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Tag: Oyinlola

  • Ooni, Oyinlola, Omisore to Aregbesola: take heart

    The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola and Senator Iyiola Onisore, have commiserated with Governor Rauf Aregbesola over the death of his mother, Alhaja Saratu.

    Oba Ogunwusi, who is away to London, sent his condolences in a statement by his media aide, Moses Olafare. He described the deceased as an epitome of motherhood, worthy of emulation by women desiring to raise successful children.

    The monarch urged the people of the state and Yoruba race, to join the governor and his family in celebrating their matriarch, who “laboured hard to raise her children with discpline, virtues and godliness”.

    The statement reads:  “Mama Olobi, you are such a wonderful mother who will forever be celebrated and emulated by mothers who desire to raise children who will be blessings to the society, like your son, Rauf Aregbesola, who has always conducted himself in an enviable manner; he is indeed an Omoluwabi per excellence.”

    Oyinlola noted the exceptional bond between Aregbesola and his mother, saying his successor should be consoled by the fact that his mother lived well and was loved by all.

    “As mortals, we never want our elderly ones to go. But the Holy Books say all souls must taste death, so we have to submit to the supreme will of the Almighty from whom we came, and unto whom we shall all go,” he said.

    Omisore said the deceased lived a life worthy of emulation. “I hereby commisserate with Governor Rauf Aregbesola on the death of his mother, Alhaja Saratu Aregbesola.” He said the deceased will be missed because her likes “are rare beings in our lives”.

  • Can Oyinlola reconcile Oshiomhole, Odubu?

    Can Oyinlola reconcile Oshiomhole, Odubu?

    The succession battle in the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has degenerated into a crisis between Governor Adams Oshiomhole and his deputy, Dr Pius Odubu. Can the Oyinlola Committee restore peace to the troubled chapter? OSAGIE OTABOR writes on the burden of reconciliation.

    Was there really a crisis in the Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) that warranted the setting up of the Fact Finding and Reconciliation Committee headed by the former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola? To Governor Adams Oshiomhole, the crisis was blown out of proportion by those he described as fifth columnists. Some chieftains also saw the setting up of the committee as an attempt to blackmail him and withdraw his support for a governorship aspirant, Godwin Obaseki.

    It appears the visit of the reconciliation committee has doused tension among the aspirants. What heightened the tension was the friction between Oshiomhole and his deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu as both of them are not on the same page on who will succeed Oshiomhole. The removal of Hon Victor Edoror as the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, the bias of some executives of the APC and threats that the party would lose the election to the PDP, if a popular candidate does not win the primary also aggravated the tension.

    The crisis worsened when the convoy of Dr. Odubu was attacked at Auchi, the headquarters of Estako West Local Government. Oshiomhole hails from the local government. Oshiomhole alleged that his deputy wanted to use diabolical means to eliminate him. There was also shooting at Sobe community at a time Obaseki was in the area to campaign.

    What the Oyinlola committee gathered, according to sources, was different from the picture painted about the APC in Edo, especially as regards the removal of Hon. Edoror as the Speaker. When the committee met with the aspirants at the APC secretariat, it was an opportunity for them to speak out their minds about the proposed primary.

    Issues raised by the aspirants included financial inducement of delegates, increased use of thugs by some aspirants, the need to separate party activities from the aprons of the government and easy access to delegates  by aspirants. Some aspirants also accused the Chairman of the party, Anselm Ojezua and the Secretary, Chief Osaro Idah of being political appointees of Governor Oshiomhole. They said the APC would do well in the state if it was well-funded.

    The Chairman and the Secretary denied the allegations.

    The youngest aspirant, 37 year-old Blessing Agbomhere, said all the aspirants pledged their loyalty to the party and demanded for a free and fair primary.

    He said they also demanded access to the delegates and requested that Ojezua should take charge of the party and separate governance from party politics.

    He said: “I told them the governor should see every aspirant as a brother because we made the party what it is today.”

    “I spoke my mind and I was straight to the point. I condemned the Odubu attack and I reported that my bill board was removed at the party secretariat because they said I was criticizing the governor.

    An aspirant, Ogiemwonyi, said only a strong party structure would bring  peace to the Edo APC.

    “The aspirants spoke their mind. You cannot reconcile without talking about the issues underneat. We went as far as talking about the need of separation of powers between the government and the party. We want to have a strong party. We equally addressed inducement of delegates with money, it should be reduced”

    “I believe in due process. I believe in the spirit of good governance. We are looking for somebody that has experience.

    “My panacea for what will bring peace is we need a strong party that is well funded. A situation where the party can summon the governor like in the days of Awolowo.”

    Oshiomhole expressed reservation about the attitude of the national leadership towards the supposed crisis in the state chapter. He said the party leadership has not asked him about problems in the party in the state and noted that informal approach to issues works better than formalised approach.

    Oshiomhole, who spoke at a meeting with the committee, wondered why the official language should be ‘reconcile everybody,’ when the most uncouth and vulgar language have been used to describe his person.

    He said those beating the drum of war in the APC were defectors from the PDP who want to discredit the APC in Edo.

    He said: “The secretariat should check carefully because those making statements always end up with statement that unless the Comrade want to return the state to the PDP. This state cannot return to the PDP.

    “We can distinguished between Fifth columnist and genuine APC members. Those fomenting  trouble in APC now could not deliver their wards. I deliver my unit, ward, local government and senatorial district.”

    “I hope that you are able to tell everybody, assure Abuja that there is no cause for alarm. I will finish stronger than I started.”

    “Be assured of my commitment to the party. Be assured of my commitment to democratic values and I will fight this election as if I were a candidate, regardless of who wins.”

    The committee also met with the leadership of the House of Assembly behind close doors and the committee was told in clear terms that the change in the house leadership has no connection with the power play between Oshiomhole and his deputy.

