VOL. 10. NO.16 N100tuesday, february 24, 2015

www.osundefender.org THE 6TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA

Front Page Comment

- See Story On Page 2

- Pg 3

- Pg 2

- Pg 3

PDP Won’t Succeed In Rigging Out Buhari This Time – Tinubu

Forget Your Ministerial Ambition: APC Senators Tell Obanikoro

Omisore’s Optimism delusional - aPC - Pg 4

Osun Panel Inspects Venue Of assault On adeleke - Pg 5

How PDP Manipulated Osun Poll Rigging Video - Pg 5

•(L-R) Ogun State governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun; All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate in Nigeria, General Muhammadu Buhari; former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair and Senator Bukola Saraki during the Buhari visit to Blair in London last Saturday.

Buhari Meets Jonathan’s Loyalists In Paris

CNPP Decries Political Attacks In Osun

An Appeal To Elected RepresentativesAs the general elec-tions draw nearer, we deem it necessary to make a call to our elected representa-tives on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state of Osun on the need to be up and

appertaining to elec-tion campaigns.No doubt the impor-tance of campaign to winning election cannot be over-em-phasized. Campaign

crucial to winning elec-tion just as evangelism- in religious arena - is crucial to winning souls. All over the world campaign pro-vides opportunity to reach out to the people and sell

candidacy and one’s party ideolo-gy and programmes to the electorate.This is why candi-dates and parties do have sleepless nightsduring

electioneering cam-paigns because they want to try as much as possible to reach all the nooks and crannies within their constituen-cies to meet the people and convince them

on the reason why they (the electorate) have to vote for them. So they are always up and do-ing during this period. Habitually during elec-tioneering campaigns politicians hate to leave any stone unturned.

Continue on pg7

2OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february 24, 2015

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News

PDP Won’t Succeed In Rigging Out Buhari This Time – Tinububy shINa abubakar

a National Leader of the all Progressives Congress (aPC), asiwaju ahmed bola tinubu, has expressed confidence of his party’s victory in the forthcoming

general elections, stating that the ruling Peoples democratic Party (PdP), can’t rig out its presidential candidate, Muhammadu buhari, this time.

Tinubu , who spoke recently at a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Lagos chapter of the APC, insisted that May 29 remains

sacrosanct, adding that the APC has won the elections, except they rig on the other side.

He also said the APC won’t be intimidated by threats from the presidency and PDP ahead of the elections. “We are ready for the elections. They think they are wise by postponing the elections, but they are not. APC has won this election except they rig on the other side. All their intimidation will amount to nothing during the elections.

“They tried to intimidate us during last year Osun State governorship election, but they failed. We will be on the street waiting for them. Since they brought soldiers to my house, I have been sleeping very well because I am not afraid of them.

“We have been working h a r d i n A b u j a . T h e

Independent Nat iona l Electoral Commission (INEC) must use the card readers whether they like it or not. PDP doesn’t want it but we are going to resist their plan. They cannot rig us out. March 28 is sacrosanct but before then, we are going to ensure we get highest of our voters’ Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

“This is the time for unity and understanding. Nigeria is going through challenges and we want to change Nigeria for the interest of the masses. So, this is the time for change. We should also tell our Igbo brothers that we are one for the same economy. The exchange rate rises from N95 to N210 in Jonathan’s hands and he will continue to give us excuses. We must change him,” Tinubu said.

He then appealed to residents of the state to troop out to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

GMB Vows To Declare Assets, Advises Others To Do SamePresIdeNtIaL candidate of the all Progressives

Congress (aPC), Major General Muhammadu buhari (rtd.), said he would publicly declare his

assets and liabilities, if voted into power.H e s a i d h e w o u l d

e n c o u r a g e p o l i t i c a l a p p o i n t e e s i n h i s administrat ion to also declare their assets publicly.

If the APC candidate keeps to his promise, he will be the second Nigeria’s President to publicly declare his assets.

The late President Umaru Yar’Adua, also from Katsina State as Buhari, was the first and the only Nigeria’s President to have publicly declared his assets when he assumed office.

This action forced his then deputy, who is now the President Goodluck Jonathan, to also make his assets declaration forms available to the public.

H o w e v e r , s i n c e he assumed off ice as substant ive President , Jonathan has refused to make the forms available to the public, saying that he did that when he was serving as deputy to Yar’Adua.

Asked during a media chat whether he would consider declaring his assets publicity, the President refused, saying he did not give a damn.

However, Buhari, in the document titled: “I pledge to Nigeria” also

said that all his political appointees would only earn salaries and allowances as prescribed by the Revenue and Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission.

He said: “I pledge to publicly declare my assets and liabilities, encourage all my appointees to publicity declare their assets and liabilities as a pre-condition for appointment.

“All political appointees will only earn the salaries and allowances determined by the RMFAC.”

W h i l e p l e d g i n g t o personally lead the war against corruption in the country, Buhari also said that he would inaugurate the National Council on Procurement as stipulated in the Procurement Act.

He added that the Federal Executive Council, which he said had been turned to a weekly session of contract bazaar, would be made to concentrate on its principal function of policy making.

He said that he would also work with the National Assembly towards the immediate enactment of a Whistle Blower Act.

On the other ways to strengthen the anti-graft war, he said: “We will work

with the National Assembly to strengthen the Independent Corruption Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by guaranteeing institutional a u t o n o m y, i n c l u d i n g financial and prosecutorial independence and security of tenure of officials.

“We will also make the Financial Intelligence Unit of the EFCC autonomous and operational; encourage proactive disclosure of information by government institutions in the spirit of the Freedom of Information Act.”

He also promised that his

government would work with the leadership of the National Assembly and the judiciary to cut down the cost of governance.

On in su rgency and insecurity in the country, the former Head of State said he had had the rare privilege of serving the country in the military in various capacities and rose to the rank of a General and Commander -in -Chief of the Armed Forces, he would defend the integrity of the nation.

“I pledge, as Commander-in-Chief, to lead from the front and not behind in the comfort and security of Aso

Rock, to boost the morale of fighting forces and the generality of all Nigerians,” he said.

On the f a t e o f the kidnapped Chibok girls, Buhari said that as a father, he had been feeling the pains of the victims of insurgency, kidnapping and violence whether “they are widows and orphans of the military, paramilitary, civilians and parents or the Chibok girls.

“My government shall act decisively on any actionable intelligence to #BringBack Our Girls.”

CNPP Decries Political Attacks In Osunby kazeeM MOhaM-

The State of Osun chapter of the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has condemned what it described as “criminal and unprovoked attacks” on some candidates participating in next month’s polls in the state.

It also decried perceived re luc tancy of secur i ty operatives in dealing with many reported incidents of attacks in the state.

The CNPP warned that such attacks portend danger for lives and properties of the people of Osun before, during and after the elections

T h e s t a t e c h a i r m a n of CNPP, Pastor Popoola Olatunji, who doubles as the chairman of All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) in Osun, spoke while addressing a press conference in Osogbo, the state capital.

He said it was imperative for the security agencies in the state to nip such acts in the bud as quickly as they occur to douse the rising tension and prevent breakdown of law and order.

He attributed the violence b e i n g p e r p a t r a t e d b y politicians to over-ambition, cal l ing on the securi ty agencies to be alive to their responsibilities.

CDHR Expresses Concerns Over Electoral Violencethe Committee for the defence of human rights

(Cdhr) has condemned the pre-election crisis, as Nigerians await the March 28 and april 11 general

elections.CDHR in a statement

by its Coordinator in the State of Osun, Comrade Akinkunmi Asifat, said the recent development, especially the ugly incident at the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally at Okrika, Rivers State call for serious concern.

He said it was worrisome that in a country where civil rule is in practice and freedom of association, movement was embedded in the Constitution but people are still flagrantly

violating these rights.The organization however

warned the ruling class to play according to the rule of law.

“As an o rgan iza t ion of people from different backgrounds, which had contributed immensely to the restoration of democratic rule in the country, we find it not comfortable with the way and manner the ruling class is toying with the democratic right of the people.

“We are using this medium

to warn the ruling class to desist from any action that is capable of plunging this nation into crisis.

CDHR also acknowledged the success of Nigeria Military in the recent operation against the dreadful terrorists group called Boko Haram, saying the successful engagement has re-affirmed people’s confidence in the strength and fitness of the Nigerian military against any internal and external insurgency.

“Whilst we took proper account of the loss that this terrorist group has foisted on Nigerian population, we are of the strong opinion that if not because of the conspiracy

of the ruling elites, any group of this nature should have been wiped out within little time.

We however blame the ruling class for the spread of this group and its dreadful operations on the Nigerian nation, most especially in the North-Eastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.”

CDHR however said it will not relent in correcting the failure of the ruling class saying it is one of the duties history beckons on the organization.

by kehINde ayaNtuNjI

•(L-R) Barrister Ajibola Bashiru; State of Osun All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Prince Gboyega famodun; former Commissioner for Information and Strategy in the state, Mr Sunday Akere and APC Secretary in the state, Mr Razak Salensile during a press conference addressed by the APC chairman in response to the showing of the fake video clip on television stations in Nigeria by PDP and femi fani-Kayode, on Osun governorship election of August 9, 2014 at the APC State Secretariat in Osogbo, last friday. Photo: GBeNGA ADeNIYI.

3 News OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february

•Photo of the day. Source; facebook.

by fraNCIs ezedIuNO

Fayose Unleashing Violence On Our Members, APC Tells NHRCthe all Progressives Congress (aPC) has petitioned

the National human rights Commission over alleged attacks on its members and supporters in

ekiti state by Governor ayo fayose and his loyalists.The Executive Secretary

o f t h e c o m m i s s i o n , Professor Bem Angwe, while receiving a copy of the petition in Abuja on Friday, expressed shock over the weighty allegations against the governor.

He assured them that the allegations against the governor would be “thoroughly investigated”.

The party alleged that with the current wave of attacks on its members in the state, violence-free elections could not be guaranteed in the forthcoming polls, if the trend was not checked.

The petitioner accused Fayose using thugs to

cause political violence in the state. It added that the thugs physically attacked and intimidated opposition personalities in the state.

The APC alleged that Fayose’s activities were undermining the peace pact recently signed by all presidential candidates i n t h e f o r t h c o m i n g polls, including those of the Peoples Democratic Party, President Goodluck Jonathan and the Al l Progressives Congress, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).

In its petition submitted to the commission by the secretary of the party in Ekiti

State, Omotosho Ayodele, the party said this wave of violence had continued with attendant destruction of property despite the series of complaints lodged with the police for their intervention.

Ayodele spoke while submitting the petition to Angwe.

He said: “We are here over the present political situation in Ekiti State. We, all Nigerians, are busy praying for peace, what we have in Ekiti State is a clear departure from that. As the commission (NHRC) is clamouring for a violence-free poll, we are aware of the determination of the commission to bring the perpetrators of violence in the polls to book.

“Unfo r tuna te ly, t he person who is supposed to

be the Chief Security Officer in Ekiti State is the person unleashing this violence in the state. Fayose’s boys are always on the streets macheting people, scaring people, vehicles are being damaged, houses damaged in spite of various petitions to the police, nothing has been done.

“Governor Fayose does his things with impunity and nobody challenges him. With what we have seen so far, we can no longer guarantee violence-free elections in Ekiti State. The activities of Fayose are undermining the peace pact signed by our presidential candidate Gene ra l Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) and President Goodluck Jonathan.”

He recalled that on January 21,2015 alleged Fayose’s thugs “and members of the

Oodua Peoples Congress d ressed in Army and Police uniforms backed by policemen attached to the Government House, ransacked and vandalised the APC Secretariat on Ajilosun Street, Ado-Ekiti.”

He said during the attack, the security guards on duty at the APC office were physically assaulted.

He added:”On January 24, 2015, Adeleke Samson, a student’s union leader, who attended the APC presidential rally in Ado-Ekiti with his colleagues, was violently attacked by Mr. Fayose’s thugs. He sustained life-threatening injuries on his head.”

H o w e v e r , A n g w e warned that the petitioner must be ready to face the consequences if its allegations turned out to be false.

He however assured that nobody found wanting in the allegations would be spared, if the allegations were true.

He also restated the resolve of the commission to bring the promoters of violence and hate speech during and after the 2015 general elections in the country to book.

He said, “The National Human Rights Commission is home for all Nigerians, irrespective of religion, ethnicity and polit ical aff i l iat ions. I want to commend you for taking this cause of action and not to take the laws into your hands.

“Your allegations are against a sitting governor, which has consequences, because if they are false, t h e y p o r t e n d s e r i o u s consequences, and if they are true, they still have consequences.

“We at the commission

are saddened by these a l l e g a t i o n s . We a r e determined to ensure that people get remedy whenever their rights are abused.

“It will be sad if the allegations are proven a g a i n s t a n e x e c u t i v e governor, who has sworn to an oath to protect lives and properties.

“Africa should move away from the days of President Idi Amin of Uganda, where people’s rights were trampled upon with impunity.

“Nigeria has empowered the commission to ensure that impunity is stamped out . By th i s s ingular act of empowering the commission to do its job, we are committed to ensuring that the culture of impunity is a thing of the past.

“We would ensure that the allegations are thoroughly investigated and ensure that appropriate sanctions are meted out to anybody found culpable, no matter how highly-placed.

“This commission has the mandate to investigate and prosecute any person found to have violated the rights of others. The commission has established a mass atrocities unit to prosecute all those found guil ty of r ights abuses during and after the elections. The Commission will obtain the necessary fiat to ensure the prosecution of all those that will be found culpable of electoral fraud and violence.

Forget Your Ministerial Ambition: APC Senators Tell ObanikoroMeMbers of the all Progressives Congress (aPC)

in the senate on thursday said they were resolved to stop the re-appointment of senator Musiliu

Obanikoro as minister following his alleged indictment in the use of the military to rig the ekiti governorship election in june last year.

Spokesperson of the APC Senate Caucus, Babafemi Ojudu, who spoke recently in Abuja, explained that other senators from the ruling-Peoples Democratic Party were also being co-opted into the struggle.

He said APC senators had started mobilising themselves to frustrate Obanikoro’s clearance and approval for fresh appointment.

He said: “We will do everything possible to stop

Obanikoro from being cleared as a minister. Ordinarily, being a former senator, he is expected to take a bow and receive automatic clearance, but in the present circumstance, he has serious issues to clear.

“In a normal society, he should have been picked by security agents and quizzed over his involvement in the criminal act of using the military to subvert a democratic process.

“This is a man who used the name of President

Goodluck Jonathan to intimidate and harass military officers. He even threatened to determine the fate of the soldier, as the then Minister of State for Defence, if he failed to carry out the alleged rigging plot.

“It is not only the APC senators that are involved in this struggle; senators from other political parties, who are genuine democrats, have pledged their loyalty for the noble cause.”

M e a n w h i l e , O j u d u , representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District, has said that federal lawmakers from his state would set in motion procedures for the taking over of the legislative activities of the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

Ojudu explained that both

chambers of the federal legislature would have taken over the responsibility of the state legislators, if the Senate President, David Mark, had not halted the process in December last year.

He lamented that the alleged illegality being perpetrated by seven PDP members of the 26-member of the Ekiti Assembly would have been curtailed, if Mark had not stopped a motion for the take-over at the upper legislative chamber.

He said: “We tried to bring it (motion for the takeover) to the Senate before we closed for Christmas break, but it was not allowed by Senator David Mark.

“Three of us from Ekiti went to see him about it, but he declined to allow us

Buhari Meets Jonathan’s Loyalists In Paristhe Presidential candidate of the all

Progressives Congress, aPC, Muhammadu buhari, may have held a secret meeting last night

with some loyalists of President Goodluck jonathan in Paris, sources said from the french capital.

Buhari left Nigeria on Thursday morning officially to hold meetings with key members o f t he British political class and interact with some global institutions.

