As the Ramadan fasting period approaches, a Muslim group, Bodija Muslim Youth Forum (BOMYOM), has been inaugurated in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital to promote Islamic virtues and to engage 300 youths in intensive studies.
The group will also collaborate with other organisations to serve Muslim youths and enhance capacity building, among others.
The chairman of BOMYOM, Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Balogun said theý focus of the group is to ensure that Muslim youths regain their glory and excellence, adding that membership of the group is open for any Muslim youth from the secondary school age.
“It is obvious that the youth of any country constitute the chunk of the population. Nigeria is no exception as the youth; especially the Muslim youths constitute the large majority in the society. Thus, the Bodija Estates and its Environs Muslim Community (BEEMC) though it wise not to neglect this important segment of the Ummah and the future leaders.
“So, creation of BOMYOF for the youth in the community and its environs was in line with local, national and global practices. It is to fill the vacuum and cater for the spiritual, social, economic and moral development of the youth,” Balogun said.
According to him, the challenges that need to be confronted by Muslim communities are very real. He said they include lack or absence of islamically marriageable partners, bad partnering, lack of opportunities and jobs.
He further said illiteracy, lack of true Islamic knowledge, poor education systems, countering violent extremism, and lack of empowering programmes for women, call for urgent attention.
Part of the activities to be used to address this anomalies by the group include “organisation of extra mural classes aimed at helping the younger ones in their academic pursuit and other vocational training.
”As part of our family-centered core value, we intend to have series of marriage counseling and networking, family picnic and other forms of halal social interaction, recruiting, training and developing the leadership skills of Muslim youths to conduct peer education and advocacy, developing trainings for staff and community members to enhance programmes that address the needs of Muslim youths and increasing awareness of the issues affecting Muslim youths on local, national and international levels.”
Prof. Ayo Hammed, a Lecturer in the Department of Guidance and Counseling, University of Ibadan, urged stakeholders to engage youths productively towards building a safer and more just society.
While delivering a lecture entitled “Challenges Facing the Muslim Youths in the 21st Century,” Hammed said stakeholders should join hands in strengthening the youth, while also engaging them in policies, programmes and decision-making.
He stressed the need for investment in the youth during the childhood and adolescent stages, adding that it was the time life-long patterns of behaviour begins.
After lying helplessly at the Paediatric Ward of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) for months without any hope of getting money for their treatment, nine indigent children’s hope of having corrective surgeries has finally been realised. This is courtesy of Yeloto African Children Foundation (YACF), a non-governmental organisation (NGO).
Its founder, Dr Oluyemi Olawaiye said the children’s surgical fees have been paid by his organisation.
“We have six-day- old Baby Salami who is suffering from colostomy; 10-day-old Baby Ali who has exploratory laparatomy while one-month-old Fikayomi Oyeniyi has pharyngeal atresia.
“Others are Ebadan Testimony who has appendicatomy, Praise Sunday who suffers from urethosplasty; Jeremiah Mafe suffers from urethroplasty, 14-week-old Deborah Okpaka has colostomy and Mobolaji Mukaram has urethroplasty.” he said.
He said YACF was established in 2011 after noticing indigent children eating from dustbins in Makoko, a Lagos suburb, to help poor children in dire need, especially those requiring medical care in hospitals.
Olawaiye described children as buds in a garden, which should be carefully and lovingly nurtured because they are the future.
He said Children’s Day celebration is a reminder that people must imbibe important values, adding that it is a call for the adults to protect little ones from harms.
Olawaiye decried child labour, stressing that children should not be made to work.
“Many of them are selling products on most of our major roads today for little to no pay. This act is illegal. Children of school age should be in school,” he said.
Quoting UNICEF 2013 statistics, 10.5 million children are out of school.
“UNICEF has observed that about 40 per cent of Nigerian children between six and 11 years do not attend any primary school. The North recorded the lowest school attendance rate in the country, particularly for girls,” he said, adding “we as a country must endeavour to do better,” he said.
He charged the adults to learn humility, innocence, love; trust; purity of the heart as well as ability to trust from children.
Secretary of the NGO and wife to the founder, Dr Regine Brony-Olawaiye lamented the state of facilities in the hospital.
She said: “If you put the facilities side by side with what we have in the United States, you will understand what I am saying. They are a million miles apart in terms of quality.”
Dr Brony-Olawaiye, who is a Paediatric Psychiatrist, said the government should make quality health care one of its priorities.
She said children are innocent and helpless, as such should be adequately catered for.
“They did not ask to be born. So, the adults should provide for them,” she said.
The squabble between Ikeja Electric Distribution Company (IKEDC) and residents of Agege has deepened as no fewer than 5,000 of electricity consumers gathered at Orile Agege Recreation Centre to protest the company’s poor operation and over billing.
They unanimously maintained a posture of stand of “no light, no pay”.
The aggrieved residents had begun the protest against the company’s alleged fraudulent and none transparent attitude since February 23.
The residents accused the IKEDC of lack of non-maintenance of electric transformers, poles and cables, coded meters, over-estimated billing system and nonchalant attitude of members of its staff towards residents.
The residents also demanded proper maintenance of malfunction meters in the absence of prepaid ones.
Speaking at the event, the President, Youth Alliance for Better Nigeria, who is also the coordinator, Mr. Moruf Niniola Adegoke, said the protest was to register their grievances and dissatisfaction about the epileptic power situation in the area. “It also is also meant to let the company know the extent of suffering which the residents are going through as a result of lack of power supply,” he said.
He noted that the residents have become fed up with the poor service of the IKEDC, adding that it amounts to wickedness on the part of the company to force them to pay for electricity which they did not use.
Continuing, he said: “The firm has failed to improve on its services to the consumers despite several meetings and agreements we have had.”
As a result of the ugly situation which the residents are experiencing, they have unanimously agreed that the IKEDC should disconnect the entire Agege from among the areas it supplies electricity, saying it is unjustified for the company to supply electricity to some areas and leave others in darkness.
Adegoke said the residents could no longer bear the suffering and smiling condition which IKEDC has subjected them to.
He further said the aggrieved residents have decided not to pay for electricity bills until the company improved its services to the residents by providing them with prepaid meters.
He said the company’s operations are becoming worse on daily basis, noting that some electric poles and wires that are damaged since March 9, due to rainstorm have never been restored. But what the company is after is money.
