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Tag: OSUN

  • Revisiting Aregbesola’s place in Osun history

    Revisiting Aregbesola’s place in Osun history

    UNARGUABLY, State of Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola has not only raised the bar of requirements for governorship seat in the state, it is also to his credit that the progressive seed that has germinated tremendously in the state today is made possible through his relentless efforts to retrieve his stolen mandate from the reactionary party for three and a half years. Were the arrow or symbol of the struggle to bail out Osun from the shackles of the oppression of the reactionary a chicken-hearted type, Aregbesola, popularly known as Oranmiyan would have been frustrated out of the struggle and this would have translated into continuous glaring oppression of the people of the state.

    During the three and a half years that the struggle lasted, Aregbesola demonstrated unequaled and unparalleled quality of leadership which is rear to come by among conventional politicians of our time. The period of the struggle was the time the whole state was turned into a prayer arena by the three common faiths, Islam, Christianity and traditional religions, at the time. It could be recalled that while the Peoples Democratic Party’s leadership and its disciples opted for outright display of violence with the help of some disgruntled security officers, what was in vogue then among the Alliance for Democracy (AD,) which later metamorphosed to Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), later Action Congress (AC) and now All Progressives Congress (APC) through the alliance made possible by the AC, CPC, APGA, All Nigeria Peoples Party and some disenchanted members of the ruling PDP then.

    Though politics to some people which is a vocation and professional to others could be said to be a fierce contest for positions, opportunities and authority, experience has shown that like any other professions, some people are found out to be more gifted in the art of politics than other people. Among the accomplished ones that wine, dine, think and dream politics perpetually is Aregbesola. The protracted struggle to reclaim his three and a half year stolen mandate from Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola was enough reason to mark him down as a political sprinter who does not become tired no matter what his hindrance might be.

    Experience has shown that rabid ambition needlessly unsettles clean water in politics. To say that ambition to succeed Governor Aregbesola is not causing squabbles in Osun APC today is an understatement. No matter how minute the section of the APC who thinks they can do things in their own way may be in Osun today, it is important for the larger section of the party to find a way to bring them into the larger house. Whatever affects the part will definitely impact the whole. Afterall, politics is about meetings, agreement, disagreement and conflict resolution. It shouldn’t be too difficult to settle an intra-political rift in order not to go into an inter-political ‘war’ with a divided army.

    My study of Aregbesola for over one decade has shown that he possesses a rear attribute of being hardened whenever there is crisis of any nature; he thrives in crisis. Thriving in crisis here is a virtue which Oranmiyan used to rattle a one-star Army General during his protracted efforts to secure his stolen mandate in 2010. Just like any mortal, Aregbesola has his own shortcomings. But these are not enough passports to deny him his rightful place in the history of the state. Time was in the history of the state shortly after Governor Bisi Akande was rigged out in the 2003 elections, the Alliance for Democracy (AD) had crumbled as none of the party’s leaders had the financial muscle to get the party going in the state.

    It is on record that some leaders and members of the AD who could not continue to bear the brunt of the hardship crossed over to the ruling PDP while the principled ones were wallowing in abject poverty and squalor. The AD party secretariat then that looked like a traditional shrine could hardly be maintained and the frustrated members saw no reason why they could be meeting in their various wards; the AD then was in tatters.

    Based on the then noticeable physical absence of the party faithful �in the state, the then PDP Governor Oyinlola who has since joined the APC, remarked that there were no longer AD members in the state, adding that the remnants of the party had joined the PDP while others had fled the state. It is on record that it was Aregbesola as a Works and Infrastructure commissioner in Lagos State who breathed life and confidence into the AD by spending his hard-earned money to sustain the party. It is also on record that apart from paying the rent for the traditional shrine-like AD office in Osogbo, he was paying the secretariat staff, funding local government elections and relocated the party secretariat to a more suitable place which now houses Osun Central APC secretariat. If not for the doggedness, resilience and open handedness of Aregbesola, the state will today be under the PDP, under which various and mind-boggling atrocities against the people of the state were made.

