OSUN DEFENDER

Security Agents Uncover Bombs, Guns, Ammunition in Kogi Forest.

Online Editor 1 — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:36:09 +0000

Security agents have found 22 units of Improvised Explosive Device (IED), 13 guns, 545 rounds of live ammunition and other dangerous items in a forest between Edo and Kogi.

Mike Fubura, the Kogi State Director of the State Security Service (SSS) made the disclosure while speaking with newsmen in Lokoja on Wednesday. He said other items recovered from the forest are 57 magazines, three pieces of nine-volt power source, one firing cable, four waist belts (for carrying magazines) and one black Pathfinder Sports Utility Vehicle(SUV) with registration number Lagos LF 98 AAA.

Mr. Fubura who spoke to reporters in company of Gabriel Olorunyomi, the Commander, Army Headquarters Task Force Battalion, Lokoja, said that the items, except the SUV, were dug out from the forest ground. Giving a further breakdown, the director stated that the guns recovered include three pistols, one sub-machine gun and 10 AK 47 rifles.

He disclosed that the IEDs comprised 8 units of anti-tank and 14 units of hand-made explosives, noting that some of the explosives were already primed for detonation.

Mr. Fubura said that a combined team of the SSS, Army, Navy, Airforce and the Police personnel carried out the operation, following a tip off. He explained that some arrests were made but that their identities could not be disclosed for now so as not to jeopardise ongoing investigation into the matter.

Aregbesola Congratulates New (Ijesha Born)Mayor of London.

Online Editor 1 — Thu, 17 May 2012 08:23:07 +0000

On behalf of all Omoluabi people of the State of Osun, Nigeria, I; Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, once again congratulate the new Mayor of London Borough of Brent, Cllr. Michael Adeyeye, as he takes the mantle of leadership today, making all of us from this State proud of this Illustrious Ijesa son.

Senator Jide Omoworare represented us in the historic event which also produced the youngest Councilor cabinet member (Aged 26) in the U.K. in the person of Cllr Krupesh Hirani.

Let’s go and make a difference in the lives of the people for better! Osun A dara O.

May this Mayoral election have profound revolutionary effect on our youth for true democracy and spark hopes for economic advancement and democratic development of our country, Nigeria, and prosperity for the masses of Yoruba Land.

Ireeeeeeeee.

Caveat Emptor: Watch Omisore Closely

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 06:00:21 +0000

Caveat Emptor: there is clear and present danger to this democratic republic. It is Iyiola Omisore, a former senator but who is so thuggish in his thinking, speaking and actions that it is a wonder how the Senate of the Federal Republic could ever tolerate such a character.

To Omisore, everything is thuggish or thuggery-induced. Whereas the World Bank has been celebrating the Osun Youth Employment Scheme (O’YES) and studying it to replicate it in other areas in the field of youth employment and empowerment, and other states in Nigeria are now understudying the programme, Omisore sees nothing in it but the thuggery perpetually in his mind.

In a hopeless jabber he called an interview, he kept on dismissing OYES as O-THUG. But you would not blame the former senator. A person who has known nothing but thuggery all his public political life cannot help but dream thuggery in everything, no matter how noble that endeavour is. Could this have been a representative of the Yoruba, a senator representing one of the three senatorial districts in our own Osun State?

All over the world, everybody talks of regional economic integration to make a difference. The Europeans have evolved their political space into a Euro economic bloc they call the European Union (EU), with a near-single currency, save Great Britain that has stuck to its Pound Sterling. In West Africa, even containing Anglophone and Francophone countries, the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS) has been worked on for years, and there is talk of a common currency.

Even on the African continent as a whole, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) has since transformed to the African Union (AU) to emphasise the need for Africa to form an economic bloc, in an emerging global village that thrives on expertise and specialisation.

But what does our former senator think of regional economic integration in a federal Nigeria run as the most irresponsible and unconscionable unitary state in the whole of the universe? To his mind, not at the best of times acute or clear but now beclouded by partisan rage bordering on insanity, the whole hue and cry about South West regional integration is rubbish.

Granted anyone has the right to differ and proffer his own point of view no matter how unpopular, that right goes with the imperative to marshal your argument with so much rigour that even those who do not agree with you would at least respect your line of thinking and the discipline of your logic.

