020 Appropriation Act now in full force of operation, the coast is clear for Oyetola to reach for much greater heights in governance and rendering lifetouching impacts to improve people’s lives in the state.

This Midas’s touch, he has started well to give in the past one year, one month, without necessarily taking adventure

into rocket science.

As expected, Oyetola, has carried on with the road projects inherited from the immediate past administration in the state. The Gbongan / Akoda Road; the Osogbo / Ikirun / Ila-Odo / Kwara State Boundary Road and Ikirun / Iragbiji / Ororuwo / A d a r o a d networks a r e s o m e instances in t h i s regard.

The foregoing represents mere tip of the iceberg w i t h regards to the road work in rehabilitation which Oyetola has turned the sod on.

H i s very first intervention gesture in the h ea l t h and medical sectors was not just spurious. Well before his first anniversary in office, above 80 per cent of his health

The Governor’s speech is a consummate approximation of the feelings of majority of wellmeaning indigenes and residents when he said:

•contninued on Page 6

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OSUNDEFENDER www.osundefender.org

MAGAZINE

FRIDAY JANUARY 03 - THURSDAY JANUARY 09, 2020

•Speaker of State of Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Timothy Owoeye Presenting the passed Budget to Governor Gboyega Oyetola recently.

•contninued from Page 5 facilities, constructed and rehabilitated across the 332 political / electoral wards in the State of Osun has reached completion and been substantially commissioned and convincingly put to use. This implies that we have in place fully rehabilitated, reconditioned and adequately equipped primary health centres (PHCs), numbering 332 units.

The full payment of salaries and pension to civil / public servants and pensioners continue; in spite of dwindling monthly statutory allocation from the Federation Accounts of the Federal Government. This is not to talk of incentives given to workers to boost their efficiency and make their productivity more robust.

The efforts in human and entrepreneurial development and skills / enterprise promotion are also not reneged on.

Appropriate steps are taken toward providing engaging and highly rewarding exit strategies for batches of participants in the revolving Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES). In similar vein, Governor Oyetola has reinvigorated the laudable services provided through the Osun Elementary Schools’ Feeding and Health Initiatives (O’MEALS).

Oyetola is hitting the ground running and reaching for higher grounds in other terrains like security and health insurance. The Osun Health Insurance Scheme (OHIS) has been strengthened, broadened and revitalized. The Initial N150 million take-off grant into the scheme is clearly yielding greater dividends: that of assuring higher and more stabilized health statuses for people of the state; indigenes and residents alike.

The unrelenting impacts made in areas like agriculture; culture and tourism are clearly not quantifiable.

Indications so far attest to, and give guarantee for greater performances in these sectors in years to come.

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NE vibrant area of the state’s economy which has direct bearing on the budget and which hold high prospects for the performance indices of the economy is the state’s Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR).

We have reached a stage in Nigeria where every state and tier of government is looking astutely and searching frantically for avenues of broadening their revenue sources. In the light of this, the Gboyega Oyetola administration has done well by convening the first ever in the order of economic cum investment summit. The summit, a clear deviation from what such convergences used to be in the Nigerian contest, was not just a talk show or mere exhibition galore, but a potent regenerative tool to revamp the economic lots of the State.

The rewards were not slow in manifesting, there have already been clear indications to the positive outcome of the summit, as trade, commerce, industry, mining and agriculture have begun to witness a fillip in the state. At this stage, it could be asserted unequivocally that the State of Osun is on its express pathway to greatness and prosperity on all sides: courtesy of the economic and investment summit.

Emanating as fallout from the Economic and Investment Summit in the State of Osun is the signing into force of an Executive Order, establishing the Osun Investment and Promotion Agency. Through this, a formidable foundation has been laid for the smooth take-off of Osun’s

transformation into an industrial haven, not only within the South-Western geopolitical zone, but in the entire nation.

Now, with the Year 2020 Appropriation Act duly passed and signed, it is instructive to safely conclude that the state is reaching for higher grounds and rich pedestal of prolific prominence in the New Year.

The budget, sized to the tune of One -Hundred and Nineteen Billion, Five -Hundred Million Naira (N119.5 billion) is so sized and premised on the actual needs of the people and it is based and conditioned on the economic realities of these periods.

With its timely passage and swift effectual implementation, it is sure that the budget will pave way, through its good performance, for greater means to broaden the income / revenue profile for subsequent years.

Tagged “Budget of Restoration”, the estimate was passed by the House of Assembly on Friday, December 27, 2019. It was subsequently presented to the Governor for his assent at a brief commemorative ceremony held on Monday, December 30, at Governor’s Office, State Secretariat, Abere.

Assenting the budget, shortly after it was formally presented to him by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Honourable Timothy Owoeye, the governor showed his administration’s determination to its full implementation.

In the line of improvement and expectations, Oyetola, observed the size of the budget as most realistic, saying the government would stop at nothing to ensure it full implementation. He pointed out the government’s decision to prune down the size of the budget compared to the 2019 budget, having realized the socio-economic realities and limited resources available to the state.

It would be recalled that the Budget, which has just expired in time and force, was sized about One-Hundred and Fifty-Four Billion Naira (N154 billion). The difference, representing a reduction of 22.33 per cent. The difference in terms of reduction is premised along concentrating of efforts and resources on things that would make life more meaningful, worthwhile and abundant for the people of the state. The Governor further assured residents of better days in the year 2020 and beyond.

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HILE residents of the state also look forward to a more fulfilling year with projects, policies and programmes that turn around their lives positively coming from government, it is also expected that the cordial and harmonious relationship existing among the three arms of government will be explored and exploited to benefit the citizenry maximally.

As an instance, it is expected that the nature, choice, location, magnitude and significance of projects and programmes chosen for implementation will be such that offer highest possible benefits in terms of opportunity costs to the largest proportion and demography of people in the state.

Having felt the pulse of the people as to their thirst and zeal for development in terms of investment and economic development, a considerable proportion of the budget is expected to go to aspects that develop us the more and that add value to our most prominent

productive sectors and that, that amplify segments that have highest competitive, comparative advantage.

It is also expected that the show of commitment of the Oyetola administration for what Owowe tagged “Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability” will translate into brighter fortunes for the people in general.

Much is expected, particularly in finding a boost for the state’s revenue profile so as to avoid the shortfall in the budget for the new year; as compared with what obtained in the concluded year. It is commendable that the overbloat in the budget for the year 2019 in terms of realizable revenue has been rectified in the words of the Governor: “The 2019 budget which is coming to an end two days from now, was about N154billion, but we realized that we didn’t have too much of the revenue that we budgeted.

So, we decided to trim this year’s budget size to a size that we believe is realistic. And with it, we will be able to do a lot for our people within the limit of our resources.”

In line with this, the people expect the budget to translate into reality that will be visible for all to see in the New Year.

The commendable leadership and members of the State House of Assembly came under the Governor’s full appreciation for passing the budget within a short time.

As such, the Governor’s promise to maintain the level of understanding and cooperation existing between the three arms of government in general and the legislature in particular is expected to come to fulfilment and translate into better dividends of democracy in the New Year and yonder.

The Governor’s speech is a consummate approximation of the feelings of majority of well-meaning indigenes and residents when he said: “I am particularly delighted we were able to conclude the presentation, passing and signing of the year 2020 budget before the end of the year 2019.

“I must commend the leadership of the House of Assembly — the Speaker and other principal officers — for ensuring smooth passage of the budget and for ensuring they look at the budget critically which is ready for signing today. “ That is to show that we are ready to move the state forward come Year 2020. We do believe in budget size that will enable us carry out proper implementation. That is the essence of what we are doing today.

“The way we went about the budget actually confirms that the leadership of the House is with us, particularly for the timely passage of the budget, unlike some states where there will be issues relating to budget size. We had gone through it together even before it was prepared, presented and signed.

On top of it all, citizens and residents of the State of Osun are welcome into the New Year. OSUN DEFENDER Magazine sues for your cooperation and support for the government of the state in order that all the lofty promises above shall be translated into achievable projects and programmes and all hopes and expectations fulfilled.

OSUN DEFENDER Magazine charges residents to rally support for the administration of Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola in raising the revenue profile of the state. Taxable adults among residents are charged to show positive attitude to playing their parts as good citizens - that of paying their taxes without pressure or instigation. The year 2020 shall be a prolific year of bumper harvests and profound prosperity.

“

WHILE residents of the state also look forward to a more fulfilling year with projects, policies and programmes that turn around their lives positively coming from government, it is also expected that the cordial and harmonious relationship existing among the three arms of government will be explored and exploited to benefit the citizenry maximally.

