I was greatly saddened to read the material written by Mr. Egheomhanre Emmanuel Eyieyien urging “The Remnants” to vote out the current Governor of Osun State Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and vote in Chief Iyiola Omisore. I am also still somewhat puzzled as to how what appeared to be an opposition to a bond issue and other sundry allegations degenerated to the running down of the APC as an Islamic party, a propaganda tool notoriously deployed by the PDP through its various organs.
Are we as Christians now being urged to support the PDP or what exactly is the message? Reason, is one of the most important contributions of the Gospel to development. From it emerge the practical concepts of fairness and justice for all, especially our enemies. Which is why lynching, even of an intellectual kind is unacceptable.
I am not an unbiased intervenor, I had the good fortune of serving in an AD/ACN government in Lagos State. The ACN is a major partner in the APC. I will come back to the PDP APC issue presently.
Also, I have known Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Governor of the State of Osun, since 1999. We served on the policy committees of the then newly elected AD governor of Lagos State. He served in the infrastructure sub-committee and I, in the Justice sub-committee. I also served with him for 8 years in the government of Lagos State. He as Commissioner for Works and I as Attorney General. I developed a close personal relationship with him. His early ideological belief was shaped byMarxist-Socialist thinking, which probably influences his left- of- centre world view in governance. His first son Kabir went to university in Cuba on a scholarship. In 2005 when he graduated, only Rauf and I attended his graduation . He is a devout Muslim but liberal in his approach to other faiths. This is not unusual amongst the Yorubas largely because most families have both Muslim and Christian members and have always interacted without rancour. Of his six siblings only one other is a Muslim. All the others are Christians. His sister who is of the RCCG, is widowed ( her husband died a Christian) her two sons have lived with Rauf for years, he insists that they must practice their father’s faith faithfully. They both attend the RCCG.
He and I shared and still share a burden to provide honest, transparent, people-centered governance. He is a scrupulously honest person, as Commissioner for Works in Lagos State he left office without a home and no financial comforts. I know, because aside from my personal and official interaction with him, I coordinated his legal team for the reclamation of his mandate for over three years. I know first hand, his difficulties with sustaining his family, and a small staff for that period. Not surprisingly no one can accuse him in Osun State of corruption. He is just not wired that way.
Indeed, in keeping with that commitment to serve the people with complete fidelity, his major projects have been solely directed at alleviating the suffering and deprivation of his people. The hiring of, now 40,000 unemployed graduates , the provision of free balanced meals for all primary school children, provision of free uniforms, the provision of tablet computers for senior secondary school students containing all their textbooks, past jamb questions etc., monthly stipends to the elderly – all of these in a State that is the third poorest in Federalallocations and currently gets N2.6 billion monthly, a 40 percent reduction from 2013, courtesy of the Federal government. Mr. Eyieyien perhaps was not aware that even the 10 billion sukuk bond was purely for the building of 24 model state-of the art schools, most of which are now completed. The Wole Soyinka led Osun education summit recommended the replacement of the completely broken school infrastructure in Osun State with schools capable of accommodating 1000 students with modern labs, classrooms, power and sports facilities. The idea was to use economies of scale to benefit the largest number of students.
When Mr. Eyieyien describes him as “Sheikh” it is clearly to give the impression that he is an Islamic fundamentalist. The facts on the man completely belie this. First, as Commissioner for Works in Lagos State,he built the chapel at the State House Marina.
Pastor Adeboye at the opening commended him and remarked that he would be a pastor soon! Within a year of coming into government, he commissioned in Ilesa the Open Heavens Christian Evangelical Arena , a purpose-built facility for evangelism which according to him was to celebrate the icons of the Christian faith who are from Osun namely- the Late Apostle Babalola , the Late Apostle Obadare, Pastor E.A. Adeboye, Pastor W.F Kumuyi and Pastor Mathew Ashimolowo .
Today, his government supports the establishment of five Christian universities in Osun, including The Redeemers University at Ede, the Joseph Babalola University, Dominion University , and Bowen University.
How about the composition of government in Osun State? You will notice that his critics are never able to say that Christians are marginalised in government, why ? Because only Muslims can make that allegation! In the Cabinet of Osun State there are 10 more Christians than Muslims. In addition, the largest Ministries are headed by Christians- Ministries of Finance, Justice, Education, Health, Environment , Agriculture, Physical Planning and Youth and Sports . The Legislature (House of Assembly), which came into office after he won back his mandate in court in November 2010, has a majority of Christian members – 18 Christians and 8 Muslims. Everyone knows that at that level if the Governor does not support your nomination by the party your ambitions are dead in the water.
The State Judiciary is headed by a Christian who he appointed although he had preferred and proposed a judge from Lagos Justice Olubunmi Oyewole also a non-Muslim. Of over 30 new Permanent Secretaries appointed by him 22 are Christians. If the majority of your cabinet, ( including your Attorney-General), your Legislature, Judiciary and top echelon of your civil service are Christians how can we in truth say that such a person has an Islamisation agenda? Surely the least a “Sheikh” with an Islamisation agenda should do to achieve his objective is to populate the structure that can achieve that objective with Muslims!
