Anytime of the day, the children are constantly on the water either to acquire education or to do business. Their lives revolve around the Lagos lagoon, and for two days SEUN AKIOYE followed some of these water children to find out what it means to live and work on water.
The waters of the Lagos lagoon around Makoko on Lagos mainland where thousands of Egun people built their homes is hardly still, no thanks to a flurry of human activities like dumping of refuse or doing ones’ toilet directly into the water. But the major reason for this all round activity is the constant movement of hundreds of canoes across the river.
Because the only way to access the Makoko waterfront is by canoe, there is hardly a home without one; the more prosperous families have about two. There are others who rent out canoes to commercial drivers, they have more than three.
So on the river, there is hardly a still moment. Many of the boats are used for commercial purposes, mostly as taxis and are driven by children some as young as five years old. It is hard to find an adult commercial boat driver in Makoko, many of them are engaged in more profitable vocations like building of canoes, as dressmakers, pastors in one of the several churches on the river and the larger proportion of the community are expectedly fishermen.
On the morning of Thursday February 26, 2015 at Jesusemadegbe (Jesus commands) jetty, a canoe pulled to shore. The driver named John or as he is famously known in Makoko, John the deaf pulled up silently and helped his passenger disembark. In the middle of the activities at the jetty, John stood silently. He did not join the other children in shouting for passengers but waited painfully for anyone who will come towards him.
John was born deaf but some of his mates said he became dumb in his childhood; it is rather difficult to know the truth of the matter. His mates said he is about 12 years old and has been driving canoes in Makoko since he was able to row. Even though many of his competitors would credit him as the “best canoe driver in Makoko” and he works from sunrise to sunset, John thedeaf hardly makes much money compared to his colleagues. This is understandable as even the few passengers he gets mostly cheated him in the transactions.
This is Makoko, a community of about 200,000 people consisting of mainly indigenous Egun people and a sprinkle of Ijaw and Ilaje. Makoko is hidden in the middle of Lagos mainland and it has the reputation of being one of the most deprived and blighted communities in the state. Makoko is divided into two, the waterfront and the mainland.
The mainland economy is largely dependent on the fish caught on the high seas by those who live on the waterfront where there are more than 200 houses built on stilts to accommodate almost 50,000 people including lots of children. These people have little interactions with the outside world; their existence depended on the water. And because of their peculiarities, thousands of tourists visit their community rowing on its dark and usually dirty water.
This is the unusual story of the children who run a part of the economy as fishermen/boys, boat drivers and itinerant sellers; they are called the water children.
The water children: Entrepreneurs, breadwinners
About a quarter of the population of Makoko consist of children under the age of 18 years. The high population of children may be due to poverty and on the average a family would have at least six children. The large population according to some of the residents could also be attributed to the prevailing profession in the area; fishing, as the children are ready source of labour to prepare and sell the fish caught by their parents.
Thus a large proportion of the children are engaged in some form of economic engagement to help their family. Because they live on the water, the children of Makoko are expert swimmers and canoe drivers. As early as three years or as soon as they are able to crawl into the canoes, they begin to learn how to paddle. Swimming comes to them naturally and there has been no report of any one of them drowning- at least not yet.
Every morning, young children paddled out to the sea either to attend school or to run errands. Others are also engaged as sellers of food stuff, or of fresh water which is scarce in the community. There are the fishermen or rather boys/girls too, those who set traps for fishes in the night and return in the morning to check the catch. But mostly, the major vocation of the children of Makoko is commercial canoe driving.
Almost all the children are engaged in this either full time or for those who attend some form of school on part time basis. In Makoko, three names stood out among the drivers: Eustache Avlessi (14), Joachin Noudenanon (15) and Pacome Messou (12). The three are friends and they attend the same school working part time during the week and full time at weekends or during holidays.
Joachin is the most enthusiastic of the trio. He has been paddling since the age of five and considers himself as a supreme swimmer. “There is no child in this community who cannot swim, we learn to swim from the time we were born. Because there is no other way to survive, we learn fishing and how to paddle canoes too.”
Joachin is very shrewd at business, every morning before school, he joins the horde of other children to hustle for passengers. They are mostly his fellow schoolmates and teachers and after the evening lessons he resumed at Jesusemadegbe jetty, picking passengers for N50 and N100. “At the end of the day, I make about N700,” Joachin said. The profit goes into his education.
Eustache runs his business using his mother’s canoe but his business hours are limited because of his school activities. “I start business by 5pm after school and make about N500 per day. This has not affected my studies because this is what we do every time,” he said. Like Joachin, his profits go into funding his evening lessons at school.
Pacome fancies himself as the king of the canoe trade. He began commercial canoe driving in 2012 using his grandmother’s canoe and he claimed to have made more money than his classmates. On one occasion, he made N1000 working from morning till night. It was the highlight of his career which he was very proud of. “I made N1,000 which I gave to my grandmother and she used it for my school.”
Pacome works every weekend all day but he is fortunate, many other children whose parents do not know the value of education or cannot afford it simply abandon school and take to full time work. Such is the lot of Monday Lokosu and his siblings. Every day, Monday paddles his mother’s canoe upstream; fetch five gallons of fresh water which he sells to willing customers. Each trip of five gallons fetches him a tidy N150. This trip is repeated about three times in a day and the proceed goes into feeding his family.
The water schools
Every morning in almost all the houses children dressed in school uniform filed by the edge of their stilt houses waiting for transportation to take them to school. This is the time Isaac Usu, a 13- year –old boy who has never been to school makes most of his money.
“I have never been to school because I do not have any money and my parents cannot afford the money for school. I will like to go to the English speaking school so that I can learn Yoruba and English, but now I cannot go to school because of money,” Isaac told The Nation as he increased the fury of his paddle.
He would stop at a house, pick up a student and move to the next. In this way, he collected five students and deposited them at the various schools. In one of the trips witnessed by The Nation he made about N200. Isaac has nine other siblings and none is attending school, the money he makes from his boat driving goes into his family upkeep.
The Makoko schools do not follow the same arrangements as can be seen in schools in other parts of Lagos. Even though, the same curricular is taught to the students, they are modestly adapted to suit the peculiar needs of the children of the river.
The most prominent school on the river is Whanyinna Nursery and Primary School. On a notice board that hangs on the building, the school address is given as Makoko Water Front Yaba and its motto is ‘Virtue and Hard work’.
Whanyinna School is built on a sand filled plot in the middle of the community close to the sea and it has very interesting story. According to the head teacher, Shemede Noah, the school was a donation from some white men who are members of the Yatch Club. The members promised to build the community a school.
That promise was fulfilled in 2008 when a portion of the sea had to be sand filled for two months and the construction of the school costs N3million. After the school was built, there was the problem of a teacher. This was when Noah was called in. “My father is the head of this community and he has 22 children. I am the last born and the only one that was educated, so when the school was built my mother said I should come and help to teach the children as a contribution to my community,” he said.
But that decision didn’t come easy, after his secondary school, he had acquired new friends and had moved to another part of Lagos. Social life has also taken its toll, “It was very hard for me to move back here to the community but I had to do it for my people.”
Noah began with 72 children. It was a tough job convincing the parents to allow their children attend a school instead of helping with fishing or selling wares in the canoe on the river. But Noah had a trump card: “ I told them that if the parents of the doctors who treat them when they are sick, the lawyers who help them handle their cases had not allowed them to go to school, how will they be able to help us now. I told them about President Goodluck Jonathan who is from our kind of community, education made him become the president.”
Apparently, the lure of their children becoming president and doctors swayed the parents, soon the children increased. Initially, Noah taught them alone getting stipends of about N2, 500 from his father as salary, soon he employed other teachers. Today, there are 239 children in Nursery and Primary class with nine teachers. Salaries for the teachers-which range between N10, 000 and 18,000- is sourced from donors. Whanyinna is also the only English speaking school in the whole of Makoko waterfront. Noah makes up the school expenses from proceeds from his fishing boats.
But Whanyinna has a problem of space and so two classes are merged into one. For instance, primaries one and two occupy the same space likewise for primaries three and four. But one should not be deceived about the quality of teaching as pupils in Nursery one are already doing sums of addition and subtraction. There are other things which make Noah smile in the darkness of his room at night, 35 of his students are already in secondary school outside the community and at least a good number of them have a prospect of going further to the university. “They have formed an Old Students Association and some are in Denton Secondary School and are doing well,” Noah said smiling.
At 10: am, a loud bell rang and the students ran out forming an unruly line in front of food sellers in the school compound. It was the short break time. Being on water has its advantages, truancy is eliminated, almost. Once the canoes deposited the children in the morning, most of the commercial canoes only return at closing time.
Though Whanyinna is the biggest and the best equipped school in Makoko waterfront, it is not the only school. There are about 15 others which are French speaking, but the most prominent ones are Ecole Primaire Privee Thales and the Ecole Primaire Privee Saint Michel.
Eustache, Joachin and Pacome all attend Ecole Thales and are in Primary six. The school which is situated right in the middle of Makoko consists only of two buildings and like Whanyinna is built on reclaimed land. To get to the school, one would have to row along some narrow river course and meander between different houses. Like the other school, two classes share a room and the students are about 150. A flimsy cardboard divided the classes on either side, the black board is suspended by a rope.
Akokogbo Godday Josiah has been teaching at the school since 2008 and has risen to the position of the assistant head teacher. There is a vast difference between the Whanyinna and the French speaking schools. At Ecole Thales, the students speak and study in French. They follow the French curriculum as provided for in Benin Republic where the students usually take their final exams.
When The Nation arrived at the school about 80 pairs of young eyes who descended on the reporter, stood up in unison and ranted several French sing song sentences to welcome the visitor. “Mercie, mercie” the visitor responded which generated loud laughter from the children.
In the class of Primary five and six, an interesting lecture was taking place, the trio of Pacome, Eustache and Joachin were in the middle of the class discussion. It did not look like a normal class, one that you see in English speaking schools but it’s like a participatory lesson. The teacher asked a question and Joachin raised his hands. Several hands followed, “moi, moi” they cried.
Akokogbo said the class is preparing for the entrance examination to secondary school in July. The examination will take place in Benin Republic and those who succeeded can proceed to a high school either in that country or in Nigeria.
“We have a secondary school here, it is called Etoile de la Disapora and the lessons are taught in French. There are English lessons too but once you pass that secondary school you will be qualified to either complete your education in Nigeria or in Benin Republic,” he said.
The model that works for the people of Makoko is a complicated but advantageous one. To retain their roots, the children’s primary education is in French, once they master the language, they can proceed to a secondary school and learn English. By their teenage years, they have been educated in English and French and they speak Egun and Yoruba at home. This way, they are at more advantage than their Nigerian counterparts who speak only English apart from their native language.
The children just returned from mid day break when The Nation arrived at Privee Saint Michel. The school was founded in 2005 and currently has 200 students attended to by four teachers. The head teacher, Lawrence Sozomey is very proud of his school but quickly admitted it is more of a tutorial class.
“We are French so we have to learn French, before now our children were out of school but now there are more than 15 French schools in this place. This is not a full school but it is like a lesson,” Sozomey said.
Like the other schools, the Privee Saint Michel combines two classes together and consists of a single one-storey-building linked by a rather steep ladder. But there is another interesting feature of the French schools, students pay N50 for the lower classes and N70 for the upper classes per day as Akokogbo explained “ just for support”. In the evening, students pay N50 for evening lessons. In an average month, a parent would pay N1000 for tuition and N3, 000 for an average term. But there are other little bills to be paid and the real fees may be in the region of N5, 000 to N10, 000 depending on the class. But the teachers consider this as a charity because the fees are mere stipends compared with the quality of education the kids get. “If they can get quality education for less, why not?” Akokogbo asked.
“I want to go to school, but I have to help my family”
The schools in Makoko closed at the same time. This means more canoe activities on the river. It is not unusual for traffic jams to occur as different canoes struggle on the narrow river roads to get to the schools. Isaac joined in the frenzied driving towards Ecole Saint Michel. Several children are waiting for commercial canoes, it would cost them N50 to return home.
But there are many others who will be joining their parents canoe, driven by an older sibling, one of such is Eustache and his four siblings. Soon their canoe arrived in front of their house and the kids climbed the steep steps into the house. Another canoe followed behind carrying seven school children, it was paddled by a boy not more than six years old, but he did it with such expertise and dexterity while the kids in the canoe sang.
Singing is an integral culture of the Egun and it is a beautiful sight to see school children singing in a canoe on the way back from school. Eustache and his siblings ate lunch in a hurry and began preparations for the evening classes. Their father, Jerrad, one of the more prosperous dressmakers in Makoko insists they must attend all the lessons available. Soon a lone canoe made its approach, driven by a little girl of about 10 years. Written boldly inside the canoe is Beatrice Agiah. Two bowls were prominent in the boat, one containing fried fish and the other, garri. The boat pulled to a stop in front of the Avlessi home and the girl began to make conversation in Egun. Her name: Vivian Sakar.
Vivian has never been to school and she understands only Egun language. She also does not aspire to be educated; her parents could not afford the fees. Her mother and grandmother sell smoked fish and everyday Vivian mounts her grandmother’s canoe saddled with fish and garri which she sells throughout Makoko. The profits goes into feeding the large family, without the contributions of Vivian, the family may go hungry.
Jerrad said there are hundreds of kids who do not go to school and have no hope of attending one. It simply costs too much, even those who wanted to learn a trade could not afford it, it is even costlier than education. There is only one way out- the boys become taxi drivers and the girls hawk in the canoe. For those whose families could not afford a canoe, they rent for N500 a day. Then it is a race to make enough money to pay off the cost of the canoe and make enough profit for the family.
The Nation caught up with one of the taxi drivers named Stephen. At the age of 14 years, he has never been to school and unlike many others, he is very streetwise and sharp. “Why do you want to know about me,” he asked while he flatly refused to be photographed.
“I cannot afford the fees, we are 12 in our family and none of us is going to school, even though I will like to go to school, but I have to make money for my family to help them. For now, this is what I have to do,” Stephen said in a voice that carried no emotions.