He has gone to Paris first to meet with some close allies of Jonathan, who are seeking reassurance that they won’t be jailed by a Buhari presidency.

It was learnt that Bola Tinubu, an APC leader, two Nigerian former heads of state and a wealthy Lebanese family with extensive business interests in Nigeria may have been part of the people brokering the deal in Paris during a meeting on Thursday night.

T h e m e e t i n g w a s arranged by a foreign power in Nigeria that seems to have written off President Jonathan.

The negotiations, it was learnt, are based on the fear

in Jonathan’s circle that Buhari will try and convict all the top people in the Jonathan administration ,who are known to have stolen a lot of cash from the nation’s treasury.

It was learnt that Buhari and the top leadership of APC may be considering amnesty for some of them if he is eventually elected on 28 March.

The discussions are referred to as the Brazillian model, a type of deal where the president offers amnesty and asks the thieves to bring home the money stolen and invest it in the economy.

4 OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february News

•STRuGGLe TO SuRvIve: Young men pushing a truck loaded with planks at Alekuwodo area of Osogbo last Saturday. Photo: GBeNGA ADeNIYI

by fraNCIs ezedIuNO

by kazeeM MOhaMMed

Change Of NameI, formerly known as

MuIbat MONILOLa adebayO now wish to be called and addressed as MuIbat MONILOLa a d e b a y O -OyedeLe . All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

Maritime Body, NIMASA, Behind Hate Campaigns Against Buhari - APCthe all Progressive Congress Presidential Campaign

Organisation has accused the Nigerian Maritime administration and safety agency (NIMasa) of

orchestrating hate campaigns against the party’s presidential candidate, Muhammadu buhari, and his family, through recent documentaries aired by aIt and the NIGerIaN teLeVIsION authOrIty.

The APC said on Thursday it was in possession of evidence linking a top management staff of the maritime agency to campaigns against Buhari.

The campaign’s Director of Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said the office has confirmed that the agency was indeed the sponsor of all the “dirty campaigns”

propagating hate messages against Buhari on the two television stations and several other media platforms.

According to Shehu, the act contravenes the NIMASA Act, the Public Service Regulations, and the Independent National Electoral Commission Act 2010, as amended, among others.

T h e A P C c r i t i c i s e d a s i t u a t i o n w h e r e b y a government agency uses public funds to sponsor a campaign of calumny against the APC candidate, saying it was not only illegal, but should also be condemned and investigated by the joint committees of the National Assembly on Marine Transportation.

“It is a well-known fact that the Director-General of the Agency, Ziakede Patrick Akpobolokemi, was President Goodluck Jonathan’s aide and a well-known ex-militant’s errand boy.

“He was appointed in NIMASA for the sole aim of satisfying an ex-militant’s camp, an assignment he has carried out well to the

satisfaction of those who put him there through the award of a concessionaire phantom PPP project,” the party said.

“Under this contract, a certain company, (Global West Vessels Specialists Ltd) was handed the legal responsibility of the Nigerian Navy (NN) of protecting the nation’s waterways and NIMASA’s maritime security function to the surprise of all industry observers, yet fail woefully in offering the necessary protection for the theft of Nigerian crude oil, which has only increased since then among other sea-related crimes,” the statement said.

The APC decried the “increasing helplessness” of regulatory agencies charged

with the responsibility of c e r t i f y i n g c o m m e r c i a l advertising, adding that they are now being ignored by the ruling PDP in placing libellous and defamatory campaign materials against the opposition in TV stations they control.

T h e s t a t e m e n t s a i d President Goodluck Jonathan should prove to Nigerians his sincerity and commitment to the rule of law by taking immediate action against the NIMASA boss over this apparent abuse of office.

“It is not enough for President Jonathan to claim he doesn’t know the sponsors of smear adverts if he lacks the courage to punish them once they are exposed,” Mr.

Shehu said.However, Deputy Director/

Head Publ ic Rela t ions , NIMASA, Isichie Osamgbi, in his reaction dismissed the accusations as blatant lies against the organization, saying the allegations were deliberately misleading, as NIMASA did not want to be drawn into politics in any manner.

According to Osamgbi, NIMASA, as an agency, and its Director General, Ziakede Akpobolokemi, have never been involved in any form of campaign against any politician, nor sponsor same.

Inisa Commends Aregbesola On School Infrastructure Developmentthe Inisa Progressive union has commended the

government of the state of Osun under the administration of Ogbeni rauf aregbesola for his

many laudable projects in the education sector in the state.T h i s c o m m e n d a t i o n

was made on the heels of the transformation work on the Ansar-Ud-Deen (AUD) Elementary School, Inisa by the State Universal Education Board (SUBEB).

The President of Inisa Progressive Union, Kayode Olanipekun, who could not hide his joy at the development, observed that many people carry on with the thought that Inisa, not being the headquarters of Odo-Otin Local Government Council Area, cannot provide conditions necessary for basic educational requirements.

He noted that Inisa was a developed town and therefore, qualified to deserve the best that could come to its youths in terms of education.

O l a n i p e k u n f u r t h e r explained that part of the reasons why Inisa people were struggling to get their ow n loca l gove rnmen t council was that there would be improvements in terms of educational opportunities available to them at home.

In a separate interview, the Permanent Secretary of Osun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Alhaji Fatai Kolawole, stated that the objective of SUBEB was to provide the best of basic education for the children of elementary school

age in the state and Inisa town was inclusive.

He revealed that SUBEB was in partnership with the O’SCHOOL in providing basic infrastructure to schools and as an agency of the

Ministry of Education, basic instructional and educational aid would be provided to the pupils.

The SUBEB boss hinted that the state government had been of great help towards ensuring that the educational standards of public elementary schools in the state were maintained and were of the highest order.

“We must really commend the administration of Ogbeni

Rauf Aregbesola for ensuring tha t bas ic educat ion i s available for every child on Osun, notwithstanding the location or circumstances of birth.

“This is indeed a good development and we will work along with this government to ensure its success, just like the school feeding scheme is gaining momentum.”

The representative of the Millennium Development

Oyintiloye Alerts Electorate Over PDP Liesthe all Progressives Congress (aPC) candidate for

Obokun state Constituency in the state of Osun house of assembly, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has

alerted the people about the “usual tactics” of the Peoples democratic Party (PdP) in spreading falsehood to win elections by all means.

He was reacting to a video clip released by the Director of Media, PDP Campaign Organisation, Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, alleging that the August 9, 2014 governorship election in the state was rigged.

A t a s e n s i t i s a t i o n programme in Ibokun at the weekend, while joining his party in calling for the investigation into the “fake video”, he said it has become the practice of the PDP to fabricate l ies whenever elections are coming.

He said: “The enemies of progress have started their usual style of fabricating lies, when elections or any major political event is in sight. The fake video just released is one of such lies.

“Sometimes in 2014, they

lied that members of the state and national assemblies elected in 2011 by the good people of Osun were sacked by the Court of Appeal and the lies spread like wild fire, but only last week, a Federal High Court in Osogbo just ruled that the suit the PDP filed against the elections of the lawmakers had no merit at all and dismissed it.

“Also, when the election petition tribunal that heard the petition over the August 9, 2014 governorship election was here, sometimes these agents of falsehood lied that the ballots have been recounted and that they were leading.

“Later, when the tribunal was still hearing the matter, they lied that the tribunal had delivered judgement and it

favoured them, but later, their petition was dismissed.

“There were so many lies they told, even before and after the said elections, eventually, all their insinuations were found to be outright falsehood.

“The question to ask is: Why has the PDP refused to present the video clips as evidence before the tribunal if they know that it was real. Afterall, they claimed to have had the video since November 17, 2014 and as at that time, they still had opportunity to present it,” Oyintiloye queried.

He said regardless of the resolve of the people to stand by the APC and all its candidates in the coming elections, PDP agents would still come up with so many other falsehood, with a view to winning the election with different dimension of lies.

T h e A P C c a n d i d a t e charged the people not to allow the antics of the PDP to demoralise them, saying, it was part of their styles to divert attention from the change that Nigerians have

been clamouring for.Reiterating the resolve of

his party and its candidates not to be distracted, he specifically emphasised his resolve to ensure quality representation o f h i s c o n s t i t u e n t s i f eventually elected.

He however, urged the people of his constituency not to go back in the support being given to him and his party.

O m i s o r e ’ s O p t i -mism Delusional the all Progressives Congress (aPC) in the state of

Osun has stated that Iyiola Omisore’s delusional ambition to become governor of the state is seriously

affecting his ability to face the reality that he not only lost the last gubernatorial election on august 9, 2014, the people of Osun do not even consider him fit to govern in a civilised and virtuous state.

‘This verdict by the people was and still is, in spite of the terrorism of state security forces unleashed on Osun before, during and after the August 9 election, and the vile propaganda, which the PDP had mounted since 2011 till date in a failed attempt to demonise Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola-led APC government.

The party’s directorate of publicity was reacting to Omisore’s assertion in the media on Sunday in which he said a video clip which the PDP circulated last week in Abuja was evidence that the APC rigged the governorship election in the state.

H o w e v e r, i n a s w i f t response by the state chapter of APC signed by its Director of Publicity, Barrister Kunle Oyatomi, the party described as ‘delutional’, Omisore’s optimism that the video will make any difference to the worthlessness of his case at the Court of Appeal.

According to the APC spokesman, the case Omisore argued for 180 days at the Tribunal was meticulously dismantled in a landmark judgment that lasted over seven hours by the three-man panel, which struck it out as unworthy in every material particular.

The APC wondered what would have gone wrong with the PDP chieftain, who had this so-called video clip evidence that he could have presented at the tribunal, but failed to do so.

“Did this fellow (Omisore) seriously think that the Court of Appeal will accommodate this after-thought?” the APC asked, adding that the reason that video was not presented to the Tribunal in the first instance was because it was fake.

“The APC had gotten wind of the production of the particular video since November last year and had informed security forces accordingly. This move was in part, what prevented the PDP from presenting it at the Tribunal as was their original plan,” the APC said .

“If the PDP lawyers rested the worthless video because it could not fly at the tribunal, what banal reasoning would have informed the PDP spin doctors now making silly noises about it as a publicity

material?, the APC asked.“That video is the product

of PDP’s sordid imagination to accuse others of what it had been caught pants down doing in Ekiti State,” the APC insisted, claiming that ‘it was sheer baloney and a valueless attempt to mitigate the effect of the audio evidence of how politicians, government officials and some top uniformed men used the security apparatus of state to rig election for the PDP in Ekiti State.

“Only the PDP and some of its unreasonable supporters are entertained by such childishness,” the APC stressed.

Goals (MDG), Abdullahi Binuyo, explained that part of the target of the MDG was to ensure the provision of compulsory basic education, which from all indications, the government had been striving to achieve.

He assured that as far as MDG was concerned, they would ensure that the goals for establishing it would be felt in every nook and cranny of the

5555 News OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february

by kazeeM MOhaMMed

by IsMaeeL uthMaN

•Oromu road in Ilesa, State of Osun, asphalted by Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration, last friday. Photo: GBeNGA ADeNIYI.

How PDP Manipulated Osun Poll Rigging VideoOsuN state chapter of all Progressive Congress

(aPC) has challenged the Nigeria Police and the department of state service (dss), to investigate

the “fake video” on the alleged rigging of august 9, 2014 governorship polls by the aPC, released by the director of Media, Goodluck jonathan Campaign Organisation, femi fani-kayode.

The party also threatened to institute a legal action against Fani-Kayode, if he failed to apologize for allegedly telling lies against it, stressing that the video was fabricated and meant to malign the APC.

Should security agents fail to prosecute Fani-Kayode, the party would compel the governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to set up an independent panel to look into the matter.

The state chairman of the party, Prince Gboyega Famodun, while addressing a press conference in Osogbo, the state capital on Friday, said the PDP intended to use the video to deceive Nigerians, saying, Osun APC would not allow any individual or party to drag its image in the mud.

Accusing the security operatives of conniving with the PDP over the fabricated video footage, Famodun said the APC had written to the police and the DSS to investigate the video but was surprised that the security agencies refused to take any action on it since November 17, 2014.

He said the party, through i t s l awyer, Mr. Daud Akinloye, had petitioned the security agencies, but the two agencies had refused to act on the petition.

F a m o d u n s a i d : “ I t is unfortunate that the collaborative disposition of the Nigerian security community, particularly the DSS and the police, is allowing the PDP to foist sinister agenda on Nigerians

as usual. “This is because we have

alerted the two security agencies of this evil agenda of the PDP since November 17, 2014 when we got hold of the evil tape scripted by the PDP.

“APC is demanding for an independent Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the entire process leading to the Osun election. We

demand an exposition of all that happened two weeks to the election, the night before the election and on the day of the election up to the announcement of the election result the following morning.

“When the panel of inquiry is convoked, it must be given the power to extract evidence from

anybody through invitation and that nobody must refuse to appear before it.

“Failure by the President, National Assembly and security agents to act on this within two weeks, we will call on the governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, to take up the task of setting up a panel of inquiry without delay,” Famoodun said.

H e d i s m i s s e d t h e accusations that APC rigged the Osun polls, saying if the tape was genuine, PDP would have taken it to the tribunal to prosecute its case.

Osun Panel Inspects Venue Of Assault On Adelekeju s t I C e M o s h o o d a d e i g b e -

l e d C o m m i s s i o n o f e n q u i r y on disturbance of Public Peace in the state of Osun

has inspected the Ideal Nest hotel, Osogbo, where senator Isiaka adeleke was allegedly assaulted by the Minister of Police affairs, alhaji jelili adesiyan, his aide, sogo agboola and governorship candidate of the Peoples democratic Party (PdP), senator Iyiola Omisore.The panel had on the previous day of adjournment promised to inspect the v e n u e t o f u r t h e r i t s investigation on the petition filed before the commission

by Adeleke, who alleged that Adesiyan, Agboola and Omisore beat him on May 3, 2014.

S e c r e t a r y t o t h e commiss ion , Mr Bis i Babalola and Mr Ismail

Ajibade were part of the team for the inspection.

One of the eye-witnesses, w h o t e s t i f i e d t o t h e allegation, Mr Oladipupo Fabode, led the commission to the venue on Thursday.

F a b o d e , a n a i d e t o A d e l e k e , t o l d t h e commission that he was at the hotel with the first executive governor in the state, when Adesiyan allegedly punched Adeleke at the chest.

According to him, all the PDP governorship aspirants for the August 9, 2014

election in the state were holding meeting with some party delegates from Abuja on the day of the incident.

Fabode narrated that Adesiyan, Agboola and Omisore and the state chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa, were sitting at the reception of the hotel, when Adeleke came in.

He stated that Adeleke a p p r o a c h e d t h e P D P stalwarts to greet them, but suddenly, Adesiyan stood up and punched him on the chest.

J u s t i c e A d e i g b e , however, promised to make a recommendation to the state government based on the evidence before the commission.

Meanwhile, Adesiyan, Agboola and Omisore have never appeared before the commission since the beginning of the sitting of the panel.

LAUTECH To Embark On Industrial Action Over Salaries Owed By Oyo GovtWOrkers of the Ladoke akintola university of

technology (LauteCh) teaching hospital in Osogbo have said that they would embark on

an indefinite strike starting from Tuesday, February 20, 2015.

The workers, under the Joint Negotiation Council of Union of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, have sent a letter to the Chief Medical Director, Professor Femi Fadiora, to notify him of the commencement of the industrial action.

According to the letter, the workers were agitating for the payment of November and December 2013 salaries which amounted to N150 million.

A copy of the letter o b t a i n e d b y O s u N defeNder on Sunday reads : “Ar i s ing f rom her meeting held today, Thursday 19th February, 2015, where the issue of 2013 outstanding salary arrears was deliberated upon extensively, that despite the communiqués jointly signed by the Government of the State of Osun and LTH management with the unions and several letters and reminders with the latest dated 29th January, 2015 in which a 14-day ultimatum was given to effect the payment of 2013 outstanding salaries (November and December, 2013) amounting to N150 million without any positive response till now.

