PAGE 46—SUNDAY VANGUARD, AUGUST 17, 2014
Osun: Our victory was hard fought — Lai Mohammed Continued from page 45 tween 18 and 25 years old in all kind of cars, some even with foreign number plates. I challenge the defence minister, if these people didn’t enter Osun under the watchful eyes of the military. It means anybody can wear a police uniform, masked and kill anybody! Only terrorists wear masks. Why must our own security officer wear mask during election? Following the Osun scenario, what is your expectation come 2015? Come 2015,the people are ready for them, I can assure you
of that. Whatever success we achieved in Osun, despite what the Federal Government put in place, if the people of Osun refused to be intimidated, then Nigerians are waiting for them. There are reports making rounds barely 48hours after the election result was announced that the PDP are heading to the tribunal to contest the outcome, what do you make of it? Let them go ahead, it’s within their right to do so. As a mater of fact, we were even surprised that we didn’t score more going by the popularity of Gov. Aregbesola. Sincerely, the PDP should not have had up to 20% of the sum total of the votes if some of our
•Lai Mohammed members were not intimidated. What would you say transpired? Many people were intimidated most especially in Ile-Ife due to so much violence on the eve of
election. so they did not come out to vote. In Ife-south, our agents were intimidated that many of them did not even come. But we await what Omisore (the PDP candidate) is going to say at the tribunal. We heard they said Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was not fair. This is the first time a PDP candidate would complain about INEC! How prepared is the Lagos APC to confront the candidacy of PDP as we heard Mr. Jimi Agbaje is coming on board on the PDP platform? If you remember vividly in 2003, they used Koro (Obanikoro) to try to unseat Gov.Fashola
but didn’t succeed. In 2007, Koro also came on board but did not succeed. Our records are there. We will make sure we project a formidable candidate that will deliver. APC starts preparing for elections from the day we are sworn in. How do you react to the zoning of the office of the governor as being clamoured for by some people? I am not aware of that. You know aspirants come up with all kinds of justification to have their way. But I am sure there will be a level playing ground for everybody.
How INEC can improve — Ogbeni Lanre Banjo Continued from page 45
I don’t think the politicians of nowadays are ready to heed any constructive advice until they are disgraced out of office because of arrogance, conceit, and avarice. The most dangerous criminal is the man gifted with destructive reasons without morals. Many Nigerian politicians are not endowed with moral.
ing the Party apart. Governor Aregbesola’s ecumenical approach yielded fruits. He managed the State of Osun in his first term without rancor from his fellow party members. He even extended collegiate hands to members of the opposition party including the National Conscience Party in a matured manner not witnessed in any other State.
to exercise their rights without succumbing to threats, and their unyielding determination not to allow delinquents to preside over their affairs is commendable. Track records should not include erecting boreholes, or sending people to Holy lands because of interest in public office.
The politics of Adesiyan, police affairs minister BY EMMANUEL AJIBULU
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•Ogbeni Lanre Banjo est in Ife? The fact that he is silent about someone wearing mask to arrest innocent citizens should dent his electoral vote. To those saying that Americans
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What is your take on militarisation of elections? President Ebele Azikwe Jonathan has every duty to protect Nigerians whether during elections or after elections. Ekiti and Osun proved him right. Soldiers, SSS, Police can never be too many. With soldiers on the streets, no one dared snatch ballot boxes. The problem I have, however, is unnecessary arrest and harassment of innocent citizens, especially when the people arrested are members of the opposition. The President and the DSS have not addressed the unjustifiable harassment and arrest of Alhaji Lai Muhammed, my brother, Sunday Dare who is only adept in using his pen. Sunday does not even have the temerity to commit any illegal electoral act. The arrest of Salisu Shuaib of Ogun State is also denounced. Shuaib, the extinguishing Senator, is always about his Holy Quran. Thank God he was released. Ogun State would have really shown that we do not allow the right of any of our own to be trampled over. We would have fought with everything the State is named after. All these folks were reported to have been ordered out of their vehicles by people wearing masks and ordered to get into a waiting bus and instead of the DSS to address that, the spokesperson was talking nonsense about bribe. What is the difference between Nigerian men and women now? Why don’t they arrest anyone who offered bribe immediately if the money was not taken? What do these people call Nigerians? Would the president allow another Chiboks because of elections? What would we be saying now if these people were driven to PDP For-
My focus is the electorates. Electorates are the boss of the politicians. Nigerians must learn from the event in the State of Osun. If Nigerians only care about stomach infrastructure that would go to toilets, then the country is doomed. The resolve of the Osun citizens
All the security efforts of the President would be negatively affected if he remains silent on this issue. He must speak out. He must denounce it and make sure it does not repeat itself
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support President Bush during the 911 attack, they must now ask if President Bush dare allowed innocent opposition members to be harassed and arrested by anyone wearing mask? Honorable Rotimi Makinde was also attacked in Ile-Ife by PDP thugs led by armed Police paid by taxpayers. DSS men were not available to arrest those who went to Makinde’s house. All the security efforts of the President would be negatively affected if he remains silent on this issue. He must speak out. He must denounce it and make sure it does not repeat itself. What is your advice to politicians and electorates ahead of 2015 elections.
