Osun Defender Online Version of June 21, 2024

Owoeye, Prof. Alabi, Layoonu, Giwa, Others Removed From Edu. Board Appointment List

•Continued from front page

Representa ves, Prof. Mojeed Alabi and a former Chief Whip of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Tunde Olatunji.

Others are the former commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Alhaja Lateefat Giwa, ex-Special Adviser to the Governor on Educa on, Mr. Jamiu Olawumi, former Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Federal Ma ers, Mr. Lukman Bello, Bade Falade and Mr. Nasir Olateju.

Also, a Professor of History, Siyan Oyeweso, Prof. Sola Ajala, Yusuf Alli, and a chie ain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Ayo Afolabi who had been appointed as members of the Governing Council of the University of Jos, did not make the reviewed list.

OSUN DEFENDER noted that all indigenes of Ede who had been appointed in the first list were removed and replaced with other persons.

Leading the reviewed list from Osun is the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdulrosheed Olabomi (Chairman, Federal Uni-

versity of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State).

Oba Olabomi was in the first appointment chosen as the Chairman

of the Governing Council, Adeyemi University of Educa on, Ondo, Ondo State.

Other council chair-

Ife East PDP Leaders Adopt Adeleke For Second Term

Titilope Adako

THE leadership of the Peoples Democra c Party (PDP) in Ife East Area Office, Modakeke, Osun State, has adopted Governor Ademola Adeleke for second term.

Rising from a stakeholders’ mee ng hosted by a stalwart of the party, Mr. Niyi Odeyemi, on Monday, the PDP leaders declared that Adeleke merited the cket of the party for another term because of his ‘sterling performance’.

According to the PDP leaders, the Governor’s achievements and propeople policies and programmes in less than two years have made his reelec on easier in 2026.

A mo on for adop on of Adeleke for second term was moved by the Women Leader of the local govern-

ment, Mrs Olukemi Emiade and was seconded by Modakeke Ward 1 Youth Leader, Mr. Sefiu Lawal.

The local government execu ve of the party, led by the Caretaker Chairman, Ife East Central Local Council Development Area, Wale Adebayo, and the PDP Chairman in the Area Office, Mr. Dele Onigbinde, ra fied the moon and adop on.

Speaking at the meeting where some members of the party were also empowered with cash gi by the host, Odeyemi

said PDP would con nue to wax stronger in Modakeke as a result of the collec ve efforts by the party members to solidify the party.

According to Odeyemi, Governor Adeleke’s performance has also helped in winning members of the public to the party, just as he commended the PDP execu ve in the Area office for their perseverance and commitment.

He promised that the party with more support and empowerment to appreciate and encourage

PDP members and apoli cal persons for their contribu ons to the development of the party, Modakeke and the state at large.

PDP Chairman in Modakeke Ward III, Mr. Wumi Ajibade, commended Odeyemi for his philanthropic gesture and support for the party.

A Senior Special Assistant to the Governor, Mr. Rasaq A tebi, described Odeyemi as a cultured person, saying he is obedient to the party leadership.

Osun 2026: APC Members Go Spiritual For Oyetola

AYusuf Oketola tola to be popular and accepted by the people of the state.

HEAD of the 2026 governorship elecon in Osun State, some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have resorted to spiritual ac vi es on behalf of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola.

The APC members have been seeking spiritual help for Oyetola for people to love him and give him their support in 2026.

OSUN DEFENDER reliably gathered that some of the Oyetola loyalists have been going from herbalists and prophets to another to seek spiritual atonement for Oye-

It was learnt that the concerned loyalists were disturbed about the connuous unpopularity of Oyetola and the way people have been rejec ng his choice for the 2026 governorship elec on.

This is just as some APC members organised a special victory prayer for Oyetola in order for him to secure the cket of the party and win the governorship elec on.

The prayer was organised by Osun Non-Returned Caretaker Councillors, a poli cal group within the state APC, in Osogbo, on Monday.

Chairman of the group, Hon. Maroof Salam said

the prayer session was a testament to the strong bond and solidarity within the Osun APC on the Oyetola’s aspira ons. Salam assured the former governor of their loyalty and commitment towards his 2026 ambion.

However, the prayer session has s rred reacons from residents of the state through their various social media handles.

A Facebook user, Geoffrey John, said God would never answer such prayer, saying APC is evil to the people. He wrote: “God almighty will never answer this one, God does not like oppression. APC are evil people.”

men in the reviewed appointment are former Na onal Chairman of the APC, Chief Adebisi Akande (Chairman, University of Ibadan), former deputy governor of the state, Mrs.

Ti -Laoye Ponle (Chairman, Federal Polyetechnic, Kano, Kano State), Dr. Obawale Adebisi (Chairman, Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa State), Prof. Taiwo Akanbi Olaiya (Chairman, Federal Polytechnic, Ede).

The medium noted that 11 fresh people, including Akande, Ponle and Olaiya were injected into the reviewed list. They are: Dr Abdulrauf Adeniji (member, Alex Ekweme University, Udufu Alike, Ebonyi State), Pastor Timothy Ademola (member, Federal University of Technology, Minna), Hon Adegboyega Basheer (member Federal University, Lokoja), Chief Niyi Akande (member, University of Nigeria, Nsuka), Barr. Kayode Adebiyi (member, University of Calabar, Cross Rivers State), Prof. A.O Atoyebi (member, Federal University of Sciences, Ila Orangun, Engr. Rafiu Adekilekun Mumini (member, Federal Polytechnic, Kaltungo, Gombe State) and Prof. Gbadebo Anthony Olagunju, member Federal Poly Ede.

Bamkefa, Veteran OSPOLY Lecturer Dies

Are red veteran lecturer at Mass Communication Department of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Pa Adeyemi Bamkefa, has passed away. Bamkefa died in the early hours of Wednesday.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that Bamkefa, popularly called Baba Banky re red from acve service of the polytechnic about 20 years ago as a Chief Lecturer.

Kazeem Badmus When the Iree Satellite Campus of The Polytechnic, Ibadan metamorphosed to Osun State Polytechnic Iree, Bamikefa was among the pioneer lecturers who started academic ac vi es in the ins tuon. He was the pioneer Director of Publica ons of OSPOLY. He had also served as the Head of Department of Mass Communica on.

The deceased also served as a backup lecturer to the Mass Communica on department for about 10 years a er his re rement.

He was a na ve of Igbajo in Boluwaduro Local Government area of Osun State.

Bamkefa had his First Degree in History and a Masters in Journalism from the United Kingdom.

He was a Staff of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) before joining The Polytechnic, Ibadan.

