The Nation Newspaper

Category: Osun

  • Mr President, Sorry, You Do Not Deserve Another Term

    Mr President, Sorry, You Do Not Deserve Another Term

    While I commiserate with President Goodluck  Jonathan about the death of his younger sister, I must also state that this president does not give a damn about the plight of other Nigerians.

    The President was able to postpone the inauguration of his campaign team simply because he lost his sister, meanwhile, when hundreds of Nigerians were killed during the first Nyanya bombing, the President not only called the bluff of those that died due to the failure of his government, but was also seen dancing Azonto in Kano. Why was Kano carnival necessary? Simply because one former governor was returning to the corrupt PDP camp? The President could not shift the event, as he did with his campaign team, perhaps if one of those that died in the Nyanya was to be his relative, he would have shifted the event. The horror of PDP’s misgovernance and cluelessness have already created a virtual state of war in the North-East of the country, where Boko Haram is wreaking havoc, death and destruction in our fatherland and has even seized territories from Nigeria in the area.

    On the day he was to give his consent to contest the 2015 election, there was a bomb blast in Yobe, where many students lost their lives. It was utterly insensitive and absolutely callous the decision by President Goodluck Jonathan to declare his second/third term ambition on a day almost 50 students were killed and about 80 injured in a suicide bombing in Potiskum. Mr President by all his actions, was only dancing on the graves of the students, as well as those of all the victims of the Boko Haram insurgency.

    Since he chose to celebrate a national tragedy, Nigerians should also be ready to celebrate his electoral failure come February 14.

    Today, the three North-East states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe are being overrun by Boko Haram and over 650,000 Nigerians are internally displaced in those states by the insurgency.

    Yet, Mr President claimed he has been putting Nigerians first, while his actions show otherwise and lies have never worn a bolder face. The truth is that for President Jonathan, it is Jonathan first, Jonathan second, Jonathan third, Jonathan always!” as he had just demonstrated with the death of his sister.

    When about 60 students were killed in the terror attack on the Federal Government College, Buni Yadi, in February 2014, President Jonathan never visited the scene to commiserate with the families of the victims.

    Since the war in the North Eastern part of Nigeria began, not for once has this man from Utuoke visited the area to commiserate with the bereaved families or even to pay a visit to our officers, who are being sent daily to commit suicide in the warfront as a result of poor ammunition supply, due to the corruption in the presidency and within the command. Just few days ago, Professor Jerry Gana just told us that the President will campaign in the North East area of the country. How insensitive can this be, when the President could not deem it fit to visit those area since the war broke out, he now wants to go there to ask for their votes? I’m very sure this AGIP (Any Government In Power) man (Jerry Gana) was quoted out of context. Would the President, who has refused to hear the cries of the people in that area, be bold enough to ask them for their votes? Like my people would say: “I dey laugh oh”.

    Chibok school girls issue is still outstanding. Up till today, Mr President has not deemed it fit to visit the area, and when almost 300 girls were freshly abducted, he neither acted fast enough to rescue the girls, nor visited the village. His administration even denied anyone was abducted, until 19 days after. He failed to act decisively simply because none of his wards were involved? Because it shows that this shoeless man can only bite when it concerns him or any of the corrupt cabinet members, as it was the case when his uncle and the mother of one of his ministers were kidnapped. He not only gave a marching order to the security agents to rescue both, a huge sum was also parted with to free the duo. Many of those kidnapped victims were not that fortunate like the uncle of the former governor of Bayelsa State, who was murdered in cold blood.

    President Jonathan has therefore established a pattern of putting his political interest above the security and welfare of Nigerians, who voted him into office. This President has trampled upon the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which makes the security and welfare of the citizenry the raison d’etre of government’s existence. It is time for Nigerians to respond in kind by trampling on his political ambition and sending him back to Otuoke,”

    His security agents can also be termed as a political wing of PDP with their frivolous accusation and biased statements being dished out constantly.  The culprit amongst them is the spokeswoman for the DSS, Marilyn Ogar. This woman needs to have been fired from her position if it were in a saner clime. How could someone in her position be dishing out reckless statements virtually on daily basis? If she wants to join those jobbers in the presidency, she ought to have resigned her appointment and join the likes of Mr Doyin Okupe and Femi Fani-Kayode. What right has she to be issuing a threat to a sitting governor that has immunity from prosecution. She has ridiculed the agency she’s representing with her shameless arrogant ways. She promised Nigerians that we would be shocked by the time she reveals what was found in her agency’s illegal raid of APC secretariat. Since she made that promise, we are still waiting to hear from this shameless spokeswoman of the DSS about their discovery and neither has the agency tendered unreserved apology to the party for its officers’ crazy behaviour.