“All that the residents want is to be supplied with the prepaid meters in order to put in check the non-transparency operation of the company’s members of staff,” Niniola said.
One of the residents, Mrs. Funmi Jolade Ajayi, maintained that the company does not willing to distribute the prepaid meters because it will uncover their atrocities and non-transparency.
She noted that the prepaid meters will not read if there is no light. This, she said, was the major reason the firm is not willing to distribute the meters.
Another resident, Bishop Babatunde Olusanya urged the residents to keep praying for President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to have the political will to fix the country’s power sector.company to force residents to pay for electricity which they did not use.
An attempt to fill the vacant throne of the Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti has sparked tension in the second largest town in Ekiti State. While princes and princesses in three ruling houses are opposed to the selection of Adejimi Adu as the Ogoga-elect on one hand, fresh controversy erupted over the actual number of ruling houses in the community. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports.
Ikere Ekiti, the second largest town in Ekiti State, is currently on the edge on who is the next occupant of the royal seat, the Ogoga throne.
The last Ogoga of Ikere, Oba Samuel Adegoke Adegboye, joined his ancestors on August 22 last year after reigning for 43 years.
The town experienced unprecedented development during Adegboye’s reign and grew in infrastructural development and population.
It is strategically located between two state capitals- Akure in Ondo State and Ado-Ekiti in Ekiti State-and is also popularly referred to as the gateway into Ekiti land.
The Ogoga throne is one of the most sought-after in Ekiti State because it is a first-class seat that has many privileges.
The occupant of the throne belongs to the exclusive class of “Pelu-Pelu Obas” who are regarded as the most pre-eminent Obas in Ekiti State and they are 16 in number.
Ikere is a one-town local government area and the five per cent from the local government allocation goes to the traditional council which is headed by the Ogoga.
These are some of the perks that make the throne of the Ogoga and other first-class kingship seats attractive.
As it is normal when a king dies in Yoruba land, there is always bitter struggle among princes of various ruling houses in a bid to occupy the throne.
Moves to install a successor to Oba Adegboye is turning brothers against brothers and sisters against sisters in Ikere as various interest groups are working hard to ensure that their candidate wins the royal trophy.
Some kingmakers have selected one of the contestants for the throne, Samuel Adejimi Adu, as the Ogoga-elect, maintaining that his election was in line with the tradition of the community.
But the selection did not go down well with princes and princess of Ikere who are claiming that Adu did not belong to any of the ruling houses in the town.
They alleged that the selection of Adu was an attempt to impose him on the community.
As the crisis rages, allegations of bribery are flying around as some kingmakers are being accused of having their palms greased to favour Adu over other candidates but the concerned kingmakers have denied the allegations.
Three ruling houses in Ikere Ekiti have called on Governor Ayo Fayose to avert a breakdown of law and order in the community following Adu’s election as the Ogoga-elect.
The alleged imposition of Adu, whom they claimed is not a member of any of the three ruling houses eligible to produce the next Ogoga, is already causing tension in the town.
The Princes and princesses (the Omo Owas) in the three ruling houses of Akayejo, Agabaola and Ogbenuote said the alleged imposition violates the State Chieftaincy Law and the tradition of the town which forbids the enthronement of a non-member of the royal family.
They called for the annulment of Adu’s selection and commencement of a fresh process of selecting the next Ogoga of Ikere in line with relevant laws of the land, maintaining that the candidate must come from the recognised ruling houses.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday attended by all the Omo Owas at the Ogoga Palace, their spokesman, Ebenezer Ojo Ologundoye, claimed that Adu was foisted on the community by members of the Ikere Development Forum (IDF).
He described the alleged imposition as “illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional and very strange to the Ikere customs and traditions” adding that a faction of kingmakers carried out the selection of Adu.
Ologundoye revealed that the state government has warned all parties in the kingship crisis to stay action on the selection process but expressed anger that 14 out of 21 kingmakers defied government’s directive and went ahead to select Adu as the Ogoga-elect.
According to him, the Omo Owas are not happy with the sharp division of the kingmakers into two factions which he said was masterminded by the members of the IDF in their bid to impose their candidate as the monarch of the town.
The Omo Owas’ spokesman said the flawed selection process may not stand the test of legal scrutiny as the town cannot stand the ignominy of having its Oba removed by the court of law owing to violation of relevant constitutional and traditional laws.
He said: “To say the least, Mr. Samuel Jimi Adu, is not a member of any of the ruling houses, but surprisingly he is claiming to be a member of Ogbenuote Ruling House, whereas he has no link with that royal family and neither is he a prince at all, which means this selection has no place in history and in law.
“As a matter of fact, no selection process was conducted by the Ogbenuote Ruling House, some few people just handpicked and foisted on the family some powerful indigenes and this had sparked widespread resentment thereby culminating in some protest letters to the Governor, the State Attorney-General and Speaker of the State House of Assembly, among others.
“Rather than for the kingmakers to consult the oracle in line with customs and tradition, they came up with a list of 14 kingmakers out of 21 traditional kingmakers.
“Even two of the kingmakers refused to sign, sensing danger in the high level of partisanship and illegality embarked upon by the kingmakers”
The families contended that it was alien to tradition of the town for IDF, which was a town development group to dabble into obaship issue, branding such attempt as unconstitutional and brazen display of ego.
However, 11 out of the 14 kingmakers have unanimously upheld the selection of Adu as the Ogoga-elect, maintaining that his selection followed due process as stipulated by the extant laws on chieftaincy matters in the state.
The kingmakers, who flayed media report which claimed that the screening process was fraudulent, insisted that the exercise was carried out through the consultation of the Ifa Oracle and voting in the presence of two representatives of each of the royal houses and a government representative.
Speaking with reporters on the issue, with the other 10 kingmakers in attendance, the head of the kingmakers, the Sao of Ikere Ekiti, Chief James Omotosho noted that the appointment of an Oba is a sacred matter.
The High Chief condemned resort to the media by those he referred to as “disgruntled elements” within the town in a bid to win the Ogoga stool, noting that such move was “satanic and aimed at truncating the existing peace in the community for selfish reasons.
“Fighting a sacred war which one has failed to win through the due ‘process’ by hiring the media is an insult to our tradition and this belittles our revered throne before the whole world.