In the evenings, the Jesusemadegbe jetty becomes a beehive of activities, the full time canoe drivers are joined by those who had just returned from school. It was a mad scene, with children jostling for the few passengers at the jetty. John the deaf was there as he quietly waited for a passenger at a corner of the jetty.
Dansu Jeremiah was there too. He has just been admitted into Etoile Diaspora and he did canoe driving in the evenings to make up his school fees. Jeremiah has reasons to work harder than his colleagues because he pays more for his education, but on the evening of Friday 27th February 2015, things have not totally gone according to his plans.
Jeremiah rowed to shore with a lone passenger, she was an elderly woman and appeared to be in a form of argument with the driver. When she disembarked, she paid N50 and insisted on collecting a N20 balance.
“I didn’t meet the person I went to see and so he (Jeremiah) didn’t have to wait to bring me back, I cannot pay N50,” she yelled.
Jeremiah responded that the standard fare for a round trip was N50, his colleagues came to his rescue too. But the old woman would not back down; dejected Jeremiah offered the woman her fare back, preferring not to collect any. That was one of the hazards of the job, Jeremiah’s friend told The Nation. “Because we are children, the adults always cheat us and it is not fair,” he said, rocking slowly inside his canoe waiting for the next passenger.
SEUN AKIOYE tells the inspiring story of an immigrant dressmaker who lives in the deprived Makoko area of Lagos and who has inspired over 40 teenagers to acquire education and find purpose for life.
Jerrad Avlessi’s voice boomed in the middle of several soprano voices as he led a welcome song for his visitor. The song which was accompanied by rhythmic clapping went on for about three minutes with each sentence being repeated. At the mention of “good morning” about 18 girls would kneel at the same time in greeting. This action made the wooden floor shake and it seemed as if the stilts on which the house was standing would give way, depositing its occupants into the Makoko River.
The singing was done in the living room of Avlessi, one of the most prosperous dressmakers in Makoko waterfront, a slum of approximately 50,000 Lagosians. The “choir” comprised mainly of his apprentices all girls between the ages of 15 and 25 years.
When the singing was over, an apprentice brought a bowl filled with dried fish which was presented to the visitor. This offering was not expected to be refused as that would offend the sensibility of the givers. It was after this offering that a conversation would take place, all the students sat on the floor in rapt attention as Avlessi told his story.
An immigrant story
Inside the slums of Makoko, there are many stories of human resilience and determination in the face of daunting obstacles. Makoko itself was not originally a slum, founded in the 18th century as a fishing village, it soon began to attract immigrants, first from Badagry and then from Benin Republic.
The newcomers preferred to set up their dwelling on the Lagos lagoon, enjoying proximity to the sea while engaging in their vocation of fishing. Soon the poor and the desperate began to come to Makoko hoping for an economic miracle, this was the pattern over the centuries.
Avlessi arrivedMakoko in 2006 armed with his only worldly possessions, a motorcycle and a sewing machine. Avelessi was born and raised in Benin Republic and he had been trained as a dressmaker. But business was slow and money hard to come by. There was only one way out of his misery: follow the usual migration pattern of first moving to Badagry and then Makoko.
But the economic miracle that he hoped for soon evaporated when the reality of his grim situation and that of his new found home set in. “ I didn’t get any job, all our people here were fishermen so since I was also trained as a fisherman, that was the first job I did,” Avelessi told The Nation through an interpreter.
But the fishing vocation was hard and long and it didn’t bring in the expected financial miracle, he decided against doing the job full time. “I didn’t want to become a full time fisherman because I also trained as a dressmaker. What would be the purpose of my training if I didn’t practice it? That was when I decided to quit,” he said.
At first his clients were known relatives and friends to whom the maxim “Business grows when friends and relatives pay for services” meant nothing. But as his business grew, he bought a bigger house and his apprentices grew to over 40 students.
A Macedonia call
Everyday more than 30 apprentices crowd into the tailoring shop adjacent to Avlessi’s living room, there are nine sewing machines in the room and only the senior apprentices are allowed to use them.
Avlessi’s students are all illiterates; they speak only the dominant Egun language with a few able to muster some words in Yoruba. This is a big challenge to Avlessi and he decided to teach them how to read and write in Egun.
Classes took place in the front porch and the students learnt in Egun. Then in August 2014, a social worker and journalist, Adeola Ogunlade went to Makoko and met Avlessi. “I went there for a different purpose but as my boat was passing by I came across a group of students learning how to read in Egun. Something inside me just says this may be a Macedonia call which I have to heed,” Ogunlade said.
Ogunlade was to make repeated visits to Avlessi and during one of his conversations; the apprentices indicated that they would prefer learning English. “I decided to get them an English teacher and the salary paid by me. I believe it will be an invaluable asset to them if they can communicate in English,” Ogunlade told The Nation.
But finding an English teacher who will be willing to brave the waters of the lagoon to teach teenagers preparatory English was a daunting task. The first teacher Ogunlade got did not last and the students themselves didn’t appreciate her methods. Then he got another teacher who lived locally and it was a dramatic change for the students.
One of the students is Anu Hunkpe, the most senior apprentice in Avlessi’s shop. She said getting to learn English is a life saving gift for them.
“We don’t know how to thank Mr. Ogunlade because of what he has done. Now we are leaning English and recently they came and gave us English Bibles which we are all trying to read,” she said.
The students are eager to air their English, they punctuated every sentence with simple English words like “okay, how are you?” But they are far from Eldorado, their needs are enormous and the resources are little. Two weeks ago, Ogunlade bought them the much needed white board and they were ecstatic. “We need Queens Primer book, we have only one and we want for everyone so that we can practice at home,” Hunkpe said.
The students were eager for a demonstration. They huddled inside the shop and began to recite a part of the Queen Primer: “We go up, I go up, he go up,” they yelled at the top of their voices. It was an emotional sight, seeing adults recite a pre-nursery rhyme with so much glee and happiness. At the end of the exercise, the students gave themselves applause of satisfaction.
Currently, there are 43 students in the class and classes hold twice a week, but it is something that could be more frequent and if this is to be, more resources would be needed. Ogunlade said he is not giving up on them and would continue to source for fund to support their education.
But despite the great strides made by the students, many of them are unhappy and in dire straight. Hunkpe has been due to obtain her freedom over a year ago but could not afford the fees being demanded by her master.
“The money is much, it is about N50, 000 but I don’t even have anything. That is why I am not able to obtain my freedom,” she said. But Anu was not alone; about seven others are also unable to obtain their freedom. Toluwanile Atedji also hasn’t been able to obtain her freedom due to lack of funds. After her graduation, Atedji wants to set up a big fashion designing shop somewhere on Lagos mainland while Hunkpe wants to remain in Makoko, sewing clothes for the poor and the deprived.
“Please we need help to raise the funds for our graduation, if anyone can help us we will be very grateful if we can obtain our freedom this year,” they said. As the reporter made to leave, Avlessi gathered his students for a final ritual, it is a song usually reserved for an emotional departure, usually of a loved one. Soon the stilt house was booming with the melodious sound of the song with Avelessi’s baritone playing a prominent part in it.
“We are saying goodbye to our benefactor
The English say goodbye
The French Aurevour
The Egun say Ibowa
But we say O dabo
errad Avlessi’s voice boomed in the middle of several soprano voices as he led a welcome song for his visitor. The song which was accompanied by rhythmic clapping went on for about three minutes with each sentence being repeated. At the mention of “good morning” about 18 girls would kneel at the same time in greeting. This action made the wooden floor shake and it seemed as if the stilts on which the house was standing would give way, depositing its occupants into the Makoko River.
The singing was done in the living room of Avlessi, one of the most prosperous dressmakers in Makoko waterfront, a slum of approximately 50,000 Lagosians. The “choir” comprised mainly of his apprentices all girls between the ages of 15 and 25 years.
When the singing was over, an apprentice brought a bowl filled with dried fish which was presented to the visitor. This offering was not expected to be refused as that would offend the sensibility of the givers. It was after this offering that a conversation would take place, all the students sat on the floor in rapt attention as Avlessi told his story.
An immigrant story
Inside the slums of Makoko, there are many stories of human resilience and determination in the face of daunting obstacles. Makoko itself was not originally a slum, founded in the 18th century as a fishing village, it soon began to attract immigrants, first from Badagry and then from Benin Republic.
The newcomers preferred to set up their dwelling on the Lagos lagoon, enjoying proximity to the sea while engaging in their vocation of fishing. Soon the poor and the desperate began to come to Makoko hoping for an economic miracle, this was the pattern over the centuries.
Avlessi arrivedMakoko in 2006 armed with his only worldly possessions, a motorcycle and a sewing machine. Avelessi was born and raised in Benin Republic and he had been trained as a dressmaker. But business was slow and money hard to come by. There was only one way out of his misery: follow the usual migration pattern of first moving to Badagry and then Makoko.
But the economic miracle that he hoped for soon evaporated when the reality of his grim situation and that of his new found home set in. “ I didn’t get any job, all our people here were fishermen so since I was also trained as a fisherman, that was the first job I did,” Avelessi told The Nation through an interpreter.
But the fishing vocation was hard and long and it didn’t bring in the expected financial miracle, he decided against doing the job full time. “I didn’t want to become a full time fisherman because I also trained as a dressmaker. What would be the purpose of my training if I didn’t practice it? That was when I decided to quit,” he said.
At first his clients were known relatives and friends to whom the maxim “Business grows when friends and relatives pay for services” meant nothing. But as his business grew, he bought a bigger house and his apprentices grew to over 40 students.
A Macedonia call
Everyday more than 30 apprentices crowd into the tailoring shop adjacent to Avlessi’s living room, there are nine sewing machines in the room and only the senior apprentices are allowed to use them.
Avlessi’s students are all illiterates; they speak only the dominant Egun language with a few able to muster some words in Yoruba. This is a big challenge to Avlessi and he decided to teach them how to read and write in Egun.
Classes took place in the front porch and the students learnt in Egun. Then in August 2014, a social worker and journalist, Adeola Ogunlade went to Makoko and met Avlessi. “I went there for a different purpose but as my boat was passing by I came across a group of students learning how to read in Egun. Something inside me just says this may be a Macedonia call which I have to heed,” Ogunlade said.
Ogunlade was to make repeated visits to Avlessi and during one of his conversations; the apprentices indicated that they would prefer learning English. “I decided to get them an English teacher and the salary paid by me. I believe it will be an invaluable asset to them if they can communicate in English,” Ogunlade told The Nation.
But finding an English teacher who will be willing to brave the waters of the lagoon to teach teenagers preparatory English was a daunting task. The first teacher Ogunlade got did not last and the students themselves didn’t appreciate her methods. Then he got another teacher who lived locally and it was a dramatic change for the students.
One of the students is Anu Hunkpe, the most senior apprentice in Avlessi’s shop. She said getting to learn English is a life saving gift for them.
“We don’t know how to thank Mr. Ogunlade because of what he has done. Now we are leaning English and recently they came and gave us English Bibles which we are all trying to read,” she said.
The students are eager to air their English, they punctuated every sentence with simple English words like “okay, how are you?” But they are far from Eldorado, their needs are enormous and the resources are little. Two weeks ago, Ogunlade bought them the much needed white board and they were ecstatic. “We need Queens Primer book, we have only one and we want for everyone so that we can practice at home,” Hunkpe said.
The students were eager for a demonstration. They huddled inside the shop and began to recite a part of the Queen Primer: “We go up, I go up, he go up,” they yelled at the top of their voices. It was an emotional sight, seeing adults recite a pre-nursery rhyme with so much glee and happiness. At the end of the exercise, the students gave themselves applause of satisfaction.
Currently, there are 43 students in the class and classes hold twice a week, but it is something that could be more frequent and if this is to be, more resources would be needed. Ogunlade said he is not giving up on them and would continue to source for fund to support their education.
But despite the great strides made by the students, many of them are unhappy and in dire straight. Hunkpe has been due to obtain her freedom over a year ago but could not afford the fees being demanded by her master.
“The money is much, it is about N50, 000 but I don’t even have anything. That is why I am not able to obtain my freedom,” she said. But Anu was not alone; about seven others are also unable to obtain their freedom. Toluwanile Atedji also hasn’t been able to obtain her freedom due to lack of funds. After her graduation, Atedji wants to set up a big fashion designing shop somewhere on Lagos mainland while Hunkpe wants to remain in Makoko, sewing clothes for the poor and the deprived.
“Please we need help to raise the funds for our graduation, if anyone can help us we will be very grateful if we can obtain our freedom this year,” they said. As the reporter made to leave, Avlessi gathered his students for a final ritual, it is a song usually reserved for an emotional departure, usually of a loved one. Soon the stilt house was booming with the melodious sound of the song with Avelessi’s baritone playing a prominent part in it.
“We are saying goodbye to our benefactor
The English say goodbye
The French Aurevour
The Egun say Ibowa
But we say O dabo
errad Avlessi’s voice boomed in the middle of several soprano voices as he led a welcome song for his visitor. The song which was accompanied by rhythmic clapping went on for about three minutes with each sentence being repeated. At the mention of “good morning” about 18 girls would kneel at the same time in greeting. This action made the wooden floor shake and it seemed as if the stilts on which the house was standing would give way, depositing its occupants into the Makoko River.
The singing was done in the living room of Avlessi, one of the most prosperous dressmakers in Makoko waterfront, a slum of approximately 50,000 Lagosians. The “choir” comprised mainly of his apprentices all girls between the ages of 15 and 25 years.
When the singing was over, an apprentice brought a bowl filled with dried fish which was presented to the visitor. This offering was not expected to be refused as that would offend the sensibility of the givers. It was after this offering that a conversation would take place, all the students sat on the floor in rapt attention as Avlessi told his story.
An immigrant story
Inside the slums of Makoko, there are many stories of human resilience and determination in the face of daunting obstacles. Makoko itself was not originally a slum, founded in the 18th century as a fishing village, it soon began to attract immigrants, first from Badagry and then from Benin Republic.
The newcomers preferred to set up their dwelling on the Lagos lagoon, enjoying proximity to the sea while engaging in their vocation of fishing. Soon the poor and the desperate began to come to Makoko hoping for an economic miracle, this was the pattern over the centuries.