As an instance, it is expected that the nature, choice, location, magnitude and significance of projects and programmes chosen for implementation will be such that offer highest possible benefits in terms of opportunity costs to the largest proportion and demography of people in the state.

FRIDAY JANUARY 03 - THURSDAY JANUARY 09, 2020

OSUNDEFENDER

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Oluwo, Estranged Wife Take Battle To Social Media

By Sodiq Yusuf

T

question, can a Canadian be stranded in Nigeria, even if a ticket is not provided? The Canadian Embassy and government is one of the most responsible governments and embassies in the world.

“If someone chooses to stay back for whatsoever reason, it’s none of our business. The needful has

been done by providing the necessary travelling arrangements.”

In a swift response on her personal instagram handle, the former queen, Chin accused Oba Akanji of going to the social media to destroy her character. She described Oba Akanbi as immature and acting like an oppressor.

he last is yet to be heard on the separation of the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, Telu I and his estranged CanadianJamaican wife, Chanel passenger; to who cares to listen, ticket has been Chin.

The monarch had two provided since 18th of weeks ago announced his December, 2019, 5 star divorce with Chin, who hotel fully paid till date of went away with their only travel!!!

“And ask yourself a child, Ibrahim Oduduwa Akanbi.

However, Oba Akanbi in a statement recently threatened to cast a spell on anyone who blames him for divorcing Chin.

On his official Instagram handle, the Oluwo disclosed that arrangements had been put in place since December 18, 2019 for his ex-queen to return to Canada but the latter had refused and stayed put in Nigeria instead.

Oluwo said the continued stay of Chin in the country was none of his business; as he had concluded plans for her to return to her homeland after the failed marriage.

The statement on the Oluwo’s Instagram page Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola gets traditional title, Enyioha 1 of U zuakoli , Abia reads: “The horse is waiting State attends commissioning of project with minister of state, mines and steel development, Dr. but you cannot force the Sampson Uchechukwu , Permanent Secretary , Ministry of Interior, Barr. Georgina Ehuriah, MON and C G Immigration, Muhammed Bbandede,

2020: Osun Speaker Urges Nigerians To Focus On Local Content

By Yusuf Oketola

T

he Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye has called on Nigerians to focus more on locally made products for the sustainability of the country’s economy in the year 2020.

Owoeye also enjoined them to always strive for the good of the land, saying the much publicized Next Level agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) must begin with every Nigerian for a more prosperous country.

The Speaker, in a New Year message released by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Kunle Alabi charged Nigerians to look inward

and patronize indigenous manufacturers Owoeye reminded Nigerians of the need to cut down their dependence on foreign goods, especially foodstuffs to increase local production and enhance entrepreneurship.

The Speaker noted that depending on Nigeria’s grown food and other products would help save the local currency which currently carries too much

pressure.

He expressed regrets that despite the huge potential in sectors such as agriculture and manufacturing, Nigeria has failed to make use of the opportunities.

The Speaker who commended the Federal Government for closing land borders said the effort has been yielding good fruits with the increment in the patronage of locally grown rice and other cereals.

He said, “The recent border closure has yielded so much result in terms of local production.

“We should sustain it and

We Won't Tolerate Shoddy Jobs, Osun Govt Warns SUBEB Contractors

By Solomon Odeniyi

T

he State Government of Osun has charged the existing and new contractors handing the State Universal Basic Education Board’s projects to ensure standard and quality work delivery in tandem with the stated construction specifications and contractual agreements.

Permanent Secretary, and sundry, stating that the State Universal Basic state government and UBEC, Education Board (SUBEB) in Abuja, were ready to inject the state, Alhaji Fatai huge amount of fund into Kolawole said the board ongoing Schools would not approve payment Infrastructure Renewal for any substandard job, Program. pointing out that the present Kolawole added that administration of Governor agricultural education Adegboyega Oyetola has program shall also be zero-tolerance for shoddy seriously focused on in job execution. schools by the government.

Kolawole spoke at the Enumerating the opening ceremony for the achievements of the Oyetola Year 2018 Universal Basic administration in education Education Commission sector within one year, he (UBEC) /State Universal Basic said 32 blocks of 167 Education Board (SUBEB) classrooms had been Intervention Fund Project in constructed; 31 public Osogbo, the state capital on Elementary and Middle Monday.

Schools were renovated; He urged the contractors 4100 units of students to do a thorough job and furniture for JSS and Middle adhere strictly to the Board’s Schools; 4800 pupils Technical Unit’s instructions. furniture for primary and According to the Elementary schools and 900 Permanent Secretary, Teacher furniture were Governor Oyetola is procured and distributed to passionate about delivery of schools. dividends of democracy to all Other achievement,

according to him, were construction of 58 blocks of squatting toilet, 2 elementary and middle schools were fenced,10 elementary and middle schools were equipped with ICT materials with solar electrification, drilling and reticulation of 9 units borehole, construction of 16 units motorized deep well and distribution of sporting material to 67 schools across the state.

Speaking separately at the event, the State Coordinator, Universal Basic Education Board Commission (UBEC), Mr Jimoh Kamaldeen and Director Planning Research and Statics (SUBEB), Mrs Iyabo Olaniyan urged the contractors to do standard job which must be completed and promptly delivered based on the time schedule for delivery.

They explained that all hands must be on deck in ensuring serious taht monitoring and inspections are carried out at various construction sites in order to put in place standard school buildings that will stand the test of the time.

Nigerians should do more to patronize local content, by so doing we will be strengthening our economy and reducing unemployment in the country.”

Owoeye also urged the people of Osun to pray for the state and the administration of Governor Gboyega Oyetola so that development, peace and security would continue to reign.

The Speaker noted that the benefits of the recently concluded Economic and Investment Summit in the State can only come into fruition with the prayers of all.

OLATOKE FATIMO MOJIRAYO

That I was formerly known and Addressed as OLATOKE FATIMO ADESINA, but now wish to be known and addressed as OLATOKE FATIMO MOJIRAYO. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

Chin said: “Maturity speaks. Since the day Oluwo of Iwo has gone to the media to wash his dirty laundry, I have remained silent. He has gone on a personal mission to destroy my character with fabricated stories. I have remained silent. As a mother of a small baby, all of this is unnecessary and very immature. Out of respect for the stool, I have

not spoken on what I went through in the last four years.

“Please let maturity rule.

If a king does not respect himself or his stool, who else will? Let us be honest with ourselves, this is not the first or the last time that we have watched this individual fabricating or publicly destroying someone. K ings are supposed to uplift and not to oppress. Love and Light!”

Osun To Organize Youth Summit

By Solomon Odeniyi

T

he Commissioner for Youths and Sports in the State of Osun, Mr Yemi Lawal has disclosed that the State Government was planning to organise a summit for the youths.

According to Lawal, the facing with this. It will also summit would address the serve as an opportunity for various challenges facing investors to invest in our youths.” youths in the state.

Stating one of the Lawal disclosed that the state government was challenges in his ministry, developing a Youth Policy Lawal said that there was Document where Governor no data for the youths in Oyetola’s plans for the the state, stressing that the youths would be ministry of Youths and Sports has just been documented.

He said the summit working with rough would hold after the youth estimate.

He urged youth leaders in policy document which he said was at advanced stage the state to have a register that will capture all the is ready.

Lawal, who disclosed this youths in their various local at the West Senatorial governments, stating that District youth meeting of the capturing was crucial to government the All Progressives help Congress (APC) at Iwo implement its plans for recently, also said the them.

The commissioner also summit would help enlighten youths in the said that the age bracket for state as well as allow youths in the state had investors to invest in the been reclassified from former 18-34 to 15-39 youths.

He said: “This years.

Addressing the youths, administration gives priority to youths. I recall the Senator Representing telling the Governor that if Osun West Senatorial we invest in the youths, District at the senate, Engr winning elections in the Adelere Oriolowo stated state would not be a that the future of the party problem and the Governor belongs to the youths, just assured me of his support as he called on them to ensure that they move the to the ministry.

“He has developed a party forward.

The Youths Senatorial youth policy document and this contains his Leader, Comrade Abdulgovernment’s plans for the Mojeed Imran charged the youths of the state. This is youths in the district to at an advanced stage and continue to work for the immediately after this; we progress of the party and plan to also have a summit make sure that they do their best for the party to for the youths.

“We hope to take up the remain in power. challenges our youths are

Crisis Looms in Osun Community Over 'Royal Extortion' •continued from Page 2 Findings by OSUN DEFENDER revealed that the same alleged extortion was ongoing at Omu community, which is under Ilase.

Residents of Boredun informed the medium that bloodshed was averted in November last year when the thugs from Ilase disrupted the roofing of a building by harassing and threatening the workers on

site.

