The Nation Newspaper

Category: Life – The Midweek Magazine

  • 34 years after, Oyo community ruler gets crown

    34 years after, Oyo community ruler gets crown

    The ancient and serene Ado-Awaye community in Araromi local council development area of Oyo State was in festive mood last weekend as a new ruler Oba Olugbile was, presented with a beaded crown andstaff of office, thirty-four years after interregnum.The community is an amalgamation of two different ancient settlements namely; Ado and Awaye.

    Shops, schools and government offices were under lock and key, as pupils, market men and women, including workers thronged to Ojude-Oba,venue of the coronation, in order to be part of remarkable history.

    Governor Senator Abiola Ajimobi, represented bythe Director, Chieftaincy Affairs of the Ministry of Local Governments and Chieftaincy Matters, Mr. Jayeoba, said after thirty five years of interregnum, the governor broke the jinx by ensuring that the age-long vacant stool was filled with the appointment of Oba Olugbile, with thesupport of the Alaafin of Oyo. While urging the new ruler to promote peace and unity among all thepeople of the community, Ajimobi cautioned him against acts that cantarnish his reputation.The governor who lauded traditional rulers, particularly the Alaafinof Oyo for their support for his administration, reiterated the commitment of his administration towards their welfare.

    Alaafin of Oyo, Oba [Dr.] Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi 111, who arrived the community in a long motorcade of Oke-ogun traditional rulers, and some members of the Oyo Traditional Council (Oyo Mesi), admonished traditional rulers to be above board in personal conducts in order be a respectable dung hill.He said traditional rulers must be seen as the symbols of thepeople’s past, custodian of their history and past, upholder, preserver of their culture and customs, epitome of cultural norms andvalues of the society such as truth, discipline, courage andresponsibility.

    According to him, ’’traditional rulers must be humble, courteous, reconciliatory and non-partisan. He must be ‘father of all’ in words, deeds and actions. They must show a sympathetic understanding for thetraditions, customs and religion of the people. Obas must not only beknowledgeable in the history and customs of his people but he mustalso be sympathetic to the traditional religions, festivals and ritesof his kingdom’’.

    This, he noted, is to ensure that Obas continue to enjoy the respect,obedience and reverence from their people because their authoritiesand power actually come from the traditions of the people.

    “But sadly enough, over the years, some traditional rulers have showntotal disregard to traditions and customs of their people, as it isabsurd and absolutely unimaginable that  they do not have the basic

    knowledge of the history and politics of their kingdom all in the name of Western civilisation.

    There is no doubt that the personality of the individuals who leadan institution goes a long way to affect the public perceptions ofsuch institutions. One of the most important and valuable credentials

    of an Oba is the ability to master, comprehend and relate thetraditions of origin, early and contemporary history of his kingdomwell as the workings and principles of the traditional socio-political systems of the people,” he said.

    The paramount ruler who expressed dismay over the vacant stool in thecrisis-torn community which lasted thirty-four years, advisedtraditional rulers in the state to desist from holding cultic meetings

    which are suspicious to the government, and capable of endangeringmutual co-existence.

    Said he, ‘’since 1976, I had been a crusader for the emancipation oftraditional rulers and elevation of their status from Baales to beadedcrown Obas. Some of the Baales elevated to the status of Obas and werecrowned by the Alaafin included the Aseyin of Iseyin, Sabiganna ofIganna, Iba of Kisi. I have no grudge with any traditional ruler, butdevotedly committed to their well-beings.’’.Earlier, Chairman of the coronation planning committee and one-timedeputy governor in the state, Chief Barrister Iyiola Oladokun, expressed deep appreciation, on behalf of the community to both the governor and the Alaafin of Oyo, for the unalloyed support, sincerityof purpose and determination in re-written the history of the community ‘for good.

    In his acceptance speech, Oba Folakanmi, pledged to dedicate his lifeto the service of his people,, the community, and to commit hisknowledge, contacts, integrity and all endowments granted him by Godto the growth and development of his people and the community.

    ‘’As the throne is established by righteousness, I pledge to be fairand just in all dealings for the betterment of all’’, Oba Folakanmiasserted.