Avlessi arrivedMakoko in 2006 armed with his only worldly possessions, a motorcycle and a sewing machine. Avelessi was born and raised in Benin Republic and he had been trained as a dressmaker. But business was slow and money hard to come by. There was only one way out of his misery: follow the usual migration pattern of first moving to Badagry and then Makoko.
But the economic miracle that he hoped for soon evaporated when the reality of his grim situation and that of his new found home set in. “ I didn’t get any job, all our people here were fishermen so since I was also trained as a fisherman, that was the first job I did,” Avelessi told The Nation through an interpreter.
But the fishing vocation was hard and long and it didn’t bring in the expected financial miracle, he decided against doing the job full time. “I didn’t want to become a full time fisherman because I also trained as a dressmaker. What would be the purpose of my training if I didn’t practice it? That was when I decided to quit,” he said.
At first his clients were known relatives and friends to whom the maxim “Business grows when friends and relatives pay for services” meant nothing. But as his business grew, he bought a bigger house and his apprentices grew to over 40 students.
A Macedonia call
Everyday more than 30 apprentices crowd into the tailoring shop adjacent to Avlessi’s living room, there are nine sewing machines in the room and only the senior apprentices are allowed to use them.
Avlessi’s students are all illiterates; they speak only the dominant Egun language with a few able to muster some words in Yoruba. This is a big challenge to Avlessi and he decided to teach them how to read and write in Egun.
Classes took place in the front porch and the students learnt in Egun. Then in August 2014, a social worker and journalist, Adeola Ogunlade went to Makoko and met Avlessi. “I went there for a different purpose but as my boat was passing by I came across a group of students learning how to read in Egun. Something inside me just says this may be a Macedonia call which I have to heed,” Ogunlade said.
Ogunlade was to make repeated visits to Avlessi and during one of his conversations; the apprentices indicated that they would prefer learning English. “I decided to get them an English teacher and the salary paid by me. I believe it will be an invaluable asset to them if they can communicate in English,” Ogunlade told The Nation.
But finding an English teacher who will be willing to brave the waters of the lagoon to teach teenagers preparatory English was a daunting task. The first teacher Ogunlade got did not last and the students themselves didn’t appreciate her methods. Then he got another teacher who lived locally and it was a dramatic change for the students.
One of the students is Anu Hunkpe, the most senior apprentice in Avlessi’s shop. She said getting to learn English is a life saving gift for them.
“We don’t know how to thank Mr. Ogunlade because of what he has done. Now we are leaning English and recently they came and gave us English Bibles which we are all trying to read,” she said.
The students are eager to air their English, they punctuated every sentence with simple English words like “okay, how are you?” But they are far from Eldorado, their needs are enormous and the resources are little. Two weeks ago, Ogunlade bought them the much needed white board and they were ecstatic. “We need Queens Primer book, we have only one and we want for everyone so that we can practice at home,” Hunkpe said.
The students were eager for a demonstration. They huddled inside the shop and began to recite a part of the Queen Primer: “We go up, I go up, he go up,” they yelled at the top of their voices. It was an emotional sight, seeing adults recite a pre-nursery rhyme with so much glee and happiness. At the end of the exercise, the students gave themselves applause of satisfaction.
Currently, there are 43 students in the class and classes hold twice a week, but it is something that could be more frequent and if this is to be, more resources would be needed. Ogunlade said he is not giving up on them and would continue to source for fund to support their education.
But despite the great strides made by the students, many of them are unhappy and in dire straight. Hunkpe has been due to obtain her freedom over a year ago but could not afford the fees being demanded by her master.
“The money is much, it is about N50, 000 but I don’t even have anything. That is why I am not able to obtain my freedom,” she said. But Anu was not alone; about seven others are also unable to obtain their freedom. Toluwanile Atedji also hasn’t been able to obtain her freedom due to lack of funds. After her graduation, Atedji wants to set up a big fashion designing shop somewhere on Lagos mainland while Hunkpe wants to remain in Makoko, sewing clothes for the poor and the deprived.
“Please we need help to raise the funds for our graduation, if anyone can help us we will be very grateful if we can obtain our freedom this year,” they said. As the reporter made to leave, Avlessi gathered his students for a final ritual, it is a song usually reserved for an emotional departure, usually of a loved one. Soon the stilt house was booming with the melodious sound of the song with Avelessi’s baritone playing a prominent part in it.
Residents of Omi Adio, Ibadan, in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State no longer sleep with their eyes closed, no thanks to the armed invasion of their community by thugs laying claim to a large expanse of land covering over 40-kilometre radius along the Ibadan-Abeokuta highway. OSEHEYE OKWUOFU reports that it has been a tale of fear, sorrow, tears and blood for the people since the hoodlums invaded their area in 2013.
here is widespread consternation among residents of Omi Adio, a semi urban community on the western axis of Ibadan, that an army of thugs could have a free reign to unleash terror at will in a city as big as the Oyo State capital with little or no intervention by law enforcement agents.
For more than six weeks, Omi Adio, comprising the main town and its several villages and hamlets has been living in fear as armed thugs allegedly working for an 80-year old man Alhaji Raheem Lanlokun Odejobi continue to terrorise the people over the ownership of a large expanse of land covering over 40-kilometre radius along the highway between Ibadan and Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
•Suraju, the eldest son of Alhaji Raimi Odejobi
Odejobi is laying claim to the land and other areas already occupied by no fewer than 28 villages and hamlets, as part of his inheritance from his great grandfather who he claimed fought wars against the Egbas over a century ago and gained control over the area since then.
Unauthorised people he claimed sold the land to unsuspecting buyers a situation he now wants redressed by the present occupiers/owners either renegotiating/repurchasing the land from him or quit the area. And to enforce his position, Odejobi has resorted to the use of armed thugs to force compliance a situation being vehemently resisted by the affected residents.
The faceoff between the thugs and the residents has led to wanton destruction of properties and injuries to many people as the hoodlums insists on carrying out Odejobi’s wish. The last six weeks have been particularly bad, as many residents said they could not sleep in their houses at night for fear of being attacked, while the farmers among them have kept away from their farms also.
Though, policemen have been having a busy time working to prevent a collapse of law and order in the crisis prone areas of Omi-Adio, the efforts seemed not enough to deter the destructive tendencies of the armed thugs and their principal.
From Apata to Iyaganku police stations and up to the State Police Command headquarters at Eleyele, officers were busy settling matters between the armed thugs and residents of the disputed areas.
Injured persons and some of the thugs who were rounded up by the residents were taken to the police stations on many occasions, but unfortunately the matter could not go beyond the stations as court workers were still on strike. So, the reign of terror and impunity continued as the hired thugs went on harassing and intimidating the helpless people on their land.
“As I speak, some of our people have abandoned their houses because of their bitter experience in the hands of the thugs. Not that the thugs were only boasting, they also beat people up with charms, dangerous weapons, and we watched the victims foaming with fits , while others suffered broken arms and legs. We were told that it is either we pay or we vacate our property where many have been living for over two decades. That’s our predicament and we need you to help us and save us from the hands of Odejobi and his thugs”, a resident who simply gave his name as Sola said.
The matter, according to some of the landlords of the affected areas, started in 2013 when Odejobi stormed the area and started laying claims to a vast expanse of land many of which have been fully developed.
He told the inhabitants to either quit or renegotiate the land, claiming that his great grandfather fought wars against the Egbas and acquired the vast expanse of land, but some trespassers have sold the land out without his knowledge.
Apart from recruiting armed thugs to recover ‘his great grandfather’s land’ Odejobi , it was gathered also contracted the services of the Oyo State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW) Alhaji Toafeek Oyerinde a.k.a. Fele through the help of one of the aides of the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, simply called Super to help him press home his demands from the affected landlords.
Homes were forcibly broken into and farmlands with crops destroyed when the armed thugs engaged bulldozers to grade portions of the land and make quick money from the sale of sand and gravel excavated from the land.
This infuriated the land owners and bloody fights among the thugs and residents ensued. These lasted for several days, weeks and months, and all effort by leaders of the town to make peace were rebuffed.
Prominent among the peacemakers were a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Niyi Akintola whose village is among those occupying the disputed expanse of land, the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Edward Oyewole who is the head of Foko family, Olomi of Omi Adio Barrister Adeyanju Ekanola, the Balogun Olomi of Omi Adio , Chief Mukaila Kayode Adebayo, the Commissioner of Police and a host of traditional rulers.
After successfully taking hold of some portions of the land with houses, Odejobi was said to have sold part of the land in question, precisely 550 acres to a Lagos based land developer, KOBPLAN.
Confirming the purchase, KOBPLAN’s Chief Executive Officer Kelvin Olat Bakre told The Nation that every necessary procedure was taken to ensure that the transaction on the land was hitch free. He expressed surprise that some people were linking him with the use of armed thugs to attack innocent residents.
He said” as a developer my intention is to do business and this goes with providing social amenities such as good road network, light, and so on. But, at the same time the people must pay for the amenities, and if those who have built on the land do not want all these, fine ,I will go and develop where there is no building, after all, it is just on a small percentage of the land that we have buildings.”
In one of the moves to prevent anarchy and bloodshed in the area as a result of the dispute, the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland , High Chief Edward Oyewole made a passionate appeal to Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state to call to order the state Chairman NURTW Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde to avoid a breach of public peace in Omi Adio area of Ibadan .
According to a petition entitled “Threat to Public Peace by Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde Fele “ written by Chief Adeniyi Akintola SAN, counsel to the Ekerin Olubadan and addressed to Governor Ajimobi, Oyerinde has rebuffed all entreaties to desist from the illegal acts so as not to jeopardise the peace and tranquility being enjoyed in the state since the inception of Ajimobi’s administration.
The petition was also copied to the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Bayo Ojo.
•High Chief Edy Oyewole
High Chief Oyewole who is the patriarch of Foko clan in Ibadanland, noted that Oyerinde has been acting in concert with Odejobi who has been laying false claim to the ownership of the said land to harass the owners- all of whom had been on the land for very many years undisturbed.
“Your Excellency, the development would have long ago degenerated into a serious crisis with all the attendant catastrophic effect on public peace if not for the fact that our client has been constantly prevailing on the owners of the land not to be provoked by Alhaji Oyerinde’s sheer criminality.
“Your Excellency, there is a limit to human endurance as the land owners are now threatening to forcibly repel the constant attack on them by Alhaji Oyerinde and this would certainly lead to an outbreak of violence if the situation is not urgently nipped in the bud.
“We therefore most respectfully make a passionate appeal to Your Excellency on our client’s behalf to use Your Excellency’s good offices and urgently call Alhaji Oyerinde to order in the interest of peace and tranquility in the state”, the Ekerin Olubadan said.
The affected villages numbering 28 included Ogbatomi, Obedu, Aba Teacher, Onigbagbo, Aba -Oke, Ago-tente, Aba-Alaraba, Aba -Aretu, Elesun Egba, Aba Ogunnde, Aba Lade-Owo, Aba Araba, Aba Ologiri, AbaLogudu, Aba Ogunsanmi, Aba Anisere, Aba Atere, Aba Olokopupo, Aba Ishola Onipako, and Aba Oke-Ado.
Others are Aba Ofaka Lufe, Aba Onifade, Aba Laala, Aba Olooya, Aba Akeeye, Aba Laagbe and Aba Eleso.
All efforts to reach Alhaji Oyerinde were unsuccessful as he was said to have travelled by some of his aides who spoke with our reporter.
Speaking as the consenting authority on the said land, High Chief Oyewale who described Odejobi as a trouble maker said on several occasions meetings were held with Odejobi to let him know that he has no claim whatsoever over the land because history did not support it.
High Chief Oyewole who spoke at his Molete residence with The Nation said “As head of the Foko family in Ibadanland , I the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland remains the authority from Oluyole, Apata down to the boundary between Ibadan and Ogun state and if anybody wants to be made Mogaji or Baale, I am the one who will assent it .
“Even Odejobi himself was always here in my house, he will prostrate here greeting me in recognition of my position. He was not happy with me because I did not make him the Baale, but the truth is that he is making a false claim (on the land).
“At first I learnt Odejobi gave the job to one young man called Omo Alhaja living at Popoyemoja area. So, I called the young man and he confessed that it was true Odejobi asked him to help chase people away from the said land, and I told him to stop and hands off. And he did. Later, he came to inform me that the job has been given to NURTW Chairman, Fele and ever since then I have been calling on Fele to see me but he would not come”.
•The Balogun Olomi of Omi Adio, Chief M.K.O. Adebayo
Corroborating High Chief Oyewole’s view, a traditional Chief, the Balogun Olomi of Omi-Adio, Chief Mukaila Kayode Adebayo described the action of both Alhaji Odejobi and the developer who claimed to have bought 550 acres of land as dubious.
He said that the traditional ruler of Omi Adio and his chiefs want peace, and that was the reason for arranging several peace meetings between Odejobi and the land owners on the disputed areas.
He said” what I want you to know is that the Olomi and his Council of Chiefs want peace and since almost one and half years that this problem started we have been working to ensure that peace reigns. The last time we invited everybody from the villages, over 40 villages and we have met twice at the Olomi’s palace. The Olomi was present, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Apata Police station was present, the representative of the Area Commander Iyaganku police station was present, so also was the representative of the Commissioner of Police and operatives from DSS. We had over traditional chiefs in attendance. The meeting was to ensure there is peace. The man (Odejobi) came with his people also and everybody explained from both sides and we thank God there was no problem that day.
“We asked Odejobi the size of the land he is claiming and he said it starts from inside Omi Adio township down to Onidokun to Ogundele Alawo junction up to Ogundele and Akonko areas at the boundary between Oyo and Ogun state now and down to Eleso Bakatari junction and continuing up to the main Ibadan-Abeokuta road straight to Omi Adio and back again. That area is more than 40-kilometre radius.
“My question to the developer (KOBPLAN) who said he purchased 550 acres of land from Odejobi is ‘can you in Ibadan or anywhere else in Yoruba land purchase that kind of land from a single individual?’ So, that developer who claimed to have purchased 550 acres of land is dubious. For him to say he purchased 550 acres of land in Ibadan from an individual is not possible. And in this land we have villages that have been in existence for more than 150 years. “
Also, for Chief Akintola SAN , it would be in the interest of peace to stop Odejobi escapades and prevent bloodshed.
