The Nation Newspaper

Category: Southwest

  • Why I didn’t want to be speaker, by Adeolu Adeleke

    Why I didn’t want to be speaker, by Adeolu Adeleke

    The political upheavals that characterised the Fifth Assembly (2003-2007) in Oyo State during the tenure of Governor Rashidi Ladoja cannot be forgotten in a hurry. The Speaker of that crises-ridden Assembly, Hon. Adeolu Adeleke, spoke with BISI OLADELE on the touching event s of that era, even as the current Assembly celebrates its third anniversary.

    Tell us about the period of your membership of the Oyo State House of Assembly and the constituency you represented

    I was there from 2003 to 2007, representing AFIJIO State Constituency.

    How did you emerge as the Speaker?

    I emerged the Speaker through an election that was conducted by the members of the House. I got the vote of 25 out of the 32 members that made up the House then. And that excluded mine. I did not vote for myself because I did not want to become the Speaker at that particular time.

    Why didn’t you want to be?

    It was because of my loyalty to my boss then, former Speaker Mikhail Alarape. There were seven failed attempts to impeach him before the eighth succeeded.

    Why was he removed?

    Probably because of his poor attitude to the issues that concerned members and his lateness in going to the chamber for the business of the House. There are other issues too.

    Are those the few points you can remember?

    I don’t want to say much on that issue. I have said it before that I did not support his impeachment. I did not even vote for myself. I did all I could to ensure that the impeachment of my boss did not succeed. I did my best on those failed seven attempts to scuttle the plan. But at the eighth attempt there was nothing I could do to save the situation. Even out of the eight times he was out of the country for like four times but I still succeeded in circumventing their plans and frustrated the attempts to impeach him before the eighth succeeded.

    What position were you holding before being elected as Speaker?

    I was the Deputy Speaker.

    Was that your office from the inception of that Assembly?

    No, I had been a floor member from inception before being elected as Deputy Speaker after a year and eight months of the Assembly. I was later elected as Speaker. I passed through the three layers which was unprecedented in the history of Oyo State House of Assembly.

    Under what party did you secure a seat in the Assembly?

    I came in under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The Fifth assembly arguably was the most troubled in the history of the Oyo State House of Assembly. How would you describe the four years you spent there as a member?

    That is based on your own perception. From my own perception, I may not see it as the most-troubled Assembly. So it’s based on individual’s perception of the scenarios that had played out and still playing out in the state House of Assembly. I didn’t see our Assembly as the most-troubled in history. But the point is that through my belief in God and efficacy of prayer, I persevered. I did endure a lot and I was able to overcome the crises.

    May be I should have described it as the most crises-ridden?

    That is a matter of semantics. Whether you say it is crises-ridden or the most-troubled Assembly, it is still the same. But the point is this, what is going on in the current assembly in the state is the question you need to ask. Before the crises started, we were having smooth running of administration at the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary levels. All of a sudden, because of the political exigency occasioned by the then Mr. President (Chief Olusegun Obasanjo), the crises started.

    You just fingered the former President as having a hand in the crisis that engulfed the Assembly and, by extension, the state in general. Were there times when the members had meetings with him?

    There was none. But I had the privilege of having meetings with him about two or three times. Those times I did alone without other members involved. I cannot talk on behalf of the G.18 that impeached Governor Rashidi Ladoja, but I can talk of the G.14 that opposed the impeachment.

    So, why did you conclude that Mr. President then had a hand in the crises that happened in Oyo state?

    Okay, if you don’t want me to say that, let me say it is God’s hand. I don’t want to say much about that because I believe everybody knows what happened that time. But thank God here we are today. After he (former President Olusegun Obasanjo) left office he had visited former Governor Ladoja more than five times and we have been to his house on many occasions. So, that is life.

    It was during the Fifth Assembly that a governor was impeached for the first time in the history of Oyo state. Seven years after, how do you feel remembering your time in the Assembly?

    Anytime I remember it, I feel great because I did not disappoint my family, my town and the generality of the people of Oyo State. And, most importantly, I did not disappoint God. So I always feel great. Now, wherever I go, people always accord me that respect. Let me tell you this: there was a time I was with the former Vice President Abubakar Atiku. After talking, I sat down. Then, when it was the turn of the Vice President to talk, he stood up. But, I said, “Your Excellency, with all humility and respect, you are permitted to kindly have your seat”. He said, “No, Mr. Speaker, you deserve the respect”. So, what else do I want? That was year 2006 when he was still in office as the Vice President of Nigeria. If the Vice President could stand up to give respect to me, what else do I want?

    In the face of the crises you led a team that stood by Governor Ladoja, How did you survive all these?

    My survival was based on God’s mercy. I did not have any power to fight, but God fought for me. However, I must tell you that it wasn’t an easy thing. I must acknowledge that I saw hell. But the fact remains that by that time I had already made up my mind to fight to the last drop of my blood.

    How easy was it making up your mind to that level?

    It was for the posterity. I decided to put my life on the line in the interest of the people of Oyo State and Nigeria as a whole.

    Were there times your life was threatened by the opposition?

    There were a number of occasions that my life was threatened.

    So how did you handle such threats?

    I have told you earlier that it was through God’s mercy. It wasn’t easy.

    You knew about the First to the Fourth assemblies that came before yours. You are still much around to witness the Sixth and the Seventh assemblies. Sometimes when the issues that have to do with the House of Assembly come up for discussion, how do feel, having passed through it as an institution?

    I still feel great. One thing I can tell you is that the current Assembly, I mean the Seventh Assembly, is not as vibrant as the previous ones. That is despite the fact that the previous ones experienced series of crises. The current Assembly is not vibrant. That is just it. For instance, the Deputy Speaker has never been allowed to preside over plenary. That is improper and iconoclastic.

    Let’s look at the Oyo State House of Assembly as an institution from inception till date. Are there people that have been lawmakers in that Assembly that you look up to or you admire in terms of performance and contributions?

    Yes. I admire people like late Chief Gbolagunte (former Speaker) and his deputy and Chief Pekun Adesokan. I see the two of them as role models. Those are the two people I admire.

    What about the first assembly members during the Western Nigeria Parliament?

    There was a lot of politicking during that period too

    Were there members you really admire as distinguished lawmakers?

    Yes. I admire someone like Honourable Adenegan.

    The Oyo State House of Assembly has a rich history, particularly for its bicameral legislature that was practised during the First Republic when Nigeria was running a Parliamentary system of government. Now, things have changed. If you want to describe the Assembly as an institution, how would you, with regards to democracy as being practiced now?

    It’s excellent. Forget about the undue politicking or intrigues. The institution is still very vibrant. See the quality of motions and bills that have been passed in that House of Assembly which have impacted positively on the lives of the people in the Western Region. So I see it as a vibrant institution. And I feel great anytime I remember that I once passed through that place because I did not disappoint myself and I did not disappoint my God. I followed constitutionalism and the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Though I suffered for it, I know one day something normal will be done.

