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  • FG terrorising Osun, APC cries out

    FG terrorising Osun, APC cries out

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday alleged that  the PDP-led federal government  has started  terrorizing and  intimidating the  people of Osun State, “with a view to cowing them ahead of the August 9 governorship election in the state.”

    The  APC cited the deployment  to the state of agents of the Department of State Services (DSS), some of them masked and clad in black.

    National Publicity Secretary of the party, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said  the move was to “harass innocent citizens in an unprovoked and primitive show of power that can only be described as sheer gangsterism.”

    He said:”As widely reported, DSS agents, armed to the teeth and riding in over 50 trucks, drove around Osogbo and other parts of Osun State on Wednesday blaring siren and shooting sporadically in the air, thus disrupting the normally peaceful life in the state.

    ”Residents who were visibly traumatized by the shameful display of state power ran helter-skelter and wondered why their government has

    sent masked men, or ninjas, to terrorize them.

    “They now understand that the masked thugs who have been following the PDP candidate around on his campaign trail were actually government sanctioned. This is a  power show taken too far, even with the well-known impunity tendencies of the Jonathan administration.”

    The  APC said as many as  5,000 more DSS men are being dispatched to the state before the election, on the basis of an orchestrated petition alleging that certain APC leaders are planning to foment trouble during the election.

    ”Flooding Osun with irresponsible DSS officials to terrorize the residents is another low for a government that is notorious for abuse of power and federal institutions. It is no longer news that the military, the police and other security agencies are working for the Jonathan aministration, rather than for all of Nigeria. What is new is that the security agencies have now been unleashed on the citizenry,” he added.

    ”What rankles even more is the constant assurances by President Jonathan that the election will be free and fair. How can we have a credible election in an atmosphere of state-led gangsterism? How can we have a credible election when the FG that is supposed to protect the people and ensure violence-free polls is the same one that purveys violence? Where else in the world do secret police announce themselves by firing to scare away harmless citizens? When did masks become part of the uniform of the State Security Service agents?” the party queried.

  • All eyes on Osun

    All eyes on Osun

    Classically defined as the government of the people, by the people and for the people, contemporary conventional wisdom describes democracy as the best form of government. One of the reasons for this view is that representative democracies are predicated on the will and consent of the people and must thus be responsible and accountable to them. Since democratic governments derive their legitimacy from the will of the people and remain in power only at the pleasure of the electoral majority, it is assumed, at least in theory, that they will be more compelled than dictatorships to promote development and the public good. However, this assumption cannot be taken for granted. Its validity depends firstly on free, fair and credible polls and, secondly, on performance being a key determining factor in electoral outcomes.

    What we have experienced in Nigeria since 1999 is the strange phenomenon whereby the PDP has continued to ‘win’ elections at the centre and in a majority of the states even as the fortunes of the country continue to decline in virtually all sectors and the vast majority of Nigerians increasingly impoverished under its watch. What then can be the motivation for a government to perform and keep its electoral compact with the people when it is rewarded with emphatic victories at the polls irrespective of the quality of its performance or the extent of its ineptness and moral degeneration? As the country has grown richer, at least according to the re-based GDP, unemployment, insecurity and hunger have worsened with the majority of Nigerians descending deeper into poverty. The increased impoverishment of Nigerians has fuelled the monetisation of elections with the highest bidder likely to triumph at the polls through the deployment of stolen public wealth. It cannot get more absurd than that. This is a classic case of what the late Claude Ake would describe as ‘how democracy underdevelops Nigeria’.

    Matters are not helped when a desperate Jonathan presidency cynically and ruthlessly exploits all opportunities to keep Nigerians divided along ethnic, religious and regional fault lines all in a bid to perpetuate itself in power at all costs beyond 2015. Can you see, for instance, how a Chibok community, hitherto united in their single-minded quest for the return of their abducted girls by Boko Haram brigands, have been divided through monetary gratifications by a delegation’s visit to Abuja’s cash-laden presidential Villa? All that the Jonathan presidency touches, it taints and divides!

    The enthusiasm and impunity with which the Jonathan presidency deploys asymmetric federal powers and resources to crush all opposition and impose its might on Nigerians no matter how lawlessly, shows that the whole idea of the national conference , purportedly convened to restructure Nigeria, fundamentally reduce the powers of the centre and create a more balanced federation, was an entire ruse. Let no one think that resolutions passed by a collection of unelected Nigerians with absolutely no legal powers can convince this president to give up the immense powers conferred on him by the existing constitution. That purpose can only be achieved by the irresistible force of people’s power expressed through a genuine mass movement. But that is a matter for another day.