But not so for Omisore, as he rambled through an unintelligent and illiterate interview, and rambled on like some painful yelping of a tormented spirit. To him, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) mainstream politics, that was fast throwing back our part of the country into the Stone Age was preferable to the current efforts to re-start development, according the developmental gospel of Awo in the glorious Western Region of old.

Omisore, never once known for any grand ideas in his whole life aside from crude and sinister threats, would rather reign in the hell of mainstream, throwing all of our people into penury, than serve in the paradise of regional integration, simply because that, to him and his ilk, meant political death. And the most annoying thing about it all: political mainstreaming is better simply because Omisore has said so! Talk of combative ignorance!

When you have a tragically misguided mind, pumped with more than own share of illicit wealth, then you can appreciate the devil-may-care recklessness that again borders on self-induced insanity. How else could anyone in his right mind, being not a policeman or a member of any of the security agencies, start bragging that he would stop a governor’s convoy and search for “thugs” that only existed in his jaundiced imagination? Was that how he packed his own convoy full of thugs when he was a senator? Or how right now he goes about with thugs as a political scrap, doomed to irrelevance?

It is the tragedy of Nigerian political power play that the federal authorities often conspire with worthless local satraps in the South West to try to corner power and subdue the local populace. But again, that has been the undoing of Nigerian power politics since the First Republic. Omisore and his crude behaviour and insane threats are the latest face of that brainless conspiracy.

Let Omisore’s federal sponsors or collaborators or both call him to order. The Yoruba of the South West know their leaders; lest Omisore and his ilk lead the polity to a sorry pass.

Pascal Bafyau; Former Labour Leader Is Dead.

Online Editor 1 — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:12:56 +0000

Former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Pascal Bafyau is dead. He died on Tuesday night in Abuja.

Reports say the Labour Party chieftain suffered heart attack at his residence in the Federal Capital Territory at about 10.45pm and died on the way to a hospital just before midnight.

Bafyau was the NLC president from 1988 to 1993 before he ventured into full time politics. His stint in the defunct Social Democratic Party was the highlights of his political career. He was widely tipped to become late M.K.O Abiola’s running mate in the June 12, 1993 presidential election, before the business mogul opted for the party’s then national chairman, Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe.

Bafyau was also one of the pioneer members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and had contested the senatorial and governorship elections under the party’s platform in Adamawa State.

Donate To Charity For My Birthday; Aregbesola Appeals To Friends, Associates, Others.

Online Editor 1 — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:09:54 +0000

The Governor of the State of Osun; Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has appealed to friends, associates, allies and well wishers within and outside the state not to place media congratulatory adverts in commemoration of his 55th birthday that will come up on 25th May, 2012.

Rather, the Governor through this medium has asked that the fund for such congratulatory message should be paid into the accounts of “THE ORANMIYAN CHARITY FRONT” group through which any fund realised will be channeled towards charity.

Please pay the funds into the following Account Numbers.

ACCOUNT NAME: Oranmiyan Charity Front

BANK : Access Bank PLC.

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 0056520549

SORT CODE: 044290054

ACCOUNT NAME: Oranmiyan Charity Front

BANK : Zenith Bank .

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 1013023121

SORT CODE: 057290012

ACCOUNT NAME: Oranmiyan Charity Front

BANK : First Bank .

ACCOUNT NUMBER:2020610759

SORT CODE: 011295749

Thanks for the cooperation.

Sent in by THE ORANMIYAN CHARITY FRONT.

Critics Of Regional Integration Are Ignorant – Aregbesola

Online Editor 5 — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:04:51 +0000

The governor of the state of Osun, Mr Rauf Aregbesola has described the critics of the South-West Regional Integration Agenda as unreasonable, abnormal and unfit for any sane society, saying that the initiative was designed to encourage good governance, serve as role models in development and mobilise the people of the region to acquire the culture of productivity.

He spoke in his office in Osogbo on Tuesday while inaugurating a three-man Regional Integration Committee, who will form part of the membership of the 21-member Technical Committee drawn from all the member states in line with their agreements, saying that it is clear that the major critics of the agenda were ignorant of what governance is all about.

