Osun defender may 5, 2016 edition

www.osundefender.org thursday, May 5, 2016 The ‘do or die’ affairs that elections have been turned to in our country is a thing that calls for serious concern. That a simple process of electing people’s representatives which should be free of rancour and

THE 6TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA

Front Page Comment

VOL. 11. NO.044

Panacea to electoral violence

acrimony - let alone shedding of blood has now become a lethal exercise that sends people to early grave, is enough to make rational beings to shout blue murder.

When we cast our minds back and reflect on the countless number of lives that have been lost to elections in this clime we cannot but weep for our country in this regard.

The trend is quite disturbing

and saddening.

For instance the unnecessary waste of lives during the governorship and legislative elections that took place in Rivers state recently,

including the killing of a Corps member who was amongst the Youth Corpers used in conducting the exercise, still continues to saddens the mind.

Even the rerun legislative

N100

election in Ile-Ife in our own state of the Virtuous here was not without violence. All this tells us that much is still very wrong with our democracy and for this, there is need for urgent solution to curb this ugly

trend. ...continue on pg5

Our Resolve Is To Banish Unemployment - Aregbesola

- Pg 3

Osun Assembly Expresses Confidence In Aregbesola’s Road Construction - See Story On Page 2

•State of Osun governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd right); his deputy, Otunba (Mrs) Titi Laoye-Tomori (right); Project Consultant, Mr. Gboyega Adeeyo (2nd left) and former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Wale Afolabi (left); during an unscheduled inspection tour of the ongoing construction of Osogbo Government High School, Osogbo, last Sunday.

Senate Always Receive Already Padded Budget - Omoworare

- Pg 2

osun Defender Thursday, May 5, 2016

News

2

News

3

osun Defender Thursday, May 5, 2016

Osun Assembly Expresses Confidence In Aregbesola’s Road Our Resolve Is To Banish Unemployment - Aregbesola •Says ‘No Amount Of Propaganda Will Halt Ongoing Projects In Osun’ Construction

By kazeem mohammed he State of Osun House of Assembly has passed vote of confidence on Governor Rauf Aregbesola over his administration’s commitment to road infrastructure development.

Chairman, House w e r e : O l d - G a r a g e Committee on Public Roundabout/Osogbo/ Works and Transport, I k i r u n / I l a - O d o a n d Honourable Abiodun the late Oba Adesoji Awolola, and Leader of Aderemi East Bypass the House, Honourable roads, both in Osogbo.

Timothy Owoeye, spoke Expressing satisfaction during the Assembly’s at the level of work done i n s p e c t i o n t o s o m e on the projects, sequel ongoing road projects in to the intervention of Osogbo, the state capital. the state government for T h e r o a d s v i s i t e d the continuation of the

T

construction works, he assured the governor of the Assembly’s support towards the completion of the projects.

Awolola said the resume of road construction works on some major roads of the state was a clear indication that the government was ready to do everything possible to ensure the development of infrastructure.

The lawmaker hinted that the contractors handling the roads have assured that by October this year, the projects would have been

completed.

He however condemned the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the drainage being constructed, especially at the Oldgarage/Ajegunle axis of the road and misuse of the road, urging the people to ensure proper use of roads and drainages to serve their intended purposes.

Also, Owoeye stressed that despite the economic downturn that has hit the country, the state government was striving hard to ensure the continuation

and completion of the ongoing road projects in the state.

He assured that the stte parliament would give all the necessary support to the executive to ensure the completion of all the ongoing projects in the state.

Also, another member of the committee, Honourable Wasiu Adebayo, commended the government for its commitment to the projects, saying the infrstructural development would attract investors into the state.

Earlier, the Chairman, Sammya Construction Company, the company handling Osogbo/ Ikirun/Ila-Odo road, Sammy Adigun, had identified the dumping of refuse in the drainage, especially at Old-Garage area as the biggest problem being confronted in the road project.

While assuring that the

project, under the current intervention, would be completed by June this year, he enjoined the government to ensure effective sensitisation of the people in the affected areas, with a view to ensuring that the road project serves the desire purpose.

Also, the Project Manager, SlavaYeditepe, the company handling Oba Adesoji Aderemi East Byepass road, Mr Ugur Engrad, said three of the four bridges along the road would be completed in the next three months, while the other aspects of the road would be completed latest by October.

T

he Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has hinted his administration’s commitment to continuously be sensitive to the plights of the masses, who he described as essence of governance. determination always inspection tour to the Aregbesola to also assured of his government’s bring succour to the school. electorate through the Aregbesola, who provision of employment described employment opportunities to both as a sine qua non to young and old across the good governance, said nooks and crannies of the no success could be state. recorded in a society, He made the statement where people are jobless while addressing a section and being impoverished. of artisans working on The governor noted the ongoing construction that adequate provision site of Unity/Fakunle of employment by the High School, Osogbo current administration during his unscheduled was in the eye-point

of enhancing wealth creation among the citizenry, saying no amount of propaganda would stall the ongoing projects across the state.

He attributed the myriads of development in all sectors of the economy, especially on socio-economic infrastructures in the state to what he regarded as noble initiatives being adopted by his administration since assumption of office.

Aregbesola said in his administration’s cleverness to banish the

scourge of unemployment resolved at employing over 40, 000 youths on different engagements through Osun Youths Employment Scheme, otherwise known as O’YES, which he said had recorded tremendous achievements in the last few years of his tenure.

He said his government did not stop at that but rather swift actions on the engagement of young and hard working people to various government ministries, departments and agencies with the sole aim of fast-tracking

Ooni’s Unity Train To Visit Blacks In Diaspora

T •President Muhammadu Buhari receiving British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Arkwright, at State House, Abuja, last Monday.

Senate Always Receive Already Padded Budget

T

he Chairman, Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Babajide Omoworare, has disclosed that padding budgets has always been in the Nigeria’s polity.

T h e s e c o n d t e r m that trend.

Senator made this “How do you explain revelation while speaking an embarrassing situation on a radio programme in where the Minister of Abuja.

Health, Professor Issac According t o Adewole, found a O m o w o r a r e , “ a f t e r different budget from spending about five the one approved by years now in the Senate, his office during budget I make bold to say there defence or a discovery of is no budget that has about N200 billion budget come to us that has not head duplications, all due been padded,” In the to sharp practices,” the light of this revelation, senator said. the corrupt art of budgetReacting to the padding has become an accusation of silence ugly culture of our civil overtime, the senator service and executive said he has always been bureaucracy. a voice against this Speaking further, the practice but being in the Senator revealed that opposition, majority have the budget padding has always prevailed. been a traditional tool in “I spoke against the the hands of the budget bogus N7 billion Abuja drafters to manipulate the City gate, the First Lady budget, create loopholes Mission House and other and steal from the nation. m o n u m e n t a l w a s t e s However, the present injected into previous regime of change under budgets.

President Muhamadu “To have a holistic Buhari has made it almost solution to this infidelity, I impossible to continue on have proposed a National

By shina abubakar Assembly Budget and role of the lawmakers.

Research Office bill to T h e p a s t c u l t u r e o f enhance budget scrutiny anything goes and time capacity of the National constraints also affect Assembly, inject sanity, us,” Omoworare said.

The senator also accountability and transparency into our alluded to the fact that appropriation system. the budgets of the past When it is passed, it will were brought padded give legal teeth to our and manipulated from budget scrutiny and the bureaucracy that research mechanism at eventually executed them the National Assembly,” and that no matter how dexterous and vigilant he said.

Senator Omoworare the lawmakers may be, revealed that the bill has there was little they could passed a second reading do, given the limited w i t h o v e r w h e l m i n g time, pressure from the acceptance from the people and eagerness to s e n a t o r s a n d w h e n get it done on time.

He stressed that the eventually passed and lawmakers must not be accented to, padding and outrightly blamed for other evil practices of budget padding but the corruption bedevilling entire system. the nation’s appropriation He explained that s y s t e m w i l l b e c o m e the previous Federal greatly reduced.

Executive, who allowed “Constitutionally and the culture of padding to traditionally, budget grow and some corrupt should be a document civil servants, who are yet of the legislature, with to wake up to the reality liberty to tinker with of the anti-corruption and effect necessary drive of the Buhari and adjustments, but endemic APC Presidency, must corruption in our system also be held responsible. has always impeded this

By sola jacobs

he Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi (Ojaja II), in furtherance of his unity tour to enhance peace and the development of Yorubaland in particular and the nation as a whole, his unity entourage consisting of esteemed Obas and dignitaries, will embark on a visit to blacks in the United States of America in June.

In a statement by the monarch’s Media Director, Comrade Yera Moses, Ooni Ogunwusi comthe monarch’s visit to menced immediately the United States in com- after his inauguration pany of other foremost with a view to promoting notable monarchs across unity, enhanced growth the nation is for the eco- and development of the nomic development of Yoruba race in particular and the country at large. the country.

The efforts of the It was further revealed that the tour will facili- monarch had also been tate meetings with the geared towards the emYoruba nationals in Dias- powerment of youths in pora and the renaissance Ile-Ife and its environs, of Yoruba cultural values with a view to dissuadfor the reconstruction of ing them from criminal national growth, which activities, while widows will also be discussed have been enlisted for economic empowerment. during the visit.

Oba Ogunwusi’s programme of activities during the visit will include a tour to Oyotunji Village in Atlanta and City of Mobile, Alabama, where the Ooni will meet with government dignitaries, members of the Alabama Benin Forum led by Dr. Change Of Name Sharon Ingram, ChairI, formerly known as man of the forum, while mulikat awoyelu now wish to be called and the unity train will be addressed as awoyelu hosted to a three-day omol e w a activities, which will iniyadunni. All former clude dinner featuring documents remain valid. musical expressions and Heritage Bank and a theatrical presentation. general public should It would be recalled take note. that the unity train of

•Nassarawa State Governor Tanko Al-Makura, stopped his convoy to join other travellers to assist accident victims on a Nassarawa State road recently.

Youths Charged To Tap Opportunities In Agric, Fashion, ICT, Others

Y

ouths across the country have been charged to tap from the various hidden potentials available in technology, media, agriculture, transportation, fashion and politics among others to succeed in life. that could make things This dominated the work for themselves and talks by various speakers the country at large. at the Youth Economic To be able to make Summit, organised by the u s e o f t h e v a r i o u s Purpose Driven Church opportunities around, International in Osogbo h e c h a l l e n g e d t h e on Thursday, with the participants to study how theme: “The Advantage; they spend their times on Challenges Today for a reasonable things, rather Better Tomorrow.” than frivolities.

The Convener, Pastor Noting that the journey Niyi Olanrewaju, said might be rough at the the essence was to bring beginning, he said with the youths together and passion and focus, there be enlightened to tap would be success at the into various economic end. opportunities available Speaking on the in the country. opportunity for youths He said apart from in agriculture, the Chief using the summit to Executive Officer, Niji s t i r r i n g t h e y o u t h s , Foods, Mr Kola Adeniji, they must endeavour said there were series to be part of various of economic values in training and retraining agriculture that youths that would empower must have the will to tap them to properly tap the into. numerous opportunities In going into around them. agriculture, he said At the summit, the m o n e y m u s t n o t b e p o p u l a r m o t i v a t i o n the focus, but the will speaker, Smith Bam, and passion to move said the youths were the on, irrespective of the categories of the people challenges that might

By kazeem mohammed come along the way. fashion items, saying it He then urged the makes the industry grow government and other as quickly as possible.

Noting that whoever stakeholders in the sector to repackage agriculture, w a n t s t o e n g a g e i n with a view to making the fashion and style must remain focused, she youths interested in it.

Also speaking on the added that networking available opportunities in through social media also the media, the CEO, Rave helps in the industry.