It is also entirely false that he patronizes or uses “TAAWUN” guards for his security. It is common knowledge that he hardly even uses any security at all, except for a couple of SSS men, his monthly LIFE WALKS , where he walks alongside his people for kilometres without any significant security cordon was commended recently by a former Governor in the South East.
It is incredible what prejudice can do to us. Everyone in Osun knows that the State was nicknamed “State of the Living Spring” in reference to the Osun River after which the State is named. Renaming the State “the OmoluabiState ” – meaning “the State of children born of God” or “the State of men and women of virtue” certainly gives greater glory to God.
To suggest that benefiting from a Sukuk bond to better the lives of his people of all faiths, is enough to justify the grave allegation of an Islamisation agenda, is with all due respect , calling a dog a bad name simply to hang it. I agree that it may have served the politics of religion better not to take the bond, but it is a fairer judgment of his motives, knowing him, that this was borne out of his desire to serve his people well.
The 24 mega schools with state-of -the art facilities is a quantum leap in education for the majority of children of the poor who before now schooled in what the Soyinka committee saw as scandalous. The alternative was not to build the schools. When a man who is doing right by the poor and deprived people he governs, is being condemned by those of us who are called to serve the poor, the sick, , the naked, and the hungry then it is fair to ask what the values in governance we really intend to promote are? In any event the alternative is Chief Iyiola Omisore whose antecedents we ought, to put it delicately, be cautious to associate with.
A problem with uncritically accepting as useful advice this viciously anti-APC propaganda, is that it throws the baby out with the bath water. So we are now expected to reject the landmark achievements in Lagos, in Ogun ( the huge infrastructural developments), Oyo ( which for the first time most admit is making real progress) , Edo, and Ekiti ( where almost everyone agrees the governor did a good job but Fayose understood stomach infrastructure better!) Or now Kano or Rivers ( where a REAL rail service is about to begin;Lagos is also about to complete a rail service amongst other exemplary achievements )!
It is also false that the APC’s new executive reserved its top positions for Muslims! The Chairman of the party Chief John Odigie-Oyegun is a Christian, the Deputy National Chairman (South) Engr. Segun Oni is a Christian, so are the National Organizing Secretary Senator Osita Izunaso, Deputy National Secretary Hon. Orji Ugofa and Chief Pius Akinyelure , theVice Chairman of the South West. For what it is worth, there are 22 Muslims and 21 Christians in the APC National Executive Committee.
Regarding the rather thinly veiled ‘support the PDP/ JONATHAN’ message, it is incredible that we are invited to ignore the cynical manner that our President Goodluck Jonathan uses Christianity and the church to further his political ambitions. Why are we being urged to support a PDP/Jonathan bid again? The platform has largely on account of its tragic failure to perform, decided to exploit Nigeria’s religious fault lines in the most cynical manner to win support, in the process he continues to divide Nigeria in by the far most extreme manner in our history.
I have worked with many brethren since 2002 on issues around Islamization in Nigeria, in particular with Revd. Ladi Thompson of the Macedonian Initiative and the Omoluabi network. It is clear that Al Qaeda, ISIS , and more recently Boko Haram and their splinters are committed to an Islamization agenda. Their symphathisers certainly cut across all boundaries.
The Late General Azazi, then NSA, pointedly accused the PDP of being behind the escalation of Boko Haram, I have that statement on DVD. The President, also openlylamented the infiltration of his cabinet by the Boko Haram. Recently a Nigerian pastor in a widely circulated CD, speaking on the Jihadist agenda accused General Babangida of funding the Islamization agenda from his days as President. Today President Jonathan’s most influential Northern supporter is General Babangida. His narrative unfortunately gives no credit to Gen Buhari, and his deputy Gen Idiagbon (also a muslim) who refused to join the OIC despite pressures. Or that Gen Buhari remains the one head of State who was able to defeat an extremist insurgency, the Maitatsine.
How can we fail to see that the incredible corruption, incompetence, poverty of 2/3 of our people after almost seven years of the presentgovernment is unsupportable? How is it that Diezani’s use of 10billion Naira to run her private jet ( the same amount of money for the building of 24 mega schools in Osun!) and the complete silence of the President on this travesty does not lead to calling for him to be voted out in 2015? So the allegation of the missing or unaccounted for 20.8 billion USD with 110 million desperately poor, should be dismissed as pure propaganda? So it doesn’t make a difference to us that under the PDP Nigeria has fallen behind in every human development indicator? 55,000 women dying yearly of maternal related ailments, only recently Stanford’s Professor Larry Diamond compared the yearly deaths of over 300,000 children yearly in Nigeria to the killing of 800, 000 mainly Tutsis in Rwanda. The latter was described as genocide, what is the description to give to mass deaths of infants caused by grand corruption?
We discredit our treasured platforms such as this when we mask our political preferences with a religious veil. The vast majority of our people need to be delivered from terrible want and deprivation, what is required now are capable, honest men and women of all faiths, who know that this country may not long survive the daily punishment of its own people.
Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, a  Senior Advocate of Nigeria, and pastor of the Redeemed Church of God, was former Attorney-General in Lagos State. He sent this article from Lagos.