    Were there ills done to you that you were still bitter about?

    There is a lot them. But instead of me to be talking about all those ills why should I not be thankful to God? If I’m not alive, what could have happened? There was a day I was coming back from Oyo. I was at the back of NISER, here in Ibadan, and the pilot of my convoy was stopped by a Police Inspector. The officer said he got the instruction from the then Commissioner of Police that all of my police aides should disembark and leave me. They had to leave. I was left alone in the night. Though those people wanted to risk their lives and jobs for me, I asked them to leave. Moments later, I got a call from my quarters that my family members have been ejected.

    If you have another chance, would you choose to go to the Oyo state House of Assembly as a member?

    Of course, yes. I believe, and I know, I have a lot to offer, not only to the Assembly but to the people of the state as a whole.

    In its totality, without zeroing in on a particular assembly, would you say the Oyo State House of Assembly as an institution has lived up to expectation?

    To some extent, yes.

    In which areas do you think the Assembly should have done better?

    The problem is that most members of the state House of Assembly do compromise. They believe that whatever comes from the Executives must be passed on the floor of the House. No, it shouldn’t be like that. But they do compromise. That is the problem.

    So you want that area to be looked into?

    Yes. Look at this issue of autonomy for the state House of Assembly, could you believe that lawmakers themselves in the Sixth Assembly rejected it, including the ones in the state under Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala then? They rejected it because they wanted to satisfy the executive arm of government. When we were there in the Fifth Assembly, we didn’t consider everything that came from the Executive as being automatic for passage. On many occasions, we rejected bills from the Executive that we thought were not good enough for the interest of the state. But we always looked at something that could benefit the people of Oyo State. The reverse is the case now. I know the time will come when things will change completely. We are just in the state where people that are causing havoc are in the center stage, preaching patriotism. With all humility and respect, there are some people that are not supposed to go near government or the House of Assembly, much less legislating or running the affairs of the state.

    What do you think should be the basic qualification for anyone seeking to become a member of the House of Assembly?

    I cannot talk of education only because most of the people that have bastardised the legislative process in the past are educated. You also have to put the issue of morality into consideration. We are in a part of the world where people worship money and allow people with wealth to run the show.

  • Lagosians shun public toilets as open defecation continues

    Lagosians shun public toilets as open defecation continues

    While Lagos State government continues its efforts towards achieving mega city status for the state, poor sanitation and open defecation continues to blight the city’s drive towards this achievement. SEUN AKIOYE reports

    A random survey of the over 80 houses on Sofunde street in Agege, one of the most deprived communities on the outskirts of Lagos reveals a shocking yet almost amusing fact: Many of the households practise open defecation.

    The model for this practice is a strange and complicated system, while many of the residents have one form of toilet in their often dilapidated houses-usually a pit latrine many of which is bursting at the seams- the residents prefer the more quicker and dangerous method of doing their business on the railway tracks or by the side of it.

    The children usually don’t have to go to the railway track, they simply defecate in front of their houses while an adult-usually an older sibling- cleans up for them.  The water from this dirty assignment is usually swept to the road leaving the balcony ‘neat and tidy.’

    The adults do their business in the night and at dawn under the cover of darkness. A walk from the railway track from Mosalasi Alhaja all the way to Pen cinema where Sofunde Street is located reveals the product of this nights’ occupation. The tracks and surroundings are littered with human wastes in various shapes. Unfortunately in the morning, traders set their wares close to the tracks notwithstanding the obnoxious odour emitting from the defecation.

    The problem of Sofunde Street is the same all over Agege and other poor communities in Lagos state. In other parts of Agege, investigations reveal that communities located near the rail track or canals are the most guilty of open defecation. It was also revealed that many of the buildings have with pit latrines but many of them are unusable, some are overfilling and had to be abandoned. The solution according to The Nation’s findings is open defecation.

    According to a resident of Sofunde Street, Kola Adeniji an unemployed plumber, the residents of the street have been forced into such practice because they have no other choice. “You can look at all the houses on this street which one of them is habitable? At least three of them have collapsed and some have been sold. The problem is the pit latrines that we have are full and unless you are really pressed, you don’t want to use them, you could see gases coming out from the underground, that is why we do shotput,” he said.

     

    A growing health challenge

     

    For the last seven years of his administration as the governor of Lagos, the economic capital of Nigeria, Babatunde Fashola has been seized with the idea of turning Lagos into a mega city in the mould of New York, London, and Tokyo etc.  And one cannot begrudge the governor for his ambitions as Lagos population now set at 20 million has a lot of things in common with the greatest cities in the world.

    But while the other cities have adequate provisions for waste management, Lagos struggles in controlling its bulging population from defecating wherever nature presses them. But few people may appreciate the extent of this problem which is fast becoming an epidemic in the state.

    According to the United Nations International Children Education Fund (UNICEF), about 39 million Nigerians approximately 22 percent of the population still practice open defecation while diarrhea kills 194,000 children under the age of five annually, also respiratory infections kill another 240,000 every year. These grim statistics according to the world body was caused by unsanitary conditions with open defecation being a major culprit.

    Globally the United Nation estimates that 2.5 billion people still do not have access to improved toilet facilities while at least 1 billion practice open defecation. But while great strides were made between 1990 and 2011 especially in Eastern Asia which caused sanitary conditions to improve from 27 percent to 67 percent, sub-Saharan Africa continues to lag behind.

    In sub-Saharan Africa, 44 per cent of the population uses either shared or unimproved facilities, and an estimated 26 per cent practices open defecation.  According to experts, open defecation is responsible for a number of illnesses and diseases and may be the source of some generic problems. For example in India where an estimated 600 million people still practices open defecation, a research said it is responsible for the stunted growth of many Indians in rural India.

    But apart from the illnesses, the achievement of Millennium Development Goal 7 (MDG7) Target 10 to cut by half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation in 2015 may be halted.  According to experts, if current sanitary level is sustained the MDG target may not be achieved by 2026.

    The Secretary General of the UN, Ban Kii Moon on the occasion of World Toilet Day in 2013 said: “Each year, more than 800,000 children under five die needlessly from diarrhoea – more than one child a minute. Countless others fall seriously ill, with many suffering long-term health and developmental consequences. Poor sanitation and hygiene are the primary cause. Worldwide, some 2.5 billion people lack the benefits of adequate sanitation. More than 1 billion people practice open defecation. We must break the taboos and make sanitation for all a global development priority.”