n simple words, the occasion of Alhaji Abdul Jelili Adesiyan’s birthday on August 14, 2014 presents another opportunity to reflect on the political profile of this ever-blossoming star on the political scene. This is a man whose life and politics continue to leave positive and enduring impacts with the capacity to expand the frontiers of progressivism and constitutional democracy. It is either you are for him, as symbolizing the politics of emancipation and progress, or you are against him as representing the politics of collusion and reaction. On the national scene, rather than diminish in the face of relentless persecution, and in spite of the plots of his traducers, Adesiyan has continued to rise in political prominence and thankfully above barriers and buts. In his affable and amiable nature, he sacrificed personal gains for the collective good. For him, what was paramount was getting Nigeria back to its place of pride. The task to facilitate Nigeria’s recovery from its present social and political troubles is one that bothers him. This is the quality of a visionary, great and passionate leader. Today, by God’s grace, he is Nigeria’s Minister of Police Affairs. For the records the challenges he faced from the hands of detractors are the typical fate of those who turn out to be their peoples’ brightest hopes. All through history, great leaders in Africa are known to have suffered persecution. The late President Nelson Mandela of South Africa (of blessed memory) lived the most part of his adult life
•Alhaji Abdul Adesiyan under the shadow of political persecution and incarceration. But at the end, he became South Africa’s first post-apartheid democratic president. Our late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, was a victim of serial persecution by elements who wanted to ruin his political career. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo suffered same fate; afterwards he emerged from imprisonment to become the first Fourth Republic president in 1999. At 59, Adesiyan should certainly be happy with himself, secure in the knowledge that today he stands at the centre of our national politics. For him, the promise of politics is the limitless possibilities it offers humanity to reinvent society on the path of progress and prosperity. Adesiyan was born on the 14th August 1955 at Lagere, Ile Oke Agba Ode-Omu in Ayedade Local Government Area of Osun State. He completed his Primary Education at A.U.D Primary School Ode –Omu in 1968. Alhaji Adesiyan attended Ahmadiya Grammar School Iwo from 1970 –
1971, also was at Victory High School Ikeja Lagos from 1973 – 1976. He later went to Oyo State College of Education Ilesa from 1980 – 1983 where he obtained a Nigerian Certificate of Education in History and Yoruba Studies. Subsequently he gained admission into University of Ibadan in 1985 where he obtained a B.Ed Adult Education and History in 1988. He furthered his education at the same University in 1989 where he obtained a Masters Degree in Adult and Industrial Education M.Ed in 1991 respectively. Adesiyan is a seasoned educationist, served as Commissioner for Education in Osun State with many indelible records to his credit; he also served as Director General in the State Ministry of Commerce and Industry. He worked in several public and private sector companies; he was a teacher in Community High School Ibadan, Victory High School Ikeja. He also showcased his intellectual prowess at Guinness Nigeria Limited and Johnson White United in Lagos. He has a long history of political activism, an active member of PDP in Osun. He was an Assistant Secretary, Alliance for Democracy (Osun State), National delegate, defunct Social Democratic Party Campaign Secretary in old Oyo State and a strong youth activist under the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria. On March 6, 2014 Alhaji Abdul Jelili Oyewale Adesiyan was appointed Minister of Police Affairs into by President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.