“If anyone is boasting of any media affiliation, he should use such connection to recruit our teeming unemployed youths into the media rather than using the media to steal his way into a position God has not given to him”, Omotoso affirmed.
Omotoso also stated that the claim that the 14 kingmakers which presided over the screening exercise that produced Adu were not the authentic kingmakers was baseless as no one could attain the position of a kingmaker by favour or any form of manipulation.
He further said: “What do they actually want? The Ifa Oracle was consulted in the presence of everyone. Out of the six contestants shortlisted, his ‘ifa’ was the best.
“To fulfill all righteousness, we went into voting. He got 11votes while Prince Oyebanji Olajuyin had three, others had no vote. If we are not authentic, how come they subjected themselves to be screened by us?”
Also, the head of Agirlala-Ogbenuote Ruling House, Chief Abioye Ojo a.k.a Atewologun had bluntly refuted the claim that the Ogoga-elect is not an offspring of the royal family, noting that his father was once a family head of the lineage whose legacies of good leadership and selflessness were immense.
He frowned at the use of Ogoga palace as a platform for a media campaign by a group of people, a matter which he noted had become an issue of concern and worry among the people.
Ojo noted that tradition however provided occupying the throne on the interim, before the emergence of a new king to be neutral and not to desecrate the primordial tenets of non-alignment throughout the transition period.
He said: “Those who are saying those things are rather drunk and beclouded by their thirsts for offices.
“His father was a family head around 1991.When even he, (the father) died, his children presented to the family a live cow which we all slaughtered and ate to celebrate his father in line with our tradition.
“If they have a genuine claim, why have they not raised this alarm before his emergence?”
ln the same manner, the Ologotun of lkere Ekiti , Chief Emmanuel Olajide under whose directive the Ifa Oracle was consulted according to the tradition has warned on the need to allow peace to reign in the town and the entire state.
Olajide said: “The whole exercise took place in my presence. The Secretary to the Local Government, Mr. Wale Olanipekun, the heads and Secretaries of each ruling house were there.
“Everything was transparent. All these claims are afterthought and not good enough for Ikere and Ekiti State at large. We are tired of crisis in this state. It is our prayer that none of these mischief makers would plunge us into one.”
Olajide also flayed the bribery allegation leveled against the kingmakers, describing it as spurious and unfounded. He noted that it is the custom to always stigmatise wealthy people in the name of bribery as a result of their economic wherewithal.
He contended: “Those that claimed that we took bribes should show their proofs. Such accusation is baseless and spurious.
“If we vote 20 times, we are still going to vote the same man who the Ifa Oracle has chosen. We cannot bend the tradition because of some people’s selfish interests.”
The kingmakers, who described the state Governor Fayose as a lover of the town, urged the government to announce the result of the screening exercise presented to it in the interest of peace.
Another dimension has been added to the Ikere kingship crisis as one of the royal households in the community, a branch of the Agirilala Ruling House, has denied the existence of three royal households in the community.
The Adetoye, Aderiyele and Adeluyi Royal Families of the Agirilala House of Ikere-Ekiti, in a statement made available to newsmen said there were “attempts to misrepresent history and stand fact on its head.”
They also described the scenario as “an act capable of misleading all descendants of Ogoga and Ikere indigenes at large.”
In the statement signed by Adedapo Akomolafe for Adetoye family; Moses Jegede for Aderiyele family and Adebayo Afuye for Adeluyi family, the royal families said going by an extant Court of Appeal judgment, “there are only two ruling houses in Ikere.”
According to them, the old Ondo State Government had, in a White Paper issued in July 1981, approved two ruling houses namely Agirilala and Akaiyejo, adding that “dissatisfied with the government position, the late Chief Samuel Adetifa, the then Akapinsa and a member of Agabaola branch instituted a suit No: HCR/24/82 at Ikere High Court on behalf of Agabaola and Ogbenuote branches.”
They said the court, presided over by Justice R.O. Fawehinmi, on November 3 , 1988 delivered judgment in favour of the plaintiff “to the effect that there are three ruling houses in Ikere namely Akaiyejo, Agabaola and Ogbenuote.”
They, however, stated that “government and the late Prince Gabriel Jegede, representing Agirilala Ruling House, appealed against the judgment at the Court of Appeal, Benin in appeal No: CA/B/276/90.”
They said: ”The Appeal Court in Benin in a unanimous decision on September 28
1992, allowed the appeal, struck out the plaintiff/respondent’s suit before the lower court and upheld the position of the government White Paper of July 1981 that there are two ruling houses namely:Agirilala and Akaiyejo.”
According to them, Agabaola and Ogbenuote branches did not appeal against the judgment, therefore the judgment subsists till date,” and contended that since they did not appeal against the judgment since 1992, they could not “suddenly wake up now raking up sentiment claiming that there are three ruling houses.”
While claiming that “the kingmakers had no power to screen or disqualify any candidate under any guise,” they alleged that “the action of the kingmakers in disqualifying six of the 12 contestants suggested that they were acting the script of their paymaster(s).”
They also called on Governor Ayo Fayose to “outrightly cancel the already suspended selection process and order a fresh process whereby all the contestants will be presented to the Ifa Oracle” saying this was “to forestall any manipulation.”
Government has kept a studied silence on the Ikere kingship crisis but the residents are concerned that the earlier it is resolved, the better for all the stakeholders concerned.
Members of Ikere, a foremost community in Ekiti State, under the aegis of Ikere Development Forum (IDF), met in Lagos to take a position on the lingering rumpus over an attempt to select a new monarch for the town. Assistant Editor DADA ALADELOKUN reports.
They were bitter to the marrow – and it was obvious. Tempers rose; as speakers blew hot in turns. It was no moment for their customary exchange of banters in their local dialect. Someone described them as human volcanoes on the loose; she was damn right.
It was an unusual outing for members of Ikere Development Forum (IDF), a foremost group committed to accelerating the prosperity of their town – Ikere, Ekiti State.
The Wheatbaker on Onitolo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, was the theatre of the patriotic outbursts that lasted for five hours penultimate Saturday. Quite understandably, “item seven” was nowhere on the agenda at the moment.
With copious practical illustrations, Guest Speaker Isaac Orolugbagbe had, with impressive delivery that provoked thoughts, flagged off the parley with an inspiring presentation on how members of the forum could explore the hidden opportunities in the daunting economic challenges facing the country for a forward leap.