Speaking on the FM, Mr Femi Adefila, said since white collar jobs I n f o r m a t i o n a n d ommunication are no more available, C Technology (ICT), an the youths must develop expert, Tunde Agbeniyi, the culture of going into said ICT has become a entrepreneurship. factor in growing the Noting that the value economy of an individual, chain in the media world organisation, the country was huge, he stressed and the world at large. that the evolution of He therefore charged online media and social t h e y o u t h s t o s e e k network have given a lot knowledge in ICT and use of opportunities to youths the opportunities in the sector to transform ideas to succeed.

To tap into any of the for eventual success.

Other speakers were Mr opportunities, Adefila advocated that there Samuel Okwueche who must be passion and spoke on transportation; commitment to engage Atinuke Smith on fashion, i n a n y o f i t a n d b e Dr Bode Olaonipekun on politics, and Pastor Kunle innovative.

Also, the CEO Mikadel Adeoye on business and education among others.

School of Style and All the speakers D e s i g n , N i t a - N k e z e advocated the need to Odunfa, who spoke on be passionate in any of fashion, said it requires available opportunities creativity to succeed in the youths intend to tap the fashion industry. from.

She emphasised on mass production of

all-round development.

Aregbesola maintained that having understood the importance of employment to development by his administration, his government had genuinely made unforgettable history in the provision of massive employment opportunities in the political history of Nigeria, just as it serves as a pacesetter for federal, states and local governments on sustainable job generation and wealth creation.

He said the main objective of his administration, coupled with his six integral action plans, is to turn idle hands to employers of labour, having understood that an idle hand remains the devil’s workshop.

Governor Aregbesola further reassured the citizenry that the current government would continue to work round the clock at bringing more infrastructural development to the state, so as to continuously boost the standard of living of the people and as well, make many relevant to themselves and their families.

He said: “Our administration’s commitment to embark on massive infrastructures across the length and breadth of this state was never for fun but rather to generate mass employment opportunities, enrich common man and as well create wealth for the state.

“To this end, our administration had successfully recorded landmark achievements in creating mass employments to the citizens of this state in all aspects of human’s life.

“We replicated this innovative gesture in all our programmes and actions, especially on Osun Youths Empowerment Scheme (O’YES); Osun Rural Enterprises and Agricultural Programme (O’REAP); Osun Schools Infrastructural Development Programme (O’SCHOOLS); Osun Elementary Schools Feeding and Health Programme (O’MEALS) among others.

“Under O’YES alone, about 8,000 cadets were deployed as teachers in public elementary, middle and high schools to corroborate and complement smooth teaching and learning process, while over 1, 600 youths were trained in modern agricultural practices under Osun Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Programme.

“We also thrive at

ensuring that at least 40 youths were sponsored by the state to Germany basically to acquire advanced farming skills, just as these cadets were also deployed to productive services across the state.

“All these were brilliantly achieved based on our greater sense to both human and physical infrastructural development, even in spite the meagre resources in the state.

“Our continual sensitivity to the plights of the masses was basically to transform minds for better productivity and as well strengthen the economic value chain for greater development of our state.

“The current administration under my watch had significantly identified masses as the primary beneficiaries of good governance, as being enshrined, sequel to our emergence in the last five years, just as these noble gestures have had multiple effects on the lives of the citizenry.

“We have accorded masses the better place in government, just we have equally prioritized their welfare in all our policies and programmes, as this could be attested to with the presence of numerous infrastructural facilities across the state.”

Governor Aregbesola, who sought for the artisans’ support and cooperation, said his government would continue to place the welfare of the masses above other considerations.

He urged the artisans to always remain steady in whatever they do, saying his government had intensified plans to continuously support their course for greater productivity and as well empower the masses on different social welfare programmes and capacity development.

Earlier, three of the artisans; Babatunde Fadipe; Yinusa Owolabi and Kehinde Akinsanya, applauded the state government for giving the state a befitting look through an influx of infrastructural development.

The artisans urged Governor Aregbesola not to relent in his efforts at bringing more succour and transformation to the people through his numerous developmental projects.

The trio therefore assured the state of continuous support and loyalty in moving the state to the greater heights.

If you have a story or advert for us, contact 08033927286, 08033880205, 08061197897, 08023191891.

News

4

osun Defender Thursday, May 5, 2016

Osun, Lagos Assemblies Advocate Compulsory Teaching Of Yoruba Language By kazeem mohammed he Lagos and Osun Houses of Assembly have advocated concerted efforts by the governments and other stakeholders to ensure compulsory teaching of Yoruba language in private and public schools in all Yoruba-speaking states.

Speakers of the two former visited Osogbo s t a t e s , H o n o u r a b l e to invite the latter to a Mudashir Obasa and stakeholders’ forum on Najeem Salaam, made compulsory teaching of the call when the

T

Yoruba as an indigenous language in all schools in the state.

Representing the Lagos State House of Assembly Speaker, the Chairman House Committee on Education, Honourable Lanre Ogunyemi, said it is important to enhance the teaching and learning

of Yoruba language in schools in Yorubaspeaking states.

According to him, the national policy on education was apt about the teaching of indigenous languages, saying, Yoruba language was not being valued as it happened in other climes like Europe, China, America among others.

“As a state and as a

region, we must ensure that our language is not going into extinction and that is why we must entrench it in all our schools.

“We have observed that in most of our schools, it is either they do not teach or have teachers to teach Yoruba language.

“The National Policy on Education said a student shall learn the language

‘Harness Our Cultural Values For National Growth’ A Wuraola Ogunwusi, who By sola jacobs as her office entails, as the s the people of ancient city of Ile-Ife celebrated most senior Olori of the annual Olokun festival, a call has gone to the monarch, performed the Federal Government to harness diverse rituals to the admiration cultural values of the nation for national growth. of all the devotees and A high chief in the womb for women who the people of the ancient a n c i e n t c i t y , C h i e f ask for such blessing c i t y , b e i n g h e r f i r s t Jaaran of Ife, High Chief d u r i n g t h e a n n u a l public official traditional Adekola Adeyeye, made worship. assignment. the remark in a chat with The cynosure of all Yeyeluwa, as the OSUN DEFENDER. eyes at this this year’s c u s t o d i a n o f s o m e He stated further that o c c a s i o n o f O l o k u n t r a d i t i o n a l r i t e s , the nation’s cultural festival was the Yeyeluwa performed the ritual values can be harnessed of the Source, Olori and offering of prayers for national growth, if the government partners with the diverse ethnic groups in the country.

“Tourism could generate foreign income for the nation, if we could developed our he Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) cultural heritage sites has raided tyre and electricity wire markets in and package it well, just Ile-Ife and Ilesa in the State of Osun and as it has been fetching income for them in the confiscated sub-standard goods worth millions of directive from the Acting Middle East, Haiti and naira.

During the raid, some Director-General of the East Africa,” he stated.

He continued that shops, whose owners ran organisation that subIle-Ife is blessed with away to evade inspections, standard products in be mopped 201 cultural sites, which were also sealed off by circulation out from the markets. m a d e i t o n e o f t h e SON officials.

Badewole said e of the subforemost revered lands in s t Sa onm dard products the exercise was a the history of humanity. confiscated included; clear message that the M o s t o f t h e s i t e s cable wires, electric bulbs, organisation would not pointed to the fact it is the gas cylinders, cooking gas, relent in its efforts aimed origin of mankind with pressing iron, television at ensuring that standard most sacred religion sites, set, used tyres, standing compliance are strictly adhered to. where the gods answer fan, among others.

“SON will no longer lay prayers of mankind.

Speaking shortly after low.

We shall not rest until The chief celebrant t h e r a i d , M r S u n d a y o f O l o k u n f e s t i v a l , Badewole, SON’s State we are able to do as much Oba Enitan Adeyeye Coordinator, said the as possible to minimise Ogunwusi, in a chat with e x e r c i s e f o l l o w e d a sub-standard products in circulation. the media, said Ife, the source of mankind, was founded on water and that Olokun originally inhabited in Ile-Ife. ecently-deployed local government staff on The annual celebration Grade Level 15 and above have started of the Goddess of receiving their redeployment letters to the Prosperity is to invoke newly-created Local Council Development Areas blessing on the Yoruba race and the nation at (LCDAs) across the State of Osun.

The collection of letters G o v e r n m e n t S e r v i c e large.

Olokun, a femine deity, of redeployment took Commission, Abere.

The Chairman, Local also grants fruits of the place at the Conference H a l l o f t h e L o c a l Government Service

credibly, as matriarch of the royal household, before paying obeisance to the monarch, after she had gone through with the ritual process.

Speaking on the role of Yeyeluwa in the celebration, a devotee, in a chat with the medium, said the first Yeyeluwa, who was a queen of the first Ooni, turned to well water, hence, she is being

worshipped annually as a deity within the palace, as water from the well do heal infertility and other ailments, so Yeyeluwa is a deity and more than just a queen.

Many dignitaries and devotees within and outside Nigeria attended the annual festival, while prayers were offered for the nation’s economy and prosperity of the blacks in Nigeria and in the diaspora.

SON Raids Osun Markets, Confiscates Substandard Goods T

By kazeem mohammed “Those people we products at all times. have been able to raid today are the scapegoats and the message is that those we were unable to reach should not sleep.

“It is a total action and there will be no room for people selling substandard products in the state.

“We will come after them and it is not going to be business as usual. afety is very important to human lives, We will not allow them while prevention is cheaper than cure.” to rest until they comply T h i s f o r m p a r t o f regulations. with the rules.”

B a d e w o l e , w h o the submissions by the Toogun stressed noted that no fewer than Assistant Chief of Staff that any establishment 200 shops were raided during the exercise, said to the Governor, State that flouts or disobeys the exercise would be of Osun, Honourable government directives Oguntola Mudashiru o n f i r e s a f e t y w i l l carried out periodically.

He therefore urged T o o g u n , d u r i n g definitely face the wrath traders to always buy a n i n s p e c t i o n a n d of the law, noting that standard and certified sensitisation tour by the it is very important to Fire Safety Committee protect human lives.

He also stated further members to some that lives and property of companies in Osogbo, Commission, Elder Peter the state capital. every citizen in the state Babalola, in his speech A c c o r d i n g t o are very important to the at the meeting, which Toogun, who doubles governor, Ogbeni Rauf was the third in its Aregbesola hence the series, implored the staff as the chairman of the reason for the committee. to embrace their new committee, ensuring He therefore advised postings and be hard s a f e t y o f l i v e s a n d other establishments working. property are the concern He further charged o f G o v e r n o r R a u f to always comply with government directives t h e m t h a t t h e n e w Aregbesola. and pay their taxes as posting from the local He therefore urged the government to the local and when due. council development companies visited to Those present during areas was on the approval always ensure safety the visit included the of the state governor, first in everything they Committee Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. d o , w h i l e e n j o i n i n g Mr. Toba Aluko; State B a b a l o l a t h e n them to improve on the assured the staff that Internally Generated Deputy Director, Fire no one will sack them Revenue (IGR) for the Service, Mrs Monilola Lawal; State Fire as being rumoured and state, so that the good Prevention Officers, that they should also disregard the rumour of works of the government Messrs O. Oyelami; M.A intended frustration out can reach all nooks and Ibrahim; Mrs C.Ajayi; crannies of the state. of the service.

Mr. F.A Aremu and Mr. He went further to The committee, during J.K. Agbetola. affirm his open-door its numerous visits to policy and readiness companies in the state, to solve any issue that has sealed off Amorite may arise with the new Aluminium Industry postings. over non-compliance w ith the fire safety

Deployed LG Staff Collect Letters

R

•Wife of the Ooni of Ife, Olori Wuraola Ogunwusi, receiving blessing from her husband Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, during the grand finale of the Olokun Traditional Festival at the Olokun shrine, Oke-Atan, Ile-Ife last Sunday.

of their environment, which is Yoruba in the South West region, Hausa in the North and Igbo in the East, meaning that it is compulsory that our children must learn their indigenous languages,” he said.

Receiving the invitation on behalf of Osun speaker, the Chairman, House Committee on Information and Strategy, Honourable Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, said the teaching of Yoruba language in schools would also promote the tradition and cultural value of Yoruba race.

