The Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has questioned the emotion of Nigeria as a nation with its indifferent posture towards the deepening security crisis, which has seen thousands killed by the Boko Haram sect.
Aregbesola said this while delivering a lecture titled, ‘Federalism, democracy and the future of Nigeria,’ during the Convocation Lecture and 66th Foundation Day Ceremony, University of Ibadan on Tuesday.
The governor, who was overwhelmed by emotion as he sobbed during the lecture, said Nigerian should be mourning with the killing of schoolchildren and teachers in Potiskum, Yobe State, on Monday.
He said, “It is unfortunate that even if we should ask ourselves what the mood of the nation should be now, we do not know. Nigeria should be mourning by now. Nigeria’s flag must fly at half mast now. We should be wearing mournful look and ask ourselves how we got to be where we are now.
“Fifty of our schoolchildren and teachers were killed in a suicide attack yesterday (Monday) in Potiskum and we act as if it is normal. We don’t even have the feeling anymore, the conscience, the emotion and the fact that the only thing we have is life.
“I will not be where I am today if I had been slaughtered like that in school. That is just one of the statistics. In the same Yobe, some students were slaughtered at night while in Borno, schoolgirls were taken away and yet to be found or returned.
“Territories of Nigeria are being paraded by lunatics, mad men, who could not be called normal human beings. Yet, we carried on as if all these do not matter. We have forgotten that whatever is happening to a neighbour is a sign of what could come to others.”
The governor expressed deep sadness over the erosion of the visions of the nation’s founders, fearing that Nigeria could be heading for doom because of the latest oil discoveries by nations that once depended on Nigeria’s oil and the fall in oil price.
Aregbesola added, “Sixty six years ago, when UI was founded and Nigeria was the morning star of Africa, the founding fathers of Nigeria never thought that this kind of thing would happen to us. But alas, if anything, it appears we are worse than we were in the 60s.
“The oil price crisis is telling us that in 10 years time, oil will amount to nothing. Less than 18 months ago, the US depended on our oil, today US exports oil to other nations. If India, which is already showing the technological capacity, follows suit just as others, we are doomed.
“If in autumn, oil price is falling, what will happen between May and September? It is not the price that is worrisome but the fact that we now depend absolutely on oil without any belief in the fact that wealth is created by production.”
NIGERIAN EYE

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Governor State of Osun Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and the Deputy Governor with the  organizer of the programme, Professor Yemi Oshinbajo during  An Evening of  Praise and Thanksgiving at Mandela Freedom Park Osogbo, State of Osun, on Saturday 8-10-2014.

Governor State of Osun Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola(2nd right), Deputy Governor
State of osun, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori (left), organizer of the
programme, Professor Yemi Oshinbajo (right), during An Evening of
Praise and Thanksgiving at Mandela Freedom Park Osogbo on Saturday
8-10-2014.

Governor State of Osun Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola(2nd left), Deputy Governor
State of osun, Mrs Titi-laoye Tomori(left), organizer of the programme,
Professor Yemi Oshinbajo (2nd right),Chairman Christen Association of
Nigeria Osun Chapter, Reverend Elijah Ogundiya (right), Coordinator , Pastor
Abraham David (2nd left), during An Evening of Praise and Thanksgiving at
Mandela Freedom Park Osogbo on Saturday 8-10-2014.

Governor State of Osun Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola(2nd left), Deputy Governor
State of osun, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori (left), Organizer of the
programme, Professor Yemi Oshinbajo ( right), during An Evening of
Praise and Thanksgiving at Mandela Freedom Park Osogbo on Saturday
8-10-2014.

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The Osun Governorship election petition tribunal on Monday refused the application by Senator Iyiola Omisore to tender duplicate copies of electoral documents from the bar.

At the beginning of hearing of his petition against the declaration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola as the winner of August 9, 2014 governorship election, Justice Elizabeth Ikpejime delivered the ruling of the Tribunal which insisted that only Certified True Copies (CTCs) of election documents could be tendered from the bar.

Dr. Alex Izinyon, SAN, leading counsel to Omisore had, at the opening of hearing which was the first of 14 days allocated to the petitioner to make his case, sought to begin tendering of documents rather than calling witnesses for oral testimony before the Tribunal.