     

    “You can call it

    metropolitan defecation”

     

    Kehinde Jimoh had his job cut out for him at Oshodi Motor Park reputed as one of the toughest motor parks in the city. He had come to Lagos from his village in one of the South Western states to pick the reputed golden flees in the city and on arrival he met the shock of his life. “Eko o derun” (To survive in Lagos is hard), the only job I could get is this motor park job giving tickets to commercial drivers, I have nowhere to live and I have not made enough to rent a room, so I sleep  at the motor park,” he said.

    Jimoh’s toilette began at 4:00am every morning with a shower at the Oshodi railway track preceded by an open defecation on the track. “Where else do you want me to defecate, the government has made this railway track for us to defecate and that is where we do it. The train will carry it away,” he said.

    But contrary to Jimoh’s belief, the train hardly carries such human waste away; instead they constitute an open sore to the city and an undignified reminder of how far Lagos is to achieving its mega status dream.

    For the millions of homeless Lagosians – as the city’s residents are called – the hundreds of scattered gardens, open sewages, gutters, dumpsites, bridges, canals, train tracks and bushes serve as ready toilet when nature calls.  It is almost a norm to see people defecate openly into any of these avenues without any fear or sense of guilt.

    “Our bridges and canals have become public toilets because many people who came from outside Lagos chose to destroy this city for us. Because they are homeless, their toilet is on our street, this is what I termed metropolitan defecation or shit in the city” a Lagos State environmental official who wanted to be identified simply as Johnson said.

    But not just the homeless defecate openly in Lagos; many residents of houses in populated areas built in the classic face-me-I-face-you model are also guilty of this. In many of the poor neighbourhood in the city where these houses may be found, poor sanitary condition reigned supreme. Many of the houses either lack toilets or the toilets are in such appalling state it is unusable. In such instances, the canal and gutters becomes their toilet where residents practice shotput.

    Shotput is a slang commonly used in Lagos for open defecation, made popular by university students; many Lagosians living in the slums often used this code name to identify the mode of toilette.

    One of such communities is the Dustbin Estate in Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government, the estate which comprised of Onijomo, Idi-Ore and Onibaba neighbourhoods was so called because it was built on a land reclaimed from water by using tons of rubbish to fill up. There are over 10,000 residents of the community living in deprived and appalling conditions. Then Tolulope Sangosanya came and founded the Love on the Street (LOT) Foundation and attempted to change the ways of the people.

    “People usually didn’t have toilets here, they practiced open defecation including the children and when you consider the kind of unhygienic situations they face, you cannot but want to help,” Sangosanya told The Nation.

    She has since gone ahead to help providing he community with five toilets and five bathrooms last year. But this is a far cry from the need of 10,000 residents and many residents still defecate in the open.

    Another such community is the Otto-Ilogbo extension in Oyingbo, Lagos Mainland, one of the best kept secrets of the area, the Ilogbo slum is surrounded on all sides by civilisation, but the community lacked the basic infrastructure like water and toilets.  For many years, the community dump site has been the only toilet available to all the residents of the slum.  The dumpsite after years of use has become a mountain where residents desirous of seeing the surrounding civilisation climb to have an aerial view of their surroundings. While enjoying the view, residents also answer the call of nature in broad daylight.

    The story of Makoko, a community built on Lagos lagoon is instructive, the houses lacked any sanitary facilities and residents of Makoko defecate in the water which unfortunately also serves for domestic use. A visit to Makoko by The Nation reveals a troubling trend. Bathing and defecation early in the morning go side by side. Sometimes human wastes move around where residents bath, though elders in the community say they are building a new city on the water which will have all sanitary facilities, at present residents still practice open defecation, this time in the water.

     

    What’s the use of a toilet?

     

    “In Lagos finding a public toilet is likened to looking for a needle in a haystack” says Adebisi Ojo a resident of Abule-Egba on the outskirt of Lagos.  Unlike other mega cities of the world, Lagos is not especially blessed with functional public facilities and public toilets are not exempted. According to the Lagos Bureau of Statistics, there are currently 310 public toilets constructed by local governments in the state. The highest of this is concentrated in Apapa/Iganmu Local Government which has 83 toilets and the lowest is Yaba Local Government which has just one. But there are 16 local governments which has none at all.

    For the few public toilets in the city, they are usually sublet to private operators who pay a stipulated sum to the local government every month. But this arrangement has not worked  seamlessly as investigations reveal that many of the toilets are often dirty while user are mandated to pay a stipulated sum for its use.

    In the public toilet in Marina, a young man demanded from the reporter in a tone devoid of courtesy the kind of use he intended to make of the toilet. A putrid smell escaped from the closed door as soon as one entered the toilet and the bowls are dirty and brown from use.  In many of these toilets, urination costs N20 while defecation costs N50.

    The same scenario played out in many other public toilets in the city. According to one of the tough looking guards in a public toilet in Tabon-Tabon, Agege, the operator pays the sum of N8,000 to the local government every month while the operator ensures the cleanliness of the toilets.

    “We are doing our best, there is no way this place can be cleaner than this, how much are you paying for urinating, how do we make our own gain? Urinating should cost at least N100 for us to make any gain,” he said. He also disclosed that operators usually employ tough guys to handle customers who will not like to pay after the use of the facility.

    However, the government says it will build adequate public toilets for its 20 million residents, but before this is done, Lagosians seemed determined to use whatever is available to them.

     

    Ending open defecation

     

    “You cannot simply enact a law and say people should stop defecating without changing their mentality. The problem we have in Lagos is that people come from other places mostly from the villages and they do not understand that they are in the city so they still behave like village people,” Akintade Adebanjo, a Lagos resident lamented.

    The state Commissioner for Information, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba alluded to this recently when he people who engaged in open defecation have refused to purge themselves from their village habits which are unsuitable for a resident of a mega city.

    “We need to change our attitude, I think that is what we need, and somebody in Lagos should see him/herself as somebody with a level of decency. In Lagos, open defecation, defacing the environment is against the law,” Ibirogba said.

    Though open defecation has been abolished in the state environmental laws, there has not been enough awareness for residents and not many have been arrested for defecating in the open. In 2013, the state adopted the UN supported Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) which places the burden on communities to take responsibility for the sanitation of their environment. But this approach has done little to reduce the level of open defecation in the city; in reality many residents interviewed by The Nation claimed ignorance of the initiative.

    Many experts agree that for there to be a change in the state, there must be a mass awareness campaign for attitudinal change from residents. This will involve the carrot and stick approach where rewards and punishment will be given out to defaulter’s and rewards to those who have upheld the sanitary conditions of their community.

    But individual Lagosians who feel concerned about the issue are tackling it the best way they can. In his 2009 album titled “Mega City”, a popular Lagos musician, Lagbaja (the masked one) called on those who defecate openly in the city to return to their villages. And in a humorous tone, he advised that they can then defecate right in front of their houses in the village.