The owner of the building, according to the residents, mobilized hoodlums from Osogbo to confront the thugs from Ilase and there was pandemonium in the community.

It took the intervention of stakeholders in the community to stop the thugs from engaging in free for all.

Calling on government

and security agents to come to their rescue, the residents said they do not want their community to turn into a battle field when land and house owners in the area begin to resist the alleged extortion and harassment by thugs.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that the residents were afraid of reporting the matter to police, for the fear of incurring the wrath of Alase of Ilase.

FRIDAY JANUARY 03 - THURSDAY JANUARY 09

OSUNDEFENDER

A Cocktail Of Recen 2019 CHRISTMAS CAROL AND NIGHT OF PRAISE OF STATE OF OSUN HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, OSOGBO RECENTLY.

THE GENERAL OVERSEER OF TH TIAN CHURCH OF GOD, PASTOR ITED OSOBO RECENTLY. Phot

•(From Right) Speaker Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Funminiyi Afuye, his counterpart in Osun Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye, Representatives of State of Osun Governor, Prince Wole Oyebamiji, Deputy Speaker Osun House of Assembly Hon. Femi Popoola with other Honourable Members.

•Pastor E.A. Adeboye (with mic.) during his go and fishing programme at Osogbo Township Stadium recently.

•Mamooth of Crowd at the Event.

ALHAJA MUJIDAT KOLAWOLE H

•Invited Guest Artists: Lady Evangelist Bisi Alawiye Aluko (right), Lady Evangelist Temitayo Adeniyi (Middle) and Mrs. Abiodun Ogunkanmi, Wife of the Deputy Chief Whip, State of Osun House of Assembly, Hon. Abidemi Ogunkanmi..

•Mujidat Kolawo •Mujidat Kolawole receiving certificate of Yeye Oluomo of Modakeke from Oba Moses Ogunsua

HURSDAY JANUARY 09, 2020

SOCIAL REGISTER

OSUNDEFENDER

9

Recent Happenings

ER OF THE REDEEMED CHRISD, PASTOR E.A. ADEBOYE VISY. Photo: Olushola Aderinto

CROSS OVER NIGHT ORGANIZED BY STATE OF OSUN GOVERNMENT HELD AT NELSON MANDELA FREEDOM PARK OSOGBO.

•Governor of the State of Osun (with Mic.) Addressing the crowd during the programme.

o Township Stadium recently.

AWOLE HONOURED •Fireworks usher in the new year 2020.

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 Ismaeel on 08051212204, Shola on 08034454006 Let the public know what you are doing.

•Mujidat Kolawole and Her Husband Fatai Kolawole

FRIDAY JANUARY 03 - THURSDAY JANUARY 09, 2020

INTERVIEW

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10

Osun 2020 Budget Will Touch Every Area Of Need T

he 2020 budget of Restoration in the state of Osun was recently passed by the House of Assembly without any modification in figures and items. How thorough was the budget defence by the MDAs before the Assembly?

The budget was thoroughly looked into. It is not just about the figures alone. The way we go about the budgeting system here does not allow it to come to us as a strange document. At the stage of preparing it, we were not involved in a significant way but we had our inputs through interactions with the relevant agencies of government. Coming to us eventually, we needed to be dispassionate with the budget presented to us in order to be sure about the presentations. We needed to be sure if it is line with the development plans of the state.

The development plan is the focus of government for the people of the state. It also contains where the state wants to be and what it wants to achieve with the critical sectors of the economy. We have it as our guide. The development plan is also a way of strengthening our institutions and having a sustainable architecture in place such that as you begin to have people in and out of the government, it won’t change the plans because it was carefully drafted to cater for the needs of the people. We needed to look at what the people’s want as well as the needs of the state in terms of infrastructure, healthcare, education among others. It is a ten-year development plan that will run between 2019 and 2028. That was why I said we are all part of the budget system and the people. This is because the input of the citizens constituted a large chunk of the development plan. What this budget has simply done is to conform with the development plan that we have in place and anybody that has really put his mind into the development of the state can have an idea of what this state will look like in the next ten years. It may not be figure in, figure out, but expect the investment that the current administration will make on the infrastructure, healthcare and education among others will begin to unlock the economic potentials of the state.

We have a vision that we are running with as a state, that vision is the foundation upon which the budget is being built; and that was why I said the budget did not come to us as a surprise, just like it will not be to major stakeholders in the state who are interested in the development of the state. We must also appreciate the fact that budgets in the world are estimates and projected revenues. In line with the economic realities, we must give it to the Governor of the state for giving the state a realistic budget.

There is a significant reduction in the 2020 budget compared to that of 2019, how realistic in the budget?

This year’s budget was a reduction from what we had last year which was a little above N150 billion and this year we are running with a budget in the region of N119 billion; that is close to N34 billion reduction. What that tells you is that it is not a budget of increment. It was not assumed that we did N150billion last year, let us jerk it up to N170 billion; cite increase in population, get the development plan and then thinker with figures and have a figure and churn it out. Ideally, it is not only when a budget comes out with variation in terms of the budget size that was presented to the parliament that would justify a good work has been done. It does not necessarily have to be so. It is not about ego or interest. It is about the people; and as long as we practise a democratic system, the people of the state will remain the common denominator, whatever we need to do must be done dispassionately.If it had come in N119 billion and after a critical look and meetings with the MDAs in the state and they had to defend those figures, we find them suitable.

Budget scrutiny is not just about the figures.It is about discovering the impediments of the previous budget, things to improve upon and so on. People misinterpret budget defence to mean that once you have a budget of N125 billion, it should either be higher or come out as N118 billion that shows something had been done. It is never about tinkering with figures but the essence is just to be sure. As an arm of government, we needed to be convinced that the budget was carefully drafted, feasible and goes in line with the aspirations of the people. And we wanted to make the MDAs know the expectations about the budget and that is why you see before the final passage, there was a report which was part of the budget process. It served as a resource document before the eventual passage. This was an 18 pager and it captured the summary of what happened in the course of the defence.

What should the people expect after the signing of the budget?

They should expect a feasible budget, an improved budget performance. By this, I mean if we say our budget is realistic, our denominator must also be realistic. That alone will not give us an improved budget performance; but it is one of the indices that will make our budget performance to go up. Year-in, year-out there has been an improvement and that is what life is all about. They should expect a budget that will touch on every area of need. They should expect a budget that will take us from where we are and push us further to our journey towards sustainable development. If you take a look, you will discover that it gives attention to capital expenditure in areas of the needs of our people. There was a needs assessment that was carried out in partnership with some international agencies, which helped to capture the needs of the people. We realized that topmost on the need of our people is Infrastructure and that in itself justifies the last eight-to-nine years massive and deliberate investment in infrastructure under the immediate past governor of the state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. This silences those who were in doubt as to whether it was the right thing to do or not. One should have expected that by now, the people of the state should have been tired of infrastructures and be demanding for something else. But according to the needs assessments; they still want more of the infrastructures. This budget was tailored along the people’s need.

The lion’s share of our capital expenditure is on infrastructures. This is a budget that factors the needs of the people as prioritized by them. You move from infrastructure which is about N9.3 billion to water and sanitation. Water, they say, is life; and when you take care of your environment, it robs off on many things, including one’s health. If you also look at N20.5 billion investments on the rehabilitation of our Primary Health Centers which is unprecedented in this country, such investments will be a waste if we don’t have good, potable water and sanitation. Access to good water and sanitation will bring down the rate of sickness in the state. You can see that the budget was carefully drafted in a way that it complemented some of the investments of the government. The budget also takes into cognizance that there must be value for money. So if you look at the amount put into infrastructure to water and sanitation which is about N7.5 billion, then to education which is about N6.5 billion and in that order you go to health which

A financial expert and lawmaker representing Ife-North Constituency in the State of Osun House of Assembly, Hon Lekan Olatunji in this interview with OSUN DEFENDER gives an enlightening insight into the 2020 budget which was signed into law by Governor Adegboyega Oyetola on Monday. Excerpts: has about N4.3 billion then agriculture which has over N2.3 billion; these are areas that the government is so passionate about. This will enable us to open up that sector and begin to see bigger production, commercial farming and get investors to come in. If you also look at the budget, it has not divorced itself from the campaign promises of the Governor and the manifesto of the party.

The concentration of the past administration on infrastructure development attracted criticism from some people who are fond of saying ‘road does not put food on the table of people. Do you think the current administration should continue in that line?

Everyone is now eating the roads; although they cannot consume it with their mouths.

