Osun Defender Online Version of July 19, 2024

Thoughts On Economic History, Minimum Wage, And Nigeria’s Development Paradigm

- Prof. Tunji Ogunyemi Pg. 4

5 Osun Govt, Oyetola’s Aide Trade Words Over Alleged Violation Of Procurement Law

Concerns Over Management Of Local Govts In Osun

•Caretaker Chairmen, Members Resign After Supreme Court Verdict

•LG Election Primaries Begin Next Week As 17 Parties Show Interest

•Fate Of LCDAs, Administrative Offices Yet To Be Decided

•Local Executives of the Omoluabi Progressives at a workshop on Party Management and Political Mobilisation organised by the Caucus’s State Coordinating Team, in Osogbo, on Tuesday

How Exorbitant School Fees Under Adeleke Put Osun Top Of FG Students’ Loan List – Findings

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Osun-Osogbo Festival: Curator Warns Devotees, Residents Against Drinking From River

Concerns Over Management Of Local Govts In Osun •Caretaker

Chairmen, Members Resign After Supreme Court Verdict

Kazeem Badmus & Yusuf Oketola

HERE are con-

Tcerns over the selec on of the new leadership of Local Government areas, Local Council Development Authori es (LCDAs) and Administra ve offices in Osun State.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the concerns have grown due to the resigna on of the 401 Caretaker Chairmen and members of the management committees of the council areas on Wednesday.

Those who resigned include the 69 caretaker chairmen and 332 caretaker members drawn from each of the 332 wards in the state, while some local government secretaries also voluntarily le their posions. The caretaker management commi ees, first appointed by Governor Ademola Adeleke on August 26, 2023, and re-appointed on February 26, 2024, quit their offices a er the Supreme Court Judgement of July 11, 2024, which proclaimed their illegality and barred them from administering the finances of the third- er of government.

Findings by OSUN DEFENDER, however, revealed that the decision of the ex-chairmen to resign their appointments is in compliance with the Electoral Act (as amended), which mandates poli cal appointees who are interested in an elec on to resign their appointments before contes ng.

Almost all the exchairmen and their management committee members, it was learnt, are interested in taking part in the February 25, 2025, local government elec on in Osun State.

Speaking with journalists a er tendering his resigna on, the former Caretaker Chairman of Ifelodun local government who doubles as the outgoing chairman of the Associa on of Local Government of Nigeria in Osun State, Sarafadeen Awotunde, said all the 69 caretaker chairmen and 332 members drawn from different wards across the state have resigned their posi ons since the Supreme Court had declared them as illegal office occupants.

•Fate Of LCDAs, Administrative Offices Yet To Be Decided

Awotunde said, “Since we already called them caretaker, I don’t think there is any appropriate word to use than that they resigned. Nobody sacked them.

“Caretakers have a temporary me to spend. It means their me is over. If you look at it cri cally, you will see that the Supreme Court has given a verdict. So whatever is called caretaker now is illegal. So, there is noth-

ing like a caretaker in Nigeria again.”

When contacted, the Osun State Commissioner for Informa on and Public Enlightenment, Mr. Kolapo Alimi, also confirmed the development.

He said, “We have been receiving resignaon le ers. Those who resigned did so to be eligible for the party primary, preparatory for the local government elec ons coming up

next year. “The Electoral Act has made it mandatory for whoever will par cipate in party’s primary to resign from poli cal office first.”

As of the me of filing this report yesterday, OSUN DEFENDER noted the Osun State Government had yet to come up with the requisite informa on on who takes over the leadership of the local government areas in the state.

Feelers within the government indicated that Governor Ademola Adeleke may before next week announce the handover of the management to the Heads of Local Government Administra on (HLAs) in the council areas as ci zens and residents of the state look forward to the latest developments on the ma er.

LG Elec on Primaries Begin Next Week As 17 Par es Show Interest

Barring any lastminute change, primary elec ons to produce the

Inflation: Again, Trade Associations Barred In Modakeke

THE Ogunsua of Modakeke, Oba Joseph Olubiyi Toriola has ordered the proscrip on of all trade associa ons across markets in the Modakeke area of Osun State.

This according to the monarch will reduce the effect of infla on on residents and indigenes of the town.

Oba Toriola stressed that individual traders are free to determine the sales price of their commodi es without pressure from any trade associa on.

The decision was taken a er a mee ng with Market Tradesmen and Women at the Ogunsua’s palace on Tuesday.

He enjoined traders to cooperate with community leaders in curbing the infla on.

Recall that the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi and the Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Dr. Gabriel Aromolaran II have also banned market groups in their towns over their roles in the current high

cost of food items in the community.

The decision of Oba Ogunwusi was made known by the leader of market heads in Ile-Ife, Akinwande Olajire.

Olajire in a video which went viral last Saturday said the Ooni has suspended market groups, as their ac vi es have been fingered as the cause of the high cost of food items.

He said: “Baba Ooni and his Chiefs have been told of the unjus fiable amount traders are selling food items in markets in the town and one of the measures to check this is the ban he placed on market groups.

“These groups are fixing prices for their members and we don’t want that. Traders should be free to sell at a cheap rate if they are able to buy at a cheap rate from farms. The groups have been banned.

“We have locked all the iden fied places these market groups are using for their mee ngs and we will keep monitoring

them. If anyone is caught ac ng to in midate traders for selling at cheap prices, such a person will face consequences.

“We also received several complaints from these traders about how motorists and others are extor ng them. We will act on their complaint but they can’t sell at prices we consider too high in our markets.”

councillorship and chairmanship candidates for the respec ve polical par es interested in next year’s local government elec on will begin on Monday, July 22.

OSUN DEFENDER reports that according to the metable released by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC), the primaries will end on August 6.

In the mean me, the ruling Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) and 16 other poli cal par es have expressed their inten on to par cipate in the elec on.

The remaining pares are Ac on Alliance (AA), African Democra c Congress (ADC), Accord Party (A), Social Democra c Party (SDP), African Ac on Congress (AAC), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Allied Peoples Party (APP) and the Peoples Redempon Party (PRP).

Others are the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Ac on Democra c Party (ADP), Ac on Peoples Party (APP), Labour Party (LP), Boot Party (BP), Na onal Rescue Movement (NRM) and the Young Peoples Party (YPP).

Only the main opposi on party in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) did not show interest in par cipa ng in the polls.

The Vice Chairman of the Osun State InterParty Advisory Council (IPAC), Bunmi Adetunji, confirmed to OSUN DEFENDER that the par es

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A Momentous Decision, An Aftermath And The Fall-Out!

THE Supreme Court of Nigeria has reinstated itself as a court of policy. Those who are in alignment with the school of jurisprudence based on “A street construc on” interpreta on of the cons tu on will of course demur; they have a right to do so, but in a worthy of the great Bri sh Rock Band, The Rolling Stones “You Can’t Always Get What You Want, But If You Try Hard You Might Just Get What You Need.”