    Is all therefore lost as far as elections are concerned in Nigeria? Must we raise our hands in helpless surrender and watch federal might and the emergent culture of ‘stomach infrastructure’ enable the PDP actualise its wish of imposing its suzerainty over Nigeria for the next six decades? I do not think so. There are some glimmers of hope that people’s power can still triumph in elections over arrogant and irresponsible use of federal might. In the Ondo and Anambra governorship polls, for instance, the PDP could not use its federal might for its own benefit. It had to work through auxiliary parties, Labour Party (LP) and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) respectively to contain a resurgent and threatening APC. The behemoth may be grossly overrated after all.

    In Edo State, massive deployment of federal force and resources as well as crude ethnic manipulations could not displace the ebullient, high performing and grassroots-oriented Adams Oshiomhole. The jury is still out on what went wrong in Ekiti. Some attribute the unexpected outcome of the June 21 governorship election to sophisticated, scientific rigging. The APC has taken its case to the Election Petition Tribunal contending that a process tainted by excessive militarisation, intimidation and harassment of targeted party leaders could not have produced a flawless outcome. My take is that the gains of excellent governance and visionary reforms were eroded by inept, divisive and detached politics, which enabled an intellectual and moral Lilliputian like Ayodele Fayose to defeat a far more competent and credible Kayode Fayemi in Ekiti.

    An excited and misguidedly optimistic PDP now has Osun as its target in next Saturday’s governorship election. The Minister of State for Defence, Musliu Obanikoro and his collaborator in mischief, Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan, are once again hyperactive. Thousands of heavily armed security operatives have already been deployed to Osun, driving roughly round major towns and shooting in the air like thugs and ruffians. And this at a time when we need all the men and resources we can muster to contain the raging insurgency in the North-East – a war in which the country is continuously being given a bloody nose. This is clearly the most irresponsible Federal Government in the history of Nigeria.

    Yet, in Ogbeni Raufu Aregebesola, the diminutive Governor of Osun State with a razor sharp intellect and magnetic political charisma, the PDP has met its match. You cannot fault Aregbesola on the terrain of performance. Osun is 34th of the 36 states in terms of statutory allocation from the Federation Account. Apart from this paltry federal allocation, previous administrations were incapacitated by an Internally Generated Revenue of approximately N300 million monthly. Thinking outside the box and devising ingenious strategies, Osun’s IGR has grown to N1.6 billion monthly under Aregbesola’s watch. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Osun state today has the lowest poverty index in Nigeria.

    Through the revolutionary Osun Youth Employment Scheme (OYES), Aregbesola created 40,000 jobs, which injects N200 million into the local economy monthly. This is in addition to recruiting thousands of workers into the civil service and teaching service cadres. His massive road construction projects are visible across the state with beneficial impact on economic productivity. His administration has consistently supported the huge population of farmers to boost food production and enhance food security. His reforms in the education sector have created jobs for hundreds of tailors who produce school uniforms as well as caterers who provide one nutritious meal per day for all children in public schools. Of course, the innovative and revolutionary computer learning tablet, ‘Opon Imo’ has become a household name and even received international acclaim. There is no doubt in my mind that the flawed and insulting ‘stomach infrastructure’ hypothesis will be discredited, cremated and buried in Osun next Saturday.

    Aregbesola is at home both in the company of professors as well as of farmers and marketmen and women. He is the quintessential man of the people. As a grassroots mobilizer, he is incomparable. This is why the PDP candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore’s antics of riding on okadas and eating roasted corn with a masked gun man behind him is so utterly ridiculous and laughable. You cannot give what you don’t have. Incidentally, Omisore, who recently claims to have acquired a Ph.D in some nebulous discipline, ran away from engaging Aregbesola and other candidates in a televised debate.