    President Jonathan’s transformation agenda and whatever achievements he and his team are boasting of cannot be felt by ordinary Nigerians. Nigerians are hearing everyday that our economy is the best in Africa. We however wonder how our economy be the best, when our electricity supply is still at zero level? The Naira is nose-diving daily; workers are not being paid, while those dubious PDP governors are busy donating towards the president’s electioneering campaign. The roads are nothing to write home about, while corruption is synonymous to the government at the centre. After all the President and his party do not give a damn about corruption, as they claimed that the problem of Nigeria is not corruption but stealing.

    So I want President Jonathan to agree with me that he does not deserve another term because what Nigerians want now and urgently too is CHANGE and not business as usual. ‘Change’ is also a clarion call for the people to get seriously involved in rescuing Nigeria from shame of corruption and poverty, which the PDP-led government has imposed on Nigerians since 1999.

    When he declared his assets during the late President Yar’Adua’s administration, he claimed to worth N270 million. Though no one queried he amassed such wealth, because he was just an ordinary teacher before he ventured into politics and by now he must have been one of the wealthiest Nigerians since his government is the most corrupt in the history of Nigeria. Even General Ibrahim Babangida, in his latest interview, affirmed that his government that was alleged to be most corrupt is now a saint when compared with the level of corruption in the current administration.

    Only God knows how much he is worth now. All we are saying now is for Mr President to please go back home, as we are tired of his clueless style of governance.

     

  • Buhari Has What It Takes To Win – Remi Idowu

    Buhari Has What It Takes To Win – Remi Idowu

    You are a Nigerian in the Diaspora, what is the mood like over the 2015 elections, especially on the presidential election?

    IDOWU: The mood outside Nigeria, that means covering United Kingdom, USA, Canada and all over the world about this presidential election; the mood is electric, people are very happy that Nigeria has another opportunity to take this democracy forward by electing a president of their choice and critically, the moment we are, we have two strong political parties, the present government, which the PDP represents and a very strong opposition unlike past elections, where opposition parties weren’t strong or weren’t together. But in this case, we have a very strong opposition. So, that gives people in the Diaspora the very feelings that this election will be a very determinant factor whether Nigeria will go forward or we are not serious at all about democracy. So, the mood generally is very high, people are just expecting this to happen come February 14, 2015.

    addition to that, the fears towards the election is actually based on what some people are saying or what they are threatening about the forthcoming election if it doesn’t favour them, especially people from the ruling party and especially my brothers from the Niger-Delta. I don’t want to really mention anybody’s name but I’m someone who is constantly on Facebook and other social media platforms and I have read so many terrible comments by a section of the country especially from the Niger-Delta people, threatening fire and brimstones if Jonathan loses the election, they will declare war. Recently a gubernatorial candidate also made a threat, saying if Jonathan doesn’t win the election, the Niger-Delta will collapse the economy. I don’t think that’s what people need at this moment. We are all Nigerians and we pray for a free and fair election and in so doing, whoever comes victorious in a free and fair poll should be supported, whether PDP or the APC. So, there is no need at this moment for people to be threatening because if we are talking of democracy someone must win and the other part will have to lose and accept as long as the election is free and fair.

    People should stop threatening other people that unless they win. Democracy doesn’t work that way. If you lose, you must accept and if you win, you must be magnanimous about it and we move forward and do what we have to do as a nation. Nigerians in the Diaspora are happy as I said earlier but I think they are disappointed because the President, Goodluck Jonathan, promised when he was campaigning in 2011that those in the Diaspora will have a say in electing their representatives; that they will have power to vote, but the president up till now has not kept this promise. So, I think there is disappointment that they won’t be able to vote except for people like us who are back home to exercise our civic duties. So, there is that disappointment also apart from being happy that we are going to have election and we will elect our true leaders this time around.

    Briefly, can you sum up what you consider to be the political temperature of the country since you came back?