In furtherance of this, Izinyon who led two other Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Titus Ashaolu and Nathaniel Oke,  told the Tribunal that the petitioner was ready to tender Certified True Copies of Form EC.8A as well as duplicate copies of election results for individual polling units through the bar.

This application, he hinged on the need to save time arguing that objections to admissibility of duplicate copies could be taken at a later stage of the hearing adding that there were a plethora of authorities to back his position.

Reminded by the Tribunal Chairman that parties had agreed at pre-trial session that certified true copies would be tendered through the bar and with consent of parties, Izinyon insisted that his suggestion was just the difference between six and half of a dozen that  made to save time and assist the Tribunal in achieving speedy hearing of the petition.

Chief Akin Olujinmi, SAN immediately raised objection to Izinyon’s application wondering why the silk was trying to take a step that was unknown to Nigerian law.

The silk maintained that Nigeria’s Evidence Act did not provide for tendering of duplicate copies of documents from the bar but could only be tendered through a witness in the witness box.

Describing Omisore’s application as strange, the silk said “My approach is that there is no problem with Certified True Copies of documents but in regard to duplicate copies, we have no record that in the Evidence Act, it can be tendered from the Bar. There is no law backing the tendering of duplicate copies from the Bar”

Olujinmi’s position was adopted by leading counsel to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Rotimi Akederedolu SAN, and that of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ayotunde Ogunleye .

Justice Ikpejime then delivered the ruling of the Tribunal ordering that CTC of documents be tendered from the bar while duplicate copies of documents should be tendered through the witness box as contained in the report of the pre-trial session.

Izinyon proceeded to tell the panel that Omisorre was ready to begin tendering Form EC. 8A for seven Polling Units in Otun Balogun Ward of  Ayedaade Local Government.

When it was clear that the documents he sought to tender would need to be vetted by Aregbesola’s counsel, APC and INEC, the SAN applied that the Tribunal should retire for parties to consult.

Izinyon said “If your Lordships can just retire, we can put heads together so that it won’t be a case of respondents claiming to see the documents for the first time”.

Olujinmi and other respondents’ counsel agreed to this position and the Tribunal rose at exactly 9.30 am after which Izinyon and his team crossed over to the respondents side to begin the verification and vetting of documents to be tendered by consent of parties.

The silks then called the attention of the Registrar of the Tribunal to inform the panel members of their decision on how to continue the process.

At exactly 10.48 am, all the senior counsel of the petitioners and the respondents were invited into the Judges Chambers to brief them on their agreed mode of tendering of CTCs of documents.

The process was ongoing as at the time of filing this report.

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Parents and guardians in Osun State have been urged to support the efforts of the state government in its bid to take education to a higher level.
Speaking exclusively with our correspondent in Osogbo on activities lined up for the celebration of 50 years of existence of St Lawrence Grammar School, Ilesa, the chairman, Planning Committee, Pastor Ekamah Samuel Oghenekevhe, who made the call, noted that government alone cannot provide all the facilities required in schools.
Ekamah, who commended Governor Rauf Aregbesola for investing heavily on education despite the meagre resources at his disposal, urged parents to complement his effort by providing the basic needs of their children in school.
He expressed the commitment of the Old Students’ Association of the school to bringing back the past glory of the school through the provision of infrastructure that will create conducive atmosphere for learning, such as a furnished block of classrooms donated by Mr Bayo Jimoh, and a borehole by Mr Tony Apata among others.
Speaking on activities lined up for the week-long celebration, Ekamah said Wednesday, 12th November will witness ‘Walk to Live’ by students, teachers and old students from the school to the roundabout, Ilesa; Career Talk and Novelty Match on Thursday; while Friday will witness Quiz and Art Exhibition.
LEADERSHIP