    Aregbesola’s grassroots mobilization skills are understandable. As a student, he was the President of the Black Nationalist Movement. Under the influence of the late Marxist theoretician and economist, Comrade Ola Oni, he became inclined towards revolutionary Marxism. We can thus understand the progressive, welfarist orientation of his politics. As commissioner for works for eight years in Lagos State, Aregbesola was a key pillar of the formidable grassroots structure of the ACN. This is why the APC in Osun is a true mass movement.  Although a fervent and devout Muslim, Aregbesola symbolises the liberal and tolerant religious outlook of the Yoruba of the South-West. The attempt to negatively tag him as a religious fanatic has failed abysmally. All religious faiths have been allowed to thrive under his administration and leading Christian clerics have openly identified with his administration. Next Saturday, we will see a confrontation between federal might and people’s power in Osun State. I am confident that the latter will triumph decisively as a signpost to the possibilities of 2015.

  • Osun’s debt stands at N39b, says commissioner

    Osun’s debt stands at N39b, says commissioner

    Osun State Commissioner for Finance, Budget Development and Economic Planning Dr. Wale Bolorunduro has said the state’s debt stands at N39 billion.

    Bolorunduro, who spoke with journalists yesterday in Osogbo, the state capital, said the Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration had paid N1.2 billion from the N4 billion pension arrears inherited from the past administration.

    He said the state debt was not as alarming as it was being claimed by the opposition parties.

    His words: “The total debt of the state is N39 billion, including the bond which has defrayed for two years now and the money owed contractors handling various ongoing projects in the state. The recent payment of salary, pension and gratuity to people was not a panic measure and not because of the coming election, but mainly on prudent management of the state’s lean resources.

    ‘’The opposition, mainly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has nothing to say than to lie about the finance of the state. The party is known for causing confusion, so the motive of its crying. The Debt Management Office is a Federal Government agency and it has come out openly to clear Osun State of having debt beyond its capacity.

    “The total debt of the state was not beyond redemption and the state is buoyant to carry out its day-to-day duties to all citizens. The philosophy of the present administration is based on the welfare and good living standard of the people and unlike in the past where the treasury of the state were looted and did not follow due process for seven years under the PDP.

    “Despite challenges posed by the dwindling revenue to the state from the Federal Government, the state government has paid a total sum of N23.5 billion to pensioners as pension and gratuity to retired workers.

    “The administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has paid to the state’s pensioners the sum of N24.3billion as pension and gratuity, while the local government staff, including teaching staff of primary schools and non-teaching staff of the local governments had received N13.6 billion.”

  • Panic as security agents, armoured carriers storm Osun

    Panic as security agents, armoured carriers storm Osun

    •APC condemns  ‘terror campaign’

    There was panic  yesterday in Osogbo as Department of State Security (DSS) officers and armoured personnel carriers stormed the Osun State capital in a show of force.

    The hooded operatives,  clad in black vests and trousers, shot sporadically into the air while being driven around the state capital in white Toyata Hilux vans.

    Many residents, who were scared by the presence of the security agents, ran in confusion to avoid accidental discharge of bullets.

    The usual clean air was violated by the smell of smoke from the men’s guns as they drove through the town, passing Gbongan Road, Olaiya Junction, Alekuwodo and Oke-fia, where the Government House is located.

    It was gathered that no fewer than 4,000 DSS operatives have been deployed in the state ahead of the August 9 election.

    The men, who came from Abuja and other parts of the country, arrived in Osogbo on Tuesday night through Akure, Ondo State.

    Some armoured personnel carriers also drove round the town.

    But the APC has raised the alarm that the campaign by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to terrorise the citizens with security operatives had started.

    The party enjoined the citizens not to be afraid of high security presence, especially where gunshots from security convoys were heard.

    The party’s spokesperson, Kunle Oyatomi, said “no citizen should be scared or run away when they see and hear gunshots from security men because they have committed no crime.”

    The party enjoined the people to go about their lawful businesses.

    It said: “A country in which the security operatives are the ones doing what we are experiencing in Osun calls for the gravest concern.

    “Instead of Boko Haram, our own security officers who should be protecting us have now chosen to frighten us. So, if the terrorists come, who will protect the citizenry?

    “Osun will not bow to terror from either Boko Haram or security forces. We are only sad that evidence of the Banana Republic is slowly, but evidently crippling in. But if this is how the PDP intends to win in Osun election, God help Nigeria.”

    The Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Mr. Bola Ilori, noted that the PDP was behind the deployment of DSS operatives.

    He said: “The deployment of security operatives to the state is normal if they are here to protect us. But any arrest of any member of the APC will be against the interest of democracy.”

    He added that the development was an abuse of office by the ruling PDP-led Federal Government, urging the people to remain calm in spite of victimisation.