He described the Octogenarian action as very strange, capable of breaching the peace and tranquility.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria therefore promised to reach out to the authorities concerned to ensure that Odejobi and his agents were stopped and normalcy returned to the land.
“Our people could no longer walk freely. They usually pounced on our women. They beat them up and harass them. If no one is at home, they will forcefully break the door open and steal everything they (could) lay their hands on. Our people who are working on building site were harassed and beaten to a pulp. We were informed they are working for one Alhaji Odejobi who has been claiming the whole land from Ibadan to Abeokuta without any evidence”, one of the residents, who simply gave his name as Mr Sola said.
Mr Adejumo, Landlord Association Chairman
The Chairman of one of the Landlord Associations in the area, Mr Nureni Adeyemi Adejumo in a petition to the state Commissioner of Police alleged frequent harassment and violent attack on residents and destruction of property by hired thugs.
While claiming that since the attack started the matter has been reported at the Olomi of Omi Adio Palace, to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, the Area Commander, Iyaganku Police station, and the state Commissioner of police who had waded into the matter at different times.
“It was on record that sometimes ago the Area Commander Iyaganku Police Station personally came to Omi-Adio on this matter and advised the family of Odejobi to seek legal action if the family has substantial evidence or document to back up their claim, instead of taking laws into their hands.
“But surprisingly instead of heeding the advice of the police officer it has become their daily routine to seek the assistance of thugs who come to our association meetings and homes with dangerous weapons to harass and attack us.
“We have since then been witnessing series of attack and theft in our area both during the day and at night. Sir, we are fed up. And we as law abiding citizens do not want to take laws into our hand, hence this petition, “the residents said through a letter signed by the Chairman and Secretary Igisogba Landlord and Landlady Association, Mr Nureni Adeyemi Adejumo and Mr Moruff Aderemi respectively.
They said many people who had come to develop their property were not only chased away but were thoroughly beaten and wounded by hired thugs.
All efforts to reach Alhaji Odejobi were unsuccessful as he was not available to comment on the matter.
But, his eldest son, Suraju who gave audience to The Nationr, though, denied using armed thugs to harass residents. He restated that those who build on the land fell into wrong hands because the vendors were not the rightful owners.
Odejobi brought maps, and survey plan showing the limit of his claims which he noted were supported by history of the people of Ibadan and Egba in the 18th century.
He challenged anybody who has contrary view on the matter to institute a legal action against him, adding that he is ready to defend his claim before the court of law.
The Oyo state Police Command spokesperson, Mr Adekunle Ajisebutu confirmed the arrest of two suspects on the matter, but said the matter was settled out of court.
On Alhaji Odejobi, he said there was no former complaint against him, but advised any aggrieved party to seek legal redress since the matter is a civil one.
here is widespread consternation among residents of Omi Adio, a semi urban community on the western axis of Ibadan, that an army of thugs could have a free reign to unleash terror at will in a city as big as the Oyo State capital with little or no intervention by law enforcement agents.
For more than six weeks, Omi Adio, comprising the main town and its several villages and hamlets has been living in fear as armed thugs allegedly working for an 80-year old man Alhaji Raheem Lanlokun Odejobi continue to terrorise the people over the ownership of a large expanse of land covering over 40-kilometre radius along the highway between Ibadan and Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Odejobi is laying claim to the land and other areas already occupied by no fewer than 28 villages and hamlets, as part of his inheritance from his great grandfather who he claimed fought wars against the Egbas over a century ago and gained control over the area since then.
Unauthorised people he claimed sold the land to unsuspecting buyers a situation he now wants redressed by the present occupiers/owners either renegotiating/repurchasing the land from him or quit the area. And to enforce his position, Odejobi has resorted to the use of armed thugs to force compliance a situation being vehemently resisted by the affected residents.
The faceoff between the thugs and the residents has led to wanton destruction of properties and injuries to many people as the hoodlums insists on carrying out Odejobi’s wish. The last six weeks have been particularly bad, as many residents said they could not sleep in their houses at night for fear of being attacked, while the farmers among them have kept away from their farms also.
Though, policemen have been having a busy time working to prevent a collapse of law and order in the crisis prone areas of Omi-Adio, the efforts seemed not enough to deter the destructive tendencies of the armed thugs and their principal.
From Apata to Iyaganku police stations and up to the State Police Command headquarters at Eleyele, officers were busy settling matters between the armed thugs and residents of the disputed areas.
Injured persons and some of the thugs who were rounded up by the residents were taken to the police stations on many occasions, but unfortunately the matter could not go beyond the stations as court workers were still on strike. So, the reign of terror and impunity continued as the hired thugs went on harassing and intimidating the helpless people on their land.
“As I speak, some of our people have abandoned their houses because of their bitter experience in the hands of the thugs. Not that the thugs were only boasting, they also beat people up with charms, dangerous weapons, and we watched the victims foaming with fits , while others suffered broken arms and legs. We were told that it is either we pay or we vacate our property where many have been living for over two decades. That’s our predicament and we need you to help us and save us from the hands of Odejobi and his thugs”, a resident who simply gave his name as Sola said.
The matter, according to some of the landlords of the affected areas, started in 2013 when Odejobi stormed the area and started laying claims to a vast expanse of land many of which have been fully developed.
He told the inhabitants to either quit or renegotiate the land, claiming that his great grandfather fought wars against the Egbas and acquired the vast expanse of land, but some trespassers have sold the land out without his knowledge.
Apart from recruiting armed thugs to recover ‘his great grandfather’s land’ Odejobi , it was gathered also contracted the services of the Oyo State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW) Alhaji Toafeek Oyerinde a.k.a. Fele through the help of one of the aides of the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, simply called Super to help him press home his demands from the affected landlords.
Homes were forcibly broken into and farmlands with crops destroyed when the armed thugs engaged bulldozers to grade portions of the land and make quick money from the sale of sand and gravel excavated from the land.
This infuriated the land owners and bloody fights among the thugs and residents ensued. These lasted for several days, weeks and months, and all effort by leaders of the town to make peace were rebuffed.
Prominent among the peacemakers were a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Niyi Akintola whose village is among those occupying the disputed expanse of land, the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Edward Oyewole who is the head of Foko family, Olomi of Omi Adio Barrister Adeyanju Ekanola, the Balogun Olomi of Omi Adio , Chief Mukaila Kayode Adebayo, the Commissioner of Police and a host of traditional rulers.
After successfully taking hold of some portions of the land with houses, Odejobi was said to have sold part of the land in question, precisely 550 acres to a Lagos based land developer, KOBPLAN.
Confirming the purchase, KOBPLAN’s Chief Executive Officer Kelvin Olat Bakre told The Nation that every necessary procedure was taken to ensure that the transaction on the land was hitch free. He expressed surprise that some people were linking him with the use of armed thugs to attack innocent residents.
He said” as a developer my intention is to do business and this goes with providing social amenities such as good road network, light, and so on. But, at the same time the people must pay for the amenities, and if those who have built on the land do not want all these, fine ,I will go and develop where there is no building, after all, it is just on a small percentage of the land that we have buildings.”
In one of the moves to prevent anarchy and bloodshed in the area as a result of the dispute, the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland , High Chief Edward Oyewole made a passionate appeal to Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state to call to order the state Chairman NURTW Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde to avoid a breach of public peace in Omi Adio area of Ibadan .
According to a petition entitled “Threat to Public Peace by Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde Fele “ written by Chief Adeniyi Akintola SAN, counsel to the Ekerin Olubadan and addressed to Governor Ajimobi, Oyerinde has rebuffed all entreaties to desist from the illegal acts so as not to jeopardise the peace and tranquility being enjoyed in the state since the inception of Ajimobi’s administration.
The petition was also copied to the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Bayo Ojo.
High Chief Oyewole who is the patriarch of Foko clan in Ibadanland, noted that Oyerinde has been acting in concert with Odejobi who has been laying false claim to the ownership of the said land to harass the owners- all of whom had been on the land for very many years undisturbed.
“Your Excellency, the development would have long ago degenerated into a serious crisis with all the attendant catastrophic effect on public peace if not for the fact that our client has been constantly prevailing on the owners of the land not to be provoked by Alhaji Oyerinde’s sheer criminality.
“Your Excellency, there is a limit to human endurance as the land owners are now threatening to forcibly repel the constant attack on them by Alhaji Oyerinde and this would certainly lead to an outbreak of violence if the situation is not urgently nipped in the bud.
“We therefore most respectfully make a passionate appeal to Your Excellency on our client’s behalf to use Your Excellency’s good offices and urgently call Alhaji Oyerinde to order in the interest of peace and tranquility in the state”, the Ekerin Olubadan said.
The affected villages numbering 28 included Ogbatomi, Obedu, Aba Teacher, Onigbagbo, Aba -Oke, Ago-tente, Aba-Alaraba, Aba -Aretu, Elesun Egba, Aba Ogunnde, Aba Lade-Owo, Aba Araba, Aba Ologiri, AbaLogudu, Aba Ogunsanmi, Aba Anisere, Aba Atere, Aba Olokopupo, Aba Ishola Onipako, and Aba Oke-Ado.
Others are Aba Ofaka Lufe, Aba Onifade, Aba Laala, Aba Olooya, Aba Akeeye, Aba Laagbe and Aba Eleso.
All efforts to reach Alhaji Oyerinde were unsuccessful as he was said to have travelled by some of his aides who spoke with our reporter.
Speaking as the consenting authority on the said land, High Chief Oyewale who described Odejobi as a trouble maker said on several occasions meetings were held with Odejobi to let him know that he has no claim whatsoever over the land because history did not support it.
High Chief Oyewole who spoke at his Molete residence with The Nation said “As head of the Foko family in Ibadanland , I the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland remains the authority from Oluyole, Apata down to the boundary between Ibadan and Ogun state and if anybody wants to be made Mogaji or Baale, I am the one who will assent it .
“Even Odejobi himself was always here in my house, he will prostrate here greeting me in recognition of my position. He was not happy with me because I did not make him the Baale, but the truth is that he is making a false claim (on the land).
“At first I learnt Odejobi gave the job to one young man called Omo Alhaja living at Popoyemoja area. So, I called the young man and he confessed that it was true Odejobi asked him to help chase people away from the said land, and I told him to stop and hands off. And he did. Later, he came to inform me that the job has been given to NURTW Chairman, Fele and ever since then I have been calling on Fele to see me but he would not come”.
Corroborating High Chief Oyewole’s view, a traditional Chief, the Balogun Olomi of Omi-Adio, Chief Mukaila Kayode Adebayo described the action of both Alhaji Odejobi and the developer who claimed to have bought 550 acres of land as dubious.
He said that the traditional ruler of Omi Adio and his chiefs want peace, and that was the reason for arranging several peace meetings between Odejobi and the land owners on the disputed areas.
He said” what I want you to know is that the Olomi and his Council of Chiefs want peace and since almost one and half years that this problem started we have been working to ensure that peace reigns. The last time we invited everybody from the villages, over 40 villages and we have met twice at the Olomi’s palace. The Olomi was present, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Apata Police station was present, the representative of the Area Commander Iyaganku police station was present, so also was the representative of the Commissioner of Police and operatives from DSS. We had over traditional chiefs in attendance. The meeting was to ensure there is peace. The man (Odejobi) came with his people also and everybody explained from both sides and we thank God there was no problem that day.
“We asked Odejobi the size of the land he is claiming and he said it starts from inside Omi Adio township down to Onidokun to Ogundele Alawo junction up to Ogundele and Akonko areas at the boundary between Oyo and Ogun state now and down to Eleso Bakatari junction and continuing up to the main Ibadan-Abeokuta road straight to Omi Adio and back again. That area is more than 40-kilometre radius.
“My question to the developer (KOBPLAN) who said he purchased 550 acres of land from Odejobi is ‘can you in Ibadan or anywhere else in Yoruba land purchase that kind of land from a single individual?’ So, that developer who claimed to have purchased 550 acres of land is dubious. For him to say he purchased 550 acres of land in Ibadan from an individual is not possible. And in this land we have villages that have been in existence for more than 150 years. “
Also, for Chief Akintola SAN , it would be in the interest of peace to stop Odejobi escapades and prevent bloodshed.
He described the Octogenarian action as very strange, capable of breaching the peace and tranquility.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria therefore promised to reach out to the authorities concerned to ensure that Odejobi and his agents were stopped and normalcy returned to the land.
“Our people could no longer walk freely. They usually pounced on our women. They beat them up and harass them. If no one is at home, they will forcefully break the door open and steal everything they (could) lay their hands on. Our people who are working on building site were harassed and beaten to a pulp. We were informed they are working for one Alhaji Odejobi who has been claiming the whole land from Ibadan to Abeokuta without any evidence”, one of the residents, who simply gave his name as Mr Sola said.
The Chairman of one of the Landlord Associations in the area, Mr Nureni Adeyemi Adejumo in a petition to the state Commissioner of Police alleged frequent harassment and violent attack on residents and destruction of property by hired thugs.
While claiming that since the attack started the matter has been reported at the Olomi of Omi Adio Palace, to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, the Area Commander, Iyaganku Police station, and the state Commissioner of police who had waded into the matter at different times.
“It was on record that sometimes ago the Area Commander Iyaganku Police Station personally came to Omi-Adio on this matter and advised the family of Odejobi to seek legal action if the family has substantial evidence or document to back up their claim, instead of taking laws into their hands.
“But surprisingly instead of heeding the advice of the police officer it has become their daily routine to seek the assistance of thugs who come to our association meetings and homes with dangerous weapons to harass and attack us.
“We have since then been witnessing series of attack and theft in our area both during the day and at night. Sir, we are fed up. And we as law abiding citizens do not want to take laws into our hand, hence this petition, “the residents said through a letter signed by the Chairman and Secretary Igisogba Landlord and Landlady Association, Mr Nureni Adeyemi Adejumo and Mr Moruff Aderemi respectively.
They said many people who had come to develop their property were not only chased away but were thoroughly beaten and wounded by hired thugs.