He regretted that the teaching of Yoruba language and tradition, which have made the tribe to be above board wherever they were, have gradually been put aside.

This, he noted, has been enslaving the cultural heritage of the Yoruba people, which, he said must be brought back.

He therefore charged all stakeholders in the education sector to join hands in bringing back the language, tradition and the cultural values of the Yorubas.

Osun Fire Safety Committee Boss Charges Companies On Fire Safety •Seals Off Aluminium Factory, Warns Others

S

5

...continued from pg1

osun Defender Thursday, May 5, 2016

Panacea to electoral violence

And the solution we have in mind is not different from what late Human Rights Lawyer and Activist, Chief Gani Fawehinmi of blessed memory, advocated for during his lifetime and that is to reduce the salaries and allowances of political office holders to a level that makes political offices no longer attractive. By this, elections will seize to be a do or die affairs as all this desperation to win elections at all cost would no longer be there. Political offices would therefore be vacant only for people who genuinely want to serve the people but not for crops of self-serving desperados and greedy politi-

cians who are ready to step on people’s blood to enter political office as we have many of them representing us today.

Change agenda; being the reason why they are working at cross purposes with the President on the budget issue.

No doubt it’s obvious that majority of those who are representing us today in one capacity or the other at the political level are nothing but self-serving elements who are there to promote their own selfish interest alone.

In the lexicon of many of them the word patriotism is conspicuously missing. Very few of them have the interest of the people at heart and that’s why they are padding the budget to suit their selfish interest at the expense of the people. It’s quite obvious that majority of them are not in sync with President Muhammadu Buhari on his

For this country to move forward democratically we need only patriotic people at the helms of affairs. And the only way to ensure that patriots take over our political leadership at whatever level is to adopt the option we mentioned above. As long as our political office holders continue to earn huge amounts as salaries and allowances so long will there be political killings and election violence. And as long as this trend is allowed to continue then we have nowhere to go as a nation. This is why every right thinker must speak up now against the present trend. To keep

Call For Investigation Of Herdsmen Violence By The Police

T

here is the need to condemn in strong and unequivocal terms the wanton destruction of lives and property of innocent farmers and communities across Nigeria by alleged Fulani herdsmen and demand the immediate investigation, arrest and prosecution of these armed bandits and their sponsors by the police.

We regard this criminality by the alleged Fulani herdsmen as acts of terrorism which deserves urgent attention from the authorities to put a halt to because of its negative implication in undermining peaceful coexistence and ultimately, national security.

We are not oblivious of the fact that historically, the nomadic herdsmen an d f ar mer s an d th eir communities have had a cordial relationsh ip, in view of the symbiotic exchange between the two occupations but which later became strained as a result of the failure of the state to guarantee the security of life of the herdsmen

and their flock from the menace of cattle rustlers, which dovetailed into their resorting to self help of carrying unlicensed arms and ammunition to protect themselves and their herds.

Thus, the herdsmen began to view their erstwhile brotherly host farmers as accomplices in the crime of cattle rustling against them because of a breakdown in social relations manifested

in lack of trust and the nonresponse of the state.

However, we must remind our people that a peaceful and orderly society is in the overall interest of the generality of the people and can only be attained if we keep the peace and allow the security agencies do their job of fishing out these killers instead of

rushing to judgment and being misled to stoke up ethnic on the basis of media reportage of a crime or by eye witness account, which is supposed to go a long way in assisting the constitutionally-empowered security agencies in carrying out their functions.

Again, Nigerians must be admonished to keep the peace and refuse to be incited by anti-democratic elements and agents of

evil, who are hell bent on causing chaos and confusion in the system just because of politics by playing up the ethnic and religious cards in a clear case of criminality which stands condemned in its entirety.

We thus, urge the security agencies to immediately swing into action by deploying their intelligence

network to arrest and pro se cu t e t he ba ndi t s, who have desecrated our land and their sponsors and as well ensure that a reoccurrence is prevented.

We as well call on the Federal Government to immediately fashion out plans for addressing the roots cause of the incessant herdsmen and farmers clashes, which have the tendency to snowball into a major humanitarian crisis, by seeking collaboration with state governments, who are constitutionally entrusted with land ownership for the establishment of commercial ranches for the grazing of herds for a fee in order to create jobs, wealth and produce healthy livestock in this lean financial times.

•NELSON EKUJIMI, Lagos.

silent is to allow evil to flourish.

Finally, apart from making political offices non-attractive by drastic reduction in the salaries and allowances of political office holders, another sure way of curbing election violence is to punish perpetrators of election violence and their sponsors. This will definitely serve as deterrent to others. There is honestly no end in sight to electoral violence as long as its perpetrators are not made to face the music.

OSUN DEFENDER

Publisher – Moremi Publishing

House Ltd. Managing Editor – Kola Olabisi

(0803-392-7286) Editor

–

Kayode Agbaje

(0803-388-0205)

Lagos Editor

– Kola Odepeju

– Pet-Kola Taiwo Ibitowa

Production Editor

Senior Reporter Senior Reporter

(08023191891)

– Sola Jacobs – Kazeem Mohammed

Magazine Editor

– Niyi Olasinde

Reporter

– Kehinde Ayantunji

Photographer Photographer

– –

Oluwagbemiga Adeniyi Olushola Aderinto

Admin. Manager

–

Murtala Agboola

Computer Operator – Lukman Ussein Computer Operator – Mary Akintola OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarantee Trust Bank GTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun.

All correspondence to the above mail address.

ISSN: 0794-8050 Telephone: 0803-392-7286, 08033880205 Website: www.osundefender.com/index.php e-mail: osundefender@yahoo.com

feature

6

osun Defender Thursday, May 5,

Land Use Charge And Its Roles In National Development

Introduction he e s s e n c e o f h a v i n g a government is for the welfare of the people through efficient management of man-made and natural resources and the provision of basic infrastructure for the people.

The primary aim of any government is to provide enabling environment for the people through ensuring that there is adequate security, giving hope to the downtrodden and providing succor to the vulnerable.

Government is the body that is constituted or put in place by the people to provide a level playing ground for every resident. Thus, the primary purpose of government is to make sure everybody can live safely and comfortably, irrespective of class, without molestation and oppression by a third party (The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, Chapter 2, Section 14, Sub-section 2b).

It is therefore, not out of tune, for governments all over the world, to control the resources of the states and manage them effectively for the benefits of the generality of the people. One of the raisons d’être for the formation of governments is poverty reduction and this is because urbanization, modernism and globalism, which are daily occurrence in the world, bring with them the negative feature of widening the rich and the poor gap.

It is this steadfast widening gap between the rich and the poor that is called ‘relative poverty’. Abject poverty affects those that live on less than one dollar a day, according to United Nations Organisation (UNO) and it is ravaging Africa.

Governments must therefore, look into means of reducing, as much as possible, the dichotomy of the rich and the poor in the society without discouraging innovativeness and industry. It must also look into ways or eradicating abject poverty.

One popular way of doing this is the control of land resources by the governments. Land and its appurtenances are controlled by governments because they are basic to wealth creation and are seen by everybody as a basic need. It is the medium that generates the basic needs of man: food, housing and clothing and it is the base for living activities.

The worst form of poverty is “landlessness” according to World Bank 2015 and for equity and fair distribution of land resources; governments are tasked and backed by laws in the constitutions, edicts and acts to be in charge of land resources administration and management. Examples are the Land Use Act 1978, State of Osun Land Laws 2005, Rent Control Law, etc. Modern government roles, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD, based in Paris, include provision of food, housing, transport, education, health and security of lives and property. These and many more are the responsibilities of modern governments and rights of the people.

The responsibilities of the people and rights of the government include

T

•By FEMI OYEDELE

to be provided. This amount is determined by dividing the total amount to be spent on provision of infrastructures by the total plot of land area of the estate in square metres. This will give a unit rate which will be multiplied by the land-size (land holding-capacity) of each owner in the estate.

Transactions on land and real properties are VATable according to Section 4 of the Value Added Tax (VAT) Act 1993 and this charge is collected by the Federal Government at 5% of capital value of land or property. Where property or land owned by an individual, group of people or corporate body has appreciated between the time of purchase and the time of disposal, it is basic that Capital Gain Tax will be paid by the beneficiary or beneficiaries of the capital gained or else the beneficiary or beneficiaries will have undue advantage over other types of investors like shareholders, bond-holders, stockholders and time depositors which the government must guide against. and Use Charge is a global best practice in property taxation in which some of the land-based and property taxes, charges and rates like ground rent, neighbourhood improvement levy, tenement rate etc are consolidated, billed and collected as a one-off charge for ease of payment by property owners. This is based on the fact that it will be cheaper and easier to charge some related and annual property and land-based rents, rates and levies together and shared between the concerned stakeholders (state and local governments). In United Kingdom, this Land Use Charge plus security tax is called Council Tax. Land Use Charge efficient administration is a good way of generating employment and income for some people who are in charge of determination of amount due, collection and punishing defaulters.

The consolidation of these taxes and rents makes it efficient, effective and economical for the government to collect and property owners to pay their bills. Every land-based and property charge, rate and rent law envisage that there will be defaulters (for example, Section 18 of the Osun Land Use Charge Law, March 2016) and clearly states penalties. Land Use Charge is an unavoidable tool of poverty reduction, income generation and environmental repair in that all land uses (residential, transport, commercial, industrial, recreation etc) and property development have intrinsic problems of desertification and/or environmental pollution and depletion of land constituents.

For example, no construction can

L •fasola

payment of taxes, rents, levies and charges as at when due. All states which can efficiently manage their resources will be viable. The various ways in which land resources are controlled and/or managed by governments include (bearing in mind the avoidance of multipletaxation): (i) Power of Eminent Domain (Chapter 4, Section 44, Sub-section 1 and 2 (a) to (m)) This is the power of the government to take a private property and convert it into public use. (ii) Consent and Development Approval on the use of land by the Governor or his or her representative/s. (iii) Planning Laws including Development and Building Control Laws. (iv) Land-based and Property charges, levies, taxes and rates.

These include: · Land Rates (Ground Rents) · N e i g h b o u r h o o d Improvement Levy · Tenement Rate · Community Security Levy (or community policing charge) · Development Levy · Waste Management Charge and Environmental Pollution Charge (Environmental wastes charges are charged through ‘polluters pay system’ or through community levy. Researchers have shown that community levy are more successful than the former) · Withholding Tax (charged on property transactions, either sale or rent in other to legalise receipt of payment or contractual agreement) · Value Added Tax (charged on property transactions, either sale or rent because land-based or property transactions are business deal that are VATable)

· Building Plan Approval Charge (payable to the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning) · Estate Development Charge · Inheritance Tax · Capital Gain Tax · Others The basis of this write-up is the benefits of Land use Charge in national development.

Land Use Charge and U s e C h a r g e i s t h e consolidation of some (not all) property and land-based rents, rates, taxes and charges payable under various land-based and property laws such as Land Rates Laws (Land Use Act 1978, Chapter L5, Laws of the Federation of Ni9geria 2004, Part II, Section 10 (a) and (b) and Osun State Land Law, Sections 13 and 14, Chapter 150), the Neighbourhood Improvement Charge Law (Osun State Land Law, Section 15, Chapter 150), Tenement Rates Law (The Local Government Act of 1976) in the state into a new and composite land-based and property charge. Aside this Land Use Charge, inheritance tax at 40 per cent of the capital value of the property to be inherited will still be paid to the Probate Registry of state high courts for the purpose of procuring “Letter of Administration” from the governor or else, the management of the property by the heirs or administrators or successors-in-title becomes illegal.

Withholding tax at 10 per cent of the capital value of property or the amount in the agreement or receipt of payment is also payable and not part of the Land Use Charge.

Development levies are charged by government or estate developers for the provision of infrastructure in an estate and the amount is a factor of the extent of infrastructures

L

•Contined on page 13

57

health

osun Defender Thursday, May 5,

Cucumber: Health Benefit And Nutritional Facts

F

ew foods are as cool as a cucumber. These low-calorie veggies contain many nutritional benefits, including hydrating properties and valuable nutrients.