  • ‘Beware of PDP rice, kerosene’

    ‘Beware of PDP rice, kerosene’

    OSUN State All Progressives Congress (APC) has cautioned voters over alleged plans by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to lure them with rice and kerosene gifts.

    The party alleged that the “PDP is moving from house-to-house, room-to-room, giving rice and promising that on the voting day (August 9), whoever votes for their party will receive N5,000.”

    APC’s Spokesperson Kunle Oyatomi, who revealed this in a statement, added: “But because they were afraid that the people might ditch them, the party said that it will only give the N5,000 after the individual had voted.”

     

    “To be sure that the voter votes for PDP, one agent will be planted at each polling unit. As the voter goes to cast his vote, the agent will raise up his/her hand, spread out the five fingers to indicate how much the voter will receive if he/she votes for PDP.”

    He said the sum of N2 billion had allegedly been given to a PDP serving minister to dispense to “actualise the illegal and undemocratic plot.”

    “Hundreds of citizens in Osun have bombarded the APC office to report this incident and the party has advised that the PDP’s move is the action of a fraudster, who wants to ruin their future and that of their children,” he  added.

     

    “What PDP is distributing is blood money. After collecting it, you have been paid off to continue in poverty and misery. Nobody, who wants to serve the people, will bribe them with money first. That person must convince the people first of what he plans to do and what benefit the people will get from the plan,” the statement added.

    The APC urged the people not to sell their birthright by receiving the bribes, adding: “PDP is only coming to steal Osun’s wealth, not to build it.”

  • Why Osun poll’ll not go the way of Ekiti, by APC chieftain

    With 10 days to the August 9 gubernatorial election in Osun State, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Dr. Kunle Oyeyemi, has expressed confidence that the poll would not end up like the June 21 poll in Ekiti. He spoke with ADESOJI ADENIYI.

    How would you describe the decision of Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State to concede victory to his opponent in the just concluded governorship poll whereas his party is challenging the election in court?

    I think that immediately Fayemi came out to concede to Fayose, the first thing that occurred to me was that his announcement was too quick and too soon. And that time I was wondering whether he had consulted with the party, both at the state and national levels before he conceded victory. I would have thought that somebody like him would have widely consulted before he took a position that look like a terminal decision. So, I think it was too soon and I am not surprised by the position of the party at this point in time which suggests that there was no consultation between Fayemi and the party, otherwise the party would not have backed out or withdraw any support they gave him to go ahead and concede. It was too soon and I don’t think the election was as free as people say it was.

    What is your thinking on the cry in some quarters that the election was militarized and over policed?

    I think I can understand where they are coming from, from peace-keeping perspective, attempting to keep peace during the election. But there is a clear difference between keeping peace and intimidating voters. I think it has gone beyond the level of keeping the peace. It seemed to me that they have used the soldiers to intimidate people. I may even assume that this would have affected the number of people that would have voted on that day, whether on the side of Fayose or Fayemi.

    Could it be said that preventing some All Progressives Congress governors and national leaders from participating in a mega rally of the party two days to the election had a negative impact on the poll as some would want the people to believe?

    That actually support the point I made early on. If the ordinary citizens see the treatment the military and the police gave dignitaries like governors and others on that day you can imagine what they would think the police and the military would do to them. So, that might be the reason for some people not to come out to vote. This might have affected the election in some ways, though some people said the turnout was large and encouraging but regardless of what the turnout was we cannot say it has not reduced the number that ought to participate in the poll.

    It is generally accepted that Fayemi performed well yet he lost the election, does it mean performance could no longer guarantee re-election of political office holders?

    I think this is pointing to a serious problem in our polity. And this is the more reason why the APC in particular needs to study critically this case. The reason why I said so is that if this had happened in another state and not Ekiti I would probably have looked at it differently. Ekiti State is known to be populated by educated people. People that are expected to have the capacity to separate sentiments from substance. I don’t see Ekiti throwing away somebody who has delivered all his electoral promises, that has been adjudged and acknowledged to be a performer, for somebody else simply because some are saying that other was popular. But remember that this same person was once in office and was thrown out because people were not satisfied with him. And if he was popular as we are being made to believe how come he lost the senatorial election in 2011? And this was even a small election. Why was the popularity they now claim he has not there in 2011? And if it is true that he was more popular than Fayemi, does the margin truly reflect the popularity? I still strongly believe that the result of the election did not reflect Fayose’s acclaimed popularity. I think it was something else beyond what the ordinary eyes could see. And this is the area in which I think this election need to be studied because one cannot just take it on the face value and conclude that the election was free, fair and transparent.

