The Nation Newspaper

Category: Society

  • July, my birth month, has been most unfair to me, laments Jemibewon at mum’s burial

    IT was a carnival like celebration at the country home of former military governor of the old Western State, Maj-Gen. David Jemibewon (rtd), in Iyah-Gbede, Kogi State last week, as the former two-time Minister of Police Affairs hosted the final burial rites of his late mother, Madam Rachel Emife Jemibewon.

    The late Madam Emife died on July 21 at the age of 106, prompting his ebullient son to express unreserved gratitude to God for giving him the grace to bury her. Yet he felt a tinge of sadness that “the only mum I have is gone.”

    While flawless white was chosen as the theme colour for the wake that took place in the evening of Thursday, light blue was the colour of the aso ebi (ceremonial uniform) worn by family members and guests on Friday for the church service, internment and the elaborate reception that took place at the expansive field of Jemibewon International Academy, a school owned by the Jemibewons, adjourning the family compound.

    Much later in the night after the wake, General Jemibewon danced in the midst of his friends and other dignitaries who came from all around the country, among them the former Ekiti State Governor Segun Oni and his wife; former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Mr Yomi Awoniyi; oil magnate Jide Omokore; popular lawyer and socialite Tunde Ayeni; the representatives of Ijaw leader, Chief Edwin Clark; a former member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Nike Omoworare; Mrs. Egbe Shina Peters nee Bello-Osagie and Segun Awolowo, among others.

    Also at the reception were two musicians from Lagos and Ibadan, who entertained the guests.

    Done with the burial ceremony that lasted three days, our correspondent engaged the former Adjutant-General of the Nigerian Army in an interview session where he went down the memory lane of his life, having just celebrated his 76th birthday a day before his mother passed on, on July 21. He attributed his success in life to nothing but providence.

    “I am grateful to the Almighty God for the efforts of my parents,” he began. “My dad who died in 1990 and my mum who died and was buried today, I say that I thank God and thank them. Because at the time I went to school, it was not too easy. In fact to the best of my knowledge, in the whole of this area, I was perhaps the first to attend a non-government school. I went to Offa Grammar School in 1955. And this being part of the north, most of the brilliant chaps in this area who went to secondary schools before going to the university attended government schools like Provincial Secondary School, Okenne; Junior Provincial Secondary School, Dekina, in the old Kabba Province; Government College, Keffi and Government College, Zaria were the few government colleges available. But of course, each province in the north had a provincial school. But because of the limited spaces in these schools, admission was restricted. So when I was in Standard 6 in 1954 in Ayetoro Gbede here, the year I should have taken exams into these government schools, the headmaster did not allow me to take the common entrance. The reason he gave was that by the time I finished secondary school, I would have become too old to go to the university.”

    But he said he happened to have an advantage not too many people had at the time.

    “The immediate younger brother of my father happened to be an employee of UAC and the headquarters of UAC in those days was in Burutu in the present Delta State. I don’t know how it happened, but I was sent to him. So I started school in 1949 at CMS Primary School, Burutu. But unfortunately, I was sick a year or so after. But because I could speak ‘broken’ (pidgin) English, which was what was spoken in the riverine area where I was coming from, I think they took it to mean that I was clever when in fact I was not.

    “When I was brought home, my father was not enthusiastic about sending me to school because the school in my village had just started. However, the teacher who established the school, Francis Ademola Fagbemi, who came from a place called Ekinrinade, in Ijinmu Local Government, which is my local government in the old Kabba Province, tried to convince my father. And when my father finally agreed, I was sent to school. So you could see that fortune played a great part in my life.”

    But equally important was the role played by his late mother, who he said struggled to ensure that he went to school as a boarding student; a luxury for young David Jemibewon.

    “Thirty-seven pounds, 15 shillings was not a little money at that time. That was the school fees for a boarding student, which I was. General Akinrinade was a year my senior. That is why I said that without the support of my mother, even though my father would have loved me to go to such a school, it would have been very difficult for him to send me to such a school. It wasn’t easy at all.

    The only thing we could produce here was tobacco, coffee and other farm products like yam. So knowing the effort my mother put to assist my father for the purpose of my schooling, I cannot but feel very touched by her departure. But we must show gratitude to God, for she lived for 106 years, and that until she gave up, there were no signs.”

    Jemibewon lamented the month of his birth, July, which he noted has turned to a time of mixed feelings for him in recent times.

    He said: “I was born on July 20, 1940. I celebrated 76 years on July 20. The problem I have now is that July is my birth month, but in the last two years, July has not been fair to me. My first wife died July 22. This year, on July 20th, we went to Lagos for the anniversary and my mother died a day later. So, I don’t know about July now, but there is nothing I can do about it.

    “While we were in Lagos for her first year anniversary remembrance, I had given the last born of my mother, who is a lady, instruction that she and one of the wives of my deceased younger brother should come down to Lagos to attend the event. Just the three of them. They left on that 21st. If Mama had showed any signs, they wouldn’t have left her. In fact, when they got to Lagos, those of us in Lagos were the ones that informed them that the Mama you left behind had gone to the great beyond.

    “So I am full of gratitude to God and my mum. It does not matter how old you are, if you end up going to hospital, it creates extra expenses and anxiety in the sense that we will be checking at the hospital daily to ensure that she is well taken care of and so on.”

    But he could not help but thank God for the long life He has blessed him with. At 76, the former military governor gyrated to the music played by the musicians on the bandstands as he exchanged banter with friends like a man of 40. Asked how he was able to keep such fitness, he said: “To start with, in the past, I used to be involved in exercise, playing squash. But I later had an accident and since then I have not been playing squash. So what I have been doing in recent times is to control the amount of food I eat. And I eat quality food.

    “In fairness, my wife is kind and makes sure that I eat the right thing. I know she is particular about getting the right kind of cook for me. You find out that some people say they have cooked in restaurants but in the end, it is a lie.

    “I have great sympathy for my wife because she brings in one cook today and maybe in another one month, we have to look for another. So I don’t eat much, and that keeps me fit. Not quantity but quality food. Unfortunately I don’t do exercise anymore.”

    However, he takes delight in music, and has been a good social dancer over the years.

    “I enjoy music a lot,” he said. “And the truth is that I do not have any preference at all. Maybe when I get intelligent people to talk to, I like having conversations. I used to write, but I am lazy now. But I have good friends and I thank God about that.”

    Do not ask him who his role models are or the answer you will most probably get is: “Maybe in the past, I might have had role models, but definitely not at 76. If at 76 I am looking for somebody to be my role model to motivate me, then it would mean I am already a failure. And what makes me pleased is that if I am associating with you and you are doing well, I feel very pleased for you.”