The conven onal wisdom today is that Nigeria a er the momentous pronouncement of the supreme court is ge ng what it needs. The LGs have not for decades been fit for purpose. Stuffed as they were with party hacks, they had scant interest in the development process. The me has come to breathe new life into a vitally important mechanism for development. For example, in Osun State, there are concerns over the selec on of the new leadership of Local Government areas, Local Council Development Authori es (LCDAs), Area Councils, and Administrave offices with the resigna on of the erstwhile 401 Caretaker Chairmen and members of the management commi ees of the councils.

The apex court proclaimed their illegality and barred them from administering the finances of the third er of government. Those who resigned are to be commended for showing honour and valour. Unfortunately, no one is going to miss

“Those who resigned are to be commended for showing honour and valour. Unfortunately, no one is going to miss them because their impact on the communities has been next to zero. The issue now is what happens next, what is to be done?”

them because their impact on the communi es has been next to zero. The issue now is what happens next, what is to be done?

Across the country, it will be a monumental disaster to con nue to use the present so called State Independent Electoral Commissions as an elec on management apparatus. It is a terrible setback for the advocates of federalism, but unfortunately, for any advancement, the Federal INEC must now conduct local government elec ons. By now, the SIEC should actually be conduc ng Federal Elec ons and sending the results to the centre. This is what o en obtains in well-defined federal structures such as the USA, Australia and Brazil. Again “You can’t always get what you want......”

Let us make a fresh start by using the opportunity offered by the Supreme Court of Nigeria to reinvigorate the local government and make it a trajectory, the engine room for sustainable development.

The Discourse

National Anthem — Deconstructing The Military Legacy

ON Friday, November 18, 2011, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Lagos State Governor and Na onal Leader of the Ac on Congress of Nigeria, ACN, called for a referendum to gauge the preference of Nigerians on the two na onal anthems that the country has had since independence. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu made the call while presen ng a paper, tled “MANAGING NIGERIA’S PLURALISM FOR PEACE AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT”, at the Nigerian Ins tute of Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS, Kuru, Jos, Plateau State.

According to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, managing Nigeria’s pluralism for peace and na onal development is an issue that should be deeply examined. “From the beginning of our journey to na onhood, the founding leaders built a country diverse but united. The opening lines of the na onal anthem we had at independence in 1960 drove home this diversity and our fraternal resolve to build one na on” he stated. Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, however, explained that the pogrom in the mid-60s in some parts of the country and the a endant civil war showed that as a people, we have failed to live up to the spirit of that anthem.

“It showed that the leaders and the followers at the me only paid lip service to the injunc on of the anthem: Though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand. We failed miserably to deploy this mantra for peaceful co-existence and na onal development, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu said. The ACN leader said abandoning the postindependence anthem, which arguably evoked a strong spirit of patrio sm and brotherliness, to compose a very drab replacement, is far less inspira onal. “It was an example of the inconsistency in government thinking; moments when our leaders make unjus fiable about turns as Fela, the afro-beat musician would have put it,” he stated.

The ACN leader challenged the gradua ng class and the alumni of NIPSS to develop new ideas towards accelera ng na onal development and promo ng peace in the country. “In several areas, Nigeria is stuck in the past, applying decadent policies to new, and more virulent problems. But at moments like this, the na on turns to the Na onal Ins tute for new ideas that should make us break from the moribund past” Asiwaju Bola Tinubu stated. While marking his first anniversary as President of the na on on Wednesday 29th May, President Bola Tinubu signed a Private Member Bill on Na onal Anthem. With the signing of the Bill, he turned the old anthem to a new one and the new one to an old one.

The old anthem of the NIGERIA WE HAIL THEE was adopted as Nigeria’s Na onal Anthem on October 1, 1960. The anthem’s lyrics were wri en by Lillian Jean Williams, a Bri sh expatriate who lived in Nigeria when it achieved independence. Frances Brenda composed the music for “NIGERIA, WE HAIL THEE.” She got a prize of $280 American dollars for composing the song. Six Judges made the selec on of Frances Brenda’s entry as the winning music for “NIGERIA, WE HAIL THEE.” The Judges were Professor Fela Sowande, Mr. O. Omideyi, Mr. T.K.E. Phillips, Mr. W.C. Echazona, Mr. M.C. Majekodunmi and Mrs H. Lawson.

One of the Judges, Professor Olufela Obafunmilayo “Fela” Sowande MBE (29 May 1905 – 13 March 1987) was a Nigerian musician and composer. Considered the father of modern Nigerian art music, Sowande is perhaps the most interna onally known African composer of works in the European “classical” idiom. Professor Sowande was born in Abeokuta, the son of Emmanuel Sowande, a priest and pioneer of Nigerian church music. As a child he sang in the Choir of the Cathedral Church of Christ, Marina, Lagos. He studied at the C.M.S. Grammar School and at King’s College, Lagos. The influence of his father and Dr T. K. Ekundayo Phillips (composer, organist and choirmaster) was an important factor in his early years. Through Phillips, Professor Sowande was first exposed to European church music like Bach and Rheinberger. At that me, Professor Sowande was a chorister and was introduced to new Yoruba works being introduced into the churches. Under Phillips’ tutelage, Professor Sowande earned the Fellowship Diploma (FRCO) from the Royal Col-

“However, history can be kind to a people, though not for too long. Some luck nations even get a second chance to put things right, learn from the past; restructure the present and reposition society for a progressive future. This is the case with Nigeria. We are getting not just a second, but a third chance to reposition the country for the greatness that God has rightly given to us and for which we have sacrificed so much in the past”

lege of Organists. At that me, he was also a bandleader, playing jazz and popular highlife music.

In 1952, Professor Sowande became musical director of the Nigerian Broadcas ng Service; in 1955 he was appointed MBE in the 1955 Queen’s Birthday Honours for this work. In 1962 he travelled to the United States on a Rockefeller Founda on fellowship. In 1968, he moved to Howard University in Washington, D.C., then to the University of Pi sburgh. His colleagues included Samuel Akpabot (1932-2000), Ayo Bankole (1935-1976), Lazarus Ekwueme (born 1936), Akin Euba (1935-2020), Adam Fiberesima (1926-1975?), Josiah Ransome-Ku (1855-1930) and Ikole Harcourt Whyte (1905-1977). He composed several songs including his famous song OYIGIYIGI OLU ORUN, ATOBAJAYE ATOBIJU, a popular gospel Yoruba song.

The Anthem lasted ll October 1, 1978 when General Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR, discarded the “NIGERIA, WE HAIL THEE” and replaced it with “ARISE O COME PATRIOTS”. ARISE, O COMPATRIOTS was the na onal anthem of Nigeria used from 1 October 1978 un l 2024 a er NIGERIA, WE HAIL THEE was relinquished. On 29 May 2024, “ARISE, O COMPATRIOTS” was officially relinquished and replaced by the first na onal anthem, “NIGERIA, WE HAIL THEE” which was earlier used from 1960 un l 1978.

General Olusegun Obasanjo changed the Na onal Anthem on October 1, 1978, twelve months before handing over to President Usman Aliyu Shehu Shagari.

OSUN DEFENDER

Publisher – Moremi Publishing House Ltd.