    Still on the result of the Ekiti election, would you say an average eligible voter is informed enough to know what to look for in candidates before casting his vote?

    In terms of percentage of literacy in the country I think Ekiti tops the list. So if you want people to make informed decisions you expect this more from Ekiti State. If you expect voters to vote objectively, put sentiments aside, you should expect more of that in Ekiti State. But unfortunately, this election did not reflect that. And this is one of the reasons why I think the votes do not reflect the wish of the people. I think the election had a lot to do with scientific rigging that I may not be able to substantiate readily. And this is giving us the concern that we cannot afford to go to sleep and assume that the INEC has achieved the standard to expect in future elections. And with this I am a bit worried because I don’t want this to affect the Osun State governorship election. I don’t want the APC to go to sleep and believe that the INEC has reached a satisfactory standard, to believe that things will go well during the election. I know Osun is different from Ekiti but I still don’t want the APC in Osun to go to sleep. The people of Osun should not allow what happen in Ekiti to happen in their state.

    All the same, do you see the bandwagon effect of what happened in Ekiti repeating itself in Osun governorship poll on August 9?

    I think it is too simplistic for people to say there are a whole lot of similarities between Osun and Ekiti States. I think the area where people see similarity is because the two states are under the APC. Also, the people consider the two governors to be performing governors. But beyond these similarities, I think the two states have distinct characteristics. A good example is to look at their voting patterns in 2011 election, where Osun was the only state in the South West that voted for Nuhu Ribadu while other states voted for Goodluck Jonathan in the presidential poll. More than this, Ekiti State is more or else homogeneous in nature, but Osun State is a little diverse in the sense that it looks more like Ondo than Ekiti. There are so many ethnic groups in Osun like Oyo, Ijesa, Igbomina, Ife and so on, just as there are Ilaje, Ikale, Ijaw, Akoko and so on in Ondo. But Ekiti is homogenous; every part of the state is Ekiti. In Osun State theses different ethnic groups do not go the same direction. So it is not easy to compare Ekiti and Osun in this regard. And more over, the last Ekiti election has energised some people in Osun. It has made a lot of people to be more determined, vigilant and ready to return to their base to do a thorough home work. I know there are some who are also demoralised as result of the last Ekiti election because it was taken for granted that the APC would win the poll. But a lot more people are more determined to ensure that the Osun election does not go the Ekiti way.

    What is your opinion on Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s allegation that the Federal Government was plotting to cripple Osun state financially ahead of the August 9 poll in order to pitch the people against his government? 

    I think the Federal Government already has a pattern of doing that. The reason why it is critical to Osun State alone is because the state has an election coming up which is very close by. And any attempt to displease the citizens of the state, especially workers can make them turn their anger towards the state government and this is what the Federal Government thinks will be an advantage for the PDP. I will recall the reason for Chief Bisi Akande losing the 2003 election which bordered on issue of the civil servants. The workers turned the anger on Akande and he was made to lose his re-election bid. I think it is the same card that the Federal Government wants to play now, pitch the workers and people against Aregbesola when he is no longer able to meet some of his obligations to them. They know if they can make people and the workers to be angry with Aregbesola they can definitely take their anger to the polling boots during the election.

    And knowing that Aregbesola runs a people oriented programmes, the Federal Government deliberately is delaying the payment of the statutory allocation to the state to make it tough for him to make people smile.

    Don’t you see the Aregbesola being in dilemma because some keeps saying he does not make the politicians happy by not sharing the fund as it used to be but rather he embarks on massive developmental projects? 

    This is a very serious issue. So, assuming the government decided to be sharing whatever little money it has among the party supporters as against continuing with revitalising the decayed or nonexistent infrastructure that has now ushered in new development to the benefit of the people, I think it would be a mistake for government to do that. There can never be any amount of money to be shared among the political elite that would be enough. The more, the government share for them the more they demand. So I think the most reasonable thing is what Aregbesola has done by improving the lot of the majority which shows that he is working in the best interest of the people and this should not be a sin but a source of strength to count in a positive way for him.

    As the August 9 poll approaches, it seems the Aregbesola administration is constrained to enforce some of the traffic, environmental and other laws in order not to incur the wrath of the people. What is the implication of this? 