“ H a v i n g e x p l o r e d all available avenues to secure the payment of the outstanding salaries without success, the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) of the unions in LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, has decided to notify the management of an indefinite industrial action with effect from 8:00am on Tuesday,

24th February, 2015. The strike is going to be total.”

The letter was signed by five unions in the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital.

Investigation by OsuN defeNder, however, revealed that Oyo State government was responsible for the payment of the workers’ salaries from July to December 2013.

LAUTECH is jointly-owned by Osun and Oyo State governments.

However, Oyo State government refused to shoulder the responsibility as it refused to pay the workers’ salaries, leaving it to the Osun government.

It was gathered that

the Oyo government was uncomfortable with the recruitment of new workers and elevation of the old ones by the management of the LAUTECH Teaching Hospital in Osogbo early 2013.

However, Governor Rauf Aregbesola paid four out of the six-month salaries owed by the Oyo state government in 2013.

Osun government has since July 2013 been solely paying the workers’ salaries,

while its counterpart from Oyo has refused to pay.

There had been written agreement bounding on the Osun and Oyo state g o v e r n m e n t s o n t h e rotational payment of the LAUTECH workers salaries between the two.

by IsMaeeL uthMaN

Don’t Postpone Polls Again, UN Tells FGuNIted Nations secretary-General, ban ki-moon,

has urged the federal Government of Nigeria to ensure that the new dates set for the general

elections are maintained, following the recent postponement.

The polls, originally scheduled for February 14 and 28, were rescheduled to March 28 and 11 April, 2015 following appeals by the armed forces to delay the vote for six weeks within which to combat the Boko Haram terrorist threat.

In a statement on Friday, the Secretary-General welcomed commitments by

the presidential candidates to respect the new calendar and commended the progress made by the Independent N a t i o n a l E l e c t o r a l Commission (INEC) in the preparation for the elections, including the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

In addition, Ban urged a l l r e l e v a n t n a t i o n a l

institutions to continue to work with INEC “to ensure a l l voters can exercise their constitutional right to participate in the elections freely and without intimidation.”

He expressed strong concerns over reports of election-related violence and urged all political leaders to adhere to their commitments under the Abuja Accord, “to refrain from inflammatory s t a t e m e n t s a n d t o immediate ly condemn any statements from their

supporters that amount to an incitement to violence or subversion of the electoral process.”

Ban reiterated that the UN would continue to closely follow developments in the country and that the organisation was offering its full support to Nigeria at this important moment, particularly through the ongoing active engagement o f h i s H i g h - L e v e l Representative to Nigeria, Mohamed Ibn Chambas.

6 OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february

An Appeal To Elected Representatives Continued from pg1

This is the practice the world over as far as countries where democracy has taken its root are concerned. Even for an in-cumbent who has done well in office and still wants to go for another term he wouldn’t rely on his record of performance and then relax. No, he still goes out to talk to people and con-vince them on why they have to return him. We have witnessed this both locally and internationally and we have discovered that campaign period - even for an incumbent who has not performed up to expectation - does provide another oppor-tunity to re-assure his constit-uents of a better offer if given another opportunity. It provides

opportunity to clear the air on is-sues that might warrant a change of mind by the electorate against a particular incumbent. Thus it’s a period to mend fences.We strongly feel that things cannot and it should not be different in our dear state with respect to the scenario painted above. Honestly we have not seen our elected representatives here to be doing enough to gal-vanise the support of the people. We are yet to see them hit the ground running as far as what real campaign actually requires especially pertaining to making use of the media. And as they also know media campaign is an integral part of electioneering campaign generally.It’s important to note that no campaign can be effective without the use of the media as the media provides the avenue

to reach the people more than any other means. In modern election-eering campaign media campaign is very crucial to reaching the electorate. There is no doubt about this. And when we talk of media campaign we mean radio/televi-sion jingles, interviews - both in print and electronic media and advertisements.The aforementioned are very germane as strategies to winning the electorate to one’s side. For they are the salt of any election-eering campaign. They also serve as condiments that further add sweetness to the campaign soup. Thus a candidate who ignores these only does so to his own peril. Even where your record of good performance speaks for you, it’s still not enough to go to bed and sleep and hope to win election - just like that.Given that ours is still a political

terrain full of mudslinging and where opponents revel in using their tongues to rubbish the good performance of the incumbent then it becomes highly impera-tive for the elected representa-tives to go out to work and speak to the people through the wide scope of communication which the media provides. It’s import-ant to take full advantage of the media to resell themselves to the electorate.Much as we appreciate their cooperation with the Chief Exec-utive of the state; their support in bringing about the laudable projects being successfully carried out in the state by the Governor, especially the school building projects, we cannot but still enjoin them to do more towards ensuring an effective campaign that will guarantee

OSUN DEFENDERPublisher – Moremi Publishing House Ltd.

Managing Editor – Kola Olabisi (0803-392-7286)

Editor – Kayode Agbaje (0803-388-0205)

Lagos Editor – Kola Odepeju (08023191891) Production Editor – Pet-Kola Taiwo Ibitowa Senior Reporter – Sola JacobsSenior Reporter – Kazeem Mohammed

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Reporter – Kehinde AyantunjiReporter – Francis Chukwuma

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Computer Operator – Saheed AfolabiComputer Operator – Mary AkintolaAssistant Computer Operator – Lukman Oseni 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: 0794-8050Telephone: 0803-392-7286, 08033880205Website: www.osundefender.com/index.phpe-mail: osundefender@yahoo.com

T h e U g l y S i d e O f P D P AT a point, I have decided

to keep mute over political issues due

to influx of blackmailers, propagandists and loquacious m i n d s i n t h e P e o p l e s Democratic Party (PDP).

These crops of people are like newly-initiated cultists. They want to a t tend al l converges, engage in all illegal ‘maps’ just to please the capon, who will in turn promote them or sent them on another deadly errand.

Recently, a 17-year old teenager, was said to have described as free and fair, the 9th December, 2014 governorship primary and I question, is a 17-year old boy, eligible to vote and be voted for?

A week ago, it was alleged that, somebody’s wife portrayed her husband’s benefactor cum friend as ‘short man’ incapable of becoming the governor of the state. And I query, when did a female foreigner become a king maker in a strange land?

Some days ago, it was gathered that, someone’s cousin abused his boss’ succession machine in the midst of people. And I inquire, is he a puppet or a candidate?

I don’t want to talk about how I was blackmailed by some surreal journalists and

publisher, just to please this bank teller. But I ask them, can this stooge recognise you in a sea of heads? What if I expose your dirty deals, will he exonerate or sack you?

These blackmailers have shifted their abusive techniques to OBJ- a man they can’t untie the lace of his shoes. And I refer them to Ephesian 6, but ask them, if any body in their nuclear/extended families has ever been a military president, talkless of being a civilian

president and BOT chairman of trumpet-blown largest political party in Africa.

All these instances happen in the Peoples Democratic Party, under the tenure of Obong Paul Ekpo as the state chairman of PDP.

Their reasons are not far-fetched.

Ekanem moved a motion for the recall of Senator Aloysious Etuk, thereafter, he was double honoured with commissioner’s appointment and House of

Representatives ticket.Ekon slapped an Ibibio

lawmaker, today, he has been given another ticket and flag.

So why won’t people indulge in blackmail and propaganda, just to be honoured by the powers that be?

Oh PDP! Are you Peoples Democratic Party? Or PEOPLE DUPE PEOPLE? If you are a democratic group, why should 22 be lesser than 1? Who are the people remaining in your party?

Your founders in the state

such as Udoedehe, Sunny Jackson, Okon Joshua, to mention only three have gone.

Yo u r i m m e d i a t e p a s t BOT chairman-OBJ has said ‘farewell to corruption and drug baron’. Are you aware?

People now reject you as sinners reject sin...they sing, while moving for ‘alter call’ as follows—Goodbye PDP, I stay no longer with you (2x)...goodbye treasures of corruption, I stay no longer with you...I have made up my

mind to go God’s way for the rest of my life...I have made up my mind, to go that way for the rest of my life.

Yes GEJ is a Christian, but does God like corruption? If he doesn’t, then why pray for a corruption-mingled leader to return for a second term under the pretence that he is a Christian.

Nowadays, they rubbish GMB on electronics and social network...yet, his supporters are unshaken.

I will see the end of this PDP, when the APC becomes victorious on the 28th March and 11th April, 2015.

It may look misnomer, but it is the truth...before OBJ tore his card, he had weighed GEJ, and has seen his impossibility of emerging victorious in the March 28 election.

OBJ has gone for life...PDP has gone for life...

Th ink d i spensa t ion . . .think Interegnum.. . .even God is angry with Nigeria’s Democracy headed by this man, Jonathan.

•TOROBONG eKPO, uyo.

G o o d G o v e r -Hopes, Expectations Rekindled! This edition continues the dissection of anticipation, hopes and expectations of the people as Governor Rauf Aregbesola carries on with his developmental strides in turning the tide around positively for the people of the State of Osun. NIYI OLASINDe does justice to the topic as he approaches it sector by sector.

Fresh Tenure Well Deserved:OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february 24, 2015

5557

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (right), acknowledging cheers from his admirers after casting his vote during the referendum, recently.

8 OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february

Hopes, Expectations Rekindled!

Continued on page 9

magaziNe

•AReGBeSOLA •LAOYe-TOMORI

· Continued from Tuesday, february 10, 2015.

THE last edition in this series closed at the point where we considered in full the events of the last Gubernatorial Elections in the state

and the fall-out from the victory of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. This edition is a promise kept as we shall begin to consider in clear and lucid terms the expectations, hopes yearnings and anticipation of the people of the state as the second tenure of the administration rolls by. This effort shall be approached on sector-by-sector basis. We have earlier devoted time and effort to considering the laudable achievements of the administration during its first tenure in office. Also, time and time again, we have considered the pact that Ogbeni Aregbesola made with the people of the state; which encapsulates the Six-Point Integral Action Plan and other detailed cardinal guidelines that form the policy thrust of the administration. Beyond the achievements and the policy guidelines lies en untrodden strand – the strand of expectations. This and the next editions in this series shall be dev9oted to capturing these hopes and expectations.

If we ignore paucity of funds, which has become the bane of the Nigerian society of today, we need no prophet to infer to us that the administration of Ogbeni Aregbesola means well for the people of the State of Osun. The unprecedented laudable achievements it took the first four years of his administration to launch are enough justification for this claim. Already on ground are other projects that are ongoing and which have reached various stages of completion. In complement to all these are other projects, programmes, services and infrastructure which either form part of the Six-Point Integral Action Plan or not; but are expectations of the people and which also align with the policy thrust of the administration. We shall in due course of time begin to espouse these one after the other.

· agriculture and rural development; Livestock, forestry, fisheries and food security

HAVING considered the laudable achievements

of the Aregbesola administration in this sub-sector of the state, we need to look yonder to the grounds that the people expect to cover within the next four years. In passing, we took toll of the State of Osun Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Programme (O’REAP), and other programmes and projects which are mutually reconstructive with it. Most of these programmes and project are like offshoots to the O’REAP. We have in the list of programme and projects O”BEEF, O’FISH, O’HONEY and the likes. We also have the massive construction of rural access roads under the Rural Access Mobility Project (RAMP) and other independent infrastructure projects. The State of Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) has been greatly complementary to the agricultural growth and development of the state under the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. The resuscitation and enlivenment witnessed by our farm settlements deserve much commendation. We remember the effort taken in fertilizer procurement and distribution, chemicals provision, peat control and provision of pesticides, provision of improved seeds and seedlings and other efforts. Al these efforts have tremendously given a boost to agricultural productivity and food security in the past four years under the auspices of the Aregbesola administration.

All these and other achievements recorded in the sub-sector by the Aregbesola administration are a promise kept; as the administration had long made its pact with the people of the state. Relevant portions of the pact are here put under reference as reminder and as preparatory guide to the task of baring the hopes and expectations of the people for the sub-sector for the next four-year period:

My PaCt WIth the PeOPLe Of the state Of OsuN

In September 1886, at a camp between Okemesi and Igbajo the armistice ending the twenty year civil war in (KIRIJI), our Obas, generals and leaders pledged themselves to the pursuit of PEACE PROGRESS and PROSPERITY among the children of Oduduwa. This grace we enjoyed till about 1962 when the Western House of

Assembly was sacked and the Federalism which gave the Yoruba room to pursue the promise of KIRIJI was terminated in all but name. The end result is that today as we approach the 2007 general elections Peace, Progress and Prosperity can no longer be taken for granted amongst us. There is imminent fear of

1) Political disenfranchisement2) Economic stagnation3) Socio-psychological insecurity The above are the reasons I decided to run for

the office of Governor in the heartland state of Osun –ipinle Omoluabi.

What I offer you therefore can be termed Government Unusual-A Government totally committed to unlocking the latent potentials in our people, a phenomenon unknown in southwest Nigeria since the days of Chief Obafemi Awolowo.

What obtains today is a ruling class tainted with greed, avarice, ineptitude and barefaced terrorism while our people continue to languish in hunger, insecurity, disease and squalor.

My mission and ambition are to restore to the people, a state of peace, opportunity, for progress and room for the pursuit of prosperity in our time under a people friendly government.

I give you Six-Point Integral Action plan, to the intent that they constitute my actions of faith concerning which I want to be held accountable at any time during my stewardship.

sIX POINt INteGraL aCtION PLaN· banish Poverty · banish hunger· banish unemployment (Create Work/

Wealth)· restore healthy Living · Promote functional education· enhance Communal Peace and ProgressbaNIsh POVertyCOMMerCevision: To make Osogbo the second hub in

international trade in goods and commodities in the Southwest.

Osun people’s natural affinity for commerce has been dampened over the years by unfriendly and unfocused economic policies of government

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Continued on page 10

Hopes, Expectations Rekindled!

Continued from page 8

magaziNe OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february

•

thereby popularizing poverty among a people, who are naturally hardworking, industrious and adventurous.

Our purposeful government of ACN shall revitalize commerce and restore wealth back to the land through:

· Market friendly policies that will revive the customary commercial activities in Osogbo and other towns in Osun.

· Promotion and support of activities focused on wealth promotion for our people.

· Transformation of Osogbo into an International market where goods will be procured at prices comparable to any other part of West Africa.

fINaNCe& eCONOMIC PLaNNINGI shall increase the internally generated revenue

of the state and also improve in mileage on every kobo accruing to the state by:

· Ensuring real time online access to actual position of the state finances to prevent misuse and other forms of abuse by receiving agencies.

· Reducing leakages in the tax collection and administration process.

· Running a transparent and accountable government.

· Ensuring prudent management of the state’s resources.

· Ensuring that the funds of the state are used for developmental purposes.

· Create viable Public/Private sector partnerships to jump start the economy.

· Our overall goal is to reduce dependence on federal allocation as a means of funding the government.

baNIsh huNGerfOOd& aGrICuLturevision: Our government shall banish hunger

in Osun and enhance wealth through massive increase in food production and agriculture.

Every farmer shall sell his products and be prosperous. The labour of the farmer shall no longer be in vain because we shall provide assistance and support to farmers in finding and exploiting profitable market for their goods.

We do not presently grow enough food in Osun

to feed us round the year and this should concern a government that cares for its people.

Our government shall support farmers to attain increase in food production, better storage and delivery. We shall provide assistance to farmers in exploiting profitable markets and market opportunities for their products.

To maximize the benefit of resultant massive increase in food production, we shall improve:

· Access roads and general transportation to even the most remote areas of the state.

· Storage process and capacity.· Processing of agricultural produce.· Rural electricity and water supply.