    “To ba de abule yin, ma tie lo si salanga, se ni ko fa siwaju agbo ile yin,” (When you get to your village, you can defecate in front of your house). Other people have joined Lagbaja in passing their message across to prospective defecators.  On many walls and houses in Lagos, the following signs are a common sight. “Do not urinate here,” another says “Do not defecate here,” in rural communities, there is a translation in the local language to convey the deeper meaning accompanied by a veiled threat like “If you defecate or urinate, your waste will be used by an herbalist.” This usually drives the message home and where such warnings are posted, the surroundings are mostly clean.

    But apart from individual efforts, the Lagos State Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) brigade, the agency charged with the implementation of government’s environmental laws is yet to come to terms with how to tackle this enormous challenge. According to a top official of the agency who prefers to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to speak on such matters, the agency is not motivated to go against defaulters.

    “You will see that many of our officers are only motivated to go against street trading and other vices, in fact, I have never considered open defecation as one of the areas we have to tackle until you told me . Even then we can only arrest those we see, we cannot go inside the communities to arrest people so the problem still remains,” he said.

    In other countries like Nepal where only about 46 percent of the population have access to toilets, the people have adopted a name and shame approach where offenders names were pasted in the community centre. This method though has not stopped the practice but it has nonetheless been effective. Can Lagos borrow this unique model?

    “ It cannot work here, where will you paste the list and it will not be torn out immediately it is pasted and do you think Lagosians care for such a list?,” Adebisi Ojo said.

    At 6:pm, Jimoh was found sitting on a broken down plank structure close to the railway track, with him were four other touts who also live at the motor park. By 11;pm, they will take their places inside one of the buses to enjoy a night sleep while in the morning they will defecate and take a shower by the railway track.

    “Brother, that is how we live here, it is hard but we have survived. We are not the only one defecating in the open, when you come here early in the morning, you will see many people coming from everywhere doing the same thing. Tell the government we need free public toilet,” he said.

    But Jimoh’s request may be hard to process for the state government and unless there is a change in his fortunes and he can afford a decent accommodation, he will continue to be blight on the mega city status of Nigeria’s most populous state.

     

  • ‘We don’t practise violent opposition’

    ‘We don’t practise violent opposition’

    Hon . Adekunle Tunji Rafiu is the Minority Leader of the Oyo State House of Assembly. The lawmaker representing Saki West State Con-stituency says the opposition in the current dispensation is all about honest criticism and offering a better alternative to any government policy rather than violence. BISI OLADELE reports

    What experience did Hon. Adekunle bring to the Seventh Assembly?

    We were all living witnesses to all manner of assemblies that had come before now and we believe that most of us here in this Assembly are experienced. As a seasoned administrator and an educationist I believe that matters should be settled through dialogue instead of violence. It is all these that come to bear for the majority in the present Assembly.

    What will you say has helped this Assembly to succeed this far?

    Well, sometimes if you come to look at things (in retrospect) it is a blessing in disguise. We have multi parties in this Assembly. When you consider the composition of the 5th and the 6th assemblies, the majority of the members belonged to the ruling party. But when we came in none of the parties had absolute majority until recently when we have the APC controlling the majority – and not even two third. But even considering the membership, at least we have about seven who have been chairmen of council. We have about eight who have been supervisors in their various local governments. We have not less than four who have been councilors. So all these experiences gathered together come to play for peaceful atmosphere in the present Assembly. So, rich experience and maturity have really helped.

    Why is it that you (members) don’t play party politics in the conduct of your affairs?

    You see, issues based argument is better than partisan arguments. Thou-gh we came here through differe-nt political parties, we came to serve and improve the well-being of our people. These people make up political parties. If you have to play any game, it is just wise that your motions are based on the in-terest of your community. You don’t have to be blind all over this. You see, issues-based arguments can interest the parties. Whatever we are going to do is to the interest of the community we are representing. Parties will go; they are appellations but the people that make up the parties will be forever. So, we have to serve their interests. If anything comes from the Executive side in the interest of  the entire people of Oyo State we are going to safeguard it. And that is what we have been doing since all these days.

    As the leader of all the minority parties, and considering the peaceful manner that you have been conducting your affair, how much pressure do you receive from your party?

    Well, I have to say people are dynamic. Dynamic in the sense that the way they play opposition in those days is not the way we play it now. If something is black, say it is  black, don’t say it is white because of the opposition. We have what we call constructive criticism; majorly it is done in the parliam-entary caucus. If  bills are sent to the House of Ass-embly, what we do first is to peruse the bill in the caucus. In this caucus we argue a lot, which we will settle later. Sometimes we return the bill right away from the caucus to the Executive rather than bringing such bill to the plenary for people not to know we argued about it.

    Don’t you think that you and other opposition members might be accused of compromise?

    Things like that do happen but I cannot be any other person than myself. Also, the self confidence is there. I am convinced that I am not a sell-out. All of us in the mino-rity are convinced that we are not sell-outs. We have been performing our duties diligently to the best interest of the people we are representing. If that is done there is no way there will not be criticism. And we are serving the interests of our party, which aregood governance, accountability etc, and that is what we have been propagating for the past three years.

    As a key member of the 7th Assembly, what is the magic that is making everything work well in the current legislature?

    You see, we are blessed with a good speaker who has the wisdom and kindness that all of us can enjoy. Had it been we had a male as the speaker, well, I can’t say there wou-ld be rancor but we would not have been where we are today. Apart from the fact that she is the only woman, we love her, and she has been performing her duties, and carrying everybody along. And that is the major basis of her success for this present administration. She’s not greedy, she is not self-centered, and she has a large heart, with that I think things are going on well. As for the opposi-tion, she’s comfortable with the opposition more than the ruling party because she knows that we are not eyeing her position just because we are in the opposition party. But the party members are loaded with poten-tials since we are about 14 out of 32, she needs us too, hence she is enjoying the cooperation she is having from us.

    How will you describe the Gover-nor Ajimobi administration?

    Like I said sometime, this governor is particularly an intelligent man, a man with a vision. But he has to do a lot of work, most especially in accommodating people – be it from his party or from the opposition parties. If he’s able to do that I think I can call him a core politician. In terms of develop-mental programmes, most especially in Ibadan city, within this limited time, I am just admonishing that he should extend that hand of fellowship to other areas in the state, most especially Oke-Ogun area, but he has done well.

    If you want to compare this Assembly with the previous ones, what will you say?