    No, this is not true. This government will not shy away from enforcing any of its laws under any guise. Anyone that may want to challenge the government by committing crimes and think it will get way should have a re-think. Whoever commits crimes deliberately and think government would not enforce the relevant laws will have himself to blame.

  • Osun Poll: We “ll resist rigging

    The Akure Chapter of Ijesa Youth Development Association (IYDA) has urged the people of Osun State to vote massively for the continuation of Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration for another four years  to sustain the ongoing rapid development in the State.

    Besides, the group has also criticised the violence allegedly being perpetrated by thugs suspected to be working for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the August 9, 2014 governorship election.

    A statement issued by IYDA’s Coordinator, Olusayo Ogunleye and Publicity Secretary, Boluwaji Faseyi in Akure, the Ondo State capital particularly condemned the recent alleged burning of an official white Toyota Hilux jeep belonging to the Special Adviser (SA) to Governor Aregbesola on Agriculture, Mr Festus Agunbiade where it was parked in Esa-Oke, Obokun local government.

    Agunbiade was in his home town to mobilise the electorate in Esa-Oke Ward seven for next month’s governorship election.

    IYDA urged security operatives  to monitor the activities of PDP leaders in the area who they alleged are planning to rig the election through violence.

    The group noted that Ijesas should not mortgage their future by collecting token to give support to those who have no plan for the people rather than to rule by force.

    The statement reads further: “We know those behind the killing of late Bola Ige, who are now dancing on his grave seeking for votes.

    “We are appealing to the good people of ijesaland comprising six local government areas to shine their eyes and reject them totally at the polls to sustain the massive transformation going on in the state.

    IYDA said the All Progressives Congress’s (APC) administration in Osun state has touched all sectors of the economy in its developmental strides particularly in areas of the economy, good roads network, education and employment opportunities among others, in spite of the dwindling federal allocation.

    The group maintained that they would resist any act of violence in the area, stressing that Ijesas are known to be progressives and would continue to maintain the status quo.

  • ‘Osun ‘ll vote for continuity’

    ‘Osun ‘ll vote for continuity’

    Hon. Gbadamosi Lawal was  the Chairman of Ikirun District Council between 1959 and 1961 and a member of the old Oyo State House of Assembly between 1979 to 1983 on the platform of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN). In this interview, he speaks about the legacies of the progressive bloc, the Aregbesola administration, preparations for the August 9 governorhip election and other partisan issues.

    As a foremost progressive politician, are you satisfied with the achievements of the APC government in Osun State?

    To start with, I have been in politics since 1954. I contested as a councilor in 1954 and I won that election. Since then, I have been a progressive. I can never be in a party that is conservative in nature. personally, I like to serve my people rather than collecting money for my own gain. I also hate a situation where people intimidate others, when I compare both side, it became obvious that I should be a progressive. The APC, for example, in Osun is truly a progressive party. Since Aregbesola got back his mandate, he has been doing a lot of things that we have not witness in this state. if it is for him to get money he wouldn’t have come to Osun at all. all the governor is doing is pointer to the fact that he is a progressive. Within his 100 days in office, he employed 20,000 youths under Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES). That means a lot, because we have never witness such governor in the state. this scheme cost government N200 million after that is the O-Meals Programme where primary school pupils are being fed every day. There are some pupils before now who attended school without taking any meal from their house. But now, pupils are eager to go to school because of the free meal. it has also increased the enrolment because most of these pupils live with their grandparents, who can hardly take care of them, but government is doing that. As if that was not enough, through the feeding programme, government also employed over 3000 caterers, who cook for these pupils. some of the caterers through the job, feed their families, then O-REAP for farmers, O-SCHOOLS, where government is building new schools and renovating schools. some that has been built during the Awolowo era, even the standard of the structures that Aregbesola is putting of in place now, some of the so called universities that we have cannot boost to have what we have in Osun. The people in the state love this government and I am sure that, if election is free and fair, we must get about 85 per cent of the vote, even in this Local Government, we are working towards 95  per cent now, because we feel the pulse of the people. That is why we can say all these.

    People are saying that Osun’s debt is N350 billion. What is your take on this?