    IDOWU: I have been around almost a week now. I am a politician by my involvement and passion, so I have been around and talking about politics with anybody and everybody I come across. People are very happy that this time around, we will elect our true leaders and I could see that most people have made up their minds who they want to vote for. So, you will have political faithful, those belonging to the PDP, those within the APC and some other parties. People are really excited and they are energized and you could see campaigns going on all over the country, and you could see mammoth crowd coming out to welcome their candidate. The mood is really high in Nigeria and like I said, most people I have talked to, almost 90% have made up their minds who they want to vote for. It is not a matter of whether they are thinking about it or not. Yes, we still have people who have not made up their minds, the undecided but I am sure before the weeks run out, few weeks to election people will definitely decide where they want to be. I have been reading and I have been hearing people saying ‘yes, this is the candidate I am going to vote for’ with reasons given peculiar to themselves, which is fine and I still believe we still have few neutral people that they are neither here nor there, people that I can term as fence sitters. They are still sitting on the fence. I hope they are not going to sit so long before February 14. Everybody will have to make his or her own mind before the election but generally the country is energized. I could see that on political rallies, on comments and debates here and there both on televisions, newspapers because we are all ready for this election because it’s going to make Nigeria and I pray is not going to break Nigeria.

    There are fears that because of the seeming popularity of both Jonathan and Buhari, the outcome of the February 14 poll may bring Nigeria to chaos. What are your fears?

    IDOWU: Let me be honest with you, whichever way it goes, Buhari or Jonathan, my prayer is and my support is for Buhari. I will continue to campaign for him and if it is Jonathan, the fear is there, we may come up with some little or minor chaos here and there. Like I said earlier on, people in Jonathan’s camp, especially his Ijaw people, have been threatening and threat is not part of the democracy. Democracy is for people to stand up, campaign and support a particular candidate of your choice and if that person wins, that is good and if that person loses the election, there is nothing you can do about it. You just have to accept the result as long as the election is fair and free and I want to believe Professor Attahiru Jega is working so hard to give us a free and fair election and with the introduction of the PVC, it means it will be difficult for any political party to rig the election. But I’m not saying that it is still not possible. At least, if we can minimize election rigging trouble, then we have the chance of having a free and fair election that will be acceptable to both candidates. So, once we are able to have an election that is fairly free and fair, it cannot be absolutely free and I don’t think there is any absolutely free and fair election anywhere in the world. But at least, if we can increase the percentage or if we can step up from where we left in 2011 then, it will be clear to the losers that they have to accept and the winners will have to be humble in victory.

    So, the fears are there, the Niger-Delta will want to cause trouble and people are also saying that if Buhari doesn’t win the election, there might be protests across the North. I have not heard from the candidates. I have not heard any of them talking about violence if they don’t win the election. What the APC people are saying is that give us free and fair election. If it’s free and fair, it will be accepted, but if it is not free and fair, if the PDP tries to rig the election, that could be a problem and that would be a genuine reason to have problem in Nigeria but nobody is praying for that. But as long as we can get the election through and try without any problem, then whoever wins will accept and the loser will also have to accept the result.

    Look at what happened in Osun last year with the re-election of Aregbesola. They made several attempts before, during and immediately after the election before the results were announced and Aregbesola was declared. You could see the happiness on the faces of the people and the mass acceptance because the people of Osun knew it was their choice that was declared eventually.

    Having been in the politics of the party in UK for years, do you think APC really has what it takes to deliver good governance?

    IDOWU: APC is a new political party, the merger of parties, the CPC, ACN, APGA, PDP. So, APC is a combination of Nigerian political parties. I did some research on that and I have come out with the fact that APC is the first political party merger in the history of Nigeria. We have been having alliances with parties but this is the first political party merger and we are now talking of the strong viable opposition. If you look at the formation of APC, you are talking of people in the North, CPC, the ACN in the South-West, ANPP in the North East. It is a party that cuts across the length and breadth of this country. So, it comes out to be a very strong opposition.

    From the statement released by PDP people, you could see that desperation and fear. That for the first time, they are having a strong contest with the strong opposition. So, APC has a very high chance in winning this election, not only the presidential but in most cases because for the first time we are having an opposition party that cuts across all the 36 states of Nigeria. I’m not sure it has ever happened in the history of Nigeria. We will give PDP a good run for their money and that means taking the Presidency away from them, winning most of the states and National Assembly and that is my prediction. It is not only my prediction, it is the political reality in Nigeria. All you have to do is to go to town and speak to people. When you speak to people, take sample, speak to ten people, out of ten people, I can assure you that seven to eight are speaking in favour of APC, even though some of them are not members but they have made up their minds that for the first time, they have the candidate that everybody can rally round. We have a candidate that can confidently say that I have never stolen a penny of public fund and I don’t think we have had any past president that could come out and say such a statement. So, the people see in Buhari and by extension, APC, a transparent, credible and strong party that they can rely on. The people have been looking for this kind of opposition for many years but for the first time. So, our chances are really high.