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As political aspirants across the country rush to pick nomination forms to beat the deadline of their parties, a senatorial aspirant in Osun State, Dr Peter Adebayo Babalola, has hinged his desire to represent his constituency on his determination to support Governor Aregbesola’s phenomenal development of the state.
Addressing newsmen shortly after he picked his nomination form for Osun West Senatorial District at the All Progressives Congress (APC) Secretariat, Osogbo at the weekend, the chairman, Local Government Service Commission said he wants to complement the efforts of Governor Aregbesola’s administration in its developmental projects.
“As a senator, I will like to contribute in any way possible to the phenomenal growth of the State of Osun. We should bear it in mind that the governor cannot do it alone, but with the support of National Assembly members, the State of Osun will get there on time”, he stated.
Dr Babalola said he has an undying urge to give back to the society and to serve his people, adding that he has lived, dined and wined with the people at the grassroots since he retired from service.
He expressed his desire to influence federal presence in Osun through vibrant legislation in the Senate.
LEADERSHIP

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Photos of the Disabled and Beggars, reacting to Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s address, during a party organised by their Association to celebrate Aregbesola’s re-election in Osogbo, State of Osun on Friday 07-11-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd left) acknowledging cheers from the Disables and Beggars, during a party organised by them in celebrating Aregbesola’s re-election in Osogbo, State of Osun. With him are, his Deputy, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori (left); Senior Special Assistant to Governor on Arewa Matters, Imam Bashir Mohammed (3rd left) and others on Friday 07-11-2014

Governor State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (middle); Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Arewa Matters, Imam Bashir Mohammed (right) and Leader, Osun Beggars and Disable’s Association, Mallam Idris Kano (left), during a party organised by the Association in celebrating Aregbesola’s re-election in Osogbo, State of Osun on Friday 07-11-2014

From left, Deputy Governor State of Osun, Mrs Titi Laoye-Tomori; Governor Rauf Aregbesola; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Arewa Matters, Imam Bashir Mohammed and a British Broadcasting Corporation reporter, Mallam Kabiru Yayo, during a party organised by Osun Disables and Beggars Association to celebrate Aregbesola’s re-election in Osogbo, State of Osun on Friday 07-11-2014

Cross Section of Disables and Beggars, reacting to Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s address, during a party organised by their Association to celebrate Aregbesola’s re-election in Osogbo, State of Osun on Friday 07-11-2014

Cross Section of Disables and Beggars, reacting to Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s address, during a party organised by their Association to celebrate Aregbesola’s re-election in Osogbo, State of Osun on Friday 07-11-2014

Cross Section of Disables and Beggars, reacting to Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s address, during a party organised by their Association to celebrate Aregbesola’s re-election in Osogbo, State of Osun on Friday 07-11-2014

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Further confirmation has emerged that the governorship election of August 9, 2014 conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is a landmark in our fledgling electoral process, and the most credible since 2011.
This confirmation came from Professor Attahiru Jega, Chairman of the INEC himself, in an interview he granted a national newspaper recently.
The professor was quoted by the newspaper as saying that, “Look at what we did in Osun State….In Osun, we had the best election conducted so far, the best election we have conducted so far as a commission since 2011.”
Besides, unfolding events in Osun appear to corroborate the INEC Chairman’s assertion as no contrary findings have been made in the course of inspection exercise of ballot papers and electoral materials so far concluded in about 8 of the 17 local governments where the defeated PDP candidate is contesting the validity and credibility of the vote.
According to reports from INEC’s office in Osogbo, inspection done by both parties (APC and PDP) of electoral materials used during the August 9, 2014 governorship election has so far confirmed what Professor Jega said because they were all flawless.
The local governments in which the inspection exercise has been concluded include Osogbo, Olorunda, Irewole,Obokun,Atakumosa West, Ilesha East, Ilesha West and parts of Ejigbo. The exercise continues this week.
Professor Jega also stated that apart from being the best election INEC has conducted since 2011, the Osun State governorship election, which Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola won irrefutably, also recorded the highest number of votes in governorship elections conducted within the period 2011-2014.
Whereas other elections recorded below 30 percent, and that of Ekiti State slightly higher, the Osun governorship election was in excess of 67 percent voter turn out, notwithstanding the massive security that people thought would have scared voters.
The INEC Chairman therefore argued that contrary to popular fears, security beef up for the election neither prevented nor disenfranchised voters.
What happened in Osun State on August 9, 2014 therefore was a true reflection of the people’s wish.