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of the State of Osun has closed defence against the petition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore challenging his August 9 re-election before Justice Elizabeth Ikpejime-led Election Petition Tribunal.
Announcing the closure of the defence on Wednesday, Aregbesola counsel, Kunle Adegoke said his client is satisfied with the defence put up before the panel.
The counsel, as at the time of closing the defence spent only eight out of the statutory 10 days allow him to defend the allegations of the petitioners.
He called 19 witnesses in defence of the allegations of the petitioners and their witnesses before the tribunal.
The second respondent, All Progressive Congress (APC) has been billed to open its defence tomorrow,  Friday, December 19.
The APC Counsel, Mr Ajibola Basiru said the witnesses called by the first respondents were to further convince the court that the election was indeed free and fair, saying, the petitioners have not proved any case.
He said, “We are not under any obligation to even call a particular number of witnesses, because the petitioners have not called witnesses to cover areas pleaded in the petition and secondly their witnesses have been thoroughly discredited under cross-examination.
“The petitioners have also not established the case of non-compliance. From experience, this is one of useless election petitions I have ever seen in the history of this country”, he said.
The petitioners’ counsel, Nathaniel Oke (SAN), said it is for the tribunal to determine the veraxity of the allegations of the petitioners and the defence of the respondents.
Earlier, Aregbesola’s counsel had called two witnesses, Aminulahi Rafiu, a voter from Ward 4, Unit 9 of Ede North local government and Atanda Isaac, an APC party agent at Ward 1, Unit 1 of Irepodun local government, who told the tribunal that the election was free and fair.
They both told the tribunal that the INEC officials brought all the required election materials for the units and political party agents signed the result forms.
The witnesses also told the panel that neither voters or party agents complained on the conduct of the election on the said day.
OSUN DEFENDER