    You see, my party controlled the two past administrations – the 5th and the 6th. Irrespective of who the governor is, the 7th Assembly can never be compared with the past two assemblies. The 5th and 6th assemblies were turned into a monetary academy, and when you have a baby of such an academy that is not well structured and well rooted, the baby that will come out of them might not be so nice. But for this 7th Assembly, they are core party men, well screened before their nomination, well experienced, and what matters is success and that is what we have been clamou-ring for and we have been seei-ng this since the past three years. You cannot compare this Assembly with the last two assemblies. Those assemblies are the worst assemblies we ever had in Oyo State. If you look at the Lam Adesina administration, we had only one opposition party, yet it was crisis-ridden. Same for the 5th and the 6th assem-blies. They were also crisis-ridden. But now we have multi-parties and none can beat its chest of controlling the Assembly. We have peace reigning among us. I believe if the cooperation extends to the next dispensation we will be successful.

  • Medical ART Centre’s feat in assisted reproduction

    Medical ART Centre’s feat in assisted reproduction

    A private hospital, Medical ART Centre, Maryland Lagos on Friday, May 23, recorded a tremendous medical achievement when it carried out the conception and delivery of a set of quadruplet.

    The Medical ART Centre is headed by Prof. Oladapo Ashiru who experimented on the technique of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) in 1983 and Embryo transfer in 1984 (human) in West Africa, otherwise called ‘test tube baby’, at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba. He performed this feat together with Prof. Osato Giwa-Osagie.

    The quadruplets, comprising three females and one male, were delivered at 9:00am. They are currently being taken care of at the Neonatal Unit of MART Maternity Suite. They are receiving specialised attention through the use of ventilators, respirator and individual incubator, light phototherapy sets and monitors.

    The Group Medical Director (GMD), Medical ART Centre, Prof. Oladapo Ashiru expressed his happiness over the achievement, even as he said he has been able to prove that with the right facility in Nigeria, medical tourism could be reduced.

    He said: “In most centres worldwide, it is not an easy process to maintain and support the lives of premature babies. The story of this quadruplets started last year when the mother, a 30-year-old lady walked into the Obstetric Unit of the MART Medicare for treatment. The husband was invited as well. The couple’s treatment started in August 2013 with series of investigations and management. Diagnoses of primary infertility due to Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCO) and male factor issues were carried out.

    “The couple thought IVF was the only option in assisted reproduction, but the above were addressed with specific medications and the Fallopian Tube Sperm Perfusion (FTSP) also known as artificial insemination which is a method of assisted conception was done in October 2013. She came back after two weeks for test and was confirmed positive by the Beta HCG (bHCG) pregnancy test.”

    Prof. Ashiru said the initial post-positive scan test was done to determine the position of the implantation.

    “One week later, another scan was done to confirm gestation and it revealed twin gestation. The seventh week scan showed triplet gestation and by eight week, the quadruplet gestation was confirmed. She was managed at MART Medical Art Centre high risk/multiple pregnancy care unit and was transferred to MART Medicare from the 10th week for continued routine monitoring.

    The Obstetricians at Mart Medicare, Dr. Lateef Akinola; Dr Moses Olusanjo and Dr. Oluwaseun Makewu did a Cervical Cerclage on her, after which she was closely monitored.”

    At week 20, she was re-admitted for close monitoring and plan of delivery. At week 33, she had elective Caesarean Section by a team of specialists led by Dr Akinola and Dr Olusanjo and team which included two anesthetists, two obstetricians, four neonatologists and theater nurses.

    The Consultant Gynaecologist/Obstetrician, Dr Akinola said: “This is a great feat for us as we have achieved the one stop plan for our patients to be taken from infertility management to delivery in the same facility, reducing the stress on patient and medical tourism outside the country.

    “The quadruplets are doing well. Even the one weighing 9kg is the most active. Naturally, the uterus is for one baby but you can have two. When you get three or four or more, then it will have great impact on the babies.

    “The reason is that the maximum weight for a normal single baby in the womb is 3.2kg, but when you have two or three, the weight increases. When you add all the weights of the three or four babies together, you get above 6kg and that is a lot of weight.

    “It depends on how fertilisation occurs. If it is one egg that divided into two, then the babies will share placenta. If it is an egg that fertilised separately, the placenta will fuse. The placenta is the connection between mother and the babies; it supplies food from mother to babies.

    “In multiple pregnancy; the baby closest to the placenta gets the most food and that will lead to weight differentials. The baby that is far from the placenta gets the left over, which is the case in this baby that is weighing 9kg. We call it Intero-placenta insufficiency.

    On why the medical team went ahead to deliver a 9kg baby, Dr Akinola said: “We have to be extremely careful with this kind of babies because if you don’t deliver them on time, you can lose them rapidly. So, you have to make a balance between delivering them prematurely and the effects of leaving them in the womb. You don’t want to deliver them too early because it is not too good for the babies nor leave them in the womb too long to avoid losing them. A balance must be struck. Also you have to bear the mother in mind; weight of 6kg is not a joke.”

    Prof. Ashiru said: “MART is happy to collaborate with and complement government’s effort in the reduction of maternal mortality and morbidity in the country. This was the pledge I made when the Mart Medicare was formally opened by the Minister of Health Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu in September, 2013.

    “With this, we have proven that medical tourism can become a thing of history if facilities like this exist in the country. When a patient goes outside the country on medical tourism, he or she goes at least with a relation. Paying for food and accommodation is not rosy there.

    “The convenience is not guaranteed. But here in the country, there is quality of service as the centres are manned by highly skilled professionals, coupled with state-of-the-art equipment. Paying in our currency also makes the services much more available. So, I am fulfilled.”

    Already, the wife of the Lagos State Governor, Mrs. Emmanuella Fashola has paid a visit to the quadruplets.

    During the visit, Mrs. Fashola inspected the state-of-the-art labour ward, theatre, wards and highly equipped neonatal unit with capacity to handle premature babies with ventilators, respirator, incubators and monitors. She also visited the Mart Life Detox Clinic, where pre –fertility detoxification and stress reduction are carried out on couples planning for assisted conception.

    She expressed her satisfaction with the world-class facilities of the MART Group.

     

  • Osun’s O’YES initiative fights youth unemployment

    Osun’s O’YES initiative fights youth unemployment

    Madam Emilia Bosede is 107-years-old. She lives on Palace Road, Ilerin-Ijesa, Osun State. She is extremely poor and moves around with a walking stick. In the traditional societies, families bear the burden of taking care of the aged. But in her case, there are no people to take care of her. Where she lives is a sore sight. She is one of the old folks that have been abandoned.

    There is also the case of Romanus Nkwongo, who has taken refuge under a dilapidated house along the same street. He has a current threat hanging on his life. After he lost two of his children, his wife left him. There are many cases of the elderly who have lost their children and are in a condition where they would almost beg for alms. They are unable to work and have no regular income or means of support.

    For many like Madam Emilia and Nkwongo, the sunset years of lives has turned out to be a traumatic period, in which they find themselves entirely dependent on families or friends due to the absence of a good social security system.