All efforts to reach Alhaji Odejobi were unsuccessful as he was not available to comment on the matter.
But, his eldest son, Suraju who gave audience to The Nationr, though, denied using armed thugs to harass residents. He restated that those who build on the land fell into wrong hands because the vendors were not the rightful owners.
Odejobi brought maps, and survey plan showing the limit of his claims which he noted were supported by history of the people of Ibadan and Egba in the 18th century.
He challenged anybody who has contrary view on the matter to institute a legal action against him, adding that he is ready to defend his claim before the court of law.
The Oyo state Police Command spokesperson, Mr Adekunle Ajisebutu confirmed the arrest of two suspects on the matter, but said the matter was settled out of court.
On Alhaji Odejobi, he said there was no former complaint against him, but advised any aggrieved party to seek legal redress since the matter is a civil one.
here is widespread consternation among residents of Omi Adio, a semi urban community on the western axis of Ibadan, that an army of thugs could have a free reign to unleash terror at will in a city as big as the Oyo State capital with little or no intervention by law enforcement agents.
For more than six weeks, Omi Adio, comprising the main town and its several villages and hamlets has been living in fear as armed thugs allegedly working for an 80-year old man Alhaji Raheem Lanlokun Odejobi continue to terrorise the people over the ownership of a large expanse of land covering over 40-kilometre radius along the highway between Ibadan and Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Odejobi is laying claim to the land and other areas already occupied by no fewer than 28 villages and hamlets, as part of his inheritance from his great grandfather who he claimed fought wars against the Egbas over a century ago and gained control over the area since then.
Unauthorised people he claimed sold the land to unsuspecting buyers a situation he now wants redressed by the present occupiers/owners either renegotiating/repurchasing the land from him or quit the area. And to enforce his position, Odejobi has resorted to the use of armed thugs to force compliance a situation being vehemently resisted by the affected residents.
The faceoff between the thugs and the residents has led to wanton destruction of properties and injuries to many people as the hoodlums insists on carrying out Odejobi’s wish. The last six weeks have been particularly bad, as many residents said they could not sleep in their houses at night for fear of being attacked, while the farmers among them have kept away from their farms also.
Though, policemen have been having a busy time working to prevent a collapse of law and order in the crisis prone areas of Omi-Adio, the efforts seemed not enough to deter the destructive tendencies of the armed thugs and their principal.
From Apata to Iyaganku police stations and up to the State Police Command headquarters at Eleyele, officers were busy settling matters between the armed thugs and residents of the disputed areas.
Injured persons and some of the thugs who were rounded up by the residents were taken to the police stations on many occasions, but unfortunately the matter could not go beyond the stations as court workers were still on strike. So, the reign of terror and impunity continued as the hired thugs went on harassing and intimidating the helpless people on their land.
“As I speak, some of our people have abandoned their houses because of their bitter experience in the hands of the thugs. Not that the thugs were only boasting, they also beat people up with charms, dangerous weapons, and we watched the victims foaming with fits , while others suffered broken arms and legs. We were told that it is either we pay or we vacate our property where many have been living for over two decades. That’s our predicament and we need you to help us and save us from the hands of Odejobi and his thugs”, a resident who simply gave his name as Sola said.
The matter, according to some of the landlords of the affected areas, started in 2013 when Odejobi stormed the area and started laying claims to a vast expanse of land many of which have been fully developed.
He told the inhabitants to either quit or renegotiate the land, claiming that his great grandfather fought wars against the Egbas and acquired the vast expanse of land, but some trespassers have sold the land out without his knowledge.
Apart from recruiting armed thugs to recover ‘his great grandfather’s land’ Odejobi , it was gathered also contracted the services of the Oyo State Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW) Alhaji Toafeek Oyerinde a.k.a. Fele through the help of one of the aides of the late Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, simply called Super to help him press home his demands from the affected landlords.
Homes were forcibly broken into and farmlands with crops destroyed when the armed thugs engaged bulldozers to grade portions of the land and make quick money from the sale of sand and gravel excavated from the land.
This infuriated the land owners and bloody fights among the thugs and residents ensued. These lasted for several days, weeks and months, and all effort by leaders of the town to make peace were rebuffed.
Prominent among the peacemakers were a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Niyi Akintola whose village is among those occupying the disputed expanse of land, the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland, High Chief Edward Oyewole who is the head of Foko family, Olomi of Omi Adio Barrister Adeyanju Ekanola, the Balogun Olomi of Omi Adio , Chief Mukaila Kayode Adebayo, the Commissioner of Police and a host of traditional rulers.
After successfully taking hold of some portions of the land with houses, Odejobi was said to have sold part of the land in question, precisely 550 acres to a Lagos based land developer, KOBPLAN.
Confirming the purchase, KOBPLAN’s Chief Executive Officer Kelvin Olat Bakre told The Nation that every necessary procedure was taken to ensure that the transaction on the land was hitch free. He expressed surprise that some people were linking him with the use of armed thugs to attack innocent residents.
He said” as a developer my intention is to do business and this goes with providing social amenities such as good road network, light, and so on. But, at the same time the people must pay for the amenities, and if those who have built on the land do not want all these, fine ,I will go and develop where there is no building, after all, it is just on a small percentage of the land that we have buildings.”
In one of the moves to prevent anarchy and bloodshed in the area as a result of the dispute, the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland , High Chief Edward Oyewole made a passionate appeal to Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state to call to order the state Chairman NURTW Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde to avoid a breach of public peace in Omi Adio area of Ibadan .
According to a petition entitled “Threat to Public Peace by Alhaji Taofeek Oyerinde Fele “ written by Chief Adeniyi Akintola SAN, counsel to the Ekerin Olubadan and addressed to Governor Ajimobi, Oyerinde has rebuffed all entreaties to desist from the illegal acts so as not to jeopardise the peace and tranquility being enjoyed in the state since the inception of Ajimobi’s administration.
The petition was also copied to the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Bayo Ojo.
High Chief Oyewole who is the patriarch of Foko clan in Ibadanland, noted that Oyerinde has been acting in concert with Odejobi who has been laying false claim to the ownership of the said land to harass the owners- all of whom had been on the land for very many years undisturbed.
“Your Excellency, the development would have long ago degenerated into a serious crisis with all the attendant catastrophic effect on public peace if not for the fact that our client has been constantly prevailing on the owners of the land not to be provoked by Alhaji Oyerinde’s sheer criminality.
“Your Excellency, there is a limit to human endurance as the land owners are now threatening to forcibly repel the constant attack on them by Alhaji Oyerinde and this would certainly lead to an outbreak of violence if the situation is not urgently nipped in the bud.
“We therefore most respectfully make a passionate appeal to Your Excellency on our client’s behalf to use Your Excellency’s good offices and urgently call Alhaji Oyerinde to order in the interest of peace and tranquility in the state”, the Ekerin Olubadan said.
The affected villages numbering 28 included Ogbatomi, Obedu, Aba Teacher, Onigbagbo, Aba -Oke, Ago-tente, Aba-Alaraba, Aba -Aretu, Elesun Egba, Aba Ogunnde, Aba Lade-Owo, Aba Araba, Aba Ologiri, AbaLogudu, Aba Ogunsanmi, Aba Anisere, Aba Atere, Aba Olokopupo, Aba Ishola Onipako, and Aba Oke-Ado.
Others are Aba Ofaka Lufe, Aba Onifade, Aba Laala, Aba Olooya, Aba Akeeye, Aba Laagbe and Aba Eleso.
All efforts to reach Alhaji Oyerinde were unsuccessful as he was said to have travelled by some of his aides who spoke with our reporter.
Speaking as the consenting authority on the said land, High Chief Oyewale who described Odejobi as a trouble maker said on several occasions meetings were held with Odejobi to let him know that he has no claim whatsoever over the land because history did not support it.
High Chief Oyewole who spoke at his Molete residence with The Nation said “As head of the Foko family in Ibadanland , I the Ekerin Olubadan of Ibadanland remains the authority from Oluyole, Apata down to the boundary between Ibadan and Ogun state and if anybody wants to be made Mogaji or Baale, I am the one who will assent it .
“Even Odejobi himself was always here in my house, he will prostrate here greeting me in recognition of my position. He was not happy with me because I did not make him the Baale, but the truth is that he is making a false claim (on the land).
“At first I learnt Odejobi gave the job to one young man called Omo Alhaja living at Popoyemoja area. So, I called the young man and he confessed that it was true Odejobi asked him to help chase people away from the said land, and I told him to stop and hands off. And he did. Later, he came to inform me that the job has been given to NURTW Chairman, Fele and ever since then I have been calling on Fele to see me but he would not come”.
Corroborating High Chief Oyewole’s view, a traditional Chief, the Balogun Olomi of Omi-Adio, Chief Mukaila Kayode Adebayo described the action of both Alhaji Odejobi and the developer who claimed to have bought 550 acres of land as dubious.
He said that the traditional ruler of Omi Adio and his chiefs want peace, and that was the reason for arranging several peace meetings between Odejobi and the land owners on the disputed areas.
He said” what I want you to know is that the Olomi and his Council of Chiefs want peace and since almost one and half years that this problem started we have been working to ensure that peace reigns. The last time we invited everybody from the villages, over 40 villages and we have met twice at the Olomi’s palace. The Olomi was present, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Apata Police station was present, the representative of the Area Commander Iyaganku police station was present, so also was the representative of the Commissioner of Police and operatives from DSS. We had over traditional chiefs in attendance. The meeting was to ensure there is peace. The man (Odejobi) came with his people also and everybody explained from both sides and we thank God there was no problem that day.
“We asked Odejobi the size of the land he is claiming and he said it starts from inside Omi Adio township down to Onidokun to Ogundele Alawo junction up to Ogundele and Akonko areas at the boundary between Oyo and Ogun state now and down to Eleso Bakatari junction and continuing up to the main Ibadan-Abeokuta road straight to Omi Adio and back again. That area is more than 40-kilometre radius.
“My question to the developer (KOBPLAN) who said he purchased 550 acres of land from Odejobi is ‘can you in Ibadan or anywhere else in Yoruba land purchase that kind of land from a single individual?’ So, that developer who claimed to have purchased 550 acres of land is dubious. For him to say he purchased 550 acres of land in Ibadan from an individual is not possible. And in this land we have villages that have been in existence for more than 150 years. “
Also, for Chief Akintola SAN , it would be in the interest of peace to stop Odejobi escapades and prevent bloodshed.
He described the Octogenarian action as very strange, capable of breaching the peace and tranquility.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria therefore promised to reach out to the authorities concerned to ensure that Odejobi and his agents were stopped and normalcy returned to the land.
“Our people could no longer walk freely. They usually pounced on our women. They beat them up and harass them. If no one is at home, they will forcefully break the door open and steal everything they (could) lay their hands on. Our people who are working on building site were harassed and beaten to a pulp. We were informed they are working for one Alhaji Odejobi who has been claiming the whole land from Ibadan to Abeokuta without any evidence”, one of the residents, who simply gave his name as Mr Sola said.
The Chairman of one of the Landlord Associations in the area, Mr Nureni Adeyemi Adejumo in a petition to the state Commissioner of Police alleged frequent harassment and violent attack on residents and destruction of property by hired thugs.
While claiming that since the attack started the matter has been reported at the Olomi of Omi Adio Palace, to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, the Area Commander, Iyaganku Police station, and the state Commissioner of police who had waded into the matter at different times.
“It was on record that sometimes ago the Area Commander Iyaganku Police Station personally came to Omi-Adio on this matter and advised the family of Odejobi to seek legal action if the family has substantial evidence or document to back up their claim, instead of taking laws into their hands.
“But surprisingly instead of heeding the advice of the police officer it has become their daily routine to seek the assistance of thugs who come to our association meetings and homes with dangerous weapons to harass and attack us.
“We have since then been witnessing series of attack and theft in our area both during the day and at night. Sir, we are fed up. And we as law abiding citizens do not want to take laws into our hand, hence this petition, “the residents said through a letter signed by the Chairman and Secretary Igisogba Landlord and Landlady Association, Mr Nureni Adeyemi Adejumo and Mr Moruff Aderemi respectively.
They said many people who had come to develop their property were not only chased away but were thoroughly beaten and wounded by hired thugs.
All efforts to reach Alhaji Odejobi were unsuccessful as he was not available to comment on the matter.
But, his eldest son, Suraju who gave audience to The Nationr, though, denied using armed thugs to harass residents. He restated that those who build on the land fell into wrong hands because the vendors were not the rightful owners.
Odejobi brought maps, and survey plan showing the limit of his claims which he noted were supported by history of the people of Ibadan and Egba in the 18th century.
He challenged anybody who has contrary view on the matter to institute a legal action against him, adding that he is ready to defend his claim before the court of law.
The Oyo state Police Command spokesperson, Mr Adekunle Ajisebutu confirmed the arrest of two suspects on the matter, but said the matter was settled out of court.
On Alhaji Odejobi, he said there was no former complaint against him, but advised any aggrieved party to seek legal redress since the matter is a civil one.
The children and family of late Chief (Mrs.) Irene Virginia Willoughby (Nee Liverpool), last weekend inaugurated a borehole for the residents of Ajana Quarters, Ota, headquarters of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government of Ogun State.
The borehole and other relief materials were given to celebrate the 20 years remembrance of the late Chief Willoughby, founder of Ijamido Children’s Home in Ota.
According to one of the late Chief Willoughby’s daughters, who is also the manageress of the non-profit organisation, Mrs Victoria Abosede Obakoya, the initiative was to appreciate the residents of Ota Community for their support since Mrs Willoughby died 20 years ago.
“It is in this spirit we have decided to give our ‘widows mite’ as a token of our appreciation and love for this beautiful land which God has been using to honour, bless and lift us, which has become our home, our land and our cradle. That if a child is appreciative of the favour received yesterday, he has positioned himself for more favours”
Mrs Obakoya said over 40 years ago, the woman generously endowed with the milk of human kindness, established a home for abandoned babies in Ota. This, she said marked a turning point of hope for the lives of some children who otherwise would have been left to die uncared for.
