JDPMC 2024 Annual Report

This report reflects JDPMCs strategies and intervention in the year 2024 across all Programmes.

JDPMC launches HIScan App, a One-Stop-Shop Information Hub for HIV &AIDS

HOW IT WORKS

Introducing our HIV/AIDS app designed for simplicity and effectiveness! With an intuitive, user-friendly interface, you can easily access vital information, track your health, and connect with support services. It’s never been easier to stay informed and take control of your health. Download today and experience the convenience!

A BRIEF OVERVIEW

The Hi Scan mobile application is built by the Justice, Development and Peace Makers Centre (JDPMC) Osogbo with funding support from the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) as a one-stop-shop information hub relating to HIV/AIDS.

The Application has the following features:

    • The mobile application is designed to aid the identification of available facilities that provide HIV/AIDS services in Osun State and also aid referral mechanism.
    • It is also designed to send reminder notifications on dates and times for facility visits, and also reminders on when to take Anti-Retroviral drugs
    • Assist to stay committed to your treatment plan for the best results.
    • Take a guided tour on any insight to empower yourself with knowledge and find the support you need.
    • Access to support for enquiries (questions, issues, or information )

OSUN 2025 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION: A CIVIL SOCIETY PERSPECTIVE

Osun State Local Government Election has come and gone, but different occurrences that played out before, during and after the election remains unforgettable.

In this report, Justice, Development and Peace Makers’ Centre provides Civil Society perspectives of the Osun State 2025 Local Government Election that was conducted in February, 22, 2025.

The report gives different perspectives of the Local Government Election in Nigeria using Osun State as Case Study. In case you are not in tune with the 2025 Osun State Local Government Election, we’ve got your back as we have packaged the report to sensitize the general public on the concluded Osun State local Government Election.

Happy Reading

Osun LG Election: JDPMC withdraws its Observers from the election, laments irregularities.


NOTICE OF DISENGAGEMENT FROM OBSERVATION OF THE FEBRUARY 22, 2025,
OSUN 2025 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTION


CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF OSOGBO
JUSTICE DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE MAKERS CENTRE (JDPMC) OSOGBO
February 22, 2025


JDPMC as an organization that advances the social doctrines of the Catholic Church and is thus
committed to advocating for democracy and electoral integrity, has since the announcement of the
Notice of Election by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) in February 2024
working closely with all election stakeholders including OSSIEC, INEC Osun State, Inter Party
Advisory Council (IPAC), the Law Enforcement Agencies especially the Nigerian Police Force, Civil
Society organizations, faith-based organizations and the entire citizenry to ensure a free, fair,
transparent and credible Local Government election on February 22, 2025.


The organization has since provided avenue of dialogue for stakeholders through stakeholders
dialogue forums involving INEC, OSSIEC, the law enforcement agencies, the media, PWDs and
CSOs, conducted series of advocacy to OSSIEC, Nigerian Police Force and IPAC, supported the
training of OSSIEC, carried out series of voter education through the media and provided radio airtime
for youths and women contestants across all political parties, and organized avenues for OSSIEC to
enlighten the public to ensure a peaceful and participatory election. JDPMC hereby commends all the
above-mentioned stakeholders for the active collaboration and participation of these stakeholders in all
the remote pre-election activities it organized for a free, fair, transparent and credible election in all the
activities between February 2024 up till February 8, 2025, when JDPMC met with the executive of
IPAC. Since the ruling of the Court of Appeal sitting that sat in Akure on February 10, 2025, JDPMC faced
extreme difficulties in furtherance of its pre-election activities as OSSIEC had become less engaging
and accessible ever since. This frustrated efforts to get very useful information about the election for
further engagement with stakeholders and the citizenry ahead of the election. With other consequent
developments from the court’s ruling such as incidents of violent bloodshed, lawlessness,
politicization of court ruling among others since February 17, 2025, JDPMC began to observe fast
degeneration of confidence in the entire process in many stakeholders. While the organization
continued to mobilize for the restoration of peace, order and cooperation among stakeholders, it
proceeded with all preparatory activities including deployment of observers to various polling units on
February 21, 2025.


However, JDPMC observed that since the “legal lock jam” resulting from the directives of the
Attorney General of the federation and order of the High Court that sat in Ilesa on February 21, 2025,
the Nigerian Police Force and OSSIEC openly disagree on the conduct of the Osun Local Government
election on this 22nd day of February 2025. While the Osun State government and OSSIEC have
decided that the election holds, the Nigerian Police Force through the Force Public relation Officer
ACP Muyiwa Adejobi in a statement issued on February 21, 2025 “strongly advised” the Osun state
government to suspend the election.

