Akure, the Ondo State capital, was agog last Wednesday as the new traditional ruler of the ancient town,Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladesulu entered into the palace, reports DAMISI OJO.
It was an exciting moment for the indigenes and residents of Akure,the Ondo State capital trooped out to witness the triumphant entry of their new monarch,Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladesulu, to the palace .
The occasion came after the traditional ruler observed the mandatory traditional rites following his installation by the state government.
Oba Aladesulu was accompanied into the palace by traditional Chiefs, traditionalists, religious leaders, government officials and his wife.
The entry into the palace signalled the assumption of office of any Deji of Akure, as the rite climaxed the installation rites of thetraditional ruler.
The monarch was later taken round the various sections of the palace by chiefs and various traditional rites were performed at each section of the palace.
Major roads in Akure were blocked as a result of the ceremony, while traffic congestion was experienced in many parts of the city.
Residents and indigenes of the city from all parts of the country and those in the Diaspora all gathered at the palace where they all pledged their loyalty to the monarch.
Speaking at a reception held in his honour, Oba Aladesulu expressed gratitude to the state government, the kingmakers and all indigenes of
Akure, promising to ensure rapid development of the city during his reign.
Oba Aladesulu, who is the 47th Deji of Akure, enjoined his subjects to co-operate with him in the task of developing the city.
The new monarch is from Osupa ruling House.He emerged the Akure’s king after he was nominated by the ruling house and approved by the kingmakers before he was presented with the staff of office by Governor Olusegun Mimiko.
His coming into the throne has afforded the Regent,Princess Adetutu Adesida to return to her base after serving Akure by occupying the vacuum created by his father, the late Deji Oba Adebiyi Adesida who died on December 1,2003.
The Lagos State Government has urged private medical practitioners to strengthen their collaboration with the State Government in the prevention of communicable diseases by conducting free public diagnosis.
Dr Modele Osunkiyesi, Permanent Secretary, in the state Ministry of Health, made the call at the closing ceremony of a 2-day meeting of health personnel in Lagos.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was organised by the National Executive Council of the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN) in Lagos.
“Some of the free health screenings organised by the State Government are underutilised because residents patronise the private hospitals, where they pay for these services.
“The whole essence of the state’s free screening is for early detection and prompt treatment, as well as to save more lives.
“If the private hospitals can complement government’s efforts by providing free health screening, the spread of communicable diseases will be curbed in the state.
“Also, private practitioners can help the government with data collation to inform health policies that will enhance healthcare delivery in the state,’’ she said.
Prof. John Obafunwa, the Chief Pathologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), urged private medical practitioners to take the issue of diagnosis seriously.
According to him, diagnostic medicine forms the bedrock of any medical treatment and positive health outcomes.
“Private hospitals should ensure that they employ well-trained and qualified laboratory scientists and pathologists to man their laboratories, so as to eliminate misdiagnosed cases,’’ he said.
Also speaking, Dr Ajibayo Adeyeye, a former majority leader at the Seventh Lagos State House of Assembly, urged private hospitals to adopt and adhere to the Lagos State Health Law.
Adeyeye said that the law would ensure patients’ safety and reduce the rate of quackery in medical practice.
President, AGPMPN, Lagos chapter, Dr Adeyeye Arigbabowo, promised to complement the state government’s effort in ensuring universal health coverage.
“We are ready to work and cooperate with the government to enable it provide holistic health services and ensure the elimination of sub-standard medical practices,’’ he said.
The crowd was excited. It comprised of expectant mothers, nursing mothers, their babies, employees of Oriyanrin Primary Healthcare Centre, Victoria Island and those of Royal Philips. The crowd gathered to witness the unveiling of an extensive overhaul and refurbishment of the mother and child care facilities at the Healthcare Centre. Philips has upgraded the facilities in the labour, paediatric and new born baby wards, designing them to support the well-being and recovery of expectant mothers and their new born babies. It is anticipated that over time, as a result of this pioneering project, many lives will also be saved.
The Healthcare Centre, located in Iru/Victoria Island, Local Council Development Area, Lagos, has a very high patient in-flow with an average of 300-400 outpatients per month, as well as 30 to 40 follow up appointments per week. The Healthcare Center records an average of twenty (20) births per month. The labour, pediatric and new born units in the Healthcare Centre prior to the refurbishment were in need of an upgrade.
The Healthcare Centre is the largest among three primary healthcare centres in the district – Oniru Primary Health Centre and Takwa Bay Island Primary Health Centre being the other two; all of which have minimal manpower. Therefore the upgrading of the Healthcare Centre will benefit all three centres, and enable them to provide more efficient patient care.
The project, undertaken by Philips has resulted in a complete overhaul and renovation of existing mother and child care facilities. Philips began by painting and decorating the wards in order to create a serene and calming environment; Philips has also installed new toilets, tables, chairs, beds and cabinets.