    If you want the general’s face to brighten up, ask him about his second wife, Chief Mrs. Dupe Jemibewon. His energetic and beautiful wife was all over the country home ensuring that all the guests were comfortable and well taken care off throughout the event days. He readily spoke about their love story.

    “I met her while I was a military governor. Back then, I had a lady friend but not the boyfriend or girlfriend kind of thing. One day, she came to say hello to me. Her sister was a classmate with Dupe, my second wife, and they are still friends till today. Through her, I met many ladies, but I particularly liked Dupe out of those many girls. I went to her house where I met them and I took interest in Dupe. That was how we started.

    “The intention was not to get married because I knew I was already married. But just after that meeting, I was on a programme on a radio station and during the programme, I heard a voice and I knew it was her voice. That voice, I don’t know how it happened. From hearing that voice, I started having a special likeness for her.”

    Having lived together for about three decades, Jemibewon still has good things to say about his marriage to Dupe. “It has not been easy for both of us because she also happens to be the first child of her parents. They are Catholics and like any parents, they would have wished she didn’t have to marry someone who was already married. But then it is not everything you wish that happens in life. That is the way I will explain it.

    “And since we started, God has helped us and we have had a cordial relationship. We have just one daughter. We thank God because we have been able to groom her well. She went to a Catholic university and made a First Class. What does anybody want again?”

    Reflecting on his foray into politics, he said: “I have found that while politics is supposed to improve our society, the way we operate politics here is almost anti-development. Let me tell you something quickly: I tried to go to the Senate. In fact, it was not my wish, but people came to talk to me. And I found out that to attain a political position in this country, you have to spend money. That itself breeds corruption, and, of course, I didn’t need it for various reasons.

    “There is a colonel here who wanted to go to the House of Representatives. He would have been the best candidate here if we really wanted the best material, but I told him that he should not waste his money. I told him that I have a disease and he suffers the same disease, which is the fact that we both have military background, and because we earn our salary legitimately, we don’t have the time to waste money bribing people to vote for us. And since I failed to go, my belief is that you my friend will fail.

    “I wish you were here then. Some people who did not vote for him still came back to say that they voted for him and wanted money (laughs). So I advised them that when they get money, reserve something for the future, even if possible, as members of a political party, establish a club where you can go socialise and so on. So if something happens and the political party does not exist again, since you have given a name to the club, that is not associated with the party but the basis of forming it was politics, you could continue to enjoy it.

    “But they will want to share money immediately money is given out. No reserve for the future. And some of the slogan for PDP were awkward. For instance, ‘PDP, power to the people!’ The youth say now, now, now, now. In other words, they don’t want to look into the future.

    “When I looked into all these, I told myself that to help people, known and unknown, born and yet to be born, it would be better for me to go into education. I am not a doctor, so even if I were to build a hospital, I will have to employ doctors and no doctor will be willing to come into this bush in a rural area. But I know that if people know me in this country and if they respect me, knowing that I come from this bush, and this place now is not even as bushy as it was when I went to school, so why don’t I just start a school here. So that is why I started a school.

    “Of course, many people tried to convince my wife that I must be mad to locate a school in my rural area. That I should have built the school in Abuja and on a daily basis, I would be carrying money in big sacks to the bank. But it’s true it has not been easy, because for every N3 I spend in the school, it is only N1 that comes from parents so far. There is no month I do not spend about N1.2m here.

    “But I do know that the future holds great prospect because I went to Offa Grammar School, and from the history of that school which we know, there were those who contributed six pence, there were those who contributed 1 shilling. It is through their magnanimous contribution and foresight that people like us became educated. Let me also leave something for posterity.”

    And what does he think about the present leadership in Nigeria? As usual, a quick thought and then a reply: “I think the leadership that we have there now has great foresight. But age is not on the President’s side. Even if he wants to work hard, nature is such that the capacity he had 24 years ago or 30 years ago is no more there. So I have great sympathy for him. But as to capability and ability for success, he has it. And I am very sure of that. I am sure and positive because I know him very well. He is a decent man. He is a man who does not tolerate corruption and he is hard working. But I have used myself to judge in the sense that the strength I had, my determination to succeed and do the right thing while I was military governor in Ibadan and now are different. I don’t have the energy anymore.

    “Even the people one would ask to come and work with one today are not the best materials, compared to 25 or 30 years ago. That is what I am saying. Even in your own profession, the quality has gone down. So in this country, quality has gone down in every sphere. If you are coming from Abuja and going to Lagos by road, you will see more than a dozen of signboards of universities. Now tell me why quality won’t go down, because to employ people into these new universities is still within the universities. So someone who shouldn’t have become a professor in the next five years goes to a new university and he is made a vice chancellor.”

  • To serve humanity

    To serve humanity

    Patrick Ikheloa was installed in Lagos as the new District Governor  of Rotary District 9110 for  2016-2017. At the event, were dignitaries and philanthropists who came to support him.  NNEKA NWANERI was there.

    He stood tall and calm, and  seemed undaunted by the huge task ahead as he mounted the rostrum of the Shell Hall at Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos to be decorated with the emblem as the District Governor for the next Rotary Year.

    It was Patrick Ikheloa’s day. It is the wish of every Rotarian to get the number one  seat. It was a dream come true as the fair-complexioned man from Edo State smiled during the installation.

    The event was not just a Rotary affair; it was a gathering of men and women of importance, who are passionate about philanthropy. Among them was the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

    There was fun in the hall draped with yellow and blue decorations. What made the occasion was that club members were treated to a red carpet reception before going to their tables.

    In a report, the outgone District Governor, Otunba Bola Onabadejo, outlined his achievements in the past year, soliciting support for his successor. He urged Rotary members and the public to extend the same hand of fellowship to Ikheloa.

    Expectedly, Oba Ogunwusi entered with a retinue of courtiers who played trumpets, flutes and drums. His shinny cap stood out among them all.

    He spoke on the need to love one another, urging all to extend a hand of fellowship to the down-trodden and the less-privileged.

    The monarch was inducted as a special ambassador.

    A raffle draw was held, where Economy and Business Class tickets to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, courtesy of Etihad, were won.

  • What is in your hand?

    Human beings appear to be in a permanent state of dissatisfaction with their lives. We don’t like who we are or what we look like. We don’t believe what we have is good enough. We don’t think what we can do is adequate. To make matters worse, we tend to prefer what belongs to someone else. Unfortunately, this has affected our attitude to most things in life, even opportunities. We tend to look far into the distance in search of great opportunities while we despise the ones closest to us.