    The Speaker, Ativie Elisabeth, and other lawmakers narrated how the plan to remove Edoror was plotted and executed without the knowledge of Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

    The Speaker said there was no plot to impeach the deputy governor and that the change in the house leadership would further strengthened the party.

    At an enlarged stakeholders meeting, Oyinlola warned party members not to work towards finding themselves in opposition political party after the elections

    He urged the leadership to resolve their differences.

    The former Osun governor noted that the APC won last year’s election because a transparent party primary that saw the emergence of Mohammadu Buhari as the party’s flag bearer.

    His words: “My belief until I came was that nobody has done anything that will surpass the achievement of Dr. Ogbemudia. We have a performing governor who has done so much credit to our party, why then do we not want to continue with this trend of achievement by going into the election united and deliver Edo State.”

    “It is the only state that is under our control in the Southsouth zone. It is an open secret that governors in the Southsouth have gone to do meeting on how to take Edo. God will not allow that to happen. We have interacted with the aspirants. They came out with what they believe is needed to be done for us to move successfully. All of them are talking about a level-playing ground.”

    “We must allow a level-playing ground. That is what is going to happen. God forbid we should not loose election in Edo State. It is not a pleasant thing to be in opposition. That is why I want to plead with our leadership that we must be able to resolve our differences.

    “Reports from the state chapter of the party in the last few weeks were not edifying and that the party at the national level was alarmed at the steady erosion of the stability  and cohesion earlier seen in Edo.”

    “We are here because our party believes darkness must not fall on this state once again. When you came, you gave every man a reason to believe once again in participatory democracy as the best form of government.”

    But, an aspirant, Casely Omon-Irabor, told our reporter on phone that the committee came to fan the embers of disunity by praising the achievements of Oshiomhole.

    Omon-Irabor said that some stakeholders at the meeting were invited to insult some aspirants present at the meeting.

    He said: “The committee came here to sell Oshiomhole. They were praising Oshiomhole. Some people were brought in to insult everybody.”

    Ojezua, said the committee found out that things were not as bad in the party as it was being reported in the press.

    He said what they found were symptoms of electioneering campaigns.

    His words: “We cannot afford to loose this election. The governor has done very well and the party will rely on the governor’s achievements during campaigns. People must be very careful with the way they speak about the governor”.

    A close ally of Dr. Odubu said the committee was able to calm some nerve and peaceful atmosphere within the party.

     

  • Can Oyinlola reconcile Oshiomhole, Odubu?

    Can Oyinlola reconcile Oshiomhole, Odubu?

    The succession battle in the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has degenerated into a crisis between Governor Adams Oshiomhole and his deputy, Dr Pius Odubu. Can the Oyinlola Committee restore peace to the troubled chapter? OSAGIE OTABOR writes on the burden of reconciliation.

    Was there really a crisis in the Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) that warranted the setting up of the Fact Finding and Reconciliation Committee headed by the former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola? To Governor Adams Oshiomhole, the crisis was blown out of proportion by those he described as fifth columnists. Some chieftains also saw the setting up of the committee as an attempt to blackmail him and withdraw his support for a governorship aspirant, Godwin Obaseki.

    It appears the visit of the reconciliation committee has doused tension among the aspirants. What heightened the tension was the friction between Oshiomhole and his deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu as both of them are not on the same page on who will succeed Oshiomhole. The removal of Hon Victor Edoror as the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, the bias of some executives of the APC and threats that the party would lose the election to the PDP, if a popular candidate does not win the primary also aggravated the tension.

    The crisis worsened when the convoy of Dr. Odubu was attacked at Auchi, the headquarters of Estako West Local Government. Oshiomhole hails from the local government. Oshiomhole alleged that his deputy wanted to use diabolical means to eliminate him. There was also shooting at Sobe community at a time Obaseki was in the area to campaign.

    What the Oyinlola committee gathered, according to sources, was different from the picture painted about the APC in Edo, especially as regards the removal of Hon. Edoror as the Speaker. When the committee met with the aspirants at the APC secretariat, it was an opportunity for them to speak out their minds about the proposed primary.

    Issues raised by the aspirants included financial inducement of delegates, increased use of thugs by some aspirants, the need to separate party activities from the aprons of the government and easy access to delegates  by aspirants. Some aspirants also accused the Chairman of the party, Anselm Ojezua and the Secretary, Chief Osaro Idah of being political appointees of Governor Oshiomhole. They said the APC would do well in the state if it was well-funded.

    The Chairman and the Secretary denied the allegations.

    The youngest aspirant, 37 year-old Blessing Agbomhere, said all the aspirants pledged their loyalty to the party and demanded for a free and fair primary.

    He said they also demanded access to the delegates and requested that Ojezua should take charge of the party and separate governance from party politics.

    He said: “I told them the governor should see every aspirant as a brother because we made the party what it is today.”

    “I spoke my mind and I was straight to the point. I condemned the Odubu attack and I reported that my bill board was removed at the party secretariat because they said I was criticizing the governor.

    An aspirant, Ogiemwonyi, said only a strong party structure would bring  peace to the Edo APC.

    “The aspirants spoke their mind. You cannot reconcile without talking about the issues underneat. We went as far as talking about the need of separation of powers between the government and the party. We want to have a strong party. We equally addressed inducement of delegates with money, it should be reduced”

    “I believe in due process. I believe in the spirit of good governance. We are looking for somebody that has experience.

    “My panacea for what will bring peace is we need a strong party that is well funded. A situation where the party can summon the governor like in the days of Awolowo.”

    Oshiomhole expressed reservation about the attitude of the national leadership towards the supposed crisis in the state chapter. He said the party leadership has not asked him about problems in the party in the state and noted that informal approach to issues works better than formalised approach.

    Oshiomhole, who spoke at a meeting with the committee, wondered why the official language should be ‘reconcile everybody,’ when the most uncouth and vulgar language have been used to describe his person.