The members of the committee are the Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties, Mr Ajibola Bashiru (Chairman), Elder Tunde Adedeji and Mr Ebenezer Akinola as members and they were to form the committee that has been saddled with the responsibilities of appraising issues on the development of agriculture, infrastructure, health, education, culture, tourism and several others in the region.

The former Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Iyiola Omisore in an interview with some selected journalists recently, criticised the regional integration agenda, saying that the initiative could not bring any development to the states in the region.

But Aregbesola, who said that all Nigerian must have an ethnic base, that the only way Nigeria can develop is for all the ethnic entities in the nation to ensure that their various bases are developed, adding that that is the focus of the agenda.

According to him, though the leaders of the region are working to see stronger Nigeria, properly governed and leading the black race on a veritable path, but that must not mean total disappearance of ethnic nationalities, saying, “It is in that light that efforts in regional integration must be seen”.

“If we can synergise on civil service to bring about development, it will reduce what we individually commit to it, if we collaborate on agricultural effort, it will reduce what goes into it individually, if we collaborate on security, education, healthcare and in every sphere, it will reduce what we individually commit into it.

“Regional integration is an initiative that is designed to encourage good governance, serve as role models in development, enabling attraction of international funds, grants and aids to support developmental programmes and projects, as well as mobilising our people to see that they are one and acquire the culture of productivity. It will add value to the region and make it a region to live, work and visit”, he said.

Expressing confidence in the committee members, the governor said, “we are blazing the trail and the trail is that we want to go back to where we stopped in 1959, because we are not supposed to be where we are now”.

He then charged the committee members to work assiduously with others for effective collaboration and integration among the states in Western Nigeria, with a view to pursuing joint infrastructural development, involve in gradual but definitive developmental programme, promote the core value of the people as a basis for development planning, exchange ideas, resources and expertise and pursue a path of federalism which would afford the region a greater level of freedom among others.

Responding, Ajibola also dressed down the critics of the initiative, saying that even part of the issues raised by the National Assembly on the Constitutional Amendment was the issue of regional integration as a basis to be recognise under the constitution, adding that “for a shenanigan to be saying that the issue of regional integration is myopic; it shows that the person is totally ignorance with reality of governance”.

The commissioner who noted that for a very long nothing reasonable has been attracted to the region, even by those who are shouting mainstream politics, noted that the focus of the agenda is to bring back the lost glory of the region.

Disclosing that the member states have already begun the collaborating efforts in the area of sports, oil and gas exploration, culture, human resources development, he expressed hope that the efforts would bring greater development to the region and its people.

I’m Determined To Succeed In Transforming Osun – Aregbesola•Attack On Him, A Distraction – Ex-AGF, Others

Online Editor 5 — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:56:20 +0000

The governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has reiterated that there is no any other option for him other than to succeed in transforming the state in order to justify series of commitments that went into the efforts aimed at retrieving his stolen mandate.

He gave the commitment in Osogbo, the state capital on Friday at a dinner with members of his legal team that handled his election petition, which translated to the restoration of his mandate at the Court of Appeal, that sat in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, saying that his administration would do everything humanly possible to ensure that the loyalty of every stakeholder towards the restoration of the mandate does not go in vain.

“We have no other option but success and by the grace of God, we will not disappoint you and the entire people of Osun .You will be very proud of what we will use what God used you to restore for the people of this state and Yorubaland. We will use everything we have to make it worthy efforts and sacrifice.

“Our passion is not only about us here, it is about the fact that of all the human race, no matter what we want to claim was our role in history, we remain the only race that has refused to make any mark and we reject the notion that we are inferior “, the governor said.

Explaining the secret behind his zeal in ensuring that the end of the matter was seeing, Aregbesola said; “we knew clearly that we won the election, and apart from that, many of our people, especially agents were killed, while many were chased away”.

“Also, the commitment of everybody that participated in the trial was the secret of my zeal to see that we got to the root of the matter. We wondered how one could abandon the people, who sacrificed everything to ensure our victory. It could have been disastrous”, he said.

Among the lawyers that were in attendance were the former Attorney -General of the Federation, Chief Akin Olujimi (SAN); the former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN); Chief Ebun Sofunde (SAN), Mr Kola Awodein (SAN), Chief Charles Edosonwan (SAN), Professor Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) and many of the other lawyers that participated in the trial.