“Don’t be a victim. Embrace the challenges the economy has presented. You can still make success in a hostile environment; always look for solutions in problems,” he advised amid thunderous applause.
Sobriety descended on the gathering when the forum’s National President, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) rose to unveil the crux of the meeting, among other issues. Some unsavoury newspaper publications by some princes over efforts to pick a new monarch for the town had proved unnerving for him and other members of the forum.
For eight minutes equally concerned members hanged on his lips; same for elders of the group who are professionals in various fields. They included Mr. S.S. Omoyeni, Prof. Dele Olowokudejo (National Secretary); Mr. Femi Ekundayo (1st Vice-President), Mr. Olu Afolabi, (former Librarian, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and Librarian, Federal University, Oye); Mrs. Yemisi Adefarati (National Treasurer), Dr Kola Adeyina (member, Board of Trustees, Mr. J. Olatunde Ayo (member, Board of Trustees), Prof. Dele Olowokudejo, Olu Abuila, Abiodun Bamidele and Hon. Funminiyi Afuye.
Olanipekun, a former President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), was visibly incensed because of the deepening crisis surrounding ongoing efforts to fill the vacant stool of the town’s departed monarch, coupled with an unfounded allegation that he is leading the IDF to impose an unqualified new king on the ancient community.
Not a few were glued to their seats in total awe when he recalled a few of the sacrifices he had made to pull the town out of the morass of retrogression, coupled with his total support to the town’s departed monarch, Oba Adegboye Akayejo, the Ogoga of Ikere.
One of them was how he committed his brain, brawn and financial resource to securing at the Supreme Court, a judgment against a ploy to reduce the population of the town in the last census.
He said it would be unthinkable for him as well as others who had made contributions towards lifting the town to partake in anything that smacks of dragging it back
See thing with exasperation, Olanipekun described the allegation as unfair, misleading and unfounded, emphasising that the forum is in unalloyed support of the choice of the kingmakers in the town since they were said to have scrupulously involved due processes.
“From the information available to us, the kingmakers have been painstaking in the processes. They deserve commendation rather than condemnation. All the stakeholders must unite for the peace and progress of our dear town. It needs fervent prayers at the moment. The negative publicity about the town in recent times is worrisome as we have no other place we can call our home.
“An Oba has immense roles to play in moving a town forward and the status of whoever occupies the seat is of paramount importance. We agree that a non-prince cannot be there. Our position is that since the kingmakers followed the processes involved honestly and religiously, we support the outcome for peace to reign in the town,” he said.
Equally livid Afolabi’s voice quaked when he grabbed the microphone to speak more on the problems bedeviling the community, describing the latest one as “most unfortunate.”
Corroborating Olanipekun’s view that the socio-economic clout of the town’s next king must be of pre-eminent consideration, he enjoined all indigenes of the community to be united and fight for the town.
Olowokudejo said as major stakeholders in issues concerning the troubled community, “we are going to throw our weight behind the contestant chosen by the kingmakers in accordance with the sacred tradition of the land.
Abuila, who is based in the town, said it would be most disastrous for the community to repeat the mistake of the past by turning deaf ears to the choice of IfaOracle in the matter. He urged caution, maintaining that the overall interest of the town must be allowed to over-ride individual desires in the vexed issue.
That Afuye is equally worried by the retrogression of the town which was clear to everyone at the parley.
He lamented various ways the vacuum created by the vacancy in the stool rubbed off negatively on the town while he was commissioner in the state recently.
“Without leadership, a community will lack direction; that, sadly, has been our case. This is why we must give this matter the seriousness it deserves now,” he added.
The same position was wholeheartedly shared by Adeyina, Ekundayo and Ayo, among others.
A good number of other discussants urged Governor Ayodele Fayose to ratify and announce the choice of the kingmakers without delay.
However, the forum, after further deliberations, constituted a three-man group to, within a week, meet with certain interested parties on the issue with a view to resolving the logjam.
The princes, led by the reigning regent, were admonished to allow peace to reign in the town by desisting from fanning the embers of discord since all of them cannot become king at the same time.
Last week was a bloody and turbulent one for residents of Ado-Ekiti. A clash between commercial drivers and Hausa traders set the city on fire. As if that was not enough, the city’s main market was burnt by unidentified persons. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports that many may not easily recover from the havoc
Wednesday, May 20 was like any other day for residents of Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital. They had woken up that morning to carry out their normal day-to-day activities.
They never had an inkling that danger was lurking around the corner; they never thought that something akin to Armageddon was about to descend on the city.
In a matter of minutes, violent clashes erupted. Businesses and traffic were paralysed. Guns boomed and blood flowed. Suddenly, the bright azure sky was darkened by thick, black smoke billowing from houses and shops that were set ablaze.
It was bestiality at its worst. There was an orgy of looting. Money, vehicles, buildings, goods and other valuables were lost.
Fear and uncertainty descended the town. Nobody knew what would happen next. In a matter of minutes, the streets were deserted.
The phone lines were buzzing. Residents were placing calls to their loved ones to ascertain their whereabouts; giving them tips on where to avoid so as not to be caught in the crossfire and fiery darts being hurled by gladiators in the violence.
Independent sources claimed that three lives were lost but the police maintained that nobody died.
According to the police, 24 people were wounded and had been taken to undisclosed hospitals for medical treatment.
•Members of Hausa community being evacuated to Shasha, Ibadan
Commercial drivers and Hausa traders were the ‘actors’ in the theatre of war that rocked Ado-Ekiti to its foundation.
The clash was fierce in areas such as Atikankan (which has the highest concentration of Hausa in Ado-Ekiti), Old Garage, Ijigbo, Isato, Igbehin and Erekesan Market.
Business activities had been paralysed in places such as Irona, Okesa, Okeyinmi and Ajilosun.
Two of the victims reportedly died at Atikankan where the violence later spread to.
A cameraman working for a Lagos-based television station, CORE TV, Sunday Adigun, was wounded by hoodlums. They also smashed his camera while he was covering the clash.
The hoodlums were armed with guns, bottles, charms, machetes, cudgels, knives, petrol and matches.
Tension generated by the clash led to the closure of banks, shops, motor parks, markets and other commercial outlets.