    You have just completed a book on Buhari and planning a presentation, what motivated you to write the book and can we have an insight into the book please?

    IDOWU: As much as I don’t want to talk too much about the book, I have written a book on Buhari, and I want to keep it safe until the public presentation which is going to be few days or some weeks’ time. Actually, it is going to come out before the election because that is the essence of the book. I’m motivated because like I said, as politician and a politician, who is not contesting this time around, I believe I have obligation to contribute to the debate and the way I believe I could contribute to the debate is to present it in a formal way by writing a book about Buhari and Nigeria generally for which a Foreword was written by the Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. So, the book covers not only Buhari but the economy of Nigeria, the promises given by President Goodluck Jonathan. It is a political book and it is into three parts. The first part covers the economy, the security threats in Nigeria and many other things that people need to know about the current government of Jonathan, even though PDP has been in power for sixteen years but they keep telling us about only six years of Jonathan and Jonathan happens to be a candidate and representative of PDP government and they have been in power for sixteen years. So, I was able to let people realize that Jonathan is not just coming from the sky. He has been part and parcel of this political system for sixteen years including his party. So, the second part of it relates to the formation of political parties, our past experiences, past political parties, the current and first ever political merger that came out as APC. So, I was able to talk much about that and also showcase what that phenomenon stands for in Muhammadu Buhari. There are misconceptions and misinformation about this man especially from our youth, those who are 30 years or less in age. They don’t have facts and figures about this man. So, most of their comments are based on fictions because they were young when Buhari was in power and they are being fed by mischievous people about what this man stands for. So, I was able to showcase what Buhari stands for in his own words, what he’s been doing since he was born. I was able to relate this and put it in black and white. For people to read and understand themselves because this is the man that stands for integrity, honesty, transparency and he is foremost anti-corruption person Nigeria ever had. So, people will see, read through and understand this man. That was primarily my objective that we must correct this notion that ‘Buhari is this; Buhari is that’ based on misinformation. So the book actually dealt with that to make people realize that Buhari is not what he has been painted as. For example, you can imagine people saying this man is an illiterate. A General! Not only in Nigeria is he respected but all over the world. He is actually number six on the list of honour. So, when people now say he is uneducated, we should tell them to look for other intelligent things to say. So, it’s annoying. So, we were able to let people understand how he started his life from primary school up to where he is at the moment. That is essentially what the book stands for and we hope to present it to the public any moment from now. So, the third part of the book covers what my party stands for because there are lots of things some people don’t still really understand or they don’t take time to or venture to find out. With this new age of technology, all you have to do is to do a little bit of research. To let people have an idea of what we stand for, our manifesto. So, we have our manifesto in the book, so it is not a matter of ‘I don’t know what APC stands for’. All you have to do if you don’t know is to pick the book or go to our website and read. This information is there for the public to see. The part also covers the aspect where I so much believe; where my occupation lays and where I believe Nigeria can benefit immensely and that is provision of public sector housing.

    It serves as my recommendation and the concluding part of the book, because housing alone can revamp Nigeria’s economy if we take it seriously. I was able to put that in black and white for people to see the benefits because housing incorporate everything. It is where we can create millions of job opportunities for our youths, for professionals, for artisans. It’s a huge potential and I was able to relate this, explain it and bring it to the fore front as part of our policy arrangments.

    What role do you expect this book to play in Nigerians deciding who they vote for between Jonathan and Buhari?

    IDOWU: The rationale behind the book is to educate Nigerians, to keep history, to keep record and to present the facts as they are, in other words, if we are well-educated about both politically strong parties of PDP and APC, it will now give you the opportunity to make up your mind. You will know very well about what PDP represents, especially in the last six years of President Jonathan and you will also have the opportunity to see Buhari in his true colour, in his true picture, in his own words. So when you now look at both sides of the coin, Jonathan and Buhari, you then decide who you want to vote for and why you want to vote for this particular choice of yours. We want those who read it to say ‘I have a document that could help me make up my mind.’ I believe it is part of the debate so that once you have facts and figures about both political parties, it will not be difficult to say ‘I can go for A or I can go for B’. That is number one essence of the book.