Reac ng Bamkefa’s death, the Rector of the ins tu on, Mr Kehinde Alabi, described the deceased as a dedicated staff, a guardian, mentor and counselor. Alabi noted that his contribu ons to the ins tu on would remain evergreen.

Here We Go Again!

“The strategic imperative will should be implemented through a fiscal balance redirecting funds from unnecessary waste, duplication, and corruption”

THE Academic Staff Union of Universi es (ASUU) is talking about a return to the trenches and we all have a sense of deja vu! The recurring decimal is like a broken-down Francophone record, we have had that number play so very o en, what to do for an encore?

In a statement issued this week, Comrade Salim Ahmed, Chairperson of ASUU at Federal University Dutse, in Jigawa State thundered that “Government is unwilling to decisively address the outstanding issues with the union. Therefore, in line with the direc ves from the Na onal Secretariat, we resolved to hold a press conference and let the parents, the stakeholders in university educa on know of the situa on and to be sensi zed and well informed of the failure of the government to address these lingering issues. The general public should be aware of the true state of affairs.” Ahmed disclosed that the union would, within the next three weeks, set machinery in mo on to further mobilise its members and sensi se them for further ac on.

“The union calls on all well-meaning discerning minds to prevail on the Nigerian Government to a end to these outstanding issues and meet with

our union leadership to avert an unnecessary and avoidable industrial crisis in our already frail and weak university system,” Ahmed added.”

Comrade Salim Ahmed is bluffing and the response of the government must be measured and strategic in the overall naonal interest. The naonal interest dictates that Nigeria stops the slide of its ter ary ins tu ons down the interna onal ranking of ter ary ins tu ons worldwide, where in a knowledge global economy, Nigeria is becoming not only compe ve but sliding into irrelevance. The fight back must start to declare negoa on of all outstanding issues with the academic staff unions. The focus must be on the immediate, short, medium-term, and long-term strategic impera ve.

The strategic impera ve will should be implemented through a fiscal balance redirec ng funds from unnecessary waste, duplica on, and corrup on. It is imperave to extend and implement the nowdated recommendaons of the Oronaye panel on the cost of the machinery of the government in full.

There’s no alternave since the government cannot conjure funds out of thin air. Nevertheless, he has to be done. To build a compe ve economy, Nigeria cannot swim against the de of knowledge-based globaliza on. We, therefore, believe that serious nego a on must take place and be concluded within the next two weeks.

The Discourse

Hafsa: Salary Crisis

Below is an excerpt from Chapter 7 of a book titled “Ogbeni: The Osun Renaissance Years”, written by a prominent Nigerian columnist, Olakunle Abimbola. The book details the administration of former Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and the ideological leanings that shaped his approach to governance.

RAUF Aregbesola’s first term as Governor was sheer bliss on the salary front. Before trouble came, his government even paid Osun workers the “13th month’s salary” in December of each year – for four years’ running. As Ac on Congress (AC) Candidate, Aregbesola had promised, at the 2007 campaign stumps, to pay Osun public workers “13th month salary”.

“Everything was all right,” Aregbesola affirmed. “We were paying salaries as and when due. Up to four or five years, we paid every Osun worker their 13th month’s salary. The only state that did that before us, to some extent, was Lagos. Nobody,” he insisted, “was paid irregular salary: workers or pensioners – un l the Nigerian economy went down, no thanks to the local huge the of crude, up to one million barrels-a-day; and interna onal oil glut, caused by the ISIS crisis in the Middle East.”

That was from February 2014 – and it was Ogbeni Aregbesola of all the 36 Nigerian governors, that first sensed the danger; and pronto warned that trouble was coming to paradise! Yet, he ended up as the ul mate scapegoat of a crippling na onal salary crisis, which be er secured Nigerian oil fields could have averted. The soulless steal of Nigeria’s crude oil under President Goodluck Jonathan would have been avoided, thus reducing the intensity of the crisis. However, Nigeria could do li le about the interna onal oil glut which the ISIS crisis triggered, following the ISIS occupa on of parts of Iraq and Syria. That glut crippled the earnings of the oil-producing countries. The treasuries of these countries, most of them members of the Organiza on of Oil Producing Countries (OPEC), took a hit.

BudgiT, Nigeria’s NGO budget tracker, duly recorded the fiscal meltdown of that period: “The total FAAC alloca on received by states have significantly reduced from N2.9 trillion and N2.5 trillion in 2013 and 2014 to N1.2 trillion and N1.7 trillion in 2016 and 2017.” When that crisis bit hard, Aregbesola himself said the net-cash shared by states, from the federal ll, plunged from an average of N600 billion a month (at mes even topping N700 billion) to an average of N150 billion a month (some 75 per cent dip) – and that crisis ran for no less than a year, or even more. Osun’s share thus crashed from an average of N4.1billion to N1.025 billion!

In February 2014 when Aregbesola first raised the alarm – not about the oil glut but about the horrendous heists from Nigeria’s oil fields – the issue became the subject of media brickbats between the Governor and aides to President Jonathan. Not a few of these aides and their media confederates pounced on the Governor for allegedly raising false alarm. But the actual reality dawned by June 2014, when many Nigerian states found out, the hard way, that they received too li le from the Federa on Account to pay workers’ salaries and re rees’ pensions; and s ll have enough le to service other contractual commitments in ongoing projects and sundry obliga ons.

A June 2015 report, published by Vanguard newspaper, quo ng the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), claimed half of Nigeria’s 36 states could not pay salaries: Eighteen of the thirty-six states of the federa on are technically bankrupt. This is because they have mortgaged their federa on account alloca ons to contractors by signing irrevocable payment orders with various banks. As a result, payment to contractors and other debt instruments are deducted at source and have become the first-line charge on their lean

“Now, if Osun was not the only state caught in the salary warp, why

did Governor

Aregbesola become the media scapegoat and national whipping boy?”

resources. The internally generated revenues of these states are also not enough to meet their obliga ons so they owe workers several months of unpaid salaries.

The newspaper listed the defaul ng states, quo ng NLC, as “Abia, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Eki , Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers and Zamfara.” This list paints the picture of a na onal salary meltdown, cu ng across geo-poli cal zones and other state demographics: the oil-rich Akwa Ibom and Rivers, not excluding the marginal oil players as Abia and Imo; the South West belt of Ogun, Ondo (itself a marginal oil-producing state), Osun and Oyo (regarded, as a bloc, as Nigeria’s most economically stable); and northern states: Kano (the commercial hub of the North), Jigawa, Kogi and Katsina.