All the light fittings have been retrofitted with the latest Philips LED lighting solutions; LED lighting enables rest and recovery, as it’s not as harsh as conventional fluorescent lighting, it requires minimal maintenance and also helps to reduce energy consumption. Earlier, due to frequent power outages as well as poor and sporadic lighting, doctors found it very challenging to deliver babies at night time, this problem is now eliminated. This new innovative solar LED lighting provides safe and uninterrupted illumination, while saving costs.
Philips has also invested in landscaping and beautifying the roundabout and streets surrounding the Healthcare Centre; all elements to provide a clean and attractive area, as well as easy access to the Healthcare Center.
To further improve the maternal health and child care facilities, Philips has also provided the Healthcare Center with a range of its innovative solutions, many of which have been developed specifically with African conditions in mind.
Noticing the lack of basic ultrasound in the labour ward, Philips has equipped the Healthcare Center with its innovative ultra-mobile ultrasound system called VISIQ; the size of a tablet, the VISIQ is the first ultra-mobile system from Philips. VISIQ’s unique combination of mobility, ease of use and image quality, will enable clinicians in the Healthcare Centre to carry out comprehensive obstetric and abdominal scans themselves rather than referring patients to larger ultrasound centers or hospitals. This enables fast diagnosis and treatment.
Approximately ten times smaller than a traditional ultrasound machine and with reduced energy consumption, VISIQ can be used for screening, triage and fetal well-being scans, all of which helps to address the critical issue of maternal and infant care in Nigeria.
In addition, Philips has also installed its Efficia patient monitor in the centre. Designed to be both portable and intuitive, and using time-tested physiological measurement algorithms the Efficia monitor will empower staff at the Healthcare Centre with actionable, care-specific information required to make patient management decisions and provide fast and efficient patient care.
Furthermore, to ensure proper usage of the technology, Philips is conducting an extensive training workshop at the Healthcare Center for midwives, maternity nurses, obstetricians and ultrasound practitioners; the objective is to provide hands-on application training, as well as a clinical refresher course on where to look and what to look for, and how to use this information to guide diagnoses and treatment decisions.
For new mothers and soon-to-be mothers in the Healthcare Center, Philips will be hosting demonstrations by experts on the importance of breast feeding and learning the correct techniques to enable comfort and ease for both infant and mother.
Breastfeeding is fundamental to reducing infant mortality. It can protect against common childhood infections such as neonatal sepsis. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), exclusive breastfeeding for a baby’s first six months and partial breastfeeding into a child’s second year, reduces a child’s chances of succumbing to several preventable illnesses including diarrhoea and acute respiratory tract infections.
Philips is setting up a maternity screening camp during the Nigerian phase of the Cape Town to Cairo roadshow. The screening camp at the Healthcare Center will give expectant mothers in the local community the opportunity to avail themselves of a free ultrasound screening. For the majority of the women in the area this will be their first time to have a scan during their pregnancy. A pre-natal screening ensures that any complications can be detected in advance of labour; if any of the women require further medical attention they will be taken care of immediately at the Healthcare Center.
Speaking at the inauguration of the refurbished facilities, Robin Armstrong, General Manager, Philips Healthcare, West Africa said: “It gives me great pleasure to unveil the renovation of the mother and child care facilitates at the Healthcare Center. This project will hopefully ease the burden for the healthcare workers in the district, and in time save many lives as well. Most expectant women visiting this facility can now have access to care which will help to keep both them and their babies healthy.”
Armstrong added: “Since the beginning of the Philips cape Town to Cairo road show we have continually sought to champion the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), related to reducing child mortality and improving maternal health. Our commitment to Mother and Child Care in Africa is unwavering – as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) supersede the MDGs our focus will remain the same, and we will continue to advance healthcare in Africa, providing solutions, innovations and collaborations that bring meaningful change.”
The Secretary, Abayomi Daramola, said the health centre appreciated the effort of the company, “being its Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) that tends towards reducing infant and child mortality, improving the health of mothers before and after babies are born, reducing numbers of deaths of mothers, prevention of common diseases, early detection and treatment of other diseases of public health significance.”
Dr Wale Akeredolu, Medical Officer Health, Public Health and Primary Health Centre Department, Iru /Victoria Island LCDA commented on the refurbishment: “The impact this project will have on our district cannot be overstated. Community Healthcare Centers are generally under resourced and sparsely equipped with technology. Our Healthcare Center is no different in this regard, and in particular our mother and child care facilities have been under enormous pressure in recent years. We are delighted to have collaborated with Philips, as this project will breathe new life into our Healthcare Center and enable us to improve care for our patients,” he said.
The Lagos State Chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) has pleaded with the State Government to provide additional bus stops to foster traffic flow.
The Chairman of the union in the state, Mr Tajudeen Agbede, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
Agbede said more bus stops and motor parks should be provided in the metropolis to curb indiscriminate picking and dropping of passengers along the road.