    He said those beating the drum of war in the APC were defectors from the PDP who want to discredit the APC in Edo.

    He said: “The secretariat should check carefully because those making statements always end up with statement that unless the Comrade want to return the state to the PDP. This state cannot return to the PDP.

    “We can distinguished between Fifth columnist and genuine APC members. Those fomenting  trouble in APC now could not deliver their wards. I deliver my unit, ward, local government and senatorial district.”

    “I hope that you are able to tell everybody, assure Abuja that there is no cause for alarm. I will finish stronger than I started.”

    “Be assured of my commitment to the party. Be assured of my commitment to democratic values and I will fight this election as if I were a candidate, regardless of who wins.”

    The committee also met with the leadership of the House of Assembly behind close doors and the committee was told in clear terms that the change in the house leadership has no connection with the power play between Oshiomhole and his deputy.

    The Speaker, Ativie Elisabeth, and other lawmakers narrated how the plan to remove Edoror was plotted and executed without the knowledge of Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

    The Speaker said there was no plot to impeach the deputy governor and that the change in the house leadership would further strengthened the party.

    At an enlarged stakeholders meeting, Oyinlola warned party members not to work towards finding themselves in opposition political party after the elections

    He urged the leadership to resolve their differences.

    The former Osun governor noted that the APC won last year’s election because a transparent party primary that saw the emergence of Mohammadu Buhari as the party’s flag bearer.

    His words: “My belief until I came was that nobody has done anything that will surpass the achievement of Dr. Ogbemudia. We have a performing governor who has done so much credit to our party, why then do we not want to continue with this trend of achievement by going into the election united and deliver Edo State.”

    “It is the only state that is under our control in the Southsouth zone. It is an open secret that governors in the Southsouth have gone to do meeting on how to take Edo. God will not allow that to happen. We have interacted with the aspirants. They came out with what they believe is needed to be done for us to move successfully. All of them are talking about a level-playing ground.”

    “We must allow a level-playing ground. That is what is going to happen. God forbid we should not loose election in Edo State. It is not a pleasant thing to be in opposition. That is why I want to plead with our leadership that we must be able to resolve our differences.

    “Reports from the state chapter of the party in the last few weeks were not edifying and that the party at the national level was alarmed at the steady erosion of the stability  and cohesion earlier seen in Edo.”

    “We are here because our party believes darkness must not fall on this state once again. When you came, you gave every man a reason to believe once again in participatory democracy as the best form of government.”

    But, an aspirant, Casely Omon-Irabor, told our reporter on phone that the committee came to fan the embers of disunity by praising the achievements of Oshiomhole.

    Omon-Irabor said that some stakeholders at the meeting were invited to insult some aspirants present at the meeting.

    He said: “The committee came here to sell Oshiomhole. They were praising Oshiomhole. Some people were brought in to insult everybody.”

    Ojezua, said the committee found out that things were not as bad in the party as it was being reported in the press.

    He said what they found were symptoms of electioneering campaigns.

    His words: “We cannot afford to loose this election. The governor has done very well and the party will rely on the governor’s achievements during campaigns. People must be very careful with the way they speak about the governor”.

    A close ally of Dr. Odubu said the committee was able to calm some nerve and peaceful atmosphere within the party.

  • Can Oyinlola reconcile Oshiomhole, Odubu?

    Can Oyinlola reconcile Oshiomhole, Odubu?

    The succession battle in the Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has degenerated into a crisis between Governor Adams Oshiomhole and his deputy, Dr Pius Odubu. Can the Oyinlola Committee restore peace to the troubled chapter? OSAGIE OTABOR writes on the burden of reconciliation.

    Was there really a crisis in the Edo State All Progressives Congress (APC) that warranted the setting up of the Fact Finding and Reconciliation Committee headed by the former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola? To Governor Adams Oshiomhole, the crisis was blown out of proportion by those he described as fifth columnists. Some chieftains also saw the setting up of the committee as an attempt to blackmail him and withdraw his support for a governorship aspirant, Godwin Obaseki.

    It appears the visit of the reconciliation committee has doused tension among the aspirants. What heightened the tension was the friction between Oshiomhole and his deputy, Dr. Pius Odubu as both of them are not on the same page on who will succeed Oshiomhole. The removal of Hon Victor Edoror as the Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, the bias of some executives of the APC and threats that the party would lose the election to the PDP, if a popular candidate does not win the primary also aggravated the tension.

    The crisis worsened when the convoy of Dr. Odubu was attacked at Auchi, the headquarters of Estako West Local Government. Oshiomhole hails from the local government. Oshiomhole alleged that his deputy wanted to use diabolical means to eliminate him. There was also shooting at Sobe community at a time Obaseki was in the area to campaign.

    What the Oyinlola committee gathered, according to sources, was different from the picture painted about the APC in Edo, especially as regards the removal of Hon. Edoror as the Speaker. When the committee met with the aspirants at the APC secretariat, it was an opportunity for them to speak out their minds about the proposed primary.

    Issues raised by the aspirants included financial inducement of delegates, increased use of thugs by some aspirants, the need to separate party activities from the aprons of the government and easy access to delegates  by aspirants. Some aspirants also accused the Chairman of the party, Anselm Ojezua and the Secretary, Chief Osaro Idah of being political appointees of Governor Oshiomhole. They said the APC would do well in the state if it was well-funded.

    The Chairman and the Secretary denied the allegations.

    The youngest aspirant, 37 year-old Blessing Agbomhere, said all the aspirants pledged their loyalty to the party and demanded for a free and fair primary.

    He said they also demanded access to the delegates and requested that Ojezua should take charge of the party and separate governance from party politics.

    He said: “I told them the governor should see every aspirant as a brother because we made the party what it is today.”

    “I spoke my mind and I was straight to the point. I condemned the Odubu attack and I reported that my bill board was removed at the party secretariat because they said I was criticizing the governor.