    Provision of security of lives and property is one statutory achievement the administration of Aregbesola is noted for as residents of the state from Ifetedo to Ifedayo, Ifeodan to Ikire can sleep with their two eyes closed. Before the advent of Aregbesola, daily threat to lives and properties by political hoodlums used to be the order of the day. With the presence of anti-violence security vehicles strategically positioned in the nooks and crannies of the state, no one dear thinks or executes evil plan against his fellow human beings in today State of Osun as such mission may be a direct invitation to suicide. It can also not be easily forgotten that the source of funding of the 2007 general elections was Aregbesola. Nothing involving money could hardly be executed in the state without recourse to the Oranmiyan.

    Apart from funding all the litigations concerning his stolen mandate that trudged on for three and a half years, he took over funding of all Osun political refugees in both Lagos and Osogbo for several years with spoon feeding of aspirants and candidates of AC extraction into various offices. It is a truism that Aregbesola facilitated contracts for some of the Osun political refugees who are now up in arms against him; it is also a known fact that some of his emissaries who were saddled with the responsibility of ferrying money from Lagos to Osogbo for political accomplishments, cut corner with it and built houses in choice areas of Osogbo. Others purchased expensive cars with their illicit stolen campaign proceeds. It is also important to mention it that without the political doggedness of Aregbesola, APC would not have clinched the centre.

    It was the rear feat performed by Aregbesola during his re-election bid in 2014 that secured the federal government for the APC as it was combination of stubbornness and providence that worked in Aregbesola’s favour� to win re-election. Based on the foregoing, as it is human to make mistakes, I am of the opinion that whatever mistake is adduced to him during the course of governing the state should be forgiven as he has never proffered to be an angel.

    Aregbesola’s identified sins before his traducers is his hurriedness to develop the state as no sane mind will say that Oranmiyan has not transformed the state than the way he met it. Taking the totality of the achievements of Aregbesola into consideration before he came into office to date, it will not be an understatement to submit that whether in or out of office, Aregbesola will remain the quintessential leader of the APC in Osun and he should be accorded such regard required of the status for the smooth operations of the party. •Olabisi, former Managing Editor of Osun Defender newspaper, is a member of the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation Interim Management Committee

  • ASUU accuses Oyo, Osun of planning to kill LAUTECH

    ASUU accuses Oyo, Osun of planning to kill LAUTECH

    The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) branch, has accused the two-owner states, Oyo and Osun, of planning to kill the institution.

    The union Chairman, Dr. Biodun Olaniran, who spoke yesterday in Ibadan, Oyo State,  explained the reason behind their proposed strike.

    He said the two states owed workers over seven months salary, “but surprisingly Oyo State has established a technical university, while the Osun government is running its university successfully.”

    Olaniran said: “We have begun ‘no salary no work’ action. We will embark on strike if the governments do not pay our outstanding salaries.

    “The seed of the crisis was sown when we started receiving dwindling funds from the states. The first ‘salvo’ was fired through an inexplicable stoppage of capital grants to the university. This affected the growth of the university. But thank God for ETF and TETFUND interventions, courtesy of ASUU struggles.”

    He said the governments should fund the university to prevent it from dying, adding that using students’ fees to pay salary was fraudulent.

  • Imo, Osun, Oyo top JAMB UTME exam applicants

    Imo, Osun, Oyo top JAMB UTME exam applicants

    Imo State has, for the second year running, topped the number of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) applications with 101,868 this year, the board’s registrar, Is-haq Oloyede, said yesterday.

    The registrar spoke at a briefing with reporters yesterday in Abuja ahead of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) billed to start on Saturday in 642 computer-based test (CBT) centres across the country.

    According to Oloyede, other states that topped the list of applicants are Osun, and Oyo, following the applications of statistics by state of origin.

    Oloyede said Osun recorded the second highest with 88,653 applications. Oyo had 87,811 applications.