    The new ruler also thanked theAlaafin of Oyo for what he described as‘’his un-quantified support’’.The Alaafin of Oyo, accompanied by traditional rulers in Oke-ogun arealater wore the new ruler with the beaded crown after the performanceof some traditional rites. This was followed with the presentation ofstaff of office by the governor’s representatives, amid jubilations byhappy-looking people of the community.

     

  • Agege Durbar: Organisers call for unity, peace

    Agege Durbar: Organisers call for unity, peace

    The Seriki Hausawa Agege, Lagos State, Alhaji Musa Muhammed Dogon Kadai, has appealed to Nigerians to let the unity of the country be uppermost in their hearts.

    He said those agitating for secession should be careful, saying nobody should call for another civil war in the country.

    He made the plea at the Durbar cultural celebration held in Agege. He said Nigerians irrespective of tribes, religious leanings or ethnicity should promote those things that bind us together instead of those that separate us.

    The Seriki said Nigeria cannot afford to break up because the nation’s progress and advancement are tied to its unity, adding that as a nation, ‘we really need unity to advance our potential for growth and greatness.’ He appealed to Nigerians to work assiduously for the unity of the country.

    He advised Nigerians to shun discrimination, tribalism, ethnic and religious sentiment that are causing crisis within the country, put all hands on deck and think on how criminality and other social vices increasing daily can be eradicated.

    The monarch prayed for the quick recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari, while he canvassed support for his government.

    Senior Executive Assistant, Dangote Industries Limited, Alhaji Abdulkadir Musa Sidi, appealed to agitators to sheathe their swords and allow peace to reign in the country.

    He said “What we are doing here today is to further strengthen the unity of this country. Many have died in their bid to unite the country, we should not allow their death to be in vain.’’

    He said the nation should support the good government of President Muhammadu Buhari, who he described as a messiah that Allah sent to redeem the country from doom.

    Sidi thanked the monarch for strengthening the unity of the country through the establishment of Durbar celebration in Lagos State. He enjoined other traditional rulers in the state and the country to go beyond maintaining peace in their domains to enhancing national cohesion

    All Hausawa emirate Councils in Agege and other parts of the state converged to celebrate the historical event with the monarch.

    The event began with a procession of all the district heads and title holders on their horses from Seriki’s Palace at Isokoko through many quarters in Agege community and back to  Jibrin Martins Memorial School in Agege where guests were entertained.

    The event was attended by thousands of Arewas’ and other ethnic groups across the country. It brought out the rich culture of Hausas.

    The celebration, according to organisers, was the first of its kind in Agege and it shall be a continuous, which would be observed a day after the Eid el Fitr of every year.

  • School opens renovated child dept

    VI-CENNA International School in Ikeja GRA, Lagos, has launched its renovated Early Years Pre-School and Nursery (F) Department. Its Principal, Mr David Ogburn, said the facility was remodelled to make it more exciting and stimulating to pupils.

    He said: “We are investing in our school’s infrastructure and here in EYFS, we have created a colourful, vibrant and stimulating environment that will serve the needs of our youngest pupils for years to come. We have created a model Early Years Department unrivalled in Nigeria.’’

    ‘’This is an exciting opportunity to raise the early learning childcare provision in Avi-Cenna to new heights. It offers an opportunity to engage and stimulate a deeper interest in learning for our pupils and to lay a solid foundation for entry into primary school.’’

    Ogburn, who has spent nine years in the 28-year-old school, said the department now has larger classrooms bordered partly by grass to boost learning.

    The department has seven areas, including decorated shops, fire engine, with a zoon entrance. Others are unmovable  train with housing food, and steam effects, he added. ‘’The area also offers a dedicated creative area for and craft, sensory and fine motor activities as well as a small auditorium which can be for whole class gatherings, and story-telling.’’

    The principal harped on the school’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for its pupils.

    Among the dignitaries at the launch was the wife of the Lagos State government Mrs Bolanle Ambode.