What caused the crisis? What turned the indigenes against the Hausa? These were questions people tried hard to unravel.
The alleged robbing of a wife of a commercial driver of a sum of N36, 000 the previous night, it was gathered, sparked the mayhem. It was also gathered that the culprit allegedly escaped through Sabo which has a high concentration of Hausa.
Some source claimed that the driver’s wife was raped after she was robbed. This infuriated the drivers as they launched a manhunt for the culprit; demanding that he be produced by the Hausa who were accused of harbouring the culprit.
The drivers stormed all the known residences of the Hausa launching attacks while the Hausa also mobilised themselves in order to launch their own counter-attacks.
Ijigbo, Mugbagba, Oja Oba, New Garage and Old Garage turned to war zones, even as vehicles hurriedly deserted the streets.
The Bureaux de Change outfits operated by the Hausa were attacked and cash both in local and foreign currencies were stolen by hoodlums.
•Members of Hausa community being evacuated to Shasha, Ibadan
Heaps of destroyed items such as onions, pepper, tomatoes and dried fish apparently belonging to the Hausa were burnt with their relics littering the ground.
The Commissioner of Police, Etop John James led a team of police men in about 15 patrol vehicles to bring the situation under control.
The police chief’s presence brought normalcy to the scene where he was present but clashes continued in other areas.
James expressed regrets over the incident and pledged that the police would do everything possible to prevent the escalation of the mayhem.
The National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Ekiti State has denied involvement in the mayhem which rocked Ado-Ekiti.
The State Secretary of the union, Akinsola Osundiya said the particular loading point where the violence occurred did not belong to the NURTW.
Osundiya faulted a report in a national daily (not The Nation) which accused members of the union of being involved in the mayhem.
Describing NURTW as a responsible union, Osundiya urged the public to discountenance the report.
Shortly after arriving from an official trip to Abuja on Thursday, Governor Ayo Fayose slammed a dusk-to-dawn curfew to prevent the spread of the violence.
Fayose, who gave the order while addressing members of the Hausa community in Atikankan area of the town directed security agencies to arrest anybody who flouts the curfew.
The governor, who appealed to the restive Hausa community for calm vowed that the perpetrators of the violence would be fished out to face the full wrath of the law.
He warned those still carrying arms to submit them to the police, saying anybody caught with weapons would be severely dealt with.
Fayose said: “I want to plead with you to submit whatever lethal weapon you have in your possession to the police. And if you refuse to do this, whether you are Yoruba or Hausa, the police will arrest you.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us and for the sake of our country, I plead with you to allow peace to reign.”
According to the governor, the violence would be thoroughly investigated and those found to be connected with the wanton destruction would be prosecuted.
However, the dusk-to-dawn curfew has been lifted on Sunday.
The Head of the Hausa community, Adamu Imam, called on the government to compensate them for the massive loss they incurred during the mayhem.
Imam told the governor that the names of the perpetrators of the violent attack had been compiled and would be made available to him and security agencies for necessary actions.
The State Police Command has disclosed that the number of those injured during the violence has risen to 24.
The command spokesman, Alberto Adeyemi refuted the claim of the eyewitnesses that three persons died in the incident.
He added that the police have stationed three units of mobile policemen at the scene of the attack, to arrest whoever plans to foment trouble between the feuding groups.
Traders who ventured out a day after the clash went to inspect the remains of their business centres destroyed during the violence.
A rice seller, Mrs. Ajoke Olofin, said all she laboured for had gone with the crisis, even as she called on the government to assist those who incurred losses.
She said the destruction and looting of her shop has left her business in the ruins; wondering how she would recover from the loss.
A Hausa trader, Adamu Umar wept uncontrollably while inspecting the ruins of his shop at Oja Oba. He called for government’s assistance.
He also called for the arrest of the perpetrators of the mayhem and prosecution of the culprits.
A widow, who simply identified herself as Mrs. Majiyagbe revealed that hoodlums burnt down her six-room apartment which had been her source of livelihood.
Meanwhile, non-indigenes Youth Alliance (NYA), the umbrella body for non-indigenes resident in Ekiti State, has condemned the attack on their members by some drivers, describing the act as uncivilised and bestial.
In a statement signed by its Acting Chairman, Abdurrahman Oziandu, the group said they never expected their shops to be looted in such a brazen manner, even when the security agencies are still active and deemed to be alive to their responsibilities.
The body, which praised Governor Fayose for quick intervention in resolving the issue, called on relevant agencies to beef up security so that their members can return to work without fear of being molested or intimidated by hoodlums.
Oziandu said mostly hit by the attack were Igbo, Hausa, Nupe and Ebira. He accused the assailants of reselling the looted commodities at cheaper rates to interested persons.
He said: “The event of Wednesday last week was the second in history, when some indigenes, hiding under their popularity in attacking whoever is not a member of their tribe over issues that could be resolved.
“We are giving this last warning that they should not allow this to happen again. As non-indigenes, we will continue to conduct our businesses peacefully.
“But we challenge the security agencies to protect the lives and property of our people. As we speak, about 50 of our members are still receiving medical treatments in various hospitals.
“We call on the governor to come to the aid of the affected persons, so that they can return to their businesses without delay.”
In another development, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti State Council, has called on the State Commissioner of Police to arrest those that launched attacks on some journalists in the state while covering the crisis that broke out among Hausa traders and drivers in Ado-Ekiti.
During the mayhem, the CORE TV cameraman in Ekiti, Adigun was attacked and his camera smashed by gun-wielding goons.
In a statement in Ado-Ekiti, the chairman of the NUJ, Laolu Omosilade, condemned the attack, saying it was highest point of barbarism in this modern time.
Omosilade urged Nigerians to take a cue from advanced countries of the world, where journalists are accredited and adequately protected to cover wars and more serious crisis.
He praised Governor Fayose and Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Adeyemo Adejugbe for their concerns in stemming the tide of violence in the state. He urged the feuding parties to embrace peace and allow normalcy to be restored.
Although a curfew was in place, residents of Ado-Ekiti received greater shock on Friday last week when the Erekesan Market; the biggest market in the city, was set ablaze by yet-to-be-identified individuals.
Tongues are wagging in Ado-Ekiti how the hoodlums found their way to the market otherwise known as Oja Oba (king’s market) despite the deployment of regular and riot policemen in the wake of the curfew.