Indeed, that chronic shor all propelled President Muhammadu Buhari, a er he assumed office on 29 May 2015, to roll out a salary-support package for distressed states to pay their workers. A BBC News report of 7 July 2015 – less than two months a er the president took power –framed the salary package thus, though in its own report it claimed 12 states (compared with Vanguard’s 16) were distressed:

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has approved a $2.1bn (1.4 billion Bri sh Pound sterling) interven on package to help bankrupt states pay salaries, a statement says.

At least 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states are said to owe their workers more than $550 million in salaries and allowances.

Some workers have not been paid for seven months.

The government revenue, which depends largely on crude oil exports, has fallen sharply in recent months because of a fall in global oil prices.

OSUN DEFENDER

Publisher – Moremi Publishing House Ltd.

Now, if Osun was not the only state caught in the salary warp, why did Governor Aregbesola become the media scapegoat and na onal whipping boy? The Governor might have been vic m of his own financial innova ons, his audacious social and physical infrastructure programmes, his crea ve a empt to navigate the salary crisis without sacking Osun public sector workers, and the normally brutish, nasty, bi er and rumour-spewing Osun local poli cs. Indeed, that bru sh poli cs of free-wheeling lies and gripping half-truths would birth that nasty Osun street lingo, Hafsa – for “half salary” – to deride the Governor’s hardwrought efforts at solving the salary crisis.

Deputy Editor – Ismaeel Uthman

Produc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa

Reporter – Yusuf Oketola

Reporter – Kazeem Badmus

Photo Journalist – Shola Aderinto

Computer Graphics – Zainab Olalere

OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), Gbogan Road Osogbo, State of Osun

ISSN : 0794-8050

Telephone : 0809-301-9152

Website : www.osundefender.com/index.php e-mail : osundefender@yahoo.com osundefenderbank@gmail.com All correspondence to the above email addresses.

Osun before Aregbesola was fiscally conserva ve. All the previous military governors never ventured beyond conven onal facilies: from local banks; and tapping into sovereign loans from interna onal agencies and foreign governments, which the Federal Government then guaranteed for states to obtain. Neither did the late Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke, aka Serubawon, Osun’s firstever elected Governor: he governed from January 1992 to November 1993 during

•Continued on page 6

Osun APC, PDP Trade Words Over Bid To Woo Transport Unions

THE All Progressives

Congress in Osun State has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of engaging in desperate measures to secure a second term in office.

According to the APC, Adeleke was forcing commercial motorcycle and tricycle riders in the state to swear to an oath of con nuous support for the Peoples Democra c Party.

APC made the claim in a statement signed its Chairman, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, on Tuesday, in Osogbo. Lawal said the APC reliably gathered that Adeleke was forcing commercial motorcyclists to swear by Ogun, the god of iron, to con nue to support the ruling party.

He said: “It was learnt that Adeleke has now resorted to forcing commercial motorcycle and tricycle riders in the state to swear to the oath of con nuous support for the PDP in all the future elec ons in the state, with the god of iron called ‘Ogun’ in Yoruba par-

lance.

“It was also gathered that words have been passed round from the state capital level of the transporta on unions that the secret oath-taking of

the compulsory allegiance should be held in all the units of the unions across the nooks and crannies of the state.

“Governor Adeleke and his co-travellers have also

been going round the state to woo back the real owners of the PDP in the state that they chased away with cudgels, cutlasses, abuses and lack of poli cal patronage immediately Adeleke

was announced the winner of the governorship elec on by the Supreme Court.”

He cau oned Adeleke and his supporters against forcing a choice on the people, contrary to the provi-

•Former Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Chief Ebenezer Obey and other dignitaries at the 10th-Year Remembrance of late Pa AbulRazaq Bamkole (Baba Olomitutu), recently

Residents Scamper For Safety As Cultists Kill One In Ile-Ife

RESIDENTS of Ondo road area of Ile-Ife, Osun State, ran for their lives as some cultists a acked a yet to be iden fied person around 6pm last Saturday.

According to eye witnesses, the cul sts who rode on motorcycles shot sporadically as they pinned down their target who was purchasing some items in the area.

The eye witnesses told OSUN DEFENDER that the vic m was shot on the head and died im-

mediately.

The sporadic gunshots created tension in the area, making residents to scamper for safety.

It was gathered that there had been clashes between Eiye and Alora confraterni es in Ile-Ife recently.

A source told the medium that the Saturday killing was a con nuaon of the clash.

The source said, “One person was killed along the Ondo road on Saturday by some armed men

suspected to be cul sts. There are reports that the vic m was also a cult member. He was buying something when he was pinned down and shot. He died on the spot.

“There were tensions in the area with many people fleeing because they feared there might be a reprisal a ack. It was the police that came to calm the situa on.”

“These cult groups have been having issues

among themselves in the area.”

The Spokesperson of the Osun State Police Command, Mrs. Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the incident to OSUN DEFENDER in a telephone conversa on on Wednesday.

Opalola stressed that inves ga on has commenced into the incident while a manhunt has been ini ated to arrest the fleeing suspects.

She said: “There was a suspected cult clash along Ondo road. The vic m was buying something along the road when he was a acked by some men who came on a motorcycle. They shot him on the head which led to his death.

“His body has been recovered to a morgue in the state, and we have begun an inves ga on into the ma er to arrest the perpetrators.”

sion of the cons tu on.

Reac ng, the PDP described APC’s allega ons as a false campaign against the ruling party and the Governor.

In a statement signed by the PDP Chairman, Sunday Bisi, the party said Adeleke did not need to force anyone to take an oath because his ‘incredible performance’, both in terms of welfare and infrastructural development had earned him the support of not just those in the transporta on sector, but also across other sectors.

The PDP said APC resorted to the false claim because its advances to the commercial motorcyclists in the state was not frui ul.

The statement partly reads: “Contrary to the false impression that Sooko Tajudeen Lawal tried to create, we authorita vely gathered that the Osun APC advances to transporters in Osun did not yield and the only thing Kola Olabisi could come up with was to lie to the public.

“To any reasonable mind in Osun, it would not be so hard to understand why transporters in Osun turned down the APC advances. Its me at the helm in Osun State brought nothing but pains and anguish, and it is, therefore, nothing but nonsense on the part of Sooko Tajudeen Lawal to try and cover for his party’s failure and the consequent rejecon by cooking up cheap lies.

“Only parasi c elements like the APC will ever contemplate that Governor Adeleke will need to force support, especially when the only alterna ve are those who almost drove the state into a ditch through reckless financial mismanagement and poor welfare a tude.”

ICC Charges Parents To Prioritise Girl Child Education

THE Ilobu Concerned Ci zens (ICC) in Irepodun local government area of Osun State, has called on parents to priori se the educa on of girl child for development of the na on.

According to ICC, it is high me for parents to be more concerned about the educa on of their female children, declaring that ‘when you train a girl, you train a na on’.