To say that the state of Osun is an agrarian state is not news. Even right from the days of our colonial masters, they recognized that this rain forest belt is for cash crops like cocoa, kola nuts, among others. It will also shock you that decades later, we are still talking about opening our agriculture sector which should not be. Let me give you a comparative analysis: Agriculture is the largest employer of labour in Nigeria. Close to 70 percent are directly or indirectly involved in Agriculture. The nation cannot feed its 200 million people and the productivity of 70 percent of 200 million is close to N140 million people and they can’t feed 200 million. Go to the United States, agriculture employs just 2% and they are the largest exporter of food in the world. If we look at Netherlands which is not up to the size of Lagos; their population is on the average of 18 million.They are the second largest exporter of food in the world. Less than a million Dutch farmers are not only feeding their people but the world. Something is missing; and that is infrastructure. There is no way you can discuss food security and agriculture without infrastructure.

Infrastructure is sine-qua-non to economic development.

While the debate was on, I did a research which was published to find out the nexus between infrastructure and development, the Osun model. The GDP of Osun before Ogbeni Aregbesola came was just about N191 billion. As at the time he was leaving eight years later, the GDP was close to N400 billion. Can you see the multiplier effect? Not even the country has been able to grow its GDP in such multiples, such as in 3 folds!And infrastructure was responsible for that.

There can’t be a productive farmer without infrastructure.

It will make no sense for you to buy tractors and tell farmers to mechanize their farms, when there is no way they can evacuate their produce when it is time for harvest. Our problem is not that we don’t have arable land. In fact, about 80 percent of land here is fertile. Israel, a desert country is artificially producing food and water. They have the vision to become the biggest exporter of water in the years to come. The world has successfully transmitted into the fourth industrial revolution which is powered by technology. Now, we have our people planting, we have got the land; it is not only about that, there is a need for good roads. There is no society that will develop beyond its infrastructure. Can you see a developed country with bad roads? It is the foundation for any development that you see.

The debt profile of the state has been described as a cog in the wheel of progress of the state, what do you make of this claim?

It depends on how you see it, debts are nothing but financial instruments that private bodies, individuals and government can deploy to accelerate their development. While I was still in the banking sector, we did not use the word debt because when people hear debt, they are scared. It does become an issue if your borrowing is for the wrong reasons, that is, borrowing to pay salaries, invest in leisure and other things that cannot stand the test of time.This is when it becomes an issue. You see there is nothing we desire as a people that we will not see elsewhere. We found ourselves as a state in a very precarious situation some 10 years ago. The hope of this state taking its place among the comity of states was close to zero. In the Southwest for instance, which is a subset of the universal set of the nation, we have in every state comparisons of the most beautiful and advanced part are the state capitals. So,we should not compare town to town or village to village, let us just stay with state capitals. Before 2010, the most backward state capital was Osogbo. You cannot compare Osogbo with Ibadan, Ikeja, Akure, Abeokuta or even Ekiti that was created after Osun. As at 2010, all roads leading to the state capital of Ekiti were dual-carriage. Let me tell you something, when I was in the banking sector and I wanted to be posted to Osun;in the course of my interview with the panel, one of the members asked if I was aware of where I was going. The person told me the bank branches in Osun had challenges and as a result found it hard to grow. The reason given was that the state was a civil service state; except for government, nothing was moving in the state. That was what my state meant to the private sector then. It was disturbing that a state bigger than eighty countries as at that time was so described. It is not as if those who had governed this state never added value. They all did. The state television station was established during the military regime. It is just that the state had continued to grow at arithmetic rate; and we know that if we continue at this rate, competition will sniff life out of us. No state can live in isolation. Nobody ever thought Nokia products could get phased out of the market, they did nothing wrong but external competition sniffed life out of them. If we as a state had continued in that way, competition would have sniffed life out of us. Yes, it was painful!But everyone who was part of that process of building the new Osun will find our role forever appreciated. There is no nation that has developed without sacrifices from its people. The early settlers in Israel made

•contninued on Page 11

FRIDAY JANUARY 03 - THURSDAY JANUARY 09, 2020

INTERVIEW

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Osun 2020 Budget Will Touch Every Area Of Need •contninued from Page 10 sacrifices. Their belief was that if they could not have the country of their dreams, their children would. And they did! Behind every success there is a story. Today, the world makes reference to Singapore and the contributions that Lin KuaYung made to it.

It remains the only country today that has transformed from Third World to First World within a century! The citizens made sacrifices. At a point, their rights as citizens, including child bearing rights, were suspended for the rights of the state. The United States of America is, today, the most indebted country in the world. It is even considered as a blessing for USA to be indebted to you! For instance, look at the huge amount USA owes China, if they pay back, what will China do with the about $6 trillion? Is it not better to still have it with the USA and be getting interest on it? This is because they do not have an economy that can make use of such resources. Coming home to Southwest Nigeria, the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife was established as a protest institution because as at the time it was built, there was only the University of Ibadan, which had few students.

People viewed establishing another university at that time as waste of resources.But Awolowo saw farther ahead of many; which is the hallmark of a leader. That same university today, wants to exit the national grid and provide source of energy supply to a vast number of consumers. It is planning to have its own airport, generating the largest tax that is sustaining us as a state, has produced generations of professors; and that is the same school that cannot take ten per cent of the students seeking to gain admissions into the school. Do you know that borrowings were made to build Obafemi Awolowo University? The same applies to the television that Awolowo established, even when some European countries had not yet have a television station. If this state must be big; our vision must be big. We all felt the pain but if we had not taken the bold step; we would have consumed everything.

Do you think the budget will be able to service the loan and how will you advice the executive on the implementation of the budget?

I deliberately inquired from the Debt Management Office boss when he was making his presentation; and he gave confirmation from the books that our debt profile is sustainable. But how sustainable is it? And the answer approves that it is well sustainable.

Our repayment is a first-line charge and we will impute that into the budget and make it sustainable. This means our sacrifices of yesterday to have what we have in the state was huge.The workers will not be forgotten in the history of the state.They parted with some of their salaries to have this done in the state. But today, they are getting their full salaries. America had issues because its founding fathers said they would invest in three things: banking, insurance and infrastructures.Even where there were no people, America was building bridges and roads. This attracted a lot of people from other parts of the world. Today, Trump will not build infrastructures,Obama neither did.They are to plug into what others did.Whatever some countries are enjoying some persons sacrificed for it. Considering the effects of inflation on our currency; if we had not done those things, we can never do them again in the state. If you do the valuation of the worth of our schools, roads and other infrastructure in the state, you will not believe we would not have been able to do them if they were delayed. Even without deduction, the state has remained within the bracket of the last eight on the allocation table; even in terms of our gross. None of the states in the last eight table of the allocation is as populous as State of Osun. Kwara State, with population almost similar to ours, depends less on the federal allocation. This is because historically, Kwara state has been the centre of trade and commerce; the intersection between the North and the South. So, what it earns naturally from it IGR is huge. Let us not forget, also that we inherited a vast number of the civil servants working in the old, defunctWestern Region;and that was the reason for the deliberate investment, even when there was challenge, owing to meagre nature of allocation coming from the FG. Regardless of the challenge, the state weathered the storm and wriggled out of it. It was able to survive because of the fact that its economy had gone bigger, investors had begun to come in and this gave our people external sources to survive other than government. If our only lifeline had been government sources; we wouldn’t have been able to survive as a state. The rate of development in Osun is gradual; but it is sustainable, especially, as a result of the transition from OgbeniAregbesola to Gboyega Oyetola. Within the space of the last nine years we have been blessed with leaders who know the purpose of leadership in this state. When it comes to deploying resources in a manner that is creative,Osun has become a point of reference. And that is what was responsible for the massive infrastructures you are seeing and these infrastructures are the best you can find anywhere in the country. President Buhari was surprised when he came to the state during the 25th anniversary of the state’s creation. If all states of the federation could replicate what we have in our schools, will our education story be the same? And what cost did we incur to achieve this? The good news is that our debt is sustainable. Our rental per month and for the year is well taken care in the budget. It also contains the earlier stated amount into the critical sectors.

Were the objectives of the Economic and Investment Summit considered in the budget?

I want to make comments on the submissions of experts who spoke dispassionately without political affiliation. With all sense of modesty, that economic summit was a huge success. The indices we have and which were showcased are the criteriawhich investors want to see. In the public sector, so many things thrive on belief, emotions and sentiments. In the business world, nobody cares about that. Someone can be a billionaire and come from this state, if such person considers his investment unsafe, he will take it to somewhere else! Signing the Executive Order to set up an Investment Agency meant a lot. This means that if an investor comes to the state, the usual bureaucracies that turn down people cannot happen in Osun. With this, the Governor has demonstrated how important it is to synergize with the private sector. Without incentivizing the private sector investments; no economic unit, not even the nation can survive. Look at the Nigeria’s budget that was just signed, what is N10 trillion to the size of Nigerian economy?