    Dr. Russell Conwell, in his all-time classic titled “Acres of Diamonds” told the story of a wealthy Persian named Ali Hafed. Ali had great gardens, farms, grain fields and orchards. He was contented with his possessions, well, until an ancient Buddhist priest paid him a visit. The priest told him that a diamond the size of his thumb could buy him a country while he could have great influence and place his children on thrones with a diamond mine. Almost instantly, Ali felt poor because he became aware of what he didn’t have but could have. His sense of loss was so great that he couldn’t sleep. Eventually, Ali took off in search of diamonds in rivers running through white sand between high mountains but not before selling his entire possession and leaving his family with a neighbour. He journeyed through Palestine and Europe. By the time he arrived at Barcelona, his money was all spent; out of wretchedness, poverty and depression, he flung himself under a great tidal wave and ended his journey there.

    Meanwhile, the man who purchased Ali Hafed’s farm took his camel out into the garden for watering one day and noticed a curious black stone reflecting light. He took it home and displayed it as a decoration until the same old priest who told Ali about diamonds came to visit. The priest recognised the stone as a piece of diamond to the surprise of Ali’s successor. They both rushed to the garden and discovered several other stones like it. According to Dr. Conwell, it is historically true that the garden became the most magnificent diamond mine known to mankind.

    Aren’t a lot of us like Ali these days? We go in search of what we already have just to appreciate it after we have lost it. Dr. David Oyedepo puts it aptly when he said “If you think enough, what you have is enough”. Unfortunately, we hardly take time to think before we embark on our quests for fortune. Here are a few lessons we can learn from Ali Hafed:

    • Wealth is perception and perception is wealth: a wealthy man may become poor overnight without losing a dime if he decides what he has is nothing compared to what he wants. On the other hand, a poor man may become wealthy overnight without earning a dime if he realises that he has gifts no money can buy. A positive state of mind is the foundation for success.
    • Use what you have to get what you want: no matter how meager what you have is, it is the key to what you can have. If a farmer decides that his seeds are too meager to plant, he will forfeit his harvest. Instead of using his wealth to fund an expedition while still running his business, Ali decided to sell all and he lost all.
    • Exhaust all possibilities before moving on: we are usually too quick to conclude that our present conditions lack the potentials to produce our desired results. Before you give up on that job, relationship or business, make sure there are no benefits you have missed out on all this while.
    • Become unfamiliar to appreciate what you have: sometimes, we become too familiar with what we have and we miss out on its benefits. Have you ever become tired of your smart phone and you wanted to replace it yet someone else seemed so excited about the phone? Within a few minutes, the person might have explored functions you never knew existed on the phone. The fact that you consider your phone indispensable doesn’t mean you maximise its functions.
    • What you have may be the original: when you think your hands are empty, you are perhaps not looking close enough. Don’t be too quick to drop what is in your hand, it may be the original.

    There are several other lessons we can learn from the story of Ali Hafed. Why not share your own lessons by mailing your comments..

  • To serve humanity

    To serve humanity

    Patrick Ikheloa was installed was in Lagos as the new District Governor  of Rotary District 9110 for  2016-2017. At the event, were dignitaries and philanthropists who came to support him.  NNEKA NWANERI was there.

    He stood tall and calm, and  seemed undaunted by the huge task ahead as he mounted the rostrum of the Shell Hall at Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos to be decorated with the emblem as the District Governor for the next Rotary Year.

    It was Patrick Ikheloa’s day. It is the wish of every Rotarian to get the number one  seat. It was a dream come true as the fair-complexioned man from Edo State smiled during the installation.

    But the event was not just a Rotary affair; it was a gathering of men and women of importance who are passionate about philanthropy. Among them was the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

    There was fun in the hall draped with yellow and blue decorations. What made the occasion was that club members were treated to a red carpet reception before going to their tables.

    In a report, the outgoing District Governor, Otunba Bola Onabadejo, outlined his achievements in the past year, soliciting support for his successor. He urged Rotary members and the public to extend the same hand of fellowship to Ikheloa.

    Expectedly, Oba Ogunwusi entered with a retinue of courtiers who played trumpets, flutes and drums. His shinny cap stood out among them all.

    He spoke on the need to love one another, urging all to extend a hand of fellowship to the down trodden and the less- privileged.

    The monarch was inducted as a special ambassador.

    A raffle draw was held, where Economy and Business Class tickets to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, courtesy of Etihad, were won.

  • STRANGE! Pastor found dead less than two years after entire family was wiped out by mystery midnight FIRE

    EVERYTHING came like a thunderbolt. Everyone is discussing the fate of a Warri-based pastor and could hardly make any logical meaning out of it all.

    First it was his family – wife and four children – who was wiped out by a mysterious midnight inferno while the pastor was away. Less than two years after, June 26, 2016 to be precise, the man himself, Pastor John Kayoda of the Love District of the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Ekakpamre, Ughelli South council area of the state, was found dead on his bed with a running generator in the passage and fume everywhere.

    Neighbours and relatives, who relayed how the clergy man lived his last few hours, said not much was known about the cause of his death, other than the fact that he turned on a power generator, placed it in the passage way to his residence, slept off and went to glory therefrom. This explanation, in itself, has been described as mysterious because it came in almost the same manner the disaster that took his family came; the inferno was believed to have been sparked by an electrical malfunctioning.

    According to sources, Pastor Kayoda, who recently got transferred to the Ekakpamre Circuit of the church, had summoned members of his new church to a massive combined service the morning of the day he was to meet his Maker. Kayoda, just four days in the new parish, had told his parishioners to all come around the next morning, being Monday, for a morning devotion he was going to lead. Like the good sheep that many of the members of the church are, several members had trouped to the church to be part of the devotion.

    “The members came en masse, singing and dancing, but they became curious when they saw his car, but their new pastor was nowhere in sight to lead them in the devotion. When they waited for a long time, they started asking, ‘where is our district superintendent?’ They then went to the vicarage, where they heard the sound of the generator from inside the house. That was between 6:30am and 7:00am,” the Chairman of the Warri District of CAC, Pastor Emmanuel Orode, narrated.

    He added: “They first forced the window open and saw their pastor lying inside. They discovered that the generator was still on in the corridor; that was not the normal place a generator ought to have been, there was no exit for the fume. When they entered the house, they perceived fume everywhere in the house. And it is believed that, that was what suffocated him to death.

    “If they had observed that there was still life, may be they would have managed to save him because they made attempt to rush him to a nearby hospital, but they discovered that he was not breathing any longer. The members who were on ground immediately alerted the Ekakpamre Police Station of the development, before I was called upon.”