    An aspirant, Ogiemwonyi, said only a strong party structure would bring  peace to the Edo APC.

    “The aspirants spoke their mind. You cannot reconcile without talking about the issues underneat. We went as far as talking about the need of separation of powers between the government and the party. We want to have a strong party. We equally addressed inducement of delegates with money, it should be reduced”

    “I believe in due process. I believe in the spirit of good governance. We are looking for somebody that has experience.

    “My panacea for what will bring peace is we need a strong party that is well funded. A situation where the party can summon the governor like in the days of Awolowo.”

    Oshiomhole expressed reservation about the attitude of the national leadership towards the supposed crisis in the state chapter. He said the party leadership has not asked him about problems in the party in the state and noted that informal approach to issues works better than formalised approach.

    Oshiomhole, who spoke at a meeting with the committee, wondered why the official language should be ‘reconcile everybody,’ when the most uncouth and vulgar language have been used to describe his person.

    He said those beating the drum of war in the APC were defectors from the PDP who want to discredit the APC in Edo.

    He said: “The secretariat should check carefully because those making statements always end up with statement that unless the Comrade want to return the state to the PDP. This state cannot return to the PDP.

    “We can distinguished between Fifth columnist and genuine APC members. Those fomenting  trouble in APC now could not deliver their wards. I deliver my unit, ward, local government and senatorial district.”

    “I hope that you are able to tell everybody, assure Abuja that there is no cause for alarm. I will finish stronger than I started.”

    “Be assured of my commitment to the party. Be assured of my commitment to democratic values and I will fight this election as if I were a candidate, regardless of who wins.”

    The committee also met with the leadership of the House of Assembly behind close doors and the committee was told in clear terms that the change in the house leadership has no connection with the power play between Oshiomhole and his deputy.

    The Speaker, Ativie Elisabeth, and other lawmakers narrated how the plan to remove Edoror was plotted and executed without the knowledge of Governor Adams Oshiomhole.

    The Speaker said there was no plot to impeach the deputy governor and that the change in the house leadership would further strengthened the party.

    At an enlarged stakeholders meeting, Oyinlola warned party members not to work towards finding themselves in opposition political party after the elections

    He urged the leadership to resolve their differences.

    The former Osun governor noted that the APC won last year’s election because a transparent party primary that saw the emergence of Mohammadu Buhari as the party’s flag bearer.

    His words: “My belief until I came was that nobody has done anything that will surpass the achievement of Dr. Ogbemudia. We have a performing governor who has done so much credit to our party, why then do we not want to continue with this trend of achievement by going into the election united and deliver Edo State.”

    “It is the only state that is under our control in the Southsouth zone. It is an open secret that governors in the Southsouth have gone to do meeting on how to take Edo. God will not allow that to happen. We have interacted with the aspirants. They came out with what they believe is needed to be done for us to move successfully. All of them are talking about a level-playing ground.”

    “We must allow a level-playing ground. That is what is going to happen. God forbid we should not loose election in Edo State. It is not a pleasant thing to be in opposition. That is why I want to plead with our leadership that we must be able to resolve our differences.

    “Reports from the state chapter of the party in the last few weeks were not edifying and that the party at the national level was alarmed at the steady erosion of the stability  and cohesion earlier seen in Edo.”

    “We are here because our party believes darkness must not fall on this state once again. When you came, you gave every man a reason to believe once again in participatory democracy as the best form of government.”

    But, an aspirant, Casely Omon-Irabor, told our reporter on phone that the committee came to fan the embers of disunity by praising the achievements of Oshiomhole.

    Omon-Irabor said that some stakeholders at the meeting were invited to insult some aspirants present at the meeting.

    He said: “The committee came here to sell Oshiomhole. They were praising Oshiomhole. Some people were brought in to insult everybody.”

    Ojezua, said the committee found out that things were not as bad in the party as it was being reported in the press.

    He said what they found were symptoms of electioneering campaigns.

    His words: “We cannot afford to loose this election. The governor has done very well and the party will rely on the governor’s achievements during campaigns. People must be very careful with the way they speak about the governor”.

    A close ally of Dr. Odubu said the committee was able to calm some nerve and peaceful atmosphere within the party.

     

  • Auditorium named after Oyinlola

    Auditorium named after Oyinlola

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola yesterday called on universities to impact positively on the society, rather than just admitting students and awarding certificates.

    The governor gave the advice at the fourth and fifth convocation ceremonies of the University of Osun at its main campus, Osogbo.

    He named the university auditorium after former governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

    Aregbesola held that university education should  impact on the society, adding that the country is beset with life threatening challenges, which are defying solutions.

    The Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Jelil Oguntola Alamu, said the university has sustained its reputation as an institution established to promote academic excellence and sound moral education.

    Alamu said the university has become a member of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN).

    “My greatest joy today is the relative peace and high level of academic excellence attained by the institution since I became the Acting Vice Chancellor.

    In his valedictory speech, the overall best student for 2013/2014 session, Adeyemo Kazeem Adekunle, thanked the government for establishing the university.

    Adekunle, with a CGPA of 4.7 from Civil Engineering Department, said the school will continue to serve humanity in numerous significant ways as long as it exists.

  • Oyinlola, an officer, statesman @ 65

    Oyinlola, an officer, statesman @ 65

    Journalist and public affairs analyst Sina Ogunbambo extols the qualities of former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, who clocks 65 today.

    Apart from his scholarly activities at Odo – Otin Grammar School, Okuku, in the 60’s, the young Prince Olagunsoye Adedapo  Oyinlola was more of a hunter. Usually in the midst of friends on a hunting expedition, he will aim at a bird on a tree and hit the target with just a single shot from his catapult. The confidence in his shooting prowess and his love for military uniform gingered him to join the Nigerian Army in 1969 rather than accept his admission  to Ahmadu Bello University as an undergraduate after successfully completing his West African School Certificate examination in 1968.