Divide it per head, it is not more than 50,000, what will it do? It is the private sector investments that would complement this. This trend is the new order and the state, with the summit, has demonstrated that it is open for investments and it is serious about it. With the infrastructures on ground, I am quite sure the effect will crystalize. I am sure by the time the second summit will come up, there is going to be testimonies.

The impact is also already being felt, some weeks ago, representatives from the American embassy were here.They came on behalf of their people who wanted to know more about the state because there have been lots of traffic post the economic summit. They came to make enquiries on what is in place so that they can make their recommendations about the state to their people. I am sure within the next three-to-four years, we will be more proud of the state.

What is your take on the N30, 000 Minimum Wage?

Apart from the Federal Government and some few states which had indicated interest to pay the N30, 000 minimum wage; no other state could, except some that could damn the consequence if they dip hands into part of their capital expenditure spending and

The GDP of Osun before Ogbeni Aregbesola came was just about N191 billion. As at the time he was leaving eight years later, the GDP was close to N400 billion. Can you see the multiplier effect? Not even the country has been able to grow its GDP in such multiples, such as in 3 folds!And infrastructure was responsible for that. There can’t be a productive farmer without infrastructure. convert it to recurrent. The beauty of our state here is that governance involves the stakeholders. Even when we had issues, workers were transparently involved. This is one of the few states in the country that opens its books to workers and they decide what and when to pay. This made it easy for workers to trust the government. One thing that is very clear is that this government takes workers’welfare seriously. Collectively, the issue of minimum wage is of concern to us all and that people want to earn more is understandable. The cost of living has gone up. Inflation has brought down the value of money.There is no time you increase the wages that you won’t distort the economy, because almost everybody works with the government. As a country and even globally, there is economic challenge. Some schools of thought believe another global recession is imminent. While we crave for an increment in the minimum wage, there are two things I will like us to take cognizance of. As a people, country and continent, we must look into issues regarding our productivity. It is still very hard to justify why in Africa the level of our productivity is low in spite of our population. Secondly we look at how do we put in place sustainable structures that will bring down the cost of living and check inflation. Of course, when people’s pay is no longer sustaining them, asking for an increment is not negotiable. But that is not the long term solution to this. The solution lies in increasing your productivity; then you can bring down the cost of living. Take for instance how rice almost did what wheat did to the USSR to us in Nigeria, and it is not because we don’t have arable land but we can just pay for anything! But today, that importation on rice has been banned and the price has gone down. What people earn can be of greater value.That is the most important thing. Increment is not a long-term solution. It can be increased every five years and still not have any meaningful effect.

You will just discover that you are solving a problem to create another. Osun as a state is a part of the Nigerian system. The minimum wage issue presents a stage-by-stage process.A statement has so far been made, which is clear. It is not just our state; every state should now go back and negotiate with its workers. In other climes, government does not need to employ people but here, who will, if the government does not? The government sees it as a safety net; otherwise what is the government producing that it is having more employees than Dangote and MTN? Government cannot realize up to the revenues of these business concerns. The revenue for Nigerian Breweries for 2018 was tending towards N360 billion.What was the state revenue for that year including the Paris Club fund that everyone was shouting? So, in pushing for the implementation of the minimum wage, I will implore our people to look at the safety of the workers.

Resources are finite, this is not a matter of hide-and-seek. In some states, it will throw them off-balance.There won’t be any problem implementing the minimum wage in the state; but the government will have to meet with the labour movement and reach a mutual agree that will be beneficial to both parties.

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FRIDAY JANUARY 03 - THURSDAY JANUARY 09, 2020 12

UNIOSUN Provides Job Opportunity for Students, Pledges Support for Alumni

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n its bid to reduce unemployment in the country, the management of Osun State University, Osogbo has resolved to support both current students and Alumni of the institution to enable them startup businesses and be self-reliant.

Popoola said the Tagged ‘Student Empowerment Scheme’, initiative would afford the the the programme, according undergraduates to the Vice Chancellor of opportunity to work in the university and receive the university, Prof Labo Popoola, would fulfill the monthly stipend, just as he institution’s commitment expressed hope on the to providing high quality expansion of the scheme in teaching and learning no distant time.

According to information targeted at producing entrepreneurial graduates gathered, the ivory tower capable of impacting on was also ready to provide support in terms of finances their environment.

to any alumnus of the university that has a feasible proposal which will in-turn provide a platform for them to stand on their own.

A 300-level student of Information and Communication Technology of the university, Olaide Winjobi who benefited from the scheme and currently works as a graphic designer, appreciated the management of the institution for providing such opportunity.

Winjobi stated that the scheme has assisted students from poor background and those with no means of achieving their dreams to have hope.

She said: “Ever since I started working with the university on this scheme, lots of companies and businesses have been approaching me to make design for them and I am making money from it. That makes me believe that whenever I graduate in the university, it will not be a problem for me to get a

good job or start on my own.”

Another student who benefited from the scheme and works in the university Library, Ola Rebecca said: “My vision is to graduate with good grade and I knew that the little resources I

have might not be able to give me access to enough books and even funds to support myself, so I decided to register for the scheme.

I am now working with the university and getting paid.

This is a rare opportunity.”

Experts Charges Graduates, Institutions to Explore Agriculture NANS Demands Justice For xperts in agriculture have called on tertiary concept. motive behind the LASU Student Killed in Osun institutions, farmers and Nigerians to exploit “The college will consider Academy is to become “a

E

business and job opportunities in the agriculturevalue-chain to achieve a paradigm shift in the sector.

The Provost of the College of Agriculture, Osun State University, Prof.

Kehinde Adetunji Lawrence gave the advice at A-Day Visitation cum Training of students of college of Agriculture of the college at Mazota Farms and AgricAcademy, Osogbo, the capital of the state of Osun.

Adetunji, in his remarks, said the college would consider the unique areas of collaborations in enterprises not currently on the teaching and research farm of the university.

The agriculture expert who said the college was on the move to partner with Mazota Farms and AgricAcademy in business, stressed that the institution would particularly approach the area of Geese, Duck, and Guinea fowl production.

He said: “The team from the university has been able to see the combination of different species of animals and crops incorporated together in a simple teaching facility. It is quite a good and unique training

unique areas of collaboration in enterprise not currently on the teaching and research farm of the university particularly in the area of Geese, Duck and Guinea fowl production.

“The Agric-Academy has over 20 different animals, 30 different crops and 45 different horticultural plants for the purpose of excursion, training and research; it is undoubtedly the first of its kind in Nigeria.”

While speaking, the Director of Mazota Farms and Agric-Academy, Olaide Ajibola disclosed that the

•Students of Unionsun in a group photograph during a tour to Mazota Farms

great agent in ending hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture in Nigeria; the second of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Ajibola urged youths and especially graduates to rise above the present situation in the country to make life better for themselves, despite the much complained about the failure of the political class.

“We are known for farming, the graduate should stop complaining about unemployment. Our nature has bestowed on us a good soil and favourable climate. So let us make use of it to banish hunger, unemployment and make ourselves a good life”, he said.

The young entrepreneur stated further: “The Nigerian education system, her economy and the fate of youths and graduates are three parallel lines whose probability of meeting is unfortunately zero.

“It is therefore, of great importance for the youths or undergraduates to rise above this and tap God’s own resources around us, as all of us cannot tap from the nation’s wealth of crude oil.”

OSPOLY Releases First Batch Admission List For 2019/2020 Academic Session

By Idris Kareem

T

he Osun State Polytechnic Iree has released the first batch admission list for the 2019/2020 academic session for the Daily Part T ime Programme (DPT) of National Diploma (ND).

The Registrar of the Institution, Mr Busari Salawu in a Press Statement made available to news men urged all those who obtained the admission application form to check their admission status on the institution portal@ospoly.edves.net He added that all admitted students should

pay their acceptance fee of N15,000 on or before January 20, 2020 Salawu reiterated that any admitted candidate who refused to pay the acceptance fee on the said date might forfeit the offer of the provisional admission The admitted candidates are urged to pay the

acceptance fee online by logging into: ospoly.edves.net with their username and password to pay.

The Registrar also stated that admission application

forms is still available on the institution's website for any interested applicants at the sum of N10, 500 only

By Yusuf Oketola

T

he National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has demanded justice for the death of a 400-level student of the Lagos State University, Favour Daley-Oladele, who was killed in Ikoyi-Ile in Isokan Local Government of the state of Osun.