    The JAMB registrar said Benue (68, 916), Kogi (70,150) and Kano (70,276) recorded the lowest applications.

    He added that the agency registered 1.7 million candidates – an increase of 464,287 candidates from last year’s 1.2 million registered candidates.

    Oloyede said: “As we set for the 2017 exercise, we have expanded on almost all the frontiers of the 2017 examinations. You may recall that last year, the examination was conducted in 524 centres. The 2017 UTME will hold simultaneously in 642 examination centres in Nigeria.

    “A total number of 1,736, 571 candidates have registered for the 2017 UTME.

    ”In the last UTME conducted in 2016, a total of 1,272,284 candidates registered for the 2015 UTME.

    “The figure for the 2017 UTME shows an increase of 464,287 applicants when compared with last year’s figure of 1,272,284.”

    He said JAMB was more prepared to conduct a successful UTME after learning lessons from the recent past.

    The JAMB registrar added that the board has made provisions for 321 visually impaired candidates to write the examination.

    “A total of 321 visually impaired candidates registered for this year’s examination and adequate arrangements have been provided to ensure that they partake in the examination.

    “It is the board’s desire to ensure that no candidate is deprived of taking its examination. The examination will be conducted using JAMB’s equal opportunity group, a group of experts in education, who have graciously assisted in the assessment exercise.

    “We have created 691,000 registration points instead of the previous less than 1000. This means that we have developed a system that would allow 69,1000 candidates to register in 10 minutes with our free access code granted to 100 points of registration at each centre, even if our plan was to register 50,000 candidates per day.

    ”We have started to install CCTV cameras at our test centres so that from the situation room, we can monitor what is going on across the country,” he said.

    Oloyede added that the organisation had successfully prosecuted two Nigerians who forged the board’s results and came for confirmation.

     

     

  • ‘Why forming exco was delayed in Osun’

    ‘Why forming exco was delayed in Osun’

    The Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Najeem Salaam, yesterday explained the delay in forming the executive council (exco) by Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
    He said the delay was caused by the dire financial position of the state and the economic crisis in the country.
    According to a statement by the House Committee Chairman on Information and Strategy, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, during screening of the governor’s nominees for commissioners and special advisers, the Speaker urged the people not to misconstrue the delay as weakness.
    Salaam said the governor’s approach had freed resources for development.
    He enjoined the nominees to see the opportunity as a call to service.
    Among them was Hussein Mudasiru, who represented Osun West Senatorial District between 2011 and 2015.

  • Aregbesola: I’ve made big difference in Osun

    Aregbesola: I’ve made big difference in Osun

    At the popular audience participation programme, ‘Ogbeni Till Day Break,’ in Osogbo, capital of Osun State, Governor Rauf Aregbesola has rendered account and solicited support from the people for his programmes as the state prepares for a succession battle. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU reports.

    How should a poor state be administered in a period of national economic adversity? Focus, financial creativity and adjustment, resolve, courage and commitment to the vision of a greater tomorrow may serve as the bridge between despondency and survival. The audience at the popular accountability programme, ‘Aregbe Till Day Break,’ in Osogbo, capital of Osun State, agreed at the weekend that Governor Rauf Aregbegbe has led the state from economic despair to a new period of hope through sheer administrative prowess.

    For more than six hours, from midnight, the governor tendered his score card before the people. He was on the popularity weighing scale at the WOCDIF Event Centre, the venue of the event. He responded to probing questions with vigour and aggression. In a sense, the governor was combative. Reeling out facts and figures, he convinced the audience that governance was not a tea party in a period of national distress. Accompanied by Deputy Governor Grace Laoye Tomori and other aides, Aregbesola, after explaining some of his projects, would ask his permanent secretaries and other state officials to shed light on the people-oriented programmes, government’s constraints and prospects of early completion.

    In another breath, the governor also brought a personal character to bear on the televised programme. A DJ was on hand for an interlude. So were iterant drummers and praise singers. It was electrifying. Their intervention was to complement Aregbesola’s magnetism and aura and to make people stay awake. ‘Aregbe Till Day Break’ was a carnival-like event characterised by a display of statesmanship and showmanship by the governor.