    His eagerness and admiration for this disciplined profession further propeled him to join as a Private, rather than as  an officer, as he posess the requisite qualification. Once pencilled down as a batman for Brigadier General Raji Rasaki rtd. due to his usual appearance in well starched and properly ironed khaki uniform, this legal practitioner who became an orphan at the age of nine, through a dint of hardwork, determination, brilliance and good luck, rose to become a Brigadier General rtd.in Nigerian Army and the Governor of Lagos and Osun States. His last political office was National Secretary of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before he decamped to join All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Born on February 3, 1951 to Oba Moses Oyewole Oyinlola ( the famous Olokuku of Okuku and a menber of defunct Western Region House of Chiefs in the Parliament) and Olori Comfort Ololade Oyinlola, the charming Prince had his elementary and secondary education at Okuku, proceeded to Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, Command and Staff College, Jaji,  University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile – Ife) for a Diploma in International Relations in 1979, University of Madras India for  M.Sc degree in 1988, Buckingham University in United Kingdom in 2003 for LL.B degree in 2003 and Nigerian Law School,  Abuja for BL 2012 post degree qualification and call to bar.

    Oyinlola’s professionalism in the army was brought to the fore between December 1992 and September 1993 as the Contigent Commander and the Commanding Officer of the 245 Reconnaissance (RECCE) batallion made up of 39 officers and 621 soldiers. This was a United Nations Operation Restore Hope (UNiSOM) in Somalia, when the nation broke out in a destructive flame of an ethnic war. The Mogadishu airport was then a smouldering asphaltic wasteland of decomposing bodies strewn, unspent cartridges, bombed – out vehicles and a thousand shards of innumerable items. Col. Oyinlolae (as he then was) had a dangerous mission of cleansing the airport and salvaging it from wandering tribes of outlaws. In the face of guerilla warfare, anonymous enemy and cannonades being hurled from everywhere, he accomplished the mission with almost negligble casualty. In the words of Col Tony Nyiam rtd. “ Oyinlola’s led Nigerian troops achieved what the Americans troops could not”.

    As the Military Administrator of Lagos State from December 10, 1993 to August 22, 1996, he did a lot of trouble shooting to bring peace to the state as this was the peak of antagonism by the civilians towards General Sani Abacha’s regime after the annulment of June 12, 1992 Presidential election that Basorun Moshood Abiola Abiola won. Despite this tense atmosphere, Oyinlola built several schools , general hospitals and housing estate in Lagos State. The Opebi link bridge and Lagos House Governor’s Lodge at Abuja were some of the legacies he left behind. He also introduced the security outfit “ Operation Sweep” to combat armed robbery.

    As democraticaly elected Governor, he was in charge of Osun State from 29th May, 2003 to 26th November 2010. His accomplishments this time around deserves a tome for publication. However, the highlights are building of Osun State University, establishing Government owned mining company – Livingspring Mining Corporation (with 11 mining sites in Nigeria), commencement of Livingspring Free trade zone to diversify the economy, commencement of Ido to Osun aiport project and building of Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding. There was also industrial harmony and prompt payment of workers salaries throughout his tenure.

    Blessed with a very good wife, Omolola and four lovely children and grandchildren, Oyinlola is a study in human relations. He is ever humble and well cultured. His sense of humour is superb and former Nigerian  Head of State, General Ibrahim Babangida rtd. once told this writer at an interview  session that it was the humouur and then brilliance of Oyinlola that brought them close.

    Oyinlola’s compassion and accommodation (especially for the masses) was what brought him to politics and the study of law. He is determined to render more of free services to the underpriviledged and oppressed through the rule of law. His life is that of meritorious service to God and humanity.

    As the bubbling “young man” who also has passion for golf game clocks 65 on Wednesday March 3, 2016, i wish this refined officer, gentleman and accomplished statesman, a happy birthday. Many happy returns.

     

  • Bigwigs honour Oyinlola at daughter’s wedding

    Bigwigs honour Oyinlola at daughter’s wedding

    When William F. Halsey might not have had Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola in mind when he said that there are no great men but great challenges, that ordinary men are forced by circumstances to meet, but the former Osun State governor has done enough to put Hasley on his toes. Last Saturday, Oyinlola proved the responsible father that he is as his daughter, Oyindamola, walked down the aisle.

    It also came as no surprise that political heavyweights, business moguls, fashion icons and pillars of high society were at the wedding of the ex-governor’s daughter in large numbers. Dignitaries at the wedding included the wife of former President Umaru Yar’Adua, Turai; Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode; Otunba Adekunle Ojora; former Ekiti State governor, Engr. Segunn Oni; the Senate President, Bukola Saraki and other leading lights in the society.

  • Oyinlola: I’ve made moves to resolve problem with Soyinka

    Oyinlola: I’ve made moves to resolve problem with Soyinka

    Former Osun State Governor Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola has promised to explore opportunities for the resolution of the leadership tussle between him and the Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, over the chairmanship of the Board of Trustees of the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding (CBCIU).

    Oyinlola, who spoke with reporters at his Okuku country home yesterday at a news briefing, said he would rather address the issues associated with the crisis than engaging Soyinka in a media war.

    Oyinlola was the chairman, board of the centre, at its inception in 2008, before Governor Rauf Aregbesola replaced him with Soyinka.

    He said the Nobel laureate was misinformed “on the true story, structure of and philosophy behind the establishment of the centre.”

    Narrating the peaceful steps he had taken to resolve the matter, Prince Oyinlola said despite the incessant attacks “on my personality by the professor, I will still be cultured in dealing with this matter. Because I believe, to the best of my knowledge that there is no

    animosity between me and Professor Soyinka, I have, in consultation with my governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, made moves to meet the professor and give him the correct information on the centre, for him to be guided.

