“The people must be integrated into the party while the party must be in incorporated into
the people”.

Today’s event is a great story in many respects. One, it is a confirmation of our aspiration to be recorded in world records as part of civilised nations on one hand, but on the other, it is an opportunity to reflect on the unenthusiastic state of our polity being strangulated by certain retrogressive forces whose antecedents in statesmanship are questionable and political consciousness brazenly criminal. However, it must be realised that today’s occasion is not a jamboree to treat ourselves to fulsome praises and self-indulgent congratulatory back-patting adverts but a window to do a clinical diagnosis of our political malaise and a prognosis into our uncertain future as a nation.
We would all recall that a governorship election held in the State of Osun on the 9th day of August, 2014 in which the honouree of today’s event, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, emerged the winner. It is not the victory of this great son of Oodua that made the election spectacular but rather the war-like circumstances in which the election was held during which the psyche of the nation and the progressive forces in the State of Osun were subjected to physical and mental siege.
Prior to the election and few weeks therefrom, the governorship election in Ekiti State was held in which our party, All Progressives Congress lost in questionable circumstances. It was a great setback but it was also a revelation of what might befall us in Osun if greater care was not taken despite the popularity of our candidate. A Yoruba adage says: iku to pa ojugba eni, owe lo pa fun ni – which means, the demise of a neighbour is a clear signal of one’s mortality. We took a cue from that as we knew that the setting in Ekiti was a reinvention of the Hobbessian state of nature in which life was being made nasty, brutish and might at any time be cut short.
The Siege
The catholic acceptability of the personality of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola dates back to his eventful declaration to contest the governorship seat in the then Osun State on the 16th day of April, 2005 where multitudes trooped out to welcome him around Station Road in Osogbo, the capital of the State. This has been a regular feature at every occasion from the time when this monumental icon stepped into public view up in the State of Osun up to the election time in 2007 and thereafter till this moment.
Incidentally, this state of events has been a terror to the Peoples Democratic Party government and its rogue clan of violent stooges in Osun who have vowed to recapture the State by all means possible. The plan was to deploy the entire machinery of state terror whereof seventy thousand armed soldiers, policemen, officers of the State Security Service and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps were to provide shield for a horde of Niger/Delta snipers who had been imported into the State two weeks to the election and local PDP thugs in the bid to unleash massive brutality on leaders and members of All Progressives Congress and the general electorate.
Thus, in the façade of providing security for the electoral process, the Federal Government at the instance of Peoples Democratic Party mobilised thousands of security officers into the State few weeks to the election. Most of them were fully masked, all armed to the teeth and displayed poetic love for violence as they shot sporadically into the air to scare the people of the State. The machinery of federalism as preserved by the Constitution had been wiped off as the only thing the Federal Government had not done was mere paper declaration of state of emergency in Osun. The armed men roamed the streets of the various towns in lorry loads in scary appearances while the candidate of PDP, Iyiola Omisore, did not spare a moment to let the world know that he was out to capture the State for keeps.
However, whenever these agents and merchants of death shot into the air whether in broad daylight or in the dark recesses of the night, the determined people of Osun hailed the bullet rains with the slogan of “APC – Change” or “Aregbesola for second term” which tended to infuriate the armed terrorists more. Iyiola Omisore’s campaign venues were utterly deserted save for a few who wanted to collect his money and later vote their conscience. On the other hand were the tumultuous crowds that attended Aregbesola’s rallies in different towns, villages and communities. This continued to send jitters down the spine of the PDP goons who rather tried to mask their unpopularity by what they termed house-to-house campaign and tried to perfect their rigging machinery by purchasing voters’ cards of innocent registered voters in order to decimate the huge number of supporters and sympathisers of Ogbeni. All these failed to achieve the desired goal.
All these intimidating credentials of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola left the PDP elements with no other option than to bolster their resolve to further militarise the electoral process more. Despite the fact that the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has no power under the Constitution to deploy the military for electoral process and notwithstanding the pendency of the suits filed by APC at the Federal High Court, Osogbo, challenging the unconstitutional deployment of soldiers for electoral purpose, the PDP government at the centre, not enamoured with the glorious dictates of the rule of law, proceeded in a determined manner to use the same formulae it deployed to win Ekiti few weeks back.
NEWS NIGERIA