‘’We need more bus stops and motor parks to allow us to operate freely without disrupting the free flow of traffic and constituting nuisance to other road users.
‘’If there are adequate designated bus stops like the Bus Rapid Transit, commuters will always go there to board buses as well as disembark without disrupting flow of traffic. ’’
He also called on members of the union to make use of available bus stops ones, advising commuters to always go to the designated bus stops and parks to board buses.
The NURTW chief said that commuters boarding inter-state vehicles on highways were exposing themselves to danger.
“Commuters travelling outside the state should go to designated motor parks to board vehicles in order to have their names written on the manifest.
“The passengers manifest is very important because in the case of any eventuality, a passenger’s family can be contacted through the next of kin’s contact number registered on it.
‘’Another benefit of boarding vehicle at designated parks is to help the union to check reckless driving by reporting any erring driver to union officials at the parks.
‘’A passenger can also locate his or her misplaced or missing goods at the union’s office,’’ Agbede said.
Also, Mr Rotimi Ajayi, the NURTW Ikorodu West Chairman, said that many areas in Ikorodu did not have bus stops.
“We have set up a task force to monitor and arrest any bus operator who disrupts the free flow of traffic in the area,’’ he stated.
Founder and Chancellor of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), has advocated a sustainable synergy between animal and human medical practitioners to minimise the spread of diseases in the country.
He spoke during a two-day seminar for veterinary doctors and laboratory technologists held at ABUAD which drew participants from all over the country.
Babalola advised those dealing in the raring of live animals across the country to always patronise veterinary doctors in the course of their business.
The ABUAD founder noted that neglect of veterinary services could lead to bankruptcy and immense loss, especially for those in the practice of animal husbandry on a large scale.
At the meeting, the Veterinary Council of Nigeria (VCN) urged governments at all levels to prioritise animal health in their policies in order to ensure a holistic health programme for the country.
Speaking through its National President,Prof Garba Sharubutu, the council said the neglect or lukewarm attitude towards animal health could spell doom for the nation’s health sector noting that a well driven animals health service is required to ensure drastic reduction of diseases and sicknesses in the Nigeria society.
Sharubutu said the seminar was intended to broaden and update the knowledge of veterinary practitioners drawn from across the country on contemporary issues in veterinary practice.
He expressed hope that the seminar would boost animals health services delivery in the country if its imports are put to use by government and practitioners
The Ondo State government has called on traditional rulers in the state to sensitise their subjects on the importance of the Resident Card.
The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Dayo Adeyanju, spoke when he visited the Olukare of Ikare, Oba Akadiri Momoh.
Adeyanju said this card would enable the indigenes to access government’s health facilities at affordable rate and stressed the need for the indigenes to obtain it.
He also said that it would enable the state government to have accurate data of the people in order to plan for their welfare.
According to him, the dwindling economy in the country has forced the state to concentrate its resources only on its indigenes.
“Government would continue to place priority on the well-being of all and sundry at all times, the card would equally be useful in the area of education, agriculture among others,’’ he said.
The commissioner said that the state government’s health facilities would also be available to non-indigenes but they would be required to pay a token.
The Commissioner visited the Specialist Hospital, Ikare in Akoko North East, where he sensitised the medical personnel to the residency card otherwise known as “Kaadi Igbeayo.’’
He decried low patronage of the hospital by patients and advised the people in the area to take full advantage of the facility rather than visiting quacks.
Adeyanju charged staff of the hospital to be alive to their responsibilities.
The people of Iyemero in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State are pushing for the dethronement of their traditional ruler, Oba Ebenezer Agboola Ogungbemi, accusing him of sundry offences. But the monarch, who denies all the allegations against him, is calling for a truce. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports.
Iyemero is one of the remotest and most peaceful communities in Ekiti State. It is located on the northern fringe of the state and very close to both Kwara and Kogi states with huge agricultural and forestry resources.
It is very close to Eruku in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara state and Egbe in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State. It is a journey of a minimum of one hour and thirty minutes from Ado Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State.
The community came to limelight during the Segun Oni administration when it was made the centre of attraction for commercial production of cassava and ethanol project.
But presently the town is on the edge as the indigenes are up in arms against their king, the Olu-Iye of Iyemero, Oba Ebenezer Agboola Ogungbemi. They are calling on Governor Ayo Fayose to depose the monarch for what they called “acts unbecoming of his revered position.”
Oba Ogungbemi who was installed as the Olu-Iye of Iyemero on March 11, 2000 was the Aro (second-in-command to the king) before he mounted the royal seat of his community.
An accountant by profession who retired as a senior official of the agency that is now known as the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and served in cities , such as Lagos, Kaduna, Sokoto, Ilorin and Maiduguri where he was president of the Yoruba Community and Ekiti Community in Borno State.