    Number two is to let history be recorded because I’m not sure we have a political book about Nigeria especially our democracy in the last 50 years. There are few books but we need to do more. I am happy that I’m contributing my part to the Nigerian political literature by writing the book, by stating the economic history of Nigeria, political history of Nigeria and talking about political parties, talking about candidates. This will even help unborn generations to go back and say ‘I have a book that I can read on Jonathan, I have a book that I can read on Buhari without anybody telling me.’ It’s going to be there hundred, fifty years. So, it is going to be a book that will be globally sold because it’s going to be on Amazon online and three onlines worldwide where people can go and buy the book. So, it is going to showcase Nigeria’s democracy to the whole world. It is going to inform Nigerians both in the Diaspora and inside Nigeria about the last six years of PDP government and about this phenomenon called Buhari and you have facts and figures about both candidates.

     

  • February 2015: Call For Postponement In Bad Faith – CDRP

    A leading civil society organization in Nigeria, Committee for Democracy and Rights of the People (CDRP) has strongly condemned the call for the postponement of the February 2015 Nigeria’s general elections by Sambo Dasuki, Presidential Adviser on National Security, maintaining that the call was in bad faith.

    This was contained in a statement signed by the Acting National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Saka Waheed and made available to newsmen in Osogbo, the State of Osun capital.

    According to the group, the call by the National Security Adviser to the President was not only in bad faith but also an attempt to create new tension in the nation’s body polity.

    The group described the call for postponement as provocative, totally unfathomable and grossly unintelligible from a high-ranking officer of the government.

    “At a time like this, when we need to support, encourage and empower INEC to fulfil its constitutional duty by ensuring that the necessary materials are provided well in time before the elections, the call for postponement by the NSA was nothing but an institutional discouragement of the hardworking Chairman of INEC and his men and women,” Saka said.

    Prof. Jega has always re-affirmed the commitment of his commission to conduct the elections as scheduled, even in the troubled areas of the North East of Nigeria, while he also admitted that there are few challenges here and there regarding permanent voters’ cards and other logistics, however, the commission never gave any reason whatsoever that may warrant postponement.

    Saka further stated that, the NSA must focus on how the country will be secured before, during and after the February general elections and not dabble into an electoral process, where he has little or no knowledge.

    The group therefore called on Nigerians to visit INEC designated collection centres and collect their permanent voters’ cards, and prepare to cast their votes for candidates of their choice in the upcoming general elections as scheduled by INEC.

     

  • PDP, Presidency’s Plan To Use Osun Tribunal To Scuttle February Polls Exposed

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in connivance with the Presidency, has concluded plans to use the Osun Election Petition Tribunal to scuttle the next month general elections in the country.

    It was gathered that the party, with the collaboration of the Presidency, is desperate in installing Senator Iyiola Omisore as governor of the state before the February 14 polls in the country.

    OSUN DEFENDER’s investigation revealed that the desperation of the Presidency is such that it would do anything to remove Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who, the presidency has identified as a stumbling block to its ambition in the South-West.

    It was gathered that the presidency is hell-bent on forcing the tribunal to declare Omisore as winner of the August 9, 2014 governorship poll in the state to destabilise the APC and cause upheaval in the geo-political zone, which may spread across the country and eventually lead to the eventual postponement of the general elections and allow the PDP to re-strategise for the polls.

    The medium further gathered that the party has felt defeated with the outcome of the governorship poll in the state, considering its importance to the general elections and would do anything to undo its perceived mistake.

    According to a source, the Presidency is desperate about the February 14 poll and has seen Governor Aregbesola as a problem in the South-West and getting him out of the way by hook or crook means would serve its purpose, especially as the courts are currently on strike and the governor would not be able to proceed to the appellate court, while Omisore would have been sworn in as governor during the poll, believing it could help the PDP’s chance in the zone.

    “As you know that the chances of the president returning to office fades everyday and would do anything to get back to the office, including tramping on the judiciary.

    “The Presidency does not give a damn about the facts before the tribunal, but is ready to force a decision on the members of the panel to favour the PDP and presidency.