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Produc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa

Reporter – Yusuf Oketola

Reporter – Kazeem Badmus

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OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Gbongan Road, Osogbo, Osun State.

ISSN : 0794-8050

In 1978, General Obasanjo, ini ated moves to change the na onal anthem of “NIGERIA WE HAIL THEE”. He called for entries. He said at that me that a new na onal anthem was required because the previous one was composed by a Bri sh expatriate. The lyrics of the anthem were taken from five of the best entries in a na onal contest. The winners were P.O. Aderibigbe, John A. Iliechukwu, Dr. Sota Omoigui, Eme E m Akpan and B.A. Ogunnaike. Mr. P.O. Aderibigbe was a lawyer and poet. He was born in 1933 in Ibadan. He a ended the University of Ibadan, where he studied law. A er gradua ng, he worked as a lawyer in Lagos.Aderibigbe died in 2010. John A. Ilechukwu was a journalist and poet. He was born in 1937 in Nsukka. He a ended the University of Ibadan, where he studied English. A er gradua ng, he worked as a journalist for the Daily Times of Nigeria. Ilechukwu died in 2012. Dr. Sota Omoigui was a physician and poet. He was born in 1936 in Benin City. He a ended the University of Ibadan, where he studied medicine. A er gradua ng, he worked as a physician in Lagos. Dr. Omoigui died in 2017. Eme E m Akpan was a lawyer and poet. He was born in 1938 in Calabar. He a ended the University of Ibadan, where he studied law. A er gradua ng, he worked as a lawyer in Lagos. E m Akpan died in 2019. B. A. Ogunnaike was an engineer and poet. He was born in 1938 in Ibadan. He a ended the University of Ibadan, where he studied engineering. After gradua ng, he worked as an engineer in Lagos. Ogunnaike died in 2014. A police officer, Benedict Odiase was tasked with pu ng the poem to music. He did this by crea ng a melody that would capture the patrio c and aspira onal spirit of the poem.

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•Read full article on www.osundefender.com

•Eric Teniola, a columnist, veteran journalist and writer is a former Director at the Presidency

Thoughts On Economic History, Minimum Wage, And Nigeria’s Development Paradigm

THE founda ons for the study of economic history as a dis nct academic pursuit was first laid in Africa by Prof. Kenneth Onwuka Dike, who, at the onset of the second half of the 20th century, and for the first me in African academic discourses pioneered a new dimension to the understanding of African History by exploring the fundamentals of how people produced goods and services for their peculiar needs, their consump on pa ern and the factors which influenced this, distribu on of goods and services in a pre-industrial economy and the vehicles and instruments associated with these enterprises and, the exchange system amongst African merchants as they transferred value among themselves. Before Dike, the profession of history delved only into the poli cal affairs of Europe, and virtually all historians in Africa learnt and prac ced this. However, Dike opened a new epistemological perspec ve to the study of Africa’s past by insis ng that people can be be er understood when scholars dig into how they produced, exchanged, and consumed goods and services rather than by how they governed themselves. To Dike, economics was key to the understanding of poli cs and power rela ons.

Why Economic History Is Important To Nat’l Devt Dike’s wri ngs, unlike those of his contemporaries, were based on data derived en rely from African sources. Whereas, Ibn Kaldun, Ibn Ba uta, Leo Frobenius had laboured to use extensive Arabic and European sources of data, Dike, in his monumental work, Trade, and Poli cs in the Niger Delta, 1830-1885 reconstructed Nigeria’s past, especially its poli cal economy which affected the coastal communi es of Nigeria’s Delta in the 19th century by relying on oral sources, ar facts, and close observa ons of the ways and manners that Indigenous Africans produced all different kinds of agricultural products, mainly palm oil, fish, canoes, nets, fish traps and shea bu er and how they sold, gi ed and exported some of these products, overseas. Hence, he helped to re-direct the study of history from a purely European point of view in the absolute deconstruc on of the thesis of the Bri sh Historian, Prof. Hugh Trevor-Roper that Africa had no history worthy of study. Dike’s pioneering work has also helped to illuminate the history of the countless web of inter-community relaons in the southern part of Nigeria with respect to documenta on of indigenous technologies that were adapted to the struggle for survival, produc on, wealth accumulaon and redistribu on in the now defunct Protectorate of the Oil Rivers.

Economic Historians of today of which we are a humble part, have con nued on the legacies of Prof Dike by studying the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of produc on, distribu on, consump on, public finance, and exchange within an economy. We have taken the notch even higher than the Dikean legacies to apply new and varying degrees of modern skills in data gathering, advanced analy cal methods in chronology and correla onal studies including advanced sta s cal and mathema cal models to reconstruct modern produc on enterprises, consump on pa erns, money and the uses of money and capital forma on to help in the formula on of economic planning and the giving of cri cal advice to poli cal leaders who might desire and call for our ins tu onal memories in government’s quest for development. In other words, historical studies today have added to itself new capaci es for policy formula on, implementa on, and projec ons such that it will be sheer self-immola on to neglect to consult historians, especially economic and military historians who are imbued with the skills to help direct or redirect public policy for a aining the objec ves of economic planning in any liberal democra c society.

Economic History and the Minimum Wage Conundrum Historical studies and the applica on of skills arising therefrom offer to the public and their leaders, ins tu onal memory which forms the template for economic planning. It also offers the guiding principles (‘the invisible hand’) for policy implementa on, especially in perilous mes when

“The details of the diplomatic and astute management of violence during that time, are in the hands of Military Historians and experts in War Studies, whose clans are in large supply amongst us. Let the present leaders call for them to help guide policy formulation and implementation on the issues of IPOB, MASSOB, and Bandits problems, in different parts of Nigeria”

a na on is confronted with dire economic challenges. Because poli cians will always be more concerned with gaining and retaining power than they are with the details of public leadership and economic progress, Economic Historians come into the mix to help provide the guiding principles to civil servants and the judiciary so that the course of a na on’s development trajectory may not be derailed by inordinate ambi on for power and its toys.

At present, Nigeria is confronted with the dire problems of poverty, unemployment, unemployability of many of its youth, and insecurity. These same problems confronted Nigeria in the pre-colonial period and even immediately a er the civil war. The lessons of the Pax Britannica signed in Ibadan, in 1897, when the Bri sh, together with the Yoruba indigenous elite agreed on terms of an armis ce and later, complete cessa on of hos li es arising from the Kiriji wars, will come in handy. The details of the diplomatic and astute management of violence during that me, are in the hands of Military Historians and experts in War Studies, whose clans are in large supply amongst us. Let the present leaders call for them to help guide policy formula on and implementa on on the issues of IPOB, MASSOB, and Bandits problems, in different parts of Nigeria.