Cash CrOPs· Encourage production of cash crops which

can enhance farmer’s income and provide basis for an effective agro-industrial society in the state of Osun.

· Specified to vigorously develop extensive farming in palm trees to create a fully integrated oil palm processing industry.

· To target and capture minimum of 10% of the multibillion naira- per day food market of the neighbouring states.

· Support cooperative efforts by farmers· Be a catalyst to the development and

promotion of micro, small and medium enterprises that will exploit available raw materials.

· Set up price support scheme for farmers through commodity exchange board.

baNIsh uNeMPLOyMeNt (Create WOrk& WeaLth)

No job loss, more jobs.Osun people are peaceful, dignified and

hardworking people who desire and deserve gainful employment for their children and themselves. Rather than policies that will create employment and wealth for the people, the policies of the PDP government in place serve to enrich few at the expense of majority of our people.

as part of our GOVerNMeNt uNusuaL programme, I rauf adesoji aregbesola make a pact with you good people of the state of Osun, in the presence and by the grace of God

almighty that our government shall create immediate employment for 20,000 people within our 100 days in office.

5,000 of these places shall be reserved for those who were retrenched and are still willing and able to work.

As a people-friendly government, our policies shall help to:

· Create economic environment that ensures availability of jobs for all Osun indigenes.

· Establish one LIFE ACADEMY in each of the three Senatorial constituencies for the building of life- long skills in out of schools, youngsters as well as adults seeking alternative competencies.

· Promote labour exchange centres to facilitate employment of graduates from our Life Academies.

CIVIL serVICe refOrMs

there is the need for a civil service reform that will not lead to any loss of jobs as I rauf aregbesola do not believe in laying people off in the name of reforms.

Our reform will make the work environment more conductive, stimulating and development oriented.

Bonuses, incentives and regular awards shall be instituted to promote a culture of excellence in the civil service along with the prompt payment of salaries, allowances, leave bonuses and year end performance bonuses.

Promotions and comprehensive salary reviews and increases shall be regular.

Internal and external training, work exchange programmes and overseas training shall be actively reinstituted for comprehensive human development in the civil service.

New tutor General/Permanent secretary Cadre shall be created for teachers in new education

districts for better school administration.We shall institute Home Ownership Scheme for

public servants and also support and encourage their backyard food production business ventures.

We shall do a comprehensive review of civil service names and conventions as part of our

•JuBILATIONS GALORe: People and Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s supporters in Osogbo jubilating for declaration of the governor as the authentic winner of August 9, 2014 governorship election by Osun election Petition Tribunal, recently.

10 OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february

Contiuned on page 11

Continued from page 9

Hopes, Expectations Rekindled! magaziNe

efforts to create a people- friendly civil service.Appropriate nomenclature will enhance

accountability and promote public access to the services of the ministry. A citizen with a complaint of blockage of drainage will find a Ministry of Roads and Drainages easier to identify with than Ministry of Works, a Ministry of Human Resources and Development will more appropriately communicate its services than a Ministry of Establishment.

tOurIsMVision: tourist’s cradle in africaThe State of Osun is the cradle of Yoruba people

and our rich culture. The opportunities for wealth creation in Osun state through tourism have been underexploited. We shall:

· Develop State of Osun tourism potentials to its fullest to promote employment and wealth among people of the State of Osun.

· Encourage development of Yoruba museum and world heritage centre at Ile-Ife.

· Encourage programmes that nurture and promote arts and talent.

· Enhance the image of traditional rulers and institutions.

· Mobilize our traditional rulers to showcase the state’s tourism potentials to Yorubas in the diaspora (e.g. Brazil, Cuba and West Indies).

rOadsvision: Roads to and in all towns and villages

in Osun. Road construction and maintenance shall be used to generate employment for the indigenes of the State of Osun.

· Community based road maintenance units will be established to ensure timely repairs and deduce overall maintenance costs.

· Development and regular maintenance of urban and rural roads to get top priority.

· Access roads to evacuate agricultural produce shall be constantly improved and expanded.

· Create partnerships with the private sector on road development and provision of infrastructure.

traNsPOrtatION

We shall produce a transport master plan to provide direction for development of the sector.

The safety of the lives of the indigenes of the State of Osun is of great concern to us. We shall:

· Reduce to the barest minimum, road traffic accident within 6 months on all roads starting with Federal roads.

· Create a motorized division of the Osun troopers to patrol roads to prevent accidents on the highways and organize rescue and recovery operations.

INNOVatIONEurope, Japan, Korea, Malaysia and now China

have made life for their people permanently comfortable through innovation, research and development, thrift and hardwork.

We Africans especially the people of the State of Osun are thrifty (a ki se oni nakuna) and hardworking (ati agbe at onise owo lo ka imele si aida nile Yoruba) but we have been backward in looking forward.

We have not been innovative enough, we have not invested enough in research and we have not developed the fruits of innovation and research. In other words we remain backward, poor, unscientific and losers (eni igbehin) among the family of nations.

It is a matter of concern that our leaders do not car or worry enough about these issues.

I care and I’m deeply concerned. As your Governor I will do everything possible to:

· Create awareness and dissatisfaction among all in the State of Osun about our position among the world’s people and the need to move up the ladder of human ascent and development away from permanent and persistent poverty.

· Ensure that ideas with original creativity are tapped for the enrichment of all.

· Give real importance to education with skills development so that we can make what we need and become more competitive in the world as a people by creating more skills development centres in the State of Osun.

· In these centres we shall teach Men and Women to think with their hands, sharpen our already proven entrepreneurial skills and stop Nigeria from importing:

TOOTH PICK (IGI OPARUN FUN ITAYIN) FROM CHINA, ORANGE JUICE (OROMBO) FROM KOREA, SHOES (BATA) FROM SPAIN/ ITALY, FAN BELT/ CAR TYRES (RUBBER) FROM JAPAN AND FRANCE.

When I know that these can be easily manufactured here.

I shall turn the state of Osun into a creative agro-industrial zone God willing.

INdustrIaLIsatION Key to banishing unemployment permanently

anywhere is promoting conducive atmosphere for manufacturing and production. Our Government shall:

· Develop integrated industrial estates for mini, micro and large manufacturing enterprises in the three senatorial zones of the State of Osun.

· Provide the estates with infrastructural facilities that reduce the cost of setting up industries (roads, electricity, water and telecommunications).

· Provide incentives targeted at attracting manufacturers/ investors.

· Develop skilled personnel through our Life Academies, Universities and colleges to service specialized industrial and manufacturing needs.

restOre heaLthy LIVINGvision: To work to save our people from all

avoidable deaths due to accidents, emergencies, poverty and inadequate health facilities.

to achieve this for all and particularly our children and senior citizens, we shall:

· Provide effective and available healthcare for all.

· Provide efficient accident and emergency ambulance service.

· Provide primary health clinics within 10 kilometre radius of every Osun town, with special attention to the needs of children, women and the elderly.

· Provide functional General hospitals within 20 kilometre radius of human habitation.

· Provide referral hospitals within 30 kilometre radius of human settlement.

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbeola (middle), Lagos State Organizing Secretary, All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abdullahi enilolobo (left),and Lagos State House of Assembly member, Alimosho Constituency, Hon. Bisi Yusuff (right) atop of a bus acknowledging cheers from supporters, during APC governorship candidate Mega Rally, Akinwunmi Ambode, at Alimosho Local Government Lagos State, recently.

55511 magaziNe OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february

Hopes, Expectations Rekindled! · Establish free blood pressure checks in

conjunction with private organizations at every local government office.

· Undertake special programmes for the upgrading, retraining and working comforts of all health personnel.

· Encourage and nurture alternative medical therapy.

· Free treatment for malaria to children below age 18 and senior citizens (60+).

eNVIrONMeNtvision: To embrace current scientific methods

in controlling the generation of waste and the conversion of waste to wealth.

The state of the environment, especially waste generation, management and the embarrassing filth in our communities demand special attention. The ACN government shall:

· Encourage all houses in the State of Osun to have a modern and affordable toilet facility through a special scheme.

· Provide private sector driven waste management and beautification schemes to rid our communities of filth which threaten public health.

· Beautification of town centres as a starting point of general urban renewal.

· Work with the private sector to establish appropriate waste-to-wealth projects under a composite waste management policy.

Watervision: Water for all in the state of the living spring.

Watervision: Water for all in the state of the living

spring.It is a painful regret that most cities in Osun do

not have potable water running at any time and Osun is the state of the living spring!!!

Our Government will do everything possible to bring potable water to all parts of the State of Osun and correct this anomaly.

All abandoned water schemes shall be reactivated and speedily completed.

affOrdabLe hOusINGOur ACN Government shall:· Help Osun indigenes realize their dreams

of house ownership or rehabilitation of failing structures through deliberate programmes that improve their income earning capacity.

· Support mortgage schemes that make house ownership pocket friendly.

· Actively support research and development on the use of local materials to force down building costs.

eLeCtrICItyElectricity for all shall be the creed of ACN

Government in Osun. We shall:· Ensure that electric energy is available in

the state for domestic, commercial and industrial activities.

· We shall endeavour to provide electricity to all villages, hamlets and farm settlements in the state.

· Private sector-led power agencies shall be encouraged to set up energy stations in the state.

seCurItySecurity of lives and properties are of paramount

importance to us. Our Government shall:· Have special programmes for the police

and neighbourhood security outfits.· Provide special allowance to all security

agents deployed to Osun State and enhance their operational facilities for efficiency.

· Respond to the operational needs of security agents through provision of mobility, communication gadgets, protective gears and conducive working environment.

fIre serVICesWe shall improve capacity of fire services to

respond to emergencies.PhysICaL WeLL-beINGOur Government will promote physical

exercises as a deliberate policy which will form a crucial aspect of our healthy-living programme. This is in keeping with the adage that a sound mind only resides in a sound body.

PrOMOte fuNCtIONaL eduCatIONvision: eradicate the frustration of youths

caused by education that does not lead to employment.

To achieve this, the government of AC under rauf aregbesola shall:

· Provide free education at all levels in Osun State. Focus on functional education. Education that makes one useful to himself and society.

· Improve incentives to teachers and work with the NUT to restore the dignity of the teaching profession.

· Restructure administration of school management and create Tutors-General (Permanent Secretary Cadre) from among Head Teachers in three Educational Districts which we will establish.\

· Fix all collapsed educational infrastructures in all the schools.

· Support with modern teaching aids and well-stocked libraries.

· Ensure cooperation with parents and teachers to improve discipline and morality.

· Introduce non-partisan community-based governing boards for all schools.

· Reduce number of students per classroom immediately.

· Introduce home development plans for teachers who wish to build houses in their home towns, through access to special mortgage packages.

· Promote mass adult literacy and numeracy programmes.

· Promote and support Special programmes that give special attention to education of girls and women.

· Establish institutions that impart life-long skills for all, in and out of formal schooling.

O N h I G h e r e d u C at I O N a N d uNIVersIty

· I am committed to ensuring that an Osun State University takes off on a sound footing and becomes a first-class institution with linkages to renowned universities in the developed world.

· I will make every tertiary institution in Osun State an independent degree-awarding one.

· Encourage use of services of retired, but not tired dons and administrators, from reputable institutions.

eNhaNCe COMMuNaL PeaCe aNd Continued on page 14

Continued from page 10

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (centre); his Deputy, Otunba (Mrs) Titi Laoye-Tomori (3rd left); Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr Gboyega Oyetola (2nd right); Head of Service, Mr Olayinka Owoeye (2nd left); Chairman, five-man visitation Panel on the crisis at Osun State university (uNIOSuN), Professor Adebisi Daramola (3rd right); member of the panel, Professor Omotoye Olorode (right) and Secretary of the panel, Mrs Olufunke Kolawole (left), during the panel’s inauguration at the Governor’s Office, Osogbo, State of Osun recently.

12 OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february phototalk

•A cross section of newsmen at the press conference in Osogbo, last friday.

Press Conference addressed by the state Of Osun Chairman Of all Progressives Congress (aPC), Prince Gboyega famodun On the Party’s response to the showing Of the fake Video Clip On television stations In Nigeria by PdP and femi fani-kayode, at their Party secretariat, Osogbo, Last friday. Photo: GbeNGa adeNIyI.

•(L-R) The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; General Manager, TeRA and PICO Construction Limited, engineer Shehu Abdul-Kadir and former Senior Spe-cial Adviser to the Governor on Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Alhaji Abdullahi Binuyo during the inpection tour to the A.u.D. elementary School, Inisa, Odo-Otin last Thursday.

state Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni rauf aregbesola, Inspected aud elementary school, Inisa, state Of Osun, Last thursday.

55513 phototalk OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february

•Railway line, Osogbo.

•MDS road in Osogbo.

•Ola-Iya area, Osogbo.

Beautification Of Osogbo, State Of Osun, Under The Administration Of Governor rauf aregbesola, as Captured by Our Cameraman, GbeNGa adeNIyI, Last saturday.

14 OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february feature

Hopes, Expectations Rekindled!

PrOGressvision: To restore the bond of trust between

the Governor and the governed.Over time, people have disconnected from

government because those in authority have not shown enough concern about their welfare or actively engaged them in formulating policies that affect them.

Our Government shall restore partnership between government and people through:

saGes COuNCILs (eGbe aGba)Our state is blessed with a large pool of elderly

folks who are invariably well educated, have enjoyed successful careers, travelled widely in the world, but are currently reduced to irrelevance in the society.

Our Government will support the formation of non partisan community based sages councils, capable of providing guidance in management, moral and ethical development in our society.

Our Government will seek elderly guidance and advice as inputs to our policy formation and implementation.

Government will support the senior citizens and help in their management of socio-economic problems peculiar to the group (pension, health and education).

yOuths COuNCIL (eGbe OdO)People age 30 and below constitute the majority

of our population but unfortunately are often frustrated and unfulfilled as a consequence of intolerable social and economic policies.

Our ACN Government shall support the creation of non partisan community based youth councils to provide a platform for them to articulate and work out solutions to various problems confronting them.

Our Government will encourage cross fertilization of ideas between the Sages and Youth Councils through which public policies would be influenced.

Government will promote sporting activities and creation of physical facilities for sporting and related activities.

We shall reinstate the abandoned ‘boys’ and girls’ clubs’ and name them Omoluabi boys’

and Girls’ club to perform the roles similar to boys’ and girls’ scouts, boys brigade and more.

justICe seCtOr refOrMsAn attribute of good governance is to promote

justice, equity and fair play amongst citizens of the state.

Government of ACN will e3nsure speedy access ti justice try all individuals in Osun State, by reforming the courts system and procedural rules, introducing alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms and fee legal services.

To complement these, ACN government shall improve welfare packages of Judicial Officers and upgrade courts with modern IT and communications facilities.

COMMuNICatIONOur Government will restructure OSBC to:Ensure its professional are motivated and

continuously trained for competency Provide digital equipment and infrastructure

upgrade to conform to international best practices in broadcasting.

Exploit its tourism promotional capacity and capability.

CONsuMer PrOteCtIONConsumers deserve to have the best goods and

services at the best price and not have to pay more for goods and servi9ces than their counterparts in other parts of the world.

Our government shall support the establishment of a consumer watch agency and also cooperate with organizations that have similar objective of protecting our people from unfair business practices.

In all the above and above all these I intend to run a people-friendly government – a Government of the people, by the people, fOr the PeOPLe. a GOVerNMeNt uNusuaL in this land.

Infrastructures and facilities for reaching, advising, guiding, warning me will be given constant nurture.

Outside these I have no rigging machinery and will strongly appeal to you all Osun voters to fight and defend your votes.

Do not sell your vote and our future to a moneybag or vote people who do not care enough

about our future as I passionately do.I am entering into a pact with each and all of

you as you read this that I and my colleagues shall work in all honesty, tirelessly to bring marked improvements to your life.