There are hundreds of varieties of cucumber, and they come in dozens of colors, but the edible types are classified as being for either slicing or pickling, according to Cornell University’s Growing Guide.

Slicing cucumbers are cultivated to be eaten fresh, while pickling cucumbers are intended for the brine jar. Slicing cucumbers are usually larger and thickerskinned than pickling ones.

In the United States, commonly planted varieties of slicing cucumber include Dasher, Conquistador, Slicemaster, Victory, Comet, Burpee Hybrid and Sprint, according to the World’s Healthiest Foods website. Commonly planted varieties of pickling cucumber include Royal, Calypso, Pioneer, Bounty, Regal, Duke and Blitz.

While most people think of cucumbers as vegetables, they are actually a fruit. They contain seeds and grow from the ovaries of flowering plants. Cucumbers are members of the plant family Cucurbitaceae, which also includes squashes and melons. The most common type of slicing cucumber found in a grocery store is the garden cucumber, Cucumis sativus, according to World’s Healthiest Foods.

Nutritional Profile Cucumbers are good sources of phytonutrients (plant chemicals that have protective or disease preventive properties) such flavonoids, lignans and triterpenes, which have antioxidant, antiinflammatory and anti-cancer benefits, according to World’s Healthiest Foods. The peel and seeds are the most nutrient-dense parts of the cucumber. They contain fiber and beta-carotene, a form of vitamin A that is good for eyes, reports Livestrong.com. A study published in the Pakistan Journal of Nutrition found that cucumber seeds were a good source of minerals, and contained calcium.

“Cucumbers are naturally low in calories, carbohydrates, sodium, fat and cholesterol,” said Megan Ware, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Orlando, Florida. There are just 16 calories in a cup of cucumber with its peel (15 without). You will get about 4 percent of your daily potassium, 3 percent of your daily fiber and 4 percent of your daily vitamin C. They also “provide small amounts of vitamin K, vitamin C, magnesium, potassium, manganese and vitamin A,” Ware said.

Health Benefits Of Cucumbers Hydration According to Ware, “Cucumbers are 95 percent water.” This makes cucumbers a great way to stay hydrated, especially during the summer. A cup of cucumber slices is “nearly as thirst-quenching as a glass of water,” according to Eating Well magazine.

The anti-inflammatory compounds in cucumbers help remove waste from the body and reduce skin irritation, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Preliminary research also suggests cucumbers promote anti-wrinkling and anti-aging activity, according to an article in the journal Filoterapia.

Cancer prevention Cucumbers contain two phytonutrient compounds associated with anti-cancer benefits: lignans and cucurbitacins. In recent years, pharmaceutical companies have been paying special attention to cucurbitacins, hoping to use them in new cancer drugs. According to a 2010 research review published in Scientific World Journal, scientists have found that cucurbitacins can help block the signaling pathways that are important for cancer cell proliferation and survival.

Cucurbitacins can also inhibits the growth of pancreatic cancer cells, according to a 2009 study published in the Journal of Cancer Research looked at cucurbitacin B (which cucumber contains) on human pancreatic cancer cells and found that cucurbitacin supplements inhibited the growth of seven pancreatic cancer cell lines by 50 percent, and also increased apoptosis, or “death by suicide,” of pancreatic cancer cells.

According to World’s Healthiest Foods, lignans may protect against cancer through working with the bacteria in the digestive tract. The bacteria take the lignans and convert them into compounds such as enterodiol and enterolactone, which can bind onto estrogen receptors and possibly reduce the risk of estrogen-related cancers, such as ovarian, breast, endometrial and prostate cancers. The research is not yet clear on whether lignans actually assert anticancer benefits.

A 2009 meta-analysis published in the British Journal of Cancer found little or no association between lignan intake and reduced breast cancer risk.

Cucumbers contain several antioxidants, including vitamin C, beta-carotene and manganese, as well as flavonoids, triterpenes and lignans that have antiinflammatory properties. Vitamin C is well known for its immune system benefits, and beta-carotene has been shown to be beneficial for vision, according to the Mayo Clinic.

According to a 2010 animal study published in the Journal of Young Pharmacists, fresh extracts from cucumber showed increased scavenging of free radicals. Free radicals are associated with a variety of human diseases, but can sometimes be held in check by antioxidants, according to the Pharmacognosy Review.

Another study of cucumber extracts in animals, published in the Archives of Dermatological Research, found increased overall antioxidant benefits. Though this study focused on the cosmetic applications of this use of cucumbers, decreased free radicals can improve your inside organs as well as your skin. n additional study published in Current Pharmaceutical Design found a positive association between the triterpene cucurbitacin and reduced inflammation, particularly in cancer cells. A review of triterpenes on the immune system, published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology, suggested that they can help with inflammation and encouraged future research.

Heart Health “Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables of all kinds is associated with a reduced risk for many health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and obesity,” said Ware. Cucumbers’ potassium content may be especially helpful in this regard. One cup of sliced cukes contains only about 4 percent of the body’s daily potassium needs, but it comes with significantly fewer calories than most high-potassium foods like bananas. Potassium is an essential part of heart health, according to the American Heart Association. Many studies have linked it with lower blood pressure because it promotes vasodiliation (widening of the blood vessels), according to Today’s Dietitian. A study of 12,000 adults, published in Archives of Internal Medicine, showed that those who consumed 4,069 mg of potassium each day lowered their risk of cardiovascular disease and ischemic heart disease by 37 percent and 49 percent, respectively, compared to those who took 1,793 mg per day.

The vitamin K in cucumbers is also known to be essential in the blood-clotting process, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.

Risks of eating cucumbers There can be a few risks from eating cukes. Pesticide consumption is one concern. Ware explained, “The Environmental Working Group produces a list each year of fruits and vegetables with the highest levels of pesticide residue, known as the Dirty Dozen.

Cucumbers are one of the fruits and vegetables that the Environmental Working Group has placed on its Dirty Dozen list, meaning the exposure to pesticide residue is high.”

Additionally, cucumbers may be waxed to help protect them during shipping. According to World’s Healthiest Foods, both organic and conventionally grown cukes may be waxed, but organic ones can only use non-synthetic waxes with chemicals approved under organic regulations. For this reason and the pesticide concerns, World’s Healthiest Foods encourages buying organic cucumbers. But Ware stipulated, “This does not mean you should avoid cucumbers altogether if you can’t find or afford organic. The nutritional benefit of eating conventionally grown produce outweighs the risk of not eating produce at all.”

A

Similarly, most studies have not found significant correlations between lignan intake and reduced prostate cancer risk, according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, though one study of older Scottish men published in the British Journal of Nutrition showed that consuming an enterolactone-containing serum reduced the risk of prostate cancer.

On the other hand, a Journal of Nutrition study of nearly 800 American women found that those with those with the highest lignan intake had the lowest risk of ovarian cancer. Furthermore, a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute looked at nearly 1,000 women in the San Francisco area and found that postmenopausal women with the highest lignan intakes had the lowest risk of endometrial cancer.

Skin ou’ve probably seen pictures of people at a spa relaxing with cucumber slices over their eyes. It turns out there’s science behind this pampering ritual. Ware explained, “Cucumbers have a cooling and soothing effect that decreases swelling, irritation and inflammation when used topically. Cucumber slices can be placed on the eyes can decrease morning puffiness or alleviate and treat sunburn when placed on the affected areas.” She also noted that high vegetable intake is associated with a healthy complexion in general.

Bone Health According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, in the past few decades, it has become clear that vitamin K is important to bone health, and one cup of cucumber contains about 19 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin K. One review published in Nutrition noted that vitamin K intake might reduce fracture rates, work with vitamin D to increase bone density and positively affect calcium balance.

The human body uses vitamin K when building bones, and the effects seem to be especially important for women. A large 2003 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition study showed that low vitamin K levels were associated with low bone density in women, but not in men. Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1999 found that low intakes of vitamin K were associated with an increased risk of hip fractures in middle-age women.

This is especially interesting because the women saw results from eating lettuce, showing that dietary consumption of vitamin K via eating vegetables (not supplements) is beneficial. When it comes to men, the affects of vitamin K and bone health may become more apparent as they age: A 2000 study saw reduced risk of hip fracture among both elderly women and elderly men who consumed more vitamin K. Antioxidants

Y

8

osun Defender Thursday, May 5, 2016 phototalk 2016 Workers’ Day Celebration Across Nigeria, Last Sunday.

59

osun Defender Thursday, May 5, 2016 phototalk President Muhammadu Buhari Hosted Catholic Bishops At The State House, Abuja, Last Monday.

•Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, (left), watching Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) members during their match past in Abeokuta last Sunday.

•President Muhammadu Buhari in a handshake with Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama during the visit.

•NLC members in Lagos State during the Workers’ Day celebration.

•L-R: Trade Union Congress President, Bala Kaigama; FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammed Bello; Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Chris Ngige and NLC President, Comrade Auba Wabba during the event in Abuja.

•A cross section of Catholic Bishops on the occasion.

Wife Of Ogun State Governor, Mrs Funsho Amosun, Celebrated Her 50th Birthday In Ogun State Re-

•A cross section of workers in a colourful display during the Workers’ Day celebration in Abuja.

•Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun and his wife, Funsho (middle), in a group photograph with invited guests during the celebration.

•Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari (right) and wife of Ogun State Governor, during Mrs Buhari’s visit to her 50th birthday celebration in Ogun State.

The Memo Of Akenzua On Aburi Buhari: Who Is Sabotaging The Sheriff?

10

feature

W

hen on March 15th last year, the Secretary of the Benin Traditional Council, Mr. Frank Irabor, announced that “the leopard is ill in the Savannah bush”, we knew exactly what has happened to the OmoN’obaN’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Erediauwa (CFR), the 38th Oba of Benin, who was born on June 22, 1923 and ascended the throne on March 23, 1979.

Well, to an average Benin man or woman, such an announcement is well-understood. The Benin people value tradition and culture. And they are proud of it. I am from Ufosu in Idanre Local Government Council Area of Ondo State that shares border with Edo State, so I should know.

The Oba of Benin is the traditional ruler of the Edo people and head of the historic Eweka Dynasty of the Benin Empire.

The services of Oba Erediuwa are well valued and will not be forgotten.

Before becoming an Oba, as Prince Samuel Aiseokhuoba Igbinoghodua Akenzua, he was an outstanding civil servant. He, in fact, rose to become the Federal Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, before he retired in 1973.

Along with others, he attended the Aburi meeting held at the Peduase Lodge, where the conflict of Nigeria was discussed between January 4th and January 5th1967. Aburi is a town in Ghana. It is forty-five minutes’ drive from Accra, the capital of Ghana.

Those who attended the meeting were Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon, Colonel Robert Adebayo, Lt-Col. Odumegwu Ojukwu, Lt-Col David Ejoor, Lt-Col David Hassan Katsina, Commodore J.E.A. Wey, Major Mobolaji Johnson, Alhaji Kam Selem and Mr. J. Omo-Bare.

Others were Prince S.I.A. Akenzua (Permanent Under-Secretary, Federal Cabinet Office.), Mr. P.T. Odumosu (Secretary to the Military Government, West.), Mr. N.U. Akpan (Secretary to the Military Government, East.), Mr. D.P. Lawani (Under-Secretary, Military Governor’s Office, MidWest) and Alhaji Ali Akilu (Secretary to the Military Government, North.)

The Chairman of the Ghana National Liberation Council, Lt-General J. A. Ankrah, declared the meeting open in his capacity as then the Head of State of Ghana.

The following was agreed upon—that Army to be governed by the Supreme Military Council under a Chairman to be known as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Head of the Federal Military Government, Establishment of a Military Headquarters comprising equal representation from the Regions and headed by a Chief of Staff, Creation of Area commands corresponding to existing Regions and under the charge of Area Commanders, matters of policy, including appointments and promotion to top executive posts in the Armed Forces and the Police to be dealt with by the Supreme Military Council.