Having assumed the royal seat 15 years ago when he was installed by former Governor Adeniyi Adebayo, Oba Ogungbemi is fighting the battle of his life to keep his throne against forces that want to cut short his reign accusing him of sundry offences.
The Attah of Ayede, Oba Mumini Orisagbemi (centre), Oba Ogungbemi (left) and the Olu of Itapaji, Oba Abdulkareem Adebanjo (right) at the peace meeting.
The members of the community staged a public protest on Saturday, June 27 before and after a peace meeting chaired by the Attah of Ayede, Oba Mumini Adebayo Orisagbemi who came to reconcile the Iyemero monarch with his subjects.
They accused Oba Ogungbemi of withholding allowances due to his chiefs, illegal arrest and detention of his subjects and illegal sale of some parcels of community’s ancestral land to the tune of N5 million without their consent.
The royal father’s subjects also accused him of illegal felling and sale of community’s economic trees, use of divide and rule tactics, highhandedness, dictatorial tendencies and lack of interest in the development of the town.
The Iyemero people who carried many placards protested round the community calling on Fayose to initiate steps to depose Oba Ogungbemi before the already tense situation goes out of hand.
Some of their placards read: “Gov. Fayose, We Don’t Want Ebenezer Agboola as Olu of Iyemero Again”, “We Are Tired of Our Oba, He Must Go”, “Iyemero Youths Reject Ebenezer Agboola As King”, “EFCC, Come and Probe Olu of Iyemero”, “We Reject to Die in Prison, Agboola Must Leave”, “Agboola Is Not Fit to Be Our Oba Again”, among others.
Various interest groups, including traditional chiefs, town union leaders, women leaders, youths, students some of whom were allegedly arrested and detained for challenging Oba Ogungbemi’s alleged excesses who spoke at the parley, said they could no longer guarantee peace in the community if he still remains king.
The peace meeting, which was also witnessed by the Olu of Itapaji, Oba Abdulkareem Adebanjo, collapsed as the Attah was making his closing remarks when the youths who had sat quietly throughout the proceeding brought out their placards and chanted war songs against their monarch (the Olu).
Oba Ogungbemi’s subjects insisted that they were tired of his ‘oppressive’ reign and heckled their monarch as he was seeing off Oba Orisagbemi who was leaving to attend another function in his domain (Ayede).
The Attah who sued for peace said Iyemero remains his second home since it was from there the people of Ayede located in Oye Local Government Area moved to where they are presently.
Oba Orisagbemi urged his brother monarch to listen to his subjects, reconcile with them and pay the chiefs whose allowances are being allegedly withheld for peace to reign.
• IPU President, Lawrence Fatoyinbo, addressing reporters during the peace meeting.
President of Iyemero Progressive Union (IPU), Mr. Lawrence Fatoyinbo, welcomed the intervention of the Attah describing his intervention in the Iyemero crisis as one of the reasons why God brought him to the throne.
Fatoyinbo expressed regrets that things are “turning upside down” in Iyemero as the people of the community are not seeing the development they had envisaged which he attributed to the leadership style of the Olu of Iyemero.
The IPU boss explained that the feud had pitted the royal father with his chiefs and subjects. According to him, whoever that says there is peace in Iyemero is deceiving himself since the matter had been taken to the Attah at least three times in the recent past.
Fatoyinbo revealed that the crisis in the community had been taken to the Governor, the Deputy Governor and the Special Adviser in charge of Chieftaincy Matters without being resolved.
According to the IPU chief, the people had protested against their Kabiyesi for the way he has been administering the affairs of the community but the union intervened and advised them to table their grievances before the Attah to help find a solution.
Fatoyinbo wondered why Oba Ogungbemi was a former IPU President and under whom he (Fatoyinbo) served as Secretary for many years no longer listens to his subjects saying “Iyemero community is at the crossroads and don’t know the way out again” hence the intervention of the Attah.
•Oba Ogungbemi addressing a news confence in Ado Ekiti where he denied all the allegations
He declared that the people of Iyemero no longer want Oba Ogungbemi as their ruler and they had forwarded a petition to Fayose to effect his dethronement for peace to return to the beleaguered community.
Fatoyinbo said: “The Olu of Iyemero is running a one-man show, he doesn’t take advice and he is not ready to work with IPU. Even though he was not the rightful person to occupy the throne, we still accepted him and gave him the benefit of doubt but he has failed to justify our trust.
“He has not been paying the chiefs under him their allowances for the past ten years despite collecting the money from the government. We want him to know that we have a way we can report him to EFCC and it is unfortunate that many of the chiefs had died without collecting what is due to them.
“He sold Iyemero landed property to the tune of N5 million without the consent of the community claiming that the whole land belongs to his family.
“We don’t want him any longer, we have written petitions to Fayose because the governor is the only answer to this issue.
“We have asked him to set up a Commission of Inquiry to look into the matter, we have also taken the matter to the Elekole of Ikole before the latest intervention of the Attah of Ayede.