Oladele was a 22-year-

•The Suspects old student of Theater Arts and Music Department in LASU before she was killed by her boyfriend, Owolabi Adeeko with the help of a self acclaimed Pastor in Ikoyi, Segun Philip on December 8, 2019.

Adeeko allegedly lured Daley-Oladele to a white garment church in Ikoyi, where he brutally murdered the girl in her sleep.

While Daley-Oladele was asleep, Adeeko allegedly used pestle to smash her head and thereafter her organs were removed by Pastor Philip, for money ritual for him and his mother.

Reacting to the incident, Zone D (SouthWest) Coordinator of NANS, Comrade Samuel Olawale called on the police to make sure that the suspects face the wrath of law, just as he

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consoled the DaleyOladele family.

In a press statement made available to OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday, Olawale described Daley-Oladele's death as cruel, stating that NANS was devastated when the news was broken.

He disclosed that the NANS leadership has contacted father of the deceased, Mr. Adeola Samuel Opeyemi who confirmed the unfortunate incident and the arrest of the suspects.

According to Olawale, the management of Lagos State University also confirmed the details of Adeeko as an ex-student of Sociology Department with Matric number 140641007, believed to have graduated in the 2017/2018 session.

He assured the students and DaleyOladele's family of getting justice for their colleague and daughter.

FRIDAY JANUARY 03 - THURSDAY JANUARY 09, 2020

NEWS

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Court Fines Man N11, 000 For Road Traffic Offence

By Idris Kareem

A

35-year-old man, Usman Buhari, has been dragged before an Osogbo magistrate court for driving against the road traffic law.

Buhari, who appeared hails from Jega, Kebbi state before Magistrate A. O. did not understand English Ajanaku on Thursday on a language; consequently his three-count charge of charge was interpreted to driving with expired driver's him in his home language, license, road worthiness (Hausa).

He admitted being guilty and Heavy Duty permit.

The accused person, who to the charges proffered

against him but pleaded for leniency.

Police Prosecutor, Inspector Jacob Akintunde (state traffic) said that the defendant committed the offences on December 10, 2019 at about 19:30 at Okefia Area, Osogbo.

He said the defendant drove a Mitsubishi Canter pick up, with Number Plate MYN 138 XA.

The offences committed contravene sections 7 of RTL cap146, Laws of Osun State 2002, Sections 142 and 149 of RTA of Federal Republic of Nigeria 2012.

Counsel to the defendant, Mr Funsho Muritala, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy on the accused person.

Addressing the court, the

27-Year-Old Arraigned For Alleged Threat to Life, Assault

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27-year-old man, Blessing Oladosu has been arraigned before an Osogbo Magistrate court for allegedly threatening to kill one Oladipupo Olaniyi.

Oladosu was also accused of assaulting Olaniyi by pushing him and tearing his cloth.

According to the charge sheet obtain by OSUN DEFENDER on Thursday, Oladosu committed the offence on October 27, 2019 at Niyi Ibikunke Area of

Osogbo, the capital of the state of Osun.

The charge sheet reads: “That you Oladosu did assault one Oladipupo Olaniyi by pushing him and tearing his clothe, thereby committing an offence

contrary to and punishable under Section 351 of the Criminal Code Cap 34, Vol. II Laws of Osun State, Nigeria, 2002.

“That you Blessing Oladosu did threaten the life of one Oladipupo Olaniyi by saying that you will kill him and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 86 of the

Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol II Laws of Osun State, Nigeria, 2002.”

But the accused person pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge.

The presiding magistrate, Risikat Olayemi granted bail to the suspect in the sum of N20, 000 and one surety.

The case was adjourned till January 16, 2020 for hearing.

NGO Decries Violence Against Women, Girls With Disabilities In Osun, Kwara

By Solomon Odeniyi

A

Non Governmental Organisation, The Society For Life Changers And Good Parental Care (SoLife) has bemoaned the alarming rate of violence against women and girls with disabilities in Osun and Kawara states, describing it as unfortunate.

Addressing a press disabilities encounters conference recently in triple fold of violence that Osogbo, the Chairman of makes them victims of Board of Trustees of the physical abuse and rape, NGO, Aremu Akinyele said while facing discrimination, the development had making them to be isolated, and resulted to isolation, marginalized marginalisation of the vulnerable to violence.

‘Nine local governments physically challenged and made them vulnerable to in Osun and five in Kwara states are discovered to violence.

Flanked by the have high rate of women Monitoring, Evaluation and and girls as victims of Learning Manager, Odedeji violence during and after V ictoria and The project election period.”

Akinyele stated that the manager, Adeola Falana , would Akinyele lamented that the organization violence was became empower women and girls alarming in nine and five with disabilities through local governments in Osun improved social inclusion and Kawara states and elimination of gender respectively as a result of based violence as approved

by United Nations Trust election.

He said: “It is Fund to end violence unfortunate to say that against women.

He disclosed that the women and girls with

•Member of NGO in a Group hotograph

NGO would embark on enlightenment and training in 14 local governments in Osun and Kwara states.

According to him, the 14 local governments earmarked for the implementation in Osun are; Ife Central, Ife East, Ilesa-East, Ilesa-West, EdeNorth, Ede-South, Osogbo, Olorunda and Iwo. In Kwara state, the earmarked local governments for implementation include;

Offa, Oyun, Ifelodun, Ilorin South and Ilorin East.

He added that the implementation would also take place in schools for the Handicapped in the two states.

Akinyele noted that strategies to be used were partnership, capacity building, communication and social mobilisation, media campaign, referral networking, establishment of 20 guidance and counselling units.

driver said he was passing through Osogbo to Lagos where he was stopped and asked for his particulars.

Ajanaku, in her ruling, said that after the cross examination of the particulars, the papers were found to be truly expired

and consequently they were rendered invalid.

She added that the defendant was to pay a fine of N11,000 and get his particulars renewed, just as he directed that his vehicle should be released to him after paying the fines and get his particulars renewed.

Mrs Oyetola Welcomes First Baby In 2020 With Gift •continued from Page 3 The first lady sensitised parents on the dangerous implications of genital mutilation, describing it as an indirect way of killing the girls.

Mrs Oyetola appealed to residents of the state to desist from defecating in the open places, saying such attitude is not good for the health of the people of the state.

She said: "The parents of the babies should take adequate care of them.

They should give them good education so that they can become a great pillar in the state, in the nation and in the world.

"I also want to advice the mothers to please breastfeed their babies for at least six months exclusively. The medical teams have been doing wonderfully well but I want them to advice the nursing mothers on the purpose of breastfeeding.

‘I want to enjoin the fathers to cooperate with the mothers so that we can have healthy children.

"We should stop the

habit of defecating in the open places. I have been telling people we want Osun state to be Open Defecation free before the two years anniversary.

"We have only one local government that is Open defecation free, before November at least, we want more local governments to be free."

The parents of the first baby, Mr and Mrs Adawale Abass expressed gratitude to the wife of the Governor for her gesture as they received the gifts on behalf of the baby.

•Mrs. Oyetola

Health Is Wealth: Addressing the Problem of Public Defecation and Urination • continued from Page 4 to Her Excellency Mrs. Oyetola, who has taken on the role of a true First Lady. This is the kind of activities observable in civilized worlds, whereFirst Ladies (of public executive officials – governors or heads of governments) normally do not have time to self-indulge or engage themselvesin ostentatious living, wanton greed and controversial politicking but instead take on issues of serious consequences to the lives of their husbands’ subjects.Public defecating is a serious matter all across our nation.We stink on this matter in my own State, and I say this with no pun intended.

Imagine this scenario: Lagbaja opens up his trousers right on the street across from the market place in Osogbo.

He does his own “private” business by easing himself into the nearby gutter, an open sewage. Of course, a little bit of the liquid stuff drips into his fingers. He did not give a damn. He just pulled up his trousers and moves on - no handwashing, no cleansing, no gloving. He walks straight into the marketplace, found a female friend and shook hands with her. The female friend was selling puff-puff, the street staple in Osogbo among the young and thee old. A group of hungry kids soon stopped by and purchased a few puff-puff from Lagbaja’sfemale friend, who picked them up with her right hand, which she used to shake hands with Lagbaja. The half-a-dozen kids soon shared and consumed the puff-puff passionately and drowned them with “Pure Water” (another health hazard). Lagbaja is a man bedeviled by a barrage of illnesses, including some as simple as malaria, and others as complicated as hepatitis (of any category), sexually transmitted diseases (of any sort), and everything else in the mix. Lagbaja goes around shaking hands, touching and pricing produce he needed to buy in the marketplace, but much of which he never bought but still left for others to buy - fresh meat, fresh fish products, fresh okra, green and watery vegetables, etc.Let’s put aside the smell and contaminations already unleashed into the open sewage gutter,what about the flow of the urine into the nearby stream which some innocent citizens, including children, pregnant women,

senior citizens, and other vulnerable members of the society would use to bathe, wash their dishes and even drink? What about everything and everyone that Lagbaja’s friend, and those kids are going to touch on that day?