Members of the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal on Monday expressed worry over the way the petition of the Accord Party governorship candidate, Mr. Niyi Owolade, was being handled by his legal team.
Owolade’s counsel, Bisi Adedayo, at the resumed hearing of his petition against the August 9 re-election of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, requested that the tribunal should stand down for some times to enable INEC officials produce the election materials listed in the subpoena issued on the commission.
But the tribunal Chairman, Justice Elizabeth Ikpejime, said the application for Subpoena was made on Friday by the petitioner counsel, and she signed it about 4pm on the said day.
Noting that the commission was just served on Monday morning when the tribunal  started sitting, she queried the possibility of the production of the election material by INEC for the day’s proceeding.
INEC Counsel, Ayotunde Ogunleye, said he was not aware of any subpoena on the commission to produce the election materials, saying he could not comment on the matter.
Subsequently, members of the tribunal, Justices V.I Ofesi and A.I Kutigi, wondered why the petitioner counsel had to wait till the “zero hour” to apply for a subpoena.
 
DAILY INDEPENDENT

Osun State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Titi Laoye-Tomori, watched  in admiration how a drone built  by a corps member posted to Osun State took off and carried out surveillance of the parade ground at the Permanent Orientation Camp of the National Youth Service Corps on Monday.
The corps member, Olaolu Ayoola, a graduate of Computer Science/Engineering of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, stole the show with his invention  during the closing ceremony of the orientation course for the 2014 batch ‘C’ of corps members deployed in the state.
The drone, which soldiers and other security agents present at the event, described as a good invention, flew for about 10 minutes before it landed.
The device is fixed with surveillance camera, and can stay in the air for 20 minutes and is capable of flying up for 500 meters.
The device with remote control has 2.4G radio transmitter and carried  out live recording of the event which was monitored on a black berry phone.
Ayoola told our correspondent in an interview that his love  for aeronautics drove him into engaging in the device.
Apart for military use, Ayoola said that the drone could also be used by politicians to hoist their flags and could also be used to monitor activities on large farms.
He said, “This type of drone, if fully developed, could be used by farmers. You can deploy it to fly round a farm of about 20 hectares and you will monitor what is going on on the farm right from where the remote control is.
“It can be used to monitor traffic situation and in case of flooding,  the drone can monitor the area.
“I spent over N20,000.00 to build this but I can do something with a bigger capacity and which will stay for more hours in the air if fund is available.”
The deputy governor who said she was impressed with the drone said the corps member should assembly youths anywhere he was posted to serve and teach them how to do this kind of invention.
The State Coordinator, Mr. Abada Okpiroro, also commended the corps member for the drone.
BLOGSPOT
 
 