“You heard what the representatives of various interest groups in Iyemero said at the meeting. We have lost confidence in our Oba because he cannot change again”.
After Fatoyinbo’s remarks, the Attah, Oba Orisagbemi said he was deeply concerned about the crisis rocking Iyemero noting that “there is no way you will be a true Ayede son without having relations in Iyemero”.
He described Iyemero as the home of all the people of Ayede saying the crisis can be resolved if all parties show willingness to resolve it and accommodate themselves.
Oba Orisagbemi, who warned against “externalising the Iyemero crisis”, urged his brother monarch, Oba Ogungbemi, to listen to his subjects and be wary of people who are benefiting from the crisis.
He noted that if the crisis goes out of hand and the community is in chaos, people will be referring to the reign of the Oba Ogungbemi as the time negative things happened.
Oba Orisagbemi explained: “There is no town where a king is deposed that witnesses peace, when there is crisis and people are dying, this will strike terror and far in the minds of your subjects.
“War is not a good thing and if it starts, nobody can predict when it will end. Wherever you take this matter to, you will still have to come back home and dialogue. We the ‘Iye Outside’ will not allow you the ‘Iye Inside’ to destroy the image of this community.
“What are we struggling about? We should always remember the six feet, when we are going to die because life is vanity. There must be mutual respect among us and those of us who are here (to make peace) have no power to remove your Oba for you but if he listens, it will be in his own interest.”
After giving his opening remarks, Oba Orisagbemi gave the floor to some stakeholders in Iyemero to speak on their grievances and first to speak was Mrs. Esther Aduke Ayeni.
Mrs Ayeni said: “This Kabiyesi (Oba Ogungbemi) does not listen to advice of his people. We asked him to join hands with us to reconstruct our environment, he said no. He kicked against our advice to him to renovate the market.
“If he wants his subjects to benefit, he must be ready to listen to advice but he doesn’t listen to advice and he believes so much in himself.
His wife controls him and he hates what we want and works against our interest. Most of our children are graduates who have no jobs to do at all.”
Next to speak was Mr. Sunday Caleb Omotoso who said the Iyemero monarch does not mean well for his subjects. He accused Oba Ogungbemi of being dictatorial and blocking his ears to the cries of the community.
Omotoso said: “This Kabiyesi withholds the allowances of the chiefs under him, I reported the matter to the IPU President. The Oba asked me that when I was a civil servant, am I not receiving my salaries?
“I replied him that when he was the Aro, was he not receiving his allowances? He denied the chiefs their right. Apart from this, he also rewrote the history of our town when he claimed that Isaye and Opada are from the bush near Eruku.
“Later, we discovered that our lands are being sold illegally, I challenged him that he was selling our land illegally and the Olu of Itapaji said the matter might snowball into war.
“We heard that four bulldozers were taken to Eda to fell trees for limbering from far places like Benin and Ogbomoso and I challenged them that they shoul stop.
“He is detaining our youths in police cells, it was our fathers that installed him and we don’t know the way out now. Our Kabiyesi is very bad, the lands of Iye that he sold, he must restore them.
“Nobody is conspiring against him, he is the cause of the crisis. He claims that many of us are strangers that we should leave the land for him and there was tension in the town.
“I was in my home when he brought SARS (Special Anti Robbery Squad) men to arrest me claiming that I sent thunder to him. I told him that I am a church elder and I am not a Sango worshipper and that was what I told the Area Commander.
“He claimed that he spent N12 million on our community secondary school and that is a blatant lie. I was among those who moulded the blocks on this school and what he said cannot be the truth..
“In this community, we are pushed to the wall and if you push a goat to the wall, it will bite back in self-defence. That is what we are going through under our Kabiyesi.”
One of the indigenes allegedly arrested at the behest of the monarch was Ms. Titilope Ayeyemi who claimed that she was arrested and detained with her son when the policemen invited by the Olu-Iye stormed the community to make arrests.
She said the policemen did not even consider the fact that her child was a minor as they were slammed into the cell alongside other indigenes who were accused of fomenting trouble.
One of the chiefs, who spoke at the peace meeting, was was a kingmaker, High Chief David Jimoh Awolumate, the Odofin of Ilaro Quarters in Iyemero.
He alleged that he was given N500 as allowances for five months by Oba Ogungbemi and the boy that was sent to deliver the money to him deducted ‘Okada transport fare’ from the money.
“Our children being detained by the Kabiyesi is not good when they are not armed robbers. God will save us from this oppressive king,” Awolumate said.
Other indigenes representing the community’s stakeholders spoke at the parley saying they are tired of the reign of Oba Ogungbemi urging for intervention before the situation snowballs into an intractable crisis.
Having listened to those who spoke, the Attah of Ayede, Oba Orisagbemi gave his embattled brother monarch, Oba Ogungbemi some pieces of advice that can bring solution to his troubled kingdom.