Osun State has thrown its weight behind the decision to postpone the 19th National Sports Festival, the News Agency of Nigeria reports.
The festival tagged Paradise Games, which was earlier scheduled to hold from November 23 to December 7 in Calabar, Cross River State, will now take place in the same venue from April 9 to 19, 2015, according to the competition’s Joint Technical Committee.
And Osun State Ministry of Youths, Sports and Special Needs Director Layi Adesiyan told NAN during the week that the postponement of the event would allow the state’s athletes to prepare better.
Adesiyan said, “We have enough time to prepare since the event has now been moved to April, 2015.
“Our athletes train every day with their instructors. It will be an added advantage for them to start all over again so that they can better represent the state at the games.
“Out of 15 events, Osun will feature in 13; the arrangement and equipment needed for the athletes are in order.
“The issue of funding is a global problem, which will not stop us from participating in the games and I am sure that our athletes will make us proud.”
Meanwhile, the National Vice-President of Sports Writers’ Association of Nigeria, South-South Zone, Justice Udousoro   has criticised the postponement.
Udousoro told NAN in Uyo, “It portends a great danger for sports organisation in Nigeria, if we cannot have a workable timetable for organising a festival of this magnitude.
“Preparation for this festival in Calabar started long ago; most states have invested a lot in hiring training facilities for camping of athletes for a specific time frame.
“Some athletes are students; they can’t stay in camp indefinitely.”
PUNCH