     

  • Walking the long path to success

    Walking the long path to success

    In reading Adegboyega Ojuolape’s Inspirational Musings, the reader begins with a frightening realisation of the monumental chaos the state of affairs for the youth in Africa’s largest nation has become. This realisation comes at the inception of reading and you come to understand that it is this awful epiphany that has pushed the author to write. Although daunting the challenges are, there is a special optimism that permeates through. The author’s main thesis is that success is possible. He brings forth his wealth of experience, his struggles and ultimately his success and he uses all these cases to paint an inspiring and optimistic picture.

    Ojuolape begins; “I took a plunge into the tempestuous waters of entrepreneurship in Nigeria 14 years ago, in order to carve a niche for myself and also to make notable impact in the process. If there is anything that has helped me in this journey, it is certainly the counsel I received from achievers who inspired me with the right words.” (Inspirational Musings, from the Introduction).

    These words he talks about begin with an expose on distraction and how it belittles our potential and stunts our fulfilment. For Ojuolape, distractions come with procrastination and these two cannot be divorced. The seemingly more important meeting that comes up when there is a life changing opportunity, little hindrances that stop us from taking the first bold step into our dreams and turning them into reality.

    Ojuolape asserts the obvious when he says that we all are born with talents, yes, but the difference between his views and those of other commentators is that he recognises that talents are nothing more than resources which have to be harvested, and in some cases refined through skill and hard work. For Ojuolape, the tools to build talent include the mental and  physical faculties. In the struggle for achievement, he affirms that because of their flexibility and dexterity, talents that are mental in nature are more relevant to upward movement on the scale of success.

    He acknowledges that “these talents have to find expression for an individual to fulfil destiny and find happiness in life. Initially, a lot of people in Nigeria have missed out on expressing their talents because many parents choose careers for their children. These children sometimes grow up to become disillusioned and unfulfilled adults who are forced late in life to rediscover themselves and unearth long buried talents. In most cases not only do they unearth them, they do great exploits with them. Now this is very key,  before you can unearth your physical or mental talents, you have to first identify them. ( Inspirational Musings, page 15).

    Now that we identify with Ojuolape’s  assessment of talent, we must the   n examine how to develop this talent. For him, talent is never sufficient and needs to be exercised in order for it to become a refined skill set. And getting the better off our talents would mean to harness certain tools that are available to us in ourselves and in our environments, that is to say, certain artefacts. The first of these tools is social media. While it certainly has had some disruptive tendencies, the good social media has done is immeasurable. Thousands or even millions of people are connected and there is an exchange of information, of ideas and ultimately of opportunity and wealth. Social media offers the opportunity to learn new skills and build talent. Ojuolape challenges us to build networks which are of utmost importance to the advancement of the individual in a technological age.

    Perhaps what is most rousing about Inspirational Musings is that the author asks us to muse along with him. He carries us down the lanes of memory and we are thoroughly entertained and ultimately educated by the depth of his knowledge and the nuances of  his perception. He sees different shades where people would normally view single blocks of colour. He paints for us a personal history that is all the more familiar because he is like us in every way. This is what makes Inspirational Musings special, that by the time we are done with the book we would have learnt to see the world in its different shades and temperament as something beautiful, a worthy challenge. And with Ojuolape’s book, we would have a proper guide for the obstacle course that living in recession threatened 21st Century Africa has become.

    It goes without saying that Ojuolape’s background in the Christian faith and belieF in the omniscient intervention of the supernatural in human affairs permeates the book. Sound Christian values, teachings and beliefs form the foundation for his pungent call for self-introspection, deciphering purpose and uncovering God’s pre-ordained blueprint for the reader’s life. He reminds us that the road to success is not just full of stains but that it is best travelled with friends and family whose companionship would serve to cheer us on in our lowest moments.

    This further reinforces the popular principle of Ubuntu, I am, because we are. The fabric of human society is built on the principle of interdependency where each individual plays a key role in the society’s continued existence. Alone and by ourselves, we can only do so much, but our concerted efforts and united vision steadies the ship of humanity on the sea/course of advancement.

    Inspirational Musings does in 52 chapters that can be read as a weekly devotional what a multitude of other books on self-development can only dream and aspire to. It should therefore be a recommended reading for readers young and old looking to make the most out of life and turn their fortunes around for better no matter what field, vocation, ethnicity, religion or creed they subscribe to.