Humanitarian crisis is also looming with the evacuation of the Hausa to the outskirts of nearby Ikere-Ekiti to prevent further clashes with commercial drivers.
Many of the traders were woken up from their sleep as early as 1:30 a.m. by calls from residents who had gotten wind of the inferno and alerted them to go and evacuate their shops before the fire does further damage.
Worst hit by the fire incident was a section of the market known as “Lagos Line” which has the highest concentration of textile shops, supermarkets, gifts shop and other items.
Not less than 50 shops and two residential buildings were completely burnt down in the early morning fire.
The fire still raged till about 5:00 a.m. but most of the shops were still smoldering at 7: 00 a.m. when reporters got to the scene.
Men of the State Fire Service who got to the scene of the incident could not put out the fire.
A thick pall of mourning and gloom enveloped the market as the affected traders, members of their families and friends wailed inconsolably; bemoaning their losses which they described as “very huge”.
Some of them fainted on sighting their shops which had been reduced to ashes by the fire.
Some indigenes of Ado-Ekiti regarded the attack as a reprisal by the Hausa settlers who were mostly affected by the attack of Wednesday carried out by suspected members of drivers’ unions.
Many residents who were on their way to their workplaces had to go home on sighting thick smoke billowing from the market; giving a signal that “the city was on fire.”
Most of the schools were shut as students and pupils hurriedly returned home while those yet to leave their homes did not bother to venture out.
Banks, petrol stations, motor parks, corporate offices and other commercial centres were closed.
Truck-load of mobile and regular policemen as well as soldiers were immediately drafted to the scene on the orders of the state government to prevent escalation of the crisis and prevent massive looting.
A number of residents were also randomly arrested by men of the state police command in connection with the development.
Governor Fayose, who personally led security team that included the Commissioner of Police to the scene, expressed worry at the turn of event despite his imposition of dusk-to-dawn curfew which was lifted on Sunday.
He said the incident would not, in any way, compel him to declare a 24-hour curfew as suggested by some people.
Governor Fayose ordered that four ASHOK LEYLAND luxury buses belonging to government be immediately mobilised to convey all Hausa residents (including women and children) to Shasha, located at the outskirts of Ikere-Ekiti.
The governor, who, for more than three hours, personally monitored the evacuation, premised his action on the fact that he is a father to all residents, irrespective of their tribe, religion or gender.
He said the Hausa community would be at the new place for the time being, and would be heavily guarded by both soldiers and mobile policemen.
James disclosed that the police worked tirelessly from 1:00 a.m. to prevent what could have degenerated into an uncontrollable situation.
He hailed the governor for racing to the scene to team up with the police to prevent the crisis from getting out of hands when he (Fayose) was called in the early hours of the day.
James warned that the police have been mobilised to deal with troublemakers; assuring law-abiding residents of their safety in the pursuit of their legitimate businesses.
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, visited the community to sympathise with them over the losses it incurred during the violence that rocked Ado-Ekiti last week.
Fayemi, who visited the community at Shasha, on the outskirts of Ikere-Ekiti where they had been relocated, promised that the incoming All Progressives Congress (APC) administration would assist them.
The ex-governor also paid an on-the-spot assessment visit to the Erekesan Market that was burnt by unidentified persons to inspect the level of damage.
He also visited the Oba Adejugbe to commiserate with him over the mayhem unleashed on the city twice within the week and the spate of kidnapping recently witnessed in the state.
The former governor, who was at the palace in company of officials who served in his administration, said his visit was to identify with the Ewi and the people of Ado-Ekiti over the civil disturbances and the torching of the Erekesan Market.
He urged residents of Ekiti to unite and fight against kidnapping and other violent crimes for the state to witness peace and development.
Fayemi said kidnapping of Ekiti professionals and other innocent people is unacceptable and must not be allowed to fester so that the state would be a destination for investors.
He regretted the negative image Ekiti has acquired in recent times, which he said is affecting the economy, adding that operators of the hospitality industry are complaining of low patronage on account of the security situation in the state.
Fayemi said: “Some of my colleagues and friends would have accompanied me to Ekiti but many of them declined the invitation as a result of the spate of violence and kidnapping.
“I don’t think Ekiti deserves this negative label which is why I am calling on well-meaning indigenes of this state to join hands with those who are willing to return peace to the state.”
Fayemi expressed sadness that the good relationship that hitherto existed among Ekiti indigenes and Hausa settlers had become strained; leading to massive destruction of property.
He called on all Ekiti people and other stakeholders to join hands against the twin evil of violence and kidnapping which, according to him, are strange to the culture of the land.
Responding, Oba Adejugbe appreciated Fayemi for his visit, urging the former governor not to rest on his oars in ensuring that peace reigns in the state.
The monarch revealed that a committee, which is made up of major stakeholders, has been constituted to take an inventory of the property damaged during the clash, explaining that the committee had swung into action.
Oba Adejugbe described Ekiti people as “very accommodating”. He urged them to live in peace with other Nigerians and never to allow the relationship to be marred by primordial sentiments.
Partisan interests are cashing in on the development to express their positions on what they felt was the genesis of the bedlam.
But Fayose has warned politicians and political parties against politicising the recent breach of security and public peace in the state.
The main opposition party in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said Governor Fayose should be held responsible for various acts of violence in the state, saying the current spread of violence in the state capital had the imprints of the usual government-orchestrated violent acts to achieve a pre-determined end.
Reacting to the recent violent acts rocking the state, APC Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, regretted that Ekiti people were used to the government-inspired violent acts, which they experienced between 2003 and 2006 during the governor’s first stint and so there was little to worry about on the same pattern of serial violence that was rocking the state.
“We had, on several occasions, raised the alarm over importation of thugs who are quartered in the Government House. Since their arrival, Ekiti State has slid to the era of one-day-one trouble that characterised Fayose’s government between 2003 and 2006.
“Eminent lawyer, Femi Falana, also raised the same concern, calling on the governor to send away his thugs to allow peace to reign in Ekiti State,” Olatubosun said.
The party sympathised with Hausa and Igbo traders, who it described as victims of government-inspired violence to create a sense of insecurity to enable the governor to devise extra-security measures that would allow him to achieve a pre-determined end.