    The unfortunate incident has continued to evoke questions and suspicion, with so many assuming that there must be some spiritual or conspiratorial involvement in the way the pastor and his family died. Questions begging for answers include: Why did the mystery midnight that wiped out his entire family happen while he was away? Why will a man of his experience put a generator in a passage where there is no cross ventilation? Why did he call the morning devotion early that day? Questions! Questions! Questions!

     

    FLASHBACK TO SEPTEMBER 2014:

    It was in the early hours of Thursday, September 25, 2014 and the entire family, with the exception of their father, Pastor Kayoda, who had the previous day travelled to Ikeji-Arakeji in Osun State, attending a pastors’ conference, were supposed to be sleeping, resting from the previous day’s stress. But alas, the night was corrupted by death.

    A fire, which was suspected to have been sparked by an electrical fault or power surge, as power supply was said to have been problematic on the night, consumed the entire family – mother and four children – left behind by Pastor Kayoda. The fire started at about midnight, according to the first set of eyewitnesses who could give an idea of what went wrong. One of them said they got to the scene at about midnight to 12:30am.

    Describing the last moments of the deceased family members, one of the earliest rescuers at the scene of the midnight fire incident, Bright December, said the situation was quite helpless. The five members of the family: the 45-yearmother, Mrs Grace Emuoboghwo Kayoda; the four children: 13-year-old first son, Igbunuoghene Enoch Kayoda; 11- year-old Oghenemaro Jesu-Ovieme Kayoda, a girl; 10-year-old Oghenewona Nehemaih Kayoda and seven-year-old baby girl of the house, Oghenekpe Kenbe Kayoda, were all trapped in the house. They were barred with iron bars, wooden doors and louvred windows, which prevented help from reaching them from the frantic rescuers outside.

    According to December, a visitor to one of the houses sharing fences with the church, he was one of the first few people to arrive the disaster scene. He said that the fire had already taken over the Mission House and was about leaping unto the church’s main building. He got there at about midnight and at that time, he still met two of the five persons alive: the mother and the last girl, fighting to escape from the scary fire monster.

    He saw Mrs Kayoda and Kenbe, who were on the door and the window sides respectively, calling out for help, shouting and grappling at every other thing within reach to escape the horrifying fire. While the mother and the last-born were fighting for their lives, at least the part of it opened to the other three children were not in sight. According to him, they were believed to have by now lost their own fight because “their bodies were found where they slept for the night”.

    “It took about one hour before fire fighters could be alerted because it was midnight and we were all shouting and trying to see how to rescue them. It took another one hour before the fire fighters came. By this time, the woman and the little girl had lost the battle. The little girl was found dead close to the window; she was just there banging, but there was no way we could help. The windows and the doors were all guarded with protectors. It was difficult to go through, if not, we would have broken through to rescue them”, December narrated.

    By the time the fire was put out, only the charred bodies and burnt house effects were left. The fire service men had tried their best to put the fire out, but their best was not enough to save even one of the lives in the house. The disaster was documented with the police and the corpses were deposited at the morgue of the Warri Central Hospital.

    Now, less than two years after, the pastor himself died of what was suspected to be a generator fume. Was it a coincidence? Or was there a spiritual angle to the whole saga? Do the relations suspect any foul play?

    Speaking to The Nation in Warri during the week, an aunt of the deceased Pastor, Mrs Faith Ederi, said he would not be buried like one who had no loved ones. She said the family was going to give him a befitting burial. She said although the circumstances of his life and death, relating to how he lost his family and his eventual death all within a period less than two years were unsettling, God definitely has the final say in the whole story. Not writing off the possibility of a spiritual manipulation, she said whoever might be involved definitely has God to contend with.

    “We thought we had even marched on, not knowing we were still back. Losing him is a great tragedy to our family. The two families – the Okike and the Kayoda, are missing him and we will miss him forever. We just pray God to grant him eternal rest. It is a very big problem. We want to give him a befitting burial, we don’t just want to drop him in the grave and leave him like that. I will get back to you to let you know when we are burying him. Even if we suspect anything, we are just human beings, God has the final say. If there’s any plot indeed, those behind it will still meet their Waterloo, they will still reap the fruits of their wicked fruits. That’s all I can say”, she said.

    Also speaking on how the unfortunate incident had hit the church, Pastor Orode said it was a blow, adding that the only consolation the church has been the fact that his faith and standing with God was not a secret. He said the church was planning to join the family in giving him a befitting burial.”The church has already started dialoguing with the members of his family. The church will be financially involved, but to an extent,” he said.

    He added: “The issue of death is something that a mortal man cannot interpret; it is only the immortal that has the full interpretation because we may be giving it an interpretation along with our own feelings, but God who is the owner of life is the one who can best interpret when that life is taken. Even if you ask God why, He won’t give you an answer immediately.

    “When it comes to matters of death, especially when it’s surrounded by these kind of circumstances, the Christian has to be speechless because your statement can either offend or not offend God. Nobody plans for death and when it calls, it becomes very mysterious to humanity. Whether it is a covenant from anywhere, we don’t know and we cannot attribute it to anything”, Orode said in respect of the comment likely to follow the death of his co-labourer.

  • BLOODY VOYAGE -How 70-yr-old kidnapped Ikorodu Pastor met tragic end in militants’ den

    Life for Toba Osuloye and his father, Adebola, had revolved around ministering the word of God to the congregation at New Life Gospel Mission founded by the father in 1976. They craved no earthly possession nor desired quick riches. However, life took a downturn to hell when suspected militants invaded their Ikorodu residence and abducted father and son. Assistant Editor, SEUN AKIOYE narrates the tragic story of abduction and death.

    JUNE 7th 2016 was a day I didn’t understand at all. I didn’t go out because I had some church work to do; there was a strange feeling all through that day,” Toba Osuloye, pastor and businessman, began the long tale which changed his family forever.

    He was sitting in a safe house in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, where for the past two weeks he had been hiding after he was released by suspected militants after he was kidnapped alongside his 70-year-old father and held for 10 days in a dingy hut built on the sea in the middle of nowhere.

    Osuloye’s present abode and condition is a far cry from what he was used to, his life and that of his family preluding the tragedy revolved around the church founded by his father, Rev. Dr. Zacheus  Adebola Osuloye in 1976.  Before then, the elder Osuloye had held various top positions at Leventis Stores before answering the call to serve God. The result of the call was the New Life Gospel Mission in Lagos.

    The younger Osuloye-being the only son- followed his father into the vineyard and became one of the church administrators. Aside doing the work of God, he also runs his own business as a printer. The Osuloyes were not poor, yet they are not rich.