    Analysts point out that the aging population is constantly grappling with health issues, economic stress, family matters, uncertain living arrangements, gender disparities, urban-rural differences, displacement and slum-like living conditions. Years ago, traditional values and religious beliefs were quite supportive of elderly people. Today, economic hardship and the faltering nuclear family system are drastically eroding the support base of aged people.

    Experts have expressed the need for review of the area of social assistance and the treatment of vulnerable groups nation-wide as well as to develop appropriate plans to transform the management and provision of services to these groups.  There is growing interest on issues affecting the youth and elderly people within the informal economy.

    In this regard, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has established so many social protection platforms.

    One of these is Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (O’YES) cadets which is a revolving volunteer scheme designed to eliminate the frustration and paralysing effect of high and seemingly intractable youth unemployment pervasive in the state and country at large.

    It aims at equipping as many young men and women with positive work ethics and culture, self sustenance, resourcefulness and respect for the environment. It is designed to develop youths with character and competence.

    OYES corps are deployed to productive services in identified areas of socio-economic life and paid a basic allowance to help cover basic needs. They are also kitted for group identity and high morale.

    Governor Aregbesola announced recently that the State Government had been committing about N200 million to pay allowances for the over 20,000 youths engaged in the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (O’YES).

    The governor remarked that the success of the programme attracted the attention of the World Bank, which studied it and certified it to be a viable and sustainable solution to the problem of youth unemployment in Nigeria and consequently recommended it to the Federal Government and other states in the country.

    The result, the governor said, is the Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO) that was launched in Abuja.

    Aregbesola said O’YES has helped the state to manage unemployment rate to a considerable manner, stressing that the National Bureau of Statistics, in its publication rated Osun State to have the least unemployment rate.

    According to him, the Federal Government can help in eliminating the scourge of unemployment by matching the states.

    “With that, nobody can accuse you of favouring one state over the other. If the state employs or empowers 1,000 let the Federal Government also employ or empower 1,000. If the state can do 10,000 or 100,000 let the Federal Government match it with the same 10,000 or 100,000 and it is easier for Federal Government to do it,” he said.

    The governor stated that he is worried by the spate of insecurity in Nigeria, arguing that there can’t be a solution outside providing employment for the youth.

    He noted that the energy, vibrancy and creative talents that abound in young people are vital ingredients of development that only need to be properly channelled into productive engagement.

    He suggested that youths must be kept positively engaged by any government that is serious about the task of social and economic development.

    “Keeping young people meaningfully engaged is not only a sound economic policy; it is a sensible approach to good governance. For no effective or successful governance can take place where there is rampant unemployment among the youth,” he said.

    Using his state as an example of government intervention in youth empowerment, Aregbesola said the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (O’YES) became a very effective mechanism of massive public sector employment that offered not only income but great hope for the youth that are absorbed into the scheme.

    Speaking with our correspondent at the sidelines of a World Bank Training of Trainers on Community-based Targetting in Iloko-Ijesa, the Director-General of Bureau of Social Services (BOSS) and Head, State Operations Co-ordinating Unit for the Youth Empowerment Social Support Operation (YESSO) in Osun, Mr. Femi Ifaturoti said income security is one of the most urgent needs of the nation’s aging population.

    The situation, he added, is worsened by absence of effective measures at the national level to cushion people from risks of old age, sickness, disability and  unemployment, among others issues.

    Generally, schemes for the poor and vulnerable come with several conditions that are hard to meet. For instance, they are meant for those who are officially listed as living “below the poverty line” (BPL).

    Simply identifying the poor and vulnerable households and providing them with cash assistance, the BOSS D-G noted is insufficient to keep families out of poverty, adding that the state has adopted “graduation policies” that help activate the poor to enter into the labour market and other tailor-made social programmes.

    The lead trainer and World Bank Sector Leader, Human Development, Prof. Foluso Okumadewa said Nigeria is grappling with problems that result from high youth unemployment, adding that the presence of idle and unemployed youths pose a problem, even as the challenge is huge.

    He sees solution coming from Youth Employment and Social Support Operation (YESSO), funded through $300 million assistance by the World Bank.

    The project would commence in Cross River, Bauchi, Osun, Ekiti, Niger, Oyo and Kwara states for the Phase one of the community-based system.

     

  • Gloryland: Community with Midas touch

    Gloryland: Community with Midas touch

    Abandoned midway into its planned development, Gloryland community in Alimoso area of Lagos State is trying to live up to its original design as a modern city. OZIEGBE OKOEKI reports.

    But for the movement of the federal capital from Lagos to Abuja in 1991, Gloryland community in Isheri-Olofin, in Alimoso local government area of Lagos State would have been rubbing shoulders with the likes of Ikeja, the State capital and the highbrow Ikoyi.

    Originally designed by its architectural master plan to be a modern city by the Federal Government, the movement of the seat of power 23 years or so ago practically left the place abandoned and stalled its development.

    But the residents of the community have decided to take the bull by the horn and develop the area to make it habitable.

    The concrete work formation on the large expanse of land – demarcating residential area, social service centre, industrial hub and connecting road networks – showed another modern city. But it was a dream that would not come through; at least not in another 40 years.

    Relocation of the Federal seat of power from the country’s economic capital; Lagos  to Abuja was sufficient to stall the project midway into completion. Also phased out were urban planning, development and regulation in the area.

    A visit to the site would show concrete markings that have survived till date. But years of abandonment has made the area worse than it was for neighbouring residents. It was a gory picture of how distant the Federal Government could be from the people! Besides inaccessible road network, several uncompleted houses and artificial swamps became hideouts for armed robbers terrorising the area.

    Where residents are not worried about flooding, it is the fear of fetching petroleum products from water wells. It was indeed a site in dire straits for years!

    Such was the state of affairs until eight years ago when residents took the bull by the horns. Courtesy of their collective will to survive, they are today proud of fairly motorable roads, security of life and properties and few social infrastructure, though the fear of underground oil spill still looms.

    The burden of coordinating the provision of the necessary infrastructure, developing the community generally, including security fell on the Gloryland Community Development Association, CDA. And last weekend to celebrate the achievements so far recorded over the years, the CDA organised a Gala and Merit Award Night to recognise members of the community and others who had and still contributing to the development of the community.

    Under the auspices of Gloryland CDA, residents’ contributions ensured each zone of the area has a transformer, drainage channels, culverts for easy access and gates at every entrance. Members of the community, according to chairman of the CDA, Olumide Adewale took turns as vigilantes to provide security and rid the community of armed robbers and undesirable elements.

    And for a meritorious service to the community and making the place habitable the following members of the communiyy were given Award at the event:  Prince Tunde Olanipekun, Mr. Isaac Okorie, Mr. Jeffrey Idehen, Mr. Olumide Adewale, Mr. Olusola Fashina, Mr. Abiodun Adesheila, Mrs. Titilayo Ariyo-Adeoye, Mr. Jide Ajani, Elder Sofela Sowemimo, Mr. Jide Alabi, and Tijani Wasiu.