The APC spokesman urged the security agencies to consider treating the party’s petitions on various acts of violence by the thugs kept in Government House and devise a means of ending violence in Ekiti State.
“We recall various unprecedented attacks on our members, their houses, our offices and tearing or burning down of the posters and billboards of our candidates during electioneering campaigns over which we petitioned the National Human Rights Commission.
“After the elections, kidnappings began. Now is the time pit the thugs against Hausa and Igbo traders to create ethnic tension that has the potential for national crisis while at the same time the governor is planning to inaugurate the new House of Assembly on June 1 to create anarchy.
“It is regrettable that we are back to the era of one-day-one trouble that marked out Fayose as a man that thrives in violence,” he said.
A former Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Olufemi Bamisile, has expressed dissatisfaction on the recent attacks on the Hausa community by yet-to-be-identified hoodlums.
Bamisile said it was a ploy to deliberately attack the Hausa because they mobilised and voted for the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) against Fayose’s directive to vote for President Goodluck Jonathan.
Bamisile claimed that the latest round of crisis in Ekiti was a deliberately-orchestrated game to declare curfew in the state so that the embattled G-19 lawmakers of the State House of Assembly would not be able to discharge their constitutional responsibility of putting the integrity of the governor on check.
Speaking in Ado-Ekiti, Bamisile, a chieftain of the APC said: “What if I tell you that Governor Fayose orchestrated this game just to call the dog a bad name so as to hang it?
“Authoritatively, we have intelligence report in the APC that he was informed ahead of time about the crisis and he neglected the said report. He did it deliberately to punish the Hausa because they voted for Buhari against President Jonathan.
“You will recall that he threatened fire and brimstone during his hate campaigns all through the electioneering period. He said he was going to chase away all the Hausa from Ekiti State if they voted against Goodluck Jonathan during one of his many hate speeches in Ekiti.
“He started by sending all the Watermelon sellers away before his thugs went ahead to destroy all the properties of the business-loving Hausa. He has now moved them away to the outskirts of the state in fulfilling his hate campaign promises to the community.”
Bamisile said the governor’s action of addressing the violence and arson against the Hausa was belated, therefore enabling a jungle justice environment for all the interested parties.
“Does it not sound unreasonable and fishy that the governor decided to address the violence between the Hausa and his group only after four days that the Hausa were attacked?
“Not even a Mobile Policeman (MOPOL) was deployed throughout the four days, until when the properties and businesses of the gentlemen and investors were completely set ablaze.
“My justification of this is certain that even during the governor’s dusk-to-dawn curfew; some arsonists invaded the popular Oja Oba Market and burnt down all the market stalls where the Hausa reside.
“It is a ploy to burn the Hausa while they were asleep. The question is, who must have done this successfully without a security cover? He also said he was surprised to learn that it was the APC that caused the security breach and a plan to justify his impeachment.
Bamisile concluded: “I was shocked to hear the State Chief Security Officer to say that APC caused the mayhem. Was it the APC that staged the attack on the Hausa community?
The alumni of old students of secondary schools in Badagry Division, under the aegis of Old Students’ Alliance, Badagry (OSAB), has called on the incoming administration of Mr. Akinwumi Ambode to sustain the development of the Badagry corridor initiated by the administration of Governor Babatunde Fashola.
A statement issued by the body urged the incoming administration of Ambode to prioritise the development of the Badagry corridor in his administration’s scheme of things with a view to harnessing the largely untapped human and material resources towards the completion of a number of ongoing infrastructural projects, initiation of new ones and create the necessary ambiance that will be economically beneficial to the people of Badagry division who have remained marginalised.
Urging the governor-elect to open up the ancient town to the world as veritable global maritime and tourism destination, the group said: “The state’s internally-generated revenue profile will be enhanced significantly if the Badagry corridor is opened up to international maritime commercial activity and tourism.”
In the statement signed by its President, Mr. Felix Sadare and Secretary Otunba Yomi Olomofe, the students’ body had identified, among others, the need for the incoming administration to urgently complete the ongoing modern five-storey four star hotel facility at the VIP Chalets in Badagry. It also urged the Ambode administration to complete and allocate the ongoing reclamation of the Badagry waters shoreline, even as it wants substantial part of it allocated to indigenes of Badagry and collaboration with the Federal Government and organised private sector to bring about the realisation of the proposed Badagry deep sea port and free zone.
The alumni association also advised the incoming Ambode administration to give special consideration to youth unemployment by creating enabling environment for establishment of industries to provide employment for them..
The students’ body said: “For the first time in the history of Lagos, there is a unifying political platform, ideology and developmental agenda on which the state and the centre are fused. This very rare, but long-awaited development has thrust on both parties, enormous potential that must be carefully, but very thoroughly optimised for the benefit of Nigerians in general and residents of Lagos State in particular.
Lagos State Governor, Baba-tunde Fashola has said that days when Lagos was dubbed the dirtiest city in the world were over; even as he called on the residents to generate more wastes to enable the government to recycle them for re-use.
Noting that the period when the state was rated as one of the dirtiest cities has been in the trashcan of history, he expressed his happiness that the city has acquired a new reputation of being one the cleanest in the world.
Governor Fashola spoke while inaugurating the first waste material recovery facility at Isheri/Igando Local Council Development Area.
He said the current challenge in the state was how to generate more garbage to run the factory, adding that the first phase of the facility would recover solid waste materials, recycle them for re-use and conservation. With this, Governor Fashola said, Lagos has joined some countries that have the waste recovery facility.
He said: ‘’Many countries of the world are recycling, the whole world is conserving. That is what we are signing on. We are joining the rest of the world by having this recovery facility to recycle our wastes and turn them into wealth.’’
Governor Fashola said the expansion of the factory later in the year would usher in the next phase where even more garbage will be needed in order to produce heat for electricity generation.
‘’Lagos has moved from a state that could not manage refuse to a state that needs refuse,” he said, adding that the factory will service 130 compactor trucks a day when it begins operation in few months’ time.
He assured that the establishment of the facility in the area would create employment for residents of Alimosho, Igando Housing Estate, the General Hospital and the School of Nursing. He added that the Chief Executive Officer of company had assured that the factory would start the next phase by December this year.
This, the Governor said, implies that the residents of the area might enjoy regular electricity supply from next year.