In respect to poverty and unemployment, Economic Historians have cried themselves hoarse on the right methods to approach these two debilita ng problems. They have insisted that recourse to how similar problems were overcome in the past is a be er alterna ve than mere experimenta on with foreign-inspired methodologies that do not and cannot work in our own clime today. These problems are not insurmountable, because of evidence from history par cularly in the ways similar problems were managed and overcome by Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s government (1952-1959) in Western Nigeria and again by Chief

Obafemi Awolowo as Federal Commissioner for Finance (1967-71), are s ll relevant and extant. Why are we neglec ng our historical resources in confron ng and overcoming our challenges? Let today’s poli cal leaders call upon the Historical Society of Nigeria and the Nigerian Economic Society for help.

EXPLAINER

•Pioneered By Prof. Kenneth Onwuka Dike Of UI, Economic History Remains Pivotal Research For Sustainable Development.

•The Minimum Wage Conundrum

•Solutions To Nigeria’s Problematic Governance Model

The Best Development Paradigm For Nigeria

Let the people, the ordinary ci zens at the grassroots, not the blue-collar or white-collar jobbers in the ci es, buy in and own the economy. This can only happen when development efforts and the implementa on of public policies in job crea on are localized and integrated into the curriculum of technical and higher educa on, which should be compulsory for all. Now, permi ng the people to own the economy is not doable if the current over-centralised federa on is not restructured to transfer a significant poron of cons tu onal powers to the States and the Local Governments in the Federa on.

I, therefore, advise that we nker significantly with the distribu on of powers in the First and the Second Parts to the Second Schedule to the Cons tu on of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, to devolve the following to the States as their area of exclusive competencies rather than make it an exclusive power for the federal government: power over land and the uses of land (including mineral lands) but excluding “federal lands” in Abuja and in all other areas where there are federal roads and railways, consump on and sales taxes, local or state transporta on, including all licences pertaining thereto and Personal Income Tax.

We should also make the following a concurrent power over which the federal and the states can legislate and manage labour ma ers, railway, construc on of dams, the management of lakes and rivers, licensing of beers and spirits produc on, weights and measurement, drugs and poisons, the police and policing. This way, the states and local authori es will have significant levels of authority to engineer development in their respec ve jurisdic ons. The effect is that people will look up to their governors and local council chairs for the development of their areas and not go cap-in-hand to the centre for fiscal support.

No be er engine of growth and development can be greater than this since it will ins gate and promote compe ve federalism and every part of the country will cease blaming the other for its lack of development but rather take its des ny in its own hands and grow at its own pace.

Compe ve Federalism is my suggested an dote for Nigeria’s social and economic malaise. We have done it before; we can do it again.

•Ogunyemi, a legal practitioner is a Professor of Economic History at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

Concerns Over Management Of Local Govts In Osun

•Continued from Page 2

have submi ed their le ers of inten on.

The 16 poli cal pares had earlier on Monday, announced their withdrawal from the elec on, but rescinded their decision a er Governor Adeleke’s interven on.

Adetunji said the poli cal par es met with the OSIEC chairman, Barr. Hashim Abioye added that their differences have been resolved.

He said, “A er a fruitful delibera on with stakeholders in Osun state, we are glad to inform the general public that we have rescinded the earlier decision on the forthcoming local

government poll.

“OSIEC Chairman, Barrister Hashim Abioye, has shown to have a listening ear and is ready to work with us. We hereby wish to tell the good people of Osun that we are ready to par cipate in the elec on.

“We have submi ed our le er of inten on to conduct our par es’ primary elec on. We wish to appreciate Governor Ademola Adeleke and other stakeholders for their mely intervenon on the ma er.”

Fate Of LCDAs, Administra ve Offices Yet To Be Decided In the mean me, the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) has dis-

closed that it is looking for a way to resolve issues surrounding the Local Council Development Areas, Administra ve Offices and Area Councils, in line with the judgement of the Supreme Court on Local Government Autonomy.

OSIEC said the decision of the Supreme Court was clear on the 774 local governments, admi ng that where issues are is on the case of the Local Council Development Areas and Administra ve Offices.

The chairman of the commission, Abioye noted that since the crea on of the LCDAs and Administra ve Offices is backed by the state’s laws, OSIEC is looking for a way to re-

solve the issue without running foul of the Supreme Court decision.

He assured that the no ce of elec on given by OSIEC was in line with the law, having been issued at least 360 days before the elec on date, as required by the Electoral Act and OSSIEC Law.

He said, “We are s ll looking at the Supreme Court judgement. The Court was clear about the 774 local governments.

“Osun State laws created the Local Council Development Areas and Administra ve offices and in the state, we conduct elec ons based on the electoral act and the Osun State Laws.

Osun Govt,

Oyetola’s

Aide Trade Words Over Alleged Violation Of Procurement Law

TKazeem Badmus

HE Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola has accused the Osun State Government of lying about an alleged viola on of the procurement law during his me as governor of the state.

OSUN DEFENDER reports that an online medium, Sahara Reporters had noted that the state government under Oyetola violated procure-

ment laws in the award of a N700 million contract.

The report stated that the Oyetola administra on awarded a N700 million contract for the rehabilita on of “Gof junc on-Floren no School junc on along Ori-Oke Oloruntosin, Ilupeju,” three mes between July 2020 and April 2021.

“In July 2020, the state awarded a con-

tract to the sum of N233.4million for rehabilita on of the road, the contract was awarded by the Osun state road maintenance agency but was not awarded to any company, instead it was carried out under Direct Labour.

“On May 1, 2021, the Osun state government awarded another contract with the same contract descrip on for rehabilita on of the road

at the tune of N233.4 million. Two days later on May 3, 2021, the Osun state government awarded another contract for the same project at N233.4 million. These two contracts in three days were awarded by the state Ministry of Works and Transport,” the report reads in part.

The report further added that all the contracts were awarded through direct labour

•Son in-law of the deceased, Professor Adegbulugbe ; Chairman of Green Energy International Ltd., the first Daughter of the deceased, Mrs. Folake Adegbulugbe and first son of the deceased, Mr. Oyedepo Abiri, at the funeral service for Emeritus professor Oba John Omoniyi Abiri, held at the weekend at Cathedral church of St. Philips, Ayetoro, IleIfe, Osun State Photo: Shola Aderinto

without any compe ve bidding.

But the spokesperson to former Governor Oyetola, Ismail Omipidan, while reac ng to the report, described it as misleading and a clear act of mischief.

Omipidan accused the state government under Senator Ademola Adeleke of sidestepping the original procurement portal’s website.

He said the government migrated data from the original website into theirs to suit their narra ve to mislead unsuspec ng members of the public, including Sahara Reporters.

He said, “A scru ny of the website would show that what they input there on Monday, July 15, (the day Sahara Reporters published the story) is different from what one would find there yesterday and today.

“For instance, contrary to what they entered on Monday which indicated the GoF road contract appeared in three places, by yesterday, Tuesday, July 16, only number 36 showed the real contract and the sum, while 72 and 103 are all gone. What you

Osogbo, Ikire May Battle For Establishment Of Fed. Medical Centre In Osun

THERE seems to be a clash of interest in the bid for the si ng of a Federal Medical Centre in Osun State. OSUN DEFENDER reports that the clash is in the sponsorship of two bills for the establishment of the federal governmentowned ter ary health facility in Osogbo and Ikire.