    I am sorry to use this language, they are mad, how can a government borrow over N350 billion? I don’t think banks can give a state up to that amount. does their banking regulations allow for that? How can a government borrow 350 billion. When Olagunsoye Oyinlola borrowed. N18 billion. People raised questions that what was he going to do with the money at a time when his administration was ending. was it not when Aregbesola came that he re-negotiated the conditions of the loan?. Let us now assume that he borrowed money. we can all see what he is doing with the money because, in the olden days, people were agitating for the non payment of tax and that was not general, but if people see what they are doing with the money, nobody will agitate. If the state is saying to everybody that it has borrowed N35 billion, we can all see what he has done with the money. There is development in Osun. The noise is the hand work of the opposition, because they have nothing to offer and they have to discredit him. you listen to their campaign, do they have any manifesto?

    What is the relationship between the governor and civil servants?

     During the days of the PDP, there were many ghost workers unknown to the governor, which was the work of the civil servants; they have as many ghost workers as possible. When awarding contracts, they bargain with contractors to inflate contract sum. if they have grievances now, I want to believe that is normal because the leakages have been closed. that is why they are angry with the government. This has nothing of interest to the masses, the masses don’t benefit from the leakages, it is only few civil servants that enjoy from this, because it benefits their pockets alone after their salary. About teachers, during the PDP government, they introduced lesson period for the students after school hours where they collected money from the students doing nothing.  What they failed to teach the student during the school hours, is that what they will now teach them when they can no longer assimilate?. This is not in the interest of the students, but the interest of their pockets because they levied them. But, the present government has stopped that and made education totally free. How will they not be angry because their pockets have been offended? I want you to know that civil servants have no politics, but their pocket is their politics.

    What is your reaction to the allegation that many people in the Aregbesola’s cabinet are from Lagos?

    No, they are not Lagosians. The person sitting next to you is an appointee and he is from Ikirun and so many of them. They may be living in Lagos. The Attorney-General is from Ikirun and we all know them. Assuming we don’t even know them at home, does that mean we should allow them to die in the foreign land? We want to bring them home. I believe there is no point in that. They are all from Osun State. They may be living in Lagos. What of Aregbesola himself? But, people prefer his government to every other government they have seen in the state. That  he was in Lagos before, that should not be an excuse at all.

    As th election draws nearer, what is your expectation?

    We are going to win the election. Other candidates will lose their deposit. In those days, if you want to contest election, you have to pay a certain deposit. If you score a certain percentage, you will get your money back. But, if you score below that, you will lose your deposit. Sincerely speaking, after they lose that election, they will also lose their various deposits.

    What gives you this confidence, when there are insinuations that the state will be militarised?

    We have no fears as far as that is concerned. Our people will be educated. We have been telling them should it be soldiers or police, they have only come to protect them and not to harass them. The party is doing much on that before the election. There is no compound in this state where you will not get a graduate. We will use them to educate people that soldiers are meant to protect them and we will also advise every security officer that will be drafted to Osun to play according to the rules of the game.

     

  • Osun: It’s April 16, 2011 all over again

    Osun: It’s April 16, 2011 all over again

    Eleven days from today, the good people of Osun will march to the poll to elect the man who will steer the tender ship of their beloved state for the next four years. As they say in these parts, with the death of an elephant, it is expected that all manners of knives would be summoned to active duty.

    Now, it’s been a month plus of high-voltage hustings and with just enough drama and excitements to provide entertainment for a lifetime. Part of the ‘entertainment’ may well be the vast field of gubernatorial wannabes in a state which morphed from being in the PDP financial death row to a toast of credible investors in a space of three years.

    Add that to the brainless revisionism being served by a frontline aspirant in the name of politics and the rather expensive play on the psychology of voters by the cheap stunt in which a leading candidate would mount an Okada with two roasted corns in hand; what comes revealed is the politics of the most opportunistic, cynical variant. These are interesting times, no doubt.

    The Osun governorship election is of course interesting in a number of ways. After the Ekiti tsunami, Osun is naturally expected to provide the next laboratory to validate the PDP’s thesis on the trumping of performance by stomach infrastructure. But even more than that, it is supposed to be the affirmation of the so-called wind of change blowing across the South-west by which it is meant the triumph of the main-streamers.

    Let me add one reason why Osun holds a personal interest for me: I am actually working on an hypothesis – and I am prepared to take a bet on that – that the outcome of the August 9 poll would not be substantially different from what happened on April 16, 2011 presidential election!

    Remember that hell of a shellacking for citizen You-Know-Who! Wait for Scene Two.