    In 2007, the father secured a piece of land in the waterlogged area of Maba near Oke-Oko in Ikorodu; the house he built was a modest one house and two years ago, his son completed a small apartment beside his father’s and moved in with his family.

    For some months, the family had been planning the 70th birthday celebration for their father, Adebola Zaccheus.  The birthday was scheduled for June 25, 2016 and organising the landmark celebration fell on his son, Toba. However, that was not to be.

    The journey to the nightmare for the Osuloyes began around 8:00pm. According to Toba, his father had devoted himself to fasting the whole day and had put on the generating set in his house. Toba joined him in order to complete the church assignment he was doing on his computer. His wife had just returned from work and his mother left for a night vigil about 10 minutes earlier.

    “Suddenly, my wife screamed, Jesu a ma rogo!” (Jesus we are in trouble!). The cause of the trouble was the uninvited entry of about six men, clad in dark robes; a few covered their faces while others were not so cautious. Some had on army camouflage trousers; they were armed with machetes, axes and guns.

    “They shouted that we should lie down, which we did. Then, they took my father out and asked for my money, my wife’s jewelries. I gave them all that I had in the house, my wife had no jewelry, they asked for my ATM card which I gave, only one of the accounts had money. It was about N5,000; they said to me, it’s okay just come with us,” Toba narrated.

    The invaders led the couple through their backyard to the stream where he pleaded that his wife be released. A small canoe was waiting, he was bundled into it and they rowed a few meters to the sea where a larger canoe was waiting. Inside, he saw his father who was already blind-folded.

    “When I saw my father, I became cold, they told us that we must cough out money as ransom. I told them that we are just pastors,” Toba said. A shout cut the conversation short. “You stop there!” A shout bellowed into the dark waters. What followed could best be described as a scene from an action packed movie.

    “Suddenly, there was shooting. The militants jumped into the water and started to shoot back. I laid flat inside the canoe and pulled my father down too; the shooting lasted for about four minutes; then there was silence.”

    The militants came back into the boat boasting: “Do you think your army can save you? They can’t kill us. We have wiped them out,” they shouted. But something had gone wrong during the shootout; the father was hit by a bullet. “My father said he couldn’t feel his legs again; there was blood all over. one of them checked and said the army had shot my dad in the leg.”

    A ransom and death

    Because of the interference of the army, the militants took a detour, a labyrinth, then it began to rain and one of them gave the father his jacket. The detour eventually led to a large camp, several houses built on the water, powerful floodlights blinding Toba and his father who was still bleeding. He said:  “When they removed the blindfold, I saw a big camp on the water, it was like a village. Then they moved us to another canoe and we got to a tent, a small distance from the village. I was stripped naked as I was covered in blood. I was then pushed into a hut. When we arrived there, I heard on the radio that the time was 3: am, we were captured at 8:30pm.”

    Both captives were separated. The father began to plead for his life and his son; “I am not a politician, I am only a servant of God, why are you doing this?” He reportedly yelled. His captors would have none of the “nonsense”, they corked their guns and threatened to “delete” him and son.

    They put the cost on their lives at N10 million. It was a thunderbolt to the men of God. A call was placed to one of the church administrators using Toba’s wife’s phone which had been stolen the night before. Other phones had dropped into the river.

    The father bleeding was unabated; the captors called a nurse. She examined him, declared he had lost a lot of blood, then sedated him. One of the captors suggested they administer Andrews Liver Salt, but that suggestion was rejected by another. Early in the morning, the father began to talk. “Daddy called me and said I should hold on, to tell the church that they must do everything to make heaven because he was going to heaven. He prophesied that the church would not scatter after his demise. Then I heard a loud sigh and all was quiet,” Toba said.

    In the morning, the militants began to make frantic phone calls. Then the body of the father was dragged out of the hut. They told the son that they were taking him to the hospital. They warned him that the ransom should be paid quickly.

    In the afternoon, a new set of guards arrived and Toba’s interrogation began. They asked him about his life, if he really was a man of God; if he had a girlfriend; if he had ever committed a sin; committed an abortion. They asked for the pin to his ATM card. As he answered truthfully to each question, they beat him the more, a slap here and a kick there; the butt of the gun became busy on his head.

    The report on the ATM came back. “You, a whole pastor has only N5,000 in your account. Don’t you collect offerings and tithes and you have a jeep in your house?” They yelled and beat him the more.

    Toba said the jeep belonged to his father and it has been abandoned for many months due to its unserviceable nature.  A boss of the militants came to the hut and said their stories had been checked out. “Your father is a good man, we have confirmed your story. We will need the N10 million because we have spent N200,000 treating your father,” he said.

    They began negotiating with one of the church pastors. Two days later, the sum of N200,000 was raised. When this news was communicated to the abductors, they became enraged. “Do you think we are beggars? Are we running at a loss or making profit? Do you know how much we have spent on your dad?” They yelled and beat him unabated.

    Two days later, the financial situation had not changed. Toba’s situation was becoming precarious. The militants became impatient; he had been there for four days now, much longer than anticipated. They told his family: “We will waste them, we kill people here every day; we have killed pastors before, it is nothing.”

    A city on the water

    Sunday June 12: “I woke up and began to cry. I knew prayers were being said for us every day but I was losing hope. Then, God told me that my salvation was in my mouth and that I should speak. I didn’t know what to tell the guards, so I asked if we could pray together, they agreed; they even thanked me,” Toba said.

    The camp where he was taken was like a city on the water. There, life went on as normal and people go to work and return, hawkers ply their wares on canoes.  There was a seller of pepper soup, pure water; pharmacists visit frequently and one could get to buy anything there.

    The ‘village’ was also well lit; there were powerful generators that supplied electricity 24 hours a day. One of the militants boasted that they lived better lives there than in the so- called Nigeria.  The guards were changed at 1:00pm daily. There was one they call “Pastor” who announces his arrival with a cry of “In the name of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.” But he also delighted in inflicting injuries on a fellow ‘pastor’.

    Toba was subjected to psychological pain. “They didn’t allow me to rest; if I doze, they would shake the walls of the hut and screamed.  Then they will shoot into the water. One time they threw a bomb and the whole place shook; it was like an earthquake. I was lying on the ground with my face to the wall. When they come in I have to cover my face,” Toba said.

    Every day, at least five times a helicopter would fly over the camp, it would fly very low and Toba would hope that a rescue was at hand. The chopper would move away taking his hopes with it. Then the militants would fantasy about shooting down one of the choppers.

