LG Autonomy: Stakeholders
Seek Collaborative Efforts
EPL: Viewing Centres
Increase Charges Amidst Fuel Price Hike
On Transparency, Good Governance Pg. 4 Pg. 7
Minimum Wage: Osun Yet To Set Up Implementation Committee
Pg. 4
•“We Spend More To Keep Our Farms In Shape”
•Food Prices May Soar Amidst Low Production
•Govt Not Doing Enough – Economist –
F
ARMERS in Osun
State are counting their losses as the irregular rainfall occasioned by climate change and other factors has affected the 2024 plan ng season.
The farmers, in separate interviews with OSUN DEFENDER lamented that lack of adequate water has disrupted their plans for a boun ful harvest, as most of their crops are burning out and drying up.
The medium observed that in the last three months, the rains have ceased in Osun and other parts of the South West, which is an unusual development that exposed the crops to harsh weather and heat from the ground.
The months of June, July and August is described by meteorologists and farmers as the horn of the rainy season where water is
•Continued on page 5
•Says Oyetola Failed To Access UBEC Grants For 3 Years
IN a shocking revelaon, Chairman of Osun State Universal Basic Educa on Board (SUBEB), Hon. Ibukun Fadipe, has stated that the 33 tractors procured by Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administra on are not safe at the State Secretariat, Abeere.
Yusuf Oketola the grants is a sign that he did not give premium a en on to educa on in the state, saying all the outstanding grants have been processed by Governor Adeleke.
Fadipe who spoke on a radio programme, ‘Agbami Oselu’ aired on Fresh FM Osogbo, on Sunday, said the tractors were kept somewhere as the government cannot guarantee their safety if kept at the secretariat.
The SUBEB chairman while reac ng to insinua ons that the state government procured only nine tractors said thirtythree have been delivered, with the rest to arrive in the coming weeks.
His words, “Contrary to the rumours peddled around that Osun State Government only procured nine tractors and that others are audio. That is far from the truth. Thirty-three tractors have been brought to the state out of seventy-two and they are somewhere.
“We do not know what may happen to them if we bring it to the secretariat. They are just assembling others where we bought it. It will be here in a few weeks.”
Fadipe also berated former governor Adegboyega Oyetola over his failure to provide counterpart funding to access grants provided to Osun by the Universal Basic Educa on Commission (UBEC) for three years (2019-2022) which is N1.2 billion annually.
According to him, Oyetola’s inability to get
He maintained that the grants are used in reconstruc on and renovaon of 253 schools. Also for the training of teachers, sports and farming ac vi es in schools.
“It is sad that former governor Adegboyega Oyetola could not access the UBEC fund for three years because he did not want to provide the counterpart funding.
“This shows he did not give educa on adequate a en on to educa on during his administra on.
“Oyetola abandoned Osun school children for two years because he could not provide counterpart funding to federal government to pay the grant to us.
“When we assumed office, Governor Adeleke released the counterpart funding to access the outstanding grants. We received N1.2bn each for the three years that Oyetola did not access and we have done a lot of capital projects from the money.
“We renovated and built about 253 school buildings including toilets. The money is also used in organising sports compe ons across schools, teacher trainings and farming in our schools.
“For those saying we have received over N4 billion from the grants, I want to say all projects done with the money are been monitored from Abuja every three months. So, nobody can embezzle the money,” Fadipe noted.
Amember of the Omoluabi Progressives, a caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, Prince Oloyede Oyewale has received the backing of the Matanmi family to join poli cs.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that Oloyede, a son of the immediate past Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Iyiola Oyewale Matanmi III, officially became a member of the caucus on July 17.
During a visit to the Matanmi Ruling House, Oke Baale, Osogbo, the royal blood said his decision to par cipate in the poli cal process is as a result of his passion to contribute to the growth of the people.
Oyewale also pledged to use his membership of the Omoluabi Progressives to champion the development of his community
He reiterated that his decision to start poli cs from the caucus is due to the massive developmental projects executed in Osogbo by the former governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, which, according to him, transformed the state capital.
“As a true son of the
soil, I am aware of the challenges we face. I believe that by ac vely parcipa ng in poli cs, we can create a posi ve impact, influence policies, and address the issues that ma er most to us actualising the dream of our forefathers.
“I am happy to announce to you that I am joining poli cs by being a
member of the Omoluabi Progressives. I have been thrilled about the ac vies of this tendency since it was formed.
“I also decided to be among the true progressives as a mark of showing solidarity with our overall leader, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola for how he transformed Osogbo tremendously when he was
Governor,” he stated. Responding on behalf of the family, Prince Karim Olugbeja praised Oloyede’s selflessness and dedica on to the community, pledging the Matanmi Ruling House’s support for him.
Olugbeja also pledged to mobilise others to ensure his success.
future for him.
FOUR suspected fraudsters have been arrested by men of the Delta State Police Command for luring an unsuspec ng vic m from Delta to Osun State.
OSUN DEFENDER learnt that the vic m was scammed of N1.5m in the process.
Delta State Police PRO, SP Bright Edafe, in a statement on X on Tuesday, said the suspects lured the vic m to the Osun River, claiming to have seen a bright future ahead of him.
Sharing a video of the vic m, Edafe wrote, “This chap was scammed over N1.5m by some suspects who claimed that they saw
“They took him to a river in Osun State all in a bid to extract more money from him.
“The vic m reported to the police when he realised what was happening. They were promptly arrested.”
In a video shared by Edafe, the vic m who did not disclose his name explained that one of the suspects approached him, claiming to have seen a bright future around him, and requested that he purchased coconut and salt.
The vic m stated in part, “A day came when one guy saw me. He said that he saw a bright future around me, He said there is one thing he is going to
do for me.