During the period of the Military Government, Military Governors will have control over Area Commands for internal security, Creation of a Lagos Garrison including Ikeja Barracks. In connection with the re-organisation of the Army, the council discussed the distribution of military personnel with particular reference to the present recruitment drive. The view was held that general recruitment throughout the country in the present situation would cause great imbalance in the distribution of soldiers. After a lengthy discussion of the subjects, the council agreed to set up a military committee on which each region will be represented, to prepare statistics which will show: Present strength of Nigeria Army;

osun Defender Thursday, May 5,

were taken by the Supreme Military Council; the highest authority of the land under the present regime. For my part, I became dedicated to those decisions, only to discover soon that you and your civil service advisers, along with selfish and disgruntled politicians in Lagos, and perhaps elsewhere as well, did not feel the same. As a result, you have seen to it that the decision taken at Aburi are systematically vitiated or stalled.” n his own broadcast, the then Military Governor of Western Region, Colonel Robert Adeyinka Adebayo, on May 3 1967 said: “We tried at Aburi to find the basis for a solution but there was not enough confidence to build upon that basis.

As a result, follow up action was slow and argument developed, which further impaired confidence. When at last Decree No. 8 was passed by the Supreme Military Council, we could not carry the Eastern Region with us.”

In his broadcast to the joint meeting of the Advisory Committee of the Chiefs and Elders and the Consultative Assembly of Eastern Nigeria on May 27 1967, Colonel Ojukwu said: “In Lagos, the Permanent Secretaries there studied the recommendations and, to their credit, brought out clearly and unmistakably their meanings and implications. Having seen these, however, they unfortunately went beyond their rights and duty as civil servants to advise against the implementation of the Aburi agreements. From there, our difficulties started and have taken us to our present stalemate.”

Till today, both sides (Gowon and Ojukwu till he died) interpreted what was agreed upon in Aburi in their own way. One of the problems at Aburi was that a portion of the meeting was not recorded. The military excused the civilians at a certain stage during the meeting and it was alleged that during this informal chat that Gowon made certain commitments to Lt. Col. Ojukwu, especially on full regionalism.

Even till today, judging by the decisions reached at the last National Conference, we are still arguing on confederation or federalism.

As long as Nigeria remains one under federalism, the memo of Prince Akenzua, which was a wakeup call on General Yakubu Gowon and his efforts later, will continue to be appreciated in no small measure.

The nation remembers and the nation appreciates.

I

•Erediauwa Deficiency in each sector of each unit; the size appropriate for the country and each Area command; Additional requirement for the country and each Area command.

The Committee is to meet and report to council within two weeks from the date of receipt of instructions.

The Council agreed that pending completion of the exercise in connection with re-organisation of the Army, further recruitment of soldiers should cease. The implementation of the agreement reached on 9 August, 1966, it was agreed, after a lengthy discussion, that it was necessary for the agreement reached on 9 August by the delegates of the regional governments to be fully implemented. In particular, it was accepted in principle that army personnel of Northern origin should return to the North from the West. It was therefore felt that a crash programme of recruitment and training, the details of which would be further examined after the committee to look into the strength and distribution of army personnel had reported, would be necessary to constitute indigenous army personnel in the West to a majority there quickly.

As far as the regions were concerned, it was decided that all the powers vested by the Nigerian Constitution in the regions and which they exercised prior to 15 January 1966, should be restored to the regions. To this end, the Supreme Military Council decided that all decrees passed since the military take-over, and which tended to detract from the previous powers of the regions, should be repealed by 21 January, after the Law Officers should have met on 14 January to list out all such decrees.

The decisions at Aburi amounted to, in terms of political and military control of the country was that the country, should be governed as a confederation.

Suffice it to say that the vocal military officers like Lt-Colonel Murtala Muhammed, Major Martin Adamu and Major Theophilus Yakubu Danjuma did not attend the Aburi meeting. Prince Akenzua, along with top permanent secretaries including Alhaji Yusuf Gobir, Phillip Asiodu, Eme Ebong, B.N. Okagbue and Allison Ayida deconstructed in Lagos, all that

By eric teniola was agreed in Aburi. n arrival in Lagos, Prince Akenzua discussed with General Yakubu Gowon and raised objections to what was agreed in Aburi. Gowon asked him to raise a memo, which he did. I am sure a copy of the memo is with General Gowon today, while a copy is in the archives in the Presidency. Civil servants are to be seen and not to be heard and that is why Prince Akenzua never released a copy of the memo to the world. The memo dated January 8, 1967 began with “Your Excellency, in view of my discussion with you last night, I am raising this memo in the interest our fatherland, Nigeria.” Prince Akenzua traced the long hard road that Nigeria has travelled and stressed on the need to keep a United Nigeria.

In his view, he said in the memo that Gowon has given too much away in Aburi and that it will lead to the destruction of the country. He further added that Gowon has “legalised” total regionalism which “will make the centre very weak.” Prince Akenzua alluded in his memo that a weak centre will lead to confederation and total disintegration of the country. It was the memo that prompted Gowon to summon a meeting of the Secretaries to the military governments and other officials, which was held in Benin City between February 16 and 18 1967. If you look at the minutes of the Benin meeting presided over by Mr. H. A. Ejueyitchie, Secretary to the Federal Military Government, you will discover that it was a total rejection of what was agreed upon in Aburi. The Benin meeting interpreted in its own way the agreement reached in Aburi. After the Benin meeting, Lt-Col. Ojukwu started the “on Aburi I stand” slogan.

Thereafter, the Federal Government promulgated Decree No. 8 of 1967, which gave total powers to the centre. It has been so since. We shall continue to argue and debate the full implications of decree 8, which was promulgated on March 10, 1967. The ghost of that decree still haunts us today.

On February 16 1967, Colonel Ojukwu wrote a letter to Gowon. In the letter he said: “At Aburi, certain decisions

O

•Teniola, a former director at the presidency, wrote in this piece from Lagos.

feature

151

B

ONNIE Honig, political theorist and author of ‘Emergency Politics: Paradox, Law, Democracy’ wrote: “Democracies must resist emergency’s pull to focus on life’s necessities (food, security, and bare essentials)” as they “tend to privatize and isolate citizens rather than bring us together on behalf of hopeful futures.” Emphasizing the connections between contemporary food politics and the infrastructure of consumption, among others, Honig argued that though; “good citizens with aspirational ideals” are needed to make good politics, infusion of citizens with idealism is also a product of good politics.

Nigeria’s 2016 budget impasse, which has not only left the political actors in mirthful mistrust of one another but has also reduced the electorate to mere spectators, watching in utter bewilderment, refers!

All things considered, our major priority beyond the billions of naira approved for various portions of the budget is how the contents of this working document will in the end be utilized in a way as to mitigate the sufferings of a vast majority of Nigerians, who had, with the commencement of this administration, expected programme redirection and policy implementation that would vigorously improve their standard of living. As things stand, Nigerians are no longer interested in moonlight tales on the impunity that took the better part of our immediate-past or the flourish of trumpets that heralded Muhammadu Buhari into office as President. After all, Nigerians were not unconscious of what the future under the now-expired Goodluck Jonathan administration possibly portended before they decided to speak with their thumbs a year ago.

Archbishop Adewale Martins beautifully summed up the mood of the moment, when he noted: “There is too much despondency, poverty and suffering in the land, and if care is not taken to remedy the situation, the people will one day stand up and revolt because their expectations from the government have not been met.” Needless to repeat that Nigeria currently suffers from dwindling resources in the face of unshrinking responsibilities, a huge corruption scandal and an opportunistically over-stretched texture of Nigeria’s politics. Gold diggers and fortune seekers are at work and a resource-rich nation like Nigeria is now an island of violence in a sea of poverty and squalor.

Civil servants are frustratingly panting under the pangs of unpaid salaries and power has become so epileptic that, at a point in our recent history, generation reportedly accessed Ground Zero. No thanks to a national crisis orchestrated by Jonathan’s inability to picture into the future!

In a country that has become gradually concerned with power to the exclusion of human welfare, long queues at petrol stations are

osun Defender Thursday, May 5,

their present even as they make no preparation for the future?

Why has our democracy been grumbling in conflictual cleavages of dishonesty, incompetence and contrived promises and why has Nigeria become a stratified capitalist society comprising the “small flies” whose “socio-economic conditions reveal little or no inter-generational mobility relative to their parents” and the “great flies” who “abuse their positions for private gains”?

Wait a minute, have we ever attempted to interrogate the circumstances that threw up Ayo Fayose and Nyesom Wike as candidates of their party and how they eventually ‘won the race’ as governors in their respective states?

What of the duo’s vexatious roles in Alli Modu Sheriff’s emergence as the substantive chairman of Nigeria’s major opposition party and the trio’s common denominator as political heavyweights? As a matter of fact, where lies the place, space and roles of a violent extremist Public Liability Company erroneously referred to as Boko Haram in all of this? n the whole, Nigeria remains a worthy light-atthe-end-of-the-tunnel project, in spite of the crisis of value, compounded by crisis of structures, that currently threatens her existence. All the same, as Nigerians are expecting the President to experiment the miracle of the Marriage at Cana, another critical area that has of late become Nigeria’s defining identity is the activity of Fulani herdsmen. And, while it may be convenient for us to problematize our assumptions, I doubt if there is any significant difference between Boko Haram terrorists, who waste precious lives in Damboa and Fulani herdsmen who kill poor farmers in Akure. It is therefore my sincere wish that the President would without further delay rise to the strategic imperative of unimpeachably confronting this affront on our collective humanity before it gravitates into a dangerous platform for hypocritical application of ethnic idioms as a means of extending political mileage and restrategizing access to power.

In the final analysis, it’s time Nigerians came to terms with the fact that terrorism is in and of itself a victim of more than one script!

May the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace in Nigeria!

O •buhari

unwilling to abate, even as Nigeria has fallen to 67th position in FIFA’s ranking in football, a game in which she used to dominate the space and dictate the tune. In the midst of these, some witches, wizards and professional worriers whose surprising view of history is wrapped in a dubious fig leaf of reality have been waxing so lyrically in their call for naira devaluation without rethinking more forcefully that ours is a consumer economy.

That’s how bad the situation has become and only God can save us! o, call it ‘Quick fix democracy’ and you may not be far from it! From the look of things, Nigerians want Buhari to act Moses on the rock at Horeb, not minding what became the fate of the creature for taking the credit, instead of ascribing glory to the Creator.

Even without understanding the circumstances that have dragged us to this pass, it is their belief that former President Jonathan has been shown the way out and all his imperfections are long gone with him. ‘It could have been worse’! Yes! But, in their festive estimation, a victorious All Progressives Congress (APC) ought to have known that it was not beyond the capacity of a defeated People’s Democratic Party (PDP) government to emplace thorns and thistles on the path of the incoming administration and that a government worth its mission would have taken preemptive measures to nullify the counsels of the wicked.

A ny w a y , Buhari’s g lob ally

S

By kayode komolafe

acknowledged resolve to achieve a moral and an ideological victory over the debris of the dreams of the nowimploded PDP remains unshaken.

For a fact, this straightforwardly great and startlingly special Sheriff has started well and it is only a matter of time before his combination of confidence, political savvy and strategic analytic reasoning starts yielding fruits. But, despite the president’s efforts at putting Nigeria back on the world map, there are still some nagging questions that have refused to go away and it is quite interesting that efforts to search for suitable answers have ended up in more questions. For instance, who is sabotaging the president in his efforts to unleash his rod of change on Nigeria’s socioeconomic sentiments, with a view to bringing forth their increase and who will stop powers that stopped Jonathan from stopping Buhari in his quest to actualize a Greater Nigeria dream? Who’s the Haman hindering Nigeria’s Mordecai from accessing his King Ahasuerus and who is acting Balak in Buhari’s desire to serve as balms for woes to the hungry and the depressed?

If the most crucial and the most important time for a leader to show his true worth is in the face of adversity, who’s the Judas on Buhari’s path to redirecting the country along the line of equality, liberty and solidarity?