While that of Ikire was sponsored by the Deputy Minority Leader of the 10th Senate, Senator Lere Oyewumi, the one proposing that the Medical Centre be sited in Osogbo was put before the upper legisla ve chamber by Senator Ajibola Basiru (Osun Central), the spokesperson of the 9th Senate in 2021.

The bill which scaled first reading at the floor of the Senate, according to Oyewumi of Osun West is aimed at improving healthcare access and delivery in the state.

During the plenary, Oyewumi highlighted the pressing need for enhanced healthcare infrastructure in the region, emphasising the challenges faced by residents in accessing quality medical care.

The senator also stressed the poten al economic and social benefits of establishing a Federal Medical Centre in Ikire where there is already an abandoned Federal General Hospital in the town.

The bill is now scheduled for further legisla ve scru ny, including public hearings and commi ee delibera ons. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill at a later date.

OSUN DEFENDER learnt that the same bill sponsored by Senator Basiru has been passed and awai ng presiden al assent.

The bill was christened, ‘Federal Medical Centre Osogbo, Osun State (Establishment) Bill, 2021 (SB. 364) by Senator Ajibola Basiru.’

However, some stakeholders in the state have argued on the possibility of having two federal teaching hospitals and two federal medical centres in Osun.

They submi ed that one would have expected a concerted effort for the pending bill to be assented to by the President rather than the duplica on of effort.

•As Oyewumi, Basiru Sponsor Same Bill

One of them who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER under the condi on of anonymity said, “One would have expected that a concerted effort is made for the pending bill to be assented to by the President

rather than the duplicaon of effort.

now see on 36, is Ila rehabilita on, and 103, rehabilita on of grading of Ofatedo, as against GoF road rehabilita on menoned as contract No.72 and 103 on their www. egp.osunstate.gov.ng. website on Monday.

“This is clearly one of the numerous fraudulent claims of the current administra on in Osun.

“The procurement portal’s website “Gov. ng” was created by the current administra on procurement. We only created “Org.ng”. The procurement website, www.ocdsosun.org.ng, which was created under our administra on, is there for any member of the public to peruse to help this current public discourse.

“If they want to migrate those data on the website we created to theirs, they should be honest enough to migrate genuine data and not a empt to tamper with them just to paint us black in the eyes of the public. When a contract is carried out through Direct Labour, one does not need any bidding from any compe ng contracting firm, contrary to the picture the Senator Ademola Adeleke administra on is trying to paint.

“Is there any state in Nigeria with a federal teaching hospital and two federal medical centres? How feasible is the proposal for two federal medical centres to be sited in Osun State?

“Or Oyewumi is scheming that the Federal Medical Centre Bill already with the President be discarded so his own fantasy bill be accommodated?”

After OSUN DEFENDER Report, Adeleke Bows To Pressure, Brainstorms With Student Leaders

Yusuf Oketola

OSUN State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke on Tuesday met the leadership of the students’ community in the state.

The mee ng, OSUN DEFENDER gathered, was to avert the planned shutdown of the streets by the students in protest of the inability of the state government to fulfill its promises on their welfare.

The medium in in its July 5, 2024 edi on had reported that crisis may brew in the state as the students accused Adeleke of ‘fake promises’ with threats to hit the streets to register their grievances.

The closed-door meeting was held at the Government House, Osogbo,

according to a statement by Governor Adeleke’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed.

The mee ng coordinated by Adeleke’s Senior Special Assistant on Student Ma ers, Bashiru Aderoju had in a endance representa ves of NANS JCC Osun Chapter, Naonal Associa on of Osun State Students (NAOSS), NANS Zone D, among others.

The statement reads partly: “Governor Ademola Adeleke on Tuesday evening at the Government House held a closed-door mee ng with Student leaders from across the unions with a joint resolu on to jointly work for good governance for all Osun residents.

“At the mee ng co-

ordinated by Governor’s aide on Students’ ma ers, Oladejo Bashiru Aderoju and a ended by the President of NAOSS, Akinnibi Mufutau; Ogungbe Taiwo, NANS JCC Chairman; Bamigboye Peter of NANS ZONE D and others, the par es addressed areas of concerns with the student leaders expressing commenda on for the Governor’s delivery on good governance.

“Governor Adeleke in his response to the union leaders praised them for acknowledging the many successes already recorded by his administra on under less than two years in office, assuring them that his team is pro-students, pro-youth and prowomen,” the statement noted.

“The said road was awarded once. Fund was disbursed once, as against three mes touted in the mischievous report. I will, therefore, implore Sahara Reporters to verify my claim and go a step further by scrunising all the contracts awarded during our tenure as well as those by the current administra on since November 2022 when it came on board, then, it will be clearer to members of the public and Sahara Reporters that they are the ones that have violated Due Process and procurement law since they came on board.”

Reac ng to Omipidan’s allega ons, the State Commissioner for Informa on and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, said Oyetola’s spokesperson distorted the facts, adding that the report was independently carried out by Sahara Reporters, without any input of the Ademola Adeleke-led administraon.

Alimi said Oyetola will go down in history as the ‘poorest’ ever experienced by the people of the state, adding that no amount of packaging could be done for the exgovernor’s failed government.

How Exorbitant School Fees Under Adeleke Put Osun Top Of FG Students’ Loan List – Findings

REACTIONS have trailed a revela on by the Managing Director and Chief Execu ve Officer of the Nigerian Educaon Loan Fund (NELFUND), Dr. Akintunde Sawyer, that Osun State has the highest number of students data on its portal for the federal government loan scheme.

NELFUND also revealed that 115 out of the 151 state-owned ter ary instu ons are yet to submit the data of their students to enable them to access the students’ loan.

The development ranks Osun top with 13 out of the 36 state-owned ins tu ons on the list.

According to Sawyer, “I can tell you today that Osun state has the highest amount of data in our database today. What means is that if all the eligible students in Nigeria decided to apply for the loan, Osun State will have the highest number of beneficiaries”, he stated.

The ins tu ons from Osun include Osun State University, University of Ilesa, Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Osun State Government Technical College, Ara, Osun State Government Technical College, Gbongan, Osun State Government Technical College, Ijebu-Jesa and Osun State Government Technical College, Ile-Ife.

Others are, Osun State Government Technical College, Inisa, Osun State Government Technical College, Iwo, Osun State Government Technical College, Otan Ayegbaju, Osun State Osun State College of Educa on, Ila-Orangun and Osun State College of Educa on, Ilesa.

Meanwhile, findings by OSUN DEFENDER have revealed that Osun has the highest number of applica ons on the NELFUND portal as a result of the exorbitant school fees paid at the state-owned ter ary ins tu ons.

A check by the medium on the University of Ilesa portal (unilesa.edu.ng), the total school fees for Nursing students is N850,500 for the 2023/2024 session. Medical laboratory Science Students are to pay the sum of N725,500, while those studying Public Health are to pay N375,500.

Also, students in Tourism & Hospitality Management are to pay N330,500 while Management Science students pay N316,000. Those in science educaon are to pay N320,500 with N290,500 being the amount for students in the faculty of educa on, NonScience including Arts.