“He said I should buy coconut and salt, and that I will give him the coconut and he will take it to three junc ons to pray for me.”
Speaking on how the vic m was taken to Osun, one of the suspects, an indigene of Imesi Ile, Osun State residing at No. 10. Odogunado Street, Kanayo, Delta State said they took the man to the Osun River only to deceive him.
According to him, “We took him to Osun River to get the water but we only used that to deceive him. He gave me N18,000 for transport and he paid N180,000 before we collect the water. When we get back to Delta, he used the water to wash his head.”
“An increased agricultural productivity is a precondition for the emergence of industrial development as well as the foundation stone for economic growth”
“The ill-advised Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) abolished the commodity boards which had performed so well as price modulating and production increasing mechanisms. This is a critical way out. The Commodities Exchange Boards will ensure guaranteed minimum farm gate prices to stimulate production and provide storage facilities”
BEYOND food wastage, Premium Times is to be commended for its penetra ng analysis illumina ng the increasingly frightened and not just disturbing food security crisis in Nigeria.
According to the Premium Times report, “Nigeria is currently widely believed to be losing 20 to 40 per cent of its rice at harvest points and market stages.
“Beyond food wastage, postharvest losses along the rice value chain also come with implica ons for climate change, accoun ng for emissions of around 0.65 million tonnes of CO2 eq, into the atmosphere.”
It’s not just about rice which is just one commodity. It goes right across the enre food commodies basket. This is disgraceful of course and we have known about this for decades. We must not con nue to bemoan our faith but answer the cri cal ques on “What Is To Be Done?”
For a start, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu must now implement his canoeing manifesto pledge to establish a na onal Commodi es Exchange. The ill-advised Structural Adjustment Program (SAP) abolished the commodity boards which had performed so well as price modula ng and produc on increas-
ing mechanisms. This is a cri cal way out.
The Commodi es Exchange Boards will ensure guaranteed minimum farm gate prices to s mulate producon and provide storage facili es.
Fundamentally, state governments must stop indulging in the construc on of fanciful flyovers and concentrate on construcon and maintenance of rural roads. In the opinion of the World Bank, the construc on of one kilometre of rural road has a mulple effect of mes ten!
Pray thee, what is the mul plier effect of a fly-over constructed in 80% of the states in Nigeria. We must end the indulgence. In addi on, solar powered cold storage facili es must be constructed in every market in the urban areas of Nigeria. This will lead to a drama c reduc on of waste and post-harvest losses. It will also help to unleash “A Green Economy” which will create jobs and impact new skills. The budget of the Federal, States and Local Governments for 2025 must make significant alloca ons to this ini a ve.
The present disaster provides an opportunity to have a fresh look at the en re Agriculture framework and value chain in Nigeria. The opportunity for a fresh start must be seized with both hands.
ONE of the first major policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s regime was the floating of the Naira to unify foreign exchange rates and save Nigeria the billions of dollars previously used to defend the Significant arbitrage between the official exchange rates and the rates in the parallel market, previously existed which many individuals and businesses exploited.
Although the policy was implemented with good inten ons, it has resulted in the devalua on of the Naira by over 200% and consequences for the Nigerian business environment.
Since equipment, spare parts, raw materials, and other inputs for produc on are o en imported, the devalua on of the Naira has increased the costs of opera on for manufacturing companies. These companies are careful not to immediately transfer all these increased costs to consumers to avoid losing patronage. Consequently, they have had to deal with reduced profit margins, and some unethical ones may reduce quality, while others seek ways to cut costs; reducing staff strength is o en one of the first measures taken.
Non-manufacturing companies were also impacted, as energy costs soared significantly—at one point, the price of diesel rose to over 1,500 Naira per litre before the Dangote refinery commenced produc on. Many companies that could not cope with the increased cost of doing business have shut down, while the high capital required to start most businesses has equally become a barrier to entry.
The devalua on of the Naira has led to foreign exchange losses for many companies, with some repor ng losses in billions of Naira. Small and medium-scale enterprises also suffered losses. Typically, when businesses whose func onal currency is the Naira take on credit facilies in foreign currency (loans or goods, services, machinery, spare parts on credit, etc) they face foreign exchange risks, leading to losses whenever the Naira is devalued. The value of foreign exchange obliga ons in naira terms increases. The losses could be avoided or reduced with appropriate hedging prac ces. These credit facili es are o en a rac ve due to favourable terms compared to what is obtainable within Nigeria.
“When the Naira was floated, its value remained highly volatile for a while making it difficult for businesses to plan appropriately. During this period of instability, many businesses avoided making major investment decisions, awaiting a stable economic environment to avert losses. This resulted in a decrease in foreign direct investment during that period. Worrisome is that in recent weeks, the Naira has once again shown signs of instability, which the government is addressing”
due to the Naira’s devalua on. This reduced food availability in Nigeria which was already grappling with inadequate supply, leading to demand-pull infla on. Government efforts to improve food produc on in the country are ongoing. It is important to note that the increased cost of food produc on and transporta on also contributed to food inflaon.
On the other hand, the devalua on of the Naira has led to lower purchasing power of individuals and a reduc on in household consump on. Businesses have seen demand for their goods and services dip, leading to the closure of some of them. To cope, some had to review their prices, reducing their margins to s mulate demand. Many businesses have been unable to cope with the combined effect of increased costs of doing business and decreased sales. Implementa on of the new na onal minimum wage is expected to increase household consump on.
When the Naira was floated, its value remained highly vola le for a while making it difficult for businesses to plan appropriately. During this period of instability, many businesses avoided making major investment decisions, awai ng a stable economic environment to avert losses. This resulted in a decrease in foreign direct investment during that period. Worrisome is that in recent weeks, the Naira has once again shown signs of instability, which the government is addressing.