Expanding the argument, why has the town refused to compensate its dwellers and why are those who wear the gown messing up

•Komolafe, wrote in this piece

from Ijebu-Jesa, State of Osun, Nigeria.

12

osun Defender Thursday, May 5, 2016

Job Vacancies In Nigeria

General Manager - Facilities · Kaduna, Market Related · Job Type: Permanent · Sectors: Oil & Gas, Engineering, Chemical, Technical, Graduate · Posted on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 · Reference: 160690 Job Details The purpose of this job is to Manage maintenance activities, integrity of assets and discipline engineering and in order to deliver asset integrity, unit availability and reliability, required product quality, and all within agreed budgets.

Objectives · Reduce downtime in relation to electrical, mechanical or system failures. · Increase in uptime through implementation of PM ( Preventive Maintenance ), PdM ( Predictive Maintenance ) and TPM ( Total Productive Maintenance ). · Asset Integrity Management System (AIMS) is in place and functioning. · Continuous improvement programs in place and functioning.

Responsibilities/ Duties Some of the main duties and responsibilities include: · Manage interfaces and work collaboratively the other departments and clients such as Projects, Asset Management, SCM, QHSE. · Responsible for all facets of facilities of Facilities Maintenance, Power Supply and Transmission, Utilities, Plant Maintenance, Plant Certification, and Electrical Works. · Identify and deliver improvements in policy, strategy and efficiency of maintenance, integrity, engineering and related HSE processes/ activities to optimize maintenance/ operational life cycle costs in line with company policies and KPI’s. · Manage the planning, implementing and coordinating Asset Integrity Management Systems, Corrosion Management & annual inspection programme of assets liaising with Projects, Asset Management , and QHSE. · Develop application and fully implement risk and reliability management techniques, like Risk Based Inspection (RBI), Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM), and Instrument Protective Function (IPF). · Responsible for the creation and update of the yearly and 5-yearly integrity plan. Imperilment and monitor the Asset Integrity Management System (AIMS).

Additional Duties · Participate as a member of the Senior Leadership Team · Participate in the Executive Committee and/or other such meetings as required · Provide support and assistance to the DMD as required Candidate Requirements · Engineering degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Corrosion or Metallurgy - or equivalent. · Extensive experience within both the onshore & offshore Oil & Gas services industry, having held senior management position for the majority of your recent career. · Previous experience with TPM programmes, from conceptualisation to implimentation to contentious improvement of the programme. · Previous experience RBI, RCM and IPF. · Previous experience in drafting Preventive Maintenance, Predictive Maintenance and Asset Degradation Manuals. · Prior experience in West Africa or similar environments. · Strong knowledge of relevant global standards, regulations, codes and maintenance planning. · Strong Managerial, communication and organisational skills are essential. · Previous experience with design and implementation of staff development programmes. · It is also desirable to have LEAN qualifications and experience as a LEAN practitioner.

Apply before Friday, July 1, 2016 60 Days left Companies may expire jobs at their own discretion. …………………..end………………………..

Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp has no plans to move into management Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp says he has no interest in becoming a manager one day, but enjoys teaching strikers his tricks of the trade as an assistant coach at Ajax.

Bergkamp helped lead the Gunners to three Premier League titles and four FA Cups in his 11-year stint at the club, and has been assistant coach to Frank de Boer at Ajax since 2011.

De Boer has been tipped as a possible successor to Arsene Wenger as Arsenal boss in the future, raising hopes among some fans that Bergkamp could return to North London as well.

However, the chances of the former Netherlands international ever becoming the Arsenal manager appear slim, according to the Dutchman himself.

“The best thing for me is being on the pitch [in training], especially with the strikers.

That’s my kind of thing, to really teach them things that are the details of football,” Bergkamp told the Arsenal Weekly podcast. “How to control a ball, how to shoot a ball, how to pass it, how to look for other players. That’s my main thing.

“Therefore my ambition is not really to be a head coach, to be the top coach. I give my opinion and tell [the other coaches] how I feel about it. But in the end there’s a head coach who decides what is happening. My part is more on the pitch with the players, especially with the strikers.”

That is an area where Arsenal could use some help, given the scoring woes of Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott in the second half of the season.

Bergkamp scored 87 Premier League goals for Arsenal and remains one of the most popular players among fans.

With his former attacking partner Thierry Henry currently working with Arsenal’s youth teams to get his coaching badges, the thought of either of them emulating Real Madrid’s Zinedine Zidane in one day taking charge of the side would excite supporters.

And perhaps Bergkamp’s reluctance to become a manager is not quite set in stone, as after retiring in 2006 the Dutchman initially said he would not go into coaching at all.

“I wanted to get out of football and just focus on family life. Just enjoying retirement,” Bergkamp said.

But he then started doing training sessions for his son’s team in England, before a member of the Royal Dutch Football Association called and asked if he wanted to get his coaching badges back home.

“I was wondering is that for me, coaching and stuff? First I said no. But I wanted to come back to Holland and live there for a while,” Bergkamp said. “I made the decision to come back to Holland, as a family we lived here, and I picked up doing my badges.” ……………………end……………………

Lead Auditor (Manager) · Enugu, Market Related · Job Type: Permanent · Sectors: Accounting, Finance, Management, Graduate · Posted on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 · Reference: 160688 Job Details ELPER Oilfield Engineering (Nigeria) Limited specializes in engineering and technical services for the offshore oil and gas production industry including Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, Inspection and Quality Management. We support projects in Nigeria and world-wide procurement, design and construction.

Candidate Requirements · Candidate must have international accredited certification as lead auditor in

accordance with IS09001, IS014001, OHSAS18001 programs. · Must have documented work experience of not less than 10 years in environmental, health and safety compliance · Must have not less than five years documented specific experience in environmental, health and safety compliance auditing in in oil and gas industry. · Experience in land and swamp area spill cleanup and mitigation is preferred. · Nigerian candidates preferred.

Apply before Friday, July 1, 2016 - 60 Days left Companies may expire jobs at their own discretion. ………………..end………………..

General Inspection Services · Ogun, Market Related · Job Type: Permanent · Sectors: Oil & Gas, Engineering, Technical, Graduate · Posted on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 · Reference: 160700 Job Details ELPER Oilfield Engineering (Nigeria) Limited specializes in engineering and technical services for the offshore oil and gas production industry including Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, Inspection and Quality Management. We support projects in Nigeria and world-wide procurement, design and construction.

Job Description: · Responsible for verification of compliance and quantities of shipments for verification, receipt and acceptance. · Independently perform inspections at vendors, shipping and receiving yards in accordance with company procedures, specifications, shipping and procurement documentation · Report examination results and record data · Work with project and operations teams for schedule, reporting and action · Work with vendors and shippers leadership to resolve discrepancies Candidate Requirements · Evidence of prior certification in relevant shipping, receipt of vendor surveillance inspection capacity · Tec/vocational certification required. · Associates/2 yr Degree preferred · Minimum of three years relevant inspection experience · Inspection experience shall demonstrate knowledge of oil and gas production unit products and shipping/receiving experience · Must be fluent in English Apply before Friday, July 1, 2016 - 60 Days left Companies may expire jobs at their own discretion. ………………..end………………….

General Manager - Facilities · Ogun, Market Related · Job Type: Permanent · Sectors: Oil & Gas, Engineering, Chemical, Technical, Graduate · Posted on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 · Reference: 160698 Job Details The purpose of this job is to Manage maintenance activities, integrity of assets and discipline engineering and in order to deliver asset integrity, unit availability and reliability, required product quality, and all within agreed budgets.

Objectives · Reduce downtime in relation to electrical, mechanical or system failures. · Increase in uptime through implementation of PM ( Preventive Maintenance ), PdM ( Predictive Maintenance ) and TPM ( Total Productive Maintenance ). · Asset Integrity Management System (AIMS) is in place and functioning. · Continuous improvement programs in place and functioning.

Responsibilities/ Duties Some of the main duties and responsibilities include: · Manage interfaces and work collaboratively the other departments and clients such as Projects, Asset Management, SCM, QHSE. · Responsible for all facets of facilities of Facilities Maintenance, Power Supply and Transmission, Utilities, Plant Maintenance, Plant Certification, and Electrical Works. · Identify and deliver improvements in policy, strategy and efficiency of maintenance, integrity, engineering and related HSE processes/ activities to optimize maintenance/ operational life cycle costs in line with company policies and KPI’s. · Manage the planning, implementing and coordinating Asset Integrity Management Systems, Corrosion Management & annual inspection programme of assets liaising with Projects, Asset Management , and QHSE. · Develop application and fully implement risk and reliability management techniques, like Risk Based Inspection (RBI), Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM), and Instrument Protective Function (IPF). · Responsible for the creation and update of the yearly and 5-yearly integrity plan. Imperilment and monitor the Asset Integrity Management System (AIMS).

Additional Duties · Participate as a member of the Senior Leadership Team · Participate in the Executive Committee and/or other such meetings as required · Provide support and assistance to the DMD as required Candidate Requirements · Engineering degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, Corrosion or Metallurgy - or equivalent. · Extensive experience within both the onshore & offshore Oil & Gas services industry, having held senior management position for the majority of your recent career. · Previous experience with TPM programmes, from conceptualisation to implimentation to contentious improvement of the programme. · Previous experience RBI, RCM and IPF. · Previous experience in drafting Preventive Maintenance, Predictive Maintenance and Asset Degradation Manuals. · Prior experience in West Africa or similar environments. · Strong knowledge of relevant global standards, regulations, codes and maintenance planning. · Strong Managerial, communication and organisational skills are essential. · Previous experience with design and implementation of staff development programmes. · It is also desirable to have LEAN qualifications and experience as a LEAN practitioner.

Apply before Friday, July 1, 2016 - 60 Days left Companies may expire jobs at their own discretion. …………………….end…………………..

You can subscribe to Job Vacancies in Nigeria, Jobs in Nigeria via your e-mail: www.jobszilla.ng •Culled from Sahara Reporters

513

feature

osun Defender Thursday, May 5, 2016

Land Use Charge And Its Roles In National Development •Contined from page 6

take place without land clearing and ground demolition to make trenches.

The features of land use charge laws include: (1) Preamble which states the title of the land use charge laws, (2) Who is responsible for payment, (3) T h e a u t h o r i t y f o r i t s collection. For example, local governments are empowered by laws to collect tenement rates and ground rents of rural land while state governments are empowered to collect neighbourhood improvement levy and ground rents of urban land. The State land use charge law will state clearly that local governments have authorized the collector to collect the rents and rates on their behalf. It will also state how the proceeds of the fund will be shared which may be according to contributing capacity.

(4) Exemption clause. Those properties which are not chargeable will be stated.

(5) How the land use charge will be collected. For example, upon receipt of ‘Demand Notice’.

(6) Penalty for non-compliance.

(7) The method of determining the charge. For example, while Lagos State government uses ratio, State of Osun government is using formula.

In Lagos State, Land use Charge is backed by the Land Use Charge Law 2001. In Osun, as in Lagos,

5

is calculated as Land Use Charge (LUC) = M x {(LA X LV) + (BA x BV x PCR)}.

Where M = the annual charge rate expressed as a percentage of the assessed value of the land which may, at the Government’s discretion, vary between owner-occupied residential property and commercial (revenue generating) property. LA = the land area in square metres.

LV = average land value of parcel of land, n the neighbourhood, per square metre in naira. BA = the total developed floor area of building on the plot of land in square metres, or the total floor area of apartment nit in a building where apartment has a separate ownership title. BV = the average value of medium quality buildings in the neighbourhood, er square metre in naira, and PCR = the Property Code Rate for the building and which accounts for the building being of higher or lower value than the average buildings in the neighbourhood and which also accounts for the degree of completion of construction of the building. {(LA x LV) + (BA x BV x PCR)} = the assessed value of the property.

(8) Conflict Resolution Method.

For example, Appeal Tribunal where charges can be contested.