    Still wondering about my interest in the Osun ‘guber’ race?

    Let me add that I am a silent admirer of the governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. I have met him a few times since he became governor and each time, I found myself not just enthralled by his sheer energy and passion to get things done, but also his deep sense of purpose and understanding of his mission. I have read not once but severally his lean “Green Book” which encapsulates his mission – thanks to Femi Ifaturoti, his Director General of Osun State Bureau for Social Services. Each successive reading not only reinforces my earlier impression of him as no ordinary sojourner in government; the book has gone a long way in aiding my understanding of this unusual enigma of a personality which of course is the reason I chose to stick my neck out in his second term bid.

    Three years in the saddle at the state of Omoluwabi, very few will doubt that Aregbesola has delivered on all fronts. Today, it’s hardly remembered that Aregbesola actually came into office to meet a staggering debt of N18 billion – contracted by the departing PDP administration which he successfully restructured within months. Under his watch, the economy of the once laidback state is not only being repositioned, it’s been three years of deliberate efforts to tackle major structural impediments to the realisation of its potentials headlong.

    From the massive road works going on, the complete overhaul of the educational sector, the careful attention to agricultural modernisation through investment in a new generation of farmers, to massive urban renewal programmes, it would take the most impervious not to appreciate that the foundation of a future economy is being carefully erected in Osun state.

    Of course, we can talk about his revolutionary learning tablet the “Opo Imo”, the youth employment O’YES programme as well as the school-feeding programme all of which stands out in sheer novelty.

    What about the governor’s interactive programme – Gbangba d’ekun – a forum during which he engages the ordinary citizens on issues of governance? Or the Walk-to-Live programme, an important governance tool through which the government seeks to inculcate healthy living habits on the populace?  Clearly, it is hard to imagine all that the governor has been able top achieve despite its ranking among the least of recipients from the federation pool.

    Was the governor perfect? The last time I checked, saint-hood was not one of the qualifications for being in government. I have heard the word “controversial” or worse used to describe him. The much I know about him is that he is not pretentious about his beliefs unlike the chameleon being egged on by some narrow interests. As for whether he been faithful to his stewardship – my answer would be an emphatic yes!

    Now, let’s talk briefly about his main opponent – the PDP’s Iyiola Omisore.

    What does the PDP candidate stand for – on education, job creation, infrastructure and health care? No one, it appears, have the foggiest idea on where he stands. The closest I have heard him say is that he will undo all that Aregbesola has done all these while. Just like that! Where is the policy framework – or the hard thinking behind such? You guessed right: it’s the season when populism is expected to trump hard choices. Between the builder and the demolitionist, the good people of Osun have just enough time to make their choice!

    Now I know a legion out there who would swear that the Ekiti tsunami wasn’t just the game changer but the defining moment for the good people of the South-west. Guess we have 11 days to put the hypothesis to test. Let me however speculate on the list of unlikely factors in the August 9 poll: Number one on that list is that mocking ride on Okada with corns in hand; at best it’s poor example in salesmanship. The other is the nocturnal visits to clergies in a play of the religious card. The good people of Osun know better to cast their lots with Lucifer and his seductive overtures.

    Now, let me summarise: After the breadth-taking developments of the past three years, it certainly would be worse than tragic for the state to fall into the hands of a political adventurer.  I can bet a million it wont happen.

  • Osun condemns clampdown on firm

    Osun condemns clampdown on firm

    The Osun State government has decried the invasion of the corporate head office of its client, the TNS-RMS by men of the Department of State Security (DSS).

    A statement yesterday by the Commissioner for Information, Sunday Akere, said the outfit was duly registered as a research agency to engage in empirical surveys across the country for government agencies and private individuals.

    Akere said TNS-RMS was conducting Needs Assessment Performance Evaluation Study (NAPES) for the Rauf Aregbesola administration.

    The commissioner said: “No reason was given for the clampdown on TNS-RMS which witnessed prevention of inward and outward movement of both staff and visitors of the poll research organization other than that the SSS operatives, who were said to be taking any document (including computer systems) that has anything to do with the government of state of Osun.

    “So, we wonder why the SSS is clamping down on the company that conduct social survey for the government barely two week before the gubernatorial election in the state. The action of the security operatives in the company’s Lagos office for about three days is an unwarranted aggression and violation of the 1999 Constitution that allows all lawful pursuits and endeavours in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”