The devalua on of the Naira made Nigerian exports more a rac ve and compe ve, to the advantage of export-oriented businesses. Some argue that this has contributed to food infla on in Nigeria, as people from neighbouring countries increased their demand for foodstuffs from Nigerian farmers, finding them a cheaper op on
While acknowledging that the floa ng of the Naira has enormous benefits for the Nigerian economy, including improved transparency in the Nigerian forex market and saving the country billions of dollars previously used to defend the Naira, it may be wise for the government to provide some form of interven on to the manufacturing industry which is a major driver of the economy. This could be in the form of reduced taxes or long-term low-interest loans.
ISSN : 0794-8050 Telephone : 0809-301-9152 Website : www.osundefender.com/index.php e-mail : osundefenderhq@gmail.com osundefenderbank@gmail.com All correspondence to the above email addresses.
The government could also consider using part of the revenue expected from the proposed oneme windfall tax on foreign exchange gains of banks to support Nigerian industries.
Furthermore, the government should put all measures in place to ensure the stability of the value Naira to promote investor confidence and prevent businesses from incurring huge forex losses in the future.
•Kenechukwu Aguolu FCA, PMP, CBAP writes from Abuja, Nigeria. He can be reached viaKenerek1@gmail.com
FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2024 - THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2024
SSodiq Yusuf
TAKEHOLDERS in Osun State have sought the need for all segments of the society to join hands to raise the bar of advocacy in achieving good governance at the local government level.
The move, according to the stakeholders involves strategic engagement, mobilisa on, sensi sa on, among others to guarantee development and responsible governance at the grassroots.
These formed part of discussions during an interac ve session between team members of the Osun Open Local Government Project and the management of Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) and Independent Corrupt Prac ces and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) in the state.
While receiving the OsunOpenLG team, OSSIEC Chairman, Mr. Hashim Abioye said the commission is ready to partner all stakeholders to make the forthcoming local government elec on in the state a success.
Abioye who stressed the pivotal roles of advocacy in engendering free and fair electoral processes, emphasised the need to further build ins tu ons of the state to ensure credibility in the elec on of public officials.
The OSSIEC boss said, “It is important to strengthen the ins tuons of the state. I am always in support of a situa on that allows the ins tu ons of the state to be built and given all that it requires to func on maximally.
“This will make sure that the people are in posi ons of authority respect the ins tu on that produces them. It is what would make our elec ons much more valid and transparent. We are commi ed and posi oned to preside over a hitchfree local government elec on in the state. We assure you that all interests will be taken care of.
“We want to build a legacy that supports transparency and accountability in elecon management parcularly the one that touches directly with
the grassroots. We will partner the OsunOpenLG project and work hand-in-hand to build on our advocacy to make the people par cipate in the process.”
In his submission, the Resident AnCorrup on Officer of the ICPC in Osun, Barr. Hafiz Mohammed explained that the goal of the commission is
to seek good governance for the ci zenry through the judicious u lisa on of public resources.
Mohammed stated that the agency is keenly interested in the OsunOpenLG project as it provides a pla orm for the an -gra agency to penetrate the nooks and cranny of the state through con nuous engagement and advo-
cacy.
His words, “The ICPC is res ng on six pillars to drive the campaign, prosecu on and enforcement of legal direc ves on ancorrup on cases. This is why our partnership with you is key.
“We are inspired by your youth drive and will want you to be beneficial to us, especially with informa on
that has to do with opening up the council areas for transparency and accountability. We will be a part of your advocacy.”
The Team Lead, OsunOpenLG, Jare Tiamiyu said the essence of the visits is to create a partnership with the two bodies in propaga ng its gospel of people-oriented leadership at the third- er
on Agriculture, Olaniran Atitade with pigery farmers association, Osun State Chapter, on Wednesday
of government.
Tiamiyu emphasised the need for cri cal stakeholders in the society to lend their voices to ini a ves aimed at making the authories work more for the people.
He also used the sessions to inform the ICPC and OSSIEC of the project’s stakeholders’ mee ng holding on August 26, 2024, where eggheads from the government, civil society, tradi onal ins tu ons, among others will deliberate on issues around local government administra on in the country.
The Osun Open Local Government Project is a youth-based advocacy run by a nongovernmental organisa on, Insight Ini a ve for Community and Social Development to promote responsible leadership and development, with its four cardinal goals of accountability, civic engagement, grassroots development and entrenching good governance at the grassroots.
Othat are yet to set up commi ees to implement the recently approved N70,000 minimum wage.
Other states are Plateau, Kebbi, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Bayelsa, Delta, Eki , Zamfara, Benue, Enugu, Taraba, Gombe,
Kogi, Enugu and Adamawa.
The rest include Niger, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Oyo, Akwa Ibom,
Yusuf Oketola
CONSULTANT to Osun State Government on telecommunica ons infrastructure, Mr. Ro mi Taylor has called on Nigerian Communica on Commission (NCC) to sanc on MTN Nigeria over unpaid dues of over N900 million to the state.
Taylor while speaking at a news conference in Osogbo berated MTN for dona ng N1 billion to Federal Government’s Food Support Programme, and ignoring its obliga ons to the state.
He stated that, “Imagine a company like MTN that laid over 270km of cables in Osun State and refused to pay Statutory Taxes, is being allowed to make that dona on without paying the taxes which can
never happen in elsewhere.”
According to the consultant, “I have dealt with many mulna onal companies, but I have not encountered what MTN Nigeria is doing. While it is ordinarily commendable for a mulna onal company to donate N1,000,000,000 to our country, this
noble act comes off as ques onable when the same company owes Osun State over N900,000,000.”
Taylor stressed that the people of Osun State deserved transparency and fairness from mulna onal companies opera ng within their borders.