Federal Republic of Nigeria
Second Rural Access and Mobility Project (Ramp-2)
Osun State Rural Access and Mobility Project
Request for Expressions of Interest (EOI) for Consulting Services for the Detailed Engineering Design, Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, Procurement Support and Construction Supervision of Rehabilitation of Rural Roads in Osun State
Credit No.: 5154-NG
Issue Date: 12 December 2014
The Federal Republic of Nigeria, through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, has received financing from the International Development Association (IDA) and the French Development Agency and on-lent the financing to four participating states (Adamawa, Enugu, Niger, and Osun) towards the cost of rehabilitation of prioritized rural roads in these states under the Second Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP-2). It is intended that part of the proceeds of the financing will be applied to eligible payments under the contract for Consulting Services.
The consulting services (“the Services”) include detailed engineering design, environmental and social impact assessment, procurement support, and construction supervision for the rehabilitation of low volume mostly unpaved rural roads in Osun state as follows: (i) conducting a detailed inventory and condition survey, and a full topographical survey and a geotechnical/materials survey of each given road (totaling approximately 300 km to be packaged in 5 or 6 Lots across the State) complete with the existing structures; together with comprehensive traffic counts, economic analysis, and environmental and social impact assessments, including development of an Environmental and Social Management Plan and a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) or Abbreviated Resettlement Action Plan (ARAP) as necessary in accordance with World Bank Safeguards Policies for Category B projects, leading to and including the design of the appropriate rehabilitation and limited construction Works and the preparation of the bidding documents for each Lot; (ii) providing full procurement support to the Employer through the bidding process to the award of the Works contract for each Lot; and (iii) supervising construction of the Works of each Lot in the capacity of the Engineer, including the Defects Liability Period (DLP). Subject to agreement by the Employer, the Services may include supervision, with minimal staffing, of routine and periodic maintenance of these roads for 3 years initially (first year falling within the 12-month Defects Liability Period.)
The total duration of the Services is about 40 months: the Detailed Engineering Design, Environmental and Social Assessment and Preparation of Civil Works Bidding Documents is to be completed in 6 months, after which the Procurement Support Services would last approximately 4 months., and the Works are to be constructed in 18 months, with a Defect Liability Period (requiring scaled down supervision) of 12 months. Should the supervision of the 3-year maintenance activities be agreed following the completion of the road rehabilitation, the total duration of the Consulting Services would be 64 months.
The State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) on behalf of Osun State Government now invites eligible consulting firms (“Consultants”) to indicate their interest in providing the Services. Interested Consultants should provide information demonstrating that they have the required qualifications and relevant experience to perform the Services. The short listing criteria are:
(1)     General qualification: Capacity of the Consultant to carry out the Services, to be demonstrated by sufficient years in business with core business in similar activities to those under the Services, annual turnover of the Consultant, and overall number and qualifications of Consultant’ key staff. A brief presentation of the Consultant’s profile shall be provided.
(2)     Engineering Design: Experience and capacity for Engineering Design of low volume rural roads similar in scope and size to those subject to the Services, with both laterite and bituminous surface treatment sections. The Consultants shall demonstrate experience and capacity for conducting full condition surveys, topographical surveys, road and bridge and drainage inventories, geotechnical and material surveys, drainage condition and capacity assessments, and bridge and other structures condition and capacity assessments and designs. The Consultants shall also demonstrate experience and capacity for conducting economic analysis using the Highway Design and Management tool (HDM-4) or the Road Economic Decision (RED) model or any other recognized economic evaluation methodology.
(3)     Construction Supervision: Experience and capacity for Construction Supervision in the role of Engineer for rehabilitation and construction of low volume rural roads similar in scope and size to those subject to the Services, with both laterite and bituminous surface treatment sections.
(4)     Environmental and Social Assessment: Experience and capacity for conducting Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIA) in line with World Bank Safeguards Policies and in proposing mitigation measures in the form of Environmental and Social Management Plans and in drawing up Resettlement Action Plans (RAP) or Abbreviated Resettlement Action Plans (ARAP).
(5)     Bidding Documents and Procurement Support: Experience and capacity for production of full English language bidding documents based on the World Bank Standard Bidding Document for the Procurement of Works, including Technical Specifications, Engineering Drawings, and Bills of Quantities; and for provision of full procurement support through the civil works bidding process and contract award.
The consultants are encouraged to present the information demonstrating the fulfilment of the criteria above in the form of project profiles including: the project name, the location of the project, the name and address of the client/beneficiary, the name(s) of associated firm(s) if any, the duration of the assignment, the start and end date of the assignment, the total value of the contract, the total number of staff-months of the assignment, the value of the services provided by the Consultant under the contract, the number of professional staff-months provided by the associated firm(s), the names of the Consultant’s senior staff involved and functions performed, a brief narrative description of the project, and a description of the actual services provided by the Consultant’s staff under the assignment. The description of the services provided shall specify the type of roads and the works subject to the services, the length of roads, and the location of the roads.
Consultants may associate with other firms in the form of a joint venture or a sub-consultancy to enhance their qualifications.
A Consultant will be selected in accordance with the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method set out in the Consultant Guidelines. The detailed engineering design services and the preparation of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (Including preparation of the bidding documents) will be paid on a lump sum basis, while the subsequent support including construction supervision and other services will be paid on a resource time-based basis.
Further information can be obtained at the address below during office hours, i.e., 0800am to 4.00 pm.
Expressions of Interest must be delivered in a written form to the address below (in person, or by courier) on or before 12 noon, 22^nd January 2015.
State Project Coordinator
State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU)
Osun Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP II)
Old Government Press Building, Testing Ground Area,
PM.B. 4414, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria.
Tel: + 294 803-387-3763, +234 803- 356-5979
 