    “The moves have sadly been rebuffed. I visited his home in Lagos on the advice of my governor. He was not in and never acknowledged that visit. I made several phone calls to him, which were never answered. I tried reaching

    him unsuccessfully through his daughter, Mrs. Moremi Onijala.

    “The respected professor spoke of ethical issues concerning the CBCIU. His attacks did not just start. He did much more in 2008 when he opposed the establishment of

    the CBCIU and used his contacts in and out of the country to wage a war, which we won.

    “In 2008, Prof. Soyinka

    unsuccessfully sought to enlist the support of former President Umaru Musa Yar Adua against us. This time, he is appealing to President Muhammadu Buhari with insinuations of ethical matters manifestly based

    on falsehood.  I, however, will still assume that he has been misinformed on the true story, structure of and philosophy behind the establishment of the centre.

    “UNESCO, around May 2007, took a decision to establish a category two institute (on culture) in Africa, which, it noted, would be the first

    of its kind on the continent. A number of countries in Africa showed interest. Nigeria was one of them.

    “To strengthen Nigeria’s bid for the institute, the presidency acquired archival materials of renowned culture icon, Prof Ulli Beier and sent the then Minister of Culture, Prof. Babalola Borishade, to Sydney, Australia to seal a deal with him on the matter.

    “However, Beier gave two conditions, which

    he said must be met before he would grant Nigeria’s request. These two conditions are, one, the institute must be sited in Osogbo where he lived and around where the majority of the materials were gathered over the decades he was here. The second condition was on who would preside over the board of trustees of the centre.

    “Prof. Soyinka’s

    ‘board’ tested this in court in 2013 when it sought to take over a case instituted by us. And what did Soyinka get from that move? The Federal High Court, Osogbo in a ruling on October 10, 2013 (appeal on which was struck out by the Court of Appeal, Akure on February 26), decided as follows:

    “It is not in doubt that the first plaintiff, ‘ Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding,’ a UNESCO- affiliated

    institution, was established in Osogbo, Osun State through the Osun State House of Assembly, which passed the law in that behalf, which was signed into law on December 29, 2008. Thereafter, it was registered under Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act vide a

    certificate of incorporation dated July 23, 2009.

    “As this case is

    still at its preliminary stage, I will refrain from making comments

    that may have the effect of determining the substantive suit one way or the other. However, once a body becomes incorporated, under the Companies and Allied Matters Act as an Incorporated Trustee, from the date of its registration, it becomes a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal. The Companies and Allied Matters Act

    (CAMA) is a federal legislation and once a body is registered under it, it cannot be regulated outside the said legislation i.e. CAMA.

    “The court further held that the case was instituted on the instruction of “the Registered Trustees of the Centre for Black Culture and International Understanding, who are the existing parties in thiscase. The court went further to state that “the party represented by Mr. T.S. Adegboyega (i.e. Soyinka’s board) are not parties on record and as such cannot discontinue a process they have not initiated.

    “The court concluded that a non-party in a case cannot decide the

    direction it should take. To steer a ship to harbour, one must of necessity enter it first. And, did I hear Prof. Soyinka right when he said there had been no

    court pronouncement on the status of his ‘board’? I believe he has been grossly misinformed.”

  • Economic crisis: Oyinlola, others rally support for Aregbesola’s govt

    Economic crisis: Oyinlola, others rally support for Aregbesola’s govt

    •Governor: summit crucial

    Former Osun State Governor Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola yesterday led other eminent indigenes from the state in rallying support for Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration.

    He described the state’s “Stakeholders’ Conference”, which was held yesterday, as crucial to strategise its survival in the face of national economic crisis.

    He added that the conference organised by Osun Legislators’ Forum would provide an effective platform for the state to forge ahead despite the crisis.

    The forum is an umbrella body of the lawmakers in the state House of Assembly and National Assembly.

    Oyinlola, who spoke at the summit in Osogbo, the state capital, said “the state is a brand that will outlast any government whether it’s performance is good or bad”.

    The former governor noted that the forum, a gathering of all indigenes home and abroad, was an avenue to fashion ways out of the financial crisis facing some of the states in Nigeria.

    He said: “Osun as a state has a perpetual life. It is a constitutional brand that will outlive any government in power. It behooves on all of us as indigenes to rally round the state in its present financial crisis. We must not allow the state to die; we must leave a positive legacy for our future generations.

    “This is what this stakeholders’ conference is all about. It is a gathering of indigenes and lovers of the state to put heads together and provide a solution to the present impasse. Government comes, government goes but state will remain. So, our gathering today is to fashion a way forward that will be acceptable to all and sundry. For us, it is our conviction that Osun must continue to exist.”

    Aregbesola said that how the nation got into this financial crisis could not be fathomed.

    He said the nation was already heading to the precipice, but for the change of government that brought the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the centre.

    The governor attributed the financial crises in the states to the bad leadership of the immediate past government.

    Aregbesola stressed that the conference, which was the brainchild of the Osun federal legislature, “demonstrated how serious our representatives take the issue of this state”.

    He added: “How we got to this financial crisis is unknown to a lot of people. It is only the wise who may have a flash of understanding of what actually went wrong. It is this similar crisis that we are also battling with in this state as other states are also experiencing.

    “This forum gives us opportunity to study in depth how this situation came about and for us to find a lasting solution to the crisis so that our state will move forward. By organising this conference, our honourable members in the House of Representatives and members of the Senate have shown that they are seriously concerned about the destiny of the state and ready to do anything possible to redeem it from crisis that may afflict it.”

    Aregbesola also urged the participants – drawn from the civil servants, formal and informal sector including artisans, businessmen, socio-cultural groups and others – to use the occasion to open up on their grievances, misconceptions or opinions about his government.

    He said the forum was an open one, which would allow the indigenes, to freely criticise his government’s policies and make inputs.

    The Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Osun State, Jacob Adekomi, advised the state government to verify the N3.6 billion monthly wage bill of the state properly.

    He asserted that “government is likely to discover the real wage bill is not up to that”.