(9) The process of recovering unpaid charge by defaulters and the penalty.

(10) The collection mediun or paying centres.

A supplement to the Lagos State

Land Use Charge law in Lagos State, known as supplement to the ‘Lagos State of Nigeria Official Gazette Extra-ordinary No. 41, Vol. 34 of 13th December, 2001 Part B’ was enacted. The supplement stated that the annual land use charge rates payable on assessed value of a property are as follows – Owneroccupied residential property (0.5%); owner-occupied pensioner’s property – exempted from land use charge; industrial premises of manufacturing concerns (0.5%); residential property/commercial (0.65%); commercial property used by occupier for business purposes (1.75%); and family compounds – exempted from land use charge.

Conclusion he main purpose of land use charge is not only income generation but to control land use and property development and give back to the land that generates the wealth. Land Use Charge is a veritable tool of national development through income generation, wealth redistribution and development control. In the area of development control, when a potential developer realizes that charges will be based on the land area and volume of his or her building development, he or she will develop a reasonable building or put unused areas into commercial use. This will encourage market dynamism (demand and supply) and reduce cost of rent.

Human beings are the only animal

T

feature

that exhibit ‘multi-territoriality’.

This is the trait of keeping more than one abode at a time. It is a reckless act and anti-development of shelter for all. This is a negative ethical value of human beings under greediness. It is this greediness that results in higher acquisitive tendency of man. Other negative ethical values of man are: selfishness, self-centredness, oppressiveness (callousness) and carefree. If not controlled, human beings have the tendency to own land speculatively at the detriment of other prospective property developers and to develop houses that are too big or too many for his use as a status symbol.

It is the statutory responsibility of governments to collect ground rent, Neighbourhood Improvement Charge and Tenement Rate from qualified payers and non-compliance by governments is irresponsibility.

It is in performing this statutory role of government efficiently that land use charge came into existence.

Though there are grey areas, overall, the land use charge has lived up to international standard as there are no uniform bases of determination of the charge in the world.

•Olufemi, Estate Surveyor, wrote-in this piece from Osogbo.

Analyzing Labour Demand For N56, 000 New Minimum Wage. How Feasible?

•Continued from back page

of a centralized unitary system but deceitfully called federalism, which the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, aptly once described as feeding bottle federalism.

In a true federal system, the uniformity of workers’ salaries is not a straight jacket affair, as states exercise this responsibility according to their ability to pay, based on resources generated, rather than idling away with cap in hand like beggars for federal allocation, which these days is insufficient to service that function, talk less of other areas requiring government attention.

The absurdity of the skewed federal system of Nigeria can be explained by the fact that whereas when federal allocation is low, elected and appointed public officers across the states continue to receive uniform and humongous salaries and emoluments, but it is the peasant workers, who bear the brunt as states complain of inability to pay and thus owe workers salaries and pensions of retirees for months and even years. This is nothing but irresponsibility of the state to the welfare of the people who generate the wealth of the nation.

Notwithstanding, an undisputable resolution to the quagmire of the unworkability of the Nigerian state for which the input of the workers union is needed, lies in

the restructuring of the country along the lines of true federalism in which states endowed with natural resources should take control of them and only make contributions towards the running of a thin and responsive federal government and not the other way round for the smooth functioning of the system.

We need to restructure the country now, to allow for states to take control of their God-given resources to develop at their own pace and engender healthy competition and development, because doing otherwise will amount to postponing the dooms day, as this recurring issue of non-payment of salaries at all levels of government is a fallout of our faulty federation, which is here to stay and a breeding ground for other problems in the nearest future.

We must awaken the consciousness of the central labour body to the fact that the whole essence of labour is to create wealth and so, it would amount to gross dereliction of responsibility for them to focus their attention all the time on increased salaries for the formal sector workers, while neglecting other sectors of the economy, because even if the salaries are increased geometrically without commensurate social policies to engender the creation of jobs for our teeming unemployed youths, provision of basic social infrastructure, security,

reduction in crime, quality and affordable education and health systems, social security schemes, etc, such increment would hardly make any impact on the living standard of the worker and his family. he labour unions need to be innovative and focused in creating jobs and wealth by engaging in productive ventures in areas such as in oil and gas, agriculture, solid minerals, transportation, etc like they did with the defunct Labour Mass Transit which should be resuscitated.

The labour unions should be encouraged to realize that their responsibility should not be focused on increment in salaries of workers in the formal sector alone but to the welfare of society as a whole, since the worker is a member of a family, a community and the society at large. Thus, it behooves on them to engage the government in areas of governance which have direct effect on the lives of the people by being involved in research, debates, discussions, dialogues, etc on societal issues with a view to coming up with alternative ideas on how to move the country forward for the good of all.

The labour union because of their spread of membership and expertise in all segments of the society also have a responsibility to ensure good governance by monitoring the budgets and making sure that projects therein are implemented

T

according to what is proposed and approved.

We need to remind our labour union leaders that in as much as we recognize the need for them to make this legitimate demand for a new minimum wage in view of an existing Act, they must be conscious of the reality of the times, which makes its implementation not feasible for now based on paucity of funds as a result of the fall in global oil prices and our faulty political structure which needs to be reworked.

But, that is not to say that they cannot commence discussions and negotiations with relevant stakeholders now in this regard, in line with the provisions of the Act, which they must realistically and patriotically agree will become implementable when the conditions are sufficiently right.

for the re-

14

osun Defender Thursday, May 5,

A PAPER PRESENTED BY THE ACTING CHAIRMAN/CEO OF OSUN INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, MR. DAYO OYEBANJI AT THE 4TH ANNUAL PUBLIC LECTURE OF O.S.B.C ON THE TOPIC TAXATION: A PANACEA FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT; OSUN A CASE STUDY,’ HELD ON THURSDAY 28TH APRIL, 2016.

Taxation: A Panacea For National Development; Osun A Case Study

I

am delighted to be among the discussants of today at this one-day series of public lectures and particularly excited to speak on Taxation: A Panacea For National Development; Osun A Case Study’.

It is no longer news that the collapse of global oil price has taken its toll on the Nigerian economy. Across Nigeria, the new administration and the public have continued to deliberate on how to respond to the unrelenting dive in oil price and its impact on government revenues. Meanwhile, the key factor that worsens the situation is the total reliance of virtually all the States of the federation on statutory allocation from the federal government to perform basic functions in terms of recurrent and capital expenditure.

Arising from the significant reduction of revenue from crude oil, there is a growing recognition among the state governments in Nigeria of the crucial role 0f “Internally Generated Revenue” (IGR) as an instrument of economic growth. What do we mean by economic growth? According to Oseni (2013), economic growth is the increase in value of the goods and services produced by an economy over a period of time; it is conventionally measured as the percent rate of increase in real GDP. However, the extent of growth is dependent on the government capital expenditure incurred in financing the key sector of the economy, such as infrastructure, environmental protection, housing, health and education e.t.c.

Using the State of Osun as a case study, payment of tax, if adherently complied with; acceleration of development in all facets of the society is guaranteed.

This can only be achieved through the readiness of the concerned tax remitting institutions in Nigeria, that is, the stakeholders within the revenue generating cycle, such as government, tax administrators, taxpayers- corporate and individuals, Banks and tax consultants among others to see tax as a collective responsibility and unavoidable civic duty of every taxable adult.

Virtually, all Government programs’ delivery to people are not profit oriented, they are more of humanitarian. Hence,

•ADEOSUN

it is through the tax money realized from the citizenry that government uses to fund such programs like education system, health system, road construction, road rehabilitation, defense and electricity supply, just to mention a few. According to John Locke, an English philosopher “the government simply has the duty to protect the natural right of its citizens that is, their lives, liberty and property”.

Therefore the role of taxation would be to fund a government to enforce these natural rights of its citizens.

Dating back to ageing, especially prior to the exploration/ production of oil in Nigeria before 1970, Nigerians willingly paid their taxes in kind by rendering free communal services like clearing of bush and fallow farmlands, digging pit toilets, wells e.t.c for the benefit of the community as a whole and through these communal efforts, tremendous achievements were recorded.

Properties were usually seized whenever there was a default and such properties might be reclaimed after a defaulter was cleared on consensus term. It is worthy to note that most of the monumental development at that time (such as cocoa house, first TV station in Africa, the first free Education programme in Nigeria among others were all done with tax payers money and not oil.

But today, Tax evasion that is, the illegal dodging or escaping from

payment of taxes by individuals or corporate organizations as now become a common phenomenon in Nigeria. his has been in form of taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting the true state or picture of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability and includes dishonest tax reporting, such as declaring less income, profits or gains than the amounts actually earned, or overstating deductions.

At individual and corporate level, these untoward attitudes to tax payment need to be corrected for the sake of progress, economic viability and sustainability. For its attendant effect has always been a huge loss of revenue to government in general and untold hardship for citizenry in particular.

This inferred that citizenry is always at the receiving end of tax payment that is, the more the tax payment, the more people benefit vice versa.

However, I would like to present the conceptual framework attached in figure 1 on the relationship between Internally Generated Revenue and economic growth, which is expressed in the government’s capital expenditure utilized at creating the relevant platform for economic growth.

The services of all the stakeholders within the revenue generating cycle, private and public like: (lawyers, Landlords and Landladies, Estate Managers)

T

just to mention few, are therefore needed to complement effort of government in making sure that what is due to the government is given to the government through the implementation of government policy on tax, levies and other charges. For instance, the activities of these revenue generating bodies have a direct link with stamp duty in one way or the other especially stamp duty on: collateral security, Bank Guarantee, Bond of (Ordinary Share}, Agreement Under seal, Contract Agreement, Land Agreement (Sales), lease Agreement (Sales/Rent), CGT, Deed of Assignment/Ratification/ Confirmation, Promissory Note/ IOU, Mortgage as well as Tenancy Agreement. All these agreements must bear government stamp for the sake of authenticity and also for one to be free from being on route to illegal dealings. o tax payers in general, every taxable person needs to know that through their consistent devotion to tax payment, they are statutorily authorized to draw the attention of government towards any angle of their interests. Aside this, their devotion to tax payment qualify them to feel belonging to commonly owned State properties with government as just an institution through which these commonly owned properties are allocated and anchored.

Conclusively, all hands must be on deck as we cannot afford to let this state always be at the mercy of whatever comes from federal allocation. We must together build a better today and tomorrow for our dear state through our collective efforts especially always seeing tax payment as an uncompromising stance.

Once again, I appreciate you all on your persistent efforts in making sure that tax payment awareness is given a wide publicity through your media.

I am therefore saying happy listening as we proceed to the next phase of this program.

Osun to ti n dara ko ni baje o.

T

515

sports

Cristiano Ronaldo Fit To Face Man City; Karim Benzema And Casemiro Doubtful Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said Tuesday has become a key player that Cristiano Ronaldo will start Wednesday’s in Zidane’s 4-3-3 system, Champions League semifinal second leg against but his unexpected hip Manchester City, but Casemiro and Karim Benzema problem could rule him out of the club’s biggest are now almost certainly ruled out.

Ronaldo has missed situation was different game of the season so far.

M a d r i d ’ s p a s t t h r e e this time around.

Zidane did not confirm games with a right “It is not just two days, the holding midfielder’s thigh-muscle problem, it is a week, and bit by bit absence but suggested including the goalless he has been recovering,” he was likely to sit the first leg at City on April he said. “He is a player match out.

26. who is like that, who “With Casemiro, it is Benzema, meanwhile, recovers very quickly. not a [serious] injury, left at half-time of the He will be at 100 percent but it is swollen and we g a m e a t t h e E t i h a d tomorrow. did not want to risk it,” Stadium with a similar “It is always good he said. “We have a big issue, and Casemiro t o h a v e h i m o n t h e enough squad for others picked up a thigh problem pitch with us. He is an to play. We will try, in Saturday’s 1-0 La Liga outstanding player, his Casemiro is Casemiro, win at Real Sociedad. statistics show that.” but other players can do After reports that B e n z e m a a g a i n the same work as he does.