The active engagement of women in peace building processes at all levels contributes in no small way to sustainable peaceful co-existence among people and having peaceful elections.
More so, ensuring peace and non violence during elections is key to having free and fair elections. It allows the right people to get into power, helps in providing political equality and building quality democracy.
It also encourages women to participate and contest in elections as electoral violence has been identified by experts as one of the major impediments to women’s participation in politics and voting during elections.
During the last Osun State gubernatorial election, women’s capacity as powerful agents of peace and security during elections was brought to bear in the state through the Women’s Governance Accountability Platform (WGAP) Project, an elections accountability initiative of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN WOMEN).
Through the project, women under the leadership of the Iyalode of Oshogbo (The highest female title) Chief Bernice Kolade conducted advocacy visits to key leaders, political, religious and traditional in the states for peaceful elections.
Women were trained to participate as observers and also was created a women’s situation room. They sensitized people on peaceful and violence free elections, had engagements with political parties, youths, the media and groups among others.
The Women’s Governance Accountability Platform (WGAP) Project was designed to monitor, report and document gender based violence in elections with Osun state as the pilot state during its august 9 gubernatorial elections.
It is geared towards promotion of peaceful and non-violent elections while increasing the active participation of women in democratic and electoral processes.
It also supported women’s expertise in mobilizing, and leading peace initiatives and actions to prevent or mitigate potential conflicts and threats during and after the Osun state elections. It was piloted in Osun state by the Women’s Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) with the support of UN Women.
Last Thursday the report and outcome document of the project in Osun state was launched by UN Women in collaboration with the Women’s Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) at Oshogbo, Osun State.
UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Dr Grace Ongile during the lunch said it is remarkable that over 60 percent of voters during the August election in the state were women.
She said if women had stood for positions during the elections there was a high chance they would win with such huge number of women voters.
Ongile who was represented by the Officer in charge of the project, Desmond Osemhenjie, said the project was piloted in Osun state to see how women could be used as instruments of free and fair elections, adding that with what was recorded during the gubernatorial elections, there will be free and fair elections in the 2015 General Elections in the state and more women coming out to contests.
She said UN Women has made arrangements to support women who come out for elections, is supporting constitutional review for affirmative action, and independent candidates, and policies that will favour women to participate in the 2015 General Elections.
She said the report was launched to enable all stakeholders who participated in the project to see the outcome.
According to the Report, the project provided opportunity for women in the state to lead peaceful processes in the August elections , strengthen dialogue mechanisms and enhance capacity of gender equality advocates and civil society to promote women’s political participation.
“The 2014 Osun state Governorship Election was generally adjudged to be free, fair and credible by majority of the observers. There were less incidences of gender based electoral violence. The project no doubt contributed to the peaceful outcomes of the election, women were properly mobilized and reports showed that they constituted over 60 percent of voters,” the report said.
Earlier, Executive Director of WARDC , Mrs Abiola Akiode had decried the few number of women holding elective positions in the state saying that their numbers have to be increased, particularly in the house of assembly where there is no woman.
She said the launch of the report provides an opportunity to identify and engage women who will be participating in the February 2015 General elections, to reflect that it will be free and fair and that women will vie in the elections.
The representative of the Federation of Muslim Women Association of Nigeria (FOMWAN) Osun state chapter at the event, Mrs Tijani Simbiat said women’s participation in politics is building structures for future generations.
She said society should not look at woman who contest elections as being of easy virtue saying women will help eradicate corruption in the country when they occupy positions. She urged women not to hesitate to come out to contest positions and also support one another.
The Iyalode of Oshogo, Bernice Kolade called for fund raising ceremonies to be organised for female aspirants saying what women need to vie for elective positions is money.
She thanked UN Women and WARDC for all its efforts for Osun women in respect of governance.
A board member of WARDC, Mrs Funmilayo Thomas urged the stakeholders to go to the grassroots to engage women especially with the primary elections approaching saying it is the right time to encourage women to participate.
Various stakeholders cutting across representatives of political parties in the state, the media, civil society organizations, market women association, women focused non-governmental organizations and religious organizations among others, made the following suggestions on how to increase the number of women in politics and that more of them vie for positions in the 2015 elections:
Women should indicate interest in participating in politics, be confident and do away with the fear of risks.
Men should be enlightened to allow their wives to contest and women themselves should be enlightened that politics is not dirty as they think. They should;
– Organise a summit for female aspirants and enlighten them on politics;
– Change the orientation of some people that women politicians are prostitutes;
– Involve religious and traditional rulers in sensitizing the people.
Stakeholders should also pay advocacy visits to government, political parties and sensitize women on radio and other mass media.
DAILY TRUST

Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun on Friday said that Boko Haram principles and beliefs were not in line with Islamic tenets.
Aregbesola said this while inaugurating the Central Mosque of the state House of Assembly in Osogbo.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor also performed the Juma’at prayers at the new mosque.
Aregbesola said that a true Muslim would not kill innocent people.
He said Islam is a religion that required fear of God, respect for human lives, good character as well as working in line with God’s directives.
“What we are doing today is the way to fight for the cause of Allah, not the way the Boko Haram sect members are doing it.
“lslam is a religion of peace, love for mankind and respect for human lives,” he said.
The governor commended members of the Assembly for constructing the mosque, saying that the gesture would be a legacy for future generations.
He said the simplicity and functionality of the mosque were two attributes that a Muslim must copy in the development of worship centers.
The Speaker of the House of Assembly, Najeem Salaam, commended the governor for his wisdom in running the affairs of the state.
Najeem said the Assembly would continue to support the governor in his efforts to move the state forward.
The Chief Imam of the mosque, Ustaz Abdul-Fatahi Adebisi, commended the governor for his commitment to the transformation the state
BELLA NAIJA