    The militants showed total disdain for their captive. “You are an animal, you are a monkey, you are nothing to us. When we see you, we only see money. You better yield money or we will delete you,” they yelled. It was a constant threat, designed to break his will.

    By Monday June 13, despite the best efforts of the family, they still hadn’t raised N300,000. This got the captors angry. “Pastor, you are making me angry, why are your people doing this?” One of them said and commenced shooting indiscriminately into the water. The bullets hit the water in torrents sending panic into the frightened captive.

    Suddenly as if in answer to Toba’s earnest prayers, one of the guards, on hearing that the captive had prayed for the guards, promised to help him. “This one no go die,” he told his colleagues. “Let them know that not all of us here is bad.” And for two days, the ‘angel’ kept his words, ensuring there was no change of guards; this action also kept Toba alive. By Monday evening, the ransom fee had climbed to N500,000 and the family was excited to report this feat.

    “You must be an imbecile, what do you take us for? We are going to delete them. We don’t want to hear thousands, we want to hear millions. You don’t like your people, we will delete them,” one yelled and disconnected the call.

    A plan to escape

    By Tuesday, everyone who came to the hut was surprised that Toba was still in captivity and they began to question why he had not been killed. Then they began to suggest other options. “What about Baba’s friends, what about your neighbours?”

    Toba was becoming too weak to cooperate, so they forced some dry bread into his mouth and he gulped it down with the river water which they called tea. When he asked about his dad, he was beaten severely. “Tomorrow will be your last day,” one of them said.

    Toba’s angel began to plan an escape for him. He told the others he planned to release him, he asked one of the guards how much he got when Amnesty money was brought to the camp. The fellow replied “N15,000.” The faceless angel said: “Let’s take this money, if we share it we shall get thousands, let us release this pastor,” he said.

    On Wednesday, the faceless angel asked Toba to lock the door from inside. Then a boat arrived and one man shouted, “NEPA!” He brought a large sack with him and attempted to break down the door. “But my angel withstood him; he said I should not be killed. He spoke to the other one who was very adamant and in the end prevailed against his killing me that day,” Toba said. He had been saved for another day.

    But there were hindrances to the plan of escape; the militants disagreed about the sharing formulae of the ransom fee. A lady came and insisted that once free, the ransom won’t be paid but in the end they agreed to smuggle him out.

    The lady went to the camp and reported the plan. The big boss came and changed the guards, when the new guard arrived they mocked him ceaselessly. “We hear you have been praying, that you have been chopping their liver, well we are here now,” they said.  Now that the plan had been busted, his life was hanging in the balance; will the captors descend on him in anger, hack him to death and simply throw his body into the river?

    Toba said he knew the end was nigh. In the night, another big boss arrived. He had been to Abuja for a week and was angry to find Toba still a captive. “I went to Abuja and I still meet you here. I am angry, pastor, I am angry, you are wasting our time. People are guarding you without payment,” he said. In anger he began to shoot into the river, he hit the wall violently.

    “I couldn’t sleep again, all hope was lost; they had already decided to kill me,” Toba said.

    On Thursday June 16th, the new guards asked Toba to pray for them. They still hadn’t told him his father was dead.  Then his faceless angel returned. As soon as the boat docked, he began to scream “Pastor I am back o, I am staying with you now.”

    More good news followed that day. A call came that the ransom had increased to N1million. The militants quickly agreed to take it and arrangements began for his release. But one of the young militants came and suggested they kill him. “We would say he tried to escape, or that he was giving us trouble,” he said. The angel countered him, the plan was dismissed.

    Not all of the militants are rebels without a cause.  They spoke bitterly about the destruction of Niger Delta. They were very bitter against the government, according to Toba. Many of them exhibited a high level of intellect and their grasp of world affairs cannot be faulted.

    Many of them are graduates who are unemployed; many had tales of woe to tell about their families. One man said his parents were roasted in a fire which began from a ruptured oil pipe; his family has never received any compensation. “So you want me to pity the father and mother of other people when the government killed my own parents?” He asked. The boys said they were on a revenge mission against Nigeria.

    Friday June 17:  “Pastor stand up,” a militant commanded and proceeded to tie Toba’s face from behind. It would be the day of his dramatic release after 10 days of terror, pain and uncertainty. He had been to the doorsteps of death and returned. It was unlikely they kill him now, not with the promise of a ransom.  “I am giving you my fine jean,” one of them said. Another gave him a “smelly and dirty” shirt, while one sacrificed his “brand new bathroom slippers.” He was taken into a boat and after some minutes, he perceived lights. It was the camp.

    “They welcomed me to the camp while still blindfolded, gave me my properties, phones and computer and N2,000 for my transportation,” Toba revealed.  To receive the items, he was asked to put out his hands while they were dropped into his palms.

    The chief gave him instructions on what to do after he must have regained his freedom. He was to walk a couple of meters, then he would find okada riders who will take him to Oke-Oko. He was not to ask questions or talk to anybody.

    Up till then, the militants still maintained his father was alive. They told the negotiator that the two captives would be released on Friday. They told Toba that his father would follow behind him as he had been picked up from the hospital. But in the boat, he heard a militant inform another: “He was a good man and a pastor too, so we buried him.”

    That was the first inkling he had to what happened to his father’s body. All through his ordeal, he had pretended not to know about his father’s demise, but nobody was kind enough to alert him that his dear father was gone and to compound the issue, the family had no body to bury. For a man who dedicated his life to others, there will be no tomb for him where his children can point:  “here lies our father.”

    They put him in a boat, his ‘angel’ insisted on following him to the drop point. Blindfolded and weak, they set out around 9:00pm. The captors’ rowed, eerie silence prevailed. “The way they rowed, you will know that these are professionals, there was no sound of paddling; in fact, they didn’t speak, it was like they were avoiding something.”

    After about 30 minutes, the journey ended. Being too weak, they helped him on his feet and gave the final instructions: “We are going to remove your blindfold. Walk straight on, do not look back.” There was no need for a repetition, he had seen the gang in their sheer brutality. He walked on and into freedom.

    But providence might have saved Toba from further calamity, for the night he was released coincided with the killing of one of the militants, which led to the massacre and deaths of several persons in many Ikorodu communities.

    Toba’s mother is still trying to come to terms with the death of her husband whom she described as a “perfect gentleman” and an epitome of humility. “We were praying when they were there. We contacted many men of God to pray. It was a traumatic time for us,” she told The Nation.

    But the family will not close this horrid chapter in their lives without a befitting funeral for their hero. “The funeral will be preceded by a service of songs on July 22nd and other events will occur on 23 and 24th of July, we want to celebrate our father and the life he lived,” Toba said.