For JDPMC, this disagreement between the two major pillars of a peaceful, transparent and credible
election, namely the Election Management Body and the Law Enforcement Agency, makes it
impossible for the organization to undertake a credible election observation exercise in strict
adherence to its principles based on best practice. JDPMC hereby withdraws all its observers from the
various polling units with immediate effects and so announces its discontinuation of observing the
February 22, 2025, Osun Local Government election. The organization regrets this unfortunate but
inevitable development.


It must be emphasized that this does not in any way have the implication that the organization agrees
with any of the interpretation of the contested judgement of the appellate court. The decision is strictly
based on the disagreement between the police and OSSIEC on the conduct of the election which for us
cannot guarantee the atmosphere required for the conduct and observation of a credible election. The
evident absence of the security agents IN the polling units and the non-enforcement of curfew directed
by the state government for the conduct of the election strongly reinforced our understanding of the
statement of the Nigerian Police PRO given that we sought without success for the interpretation of
the statement without success from the authorities of the Nigerian Police Force Osun State Command.


The organization thanks all partners who offered funding and technical support, and enriched its
strategy through knowledge sharing namely, Misereor Germany, EU-SDGN Phase II project, YIAGA
Africa and Kimpact Development Initiative. Appreciations also to all the major stakeholders: INEC,
OSSIEC, IPAC and the security agencies in Osun state for the outstanding cooperation that
characterized the fruitful remote pre-election activities. Above all, the organization wishes to
appreciate the bishop, the priests and religious and the lay faithful of the Catholic Diocese of Osogbo
for the inevitable support given to the organization. Special thanks also to the Bishops of the Mainline
churches in Osogbo. Finally, the management of the organization expresses special thanks to the team
of courageous and resilient staff of the organization and the team of field observers earlier trained and
deployed for the observation of the election despite the threats of violence. We look forward to the
stabilization of democracy and electoral integrity in Osun state and in Nigeria.


We are urging all stakeholders, particularly the Federal and State governments, OSSIEC, security
agencies, political parties, and civil society organizations, to take immediate steps to safeguard the
electoral process and ensure that citizens can exercise their civic rights without any fear.
JDPMC remains committed to promoting democracy, human rights, and good governance. We stand
in solidarity with all stakeholders working towards peaceful and transparent elections and hope for
conditions that will enable meaningful observation in the future.


Rev Fr Peter Akinkunmi
General Coordinator

2024 April Newsletter Edition

Osun 2024 budget: Your partnership with this administration is key-Osun commissioner tells JDPMC

Osun 2024 budget: your partnership with this administration is key-Osun commissioner tells JDPMC

Honourable Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Prof Moruf Ademola Adeleke under the present Administration of the Executive Governor of Osun State, Senator. Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke has emphasized the importance of collaboration between Civil Society Organizations and the Government.

Prof. Moruf stated this during an Advocacy Visit to his Office by a prominent Non-Governmental Organization in the state known as the Justice, Development and Peace Makers’ Centre (JDPMC), Osogbo.

According to the Honourable Commissioner “Your profile both within and outside the State speaks volumes that you have weight, I must let you know that we both carry this same mandate of Peace, Justice and human capital development agenda, this administration needs you so that we can together take this state to the enviable height as envisioned by the founding fathers. We are open to partnership and always feel free to come to us for any clarifications on the budgetary provisions of the state”, he said.

Speaking earlier, the team lead, Mr Festus Ojewumi who spoke on behalf of the General Coordinator of JDPMC, Rev. Fr. Peter Akinkunmi appreciated the commissioner and his team for granting the advocacy visit. He said the visit aims to discuss various issues around the 2024 budget and also seek further collaborations on how both institutions can work together for the good of the State in the area of Osun 2024 budget implementation.  

He therefore assured the support of the JDPMC, Osogbo to the Ministry “We can assure you that today’s interface will not end here, whenever we have any question or concern we will reach out to you”, he concluded.

Economic Austerity: Bishops tap the conscience of Osun State Govt, demand pain relief interventions for the poor

As part of the effort to identify and solidarize with the people of Osun, especially the downtrodden masses in this ongoing economic hardship, the Leaders of the five mainline churches have charged the Osun State Government to find quick pain relief interventions for the people of Osun. Below is the excerpt from the press conference statement jointly signed.