     

  • Kakadu: From South Africa with rich theatrical resonance

    Award-winning total theatre treat and one of Nigeria’s ‘box office success stories’ ‘Kakadu the Musical’ recently treated audiences in South Africa to a captivating theatrical performance that has continued to resonate with palpable nostalgia weeks after it ended.

    The show was part of events to mark the Africa Day celebrations. It featured a ‘combination of amazing dance, music and drama with a strong plot of captivating story line that enthralled the audience, especially as they followed through on the enactment of landmark events that happened in Nigeria’.

    Co-sponsored by the MTN Foundation as part of its contribution to the entertainment industry in advancing theatre and performing arts in Nigeria, Kakadu the M usical will no doubt linger in the minds of its audience. Other co-sponsors include the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, Custodian Insurance and Zenith Bank Plc.

    Based on several pivotal events that happened in Nigeria between 1965 and 1974, the watershed years immediately following independence from British colonial rule, leading to the Biafran War and the aftermath of that war, Kakadu the Musical, written and produced, surprisingly by one of the leading lawyers in Nigeria, Uche Nwokedi SAN, is the journey of four friends through a time of  infinite possibilities. It  has become the benchmark for musical theatre in Nigeria, a time to dream and to hope.

    A nation celebrates the end of colonialism and the promise of a bright new future in a city that is as colourful and hedonistic as any European city in the 60s. At the heart of the city is Kakadu, a popular night club and a mecca of music of all genre and fashion. During this period, Kakadu’s live music encompassed Anglo-American pop, Latin beat, Highlife and even ballroom. This jubilant music added to the stunning swinging sixties costumes, extravagant hairstyles and the assimilation of western attitudes gives Kakadu the Musical a stylish and exuberant sense of time and place.

    The four friends echo the ethnic diversity of the newly independent country. At the centre of it all is Kakadu’s charismatic manager, Lord Lugard, a larger than life character who symbolizes the pleasure, seeking spirit of the club. Then the military coups set off a chain of events which lead to the civil war (the Biafran War) and changes begin to occur to their relationships. It is a story of dreams and hopes, of peace and war, of friendships and broken promises, of pain and loss, and of love and innocence.

    Kakadu the Musical is an exciting blend of the western music of the 60’s that influenced musical expressions in the 1960s Africa, with highlife, afrobeat, contemporary and traditional Nigerian folk music, to produce the most wonderfully eclectic musical ever.

    Having followed Kakadu from its first showing in May 2013, for the theatre savvy audience of South Africa, it was a show that will resonate with palpable nostalgia, given its rich, colourful theatrical and historical resonance.

     

  • Ariya repete 2017: Nigerian Breweries gives artistes N4.5million

    Onimama Fausiya and Leye Williams  have both emerged overall winners of the 2017 edition of Ariya Repete, the Yoruba cultural music talent hunt, at the grand finale held at Trans Amusement Park, Ibadan

    Fausiya a budding female Fuji musician from Ilorin, Kwara State clinched the overall prize of One Million Naira plus a recording deal in the Fuji category, Williams, a talented Juju artiste from Osun State clinched the same prize of One Million Naira with a recording deal in Juju category.

    An elated Fausiya, who is the first female artiste to clinch the Aare 1 of Fuji music under Ariya Repete platform, could not hide her excitement when announced the winner as she responded to the hearty cheers of the crowd who was astonished by her breathtaking performance.

    She said that her belief in herself due to the inspiration she got from her dad who is also a Fuji musician led her to choose music as both her passion and career.

    “I always watched my dad during rehearsals with his musical band while I was growing up, and it instilled the level of confidence and inspiration that has helped me in my own musical sojourn,” she said.

    “Words cannot express my feelings at the moment but I know that Ariya Repete has changed my life for the better. I will never forget this day,” she added.

    Williams, who was crowned the Aare 1 of Juju music that same night also made history by being the first Juju artiste to be crowned under the cultural music talent hunt platform.