What of those that people touched are also going to touch? Now, we are encumbered by a vicious cycle of an unending spread of impurities and health challenges.

Lord have mercy!

In Shakespeare Julius Caesar, we read, “There is a tide in the affairs of men, which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures.”Believe me, this issue of public defecation and urination in my State is that bad! If we don’t do something about it, we are in for a rude awakening. Our health will continue to be at stake at an increasing rate. If we do something about it, it would improve our health unbelievably well. The corollary is that even our economy will go through the roofs in growth; after all, conventional wisdom has taught us that “health is wealth.”

We need to forge a lasting solution to this problem.

Public education is pertinent in this regard. Public defecation and urination are tantamount to contaminations and desecrations of public places, a public nuisance we can ill afford. Again, thanks to the First Lady for being a megaphone on this matter. As for me, I will stay on this topic until I am convinced more listening ears hear, more seeing eyes see,and more speaking mouths talk about it; because as our elders say, “As long as one’s caller does not stop yelling out one’s name, one cannot successfully pretend to be hard of hearing.”Stay tuned . . .

Until next time, folks, keep fit; keep looking; keep thinking!

Michael Oladejo Afoláyan Retired Professor of Education and Linguistics Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville, USA

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OSUNDEFENDER www.osundefender.org

ENTERTAINMENT

FRIDAY JANUARY 03 - THURSDAY JANUARY 09, 2020

Osun Artistes Struggling to Survive in Entertainment Industry- Osogbo Based Young Hip-hop Artist, Kazyroll Seventeen-year-old Olatunji Kazeem whose stage name is Kazyroll is an Osogbo based hip-hop artiste whose fame came after producing a song for the second term campaign of immediate past governor of the state of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. In this interview with SOLOMON ODENIYI, he speaks on his musical career and plans for the future. Excerpts: How and when did you start singing?

I discovered my singing talent about 10 years ago.

Practically, I started singing seven years ago while I was in Junior Secondary School II. Then, I performed at several events in school and street carnivals.

What genre of music did you adopt?

I am an hip-hop artiste; I sing and rap. I am into street songs.

What inspires you?

Every inspiration is from God, our creator who blessed us with a brain. I draw inspiration from some respected and legendary artists in the afro and hip-hop music industry. First of them is late Fela Anikulapo Kuti. I get a lot of inspirations while listening to his music. I also get inspired listening to D’banj, Olamide, Wizkid and Davido.

I love their creativity and energy on stage. They all are my mentors and I look up to them. I hope to get a chance to feature with them someday.

What are the challenges facing artistes in the state of Osun?

Artistes in the state do not usually enjoy the support their colleagues in other states enjoy, especially those in Lagos state. We have good artistes here in Osun but they need an environment where their talents will be more appreciated. People do tell me that I would have been in stardom if I were to be in places like Lagos or Ibadan. But I do reply them based on my belief that any artiste can become a force to reckon with in the industry with the needed supports. The support doesn't necessarily have to involve money. The government and well meaning people in the state can assist in the promotion of the home based artistes in many ways. They can time-to-time organize talent hunt programmes and provide a particular place where artistes can perform anytime. If this can be done, it will boost the morale of the artistes on ground in Osun.

How have the artistes been dealing with the challenges you mentioned?

We have been depending on God with the hope that things will be better in the state. We strive to get money, book studio sessions, record and promote all by ourselves.

We always struggle to make sure that we are not forced out of the society.

How do you get inspiration to write your songs?

Before writing a song, I must first have a topic in my mind, then it will just come and I begin to write. I also get inspirations from what is happening 'on the streets'. My dad also plays a huge part in the way I write my songs.

He advises me to sing meaningful songs if truly I want to sing and have fame in the music industry. I love being alone and in quiet places, songs come to me that way. I also get inspiration listening to news; that is where most of my songs' topics come from.

Does it mean your dad is in your support on the path you chose?

At first, he hated the idea of me singing and the fact that I chose to be an hip-hop artiste worsened the situation. To him, hip-hop type of music was not suitable for someone with a good upbringing. His general perception on artistes was that they are beggars. He wanted me to face my education squarely.

But he shifted ground and allowed me after his friends who were aware of my growing popularity in the neighborhood spoke with him. Like I earlier said, the condition for supporting me was to sing songs that people can learn from. He owns the idea of one of my singles titled 'Hello Nigeria' and many others.

How many albums or singles do you have now?

I am yet to produce album, though the idea is very dear to me. I hope to do that soon if I can get the support of well meaning individuals. I have eight singles already and I cannot count the number of songs I have featured in.

They are quite many.

What informed your decision to compose a campaign

song for Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola during his second term election bid?

Aregbesola is a person I love and I appreciated all his programmes in the first term of his administration. He was determined to develop Osun and bring government nearer to the people. He opened Osun for greatness. I personally like him and commended him on how he revamped the education sector in the state. Besides that, the song came through what I will call a test from my dad. He came home that day and was telling that instead of facing my education; I was busy singing about 'babybaby' and love songs. He said it straight to my face that if I know I can sing, then I should compose a song on Aregbesola and his achievements in office. I also felt that the only way I could support the continuity of t h e development of the state being championed by Aregbesola was to compose a song to campaign for his re-election. I took it as a challenge and began to work on it. My dad was not even aware when I went to record it. I gave it to him to listen to.

He liked and helped to push the song.

Luckily for me, the song shot me through to limelight; it took me to where I never imagined.

I performed in all the rallies of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at that time. A lot of people liked the song; the former governor also liked it. That was how kazroll became a household name in osun. He must have told me to compose the song out of frustration but I saw it as a test to prove my mettle to him and it became the song that changed my life. I got a lot of invitations to perform at events of those that mattered in the country both within and outside the state.

I will never forget how the former governor, Aregbesola stood up after performing the song at an event organised by a group at the freedom park. He gave me a handshake and that meant a lot to me. The APC state Chairman, Prince Gboyega Famodun collected my number that day and ensured I was present at all the rallies of the party in the state.

What was running through your mind after performing the song and you caught the attention of the then governor?

It was not only the governor that loved the song, his wife, Alhaja Serifat Aregbesola also did. I could not believe it. Ever since then, she has been looking after me like her own biological son and even handed me over to the current First Lady, Mrs Kafayat Oyetola who has also been acting like my mother. I was asking myself, 'could this be Olatunji Kazeem, was I mistaken? And to think I was in SS II then made it unbelievable to me. I also thought of how my dad never wanted me to sing and was surprised he took me for an outing to perform.

He made the arrangement with the compere and DJ. I was surprised at the turn of events.

How long did it take you to put up that song?

It took me two days to write it. I had to make research and verify a lot of the achievements of Aregbesola I mentioned in the song.

Apart from music what else do you do?

I love reading and writing. Also, I like to carry out research to find out new things.

How do you want to balance your education with your music career?

To me, one will not hinder the other. I understand the fact that education is very important in everything one does in life and I cherish it very much. I know where to draw the line.

Tell us about your educational background?

I had my Secondary School education at Ataoja Government High School. Presently, I am studying Computer Science at Federal Polytechnic, Offa.

Where do you hope to see yourself in the next five years?

I wish to be rich and famous. I want my song to be everywhere in the country. I also want to have featured many first class artistes and also do songs with other people. Music is what I really love to do.

What should your fans expect from you this year?

I hope to drop my video for 'African One love'. I was inspired to sing the song by the xenophobic attacks in South Africa and the need for us to love ourselves. I also will be releasing a new single titled Agba G where I featured Sq Don. I am also cooking a song on Osun. The song will tell the world who we are and what we have in the state.

FRIDAY JANUARY 03 - THURSDAY JANUARY 09, 2020

FOOTBALL NEWS

OSUNDEFENDER

www.osundefender.org

15

Transfer Update: Vertonghen, Mane, Sturridge, Xhaka, Zaha, Keen On Transfer

H

ere are some possible transfers in the European January Transfer Window that opened on Jan 01, 2020. to move for Jan Vertonghen Napoli and Ajax are ready and tempt Tottenham into

selling the Belgium centreback, 32, before he is allowed to leave on a free transfer in the summer.

(Telegraph)

Real Madrid have made contact with the representatives of Liverpool's Senegal striker

Sadio Mane, 27.