    The governor’s achievements are visible in the nooks and crannies of the state. They are felt from the boundary towns to the capital. Various callers hailed the governor for spreading the projects evenly. But, they also asked for more.

    Under his transformationl leadership, cosmopolitan Osun State, which has the largest number of towns in Nigeria, has become a huge construction site. The Gbogan Junction Bridge is a sight that fills commuters with awe. There is no local government where a road project is not on-going. It is a clear departure from the past. In fact, the event was revealing. More towns and villages asked for more roads, which the resources of the state cannot accommodate.

    Despite the giant strides in road construction, critics believe that not much has been done. Besides, they have alleged that the contracts were inflated. This drew the ire of the workaholic governor, who gave himself a pass mark. He acknowledged that billions of naira have been spent on the roads, which have the special characteristics of concrete drainages. They are cost-effective and government is prudent and transparent. Some of the roads and bridges commemorate historical dates in the state.An engineer, Aregbesola explained the cost implications of qualitative road construction, which made him a trail blazer in infrastructure battle. He said: “The cost of roads are not the same anywhere in the world. We cannot compare the cost of a kilometer of road in each of the states. Our roads are done with the active participation of officials of the Ministry of Works, with absolute transparency in the rate and cost. The rate is in line with the international standard. You should ask how much they construct roads in other states. You can’t compare our roads with sensational roads. We have not inflated the cost of any of our projects.”

    Aregbesola added: “In the history of Osun, the quality of roads we are constructing has never been seen or done by any government. Also, no administration has constructed the number of bridges constructed by our government in the last six years.”

    The governor challenged his critics to prove their allegation of contract inflation. He said his personal lifestyle abhorred theft, graft and corruption. “They say I inflated contract. I have no building of my own in Ilesa, my home town. And they say I am inflating contracts. I don’t spend money anyhow. I don’t look at women anyhow.”

    The governor praised the House of Assembly for supporting the executive to succeed. Noting that no money can be spent without the approval of the legislators, he said it is their right to claim any project executed by the administration in their constituencies.

    To demonstrate the frugality of governance, Aregbesola has bridged the loopholes. Frivolous spending is old fashioned. Even, despite the high concentration of intending Christian and Muslim pilgrims, he has cancelled pilgrimage sponsorship, owing to paucity of funds.

    The governor reminded the people of their civil obligations. Describing governance as a collective enterprise, he urged them to pay their taxes and rates.

    There are fears that some of the roads may not be completed before Aregbesola leaves office. Many felt that the governor was biting more than he could chew. He tried to assuage the feelings, promising that no project will be abandoned. However, he advised the intended beneficiaries and those agitating for more roads to exercise patience. “I can’t even pay salaries. Where are the resources? I am committed to the completion of the roads in Ifon, Orolu and Ede. Even, Lagos that has an Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of N1 billion daily cannot tar all the roads. In Osun, we realise N700 million monthly. If Lagos cannot tar all the roads, Osun cannot. We will try to tar the roads within the limit of resources,” he said.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the government for irregular payment of salaries. Aregebsola attributed the gap to the economic condition of the state. He said he could only manage to jerk up the IGR from N200 million to a meagre N700 million monthly, while the Federal Allocation to the state decreased from N6 billion to N700 million. He said the government successfully worked out a mutually agreeable arrangement with workers. One of his aides, who shed light on the modulated salary system, said workers who fall between Level one and seven are paid fully while those between eight and 12 are paid 75 per cent of their salaries. Also, those who are in Level 12 and above receive 50 per cent. The governor promised to revert back to the normal system as soon as the situation improves.

    Despite the constraints, the government has continued to defend the education sector with heavy investment. New schools with modern learning facilities are on the increase. Medical students on scholarship in Ukraine are expected to complete their programme this year. Mrs.Laoye Tomori will be a special guest there.