Be Attentive to the Sufferings of the Poor

We call on the government not to wait for aggression from the people before empathy would move them to do whatever is necessary to alleviate the difficulty citizens go through to survive. The growing validation of financial crimes especially internet fraud is not disconnected from the economic woes that have besieged many families. Many small businesses especially vendors of food items and other household utilities are folding up because many households are unable to pay debts the owe such businesses. The standard of life of our citizens has dropped abruptly by over 50% in the last one year because of the surge in inflation. For the majority who live in multidimensional poverty, it means not being able to afford up two decent meals in a day. Many children now skip school for lack of transportation fees or the inability of parents to provide fees. Numerous families hardly go for weekly religious exercises because of the inability to afford transportation. It is not strange any longer to see how many houses are left in darkness at night even when there is power supply. The reason is simple, many are no longer able to pay their bill for light not to talk of powering generators. The unaffordability of clean cooking fuel is driving many of our people to the crude means of cooking energy such as excessive use of charcoal and firewood which continue to encourage deforestation and desertification. The government must let the masses know that they are both aware and are disturbed by their situation and are as well working hard and honestly to relieve the pains and misery.

We hereby appreciate the commitment of Governor Ademola Adeleke to the palliative arrangement of the federal government for the relief of civil servants. Even though the federal government that made the arrangement of an additional thirty-five-thousand-naira to monthly wages of civil servants as palliative has only paid it once, the state government of Osun State has paid up to January. We also applaud the state government’s inclusion of retirees in this palliative arrangement, including the continuous repayment of the arrears of half salary owed to workers by the previous administrations. Government must however bear in mind that civil servants make up only 1% of the population of the state while their dependents are 2%. Catering fairly for 3% of the population of over 4 million is far below average performance. The remaining 97% of the population of the state must as well be met with effective relief support programme in order to preserve the dignity and welfare of all in the face of the present misery. Government must among other things work hard to reduce the cost of living by providing palliatives on domestic energy and transportation in Osun State. Subsidizing critical food items is more beneficial to all than sharing some indecent quantities of grains to unknown faces as relief.

We are aware that the Osun State 2024 Appropriation law tagged “Budget of Reconstruction and Recovery, 2024” signed into law by the governor on the 29th of December 2023 witnessed 98% increment when compared to 2023 budget. This might be taken as confirmation by the government implicitly that there is an increment in the revenue of the state from the monthly FAAC and that the same has been factored into 2024 budget of the state. We implore our governor to implement the planned budget primarily for the betterment of the citizenry. Osun citizens are watching with eagle’s vigilance.

Subsidy: Money of the Poor and Vulnerable

There has been since June 2023 a massive increment in the monthly Federal Allocation to all states. We must, however, not fail to note that this increment is not the result of any improvement or boom in the economy. It is majorly the money of subsidy which in previous funding arrangements the federal government directly availed the people to relief the cost of transportation, goods, and services. The subsidy on fuel constituted the major direct benefit that the common man especially the extremely poor get directly as relief from the common treasury. It is understandable that to protect this share of the poor from continually being preyed upon by marauding beasts among us, it has been reallocated to states to enable them to design other means by which such relief would reach the citizens of their various states either in service delivery, critical infrastructural developments or programmes that would bring the most needed relief to the people in a sustainable manner. As God’s messengers, we wish to tap the conscience of our political leaders by reminding them and all their collaborators that the transformation of the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (commonly called petrol) and on diesel into Federal Allocation to State and Local Governments simply implies entrusting of the property of the vulnerable and the poor to powerful trustees who are deemed to be more accessible to the poor. State government should keep in mind the strong spiritual implication of this trusteeship.

The government in many states of the federation have been reluctant to disclose the new federal Allocations as well as other relief packages deployed to the state to relieve the masses of the ongoing economic woes. It is shameful to note that even material reliefs earmarked by the federal government for the poor are dissolving into thin air or are being rebranded with no credible information on their whereabouts and the intent for such in many states of the federation. It is totally inappropriate for the government to fail to disclose to the public about such allocation and the mode by which it shall reach the people. This tragic mystery which has shrouded the deployment of the reallocated subsidy and relief packages to various states in the country raises doubt as to whether the government is intent on acting with clear conscience before God in handling of the belongings of the poor in their custody. We therefore remind the leaders and all stakeholders that it is a grave offense before God Almighty to ever deploy such funds for any other purpose than the good of the masses. Diversion of such funds is tantamount to stealing from the poor and it is repulsive to God.

Click below for the details of the press conference statement.