Speaking on Monday at the Second Edi on of the Jare Adebisi-Balogun Educa on Grant (JABEG), organised by the ICC, the Chairman of the group, Dr. Kamarudeen Oladosu, emphasised the importance of educa on in every community, state and na on.

Oladosu decried what

he observed as lackadaisical a tude of some parents to educa ng their female children, especially in the rural areas.

He charged parents not to give preference to male children at the expense of female children on educaon, saying both genders deserved and should be given quality educa on.

The Chairman said the ICC rolled out educa on grants to three indigent students of higher ins tu ons in honour of late Barr. Jare Adebisi-Balogun, a former Special Adviser to the Governor on Governor’s Office who was a founding member of the group before he died.

According to him, “Parents should be more concerned about the educaon of the girl child. When you pay a en on to train a

girl child, you have trained a na on.

“The ICC is concerned with anything that will advance the course of Ilobu. We were at a me students and we passed through difficul es before we graduated and got to where we are today.

“As a club, we started to expend our ways of giving back to our society (Ilobu), by providing educa on grants. A er series of discussion, we unanimously named the group a er one of our members, Barr. Jare Adebisi-Balogun, who is now late.

“This is second edi on of the educa on grant for indigent students. We invited applica on from indigent students through a link which was circulated, and we got responses across the country.

In his remarks, the ICC Secretary, Dr Nurein Abioye, disclosed that 19 students applied for the scholarship programme, six got to interview stage, while three students finally made the list.

Abioye said a law student of Ado Bayero University, Salahundeen Ridwanlahi, a Medicine and Surgery student from the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Adedigba Ismael, and a Radiography student of the Federal University, OyeEki , Odewale Mubinat won the 2024 educa on grants of the group.

Speaking on behalf of others, one of the beneficiaries of the grant, Ismail Adedigba, appreciated the group for its support, promising to be a good ambassador of the community anywhere in the world.

Popular Osogbo Philanthropist Decries Award Of Contracts To Nonprofessionals

POPULAR Osogbo Civil Engineer and philanthropist, Engr. Kehinde Raji, has expressed his displeasure over the award of road contracts to nonprofessionals in Osun State.

Raji, in a comment on his Facebook page on Tuesday, maintained that road contracts were not being awarded to professionals in the state.

Popularly called Aaraj, the philanthropist said the increased FAAC alloca on to every state by President Tinubu does not have any posive effect on the people of Osun.

He wrote: “President Tinubu has really tried by increasing the FAAC alloca ons to every

•(L-R), Special Adviser to Governor Ademola

and

with the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, at this year’s Eid-el-Adha prayer, held at the Osogbo Central Eid

state which is meant to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal, but the reverse is the case in

We Are Tired Of Stigmatisation, Osun Albinos Lament

Yusuf Oketola

ALBINOS in Osun State have appealed to the state government, civil socie es organisa on, and non-governmental organisa ons to bridge the gap between them and other members of the society.

The albinos who gathered under the aegis of Osun State Chapter of the Albinism Associa on of Nigeria, called for equal opportuni es for persons with albinism.

They made the appeal in a statement signed by the Chairman of the associa on, Aghan Smith, on Wednesday, to commemorate the 2024 Albinism Day.

The Albinos also called for the building of an accommoda ng environment for persons with albinism, in line with this year’s theme: ‘10 Years of IAAD: A Decade of Collecve Progress’.

The statement reads:

“We need to build a well accommoda ng and interac ng environment which will enhance social security and integra on of persons with albinism in the society and the grassroots, including family, residents and co-workers.

“In view of the discrimina on faced by persons with albinism, focusing on social s gma sa on and exclusion, low vision and the deadly skins challenges known as cancer, we encourage parents, guardians and the society to understand the concept of the gene c makeup, unverified facts and other societal beliefs.”

The reiterated the reless efforts of albinism groups from around the world and reflected on the con nued legal, policy and prac cal changes s ll required to ensure the full and equal enjoyment of rights by persons with albinism, especially in Osun State.

most states of the federa on.

“I wonder why sensi ve projects like road

construc ons are not awarded to core professionals with experience and high level of

pedigree. When 5th er contractors are given 1st er contract rates at the detriment of ‘the meku-

nus’

“When agriculturist/ cyber cafe operators are awarded road contracts without due diligence, or is it the mone sa on of some of our ministry officials in exchange for unprofessional conduct by some poli cians? It is high me qualified professionals via transparent due process are engaged to give value to tax payers money.

“I am a major stakeholder by the grace of God in my state and won’t watch things fall apart without due cauon. I will advise all concerned to act with the fear of God, power is transient, we shall someday give account of our stewardship. Ask Emefiele and Yahaya Bello, the rest is history, God bless us all.”

‘You Failed With Your Boss’, Adeleke’s Spokesperson Attacks Oyetola’s Deputy

Yusuf Oketola

MALLAM Rasheed Olawale, the Spokesperson to Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has asked a former deputy governor in the state, Benedict Alabi, to bury his head in shame over what he described as misguided no on on the performance of the Governor.

Olawale said Alabi’s attempt to misrepresent the reality of things in Osun stemmed from his sense of guilt as a former number two man in a failed administra on.

The Spokesperson enjoined Alabi to show some remorse on the monumental pains that policies and inadequacies of the administra on he was part of caused Osun people for years.

He said the former deputy governor was insensive for trying to playdown genuine efforts by Adeleke to clear the mess inherited from the Adegboyega Oyetola’s administra on.

Olawale said: “The Adeleke administra on has spent the last 18 months taking Osun out of the woods and se ng it on the path of development and growth. Unfortunately, people like Benedict Alabi who created the mess are trying to play on the intelligence of the people, assuming Osun people have forgo en their failed records of yesterday.”

“But Our people know and feel the difference. They see appreciable progress in workers’ welfare, infrastructural expansion, health care and responsiveness to their aspira ons.

“While Alabi as Deputy

Governor for four years has nothing to show in terms of physical infrastructure in his Ikire hometown, we are glad to note that the Adeleke’s administra on has several road projects in the same Ikire in less than two years in office, some of which has been completed, while health facilies and schools have been renovated and equipped.

“Instead of showing remorse and recognising the effect of good governance as demonstrated by Governor Adeleke, not just in terms of infrastructural renewal, but also welfare of the people, Alabi, just like most of his co-travelers in the shredded state APC, con nues to live in denial.”

The Spokesperson emphasised the manifestaon of the pro-people governance adopted by the Adeleke administra on, no ng that Alabi must be

GOVERNOR Ademola Adeleke has approved the appointment of 230 temporary staff of the University of Ilesa, Osun State, to become permanent staff

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Taiwo Asaolu, made this known on Wednesday during an interac ve session with staff of the ins tu on on the management’s scorecards in the last one year.