    He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to Goldberg and Nigerian Breweries for making the cultural contest an expanded platform that also identifies with aspiring Juju artistes in Nigeria.

    “I have not seen any other cultural music contest like Ariya Repete in the Southwest. My story and victory is a testimony that Juju music is alive again and will be revived fully amongst the youths who aspire to promote our Juju musical heritage, courtesy of Goldberg,” he said.

    Azeez Ajani and Wasiu Onile-wura emerged first and second runners up in the Fuji category and carted away Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira and Five Hundred Thousand Naira respectively, while Adeniyi Temitope and Yomi Bright emerged first and second runners up in the Juju category and also went home with Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira and Five Hundred Thousand Naira each. Other contestants in both Fuji and Juju category who made it to the final this year received consolation prizes of One Hundred Thousand Naira each.

    Franco Maria Maggi, Marketing Director, Nigerian Breweries Plc congratulated the winners and implored them to be good ambassadors of the platform, which has brought them to limelight. “Congratulating you will not be enough, but I must enjoin you to be good ambassadors of this platform that seeks to discover and promote indigenous Yoruba music genres that has made you the newest Fuji and Juju superstars in Nigeria,” he said.

    He challenged the other contestants to keep alive their dreams saying that they are all winners and must remain good ambassadors that should represent their  musical passions in a positive light.

    Fuji legend, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM1) used the occasion to acknowledge the success of Ariya Repete in its maiden edition saying that Nigerian Breweries has proved her capability of growing an entire music industry in Nigeria.

    “To those of you that bring Fuji and Juju music back to reckoning, the industry thanks you. I hereby use Ariya Repete platform to commend Nigerian Breweries for their immense support to boost the industry that will preserve the cultural heritage of our people,” he affirmed.

    It was a night filled with spectacle and musical excitement as the contestants and legendary artistes kept the audience excited by their magical performances.

    Legendary Juju icon, King Sunny Ade, Pasuma Wonder, Taye Curre-ncy and pop star, Adekunle Gold all created an exhilarated euphoria that kept the crowd glued to their positions for over seven hours of undiluted entertainment that spiced up the night and lit up the city of Ibadan.

    With Ariya Repete,  Goldberg continues to bring to its consumers the best of Fuji and Juju music, two indigenous Yoruba music genres, aimed at promoting the culture of the people of South Western Nigeria, in line with the brand’s 3-point agenda of culture, respect and enjoyment.

  • ART X Lagos gets new curator

    ART X Lagos gets new curator

    Founder and Director, TP-Collective, Tokini Peterside, has appointed Missla Libsekal as new curator of ART X Lagos, an annual art fair holding at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos from November 3 to 5. Libsekal, an independent culturaal producer and founder, Another Africa, will take over from renowned curator and founder, Centre for Contemporary Art, Lagos,  Bisi  Silva, who curated the debut fair last year.

    This year’s fair will feature some of Africa’s renowned and emerging artists and leading galleries.

    It will also feature curated projects and a talk programme.

    Peterside said the debut fair last year was exciting and exhilarating, and that it validated the decision to create the vital platform for the growth and increased visibility of African artists and galleries.

    “We are incredibly proud of our achievement, which culminated in visits by over 5,000 visitors to the Civic Centre over three days to see the works of Africa’s most inspiring artists. This would have been impossible without the phenomenal support of the galleries, sponsors and partners, who took a huge leap of faith and committed to support us from ground zero, for which we are most grateful.

    “In four months, we will be opening the doors to the ART X Lagos art fair, and we look forward once again to welcoming a vast and varied local and international audience as we seek to reinforce Lagos’ position as an emergent cultural capital on our continent,” she added.

    Last year, the debut edition of ART X Lagos saw 65 artists, drawn from 10 countries in Africa, present works of art across various mediums including painting, sculpture, illustration and photography. Special projects included live art installations, and performances that combinen  n  d music with visual art. During its three-day run, over 5,000 visitors attended the art fair, spanning art lovers, enthusiasts, collectors and international observers.

    ART X Lagos will also host prestigious galleries, such as Art House – The Space (Nigeria), SMO Contemporary (Nigeria), Stevenson Gallery (South Africa), Gallery 1957 (Ghana) and Tafeta (United Kingdom), amongst others.