The Attah said: “The Olu of Iyemero, I want to tell you to humble yourself because whoever that tells you not to humble yourself is your enemy. How much is the chiefs’ allowances?
“As many of them that are alive, give them their due, give them what belongs to them and don’t let them use it against you because the people outside will not have a good impression about you if the news spread around.
“I want to advise the IPU President to choose a committee in collaboration with the Olu of Itapaji and the Regent of Ilusajumu to work out modalities and come back to brief your community.
“But in the immediate plan, I want you (Oba Orisagbemi) to ensure the payment of the chiefs who are still alive. Let that be done immediately. The highest allowances traditional chiefs earn in Ekiti is N2,500.
“The vacant chiefs’ positions must be filled, don’t see anybody as your enemy and have a large heart. Give the IPU President the honour he deserves and involve him in he day-to-day running of he community.
“Hold dialogue with the children of your predecessors, I call on all of you indigenes of Iyemero to embrace peace and allow peace to reign.”
But the Olu-Iye of Iyemero is defending his name and integrity against the legion of allegations levelled against him by his subjects who are calling for his sack from the palace.
The monarch stormed Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, June 30, with his queen (the Olori) and a retinue of his supporters where he addressed a news conference dismissing all the allegations.
Oba Ogungbemi revealed that he had initiated peace moves to reconcile with his aggrieved subjects calling for his removal from throne and progress is being made to resolve the feud for peace to reign in the community.
He described the allegations as “spurious, unfounded and baseless.”
The royal father said the allegations were concocted to tarnish his reputation and turn his subjects against him describing himself as a “lover of peace who loves his subjects and has contributed immensely to the economic and social development of the community”.
Oba Ogungbemi denied sale of community land, felling of economic trees, harassment and detention of chiefs and youth leaders and refusal to pay chiefs’ allowances.
The Olu of Iyemero revealed that he had commenced the implementation of the resolutions reached at the June 27 meeting to ensure the return of peace to the beleaguered community while a follow-up peace meeting was held last Thursday.
The traditional ruler accused some senior officials of IPU of turning the subjects against him saying the protest that rocked the community was a culmination of the “gang-up and conspiracy” against him.
The Oba denied selling the community land illegally clarifying that he released a parcel of arable land to the state government for cultivation and production of cassava in commercial quantity after due consultation with the council of chiefs.
He added that the compensation on the economic trees on the acquired land was shared among the traditional owners of the said land, the Ilisa family at Iyemero and Ayede.
While denying the arrest of and detention of his subjects, Oba Ogungbemi disclosed that some hoodlums and thugs who invaded the community about five years ago with the intent of causing him grievous bodily harm were arrested by the Police.
He revealed that he escaped and lodged a complaint with the Commissioner of Police and the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) who ordered the arrest of the hoodlums to forestall reoccurrence.
Oba Ogungbemi maintained that his chiefs collect their monthly stipends at their monthly traditional meetings for which they also sign “with the exception of one chief who for reasons best known to him had stayed away from these meetings in the last ten years”.
The royal father who gave a background information on what led to the “rebellion” against him claimed that his reign had witnessed unprecedented development in physical infrastructure and social amenities most of whom he used his connections to facilitate.
He said: “It is worthy of note that with every sense of responsibility, I make bold to say that I met Iyemero Community in a pitiable and deplorable condition as basic amenities such as good motorable roads, electricity and portable water were virtually non-existent.
“In addition, as at that time, the government school, in the community had been closed for almost twelve years.
“However, to th glory of God and benefit of mankind, my reign has witnessed spontaneous and positive development albeit through my personal efforts and great sacrifices on my part.
“Putting it mildly, my reign has brought Iyemero out of darkness and total obscurity.
“Under my rule, Iyemero has witnessed development such as provision of modern motorized borehole, accessible and motorable road, electricity and rehabilitation and reopening of the secondary school in the community among others.
“Without an iota of doubt, all these were made possible through the special grace of God and personal sacrifices on my part while tapping on my connections and goodwill garnered over the years.
“I wish to categorically state that I have never at anytime sold any piece of Iyemero land. However, the previous administration actually requested for a parcel of arable land for cassava cultivation and production and this was released following due consultation with the Olu Iyemero-in-Council and other key members of the community.
“Thereafter, the State Ministry of Agriculture embarked on massive cultivation of cassava on the said land and it is well known fact that government does not pay for the acquisition of land but nonetheless pays compensation on economic trees found on such acquired land.
“The said compensation was shared among the traditional owners of the land, the Ilisa family at Iyemero and Ayede.
Furthermore, I have never arrested or detained any member of my cool unity since my assumption of the throne for about 16 years with the exception of some hoodlums and well-known thugs who once invaded my palace premises armed with dangerous weapons with the aim of causing me grievous bodily harm.