“It is impera ve that
NCC lives up to its posi on, as an abitra, to ensure that Osun State is not defrauded of its legi mate income by MTN. It is also hoped that MTN Nigeria will priori se fulfilling its financial obliga ons to the state before seeking public praise for its charitable contribu ons,” he stated.
Bauchi, Katsina, Kaduna, Cross River and Yobe.
OSUN DEFENDER learnt that only seven states of Kano, Kwara, Ogun, Borno, Jigawa, Ondo, and Abia have set up implementa on commi ees. But only Lagos and Edo claimed to have started paying the minimum wage.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu signed the new minimum wage into law on July 29, 2024, after mee ng with leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria.
But the spokesperson for the Osun State Governor, Rasheed Olawale, in an interview recently said a commi ee for the implementa on of the minimum wage would be set up next week.
“Mr Governor has before now said Osun will pay the minimum wage as he is committed to the welfare of the workers and the people generally.
“A commi ee on the implementa on of the minimum wage will be set up next week. We are commi ed to it,” he stated.
•Continued from page 1 surplus and beneficial to crops.
The pa ern of rainfall that may include a too high or too low rate of precipita on over a certain region which may lead to heavy rainfall or very low rainfall, is known as irregular rainfall
OSUN DEFENDER had it in its May 18, 2024 edi on reported that farmers may witness huge losses due to irregular rainfall affec ng the growth and planta on of arable crops in the state.
The report noted that some planted crops and vegetables like maize, cassava, tomatoes, pepper and jute leaves were not having proper growth as a result of inadequate water.
As of the me of filing this report yesterday, most of the crops have remained stunted as obtained in May, making those due for seed producon to have very li le or no seed on them.
Inves ga ons revealed that the situa on has put the farmers in a precarious situa on, as they have devised means to provide irriga on for perishable crops like vegetables, tomatoes, pepper as well as grain crops.
The development, according to findings has also led to the con nuous rise in the prices of foodstuff
A visit by the medium to some farms in Oyan, Odo-O n local government, Egbedi in Egbedore local government and Moro in Ife North local government area of Osun State during the week showed that most farmers have looked at alterna ve sources of water for irriga on.
Some of the alterna ves findings by OSUN DEFENDER indicated include boreholes, wells, irriga on tanks, and others.
“We Spend More To Keep Our Farms In Shape”
Ayodele Oyewande, a farmer while exchanging views with OSUN DEFENDER said that the irregular rainfall has affected produc on during the ongoing plan ng season.
Oyewande who is a mechanised farmer stated that the huge
cost of produc on will result in a hike of food prices during harvest.
He also decried the infrastructure challenge, stressing that bad state of roads is inimical to the movement of foodstuff from rural to urban centres.
He said, “We go far distance to get water to wet our crops and this very stressful and come with addi onal cost. Most mes we hire vehicles to bring water to the farm. The roads are also bad.
“We are spending a lot on farming acvi es lately because we can’t compare the rain to any source of water. The sad part of it is that the government is not helping our cause especially when you are not poli cally inclined.”
A maize farmer in Ora Igbomina, Ifedayo local government of the state, Mr. Azeez Mukaila noted that if the situa on persists, the current food crisis in the country will further worsen.
Mukaila stated that his output would depreciate by 50% due to the lack of rain, resul ng in a huge loss.
No ng that while he would have found alterna ves to arrest the situa on, he has started the business of a commercial motorcyclist to raise funds to offset the N2 million loan he took to plant.
“The situa on is worrisome. It has never been this bad.
June, July, August and the rains have ceased to fall. Normally, we would have harvested some edibles now and be wai ng for September when there will be adequate sunlight to harvest. As it stands, I am on the losing side.
“50% of the maize in my farm have burned out. The leaves are now brownish in colour. The loan I took to plant will not afford me the opportunity to get more funds for irriga on. It is really a sad situa on.
“I have spoken to some family members to assist with some funds to repay my loan. I took N2 million but the yield I will make will not be more than N800,000. I have to cover up. I now ride Okada to survive
•“We
Spend More To Keep Our Farms In Shape”
•Food Prices May Soar Amidst Low Production
•Govt Not Doing Enough To Boost Agriculture – Economist
and raise money. God should come to our aid. There may be hunger in the land.”
Govt Not Doing Enough To Boost Agriculture – Economist
An Economist, Prince AbdulMateen Adekeye in an exclusive interview with OSUN DEFENDER blamed the federal government for not providing enough enabling environment for agriculture to thrive in the country.
While no ng the impact of the irregular rainfall, Adekeye observed that if the government had provided enough water for the ci zenry, it would have assisted the farmers with irriga on irrespec ve of the weather condion.
He stressed that, “The government is obviously at the root of the current situa on. Even if the weather situa on changes, it is not a major thing that could make the situaon bad as it is.
“The fact is that the problem could have been solved if the government made water available for the people. If water was accessible to all and sundry, would anyone worry?
“It is me for the government to act right and do a lot of work in making agri-
culture profitable for the farmers. If they cannot do this, food prices would con nue
to soar and the hunger in the land would worsen,” Adekeye added.
THE United Naons Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised an alarm over the rate of out-ofschool children in Osun and other Southwest states in Nigeria.
UNICEF noted that there was a dropout rate of 8-15% among adolescents in primary and secondary schools within the region.
UNICEF’s Educaon Specialist, Azuka Menki , disclosed this during a recent twoday regional stakeholders mee ng in Ibadan.
The programme focused on strategies to retain out-of-school children and improve transi on and comple on rates in educaon.
The mee ng brought together key players in the educaon sector to discuss and develop ac onable plans to address these pressing issues.