Contrary to the allegations that Governor Rauf Aregbesola and All Progressive Congress (APC) were dragging the hearing of the petition before the Osun State Election Petition Tribunal, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore have sought the adjournment of the hearing to Monday, 10th November, 2014 as they were not ready for the process.
It would be recalled that Omisore and the PDP, who are challenging the re-election of Aregbesola and APC have accused the respondents of using delay tactics for the hearing of the petition.
At the sitting of the tribunal on Thursday, 6th November, 2014 when the panel was set to start hearing and the respondents have also indicated to move on, the petitioners’ counsel, Mr Nathaniel Oke (SAN) applied that the matter should be adjourned.
As if he was truly ready, Oke said: “My Lords, we are ready to open our case, since the pre-hearing has been closed by your Lordship”.
Subsequently, the tribunal chairman, Justice Elizabethe Ikpejime responded, “we are ready now to begin hearing you can call your witnesses now”.
The petitioners’ counsel quickly made a u-turn and applied for the adjournment till Monday, 10th November, 2014, saying, “we don’t want to open our case now and after calling two or three witnesses we will be asking for adjournment. We want adjournment till Monday”.
This application was opposed by counsel to Aregbesola, Mr Kunle Adegoke who argued that the application was purely in conflict with the allegation of the PDP that the respondents in the matter are trying to delay the hearing of the matter.
He said: “We have been harrased so much in the media by the petitioners that we are trying to delay the proceeding, but you can see now that they are the one dragging us back.
“The tribunal is ready, we are also ready, but it is the petitioners that are not ready. In fact we are here with our own witnesses and the documents we want to tender”.
Counsel to the APC, Mr Aderemi Abimbola also associated with the objection of Aregbesola counsel, requesting for a N500,000 cost against the petitioners.
Subsequently, the tribunal granted the application for adjournment till Monday, November 10.
Earlier, the panel had read the scheduling order to be followed during hearing, directing that 20 minutes would be alloted for cross-examination of each witness, while Certified True Copies (CTC) document would be tendered by consent.
Objections on uncertified document, according to the tribunal, would be taken in the course of hearing, but rulings on them would be delivered in the final judgment.
Meanwhile, three issues that have been formulated by the tribunal out of the issues raised by the parties are whether the tribunal has jurisdiction to entertain the matter and whether the election was vitiated by reason of corrupt practices, irregularity and substantial non-compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act and manual for the conduct of the election.
Other issue is whether the first respondent was validly returned as a candidate who polled the majority of lawful votes at the election.
In line with Paragraph 41(10) of the First Schedule of the Electoral Act, the tribunal said the petitioners have 14 days to present their case, while the repondents have 10 days each to defend.
The tribunal then directed that its attention should be drawn to the preliminary objections of the respondents and profer arguments in the final addresses, saying, decision would be taken firstly on the competence and jurisdictional matter at the final judgement before determining the merit of the case.
GAZELLE NEWS

Photos of the Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola;  the acting Chairman, Osun  Internal Revenue Service, Mr Dayo Oyebamiji and Director Medium, Tax Department of Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mr Peter Olayemi, during the launch of Electronic Tax Clearance Certificate (E-TCT), at Leisure Spring Hotel, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 06-11-2014

From right, Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Acting Chairman, Osun Internal Revenue Service, Mr Dayo Oyebamiji and Director Medium, Tax Department of Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mr Peter Olayemi, during the launching of Electronic Tax Clearance Certificate (E-TCT), at Leisure Spring Hotel, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 06-11-2014

From right, Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Acting Chairman, Osun Internal Revenue Service, Mr Dayo Oyebamiji and Director Medium, Tax Department of Federal Inland Revenue Service, Mr Peter Olayemi, during the launching of Electronic Tax Clearance Certificate (E-TCT), at Lesure Spring Hotel, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 06-11-2014

From left Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Head of Service Mr Sunday Owoeye; Special Assistant to Governor on Budget, Mr Bade Adesina and Deputy Managing Director, Infinity System Enterprises, Mr Bode Oluyemi, during the launching of Electronic Tax Clearance Certificate (E-TCT), at Leisure Spring Hotel, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 06-11-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Wale Bolorunduro;; Acting Chairman, Osun Internal Revenue Service, Mr Dayo Oyebamiji; Special Assistant to Governor on Budget, Mr Bade Adesina (In red tie) and others, during the launching of Electronic Tax Clearance Certificate (E-TCT), at Leisure Spring Hotel, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 06-11-2014