    “You should know that no judge can overlook the chances of becoming a Chief Judge of a state and the party is ready to lure the chairperson of the panel with the chance of becoming a CJ in her state.”

    Findings showed that the recent celebration galore embarked upon by members of the PDP in Osogbo, the state capital, after the adoption of written addresses by both parties, was part of the script by the party to hoodwink the public into believing they succeeded in proving their case before the court ahead of the final script of the party.

    Meanwhile, the APC in the state is said to be aware of the plan by the PDP and is taking steps towards ensuring justice is done in the matter, irrespective of interest from high quarters.

    Some loyalists of the party are said to be threatening to make the state ungovernable should the tribunal be lured into declaring Omisore, as they are living witnesses to the election and there was no unit the result was manipulated.

     

  • Uneasy Calm In Ila PDP Over Candidate’s Emergence

    The emergence of Mr. Nasiru Adebisi Jayeola as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Ila State Constituency has continued to generate bad blood among members of the party in Ila Local Government Council Area of the State of Osun at the weekend.

    The members, who protested Jayeola’s emergence as the party’s candidate, alleged that he (Jayeola) forged his statutory declaration of age to contest for the position.

    They however, petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC) and the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Abubakar Marafa, through their counsel, Edmund Biriomoni, to reverse his emergence as PDP candidate for the constituency.

    Their counsel argued that “Jayeola had procured two different declarations of age, bearing same receipt no CR. 022135 respectively, but different signatures of the declarants and Commissioner for Oaths.

    The petition reads in part: “It is clear that the said statutory declarations of age dated 22nd September, 2014 are both forged documents with criminal intentions of Mr. Nasiru Adebisi Jayeola to perpetrate fraud and perjury.

    “Sir (CP), we urge you to direct an immediate investigation into our petition in view of prosecuting the culprits in a court of law.”

    Also, in the two-page petition directed to the INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, and dated 4th January, 2015, the commission was charged to invoke the necessary provisions of the relevant laws, especially sections 32 and 87 of the Electoral Act and provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

    The petitioners therefore, charged the concerned authorities to investigate Jayeola on the allegation and charge him to court to right all wrongs concerning the matter.

     

  • The Need For Yoruba To Rethink

    The Need For Yoruba To Rethink

    The events that have militated against  good governance and progress of corporate Nigeria has usually been triggered by my people, the Yoruba.

    When you flash back to the events since 1979, when we were poised to have a good president in Nigeria, Chief Awolowo, it was Chief Richard Akinjide (SAN) that came up with 12 2/3 formula.

    After the accord of non-violence signed on 14th January, 2015 by all presidential candidates, events unfolding have set the Yoruba against the candidate of change, General Muhammodu Buhari, under the close watch of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, when one Col. Olaleye claimed that Buhari’s certificates are not with the military, after earlier confirmation they have the documents.

    Is he saying that all the courses attended and certificates obtained since 1961 until Buhari retired are not in the files or records of the military, which are higher than WASC?

    To crown it all, Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State placed an advert in The Punch and The Sun newspapers wishing Buhari dead and still remains unrepentant about it, while President Jonathan could not call him to order.

    The underlying factors in all these developments are avarice and love of money. In all the cases cited above, except Abiola’s denial by Obasanjo, the Yoruba are presented as mischief makers of Nigeria, always used when Nigeria is about to choose a good leader of our dream, at times jeopardizing the corporate existence of the nation.

    I hate the idea of Yoruba being used to do senseless things. Who can vouch for Fayose clocking 60 years before he dies?

    Let us be reminded that Buhari and Idiagbon fixed Nigeria when it was in a disastrous state between 1983 and 1985 before Babangida brought darkness again, which has not been corrected till date. The duo of Buhari and Osinbajo will do it again because we need them now more than ever.

    The press conference addressed by General Buhari on 21st January, 2015 has exposed both the military and the PDP as liars, who cannot be trusted with the governance of this country. Both are birds of a feather, who have been lying to us about Boko Haram and the nation’s affairs.

    Let the genuine  leaders of Yoruba and our monarchs rise up to the occasion and condemn the actions of Femi Fani-Kayode, Fayose, Olaleye and others like them, who have been behaving like bastards in our midst for a pot of porridge.

    If Buhari contested in 2003, 2007, 2011 for this same position and the issue of certificate did not arise then, why now when he is set to win the Presidency like Abraham Lincoln of USA?

