I hate to be
addressed as Osun activist, because activists are not state-bound, we are
citizen of the world. But I am an Osun-born activist, either way, Osun
activists or any activist who have any link to Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola have been
subjected to verbal and virtual bashing from within and without. We have been
called unprintable names; come-and-raid, turn-coats, betrayers, sell-out, and
what have you. Like it was in the past, so it is currently, because it is a
Rauf Aregbesola, the man who called his government an unusual government, same
government that enjoyed unusual media coverage in the beginning is currently
battling unusual media siege from left, right and centre, it is simply an
unending seasonal films, this also will pass away.
The first season was
like a film from the stable of Arnold Schwarzenegger, a harmless celebration of
Osogbo sons and daughters at home and in diaspora, popularly called Oroki Day
was marred by violence from warring political class, the man at the centre of
that gun-battle was Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. It was Chairman Mao of China who
once said that “politics is a war without bloodshed” for director of the
theatre of war in 2006, Osun politics is a war that blood must flow!
It was a film that
set the stage for another episode of electoral war of 2007, from Ikirun to
Igbajo, Ilesha to Ile-Ife, it was politics of bloodshed in broad daylight, my
own kinsman, Saheed Adebiyi who was then an HND 1 student of Osun State
Polytechnic Iree could not understand why politician should hijacked ballot
boxes at gun-point, he resisted and paid the ultimate price. However, against
all common-sense and sanctity of electoral dignity, somebody was announced
against the popular will of the people and another episode began just before
dawn on April 21, 2007.In Ilesha, a young girl was gang-raped at the height of
the jackboot invasion, the irony of all the horror in all the episode so far
was that the actors were bruised but nobody was prosecuted for such a horrific
political war.
The season two of the
film was not on the violent field of politics of cudgels, knives, guns and
bayonet but in the courtroom of wigs, gowns, facts, laws and evidence. The
evidences were mind-boggling, from a brute hijacking of ballot boxes to brutal
killing of courageous electorate, the evidences was laid on Justice Naron
judicial table, raw evidences including the exhumed body of one of the victim
of electoral killings!
In the midst of all
the long script were some short episodes like media war in the court room, the
Kalejeyaye-Naron phone-convo, the objections, admissions, and rulings. One thing was clear to me at the height of
the courtroom war, Osun election tribunal don’t need Justice Salami to award
victory to Aregbesola, the tribunal only need to be on the side of law, justice
and fairness to declare him the true winner of the election. At the end of the
season two, Justice Naron and Kalejaye were disgraced and Aregbesola Mandate
restored.
Rauf Aregbesola
emergence was a relief for the teeming Osun indigenes and residence, he came
with a lot of energy and clarity never experienced in the state which created a
season three film of love and trust between him and the people, like a true
product of popular struggle, he understand the psyche of the people, he possesses
the needed street credibility and every policies and programmes became a
people’s carnival. From the Osun Youth empowerment Scheme, O’ Meal , O’Clean,
O’ Calisthenics, O’ Reap, and Opon Imo (Tablet of Knowledge) and many others
were celebrated programmes and policies that even the opposition and the media
cannot but rate him higher than his peers. It was a film of development,
encouragement and welfare of the people.
However, the
opposition in the state have a contrary show, a different opera, a total
antithesis of a comedy, and their hands were shown in a brutal campaign of
calumny to stop the re-election of Ogbeni. It was a film misdirected from Abuja
with the blatant militarisation of a people who solidly trust their governor.
The local political colonialist didn’t help the cause of unseating the governor
either; it was a film full of misrepresentations, misquotations and
misinterpretation. The anti-climax was the triumphant victory rally of Ogbeni
on August 10th 2014 on the street of Osogbo, indeed whosoever that mobilised
the people that day will be a leading candidate to mobilise the people for
revolution!
The gutter opera
continue as the tribunals vindicated the victory of Rauf Aregbesola, the salary
impasse of workers and pensioner was a fundamental alibi for the anti-
Aregbesola group to form a new theatre group and they got three main individual
as combined actors, a jobless self-serving activist wannabe, a journalist
pastor without a church, and a reactionary Judge.
The salary impasse
brought new dimension to Osun seasonal film, it is supposed to be a three-cast
film, unfortunately without the consent of the three gladiators, another actor
joined the film, the fourth actor came like the true lover of labour and
pensioners, but they are more interested in the smear campaigns and the
publicity than the welfare of labour and pensioners. They are ready to
blackmail any comrade who is not ready to join their mob activism to unseat
Ogbeni; it is a film that will continue even after all payment is paid. They
caress the street of Osogbo and they found a judge to continue the film as they
find new momentum
It is unfortunate
that anti-Aregbesola “wakapass” are celebrating Justice Folaranmi as a heroine
and a Moremi because of a sensational but worthless petition. The 11,634 words
petition is full of sweeping rumours, a mixture of cold lies, selective
distortion of facts and outright political vilifications, it was a scene that
was never her own making. Though many people may not know Justice Folaranmi’s
past, but some of our comrades who were victims of Folaranmi on the aftermath
of 2007 elections will not forget her in a hurry. The Osun’24 were imprisoned
at Ilesha on the order of Justice Folaranmi who was then the Chief Registrar,
for daring to submit a petition against corrupt judges and lawyers like Justice
Naron and Kunle Kalejaye. As far as I am concerned, I am not surprised she is
wearing opposition toga for a bad orchestra, she is just a self-serving
opportunist, who is pursuing a beautiful present even as she is burdened by
ugly past. Let her drama continue.
All the films so far
involved the broader civil society groups inside and outside Osun; some were
involved directly, some indirectly, some totally while some were involved
partially. We are not just onlookers, we partook in all seasons. Some of us
experienced extreme brutalisation, imprisonment and physical assaults from the
political class and interests. Just like we shared in the brutality, we
celebrate the successful policies introduced by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola not
because he is the governor but because we consider him as one of our breeds,
which was where the subtle blackmail emanated.
Finally, the season
film will continue, there is no cause for alarm, no doubt Rauf Aregbesola is
not a saint and Osun never voted for one, he has made some human and policy
mistakes, only God is perfect but out of his imperfection are road networks in
all local government, out of his imperfection, his focus remains how to improve
the lives of the majority; fortunately, Osun people understand his unusual approach
to governance. This salary nightmare will usher in a glorious era. We must
criticise our government at all levels but don’t lie against any government or
blackmail comrades who chose not to take your direction. May God bless the
State of virtue.
Comrade Saka Waheed
is the Osun State Coordinator of Human Rights Agenda Network (HRAN). He tweet
via @wahidsaka
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