(Le10Sport) Marseille and Aston Villa are among the clubs

•Osun United Footbal Club in a group photograph.

Osun United Primed To Pounce After Break

P

layes and the Coaching Crew of Osun United on Thursday resumed to Camp with rigorous training for the ongoing 2019/2020 Nigerian National League (NNL) to commence at the Osogbo Township Stadium.

The management of players and the coaching the team had allowed crew to enjoy and

celebrate the Yuletide and the New Year with their family and friends after the NNL had declared a 2-week league break.

Before the break, Osun United won 3 out of 5 games they played and are 4th on the log of group B1.

They will square up

against the second placed Gateway United in the week 6 fixture on Saturday, January 11, 2020 at the Osogbo Township Stadium.

monitoring former Liverpool and England striker Daniel Sturridge, 30, who is now at Turkish club Trabzonspor. (Mail) Tottenham are leading the chase for West Brom defender Nathan Ferguson, with the Baggies potentially set to be forced to cash in on the 19-year-old who is also being watched by Crystal Palace. (Mirror) Manchester United and Tottenham are expected to face stern competition for Lille's French midfielder Boubakary Soumare, with six bids reportedly already received for the 20-yearold. (Mail) Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka, 27, will have to wait for new Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to agree to his proposed January loan move to Hertha Berlin.

(Independent) Chelsea boss Frank Lampard has played down suggestions of a January move for Crystal Palace and Ivory Coast forward Wilfried Zaha, 27. (Star) Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says England midfielder Adam Lallana, 31, could leave when his contract expires at the end of the season. (Mirror) Everton have had interest in Moise Kean, but have no intention of selling the 19year-old Italy striker, his agent says. (La Repubblica via Star) Sporting Lisbon's Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes, 25, a former Manchester United target, says he was closest to joining Tottenham in the summer than any other club. (Express)

Man Utd Dominated EPL In Last Decade Liverpool To Sign Nigerian Striker, Oshinmeh

M

anchester City since the turn of the decade has dominated the premier league; winning four out of ten with Pep Guardiola responsible for two out of the four.

Manchester United’s last win was under Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. Here is a list of premier league win-

SEASON

CLUB

2009/10

Chelsea

Carlo Ancelotti

86 points

2010/11

Man. United

Alex Ferguson

80 points

2011/12

Man. City

Roberto Mancini

89 points

2012/13

Man. United

Alex Ferguson

89 points

2013/14

Man. City

Manuel Pellegrini

86 points

2014/15

Chelsea

Jose Mourinho

87 points

2015/16

Leicester City

Claudio Ranieri

81 points

2016/17

Chelsea

Antonio Conte

93 points

2017/18

Man. City

Pep Guardiola

100 points

2018/19

Man. City

Pep Guardiola

98 points

The

2019/20

COACH

ners in the last 10 years and the managers who marshaled the trophy win.

title,according to opera

sports, looks like Liverpool’s

POINTS

to lose now except we witness a capitulation of immense proportion.

A

ccording to reports in Foot-Mercato, Liverpool have begun negotiations to sign the 21-year-old Victor Oshinmeh.

Reports in France state that Jürgen Klopp, the Liverpool Coach is a huge admirer of the Nigerian striker and the club is negotiating with Lille to secure an Anfield transfer.

V ictor Osimhen has been one of the great revelations of Ligue 1 this

•Oshinmeh

season. Lille signed him in the summer as backup for Rafael Leao and, in just four months, the Nigerian has more than met their expectations, and grabbed the attention of a number of European giants.

CRIME

Osun Artistes Struggling to Survive in Entertainment Industry- Osogbo Based Young Hip-hop Artist, Kazyroll .

.

THE SIXTH MOST VISITED WEBSITE IN NIGERIA

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Page 14

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FRIDAY JANUARY 03 - THURSDAY JANUARY 09, 2020

Of National Assembly And OBSERVATION Trust Deficiency!

BY KOLA ODEPEJU

The title of this piece becomes relevant in view of the recently proposed whopping sum of 37bn by our NASS members for the renovation of their complex. This proposal which has generated much debate in the public space is what I personally see as wild, queer and most unpatriotic to say the list and I think am speaking the minds of many Nigerians here.

May I state categorically here that this is the first time I will be writing about our NA in recent times. I last wrote about them during former president Jonathan’s administration when I was still a columnist with the Daily Independent newspaper. Recent events at that level of governmental arm; appertainning especially to this 37bn issue woke up the critic in me again as to keep quiet at a period like this would no doubt amount to eggregious disservice to one’s motherland.

This huge sum being requested for yet again - by members of the NA simply exposes them as a bunch of selfcentered and self-serving lawmakers who are mainly concerned about their

own interest only putting aside the interest of we the people they claim to be representing. I say this much because this same NASS was renovated in 2011 with an humongous sum of about 40bn. Given this fact the fundamental question that comes to mind is; Is the country meant to be

unemployment problem being faced by our youths if used to create jobs. Of course we can go on and on analysing one form of problem or the other this amount can solve for the suffering people of this country.

serving only the National Assembly?

Honestly, I wonder much how an insignificant number of people will be asking for this much to renovate a complex during this challenging period for the country when millions find it extremely difficult to eat three square meals per day. Isn’t it therefore a contradiction in terms that our federal lawmakers are asking for this much for mere renovation in a bitting economy like this? This basically shows how unpatriotic they are.

Experts have come up with analysis on the number of homes that amount can build for the poor and shelterless people of this country if it is channelled to building low cost houses. They said at the cost of N5m per unit that the amount can build up to 7, 400 houses; meaning that housing problem would have been solved for this number of people. Likewise we can imagine the number of kilometers of roads the amount would fix if channelled into roads constructions. It would also to some extent address the

I read the interview of one of them last week. He was trying hard to justify the need for that huge sum for the renovation; saying that the monument is due for renovation and that the amount they are requesting for shouldn’t be seen as much considering all that need to be done in the big complex. I found his argument so puerile, jejune and self seeking. For me the issue is not whether the House is due for renovation or not, my concern has to do with issue of priority. I mean should renovation of NA be the priority of NASS members, nay, the country now? A situation where many states of the federation don’t know where to get money to start paying the newly approved minimum wage doesn’t it amount to high level insensitivity and absolute wickedness on the part of the Lawmakers to want to renovate their complex with such highly ridiculous sum? Where lies their patriotism?

What’s more? Some co-travelers with NASS members on this unnecessary renovation have also

“

This huge sum being requested for - yet again - by members of the NA simply exposes them as a bunch of self-centered and self-serving lawmakers who are mainly concerned about their own interest only putting aside the interest of we the people they claim to be representing. I say this much because this same NASS was renovated in 2011 with an humongous sum of about 40bn.

”

argued that the lawmakers couldn’t have just come up with that figure; that competent valuers must have been involved who must have done cost valuation of the project for the legislators. Okay, let’s even give the legislators benefit of doubt on this.

Let ’s agree that the proposed renovation will cost as much, for me the trust deficiency nature of our NASS will not allow Nigerians to see through their sincerity. I mean from the inception of this democratic experiment the history of our NA is that of trust deficiency. How would one want to believe members who are given to budget padding, inflation of contracts, commission on contracts, unexecuted Constituency Projects whose funds have been collected? All these, of course, and other ways of shortchanging the people by our socalled federal lawmakers will not make us to have even an iota of belief in their sincerity.

It’s therefore worthy of mention that the integrity deficiency nature of our NASS as mentioned above will never make Nigerians to believe them even when their proposal or request is genuine. For like the Yorubas do say; “once a thief will always go about with the stigma of having once being a thief even after repenting”. If one had stolen even for only one time in the past, if after repenting he puts on the most expensive cloth in the world, stench of theft will still emit from that cloth. This exactly is the case with our National Assembly. The Nigerian NASS is known to be a cesspit of corruption and until it purges itself of this negative attribution, it can never be trusted by the Nigerian populace.

The country is passing through a hard time. Our legislators cannot pretend not to know this. We must all therefore be ready to sacrifice to rescue her. This time calls for setting priorities right at all levels of governance in this country.

President Muhammadu Buhari is trying. Our lawmakers need to be on the same page with him in his anticorruption war. Let it not be a case of someone is building a house while some people are pulling it down or making attempt at doing so. This will not help our collective quest to get out of the doldrums we presently find ourselves as imposed on the nation by the rapacious attitude of our past leaders. God bless Nigeria-Amen.

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 Deputy Editor, ISMAEEL UTHMAN, Telephone: 0805-121-2204, usmanismail001@yahoo.com. ISSN: 0794-8050.Website: www.osundefender.org., E-mail: osundefenderbank@gmail.com, osundefender@yahoo.com