Speaking one after the other, Olujimi and Akeredolu as well as other senior lawyers in the team eulogised Aregbesola’s zeal to transform the state of Osun, saying that the series of attacks on him were not unconnected with his determination to take the state out of the underdevelopment it had been subjected to.

Olujimi and Akeredolu, who described the attacks as mere distraction, predicted that Aregbesola should prepare for more attacks on his person, but should rather remain focused and undaunted in his determination to justify the confidence reposed in him by the people of the state and members of his legal team.

The senior lawyers emphasised that every member of the legal team remained committed to the efforts aimed at retrieving the stolen mandate because they believed in the intelligence and ability of Aregbesola to take the people of Osun to the promised land, hoping that at the end of the day, the state of Osun would become an example of good governance all over the world.

Ex-NLC president Bafyau is dead

Online Editor 5 — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:26:50 +0000

Former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Pascal Bafyau is dead.He died on Tuesday night in Abuja.

Reports say the Labour Party chieftain suffered heart attack at his residence in the Federal Capital Territory at about 10.45pm and died on the way to a hospital just before midnight.

Bafyau was the NLC president from 1988 to 1993 before he ventured into full time politics.His stint in the defunct Social Democratic Party was the highlights of his political career.

He was widely tipped to become late M.K.O Abiola’s running mate in the June 12, 1993 presidential election, before the business mogul opted for the party’s then national chairman, Ambassador Baba Gana Kingibe.

Bafyau was also one of the pioneer members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and had contested the senatorial and governorship elections under the party’s platform in Adamawa State.

Jega promises credible governorship poll in Edo

Online Editor 5 — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:14:57 +0000

… Invites party leaders, candidates to Abuja meeting

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega, on Wednesday assured that the governorship election in Edo State billed for July 14 will be free and fair.

He gave this assurance in a statement released in Abuja on Wednesday.To ensure that everything goes right with the election, he said the commission has invited the Chairmen and Secretaries (National and State) and candidates of all the parties contesting the governorship election in the state for a meeting in Abuja on Friday, May 18.

He said: “The principles that have guided the work of this commission are transparency, honesty and creation of a level playing field for all political parties and their candidates. The commission remains committed to these principles.

“Consequently, INEC is deeply concerned about unfolding events in Edo State which are capable of overheating the polity and posing a fundamental threat to the integrity of the impending governorship election and indeed the stability of our democracy.

“In order to avert further deterioration of the situation, the commission has invited the Chairmen and Secretaries (National and State) as well as candidates of all the parties contesting the governorship election in Edo State namely, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Labour Party (LP), National Conscience Party (NCP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Social Democratic Mega Party (SDMP) to a meeting at the National Headquarters of the Commission on Friday, May 18, 2012 to address the concerns of all stakeholders.

“The commission wishes to reassure political parties, candidates and indeed all Nigerians of its unequivocal commitment to conducting free, fair and credible governorship election in Edo State,” he assured.

FG will intervene in Lagos doctors’ crisis – Minister

Online Editor 5 — Wed, 16 May 2012 13:04:48 +0000

The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, said on Wednesday that the Federal Government will intervene in the ongoing crisis between the Lagos State Government and the state chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association.
The minister told the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja that already, talks were underway between the relevant stakeholders on the matter.
“My state office has intervened. I gave them a mandate to intervene.

“I am holding a meeting on Thursday, I am going to discuss with the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) and the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARDs).
“After that meeting on Thursday which is a proactive means of meeting with the union at the national level, I intend to interface with the state government to encourage them to continue to dialogue,’’ the minister said.
Wogu said the ministry had not been properly briefed on the details of the terms of engagement between the sacked doctors and the Lagos State Government.
He, however, noted that the crisis was between the employer and the employee.Wogu said that since the matter was not at the national level, he could not categorically give reasons for the sack of the doctors.

“The employer is Lagos States Government and the employees should be the one to come up with their terms of agreement.

“Nobody has check to ascertain if each party has violated the terms of agreement ,but what is put in the public is just the issue of sack.’’
He urged all concerned to encourage dialogue and peace in the interest of all.

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OSUN DEFENDER

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