    But, the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) crisis continue to stare his government in the face. The institution is jointly owned by Oyo and Osun governments. Aregbesola, who attributed the plight of the university to financial constraints on the part of government, urged the institution to emulate the Osun State University by looking inward. “States cannot print money. The IGR is N700 million monthly. It is a far cry from what we need to sustain the state. On assumption of office, we based our projections on the revenue base that has changed, following the drop in oil earnings and allocations to states. It is difficult to fund LAUTECH and other tertiary institutions because of the financial constraint.

    “Why can’t LAUTECH operate within its revenue base like the Osun State University? The variation in fee is N5000. There are 12,000 students in Osun State University. There are 30,000 students in LAUTECH. LAUTECH also has postgraduate students.”

    Aregbesola owned up that the state has been slow in the issuance of the Certificates of Occupancy to applicants. He assured that the delay will become a thing of the past. “We will change the situation,” he said. The governor also noted the complaints about the Emergency Centres in the state. He said they will be fixed to give maximum service to the people.

    The governor said the plan to create an Osun food basket in Lagos was on course. He also said Osun farmers will soon have the opportunity to register their productive capacity on an electronic platform in August. He said the state will maintain its commitment to the education and welfare of special people, who are ignored by the society. He narrated a story of how he came across a mentally challenged person at Ilesa and how she was rehabilitated and restored to a position of optimum performance.

    Aregbesola added: “We are the first government that has set up an office for a population with special needs. It is a ministry on its own. It has a permanent secretary,” he said.

    A minute of silence was observed for the departed colourful politician, Senator Isiaka Adeleke. The governor paid glowing tribute to his memory.

    Two sensitive questions for Aregbesola as the programme were his alleged senatorial ambition in Lagos West District  and succession in Osun State. On succession, he refused to disclose his plan, saying: “I am not God who knows tomorrow. The best deserves to succeed me. I beg God to give the position to someone who will perform better than me. Lets face our work. Lets leave succession struggle for now. The clerics should continue to pray for us.”

    He added: “The succession battle is not threatening my party. Our party is as solid, strong and effective as any party could be. Our party has not suffered. We are united, coordinated and working so well. It is the opposition party that is threatened, uncoordinated and in fear.”

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Gboyega Famodun, debunked the rumour that the succession struggle was tearing the party apart. He said the chapter was cohesive. “Our party is not threatened. It is not time yet. The party is so cohesive and united. The state transited from 30 local governments and one area office to 64 councils without acrimony. It is rare. There is no crack on the wall.”

    On his alleged senatorial ambition, Aregbesola neither confirmed nor deny it. But, he said the time was not ripe. He traced his political journey his life and how God used Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to raise him to stardom. He said: “Politics is the resolution of conflict. The good of the people is the priority and it must be addressed, regardless of the method. In 2004, when I said I was coming to Osun to rescue the state, one of my relations said it was a suicide. She did not believe it was possible. The incumbent governor said I was an irritant. From an irritant, I became an Oranmiran. From Oranmiran, I became an Oranmiyan. From Oranmiyan, I became the governor.

    “I am large in Osun as I am large in Lagos. If I need to contest, I don’t need to consult anybody anywhere. I thank God, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the people of the two states. I pray that God will prolong my life to prove to the world that politics is a noble calling and a good vacation. We have commitment to regionalism. We should not fan sectionalism. If we want to have a regional arrangement, why discriminating against a Yoruba man in any Yoruba state?

    “I was born in Ikare-Akoko, achieved fame in Lagos and became governor of Osun State. There is no such decision yet. By 12 midnight on November 27, 2018, a Tuesday, I will leave office. There will still be much gap between then and election. We have time to make up our mind.”

     

  • Aregbesola to make Osun polio free

    Aregbesola to make Osun polio free

    As the national strategy for child survival through mass immunisation to eradicate childhood killer diseases, including poliomyelitis, began at the weekend nationwide, Osun State government has promised to make the state free of the disease.