Apart of this pact you will be able to see that your children are better educated and have jobs; farmers, artisan, traders are more prosperous, general quality of health has improved and you are no longer afraid to go to the hospital.

Osun will again be producing food enough for its people.

Through my Government Unusual, I shall work with and for you to create wealth through our toil as our fathers and mothers did to make us prosperous until 1962.

Only you and I can bring change but through new ideas and work.

Oluwa Olorun a ti wa l’ehin. Oodua a fun wa se E je k’a le ise wo’gbo K’a le osi sonuK’aye dara fun wa t’omo t’omo.This is my pledge; my PACT with you people

of Osun State.ON the basis of the foregoing, we can match

actual achievements with promises made; and further based on this, we can deduce expectations. This pact as forceful as ever! First and foremost, human needs, hopes and expectations are insatiable. Like Oliver Twist, we crave for more and more; even when it is obvious that we have had our fill.

In the agricultural sub-sector in the State of Osun, expectations are high concerning what the government should do or provide in the next four years. These expectations are not precluding that government has left things undone in the past four years. But as government is a continuum; and as most programmes and projects are either medium- of long-term in nature, they take long years to mature. What this translates into is that most of the landmarks reached in the first four years of the Aregbesola administration are expected to fully mature and be consolidated upon during this second term in office.

First and foremost, more rural roads are

Continued from page 13

Continued on page 15

•Governor Aregbesola (atop a bus) acknowledging cheers from his supporters at Apomu, State of Osun.

55515 magaziNe

Continued from page 10Hopes, Expectations Rekindled!

OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february 24,

•

expected to be opened up in order that the rural and agricultural areas could be linked to the urban areas. It would be repetitive to start listing the number of rural toads already fixed at this stage. All that we require is that in order to boost agricultural productivity of the state, ensure food security and raise the Internally-Generated Revenue profile (IGR) of the state, more needs be done in the area of opening up of access to rural areas.

We mentioned much earlier in this edition the aspect of the resuscitation witnessed by our farm settlements. All the farm settlements in the state have been upgraded in terms of facilities, amenities and materials. The farm sites have been made more friendly to farmers; so much that farming and agricultural practice have become more attractive to those who had long been interested in the enterprise but had been repelled due to the hitherto unfriendly conditions. Still there is more room for improvement. It is expected that government in the next four years would broaden the farm settlements and integrate all the aspects of the “O”concepts into each of them. By “O” concepts, as far as the agricultural policy of the incumbent administration is concerned, we mean O’REAP, O’FISH, O’HONEY, O’BEEF and all the rest. All these should be replicated and find practical expression in all our farm settlements.

The State of Osun Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Programme (O’REAP) has started well. The programme has been well prosecuted and as it has proven, it has been quite impacful. One salient element of the programme has been disbursement of loans to farmers. Alongside this, fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides and other chemicals have been made4 available to farmers almost at no cost in the past three or more years. More of this relief gesture is anticipated f0or years to come.

In recent years, under the administration of

Ogbeni Aregbesola, the State of Osun has recorded a feat as one of the few states in the federation to have free and fair distribution of fertilizers. What characterizes the distribution of fertilizers in many states of the federation is subversion and diversion; such that the product is hardly available to those who actually need it. On most occasions, by the time it gets to them the price would be too outrageous. One of the very first steps taken by Ogbeni Aregbesola upon his assumption of office was to set up a committee on fertilizer distribution. This committee was intended to monitor and supervise the distribution of fertilizers such that the product gets to those for whom it was intended, that is the actual practising farmers. As it has proven, this committee has been effective. There is however higher grounds to achieve by the committee. Also all other agricultural agencies and parastatals, in conjunction with the ministry have to put their hands on deck in ensuring an agriculturally prolific state.

Through the aegis of the Osun Rural Enterprise and Agricultural Programme (O’REAP), farmers have been accessing all full benefits of cooperative. This has been facilitated in conjunction with the State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the State of Osun Agricultural Development Agency (OSADEP) and other agencies; in conjunction with the State Ministry of Commerce Industry and Cooperatives and some reputable commercial and agricultural banks. The scope and tenets of these activities are expected to be broadened in the next four years.

There are many innovative programmes and projects already initiated by the Aregbesola administration in the State of Osun. The cocoyam expansive cultivation project and the introduction of orange-flesh Vitamin A fortified sweet potato deserve mentioning here. We place on record the vital economic importance of the cocoyam produce in particular to the schools O’Meal project. It is hoped that the newly introduced orange-flesh sweet potato shall soon be brought

to the same pedestal. In the space of the next three or four years, we hope that private operators shall have partnered in their impressive numbers with government so as to make the cultivation and mass production of these produces buoyant.

It is on record that government has taken impressive steps toward preservation and storage of crops and produces. The steps so far taken include procurement of chemical preservatives and building of silos, barns and warehouses. The whole essence of these efforts is to bridge the gap between production /harvest and marketing / distribution. The thrust of the entire package is to transform the State of Osun into the food basket of the nation, thereby boosting its Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR) profile. The hopes and expectations are high that with all hands on deck, this dream shall be actualized soon.

It is highly commendable that government is giving full interest and attention to provision of meat through the whole range of its meat production effort. The O’ Beef project, chicken production project, fish production project and all the rest are cases in hand. We fully appreciate the handsome patronage and aid given to private producers in these ventures, especially in the operation of the O’Meal project. There is much room for improvement in the years to come, as more and more partners need be attracted to make production more robust.

Government intervention in the area of meat production also extended to provision of modern abattoirs with all necessary hygienic conditions. It is also part of the package the ascertainment that animals slaughtered are disease-free and healthy. This is in order that the health and well-being of consumers could be guaranteed. In few years to come, Government of the State of Osun, under the leadership of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola require to bring this project to a higher level of conceptualization. Not only this, it is vital to ensure that these abattoirs spread round the nooks and crannies of the state. The enforcement of hygiene and safety rules should not be relaxed.

•(L-R) former APC Chairman in the State of Osun, elder Lowo Adebiyi; Governor Rauf Aregbesola; Senatorial candidate representing Osun-West Senatorial District, Senator Isiaka Adeleke; the Deputy Governor, State of Osun, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori and others in Ikire recently.

16 OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february iNterview

Nigeria Needs Leadership Change To Tackle Honourable femi fakeye represents Ila/Ifedayo/Boluwaduro federal Constituency of

Osun State in the House of Representatives. Our senior reporter, KAZeeM MOHAMMeD, met him in his Ila-Orangun home recently, where he spoke on his intervention to affect the lives of his constituents, his re-election ambition among other national issues. excerpts:-

OSDf: We learnt that you are seeking re-election, tell us what you have been able to do

in your first term in the House of Representatives that is giving you confidence for another term.

fAKeYe: I think I have done one or two things that should conform with my manifesto. I came to this office with an idea of what needed to be done for the people, because when you live among them, you know what their needs are. We have done a bit in the area of employment. A lot of our citizens are afflicted with what I call disguised unemployment. By strict definition in Economics, this is when the proceeds of a person’s daily economic pursuits are not enough to give him the basic things he needs, especially food, housing and clothing. Look at the case of a newspaper vendor that hawks newspapers about for instance; he is operating under disguised unemployment, because unless he is able to sell a truckload of newspapers in one day, he may not make enough money to live a comfortable life as he would want.

Also, for my Constituency, ultra-epileptic supply of electricity was an issue at the point I was campaigning, back in 2010/2011. You had a situation whereby power visited your home maybe two or three hours in a week. Often, it didn’t come at all for weeks in a row, especially in Ila-Orangun. And when it came, your battery-powered Chinese torch provided a brighter illumination for your room than your light bulb. By the grace of God, we have addressed that to a great extent, even if we are yet to get to the optimal level we’d like to achieve. Frankly, I think it could sound a bit self-serving and immodest for me to be marking my own script, saying I have done very well. But I am sure that if you could talk to an array of people in the Constituency, a good percentage of them would tell you that we have done things that added some socio-economic value to them.

Indeed, for the whole Ifedayo/Boluwaduro/Ila Federal Constituency, we have a newly reconfigured electrical supply system. This is because, the quantum of power transmitted by the same old electrical power (feed) line from Osogbo is what towns such as Iresi, Igbajo, Otan, Ila, etc., still share up till now and this architecture is inadequate. But by our current intervention, when such efforts would have been concluded, we should have a situation whereby we have two separate lines feeding these towns. That is a key part of what we have been doing to make our people happier.

Even things that we didn’t promise to do, we have, by sheer providential intervention, been able to do when we got into office, like bringing a new N756.6 million mini waterworks to the Ila metro area. The existing water works to this metro area was installed when some of us were in the secondary school, decades ago; but now we have a new waterworks, capable of pumping one million liters of drinking water into Ila every day, nearing completion.

OSDf: One of the major problems

confronting this nation is youth unemployment, what are you doing individually or collectively to ensure that the situation is corrected?

fAKeYe: Solving unemployment is not just a job for the lawmaker, but has to do more with economic planning and policy making, which is within the ambit of the so-called Executive at both the state and federal levels. Over the past of two decades, you’ve had a situation whereby we all just focused on how many new universities, polytechnic, colleges of education we started, on the one hand. So our kids just went to schools, polytechnics, universities! But the outcome now has shown our policy makers to be nothing but “one-handed economists”, in that they failed to address the other hand of the equation, which is the critical issue of an in-built absorbent capacity in the economy for the graduates so churned out by these tertiary institutions. Now some decades later, the chicken, as the saying goes, has come home to roost! We have a situation these days of long queues of graduates unable to access gainful employment, which breeds a lot of social discontent and malaise in the youth – who form the bulk of society’s demography. And this situation becomes more disturbing when you place it against the background that these young people are the leaders of tomorrow. Therefore, that a young person would struggle, go to school and

end up having nothing to do at the end of his education career is not strictly a fault in our legislation mechanism, it is rather the result of a sustained lapse in forward-looking economic planning for those whose fingers are on the lever of power – the Executive. Unfortunately, you don’t correct this kind of socio-economic maladjustment within one year, it would take time for even a thinking government to turn around.

It all thus boils down to the people taking the rein of government from those who have demonstrated little or no clue on how to turn the situation around. The civil servants in this country have become civil masters and they are ruining the country, rather than running it, especially at the federal level where they administer 52.68% of funds accruing to all the three tiers of government on their own terms, in a way that has no effective monitoring of how effectively they serve the people. Federal budget implementation since 2011, talking about capital projects, has been 40% or lower, year after year! Each federal ministry, department or agency awards itself pass marks when it comes to appraising itself, even when it is obvious for all to see that they remain disconnected from the masses they purport to serve. Only the Director-Generals - and those that they report to - are clapping for themselves. I remember that when we left secondary school some time back, if you didn’t pass

your papers at the credit levels enough to get you admitted into the university or polytechnic, there were still so many advancement options for you to explore as a school leaver, including trade schools, as long as you passed the two basic subjects of Maths and English, among others. And those trade schools were civil service schools where you not only earned a salary as a trainee entering government service, but you also got a good foundation for a life-sustaining career in the civil service! These things can only be brought back by people who are genuinely committed to servicing the public good.

OSDf: Apart from changing those who are there, there are roles that the legislature plays in ensuring that we have a better country, not so?

fAKeYe: I don’t think legislation per se would do it. Would you, for instance, just legislate tomorrow morning that every graduate must be absorbed by employers in the private and public sectors of the economy? I think what we need to do is to sit down and plan. For example, look at the way we have been running our NYSC program, where we have a large pool of these young people with youthful vigor, plus physical, emotional and mental vibrancy, coming through every year. Why can’t we incorporate into the NYSC service format a concept that sees to it that every state NYSC office embarks on some large scale farming enterprise, especially of aspects such as poultry, fisheries, etc., instead of these young people just killing time throughout the service year and getting paid a stipend for that? Who knows, some of them may end up being exposed to some useful agricultural production skills during the service year and become employers of labour thereafter. There are so many things we can do with conscious planning, which could then be backed by necessary legislation. A virile planning initiative would come from the Executive, which we could back up with appropriate legislation and then the President (or the Governor as the case may be) would sign the scheme into law and implement it faithfully.

But we have a President in place now that has refused to give assent to many Acts of the National Assembly, so that they could become laws. The normal thing is that when the President has failed (or chosen to ignore) to give assent to a harmonized Act passed to him for that purpose, the National Assembly could, after 30 days, reopen debate on the Act’s subject matter in both chambers; and if such a debate would be carried by a two-thirds majority, that Act then becomes a valid law. But since we have a PDP-dominated National Assembly protecting a PDP presidency, Nigerians remain short-changed, as many Acts that should have become laws are still gathering dust in the Presidency, years after being passed in! Whereas the PDP, which is the party in power, should have recalled such legislation and reopened debate on them in both the House and the Senate, with a view to allowing a majority veto. They indulge in this, all in the name of supporting their President

•fAKeYe

55517 iNterview OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february

Corruption, Unemployment – Hon. Fakeyein office.

OSDf: What is your take on the corruption that has eaten deep into our country?

fAKeYe: Was it not President Jonathan that said that “...what they call corruption is just petty stealing?” Corruption is a canker worm and when it goes unchecked, it becomes a way of life for all and sundry. The result, no matter how long it takes, becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. You see people these days carrying on as if they can get away with any type of economic violation, just because the government looks the other way and refuses to take effective action. It is so terrible that other countries just look - and laugh - at us. So, my take is, we need a person or a group of persons in authority that would affirm: “...we would not go far unless there are rules being obeyed by everybody in fighting the menace” and develop the political will to judiciously enforce those rules to all and sundry in a visible manner.

OSDf: Do you think the APC Presidential candidate is the answer to that?

fAKeYe: There is only one way to find out: when General Buhari forms his government by the grace of God, we would see. But remember there is what they call “antecedent”. In other words, what has he done before? I wasn’t exactly a toddler in 1985 when he took over in a military coup and I recall that when he was there everybody shaped up because he showed exemplary leadership even in military uniform. Even in crowded Lagos, people soon began willfully queuing up waiting for their turns in bus stops! As a young African man in my late teens to mid-twenties attending various universities in the United States years ago, any time any of my American friends joked about me being a guy from the “jungles” I would fight them to the dust with the length of my tongue. But now, decades later, when I see the way we are still doing things in Nigeria, I feel sorry that I fought those guys, because we really do still behave as if we are in a jungle, the way we live with ourselves. For example, take a look at the way we drive our vehicles on the roads and see how our folks daily drop dead in motor accidents or get crushed on Okada. Yet, there is a horde of federal agencies jostling among themselves in administering road safety. The “corruption” we are talking about is not just about monetary affairs alone, it is also about how a citizen thinks he could usurp the rights of another citizen and fellow road-user and nothing like a penalty ever comes out of it! These days, nobody cares anymore about the orderliness that was becoming the order of the day when Buhari was there. It’s scary, really.

OSDf: Some people believe that when you are seeking re-election, you must either be a failure or you want to do more in ensuring the development of your area; tell us why you are seeking re-election?

fAKeYe: I disagree with the notion that when one is seeking re-election, it is a sign of failure. On the contrary, I think seeking re-election could be a sign of confidence in the politician, hoping that his/her performance in office ought to stand him in a good stead to ask for the electorate’s endorsement. As the saying goes, nobody can successfully argue with obvious success, ultimately. Most of what I set out to do in a basic manifesto I have done, even if some of

them are yet to come to completion for reasons of non-availability of statutory financial resources. In fact, the little we have been able to do was all with a lot of struggle, in the sense that one’s political party has been in the so-called opposition in the House of Representatives up till now. One has had to beg, cajole and even arm-twist his colleagues in the mainstream party trying to bring home some dividends of democracy for his constituents. However, for the first time in the political history of Nigeria, we are full of hope that the progressives (the APC) would form the next government at the center and show Nigerians how this country should be ruled, by the grace of God. If that were to happen and you’d have your second term lawmakers in the House or the Senate, then the electorate that voted them back into office should expect a bumper harvest of dividends of democracy back home.