Asaolu also disclosed that the University will by 2026 produce its homegrown professors, saying the council of the ins tuon led by Hon. Gbenga Olugbogi, recently ap-

confused to claim in one breadth that Adeleke has nothing to show in office, whereas, in another breadth, claim that projects embarked by the Governor is controversial.

“While we understand that the confusion of Alabi stems from his inability to handle the truth of Governor Adeleke’s superla ve performance, it is important to ask him whether it is the policy of paying the owed half salary that his government refused to touch that is controversial.

“Or, is the payment of inherited coopera ve deduc ons by the current government controversial? Or is Alabi saying that the release of bonds totaling over N12 billion compared to N11.7 billion for the 12 years of APC government is controversial?

“In less than two years, Governor Adeleke has

done a lot, including paying the financial implicaon of promo on given by the government that Alabi served in as Deputy Governor.

“The candid truth is that the APC administraon, which Alabi was part of, failed in Osun, and anyone involved in that ignoble past always try to see failure in others too, as we can see with the former Deputy Governor.

“The Adeleke administra on will never submit itself to the gauge of those who failed the state yesterday, as it is not prepared to fail the people too. We will con nue to pursue policies and interven ons that will make life much easier for the people, so that they will not be tempted to return to the horrible experience of the past, Olawale submi ed.

proved the promo on of nine Senior Lecturers to the posi on of Associate Professors.

According to him, the papers of addi onal seven Senior Lecturers are being processed and their promo on would be announced soon, adding that 20 staff have been promoted to the Senior Lecturer cadre.

He added: “Those who were due for promo on when the ins tu on was at College of Educa on status were advised to write to the council and the council ruled in their favour. Non-teaching staff have also been considered for promo on.”

The VC stated that the ins tu on commenced academic programme with 32 courses, adding that 35 new programmes were awai ng resource verifica on by the Na onal Universi es Commission (NUC).

He appreciated Governor Adeleke for the prompt release of funds to conduct resource verifica on.

Asaolu equally disclosed that the Governor emphasised the need to retain the staff who were with the then College of Educa on.

“I must thank Governor Adeleke for appoin ng

•Continued on Page 7

FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 2024 - THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2024

6 Religion

Iseek refuge in Allah from the devil the accursed and I start in the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful. I tes fy that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah. I also tes fy that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is His Messenger. May the benedic on be upon His soul, members of His household, His companions and those who follow His ways ll the last day. Say O “Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves by commi ng evil deeds and sins. Despair not of Mercy of Allah, verily Allah forgives all sins. Truly He is o Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

Few days ago, we were all expec ng the fes ve period of IidulAdha (Ileya). But now, it had come and gone. Nevertheless, there is a great need to x-ray it with a view of bringing out some lessons it le with us which I believe, worthy of recalling through this column. As we all know, IidulAdha is the second feast in Islam that we celebrate during the last month of lunar calendar as ordained by Allah (AS) in this book thus: “therefore turn into your Lord in prayer and sacrifice only to Him”. Quran 108:2.

My esteem readers, it is not sufficed to say that since we had consumed all the meats to our sa sfacon, everything was over, but rather, we should allow the lessons therein to be lingering on in our hearts. The first lesson is thanksgiving. Allah (SW) demands from us to be thankful to Him in all aspects of our life. He spared our lives to witness the feast and made the Quran (what we sacrifice) subject to us. He says: “Thus We made them subject to you that you may be grateful”. Quran 22:36. This is a great favour from Him and he deserves our apprecia on. Nay but worship Allah (alone and none else and be among the grateful). Quran 39:66.

The second lesson is God’s consciousness (taqwahllah, i.e. piety) it is clearly stated in the Quran that Allah accepts only act of ibaadah carryout with piety. He says: “Verily, Allah accepts only from those who are Almu aqun (the pious). Quran 5:21. Likewise, the feast we had just celebrated is not exempted, Allah says: “It is neither their meat not their blood that reaches Allah, but it is piety from you that reaches Him. Quran 22:37. Therefore, both the affluent and the poor are at per on this. There is no room for anyone to feel being superior or inferior in this regard. It is the piety behind it that ma ers most.

The third lesson is obedience to Allah. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) demonstrated his firm faith in Allah upon receiving the divine instruc on that he should sacrifice his only son, Ismail, for Allah’s sake: “Listen to what the son said when his father told him of the divine direc ve “he said: O my father: do that which you are commanded”. Insha Allah (if Allah wills) you shall find me of As-sabirun (the pa ents). Quran 37:102. This is the highest level of undiluted faith one can demonstrate before ones parent. What followed that was a consola on from almighty Allah SW, He says; ‘and We ransomed him with a great sacrifice (ram). Quran 37:109.

The fourth lesson is trial. It teaches us that this world is full of trial, ups and down and toil. Allah says; (i)”…..and We shall make a trial of you with evil and with good. And to us you will be returned.” Quran 21:35. He says again; “Do people think that they will be le alone because they say: We believe and they will not be tested; and We indeed tested those who were before them. And Allah will certainly make (it) known (the truth of) those who are true, and will certainly make (it) known (the falsehood of) those who are liars.” Quran 29:2-3. If not because of sincere faith that both the father and son had, such a trial was difficult to pass. It then teaches us that whatever condi on we may find ourselves, no ma er how hard, by our own assessment, we should s ll see Allah as the only one capable of our deliverance.

The fi h lesson is the fulfillment of promise. Failure to fulfill ones promise is a great sin in the sight of Allah. Many people do not realize this. Where as many of our wordily affairs are hung on promises. Poli cians make myriad of promises during the elec oneering campaign, parents will make promises for their children, friends make promise for their friends, promise among the couples, etc. And nobody bothers to fulfill them. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) demonstrated fulfillment of promise he made then, that is now a reference point. Allah says; “you have fulfilled the dream”. Quran 37:105 Apart from this, fulfillment of promise is enjoined by Allah. He say; “and fulfill the covenant of Allah when you have covenanted. “Quran 16:91. In another verse, He says; “…And fulfill every covenant…verily the covenant will be ques oned about.” Quran 17:34. With this dreadful submission from Allah (i.e. Will be ques oned

JUMAT

SERMON JUMAT SERMON

Derivable Lessons From ‘Iidul Adha’

about) Muslims are enjoined not to handle the covenant/promise with levity whenever they make any. May Allah make it easy for us.