The governor revealed that the third phase of the project would consist of composting and production of fertiliser to maintain the lawns, parks and gardens and other green areas across the city, even as he noted that that the greening industry now employs over 100,000 people.
Governor Fashola said: ‘’It is an industry that was not there eight years ago, just as the Association of Waste Managers wasn’t in existence 15years ago.
So, we have opened new frontiers, creating new economies that were not there before.
“But that is one of the benefits of the facility. Others include power generation; production of organic fertiliser and composting and development of renewable energy from solar panels not imported from China but made in Nigeria. This will enhance the environment.’’
In his address, the Commissioner for the Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello said the establish-ment of the waste recovery facility was a demonstration of the state government’s resolve to foster clean, healthy and sustainable environment for the well-being of the citizens.
Bello, who was represented by the Special Adviser to the Governor on the Environment, Dr. Taofeek Folami, commended the Lagos Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) and West African Energy for the laudable projects which he said would be a reference point in solid waste management in the country.
He revealed that the MRF when fully operational “is expected to provide support to the manufacturing sector through the provision of waste off-takers such as plastics papers and metals, among others. This will lead to reduction in cost of production and generation of employment to our teeming youths’’.
On his part, the Managing Director of LAWMA, Mr. Ola Oresanya said the completion of the MRF was a dream come true. He thanked Governor Fashola for his support at all the stages of the project. He also appreciated the co-operation of the host community that willingly offered their lands for the project.
While giving a brief on the project, the Chief Executive Officer West Africa Energy Group, Mr. Paul O’ Calleaghen said the site of the facility used to be a burrow pit where piles of waste were dumped.
O’ Calleaghen said: ‘’It is the mission of West Africa Energy and the Lagos State government that by 2020, the state will attain zero-waste status that will make Lagos the truly beautiful city that it is.’’
Mr. O’ Calleaghen further said the facility, when fully operational, would process waste for more than 130 PSP trucks per day, adding that the staff strength rose from 120 to 350 personnel of skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled workers.
Earlier in his message, the Group Managing Director, First City Monument Bank, Mr. Ladi Balogun said it was a great pride for the bank to be involved in the realisation of the project, saying the improvement of environment was a prerequisite for business to thrive and one of the reasons that informed the bank’s decision to support the project. He assured that FCMB ‘’is ready to support projects of this nature.’’
The traditional ruler of Igando, the Onigando of Igando, Oba Tijani Gbadamosi pleaded with government to give priority attention to members of his community for employment.
Mindful of the reaction which the closure of the Borough College London, Igboho Study Centre in Igboho community in Oyo State has generated, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said the institution was shut down following preliminary investigation of a petition that it was running university courses without being duly accredited and licensed by the relevant and appropriate authorities as approved under the law.
A statement signed by Folu Olamiti, Resident Consultant (Media and Event) states that the ICPC, in collaboration with the National Universities Commission (NUC), carried out the closure of the institution on Wednesday, March 25 this year as part of their ongoing efforts to sanitise the tertiary education sector in the country.
The college has been running academic programmes since October 2014 and has an enrolment of 200 students. It applied for and got the provisional approval of the Oyo State Ministry of Education in January this year to operate as a Study/Continuing Education Centre of Borough College, London.
The college also applied to the Federal Ministry of Education for evaluation and accreditation as a training institute to operate in Nigeria in collaboration with Universidad Azteca, Mexico which approval the ministry granted also in January this year.
Prof. Ogunleye further proceeded to register Borough College London Limited with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
The certificate of incorporation granted by the CAC in February this year indicates that Borough College London, Igboho Study Centre was registered and established to develop and offer academic and professional program-mes leading to the award of diplomas, first degrees, post-graduate research and higher degrees.
As at the time the institution was shut down, it was offering six academic courses in Law, Sciences, Accounting/Marketing, Political Science, Business Administration and Communication without the approval of the NUC which is the statutory regulatory body for such operations. It was also claimed that the college was affiliated to one Concentric University.
In 2006, Prof. Ogunleye had applied to set up the Concentric University in Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State but it was not approved by the NUC. He later secured an allocation of land from Igboho community for the establishment of the hitherto unapproved Concentric University in Bonnie quarters, Igboho.
The ICPC said it has recovered some relevant documents and obtained useful statements from some principal officers of the institution. The proprietor of the college, Prof. James Ogunleye, who resides in London, has sent a written brief to the ICPC, promising to physically honour its invitation.
The ICPC appreciates the desire of the Igboho community to have a higher institution within its reach and its current concern over the closure of the Borough College London, Igboho Study Centre.
The ICPC assures the community that the actions it has taken so far is in the best interest of the community, the students who have paid N70,000 each and other stakeholders in order to ensure compliance with existing laws regulating the establishment of universities.
The ICPC said that as currently constituted, all parties should note that the products are not eligible to serve under the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) scheme or get employed in any public sectorý organisation or attend any approved university for post-graduate studies.
It noted that owners of both Borough College London and Concentric University located at Igboho, have several options open to them.
The ICPC advised that they can either redress any defaults and thereafter resume operations; or seek legal protection of its rights if they believe that they are executing their activities with the approval of applicable state and federal legislation.ý
As a last resort, they can forcibly re-open the instititution and face criminal charges.
It was a joyful moment at the weekend when friends, associates and family members gathered at the Peacock Hall, Marina Lagos of the Island Club to celebrate with one of their own.
The event was an award of Knight Commander of the Order of the Peacock (KCOP) conferred on the Royal Ambassador to Alaafin of Oyo, Aare Ayandotun Ayanlakin by the Island Club Nigeria during the club’s chairman’s valedictory party held at the Peacock Hall, Marina Lagos.
The chairman of the club, Prince Ademola Dada said the club decided to honour Ayanlakin because of his selfless service to the Island Club, Nigeria and humanity.
According to him, Aare Ayanlakin is a committed member of the club and a flag bearer whose contribution to the growth of the club is exemplary.
“He is a close aide of Alaafin of Oyo and he has been promoting Yoruba culture and tradition at home and in the Diaspora. ýWe are proud of you and we urge you to do more to promote the Island Club,” Dada said.
Responding, Aare Ayanlakin dedicated the award to God and Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, whom he described as a promoter of Yoruba culture and the ethnic group’s traditional heritage.
Ayandotun also thanked the leadership of the club and other members for their love and support, promising to do more for the progress of the club.