    The galleries have been chosen by a Selection Committee led by Advisory Board members, N’Goné Fall, the renowned Senegalese curator, art critic and cultural consultant, and Femi Lijadu, one of Nigeria’s most respected art collectors and leading commercial lawyers. In addition the art fair will see the return of ART X Live! a live art and music performance featuring Africa’s most talented rising artists, as well as interactive projects curated by A Whitespace Creative Agency.

    ART X Lagos 2017 is being sponsored by Access Bank (Gold Sponsor); Absolut (Silver Sponsor); Stanbic IBTC Pensions, Seven Up and Anap Jets (Bronze Sponsors).

    The fair was founded by Tokini Peterside. The executive team is  supported by an Advisory Board who comprise Labi Ogunbiyi, Dudun Peterside, Evelyn Oputu, Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman, Femi Lijadu, Jess Castellote, Junaid Dikko, N’Goné Fall and Reni Folawiyo.

  • ANA announces anti-extremism programme

    The Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has announced the creation of the Association of Nigerian Authors Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (ANA PCVE) programme. This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with STRADA Development Initiative, an Abuja-based NGO.

    Under the MoU, former PRO (North) Richard Ali is named Programme Manager. Given its commitment to social advocacy, the association has also created a six-man committee on preventing and countering violent extremism.The association has been concerned with the rise of hate speech and extremism in Nigeria, particularly violent extremism. ANA PCVE, ANA National President, Denja Abdullahi, says, will be “a specialist programme to combat the challenge of extremism using a culture-based approach that leverages on the association’s extensive network of writers and primacy across the genres of prose, poetry and drama and allied arts.

    “It is the belief of the association that the government of Nigeria and its partners in the fight against extremism must blend military and civic engagement programmes with a culture-based approach. Extremism can only be effectively countered when the individual citizen becomes a point of dissemination of correct narratives about all social groups,” says Abdullahi.

    According to ANA President, the programme committee members include: Richard Ali (Programme Manager); Dr. Obari Gomba (Committee member); Jack Vincent Fidelis (Committee member); Halima M. Usman (Committee member); Chief Macpherson Okpara (Committee member); Isah Dan Musa (Committee member), and Ebika Anthony (Committee member).

    “The programme will develop work plans and plan projects as appropriate. Partnerships with all class of stakeholders will also be sought and formalised. The association will support the programme in meeting its objectives. We congratulate all committee members on their appointment even as we expect them to serve the association with exemplary commitment,” according to Abdullahi.

    Information can be found on the programme’s website www.pcve.org.ng.

  • Kwara Oba traces roots to Ile-Ife

    Kwara Oba traces roots to Ile-Ife

    The people of Ekan Meje Kingdom, in Oke Ero Local Government area of Kwara State, consolidated their history when leaders of the community led by the paramount ruler, Oba Michael Adeyemi, visited Ile-Ife, Osun State, to pay homage to the Ooni, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi.

    Ekan Meje located at the boundary of Kwara, Ekiti and Osun states was founded some centuries ago when the people’s ancestors left Ile-Ife, regarded as the cradle of the Yoruba race and civilisation.

    Oba Adeyemi told reporters at the Ooni’s palace that the visit was a great home  coming for his people who have been looking forward to a great day like that. He thanked the Ooni for the warm reception and the community leaders for the logistics of the trip.

    The Ooni, who took the visitors to the ancestral site of their forefathers before the migration, thanked the delegation for the historic visit, promising to visit Ekan very soon. He took the visiting Oba round some important sites around the palace.

    Tradition has it that the Elekan and his uncle, Oore of Otun, emerged from the Okun Moba (Moba Sea) in the present coastal area of Lagos with a calabash containing water in his hand, beads around his neck and a beaded crown on his head.

    Some of the places they passed through after leaving Ile-Ife included Akure, Oke Olodun, and Ipole before arriving at the present site over 400 years ago.

    It is also recorded by tradition that the migration of Oore,  Elekan  and their people from one location to the other as stated above were not due to conquest at war or threat to internal security of his people. In fact, Otun and Ekan were never conquered by any community or subjugated under any kingdom of old.