The sixth lesson is the Obedience to the Parent. As we could all see how Prophet Ismail submi ed himself to the commandment of Allah through his father (Ibrahim) (AS), what he did was in total conformity with Allah’s direc ve to all mankind. Allah rates parents as number two a er Him when he says in the Quran thus; “and your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be du ful to your parents.” Quran 17:23. This type of direc ve could s ll be found in another two places in the Quran. In fact, the Prophet (SAW) regarded disobedience to parents as one of the major sins. In his tradi on related by Bakarah Nufal Ibn Haris (RAA) that the Prophet (SAW) said; “May I tell you what are the major sins? (he repeated this thrice). We said “certainly, O; Messenger of Allah; he said: Associaon of others with Allah; disobedience of parents…” Children are therefore enjoined to emulate Prophet Ismail (AS) in this regards. It is only when a parent asks his child to disobey Allah that he can only disobey him (parent).

The seventh lesson is goodness/kindness to the neighbour and the poor. Both the Quran and tradi on of the Prophet (AS) gave a clear direc ve on how to distribute meats of the immola ons. Allah says: “Then when they are down on their sides (a er slaughter), eat thereof and feed the poor who does not ask (men), and the beggar who asks (men). Quran 22:36. In another verse, Allah says “…..and do good to kinsfolk, or orphans, the neediest, the neighbour who is near of kin, the nieghbour who is a stranger, the companion by your side….”Quran 4:36. The direc ve of the Prophet is that the meat must be divided into three. One third for the household, another one third for those men oned

Review & Outlook

Hafsa: Salary Crisis

•Continued from page 3

the s ll-born Third Republic. For Governor Adebisi Akande, Osun’s first elected Governor in the Fourth Republic (which started on 29 May 1999), fiscal ultra-conserva sm (read: absolutely no appe te for loans) was a golden virtue – and just as well. Governor Akande, though with an accoun ng background, was lauded to have not taken a kobo as loan, despite his well-acknowledged strides in infrastructure, which included the delivery of Osun’s first befi ng Government Secretariat; and the Bola Ige “White House”, the Osun Governor’s Office complex. Yet, fiscal liberalism couldn’t have been a vice, par cularly for a zesty Governor, racing against me to execu ve his slew of extensive programmes to develop humans and modernize the state’s economy, but having too li le cash in the ll to pay the bill. In such a challenging solu on, financial leveraging made eminent and strategic sense:

to expand the state’s access to more funding to execute the many programmes and projects. That would explain the Aregbesola government’s decision to enter the bond market. But that in itself could have been because Ogbeni Aregbesola was a cabinet member, for eight years, in the Bola Tinubu government in Lagos State. That government was the first, among Nigerian states, to enter the bond market. When it did, there was media uproar, despite the cosmopolitan nature of Lagos as Nigeria’s economic and banking capital. So, Aregbesola’s foray into that same market, in a fiscally and poli cally conserva ve upcountry state like Osun, was des ned to provoke some wild excitement – and the media growled like demented hyenas! Yet, in many cases, the hysteric media only echoed the ill-ease of Osun’s local poli cians. To those, such fiscal strategy was so strange that it must

•Read full article on www.osundefender.com

above while the last one third can be kept for those that are not around during the period.

The philosophy behind that is to promote love and peaceful co-existence among mankind. It also teaches us to cul vate the idea of sharing li le thing we have among ourselves. This, without mincing words, is worthy of sustenance even a er the passage of the feast.

The seventh lesson is the importance of prayer. If we look at the sequence of how celebra on of Udhiyah came into being, we will ascertain the significant role the efficacy of prayer played in it. It was the stuff of the prayer said by Prophet Ibrahim (AS) that turned out to be a blessing for him. He said: “My Lord: grant me (offspring) from the righteous. So we gave him the glad dings of a forbearing boy.” Quran 37:100-101. We should therefore learn how to pray fervently and sincerely to Allah with the hope that our prayer would be answered since Allah Himself has assured us of gran ng of our request. He says: “….I respond to the invoca on of the supplicant when he calls on me (without any mediator or intercessor) solet them obey me and believe in me…..” Quran 2:186.

The eighth lesson is the Remembrance of Allah. In many places in the Quran, Allah enjoins us to celebrate his remembrance. But during the last feast, this was done in surplus which I believe if sustained, is capable of containment of evil prac ces in the society. Allah says: “…verily As Salat (the prayer) parents from Al Fahsha (i.e. Great sins of every kind) and Al munkar (i.e. Every kind of wicked deeds) and the remembering of Allah is greater indeed. Quran 29:45.

He says again: “O you believer! Remember Allah with much remembrance. And glorify his praises morning and a ernoon.” Quran 33:41-42. Even the seemingly lost peace that we are experiencing today is a result of our inability to remember Allah. Because he says “….verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” Quran 3:28.

In conclusion, I believe there are s ll other derivable lessons which I could not capture in this sermon but the few ones that I discussed are so important in our daily life ac vi es if applied. I therefore charge myself and yourself to allow these lessons be our guiding references a er this great feast. I leave you all under the care and watchful eyes of Almighty Allah. He is our Waliyy and He is sufficient for all of us.

Taqabala Allahu minna waminkum Kulu’aaminnah nuwaantum bilkhayr.

• Imaam Musa Oladapo Raji, The Chief Imaam of Telemu Land Ola Oluwa LGA, Osun State.

THISis to inform the general public that the above named organisation has applied to the Corporate Affairs Commission for the registration under Part ‘f’ of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020.

TRUSTEES:-

1. Odufuwa Oyeteju

2. Adegboye Oluwarantimi Ebunoluwa

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES:-

1. To enhance the health and well-being of women and children through comprehensive healthcare initiative.

2. To facilitate education and empowerment opportunities for children, youth and women.

3. To foster women’s participation in leadership roles and combat gender-based violence.

4. To promote immunisation and nutrition programs to ensure optimal health outcomes. Any objection to this registration should be forwarded to the Registrar General, Corporate Affairs Commission, Plot 420, Tigris Crescent, Off Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja, Nigeria within 28 days of this publication

That I was formerly known and addressed as KOLADE KAYODE JACOB, now wish to be known and addressed as KOLADE JACOB KAYODE All former documents remain valid. Polaris Bank & General public should take note.

That I was formerly known and addressed as HAMMED IDAYAT, with former Date of Birth 18/04/1974, but now wish to be known and addressed as HAMMED IDAYAT BOLANLE, with New Date of Birth 01/05/1978. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 2024 - THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2024

Nigeria Drops To 38th In FIFA Rankings

NIGERIA has fallen to the 38th posion in the latest FIFA rankings released on Thursday.

The Super Eagles now have 1498.93 points, a decrease from their previous 1520.27 points.

This drop marks a significant shi in the global football landscape, as

Cholera

TNigeria con nues to face challenges on the interna onal stage.