OSDf: So then, what is your agenda for the second term?

fAKeYe: Our agenda is to continue what we are doing to help Osun and her people. I’m not seeking this office for personal ego or monetary gains, but for value addition that could be ascribed to me, maybe long after I am out of office. Why have people in these parts not stopped talking about Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Bola Ige or Chief Bisi Akande? I think it must be because these political leaders added abiding value to their people while in office.

OSDf: Are you confident that your popularity is enough to ensure re-election?

fAKeYe: Frankly, I think you are asking the wrong person, because I told you earlier in this interview that it would not make sense marking my own script. Let us just wait and see, but the Bible

says “...by their fruits, you will know them”. If my popularity situation is one in which, in a forum of ten people, six or seven of them could say, “...yes, he has tried...”, then I am comfortable facing re-election.

OSDf: In Osun, would you say Governor Rauf Aregbesola has performed to the expectations of the people?

fAKeYe: Well, I believe he has and if you ask the same question of all citizens of Osun, the majority would express the same viewpoint, which would knock off any notion that if and when a politician asks for a second term in office, he is deemed a failure. Would you by any definition call Aregbesola a failure? In contradistinction, let’s take a look at what is happening to President Jonathan on the campaign trail at the moment. He has been President for six years now, meaning that he is doing some second term, practically. Condemnable though the ugly development is, but people are pelting him and his convoy with stones in some parts of the country! So, how about if we could re-frame your question to ask whether or not President Jonathan has performed to the expectations of the people of Nigeria?

Of course, Aregbesola has done well and that was why he won a second term against all the federal odds: the deployment of all the financial and security apparatchik and all what not! Even little school kids in Osun know Governor Aregbesola as their servant and would do anything to see him continue in office. He has come with a bouquet of ideas to help the needy. Which was why, as a way of lending a helping hand, those of us representing the state in Abuja - the three senators and nine House of Representatives members - put

our heads together early in our tenure and realized that, since the state of Osun was created in 1991, this was the first time that all federal legislators in the state would belong to the same political party. We also found out that, on the federal funds allocation table in Abuja, Osun’s was one of the lowest monthly allocations – within the least five or six - out of 36 states. Now, having keyed-in early to Aregbesola’s vision for the state, we agreed unanimously to virtually yield our annual Constituency funds as a part of the financial resources available to the state for the pursuance of public good. In the federal budget, every state gets about N1.6 billion yearly to execute constituency projects for the people and we all agreed to put this money on the table for the governor to prosecute some of his lofty social programs. And so the guy continues to run an all-inclusive government.

All the twelve of us in the National Assembly are committed to ensuring the ultimate success of Aregbesola’s regime, even though from the paymasters in Abuja, we continue to face challenges in the form of dwindling federal allocations, month after month.

OSDf: There have been a series of media attacks on the person of General Buhari, ranging from the WASC certificate imbroglio to religion. Do you think he would survive this?

fAKeYe: I think it is all politics. Here is a guy who served Nigeria as Head of State after rising through the ranks to become a Major-General in the Army. Besides, the same INEC that his traducers and naysayers would want to use to persecute him, approved his participation in three prior presidential elections, under this same constitution! Haba to these legal illiterates trying to stop his candidature! And since when has one’s dogged determination to realize and actualize his life’s ambition to rule Nigeria democratically become an unforgivable sin? Thirdly, we have seen his record when it comes to fighting corruption, encouraging orderliness in the civil society, including the civil service. Above all, with this guerrilla war being waged by Boko Haram spinning out of control, graduating from a internal insurrection to a regional war within West Africa, who is the better choice between Jonathan and Buhari? With the ruinous performance of our present Commander-in-Chief, I believe the choice for most rational human beings is obvious at this point, otherwise Boko Haram’s captured territory may, God forbid, soon include any part of Nigeria. It would take a guy like General Buhari to help us kill this cancer. He is the person to tackle it and they know this in the PDP. So, we understand and sympathize with them. They are scared stiff of losing elections because of the wide acceptance of General Buhari and would want to elbow him out of the way, but unfortunately, it is proving a futile exercise for them.

OSDf: What is your message to the people of your Constituency of Osun and to Nigerians in general?

fAKeYe: With the way the PDP has been ruling this country in the past 16 years, it is time to try something new. But you cannot casually wave a cat away from milk and I am hoping that everyone will see it as a struggle and fight it to the end so that when the desired change comes, we would have all earned the bragging rights to say, “...we went through the darkness together until daylight came”. The people of Osun generally know that the APC is in office to serve them, which is why the state enjoys relative peace and stability in the polity, a basic sine qua non for continued prosperity for all.

•fAKeYe

18 OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february feature

How The Tribunal Made Non-sense Of Omisore’s Petition (7)

4 . e d e N O r t h L O C a L GOVerNMeNt area.

AT pages 34 to 48 paragraph 42 of the petition, the Petitioners made extensive allegations of electoral

malpractices in respect of 11 Wards in this Local Government as follows: Olaba/Atapora Ward 1 (Polling Units 1 to 10),Abogunde/Sagba Ward 02 (Polling Units 1 to 22) Ologun/Agbakin Ward 03 (Polling Units 1 to 12), Olusokun Ward 04 (Polling Units 1 to 10), Alusekere Ward 05 (Polling Units 1 to 10), Sabo/Agbongbe 1 Ward 06 (Polling Units 1 to 11), Sabo/Agbongbe 11 Ward 07 (Polling Units 1 to 11), Isibo/Buari-Isola Ward 08 (Polling Units 001 to 003), Apaso Ward 09 (Polling Units 1 to 10), Asunmo Ward 10 (Polling Units 001, 003 and 004) and Bara Ejemu Ward 11 (Polling Units 001, 002, 003, 004, 006 and 007). The net total of the units challenged in this Local Government are 117 units.

In proof of these allegations in all these wards and units, the petitioners called only one witness PW35. His evidence is particularly interesting because of its trajectory. In his 9 paragraphs witness deposition, he stated that he is a member of P.D.P and served as the Local Government Collation Agent of the party in Ede North.

He then went ahead to beautifully state how he got the information which formed the basis of his entire deposition and this can be summarized succinctly as follows: His deposition was made entirely from reports of P.D.P Ward Collation Agents in the Local Government who were directly responsible to him who in-turn got their information from polling unit agents of the party stationed in each of the units who monitored the elections and were responsible to the ward collation agents. This chain of narrative and the different levels of hearsay evidence without any doubt formed the basis of the evidence of PW35 and cannot be admissible in law to prove the contents of the allegations made in the petition. This witness candidly conceded under cross-examination that what he put in his deposition is what the polling agents told his collation agents who now reported to him. His deposition with respect to the conduct of elections in Ede North is clearly not with respect to what he personally witnessed at the election and accordingly amounts to hearsay evidence and worthless in so far as they do not relate to facts in issue which proceed from his personal knowledge. As we earlier held, we cannot ascribe any probative value to such evidence. SeeJolayemi V. Alaoye (supra), Awuse V. Odili (supra).

We are here again confronted with a situation where we have before us an elaborate pleading with no scintilla of evidence to support same. It follows that facts pleaded in respect of Ede North must necessarily be discountenanced as no evidence has been led to prove any fact therein. See Arabambi V. Advance Beverages Ind. Ltd (Supra).

It may be necessary to state that the Respondents called three witnesses for this local Government, RW 6, RW 7 and RW 18 who were ordinary voters who voted in their respective units and similarly testified directly as to events that transpired in their presence and alluded to the peaceful conduct of the elections free of the allegations made by petitioners in their units. We consider it proper at this stage to note that in the course of cross examining RW 8 and RW18 and indeed some other witnesses of Respondents, the Petitioners Learned Counsel referred them to certain exhibits like the Forms EC8As, The Voters Registers etc, used in the conduct of the election and certain entries contained therein forpurpose of showing some discrepancies as they appeared in the documents and perhaps to even question the credibility of such witnesses.

The question to ask in this instance is

whether such venture is of any real value to the case of Petitioners? We think not, and this is so because in most of the cases the witnesses were not the authors of these documents and therefore the value of their answers in relation to such documents would at best be minimal, if any at all. In some other instances, the witnesses were shown the Voters register, their picture on it and then questioned on either their date of birth or occupation at the time of the registration as appeared on the register without really showing how these acts affected the results of the election in the form EC8A for such units. Except in very few instances were some of the Respondents witnesses were Polling Agents who claimed to have signed the Polling unit results-Forms EC8As, the exercise undertaken by the Petitioners Learned Counsel ,in this respect, has not in our considered view added any serious value to the case of Petitioners.

As a result, we find no reason whatsoever to disturb the results declared with respect to Ede North Local Government. We so hold.

5 . e d e s O u t h L O C a L GOVerNMeNt area.

Here too, the petitioners made various allegations of Electoral malpractices at paragraph 43, pages 48 to 56 of the petition with respect to 10 wards as follows: Babanla/Agate Ward 01 (Polling Units 001 to 007), Kuye Ward 02 (Polling Units 001 to 003), Jagun/Jagun Ward 03 (Polling Units 001, 003 to 011), Alajue 1 Ward 04 (Polling Units 001 to 011), Alajue II Ward 05 (Polling Units 001, 002, 004, 006, 007 and 008), Olodan Ward 06 (Polling Units 001, 002 and 005), Babasanya Ward 07 (Polling Units 002 and 003), Sekona Ward 08 (Polling Units 001, 003 and 004), Oloki/Akoda Ward 09 (Polling Units 001 and 008) andLogun Ward 10 (Polling Units 001, 002, 004 to 008).

The cumulative total of the units challenged are 47 units in this Local Government.

In proof of these extensive allegations, the

Petitioners here too called only one witness, PW30 who served as a Ward Supervisory/Collation Agent for his party in Kuye Ward 02 of Ede South Local Government which has only 3 polling units. As with most of the Local Governments treated, his evidence is similarly ward specific i.e ward 2. The legal effect here too is that the allegations with respect to the 44 other units of the remaining 9 wards are deemed as abandoned.

The Respondents on their part called RW 24 who served as the party agent for unit 4 of Ward 2. He testified to the orderly conduct of elections in his unit free of the allegations made by petitioners and that at end of the election ,he duly signed Exhibit 27C ,the form EC8A and that same was also signed by the agent of petitioners and then duly stamped by INEC. His direct evidence on what he saw at his unit was not shaken under cross examination.

For the Petitioners as alluded to already, PW30 served as Ward Supervisor/Ward Collating Agent and in his evidence he stated that his party had polling agents in the units of his ward who reported what was happening in their respective units to him. This in law is hearsay evidence and inadmissible. He also added that he visited some of the units and that those he could not visit physically, he called the agents on phone to get the situation report.

Now we note also that going through his deposition, there is absolutely no direction or indication of the aspect of the evidence he witnessed personally and that which was transmitted to him by the agents. There is also nothing in the evidence showing which of the units he visited physically and those he could not go to as alleged. In law as we have severally repeated in this judgment, this type of testimony clearly lacks credibility and ought to be rejected. See Gundiri V. Nyako (Supra) 211 at 240C.

We also note that his evidence with respect to distribution of food, drinks and money to influence voters are clearly with respect to matters not pleaded at page 42 of the petition with respect to Kuye Ward 02 and are accordingly discountenanced.

by IbrahIM LaWaL

•AReGBeSOLA •OMISORe

Under cross-examination, PW30 conceded that he signed the summary of result of his unit Exhibit 207 and that his party agents all signed the Forms EC8A for the four (4) units in his ward vide Exhibit 192(pages 8 to 11). As stated earlier, the implication or effect of signing these result sheets voluntarily by PW30 and the party agents is to authenticate or validate the results so declared and they cannot be heard to now turn around to deny the contents of the results sheet. See Gundiri V. Nyako (supra).

Also under cross-examination, when shown the summary of the result of his unitExhibit 207, which he duly signed he could not support the allegation of super-imposition; voters exceeding 750 or any evidence of over-voting or indeed demonstrate or support the evidence he led. Indeed when asked what super-imposition meant under cross-examination, his response that it meant “that our complaints were not attended to…” clearly shows that this witness is at best either confused or does not know what he is saying or at worst that he did not prepare the contents of his deposition despite his assertion that he wrote same.

As is the case with some of the witnesses earlier evaluated, the evidence of this witness completely lacks probative value and clearly did not meet the threshold of proof required for the serious allegations made in Ede South Local Government.

In totality, our finding here is that the Petitioners have again palpably failed to establish the various allegations in this Local Government with respect to the polling units complained of.

Consequently, this tribunal sees no justifiable reason to interfere with the result of the Governorship Election as declared by the 3rd Respondent with respect to Ede South Local Government. We so hold

Pages 88-92 of the Judgment delivered by Hon. Justice Elizabeth Nguveren Kpojime; Hon. Justice Vincent Igometi and Hon. Justice Abubakar Idris Kutigi on the 6th day of February, 2015.

55519 feature OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february

How The Tribunal Made Non-sense Of Omisore’s Petition (8)

6 . e j I G b O L O C a L GOVerNMeNt

THERE are 11 wards in Ejigbo Local Government Area. The Petitioners are

however querying the results in only 9 wards of this Local Government. They are not disputing the results in wards 7 and 8.

The general complaints in all the units in the wards under contention is that the results on forms EC 8A and EC 8B in all the polling units are irreconcilable and unreliable. That votes were arbitrarily allocated to the 1st and 2nd Respondents by the 3rd Respondents. That in some polling units there was over voting.

They allege intimidation, molestation and harassment of their agents. That there was no proper accreditation in the polling units. That the votes credited to the 2nd Respondent were not earned and should be deducted from the votes of the 1st and 2ndRespondents.

In proof of these allegations, they have called 3 witnesses. Ajayi Jacob Ige, Raji Kayode and Adebayo Adekoya who testified as PW26 – PW28 respectively. Their written depositions are respectively found in Vol.II of the petition pages 395 – 397, 418 – 419 and 454 – 455.

PW26 was the 2nd Petitioner’s ward supervisor for Elejigbo “D’/Ejemu ward 04, PW27 was the ward supervisor for Elejigbo/Ayegbogbo ward 5, while PW28 was the polling agent at Merin Mefon, Ola unit 001 Ola/Aye/Agurodo, ward 06. These witnesses have testified to only what happened in their respective wards. There being no evidence as regards the other 6 wards in the Local Government, also in contention we hold that the pleadings in respect therefore have been abandoned.

We shall therefore consider whether the Petitioners have proved their allegations in the 3 wards for which evidence has been called.

PW26 identified Exhibit 193, as containing the results he received from his agents at the various polling units after the election. The results from this ward are contained on pages

21 – 28 of Exhibit 193. That is 8 results from the 8 polling units in the ward. Apart from his general complaint that the entries on forms EC 8A and EC 8B in this ward are irreconcilable and unreliable, votes were arbitrarily allocated to 1st and 2nd Respondents, intimidation and harassment of their agent, no proper accreditation and over voting, his specific allegation as regards units 001, 002 and 007 is that forms EC 8A in these units were not stamped. We do not see how this has anything to do with the conduct of the election.

At magistrate Court polling unit 003, and Idi-Oro unit 004, he alleges inconsistencies in the collation of results and recording on form EC 8A. No such inconsistencies have however been pointed out in his deposition. Further that in units 004, and 006, the total number of ballot papers used exceeded the total number of ballot papers issued to the polling unit. When confronted with page 24 of Exhibit 193, form EC 8A for unit 004, it became apparent that the total number of ballot paper used did not exceed the total number of ballot papers issued, as testified by him.

He was also shown page 26 of Exhibit 193 – form EC 8A for unit 006. It did not also confirm his evidence that the total ballot papers used exceeded the number

issued. While he says his name is on Exhibit 168B3 – form EC 8B, he denies the signature thereon. Having not proved the malpractices in this ward, the assertion of PW26 that these acts affected the out-come of the results in his ward cannot be correct.