  • I’m glad Nigerians are getting married to Chinese —Lagos China Town founder Lu Lu Jackson

    CHINESE citizen, Lu Lu, better known as Jackson, first came to Nigeria in 1986 on the invitation of a prominent Nigerian businessman and politician. Thirty years on, Jackson has literally adopted Nigeria as his country.

    Apart from being the head of the Chinese community in Lagos, his effort to recreate China in Nigeria with the founding of the popular China Town market in Lagos has gone a long way to solidify the relationship between Nigeria and China.

    Revealing how well he considers Nigeria his home, Jackson, a grandfather, jokingly said he is treated more like a visitor whenever he visits China. “Whenever I go to China, my people there say welcome. That makes me look like a visitor,” he said with wild laughter.

    He has also fallen in love with Nigerian foods. “Before I founded China Town, I ate any Nigerian food I saw. I love Nigerian foods and I eat them. But my favourite is yam and stew. I really love the taste,” Jackson said.

    His coming to Nigeria was not without some challenges, but he was not discouraged by them, particularly because he arrived in the country fully prepared for whatever challenge he might encounter.

    “Of course, I knew that there would be challenges to come and live in Nigeria. But I was very prepared for the challenges, and that really helped me to cope when I finally arrived here.

    “I prepared myself very well before coming to Nigeria. I was mentally prepared for whatever I might encounter. This is what most people do not do. For me, I was mentally prepared. I cannot deny that there have been challenges. But the truth is that I prepared myself very well.”

    The Chinese community leader admits that he has enjoyed his stay in Nigeria.

    “I have enjoyed my stay in Nigeria because I love the people. I love Nigerians. Believe me, Nigerians love and respect foreigners, and they are very trustworthy.”

    Asked about his impression of Nigerian women, Jackson said they are beautiful, adding that he is happy that there have been several marriages between Chinese and Nigerians.

    “Today, we have many Chinese marrying Nigerians. That is a good sign that both countries are integrating. Though they may not be many, the truth is that we have people from both countries marrying,” he said.

    Part of those things that helped him, he said, was the location of his native home in China, which he said is in several ways like Lagos.

    “My home town in China is located very close to the sea. So, I am very much at home in Lagos because it is just like my native place in China,” he said.

    Impressed with the business climate and opportunities that abound in Nigeria, Jackson went back to China in 2009 and invited about 1,000 business organisations to a roundtable where business opportunities available to both Chinese and Nigerian investors were discussed.

    Jackson said it was his dream to deepen the relationship between both countries and expand the business opportunities that led to the creation of the popular China Town market.

    “From the Chinese side, China Town is like a service centre. But from the Nigerian perspective, it is like a market. You know that Nigerians have shops here and markets don’t die. There will always be buying and selling in a market. Therefore, it is a platform not only for the Chinese but also for Nigerians.”

    Speaking on his effort to strengthen the bilateral relationship between Nigeria and China, Jackson said: “We have to understand that the relationship between both countries is not only on friend to friend level but also on government to government level.

    “We also need to understand that the Chinese policy is about mutual respect for both parties. But the service centre forms a good platform for the relationship.”

    He said most Chinese companies in the country respect and comply with Nigerian laws. He said they are also observing their corporate social responsibility by contributing to the development of their areas of operation.

    “Chinese companies are law-abiding. They respect the laws of Nigeria. They make money from Nigeria and are happy.

    “It is the same with Nigerians doing business in China. The companies also try to contribute to the development of the area of their operations.”

    While Jackson would love to acknowledge his contribution to the success of the relationship between China and Nigeria, he said the bulk of the credit should go to a former Nigerian ambassador to China, Ambassador Victor Nwozichi Chibundu.

    He said: “All the associations that are registered with the Chinese embassy are focused on promoting the friend to friend relationship. In that respect, we know Ambassador Chibundu very well. Because of his passion for these associations, we get together from time to time. We also meet at embassy functions.”

    He noted that the ambassador has brought several Chinese companies to Nigeria. “Most of those companies are doing very well,” he said.

    Regrettably, Ambassador Chibundu is no more. But the Chinese community is not mourning, as it gears up to celebrate the life and times of a man they believe contributed a great deal to cementing the relationship between Nigeria and China.

    Speaking on the plan of the Chinese community to honour the late ambassador, Jackson said arrangements had been concluded to hold a get-together in his honour.

    He said: “The Chinese community in Lagos will come together to honour the late Ambassador Chibundu for his contributions to the strengthening of the relationship between China and Nigeria.

    “It is in commemoration of his life and times. We would have Chinese people who knew him speak about his life in China. We would talk about the benefits of the relationship.”

    He said the contribution of the late ambassador cannot be quantified, saying the benefits of his efforts in making sure that both countries trust and do business with each other would last forever.

    “You cannot say his contribution was one, two or three. The books he wrote about the relationship between both countries are priceless.

    “During his tenure as the ambassador, he introduced quite a number of Chinese investors to Nigeria. So, we will continue to enjoy his contributions to the relationship for a long time.”

    The decision to honour the late Ambassador Chibundu, Jackson said, is deeply rooted in time-tested Chinese culture of never forgetting a good deed done to them by anybody.

    “The Chinese do not forget any good thing you do to them, even if it is one thing,” he said. “That is why we want to honour the late Ambassador Chibundu.

    “We know that we cannot appreciate all the good things he did enough, but we want to do it in our own little way.

    “On that day, you will see the Chinese way of honouring a man who has done good things.”

    Ambassador Chibundu served in the Nigerian Foreign Service from 1961-1990, during which he rose by dint of hard work and dedication to the ranks of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, and Director of several Departments responsible for such strategic areas as Arab affairs (now Middle East), East, Central and Southern Africa (during intense patriotic liberation struggles) and cultural affairs, in the Ministry of External Affairs.

    Prior to these assignments, he was the Special Assistant to the first Minister of External Affairs and Commonwealth Relations, the late Hon.(Dr) Jaja A.Wachukwu, and the late Ambassador John N.Ukegbu, Permanent Secretary and Administrative Head of the Nigerian Foreign Service.

    He also established and was formerly accredited as Charge d’ Affairs of the Embassy in Teheran, during the reign of his imperial majesty Mohammed Reza Palavi Aryamher, Shahanshah of Iran. Thereafter, he was appointed Minister/Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Nigeria, Beijing, China with concurrent accreditation to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea from 1981-1984; Ambassador to Angola, with concurrent accreditation to Sao Tome and Principe 1984-1987; and leader of Nigeria Christian Pilgrimage to Israel in 1988.