    Otun and Ekan were neither under the old Oyo Empire nor under Benin Kingdom. It was never under the control of Ibadan warrior who dominated most of the areas in the present South West of Nigeria.

    Meanwhile, the people of Ekan-Meje have renewed their appeal to the state governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed to elevate the Elekan of Eka-Meje to a first Class Oba. The National President of Ekan Development Association, Prof  Adebayo Omotosho,  who made the appeal on behalf of the community,  maintained  that the Elekan has been most senior Oba in the history of  Oke-Ero Local Government.

    According to Ilorin Province Gazette, Otun Ekiti undertook some critical actions separating their activities from Ilorin division from the early 1900 to 1936.

    A partition scheme was later introduced which granted Ekan-meje, Ilofa local autonomy under the direct administration of the Emir of Ilorin. These change left Otun with eleven villages under its governance.

    Ekan and four other villages were thereafter subject under the Elekan of Ekan while Olobo Ilofa was independent in charge of his territory.

  • Runsewe, Fasuyi pay tribute to Maitama Sule

    Runsewe, Fasuyi pay tribute to Maitama Sule

    The Director-General, National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC), Otunba Segun Runsewe, has condoled with the family of Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule.

    Runsewe said Sule would be remembered for  many contributions to the development of Nigeria, especially in arts and culture.

    He recalled that as the pioneer chairman of NCAC Board in 1975, Sule laid a solid foundation for the development of the arts and culture, adding that he was at the forefront in promoting cultural values.

    The NCAC chief recalled that the late Sule stood against cultural imperialism and spent his entire life promoting African cultural values as the bedrock for national unity, integration and development.

    According to Runsewe, Maitama Sule was a true patriot, a moralist who spoke against corruption, bad governance and discrimination along religious, political and ethnic divide.

    As a democrat, Runsewe said, the late Sule was an apostle of the rule of law, democratic good governance based on the principles of free, fair and peaceful elections. ‘’He will be remembered as one Nigerian who spent his entire life fighting for the unity, peace and development of the Nigeria nation state,’’ Runsewe added.

    Also, former Arts Adviser to the Federal Government and founder, TAFAS Legacy Gallery, Ikeja, Lagos, Chief Timothy Banjo Fasuyi, described the late Maitaima Sule as a detribalised Nigerian, who was democratic and full of honour. Fasuyi disclosed that Sule was to be chairman of his last birthday exhibition in May, but could not make it because of health challenges.

    “The death of Maitama Sule was a shock to me. Shock not because he was young, but that he was a true friend dating back to the 70s. In fact, he was to be the chairman of my last birthday exhibition in May. But because of his health he could not make it.

    “I met him in 1970 when I was the Federal Art Adviser, and I realised that there was no central authority on arts and culture in Nigeria. There was Northern Nigeria Cultural Society under Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule, and there was a Lagos Arts Council with Chief Ajanaku Araba as chairman. I thought there should be a national body. I then wrote a paper to government to that effect and I was given the green light to go ahead. I met Araba in Lagos and Maitama Sule in Kano who called a meeting of his society members on my mission. He was a man of culture and very democratic.

    “At the Kaduna meeting, a paper on the policy and work schedule of the proposed art council was ratified and culture was placed under Information Ministry  with Chief Kola Balogun as Minister. The new council was approved as National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) with branches in the twelve states,” he added.

    Fasuyi said Sule was the first chairman of NCAC and that each time he visited Lagos for meetings, he conducted himself as a civilised gentleman and was highly respected by all. ‘’He was a detribalised Nigerian with lots of ideas,’’ he said.  According to him, Maitama Sule was very honest and upright in dealing with people and was never ready to accept what he never deserved even as chairman of the council.

    “He used his wisdom to save us during one of the national festivals in Kaduna following a protest when the Atilogu dancers from the Eastern zone won the trophy in dancing competition. He suggested that to prevent undue protests, dance should be categorised into war, social and civilian dances. And that gave different zones the opportunity to win one of the trophies in dance competitions,” he added.