During her interacon with journalists, Menki emphasized the current comple-
on rates for primary and secondary educaon among adolescents aged 10 to 18, revealing that 92% of students complete primary school, while 85% make it through secondary school. These figures, while promising, s ll highlight a notable gap in educa on reten on, which remains a cause for concern.
Menki expressed her concern about the poten al implica ons of this gap, warning that it could have serious consequences for the educa on sector if it is not addressed urgently.
She stressed the importance of priori zing efforts to ensure that all students are not only retained in school but also complete their educa on.
She said: “UNICEF is working to support states in enhancing reten on, transi on, and comple on of secondary educa on for adolescents.
“This effort builds on about 10 years of interven on in girls’ educa-
on, which has demonstrated successful, scalable interven ons to bring girls to school and keep them there. UNICEF is suppor ng states to iden fy and address the factors driving dropout rates among adolescents.
“When we talk about out-of-school children, we look at it from different perspec ves: those who have never enrolled in school, those likely not to enrol, and those who have dropped out.
“We are par cularly focused on adolescents at risk of dropping out or not comple ng secondary educa on, especially in Southwestern states where enrollment rates are high but reten on, transi on, and comple on rates need improvement.
“We are advocating for these states to commit to ensuring adequate funding for secondary educa on and to develop credible data to support advocacy efforts for improving secondary educa on.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2024 - THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2024
CHIEF Administrators appointed by the elected Chairmen of Local Government areas will from now on manage the affairs of Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), Area Councils and Administra ve Offices in Osun State.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that the new development is contained in the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (Amendment 1) Bill, 2024, and the Osun State Local Government Areas (Creaon & Administra on) (Amendment 7) Bill, 2024. The bills were passed into law by the State House of Assembly on Tuesday. A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Olamide Tiamiyu, on Tuesday, the bill is part of the moves to further grant local governments greater autonomy and decision-making authority over their domain.
Tiamiyu added that, “The passage of these
bills is seen as a significant step towards strengthening the autonomy and decisionmaking capabili es of local governments in Osun State.
“This landmark legisla on marks a significant step towards bolstering local government autonomy, financial independence,
and administra ve powers, in line with the Supreme Court’s judgment,” the statement partly reads.
OSUN DEFENDER recalls that the administra on of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola on March 8, 2016 created 36 addi onal Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), Adminis-
tra ve Offices, and Area Offices to the ini al 30 local government areas in the state.
The Supreme Court had in July granted full financial autonomy to the local government areas in the state, failing to recognise the LCDAs.
The court further declared that a state gov-
ernment has no power to appoint a caretaker commi ee and a local government council is only recognisable with a democra cally elected government.
When the new amendment is assented to by Governor Ademola Adeleke, it will grant the Osun State Independent Electoral
THE Management of Osun State University, has felicitated a Professor of History, Olukoya Ogen, on his induc on as Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Le ers (NAL).
In a statement on Thursday, the ins tu on’s Public Rela ons’ Officer, Ademola Adesoji, stated that the inves ture of Prof. Ogen, the University’s Director of the Office of Research and Innova on Management was due to his outstanding contribu ons to history and humanis c scholarship na onally and interna onally.
Titilope Adako “We are incredibly proud of him, and this honor reflects the great strides Osun State University is making in nurturing top- er scholars who are leaders in their respec ve fields. We wish Professor Ogen con nued success and look forward to witnessing more of his invaluable contribu ons to the world of scholarship.”
FYusuf Oketola August 3, 2024, around 9 pm at Iyana Camp area, Osogbo.
OUR friends, Micheal Abayomi, Abdulgafar Opeyemi, Opadotun Taiwo and Azeez Abiodun, were on Monday dragged before an Osun State Magistrate Court, si ng in Osogbo for allegedly bea ng a customer in a bar.
In the message, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Odunayo Clement Adebooye, expressed pride in Professor Ogen’s recognion.
He said: “On behalf of the en re Osun State University community, I extend our hear elt congratulaons to Professor Olukoya Ogen on this remarkable achievement. His induc on into the Nigerian Academy of Le ers is a testament to his outstanding contribuons to the field of history and academia as a whole.
Ogen, a historian of intercon nental repute, was honored alongside other eminent scholars, marking a significant milestone in his academic career. His induc on into the Nigerian Academy of Le ers underscores his pioneering work in historical research, his commitment to scholarship, and his excep onal leadership in promo ng research-driven innova ons.
They were arraigned by the police on a five-count of conspiracy, assault, malicious damage, breach of peace and stealing.
The prosecutor, Jacob Akintunde, alleged that the defendants who are all 26year-olds, commi ed the alleged crime on
ADEDOKUN BASIRU ARINFE
That I was formerly known andaddressedas ADEDOKUN BASHIR ARINFE, but now wish to be known and addressed as ADEDOKUN BASIRU ARINFE. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.
AKANDE AKEEM
That I was formerly known and addressed as AKANDE AKEEM ADEMOLA, but now wish to be known and addressed as AKANDE AKEEM. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.
Akintunde alleged that the defendants beat up one Nurudeen Gazali, and inflicted injury on his head and right hand, and also damaged four chairs, four crates of beer and glass plates all valued N46,000, belonging to Owonikoko Ganiyat.
The prosecutor alleged further that the defendants stole gold wrist watch valued N160,000, owned by Habbib Abiodun, which
are offences punishable under sec ons 516, 355,451, 249(D) and 390(9) of Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2022.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Defense Counsel, Olatunbosun Oladipupo, prayed the court to grant them bail in the most liberal term.
In his verdict, Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara granted the accused a N250,000 bail with one surety in like sum, and adjourned the case to September 9, 2024, for hearing.
Commission (OSSIEC), the powers to conduct elec ons in only the 30 tradi onal local government areas of the state on February 25, 2025.