Formerly ranked 30th, Nigeria’s decline follows its performance in the two matches a er the African Cup of Na ons, where they emerged as runners-up a er losing 2-1 to the host na on. In their recent games,

Outbreak: Osun Govt

Kazeem Badmus

HE Osun State Government has called for calm amidst cholera outbreak in some parts of the country, sta ng that measures have been put in place to ensure that the state is not affected.

The food and waterborne disease caused by the inges on of the vibrio cholera bacteria broke out across the country last week, claiming the lives of 30 people.

Public health experts have noted that the disease could spread fast in schools if preven ve measures were not in place.

Speaking in a telephone interview with OSUN DEFENDER, the Osun State Commissioner for Health, Barr. Jola Akintola, said the state government has been proac ve

in preven ng the disease in the state.

Akintola noted that as

the Super Eagles played a 1-1 draw against Bafana Bafana of South Africa in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, and suffered a 2-1 defeat to Benin Republic in a match played in Ivory Coast.

Nigeria’s hopes for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers remain doubtful, as the na on failed to

secure victories in these crucial matches.

Meanwhile, Argen na maintained its top posion in the rankings, solidifying its status as the leading football na on in the world.

The South American giants gained 2.14 points, bringing their total to 1860.14, reflec ng their consistent high-level performance in recent tournaments.

As teams across the globe prepare for upcoming compe ons, the latest FIFA rankings underscore the dynamic nature of football and the ongoing ba le for supremacy among the world’s top footballing na ons.

Each team’s performance in the coming months will undoubtedly influence their standings, adding to the an cipaon and excitement surrounding interna onal football.

OSUN DEFENDER learnt that the next ranking will take place July 18 – four days a er the UEFA EURO 2024 come to an end in Germany.

Osimhen Not Banned From Super Eagles – NFF

THE Nigeria Football Federa on, NFF has refuted the reports that Super Eagles forward, Victor Osimhen, has been banned from the team for his social media outburst few days ago.

The disclaimer was contained in a statement on Wednesday. NFF General Secretary, Dr. Mohammed Sanusi, expressed amazement at the reports, saying the Federa on has neither instructed a process nor has a process been concluded to ban the player from the Na onal Team.

Sanusi said: “The NFF hereby implores the media to join hands with the body to posively resolve issues and then focus on the big picture all the me, rather than needlessly escalate certain matters. There was no official communica on from the NFF, yet some persons have gone to

town to talk about a ban on Osimhen from the Na onal Team. This is not good at all.

“Our focus presently is to resolve all matters around the Super Eagles and be able to look ahead with confidence to the 2025 AFCON qualifiers and the remaining six matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifica on series.

“This is not the me to spread falsehood and foul the public space the more.”

Calls For Calm, Says Efforts Ongoing To Prevent Disease

soon as cases of cholera were reported in some states, the Ministry of

230 UNILESA Temporary Staff...

•Continued from Page 2

competent hands to the council and approving the payment of outstanding allowances.

“A hostel is now in place to accommodate over 400 students with spor ng facili es while the health center is now equipped.

“Soldiers from the arllery ba alion have been engaged to coordinate the security situa on in the school. Patrol vehicles and accoutrements

have been bought, while the Amotekun corps have been engaged to man our borders.

“Our teaching and research farm now has in stock 7,500 fishes; three ponds and one miniature pond; 18 turkeys; snails, 10 grass cu ers; 30 rabbits; 10 sheep; eight cows; 1200 heaps of yam; cassava; vegetable beds and beehives that are available to train the students,” he said.

Asaolu enjoined the staff to reciprocate the gesture from the State Government led by Adeleke and the management by working towards achieving the objec ves of the instu on.

Some of the staff who responded during the interac ve session, thanked the Governor for sustaining the university and appoin ng a resourceful academic and administrator as the Vice Chancellor.

Health swung into ac on and ac vated the Rapid Response Team. The Commissioner appealed to residents to be conscious of their environment and abide by the guidelines.

He said: “Immediately we heard about the outbreak in Lagos and suspected cases in Oyo State, we put all the necessary mechanisms in place to ensure we have no cases here.

“Our Rapid Response Team at the ministry were ac vated. Also, the emergency management committee were ac vated and we did this in all the local governments.

“We’ve made jingles and release to talk about it. Also, we have been moving around to sensi-

NOTICE

YUSUF AJIMOH ROMOKE

That YUSUF AJIMOH ROMOKE and YUSUF AJIMOH ABUBAKRE are the same person but now wish to be known and addressed as YUSUF AJIMOH ROMOKE. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.

se our people on how to guide against it and we will con nue doing that.

“We want to assure our people that we are on top of the ma er and we are doing everything possible to make sure Osun is safe. Our people should also help us by following the guidelines health-wise.”

Lagos Death Toll Hits 21, Cases Rise To 401

The cholera cases in Lagos State have increased to 401 with 21 fatali es.

This was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, according to a statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs at the state Ministry of Health, Tunbosun Ogunbanwo, yesterday.

Lagos Island, Kosofe, and E Osa recorded the highest number of cholera cases, according to the statement.

The statement reads, “Following the last update on the cholera outbreak in Lagos, which reported 350 suspected cases and 15 fatali es, the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Health, Dr Kemi Ogunyemi, disclosed that the total number of cholera cases has increased to 401 across Lagos, with Lagos Island, Kosofe, and E Osa recording the highest numbers.

“Dr. Ogunyemi revealed this today while

providing an update on the outbreak a er meeting with members of the Lagos State Public Health Emergency Opera ons Centre. She added that the death toll has also risen to 21, an increase of six from the previously reported 15 fatali es.

“According to Ogunyemi, the rise in cases was an cipated following the Ileya fes vi es, during which large gatherings occurred.

“She, however, noted that suspected cases are subsiding across Local Government Areas, par cularly in previously affected LGAs due to the state government’s interven ons and surveillance efforts.

“The Special Adviser stated that the government, through the Ministry of Health and other sister agencies, is maintaining rigorous surveillance and monitoring of the situa on and implemen ng planned programs and ac vi es to curb the spread.

“She advised that ci zens seek medical atten on immediately if they experience symptoms such as watery diarrhoea, vomi ng, abdominal pain, general malaise, and fever, stressing that cholera treatment is provided free of charge at all public health facili es.”

FRIDAY, JUNE 21, 2024 - THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2024 VOL. 19 NO 23 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com

NO one can deny the economic wisdom and, indeed, the moral jus fica ons, for the establishment of an enforceable naonal minimum wage regime, more so, as employers of labour who are in business to make profit would naturally want to keep the opera onal costs of doing their businesses, including wages, down as low as possible. Since labour is a major factor in the na on’s produc on process, some have argued that, its price ought therefore to be dictated more by the forces of demand and supply as against the present unproduc ve haggling by Labour and the arbitrary officialdom as exemplified by the evasive approach by government.