    At the launch in Osogbo, Governor Rauf Aregbesola said since the inception of his administration, the state has been free of polio, adding that “it is our desire to ensure it remains so.”

    Represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Akinyinka Esho, the governor said health facilities had been stocked with vaccine and other materials for the exercise, noting that immunisation is free.

    He said: “Health workers will go from house to house to administer two drops of oral polio vaccine (OPV) to children between ages 0 and five years. For mothers who visit our health facilities, there are other vaccines available for their babies.”

  • Adeleke’s family faults death inquest

    Adeleke’s family faults death inquest

    The family of late former Osun State Governor, Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, has denounced the coroner’s inquest ordered by the State government to determine the cause of death of the late politician.

    The family also advised the people of the State to discountenance “this kangaroo inquest into the death of our beloved Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke.”

    Speaking on behalf of the family on Sunday, the deceased’s younger brother, Dr. Adedeji Adeleke, at a press briefing in the late senator’s Ede country home, described the coroner inquest as self-serving.

    In company of the late politiician’s son, Dele, and younger siblings, Dupe Adeleke-Sani, and Demola, Dr. Adeleke said: “We condemn in strictest terms the continuous politicization attempts by the state of this great loss to our family, particularly the ordering of this inquest at a time that we are still coming to terms with the harsh reality of his sudden departure and the pain and the grief therefrom.”

    “As part of our attempts to reach closure and commence our healing process, the family had earlier ordered an autopsy to be carried out. This is the only scientific and globally acceptable means of objectively determining the cause of his death and we look forward to the reports therefrom. This is irrespective of the obvious infrastructural and technogical limitations of medical laboratories in the country.

    “We have been reliably informed by credible sources that the outcome of the ‘kangaroo inquest’ is already predetermined by the state and designed to serve its own interest with distorted facts and misinformation which will clearly not be in the interest of the good people of Osun in general and the Adeleke family in particular.

    “We have, therefore, as a family resolved not to participate or cooperate with the ‘kangaroo’ styled panel set up by the state government as it was clearly to serve the state’s own political interests and ultimate establishment of its own self-serving ‘facts.’ While everyone including any government is entitled to his/her own opinion, the government inquest is an attempt to create its own ‘alternative facts.’ Facts are sacred and the truth is constant, alternative facts are nothing but falsehood.

    “We are therefore compelled to reject the inquest with its predetermined outcome. We also urge the peace-loving people of Osun State to discountenance this ‘kangaroo’ inquest into the death of our beloved Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke,” Dr Adeleke said.

    He challenged the state government to explain to the people of Osun why it was in a hurry to order a coroner’s inquest when report of the autopsy ordered by the Adeleke family is yet to be delivered to the family.

    He continued: “We wish to reiterate in te strongest terms that the report of the autopsy ordered by the family must be released to no one else other than the Adeleke family. To do otherwise by the medical team that is conducting the autopsy will be tantamount to gross professional misconduct actionable with appropriate sanctions in law.

    “We sincerely hope that the concerned pathologists, who we regard and recorgnize as eminent and thorough-bred practitioners would act according to their professional calling and oath by expeditiously concluding. The autopsy and deliver the report to the Adeleke family, who are the only one entitled to it.”

  • Man dies after falling from a pole in Osun

    A 48-year-old man, Kabiru Salami, has lost his life in Ile-Ife, Osun, after he fell from NITEL pole while trying to disconnect cable wires.

    Mrs Folashade Odoro, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), for the Police Command in the state said this in a statement she issued in Osogbo on Tuesday.

    She further said that the incident happened on Sunday at about 4.48p.m.

    “The deceased, working with Ismoly Multipurpose Company, Osogbo, was disconnecting NITEL cable wires when he fell from the pole.

    “The police in Ile-Ife were alerted about the incident and the deceased was rushed to OAU Teaching Hospital where he was confirmed dead,” she said.

    The police image maker also said the corpse had been deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.