From right, President General, Market Women Association, State of Osun, Alhaja Awawu Asindemade; Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Wale Bolorunduro and others, during the launching of Electronic Tax Clearance Certificate (E-TCT), at Leisure Spring Hotel, Osogbo, State of Osun on Thursday 06-11-2014

The Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has charged the people of the state, the need for them to rise in support of the government by paying their tax to assist the government in fulfilling its obligation now that the country is sinking economically with the dwindling revenue from the Federal Government.
The Governor made the charge on Thursday November 6, 2014 during the Launching of Electronic Tax Clearance Certificate (E-TCC) facilitated by the State Internal Revenue Services at Leisure Spring Hotel in Osogbo.
Aregbesola who said Nigeria is wrecked economically charged all the citizens of the state to rise in support of the state government by paying their tax as at when due, saying it is their civic responsibility.
The governor said “I am urging good people of Osun to pay their tax because refusal of any citizen to pay tax is a disservice to any society”.
According to the governor, the low income earners will be paying N4.17 per day making N1500 per month saying those in that category will pay N4,500 for Three months to get the new electronic tax clearance card.
While speaking on the current economic challenges of the country, the Governor Aregebesola who appeared in a sober reflection said “the terrible situation of our country call for sober reflection, the crude oil as at today in international market is $76 contrary to $117 early this year.
“Since last year June, our allocation has reduced with 40 % and I have been making noise since then.
We have been battling with this critical situation and we don’t know where we are heading to because the situation is becoming more and more terrible.
“A friend from United State of America recently wrote me on the impending falling of crude oil price, and alerted me that by next year, crude oil price may not beyond $50 per barrel, that is why we must find alternative means to run government, for those who understand, the nation is in serious trouble.” Aregbesola said.
The Guest Lecturer, Mr Peter Olayemi, Director, Medium Tax Department, Federal Inland Revenue Service while delivering his lecture on “Tax Regime as a Tool of Standardization of Revenue From Informal Sector” said the best resources alternative to development is taxation.
Temitope explained that taxation is about the profit on businesses and according to the law; everybody must pay tax from their business.
He urged the investors especially the informal workers must be keeping transaction record to assist the tax managers, saying absence of record may lead to imposition of Best of Judgment (BOJ) which may not be in the interest of an investor.
He said” in law, it is presumed that absence of transaction records is an attempt to evade tax which will compel the tax managers to estimate the value of business and imposed assume due tax, this may not be in the interest of any business man but it is the position of law.”
He advised the people of the state to take the advantage of the electronic tax clearance certificate to improve their business and make life abundant in the society.
Commissioner for Finance, Dr Wale Bolorundare said tax clearance has become a very important document in Nigeria as every transactions and business revolves around tax clearance and urged the people to take the advantage of the new electronic card.

Osun State Governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, has assured members of the National Youth Service Corps posted to the state of safety.
He said this in Ede on Thursday  at the opening of the swearing-in ceremony of the 2014 batch “B” corps members deployed in the state.
The governor, who was represented at the ceremony, Commissioner for Youths and Special  Needs, Mr. Stephen Kola-Balogun, urged corps members to be responsible citizens while assuring them that the people of the state were ready to assist them.
He said, ” There is no doubt that any society were peace reigns will experience a lot of development. We have not taken the issues of security with levity. That is why we have been able to carry on with a lot of development projects so as to give our people a new lease of life.
” I want to assure you that our people are peace loving, warm and accommodating. So also want to assure you that the welfare and safety of corps members will be given priority.”
The NYSC coordinator in Osun State, Mr. Abada  Okpiroro, explained that orientation of the 2014 Batch “B” corps members ought to have taken place since August but was postponed to September because of the governorship election held in the state on August 9.
He, however, said that the orientation course could not hold again in September due to the Ebola virus disease which was brought into the country.
Okpiroro added that the affected corps members were  just registered and posted to their places of primary assignment.
According to him, the NYSC will adhere strictly to the three week orientation course for the corps members to ensure that they do not miss  out of the programmes lined up for them.
He said, ” At this juncture, I want to enjoin the course participants to conduct themselves in a disciplined manner and abide by the camp rules and regulations and above all, anticipate fully in all the activities in order to have a fulfilling service year.
” The skill acquisition programme will be organised for you and I want to charge  you  to take good advantage of it. The fact remains that white collar jobs are scarce but if you acquire a skill now, it will assists you to take off smoothly after service.”
PUNCH