Alocal security guard was on Monday found slaughtered at his duty post by unknown assailants in Ikirun, Ifelodun local government area of Osun State.
The incident threw residents of the community into confusion.
OSUN DEFENDER learnt that the security guard, popularly known as ‘Ibariba’, was killed at a shop, owned by one man named Baba Giwa, where he was found early Monday.
According to a resident, Rafiu Sola, the slaughtered body of Ibariba was discovered in the morning when business ac vi es was about to start.
He added that security opera ves, including men of the Nigerian Security and Defence Corps, NSCDC, evacuated the remains a er an alert by residents of the area.
The spokesperson of the NSCDC, Osun State Command, Kehinde Adeleke confirmed the incident.
Adeleke said: “The remains of the local security guard had been deposited in a morgue. Inves ga ons have commenced by the officers of the corps in the division to unravel the cause of his death and apprehend the perpetrators of the evil act.”
The Public Rela ons Officer of Osun Police Command, SP Yemisi Opalola in a telephone conversa on with OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday said efforts are ongoing to unravel the mystery behind the death of the guard.
“No update yet but efforts are ongoing to unravel the mystery behind his death. The police are not relenting. We will surely do a thorough inves ga on on the incident and make sure the culprits are brought to book,” Opalola stated.
FOOTBALL enthusiasts will today (Friday), welcome back the English Premier League as the 2024/2025 season kicks off
As the long-awaited most-watched league in the world comes to life, football lovers may not be able to watch most of the matches due to the increase in the amount charged by viewing centre operators.
Osun Defender gathered that the hike in price of Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) coupled with the increase in electricity tariff, has forced the viewing center owners to increase their charges.
The medium gath-
ered that the development has already led to a decline in patronage as some of the centres in Osogbo, Osun State capital, could not record the number of audiences they usually have during last Saturday’s Community Shield between Manchester United and Manchester City.
The medium reliably gathered that viewing centre owners now charge between N250 and N300 as against the N200 they charged last season.
Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, a viewing centre owner in Owode Ede, Taiwo Adewoyin, said he will be charging N300 per match this season, saying anything lesser would be a loss.
Apart from the
OSUN State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has appealed to the youth to cooperate with the state government to boost the tourism sector of the state. The Governor made the appeal during his visit to Erin Ijesa Waterfalls on Wednesday.
Adeleke, in a video shared by his aides, said the state is already engaging some foreigners who are coming to invest.
It would be recalled that the Commissioner for Informa on and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, in a statement on Tuesday, announced a comprehensive upgrade of tourist sites, including Osun Groove, Erin Ijesa, Owala inland Beach Resort, among others, as part of the state’s tourism agenda.
This came following a viral video exposing the neglect of Erin Ijesa Waterfalls, with the place filtered with dirt.
Alimi, in the statement, noted that the government’s decision to implement a systemic upgrade of the tourist sites was necessitated after decades of neglect by previous administra ons. According to the
statement; “ The management of Erin-Ijesa Waterfall site is currently under the purview of Erin Ijesa community said the status quo is meant to ensure localisa on and overall local content
It further said Governor Adeleke has directed the fast-tracking of renewal ini a ves, including the forma on of a tripar te commi ee for site management.
The commi ee, comprising the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Ministry of Informa on and Public Enlightenment, and Erin-Ijesa Community leaders, will meet on August 14 to discuss environmental maintenance and a mutually beneficial template.
Speaking with residents of the community, Adeleke in the video, said, “All I want is for the youths to cooperate with us. Don’t send the foreigners away when they come around. You should welcome them warmly.
“We are already talking to investors, but before the investors come around, we will be having a mee ng with the community to tell them that they should allow the state government and the community to ‘collabo’ and make sure this place is func oning well.”
hike in fuel price and increase in electricity tariff, Mul Choice has also increased the subscrip on fee for its Digital Satellite Television (DSTV), Adewoyin lamented.
When asked if the new price did not affect his number of customers during last Saturday’s match, Adewoyin said some of his customers could not afford the price and returned home without watching the match.
“During the community shield match, I charged N300 per person and that is the amount I will be charging this season because of the situa on we found ourselves.
“There is nothing I can do about it because apart from the hike
in fuel price, electricity people has also increased their tariff and also, the DSTV subscripon has increased.
“Although the number of my customers reduced during last Saturday’s match, I have no choice but to take it like that if I don’t want to run in a loss”.
An Arsenal supporter who iden fied him-
self as Van Persie, told the medium that the new viewing centre charge price will not deter him from watching his favourite team.
He, however, said he might not watch oth-er teams as he does during the previous seasons.
He said, “Normally, I do watch two or three matches every week but now that the price has gone up, I will only be watching my Arsenal as nothing can stop me not to watch them. I know we are winning the league this year.”
For Emmanuel
Olaitan, a Manchester United fan, streaming football matches on the phone might be an alterna ve to the hike in viewing price.
“I don’t think I can be paying N300 to watch just a match. That will be N600 for two matches. That is too much for someone like me and I might not go to the viewing centres this season unless the match is a big one.
“I will be streaming the matches on my phone. The issue is just that it will not be as interes ng watching it alone. Also, the network might not be good some mes.”
The first match of the season will see Manchester United take on Fulham at 8pm tonight.
OSUN has been listed as one of the three top states with the highest cost of healthy diet in the na on’s urban centres in June 2024.
OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the two other states in the list was Eki and Ogun States, according to the latest data by the Na onal Bureau of Sta s cs (NBS).
The NBS Cost of Healthy Diet report showed that it cost an average N1,688 per person per day in Eki State; N1,621 in Ogun State, and N1,588 in Osun State in June 2024 to eat a healthy diet.
Other states are Delta - N1,523 and LagosN1,480, comple ng the
list of the five states with the highest daily cost of healthy diet.