She said the home was founded by Late Chief Willoughby in 1958, out of her humanitarian gesture. Madam Willoughby, according to her, was born in Georgetown – Guyana in the United States of America in 1904, followed her parents, Pa. J.B. Liverpool and Mrs. Elizabeth Liverpool to Nigeria when she was eight years old.
Mrs Obakoya said the late Chief Willoughby did all her schooling in Nigeria and became a trained Nurse/midwife, after which she worked in so many places within the country until she was brought to Ota by the Local Government to open the maternity centre in 1956. She started a motherless home in 1958; the home got government’s nod in 1979.
She said over 165 children, including babies, toddlers, school children, students in secretarial institutions, and those learning professional jobs are resident in the home, noting that many children who had passed through the home, are now university and polytechnic graduates, N.C.E. teachers, public relations officers, caterers, business women, fashion designers, and secretaries, etc. She said late Chief Willoughby, spent all her life loving and caring for the less privileged in the society, despite the fact that she had no child of her own. She gave hope to the hopeless that were unjustly given a raw deal by a society that was not caring enough.
Speaking further, she said some of Mama’s children today are happily married, while some are still attending schools looking forward to a brighter future. “She cared for more than 500 abandoned children in her lifetime. Some of these children today are married and doing well in their different human endeavours. It was a till death-do-us-part relationship between Mama Willoughby, her children, and the people of Ota”, she said.
Mrs Obakoya, appealed to the Nigerian leaders to extend a hand of love to the needy and children from poor background and assist the helpless and hopeless children in the society, saying there are fewer homes to come to their rescue.
Speaking at the event, the Ogun State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Elizabeth Sonubi, who represented Governor Ibikunle Amosun, hailed the late Chief Willoughby for the good initiative, noting that she had given hope to many hopeless in the state.
She said the state government had been giving its support to the motherless homes within the state and would never relent in doing so.
She called on well-meaning Nigerians to join hand in providing long term residential care for the physically-challenged, abused, neglected and abandoned children who could not cater for themselves.
Mrs Sonubi, urged them to do this with love and compassion, saying this can only be met through support and generous giving which will reduce criminals in the society.
Highlights of the event include the launch of a book in the name of the Chief Willoughby and awards to those that supported the home both morally and financially.
Samson Oresegun and Dare Adegboye, two students of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), Ekiti State are battling to regain their studentship, having been asked to withdraw by the school authorities for not paying their fees as and when due. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports on their plight.
They were filled with joy when they gained admission into the university after several attempts. They had burnt the midnight candles, toiled day and night, studied hard and put in all efforts before they eventually realized their dream.
In the course of their struggle for the elusive admission letter, most of their contemporaries had secured admission into universities, polytechnics and other institutions of their choice but they kept soldiering on.
In 2011, the Federal Government established the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) alongside eleven others and this gave them an opportunity to extend their search for admission into the new institution.
Relief came their way eventually when they secured admission into FUOYE to study Theatre and Media Arts after a seemingly endless search.
With the admission came the fulfillment of being an undergraduate, an opportunity to rub shoulders with brilliant students from all parts of the country and a prospect of graduating with a bachelor’s degree which will prepare them for the challenges of future.
This is the story of Samson Opeoluwa Oresegun and Dare Adebare Adegboye whose dream of graduating from FUOYE in flying colours now hangs in the balance.
The joy of their admission into the university has been short-lived by the decision of the university to throw them out for failing to pay their school fees on time.
Apart from Samson and Dare, The Nation gathered that two other students are affected by the decision of the authorities to wield the axe for paying their school fees late.
The two others whose identities cannot be ascertained at the time of filing this report had since left the institution having lost hope of regaining their studentship. But Samson and Dare are not giving up yet.
The authorities of FUOYE described the failure of the affected students to pay their school fees on time as “voluntary withdrawal” which they insist contravenes the university regulation.
In a letter to the students with reference number FUOYE/REGSEN/150/180 signed by Mr. O.O. Taiwo, Senior Assistant Registrar/Head, Academic Affairs Unit on behalf of the Acting Registrar, the university said its Senate has approved the recommendation of the Faculty that they had voluntarily withdrawn from the institution.
The letter dated 19th January, 2015 was also copied to the Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and Head, Department of Theatre and Media Arts.
It reads: “The Faculty Board of Humanities and Social Sciences at its 13th Meeting held on Wednesday, 7th January, 2015 noted that you failed to register for 2013/2014 Academic Session.
“In line with the University regulations which state, among others, that ‘Any student who fails to register up to the end of the late registration period shall be deemed to have unilaterally withdrawn from the University for that semester.
“Consequently, the Vice Chancellor on behalf of the Senate has approved the recommendation of your Faculty Board that you have voluntarily withdrawn from the University.
“On this note, you are hereby advised to submit all University property at your disposal (if any) to the Faculty Officer and vacate the University premises.
“By a copy of this letter, your sponsor is being informed of your voluntary withdrawal from the University accordingly.”
Samson revealed that he had written to the university authorities for temporary withdrawal to attend to his father, a Master Warrant Officer in the Nigerian Air Force, who sustained severe bullet injuries in the line of duty.
This, according to him, was based on the provisions of the university regulations which permits a “temporary withdrawal on account of proven death or illness of the sponsor.”
Upon receipt of a letter from the university asking him to withdrawal for late payment of fees, Samson wrote a letter dated 27th January, 2015 to the Senate through the Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Head, Department of Theatre and Media Arts.
His letter reads: “The Faculty Board of Humanities and Social Sciences, at its 13th Meeting held on Wednesday, 7th January, 2015, in a letter addressed to me, dated 19th January, 2015, decided that I withdraw from the University based on the following statement coined from the University Regulations among others ‘temporary withdrawal from the university shall normally not exceed one academic session. Any student who stays away beyond one academic session granted will be deemed to have voluntarily withdrawn from the university.’
“This was consequent upon a request for deferment for the 2012/2014 Academic Session, sent by me on 27th of October, 2014. I thus appeal for reconsideration as I have never been away from school even during my period of financial constraints.
“My late application for deferment is based on the University regulations among others that states ‘Temporary withdrawal due to financial limitation will not succeed except for proven death or illness of the sponsor.’
“I have a Master Warrant Officer father in the Nigerian Air Force that sustained severe bullet injuries with complications I never knew of till I went home to see him. This is a verifiable fact.
“I was later advised to write the deferment request as at when I had the school fee and could not pay due to the fact that the payment link on the school portal was closed. Fortunately for me, my portal was opened and I eventually paid but after a week, I got a letter notifying me of the approval which I had already paid for, my portal was blocked.
“I therefore appeal for your help, in saving my academic future, which may also mean saving my life. None of these happened as a result of my irresponsibility. Kindly reconsider my case and readmit me with full benefits due to a bona fide student.”
Speaking with The Nation earlier in the week on the campus, Samson revealed that he was in 300 Level at the time he ran into the rough patch of paying his school fees adding that he only missed paying the second semester fees and didn’t default in paying that of the first.
He explained that even though he could no longer meet up with his counterparts who are now in 400 Level (final year), Samson said he won’t mind going back to 300 Level as he was earlier told by the Dean.
Since his father became bedridden, Samson said his mother, Mrs. Grace Oresegun, who is a teacher in Ogun State has been shouldering the responsibilities of taking care of him and his other siblings.
Samson explained: “I went to the Faculty today, I saw the Dean who directed me to write directly to the Vice Chancellor. I paid the money (school fees) into the school portal which was still open at the time I paid and the portal was shut some days after I had paid.
“I have written to the Vice Chancellor through the Dean but the Dean told me that he doesn’t have the power to do anything. He told me to write to the Vice Chancellor.
“I am supposed to be in 400 Level now, I was asked to withdraw at 300 Level and I even accepted to go back to the previous level as directed by the Dean. It is not fair because we are not equal, fingers are not equal.
“In some universities, you can be allowed to continue with your education but you will not be allowed to graduate until you pay all the outstanding fees you owe.
“I stayed back in Oye trying to gather some money and in fact, I did my Production (course), “Langbodo”, in 300 Level. It was during that time that I was looking for money and the Dean said that our letter was late.
“My mother came during the last examination (second semester) around September. She managed to come with a fractured hand despite her condition. The Dean asked us to write a letter which we did.
“By the time I paid my school fees, I had not been given a letter to withdraw from the university and the university portal was still open.
“I want to appeal to them to restore our studentship, I don’t mind starting all over again from 300 Level because our future is at stake.
“I feel sad, frustrated and painful; it’s like losing in two ways because number one we won’t graduate with our colleagues and number two, we will be sent away empty-handed”.
Dare had a dream to become somebody in life despite being born and raised in poverty.
He knew that the stepping stone to greatness is education and he was determined to get it not minding the fact that all odds are stacked against him in his desire to make it in life.
Dare attended Omowumi Primary School in Modakeke earning his First School Leaving Certificate in 2001.
He proceeded to Opeyemi Comprehensive High School in Badagry, Lagos State where he sat for and passed his West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 2009.
As a son of a peasant farmer father and a mother who is a petty trader, Dare knew that he had a herculean challenge ahead of him, first to gain admission and second, to finance his studies in an institution of higher learning.
But in spite of the challenges, Dare succeeded in getting his required papers and scaled the hurdles of School Certificate Examination, Universities Matriculation Examination (UME) and the Post-UME test, the last barrier to be crossed to receive the much-sought after university admission letter in Nigeria of today.
In the course of pursuing admission in some universities in the Southwest, Dare struggled to raise money to pay exam fees by doing menial jobs like labouring on farms, selling firewood and working as a bus conductor since help was not coming from anywhere.
Having applied to various institutions of higher learning after finishing his secondary education in 2009, luck smiled on him at FUOYE.
Without having any godfather or “long legs” to push to push his case, Dare succeeded in gaining admission to the university to study Theatre and Media Arts in the 2011/2012 academic year.
With the hitherto elusive admission now in the bag, how to raise money to finance his studies at FUOYE now posed a serious challenge to the 24-year-old.
Since he did not want to be involved in crime, the idea that came to his mind was commercial motorcycling operation popularly known as “Okada” in Nigeria. He is not the owner of the bike he uses to eke out a living as he delivers a pre-agreed amount of money to the owner regularly.
On the streets of Lagos in spite of the cold of the morning, the heat of the afternoon and the uncertainty and perils of the night, Dare braved the odds and soldiered on with the target of raising money to sponsor his education in the university.
He struggled throughout the first year which he successfully completed but ran into problems in the second year when the challenges of sponsoring himself proved more difficult.
He could not afford to pay his school fees on time when he got to 200 Level in the 2013/2014 academic year and applied for a temporary withdrawal for a semester for him to devote more time to his okada business to raise money to pay all the needed fees.
But Dare is now cursing his luck for the decision as he has not only lost a session in his 200 Level but has been asked by the university authorities to withdraw for his failure to pay school fees for that session.
His world came crashing when he was handed the letter to withdraw from the university by the Faculty Officer in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, FUOYE citing his inability to complete the 200 Level Session and his failure to pay the required school fees within the stipulated time.
He was handed the same letter given to Samson and two other students who were caught in the web of the late payment saga.
But the embattled student is disputing the claim in the letter that he had missed a whole session in his second year in the university maintaining that he competed his first semester in the said session and even sat for the first semester examinations.
Dare had in a letter to the Dean which was routed through the Head of Department and dated 20th August 2014 formally applied for what he called “temporary leave” to source for money to pay his school fees.
The letter reads: I, Adegboye Dare Adebare, a 200 Level student of the Department of Theatre and Media Arts, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti with the Matriculation Number TAM/12/0906 humbly apply for a deferment of a session as a result of my parents’ inability to foot my school fees.
“My parents have embarked on numerous tasks to make sure that they source for the money but all efforts proved abortive.
“As such, I hereby plead to the management for a temporary leave of a session in order for me to aid my parents to source for the money.
“I am looking forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience.”
Dare explained that he realized just before the next semester began that he could not raise enough money through his commercial motorbike engagement and other menial jobs he does, to pay his school fees and subsequently wrote the letter to the school authorities to appeal for a deferment of the second semester of that session.
Like Samson, Dare also wrote a letter of appeal to the FUOYE authorities shortly after receiving a letter nullifying his studentship in the university.
The appeal letter addressed to the Registrar reads: “With reference to your letter concerning the withdrawal letter I got from you, I, Adegboye Dare Adebare with Matriculation Number TAM/12/0906 in the above-named department humbly appeal and request for your consideration on this issue.
“I paid my tuition fees on the 8th of January 2015, and I received your letter on 20th 0f January 2015. With due respect to your honourable office, I notified the University through my department to give me little time to source for the fund.
“I was flummoxed when I got this letter because going by the student’s handbook of information ‘temporary withdrawal shall normally not exceed one academic session, any student who stays away beyond one academic session shall be deemed to have voluntarily withdrawn from the university.’
“I didn’t stay away beyond one academic session Sir; I was meticulously guided by the student’s handbook of information going by the extract in your letter, which says: ‘any student who fails to register up to the end of late registration period shall be deemed to have withdrawn from the university for that semester’.
“Sir, I crave your indulgence and intervention concerning this issue, since I was unable to pay my tuition fees as a result of financial difficulties, I didn’t have access to register. I followed strictly the university’s rule by notifying the authorities on the 20th of August 2014 concerning my temporary withdrawal.
“Please sir, your intervention concerning this issue shall be highly appreciated. I shall be grateful if my appeal is favourably considered. Attached below is the duplicate of my school fees receipt, letter of temporary withdrawal that I wrote to notify the university authorities and the university’s reply that I got.”
Narrating his plight to The Nation, the young man said losing his studentship was painful as he was not involved in examination malpractice, cultism, drug addiction, violence or any other anti-social behaviours.
He said: “I was offered admission to read Theatre and Media Arts by FUOYE during the 2011/2012 academic session.
“In 2014, I had difficulties paying my school fees for the 200 Level Session on time so I decided to ask for a temporary withdrawal from the school for the second semester of the session to enable me travel to Lagos and hustle for the fees.
“I submitted the letter to the school authority but was later told that the time I wrote the letter was late.
“Thereafter, I rushed to Lagos to hustle for money by riding commercial motorbike and eventually gathered the money, I promptly paid the school fees for that session into the school’s account in a bank in Lagos, the money was acknowledged by the school account’s unit and a receipt was issued to me online.