“Fortunately, I escaped and promptly lodged a complaint with the State Commissioner of Police and the Director of State Security who ordered the arrest and interrogation of some of the thugs to forestall reoccurrence.
“Contrary to the allegation of non-payment of the monthly stipends of chiefs in the community, all of them receive and sign for their monthly stipends at the traditional monthly meetings in the palace hall with the exception of one chief who for reasons best known to him has stayed away from these meetings in the last ten years.
“In addition, I have been holding the traditional monthly meetings religiously as this is where I deliberate with my chiefs both male and female and issues are given due considerations, resolutions made and decisions taken on very important community matters.
“As a man of peace and knowing full well that there cannot be any development in a atmosphere of rancour and mistrust, I wish to categorically state that I believe very strongly in the unification of the four constituent groupings or quarters that make up Iyemero.
“My reign has brought social and economic prosperity to all the youths who engage in lumbering activities, they now built modern houses and drive flashy cars.
“Against this background, Iyemero must out away falsehood, vengeance and bitterness if we must move forward as a people and it is my express hope that the leadership of IPU will be courageous to do what is right and just.
“As we do this, I appeal to all individuals who may be aggrieved to remember that infallibility lies with God who is a perfect being, who cannot and can never be found with fault or mistakes.”
The traditional prime minister of the community, Chief Samuel Adebiyi, described the crisis in the town as a gang up by few aggrieved individuals , whom he alleged of desperately working for the Oba’s deposition.
Adebiyi, the Aro of Iyemero and a retired Colonel of the Nigerian Army, said : “Government doesn’t pay compensation for a land taken from any community, but they used to pay compensation for the damaged crops and economic trees.
“So, the N5 million paid for the land taken by government for commercial cassava production was shared to the Ebira farm owners and the Ilisha family, who were directly affected by the project.
“Infallibility belongs to God, is the only person who cannot make mistakes. We are calling on them to eschew violence because nothing can be achieved under the atmosphere of crisis and turbulence”, he said.
It remains to be seen how the crisis is resolved but Oba Ogungbemi’s reconciliation gestures might be the saving grace for him to win back the love and loyalty of his subjects.
Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has promised that all ongoing projects will be completed.
Amosun, who spoke at the State’s Ramadan Special Iftar, tagged, “ Sustaining the Gains of 2015 Elections: Muslims on Call”, held at Arcade Ground, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, solicited for continued prayers for the success of the present administration in spite of the economic reality in the country.
He promised that all the on-going projects would be completed, adding that all arrears of deductions would also be offset by the end of July.
“This time, we need prayers from the good people of the State to sustain the tempo of our programmes and policies. We have started and we are determined to work more.
“As a government, all on-going projects in our three senatorial districts would be completed without leaving any stone unturned. We have promised to offset deduction arrears by the end of July. This administration would not rest on its oars.
“Let me assure you that we would not fail in fulfilling all campaign promises. We have started and we are determined to work harder this second term.”
Amosun added that the initiative to raise the bar of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) had been helpful in running its affairs.
The governor also called on Muslims to use the Ramadan season to show love, affection and kindness without any form of discrimination.
“We have based everything on planning. The bar of IGR we were able to raise, helped us in achieving the development we can see this far in spite of the economic reality in the nation.
It behoves on all Muslims to use this Ramadan season to show kindness and affection in order to make its purpose fully realised, “he affirmed.
The guest lecturer and Chief Imam of the University of Abuja, Prof. Taofeek Adesina Abdul-Azeez, described the 2015 general elections as a watershed and called on Nigerians to be patient with the government in fulfilling its promises.
Two rights activists, Akinbode Oluwafemi of the Environmental Rights Action and Shayda E Naficy of the Corporate Accountability International, have advised the Lagos State government not to privatise water.
The duo, in a an article published on brettonwoodsproject.com, said: “Today in Lagos, 90 per cent of the city’s 21 million residents lack daily access to safe water. Millions rely on costly or unsafe water sources, such as poorly regulated wells and boreholes. For many Lagosians, water arrives not through pipes to their homes, but through shared standpipes – or worse, or in jerry cans or cellophane bags from sources unknown to them, at a mark-up charged by those few who have access. For many, this presents an impossible choice between paying for clean water or paying for food, transportation, school fees, or clothing costs.
“The World Bank holds much of the blame for the current state of affairs. For almost three decades it has promoted the privatisation of water systems in Nigeria, strong-arming water policy and impeding the development of adequate public systems.