Ronaldo had suffered a continued his recovery Whoever plays in that second muscle injury and indoors without joining position will do the same rumours of a breakdown his teammates and does work as Casemiro.” i n t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p not appear likely to be in He added: “I would between Madrid’s star the squad on Wednesday. h a v e l i k e d t o h a v e players and the club’s “Karim still had his Casemiro and Benzema, senior medical staff, the problem today, and we but it is not like that.

31-year-old Portugal did not want to risk him,” Others will play and they i n t e r n a t i o n a l h a s Zidane said. will do well.” undergone an intensive Casemiro, meanwhile, Zidane rejected the idea recovery regimen in recent days and again Barcelona board spokesperson Josep Vives has took part in training with his teammates on expressed his annoyance at the kickoff time for his club’s Copa del Rey final against Sevilla on May 22.

Tuesday morning.

T h i s y e a r ’ s C o p a 21:30 local time kickoff, Zidane said during h i s p r e m a t c h n e w s decider has been fixed apparently to maximise conference that Ronaldo for Atletico Madrid’s the TV audience within had recovered completely Estadio Vicente Calderon, Spain. from the injury and there with the game set for The evening start does was no risk involved in him playing against City.

“Cristiano is fine — he is at 100 percent,” Zidane said on Tuesday. “He trained with us and will be with us tomorrow.

There is no risk. He is training, and he is 100 percent.”

Zidane had previously said that Ronaldo was likely to start last week’s •ESPN FC’s Shaka Hislop breaks down the current La first leg in Manchester, Liga title race with Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, and Real but he stressed that the Madrid all earning crucial victories.

that the injuries meant that he might consider changing his system or approach for this game.

“I will not change tomorrow,” he said. “The idea is always the same,

osun Defender Thursday, May 5,

Compiled By Lukman Ussein and even more so playing at home. We will need to show the intensity that a Champions League semifinal requires.

“When we do not have the ball, we will have to defend well, all

together as a team, as we have been recently. Not just the midfield, or the defenders, but everyone must do this work.”

•The ESPN FC table preview Real Madrid and Man City’s UCL second leg and whether Cristiano Ronaldo will be there come kickoff.

Barcelona Unhappy With Copa Del Rey Final Kickoff Time

Bournemouth Fined £7.6m For Breaching Financial Fair Play Rules Bournemouth were fined £7.6 million by the Football League for breaching financial fair play (FFP) rules in their promotion-winning campaign last season.

The club’s accounts maximum losses at £6m w e r e p u b l i s h e d a t for a season, “consisting C o m p a n i e s H o u s e of a maximum adjusted on April 29 and they loss of £3m plus a further revealed the Cherries maximum of £3m of had reported a loss of shareholder investment.” £38.3m as they won the The size of the fine Championship in the h a d n o t p r e v i o u s l y 2014-15 campaign. been disclosed by the The Football League set Football League, with FFP limits of permitted details of the penalty being disclosed in the club’s accounts Bournemouth’s loss was an increase of some £10.3m for the previous financial period, with staff wages up to £30.4m and with turnover at just under £13m.

As part of the accounts, Bournemouth also confirmed there had been an outlay of •Chris Smalling has be- £4.6m for the Vitality come one of Manchester Stadium to meet Premier League regulations, as United’s senior players.

well as a £2m payment to shareholders due following promotion to the top flight for the first time in the club’s history.

Bournemouth, currently nine points clear of the relegation zone, have secured their Premier League status for another campaign, which will see a massive increase in revenue following the start of the new broadcasting deal from 2016-17.

In the director notes within the published accounts it was stated: “The directors continue to maintain close control over expenditure and have implemented effective policies and procedures to ensure the club is run efficiently and effectively.”

however mean players and fans of both clubs will need to travel and stay overnight in the Spanish capital, something which lead to Barca already expressing their indignation at the unwillingness of broadcast rights holder Mediaset to think of the

travelling supporters.

After a board meeting at the Camp Nou on Monday, reporters were told that the time of the kickoff also meant that potential viewers in the Far East could miss out too.

“We’re very annoyed with the Spanish FA as

Bayern Munich’s Medhi Benatia Eyes

Return To Serie A If Hummels Signs Bayern Munich defender Medhi Benatia is

contemplating a return to Italy should Mats Hummels move to the Allianz Arena.

Benatia, 29, joined well as Roma.

“Bayern is in talks with Bayern from AS Roma two years ago in a €28 Hummels,” the defender million deal but his time said. “If I should leave at the Bundesliga leaders then I will leave. But first of all I want to finish this has been best by injury.

T h i s s e a s o n t h e season well. We can win Morocco international the Treble.”

In an interview with has only started 12 matches for Bayern, and kicker last month, only appeared in a total of 19 days before the Hummels games in all competitions. r u m o u r s e m e r g e d , Hummels has told Benatia said he would Borussia Dortmund that let Bayern decided his he wants to leave the club future with his contract and go back to Bayern, still having three more though a deal has yet to years to run.

But Benatia, who has be agreed between the two clubs. If Hummels also been linked with does make the move, a move to Arsenal, is then Benatia’s first-team open to a return to Roma chances will be further despite leaving on bad terms. He added: “I limited.

Speaking to Sky Italia, would certainly do it.

Benatia has now said that Everyone knows that he could head back to Rome is a special place Serie A — where he has for me. So many people played for Udinese as have remained in my

•Eddie Howe says he is training the Bournemouth players as hard as ever as they look to end the season on a high note.

we had asked them to speak with Mediaset to reflect on the kickoff time,” Vives said. “It was important for fans of Barcelona and Sevilla and also we will lose an opportunity to export this final to the Asian market.

At 6 p.m. we could have people in Asia watching the game. At 9:30 it is more difficult.”

Barca are also currently involved in a super-tight La Liga race, although they could secure the title a week early at home to local rivals Espanyol next Sunday evening, should challengers Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid both slip up.

Asked about Espanyol fans hoping for a repeat of the Tamudazo, when Raul Tamudo famously scored at the Camp Nou in the last minute to deny Barca the title back in 2007, Vives said the issue had not come up in conversations with his fellow directors.

“The Tamudazo is a long time ago now,” he said.

“We did not talk about it at the board meeting.

When you are positive it gets the emotions going.

We did talk about having a great team and we want to write a new chapter in the club’s history.”

Barca have yet to agree a new shirt sponsor for next season, with talks to extend the current deal with Qatar Airways apparently deadlocked, and some reports claiming that the Catalan club must indemnify kit suppliers Nike as the new strip should already have gone into production.

“I cannot comment at all about that, for us it does not deserve a comment,” Vives said when asked if his club would have to pay Nike due to the delay.

www.osundefender.org

THE 6TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA

Thursday, MAY 5, 2016

O

n May 1, 2016, N i g e r i a n workers, just like their counterparts all over the world, celebrated Workers Day, which is a day set aside globally for reflections on the working conditions of the workers, with a view to proffering ameliorative solutions.

Here in Nigeria, the day was commemorated at the federal and state levels with marches in which Mr. President and the Governors or their representatives addressed the workers on the state of affairs and the way forward and as expected, the leadership of the labour union didn’t shy away from making their demands in line with modern realities to the authorities. Despite the present economic and social challenges, one must congratulate Nigerian workers on this auspicious occasion for what it represents and wish them the best.

Days before the commemoration of the great day, the central labour union, the NLC, just like it did on May 1, 2016 at various march past grounds, in which affiliate unions were present, restated its demand for a new minimum wage of N56,000 from the previous N18,000, in line with subsisting agreement.

For being alive to its responsibility by making the demands for a new minimum wage based on ”The National Minimum Wage Act, which former President Goodluck Jonathan signed into law in April 2011, that has a five-year re-opener clause for new negotiations to review the minimum wage, one sincerely and wholeheartedly congratulates labour for charting a new path of responsibility and responsiveness, which is a radical departure from its previous conduct of docility and lackadaisical attitude to issues of agreements to the detriment of the welfare of the Nigerian workers from time immemorial.

However, while not losing sight of the fact that labour’s demand for a new and increased minimum wage is a legitimate one in view of the prevailing circumstances, a lot of issues need to be examined holistically if we are to be rational, logical and objective for the good of society.

Here, one needs to ask some salient questions such as: 1. Who is a worker?

2. Are there other functions of the labour unions apart from agitating for salary increase?

According to Merriam Webster dictionary, a worker is a person who does a particular job to earn money, or to express it in simpler terms, a worker is someone who is engaged

By nelson ekujimi

Analyzing Labour Demand For N56, 000 New Minimum Wage. How Feasible?

•ngige

in a work or trade for productive ventures, for which he or she earns salaries or wages.

What this means is that our labour force is comprised of persons engaged in the formal sector, who are earning salaries as well as those in the informal sector who are earning negotiated, daily or weekly wages such as traders, artisans, craftsmen, hawkers, transporters, food sellers, etc who constitute the bulk of our workforce and are perhaps the biggest contributor to our Gross Domestic Product (GDP). earching t h r o u g h t h e books, one realized that apart from fighting for the interest of workers through salary increase, the labour unions had other functions which include the following: 1. Collective bargaining with the management to settle terms and conditions of employment.

2. Advise the management on personnel policies and practices.

3. Taking up the individual and collective grievances of the workers with the management.

4. Work for achieving better say of workers in the management

S

of affairs of the enterprise which influence the lives of the workers directly.

5. Organizing demonstrations, strikes, etc, to press demands of workers.

6. Education of workers and their children.

7. Welfare and recreational activities for their members.

8. Representing of workers in various national and international forums.

9. Securing legislative protection for workers from the government.

Looking at these other functions of the labour unions, we need to ask, how efficiently have they being fulfilling these functions?

We also need to ask that, if the working population is comprised of both the formal and informal sectors and the labour unions have focused their attention on the increase in salary of those in the formal sector alone, what happens to the interest of the informal sector, which one is aware, is also affiliated to the central labour union? Or can we assume that since these categories of persons don’t earn a

minimum wage, their income and working conditions are not deserving of the attention of the central labour union? efinitely , this shouldn’t be the case b e c a u s e l a b o u r is supposed to cater not only to the needs of the formal workers but also ensure that the working conditions and laws governing the business of the informal sector is not anti-labour and suffocating, as well as being concerned about the plight of the unemployed, pensioners and the society in general.

However, it is a well known fact that the economy of the Nigerian state is presently under serious straits as a result of the decline in revenue, occasioned by the fall in the price of the mainstay of the economy, which is crude oil at the world market and this has culminated in about 26 states governments including the Federal Government encountering difficulties in paying workers’ salaries as and when due.

In fact, while the Federal Government had had to borrow to pay salaries and emoluments, as confessed to by the ex-Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi OkonjoIweala, during the days of the previous administration and which has been carried over to the present administration, due principally to paucity of funds, the state governments, save for some very few, owed workers salaries which range from between 2 to 5 months and above and had to be rescued by the bailout funds from the Federal Government. But be that as it may, the situation still persists till now as the states are still requesting for help from the Federal government to fulfill their primary obligation of paying workers salaries promptly.

A major contributor to this pitiable economic state of affairs, which is reflected in the worsening conditions of living of the Nigerian worker and people is predicated on a number of factors which includes the mismanagement of the economy by successive governments and the most fundamental of which is the lopsided and faulty political arrangement, which permits the Federal Government, which is so far away from the people, to have control of 52% of federal allocation at the expense of the two other tiers of government, vest the powers of states creation in the federal authorities, which carries it out on the basis of political expediency, rather than on economic viability and other indices and the operation

D

•Contined on page 13

OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank GTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. All correspondence to the Managing Editor, Kola Olabisi, Telephone: 08033927286 (kolaolabisi@yahoo.com); Editor, KAYODE AGBAJE, Telephone: 0803-388-0205, E-mail:

osundefenderbank@gmail.com, kayodeagbaje@yahoo.com. ISSN: 0794-8050.Website: www.osundefender.org.