    Speaking at the merit award night the lawmaker representing the area, Alimoso II Constituency, at the Lagos State House of Assembly, Omotayo Oduntan, summed up the level of development. Oduntan observed that nine years ago when she last visited – 14 years since the site was abandoned – the area was at best suitable for fishery business. “Today, it is entirely a different place,” she said.

    While she commended the CDA for rising against the odds, Oduntan said it was high time they further pressed their demands at the Assembly, adding that Alimoso constituency was too politically relevant to be neglected by the state government’s social development vehicle.

    Oduntan’s colleague in the House and resident of the community, Suuru Avoseh was proud of the Assembly’s initiative to pass the law that recognized CDAs back in 2007, adding that it was in recognition that government could not meet developmental yearnings of the people without CDAs playing their part.

    “Gloryland CDA shows we were not wrong after all. The community is working and we are glad,” he said.

    Avoseh, however, warned that it was not yet uhuru. His words: “As a resident around here, I understand the gun powder we are all sitting on. Right under us, the flow of petroleum products has continued. Though the government had been coming to assist, but it is still scary. We (the residents) still have to be vigilant; raise alarm whenever it starts flowing again,” he said. Avoseh urged the newly elected CDA Exco to redouble efforts at bringing government closer to the residents.

    Outgoing chairman of the CDA, Isaac Okorie noted that the breath of fresh air currently enjoyed in the site was a testimony of what a people could achieve with common aim, cooperation and hard work.

    Okorie said residents’ support had ensured that 90 per cent of the occupants could now ply the inner roads. He however, commended the flood control effort of the Lagos State government at Zone 4. He decried a situation where a community with over 3000 residents was yet to have a polling booth for election purposes.

    The new exco, led by Olumide Adewale, promised to continue with the current development projects, coupled with new ones, through improved partnership with the government. On the abandoned Federal Road, he said, they had always tried to invite their parent landlord (the Federal Government).

    “We have always got in touch with them (FG) and they have started acknowledging with promises. But we want to believe the state government more. They have been responsive to our calls, like the construction of canal to control flooding, control of collapsing buildings and stray goats disturbing the residents.”

    On the importance of the road, Adewale said: “It is not only for this community, but as a by-pass to control traffic around Isheri-roundabout and Egbeda, even as far as Moshalasi area. From here, it takes about five minutes straight-drive to get to Two-Storey and Ayobo, cutting off a large flank of the traffic corridor. If only they can do it, we would have the road, and it would serve the state.”

    Other members of the new Exco are Patrick Aimisior; Jimoh Olanrewaju; Stephen Oyemina; Fashina Olusola; Omolola Grace Ajuwon; Idehen Ejna Jeffrey and Emmanuel Alao Akeem.

  • Choose a hopeful future, Awoniyi urges Ekiti voters

    Ekiti voters have been urged to choose a hopeful future and avoid a return to the gloomy past. The charge was made at a campaign rally in Ipole Iloro-Ekiti, in the Ekiti West Local Government area of the state, by Femi Awoniyi, convener of the Ekiti Diaspora Europe 2014.

    Addressing more than 300 inhabitants of the town at the event, Awoniyi said Ipole was one of the biggest beneficiaries of the Fayemi administration reminding his listeners that the construction of the Ikogosi-Ipole-Efon road by the Fayemi government opened the town to the outside world.

    “For more than 50 years the road was the main stumbling block to our development in this town,” he said.

    He also told the gathering that the transformation of the Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort by the present administration was also impacting positively on the town. He revealed that the development of the proposed Ekiti tourism corridor, which Governor Fayemi had said would be a priority of his government in its second term, would bring a new dawn to Ipole.

    “The Arinta Water Fall will be developed into a world-class tourist destination which will boost the economy of the town and create jobs for its youths.”

    Awoniyi, the Germany-based publisher of The African Courier magazine, also cited other achievements of the Fayemi administration, including good roads all over the state, the state social security scheme for elders, free health service and provision of clean portable water, and how these have immensely improved the quality of life in the state.

    He advised Ekiti people not to listen to the forces of deceit whose antecedents of violence, mayhem and corruption clearly show that they will not improve the lot of the people if allowed to come to power.

    He instead appealed to the voters to turn out in large numbers on 21 June to re-elect Governor Fayemi so that he could continue with his people-oriented programmes which have won accolades for the scholar politician within Nigeria and world at large.

    Awoniyi, told his audience that the international community was keenly watching the election, predicting that Ekiti will witness an investment boom after Fayemi’s re-election because of the strong basis that the governor was creating for the economic development of the state.

    He revealed that many foreign companies had already signified their interest to set up base in the state and were only waiting for the re-election of Fayemi to move in and start their operation.

    The Ekiti diaspora was particularly interested in the coming election because of its importance to the future of the state, Awoniyi said, explaining why he and other members of the EDE 2014, a coalition of Ekiti groups in Europe, are in the state campaigning for Fayemi re-election.

  • ATLODAN gets new national exco members

    The Ajowa Tippers/Lorry Owners & Drivers Association of Nigeria, (ATLODAN) has elected new national officers.

    Leading the Association is Prince Yemisi Ademola as National President,  Alfa Kamaldeen Saka as 1st National Vice President, Alfa Isiaq  Taliat , 2nd National Vice President and  Mr. Obey Ojelabi as the National Secretary,Others are, Chief Tijani Oladipupo, Mr. Musibau Fabiyi qnd Mr. Fatai Gbolagade as National Auditor, National Financial Secretary and National Public Relations Officer, respectively. Segun Oyedele, Moses Adediran, Kamaldeen Amoo and Haruna Ojo  also emerged as National Assistant PRO, National Assistant Secretary, National Treasurer and National Chief Whip  respectively.

    The pioneer national president of the Association, Alhaji, Waheed Adetunji Tomori,  during  the inauguration urged members of the association to always ensure good maintenance of their vehicles. Tomori, who is also the Board of Trustees chairman of the association also appealed to them to always ensure that they obtain necessary documents for their vehicles. He canvassed  members’ co-operation with their respective local and state governments, and  charged them to drive safely and obey traffic signs and laws.

  • ‘Boko Haram forced me to relocate from Abuja’

    A lawyer’s dream of having a befitting Law Centre in Abuja, the Federal Capital, has been cut short by Boko Haram. DAMISI OJO reports on how the insurgency drove Dr Benson Enikuomehin to relocate his practice from Abuja to Akure, Ondo State

    Within the last three weeks, Akure the Ondo State capital had witnessed the commissioning of two Law Offices by two eminent lawyers, the former Ekiti State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Dayo Akinlaja (SAN) and former Ondo State Representative on the Board of the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC) Dr Benson Enikuomehin.