For the 2024/2025 academic session, the school

•Osun Education In Dire Straits - NANS, NAOSS

fees released by the management of the Osun State University (UNIOSUN) for all its new and returning students range from N180,000 to N752,500.

Recall that the Na onal Associa on of Nigerian Students (NANS), Osun State axis had on March 28, 2024, gave Governor Ademola Adeleke a 7-day ul matum to reverse the 100% increment in school fees for the state-owned ins tu ons.

According to the NANS Chairman in Osun, Comrade Taiwo Ogungbe, “Despite ini al hope, an -students policies have been implemented, and we are s ll lagging behind other South-West states.”

Ogungbe while speaking with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday said the sta s cs highlight the dire situa on

faced by students in stateowned ter ary ins tu ons as they are struggling to afford the exorbitant school fees.

He urged the government to engage in a comprehensive review of the tui on fee structure and implement measures to alleviate the financial strain on students.

“As a student leader, I am not fully aware of this or should I say I don’t have these sta s cs at hand but if true then this trend starkly highlights the dire situa on faced by students in our state-owned ter ary ins tu ons, who are struggling to afford the exorbitant school fees.

“The fact that a large number of students are resor ng to loan applica ons underscores the urgency

of the situa on. This not only perpetuates inequality but also puts a significant burden on the students’ financial stability and mental well-being.

“As someone who has previously advocated for a reduc on in the 100% tui on fee increment, I reiterate my call to the school management to reconsider their decision. It is crucial that we priori ze affordable educa on and ensure that it is accessible to all, regardless of socio-economic background.

“I urge the state government to engage in a comprehensive review of the tui on fee structure and implement measures to alleviate the financial strain on students. We must work together to create a more inclusive and equitable ed-

uca on system that fosters growth and opportuni es for all,” he stated.

In his reac on, the Naonal President of the Naonal Associa on of Osun State Students (NAOSS), Comrade Mi ahu Akinnibi told OSUN DEFENDER that the development underscores several cri cal points regarding the state of educa on in Osun State.

Akinnibi stressed that the sta s cs indicate a stark reality as many students are unable to afford the exorbitant school fees charged by state-owned and federal ins tu ons, saying the current fee structure is unsustainable for a large por on of students in Osun.

The NAOSS President opined that the overwhelming response to the loan scheme is a cry for help and a manifesta on of the despera on many stu-

Osun-Osogbo Festival: Curator Warns Devotees, Residents Against Drinking From River

DEVOTEES and residents of Osun State have been advised not to drink from the Osun River during the 2024 Osun-Osogbo fesval due to contamina on.

The Curator and Site Manager of the Na onal Museum, Osogbo, known as the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, Mr Joseph Aworeni, stated this in an interview on Wednesday.

Aworeni noted that illegal mining ac vi es in the state contributed to the pollu on of the river.

He explained that issues about the water were discussed by stakeholders ahead of the forthcoming Osun-Osogbo Fes val expected to commence on July 22 and end on August 9.

He said, “We recently talked about the mining ac vi es affec ng the river, and you can see polluon is coming due to ille-

gal mining prac ces going on in the state.

“Although looking at the colour of the river, it may also be from the effects of the rains, but to the devotees, such contamina on does not affect their spiritual beliefs.”

He said the devotees believed that once the maid carrying the spiritual calabash approached the

river, there was no contamina on of the water again.

He further said, “They see the water as a concocon (agbo) for spiritual help and divine protecon. Visitors and tourists come from far distances to drink the water.

“The analysis carried out recently showed that the water is s ll contami-

nated and unsafe.”

He added that, “Last year, we did not get any sponsorship for the fesval celebra on, but I believe there will be new sponsors this year.

“The Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Laaroye II, cons tuted a commi ee to look into some cri cal areas, which include sponsorship.”

dents feel when confronted with the rising cost of educa on. He however assured indigent students in the state that efforts are on to secure the payment of bursaries as they have ac vely engaged the state government to expedite the process.

In his words, “The federal government’s student loan scheme has indeed seen a significant number of applica ons from Osun State, and this phenomenon underscores several cri cal points regarding the state of educa on and financial accessibility.

“Firstly, the high number of applica ons from Osun State students highlights a stark reality: many students are unable to afford the exorbitant school fees charged by state-owned and federal ter ary ins tu ons.

“The financial burden on students and their families has reached a point where taking out loans has become a necessary step to con nue their educaon. This is a clear indicaon that the current fee structure is unsustainable for a large por on of our student popula on.

“As student leaders, we are acutely aware of the financial struggles faced by our peers. The overwhelming response to the loan scheme is a cry for help, a manifesta on of the despera on many students feel when confronted with the rising cost of educaon. Educa on should be a right, not a privilege which will only be accessible to those who can afford it.

“Therefore, we are appealing to the government to urgently review and reduce the school fees in state-owned and federal ins tu ons.

“The government must take into considera on the economic reali es of its ci zens. Many families are struggling to make ends meet, and the added burden of high tui on fees only exacerbates their difficul es.

“By reducing the school fees, the government can make educa on more accessible and relieve some of the financial pressures on students and their families.

“Recently, we held a mee ng with the Chief of Staff and the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Student Affairs. During the mee ng, they reassured us that the bursary would be disbursed as soon as possible, hopefully before the end of July.

The Commissioner for Educa on, Hon. Dipo Eluwole, when contacted by OSUN DEFENDER, declined comments on the ma er.

Omoluabi Progressives Holds Seminar For Local Excos On Party Management, Political Mobilisation

SSodiq Yusuf

TAKEHOLDERS and leaders of the Omoluabi Progressives, a caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Osun State, have again resolved to further work assiduously to a ract bigwigs and heavyweights from other poli cal leanings in the state to the fold. They also pledged to con nuously engage crical players in the poli cs of Osun so as to boost its membership drive to return to the governance of the state in 2026.

A statement by the Organising and Publicity Secretary of the caucus, Abosede Oluwaseun on Wednesday said this was the submission of par cipants at a seminar for local government and federal cons tuency execu ves on par cipatory governance and poli cal mobilisaon, organised by the state coordina ng team of the tendency, in Osogbo, on Tuesday.

Speaking at the seminar, a foremost pro-democracy ac vist, Comrade Segun Mayegun noted that it is only the poli cs of true progressivism that can save Nigeria from its current quagmire.

Mayegun, who spoke on ‘’Power, Poli cs, and Governance,” stressed the need for the entrenchment of the par cipatory model of governance in Nigeria’s poli cs, adding that it is the major missing link in the country’s search for prosperity.

He, however, called on members of the Omoluabi Progressives to remain resolute in their bid to entrench real progressivism in the governance of Osun.

The ac vist said, “The best model of poli cs and governance is the one that carries the people along in every strata. Such a model is workable because it brings people irrespec ve of their status together to work for the common good of the society.

“The true tenets of progressive poli cs are rooted in character, competence, integrity, empathy, and an uncommon love for the development of the downtrodden. It is one that places a premium on mass prosperity for development. I am happy that this is at the core of the Omoluabi Progressives caucus. This is what you should all promote as leaders and grassroots mobilisers.