     

  • Osun’ ll Be Aggressive On IGR – COS

    Government of the State of Osun has said it has  no other option than to ensure that the issues of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is aggressively driven by all revenue generating agencies of government to cater for the dwindling federal allocation to the state.

    Chief of Staff to Governor Rauf Aregbesola, Mr Gboyega Oyetola, stated this while appearing before the House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation to defend the 2015 budget estimate for the Governor’s Office.

    He said the Office of the Governor has proposed to raise N3,025,000,000 as revenue through tender fees, registration of contractors, capital receipts and from other sources within the year.

    Oyetola presented a budget of N18,645,514,610 as expenditure for the year with N6,925,000,000 as recurrent expenditure and N11,720,514,610 as proposed capital expenditure.

    He said N1,159,000,000 is expected to be expended on salaries, allowances and other remunerations of career officers and political office holders in the Office of the Governor.

    “The budget size for the year represents a 36.13 percent reduction in the size of the budget for year 2014,” he explained.

    Commending the state parliament for its understanding over the financial position of the state and its effects on the funding of all arms of government, he said the state and the entire country have never had it so bad.

    He then noted that the need to scale down the size of the budget to “a realistic level” had been dictated by the reality of the current financial situation of the state.

    According to him, the situation at which the country is, requires all true lover of democracy to join hands in ensuring the emergence of the much-desired era of development and growth of the country after years of stagnation in all facets of life.

    He however urged the Assembly to give usual accelerated consideration and passage to the budget to lay the required foundation for the accomplishment of all the plans and programmes of the present administration in the state.

    The Chairman, House Committee on Finance and Appropriation, Honourable Kamil Oyedele, promised that the House would give the budget critical and accelerated consideration and passage.

     

     

  • A Happy New Year

    The teeming readers of Osun Defender, have certainly earned and deserve a happy, fulfilling, prosperous new year in continuing good health. They also have good reasons to look forward to what will be a game – changing and indeed momentous New Year. This is why in conjunction with wishing them a happy new year, we all also felicitate with the helmsman of the State of  Osun, the irrepressible Ogbeni governor Rauf Aregbesola. He has certainly earned and deserves our encomiums’ for the masterly way in which he has steered the ship of state in very stormy, unpredictable and often stormy weather. Ogbeni, do be gracious enough to accept all of our hearty Gbosas.

    The just arrived New Year will by any indication be hard. This is because due to the mismanagement of the economy at the center, the states are now facing excruciating difficulties in carrying out not just  their statutory but also indeed their moral  obligations. This is because to state an obvious fact, the government at the center is clueless. Due to the glaring lack of preparation, as well as the inadequacy of capacity, they have not being able to provide for the proverbial rainy day.  Quite frankly, anyone with a half – decent capacity to reason would have foreseen the approach of the current economic maelstrom a long time ago.

    For it is not rocket – science to have anticipated that the international terms- of – trade have turned against us. We know that apart from the contemporary economic break through leading to the development of shale oil, there had been a build – up leading up to this. Let us recall that when the at the time Senator Barack Obama was running for the presidency of the United States of America, he pledged a firm commitment to attain energy self – sufficiency during his term in office. With this in mind it beats the mind hollow how any sensible government could have been caught unawares. With the lack of preparation the country is now in a mess. We are in the sort of dire straits which led to the ‘austerity measures’ of 1962. The difference between then and now is that at least the government in place within the context of a national democratic agreement was able to respond. In contradistinction the present authorities at the center appear to be lost at sea. For this reason the sensible way forward is to vote in General Muhammadu Buhari who offers a convincing alternative to the present inept federal government.

    In the meantime as we wait for a change at the center, back home we must rally round the valiant efforts of the Ogbeni Governor at a difficult juncture. It is important to re state that he had no hand in causing the present crises. The blame lies in the ruinous economic policies pursued by the federal government and the lack of foresight.  Unfortunately, the Ogbeni must still provide for the state amidst stormy weather. Let there be no doubt about it, the present situation requires the sort of managerial sagacity and imagination which the Ogbeni is noted for and has consistently demonstrated.

    In addition the Ogbeni is also battling the obstructive, never- do – well, anti – democratic and anti – federalist ethos of the PDP central government which is now employing all manner of subterfuge to harass the non – PDP controlled state governments. This is why we must be resolute in our support of the Ogbeni. Within these largely contrived difficulties let us not forget too soon the gains made under the Ogbeni in the last four years.