  • Today and Now

    Some people are obsessed with the past; they can’t take their eyes off their failures or even their successes. Some others only care about now; their philosophy is “live, eat and enjoy all you can today because no one knows tomorrow”. Yet, some live in dread or hope of the future and they waste their present. There’s got to be a balance somewhere. Interestingly, yesterday, today and tomorrow have something in common-they are made up of time. For yesterday, time had passed, today, time is passing by and tomorrow, time is going to pass. One way or the other, we can’t keep time from passing.

    What you do with your time is what determines whether you are wise or not. Your time is your asset; you will become rich in whatever you invest it into. When you administer your time wisely, you will build your wealth gradually. As time passes without much formality, so will your wealth grow without much publicity. You should have a proper disposition towards time. Let yesterday teach you, let tomorrow motivate you, but don’t let today pass you by.

    Don’t worry unnecessarily about things you can’t control, just focus on what is within your reach.  Don’t worry about yesterday, it is gone. Don’t worry about tomorrow, it is out of reach. Don’t worry about today, it’s a whole lot of time. Focus your attention on “now” because it is the meeting point between yesterday, today and tomorrow. You never do anything yesterday- by now you must have done it, otherwise, it’s too late. You never do anything tomorrow- it is always a future projection that is constantly ahead. You never do anything today- today is just an illusion that makes you think you have a lot of time until it passes you by. You only do things now. Yesterday had a “now” that passed already. Today is full of “now” that are passing as you read this article. Tomorrow’s “now” is useless until it comes to the present.

    How much of your day do you invest in profitable activities? I’m not trying to judge you; I’ve gone through the evaluation myself. Try out these suggestions:

    • Mind your own business: if you know what other people are doing, the time they are doing it, why they do it and probably why they shouldn’t be doing it (unless it is your job to know), watch out! You are probably doing nothing yourself! Protect your time as much as you can. Avoid whatever does not help you to achieve your goals. Shut out every distraction and focus. You don’t need to know any information that will not add anything to you. Miss the gossip and gain some value.
    • Avoid time wasters: there are some people who are gifted in consuming other people’s time. If they visit you while you are preparing to attend an event, you may end up going late or not going at all. After making your plans for the day, all you need is to meet them and your plans go out of the window. I’m not being unkind, it is just the fact. Once you identify such people, find a strategy to manage your relationship with them.
    • Plan with time: any plan that is not set to time is no plan at all. At the beginning of everyday, make a list of what you want to achieve and assign time to each of them. This will give you a sense of mission. Even if you cannot follow through completely, you will have a sense of accomplishment when you evaluate your activities at the end of the day.
    • Trade busyness for productivity: have you ever been so busy that you hardly had a breathing space, yet by the end of the day, you hadn’t achieved much? It happens all the time. What happens is that we tend to spend our time on things that are urgent but we ignore things that are important. Why not do an evaluation of your day? Determine the activities that add to you and the ones that drain you? Find out the things you invest most of your time on that bring little or no dividend? Try to reduce the time you allot to them. On the other hand, when you discover the activities you spend little time on that end up being productive, increase the time allotted to them. If you do this, you will multiply your success.
    • Delegate responsibilities: I know you think no one can measure up to your standards or do things exactly the way you want them done. Nevertheless, unless you desire to wear yourself out quickly, you need help. If a leader feels that subordinates can’t perform tasks to his/her taste, it is a clear sign of leadership failure. If you train them well, they will take a lot of burden off you and you will do more productive things with your time.
  • Honour for egghead

    Honour for egghead

    A non-political association, the Oye-Ekiti August 10 Club, has hosted the new Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Professor Kayode Soremekun, writes NNEKA NWANERI

    Members of the August 10 Club, Ekiti, were decked in flowing white agbada with matching caps penultimate Saturday at a reception in honour of the new Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof Kayode Soremekun.

    They were in convival atmosphere as they conversed in a mixture of Ekiti dialect, Yoruba and English languages.

    President of the club, Chief Bola Awe, said the reception was to ensure an enduring cohabitation between the gown and town, that is, FUOYE and Oye-Ekiti, the school’s host community.”

    He enjoined the Vice Chancellor and his management team to patronise local entrepreneurs and accord priority to employing both skilled and unskilled youth in their community

    In response, Prof. Soremekun noted that he was moved by the commitment of indigenes of Oye-Ekiti in ensuring the success of the university.

    At the event were: President of Oye Progressive Union, Akin Omole; CEO of Havilah Merchants, Mr. Lanre Adesuyi; Senator Ayo Arise; CEO of YemKem Enterprises, Chief Akintunde Ayeni and the Ekiti State Commissioner for Commerce, Mr. Ayo Oguntoye.

    Others were the FUOYE delegation including: Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Raphael Ajayi; the Registrar, Mr. Daniel Adeyemo; the Bursar, Mr. Bashir Badmus; the Librarian, Mr. Gboyega Adio; Director of Academic Planning, Prof. Olusegun Oladimeji; the Dean, Faculty of Arts, Prof. Rasaki Ojo Bakare; Director of Physical Planning, Mr Debo Ayodele and Director of Administration,  Mr. Olatubosun Odusanya.

     

  • Another feather to his cap

    Another feather to his cap

    Members of the Nofisat Oduwole Memorial Mosque, Ikangba Housing Estate, Ijebu – Ode, Ogun State last Sunday conferred on Prof   Sheriffdeen Adewale Tella the title of Baba Adinni, reports ERNEST NWOKOLO.

    Last Sunday, many dignitaries were in Ijebu to witness the installation ceremony of a man who has many feathers on his cap. The new Baba Adinni of Ijebu is Professor Sheriffdeen Adewale Tella,  a University of Ibadan trained economist, ex-Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU), Olabisi Onabanjo University(OOU), Ago – Iwoye and a former Vice – Chancellor, Crescent University, Abeokuta.

    The ancient town came alive as many thronged the  Nofisat Oduwole Memorial mosque, Ikangba Housing Estate, Ijebu – Ode to witness the occasion.

    Their exotic cars spoke volumes about their status and position- that they are men  of substance.

    Among those who attended were: Senator Gbenga Kaka, the Moyegeso of Itele-Ijebu, Oba Adesanya Kasali, the Chief Imam of Ijebuland, Abd’Rasaq Salaudeen, and many more from the academia.

    The cleric promised to use his office for the growth and development of the mosque, welfare of members and serve as a mediator to the people.

    At the occasion, Senator Kaka was honoured  with an award by the mosque, while Alhaji Abd’Raheem Owodunni was installed the Chief Imam of the mosque.