“I am confident that this tendency represents the true progressives and what those who formed it stood for throughout their sojourn in the poli cal

space. We cannot shy away from this cri cal role of leadership. I can boldly say that the Omoluabi Progressives is the only tendency in this era that represents that clan from the old order. This is why you must all work to realise its vision.”

Presen ng his paper on Party Management and Mobilisa on Outline, a chie ain of the caucus in Osogbo Local Government, Mr. Muyideen Olateju

shared strategies for the effec ve harnessing of like minds and poli cally savvy individuals to the fold. No ng that the guidelines of engagement for the stakeholders and coordinators of the caucus across the state are the best template so far, Olateju harped on the need for relentless engagement of the people especially at the grassroots for the sustainable success of the caucus ac vi es.

In his goodwill message, a former Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola reiterated how important it is for every member of the Omoluabi Progressives to fully key into the Omoluabi ethos for the easy propaga on of the tendency’s goals.

Aregbesola also admonished the par cipants at the workshop to key into the ethics of party management and poli cal

mobilisa on, as the con nued addi on of grassroots poli cians to the camp will make the mission to return to governance of the state possible.

The immediate-past Minister of Interior noted that, “We are in this training to know more about party management, par cipatory governance and allround transforma ve ideas on mobilisa on. It is key to this caucus because of the

Quack Drivers To Undergo Driving Theory Test In Osun

Yusuf Oketola

THE Osun State government has said it is partnering with some transporta on stakeholders to organise a driving theory test to reduce quack and unfit drivers on the highways.

Senior Special Adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Transporta on, Salaam Adewale, disclosed this in an interview with journalists during the commencement of the exercise in, Osogbo, on Wednesday.

OSUN DEFENDER learnt that the test is a system that ensures that prospec ve applicants for driving licences, a er training under a cer fied driving school, are made to undergo tests as well as driving in the presence of Vehicle Inspec on Officers before being allowed to be captured for the licence.

Adewale said that the reason for the partnership with other transport stakeholders, especially on the test, was to have drivers who were fit and qualified to drive on Osun roads.

He said that the partnership would go a long

way in ridding the state roads of quacks and unfit drivers, endangering the lives of passengers.

In their separate remarks, the Director, Vehicle Inspecon Services, Waheed

Lawal, and the Coordinator, Special Marshals, Gbenga Aluko, said other states in the South-West had keyed into the ini a ve to reduce the high rate of quack drivers and accidents.

They said that such

Concerns Over Management Of...

•Continued from Page 4

“If the Osun state law says we should conduct elec ons into the LCDAs, that means there could be a way of looking at the Supreme Court decisions even if it takes us to the State House of Assembly to do certain things for us not to run contrary to certain decisions of the Supreme Court.

“But if there is a way around it, we will carry all the stakeholders along and make public our posi on very soon.”

Abioye also called for the strengthening of state electoral bodies, no ng that calls from some quarters to give the responsibility of conduc ng local council elec ons to INEC was not the way to go.

collabora on would be of greater benefit, not just for driving schools and heads of driving licence centres, but to drivers and passengers on the highways, to help reduce accidents.

PUBLIC NOTICE

KAREEM MULIKATU ASAKE

That I was formerly known and addressed as KAREEM MUNIKATU, with former Date of Birth 01-01-1975, now wished to be known and addressed as KAREEM MULIKATU ASAKE, with New Date of Birth 02-01-1970. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

important journey we are set for.

“Our resolve is that everyone who calls himself a member of the Omoluabi Progressives must be refined in character, thinking, competence and have the leadership traits marked by the ethos of a true Omoluabi. I am happy that we have so far toed this path of honour and integrity. We must con nue to represent this ethos if we want to succeed in this journey.

“I am inspired by the successes we have achieved so far, but we need to do more. I am sure that by the end of this session, we will have the required skills needed to further our assignment. Be assured that God and the people are with us. By the grace of the Almighty, we shall succeed,” Aregbesola stated.

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of Omoluabi Progressives, Alhaji Azeez Adesiji said the caucus is exploring innova ons and strategic models to achieve its aim.

Adesiji who hinted that the training will be periodic and decentralised to equip its human resources intellectually and prepare them for the task ahead urged par cipants to maximise the ideas from the seminar to achieve results in their respec ve assignments.

He commended the massive turnout so far at the ongoing membership registra on of the caucus, urging the par cipants at the workshop to deepen their mobilisa on efforts so that the Omoluabi tendency can reclaim the state in 2026.

Two of the par cipants at the workshop, Hon. Shariat Olaniyi from Ayedaade Local Government and Hon. Fatai Fadunmola from Boluwaduro Local Government promised to op mise the knowledge garnered to boost the caucus’s membership drive.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Abuja, Nigeria, within 28 Days of this Publica on.

SIGNED: OMOLEYE MOSES ADEDOTUN SECRETARY

FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2024 - THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2024 VOL. 19 NO 28 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com

THERE have been so many nega ve posts and discussions on GMO foods on the social media, calling on Nigerians to be careful as GMO foods are targeted at reducing the lifespan of the black race, harmful to our health issues such as immune system damage and sterility and poten al of toxins similar to those found in dangerous substances like anthrax and ricin in them, amongst several. Some even label Tela Maise as Bill Gates-sponsored ar ficial maize targeted against Nigerians’ wellbeing. Gene cally Modified Organism (GMO) is an organism that has been manipulated gene cally to produce desired product. It is a process of developing gene c engineering of inser ng DNA from one bacterium into another to produce required result. DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) is a gene c material that contains the instruc ons for the development and func on of all living organisms. It is found in the cells of all living things, including humans, animals, plants, and microorganisms. GMO foods are, therefore, gene cally modified animals or plants for high yields, pest and drought resistance, and improved nutri onal values. And this is not new. It is as old as 1866 when an Austrian monk, Gregor Mendel bred two different types of peas and iden fied the basic process of gene cs. In 1922, the first hybrid corn was produced and sold commercially; in 1982, human insulin was produced to treat diabetes; in 2000, gene cally modified golden rice was produced with improvement in nutri onal value; in 2020, GMO pink pineapple was available for United States consumers.

All informa on being peddled on the social media on evils of GMO foods have all been based mere opinions, fear of unknown, ex-Colonial Masters rela ons to their former Colonies - could somebody who had enslaved me for over four hundred years but was forced to set me free because a new system of machine and factory had made my con nuous slavery unprofitable be trusted on his manufactured GMO foods for my consump on? Can Bill Gates who had publicly expressed his displeasure to Africa uncontrolled popula on be trusted on his sponsorship of research on GMO foods? Yes, these are genuine concerns but they are based on sen ments and not on any empirical, scien fic standpoint. Public health safety, environment, and economic concerns cannot be based on sen ment or common sense; they must be based on proven scien fic analyses and submissions that will enable policy decision makers have informed informa on on their job.