PW27 testified that there was over voting in the polling units in the ward. Asked what he means by over-voting, he said it is where the number of people who voted exceeded the number of people accredited. He was then shown Exhibit 168B4 – form EC 8B for the unit, to point out where over voting occurred. His response – “I cannot see in this document where the number of accredited voters exceeded the votes cast.” No document has been placed before the Tribunal showing that over-voting occurred in that ward.

His evidence in paragraph 5h is that at Asalu/Akinde polling unit 003, the summation of the total number of ballot papers used and unused is less than the number of ballot papers issued for the unit. We do not see how this has occasioned any disadvantage to the Petitioners. The issue would have made sense if the sum total of used and unused ballot papers exceeded the number given to the unit. PW27 has also not shown any malpractices which have

•A cross section of All Progressives Congress (APC) lawyers jubilating at the court room after the declaration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola as the winner of August 9, 2014 governorship election in the State of Osun at the election Petition Tribunal that sat at High Court, Osogbo, recently.

affected the overall results in his ward.

PW28 is from ward 6 of the Local Government and he was a polling agent for the Petitioners. While in his deposition he said he was a polling agent at unit 01, under cross-examination he said he was the polling agent at unit 4 and not unit 01. According to him there was multiple voting, mutilation of ballot papers and voting by proxy. He said despite these irregularities the 2nd Petitioner won in his unit, but the result was cancelled.

The result from this unit in form EC 8A is also not before the Tribunal. The fact of the cancellation of the results from this unit is confirmed by Exhibit 168B5 – form EC 8B. While the evidence of this witness from this unit is clearly not material to the Petitioners as it has not added any value to their case, it however confirms the fact that the 3rd Respondent was very diligent in its assignment, and where ever it perceived that election was marred by whatever reason, it cancelled such results.

Pages 92- 94 of the Judgment delivered by Hon. Justice Elizabeth Nguveren Kpojime; Hon. Justice Vincent Igometi Ofesi and Hon. Abubakar Idris Kutigi dated on the 6th day of February, 2015.

20 OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february iNterview

PDP Signed Its Death Warrant With Elections Postponement -Lai Muhammed

IS it true that your party leader ship meet the INeC Chairman, Attahiru Jega in Dubai or any

other place as being alleged?Nothing like that happened. People

like Femi Fani-Kayode, when they make statement, nobody cares to see whether it is true or not. I believe we should be able to ask him, where in Dubai did the meet ing take place? Which leadership of the party met in Dubai?

But he said he was not going to release any more information

Because he doesn’t have any. If he has that information, knowing him very well, he would have wanted it published.

Don’t you see that the PDP is try ing to do a damage-control when its National Chairman, Adamu Mu’azu came out to pass vote of confidence on Jega?

Yes. Let me tell you; it is clear that the PDP does not want Jega. The PDP does not want this election to go on at all and if they want it to go on they don’t want Jega to conduct it. They don’t want the use of card readers, they don’t want free and fair election and I am going to support everything that I have said.

One, if there is no pressure from Ni gerians and the international community, there will be no elections because if the military has given us at least six weeks, that is elastic; perhaps six weeks is not enough.

Two, the postponement was President Jonathan using the military to blackmail INEC so that they can have more time for their smear campaign, have time to militarise the election, more time to per fect their rigging machinery, hoping that within that time, the court will be used to disqualify Buhari, steal more money and buy PVCs. Those are the reasons they postponed the elections.

Three, you can see that the moment the postponement was made, the only party on record, when we met Jega that supported the postponement was PDP and 16 other portfolio political parties. I am serious.

When, the position was made, PDP justified it; they were happy about it. Last Saturday, I was on TV programme, Okupe said there was no way election can hold because X number of people have not got their PVCs but surprisingly they did not use the argument of PVCs but that of security. Is it not surprising that the same day that the Council of State was meeting and the PDP co-travelers met and made allegations against the INEC chair man, Jega, asking for his arrest? They were preparing the ground for postponement.

The PDP came, I mean Ahmadu Ali that they had no confidence in Jega.

Now, given the fact that INEC had given a 4-week extension for people to go and collect their PVCs, (as of February 5, 2015 about 67% of

Nigerians had collected theirs), so, it is reasonable to assume that within four weeks, all those who intended to collect their PVCs could have done so. How now come that they are now asking that we should not use PVCs again and that we should use TVCs because if the collection of PVC is at 70% it means that as of today, 70% of Nigerians have PVCs, why are we now going to ask them to go back and use TVC? I can’t have my TVC again because I have submitted my TVC to have my PVC. The question people will be asking is that how do you want the election to have integrity? What has happened to the money you invested in card readers and the training? So purely you can see that these people don’t want elections.

So if you look at those people who are fighting hardest for PDP, they are fighting for their lives not for the country.

They are only protecting themselves and they would do anything to ensure that President Jonathan wins this elec tion. That is what they prefer. There is no way these people will want a change of government, because they know what

is in store for them.With Press ident Jonathan’s

statement that he would hand over if he lost, haven that changed your perception about election holding?

There is no way I would believe anything Jonathan says. Absolutely, not possible. You all watched the tape on Ekiti rigging. These are the same people that came out to say that the Ekiti election was free and fair and trying to justify that it is only when APC loses elections that they complain. After what I saw in Ekiti, in that tape, I don’t believe Mr. President one bit.

There are two conditions we want to put on ground; one election must hold as scheduled. Two, the elections must be free, fair and card readers must be used. Thirdly, there must not be militarization. The military must not play any role in these elections. If these conditions are met, we are going to accept the outcome of the elections.

What is the assurance that March 28th and April 11th election stand and two, what happens if they start to reverse the order of election?

We have heard that also. We would

resist it because they must tell us why? What would be the logistic reasons put ting one first before the other? We did not dictate which one should come first. As a matter of fact, we wanted it from the bottom up. Now if anybody had planned to have National Assembly and presiden tial polls first, if they tell us they wanted to change, it means they are trying to rig for Jonathan and that election would lack credibility.

We are not going to accept any change. Some Nigerians are asking me what would they do in case they shift they election again, and I said they should resist. The presidency, the government, the political parties are products of this country.

How has the postponement af fected your plans?

Clearly, the intention of Jonathan ad ministration in postponing the election is to create chaos and create an atmosphere where elections would not hold at all, but we thank God that they are disappointed. I think the reaction of our party and our presidential candidate appealing for calm above all must have shocked them immensely. Run up to the postponement, deliberately, they were showing videos of post-2011 elections where people say Bu hari asked people to be burning cars and killing people. So, this is what they are expecting, but thank God, wiser counsel prevailed and today we have frustrated their first initial plan.

We thank God that postponement has annoyed more people and they have lost more supporters than they thought they would gain.

Third, I wouldn’t pretend, it would af fect us because one, we now have to look for more money. Two, it would now give opportunity to continue with their smear campaign. It would also allow them to perfect their rigging plans, that is why you see the deployment of soldiers to some duties. But I can assure you, if any body takes the poll between last Saturday and today, I can assure you that APC has gone higher in the rating and PDP has gone down.

Yes, the intentions were to derail us and ensure they arrest our momentum, but unfortunately, what they have done was to postpone their funeral; you can’t wake up a dead man. What we would do is to make the best of a bad situation within the six weeks to gain more ground and acceptance everywhere.

What if those after Buhari get a pliable judge to get disqualify him?

Nobody should toy with the fate of this country because the consequences would be too dire. Not all the people that are chanting change, change belong to APC? Because it is clear, if one is qualified as a General and he retired as a General in the Army, it is clear that Jonathan’s aim only is that Buhari does not run. It is clear that it is between him and Alex Barde, the Chief of Defence Staff, that the cer tificate of Buhari was removed from his record and it is on record. General Alani Akinrinade’s interview is so illuminating. Akinrinade said it is not true, he joined the Army before Buhari, they requested for their certificates and their certificates were still with the Army till today.

•Culled from THe SuN

Alhaji Lai Muhammed is the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In an interview with some senior journalists in Lagos at the weekend, he said the shifting in the dates of the general election has finally nailed the coffin of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

•LAI MOHAMMeD

by razaQ baMIdeLe

55521 OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february

Job Vacancies In Nigeria

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Lates Jobs in Benin City Edo State in a Microfinance bank, February 2015

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job title: Managing Director / CEOref: SMFB/01Location: BeninQualifications Sound knowledge of banking activities and regulatory requirements in the microfinance banking sector.B.Sc/HND in Banking, Accounting, Business Administration and Economics etc.Possession of professional qualification such as ACIB, ACCA, ACA CPA, Master Degree or Certified Microfinance Banker would be an added advantage.The incumbent shall be a person of considerable experience in banking finance (minimum of 7 years post-qualification experience is required) with special ability to lead and motivate the staff towards the successful attainment of the bank’s objectives and goals.He shall be the chief administrator and marketing officer of the Bank.

Job Title: Head, Banking OperationsRef: SMFB/ HBO 02Location: BeninQualifications Sound knowledge of banking activities and regulatory requirements in the microfinance banking sector.B.Sc/HND in Banking, Accounting, Business Administration and Economics etc.Possession of professional qualification such as ACIB, ACCA, ACA CPA, Master Degree would be an added advantage.Minimum of 5 years post-qualification experienceCertification as microfinance banker would be an added advantage.Must be proficient in ComputerAge: 35 - 40 yearsJob Title: Business Strategic Planning, Research and DevelopmentLocation: BeninQualifications First Degree in Economics or Statistics.Minimum of 4 years experience preferably in research department of a reputable financial institution.age: 30 - 35 years

how to applyInterested and qualified candidates should send their application letter indicating the position and Job reference number, with a comprehensive curriculum vitae showing candidate’s experience, place and date of birth, duly signed and to which photocopies of credentials should be attached with names and contact addresses (including e-mail and telephone (GSM) numbers) of three reputable referees to:

The Advertiser,God is Good Motors,Uselu Lagos Road,Benin City.

Orgenevilleconsult@yahoo.com

Note: Multiple application are not allowed.

Application Deadline 3rd March, 2015. ———————————————————————————————————————Nigeria Immigration service (NIs) recruitment 2015 (https://www.nis.fedcivilservice.gov.ng/)Job Applications are hereby invited for The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment 2015 Nigeria Immigration Service - Pursuant to its mandate to assist the Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Prisons Services Board (CDFIPB) in conducting a fresh Recruitment Exercise, the Presidential Committee to Assist in the Immigration Recruitment Exercise, hereby invites application from suitably qualified candidates for appointment into the vacant position below in the Nigeria Immigration Service:job Position: Superintendent Cadre - Assistant Superintendent of Immigration II (ASI II) - CONPASS 08Location: NationwideAcademic QualificationCandidates applying for this position must have obtained a Bachelor’s Degree from a recognized University preferably in the following disciplines: Geography, French/other Foreign Languages, Humanities and other subjects relevant to Migration Management.job Position: Inspectorate Cadre - Assistant Inspector of Immigration (AII) - CONPASS 06Location: NationwideAcademic QualificationCandidates applying for this position must possess any of the following: National Diploma (ND) obtained from a recognized institution.National Certificate of Education (NCE) from a recognized institution; orGeneral Certificate of Education (Advance Level) in two (2) subjects obtained at one sitting or three (3) subjects obtained at two sittings.job Position: Immigration Assistant Cadre - Immigration Assistant III (IA3) - CONPASS 03Location: NationwideAcademic QualificationCandidates applying for this position must possess any of the following: West African School Certificate (WASC) or Senior Secondary School Certificate (SSSC) with Credits in not less than three (3) subjects including English and at least passes in two (2) other subjects; orNational Examination Council (NECO)/General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level with passes in four (4) subjects obtained at one sitting or five (5) subjects obtained at two sittings including English Language.General Requirements Be a Nigerian citizen by birth or descent;Not less than 18 years or more than 35 years of age;Not less than 1.7 metres in height for male and 1.64 metres for female;Have a fully expanded chest measurement of not less than 0.87 metres;Be certified by a Government Medical Officer to be physically and mentally fit for appointment into the Service;Not suffering from any form of mental or physical disability;Be free from any form of financial embarrassment;Be of good character and must not have been found guilty of any criminal offence;Candidates with any of the following medical cases need not apply:Sight problem;Hearing difficulties;Previous major orthopedic operation;Flat foot;Fracture, stammering or any other natural disability;Pregnant women

Method of applicationQualified and interested candidates should: https://www.nis.fedcivilservice.gov.ng/

NOte:Qualified Applicants can complete the application online using any of the following (PCs, Laptops, Tablets and Smart-Phones) via FCSC Recruitment Portal: www.nis.fedcivilservice.gov.ng Only applications submitted via the above web-portal will be considered for appointment.

Note/DisclaimerIn accordance with the Terms of Reference of the Committee, this recruitment exercise does not recognise any and all prior submitted applications. To be considered for appointment, candidates must submit fresh applications using the above referenced web portal. No payment is required to submit an application. Any person who seeks to submit application or obtain appointment via other means does so at his/her own risk.

Application Deadline Sunday 22nd March, 2015

22 OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february foreigN News

U.S., Allies Discuss New Sanctions, Obama Weighs Next Steps On Ukraine: Kerrythe united states and its european allies are

in talks about harsher sanctions against Moscow, while u.s. President barack Obama

will evaluate next steps in dealing with the conflict in eastern ukraine in coming days, u.s. secretary of state john kerry said on saturday.

Kerry was speaking after meetings with his British counterpart Philip Hammond in London. He said among options being considered by Obama was whether to arm Ukrainian forces and to impose deeper sanctions against the Kremlin for breaches of a Feb. 12 European-brokered truce.

“In the next few days I anticipate that President Obama will evaluate the choices that are in front of him and will make his decision as to what the next step will be,” Kerry told a news conference after meetings with Hammond.

“There a re se r ious discussions taking place b e t w e e n u s a n d o u r European allies as to what those next sanctions steps ought to be and when they ought to be implemented,” Kerry said.

“I am confident some additional steps will be taken in response to the breaches of the ceasefire.”

The Kiev military on Friday accused Russia of sending more tanks and troops towards the rebel-held town of Novoazovsk, further east along the Sea of Azov coast from Mariupol, expanding their presence on what it fears could be the next battlefront.

The Kremlin did not immediately respond to the allegation but has always denied accusations that its forces are fighting in Ukraine.

Kerry said the most “egregious violation” of the ceasefire was the assault on the city of Debaltseve and military supplies sent by Moscow to separatists.

“We know to a certainty what Russia has been providing and no amount of propaganda is capable of hiding these actions,” Kerry said. “For anyone wanting to make gray areas out of black, let’s get very real, the Minsk agreement is not open to interpretation, it is not vague, it is not optional.”

He said Russia and the rebels were only complying with the ceasefire accords in a few areas.

“If this failure continues, make no mistake, there will be further consequences, including consequences that will put added strains on Russia’s already troubled economy,” Kerry said, “We are not going to sit back and allow this kind of cynical, craven behavior to continue at the expensive of the sovereignty of another

nation.”

POssIbLe attaCkPro-Russian separatists

are building up forces and weapons in Ukraine’s southeast and the Ukrainian military said on Saturday it was braced for a possible rebel attack on the port city of Mariupol.

An attack on Mariupol, a city of half a million people and potentially a gateway to Crimea, which Russia annexed last March, would almost certainly kill off the ceasefire that aimed to end the 10-month-old conflict.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Echo Moskvy radio station that Russia was focused on supporting the ceasefire deal, according to TASS news agency.

“An obsessive idea to force someone to pay the cost ... is not conducive to the resolution of the situation in southeast Ukraine,” Peskov was quoted as saying, in response to Kerry’s remarks on the possibility of further sanctions against Russia.