The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has revealed how the deployment of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in monitoring and reporting of events as they unfolded during the August 9 governorship election in the state prevented falsification of results.
The governor, in a statement by the Director Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon,was quoted as stating this while delivering a keynote address titled “Broadband: Oxygen for Digital Economy” at the Africa Digital Forum and Award 2014 organised by the ICT Watch Network at the Sheraton Hotels and Towers in Ikeja, Lagos Sunday evening.
Aregbesola pointed out that ICT was put to use by the various situation rooms set up by the government to monitor, get results and happening across all the units, wards and Local governments in the state helped in no small measure.
He bemoaned the situation of the country at this jet age lacking the capacity to deploy Internet and other advanced technologies to locate the whereabouts of the Chibok school girls several months after their abduction by Boko Haram insurgents.
The governor noted that Nigeria has a new opportunity for economic resurgence in the digital economy age, saying that the nation has the requisite infrastructure both material and human.
He said, “We have a huge human population (167 million) with equally immense needs. This is a potentially immense market with which we can trade our way from poverty to riches. Added to this is the demography of that population.
‎
“Our population is predominantly composed of youths who are energetic, enthusiastic, and innovative”. The governor stressed
Aregbesola noted that the Osun experience in the use of modern technology and the use of Internet could be a model for national ICT development on a non-partisan basis.
The governor pointed out that the use of ICT will enhance greater deployment and consumption of broadband.
According to Aregbesola, “In Osun, without being immodest, we can say that ICT has been a major plank of governance. We pioneered e-learning with the invention of Opon Imo. We have also been able to provide card based e-credit for farmers. Of course, we have also deployed e-based payroll and staff ID card on MasterCard platform directly connected to the holder’s account.
“We have also devised e-ID Card for all pupils in public schools and the card will now serve as payment instrument for our home-grown school feeding and health programme (O’MEALS).
“We set up the OYESTECH, an institution for training youths in the use, assembly and repair of electronic gadgets from plasma television, computers to mobile phones”. The governor told the gathering.
Aregbesola held that Nigeria has a great potential for enhancing development in this information age through the digital economy.
He noted that there are still huge potentials in road traffic monitoring and control, CCTV camera, weather monitoring and forecast, national population database among others.
He said, “What this means is that there is power and potential in numbers. A great number of people mean a potentially great variety of needs to be met.

“The good thing is that in meeting these needs, a self-reinforcing cycle is created in which people have access to employment, are productively engaged, earn income, create wealth, and spread prosperity with accompanying prospect of material uplift and satisfaction”. Aregbesola pointed out.
The governor added that any human mass is a potential source of wealth generation from which positive developments can spring, stressing that what is required therefore is creativity in turning the potential into public good.

Photos of the Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, receiving an Award of ICT Infrastructural Governor of the year from  former Personal Secretary of Late Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Odia Ofeimun, during the Africa Digital Forum & Awards 2014 at Sheraton Hotel & Towers, lkeja Lagos on Sunday 14-12-2014.

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (4th right); President
Nigeria lnternet Group, Engr. Adebayo Banjo (3rd right); Event
Coordinator, Mr Tayo Adewusi (5th left); Past President, Nigeria
lnternet Group (NIG) and Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria
(ATCON), Engr. Emmanuel Ekuwem (4th left) and others, during the
Africa Digital Forum and Presentation of Awards 2014 on ICT
Infrastructural to Governor Aregbesola, at Sheraton Hotel & Towers,
lkeja, Lagos on Sunday 14-12-2014.