Food and Agricultural Organisa on (FAO), an agency of the United Naons said the effects of infla on in consumer food prices stemming from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures put in place to contain it, have increased the costs and the unaffordability of a healthy diet around the world.
The medium learnt that in its May 2024 consumer price index report, the NBS noted that the average food infla on in Osun State increased with 44.57 percent on a year-on-year basis, making it the fourth state with highest food inflaon in the period under
review. Referred to as the state of the living spring, its food infla on grew to N949 in May 2024 from N657 in May 2023, while it grew to 0.02 percent on a monthly basis from N924 recorded in April 2024.
OSUN DEFENDER reports that in the last few months, there has been a tradi onal approach to food price control in the state.
Prominent tradi onal rulers including the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Adekunle Aromolaran, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Olufi of Gbongan, Oba Adetoyese Oyeniyi, have banned all trade associa ons in their respec ve domain.
The move, according to them will regulate food
prices and curtail negave ac vi es of middlemen in the marketplaces.
According to the NBS, the Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD) is the least expensive combina on of locally available items that meets globally consistent food-based dietary guidelines.
It is used as a measure of physical and economic access to healthy diets.
“The na onal average Cost of a Healthy Diet was N1,241 in June 2024. This is 19.2% higher than the amount recorded in the previous month (May 2024, was N1,041). In June 2024, the average CoHD was highest in the South West at N1,545 per adult per day, compared to N956 per adult per day in the North West,” NBS stated.
Addi onally, the World Bank stressed that, “A healthy diet is considered unaffordable when the diet cost exceeds the income available for food, defined as the per capita per day total income or expenditure minus the non-food expenditure of people living near the poverty thresholds as defined by the interna onal poverty lines.”
FAO further added that the diet quality is a cri cal link between food security and nutri on.
Poor diet quality can lead to different forms of malnutri on, including undernutri on, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight and obesity.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 2024 - THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 2024 VOL. 19 NO 32 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com
Iapplied for a renewal of my Drivers Licence in November 2023 and was captured on 13th December and immediately issued a temporary Licence that would expire by 12th February 2024. From that 12th February, I had visited the Finance Building in Osun State Secretariat, Abeere, where to pick the Licence several mes with same reply, “It’s not yet arrived.” Meanwhile, policemen on the road would con nue to harass, saying one’s driving with expired Licence which is no driver’s fault. Anyway, I gave up and didn’t bother checking whether it was ready or not for long un l 7th August 2024 when I had another encounter with the police along Ilesa/ Osogbo road and made up my mind to go and protest against those who were to deliver my Licence. To my surprise, it had arrived from ‘Almighty Abuja’. The Federal Road Safety Corps is the issuing authority and has State Headquarters in all the 36 States of Nigeria. I reside in Osun where FRSC has its State Headquarters; why should my Licence be issued in Abuja instead of Osun? Why should the centre in Abuja be stuffed with Licence issuance for all the 36 states? If the payment is made in the state and the state headquarters could do capturing and immediately printout temporary Licence, why not for the plas c Licence? Same for Corporate
Affairs Commission; while it has state headquarters in all the 36 states, business registra ons and other core businesses of the commission have to pass through Abuja, rendering the state offices almost useless while over bothering the Abuja office. Why should I live in Osogbo, drill water there and treat it to produce my “pure water” but have to travel to far away Abuja to register my Osogbo water business? Does it make sense? Can’t these agencies learn from the Ministry of Interior vis-a-vis decentralised issuance of Nigeria Passport?
This is not in consonance with federalism we claim to be prac sing. Federalism is a system of government with a central government and a number of component units with autonomous power to conduct their affairs without interference from others. Put differently, federalism divides power between central authority and federating units which could be regions or states horizontally. Under this arrangement, states or regions enjoy their independent power side by side with central government. It is a system where power is shared between the na onal and state governments as s pulated in the cons tu on. It is a system that accommodates ethnic, language, religion differences; it is a system that thrives on democracy and can hardly survive with-
“Except we return to genuine federalism that will allow every state to rapidly develop at its own pace based on its peculiarity and creativity of its leadership that will result to accountable, stable and democratic government and respect for human rights and dignity, this centralised “federalism” will not bring forth any meaningful developments but make super power of a president with stupendous resources to throw around, which encourages mega corruption from the top to the bottom as “power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely”
out democracy. By 1960 Independence, Nigeria had had a federal cons tu on but since the Bri sh government was s ll having poli cal influence which was not in tandem with federal principle, with extensive consulta on and public input, the Nigeria parliament ins tuted and adopted autochthonous cons tu on named 1963 Republican Cons tu on which replaced the Bri sh Monarch with elected President as the head of state, Supreme Court as final court of appeal and rights of ci zens fully entrenched. Under this 1963 Republican Cons tu on, the three regions had their own cons tuons which didn’t threaten the federa on. There were Exclusive legisla ve list, the items with which the federal government has powers like defence and security, foreign rela ons, banking and currency with States having power on educa on, transporta on, healthcare and land administra on, among others within their cons tuents. Regional government had a dis nc ve provision in 1963 cons tu on. Local government had authority over primary educa on, sanitaon, water supply among others.