    We must remember that under Aregbesola, access to health and education have been incontrovertibly and irreversibly widened. In addition  the quality of the health and education infrastructure have also been uplifted. In the context of a State at the bottom of the federal revenue allocation ladder this represents a seminal advance thrust. Other significant thrusts include the unprecedented massive, cost – effective investments in the roads network and other physical infrastructure. This of course also includes the modernization of agriculture out of hitherto stagnation.

    All of these gains must be put at the forefront as we support the Ogbeni’s skillful navigation of the ship of state through perilous, stormy seas. Patience has to be our watchword. This is why we must form a united, popular front against the usual suspects; these are the opportunists, who will want to make mischief out of the present temporary difficulties. By continuously pointing out the landmark achievements of the Ogbeni we will checkmate their evil intentions. For us there will be no shaking. For with the blessings of the almighty we know that with regime change coming through the ballot box, this New Year will be happy and fulfilling.

  • Nigerians, Osun Civil Societies Rejects N10 Fuel Pump Price Reduction

    Reactions have continued to trail the reduction of the pump price of petroleum by the Federal Government from N97 to N87.

    Many Nigerians saw the N10 reduction as political, as it was meant to canvass support for the re-election of President Goodluck Jonathan, saying that it was not done with genuine intensions.

    Nigerians argued that if the reduction was done with the aim of objectively reducing petroleum pump price in line with the crash of crude oil prices in the international markets, the Federal Government would have put the price at N45.

    They added that President Jonathan would not wait till election period before reducing the petrol pump price.

    Similarly, a coalition of civil society groups in the State of Osun has rejected the N10 reduction in the petroleum pump price, describing it as ridiculous and meagre.

    The Osun Civil Societies Coalition (OCSC) stated that the N10 reduction does not reflect the fallen price of crude oil in the global market, adding the new N87 pump price was still arbitrary and fraudulent.

    According to the OCSC, the President Jonathan-led Federal Government was being insensitive to Nigerians’ plight and taking the people for granted if it could “ridiculously” take away just N10 from the pump price of petrol.

    Chairman of the OCSC, Comrade Biodun Agboola, in a press statement made available to the medium on Sunday in Osogbo, said N10 reduction was politically-motivated, as it is not commensurate with the fallen crude oil prices in the global market.

    Agboola said; “When crude oil was $119 per barrel, the Federal Government increased the petroleum pump price to N110. However, it was reduced to N97 following massive protest against the unjust and arbitrary hike in the pump price of petrol in 2012.

    “Now that crude oil is $49 per barrel in the international market, the expected pump price reduction should have been between N35 to N40.

    “We however, wondered why the Federal Government delayed the reduction in the petroleum pump price till the election period, when the crude oil price had crashed for almost five months in the global market.”

    Agboola maintained that the Federal Government was still defrauding Nigerians with the N87 fuel pump price, adding that the new price further pronounced the brazen corruption and bad governance in the country.

     

  • INEC Distributes 993, 459 PVCs In Osun

    The headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the Staten of Osun has said it has distributed 993,459 (70.65 per cent)  out of 1,406,147 permanent voters cards in the state.

    The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Adekunle Ogunmola, who was just deployed to the state, spoke on Friday at his maiden press briefing, saying, 412,688 (29.35 per cent) of the cards were yet to be distributed.

    He added that the distribution of the PVC would stop at the end of January, noting that the commission has extended the distribution of the cards to ward level to ensure that more people get it.

    Ogunmola also stressed that Saturdays have now been included in the days for the distribution of PVCs, while the closing times have been extended.

    The INEC boss also said the state office of the commission has so far received 2,133 Voter Card Readers, while the rest are yet to be deployed, saying, the commission would use the available ones to start training of officials that would work with them.

    He said, 3,960 Plastic Ballot Boxes have so far been deployed to the state and were in the store of the commission.

    Ogunmola added that the commission has started voters’ enlightment, while workshop would also be organised for all categories of people.

    On allegation of bias against his predecessor, Ambassador Rufus Akeju, the REC described his predecessor as a man of integrity, but a victim of bad politics on the side of those castigating him.

    Wondering why politicians would go extra mile to blame “such thorough bred diplomat” when they could not achieve their aims, he said, “it is unfortunate that the kind of politics we play in this country is quite dirty.

    “He is a man of integrity, but he was misunderstood,” he said.