    Both Chambers have well equipped Libraries for references and Law Research coupled with other basic facilities to uplift the legal profession.

    According to the Chief Judge (CJ) of Ondo State,Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi, with the present development, the legal practice in the state is improving than in the past.

    Kumuyi who spoke as the Chairman at the inauguration of Shalom Chambers built by Dr.Enikuomehin lamented the poor condition of Chambers of most lawyers practising in the state, noting that most lawyers cramp themselves into a ‘room and parlour’ apartment particularly around the State High Court Complex, Akure.

    Besides, he deplored a situation where of all lawyers practising in the state, only Mr Olagoke Olakunle had attained the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

    Kumuyi said “this was so not because lawyers practising in the state were not brilliant but because they do not take the practice as serious as it should be”

    He however enthused that more lawyers in the state are beginning to take the practice more serious as modern law chambers are springing up.

    He said the initiative of Enikuomehin, who built a state of the art Law Office and the former Attorney General of Ekiti State, Dayo Akinlaja (SAN) whose chamber was commissioned penultimate week by the President, Customary Court of Appeal, Ondo State, Justice Taiwo Aguda is a challenge to other lawyers in the state capital.

    Enikuomehin who also marked his 52nd birthday anniversary said building a befitting law office had been his dream since he was called to the bar over 19 years ago.

    The former NDDC Chief said he had invested heavily in law books which culminated in the commissioning of his Law Library in Abuja.

    He however lamented that the Boko Haram insurgency ravaging the federal capital had killed his vision of a five storey Law Centre at the central area of Abuja after his architect had completed the design.

    Enikuomehin said he was sad because of the huge investment he put into purchasing the land required for the project.

    The lawyer said the frustration of Boko Haram made him to relocate his dream law office to Ondo State.

    According to him, the office commissioned is the “Boys’ quarters” to the edifice now under construction and which would be commissioned in the next one year. .

    Enikuomehin said “upon my call to the Nigerian Bar on March 22,1995, I resolved to do my best and contribute my quota to the development of legal profession in Nigeria.

    “I developed the Lagos Office, but not to the taste of the “Dream law office, my sojourn to Akure in 2003,could still not avail me of the kind of law firm I dreamt about in 1995.When moved to Abuja in 2008,I proposed to build a National Law Firm which would be second to none in Nigeria and probably in West Africa. I decided to invest in Law books which culminated in the commissioning of my Law Library in Abuja.

    “In 2010,my architect designed a five storey law centre to be erected at the Central area of Abuja. This vision was killed by the invasion of Boko Haram ravaging facilities in the Federal Capital. I was sad because of the huge investment I had put into purchasing the land required for the project”.

    Enikuomehin said with the frustration of Boko Haram, he decided to relocate his dream law office to Ondo State, stressing that in the next one year, the new Law pavilion would be commissioned in the State capital.

    In his speech, a frontline lawyer, Chief Olusola Oke urged lawyers to take their profession very seriously even if they had to get themselves involved in politics. He said politics must not been seen as a profession but a game.

    Also speaking, the Chairperson of Federation of Women Lawyers, Mrs Bunmi Niyi-Arajuwa advised lawyers to help the course of Women in the society, stressing that the association would soon give out cases involving Women and Children to law firms. She pleaded that such should be on pro bono basis.

    Eminent lawyers including Chief Olusola Oke, John Mafo and traditional rulers particularlyfrom the riverside Ilaje local government where Enikuomehin hails, graced the event held at Enikuomehin new Law firm premises at Oba-Ile near Akure.

  • Reward for hard work, loyalty, as traders get car gift

    Those who toil often have cause to smile when they reap the fruits of their labour. Two traders in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, have been given two new cars for their perseverance and loyalty. OSEHEYE OKWUOFU writes.

    Hundreds of traders at Bodija and Gbagi International markets in Ibadan, Oyo State, abandoned their shops just to witness what many had thought was impossible.

    Curious motorists and passersby even pulled aside by the road to have a glimpse of the presentation of the brand new cars to the winners of this year’s customers bonanza organised by Unilever Nigeria PLC.

    They all defied the scorching sun to watch the handing over of the keys to the winners.

    At Bodija Market where the event took place, it was a huge gathering of foodstuff traders and other onlookers, anxiously waiting to see the reality of the event.

    Some had expressed doubt that the ceremony could turn out to be a mere showy display, and cast doubt on the sincerity of the organisers.

    On a wooden platform stood the brand new “tear rubber” metallic green Hyundai car which was the attraction of many eyes .

    Friends, relatives and well wishers of the winners were jubilating, while others were thrilled by the car award to a petty trader.

    The foodstuff section of the Bodija Market was almost empty on the fateful day as only few were left in their shops.

    When it was time for the officials of Unilever Nigeria Plc to formally present the brand new Hyundai cars to each of the two ‘Bestsellers’ in the state that emerged winners, many raised their voices shouting praises to God .

    They described the award as a sign to all that nothing is too great for God to accomplish in the lives of men.

    The lucky winners, Alhaja Oyindamola Salam from Bodija Market and Mrs. Shola Akinyele from Gbagi Market were filled with disbelief as the keys of the cars were handed over to them.

    The two traders who were acclaimed by Unilever as “long-standing reliable customers” could not believe their eyes as they were formally presented the keys of their respective car in the presence of hundreds of other traders who had stormed the presentation ceremony which was jointly coordinated by the company’s Field Sales Manager (Foods), Mr. Taofiq Ositade and the Assistant Customer Marketing Manager (Foods), Mrs. Adeola Bodunrin.

    Alhaja Oyindamola Salam, who has been selling food condiments and provisions for over two decades, expressed gratitude to God for deeming it fit to uplift her and thanked the company for the award.

    When asked what she would do with the car, Alhaja Salam said” ah! I will not think of selling it because there is a purpose why God gave me this car at this point of my life. I will be using this car as a personal ride to my shop and attend occasions.”

    While explaining that the car was her first, the 62 year old trader expressed her commitment to her trade, adding that it pays to be committed to whatever one is doing in life.

    Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Ositade disclosed that Unilever presented a total of 13 cars to lucky winners across the country in 2013 adding that loyal customers are similarly being rewarded this year as part of the organisation’s corporate social responsibility.  This he said was with a view to appreciating their contribution to the growth of the Unilever group.

    While congratulating the two winners from Oyo State, he noted with delight that Ibadan has remained a vibrant market for the assorted products from the Unilever group.

    Ositade remarked that Unilever will continue to produce foodstuffs and culinary that would make people feel and enjoy good lives.

    Responding, the beneficiaries commended Unilever for the good gesture promising to continue to be good ambassadors of the company.