    The Senator representing Osun Central, Prof. Sola Adeyeye, said the forum became necessary in view of the delicate political atmosphere hanging over the country.

    Adeyeye said that it was apparent that the country was adrift, but for the change at the federal level.

    He stated that he and his colleagues organised the forum to call on all lovers of the state to put heads together to proffer solutions to the challenges facing the state as occasioned by the national economic crisis.

    Dignitaries, who attended the conference include the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Najeem Salam; industrialists – Chief Tunde Ponnle (chairman, MicCom Cables) and Chief Tunde Badmus (chairman, TUNS Farms); Prof. Ademola Odejide (formerly of the Department of Economics, University of Ibadan); Senator Sunday Fajinmi (governorship candidate of the Alliance for Democracy in the August 9, 2014 election and a former senator representing Osun West); former Secretary to the State Government, Chief Moses Aboaba.

    Others are Senator Jide Omoworare, Prof. Mojeed Alabi, Ayo Omidiran, Ajibola Famurewa; Ghafar Amere and many traditional rulers in the state among others.

     

  • Abuja quakes as Buhari, Oyegun, Amaechi protest

    Abuja quakes as Buhari, Oyegun, Amaechi protest

    Oni, Onu, Oyinlola, El-Rufai, others lead Salvation Rally

    All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders yesterday took to the streets their case against the Dr. Goodluck Jonathan administration.

    Some of the party’s leading lights, including Chiarman John Odigie-Oyegun, led a “Salvation Rally” in Abuja, accusing President Jonathan of using the Boko Haram insurgency as a joker to win election.

    The party said there was  no limit to the length the President  had not gone in his “obsession” for re-election.

    It accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of working in concert with the Presidential Villa to corrupt the system and disenfranchise voters in APC-controlled states.

    APC queried why the Permanent Voters Cards collection and the continuous registration in 12 states were a fiasco.

    It  challenged the government and INEC to explain why the PVC collection was muddled up in Lagos, Kano Rivers, Niger, Ogun, Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara and  all APC strongholds

    The APC said it was becoming obvious that President Goodluck Jonathan might be unable to organise a free and fair election next February.

    The party said the President was also planning to use the extension of the emergency rule not to conduct the 2015 poll in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

    It protested against the inadequate funding of the Federation Account to, in the party’s view, starve APC-controlled states of funds.

    Besides the rally, the APC chieftains defied old age and apparatchik of office to march around Abuja metropolis to draw the attention of the government and Nigerians to the insurgency in the Northeast.

    Odigie-Oyegun, in an address to open the Salvation Rally at the Eagle Square in Abuja, said the party had tabled four demands which the President must address immediately.

    He said the rally was a demonstration of its lack of confidence in Jonathan’s administration.

    Odigie-Oyegun said: “We are here today as a practical demonstration of our lack of confidence in the ability or willingness of President Goodluck Jonathan to organise a free and fair election come February 2015.

    “President Goodluck Jonathan is so desperate to win re-election that it will now appear that there is a secret understanding that our security forces should turn a blind eye to the Boko Haram Insurgency so that the insurgents can occupy as much territory as possible and make elections impossible in these areas, knowing full well these are APC strongholds.

    “Otherwise, how does one explain that local hunters carrying dane guns and amulets are capable of dislodging the dreaded Boko Haram while our once proud army, which has distinguished itself in and out of the country, has failed?

    We daily hear idle talks that the President needs to declare total war on Boko Haram.

    “ Pray, what has the Jonathan government been doing since the moment the state of emergency was declared the very first time? Or is the President saying that he declared and renewed the state of emergency only to cage the civil populace so that the insurgents can have a free rein?”

    Odigie-Oyegun said the party suspected that Boko Haram insurgency was being used to promote Jonathan’s re-election bid.

    To APC, the extension of the emergency rule may be the President’s ploy not to conduct the 2015 poll in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

    He added: “Without doubt, the war against Boko Haram has become a tool for self enrichment and a tool to disenfranchise Nigerians who are perceived not likely to vote for President Jonathan’s re-election.

    “Everything points to the fact that President Jonathan’s handling of the Boko Haram insurgency is aimed at one thing and one thing only: disenfranchisement of persons who are perceived not to be in support of his re-election, especially in the North-Eastern part of the country.

    “Is it not curious that Mubi was captured without one shot being fired by the insurgents or one single casualty on the part of Federal troops?”

    “As a matter of fact, we have it on good authority that as soon as President Goodluck Jonathan obtains the green light from the National Assembly, there will be no elections in the North-Eastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. By this singular act, some five million Nigerians will be disenfranchised, making Jonathan’s re-election a foregone conclusion.”

    Odigie-Oyegun accused Jonathan of being obsessed with re-election by using every issue, including abduction of 219 Chibok girls, as pawns.

    He said: “There is no limit to the length Jonathan has not gone in his obsession for re-election, using the kidnapped Chibok girls as pawns on his political chessboard. On the 17th of October, he cruelly played on the emotions and sensibilities of all Nigerians, especially the families, relations and associates of the kidnapped girls, when he asked his Chief of Defence staff to falsely announce that Boko Haram has agreed to a ceasefire and that the release of the kidnapped Chibok girls was just a matter of days.

    “ Of course, President Jonathan and his cohorts knew this to be false but he needed to deceive Nigerians so as to prepare their minds for his eventual declaration for re-election.”

    He tabled the party’s four demands which Jonathan must address.

    They are:

    •an end to the raging insurgency that is daily killing and maiming our compatriots,

    •an end to the impunity that permeates the Jonathan Administration;

    •an end to the massive corruption that has left our compatriots impoverished in the midst of plenty; and

    •an unambiguous effort to ensure that that 2015 elections will be free and fair.

    The APC National Chairman wrote off the recent distribution of Permanent Voters Cards by INEC and declared the exercise as a deliberate plot to  corrupt the system to disenfranchise voters in APC-controlled states.