“The World Bank Group must abandon its harmful corporatisation and privatisation policies in favour of funding for the development of robust, accountable, and well-functioning public water systems
“In 1988 and 1999, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank’s private sector arm, advised the Lagos state government to “reform” the water sector and privatise Lagos State Water Corporation, the body charged with providing water to Lagos’s residents. Likewise, the Bank’s first National Urban Water Sector Reform project, instigated in 2002, drove privatisation which it misleadingly called “public private partnership” (PPP). The Bank’s plan failed miserably: it crowded out any effort to build a functioning public water system; profit-oriented water corporations had no interest in building the infrastructure we need. After the Bank’s plans fell through, its central recommendations were nevertheless folded into a 2004 law. Pushed through in secrecy despite opposition, the legislation corporatised Lagos’s water utility, paving the way to privatisation by prioritising bill collection, metering and profitability rather than universal access.”
They added that: ” Newly elected Lagos state governor Akinwunmi Ambode has promised to work for safe and affordable water, rekindling hopes for a new official policy that will promote public water systems that work. We look forward to collaborating with him in the coming years to stop the failed World Bank policies and fulfil the human right to water. Together we can develop a water system that is democratically accountable, publicly managed, and delivers to all Lagosians the clean, affordable water we need to live.”
NIGERIANS have been urged not to see governance as “a one month show”, but a collective effort between leaders and followers.
A cross-section of members of the association.
Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, President, Muslim Association of Nigeria (MAN) Alhaji Sulaiman Yusuf, the association’s National Missioner, Alhaji Sheikh Sulaiman Eleshinmeta and Dr. Tajudeen Yusuf of the University of Lagos spoke at a Ramadan lecture organised by the National Council of MAN in Lagos.
They said the lecture, titled: ‘’Governance, leadership and followership: Imperative for Nigerian National Development”, was apt and relevant, following the crisis facing the nation’s democracy.
Ambode, who was represented at the event by Mr. Olalekan Akoju, said no matter how committed and forthright a leader may be, his success would be determined by the amount of support he enjoys from the people.
The governor added: “The importance of followership as a pre-requisite for progress and development is clearly alluded to in the Holy Quran, when Allah enjoined obedience not only to Him and His messengers, but also to those in position of authority.”
He said he was committed to serving the best interest of all people, creating job opportunities for the youth and ensuring the general wellbeing of residents in a safe and secured environment.
He appealed to Lagosians to play their part by performing their civic duties, including payment of taxes and obeying the laws of the land.
‘’For instance, when people pay their taxes, government is financially empowered to provide social amenities that make life more comfortable and meaningful for the people,” Ambode said.
He enjoined the association’s members to continue to pray for his administration’s success.
MAN President, in an interview with Southwest Report, said Nigerians were embarrassed by the National Assembly crisis.
His words: “It takes us back to what we had in Ibadan in those days when people threw chairs and tables. Our politicians need to learn more, they need to be tolerant and they need to be faithful to the cause they are pursuing.
“One of the things we discussed here today was selflessness. The moment leaders do not imbibe selflessness; there will be issues on ground. Nigerians expect our lawmakers to take issues of leadership and trust seriously.
“Lawmakers must understand how to reach a compromise. Nigerians are expecting better performance and that was why they voted for change. The way our politicians started was a setback. They need to prove otherwise so that the people can rekindle their hope in them.
A cross-section of members of the association.
“On the part of the citizens, we need not to be idle. We have to continue to engage our leaders. Let them know what we have on our minds. Let them know this is not what we voted for and they should sit up and do the right thing.
“Many people are out there and they have not been paid their salaries. That is the kind of thing we should engage our leaders on.
“We are at a crossroad now because we all know that the economy is bad and so, the lawmakers need to sit up and work closely with the President to ensure the economy is revived, services, infrastructure are improved upon.”
The guest lecturer noted that the theme of the lecture from an Islamic viewpoint means that leaders and followers should come together and form a good government.
He added that it was important for Muslims to educate themselves about the significance of the holy book always and during Ramadan.
Quoting from Holy Quran, he said: “To form a government warrants leadership, which is the mechanism for administering the affairs of all creatures. It brings humanity closer to Allah and far away from perils through social justice, welfare improvement and security.
“Leadership is a trust from Almighty Allah who says ‘I would place a leader on earth’’ Q2:30. The leader placed on earth was Adam – the ancestor of mankind whose duty was to guide his children, who produced the leaders of families, communities and nations.
“For stable governance, both the leaders and the followers are counselled by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to be patriotic when he said: ‘Love of one’s country is part of faith in Allah’.
“To avoid disagreement between the leader and the followers, Allah says: ‘’Obey Allah’s commandment, obey His messengers and obey those who are in authority. If you differ in anything, refer it to Allah and to his messengers. That is the best and most commendable in the end. Q4:59.”
The university lecturer advised politicians to “get their acts together as quickly as possible because Nigerians are yearning for positive change”.
He urged them to put aside personal ambitions and ensure that the interests of the masses are protected.
Dr. Yusuf told the citizens to keep monitoring the activities of leaders to make them accountable.
The association’s national missioner prayed for peace and growth of the nation and the citizenry.
The lecture was attended by members of MAN branches, its executive members and Muslims from all parts of the country.