As it is the case in other areas of life, technological advancement in agriculture

“All information being peddled on the social media on evils of GMO foods have all been based mere opinions, fear of unknown, ex-Colonial Masters relations to their former Colonies - could somebody who had enslaved me for over four hundred years but was forced to set me free because a new system of machine and factory had made my continuous slavery unprofitable be trusted on his manufactured GMO foods for my consumption?”

No Cause For Alarm On GMO Foods

has brought forth GMOs to cope with the growing popula on consump on requirement in terms of high yields and resistance to pests. GMOs are not only meant to combat hunger, especially in this period of food infla on, they are new source of raw materials for our industries that will generate more employment and increase the GDP. It should be known that before any GMO food is registered and released for public consump on, regulatory agencies must have done the needful in terms of stringent examina on and processes that will ensure safety for human and environment. I have done some research on the works of some experts on GMO foods like Dr. Rose Gidado, Director, agricultural biotechnology Department at Na onal Biotechnology Research and Development Agency and Professor Olusola Adeyeye, an entomologist, who received the largest research grant from the Na onal Ins tute of Science in the US for his research work on bugs(pests), among others and had interviews with experts on GMO foods consump on and their submissions are same – no danger to human be-

THE progressives are generally defined as those favouring social reforms. Differing from conserva ves and tradi onists who are content with the status quo, the progressives aim at policies that will take society to a new developmental level that guarantees, more and more, the welfare and prosperity of the majority of ci zens.

The common saying is that “birds of the same feather flock together.” Accordingly, be it poli cs or other social organisa ons, progressives come together on the basis of likeness of mind and interest to advance humanity to the next level, while conserva ves, reac onaries, radicals, revolu onaries, and centrists do likewise, for their various interests and agenda. It is expected that you will never find a reformist in a neo-Nazi movement. However, whereas flocking together on the basis of breed s ll obtains largely in the avian and animal world, humans seem to have moved on to a new perplexing level of breed dilu on when it comes to bedfellow on ideas and interests!

Depending on the historical challenges of any specific country, one can plainly tell what the posi ons of the progressives are. That used to be the case in mes past in Africa, Nigeria not exempted. In Nigeria for instance, when Awolowo, Aminu Kano or Balarabe Musa speak, you know from which point of view and in whose overall interests; same for Ahmadu Bello, Adisa Akinloye or Umaru Dikko.

Things have changed dras cally and nasly, especially since 1999. Today, either in

ings and environment.

This Wednesday, July 17, Dr. Omotayom Opemimo Oyedara, a dis nguished academic, author, and researcher renowned for his contribu ons to microbiology, biotechnology, and computa onal biology with a Ph.D Biotechnology degree from Centre for Genomic Biotechnology, Ins tuto Politecnico Nacional, Mexico with specialisa on in Applied Microbiology, Biotechnology, and Genomics whose Ph.D program was fully funded by Mexican government was our guest on a radio programme that I co-host with Ambassador Adewale Adewumi. The specialist, who has won several scholarships and awards including the pres gious award of the Mexico Na onal System of Researchers membership in recogni on of his ability to conduct scien fic research; a registered member of Nigerian Society for Microbiology; American Society for Microbiology; Nigerian Bioinforma cs and Genimics Network; and Biotechnology Society of Nigeria submi ed that GMO foods pose no threat to human beings. According to him, it is not only foods that are gene cally modified, animals, insects, and micro-organisms are modified to produce desired result. “For instance in Kenya, there is a gene cally

modified mosquito that is being produced to control mosquito vectors that can cause diseases like dengue fever. Nigeria recently launched Tela Maize which is modified to be drought and insect resistance,” Dr. Oyedara said. He submi ed that no chemical is involved but enzymes used to extract the DNA from the donor to targeted recipient organism and the recipient organism is always harmless. Ea ng gene cally modified food has not been scien fically proved to be detrimental to the health of consuming human beings as FAO, UN, and others have cer fied GMO foods to be safe. He, however, said periodic research should be carried out to monitor GMO foods and their compliance to human and environmental cordiality. He advocated indigenous research to develop our own GMO foods without necessarily over-relying on the importa on of GMO foods. For instance, he said Tela Maize is our own modified seeds developed in conjunc on with Ahmadu Bello University and that we could develop our own GMO seedlings that will be adaptable to our own environment. As against cas ga on of Bill Gates, the erudite scholar said the man should be commended for diversifying from InfoTech to other areas of life, sponsoring of several researches to help humanity. While there is nothing wrong with GMO foods, he admonished that we should not throw away our tradi onal seedlings and that we should have seedlings banks for safety and preserva on with the aim of researching to improving them and that all GMO foods should be labelled for people to know what they are buying or consuming as only Tela Maize seems to properly iden fy itself. All said, the Nigerian ruling elite must brace up to figh ng insecurity which has chased thousands of farmers out of their farmland. No amount of GMO foods will be a replacement to our locally produced food. A situaon where bandits will be demanding N20 million monthly from farmers in Benue as a condi on to return to their farmland is shameful and unacceptable.

The Progressives Dilemma

poli cs or within various social organisa ons, ideas, manifestoes and programmes have been relegated to the shadows. Congregaons are no longer based on the promo on of any ar culated social interests rooted in any lo y concep on. All that exists are various gangs promo ng private and clique interests basically deleterious to the common good. In poli cs, the major poli cal assemblies are as patently different from one another as six is from half a dozen!

Progressive-minded ac vists and policians s ll abound in the land even as they are becoming endangered species in an age when “the best are full of doubts and the worst are full of passionate intensity.” However, number has never been a disadvantage to votaries of good causes; their handicap has always been waned zeal to dis llate themselves as wheat away from the chaff, then organise with passionate intensity.

Today, progressives, with very few excepons, are sandwiched in a variety of reaconary and an -people assemblies, fearful for personal fortune and thereby silenced in words and ac on. With Nigeria trauma sed and endangered as it is, there is no graver me in its history demanding crystallisa on of progressive thoughts and ac ons in a purified and outstanding assembly.

The most cri cal ques on on the front burner of the na on is the very one conserva-

ve and reac onaries do not want raised and progressive are fearful to proclaim and demand answers to the ques on of the structure of a na on that is named “FEDERAL REPUBLIC of Nigeria.” Any progressive-minded patriot that has not lost his/her progressive mind must know that the infidelity to that very name is the root cause of all trials and tribula on the country faces, from me, and ll date – which is threatening to consume it. In Nigeria, we always love to dance around our problems rather than solving them as witness the recent Supreme Court judgement that targeted solving accountability problems rather than the structural problem that occasioned corrup on of the en re system in the first place!

Genuine progressives must know that un l we resolve the ques on of the warped, upside-down structure of the country, a thousand more general elec ons, however free and fair, can never produce persons that will right that wrong, having been premised on poli cs, poli cal par es, poli cal proceedings that are offspring of a deformed structure. Indeed, it is amazing grace that Nigeria is s ll standing; and perplexing that true progressives can claim that nomenclature - in their invisible, ineffectual state wherever they are. One clear fact is that Time always propels a solu on from the belly of the problem confron ng any age; and Time will surely tell.

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