But this could not endure as military took over in 1966 and con nued to engage in coup a er coup and by 1975, the military set up 50-man Cons tu onal Dra ing Committee, headed by Chief Ro mi Alade Williams and Alhaji Gidado Idris as the Secretary, inaugurated on 18th October, 1975 at Nigeria Ins tute of Interna onal Affairs headed by Professor Bolaji Akinyemi. These eminent scholars gave good account of themselves in giving Nigeria 1979 cons tu on but made centre to be more powerful by taking so much from the federa ng units to it. This is understandable as the military that gave them the assignment could only operate on central command. And this seems to be the origin of our centralised federalism as federalism and military rule are incompa ble; hence, quasi-federal rather than true federal system obtains from then ll now. For instance, there was list of powers reserved for different levels of government in 1963 Cons tu on – Federal, States, regional and local governments. Federal had 45 items in the Exclusive Legisla ve List but increased to 66 in 1979 and to 68 in 1999 Cons tu-
IN contemporary Nigeria, more than ever, it is a roller coaster from one objec onable scandal, ignoble show, detestable crime or dehumanising calamity to another, and to another and to another, without respite or perceivable end in sight. The rou ne is disaster. Of course, there are occasional but very infinitesimal reprieves of humanising episodes that give temporal joy and stave off insanity in the minority that have not lost it. The sad reality is that the majority wear disordered mindset, depression and mental illness as a gaily gown, impervious to human suffering and dehumanising realies, while the clowns and hustlers quickly cash in on most of the sordid events to reel out comic skits to people in pathe c situaon.
It takes a mind elevated beyond the country’s numerous limita ons to look plainly and appreciate the level of inhuman proceedings in Nigeria that beat any logical comprehension. I think the jewel on the crown of all absurdi es in Nigeria is in the fi ng but tragic analogy of a town where yams grow naturally, boun fully almost all over every piece of the land but its elders cannot get its people to harvest them; they have to hire hands from other towns to help harvest, sell and collect all the money; and then they take the money in hand, looking around other towns for where to buy pounded yam, which is the life-giving meal of the town people. Meanwhile, the town
has at least four yam-pounding mortars and pestles that are in disuse but being repaired endlessly with huge money. In the world, you can imagine how sane people will look upon any ci zen from that town - whenever any of them wanders into their own town where yams never grow but they s ll have pounded yam for sale!
However, even the most pathe c, exaspera ng and outrageous occurrences are quickly resolved into comedy. Do we need to go all the way back to “Diaris God o” concerning one of the most disagreeable occurrences in recent human history – the kidnapping of hundreds of Chibok school girls? No, we don’t. Almost every day in Nigeria supplies one of such and only few of the incidences make it into the public domain. Once the sordid occurs, there is rage, spontaneous and widespread outburst, panic, anger, or other such reac ons as amidst the primi ves. Then, very reacon dries out without intelligent follow up ac ons and the deed gradually fades away into the murky past, which past is consistently made to look rela vely “be er” by the latest disasters.
So it was with Fayose’s “I am in severe pains”; Dino’s cer ficate scandal; snake eating JAMB Money; Deborah’s Murder; the Abuja Preacher woman’s murder; and so on and so forth. In any decent na on, any one of such would be greeted with consequenal indigna on and authorita ve ac on to
ons respec vely.
Under 1963 Cons tu on, the four regions - east, north, west and mid-west - had independent structures that reflect the peculiari es of each. Sec on 140(1) under this Cons tu on provides, “There shall be paid to each region a sum equal to fi y percent of the proceeds of any royalty received by the federa on in respect of any minerals extracted in that region and any mining rents derived by the federa on from that region.” But the 1979 and 1999 Cons tu ons, iniated by the military administra ons, altered the autonomy of federa ng states and rendered them to be beggars with cap at hands every month, awai ng monthly alloca on from the centre. Sec on 44 and Sec on 162(2) of 1999 Cons tu on provides, “The President shall table before the Na onal Assembly proposals for revenue alloca on from the federa on account and in determining formula...” and the formula became 52.68% for the federal, 26.72% for the states (with 13% deriva on revenue to the oil producing states) and 20.60% for the local governments. And this is where we have stuck–opera ng a unitary system but labelled it federalism. It was this trend, among others, that Ken Saro-Wiwa and other Ogoni ac vists were campaigning against when the military permanently silenced them via death by hanging on November 10, 1995. Except we return to genuine federalism that will allow every state to rapidly develop at its own pace based on its peculiarity and crea vity of its leadership that will result to accountable, stable and democra c government and respect for human rights and dignity, this centralised “federalism” will not bring forth any meaningful developments but make super power of a president with stupendous resources to throw around, which encourages mega corrup on from the top to the bo om as “power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
deter recurrence. Not here. Let us leave out all stories of stealing of unbelievable amounts of money and eventual “freedom” to the inglorious actors and actresses; the most sickening is the announced “stealing” of 400,000 barrels of oil per day at some period of me.
Most recently, there was the arrest of Seun Anikulapo-Ku for slapping an officer of the law. From the uproar, you will think something fundamental to reset the rule of law and deliver las ng lessons is about to happen. A er a few days or weeks, the story is dead and the memory becomes comedy skits.
The same goes for cross dresser, Bobrisky – all the noise, trial, then in and out of jail for abusive handling of the Naira currency note but not the same in and out of jail for Cubana Chief Priest and many such others, for same offense; clear to the public but not clear to the jus ce system.
Same for Ex Governor Yahaya Bello: all the drama, sounds and fury, eventually signifying nothing; at least for now. Same for Budget padding and all the actors. Same for the Senate Chief Whip, his cri cal a en oncalling to the health of the polity, the drama and the an climax. Same for many, many, many such “stories” and “seasonal films.”
Like Fela Anikulapo Ku of blessed memory said – “how many, how many you go many, many many...” But like he equally said, “One day go be one day.” Un l that day, as we keep trivialising outrageous inhumanity deserving righteous indigna on, no one will take us serious as a people deficit in honour and responsibility.
OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Gbongan Road, Osogbo, Osun State. All correspondence to the Acting Deputy Editor, SODIQ YUSUF, Telephone: 0809-301-9152. ISSN: 0794-8050. Website: www.osundefender.com Email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com, osundefenderhq@gmail.com