It should also be conceded that the current wage debate in the country is also a socio-poli cal one, involving humans in a welfare-minded constu onal system. That is why responsible governments usually feel dutybound to intervene in wage disputes especially where those governments have also diligently provided basic produc on-facilita ng infrastructures for the industries which invariably cons tute some forms of subsidies; it thus creates the requisite locus standi for the State to authorita vely intervene in such disputes because whoever “pays the piper dictates the tune.”

In other words, while it is true that market forces ought to dictate the true selling price of any commodity, including wages, modern progressive governments have however found it within their developmental preroga ve to intervene in industrial schisms because, by providing largescale infrastructural support for the industries, government is making businesses to be more efficient and produc ve than they would ordinarily have been if they were to be engaged in their individual provision of electricity, water, roads, security and other consequen al items without which the cost of doing business would be unnecessarily too high for their profitability and survival.

Unfortunately, the Nigerian government is unable to fulfil any of these its cons tu onal and developmental obliga ons which then quesons it moral and circumstan al rights to want to intervene in se ng a credible minimum wage regime for the economy. There is also the larger

“Rather than placing our economic hope solely on a valueless minimum wage that does not take workers home, we should instead be developing the right entrepre¬neurial mentality by looking at ways and means to boost our individual and collec¬tive productivity level in order to enhance our overall economic worth”

Prof. Mike Ikhariale

Realities And Perceptions In The National Minimum Wage Debate

“The Nigeria of today is not as produc¬tive as that of the sixties and seventies as we no longer farm our soil for rice, yam, groundnut, produce, rubber, palm oil, co¬coa and groundnut for our own consump¬tion and the excess exported for foreign ex¬change”

problem of an all-pervading unproduc ve work ethics in the country, where the workers taking a clue from the poli cal class, now believe that they can actually become rich by doing nothing economically produc ve.

The Nigeria of today is not as produc ve as that of the six es and seven es as we no longer farm our soil for rice, yam, groundnut, produce, rubber, palm oil, cocoa and groundnut for our own consump on and the excess exported for foreign exchange. Today, we have run out of food and the people are hungry while the vast fer le land of the country is lying fallow. There is the other explana on that even if the people are ready to work their farmlands, the untamed insecurity in the country has made it impossible for them to do so which also is an indictment of the State and its government funconaries whose primary duty is the security of the people.

Unless we kid ourselves, the average government employee and those in semi-official sectors of the economy hardly do much to jus fy their pay, as li le as it is already. The workers, taking a cue from their poli cal overlords who see government as a cash cow to be milked to death, have also learnt never “to kill themselves for government work” because as far as they are concerned, it is always the case of “Monkey de work, Baboon de chop.”

Demand for minimum wage has, in terms of ming and tone, been overtly poli cized with very li le considera on for the stark economic impera ves that should guide the nego a ng par es in ar cula ng and advancing their posi ons. Especially on the part of organised

labour, it has become a periodic opportunity for photo-ops, primi ve haggling as well as arm-twis ng the lame duck governments, especially those facing elec ons.

Rather than focus on the economic indices that are relevant to the minimum wage calculus, a enon is now focused, and necessarily too, on the humongous emoluments, perquisites and largesse which those in government take home. They see the amount of money being wasted on legislators, the imported SUVs gulping billions of naira as well as the embarrassing opulence of the Execu ve branch, their elongated vehicular convoys and other hedonis c pas me to arrive at the minimum wage demand of about N600,000 a month, their “star ng point” of the nego a ons.

The government has since lost its moral energy to nego ate either “the affordable” and “sustainable minimum wage” with Labour when it is well known that it has increased its own emoluments and other bogus perquisites in spite of the near bankruptcy of the na on’s treasury. A more empathic and responsible government would have taken the workable route of star ng off with a remarkable reduc on in their own over-bloated self-rewarding salaries, emoluments and stupendous allowances by a minimum of 25% and then proceed to increase workers’ wages by the same percentage in “recogni on of the hardship in the land”. Such a populist but considerate acon would have taken the sail out of the union’s outlandish demands.

Nearby in Burkina Faso, a young coupist named Traore has turned himself into a Sankara wannabe hero for daring to forgo the usual luxuries

of his office and instead decided to taste the same tough living situa on of his people by forsaking the inherent hedonism ebbed in post-colonial governance in most of Africa. Tinubu s ll has a lot to learn in that regard. A leader must read the mood of his people and adjust his lifestyle accordingly.

Nigerians would have long embraced President Tinubu and his Renewed Hope Agenda if they had seen him rejec ng those embarrassing perquisites of power, the opulence of the royals and the wasteful investments in purely hedonis c projects like the new Vice-president’s mansion, reduce the interminable official convoys and kill the talks about acquiring more presiden al jets on top of the mul billion-naira yacht already lying idle somewhere, all at a me when the country is reeling in abject poverty, misery and hunger. It does not make sense that a country that is borrowing from le and right and from all across the globe would be exhibi ng opulence by her leaders. It is provoca ve and highlights crass insensi vity.

POSTSCRIPT A Na onal Minimum Wage and ‘True Federalism’

It is funny when you hear Nigerians loudly calling for “true federalism” in the poli cal front but staunchly insist on unitary approaches in economic ma ers. What is the economic ra onale for expec ng the various governments in the federaon to pay the same level of wages and other emoluments, knowing their yawning differences in revenue genera ng capaci es?

A na onal minimum wage does not say that all the states within the federa on must s ck to that figure. Such would be an economic assault on federalism. Each state should pay its workers, from the Governor down to the messenger, what is within its economic capability but not less than the na onal minimum wage. That is why the minimum wage in urban New York is different from those in rural Arkansas or Alabama. Why should a governor in Zamfara State expect to be rewarded and pampered like that of Lagos State when their respec ve economies are dissimilar?

Rather than placing our economic hope solely on a valueless minimum wage that does not take workers home, we should instead be developing the right entrepreneurial mentality by looking at ways and means to boost our individual and collec ve produc vity level in order to enhance our overall economic worth. We are hungry because we have not planted enough; we are poor because we have not produced enough. A government that can solve this simple produc vity ques on is one that would earn the respect of the people whatever the na on minimum wage is because money is merely a medium of exchange and its value resides in what exactly it can buy.

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 Deputy Editor, ISMAEEL UTHMAN, Telephone: 0809-301-9152. ISSN: 0794-8050. Website: www.osundefender.com Email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com, osundefenderhq@gmail.com