    He said: “As you must all be aware, the recent exercise by INEC of collection of Permanent Voters Cards and continuous registration in 12 states of the Federation was a fiasco. The official explanation from the Independent National Electoral Commission is to blame it all on computer error.But we know this is a lie.

    “The truth of the matter is that the ICT unit of INEC, which is working hands in gloves with the Presidential villa, deliberately corrupted the system in order to disenfranchise voters in APC controlled states.

    “How else do you explain the fact this same exercise, which had gone fairly well in 24 other states – mostly PDP states – is now a fiasco in Lagos, Kano Rivers, Niger, Ogun, Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara all APC strongholds and with the highest number of registered voters?

    “In the aforementioned states, millions of voters have been disenfranchised because the system was deliberately corrupted to wipe out their names from the voters register. Even those who were able to vote in 2011 could no longer find their names on the register.

    “Zero units are now to be found more in APC-controlled states or strongholds. The PDP, realising the overwhelming support and followership which APC enjoys in the above mentioned states, has deliberately decided to use the ICT department of INEC to rig the 2015 general elections at source by disenfranchising millions of the opposition party’s supporters.”

    Odigie-Oyegun said APC was joining issues with Jonathan on the poor funding of the Federation Account, which was meant to starve APC states of funds.

    He said: “President Goodluck Jonathan, embarrassed by the runaway success of APC controlled states, has in the last two years embarked on a wicked scheme to create disaffection among the electorate in APC-controlled states by not funding the Federation Account adequately.

    “While this may appear a general problem affecting all states, he has secretly and unconstitutionally being funding PDP controlled states. Not too long ago he dashed all PDP controlled states N2 billion each. Not only does this affect the letter and spirit of our constitution, it also portrays him as the President of the PDP and not that of Nigeria.

    “Although oil has been selling at well over USD108 against the benchmark of USD78, President Jonathan had been funding the Federation Account only between 60-70%. What is his official explanation for this? He claims it is as a result of massive crude oil theft that he has been unable to fund the Federation Account adequately!

    “The truth of the matter is that since the countrywide protest on the subsidy oil scam of 2012 and the embarrassing revelations by the House of Representatives panel, this government has now resorted to stealing from source.

    “How can we be losing steadily on daily basis over months the same quantity, 700,000 barrels of crude? It is this stealing of crude at source that has made it impossible for the govern to adequately fund the Federation Account, and which has led to poverty and unemployment.

    “Is it not baffling that up till today no serious individual or significant organisation has been apprehended for stealing 700,000 barrels of crude everyday! It is nothing but authority stealing-apologies to Fela Anikulpo-Kuti.

    “Only a few days ago, President Jonathan’s administration declared austerity measures. Given the difference between the selling price of our crude in the international market of an average of 108 dollars and the bench mark price of 78 dollars in the last three years, the government should today have close to fifty billion dollars (US$50 billion) in Excess Crude Account.

    “But as a result of corruption and arbitrary manipulation of the account, today the government has declared that there is just three billion dollars (US$3 billion) in this account.”

    The APC National Chairman said political developments in Osun, Edo, Ekiti had pointed to the fact that Jonathan might not allow a free and fair poll in 2015.

    He asked the international community to have keen interest in the process leading to the next General elections.

    He said: “Another pointer that President Jonathan will not allow a free and fair election in 2015 is the reckless use of the police and the military in past elections in Ekiti and Osun states. The extensive use of firearms by PDP thugs in Edo State in collusion with the police to vandalise the Edo State House of Assembly residential quarters, and the police humiliating treatment of Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi are few examples of acts of impunity of this government.

    In Edo State, the police continue to disobey the orders of both the High Court and the Court of Appeal. In Ekiti State the police looked the other way when judges were being beaten and only two days ago in the same Ekiti under the protection of the police, democratically-elected principal officers of the state House of Assembly were sacked by six out of the 26 elected members.

    “The Nigeria Police Force has today become the armed wing of the PDP and they cannot be trusted under President Jonathan to be unbiased umpire in the February 2015 elections.

    “To the international community, we say it is not just enough to rush to declare any election free and fair on election day. We say election is a process, hence they must show interest in all the pre-election events leading up to the election day.

    “In the end, everyone must work together to ensure that the will of the people prevails, that no one who is eligible to vote is disenfranchised, and that every vote must not just be counted, it must count!”

    Odigie-Oyegun said the salvation rally was the beginning of the occupation of Abuja by the party unless the situation in the country improves.

    He said: “What you are seeing here today, which is the first stage of the occupation of Abuja, is just a warning shot.

    “If we do not see any discernible change of attitude on the part of the government, then we will move to the next stage on the list of actions that our party intends to take to stop the rot being perpetuated by the PDP-led Federal Government

    “We are, therefore, using this opportunity to alert Nigerians and the international community to what is undoubtedly a set of carefully-set booby traps on the path to free and fair elections next year.

    “To Nigerians who are desirous of a positive change, we say eternal vigilance is the price of freedom, and we call on them to join us to say NO to impunity, NO to corruption, NO to scorched-earth politics and NO to do or die politics.”

    The APC National Chairman later led some leaders and members of the party in a protest march around Abuja to press home their concerns and demands.

    Some of those at the Salvation Rally are: Former Head of State and presidential aspirant  Gen. Muhammadu Buhari; Governor Rotimi Amaechi; ex-governors Ogbonnaya Onu, Segun Oni(Deputy National Chairman for South),  Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; ex-FCT Minister, Nasir El-Rufai; Deputy National Chairman(North) Sen. Lawal Shuaibu; National Secretary Mai Mala Buni; the National Organising Secretary Osita Izunaso;  presidential aspirant Sam Nda-Isaiah, a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Umaru Dembo,  National Publicity Secretary Lai Mohammed and Suleiman Hunkuyi, among others.