     

  • Eighth Day fidau prayer for Adeleke in Ede

    Eighth Day fidau prayer for Adeleke in Ede

    The eighth day prayer (Fida’u) for late Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke was held yesterday in Ede, Osun State, amid praises and commendations.
    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, his deputy, Mrs. Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola were among dignitaries at the event.
    Others include former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, House Of Representatives Deputy Speaker Lasun Yusuff, former Oyo State Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, former House of Representatives Speaker Patricia Olubunmi Etteh, member of Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP’s) Board of Trustees (BoT), Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, former Osun State Attorney-General and Commissioner For Justice, Niyi Owolade and former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Musilu Smith.
    Traditional rulers at the event included Timi of Ede, Oba Munirudeen Olusola Lawal; Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi; Olufon of Ifon, Oba Almaroof Adekunle Magbagbeola; Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba Dokun Abolarin and Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdulrasheed Olabomi.
    Through Adeoti, the Osun State government described Adeleke as a grassroots politician whose legacy would ever remain indelible in the political history of the nation.
    Oyinlola and Alao-Akala said Adeleke was a good ambassador of Ede who served Osun State and Nigeria meritoriously.
    The Chief Imam Offa in Kwara State, Sheik Muideen Salman, who noted that it has been destined that the deceased would die the way died, charged the people to take his death as the will of God.
    According to the cleric, nobody could kill anyone unless God allowed it to hapoen.
    However, he charged the political office holders to emulate the good deeds of Adeleke and be generous to the people, especially the less privileged.
    Referring to late Adeleke as an enbodiment of simplicity and generosity, he said the deceased’s positive impacts on the downtrodden would forever linger in the memory of the people.
    He said: “Adeleke’s destiny is favourable to humanity. So, I implore eveybody, especially the new breed politicians to learn from his ways of life. It is not only Adeleke that has gone with the wind mercy has equally gone with him.”
    Also, the security was tight at the event to ensure there was no breakdown of law and order.
    Combined team of security agencies including the police, men of the State Security Service, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Road Safety Service Commission and other para-military organizations were deployed to the Ede country home of the late Adeleke and other strategic positions in Ede to provide security for the guests.

  • Aregbesola to set up panel to probe Adeleke’s death

    Aregbesola to set up panel to probe Adeleke’s death

    Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun has said  the government would  set up a panel to probe the cause of the sudden death of Sen. Isiaka Adeleke,

    Aregbesola made this promise in a statement by Mr Semiu Okanlawon, his media aide.

    The statement sounded more like a tribute by Aregbesola to the departed senator, who also happened to be his neighbour in Ikeja, Lagos.

    He described Adeleke as a man of peace, who he said defected from the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the August 2014 governorship poll in the state because he could not stand violence.

    According to the governor, the state government  had planned a befitting state burial for the late politician but was scuttled by some person ” crying more than the bereaved” who unleashed terror on dignitaries, who came to honour the departed soul.

    “Senator Adeleke was a man of peace. He preached peace and lived it through his life.

    “He left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because he could not stand violence.

    “This was after he was beaten up by some leaders of the PDP during a meeting in a hotel in Osogbo.

    “It is a profound irony and most unfortunate therefore that a few disgruntled elements purporting to protest his death desecrated his funeral with violence and attacks on innocent persons.

    “They dishonoured him and did his memory a great disservice by keeping his friends, political associates and well-wishers away from his burial.

    “The best we could do in the circumstance was to declare three days of mourning throughout the state and fly national, state and our party’s
    flags at half-staff in his honour.

    “The State Government of Osun, using the instrumentality of the law, is setting up an inquest to unravel the circumstances of this unfortunate and sad incident, in order to put the record straight on his death.

    “He is irreplaceable in our hearts.  We commiserate with his family, the good people of Ede, associates, friends, constituents and generality of our people on the passage of this patriot.

    “As we pray for the repose of his soul, we equally pray for the strength to bear this heavy loss”.

    Adeleke, who was representing Osun West Senatorial District, died on April 23.