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The standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the August 9, 2014 governorship election, Senator Iyiola Omisore, will today open his case before the election petition tribunal, adjudicating over complaints, that arose from the exercise.
Omisore, had challenged the victory of the candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Governor Rauf Aregbesola, disputing the result of the poll in 17 local government councils, praying the court to declare him the winner of election with valid votes.
At the last proceedings of the tribunal, the chairperson of the 3-member panel, Justice Elizabeth Ikpejime had adjourned the opening of Omisore’s case till today on the request of his lead counsel, Mr Nathaniel Oke (SAN) shortly after the completion of the pre-trial session.
Oke had informed the tribunal that: “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 respondend, “we are ready now to begin hearing you can call your witnesses now”
But, Omisore’s counsel made a u-turn and applied for the adjournment till today, 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”.
However, the application was opposed by counsel to Aregbesola, Mr Kunle Adegoke who contended that the application was purely in conflict with the allegation of the PDP that the respondents in the matter were 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 it is them now that are dragging us back”.
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.
TRIBUNAL

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The Governor of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has said that payment of tax by citizens is an essential ingredient of governance.

The governor made this observation at the launching of electronic tax clearance certificate at the Leisure Spring Hotel in Osogbo.

Aregbesola disclosed that no government can be functional if citizens fail to fulfil their civic responsibility as exemplified by payment of tax.

The newly introduced electronic card tax clearance certificate is aimed at eliminating fake tax clearance certificates; a tax payer’s means of identification; aids reconciliation of tax returns and will also serve as an identity card to the holder.

‎The card will also give assurance to taxpayers that all payments made are remitted to the government coffers and eliminate delay in obtaining tax clearance certificates.

Aregbesola noted that the act of non-payment of tax is a civil wrong which will not be allowed in an organised society, saying taxes are what government uses to perform it’s statutory duties.

‎According to him,”All over the world, government‎ is run by the tax of the people. In essence, it means taxes is essential part of any government administration. And that is why tax evasion is considered as a criminal offence.

“Every responsible citizen is expected to pay tax and this is what government uses to execute its projects and programmes.

“Our own tax regime is going to be people-friendly and reasonable. The least tax rate for our artisans, small scale business owners, market men and women is put at N125 per month which aggregates to N1500 per annum.

“There should be no artisan in the state that can not afford such amount monthly‎. You should call upon your members to take it as their civic duty to pay their tax as and when due so as to support the development and growth of the state.

“It is even religious to love one’s town and state and by paying your tax duly, ‎you are openly demonstrating your love for this state.” the governor said.

‎In his lecture, the Director, Medium Tax department, Federal Inland Revenue services titled “Presumptive tax regime: tool of standardisation of revenue from informal sector. Mr. Peter Olayemi allayed the fear of the people on the issue of tax, saying government is reasonable on the tax regime.

He noted that tax will only be based on profit of business and not the size, adding that for an average individual operating in the informal sector, tax laws are perceived to be complex which should not be so with tax only on profit with proper record.

‎Olayemi observed that Nigeria’s economy is dominated by the oil sector which is characterised by volatility, noting that it is vital therefore to grow the non-oil sector especially the Medium Scale enterprises which constitute the nations engine of economic growth.

According to him, ” in the quest to do business, we must abide by the law, tax is supported by the law. We should at all times keep our record of profits so that there will be no stress when officers of the Internal Revenue service are on call at their shops will safe business owners from being placed on basic judgement assesment”. He told the audience.

Earlier in his address, the acting Chairman, Osun Internal Revenue Service, Mr. Dayo Oyebanji pointed out that the innovation was borne out of Aregbesola’s effort towards making the state financially buoyant without need to rely on the monthly federal allocation.

Oyebanji noted that the objective of the tax clearance certificate is to serve as a replacement to the paper based manually processed tax clearance certificate in line with the current demand of the society.

He said, “the administration of Ogbeni is determined to make life easy for the good people of Osun. IRS under his administration is also committed to collecting tax in the most friendly way without imposing any form of hardship on the indigenes.

“Aregbesola in his magnanimity has approved a meagre sum of N4,500 as three years tax payable by artisans in order to afford them the opportunity to have tax clearance certificate for the pursuance of their day to day transaction.” the Chairman stressed.

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“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

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