“So I thought that I would just have to resume for the new session and restart the 200 Level while my colleagues with whom I was admitted into the school resumed into the 300 Level.
“But just recently, I got a letter advising me to withdraw from the school for failing to show up for academic works and pay school fees for a whole session of the 200 level.
“When I got the letter I promptly appealed to the school authority, clarifying that I had only missed a semester in the 200 Level and not a session because I had attended lectures and sat for exams during the first semester of the said session.
“I also explained in the appeal letter that according to the school regulations, a copy of which I have, I can only be asked to withdraw if I had missed a whole session.
“I also added that prior to missing the second semester of the said session I had written a letter to the authority, appealing for a deferment of the semester to enable me raise funds through self help for my school fees.
“I reminded the school authorities in my appeal letter that I actually paid for the said session later and that my payment was even acknowledged by the school only that my student portal later was shut.
“I pleaded further with the school authorities to temper justice with mercy by reinstating me, considering my pitiable condition of lack of financial support from anyone, but up till the time I am talking to you sir, I haven’t got a reply to the letter of appeal from the school.
“And I have followed up the letter and even got to know that the Registrar and the Vice-Chancellor have it.
“I am just appealing to the school authorities, relevant bodies and particularly Mr. President Goodluck Jonathan who graciously gave us this university, to kindly reinstate me.
“All I want is to get a degree that would enable me face the future more decisively; I don’t want to lose the opportunity to get a tertiary education. I really desire to be somebody in life.
“The fact that my humble parents could not afford the tertiary education for me has not discouraged me from struggling to get it on self-sponsorship.
“This admission graciously offered me by the school authorities in is my only hope for this dream. I am begging that it should not be withdrawn from me”.
Dare is an incurable optimist who strongly believes that he would regain his studentship.
According to him, his present travail is a temporary challenge that would soon be overcome as he would continue to appeal to the authorities of FUOYE to temper justice with mercy and grant his request.
“I have not lost hope of rejoining my colleagues in the school to continue with my studies because if there is will, there will be way. I know the value of education and I want to be educated for me to become somebody in life.
“I don’t want my poor background and being less privileged to deprive me of this great legacy of education. Those in my shoes know where they pinch and I strongly believe that I will overcome this challenge.
“I also want to appeal to the Vice Chancellor of FUOYE, Prof. Isaac Asuzu and the Dean of Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Ojo Rasaki Bakare, to please help revisit our case.
“They are men of integrity and God has placed them in their respective positions to help me. I need their intervention so that my dream will not die and my destiny aborted”, Dare concluded.
But the university authorities maintained that the students’ request to withdraw had violated the university regulations.
Speaking with The Nation in a telephone chat, the Senior Assistant Registrar who doubles as the Head of the Academic Affairs Unit, Mr. O.O. Taiwo said the Senate of the institution had sealed the hope of return of the beleaguered students.
Taiwo maintained that the students failed to register for the session and did not show up in the university saying their action amounted to a voluntary withdrawal.
He admitted that he had not seen the letters written by the students and could not offer any further explanation on their case.
“Taiwo concluded: “I can’t say anything further on their matter, the Senate had taken a decision and that decision is the final.”
The strong arm of the law has finally caught a syndicate in Oyo town, Oyo state that specializes in stealing goats. BODE DUROJAIYE reports that men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) Oyo/Ogbomoso axis have equally smashed a seven-man gang of car snatching armed robbers
For some time now, residents of Oyo metropolis in Oyo State have been under the siege of a syndicate that specializes in the stealing of goats.
The criminal group, comprising able-bodied young men had carried out series of raids in the town and environs around midnight picking up goats after feeding them with a mixture of corn, beans and salt.
The Nation gathered that while the unsuspecting animals were eating this mixture, the criminals who were on standby picked them one after the other and sealed their mouth with tape, to prevent them from making noise. Thereafter, the animals were always packed into a van for onward transportation to Lagos, where the buyers were waiting.
However, nemesis recently caught up with some members of the syndicate when men of the Oyo/ Ogbomoso annex of the Special Anti- Robbery Squad (SARS), who were on patrol along Oyo/ Ibadan expressway intercepted two vehicles loaded with 40 goats.
One of the recovered vehicles with the stolen goats had a Lagos State registration number DL 135 GGE and was found on the expressway around 2:30a.m with three men inside it.
According to the Officer-in charge of SARS, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sola Aremu, suspicious movement of the vehicle compelled his men to go on its trail, pointing out that the moment those inside the vehicle noticed that Police were on their trail, they increased their speed.
“The robber’s vehicle later ran into a big pothole and had a flat tyre. Before we got there, they had escaped into the nearby bush. We combed and searched everywhere but could not find them. We went back to search the vehicle and found 26 goats with their mouth taped, a locally made pistol, four rounds of cartridges and some wraps of Indian hemp. We took the vehicle to our office, and changed our operational vehicle to make it difficult for easy identification by the criminals.”
DSP Aremu further hinted that on reaching the same spot, his men saw another vehicle with registration number ABUJA BG 372 RSH, which also contained three men making calls inside it.
“Similar thing happened when they saw us, they zoomed off, on a very high speed towards Ibadan. Unfortunately for them, while attempting to negotiate the bend at Sasa, Ibadan end of the express way, they ran into a deep ditch. They immediately came out of their vehicle and started firing gunshot at us. In the course of the gun battle one of them was shot dead, while the two others escaped into the bush.”
He added that when the vehicle was searched, 14 goats were found also with their mouth taped, and some wraps of Indian hemp. The vehicle, he said was later towed to the SARS office at Durbar, Oyo town.
And in another crime busting operation, Aremu and his men have smashed a seven-man car robbery syndicate that had been terrorizing Oyo, Ogbomoso[Oyo State], Osogbo [Osun State], and Ilorin[Kwara State] for some time. Their activities had become so frightening and deadly that scores of residents were reported to have fallen to their bullets, after being dispossessed of their belongings.
The age category of these notorious gang members range between 20 and 25 years, as the sophistication of equipment, as well as arms and ammunitions used in their dastard operations were also worrisome to the defenceless residents.
The Nation gathered that whenever they successfully carried out any operation, the syndicate ended up at a popular hotel in Ikeja, Lagos, to share both cash and other loots, including exotic cars snatched from the people at gunpoint.
In one of their operations, the gang robbed a retired military officer, a Rear Admiral of his exotic Highlander jeep put at a cost of N6.5million, at his residence in Ogbomoso. Other items stolen include two laptops, jewelleries, I-phone, and a bunch of keys. It proved to be their last operation.
The retired military officer reported the matter to the SARS at Oyo town and DSP Aremu and his men swung into action. Acting on intelligence, they busted into one of the suspected criminals’ hideouts in Ogbomoso, where a suspect was arrested with the complainant’s stolen I-phone.
Interrogation of the suspect led to the arrest of another ‘’powerful’’ member of the gang, a staff of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria [PHCN] in Ibadan.
The Nation gathered that following another tip off, SARS men were able to intercept the gang’s attempt to carry out an operation in Ogbomoso, as the criminals were arrested while a stolen Camry car,
arms and ammunitions were also recovered.
Information gathered from those arrested, later led to the interception and arrest of another ‘powerful’ member of the gang in Ibadan while attempting to escape to Lagos.
He was said to have engaged SARS men in a tough battle which lasted for almost an hour before he was eventually overpowered. One of the SARS men who was injured on his left eye while the gun duel lasted was later taken to the hospital. The confession of the ‘powerful’ member of the gang led to the arrest of leader of the gang, Dapo, popularly known as ‘Dapson’.
About five stolen vehicles, including that of the retired military officer were recovered from Dapo after his arrest at the popular hotel in Ikeja, Lagos by men of the anti-robbery squad.
A total of thirteen stolen vehicles were recovered from the gang, while all the notorious gang members were apprehended and currently in custody.
Confirming the incidents, the SARS commander told The Nation that the notorious gang killed a medical doctor at Takie, Ilorin, Kwara State, in one of their operations.
According to him,’’ the medical doctor was about to open the gate of his house after returning from the day’s work when the gang opened fire and killed him. Unknown to him [medical doctor] he was
being trailed right from the office, they [notorious gang] took away his two vehicles after killing him’’.
Following the successful bursting of the robbery syndicate and the recovery of the stolen vehicles by SARS, residents of Oyo and Ogbomoso towns trooped out in their thousands to catch a glimpse of the stolen vehicles and heaped praises on the gallant policemen.
Almost four years after a heavy rainfall swept away the bridge linking Apete, a sprawling community on the outskirts of Ibadan, to the main city, making vehicular movement almost impossible, relief has come for the residents as the Oyo State government has made good its pledge to rebuild the facility. TAYO JOHSON reports.
or the residents of Apete, a suburb of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, the last three and half years have been like a hell on earth to them, no thanks to the collapse of the bridge linking their community to the main city.
On 26th August 2011, a heavy rainfall, reminiscent of the Ogunpa flood disaster of the 80s, descended on the ancient city and swept away so many public infrastructure including the bridge and road that connect Apete to the city via Sango/Ijokodo road.
Since then they have been finding it very difficult going to the city and coming back home through that route as they’ve had to either park their vehicles at the edge of the washed away bridge and trek to and from home or take an alternative route which adds about one hour to their journey. Before the bridge was swept away, its took an average of ten minutes to get to the city via Ijokodo,
•The old pedestrian bridge
When the bridge which had remained dilapidated for years and suffered neglect by successive administrations in the state eventually collapsed, the Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s government which had just taken office few months back moved in quickly and provided a makeshift bridge for pedestrian use with a promise to fix the bridge permanently.
An alternative route to the city via Ajibode/University of Ibadan road, though longer, was also provided to ease the pains of Apete residents while work continued on a new bridge.
Last December, their wait for the new bridge finally came to an end when the new facility was partially opened for public use and the people heaved a huge sigh of relief.
A community leader, who also doubles as the Olori Apena of Oyo State, Chief Ayoade Adeleke while thanking the Ajimobi administration for making good its promise on a new bridge, said the previous administrations in the state had failed to rehabilitate the three bridges that link Apete community to Sango.
Adeleke said:” If the past administrations had yielded to our plea for quick repair of the bridges, they would not have washed away completely in 2011. We have three bridges; one at Custom, another at The Polytechnic Ibadan second gate and the last one at Oju-Oja, here at Apete. Any time there was rainfall we were not able to return to our homes if we were outside the community or go out to the city if we were at home. Governor Ajimobi’s administration has really tried for us in this community because it was when he resumed office that the bridges were eventually washed away by flood water and he provided a pedestrian bridge for us as an alternative because the government couldn’t reconstruct the bridges immediately”
According to him, before the construction of the new bridge, “life was hectic for us because we had to go and take the other route at Ajibode and the cost of transportation was very high”.
He said the completion of the bridge last December has greatly ameliorated the sufferings of Apete residents and for this they are grateful to the government.
Adeleke further appealed to the government to ensure quick completion of other bridges and the tarring of the road.
Also speaking on their experience after the old bridge collapsed another resident Mr Wasiu Babatunde said: “we spent a lot on transportation and the stress was hell because before the collapse of the bridge the Okada operators were collecting just N30 from Apete to Sango and within 10 minutes you were there, but after the collapse of the bridge, we had to plead with them before they could collect N160 to pass through Ajibode road to Apete and it took over 30 minutes to get there.
“Every day, I spent over N320 on transportation, bearing in mind that I had to pay the same thing every day for my children while going to school and I had been paying that since 2011. But today we are happy that government has partly completed the bridge, and it has really relieved us but we want the governor to complete the bridge and tar the road on time.” Babatunde said.
Also, the Chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), (Okada section), Apete branch, Abiodun Olaniyi explained that the ýchallenges confronted by his members since the collapse of the bridge brought about a great loss to them.
“Our members went through a lot of stress by having to pass through Ajibode road to link Sango. Most of our Okada were snatched by armed robbers, while so many passengers were also robbed or raped too. That alternative road is so long when compared to the Ijokodo road that is just a stone through to Sango. We tried to appeal to government when the bridge was washed away in 2011 but they constructed a pedestrian bridge for the residents.
“But in December last year, the bridge was completed, although there was a rumour thýat it wasn’t the Oyo State Government that reconstructed it, that a certain influential woman did when she wanted to have her daughter’s wedding, but whoever did it, we are very grateful and we are appealing to the government to tar the road and complete the other bridges” Olaniyi said
Corroborating his ýremarks, the Chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Taxi section, Apete branch, Mr Ajibola Wasiu said the hardship encountered by his members and residents cannot be over emphasised, adding that most of their cars had broken down as a result of the alternative route they were plying to link Sango, this he said brought a great loss to the commercial drivers.
According to him, the bad road at Ajibode turned us into regular customers at the ýmechanic workshops because our cars were always getting spoilt and the little money we made daily were spent there.
Wasiu further said:” it normally takes us 25 minutes to an hour at times while going through the Ajibode road to Sango, we charged the passengers N100 instead of the normal N50, some complained bitterly but we don’t have any option because of the long distance and it consumes a lot of fuel.
“During this period, Our State union executives met and appealed to the governorý for quick reconstruction of the bridge, while we also received words of assurance from the Iddo Local Government Chairman, they kept to their promise and the bridge was completed in December last year and opened to us. Though we are relieved but we want the government to complete the road too on time”
Speaking on the bridge, the Commissioner for Works, Mr Bimbo Kolade, disclosed that the existing contract for the project includes asphaltic tarring of 3.6 kilometres of the road in the first phase adding that government’s plan was to tar the entire road up to Akufo village in the second phase.
Kolade said the tarring of the contract was dragging because of paucity of funds brought about by dwindling federal allocation to the state.
He expressed the commitment of the Ajimobi administration to the completion of the project, stressing that the government regards Apete and surrounding communities as key parts of Ibadan, the state capital, given the huge population and resources in the area.
The battle for the throne of Ayagburen of Ikorodu Kingdom in Lagos State between the princes of Lasunwon ruling house has taken a twist, ADEBISI ONANUGA; reports.