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, recieving an Award of
ICT Infrastructural Governor of the year from former Personal
Secretary of Late Obafemi Awalowo, Chief Odia Ofeimun, during the
Africa Digital Forum & Awards
2014 at Sheraton Hotel & Towers, lkeja Lagos on Sunday 14-12-2014.

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, recieving an Award of
ICT Infrastructural Governor of the year from former Personal
Secretary of Late Obafemi Awalowo, Chief Odia Ofeimun, during the
Africa Digital Forum & Awards
2014 at Sheraton Hotel & Towers, lkeja Lagos on Sunday 14-12-2014.

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf
Aregbesola (middle); Event Coordinator, Mr Tayo Adewusi (left); Former
Personal Secretary to late Obafemi Awalowo, Odia Ofeimun (right),
during Africa Digital Forum and Presentation of ICT Infrastructural
Governor of the year Awards 2014 on Governor Aregbesola at Sheraton
Hotel & Towers, Ikeja, Lagos.
on Sunday 14-12-2014.

A correspondent of the PUNCH newspapers in Osun, Mr. Femi Makinde, is in for interrogation by the election petition tribunal in the state over a report published by his newspaper which the tribunal considers to be false.

The correspondent had reported in his paper on Friday that there was over-voting in Unit 6 Ward 4 of Oriade Local Government Area of the state during the last governorship election in which the Governor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was declared the winner.

The report said to have been published on page 10 of the Friday December 11 edition of the paper was said to have angered the chairman of the tribunal Justice Elizabeth Ikpejime.

The attention of the chairman of the tribunal was called to the alleged false report by Counsel to Aregbesola, Chief Akin Olujinmi to the publication, “Omisore establishes over-voting in Oriade Local Government” on page 10 of the Punch Newspapers which, according to Olujinmi did not represent what happened at the tribunal the previous day.

Olujinmi, “I want to bring to the notice of this Honourable Tribunal, a false publication in the Punch where it was alleged that Omisore established over-voting in Oriade Local Government. My Lord will recall that at the inception of this tribunal, your Lordship admonished the members of the press on the need for true reportage of proceedings in this court. We were therefore shocked to read this blatant falsehood in today’s Punch Newspapers as it does not represent what happened yesterday in court.”
It was after Olujinmi’s complaint that the chairman demanded for the correspondent of the PUNCH who was however nowhere to be found in court.

The Chairman of the tribunal thereafter demanded for his presence at the court to explain why disciplinary actions should not be taken against him for his alleged false report on the proceedings of the tribunal.

Photos of the Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, his Deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori, the National President, Nigerian Association of Auctioneers (NAA), Alhaji Aliyu Kiliya and others, during the Governor’s investiture as the Association’s Patron at Government House, Osogbo, State of Osun on Sunday 14-12-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd left) presenting a
Plague to National President, Nigerian Association of Auctioneers
(NAA), Alhaji Aliyu Kiliya (right); Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi
Laoye-Tomori (left); Head of Service, Mr Olayinka Owoeye (3rd left)
and Former Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties,
Barrister Ajibola Basiru, during the Governor’s investiture as NAA
Patron at Government House, Osogbo, State of Osun on Sunday 14-12-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd left) presenting a
Plague to National President, Nigerian Association of Auctioneers
(NAA), Alhaji Aliyu Kiliya (right); Deputy Governor, Mrs Titi
Laoye-Tomori (left); Head of Service, Mr Olayinka Owoeye (3rd left)
and Former Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties,
Barrister Ajibola Basiru, during the Governor’s investiture as NAA
Patron at Government House, Osogbo, State of Osun on Sunday 14-12-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (4th left); his Deputy,
Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori (3rd left); National President, Nigerian
Association of Auctioneers (NAA), Alhaji Aliyu Kiliya (2nd right);
Osun State Chairman, NAA, Moshood Oladejo (2nd left); Chairman NAA
Board of Trustees, Alhaji Ahmadu Abubakar (right) and others, during
the Governor’s investiture as the Association’s Patron at Government
House, Osogbo, State of Osun on Sunday 14-12-2014