The State of Osun Election Tribunal has granted the petitioner’s prayer to open his case on Monday, November 10.
The adjournment was at the instance of petitioner’s Counsel, Nathaniel Oke (SAN), who urged the tribunal to allow him open his case on Monday.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s candidate in the August 9 governorship election in the state, Senator Iyiola Omisore and his party are the petitioners, while Governor Rauf Aregbesola, All Progressive Congress (APC) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are respondents in the suit.
Although, Counsels to the 1st and 2nd respondents, Kunle Adegoke and Aderemi Abimbola, opposed the adjournment, insisting that the petitioner must open his case immediately.
Adegoke who argued that the application was purely in conflict with the allegation of the PDP that the respondents in the matter are trying to delay the hearing of the matter.
Adegoke said “We have been harassed so much in the media by the petitioners that we are trying to delay the proceeding, but you can see now that they are the one dragging us back.?
“The tribunal is ready, we are also ready, but it is the petitioners that are not ready. In fact we are here with our own witnesses and the document we want to tender”, he added.
Counsel to the APC, Mr Aderemi Abimbola also associated with the objection of Aregbesola counsel, requesting for a N500,000 cost against the petitioners.
Subsequently, the tribunal granted the application for adjournment till Monday, November 10.
However, the Justice Elizabeth Ikpejime led tribunal, ruled that the petitioner is entitled to open his case as he deems fit.
Citing paragraph 41(10) of the first schedule of Electoral act, the panel held that each of the respondents shall use 10 days, while the petitioner has 14 days to call their witnesses.
The panel further held that any objection to the admissibility of evidence during the hearing should be filed in the submission of the counsels and would be decided on the day judgement will be delivered.
It would be recalled that Omisore and the PDP, who are challenging the re-election of Aregbesola and APC have accused the respondents of using delay tactics for the hearing of the petition.
The panel also adopted minutes for cross examination of each of the witness that will testify before the panel as proposed by the respondents during the last sitting.
BIOREPORTS

The Speaker of Osun House of Assembly, Najeem Salaam, on Thursday said the current drop in the price of crude at the international market posed a threat to the nation`s economy.
Salaam, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo, said government, as a matter of urgency, should diversify the economy for it to survive the looming economy crisis.
The Speaker said the fall in the price of crude oil had contributed to reduction in federal allocations, causing many states to find it difficult to pay their workers.
Salaam said government must intensify investment efforts in agriculture and other non-oil sectors to prevent the economy from crashing.
He said that agriculture, which supposed to be one of the main sources of income for government, had been neglected due to the discovery of oil.
Salaam said government, at all levels, must intensify efforts in agriculture, especially by making necessary inputs available to farmers and creating markets for their produce.
“I don’t know how we can survive this because relying on oil as the only source of income is abnormal.
“It is sad that our economy is largely dependent on oil and due to the fall in price, our economy is being threatened.
“This problem has been in existence for a very long time and nobody cares about it; and now, the reality is about to be dawn on us.
“It is not too late for us to diversify the economy and government can start doing that now before the situation is beyond control.
“The groundnut pyramid in the north, cocoa plantation in the west and the palm oil in the east and other farm products can be revived to sustain our economy in the face of crisis,” Salaam said.
NAN