The dispute among the princes of Ikorodu over the next Ayangburen is not about to end any time soon as the warring factions of the Adegorushen royal families have refused to shift ground on their opposition to Odofin Kabiru Shotobi.
Odofin Shotobi was the choice of the kingmakers for the vacant stool of the Ayangbunren of Ikorodu, having been allegedly picked from a list of nine candidates from the Lasunwon ruling house.
Counsels to the various royal houses told a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikorodu last week that a meeting of the families held at the instance of the Lagos State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs failed to agree on the choice of Shotobi for the stool.
The counsels told the court presided by Justice Akintunde Savage that they have forwarded their communiqué to the Commissioner informing him that their meeting was stalemated.
Mathew Adetayo Shodipo, Omobo Sokelu, Shakiru Shodipo, Nurudeen Fakomaya and Albert Aina have, for themselves and on behalf of the Lambo arm of the Lasunwon ruling house of Ikorodu challenged the nomination of the Odofin of Ikorodu, Chief Kabiru Shotobi for the stool of the Ayangburen.
The first to 12th respondents in the suit are Ezekiel Shodipo, Tajudeen Odofin for themselves and on behalf of the Adegorushen arm of Lasunwon ruling house.
Other respondents include the Odofin, Chief Kabiru Shotobi; the Olisa and regent of Ikorodu, Chief Oludele Odusoga; Solomade of Ikorodu Chief Afolabi Adekayaoja; Apena of Ikorodu, Chief Karimu Ore; the Oponuwa, Chief Jacob Kolawole Adaraloye for themselves and the kingmakers of Ikorodu.
Other respondents are the Ikorodu Local Government; Ikorodu Division of Council of Obas and Chiefs; Secretary, Ikorodu Chieftaincy Committee; Lagos State Ministry Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
At the resumed hearing of the matter last week, counsel to the claimants, John Osighala told the court that the meeting of the various branches of the Lasunwon ruling house was deadlocked and that this was why they did not report back to the Ministry in charge of chieftaincy affairs on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 as expected.
“Every family division refused to shift ground”, Osighala told the court. Counsel to first and third respondents, Gbenga Hassan supported the views of Osighala as he also told the court that parties were unable to agree on the Obaship tussle.
Hassan said they had written a letter to the Ministries of Local Government, Justice and the Solicitor General informing them of the development.
“The claimants said since the matter is in court, they are opposed to settlement”, when asked by the trial judge why the families failed to agree. Kazeem Adebanjo, counsel to the second respondent, Tajudeen Odofin also told the court that his client was not informed of all that has been happening within the royal families especially the meeting that was supposedly held that stalemated and the one with the government.
Adebanjo told the court that two persons, Prince Owolabi Sunday Ogede and Prince Adegboyega Odofin, said to be representing the Adegorushen royal family and who signed the communiqué sent to the government on the stalemated meeting of the families are not parties to the suit.
“My Lord, the area I am concerned with is that there is a plan to keep my client in the dark on this matter…I am aware there is no application to substitute my client before the court. The two persons that signed the communiqué and claimed to be representing Adegorushen are not parties to the suit. It justifies my earlier position that there is an attempt to keep the second respondents out of the happenings on the matter”, he stated.
Counsel to the government representatives, the 11th and 12th respondents, Mrs. Tola Akinsanya told the court that at a meeting held February 3, 2015, the ruling houses were directed to go and meet and discuss the issue.
“They were to meet again at a meeting scheduled for February 17, 2015 but nobody showed up. So the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Local Government and others are still expecting them”, she said.
Reading from the letter (communiqué) sent by the warring families to government, she said, “the message is that they have been unable to reach an agreement; that they wish to continue with the hearing of the case. But I believe the Commissioner and Permanent Secretary can still play a role”, she said.
Mr. O. Fabunmi, representing the fourth to the seventh respondents (king makers) said his clients are unbiased umpires. According to him, “they deliberated on the candidates submitted and they chose the third respondent. So, they had to stand by the candidate they have chosen”, he stated.”
The trial judge, Justice Savage said he still wants the Ministries of Local Government, Justice and the Permanent Secretary to play a role in the matter. He therefore directed the counsel to the government, Mrs. Akinsanya to tell the parties concerned that the court instructed them to still play a role in the matter before the next adjourned date of March 5, 2015 and to report back to the court.
In their originating summon, which was supported by a 22-point affidavit and filed through their lawyer, John Osighala, the claimants asked for six issues to be determined by the court. They want the court to determine “whether the consent judgment of a Lagos High Court, Ikorodu division in suit IKD/57/2007 (Mathew Adetayo Shodipo and others versus Ezekiel Shodipo and others) is subsisting and valid; whether parties and privies are bound by the aforesaid judgment until same is set aside on appeal; whether fourth to eighth respondents-kingmakers are bound by the aforesaid judgment being parties in suit no IKD/57/2007 and whether eighth and ninth respondents are not bound as well being parties/ privies thereon”.
They also prayed the court to determine “whether third defendant/respondent is not bound and stopped from being presented, nominated and selected as a candidate from Lasunwon Ruling House to any future chieftaincy title” and “whether indeed the Adegorushen Branch of the Lasunwon Royal Ruling House is not precluded by the decision in IKD/57/2007 from presenting a candidate for the now vacant title of Ayangburen of Ikorodu?”
The claimants also sought five reliefs which were hinged on the affirmation of the six issues raised before the court. They sought a declaration that the consent judgment of the Lagos High Court dated April 1, 2009 in suit IKD/57/2007 is subsisting, binding and in force; a declaration that by clause 2 of the consent judgment, the first, second and third respondents conceded the right to the claimants in future to the next chieftaincy title that is due and available to the Lasunwon Ruling House.
They also sought a declaration that the kingmakers, fourth to seventh respondents were bound by the decision in suit IKD/57/2007 as the seventh to tenth defendants and that they cannot now consider any candidate from the Adegorushen branch of the Lasunwon ruling house and a further declaration that the third respondent, having by the aforesaid judgment, been installed as Odofin of Ikorodu cannot in defiance of the judgment, present himself as a candidate for the vacant Ayangburen Royal Chieftaincy title “and he is thereby stopped from contesting any other vacant Chieftaincy title available to the Lasunwon family.
They therefore prayed the court for an injunction restraining the fifth to tenth respondents by themselves, agents, privies from considering the third respondent nor any candidate from the Adegorushen branch of the Lasunwon Chieftaincy family for the candidature of the vacant Ayangburen.
But in their counter affidavit to the originating summon, the deponent Prince Odofin Adegboyega Aliu, averred that contrary to paragraph 17 of the affidavit in support of the originating summon, the first to the third respondents and all other defendants are not in breach of the judgment in exhibit A, paragraph 2, the first to fourth defendants conceded the right to the next chieftaincy title that is due and available to Lasunwon ruling house to the claimants and listed the titles available as Otunba of Ikorodu.
He said that contrary to paragraph 18 of the affidavit in support of the originating summon, the defendants ought not to be restrained as they have not breached the order of the court.
He said counsel to third to seventh defendants informed him that judgment in suit IKD/57/2007 relates to chieftaincy title and not an Obaship stool or position; that a chieftaincy title is different from Obaship stool or position and that the nomination/selection of the third defendant by the family and kingmakers is not a breach of the judgment in suit IKD/57/2007.
He urged the court to dismiss the claimants’ originating summon.
Determined to enhance the professional competence of its workforce for greater productivity, the Oriade Local Council Development Area (LCDA), has organised a three-day workshop on “Effective Office Management Practice for Higher Productivity” for staff of the council.
The event, which held at the Lagos State Building Investment Corporation (LBIC) Conference Hall, Ikeja aimed at providing office administrators, supervisors of clerical and administrative staff, executive secretaries and personal assistants the opportunity to review and develop the interpersonal and professional skills they need to carry out their duties effectively.
While flagging off the workshop, the Executive Secretary of the council, Hon. Bola Badmus-Olujobi, said it will enable members of staff to contribute to the council’s growth and development. She implored all participants to avail themselves of the opportunity which the workshop provides for individual development and to deploy the knowledge gained at the training workshop to enhance the well-being of the council.
The former Deputy Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly urged the participants to always observe the official dress code of the public service, adding that they should be proactive in the discharge of their duties.
Contributing, the Council Manager, Mrs. Florence Omotunde Peters advised members of staff to adhere strictly to the provisions of the public service rules and regulations.
Speaking at the event, the consultant for the programme, Mr. Fatai Oluwole said participants would learn how to manage a network of working relations, effective communication; time management; manage the performance of administrative staff; improve on written communications, manage and present information; organise and improve office systems for all administrative personnel and people newly appointed to supervisory roles, along with secretaries and personal assistants within the office environment.
He noted that for any organisation to make tangible progress, it has to ensure that its mission, policies, and objectives are developed and clarified; establish formal and informal organisational structures as means of delegating authority and sharing responsibilities; it should set its priorities right; review and revise objectives in terms of changing demands; maintain effective communications within the working group, with other groups, and with the larger community; select, motivate, train, and appraise staff periodically.
Continuing, Mr. Oluwole maintained that management functions includeplanning, which he said translates to outlining philosophy, policy, objectives, and resultant things to be accomplished, and the techniques for accomplishment; organising which is establishing structures and systems through which activities are arranged, defined, and coordinated in terms of specific objectives, staffing and fulfilling the personnel function, which includes selecting and training staff and maintaining favourable work conditions; directing which he said manifests in making decisions, embodying decisions in instructions, and serving as the leader of the enterprise, coordinating or interrelating the various parts of the work; reporting that helps in keeping those to whom one is responsible, including both staff and public, informed and budgeting which he said is making financial plans, maintaining accounting and management control of revenue, and keeping costs in line with set objectives.
For residents of Fagbile Phase Three Estate in Ikotun-Igando Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, their years of sufferings due to lack of amenities may be about to end.
They have been assured that the road linking the community with the new Ijegun-Jakande Estate Expressway would be constructed before the end of the current administration in the state.
Chairman, Community Development Committee (CDC) of Ikotun-Igando Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Elder Ademola Oshibeluwo said the leadership of the council in concert with the state government had finalised arrangements for the construction of the road, adding that workers would be mobilised to site sooner than the community imagined.
He spoke at the weekend at an end-of-year party organised by landlords and tenants Association of the Estate for the residents, clarifying that the current administration was aware of the importance of roads to socio-economic development which, according to him, was why a large chunk of the states’ revenue had been committed on road construction and rehabilitation.
Oshibeluwo said: “I have the word of the LCDA chairman to allay your fears in respect of the road for which you have been clamouring. You may not believe it, but arrangements have been made for it and you will soon see confirmations of that. In the next few weeks we will be riding on an expressway”, he said.
Earlier, the CDA chairman, Mr. Chris Onioha had lamented the troubles experienced by residents as a result of the bad state of the road, noting “efforts have been made to call attention to the plight of the residents not only regarding the poor state of the only road serving the community but the absence of other amenities like a health centre and primary and secondary schools”.
His words: “This is a fairly large community. But, we have not felt government presence here at all. No road, no hospital, no schools for our children, nothing. When the rains come, it becomes war for us here to either go out of or return to our houses.
“We have clamoured and shouted about it several times. We have written letters also. No one has responded yet.
“Whenever the rains prepare to fall, it brings sadness rather than joy to us. We want a direct road to the Ijegun-Jakande Estate with well-laid drainage channels. We deserve it. This is a big community with thousands of houses and millions of people.
“When we were doing self help project, we won an award from the Lagos State Government as the best CDA in Lagos state in 2013. The government recognised us as the best CDA in project development and execution. Based on this, we deserve the mercy of the state government”, Onioha said.
Alhaji Jimoh Ismael, an ex-officio member of the CDA said: “Here in Phase 3, there is no school, no primary health centre, no road, no drainages. During rainy season, you witness war getting to your houses”.
The event also witnessed awards of certificates of recognition to some members of the community including Mr. Simeon Inwanyi Agubanze; Comrade Imo Walter; Mr. Opebiyi Jelili; Comrade Wale Adegboye; Mr. Tajudeen Afolabi ; Mrs Omolara Idowu; Mr. Rode; Chief Dare Akinlade, Lukosi of Arigbajo; and Malam Musa Ibrahim.
Others were Pa Ogungbayi Joseph; Alhaji. Dele Olanipekun; Mr. Segun Olajubu; Mr. Thomas Onarinde; Mr. Sunday Adegoke, Mr. Kayode Ajiboye, Mr. David Oloso, Baba Atelumatu Ajala; Barrister Momodu Tokunbo; Engineer. Olalekan Omibekun; Tewogbola Alade; Mr. Akinbola Joseph; Mr. Adewumi Jubril; Mr. Jimoh Ismael; Pastor Sekoni Emos Tola; Mrs. Omolara Idowu; Mr. Williams Neverest, Coordinator, Odua Peoples Congress; Ahmed Koleoso; Mr. And Mrs. Chris Nwanne Oniawa, Chairman, CDA, Fagbile
Awards of merit were equally conferred on Comrade Wale Adegboye; Mr. Martins Odusanya; Mr. Thomas Onarinde; Alhaji and Alhaja Dele Olanipekun; Mr. Kayode Ajiboye; Baba Ajala Yekinni Atelumatu; Alhaji Jelili Babaoja; Chief Dare Akinremi, Likosi Arigbajo (A community in Ogun State; Alhaji Jimoh Ismael; Comrade Walter Imo; Alhaji Adegbenga Kasali, 2nd Vice Chairman, Fagbile Phase 3; Alhaji Kehinde Opebiyi; Secretary to the CDA, Mr. Segun Olajubu;
Post humous awards were given to Femi Adebanjo represented by his wife, Victoria Adebanjo; Late Mukaila Sanusi represented by his wife Sidikat Sanusi.
Olajubu and Sekoni noted the party was meant to sustain brotherly love among members in the community, adding that “It was the grace of God which has sustained every one of us. Just a day celebration to demonstrate our love will not be too much”.
Olajubu’s words: “We are celebrating as a community an annual event which started three years ago. It is meant to bring together landlords, landowners, tenants and friends from within and outside the community.
We also use the occasion to thank those who have been particularly helpful to the community and to thank leaders who have been providing guidance.”