The ceasefire has already

been shaken by the rebel capture on Wednesday of Debaltseve, a railway j u n c t i o n i n e a s t e r n Ukraine, forcing a retreat by thousands of Ukrainian troops in which at least 20 Ukrainian soldiers were killed.

Hammond sa id the c e a s e f i r e h a d b e e n “systematically breached”

and he would discuss with Kerry how Europe and the United States could remain united in tackling the challenge in Ukraine.

The Secretary of State t ravels to Geneva on Sunday for two days of talks with senior Iranian off ic ia l s on Tehran’s disputed nuclear program, as the sides try to resolve differences before a March 31 deadline for a basic framework agreement.

U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz will also attend the talks, the first time he has participated in the Iran negotiations, a U.S. official said.

Kerry said because of the nature of the nuclear talks it was deemed necessary and appropriate to have technical experts, including Moniz, present.

“I would not read into it any indication whatsoever that something is about to

be decided as a result of that,” he said, “There are still significant gaps, there is still a distance to travel.”

Iran Sends High-Level Negotiators To Geneva Nuclear IraNIaN President hassan rouhani has

dispatched his brother and atomic chief to Geneva to try to overcome hurdles in high-profile

nuclear talks with the United States and five other major powers, official Iranian media reported on saturday.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on his way to meet his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif that Washington wanted an agreement by the deadline of June 30.

U.S. and Iranian officials began a new round of talks in Geneva on Friday, seeking to end a 12-year standoff over the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program, suspected by the West of harboring military aims - a charge Tehran consistently denies.

The bilateral Tehran-Washington discussions,

to culminate in a foreign minis ters’ summit on Sunday, are part of wider bargaining between Iran and six major powers - “P5+1” - aimed at restricting Iran’s nuclear activities in return for relief from global economic sanctions.

Iran’s negotiations with “P5+1” - the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China - have already missed a November 2014 target date, and in the run-up to the June 30 deadline, wide gaps apparently remain, mainly over I ranian uranium

enrichment and the pace of removing sanctions.

Iranian media said nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi and President Rouhani’s brother and close aide, Hossein Fereydoon, would make their first formal appearance in the marathon talks, now entering a sensitive stage involving fine technical details.

“Fereydoon’s presence is prompted by the need to engage in consultations a n d m a k e n e c e s s a r y coordinations throughout the present round of talks in Geneva,” foreign ministry official Mohammad Ali Hosseini said.

“Today Geneva is the epicenter of U.S.-Iranian d i p l o m a c y o v e r t h e

remaining nuclear issues,” he was quoted as saying by state news agency IRNA.

Also taking part in the talks is the U.S Secretary of Energy, Ernest Moniz, who held technical discussions with Salehi in Geneva on Saturday, IRNA said.

The semi-official Tabnak newspaper said Moniz and Salehi had known one another since the early 1970s, when Iran’s now nuclear chief s tudied nuclear engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where Moniz was teaching.

“ N o w t h e y m e e t again after more than 40 years. Moniz is joining the Geneva talks to make sure the highly technical

diplomacy proceeds with precision,” said Tabnak, quoting a nuclear official.

A recent U.N. report said that Iran has refrained from expanding tests of more efficient models of a machine used to refine uranium under a nuclear agreement with six world powers. Development of advanced centrifuges is feared to lead to material potentially suitable for manufacture of nuclear bombs.

Leading Iran negotiator Abbas Araqchi told state television after the first days of talks with the U.S. that the two sides “are in search of more creative ways to speed up the talks”.

“The atmosphere was positive and in earnest,” he said.

“ A f t e r a y e a r o f negotiations over a wide range of topics, now we are about to enter the fine details. Our goal is for the final accord to include the general outlines and details all at once, so we will have to cram in the deals in all areas and stages,” he said.

Turkish Military Enters Syria To Evacuate Troops, Tombturkey launched an overnight military

operation into neighboring syria to evacuate troops guarding an Ottoman tomb, authorities

said sunday.T R T t e l e v i s i o n

broadcaster said ground t r o o p s b a c k e d b y warplanes crossed into Syrian territory to reach the tomb, just over the border near the town of Kobani.

Private NTV television said one soldier was killed in the operation.

The Turkish military later issued a statement saying the soldier had been killed in an “accident” en route to the tomb, without elaborating.

On Twi t te r, Pr ime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the tomb of Suleyman Shah, the grandfather of Osman I, founder of the Ottoman Empire, was

moved into Turkey. The tomb, once some 35 kilometers (22 miles) from Turkey on the banks of the Euphrates River, was in Syria’s embattled Aleppo province and is considered Turkish territory.

Davutoglu said the tomb would be sent to a “new location in Syria.” He did not elaborate, though he was expected to give remarks later Sunday.

Kobani was the focus of

U.S. airstrikes as Kurdish forces battled militants of the Islamic State group, who hold about a third of Iraq and neighboring Syria in their self-declared caliphate. Turkey stayed out of the battle at the time, which saw Kurds ultimately push out the extremists.

S o m e 4 0 Tu r k i s h soldiers once guarded the tomb in Syria, making them a target for the Islamic State group and other militants in Syria’s long-running civil war.

•u.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry (right) and ukraines President, Petro Poroshenko during the meeting on Saturday.

55523 feature OSuN DefeNDeR tuesday, february

Between Opulent Government Houses And Dilapidated Ivory TowersA survey conducted recently

revealed that the cost of building many government

houses in Nigeria is far higher than what it takes to build many Universities in the country with some state houses gulping as high as nine times more than the cost of building a University. The survey also revealed that in many states where billions of naira were expended on building bogus and expensive state houses for the first families, Universities owned by such state governments were in terrible conditions. In addition to this, many programmes run by the state-owned universities are awaiting accreditation by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the regulatory agency for universities in Nigeria, due to lack of fund. Accreditation exercises require huge fund to provide adequate facilities to run the programme as well as minimum number of staff both academic and non-academic. For staffing in particular, a long-term investment is needed to procure quality staff.

In Bayelsa State, a Government House Complex named ‘‘The Glory of Land Castle’’ gulped at least N24 billion, while work has begun on a new Governor’s office project at the Government House at a cost of N3.8 billion. Paradoxically, there is a high level of infrastructural decay at the Niger Delta University being run by the state government.

In the same vein, the Kaduna State Government completed a N9.6 billion new Government House, Office Complex. But shortly after the inauguration of the structure, medical students of Kaduna State University stormed the streets to protest the non-accreditation of the institution’s medical courses by the NUC.

The story is similar in Akwa-Ibom State, where the government constructed a State House with a sum of N16 billion and a Banquet Hall with 500 seating capacity with the sum of N18 billion giving a total of N34 billion spent on constructing a State House and banquet hall. Yet the Akwa-Ibom State University groans under the albatross of grossly inadequate funding.

While Delta State spent N6 billion on the building of a new Government House, Ekiti State borrowed N3.3 billion to build a State University that was in

terrible condition. Interestingly, a statistic has it that a minimum of N7 billion is required to build a standard University in Nigeria. I recall that the Federal Government approved N18 billion for the take-off of the nine Federal Universities under President Goodluck Jonathan.

Pundits have blamed the governors’ preference for luxury at the expense of investment in education on members of their State Houses of Assembly, who approved money for opulent Government Houses.

The Webometric ranking of African Universities is very poor indeed. Economic experts meeting at the ninth Annual African Economic Conference in Addis Ababa urged African governments to enhance the image of Universities by providing high quality infrastructure and facilities

that would enable creative and innovative research. According to the Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, an acute shortage of skills was behind Africa’s underdevelopment that resulted in unemployment of University graduates in many countries and thus making a case for provision of high quality scientific research and education as one of the main objectives of Africa’s tertiary education system as it would give the youth critical building blocks to secure their future.

It is wrong for governments to establish some Universities that bear no resemblance to higher education institutions.

I deplore the scenario of the allure of something called a University but which is not near an institution of higher learning in many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Instead of investing in Universities of international standard, some governments

are establishing small structures with University tags attached to them. Of federal, state and private universities, experts say state-owned universities present the poorest report card in terms of quality of programmes.

I commend Tertiary Education Trust Fund’s intervention in improv ing the qua l i ty o f infrastructural provision in Nigeria Universities. Evidence abounds that TET Fund has performed creditably well as an intervention agency set up to provide supplementary support to all levels of public tertiary institutions with the main objective of using funding, alongside project management for the rehabilitation, restoration and consolidation of tertiary education in Nigeria. The main source of income available to TET Fund is the two per cent education tax paid from the assessable profit of companies registered in Nigeria.

Funding has always been and will continue to be an important issue in the next years. This is because the next years will witness great changes in the political scene, education, technological development and the general expectations of mankind. Even now, all aspects of university life require a lot of money, for providing the much-needed infrastructure, the purchase of all items of equipment for the laboratories, to equip the library and to provide welfare packages.

The rather poor condition of Universities is not a recent phenomenon. Rather it has resulted from many years of inadequate funding which obviously was more unavoidable than intentional. This should be urgently addressed.

The modern University, as the intellectual cream of the society has a unique duty and challenge to tackle. Universities must brace up to their responsibilities and live up to the expectations of the society that, even in these hard times, provide for their sustenance. Deficit budgeting, increasing expenditure and the dwindling subvention from government point to the need for Universities to be innovative in seeking additional sources of funds in order to remain in operation.

•Prof Asaju, the Act ing vice-Chancellor of Oduduwa

by a.s. asaju

•JONATHAN

tuesday, february 24, 2015

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OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank GTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. All correspondence to the Managing Editor, KOla OlabiSi, Telephone: 08033927286 (kolaolabisi@yahoo.com); Editor, KaYODE aGbaJE, Telephone: 0803-388-0205, E-mail: osundefender@yahoo.com, kayodeagbaje@yahoo.com. ISSN: 0794-8050.Website: www.osundefender.org.

by ade OLuGbOteMI“NIGERIA we hail thee; Our own dear native land; Though t r ibe

and tongue may differ; In brotherhood we stand; Nigerians all are proud to serve; Our sovereign motherland” was the song we once cherished as our National Anthem. Service was then seen as a thing of pride because of the honour that went with it. Everybody saw the task of being one’s brother’s keeper as specifically delightful. As a deterrent, anybody who failed to seek the good of others suffered serious alienation and ostracism because the binding cord of our nationhood was selflessness. The prevalence of deviant behaviour and sequestrated life, to say the least was extremely repudiated. National identity was fabulously cherished and only rare necessities took people off the shores of our dear country; with the consciousness to quickly be back in the country as soon as possible.

Today, we have different scenario trending in our national life. We suddenly become our own enemies; and we engage in deliberate action aimed at weakening ourselves through subversive actions that obstruct and disrupt our peaceful coexistence. All of a sudden, we destroy our essence through willful psychological bashing that pitches us against one another. The crafty in our midst quickly capitalize on this to profit through our complacency. The trend has continued to smear us in the face until recently; when some individuals decide to embark on a rescue mission to salvage the remnants of our incontinence. Expectedly, hope is beginning to rise that efforts can be coordinated to redeem our battered identity.

There are elements of good in evil, and however good a situation appears, it is always alloyed with some taints of imperfection. So, when Nigeria was seen to be in the golden era, certain usages still dented our smooth edges; and today that people see Nigeria as a place where confusion has permeated our entire national life, some concerned individuals (though few) still feel concerned and are busy thinking of the possibility of salvaging the seeming hopelessness. These few individuals, though still have fault semblance, are engaging in a kind of covert mentoring that is intended for a bailout. The effort is now assuming a replica of massive movement, such that the impact is getting globalized with the attendant change influence that is originally intended.

Nobody ever thought that a formidable opposition party could emerge at this period of our national life. It never happened during the time of Nigeria’s founding fathers like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Tafawa Balewa, Obafemi Awolowo, and Aminu Kano. Actually, what we had were parties built around these notable individuals who were seen as leaders of their blocs. The closest they went to the current situation was alliances, which never endured anyway. That was the reason the ruling-Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took the emergence of All Progressives Congress (APC) lightly. This rare feat and the architects must be

appreciated by well-meaning Nigerians because of the effects both on the short and long runs. Nobody is talking of one Action Congress (AC) predominantly peopled by Yoruba, All Nigerian People’s Party (ANPP) of the Eastern Nigeria, or Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) that was synonymous with the Northern part of the country.

This development is not without attendant ills and vices. The pervasive hate speech and malicious advertorials in the media clime is a direct product of the emergence of the two mega parties viz PDP and APC that are now known as providing viable options for the teeming electorate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to make. General Muhammadu Buhari is not just contesting for the first time. He has tried over and over again, but nobody considered him a threat because of the sectional nature of the platform on which he has been running in earlier attempts. It is the product of an imminent change and preponderant weight of opinions that portray power shift from a party that has been in saddle for almost sixteen years to an amalgam that adopts BROOM as its logo and

CHANGE as its slogan. There is also the positive side in the

urgency that the ruling PDP that has taken people for granted for who they are now see the voting populace as important. This is the first time it will happen in the post-military era that PDP will really try to resist the formidable opposition that has come like a holocaust that is trying to sweep off a party that has prided itself as the biggest in Africa, destined to rule the country for the next sixty years. This also responsible for the urgency that many have regarded as belated, which now propels the ruling party to engage in aggressive campaign and the seeming mad rush to initiate bogus projects that complacency has not allowed for in almost six years of President Jonathan’s occupation at the helm of affairs.

The emergence of APC has also caused some hawks preying on our commonwealth to have a rethink; to the end that they dumped the ruling-Peoples Democratic Party to embrace the emergent move that has culminated in a party that now controls the majority seats in the lower chamber of the

National Assembly. The ruling party has failed to quickly see this as a mass movement because of that predilection for inertia and impossibility mentality that has plagued governance under PDP. Some top notchers in PDP realized that unless they repent, they may soon become political relics, who are bound to become irrelevant in

the emerging dispensation. They derived incurable guilt from the debilitating sabotage they have dealt our economy over the years as PDP cronies, and therefore thought it wise to dump PDP and the evil it stands for in Nigeria’s political platform. Most of the people that dumped PDP for APC have told Nigerians that they left their former party for the perceived injustice being meted to the masses through massive corruption and economic sabotage. According to them, it will be a disservice to continue to wine and dine with those who mean and design evil perpetually for the country. They intend that Nigeria should move forward, and this may be too daunting if they remain in their former PDP camp. They have hinted Nigerians on the events now playing out in the political circle, so that people will not get confused regarding their choice of candidates at the polls. The recent poll shift is prominent in PDP’s file as revealed by some of those who decamped; and consternations are rife that elections may not hold at all because the ruling party feel that they have lost too much ground to opposition and for fear of prosecution over past misdemeanour. The ongoing tenacious media campaigns are intended to possibly reverse the trend in the event that elections are made to hold compulsorily. It is now left for Nigerians to demonstrate whether they are fed up with economic saboteurs in the ruling party, or they are ready to effect the much needed change which the entire world is looking forward to; time will tell

The ruling party is not allowing anything lie low as a result of mass exodus of some of its notable members. We have suddenly arrived at an era of adoption; ostensibly for the ruling PDP to claim relevance as the general elections are fast approaching; and applying the considered most potent instrument of financial inducement on gullible Nigerians as usual. They consider it an anathema to defeat a sitting president, as this has never happened in Nigeria’s history. Though some people have come to a conclusion that PDP’s actions are rather belated, the ruling party is trying hard to discredit the emerging scenario. They said APC is a party of spent forces from PDP. They also said that there is nothing for APC to change; meaning that in their own opinion, they are running the best government possible for Nigeria, irrespective of unprecedented corruption that Nigeria in now known for. They believe that corruption is no evil, and that poverty is also nothing to warrant any hues and cries. In the unlikely event that the ruling party wins the forthcoming election however, they now know that it is no longer easy to take Nigerians for a ride.

When It Is No Longer Business As Usual

•BuHARI